When Jungkook woke up the first thing he smelt was the thick air circling the room. It was dark having the light grace the wall’s presence from the corner. He leaned up slowly rubbing his eyes so they’d focus.

“I see sleeping beauty has awoken,” he heard Ilhoon’s thick voice wrap around his ear. He looked to his left and saw that Ilhoon was sitting on a wooden chair, a bit old with the wood rotting slightly under the seat. That was probably the smell that circulated the air.

“I really thought you had a better stomach than that,” Ilhoon said with a quick smirk handing Jungkook a water bottle. Jungkook blinked sitting up fully now realizing he was sitting on Ilhoon’s bed. He looked at Ilhoon’s outreached hand and blinked twice. He didn’t want anything to do with this kid; that included any offerings.

“Suit yourself,” said Ilhoon taking down three or four gulps. He screwed the cap back onto the lid and sat back into his wooden chair and looked at the blank paper on his desk. The pen rolling from one finger to the other. Jungkook finally remembered that rouge vampire, if it wasn’t for Ilhoon he probably wouldn’t be breathing right now.

“So what would you like to do sleeping beauty? I’m not picky when it comes to history,” he said tilting his head looking at Jungkook. Jungkook couldn’t understand where this cockiness was coming from. Sure he didn’t know the guy before the incident happened but for him to take on that rouge vampire without flinching made Jungkook’s stomach turn. That vampire looked like it could’ve killed someone, well it almost did, almost killed him.

Jungkook sat up and directed his gaze to Ilhoon’s skin. Nothing, no marks, no signs of scarring. Yeah he was a vampire but the damage that Jungkook saw happen to this kid shouldn’t have been so easy to heal.

“You gonna answer my question or eye me all day?” said Ilhoon flexing his jaw.

“Before we start I want to know something,” said Jungkook taking in a slow breath. Maybe he could beat around the bush and pull something out of this guy, he had to remember something. He needed to know what happened.

“Did you play a lot of sports when you were younger?”

“What is this an interview?” said Ilhoon scrunching his forehead.

“I mean, from how fast you moved in front of that vampire earlier, that couldn’t have been pure vampire skills. You’re faster and more agile. Maybe you were really good at a sport or something?” Ilhoon took a deep breath and tilted his head not taking his eyes off of Jungkook.

“Soccer.” He said simply. Jungkook felt the corner of his mouth tilt up. Perfect.

“Have you had any bad injuries before?” he said looking down at Ilhoon’s knee cap. The left one, the one that the man in the video took a large butcher’s knife to. Ilhoon’s jaw flexed and his middle finger and thumb’s tips started to rub against one another.

“A few twists on the ankle never killed anyone.” He said his voice getting a little less strong than usual. “Why?”

“I just heard the knee cap was a fatal blow to someone’s career if they injured it. Even to someone’s life.” Jungkook moved his eyes from Ilhoon’s knee cap to his eyes. “Has anything ever happened to you like that?”

Jungkook could’ve sworn he saw Ilhoon’s left eye twitch in the slightest as his fingers pressed together. Jungkook could smell the nerves coming off this guy’s neck.

“I don’t recall any to the knee cap no,” he said breathing slowly trying to bring his composure back to himself. Jungkook tilted his head.

“None at all? Not even a scratch?” he said yearning for something to come out of this guy’s head. He had to remember. Ilhoon’s eyes grew cold as he stared straight back into Jungkook making his own hands get hot.

“No. Why are you so interested in my history of injuries?” Ilhoon said breathing and looking back to the pen on his basic wooden desk.

“No reason,” Jungkook said finally looking around the room. He couldn’t get anything. What did they do to make him not remember?

When Jungkook looked around it wasn’t much of a room, you could’ve called it a closet or small cabinet even. The walls were slightly eroded in the corners, the bed right up against the wall. He only had one lamp in the room on his desk which was in the corner next to the window. When Jungkook looked to his right he saw a window, when he looked to his left he saw a door. The room was all that it was, a room. Barely any decorations on the wall except for a few flyers. Jungkook read one that looked to be a party coming up soon. The theme was going to be a neon glow-up party at the end of the week.

“What’s wrong is my humble abode not good enough for you?” Ilhoon said catching Jungkook’s attention back to the present.

“Sorry I wasn’t born with a silver spoon in my mouth,” Ilhoon said leaning down to look through his backpack.

“Seems like you have the wrong idea about me Ilhoon,” said Jungkook starting to get sick of this guy’s assumptions. “Whoever said I had it easy?” he said leaning to place his elbows on his knees flexing his jaw.

