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espresseo-cafe · 6 months

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life is still beautiful | johnny | ch.1

genre: cappucino, romance, angst, university!au, dad!au, drama, slice of life

pairing: collegestudent!johnny x fem!reader

bean count: 4k

a/n: i’m so excited to be sharing this with you! it has been in the works since 2020 on and off and omg i can finally post this fanfic. this whole series has mentions of characters from different groups other than nct- red velvet, dreamcatcher, seventeen, sf9, etc to avoid confusion with people of the same name! note: this is only a work of fiction, it doesn’t reflect the artists’ personalities in any way.

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growing up, the continuous tingling feeling whenever you see your parents arguing at the end of your hallway always broke your heart. the raised voices, objects getting thrown around, and the banging of slammed doors against the doorframe deafened your ears. you remembered you had to knock on every single apartment on the floor; same, above, and below- to apologise the nuisance your parents caused. some with good hearts would understand out of pity for you, others would provoke to kick your family out of the building. so far, you’ve made it to several years without any notice from the landlord.

with that background, there weren’t any doubts that it affected the way you perceive everything in life. silence overpowered the joyous you like a large coat, it has been that way. the younger you wouldn’t understand the clash of your parents. the younger you wouldn’t know the problems they had. most importantly though, the younger you wouldn’t receive any love or support from them at all.

it was like you never existed.

as you hit the eighteenth mark, you’ve made the bold but practical decision to move out. the toxicity they emitted were too much for you to handle. with every penny or dime you’ve been saving everyday since you were twelve and some extra cash from various part time jobs since you were sixteen, you had your small carry on luggage packed and left first thing in the morning one summer. a dilemma kind of held you back whether to leave a note for your mom and dad, only deciding not to and tell them not to find you.

if there was anything you were blessed with even if you were put in a dire situation of a broken home, you had to pat yourself at the back for never failing your grades. just average and sometimes in the honorable mention’s list. thanks to that, you’ve secured a place at a university far from your family home.

and of course, choosing a location far off was more than intentional.

the first few months were a challenge, the surroundings took you sometime to familiarise. adjustment was never an issue though, running away from home was worth the change. as you expected, your parents didn’t bother to look for their only daughter. scoffing at the past, you realised it had almost been three years since you left.

making friends was easy too, to your surprise. known as the loner and depressed type in high school, you tried to change yourself a bit and managed to befriend a new crowd of people. of course, you were discerning on people who are worth to befriend, not the ones who’d waste your time. one of them being kim yoohyeon, who’s now your best friend and roommate.

“y/n, i’m going out to the store, want anything?” she asked while putting on a cardigan.

you hummed and rolled your eyes playfully, “hm, two packs of ramyeon and chips. you’re paying alright?” she threw a crumpled ball of tissue at you, gasping at the very direct response. “what? it’s two in the morning and i’m helping you pull an all-nighter for your fashion thesis due in two months and a half. i deserve a treat. be thankful i don’t have class tomorrow and that my part-time’s in the afternoon.”

“okay fine.” she dramatically slouched her shoulders down, “be back in a jiffy bub!”

as the door closed, you sighed and stretched your almost numbed body. yoohyeon’s project was half done, just needed a little more tweaking and you could say hello to a convenience store feast.

yoohyeon was the first person you met at orientation, she seemed to extract innocence at first glance. though as you got to know her, she was a meme in real life who possessed extreme talent in singing. you and her clicked, she had problems in her home but they were immediately managed. so she was all smiles from ear to ear. it was something you were envious of; to have a healthy relationship with parents, however, it wasn’t working with you at all.

sometimes you wondered how it felt like, to have someone love you like family. your aunts or uncles would message you to check on you, and whenever they brought your parents up, you shoved down the topic back to its grave. it’s dead conversation anyway. the latest update you heard from them was two years ago. they still lived in the same damned roof where they argued a lot, you wondered why they were still stuck to each other like glue. the only difference was that your dad worked the night shift while your mom on the mornings. so they probably never see each other eye to eye.

when they did though, all hell broke loose.

you were brushed off your thoughts when yoohyeon opened the door, “okay, here’s your food, time to pig out!”

“finally, i’m starving.” you had the hot water boiling before she arrived, immediately putting the ramyeon in the pot.

“so,” she started, opening a bag of potato chips.

“when are you planning to date? it’s been theee years since uni started and i’ve never seen you on dates before.”

you pressed your lips into a thin line, “not right now.”

“why not? you’re pretty, you can cook; you’re even taking an early childhood education course, specifically in special education.” she plopped one into her mouth and chewed shamelessly, “i bet you’re good with kids too.”

“so apparently that makes me an ideal girl?”

“an ideal girl worth to have!” she exclaimed, later reaching for your unlocked phone. “guess what, download this app and go have some fun.”

“if that’s tinder you’re planning on brainwashing me with, i’m not interested.” you joked, mixing the sauce and toppings with the now cooked noodles.

“you never know, it might work.” she singsonged.

you sighed, yoohyeon has been pushing you to date because she felt like you were like a hermit, always stuck in your own shell and would only go out if needed to. not that you were interested, you just wanted to get school done and make a stable living. love will come anyway.

she clicked on the app store and downloaded a trendy app named ‘love click’. “it’s an app solely made for university students within the state. kinda like tinder but you play anonymous with a made up nickname, no one will know how you look like.”

you raised a brow. “that’s dangerous than tinder, y’know?”

“this is different, they can detect fake accounts and do a facial recognition. anyway, once you put your actual photo and real age, it will automatically pair you with others similiar with yours; interests, and hobbies. then it will change your face to a random avatar if ever you do a video call.” she tapped away. “that’s how i met hwang minhyun.”

“eh, i still think it’s risky. besides, you just got lucky. you scored a hottie.” you slurped on the noodles. “i could never.”

“just try, you could always quit and they’ll never find you. and who knows? you might even receive the whole package.”

you sighed, “okay fine. i’ll do it just once, for you alright?” you finished the rest and threw the excess soup away. “i’m not doing any after that.”

“cool! all your details are in here already. let me know if someone messages you.” she gave you a playful wink before working on her project once again.

—

johnny stretched his limbs after a quick power nap, he haven’t had enough rest since he was on the clock 24/7. he turned to his side to check the time, sighing a relief when it was only 3pm. as if it was waiting for him to be awake, a text message from his mom appeared on the screen.

[ mom] : “don’t forget to eat, my dear john. you’ve got two mouths to feed ❤️”

johnny smiled at his mom’s reminder, he was relieved that the messages were reduced to a low, knowing how protective she was.

a loud thud on the floor made johnny stand on his feet and rush to the door next to his. his worried demeanor soon changed to a soft one when he saw a little smile beamed at him from the ground.

“youngmin-ah, what’re you doing on the floor? did you hurt yourself?”

the child just giggled, softening johnny’s heart every single he did so.

he remembered the night when the almost two year old came into his life. it was a rough beginning, but he managed himself and was proud how he actually did while still in school.

his friends were in full support of this unexpected scenario and would take turns in looking after the child while he worked the night shifts at a café. like any other people, his friends were in doubt at his decision of bringing him to lectures.

johnny again proved them wrong.

what surprised them wasn’t how the baby managed to be quiet in all of the classes, but how johnny effortlessly handled him if ever a fuss was made. kun recalled that in one of their exams in biology major, johnny had the baby cradled in one arm as the other wrote the quiz. the professor wanted to hold the baby boy while johnny did the exam, but young man refused to, saying that he could handle it. he wouldn’t want the baby crying in a stranger’s hold while everyone was so stressed for the exams. adding that the baby’s wails would be a distraction.

he became viral at the university page when a photo of him feeding youngmin a bottle of milk, that certain scenario made girls want him as a husband. sometimes they would stop by to say hello to him and the child.

“dada.” johnny smiled at title, the little toddler fiddling the bottle in his hand while his feet stretched up.

“seems like you’re alright.” he poked his nose, earning a giggle from the two year old. “i still have to check any injuries. say youngmin, your birthday’s coming up soon. what would you like?”

youngmin hummed, as if he understood the question clearly.

“well?”

“mama.”

johnny was caught off guard that he tickled the little toddler as he smiled. “buddy, you already have a mama though.” his phone dinged, indicating an incoming text message. “speaking of her, she just texted me.”

[ kim minji ]: sorry babe, couldn’t make it tonight for dinner. i got singing rehearsals.

[ johnny ]: it’s cool. how about tomorrow?

[ kim minji ]: i’ll see first, pretty busy.

he put his phone back into his pocket, sighing at the same excuse his girlfriend gave. he didn’t want to overthink but it had been like this for a while, he wondered if she had fallen out of love. shaking his head, he shrugged off the thought to the back of his mind.

youngmin turned his full body to the side before standing and climbed onto johnny’s kneeled figure, the bottle still in between his baby teeth. “mama, where?”

“she’s not coming home tonight. maybe some other time.” he ruffled youngmin’s soft hair, eyes closing due to exhaustion. but then the little toddler smiled and patted his cheek and johnny wrapped his arms around the little frame. “come on, let’s get you dinner, we’re having your favourite!”

“lasagna!” youngmin put arms up, and johnny could melt anytime.

“hey you said it perfectly this time! well done my so-“ he paused as his phone dinged, a snapchat notification from taeyong appeared on the screen. making the toddler tilt his head to why the young man stopped mid-sentence. “let’s go to wash your hands alright?”

while youngmin nodded then hopped away towards the bathroom, swiping to unlock his phone, a snap video that his said friend sent made his eyebrows meet in an ugly mood.

[ taeyongss ]: bro is that jiu? your mj?

it was his girlfriend giving a lap dance to someone he couldn’t seem to recognise due to the flashing lights, she was enjoying it and the shocking thing was, she wasn’t drunk at all.

kim minji, his girlfriend since senior high, had a few names labeled on her. one of them was jiu (pronounced as ji-yoo) a nickname everyone called her in school, being one of the main solos for the choir.

some of the juniors called her a pink princess because of her obsession with the said colour. owning almost everything in it.

and mj was a form of endearment that only johnny used. his expression changed from a smile to a frown, throwing his phone on the bed that it bounced off and landed on the ground; earning his phone a crack on the screen.

