bikerjongho - Tumblr blog

bikerjongho · 1 month

Text

1978. | the one who never gave up on me

"i don't want to lose you as a friend.."

minors dni. ageless blogs dni. blank blogs dni. you'll be blocked. <- previous | 1978 masterlist | next -> character(s): kim hongjoong, jeong yunho (ft. park seonghwa) tags: explicit language, emotions, angst, banter, hj and yh need hugs, sh is a playful bastard word count: 3.0k summary: the time hongjoong left his lifelong friend behind to go to seoul, and all of the emotions that came with it..

i don’t know where it was written in the stars or in my eyes that you saw beyond, saw through all of their lies you knew me so well you know me so well you forgave me, forgive me oh, what did i do to deserve you?

× October, 1972 ×

“You're absolutely crazy for doing this, you know that?”

Hongjoong turned his eyes to look at the man beside him. The man he had known for years at this point. His lifelong friend.

A sigh stuttered out of Hongjoong as he gazed at the ground. He kicked a pebble across the pavement as they walked side by side down the streets. Despite the buzzing nature of the world turning around them, his friend's words were the loudest.

“..I know,” was all he could say back.

His friend pushed his shoulders back. His hands were stuffed in his pockets, the early autumn breeze hitting a little harder this year than he remembers previously.

A thousand thoughts were swimming through his head, but he didn't have the words to put to any of them. All he could muster was a stone cold fact - you’re absolutely crazy for doing this. That was something anyone could tell Hongjoong. It wasn't unique. It wasn't personal.

Yunho was conflicted.

As he strolled by his friend’s side, he felt further behind him than ever before. Hongjoong was full of ambition, determination and perseverance. Yunho admired that about him, absolutely, but every word coming out of Hongjoong's mouth was a double-step forward that Yunho just could not keep up with.

It was strange, in a way.

He regarded his friend with a fixed expression of concern, fondness, admiration and anxiety beyond belief all rolled into one. But etched inside all of those feelings was trust. If there was one person Yunho knew could push the boundaries, break the barrier and seek his potential, it was Hongjoong.

His chest grew heavy with regret as he stared at the ground. Hongjoong caught this as he glanced over, Yunho’s side profile doing nothing to hide the taut look of worry on his face. “Yunho?”

Yunho couldn't meet his eyes for some reason. Not out of sudden rejection or distance, but an almost keen, selfish need to shake him by the shoulders and ask him if he was sure about this.

But Yunho couldn’t do that. He wouldn't do that.

Because Hongjoong above all else was his friend.

Because he trusted Hongjoong. Because he wanted what was best for Hongjoong. Because he would support Hongjoong all the way.

Hongjoong stopped in the middle of the street, causing Yunho to freeze in place and stare ahead, his eyes now brimming with tears.

“Yunho.. Please, look at me.”

The words felt bitter but Yunho knew they were anything but. He closed his eyes to take a breath before opening them and gazing at Hongjoong.

It was the first time Hongjoong could see that glint in his eyes.

He frowned and said, “I know what you must be thinking.”

Yunho never took Hongjoong to be good with words. He’d wrap everything up in vague hand gestures or a few lyrics he penned or a coffee he bought for them before even daring to try and say what was on his mind.

Yunho was so different in that regard. He was full of words and knew exactly how and where and when to say them. No way was right or wrong. They made a good balancing act.

But now, Yunho was at the greatest loss, and it was Hongjoong's turn to swallow all the lumps and bumps and step up to the plate.

“Things have never moved so fast. I feel pushed to get ahead of the curve or risk it being too late. There is so much out there I want to accomplish and see and do and-” Yunho listened attentively, though none of this was news to him. He knew Hongjoong well. “I’m not leaving anyone behind, not ma, nor even pa. I would never leave you behind.”

The last words struck a new chord inside Yunho.

Leave you behind..

Yunho took a pause upon hearing those words, unable to conjure a response for some time. He was uncertain of what caught him off guard more: the words themselves or the unabashed way in which they were spilled.

He supposed it was a mix of both.

Hongjoong searched Yunho's face in the seconds of silence that followed. He didn't want to jump ahead and interrupt Yunho’s train of thought, so he sealed his lips and kept quiet until Yunho spoke first.

With a breath, Yunho dropped his shoulders. “You know..” He gulped, wondering if he should even get this off his chest. With enough thinking, he figured it would be the right thing to do. “I had often wondered about that. The smallest part of me often worried whether I’d grow resentful of you. Y’know, if you got big and famous and I saw your name on the big screen and-” He stopped short and looked to the sky for a brief second. Hongjoong felt something heavy be placed on his back. “..I get worried about whether you’d end up forgetting about me..”

Hongjoong almost scoffed. He didn't want to trample all over Yunho's thoughts or make them feel less than, but it felt ridiculous to Hongjoong because he knew himself, and he knew Yunho, and Yunho was his closest friend and there was no way on this earth-

“Yunho, that would never happen,” asserted Hongjoong. Yunho panned over to him, tears still causing a storm in his eyes. “You’ve stuck by me all this time. You’ve stuck up for me! Like I said, I would never leave you behind, and no way would I forget about you, or grow too big for my boots, or become a completely unrecognisable person..”

Yunho hiccuped on his sobs. It clicked for Hongjoong then. Yunho stared at his feet.

“That's really worried you, huh..” Hongjoong said quietly, utmost sympathy in his voice. “Yunho..”

Grabbing the edge of his sleeve, Yunho wiped the tears that had since stained his cheeks. He kept his eyes on the ground until Hongjoong held onto his shoulders and guided him to look up. “..I’m sorry..” he whispered.

“Yunho.. You don't have to apologise for anything. I can understand why you might have these thoughts. You see it happening to so many celebrities, they change so drastically right before everyone's eyes. But y’know what?” Yunho shook his head lightly. “I know I got you. I know you got my back to make sure I stay grounded. And I would never change to the point you wouldn't recognise me, or let fame get to my head so bad it completely changed our friendship.”

Yunho sniffed, wiping away more tears. “That idea did freak me out.. I don't want to lose you as a friend..”

“And I don't want to lose you. Shit, honestly?” Hongjoong dropped his hands. “This idea has freaked me out. What if I do change to the point that you walk away? What if I grow resentful of the idea of having you around? What if things do completely ruin our friendship? What could I do to make sure that doesn't happen?” He threw each question out rhetorically, but it seemed Yunho had an answer to each one.

“You stay in touch and trust in your heart that I would never be that cold or that distant? Even if you do become a bit of a rockstar?” Yunho cracked a smile then. Hongjoong mirrored him.

They could always chuckle over it in the end.

“And that's exactly why, deep down, I have no worries.”

They stayed quiet for a while, still in the always fast paced environment that surrounded them.

“You're still absolutely fucking crazy for doing this, y’know.”

Hongjoong properly laughed then. “Yes. I do know.”

“But I’m never gonna give up on you.”

A new chord struck in Hongjoong.

“I know you won't.”

i became a bit of a rockstar but you never cut me off or cut me down you always stuck around you always stuck around i became a bit of a rockstar but you're always the first one i see in the crowd

× November, 1972 ×

“Yunho! I told you I’d call you as soon as possible, didn’t I?”

“God, and am I glad for it. I’ve been worried sick this end over whether or not you made it to Seoul safely.”

Hongjoong let out a small chuckle. “Well, don’t you worry, I’m here, I made it here safely, everything is okay!” Yunho breathed a sigh of relief over the phone and it made Hongjoong laugh again. He did miss his friend.

