â syn. youâre used to moving often with your family but after meeting a boy at a pet fish store you dread the day youâll have to leave.
â genre. fluff/angst + strangers to lovers + boy next door + classroom crush
â wc. 4k
â a/n. idk if i like the ending but enjoy !!
âPlease welcome the new transfer student y/nâ, you stood in the familiar spot in front of a completely new classroom yet again, you felt as if you were being plotted against. ever since you can remember your parents found a way to move out of town, dragging you along with them, just when life started looking up for you although this time was no different but it hurt more than ever. Throughout the years you learnt to keep your distance from others, considering your situation and the inevitable grief that came along with building real connections but you wanted to believe that you could have someone, just one, you didnât need anything more, so you gave in.
Busan 1 year ago,
It had been a couple weeks since you moved to Busan with your parents, they were both extremely spontaneous and you were the product of that so you also had to suffer from it. Nothing ever truly being planned, you got thrown left and right trying to keep up with them, even though your personality was in total contrast. Unlike them you needed order to function so you were anywhere but home, you studied at internet cafes, read books at the library, took long walks and let yourself breathe. On one of those days, before you had gotten enrolled in school, you took the time to enjoy your temporary neighborhood, it was late summer the air was getting cooler and leaves were starting to match the yellow sun, you were focused on window shopping, too lazy to look through clothes but still entranced by the displays of the latest fall collections.
The store you were facing now was unfamiliar you had never been much interested in anything other than clothes, fashion was your home you could always turn to it when you felt lost, this however was nothing close to fashion you looked through the blurred out glass in front and watched as the fish collectively swam towards you tapping slightly on the glass, thatâs cute, you thought as you stepped back ready to continue your walk before glancing back once more,
âYouâre not gonna come in?â a guy who seemed to be around your age stepped out of the store, you shook your head smiling hoping it would make him let it go, he sighed in an exaggerated manner letting his head fall back,
âno one likes fish in this town anymoreâ he took a peak at you to checking if you were still listening, a smile lit up his face when he realized you were still there, you couldnât help it you were curious and he was putting on a great show, he gestured for you to come in, âAfter you..â
The last place you thought youâd end up was in a pet fish store, you never even thought of their existence yet here you were, listening to this random guy talk about how cool fish were, and you were truly trying to listen but he was just so distracting he probably caught you staring at least 5 times and you entered 3 minutes ago, you felt like you were going crazy just from the way heâd laugh it off focusing on the fish once again, heâd feed the fish while explaining to you why these specific fish eat this fish food and why certain fish couldnât, youâd join him as he watched the fish, your face starting to burn as you felt his gaze on you. You tried your best to enjoy the moment shoving back recurring thoughts of this being pointless since youâd end up ignoring this place after today, you already felt that you had gotten too close while his name was still a mystery to you, you realize heâd stopped talking and bring your attention back to him smiling apologetically,
â so are you gonna buy a fish?â he asked hesitantly his hand rubbing his nape, you snorted out a laugh and nodded,
â you know what i will â you scanned the room quickly trying to find the one that caught your eye, he watched your gaze as it landed on one of the tanks he waited watching as you struggled to find the name of the fish, you turned back to him and tried to force your smile away, he chuckled patting your head as he went over to the tank, âThe betta splendens? â he pointed out the exact one that caught your eye, you nodded and watched him take out the fish into a water filled plastic bag.
After drowning you in more information on how to take care of your new company, he grabbed a can of fish food and a fish bowl, you looked confused as he gave you the receipt, only the fish being charged, he just shrugs,
â You kept me company today, thatâs just a little thank you. Youâll have to drop by soon enough this oneâs a big eaterâ your heart sank now realizing he expected you to come back meaning you had to stay away and though it hurt now it would only hurt more if you let it happen, and so you waved goodbye to possible happiness to save your from an endless grief.
New class, new school, new faces, same old feeling, you couldnât shake it as the bell rang and your classmates rushed over to you introducing themselves one by one, you tried to be polite but it was getting old at this point, when you saw the chance arise you slipped out the door only to bump into someone else, you looked up and were met with a face you recognized, his face lit up as he yelled out âitâs you!â your eyes widened in shock not expecting him to be so loud about it, acting like a part of you didnât want this exact scenario to play out, you had been secretly hoping to see his face at least once again and there he was,
â I felt so dumb when you left, I didnât even get your name, do you have a number?â he says scrolling through his phone before handing it to you, you pushed it back to him deciding that seeing him was actually enough you needed to be alone, âitâs y/n, sorry i actually donât.. have a phoneâ you said lying through your teeth, you read his name tag as he pointed it out, Kim Donghyun, it seemed like everything about him kept you wanting to know more, you were just about ready to leave to gather your thoughts,
â Wait youâre in this class? â your eyes shut close as the realization kicked in, he was your deskmate, of course he was, your luck was off the charts at this point you gave him your best smile before turning around and sprinting to the girlsâ room, you groaned loudly as you entered a stall totally dismissing the thought of other people being there.
Maybe it was a sign, maybe you could give in this time, maybe your prayers had been answered, maybe you had found someone but the fear was suffocating you couldnât ignore it, that if you let your guard down it would be so easy to break you and youâre so close to the edge youâre not sure you could get back up if you fall this time. After a few minutes you were able to calm down, you made your way back to class and there he was sitting by the window almost as if he could feel your presence he looked in your direction, while you tried your best to ignore his obvious staring as you sat beside him.
âAre you okay?â he asked in a low voice, you had your head wrapped in your arms as you rested on the desk and his voice seemed so close, you turned over to look at him not expecting him to be as close as he was, you thought heâd move but he just watched you letting his tongue glide across his lips, waiting for an answer, you turned away, your ears burning up as if they would fall off at any given moment, mumbling that you were fine. As lunchtime came to an end you realized ignoring him was hard, you wanted to answer him and you did, when he asked about your fish, you told him about your fish. When he asked about your old school, you told him about your school. And when he asked you to walk home together how could you say no?
Making excuses helped, he lives close to your place youâre basically walking on your own you told yourself as he walked by your side. he stopped a couple times to greet the cats roaming the streets and you admired his gentleness and care you could tell he was kind from the moment you met him and he kept proving it, âYouâre a deep thinkerâ he said looking up at you as he pet a cat on the sidewalk, you were probably staring you clear your throat only to nod forcing out a smile,
âitâs okay, i just noticed cause I get like that sometimes you know? Is there something on your mind? Iâll be a shoulderâ he stood up looking at you scanning any movement on your face, you smiled looking down, this was hard you thought.
âI..canât- Itâs complicated, thanks for asking though, I really should be on my way nowâ you wave him bye without giving him a chance to retort. Rushing home your head felt like it could explode and somehow your heart felt the same way, you walked into the living room to your parents working individually on their pc, they looked up at you and welcomed you home, âhomeâ they said, the word made your blood boil you snapped, âYou call this home? home is not a house you rent for 5 months till you get bored and completely ignore your childâs lifeâ you storm up to your room slamming the door shut behind you as you finally break into tears, sometimes you wish they were bad parents so you could hate them as much as you hated this lifestyle but they just werenât fit for parenthood or maybe you werenât fit for being their child. You knew they loved you they showed it time and time again but you just wanted stability which they couldnât give you.
A knock on your door mutes your sniffles, you get up from the floor where you had been crying your eyes out, you felt silly crying just cause you wanted friends but you couldnât help it, you open the door halfway revealing your dad on the other side, âCan I come in?â you push the door wide open letting him in, he sits at your desk and you wait,
âFirst, iâm sorry, weâre both sorry we thought since you were young youâd always get the chance to make good friends later and now you could just enjoy meeting new people. We didnât know it would affect you as much so for that we apologize. Your mom is going to look into prolonging our stay here or if you want to go back-â you rushed over to your dad wrapping your arms around his and he mirrored, âI like it hereâ you whispered finally feeling at ease.
What you didnât know then is hurting you now
Over the past couple months you only got closer to Donghyun, youâd stay with him at the store, sit on the floor doing your homework together while his dad took care of the shop, you were in your sophomore year but wanted to go to university so you put in the work, helping your desk mate out when needed. Getting closer also meant your feelings for him going up exponentially, he already had you around his finger since day one even now you barely knew how to act when he looked at when he looked at you a certain way.
The school rooftop became your favorite spot, youâd have lunch there with Donghyun, sneak out of PE class only to end up there, as it became more sacred you started planning your hangouts bringing snacks and card games to while away time, being there with him you wished things could stay that way forever.
âThere you go!â he laughed as you finally won a game of UNO against him it had been weeks of him winning nonstop so you were ecstatic literally screaming in his face, he covered your mouth with his hand laughing at your sudden outburst,
âWe are still at school y/nâ he reminded you bringing you back to your senses you smiled mouthing a sorry before taking your seat beside him, you let your head rest on his shoulder as the cool winter breeze settled in, you enjoyed the feeling but were sensitive to the cold your body shivering with the trees, he grabbed your hand placing a hand warmer in it, he left his hand in yours long enough to get you feeling warm just from the heat your face was exuding, âWe should probably head back to classâ you said under your breath, he lowered his face to your level for you to repeat, his eyes fixated on your lips till he finally looked up at your eyes. In that split second you convinced yourself this was it he was going to kiss you, his eyes fluttering between your eyes and lips you both inched closer then the bell rang snapping you out of it, you turned away immediately and he got up,
âWe should head back now or weâre screwedâŚâ he tried relieving the awkward tension that settled but you couldnât even look at him the embarrassment was too much and you couldnât escape him either so you endured it.
The walk home together had never felt more awkward, at least in class you could focus on the teacher, he cleared his throat before speaking, â You sure are quietâ you looked at him from the corner of your eye trying to ignore the smile creeping up on your face, âYou tried to kiss meâ you exclaimed watching shock grow on his face as if you betrayed him revealing a deep secret, âThat was you y/n I saw you leaning inâ now youâre shocked how could he admit to that, the embarrassment started fading away as you stopped in front of him narrowing your eyes as you thought of something to say, âIf i wanted to kiss you i would-â the words came out before you could stop them, his eyebrows were raised like he was daring you,
âOh really?â he leaned forward to you but you turned around smacking him with your ponytail, you didnât want to be obvious but at that point he knew, âObviously i donât want toâ you rolled your eyes walking ahead, he caught up to you stopping you this time you looked at him confused as to what he was plotting, âI doâ at the sound of those words you felt his lips on yours, his hands cupping your cheeks your eyes fell shut as you kissed him back tugging on his jacket. The smile on his face as he leaned back sent butterflies to your tummy, like he could keep away from your lips he placed a soft peck on them again.
âWow youâre perfectâ he sighed pushing his hair out of his face, you just stood there stunned, the thing you wanted so badly was so attainable now you didnât know how to act, ââThe wait was so worth itâ, you frowned at him
âWhat were you waiting for?â he let his tongue wet his lips staring at you with that smirk on his face like he could eat you right then and there, you felt like your heart was on the verge of stopping every time it skipped a beat,
âFor you, dumbassâ
And just as it begun, you saw the end of everything you were living for start seeping through. For almost a year you finally felt carefree like you could live and actually enjoy it, you had someone who needed you and vice versa you felt that all the trials you faced prior to these moments were worth it, just getting to see the smile on Donghyunâs face every morning as you walked over to your desk made it worth it and then you heard the grand announcement from your parents, you had to move back to your momâs hometown as you grandparents had passed, with all the moving you had never actually been close to your grandparents but you tried to show sympathy and understanding in front of your parents because you knew you couldnât be mad, you felt it sting in your heart when they announced youâd be leaving in a week. A week.. you thought, a week ago you were with Donghyun planning to go the summer festival in two weeks itâs funny how life makes itâs own plans, you excuse yourself heading directly for your room, your parents knew to leave you space at that moment.
You paced around your room trying to figure out a way out, you couldnât leave, your whole life was here, in a year you had experienced so much in this city you felt tied to it. The one thought ringing in your head constantly was to call him, call Donghyun, and you wanted to but you knew that if you told him then it would be final you would have to accept that you were parting ways and there was nothing you could do about it, and that was the last thing you wanted.
So you decided on seeing him, and making sure that you spent every second together you would tell him when the day before you left, you hoped he wouldnât hate you for this. You felt selfish in so many ways during this time, knowing you cared more about a guy you met a year ago more than your own blood made you feel terrible but you couldnât help it, you still felt sad mostly for your mom who was grieving but the tears only fell when Donghyun was on your mind. In front of the store there he was, you asked him to wear something beige so you could match for the day you had planned something to keep you occupied throughout the day, he placed a soft kiss on your lips the moment you reached him smiling as he pulled back,
âYouâre stunning, weâre so couple goals right nowâ he jokes making you smile holding back a giggle, smiling without thinking about the facts was hard when he was right there being every thing you wanted, âSo whatâs the plan?â he asks slipping his hand in yours as you started your walk to the nearest bus stop, you glanced at him smiling sheepishly, he nodded to himself getting the message.
âA Fun fair? An arcade? a shopping mall?â he started naming all the places you could possibly be taking his as you sat in the bus, you hit his belly softly but hard enough to make him flinch âShut upâ you snapped, his eyes were smiling with his mouth as he laughed loudly bringing all the attention on the bus to you, he covered his mouth with wide eyes before apologizing to the people, he glanced at you while you shook your head in disapproval.
You finally got off the bus and it was directly in front of you, you looked up at him covering your eyes from the sun as you tried to make out his reaction, âGod, I love youâ he smiled at you pulling you into a side hug while he placed pecks on the top of your head, âPrepare yourself for a class on sealife, you donât know what you just signed up forâ he tells you as you walk into the aquarium you retort telling him thatâs literally what got you interested in him, he raises his eyebrows in shock and you give him a blank stare because it wasnât news for him, you got your pass scanned and entered the main attraction.
Most of the time you actually werenât talking you just sat and watched the fish with him, heâd bring up a random fish fact when he wanted to see you smile and explained how he could get a pet octopus if he really wanted to, you nodded at his antics which made him continue feeding the lies,
âAny reason you brought me here? Feels out of placeâ he mumbled keeping his eyes on the fish, your eyes flickered between him and the tank before clearing your throat, âI canât randomly take my boyfriend out on a date?â you questioned jokingly watching his reaction carefully, he looked over to you finally staring you down before saying anything, âIâll take it for now but you better tell me whatâs up, I know you y/n, itâs like something is rushing you. iâm not going anywhereâ he smiles leaning in to kiss your temple letting you rest there, âiâm not going anywhereâ the words rung in your head making you feel unsteady, you couldnât keep this from him you were in the same situation, neither of you wanted the other to leave, you were supposed to be there for each other.
You pressed your lips against his and kissed him forgetting about all the PDA stuff you hated so much, you kissed him like you were seeing him for the last time, you were going to tell him and you would let yourself cry in his arms because thatâs how it goes, he would comfort you and you would comfort him. When you pull away your eyes were puffy and you hadnât even realized how hard you were crying he looked at you worry painted over his face,
âYouâre leaving?â he asked his gaze flickering between your eyes trying to decipher your expression, you nodded avoiding his eyes keeping your head down as you fidgeted with your fingers, he brought himself closer to you and wrapped his arms around you,
âitâs okay, we can make it workâ he lifted your chin up wiping your tears away as he cupped your face in his hands, âLife comes with change, we have to accept that and make use of the time we know we have, okay?â you nodded sniffing the tears away, he placed a soft kiss on your lips before leading you to the nearest restroom before you continued your date.
Some worries kept coming up in your mind about Donghyun, you didnât want him to have to hide how he was feeling to comfort you, you knew all about your past and how much you used to move but neither of you expected it this time so you wondered how he was truly feeling but you wanted to enjoy the day as much as you could, dismissing any thoughts that brought and end to your connection.
Just as you had promised each other you stuck together for the next few days, ignoring the inevitable future that was in store by the end of the week, but on the night before your moving day, he came over to stay overnight, you had spent plenty nights together but this was different you could make out till the sunrise and it wouldnât change anything so you just let it be, you talk for hours about life and the future planning out how someday you could get back what you lost but a part of you fears these are just words and the end will be the end. âYouâll have Bubbles to remind you of meâ he says referring to your fish, you smile reminiscing about the first day you met, you wondered if you would do it all again if you knew it would end this way.
đŹnia's notes: i know i said i wouldn't start wriring for riize just yet , but i couldn't help it i just love taro.
p. stoner!shotaro x shy!reader w. 3.4k (idk either)
warnings? drug usage , unprotected sex , dirty talk , pwp , cumming inside , oral ( f. receiving), fingering ,
â 𦹠( smoking weed with shotaro leads to something more ) !
"you're late mr. osaki." you looked up from your computer , you sat in the way back , so you got a good look at the entire class , including the boy who stood at the door , shoulders hung , he definitely didn't want to be here. "this the eighth time this month class starts at one o'clock not one-thirty."
he nodded , head still low. "i slept late." the teacher shook her head. "take a seat mr. osaki , next time set a better alarm." she turned back to the projector.
he made his way to the back , the rest of the desk filled up except the one next to you , your bag occupied the chair. "can i sit?" he said looking at you, you could now see that his eyes were red , he was high. "hello?" he waved his hand in front of your face. "h-huh?"
"mrs.(last name) , mr. osaki , is there a problem." the class turned to face you both. "just trying to sit down." he kept his eyes on you. "so can i sit down?" you nodded , quickly moved your things from the seat â he sat down , everyone turning back to the board and your heart finally stopped beating at 100 miles per hour from all the attention.
you tried to focus on the board , but you couldn't help but glance over to him everyone once and a while , you've see him every once in a while in this class , he'd often sit in the back , he almost never paid attention , but he always passed â getting up and leaving , he basically was there for attendance.
"you know i can feel you staring at me?" his whisper voice spooked you , you tried to turn , but it was no use. "y-you don't have any books." you said , he could barely hear you , but he chuckled. "yeah , i know." he said. "i'll get someone else to do it."
you went to face him again , but he beat you to it , his face was already close to yours. "what about you princess?" he smirked at your flustered stated. "you wanna do it for me , be a good girl and do my work for me?"
"wh-what." he sat back in his chair , head low again. "i was kidding (name)." how'd he know your name? "you're gonna miss the class if you don't pay attention. the class , that's right. "sh-shit." you cursed , turning to the right page , refocusing on the work , taking the notes down on your computer.
shotaro watched you , in fact he always watched you â you just never payed any attention to your surroundings , always trying to get somewhere quickly and quietly , but sometimes he'd catch you , mumbling things to yourself while working and he thought it was cute , he thought you were cute , so when god gave him the opportunity to sit next to you , he took it even though he was high out of his mind and could barely pick up on anything.
class went by quickly , shotaro had fallen asleep , probably sleeping off his high , while you jotted down the notes. "we have a test coming up , it's worth half your grades , so remember to study." you packed up all your stuff. "mrs.( last name)?" you looked up. "y-yes?" the professor pointed to shotaro. "please wake him up." she shook her. "don't even know why he bothers to come."
you turned to the sleeping boy , reaching out and lightly tapping him. "h-hey." you tapped him once again , a little harder this time , his eyes fluttered open , no longer red , his pupils back to normal. "class is over now." you said , about to walk away , when he grabbed your wrist.
"wait." his voice groggily from sleep. "let me take you home." he said. "you don't live on campus , correct?" you nodded. "b-but you don't have to." you said. "it's cool , i want to." he stood up. "wh-why?"
you were so cute , all shy. "maybe i just hang out with you , not everyone is all scary." he said. "you'll take me straight home?" you questioned. "i promise." he smirked , moving close to you , his body close to yours. "unless you have another place." he laughed as you took a step back. "let's go." he took your bag from your shoulders , putting it on his.
you guys made it to his car , he opened your door , letting you step inside before he closed the door , jogging over to the drivers side , climbing in , tossing your bookbag in the back. "ready?"
you looked out the window as drove , picking at the string on your skirt nervously , shotaro picked up on it , grabbing your hand. "stop that , you don't want to mess it up do you?" you shook your head , stopping. "good girl." those words sending a shiver down your spine.
"you hungry?" he spoke up. "we can stop for food." he wanted to grab food with you , did he mean like a date? was he asking you out on a date? "don't think too much of it , you'll hurt that pretty head of yours." he said. "there's a drive through mcdonalds near by , we can pick something up." you nodded , he let out a tsk sound.
