It’s ok.

If Jin had expected any kind of reaction from Moon-ssi, it would not have been that. The words rattled around in his head like loose beans, making a lot of noise. The snow was damp and wet as it seeped into the edges of his robes and it was all Jin could think about as Moon-ssi patted him reassuringly. He didn’t seem… surprised, or scared, at all. Jin sniffed again, ashamed now of having added crying to his list of embarrassments. If he straightened, and in fact leaned closer towards Moon-ssi, he tried to be subtle about it. The words seemed to flow like an open tap after that.

“I-I never thought I’d have to do it,” he blubbered. “I don’t want to be a heubhyeolgui. Everyone thinks I’m a monster and, and now…!” He swiped a hand angrily over his face. “And now I know they’re right!” He grit his teeth and scowled at the ground. Even admitting it aloud here and now seemed like too much as Jin fought the urge. He couldn’t tell Moon-ssi that he’d liked it. That he’d thought of nothing else since that moment and that he was scared this stupid, monstrous craving would turn into something worse.

Jin sucked in a shaky breath and held it, trying to regain his composure. He was a mess both mentally and physically. Somehow the fingers of his right hand had tangled themselves in Moon-ssi’s robes again but Jin didn’t let go as he realized. It wasn’t ok that he was like this, he’d convinced himself. But maybe, with Moon-ssi beside him, Jin could find a way around it. At least until he could cure himself of it, for good.

---

Ahn-Bo Jeong & muse song
*bloodsucker

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   Ahn-Bo Jeong

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* Jin takes potions and enchantments at times to give his voice a persuasive quality.
His performances, or even a simple conversation, can sometimes suggest thoughts
and ideas to his audiences.

He'd had to? What did that mean? He hadn't done it out of curiosity? It was only now that the realization came: the 'request' Seojin-a had referenced hadn't been a request at all. A request was something you could say no to. This sounded like it was something else entirely. Something much more sinister. His abeoji didn't know. If he did, he wouldn't have let it happen. Or even if it was too late, he would have at least made sure Seojin-a was okay before sending him back to school in this state.

Instinctively, Ahn-Bo reached for the vampire's hand and held it, his own cold fingers threading through Seojin-a's in a way he hoped was comforting. "You're not a monster. I know you're not, and... and everyone else is pabo!" he declared firmly, as if he could build a protective wall around Seojin-a with just his words alone. He used their interlaced hands to pull his friend even closer. Their knees brushed, and even in that moment, it made his cheeks flush.

stupid, foolish

  

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⚘


Ahn-Bo speaks in Korean to his family unless otherwise stated in posts.
He has a noticeable accent when speaking in English.

Set by the amazing Fox! • plot with me

Jin was angry at himself for crying. Thirteen year old boys didn’t cry! But try as he might, the tears wouldn’t stop coming. All the bottled up angst and self-loathing he’d been carrying around the past few days (nay, years) seemed to be trying to manifest tangibly in that moment. He sniffed again, hardly registering as Moon-ssi held his hand. He heard the other’s words but no amount of reassurance could convince Jin to believe him.

He shook his head and shut his eyes tightly as if willing the truth to change. “I am,” he whispered, insistent. “I can’t stop thinking about it, Moon-ssi.” Jin shook his head again as if he could dislodge the thoughts completely. “What if one day I hurt you? By accident?” Or worse, on purpose. He didn’t know how this half thing worked. What if one day, when he was old enough, he turned into a real vampire! That’s what Kenji had said once! “You should be scared of me too.” He sniffed, swiping at his red face again. “Vampires are evil omens. Just like Omma always said.”

Seo. Auspicious. Omen.

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Ahn-Bo Jeong & muse song
*Mama

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   Ahn-Bo Jeong

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* Jin takes potions and enchantments at times to give his voice a persuasive quality.
His performances, or even a simple conversation, can sometimes suggest thoughts
and ideas to his audiences.

Ahn-Bo didn't know if now would be a good time to try to make his friend laugh. The tools in his arsenal were very limited. He'd used everything he knew already for comfort, and now all he had left was humor.

"Well, I'm not," he stated matter-of-factly. "You're not scary at all—I don't think you would even know how to be scary if you tried. And the only thing evil about you is how strict you are about turning assignments in on time." The last part was said with a small, teasing grin.

