AN: This chapter has been revised. I've accidentally posted the wrong draft, and I've finally got the time to fix it, so here is the correct one. For those who have read it, please do read it again since there are several differences compared to the previous post. I'm sorry for the inconvenince.

Chapter 8

I think Kang Seung Joon is targeting Alice. He’s been approaching her for the past couple of weeks, and right now she’s going to his house for the fourth time to work on their physics project.

I think all of you can figure out what I’m trying to say.

I’m asking permission to go to Kang Seung Joon’s house.

In all his life, Suho had only ever reacted to a message alarmingly three times in his life. First, it was when he found out that his parents were splitting up. Second, it was when he was told that half of his brothers were sent away to another country to live with their mother. Third, it was when he received a report that one of his brothers nearly mauled five students to death after they called him a hybrid, shortly followed by a message that they had to move out of the city, otherwise his brother would face detrimental casualties, regardless of his status as a child.

Although the six boys normally sport a friendly smile and pleasant atmosphere at school, the other side of the coin tells us a different story. As cliché as it seems, reality can’t lie. There’s a reason why the six of them appear so nice and friendly, yet display themselves as an exclusive and untouchable group amongst the other students. It’s because they have to be untouchable, that way they can cut the risk of turmoil that’s always been at their tails. However, they have the responsibility to appear approachable, normal, and exceedingly kind and tolerant towards others, to prove that they’re not a threat to society.

All of this pressure and responsibility stem from one thing and one thing only—the fact that they’re part vampire and part wolf, or in other words, a filthy hybrid.

Humans aren’t the only creatures walking on earth, they’re simply a majority. Beneath the majority lies the minorities of non-humans. Some have argued that they’re the evolution of the basic human beings, meanwhile some would claim that human is the ultimate goal and prime form, although it must be noted that not everybody of the same species would agree on one certain notion.

Take vampires as a case. Most of them would consider themselves superior to humans and any other creature, being more powerful, intelligent, immune to diseases, proficient in nearly all areas, and preying on others for blood as a figure that’s on top of the food chain. On the other hand, a small part of them would regard themselves as below humans as they are highly dependent of humans as sustenance, having less option for nourishment, being weak under the sun unlike other beings, having low birth rates as opposed to other races, and so on.

Nevertheless, regardless of their differences, there had always been one general understanding and code of conduct between the minorities and even the majorities—you do not reproduce with someone of another species. For humans, race usually refers to racial divisions of humankind, but for non-humans, race refers to a population of a species. Vampires, werewolves, shapeshifters, merfolk, nymphs, harpies, furies, and so on, these creatures are not meant to interbreed with one another, just as how humans don’t breed with a different species apart from humans. It’s an abomination, an act of immorality or madness. It’s just something against every instinct, sense, and nature of any creatures with intelligence and a base of morality, that the chances of it happening would probably be once in a blue moon.

Unfortunately for them, they are part of the odd chances. They’re born as the minorities of the minorities, and the monsters of monsters.

However, the Board of Armistice exists to serve all groups of living races. Due to this, the hybrids are under the protection, but excruciatingly close and constant observation of the board members. The only downfall to this is that not all members of the board are impartial, so if you are dwelling in a territory where a discriminate board of the member is in charge of, just know that although they won’t let harm touch you, it’s only because of their obligation as a board member, so it doesn’t mean they’ll be completely fair or compassionate—and according to their experience, Kang Seung Joon falls into the line of these types of guardians.

“Well?” Baekhyun looked up at their conflicted looking leader who’s been pacing back and forth in the living room. “Are you going to give him permission to go there?”

“Kang Seung Joon is a member of the Board of Armistice. Going to his house would only bring trouble,” Chanyeol disagreed, sitting up straight on the sofa. “You should tell him to go home.”

