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“I honestly can’t decide whether I want to say thank you or blow your head off.”Choi Seungcheol rolls his eyes half-heartedly at the crisp, annoyed tone of one of the passengers riding at the backseat, the officer pursing his lips and adjusting the rear view mirror of the vehicle he was driving in order to meet the person’s gaze. The night is chillingly cold, and the air surrounding them smells like blood, leather and gunpowder, but that isn’t exactly new now, is it?“As much as I would love to indulge you in sending me to the afterlife, I have a job to do, Ji. Besides, if I wasn’t around, then who would be there to clean up your mess?”Jihoon scoffs, grey eyes glinting with anger as he turns away to look out the window. He watches the trees pass by in a blur, the crease on his forehead deepening as fog slowly creeps onto the glass the further they drive into the dead of night. A sneer then places itself on his pink lips and he faces front, eyes boring holes into the back of Seungcheol’s head before flickering towards the rear-view mirror to make eye contact with him once more.“Really Cheol? My mess? This -” Jihoon swiftly punches the shoulder of the boy next to him with no remorse (said victim merely grunts at the contact, that’s what you get for acquiring injuries on the daily, you get used to pain in this kind of job), “-shithead is the reason why this mess even started. And you, allowed it! Hell, you were part of it! Accompanying him to seek out a vampire coven? You really are out here looking for Death before it comes to you.”“Those vampires were on the loose and were clearly up to something, but your head was way up your stubborn ass to admit that I was right.”Jihoon turns towards the source of the interruption; the face next to him carrying a hard, stone cold expression paired with a tightly set jaw.“I wasn’t talking to you, Kwon Soonyo-”“If you had just listened to me,” Soonyoung bites back, venom laced around his voice and frustration swimming deep in his dark brown eyes, “-then none of this would’ve happened. If we had gone and taken them out on the first day that we were in that god forsaken town, then innocent blood wouldn’t have been spilled-”“Tch. And you think yours is?”“I wasn’t talking about mine, you piece of shi--”“ENOUGH! WILL YOU TWO JUST SHUT UP.”Much to Seungcheol’s relief, both Jihoon and Soonyoung stop bickering the moment he raises his voice (did he really have to resort to acts like this in order to get them to quit fighting? What was he now, a parent? Just because he was the oldest in this group, jeez). The young man heaves a sigh, exhaustion clearly making itself known to him as heaviness suddenly radiates throughout his stiff shoulders, and deciding to settle itself onto the agitated muscles of his upper back.A few minutes of tense silence pass before Seungcheol turns the 1968 Cadillac towards a safe house right in the middle of a clearing that was still miraculously surrounded by a remainder of trees. The only source of light at this time of the evening was the moon and the headlights of the sleek black car, the vehicle’s wheels screeching slightly to come to a full stop once they arrived at their destination.The moment Seungcheol unlocks the car doors, Jihoon and Soonyoung waste no time in grabbing their belongings and getting out, the shorter of the two slamming the door harshly, to which Soonyoung yells, “Be gentle with my baby, you asshole!”“Dumbass!” Jihoon yells back, preferring to stomp off towards the safe house, but not without lifting his middle finger and pointing it towards Soonyoung’s direction.“Bitchface!” Soonyoung shouts angrily, but there is no verbal reply from Jihoon, only the sound of the safe house’s door slamming close.Soonyoung keeps his jaw set while taking deep breaths (a technique his late mother had taught him in order to control his easily provoked temper), gently caressing the hood of his beloved car protectively.“Don’t worry, he’ll come around. He just needs time.” Seungcheol says as he stands to Soonyoung’s left and carefully places a hand on the hunter’s good shoulder, the one that wasn’t currently in a bloody mess because of a bullet dug deep inside of it. Soonyoung just lets out a chuckle, or tries to atleast, running his fingers through his jet black locks while Officer Choi gives his shoulder a light squeeze (a form of comfort and reassurance, he supposes).“Him being upset like that? It’s just his way of showing that he cares about you.”“I know, Seungcheol. But I wish he’d understand the reason why I did what I did, why I made that decision. I might’ve been reckless yes, but I’d like to think my heart was in the right place. I’d like to think that I’m fucking “qualified” to have acted that way, considering my experience in all this and that it holds more reason for me to actually do something about certain situations when I’m capable; which is always.”“Even with this kind of life?”The hunting life. A life not made for the weak-hearted or the light-stomached.“Yes, even with this kind of life. We’re all capable of doing something good, even if we’re actually shit. I mean, that’s why we’re given second chances, if we’re lucky enough that is; to make things right, to do what’s right, to be better.”The young officer gives a smile despite the clear deficiency in his energy. “You’re a good man, Kwon Soonyoung.”Soonyoung returns it, however his smile is a bit forced. “So are you, Officer Choi. Thank you by the way, for having my back today.”“What?” Seungcheol shakes his head and stuffs his hands into the pockets of his brown pants, the garments matching his buttoned up shirt and the silver badge that was on his chest. Soonyoung decides that it’s during times like these when Seungcheol was less brash and more timid, that he looked less like a strict, dutiful officer and more like a young man that was just trying his hardest, in everything. The kind of person who was still learning the ropes of his job despite having a confident aura and presence.“What I did today is nothing compared to what you and Jihoon have done for me and all the other towns you’ve been to. I should be thanking you. Also, we’re on first name basis now, remember?” At this, Seungcheol starts walking over to his car, a dark grey truck hidden by some trees a little further down the road. “So don’t forget, it’s Seungcheol! And you better get damn used to it! You know, even Cheol is good!”“What about Cheollie ?” Soonyoung raises his voice and teases, the boy smiling mischievously when Seungcheol gets in his truck and shouts a very audibly clear, “Fuck you!” before turning on the car’s ignition and honking the horn at Soonyoung.Soonyoung just laughs, clutching onto his right shoulder while Seungcheol flashes his headlights on and off. The officer pulls down the windows of his truck and drives past Soonyoung’s direction, easily returning a smile when the hunter gives him a mock salute; the car slowly disappearing as it goes on its way. Once Officer Choi’s truck is out of sight, Soonyoung decides that it’s about time he head back to the safe house, fully aware of what would await him the moment he steps inside. Let’s hope things don’t end up in a shouting match. Soonyoung thinks to himself.