Speaking of ommas... Ahn-Bo pointed to the turquoise patterned silk bundle he'd dumped on the table earlier, "It's patjuk from home. You should have some. It has positive energy and wards off evil and negative spirits." At least, that's what his own omma had told him. He'd thought it a bunch of silly adult nonsense, but now it seemed like it might be just the thing to help. And just in case Seojin-a needed a little extra urging, he added quickly, "You're hungry anyway and it's still warm!"

  

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⚘


Ahn-Bo speaks in Korean to his family unless otherwise stated in posts.
He has a noticeable accent when speaking in English.

Set by the amazing Fox! • plot with me

Jin struggled to recompose himself. He was making such a scene! This was no way for a thirteen year old, especially a Jeong, to behave! If Abeoji knew, he’d be furious and the thought alone was enough to make Jin suck in a small breath and hold it until the tears finally stopped. Moon-ssi’s reassurance that he wasn’t scared sounded more firm than Jin had expected too and he leaned into it, squeezing the other’s hand in his own and sniffling again.

The attempt at a joke was weak but Jin huffed a little laugh anyway; he appreciated Moon-ssi’s effort more than he found it funny. Rubbing his free hand over his face again, Jin sniffed and wiped the remaining wetness from his cheeks. His skin was red and aggravated from all the scratching. Translucent as it was, he marked easily and here was a series of events that would remain on his face like an open book for the world to see. Jin cursed his stupid vampire genetics endlessly.

He turned towards the silk wrappings as Moon-ssi pointed at one. Wards off evil and negative spirits, he’d said. Staring at it skeptically, Jin wondered if he’d burst into flames the moment he tugged on the corner. Not willing to offend his friend by refusing however, he took his chances and very carefully unwrapped the first gift. He did not - in fact - burst into smithereens. Relaxing marginally, Jin lifted the lid and the luscious scent of the patjuk made his stomach growl again. A swelling of appreciation pooled in his gut as Jin raised red-rimmed eyes towards his friend for the first time since his confession. “Gomawo, Moon-ssi,” he forced out, voice breaking on the last. He didn’t deserve a friend like Moon Ahn-Bo-ya… but spirits did Jin adore him.

Their knees brushed again as he resituated himself and carefully made to unwrap the second gift out of curiosity. He was practically pressed up against Moon-ssi as he did so but there was something soothed by his clinging that made Jin ignore the awkwardness of it. If he wasn’t brave enough to hug his friend, because that would be inappropriate surely, then he was perfectly happy to all but crawl in his lap instead. (Because that was less so, obviously.) He pulled the red silk loose and out tumbled a little calendar of poems. Jin blinked at it, twice.

Turning it over between his long fingers, Jin flipped a few pages and read the first Sijo poem. It was delicate and short, and compared love to the strength of a tree in perfect conditions. There was something relevant there to his own situation— about being nurtured by doubt and self-loathing, but Jin tried not to think too much about it as he turned back to Moon-ssi with a grateful (if unknowingly lovestruck) expression. It was the best gift. He swallowed a lump still in his throat from the prior crying fit.

Jin didn’t say anything as he gently set the calendar aside and looked back at the patjuk. He was hungry, that much was evident. But somehow, he still couldn’t bring himself to want to take a bite. Covering it again, he began to re-wrap the gift. “I’ll save this for the next time I have a meal,” he said quietly. “Gomawo, jinjja, Moon-ssi,” he said again, with all the sincerity of a Confucian scholar.

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Ahn-Bo Jeong & muse song
* Sijo (시조): A three-line form that emerged in the Goryeo Dynasty but flourished in the Joseon era. It typically has a 3-4-4-4 syllable structure for the first two lines, with a twist or surprise in the first half of the third line, followed by a concluding resolution

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   Ahn-Bo Jeong

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* Jin takes potions and enchantments at times to give his voice a persuasive quality.
His performances, or even a simple conversation, can sometimes suggest thoughts
and ideas to his audiences.

Ahn-Bo watched Seojin-a's face eagerly, trying to catch every flash of emotion and thought that raced through his quiet friend's mind. If they had been in this position a few years from now, when they were older and had some realizations about themselves (as well as each other), he would have pulled the little vampire right into his lap. He was nearly there as it was. But for now, they simply huddled together. He couldn't help his grin as Seojin-a thanked him for the first gift. His voice had cracked—but Ahn-bo pretended not to notice. Whether they were done with (their) tears, he wasn't sure, but at least for now, they could have a nice little moment together.

