Chapter 1. First Encounter

The soft poundings of a knock started to fill his ears before his eyes shot open. His brows knitted as he groaned in frustration and grabbed his pillow to mute the sounds by covering his ears. He knew exactly what those knocks meant. He had to go to school. His oh so wonderful educational, daily dwelling that he had to attend to no matter what. Even if he hated it with a burning passion. After what seemed like forever, the room soon became silent. He breathed out a long sigh and closed his eyes once again, despite knowing he’d be late. Five more minutes of sleep won’t hurt..
 

He felt himself quickly drifting back to sleep, but just as he was about to become fully unconscious, the knocks began again. He whined to himself at the aggravating sounds he had heard millions and millions of times every morning and pulled the pillow away from his head. He cursed whoever was behind that door and swore under his breath that if he heard one more knock he’d kill them. And just like he predicted, a knock pierced through his ears. He grabbed his pillow and threw it as hard he could, only to have actually hit a person who decided to come in just as he did that. “Good morning to you too, cousin.”
 

He rolled his eyes seeing the face of another he didn’t really care for as much, and let his body collapse on the bed. “Ugh..I don’t want to go to school.”
 

“Yeah, yeah we know. But get up anyways. Your parents made you breakfast.”
 

He scoffed as he cuddled with his blanket. “Why do they even bother.”
 

“Because you’re their son?”
 

He sighed at the younger’s answer. “Nevermind that..why are you the one waking me up anyway?”
 

“They figured that they’d try to have someone you don’t really dislike, to wake you up.” He picked up the pillow that had previously been thrown at him, tossing it on the bed.
 

“Hah. Well, whoop de doo for them.” He forced his body upright, a hand over his eyes to shield them from the bright sun. “Looks like I’m getting up.”
 

“That’s quite eager of you.”
 

“Yeah okay. Go tell them I’ll get dressed. At least they have one less thing to worry about.”
 

At those words, he saw his younger cousin slightly frown at his comment. He rolled his eyes inwardly again.
 

“You know..they really do care for you.”
 

“Sure. You can keep believing that.”
 

“You should too. Not everyone hates you..and that includes me.”
 

He raised a brow and kicked off his sheets. Slowly, he got out of his bed, scratching his head before approaching the other who stood still. He didn’t budge one inch even when he knew he was closer than he should have been to his face. He stared at those crimson colored orbs that mocked him silently. “It’s early in the morning.” He sighed, “You’re probably still half-asleep if you actually care about someone like me.”
 

With that, he exited the room and went to fix himself up at the bathroom, leaving the younger silent.
 

He groggily washed his face, splashing water onto his skin and then soaping it before repeating the routine. It was the same thing every day. Being woken up, faced with all the people he loathed, and then being able to sleep again. He was tired of it. Tired of everything. He hated being this way. He was the sore thumb that stuck out in his family, and to when he’d finally be accepted, was the day he longed to come. Something impossible that he still hoped for.
 

Brushing his teeth, he observed his face and rolled his eyes for the umpteenth time. He was tempted to just remove the mirror for his bathroom, but he knew that even if he tried, someone would put it back up. It was as if they enjoyed tormenting him and reminding him of his flaws. If anything, he wished he had never seen his face, if only to never have to know the color of his eyes that set him apart from everyone else.

His hands gripped the sink’s edge tightly, but he sighed and quickly released his grip. He didn’t have time to deal with any of this at the moment. Right now, he had to focus on getting to school on time, and avoiding his so called parents who had condemned him to this life. There were times when he wished he had never even been born just to escape his family’s cruelty and his parents’ false kindness. The only kind thing they could have done for him was made sure he never left made it out of the womb alive, but they had already failed in that.

Fixing his bed hair, he left the bathroom and walked back into his own bedroom, searching his closet for his uniform. He dressed quickly, trying not to pay too much attention to the color of the shirt’s outline. Every school had the same uniform, but with a different color outline, symbolising their abilities. He just happened to have the weakest of all, which never failed to annoy him further. All he could do at this point was bare with it and it up. There was nothing he could do about it anyway.

The black long sleeve shirt fit him loosely. He prefered that over a form fitting shirt, that would no doubt show how weak he already seemed. His pants fit nicely though, hugging his legs perfectly and he sighed when he saw how skinny he looked. It wasn’t by choice, it was like his body refused to give him any muscles, just more proof that he had the world, even his own body, against him. Again though, there was nothing he could do about it, and chose to ignore it all together. He finished changing quickly, putting on his tie as fast as possible so that he could eat his breakfast quickly and go.