“So, are you calling from a payphone? Where are you calling from? The connection doesn’t sound all that bad.”

Hongjoong’s eyes flickered over to his new roommate and he smiled. “Well, that brings me to the second part of why I called..”

Hongjoong explained everything to Yunho. How he arrived in Seoul, had been walking for three hours, sat down on a random park bench and eventually had another man by the name of Seonghwa join him.

“Wow.. That’s quite the happenstance. Are you sure you should be trusting someone you’ve only just met like this?”

Of course, Yunho would be the one to ask these questions.

However, hearing Yunho actually say it aloud did make him think a little bit. He stared at Seonghwa, who was busying himself with folding laundry to take much notice of the conversation.

“Well- I mean- Seonghwa hasn’t stolen anything so-”

“Love that that’s where the bar is,” Yunho interjected sarcastically. Hongjoong scoffed a bit and rubbed his forehead. It was all a bit surreal and ridiculous, he must admit.

Eventually, Seonghwa caught wind of him being on the phone - he had allowed Hongjoong to use it to make a couple phone calls. He cocked a brow at Hongjoong’s expression and sauntered over. “Everything okay?”

Hongjoong froze. “Oh- Uh- Yeah! I’m just talking to Yunho, you remember I mentioned Yunho, right?”

“Yeah,” nodded Seonghwa. He pointed at the phone with a tilted grin and said, “He’s concerned I’m a thief or something, huh?”

Hongjoong placed a hand over the receiver. “I mean he’s not.. not concerned..”

“Pass me the phone,” said Seonghwa, to Hongjoong’s surprise. Seonghwa still wore an almost mischievous grin then repeated himself, “Pass the phone quick, I wanna say my piece!”

Hongjoong was a tad sceptical, pursing his lips and drawing his brows together to convey as such, but he passed the phone over regardless and watched Seonghwa put it to his ear.

“..-llo? Hello? Hongjoong?”

“It’s me, Seonghwa. The famed thief-slash-roommate.”

Hongjoong rolled his eyes and folded his arms.

“Seonghwa! So you’re the one who’s taken my friend in, eh?”

“And treated him to ramen..” Seonghwa pouted quite smugly to sell his case, making Hongjoong shake his head in disbelief.

Yunho went silent on the other end for a while, until he told Seonghwa to pass the phone back to Hongjoong, which he did so. Once Hongjoong had the speaker to his ear, he couldn’t get half a word in before Yunho said, “It’s done, seal the deal, he treated you to lunch, he’s good in my book.”

“Yunho!”

Seonghwa laughed aloud, knowing full well what the response was.

“Look, if he gives you trouble halfway down the line, let me know and I’ll come to Seoul myself and fight him.” Hongjoong didn’t even try to argue. “But in the meantime.. I see no complaints.”

“Well, of course you wouldn’t,” replied Hongjoong. Yunho chuckled. “But I agree; no complaints my end.” Seonghwa lifted a brow. “Perhaps you two should meet one day.” Seonghwa’s eyes widened at that suggestion.

“Perhaps we will at some point. I mean, we’re bound to cross paths now that you’re a mutual.”

“True, true. Just don’t come here with the pretence to fight him.”

Seonghwa coughed on his spit.

“I promise to remain cordial in our eventual introduction.”

“Thank you,” Hongjoong said with a smirk, still amused by Seonghwa’s reaction.

Seonghwa merely exhaled and said, “Pray I don’t get a fist to the face.”

“Oh! You won’t,” Hongjoong assured.

crumpled paper in the trash you saw how rash i’d been to myself pulled me from each depth and always told me i had something there in the midst of my creative plunder i knew you always cared

× November, 1973 ×

His first official gig. Hongjoong couldn’t believe it.

He’d only had three songs to his name that he released on a tape he could only make a few dozen copies of, but the word had quickly spread around the small part of the city where Seonghwa resided. Before he knew it, he found himself performing for a tiny crowd of people in a bar in downtown Seoul. Though he charged absolutely nothing for the gig, people were throwing change into his open guitar case and requesting other songs for him to cover.

Hongjoong could not believe he had come this far already.

In the back of his mind, he wished Yunho could have been here to see this, and yet, as he scanned the crowd in front of him, spotting Seonghwa at the far back, another very familiar face made itself known.

“Yunho.. shit..” he muttered to himself, before taking off his guitar and setting it down on the stand. Without a second to waste he ran through the crowd as they continued to applaud him.

Seonghwa was ready to congratulate him, but quickly realised that Hongjoong was not running to him. He saw Hongjoong pass him and carry on until he reached another man of a similar height. Seonghwa couldn’t help but wonder..

“Yunho!”

Seonghwa smiled to himself.

Yunho’s eyes lit up upon seeing his friend. “Hongjoong!” “I-” Hongjoong froze in the middle of the bar. He couldn’t speak or think for the life of him. He hadn’t seen Yunho in over a year, and now he was standing directly before him. “Is- Is this real?”

Yunho chuckled and brushed his feet against the floor. “I guess so?” Hongjoong was still in disbelief. Yunho couldn’t quite make sense of it himself.

“You’re- You’re really here..” Hongjoong shook his head, just to see if Yunho would disappear in front of his eyes; was this all some elaborate dream he was having? Hongjoong couldn’t really tell if he had just been asleep this whole time. He pinched his skin and only gave a small yelp, and yet he was still very much awake and rooted to the very same spot of that downtown bar.

Yunho gleamed at him. “That was amazing,” he said, in reference to the gig. “I always knew you could make it.”

Hongjoong breathed a laugh and stared at his feet for a second before looking back up. “Well- I don’t know if I’d say I’ve made it, but-”

Yunho took a step closer to him, “You’ve made it. You’re performing in front of a crowd. Your songs are out there and people love them!” Hongjoong became flustered under all these comments; he was never one to easily accept a compliment. “No matter how big or small, you’ve drawn the people in and they like what you’re doing.” Hongjoong felt the weight of those words in his chest. He knew Yunho was right; even just one other person that wasn’t Yunho or Seonghwa liking his work was such a big deal to him. “I told you that your songs would resonate with people.”

Hongjoong’s eyes flickered up to Yunho, and he could feel tears pooling at the far back. He swallowed the lump in his throat then cleared it. “They really seem to like it..” He dabbed at his eyes with his sleeve.

Yunho put a hand on his shoulder. “Have you not seen the crowd? They love you, they want you to do more! I can already hear them calling you back..” He chuckled through the fresh tears in his own eyes. Hongjoong caught wind of it, and worry began to creep up his spine. “You’re gonna go so far, I know it.”

“Yunho..”

“And people will be talking about your music for years to come.”

“Yunho!” Hongjoong cut in. Yunho snapped shut. Hongjoong just didn’t like how final his words were beginning to sound. “I cannot begin to tell you how happy I am that you’re here. That you made the effort just to come to Seoul and see me perform, I’m- I’m still trying to wrap my head around that how did you-” Hongjoong suddenly felt a new presence over his shoulder and it clicked immediately: Seonghwa.

“There was no way I wasn’t gonna tell him that you were holding your first concert. He had to know,” said Seonghwa.