“dada?” youngmin peeked through the bedroom door. now it was him to hear the thudding sound. “happen?”

johnny jumped a little seeing the child standing by the door with a towel in his hands. “my phone fell. come on, let’s eat.”

lasagna was a favourite dish youngmin adored eversince he brought him to an italian restaurant. meatballs were a favourite too, but something about lasagna topped it. as youngmin was busy making his hands dirty, johnny called his mom at this hour, she was probably home by now.

“ah my love johnny! i’m glad you called, what is it?” her voice still bright and lively.

“um, i was wondering if i could drop youngmin off tonight?” he played with the fork. “taeyong messaged me and i think i need to have a drink and hang out for a bit.”

his mom’s soft laughter brought relief to his ears, “oh sure my dear, your dad and i could need some company. it’s been quiet around here since you’ve grown.”

johnny smiled at the reply, “great, we’ll be there in ten.”

“see you later.” she singsonged.

after dropping youngmin off, he made his way to the bar where his girlfriend was. everyone who met johnny knew that he could be reckless when someone crossed over the line, who knows what scene he’d make tonight?

“johnny.” taeyong called out after seeing him enter the bar, johnny walking towards the bar where his friend was stationed at. “please don’t make a scene. my boss let you off the hook the last time you broke loose.”

johnny’s eyes scanned the area, looking for mj before looking at back at taeyong. “don’t worry. i won’t. this johnny won’t do anything.”

“better keep your word. she’s by the corner over there.” taeyong pointed with his head, “she’s been here for the past three months. good thing i’m the only one from campus who has seen her. if anyone else did she’d lose her solo spot at the choir. so called ‘angel’, huh? no offense.”

“none taken, but thanks bro. see you later at the dorms.” johnny said, then he walked through partygoers, the blasting music was deafening so much he hated it.

“i know right? he’s such a sweetheart.” mj said to her friend as she patted the guy’s shoulder who she danced with earlier. “i’d love to-“

“mj.” johnny’s cold voice rung in her ears, sending shivers to her spine. what is he doing here? “i’m guessing rehearsals ended early or it never existed.”

“babe i-“

“ey johnny suh!” the guy seated next to her greeted him drunkenly, the more he looked closer in the dimmed light, his blood boiled. “haven’t seen you since you had a baby! minji has been great to me recently.”

it was his high school rival, takuya terada.

“we’ll catch up soon won’t we?” johnny said sarcastically. takuya wouldn’t know anyway, his vision probably already blurry to even comprehend a straight conversation. he looked at minji, who averted her gaze towards him as she rolled her eyes. “we need to talk, outside.”

he took her by the wrist and he didn’t care if he was hurting her. she hurt him first; for a while now actually. he just had to put up a front before he vent out when they exited the bar.

“what the hell, minji.” he threw his grip away, minji holding her wrist and tsk-ed at the attitude. “is that why you’ve been missing out lately? you were cheating on me with takuya?”

“missing out? johnny you’ve been missing out too!” she raised her voice, “i don’t know if you have noticed but it’s been straining on the both of us recently!”

“so your solution was to hang out with another guy when you could’ve voiced out to me about your feelings? mj, we’ve talked about this!” he wiped his face frustatingly. “i don’t think-“

“i don’t love you anymore, john.” she said blankly, her face didn’t emit any pain she felt, it was like she wanted it out there. “that’s why i’ve been ‘missing out’.”

“you don’t.. love me anymore?” johnny stood in shock, his voice shaking a little.

“i fell out of love. i’m sorry.. i’ve been planning to tell you but i couldn’t.” she hugged her arms. “i didn’t want to hurt you.”

“my gut feeling told me there was something up. i was hurt just thinking about it. i don’t know but somehow i knew it all along that you were out of it. i didn’t bring it up because i held onto hope and believed my guts were lying that you cheated on me.” he said, his hands rested on his hip. “turns out i was right.”

“i’m sorry.”

“save it. i’m not hurt at all. maybe i just had to come here to confirm if it were true. you can live with that guilt that you’ve broken me already before you even said anything. i’ll raise youngmin myself. we’re done.”

johnny walked away while the cold wind sliced through his cheeks. usually in a breakup, one would break down. him and minji dated since high school, and there were on and off arguments here and there. they would always make up through talking, but to be told that she was cheating on him by another person sure sucked. he’d rather find it out himself and vent out right then and there.

guess this timing was actually better. though he told minji he was broken, he was actually so much more than that. he expected to at least shed a tear, he didn’t, for youngmin’s sake. even though he felt like an elephant was lifted off his shoulders, his heart was anchored deep below.

he felt so heavy with betrayal that his heart ached so much in a way he didn’t expect.

he wanted to break down so bad.

the door swung open of his family home and youngmin screeched a high pitched tone loud enough to startle the old man beside him, who was reading a newspaper. “oh john’s back.”

“dada.” the little one ran towards him, hugging his long legs for a second before johnny picked him up. “back!”

johnny’s mood changed like a shooting star whenever youngmin’s in sight. “hey little buddy! i’m back, i had to meet a friend earlier.” he kissed his cheek, “were you good to granny bear and papa bear?”

“he was an angel, john!” his mom gave her son a quick peck on the cheek. “who knew you could raise him very well? plus singlehandly!”

“he got it from me, my dear.” his dad took the chance to say, “are your studies going well though?”

“still a dean’s lister, dad.” johnny’s ears tinted a light shade of pink.

“that, he got it from me.” his mom winked at his dad, who scoffed at the remark. “where’s minji? you haven’t brought her here for a while.” the look on johnny’s face was too readable that his mom knew in an instant.

“we broke up. she had another guy behind my back.”

the sudden snickers from his parents left him in question, were they laughing? “great ‘cause we didn’t really like her for you!”

“really?.. wait, what?” he asked in disbelief, “anyway, i broke it off and i kinda knew she was out of it already.”

“took you a while to realize it, john.” his father just sighed, “are you going to get a new one?”

“what? no.” johnny chuckled awkwardly, “anyway we’ll take our leave now.” johnny shook youngmin a little before his parents bid them a goodbye. he walked towards his car and buckled him up. “ready to go, buddy?”

“ready.” he wiped his eyes, sleep covering him very soon. “music please.”

“which one?” johnny asked as he set the rear mirror to get a good look at him, knowing well what youngmin was going to say.

“coldplay!” they said simultaneously.

“now that, you got it from me.” he laughed heartily while they made their way back to his shared apartment with taeyong, jungwoo, and kun.

the clinks of the apartment keys had the boys look up from their game on playstation. jungwoo sighing frustratedly when kun defeated him thrice in a row. “seriously? you’re cheating, kun hyung!”

kun stretched, “clearly not. you’re just a bad player.”

“could one of you dumbasses get the kimchi from the table?” taeyong shouted from the kitchen, only to be greeted with youngmin having the wanted side dish in his tiny hands. “see, youngmin just got here and he did a better job than you two!”

“it’s loud in here, damn.” johnny took his shoes off while youngmin had his phone in his hands.

kun sat on one of the couches, eating the kimchi fried rice taeyong just made. “so you met up with minji, how did the dinner go?”

taeyong nudged the younger boy, and jungwoo looked confused. johnny couldn’t blame the two, they didn’t know what actually happened. “these two lovebirds called it quits tonight.”

“what!?”

“yup.” johnny popped his lips, “takuya terada”

kun’s eyes widened, “like.. takuya from high school?”

“they suit each other anyway, the biggest flirts of ____ high.” jungwoo chewed on a kimbap. “no offense.”

“none taken, i feel relieved anyway.” he sat down spotting taeyong busy typing on his phone. “you still looking for girls on love click?”

“well yeah, someone should at least find me attractive.” he replied.

jungwoo snickered before choking on his food, “as if anyone would see your face through a filter system on the app. just what is the university thinking?”

“ha, wait until they see this handsome thing for real.” he turned to johnny, “bro you should try looking for new love, you’re in need of it right now, you know?” taeyong locked his phone to continue eating the almost midnight dinner.

“please, i’m still freshly ‘heartbroken’, don’t tempt me.” johnny rolled his eyes.

“mama.” youngmin shook the huge phone, a selfie of johnny and minji flashed the screen.

“not mama anymore.” he told him, then youngmin clicked on another app.

“mama.” he showed them the love click app; the color scheme of red and pink caught his attention. and johnny scrunched his brows, the other three smirking at each other.

“seems like he wants a new mama.” kun teased, earning a death glare from johnny. “what? that whole daddy look of yours is attractive to almost every girl in campus. just wife someone up already!”

shaking his head, he couldn’t believe the encouragement from his friend. “too soon my bros.” johnny chuckled, “maybe i’ll give it try after a few weeks or so.”

johnny sat by the bed while youngmin slept with his sausage pillow. now that he thought about it, the little boy hadn’t seen minji in months. it was obvious that he’d look for her. but what he didn’t get was that he showed love click; a dating app he didn’t remember installing.

“mama.” he recalled youngmin say.

he dimmed the lights and sat beside youngmin, patting his bottom gently as he drifted away into slumber, he too was getting sand in his eyes. he pressed his lips into a thin line, halfheartedly created an account just in case he really needed it.

“this is stupid.”

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taglist: @titanmaknae29 @joepomonerof @lovesuhng @studyingthemind @cheyehc

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mymoodwriting · 1 month

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13.2k, vampires, witches, magic, threats of death, blood, cocky behavior, teasing, workholic, abuse, workplace abuse, verbal abuse, lack of sleep, stress, work related stress, fluff, near-death experience, character death & resurrection, blood drinking, biting (@starillusion13 @peanutpinet)

“We should get a Queen?”

“What?” Johnny questioned. “Why all of a sudden?”

“I mean, there are a lot of benefits to having a Queen.”

“We’re doing just fine.”

“I’m just saying… it would be kinda cool.”

“Then go tell Taeyong.”

“I don’t know if he’d like the idea. It’s a whole thing, and we’d have to find a witch willing to do the spell. I doubt it’d be cheap too.”

“What wouldn’t be cheap?”

Doyoung walked into the living room, taking a seat on one of the couches and letting out a relaxing sigh. Blood still stained his lips, but he was quick to lick away the remains.

“Haechan was saying we should get a Queen.” Johnny stated. “And it definitely wouldn’t be cheap.”

“Why would we get a Queen? We don’t need one.”

