Hey lovelies! Just a quick heads-up that I’ll be closing requests for a while so I can focus on finishing all the WIPs I currently have on my plate ⋆˚࿔
Thank you so much for your support and understanding!! Hope that’s okay! Sending you all my love always!! Stay safe & take care ❤︎
── .✦P.S.
if you’d like to catch up on what i’ve written or learn a little more about me:
here’s my ᯓᡣ𐭩 masterlist and 𝜗ৎ about me
feel free to browse around while i work behind the scenes 𖹭
hello love how are you!! i just back from my vacation in Asia!! it was so great i miss u I hope you're alright 🫶
🐧
awww hii bby!! i hope you had the best time in asia 🥺💖 it sounds like such a lovely trip!! and dont worry, im alright hehe just been offline for a while, i feel kinda bad for disappearing for so long 😭 but reading your message really made me smile, thank you for checking on me 😭🫶🏻 i missed seeing your asks here too 🐧 anon <3
summary: You’re his personal psychiatrist. On the surface, Changmin appears to be a well-mannered, ordinary young man with a spotless public image—but beneath that, lies something far more dangerous. Only you and his family know the truth.
author note: this work is a fictional story featuring dark psychological themes, including obsession, manipulation, and mental illness. please read only if you’re comfortable with these subjects. the characters and behaviors depicted are not meant to romanticize or accurately represent real-life mental health conditions. Fiction ≠ Reality. feel free to comment if you’d like to be added to the taglist! stay safe and take care! ❤︎
The gate creaked open with its usual slow groan, iron curling like vines, too elegant for the kind of dread it stirred in you now.
You stepped out of your car, heels echoing against the polished marble driveway. The afternoon sky was gray, casting a film of haze over the massive estate.
You rang the bell. No butler.
Just like always.
Instead, the heavy door clicked open after a few seconds. There he was.
Ji Changmin.
White sweater. Barefoot. Smiling. That too-perfect smile, dimples and all, sweet enough to make anyone drop their guard. Almost.
“Noona,” he said gently. “You’re here early today.”
His voice was calm and sweet, but something about the way his eyes didn’t quite match the warmth in his tone made your stomach twist.
“Traffic was lighter than usual,” you answered, keeping your voice steady as always.
He stepped aside to let you in. The house was too quiet. You used to think it was peaceful. Now, it just felt like it was watching you back.
You followed him to his room. Books stacked high, curtains drawn. Cozy. Intimate. Controlled.
He sat on the velvet couch. His legs crossed lazily. Gaze followed you as you set your notebook down and clicked your pen.
“How have you been feeling this week, Changmin?”
A small pause. Then he tilted his head.
“I missed you,” he said. “That’s a feeling, right?”
You didn’t flinch. Professional. Steady. Calm.
“That’s not what I meant.”
He leaned forward slightly, his smile widening, barely.
“But it’s what I meant.”
You cleared your throat. Flipped a page in your notes.
“You said the intrusive thoughts have been more frequent lately,” you said. “Have you been keeping your journal?”
“Mhm,” he hummed. Then slowly reached under a cushion, pulling out a small leather notebook.
He handed it to you.
“I wrote about you,” he said softly, like a secret. “Wanna read it out loud?”
You hesitated before opening it.
The first line was dated three nights ago. Your name appeared within the first sentence. Then again. And again.
The sentences bled into each other, messy, manic, poetic:
“She touches my mind with such gentle hands. I wonder what she’d look like with her throat bruised by my name.”
“I wanted to hurt someone today. But I remembered her voice. So I smiled instead.”
“I’d kill for her. I’d die for her. She belongs here, in this house. She should never leave me.”
Your hands tensed. You closed the journal quietly.
“Changmin,” you said carefully, “We’ve talked about boundaries—”
“I know,” he interrupted, eyes dark now. “But you came here anyway.”
He leaned closer, elbows on knees, watching you the way a predator watches something that still thinks it’s safe.
“My father trusts you, Noona. You’re the only one who knows what I really am. And you’re still here. Week after week.” He smiled at you “Why?”
You said nothing. You didn’t move. You couldn’t afford to.
“Do you feel sorry for me? Or,” he whispered, “Do you like being mine?”
***
Flashback
It was raining that day. Not heavily, just a soft drizzle that made the world feel muted, distant. You were still a little girl, in your school uniform, your bag bouncing against your side as you walked home through the park like always.
Then you saw him.
A little boy sitting alone on the edge of the slide. Knees pulled to his chest. Bruises on his arms. Dirt on his cheeks. And tears.
So many tears.
You slowed your steps.
Something in you—a quiet instinct—told you not to just walk past.
You approached him and crouched down slowly.
“… are you okay?”
He didn’t look up at first. Just sniffled. His knuckles were scraped, and he was clutching a broken toy car like it was a lifeline.
“You’re hurt…”
You swung your bag off your back and unzipped it, rummaging through your notebooks and snack wrappers until you found the only thing you had: A Hello Kitty bandage.
You peeled it open, gently taking his tiny hand.
“This one’s special. It’s magic,” you said as you gently pressed it over his wound.
That made him finally look up.
Watery eyes. Blank at first. Confused.
Then… just the tiniest flicker of relief.
You smiled at him and reached into your other pocket.
“Here you go.” You handed him your pink lollipop, smiling a little. “Candy makes sad things go away… it works for me.”
He took it with both hands like it was made of gold.
“What’s your name?” you asked.
“...Changmin.”
“Nice to meet you, Changmin. I’m Y/N!”
He blinked up at you, eyes still glassy but curious now.
He looked you over, then tilted his head slightly.
“You’re tall…”
You smiled, crouching down a bit more so you were at his level.
“It might be ‘cause I’m older! How old are you, Changmin?”
“Ten.”
“I’m thirteen. That’s only three years! I don’t think that’s a big deal.”
He hesitated, then whispered almost nervously:
“Can we still be friends?”
You grinned, reaching out your pinky toward him.
“Of course! Age doesn’t matter for friends.”
He looked at your hand like it was magic, then linked his little finger with yours.
That was all he needed.
“Then… you’re my noona,” he said shyly.
You nodded.
“Okay. I’ll be your noona then.”
And from that day on, you were.
He started waiting for you to come on the next day. Everyday.
Every afternoon became a game of hide-and-seek. Your laughter echoed through the park. You never asked about the bruises. He never offered. You played with him, listened to his stories about school, helped him build paper boats, and taught him how to fold cranes.
Little Changmin smiled more when he was with you. He held your hand like it was the only thing grounding him to this world.
Then one day…
“Noona,” he tugged on your sleeve. “Wanna come to my house?”
You hesitated.
“Is that okay?”
“We have a big piano! I’ll show you. It’s really pretty. You’ll like it.”
You said yes.
How could you not? He looked so excited.
But he never told his family.
The mansion was cold. Not from temperature, but from the way it made you feel small, uninvited.
A tall, elegant woman in heels met you at the door. His mother.
She was beautiful in the way porcelain dolls are. Cold, sharp, hollow behind the eyes. She looked you up and down. Her eyes flicked over your thrifted uniform, your worn shoes, your simple bag.
“And who is this?” she asked coldly.
Little Changmin hesitated. “My friend—”
“You brought a girl like this into our home?” she snapped. “How many times do I have to tell you not to bring stray cats into the house? We don’t keep poor things like her around, Changmin.”
You froze. The words hit you like slaps.
Changmin had only bowed his head.
You left quickly after that, muttering a shaky apology even though you’d done nothing wrong.
And…
That night, the woman never woke up.
You never saw her again.
The news was everywhere at the time. Changmin’s family was well-known around here, and you hadn’t even realized it. His mother had passed away—just a day after you met her.
You heard whispers weeks later. An “accident,” they said. “Tragic.” “Unfortunate.”
You never knew what truly happened.
Until years later—
When Changmin, now taller and sharper and infinitely harder to read, stared at you during his sessions. He is one of your patients now.
“She called you poor,” he said, talking about his late mother.
You nodded slowly. “I remember.”
“I hated her for that,” he said. His voice was calm. Too calm. “So I made sure she couldn’t say it again.”
You hadn’t breathed for ten seconds straight.
That was the day you stopped seeing him as just a troubled friend. And started seeing the monster that loved you.
He still has that lollipop wrapper.
He still remembers your touch, your voice, the bandage.
And now… you’re his psychiatrist. His secret keeper. The only one who ever showed him what love felt like.
Of course he’d never let you go.
***
His room in the estate was quiet. Too quiet. Curtains drawn. Dustless shelves. Every corner felt deliberately curated. A room made to look lived in… but it never felt like anyone actually did.