Or better yet, let’s hope I don’t suffer from a loss of limb.
Soonyoung’s dirtied sneakers, an old set of worn out Converse he found at an abandoned shop weeks ago, feel heavy on the ground when he makes his way towards his temporary sanctuary for the evening. It’s always like this on the job, you move in and move out. It’s a concept you eventually get used to; that nothing in “the life” is permanent, except for the monsters that lurk in the shadows.The chill of the night is not lenient nor kind to Soonyoung, it shows him no form of mercy. He shivers and rubs his arms, his breath coming out in small puffs of air. It isn’t long before he arrives, but by the time he does it feels as if his feet weigh a ton when he steps onto the safe house’s porch, the wooden floor creaking slightly.Soonyoung opens the door and is surprised to be greeted by silence and the aroma of food coming from the kitchen, the scent being the only sign of someone’s presence in the house other than his.Soonyoung decides to make his way to the source of the delicious smell (he’s hungry, he always is, especially after a kill), passing by the living room which had been decorated with simple and essential interiors, like a coffee table and a sofa both colored in a patterned mix of red and cream hues. Further into the house, Soonyoung could see Jihoon’s shorter form standing in front of a stove, stirring what he assumes to be is a stew? Soup? “What are you making?” Soonyoung asks lightly once he reaches the kitchen. He takes his place next to Jihoon, who is indeed busy stirring a pot of soup with a metal ladle. Jihoon doesn’t even flinch in the slightest when the peaceful silence is broken by Soonyoung’s clear voice.“….”“Hey, bitchface. What are you making?” Soonyoung repeats, getting rather pissed at the silent treatment that Jihoon was giving him.Still, no answer.“So you’re ignoring me now? Giving me the cold shoulder, is that what this is?” Soonyoung asks in exasperation, leaning against the marble counter by pressing his back against it. He crosses his arms and raises an eyebrow as he waits for Jihoon to actually acknowledge him.Just like Jihoon, Soonyoung doesn’t jump or flinch when his fellow hunter slams the metal ladle on the counter and turns the stove off with a quick flick of its switch. There’s a fiery rage in Jihoon’s eyes when he turns to glare at Soonyoung’s face but Soonyoung is firm and stands his ground, unfazed.“Ignoring you and giving you the cold shoulder? Yes . Just like how you ignored me when I told you to stay out of this. And speaking of shoulders, look at where that’s gotten you because of your hard headedness.” Jihoon seethes, his eyes moving to stare at Soonyoung’s injury with bitterness.“I just did what was right.““What you thought was right,” Jihoon steps forward when he says this, jabbing a finger at Soonyoung’s chest with each word that spills out of his lips. “-do you ever even think before you start sticking your nose up in other people’s business? That coven had a number of bounties on their heads even before we arrived and you knew it. What makes matters worse is that they’re from a bunch of hunters who have bad blood and a long-term rivalry with each other. Why do you think I suggested we stay back and not get involved as much as possible?”“Officer Choi asked for our help-““Officer Choi only called us to help investigate,” Jihoon cuts him off, emphasizing himself by grabbing Soonyoung by the collar and looking him straight in the eye despite their height difference. “-if only to secure and revalidate the information they had on those vampires. But because of your impulsive stupidity, not only did you make a mess within territory you trespassed, but you also took a job that wasn’t even yours to begin with. And now, those hunters might be wondering, who the fuck stole our kill? ”“Fuck them. To hell with their kills.” Soonyoung spits, grabbing Jihoon’s hand that was fisted in his shirt and pushing it away. “They’re only after the damn “prize money”. They don’t give a shit about anything else other than their loot, or anyone else for that matter. They only care about themselves.”Jihoon scoffs, turning away to grab some bowls from the nearby rack to prepare two servings of soup. “What about you then, dumbass? Are you telling me that the show you put on back there with those vamps wasn’t selfish?”“I had my reasons for my actions, Jihoon.” Soonyoung answers darkly, his breathing becoming heavy as he attempts to calm himself down, countless scenes from the fight earlier that evening playing on rewind in his brain.“See? There you go again. Always so stubborn, always pushing and forcing what you want onto other people and trying to reason out-”“They were draining children, Jihoon! Children, for fuck’s sake! You don’t just expect me to sit my ass down and do nothing, do you?!” Soonyoung shouts, gripping the edge of the marble counter with so much force that his knuckles turn white.Jihoon immediately stops his actions, but his back remains turned towards Soonyoung nonetheless. Soonyoung continues.“They kidnapped children in this town, Ji. Children and teenagers. It’s no wonder this town was full of older folk. Even you noticed it yourself. Those vampires would drain the kids till they were either flesh and bone or until one of them managed to survive and start turning. The coven wasn’t in hiding because they were scared of being hunted, they were hiding because they were rebuilding it. Trying to atleast.” Soonyoung manages to finish before biting his inner cheek to try and tame his anger. It doesn’t help. Soonyoung tastes iron in his mouth.Jihoon then turns to Soonyoung to finally face him, and his dark grey eyes hold a storm brewing in them.