"ah you can do better." he said. "let me hear that pretty voice , use your words." you couldn't understand it , but the way he spoke to you , it made you feel something , something you've never felt before â but it made you want to listen to him. "o-okay" he smiled. "good girl , let's go."
he pulled into the drive through , the lady spoke through the voice machine , he ordered what he want , turning to you getting your order before telling her what you want. "okay , you guys can pull up to the front window."
after getting your food , he placed it in your lap , driving off. you noticed he missed the exit to get back to your house , your eyes widening. "m-my houseâ i know." had that been any other person , you've would been shitting your pants , but with him surprisingly you felt safe. "i have place where we can eat our food and talk."
he drove for about ten more minutes , pulling into a old parking lot. "don't be so nervous." he said. "i would never put you in any harm , just relax." he said , grabbing the bag , taking the food out. "here you go." you shyly too the box of chicken nuggets , sitting them in your lap , he smiled. "cute."
he turned on a random tv show on his phone , sitting it up so you could see while you ate , occasionally making conversation with you , smiling when you shyly nod or avoided his eye contact â which never away , his eyes were always on you , watching everything you did.
"i-is th-there something on my face?" you said , looking for a napkin. "no , just like looking at you." you were flustered again , his constant flirting was going to kill you. "w-why?"
"because you're pretty." he said. "and i like staring at you." you quickly switched the subject. "i took all the notes down , i'll send them to you." he turned to you , laughing. "i didn't really mean for you to actually do my work for me princess." you began to pick at the string on your skirt again.
"hey." he grabbed your hands. "thank you , but don't worry your pretty little head about me." you nodded , and he let your hand go , this time resting his hand on your knee. "just relax , when you're with me that's all you have to do is relax."
he reached in the glove compartment , pull out a small metal can , opening it â revealing four pre-rolled joints. "sh-shotaro , what are you doing?" he smiled , taking one out , along with his lighter. "what does it look like?" he put the blunt to his mouth , about to light it. "b-but you can't drive if you're high."
"well then i guess you have to stay right here with me until im sober again." he light it up , taking a drag , inhaling , then exhaling. "you don't mind that do you." it probably should've bothered you , but it really didn't , you actually wanted to spend more time with him , this was probably the most you've been out in like forever. "i-i guess i don't mind."
you watched him take multiple drags , his body slumping further and further into the seat , he turned the radio on , r&b playing on a low volume as smoke filled the car. "you want to try?"
you shook your head. "i-i'm fine." you've never done something like that before , you wouldn't even know what to do. "why not , it will finally take your mind off everything." he said. "i-i've never done it before." of course you haven't. "i know , but that doesn't mean you can't try."
you thought about it before agreeing , what harm could it be. "s-sure." you said , he sat up , taking the blunt out of his mouth. "you don't have to , i won't force you (name)." he said. "i-i want to."
he nodded , you turned to him. "let me lead." you obey , and he held the blunt to your mouth. "open up." he tapped the blunt on your lips , you got that feeling again that you did earlier â parting your lips. "good girl , now close."
you obeyed , closing your lips. "now inhale it â not too much." he watched you closely , tapping your cheek with his finger , signaling you to stop , now hold it , that's it , just a little longer." the smoke filled your lungs. "now let go." you coughed , the smoke coming out of your mouth. "it's okay , it's okay." he patted your back. "it's always like that the first few times , you'll get the hang of it."
he let you hit it two more times , before he seem your eyes get redder and redder , before he was pulling it away from your lips. "that's enough , three is enough for someone like you."
you sat back , your body felt like it was melting into the seat. "look at you , finally relaxing." he smiled , you chuckled. "and you laughed , that's three wins for me today." he said. "three?" he hummed. "i got you to hang out with me , i got you relax and i got you to smile." he counted them.
he noticed you in your own world , picking with the hem of your skirt. "what's troubling that pretty head again?" he held your hands down once again. "wh-why did you want to hang out with me?" you said. "are you not having good time."
"n-no it's not that, it's just that , you've never paid attention to me before , wh-why all of sudden." he smiled , you were so clueless. "how would you know pretty , you alway have your head in the clouds , talking to yourself." your face heated up with embarrassment.
"do i really talk to myself?" you didn't evem realize you were doing it now , he laughed. "you're so cute." he rubbed your knee. "that's why i wanted to hang out with you , everything about you is so cute." your face was on fire , you turned out to face the window.
"especially when you get all shy , i find that so cute." he grabbed your jaw , turning it to face him. "why'd you turn away?" he smirked , his eyes fell to your lip , which you were chewing on. "am i making you nervous?"
you could barely comprehend what was going on , between the weed flowing through your system , and his hand resting on your leg , the other forcing you to look at him , it was all too much. "i really want to kiss you right now." your eyes widened.
"can i?" his thumb ran across your bottom lip , you nodded. "i need to hear you princess , use those words." you were afraid , not knowing what would come out. "y-yes , you can." he smiled , leaning in , his lips pressing against yours.
his lips felt nice , soft against yours. he could tell you were still nervous , pulling away. "look at you , your eyes all glazed over." he chuckled. "did you like it?" he questioned. "you want another one?" you nodded. "words pretty girl."
"i want another one." you said , your voice the most clear than has been , shotaro took notice of this. "how about you come sit right here and get it." he patted his lap , your eyes fluttered to his his lap , the to him. "y-your lap?" he nodded. "yeah , if you want to." you thought about it , you'd never even gone this far with a guy , but you wanted to â you wanted to go that far with shotaro. "o-okay."
you undid your seat belt , slowly climbing into his lap , hovering right above him. "let me help you." he grabbed your hips , pulling you down. "there you go pretty girl." his hands rested on your thighs , on of them coming up to caress your cheek. "just relax for me." he pulled you into another kiss.
you don't know if it was the weed , or his kisses , but you were on cloud nine and you didn't want to come down , he deeped the kiss , it was sloppy at first , but he allowed you to find your own pace , eventually getting the hang of it.
this was the best high of his life , he wish he could stay like this forever , in this moments , you on top of him , your lips against his , smoke still floodings the car , making it hotter than it already was.
the feeling from earlier was back and it was stronger than ever , traveling from your stomach to in between your legs , an almost unbearable , you couldn't help but move.
shotaro smirked , pulling away , you chased his lips desperately. "calm down." he whispered , against your lips. "you're getting so worked up princess , try and relax for me , you can have everything you want in a minute."
he wanted to make sure you really wanted this , that it wasn't just the weed talking. "you don't have to do this." he said. "i still really just want to hang out with you." he rested his forehead against yours. "i-i want to." you said. "i really want to."
his cock was hardening against his slacks , you were on top of him , your eyes blown out as you practically begged him to fuck you , grinding against him. "fu-fuck , if you keep grinding against me , im gonna cum in my pants." he grunted.
"i-i didn't mean to." he threw his head back against the headrest. "i know princess , i know you don't." he played with the ends of your shirt. "let's get you out of this." he lifted your shirt above your head , revealing your pink bra.
"so pretty baby , can i take it off?" you were about to nod , but deciding to skip that part , "y-yes." he smiled. "you finally caught on princess , keep using those words , let me hear that pretty voice." he reached behind you , undoing the hooks , letting your bra fall , your tits bouncing from the impact. "such pretty tits." his hand came up , engulfing your boobs , squeezing them.
"sh-shotaro." you moaned , and he was slowly losing it , you moaned so prettily , even prettier than he imagined. "so soft." he whispered , bringing his lips to your bud , sucking on it. "sh-shit , feels so good." you felt your panties soaking even more , you probably were making such a mess , but you couldn't care right now , you needed him.
oh couldn't hold it anymore , he needed to feel you , he needed to be inside you. "fu-fuck , fuck princess i need you , please i need to fuck you." he moaned , waiting for your word , once you gave it to him he was directing you to the back seat , laying you on your back.
"wanna taste you first." he sighed , kissing your stomach , making his way down to your skirt , lifting it up to your waist. "pretty panties." you whined , squirming your hips.
"relax , i told you , you'll get everything you want." he pulled your panties down your legs , he'll find them later â kissing right above your tailbone.
it was cramped , but that didn't stop him spreading your legs as much as he could , buring himself in between them , licking a strip up your cunt. "ohmygod." you moaned. "f-feels so good." he hummed against your heat , you moans only egging him on.
you tasted like heaven , this was his new drug , you were all he ever needed to feel high again , he pulled away , giving your clit little kitten licks. "you taste so good princess." his lips wet from your slick. "want my fingers?"
he rubbed your swollen bud , you nodded. "p-please." he pushed one finger into your hole. "your little cunt is barely taking my finger princess , i don't think im gonna fit." he added another finger , a slight sting making you hiss.
"it's okay , it's okay." he slowly thrusted his fingers into you , the pain slowly subsiding. "that's it , my fingers like a good girl." your stomach began to tighten. "you're clenching around my fingers." he rubbed your clit in circles. "you gonna cum?" you nodded. "go a head , cum on fingers , so i can make you do it again on my cock." he sped up his fingers , the band tighten more and more â before it snapped. "fuck 'taro , im cumming!" you screamed , cumming all over his fingers. "fuck!"
"good girl , fuck you came so much." he pulled his fingers out , bringing them back to his mouth , getting another taste , his cock twitching in his pants. "shit."
he undid his pants , pulling them down enough for his cock to spring out , resting against his stomach. his cock was big , a long vein adorned the side , his tip red , leaking with pre-cum. "are you sure you want , we don't have to go any further?"
you whined , reaching down grabbing his cock. "pl-please." your voice was desperate , as you stroked his cock. "i want it so much." you begged , shotaro cursed , grabbing your hand , replacing it with his own , lining himself up with your cunt. "i'll go slow."
and slow he did , sinking into your cunt , both of you letting out a moan. "fu-fuck , you're so fucking tight." his voice was shaky. "baby , you gotta stop clenching , im gonna cum." he grunted. "ca-can't help it." you mewled. "y-you're so big." he smirked , rocking his hips.
"yeah , you feeling full of my cock?" you moaned. "s-so full." he held your leg around his waist as he pounded into your needy hole. "you're so vocal now , what happened to my shy baby , where is she?" he grunted. "s-still here?" you moaned.
"yeah? she's still in there , but i like this version though , you moaning for me like a little slut." you tightened around his cock , making him hiss. "sh-shit , you like being called that?" he grunted , hitting that gummy spot. "there it is?" he continuously thrusted against that spot.
"my perfect girl , this is all just for me?" he rubbed your clit. "only i get to see you like this , all slutted out , right?" you felt your orgasm. "ye-yes , fuck 'taro im gonna cum." he kissed your lips. "go ahead , cum for me."
he pressed his forhead against yours , wrapping your leg around his waist , hitting deeper than before , trigger your orgasm. "taro fuck." you tightened around him hard. "oh shit." he didn't even have a chance , before he was spilling his cum into your cunt.
"sh-shit , im so sorry." he pulled out slowly , his cum seeping out of your cunt , his cock twitching at the sight , he didn't mean it this time , he can't be to sure next time. "i-its okay , i'm on birth control."
he let your leg go slowly , carefully just incase you were sore. "let me clean you up." he grabbed a tissue , carefully cleaning you off. "you did so well." he praised , your face turned hot. "st-stop it." you stuttered. "ah , there she is." he smiled. "so cute."
he helped you get dressed , you climbed out of the car , getting back into the passenger's seat , he climbed back into the drivers seat. "i don't want to take you back right now." he said slumped in his seat sad. "w-we c-can come back tomorrow." you said , he sat back up happily. "okay , i'll pick you up after class." he started the car , placing his hand on your thigh , much higher than before.
"maybe tomorrow you can put my cock in that pretty mouth of yours."
fucking yourself on your bestfriend seunghanâs cock while heâs smokingâŚ.. đŤ
rating: 18+. mdni.
content: use of marijuana
âsâokay,â seunghan says, voice light and slow, hands already traveling to the strings of his sweats, âI donât mind.â
you follow his movements, the discomfort between your legs growing when he lifts his hips, pulling his pants down. he is still soft and limp as he takes his dick into his hands, tugging on it. you blink, wetting your eyes that had gone dry as you kept your eyes trained on him.
his nonchalance intimidated you, the way he swiftly pulled his pants down after a bashful admission that the squirming in your seat was due to the wet patch spreading in your panties.
âwonât take me long to get hard,â his free hand lifts the joint, positioning it by his lips, âI jerk off to you all the time. just look at me.â
your eyes meet his, heavy and red in color, his throat bobs as he swallows, thumbs sweeping over his swelling tip. âh-here,â he mumbles, extending his arm to give you the joint still held between his fingers.
you slowly look at it, watching it blur as your eyes focus on his spread legs behind it. seunghan is already hard as he continues to pump himself, growing even stiffer by the second. your tongue slides between your lips as you blink, tearing your eyes away and taking the joint from seunghanâs hands.
âokay,â seunghan breathes out, firm grip on his base as he runs his eyes over your face, âcâmere.â
you blink slowly, motioning the joint in your hand.
âjust put it out,â he murmurs, gently pulling it from your hands and stubbing it out carelessly. âwe can always light another just,â seunghanâs fingers tap his thigh, âjust sit on me first.â
a light twitch of his dick has your mouth going dry and your pussy clenching, eager to be split open on your best friends cock. you slowly inch closer, throwing one of your legs over his hips and pushing your fluffy shorts to one side. your fingers easily glide through your folds.
seunghan grips your outer thighs, gently squeezing, âfuck.â
you look up at him, finding his gaze trained on your barely visible cunt and the way your fingers worked to prepare yourself for his cock. it jumps again in anticipation, making seunghanâs hips roll beneath you. you finally align yourself, sinking down onto him with a long sigh. seunghan groans, pelvis tensing as his hips stutter towards you.
âsorry,â he mumbles, reaching for another joint and his lighter, âtake your time.â
Hi twin, I read one of your fics and I am in love! Can I ask for a suggestion? One fic of jay where he is an yandere obsessive for her but is only his friend, and he always be kissing her in neck, or so much Sticky with her, because the're friends since birth and he loves her sm, sorry for Any spelling mistakes, English is not my native language!! đ
OMGG YESS!! I havenât written anything in ages unfortunately but I definitely need smt to do while loosing my mind over Heeâs departure .. but I definitely will cook smt up for you love<3đ
âşDANCING WITH THE DEVIL #004 [Sunghoon.] â teaser
Previous Parts ⣠#001 | ⣠#002 | ⣠#003
Abstract: Eight years have passed since you betrayed Park Sunghoon, leaving his fate shrouded in uncertainty. You thought you'd left that world behind, but the serial killings in the capital city âwhich bore a haunting resemblance to that in your pastâpulled you right back into the shadows you once escaped. What began as a quest to prove your worth soon unraveled into something far more sinister: a labyrinthine network of power, deceit, and danger hidden beneath a veneer of opulence. Now, amidst the grandeur of a castle steeped in blood-soaked tradition, you find yourself, once again, entangled with Sunghoonâa ghost from your past whose motives remain as inscrutable as ever. The stakes are now higher, the games deadlier, and survival feels like chasing a mirage. As you navigate a web of twisted rituals and deadly alliances, the tension between you and Sunghoon ignites once again. But this time, the game is different. With whispers of betrayal and lingering wounds threatening to consume you both, you must decide if trust is a risk worth takingâbecause in doing so, you are not just exposing the truths they've hidden, but also the feelings youâve fought so hard to suppress and bury.
Genre: vampire!sunghoon | horror | thriller | fantasy | romance (or is it? đ)
Status: currently being drafted
>>> | Masterlist |
Author's Note ((if you want a teaser, read me lol)):
Ack, I can't believe I came back (for the last time, probably).
I have written almost 20k and I think this is 70% of the story in my head already. To give you a teaser of it: if you like the gothic and eerie ambience of this series, Part 4 is on another scale -- I bring you right at the nexus of that vampire world (yknow castles, full moons, venetian masks, a ball, lots of fangs and deaths). If you like the tension between Sunghoon and y/n, I can assure you THAT is something that will never die from this series BUT lemme just say this time, the tension is different. I think thus far, the tension and dynamics between them has always been very much an attempt at one-upping the other -- fiery and chaotic, fuelled by emotions they didnât want to admit even to themselves ((if there were any emotions there is đ)). But in part 4, the tension has matured -- leaning more into proximity, vulnerability, and unspoken questions. It's less about winning or one-upping each other and more about unraveling hidden truths and struggling with the emotional weight of their past and present. Basically, here's another moodboard because boiii, I needed the main moodboard to have Sunghoon's beautiful face all over so I can't fit the other "important" pics hahah
And that is about as much as what I'll give you hahaha. I really plan to end the series with this part so it will stop haunting us ((me especially)) so I hope your interests has not waned and if you're new to this, I hope this sparks you to read from the beginning hehe
If you're interested to know about the creative process behind this. You can read on: it was effing torturous. It was very hard to think of how to reunite these two in a way that is not cliche nor rushed. It was even harder to try and make them realistically not want to kill each other after the ending of Part 3. Hence why it took me so long. On top of that, I was juggling a full-time work and very recently, academics so you can just imagine. But I digress, hopefully Part 4 will be a good ending to this ((whether it ends positively or not đ))
Abstract: Juxtaposing the way your town was beginning to get a new lease on life after the authorities finally found the culprit behind your town's recent serial killings, your life was fraying at the edges instead as you still had to continue battling your inner demons on the daily â from nightly terrors to random flashes of visions â the latter of which, for mysterious reasons, seemed to only happen when you are face-to-face with Park Sunghoon, the bane of your existence. The more distraught you were over it all, the more convinced you were to get to the bottom of it, even if it means wreaking hell with the bane of your existence and waltzing with him in a game of his own making. You knew you were treading dangerous waters in doing so but you figured, if your days are numbered, then you'd rather go down fighting, dragging him down with you. But with the line between hate and love being thin, someone is bound to slip up soon, thereby threatening to ensnare the both of you deeper into the tangled web that Sunghoon had spun for you in the first place.
â Do check out the previous parts here ⣠#001 | ⣠#002 â
Genre: vampire!sunghoon | horror | thriller | fantasy | romance (or is it? đ) | wc: 26.9k
Warnings: blood; violence; injuries (some are self-inflicted); suggestiveness (some are forced); mentions of crimes (missing persons, murder, serial killings); manipulation; toxicity; trauma.
Š 2022 interlunium-opus. All rights reserved. Do not plagiarize, post or translate anywhere.
â i
âThatâs a pretty heavy topic for a light read,â Jungwon who was trailing behind you, remarked, eyes fixated on the book you were holding, âthat book is about Trauma right? I know you like reading but itâs deadline season so I doubt youâre picking this up for leisure reading. I donât think it relates to any of your modules either. Is everything alright y/n?â
No, you thought to yourself, nothing is. Juxtaposing the way your town was beginning to get a new lease on life after the authorities finally found the culprit behind the serial killings, your life was fraying at the edges as you continue to battle your inner demons on the daily â from nightly terrors to random flashes of visions â the latter of which, for mysterious reasons, seemed to only happen when you are face-to-face with Park Sunghoon, the bane of your existence.
The more you ruminated about how your life has seemingly turned awry, the more perplexing it all becomes. In fact, if your life was a jigsaw puzzle, it would be the kind where none of the remaining puzzle pieces that have been left fit the gaps, which gives you either a distorted picture if you force it, or an incomplete picture, if you leave it be â none of which is ideal. Not when the gaps were having such a debilitating effect on your life from the dizzy spells, anaemia, visions, to nightly terrors.
Perplexingly, the more you pondered about each gap, the more it can be traced to Park Sunghoon. The most jarring of all in particular was the gaps in your memories of that evening when you last worked with Sunghoon â after which, everything seemed to take a weird turn, though not immediately. It was only in hindsight that you were able to see how the disjointed oddities seem to be cascading: the memory gaps; your sudden deteriorating health; Sunghoonâs sudden shift in behaviour; your nightly terrors; and your distorted visions. Taken together, you couldnât help but quell the sinking feeling at the pit of your stomach that perhaps the ill-fitting puzzle pieces in your life werenât natural at all â that they were purposefully tampered upon. That everything has been orchestrated. That you have been toyed around like a rat in a maze.
It even sometimes occurred to you that perhaps the said maze had been his in the first place â though you can never for the life of you figure out how and why would he go through such lengths.
Hence why youâve been battling tooth and arms for the popular book in your hand. A book on trauma that perhaps could shed light as to why your mind has been going haywire; why your memories did not seem like they were yours; and why you feel so inexplicably haunted â as if youâre forgetting something, as if a danger is looming, as if Park Sunghoon is someone you should be wary of for more ominous reasons instead of just for his prowess at catching and breaking hearts.
âYou know you can trust me right?â Jungwon murmured softly, bringing you back to reality. You felt him coming up behind you, his chest pressing against your back as he reached over towards the self-checkout machine, offering to help you instead since you had begun to space out. You edged away slightly, giving him some space â still not used to how excessively attentive and tactile Yang Jungwon has been as of late.
Now, Jungwon has indeed always been a chivalrous lad but his actions, gazes and touches back then were never excessive â it was always strictly and unmistakably cordial that there would be no room to overthink nor misunderstand the meaning of it. As of late however you couldnât help but notice how every touch and gaze linger a tad bit too long that you couldnât help but feel increasingly apprehensive of something bubbling underneath. Itâs all in your head, you would try to convince yourself sometimes, feeling guilty of being so suspicious of someone that has offered nothing but constant help and comfort to you as of late.