It was your first time seeing him again after so many years. And somehow, the silence felt heavier because of it.
You sat across from him, your notebook open, pen poised but unmoving.
Changmin leaned back on the velvet couch like it was a throne. Oversized sweater. Hair effortlessly styled. Legs stretched out in quiet defiance. That same eerie, unreadable smile on his lips.
“You look tired, noona,” he said lightly, tilting his head. “Or is it just awkward seeing me again after so long?”
You glanced at him.
“It’s… not awkward,” you said. “Just strange. You’ve grown.”
“Did you think I’d stay that little boy forever?”
He said it so softly, so calmly, but you felt something sharp beneath the words. He let the silence hang.
“I was sad,” he added suddenly, voice quieter. “When you didn’t come back.”
Your heart twitched.
He wasn’t looking at you anymore. Just at the window, where sunlight bled in like something foreign.
“After my mother died… I thought you would come,” he said. “Everyone around me talked about the funeral. But all I cared about was the park. I waited there for years.”
He looked like he was about to cry but then he smiled wryly. “I thought… maybe you'd forgotten me.”
You stared down at your lap, your fingers tightening slightly.
“I didn’t forget,” you said, just above a whisper.
“Then why did you disappear?”
The words weren’t angry. Just deeply wounded. And maybe that hurt more.
You breathed in slowly. “I was a little girl. I didn’t know how to handle it. The way she looked at me—like I was nothing. And then I heard what happened, and I got scared.”
His gaze finally returned to you, and for a moment, he didn’t look like a patient. He looked like the shadow of the boy you left behind. All grown up, with sharper edges.
“Funny how you’re here now. Not really, though. I made it happen.” Changmin changed the topic.
“What?”
“I hadn’t seen you in so many years,” Changmin said quietly, his voice laced with something fragile. “I kept wondering how you were… if you were okay. I needed to know more. Just knowing your name wasn’t enough anymore.”
He let out a small breath, eyes locked on yours.
“So I asked my father’s manager to find your information.”
His smile was soft, sweet even, with those damn dimples that made everything feel like less of a warning.
“When he pulled up your file and told me you were a psychiatrist now—even if you were still new—I knew it was perfect.”
He paused, watching your expression like he was reading every flicker.
“My old psychiatrist… well, she’s gone now.” A beat. “She died, they said.”
There was something off in the way he spoke. Too calm, too rehearsed.
Still, you kept listening, documenting it in your notes with steady hands.
Then Changmin leaned back, gaze never leaving yours, watching too closely, like he was waiting for you to figure something out.
“So when my father started searching for someone new, I told him exactly who to hire. And just like that…” He tilted his head. “You walked back into my life.”
You blinked.
“I insisted. I told him I’d make things… difficult if he didn’t get you to be my personal psychiatrist.”
“You chose me…?”
“I wanted you,” he corrected gently. “Only you. Even if you were still new. Still unproven. Still afraid. Because noona…” His voice dropped an octave. A whisper brushing skin. “You’re the only one who ever saw me and didn’t look away. You didn’t ask why I was crying. You didn’t flinch at the bruises. You gave me your lollipop like it was nothing. You treated me like I mattered.”
A breath snagged in your throat.
“Anyone else… they look at me like I’m broken. But you?” He let out a small scoff. “…You looked at me like I was just a boy.”
He smiled again. Slow. Soft. But his eyes… they burned.
“That’s why it had to be you. It was always going to be you.”
You swallowed hard, pen resting still in your hand.
“But… I’m not just someone from your past, Changmin. I’m your doctor now. This is a professional relationship.”
“Mmm,” he hummed. “But that’s not how I see it.”
“Changmin—”
“I see a promise.”
You paused.
“A what?”
He leaned forward. His voice was like silk over glass.
“That day at the park. When you gave me that bandage, that lollipop… when you let me call you noona. You made a promise you didn’t even realize.”
You opened your mouth. But no words came.
“You’re here now,” he said. “You came back. That means you’re keeping it.”
He leaned even closer.
“Don’t break your promise, noona.”
His voice was still sweet. But his eyes?
They said something far, far more dangerous.
***
Present Day
The air in your office at the psychiatric hospital was always a little too cold, even with the sun spilling weakly through the blinds. Still, you found comfort in its sterility, file drawers lined up neatly, clinical white walls, and the familiar scent of tea mingled with hand sanitizer.
Here, you had control. Here, your patients came when scheduled, and your boundaries stayed intact.
Until now.
The knock on your door came soft. Three polite taps.
You didn’t look up.
“Come in.”
You expected a nurse. Or maybe a new intake form.
What you didn’t expect was him.
Ji Changmin stepped into your office with the same casual ease as if he were walking into his own room. He was dressed in soft neutrals, sleeves pushed up, and that infuriating smile on his lips—like this was all perfectly normal.
You stood up immediately, tension climbing your spine.
“Changmin? What are you doing here?”
“I missed you,” he said simply, like it was the most obvious thing in the world. “You didn’t answer my texts this morning.”
You blinked.
“I’m a bit busy in the morning. You know that.”
He stepped closer, eyes scanning the room with curious eyes, as if taking mental inventory of your life outside his estate.
“I don’t like that I only get to see you twice a week,” he said, too calmly. “You always leave so fast.”
“Changmin,” your voice dropped an octave. “You are not allowed to show up here without prior permission. This is a boundary—”
“I didn’t come to make a scene,” he interrupted softly, tilting his head. “I just wanted to see you.”
There was no anger in his voice. No raised tone. Just that unnerving, bright-eyed honesty.
Like a child holding a knife and wondering why everyone was so upset.
You took a slow breath, reminding yourself he was still your patient.
“I don’t recall giving you permission to visit me here,” you said gently.
“But this isn’t a session,” he said, smiling wider. “I’m not your patient right now. I’m just someone who missed you.”
You clenched your jaw subtly.
“That’s not how this works.”
“I know,” he said, voice nearly a whisper. “But you’re here. And I just wanted to see you in your space.” His voice laced with something possessive. Protective. Dangerous. “You look more tired when you’re not at the mansion. Are they making you work too hard here?”
“Changmin—” You paused. Collected yourself. “You need to go back home now.”
He stared at you for a moment too long. His expression unreadable.
Then, to your surprise…
He nodded.
“Okay, noona,” he said sweetly. “But I’ll see you again soon, right?”
You didn’t answer. Just waited.
He stepped out without another word, the door clicking softly shut behind him.
***
It was the very next morning. Your coffee had barely cooled. Notes scattered across your desk, focus struggling to land.
You were reviewing a patient file when it happened.
A knock.
Soft. Deliberate. Just past 11:00 a.m.
Your blood turned cold before you even looked up.
He stepped in.
Ji Changmin.
Again.
“Changmin?” Your voice was sharper this time, your chair scraping back as you stood. “I said not to come here without notice,” you said firmly, keeping your voice low in case anyone passed the hallway. “This isn’t appropriate.”
He just smiled.
“But I missed you.”
His tone was too bright. Too soft. Like he wasn’t already breaking every rule by being here. Again.
“We have a session tomorrow,” you said tightly. “You know that. You agreed to the schedule.”
He tilted his head, eyes narrowing just slightly.
“So I only exist to you on Tuesdays and Fridays?”
Before you could answer, another knock tapped on your half-closed office door.
Your heart jumped into your throat.
Dr. Yoon.
Your colleague. A seasoned psychiatrist. And far too observant.
She stepped in halfway, eyes flicking between you and the young man sitting far too comfortably across from your desk.
“Oh. Sorry,” she said with a blink. “I didn’t realize you had someone—”
Your pulse skipped. Panic flickered in your chest. You couldn’t breathe.
So you spoke quickly.
“Ah—this is my little cousin,” you said, voice light, casual, fake. “He was just dropping something off for me.”
You lied. You had to. You hated how natural it sounded.
Changmin’s family made you his personal psychiatrist with a strict condition:
They didn’t want his case to be known. Changmin’s father owned a wildly successful business empire, and any news about his son’s mental illness could ruin the family image. It was written into your contract. Silence. Discretion. Obedience.
Dr. Yoon’s brows lifted, then settled politely.
“Oh! Well, nice to meet you,” she said, smiling briefly at Changmin before stepping back. “I’ll come by later.”
“Thank you,” you murmured.
Changmin said nothing. He didn’t even smile.
The door clicked shut again.
And then the silence turned heavy.
You didn’t even get to take a breath before you heard it:
“Cousin?” His voice was low. Dangerous. “Is that what I am to you?” A pause. “A little cousin?”
There was no sarcasm. No sneer.
