Jonghyun~

For the hundredth time that day, Jonghyun let out a huge sigh. IU looked up from her paperwork at the front desk as Jonghyun went through the cabinet files, head bowed.

“Jonghyun oppa . . . are you okay?” she inquired. Jonghyun glanced up from the folders and smiled half-heartedly.

“Yeah. I guess I’m just tired. I had to get up pretty early for the emergency,” Jonghyun muttered. He could tell that IU sensed the lie, but she didn’t push it.

“Well, everything’s under control now,” Doctor Jung as he stepped out of the back room. He eyed Jonghyun suspiciously. “How’s Taeyeon doing?”

Another sigh. “Fine. She’s at home - I mean, my apartment right now.” Taeyeon probably didn’t view his place as home anymore, if she ever did. Jonghyun knelt down and began petting Rudolph, who nuzzled into his palm affectionately.

“I see,” Doctor Jung noted. When Jonghyun looked up, both the doctor and IU were staring at him curiously.

“What? What’s so-?” Jonghyun was cut off by the ringing of his cell phone. He hissed in annoyance and pulled it out of his pocket, checking the caller ID. His manager at SM. “What do you want?”

“Rude,” his manager grunted. “Can you head over here for a few quick shots? One of the models is having a sassy attitude right now. Idiot. He’s only here with minimum pay; we don’t need him.”

“What about me?” Jonghyun prodded.

“Let’s see. Get over here.” Then he hung up.

Jonghyun glared at the screen before waving to Doctor Jung and getting his stuff. “My other job needs me. Um, you guys don’t, right?” After he confirmed that, Jonghyun called for Rudolph to go.

“And Jonghyun?” IU said softly. Jonghyun held back yet another sigh and looked at her. “Don’t screw up things with Taeyeon . . . uh, you’ll regret it.” Unsure of what to say, Jonghyun simply nodded. He felt a little off on his walk to the SM building, ignoring the whispers of a few people who recognized him.

For some reason, he sensed that something wasn’t right. As soon as he made it to his next job, he pulled out his phone again, ready to dial Taeyeon.

“I’m sorry, but there are no dogs in the building,” the lady up front said before he could call. Jonghyun narrowed his eyes.

“I’m Kim Jonghyun,” he retorted. The lady’s eyes flashed.

“Many of the people here are very sensitive to fur, so I’m afraid you’ll have to leave your dog outside,” she warned him. Jonghyun shook his head and pressed the call button, turning away from the nuisance.

It went straight to voicemail.

Heart starting to pick up pace, Jonghyun called his apartment phone. Nobody picked up. Jonghyun turned around to the front desk and slapped his hand on the table.

“Tell my manager that he can find another model. I’m taking myself and my dog home, no matter how many models they need fill-ins for,” he declared briefly. The woman’s eyes widened.

“Wait! You can’t-!”

Jonghyun had already taken off, Rudolph barking excitedly at his heels. There had to be an explanation as to why Taeyeon wasn’t picking up. Maybe she decided to be rebellious again, and her phone died in the process. Maybe she was just staging a rebellion and was still home.

The apartment seemed a lot farther when he was trying to get there as quickly as possible. Jonghyun gasped in relief when he saw a note left for him at the front entrance.

Then I’m off to Jinki’s - possible demon evidence? He probably already told you, though. -Taeyeon

“Why didn’t Jinki tell me?” Jonghyun breathed, pushing his hair from his face. He traced Taeyeon’s handwriting unconsciously, staring at the paper until he decided to go to Jinki’s as well. He wouldn’t tell her that he was concerned. He would just say that he stopped by to check out the evidence.

That sense of dread still weighed down on him, though, no matter how many times he tried to convince himself that everything was fine. Jonghyun remembered the way to Jinki’s place, and when he arrived at the door, no one answered.

Worried, he went from ringing the doorbell to knocking. He knocked harder after a few minutes, shouting for Jinki and Taeyeon. He didn’t even care if the neighbors saw him; he kicked open the door. Jonghyun immediately shut it, racing around the house. He couldn’t smell any sign of Taeyeon, no proof that she had ever stepped foot in here.

Then where was she?