“I didn’t know.” Jihoon manages to utter with a clipped tone, despite the shocking details that Soonyoung revealed to him.“I tried to let you know. But Seungcheol and I couldn’t waste any more time than what had already been lost.”There’s tension in the air, and Jihoon tries to ignore it, but it engulfs him and Soonyoung all the same. There’s an important but sensitive question on the tip of Jihoon’s tongue, but he needs to know. For his own sake and conscience as well.“So are you telling me that those newborns who we shot, they were…?”“Yeah, they were some of the missing teenagers from this town years ago.” Soonyoung answers solemnly, his eyes remaining on the counter. Jihoon feels his breath hitch, but he does his best to remain stoic. “And those small rotting bodies? Those were the children kidnapped just recently.” Soonyoung finishes, letting out a breath he didn’t even know he was holding.“Any survivors?”Jihoon wants to be careful when he asks, but decides to be straightforward about it. There’s no use in sugar coating anything at this point; him and Soonyoung both know that.When it comes to the kind of work they do, facts are essential, especially during investigation. You need to know what you need to know, even if it turns out to be ugly. But when it all comes down to the relationships in this kind of business? Well, honesty and trust are rare, and Soonyoung and Jihoon respect and know each other deeply enough to give each other those two things freely without question.Soonyoung meets his gaze and nods, a small hint of a smile on his lips. It’s a good sign.“Seungcheol and I managed to free two kids and neutralize three teenage newborns with a cure before the rest of the coven came. And ofcourse, before you went out on a shooting spree.”“Listen here, dumbass..” Jihoon warns, moving closer to rest his hand over the one Soonyoung had on the counter, and choosing to stroke his thumb against the smooth skin. “If it weren’t for me, you would’ve had fangs lodged into your damn neck.”“You know, if it weren’t for my dumbass, it would’ve been you with a bullet in your shoulder, bitchface.” Soonyoung counters, giving a quick glance to his and Jihoon’s hands before reaching out to take the bowl of soup Jihoon offers him. “And yet not a single sign of gratitude from you? Or an apology even for acting like a prick?” Jihoon groans and rolls his eyes, slipping away to walk over towards the living room and place his bowl on the coffee table, before taking a seat on the couch to grab his bag. “Good god, just get your whiny ass down here so we can get this over with and I can eat dinner.” Soonyoung immediately knows what is being pertained to (a sign of his perceptiveness or an implication that what would take place happened quite often to the point direct words weren’t needed, or both), following suit by placing his dinner on the table and sitting on the couch with his back facing Jihoon.Soonyoung can already hear Jihoon rummaging through his medical kit, so he carefully removes his navy jacket and pulls his black tee over his head, grunting slightly when the fabric brushes against his gunshot wound. He takes note of how he needs to purchase seltzer water and lemon ASAP to get rid of the blood on his clothes.Once Jihoon has all the equipment he needs at the ready, he scoots closer to assess Soonyoung’s right shoulder. The wound has thankfully stopped bleeding after the amount of pressure Soonyoung placed on it during the ride back to the safe house, but the bullet was still inside his shoulder and Jihoon needed to get it out. With haste, Jihoon immediately hands Soonyoung a small face towel, to which Soonyoung gives him an incredulous look.“This little cloth won’t get all the blood that’s gonna ooze out of me.” Soonyoung tells Jihoon matter-of-factly.“It isn’t to clean up the blood, you moron. It’s for you to bite on.” Jihoon is clearly irritable; it doesn’t take a genius to know. It’s obvious in the tone of his voice and from how he impatiently takes out the antiseptic, forceps, needle, thread, gauze, tape, and towels (lots of it). Despite his sour mood however, he doesn’t forget to arrange his supplies neatly by his side.“So this is for when it’ll get excruciatingly painful?” Soonyoung asks mockingly as he gives the piece of cloth a once over.“Oh ofcourse not! I just felt like handing you a damn towel,” Jihoon comments with nothing but sarcasm (and probably concern) laced around his voice. “- ofcourse it’s going to be excruciatingly painful. Are you fucking kidding me? You have a bullet lodged into your shoulder and we’ve run out of painkillers. God, for someone who’s been around guns for the longest time, you act as if you don’t know what it’s like to get shot.”Soonyoung rolls his eyes but the corner of his lips curl up slightly. “Oh, but I do. You don’t expect to get out of the military without experiencing it at least once. It’s war. Then you pair that with this hellhole of a job, and the next thing you know, bullets and gunshots don’t faze you anymore.”
Bullets and gunshots don’t faze you anymore.