Just hurt. But buried beneath it. Something darker. The kind of pain that doesn’t cry. The kind that waits.
Your stomach dropped.
You turned to face him, slowly.
“I had to say something,” you said gently. “I can’t expose your condition. It’s confidential—your family made it very clear—”
“I’m not ashamed of being yours,” he cut in.
His voice rose, still soft, but sharper. “But you… you act like you are.”
There was no panic in his eyes.
Only betrayal.
You stepped forward, trying to reach him.
“I’m not ashamed of you, Changmin.”
He looked at you—really looked at you—with wild, desperate eyes that no longer belonged to the quiet boy in the park.
“Then why hide me?”
“Your father—"
“You know what hurts more than anything?” he said quietly. “You were the only person who ever saw me for what I was… and didn’t run away.”
His voice trembled slightly, not from fear, but from fury masked as heartbreak.
“I’m not your little cousin, noona. Don’t ever call me that again…”
You felt the threat beneath it, not in his tone, but in the stillness. Like he was adding this moment to a list you didn’t know he was keeping.
He was already at the door again when he said, softer this time:
“If I were anyone else, would you have smiled when you said it?”
The door shut.
And the silence that followed was deafening.
***
The door to Changmin’s room in the Ji family’s mansion creaked open slowly, and you stepped inside with your medical bag hugged to your chest.
He didn’t look at you.
Changmin sat on the edge of his massive bed, hoodie tossed aside, black t-shirt wrinkled from either sleep or frustration. Head tilted down. Eyes locked on the floor. The large window behind him bathed him in warm, late afternoon light—but there was nothing warm about the energy in his room.
“Hey…” you said softly, voice barely above a whisper. “It’s me.”
Still no reply.
You stepped closer.
“Changmin, I’m here to do your check-up.”
“Did you bring your little cousin today?” he muttered, voice flat, his gaze locked somewhere else.
Your heart sank.
You placed your bag gently on the nearby table and walked toward him slowly.
“No,” you murmured. “Just me.”
Silence.
You sat beside him on his bed. He still didn’t meet your gaze. Jaw tense, lips tight.
“I’m sorry,” you said quietly. “I shouldn’t have called you that yesterday. I panicked… and I didn’t want anyone to know about your sessions. I was trying to protect you.”
“You didn’t protect me,” he replied coldly. “You erased me.”
You looked at him—really looked at him.
And suddenly, you didn’t see the man in front of you anymore. You saw the little boy again.
The boy who cried at the park, small bruises on his arms, holding your lollipop like it was the only thing keeping him alive.
You reached and brushing his bangs back with gentle fingers.
He turned his head to you, eyes finally met yours. Burning, resentful, but wet.
“Changmin…” you murmured. “Do you remember the first time we met?”
He blinked.
His lower lip trembled slightly.
“You gave me a lollipop,” he whispered. “And you said sweet things make you forget sad things.”
You smiled softly, heart tightening.
“I did,” you said, voice gentle. “You looked like you really needed one that day.”
His breath hitched.
“It worked, noona.” He smiled. “… but only because it came from you.”
Your lips curved gently. “You were just a little boy who needed a friend,” you said. “And I was happy to be that for you.”
His eyes met yours again—almost pleading.
“You still are,” he whispered. “Right?”
You reached into your coat pocket and pulled out a small, pink-wrapped lollipop. The same brand you gave him back then.
He stared.
“Just like before,” you said softly, offering a faint smile. “Only now… I’m not just a little girl who stumbled upon a crying kid. I’m someone who’s staying.”
You placed the lollipop in his palm. His fingers closed around it like it was something sacred.
“Even if you’re mad at me,” you added gently, “I’ll still come back later, to see you.”
Changmin stared at the candy for a long moment. Then finally looked up, his expression cracking.
A sharp breath escaped him.
Suddenly—
He leaned forward, resting his forehead against your shoulder.
You froze. His hands clutched your waist tightly.
“…I hate it when you talk like you’re going to leave someday,” he whispered. “Please don’t lie like that again.”
You slowly rested your hand on the back of his head.
“I won’t,” you said. “I promise.”
But deep inside, something twisted in your chest.
Because the more you reassured him…
…the more he refused to ever let you go.
***
The next Tuesday, you returned to the Ji family’s estate.
Quiet as always, the hallway leading to his wing was immaculately clean, cold in a way no warmth could truly penetrate. You always arrived around the same time for his sessions.
But this time, he was already waiting.
The grand double doors to his room stood open.
And there he was—Changmin—barefoot on the marble floor, pacing slowly in the foyer outside his room.
You blinked.
“Changmin?”
His hoodie was half-zipped, hair tousled like he hadn’t slept a second. He looked up the moment he heard your voice.
And then, without warning—
He ran to you.
“Chang—”
You didn’t get the rest out.
He threw his arms around you.
Tightly.
So tightly you stumbled back a step, caught completely off guard. His face buried into your neck, chest heaving like he’d been holding something in for far too long.
Then soft. Broken.
“...Noona…”
The sound was raw. Shaky. Nothing like his usual sweet tone. You felt the heat of his tears on your skin. His fingers gripped the back of your coat like he was trying to fuse you to him.
You stood frozen for half a second—then instinct kicked in. You placed both hands gently on his back, steadying him.
“Changmin… hey. What happened? Did something upset you?”
His breath trembled against your neck.
“You didn’t answer my text last night,” he whispered.
Your stomach dropped.
“And this morning, too…” he went on, voice cracking, “I thought maybe… maybe you wouldn’t come today.”
A sharp inhale. Your heart twisted.
“I thought maybe you finally decided you didn’t want to see me anymore.”
You didn’t say anything for a moment. Instead, you guided him back into his room, one hand on his arm, the other brushing gently down his sleeve as you coaxed him in.
He followed silently, like a child afraid of losing sight of their parent. He sank onto the edge of the bed, eyes red and glassy, but glued to your face.
“Don’t do that again, okay?” he whispered. “If you need space, I’ll try to understand. But don’t disappear. Please.”
“I didn’t disappear, Changmin,” you said softly. “I would never do that to you.”
Changmin blinked hard, lips trembling again, but no more tears fell.
His gaze dropped to your lap.
“Can I… hold your hand?” he asked.
His voice was small. Like he was ashamed to even want it. Like the request itself made him vulnerable.
You hesitated for only a second—then nodded.
“Okay.”
He reached out carefully, as if you were made of porcelain. His hand, cool and trembling, found yours and wrapped around it with reverent slowness.
The moment your skin touched, he exhaled. A long, fragile breath.
Like touching you steadied him. Like you were the thread keeping him stitched together.
“I miss you,” he murmured, his thumb brushing soft, delicate circles into your skin. “Even when you’re with me, I miss you the second you look away.”
You didn’t interrupt him.
You let him say it.
“Do you ever think about spending time with me outside this room?” he asked suddenly, eyes flicking up to meet yours. “Not as a doctor. Not because you have to. Just because you want to.”
Your heart squeezed.
You swallowed.
“That’s… complicated.”
He nodded, like he already knew that would be your answer.
But what he said next wasn’t playful. Wasn’t coaxing.
It was devastatingly honest.
“I don’t think I know how to get better,” he whispered, “if you’re not in my life outside this room.”
Your hand stayed in his.
For one terrifying moment, you couldn’t tell who was clinging harder
***
You’d been sitting there in silence for minutes.
His hand still in yours. Your mind? A storm.
You had always been good at compartmentalizing your emotions—until it came to Ji Changmin.
The boy who once clung to your pinky like it could anchor him to the world. Now a man who clung to your presence like it was the only thing keeping him sane.
You breathed in slowly. Out even slower.
“…Alright,” you said softly, brushing your thumb against the back of his hand. “Let’s go out. Just for a little while.”
His head snapped up, eyes wide, almost frightened to hope.
“You mean it?” he breathed.
You nodded once.
“Just somewhere quiet. I know a café near the hospital that has a private upstairs booth. If your family agrees and sends someone to drive us, we can go. Thirty minutes.”
Changmin didn’t say anything. He just surged forward—arms around your waist again, this time tighter. Desperate.
His face buried into your neck like it was the only place in the world he could breathe.
“Thank you, noona,” he whispered. “Thank you… thank you…”
***
The car ride was quiet. Surprisingly so.
Changmin sat beside you in the backseat, head resting against the window. His hand never left yours—reaching across the leather seat, fingers woven tightly with yours as if letting go meant you’d vanish.
You tried to focus on the passing streets. Tried not to think about how he occasionally turned to glance at you. Like he needed to confirm you were still real.
***
A familiar barista noticed you instantly and led you upstairs to the private booth, a quiet haven of low lighting, soft music, and high walls that shut out the world beyond.
