Kihyun glances around the backyard, making sure that no one will take notice of his going back inside. Luckily, they're all too busy staring hungrily at the meats on the table to notice much of anything else. Hyunwoo is diligently staring at the fire contained within the small grill the company had bought for them as a housewarming gift when they first were moved to this new dorm, which Kihyun can only count as a plus. The older, ever since finding him whispering to his mother on the phone a few days ago, has become clingier than usual. Kihyun typically wouldn't mind such behavior, but now, with his condition worsening, he feels guilty every time Hyunwoo looks at him with those adoring eyes of his.

Kihyun slides back into the dorm, careful not to draw attention to himself. He makes his way to the room of the member in question, hesitation and anxiety at what he's about to ask causing his heart to race. There's a very good chance the man doesn't even know anything about any of this. Being what he is, Kihyun has always found it easy to sense whether or not someone isn't quite as they seem. But, just because you're born into this kind of world isn't always a guarantee that you know about it. He had never discussed it with the other member before, unsure of how such a conversation would go, but he doesn't exactly have a choice anymore.

“Hyung?” Kihyun asks, poking his head into the bedroom. Hoseok sits up, glancing surprisedly over at the door.

“Kihyunnie?” he asks, his eyes taking on a concerned light. “Is everything okay?” He chuckles before adding, “Did Hyunwoo-ya burn the meat or something?”

“No,” Kihyun chuckles in reply, closing the door behind him. “I just… I wanted to talk about something with you.” Hoseok hums in acknowledgment, sitting up and gesturing for the younger to take a seat. Kihyun perches himself on the edge of Hoseok's bed, tapping a rhythm out atop his knee as he thinks of how to begin this conversation.

“Are you feeling okay?” Hoseok asks, his hand suddenly coming to rest on his shoulder. Kihyun glances over at him questioningly, and is about to tell him the same lie he's been repeating since this whole process began, but Hoseok stops him. “I can… I can see that something's wrong with you. You're losing a lot of weight, you seem more tired than usual, and you and Hyunwoo have seemed kinda off lately.” Kihyun in a breath through his teeth, shaking his head at his observant hyung. He never has given Hoseok enough credit for watching out for everyone. Or, at least, as much as he deserves.

“That's actually what I wanted to talk to you about, kind of,” Kihyun slowly admits. Hoseok's posture straightens at this, as if standing at full attention. “I was just… I was wondering if you ever…” Kihyun sighs in exasperation, shaking his head at himself. Honestly, how is he supposed to word this?

“Kihyun-ah,” Hoseok says gently, his voice devoid of all lightheartedness, “I know that you're… that we’re kind of the same, you know? I know that we’re the same in that we aren't exactly like everyone else…” Kihyun can't help but breathe out a sigh of relief, grateful that the older has put an end to his struggle.

“I'll show you mine if you show me yours,” Kihyun softly tells him, finally meeting his gaze. Hoseok immediately begins to blush and pulls away, and Kihyun can't help but laugh at the embarrassed reaction. “Not like that, hyung,” Kihyun chuckles. He leans to the side, pulling up his shirt slightly to reveal a birthmark no bigger than the tip of his thumb shaped like a feather falling through the air, a sign of his true species. It’s a mark that all those like him have, and, if he’s right about the older, it’s one he should have in one form or another. Hoseok “ah’s” in realization, and pulls at the collar of his shirt to show off a crescent moon stamped to his shoulder.

“Th-That's n-not what I th-thought you meant at f-first,” Hoseok laughs, stuttering nervously. Kihyun laughs breathily at the stutter, shaking his head.

“Obviously,” he comments dryly. “So, are you a…?”

“A witch,” Hoseok finishes for him, his voice dropping so low Kihyun has to lean in to hear. “I'm a descendant of Circe, actually. I don't practice much, though, because of the whole anti-witch stigma and whatnot. I can only really do simple stuff with herbs, and read energies.” He hesitates before asking, “What, um, what are you? I've never met someone with your kind of aura before…”

“I'm a phoenix,” Kihyun replies, the guilt overtaking his heart at letting anyone in on his secret before Hyunwoo slowing his words. But, he knows it's for the best. Hoseok whistles lowly at this, his eyes widening to the size of large discs.

“I thought you were all extinct,” Hoseok murmurs thoughtfully.

“We pretty much are,” Kihyun admits. “My father told my mother that he never came across another one throughout all his lives, aside from his own parents, and they disappeared centuries ago.” Hoseok clears his throat, shifting his position slightly as he his lips.

“S-s-sorry,” he says, “but aren't phoenixes supposed to be birds?”

“Every 25 life cycles, so long as a phoenix dies naturally each time, its reborn as a human,” Kihyun explains. “My eomma met my appa during his human cycle, and he died and was reborn as a bird again.” He shrugs, forcing out a light chuckle as he says, “That's just how it goes. She's taking care of him as long as she can.”

“Wow,” Hoseok sighs, “that's something you're never told about in mythology class.”

“Well it isn't as if historians, or even Greeks of the time, knew about it, hyung,” Kihyun laughs. “Could you imagine the mayhem that could cause? It'd be like a…” Kihyun stops himself, remembering Hoseok's confession only moments before. Hoseok merely gives the younger a humorless smile.

“Like a witch hunt,” Hoseok finishes for him knowingly. “Yeah, that's true.” Hoseok his lips once more before going on. “Not that I'm not happy about us talking about this finally, because I really am, but why now? What's it got to do with your health?”

“You know how phoenixes burn into ash and are reborn from that ash?” Kihyun asks in response, earning a confused nod from Hoseok. “Well, in the human cycle it’s kind of different, but not by much. It's kind of like cancer, a slow process that eventually results in me literally disintegrating.”

“Th-th-that's not happening n-now, is it?” Hoseok demands, his voice heightening in worry. He grasps Kihyun's shoulders, and stares hard into his eyes. “D-D-Don't tell m-me you're dying, Kihyunnie!”

“Hyung!” Kihyun shushes him, pressing his palm against the older’s mouth. They both hold their breath for a second before remembering that everyone else is outside, and Kihyun slowly lowers his hand. Kihyun releases an annoyed sigh, and smiles sheepishly at the younger. “I hope not, but I was hoping that maybe, because you're different, that you'd have heard about some kind of cure for my… condition.”

“Sorry, Kihyunnie, I haven't,” Hoseok answers with a shake of his head. “I'll ask my eomma, though. Maybe she's heard of something.” Kihyun hums, nodding gratefully.

“Thank you, hyung. I owe you.”

“Don't be ridiculous,” Hoseok tells him with a laugh. “Anything to keep our lead vocalist around.” He grins brightly at the younger, earning another breathy chuckle before he goes to return to the others. “Kihyun-ah,” Hoseok calls, giving the younger pause. “H-Have you told Hyunwoo-ya yet? You know, about all th-this?”

“About me being a mythological creature?” Kihyun can’t help but chuckle as he shakes his head. “No, I haven’t. He’ll either think I’m joking, or that I’m crazy. Either way, I’d prefer to keep that part of me away for as long as possible.” Hoseok hums thoughtfully. His eyes drift between Kihyun’s gaze and his own lap, as if he wants to say more, but is either unsure of how to word it or if he even should in the first place.

Kihyun merely hums, as if that ends the conversation, and moves to return to the others, ignoring the budding guilt in his heart upon sighting Hyunwoo.