âIt doesnât matter,â he smiled reassuringly, his voice ever so gentle and soft, âbecause I do.â
You smiled back almost automatically, eventually relenting especially under the weight of his compelling gaze. âWell, itâs nothing serious really. Just a recurring nightmare thatâs debilitating,â you mumbled, carefully weighing each word so as not to overshare, âI would have just ignored it but I feel like its recurrence is starting to distort my perception. It didnât help that the place, the man, the feeling, all felt familiar â as if it had been a memory that is replayed rather than just a dream conjured. Anyway, I uh, just wanted to check if they could mean something psychologically because Iâve read before that traumas can manifests itself in the form of nightmares too.â
âLike in PTSD sufferers?â he sympathized, âIt's possible. You did after all underwent a near death experience in campus.â
âYeahâŚâ you murmured, slightly surprised to hear him reference the case you experienced in campus which you were sure only Heeseung knew of. But then again, you reassured yourself, Jungwon worked part-time as a guard so itâs possible that itâs something made known to them for safety measures. You then noticed his attention shifting away from your eyes towards you neck, brows knitting in recognition of something, âthat mark, how did you-â his hand begin to reach up, ghosting over your neck when you guys were sorely interrupted by a booming, jovial voice.
âGood evening lovebirds, hope weâre not intruding.â
You two immediately snapped your head towards the direction of the voice, startled, as if you two had been walked into while doing something incriminating. It was Jake Sim, the Student Unionâs Head of Sports, tugging on his sleeve to show you guys the Burgundy-coloured arm band he was wearing which signify that he was on patrol duty. Trailing behind him was, of course, Park Sunghoon.
âItâs 15 minutes until the start of the curfew,â Jake announced as he approached you both before turning his attention squarely towards you, âjust want to make sure this lady right here wonât overstay.â
âI guess I must have a bounty over my head with the way you and your little gang are always up in my business,â you muttered flatly as you shot Sunghoon a brief accusatory glance, âI was just leaving.â
âPretty sure your friend here," Jungwon suddenly spoke up, eyes flitting to Sunghoon, then back to Jake, "-isn't part of the Student Union. Surely you're not reprimanding someone but turning a blind eye to your own best friend ? that would be low of you Jake Sim."
You pressed your lips together to quell the amusement and satisfaction that was quickly blooming over your face. As expected from the poster boy of chivalry and valour in campus, you thought to yourself as you give Jungwon a brief look of admiration. Â
âOh donât worry, I was just leaving as well,â Sunghoon calmly replied though the brief tightening of his jaw seem to indicate that the comment didnât miss the mark. Suddenly he turned to you, âsince they both have to make the last sweep before curfew, itâs just us then. Shall we head out together?â
âI can head out alone just fine,â you replied him curtly and bid Jungwon a quick goodbye, before turning on your heel and exiting the main hall, taking the back corridor towards the back exit instead in hopes that you wouldnât have to deal with Sunghoon anymore.
Except as you descended down the stairs, you could hear footsteps following you. You rolled your eyes and picked up your pace, knowing exactly who it was.
âArenât you walking too fast right now? Scared of the curfew or scared of me?â Sunghoon asked, the amusement in his voice audible. You ignored him, pushing past a series of glass doors that separated the corridors, hoping that one of them would have slammed him right in the face.
âYou seem pretty chummy with that cat-eye lad,â he started again, âDo you have a thing for men who resemble animals or something? first your fox-looking guard dog then this cat-looking ââ
âPark Sunghoon, get lost,â you hissed as you turned around abruptly, having had enough of him pestering you. To your surprise, despite the sound of his footsteps, he was actually just a few steps away from you which caught you off guard as he almost crashed onto you the moment you turned around. Not that it bothered him though for he just grinned slyly, satisfied to have incited a reaction from you.
âArenât you being too cold to me?â he raised his brows, waving a blue book in his hand â the book you had just loaned out and should have been safely tucked in your zipped backpack, âyou actually dropped this and I was just trying to give it back to you.â
You furrowed your brows in a mixture of annoyance and embarrassment as you make a grab for the book, only for him to retract his hand back, âOh? I thought you wanted me to get lost?â
âGive it back,â you demanded.
âSay it nicely,â he taunted, biting his lips to suppress the grin that was blooming across his lips.
You scoffed thinking how you should have known better. âOver my dead body,â you spat as you backed away, your patience thinning, âyou know what? you can have it. Iâd rather pay the penalty fee.â
With that you turned back and marched towards the exit door hoping that that would have offended him enough to leave you alone. Except this was Park Sunghoon we are talking about and if there is anything you can predict about him is that he will always act the opposite of what you expect and anticipate â like a true contrarian.
As you swung the door open, Sunghoon had caught up to you, and in just swift motions, he reached over and slammed the door back close â drawing parallels to the scene at the beginning of your nightmare when the door was shut close too as soon as you swung it open. Like a memory trigger, memories of your nightmare flooded in â filling you with a sense of confusion. You turned around, about to tell him off, only to be unnerved by how close he was, dwarfing over you in such a menacing way â again drawing parallels to your nightmare when you were backed up by a faceless man.
âFor someone who is always running into dangerous situations, you sure still run your mouth freely y/n,â he chided threateningly in a low voice. Shivers went down your spine as your back pressed onto the cold glass behind you though you werenât sure if it was the contact that made you shudder or was it the way Sunghoon loomed ominously before you with the dimmed lighting accentuating the steeliness of his expressions and the gravity of his commanding gaze.
You start to feel a lump in your throat, feeling your mind raking for memories that you werenât even sure were there as if it was trying to warn you that something similar had unfolded beyond the realms of dreams before â of which didnât end well. Still, always too brave for your own good, you refused to show any signs of fear as your stared back up into his increasingly paralyzing stare, almost as if challenging him.
In the midst of all the confusion, a dangerous and risky thought brewed in your mind. If Sunghoon really have anything to do with your hallucinations and even nightmares, you figured that you should be able to trigger it as per the previous cases when somehow being close to him seemed to have set it off. Thus, as if you two hadnât been unnecessarily close in proximity already, you did the unthinkable as your hands reached up towards him, grabbing his collar and pulling him down towards you, catching the ever-so-inscrutable Park Sunghoon totally off-guard. His brows knitted in a mixture of confusion and alarm, his Adamâs apple bobbing â looking uncharacteristically unnerved, âwhat the fuck do you think youâre doing?â he hissed, seething, as he gripped your wrist, his nails digging onto your skin painfully that you were sure itâd leave a mark.
A familiar sense of forebode soon rose from every small detail you see and every little sensation you felt: from the way he looked down murderously at you, to the way gripped your wrist, to the way the fabric of his shirt felt under your clutch. It was all starting to evoke that sickening feeling of dĂŠjĂ vu that is almost too heavy and ominous that it was paralyzing. Your visions begun to distort, transitioning rapidly between the Sunghoon that was right there with you in library, to Sunghoon standing in a dark, moon-lit room. From a glowering Sunghoon who looked like he was going to murder you to a Sunghoon who looked rather sultrily at you.
You gulped, mustering every strength and rationality in you not to crumble under it all. Itâs just in your mind y/n, you tell yourself repeatedly as the visions rapidly transitioned, showing similar sequences as the ones youâve had before. Except this time, as the Sunghoon from your visions lowered his face towards you, about to close the gap, you felt him dip lower, latching instead to your neck instead of your lips â mirroring your nightmares with the faceless man sinking his fangs onto your neck. When the man pulled back, you faced the exact same faceless man as the one in your dreams â the shadows concealing the rest of his face save for the sharp jawline, pale skin, plump lips, fangs, and blood-stained shirt.
Had this been your typical nightmare, this would have usually been the part where it all ended. But somehow this time, it went on, his face craning in such a way that the moonlight, which streamed through a nearby window, gradually illuminated the rest of his face: his nose, his eyes, hair. Your trepidation quickly combusted into that of horror as you realized now why the manâs features had always evoked such a strange feeling of familiarity.
It was Park Sunghoonâs.
âYouâŚâ you croaked, mind fraught in turmoil when the scene before you melted away, reverting back to Sunghoon at present in the library, who had just aggressively yanked your hands off of him. You noticed the subtle brief eyebrow twitch and clenching of jaw as he teetered back â almost as if he registered or realized something.
âDonât play with fire y/n,â he glowered and suddenly the lights around the library started to flicker wildly and in the fraction of second when his face directly caught the light, you noticed how his dark brown eyes had unexplainably turned into a shade of amber though you couldnât double take as the light completely went out after, his voice echoing in the dark, ââyouâll get burntâ.
When the lights switched back on after a few seconds, Sunghoon was gone â as if he had disapparated.
Suddenly whatever courage and strength you had from earlier dissipated and you crumbled onto the cold marble floor â legs weak, hearts wildly palpitating and mind completely stretched thin. Memories from that night when Sunghoon sank his teeth onto your neck started to flood back to you like burst dam, filling you with overwhelming emotions that you found yourself heaving and paralysed.
Twice in your life, you downplayed all the signs that had been there: from Sunghoonâs omnipresence around your life; the way events around your life seemingly gravitate towards him; the way his words always felt double-laced â it now all made sense. They were no coincidence â they were all him, everything was a web purely spun by him. The way he manipulated everything to his favour, from removing obstacles to tipping events, and then subsequently weaponised your own mind and memories against you to the point of insanity.
You remembered feeling very foolish back then in your last waking moments but now you just felt completely stupid for being strung around by Park Sunghoon again to the point of insanity.
What happened next was a total blur as you became so overwhelmed and numb from the rush of memories and realization: from having to process that vampires are not a stuff of fables; to Sunghoon being one; and to you being the one preyed upon. When you arrived home, you didnât even bother to switch on the lights nor shower â just collapsing dejectedly and weakly onto your couch. Your train of thoughts soon melded into a disjointed mess as your body eased, lulling you into a sleeping state. It all then warped into something familiar â a large living living room, a figure following you from behind, door slamming shut just when you open it, you getting pinned against it â it was the same thing.
Except this time, everything was as clear as day â without any glitches and without any concealment â Park Sunghoon looming before you eyeing you as if you were meat. Everything then flooded back to you: you packing up to go home, him blocking you and forcing a kiss on you to the point your lips bled, then him stopping you from escaping, taunting you before sinking his fangs onto you. As you drift in and out of consciousness, you could see him sporting a triumphant grin, lips and collar morbidly smeared with blood â your blood â as he caressed your cheeks, rubbing the tears away as if he hadnât been the one to have caused it in the first place.
ânot so feisty now huh? y/n?â was the last thing you heard before it all went black.
Your eyes then fluttered open. You can feel your cheeks wet, apparently shedding a tear in your sleep just like in your nightmare. Unlike previous nights when you jolt awake in horror, sometimes even screaming, this time, you were calm â awash with a sense of clarity.
It has never been any random man. It has never been any normal nightmare.
It was Park Sunghoon all along.
And they werenât nightmares, they were repressed memories.
You feel your fists clench in vehemence. You knew that your days now were probably numbered for there was no way he would let you off now that your memories have returned. Far from being scared however, you felt bolder, empowered by the desire to not let him have the upper hand. If Iâm going down, you thought to yourself as your hand reached for the spot on your neck where the puncture mark had been, youâre going down with me Sunghoon.
â ii
âHow many more bagged bloods is it going to take for you to realise that that is not hunger?â Jake jabbed, clicking his tongue dismissively at the way Sunghoon aggressively bite onto yet another bagged blood, finishing it in just seconds as if he hadnât drunk for weeks. Jake shuddered when Sunghoon turned around, glowering, his eyes a luminous golden as he crumpled the empty bag, throwing it angrily across the room. Sunghoon has always been the calm one so to see him this agitated was alarming.
Sunghoon knew a drop of your blood could drive him off the rails but what he didnât know was how you, in your entirety, could have the same effect. He felt dizzy again as he was reminded of when you had daringly, and foolishly he might add, pulled him earlier â the way your dark eyes, like whirlpool, was threatening to pull him deeper; the way your lips, parted and flushed, threatened to drew him close; the way you looked so small under him, making him go almost feral at the thought of completely engulfing you. Fuck, he cussed again internally as he slumped onto the bed, face buried in his hands, feeling the burn rising.
âItâs that toxic mix of obsession and lust that you hate the most,â Jake suggested, âswallow your pride tonight and prey on someone else both for fresh blood and for your other carnal desires â thatâs how youâll get through the burn. Nothing beats the satiation from a living person.â
In any other times, he would have already lunged at Jake but right now he was too overwhelmed to even glare at him. Begrudgingly he agreed to be dragged to another party tonight â much to the delight of Jay and Jake. Technically if what he felt was lust, he can just find other women from the hottest to the most skillful, to satiate that. If what he felt was hunger for fresh blood from a living human â that, too, he can find from another human. Whatever it takes, the world is essentially his oyster and tonight, he wasnât going to restrain himself.
Thus unlike his usual untouchable and prickly self, Sunghoon was a different man tonight for when they arrived at a frat party in another university, his hands quickly found the hottest woman who was more than eager to get it on with him.
Youâre nothing to me y/n, he thought to himself they sloppily made out in one of the empty bedrooms, his hands roaming frantically as his desire rise and fall with every touch and kisses, convincing him that it had indeed been just any normal lust. Except as the night deepened and things escalated further than he usually would allow, you still burned in the back of his mind. Burning ever brighter as if he had just tried to put down fire with fuel with him being the one at stake, completely engulfed in flames.
Now vampires donât really get sick but with the way the burn within him was almost incapacitating, he might as well be breaking into a fever. A fever that is leaving him infuriatingly confused as to whether he wants to eliminate you or own you.
â iii
Your nightmares stopped since that evening. On one hand, you were grateful, finally having adequate and uninterrupted amount of sleep each night â something that has become a rarity to you that it was almost a luxury. On the other hand, you were slightly bummed. There were still some things you wanted to confirm, of which you could potentially do by revisiting your nightmares and yet now that you were seeking for it, it had completely vanished, leaving you with nothing but just dubious patchwork of memories of which was getting increasingly fragile and fleeting as days passed.
âItâs all red herring I tell you,â you hear Sunoo grumble from the other side of your door, occasionally knocking to ask you if you were ready, before continuing on with his ramblings and complaints, âthere is no way a 23-year old drug addict did all that. Iâve been dabbling in Press work long enough to see a red herring when I see one. I bet you whoever is behind all these is powerful and influential to easily tamper with evidence and throw someone else under the bus like that.â
âI think so too,â you concurred though you stayed silent about your reasons. While you had been itching to tell Sunoo everything you knew and what had transpired between you and Sunghoon, you had no evidence whatsoever. Not yet, at least. Objectively too, though you now know that Sunghoon is no ordinary human, perhaps not one at all, you donât have evidence that he is behind all the serial killings either. Sure the shoe fits but for all you know, there might have been many like him around town, operating solitarily or even colluding with one another to prey on humankind while covering each otherâs back. In fact, the whole town might have just been rats in a maze for them.
There is also another reason as to why you have been keeping your mouth tightly sealed in this regard: to protect Sunoo himself. After what Heeseung and Sunghoon did to him, you were sure Sunoo harboured so much ill-feelings towards them that no amount of reason could ever talk some sense into him had he gotten a whiff of these information. In fact, you were certain that he would immediately run with it, printing the stories out without any care for the lack of evidence, let alone the grave implications of doing so. Hence, youâve kept yourself silent about it, preferring to gather information and piece it all out alone for now.
âYou can come in now, Iâm done putting on my dress,â you said as you applied a burgundy shade of lipstick over your coral lips, dabbing on it to spread it evenly across. Noticing the way Sunoo seemed stupefied at the sight of you with jaws agape, you started to feel self-conscious, trying to pull the tulle sleeves of your off-the-shoulder sequinned black gown upwards, âIs it too much? too revealing? should I change to-â
âOh quit it. More like too stunning,â Sunoo gushed overdramatically as he encircled you, âI canât believe how adamant you were to miss the ball tonight. Look at you, you look absolutely jaw-dropping right now, as if youâre made for the ball.â
âYouâre just saying that because I have begrudgingly agreed to come with you to the Winter Ball,â you rolled your eyes, âIâm all set now, letâs go â wonât want to be fashionably late, Iâm not made for that kind of attention.â
âEven if youâre not fashionably late, you would end up commanding a lot of attention tonight anyway,â he winked as he helped you with your coat, placing it loosely over your exposed shoulders.
Ever since the culprit has been caught, life has finally returned to campus with the return of the long-awaited annual Winter Ball sealing the deal â serving like a celebration that the worse was finally over. As if the weather was also on the side of the event, it had begun to lightly snow that evening as well, covering the merrily-decorated compound of campus in the colour of purity as if symbolising a 'rebirth', making the whole scene before you seem so magical and otherworldy especially as everyone were dressed so formally with their tailored suits and classy gowns.
While you have never been interested in the Ball, you succumbed to the continuous pressures from Sunoo who never tire in pestering, whining and bribing you to attend it with him. You were actually adamant on standing your ground but after weeks of seeing him being all dejected and moody from having his investigation resources confiscated by Heeseung, you thought this would cheer him up. Thankfully, it really did â bringing the megawatt smile back to his face while adding extra spring to his steps.
When you two finally reached the Grand Hall with 45 minutes to spare before the start of the event, it was already brimming with life as students and staffs, all decked in their finest, mingled about â filling the air with a cacophony of sounds from chatters, laughters, whispers, and clinking of glasses â all of which floated above the soft classical music that is being played by a live Orchestra. Usually grim and sombre owing to its Gothic Architecture and monochromatic grandeur, the Grand Hall too was transformed into a majestic wonder tonight, looking like the epitome of opulence, magnificence and exclusivity, with all the ostentatious chandeliers; taper candles; hydrangea centrepieces; twinkling lights; and garlands.
Sunoo excitedly tug onto your hand, his eyes twinkling in delight, almost mirroring the fairy lights that adorned the columns and trees. You were never the type to enjoy social events like Balls nor were you ever a fan of being in a crowd, but after months of trepidation and despondency, the bustling crowd and noise was oddly comforting â like a sure sign that the worse is definitely over. In fact, as you two settled in, meeting and catching up with old friends and other coursemates, you were really beginning to take Sunooâs words for it â that youâd have the time of your life tonight.
At least that was what you thought until about an hour and a half later when the crowd quietened down into gasps and whispers. From the reaction you'd have thought the Dean had walked into the Hall but it was none other than Sunghoon and his clique, having just arrived, decked in the finest suits from the most luxurious brands, effortlessly looking like the embodiment of wealth, class and charisma. Sunghoon himself was dressed regally in a black sleek and custom-tailored YSL suit with a distinct intricately-designed ruby-centred coat of arms pinned on his lapel. Sunghoon had always looked cold and intimidating but his partially slicked-back hair tonight, which fully exposed his thick brows, prominent brow bone and piercing gaze, was amplifying it all â lending a rather ethereal, otherworldly and untouchable quality to him.
âSuch attention hogs,â Sunoo muttered disdainfully, âI was so sure they would decline the invitation again this year and yet here they areââ
âIs it too late to go back now?â you grumbled, grimacing at the way everyone clamour and gushed over them like sunflowers towards the sun â totally oblivious to the fact that there is a monster lurking amongst them. All of a sudden, as if he knew you were there and you had been staring, his eyes directly met yours in a chilling precision amidst all the distance and the crowd that stood between you two. You held his gaze, eventually scowling when he refused to look away and proceeding to give you the once-over with a smirk blooming across his lips.
âUgh,â Sunoo groaned, turning you around, and shielding you away from Sunghoonâs prying eyes, âheâs so shameless â itâs almost as if he wants you right there and then.â
Yeah, want me dead, you thought to yourself.
Fortunately, as they always had a crowd clamouring over them, they were always so preoccupied and were always away from your line of sight so you were able to go about your evening unbothered, completely in your own world, joking and dancing with Sunoo as well as with some of your other coursemates â completely forgetting that Sunghoon was even around. Until that is, the lighting started to the dim, the Orchestral music started to gradually grow louder and the floor started to clear â signalling the start of the long-awaited Waltzing session. You watched in awe as some people begin to join others at the centre of the hall, each rhythmically and formulaically Waltzing to the classical music with their partners with so much ease and grace as if itâs something that anyone normally does in their pastime.
Just then you felt Sunoo tugging your hand with a sheepish grin that you knew only meant trouble. You mouthed a few protests, trying to retreat away but as you begin to feel the heat of peopleâs stares, you had no choice but to begrudgingly let yourself get dragged to the dance floor, not wanting to cause a fuss and attract more attention.