“But it would make our lives easier.” Haechan remarked. “And we’d be more powerful.”

“It’s dangerous.” Doyoung reminded. “Although it’s not entirely a bad idea.”

A moment later the door opened and the others piled in. They just had dinner and now needed to let the blood settle down.

“Taeyong…”

“Hm? What is it, Haechan, still hungry?”

“I… kinda… but I was wondering… wouldn’t it be a good idea to get a Queen?”

“Wait, why would we need a Queen?” Yuta asked. “What’s that all about?”

“A Queen can be very beneficial for a nest. A source of power and blood.” Taeil explained. “With one we wouldn’t need to hunt as much, and our hunger would be better satiated. We’d be able to blend in with humans a lot better too.”

“That sounds great, so why don’t we have a Queen?”

“Well as you can see a nest doesn’t just have one. We’d need a witch to perform a ritual, and that itself is dangerous.”

“Well, I like the idea.” Jungwoo admitted. “I’m down to give it a shot.”

“I second that.” Mark added.

“Did you all not hear about how this is dangerous?” Jaehyun reminded.��

“How dangerous can it really be?”

“We can wind up dead if this doesn’t work.” Johnny said. “Why do you think it’s not a common thing among vampires? Whole nests end up dead in pursuit of a Queen.”

“Shouldn’t we at least take a vote on this?” Doyoung questioned. “It doesn’t seem like everyone is opposed to this deadly idea.”

“Sure.” Taeyong agreed. “We can do this anonymously.”

The boys wrote down their choice on a piece of paper and added it into an empty glass. Taeyong was the one to count the votes afterwards. Lucky for them their numbers were odd so there would be no tie.

“Before I check the votes, are we all going to be okay with whatever the outcome is?” Taeyong questioned. “We could potentially end up dead.”

“Considering we’re immortal beings.” Mark said. “The threat of death seems more like a challenge than something to fear.”

“I swear, how did I end up with you guys?”

Taeyong pulled out the pieces of paper one by one and showed the others, placing it in one of two piles. In the end, the majority voted yes to embarking on this dangerous endeavor. The first step would be finding a powerful witch. Fortunately Taeyong knew of one, so they could at least deal with that hard part. The next night they made their way to a witches coven. It wasn’t common for both their kinds to meet, or to be friends, but Taeyong was an outlier.

“Irene, it’s so good to see you.” Taeyong embraced the witch in a hug. “How are the girls?”

“We’re doing well. I was quite surprised by your message though. What could you possibly need from me?”

“My nest and I want a Queen.”

“Ah, you’re serious?”

“Yes. Is that something you could help me with? I understand if-”

“It’s your nest on the line. If you’re serious about this then I won’t stop you. Besides, what other witch can you trust with such a spell.”

“Thanks.”

“Come on now. You’re all invited in.”

The boys entered the house, being mindful of their surroundings. Irene led them down to the basement where she had all her ingredients and the space for performing spells. While Irene gathered her ingredients, and had her girls help, she spoke of what came next.

“Do you know what this spell entails?”

“No idea.” Haechan answered.

“But you are aware of its dangers, right? You could end up dead.”

“Since this isn’t common, we don’t know much about it.” Jaehyun said. “I wouldn’t mind you enlightening us on the situation.”

“Of course. You see what makes this spell so dangerous, and the whole Queen thing in general, is that you are bonding your very being to another. The spell basically fractures your soul and in order to complete it you must find a Queen. If you don’t, well, you end up dead.”

“How long do we have?” Taeil asked. “Once the spell is done?”

“About a week.”

“Seriously? That’s not so bad.” Mark commented. “How is it that a nest winds up dead because of this?”

“Oh, you think it’s easy? You better get that idea out of your head or you will end up dead.”

Irene had one of her girls draw symbols on the floor while she began to mix ingredients. She had the boys sit down in a semi circle.

“And you’re all sure you want to do this? Cause once I cast this spell there is no undoing it. Even once you find your Queen, you can never remove her.”

“We understand.” Taeyong confirmed. “There is no going back once we do this. So you can proceed.”

“Alright. First, I need you all to spill your blood into this bowl.”

One of the girls handed over the bowl with a knife, and the boys passed it down the line. It wasn’t exactly sanitary, but with their healing capabilities it wasn’t an issue.

“As I mentioned before, this spell will weaken you. The first day or so you won’t feel it, but afterwards you will. Your hunger will disappear, and sunlight will be more of an issue for you. What you need to do within that week, before you lose all your strength, is to find your Queen and feed her the potion that is created as a result of this spell.”

“Why do you make it sound like it’s so difficult to find a Queen?” Jungwoo questioned.

“Because it is. You can’t just pick any random person to fulfill the role. They must be compatible with you, all of you.”

“Oh.”

“Which is honestly the most difficult part of all of this. Once the spell is complete I can point you in the right direction of your Queen, but unfortunately I cannot give you a name or address. Time is of the essence, and you must be swift.”

“If you can’t give us a name, then how exactly are we supposed to find our Queen?” Yuta wondered. “This sounds like a wild goose chase.”

“I’m afraid I don’t really have an answer for that. I’m not a vampire with a Queen, but from what I’ve heard you’ll know when you find the one.”

“Pretty vague, don’t you think?”

“If you don’t wish to attempt this, I can stop here.”

“No. We continue.” Taeyong stated. “Now that we have more details of the dangers, we’ll make sure to act accordingly.”

“Very well.”

The bowl was returned to Irene and she mixed up the contents once more. When she finished she had it placed between her and the vampires. The girls sat beside her, and Irene began the spell.

“Last chance to back out.” Irene commented.

“We got this.”

“Okay. This will hurt you as we begin, so bear with me.”

The candles that had been set up were suddenly lit and all other light sources were turned off. The girls began chanting, and when they opened their eyes there was nothing but a white glow. As far as they knew nothing was really happening, that is until they began to feel a pain in their chest. It felt like someone was ripping out their heart, but there was no way to stop the feeling. The fire from the candles grew in size, beginning to combine with the other flames. For a moment they were all blinded by the light of the fire, and then it all seemed to travel to the bowl, burning the contents into ash. Or at least that’s what they thought.

Once the fire was gone the candle light went out, and all the other lights turned on. The boys could take a normal breath as the pain in their chest began to subside. Irene paid them no mind as she took the bowl and poured its contents into a small vial. She swirled it around for a bit before placing it in a small box and grabbing the bowl, returning to the others. Her girls pulled out a map and set it down on the floor. Irene lifted up the bowl and cast another spell before pouring out the remaining contents onto the map. The strange crimson liquid stained the map for a moment before it began moving. It created a small circle on the map and spelled out the name of the marked location.

“That is where you can find your Queen.” Irene held out the box to Taeyong. “When you do find them, they need to drink the contents of this vial, and then you need to stop their heart.”

“What?”

“What? Did you think your Queen was going to be human? No, no, they need to become a vampire like you, and you know how that process works. Once they turn, you must all drink from them in order to complete the ritual. All this must be done within a week. Understood?”

“Yeah, we got it.” Taeyong took the box. “I guess we should get going.”

“Indeed. And one last thing, Taeyong.”

“Hm?”

“Don’t die.”

“I don’t plan on it.”

🖤

For the time being they felt no different than their usual selves, although the clock was ticking. The trip to their destination wasn’t a long one, but they lost half a day. Vampires wouldn’t burn in the sunlight, unless they were exposed to it for too long. Thankfully they arrived during the night, not having to worry about anything but the task at hand. They found themselves in a small little city, a few skyscrapers painting the skyline. It was a beautiful place, but the size was a bit concerning. Their Queen was here, but they had no idea where to start.

“So, what should we do first?”

Haechan was the first to step out of the car, stretching his limbs and getting some fresh air. The hyungs had already picked out a hotel to stay at, getting the penthouse suite, now they just needed to check in. Haechan took in the sights, enjoying the view around him, and thus not aware of his surroundings. As he took a few steps back he wound up crashing into someone. Papers scattered to the floor, and both parties fell to the ground.

“Fuck, watch where you’re going.” Haechan hissed.

“Sorry, so sorry, you’re not hurt are you?”

“I’m fine.”

“I’m so sorry.”

Haechan noticed a young girl frantically picking up the papers. She didn’t even look at Haechan as she apologized. This pissed him off, but before he could make a comment the girl winced, grabbing her hand and revealing a small paper cut. He saw a dot of blood bloom on her finger, and then he caught a whiff of her scent.

“Oh…”

“I’m so sorry, but I really have to go.” The girl sucked on her finger for a moment before scrambling to get all her papers and stand up. “Sorry again.”

Haechan watched as the girl rushed into the hotel, disappearing from view. He was still on the ground, staring down the path she had gone. Mark soon came over and helped him get back on his feet.

“Are you okay?”

“It’s her.”

“What?”

“That girl… she’s the one…”

“What girl?”

“The one that just went into the hotel… she’s our Queen.”

“What nonsense is he spewing now?” Johnny said. “We just got here.”

“Listen to me, it’s her.”

“How do you know?” Doyoung questioned. “Or are you just jumping to conclusions?”

“I’m telling you, it’s her. Whoever she is, her blood, her scent, it’s calling to me… I have to go after her.”

“Easy there.” Taeil came over to grab Haechan. “You were just a rude prick to her, so I doubt she wants to see your face. And I’m pretty sure you’re just hungry.”

“Our hunger is practically nonexistent now. I’m not entirely hungry for her blood, but for her… although I wouldn’t mind a taste either.”

“Well, you’re not going after her.” Taeyong stated. “Some of the others can follow this lead of yours and the rest of us will check in.”

“But-”

“I’m not going to repeat myself.”

The boys all got their things and made their way into the hotel. Although Haechan was more focused on following the sweet scent. He wandered off just a bit before Johnny grabbed him, but it did provide answers. A sign in front of the hotel ballroom stated that there would be a fashion show there in three days. People were coming in and out of the room, meaning things were getting set up, and Haechan was certain the girl he had run into was in there.

“She’s there. I know it.”

“If you say so, but you don’t get to go.”

“Please, please, I’ll behave.”

“Taeyong already told you no. Now come on.”