Hongjoong looked to him, mouthed the most sincere thank you he could manage, then turned back to Yunho. “And thank you. From the bottom of my heart. For being here. For being by my side throughout all of this. I meant what I said a year ago.” Yunho bit the inside of his lip as he recalled the conversation. “I don’t want to lose you in this crowd. I always want to see you, first and foremost, sitting there, cheering me on. You before anyone else. The person who sat with me through every failed attempt to write all the songs I ended up hating. The person who watched all my unsuccessful attempts to busk on street corners and pulled me away when they started heckling. It’s so important to me that you’re here, so, so important.”

Yunho gulped down his tears and sighed. “Of course I was going to come. I wouldn’t miss your first official concert for the world.” Hongjoong smiled. Seonghwa backed away, allowing them a moment to themselves.

“And I hope, as best as you can, you don’t miss any of the others,” Hongjoong teased, though deep down in his heart he was being thoroughly genuine.

Yunho grinned. He knew deep down Hongjoong was being genuine.

And so, he too, was genuine in his response.

“I won’t miss a single one.”

taglist: @bikerjongho × @viviixlyy

× tristeetconfus (ave). do not repost. ×

#my comments ^^ 🥰#11/10 as always #ngl this fic kinda made me think of my ex friend. like the whole convo of 'i'll never leave u' Hit Hard #bc i did leave. so i was Thinking and Pondering #but that's beyond the point bc these guys have a fine relationship lmao 😭🤌🫶 it's just. sweet. lovely.#im also always partial to a rockstar concept so the fact that the title of this fic and the lyrics have the word rockstar #it makes me :) 🎸👩‍🎤👩‍🎤👩‍🎤#❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️#f: hongjoong #f: fic recs

16 notes · View notes

bikerjongho · 2 months

Text

dental floss | three (i). correspondence

"to. choi jongho.. from the newest fledgling, park seonghwa."

minors dni. ageless blogs dni. blank blogs dni. you'll be blocked. <- previous | dental floss masterlist | next -> character(s): park seonghwa, kim hongjoong, jung wooyoung, jeong yunho, choi jongho, choi san, kang yeosang, song mingi tags: vampires, blood drinking, banter, mild tension, way too many letters, time jumps (still a flashback), changing povs word count: 8.8k summary: seonghwa struggles to come to terms with being a vampire; a tense atmosphere becomes tranquil; the correspondence between long-term friends extends to the newest fledgling; a/n: i humbly present this chapter that i have spent way too long writing and quite frankly am not all too happy with but i needed to update it sooo here it is :') i hope you enjoy

× February, 1883 ×

Not three months had passed and even still, Seonghwa often struggled to come to terms with the fact he was now a vampire.

It helped an incredible amount that he now had three friends to share these days with, but whenever the moon rose high, Hongjoong’s words coming back to him - the moon is our sun, the night is our day - it left him with this deep seated sentiment that he could not fathom spending an eternity as an immortal being.

That, and the teeth situation was still absolutely diabolical.

Awoken from his slumber to the sound of Wooyoung’s laughter coming from the next room, he sat up in bed and stretched his arms. They did not have a spare bed to give Seonghwa when he first joined them, so Hongjoong offered his own in exchange for him sleeping in an old leather chair in the sitting room. Seonghwa was flabbergasted at this proposal, but Yunho told him of Hongjoong’s inherent stubbornness and that it was not worth it to argue when the heart had been set in stone. Begrudgingly, Seonghwa accepted the horrifically generous offer and, after some much needed clean up, he retired in their house for the very first time. Much earlier than the other vampires would, being just shy of dawn, but Seonghwa still had yet to adapt to the idea of being awake at such a time, and the extraneous effort of his transformation proved to be draining. Even so, it is unfounded to Seonghwa’s mind, despite knowing of folks who work late into the evening and do not sleep until well after midnight.

The only difference is, this is purposeful. There are stakes to being exposed to the sun, as evidenced by every window being covered and the urgency with which Hongjoong had them both return to the house before the sun could even begin to rise. Vampires will go to great lengths to refrain from touching daylight wherever and whenever possible.

Seonghwa glanced around the space and took it all in again for what felt like the hundredth time. In the back of his mind, he pondered on how his parents would feel to learn of his vampirism, had they still been around to see it.

Thirst crept up his neck and dried the roof of his mouth before he had a chance to properly think. He knew Yunho had gone out the night before to stock up on blood supply, which was good; it saved Seonghwa the trouble of making hunt himself, which again, given the diabolical teeth situation, he had not been willing to do up to this point. Despite being a vampire, he would give anything and everything to not have to extend his canines again.

Swinging his legs over the side of the bed, Seonghwa rubbed the nape of his neck and groaned. The bed was okay comfort wise, he supposed much better than sleeping in a leather chair anyway. Standing up, he pushed and tweaked his shoulders around to get some ease of movement in them as he left the bedroom to go downstairs.

Wooyoung’s bedroom door was open. He was sitting on the floor, and when he spotted Seonghwa he called out, “Morning, Seonghwa!”

It made Seonghwa jump, and he placed a hand on his chest before turning to Wooyoung. “Ah.. Good morning..” Bizarre to wish a good morning in the dead of night. “Did I hear you laughing just now?” he asked curiously.

“Oh!” Wooyoung giggled before standing up. “I got a letter just now from San. You remember San, right?”

Seonghwa nodded. The three of them had contacts with another group of four vampires who lived on the other side of the country: San was one of the four, the others being Yeosang, Mingi and Jongho. Hongjoong explained how they had met, and sent a letter to Jongho soon after he joined them to inform him of the new fledgling. An epithet Hongjoong held true to calling him.

Their correspondence began some five years ago, but they had yet to meet in person. Wooyoung joked that Seonghwa was the missing piece of the puzzle, and that the universe was waiting for him to join so they could be eight. Seonghwa did not take him seriously, but Hongjoong and Yunho knew him better. If anything, it would not surprise them if he was right.

Wooyoung held in his hands a slightly crumpled piece of paper that he smoothed out as best as he could while approaching Seonghwa. “San is truly an amusing individual, you should listen to this!” The faintest smile appeared on Seonghwa’s lips and he momentarily forgot about his thirst. Wooyoung had only ever been a kind, humble, compassionate man to Seonghwa, traits he noticed in Hongjoong and Yunho too, but traits that seemed to billow out of Wooyoung in unfeigned simplicity. As though it were ingrained in him to be this way, the heart unrelenting to remain warm and tender in its cold inertia.

Wooyoung skimmed the letter until he found what he was looking for, and Seonghwa listened attentively. “Ooh! Ooh- it’s this part! Jongho and I partook in a game of chess some days ago, and when he was looking the other way to talk to Mingi, I quickly shifted the pieces around so that they formed a checkmate in my favour. I do not know how he did not notice as soon as he turned back, but I was trying my hardest to suppress laughter until he eventually caught on. I had no choice but to return the pieces back to their original places. You should have seen the look on his face when he noticed; I could not contain my laughter for a second longer when he realised I had played that practical joke on him.” Seonghwa lifted a brow and scoffed a minute amount as Wooyoung chuckled. He glanced up at Seonghwa and said, “I would have loved to have seen the look on Jongho’s face.”

“I can imagine it was a picture,” quipped Seonghwa.

“Indeed it must have been! Jongho is a very patient person from what I’ve understood about him over the years. I think San is the only person who could possibly get away with playing such practical jokes on him. From what I’ve learned of Yeosang, he isn’t the kind of person to do it, and Mingi doesn’t seem to want to ruffle Jongho’s feathers like that.”

