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hazel-eye-coffee-shop-girl-blog · 14 days

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Limelight Series - Chapter 2

Happy Monday Everyone! Here is chapter 2 of the limelight series! If you haven't read chapter one, click here to read it and then come back to read chapter 2.

This series came way of a message/ask from @hobby27 she asked:

"I would love something with Jensen and reader. He sees her when he’s at a convention and he’s bonkers for her. She isn’t so interested in a relationship with him because of the fame. So he has to woo her. Make her understand that he’s not a typical movie/tv star. Slow burn."

So I give you the Limelight series- It's a Jensen x reader (plus size, curvy girl) story, Jensen meets the reader in a bar, he falls fist, she is reluctant of course, but secretly she fell for him the second he walked through the door. So can a small town girl and a celebrity make it work?

Warnings for the whole series: language, multi-pov and switching between the pov mid chapters (sorry I can't help it), Jensen coming off aggressive for a hot second but then cooling off. Some douche side characters and some lovable ones, body shaming, angst, fluff, swoon, Jared is there and Micha is mention.

This story takes place an AU where Jensen is not married but Jared is and has kids.

This chapter is 3K+. Feedback, likes and reblogs are always welcomed. Please don't post as your own work, this is my work. If you would like to be added to my tag list, just ask, I am always happy to add you.

Thanks!

Once you're back in the safety of the kitchen, you finally take a breath. Oh, holy hell, you were breathing the same air as Jesnes Ackles!!!! And now you're cooking for him!!! AHHHH. You try to calm down, taking deep breaths. You have to play it cool. Come on, he's just a guy like everyone else.

"Are you fucking kidding me!" James' voice pulls you out of your panic.

You look up to see him standing on the other side of the small prep table that is between you, too.

"What?" You question. Feeling yourself come back together.

You familiarize yourself with the kitchen you used to know, like the back of your hand. Everything was the same; why wouldn't it be? You only gave up your kitchen and cooking career a few months ago. Turning on the deep fryer, and oven. You make your way to the small walk-in cooler.

"Are you serious? Were you going to leave me high and dry and not cook for them?" James questions as he follows you.

After surveying your limited options, you settled on nachos, picking up the ingredients and handing them to James to hold.

"No, of course not." You passively say, tossing items for him to grab, "I mean, I figured you would beg." You turn to face him, "I didn't expect his friends to be total assholes."

Waving at James to move out of your way and back to the kitchen.

James sets everything on the table and watches you move around the room.

"Yeah, I think that Evan guy is getting his ass handed to him right now," James says matter-of-fact, picking up a tomato and tossing it back and forth in his hands. "Jensen seems kind of taken with you."

You look at him, "Yeah, I am sure he's just a bit tipsy and being a good southern boy." You reply, dropping the tortillas in the fryer. "Plus, I am sure he doesn't want it to come out that he hangs out with assholes."

As you return to the table, you snatch the tomato from James' hands to start making a quick salsa. "I don't know; I think there is something there." James sing-songs.

Shaking your head in disbelief at James and his need to play matchmaker. "Just drop it. Shouldn't you be out there, ensuring no one runs off with the till or the liquor?" You question, really wanting some alone time with your thoughts.

******

Since James had let the rest of the staff go earlier in the night, it was up to you to deliver the food. You loaded the tray and hooked the stand in your elbow to set it down once you got to the table. You prayed to anyone who would listen that you and the food would make it to the table in one piece.

You make your way towards the booth in the corner. Jared sees you first and gets up to offer assistance.

"Here, can I help?" he asks sweetly, giving you a half smile. His hazel eyes are slightly glassy from the drinking, and his long chestnut hair falls somewhat.

"Umm, yeah, can you take the stand and open it up for me?" You ask, thankful that your voice is steady and that you're not feeling weak in the knees. You hold out your arm with the stand for him to take it from you.

"Oh yeah," he replies, grabbing it, setting it down next to the table on Jensen's side, and then sitting back down.

You try to avoid making eye contact with Jensen but fail miserably. Sitting down the tray, you feel his eyes on you. You look up, and he smiles at you. Turning towards the table, you put on your best hostess smile.

"Well, boys, I hope you're hungry. I wasn't sure what you would be craving, so I did some of everything." You pick up the dishes individually and sit them on the table.

"Classic bar food of wings, mozzarella sticks, beef nachos, and my favorite, perfectly crispy, hot fries." Setting the fries down closest to Jensen, your eyes linger a bit longer than needed.

Fuck, he is too hot for his own good. Slowing down your thoughts before they stumble out from your lips, you pull your eyes away and pick up the plates, napkins, and sauces to sit on the table.

"This all looks amazing, sweetheart." Jensen's deep Southern voice breaks the silence. "Doesn't it?" he questions, his eyes staring down Evan.

"Yeah, it looks great; thank you," Evan and his counterpart mumble. Evan looks up at you. "I am sorry about earlier, " he says, his voice cracking at the end.

Shit, he changed his tone real quick.

You smile, "Thanks." No need to dish out anymore to him; you're sure Jensen already gave him enough of an ass-chewing.

Picking up the empty pitcher, you ask. "Need anything else besides another pitcher?"

"Yeah, that would be great. Thanks," Jared replies, filling his plate with food.

Giving the table a short nod, you pick up the tray to walk away and get some air. Are you star-struck? Yes, you are a human. But you're also cautious and know under any other circumstances that if you weren't the only woman in the room, none of the guys at the table, especially Jensen, would be paying attention to you.

Setting the empty pitcher in front of James, he fills it up without incident. "So, you good?" He asks, focusing on making the perfect pour.

Letting out the breath you have been holding, "Yeah, why wouldn't I be?" You question. Running your hands through your hair and then glancing back at the table.

They're laughing and bantering back and forth, eating and enjoying life. If anyone was to come in and didn't know better, they would think they were just four average guys out for a good time on a Friday night. And really, that's all they are; regular guys, two of which have a bit of money and celebrity status.

You look back to James. He sits the pitcher down, "I remember you having a major crush on Jensen for the longest time. Wasn't he on your list?"

Oh, of course, he would remember the list. The famous people you would fuck list if you ever had the chance. The stupid list that never comes true. Shit why did you even tell him?

"Yeah, and I am pretty sure you had Misha on yours." You quip back, feeling your cheeks redden at the thought it might be possible.

"Yeah, but no one from my list is in the same room with me and has been giving me 'fuck me' eyes all night."

"OK, whatever, you're seeing things. Besides, if you hadn't sent home all your waitstaff, Jensen would be making eyes with someone else. I am just the only one left with a vagina in the room."

James lets out an audible laugh that fills the room and gets the guys to snap their heads over to us.

"Yeah, OK, keep thinking that, Y/N." He distracted himself by running the bar rag over the bartop. "You know you're a knockout."

Rolling your eyes at this. Hearing comments like this always makes you self-conscious. After years of being overweight, fat, curvy, whatever you want to call it, you have come to terms with guys that look like Jensen, guys that are part of the 'beautiful people.' Despite their 'great personality,' they don't go for the average-looking girl with clothing sizes in the double digits.

Ugh, your negative thoughts are coming to the surface, and you don't want to deal with them right now or with the present company.

"You know, you can deliver this to them." You mutter, feeling the need to escape from prying eyes. You spin around quickly to be met with a wall of muscle.

"Hey, sweetheart," Jensen says, a smile on his face.

You slightly stumble and take a few unsteady steps back. "Whoa, sorry," you say, keeping your eyes down, not trusting yourself to look in those gorgeous green eyes.

"No apology needed, Darling. I was wondering…" his voice is smooth and sweet, with his Texas draw coming out.

His hands find your waist to steady you. "You want to join us, knuckleheads? I swear Evan will keep his mouth shut." He gives you a wink.

"Oh, no, thank you, that's nice of you to ask, but…" You stammer out. Your mind is slightly hazy with his close proximity and the feel of his hands on your waist. Nope, not your waist, your hips, actually. All this attention- the fact that it's him and you're sure his friends are now watching- is creating a pressure storm of fear in your chest.

Jensen does not pick up on your sudden mood shift, which is that you're having the start of a small panic attack. He thinks you're just being coy and hard to get.

"How about this, sweetheart? I have the Impala parked out back. We could ditch these losers for a while and go for a drive." His voice shifts from Jensen's Texas draw to full-on Dean's deep, sexy voice.

Whoa, what the hell! Pushing his hands off you, "Yeah, No." You step out from his hold. You will not be another notch on his belt.

"Do you think I would be grateful just because you stood up for me to your friend?" you ask, wondering why he was suddenly being handsy and pushy.

"Your sweet, southern boy charm may work on most girls, but…ugh…just stop with the sweetheart, OK. You're leaning in hard with your Dean Winchester persona, don't you think?"

This sobers Jensen up. A boyish smirk falls from his face. "Umm..." he stumbles to backtrack a bit.

Well, that has to be a first—a female rejecting him—no wonder he's short-circuited and has no reply. Feeling disappointment wash over you, you want to go home.

"I have to clean up the kitchen." Keeping your tone neutral, you give James a side eye and head towards the kitchen.

*****

It's been half an hour. You have put everything back, cleaned every surface, and restored the kitchen to its spotless state. James only pops in to drop off the dirty plates and empty glasses.

"You know, you don't have to do this. Go home, and I can finish cleaning up." He says, setting the beer pint glasses next to the sink where you were standing.

Picking up the glasses, you set them in the sink and wash them up. "No, I got it. Besides, I would rather wait until they leave. Feeling a bit embarrassed by my outburst."

You've been replaying the whole night since you've been back here.

God, what were you thinking! You're not saying you had to let Jensen put the moves on you, but was he? No, he was just being nice, that's all. Like you could ever get a guy like him. Feeling your cheeks go scarlet again.

"You have nothing to be embarrassed by. Jensen's a grown-ass man; I am sure he has heard it before." James' voice pulls you from your thoughts. "Besides, they left a few minutes ago, so you're safe."

You rinse off the glasses and set them on the drying rack. "Yeah, I highly doubt Jensen has ever been rejected by a female in his life." You quip, pulling the bar rag from James' pocket and drying your hands.

"I am just lucky there weren't more people to witness my demise." You hand back the towel to James and cross your arms around yourself.

"Again, you have nothing to worry about." Playfully knocking his shoulder into yours, "You want to talk about it? You seemed like you had something on your mind tonight."

His voice is laced with concern for his friend.

"Nothing can get past you." You mutter, trying to play it off.

"I know you have dealt with your fair share of handsy guests. But this time, it seems to be the straw that broke you." Noticing your quietness, he adds, "But I get it; it's been a long night; we don't have to talk about it." Giving you the out that you desperately need.

You look up at your friend, his kind brown eyes saying so much. "God, what would I do without you?" You say out loud.

He pulls you in for a side hug, "You will never have to find out." Giving you a quick kiss on the top of your head. "You need a ride home?"

