Prove you're better
“you weren't supposed to find out like this”
SUMMARY: you and jungwon have always existed in quiet competition. shared glances over test papers, sharp words exchanged in hushed libraries, a rivalry that never quite crosses into something softer… until it does.
when he suddenly disappears, the silence he leaves behind is louder than anything else. curiosity (or something close to concern) leads you to his doorstep, only to discover something you were never meant to see.
PAIRING: vampire! jungwon x human! reader
GENRE: supernatural, dark romance(if you squint), academic rivals, slow burn, angst, horror elements
CW! blood, injury, violent attack, biting, graphic pain descriptions, loss of consciousness, power imbalance, posessiveness, competition, enemies(?) to something worse.
WORD COUNT: 2515
⁺‧₊˚ ཐི⋆♱⋆ཋྀ ˚₊‧⁺
quiet. that’s the only word that can describe the library.
not silent. never silent. the soft sound of pages turning, the faint scribble of pencils against paper, the occasional scrape of a chair. it all felt amplified here.
you sat at your usual table in the back corner by the window, highlighters lined up and notes spread out in a neat, deliberate mess. everything was where it was supposed to be. except for him, of course.
“you’re early,” his voice came from behind you, low and smooth. methodically. it carried that edge that always made your spine straighten.
“im always early” you reply, not looking up from your notes. “you just don’t care enough to show up.”
he sat across from you, the chair making a scraping sound in the already still room. “some people don't have to work as hard.”
he leaned back slightly in the wooden chair, those dark, sharp eyes fixated on you with that familiar unreadable expression. his hair fell lightly over his forehead, and under the library lights his skin looked almost too pale. from another world, as some people would say.
“that’s why you're annoying,” she scoffs.
“yet you still make the effort to study with me,” he raises one of those shady eyebrows, leaning his head on his hand. he was slouched in a way that can only be interpreted as… still?
“don’t flatter yourself. i do this for myself,” you speak, forcing your voice to come out even, which often fails around him. how much more insufferable could a person be?
“and you’re the only one who can keep up.”
a wave of silence falls over you both, but it wasn’t uncomfortable. it never was. not with him.
that was what was strange.
you didn’t like jungwon. not really. he was competitive, irritatingly smart, and always one step ahead of you no matter how hard you worked. every test was like a silent battle. every assignment was like a race.
and yet every afternoon, the two of you ended up here. same table, same arguments, same rhythm.
he leans forward, eyes scanning over your notes. “you got question 7 wrong.”
“no i didn't,” your hands tightened on your pen.
“you did”
“didn't”
he reached over, tapping the page lightly. “your equation’s off,” his smirk widens, giving you a subtle view of his pearly whites.
“it’s literally not-”
“yes, it is.”
you glared at him. he stared back, completely unfazed.
“...fine.” you muttered, shoving the paper towards him. “you can fix it then.”
a flicker of something crossed his face before he picks the pen out of your hand. amusement? his fingers brushed yours for the shortest second, and you pulled back instinctively.
cold. that was your first thought. not just cool. cold. cold like he’d just stepped out of winter.
you blinked, staring at his hand a moment longer than necessary.
“problem?” he asked without looking up from the paper.
“why would there be?”
“you’re staring at my hand like i used it to punch through a wall.”
“there’s no problem,” you confirm, leaning back in the chair as he corrected your work with quick, precise movements. his handwriting was fairly neat.
obviously.
“done,” he says, sliding the paper back to you.
you glance down to look at the correction. he was right. “thanks.”
“don’t mention it”
“oh, i won’t”
another pause. outside, the sky had already started to darken, the fading light casting silhouettes across the library floor. most students had packed up and gone by now. only a few remained, including you and him, too.
you checked the time, “i’m gonna go. it's getting late.”
jungwon didn’t respond immediately. he simply stared at you, his dark eyes indecipherable. not in the usual way. no, this was different. his gaze lingered, sharper, more focused, like he was trying to memorise something.
“what?” you asked, hands brushing your hair subconsciously. “you’re being weird.”
“nothing. im always weird, apparently,” a faint smile tugged at his lips, but it didn’t quite meet his eyes. “...let me walk you home?”
yeah, something was off. jungwon wasn’t attending. he was rude. feisty. always had a bone to pick with you.
“im capable of walking on my own, dont you think?” you begin to pack your notes away, stuffing your white pencil case into your bag along with the plastic water bottle that you had been using for the past few hours.
“that’s not what i meant.”
“seemed like it. goodluck on the maths test tomorrow. you’ll need all the luck you can get,” you sneer, eyes twinkling with competitiveness that has only ever shown between the two of you.