Seonghwa hummed passively. The thirst began to kick back in and he cleared his throat. “Has there been any indication of a plan to meet in person yet?”

Wooyoung immediately frowned and shook his head disappointedly. “No, unfortunately. It’s been really difficult to arrange that sort of meeting. Travel is ridiculously expensive and would take so long.” Folding the letter and putting it in his pocket, Wooyoung left his bedroom to head downstairs. Seonghwa followed on, reaching his side, and they walked shoulder to shoulder down the steps. “Hongjoong has suggested before that we meet somewhere in the middle, but they live in the far south of the country, so they would need to travel north. Jongho doesn’t know what would be the easiest route to take or where exactly to meet.”

Seonghwa nodded in understanding. “And moving further afield to meet in this major city would take longer and cost a lot more.”

“Exactly,” sighed Wooyoung, despondently. They reached the bottom of the stairs and went straight into the kitchen. “It may seem strange to talk about it, as it is still so far off, but we do at least know we want to try and meet before the turn of the new century.”

Turn of the new century. The turning of Seonghwa’s stomach at the very thought.

The idea - no, the fact - that Seonghwa would be the same age then as he was now, frozen in time, space and body, nearly made Seonghwa forget about thirst and appetite completely. However, once Wooyoung had opened the cupboard doors to reveal the two shelves full of bottles, he practically dove for one.

“Oh- Haha!” Wooyoung stepped back and put his hands on his hips. “Someone’s thirsty!” he teased.

Seonghwa paused mid-drink and dramatically turned back to look at Wooyoung. His lips were covered and Wooyoung snorted before shaking his head. “..Sorry,” murmured the fledgling.

“You aren’t making fun of him, are you?” called Hongjoong as he entered the kitchen. A smirk was already on his face, but it faded briefly at the sight of Seonghwa hunched over the counter with a semi-depleted bottle in his left hand.

Wooyoung answered Hongjoong’s question, genuinely hurt by such an accusation, “Of course not! Why would I ever make fun of the new member of our family?” He placed a hand on his chest and pouted.

Seonghwa stilled at that word. Family. Was that what they truly considered him? That was the first time he had heard any of them use the word to refer to him. Seonghwa knew he was going to ponder this all day- night.

Meanwhile, Hongjoong raised a brow at Wooyoung, and Wooyoung glared back at him.

Seonghwa licked his lips and straightened his back before facing them head on, caught like a deer in the headlights amidst their light-hearted tension. He had begun to learn just from observation what the trio’s dynamics were, and all he had gathered so far of Hongjoong and Wooyoung’s relationship was.. bickering. Lots and lots of it.

Hongjoong’s eyes softened and he approached the other vampire. “I’m jesting, as I know you are.”

Wooyoung’s hand fell to his side and he huffed. “You must make examples of me, huh?”

“How else do I keep you in order?” Hongjoong asked, folding his arms.

The answer was known and unspoken. Wooyoung’s eyes flitted around the kitchen until they landed back on Hongjoong. He let out a giggle and Hongjoong ruffled his hair, which Seonghwa was surprised to find was not being protested.

Seconds of silence followed before Hongjoong glanced over at Seonghwa. “Sleep well?”

Clearing his throat, Seonghwa nodded. “Better than usual, honestly.”

“That’s good.”

Wooyoung nudged Hongjoong, “I got a letter from San tonight.”

“Oh? How are he and the other three?” wondered Hongjoong as he moved over to the cupboard where Seonghwa was standing.

“Doing well by his account! Though he told me of a practical joke that he played on Jongho-” Wooyoung took out the letter and unfolded it. “They were playing chess and he moved some pieces around while Jongho wasn’t looking so they made a checkmate in his favour!” he chuckled.

Hongjoong opened a bottle and took a swig. “So that’s why I heard you howling with laughter earlier.”

“Yeah.. I think I accidentally woke Seonghwa up with it.”

Seonghwa shook his head, deciding not to make Wooyoung feel guilty. “I was basically awake already, do not worry.”

Hongjoong could see the look in Seonghwa’s eyes and smiled to himself. Wooyoung grinned, then said, “Seonghwa asked about the possibility of us meeting with the four of them.”

Whenever this subject flared its nostrils, it always frustrated Hongjoong deep down. Five years and not a single solution to this very problem.

Seonghwa gazed at him with a sudden guilt that had started to rise from the pit of his stomach. Hongjoong didn’t notice for a while, but by the time he looked over, Seonghwa had averted his eyes. Hongjoong let it go when he remembered that Seonghwa was just curious; he didn’t deserve the long-standing vexation Hongjoong felt over this debacle.

“We hope to do it soon. My apologies, I don’t want you to feel the burden of my difficulty in figuring out a way to go about it.”

Seonghwa met his eyes again. “Do not apologise, I understand that the situation around travel is remarkably difficult.”

“Isn’t it just?” agreed Hongjoong with a sigh. “Jongho and I have been in talks for months over this. We thought we could meet in the middle of the country-”

“I mentioned this to Seonghwa-” Wooyoung curtly interjected.

Hongjoong vaguely gestured at him, “..but as you know, that seems quite impossible. And so, we continue to write letters to one another. Perhaps one of these days we can wrangle some funds and a way to get to each other.”

Seonghwa considered all of the factors for a time. Setting the bottle down on the counter, he put forward a burning question. “Wooyoung mentioned they lived in the far south; where, exactly?”

“Gwangju,” Hongjoong replied. Seonghwa’s brows perked up and his eyes grew wide; that was quite the distance. “..I know,” said Hongjoong, filling in his thoughts.

“There is a route that goes between the two cities, it’s just the expense,” shrugged Wooyoung.

“I have family that live in Gwangju..” mumbled Seonghwa in a faintly maudlin fashion. Both Hongjoong and Wooyoung snapped their heads over at that. Seonghwa cut in, seemingly dashing all hope from their veins, “Not that I know if they are still there. I have not seen that side of the family in at least ten years.”

Hongjoong was quick on the pulse. “Say, for argument’s sake, your family were still there. Do you..”

Seonghwa tensed from head to toe.

Hongjoong stopped.

Seonghwa’s silent plea to not to have such a tall order be asked of him was felt through the kitchen. Wooyoung glanced back and forth between them, before his eyes finally landed on Hongjoong, who chastised himself internally, then swallowed his pride and muttered an apology. “Getting too far ahead of myself there..”

Seonghwa took a breath, but didn’t exactly relax.

At that moment, Yunho entered the room. He opened his mouth to speak, but pivoted away once he felt the cold, dead weight hanging in the air. Wooyoung was the first to move, leaving the kitchen to go into the sitting room with a pat on Yunho’s shoulder.

Standing in the doorway, Yunho took in the atmosphere and sighed. “What’s happened?”

Seonghwa glanced over at Yunho, who locked eyes with him. He could not say anything for the awkwardness, and instead chose to stare at the floor.

Yunho then looked over Hongjoong.

Hongjoong gazed back at him. “I need to write another letter to Jongho,” was all he said, before passing Yunho and going to his office, leaving the two men standing in the kitchen alone.

Yunho closed the distance and folded his arms before leaning against the counter on his side.

Seonghwa swirled the red, viscous liquid in the bottle. “I think I upset him,” he chuckled soberly.

With an exhale, Yunho tried to placate him. “You wouldn’t have upset him, trust me.” Seonghwa glanced up. “He just.. has way too many chips on his shoulder about far too many things and has no idea how to shift them all. None of them are personal, I promise.”