âYou owe me big time Kim Sunoo,â you grumbled through gritted teeth as you watched other couples warily while Sunoo just confidently held your hand in his and wrapped a hand around your waist, guiding you carefully according to the melody of Tchaikovskyâs 'Serenade For Strings in C Major, Op.48 II', âcome on, whatâs a ball without proper dancing? You already look the part, might as well play the part. Trust me okay? now relax your shoulders and carefully, follow my steps, 1, 2, yes, now backwards, yes -â
That was how you ended up on the dance floor, waltzing through a series of classical music, and a series of different men because Sunoo cheekily did not tell you that partners change whenever the classical pieces change. As if that wasnât awkward enough â you could feel someoneâs burning stare on you throughout the dance: Park Sunghoon.
While his hands were always on the hottest women in campus and he was always so preoccupied, whether it is in conversations, chatters, or even whispers, his eyes never failed to meet yours in an uncanny precision whenever your eyes accidentally landed on him in the crowd. That is, if he hadn't already been staring at you in the first place like a vulture waiting for their prey to succumb to its death. At one point, you held his gaze, frowning to show your utter contempt â hoping that that would have given him the message and make him look away but with the way the corner of his lips tipped, that obviously had the opposite effect. In fact, at one time, his partner ended up turning around, proceeding to give you the stink eye as if you had been checking out Sunghoon in the first place. As if, you thought to yourself, grimacing.
âEvening beautiful.â
You snapped out of your thoughts, realising then that the piece had changed again and the man that was holding your hand had changed. âJungwon!â you gasped, face melting into utter relief and glee. Your body relaxed almost immediately in his touch after all the stiffness you had to maintain from the bunch of strangers you had to shuffle through for the Waltz so far.
âWouldnât want to miss a dance with the most beautiful lady in the hall tonight,â he grinned cheekily as he wrapped his hand over your waist ever so gently, guiding you carefully and attentively through the slow melody. It was classic Yang Jungwon â comforting and dependable. Except tonight, contrasting his usual boy-next-door image, his slicked-back hair, which fully exposed his strong arched brows and sharp feline eyes, lent a much stronger charismatic and refined impression to his look and vibe which could lean towards unnerving, if not alluring, if he wasnât smiling cheerily like he did right now.
âNo shift tonight?â you asked.
âUnfortunately, I do in about 45 minutes since they are short-staffed due to the holiday season,â he pressed his lips into a thin line, âbut doesnât matter, now that Iâve danced with you, my evening is complete.â
âWell, Iâm glad youâre the last person Iâm dancing with as well,â you replied before almost stumbling as the music sped up, struggling to keep up. Always so gallant and dependable, he quickly held you steady, beaming reassuringly as he wheeled you away to a more spacious area, âIâve got you, just follow these sequences- yep, there you goâŚâ
âSorry about that. I havenât acclimatised myself to upbeat waltzing. Heck even waltzing in itself was some sort of an uphill struggle,â you smiled apologetically, eyes trained on your feet to make sure you wonât be stepping on him again before flitting back up into his eyes, ânever even planned to come but Sunoo insisted.â
âWell, he deserves a medal for convincing you then and I am grateful that you did. You were the only one I was searching for in the crowd earlier.â
âYouâre not already drunk are you? you are unusually flirty tonight,â you raised your brows quizzically before chuckling playfully, âthis isnât you â bring me back that innocent, anti-romantic, Jungwon.â
With a playful smirk he corrected, âfirst things first, old Jungwon is long gone. Secondly,â you feel his grip over your waist tighten and the grin slowly faltering as his gaze seemingly darkened, âIâm not that innocent.â
You chuckled lightly, thinking that he was just being playfully dismissive though you find your smile faltering as you notice the way his gaze shifted, the way his eyes flitted ever so briefly seemingly towards your lips and neck. âIs the mark on your neck gone?â he asked. It took you a while to process what he was referring to when you were reminded of that night in the library when he was going to ask something about it before getting interrupted by Jake. âOh- that,â you mustered. For reasons unknown you somehow decided to lie, âyeah, it was just a small injury.â
He raised his brows, looking unconvinced, âit didnât look like a normal injury to me? How did you get it?â
You have always known that Jungwonâs stare can be too intense sometimes especially since he had sharp feline eyes and strongly-arched brows but the way he stared down at you right now really unnerved you in a way that makes you feel cornered. âNot sure actually. Perhaps it was a bed bug from when I went to the rurals for volunteering last time,â you lied again, hoping that that couldâve been believable.
âAh-â his mouth hung, âthose bloodsuckers.â
You could have swore he said the last word with extra, unnecessary, emphasis â as if he knew you were lying and he wanted you to know that. Thankfully, the piece was nearing its end so you didn't need to stare into those forceful and hypnotizing eyes any longer as you turned around, swaying in shadow position just like other dancers. His words and gaze however still lingered in your mind so distractingly that as you twirled you lost his hand for a brief moment though he recaptured it just in time as you spun back towards him. Except, the hands that had caught you was larger and you can see now, to your horror, it was not even Jungwon anymore. It was Sunghoon and the piece had already transitioned to a darker piece: the majestic âSwan Lake Op.20, Act II, No.10â by Tchaikovsky.
âHow did youâ,â you stuttered, caught completely off guard. You could have sworn Sunghoon was far away from you the last time you caught a glimpse of him â the distance of which would have been impossible for him to be your next dance partner.
âYouâre not wrong,â he conceded, almost as if he could read your mind and was replying to your thoughts, âI had to break the social etiquette and leave my partner before the piece ended just so I can have the last dance with you before someone else snatches you away.â
You scoffed, really not having it. âwell, Iâm not one for rules either,â you snubbed, just about to pull away from him and break the etiquette by leaving the dance mid-way when you felt him interlacing his fingers with yours while his other hand that was just resting over your waist, slid higher, snaking across your back, seizing you in a vice-like grip, âI wouldnât do that if I were you. You would just attract a lot of attention since half of those in the room are looking at us now. I know you hate attention.â
You looked around and true enough, almost everyoneâs attention in the hall was on you both. You stared back up at Sunghoon, flummoxed, âyou did this on purpose didnât you? Wasnât the previous piece supposed to have been the last dance?â
âWell, what I want, I get,â he asserted domineeringly, brows arched up smugly as he wheeled you away in an adept yet dizzying turn across the dance floor past other couples. Perplexingly, despite the pace and force at which he was leading you, you hadnât stumbled even once â it was almost as if you had been put under a spell, a spell that enraptured you in a fixed pre-set rhythm with him.
âSo youâre saying that dancing with me tonight is what you want?â you asked mockingly just to spite him.
âWrong,â he tutted, âitâs you that I want.â
âIs that doublespeak for my blood?â you provoked. Seeing the way his brows made the slightest twitch and his gaze darkened made you feel almost triumphant. He lowered his face slightly, tilting it, and bringing his lips close to your ears, âdonât play with me darling,â he whispered, his breath hot against your ears, sending shivers down your spine, âI can conjure up your worst memories here right now. Maybe then youâll learn not to run your mouth too liberally in public.â
You jerked your head away from him and stared back into his darkened gaze in defiance though the way your jaw tightened was enough to satisfy him for it was a sign that you were fraying no matter the tough front you put forward for him. âwhy havenât you killed me yet?â you asked, point-blank.
âWell, killing you would mean letting you off easy,â he cooed, âyou donât deserve that.â
You chewed the inside of your lower lip, seething, wondering how much longer you could tolerate being so close to this vile man. Every second felt like decades and you have become increasingly hyperaware of the way he was holding you â with every part of your body that was touching his, searing. From his large hand that had snaked over your back; his fingers that were all interlaced with yours; and your body all locked with his â you were effectively being seized, like a prey. More infuriatingly is the way your heartbeat was picking up though you couldnât tell if it was simply out fury for having to dance with the devil; apprehension over his next steps; or, as much as you hated, over how flustered he was making you feel.
Nevertheless, you werenât one to admit defeat nor show any signs of vulnerability â especially not to him. So even if you felt like you were going to buckle under his intense gaze and cower away from his strong hold, you persistently powered through â feigning nonchalance as you stared back in those dark commanding eyes unflinchingly. You figured for someone so prideful, power-obsessed and controlling like him, who always have the upper hand and have people wrapped around his fingers, accusing him of having feelings for you and being obsessed with you would be the greatest insult which in turn would have triggered him to act rashly. Hence you decided to play along, taunting him mockingly with the aim of riling him to the point of slipping up, âOh yeah? I do hope that that is indeed the case,â you muttered lowly, ââ not because youâre catching feelings for me. That would have been such a low blow, falling for a mere mortal who feels nothing but vehemence towards you.â
Pressing his tongue against his cheek, he scoffed, lips curling agonisingly slow into a rather insidious grin. âOh yeah?â he drawled, his hand sliding further, fingers curling over your side ribs with nails digging painfully into your skin like talons, âthen why is your heart beating so fast? Are you scared of me?â he raised his brows smugly as he harshly pulled you closer up his body as if trying to assert his dominance and further grind your gears, âor are you attracted to me? Would be a low blow for you either way isnât it?â
âSpeak for yourself,â your hand had already travelled down his shoulder, resting on his chest, eyes boring into his, unyielding and challenging, âyours is matching mine. You should be careful Sunghoon, you might need more blood to keep that shrivelled heart pumping this fast.â
Just then the piece picked up, booming into the last chorus line as if trying to mirror the tension that was brewing and threatening to spill over between the two of you as you two obsess over one-upping the other, completely oblivious over the fact that sometimes, the line between hate and attraction are blurry. In fact, to many unassuming observers, it was very easy to mistake the both of you as being completely enamoured with one another especially with the proximity, hand placements, the locked gazes and the banters. But whose to say they were wrong when deep down the both of you couldnât tell for certain either.
The music fortunately stopped just in time, preventing anything from escalating and as if utterly disgusted you immediately pried his hand off of your back, feeling his touch searing by the second. He wasnât going to let you off easy though as he tugged onto your hand, causing you to slightly tip towards him, before bringing the hand close to his lips. You watched in horror as he pressed his lips onto the back of your hand planting a gentle kiss that caused shockwaves across the crowd. A devious smirk immediately tugged on that very lip, âyou look beautiful tonight by the way. Ravishing. Would have told you that earlier if we werenât constantly at each otherâs throat.â
You yanked your hand back protectively, embarrassed and fuming. You hated how his every move are always so calculated with the intention delivering the biggest blow to you as if someone was keeping score. Sunoo emerged just in time from the crowd, hissing curses at Sunghoon as he wrapped a protective arm over you and took you away. âYou okay?â he asked, lowering his face to meet yours. You plastered a smile, nodding, âIâm fine. He was just messing around.â
Just then, one of the staffs took over the podium, announcing that it was time for dinner, fortunately diverting everyoneâs attention away from you towards the food and drinks that were being wheeled into the hall. âI should have kept a closer watch on you,â he said apologetically, âI didnât know he was that determined to get to you. Kind of weird though. I mean after months of pretending you were nothing but a stranger?â Sunoo paused, eyeing you suspiciously, âyouâre not⌠hiding anything from me are you?â
You shook your head, pretending to be unaffected and nonchalant, âNone whatsoever. Heâs just bitter that I beat him in the other essay. Classic Sunghoon.â
Thankfully, Sunoo didnât press on further, readily buying into your lie. As he was busy eyeing the rich selections of food, you looked away, feeling your head spinning though you couldnât tell if it was from the excessive socialising, dizzying waltzing, or maybe it was Sunghoon and the array of emotions he was capable of evoking from you all at the same time â fear, dread, anger, you name it. Eyes trained on the empty galleries decked out on the upper floors, you decided to slip away from Sunoo, who was busy socialising now, to find a momentary respite.Â
As you reached one of the galleries, which was decked in burgundy-gold colour palettes, you hunched over the wooden bannister, propping your elbow up and resting your chin in your palm, looking over blankly at the bustling crowd on the floors below. As if there was gravity pulling, your eyes ended up wandering towards Sunghoon, seated at the corner with his little clique, surrounded by other wealthy and popular kids as per usual.
You scowled as memories from earlier â from his taunts, flirtations, to his threatening remarks â flooded back in. If only people know what you are Sunghoon, you thought to yourself.
As you laboured over these thoughts, you soon found your mind treading dangerous waters, your other hand already slipping inside your purse, making a grab for something: an army swiss knife â something you had been carrying as of late for protection.
Your eyes flitted from the knife to Sunghoon, then back, thinking to yourself, theoretically, like sharks, the littlest drop of blood should be easily detected by him. You flipped the blade out as you gave Sunoo a quick text telling him to stay where he was and start filming the crowd if anything happens. A barrage of texts immediately came through from Sunoo but you ignored it as you slipped the phone back into your purse, eyes trained on Sunghoon as your resolve to cause havoc was strengthening by the second, if Iâm lucky he would lose control right in front of everyone.
With no hesitation you slid the blade across a small section of your palm though in your haste, the cut went deeper than expected with blood quickly pooling and trailing down. You winced, feeling it sting as you looked back at Sunghoon who was still engrossed in a conversation with others. Then suddenly as if a switch had been turned in his head, he looked up straight at you in such a chilling precision as if he knew you were right there.
Startled and alarmed, you edged away from the railings, trying to escape his field of vision. The lights started to flicker then and you knew you got him. Heart hammering wildly against your chest with your fight and flight response kicking in, you quickly darted out of the gallery.
The lights had completely went out then, leaving the winding corridor illuminated ominously with a red glow from the emergency lights in the corner. You can hear the crowd below erupting in unrest. Just as you reached the staircase you saw a CCTV right in the corner and another risky thought brewed in your mind. You purposefully slowed down and as you anticipated, not a full second after, you feel someoneâs heavy presence behind you though before you could turn around, you found yourself slammed to the nearest wall.
The corner of your lips lifted, forming a small triumphant grin at the sight of Sunghoon in front of you, âarenât you too easy Park Sunghoon?â you mocked, gritting your teeth his hand grabbed your neck, threatening to choke you. It might look as if Sunghoon has all the upper hand right now but nothing could be far from the truth because if anyone knows anything about him, to be able to rile the calm, collected and calculative Sunghoon up to this point is a massive feat. After all, he was always the one who is a few steps ahead, the who orchestrates, the who puppeteers. But now, despite all his attempts, his efforts seemingly backfired with his eyes already lightening to Golden; fangs fully erupted; and breathing all labored, both out of anger and increasingly, hunger. âYou must really have a death wish y/n,â he warned insidiously.
You would be lying if you said the sight of him glowering murderously at you with razor sharp teeth and glowing golden eyes did not terrify you but from the moment your memories had started to slowly return weeks ago, you knew your days were numbered and that realization struck something in you â turning you from the risk-averse and non-confrontational person you had always been, to someone who is more defiant and dauntless. After all, if youâre going to die â you might as well die fighting.
Hence why, instead of pleading for mercy, you were relentlessly trying to provoke him, âwith an opportunity served on a golden platter like this,â you derided, smirking as you ran your bloody hand up his wrist that was on your neck, âyou shouldnât fumble again. Itâs getting too embarrassing at this point. Aren't you supposed to be infallible?â
You could see the alarm in his face as he realised a second too late how you had effectively smeared your blood on his hand, which had by then seeped onto his cuffs. Just like how your blood slowly crept up his cuff, dying every fiber at the edge into a deep shade of red, he, too, was increasingly engulfed in a confusing mess of impulse and desires which was getting harder to fight. Juxtaposing his usual calculated movements and calm and controlled facial expressions, he was thrown into disarray now as he yanked your hand aggressively away, pinning it against the wall, only to have his senses and rationality struck harder, as your bloodied palm was now fully exposed, the blood of which was dripping down towards his own hand â the scent now becoming overbearing that he was seeing red.
âOr do you prefer to do it in alleys, leaving my bloodless, punctured, body to be the next cold case in town? Oh wait, it canât be a cold case anymore since youâve got someone else to throw all the blame to,â you goaded further, truly having no regard whatsoever for your own life, âpoor guy. For all we know you might also be running a drug den â essentially a pool of black sheeps to tap onto should you need someone to throw under the bus.â
Almost snarling, you feel him tighten his grip over your wrist, his nails digging onto your skin, as he lunged towards you. You squeezed your eyes shut, bracing for what was to come. But instead of the prickle of pain on your neck that you expected to follow, you felt him crash his lips onto yours instead, aggressively devouring it like a man starved. Your eyes flew open, aghast, as you felt his hand crept up your back possessively, pulling your body flush against him with unyielding strength as if any space in between would have killed him. You yelped â the sounds of which he swallowed as he thrust his tongue inside your mouth and deepened the kiss so heatedly that you could almost taste the anger and bitterness in the way his lips ferociously and hungrily devour yours. You then felt your bottom lip getting tugged in between his teeth, the pain of which made you wince, before it sent you thrashing harder against him when you felt him nibble, lick and suck on it. Not that any of your efforts were fruitful for he was far stronger â completely unbothered and unyielding like a stone. In fact, the more you thrashed and protested, the more seemingly intoxicated and entranced he became as he completely pressed his body up against yours, effectively immobilising you against the wall.
Your mind was getting hazy from the lack of air and just when you thought you might pass out, he pulled back, staring down at you domineeringly with his penetrating and devilish golden eyes. âWhoâs easy now?â he mocked in a show of dominance and power as his tongue sultrily licked his blood-smeared lips.
âYou fucking psycho-â you hissed breathlessly as you shoved him away with as much strength as you could muster.
âNext time you pull this kind of stunt-â he warned, the colour of his eyes gradually darkening to his usual dark brown colour as the grin on his face faltered, ââactually, forget it. Iâll make sure that you wonât even have a next time.â
âWhy donât you put money where your mouth is,â you spat as your fists clench in fury, âor is your mouth too busy trying to chase mine?â
His brows shot up momentarily before he narrows his eyes menacingly at you. You were sure he was going to say or do something to you then when suddenly you hear Sunoo calling your name out repeatedly.
ây/n!â
You snapped your head towards the direction of the voice, seeing Sunoo appearing by the staircase, completely out of breath, hunched over the floor, as if he had just ran all the way up. When you turned back, Sunghoon was long gone with absolutely no signs of him nearby. You looked around haphazardly, checking each galleries, and looking over the bannisters, seeing absolutely no signs of him, as if he disapparated.
ây/n!â
Sunoo grabbed your hand, swivelling you harshly around to face him, âwhat is wrong with yo-â he paused, gasping, eyes widening in alarm, âyouâre bleeding!â
âoh right- itâs-â you mumbled, snapping out of your thoughts, as you looked at your bloodied palm. Except instead of your hand, Sunoo dabbed his clean handkerchief againts the center of your lips instead. You edged your face away, surprised. When you reached and gently touched the stinging spot on your lips, true enough it was bleeding. You scoffed, reminded of Sunghoonâs bloody lips too, along with his mocking words âwhoâs easy now?â â realising only then what he had really meant as he had bitten your lips and sucked on it. That prick, you feel your shoulders dropping in defeat, your head splintering.
âDid you take a tumble or something?â Sunoo asked as he continued gently dabbing your bloody lips, âIf I didnât know any better Iâd have thought you had been making out or something. Look at the state of your hair and your lips-â
âDonât be ridiculous,â you grumbled defensively, snatching his handkerchief from him, trying your best to feign nonchalance as memories of Sunghoon liplocking you started replaying in your mind like a broken film, âI tumbled on the stairs earlier, it was too dark.â
âYouâre acting weird, do you know that?,â Sunoo eyed you suspiciously, âActually â you have been acting weird. What was that text earlier? Stay there? Camera on? What were you up to? But anyway thanks to your heads up, I caught something interesting.â
âWait- you did?â you asked, hoping that perhaps Sunghoon could have been caught in his film. The way in which he suddenly appeared behind you was something no human could do â not in such speed, not when he was in the midst of a crowd and not in that dimmed lighting.
âOh-â you managed, evidently disappointed when you watched the clip in Sunooâs phone. He filmed everywhere and everything except for the area where Sunghoon was initially at. The camera suddenly flipped to selfie mode, showing Sunoo looking confused as the lighting flickered, âSunoo I didnât tell you to film yourse-â
âHey, exactly because I filmed this that I caught something odd,â he grumbled, fast-forwarding it to the time when Sunoo started swivelling around in the dark, âlook at that man at the far corner near the statue,â you followed his finger, focusing on the guy who stood rooted there. It was grainy and blurry but you can see that his head snapped upwards as if he saw something alarming before suddenly he vanished just a few seconds the lighting went out.
âWait, what-â you grabbed Sunooâs phone, rewinding it back and replaying it. There was no mistaking it, the guy definitely vanished into thin air. You first thought that it might have been Sunghoon but that would be impossible. After all before the lights shut off, he clearly was at the to other end of the hall, by the sofas â you saw that with your own eyes.
