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What Is Done Vs. What Is To Come

“There’s not much we can dig up here,” mumbled a low voice. “Everything here looks pretty ordinary to me.” A gloved hand hovered over the slightly dusty surface of the TV stand, the reflection that was in the device’s screen a blurry figure as it was very dim in the apartment, the lights left switched off and the drapes of the veranda doors drawn.

There was an amused snort from someone else off to the side. “Except for the fact that the person who lived here vanished out of thin air.”

“Not exactly,” countered the person idly examining a bookcase. There wasn’t much to see, so the person turned around and crossed over to the small kitchen.

“Humph. You know I was only quoting what the police said,” grumbled the second voice defensively.

“And the police are clueless,” pointed out the first figure, the comment accompanied by a pair of critical eyes drifting over to the front door that was barred from being entered through by the concerning police tape crisscrossed over it.

Too bad the three of them were undaunted by the police; hence, they had simply welcomed themselves inside the abandoned apartment.

“No forced entry. No signs of struggle. No blood stains or splatters,” the third person listed off methodically as he opened and closed the kitchen cabinets. When he peeked inside the refrigerator, he wrinkled his nose. “Ugh, even though there’s barely anything stocked in here, most of the foodstuff have expired.”

“The police were puzzled that the apartment key had been left behind and the front door had been unlocked,” added the second figure. “This guy just walked out and never came back.”

“The police were concerned that this boy committed suicide,” murmured the first person as he sauntered over to the hall swallowed up in darkness. “The main piece of evidence supporting this hypothesis was a note that the boy had written and left in his bedroom.”

“A suicide note?” asked the second person as he followed after his comrade.

Although it was too dark to see, the first person shrugged. “Presumably, yes. It was addressed to the boy’s family, and they confirmed it was his handwriting. However, from what I heard, he hadn’t hinted much, so whatever his intentions were—they’re open-ended.” A hand reached out, blindly groping the wall until it came into contact with a doorknob, which was promptly twisted to allow entrance.

“Messy but plain,” the second person commented as he surveyed the bedroom. He went over to check the bathroom while his companion closely peered at the main area. The bed was unmade, a few miscellaneous items were scattered about, and the clothes in the closet were partially disturbed.

“That’s weird. For someone who shut himself inside his home for weeks, his laundry hamper is almost empty,” reported the one browsing the bathroom.

“As if someone purposely erased traces of important evidence,” mused the first person, lightly letting his gloved fingertips touch the pen that innocently lay on top of the dresser next to a set of stationary. “Whoever did so must’ve been experienced, efficient, and knowledgeable.”

“Found anything?” came the bored voice of the third figure from down the hall. He appeared and casually leaned against the doorframe. When he received a round of whispered no’s, he huffed and slouched his shoulders. “Well, that’s pretty much all we have to see. There’s nothing worthwhile to find in the laundry machines or storage closet.”

The second person let out a dismayed groan. “Man, what a letdown. And here I was hoping to have a challenge.”

Ignoring the other’s complaints, the first figure faced the third one. “This case...it’s similar to the cold trail from three years ago, isn’t it?”

He received a solemn nod. “Yeah, I was thinking the same thing. Would’ve been the exact same scenario if it wasn’t for that ‘suicide note.’ The other kid didn’t do that.”

“And if I recall correctly, the boy from this disappearance case was best friends with the one who vanished three years ago,” the first person revealed, which caused his companions to start a little, their eyes widening.

“Whoa, really?” The second one gaped at the news. “Is that coincidence or...?”

“I like to think not,” said the first figure, crossing his arms. “I was on the team that got assigned to check out what happened to that first kid. One of my partners had swiped and copied the police records of the incident. One part of the report went over the witness account of the best friend. The best friend’s name matches the name of the kid who used to live here.”

With every piece of information given, more and more anticipation built up in the second figure. He was practically rocking on the balls of his feet. “Then that means—!”

Despite the absence of light, the first and third shared a long, deliberate look, and then the latter spoke up contemplatively, “Vampires. Definitely the work of vampires, or least the involvement of one.”

“Which means—!” their other companion insisted impatiently.