There was no doubt that his parents were already down there, probably standing there, waiting for him to arrive. He had half a mind to just keep them waiting, but he knew better. If he stayed in his room any longer, his cousin would probably come back to get him, and drag him down forcefully.

Resigned to his fate, he left his room almost cautiously, trying not to making too much noise in hopes that he could have his breakfast without being noticed and leave as soon as possible. As usual though, he never had any luck, and as soon as he was at the last step, he was met face to face with his father, who seemed surprised to be so close to his own son. He scoffed a bit, pushing past him without so much as a hello as he made his way to the kitchen.

His mother was there, sitting quietly at the table with a cup of tea in her hand. His cousin was beside her, waiting patiently for him to sit and eat. He nodded to his cousin, but made no move to even acknowledge his own mother as he sat down across from her. He could sense her hesitant gazes at him, but he brushed them off. He had no time to deal with her. Instead, he focused on his food. Truthfully, he would rather starve than eat something she prepared for him, but he knew it was his only choice with his cousin there watching him.

His father was back in the room, and sat across from his cousin. The three seemed to watch him as he ate, and he slowed his chewing and put down his toast, waiting for someone to try and talk to him. At that point, there was no getting away from a conversation that was sure to arise.

“Are you ready for school today?” his father asked. He shot him a glare before looking back at his plate and removing his hands from the table. He felt his cousin nudge him and he hummed in confirmation. He sensed his father shift in his seat, clearly not knowing what to do. It was irritating to how clueless he was.

“At what time do you have to go?” This time it was his mother who asked. His glare for her was filled with more hatred than the one he showed his father. He couldn’t stand her presence around him. It always put him on edge and only set him off quicker. Around her, he was just as bad as a ticking time bomb. But he kept his cool, because exploding would do no benefit. It wasn’t like him getting angry would turn back time.

“The same time I leave everyday,” he replied sarcastically. His mother seemed embarrassed and his father gave him a stern look. He ignored it though, not feeling a single shred of sympathy for the woman who ruined his family’s bloodline. She was to blame for everything, and there was no room in his heart for her at this point. His cousin just sighed, standing up and pulling his arm with him.

“Sorry about him, uncle, aunty, I’ll talk to him,” his cousin said. He glared at him through his fringe, but said nothing. He would rather not have this conversation at the moment, or at all really, but he knew there was no stopping his cousin once he started. As his cousin bid his parents farewell, he just walked right past him, putting on his shoes and exiting. He could hear his cousin calling out to him, but he made no move to stop. He wasn’t in the mood to deal with the useless talk that came almost every day.
 

However, even in this speed of walking, he knew the younger would soon enough catch to him. In seconds his cousin had appeared before him, instantly stopping his tracks as he stood there with his arms folded across his chest. “There will be no talking between us.” He said, walking around him and heading straight to the direction of the school. There was absolutely nothing they had to talk about. He knew what he did, and he did it willingly. That was that. So why was his own cousin treating him like a stubborn child?

“Hyung, you don’t have to be so sarcastic with them.” His cousin yet again appeared, this time by his side.
 

“I wasn’t sarcastic.”
 

“You were clearly, very sarcastic. They’re your parents for crying out loud, don’t you think you should have a little respect?”
 

The elder of the two snorted as he sped walked. “Respect? Respect for the two who were the main reason as to why I’m so despised in the family? Oh you’re hilarious.”
 

”You’re not despised, at least not by a-”
 

“Whatever point you’re trying to prove, won’t work. Not hated by a few or hated, it doesn’t change the fact that I’m the one who stopped the generations of purebloods by being born from that human my father was seduced by.”
 

His cousin sighed and held his arm to stop him from walking. “That human is your mother. Don’t you think they know what they’ve caused you? Why else would you see the sympathetic faces they have when they see you?”
 

“You think that’s sympathy? Or do you not know the difference between that and pity?”
 

“It’s sympathy of course. You’re their child. They love you and they try to show you some affection but you keep pushing them away. At this point, you’ll have no one but me caring for you.”
 

He pried his arm from his grip and grit his teeth. “Look. From the beginning, I’ve had absolutely no one. You weren’t the one to help me grow, you weren’t the one to rescue me when I had been completely alone as a child. My parents were certainly not there to back me up when our grandparents and other aunts and uncles insulted me. No one, absolutely no one was there to stick up for me when I had been humiliated by everyone around me that I was supposed to call family. The only one I’ve had is me, myself and I. Even if my parents stopped what you call ‘loving’ me, I wouldn’t give a damn.
 

