Though he had a changed opinion of these vegetarian vampires, perhaps even sharing a vague impression of friendship with one of them, natural instinct still sent Siwon’s hair standing, his muscles tensing upon the pungent scent filling his nose. He spun around, spotting the party of four vampires striding towards their direction.

`SW: Chwang.

`CM: I know.

“Siwon?” Kyuhyun asked, stopping in his steps to follow Siwon’s line of sight. “Some friend you see?”

`SW: Bring him somewhere.

“Siwon?” Kyuhyun called again.

“Yeah. I see someone I know.” Siwon turned back, pulling a strained smile to his face. “Can you go to the library with Changmin first?”

“Library?” Kyuhyun frowned confusedly, glancing towards Changmin. “I thought we were going to the café.”

“That’s right, café café.” Changmin pulled Kyuhyun by the arm. “Let’s go first. I’m thirsty!”

“Alright!” Kyuhyun whined at Changmin’s harsh tug, but made no attempt to pull away from his friend. “We’ll see you at the café then, Siwon!”

Siwon hummed in response, right before he turned around to meet the vampires.

“Nice to see you again, Siwon-ssi.” Leeteuk greeted with a polite smile, as though he didn’t see Kyuhyun just walking away from them. The other stronger-looking one beside him was however staring right behind Siwon, towards the direction where Siwon was sure Changmin was dragging Kyuhyun in. 

“This is Kangin.” Leeteuk introduced, pointing towards the guy Siwon was observing. The vampire didn’t even spare him a glance. “Henry.” Leeteuk tilted his head at the young vampire on his right, who unexpectedly bowed at him. “And Zhoumi.”

“Hey Siwon.” Zhoumi greeted casually, but the look in his eyes seemed to convey an uncertain sense of pity.

Siwon gave a brief smile to Zhoumi, before looking sternly towards Leeteuk. “I suppose you all aren’t here for me,” he said, unintended hostility breaking through his calm mask. He knew this day would come eventually but no matter how much he tried to prepare himself, he wasn’t prepared for it.

“Yes, we’re here for Kyuhyun.” Leeteuk answered, the smile on his face never falling.

“Has he finally regretted his decision?”

“Actually, no, though he took it to the extreme for it.” Leeteuk frowned, seemingly unsatisfied with his choice of words. “Our family made a decision to bring Kyuhyun back for him instead.”

“Extreme?” Siwon repeated skeptically. “What kind of extreme that requires a bunch of vampires to interfere in the matters of love?”

“He tried to commit suicide.” Leeteuk answered calmly.

Commit suicide? Siwon wanted to ask how, but the surprise from the development of events prompted him to turn to his informant instead.

“You only said he was missing.” Siwon directed the statement at Zhoumi, suddenly realizing how accusatory it sounded even to himself. Would it matter if he knew? Would he willingly give Kyuhyun up just because of that? Siwon knew he wasn’t a saint, so why was he trying to act like one?

“Sorry. We only just found out what hyung was trying to do and brought him back.” Zhoumi replied with a guilty expression, one that made Siwon felt like apologizing instead.

“So he’s fine now?”

“Unconscious, but he will be fine.” Leeteuk smiled thankfully at his concern. “Will you let us talk to Kyuhyun please?”

Logic urged Siwon to agree – Kyuhyun belonged to Sungmin in the first place. Even now when they were supposedly together, it was because Kyuhyun thought that he was Sungmin. He was a replacement, albeit a willing one, but when the original came back, he should immediately leave the picture.

However, the images of Kyuhyun’s smiles prompted the selfishness in him to overtake instead. “Wouldn’t it be better if Kyuhyun never knows?” He muttered, recalling what Mr. Cho had said outside the hospital ward when Kyuhyun woke up without memories. They both didn’t want Kyuhyun to have to go through the bad memories again, but there was one difference – a part of Siwon wanted to keep his love to himself; he was being selfish.

“ing bastard!” The vampire named Kangin yelled at him, taking a step to lunge at him.