“Yes, which means a hunt,” affirmed the first voice. “And this time, we won’t let this trail go cold.” He uncrossed his arms and inclined his head at his comrades in a business-like manner. “Alright, guys, let’s go find some witnesses to interrogate.”

...

Whether it was because he had Kyungsoo by his side or because Kyungsoo had him, Jongin had managed to settle into a comfortable lifestyle here in this castle, having adjusted to his new surroundings and duties fairly well. Right after the distressful episode with their punishments and recovery, Joonmyun had offered him his own living quarters—the empty room neighboring Chanyeol’s apparently—but he had declined without hesitation (even when he had to suffer the mighty wrath that was the superior one’s glare) in favor of rooming with Kyungsoo since he wasn’t someone who needed as much privacy and space as he did before. Besides, his self-control considered being apart from his little one as barely tolerable, and Kyungsoo would pick up a fuss if anyone dared to separate them now from their priceless alone time.

Ultimately, it was a silly notion to have his own living quarters when bite-sized Kyungsoo already had a ridiculously spacious four-chambered room for himself on top of having a personal study room and an excessive amount of playrooms filled with knickknacks. Geez, Jongin had deadpanned upon learning all of that, talk about being spoiled rotten. Joonmyun is more of an idiotic father than I’d originally thought.

The bottom line was that Kyungsoo was (reluctantly) allowed to share his quarters with his mate, which Chanyeol had been completely sour about, grumbling under his breath about how Yifan had vehemently refused to let him sleep in the same breathing space as Baekhyun. Servants had appropriately filled Kyungsoo’s walk-in closet with clothing in Jongin’s size, and Minseok had introduced an unused study room to the dark-haired newborn.

Yeah, a study room—for studying.

As a freshly Changed vampire, Jongin had a lot to be taught about concerning his new way of life. In the Kim-Wu household, the older vampires tutored the younger ones instead of hiring outside instructors, which is what most clans did. “It is our custom to have direct influence in the lives of our younglings,” Yixing had explained before showing him the overwhelmingly massive library where lessons took place.

Since they were both newborns only a few years apart, Jongin and Chanyeol once again found themselves as classmates. As decided beforehand by Joonmyun, the argumentative two would undergo physical training under a moody Jongdae. Then, someone (usually Yixing or Zitao) would be randomly picked to conduct formal lessons. Lessons would involve politics, economics, etiquette, traditions, biology, and history, but they would be the vampiric versions, of course. Moreover, independent studying, in which they could learn about whatever, was encouraged by the mothers of the household.

Jongin had been moderately surprised to have heard this. As it turned out, Baekhyun possessed the most enthusiasm when it came to independent studies, evident by the number of subjects and activities he undertook. “Father insisted in developing my fluency in Mandarin and Cantonese, while Mother convinced me that learning martial arts would improve my ability to stand strong in a physical confrontation despite my size,” Baekhyun had admitted. “But the other stuff I do are linked to my hobbies. I enjoy singing and playing piano the most.”

As for the other younglings, Jongin had discovered that Kyungsoo also like singing but lacked the patience to learn another language, much to Yifan’s disappointment. But that was fine, Yixing had argued, proudly pointing out how his firstborn was excellent in craftwork like sewing and knitting and in fine arts as well, which his drawings that were gradually becoming more realistic and creative could support.

For his fellow newborn, Jongin had felt strangely relieved to have found out that Chanyeol pretty much had the same hobbies. The tall vampire still stuck with rapping (which struck Minseok as hilarious since Yifan could not seem to wrap his mind around the idea of it) and playing guitar. In fact, Chanyeol had about six different guitars—gifts from Baekhyun and Yixing.

And last but not least, there was Sehun...but there wasn’t much to say about him. Typical for someone his age, the youngest vampire expressed zero interest in any form of education, preferring to play and be free. Joonmyun hoped in about a century’s time, Sehun would settle down a bit and realize how important it was to enrich himself with knowledge and skills.

Anyway, after a short deliberation, Jongin had decided to continue dancing (to Kyungsoo’s utter joy) and later added martial arts to his curriculum upon reflecting how handy it would be in a fight. He had to confess, though. He may have winced with just a teensy bit of regret when Zitao had announced that he was going to be his instructor. Why? Well, he had seen Baekhyun’s mother demonstrate his prowess in the field just once, and within that single instance, it was all what had him quaking with fright. Without a doubt, Master Zitao and martial arts was a terrifying mix.