Johnny informed the others about Haechan’s discovery, and his theory. With all that said Taeyong decided he’d investigate this, taking Yuta and Jaehyun with him while the rest checked in and took their bags upstairs. The trio made their way over to the ballroom entrance, sneaking inside when no one was looking. Once inside they could see that the stage was being set up, along with the tables and chairs. No one paid them attention, at least not at first. Since they were just standing around it was assumed they hadn’t been given a task yet.

“You three, what are you doing?”

“Oh, don’t mind us dear.” Taeyong compelled. “We’re just looking around.”

“If you’re not here to help with the show, then leave.”

“What?”

“You heard me.”

“I’m sorry, who are you?”

“The person in charge of this show. Everything has to be perfect, so if you’re not going to help, leave.”

“I-”

“Now!”

The girl snapped, startling all of them, and pointing at the door. That’s when they noticed the bandaid on her finger, confirming she was the one Haechan had spoken of. Although what had Taeyong and the others perplexed was her immunity to their powers. It could just be a side effect of the spell, but they couldn’t be sure that was the case. She started ushering them out when another voice spoke up.

“Y/n, what are you doing!?”

You quickly turned around to face your boss, Vevee, with a big smile on your face. She walked over to where you were and you began to explain.

“I was just kicking out these intruders. Everything is still going according to schedule, so you don’t have to worry.”

“Is that so?”

“You must be in charge.” Taeyong spoke, stepping up to introduce himself. “I’m Taeyong, I was hoping to meet you.”

“And you are?”

“Here to help. I see you’re having a fashion show, and I have some wonderful models for you.”

“Do you now?”

“Yes. Let me introduce Jaehyun and Yuta.” Taeyong gestured to the other two. “Of course I have a few other models, but they’re up in the penthouse.”

“Ah, so you’re the one who stole the penthouse suite from me.”

“Apologies, but I need the best for my models.”

“Vevee, we already have models for the show.” You interrupted. “We don’t need anymore.”

“A few more won’t hurt.” Taeyong compelled. “Right?”

“… you are right, why don’t you bring down your boys tomorrow morning. It will be easier to see if they’re any good once the stage is set and they can walk the runway.”

“Of course. I’ll return in the morning.”

“Vevee.” You said. “We-”

“That’s enough. This is my show, now get back to work.”

“Yes, ma’am.”

Vevee offered Taeyong a smile before returning her attention to the stage being set, giving out some directions. You were glaring daggers at this Taeyong guy with his dumb models. He only gave you a smirk in return. Things may have worked out for him, but you knew you were gonna get an earful about this later.

“I’ll see you later, y/n.” Taeyong smiled.

“Fuck off.”

Taeyong left with the other two in tow. It wasn’t until they were in the elevator going up that they questioned what Taeyong had done. He said he’d explain once they gathered with the others. It seemed the rest were settling in well, and Taeyong gathered them all in the living room, gazing out at the skyline while he waited.

“So, how did it go?” Haechan questioned. “Did you find her? Was I right?”

“Maybe…”

“Yes!”

“Wait, what?” Johnny stated. “Are you kidding me?”

“No, but there was something about this girl. My compulsion didn’t work on her. I thought maybe it was because of the spell, but my power did work on her boss.”

“Don’t forget to tell them about the other thing.” Yuta mentioned.

“What other thing?” Doyoung asked. “What did you do?”

“Tomorrow morning you’re going to walk the runway, see if this lady likes you for her show.”

“What! Why!?”

“This y/n girl is working the show. So if we’re a part of it too, it will give us a reason to be around her. I’m not sure if she is the one, but we need to get more information. Even if it’s not her, participating in this fashion show will allow us to mingle with many other individuals in the city, making it easier to find our Queen.”

“I always wanted to walk a runway.” Jungwoo commented. “I’m down.”

“Then we’re in agreement. You all better be on your best behavior.”

“We will.”

🖤

Come morning the boys made their way down to the ballroom. The boss was nowhere to be seen, but they quickly found you as you were glaring at them from the stage area. Taeyong merely smiled and waved, deciding to help himself to the snack table with the others. He knew it would be best to socialize with all the other staff members, but before he could say anything he began to overhear some gossip.

“Did you hear what y/n did last night?”

“No, what happened?”

“She was trying to kick out these guys, and said this was her show.”

“No way.”

“Right? I mean, she’s not technically wrong. She does everything for Vevee, this practically is her show.”

“Sh! If the boss hears you-”

“Vevee won’t be here until, like, noon. Besides, she won’t take it out on us. You know Vevee blames y/n for everything. She got scolded over not getting the penthouse suite, and then for trying to get rid of those potential models. I swear, I don’t know how that girl puts up with such a boss.”

“I guess the pay is good.”

“I don’t think any amount of money is enough for being Vevee’s personal assistant.”

“That’s true. Let’s get back to the green room, those models should be here soon, and I heard they’re hot.”

“Oh, I can’t wait to meet them.”

After overhearing that Taeyong glanced back over to the stage, seeing you give direction on light placement, speaking into a headset as well, and then answering the questions of the other employees that came up to you. If he didn’t know otherwise he would think you were in charge, especially since the real boss was nowhere to be found.

“Ya! Mr. Intruder.”

Taeyong didn’t realize you were talking to him until you walked down the runway to get closer to him, yelling and waving your arms around. He put on a cocky smile and walked over.

“Yes?”

“Get your boytoys to the green room for hair and makeup. There are some test outfits they can wear, so I want them ready to go in twenty minutes.”

“And where is your boss?”

“Upstairs sleeping. Any other stupid questions?”

“You don’t like me much, do you?”

“What made you think otherwise? Now go. You’re down to nineteen minutes.”

You gave Taeyong a fake smile and got back to the others, continuing where you left off. Knowing Vevee her alarm was probably going off, so she would be down soon. You still remembered how she fought you about staying at the hotel, especially since it wouldn’t be the penthouse suite. You had to put your foot down though, knowing she’d be hella late if she was at her own place, and at least like this you knew where to find her in case of emergencies. Or you could easily get her out of bed yourself. For now, you’d give her the benefit of doubt and hope she came down on her own.

🖤

Taeyong gathered his boys and went to the green room. There were plenty of others around, but he paid them no mind. A few of the stylists around took the boys, starting to get their measurements and figuring out what outfit to put them in. One almost got him, but he wasn’t a model for the runway. He wandered around a bit, taking in the other models, and looking at the official outfits for the show. Last night he had done a bit of research, getting more information about this Vevee. The lady had quite the reputation. Her work was widely praised, although it wasn’t easy to get kindness from her, even if it was fake. Taeyong might not have gotten the chance to be here if not for his powers. Which reminded him.

“You, pretty girl, get me an iced americano, okay?”

“Yes, sir.”

He needed to test his powers a bit more, just to make sure if last night was a fluke or something. A while later he returned to the others, finding them seated as they were getting the last few touches of makeup.

“Alright, models, please make your way to the stage for the test run.” You came to the green room, barking out orders. “Let’s move. This isn’t the big show but you all better act like it.”

“I was wondering where you were.” Taeyong commented. “I wanted you to do my hair and makeup.”

“I’m not a stylist.”

“Are you sure? It seems like you can do every job here.”

“Just get your guys to the stage.”

“Of course.”

You didn’t hang around the green room for too long, returning to the main stage and feeling relief upon seeing Vevee present. You quickly went to get her a coffee before approaching.

“Where are the models?”

“They’re backstage right now. Shall we start a test run?”

“Yes. I need to see who actually knows how to do their job.”

“Of course.”

You spoke into your headset to give backstage the green light on starting the test run. The lights went down and the first model walked down the runway. You stood by Vevee’s side, examining the models as well to make sure everything went smoothly. For the most part you knew who was on stage as you had worked with these models before, but when you saw Taeyong’s boys you were a bit taken aback. You didn’t care much for them, but now that you were really seeing them, you were quite stunned by their beauty. This wasn’t even rehearsal, but they were good, and you hated it.

“So, what do you think Vevee?”

“Get them all on the stage, now.”

“Yes ma’am.”

Through your headset you told backstage to have the models come onto the stage. Vevee looked them over, pointing at the ones she wanted gone. All the new boys remained on stage to your disappointment.

“Alright. I want outfits fitted for them.”

“Yes, Vevee. I’ll grab a handful for the promotional shoots as well.”

“Might I volunteer my boys.” Taeyong suggested. “Some new faces should draw attention.”

“I’m against the idea.” You stated. “It’s better to stick with models we’ve used before as people recognize them and trust them.”

“On the contrary. Something new will entice others to come. Besides, you have to admit all my boys are quite the face card.”

“Vevee-”

“That is an excellent idea. Y/n, have the boys prepped for the shoot.”

“Yes, ma’am.”

“Good. I’m off then, I have a lunch engagement. You can handle everything here, right y/n?”

“Yes, Vevee.”

“I’ll stop by tonight for a proper rehearsal.”

“We’ll see you then.”

You only threw a glare at Taeyong before ordering the models back and following them. A few things needed to be changed, and you needed the stylist to prepare the new boys. Taeyong stayed with the boys, but then he got curious as to where you were, so he went off to find you. He asked around, being told you were in one of the green rooms. He knocked before entering, going to a few rooms before finding the one. He found you leaning against the wall, the smell of coffee in the air.

“I see you finally got a break.”

Taeyong didn’t get a response, figuring you were ignoring him, which wasn’t a first. He approached you, placing a hand on your shoulder when the cup of coffee suddenly fell from your hand. It spilled to the floor and you started to slide down the wall. He quickly caught you, seeing that you were passed out.

“Y/n?”

“Hm… what the fuck!”

You opened your eyes and came face to face with Taeyong. You screamed and shoved him away from you. For a moment you lost balance but were able to catch yourself.

“What are you doing here!?”

“I was looking for you.” Taeyong explained. “Are you alright?”

“I’m fine.”

“Are you sure? You-”

“What do you want?”

“I… are you okay? Looking at you now, you seem exhausted.”

“It’s nothing I can’t handle.”

“You were sleeping standing up.”

“A quick power nap.”

“Did you even sleep last night?”

“No, I pulled an all-nighter to get things properly set up for today. Then I had to be back here for the final touches and to make sure Vevee woke up on time. I swear, she drives me insane sometimes. She kept fighting me about staying at the hotel, but I needed her to be here since she couldn’t possibly be late if she was so close to the event space. And- why am I even telling you all this. Are your boys done with hair and makeup?”