Finally, Jonghyun got to the last door at the end of the hall, mouth falling open as he saw what lined the walls. Pictures. Articles. Cut-outs. All of Jonghyun and Taeyeon and demons.

“What the hell?” Jonghyun whispered. Was he trying to help track the demon or . . .? Jonghyun’s fist slammed on the wall, next to the notes that were written on the whiteboard. His eyes ran across the messages, some obviously written on separate days. The writing was getting progressively more frantic, desperate.

I have to tell them the truth. I’ve been lying to Jjong for years already . . .

Taeyeon might just be the answer to all our problems. But that’s another problem for me.

I don’t think he can forgive me if he finds out.

I can’t let him find out.

They found a piece of evidence. And they’ll find more.

Torn between guilt and truth . . . but what is right . . .?

I want to find an answer, but one that won’t hurt me, too!

He was close to drinking her all . . . could that happen to me? What if I ran into one of them . . . what if I got too close?

Plans, I hear their plans. They tell me their plans. I can’t interfere with their plans. Even if their plans interfere with me.

Right? Wrong. Wrong, wrong, wrong. Three wrongs make a right.

Jonghyun’s eye twitched. Wrong . . . what was wrong with Jinki?

I’m sorry. I’m sorry. But I don’t deserve forgiveness.

Then over and over, the words sorry was scribbled across whatever space was left. Jonghyun’s eyes traveled to the bottom of the board, where small handwriting went across the space.

I’m a liar. I’m a murderer. I’m a horrible best friend. I’m a sad excuse for a human . . . I’m a demon.

Jonghyun read that line over and over, feeling hollow. If Jinki was the demon, and Taeyeon was with him . . . His breathing was getting quicker, breaths shorter. Jonghyun turned around to the opposite wall, staring at the picture of a green and black image. It was a clip of the video Taeyeon had taken in the alley, the night they caught the demon on camera.

How had Jinki gotten those clips?

Jinki had circled the picture with a red marker. A bold arrow pointed to the next line.

She will know. Silence is the answer.

Jonghyun choked back an angry sob. How had he not seen all this? How could he have let her go like that? Jonghyun stumbled outside the room, vision going red. He felt his fangs slide out and pierce his skin in his frustration.

He had to find Jinki.

He had to find Taeyeon.

Taeyeon~

When had she knocked out? Taeyeon’s eyes slowly opened, her vision blurry until it could adjust to the darkness. She groaned, feeling a dull throb in the back of her head.

“Sorry. I had to inject you with something,” Jinki voice broke through the haze. His once comforting tone seemed sinister to Taeyeon now. She straightened immediately.

“Inject me? With what? Demon blood?” she hissed. Jinki chuckled.

“So you figured that out? That I purposely kept Jjong alive by doing that, unlike my other victims?” Jinki flicked on a flashlight, and Taeyeon saw that they were in the abandoned building she had first met Jonghyun in.

Why do I end up with a demon in this place all the time?

“You’ve been asleep for a while. I drugged you, that’s all. It’s probably almost midnight,” Jinki commented. He sighed. “I was a young demon, and I was abandoned by my parents back then. I didn’t know what I was doing. I only knew that Jonghyun had approached me on the playground, so I knew his scent.” Jinki closed his eyes, turning the flashlight towards Taeyeon.

She winced and turned away from the blinding glare.

“So I tracked it, involuntarily, to his home. It wasn’t until I had finished off his sister that I regained my senses,” Jinki said. “But my demon moved on to Jonghyun anyways. I didn’t drain him, but I knew he wouldn’t survive. I thought, won’t my blood help him live? But I suppose to him, my blood just ruined his life.”

Taeyeon stared at Jinki, mind racing, trying to process. So was Jinki the bad guy . . . or not?

“I don’t understand. Why did you keep this from him? Why didn’t you help us with a solution? Why are you doing this to me?” Taeyeon whispered, struggling against the rope around her ankles and wrists. She was on the couch where she had once been “interviewed” by Jonghyun.