“About meeting the other group?” blurted Seonghwa before he could bite back the words.

It took a second, but Yunho eventually rubbed his face with his hands. “That chip has been on his shoulder for a long time.”

“I can tell,” Seonghwa said, almost spitefully, though he did not mean for it to relay as such. He gulped down his attitude with another swig of blood and huffed. “Perhaps mentioning I had family in Gwangju was not the best idea.”

Yunho drew his brows together at that revelation. “You did?”

Seonghwa nodded, staring idly at the bottle. He watched it swill and slosh around, a reflection of the messy, coagulated nature of his brain. Everything was strange. Everything was different. He was different. He felt different. He drank blood. He had long teeth that were a pain to get out. He stayed up at night. He had new people to call friends and yet sometimes, he felt more at odds with them than in line. The routine had changed. The functions of his body were all haywire. Nothing made sense.

Yunho watched as the gears got progressively more tangled in Seonghwa’s head with each passing second. The three of them had only known Seonghwa for a couple of months, and did not properly understand him yet. Many decades versus only a few weeks caused a great deal of whiplash in the household if they were being truthful, but Seonghwa was here. A part of their group. A new vampire trying to understand this life and this world. A man thrown into a new environment with people he did not know who had a history much greater than he could ever fully grasp. They had a duty of care, fundamentally, but beyond that, tangible friendship and a good bond had begun to form.

The tension was still too prevalent. Moments of connection sullied by a feeling that Seonghwa should not be here, that anything he did caused Hongjoong more grief. And now this, the conversation around meeting with another group of vampires. More people Seonghwa did not know, more ties to a community he still had trouble navigating.

More places to feel like he did not belong.

Between the gratitude he felt towards Hongjoong and the resignation to always being on the outskirts, laid a deep desire to connect.

He placed the bottle down on the counter and walked away from Yunho, who stopped him with an outstretched hand, “Hey, Seonghwa?” Seonghwa turned back to him with surly eyes. Yunho breathed out. “I will talk to Hongjoong, if it will help.”

At this rate, Seonghwa was merely defeated. He shrugged and said, “Do whatever you wish,” before leaving the kitchen to return to his room. Hongjoong’s room. His. The confusion.

Yunho dragged a hand across his face, bemoaning the frayed ties between Hongjoong and Seonghwa. This was not how it was supposed to be. The first night was so warm. The first week was wonderful, alive and new.

Yunho knew he had to drag Hongjoong out of whatever moss-covered cavern he found himself in and shake him forthwith.

Heading to the old soul’s office, Yunho knocked three times and got a distant hum of acknowledgement; the signal of permission to open the door. Yunho entered and Hongjoong spared him one glance before looking back down at the paper on his desk.

“Hongjoong? We need to talk.”

Hongjoong paused. One second, two seconds, three seconds..

He dropped the paper and exhaled. “I know what you’re about to tell me.”

Yunho moved to stand behind the chair on the opposite side and rested his hands on top. “For how welcome you made Seonghwa feel before, something is changing and he feels less welcome than ever.”

The words stung. Hongjoong closed his eyes to deflect them, but they seeped on through and sunk down into his irises, boring their way through his mind and down into the depths of his lungs.

When he eventually opened them again, he did not look at Yunho. “I know what the problem is..”

“You keep expecting too much out of him. Unintentionally so, yes, but that doesn’t make it read any differently.”

“I know!” Hongjoong almost snapped, before retracting back instantly. It did not make Yunho flinch, nor was it at a level to even make him stir, but it stilled the moment for a second until Hongjoong stood and looked his friend in the eye. “Where is he?”

Yunho could have answered this question in many ways, but he chose the way that hit the hardest.

“The room you gave up for him.”

Hongjoong tensed. His eyes softened beyond measure. His heart sank.

In a new release of energy, he grabbed the papers off the desk and hurried past Yunho to leave the office. Yunho watched him, the corners of his lips turning upwards in a hopeful smile.

Hongjoong flew up the stairs and headed straight for the bedroom Seonghwa was in. He knocked, and upon hearing Seonghwa ask who it was, replied, “It’s me. Hongjoong.”

Inside, Seonghwa pushed his shoulders back and sauntered to the door. Upon opening it, he came face to face with a remorseful Hongjoong, holding a few pieces of paper in his hands. “Hello.”

“Hi.. May I talk with you?”

Seonghwa nodded, and opened the door to let him in. Hongjoong bowed his head as he passed, and Seonghwa closed the door behind him.

They came face to face, and Hongjoong suddenly felt the weight of the world on his shoulders.

In an instant, he was taken back to the night he saved Seonghwa.

His witty remarks. His ability to banter despite the pain. The tears in his eyes. The anxiety, the fear, the uncertainty.

The curiosity.

The thing Hongjoong chastised him for.

He lowered his head in shame. “..Seonghwa. I know that recently, I have not been the most.. patient with you. I have expected things from you that I would not even expect of Yunho and Wooyoung. I have begun to treat you unfairly when I am supposed to be standing up as your mentor.”

Hongjoong gazed at Seonghwa and saw the tears begin to form in his eyes. No, God, no..

He needed to fix this.

“Seonghwa, I am so irrevocably sorry for all that I have thrown at your door these past couple of months, even when you are still coming to grips with so much. You deserve all the time in the world and I have not been giving that to you.. I am so deeply sorry.”

Seonghwa sniffed and wiped a stray tear from the corner of his eye. “Well.. thank you for talking to me. Thank you for apologising and recognising how your actions may have hurt in their hastiness.”

“I do recognise, Seonghwa, and I know it has likely come a little too late but-”

“I am willing to accept your apology..” Seonghwa took a deep breath. He could not believe he was willing to take this leap. “Would you allow me to do one small thing?” Hongjoong agreed immediately, closing the distance, eager to hear Seonghwa’s request. “..Would you allow.. me to write a letter to Jongho?”

Hongjoong felt the weight of the world disappear. He beamed and held the papers out to him. “Why do you think I brought these?”

Seonghwa sighed and gently took them. “Hongjoong, for how different we are in personality, we could truly meet on each other’s path.”

Hongjoong relaxed, his gleaming smile relaxing to a faint grin. “I do believe that, Seonghwa. Let’s put it into action.”

×-×

× March, 1883 ×

When Jongho inspected the envelope properly for the first time since returning home that night, he was not expecting to see penmanship that did not belong to Hongjoong, Yunho or Wooyoung.

The latter two hardly wrote to him, but he had seen enough of the letters San, Mingi and Yeosang would receive to know their handwriting. Hongjoong was usually the one to send him letters, and this was certainly not Hongjoong’s handwriting.

Grabbing the letter opener that always sat so pristinely on his desk, he jabbed then dragged it along the top of the envelope, causing the distinct tearing sound that always made him wince. He dropped the carved bit of wood then pulled out the letter, setting the envelope aside to give the contents within his full attention.

Upon unfolding the letter, the first thing he noticed was the date: 26th January, 1883.

He knew how long it took for letters to get from Seoul to Gwangju. Comparing the date of this letter to the current date - which he knew was roughly three weeks on - it seemed to him that this came from the same place, or thereabouts.

He then spied the address beneath it.

The exact same as always.

Jongho tilted his head to the side and continued reading.