That was when the horrifying truth dawned on you, that your presumptions werenât that far off â that there really was more than one like Sunghoon, not just in your town, but in your campus.
â iv
âItâs done,â Sunghoon muttered as he re-entered the dining hall of their loft. Jake turned to him, catching a glimpse of the man slumped near the sofa in the other room before the door completely closed behind Sunghoon, âhe should remember nothing about tonight except just how wasted he was.â
âGood work Sunghoon,â Heeseung nodded as he massaged his temples and checked his phone for the umpteenth time for updates, âIâve had the victims already sent to two different hospitals too. There should already be someone there ready for to do all the necessary cover-ups so the accident tonight shouldnât cause too much ruckus with the elders.â
âGood thing I was making out just outside of the Grand Hall isnât it? Otherwise someone else would have found the bodies,â Jay wiggled his brows, looking proud.
âWell for someone who was near the vicinity, it really is a wonder how far gone you were with the girl you were snogging with to have missed out a stray vampire feeding on two students nearby,â Jake scoffed, shaking his head dismissively as he nudged Sunghoon, beckoning him to agree with him. Sunghoon just gave him a cursory glance, looking every bit as disinterested and indifferent as ever as if he, too, wasnât liplocking around the time it happened.
âWhat if this stray vampire is the one responsible for the chaos earlier?â Heeseung asked aloud, tapping the edge of his phone against the marble countertop, âdid anyone have a good idea of what actually happened earlier? I was too busy buttering up the Board of Directors.â
Feigning ignorance, Sunghoon just casually shrug, despite knowing very well who had sparked the whole chaos earlier: you. Unlike what is popularly depicted in the media, vampires arenât really like sharks but some do have a keen sense of smell when it comes to blood especially if it is the blood that they are very well familiar with. This is the case of you to Sunghoon who, having dawned it himself, could smell it when you had hurt yourself earlier. Though in hindsight he could now see how foolish and rash he had been to be easily baited like that. Not that he wanted to divulge all that to the rest though, especially not to Heeseung.
âRegardless of what happened in the Grand Hall, I think we have another one in our midst,â Sunghoon smoothly changed the subject, âI doubt itâs a pureblood though â weâd have sensed them otherwise and the way he or she just leaves the bitten body like that is too amateur and sloppy to be one of us.â
Heeseung nodded grimly, âthatâs one heck of a skilled âunnaturalâ then â to be able to evade us for so long.â âUnnaturalâ is what they used to refer to human-turned-vampires. Not that the term is anymore less condescending than the non-Pure Bloods that some would refer them as.
âLeave that to me, Iâll try to find out more about it. Skilled or not, we are still much more superior and powerful than they are,â Sunghoon offered though his intentions in finding the culprit differed from the rest. Heeseung gave him a brief appreciative smile before retiring to the drawing room to answer a call.
âWeâre done here right?â Sunghoon asked, turning to the other two, âletâs crash a party.â
Jay and Jake turned to each other in confusion but gladly complied nevertheless since they loved having fun and loved nothing more than roping the most reclusive one of them, Sunghoon, to get wild with them. The party that Jay took them to tonight wasnât just any frat party either â it was some upscale party at the city â filled with the hottest and wealthiest people from the upper echelons of society including those of their own kind.
âFeeling the burn again?â Jake asked quietly as they entered the lofty mansion.
âWeirdly, no,â Sunghoon replied, surprised at his own answer. Jakeâs words from weeks ago suddenly ringing hard in his ears, realizing now how it was you who had effectively quelled the burn that had plagued him tonight. Though he didnât really know which one did it: the blood or the kiss since he did both tonight. Not that he wanted to ponder about it though. Tonight, he wanted a distraction.
Fortunately, it didnât take long for him to become preoccupied, getting roped into one of the empty bedrooms no sooner than 10 minutes being in the mansion. By the hottest woman in the party too, no less, who also happens to be of their kind. It was perfect â it should be. After all, sheâs hot and someone of his own would understand and withstand his needs the most with no need of him to restrain himself like he would on mere mortals. He remembered finding her hot too as she seductively run up her red-lacquered nails up his chest, eagerly unbuttoning his shirt while her short red dress hiked up dangerously high as she straddled him. Her lips quickly molded with his and the whole thing quickly turned into a messy make-out session that quickly escalated. It was going so well.
Except not really.
Because instead of getting delirious and high in the throes of such heat, his mind was constantly straying away from the moment, finding its way back towards you. As if branded, you were etched in his mind and he hated that. He was supposed to be the one toying you and the one etched onto your mind to the point of insanity. Yet here he was, being the one who is gravely bothered and troubled in a game that he himself had spun.
He really thought he got it all under control but clearly, if anyone is losing control, it has been him. The signs had been there all along but classic Park Sunghoon just never wanted to deal with it and now look at the way it festered. He went from watching you as if you were an experiment to keeping such a close watch and tabs on you almost protectively and possessively, as if you were his in the first place.
Then thereâs the jealousy that he felt whenever he sees you with either Sunoo or Jungwon. Initially he thought the feeling and desire to get rid of them was simply borne out of wanting to eliminate hurdles along the way and subsequently isolate you. That was indeed probably what it was initially, but slowly the desire becomes tainted with a more emotionally-driven interest â the desire to be them â the be the one receiving all the smiles, the gentle touches and spend an inordinate time with you. The next thing he knew, you have taken root in his mind, growing so entrenched as if you were the one spinning some sort of web in the first place, and not him. You end up haunting him not just in his waking moments, which was torturous enough considering how he doesnât really sleep, but even in moments when he was in the midst of reaching his highs with other women.
Even now, as he flipped the lady over for another round, even as she was screaming his name loud â all he could see, hear and feel was you. The way you called his name, whether softly or bitterly; the plumpness of your lips; the warmth of your neck; the curvature of your waist; the way you fit perfectly in his embrace as if you were made for him. Fuck, he cussed to himself again. Deep down, he found himself desperately wishing that it was you he was touching, it was you who was holding onto him, it was you that was begging for him.
Buried within those lecherous thoughts however lay something more innocent. Something he doesnât dare nor wish to ponder: how he wanted you to not detest him. How he wished that you had a fraction of positive feeling for him instead of just the vehemence that you always showed.
By the time he was done, he was already putting his clothes back on, foot already out the door. If problems canât be solved, he thought to himself on his drive back home, pressing the pedal to dangerous speeds, I should eliminate it altogether.
Afterall, he reasoned further, I canât yearn for something that isnât there.
â v.
âThe Head of Security bumped into me on the way and is now treating me to coffee so Iâll be a bit late but Iâve already authorised my credentials earlier so just go ahead and log into my PC with the log-in details Iâve shared,â Jungwon explained through the phone as you settled inside the staff room in the library, switching on the PC there while thanking him profusely for the umpteenth time, âthank you so much Jungwon. You know what, I owe you big time. Iâll treat you to a meal next time alright? Anything you want, just say it.â
It was just this morning when you asked him for a favour to view the CCTV in campus, hoping to get your hands on the evidence of whatever transpired last night before it gets wiped out. Always so benevolent and dependable, Jungwon agreed almost immediately without pestering you about the reasons even when getting himself authorised required him sneaking about and accessing the main system discreetly over at the main wing. While sometimes you do feel uncomfortable at just how far he is willing to go for you so selflessly, he has always had a reputation for being obliging and dependable so you always chalk your cynicism to irrational paranoia instead.
Being proficient in IT yourself, it didnât take you long to figure out how to navigate the system once youâve logged in, after which you began identifying the specific CCTV angles that could trace Sunghoonâs possible steps. âGot you,â you murmured to yourself, grinning triumphantly as you found him in CCTV #81, which was around the area where Sunghoon was lounging about just minutes before the whole chaos ensued. As you expected, at one point in time, unlike everyone else, Sunghoonâs head suddenly snapped upwards, right towards the area where you were and within seconds after the lights went out, he vanished.
You switched the angle to the other one â the CCTV near the staircase where you were at â which somehow âconvenientlyâ glitched just moments before he suddenly appeared behind you. You watched in anticipation as he roughly shoved you against the wall, expectations shot through the roof as you remembered purposefully riling him up right there and then because you wanted to incite the worse in him and get it filmed. It was risky but you thought, if it was the only way to get him to reveal more of the kind of monster he was, it would be worth it. Except, the more you watched, the more dismayed you were. With his back facing the CCTV, you were entirely engulfed by his figure â the angle of which was completely concealing the struggle that transpired between you two â making it look as if you two were heatedly making out in the dark instead.
You rewinded the clip again, trying to find an instance that could have implied otherwise. None, you thought to yourself, sinking in your seat in utter dejection as you realised none of it was usable â leaving you only with that clip of him vanishing but that could easily be taken as some sort of glitch as well. Â
Whoâs easy now? Â You remembered him saying that again, realising now just how double-laced those words really were and calculated his actions were. The hall was indeed too public so he knew ravishing you right there and then could get him exposed. So he decided to do it under the guise of a kiss â the least suspicious yet the most vexing way to get back at you â essentially delivering a double-blow to you. Or triple rather, since he fumbled your plan with the CCTV as well, maybe he figured the angles out too. You scoffed, feeling defeated. At this rate, it did not feel like you were trying to beat him in his game but it felt more like you were waltzing with the devil to a tune that only he knows the beat of.
Just as your eyes scanned all the other CCTV angles cursorily, the angle near the back exit caught your attention. It had the same statue as the one Sunoo captured in his phone, near where a man was seen suddenly disappearing. You enlarged the clip, zeroing in on the guy which is probably the guy in question, who walked past the statue while trying to wear his coat, looking as if he was just about to exit through the double doors when suddenly he turned around, head snapping upwards towards the direction of where you should be, just a few seconds before the lights flickered and went off. Then to your horror, he too, like Sunghoon, vanished.
You gasped as you zoomed in the clip to identify who he was though the graininess and blurriness of the clip due to the distance and the night vision was making it almost impossible. It didnât help that you could only see his face for some 5 seconds before he disappeared. Amidst the graininess however, his eyes had that eerie tapetum lucidum glow which is common among nocturnal predators â the same glow you remembered seeing in the maniac who had attacked you in the alleyway as well as in campus. In fact his eyes glowed so much that it was almost similar the reflective stripes he had on the shoulder of his jackets, which you swore youâve seen somewhere.
âSorry, I took too long. Did you managed to find the clip you were looking for?â
You jumped, startled, turning around to see Jungwon beaming softly at you as he took his cap off and unzipped his jacket.
âNo worries. I was just trying to figure out how to make the resolution better-â your voice trailed off as you watched Jungwon turned around to take his waterproof Security jacket off and hang it on a nearby coathanger. The stripes, you stared in apprehension as you recognised it to be the same with the man in the camera â two stripes on each shoulders, both reflective.
âHey, Jungwon? Did you bring that jacket with you yesterday to the Ball?â you asked carefully as you rose up, alert. He hummed in affirmation, âyeah, I changed in campus so the jacket was all I had to protect me from the sudden snow â why?â
âNothing,â you plastered a smile as you grabbed your phone from the table, raking your brains for excuses to leave the room, âOh, itâs getting late. I should head back soon, someone is waiting for me.â
You noticed the way his grin faltered, as if noticing something amiss, âso soon?â he asked, craning his neck, trying to peek at the screen behind you, âis that yesterday? anything interesting?â
âOh nothing, I just lost my money and wanted to see if someone had took it from my purse but apparently not. I guess I must have misplaced them-â you turned around abruptly, about to close the window which showed CCTV angle you had enlarged earlier when suddenly you felt his hand over yours on the mouse, stopping you from doing so. You swallowed thickly as you felt his chest pressing against your back, feeling trapped between him and the table.
âYou sure about that? Because youâre obviously zooming on someone else,â he muttered in a low voice before whispering raspily against your ear, âI guess I should drop the façade now.â
You jerked away from him, horrified, as it dawned on you immediately how his whispering voice was similar to that of the man who had pushed you down the stairs in the South Wing. You teetered backwards in terror â now realising, with his back against the light, how he bears so much resemblance to the man: the tapered chin, the bony wide shoulders, and the thin-lipped murderous grin. You wasted no second then, turning around and running for the door but Jungwon was quicker as he slammed the door back shut just as you opened it, âtoo slow,â he whispered before you suddenly feel yourself getting yanked and flung to the side, pillowing against a stack of empty boxes at the corner.
You groaned as you mustered all your strength to sit up â not that it would have mattered though for he had climbed on top of you and straddled you in place within seconds, âIt was fun while it lasted-â
You feel your heart sink as you watch his face contort almost effortlessly into a wicked expression as if that could have been his resting face. His gaze, which always somehow lent you some form of comfort, was now glazed with malice. His lips which always curved sweetly like a form of reassurance was now all twisted devilishly. You realised then just how trapped and silly you have been â essentially jumping out of the frying pan into the fire â thinking you were safe with Jungwon, only for him to be as much of a hazard as Sunghoon.Â
âYouâreââ you croaked, feeling the dread and trepidation rising as you saw the way his canines fully erupt into razor-sharp fangs now, âwhat have I ever done to you? Why are you doing this?â
âInitially, you were just at the wrong place at the wrong timeâŚâ he drawled as he brought his hand up to your face, finger tracing your jawline agonisingly slowly, âthen I found out about your relations with Sunghoon and the power I seemingly have over him whenever youâre with me ââ
âWhat are you saying?! Weâre not togetherââ
âDonât play dumb,â he growled, the grin faltering, âif it werenât for wanting you all to himself, I wouldnât have been left nearly bloodless by an alley, only to be picked up by some other freaks like him and turned into one-â he heaved an exasperated sigh, hands clenching in frustration, ââdoesnât matter anymore. I canât turn back the time and I canât really beat him so-â he grabbed your collar, tugging it to reveal your neck, eyes glazed in what looked like hunger, âIâll just hurt him where it hurts the most.â
You feel your heart quicken, hand discreetly slipping into your pocket, grasping the swiss army knife which you had decided to carry along at the last minute earlier. âYouâre mistaken, I am nothing to him,â you jabbered, trying to distract him and find the right time to attack him, âhe hates me and if you kill me, youâre just doing the dirty work for him.â
âStop lying,â he chastised, his hand fisting your collar, âhe was the one who saved you that time when I almost killed you and yesterday too â ah fuck, if he hadnât caught up to you, I swear youâd be shreds.â
Sunghoon what? You thought to yourself, eyes shaky in utter disbelief and confusion but as your time was ticking, you had more urgent things to worry about. With the way Jungwon had been bitterly talking about Sunghoon so far, you figured you could use that against him so you lied, âthen you should know that Sunghoon is the one I am supposed to be meeting and since Iâm not there, heâs probably heading here â youâre going to be the one torn to shreds Jungwon.â
He chucked devilishly as he wrapped his hand over your neck, using his thumb to strain it sideward for a better angle, âwell Iâve got to hurry thenâŚâ his expressions darkened, âLook at thatâyour mark is still there. I knew it looked familiar. Well, I should bite you over here too then â that would drive your Sunghoon completely off the rails to see his toy got permanently re-marked and killed in such a way-â
âno you wont-â you hissed as you drove the swiss knife onto his upper arm with as much strength as you could muster, causing him to back up in pain, groaning and muttering expletives. You took the opportunity to kick him off, scrambling quickly back to your feet though the victory was short-lived as he lunged towards you, knocking you down again. âPlaytimeâs over,â he growled, dragging you back and yanking your shirt off your shoulders aggressively before dipping his head onto the crook of your neck, sending you thrashing harder under his weight as he lapped on a particular spot on your neck.
âFuck you, get off me, get the fuck off me-â you protested but his hands around your neck only tightened, constricting your airways and your screams, as you feel the tip of his fangs press onto your skin. You squeezed your eyes shut, bracing for the worse. The next thing you knew however, the weight and pressure was lifted, and air rushed into your lungs so suddenly and rapidly, that you were reduced to a coughing mess. You could hear struggles and scuffles in the background followed by the sound of furniture toppling and glass breaking from the other end of the room.
Then silence.
Clambering back up to your feet, you stared in horror at the state of the room with files and furnitures toppled and a large broken window right at the corner, as if someone just ran through it, before you realise, as your eyes travelled down, legs peeking out from behind the shelves that concealed the area, seemingly motionless and covered in glass shards. Almost on auto-pilot, you hobbled towards the person â dread and trepidation rising at the thought that the person, who had saved you, might have been gravely hurt. Or worse, killed. Jungwon is after all a vampire with a body count.
As you rounded the corner, to your surprise, slumped against the wall on the floor, with shards of broken glass all over was Sunghoon â head thrown back, eyes shut, with a darkened patch on his shirt over the chest area. Realising how it was blood, you immediately flung towards him, any hatred you felt for him dissipating as panic seized you, âhey-â you shook him, your hand almost recoiling at how cold he was to the touch, âSunghoon, wake up- hey wake up-â
âIâm not dead yet,â you hear him mumble weakly, eyes opening to mere slits â the golden irises peeking through. You fell back in relief, exhaling sharply, ââ that's a relief.â
He scoffed weakly, âyouâre going to regret that and wished I was instead.â
âShut up,â you reprimanded as you knelt beside him, dusting the shards of glass off of him as your eyes scanned around the room for something that could have stymie his bleeding. You grabbed a table cloth nearby, balling it, as you turned back to face him â alarmed at the way the patch had grown. "You'reâ" you pressed the cloth onto his chest, seeing it get rapidly soaked up, "â profusely bleeding. Aren't you supposed to be invincible?"
"I'm fine," he mustered but you weren't convinced at all and quickly you used your free hand to fish your phone out, about to dial the emergency services for help when you hear him groan weakly as he readjusted himself against the wall behind him, âno need to call for help- just goâŚâ
âGo? Are you crazy?â you protested, scooting closer instead to apply more pressure, âwhat if you die?â
You watched in confusion as his hand slowly crept up your hand that was holding the cloth, his fingers lacing yours from the back of your hand, âI wonât die easily,â he muttered, bringing your hand close to your lips, as his eyes glowed brighter which you now understood like some sort of telltale sign of hunger or anger, âbut you, y/n, will, if you stay any longer around me.â
You noticed then that there was blood dripping by the side of your palm to which Sunghoon suddenly licked. You flinched, not just from the action, but from the stinging pain, only realising then that you had unknowingly injured yourself, probably from the glass shards you were dusting off earlier, âdo you see the predicament you are in right now y/n?â
You swallowed thickly, trying to look unaffected even as your heartbeat started picking up, ânot until you get help Sunghoon. Just tell me who to call then if not emergency servicesâ"Â
Suddenly he lunged towards you, toppling you over with ease, completely dwarfing you, âlook, I think youâre mistaken,â he huffed, eyes flitting to your neck and you swore you could see murder in his eyes and it was all quickly engulfing you in a paralyzing sense of dĂŠjĂ vu to that evening when he bit you, âI didnât save you out of some noble reason. I did it simply because youâre my meal and I wonât let anyone else ravish you.â
You breathing became increasingly laboured the longer you stared into his piercing eyes â almost as if he was doing something to your mind, conjuring the worst of memories, inciting the worst of emotions â as he prodded on, âAlso, youâre my prey so no one else get to lay a hand on you even if that would have made my life easier.â
He suddenly backed up slightly, giving you enough space and chance to run away, âI love some cat and mouse game so Iâd rather catch you when Iâm at my best,â he brushed his hair back, brows raised threateningly, âso you better run now before I regain my full strength.â
You propped yourself back up groggily, eyes locking into his as if trying to probe the depth of his mind, as if not wanting to believe the sadistic things he has been sprouting, as if wanting to believe that he really had saved you for noble reasons and not for whatever possessive and obsessive bullshit he had been sprouting.
âI said... run!â he repeated, this time, more domineeringly and that somehow did it for you. As if a switch had been turned inside of you, your body assumed a life of its own, powering through self-preservation as you recoiled from him and made a run for the door. Everything after that was a blur â potentially distorted through a series of heightened fear, adrenaline, intense pain and disjointed confusion. All you could remember was running out of the library, out of the wing, out of the compound â not stopping once until your legs buckled from exhaustion by the side of a bus stop, landing hardly against the tarmac floor. The cut where he had licked now oozed even more blood, dripping onto the concrete floor â as if mirroring the way your mental state was fraying.
â vi.
You hardly left your home throughout Winter Break, coming up with all sorts of excuses not to join Sunoo in the library when it would have usually been the other way around â with you egging him to join you since exams were just around the corner. Eventually the new semester rolled in and fortunately or rather, miraculously, you have yet to bump into Sunghoon even now that you were entering your 2nd week. You could see his name in the registrar sometimes and even saw his clique but he was never around. The image of him bleeding out on the floor continuously burnt at the back of your mind â like guilt haunting you excruciatingly with every day he is absent, redirecting your mind quickly to the worst scenario possible.
