Sunoo scans the lively room with knitted brows, a frown feigning his face as he observes the newcomers mingle amongst themselves.

It's been an hour or two since he last said farewell, as well as good-luck to Jungwon and Minji. It's been an hour or two since he began to search the castle— corridors and all for his childhood friends and guardian.

Xu Daiyu, a girl from the Wimborne village, also Kim Sunoo's childhood best friend. After an accident resulting in the loss of Sunoo's parents, Ms. Cheng— whom Daiyu was working an internship for at her potion shop, took Sunoo into her household as if he was her own.

He grew up with Daiyu and her many siblings, it was as if they were a family. —Until he was scouted by Sunghoon to become the castle's personal medic.

Sunoo remembers the day Sunghoon and the rangers had come back from their scouting mission. When the castle had run short of healing potions and Daiyu had to make a speedy delivery to the infirmary with said potions. After late hours of helping him treat the dangers, Daiyu had told him that the next time they would meet, it would be at the ballroom dance event. But as Sunoo looks around anxiously for said girl, he finds that she's nowhere to be seen.

"Still can't find her, Sun?" the slightly shorter blonde boy asks while extending out a tray of hors d'oeuvres.

Sunoo sighs as he sets down the glass of glimmer-berry juice he had been sipping from, slumping his shoulders as he meets Jake's sympathetic smile.

"I've looked everywhere, I'm contemplating if she's even shown up." Sunoo replies as he presses his lips in a thin line, reluctantly grabbing an appetizer from Jake's platter.

Jake tilts his head slightly to the side while scanning over Sunoo's dulled features. He lets out a sharp breath before leaning against the buffet table. "I'm sure she's going to be alright, if she hasn't shown up, then that's a good thing. If she has, you'll surely run into her soon." he comforts as he crosses one leg over the other, scanning over the vicinity with shining eyes.

"Hopefully you're right. If she's here, I want her to leave as soon as possible.. in case Sorian were to break through our defenses.. y'know?" Sunoo reprimands while trying to hold a smile, but it just looks forced.

Jake gently pats the boy's shoulder before standing upright, sending him a sympathetic smile before looking elsewhere. "Look out, here come the two besties. Ever since they met, I swear it's as if they're attached at the hip." Jake chuckles.

"Sunoo, can you take over the potions? I think folks are starting to get suspicious of me, we better switch places for a bit." Jay asks while coming to a stop in front of said boy.

Taehyun comes to a stop right beside the other boy, reaching into the satchel along his belt and pulling out a few vials of green liquid. He extends the handful of potions to Sunoo, who quickly takes and stuffs them into his own satchel.

"Yeah sure thing, I can take over for a bit." Sunoo smiles winsomely in return.

"Oh, and for the company," Taehyun initiates whilst stepping closer to the boy, "take Peanut with you, she's been especially popular with the guests." he winks with a sly smile, as the tiny bushy-tailed creature jumps from his shoulder onto Sunoo's.

Sunoo lets out a boisterous laugh before shaking his head in disbelief at the male's implications. He sits upright on his feet as he strokes the tiny mystical creature's back with a smile.

"I assume you've been hard at work this fine evening, haven't you Peanut?" he laughs as the creature tilts her head to the side while staring up at him with big, beady eyes.

"Where do you suppose King Yungjae is heading off to?" Jay questions with a frown, causing Sunoo to lift his head as his smile slightly falters.

Off at the front of the ballroom, a cluster of royal guards surround King Yungjae, escorting the man covered in all sorts of fur and jewels out of the bustling room.

"That's odd." Jake remarks as his eyebrows furrow together into a frown.

"Huh.. I don't think there's any events elsewhere in the castle that he could attend to, I'm not sure where he's headed." Sunoo remarks, following the man with his eyes.

"I hope it doesn't have anything to do with Sorian approaching the castle anytime now." Taehyun inquiries, turning back to face the group with a deep frown.

Jay plants a hand atop the boy's shoulder, a reassuring smile painting his face. "Let's try to think positive about this. Bad thoughts will only worsen your worries." he says, to which Taehyun nods hesitantly.

"Well, I guess I should get a move on with these drinks now. No one else is going to hand them out." Sunoo snickers as he clutches the satchel around his waist.

"All right. Be careful, remember to keep your ears peeled for our danger word." Jake reminds, patting Sunoo on the shoulder as he begins to walk away with a nod.

Sunoo moves through the crowd of people swiftly, slipping past them as his eyes briefly wander around in every direction. He spots a lone woman dancing casually by herself, a glass of glimmer-berry juice in her hands. Perfect.

Sunoo strides up to the woman, his blonde hair bouncing with every step he takes. Once within her vicinity, he gains the dark-haired woman's attention with the clearing of his throat.

"Oh! Can I help you?" her deep voice asks as she turns to face him, startled by his sudden presence.

"Yes, actually. Would you mind holding my carbuirrel for me while I look for my hair pin? I must have lost it somewhere within my satchel." Sunoo feigns a laugh, looking at the woman with big, pleading eyes.

The woman eyes the beady-eyed creature sat atop his shoulder, staring back at her as its bushy tail begins to sway back and forth.

"That.. thing..?" she asks while pointing to Peanut, but before she can get a response, the creature jumps onto her finger and climbs up her arm.