Ahhh, I wonder what Kyungie is doing, Jongin idly mused one day during his etiquette and traditions lecture with Zitao. The older vampire was currently going over the various forms of how to acknowledge someone without verbally greeting them. Next to him where they sat at a shared table, Chanyeol was slouched in his chair, his bored burgundy eyes watching Zitao’s movements as the master demonstrated different poses. A pencil was balanced between Chanyeol’s nose and upper lip, having been continuously perched there since the start of the lecture.

Kyungie must be stuck in his study room, the fledgling continued to chew on, briefly tapping into the link he shared with his little one just to check up on the latter’s well-being. Huh... He’s reading, and he’s so focused. No surprise there. That curiosity of his and his love for books are no joke. He lightly scoffed at himself. Too bad the same can’t be said for me. I can only focus on him...on his cute button nose...his heart-shaped lips...his big owl eyes...his pink cheeks when he blushes...

“Ah.”

Two pairs of eyes instantly flickered over to him at his unintended utterance. Having broken free from his obsessive thoughts, Jongin was now stiff with awkwardness for simultaneously interrupting the lesson and attracting attention.

“What is it, Jongin?” Zitao probed, lifting an elegant brow.

“You sure made a weird sound,” Chanyeol commented blithely, accepting the distraction. He had snatched up his abandoned pencil to twirl it expertly between his long fingers as he would a drumstick. “Didn’t know you could speak caveman.”

Jongin wrinkled his nose in response to the impudent jab but otherwise did not take the bait to start another pointless banter. Instead, he directed his attention to his current instructor.

“Master Zitao, this may be an irrelevant question...but I was wondering, how is it that Kyungsoo can blush like a human?”

A smile eased up the fierce expression Zitao normally sported. The cream-haired vampire even giggled a little. “Oh, young Jongin, was that all that popped you out of your bubble? You’re so amusing without trying.”

That last sentence had the aforementioned newborn squirming in his seat uncomfortably, but thankfully Zitao spared him from further teasing by answering his question. “Well, to put it simply, it is because Kyungsoo was naturally born into this world. He was not created by some alternate method—like the two of you.” The former humans exchanged mystified glances. “You’ve heard the term vampire-born, haven’t you? It’s exactly what the term implies, and we use it often to classify ourselves in our society. As you may already know, all purebloods are vampire-born since they cannot be produced any other way. Then, of course, there are vampire-born who are not purebloods—Jongdae is a prime example.”

A memory filtered into Jongin’s mind, one that took place when he and Kyungsoo had been recently released from that god-awful prison cell. He remembered encountering Jongdae and speaking to the head guard after Joonmyun had taken his leave. Jongdae had introduced himself, and Jongin had been the one to tentatively ask if the former had been born a vampire.

Zitao folded his arms in a prim and delicate manner. “In the end, vampire-born have beating hearts, which obviously enables us to blush while also providing advantages a e would be without.” He shifted an arm so that he could tap a finger over his chest—right where his heart would be. “Our hearts are the main reason behind the rich quality of our blood; no matter how little, we're able to produce our own, and thus have the lesser need to feed. This principle concerns purebloods the most as there are many elements that essentially make us unique.”

The moment Jongin absorbed all of the information given, he mouthed the word wow. Seeing the other’s fascinated expression, Zitao smiled lightheartedly. “Forgive me if my explanation isn’t as detailed as you would want it, but if you want to learn more, you’ll have to rely on Yixing for that. He is your biology instructor, after all.”

Chanyeol’s baby face was scrunched up in distaste. “Ugh,” he groaned, shoulders sagging. “Science. I hate science.”

“Your explanation was great,” Jongin reassured the older vampire. He bowed his head a little. “Thank you.”

As if treating him like a child, Zitao reached out to gently pat his head. Jongin’s ruby eyes went wide at the unexpected action, and Chanyeol nearly toppled off his chair as he choked on the urge to guffaw.

