Jin was surprised by Moon-ssi’s response. Very surprised. Golden brown eyes widened and a feeling he wasn’t sure how to name flickered in his chest. (Guilt? Anxiety? Concern?) He was quiet as the other began to prattle and slowly the feeling morphed from initial offense to something softer. He was skeptical still— the words coming out of Moon-ssi’s mouth were not at all convincing— but the nervousness in his movements and tone appeased Jin somewhat anyway. He felt the echo of that same instinct that Moon-ssi was nothing if not honest, perhaps for better or worse.

(And when the other called him by his first name again Jin felt the knot in his chest release a bit. He hated it.)

Pursing his lips, the little vampire was quiet, letting the silence stretch somewhat punishingly between them. He didn’t approve of copying notes but, well. Ugh. Fine.

“…Why don’t we just read it together?” He asked, voice arrestingly soft. He didn’t know if it was shyness, acquiescence, or some desperate desire to make a single friend. Jin tugged his notes closer to himself and realized he was fidgeting. He looked up one last time and caught Moon-ssi’s gaze and held it.

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Ahn-Bo Jeong & muse song

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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 the boy's face carefully, hoping that he'd done enough to smooth things over. He didn't quite know why he'd been holding his breath or why his heartbeat had raced. He wanted to be friends with the vampire who didn't seem to have anyone else. Not out of pity, but out of genuine curiosity and enjoyment. Up until a moment ago, he'd been having a lot of fun during this encounter. Most of his friends were like him and from similar backgrounds with similar personalities, which meant that it was very rare that he could poke at someone and they wouldn't poke back.

The suggestion he received cured his disbelief. "Really?" Grinning widely, he pushed himself up from the grass to sit on his knees. It was a little confusing, if he were honest. Not the invitation—he was rather charming, after all—but the body language the vampire was using seemed to say the exact opposite. He'd clutched his notes closer to his chest, which made it seem like he didn't actually want to. Bemused, Ahn-Bo bit his lips and waited, not entirely sure where to go from here.

  

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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 felt the tension in his chest continue to deflate. The expressions and openness of the young yangban beside him seemed genuine especially as Moon-ssi sat up, paying him rapt attention. Jin felt his cheeks heat from the focus. He nodded, and the hint of a smile played at the corner of his lips not to be fully realized. “Jinjja,” he echoed, softly.

Clearing his throat then, he refocused his attention on the book and rearranged his things so as to get down to business. (The brushes were left untouched.) Jin was confident in his assumption that Moon-ssi had likely not started any of the assignment so he flipped back to the beginning and positioned it between them.

An awkward silence stretched. He didn’t know if… he should offer to read it out loud? (But that felt very presumptuous and he didn’t want to speak that much.) Or if he should just wait until Moon-ssi turned the page. Jin shifted in his seat.

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Ahn-Bo Jeong & muse song

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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.

In theory, reading together had made sense. They'd just share the book and trudge through the assigned reading. By the end, they'd be friends and have finished the stupid homework. Now that the book had been set between them, Ahn-Bo felt even more awkward. Seojin-a hadn't explained how he'd meant to share; Ahn-Bo had never tried to read a book at the same time as someone else (nor had ever had the desire to—though to be frank, he didn't necessarily want to now either, especially with how awkward it had suddenly become.)

Apparently, they were to just sit in silence and... read at the same time? Ahn-Bo cleared his throat as the other boy shifted a bit. Well, if that was the plan and what he'd agreed to, then he'd follow through with it. Seojin-a had thoughtfully started over for him. A slight blush crept up his cheeks. Hopefully he hadn't gotten too far into it, or else it would be horribly boring for him to have to read that much all over again.

Absentmindedly, he fiddled with the blade of grass still pinched between his fingers. As miserable as it was, he dutifully read the entire page. And then... he didn't know what to do next. It would be rude to turn the page if Seojin-a hadn't finished yet. Then it was his turn to shift in his seat, moving from his knees to sitting cross-legged, mirroring the vampire. Growing impatient, he took a peek at Seojin-a again. Was he still reading?

  

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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 awkwardness was a heavy weight as it settled on Jin’s shoulders. He could feel it breathing down the back of his neck uncomfortably like a living thing with no hint of relief in the immediate future. Time seemed to slow, stretching endlessly, and the only thing he could do was re-read the page he’d already finished. His notes danced mockingly in the margins of the accompanying notes page which Jin made sure to share with Moon-ssi, even if he’d already admitted he couldn’t read them.

