February 12, 1885 — Mahoutokoro, Japan (16 yrs, tail end of 5th year)

Ongaku (Eum-ak, as he called it in his head) was Jin’s favorite class. It was likely the least practical of them all as far as his future career prospects were concerned, but the same as his pointed little canines, music was just woven into the very fibre of his being. Ever since he was younger, Jin had always been talented musically. He’d learned to play the bipa all on his own before Abeoji found him, and since then he’d collected a few more instruments under the guided instruction of Sensei Ootori. She was sweet, and of all their teachers, she was the only one who seemed wholly unbothered by Jin’s parentage. She often encouraged him to join the choir but he was too shy for that, or at least— that’s what he told himself. (Really, Jin just didn’t want to commit to rehearsals and groups of more students to meet with regularly when he could instead be spending time with Moon-ssi.) But he worked hard at ongaku, knowing full well that after Maho there would likely be very little chance for him to indulge again. (Unless Abeoji all of a sudden developed an interest in making him a court jester which Jin highly doubted.)

The early morning air was brisk and frost lingered on the plants as he made his way across the courtyard that led to the music classroom. Dawn had only just begun to peek over the horizon but Sensei Ootori sometimes let him have the early morning time to practice on his own, provided he didn’t skip meals or his other classes. And this week there had been a strange melody swirling around in his head that he simply couldn’t shake. He hadn’t deigned to share it with her yet, or with his classmate Cha Hae-Rim who was the only other friend Jin could really boast. (They were both talented musically and Sensei often paired them off for duet assignments because she had a trilling soprano voice and his was a soft tenor.) But this was not a song he expected to ever share with Cha-ssi. Not since recent developments had all but chased aside any lingering affection he may have once had for the pretty brunette, many, many years ago now.

It had been almost two months since he’d shared with Moon—ani, with Ahn-Bo-ah (Jin was still getting used to it a bit) how he felt. And, remarkably, his friend had echoed his sentiments. Even just the thought of that moment under the willow tree made Jin’s cheeks heat and a dopey smile took over his features. But frankly, not much had changed since then— which was a relief, maybe, to the always anxious little vampire. He’d originally feared that exposing his sentiments would lead them to an awkwardness that would stretch for months, or worse, but he’d never imagined a reality in which Ahn-Bo-ah returned them. Now he had a lot more context into some of their shared touches and teasing flirtations, but that was all that had happened. They hadn’t changed much in who they were with one another. (Sometimes, Jin wondered what it would be like to kiss Ahn-Bo-ah, but he didn’t let the thought take root— he was lucky enough to have what they did. There was no reason to press for anything more.)

And while most things had remained the same, there had been one small change that Jin allowed. He’d essentially taken Ahn-Bo’s scarf hostage for the remainder of the winter season. It was warm and smelled of amber and spice and it was a comfort, even now, as he hid his nose in the soft folds and gently eased himself into the music room.

There was nobody about. The windows were all shut and the instruments that students used had been covered for the evening, but the lightness of the soft wood floor and the lingering sensation of notes hovering in the air even in silence, made Jin feel like he was home. This space was much more warm and bright than other places in the palace and Sensei had even hung a small norigae in the corner of the room— a gift Jin had brought her after one of his breaks home a few years ago. He smiled every time he saw it and this morning was no different as he made to uncover the piano that had just arrived last term from a friend Sensei had in the West.

It was a beautiful instrument. Carved and lacquered from only the finest quality materials, he was one of the few special students who had been allowed to learn and play it. It was with these particular notes too (the deep, resonant sound) that Jin had begun to compose the small piece that lingered in his brain. It was not light and easy like something he might have played on the bipa or even a shamisen. This was… heavier. More loaded with sentiment that the notes of something a strung instrument could so easily bear. Jin unwrapped Ahn-Bo’s scarf from around his neck and hung it, along with his outer layers, on a small hook in the corner of the room. Then he slid across the matching bench and pulled out the pages he’d been scribbling notes on (illegibly, let’s be honest). There was still quite a bit of time before breakfast wherein he could practice. Jin hummed the opening lines to himself and then played them on the shining keys. He grinned and made to play it from the beginning. There was still some fiddling to do there near the end, but he hoped he’d have time to work through it today. If not— there was always tomorrow.

