Taeyeon~

Don’t die.

Taeyeon was a journalist. A writer. She usually didn’t have to worry about this sort of thing, surviving. In fact, she was doing a pretty good job at it until now. Once again, she was on the verge of an interesting story. The only difference was that she wasn’t clutching her journal and a pen in each hand. Instead, she was holding a camera gingerly in both hands, turning it this way and that in an effort to understand its functions.

She let out a frustrated breath and threw her head back as she fished out her phone from her jeans pocket. She pressed her speed dial and held the mobile between her shoulder and cheek, pursing her lips in irritation.

“Hello?” a hoarse yet feminine voice came through the phone.

“Tiffany?” Taeyeon sighed, shaking the camera as if that would get it to work. “Are you up?”

“I am now,” Taeyeon’s editor, photographer, and best friend groaned. Tiffany had been sick in bed for the past few days, which was why Taeyeon was currently holding a camera and had no idea what to do with it. “What do you need?”

“How do I use the camera?” Taeyeon pondered aloud, eyebrows scrunching together as she examined the object. There was a long silence before Tiffany finally spoke.

“You realize what you’re using is a disposable camera, right? That’s as simple as it can get!” Tiffany shouted before falling into a coughing fit. “Crap. Gosh, my throat hurts. You see that thing in the corner, at the back? Yeah, turn it.” Taeyeon followed the directions and made a small sound of understanding. “Okay, that’s winding up the film. You have to do that for each picture, okay? Get a good picture of it.” Taeyeon nodded, even though Tiffany couldn’t see her, and promptly hung up.

Taeyeon had been searching for this “it” for two years already, and she had finally managed to track its happenings to center around this abandoned building. This “it” was a demon. Or at least, that was what everyone thought it was. Taeyeon wasn’t sure, but she remembered the first sighting she’d actually had. It was the one that had gotten her interested in the being’s case in the first place. There was an accident at the restaurant-cafe joint she had been chilling at, and when she turned, she saw the beast sprinting through the chaos that had erupted when the people noticed its presence. It stopped right outside the door, and it turned. It looked right at her, she was sure of it. And when their eyes met, her heart started racing. Whether it was with fear or adrenaline or both, she knew that she had to look into the monster’s story

Apparently, its whereabouts were rarely recorded, or even witnessed for that matter.

However, Taeyeon was a professional. She had studied in journalism for a long time, and it got her to this place, right?

There was the soft padding of footsteps and heavy breathing, which caused Taeyeon’s eyes to widen. The most dangerous story she had dealt with was a robbery at a bank, which she had witnessed firsthand. That was also the story that had gotten her brownie points in the publishing company Tiffany worked at, but that didn’t matter at the moment. She had never dealt one-on-one with a supernatural being before. No one for sure even knew if it was actually a monster or some prank a bored college kid was pulling.

But of course, the people craved new things, answers from the press. Unfortunately for her. She had to get a really juicy story if she wanted the readers these days to put down their smartphones and look at her articles. If she was good enough, her stories might be put on the online newspaper!

Taeyeon closed her eyes and took a deep breath before opening them again. As quietly as possible, she shifted from her position behind a large heap of dirt that was left to the side of the construction site around the building.

Oh. My. God. Taeyeon’s pupils dilated as her eyes took in the form standing in front of the building’s entrance. She had never seen him so close and clear. It was amazing compared to the blurry images taken by citizens that were later posted online.

It was definitely a he, wearing nothing but dirty tattered jeans, and he was built, although he wasn’t that tall. Taeyeon couldn't help her eyes from tracing the lines of his abs - yes, abs. His skin was unnaturally pale, even more so in the moonlight, and dark black veins running over his body contrasted with the whiteness of it. As he looked around with clenched teeth, flexing his jaw, Taeyeon spotted his four fangs much like a snake’s. They were as sharp as the claws that took place of his fingernails. His hair was a shocking silver against his already bright skin, the bangs brushing the top of his eyes which were a pulsing jet black that flickered with red as he turned. He was inhuman. He was a beast. But.

