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[miraclejunewrites]

Chapter 5

School Life

With the gates wide-open, waves of students came rushing into the campus, waving their hands to their friends. Soon enough, groups of bickering teens crowd the empty grounds. The harsh winter wind weighing on their skins since this morning. It was the start of the ‘ber’ months, and winter in Seoul is nothing to brag about. It was fucking freezing, and this is just the beginning of the harsh winter.

Jaemy’s feet stopped right in front of the thin line separating him from the inside of the University. His grip tightened onto the straps of his backpack. Jaemy wasn’t sure if he would get repelled back because no one invited him in. He had no close friends within his class and it would be strange to ask a random student to invite him in. He sighed and trailing his eyes to the students who are walking towards their respective classes. “Yang Jeongin.” Samuel stood behind the boy, putting his hand on his shoulder. Jaemy, who was now getting used to people just appearing out of nowhere, turned around meeting the eyes of the witch.

He tiptoed towards the older and gave him a brief hug. Pulling away as he saw the curious looks given to them by the students. Panic stricken; the boy bowed. Jaemy forgot Samuel was his upper-class man and also the Student Council President. “Sorry.” Samuel hummed in response, noticing how the boy acted. He observed his surroundings and make out their current disposition. He returned his attention to Jaemy’s whose head hung low. “It’s okay. Why are you just standing here, don’t you have class?” Jaemy played with his fingers, embarrassed of admitting his doubts to the witch. Samuel’s eyes briefly grew wide in realization. “Oh, let’s go now.” he grasped Jaemy’s hand. Dragging him inside the campus. Jaemy shut his eyes shut and prepared for the worst. He might roll back, or maybe even fly away a few feet. Different scenarios in his head played, and it was not helping at all. However, he didn’t feel the weird barrier preventing him to go in.

“Open your eyes, kid. Invitations don’t work in schools or any public establishments.” Samuel knew Jaemy would be pondering over his ‘current status’ a lot. Especially the ‘you have to been invited in’ situation. What he said was true, a vampire can enter any public establishment freely, without invitation. In spite of that, they cannot enter a private place or in simple words, a person’s home, without being invited in. However, centuries ago, vampires would try to gain entrance by tricking by tricking a person into believing they are someone else. Like a close relative or a friend of the owner.

Samuel’s eyes trailed to Jaemy who was now calmly walking beside him, ‘he was a different case’ the witch thought. Is it even possible for a ‘bond mate’ to have the same situation as a full vampire? He continued to eye the boy curiously, the constant stream of memories from yesterday’s ‘sleepover’ playing inside his head.

Samuel couldn’t go to sleep. He doesn’t really need that much sleep also, but after what happened earlier, he was tired. Unfortunately, not that tired to fall asleep. He was aware of the boy beside him tossing and turning from time to time, Jaemy couldn’t sleep either. At around 3am, he felt the bed shifting because of weight being lifted from it. He bolted upright once the door was closed with a soft thud. Slowly and softly, he followed Jaemy. Only noticing he was holding his breath once the boy’s head disappeared from the stairs. ‘He’s heading for the kitchen’ Samuel mumbled.

Taking careful steps, Samuel peered through the wall separating the living room and the kitchen. He saw how Jaemy stopped dead on his tracks, he heard the boy call out to the other presence in the kitchen. ‘Chris?’ voice soft and low. Samuel knitted his eyebrows. What is that blood sucking idiot doing here? Samuel knows he doesn’t need sleep but, out of all the places inside that ginormous house, why the kitchen?

Did Chris plan this? Did he lure the boy? Or maybe it was just a coincidence? When he was about to make his presence known, Jaemy welcomed Chris into an embrace. The doubt inside Samuel’s head vanished, as he turned his back heading upstairs with a small smile on his face, he knew he just lost to his own head. He finally knew he was worrying for nothing at all. How could he be so blind? Sure, Chris was scary and powerful, that vampire is not easy to deal with. Contrary to his ‘intent to kill’ earlier that day, Chris will never hurt a weak human being.

And Jaemy was no exception to that.

A few hours later, the sun seeped through the curtains in their room. Jaemy stirred awake, rubbing his eyes as they slowly adjust to the sunlight. He sat upright and yawned, stretching both his arms in the air. His jaw was caught as his eyes noticed the ‘figures’ staring at him with googly eyes. “Isn’t he just so adorable!” Sam’s voice was a few octaves higher, during that time he smacked Han and Calvin because he couldn’t contain his excitement. Making Samuel, who was really annoyed because he couldn’t get any sleep at all, threw a pillow hitting Sam square in the face. The wolf stumbled, recovering after, while he whines about the witch enchanting the pillow. Calvin and Han’s laughter can be heard in the background.

Samuel really thought they could go home as soon as they woke up. But there he was, sitting on the couch, dumbfounded. Eyes traveling from Felix who was doing the Fortnite dance because he won the game, to Han and Calvin groaning in frustration because they lost, to Wisdom and Chris watching the boys with fatherly smiles, to Sam drying Jaemy’s hair, and well… Marco who was throwing praises at himself as he checks his reflection on the small mirror in his hand. Samuel scoffed out loud, making the rest look at him.

His pupils dilated and only a loud “NO!” was heard, as Marco pulls him into a human/non-human pile on the floor.

“Samuel!” the familiar figure running towards them made Samuel halt in place, Jaemy doing the same. The pretty girl stops in front of Samuel, tucking a few strands of her hair behind her ear. She gave the witch a big smile. But the boy beside him didn’t go unnoticed, her eyes shifted to Jaemy for a second before she turns her attention to Samuel. “Let’s walk together to the office!”

“Grace, can’t you see I’m with someone?” the girl’s smile wavered. She peered over the boy, this time holding her gaze. Annoyed by the fact that Samuel was more interested in him than the Vice President of the Student Council and from what she claimed that she was his ‘best friend’. Samuel gave her a cold stare, “I will be there before the meeting with the school journalists after lunch. See you.” He nonchalantly passed by her. Jaemy who was unaware of the eerie tension, bowed at the girl before catching up with Samuel.

He matched his pace with the witch, moving his eyes to Samuel’s face. A small smile forming on his lips, Jaemy couldn’t help but feel accomplished. It’s really something he could brag about, his friendship with Samuel. Well, the witch didn’t confirm it yet but nonetheless, he felt happy. “Why are you smiling like an idiot, Yang Jeongin?” the boy pouted. He told off the older to just call him by his name. Yesterday at the mansion, he was sure he had mentioned ‘Just call me Jaemy, Samuel’ for at least 50 times. But Samuel would still call him by his full name. “Samuel, I told you–”

“Right right! Sorry, Jaemy.”

Those were the last words they exchanged before they continued walking towards Jaemy’s class. Out of instinct, Jaemy stopped right in front of the door. One of his classmates bumping into him, no apology given. “Manners, Mr. Roi Kim.” the familiar voice startled the boy, bowing 90 degrees before forcing a low ‘sorry’ directing it to Samuel instead of Jaemy. The boy sped off towards the bathroom, thinking to himself why the university’s council president outside their room was.

Jaemy stuck his foot through the door, continuing into a step when he felt no such barrier. He proceeded on walking towards his seat near the window, clearly unaware of the witch ambling behind him. As he turns to sit down, he notices Samuel taking the chair from the empty seat in front of his desk. “Samuel? Why are you still here?” he watched as the witch placed the chair near his table, sitting down facing him. Samuel signals him to sit down also.

“To kill some time. Your class doesn’t start in 20 minutes, right?” all Jaemy could do was nod in awe. The buzzing of voices around them grew louder. Samuel gave him a smile, “Ignore them.” he smiled back, eagerly nodding his head. This time, the witch started the conversation. Asking the boy about his major, and why he picked it. Samuel forced himself to not break into a smile or even chuckle every once in a while. The glow on Jaemy’s face while he was talking about his love for his current program, made it a hard task to do so. He had to admit it was the shortest 20 minutes in his life.

And surviving for more than 500 years contained a lot of maddening long minutes/hours.

Samuel wanted to hear more from the kid, weirdly enough, he embraced the term ‘friends’ very easily. His intentions were pure, as asked the boy if they were friends. Not letting Jaemy respond, he ended the conversation with somewhat a threat, “You will be my friend or else I’m gonna chuck you into the garbage shoot.” He had to admit he panicked just a little bit when Jaemy bit his lips, eyes turning glossy as the boy tried to hold back his tears. Samuel swore he would kill everyone in the room, including himself, if they ever hurt the boy. And in Chris’s case… he would probably eliminate South Korea’s whole population.

“You have my number, right?” Fixing his wrinkled sweater, Samuel stands up picking up his backpack in the process. “Text me when you’re done. Let’s get lunch outside.” and with that he exited the room, not after giving the boy a soft pat in the head. He knew the consequences of his actions, but he couldn’t help himself. “A little brother huh?” the sun shined through the windows; his eyes momentarily blinded by it. Samuel shielded his face with his hand, a familiar insignia on his finger came to view. He smiled, running his thumb over the black ink. “Is this how it felt to have a family, Master?”

-

Wasting no time, Jaemy’s classmates circled his desk. Throwing questions at him like there’s no tomorrow. He was overwhelmed by the amount of attention, but he was mindful of their intentions. Jaemy meekly smiled, answering only with the right words. The words ‘He’s my friend’ felt like an alien language to him, but weirdly enough it rolled naturally from his tongue. But the queries from his curious classmates grew a bit personal. Some of them asking if Samuel was the boy’s boyfriend.

Jaemy was thankful for the heavens when the professor walks in 5 minutes after. He pushed back all his thoughts and decided to focus on the lecture. Smiling slightly when he remembered the witch’s words before he left.

Students scrambled to their feet as they speed off towards their respective classes. But with the irregular schedules of a university student, some of them enjoyed their free time. Samuel walked passed by a group of students, all of them bowing their heads in respect for the ‘President’. He bowed in return, not forgetting about his attitude as someone in the higher ups. It was a pain in the ass he grew accustomed to. And he had a way to avoid them. The campus may be huge, but Samuel knows the path where he would encounter less students. Typical.

The Student council has their own 2-storey building near the faculty building. He pushed the door open, tapping his I.D. on one of the turnstiles provided. It was an open space on the first floor. A small reception desk was located beside the turnstiles and beyond that were a variety of desks.

Samuel greeted some of the officers who are working. “Updates?” he listened attentively to some reports from the team. The office has been chaotic for the past 2 weeks. The event for next month was near and they had to prepare for it. After the brief presentations, one of them approached Samuel and handed a paper for him to sign. They don’t really have any assigned tables or desks for each officer so, they can freely choose where to sit. Although, everyone within the council knows the president favorite spot. Samuel didn’t claim it but, he eventually noticed the lack of officers who attempted to sit there.