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Ahn-Bo Jeong & muse song

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“Ah I lose my breath
When you're walking in
You make my knees drop
It's like I'm in shock

Now I'll always be here
I won't ever run
'Cause you took the air right out of my lungs”

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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 Jeong

The last two months had been the happiest time of his life thus far. While not much had changed in the day-to-day, it felt as if a heavy weight had lifted from his chest. There were no more doubts about how Seojin-a felt about him, no more second-guessing and hoping that Ahn-Bo's true intentions would be figured out. Everything was out in the open between them, and now he could genuinely believe that each touch, glance, and tease that came from him would be received as intended. The fifteen-year-old had quickly become addicted to it, the little excited rush he'd get whenever Seojin-a flirted with him. The delighted shiver he had whenever he was able to get Seojin-a to smile wide enough to reveal that dimple of his. More often than not, whenever he caught a glimpse of it, he had the urge to kiss him. The way that sometimes, even Ahn-Bo had reason to blush.

Every moment they were apart felt like an eternity, and Ahn-Bo would rush back to him as soon as possible. Like now. He'd just finished his early morning quidditch practice. Flying at high speeds in the winter air above the ocean wasn't the most pleasant experience. His nose, ears, and cheeks had the windburn to prove it, and even his lashes were covered in frost by the end of it. Even this didn't keep him from rushing through his post-practice shower (turning it as scaldingly hot as he could in order to warm up as quickly as possible), dressing—the drying spell he'd learned last year was handy—and then scurrying back out the door to find wherever his simkung had gone. Sometimes it took him a bit to find him. But when it was this time of day, Ahn-Bo knew exactly where to go.

He could hear the few notes of a song already being played on the piano. It wasn't one he recognized, nor did it sound like any other song he'd heard before. This was certainly different, and he knew before even seeing him that it was Seojin-a playing it. The interior door to the classroom was open slightly, though not enough for him to slip inside. Ahn-Bo leaned forward to peer through the opening. Seojin-a hadn't noticed his presence yet (or hadn't revealed that he had), and the quidditch player allowed himself to take the moment to admire his simkung. The early morning sunlight filtered in through the classroom's shoji screen windows, illuminating Seojin-a's lean silhouette—the curve of his jawline, the shape of his neck as he bent over the keys of the behemoth instrument he adored, the way the diffused light made his nearly translucent skin appear to glow—all of it made his stomach flutter and his heart race. It was good that they were the only two around then. The absolutely lovesick expression on Ahn-Bo's face just then would have given him away. There would have been no question as to how he felt about his classmate.

And then Seojin-a's gaze met his, and he realized he'd been caught. Ahn-Bo grinned sheepishly as he slid the door open and let himself inside. Though his voice was bright and nearly giddy from having just reunited with his simkung. "Annyeong! What were you playing? It sounds different." He took a moment to shed his outer layers and hang them next to Seojin-a's, smugly noting the red scarf that he pretended had been stolen but he definitely thought of as belonging to Seojin-a now.

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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 loathe to admit it, but every time he played the bridge of this little melody, he was accosted by the same warm, swelling, fluttering feeling he got when Ahn-Bo-ah smiled at him. It wasn’t exactly the same, because nothing could make him radiate as much warmth and happiness as his friend actually did live and in person, but it was pretty close. Every note was imbued with the weight of his sentiments though and it was a slightly shy sound, morose at times, but giddily upbeat at others. Jin didn’t know it yet but one day he’d come to recognize it and think of it as a mirror into what his days at Maho were like: sunny, bright, sometimes a little stormy, and much too short.