But that isnât possible, is it?
After all, he is a vampire â a being that is supposed to have superhuman powers and regenerative abilities that wouldnât just die from what look like a stab wound on the chest. But then again, you would find yourself wondering sometimes much to your consternation, if that isnât the case then where is he?
Jungwon, too, had disappeared. The official word is that he had moved abroad after being offered a prestigious scholarship though you doubt there is any truth in that. After what he did to Sunghoon, it is just possible that Sunghoon had him killed. Or worse, he could just be yet another pawn in Sunghoonâs grand scheme of things â used to torment you and then paint himself as the white knight.
âHey, can I sit here?â
You hummed in affirmation though your affable smile faltered as you turned and looked at who it was â Jake Sim. You swallowed thickly, eyes wandering wildly for any signs of Sunghoon. Thankfully, it was just him. âYouâre⌠alone?â you couldnât help but ask. He nodded, sporting his usual radiant and infectious smile, âthe rest arenât joining this module â none of them are a fan of this much math.â
âSunghoon too?â you asked before internally cussing at how loose-lipped you suddenly became, almost as your lips had begun to have a life of its own. Thankfully, Jake thought nothing of it, just shaking his head as he took out his iPad, looking over his notes, ânah, he is in this with me but heâs just a bit under the weather lately.â
You straightened up in your seat, suddenly wary as the image of him bleeding out replay again and again in your mind like a broken tape, âheâs⌠heâs not hurt is he?â
âNah,â Jake reassured, beaming widely, âdonât worry about it.â
You opened your mouth, wanting to prod more out of guilt, but closed it immediately, realising how you shouldnât worry for someone who should have been the enemy. Thankfully, the lecturer entered just in time, preventing you from engaging in anymore meaningless chatter with Jake.
Life continued on peacefully for another week and gradually you have started to loosen up â no longer jolting to every sound, no longer looking over your shoulder abruptly and no longer on a vigilant lookout for danger when you were in a crowd.
But troubles soon brew within your own circle.
âNo, Iâm serious, itâs legitimate!â Sunoo sighed exasperatedly, the frustration evident on his face and strained voice as he paced haphazardly in front of you and Ni-Ki, âI donât know the exact connections they have to the cases, but they were wrought in it for sure.â
You handed back his file, which had now been filled with sightings report and pictures of Sunghoon and clique, trying to feign disinterest and nonchalance though your heart was drumming against your chest. âSunoo, the culprit has been caught. Thereâs nothing we can doââ you looked away from him, shifting your attention back to your work as you feared that you might crack if you look any longer into Sunooâs pleading eyes, ââunless you get more concrete evidence like I donât know, them dragging a dead body or something.â
Ni-Ki nodded, leaning back against his seat unconcernedly, âyeah and come on this is Heeseung and his friends youâre suspecting â you need more than evidence to take them down.â
Sunoo scoffed, looking completely dejected and betrayed as he looked from Ni-Ki to you. You felt your heart sank when you met his eyes which was glinting with sadness and what looked like betrayal as he backed away, âFine. Iâll just pursue this on my own then. Apparently two of my closest friends donât have enough backbone to fight the status quo nor enough loyalty to support me.â
âSunoo-â you called out, hopping off your chair to go after him but Ni-Ki grabbed you by the wrist, stopping you, âheâs in an emotional doldrum right now and no amount of reason could get through that y/n. You might just get into a bigger fight with him if you continue.â
You sighed weakly, agreeing, looking forlornly at the swinging door that he had stormed off through â the guilt was gnawing inside of you. This would have been the perfect time to divulge what you knew about Sunghoon to Sunoo and perhaps devise a plan to get him now that you knew the truth about him and his potential weakness. But instead of doing just that, you lied to your own bestfriend and covered for the enemy for reasons you never dared to ponder about.
You tried to reassure yourself that night that this was just one of Sunoo's momentary outbursts â that he will come around, as he always does. He was after all one of the most non-egotistical and selfless person you have ever known â essentially the personification of sunshine. So it really boggled and worried you to see Sunoo adamantly still seething towards you and Ni-Ki even after a few days, ignoring you both very blatantly â especially you, as if you betrayed him.
But then again, had he known the truth you have been withholding, he wasnât wrong. It would constitute a betrayal. Though you honestly donât know who you were doing it for. You knew on one hand you were doing it to protect Sunoo. After all, he used to be a sickly kid whose condition can deteriorate rapidly even with the slightest ailment or injury. Hence knowing the kind of danger Sunghoon poses, you couldnât help but be paternalistic over him. On the other hand, perhaps your boggling actions also stemmed from wanting to call it even with Sunghoon who has, after all, saved you numerous times. You understood very well that, as he asserted, he hadnât saved you for noble reasons but still saving is saving, without his actions of which, you would have long been dead.Â
That evening however, as you were getting lulled into a sleeping state, your phone rang. You were going to just ignore it as it was midnight but with Sunoo on the caller ID, you immediately answered it, falling off the couch in panic, âSunoo, I-â
âHey calm down-,â he shushed you, âI told you Iâll get evidence.â
âWhat do you mean?â you asked warily, already getting an inkling that he was up to no good.
âWell, Iâm loitering around in their hang-out place now and guess what? They have a secret door leading out to the basement-â
âKim Sunoo!â you gasped, trying to reorient yourself as you were still groggy from the nap. You grabbed your coat, foot already at the door within seconds, fumbling with your keys, âyou better step out of there now! What if they find you?â
âWell, they have no business having a whole ass secret basement in the first place. They should explain that to me first before anything,â he reasoned sassily, âalso, donât worry. My sources told me that theyâre currently at a party in the neighbouring town so you know, this is place is free real estate right now.â
âSunoo donât-â you sighed, stopping yourself, fearing that reprimanding him further will just make him distance himself again. âIâll go with you then okay?â you lied, already shuffling past the hallways and out of your accommodation block, âCan you just get out of there now please? Wait for me in the courtyard or something. Weâll venture in together then. You said it yourself, Iâm smart and two heads are better than one soââ
âReally?" he gasped. You can almost hear his signature smile from his tone as he cheerily agreed, "Youâre the best- all right, Iâll go out now."
Except, after 15 minutes of waiting for him by the courtyard, he failed to show up nor pick up his calls, making you antsy. Fearing the worst, you headed to campus, marching towards the Wing where their hangout room was. You begrudgingly approached the huge door that lay at the end of the hallway, which was already ajar. The door, designed in a Gothic Architectural style, was imposing with huge columns on either side, gargoyles on top, intricate carvings on the arch and a golden wolf knocker by the center of the door, completing the grimness of it, as if blatantly warning of the danger that would befall the fools who dare to trespass. In fact, no one had actually been in the room except for the guys themselves so again, rumours are abound of what lay behind the massive door. But none of that mattered now â you needed to get to Sunoo, fast.
You held your breath as you push the door slightly, just enough to slip yourself in. You had to quell the gasp that automatically arose in you as you ventured further into the room â a massive, gothic architecture, common room that seemed more fitting for societies and clubs than just for some group of 4 rich kids to hang around in.
Despite the vaulted ceilings and tall windows, the room was grim and dark thanks to its monochromatic grey walls and furniture with the only splash of colour being from the curtains and rugs, of which were in hunter green; coat of arms, similar to what Sunghoon wore on his lapel during the Ball, of which featured a ruby gem in the centre; and an array of paintings â all of which had dark colour palettes and feature grim images that rhymes with death, despair, desolation, you name it.
You looked around frantically for any sign of door or staircase but all you see are windows, walls, arches and bookcases, wondering how in the world had Sunoo gotten to the basement. Reminded of the secret passage in the library, it occurred to you that perhaps the entrance is hidden.
As you looked around specifically for something out of place, your eyes couldnât help but return to the tall bookcase in the corner. You approached it, eying every spot carefully and touching anything that looked remotely out of place before your eyes settled on a rather conspicuous book with navy blue spine and nothing but the symbol ' ; ' on it â an embossing that somehow bear resemblance to a bite mark. You tugged on it, wanting to see what kind of book it was when suddenly as you pulled it to a certain angle, the book case shifted, swinging halfway to reveal a winding staircase.
The staircase was anything but welcoming but you went down anyway with Sunoo in the forefront of your mind. Unlike the dark and sombre common room upstairs, the basement, still in gothic architecture was more brightly-lit but still barren and cold, resembling grimly more like a crypt. You looked around the maze-like crypt, firing off multiple texts to Sunoo to enquire on his whereabouts. Your ears soon perked up when you heard his notification sound softly echoing, seemingly coming from the other side. You followed the passage way, finding a door laying by the end as you round the bend, with muffled voices becoming increasingly audible as you get closer. You carefully positioned yourself behind the door, which was already ajar, holding your breath as you carefully tried to peak through the space. You hand immediately flew to your mouth, stifling the gasps that you almost let out, as you saw Sunoo laying unconscious on the floor.
âHe should have heeded our warningââ you heard a familiar voice â the owner of which suddenly appearing into your field of vision, crouching down by Sunoo, inspecting the papers strewn next to his body. It was Heeseung. You gulped, positioning your phone in between the gaps carefully to record the scene in case anything happen. You listened to him continue to say something to someone else in the room, ââweâve been delaying it too much. Itâs time to get rid of him.â
You swallowed thickly, your hands shaking as you carefully edge your phone, trying to capture the other side of the room where the other man he was talking to were. Your breath suddenly hitched when you caught the man in your viewfinder â it was Sunghoon, whose attention suddenly then flitted from Sunoo to the door, as if detecting your presence. You immediately recoiled, holding your phone straight to your chest â fervently hoping that you hadnât been caught.
âWhat is it?â you heard Heeseung asked, to which Sunghoon fortunately just shook his head to, âitâs nothing.â
Shit shit shit, you cussed in your head, the possibility of Heeseung also being a vampire now dawning in your mind â along with the rest of clique, Jake and Jay, who also frequents this room. It was only now, in hindsight, was it all falling well into place: the way some are part of the Student Union and therefore, Student Patrols; the way Heeseung was adamant in stopping Sunooâs investigation; the way Heeseung warned you not to tell anyone of your attack in campus. Only now you realised that there was a reason why these lads were shrouded in so much secrecy and mystery in the first place â with an air that is difficult to place surrounding them, straddling somewhere between hypnotising allure and sinisterness.
You raked your brain for what to do next. Sunoo was lying unconscious in the hands of people who would be more than capable and ready to kill him. Yet if you barge in, you canât save him either and the incriminating evidence you have as well as the knowledge of their true selves, would just die with you. Quickly you sent the video off to Ni-Ki along with a quick text on where you are, asking him to come quick, only to be hit by a notification that there were no service. Shit, you cussed again internally, deciding to hurry back to where you came from to get service, promising Sunoo in your head that you will definitely come back for him.
Except as you turned the bend, a figure materialised right before you. You gasped, teetering backwards. It was Sunghoon â his head tilted in such a condescending way, âNot sure if I should commend your bravery or foolishness for walking into the tigerâs den willingly like this.â
You were about to open your mouth to protest but found yourself shoved into a nearby room in a flash â a small reading room of some sort. âStay back you psycho,â you hissed, backing away and maintaining the distance.
âWell you should have run when you could have. Should have snitched when you could have. Too late now is it?â he sneered, blocking the only exit in the room.
âLet Sunoo go,â you demanded, trying to mask the trepidation rising within. He scoffed disdainfully. He never actually planned to hurt Sunoo but he played along anyway, totally enjoying the power he has over you whenever Sunoo enters the equation, "he did trespass where he shouldn't have, you know."
"He didn't mean to. He's probably just curious like everybody else about what lies behind your lofty door," you tried to reason. He raised both brows, sarcastically feigning surprise and interest, "Oh? is that why we found some of our documents and a bunch of pictures in his bag? Just curiousity?"
"I'll get him to apologize," you offered, pleading almost, "or you know what, I'll apologize on behalf of him. I'll even get on my kneesâ"
"y/n, stopâ" he rolled his eyes, "apologies and kneeling down may feed the egos and pride of humans but they mean nothing to my kind â not me at least and definitely not when it comes from a mere mortal."
"There is no such thing as free lunch," you blurted, stopping him as he was about to exit the room, "you quoted that aphorism to me remember? then I'll make you a deal in exchange of letting Sunoo go, unharmed."
He approached you at a glacial pace, the fireplace nearby casting his shadow ominously behind him, making him loom larger than usual, âand what could you ever offer that I possibly donât and canât have?â
âMy blood.â
A quick twitch of the brow and slight tipping of the corner of his lips flashed almost imperceptibly across his inscrutable face, the interest and desire cracking through unwittingly. âAre you offering yourself as a bloodbag for him? How noble,â he scoffed, âand disgusting â what are you two, Romeo and Juliet?â
âArenât you being too mouthy for someone in need?â
âBack to you. Iâm holding both you and your beloved Sunooâs life in my hands and youâre still acting up?â he suddenly lunged towards you, shoving you against the cold wall. Though in the heat of emotions, he had failed to see that you had quickly grabbed the swiss army knife from the pocket of your jacket, flipped it open and now, just as his hands were wrapped around your neck, threatening to choke you, your knife was already pointing dangerously on his chest, threatening to re-puncture him where he was injured. His brows shot up, a grin of disbelief tugging on his lips â both amazed and vexed by your fast reflex and unrelenting defiance, ânice effort but that puny knife wonât do jackshit on me-â
His grin faltered as your expressions moulded into that of mocking delight, âsure about that?â
He looked down in a horrifying realisation that instead of puncturing him, you had turned the knife, grasping it by the blade instead, the blood now dripping onto his shoes, the scent of which was quickly engulfing his senses. When his eyes flitted back to yours, it was already golden and his canines were already elongating into full fangs. That was all you needed, âwell, seems like I have the upper hand.â
He snarled, his hand tightening over your neck, like a snake constricting its prey before swallowing them whole, eyes narrowing murderously at you, âyou know I can just kill you and drain the life out of you right?â
âYes, but you never did. What's really stopping you?â you gritted your teeth, feeling the pressure suffocating you. Just when you felt the air almost knocked out of your lungs, he released you. You fell onto the hard ground, hunched up, violently grasping for air.
"Just because I haven't doesn't mean I won't. I like to saviour my meals," he crouched down in front of you. You stared back into his tantalizing stare through eyes that were still wet from your coughing fit, âyour eyes are already glowing, I don't think you have the luxury for mind games right now. I meant what I said â leave Sunoo the fuck alone.â
The way you offered yourself was everything he had schemed for â even better than forcefully taking it away from you. After all, for someone rebellious and iconoclastic like you, giving yourself up like that is probably equivalent to stomping on your pride. This was exactly the kind that would feed his ego. At the same time, he also hated it. He hated how you were so willing to give yourself up just for that weakling Sunoo even when he wasnât going to hurt him in the first place.
He wanted so bad to not yield in, to toy you further in the way that best butter up his inflated sense of self. But most of all, sillily, he wanted you to give in to him for him not for anyone elseâs sake.
But you were right, he doesnât have the luxury to hold on to his pride, not at the moment at least, when the scent of your blood was slowly engulfing his senses and tainting every bit of rationality he had left. It didnât help that he hadnât been feasting on live blood either which in turn slowed down the healing of his injuries â all of which just made your blood all the more enticing and irresistible. He grabbed your chin harshly, jerking your face upwards towards him, âFine. Iâll take your offer but there would be no resisting and no excuses. If I want it, Iâll get it.â
You narrowed your eyes, grimacing at the thought, but you swallowed you pride, âonly if you promise to get my consent first and not drain me lifeless.â
You know the fragility of words and promises but if there is anything you learnt from him is that he seemed to hold himself to such high dignified and noble standards that something as simple as breaking a promise would have been a blow to his pride. You thought too, perhaps itâs the chase that he was obsessed with â which you think would best be countered with perhaps, not outwitting and one-upping him, but rather, cutting the chase abruptly. If the chase is what drives him high, then your prickliness and defiance would just be feeding him â like an unending Waltz. Thus you figured that you needed to end his chase, even if your pride is on the line.
âYouâre awfully demanding,â his hand slowly crept down your neck, his fingers wrapping over the back of it, âyour blood is the same as everyone elseâs donât you know that? Itâs highly substitutable.â
âAre you trying to convince me or yourself?â you mocked.
âFine,â he muttered resentfully, eyes already trained on a spot on your neck, about to launch forward to you when you stopped him, ânot my neck,â you raised your hand towards him, âuntil you free Sunoo, youâre not getting it from where you want. Thatâs part of the deal remember? Consent?â
He scoffed. Sunghoon should have hated this. The way youâve played him instead of the other way around but just like Jake said, so intricate had he weaved his webs for you, he couldnât help but be ensnared in it as well. In fact, at this rate, it just seems like heâs the one getting ensnared deeper. Had you been just anyone else, he would have just lunged towards you, draining you in the vilest way he could. Unfortunately for him, you weren't just anyone else. You have become a someone. Someone who has struck a chord in him in ways that managed to stop himself from fully succumbing to his animalistic senses, to hold onto any last shred of rationality and sense even when it's hanging by a thread.
Begrudgingly, he silently complied, yanking your hand indiginantly, his fingers lacing over yours through the back of your hand like talons. Your shoulders tensed up as he brought your hand towards his lips, wincing when you felt his cold tongue brushing past the wound before he started sucking on it. You swallowed thickly at the sight, increasingly unnerved, as you watched him shut his eyes, his brows knitting in pleasure, his adamâs apple bobbing rapidly.
âThatâs-â you stuttered, starting to feel lightheaded after a few minutes, âthatâs enough.â
His lids fluttered open, the golden irises peeking through almost ominously. He lifted his head slightly, a smirk already adorning his lips reflecting some sort of satisfaction and conceit, his tongue making a quick swipe over his blood-stained lips, âyou think that was enough?â
The next thing you knew he had lunged towards you, toppling you down against the cold cement. With his large hand wrapped over the back of your neck, he titled your head awkwardly to the side as if readying your neck. You wedged an arm against him, trying to stop him from descending further, though with the crazed look in his eyes you wondered how long could you fend him for, âPark Sunghoon,â you protested, âyou promised.â
He scoffed, prying your hand off of him easily, âever heard of The Scorpion and The Frog fable?â he smirked, dipping his head onto the crook of your neck. You shuddered, feeling his hot breath against your skin, his lips ghosting just inches away. You feel his grip tightening and you squeezed your eyes shut, your hand clenching his shirt as if bracing yourself for the pain.
But the painful prick never came. Instead you feel his lips softly pressed over your skin before he started sucking on a particular spot in a gentler way, right over where your original bite mark was. âGotcha,â he whispered and you jerked away from him, your fingers immediately feeling that spot â confused when you felt no puncture marks.
âTake that as a seal,â he backed up, eyes reverting to its normal colour.
It was only at home later you realised what he had meant when you saw the deep purple bruise on your neck â a harmless love bite â as his words repeated in your mind like some sort of siren song, âtake that as a seal. A seal that you owe me. And when it fades â the original bite mark that remains underneath should remind you that I own you.â
â vii.
True to Sunghoon's words, Sunoo returned unharmed â having absolutely no recollection of venturing into Sunghoonâs lair and having little to no resolve any more in pursuing the case that he had been so obsessed about, something you were sure was also of Sunghoonâs doing. Â
Sunghoon, on the other hand, was sparsely around. Months passed without him pestering you nor asking you for what you owe him â something you were grateful about. Perhaps, as you projected, all it took to extinguish his obsession with you was indeed to cut the chase because since then, he had stopped bothering you. Just as quick as the bruise on your neck faded, you figured, the deal would no longer matter to him. Eventually the bruise fade and seasons pass, leaving only the brown puncture marks on your neck which never fully disappeared, lingering now permanently like a birthmark.
As another semester rolled and ended, you soon approached graduation season. By then you were fully convinced that normalcy has indeed returned. Until, that is, you received a sudden text from Sunoo one night announcing that he was going to Sunghoonâs hang-out spot again. The panic that is reminiscent of that fateful night immediately engulfed you and when your calls returned unanswered and rejected, eventually, you hopped off bed and ran back to campus, bursting into Sunghoonâs lair.
The room felt so still and void with no sign of Sunoo so you figured that maybe he had ventured to the basement again so you made your way towards the bookshelf when someone broke the silence.
âSunoo must really be your Achilles Heel,â Sunghoon appeared from the shadows before throwing a phone onto the couch near you. It was Sunooâs phone.
