Lee Hongki walked through the dormitory silently, looking around for the room newly assigned to him. He was given a room before entering the university but yesterday, someone had barged in and made a mess of everything, leaving a note saying ‘Go away’. Therefore, the university had given him another room.

“Lost yet again?” asked a familiar voice.

He turned around to see Yonghwa waving at him, wearing his usual smile. Hongki waved back a little before looking back to the room numbers on the doors. Before he knew it, Yonghwa was standing beside him, peeking at the card number written on the card key in his hands.

Yonghwa looked at him curiously. “You changed rooms?”

Shrugging, Hongki replied flatly, “Obviously.”

The boy beside him nodded before looking around too, searching for the room. They walked until they reached the end of the west wing of the men’s dormitory and found the room on the corner.

“Ah, there it is, room 417,” Yonghwa said, pointing at the last door.

The men’s dormitory is located near the south gate, a huge mansion-like structure, boasting elegance in every piece of furniture inside of it which were selected for their worth as well as the need of the students. The building has two wings, the East Wing or as many would like to call it, the Commoner Wing, and the West Wing, commonly referred to as the Patrician Wing.

Lee Hongki’s room before belonged to the East Wing, the part of the dorms that usually belongs to humans and commoners. Unfortunately, due to the large population of the commoners, the director decided to put him on the West Wing, where noble and pureblood vampires reside.

“You’re lucky,” Yonghwa whispered, looking in awe at the doors that were much more elegant-looking than those in the East Wing given the high stature of the vampires residing in this part of the dormitory. “Many students would die to be here.”

Ignoring the comment, Hongki sauntered toward the last door, swiping the card key before pushing the door open, entering a darkened room. For all that the rest of the dormitory wore a pristine luxury; this room certainly isn’t at all an exception.

The room was filled with pictures and furniture and fabrics from all over the world. There was furniture from every corner of the globe, ranging from exotic items from the tiny islands of the world to paintings by Italian masters.

Even in the dark, he could see the gleam of the silk bed hangings, draping the huge, four-poster bed that had been carved in Venice, the bedposts fairly dripping with carved and gilded angels. From the top of the bed hung hundreds of yards of pale blue silk, and the walls of the room were upholstered with darker blue damask that had been woven in Italy.

Beside him, he heard Yonghwa let out a gasp, obviously stunned at the opulence of the room. He himself stood there gaping. Then last room he had been previously designated to was in its own right luxurious, though it would not compare to this room.

“Wow,” Yonghwa murmured before looking at Hongki. “Can I come here regularly?”

Recovering from amazement, Hongki plainly nodded while switching the lights on, spreading brightness in the dark room, further flaunting the elegance of the room. He noticed his things were already unpacked, as expected from a prestigious university. Silently, in a long-legged pace, he walked to the bed and sat on it before lying down on his back.

He heard Yonghwa close the door before sitting on the small sofa in front of the bed. “Ostentatious, isn’t it? I knew the purebloods and nobles lived this way.”

Sitting up, Hongki gazed at Yonghwa. “Where do we eat?”

Chuckling, the other boy rested his back on the sofa. “I thought you were thinking of something deep but here you are, thinking of food.”

Hongki shrugged. “Just asking, since there’s no kitchen here.”

“Ah, that’s because—“

“Vampires don’t eat, I get it,” Hongki interrupted. “If you don’t mind, I would like to rest," Hongki dismissed, rising to his feet to open the door for Yonghwa.

Pouting his lips, Jung Yonghwa stood from the sofa and went to the door. The boy was about to go outside when Hongki observed him to stiffen. Hongki stood beside Yonghwa and was surprised when outside the door stood two vampires; one was Jonghun and the other a very beautiful girl with slender figure, average height, pale skin and round auburn eyes. She is looking up at Jonghun with eyes in pleading before noticing their presence.

"Oh," the girl muttered, looking directly at Hongki, her eyes more striking than ever when it took a crimson color.

Rather than wondering why a girl is inside the male dormitory, Hongki thought instead, of the reason why Jonghun is talking to this girl. Probably wondering why the girl's attention was diverted, Choi Jonghun slowly turned his dark eyes to the two figures standing on the door across his room.