“You have very soft hair,” was Zitao’s only remark before he resumed his actual lesson, stepping back to have room to do his situational skits.

Although his question had been answered and subsequently had cleared up any confusion that had previously plagued him, Jongin still found himself hopelessly daydreaming about his mate’s endearing blushes for the remainder of the lecture.

...

Many days later, there was an uplifting shift to the lackluster mood that customarily saturated the castle halls. Jongin had discerned the initial change the day Minseok had vaguely mentioned that “Master Yifan dispatched the courier earlier this evening. Wonder how long it’ll take to receive a reply,” in a conversation with Jongdae. The former human guessed the older vampires were either expecting something or planning something. Whatever it was, he hoped it was something worthwhile.

It had better be because at this point Jongin was ready to blow a fuse.

Don’tloseyourtemper. Don’tloseyourtemper. Don’tloseyourtemper, the dark-haired newborn chanted feverishly to himself, so focused on the phrased objective that the words were badly mashed together. He was currently undergoing his outdoor training exercise with Jongdae and a certain I’m-too-high-maintenance giant, but there was a huge problem with this one. Jongdae was being hands-off Jongdae again, a pesky mode of his that literally meant what it meant. He wasn’t doing anything, especially the things he was supposed to be doing, like intervening when his two knuckleheaded students got too violent. In fact, he would sometimes look forward to their quarreling because it gave him the excuse to alleviate his boredom, which he would mirthfully do with some electrifying results.

But that wasn’t the case today since Jongdae had decided to take an untimely break in his duties, branding him as being one of the worst teachers—babysitter, the head guard would correct petulantly—known to exist in Jongin’s book. Upon seeing how the head guard had been chill for once, Chanyeol had interpreted it as “Now I can do what the hell I want.”

Damn that Chanyeol. He had a broad (read: extreme) sense of interpretation, the nasty kind that involved lots of punching, kicking, swearing, and some chokeholds in between. While the two newborns brawled like a pair of territorial predators from the wild, Jongdae was several meters away, looking picturesque as he stood there motionless, his distracted gaze fixed in the direction of the barely identifiable horizon.

Yup. Definitely had no intention of intervening.

After enduring ten more minutes of wrestling, Jongin’s patience snapped.

It all happened in a single moment of mayhem. Chanyeol unleashed a howl of disbelief just milliseconds after he was suddenly flipped and slammed face-down onto the unforgiving ground. Quickly after that, a drop of unwanted weight and applied pressure on his backside caused an unintentional grunt to leave his lips. Just like that, he was practically glued to the unwelcoming surface he had been rudely introduced to. Damn. That had happened all too fast and far too easily.

And, of course, it didn’t help his ego any further considering how his assailant was 1) not winded from immobilizing him and 2) pretending that he was some kind of humanoid-shaped rug that could be sat on.

An expression full of fury contorted the handsome, young face that it was set upon. Fangs were fully on display as Jongin snarled out, “Are you done moonbathing already?!”

That roar of frustration merely elicited a bored “Pardon?” from the self-proclaimed babysitter. That jerk. He didn’t even turn when he spoke. Heck, there wasn’t even a tinge of offense in his voice for being called out in such a flagrant way. That show of nonchalance only served to make Jongin ten times more livid.

“Don’t pretend you didn’t— Oh, would you hold still, you hyperactive pain-in-the-!” Jongin barked down at the thrashing body he had pinned underneath him. Chanyeol responded with wordless growling and redoubled his efforts to break free, but he was just wasting his time—Jongin had effectively incapacitated him by locking his arms crisscross behind his back and by flattening his knees to the ground.

Blowing a stray strand of hair away from his face with an exasperated huff, Jongin glowered at Jongdae, past the point of caring that the older vampire could literally fry him for his blatant disrespect. “You haven’t been teaching us anything, Teacher.”

“Oh,” the guard dully intoned. He finally moved, inclining his body in their direction and reaching up to lightly tap his chin in thought. “Did I forget to mention it’s a free day today?”

“Told you so,” Chanyeol spat balefully from his position of defeat, his face dirty with dry soil particles as it was smushed to the ground.