âWhere is he?â you demanded, âyou promised me you wouldnât-â
âAnd I didnât,â he smirked, leaning against a column haughtily, âheâs safe and sound in his home. Just probably panicking over the fact that he canât find his phone.â
âWhat?â you managed, still breathless from all the running, âSo you tricked me?â
âHow else can I get you to come to me,â he raised his brows, arms folded, âAnyway, Iâve held my part of the deal, itâs time for you to hold yours.â
You swallowed thickly. Of course youâd never back away from your promise, not when he has held his, but the way his voice dropped and his gaze darkened was unnerving you, making you feel as if you were walking up a guillotine for your head. âOf course,â you replied, feigning nonchalance, âyou didnât have to trick me with Sunoo, Iâd have come to you either way. Itâs a promise after all.â
âOh really?â he walked up to you, his footsteps echoing ominously in the grim room as his eyes begin to lighten in colour â a transition you had seen countless times now but still managed to struck dread in you, âwith the way your heart is racing, I doubt that y/n.â
You scoffed, âI ran all the way, of course itâs racing. Iâm not you with your slow beating heart or dead heart â whatever it is.â
His brows shot up, slightly taken aback but amused nevertheless â your defiance and answer-backs have always been entertaining, even when itâs irksome, âglad you clarified, I wouldâve mistaken it for you being flustered by me, if not intimidated.â
âCut the chase Sunghoon,â you shot him down, offering your hand, âblood is blood right? it shouldn't matter where it comes from so can't you just make a tear here and take it from here instead of my neck?"
Eyes locked on yours, you can almost see a flicker of irritation in his golden eyes, as he trailed his hand up yours before he gripped it, yanking you close towards him while the other hand swiftly snaked around your back, enrapturing you with him. âare you trying to make discounts right now?â he glowered, his hold as string as iron, as he lowered his face down to yours, his breath hot on your ears, âyour neck is where the prize is.â
You furrowed your brows, feeling the hair at the back of your neck stood up. âFine,â you scowled, âthen do it fast, I canât stand being so close to you.â
âDoesnât sound like my problem,â he smirked as he suddenly hoisted you up the piano so youâll be near eye-level with him. "What are yo-" you complained, completely taken aback, your hands fisting his clothes.
âarenât you going to bare your neck for me?â he eyed your button up, âor you want me to rip it open for you instead?â
âFuck you,â you spat, begrudgingly unbuttoning your top buttons, staring back at those eyes which were growing luminous by the second as if reflecting the intensity of the hunger inside while his grin grew wider the more skin you exposed. His hand snaked further up your back as he dipped his head and bury it on the crook of your neck. "You have no idea how long I've waited for this," he muttered breathily against your neck as his other hand wrapped itself tightly over the back of your neck to tilt it slightly, already getting lulled by the warmth radiating from your body and your perfume which was deliciously and intoxicatingly blending with the scent of your blood. As his lips grazed your neck, he felt a spark of electricity â a hint of something more than just hunger.
You flinched when you suddenly felt his fangs puncture your skin â a prickle of pain which quickly diffuses as the weird feeling of haziness set in. Your breath hitched when you feel him bury himself deeper onto the crook of your neck, his nails digging onto your back as the taste of your blood engulfed all of his senses, igniting fire in his veins, setting it all ablaze. Feeling increasingly lulled, your hand automatically flew to his shoulders, holding onto him for support unwittingly.
Sunghoon could feel the hunger within him growing with every drop but perplexingly, the more he drank, the less satiating your blood became, and yet the hunger burns still â as if indicating that there was another hunger growing entrenched that needed sating and it wasn't blood. He pulled back slightly, confused, as he stared onto your neck â now freshly punctured, blood oozing down. You remembered feeling relief when he stopped as you really thought, at the rate at which he was frenzily feeding on you, he would have lost control.
The relief however was short-lived when you felt him plant what felt like a kiss on the spot. You furrowed your brows, utterly confused, only to be jolted back to reality when he did it again, now trailing kisses up your neck. You jerked your head away from him weakly, alarmed, only to be met by a gaze that was so searing and electric with desire â unnerving you more than his hunger-filled gaze ever had. "What are y-" you were going to ask but he never let you finished as he smashed his lips onto yours so hungrily, so urgently, so passionately â impatiently deepening the kiss with so much ferocity as if in a drunken stupor. Struggling to push him off, you leaned back slightly instead, just enough to wedge an arm against him to stop him from descending further while you extended your other hand behind you to prop yourself up against the piano lid. "Sunghoon, what are you doing?!" you demanded breathlessly.
"Isn't this a lesser evil than sucking your blood?" he muttered breathily, eyes completely glazed with lust. Suddenly you feel him grab the back of your thighs, pulling close towards him, causing you to lose your balance as he completely engulfed your frame, pushing you against the piano lid as he recaptured your lips in a fiery kiss. This time, more hungrily, more desperately, more aggressively â completely out of character for him â as if mirroring the unrelenting desire and yearning within, the repression of which was now overspilling uncontrollably. Crushing your body completely against his, he deepened the kiss further â almost urgently â parting your lips so adeptly and slipping his tongue into your mouth, causing you to protest harder though he easily pried your hand off of him, holding it with vice-like grip.
You eventually started to feel lightheaded, your strength quickly dissipating. As you floated in and out of your consciousness, you feel him trailing drunk and hungry kisses down your neck, then your collarbone, his hand tugging your cloths down your shoulders, his nails digging onto your skin possessively.
Then it all went to black.
â viii.
You jolted awake, sitting upright and panting as if you just had a really bad dream. Your hand instinctively reached for your neck and you felt some fresh puncture marks where the old mark used to be. That was when you knew, it wasnât a dream at all. Well, at least Iâm still alive, you were thinking to yourself before realising the unfamiliar bed you were sitting upright on and the unfamiliar black silk slip dress you were wearing. You stared up, aghast, only realising that the bane of your existence was seated on an armchair just opposite of bed, looking visibly amused.
You protectively gathered the blanket around you, trying to cover every inch of your exposed skin, âwhere amâ why are youâ what have you done to me?â
As if the circumstances you were in wasnât questionable enough, the way he sloppily wore his ivory patterned silk shirt with the first few buttons unbuttoned in a way that partially exposed his chest, was further shoring it. It was just too casual and leisurely compared to the usual Sunghoon, who had always been neatly dressed to the nines.
âOh darling,â he drawled as he rose up, walking at a glacial place towards the bed before resting his hands against the top of the footboard, âIâm offended you forgot about what we did. It was pretty wild. Sorry about your clothes though, couldnât help but rip them to shreds in the heat of the mome-â
You threw a pillow at him, not even letting him finish, as you feel the heat rising up your cheeks, reminded of the way he had ferociously kissed you, the way his lips had trailed over your skin, and the way his hands roamed possessively over you. âStop playing around,â you balked. He scoffed as he brushed his dishevelled hair back. You realised then that was the first time youâve seen him with his hair down, since it was always slicked or parted in a way that revealed his forehead, and it was somehow making him look softer than usual â as if he could do no harm though the sly grin and the taunting gaze on his face begged to differ.Â
He grabbed something from a nearby table, offering it to you, "Stop with the scowling now, I was only joking. Here, take this â itâs a silk robe to cover you if you want. Unless you want to stay under that blanket all day.â
You snatched it begrudgingly from his hand as he continued, âyou passed out. Apparently, your blood hasnât recuperated yet so even my meagre consumption last night caused you to black out. I had a doctor and a nurse over last night to check and replenish you. You should consider taking iron pills and multivitamins you know â youâre borderline anaemic.â
âAnd whose fault was it in the first place?â you remarked sarcastically as you put on the black silk robe, âanyway, that should be enough signs for you to find a better bloodbag donât you think? This one is a dud.â
ânot in your lifetime,â he quipped.
You furrowed your brows, âwell you certainly werenât just drinking my blood last night.â
âAh right â,â his brows shot up, a smug grin tugging the corner of his lips, âapparently I wasnât just hungry for blood. Not when your lips were in such proximity. Also, like I said, wasn't it a lesser evil compared to blood? you won't risk dying."
âIâd rather die, you insufferable prick,â you spat, plastering the fakest and most sarcastic grin you could muster. Sunghoon just smiled bitterly at that. Perhaps eloquence was never his strong suit. Perhaps all the deaths he had to take care of and witnessed over the decades had hardened him. Perhaps his rather strict and disciplined upbringing had skewed his personality in such a way that emotions are to be relegated to the bottom, beneath all else. Whatever it was, he could never compel himself to say the utmost truth to you â disguising everything instead in the most vicious and selfish nonsense he could muster. Sometimes, it almost felt as if he was trying to convince himself, not just you, that it was all just primal desires and nothing more.
âGive me my clothes back,â you demanded, pulling him out of his thoughts.
âIâve chucked it away â itâs all bloodied with some buttons ripped off. Hence, your current get-upââ he gestured, âdonât worry, a female housekeeper was the one who had helped you change but she misunderstood the context and put you into a rather seductive change of outfit. Iâm not really complaining thouââ he trailed off, his eyes travelling down your body before you snapped him out of it, âmy eyes are up here genius.â
âSorry, itâs just a bit too distracting,â he cleared his throat, ââ anyway, as I was saying, I had someone go and buy more change of clothes for you to change into. You would have to wait though, weâre currently far from the city centre.â
âThen lend me your clothes.â
âI donât have any,â he replied instantaneously, âI just bought this mansion not too long ago so it's still pretty barren of my stuffs."
It was lie. A lie just so that he can make you stay longer â something out of character for him given how he never liked to linger around his partners. A lie that completely juxtaposed his belief that it was all just primal desires.
âI told you someone is coming with some new change of clothes. Just a few more minutes or hours of wait shouldnât hurt. Unless youâre comfortable going out in that,â he cocked his head smugly as you eyed your get-up. It definitely was too revealing and probably too inappropriate for your standards as it looked more like a nightgown to be walking around in broad daylight in.
âAs if itâs safe to stay here any longer than necessary with you,â you grumbled.
âLetâs just say if I wanted to do something bad to you, I would have already done it,â he muttered as a matter of factly, âyou were, after all, passed out for more than 24 hours in a rather seductive dress.â
You glared at him, speechless now.
âAnyway, Iâll get you some food while waiting. You must be famished.â
Just primal desires, he repeated. As if he hadnât personally tell his cook to make all the dishes that you liked, telling him in minute details how you liked your dish more on the salty side; how you didn't like broccolis and carrots; how you liked your steak medium rare â he knew it so well like the back of his hand. Just primal desires, he reassured himself. As if he hadnât been selflessly nursing and caring for you all night, mind constantly occupied in worries and guilt for putting you in harm's way.
âIâm not hungryâ" you retorted.
"You are. You passed out for more than 24 hours, you need to eat.â
âWell, I donât want to. I want to go home,â you insisted, adamant.
Eyes locked onto you icily, he leaned down towards you, his hands resting against the mattress, on either side of your thighs, âlook, weâre deep in the forest, away from the city. There are no public transport around here and little to no service, so your ticket out of this place is me and unless you eat, youâre not going anywhere.â
Just primal desires, he told himself again just as he spun the web further around you, getting increasingly lulled by the vision before him: you in his bed, in his mansion, away from the city. It was a perfect vision: just you and him, safely tucked away from all the noise, from everyone else. Just you for him.
âYou canât force me.â
âYou want to try me?â he raised his brows tauntingly, âbecause I will carry you downstairs if you insists. I will spoonfeed you if I have to. Or better, Iâll just put the food in my mouth and pass it to you through-â
You shoved him away, vexed, as you rose up from the bed, âyouâre such a domineering prick.â
âOnly because youâre always so indomitable,â he quipped, looking satisfied even when he had just called you names. You begrudgingly followed him as he led you out of the room through a series of corridors, a grand staircase, past the living room and finally to the kitchen. Unlike his loft which was in modern architecture last time, this place was in Gothic Architecture, just like their hang-out room but with lots of painting, sculptures and books though no amount of adornment could offset the grimness of the place.
Over the dining table was a selection of mouth-watering food â the quality of which looked as if it came from a Michelin-starred restaurant. âI canât eat these,â you muttered, arms folded, âhow do I know you havenât poisoned them? And how do I know if it isnât human meat?â
âThatâs a very uncivilised and savage take on us. We donât eat human flesh,â he corrected.
âStill doesnât root out poisoning,â you insisted, âif you want me to eat then cook something up for me now and let me watch. It doesnât have to be anything fancy.â
âYouâre very distrustful.â
âIâd be stupid not be after all you put me through,â you snapped.
âFine,â he exhaled sharply as he moved to the kitchen. You took a seat by the island, watching his every moves like a hawk as he took ingredients out of the fridge and lay it all out in front of you, "happy now?" he asked, gesturing at the frozen chicken meat. He then proceeded to chop up some aromatics so adeptly, as if he had done this a million times, after setting a pot to boil.
"How you even know how to cook? you guys donât really eat and even if you do Iâm pretty sure you have a cook to do that for you, no?â
âWe donât derive any satisfaction from eating anything but consuming blood so yes, we donât really eat. But weâve lived alongside humans for so long, weâve got to learn the trade somehow,â he proceeded to wash the chicken meat â cleaning it so adeptly and meticulously with salt, lemon and vinegar. You soon got distracted by the pictures that lined the walls in the dining room â some of which featured him and his clique in garbs from different eras though they looked the same physically â only slightly younger and shorter in a few pictures. You looked back at him, scrutinising him when his eyes flitted to you, "are you wondering how old I am?â
âNo. Why would I be curious about you?â
âAround 120,â he smirked relishing in the way your eyes widened and the way you pressed your lips together to suppress a gasp, âthatâs the equivalent of 20s in human age by the way.â
âDo you guys just stop ageing physically beyond a certain threshold or something?â
âI thought you said you werenât interested,â he gibed as he began frying â the scent soon filling the air deliciously, making your mouth water, "We do. But physically, it kind of slows down once we enter our teen. Usually at a rate of 1 year for every 10 human years or something.â
Looking over his shoulders, he asked, âAnything else youâre interested about? Iâll entertain. Iâd rather be interrogated than be glowered at. Youâre starting bore holes on my back.â
You lifted both of your legs up on the stool, hugging your knees close to your chest as you pondered carefully. You had a lot of questions truth to be told but after insisting that you had nothing to be curious about when it comes to him â that would be embarrassing. That being said, one pertinent question continue to burn in the back of your mind and no amount of pride could quell the curiosity behind that. âDid you kill them?â you finally asked after bouts of hesitation.
He switched off the stove and turned around, placing the pan onto a mat on the island, his eyes meeting yours in that signature chilling precision, âyou mean am I the actual townâs serial killer?â he stretched his hands against the marble island, brows raised expectantly, gaze locked onto yours, âwhat do you think?â
You stared back into his eyes, scanning his face for any microchange in expressions that could've served as a hint. "No," you answered.
âThatâs surprising,â he leaned back, arms folded, âthought you think of me as the big bad wolf?â
âI used to think you might have something to do with it,â you muttered honestly, âbut I no longer think it has to do with the killing. Probably more on the covering up.â
He turned his attention back to the stove, attending the sauce that he had already started cooking earlier, âYouâre correct. I didnât kill any of them.â
âWas it Jungwon?â
âHe was responsible for a couple of them,â he muttered without looking at you, âbut it was a combination of other stray vampires too â the âunnaturalsâ we call them. They are human-turned vampires â which has been alarmingly on the rise in this town over the past few years. There arenât really any good reason to turn human into vampires unless youâre psychotic because âunnaturalsâ are hard to control as you need to keep them constantly guided, trained and supervised â without which they'd just run amok, turning into a bloodthirsty fiend that pose risks to both humans, and us alike, risking our exposure.â
âSo you covered the murders?â
You could see him nodding briefly as he turned around, plating the food neatly onto a plate, âsince we are the official pure bloods currently residing in this town â the council of elders sought our help both to maintain order and catch the culprit.â
âSo you're doing something good in a sense?â you raised your brows, âbut still, you did bite the head cheerleader and Jungwon.â
âAnd you, too,â he added nonchalantly as he placed the meal he had cooked up in front of you, âWell I never said I was a good guy in the first place. We still need blood to live â we usually could substitute it for animal blood or bagged blood but blood from a living human is different. Itâs far superior in taste, satiety and nutrients if you will. So preying on human for blood was never really banned for us vampires but it has to be done responsibly. If accidents happen, we must also ensure that they are taken care of. Though it should be avoided because too many accidents would definitely reach the ears of the councils.â
âHence why the head cheerleader, Jungwon and you,â he emphasized, âstill lives. Though unfortunately Jungwon got picked up by another pure blood, that we didn't roamed around, as I left him unattended while he passed out. This might have been the same pure blood who had been stirring chaos around town too.â
âThen why is it that you keep coming back for me and not leave me alone like the cheerleader or Jungwon?â you asked boldly.
âBecause you're so vexing,â he muttered back, deadpanned.
âThen you shouldâve killed me the first time you had bitten onto me,â you shot back.
"Youâre not wrong, that was indeed my biggest mistake".
Your blood definitely fitted his palate so well â something that was rare for someone so picky like him. But more than that, there was something about you that had completely dumbfounded him. He found that the more he drink your blood, the hungrier he became but instead of fully descending down the animalistic spiral as he usually would have, the more his consciousness re-emerged. This was the reason why he had always been able to stop himself from succumbing into a feeding frenzy with you. The hunger however would still be there, growing more entrenched by the second, burning him from within but the satiation of that apparently lied elsewhere: in your lips; in your skin; in your warmth â you.
Had he killed you in the first place, he could have saved himself all the troubles. He could have just ended it with fury and bitterness. But now he was in too deep.
âYou had a couple of other chances too,â you continued prodding, âwhatâs stopping you?â
He sighed, swivelling your chair so you faced him, as he leaned down towards you, his hand on either side of you, âif something is delicious, it has to be savoured. Thatâs what Iâm doing with you. Itâs not often that someone comes along with blood that perfectly matches my picky palate.â
You scoffed, âthen explain the kisses.â
âWell, the act of feeding is not really as innocent as the act of normal eating is it? Think about it,â he trailed his finger down your jawline, to your neck, âitâs my lips, on your neck. Then of course, thereâs the proximity, the hands, the heat of our bodies â everything pretty much easily coalesce into lusts especially in the heat of delirium-â his eyes begin to inadvertently flit from your eyes to your lips, the flicker of desire apparent.
Sure, he wasnât lying but Sunghoon was no hormonal teenager who could easily be lulled with such desires and he knew it well. It takes a lot to incite something like that in him. But you donât have to know that, he thought to himself.
You smacked his hand away. You didnât expect him to say something sweet and mushy obviously but you would be lying if his words doesnât sear. All the better, you tell yourself, reassuring that this way, you can stop feeling guilty or thankful to him beyond what is necessary. That you can just dampen any glimmer of thought that Sunghoon is different than what he present to be. âThe deal was to offer my blood not to be your slvt,â you rolled your eyes as you swivelled your chair back towards the table, picking up the cutleries, "If I finish these, youâll send me home immediately?â
He nodded, chin resting on his palm with his elbows propped against the table as he watched you, his lips curving unknowingly in such a gentle way as he watched you savour the food, your brows all knitted-up, your head nodding in satisfaction, âI take it that you like my cooking?â
âOnly because Iâm starving,â you grumbled, surprised at how hungry you actually were, finishing your meal faster than you usually would. You pushed the empty plates, staring back at him, âIâm full. Give me the clothes you promised me and send me home now.â
âOf course,â he gestured, fishing out his phone. Suddenly, an older man in dark suit and slicked-back hair entered the kitchen, carrying paper bags from luxurious brands. âTheyâre all yours, change into whichever you like. You can find me in the living room once youâre done.â
âThese-â you panicked, looking at the tags, each having more digits than you could ever afford, âI canât accept all of them â they cost a fortune!â
âthey cost nothing to me,â he shrugged, âtreat it as a gift or something. You had, after all been, rather satisfactory.â
You scoffed, his choice of words always so offensive and searing. Begrudgingly you trudged up to the washroom, changing into the plainest one you could find out of the bunch â a simple ivory ruffle satin blouse from Hermes. You re-emerged from the washroom, dumping the bags in front of him, âI donât want any of it. And this-â you gestured to the blouse you were wearing, âIâll repay you.â
âYouâre always so stubborn, itâs just a token of appreciation,â he shrugged, rising up, guiding you through a series of corridors towards the main entrance.
âWhat we had was a deal,â you emphasized, âthere is no need for any sort of appreciation there. Itâs purely transactional.â
âYouâre always so cold,â he muttered, opening the door of his G-Wagon for you, âand Iâm insufferable â weâre perfect for each other.â
You glared at him as you entered his car, grabbing onto the door to close it before he could even close it for you.
If it was up to him, he wouldn't send you home at all. He would just continue to spin the web around you, keep you close with him, lock you inside with him. But he knew not to push buttons too far. He had plenty of time.
He had forever.
â ix.
Days turned to weeks then turned to months, and true to his words, Sunghoon really never let your deal nor you go. Being the insufferable prick he is however, he took to snatching you away out of the blue while you were in the campus corridors, into an empty class room, empty closet, empty toilet, dark and desolated library corners , you name it, just to feed on you in the most thrilling way.