Shaking your head, no, "I am good."

"Good. Now get out of here, please. You have helped me enough tonight; I owe you big time."

"Honestly, it wasn't anything special, but you're welcome." Playfully knocking your shoulder into his, you push yourself up from the sink.

"Night, James." You say, giving him a half smile, and head towards the back exit.

*******

The temperature has dropped slightly since you first entered the bar tonight, but not enough to warrant your jacket, so you sling it over your arm and enjoy the stillness of the night. The quietness and cool air are one thing you miss from working late nights at the bar. Getting into your jeep, you plug in your phone and see a text from an unknown number.

Unknown: Hey, it's Jensen. I wanted to apologize for my actions earlier. I should not have put my hands on you or asked you to leave when you don't even know me. I should have picked up that you didn't want to have anything to do with me.

God damn it. James! This has to be a prank, right?

You: OK, James, nice try. Like I said earlier, I am fine. There is no need to text me from your burner phone to make me feel better.

Unknown: Umm…this isn't James.

You know better than to keep engaging with a scammer, but this was too weird.

You: OK, fine, Keep it up, but you're not Jensen. Unknown: JPG.

Staring back at you is a photo of Jensen in the same outfit he was in tonight. Giving you his best sad boy face. Sitting on a beige couch, no other recognizable things in the background. No fucking way. It can't be.

You: Nice. Look at you putting your Google skills to use. What did you type in the search bar: 'photo of Jensen Ackles looking sad?'

Unknown: JPG.

Another photo pops in. This time, it's Jensen holding yesterday's Detroit Free Press newspaper.

Unknown: This is starting to feel like hostage negotiations or ransom demands. It's really me.

Fuck, Fuck, Fuck! How the hell did he get your number!

You: How the hell did you get my number!?

Unknown/Jensen: So now you believe me? That's good. I hoped I wouldn't have to send you more 'proof of life' photos. James gave me your number after I begged, groveled, and bribed him.

Are you fucking kidding me! Damn it, James! I am going to kill him. Feeling yourself wish for a sweet death. You try to even out your breathing. It's nothing; you're just texting the hottest guy ever. Getting some composure back, you reply.

You: So, how much is my number going for these days?

Jensen: A signed photo of Misha and possibly dragging his ass out to the bar soon.

You: Wow, that's all? Not sure if James got a deal or if you got screwed.

Jensen: I got the better end of the deal.

You shake your head at this. Even through text, he can still make you blush!

You: Well, if you say so. Thanks for the apology, but it wasn't necessary.

Jensen: No, it was. I was an ass, and you made it clear from the start you weren't interested in me.

You: I wouldn't say that. I know I am not your first or 100th choice of female companion, that's all.

Wow, OK, where is this boldness coming from? Looking back at the message you just sent, you want to delete it or backtrack on your last comment, but you see he is already drafting a reply.

Jensen: Why do you say that? You're beautiful. I was dumbstruck if it wasn't obvious. so... you're interested in me?

His second message bubble gets you. What girl wouldn't be interested? You want to reply that you're not blind.

You: You say that to all the local girls you meet?

Jensen: No, just you. I would really like to see you again. Are you free tomorrow?

Is Jensen Ackles asking you out on a date? For real? No, this can't be happening! If anything, it's not a date; it's more of a 'good press. Make things nice with the locals.' Feeling the tiredness of the day taking over, you want to keep the conversation going, but at the same time, you want to be in comfy clothes and your house.

You: Can I get back to you on this?

Jensen: Yeah, no pressure. Whenever and whatever works for you.

You: Thanks, I am just tired, and I still have to drive home.

Jensen: Wait, you're still out? Where are you?

You: Sitting in my car, parked a few blocks from the bar. I saw your text when I got to my car.

Jensen: OK, stop texting me and get home. You shouldn't be just sitting in your car late at night. Text me when you get home.

You: OK, Dad. It will take me about 20 minutes.

It's sweet that he's concerned, but it's Haven, not downtown Detroit - you are perfectly safe to sit in your car this late at night.

Jensen: I am starting a timer now.

Oh shit. Guess you better get going.

*****

Pulling into your garage and leaving your car, your phone dings with an incoming text message.

Jensen: You home?

Shutting the car door, you shake your head at this. Part of you wants to make him sweat. Yes, it's slightly sweet, but he just met you! Waiting for the garage door to shut before going in, you quickly reply.

You: Yes, Dad, I just got in.

Jensen: I am sorry. I'm just worried.

Shit, of course, he is a good guy. Not used to this, are we? Kicking off your shoes, you go to the kitchen to grab some water, then head to your room.

You: Sorry. I'm not used to someone worrying. Plus, the town is a safe place. I've lived here my whole life.

Jensen: So, you're a local girl. I bet you know all the best places to go. Can you take me on a private tour?

You: A tour of Haven? It won't be long. Plus, I am sure your schedule is jam-packed with convention stuff; you probably won't leave the city until you leave for the airport.

You're trying your best to give him an out and remind him of why he's here in the first place. You know that convention schedules are no joke, and the talent has little to no downtime. Schedule panels and photo shoots during the day and parties for the convention goers at night, where they must appear.

Jensen: I can move some stuff around. When is a good time for you?

Of course, he will 'just move stuff around.'

You: Jensen, seriously, I don't want you to move anything around for me. That's not fair to anyone at the convention.

Jensen: But I want to see you again. Please? My evenings are free, at least from scheduled convention appearances. I wouldn't be canceling on the fans.

You: You're sure? I don't want to discover that you bailed on your fans for me. They can be brutal.

Jensen: I promise. So, dinner? You pick the place, anywhere you want to go.

You mulled over the idea of dinner with Jensen Ackles. God, you would be an idiot to turn him down! Besides, a nice dinner with a handsome guy might be fun.

You: OK, 7 pm, I will meet you in the convention center's lobby.

Jensen: OK, great. Can I pick you up, too, so you don't have to drive into the city?

You: That's sweet, but I will be in the city anyway. See you then.

There is no need to explain tonight why you would already be in the city. Exhaustion is hitting you hard, and as much as you want to keep talking, your body has other plans.

Jensen: OK, night

You: Night

To Be Continued......

Tag List:

@lmhf1 @kr804573 @smoothdogsgirl @n-o-p-e-never @stoneyggirl2

#fanfic #fanfiction #fandom #supernatural #supernatural fanfiction #supernatural fic #jensen ackles #jensen ackles fanfic #jensen ackles x reader #jensen reader #jensen fucking ackles #jared and jensen #jensen ackles x female!reader #jensen ackles x y/n #jensen ackles x you #jensen and fans #jensen ackles x plus size reader #limelightseries #jensen ackles x curvy

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vanillelace · 2 years

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⟡ warnings ; profanity, mentions of blood (this is a vampire au), some NON DETAILED mentions of violence, food mentioned, death.

⟡ pairings ; yang jungwon x fem. reader

⟡ genre ; vampire au, fake dating and attempted slowburn, slight royalty? PLOT TWIST BUT NOT THAT WELL WRITTEN

⟡ wordcount ; 12652 words

⟡ summary ; You are the most wanted half-blood. Your mother, however against her will, was smitten by a mere mortal, condemning herself and your future. And she conveniently forgot to mention that she is a vampire. Yang Jungwon, son of one of the most famous vampire royals, has to date you in order to see a brighter future. An unexpected journey full of twists and turns.

⟡ note ; hi guys. i have not uploaded a single work of mine because motivation is going 📉📉 rn 💀 so uh yeah this will probably be my last work. i may upload, but of my own will ^^ also I had to rush this really bad so im sorry if it doesn’t seem too good. I may release a sequel!! Not right now though. SONG MADE BY ME. DON'T STEAL.

THIS IS A PART OF THE RED MOON COLLAB WITH @liliansun AND @twilightau ‼️

“It’s a beautiful day, nonetheless,” your best friend, Danielle Marsh, comments.

“Doesn’t mean I have to be all shimmy-shimmy-aah, Dani.” You reply, laughing. Danielle giggles, punching you playfully.

You and Danielle have been the best of friends since even before you could speak. At that age, of course, it was mainly slapping each other and pulling one another’s hair, but you still considered it a holy friendship at the time. Your mum, Aurelia, and Danielle’s mother, Mrs. Marsh, were the best of friends. They had their own secrets, some of them they did not (and still don’t) trust the two of you with, and those secrets brought them together.

Today is the day before your birthday, and the day after Danielle’s. It’s currently the 30th of March, 11 AM, and the two of you are attempting to pass the time.

“Should we just have a picnic?” You ask Dani, to which she nods enthusiastically. “Totally! Let’s go make some food.”

“Dibs on making lemon crinkle cookies!” You shout, running into the kitchen. You accidentally bump into your cat, Mitch. She’s the most beautiful calico cat you’ve ever seen, and you’ve always found it extremely hard to believe that someone would let Mitch out of their sight and allow her to be lost. You adopted her off the street.

She purrs, rubbing her neck against your leg. You smile and kiss her head, exactly the place where she hates being kissed, and run off into the kitchen, Danielle following suit. She stopped on her way to lift your cat and give her a hug, and grabbed her car keys. “I’m gonna go get stuff for the cookies, and let’s make some nachos. I’ll buy stuff for pink lemonade too. Text me if you need anything, get started with the nachos. Home baked, right?”

“Yeah, always. You’re getting the salsa ingredients too, right? We don’t have ketchup.”

“Yep. I’ll send you a list of what I’m buying before I check out. Reply fast or I will not give a flying shit, I tell you.”

You roll your eyes, laughing. “Yeah, mom, bye!”

“I’M A DAY OLDER THAN YOU!” Dani yelled, slamming the door behind her.

You and Dani live together, just down the lane from both your family homes. Dani is 19 as of yesterday, and you turn 19 in a few hours. Funny how Mum thought I’d barely be old enough to drive, but now I have my driver’s license too, you think to yourself.

Your mother isn’t one for the history books in your opinion. She’s your average mother. She always tells you that she’s from Canada, and your father’s from South Korea. You’ve never met your father. He died when your mother was 7 months along. She does have a picture of him though.

You’re constantly surprised by how similar you and your father look. Same eyes, but not eye color, same nose, same smile. Same figure, and same accent, allegedly. Your mother is an extremely kind person, and was heartbroken when your father passed away.

Your grandmother, who you’ve not been able to meet, always writes to you on a monthly basis. She’s the sweetest person you’ve ever known, aside from your mother. Dani is on very good terms with your family too, so it’s all one huge party. She’s not really close to your younger sister, Lily, who's adopted, but they do talk often.

After Danielle returns, you and Danielle get started on making a mess. The doorbell rings, and you run to answer it, a water-stained apron arming you from whoever is on the other side of the door.

“Hello, are you Y/N?” A masculine voice asks, and you find a face to the voice when you look up from the ground.

“…who are you?”

“Oh, I should probably introduce myself. I’m Park Sunghoon, ambassador to the Maledictus ruler.”

