disfunctionality | HwanHee ✅

Third Toll

~Time skip: 2 weeks~

I was nervous as today was the day. The day I'll actually attend the party. Maybe I'll meet someone interesting there. I couldn't contain my excitement and found myself shaking someone by the shoulders. "Oh." "It's fine. Keep shaking." I cleared my throat then looked away from Geonhak. "I heard you're going tonight with Dongju." "Jealous?" "Not in the slightest. Tonight will change everything." I gave him a questioning look. "Don't give me that look. I'm one of the rare red foxes who can see the future." "Even still, don't just randomly blurt out things." "Whatever you do, DON'T run deeper into the forest." I half heartedly agreed just to shut him up.

ㅉㅉㅉㅉㅉㅉㅉㅉㅉㅉㅉㅉㅉㅉㅉㅉㅉㅉ

I looked through my wardrobe then remembered my human clothes wouldn't show in Dier. I walked downstairs then saw my mom waiting by the front door. "Don't embarrass me. It's bad enough that people talk about your father." "Yes mom..." I took the shorter route to the forest then transformed when I got there. I cast a spell and marveled at how nice they turned out. I walked through and was greeted with silence with the exception of the faint sound of music in the distance. I made my way into the heart of Dier then waited for Dongju at our meeting spot. I saw a familiar cream rabbit stop in front of me then paw at my leg. "Shall we?"

We walked across the bridge and marveled at the sight. "This is way regal. Better than any human party." I remembered what Seoho had said then decided to tell Dongju as well. "I see. I'll stay close by." We entered through the doors and the sound of music, laughter and idle chitchat filled our ears. Some people had come up to talk to us, and I had chased away at least half of them as they were after Dongju. "Maybe I should've stayed home..." "And miss out on this? We literally met a descendent of the person who created the tranbubbles!" "True..." I gently nudged him with my nose then helped him onto the chair.

Everyone seemed to be having a good time, making connections, meeting old friends, making new ones. Dongju and I had made a few new friends and many connections. I knew I should've been responsible and not drink, but I figured it wouldn't hurt to have one glass. "Hwanwoong...no more, okay?" "Mhm." I gladly accepted another drink and then another. My sense of reason was shot and I was viewing things through rose colored glasses. I couldn't quite hear Dongju as the music seemed louder than before. I noticed he had tucked himself in then I looked up to see that some woman was trying to talk to him. "Hey, go away. He's not interested." "What are you, his relative?" "Does it matter?" I found myself growling at her and a few people started to look over at us.

"Hwannie, stop...Miss, I'm not interested. Please leave." She left in a terrible mood and I only felt slightly better. "Hwannie, maybe we should go..." I sneezed a few times then shook my head. I felt stares coming from every direction then I noticed I had become about Dongju's size. "Dongju..." I heard murmuring then the sound of an alarm going off. It was deafening. "Hwanwoong, we need to go!" I couldn't quite grasp the situation, but I followed Dongju nonetheless. I heard shouting coming from behind us then finally realized what had happened. "I transformed in front of all of those animals, Ju...?" "Yes, now keep running!"

I transformed into a cheetah then situated Dongju into my mouth. "Smart thinking." I noticed Lutin had appeared with Piksi and I was never felt so glad to see Lutin. "You two need to split up." "What? Why?" Piksi took Dongju away and flew away in another direction. "Can't you just transport me home?" "I wish, but they already have you marked. It's really advanced magic, so us sprites can't do a thing." I saw balls of light coming from behind me which forced me to run into the woods. I thought back to what Geonhak said, but couldn't remember as I hardly payed attention. I ran in deeper into the woods then stopped as I couldn't hear anything anymore.

"Lutin? Lutin!?" I transformed into a less noticeable animal then looked around me. I was alone and I didn't know my way back. For the first time in years, I was afraid.