“How are you even functioning right now?”

“I’ll take that as you don’t know, so now I gotta go look into it myself. Move.”

“Y/n.” Taeyong grabbed your arm. “Go to sleep.”

“Fuck off!”

“How… you’re only hurting yourself if you keep doing this! Vevee-”

“Took me in after I graduated, when I had nothing! She gave me a job and helped me build myself up from scratch! So don’t you dare question me! You’re working for her too now, so we’re in the same boat.”

“But-”

“Don’t act like you care about me or something, you’re just here for a paycheck. Now leave me alone. Gosh, I’m gonna need to get someone to clean this room now.”

You pulled yourself out of Taeyong’s grasp and left the room as you called for maintenance to clean up the spilled coffee. You checked the time, needing to check on the models. Taeyong stayed put, once again left in shock over how his powers didn’t work on you, but also worried about the state he had found you in. He didn’t even notice until now how much you actually did, and how you weren’t really credited for any of it. He was just having fun by teasing you, but maybe he needed a different approach.

“Is everyone almost done?”

You went to the green room where the models were, glancing at each one to make sure they were ready. The photography crew would be here soon and you would have to focus on them while they set up so the models had to be ready. Everything was still on schedule, so you were at least grateful for that. You told the stylists to bring the models out to the stage once done. You then ducked out to make sure the photoshoot area was set up and met up with the crew once they showed up. You made sure everything was set up well, and then took note when the models arrived. They were quite intrigued by the new faces, but of course whatever Vevee wanted, she got. Although the photographer didn’t seem to mind the new boys.

“How do I look?”

Haechan couldn’t help but approach you, feeling exceptionally handsome today. You only rolled your eyes at the question.

“Presentable, now pay attention.”

“To what?”

“The shoot. You’re new models, I doubt you’ve done this stuff before.”

“I’ve never been a model either, but I’m a natural at it.”

“What?”

“Don’t you agree.”

“I swear you’re all just trouble.”

“Only to you.”

“Honestly. So if you’re not models then- Ya!” You ran over to Yuta, taking the drink out of his hand. “What are you doing!?”

“Huh?”

“You just got your makeup done, why are you drinking?”

“It’s just water.”

“Yeah, and now I need to touch up your fucken lips. None of you are professionals.”

You went over to one of the stylists lingering around, dragging Yuta with you. The stylist handed over the kit they had and you found the match for Yuta’s color. You immediately began to touch up his color.

“Is there something you can’t do?”

“Keep you all in line apparently. Don’t fuck up your makeup again, got it?”

“Yes ma’am.”

“Don’t call me that.”

“So, can I buy you a drink later?”

“No.”

“Please. When do you get off work?”

“Tomorrow.”

“Huh?”

“Go on now, you’re next.”

You dragged Yuta over to the shoot area, watching from the sidelines. Now you could take a breath cause being so close to that boy was making your face burn. Usually you kept yourself composed around the models, you had worked with them before, but all this new talent, it was taking you back to when you first started. It had been so fun to work alongside Vevee, setting up shows, taking part in every aspect so you could handle any emergency. Now everything was just a job, and it was exhausting. Still, seeing the final product was worth it.

“You know, I don’t think you actually had that coffee earlier.”

“So?”

“Here.” Taeyong held out a cup of coffee. “Maybe you can have some now.”

“Thanks.”

You didn’t want to accept anything from him, but the caffeine wouldn’t hurt. To your surprise it was your order, but you weren’t gonna ask how he knew that. Instead, you might as well get some information.

“May I ask you something?”

“What is it?”

“Who are you?”

“Excuse me?”

“None of your boys here have any experience as models, so you’re definitely not some sort of agency. I know Vevee only let you participate cause they’re good looking and-”

“You think my boys are good looking?”

“Why are you here? Cause as far as I’m concerned you somehow talked your way into this show, but it was never your intention to be a part of it.”

“Perceptive, aren’t you?”

“So I’m right.”

“Not exactly.”

“Then why are you here? What do you get out of this?”

“My boys and I came here looking for something.”

“Well I hope you find it, and fast, so you can get out of my life.”

“You’d like that, wouldn’t you?”

“Very much.”

“When I find what I came for, I’ll let you know.”

“Don’t bother.”

“Y/n.” Jungwoo came over. “Can you touch up my makeup?”

“Go ask one of the stylists.”

“But I saw you fix up Yuta.”

“So?”

“Please, I want it to be you.”

“So you can do makeup.” Taeyong commented. “You’re a true ace, aren’t you?”

“Shut it. Jungwoo, go ask someone else.”

“But-”

“Let her drink her coffee, go on now.”

“Fine.”

You rolled your eyes when you saw Taeyong’s smirk. You wished you could walk away but you had to keep watch of everything. Once the shoot was over you were relieved, finally able to get away from the boys. Everything was done for the day, but you still had work to do. All the other employees checked in with you before leaving for the night. You were back in one of the green rooms, working on your laptop and going over the pictures from the shoot. You needed to pick the best ones to send over to marketing. The goal was to have the promotional period out by tomorrow morning, so it was going to be a long night.

🖤

“She doesn’t like us very much.” Jaehyun commented. “Are we sure it’s her?”

“We’re not.” Doyoung reminded. “But it seems likely.”

“Your powers still work on others, right?” Taeyong questioned. “I’ve had no problem compelling people today, but it never seems to work on y/n.”

“Oh, that’s a first.” Johnny mentioned. “Unless she has anti vampire measures.”

“I doubt it’s that.”

“We should take her out to dinner.”

“Didn’t you already get rejected, Yuta?”

“Shut it.”

“You gonna try again?” Mark teased. “I doubt she’ll say yes.”

“Maybe not one-on-one, but all of us, like some company dinner.”

“She’s already suspicious.” Taeyong mentioned. “So I doubt she’ll wanna be near us.”

“Suspicious?” Taeil questioned. “Of what?”

“Us. She knows you’re not models, and is questioning our reason for being here.”

“Well, we don’t plan to stick around for long.” Jungwoo said. “So it’s fine.”

“It’s not considering she’s most likely our Queen. We need to get along with her, it’s in our best interest.”

“We need her to survive.” Haechan remarked. “We’re gonna turn her anyway.”

“And don’t you think it’d be better if we were on good terms before then. Or perhaps we can get her to agree to all this.”

“Oh, that would be good.”

“Exactly. So be nicer to her tomorrow, understand?”

“Yes, sir!”

Only a few actually slept that night. Vampires were mostly nocturnal creatures but things had been different the last few days. Taeyong stayed up, staring at the city and the night sky. Every day that passed was dangerous, but he was certain of his choice, he just wanted things to go well. Before sunrise Johnny and Jungwoo decided to head down to the ballroom to look around the show area before everyone else showed up. They messed around on stage for a bit before heading to the back. The outfits they had worn the other day were just for practice, so they were curious if the ones for the show were around somewhere. As they searched they came across an interesting and concerning sight.

“Y/n?”

The boys wound up finding you passed out at one of the tables in a green room, sleeping on your laptop. They carefully went to your side and shook you awake, accidentally startling you and making you jump out of your seat.

“What time is it! How did you get in here?”

“Easy, easy, we were just looking around.” Jungwoo explained. “It’s barely like five in the morning.”

“Five… good.”

You exhaled and sat back down, turning on your laptop to make sure you had finished everything last night. You had, which meant everything was still on schedule.

“What are you doing here so early?” Johnny asked. “Didn’t you go home last night?”

“No, I was busy.”

“Are you serious?”

“You didn’t answer my other question though, what are you two doing here? Rehearsals don’t start til eight.”

“Just curious, but since we found you, how about breakfast?”

“No thanks, I’m good.”

“Okay. I wasn’t really asking. So either you come with us to have breakfast, or we’re gonna mess around rehearsal.”

You glared. “I’d call your bluff, but you guys don’t know Vevee, or care. So fine, but we can get the hotel breakfast, that way I’m not far from here.”

“That works for me.”

You really were reluctant to share a meal with these guys, but you couldn’t trust they’d behave today unless you did this for them. The three of you went to get breakfast, although when you tried to get coffee they didn’t let you, saying you had been drinking enough caffeine as of late. You complied and got some food. Even if you sat and ate with them you had no intention of making conversation, but it was hard to keep quiet.

“How many hours did you sleep?” Jungwoo wondered.

“Enough.”

“You should have at least slept on the couch. Probably more comfortable.”

“I’ll sleep after the show.”

“That’s not exactly better.” Johnny said. “You’re compromising your health.”

“And you care because?”

“It’s concerning.”

“I’m fine, so no need to worry.”

“Vevee runs you into the ground everyday, how can you-”

“I’m not talking about work with you.”

“Fine. In all honesty though, you do an amazing job.”

“What?”

“Seriously. You’re pretty talented all on your own. I’m sure today will go smoothly. I promise we won’t be trouble.”

“I’ll keep you to that.”

You were caught a bit off guard by the compliment, but you just wanted to finish eating and get back to the ballroom. You finished up first and excused yourself, ditching them and heading back to work. Once other staff members began to arrive you had them begin setting up and get ready for the models. Eventually Taeyong and his boys came down and you directed them all to the green room.

“Another busy day?”

“It’s always busy.”

“Did you have breakfast?”

“Yes, your boys blackmailed me.”

“What?”

“Forget it. Do you need something?”

“No, but if there’s anything I can do to help. I know rehearsals are important.”

“Oh… uh…”

“If you need anything from me just let me know. I’ll be with my boys in the green room.”

“Alright.”

You really weren’t expecting a one eighty on these boys, but maybe they weren’t entirely unprofessional. Still, you weren’t gonna dwell on that and just continue with the task at hand. You hoped everything would go well, but when you got notice that one of your stylists called in sick you knew things were gonna get complicated. You didn’t have any other choice, so you went to the green room and got a list of who still needed work done. Of course it had to be some of Taeyong’s boy. You could see all the smiles on their stupid faces when you grabbed the makeup but you didn’t say anything, they would.

“Ya, y/n gets to do my makeup.” Haechan cheered. “Best day ever.”

“Quiet down.”

“Yes ma’am.”

You focused on the makeup, occasionally stepping away when others asked for direction, but for the most part you were keeping on schedule. The boys complimented your work, glowing over the fact you had gotten them ready.