After what felt like an eternity, his companion shifted. Jin peeked at him out of the corner of his eye and caught Moon-ssi doing the same. Were they both feeling awkward about this? Maybe he should do something to break the tension. Jin wasn’t sure what, he’d never really had to before, but he cleared his throat again before lapsing back into uncomfortable silence. This was… dreadful.

Pushing his books closer in Moon-ssi’s direction, Jin let his eyes wander to the broom still laying in the grass beside them. (He’d let the other read on his own while he waited.) It was shiny and looked new, probably very fast. Jin had never been on a broom himself and frankly he wasn’t sure he ever wanted to. A soft wind rustled the pages around them and Jin laced his fingers in his lap. He stared out at the scenery, quickly growing distracted. Would it be rude to ask Moon-ssi about himself, he wondered? What if they were just sharing the book this once and that was it. Would Abeoji be angry he’d made a friend? Jin turned these thoughts over in his mind and began to tie pieces of grass together into a strand.

“Moon-ssi,” he finally mumbled, voice small and apologetic for distracting him. “Why… aren’t you scared of me, like the rest?” It wasn’t the question Jin had meant to ask and it had slipped out before he could stop it. Still, it was the most pressing matter on his mind as he twisted the grass strands tighter between his fingers.

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Ahn-Bo Jeong & muse song

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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.

Oh, thanks to the gods. At least he didn't have to wonder in tense silence anymore... although now he had the book to himself. How had having come over to put off homework resulted in him doing said homework? Ahn-Bo sighed deeply, already bored, and turned the page. It was only a moment before he was distracted from the page—his glance catching the vampire studying his broomstick.

Ahn-Bo smirked. He loved his broomstick and polished it every night. It had been the newest, fastest one on the market last summer. His father, who had been in Tokyo, doing officer-type things that Ahn-Bo was neither interested in nor paid attention to—but he did remember that was where his broomstick was from. He had gotten it as a birthday gift. Best birthday gift ever. Not wanting to embarrass Seojin-a (who already blushed a lot for someone who supposedly didn't have much blood of his own), he diligently returned to the page.

He was interrupted by hearing his name come from the vampire—the first time Ahn-Bo had heard him say it. He would have grinned, but the question that followed wasn't particularly grin-worthy. The young noble was well aware of what everyone said about the half-vampire. He'd thought most of it ridiculous, though he'd never said anything. Maybe he should have... now that he was getting to know him, he was broody and sensitive and probably lonely. His dark brows knit, bemused, "Why should I be?"

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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

Moon-sis’s response was not at all what Jin had expected. But, then again, he supposed that he shouldn’t have any expectations at all anymore considering the young yangban kept surprising him. Jin blinked big, owl eyes like saucers. Why? It… was a good question. Jin had figured he should be just because everyone else seemed to. Or at least he assumed they did from the comments he usually got.

“I…” His voice failed as he tried to think of a good answer.

Jin ducked his gaze again and wondered briefly what to respond. There was no real reason to be scared of him. He didn’t suck blood or need it to survive; he didn’t hide from the sun even if he was a little bit sensitive. (Ok a lot.) The only thing even vaguely vampiric about him was how pale his stupid skin was and maybe a pokey tooth. But he certainly wasn’t scary by any real estimation.

“I don’t know,” was his final answer, still refusing to look up. Because everyone else is, seemed like a stupid thing to say.

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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.

Lonely had been a good guess on his part. Even a spoiled thirteen-year-old boy could sense that the other was incredibly lonely. Seojin-a couldn't meet his eyes either. Ahn-Bo kicked his past self. He should have spoken up for him back then and told his friends to stop spreading rumors about his vampirism, at the very least. Not that he could have stopped the entire school from it, but maybe he'd have helped a little? Emotions brewed in him that were so mixed together that he would never be able to name them, just that they were strong and his face was heated.

His fists clenched into the dirt beneath his fingers as he willed himself to stay still. This was clearly a very fragile moment for the vampire, and Ahn-Bo didn't want to smash it like a bull in a china shop (another thing his omma frequently said.) "Gwaenchana," He said with a stiff shrug. He'd been aiming for nonchalant, but the tension in his body had made that difficult. Having addressed it as satisfactorily as he was able, a topic change was the best next course of action. Something to distract them both (one from homework, and the other from sadness.)

"Did you want to see my broom?" He asked suddenly, his voice light and a grin on his face once more. Without waiting for a response, he withdrew his hands from the dirt, brushed the clumps off on his robes, and then passed the broomstick over to Seojin-a. The dirt beneath his nails formed perfect half-moons, something that he gleefully knew would have horrified every adult in his life.