Changmin immediately slid into the seat beside you, not across.
“You know,” he said, sipping his drink slowly, his eyes fixed on your lips, “this almost feels like a date.”
You shot him a look.
“Changmin…”
“I’m just saying.” He smiled, but there was something behind it, something trembling. “I don’t get to sit next to you like this during sessions.”
“Because sessions aren’t dates.”
“…But they’re the only time I get to see you.”
You sighed, fingers curling around your coffee.
“This outing doesn’t change our dynamic. It’s still professional—”
“Then why does it feel so different?” he asked softly. “Why does it feel like I’m not your patient right now?”
The words hung heavy between you.
He shifted, just slightly. His knee brushed yours under the table.
Then his face tilted toward yours. Not too close. But close enough for the air to feel different. Denser.
A strange tension settled like mist. An invisible thread pulled taut between you.
“I remember when I was younger,” he whispered. “When I cried and you gave me candy… you held my face the same way earlier. Like I was something precious.”
Your hand froze on your cup.
“Changmin…”
He leaned in.
His forehead gently touched yours.
Just that.
But you could feel how fast his heart was beating. Like it wanted to leap out of his chest—into yours. To merge, somehow.
“I want to be the only person who gets this version of you,” he murmured. “The soft one. The gentle one who makes even monsters feel human.”
You should’ve pulled back.
You should’ve.
But you didn’t.
“…You’re not a monster,” you whispered. “You’re just broken. And trying.”
His eyes fluttered shut. Like your words had pierced straight through his ribs.
And then—
He pressed his lips gently to your temple.
A kiss.
Not possessive. Not forceful.
Just quietly desperate.
You stayed still.
Because for just one second… you let him believe you were his.
Even if you weren’t sure where the line was anymore.
***
You didn’t speak of the café moment again.
You returned to work like nothing had happened.
Told yourself it was for the best. If he believed you were drawing closer, maybe he’d stay calmer. Less volatile. Less likely to snap.
But Changmin?
He saw it differently.
To him, your silence was not rejection. It was secrecy. Protection. A quiet kind of love you weren’t brave enough to admit yet.
Your return to professionalism?
A coy game.
In his mind, he was already yours.
Already winning.
***
Three days later, he returned to the hospital without an appointment, without warning. He strolled through the front lobby, offering a polite nod to the receptionist who couldn’t have guessed what that smile was hiding.
The nurses looked up from their work, charmed, like always. He moved like he belonged there.
He carried a small paper bag, your favorite pastries from a tiny café you mentioned once during a late session. The attention to detail made your stomach twist.
Inside the bag, tucked neatly beside the wrapped pastries, was a folded handwritten note.
“For Noona, who likes her coffee too sweet and her walls too high. Let me in just a little more? — Yours.”
He didn’t try to hide the possessiveness anymore.
Not even a little.
You smiled—stiffly—and quickly ushered him into your office before anyone else noticed.
“You can’t keep showing up here, Changmin,” you said, accepting the bag but refusing to meet his gaze.
“Why not?” he asked, settling into the chair across from your desk. “You said you liked spending time with me.”
“That was—”
“You let me hold your hand,” he interrupted, dreamily. “You let me kiss you... even just on the temple.”
He leaned forward slightly, eyes gleaming with something unreadable.
“It’s okay, Noona. I get it. You’re being careful because of work. But I’m patient. I already belong to you, anyway.”
Your throat tightened.
You turned your back, pretending to organize files just to keep your hands from shaking.
You caught his reflection in the glass cabinet.
He was watching you.
Still. Unblinking.
“I told my driver,” he added suddenly, like it was nothing, “that you’re off-limits to any man who isn’t me. Just in case.”
“Changmin—”
A knock interrupted you, sharp and ill-timed.
The door creaked open and Dr. Jieun, your coworker, poked her head inside.
“Oh—Dr. (Y/N), sorry to barge in! I just wanted to ask—wait, is this a bad time?”
“No,” you said quickly, stepping forward. “Changmin was just leaving.”
Changmin didn’t move.
He sat still, posture perfectly relaxed, but his eyes followed Jieun like a shadow tracking light. Cold and curious.
“Oh,” Jieun said with interest, lowering her voice as she leaned toward you. “He’s cute. Is he the mysterious boyfriend you’ve been hiding from us?”
“I’m not dating anyone,” you answered too fast.
“Really?” she teased. “You’ve been glowing lately. You need someone. Actually, I was going to introduce you to a friend of mine. He’s not from the hospital, but he’s in tech. Super sweet. The kind of guy who—”
“Dr. Jieun,” you cut in with a forced smile. “Later, okay?”
You practically ushered her out the door.
But the damage was already done.
Changmin had heard everything.
You didn’t even have to look at him.
You felt it. That slow, sharp shift in the atmosphere.
You turned.
He sat motionless. But his smile was gone.
His expression unreadable. Except for the glint behind his eyes.
“You’re not dating anyone,” he said quietly.
“No.”
“But she wants to set you up.”
“It doesn’t matter. I said no.”
He stood slowly.
One deliberate step at a time.
“But would you have said yes…” His voice dipped. “…if I wasn’t here?”
“Changmin.”
“Would you?” he asked again.
This time, you knew. He wasn’t looking for an answer. He was measuring your reaction.
You stared into his eyes.
There was something unhinged just beneath the surface. A wire stretched too tightly, ready to snap.
“No,” you whispered. “I wouldn’t have.”
And that’s when he smiled again.
Too wide. Too proud.
“I knew it, Noona,” he murmured, stepping closer until your bodies nearly touched. “You already belong to me. You just can’t say it yet.”
You gave him a fragile smile.
And played along.
“Right,” you said gently. “Just… keep it between us, okay?”
His grin widened.
He leaned in, breath ghosting your cheek as he whispered:
kitchen’s messy when i cooked the story👩🏻🍳🤭 glad u enjoyed the yandere!changmin feast 😭🫶🏻 but fr tho thank you for the compliment and for reading my little fanfiction!! appreciate it a lot 🤧💕💕
How dare this app hide a new fic from me for two days?? Especially when I’ve been literally checking your profile for updates.😭 The studying season has just started and I’ve already been falling behind and missing out.
ANYWAYSS
SKKSJJDEJSKSKEJJDSHHSHD (This is literally all I can say after I read the first chapter)
I really love how your writing has this natural flow that keeps the reader pulled in from start to finish. You have such a wonderful imagination, like.. Hello??
- 🦝
🦝 anon omg HI 😭😭 the app really did you dirty hiding it from you for TWO days… like hello?? i was waiting for you to see it 😤💔 but you’re actually right on time dont worry, its only ch.1 so you havent missed much yet hehe 🫶🏻
your SKKJSJ mode after reading had me grinning so hard 😭💗thank you for your kind words🥺 i think i’ll be holding onto that compliment forever actually 🥹🥹
im so glad vampire!sunwoo au already pulled you in!! 😭🖤🤧🤧
Sure. I’ll be 🍒 anon. I think I was your first ever commenter when you started here! I am pretty silent online but I have to praise great writers 🫶
🥹🥹 you have no idea how soft this makes me… my very FIRST commenter?? i cant believe you’ve been here since the beginning 😭💞 thank you for breaking your silence just to hype me up, im so glad you enjoyed my writing 🥺💗 welcome officially to my little emoji family as 🍒 anon!! i’ll treasure you here 🍒✨
Empty plate cause you ateeeee. I am so ready for this new fic. Ugh. Your writing is soooo good. I’m glad you’re expanding the vampire series. I will be checking for updates but take your time!! Thanks for sharing your writing with us and just in time for Halloween 🎃
EMPTY PLATE IM SCREAMING 😭🍽️ anon you’re too kind omg… thank you sm for being excited for Only Mine to Bleed 🥹🩸 i was so nervous expanding the vampire au so hearing this actually makes me feel way more confident!! i’ll definitely take my time but your support really keeps me going🫶🏻 and omg yes the timing worked out so perfect for spooky season 👀🎃✨
btw are you my new anon? welcome to the fam!! 🥹💕 do you want to pic an emoji??👉🏻👈🏻
woke up in the middle of the night because of a nightmare and now im here at 4am
🐧
omg 😭 waking up at 4am because of a nightmare is so real… i hope you’re feeling a little better now, penguin anon 🐧💖 if my silly smau could keep you some company at that hour then im glad 😭🫂 rest well when you can!!
i lowkey need a separate part for jacob (if you want).. im giggling AND SUNWOO TOO OMG i hate him
🐧
🐧 anon!!! ahhh im happy you liked jacob smau’s part 🥹 he really is just the sweetest in smau form 💌 and sunwoo… yeah he immediately went full chaos mode as always 😭🫠 ill keep in mind to make a separate one, tho i cant promise you yet 🥲 but tbh i do wanna try a longer smau someday like a full story! its definitely sitting on my writing list! so hopefully, one day ❤️
(2/2) I'm back. Had to reread the first chapter of Only Mine to Bleed twice. TWICE. Still screaming into a void, won't lie. It was just soo good. I have so much to say. I just-- wow. WOW.