“I’m sorry, what?” You snicker, trying to cover it up, taking off the apron and dumping it on the couch nearby, “Is this some elaborate scheme? Because you’re failing miserably at trying to convince me.”

“Um, lady, no. Are you Y/N?”

“And if I am?”

The Sunghoon in question sighs and presses a finger to his temple, as if this conversation is giving him a headache. “Y/N, who is it?” Danielle shouts, and you facepalm.

You just HAD to shout my name, didn’t you?

“Alright then. Please come with me with no resistance, unless you particularly wish to be unconscious.”

“Danielle!” You yell, but your voice is muffled by your cat jumping on you, smacking you right in the mouth. “Oh, for fuck's sake.” Sunghoon sighs, dragging you and Mitch into a limousine.

Limousine? Okay, rich.

“DANIELLE!” You yell. Deciding self-defense is your only resort, you bite him on the wrist, Mitch just purring in approval.

“JEEZ, LADY, I CAN'T RESIST EVERYTHING?” Sunghoon half-yells, half-asks, groaning in pain but still reluctant to let go.

Mom, I'm sorry but I may go to prison for this.

Anyone watching would think you're showing a sudden display of affection to your alleged kidnapper. You aggressively hug him, his face turning red.

“WHAT THE FUCK ARE YOU DOING?” Sunghoon manages, extremely confused and amused.

Danielle runs, a bowl of salsa in one hand. Seeing you strangle (or attempt to) him, she lets out a war cry, the neighbor staring.

“AYYY!” She yells, the bowl rising in her hand.

You immediately know what she's going to do, and you both are so going to regret it.

She whacks him face-on with the salsa!

Mitch shrieks happily and jumps in the limousine.

“I don't fucking get paid enough for this. Get. In. Please.” Sunghoon positively begs at this point, looking close to tears.

Out of the kindness of your hearts, you both take a seat.

Only when Sunghoon climbs in and mumbles, “Salsa was very good, if I do say so myself,” do you realize that you have a terrible sense of danger and security.

“Aww! Why, thank you!” Danielle smiles, and Mitch purrs.

“Danielle, sweetie, no big deal, but we're probably going to get killed.”

“As long as it's with you. We lived a long life.”

“You guys talk too much.” Sunghoon says, as the car gets darker and darker by the second. You look down to see a syringe in your arm.

“Oh, nooooooo…” a distorted voice says.

✦ . 　⁺ 　 . ✦ . 　⁺ 　 . ✦

“Y/N, you snore. Did you know that? And so does your friend here. Even your cat snores.”

You wake up to Sunghoon looking exhausted, his hand massaging his temple. Does he always do that?

“Sorry.” You say, just as Danielle and Mitch snore and purr. You offer a smile that comes out more like a grimace, and Sunghoon, if possible, looks wearier.

“No worries.” He offers a smile. “Could you wake them up, if you don't mind? We're almost here.”

You nod, not-so-eagerly, because you know Danielle is going to be pissed. She's the sort of person that hates being woken up by someone else.

You poke her warily. She responds with a snore, louder than ever, and turns over to her side. Oh, great.

You slap Danielle lightly on her cheek, to which she wakes up, gasping. “Y/N! Have you not learnt–” she begins, but stops when she realizes who she's with.

“Good morning, Ms. Danielle.” Sunghoon nods respectfully. Dani smiles.

“Wait. Wait. Why are we HERE?” You yell, everything coming back to you.

Crap, crap, crap, the lemon crinkle cookies are probably burning NOOOOO…

Priorities, man.

You come back to the limo, seeing Danielle holding Mitch out in front of her. “I'm a good girl please don't kill me I'm too young–”

“Half an hour ago, you were telling us how you and Y/N have lived a long life. Here you are, telling me you're too young to die. Make up your mind, lady.”

“Ooh, lady. Damn. I'm Danielle!” Danielle says, reaching Mitch out for a handshake.

“DANIELLE, HE'S A STRANGER. DID NO ONE TEACH YOU ABOUT STRANGER DANGER?”

“Y/N makes a valid point, Ms. Danielle. Did no one teach you anything?” Sunghoon laughs.

“Y/N, can we beat him up?”

You smile. “Thought you'd never ask.”

She grabs a rolling pan from her apron and starts whacking him. You pinch him wherever possible.

“This– Is– For– My– Fucking– Lemon– Fucking– Crinkle– Fucking– Cookies!” you say with each pinch.

“NO! THE TRAUMA! PLEASE STOP!” Sunghoon screams, and the driver from ahead says, “Please don't kill him. I have a family to feed, and I depend on him. Please.”

Both of you stop. “He pays you?”

“Yeah, he's pretty rich.”

You and Dani smirk at each other.

“You thinking what I'm thinking?”

“Definitely.” You reply.

“Maybe if you give us money–”

“Maybe if you give us info–”

“DANI NO–”

“Y/N NO–”

A pause.

“Give us a minute to reconvene and get back to you!” Danielle says.

Sunghoon nods in agreement, a tear falling from his eye.

“Danielle, what are you going to reconvene over? WE DON'T NEED MONEY, WE NEED INFORMATION?”

“But when you can get money, why not take it?”

Pause.

“Valid point. We'll ask for both.”

“Okay,” Danielle nods, and says loudly, “Sunghoon, we've reached a compromise.”

“I didn't know you were on first-name basis with your victim but okay! What do you want? Anything to make you guys shut up. Please.”

“Money,” Danielle says, “and info.” you add.

“How much? Of both?” He asks, pulling out his wallet.

“100$ for each of us. And all the info we want.”

“Good deal. Here you go. Ask away.”

“Thanks! Why are we here?”

“You'll see. Don't worry, you'll see at least two familiar faces, if not three.”

“Oh. Will we be safe?”

“You're in a limousine, I paid you to stop abusing me, and I didn't even hit your cat, not that I would, of course. What do you think?”

“Oh. Sorry,” Danielle apologizes.

“It's alright! By the way, we've reached Maledictus. Please have a look-over of your appearance.” Sunghoon announces, clambering out of the limousine.

Danielle looks down to see a flour-covered apron, which she bashfully pulls off. You give yourself a brush-off, and deem yourself neat. You ruffle Mitch, at which she shrieks and scampers over to Danielle. Dani winks at you and gathers her apron and Mitch.

“Lead the way, Sunghoon.” You say, as Dani gets out of the car.

A winding path leads to a gate, putting you in mind of Draco Malfoy's mansion from Harry Potter. The black gate does not cool your senses, and when Sunghoon identifies himself using his biometrics, a deep voice booms.

“Identify the visitors you have with you, Mr. Park.”

“Uhm, a cat, a friend, and her.”

There's an empty silence, after which the voice booms, “Biometric identity of 'her', please.”

Sunghoon gestures to you, and you walk awkwardly. He takes your hand and presses the thumb to the identifier.

“Approved. You may enter.”

Sunghoon grins lightly. “Ladies first. And cats.”

Danielle walks ahead, dropping Mitch down to follow. You walk with Sunghoon, curious to know why you are here.

“Sunghoon, am I in trouble? Will Mitch and Danielle be alright?”

“Don't worry. They're fine. Nothing's going to happen to you as long as you don't 'resist', per se.”

You nod, not entirely convinced. “No matter what you do, Ms. Danielle and your cat will be safe. I'll give you my word.”

You nod slightly, feeling better about this whole mess. “Thanks, Sunghoon.”

Sunghoon smiles, the first real smile you've seen. “I'm sorry for the hostility you encountered when you first met us by the way. And the salsa. We were trying to protect ourselves.”

“It's cool, you don't need to worry. I understand. Besides, the salsa was delicious, although it could've taken away my eyesight forever.” He laughs at that, and you take it as a sign that it really is fine. You join in.

“Ah, welcome back, Mr. Sunghoon. I see you brought her. But who is the person with her? And what is–”

An old, balding woman sees her worst nightmare rubbing her foot and purring. “IS THIS–” she begins, but stops to sneeze noisily.

“I'm sorry, miss. Didn't know you were allergic.” Danielle scoops Mitch up and walks a small distance away.

“It's alright,” the woman sniffles haughtily, “but I thought you might know, Sunghoon.”

“My bad, Mrs. Ahn, I wasn't aware you would be here to welcome us. I thought it'd be Mr. Ahn.”

To give you slight context, Sunghoon whispers, “Mr. Ahn loves animals, but his wife is allergic to almost all of them. That's why he's been unable to have a pet, and jumps at the opportunity to take care of one.”

“Yes, I am only alright with bats. Good reason for that, too. However, my husband has been working a lot and is having his midday snack, so I thought to cover up for him. He'll meet you in the Hub.” Mrs. Ahn says, smiling tenderly.

It has always amazed you how people change with just a smile. But no one shares that amazement, so you can't really say anything about it, for fear of being laughed at and, or, killed!

“Thank you, Mrs. Ahn. If you'll excuse us, I'll take them to meet him now.”

Mrs. Ahn nods, moving out of the way, waving as you pass, sneezing as Mitch scampers forward to meet you. Picking her up, you peck her and squish her.

“You really love your cat, huh?” Sunghoon laughs, poking Mitch playfully. You swear you see Mitch roll her eyes, and you nod eagerly.

“I mean, who wouldn't? Want to know the story behind how she became my pet?”

“Totally, after this meeting though. Sort of important. For me and you. So. Yeah.”

Oh, right.

“No worries.”

You hum, as Danielle catches up with you guys. “This is why I hate quick paced walkers.” She mumbles, out of breath. You and Sunghoon laugh.

✦ . 　⁺ 　 . ✦ . 　⁺ 　 . ✦

After what seems like eternal walking, and around five flights of stairs, Sunghoon finally says, “We're here!”

“How are you still so loud?” You and Danielle groan, and Mitch purrs. “You too, Mitch. You literally rode my back.” Danielle sighs.

“Y/N, you are one untrained half-blood.” Sunghoon mumbles, just enough for you to catch it.

“One untrained WHAT?” You shout, the breath returning to your lungs and voice regifted to your throat.

“Fuck. You'll see!” Sunghoon runs, gesturing to the two of you to follow.

“Danielle, DID YOU FUCKING HEAR THAT?”

Danielle nods. “Unfortunately, if we're being realistic, we can't exactly find out. But because I'm your best friend, I'll panic with you. AN UNTRAINED WHAT? IS THIS HARRY POTTER?”

“You know, my mother never talks about her family. Kind of suspicious if you ask me. I haven't even seen my grandmother. I know that they're from Canada, but I don't know any more.”

“Well, I guess we're about to find out.” Danielle says, looking at the magnificent doors swinging open.

“MRAWW!” Mitch shrieks through the utter silence as she spots a familiar face. She scurries across the room to where a woman is standing, looking extremely anxious. A crown rests on her face solemnly, sparkling in the golden light exuded by the chandelier.