He was so perfect.

That was the only way she could describe it.

With shaking hands, Taeyeon raised the camera, her lips parted in shock. Slowly, her finger pressed down on the button. Then the next thing that happened made her drop the camera. He was changing. He was morphing. Taeyeon watched with a mix of horror and fascination as the black veins on his arms faded, and his pale, glowing skin became a bit more milky tan. His red-black eyes gradually shifted to a hazelnut brown, and his fangs disappeared in his mouth. Scrambling for the camera, Taeyeon snapped another picture, but she suddenly realized how loud she had been.

His head snapped over to her, and their eyes met.

“Oh, crud,” Taeyeon squeaked, standing up immediately. She knew that she wouldn’t be fast enough, but she involuntarily took steps back anyways, her eyes never leaving his as the fangs grew out again. “No. No, no, no, not the fangs, please, not the fangs,” Taeyeon whined aloud. She yelped as she tripped over her own two feet, falling to the ground. She hissed as a rock cut her arm, but she was more concerned with the fact that the demon had just appeared in front of her, eyes burning as he stood over her. How could he be so fast?

Oh, wait. Stupid, Taeyeon told herself. He's a demon. Of course he can run faster than you ever did in P.E.

Taeyeon, though uselessly, shifted back, ignoring the pain as her arm slid against the gravel. Might as well die with sass, she thought, raising the disposable camera with her good arm. Yes, instead of screaming as the monster grabbed the collar of her white button-up, pulling her up so that her face was inches from his, she resorted to taking a snapshot of the beast.

“Smile,” she uttered weakly. The eyes she was staring into flashed red. She took one last picture before she felt a blow to her head.

Then the world went black.

Jonghyun~

He hadn’t meant to hit her that hard. Okay, maybe he had, but at least he didn’t draw any blood. Jonghyun hesitated before he scooped up the human bridal style. Human. His heart beat faster at the word. He hadn’t been this close to a human other than Jinki, whom he only met now and then. Jonghyun his lips nervously as he entered the building, prying the camera from the girl’s hands.

She was pretty, with snow white skin and long locks of dark brown hair that fell over her shoulders. Before Jonghyun had knocked her out, he had stared deep into her chocolate eyes, full of curiosity and boldness.

The abandoned building was empty besides a tattered couch and a crowd of boxes in the corner. It was rather dusty, but Jonghyun only came here when he changed forms, so it didn’t matter. He laid the girl on the couch first.

Jonghyun narrowed his eyes at the camera and wondered just how many pictures she had taken of him before. There was no way he wouldn’t have noticed . . . right? Then again, how did she know where he would be when he was a demon?

I’ll confront her when she wakes up, he decided when a strong scent struck him like a frying pan over the head. His nostrils flared as he stepped back abruptly, placing the back of his hand in front of his nose as his eyes flashed red. Blood. Damn it. Jonghyun’s eyes raked over her arm, which had a long cut along the flesh, littered with specks of dirt. Coughing, Jonghyun raced to the kitchen and slammed his arms against the counter, resting his forehead on his forearms. He tried to breathe in the musty smell of the old kitchen, but that didn’t work. Cover it . . . cover it up! Jonghyun threw open all the cabinets before he moved down to the drawers. He nearly screamed with relief when he saw a crumpled rag in one of them.

He had fed today, but it was still hard to maintain himself around human blood.

Quickly yet cautiously, Jonghyun approached the girl again. He swiftly cleaned her wound before wrapping the dirty piece of cloth around her arm. He tied a firm knot before leaning back to appraise his work. When the girl started to stir, Jonghyun nearly tripped over himself trying to get to the shadows of the corner.

Damn, who am I, Jinki now?! Jonghyun pressed his back against the wall. The strange girl moaned slightly, and before she even opened her eyes, her hand went to the back of her sore head. Jonghyun winced when she flinched. Oops. Oh, well.

