CH. 2  The Ginseng Merchant’s Wife is a mysterious woman (not really)

The fair lady of the village walked silently through the stone streets in the early dawn while it was still dark out. He cloaked himself with a long brown knapsack material to hide his true figure from passersby and the occasional half drunken bums lying about the streets. Woohyun returned from his mother’s den, and he was eager to come home to his handsome husband and loveable child. He had missed them both so much during the time of his transformation, and as much as it tore him apart to hide the secret from Gyu-gyu, it was inevitably necessary. Woohyun knew that the foundation of marriage lies in trust, honesty, and understanding, but he could not bear to live if the vampire were to hate his existence.

    He is a werewolf; a pure breed of a noble breed, and his kind did not see eye to eye with Sunggyu’s kind. For generations, werewolves are taught not to cross paths with vampires, and if there was such a chance meeting, for sure there would be blood to be spilt. Destiny and fate did a cruel thing to Woohyun, for it just happened to be Sunggyu that he had fallen for when he was just a young adult wolf coming into a strange town on his own. Gyu was the one who showed him the ways, and at the time Woohyun had thought Gyu was just so charming (and a little pathetic), kind human eager to show a newcomer around with immense hospitality. Gyu showered him with attention, and most of all, love .

Time went on and he couldn’t remember when Gyu had taken over his heart. Of course, only after they married was when Woohyun discovered that Gyu is an ancient vampire. He was furious that the person he loved hid this fact from him, but he just couldn’t stay mad, especially when they found an abandoned baby Myungsoo wrapped in a bundle and behind their alley next to the dumpster. Woohyun instantly took in the helpless creature and raised him.

It wasn’t until later that he found out it was Hoya who had found the baby and delivered him to Woohyun and Sunggyu’s home. Hoya originally walked past the crying lump, but he backtracked as he felt an overwhelming sense of pity towards it. Hoya wasn’t in a position to raise a child by himself (let alone a vampire baby), so he thought the couple was more fit. Plus, Sunggyu had too much time on his hands and made Hoya carry out meaningless tasks.  Around Woohyun’s and Sunggyu’s presence and love for each other, Hoya felt as if he could forget all about any eternal strife between Vampires and Werewolves, and all prejudices he had about them were gone (Hoya knew Woohyun wasn’t a vampire since Hoya’s garlic breath after a good barbeque didn’t faze Woohyun as it did in repelling Gyu).However, Woohyun can never say the same for Sunggyu. He wasn’t confident enough to tell his husband the truth about himself. He knew Gyu had his own geezer prejudices against werewolves, since he often made racist jokes that often ridiculed  their excessive body hair.

    All in all, it was better this way, better in the sense that Gyu and Myungsoo can just go on believing that Woohyun was just a regular human. That’s what Woohyun always told himself.

    Woohyun crept into the house at the crack of dawn, knowing well that his husband and child were probably sound asleep in their coffins by now. The sight of Hoya sleeping on the royal purple armchair didn’t surprise him, for it wasn’t unusual to see the hunter lazing around the house unexpectedly. Hoya fits in well just like the piece of furniture in their victorian home.

    The werewolf made his way to the kitchen and unloaded some meats his mother packed and the rest of his belongings from his travel bag. Gyu never questioned where all these random cuts of meat came from since he never really steps into the kitchen. Woohyun was careful not make any excessive  noise than he should since his claws and fur hadn’t yet retracted from his recent transformation. He needed at least another few hours before he was back to human form. He had hope in his heart that Myungsoo and Gyu had been good bought all the items he needed from the list left to them. Woohyun made his way into the bathroom to see that Sunggyu and Myungsoo indeed had fulfilled his request restocked his supply of razors neatly on the shelf; he did a double check and frowned. I asked for 10 packs, not 10 individual razors, dammit!  He took a step back admiring their organization skills until something caught his eyes. The shelf on the very bottom of the cabinet was lined with deep green glass bottles. Woohyun picked up a bottle to read the description on the label: “Lady Jang’s Power Tonics”. It was some kind of strange health drink, and his wolf senses was not liking the sweet aromatic smell of it. It smelled like a cheating bastard Vamp-geezer Gyu flirting with the local merchant girls! He wasn’t sure of this, but knowing Sunggyu, it was very probable. Woohyun claws gripped at the bottle, and he could feel his blood boiling. That geezer would have a piece of his mind once he wakes up.