At the words Soonyoung utters, Jihoon’s eyes move to examine the rest of his back. Soonyoung’s back is lean, and rather broad, but it is engraved with a number of scars, all with varying shapes and sizes; all of which have a different story behind their origin. Most of the scars, Jihoon notices, are small, probably from all those bullets Soonyoung mentioned he encountered even in the past. But there is one scar that stares back at him, catching his attention. It really isn’t hard to miss from how large it is. The white scar is the biggest one that paints Soonyoung’s skin, found at the left side of Soonyoung’s shoulder and gliding down to meet the right side of his hip.Jihoon wants to know what happened, how it happened, but he is also very aware that he might not be ready to actually find out.“Can’t you just clean up the wound, Doc?” Soonyoung grumbles impatiently, bringing Jihoon out of his reverie.“I can.” Jihoon’s response is nonchalant. He doesn’t want Soonyoung to think that he’s been in deep thought, especially regarding anything that concerns said hunter.“-but I don’t know if there are any bullet shards or pieces of cloth left inside it. So I need to clean it and take it out to make sure you don’t risk getting an infection. Unless you want to have one.” Jihoon remarks sharply and raises a brow even if he knows Soonyoung can’t see his expression.Soonyoung doesn’t say anything to counter him, so Jihoon takes that as a silent agreement.“I’m going to put antiseptic now.” Jihoon announces and Soonyoung nods, positioning the towel between his teeth.Soonyoung lets out a low groan when the antiseptic hits his damaged flesh, his teeth digging into the cloth in his mouth. His fingers squeeze the arm of the sofa as Jihoon begins cleaning the wound. “Deep breaths.” Jihoon says as he inspects the gunshot for damaged muscle or tissue.Minutes feel like hours, and Soonyoung doesn’t know if he feels little to no pain at all, or if he’s feeling so much of it that he’s turned numb. Beads of sweat form on his forehead as he takes deep breaths when Jihoon instructs him to, the towel remaining snug between his teeth.It’s inevitable that Soonyoung can’t help but let out a shaky exhale when he sees Jihoon dispose of another blood stained towel from the corner of his eye. He sees two of them and wonders how much blood he’s lost.It’s ironic that for someone involved in the kind of profession that he was in, Soonyoung didn’t like blood shed. He didn’t enjoy seeing blood. But if it meant losing some for a better, greater cause, then it scares him to admit that he wouldn’t mind.Soonyoung feels relief wash over him when he hears the sound of metal hitting the surface of the coffee table.“Hey, I was able to get the bullet out and good news is that you’re all clean. I just need to stitch you up now, okay?” Jihoon says in an attempt to soothe or if not, reassure Soonyoung.Soonyoung responds with a nod, panting slightly after removing the towel from his mouth. Needles and stitches, he could definitely handle.Jihoon takes the needle and carefully slips the thread through the small hole, before piercing it through Soonyoung’s flesh without warning. There’s a slight intake of breath from the boy in front of him, and so Jihoon does his best to be as gentle as possible.Jihoon is pure talent and focus, his hands impeccable with their handiwork. Jihoon gives the credit to all the practical exams and demonstrations he used to participate in back when he was in medical school. “So, was patching me up your way of saying you're sorry?” Soonyoung asks jokingly when Jihoon finishes up the stitching after cutting off the excess thread.“Perhaps.” Jihoon murmurs before placing a good amount of gauze and tape over the stitch. “You’re good to go.”With the go signal finally being uttered, Soonyoung stretches his neck and rolls his shoulders before straightening his back and sitting front to face the coffee table. He turns his head to check up on Jihoon who has just about finished packing all the equipment back into the first aid kit.“You’re always saving me.” Soonyoung blurts out of nowhere. His mouth often had a habit of running off faster than his brain. “It’s a shame. You would’ve made an incredible doctor.”Jihoon lets out a breathy chuckle and shakes his head, his red bangs brushing the top of his eyebrows. “Maybe. I honestly don’t know. Besides, you and I are both very aware that I can’t go back to that, even if I wanted to.”Soonyoung opens his mouth but closes it immediately when Jihoon cuts him off. “And don’t thank me for “saving” you, Soonyoung, because I didn’t. All I did was fix any damage that you brought upon yourself. You’re the one saving peopleㅡ me, by pushing me out of the way like the idiot that you are.”Soonyoung hums and his lips curl up slightly in amusement. “How is it that even as you compliment me, you still manage to insult me?”“It’s because I’m the kind of being you’ll never figure out, Kwon Soonyoung.” Jihoon says as he leans against the couch, his eyes following the piercings that go along Soonyoung’s left ear.Soonyoung turns himself to the left to fully face Jihoon, before leaning against the backrest of the couch as well. “Don’t cry when I prove your sorry ass wrong. I’m an ex-soldier, a hunter, I always figure things out, even if you’re not on my kill list. But hey, you should give yourself more credit though, Doc.”“Not when I’m the ex-medic stitching up said ex-soldier slash hunter. And please, as much as I hate to admit it, you’re the one doing the real saving around here. Even when we first met.”Soonyoung’s expression changes so quick that it baffles Jihoon how one can switch moods so easily. His tone isn’t light or playful anymore the next time he speaks, but is curious and rather vulnerable, if Jihoon might say so himself.