“Where am I?” The girl paused, looking around the empty room. Jonghyun held his breath as her eyes passed right over him, oblivious. “Stupid Taeyeon. Got yourself in more trouble than you can already be in . . . and where’s my camera?” Jonghyun glanced down at his hand, which still gripped the small device tightly. Of course he had taken it from her. He wasn't an idiot.

Sometimes.

So he guessed her name was Taeyeon, and she was probably talking to herself. Taeyeon shifted before she sat up, noticing her bandaged arm as she did so.

She took the time to examine the securely tied fabric wrapped around her arm. She used her other hand to touch the substitute for gauze gently and hissed as she did so. When she twisted her arm over to view the other side, Jonghyun caught sight of the blood seeping faintly through the thin cloth. He hissed involuntarily and ducked his head, squeezing his eyes shut and breathing through his mouth heavily.

“I-Is someone here?” Taeyeon stammered. She started to talk to herself again. Then she smacked her forehead. “Yeah, Taeyeon, of course he’s so going to answer that,” she told herself sarcastically. She cleared . “Um, Demon-ssi? Wait, are you Human-ssi now?” Jonghyun couldn’t help but chuckle at that. He immediately regretted it, though, when Taeyeon’s vision zeroed in on him. “I’m going to assume that I can talk to you since I’m not dead.”

“Yet,” Jonghyun added menacingly. He was satisfied when she saw her fidget nervously at that. He didn’t like that she hadn’t seemed threatened by his presence, but now she seemed to be at least a bit scared. He let out a humorless laugh as he allowed his fangs to smoothly slide out of his mouth, throwing back his head slightly before he stepped out of the shadows. He watched as she jumped in her seat, startled. Her eyes raked up and down his figure nervously. “It’ll last longer if you take a picture,” he told her wryly, waving her camera around with a crooked grin. She gulped.

“I’m . . . I-I’m Taeyeon,” she breathed. Jonghyun had to give her credit; she was putting effort into looking calm. “Can I at least get your name before you, uh, kill me?” She laughed shakily. Jonghyun sneered.

No, he wanted to retort. “Jonghyun,” he answered lowly instead. He wanted to hit himself. Why had he told her that? He closed his eyes and turned away, taking a deep breath. In doing so, he got a whiff of the rusty sweet scent of Taeyeon’s blood. As discreetly as possible, he took a step back and looked casually at the girl through his silver bangs. He watched her parted lips take in uneven breaths as his fanged leer widened. He tried to regain control of himself, his fingers curling so that his hands were balled into fists. "Now," he continued, hoping his grin wasn't twitching with his struggle. "I'm going to ask this once, and I expect an answer. Understand?"

Taeyeon nodded.

"How the hell did you find me?"

Taeyeon~

How did she find him? Thinking back, tracking down every single place where the demon had appeared and figuring out which stories were fake had been a pain in the .

"Can I have my camera back?" she inquired instead of answering him. His eyes narrowed. “What? At least let me see the shots I got.” His frown deepened as he held the camera higher from her reach, since she had risen her arms to get it.

“It’s a disposable camera. You can’t view them right now,” he snorted. Her hands fell.

“What? Really?” Taeyeon stressed. At his incredulous stare, she became defensive. “I’m a writer, okay? Do you remember that time when you broke into that JYP restaurant with the cafe?”

(A/N: My Angel reference from my first fic :3)

“I . . . I don’t really recall much from whenever I turn. I prefer not to remember,” Jonghyun admitted darkly.

“Well, I was there. Two years? Yeah, it took me two years to find you. I didn’t actually get into your case until after college though.” Taeyeon stopped when she realized she was babbling on about useless things. “I’m twenty-five. Do demons not age? Are you thousands of years old?” Taeyeon couldn’t help her interest. She didn’t feel ashamed when Jonghyun massaged his temples in annoyance; she was used to it.