âBlood tends to taste better when hearts race. How else can I do that than to take you by surprise?â he grinned slyly as he pushed you against the wall, completely unbothered that someone could have always walked in on you both. With eyes that had rapidly lightened to golden and canines erupting into full fangs, his hands would always be so swift and adept, already unbuttoning your top buttons or sometimes, tugging your shirt down your shoulders impatiently while the other hand seized your head like talons â as if he hadnât already pinned you up against a surface with his massive frame.
While the prickle of pain that followed no longer made you jump nor flinch, you could never get used to the act of him sucking your blood through your neck. With fear and dread now subsiding, the intimacy of the act, like he had said before, was now too discernible to ignore: his soft lips on your neck, the way his hands and fingers roamed and gripped you, the way his head bob against the crook of your neck, the way his body was pressed up against you, and of course, the gaze as he pulled away â a gaze with smouldering intensity which never failed to make your heart race. Â Itâs just transactional, you would tell yourself, youâre nothing but a bloodbag y/n, you reassured yourself.
Except you didnât know how much longer you could tell yourself that especially after you bumped into Heeseung one day in one of the empty corridors. His eyes trained on the fresh puncture wounds on your neck, âI hope heâs not overdoing it.â
Your hand immediately flew to your neck, covering it â as if it was some sort of a hickey to be shameful about. You gave him a quick nod of acknowledgement before brushing past him though he grabbed your wrist mid-way with a grip that felt like iron â a stark contrast with the gentle and amiable image he was well-known for. But then again, you reminded yourself, heâs a vampire just like Sunghoon â it might all just be a façade.
âIâm not here to hurt you,â he reassured, letting your hand go, âI just need a quick word.â
âThen be quick,â you relented, folding your arms defensively, maintaining a certain distance.
âI donât how far you have gone with Sunghoon but let me tell you, you guys may be perfect for each other in a complementary way but,â he hesitated, âit could also coalesce perfectly into toxicity.â
"You've got it all wrong," you corrected, "we havenât 'gone' anywhere. And we wonât. There is no way I would develop feelings for him and there is no way he would develop feelings for me when he could have anyone with the snap of a finger. Whatever we have, itâs completely transactional. So donât worry about it.â
âIt's you who I am worried for,â he sighed, eyes softening in such a way that conveyed genuine worry, âI can assure you that the fact that you went this far with him â breaking almost every guard he has and bending him in ways he had never allowed, meant something. I canât speak for him but Iâve known him for decades to know a breach when there is one."
âThat being said, obsession driven by attraction can be just as dangerous as contempt,â he continued as he fished out a crystal vial which was filled with dark red liquid, âit doesnât matter if you like him back or not â if he wants you, heâll make sure heâll own you and the moment he feels like heâs losing you, his claws will just tighten.â
Suddenly he offered the vial towards you, âhere's a chance for you to cut yourself from him.â
You eyed it suspiciously, "Is it poison? Are you asking me to poison him?â
âDonât be silly. Itâs kind of like a tranquiliser for us,â he beckoned you to take it, âitâs time for us to move away but he had been adamant in sticking around. I canât let that happen but at the same time heâs too strong and too stubborn to listen,â he sighed, âso if you feel that there is any truth in what I have said, feed him this â however you see fit. Itâs potent so just a drop is enough to incapacitate him momentarily. Iâll know when it works so Iâll quickly go to you when that happens and take him away."
You reluctantly took it from his hand, âand if I donât?"
âThen I canât save you anymore,â he mustered a weak smile.
"Why would you help me? He's your friend," you questioned.
"Exactly because he's my friend," he muttered despondently, "you both are poison to one another. Ive been through such tragedy once, I'm not letting him go through it."
You remembered tossing and turning that very night as Heeseungâs words replay in your mind incessantly like a broken record. Even when youâve chucked the vial in the deepest corner of your drawer, under a bunch of other stuffs, you still canât help but think of it.
Eventually, you rose up from your bed, reluctantly opening the drawer where the vial had been hidden away. Hugging your knees close to your chest, you held the vial in your hand up against night light.
Back then, you would have killed for this chance to rid of him. Yet now that the chance is right in your hand, you find yourself hesitating, thinking of reasons why you shouldn't instead.
â x.
Eventually youâve reached the end of your academic year â all your hard work, labouring in the library and burning the midnight oil, culminated in distinctions. Not even waiting until graduation, you soon fell into another set of routine, from part-timing; volunteering to job-searching â already eager to start the next part of your life. This in turn had also limited the amount of times you bump into Sunghoon which was ideal, you thought, though he had now taken to appearing at your balcony at odd hours once or twice a month.
Like a loan shark, he just never missed asking for his due.
âWhy canât you drop by during day time or something?â you grumbled lethargically as you opened your balcony door at 3AM, "suddenly sensitive to sunlight are you?"
âYouâre busy in the daytime,â he said as a matter-of-factly, closing the door behind him as if it was already a routine, âunless you want me to crash your part-time or volunteering places-â
âOkay, okay, I get it. Funny how capable you are of being considerate,â you sighed, gesturing him over, âletâs get it done with, itâs late.â
You donât know if the new night routine was skewing your perception or if Heeseungâs words had started to sow seeds in your mind unwittingly but it was becoming alarmingly apparent to you how with every bite, everything felt less transactional from Sunghoonâs side. From the gentler touches; the possessive grasps; and the gaze that lingered longer â conveying more than the usual hunger within. Tonight, too, it felt all the more apparent as you flinched, suddenly feeling his cold tongue slid over your puncture wounds, catching the blood that trailed down.
âI told you not to do that,â you protested, edging your face slightly away from him, meeting his eyes that stared back with such smouldering intensity that it was making your heart flip.
âWhat if I want to?â he asked, face completely impassive, but gaze darkening by the second. You swallowed thickly as you stared back into those eyes while leaning back slowly, as if trying to probe the depth of his mind and test if there was any grain of truth to Heeseungâs words. He followed suit, face charging slowly towards you, as if chasing yours â his hands never leaving your waists and his gaze locking with yours yours in a gaze that was so electrifying.
You could have recoiled, you could have jerked away, you could have turned, you could have pushed him â but almost as if drawn by the gravity that seemingly existed between you and him, you just backed away slowly, eyes locked with his. You feel his hips pressing onto you as your back hit the countertop, giving you no more chance to back away. Face now only inches away from you with gaze that was so electric with desires, you can feel his breath hot against your lips and his body warm against yours â the warmth of which you didnât expect from him, given how he was usually cold to the touch.
Again, you could have turned away. But you didnât. Instead you let him draw nearer, his lips now ghosting over yours, his hand tracing the curvature of your spine, fingers folding protectively as it slid over the side of your ribs â the air crackling with electricity, with tension that is so palpable, it could have cut. If it was just primal desires on his side, he should have no problem breaking the tension by forcing a kiss on you â something he had done before. If it was just complete vehemence on your side, you should have shoved him away â something you had always done before too. But instead, you two just let yourselves bask in the moment of utter hesitance â just one move away from breaking the tension that warped the air and letting it all crumble.
His eyes flitted from your eyes to your lips, prompting you to do the same â the gaze from both of which was just oozing in repressed desires and bottled emotions. As if mirroring the restraint that was hanging by the last thread, his fingers had begun to dug painfully into your ribs and you had begun to tightly clench a fistful of his shirt.
You could see it then, in the depths of his searing gaze, that the flicker of desire, was catching flames. âNoââ you weakly mustered, turning away just a fraction of seconds after he leaned in, evading the capture of his lips. You feel his breathing hot and laboured against your jaw, where he stayed rooted instead. You squeezed your eyes shut, disappointed at yourself for almost succumbing, "leave," was all you could managed as you pushed him weakly.
Perplexingly, and rather fortunately, he complied, weakly prying himself away from you though in such an agonisingly slow pace. âânow,â you insisted, daring to look back into his eyes â which was surprisingly gentle and pensive this time. You knew then, he was cracking.
You brushed past him, leaving your room, feeling nauseated as you wondered, if you had cracked too?
By the time you returned to your room, it was already empty though the tension from before still hung in the air, proceeding to haunt you for the remainder of the night over why and what could have been.
â xi.
Perhaps he had gotten bored of you. Perhaps the realisation that something was budding beyond normalcy was hitting his pride badly that he needed to step back. Perhaps, he had really moved abroad with Heeseung like what Heeseung had planned. Whatever it was, you hadnât seen him since that evening â something you were of course, grateful for.
Sometimes, you feel his presence in the crowd and in the shadows as you go about your way, volunteering, working part-time, interviewing and so on â but he was never there. Just your imagination and skewed intuition. Tonight too as you attended the graduation after-party, you thought you saw his face in the midst of the crowd; his presence in the shadows; and his voice amidst the cacophony of noise. But again, you were wrong and you chalked it all up to exhaustion.
Eventually you slip away to the balcony, trying to find a momentary respite as your head had begun to splinter from all the socializing.
âWant me to take you away?â
You jumped, your train of thoughts came crashing.
Speak of the devil, you thought to yourself as you exhaled sharply, startled, at the sight of Sunghoon leaning against the door frame.
âYou look bored,â he continued, letting himself in and closing the door behind him to shield you two away from any prying eyes, âof course you are, you hate crowds and you hate celebrationâ.
âYou missed graduation,â was all you could muster.
âWeâve graduated countless of times so it means nothing to us,â he shrugged.
âThen why are you here?â
âBecause youâre here,â he replied very quickly with no taunting smirk, unlike usual.
You sighed as you leaned back against the bannister, turning your head sideway and baring your neck, âdonât take too much, weâre in public.â
He scoffed, âthatâs touching and all but Iâm not a monster. Youâre not just a bloodbag to me.â
You abruptly turned your head towards him, brows furrowed, "but Iâm just supposed to be a blood bag to you.â
âthatâs not for you to dictate.â
Suddenly, you heard a piercing scream from inside. You rushed towards the door, seeing the crowd clamouring over Nicholas who had been carried on a stretcher. Nicholas was the guy you had gotten close with over the past few weeks since you two had started interning together. You immediately rushed towards the door, about to re-enter the hall when Sunghoon stopped you, his grip over your wrist felt almost like iron, "heâs not dead yet. Just fainted.â
You looked at him in horror, âwhat do you mea- did you do this?â
âYou probably didnât realise it but he had underlying intentions towards you,â he muttered flatly, his grip unrelenting, âhe spiked your drink.â
âHe- what?â you stopped protesting, reminded of the way both Sunoo and even Ni-Ki had warned you against him, though you didnât pay too much attention to it since he had always been so nice with you, âbut that doesnât- that doesnât mean you have to take it in your hands and incapacitate him.â
âDonât be dramatic,â he rolled his eyes, âI didnât drink a lot. I just exert certain pressure on his hand and neck to make him pass out. After hurling a bunch of threats to him, that is.â
"You really need to be careful with who you interact with," he cautioned, "human are very easy. They catch feelings very easily."
It suddenly dawned on you horrifyingly that perhaps your intuition had been right. That it had always been him, in the crowd and in the shadows, always closely following and watching. Heeseungâs words begin to flood your mind.
"Obsession driven by attraction is just as dangerous as contempt".
"It doesnât matter if you like him back or not â if he wants you, heâll make sure heâll own you and the moment he feels like heâs losing you, his claws will just tighten".
"Euijoo, from my part-time job-" you asked, voice shaky as you were reminded of how he had suddenly submitted his resignation letter without bidding you goodbye just a day after he confessed to you, "was that your doing too?"
"You've always hated receiving confessions and the guilt in your face throughout the whole night was pretty telling of it," he quipped, "I was just doing you a favour no? I didn't bite him though. Just told him off and offer him money. You can still find him in the bookstore near the mall, alive and annoyingly cheery as usual."
You looked at him, completely aghast. Realizing the truth a tad bit too late. Of how you are completely entrapped within his claws with other people being wrought in it as well.
He scoffed, looking hurt, âWhy are you staring at me like that? I was only looking out for you â in both instances,â he tugged onto your arm, pulling you into an embrace that gradually tightened in a way snake constricts its prey, "canât you see? the length I go for you.â
You wanted to push him off but almost like a muscle memory, it gave up after a few attempts, unwittingly melting into his embrace in defeat as the guilt filled you and the dread hounded you.
âLetâs head home,â he murmured softly into your hair.
Obviously you wanted nothing to do with him anymore tonight but you knew him â you knew that look in his eyes, you knew that grip around your hand, so you just obliged, excusing yourself to the restroom for a bit to collect yourself. He nodded, giving you a brief smile, âdonât run away okay?â
It was such a harmless sentence delivered in the gentlest way and yet, you could feel the way itâs laced almost like a threat.
The ride back home was mostly silent, your mind racing with a billion thoughts. He walked you up to your door silently. As you turned your doorknob, you muttered, âIâm moving in a few days.â
âI heard,â he replied almost instantaneously, âyou landed a job at one of the big-3 right?â
You turned around, mustering the courage, âwhat would happen to our deal?â
âWhat about it? Iâve secured the unit next to yours,â he replied so nonchalantly, âit would be as if nothing had changed.â
âyou what? But howâ" Your brows knit in dismay. Only Sunoo knew about you getting the job and moving so for Sunghoon to have not just known the news but have also secured the unit next to yours was filling you with so much terror.
âYou know me, what I want, I get.â
Heeseung's words rang in your mind deafeningly again.
He furrowed his brows, âwhat? You didnât expect the deal to just end like that did you?â He scoffed, taking steps towards you, his footsteps echoed ominously in the hallway, âit wonât. I wonât let it.â
âSunghoon, back off-â you warned as you backed away into your home, swiftly about to close the door on him but he was faster as he wedged his shoe in between, pushing the door open, letting himself in, "you won't ever escape me y/n, I own you â that permanent mark on your neck should serve as a constant reminder for you."
Sunghoon didn't know why he was all riled up â perhaps it's the look of terror in your eyes. After all he had done for you, all the patience and considerations he had also imparted to you â what he got back was instead a look of fear. And he thought you guys were making good progress over the past few months, despite some hiccups now and then.
âSunghoon, I am not yours and I will never be so you have no righ-â
He tugged your hand, slamming you against the door, not letting you finish your sentence at all. You shuddered as you looked up into his eyes â the steeliness of which you hadn't seen in a while that you forgot just how intimidating and paralyzing it was.
âyou said it yourself, itâs all primal desires," you protested, writhing under his grasps.
âHavenât I shown you enough? Displayed enough patience, enough consideration and enough restraint? Are those not enough as indication?â he asked, the disappointment so evident in the strain of his voice and weight of his stare.
âItâs all just obsession, youâre mistaking it,â you argued.
He scoffed, his eyes suddenly golden, his hand cradling the back of your head, âwhy donât we see whoâs mistaking what?â
You wedged a hand, palming him by the chest, âSunghoon-â your eyes were almost pleading but he was already seeing red â blinded by obsession, clouded by anger â as he crushed your body against his, claiming your lips in a searing kiss. His tongue soon pried your lips apart, deepening his kiss so desperately and hungrily, in a way that you could feel all the emotions he had bottled and repressed for you â from the anger, the bitterness, the yearning and the longing. You tried to shove him away, knowing very well you were of no match against him â not when he was completely overtaken by his his desires and impulses.
Suddenly he pulled away, his eyes staring back at you in alarm. By the time he realized something was wrong, it was far too late, as he teetered backwards unwittingly, knocking vases and books over, before he collapsed to the floor, breathing becoming more laborued. His face soon contorted in to a mixture of fury and hurt as he stared back at you, âyou-â
Your legs buckled under you as you stared weakly at him, your eyes somehow misty as you watched him struggle. When you used the washroom earlier, you had mixed the red liquid from the vial that Heeseung had given you, with your lipstick â remembering how he said it wonât have an effect on human and that that it was so potent on vampires that even a drop would've sufficed. You then proceeded to apply it on your lips, your gut feelings telling you that you might need it tonight. As your gut feelings had told you, you indeed needed it.
A dark figure suddenly materialised behind Sunghoon â it was Heeseung, looking forlornly at the way Sunghoon was all hunched up over the floor, coughing, feeling his strength dissipating by the second despite his efforts. He glowered with every muscle he had left in his face, at Heeseung who was holding him by his arm, then to you. Locked to your eyes, his gaze hardened, almost that with utter fury though his misty eyes conveyed otherwise. Heeseung gave you a brief appreciative nod, before he wrapped his cloak over Sunghoon, both vanishing into thin air within split seconds after.
You should be elated that the bane of your existence was now gone, probably for eternity, but a tear soon rolled down your cheeks. Though you couldnât tell, nor do you want to, if it was simply out of guilt, sadness or regret.
A/N: Hello everyone! If you've reached here then thank you so much for presevering through this massive chapter (and I -oop đ) I hope it has been an interesting ride and thank you for sticking by and showing so much interest for this series. This particular chapter went through massive overhaul multiple times lol but thank goodness Dark Blood came in just in time to give me a new burst of energy and motivation wheee
If you saw my previous post and had been waiting for it, I apologise for the delay huhuu I got stuck in some parts đ
Ps. If you enjoy this, shower it with some love by leaving me some comments on it hehe I dont bite đđťââď¸
Seunghan solo stans are just as bad as ot6 RIIZE stans, sorry not sorry! How can you solo stan him? You do know that if he DOES go solo he wont be promoted & WONT be this big success you think he will be.
He will have 1 comeback that people tune into & from there will be dumped like lucas. SM does not treat their solo artists with respect
The amount of people that believe hes okay now & safe because he posts to fucking instagram & teases him being with his members from time to time are thick in the head. 1. He has ALWAYS been with his members even during his hiatus, it makes no difference now. His haters are STILL there and have not been dealt with by SM, RIIZE ot6 are targeting wonbin, sohee and anton and will continue to bully your favs. Those that think this has all Ended are delusional, korean fans voices are bigger then yours so to end the boycott here when nothing has been resolved is fucking stupid, have a backbone for once. Youâve just let SM win good job!!
The whole point of the boycott was to bring him BACK INTO RIIZE. Without riize hes in even more danger i fear, and so is RIIZE themselves. But YAY we got another insta post that means nothing right?
Why did i believe kpop fans would be smart for onceâŚ
idc if this is harsh because some people are truly pissing me off so badly. never have I seen a fandom with so many stupid people in it.
in any large group of people there are bound to be people who throw out unacceptable ideas. they have been shut down by the entire fandom and we're extending ourselves in 10 different directions to ensure we shut down every negative thing we see in addition to our work and irl.
but yall dont care about that because you only care about your narrative, so yall will never mention all the people who shut down stupid ideas.
full disrespect intended, if you're not boycotting then you know nothing except a stray tweet or comment. so stop spreading panic and misinformation.
we are also praying and on edge that people don't do anything stupid because we cannot control every single individual. so dont twist this.
this is from a k ot7 briize. please keep boycotting. and that means a total boycott. take it seriously please. with everything coming out a strong message has to be sent.
this is from a k ot7 briize. please keep boycotting. and that means a total boycott. take it seriously please. with everything coming out a strong message has to be sent.
high key my guilty pleasure of feeding ot6 âbriizesâ with ot7 content, hints that THE MEMBERS give of missing seunghan/him returning to riize, or anything regarding hani. bcs im this day and age, why are you, someone whoâll never be close to this man PERSONALLY! tormenting a grown ass man for doing grown ass men things? like smoking and having a s/o half- MOST of us do the exact same thing, if that bothers you, youâre just fucked in the brain. delusional and ignorant! youâre irrelevant to riize and real briizes.
iâve gotten a couple asks regarding my stance on the riize boycott and iâm here to say iâm in full support of it, and will be partaking. iâm unfollowing them on all platforms, i will not be streaming their music or watching their content, i will not be buying any albums, merch, etc., and i left their weverse. and like i said before, i wonât be writing for riize for the time being.
riize is seven and will always be seven. i love the boys so much and i believe they deserve to live their dreams in peace together, and be under a company that puts them first. one that protects and respects them. the reason iâm boycotting is because they mean so much to me. it sucks to see them suffer under sm and iâm not just going to be on the sidelines and be complacent. they deserve better treatment.
i know a lot of people use the argument that theyâve suffered enough or that they need our support, and thatâs just laziness in my opinion. our support is the boycott. you say youâre sad and upset for them and that they deserve respect and the mistreatment should endâŚwhere is the action to back that up? how are you going to say that, then continue to stream their music and interact with their socials? that will show sm that no matter what they do, people will still consume their content â and to them, any engagement is better than none. theyâll take anything even if itâs under the wrong circumstances.
grow a backbone, please. think a little harder about why this is happening in the first place. we have a chance to make real change for riize and for the k-pop industry in general. be loud or donât say anything at all.