I mean that intro? Swooning. Trying not to squeal because of that reunion. But also... what do you mean 'used to like' 👀 is that the reaction of someone who 'used' to like someone? Or is reader's blood simply too enticing lol Gah Sunwoo's going to be a smooth talker in this fic, isn't he? Alright. Okay. Gotta prepare for those moments.
And that ending section? "Flame-brained newborn." Cackled. Sangyeon mentioning there are hunters in that city? //sniff// Is it Mina? I got my eyes on her now 👀
Oh! And Sangyeon saying they don't go after humans 💀 I was like dude, please, tell them who reader is. It's not like the people from his life are dead TT He was just turned TT
So yeah. Great first chapter. Wow. 👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼 I can't wait for what's to come. And it's slow burn too? I-- 👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼 I think I have to go scream into the void for a bit again 🗣️🕳️!!!!
-🦑 (late cryptid anon ✨ gotta stay true to the lateness)
READING IT TWICE ALREADY?? 😭😭 i feel so honored i might actually cry 🫠💔
okay so about the ‘used to’ part, i wrote it in past tense because thats how sunwoo felt back then, before those two years apart. now that he finally sees her again (and yeah… with that dangerously enticing blood scent too 👀🩸) it just hit him all over again, so he kinda slipped into that past/present overlap 🫠 and YES you’re absolutely right!! he’s going to be such a smooth talker in this fic 😎 be ready
also lmaooo i KNEW you’d latch onto ‘flame-brained newborn’ 😭😭 glad you liked that part. and yup 👀 there are hunters in this au, but you’ll find out more in ch2 👁️ and dont worry, sangyeon’s strictness has a reason 👀
honestly i was so nervous the first chapter wouldnt feel ‘boom’ enough since its just the beginning, and i didnt want to disappoint anyone who’s been waiting for my vamp!sunwoo au 🤧 but your inbox really boosted my mood again 😭💖 thank you for taking the time to write me this whole review, it means so so much!! 🦑
There's no emoji for screaming into a pillow, so here's screaming into the void. Because-- what-- that-- Jacob in the new SMAU-- I-- Sunwoo in the new SMAU with that congrats and declaring they're dating. "What side of the--" I-- gobsmacked.
All of the parts of the SMAU were great. I'm so sorry I'm only focusing on those two. They're stuck at the forefront for me TT I'll be back. Gotta go scream into the void again.
-🦑 (cryptid anon, or perhaps.. ✨ late ✨crytid anon)
OMGGGG CRYPTID ANON😭 NOT YOU BEING STUCK ON JACOB AND SUNWOO LOL 😭😭 valid tho bc cobie was out here making hearts melt 🫠🫠🫠🫠💕 meanwhile SUNWOO really went ‘WHICH SIDE OF THE BED U WANT’ like... the delulu is strong in this one LMAO they really had me kicking my feet while writing them🤭 thank u for always sent me your reaction and tysm for screaming in my inbox 🦑 anon ur void screams r my new love language fr <3
OMG this is so hot?? im so excited for the next chapters please have 50 chapters MY STOMACH DID A THING EVEN
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OMG 🐧 anon 😭🥹 you dont know how much im smiling reading this… 50 chapters 😭😭 thats so crazy but also sooo sweet of you to even want that 🥺🩷 im really happy you enjoyed it this much!! i’ll try to make the chapters longer if i can hehe 📝 and seriously thank you for always waiting for my new stories, it means the world to me 🐧💖 you’re the sweetest fr!! 🥹🥹🥹🥹
Just read mine to bleed chp 1 im sooo ready for the next update already and ive been talking a break from the boyz (i still love them🩷) thats why i haven’t been on here inna minute but im back !! Missed u and ur page i see u have new anons im happy for u!!
-🦔
welcome back 🦔 anon 🥹💕 i missed you too!! omggg i was honestly so nervous abt posting ‘Only Mine to Bleed’ bc i wasnt in the best condition while writing but seeing you enjoy it and even waiting for the next chapter really gave me a huge boost ;; so glad you’re back 🥺💖 and yess i do have some new anons now!! im so happy my little anon family is growing with all the cute emojis 😭✨ but nothing beats having you back in it 🦔 anon 💞 pls never worry abt taking a break, im just happy you’re here again! love youuu
Back with another supernatural THE BOYZ AU! For the best experience, read The Boyz as Vampires first before stepping into this story. Then come get lost in the hunger, the fire, and the chaos with me! 𖹭
pairing: vampire!sunwoo x nurse!fem!reader
genre: dark romance, slow burn, forbidden love, suggestive, hurt/comfort, supernatural au, vampire au, implied smut in later chapter (18+)
warnings: suggestive, mention of blood, possessive!sunwoo, cocky!sunwoo
wc: 5.3k
status: on going
chapter list: ➤ introduction ➤ chapter 1
author note: apologies for the long wait, my lovely readers! thank you for your patience ♡ also feel free to leave a comment if you’d like to be added to the tag list!
The hospital always felt different at night. Most nurses hated the graveyard shift, but for you it was quieter. Less noise, fewer demands, and more time to just… breathe.
You liked the stillness. On night shift, silence meant safety.
But tonight, something felt wrong.
Somewhere in the hospital, a shadow moved.
***
Sunwoo hated hospitals.
Too many bodies. Too much blood.
But his “family” was starving, and as the newest turned, they sent him on errands like a dog on a leash: Steal the blood bags, come back. Nothing more.
Simple… until he smelled it.
Sweet. Alive.
The kind of scent that didn’t belong in a plastic bag, but inside a pulsing vein.
The scent hit his throat like fire, burning down his chest, sparking through his veins until his skin flushed hot, fangs aching. He staggered, one palm braced against the cold wall, swallowing down a growl.
And then he saw you.
Bent over the nurses’ station, uniform white under the harsh lights, hair pulled back to expose the faint curve of your neck.
The scent was you.
Sunwoo was caught between moving and not, suspended in disbelief. His eyes widened.
It had been two years.
Two years since he had last seen you, the girl he used to like, back when he was just Kim Sunwoo—25, stupid, loud, human. The girl who smiled at him like she meant it every single time, who laughed at all his dumb jokes as if they were the funniest things in the world. The one who never tried to change him, never looked past him, but saw him exactly as he was, while carrying her own quiet, self-contained world.
He’d thought he lost that chance forever, that he’d lost you forever, along with the warmth of the sun.
“...(Y/N),” his voice cracked like gravel, the name torn from him before he could stop it.
Your head snapped up.
For a heartbeat, you thought the shadows were playing tricks on you, until the figure stepped forward, hoodie low, face half-lit.
The pen slipped from your hand.
“...Sunwoo?”
Your body moved before your mind caught up, shoes skidding on tile as you ran straight into him.
“Sunwoo!”
You crashed against his chest, arms locking tight. Relief burned into anger as your fists thudded once against him before you broke, tears blurring your vision as you buried your face against him.
His body was solid, real, his scent achingly familiar. Chest heaved shallow as he stood stiff in your grip, every inhale dragging your sweetness deeper into him until his fangs throbbed with need.
Then his arms snapped around you. Not gentle—possessive. Like if he squeezed hard enough, he could fuse you into him and never let go again.
He buried his face into your neck, inhaling you like a man drowning, your pulse hammering against his lips.
Your scent. He could almost taste you.
“You—” your voice cracked, “you were gone, you were missing for years—! The police have been looking for you for months! After they found your car turned upside down the hill—erupted into flames—everyone thought the worst. I thought—I thought something happened, I thought you were—” you couldn’t finish the word: dead.
Your throat tightened as the questions tumbled out, desperate, trembling. “Where have you been all this time? How can you survive that?”
His chest shuddered against yours, a silence stretching until it almost hurt.
Then, rough and low, his voice muffled against your neck. “...I shouldn’t be this close to you.” The words weren’t an answer, they were an evasion, frayed at the edges, carrying weight he wouldn’t name.
You pulled back just enough to cradle his face, your hands unsteady, not from weakness but from the fear that if you blinked, he would vanish again.
His skin was cold, unnaturally still, like marble that had forgotten life. “You look pale—are you sick? That’s why you’re here?”