“I tried to find a way. You have no idea how much effort I put into trying to get Jonghyun back to normal, even using my blood in a sacrifice,” Jinki snapped, dropping the flashlight on the ground. Taeyeon winced as a sharp crack sounded. The light still worked, but the shadows made an eerie shape with the break in the glass, moving as the flashlight rolled.

“What good is it to trap me here, Jinki? Just tell Jonghyun. He’ll understand,” Taeyeon begged, sitting up. She screamed when Jinki was suddenly beside her, shoving her back down with the clawed hand she saw in the video.

“Stay down,” he ordered through gritted teeth. “I’m thinking here.”

Taeyeon obeyed, shrinking away and into the couch.

“I considered killing you. It would’ve been so much easier,” Jinki admitted, turning away. “But then I saw how Jonghyun was getting so attached. And how you guys liked each other.”

Despite the severity of the situation, Taeyeon thought, Jonghyun likes me?

“You have no idea how much Jonghyun will hate me when he finds out. I grew up with him. I know how much he went through. And when he finds out that I have lied to him this whole time . . . he’ll never forgive me.” Jinki whirled and pointed a shaking finger at Taeyeon accusingly. “If you had just focused on helping him turn back, I would’ve stayed quiet. Why did you have to go after me?”

“You were the only answer left to helping him turn back!” Taeyeon shouted, anger rising. “There was no other way! If you had told him who you were - what you were - we could’ve solved this long ago!”

“I’ve tried, Taeyeon! I’ve tried to help him for so long! There’s no way to turn Jonghyun human again. He will forever and always be a demon now, and there’s no way-!”

Taeyeon screamed as a dark figure barreled into Jinki. The flashlight knocked to the side, revealing a panting person colliding his fist with Jinki’s cheek. Taeyeon instantly recognized Jonghyun, although his eyes were electrifying red, and his body was once again pale, flushed only with black veins.

“TRAITOR!” his hoarse voice roared, dealing another punch to his friend’s jaw. Jinki growled, eyes going completely black. The whites of his eyes disappeared as he threw Jonghyun off him, pouncing onto the latter as he raised his claws high.

“I’m not a traitor!” Jinki hissed, his fangs much sharper and longer than Jonghyun’s. Taeyeon hadn’t realized that tears were falling from her eyes until the wet, hot liquid dripped from her chin. She struggled to get off the couch, going for a sharp edge on the wall to tear off the ropes.

“You murdered my family! You turned me! AND NOW YOU TOOK TAEYEON!” Jonghyun snarled, kicking Jinki off of him. His fists clenched tightly, chest heaving. “And you’ve been lying to me this whole time, posing as my best friend?! I saw your house, Jinki! You’re a damn traitor!”

Taeyeon hissed as the wall cut through her rope and gently sliced the side of her arm. She ignored the pain and turned to the two boys, who had froze at the smell of her blood. She inwardly groaned. Stuck in an abandoned building with her legs still tied together, blood running down her hand, and two demons brawling in front of her.

What an interesting way to die.

“Quit staring at her!” Jonghyun growled, slamming Jinki down viciously. “Don’t you dare think about taking her blood, too!” Jinki shoved Jonghyun to the wall, kicking him square in the chest.

“I thought about it. But wouldn’t you be a bit broken?” Jinki spat sarcastically. That earned him a nice hit in the throat. Jinki gasped, stumbling back. “Damn it, Jonghyun. I never meant to kill your family! I tried to turn you back - I’ve been trying. I didn’t know my blood would do this to you!”

Jonghyun shook his head, staring at his hands, some knuckles stained with Jinki’s blood.

“I heard you when I came here before. I followed Taeyeon’s scent, like you taught me. Isn’t it weird how well you knew my capabilities? Wasn’t that weird, you ?” Jonghyun laughed humorlessly, throwing his head back. “And that arts and craft crap. The chicken. Of course! You were always so damn obsessed with chickens, and you still are. And when we went to the alleyway together - no wonder you were so shifty.”

“Jonghyun-”

“No - wonder - you - little - shi-!” Jonghyun broke off when Jinki sliced his face with a swift smack of his hand, claws scratching his skin.