The second gift was a bit more personal, chosen by him from the market specifically for Seojin-a. He bit the inside of his lower lip nervously. What if he had picked the worst gift ever and his friend hated it? Or worse, what if he hated it but pretended to like it? Everyone in Josineo was supposed to have a new calendar this time of year. It was the start of the new year, and most promised fortune and good health. He'd assumed that's what this one had said. Seojin-a had actually taken the time to read a poem from it (he should have expected that.) And then the look he gave Ahn-Bo, wide, shining eyes, and something else he couldn't name just yet. His face flushed, and he glanced down at their hands for a moment, suddenly bashful. "Anieyo."

It hadn't occurred to him that Seojin-a hadn't eaten since the incident. Which clearly, based on the bruises Ahn-Bo had assumed were from the business partner—may he rot in hell—it had been several days at least. He wanted to push and cajole the little vampire into eating something. Even just a bite. Some part of him could sense that his friend was in too delicate of a state right now. Being told what to do wasn't what he needed. So instead, he nodded, forcing a grin, and jutted his chin toward the calendar, "Anieyoooo Seonjin-a. What's the poem about?"

  

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Ahn-Bo speaks in Korean to his family unless otherwise stated in posts.
He has a noticeable accent when speaking in English.

Set by the amazing Fox! • plot with me

Despite the darkness around them, every moment that passed brought Jin more calm and peace than before. His sniffling had subsided and the swell of gratitude in his chest for both the gifts and Moon-ssi’s quiet acceptance were warm like the presence of the real thing beside him. He refused to pull his left hand back as he carefully (albeit clumsily) managed the gifts with his right, but the bashful response from the usually quippy yangban made Jin pause. He looked up again, taking in the full force of Moon-ssi’s blush, and a smile crept its way across Jin’s face. It was rare that Moon-ssi blushed like this but even in the soft light of the flames it was obvious. Jin resisted the urge to poke him teasingly in the cheek.

With the patjuk covered and the smell tucked away, Jin pulled the little calendar back into his lap and leaned against what he thought was the old hanok. He realized too late that in this position he’d actually leaned up against Moon-ssi’s arm and quickly straightened with a quiet apology. His cheeks were warm and Jin shook his head a bit. They were getting awfully comfortable for a damp, cold, illicit evening out of doors. Seonsaengnim was going to have their hide if they were caught. Reluctantly, Jin pulled his hand back with a shy blush. He was fine now. He promised he wouldn’t cry anymore.

“Poem?” He repeated distractedly. “Oh!” The one from the calendar. Jin flipped through the thing again and found the correct date this time, having no clue where the tree one had gone. He cleared his throat and read it out, humming sagely (perhaps mockingly) at the wisdom of the missive. “It seems like a warning to listen to your elders,” he shrugged when he was done. But that wasn’t new. Cracking a mischievous grin then, he nudged Moon-ssi gently in the ribs. “Speaking of elders, Seonsaengnim will be furious if he finds us missing.” Jin didn’t want to head back and break their quiet little moment of peace but— “Do you think he’d believe us if we said we were in the library?”

Not a chance.

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Ahn-Bo Jeong & muse song

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Let out all your tears, I’ll keep you close;
Hold onto my hands, don’t give up.
You’re doing great, ok— blooming in the rain.
I’ll always stay—

I’ll stay forever, oh, I’ll stay here—
I’ll stay forever, I’m right here.

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   Ahn-Bo Jeong

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* Jin takes potions and enchantments at times to give his voice a persuasive quality.
His performances, or even a simple conversation, can sometimes suggest thoughts
and ideas to his audiences.

Seojin-a seemed to have come back to himself. It was a huge relief to Ahn-Bo, though he selfishly found himself trying to think up scenarios for why he would need to grab onto his friend again. It had been pleasant, holding hands, for the small moment that it had shifted from comfort to affection. It was silly. Why would he care if they held hands again?

He hadn't gotten self-conscious about touching another person other than Lee Hwa-young, a fourth-year whose braid he liked to tug as he walked by. Her smile was pretty, and her giggle made him laugh. And even then, it was only when she knew he was coming up behind her and made eye contact with him that he felt a bit shy, though he did it anyway. He wasn't someone who backed down once his intentions were made clear. Seojin-a seemed to be the exception.