Sunwoo smirked faintly, lips twitching like he wanted to play it off. “Sick of not seeing you these past two years, maybe.”
You glared through tears. “I’m serious.”
“So am I.” His hand sliding slowly upward until his fingers wrapped around the delicate curve of your neck. His thumb brushed dangerously close to your pulse, lingering there as if testing the frantic rhythm beneath your skin. “I missed you…”
Your heart skipped a beat. “…Sunwoo—”
He leaned in, cheek brushing yours until his nose skimmed down to your jaw. The faintest graze of his lips at your neck made your breath hitch.
“God,” he whispered, voice raw, “you smell like trouble.”
Every muscle in your body locked.
His mouth hovered over your throat, close enough to burn, close enough for his fangs to scrape if he stopped restraining himself. His entire body trembled with the effort of not sinking in.
And for one terrifying, intoxicating second, he swore he might.
***
Your hands trembled, but you didn’t pull away. The boy you thought you’d lost forever—he was here. Changed, but here.
“Sunwoo,” you whispered again.
“Careful saying my name like that,” his chest shook with a sound you couldn’t name, half a laugh, half a growl. “Keep tempting me and I’ll do something spectacularly unforgivable.”
“What do you mean?”
He pulled back just enough to meet your eyes, the corner of his mouth twitching upward. “It means I’m hanging by a thread here, and you’re the one pulling it tighter. Cute, right?”
Sunwoo’s grip on you tightened, thumb grazing dangerously close to your throat. He leaned in again, lips hovering over your skin again, so close you felt the ghost of a graze, like he was seconds away from sinking in.
And then, he froze.
His whole body shuddered like restraint cost him everything. With a sharp exhale, he wrenched himself back too suddenly, as though your skin scorched him.
Before you could ask what was wrong—
The sharp ring of the nurses’ station phone sliced through the silence.
Sunwoo let out a breathless laugh, forcing a crooked grin onto his face. “Guess that’s your cue. You should probably get that, nurse.” His tone was playful, but the edge in his voice betrayed how tightly wound he was.
You blinked at him, torn, but habit won out, you turned and picked up the receiver.
“Hello? This is night shift, how can I help?” Your voice steadied as you answered, but your mind was still with him, every nerve buzzing with the ghost of his touch, the threat in his tone.
It was only a quick call—an update from another floor, a routine—but when you hung up and turned back…
The hallway was empty.
No trace of him.
No sound of footsteps, no lingering shadow.
Just the faintest warmth still tingling on your throat, where his breath had been.
Your chest tightened. You rushed forward, peering around the corridor, but he was gone. Just like before.
“...Sunwoo?” you called softly, your voice cracking.
Silence answered.
You pressed both hands to your lips, biting down hard to smother the sob clawing its way out. Anger surged hot beneath the grief—how dare he come back, only to rip himself away again.
This time, you swore, you would find him.
Even if he kept running.
Even if he didn’t want to be found.
Because the boy you missed—the boy who came back—was real.
And you weren’t going to let him slip away again.
***
The next day came too quickly.
By late aftenoon, you were back at the hospital. The hallways were louder now, filled with patients’ chatter and hurried footsteps, but none of it could drown out the memory of last night.
It was still there. Clinging to you like a second skin.
The way his cold cheek burned faintly under your touch.
The way his breath grazed your neck, low and dangerous, whispering words that made your knees weak.
And the way the hallway had fallen empty, leaving you reaching out for someone who was already gone.
You swallowed hard, trying to steady yourself as you signed in at the station, but your chest still ached with the echo of his absence.
“(Y/N).” Hana, another nurse from your department, called lightly as she walked past with a clipboard.
You turned to see her approaching, her expression unusually tense. She lowered her voice the moment she reached you.
“Did you hear what happened?”
You blinked. “What?”
“The blood bank.” She leaned in closer, as though afraid someone else might overhear. “They found half the bags missing this morning.”
Your breath hitched. “...Missing?”
She nodded sharply, eyes wide. “Gone. And here’s the creepy part—CCTV didn’t catch anyone going in or out. It’s like they just disappeared.”
A cold shiver ran through you.
“No one entered?” you asked carefully.
“Not a soul.” Hana’s voice dropped further. “Security’s rattled, doctors are pissed, and they’re already questioning staff. If they don’t figure it out soon, police might get involved.”
You clutched your clipboard tighter, trying to mask the sudden racing of your heartbeat.
Half the blood bags.
No signs.
No trace.
“Anyway,” Hana sighed, shaking her head, “if anyone asks, you were just at the station doing rounds, right? Keep it simple. They’re checking every name on the schedule.”
“...Right,” you murmured.
But even as Hana walked off, her words buzzing in your ears, you couldn’t shake it.
***
The rest of your shift crawled by. Every beep of the monitors, every shuffle of footsteps, every flicker of movement in your peripheral vision made your nerves prickle.
When you finally had a moment alone, you sank into the break room chair, pressing your palms over your eyes.
You should’ve felt exhausted. Instead, irritation burned under your skin—at him, at yourself, at the silence he left behind.
Last night hadn’t been a dream.
You’d touched him, held him, felt his body tremble under your hands. Sunwoo was alive. Here. Changed, but alive.
But why disappear again?
Your mind circled back to Hana’s words, looping over and over. Half the blood bags. Gone. No trace.
Your throat tightened. It couldn’t be connected. Could it?
You reached into your pocket, pulling out your phone before you could stop yourself. His number was still saved there, the name [Sunwoo ☀️] staring up at you like some cruel joke. Your thumb hovered over the call button.
Would it even work?
Two years without a word, and now he shows up in a hospital hallway only to vanish like smoke.
Did he even keep the same number? Did he want you to find him?
Your phone screen dimmed before you could decide. With a sharp exhale, you shoved the phone back into your pocket. Pathetic. That was the word buzzing in your head. Two years without him, and you were still here. Waiting. Hoping.
The door creaked, snapping you upright.
It was only one of the interns, muttering to himself as he rifled through the cabinets for supplies. Still, your pulse skittered like you’d been caught doing something wrong.
You forced a smile, grabbed your clipboard, and slipped out into the hall again.
But even surrounded by the noise of the hospital, you couldn’t shake the feeling.
That he was still here.
That somewhere in the building, his eyes were on you.
And… you weren’t wrong.
From the far end of the corridor, where the light cut off into shadow, Sunwoo leaned against the wall, hood pulled low. His chest rose and fell too sharply, as though even standing near you pulled the breath from his lungs.
You hadn’t noticed the way his gaze tracked you, each step you took tugging something taut inside him.
Sunwoo had left last night. He told himself he wouldn’t return—that he couldn’t. What if he snapped? What if he lost control and sank his teeth where he shouldn’t?
But somehow, he was here again.
Drawn back like a moth to fire, knowing it could burn him.
Just being near you, breathing in your scent, eased the ache gnawing at him. It didn’t quench the thirst—it never could—but it dulled the sharp edge of his hunger, numbed the pain of wanting.
For now, watching you from the shadows and breathing you in was enough.
***
The next day, sunlight spilled through the glass storefront, too warm, too ordinary for the thoughts crowding your head.
It wasn’t your shift today, and if it weren’t for Mina—your closest friend from college—you would’ve stayed curled up in your apartment, replaying the other night on an endless loop.
Instead, you found yourself across from her at a corner table, the café buzzing with soft music and chatter, the scent of espresso weaving through the air.
“So?” Mina prompted, stirring her iced Americano. “You look like you haven’t slept in days. Spill.”
You hesitated, fingers tightening around your cup. Then, quietly, you said, “I saw him.”
Mina blinked. “...Who?”
“Sunwoo.” The name scraped out of you like a secret. “He came to the hospital the other night. I was alone at the station and then—he was just there. But later… he was gone again.”
Mina’s straw clinked against the glass. She leaned in, brows furrowed. “Wait. Kim Sunwoo? Your hot friend whose body went missing after that car accident two years ago?”
“I thought I was imagining it at first, but—” Your throat tightened. “He felt real. I touched him. He hugged me back. He was alive.”
Mina studied you, lips pressed tight. Then she exhaled. “(Y/N)... you know what this sounds like, right? You’re still mourning him. You never got closure, and now your brain’s playing tricks on you.”
“No,” you said firmly, shaking your head. “His skin—it was cold, but I swear, he was there. I wasn’t hallucinating.”
Mina tilted her head, smirk tugging at her lips. “Cold skin, missing for years... you sure it wasn’t a ghost?”
She laughed, but you didn’t. You just shook your head slowly and took a sip of your latte, the warmth grounding you against the chill still lingering in your memory.