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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 question was still rattling around in Jin’s mind making him indignant. Why should anyone be scared of him? He’d never done anything wrong! Just because he was… albeit different didn’t mean he was bad, right? Some huge part of Jin vehemently disagreed. There was something inherently evil in vampirism and he couldn’t deny it. This was just the way it had always been— from the moment he was old enough to understand his mother’s fear and later Myeong’s. The fact that Moon Ahn-Bo-ssi couldn’t see that (yet) was merely a fluke. One Jin wasn’t in a rush to point out.

He didn’t respond as the other gave a comforting word. They didn’t know one another that well but it still settled in the space between his vertebrae, warm and whole. Jin didn’t want Moon-ssi’s pity though so he was glad for the change of topic as they both looked at the broom.

Before he could respond, the thing was in his hands. Jin’s eyes went wide again but this time in admiration. It was heavier than he’d imagined! And so shiny. He made an impressed noise. After a moment of examining it, he came to the practical questions. “Is it hard to learn to fly?” Moon-ssi made it look easy but Jin couldn’t imagine it was. “You’re so good at it.”

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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.

Ahn-Bo beamed at the admiration of his pride and joy. Not everyone could appreciate the quality of a broomstick. The fact that his new friend had good taste was not lost on him. He had been about to ask if Seojin-a had a broomstick of his own. Luckily, it hadn't made it out of his mouth before the question that came next. The vampire had never even been on a broomstick. Asking him if he had one of his own could have been the note situation all over again.

"You've been watching me?" He grinned smugly, unable to help himself. Ahn-Bo was what some people would consider a show-off. The more people that watched him, the more motivated he was to win. He ate compliments for breakfast. No matter what it was about, if someone was going to tell him he was good at something (or good-looking, or strong, or the many other things he heard), he could never hear enough of it. Maybe it was a trait that came from being the second son. The spare, who really didn't matter unless something happened to the heir. It was a satisfactory position, as far as he was concerned. His brother had to deal with a lot of pressure and expectations that Ahn-Bo wouldn't come near with a ten-foot pole.

"It takes some longer than others to learn," He hopped to his feet, "How's your balance?" They weren't far from the pitch–they could have Seojin-a flying in no time! It would be quiet too, since practice had ended and everyone had taken off. They hadn't been friends for long, but he could already tell that would make the vampire the most comfortable.

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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 compliment wasn’t even out of Jin’s mouth before he was regretting it, cheeks warm. He didn’t have to wait for Moon-ssi’s response to be embarrassed. He already knew it sounded like Jin was frequently watching him, and while it might have been incidentally true, he didn’t like the implication of intention there. He only knew or saw as much of Moon-ssi as everyone else, and anything more was merely coincidence. Jin blushed harder at the predicted question and wrinkled his nose to let the very tip of his tongue poke out, briefly, in response.

Suddenly they were on the move, with Moon-ssi standing and beckoning for Jin to join him. The little vampire looked at him, eyes wide, already knowing where this was leading. He stood, against his own better judgement, but hesitated. “Are you sure about this?” He asked, ignoring the question of balance. (His was fine, he supposed.) But even as Jin hesitated, he tidied and cleared his things back into his bag with a quick drying charm for the ink. He was rather excited about the prospect of learning to fly, even if he wasn’t completely confident. Yet.

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Ahn-Bo Jeong & muse song

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The following 1 user Likes Seojin Jeong's post:1 user Likes Seojin Jeong's post
   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 reacted nearly as eagerly as Ahn-Bo had asked the question. His things had been scooped up in mere seconds. "Of course!" He grabbed the vampire's robe sleeve in excited delight, tugging him eagerly toward the pitch, "You're going to love it! Some feel a little airsick depending on how high you go, but after you vomit a few times, you get used to it, and it's usually fine." He released the vampire's sleeve, fully expecting him to keep up with his now-jog.

Once they'd scrambled into the pitch, he told Seojin-a where to stand, pointing toward the middle (and furthest from any obstacles he might run into.) Some wizards learned how to fly slowly. First learning how to get the broom to respond to them, then hovering, and so on. Ahn-Bo's brother had been the one to teach him, and it had been a sink or swim moment. It had worked well enough, considering how great he was at it now. So naturally, he was going to teach his new friend in the exact same way.

He completely skipped the part asking if the other was ready, instead directing him into a proper take-off position. "Put your hands here and here," He demonstrated, then removed his hands. Now, it was time for his pupil to do exactly that.