“MOM?”

This is when everything keeping you sane shrivels up and dies.

“MS. CAMPBELL??” Danielle yells, and the two of you run to meet her, not realizing that there's a throne next to where she's standing. “Mother dearest, would you care to explain?” You confront her, extremely concerned.

“Hi, darling. I'm sorry it had to be this way. But it did. So. Hi. Uhm. Your grandmother's here! And so is –”

Before you can hear who else you were supposed to know, your grandmother squeezes you into a tight hug. “My darling Y/N!”

“Gran! I've never met you, have I?”

Wow, what a greeting. Way to go. So proud. Such etiquette.

“Now, that's no way to greet your grandmother, is it? But yes, you've only seen me when you were an itty-bitty baby. How adorable you were and still are.”

“Thanks, Gran. Would you at least be so kind as to tell me what's going on?”

“You'll see soon enough. Take a place. Dani! I've heard a lot about you. Stand next to Y/N. Grab Mitch too.”

You two obey, and Mitch settles in Danielle's arms.

“The accused may step forward.” A deep voice booms, not unlike the one you heard at the gate earlier.

HUH? ACCUSED?????

Your mother and grandmother step forward.

“You have been summoned to The Court of Maledictus to present your defense as to why the vampire world has not been made aware of the presence of one of the most powerful and popular half-blood in existence,” an extremely bald man began (why is everyone bald?), pausing to hear Sunghoon whisper in his ear. “I am also made to learn that there's a mortal present amongst us?”

“Yes, Slav, but she can be trusted.” Your mother insists, and Slav sighs.

“So be it. May the half-blood be made to stand in front of the Court?”

You walk after receiving a nudge from your Gran. Sunghoon inclines his head to where you are supposed to stand, and you walk, your head looking straight ahead.

“Ms. Y/N Jae-hyun Campbell, daughter of the late Mr. Lee Jae-hyun and Mrs. Adrina Cassius, are you aware that Adrina Cassius, known in the mortal world as Amber Cassius, is a vampire?”

One beat.

Two beats.

“You are absolutely, positively, most DEFINITELY joking.”

Adrina grimly smiles at Slav, who rolls his eyes.

“Adrina, you are telling the Court that you're own child, the most powerful half-blood in all of history, doesn't know her own family?” A man, looking no older than 50, looks down at you scrutinizingly. He wears a magnificent crown worthy of a king atop his head, where locks of grayish-brown hair flow down till where his shoulders meet his neck. Dressed in robes of elegant black, he looks ready to perform wizarding nonsense.

“Unfortunately, Yang Jae-hwan, she doesn't. You don't hold any rights over that decision either.” Your mother says, evidently annoyed.

“Anyways,” Slav clears his throat, “Adrina Cassius married a mortal, Lee Jae-hyun, for the reasons she prefers to call love. She gave birth to Y/N Jae-hyun Campbell, whose real name is Y/N Jae-hyun Cassius.

“We are here for the 'grand reveal' of Ms. Y/N, and His Majesty Yang Jae-hwan's verdict on how best to train the half-blood, and how to protect her. We are also here to listen to the defense of the Cassius family.”

“Hello all, I am Wilhelmina Cassius, wife of Athan Cassius,” – a collective gasp rings throughout the Court – “and I will present the defense.

“We have none. Why do we defend our choices? Yes, the choices in question may threaten the very existence of mortality, but they didn't! She's of age in a few hours, and we were going to present a diary written by all the reigning royalty of our family, including how to adjust to being a half-blood by our ancestor, Lilith Cassius.

“However, due to… present circumstances, we are unable to. I find this to be a valid enough defense. I am the reigning queen due to my daughter stepping down, which I fully support, by the way, and I have been handling things just fine. I don't seem to find a valid reason for this whole fiasco.”

“The Queen of Colonia, present day Canada, has made the defense. What does the King reply to this?”

“You're right, Wilhelmina, you do make a valid point. But what if her powers got out before she came of age? What then? What if mortals were harmed? This is the first half-blood I've seen that's not out of control. Precautions have to be taken, Wilhelmina.”

“Jae-hwan, you wanted Y/N's power for yourself and under control, didn't you? We can be honest, this is a safe space!”

“Wilhelmina, let's stay civil. I do care about power, but I would not take Y/N's power. Ever. My son is equally powerful. In fact, I'm surprised Y/N didn't–”

“Enough. Can we get the verdict?”

“Yes, Slav, if you please.”

“By the Court's discretion, the verdict remains not against, but with the Cassius family. However, a few conditions will be discussed, and now that Yang Jung-won, son of Yang Jae-hwan, succeeded in getting Ms. Cassius here, he has succeeded in placing his claim to the throne and will be the next emperor.”

Yang Jungwon? Didn't Sunghoon drag us here?

“The Court is dismissed. The Cassius family and their acquanitance have been requested to stay back for a meal. Thank you.”

How was that a proper court verdict? This is the weirdest day of my life. Couldn't get weirder.

“Y/N, WHAT THE FU- HECK WAS THAT?” Danielle screams in your ears, Mitch shrieking as usual with equal passion.

“Danielle, I wish I knew. I'm as confused as you are, honey.”

“Kids, we need to go to the official dining hall. Follow me.” Your mother says, flying away as a bat.

Wait, flying? The day got weirder.

Danielle gapes, but follows. You follow suit. What is happening?

All around, life seems to be going on as usual in the Palace of Maledictus. You feel like you're the only ones out of order. Mitch bounds after your bat-mom and Dani and you walk slowly behind.

✦ . 　⁺ 　 . ✦ . 　⁺ 　 . ✦

After what seems like a lot of walking and exercise again, you and Danielle finally reach the hall.

It's not a hall. It's a huge ballroom. A very long dining table stretches from one end of the room to the other, a regal tablecloth spread out on it. The chairs look like thrones themselves, and there are at least 32 chairs in total. Approximately. The hall has a lot of chandeliers looking down at the people vainly.

“Please, ma'am, have a seat,” a waiter gestures to a chair next to your mother, while another waiter takes charge of Danielle's seating. The two of you sit together, your mother to your left and your Gran on Danielle's right.

A delicious-looking feast has been set out, and you see your mother wolfing down chicken. Taking 'inspiration', the whole table begins digging in happily.

“I propose our kids to date, Adrina.”

The table goes crazy. Wilhelmina chokes on wine, Danielle spits chicken on her plate, Adrina has a coughing fit, and your jaw drops. The king's heir, Yang Jung-won, blinks rapidly, and Sunghoon falls out of his seat.

“I – (cough) – beg your – (cough) – pardon?” Adrina says, trying to pull herself together. “They can fake date. Beneifical for both families, and we can have an alliance if all goes well. If it doesn't, we'll see. If they don't – what is the term? – fall in love with each other, then there's no alliance and we go back to our lives. If there's no alliance, maybe Jungwon can take over your territory once the inevitable happens.”

Inevitable being your grandmother dying, you know. The horrible tradition in your family states that the ruler who marries a mortal will be removed from the line of ruling, and only their child – a half-blood – after they come of age will be allowed to rule. So, after your Gran, only you can rule.

“Is that a threat, Jaehwan?”

“No, merely a caution, my dear Adrina.”

“Mom,” you whisper. “Mom, it's fine. We can try it. Don't worry. Ask him if we can think and discuss about this for five minutes.”

“Jaehwan, we'll discuss this for five minutes. We can't take such a rash decision instantly. Give us time and we'll tell you after discussing it after the meal.”

Jaehwan agrees, and so the meal goes on, and afterwards, the hall goes silent.

Gran and your mother whisper quietly, you and Danielle not the only ones trying to catch snippets of their conversation. Jaehwan and Sunghoon crane their necks to eavesdrop, while Jungwon seems to be the only calm one.

“Y/N, are you really alright with this?” Adrina asks, and Wilhelmina whisper-shouts, “How is that even an option? Adrina!” “Mother, I'm trying to secure my daughter's future, and her sister's. Her sister is a mortal and isn't of age yet. She can't be told. I'm sorry, mother.”

“Gran, I'll be fine. He won't torture me. Mom, I'm prepared.”

Wilhelmina and Danielle, although very silent, don't look too happy. “Jaehwan, let it be written that Jungwon and Y/N have begun dating on the 31st of March. On the 30th of June, we will see how the relationship is going and decide whether to form an alliance or not.”

Jaehwan beams, clapping. “Jungwon, you'll be moving to Y/N's city, and your friends may move too, if you like. I hope to see a good alliance.”

Jungwon makes eye contact with you, smiles ever-so-slightly. “Alright, father.”

It isn’t possible to fall in love in just three months. This is not going to be really good.

✦ . 　⁺ 　 . ✦ . 　⁺ 　 . ✦

Your grandmother is positively pissed about the arrangement, but she doesn't exactly have a say due to the fact that it will be beneficial to her rule. And her future generations. So she

has no option but to go with it.

Danielle has been forcing you to tell her everything he does for the past hour. The two of you are staying awake till midnight to celebrate your birthday.

“Y/N, if I find a single red flag, I will make you dump that son of a vampire.”

“Hey, don't call him that. I'm the daughter of a vampire.”

“Still can't get over that, but sure. He's a terrible person.”

“Breathe, Dan. Let's not judge a book by its cover.”

“Yeah.”

The two of you are staying at the palace, and all you can think about is:

My poor lemon crinkle cookies. They have done nothing to deserve this.

“Anyways, fifteen minutes left!” Danielle says, sensing the annoyance practically radiating from you. She rolls up a lettuce to make a makeshift mic, its edges tearing up slightly.

“What do you think, Ms. Cassius, the soon-to-be 19 year old?”

“Comment denied!” You smile, pushing the lettuce-mic away. Danielle pouts jokingly, eating the mic.

You guys have brought up a mini-picnic from the kitchen to enjoy by yourselves in your room. Your mother is sleeping in the room across, and your Gran is asleep in the next room, on your right.

Taking a bite of the lemon tart the two of you stole, you think about the day's events. Damn, that was a weird day. But the ending seems good!

The two of you pass your time, talking about the university you go to, Zephyr University. Gossiping about the most recent breakups in your friend group, you don't realize how fast the time flew until Danielle checks her phone.

“SHIT, IT'S 11:56!” Danielle shouts, making you jump. “Bro, breathe, we have four minutes,” you say, laughing at Dan's expression.

“How are you so calm? Dude. You're – what did they say? – ah, coming of age in the next… three minutes!”

“I wasn't born exactly at 12 AM on the 31st of March, you know?”

“Yeah, but we don't talk about that!”

You grin, helping yourself to a chocolate.

“OKAY, 30, 29, 28, 27, 26, 25, 24, 23, 22, 21, 19, 18, 17, 16, 15, 14, 13, 12, 11, 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1! HAPPY BIRTHDAY Y/N!”

“THANK YOU DANIELLE!” You yell with equal energy, jumping up and down with Danielle.