Ahn-Bo laughed at the tone the poem was recited in and then wrinkled his nose at the reminder of their teacher. "Ani—the librarian tattles whenever we're there because we're 'too disruptive.'" More like he was noisy and made Seojin-a laugh just so that he could see him get flustered when they were shushed. Sometimes, he went a bit too far and got them kicked out for the day (which was also highly entertaining.) He exhaled in a huff, then began gathering the little vampire's items from the table.

"We'll have to run to make it before curfew," he grinned mischievously. Somehow, Seojin-a's book had fallen into the snow unnoticed. He scooped it up, trying to brush it off with icy fingers. The edges of the paper were already curling inward, and some of the ink had smeared. Hopefully it wasn't ruined. Seojin-a liked to take care of his things. Ahn-Bo would have to check the condition of his own copy. Maybe it was better off, and they could trade. He didn't care if he could actually tell what it said.

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   Seojin Jeong

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Ahn-Bo speaks in Korean to his family unless otherwise stated in posts.
He has a noticeable accent when speaking in English.

Set by the amazing Fox! • plot with me

At the very thought of Seonsaengnim, Jin felt a rebellious urge rise in his chest. He didn’t want to go running back in time for curfew because even if they made it, he was sure they’d get scolded and a detention just for being out in the dark. (Not that Kenji would, but because he was the one to do it, he’d get Moon-ssi in trouble.) Deciding then they might as well do something worth the punishment, Jin reached out to lay his hand on top of Moon-ssi’s haltingly.

He was right that the librarian was a tattle tale. So, inclining his head slightly, Jin gave a small shrug. “We won’t make it back anyway,” he said intentionally. And there was something about having told Moon-ssi the truth and sitting here in their small, cold bubble, that Jin wasn’t ready to walk away from. He gratefully pulled his book from Moon-ssi’s hands then and dried it off as best he could before tucking it back into his bag. The heating spell he’d worked earlier was starting to fade and the little flame was flickering lower. When they went out for good, Jin figured they could go back. In the meantime, he shifted to tidy his things and turned back towards Moon-ssi.

“Mianhaeyo, Moon-ssi,” he said quietly after a moment. (If he was a little polite, it was only to emphasize his apology.) In the growing darkness it was easier for Jin to be honest though and words that had been guiltily turning over in his brain came bubbling out. “I shouldn’t have hidden my secret,” or myself “in an attempt to avoid you.” His shoulder lifted in an awkward, uncomfortable way. “I don’t know how to change what I am or how I feel about blood, but I want you to know I would never knowingly hurt you.” It was at that point that gold eyes flickered up searching for brown. Suddenly, it was very important than Moon-ssi knew this. “I hate my real Abeoji for giving me this part of him. This heubhyeolgui thing I don’t even understand! But I promise,” he impressed, leaning forward in earnest. “I won’t ever let it hurt anyone.” Or at least not— you.

Big words for an ill fated omen.

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Ahn-Bo Jeong & muse song

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   Ahn-Bo Jeong

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* Jin takes potions and enchantments at times to give his voice a persuasive quality.
His performances, or even a simple conversation, can sometimes suggest thoughts
and ideas to his audiences.

Seojin-a wanted to break curfew? Was he still truly devastated? Had Ahn-Bo not done well enough in his comforting that he still felt the need to hide out here? The brief contact of their hands had made him still, and now his stomach felt like it did when he flew in loops on his broomstick, weightless while he was turned upside-down.

He turned serious as the little vampire continued, his apology turning into an understandable vent. Ahn-Bo listened intently. He'd suddenly been given a lot more context to their earlier conversation. "I know you won't," he said solemnly, "I trust you." And then his serious expression was gone, replaced by a playful smirk. "Just so you know, I like both parts of you Seojin-a. Your skin is light and pretty, and your pointy teeth are cute. Like a kitten." Not that he really knew much else about vampirism aside from what his friend had shared. The physical traits were easy enough to spot, at least.

Ahn-Bo's lips twisted into an apologetic smile, "I'm sorry for yelling at you. Though you did deserve it a little... anyway next time you're upset about anything, come find me. I'm way better at making you feel better than you are." Full darkness hit them then, revealing the stars twinkling above them in bright clarity. The full moon's reflection danced along the surface of the untouched snow, sparkling as if it were made of precious gems. An involuntary shiver shook him. He stepped closer to the dying flame and shoved his numbed hands in his overcoat pockets.