“lets not get too cocky now.”
you swung your bag over your shoulder, pushing your chair in a soft ‘skrrt’. jungwon didn’t move. not a twitch. he just watched you, elbows resting on the table, fingers interlaced like he was holding himself back from saying something.
“you’re really leaving now?”
“thats what ‘im gonna go’ usually means.”
you expected him to roll those sharp eyes, or scoff, or throw some snarky remark, but it didn't come. he stood up, stepping around the table, stopping a little too close in a way that made your breath hitch. the both of you were close enough that you could see the faint shadows under his eyes, the way his lashes cast soft lines over his cheeks.
why were men always blessed with long lashes?
“you shouldn’t walk home alone when it’s dark,” he said, tone flat but not uncaring. strange. “the lights on your road flicker.”
you blinked. “and you know that how?”
he froze for half a second. barely noticeable, but you caught it.
“i’ve walked that way before,” he said simply.
“right,” you drawled. “coincidence.”
“maybe.”
you narrowed your eyes. he didnt look away. he never did. bastard. why was it so hard to break the contact? genuinely, what was his problem?
“jungwon,” you said slowly, “are you okay?” the tone of your voice shocked even yourself. never had you found yourself being anywhere near kind to him.
his lips part like he was about to talk but instead he exhaled slowly, gaze drifting to the window behind you. the sky outside was a deep blue now.
“im fine” he snaps.
god, okay. only asking.
you stepped past him, brushing his shoulder . he was cold again. not freezing, but cold enough that it made you pause.
“you should wear a jacket,” you huffed, slightly annoyed with his tone and cryptic, short answers.
“i dont get cold.”
“everyone gets cold, buddy.”
“not me.”
you gave him a look. he gave you that same unreadable expression back. then without warning, he reached out and tugged your bag strap, stopping you from walking away. your breath caught.
“i said let me walk you home,” he said again, a bit quieter this time. not demanding or teasing. just… asking, with a very slight push.
you stared at him, trying to decipher the shift in his tone. the library lights flickered a bit overhead, throwing a soft glow across his features. you had to admit, he was blessed in that department, too. what wasn’t perfect about him?
“fine. but only because i could use some company, even if that means you of all people.”
he hums, lips twitching just the littlest amount. you rolled your eyes and headed towards th exit. he followed, steps silent, presence unmistakable. as you pushed open the library food, the cool night air hit you. you shivered. jungwon didn’t.
he glanced at you, something flickering in his eyes again. “cold?”
“no,” you lied.
he didn't call you out on it. he just walked beside you, hands in his pockets.
⁺‧₊˚ ཐི⋆♱⋆ཋྀ ˚₊‧⁺
the math test was… something, to say the least. for once in your life, you weren’t completely sure if you had aced it or if you’d need to change your name and flee the country. at least it was over.
what wasn’t over was this feeling in your chest. because jungwon wasn’t there. not in his seat. not in the hallway. not anywhere.
by lunch, the whispers had already started.
“did you hear? jungwon hasn’t been in all week.”
“maybe he’s sick”
“him? sick? as if. he never misses tests, anyway.”
“maybe he got tired of beating everyone.”
you tried to brush it off and pretend like you didn’t care. this was jungwon. the same guy who you’re supposed to hate. the guy who always turns classes into a competition.
but maybe you cared more than you wanted to admit.
his lack of presence made the air feel empty around you. there was nobody to fill the silence with arrogant remarks or sarcastic comments.
by the end of the day, you find yourself standing outside the school gates, staring down the alley in which led to his house.
“this is so stupid,” you muttered. you started walking, following the familiar trail you strolled every friday evening. 4pm exactly, always on time for your study sessions.
the trail was quieter than expected. too quiet. the kind of quiet that made you feel exposed, like you were trespassing on something you didn’t understand. to be fair, jungwon’s house was pretty secluded. this wasn’t unusual.
when you step foot onto his porch, the lights were dimmed. what were you even supposed to say?
hey, i noticed you weren’t at school and got worried even though i pretend to hate you?
hard pass.
you took a breath and stepped forward, but before you could knock, a rustling sound came from the alley beside the house.
you froze.
what. in. the. living. fuck.
“hello?” you called out, instantly regretting it. why did people in movies do that? that’s something you’ve always complained about so why did you do it? the rustling grew louder, leading you to step back.