“Y/n.”

“What?”

“Is everything alright?”

“What kind of question is that?”

“Well, you said you’re not a stylist.” Taeyong pointed out. “Yet you’ve been here.”

“One of my stylists called off today, and I don’t have anyone else.”

“Ah, sorry. Can I help in any way?”

“No, you just…”

You didn’t want to ask him for help, but you also knew it wouldn’t be the best idea to just take on extra tasks. You really hoped he just didn’t make a fuss with you later.

“Actually, the catering service should be arriving soon. Do you think you can have them set up in the same area as yesterday? You know where that is, right?”

“I do.”

“Cool. I’m on channel four if you have any questions. Just borrow a walkie from someone else.”

“Thank you.”

You could mentally check off that task and just continue with what you were doing. When another staff member brought up the catering team being here you just told them Taeyong had it handled but to check on him and let you know if you were needed. You didn’t hear back so that was a good sign, and you could rest assured knowing your staff could get some food.

“When did you learn to do makeup?” Doyoung asked. “You’re good.”

“Just something I needed to know to help Vevee.”

“Have you ever thought of being a stylist?”

“My job is more than that.”

“Yeah, but having a solid career choice isn’t bad.”

“I guess, but right now I need you to be perfect.”

“It’s just rehearsal.” Jaehyun remarked in the next chair over. “You don’t need to be perfect.”

“If you have that kind of mentality about rehearsals you’re not gonna make it as a model. Every show is important, and you need to treat it as such every time. That way when it really does matter, you’re not stressed but doing something you’re confident in. So please, treat today as if it was the actual show.”

“Wow, never thought of it that way. Is that how you see it?”

“Yes.”

“Then I’ll do my best today, promise.”

“You better.”

By the time you finished with makeup the runway was ready for rehearsal. You checked in with tech to make sure they knew their marks and then told everyone to be ready in ten. As you stepped out to the show area you saw Vevee sitting by the stage with a coffee in hand. She was chatting away and seemed to be in a good mood. You took a breath and made your way over.

“Hi, Vevee, glad you made it.”

“Ah, there you are. Is everything ready?”

“Yes. We’re gonna-”

“Then let’s start.”

“The team is-”

“Now.”

“Yes ma’am.”

You called to those backstage to start everything in the next handful of seconds. You knew they were all probably gonna scrambled for a moment but then the lights went down and the models began to walk the runway. You paid attention to them, making note of where to improve while also making sure Vevee was content. If she had any notes she’d let you know afterwards. You went through the whole show in silence, thankfully the music playing made things less awkward. While you seemed focused on the models, Taeyong kept his gaze on you. Despite everything you were still working, you didn’t even take a seat for this. Once the show was over Vevee got up to speak with you.

“The models need to exude more confidence and pride. They’re wearing Vevee originals, this is the opportunity of a lifetime for them.”

“I will let them know.”

“Tell the marketing team to send out more promos in the morning, and don’t use the same pictures twice.”

“Got it.”

“Very well, on another note, what were you thinking!?”

“I’m sorry, what-”

“You had Taeyong working! He’s just a representative of his company and you thought-”

“It was no trouble at all.” Taeyong cut in. “I offered and-”

“I’m so sorry about that. Y/n should have no problem managing on her own. There was no need for you to step in.”

“I-”

Taeyong noticed you desperately shaking your head and trying to tell him to stop talking. He wanted to defend you, but seeing the worry in your eyes made him step back.

“Apologies. I don’t mean to worry you.”

“Let the girl do her job, no need for you to break a sweat.”

“Understood.”

“Good. Now y/n.”

“Yes Vevee.”

“I want another rehearsal tomorrow before the show.”

“What? If we do another the staff would need to come in before sunrise, and it would have to happen along side-”

“I don’t care for the details, just do it.”

“Of course ma’am.”

“Alright. My work here is done. I have to get ready for tomorrow.”

“We’ll see you then ma’am.”

You gave Vevee a bow and didn’t move until you knew she was gone. Taeyong took a step towards you and then saw your legs give out on you. He quickly caught you and held you up. For a moment you allowed it before getting yourself together and pulling away from him.

“I’m fine.”

“Sorry about earlier, I thought-”

“It’s fine. We need to run the show again.”

“Again? But we-”

“I need to incorporate Vevee’s notes. It won’t take long.”

“Fine. But you need to eat first.”

“What?”

“You nearly fainted just now, and it’s lunch time for your staff too anyway.”

“Right, right…”

“Come on, you need to take a break too.”

“I said-”

“I’m not asking. Please, if you’re not gonna take care of yourself then let me do it.”

“I-”

“Let’s go.”

Without asking Taeyong took your hand and led you over to the food table. He got in line with you, still holding your hand. He made you hold your tray while he placed food on top of it, asking what you wanted and getting his own food in the process. Afterwards he sat down with you, getting you some water and telling you to ease off the caffeine. He even took your phone from you so you could actually eat. You didn’t say anything to him, and he didn’t pry you to talk. The rest of his boys eventually came to the table too, but you didn’t make conversation with them either. You just wanted to finish your food and get back to work. Although you knew Taeyong had a point. It was lunch time, no one besides you would be working.

After you finished eating you excused yourself, and thankfully Taeyong let you go. Once everyone was back you had the models get touched up and had staff prepare for another run. When Taeyong came over to you he asked where he could help but you just threw a glare his way. You weren’t gonna ask him for help again. Still, he stayed by your side as you ran the second rehearsal, talking to the models and the backstage crew. Taeyong had to admit you were quite good at being in charge. Everything went smoothly and everyone seemed to be having a good time. You were a bit ahead of your own schedule which was great, but next came the hard part. You gathered everyone and informed them that they needed to come in early for another rehearsal before the actual show.

The complaints came rolling in, but it was what Vevee wanted and there was no going against it. Since everyone had finished up early, you let them know that once they packed up their things they were free to go. They all seemed a bit upset, and you really felt guilty for it. You checked over everyone’s stations and then dismissed them. In the end it was just you, or so you thought. Taeyong and his crew were still hanging around, some up on the runway messing around. You were glad to see them smiling and having fun, but the day was over.

“You guys can go home, you know.”

“We know.” Taeil said. “We were waiting for you.”

“Me?”

“Yeah. Dinner and then we can take you home.”

“I’m good, thanks. There are still somethings I-”

“Nope.” Johnny cut in. “Tomorrow is the big day, you should eat well and then get some rest.”

“It’d be a waste to go home considering how early I need to be here in the morning.”

“Are you gonna sleep here then?”

“…”

“You’re kidding.”

“You guys can go.”

“You’re coming with us.” Mark stated. “You can’t stay here.”

“You’re not the boss of me.”

“Easy now.” Taeyong spoke up. “It’s really not a good idea for you to stay here, especially without eating.”

“I’ll order something in a bit.”

“How about I propose something else.”

“Like what?”

“Well, my boys and I are staying in the penthouse suite. So why don’t you come up with us, we can get room service, and you can crash on one of our beds. That way you can get some good sleep and not worry about being so far from the ballroom. How does that sound?”

“I don’t know.”

“You need to be well rested. Tomorrow is the big day. I’m just trying to help.”

“Fine, but if any of your guys try anything I swear.”

“We’ll all behave. Promise.”

“Alright. Let me just grab my laptop.”

The prospect of sleeping in an actual bed was really too tempting to pass, so you went up with the guys to the penthouse suite. You were stunned by the view, heading over to the window and looking out at the city. It seemed to be alive in its own way at night, and you had never seen it like this before. Taeyong brought you over a menu and you ordered yourself something, getting to work in the meantime. You ate as you worked, glad you were left alone as well. When you finished up you decided to take a shower, staying in a dress robe afterwards.

“Ready for bed!?”

You yelled as you stepped out of the bathroom, seeing that Yuta had been waiting outside for you. He quickly apologized for startling you.

“Sorry, sorry, didn’t mean to scare you. Are you okay?”

“Yeah, yeah, I’m fine.”

“Cool. We have a room set aside for you. It’s all clean, so if you need anything else just let us know.”

“Thanks.”

“Sleep well.”

“I’ll try.”

🖤

To your own surprise you had no trouble falling asleep with a bunch of strangers just outside the door. Although to be fair you had locked the door just for your peace of mind. You woke to the sound of a knock at your door, getting up still half asleep. So when you opened the door you were a bit surprised to see Johnny. That startled you awake, and the boy apologized.

“I didn’t want to wake you, but I’m sure you’d give me an earful if you were late.”

“Yeah, I would. Thanks.”

“No problem. Breakfast is on the table. Come by and eat before you head down, okay?”

“I’ll be at the table soon.”

“Good.”

You dressed in your clothes from last night, planning to change when you went down. You left your show outfit there since you didn’t think you’d be going home at all, and you were right. Once dressed you joined the others at the table, greeting them. You were still a bit sleepy, but you ate nonetheless and then excused yourself. You reminded them what time you expected them down and then left. Today was the big day and everything had to be perfect. Of course you were the first one down there, starting to go over your checklist and preparing what you could. The staff knew what they had to do, so all they did was check in with you before going to work.

By seven the models began showing up, getting prepped. You had no time to chat with Taeyong or the others, and they knew not to bother you too much. Then came the decoration staff and you had to direct them. While you did that you also made sure to check with the tech crew as they set up the lights and everything. You needed them to be ready to run another rehearsal before nine. No one was really happy to be here early, but that was the job. Soon enough you ran through the whole show. Any notes you had for the models you mentioned then and there. Honestly you wish there wasn’t one last rehearsal causing all this made you anxious.

Once that was done you made sure the final bits of decoration were done and then greeted the wait staff. The drinks and food needed to be set out and staff had to be given directions as well. You knew what kind of people came to these events, so one had to be mentally prepared for the type of things they might overhear. Somehow you were managing all this without a break. You didn’t know that but someone had been keeping an eye on you all day. When lunch time rolled around Taeyong came up to you, taking your hand and dragging you over to the food table. You knew arguing with him was pointless, and you would have most likely skipped lunch if not for him.