"Ah, hello," Yonghwa greeted awkwardly though a hint of admiration laced in his voice.

Calming himself, Hongki managed a nod to the two vampires before looking in dismissal to Yonghwa who smiled and went out the door to go the East Wing. He was about to close the door when a hand appeared out of nowhere and stopped it.

The girl's small face appeared on the side of the door before she pushed it open. "Hello, Lee Hongki," was the greeting said in her childish voice, its graceful sound ringing in Hongki's ears.

"Hara," called Jonghun from outside, not moving from his place.

Although the way the name was called held an authoritative tone in them, the girl named Hara just stood there, looking up at Hongki, her serene face suddenly replaced with a mask of resentment, the corner of his lips curving upwards in a sarcastic smile.

"Why is a mere human occupying a room in the West Wing?" she probed, batting her eyelashes at every word.

Frowning, Hongki glared at the girl and said quietly, "It wasn’t my decision."

"Brave, aren't we?" she taunted. “Why have you come here, human?”

Before Hongki could make a retort, an arm grabbed Hara and dragged her outside to the hallway, its owner a tall vampire, his red eyes seething with anger as he looked down on the girl in his arms. "Hara, you're not allowed here," the tall man whispered harshly before immediately vanishing with the girl.

Across the corridor, Jonghun stood staring at Hongki with his dark eyes before sauntering forward. He positioned himself in front of Hongki, the latter stunned at the sad look in the vampire's eyes. Hongki had seen its coldness, its being blank and emotionless, its ruthlessness, its anger, but never this melancholic look in them. They seem to contradict with the perfectly composed expression of its owner.

"Hongki," the pureblood whispered, raising a hand to caress the human's face but Hongki turned his head away, once again reminded that this man had killed his family as well as other human families. From the corner of his eyes he saw the vampire drop his hand.

Looking away, Hongki said in a voice dripping with ice, “Don’t touch me with the same hands you used to kill my family.”

Stiffening, Choi Jonghun looked at the profile of the boy he loved and still love. “You really believe that, don’t you?” he said almost in a whisper.

“I don’t need to believe it.” Hongki turned angry eyes towards the vampire, the hatred in them burning. “It’s true. I saw you,” he spat.

“No, you didn’t,” Jonghun said.

Scoffing, Hongki stared at Jonghun with animosity in his dark brown eyes. “Are you trying to explain now?” He snorted. “Nothing you will ever say would bring back my family. Until that happens, I would never forgive you,” he declared with finality, holding tightly on the edge of the door.

The vampire’s raven black eyes turned a bright red in anger, hand moving quickly to the back of Hongki’s neck, pulling the human closer. Jonghun’s arms slid around Hongki’s waist, his head lowering to nuzzle the human’s neck. Softly, he planted a kiss on the pale skin, the latter shivering in response, before facing Hongki’s flustered expression. “Hongki, can’t you trust me?” he murmured gently before his half-lidded eyes moved to gaze at the human’s lips.

Swallowing, Hongki raised his hand to Jonghun’s chest, aiming to push the vampire but the latter held both his hands and planted a soft kiss on his surprised lips. “I’ll wait for you,” Jonghun whispered before disappearing lightning-fast, leaving Hongki confused.

“Hey! Stop racing on the corridors!” yelled a professor, glaring sharply at every student running along the wide hallways.

Knight University was bursting with life as students hurry to the open grounds, excited by the fact that the charismatic leader of the vampire society has made an appearance and is now touring the university. Kim Heechul had always been a figure that is both feared and admired. His charm never fails to attract attention thus causing a commotion to the usually silent university.

Lee Hongki heaved a sigh, shaking all thoughts of last night away and looked around him impassively. He would look like a statue in his slow pace compared to the rushing students. I get it, Kim Heechul is indeed charming, but isn’t this an exaggeration?

“That was some deep sigh,” commented Yonghwa, curiously observing Hongki’s indifference. “Are you not at all fascinated by Kim Heechul? Everyone is, even vampires themselves. It is rare for him to go out after all.”