“No. I’m not a demon. I’m twenty-four,” he answered gruffly. He looked like he regretted telling her as soon as the words escaped his curled back lips. Taeyeon immediately tucked her legs under herself on the couch, leaning forward with a twinkle in her eyes.

“What are you then? A werewolf? You didn’t look like much of a werewolf,” she said eagerly. She felt in her pockets for her tiny journal, which she whipped out along with an always-prepared-pen. Jonghyun scowled. Taeyeon shrugged “What? A journalist always has these on her. Please, I just want to document this sort of stuff before you might possibly murder me.” Jonghyun’s eyes flashed at that comment, making Taeyeon shrink back in her seat.

“I don’t murder, okay?” He spat the word out, his expression disgusted and almost hurt. “I can’t help it. And I’m not a werewolf, you idiot. I’m a half-demon. There’s a difference between that and a full demon. I know, I’ve been living like this since I was sixteen.” Jonghyun took a shaky breath and sat himself on the ground in front of Taeyeon. Though he was at a lower level than her, his posture and aura radiated the confidence of one who could easily overthrow her, and she was aware of that.

She waited patiently for him to finish. “I was six. I can’t remember much from back then, but I remember the eyes. I remember hearing my parents screaming. The demon murdered them and mysister. My beautiful sister, Song Dam, but me? He left me bleeding. I guess he was drunk or something since he didn’t realize that he hadn’t drained me. I’m sure he was drunk if he was stupid enough to break into a family home for a drink. He couldn’t have been that desperate for feeding with people walking along the streets everywhere.”

Jonghyun paused.

“Not that I wanted him to murder other people,” he added hastily. “And I guess full demons can turn humans if they leave them alive. I hadn't realized that back then, but I know now. I realized it partway through living as a demon, and I was worried that I could've changed a few people already since I let them live. But I did some internet searching, and half-demons don't have that power. It was like that with me at first. Nothing changed about me. I went through a few abusive homes for a while, and I managed to get through school.”

Jonghyun squeezed his eyes shut and shook his head.

“I was sixteen when it happened. It was a full moon - pretty cliche, right?” His laugh wasn’t amused. “Every damn time, once a month, there’s a full moon, and I would turn into that beast you saw just a while ago. I guess the demon blood hadn’t spread fully through me yet until then. Or puberty hit me like a .” Jonghyun’s eyes opened, and Taeyeon was relieved to see that they had subsided to their normal shade of brown. “I had to leave the school. I was scared that I wouldn’t know when the monster inside of me would strike. It turns out that I needed blood. I’m some creepy hybrid of vampire and werewolf or something, with a splash of outright demon. I guess I’m an overall sin.”

“I don’t think so,” Taeyeon voiced. “You haven’t killed anyone, right?” Jonghyun was silent, and Taeyeon felt her breath leave her. “Right? Have you?”

“I almost did once,” Jonghyun breathed, the corners of his lips twitching down. “It was the first time I fed.” His head tilted slightly as he stared at the ceiling, as if reminiscing over pleasant memories. “It was my first girlfriend. And my last.” He tossed his silver bangs to the side with a chuckle. “It was crazy. It wasn’t actually the first time I changed. I managed to hold everything down until my junior year, when I dropped out. After school . . . I had detention that day. I was stupid back then; I didn’t know to stay at home on the day of a full moon, so I went to school. I was restless. She stayed back to pick me up, and I couldn’t hold it in. I drained her almost dry, just like that demon had done to me years ago. I thought I had done to her what that demon had done to me, but I wasn’t going to kill her. I had the thought, though, that maybe dying was a better fate than what I had to live through.”

“That’s not true,” Taeyeon protested, eyes wide. She had goosebumps, and her arms were shaking listening to him speak of his past, but she knew that it wasn’t right for him to die. It was obvious that he didn’t mean any true harm on people. Jonghyun looked amused at her outburst. “I mean . . . you shouldn’t die.”