26th February, 1883

To. Choi Jongho,

First of all, I would like to say that I hope this letter finds you well. This may come as a surprise, considering it is the first time I have written a letter to your household since I became a vampyre. The people I live with have told me many things about you, and your hopes to one day meet in person. I trust that soon, there will be a way for you to come together, and I hope that I might be able to join in what I am sure are the delights of your company and hospitality.

I can tell you from experience, having been acquainted with them, that they are respectable, assuring, kind and considerate people. There have, of course, been moments of uncertainty and worry, but that is not down to any ill of their character, nor does it speak on their actions. In truth, navigating this new life has been incredibly daunting, as I am sure you know, and there have been many moments of reflection where I have had to come to terms with the fact that I am indeed a vampyre. However, you can be reassured that meeting them for the first time will be a wonderful experience, and I am certain that the time for pleasantries will be sooner rather than later.

I welcome a response to this letter, should you choose to write one. I find myself quite anxious for your reply, but I hope this can transform into a long-standing correspondence between us.

I wish you and your companions good health for all your endeavours!

From the newest fledgling,

Park Seonghwa

Jongho's eyes widened upon reading that name. Park Seonghwa.

It was a name only mentioned in the letters he received from Hongjoong.

Jongho had come to learn of how Seonghwa became a vampire and joined their group in the lengthiest essay he had ever received from the elder soul. Jongho was amazed to discover that Hongjoong was not only there, but had saved him and taken him under his wing. He did not take Hongjoong for an ignorant individual, nor one who would not put his back out for others, but the willingness with which Hongjoong had brought Seonghwa into his home left Jongho in awe.

Once he had read all of the details and theories that Hongjoong had over the event, it began to fall into place.

He skimmed the letter over and over again as he stood to leave the office. Yeosang was passing by and, upon catching wind of Jongho’s presence, came to a halt and exclaimed, “Oh! You frightened me..”

Jongho froze and jolted back. “Apologies, Yeosang. I’ve had a letter sent, and it's not from Hongjoong.” Jongho made quick moves to leave Yeosang behind as he flew across the hallway and down the stairs.

Yeosang took a second to process the information before chasing to catch up to him. “Who is it from?” he called down.

“Seonghwa,” answered Jongho, flatly. He disappeared into the sitting room.

Yeosang paused mid-flight. “Seonghwa?” he repeated in amazement, before continuing down the steps and across the foyer.

San was not too many paces behind as he left the kitchen to this news resonating through the building. “Who mentioned Seonghwa?”

Yeosang’s reply was wind through the ears as he practically ran into the sitting room. “Jongho got a letter from him!”

San stopped. “The fledgling wrote?” he questioned, bewildered as ever. He cupped his hands on either side of his mouth and yelled to the second floor, “Mingi!”

Mingi could already hear the hustle and bustle and was preparing to leave his bedroom when the shouting of his name made him groan. “Alright, alright, I’m here. What's going on?” He appeared on the landing, tying the tassels of his robe and tucking them into the pocket. He then sat his hands on the balustrade overlooking the foyer.

“Park Seonghwa! The fledgling! He wrote to Jongho!” was all San announced before following the action into the sitting room.

Mingi flexed his brows in bemusement and hummed to himself. Pushing himself away from the railing, he took a leisurely stroll down the stairs while pondering what the new fledgling could have written in this letter.

By the time he reached the sitting room, San and Yeosang were bouncing off of the walls.

“This is so exciting, Jongho! Do you know what this means?” said San, a beaming smile on his face. Yeosang wore a similar expression of excitement as he paced back and forth with his arms folded.

Jongho was sitting on one of the sofas with a perplexed look on his face. Mingi caught this look and raised a brow. “Something amiss?”

Yeosang attempted to deflect, “How could something possibly be amiss? The fledgling took the courage to write to us- well, Jongho, but to us! Does that not count for something?” The question was mainly directed to Jongho, who still at this point was staring at the letter with a pout on his lips.

The atmosphere began to dwindle. San’s smile faded. “Jongho.. Surely, there isn't something to be concerned about?”

Worry began to set in across the three. Jongho eventually exhaled and said, “..Hard to tell.”

Yeosang tutted at his attitude. “Why must you spin so much into negatives?”

Jongho gazed up at him with challenging eyes. “How can we verify this really came from Seonghwa?”

That silenced the room.

San knitted his brows. “Is the address not the same on the letter?”

“It is, but we have no way of knowing if someone didn't just fake a letter in Seonghwa’s name and write the same address down.”

San huffed and Yeosang rubbed his forehead in exasperation. Mingi stepped forward and held up a hand. “Now, now, you two. Jongho has every right to be sceptical. We can never be too sure.”

“Thank you, Mingi..” Jongho sighed, standing up from the sofa.

“That being said.. let me have a closer look,” said Mingi, holding out his hand to take the paper. Jongho stared at him for a time, then passed it over, slightly confused at the purpose.

Mingi took the letter and looked at the back. He smiled once he found what he was looking for. “There is one way you can verify it came from Seonghwa.” His eyes flickered up to an uncertain Jongho. “What defining feature do all of the letters we receive from them have in common? The one tiny factor that lets us know it came from them?”

San’s eyes lit up. “The little mark on the back of the-”

Mingi smiled wide and turned the page around, pointing to the mark that sat in the bottom right corner of the otherwise blank page.

The trio took a closer look. All of their worries melted away.

“That's Hongjoong's mark,” said Yeosang.

Mingi pulled back the page and looked at him. “This came from Seonghwa, alright.”

San and Yeosang beamed at one another.

Jongho took the letter and exhaled in relief. “A new chapter begins.”

×-×

× April, 1883 ×

“Hongjoong!”

The old soul jolted awake in his leather chair and turned to see Seonghwa enter the room. He rubbed away the sleep in his bleary eyes and yawned, “What’s wrong?”

“Nothing! Nothing at all! The opposite actually.” He held up the four envelopes in his hand.

Hongjoong woke up completely in an instant. His lips curled up in a smile. “Wow.. Are they what I think they are..?”

Seonghwa returned the smile and ripped open the first envelope. He pulled out the letter and unfolded it. Hongjoong knitted his brows seeing writing on the back. From a distance, he could see his name at the top.

Without noticing Hongjoong’s expression, Seonghwa read the letter.

22nd March, 1883

To. Park Seonghwa,

I must first remark that this has come as the greatest, but most pleasant surprise. I was unsure at first given that we have never spoken before now, I hope you understand, but it was Mingi that discovered the mark left by Hongjoong that verified it was from you.

It has taken much thought to decide what to put in my first letter to you. I suppose I should start by saying that I have been a vampyre for the last seventy years. It really is a frightfully long time when I phrase it that way, but in truth the years have flown by so fast that the actual length of time is at odds with my understanding of it.

I am glad that you have found comfort in Hongjoong, Yunho and Wooyoung’s home, and I take respite in your kind words about their character. Though we have spoken in letters over many years, you are the one who has met the three of them in person. It brings me joy to understand that they seem to be just as amicable and welcoming as they have shown to us through our five-year long correspondence.

I must inform you, that I take your words of us meeting to heart, as do my three companions. You seem to be so confident that it only instils further confidence in us, that we will meet before the turn of the new century and as you say, delight in each other’s company. I speak on behalf of all of us when I say that we will be more than obliged to welcome you into our space. There is a place for you here in our thoughts already, and we can only hope that will extend to a tighter bond between the eight of us as the years go on.