Rolling his eyes, Hongki ignored the comment and went inside the classroom, not at all surprised to see it empty. How could he even think of Kim Heechul when his mind is already full of other thoughts? His cheeks turned a bright red as memories of the way Jonghun’s familiar lips touched his own gently flooded his mind. Hongki bit his lips, hoping to divert his thoughts away from Jonghun.

He sat on his seat next to the window and calmly stared outside while his mind finally wandered to Yonghwa’s words yesterday: that there is a boy Jonghun was constantly seen with. The boy’s name was Jaejin according to Yonghwa. Although the name is not in itself rare, the fact that it is connected with Jonghun made it conspicuous enough for him to suspect that it might be his brother.

The scene he vaguely remembers flashed before him, the day his family was murdered. They were lying on the soft ground, all covered with blood. The first thought that came to his mind then was to rescue them but he was stricken when he saw Jonghun kneeling beside Jaejin, his face buried in his younger brother’s neck. He waited for Jonghun to look at him, to offer an explanation, and yet, when his former friend turned crimson eyes toward him, blood on the corner of his mouth, he felt that there is no explanation needed. His young mind had concluded that it was Jonghun’s fault.

Hongki closed his eyes. Had he been wrong? But if ever Jaejin is alive, it wouldn’t exactly mean that it wasn’t Jonghun who slayed his family. He opened his eyes then, stunned when his eyes met a pair of shocking red eyes.

“Hello, Lee Hongki,” the vampire greeted softly though its velvetiness appeared to be fictitious. The man is sitting gracefully on the armchair in front of Hongki, staring inquisitively at him.

Taken aback, Hongki gaped at the vampire before him. “K-Kim… Heechul.”

The smile on the vampire’s striking face turned into a grin.

“You’re saying?” Jonghun asked Wonbin, the expression on his face clearly exhibiting his usual uninterested façade as he stared at his friend’s flashing brown eyes, not minding the annoyance in them.

Groaning, Wonbin smacked his own forehead. “You never pay attention, do you?” he snarled at the other vampire.

Shrugging, Jonghun went back to playing with his iPhone, concentrating deeply on the game he just downloaded. Of course he had heard whatever Wonbin was saying but it somehow makes him wickedly happy to make his friend repeat his statements by pretending he’s not paying attention.

On his side, he heard Wonbin sigh—an obvious declaration that he had won.

“So I was saying that Heechul had come and isn’t it proper for you to greet him? After all he was the one who—“

“Stop,” Jonghun interrupted, pressing the home button on his phone before looking up at his friend. “Don’t you have a class? You’re disturbing me.”

Scowling, Wonbin snatched his phone from his hand in a lightning motion. “Playing Candy Crush again? Really Jonghun?” his friend asked sarcastically, raising an eyebrow at him.

Jonghun snatched his phone back and glared at Wonbin. “Go away.”

“You’re like a child sometimes,” Wonbin murmured. “You could at least greet him, you know. But I guess your enormous pride won’t allow you even that, huh?”

Frowning, Jonghun leaned back on his armchair and tapped his fingers on the desk noisily while Wonbin rolled his eyes and said, “It won’t work this time. Stop your habit of tapping your fingers when you’re dismissing someone, will you? It’s pretty annoying.”

Jonghun smirked. “That’s its purpose, idiot.”

Wonbin was about to make a retort when the door to the classroom they are in suddenly burst open, with Hara frantically looking around. “Did someone saw Heechul?” she asked impatiently, tapping her feet.

Wonbin’s eyes darkened slightly before asking quietly, “Isn’t he on the grounds?”

Goo Hara scowled before looking away. “He disappeared.” She snapped her fingers. “Just like that.”

“Hara!” screamed another girl from outside. “Someone saw him in room 302! Come on!”

The impatient look on the face of Hara vanished as she hurried outside, waving slightly at her two friends inside the classroom. “Bye!”

Shaking his head, Wonbin clicked his tongue. “I’d bet she’s dying for a bedtime story again. She’s always fascinated with purebloods.”