Before Woohyun could teach Gyu a lesson, he had something much more important to do first. It was to use all the ten razors Gyu had bought for him. It was tough coming home from a transformation each month; his leg was still furry, err, hairy. Hairier than regular hairy humans., He couldn’t possibly tarnish his reputation as the village’s beauty, or worse, lose Gyu to another beauty. Woohyun needed to take care of his own beauty first before all else.

Woohyun didn’t even bother to lather the shaving cream on his legs. He just sprayed it straight from the can. He picked up one razor and shaved one straight line from his ankles to his knees. It was as if the sea had parted. Or a bulldozer breaking down a clear path in a forest.

After his routine treatment, he finally entered the master bedroom. He eyed at the larger antique looking coffin in anger. He could feel his blood boiling just looking down at the coffin knowing that an oblivious Sunggyu is sleeping snugly inside. His eyes glowed a honey amber color and his canines started to poke at his lips. The werewolf gave his husband’s coffin a few hard kicks out of spite before calming himself.

“You damn geezer!” Woohyun grunted kicking the coffin angrily.

He eventually paused as he heard some small baby noises coming from Myungsoo’s coffin. Woohyun lean down and slowly creaked open his baby’s coffin slowly making sure not to disturb his precious child. Woohyun wanted to check whether his baby was sleeping well, and hoped the noise didn’t wake Myungsoo (of course he forgot that nothing really wakes up Myungsoo, unless the house was falling down).

“Aegi ah, Umma missed you so much. Did that bad flirty father of yours take good care of you well while I was gone?” Woohyun cooed to his sleeping baby his frizzy hair. The vampire child had rolled in his sleep and swung one leg loosely outside his coffin bed. Woohyun giggled softly staring at Myungsoo, tucking him in again and closing the coffin lid.

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    Sunggyu awoke to a stern looking wife sitting their king sized bed, arms and legs cross, and glaring at him the moment his coffin lid open. Gyu had just gone to sleep for a couple of hours, but was awakened by the thuds coming from the sides of his coffin. What did I do wrong this time?

    “Jagi-yah why are you glaring at me like that?” Gyu yawned and asks nonchalantly making his way over to greet his wife. His eyes were still half open from just waking up, making it appear smaller than usual. The older man leaned down petting his wife’s fluffy hair and planted a soft kiss on top of Woohyun’s angry little head.

    “You should know. Or maybe I should go around town asking some of the local merchant ladies.” Woohyun growled, his voice full of spite and sarcasm.

    “Neh Woohyun-ah, you know I’m only friendly with them to get better deals. Myungsoo is growing up, our expenses have been going up, and I just want to sell more ginseng. You know they don’t mean anything to me.” Sunggyu reasoned.

    “Hmpt! Really? Then why do you feel the need to stock up on power tonics? You’re a vampire...all you need to on is blood for health!”

    “Ahh its all part of fair trade.”

    “Really? So you’re saying you sold enough ginseng to cover the cost of tonics right? With profit to spare?...or was the merchant girl too too pretty, and thats enough for down payment? You know we can’t waste money on useless items like those?! We barely make ends meet selling ginseng."

    “Oh my lovely wife don’t be angry, you’ll get ugly if you’re angry…” Gyu cooed patting Woohyun on the head softly. Little did he know, his insensitive words caused a deeper anger raising within Woohyun. Woohyun let out an unhumanly growl, snapping at Sunggyu, almost biting his hands off. Sunggyu, however, was still completely oblivious to Woohyun’s changes, and failed to notice part of his wife’s eyes had changed to an golden yellow instead of the usually warm chocolate brown, and his teeth that were growing sharper by the minute. The vampire turned his back and picked up their family receipt book.

    “Be reasonable Woohyun, our budget is mostly spent on restocking your razors.”

    “W...What did you say?” Woohyun growled.

    “ Honey, I’m saying that those tonics I bought isn’t nearly as bad as the costs we spend on your razors. And honestly speaking I don’t know why you spend so much on razors, its not like you’re those hairy werewolves that needs to shave that time of the month to look a little less gross.”

    Gyu’s words caused something to snap within Woohyun. Not only was the vampire denying his sleazy actions, but he was now blaming their financial problems on Woohyun.

    “First of all, I asked you to buy 10 packs. You bought 10 individual razors. Secondly, if you didn’t get in trouble embezzling the vampire clan, we would’ve been much more well off!”

    “Oh hoho don’t blame it all on me! You were the one eating up my money, PRINCESS!” Sunggyu spat.