Samuel sat down, fishing out a pen from the neatly arranged table. He began to read the paper thoroughly. When he understood the contents, and deemed them as okay to sign, he handed it back to the officer. Giving him a few pointers before he twirled his chair and skimmed through the finish paperwork neatly piled on his desk.

Abruptly, his back suddenly went stiff, hands coming to a halt. ‘This presence’. He stayed seated but turned his head towards the entrance. A familiar face approaching him, hands inside his pockets. Blazing red hair that seems to be too ‘natural looking’. Piercing brown eyes vanished through half crescent lids when he smiled at one of the students. The small ‘Representative’ badge on his left chest reflected the light outside. A few officers greeted him, asking for updates. Samuel turned his head back to his desktop monitor, inputting his password.

“I still can’t believe you’re the Department of Fine Arts representative. Agreeably, you’re really good at your job.” - officer

Samuel scoffed. That guy is really deceiving. After a brief moment, he descended up the stairs, mindful of the presence following him.

“Kazuo. How’s your father?” he turned to see the guy plopped onto one of the bean bags, munching on the snacks provided. The second floor was made into a place where they can either work or relax. There are places where you can doze off and places where you can relax and work. Shelves of books are given. And also, an arcade room was separated by a glass wall.

“Unfortunately, the old man’s still breathing.” Samuel chuckled, how is that unfortunate? Ah, right. Kazuo’s father.

Samuel knew his father, well not personally but he has heard of him. His father was an old man, minding a small candy shop in Japan. Kazuo shifted awkwardly from his seat, earning a glance from Samuel. “It’s weird to hear you laugh. What’s wrong with you?” the witch frowned. Was he really that conservative and cold from another people’s perspective? “Woah, I’m sorry man. Didn’t mean to make you upset. It’s just… weird.” the guy shrugged trying to find comfortable position on the sunken bean bag.

“It’s fine. When will you go back?” Kazuo pouted, throwing a chip towards the witch’s direction. Halfway through the air, it lit up in flames. Stopping right in front of the witch face, ashes dropping onto the carpeted floor. “Fucker, you already want me gone. I have a ‘job’. You know.” Samuel scowled at the guy’s ‘quote and unquote’ gesture. He turned to his heel, facing the all glass wall behind him. His eyes scanned through the vicinity of the campus. He heard shuffling behind him, and soon enough Kazuo stood beside him, sucking on a lollipop.

The expanse of the green grass covered the ground. Samuel sighed, soon enough it would be covered by oceans of white snow. And those distant figures walking through different paths, will all be shivering underneath their thick padded coats. To be honest, it was an ordinary everyday sight for Samuel. The weather taking a sudden turn was no stranger to him. But he just couldn’t get why he was always mesmerized by it.

“You know.” he spared the guy beside him a glance. The sudden suffocating air around them didn’t go unnoticed. “You could easily take over this school if you liked.” the corners of his lips tugged upward forming into a smirk. Samuel snickered and returned his gaze towards the view before him.

“You’re the best candidate for that, Kazuo of the 11 families.” Samuel did not bother looking at the guy, who was walking towards the stairs. His last words etched inside his mind.

“See you around, Merlin’s descendant.”

-

As soon as the professor’s back was turned, Jaemy darted towards the door. Avoiding all the unnecessary attention before the bell rings. The words ‘early dismissal’ were his cue. The always crowded halls, buzzed with voices. Students hailing from the Music Department, shuffling through. He pulled his sweater over his hands, suddenly aware of the cold weather.

“Samuel? Walking with someone?”

“He didn’t just walk with him, he took him to his class and even stayed there before it started!” Jaemy’s fast paced steps slowly ambled. “Wait, it was a guy? Were they friends? Samuel has real friends?” his eyebrows furrowed. News already spread out like that. Ah, technology. And why would anyone talk about Samuel like that, he was a nice guy. But upon dissecting their words, Jaemy wasn’t sure why he was surprised.

‘So it is true’ he thought. People only recognize you once you made a mistake. No matter how many achievements you did, they will only focus on your failures. Humans tend to drag down the person they are threatened with. It’s sickening.

Samuel had a good reputation when it comes to running the council. He was amazing in his job. Seniors from all programs made him a laughing stock once he stepped behind the podium. Imagine, a first year Photography Major, running for Council President? Pathetic. He was clearly trying to get himself into some trouble. However, as soon as he spoke. Each word coming from his mouth, somehow put them into a trance. It was like they were put under a spell, his spell. Samuel won. And this year, even though he wasn’t a candidate. He was, according to the witch, forced into the position again.

“Well, he seems close with Kazuo.” who was Kazuo? Jaemy bit his lip. Was he an acquaintance of Chris too? Jaemy shook his head and lightly slapped his right cheek. Fishing out his phone from his pocket, he easily found Samuel’s number among the small amount of contacts he had. He typed in a message, sliding the phone back in his pocket after he pressed send. Jaemy scurried towards the main gate, rubbing his hands to achieve some sort of warmth.

“Jaemy.” he lifted his head up and saw Samuel. The witch approached him, Jaemy gave him a smile before they turned and walked out the gates. “How was class?” Jaemy fidgeted, earning a curious glance from Samuel. “What’s wrong?” the boy stopped in his tracks. Running his fingers through his hair before it gripped the straps of his backpack. Jaemy hesitated, but he knows Samuel probably heard about it.

Soon enough, they sat in front of each other in a restaurant. After the lady bowed, placing their orders in front of them, Jaemy broke the ice. He told the issue to Samuel, who as he predicted, knew about it. The witch told the boy to ignore them, but upon consideration he offered a proposal. “How about we don’t interact in school, if that’s what makes you comfortable.” Jaemy has never said disagreed so fast in his life. Pretending not know each other was the last resort, and he was not that desperate to do that. “It’s fine, Samuel! It will die down soon enough.” Samuel just nodded, but he was still bothered by it.

They finished lunch, Jaemy apologizing to Samuel because he got held up by him. “How about a hug then?” before Jaemy could react, Samuel pulls him into a hug. Letting go quickly. The witch turned to his heel and waved goodbye with his back facing the boy. Jaemy smiled, he stood there gazing at Samuel’s diminishing figure.

“Mom! Dad!” Jaemy set down his backpack on the coach. Roaming his eyes around the living room. He called out once more for his brother but to no luck, he was alone. The empty house was a rare sight. His brother would usually be screaming across the halls, while his dad watches TV and his mom was at the kitchen.

A few moments later, he received a call from his mom. Telling him they were at his grandparents’ house, she left some food in the fridge and if he wanted take out food, there was money on his desk. Jaemy let out an exasperated sigh when his mom didn’t stop worrying about him. Jaemy knew even his dad won’t be able to help him. But… he had one idea to make her stop. “Mom, I’ll be fine. I’ll just sleepover again at Chris—” the plan worked. He pulled away his phone from his ear when his mom shouted ‘YES DO THAT SWEETIE, LOVE U BYE’ she ended the call even before he could say he loves her back. Jaemy stared at his phone in astonishment. His own mother has abandoned him for the sake of him having friends. Jaemy sighed and shook his head.

Closing the door behind him, he stood at the entrance tucking a few strands of hair into the beret hat he put on. Jaemy was satisfied with his current outfit change, it wasn’t that cold yet, but a simple hat and warm coat made a difference. After checking his appearance on his phone, he started heading out. Seoul’s atmosphere at night was Jaemy’s favorite, especially in summer where it’s blazing hot during the day. His feet navigated him to a familiar place. The lack of light coming from Chris’s Antique shop didn’t shock him. Jaemy got home late. He only had one class, but he tends to wait for the students lurking around the music studios to leave so that he can use them by himself. Samuel was right. Jaemy was a shy boy. He knows how to play the piano and is a good singer. But his talent won’t be noticed if he lacked confidence. And that was really his case.

Nothing went wrong when he grew up. Jaemy had a great family, everyone was supportive of him. Although he went through grade school to high school without friends to keep, he wasn’t bullied by anyone. Jaemy was just plain invisible to them. “Chris?” before his closed fist could tap the glass, Chris materialize behind it. I guess, Jaemy getting used to people appearing out of nowhere was a lie. He stumbled back a few steps before regaining himself. Chris unlocked the door apologizing as he ushered him in.

No words were exchanged as they, out of instinct, walked towards the table behind the counter. Finding their usual spots. “Tea?” Jaemy shook his head, motioning Chris to sit down. Jaemy took his time to roam his eyes around the familiar shop. Oddly enough, this place felt like home. It was also sort of like a job to him, although Chris didn’t pay him. His eyes landed on the floor; a sudden flash of the past incident flickered in front of him. A small smile creeping on his face. Jaemy was kinda thankful for making that mistake, even though he almost got killed. It was a rickety bridge that led him towards Chris and the rest of the boys. “So,” his eyes moved back to Chris. Jaemy just noticed Chris’s hair was styled, his curly locks remained but it was neatly parted on one side, a few strands falling into his forehead. Surprisingly, he also had makeup on. A sultry smoky eye made his soft eyes look more prominent. He was also wearing a black leather jacket over a dirty white hoodie. Lastly, his gaze fell onto Chris’s lips. Jaemy was always so curious of how plump and soft looking the vampire’s lips are. “What brings you here at this hour? It’s dangerous outside.”

“By the way, I’m going home to the puppies tonight.” Jaemy briefly reflected Chris’s words. Puppies? Oh, the werewolves. That’s such a cute endearment. However, that wasn’t the issue here. Jaemy had planned to sleep over here since it’s close to his house. “O-oh. Okay, sorry for the hold up.”

“It’s okay, kid.” Jaemy stayed quiet. Chris itched to ask him what was wrong. Jaemy followed his eyes to Chris as he lifted his seat and slowly settled in beside him. He was not overwhelmingly close but Jaemy was still flustered, he can feel his ears heat up. Ah, it was a wrong choice to wear that beret hat because his ears were exposed. “You didn’t answer my question. What brings you here, Jaemy?”

Chris had to confess; he was flustered by the boy suddenly appearing at this time of the night. He wanted to scold him for walking in the dark, it was not safe. Especially now that Jaemy is his bond mate. But his adorable appearance makes up for it. For the 2 weeks Jaemy has visited/worked at his shop, he never saw the boy wear a hat. Especially a beret, Chris took his time on taking it all in. He never noticed it before but., Jaemy’s facial features were so chiseled for a 17-year-old. The vampire also notices how the boy looked very different whenever he has blank face, contrary to his always smiling face. Chris had to admit, Jaemy was really adorable. Sam always giggle out of nowhere and when Calvin asks him why he laughed, Sam would reply ‘Jaemy is really cute, I want to put him in my pocket and protect him.’ Surprisingly, the whole pack agrees. Wisdom who has a soft spot for cute things continued to gush over the boy with Sam. And when Han mentioned something about Jaemy removing his braces, the mansion was left in utter chaos.