Siwon’s arms instinctively shot up to protect himself, but before Kangin could reached him, Zhoumi had his arms locked around the older vampire, only to be flung off the ground in the next moment.

“Zhoumi!” He rushed to help the slim vampire up from the ground, along with Henry, ignoring the other students who had stopped to look at the commotion.

“Kangin, calm down.” Leeteuk placed a hand over the panting vampire’s shoulder, and Kangin visibly calmed down, the clenched fists and tensed shoulders relaxing. The angry expression transformed into one of concern as the vampire took an uncertain step towards them. “Sorry, I’m sorry, Zhoumi.”

“I’m fine, hyung. It’s nothing.” Zhoumi reassured as he rotated his shoulder. “I’m okay. Thank you.” The vampire smiled at Siwon, giving him a light pat on the arm.

Sighing at the gathering crowd around them, Siwon ruffled the hair on the back of his head, before gesturing at the vampires to follow. “Let’s talk somewhere else.”

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

“Are you okay?” Siwon leaned against the ledge, taking the initiative to break the silence that had fallen in between him and Zhoumi. “There was no need for you to defend me just now.”

Zhoumi looked far towards the skyline, replying softly. “Perhaps. Kangin hyung is really strong, but I guess I was an idiot. You’re strong too.”

Siwon turned slightly, throwing another glance at the three vampires waiting for them to finish their conversation at the back. “They can hear us from there, no? Your hyung isn’t going to like you praising me.”

The vampire turned to him with a smile of faint amusement. “It wasn’t a praise. It’s an acknowledgement.”

Siwon let out a short chuckle, before turning serious again. “So? Convince me.”

“You sound like you want me to.”

“Half of me do, Zhoumi. You know the situation. Kyuhyun thinks I was the one he forgot…” Siwon couldn’t help the bitterness in his tone. “He wouldn’t have gotten together with me otherwise…”

“You should have cleared things up with him.” Zhoumi said, repeating what Siwon had heard from the vampire more than two weeks ago.

“I know. Everyone tells me that!” Siwon exclaimed exasperatedly, before lowering his volume. “I just… couldn’t. That look on his face was so… heartbreaking. I just want him to be happy.”

“The look on Sungmin hyung’s face today was heartbreaking too.” Zhoumi shook his head. “H-He… begged us to let him die.” The vampire’s voice broke, sadness piercing through the composed front he always kept up. “I was the same as you. I just couldn’t.”

“He made his own decision about their relationship, Zhoumi.” Siwon placed a tentative hand on the vampire’s back. “You don’t have to feel guilty about not being able to help him.”

“That doesn’t mean I don’t feel so. Aren’t you the same? Feeling guilty for not being able to help Kyuhyun?”

“I promised him.” Siwon remembered the boy crying in his arms, the sobs calling for help in place of his voice. “I should feel guilty. I don’t know how I should help him.”

“Do you think our family shouldn’t be meddling with Sungmin hyung’s decision?” Zhoumi asked, a question that sounded like one the vampire had asked himself repeatedly.

“I understand why, but love should be decided by the ones in love themselves, no?”

Zhoumi smiled. “You just convinced yourself, Siwon.”

Realizing how he had just contradicted his thinking with his actions, Siwon couldn’t help but laugh. “You’re a sly one, Zhoumi.”

“I… merely point out the truth to people. Though I could hardly see the truth when it comes to myself.” Zhoumi turned back to the scenery, but Siwon could sense the sadness even without eye contact.

“What do you mean?” He prompted, wanting their conversation to be more of a sincere exchange than a mere persuasion.

“Before I met Kyuhyun, I already knew Sungmin hyung was falling for this human boy from their exchanges he described to me. It was a weird feeling when I met him, but I felt an overwhelming need to protect Kyuhyun. I thought I’d fallen for that kid…” Zhoumi admitted, smiling to himself. “But when I saw how Sungmin hyung was this morning, I finally realized the one I had fallen for was my own hyung all along. It was jealousy maybe, yet I wanted to make hyung happy by keeping Kyuh