Mina’s laughter faded when she saw your expression, but she didn’t press. Instead, she reached across the table, covering your hand with hers.
“You need to let him go,” she said softly.
But you couldn’t.
Because you knew what ghosts felt like. And whatever Sunwoo was... he wasn’t that.
You raised a brow. “What?”
Mina’s thumb brushed your knuckles, her smile softening into something more mischievous.
“You know what else you need?”
“A boyfriend.”
You nearly choked on your latte. “Excuse me?”
She leaned in, voice sing-song. “Someone real. Someone you can actually hold, text, kiss goodnight. Not a shadow from the past haunting your dreams.”
“Mina—”
“Listen, I already have plans this Friday. A blind date. Two guys are coming, and I can’t just show up alone like some desperate girl. Please come with me. I’ll die if I sit there third-wheeling with some random dude.”
You stared at her. “So you want me to play your wingwoman?”
“Yes. And maybe find your own happy distraction while you’re at it.” She clasped her hands together dramatically before reaching across to cup yours, eyes wide and pleading. “Please, (Y/N)? Just this once. For me?”
You dragged a hand down your face, half a groan, half a laugh. She always knew how to corner you, like a prosecutor presenting evidence you couldn’t fight.
“Fine,” you muttered.
Mina squealed, the sound turning heads at nearby tables. “I knew you’d say yes! Okay, Friday night, don’t make plans. You’re mine.”
You shook your head, forcing a small smile as you sipped your coffee.
But somewhere deep inside, the thought of sitting across from some stranger while Sunwoo’s memory still clung to your skin made your chest tighten.
***
The night air stung colder than you expected.
By the time you parted ways with Mina, your arms ached from shopping bags, your throat raw from singing too many karaoke duets. You hadn’t realized how late it had gotten—too comfortable, too careless—until you found yourself walking alone through the narrow backstreet toward your apartment.
The alley was empty. The kind of empty that made sound echo sharper than it should.
You hugged yourself against the chill, your steps quick, your mind drifting where it shouldn’t: back to the hospital. Back to him.
The faint graze of his breath against your skin. The tremor of his cold cheek under your palm when you cradled his face. The crushing grip of his arms locking you against him like he could fuse you into his chest.
It was too vivid, too real. You couldn’t convince yourself it was a dream.
And then—
You felt it.
The prickling weight of a stare crawling up your spine. The cadence of a second set of footsteps, silent but there.
You quickened your pace, your apartment close enough that you could see the faint glow of the streetlamp near your building. If you just kept moving—
But curiosity hooked sharper than fear.
You stopped. Turned.
And froze.
There he was.
Standing in the mouth of the alley, black hoodie shadowing half his face, hands shoved into his pockets like he’d been waiting for you all along.
Your heart lurched. Before you could stop yourself, you strode straight to him, fists bunching in his chest as you shoved hard.
“Why disappear like that again?!”
Sunwoo’s body barely shifted under your push, but his smirk curved sharp in the dim light. He cocked his head, eyes glinting with mischief beneath the hood.
“Because,” he drawled, “you make such a dramatic reunion every time. Don’t you think it’d be boring if I just… stayed?”
“Do you think this is a joke?” You glared at him.
His grin widened, infuriatingly boyish. “Kind of. I mean, you chasing after me like this? It’s flattering. Should I vanish more often?”
“Sunwoo.” His name came through your teeth, half warning, half plea.
He leaned down, close enough that your breath caught, his voice lowering into that playful, dangerous murmur. “Relax. I’m here, aren’t I? Warm welcome and all. Or… cold, technically.”
“You’re impossible.”
“Impossible to forget,” he shot back instantly, grin tugging higher. He straightened, hands sliding lazily out of his pockets. “You’re still so easy to rile up. Cute, really.”
“You can’t just—come and go as you please,” you snapped. “Do you have any idea what that does to me?”
His smile softened into something that almost looked real—before it twisted sly again. “Oh, I have an idea. That’s why I do it. Keeps me on your mind, doesn’t it?”
You hated how true it was.
Sunwoo stepped closer, the air around you tightening with his presence. “So, tell me,” he murmured, eyes dark, teasing, “what’ll it be this time? Do I disappear again, or do you stop me?”
Your throat tightened. He was too close now, the faint brush of his breath prickling your cheek.
“Stop you?” Your voice came out softer than you wanted. “You think this is some kind of game?”
“Isn’t it?” His eyes glinted sharp in the dark. “You chase, I run. I disappear, you ache. I show up again, and here you are—pushing at me, demanding answers. It’s fun. Addicting, even.”
“You’re—” You bit down hard on the words, your hands trembling against his chest. “You’re cruel.”
That made him laugh. “Cruel? No. Cruel would be not showing up at all. You’d hate that more, wouldn’t you?”
His grin sharpened, victorious. He dipped his head lower until his nose grazed your temple, his voice a hushed scrape against your ear.
“See? You don’t want me gone. You want me here. You always did.”
“Sunwoo…”
You tried to sound firm, but it cracked like glass in your throat.
He leaned back just enough to catch your eyes, his own dark and bright all at once. Mischief sparking, danger lurking. “Say it. Tell me you want me here. Tell me not to go.”
Your chest heaved, breath trembling. The words sat heavy on your tongue, but you couldn’t force them out. Not when he looked at you like that, like he already knew.
Sunwoo’s smirk softened into something hungrier. His cold hand slid up, fingers curling lightly around your wrist, his thumb brushing the flutter of your pulse. Heat bloomed there, sharp, warning.
“God,” he whispered, almost to himself, “you make me want to ruin every bit of restraint I have left.”
He pressed in closer, until your back skimmed the wall, his chest flush with yours. The alley was too narrow, too dark, too quiet. His voice dropped lower, a playful lilt barely covering the rawness underneath.
“So… what’s it gonna be?” His grin returned, cocky, dangerous. “Do I vanish again and drive you insane—” his thumb pressed firmer against your pulse, veins in his hand faintly glowing with heat—“or do I stay, and you risk finding out what I really am?”
“You’re not funny.”
Sunwoo only laughed, that low, breathless sound that curled down your spine like smoke. He tilted his head, lips quirking in mock innocence.
“Wait. Don’t tell me…” His grin widened. “Are you seriously thinking I was a ghost?”
Your eyes snapped to him, wide. “What—? No!”
“Oh, come on.” He leaned in, dropping his voice to a whisper as if sharing a delicious secret. “Cold skin, disappearing acts, showing up in empty hallways at night. Tell me that doesn’t sound exactly like a haunting.”
You shoved him again, but he barely moved, his grin only stretching wider as your frustration grew. His laughter shook against your palms.
“Wow. You really did. You thought I was some spirit clinging to you.”
“I did not!” you hissed, heat rushing to your face.
“You did,” he teased, sing-song, eyes glinting as he bent down until his nose nearly brushed yours. “What’s cuter than you hugging a ghost and crying about it?”
You tried to push him away again, but this time he caught your wrists in one hand, his grip gentle but firm enough to stop you. The laughter in his eyes dimmed just slightly, replaced by something sharper—still playful, but edged.
“Anyway,” he murmured, his gaze dragging down to your parted lips before settling back on your eyes, “I’ve been meaning to ask…”
He let the words hang, suspense curling between you like static.
“Do you really want to go to that blind date?”
You froze.
The teasing tone was still there, but underneath it—something else. Knowing. Possessive.
Your stomach dropped.
He shouldn’t know. There was no way—
But then you remembered Mina’s voice at the café, your own reluctant sigh, the promise you’d made just to get her off your back.
You stared at him, pulse racing. “...How do you—”
“What, you think I wasn’t there? You talk too loud, you know.”
Your mouth went dry. He leaned back casually, like this was the most natural thing in the world, like following you home and overhearing your private conversations was just… fun.
“You were—” heat rising up your neck—not from embarrassment, but from fury. “You were there? You were listening?!”
“What can I say? You’re entertaining. Better than any blind date Mina could set you up with.”
Your chest tightened as realization sank in, he’d been watching, listening, close enough to catch every word.
And judging by the smug curl of his mouth, he wasn’t even trying to hide it.
“Blind date,” he repeated slowly, tasting the words like they were ridiculous on his tongue. He chuckled, shaking his head. “So you’re really gonna sit across from some stranger and pretend to laugh at his boring jokes? Let him walk you home? Maybe even let him hold your hand?”
“That’s—none of your business.”
“Oh, it’s definitely my business.” His grin was wicked, like he knew just how far to push before you broke. He leaned closer, voice dropping, mocking but smooth. “What kind of guy even signs up for a blind date? Desperate, right? Bet he’ll show up sweating through his shirt, talking about his crypto investments.”