    “I AM A PRINCESS! I LITERALLY AM A PRINCESS!” Woohyun snapped almost giving away his true identity.

    “Really? Which kingdom do you rule? Which? Which?” Gyu said intimidatingly.

    “THE WOLF KINGDOM OF THE NORTHERN MOUNTAINS!” Woohyun snapped, eyes glowing yellow, fangs bearing, and claws growing out sharp points.

    He said it, he finally said the forbidden words. It was too late to take it back. Woohyun’s eyes grew large, his mouth hung open still shock, and his hands raising mid air over his mouth.

    “WHAT DID YOU JUST SAY?” Gyu’s voice rang like thunder in his ears snapping Woohyun back to reality.

    “...I said I’m the princess of the northern mountains.” Woohyun repeated.

    “No no,  the first part.”

    “UGH! FINE! I said I’m the princess of the Wolf Kingdom of the northern mountains HAPPY? I’m a WEREWOLF!” Woohyun said bitterly.

    “...”

    Sunggyu stood in shock, all this time when he had thought he married a normal human.  It turned out to be a lie. A lie. Everything was beginning to make sense to him; those monthly trips Woohyun takes to his mother’s every month on the week of the full moon, those “cheap” dull razors, Woohyun’s questionable brute strength that rivals his own vampiric abilities, and the muscles, all the hair, the hair. In the drain that he was forced to declog! He shuddered…It was a wonder why Woohyun’s blood never smelled like any normal human being. It wasn’t bad, in fact it even smells sweet to Gyu, but not like a normal human’s.

    Everything made sense now, and Sunggyu found himself feeling pissed. He was angry that Woohyun idh this fact from him all this time. Marriage was built on trust, and honesty; how could Woohyun not tell him the truth.

    “Gyu...I know I lied, but you aren’t exactly perfect either.” Woohyun finally spoke.

    “I DON’T WANT TO HEAR IT!” Sunggyu snapped, his voice echoed through the house making floorboards and ceiling creak.

    “DON’T YELL AT ME! I HAVE MY OWN RIGHTS TO TALK TO YOU!”

    “WHAT RIGHTS? You’re a filthy dog.”

    “Huuuuaaaahhh !!! How. Dare. You.” Woohyun narrowed his eyes at Sunggyu.

    Their violent argument shook the house and slowly the lid of the miniature coffin opened.

    “Ummmaa...Appa...why are you fighting?” Myungsoo lips trembled, his red eyes grew large and watery.

    “Myungsoo not now!” Sunggyu snapped.

    “Don’t yell at our child!” Woohyun growled his eyes glowing deep yellow.

    “AHccck WEREWOLF!” Myungsoo screeched backing himself into a wall.”

    “No baby..I’m still me...Woohyun Umma...see.?” Woohyun eyes soften at Myungsoo, but his canine teeth and eyes did not go back to normal.

    “See what you did?! You scared our child!” Gyu scolded.

    Myungsoo shook his head again not wanting his parents to argue as he ran downstairs.

    “I want Hoya Ahjusshi! I hate both Umma and Appa!!!” The childed yelled through snot and tears.

    “Myungsoo noo…” Woohyun and Sunggyu both called after Myungsoo as the little vampire child ran off tripping over his own two little feet, and tumbled head first down the long antique staircase.

______________________________________________________________________________

    Hoya woke up from a loud “THUD” followed by an even louder wailing, and before him, a small black lump laid face down just below the stairway. Just faced down. Planted face down. And crying, wetting the wooden floorboards. His eyes grew round out of surprise in questioning the little vampire boy before him. Myungsoo didn’t get up from his spot on the floor, muffled sobs could be heard from the child as he cried into the floor.

    “Hoya...jushii…*hic hic hic*...Ho-jushhiiiiiiiiiiahhhhhyayahhaaaaaaaaaa huuuuuuuhhhhhaaaaaaaaaaaa” Myungsoo bawled, his form facing downwards with his up in the air on the floor and his arms wrapped over his head. The child must have had a rough descent, falling down three sets of stairs since Sunggyu’s manor was built since the oldest of olden days, and they didn’t think to make the stairs any shorter.

    A pool of tears leaked from Myungsoo’s round head making the wood around him change into a deeper color because of the wetness. Hoya felt sorry for the small child and went over to pick him up. Myungsoo naturally curled up into a ball in Hoya’s arms wrapping his supernatural strength induced arms around Hoya’s neck, almost choking the life out of him.