“So don’t talk to me like I actually think of you as important family. I have never had anyone that I could actually call family in my whole life and there is definitely no one now that I can. If you were truly someone who cared, I would have acknowledged you long ago. But guess what? You aren’t and haven’t been someone I considered who ‘cared’ for me. And nor will I consider my parents that when they are the reason I’ve received nothing but misfortune.” He closed his mouth shut and walked away. It was better this way, to be isolated and hated by everyone. It would easier for him to live on anyway.
 

Even if he really did care, and his parents actually loved him, there was no way he would be able to just get used to something like that. There was no way he was ever going to let anyone in. Not when he had been the one at their knees and had been rejected. He’ll give props to his cousin for trying, but in no reason would he be happy about the fact that he thought he had the right to say he cared for him.
 

He tried to regain his usual aura instead of being so heated up from getting irritated, and took slow, deep breaths. He stopped by a store nearby and went inside. As his eyes started to scan the shelves he was greeted kindly by the owner. He only nodded towards her words and continued on searching for something that could calm him down even a little. Once he had found what he had been searching for, he grabbed the item and waited for the lady to scan it and give him the price.
 

He paid her and was soon already out the door, jamming the straw into the foil barrier of his drink. Just as he was about to leave, he faced the glass and looked at his reflection. He fixed his uniform, staring at the color of the outline before turning away to go to school. Closing his eyes, he huffed and sipped his banana milk. He had to keep himself from getting anymore angrier. He knew he’d hurt a worthless human if that happened, and he would rather not go through those lectures again for losing his temper like last time. It wasn’t his fault the color he wore was something he wasn’t fond of.
 

This was the way the school made it to be. Depending on the element that you possessed, you wore a different color to show it. The idea annoyed him, but it was the school’s way of keeping organization, and separating them from the humans. His cousin’s uniform was outlined in green, signifying that he was in the Earth class. He wished he was as lucky, but instead, was stuck wielding the weakest of the elements: water. As a result, his uniform was outlined in blue, only serving to lower his patience.

Humans were in a different school, for their safety, they were told. It was probably the only rule he agreed with, because living with a human was already bad enough. He didn’t think he’d be able to handle going to school with on as well. The idea repulsed him too much.
 

“Oi.”
 

He opened one of his eyes, as if uninterested, to look at the one who had the nerve to talk to him in his state. “Oh..it’s you.”
 

“Hi.”

“And of course, if Jonghyun is here, you’re there too.”
 

The one named Jonghyun flicked his head. “Well Jinki and I are pretty close.”
 

Like the weird guy he was, the oldest named Jinki had rubbed Jonghyun’s arm. He was a strange guy who did weird things when shown even the slightest of affection. “Uh..yeah. Don’t really see how that worked out for the both of you.”
 

Jonghyun raised a brow. “You seem angry.”
 

"He is angry,” Jinki added.
 

“Am not.”
 

“You can’t hide anything. You at it. Plus even if you did we could sense it from miles away. You basically wear your emotions on your sleeve.”
 

“Whatever you say Jonghyun.”
 

“Oh, he’s angry, he’s angry,” Jinki pointed out, poking his belly.
 

“Yah quit it you weirdo.”
 

“A-Ah-” The three had turned their heads when they noticed someone who fell flat on his face by their side. They wore no expressions, simply watching the boy as he tried to recollect the papers that had fallen out of the folder he was holding. Students around him didn’t bother helping and giggled seeing him struggle.
 

Jinki, being the nicest, walked up to him and helped him. “Here you go. Watch your step next time.”
 

“Thank you. I appreciate your help.” The stranger had suddenly looked up, eyeing the two behind the one who helped him. He stared at them for the longest time until he had felt a strong poke on his cheek that caused him to flinch slightly.
 

Jinki mumbled, “Interesting.” Before going back to his group.
 

They continued to walk on, conversing about countless things. But despite that, the stranger never looked away. The youngest of the three had felt the familiar feeling of eyes at the back of his head, and turned to find that indeed he was being looked at. “Huh. Pathetic human. Can’t even walk without making a mistake.”

The human did nothing but stare before someone came by and pushed him, telling him to move or he’d be late again. He sneered a bit, but turned back to his companions who seemed to be bickering about something. He didn’t bother involving himself in the conversation, knowing it would do nothing but only increase his annoyance. He’d had enough problems in one morning, and at this point, he just wanted to get to school without having a mental breakdown. The words he told his cousin were still in his head, and although a part of him felt guilty for being so harsh, he didn’t let it affect him too much. It was better this way.