You ate a bit, not wanting to get too full and feel sleepy later on. After this the final preparations needed to be done, and it would soon be time to start welcoming guests. Vevee wouldn’t be here until show time, but until then you were in charge. Meaning that as the host you would need to greet everyone that came through to make sure they were on the guest list and tell them about the night’s event. You got dressed before then, doing your own hair and makeup. You made sure you could hide a walkie on you and anything else you might need while still looking presentable.You’d be representing Vevee and her company, so you needed to be at your best.

“Wow… you look amazing.”

“Huh?”

You were in the back, stepping out of one of the empty green rooms when you heard a voice. You looked over to see Jaehyun a few steps down the hall.

“Oh, yeah, thanks. You look good too, Vevee dressed us both.”

“Vevee picked your outfit?”

“Yeah. Not my first choice, but it’s nice. I gotta go, so behave and break a leg.”

“Thanks.”

Jaehyun watched you go for a moment before going off to find Taeyong. He found his hyung in the green room with the others. The event of the night has already begun and he probably should have mentioned this sooner but he has to be sure. Now he was.

“Taeyong.”

“Hm?”

“I can’t hear anyone’s heartbeat, except y/n’s.”

“What? When did you notice this?”

“When we got down here. Although I wasn’t sure what was going on since I was focused on getting ready and the rehearsal. Just now though I followed the only heartbeat I could hear and it led me to y/n.”

“Now that you mention it.” Taeil added. “I’m not picking up anyone’s scent. Although I am getting a faint whiff of y/n off Jaehyun.”

“What’s happening?”

“It’s the spell.” Taeyong reminded. “We’d lose our power as time went on. We’re close to death and it seems the last of our abilities are leading us to her.”

“Then it’s for sure her.” Haechan said. “Y/n is our queen.”

“Yeah.”

“Are we gonna do it tonight?”

“We don’t have much time left. Tonight would be good. Although we need to make sure the show goes well, understood?”

“Got it.”

As much as Taeyong might want to stay with his boys, he couldn’t. With their powers dwindling he was worried for them, but then again they didn’t have much of a bloodlust either. With guests beginning to arrive he had to be out with them, he was the representing face of his boys. While he made some light conversation he’d always glance your way, seeing you up front greeting all the guests and offering assistance to anyone who needed it. Now that he was really able to see you, even from afar, he was quite mesmerized by your beauty. For the first time in a long time he could look upon someone and see them as they are, and not food. You were his regardless, but this was an added level of amazement.

Once the lights got low you were on stage making the announcement that the show would begin soon and for everyone to take their seat. All the important guests had their assigned seats and so did the photographers. Taeyong was in the front row noticing he’d be sitting next to Vevee, although he didn’t see a seat for you. As the people began to settle down he couldn’t see a place for you. It was upsetting but at the same time he understood you were running the show, so you probably wouldn’t actually be able to enjoy it like everyone else. The show started and Taeyong believed it went beautifully. All those present seemed to be enjoying themselves, and he made slight conversation with Vevee about the models, including his own.

Not once did he see you, but he could hear your heartbeat, knowing you were backstage. The end of the show was met with roaring applause, all the praise going to Vevee for her amazing designs and all her work. It left Taeyong with a faux smile and a butter taste knowing there was someone else who deserved more credit if not all of it. He wanted to go find you afterwards but he was dragged into conversations as other people wanted to work with him and his models. He has no interest but he couldn’t just disappear now. He had to wait until the very end, when everything was getting cleaned up. He found you then up on the runway, watching over the clean up.

“Great show.” Taeyong said as he walked the runway to you. “It was wonderful. You did a great job.”

“Thanks.” You smiled. “I’m just glad it’s over.”

“Are you finally gonna sleep?”

“For like a day at least before I have to get back to work.”

“What? You don’t get some time off after this?”

“Not really. There’s always something else going on.”

“That’s not really fair.”

“It’s the job.”

“Then how about dinner? No, wait, it’s really late and I’m sure you won’t be leaving soon, so how about breakfast, the day after tomorrow that is. Before you return to work.”

“I’ll consider it.”

“Cool. I should probably give you my number so that way we can keep in touch.”

“Sure. Here you go.”

Taeyong took your phone and added his number in, sending himself a message to make sure he had your number. He handed it back to you, giving you a smile.

“You know, there is something I need to talk with you about.”

“What is it?”

“Not here, but in private. I’ll save it for breakfast.”

“I never said I would go.”

“But I hope you will.”

“I-”

“What’s this?” Vevee walked down the runway. “Having a private conversation I see.”

“Nothing like that Vevee.” You assured. “Congratulations on another successful show.”

“Of course it was a success, you know I’m the best.”

“Precisely.”

“Y/n did a lot to help prepare the show tonight.” Taeyong mentioned. “She deserves some time off.”

“Taeyong.”

“Ah, so is that it?” Vevee questioned. “This whole time you’ve offered to do her job for her, and now you’re even trying to give her credit for my show and get her some time off? Are you trying to take y/n away from me?”

“Vevee, I would never-”

“You can have her.”

“… what… Vevee-”

“If she needs help to do her job, and has to have someone else fight battles for her, then she’s no longer as good as she used to be. So if you want something old and worn go ahead, I won’t stop you.”

“Vevee…”

“Go on now, do as you please.”

You couldn’t believe what you were hearing. After everything you had done, your boss was so quick to discard you. This didn’t make any sense, but for Vevee the conversation was over. You followed her as she turned back, fumbling with your words and trying to figure out what to say. Taeyong intended to do the same, realizing what he had done only to have you throw a death glare his way and make him stop. That would be his mistake.

You kept trying to talk to Vevee about this but she wasn’t listening. Without really meaning to you grabbed her arm, pleading with her, but your actions upset her. Instead she wound up shoving you away, which in turn had you stumble back towards the edge of the runway. Taeyong could see what was about to happen, intending to use his power to get to you, regardless of him exposing himself, but when he took a step he realized he couldn’t move fast enough. Instead he could only watch as you fell off the runway, crashing into the chairs below. Soon enough the smell of blood, your blood, hit him.

“Y/n!”

“Oh dear, she must be drunk.” Vevee remarked. “Useless girl.”

Taeyong ran over, jumping down and noticing the blood pooling around your head. He was panicking, and soon enough the rest of his members came over, the smell of blood calling them. You felt dizzy, and you could barely make out your surroundings. The voices around you sounded far away, but you could feel someone holding you.

“What happened!?” Doyoung questioned. “What did you do?”

“It wasn’t me, it was that bitch.” Taeyong explained. “She pushed y/n off the runway.”

“Her heartbeat is slow.” Yuta mentioned. “We need to get her to a hospital.”

“Right… right…”

Taeyong picked you up in his arms, Mark using his jacket to cradle your head. They all made it to the elevator, intending to go down, but Johnny merely shut the elevator doors and kept them that way.

“Johnny, what are you doing!?” Haechan said. “She’s losing blood.”

“We can’t take her to the hospital.”

“What?”

“If we take her to the hospital the doctors will take her from us, and we’ll have no way of reaching her. What if she dies? Her life isn’t the only one on the line right now.”

“We don’t know that she’ll die.”

“Even if she lives, we don’t have that much time left.”

“You-”

“He’s right.” Taeyong interrupted. “I… I watched her fall… I couldn’t reach her… none of us have much time… Johnny, take her.”

Johnny did as he was told, hitting the button for the penthouse suite before taking you in his arms. Taeyong pulled out a small box from his coat pocket, getting out the vial that contained all their blood. He couldn’t be gentle with you in this state, forcing your mouth open and carefully pouring the contents of the vial down your throat. You choked on it a bit, but it was important you drank it all. When the elevator chimed they were in their suite, completely alone.

“What do we do now?” Mark questioned.

“We make her comfortable.” Taeyong stated. “This could drag on or be over in a few minutes.”

“… it’s cold…” You mumbled. “… it hurts… my head…”

“Sh, sh, it’s going to be okay.” Jaehyun cooed. “Everything’s going to be just fine.”

“… hm…”

Despite knowing you’d survive, it still hurt them not being able to do anything to help. Johnny took you to the bedroom, laying you down. A moment later Haechan and Taeil came in, doing their best to clean you up and keep you comfortable. You didn’t seem to be in much pain, which was a relief, but they all kind of felt guilty. Truth was you had to die in order for them all to live, but this wasn’t how they imagined things to go. It was the last step, but so much had gotten in the way. They had to be better once you were back. They took turns tending to you all night, but by sunrise the penthouse was quiet. No one could hear the sound of your heartbeat.

“How long… until she wakes?” Yuta wondered. “What do we do until then?”

“We wait.” Taeyong stated. “This will be like any usual transition. It’s different for everyone. I do need some of you to get her some clothes, and others to run a warm bath to clean her up properly. She’s gonna be disoriented when she wakes up, and we all need to be on our best behavior.”

“Got it.”

They were all a bit awkward, never having cared for someone in such a manner. Jaehyun got a warm bath going, making sure they had the necessities to properly prepare you. Three of the others examined your clothes for sizes and went off to get you some new things. Two others went off to get the food you would need. By now they had about a day left before they’d meet their own end, but they were all more concerned with you above all else. They had cleaned up the room you were in, and carefully dressed you in some comfortable clothes. The hours really dragged on, but they just had to be patient.

🖤

You inhaled softly, your eyes fluttering open. There was a dryness in your throat, and a low ringing in your ear that was starting to get louder. You groaned as you sat up, wanting to get out of bed. At the moment your memories were hazy, but you needed to get something to drink. You managed to get your legs under you, although you were unsteady with every step. You leaned against the hall when you got out of the room, although the noises around you were getting louder and louder. You fell to your knees, placing your hands over your ears but it did little to help.

“Y/n! You’re awake.”

Doyoung found you curled up on the floor, glad to see you were up, but also worried upon seeing the state you were in.

“What’s wrong?”

“Loud… everything’s so loud…”

“Yeah, that tends to overwhelm you the most. Just focus on one thing for now, like your heartbeat. Try to drown everything else out except for that.”

You did your best to follow Doyoung’s directions as he kept chatting with you. It was difficult at first to really hone in on your own heartbeat, but slowly you managed, all the other sounds fading away. Although, once you really began to listen you realized how slow it was beating, and that was scaring you.

“Y/n, what’s wrong?”

“My heart… am I dying…”

“Uh, well… it’s complicated… do you remember the other night? After the show?”