“Well, my family’s not home. And I kinda told mom I’m sleeping over.” Chris was surprised. Jaemy wanted to sleepover at his place? He can’t help but stifle a chuckle. He offered that they sleep at the mansion. Wisdom and the rest of the pack would be so happy. Eventually, Jaemy accepted the offer upon seeing the pout on Chris’s lips. It was weird, but he was not complaining.

As they step outside, Chris approaches him with a helmet on his hand. “Safety first, sweetie.” Jaemy blushed at the pet name. His face grew redder when Chris’s hand grazed his ears as removed his hat, replacing it with the helmet. “Stop staring...” Chris chuckled at the boy’s whines. He hands him his hat back, proceeding to start up his bike. ‘That bike’ Jaemy thought. He always admired it for a minute or two every time he goes to the shop. He constantly imagined Chris riding that bike, how cool he would look. Chris wore his helmet, flicking his head to his right to tell the boy to hop on.

Jaemy flailed his arms around, finding a place to hold on. His panicked eyes followed Chris’s large hands gripping each of his wrists. Chris guided the boy’s arms around his waist, forcing his fingers to interlock with each other. “Hold on.” Jaemy was a crimson red as they sped off, Seoul’s cold night breeze was chilly but, ‘Chris is warm’. Was he supposed to be warm? According to Jaemy’s very ‘extensive’ research which involves his face buried in front of his laptop’s monitor at 5am in a school day—Vampires aren’t supposed to be warm. Their bodies are dead. The flask on the desk earlier might have answered his question. Chris might be warm because he just drank some blood.

Not long enough, they arrive in front of the mansion. Jaemy squinted his eyes, making out the figure who was… running towards them? “S-Sam! Let me down please!” Chris watched how Sam lifted the boy up from his seat and carried the boy like a sack, sprinting towards the mansion. Chris didn’t even turn off his engine yet. He shook his head in disbelief. “Wait a goddamn second, Hwang.” Calvin gripped Sam’s shirt, halting him. He circled the boy and carefully removed Jaemy’s helmet. Tossing it back to Chris who was walking up to them. “Okay go, you dingus.” and with that, Sam disappeared inside.

Jaemy’s voice boomed inside the house, “WAIT WHAT THE FUCK. HOW THE FUCK DID I GET IN?” the four of them looked at each other with wide eyes, breaking into a fit of laughter. “Can’t believe that kid can curse like that.”

Jaemy was still confused on why he easily went in. He was sure Wisdom did not invite him because he was also outside. The answer to his question was given by a not-even-huffing Sam, telling him that once he’s invited to that house, he can freely access it in the future, but if that person doesn’t visit for quite a while or the owner either changes or cancels the invitation he cannot enter the house. He bounced on Sam’s shoulder, still mind fucked. “Jaemy’s here???” a familiar voice came from the stairs. Sam carefully placed Jaemy on the couch, attaching himself to the boy right away. Jaemy’s eyes traveled to the source of the voice. “Felix! Marco!” Felix and Marco descended the stairs. The fox scurried towards the boy, engulfing him into a tight hug and at the same time squishing Sam between them. Marco silently trailed behind Felix, giving Jaemy a smile and a pat in the head before heading towards the kitchen.

Felix and Marco moved in with Chris and the werewolves yesterday. Originally, only Felix wanted to move in. But Marco was acting like a bitch, saying he’s alone at the apartment and that Felix abandoned him. So, they both end up moving together with the rest of the pack. “Why are you guys here?” Sam shoved Felix off them, sitting up while trying to catch his breath. Felix chuckled and apologized, sitting beside Jaemy telling him they moved in with Chris. Jaemy was ecstatic, the 2 days he spent with them were memorable. And now that they’re here together, they can make more memories!

Wisdom trailed behind Han and Calvin; Chris was behind him the whole time. He stopped and looked back, waiting for the vampire to discard the helmets he was holding. Chris settled them on the cabinet near the entrance, removing his shoes right after. “Is Jaemy gonna stay the night?” Chris hummed in response, nodding his head as they walked towards the living room. He shrugged his jacket off his shoulders, tossing it to the coat rack 3 meters away from him. It flew in the air with great speed, halting in before the coat rack. It hung itself like someone did it. Wisdom shakes head before following Chris. He stopped midway, admiring the view. Jaemy was crimson red as Sam and Felix praise him about looking so cute in a beret hat. Marco was plopped beside Han, immersed in their own world. Calvin popped out of the kitchen, handing Chris a glass of blood. Slowly, they all settled down the circled couch, laughing with each other.

Wisdom can’t help but smile. It used to be just the 5 of them—Han, Calvin, Sam, Chris and himself. They had a lot of fun, but Chris was rather a non-chaotic person, he didn’t mind the noise, but he rarely joins in. He himself, on the other hand was no far from Chris. He’s just smiling on one side, laughing when the puppies make a joke. Who would have thought that they would grow this big? 9 of them talking and laughing with each other, just having a good time without caring for anything else. Including that witch, Wisdom was a bit cautious of him at first. He seemed to be a bit cold and strict. But after he helped them find Han, he slowly opened up his heart to the witch. “Samuel may act like that, but... He’s a good person.” the sincerity inside Chris’s eyes removed all Wisdom’s doubts.

Speaking of the devil. Samuel appeared in a blink of an eye in the middle of the living room, causing Felix and Han to stumble behind the couch as they were headed to the kitchen to get some snacks. Samuel declared that he is Jaemy’s officially best friend, threatening the rest of the boys if they ever hurt the boy. Soon enough, Samuel settled in. Sitting in front of Chris as they play one on one in UNO.

Wisdom stood in the distance the whole time. Taking it all in. Wisdom clenched his fists. The thought of one of them getting harmed lit up a fire inside his heart. Before he pranced towards the chaos, his voice echoed inside the rest of the wolves’ heads, all them simultaneously looking at Wisdom’s direction, nodding their heads to his request.

“Protect them. At all costs.”

[miraclejunewrites]

Chapter 4

Bonded

The suffocating silence bothered Jaemy. The rest of the pack rushed at the doorstep, including Han, bombarding him with questions he couldn’t quite understand. Amidst the chaos, Samuel stood in front of the boy, blocking him away from Chris whose eyes have been gazing at him intently. A firm grasp on Wisdom’s left wrist made him look up, “Wisdom” his voice was desperate. Wisdom knew the boy wanted answers.

He pulled the boy to his side, earning the long-awaited silence. Samuel was about to speak up when his eyes found Jaemy’s, they were practically begging him to just stay quiet. The witch’s furrowed eyebrows relaxed as he sighed in defeat, pushing the rest inside the house. Samuel went back and dragged Felix and Marco by their ears, both breaking into a fit of whines. The alpha turned to Jaemy, giving the boy a small smile before leading him inside the house. Wisdom’s hand was big and warm, Jaemy felt reassured with just that.

His eyes wandered around the wide hallway, his muddy shoes leaving stain on the carpeted floor. Jaemy reminded himself to apologize to Wisdom later. The hallway was decorated with simple paintings on the walls and a few vases on top of stools. The pack probably didn’t want to redecorate the place in honor of the previous owner. With that, he started coming up with questions regarding the wolves and Chris’s lives. Plus, the mansion.

The hallway leads to an open space. Jaemy who was whisked away from his thoughts, saw the rest of the boys gathered at the circular sofa, their heads were on the same level as his and Wisdom’s feet. “Careful of the steps, Sam usually slips.” the mentioned wolf whimpers, receiving a loud cackle from Calvin. “Sam trips at least twice a week.”

Felix giggled, “What?” his deep voice was cut off with the sudden stares from everyone in the room. For the first time in a while, the tension was broken. Chris huffed out air, he too was tired of the heavy air around them. He smiled, “Felix is easily amused, pay him no mind.” the first playful words coming from him swept the suffocating air away. Felix pouted, shouting a loud ‘Hey!’ afterwards. While the others laughed, Wisdom pulled Jaemy, settling him in between Han and Sam. “Are you okay now, Han?” the wolf nodded, giving the boy a smile as they open up a small talk. Sam leaned over, gingerly placing his head on the boy’s shoulder. Jaemy flinched at the sudden contact but loosened up at the sight of Sam. “Sam, don’t make the boy uncomfortable.” Sam whined and attached himself to Jaemy, earning a soft giggle from Wisdom. The alpha eventually gave up, he can’t change about the fact that Sam is a cuddle bug.

The laughter dies down, it was silent. But not the same silence as earlier. Wisdom beams as he faces Chris. “Oh, why don’t your friends introduce themselves, huh, Chris?” Felix and Marco spares Chris a glance, finally speaking up when the older nods. They don’t usually get permission from someone higher than them, they were free spirits, usually messing with people back in Japan. But after meeting Chris, they pay so much respect for the vampire.

Felix’s meeting wasn’t the best one, but it was memorable.

Chris was on a trip to Japan; he was importing vases from a very famous antique shop in Okinawa. It was a hard gamble as the owner of the shop didn’t want anyone to re-sell his products. Chris was a very patient person, he tried to talk as calm and casual as possible. But the old man was not having any of it. He was close to just hypnotizing him, but it bothered his conscience, not that he has one anyways.

On his way out, he was bothered by a eerie presence, it was subtle but he can tell the sheer amount of power being suppressed. His head snapped towards the rooftop of a candy shop. There, he saw a small fox watching him intently with his doe eyes, his speck-littered face standing out in the open. The fox was sure his presence was hidden. As he made eye contact with the man, his small body shivered in fear. Chris’s deep and dark orbs flashed red; he smiles at the fox. Nodding at him before going his merry way.

Felix was a bit, arrogant. The town his shrine was located was somewhat, peaceful. The bad spirits were nothing more than deranged souls who strayed from their paths. And he wasn’t the only God/Guardian in that huge town. There were lots of them. Ranging from powerful to mediocre ones. Felix was one of the most influential and known God. His personality in most cases, is normal. He was a nice God, a bit playful, nonetheless. But the residents don’t have complaints against the fox.

They admired him the most whenever they get to see a glimpse of his full form. His huge figure partially hidden in the depths of the woods as the moon reflected against his glimmering white fur, littered with black specs focused on his face. Felix was beautiful indeed.

The fox had no reason for staying. But he had a reason for leaving, it was Chris.

“I’m Felix. I am uh, a 9 tailed fox, Marco and I are both from Japan.” Chris snickered as Felix began unveiling his tails one by one. The room broke into gasps. Marco turned to Chris, in cue, they both laughed underneath their breath as they shake their heads simultaneously. Lix was a bit of a show-off. It wasn’t the worst, but you can’t help but scoff whenever he does so.