“Shut up, you.” The younger newborn ruthlessly grinded his knee down where it had already been digging into the other’s spine. There was an enraged yowl that was swiftly followed up by colorful sentences that consisted of Jongin’s name and many different kinds of death wishes. “And actually pay a little attention next time, Jongdae,” Jongin hissed, ruby eyes flashing with contempt.

Jongdae feigned guilt, dramatically placing a hand over his chest as if the reprimand had physically wounded him there. “Oh, dearest me! Of course! I’m so sorry!” He snickered when he received a less-than-friendly warning in the form of a spiteful glare. “Alright, alright. Come on, kids. You’ve had your fun”—he ignored the stink eyes thrown his way for using that word—“but we should be heading back now. I’m sure something exciting has been delivered to your fathers.”

“Ew, please don’t refer to them as that.” Chanyeol pretended to gag as he and Jongin sprang up to their feet. They dusted themselves off, but the tears and stains that riddled their clothing meant that they would have to properly change before meeting up with the others (lest they be half-killed for appearing like slobs).

The head guard dismissed the request with a lofty wave. “Anyway, no more fighting for today. Understood?” The threat underlying his question was punctuated by the crackling sparks that flew between his pale fingers.

Oh, so now he acts responsible. But, despite the bitter resentment that colored the thought, Jongin recoiled upon seeing the sparks as did Chanyeol. The two troublemakers hastily straightened up and yammered out, “Yes, sir!”

“Chop, chop, then.” Jongdae lazily gestured for them to start running.

Not wanting to be zapped into submission again, they obeyed, quickly abandoning the clearing where they had made a mess of themselves. By detecting the scent trail they had left earlier, it was an easy task to retrace their route back to one of the many underground portals that was linked to the castle. Soil and grass morphed into stone and concrete. Jongin and Chanyeol, not wanting to lose to each other when it came to racing, continued to sprint ahead while Jongdae paused to shut the well-aged portal. He shouted after them, “Meet up in Master Yifan’s office in five minutes!”

“Beat’cha there!” dared the taller vampire, his long legs the main reason why he could match Jongin’s speed in the first place.

Jongin snorted at the petty challenge. “As if, chump.” With a burst of acceleration, he was suddenly out of reach and Chanyeol’s grumbling complaints were left behind in the dust.

In less than a minute, Jongin entered his shared bedroom and was rummaging through the closet for a clean outfit. Once he found something, he zipped into the restroom to undress and wash up a bit. Then he donned the fresh garments, combing his hair with his fingers as he sped out the bedroom and into the hall, his presence untraceable to all the human servants who were on cleaning duty. Having memorized the most important areas of the castle already, Jongin had no trouble navigating his way to Yifan’s office. He didn’t relent his speed until his fingertips came in contact with a gold door handle, only then did he come to a complete and soundless standstill. Just in time, too—a tiny, triumphant smirk formed on his lips as his ears pricked with awareness at the hasty approach of his rival. He clearly heard a muttered curse. With a short bark of laughter, Jongin turned the handle and entered the room, certain that the occupants inside were expecting them. Chanyeol filed in last, closing the door behind him first before darting over to Baekhyun’s side.

“Jongin!” Kyungsoo sang joyously, reveling in the sight of his mate after a long day of studying and training. The little owl-eyed boy leapt for the other, who swept him up in an eager embrace.

“Hello, love.” Jongin’s smile was small but genuine. He pecked his petite mate between his adorable eyes before setting him down to his feet. Kyungsoo tugged him over where everyone was hovering near Yifan’s massive desk.

The tall superior one lightly knocked his knuckles on the surface of his desk, calling for everyone’s attention. “Now that we’re all here,” he began, “we can finally discuss the contents of these correspondences.” He gestured at the folded letters neatly arranged before him. “And I would like to note that for the two who’ve recently joined our ranks, this will be quite a...new experience for you.”

“A good lesson,” Joonmyun interjected with a leveled look, to which Jongin and Chanyeol shifted in place repentantly.

Yifan smirked. “Yes, that. Anyway, these missives here were sent from two clans that we share close bonds with. One clan happens to be our nearest neighbor, while the other resides in China.” Cocking his head, he peered at the younglings inquisitively. “Does anyone know who these people are?”