“You sure about that, Ji? Do youㅡDo we even know what saving really is? What it means to be saved?”Jihoon meets Soonyoung’s brown eyed gaze, his grey eyes studying the shape of Soonyoung’s face, his eyes, his nose, his full lips, even his dark hair which had grown longer now during the time they started to know each other. Jihoon’s stare moves lower, flickering towards Soonyoung’s adam’s apple and his collarbones before eventually resting on the black anti-possession tattoo inked above Soonyoung’s left pectoral.Soonyoung was right. Even if they were alive right now, were they truly saved people? With the life that they were living, could they still consider themselves saved if they encountered the damned on the daily? If Death was much too eager to welcome them to its front door?Jihoon looks back up again to look at Soonyoung, really look. Jihoon can feel his heart clench at what he sees. In the seconds he studies Soonyoung’s face he can see that his eyes are sad, burdened, despite the youth that fills his features. For someone in his mid-twenties, Soonyoung has seen, experienced , more than anyone twice his age.“I don’t know.” Jihoon finally answers, because it’s true. He doesn’t know if he’s saved, if he’s truly saving anyone, or if he’s making things any better. The world can be full of crap, and it sometimes overwhelms the good parts of life. Jihoon hopes that even with a cursed occupation like this, he can do something close to saving. It’s what he’s always wanted. It’s why he wanted to become a doctor.But ofcourse, the universe just had to throw him off course and dump him down another path that required a different kind of saving. One that had nothing to do with injections, medications, and stethoscopes, but one that opted to have everything to do with guns, incantations, and more blood than he would’ve imagined on an operating table.“It’s okay if you don’t know. We can’t know everything, well except when it comes to hunting monsters, ghosts, and demons.” Soonyoung says while giving Jihoon a small but sincere smile.“Guess we’ll just have to figure it out together then, dumbass.”“I guess so, bitchface.”“Mm.”The two hunters say nothing to each other as they drink and finish their soup (which has gone lukewarm by now), Jihoon stopping Soonyoung from getting them water and offering to do it himself (“You’re injured. Will you just stay still for once?”).Once they finish their meal (a dinner that is close to a meal as they can get), the two remain silent on the couch. The lingering tension in the air is still around, but none of them break it. Until Jihoon actually does.“I’m sorry, Soonyoung...about today.” Jihoon trails off.Soonyoung turns to him, his eyes growing wide when he finishes putting on a fresh clean t-shirt that he took out from his bag. “What?”“I said, I’m sorry. Okay? For today. I’m sorry I was quick to assume that you were just doing whatever you wanted. And I apologize for not listening to you.”“Jihoonㅡ”“I’m sorry for letting my anger get the best of me to the point that I wasn’t acting rationally anymore or even considering anything else except for my own pride. I’m sorry because I wasn’t able to help save the others. I’m sorry because...they died.”Jihoon refuses to look at Soonyoung, choosing to look down at his lap where he presses his clenched fists against the denim he wears.“I’m sorry, because maybe if I had been a little less stubborn and a little more considerate, maybe the families in that town would have had their children back.”Jihoon grits his teeth and digs his nails into the denim of his jeans. “They didn’t even get to bury them...or have a proper funeral.”Soonyoung scoots closer to rest his hands on Jihoon’s shoulders. “Jihoon, it’s alright. It happens. What’s done is done. We protect as much as we can, we cure as much as we can, we save as much as we can. It’s a horrible truth that we have to bear and it hurts, but we can’t save everyone. What matters is that we’re able to save somebody and we were able to. Those two kids have families to go back to and those teenagers will be back to normal soonㅡ”“I’m sorry you got shot because of me.”Soonyoung freezes. He doesn’t expect an apology about that . He expects Jihoon to berate him (which he already has) but when Soonyoung feels Jihoon’s shoulders tense beneath his palms, he presses his fingers against them to try and relieve the stress.“I believe that one was on me, Ji.” Soonyoung responds in a low murmur before chuckling. “Besides, you said it yourself. I’m all good now. Clean as a whistle.”“What I mean is that you could’ve died too, you dumbass!” Jihoon exclaims with a raised voice, looking up at Soonyoung with glassy eyes. Soonyoung again , does not expect this. He doesn’t expect Jihoon to suddenly react this way.“This is the reason why I was so upset...and angry. I’m…” Jihoon takes a breath and starts pounding his fists into his own thighs, frustration claiming every nerve of his body. “I’m still so fucking angry at you for that.”Soonyoung opens his mouth to speak but Jihoon cuts him off before he even has the chance to reply.“I’m angry because you went off on your own regardless of knowing how dangerous the situation and circumstances were. You knew, Soonyoung. And yet, you still went. And what’s worse is that you dragged Seungcheol into it. God.” Jihoon runs his fingers through his hair as he gathers his thoughts.Soonyoung watches as Jihoon breaks apart in front of him, the smaller boy rubbing away the tears that have begun to fall down his flushed cheeks with the back of his hand.Soonyoung’s gut twists uncomfortably at the sight.Soonyoung wants to wipe Jihoon’s tears away. Soonyoung wants to piece Jihoon back together. Soonyoung wants so much of what he knows he shouldn’t have, so Soonyoung holds himself back.“Just want to give you a reality check, Kwon.” Jihoon spits out after inhaling deeply, looking at Soonyoung with tear streaked eyes and a red-tipped nose.