Chris glances at Jaemy who busy admiring Felix’s tails was. He can’t help but break into a smile when the boy stood up and asked Felix, politely, if he could touch them. Felix gave the boy a big smile, telling him it was fine. “Wow, so fluffy!” the rest literally melted when the boy jumped up and down with a silly smile on his face. His braces on full view for everyone to see. And when most of them have moved on by the majestic scene, Jaemy couldn’t stop admiring the fox. Felix forced him to sit down between him and Samuel.

Felix has always been nice. Sure, he was a bit playful with the townspeople near his shrine but in general, he was just a quiet God. Looking over his people

Marco was a different case. He was stubborn and naive. He liked playing with the locals, especially the school girls who visit his shrine. Marco usually blows towards the girls, their skirts riding up as the harsh wind hits them. He would throw rocks at the roofs of some elderly people, just for the heck of it. They know it was him. The God of their village. His shrine was atop a small hill, with the perfect view of the whole village. The elderly would curse at him, using mantras to make the Bakeneko go back to its shrine.

You would really expect for him to have a bad reputation within the town. With his usual childish acts and pranks, he should’ve been a stray God by now. But he wasn’t. Marco is weird and arrogant and obnoxious. But the village was thankful for him, Marco has done a lot of stupid things but none of them are gravely bad. He has done better than any God that has set foot at their small town. Marco always gave them a good harvest, plenty of fish, nature was always bountiful and vibrant. And his petty pranks made the village livelier.

That’s why when Chris stumbled upon his shrine, he couldn’t help but admire the size of it. It was vibrant and clean. Offerings piled neatly on the shiny wooden floor. People from all around the village visiting back and forth. Chris was impressed, despite the bad reviews of the God, the locals still respect and admire him.

But, up to this date. He never really knew why the cat left Japan. He never knew why Marco snuck into his hotel room on his last day there.

“I’m Marco. I’m a bakeneko from Japan.”

“What’s a bakeneko?”

“It’s like a ghost cat.”

Calvin nodded, somewhat satisfied with the answer given to him.

After the pleasantries were exchanged, they all engaged in conversations. It wasn’t just a small, casual talk to fill in the gaps. They talked about stuff close friends normally dabble in. Wisdom can’t help but smile as he admires the people around him going along just fine, despite the multiple feuds they had within the span of a day.

Samuel who was wandering his eyes around the finally decided to ask the question that has been sitting in his head. “How did you guys get ahold of this place?” his tone directed to Wisdom. With a weary look, the rest of the pack turned their heads to their alpha. “Yeah, how did you find this place?” Samuel followed Jaemy’s gaze towards Wisdom, thankful because he backed him up. Wisdom can’t help but break into a smile with the boy’s gesture. Jaemy’s head was tilted to the side as he playfully wraps one of Felix’s tail around wrist.

“Well, to make things short. There was this soldier who stumbled upon our small den during the World War I. He was miles away from his battalion. He was a wise guy to say at least.” a few pair of eyes followed Wisdom’s finger, pointing at a huge portrait on the cream-colored walls. Wisdom lowered his hand, proceeding with his story. “Han,” the said wolf let out a small whine, lowering his head. Sam threw a hand around the wolf, nuzzling him closer. “Was still very sensitive back then–” his next words fell to the floor, unsaid, as he sees Han shaking a bit in the arms of Sam. He cleared his throat and decided to choose his words wisely. “Calvin was very territorial. While, Sam was the most rational between all of us. It was hard not to trust the man; he was very clever for his age. He didn’t like war. Wished he could stop it, but instead he was forced to join the army in the name of his family’s honor.”

Jaemy was compelled by the story. His eyes glistened in curiosity as he listened to the alpha’s soothing voice. He felt like a kid again, listening to his teacher’s stories during kindergarten and preschool. Wisdom continues his history class. Calvin left 5 minutes ago, telling them he was gonna go get some snacks since everyone didn’t have the appetite to eat a heavy meal. The story about the mansion finished, and the rest of them started telling their own. Marco, bullshiting everyone into believing he created Japan. He earned a smack on the head from Chris because of it.

As they continue to munch on their chips, Jaemy gazes at Felix who was fast asleep on his lap. Jaemy’s fingers running through the fox’s strawberry tinted locks. The boy tried to reach out for his bag on the side of the couch. He was also trying hard not to wake the fox. Jaemy mumbled a silent thanks to Han who made his task easier. The current state of his bag made his frown, his mom is gonna question him about it. He sighed and carefully opening it. Rummaging through his notes and a few personal necessities, his hand found what he was trying to retrieve. Jaemy placed his bag between his knees and continued to unlock his phone.

There were only 2 missed calls from his mom, he sighed. Thankful that it wasn’t his dad. He buried his face in front of the screen as he types in a message for his mom, telling her he was okay and was only at a friend’s house. His thumbs stopped moving, Jaemy eyed the last word he typed in, “Friends” he really didn’t have any. His mom pushed him further to make friends, but he really didn’t know who was at fault. Jaemy doesn’t really claim that he’s the nicest person. Sure, he was naive and a bit of a cast off, but he wasn’t rude to anyone. He greeted his classmates on his first day but none of them really stuck to him. They only talk when it’s related to school. You can’t even tell if it was a ‘casual’ relationship. He was sometimes invisible in class, only getting recognized when the teacher calls him out for spacing out.

“Hey, Jaemy. Do you need to get home?” he pressed send before looking up to Sam. The wolf gave him a worried look and proceeded to walk to his position. The wolf plopped down in front of him and put his hand on Jaemy’s knee. The room went silent, they waited for the boy’s answer. It was really late, and the boy’s family is probably worried. “Sam, it’s okay. I texted my mom that I was at a..” a lump in his throat caught his next words. “F-friends. And that I’ll be home by midnight at least.” Wisdom stood up and peered over at the closest window. It was dark, his eyes traveled to the moon, shining brightly than normal. He hummed in thought before turning back to the rest of the pack.

He gave them his most fatherly smile.

“How about a sleepover?”

-

For the last 30 minutes, Sam and Han who was now acting normal according to Calvin, were both chanting “Sleepover!” while jumping up and down the couch. Felix was woken up by the commotion and after processing what was happening, he joined the two idiots. “The couch, you fucking cunts!” the three of them scurried away from a fuming Calvin. Jaemy looked in awe. Obviously, culture shocked. Jaemy had called his mom after Sam insisted on him sleeping over. The sound of his mom crying over the phone telling him she was proud of him finally making friends, was definitely alarming. Sam had snatched his phone and told his mom that they will take care of her baby. Jaemy was embarrassed, but he can’t help but smile. It was his first ever sleepover.

“I’m going home.” Jaemy whipped his head towards Samuel’s direction, the witch walked past him, heading towards the door. Jaemy gripped his wrist, making the older turn to him. “Don’t go?” his tone was vague; he didn’t know if he was asking him or telling him. Samuel didn’t know what took over him when he nodded his head and sat beside the boy. Just like Jaemy, he didn’t have any friends, the only difference is that he didn’t want to make such connections. He always thought that the need to socialize was a pain in the ass. The Student Council was already a big burden to bear. He had to put up a strict but reliable facade in front of the students and the teachers. Having friends was just a distraction. Well, aside for Chris.

“How about you two wash up upstairs. Sam’s clothes might fit both of you, I’ll call you guys when,” Wisdom looked at the clock on the wall. “Super late dinner is ready. Alright?” he chuckled midway and turned his back after getting a nod from both. There was something about Wisdom that made Samuel follow his every command. Jaemy turned to Samuel when he felt him shiver. The witch was reminded of the alpha almost losing his temper earlier. Wisdom was patient no matter how grave the moment is, but today was different. Han has been kidnapped and they had to protect an innocent human boy. He had to step up and show his authority or else they wouldn’t get things done.

Samuel doesn’t want to admit it but, he respects the alpha. Maybe even more than Chris.

“Let’s go!” they were both pulled off from their seats. Sam dragging them upstairs as he giggled. Jaemy tried to look back while keeping up with the wolf, he saw a laughing Felix being chased by a grinning Calvin. He can’t help but break into a smile, reaching out his hand to the fox who greatly accepted it. “Hey! That’s not fair!” Samuel almost breaking into a fit of laughter because of Calvin’s last remarks before they disappeared around the corner.

The wooden door smacked shut right in front of Calvin. Sam fell down the carpeted floor, almost losing his sanity as he laughed. Felix fell on top of him, his face was red, and tears were on the verge of falling from his eyes. Jaemy giggled as he sat on the bed, pulling Samuel beside him. The boy was a ecstatic when he saw the glow on Samuel’s eyes as he smiled at him. He knew the witch was having fun despite what had happened earlier. The door opened and a grim looking Calvin stared down on the two figures squirming on the floor.

The three of them trashed around the room, Calvin holding a death grip on Sam’s neck while both Jaemy and Samuel rushed to his aid. Samuel gave up halfway no longer being able to hold back his laughter and collapsed beside Felix who was barely breathing. “Sam. I will be fucking end you. You fucking cunt, you broke my nose!” Jaemy was barely even putting effort on trying to pry them away from each other. He was cackling so hard he can’t even stand up. His chest hit Calvin’s back, letting the wolf carry his weight while he chokes Sam. The wolf underneath tried his best to explain his side, telling Calvin that his nose healed within a second.

“What is happe–” Han’s question hung in the air when he looked at the chaos. Choking on his saliva he rushed towards Sam, easily pulling off Calvin from Sam. Calvin proceeded trashing his fists towards Sam who was hoisted up from the floor by Samuel. Sam leaned half of his weight on Samuel, the witch momentarily stumbled but anchored his foot on the ground to hold up the almost dying wolf.

Calvin calmed down after a while as they all slumped on the king-sized bed in the center of the room. They started small talk with each other. Sam was convinced Samuel has at least 2 personalities. He observed how the witch transitioned from almost dying from laughter to his usual stoic face just nodding and responding with short comments. Shaking his head, he paid attention to Han who was telling a funny story. A soft knock on the door made them turn their heads. Marco enters the room quietly; the sudden lack of voices amplified the sound of the cat’s footsteps.

He stopped on the foot of the bed. Staring languidly at the people who were atop it. Felix suddenly realized the situation and scrambled to his feet, “Marco NO—GUYS OFF THE BED NOW!!” loud moans and groans filled the air. Marco purred, full form crushing the contents of the bed. Felix who was the only one who got out, tried to push the giant cat off the rest of the guys. He wasn’t honestly putting all his weight on them; Marco was just being playful and was jealous of all the action he wasn’t getting.

After successfully removing Marco from them, the boys continued to talk. With the additional presence, the room was much louder. Filled with their laughter and voices.

“Oh, right! Go wash up!” Sam pushed Jaemy towards the full bathroom, he told the boy he’s gonna bring him some clothes in a few minutes. Jaemy wanted to refuse, his debt was already so big, but his clothes sticking to his skin wasn’t a good sign. Smelly, is a valid reason for him to take up the offer. So, he let himself in the bathroom, closing the frosted glass door behind him.