The door creaks.

A hiss is heard.

You and Danielle stop celebrating.

The creaking stops.

“Danielle?”

“Y/N?”

The two of you look at each other, and scream.

And then, someone places what looks like blood next to you. What seems like a sinister voice says, “Happy birthday, Y/N. Hope you get along with good blood.”

That doesn't even make sense.

You shriek anyway. Getting up, both you and Danielle punch, kick and pinch whatever part of the person you two can.

“ARGH! WAIT! HEAR ME OUT! SWITCH ON THE FUCKING LIGHT!”

You continue without a care, but Danielle does so. The two of you have been sitting in the light of a single candle, so it is sort of understandable why you can't see who the creep is.

The light flicks on to reveal Yang Jungwon.

Oh, fuck.

“Dude, you have good self-defense, but like, why?”

“But why would you come here?” Danielle asks, in shock. “You see, Ms. Danielle, I believed that as her fake boyfriend, I should probably wish her a happy birthday. Did not expect this to happen, although Sunghoon told me what you guys did to him. He is apparently very scarred.”

You smirk at the memory, catching Danielle's eye. Jungwon narrows his eyes, still very curious and concerned, but shakes it off.

“Thanks for the thought of it, Jungwon. What flavor is the cake? It looks a lot like blood.”

“That's because it is!”

One beat. Two beats.

Danielle gags, getting as far away as possible from the cake. “Jungwon, what the fuck?”

You don't even know him but you're already worried.

“I'm joking… Ms. Danielle, don't worry. It's just red velvet with some extremely bright red frosting.”

“Oh,” Danielle murmurs, walking slowly. “Want me to test it out or something?”

“Nope, I'll do it myself, Jungwon.” You say, grabbing a wine glass and scooping the cake in it. Taking a spoon, you gingerly take a small bite, ready to vomit if necessary. To your surprise, it tastes delicious.

“... Maybe it isn't all that bad. It doesn't taste like blood, approved by me.”

Jungwon lets out a breath he didn't even know he was holding, and Danielle promptly eats the cake from your wine glass. “Ifs akshooli weawy goof,” she says, nodding in approval.

“It's actually really good,” you translate for Jungwon. “Thanks, I baked it myself!”

“WOAH, REALLY?” Danielle exclaims, eyes as wide as plates. Quietly, she whispers to you, “Y/N, maybe he isn't as bad as I thought,” and you smile.

“Anyways, I'll let you guys sleep. We're going to Zephyr Uni in the morning, around 10. I'm transferring universities, so I'll be taking finals at your university. Continuing classes there, too. See you at breakfast,” Jungwon salutes a goodbye and shuts the door behind him.

“Well, that was… interesting. He's nice though. He thought of you!”

“Yeah, more like he wants the alliance.” You say quietly, confused. Is what I'm saying true?

✦ . 　⁺ 　 . ✦ . 　⁺ 　 . ✦

At breakfast, you, Dani, Sunghoon, Jungwon and his friends sit together. The five of Jungwon's friends know about the arrangement, so nothing's extremely awkward.

“Guys, this is Y/N Cassius, and her friend, Danielle Marsh, a mortal. And Mitch, their cat.” Sunghoon introduces while Jungwon goes to fetch juice for the table.

“Hey!” You and Dani chorus, taking a seat in between Sunghoon and Jungwon. “I'm Lee Heeseung, the oldest here. I'll let the others introduce themselves. It's nice to meet you!”

“I'm Park Jeongseong, but you can call me Jay!”

“I'm Sim Jaeyun, but you can call me Jake!”

“I'm Kim Sunoo!”

“And I'm Riki, Nishimura Riki.”

You and Dani nod to each of them respectfully, and smile. “We hope we all get along well, hopefully.” Dani says, grinning and lifting her fork.

Once Jungwon is back, he takes a seat next to you, smiling. He offers juice to everyone, taking care to not spill even a bit. He's sort of cute. Maybe he's nice after all.

Your thoughts are immediately proven wrong.

“Oops!”

Jungwon smirks evilly as a stain of orange juice spreads on your white shirt, and you gasp as you feel the chill of the juice.

“JUNGWON!” Heeseung scolds, running to get baking soda from the kitchen. Sunghoon presses his temple, sighing with fury. You just sit there, mouth ajar. “Y/N, just stay here, I'll get you another shirt. Heeseung can remove the stain when you change shirts.” Danielle says, and runs off to your mother, who hopefully has a change of clothes.

Sunghoon turns to Jungwon. “Jungwon. Apologize. You're supposed to be mature, especially to your fake girlfriend. Why did you do this?”

“It was an accident. Sorry, Y/N!” He apologizes happily, as if no one knows that he did it on purpose. “Totally, Jungwon! It's completely alright!” You say sarcastically, seeing Danielle return with a white button-up crop top.

Luckily your mother had packed up whatever clothes you and Dani left behind at her home, because you two had zero time to pack.

Mom, thanks.

Heeseung returns too, so you go to the ladies' room to change your shirt. You exit the restroom to see Jungwon standing outside, holding the baking soda. “You forgot this,” he says, picking his nails.

“Oh, thanks.” You say, taking it from him and re-entering the room to use the sink. From outside, he says as loud as possible, “I really am very sorry, I didn't mean to cause a change in the mood. Like, really. I'm not mean, I promise. I'll be thoughtful from now on when I think of jokes.”

You listen silently, scrubbing the shirt. Seeing the stain disappear, you exit, stopping in front of Jungwon. “Don't worry. I was just really upset because it's my birthday, you know. Wanted the day to go perfect.”

“Oh, I'm sorry.” “You don't need to apologize, it's fine! Let's forget it and look ahead!” You smile, and Jungwon returns it, his face cheering up.

The two of you walk back to the table, and on the way, you ask a member of staff for a bag to keep the wet shirt in. The lights suddenly dim, and your eyesight takes a bit to adjust. “Need help?” Jungwon offers, taking your hand gently. He leads you back to the table as you try to spot your mother, who was supposed to be here.

Your senses haven't fully developed due to the lack of training as a young child, and so you can't really make out much. “I'll help you train, by the way, whenever we're free. We'll discuss a set time later.” Jungwon says, reading your mind.

You thank him, and finally reach the table. Ignoring the slight tingles in your fingers, you let go of his hand, and the table brightens up.

“HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU, HAPPY BIRTHDAY..”

You gasp as nineteen candles light up and the whole table sings for you. The staff clap as well, and you smile, the brightest in the room.

“Thank you all so much!” You exclaim in joy after the song is over. “Make a wish, Y/N,” Dani says, and you do so, blowing the candles.

“What'd you wish for?” Jungwon asks you curiously, as you cut the cake to give everyone.

“If I tell you, it would not come true. So no thanks.” You say, busy cutting the cake proportionately. He pouts, and cringes immediately after. “Shit, remind me to never do that again.” You laugh and nod.

✦ . 　⁺ 　 . ✦ . 　⁺ 　 . ✦

On the journey back home, the University students sit in one vehicle, and your mother sits in another. Gran left for Canada immediately after breakfast, and Jungwon's father and the rest's parents stayed back in Maledictus.

You sit next to Dani and Sunghoon, and you tell Hoon the story of how Mitch became your pet as he listens attentively, with Dani adding her own comments in between.

“So yeah, Mitch decided to stay with us! We officially adopted her, like, 10 months ago.”

Sunghoon smiles, ruffling Mitch's fur, while she claws at his hand, irritated. The journey worth 90 minutes passes by quickly, and the driver pulls up to the driveway of your home. Your mother's car follows, and the drivers stop for a meal.

You quickly whip up some spaghetti and sandwiches, and Danielle attempts to repair the damage in your kitchen. Sunghoon makes some lemonade, and gives the drivers their meal. They wave and drive off to Maledictus.

“Shit, the kitchen is such a mess.” Danielle says, opening the oven door to find burnt cookies and an extremely nauseating smell.

“What happened here?” Your mother asks, entering the kitchen.

“Mother, we were trying to enjoy our last few days of break before school, but dear Sunghoon over here decided to drag us to Maledictus!”

Sunghoon winces, wiping the inside of the oven clean. The rest are sorting through the bags in the living room. Dani is currently sifting through the food in the fridge, trying to throw out the rotten food. Surprisingly, even after just one day of absence, at least a quarter of the food (healthy stuff) had gone bad.

You hate wasting food and Danielle knows it. So she does it herself. She dumps the food in the separate trash can, cringing.

After about half an hour of cleaning, the three of you manage to clean up the mess in the kitchen. The rest of Jungwon's friends successfully sort through their bags and make sure the right stuff is in the right bag. Your mother has already returned home, but you see a notification from your mother.

Mom ♡ : If you need anything, message me or call.

You : thanks mother!!

After sending a reply, you settle down on the rug in the living room, while Danielle gets chairs for the rest. “We're leaving for the dorms tomorrow, do you guys have everything set?” You ask the boys, who nod. “Only Riki is your age. He's majoring in dance. I'm majoring in journalism.” Sunghoon says, and Riki grins, saluting.

“What do you major in, guys?” Dani asks, sitting next to you. “I major in humanities, finishing my degree this year,” Heeseung says.

“I major in the visual arts,” Jay says. “I major in astrophysics.” Jake smiles.

“I major in the visual arts, like Jay.” Sunoo says, smiling brightly. “And I major in music, focusing on composition and therapy.” Jungwon says, and you gasp. “Same!”

“Oh, damn, nice. We'll see each other in class then!” Jungwon replies.

“What about you, Danielle?” Sunoo asks.

“Film studies!” Danielle says enthusiastically. “Thought so,” Jungwon says, nodding.

“What do you mean?” “You seem like the type to be really happy in the studies of media. Just the, uh, vibe with a capital V.”

Everyone agrees, and Danielle flushes. “Aw, thanks guys. Means a lot.”

You pat her on the back and Danielle holds your hand. I would never trade this for anything.

✦ . 　⁺ 　 . ✦ . 　⁺ 　 . ✦

SHIT WE'RE LATE.

The first thought you have when you wake up. Delightful.

Why is everything shaking?

The second thought. How very wonderful. You then realize that your bed is shaking. “Y/N, WAKE UP.”

Jungwon's voice yells, and water splashes on your face. “Sorry, Y/N,” Sunghoon says. You blink rapidly and see Danielle assembling an outfit for you.

Only then does everything process.

SHIT I'M WEARING SHORTS AND A SHIRT?? I LOOK LIKE CRAP.

You jump into the shower, practically flying. Jungwon and Sunghoon catch each other's eyes and try not to laugh.

“Welcome to our household,” Danielle says, holding a pile of clothes and dumping them on your bed. Sunghoon offers to take Y/N's suitcases down, and Danielle gladly accepts.

“Jungwon, she'll ask for her clothes. Just hand that whole pile over, but DO NOT. I REPEAT. DO NOT. LOOK AT HER. YOU'LL FIND YOURSELF SIX FEET UNDER. YOU UNDERSTAND ME?” Dani says, shaking him aggressively by the shoulders. You sigh in the shower.