“The show… I… I was…”

You didn’t know when the tears started falling, but they were present as a bunch of memories came rushing in. You screamed and grabbed your head, looking for the injury, the blood, but there was nothing. You seemed to be fine, but that was far from the truth. Doyoung wasn’t sure what to do at the moment, but he pulled you into his arms, holding you close and trying to sooth you, not wanting you to hurt yourself. By now you had attracted attention, and the others came by to see what was going on. Everyone was glad to see you up, but not in this state.

“Y/n, it’s okay, everything is okay.” Taeyong got down to your level. “You’re just fine.”

“She… she…”

“Sh, sh, you’re not hurt. Everything is alright now.”

“No… no… what happened? What’s going on? Everything… everything’s wrong, it’s wrong!”

“Why do you say that?”

“It’s so loud… and my throat hurts and… and… I’m supposed to be dead… aren’t I?”

“Y/n…”

“Please, just tell me what’s happening…”

Taeyong sighed. “You are dead, y/n.”

“… what…”

“You died the other night, you bled out. You wouldn’t make it to the hospital… so we brought you here instead… and we saved you…”

“Saved me…? Ha… how? You… you said…”

“I know it’s a lot but I can explain.”

“Why… why would you… why me…”

It was hard to accept the words you were being told, and it was getting difficult to breathe. You had lost focus, starting to get overwhelmed by all the sounds around you. It wasn’t long before you wound up passing out, making them all worry.

“Y/n!” Taeyong yelled. “Y/n!”

He gently grabbed your face, placing a finger under your nose to make sure you were breathing. Everything he had said probably got to you.

“Get her back to her room, and someone get her some food. She’ll wake up again soon.”

Haechan and Yuta went off to find you some food, and the others all got you back to bed. No one left the room, everyone waiting around for you to regain consciousness. The silence was driving them all mad, but upon hearing your whimper they grew still. You opened your eyes, seeing that you were in the same room as before. Nothing had changed, so this most likely wasn’t a dream. You slowly sat up, a bit startled when you saw all the other boys in the room.

“Hey, how are you feeling?” Johnny asked. “Better?”

“It’s still loud…” You took a deep breath to focus your hearing, but your own heartbeat was still making you uneasy. “I’m… I’m really dead…”

“You died.” Jaehyun corrected. “But you’re not actually dead.”

“Then what am I…”

“Do you believe in vampires?”

“They’re not… real…”

“We very much are.”

“So… are you all…” You looked around the room. “… vampires… am I…?”

“Yes.” Mark confirmed. “You’re just like us.”

“… why…”

“What do you mean?”

“Why me… why did you save me? I… I don’t understand…”

“Because-”

“Let me be honest.” Taeyong cut in. “It’s always been you.”

“What?”

Despite everything being so new to you Taeyong wanted to be honest from the beginning. You had eternity together, and if not, you’d all go to the grave as one. He sat down at the edge of the bed, gently reaching over to take your hand in his.

“Remember how I told you we came here looking for something.”

“Yeah…”

“Well, that something was you.”

“… why…”

“You can call it destiny. We came to this place in search of a better life, and our journey led us to you. I honestly should have known from the start. A girl with fire like you, I don’t think I’d want anyone else.” Taeyong chuckled. “Truth is, we’re all connected through you now. We needed someone so we’d be reborn as something better, just like you.”

“Me…?”

“You are my queen now.” Taeyong kissed your hand. “Of course things are more complicated than they seem, but we’re here for you, and we will take care of you.”

“… a queen…”

“Just like a bee hive. We’re here for you. I really wanted to explain all this to you before but… we couldn’t just let you die, especially since we’d die with you.”

“What?”

“I know it’s a lot to take in, but there is still something else. In order for everything to be alright, we do need to drink your blood.”

“My… my blood?”

“Yes. I understand this is all still new to you, and the idea probably seems crazy, but as you get used to all this you’ll see that you’re far stronger than you can imagine. Stronger than us even.”

“… and if you don’t?”

“We’ll definitely die, and I’m pretty sure you will too…”

“Oh…”

“You don’t need to decide right now, but I do need-”

“Here.” You held out your wrist. “Let’s get it over with.”

“If you’re not-”

“I don’t want you guys to die.”

“You sure?”

“Yes.”

“Alright, but this is gonna feel… weird.”

Taeyong grabbed your wrist, placing a gentle kiss on it before exposing his fangs and biting you. A loud gasp escaped your lips followed by a rush of euphoria. Your eyes were wide and you had your head thrown back a bit. You didn’t even realize when Taeyong had pulled away, not until he was reaching up to caress your cheek.

“How do you feel?”

“Definitely… weird…”

“I thought so, but you’re okay, right?”

“Yeah.”

“Good. You think you can do it again?”

“Sure.”

You were still a bit out of it, but you certainly felt another pair of fangs dig into your wrist. That same pleasurable feeling coarse through you again, and you wound up laying back on the bed. You felt a hand on your head, seeing Yuta smiling down at you.

“You still okay?”

“Hm…”

“You do need to eat too.”

“I’m not hungry…”

“You said your throat was dry earlier.”

“Oh yeah…”

“Come on. Let’s get you back up.”

Yuta helped you sit back up, making sure you were leaning against the headboard. You saw him bring a thermos to your lips. A strange scent hit your nose. It was something unfamiliar, but it smelled amazing. Yuta carefully tilted up the thermos, letting you get a taste of strange liquid. As soon as you had a drop on your tongue you grabbed the thermos and drank it all. It felt refreshing and invigorating. You wanted more, but the thermos was empty.

“Easy, easy. We have plenty more.”

“What is it?”

“What do you think, you’re a vampire.”

“Ah… blood… tastes better than I thought…”

All the boys seemed to laugh, and their easy going vibes were certainly putting you at ease. Everything was so new to you, but having them there made you feel better. You still didn’t quite understand this connection they mentioned, and what was in store for you down the line, but at least you weren’t scared. You had some more blood, and the others took turns biting you. Each one still felt just as amazing as the last. Afterwards they let you rest and you certainly slept the day away. You were a bit surprised to wake up later to find yourself alone, but you could hear noises just outside the door. The others were around, so you weren’t truly alone.

You carefully got out of bed, feeling a lot stronger than before. You managed to walk out of the room and made your way down the hall. As you stepped into the living room you noticed the sun shining in. It caught you a bit by surprise, but before you could really take it in you heard someone scream and then you were on the floor. Mark had tackled you to the ground, keeping you close while the two of you laid behind the couch. You had no idea what was going on and you were a bit too scared to ask. After the initial attack Mark was doting on you, making sure you were alright.

“You okay? You’re not hurt, are you?”

“I’m fine… why did you…”

“You’re still a baby, the sun can hurt you.”

“The sun? It didn’t hurt though…”

“It didn’t?”

“No…”

You carefully pulled away from Mark, getting on your knees. You slowly lifted up your hand above the couch, feeling the sunlight against your skin. There was a bit of a tingle, but it definitely didn’t hurt. Mark was a bit stunned, getting up and helping you to your feet as well.

“I guess you’re a lot more powerful than I thought.”

“Sorry.”

“For what?”

“I didn’t mean to scare you like that.”

“You were just worried and looking out for me. I appreciate it.”

“No problem. You hungry?”

“Kinda…”

“Then let’s get you some food.”

You sat at the dining table as Mark got you some food. A few of the others joined you later on, Mark getting scolded once they learned about what he did. You assured everyone you were fine and there was no need to yell at the boy. Although, since they had your attention, there was something to discuss.

“Y/n.”

“Hm?”

“I know you’re still adjusting to everything, but it would be best if we took you home.”

“Home?”

“We only came here to find you.” Doyoung said. “And now that we did, it’s best we get you somewhere better suited for you as you start this new chapter with us.”

“I see…”

“It won’t be easy to just let everything go.” Jaehyun added. “But you have time.”

“I might, but not everything else.”

“We can stay a while longer, but it’s best we leave.” Taeyong mentioned. “We need to pack your things and-”

“I need to see her again.”

“No.”

“You don’t even-”

“Who else would you want to see at this point? I know who you’re talking about, and the answer is no.”

“You said I’m your queen, so you listen to me.”

“It’s our job to do what’s best for you, and seeing that bitch isn’t it.”

“I’m not gonna do anything. I just… I just want to see her one last time… please.”

“Fine, but not alone.”

“I understand.”

It kinda felt surreal, going back to your own place and packing your things. Your life had drastically changed in a matter of hours, and there was no going back. Even though it had been a couple of days since the whole incident, you knew exactly where Vevee would be. She wasn’t one to change her schedule, especially for someone like you. So Johnny, Haechan, and Taeyong accompanied you into a restaurant. Vevee always enjoyed her brunch meetings, if you could actually call them that. You didn’t worry about reservation or staff, you just walked in knowing the boys would deal with the other things.

“Vevee.”

It wasn’t hard to find your former boss, and you just walked up to the table. There was a lot you wanted to say, but in the moment you kinda locked up, and of course she spoke her mind.

“Ah, finally put yourself back together I see. Have you come to apologize? You left a mess at-”

“Are you fucken serious right now?”

“Language. You-”

“Shut up! You fucken killed me and you don’t even care? I guess your pathetic brain can’t even comprehend your actions.”

“Excuse me?” Vevee got up. “Watch your fucken tone with me.”

“Fuck you! You’re a terrible person, and you can’t do anything on your own. After that last show, I’m done. I quit.”

“You quit? Just like that?”

“Goodbye.”

Vevee scoffed. “You are never going to work in this industry. I-”

“I don’t care. I’m not even sure I want to, but if I ever do, I’ll do so over your dead body. Have a nice life.”

You walked away without another word, not caring to hear anything more. You may not have said everything you wanted to, but at least you made your peace. The boys were waiting for you, offering you comforting smiles. You followed them out to the car waiting. As you drove off you couldn’t help but look out the window and watch the city pass you by. This place was once your home, you gave it a lot of you, and now you were leaving. You didn’t think things would go down this way, but it wasn’t really a goodbye. You could come back here someday, but you’ll be very different, and the city itself might be different too.

“Are you alright?” Taeil asked. “Is there something else you need to do?”

“No, no, I’m just… I’ll be okay… right?”

“Of course. We’re here for you.”

“Thanks.”

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