Taeyeon’s heart dropped to her stomach as she worked on breaking the rope, her whole body shaking. What could she do to stop them? What could she do? She sprinted forward as soon as her legs were free, standing in front of Jonghyun. She squeezed her eyes shut when she saw that Jinki had gone towards him, and he wasn’t stopping.

How will it feel to have his claws pierce through me? Will I be dead by then? she thought.

“Taeyeon, don’t!” Jonghyun roared. Then she was shoved, somewhere, to the side, forward, back? She couldn’t tell. Her head hit the concrete, and she slid to the ground, her mind fading away into black as she listened to the sounds of snarls and pain.

~~~~~~~

Was she dead, or was she just waking up to reality in excruciating pain?

It was most likely the latter.

Taeyeon struggled to sit up, slightly. She was waking up drowsily for the second time now. Her heart skipped a beat when she saw Jonghyun sitting beside her on the floor, his face right beside hers since she was on the couch.

“Jonghyun,” she whispered hoarsely. He turned to her slowly, eyes sunken in and looking dead tired. Or just dead overall. “What happened? Where’s Jinki?”

“Is your head okay?” Jonghyun said instead, reaching up to feel for a bump, but then his fingers shook. He pulled away and stared at his lap, shuddering. Taeyeon sat up slightly, propping herself up on an elbow. She started to reach for his hand, but he flinched and pulled back again.

“Jonghyun?” she choked. Taeyeon blinked several times. The flashlight light had turned off, and the room was dark. However, as her eyes adjusted to the dimness of it all, Taeyeon could see a limp bundle in the corner. “J-Jonghyun . . .”

“I think I killed him,” Jonghyun sobbed out, clutching his head and rocking back and forth. “He could have killed me, but at the end, he just didn’t fight back. I killed Jinki. I killed my best friend.” Although Taeyeon was a bit stricken, she did her best to compose herself in order to console Jonghyun. She wrapped her arms around him, sliding off the couch and falling beside him.

“Hey. Hey, it’s okay. Everything is going to be okay.”

“I wasn’t thinking. All I could see were my parents faces, dead, my sister’s face, dead, and then your face.” Jonghyun gasped, shoulders shaking. “Dead. Everyone was dead. Jinki’s dead now.” His voice fell to a whisper. “I should be dead.”

“No! No, Jonghyun, I’m right here, alive, and you’re alive,” Taeyeon assured him, shaking his shoulders. Jonghyun tore himself away from her, and she was left empty-handed, hurt.

“Don’t touch me,” he spat. “I’m disgusting and horrifying, and there’s blood on my hands, and I’m a murderer. Just like Jinki . . . is. Was. I . . .” Jonghyun shuddered violently again, shaking his head and struggling to stand up.

“Jonghyun? Jonghyun, don’t go, please,” Taeyeon begged, eyes watering when she realized that he was making way towards the exit. She glanced towards the lifeless body and flinched. She had known Jinki. She was almost killed by him, sure, but she had known him. He had been so . . . genuine.

Jonghyun broke down at the doorway, gripping the wall and staring at the ground.

“I’m so sorry, Taeyeon. I love you,” he said quietly, and for a second, he sounded sane again. Taeyeon stood, wanting to hug him, but then Jonghyun whipped around and bared his fangs at her. She faltered. “Don’t come near me.” The red glow in his eyes dimmed slightly. “I’m sorry.”

Then he took off, and he was gone.

He wasn’t there when Taeyeon walked alone on the streets, nor when she opened the door to his apartment. He wasn’t there when she looked around, gone along with the rest of his belongings. He wasn’t there the next morning, when Taeyeon woke up feeling emptiness in her chest. He wasn’t there when she found the note he’d left, letting her keep the apartment and apologizing yet again.

He wasn’t there.

He was gone.

A/N:

Hup-hup

I don't know what that sound effect was supposed to be.

But, um, yeah. It happened. Jjongie's disappeared. For who knows how long.

I'm going to tell you guys the honest truth and say that this story has a lack of my enthusiasm

I don't know why, and I'm sorry if the writing's not satisfying for you guys

However, I will finish the story.

Just a couple more chapters left ^-^ if anyone's still reading this

I will improve my writing in the future!

Note the many uses of Jonghyun and his RDD hair gifs. Just because.