Dearest Danielle.

“BREATHE, DANIELLE, I THINK HE KNOWS,” you yell as loud as you can.

Immediately after the shower switches off, you bang the bathroom door and stretch a hand out for your clothes. Jungwon obediently hands them over.

Getting dressed in a hurry, you tie your hair up in a bun. “Let's go!” You exclaim, dragging Jungwon by the hand downstairs.

“Everyone finished their breakfasts, by the way.” He says casually, and you facepalm.

“Shit, I'm so sorry.” “It's okay, breathe. You can have it on the way there.”

“We're going on public transport, I'll just pack it and take it there. Are the groceries packed?”

He nods, and Danielle stops you on the landing. “Here's your breakfast. Eat it in the dorm. Let's go.”

The nine of you rush to the bus stop, just in time for the bus to arrive. “Zephyr Stop, please. Nine of us.” The conductor nods, and you pay.

Online payment for the win!

Upon reaching the bus stop, all of you get down, and you and Dani wave to the conductor. She waves and smiles.

“We'll show you to your dorms. All genders in one huge building, but different wings. Females on the left, males on the right, and non-binary people depends on their preferences or identification. Not really sure.” Danielle says.

The seven boys nod, lugging their bags with them. “The dormitories have a mini-kitchen, explaining the groceries we have. Depending on how many people you have in your room, you have bunk beds and one extra bed. One attached bathroom for everyone, and a study table for each person. There's a couch and a TV, and the Wi-Fi password will be shared to you by a residential counselor,” you explain, walking slowly.

“Since today's a Sunday, we can meet up freely. When actual classes begin, we'll have to stay in our own block. But we can meet at the shops on campus.

“We have a café, restaurant, medical store, a few medical staff, grocery stores, and thrift stores run by the marketing and fashion students. We have a few sports fields, a garden, recording studios, a huge library, swimming pools, and just an open field. We have an amphitheater and auditorium too. ”

The boys listen attentively, and Danielle sees the check-in machine. “Hand me your IDs, I'll check you guys in.” She offers, and everyone dumps their IDs in her hand.

Checking in everyone, she hands the IDs back to everyone.

“We'll meet at the café. Can we have a group chat? I'll share the location there.” You offer, and Sunghoon nods. “I'll take your numbers and make one. Guys, go ahead.”

The rest meet with the resident counselor as you give your number to Hoon. Grabbing as many bags as you can, you take yours and Danielle's belongings and unlock your room.

I'll unpack later.

Opening your phone, you see a message.

Park Sunghoon has added you to a group chat.

Park Sunghoon has renamed the group chat to Vampires and a Mortal

Sunghoon :

hey guys. y/n will share the location here. we'll meet up there. btw, here's the room numbers and roommates.

– me and jungwon, room 112

– heeseung, jay, sunoo in room 116

– riki and jake in room 115

You :

here's the location : xtxtxtxttxxttxxt

me and danielle are in room 67

You close the chat, and help Danielle unpack her things.

✦ . 　⁺ 　 . ✦ . 　⁺ 　 . ✦

“I'm too lazy to remember everyone's orders, so go order your food yourself guys. Please.” You say, and they roll their eyes. Zephyr Café is a really calm place, the classic romanticized café.

It has a beige color palette, and the smell of baking and happiness. Students come here on casual hangouts, study dates, solo dates, dates in general. Since not all students arrived on campus, and you all were here for lunch, the café was not very crowded.

“Hey Jaemin!” You wave to the boy behind the counter, Na Jaemin. “Hey Y/N! I see you have people with you. You seem to be making friends!” He laughs, and you punch him playfully.

“Shut up. Me and Danielle have the usual, the guys will order personally.”

“Alright. Enjoy, friendless bitch.”

“SHUT UP, JAE.”

You and Jaemin have known each other since your first year at Zephyr, the both of you in the same course. You're close with his friend group too.

You did nurse a small crush on him, and sometimes still do. But it's just a crush.

After everyone receives their orders, all of you talk about everything possible. Breaking the ice is really useful, because you and Jungwon will have to pull off a fake relationship and you need to make it realistic.

“Also, Y/N, we need to talk in private. Could you guys give us a minute or a few?”

Without waiting for an answer, he pulls you over to a corner of the café. “Can we use the field for training?” He asks, and you nod. “Yeah, just let me know the times. We probably have the same schedules so yeah.” He nods, and you return to your seats.

All nine of you chatter away like old friends, talking about Spider-Man to Angelina Jolie.

After the café lunch, you guys return to your rooms, and you take a small nap. In the evening, you and Danielle meet up with a few friends.

“Yunjin! Minji! Hi!” The two of you greet your two other friends. They're roommates and are in the room opposite to you.

“Hey guys!” Minji says, hugging the two of you. Behind her, Yunjin is dragging a sack full of snacks. “Here's food. Eat whenever. You're welcome.” She says, and you hug her. Yunjin is the oldest, the same age as Heeseung, and is finishing her degree in botany this year. Minji is majoring in literature.

You’re the youngest in the four of you guys, but you hate when they baby you, so they always baby you. Just for fun.

“And how’s our baby doing?” Yunjin says, pulling your cheeks. “Stop it!” You say, pulling out of her reach. Minji laughs, and Danielle opens your fridge to keep the groceries away. “I heard you made new friends? Around, like, seven boys?”

“Yeah, don’t make it weird, please.” You tell Minji, who already looks like she’s scheming. “Mhm, sure, I would never!” You sigh. Your friends are annoying, and also annoyingly sweet, so it’s a win-win.

“Aww, does my baby have a boyfwend?” Yunjin asks, putting on a pair of glasses and smirking at you knowingly. “Maybe, but you’ll never find out who!”

“So you confirmed that you have one. We’ll find him. And when we do, he will regret it.”

“Please don’t guys, she finally got a boyfriend. Let’s not scare him away.” Danielle says, coming to the couch with packed bottles of cold coffee for Yunjin and Minji. “Did you guys have lunch yet?” She asks, and they nod. “Did you guys?” Minji asks, accepting the coffee. You nod and plop on the sofa.

Small talk continues, and they leave to unpack. “Bye guys! We need to unpack too,” you say to Danielle, shutting the door after they leave. “Yeah, let’s do it. Anyways, how did you like the questions about your ‘boyfwend’, Y/N?” Danielle giggles.

“My vampire boyfriend?” You ask, grinning. “I don’t think I would describe him in that way, but sure. He’s fake anyway. As in, our relationship is fake.”

Danielle nods, putting her clothes on hangers and placing them in her side of the wardrobe. “Danielle, you don’t want to drink, do you?” You ask, the thought suddenly occurring to you.

“Never.”

“Oh, thank god.”

You have never found the alleged temptation of drugs, alcohol and cigarettes tempting, and you hope never to. The farthest you’ll ever go, you decide, is wine or champagne, and medicinal drugs.

Hopefully you avoid the latter too.

✦ . 　⁺ 　 . ✦ . 　⁺ 　 . ✦

“Wake up, Y/N, it’s seven AM.” Danielle shouts in your ears, and you jump. “Okay, okay, breathe.” You say, gathering yourself and rubbing your eyes aggressively. “Need water?” Danielle asks, and you nod. She hands you a glass, and you dump it over your head.

“Better?”

“Yep. Are you ready?”

“As usual. We’ll leave by 7:45, so we have a lot of time for breakfast.”

You rush to get ready, and wrap a towel around your head after your shower. Pulling on a decent outfit, you stare in the mirror, satisfied. Deciding to go with a minimal makeup look, you finish it off with a brush of your brows. You’re wearing a black oversized shirt with graphics, and faded blue baggy jeans with blue Converse. Pinning your hair back, you use hair gel to make your hair less frizzy. Dabbing on some lip balm, you walk out of the door, grabbing your bags.

“Let’s go?” Danielle asks, and you nod.

Arriving at the main building, you look up to where your class is. The theory classes are in the first half of the day, and the second half goes to completing your assignments, and practical classes, if any.

You and Danielle usually drop off your bags, but you see Jungwon, Sunghoon, and the rest at the entrance, looking confused. “Oh, hey, I nearly forgot about you guys,” you say, rushing to help them out. “Media and sciences are at one place, so I’ll take Sunghoon and Jake. The arts are in another section of the building, so Y/N can take you guys there. We’re going to drop our bags off, have breakfast first, then go to class, so come with us.”

They nod, and you all run off to your classes. You drop off Riki at the dance studio in the basement, and tell him he can ask the professor if he needs anything. Waiting patiently for him to keep his bag, you check your phone. “Back, whose room are we going to next?” He pops out of the studio, and you say, “Visual arts.”

Going to the first floor after the ground floor, you take a right and go to the second classroom you see. “Here. It’s more of an art studio, not sure where they take their practicals. The professor is in, you can ask them.”

They walk out after ten minutes, and say, “They asked us to leave our bags right here, they’ll show us around later.”

You nod, and go to the next floor, allowing them to follow you. “Music composition, music therapy is the classroom on our left.” You drop your bag in the front, and Jungwon drops his bag beside you.

“Let’s go to the restaurant.”

✦ . 　⁺ 　 . ✦ . 　⁺ 　 . ✦

The day has been exhausting. You still have training to look forward to. You open the texts between you and Jungwon again.

Jungwon : we’ll meet up on the ground, i’ll be waiting at 11.

You : pm????????????

Jungwon : yeah, what else? 🙄 we’ll do sensory training today. darkness. think about it, let ur brain process.

You : 🙄 im rolling my eyes but make it in bold, italic red underline.

Jungwon : nice reference. i see you’re a woman of culture as well.

You : obviously

✦ . 　⁺ 　 . ✦ . 　⁺ 　 . ✦

“Training’s going to be interesting,” Jungwon says.

It is 11:15 PM, and you are extremely sleepy. You are in the field, near the forests that surround it. The trees block out the little light from the night sky. You grimace and say, “Sure. Can we get it over with, please?”

He shrugs, and begins. “Make out my movements. Stop me when you think you can.”

You see a blur of hands around you. Shit, he’s fast.

Finally, when you see him hesitate, you smack his hand. “Got you.”

“Good. Can be faster. Next, I want you to hold my hand with exactly my little finger. Doesn’t matter how. But little finger.”

Another blur of movements. Your eyes are adjusting, however slowly it may seem. Finally, when you think you can see his ring finger, you grab a finger.

“Good.” He says, turning on a torch. “You’re getting better. Stop me when I cross my fingers.”

And so it goes on, and on, and on, until around 11:55. “Stop me when I get too close,” he says.

Now, what is TOO CLOSE?

You stop him as soon as you feel his breath on your cheek. “This time, it seems you got me by my breath, not your eyes. Good strategy, but doesn’t work in all battles. We’ll stop here. I’ll walk you to your dorm. Is Danielle still up?”