Like most artists or musicians, he lost track of whatever else was going on around him when he played. There were not lyrics to this particular melody yet but his voice hummed along as Jin made up a few nonsense words to accompany it. He had just gotten to the finicky part when he heard a small noise that caught his attention by the door. Peeking in was Ahn-Bo-ah, and Jin paused immediately, face warm. “Mianhe,” he said softly. “I didn’t realize you were there.” He shifted slightly in his seat.

It was still a warm feeling of welcome that tugged him towards his friend however, even if he was a little self-conscious, and so Jin moved over on the bench to make room for Ahn-Bo and gestured for him to come in and sit. “Sensei Ootori will have my skin if you let the frost in,” he cautioned, but he wasn’t particularly worried. The floors here were heated by a series of charms that almost mimicked the ondol systems from back home. “That song doesn’t really have a name,” he responded, tuning back to the keys and playing a little scale. Jin wasn’t sure if ‘different’ was meant to be a good thing or not, so he wasn’t sure if he wanted to ask. Instead, he let his fingers trill over the keys for a second and then played the beginning notes to a version of Arirang he remembered his mother singing to Myeong once. He smiled as Ahn-Bo settled in beside him. “Have you ever heard this song?” he asked quietly, replaying the same few notes.

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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 Jeong

”I know, you didn’t,” he smirked, waving off Seojin-a’s unnecessary apology as he crossed the wooden floor. That had been the whole point of his peeking, after all. As he sat in the spot that had been made for him, he bumped his shoulder gently against Seojin-a’s. ”Gyeong-chi-ga jinjja ye-ppeo-sseo-yo.”

Ongaku wasn’t his favorite class by any means, but he had been in it long enough to know that traditionally, songs had names. It was curious that the one Seojin-a had been playing didn’t have one. Before he could nosily poke about, he was distracted by the question.

Ahn-Bo tilted his head as he listened intently to the notes. His simkung had played it four times for him before he shook his head slightly. ”No, I don’t think so,” he admitted. The music that he was familiar with were the ones made for the aristocracy, often played during meals at the palace for different events.

*”the view was really pretty”

  

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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

Ahn-Bo’s words pulled from Jin a warm blush as their shoulders bumped. He smiled despite himself, tucking his chin into his chest, and shook his head as if to dismiss them. Sometimes he still found it difficult to believe that Ahn-Bo-ah found him so handsome when he, himself, was the most perfect. But Jin wasn’t complaining. It was nice to hear and he’d happily sit for his friend to admire all day.

As he made for a distraction from both himself and the song he was writing (probably about Ahn-Bo-ah if he thought about it now), Jin played the Arirang bridge a few times. The notes were round and delicate but powerful; they didn’t sit idly as they thrummed through the room and filled space. He smiled as his friend answered and gave a small nod. “I didn’t think so,” he hummed. Then, in an uncharacteristic sharing of information about his life before (not that Ahn-Bo-ah knew that there was a before) Jin placed both hands on the keys and said: “I don’t remember the original very well but my Eomeoni used to sing it to my yeodongsaeng when I was younger.”

He began to play it in earnest and the rich sounds echoed off the shoji doors and floated out through the thin paper into the halls. Jin had learned the full version from a sheet Cha-ssi shared from her home last year. It was one of his favorite songs, even if it reminded him of a sad past he’d willingly left behind. It was the only positive memory he had of his mother and sister before he left.

“Arirang, arirang, arariyo... Arirang gogaero neomeoganda,” he started quietly. It was a short piece but Jin played it all the way through, singing the lyrics softly between them. When he finished, he turned to Ahn-Bo-ah with a soft, if melancholic little smile on his face. “It’s one of my favorites,” he admitted. “Even if it’s a bit sad.”