“Yeah,” he mused. “Maybe. I only drink my victims to the point that they faint, that’s all.” That’s all, Taeyeon thought sarcastically in her head, but she didn’t say anything aloud. “I’m usually discreet enough as to not get caught, but sometimes, I lose control of the beast. My ex . . . she lost her memory of the event, thankfully, but I left her as soon as she woke up in the hospital. I also left the school. She visited me once, ing about how I was an ungrateful boyfriend and that she had been cheating on me anyways.” Jonghyun waved his hand around, shaking his head as if he was warding off an annoying bug. “Maybe it was a good thing that my first victim was her.” His tone was joking, but his expression suggested otherwise.

“It doesn’t seem like she’s worth mourning for,” Taeyeon replied genuinely. Though she was really listening to what Jonghyun was saying, she couldn’t help her gaze from flicking to her camera, which he still held in his hand. Jonghyun noticed that, and he smirked.

“You realize that I don’t really tell my life story to my victims, right?” Jonghyun informed her. “I’m going to have to kill you now.”

. . . . . . . . . .

“You can’t!” Taeyeon exploded, jumping up on the couch. She didn’t care if her shoes dirtied the cushions; it was already soiled anyways.

“What do you mean I can’t? I’m half demon,” Jonghyun rebutted, flashing his fangs. “I can do what I want.”

“It’s not my fault you decided to spill your secrets to me. Besides, it’s not like I’ll remember any of what you told me,” Taeyeon lied, hiding her journal that she had scribbled in the whole time behind her back. Jonghyun wasn’t buying it.

“You seemed completely fine with the fate of your life just a while ago. You were going on and on about how I was going to murder you,” Jonghyun commented, spreading his arms in a “what can you do?” gesture. Taeyeon scoffed, her eyes rolling upward as she pressed back against the wall, balancing on the uneven couch cushions.

“I didn’t think you would actually do it. Obviously, you’re not like other demons.” Taeyeon jumped up when Jonghyun’s hand whipped out to grab her ankle, but his reactions were quick. She collapsed on the couch with a plop when he pulled her leg out from under her, and she stared wide-eyed at Jonghyun’s pleased face. Taeyeon propped herself up on her elbows, trying to regain her composure.

“I’ve already fed tonight, some security guard on night shift, but I bet it wouldn’t hurt to have seconds,” Jonghyun began. Taeyeon had a feeling he was going to drone on and on about how he was going to torture her, just like all those cliche villains in the movies, but her hand darted up faster than her brain could process her idea, and moved without her willing it to.

“I can find him,” she blurted, fingers splayed out in a stopping motion. Jonghyun froze with his mouth open, a look of confusion etched across his features. “The demon. Murderer. Thing. From when you were six? I can find him!” Her breaths were coming quickly as her fear for her life rose.

“What do you mean?” Jonghyun demanded hoarsely. His mouth was fitted into a snarl, but his eyes told a different story. They were almost desperate. Taeyeon swallowed.

“I found you, right?” she replied gently, trying to get him to calm down. Her eyes flickered to his hands, which were clenched, and she could see that his claws had grown out. He must’ve noticed, too, since he casually put his hands behind his back. She could still see his clenched jaw, the muscle along the jawline twitching with effort.

“How long would it take?”

“I . . . I don’t know,” she replied honestly, and she continued in her panic. “But! I found you in two years, and I was barely trying.” Lies, lies, lies, Taeyeon thought to herself. Keep lying. Stay alive. “I can find him in no time. Just let me do some research.”

“No,” Jonghyun answered automatically. “I don’t trust you. You’re going to run to a police station, or that girl you were on the phone with.” Jonghyun held up the phone he must have nabbed from her pocket while she was unconscious, the words “Tiffany - missed phone call” notifying her on the screen. Taeyeon scrambled up and tried to nab the phone back, but Jonghyun skillfully avoided her hands.