“Nope, I asked her to sleep, not wait for me. She said she’d try, but I highly doubt she can. She falls asleep on a fixed schedule.”

Jungwon shakes his head, and you can barely make it out. The walk back is silent, only filled with the sounds of insects and animals making sounds, and the sound of your footsteps and breaths coordinating.

“See you Friday, Y/N.”

See you Friday.

✦ . 　⁺ 　 . ✦ . 　⁺ 　 . ✦

Every Monday and Friday, the same time every time, he trains you. By the third Monday, you are successfully able to identify different movements.

It’s a Wednesday, and you enter class and sit next to Jungwon, who’s passed out. It’s 8:32 AM, and the class begins at 9 AM. All around you, you hear whispers. You turn to Jaemin, who sits behind you, and ask, “What’s happening?”

“Y/N, you haven’t heard? Rumor is that you and Jungwon sneak out at midnight.” Jaemin says, cutting straight to the point.

“What? There’s more, isn’t there?”

“Yeah…” he begins. “They think you do stuff in the woods. You know, inappropriate shit. I don’t believe them, but there you go.”

You stare. “You’re kidding. They can’t possibly be that immature.”

“Actually, they are. Plus, Jungwon’s asleep, so that makes things worse. You may want to talk to him.”

“Thanks, Jaemin.”

“Also, Y/N, do you want to hang out with me after school?”

“Definitely!”

“Alright, see you at the café at 5:30?”

“See you there.”

You turn to the front, and poke Jungwon. “Jungwon, we need to talk, dude.”

“Mmf. Let me sleep, Y/N.”

“It’s serious, you dickwad.”

“Chill with the language, Y/N.” He says, sitting up straight. “What is it?” “Uhm, basically, there are rumors that we do inappropriate stuff in the woods.”

“Isn’t that technically good? Because we’re supposed to be fake dating…”

“Oh. Right. I forgot about that.”

“Speaking of which, we should probably show off right now.”

“What do you mean?”

“I can kiss you on the cheek, you know.”

“Oh…” you flush, shrugging. “Sure,”

Before you even get out the word, Jungwon pecks your cheek softly, smiling ear-to-ear. You go positively pink at the kiss, although very childish. The whispers seem to grow even louder, and Jungwon says, “Ignore them. They’re going to manipulate anything we do, so why not give them a show?”

You nod, and the professor enters, signaling an end to the whole fiasco.

You subtly open your notebook and doodle hearts everywhere.

What is happening to me?

✦ . 　⁺ 　 . ✦ . 　⁺ 　 . ✦

At lunch, when all of you meet up, Jungwon fills everyone in on what happened in class. They laugh, and Danielle and Sunghoon smirk at you. Surprisingly, you and Sunghoon are becoming fast friends, and you conveniently forget the fact that he was your attempted kidnapper.

“Anyways, how were your classes, guys?”

The chatter goes on till 2 PM, when the practicals begin. Today, you have a free class till 3 PM, after which you have a practical session in the studio to try and begin working on your final presentation. Finals begin from April 22nd, and end on May 2nd. University begins again on July 1st. It’s the 10th of April, and the frenzy is finally getting to a lot of students.

Each of you leave for your respective schedules. You hurry to the library to get started on your music therapy homework. “Hi, Y/N! Over here!” You hear Yunjin say, and the librarian aggressively shushes her. You wave excitedly and head over there, swinging your bag on the floor. “Hi Yunjin!”

“Hey kid. What’s up?”

And so you and Yunjin chat whilst doing your homework, a paper on how music is interpreted amongst teens as makeshift therapy. Yunjin is doing her botany work, a case study on different structures in various plants worth 25% of her grade. She frustratedly shakes her head, looking at her computer. “Google is so unreliable, man,” she sighs. “Need help? I probably can’t, but worth asking,” you offer. “Nope, it’s fine, thanks!” She replies, waving it off.

You narrow your eyes at her, and she grins widely. “It’s okay, don’t worry kiddo.”

You nod, still suspicious, and continue your work. Finally, at 2:50, you decide you’re satisfied with your work. You proofread it, and format it. “Yunjin, need any prints?” She shakes her head as a ‘no’, and you nod, heading over to the printer.

“Hi!” A familiar voice exclaims, and you look up from your paper to see Jaemin’s best friend, Lee Jeno. “Hi Jeno!” You reply cheerfully. He’s extremely similar to a Samoyed, with a really cute eye smile. You realize with a sudden jolt that Jungwon and Sunoo also have eye smiles.

“How’s life treating you?” He asks, stapling his papers. “Oh, interesting. What about you?”

“Fun. But since finals are near, I doubt the same spirit will last.” “Valid point.” You comment, as your prints get ready. Stapling them, you wave a goodbye. “Are you working at the café today?” You ask him, walking back to your table. “Yeah! My shift’s till 6 something.”

“I’ll see you at the café!” You smile and wave. “Bye Y/N!” “Bye Jeno!”

“Yunjin, I’ll go to the recording studio. Good luck with your assignment, okay?”

“Okay, child. Bye!”

“DON’T CALL ME THAT!”

✦ . 　⁺ 　 . ✦ . 　⁺ 　 . ✦

At the recording studio, you greet the assistant professor, the teacher who helps with practicals. “Hello, Ms. Kent! Did you have your lunch?”

“Yep! Thanks for asking, Ms. Campbell.” You internally shudder, remembering the exposed feeling going through you at the Court when they revealed your last name to be Cassius.

“I feel like this time I want to go for a backing track before I try writing the words,” you say, placing your bag next to your chair. “New method? Whatever for?”

“I don’t know, I just feel like I don’t have inspiration for lyrics. Maybe by next week.”

“You mean the seventeenth? That’s a dangerously close date, but okay. Whatever’s fine by you. We have time till 5 today, so you will definitely be able to achieve a lot.”

You smile, looking at your melody list. It’s a sheet you prepared that lists your favorite backing tracks.

“What if I—“

✦ . 　⁺ 　 . ✦ . 　⁺ 　 . ✦

After the recording studio session, you feel energized, music coursing through your veins. Ready to meet Jaemin, you go directly to the café, fifteen minutes away from the studio. Checking the time, you realize it’s 5:20 PM, ten minutes earlier than planned.

It’s fine, maybe I can get started on the lyrics. I need a melody though.

You begin pointlessly humming, trying to come up with a melody for your lyrics. “Hmm, HMM, HMMMM!”

“I’m sorry, but are you okay?” Jaemin asks, walking up to you. “The practical seems to be messing with your head, Y/N.”

“Yeah, yeah, shut up. Are you ready for it though?”

“If it’s me, you can’t really have expectations, Y/N.”

“You’re right. Point taken. How’s it going?”

“I have, like, the chorus all set, but not the backing track, the verses or the melody.”

“So basically you have nothing except some repetitive lines, or a refrain.”

“Pretty much, yeah.” He grins, ordering a coffee. “Hey Jeno.”

“Hey, Jae. Hi Y/N! I didn’t know this was what you meant by ‘see you there’. I don’t want it to be awkward or anything, but are you two on a date?”

“No!” You both chorus, panicking, and Jeno giggles. “Whatever you say.”

The two of you discuss everything about summer, waiting for your orders. “How was your birthday?” Jaemin asks, and you grin. “Oh, lovely!” You reply, recalling the weirdest day before.”

“I have a gift for you, but it’ll wait until after this hangout.”

“You LITERALLY DID NOT have to tell me, Jae. Why are you so mean?” You whine, your head in your hands. “I love annoying you, Y/N.”

“Sure you do. You are a bitch. An evil, mean, bitch.”

“Yeah, yeah, sure, kid.”

“SHUT UP!”

Conversations have always been easy with Jaemin, so you find it no surprise that you don’t get bored with him. At the end of it all, around 6:30, when you both get up to pay, he doesn’t allow you to pay. “My treat. If you pay, you won’t get your gift, and I’ll tease you till the end that you never got to see it.”

“You are manipulating me. But okay. Next time, I’m paying.”

“Sure, sure.”

After paying, the two of you leave, and he says,”Here’s your gift.”

Opening a blue velvet box, he takes out a locket. “Holy shit, Jaemin, it’s beautiful.”

“Open the locket.”

In it is a picture of you, Danielle, him, and Mitch. I miss Mitch. I wish she could stay at the dorms.

Your eyes tear up. “Y/N! Don’t cry, is it that bad?”

“No. It’s beautiful.”

“Here, I’ll put it on for you.”

That’s when you realize that this is what love, platonic, feels like. He unclasps the hook of it and puts it around your neck gently, smiling. “It looks lovely on you.”

“Thank you so much, Jaemin.”

“You’re always welcome.”

✦ . 　⁺ 　 . ✦ . 　⁺ 　 . ✦

Jungwon : why were you out with jaemin?

You : uh.. he’s my friend?

Jungwon : but IM UR FAKE BOYFRIEND?? 😭😭

You : THEN ASK ME OUT??

Ignore that. 😀😀

Jungwon : No. Meet me outside ur dorm RN

✦ . 　⁺ 　 . ✦ . 　⁺ 　 . ✦

“Y/N. Will you go out with me on a date?”

The first thing you hear when you open your door is Jungwon’s voice, and he’s holding a bouquet of flowers.

“Where did you get the flowers from? We literally texted three minutes ago.”

“ANSWER THE QUESTION!” He cries, looking exhausted.

“I mean, obviously, I thought that was a given!”

“I could kiss you right now.”

You shrug. “Do you want me to?”

“To what?”

“Kiss you right now.”

“Yeah, that would be cool,” you say (not so) casually. “Don’t act so carefree.” He replies, kissing you on the lips.

It doesn’t seem right. There should be more of a PLOT before we kiss, man.

I’m looking into this too much. Chill, Y/N.

You kiss him back, and Danielle shrieks behind you. Crap, Dani.

The two of you break apart, the bouquet in your hand. “DID I MISS SOMETHING?”

“NO, BUT YOU RUINED IT, NINCOMPOOP.”

“SHIT. WHY ARE WE TALKING IN CAPS AGAIN?”

“BECAUSE I’M PISSED?”

“Guys, breathe,” Jungwon breaks in. “Y/N, it’s alright. Danielle, you didn’t miss anything. I just asked her out on a date.”

“Oh. Continue, pretend I’m not here.”

“Danielle, that’s just weird, dude.” You both say to her.

She raises her hands, as if accused. “Don’t blame me, love made me crazy.”

You throw a pillow at her face.

✦ . 　⁺ 　 . ✦ . 　⁺ 　 . ✦

Jungwon : for the date, meet me at the restaurant, friday, at seven pm. no training, we’ll compensate for the training on saturday.

