Kryptonite (Stray Kids Hwang Hyunjin)

Seventeen

"So what do you normally do around here?" Alex asked, glancing at Jinyoung. 

"Nothing much. I just run some errands, make potions and practice spells," he shrugged in response.

"Hyunjin does that a lot too. You should meet him, he's very nice."

"Hyunjin?"

"Yeah, he's one of the princes. You don't know him?"

"Us, witches aren't necessarily bothered when it comes to the royal family. To be honest, sometimes we even forget such a thing exists. And what's a prince doing with spells and potions? Aren't those forbidden in the palace?"

"First of all, I didn't know it was forbidden and second of all, he doesn't necessarily live in the palace. It's a long story..."

"I see."

"That reminds me, I need to get back to my friends. Can you help me get out of here?"

"Of course, let me just grab my coat. The exit isn't far from here."

***

Seungmin watched closely from behind as they continued their walk. Eunbyul and Hyunjin were in the very front with Suzy slightly behind them and Seungmin in the very back. He watched Suzy's lazy footsteps and the way she would often drag her feet, something she didn't do often. She fiddled with her fingers regularly as her eyes darted from one place to another quickly. Everything about her body language screamed she was nervous. Which was strange.

Suzy's never anxious.

"This is it," Hyunjin sighed looking up at the tall trees. "There's no going back now."

"Guys, this is a bad idea. If we go in there, we never go out. What if she has already found the dark knights? Only witch magic can kill those things. Her name's probably on the pillar," Suzy panicked, the words slipping out of her mouth a little too fast for Seungmin to convince himself she was okay. And he could see, from the way she looked at her, Eunbyul was beginning to question the girl as well.

"Then sign my name up next to hers," the Fifth Prince shrugged, taking a step into the forest.

"Sign all our names up. We are a team after all. If one man falls we all fall," Eunbyul gave Suzy a sarcastic smile. "Welcome to the team, soldier." Then she dragged Suzy along with her. 

The ground was muddy here, a large contrast from the dry sand they had been walking on a few moments before, and their shoes would often sink too low for comfort.

"Guys, I really say we should get out of here."

"Oh, would you shut it, Suzy? We're already too deep in to go back. Just suck it up!" Eunbyul retorted, growing angry at the girl.

"I don't want to be here!"

"Then why did you come?"

"I had no choice, you guys were all coming here."

"I said you could leave, didn't I? You chose to follow us now shut up. I don't want your whining to be the last thing I hear."

And she did keep quiet, taking extremely careful steps.

Seungmin watched her questionable behaviour once again. 

That was until he saw it. The reason why she dragged her feet or took small steps. He froze he was and just stared at the ground beneath her feet in utter shock.

"Seungmin?" Eunbyul spoke. "You okay?"

The boy only shook his head as he looked back up at Suzy.

"It was you?" the three words emitting his mouth were laced with a blatant anger no one had ever associated Seungmin with. A hatred too dark for his pure soul. "You did it?"

"Did what?" Suzy tried to play innocent though she knew she was already caught.

"You're the one that led her here. Those footprints next to hers, they were yours," he glared at her and soon he wasn't the only one.

"What is wrong with you?" Hyunjin practically shouted. "Why would you bring her here? Are you trying to kill her?"

"I was trying to get you guys to focus on our main issue over here. What are we going to do about the palace?" Suzy yelled in response.

"What are we going to do about Alex, huh? The palace has soldiers, Alex doesn't. You basically killed her!"

"I didn't kill her. I just left her here. If she walked into the Dark Knights that's not my fault, it's hers."

"What did she ever do to you, Suzy? She was so kind to you! She always followed what you said-"

"I don't want her to follow me, Hyunjin, I want you to! You used to look up to me, make me seem better than I actually am, you gave me your attention and you wanted to give me the palace too and that stupid girl is ruining everything for me!"

"You never even liked me back! You only pretended so one day you could get the throne. How petty is that? What, you thought I was always going to be your puppet? I finally found someone that liked me back even when I didn't have everything I had back then and you took that from me! Can't you for once be happy for me? You made me kill my dad, tried to kill me and now possibly killed the only person I love! Stop interfering with my life, will you?"

Jinyoung glanced at Alex before giving her a slight smile after listening to what Hyunjin had said.

"I think now might be the best time to come out. Before he kills the girl, you know?" he whispered. 

Hyunjin's back had been faced towards them so sneaking up on him and giving him a back hug was actually a lot easier than she had planned it being.

"The only person you love?" she teased him, causing him to blush before pulling her into a hug.

"Don't ever trust Suzy again, okay? I really thought you were gone," he uttered, hugging her tighter.

"Trust me, I learnt my lesson."

"How did you even get past the Dark Knights?"

Alex sighed before glancing behind and gesturing for Jinyoung to come out. He hesitated a bit but eventually, he revealed himself.

Hyunjin froze for a second before letting go of Alex and pointing at the witch.

"You," he breathed out, staring at Jinyoung in shock. "You're the one that cursed me."