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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

Jin was not prepared for the moment Moon-ssi grabbed him by the robes but his feet moved of their own volition to follow. The excitement was contagious, each one infecting the other until they were both jogging eagerly towards the pitch. Once there, Jin dropped his bag and even though his expression paled at Moon-ssi’s comment about vomiting (that certainly sounded miserable) he stuck to his guns. He nodded along, all stubborn focus, as instructions were given. He accepted the broomstick with nervous hesitation but once he held it in his grip properly, it warmed under his hand. Jin felt a small rush of excitement.

He mounted the thing the way Moon-ssi instructed and asked a question. That settled, he looked up at the young yangban and sucked in a breath. Well. Here went— everything.

Jin kicked off the ground as he was told and the broomstick responded immediately. It soared straight up into the air at an astonishing speed that made him dizzy and he gripped on for dear life, nearly sliding sideways. He recovered after a moment but the thing was already on the move forcing him to gain his bearings on the go.

It took a few minutes, but eventually he managed to understand that only the slightest shift of one’s weight could direct the broom where he wanted it to go. Jin could see now, easily, how one might be sick too but luckily his stomach was still empty. He made a wobbly circle and then another and another until he was perfectly oblong. Then, coming back to the ground with too much speed, he stumbled a bit before catching himself.

Jin’s face was flush from the adrenaline. His features were highlighted by the pure astonishment at his own daring and the thrill of accomplishment. He wasn’t an expert by any means, but that had felt rather more natural than he’d ever expected. Perhaps Moon-ssi was onto something. Turning to the other with a grin that exposed both dimples, Jin whistled.

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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.

Ahn-Bo had watched his friend shoot up into the sky. Hooting and hollering, clapping, whistling, jumping up and down, shouting advice and instructions, and making all kinds of racket that was likely more distracting than it was helpful. He wished he had thought to grab a second broomstick from the pitch's backrooms. They were battered up and not nearly as quick as his own broom, but he didn't mind. Seojin-a deserved to learn on the very best broomstick in existence. Though the beginning was a little shaky, by the end he was flying like he'd been doing it for years. He hadn't even vomited once!

"You're a natural!" He ran toward him excitedly, enjoying the actual grin on the vampire's face. With the wind-tousled hair, flushed cheeks, and sheer joy, Seojin-a could have been just like anyone else. Not sullen or lonely. He almost looked like a different person; the contrast was so stark. Ahn-Bo's look was nearly identical: tousled hair, cheeks flushed, beaming brilliantly (and breathless once more, from all the amazing teaching he'd been doing.) "Are you sure you haven't done this before?" He teased, steps slowing before he crashed into his classmate.

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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

His heart was thundering in his chest from pure adrenaline of the flight. As Jin dismounted, he couldn’t shake the beam that was still scrawled across his face. Flying was so much better than he’d ever imagined it could be! He wouldn’t go so far as to say he wanted to be a quidditch player or anything of the like, but he certainly had enjoyed that. He turned to Moon-ssi with a grateful smile and gave a bow of thanks as he handed back the broom.

Even from the ground Jin had felt the support radiating from Moon-ssi’s antics and cries. Some of it had been helpful, the rest a bit distracting, but Jin was appreciative of every moment. He decided in that instant he liked Moon Ahn-Bo-ssi and, perhaps for the first time, he hoped the feeling might actually be mutual. Breezing past it so he wouldn’t get his hopes up, Jin let out a breathy little sound. “Ani!” He responded to the question, then:

“Gamsahamnida,” he breathed, heart still racing wildly. “Your broom is excellent! I can see now why you’re so much faster than the others!” That and skill, too.

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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.

Ahn-Bo still remembered the thrill of his first flight. His brother hadn’t given him any instructions, so he’d learned just like Seojin-a had (on the fly, pun intended.) Little did he know then that it would become an obsession: stealing hyung’s broom when he was busy with his tutors and zipping around above the village. It had quickly become a problem where they’d scrap over it, and eventually his parents had just gotten him one of his own.

The implication that he was fast due to the broom (and nothing else, his young mind said), made him wilt a little as he slung the broomstick back over his shoulder. He didn’t want to ruin the excitement of the moment, but he also couldn’t help to feel a bit slighted. It was as if the only reason he was talented at all was solely because of the quality of his broomstick. “I’m fast on any broomstick,” he said firmly, though the grin never left his face.

And just as quickly as it had come, the hurt was replaced with enthusiasm, “You can borrow it whenever you want. Not when I’m using it obviously, but any other time. Just tell me and I’ll give it to you!”

  

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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