“You might’ve been a soldier before and you might be a hunter, a skilled and deadly one at that. You might have experience with this kind of shit,” Jihoon then points to Soonyoung’s clothed chest. “-you might have that anti-possession symbol tattooed on your chest, but newsflash Kwon Soonyoung. You. Are. Human. ”Soonyoung swallows thickly at Jihoon’s reprimand, at the harsh reality slapping him across the face, but finds that he’s beginning to also understand Jihoon’s side in all this.“And humans die. People die, Soonyoung. And...and I don’t know what I’d do if you did.” Jihoon finishes his last few words with a whisper all while looking back at his hands.It is then that warm hands cup Jihoon’s cheeks, lifting his face gently so his dark grey eyes can look into warm brown.“I’m sorry too, for being reckless. I’m sorry for being stubborn. I’m sorry I scared you, worried you, angered you and upset you. I’m sorry for being a pain in the ass.” Soonyoung murmurs as he presses his forehead against Jihoon’s.Jihoon rolls his eyes and lets out an impatient tsk . “Oh, don’t get me started on how much of an annoying piece of shit you are-”“But I hope you understand too...why I did it, Ji.”Jihoon’s eyes visibly soften at the openness Soonyoung displays. He responds by wrapping his fingers around Soonyoung’s wrist; an invitation for him to continue speaking.“When I saw those kids, all I could think about was Chan.”Jihoon feels his heart squeeze again, the second time that night, as he watches Soonyoung let out a shaky exhale when he closes his eyes.“All I could see in my mind was the image of my younger brother suffering, hurting, turning. And it scared me. I would never want that or anything close to that, to happen to Chan, and so I’d never want that to happen to anyone else-” Soonyoung looks up and blinks away tears from his eyes.“Even you, Ji. Most especially you.”Jihoon feels his heart catch in his throat, but he rubs his thumb along Soonyoung’s inner wrist to comfort him.“I didn’t think about it like that. I didn’t see the situation from your perspective.” Jihoon confesses as he continues his ministrations, his voice becoming more gentle the moment Soonyoung decides to meet his eyes again.“Neither did I see it from yours.” Soonyoung replies before letting out an exhausted sigh, carefully pulling Jihoon into a warm embrace which the smaller boy allows and returns.Their bodies fit like they’re meant to be together, and Soonyoung positions himself and Jihoon in a way wherein he’s resting his back against the couch, and Jihoon is straddling his lap.Jihoon frowns at the excessive movement Soonyoung does with his body, and can’t help but fist at the boy’s shirt to catch his attention.“Soonyoung, your shoulde-”“-is fine.” Soonyoung interrupts sternly while pressing his face into the warm crook of Jihoon’s neck; all while guiding Jihoon’s hands to wrap around his own loosely. “I heal fast.”“Doesn’t excuse you from being a shitty patient.” Jihoon gives a snarky reply, but it counters the way his fingers automatically thread along Soonyoung’s raven hair in delicate motions and strokes.“It’s why I’m a hunter, bitchface.”Jihoon can feel Soonyoung’s lips form into a smirk against his skin. Jihoon scoffs but allows a fond smile to settle onto his mouth.“You forgot to include “idiot”, you dumbass.”
It all happens in a blur, but Jihoon sees how it all goes in slow motion.
It’s a bit late in the afternoon, but Jihoon already has his hands full with a corpse on the dissection table. He wears his usual attire for laboratory class, an oversized white coat over his casual wear consisting of a black shirt, a red plaid polo to match his garnet hair, black jeans and sneakers. His mask covers his face as he presses the scalpel into the body’s flesh, watching as the skin tears open for him to reveal its organs: lungs, a heart, stomach, liver, kidneys- you name it.
The session goes by as per usual, with Jihoon not being aware of the time until their professor tells the the class to write down their final observations and findings.
Jihoon does as he is told, and is just about finished packing his things after covering up the dissected specimen with a cloth, when he decides to take a look outside the window.
Jihoon had a habit of glancing outside during classes; an act he considers a must in order to provide relaxation and leisure for his ever active mind. Though mental exercises involving medicine and biology were important, meditation and balance were also concepts Jihoon savoured. With those in mind, Jihoon allows his gaze to wander off to the trees, grass and skies. His class was currently situated on the first floor anyway, and so Jihoon didn’t mind staying a bit longer admiring nature knowing that he wouldn’t have any stairs to battle on the way out.
Unfortunately, the skies looked rather gloomy for a very late afternoon, and Jihoon couldn’t see much except for an early full moon that had begun to slowly appear against ashen clouds and a forest of trees that seemed to go on forever.
“Yo, Jihoon! We’re gonna grab some drinks after this. Wanna join us?”
“No, you go on ahead. You know I can’t hold my liquor, Junho.” Jihoon says as he watches his classmate stuff thick anatomy books into his bag. “But thanks for the offer.”
Yieun whines at this, putting on her best pout as she places her hands on her hips. Her long hair sways back and forth from her high ponytail as she shakes her head disapprovingly. “But Jihoon! You rarely go out with us. All you do is study. You know, it’s about time you let yourself live a little.”
Jihoon lets out a sigh but smiles anyway. “I really appreciate you two worrying about me and my social life, but really I’m living mine out just fineㅡ”
And that’s when all hell breaks loose.
There’s the sound of shattering glass, screams, howls, and then there’s...
blood.
Everything happens in such a rush that Jihoon has little to no time processing anything. He watches helplessly as werewolves break into their classroom and begin killingㅡ eating, his classmates in front of him.