The woman shrieks as Peanut reaches her hair, trying to swat her out as her little paws roam everywhere wildly.

"Great, thank you, this will only take a minute!" Sunoo rejoices, immediately flipping open his satchel and pulling out one of the vials of green liquid Taehyun had given him.

Regurgitation potion.

While the woman thrashes around, too occupied to notice what's to come, Sunoo swiftly pops open the cork cap and dumps the liquid into her glimmer-berry juice until nothing remains in the vial. Once complete, he calmly shoves the glass container back into his satchel where the rest of the potions lay.

"I've found it!" he exclaims, pulling out a metal hairpin and holding it up in the air proudly. Peanut jumps from the bewildered woman's messy hair to his own, her eyes wide with mortification. "Thank you for watching after her, I very much appreciate the help."

"Oh- yeah, of course. No problem." the woman responds stiffly while patting down her dress feverishly. She lifts her glass of juice up to her lips, chugging down a swig before nodding a bow.

"Have a great rest of your evening." Sunoo bids farewell as he watches the woman turn on her heels, speed-walking to get away from him and Peanut as far as she possibly can.

As she makes her way through the crowded room, Sunoo watches from afar as she clutches onto her stomach, a wicked grin painting his lips as she beelines for the doors, a hand clamped over her mouth.

"All right, that's one down." Sunoo notes, flicking his eyes up to meet Peanut's as she's perched on top of his head. "Nice going back there, Peanut." he chuckles, earning a little happy squeak sound to emit from the creature.

Sunoo's ongoing chuckle is interrupted by a pair of hands landing on his shoulders, a bright aura immediately letting him know exactly who the hands belong to.

"Daiyu?" Sunoo asks expectantly as he turns to face the girl. Her short hair is left down to rest around her shoulders, something he's not quite used to seeing.

"Hi, Sunoo!" Daiyu chirps, a bright smile on her face. "I told you we'd meet here, and here I am! Sorry if i'm a bit late.. we had some trouble at the shop. Ms. Cheng isn't feeling too well so my siblings are staying home to look after her. She insisted that I still come here though, she told me to say hi to you for her."

"You shouldn't be here." Sunoo interrupts the girl's gleeful ramble as he lets his eyes wander around the room cautiously.

"What do you.. mean?" Daiyu questions back, suddenly growing hyper aware of her surroundings. She brings her hands down in front of herself to fiddle with, a mix of worry and glum paints her expression.

Sunoo grabs onto the girl's shoulders, pulling her closer as his expression darkens into solemnity. "I need you to go back to the village, start making as many potions as you can."

Daiyu gazes into his eyes silently, a spark of confusion flashing past her eyes before she nods slowly. "What kind of potions?" she asks, leaning in closer as if someone unwanted could be eavesdropping on them.

"Health regeneration— invisibility.. night vision, poison.. anything useful."

"Sunoo.." Daiyu trails off in speculation, her eyebrows deeply knit together in a frown. "What exactly is going on?"

The next words that reverberate through the air don't belong to either of the two friends. It belongs to none other than Yang Jaeho.

"Sunoo." the tall boy exclaims as he rushes up to the pair.

Sunoo gives the male an odd look, bewilderment as he takes in his disordered appearance. "Jaeho? " he asks in confusion, for he and the male don't just casually talk whenever they please.

"Where's Jungwon?" Jaeho asks, his breathing uneven.

Sunoo looks around in confusion, taking in his surroundings as if he's being messed with, as if someone sent the other male to talk to him as a distraction.

"Why are you here?" Sunoo instead counters, an eyebrow raised in suspicion.

"No, no—" Jaeho clambers, looking around warily before grabbing onto the blonde boy's arm. "You don't understand. Where is Jungwon at right now? I need to know." he pleads, sounding desperate.

"Uh— you're sorta freaking me out here.. but he's in the forbidden passageways, with Minji and some guards." Sunoo responds, only causing the boy's eyes to widen even more so.

"Shit." the tall boy mutters, backing up from the pair as he runs a hand through his already disheveled hair.

"Uh.. I don't know exactly who you are.. but could you tell me what's going on here?" Daiyu asks cautiously, instinctively taking a step closer to the blonde boy beside her.

"We're too late. He's already gotten to him." Jaeho shakes his head, widened eyes downcast to the floor.

Sunoo goes to reach for the dark-haired male's shoulder, but as he does so, a familiar heavy voice from somewhere in the crowd shouts out the exact words he had been dreading all night.

"Hot sauce!"

Sunoo's eyes widen immediately at the afar, but vastly clear words, eyes searching around the room until they land on Riki by the entrance, who waves his hand around wildly trying to catch their attention.

"Daiyu, go now," Sunoo ushers the girl the other way, "Don't come back here, i'll come to you at the shop. Just have the potions ready."

"O-okay—" Daiyu merely nods in response, sending one last wary glance before hastily running on her feet in the opposite direction.

———

˚₊· ͟͟͞͞➳❥———
☻ AUTHOR'S REST STOP
Just wanted to quickly mention that i completely came up with the name carbuirrel on the spot
┐(￣ヘ￣)┌  I've always imagined Peanut to look like a squirrel but more animated?? if you get what i mean.

When i was looking up images to represent her i didn't find anything exact but you could call her a mix of these (carbuncle) but her fur color is brown and she's as small as a squirrel.