“The problem is that if Kang Seung Joon really intended to kick us out of town using Sehun’s friend, then he probably would’ve dug enough information from her from the first couple of days,” Kyungsoo mentioned. “He didn’t even need to interview her from his house. Bringing a victim or third party into the house of a board member usually means something detrimental and big happened, but I don’t think Sehun did anything wrong that he had to bring her there,”

“Not to mention that his excuse for inviting her was to perfect a physics project,” Baekhyun snorted bitterly. “The guy is like over a hundred years old. He faked being a high school student for, what, five or six times already? There’s no way that he wouldn’t be able to ace that project, unless he did it on purpose,”

“As Baekhyun said, he’s been doing his job for years now. With his experience, he should be able to tell if a human is actually being harmed or preyed on,” Kyungsoo added. “And yet, that arrogant, pureblood supremacist invited her multiple times to his house,”

“But that’s exactly what I’m trying to say,” Chanyeol replied, his tone of disagreement still strong and lingering. “There’s a chance that he’s trying to bait Sehun to do something offensive, and he probably noticed that Sehun got close to this Alice girl, so he’s using her to make him slip,” he explained. “I’m telling you, this guy is cunning. There’s probably nothing going on, and he’s just trying to lure Sehun into trouble so that he can finally find a reason to kick us out of his pureblood territory for good,”

“Unless,” Suho finally spoke, catching the attention of his brothers. “He’s looking for a human familiar,”

The three boys immediately held their breaths.

“Well,” Chanyeol sighed softly, “That’s just another small possibility,”

“But why? Doesn’t he have enough of them?” Baekhyun displayed a confused look. “Did his stock gone dry or something? I know that they usually choose young humans to groom as familiars, but Alice is friends Sehun. He would never let someone who has a relationship with hybrids like us even stand close to him,”

“Exactly, and I don’t remember hearing news from Jongin that Sehun did anything harmful to anybody, because if he did, Kang Seung Joon would’ve been the first guy to notice, and we would’ve been kicked out of here a long time ago,” Chanyeol stated firmly.

“… I’m really starting to think that Chanyeol’s right,” Kyungsoo admitted, looking up to lock eyes with Suho. “Maybe he’s trying to make one of us slip, so that he has a reason to get rid of all of us. If what we both thought about Sehun and her at the cafeteria is right, I’m afraid that he might do something brash, and I don’t think Jongin would be enough to hold him back.”

Suho took a deep breath as nodded in understanding. “I’ll tell him to come home.”

Kyungsoo, Chanyeol, and Baekhyun released a sigh of relief. The three of them watched as Suho quickly typed onto his phone, but they all frowned when they saw Suho’s eyes suddenly glowing red. They sat up in alarm.

“What is it?” Kyungsoo quickly probed, eyes wide.

“… Kang Seung Joon texted me,” he answered after a short pause. His statement earned surprised reactions from the others. “He said he wants to speak with all of us,”

“Wait—did Sehun barge into his house?” Chanyeol immediately scowled.

“Tell me the idiot didn’t do anything stupid,” Baekhyun covered his face with the cushion behind him as he slammed his back onto the sofa.

“I don’t know, but it better not be him,” Suho muttered, standing up from the sofa. “All of you, change your clothes. We’re going to his house.”

“And with that, we’re done.”

You heaved a sigh of relief as you slump yourself on the sofa, feeling tired after working with a lot of numbers alongside trials and errors. Seung Joon chuckled after seeing your tired face, sitting down rather elegantly beside you, contrasting your abrupt action to just drop yourself on the soft cushions.

“Tired?” he asked with a smile on his face, even though it was glaringly obvious.

You nod, eyes blinking slowly over how heavy your eyelids feel. “Yeah, I didn’t get that much sleep either last night, so I’m feeling particularly tired today,” you murmured, rubbing your eyes sleepily as you did so. “And your fancy sofa is really lulling me to sleep,” you chuckled a bit.

Seung Joon laughed at your comment. “You’re welcomed to take a rest here,”

You showed him an earnest smile before scanning the interior of his living room once again. The white walls, black staircase, big black drapes that complemented the large windows scattered across the house, white and lush velvet sofa, the golden accents around the room from the other furniture, not to mention the sophisticated and almost regal appearance of his house is quite breathtaking. All the colors just melded it altogether nicely, giving it a modern yet classy design.

His parents must’ve worked a fortune to get this kind of interior design. I wonder what mom’s living space looks like in the US. 

“Did that Oh Sehun tire you out?”

Hearing the all too familiar name, your focus shifted back to Seung Joon. “Sehun?” you echoed, making sure you didn’t hear him wrong. “Well, he is quite a handful,” you clicked your tongue, staring at the ceiling as you formed the words in your head. “But, he’s not as bad as everybody else claim him to be,”

“I was quite surprised to see you hanging out around him,” the male told you, eyebrows knit together to show his confusion.

“Even I’m a little surprised by myself,” you noted, although you must say that it’s a pleasant surprise. “Although he’s the one who’s hanging out around me…” you mu