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   Seojin Jeong

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Ahn-Bo speaks in Korean to his family unless otherwise stated in posts.
He has a noticeable accent when speaking in English.

Set by the amazing Fox! • plot with me

As he turned over his own little monologue, Jin realized the truth in his statements. He did hate his real father. Hated what he did to his mother, hated what he’d inadvertently done to their family as a result, and hated— despised what he’d been born into. It was a prickly, furious feeling that had taken root in his gut and he tried hard to suppress it. He’d never given his real father much thought before (outside of knowing he was a vampire) and now was not the time to unpack how he felt about it.

As Moon-ssi pulled him back from his thoughts, Jin gave a small nod. I trust you, he’s said. If the words left him with a sense of relief, he wasn’t sure why. Now it was all Jin could do to hope that he’d live up to being worthy of that trust.

He clocked the teasing look on his friend’s face almost the same moment the words were out of his mouth and Jin’s body reacted on impulse. A furious blush stole over his features, racing down his neck, and his chin dropped even as a shy smile betrayed him. Moon-ssi thought he was cute. Jin didn’t know why that sentiment triggered the feeling of doxy wings fluttering against his intestines. He huffed a small laugh to distract from his reaction. A kitten was a lot less intimidating than a vampire.

Swallowing down the urge to make the noise of a cat (because that was embarrassing even if he was poking fun), Jin sobered as much as he could at Moon-ssi’s apology. He gave a small nod and huffed at the bit that he’d deserved it— which, maybe. But he agreed not to hide things. “Deal,” Jin said, still smiling. “You are better at it than I am,” he added, poking Moon-ssi in the cheek with his pointer finger.

The fire was beginning to die down more but the cold wind had subsided. Around them the world looked like something out of a book and Jin felt the same calm and peace from before resettle in his spine. He shifted closer to Moon-ssi. “It’s quiet here at night,” he observed, eyes wide like an owl.

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Ahn-Bo Jeong & muse song

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   Ahn-Bo Jeong

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* Jin takes potions and enchantments at times to give his voice a persuasive quality.
His performances, or even a simple conversation, can sometimes suggest thoughts
and ideas to his audiences.

The only reason he knew that Seojin-a had poked his cheek was because there was a visual component to it. He saw it happen. His cheeks were far too numb from the cold for him to be able to feel it. He laughed anyway. As it died away, the vampire noted how quiet it had become. All of the students were in the dorms now. Well, not all of them. All students minus two. He nodded in agreement, his own eyes wide as he took it in. There was a peaceful sort of feel to it. He didn't think he'd ever experienced complete silence before—especially not at the academy.

It was then that the little flame Seojin-a had made petered out, and they were left with only the moonlight in which to see each other. Ahn-Bo caught sight of several orbs illuminating the windows of the palace's hall. There were faint silhouettes of the adults attached to them, seemingly agitated. Though he would have liked to believe it merely coincidental, he recognized trouble when he saw it. "They're looking for us," he whispered softly, pointing at the area with a grin. Apparently, not all the staff were accounted for, because it was then he heard the doors not far from them fling open.

The urge to run was simply too strong. With a gleeful grin, his right hand waved his wand and whispered a hasty dismissal spell at Seojin-a's things. They were gone a second letter. His left hand hand grabbed hold of Seojin-a's fingers (or tried to; Ahn-Bo's fingers were just as numb as his cheeks) and tugged him quickly around to the other side of the hanok so they were hidden from view. "Hurry, cover our footprints!" he whispered in the little vampire's ear before he released his hand and made a mad dash for the wooden door.

He had no idea what this hanok was used for, but it stood separately from the palace. It would be a good place to hide from the adults, pushing off their punishment for a bit longer. Hopefully, the inside was warm. Though the locked door may have been a hindrance to some, Ahn-Bo happened to know a thing or two about breaking and entering. Not that he ever used it, of course. Not maliciously, anyway. The Joseon court had many clever secrets, and this spell was one of them. His right hand waved at the door, and he heard the bolt slide open. Without hesitation, he cracked it open and put one boot inside. "Gaja Seojin-a," He whisper-yelled in an attempt to cover the ten feet between them.