You : okayy ^_^ thank u 💗💗

Jungwon : ideally i should be thanking u but okay

✦ . 　⁺ 　 . ✦ . 　⁺ 　 . ✦

You giggle as the two of you continue texting. “Y/N, it’s ten. Sleep. Please. Or let me. Or go over to his dorm. I would much rather sleep in the same room as Sunghoon than listen to you giggling annoyingly. Do vampires never sleep or something? That guy looks tired but doesn’t sleep.”

You shake off her rant. “Okay, okay, mom, I’ll sleep.”

You wish him a good night. You can’t help but feel like high school sweethearts, but make it older and more mature.

Mature? Says the girl giggling at texts. Bro. You’re not okay.

I know.

✦ . 　⁺ 　 . ✦ . 　⁺ 　 . ✦

You wait for Friday night to arrive. When classes end, you rush to your dorm to get dressed. Two hours early. Danielle rushes after her classes too, to make sure you look perfect (you already do) for the date.

“Okay, what do you want to wear?” She asks, shutting the door behind her.

“Uh, maybe the black dress? Not yours, not the tight fitting one. The more airy, loose one.”

“Yeah, sounds good. Yours, right?”

“Yeah, but I don’t have good shoes to match.”

“I have black heels, I think. I’ll search. Clean makeup?”

“Yeah, obviously.”

You rush to get ready, and by 6:30, you look in the mirror. The black dress has pleats that reach your knees, and off the shoulder sleeves that extend to your elbow. You wear Danielle’s strapped heels, wedged, not pencil, and your hair is left loose, a scrunchie in your purse, in case you need it. Your makeup consists of concealer, some counter, tinted lip balm, highlighter and eyeshadow eyeliner.

“You look so pretty, I need a Polaroid.”

You pose for one, and take one with your best friend. “Man, if I were Jungwon, I would rather die than let you go. Juliet to your Romeo.”

“HOW I HEARD YOU SAY!” You and Danielle sing along, while you pack your purse.

“Bye! Have fun, Y/N,” she says, kissing your cheek. “Bye!”

You arrive at the restaurant, and you see Jungwon standing there with a bouquet of daisies, your favorite. “How’d you know?”

“Danielle.” He replies, hugging you. “Shit, Y/N, you look so gorgeous.” He compliments you, and you flush bright pink. “Thank you.” “Always.”

“I want to get to know you more, Y/N.” He announces grandly, kissing the back of your hand. “Aww, hopeless romantic,” you tease, and ask, “What are we going to do?”

“Oh, I don’t know, dance?” He jokes, smiling. You giggle — STOP WITH THE CREEPY GIGGLING, Y/N — and grin. “We’re going out of campus. I took permission, plus it’s the weekend, so they told me it’s allowed.”

“Ah, alright. Where though?”

“You’ll see.”

✦ . 　⁺ 　 . ✦ . 　⁺ 　 . ✦

The drive there is not that long. After around twenty minutes of driving, he says, “We’re here, Y/N.”

You look around. Stars sparkle in the night, and the moon looks bright and happy. “I found this place last week, after training. It’s really beautiful, but I’ve never seen it during the day. Here’s the treehouse I built.”

“You built a TREEHOUSE?”

“Yeah, out of wood that had fallen. The walls are made with rotten wood. #Recycling!”

“Wow. You built a treehouse.”

“Not a big deal!”

“Totally.”

He leads you up the ladder, and grabs a chair for you. “I made dinner, it’s in the car.”

Jungwon runs to bring the food. He’s so cute, man. He returns with a picnic basket, and asks you to turn around. The room is brightened up. Is he lighting a candle?

“You can look now.”

You gasp, seeing candles lit, and wine glasses. “Jungwon, I don’t drink…”

“Who says we’re drinking wine?” He smirks, pulling out apple cider, your favorite. “Danielle?”

“Nope, me. I saw you drink it during class.”

You blush furiously, the thought of him looking at your preferences overwhelming you. “Thank you.”

The two of you spend all your time there, getting to know one another, drinking apple cider sophisticatedly, eating a vegetarian filet mignon (that’s what he called it), and laughing.

You admit that it’s been really fun with him. Is it a crush?

✦ . 　⁺ 　 . ✦ . 　⁺ 　 . ✦

Finals. Crap.

It’s the sixteenth of March, and you have not prepared lyrics. You have a general melody, but you need lyrics. After class, you run to the library and grab a dictionary.

You frantically start scribbling down lyrics.

It began before my birthday

You and I, so forced,

Didn’t have words to say

The ice trying to defrost

Itself so fast

You wished me at midnight

Scared me out of my wits

You and I, against no light

Your goodbye felt like secret chits

Passed in class

And maybe I read into things too much

But we seem like too good of an opportunity to pass

Up, so I’ll try and take this and trust

That we both would last

So please don’t leave, don’t say goodbye

You know I’ll miss you, so don’t even try

No matter how fake we are, hope you feel the same

Way as I do, please just stay

And I could be romanticizing you a lot

You and I, as pretty as a forget-me-not

Following its name, I can’t ever forget you

I’ll be as blue as the flower if I do

And maybe I read into things too much

But we seem like too good of an opportunity to pass

Up, so I’ll try and take this and trust

That we both would last

So please don’t leave, don’t say goodbye

You know I’ll miss you, so don’t even try

No matter how fake we are, hope you feel the same

Way as I do, please just stay

I haven’t known you for long, a few weeks isn’t much

Time doesn’t matter, ‘cause you feel like a crutch

To my sanity, if I don’t have you near

So please just stay, dear

So please don’t leave, don’t say goodbye

You know I’ll miss you, so don’t even try

No matter how fake we are, hope you feel the same

Way as I do, please just stay

So please don’t leave, don’t say goodbye

You know I’ll miss you, so don’t even try

No matter how fake we are, hope you feel the same

Way as I do, i hope you stay

“Good enough.” You murmur, and fall asleep.

✦ . 　⁺ 　 . ✦ . 　⁺ 　 . ✦

After homework class the next day, you rush to the recording studio. “Ms. Kent, I’m ready.”

“Jeez, Ms. Campbell, you scared me. But I’m happy. Let's begin.”

At the end of the session, Ms. Kent smiles with pride. “I am very proud of you. I hope it works out for whoever you have dedicated this song to.”

“Thank you, Ms. Kent.”

You exit, feeling very happy. This is guaranteed to get you a good grade.

You hear your phone ring, and you take a glance. It’s Sunghoon. “Hello?”

“Y/N, Jungwon is dead.”

Pause.

One beat.

Two beats.

“You’re joking. I’m coming to your dorm right now.”

“I’m not here, Y/N, please believe me.” You hear the pain in his voice. “Y/N, I’m at the campus hospital. I’ve called the King. Please come now. Everyone’s here.”

You run, tears falling, but you don’t realize it. Your only priority is getting to Jungwon.

“What happened?” You cry, seeing Danielle waiting outside.

“Y/N, he left a letter for you.”

“No, Danielle, this is a joke. Danielle, please. This is a joke.”

“I’m sorry, Y/N, it’s not. It really isn’t.”

She encloses an envelope in your palm. “None of us opened it. He died in the bathroom, Y/N. Allegedly because of a stab, possibly silver.”

“It’s a murder.” You declare between sobs. “We know, Y/N, please come see him. His father will be here in fifteen minutes.”

“When did this.. when was he found?”

She doesn’t say anything.

“DANIELLE, WHEN WAS HE FOUND?”

The one person I thought was like me. Would understand. Who helped me reach my potential and unlocked it in the first place. Lit a candlelight dinner for me. He’s my fucking muse. This is a joke.

“DANIELLE, HE’S GONE.”

Sunghoon screams, and on seeing you, hugs you immediately. The rest are sitting, tears soaking their shirts. When they see you, they run for a group hug. “Y/N…”

“He was found when I was in the recording session, right?”

“We tried calling you. None of us could come get you, we were too busy. It was 5 minutes before you picked up Sunghoon’s call.” Danielle murmurs, choking up with tears.

“And now he’s missing.” Heeseung says, staring blankly. The doctor arrives on the scene. “Hello, the patient has gone missing and I’m aware. For your information, I’m a vampire, too. There is a high possibility he turned to ashes, and we can’t rule it out. I'm not sure what happened, and the security cameras aren’t explaining anything either. We’re sorry for your loss. We are trying our best to figure it out. I am aware he is the young Prince of Maledictus, and the King is on his way. I assure you, this is not a mistake. It’s supernatural.

“A red moon incident is what we call it. When a vampire, a very powerful one at that, just disappears with no warning after his alleged death, it’s either they’re in ashes… or they’re alive.”

✦ . 　⁺ 　 . ✦ . 　⁺ 　 . ✦

Dear Diary,

The king is furious. His only heir, gone into thin air? Impossible. He doesn’t blame me, though, surprisingly. I honestly don’t think he believes me to have the capacity to be able to scheme this well.

I don’t mind.

I know exactly what happened. His letter explained everything.

Here’s a word-to-word copy of it.

—————————————————————————————————————

Dear Y/N.

Do not show this to anyone else. Not even Danielle, not even Mitch. Mitch is a human, by the way. She’s been made a cat because of an age-old curse that runs in her family.

I am alive. For security purposes, I won’t tell you where. My father is planning something. He’s a terrible, cunning man. He wants to kill you, and make me do it. I’m sorry, but I love you.

You hear me?

I love you.

I’m alive. I asked Jaemin to place the silver next to a body I was working on. Jaemin’s really nice, by the way. He knows. But he’s with me. He’s applied for leave from the university under pretences of his grandmother being ill.

Lies.

He’s with me, and wants me to tell you that he’s safe. “Y/N, remember me in that locket of yours.”

Remember me too. I’ll come get you one day. When it’s safe. I promise.

By the way, love the song. I know for a fact it’s about us. Jaemin overheard everything before he came to the bathroom.

Don’t hate us,

Love, Jungwon.

P.S. : we both love you. Stay safe, and don’t worry. Don’t forget us, otherwise you’ll be as blue as a forget-me-not. ;)

✦ . 　⁺ 　 . ✦ . 　⁺ 　 . ✦

THREE YEARS LATER.

“Y/N!” Danielle greets you.

The two of you don’t live together anymore. She moved away to LA for her career after graduation. You still stay in the same place, in hope of Jungwon being able to find you.

Right now, Danielle is with you, at your good old home. Your mother is in Canada, helping your Gran.

“Hi! How are you?”

Danielle and you still talk, and have video calls weekly twice. The boys are still in touch through the group chat.

“I’m fine, as I said yesterday,” you laugh. “Same!” She giggles.

The two of you spend hours together until it’s time for her flight. “I’ll see you next month. Call you when I reach!”

You hug her tightly. “I miss you a lot.”

“I miss you too, Y/N. I love you, okay? Take care!”

She kisses you on your cheek. “Love you too. Have a safe flight!”

After shutting the door, you plop down on your couch. Life’s been good.

“Y/N. How have you been?”

You turn around to see Jungwon and Jaemin, looking extremely weary.

“We need to go, right now.”