    “There there Myungsoo what happened?”

    “Hoya...jusshi…*hic hic hic* Mingthoo ..M.mma got eatened by a wherewoof…*hic hic*”

    Before Hoya could ask anymore questions Sunggyu and Woohyun hurriedly ran downstairs.

    “Myungsoo! Baby it’s still me Woohyun Umma!”

    “My son! My precious son! Are you alright? Appa is here!”

    “You two are pathetic! Arguing in front of a child!” Hoya gave them a stern judgemental stare. His eyes narrowed at the two adult as he hold the child in his arms. Myungsoo didn’t turn back to look at his parents. The child was clearly still mad at them for arguing. The fall didn’t do much to Myungsoo except that his forehead to swell a little bit for a few minutes until his vampire healing powers kicked in.

    “Talk it out before speaking to us.” Hoya ordered giving them a look that read ‘You two get your together’ and carried Myungsoo out.

    Woohyun and Sunggyu both bowed their heads low in guilt.

    “I’m sorry…I lied about…”

    “I’m sorry too.”

    “For?”

    “For being a sleazy vampire and flirting with town girls.” It was easier to just admit it rather than arguing with a woman.

    They both stared at each other in awkward silence. Woohyun admit it was wrong of him to hide his identity, but Sunggyu had reacted exactly how Woohyun imagined, and that hurts a lot. The werewolf stayed silent but still  very disappointed in his husband. Inside, Gyu was feeling terrible. Guilt washed over him as he stood there thinking about the way he reacted to Woohyun. Aside from being a werewolf, everything about Woohyun was still perfect to him, even his furry legs.

    “Look… I’d understand...if you want to file for divorce...being a vampire married to a werewolf is not easy…but please ...don’t take Myungsoo__”

    “Who said anything about divorce?!!” Sunggyu snapped turning to Woohyun and giving him a shocking gaze.

    “...”

    “I’m sorry Woohyun! You know sometimes I’m old fashion...and news like these just shocking to me, but when it comes down to it you know I love you most.”

    “Really?”

    “Of course! My Jigaya is the best!” Sunggyu said giving Woohyun a lame thumbs up. Woohyun had always been a softy to Gyu’s lame antics.

    “Hmm” Woohyun smiled.

    “Don’t you dare think about it again! Plus I would be a er to let of ‘THE’ wolf princess of The Northern Mountains...heck now I’m PRINCE of the Northern Mountain all the diamonds of that mountain will be mine!’” Gyu joked raising his arms in victory, receiving a punch in the arms by Woohyun. Gyu yelped in pain.

        “You GREEDY! There’s no diamonds!”

        “Owww...don’t hit me, you know your strength is unhumanly!”

    “You deserved it!” Woohyun retorted.

“Yes yes I know I know!”

    The couple now laugh at their own silliness and found their hearts already forgetting the violent fight they had earlier.

    “Say...Hoya took the baby out now...that means we’re alone.” Gyu said getting touchy, and placing his hands on Woohyun.

    “What are you getting at?” Woohyun asked stiffly  falling into the vampire’s embrace. Sunggyu stared back at him with his weasel eyes that are up to no good.

    “Stop it! You’re being gross.” Woohyun snapped hitting Sunggyu again on the shoulders.

    “Woohyun yah come on we have the house to ourselves now!” Sunggyu said following behind Woohyun and getting ignored.

_________________________________________________________________________

    “Let’s go on a walk, Myungsoo.” Hoya said the the small boy still in his arms as they sat on the front steps of the house just outside a few yards away from the front oaken doors.

    “Oki Hoyajuushii” Myungsoo said contently.

    The older man picked himself up and carried the child off steadily. His posture tall and straight, a majestic hunter walking into the night.  

    “Ahjusshi ahjusshi are you going hunting now then?”

    “No.”

    “Are you hungry?”

    “No.”

    “Can I get a new toy?”

    “No.”

    “Can I play with your other purple crossbow?”

    “NO!”

    “Are we there yet?”

    “NO!!”

    “....”

    “Hoya Ahjusshiiii I’m hungry. Can we go back? I forgot my bat-blood juice box.”

    “Myungsoo…..”

A/N: Hello everyone, it's Kattii here (UmmaNi's personal editor) Hope you're enjoying it so far :)
There's not really going to be a solid dramatic plotline...it's a crackfic after all ;D