But Jonghun wasn’t listening. Something about the room number where Heechul is bothers him. It is not Heechul’s character to roam around the campus merely to tour the classrooms. Not even once has he stepped a foot on any of the buildings. So why is he—?

His eyes widened a fraction. Hongki!

“Tell me, Lee Hongki, why did you come back to Seoul?” Kim Heechul asked quietly, crimson eyes probing.

Hongki sat still, wondering why the pureblood had come to see him. For someone who has a very high status in the vampire society, Kim Heechul should be occupied enough to bother with a mere human like him. Although a part of him somehow feels awe for this man, another part of him wants to cringe in the corner at the ruthlessness he sees in the pureblood’s eyes.

His eyes wandered around the classroom, looking for Yonghwa but the boy is sitting on the chair on the farthest corner of the room, eyes unfocused and staring blankly into space.

He heard a chuckle from Kim Heechul. “Oh, don’t you worry about him. He’s fine.”

Hongki froze. He had heard of it but never believed it. The Coven is the most powerful, elite soldiers of the vampires, headed by their commander-in-chief, Kim Heechul. It was rumored that all twelve members were gifted, that is, each of them is bearing a special ability rare among vampires. And from what he had heard, this is what Heechul’s ability is, to daze people into stillness.

He had never thought that those rumors would actually exist in reality.

“You left Seoul ten years ago,” Heechul stated flatly, as if this particular topic disinterests him. “Scared, you ran to the secret association of vampire hunters and escaped to Tokyo with their help. For the first years of your stay there you lived suspicious of the people around you, unable to trust anyone after experiencing betrayal.” The pureblood’s crimson eyes flared at the last word before continuing, “In fact until now, you are still unable to fully trust another being.” Smirking, Kim Heechul leaned in; his perfectly smooth face an inch away from Hongki’s. “Why is it, Lee Hongki?”

Blinking, Hongki leaned away, stunned that the vampire knows these information. He told no one that it was Jonghun who killed his family so he’s asking himself how this stranger seems to know everything about him.

Kim Heechul rose to his feet and sauntered to Hongki’s side, his fingers grazing the human’s stiff shoulders as he walk pass him. He leaned down, pressing his cold lips against the human’s ear and murmured softly, “He suffered because of your foolishness. No matter what happens, you can never have the right to be beside him.”

“I don’t get what you mean,” Hongki said in confusion.

Heechul grabbed the human’s much fragile arms and pull him up to his feet before looking at him in an insulting way. “I wonder what he saw in you, when you’re nothing but an untrusting nonentity. Should I tell you Lee Hongki,” Heechul asked contemptuously. “How you’re lack of trust almost killed Jonghun?”

“Killed?”

The vampire leaned in, and to Hongki’s ear he whispered, “Jonghun didn’t kill your family.” A low chuckle emanated from the pureblood’s chest. “I did.”

Hongki’s eyes widened. No! I can’t be wrong! Memories flashed before him. How someone told him a vampire is after his family, how he saw with his own eyes as Jonghun stood there in the middle of the forest, his slain family before him, how he accused Jonghun of being a murderer. Those painful memories showed before his eyes like knives stabbing furiously on his chest.

“Now you know what you have done.” Kim Heechul laughed sarcastically before leaning close to Hongki’s ear. “Jonghun tried to kill himself for more than ten times because of your mistrust. I want you to remember that.”

The vampire raised a hand to grip Hongki’s face but was stopped by a pale hand. Confused, the vampire turned to see who halted him only to see Jonghun’s furious red eyes; the latter’s fingers digging into Heechul’s arm.

Although his eyes wore an angry expression, the words that came out of Jonghun’s lips were icy, “The only one who can touch Hongki is me.”

~8~

Author's Note:

We meet again! I'm so happy I was able to update today, phew! If there are any mistakes, it's all on my part. I was wondering if things are happening very fast but I'm too happy to worry (Because I like the last line, ha ha, possessive Jonghun all the way!) Anyway leave your comments below please?  See you next update!~