Entering the school, he tried not to focus too much on the colors everyone else was wearing, and instead, busied himself with quickly going to his class. He left Jonghyun and Jinki behind him, preferring to walk alone at this point than to listen to them blabber pointlessly. People around him would acknowledge his presence, but there was always that undeniable look of pity in their eyes as they watched him. Of course, even with his weak element, he was still stronger than them, a level of demon they weren’t familiar with, but even so, they knew he was a disgrace in his family.

There wasn’t a person who didn’t know it. How could one not know that in a line of pure blooded demons, there was one unfortunate Tria demon who stood out. Not as strong as his family, but stronger than a half-demon. Most people didn’t even know how to react to him. Whether to be afraid, to befriend him, or to even care for someone like him. There was never anything they knew about him that could reassure them to pick either of the choices. It was even hard feeling pity for him. He didn’t seem to like being looked at that way.

Even so, he let them know by his attitude alone that he was not someone to be taken lightly. Unless there was really no other choice, others didn’t want to get too close to him, and he didn’t want to get close to others. The only ones that were close to him were Jonghyun and Jinki, who had forcefully attached themselves to him, without his permission. Apparently they had seen something “good” in him, and wanted him to open up more.

He saw nothing “good” about his situation whatsoever.

Entering his classroom, he sat down and waited patiently for the teacher to arrive and begin the day’s lessons. His life had fallen into this routine, and he was trapped in it’s clutches with no way out. At this point, he would give anything to be away from it all, but he knew that it would only anger his family more. He had already failed them in being a perfect grandson; how could he fail them any further? Just like every other day, he’d just have to endure the tiresome schedule.

Once the bell had rung, he closed his book shut. He pushed out his chair out and as slowly as he could, packed all his things. The students that sat around him started to pack their things up as well and were socializing with all their classmates just before they had walked out the classroom. He had watched each and every one of them, rolling his eyes here and there when some groups took longer to pack up since they wouldn’t stop chit-chatting. He had to wait patiently, and even pretended that he was looking for something so he could let time pass.
 

Eventually, the students had all left. And after finally being alone, he picked up his bag and left the classroom. He preferred being alone when he went home, his mind would be at most peace when he wasn’t surrounded watchful eyes. The hallways weren’t completely empty, but there were far less students than there would have been had he left earlier. A few eyes were still on him, but a couple of wandering eyes was better than a mass of them.

His cousin was waiting for him at the entrance to the school, patiently standing there. It was only another part of the routine that he had no choice but to follow. His cousin, no matter how late he left the school, would always wait for him, as if afraid that if he didn’t he would run away. The idea was always tempting but he knew that even if he tried, they would always find him. There was no point in even trying.

Luckily, his cousin never questioned him on his habit, because he honestly didn’t want to talk about it.

The walk back home was silent, especially after remembering their conversation that same morning. No doubt his cousin would be upset, and although he could feel a pang of guilt in him, what he said wasn’t entirely false. He never felt as if there was anyone that really cared for him, and his cousin would never understand that, being a pureblood. His cousin was never on the receiving end of their family’s harsh comments, so there was no way he could understand how he felt.

He had only met his cousin a few years back, during a family reunion of some sort. He spoke to him out of pity, because no one else did. His parents weren’t welcomed much either, especially his mother, and as his grandparents spoke of how much of a mistake he was in the family, his parents did nothing but sit quietly with their heads bowed in shame. With a blank expression and fists clenching and unclenching under the table, he did nothing but sit there and take it, knowing that talking back or showing too much of a reaction would only make everything worse.

It was after that when his cousin came to him, introducing himself and saying that it was nice to finally meet him. It was weird, seeing someone from the family smiling at him like that, but he brushed it off, merely nodding at him. His cousin didn’t leave him alone after that, and had stuck with him since.

His words must have surely left his cousin hurt, but he couldn’t find it in himself to apologize. Instead, he settled for the awkward silence that surrounded him, knowing that he could do nothing to fix it. “Hey cousin..” His younger relative had spoken to him, surprising him slightly. He didn’t really expect anything coming from him, considering how he acted towards him this morning.
 

”Hi..”
 

But the conversation fell quiet as quickly as it began, leaving the both of them to awkwardly avoid one another’s eyes. It was always hard having to be together. There was no doubt that he really wanted to be alone as of now. His cousin’s presence was only bringing him irritation to how he couldn’t think of anything to say. “..Hyung..about..about this morning.” He started again.
 