“You don’t know one thing about me, nor do you know what I’ve been through. So in order for us to work through this project in one piece, I suggest we cut out this hostility,” he said. Jungkook started to finally realize something. Yeah Ilhoon was a piece of work but Jungkook had too much in his own life to worry about than to take this much heat from a random person. Not to mention it was getting frustrating not being able to pull any type of information out of him. Ilhoon sat back with his history book in his lap and looked at Jungkook nodding slightly.

“You’re right. I apologize. I just get a bit offensive when I bring people around my area. I don’t like people that much,” he said starting to rub his fingers together again.

“Yet you have a party flyer on your wall?” said Jungkook.

“You know what, how about you pass through, loosen up. Looks like you could use a good night off, like me.” Like him? Was there something stressing Ilhoon? Did he remember? Did it have something to do with Namjoon?

“I don’t know. I’ll think about it. Like you said, I’m not much of a people person.” Said Jungkook looking back to Ilhoon. Ilhoon nodded and picked up his pen.

“Understood, well. No need to waste any more time. I’m thinking the Song Dynasty should be easy to work with.”

“Sounds good.”

                                                                                                                                               Lamia Febris

When Jungkook left Ilhoon’s place they’d actually gotten a lot of work done. To Jungkook’s surprise Ilhoon was actually pretty smart. He couldn’t get anything out of him though. Nothing related to the video or the injuries he saw being inflicted when he watched. He pulled out his phone and saw a message from Jimin.

‘How’d it go?’ it said with a wink face at the end. Jungkook smiled a bit. His life was a mess it was true and there were many things going on but he knew he could trust Jimin. A friend, something he hasn’t had in a long time.

‘I’ll come over and tell you,’ he texted back. At that Jungkook started to head over to Jimin’s.

Jimin met Jungkook at the door with a cheeky smile from ear to ear.  The bubbles in his cheek a warm greeting.

“So what happened?”

“He can’t remember. When I asked him about his knee cap his fingers started fidgeting and he started to sweat. I feel like something is blocking his memory,” Jungkook said as he walked to Jimin’s room.

“So he couldn’t remember anything? Like at all?” said Jimin opening up his door. Jungkook shook his head and stepped in sitting in the familiar chair. Jimin breathed in deeply as he sat on his bed.

“I wonder what they did to make him forget. Like a mental block or something? I know that some people have like these psychic powers that can cause people to forget certain things,” said Jimin trying to explain his theory. Jungkook shook his head and looked at the boy.

“This isn’t one of your comics Jimin, you can’t just erase someone’s memory where you please.” Jimin sat and pouted.

“My comics are cool ok,” he said his bottom lip poking out crossing his arms. They were silent for a moment until Jimin asked,

“Did he say anything else? Like is there any other way we could try and find out about people that may know him? Maybe they could lead us somewhere?” he said grabbing his pillow and hugging it. Jungkook paused for a moment having the image of the party flyer on Ilhoon’s wall flash in his mind.

“Ilhoon did invite me to one of his vampire parties,” Jungkook said leaning his elbow on the arm of the chair as his middle finger glided back and forth over his jawline.

“What!? How’d you manage that! I thought you said he had it out for you or something,” said Jimin jumping to the edge of the bed.

“He’s not a bad guy, he’s just…on edge. His nerves are bad and he’s defensive, but he isn’t a bad guy,” Jungkook said thinking about how Ilhoon had saved him from that rouge vampire before they’d gotten to his house. He’d completely forgotten to thank him for that.

“Well let’s go then! We can see what kind of people he hangs around maybe they’re connected in some kind of way?”

“No,” said Jungkook with a sharp look.

“What? Why not! Man I haven’t gotten action in like days! Plus my mom has been on me about being my grades. I need to have some fun, you do to,” said Jimin leaning into Jungkook grabbing his arm.

“It’s an all vampire party there’s no way I’m putting you into that type of danger. And a couple of days? You can’t even talk to a girl,” said Jungkook chuckling dryly folding his arms. Jimin pulled a cocky smile at the corner of his lip.

“Remember my history partner?” said Jimin wiggling his eyebrows. Jungkook rolled his eyes as his face fell into his hand.

“You didn’t,” he said pulling his hand down his face meeting Jimin’s face that had a huge smile.

“That’s a rated 19 movie for you sidekick now you’ll do as I say seeing that I’m the hero to this story. We’re going. End of story. Now, go practice your flirt game because you’ll need it,” said Jimin getting up patting his shoulder.

“But don’t worry, I can teach you,” he said with a wink and a chuckle heading out his door. Jungkook shook his head. What were they about to get into?