It was indeed the most beautiful bathroom he has ever been in, and it was a huge compliment because he has only been in two. The full-sized bathtub reminded him of a Jacuzzi which, in his case, was very luxurious. Jaemy was tempted on using the tub, but he knew he didn’t have time to do so. And it was kinda embarrassing. He proceeded on showering, discarding his clothes and piling them neatly atop the sink. Sam came back with fresh clothes. Earning a blush from the boy when he complimented his upper body. Jaemy was thankful he was able to wrap a towel on his torso. Samuel washed up also and they all went back to the bed. The witch was getting used to all the ruckus and he can’t deny that he enjoyed it.

“Boys! Dinner!” Wisdom’s amplified voice resonated around the house. The boys went downstairs, drooling over the feast on the table. Without delay, they all sat down and began to chow down. “For fuck’s sake Sam, your spitting pasta all over the goddamn table.” Jaemy chuckled, placing his glass back down. His eye caught Chris. The vampire was just sitting beside Wisdom, both engrossed in a conversation. But that wasn’t the case. Jaemy was bothered by the lack of food on the man’s plate. There was absolutely nothing in it, Samuel tapped the boy’s thigh under the table. “Chris doesn’t need to eat.” Jaemy nodded, he was still not satisfied with it, but he didn’t ponder on it too much.

Dinner ended with Marco shoving ice cream down Calvin’s throat, he enjoyed the look on the wolf’s face as he does so. After that ‘fulfilling’ desert, they went back to the living room. Playing 4 rounds of UNO before Wisdom called it a night. He proceeded on showing Jaemy the guest room, Samuel demanded to stay with the boy even though they had another room prepared for him. Wisdom doesn’t want to argue, so he let him be. He knew the witch was still weary of Chris, even he was worried. This is not the best outcome he had hoped for.

Sleep didn’t come easy to Jaemy. The whistling of the wind outside was not a lullaby for him tonight. Jaemy let out a deep sigh, carefully removing himself underneath the blanket. He glanced at the witch sleeping peacefully beside him. He stood up and ambled towards the door. As he descended down the dim lighted stairs, he saw light coming from the kitchen. “Chris?” the vampire turned to him with a soft smile. He smiled back, he sat on top of the counter, head turned towards Chris.

“Can’t sleep?” it was a dumb question. But Jaemy wasn’t sure on what to say to Chris. The vampire smiled at him and nodded. Chris walked to the fridge, fishing out a box of chocolate milk. He handed it to the boy, earning a small thanks from him. “Sorry about um, everything” Chris was the best when it comes to this, he always chooses the right words and his advice are mostly logical and helpful.

But this is different, he suddenly ran out of words to say. The boy was his bond mate. Now that he had room for it inside his head, he was curious. On why he didn’t realize it in the first place. It was fate, indeed. A vampire’s bond mate is bound to arrive no matter what, but no one knows when. Chris was centuries old when he stopped hoping for his bond to come. It was a pain in the ass, he had to take care of them and if they die, he would also die. It doesn’t make sense at all. Why would he risk his life for someone who’s the key to his death? That’s stupid.

“It’s okay, Chris!” ah, that’s why. The empty feeling on his heart vanished, his eyes focused on Jaemy’s face. This was it. This is the reason. He snickered; it was a petty reason. But why does it fit the puzzle pieces? “What’s wrong, Chris?” Jaemy tilted his head and took a sip on his drink. Chris shakes his head and moves closer to the boy.

Unlike earlier, Jaemy didn’t want to run. He wasn’t scared of him anymore. He didn’t have that disgusting feeling in his stomach whenever he remembers the blood spilling on the antique shop floor.

With the last step, Chris stood between Jaemy’s legs. The boy places his, now empty drink on his right side. He looks up to the vampire. Sure, he admired Chris. But he really didn’t get the chance to look at him closely. And for him, Chris was beautiful. His blonde curly locks fell perfectly above his soft eyes. His thick lips formed into a smile, dimples on full display as well.

Chris was breathtaking.

With that, Jaemy slowly opened his arms, his smile growing larger as he do so. And for the first time, Chris didn’t hesitate wrapping his arms around the boy’s petite figure. Burying his face on Jaemy’s neck.

“Thanks, Jaemy.”

[miraclejunewrites]

HERO’S SOUP

Chapter 3

The Creepy Mansion

Jaemy’s vision suddenly turned dark for a second, just a while ago he was just waiting impatiently for Chris and the rest of the pack to walk out from the building, hopefully, unharmed and safe. But now he was being carried like a sack by a big man. “Yang Jaemy!” he could hear the faint shouts of Samuel, his vision became blurry and his hearing shifted from full volume to complete silence, vice versa. Jaemy wanted to wiggle his way out of the situation but he couldn’t, no matter how many times his brain tells his body to fucking move, it doesn’t comply.

He tried fighting the urge to sleep, wanting to know where he was being taken to. The man carrying him started talking, Jaemy came up with the hypothesis that he was on the phone. His mouth gaped and closed, but no words came out of them.

Not long until his body slumped onto the grass with a loud thud, it hurt, but it also made him more alert. Jaemy shut his eyes tightly, wanting nothing more than to see clearly. His spinning vision made out not one, but three figures lurking in front of him. One of them approached him, touching his face. Before he could make out the face of that person, the guy spoke up “I told you, we’re gonna protect you” a few tears came to soften his seared vision, slowly but surely, he leaned into the touch before passing out.

-

Sam adjusted the boy on his back before trailing behind Wisdom who stopped and gazed back at them. “Sam, I can walk. Really.” there was a hint of embarrassment behind his voice as his face reddened with each word. He can feel the vibrations from Sam’s back when the wolf chuckled. “Sweetie~ it’s okay. I also want to carry you.” if it was possible, his face would grow redder by the wolf’s sudden endearment. Knowing he won’t be put down any time soon, he just nuzzled his face on the wolf’s neck earning a soft giggle from him.

“Jaemy, just let Sam do what he wants. He’s always like this.” Wisdom said, slowing his pace to walk beside the two. Jaemy lifted his gaze and faced the alpha. His soft features beamed at him; he had these loving eyes that pierced through his heart making him break into a big toothy smile. He gingerly rested his cheek on Sam’s back, never leaving his eyes on Wisdom who was now facing the road ahead.

Jaemy fell into his thoughts, too many questions arise from the circumstances in just one day. How did he get here? Why did he even go in the Chris’s Antique Shop? Ah, he unconsciously smiled, a constant stream of rhythmic memories came to him.

He was walking home from school, immersed on the song he was listening to. The music stopped and he waited for the next song to play, but it didn’t. Jaemy stopped on his tracks, fishing out his phone from his uniform’s pocket. His gaze fell on to a unfamiliar establishment on his left. His eyes wandered around the place, he murmured under his breath. “Huh, I haven’t seen this shop before??” eyes drifting at a bigger area, he checked if he was on the right road. And upon seeing his usual go-to bakery shop across the street, Jaemy’s eyes fell back to the Antique Shop.

He swore he haven’t seen that shop at all. And he was born and grew up in this area. Taking the same route for 17 years. But this particular shop never caught his attention at all, and he’s the type of person to scan thoroughly through places he has or hasn’t been to.

Unconsciously his feet led him towards the wooden door prepped with thick glasses. ‘We’re Open’ he mouthed the sign that was swinging back and forth. It was just flipped over by someone. Not really wanting to go home yet, Jaemy looked both ways before opening the door. The bell chimed as he walked towards the first thing that caught his eyes. Propped on the table were small pocket watches, each had their own distinct features. Some were ticking and working, but some aren’t.

“What can I do for you?”

He set his imagination adrift when Sam came to a halt. Jaemy lifted his head, eyes trailing to everyone’s figures. He had this weird habit of counting stuff and sometimes people, checking if they are all there. Before fixing his eyes on the big mansion in front of them. “THIS is your house?” he can hear Samuel almost gasp at the sight, he can’t blame him. It was a huge house. No, it wasn’t just a house, it was a fucking mansion. Though it looked a bit creepy and old on the outside, you can feel the warmth of “home” emanating around it, as if someone really lived there.

Chris snickered at Samuel’s remark. The man was still bothered by the fact that Samuel brought the boy with him, and put both his and Jaemy’s life in danger (even though he didn’t want to admit it). Samuel turned to Chris; his eyes literally blazed with savage fire. “Really? Giving me the fucking attitude, now?” the situation grew heavy as the two scowled at each other. Chris ran his hand through his curly locks, sighing in the process. “Who wouldn’t give you a ‘fucking attitude’, wasn’t it clear that we’re not supposed to drag that thing into this?” a great pang gripped Jaemy’s heart upon hearing Chris addressing him as ‘a thing’. Samuel side eyed Jaemy, he knew the boy was sensitive.

“First, don’t call him as an “IT”, he’s a human being. And second, I had no choice, Chris!! You run off with Wisdom, to heaven only knows and left me behind with Yang Jeongin who saw you transform and whom you almost killed even though know you know you can’t kill anymore! And you know I can’t erase memories!! Only you can do that you asshat bloodsucker!!”

“Then I’m gonna do it now!” Chris stomped towards Sam who was carrying the boy, Jaemy covered his eyes. He had decided not to let his memories be erased because he wanted to help the vampire, in a short span of time he learned to love the guy with all his heart. Chris was his only friend, and for him losing Chris would crush his soul, to make things worse he will never even remember who the vampire was. Their friendship will just go down the drain. And he hated the idea.

“No! I don’t want my memories to be erased, I don’t want it!” he knew he sounded like a kid throwing a tantrum, but those were the words he could come up with now. Jaemy was still shaken by the circumstances that happened earlier and what was happening now. Samuel who was aware of the boy’s intention pulled Chris back into their argument. They continued for about 5 minutes. All of them gawked at the two throwing hurtful words towards each other as if it’s their second nature. The petty squabble escalated quickly. Samuel’s hair turned white as his eye color was replaced by a bright violet shade. Chris on the other hand, bared his claws and teeth. Both ready to settle things once and for all.

While the rest of them were absorbed by the sudden outburst, Wisdom lowered his head, clenching his fists. He was growing impatient with the two. Even on their way to the house, the two would give each other an evil eye, probably hexing inside their heads. With a low sounding growl coming from the depths of the alpha’s anger, Samuel and Chris cowered changing back to their normal state while slowly but surely lowering their gaze towards the ground. Jaemy could feel Sam adjusting his position once more. Calvin who was carrying Han on his back almost lost his balance. This made Jaemy engrave the words “Do not make Wisdom mad” inside his head.