“okay. absolutely not,” you shudder, heart thumping. “jungwon? if this is you pranking me, it isn’t funny.”
a howl. that’s what you heard next. not jungwon, that’s for sure.
wolves? not here, surely? maybe it was a dog, or some other creature?
another howl echoed through the alley, low and ragged, vibrating straight through your bones.
you jumped a mile. that wasn’t a dog. that wasn’t anything you’d heard before.
“okay, im sorry- im leaving.”
but you didn’t have time.
a shape leaped through the shadows, and you barely even had a chance to scream. something slammed into you, knocking you off balance. your back hit the ground hard, and a rush of pain shot up your spine. your vision blurred for a moment.
“get off!” you choked, pushing against it’s chest. it didn’t budge. not even a little.
your heart hammered in your chest. you kicked, twisted, shoved. nothing worked. the creature snarled, teeth glinting in the dim light.
this was it. this was how you died.
on jungwon’s porch.
in your school uniform.
because you were nosy.
great.
just as the creature lunged for your throat, a blur slammed into it from the side.
the weight lifted off you instantly, and you gasped, scrambling backward on your elbows. your arm throbbed where th claws had raked you, warm and wet, but you didn’t dare look.
“jungwon?” you practically whimper, pain still surging through your body. well, this was embarrassing.
he didn’t answer. he was too busy fighting.
it wasn’t a normal fight. it was vicious, animalistic, a blur of movement and snarls. jungwon moved with a speed he’d never shown before, dodging and striking. it almost didn’t look human.
the creature lunged again, and he shoved it back, teeth bared in a way that made your stomach twist. he wasn't just fighting it. he was matching it.
the creature finally retreated, limping into the shadows with a hiss before disappearing entirely. jungwon didn’t chase it. he just stood there, chest heaving, shoulders tense, eyes glowing faintly in the dark.
glowing.
he muttered something under his breath. something that sounded a bit like “mutts.”
the realisation hit you slowly.
you blinked hard. “jungwon?”
he turned toward you and your breath caught. he took a singular step toward you, eyes flicking to the gash on your arm. you flinched and he froze.
“dont,” he said, voice strained. “don’t move.”
“what was that thing?”
he swallowed hard. “you shouldn’t have come.”
“yeah, well, you disappeared for a week, what was i supposed to do?”
“stay away,” he says, his voice low and cracked. “stay safe.”
you wanted to argue, of course you did, but the world tilted suddenly. your knees buckled, threatening to give to the floor.
he darted forward, catching you before you hit the ground. his hands were cold. ice cold. “stay awake, okay? look at me.”
his eyes darkened at the sight of blood on your arm.
you followed his stare. big mistake. your stomach lurched.
jungwon’s jaw clenched. hard. he looked torn, terrified even, like he was fighting some internal battle you couldn’t see.
“what’s happening to you?” you murmured.
he closed his eyes, breathing shakily. “i didn’t want you to find out like this.”
“find out what?”
he opened his eyes again, and they were darker than before. “i can't let you become one of them. im sorry.”
he pulled you close. too close. you felt his breath on your neck, the hesitation.
“huh-”
his teeth sank into your shoulder. pain exploded through your system, sharp and deep. suddenly, the blood dripping down your arm didn’t seem so bad anymore. It wasn’t a quick sting, it was brutal, forcing through your skin and deeper. he turned feral, lapping at your neck like it was some sweet honey.
you gasp and it turns into a strangled cry as the pain striked harder. it burned. it burned so bad. it felt like something was ripping inside of you, like the wound was being forced open from within. your hands flew to his arm when he pulled away with a guilty expression.
the pain didn’t stop, not at all.
it felt as if something was moving inside of you, some sort of liquid. It was a horrid sensation deep in your veins. every heartbeat sent another surge of agony through your body as jungwon held onto you, caressing your face. you couldn’t look at him. it was all too much.
a broken sound escaped you, a half-sob, half-scream. your body trembled but the pain doesn’t fade with it. It intensified. it felt sharper if anything. every second stretched longer than it should. every heartbeat hurt.
jungwon stared at you with a look that can only be described as afraid. panic flared in his eyes.
the edges of your vision started to dim, and colours lost their glow. things feel further away than ever as a heaviness spread throughout your body. any surroundings, mostly jungwon attempting to comfort you, gripping your body tight in his arms, became muffled. then it started to fade. nothing held together anymore. your knees gave out but he held you. the last thing you heard was an apology before everything cut out, fading into darkness.
AUTHORS NOTE! first fic is complete! if anyone would like to request, my asks are open! i hope this fulfilled the request, although i cut it a bit short<3 i'm very open to criticism and would really appreciate it, too.
⁺‧₊˚ ཐི⋆♱⋆ཋྀ ˚₊‧⁺
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