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   Seojin Jeong

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Ahn-Bo speaks in Korean to his family unless otherwise stated in posts.
He has a noticeable accent when speaking in English.

Set by the amazing Fox! • plot with me

The silence of the grounds was almost ethereal as Jin studied it in the dim light of the flame. Moon-ssi was warm beside him but he was growing chilled to the bone and fast. Jin’s lack of decent circulation made him prone to frigid appendices and when left out in the cold he grew icier faster than the average. Even Moon-ssi was getting cold beside him if his frozen cheeks were any indication. They should probably go in before they froze to death. (The little blue flame beside them petered out as if in agreement.)

Cast in darkness, Jin looked up at the sky. The moon was bright and the stars were glimmering like little insects off in the distance. In that moment it didn’t seem to matter that they were half-vampire and full human. Nature could not itself tell the difference. At Moon-ssi’s comment, Jin glanced in the direction of the palace and felt his peace shatter. Anxiety rocketed through his veins as a desire to turn himself in warred with the fear of being screamed at when he did. Perhaps a detention was too lenient a punishment for staying out all night. Perhaps he’d be expelled. Before Jin could think to say anything of the sort however, Moon-ssi had vanished his things and was grabbing him by the hand.

Golden hues widened like saucers as Jin followed his friend and scrambled to a stand in the snow. Anxiety turned to adrenaline as he made to vanish their footprints and hurled himself after Moon-ssi towards the other side of the hanok. “This is a terrible idea,” he muttered into the other’s ear, almost crashing into him as he veered to a halt. But Jin didn’t protest further. If they were going to be expelled, it would be the same now or later. He glanced over his shoulder in the direction of the palace as Moon-ssi made a break for the lock. Then, as the doors were thrown open, he too raced over. Turning his back to Moon-ssi as he tripped over the threshold, clearing their footprints, Jin was not prepared for the sudden lurch that accompanied his entrance.

The door slammed shut behind them as both third years tumbled to the ground and landed on a red velvet cushion. Beside them was a heap of Jin’s things from where Moon-ssi had moved them but he didn’t notice that. All he could think was how close Moon-ssi’s face was to his.

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Ahn-Bo Jeong & muse song

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   Ahn-Bo Jeong

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* Jin takes potions and enchantments at times to give his voice a persuasive quality.
His performances, or even a simple conversation, can sometimes suggest thoughts
and ideas to his audiences.

Later, he would be impressed with how smooth their getaway was. Seojin-a had presumably covered their tracks, and now there was nothing that would give them away. Well, almost seamless. The entrance to the hanok could have used some work. There hadn't been any time for him to react as the vampire stepped over the threshold. Ahn-Bo had leaned forward just enough to lock the door behind them, and then he was suddenly tumbling to the ground in a tangle of cold limbs and snow. The landing was surprisingly soft, not the hard wood or stone he'd expected. It was the only thing he noticed as his knees hit the cushion(?) and he just caught himself before he smashed directly into his friend's face—one hand on either side of Seojina's shoulders.

He blinked. It had all happened so quickly. What had even happened? Before he could sort it out, he realized how close they were to each other. Their warm breath intermingled in the narrow space between them, tickling his frozen cheeks. Ahn-Bo had never seen the little vampire up close like this. His stare was awestruck. How had he not known how pretty Seojin-a's eyes were? The striations and individual colors were more difficult to see from a normal distance. But here up close, he thought they were probably the most unique thing he had ever seen.

Ahn-Bo realized he was staring and flushed, quickly shifting his weight to his knees to let Seojin-a up. His stomach was doing those quidditch-style loops again. To cover up the overly enthusiastic fluttering of his heart, he laughed. He would have made a joke, something about Seojin-a purposely tripping him. But for the first time in a very long while—Ahn-Bo didn't know what to say.

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   Seojin Jeong

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⚘


Ahn-Bo speaks in Korean to his family unless otherwise stated in posts.
He has a noticeable accent when speaking in English.

Set by the amazing Fox! • plot with me

Their tumble was like something out of a dream— or nightmare, Jin wasn’t sure quite which. He’d missed the old threshold with his back turned towards the inside, preoccupied as he’d been with covering their tracks, and when he caught it with his heel, Jin had reached for the first thing he could: Moon-ssi’s robes. They careened towards the ground in a tangle of arms and legs with Jin landing in his back with a flinch. When he opened his eyes, Moon-ssi’s nose was less than a hairsbreadth from his and both of the quidditch player’s hands had landed in either side of his head.