He sees and hears the sound of snapping bones, the squelch of hearts being devoured against sharp teeth, and crimson covering the once white tiled floors.
Jihoon feels as if he’s lost his voice, unable to render a shout, utter a wordㅡ Jihoon is speechless and frozen and he feels useless, despite everything he’s learned, despite everything that his parents ingrained in his mind.
Tables and chairs are upturned, ripped in half and clawed on and Jihoon curses himself for not being able to do anything.
Jihoon tries to tell himself to be calm as he looks for an exit, his head feeling light from the smell of iron that wafts up his nose. The other werewolves seem to be preoccupied with taking their fill, and so Jihoon takes it as a cue to run.
Jihoon feels dread build up in his chest at the thought of Junho and Yieun but he can only hope his other classmates made it out in time, that they made it out.
As Jihoon maneuvers his way out of the classroom, his eyes meet the lifeless ones of Junho, the boy laying on the floor without a heart and his chest violently ripped open. The white color of bone from Junho’s rib cage peeks along raw flesh and Jihoon wants to cry; wants to mourn as he catches a glimpse of Yieun’s dismembered body close by, her pink intestines on display and her long hair bathed in a puddle of blood that clearly belongs to her.
Jihoon however, is unable to do such thing when he gets ambushed from the front.
A werewolf attacks and pounces on Jihoon, digging its razor sharp claws through his white coat and into the flesh of his left arm; pinning him down as he falls onto the floor. He screams in agony when the pain overwhelms his entire being, blood flowing out of his arm when the claws tear at his muscles and tendons. The stabbing pain makes Jihoon’s eyes water but his anger and anguish overpower his physical suffering.
Adrenaline pumps through Jihoon’s veins as he grabs onto the neck of the wolf with his free hand when it leans in to snap its jaw at his face. Jihoon grits his teeth and he gives a strong kick to its torso using both his legs, making the animal yelp in pain.
With quick movements, Jihoon grabs the silver dagger given to him by his father located in his right pocket, and stabs the creature by the heart just as it attempts to attack him once more. The blade pierces easily and Jihoon lets out a scream of rage as he pushes the silver deeper past fur and muscle, right into the monster’s heart before dragging the blade down agonizingly slow.
The werewolf howls, its body shaking and visibly weakening because of the dagger stabbing it thoroughly. Blood spurts all over Jihoon’s clothes as he watches the animal take its last breath, its large body collapsing on top of him with a thud. Jihoon grunts at the weight and pushes the heavy animal off him with all his might, wincing as its claws tug out of his flesh. More blood drips along his arm in rivulets, but he wastes no time in removing the knife lodged inside the dead wolf’s chest. Jihoon then hurriedly uses his blade to cut the left sleeve of his medical coat with precision and wraps the cloth tightly around his wounded arm to try and stop the bleeding. Still, he doesn’t let go of the dagger, holding it firmly in his right hand.
As Jihoon drags his body out of the classroom and into the hallway, wincing every now and then from his deeply gashed arm, he takes note of how he hears less screams around the area, sees no sign of any werewolves, and...
gunshots?
Jihoon furrows his brows, curious as to where the firing is coming from. Based on how loud the shots ring, he assumes it’s from close by. Nevertheless, Jihoon decides to walk along the hallway to get to the exit of the building instead of figuring out who in the world was firing those bullets.
"It would be better for me to check if anyone is still alive or needs help.” Jihoon thinks to himself, speed walking along the blood stained corridors of the medical building.
Jihoon’s groans become more laboured the further he walks due to the pain in his arm which continues to eat away at his body. With every room he passes, dead eyes and torn limbs are what greet him. No sign of anyone alive. Jihoon’s chest aches but he trudges on, his chest lightening the moment he sees that the exit to the building is a couple of meters away.
Jihoon swallows thickly and his heart races in anticipation as the exit grows closer and closer to him. However, he stops in his tracks when he hears the faint sound of steps approaching him from behind, from the very end of the hallway.
T he steps, heavy and powerful, are getting louder, nearer, in a really short amount of time; and it’s then that Jihoon realizes that whatever is coming…
is running towards him.
Jihoon, with a dagger in his hand and a burst of courage, turns around and sees a large, black wolf sprinting towards him; it’s pupils blown wide and its canine teeth covered in red.
Jihoon tries to remember everything his parents taught him about the supernatural. Never in his life did he think he’d end up facing one of those beings for real, thinking that they were all made up stories they told him as a child, and that his parents were just finding ways to scare him so that he would stop insisting on coming along to their “family business” trips.
But now that Jihoon recalls all the times when his parents would tell him to “stay cautious during a full moon” and to keep a silver dagger with him at all times, he thinks he knows why. One of those reasons is in the form of a predator, starving and ready to devour his heart, and it’s coming right at him.
Jihoon doesn’t know if he’ll survive, but he knows how to fight. What he doesn’t know is if fighting will be useful considering the state he’s in. He’s bleeding from a deep wound and is running on pure adrenaline. Jihoon doesn’t want to die.
In an instant, three sounds are heard consecutively: there’s a gunshot, the sound of a body collapsing on the floor and another set of footsteps approaching.
The werewolf doesn’t even reach an inch of Jihoon before its brain is blown to bits. Jihoon feels goosebumps rise onto his skin as he stares at the unmoving body. He approaches the corpse cautiously before tapping his foot against its head.