There was a delighted gleam in Baekhyun’s cinnamon eyes as he spoke up. “You mean Uncle Jinki’s clan!”

“And Auntie Qian!” Kyungsoo piped up, a joyous smile blooming across his face.

“That’s right, my dears,” Yixing said, laying a tender hand on his eldest son’s head. “And it appears you’re going to see them after so long.”

Sehun tugged on his father’s shirt hem and asked, “So we’re having a vacation?”

“More like a field trip, I would say,” corrected Joonmyun with a sigh. And then, under his breath, he grumbled, “Especially if we’re towing along these braindead idiots,” though it was pointless to do so when everyone had acute hearing.

Ignoring his friend’s peevishness, Yifan carried on with his elaboration. “Yes, as you can tell, we’re going on a trip, and the reason why is because of the functions that have been organized by Qian’s clan.” He ghosted a fingertip over one missive—probably the one written by the aforementioned vampire. “We have been formally invited, and thus it would be rude of us to decline—or, at least, to Qian’s eyes, we would be, since we hardly ever visit.”

Zitao giggled at the dryness of his mate’s tone. “Only because you hate meeting with other clan heads. Politics was never your favorite subject to talk about—whether over a glass of blood-wine or in a boardroom.”

“I leave the politics to Joonmyun,” Yifan lazily defended without missing a beat. “Ahem, as I was saying, we’ll be attending these events, which are arranged to suit specific groups.” He gazed upon each of the young vampires, as if analyzing their outward appearances, and he stared the longest at his youngest son, who blinked quizzically. “For example, one gathering is the coming-of-age celebration.”

As the implication gradually dawned on him, Baekhyun’s lips formed an O of understanding, his eyes growing wide. “Oh,” he breathed. “So...I’m...”

Zitao beamed at his son, skipping over to wrap his arms adoringly around the boy’s skinny shoulders. “Yup! You’ve guessed it! You’re going to have your societal debut!”

“Oooh, congratulations, Young Master,” Minseok commented with genuine candidness. Meanwhile, Kyungsoo reached out to gently squeeze his cousin’s arm, silently conveying his praise but not missing how tense the other had become.

“But...I’m still...a bit too young...to present...” Baekhyun protested feebly, throwing a gaze of uncertainty between his parents. Next to him, Chanyeol wordlessly stepped closer, providing comfort to his mate with his presence (though physical contact would’ve been better, but only at the cost of a broken limb at the hands of an overprotective parent).

Yifan shook his head, radiating an air of reassuring confidence to counteract with his son’s anxious one. “Nonsense. You’re at an acceptable age to be officially introduced as a soon-to-be adult in our society. Besides, I’d rather you formalize your status during a function of Qian’s making than someone else’s. That way, not only do we have an eye on you, but also Qian’s trusted guards and servants.”

“I understand,” Baekhyun acknowledged, straightening up his posture as he slowly inhaled to calm his nerves.

Yifan spared a small smile of approval at his child before moving on. “Aside from the gatherings, there is also the matter of meeting Qian, Jinki, and their family members. Jinki had asked me prior if he and his family could stay alongside us at the Wu residence; I said yes.”

“Oh, great choice of company, Master,” Jongdae intoned, wearing a roguish smirk.

“I must also add that, in his letters, Jinki relayed his desire to meet our two new additions,” Joonmyun said without directly addressing the mentioned two (who both twitched with repressed irritation). Then, after rolling his eyes at some unsaid thought, he tacked on, “And kindly extended the offer to help in their training.”

Jongdae raised his brows in interest at the news. “He did, did he? Well, his Gift could help us by leaps and bounds. We could even coax out any possible Gifts they have.”

As he quietly evaluated the exchange between the older vampires, Jongin didn’t know how to make heads or tails of his trainer’s appreciative tone. Ever since he and Chanyeol were put under the older vampire’s training, the latter showed zero interest in how they were faring. So it wasn’t a stretch to say that Jongin had absolutely no clue whether or not he was actually learning anything. How could he when his snarky trainer merely displayed the same frustrating attitudes like how one would rinse and repeat? Thus, hearing about involving this Jinki person in his combat training made Jongin skeptical. He had two likely guesses behind Jongdae’s input: the vampire either knew there would be a good show to laugh at or wanted a good show to enjoy by making one himself.