If it was ever a wonder, you shall be hearing from the other three. They are all eager to write and to get to know you, and not just through the window of their letters to our friends. Thank you for taking the time to send us a letter, and tell Hongjoong that I have included a letter for him on the back of this one.

I wish good health to you in return. May the eight of us meet soon.

Choi Jongho

Seonghwa turned the paper around to see the other letter on the back. “This one is from Jongho! My word, he is truly a kind man.” He held the letter out to Hongjoong. “There is a letter on the back for you too.”

Hongjoong got to his feet and approached the fledgling, taking the letter. “I thought it was..” He skimmed over the words, then decided he wanted to read this in private. “Do you mind if I take this up to my office to read?”

“Not at all! You can read what he wrote to me too. I do not mind. I am assuming these letters are from San, Mingi and Yeosang.”

Hongjoong nodded passively in agreement, then thanked him before leaving the room to go up to his office. Seonghwa watched him go, then sighed.

Before the turn of the new century, he thought.

To. Hongjoong,

You are full of many surprises, are you not? Not much has changed in the years since we first began talking. I chuckle at the thought of the look on your face when you understand how we all reacted. San, Yeosang and Mingi cannot wait to meet Seonghwa now that we have the first letter from him.

I must inquire, was it your idea, Seonghwa's idea, or perhaps an amalgamation? I know you well Hongjoong and something tells me some guilt is afoot. From the tone of Seonghwa's letter in which he insists the eight of us will meet soon (and even still, he did not seem to include himself in that picture), it was purposeful and clear. I know how you have felt about this subject; has his assurance brought something uncertain in you? Or perhaps, you have met a new understanding with him from a quarrel unknown to me?

Do not feel obliged to answer these questions if you feel it will not help. It just burned within me to ask and so, I thought I would put it in this letter while I had the opportunity to send two in one. I know in my heart you take care of him well, just as I know you have with Yunho and with Wooyoung.

I do agree with him, Hongjoong. I truly hope the eight of us will meet soon.

From wire to thread,

Jongho

Hongjoong hid his tears among his sleeves as he finished reading the letter. Has his assurance brought something uncertain in you?

“Oh, no, Jongho..” he lamented, staring at the words on the page. “If anything, my resolve is stronger than ever.”

He picked up the quill and dipped it in the ink.

Meanwhile, Seonghwa went upstairs to his room and sat on the bed to read the other letters. He didn’t quite understand this feeling in his chest - his heart had stopped beating a while ago, and yet he could feel distant thudding in his ribcage.

Unfolding the first letter, he started reading.

22nd March, 1883

To. Park Seonghwa,

Good day! I hope this is not too forward of a greeting, and if it is, please allow me to apologise. It has truly been wonderful to finally hear from you! My name is Choi San. I was turned in 1846 and have known Jongho ever since. Mingi has been here longer than I, and Yeosang joined us a little later, but I will let them tell their stories in their own letters which you should be receiving at the same time! Wooyoung and I are quite close - has he been treating you well? He is the most good-natured soul you will ever meet. From everything he tells me about you - and yes, he has said much about you - you seem to be the same!

I understand that you have struggled greatly with your teeth. Believe me, I was exactly the same when I was first turned. There was nothing more painful, and it was not until Hongjoong discovered what he did with the silk thread that we all began to manage it a lot better. I know that it may seem silly, and you may not want to, but it is an incredible method for curbing pain. It might incentivise you to use your teeth more often? It will definitely help getting used to it!

I hope to hear from you again. It has been very nice speaking with you!

Choi San

22nd March, 1883

To. Park Seonghwa,

Well, if it is not the newest fledgling! Hello, my name is Kang Yeosang, it is very nice to make your acquaintance after all this time! I must comment on the courage it must have taken to send us a letter, though we welcome it with the most open of arms.

I was turned in 1856, ten years after San. It was actually he who found me, brought me into the home and introduced me to Jongho and Mingi. At the time, we were in a much smaller, cottage-like dwelling, quite similar to where you live, as described by Wooyoung in his letters. He writes to both San and I, and I sometimes write to Yunho alongside Mingi. The seven of us have become quite the close knit group over these past five years, and we are more than happy to welcome you into a part of, well, a part of our family!

On the back, I have drawn a rough sketch of what our current house looks like. It is a little bigger than before, but that was Jongho’s idea. He insisted on a bigger, more estate-like building that was hidden away in the valleys. We were initially against it, but we warmed up to the idea once we realised how secluded it is. We also theorised that it was so he could host the three, now four of you once you finally come and visit, and it would not surprise us in the slightest if that was truly his intention. Jongho is a remarkably selfless man.

I speak for all of us when I say, thank you for writing, and we hope to hear from you soon!

Kang Yeosang

22nd March, 1883

To. Park Seonghwa

Greetings to you, fledgling. I hope this letter finds you well. My name is Song Mingi and I was turned in 1832. Much like Hongjoong to you, Jongho was my mentor, and I have known him for many years as the date suggests.

Do not be alarmed by our simultaneous address. We all supposed it was better for us to send one at the same time, and we are assured of your eagerness to receive us. I, for one, must express gratitude that you have decided to come forward and make yourself known. It is wonderful to finally have penmanship to the name, and to hear from you yourself.

Please do not hesitate to contact any of us at any time, though I do worry at how overwhelming it must be for you to receive not one, but four letters all at once. This is why we all chose one or two people to share correspondence with, that way we too, were not overwhelmed. It has saved us a lot of time. Believe me, none of us will be offended with whom you choose, it is up to you entirely, but if you are more than okay with sharing conversation with all four of us, we will not stop you.

I am glad to hear from you through Jongho. May we all come together soon.

Song Mingi

“Goodness..” remarked Seonghwa under his breath. “They all seem like wonderful people. I understand why Hongjoong, Yunho and Wooyoung have continued to write to them.” He set the letters down on the space beside him and took a moment to think. He wanted to show the others the letters, then write to all of them in return.

As if on cue, Wooyoung knocked on the door. Seonghwa lifted his head. “You got letters?” he wondered, excitedly.

With a smile that stretched from ear to ear, Seonghwa nodded. “Come and look!”

×-×

× May, 1883 ×

Jongho would be lying to himself if he said he had not been waiting with bated breath for a month for a reply from Seonghwa to arrive. Though San, Yeosang and Mingi could not blame him; they had all been thinking along the exact same lines.

When the letters arrived, it was Yeosang who collected them and returned to the house, thrilled to share the long-awaited news. “The letters are here!”

The others entered the foyer at record speed. Yeosang noticed there were only three envelopes: two for Jongho, and one addressed to himself, San and Mingi collectively. Jongho took his two, and the trio gathered in a tight circle to read their joint letter together.

Silence fell over the whole estate as they read.

18th April, 1883

To. Choi Jongho

May I just say that I find it absolutely remarkable to learn of how long you have been a vampyre? Seventy years is a frightfully long time, I cannot fathom it! I have not been a vampyre for even four complete months and yet it already feels like a great deal of time has passed. If I may be permitted to ask, how have you found the situation surrounding your teeth? I can only count on one hand the amount of times I have extended my canines since Hongjoong helped me through the transformation back in November. It was truly such a gut-wrenching experience that I vividly recall with despicable clarity. Surely, this is a sentiment felt among all if not most vampyres, no?

I learned it was Hongjoong who first discovered the trick with silk thread. Were you the first person with whom he shared it? Has it brought you any comfort in your seventy years of vampyrism? Seventy years.. Perish the thought.