Jin blinked up at Moon-ssi, owlish eyes wide. He was so close. Closer, certainly, than they’d ever been before. From this distance Jin could note a smattering of freckles so faint they were nearly imperceptible brushed like ink across Moon-ssi’s nose and cheeks. They resembled the very stars outside and he found himself wanting to make constellations out of them. It was a silly thought, one that urged a blush into his own cheeks to mirror the red that soon bloomed on Moon-ssi’s. Before Jin could comment, the other was moving, putting space between them that was colder than before. (Even being in his physical presence was like basking in the sun, Jin noted absently.) His stomach flipped again and he tried to blink the feeling away. Propping himself up on his elbows, Jin offered Moon-ssi a sheepish grin. “Mianhe,” he whispered breathlessly.

The inside of the abandoned hanok was entirely different than Jin had imagined. Where he had expected a hard, cracked floor and dusty, animal-ridden accoutrements there was instead a plush pile of pillows and bedrolls that looked newly laundered. There was a single low table with a flickering candle already lit by which they could see and a funny looking mirror hanging on the wall. The interior also looked a lot larger on the inside than it had out. Jin cast Moon-ssi a curious glance as if to say— how strangely convenient.

Just then, the sound of voices echoed outside the hanok. Jin turned, terrified towards the door that had clicked shut behind them. He could just faintly make out the silhouette of Seonsaengnim and someone else muttering crossly on the other side. A hand came up to cover Moon-ssi’s mouth on instinct as Jin held his breath and tugged them further back into the small space. After what felt like an endless amount of time, the voices faded and the light outside dimmed. That was strange. They ought to have been able to see in the way he and Moon-ssi saw out…

Letting out the breath he’d been holding, Jin collapsed back into the cushions. His heart was thundering in his chest as he stared up at the ceiling only to notice that it resembled the very night sky they’d just been under. It had started to snow too now, apparently. “What is this place…” he heard himself whisper, rhetorically.

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Ahn-Bo Jeong & muse song

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   Ahn-Bo Jeong

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* Jin takes potions and enchantments at times to give his voice a persuasive quality.
His performances, or even a simple conversation, can sometimes suggest thoughts
and ideas to his audiences.

"Gwenchana," he distractedly waved Seojina's apology away, dark brown eyes darting around as he took in their surroundings. The few things that he'd managed to move from outside to inside were here—but so were pillows, and a table, and a candle and mirror, and bedrolls... it was as if everything they needed was here. It was warm as well, which was a relief. He hadn't been entirely certain what they were going to do for heat that wouldn't burn the place down. Luckily, that conundrum had solved itself; or rather, the hanok had.

Before he could explore, there were noises outside (far too close!), and the vampire's cold hand was covering his mouth. Ahn-Bo obediently froze, barely daring to breathe. He was sorely tempted to flick his tongue out and lick Seojina's palm for a laugh. It was probably good the vampire had covered his mouth. They both knew he struggled with being silent—even in situations like this.

And then... they were gone, and so was his friend's hand. Ahn-Bo took a shuddering breath in an attempt to put himself to rights. The adrenaline that had flooded his veins from the sneaking and the fall and the nearly being caught just now made it impossible for him to sit still. While Seojin-a collapsed into the cushions, the quidditch player was up and moving around, poking things and moving them around with excited noises.

When he neared the table, he unwrapped the silk from the patjuk. It was still warm, and the scent wafted through the air deliciously. "Still hungry?" he asked with a grin. Ahn-Bo set the bowl out, getting it ready for the little vampire to come eat. He frowned when he realized that he hadn't thought to bring any utensils, assuming they would have been somewhere that already had them. "You might have to eat with your hand-" he had started apologetically. Before he could finish the sentence, a metal spoon atop a linen cloth appeared directly next to the bowl. He gasped and whirled toward Seojin-a in astonishment. Had he seen that too?!

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   Seojin Jeong

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Ahn-Bo speaks in Korean to his family unless otherwise stated in posts.
He has a noticeable accent when speaking in English.

Set by the amazing Fox! • plot with me