“Hey! Don’t you want to see if this demon person can reverse what he did to you? I’m sure you’ve attempted to go back to being human many times.” Taeyeon’s confidence grew when Jonghyun’s expression flickered. “Besides, Tiffany’s my editor and photographer. She’s also my best friend.”

“All the more reason for you to tell her about me, which I don’t want,” Jonghyun explained. Taeyeon faltered. That was a good point. “You’re going to stay at my apartment.” He frowned at her bewildered expression. “What, you thought I lived in this sad excuse for a home? This is where I go to hide.” He shrugged, looking like he wanted to say more, but he didn’t.

“That’s not fair! You can’t keep me locked up at your house, you ert!” Taeyeon protested.

“Why do you automatically assume that my intentions are erted? I’m a demon, not some guy at the club.”

“Half demon,” Taeyeon corrected, pointing an accusing fingers towards him. “Half guy who can go to a club.” Jonghyun slapped her hand away. “Hey, I need to do research! And buy food! And get certain girl things!”

“Girl things? Like clothes?”

“You have your time of my month, and I have mine,” Taeyeon said flatly. Jonghyun flushed red and cleared his throat.

“Fine. In return for your life, you have to help me find my parents’ murderers. I will let you go outside, but there are some guidelines. One. You may only leave when I’m with you. Two. You cannot interact with unapproved humans. Three -”

“Oh, please, hurry up. Don’t I get to call Tiffany? She’s literally the only one who bothers remembering my existence,” Taeyeon said earnestly. Jonghyun had probably seen how desperate she was, because he handed her the phone, which she took enthusiastically. He made sure she wasn’t calling the police or anything.

“Hello? Taeyeon! Are you okay? I got scared that the demon thing got you or something,” Tiffany’s sick voice shouted through the phone. Taeyeon closed her eyes and smiled weakly at how accurate her friend was.

“Um, I’m fine, but I think I’m taking a leave. Not from the story, no. I’m moving out of my house and to a different place, because I was wrong about where the demon was. I think it’s farther than we calculated, but it’s still in Seoul.”

“What? Achoo! Is this story really worth moving out for, Taeyeon?” Tiffany questioned stuffily.

Taeyeon paused, staring at Jonghyun’s hard eyes and mouth, set in a grim line. She thought of all the troubles he’d been through, and how much control it must’ve taken him. She imagined how relieved he’d be if he could be normal again, or at least find the person who had murdered his parents. She sighed and stood up from the ratty couch, still holding the phone tightly to her ear.

“Yeah, it’s worth it. It’s really important to . . . anyways, sorry for the late notice, Tiffany. I’ll visit your office about once a week, promise. I’m really close to solving this, but I think another problem just sort of popped up,” Taeyeon clarified as best as she could. “Bye.”

Tiffany hesitated before she sighed. “Fine. Stay out of trouble, please.”

Taeyeon hung up, and then she screamed when Jonghyun grabbed her cell and snapped it in pieces. fell open as she dusted off his hands and let the phone scraps litter the floor.

“Do you know how much that cost?! How is Tiffany going to reach me?! She is going to freak. I am going to kill you - Wait, you’re a demon. I am going to kick your man parts until you cry!” Jonghyun simply rolled his eyes and started to walk out the building.

“You should walk faster. Oh, yeah, and rule number three was this. I can make up as many rules as I want.”

I’m sure I can still strangle a half-demon, Taeyeon thought venomously as her shaking hands rose towards the smug boy’s neck.

A/N:

Yaaa~y! First chapter!

Please comment any questions or . . . comments about the story! It can even be critique, I don't care.

I shall use all the pointers you give me!

By the way, my friend AmeYuki has made a fanfiction!

I convinced her to write one

Hohohoho, here it is, 41 Days

It's an Infinite fic. Please check it out for her!

Thanks for reading!