The alpha spoke in a low and authoritative tone, “Settle this when we all get some rest and food. Now, quit it before you really get in my nerves.” the both nodded and moved aside as Wisdom trailed pass them. Wisdom walked towards the door, pulling out a key before ushering the rest to go in.

Sam trailed behind everyone, Jaemy who was still terrified by Wisdom, wiggled himself off Sam’s back. Before the wolf could retaliate, he raised a silencing hand. “Sam, I’m okay. Plus, we’re here now, I can walk.” Sam cannot argue anymore after seeing the boy’s toothy grin. He nodded in defeat and held out his hand, telling the boy to go ahead. Jaemy turned to his heel and walked towards the door.

Chris fidgeted in front of the door, Jaemy tilted his head curiously. “Come in, Chris.” on cue, Chris sticks his foot and continues to go in when it went through with ease. Samuel gazed back at him, Wisdom answered his unasked question “The house is in my name, so Chris can’t really come in even though he lives here.” Samuel was surprised by the sudden mood change of the alpha, nonetheless he pushed aside his astonishment and nodded before ambling behind Chris.

Jaemy nonchalantly headed towards the door frame but was surprised when he stumbled back, he ignored the weird feeling, telling himself he just lost his balance. But for the second time around, he forced himself to go in and was expelled back, Sam catching him on his arms. He composed himself and tried again.

Sam watched Jaemy in awe. Wisdom came back to the door, asking for the reason of their delay. His eyes found Sam who was behind Jaemy, pointing at the boy, his face had every sign of surprise in it. “What?” the boy continued to barge through the door frame. Jaemy looked at Wisdom, eyes full of wondering frustration. “Wisdom, I-I can’t come in. There’s some sort of barrier.” 

“I’ll stay out here. You guys can go in without me. Tell Samuel and Channie---I mean Chris, I’m sorry and that I left early.” knowing the two wouldn’t leave him without being forced. He pushed both back in, halting as his hand made contact with the invisible barrier. Sam gave him an apologetic smile, “I’ll get Samuel! Stay. Here.” the boy moved towards the porch, sitting on the swing. He really didn’t want to leave also and Sam’s words put him into some sort of spell.

Questions rested in the air around him, tapping his hands in a soothing rhythm against his thighs. Samuel emerged beside him, filling in the empty space as he sat down. “Wisdom said you can’t come in. Is that true, Yang Jeongin?” the boy scratched his head, turning to Samuel. “Please just call me Jaemy, Samuel.” the witch nodded, staring at the boy with undefeated eyes. He clearly wanted his last question to be answered.

Jaemy stood up, Samuel’s gaze followed his back as he and pushed his hand through the door frame, Jaemy was met with a familiar sensation before withdrawing his hand back and sitting beside the confused witch.

Before he could speak up, Jaemy gave him a grin. “It’s okay, Samuel. I don’t want to bother them anyway. Oh--” Jaemy turned his head towards the fountain. “I just wanted to thank you for saving me back there, and I’m also sorry for all the trouble I caused.” gazing towards Samuel, his face not leaving its current position giving the witch a small sincere smile. The witch couldn’t hide his embarrassment. This was the first time anyone has ever thanked him with sincerity. The boy chuckled and patted the elder’s shoulder. Jaemy made sure not to make him uncomfortable, he tried making the witch open slowly by talking about school. Samuel didn’t even realize he was ranting about how hard his duty was to the boy. Jaemy didn’t mind at all, he looked at the older with curious eyes. Saying small comments here and there.

Midway through their clubs talk, a snow-white fox emerged from the bushes, running towards the porch. And behind it was a black cat, heading the same direction. Jaemy looked in awe. The fox had small specs on its face, making it look like it had freckles! The boy heard Samuel’s exasperated smile, he turned to him and asked what was wrong. The witch explained to Jaemy how he knows the two, the boy was more surprised upon discovering that the fox was a 9 tailed fox and that the simple looking cat was a Bakeneko (Samuel told him it was a Japanese Cat that had powers of some sorts, he was making snarky remarks, so Jaemy could tell they weren’t really in good terms)

Recognizing the voice, the freckled fox turned to the two presences near him. His eyes glowed and suddenly he transformed into his real form, startling Jaemy. The cat also converted to his real form, towering beside the magnificent 9 tailed fox with his shiny black fur and two feet long tails with a blue flame on each end. The cat thought the boy was trouble.

But, the fox let out a slight whine. The cat whipped his head towards the fox, recognizing the sound it made. Chris popped out of nowhere, his eyes danced between the 4 figures. Samuel was very confused as the fox looked at Chris in a meaningful way.

“Come with me.” the vampire pulled Jaemy towards the door, Samuel who was a step late rushed behind the two. The fox and the cat transformed into their human forms, blocking the witch’s path. “Felix! Marco! Move! Jaemy is in danger, Chris will---” but Felix shook his head and told him off with his baritone voice, “Chill, he won’t do that. Ever.”

Chris pushed the boy towards the door, an unsettling feeling twisted inside Jaemy’s stomach as he neared the door frame. “Chris! Stop! I can’t get in there--” the same force propelled him back. The vampire’s gaze seemed full on unconquerable doubts. Chris called out to Wisdom, the alpha rushed outside thinking something bad had happened but was welcomed by a stern looking Chris and Jaemy who was looking at him through his lashes. “Chris, what’s going on?”

“Invite me in” Wisdom fell a step back but did as the vampire told him. “Come in, Chris.” and he did. Eyes never leaving the boy’s face. Wisdom was bewildered. What the hell was happening? He asked himself. “Now, invite the boy in.” the alpha grew more confused with Chris’s remarks. Nonetheless, he did it. “Come in, Jaemy.”

Chris nodded at the boy, eyes burning holes on his face. Jaemy swallowed the lump on his throat, closing his eyes as he braced for impact. His toes caught up and he tripped, falling into the vampire’s arms. Chris’s senses went haywire as he held the boy close to him. Jaemy stood there frozen while the vampire clings to him for dear life. The rest of the pack who was now crowding behind the alpha watched in wonder, Han trailed behind them asking Calvin what was happening with a small voice, but the rest of them was immersed with the situation, no one batted an eye to Han. Samuel’s gaze falling onto Felix’s freckled face, his expression was torn with conflict and bewilderment. The fox sighed, nudging Marco with his elbow. The cat turned to all of them, speaking in a soft manner.

“That kid is Chris’s bond mate.”

[miraclejunewrites]

HERO’S SOUP

Chapter 2

Meet the pack

Jaemy was barely keeping up with Samuel, he almost tripped twice. The witch was mumbling incoherent words, but the boy was sure that the witch was probably cursing at Chris. Samuel suddenly stopped on his tracks bringing Jaemy to bump against his broad back.

Jaemy held his injured nose, “Why?” Samuel didn’t answer him. “Huh, I lost them--wait… Never mind.” said the witch with an empty and condescending tone. He continued to drag the boy. After walking and sprinting for God knows how long, they arrive at a secluded area. Jaemy remembered the words his mom said about this place. Being the good kid, he is, he stopped. Pulling Samuel back. The witch looked at him through his lashes.

“Scared? Then, go home. I don’t even know why I brought you with me.” removing his hold on the boy’s wrist, the witch turned around and started walking. Jaemy was dumbfounded. He wanted to follow the upper-class man but at the same time he was scared to do so. He looked behind him, no one was there. He looked in front of him, Samuel just turned the around the narrow corner. As of instinct, he sprinted towards the witch’s last location. Grasping the shirt of the older. Samuel gazes back at the boy.

His stern face softened at the sight. Jaemy was clearly shaken by the previous and upcoming scenarios. He was just a kid, a normal human kid up until earlier where he witnessed so much at the same time. Samuel let out another sigh and held the boy’s hand, making him look up to him. “Come on.” and with that they journeyed towards the wolf and the vampire’s location.

They were walking in silence, Jaemy was tired of course. After what happened, he was mentally and physically exhausted. But he wanted to come with Samuel. He wanted to apologize to Chris.

“I want to apologize to Chris.” Samuel stopped and turns to Jaemy. He was clearly surprised by the boy’s request. “I’m sorry, what?” as if hearing it wrong, Samuel made sure. But he was welcomed by a determined face. The witch almost broke out into a smile because of the boy’s behavior. However, it was no laughing manner. Samuel knew who Chris was and what he was capable of. He has seen the man lose his sanity once and boy, did he want to kill himself after witnessing it.

Grabbing Jaemy’s other hand he warned, “Yang Jeongin, you can still forget about everything that happened today.” it was a vague answer, but the younger knew what Samuel meant. He didn’t want him to get involved with these kinds of stuff. And to be honest, neither did Jaemy. What happened earlier was the scariest thing ever. But he also convinced himself that half of it was his fault.

Jaemy stared right through the witch’s brown orbs. “I don’t want to. I want to say sorry to Chris and to you too. I want to help him.” Samuel was in awe. He has never met anyone as determined as Jaemy. The boy eyed Samuel until he broke into a small smile. Jaemy returned it with the biggest one he could come up with, displaying his braces in full view of the latter.

Samuel knew he lost. So, they started walking again, with the rest of the awkward air vanishing as they go further into the abandoned roads.

The buildings grew thinner and eventually they were surrounded by thick trees and tall grasses. Samuel spotted Wisdom and Chris whispering at the distance, he sauntered towards the two, leaving Jaemy behind as the boy drink’s up the last remaining drops of his water.

Wisdom easily spotted the two and waved at them. Chris who found about their presence 5 minutes ago did not bother to greet them. He was focused on what was happening. “Han is in there alone? Is he wounded?” Wisdom shakes his head. “But I can detect a faint smell of his scent. It’s mixed with a bit of blood.” Chris took a sharp intake of breath, balling his fists as he eyed the warehouse.

“Chris, what the hell is happening?” the vampire did not respond and was lost in thought. Wisdom turned to Samuel and gave him a small smile as he held out his clean hand. “I’m sorry, I didn’t get to introduce myself. I’m Wisdom.” the wolf felt at ease around the witch, even though he had bad experiences with some of them in the past. Samuel was a good witch, he can tell, and he can also tell he has a bit of an attitude, the thought made him laugh inside his head. Samuel accepted the pleasantries to not be perceived as someone rude.

Wisdom tilted his head and looked beyond Samuel. Jaemy popped up from Samuel’s side, he gave Wisdom a small bow. The older smiled at the boy, “You must be Jaemy, right? Chris told me about--” Chris suddenly grab a hold of them and pushed them onto the ground.

“Someone’s patrolling, keep quiet.” Wisdom put his huge hand behind Jaemy’s back making the boy look at him. He gave him a smile and mouthed the words, “It’s okay. I’m here.” Jaemy couldn’t help but smile.