Please be option one. Hands-off Jongdae means a shock-free Jongdae.

“So, when do we depart?” Minseok asked, b with eagerness as he leaned forward on the balls of his feet.

“Although I sent a message ahead to the servants at the mansion to expect Jinki’s clan,” said Yifan, “it would be unbecoming of us as hosts to not arrive before them, so we will leave at sunset in order to have a head start. Understood?”

“Yes, sir,” chorused the guards and younger vampires.

Yixing made shooing gestures. “Come along now. All of you need to coordinate with the servants to decide what to pack.” He plucked up Sehun, arranging the small boy naturally against his hip. “And I got my eye on you, mister. No smuggling pets into your luggage, you hear?”

Sehun grumbled a few words of protest when he was lightly bopped on the nose but otherwise allowed his mother to carry him out the office. Everyone else but Joonmyun, Yifan, and Zitao filed out in pairs, excitedly chattering to each other about the trip. Just before Yixing flitted around the corner of the corridor, Sehun wordlessly stared at the others—of Chanyeol with his arm around Baekhyun’s waist, of Minseok with his cheek pressed against Jongdae’s shoulder, of Kyungsoo’s hand entwined with Jongin’s—then buried his nose in the crook of his mother’s neck.

He closed his eyes, seeing himself secretly happy with a faceless someone.

...So. Hi there, folks.

I'M ALIVE. YES, YOU READ THAT RIGHT!

Like, hooooooomaigawd, it's been too long since I've written anything fanfic-related. My writing abilities have gone from 'the best writer fresh out of high school' to 'WTF everything looks like an essay Imma burst into tears.' I don't even know if the person who started this fic even exists inside me anymore. Seriously. When I went back to refresh my memory of what I've already done, I literally blanked out and sat there staring at the screen while my soul gradually departed my body.

Who am I now? A ghost? A fragment? An alien, maybe?

(Well, obviously, I'm an angsty college student who has absolutely zero passion for my major/school/academic future and has no friggin' clue what career I want (read: tolerate) because my passions and dreams, which none of my parents accept as something concrete or realistic, do not involve any of the stuff that I'm wasting my time and effort on right now.)

Ahem.

Anyway, I gotta admit to y'all a few things about me that have changed since my last post. 1) I'm not entirely into k-pop anymore. I mean, I do listen to it, but I don't spend my time obsessing over it like I did in high school. In fact, EXO isn't my favorite group anymore; if I have to pick a favorite, it would most likely be BTS. No offense. 2) As some of you may remember, I had trouble with driving, but now I have my license! However, I still hate driving, but I am not pressured by it anymore (although, I bombed my first test and nearly had a panic attack the second time; whoopsies). 3) In order to graduate and earn my Bachelors on time, I need to focus on school--despite how much I detest it with every fiber in my body--so I may go on hiatus for an undetermined period and only drop by once in a while. Even my summers may be busy with school. And yes, I am admitting that my previous disappearances was because I was a lazy donkey.

In short, if I'm not showing any activity during the holidays, my updates are nonexistent after that point in time. I'm terribly sorry for that. I hate doing this to you, my dearest readers, but real life kicks hard, and I gotta own up to it and learn to be an adult first or else it will only get worse for me. I don't know when I'll be back, so here is me, on my knees, with my head bowed, saying from the bottom of my heart: Thank you for your time, your kindness, your support, your sympathy, and so much more that I'm unable to describe because I am such an awkward turtle who just defaults to asdfghjklasdfghjkl at the first moment. And, as I reflect on it, I remember how the young me had been so eager to write LMKY and the other fics, and I know for certain she would've been so honored to see how much love and interest her work has gathered over the years.

So thank you, my dear ones. I'll try to hover around when I can, and of course, I won't ever come to the decision to discontinue LMKY, but just...hope gently, alright?   

Small note: I barely proofread this, so pardon me for mistakes, especially the ending, since I typed that out during my midterms.   

Reminder: No plagiarizing! No copying! No stealing! No translating! Tell me immediately if someone has done so!

cr: to real owners