You choked out a laugh despite yourself, but the way his eyes locked onto yours made it hard to breathe.
“And you.” He clicked his tongue, playful scolding. “You’d just sit there, being polite, nodding along. Maybe even smiling at him.” His voice dipped lower, brushing against something more dangerous. “Cute little smiles that don’t belong to anyone but me.”
Your chest tightened. “Sunwoo—”
He straightened, letting go of your wrists only to brush imaginary dust from your sleeve like it was an excuse to linger. His smirk turned razor sharp.
“Tell me honestly,” he drawled, “do you really think anyone else could make you laugh the way I do? Or drive you this crazy?”
You bit your lip, glaring at him, but your silence only made his smile sharpen.
The laughter in his eyes softened into something heavier. His gaze slipped—down your face, over the curve of your jaw, until it landed on your throat.
And then he stilled.
The playful energy between you shifted, thickening into something that made the air hard to breathe. His eyes lingered on the faint line of your pulse, beating fast beneath your skin.
“Don’t.” Your voice cracked, but this time it was sharp, almost a warning. “Don’t look at me like that.”
He didn’t answer. He leaned in instead, slowly, like gravity was pulling him to you. His breath brushed your neck, warm against the shiver racing through you.
For a suspended moment, you felt him hovering there, like a predator imagining the first taste. You could almost sense the scrape of fangs that hadn’t yet touched, the way he was picturing your blood spilling heat across his tongue.
Your knees weakened.
And then—he tore himself back. Too fast. Too sudden. Like it cost him everything just to stop.
“I need to go,” he whispered, voice raw, frayed at the edges.
“Wait—” you reached for him, fingertips grazing his sleeve.
But he slipped away before you could hold him, already running, his figure swallowed by the night.
Your body went rigid, breath trembling, heart aching with the echo of his absence.
But this time, you didn’t chase him.
Because deep down, you knew—he would come back to you.
***
The woods pressed in tighter the deeper he ran, until the mansion rose from the trees like a carcass of stone. To human eyes, it was abandoned. Ivy strangling its walls, windows fractured, roof half-collapsed. Haunted, forgotten.
But the moment Sunwoo pushed through the gates, the air shifted.
Inside, the halls thrummed with life—not human, but the low hum of vampires. Firelight flickered across torn velvet and polished wood, portraits with eyes that seemed to follow, staircases that creaked under the weight of immortals who had long made this place their sanctuary.
“Look who’s back,” Hyunjae drawled from the balcony, his voice laced with smug amusement. “Our flame-brained newborn.”
“Don’t call me that,” Sunwoo muttered, shrugging his hood off.
The heat in his veins hadn’t yet cooled; faint wisps of steam curled from his fingertips before he flexed them shut.
Juyeon’s figure slinked from shadow into light, casual as he shifted out of the form of a black cat mid-step. His grin was too sharp. “Careful, Sunwoo. You keep burning that hot, the whole city will notice.”
It was true.
Every vampire was born—or turned—with a special ability forged in blood. Some could bend minds, some twist dreams, some possessed powers sharp enough to kill with a thought, a touch, or a whisper.
And Sunwoo’s? Flame. Flame Vein.
His blood carried volatile heat, embers smoldering under his skin. The kind that made his touch scorch when anger spiked, the kind that warped the air around him until it shimmered like a mirage. Every slip of control brought that fire closer to the surface—through his hands, searing anything he touched, or, if he willed it, forcing it into another’s veins until they burned alive from the inside out.
A dangerous gift for a vampire who hadn’t yet mastered his thirst.
Haknyeon snorted from his spot on the sofa. “Yeah. Last week he nearly torched the curtains just because Eric wouldn’t shut up. You’re a walking fire hazard, bro.”
Changmin’s laugh was low, sharp, nothing playful in it. “Fire hazard? Try arsonist. I was there when he lost it, burned half my sofa to ash in under a minute. Didn’t even touch it, just looked at me with those veins lit up. Thought I’d be next.”
Kevin shut his book with a sigh. “Do you ever think about how predictable you are? Emotions flare, the flame follows. You’re practically begging to be studied, Sunwoo.”
“Or hunted,” Younghoon added smoothly from the corner, his tone quiet but cutting. “Dreamers like me can hide. You? One slip, and this whole mansion will burn to ashes.”
Sunwoo’s jaw flexed, heat sparking across his knuckles, but the others only smirked at the threat.
Chanhee perched elegantly on the armrest. “Still. Better than burning a whole city down, hm? These days? He’s not burning up here. He’s burning time wandering the city. Our rookie’s got himself a new hobby.”
Eric—another newborn—piped up from the corner, his voice crackling in Sunwoo’s head before his lips even moved. He’s definitely chasing his little human. Look at him.
“Shut up,” Sunwoo muttered aloud, earning a chorus of laughter.
Eric groaned dramatically. “I told you! It’s a girl. He’s obsessed. I can hear it buzzing in his head.”
“Can you shut that damn telepathy off for once?!” Sunwoo snapped at him, heat sparking through his veins. The chandelier above them rattled, light flickering like it could feel the fire simmering in his blood.
“Careful,” Jacob said gently from his chair, voice calm but edged with quiet warning. “Your control isn’t as strong as you think, Sunwoo.”
Sunwoo exhaled slowly, forcing the heat in his chest to settle.
“Enough.”
The single word cut clean through the noise.
Sangyeon.
He rose from his chair at the long dining table, his presence stilling the room. Centuries of command sat in his voice, and when his gaze fell on Sunwoo, it felt heavy as chains.
“You’re reckless,” Sangyeon said evenly. “Flame Vein is volatile. Lose control, and you’ll expose us all.”
Sunwoo’s jaw tightened, but he couldn’t look away.
Sangyeon’s tone sharpened, laced with warning. “How many times must I tell you? You do not chase humans. You do not kill humans. Not anymore. That is my law. And especially here, in this city—hunters still crawl in the dark, waiting for one of us to slip.”
The room fell silent, every brother’s attention caught by the weight of Sangyeon’s words.
The heat under Sunwoo’s skin flared hotter, anger and shame warring in his chest. He wanted to protest, to say your name, to admit he couldn’t stop. But Sangyeon’s command sat like fire in his throat, burning down any excuse.
“Do not test me, Sunwoo,” Sangyeon said, quieter now but more dangerous. “I turned you from death because I believed you were worth saving. Don’t prove me wrong.”
Sunwoo’s jaw locked. He forced his heat back under his skin, masking it in silence.
He could bow to Sangyeon, repay the life he’d been given. Gratitude chained him to Sangyeon’s will, yet his hunger chained him to you. A hunger hotter than flame, sharper than thirst.
And deep down, he knew—no law, no oath, not even Sangyeon’s command would stop him that one day, he’d taste you.
how are you doing queen 🫶🏼 idk what to read i wish i could read love diagnosis for the first time again 🤒
🐧
hi angel 🫶🏻 im doing alright now, thank u for checking in 🥹 hbu? anyways hearing you say that abt Love is a Diagnosis makes me wanna cry in the best way 😭😭😭
Hiii, I haven't heard from you in a while and I got soo happy when I got the notification..
I've been rereading your Sunwoo fics for the nth time and I think I'm loving it more and more each time.
Hope you’re doing well and I can’t wait for the upcoming surprises from you. (Maybe or maybe not have heard about that vampire Sunwoo AU..?)
- 🦝
🦝 ANON I MISS YOU!!! you reread werewolf!sunwoo for the NTH TIME?? hdjdkfk pls thats actually insane to me 😭💕 the fact that you love it more and more each time… im literally honored like my silly little words being reread like that?? you’re spoiling me fr 😭🫶
im so sorry for disappearing from tumblr for a bit... there was a lot going on, but please dont worry! things are fine now and im slowly getting back to writing again ✨ thank you for being so patient with me, it really means a lot 🥹
and hehe… 👀 vampire!Sunwoo might just be waiting in the shadows, so stay tuned 🩸😈
It is me! You called me a cryptid once and, well, I decided to roll with it lol cause there’s no emoji for lateness 💀
I’ll look forward to that new Sunwoo AU! 👏🏼 Hope you have a nice rest of the week!!
- 🦑 (cryptid anon!)
🦑 anon!! honestly the squid emoji suits you so well?? but yeah, i cant think of any emoji for lateness either lmao 😭 but hey lateness doesnt matter here at all actually😌~ you’re always welcome whenever you pop up 🥺 also thank you for looking forward to vampire!sunwoo hehe cant wait to share his chaos with you 🩸🔥 wishing you the coziest rest of the week too!!🥰🥰