They sat on the itchy grass for about 5 minutes, and relaxed when Chris signaled them that the guard was gone. A figure lurked behind Jaemy, alarming Samuel. He was about to cast a spell when Wisdom stopped him. “It’s a friend.” the figure slowly moved towards Wisdom side; his handsome face was full of worry too. He scanned through the unfamiliar faces and gaze lingering at Jaemy. Aware of the boy’s identity, he smiled unconsciously. “This is Sam, he’s the beta.” Sam was not that fond of humans, he perceived them as low beings who take nature for granted. But this particular human being was, somewhat special. And the way Chris talks about him, he was indeed special.

“Jaemy?” the mention of his name made Jaemy blush. He didn’t expect all of them to know his name. It made him look at Chris with the side of his eye. Did Chris really talk about him? A flame of scarlet crept in a swift diagonal across his cheeks. Wisdom and Chris started to plan out their attack, with Samuel heavily warning them about the consequences which led to him and Chris fighting because Samuel brought the kid with him.

The last member of the small pack soon arrived, Calvin. He was confused of the sight of Chris and an unfamiliar face bickering about another unfamiliar face beside him, which he later found out was Chris’s “bodyguard” and a witch from the 19th century (Samuel). Jaemy felt safer and calmer as the three wolves reassured about his safety. Sam was the most caring and well, he was something else.

Sam liked the boy. He smelled so much like baby powder and cherries. He also had this warm and soft air around him that makes you want to protect the young man. Calvin was okay with him. And Wisdom also liked Jaemy, he liked him the first time his name slipped out of the vampire’s mouth.

Yes, Chris mentioned the boy a few times. He was caught off guard most of the time, earning coos and chants from his wolf friends. Wisdom frowned perplexedly; Han was the one who wanted to meet the boy the most. “Enough.” all the attention was drawn to him. Jaemy was sure he peed a little bit. Wisdom’s face was no longer soft and calm, his voice was an octave deeper and that one word made everyone shiver in panic.

“We have to save Han, now.” the situation grew way worse when they begin to hear loud growls and moans coming from the distance. Samuel felt guilty and was also a bit worried about the missing wolf. Jaemy too, felt bad for what was happening. And Chris, well he felt like he could kill anyone at that moment.

But the wolves had it worse. They are connected to Han, making his pain more unbearable than the others. They had to save him, as soon as possible.

Chris and the wolves started moving out. The vampire firmly commanded Samuel to stay put, giving Jaemy a cold gaze at the same time. Samuel who was still infuriated by Chan, surprisingly listened to his instructions, he was worried about the safety of the boy without really admitting it.

“We should stay here, it’s not safe there.” Samuel saw the hesitation in the boy’s eyes. “No, Yang Jeongin. We won’t be of help to them. Chris is strong, they will be okay.” the boy nodded. Samuel was right. And he also hoped the witch would stop calling him with his full name.

Chris and the pack of wolves slowly approached the warehouse. The wolves talk among themselves through telepathy while Chris stands in front of the chained gate. He made his presence hidden, making him hard to notice. Chris teleported through the gate, looking back at the wolves huddled in a line near a tree. He nodded at their direction and in a blink of an eye, the three wolves scattered around the place.

Chris made his way inside, but oddly enough he didn’t find any guards lurking around the place. Worry washed over him, he started sprinting towards the sound of moans and growls. He swung the door open and was greeted by 6 people holding up their guns towards Chan’s direction. For a split second, he saw a speaker on the table and cloth containing what seems to be the lost wolf’s blood and scent.

He let out a loud scream, baring his teeth and claws as he did so. The 5 men took a step back, the last one on the right spoke with a shaky voice, “Boss never said there would be a bloodhound.” in a flash the man dropped cold on the floor, his head rolled towards another man’s foot. Chris hated that name.

Chris stepped out the warehouse with bloody hands. The rest of the pack came running towards his direction, Sam towing Jaemy and Samuel behind him. “What happened, Chri---” although they already heard the happenings inside, Calvin continued to ask Chris about it. The empty gaze of the vampire made him stop midway.

Jaemy stared at Chris’s face. The one they were trying to find was clearly not there. “I’m sorry Chris, I thought smelled Han’s scent---” Chris pulls out the bloody cloth from his pocket. The waft of blood filters through the air, Wisdom moves close towards Chris and gently picks up the cloth from his hand. He let out a low and painful growl, startling both Samuel and Jaemy.

Sam pulls the two closer, giving them a small smile as comfort. Even though he had his tail in between his legs just like Calvin. The tension grew larger and bolder. They have reached an impasse.

Samuel, who just gained back his courage, breaks free from Sam and Jaemy’s grip. He took small steps towards Chris and Wisdom. “Let me have it.” Wisdom’s grim expression melted away, plainly startled by the witch’s words. Samuel held out his palm and motioned Wisdom to hand it over. The rest of them watched the scene unfold.

Growing impatient, Samuel snatched the cloth from Wisdom and held it tightly between his palms. Jaemy saw how Samuel’s hair turned white and his eyes went from dark to a striking violet shade. The cloth glowed, as the witch mumbled unintelligible words.

“I know where he is, come on.” Wisdom collected the cloth from Samuel, surprised by the sudden warmth of it. Jaemy let himself be dragged by the witch; his head turns towards the rest of the crew. He held up his hand, gesturing them to follow.

They paced around for about 15 minutes; Samuel momentarily stops in front of an abandoned 2 story house. Jaemy didn’t even get the chance to look at the place when they were suddenly swept of the ground and was carefully placed back down 5 meters away from their last location.

“There are guards, stay here.” Sam transformed into a huge light grey wolf and disappeared into the bushes. Samuel pushed Jaemy behind the tree and sat beside the boy. Again, he chanted unfamiliar terms, earning a side glance from Jaemy. “I put up a barrier within 5 feet.” Jaemy nodded and peered over the house watching the scene unfold.

Wisdom knocks off one guard who was behind the warehouse while Calvin and Sam knock out another one lurking around the bushes.

The vampire made his way inside the house, making sure to be as quiet as possible. And he did that by teleporting from place to place. Han’s growls and moans became more perceptible by ear. It sparked more anger building up inside Chris’s chest.

He bared his fangs and claws. Blood red eyes illuminated across the dark room. Chris looked through the small gap in the door. He saw 4 figures hovering around another one who was tied to a steel table. The sight made his blood boil.

It was Han.

Wisdom barged inside through the huge window; full form visible under the faint light from the single lamp dangling at the ceiling. Calvin and Sam followed their alpha from behind. Sam gave Chris a fleeting glance, telling him not to do anything rash and stay hidden for a while.

A man in a suit appeared from the darkness, his blonde hair was slicked back, blue eyes looked at the pack of wolves hungrily. The man let out a low chuckle, “Our diversion didn’t work, but this is good. Imagine handing them 4 ancient wolves instead of just one?” the rest of the crew laughed, pulling out their guns as they did so. Wisdom stepped back, his eyes darted from the guns, to Han, to the rest of his pack and lastly to Chris.

Chris turned up his smelling, and was welcomed by a strong metallic scent, “Silver bullets…” the blonde man turned his head towards Chan’s direction, he found two red eyes staring right at him, the man looked away, a smile creeping into his chiseled face.

“A pack of wolves with a vampire? Huh, makes sense now. But how did you find us?” the loud bang of the gun resonated around the room, alarming the pack of wolves and Chris. The man didn’t bother receiving an answer and ordered his men to start shooting. Wisdom attacked the first guy on his left, while Sam tried to nudge Han to wake up. Calvin leaped towards the rest of the two guards.

“Come on, let me fight.” but he was responded by a low growl from Wisdom who just bit off the guard’s head. Wisdom didn’t want Chris to fight. Han opened and his eyes and started to trash against the silver chains around his body. Sam let out a small whine, telling Han it’s okay.

The wolf continued to go insane. Chris was itching to help them. But, a fiery gaze of order coming from the biggest wolf made him stay his ground. He knew the worst-case scenario would be him, intervening with a fight consisting of Wisdom’s pack. The fight continued without him. Wisdom bit off one of the guard’s arm making the guy cry in pain. The alpha quickly ended his agony by decapitating him. Calvin and Sam finished off the last of the guards, drawing all their attention to the mastermind.

A curious and inexplicable uneasiness bounced from one member to another. There was something weird about that man. The werewolves knew he was hunter, the way he was dressed and how his eyes looked at them with so much hunger. But what bothered them the most is the lack of fear in the man’s eyes.

Chris’s head snapped towards the window on his left side. He shambled away with speed. Gloom overcame him. Wisdom and the rest of the pack simultaneously moved their heads towards Chris’s direction and back to the blonde man. An air of suffocating silence engulfed them. Wisdom’s overwhelming demeanor vanished as his eyes danced in terror.

His voice echoed inside the heads of rest of his pack, “They got Jaemy and Samuel”.

[miraclejunewrites]

HERO’S SOUP

Chapter 1

Antique Shop

The sunlight seeped through Chris's curtain. He groaned, growing impatient of how long his day would be again, even though it hasn’t started yet. Lifting himself up from bed he headed towards the shower, not bothering looking at his faint reflection on the bathroom mirror. After cleaning up, he threw on a black shirt and wore a black hoodie over it. Chris slipped on some denim jeans and headed towards his bedroom door.

After tying the knot of his sneakers, he proceeded downstairs. With a snap of his fingers, the lights and all the candles lit up. But he manually turned the AC on. Chris made his way towards the counter, opening the small fridge underneath it.

“I think I need two.” he said to himself. Fetching 2 flasks of fresh blood. The smell of old stuff and books somehow masked the scent of blood. After finishing his drink, he easily crushed the containers with his hands and threw them to the bin, making sure there was no trace of blood in them.

Chris went around the counter towards the door and flipped the sign “We’re Open!” he sighed, reminding himself to change it into something more encouraging. He was still surprised by the fact that he has a lot of customers, it never occurred to him that people these days still consider buying old and vintage stuff for a hefty price.

As soon as he place his hands on the counter, the bell rang. Indicating a customer, the faint smell of blood told Chris that it was a human being. He hummed, before pushing himself towards the door. Momentarily, he stopped on his tracks. There was no one there. He made his way around the sections of antique clocks and saw a tall figure with his back faced towards him. “What can I do for you?” the customer yelped and spun around facing Chan.

Chris gave a small bow, “I’m sorry for startling you.” his voice was low and casual. The boy looked at him with widened eyes before bowing in return. Chris reminded him of a fox, to him the boy looked more like a fox than Felix. “It’s okay!” Jaemy smiled. Chris was a bit taken aback by his braces, but he didn’t really pondered on it that much.

“So, what are you trying to find?” again, he asked, eager to finish the transaction and be left alone. Jaemy’s curious eyes scattered around the place. He hummed. “I’m not really trying to find anything.” Chris raised his eyebrows at him. “Oh.” he was about to turn his back when the boy spoke, “How long have you been here, sir?” the sudden curiosity annoyed Chan. But he had to make a good impression towards his customers.