He inwardly groaned in frustration. He knew he would start talking about it, there was no way he would be left off the hook that fast. “What about it.” He replied bluntly.
 

“I never..meant to come off like that. I just..”
 

”It’s fine. Just forget about it okay?”
 

“No..No I don’t want to forget about it. I told you I care didn’t I?” His cousin held onto the strap of his bag to stop him from walking. “I can’t forget about something like that. I can’t just leave you alone. Isn’t there a way I could prove that I really do care?”
 

The elder sighed. “If I knew I would tell you. To put it simply about this morning’s conversation..I just..I can’t get used to something like that so easily. You know I don’t mean to be so rude about it, but I don’t think I’ll ever be able to accept your ‘affection’ for me. I don’t want to become weaker than I already am.”
 

“How would you accepting the fact that I care weaken you? And how are you even weak? You’re a Tria-Demon! You may not be a pureblood but that doesn’t mean you’re weak.”
 

“Being alone was how I grew up to numb out any pain, and I’m not letting just anyone go through the barrier I’ve been building for years.” The elder pushed his hand gently, “And my point proven: I’m not a pureblood.”
 

”Then..can’t you at least..try to leave a small opening for even me? I’ve been with you for a few years now and I’ve done nothing but try to give you company instead of letting you be all alone. I’ve tried to be by your side the best I can. Isn’t that enough?”
 

“It’s not.”
 

“Then..then can’t you even try to believe me when I say you aren’t weak? You have more advantages than half-demons. You could manipulate the elements you major in much more than them.”
 

”I would. If I hadn’t had to be a major in the weakest element. If I were to battle a half-demon, having the same power as me or not, I would most definitely lose.” He combed his hand through his hair.
 

“You don’t know that.” His cousin tried to reason.
 

“I do.”
 

Hearing and feeling his negativeness, he looked down at the ground and didn’t really know what to say. The countless amount of times he tried to be kind all seemed to become in vain if he continued to act like this. He knew it would take wonders when the day comes to when he would accept his kindness, but he was willing to wait. “Well..I’ll show you one day. Just how powerful you are. And I’ll be sure by then, you have accepted me.”
 

He was surprised with his answer and couldn’t help feeling even more guilt playing upon his stomach. “You don’t have to go through such measures for something like me-”
 

“Someone. You’re not a thing. And yes I do. If that’s what it takes, then so be it cousin.”
 

He sighed. “You just don’t understand do you?”
 

“If understanding means not caring, then I don’t want to understand.”
 

“You’re only going to end up like my parents. You won’t be able to get anything in return from me.”
 

“Why do you have to give me anything in return? I’m doing this out of my own will. Whether you like it or not, I’m going to prove it to you.”

He wasn’t sure how exactly to respond to that, or if he even could. He had never thought of anyone doing anything for him for no reason at all, or without asking for anything in return. It always seemed as though everything was to make sure he lived his life miserably, but here his cousin was, vowing to prove something he had long ago deemed as impossible solely for his benefit.
 

Before he could even open his open his mouth to try and convince his cousin that it was unnecessary to do so, he was bumped into, and felt himself stumble forward a bit. His cousin reached out his arms to keep him balanced, but he managed to find his footing on his own before he fell on the ground. The other person that had pushed him however, was not as lucky, and had fallen right at his feet. Coincidentally, his bag was open as well, causing whatever papers inside to slip out.
 

He heard the man at his feet sigh, but he made no move to help him in any way. His cousin, on the other hand, got down to help him with the scattered papers. The man thanked him, standing up, and that was when he noticed that it was the same person he had seen that same morning, who had fallen in front of them. Jinki was the one at that time to help him though.

The man stared at him, and he stared blankly back at the human. It seemed as though this human had a habit of staring, which made him scoff. Didn’t he know that it was rude to stare? He was once again cut off before he could speak, this time by a loud voice somewhere behind them.

“Yah, Choi Minho!”

He turned to see who it was screaming so loudly in public, gazing with unamused eyes at the one causing the ruckus.

This was not part of his routine.

A/N:

Here’s the first chapter! o.o I hope it isn’t short! All I know is, it took us forever to be able to write together! ^.^ Ehehe Mianhae for the wait guys! I really hope you give us more sarang~ It really helps to know what you guys thought of it! So subscribe and don’t forget to comment~

I hope 5031 words wasn’t too short, because if it was, I really need to step up the length of the updates on my other stories.... But anyway, I hope you liked the first chapter! We’ll try to get the next one out sooner! Maybe more comments will help? I see subscribers, but too many silent readers. It breaks my heart, so please comment and let us know what you think!