Sooyoung was walking aimlessly around the school, not sure if he should feed or stay starved. On one hand, staying starved would make him weaker, but on the other hand, if he fed now, it would risk him getting caught. With his brother on a frenzied bloodlust somewhere in town, it was easier for him to get caught by local authorities and lock him away in a psychiatric ward for something he didn’t do. Instead, he wandered and loitered around, his footsteps barely audible to human ears. His eyes shone a dark red, almost black. It expressed what he felt clearly. He was hungry, no, not hungry, he was starved. He would have ventured into the forest to hunt for something to eat, but there wasn’t a forest nearby in the small, dismal town. Unknowingly, a loud snarl erupted from his chest, spouting through his lips. He was hungry, and it was taking its toll in him. Sooyoung heard something, and his ears perked up, his head tilting to the direction of the source. Distantly, he heard the bouncing of a ball. It seemed to come from the basketball court.

“Someone’s still in school? It’s late at night already,” he muttered to himself as he cautiously made his way to the basketball court.

In his moment of hunger, he had completely forgotten who was who and was not aware of the bulky, muscular boy who was shooting hoops at this time in the night. His abnormal senses were dulling into that of a human’s, but his eyes were shifting uncontrollably now. The red irises sharpened in colour when he spotted the basketball player. Subconsciously, his canine teeth sharpened and lengthened, and there was a dull throbbing in his gums as his predatory needs overtook his body. Sooyoung’s eyes stared at the boy from the darkness in the corner, his feral eyes darting back and forth from the boy’s limbs, to his heart. The tantalising idea of tearing the boy apart and feeding on his flesh was overwhelming him and he found himself shuddering at the thought. And so condemned he was, as his agile feet moved with incredibly blinding speed towards the unaware victim. But as the dim light fell on the boy’s face, his feet stopped and his mind faltered.

“Yuri,” Sooyoung’s voice was low and dangerous, having snapped out of his bloodlust.

Yuri seemed to have heard Sooyoung’s voice and whirled around to his voice, shocked.

“You were watching me all this time?” Yuri asked harshly as he wiped the sweat of his forehead with a small towel hung around his neck.

With much difficulty, Sooyoung’s eyes reverted back to their natural colour. By the tone of his voice, Sooyoung realised that Yuri was spoiling for a fight and in the condition he was now, there was no way Sooyoung could win without ripping the young boy apart. He instantly regretted alerting the boy of his presence.

“I was in the corner, watching the captain play,” Sooyoug decided to just play along.

“You mocking me?” Yuri’s eyes narrowed dangerously.

Sooyoung just blinked, staring at Yuri with an amused expression in his eyes.

“You are,” Yuri snarled under his breath. “That’s good. I’ll teach you two things in one lesson. One: never mess with me. Two: never touch my Jessica.”

“Make that three; never touch your basketball.”

“Wrong move, Choi,” Yuri gritted his teeth and charged at Sooyoung.

Sooyoung easily dodged Yuri, moving to his side just as Yuri was about to touch him. Yuri was tough and relied on strength, whereas Sooyoung was quick on his feet. Again, Yuri barrelled himself at Sooyoung, but this time, Sooyoung manoeuvred the attack, using Yuri’s speed as an advantage. He tripped the boy, and Yuri fell flat on the floor. Spitting, he decided to open punches and kicks at Sooyoung, one of them getting at his rib and the other snagging him underneath the chin. Sooyoung’s ability was diminishing with the energy he was putting into the fight, but he was able to sweep Yuri off his feet. With the adrenaline pumping in his veins, Sooyoung lost control of his eyes and they didn’t hesitate to shift in colour. The warm brown morphed into the reddish, black eyes of a monster. Yuri saw it this time, and he backed away, shielding his head with his arms.

“What—what are you?”

Sooyoung’s voice was soft, yet sorry as he answered. “A freak.”

He rammed a fist in his face, knocking his opponent unconscious, lying sprawled on the basketball court. Carefully, he picked Yuri up, trying to avoid as much contact with his as possible. It disgusted Sooyoung, and he laid Yuri on one of the seats of the bleachers. Yuri was still out cold, but would come around soon. After forking around for some ice, Sooyoung gently placed the ice-pack on Yuri’s bruised face. As he left the basketball court, he touched his own face gingerly, and winced at the pain in his sore rib. He decided to wander in town instead, not having an actual place to stay, and he didn’t find the need to; sleeping anywhere he could find. After treating to his wounds, he fell asleep, uncomfortably, on a rooftop. Hunger made him vulnerable to human illnesses, and he hoped that it would not rain till the following morning. Maybe he would have to skip school after all.

Readers’ Note:

Yuri and Sooyoung fought! Let me explain something. Sooyoung used to be ‘holy’ before he failed his mission and is being punished until he can prove himself to the other angels. In his punishment, he is forced to live as a monster, a demon, devoid of emotions and dreams. If he is hungry, he will be living like how a human does, and is vulnerable to human threats. He cannot be killed, but will heal much slower and will feel the pain as a human does. And…@Aite1234: wish granted. ;)

Thank you for reading!

Yours Faithfully
Jazzign