“I’ve been here quite a while now.” Jaemy nodded and proceeded to look around. “Huh, that’s weird. I have never seen this place before, and that’s funny because I was born and grew up around this area.” the boy chuckled. Chris grew stiff, ah, the only flaw in the matrix. “Well, it’s not really an eye-catching place so you might have never noticed it.” he tried to sound as casual as he can. Jaemy shrugged and gave him a smile.

“Maybe you’re right!” the boy exclaimed. Chris couldn’t help but smile too, Jaemy had this soft aura radiating from him that makes your feel warm and cozy even though his body is already cold and dead. “Why don’t you look around? Maybe you’ll find something you’d like.” Jaemy eagerly nodded. Chris made his way back to the counter. He turned up his hearing, and noticed the boy mumbling random stuff to himself. ‘Oh, this looks cool, wow. I have never seen something like this---oh! That looks sick.’ he found himself smiling as he continued to listen to the boy’s whispers.

_

It’s been weeks since Jaemy first visited Chris's place. The boy completely forgot about the fact that the store suddenly popped out of nowhere. Chris was a bit bothered by his daily presence but eventually got used to it. He even scoffed when he found himself waiting for the arrival of the school boy.

“Chris! I brought fresh donuts!!!” the familiar voice resonated around the room. Chris was busy tending to a customer, he excused himself and shouted back at Jaemy. “Hang on, Jaemy. I have a customer.” he knew Jaemy would just walk towards the counter and sit there waiting for him. But the bell rang again, Chris almost groaned, he hasn’t rested until this morning except for lunch break. Customers have been in and out for the past 6 hours. “Chris~ I’ll get it don’t worry!” the kind gesture of the kid made him smile. He was always thankful for Jaemy, although he doesn’t express it quite often.

Jaemy has been helping Chris for almost a month now. He was convinced that Chris wasn’t really a people person that’s why he didn’t hire other employees. Jaemy wanted to change that, so he started coming in the shop after his classes. He can clearly tell the old man was annoyed but he pushed further, until 1 week after his frequent visits, Chris offered him some tea. Feeling accomplished, he started coming into the shop even on weekends.

Jaemy was practically an unofficial employee at Chris's antique shop.

He made his way towards the customer, following them from behind. Answering their questions about the products. For almost a month of working there, he already knows all about the stuff and where they are located. Not unlike the first time he made a beeline around the shop and ended up confusing both himself and the customer.

“Oh that, Sir, is a locket from 1882. It belonged to a farmer who was deeply in love with this rich woman, he sold half of his land just to buy that and gave it to the lady” the customer was in awe and mentioned something about his wife liking vintage jewelry. Jaemy beamed at him. “Well isn’t that great! She would love this!” and just like that he got his 50th transaction completed.

Jaemy handed the customer the paper bag with a small box in it containing the necklace. With a bow and a smile, he thanked the customer. He didn’t even notice Chris creeping up beside him. “Nice work.” the boy flinched. He could never get used to Chris just popping out of nowhere inside the shop. It’s like he teleports. “Thanks!”

The customer Chris was tending to, wanted to be left alone so he went back to the counter and talked to Jaemy. When he heard the customer call, he pushed Jaemy back into his chair. “I’ll get it.” earning a soft smile from the boy. Chris made his way to the customer to answer his question about the vase he got in China.

Jaemy watched Chris's figure vanish into the clutter of stuff. He smiled. The guy was clearly lonely here. And he felt good about himself, making Chris befriend him, although the man hasn’t officially said it. Jaemy’s eyes rested on the flask that was sprawled onto the counter. He stood up to see if it was open. Glad that it was sealed shut, he arranged the container just to make sure it doesn’t spill. But curiosity drowned him.

This was the first time he ever saw that container on the counter, or even around the shop. He really didn’t take Chris as someone who drinks. He started turning the lid. Chris on the other hand hasn’t noticed what Jaemy was doing because he was busy explaining to the customer. Jaemy expected to be welcomed by the strong smell of alcohol, with a final twist he removed the cap of the flask and took a whiff. His eyes went wide, and the flask slipped from his hands, falling onto the floor with a loud clang. Painting the marble floor in a deep shade of red.

Chris's head snapped towards Jaemy’s direction right after the boy opened the lid. Chris prayed to his ancestors, wanting the boy to not try to smell the contents of the flask. “Um, excuse me?” the customer piped, waving his hand in front of Chris's face. Chris faced the guy and apologized; he tried his best to answer the question with sweaty hands.

But a loud sound made him panic. With the blink of an eye, Chris vanished into thin air. Startling the customer.

“What do you think you’re doing?” his voice was low and deadly. Jaemy fell onto his butt with the sudden figure of Chris standing in front of him. He swore to himself that the old man just magically appeared. With a surprised face, his gaze went back and forth from Chris and the mess he just made.

The customer screamed and started running towards the door. Chris snapped his hands, the door locked by itself and the blinds were also pulled down. He did that while staring right into the boy’s eyes. He slowly made his was towards the customer, leaving Jaemy in a trance. “Forget.” his eyes turned red for a second and the customer face was stoned. Again, with a snap, the door flew open. “Go.” the customer slowly walked out the room. With the loud thud of the door, he was back to his senses. Clearly forgetting a whole chunk of his day as he walked home.

Chris sighed and popped back in front of the fox.

Chris noticed the boy’s erratic heartbeat, but that didn’t stop him from moving closer towards him. His mind was clouded by anger. Jaemy should’ve never visited him here. He shouldn't have entertained the boy. He should’ve just pushed him away. He even warned the boy multiple times to not touch his stuff. Chris felt betrayed and at the same time he was mad at himself for letting the boy soften him up.

Jaemy’s breathing was hitched and he could feel every muscle in his body stiffen. He couldn’t move because he was terrified. “Wa--you---” with a small voice he tried to make out the words “What are you?” Chris's face appeared right in from of him. Jaemy noticed the absence of his usual soft stare. Chris slowly opened his mouth. The boy saw how 2 large fangs grew from Chris's canine teeth. And at that moment he knew…

He’s gonna be killed by a vampire.

_

“CHRIS!!” a loud voice appeared out of nowhere. Jaemy still couldn’t move, he heard the voice, but his attention was focused on the monster right in front of him. There was a flash, out of reflex he covered his face with his arms and braced for impact. When the bright light vanished, he slowly peeled his eyes open. Chris has vanished in front of him. His wide eyes looked around, searching for the vampire.

“Jeez, you can never control your goddamn temper---Jaemy Yang from Class C, right?” a tall boy appeared right in front of him, his hand outstretched. Jaemy’s gaze slowly lifted up to the unknown person’s face. His mouth went agape.

“Aren’t you gonna take my hand?” Samuel’s voice had a hint of annoyance. Not waiting for the boy to respond, he withdrew back his hand and started gesturing his hand. Jaemy was suddenly lifted up in the air and with a soft thud, his feet were back on the floor. He never has thought that his school’s student council president would be saving his ass. Maybe because he doesn’t know what the fuck is happening.

Chris found himself laying on his bed with a gag on his mouth. With muffled screams he easily broke free from the iron shackles on both feet. His eyes were blood red as he looked at the door. “That fucking witch teleported me.” within a millisecond he appeared right in front of the scene. His frantic eyes found Yang Jaemy facing the witch with a bewildered look. Chris stomped his way towards them.

Jaemy recoiled at the sight of Chris, his eyes were red, fangs were shown, and he also noticed his claws. The sight terrified him. Never in his life did he imagine encountering something like this. Sure, he believed in some fairy tales because they wouldn’t exist if they weren’t true. But, he never begged to see them in real life. Oh god, he wished he never even encountered any of those vile monsters. But here he is, standing in front of Samuel, which seems to be somewhat magical and Chris who is a blood sucking monster.

Samuel saw how the boy’s face grew pale. He sighed and turned to Chris. Their faces only centimeters apart. His expression didn’t change. “Who the fuck do you think you are to sto---” Samuel held up his finger and lifted Chris of his feet. The vampire’s eyebrows furrowed as he struggled in the air. “Put me down you witch!!!”

Samuel looked the devil right in the eyes before sighing. He chuckled a little making Jaemy more uneasy with the situation. Samuel clearly knows Chris is beyond mad and now he still has the audacity to chuckle, Jaemy prepared for the worst. “It still doesn’t make sense how useless a powerful vampire like you becomes feeble when being levitated in the air by magic.” Samuel laughed a bit loudly, making Jaemy shake in fear. He tried stealing a glance from Chris but was stopped by the witch.

“Don’t, he can kill you with his stare” hearing the seriousness behind Samuel’s voice, the boy nodded and looked away. Samuel turned to Chris. The vampire’s expression was terrifying, even Samuel earned goosebumps just by taking a small glance. He knew Chris could easily control him, so he avoided the vampire’s gaze. “You have to calm down Chris.” the vampire continued to growl in a low tone. Jaemy was still shaking but he felt bad about what happened. It was all his fault, if he had not opened that flask, both him and Chris would have been enjoying the fresh donuts he got from the bakery. Jaemy looked down on his bag, thinking to himself that they’re probably cold and hard now.

Samuel waited for the vampire to calm down. Chris on the other hand had no plan on doing what the stupid witch said. Samuel sighed in defeat, “Okay, but don’t hurt him. Just erase his memories and let him go.” Chris's eyes faltered. Samuel had a point. He continued to soften up a bit until Samuel finally let his feet touch the ground.

The witch turns to Jaemy who was still standing and catching his breath. He gave him a casual smile while putting a hand on the boy’s shoulder. “This will not hurt.” Jaemy accepted his fate. He knew what was gonna happen, he felt sad and defeated. Chris was the only person who was nice to him. He knew the man was clearly annoyed at first by his frequent visits, but Chris never said anything that would offend the boy. He didn’t push him away. It was a shame that their friendship would end like this.

All of a sudden, the door shot open, alarming all three of them. Chris knew he locked the door but who would be powerful enough to bring down an antique door sealed shut by magic. His query was answered when Wisdom came dashing through the store with a strong smell of blood that was visible when he arrived in front of the counter. His eyes were full of worry and anger as he looked into the eyes of the bloodhound. Chris's displeasure towards the boy had vanished. “Wisdom…” those were the only words that were exchanged between the two. Wisdom held back his tears and approached Chan, ignoring the two unknown presence watching the scene unfold. Chris's eyes travelled from the man’s face to his bloody shirt. “It’s Han…” Chris's head snapped back to Wisdom’s face. His face was stern and serious. He didn’t need an explanation. Both of them sprinted towards the door, leaving a baffled witch and Jaemy.

Samuel let out an exasperated sigh and gripped the boy’s wrist before dragging him outside the shop, shouting “REALLY CHRIS? WEREWOLVES??!!” as he did so.