I know the days are getting warmer here in Seoul, although strangely I can no longer feel the temperature. It is a bizarre feeling, no longer sensing the change in weather. How have you coped with that, if I may ask?

I wish you good health in the coming months.

Kindest regards,

Park Seonghwa

18th April, 1883

To. Choi San, Kang Yeosang and Song Mingi

I must express my sincerest gratitude to the three of you for being so amicable in your letters to me! It is truly an honour to speak with you all after learning only so much through the grapevine.

As I read your messages back to back, it sank in that you have been with each other for such a long time, much like Hongjoong, Yunho and Wooyoung. I recognise the connection you have fostered and the similarities between your circumstances that may have brought you together in the first place.

I see the term ‘fledgling’ has made its rounds. I did laugh to myself to see you use the epithet Hongjoong has since adopted with me. I wonder if, even long into the future when I have been a vampyre as long as you, I will still be called the ‘fledgling’.

San; you too, found no favour with your teeth? Hongjoong told me before that it did not get better with time, so please tell me, how, even with the silk thread, have you managed it? As for Wooyoung, he has been treating me with the utmost kindness. You are correct in that he is only the most good-natured soul, I am certain his heart is made from gold. I understand he has an impacted canine; it was the first thing he told me about himself. He tells me he is used to it now, but that it caused him so much discomfort for months. I remember what it was like the first time, and both of my teeth came through! I cannot imagine what it was like for Wooyoung in the past.

Yeosang; that is a wonderful picture! May I say, you are a great artist! The second I saw it I could picture its scale, much bigger than the one where we currently reside. It, too, would not surprise me if that theory is true. Jongho does appear to be a very selfless man, and I trust your judgement given you have known him for many years. I cannot wait to marvel at the house once we have all come together.

Mingi; I do appreciate your concern, but it was not overwhelming in the slightest! Instead, it brought me great delight to receive all of your letters at once. I would not be opposed to maintaining correspondence with all four of you, or at the very least, the three of you, as there is so much I would like to understand and ask about your experiences, to the extent with which you are comfortable answering of course. Hongjoong and Jongho seem to have much in common. They took us both under our wings; did Jongho rescue you from an unsightly incident? Please, do not respond to this if you feel it is too personal.

I welcome your address kindly, and too with open arms! Kindest regards,

Seonghwa

18th April, 1883

To. Jongho,

First, how dare you make such a remark! Are you truly all that surprised even still in the years since we first spoke? I suppose if there was one way to catch you off guard it would be this.

A smile was brought to my face to learn of the three’s eagerness to meet with our newest fledgling, and yet it was quickly replaced with tears. Jongho, must you hurt my heart so? Must you see through me in a way no one else has yet dared? I should say that no uncertainty was brought out in me, and yet you are correct in your deduction that some guilt was afoot. In truth, I plagued Seonghwa for the first couple of months in a way I never did with Yunho and Wooyoung. I expected too much, and sought to fix it once I finally had it made perfectly clear to me that nothing would get better had I not done something different. I owe that to Yunho, and in part to you. Unconsciously, I have learned so much from you through our letters to one another. The patience and selflessness you show.. I want to emulate that in myself.

The idea of Seonghwa sending you a letter was the product of our two minds, but he was the first person to make that known. In fact, that very day in which things grew tense yet again, Yunho gave me the push I needed to confront him and apologise, and he stepped forward with the plan already tucked in my head. He told me that we could meet on each other’s path, even for how different we are, and things have only improved between us ever since.

Seonghwa has continued to instil confidence in all of us that we will all one day meet in person. I do not know if Seonghwa has told you of this, but the reason why things grew so tense that day was because I got too far ahead of myself in response to something he mentioned in connection with your location. But I will bite my tongue here and say no more, lest he has not made you aware of it.

From the bottom of my heart, I wish for us to be able to host each other’s company under one roof. I know my outer shell is tough, but you must recognise what is within: a resolve that only grows stronger day by day.

From thread to wire,

Hongjoong

Jongho could not deny the wheel of emotions he had just been spun on.

San, Yeosang and Mingi gazed up from their letter with smiles on their faces, only to find Jongho departing for his office. “Jongho..?” said San, inquisitively.

“Later, I must write a letter back.”

San hummed, then exchanged looks with the other men. “I suppose Hongjoong wrote him one as well.”

“My only guess,” agreed Yeosang.

Mingi turned back to their own letter, “Seonghwa seems determined.”

“Ah, this is all so exciting!” said Yeosang.

San grinned, then started making his way towards the stairs. “Come on! We now have a duty to uphold!”

×-×

× June, 1883 ×

Another month, another letter in Hongjoong’s hands.

It was at this moment that he looked back on the last five years of his life speaking with these four men.

He could not believe there was a not-so-distant chance of them finally meeting in person.

He unfurled the letter and took a deep breath in.

26th May, 1883

To. Hongjoong,

Seonghwa has not mentioned anything to me about anything in connection with Gwangju, but I trust that if he would like to bring it up, he will do so, much as I am sure you have that same faith in him, without expectation.

But, dear friend, your head is much at odds with your heart, for you are as selfless as any person could come. Need I remind you it was you who sought to discover a way in which fellow vampyres could experience less pain? Need I recall to you the existence of the three men you took into your care, even as they live beside you under your roof? Dearest Hongjoong, I see through you in a way no one else dares because it is necessary. I have to see through your eyes to speak to the heart you shut away so often.

And besides, I am not the only one, nor the first who has ever dared. Remember him: his name is Jeong Yunho.

From wire to thread,

Jongho

Hongjoong’s chest turned to lead. In the corner of his eye, he saw Yunho in the kitchen with Wooyoung and Seonghwa, laughing with each other as if they had accompanied one another their whole lives.

Hongjoong’s gaze stayed fixated on Yunho for a long while.

“Don’t worry, Jongho,” he muttered to himself. “I won’t.”

×-×

As the months continued to pass them by, their correspondence not once losing steam, Seonghwa began to think back on the conversation he’d had with Hongjoong at the start of the year. Gwangju.

Summer had turned to autumn before their very eyes. Seonghwa stared out of what was comfortably now his room, Hongjoong forever opting to sleep in his old leather chair. He did not question Hongjoong on it once, recognising that he was probably very used to sleeping in the old chair, and that it must be an incredibly important piece of furniture to him.

The teeth situation was still diabolical. Seonghwa rarely hunted. Gwangju sat firmly in the back of his mind every step of the way.

Over the months, he’d begun to wonder whether it might be the one chance they all have to finally meet with the others.

He was reluctant initially, mainly because even if he did still have family in Gwangju, he would not know how to contact them, and he never wanted to be a burden on his relatives.

Something in the back of his mind would not let this go.

Gwangju.. Gwangju.. Gwangju..

He sighed and moved away from the window.

If I had any family in Gwangju.. who would it be?

Who would it be? Seonghwa began to think.

And from nowhere, only one name sprung to mind.

taglist: @hyungseos-cafe × @namjooncrabs × @bikerjongho

× tristeetconfus (ave). do not repost. ×

#my bad for everything i wrote jadppwldnwod 😭😭😭 hope u enjoy!#bc i rly enjoyed this chapter ave like fr it was rly nice #i think way back when i thought that the two groups wouldn't like each other but they do!#but even though...#and maybe this is just me but i cant help that theres something afoot 🤔🧐#things are going TOO well...#amazing as always!#f: fic recs

13 notes · View notes