"Pure silver. Lycan’s dead.”
Jihoon looks up and discovers that the owner of the voice belongs to a boy around his age, sporting an undercut with his raven hair, and silver earrings that adorn his ears like a constellation of stars. He wears a dark green military jacket over his black shirt, cargo pants and sneakers as he approaches Jihoon in quick strides.
“Excuse me?”
Jihoon’s thankful that he has atleast found his voice again, but it sounds strained and hoarse to his own hearing.
The boy uses his foot to turn the dead werewolf’s body onto its back, before he gently taps the barrel of his pistol against his temple.
“Pure silver bullet to the head. Lycansㅡ”
Jihoon raises a brow. The boy shakes his head and twirls his gun in his hand.
“-also known as werewolves, die from that kind of stuff. Think of it as kryptonite to Superman.”
“I know that, it’s why I haveㅡ”
“That sorry excuse for a dagger? Yeah. I can see that. Kudos to you though, since you know the right kind to keep around.”
Jihoon grits his teeth at the boy’s comment, his fingers tightening around the handle as his temper begins to spike.
“Seems to be the right kind of dagger I need to stab insufferable people like you.”
By then, the mysterious boy had already started walking away, but he stops in the middle of his tracks to face Jihoon again the second he hears the remark thrown at him. His brows furrow and he cocks his head to the right.
“You should be grateful. I just saved your life.”
“I didn’t ask you to.”
Strangely, the corner of the boy’s lips curl up into a playful smirk, seemingly enjoying Jihoon’s annoyed expression.
“Interesting. I’m Kwon Soonyoung.”
Jihoon rolls his eyes and is readying himself for another icy reply when more howls tear through the short lived silence. “Run.”
Jihoon frantically looks left and right, trying to distinguish where the howls are coming from. His heart starts to race again. They seem to be from all over.
“I said run!” Soonyoung shouts, cocking his gun while rushing towards Jihoon, and grabbing his hand to lead him to the building’s exit. Jihoon feels like he’s running a marathon, the muscles of both his thighs and calves burning as if they were on fire.
The full moon glows, greeting them brightly when they push the exit doors open.
"Get out of here and don’t look back. Get to the nearest hospital and get your arm treated.” Soonyoung instructs sternly, but Jihoon shakes his head, confused and disbelieving.
“Yes, you have to. Now goㅡ Shit!”
Soonyoung turns back to face the exit of the building, shooting the werewolves that were following their trail. Soonyoung’s aim is perfect, the silver bullets hitting each wolf right between the eyes the moment they even got close to making it out of the doors.
“I can help.” Jihoon utters between each gunshot Soonyoung fires, to which he turns to Jihoon with a glare.
“Not with that fucking arm you can’t.” Soonyoung scolds, muttering under his breath when he realizes that he’s run out of bullets. “Now go, dammit! Get out of here!” Soonyoung urges.
“Hyung!”
A few meters away stands a young boy (not too far from their age) with light brown hair and wearing a highschool uniform. He holds a small black cartridge in his hand and throws it towards Soonyoung’s direction. Soonyoung easily catches the item, Jihoon observing closely that it’s a fully loaded magazine consisting of most likely, pure silver bullets.
Soonyoung reloads his pistol with expertise but turns towards the young boy who is eagerly awaiting him. “Chan, I told you to stay with baby!” Soonyoung exclaims, gesturing towards a black hooded 1968 Cadillac Sedan De Ville parked a little further down from where the boy stood.
"But hyung! You might need back up!” the boy says with hands cupped around his mouth to increase the volume of his voice.
“I’m fine, Channie! I always am! Now please, for the love of god, will you just stay in the damn car?!”
Soonyoung doesn’t seem to be quite finished, as he suddenly turns towards Jihoon as well. “You too!”
By then, two more ravenous werewolves come out of the exit and Soonyoung’s movements are delayed because of how his mind had been focused on keeping Chan safe. Soonyoung faces front and manages to shoot one of the wolves in the head, but is still caught off guard by the second one that attacks right after.
Soonyoung is prepared for the amount of injuries he’ll most likely sustain from a werewolf attack, but he isn’t prepared for the dagger that flies towards the creature’s head, stabbing it deep in the temple before it even had the chance to get to Soonyoung, and collapsing onto the grass.
Soonyoung stands in shock before turning towards the direction of where the dagger came from, Jihoon having his arm slightly outstretched after having thrown the blade.
“Huh, not bad. You got pretty good aim.” Soonyoung comments, observing how Jihoon himself seems to have been shocked by his own reflexes.
Jihoon doesn’t reply to said comment, walking towards the lifeless body and taking out his dagger from its skull. There’s a slight tug, and when he pulls the blade out, he grimaces as brain matter drop onto the grass. “Told you I could help.”
"That you did.” Soonyoung hums in thought. “Mind telling me if there’s a name that comes along with that bitchface of yours?”
Jihoon inserts the blood coated dagger back into his pocket and looks up at Soonyoung, taking in a nervous breath of relief before responding with a grumble.
“It’s Lee Jihoon, dumbass.”
Soonyoung raises his brows in acknowledgement and nods before he breaks out into a smile and looks at Jihoon with a playful glint in his eye.
“Something tells me that you and I will be seeing each other a lot more often, Lee Jihoon.”