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Ahn-Bo Jeong & muse song
* eomeoni = mother (formal) • yeodongsaeng = baby sister • lyrics and translation here

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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 Jeong

Ahn-Bo's ears perked up at the mention of his mother—and little sister? Since when did Seojin-a have a sibling? He had assumed shortly after their friendship had begun that his omma had passed away at some point. Maybe his sister had too. It would be the only thing that made sense, given how he only ever spoke about his Abeoji. And the tiger-girl that he apparently lived with, though that had been just the once. It had been revealed the evening of their big fight. If it wasn't tainted with the painful memory, he would have asked many more questions about that particular situation. In the meantime, he didn't have it in him to bring it up on his own.

He hadn't been expecting Seojin-a to sing along with the melody he played. Even if it was soft, Ahn-Bo was stricken with how beautiful the vampire's singing voice was. He'd heard him hum and sing a line or two here and there, but Seojin-a had never purposely sung something in front of him. Ahn-Bo's whiskey-colored eyes became more tender, his gaze flitting between the long fingers that easily danced across the keys and the full (notably kissable) lips. When the song was finished and Seojin-a had turned toward him, Ahn-Bo was blushing. Hopefully, the windburn covered it up enough that it wasn't noticeable.

"What do you like about it?" he asked gently, hoping that if he approached the topic on tiptoe, perhaps his friend would be more willing to share.

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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 shrugged a single shoulder at Ahn-Bo’s question. The truth was, he only really liked the song because it reminded him of them in one of the very few soft moments Jin had of his childhood. It wasn’t directed at him, and he certainly hadn’t been welcome to oversee, but their hanok had been small appended to the back of the apothecary shop. There were only so many corners for one to sit. Myeong had been sick that winter and his mother feared the worst. “It… reminds me of something I lost,” he said cryptically. And while true, Jin wasn’t sure he had a right to be sad about it. He’d willingly given them up; it didn’t matter that it had been the right decision for their family.

Turning to smile more fully at his friend, Jin nudged Ahn-Bo gently. He might have lost a lot once, but he’d gained so much more that he was sure he never would have found if he’d made any other choice. And while maybe it didn’t erase all the horrors from home, that didn’t mean he regretted it at all. Jin was… mostly at peace with having left. He hadn’t been needed there anyway. At least Abeoji wanted him.

“I’m sentimental at best,” he teased with another shrug. “And if this is the only way I can remember them, then it’s good enough for me.” Jin turned towards his friend a little more fully. It was early for him to be up and free; quidditch practice must have been brutally cold. “How did you sleep?” He asked, reaching up to brush his finger gently against Ahn-Bo’s warm cheek. He was blushing, maybe, or just feverish. “Was practice alright this morning?” Jin didn’t want to fuss but he worried easily. As much was obvious from the pinch in his brow.

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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 Jeong

The emotions that slid gently against his simkung’s face went by too subtly for him to name—but the bittersweet smile that followed told him all he needed to know. The words Seojin-a spoke next solidified his suspicions. Ahn-Bo could only imagine how devastating it would be to lose both his omma and little sister. His heart ached for his friend just thinking of it. His friend didn’t want to dwell on it, and Ahn-Bo could respect that.

There was a returned nudge and a wider smile, and then Seojin-a had turned toward him even more, reaching up to brush his cool finger against Ahn-Bo’s cheek. It had quickly become one of his favorite things that Seojin-a did. Mostly, he suspected they were involuntary, but that hardly mattered to him. His vampire wanted to touch him, and that was that.

"I slept fine," he answered quickly, not commenting on the fact that he’d had a particular sort of dream that involved cleanup in the morning. He’d been late to quidditch practice, pretending to sleep in until the other boys had left so he had the privacy to get it sorted out. "It was freezing. Coach made us fly fifty laps around the island–" because he’d been late–”Kenji was sent to the infirmary for frostbite. He’ll be fine though."

Ahn-Bo didn’t mention that he had been close to Kenji’s condition. The mix of the ocean spray and the icy air had the moisture on his broomstick and quidditch robes melding together to literally freeze him to his broomstick. Thankfully, the coach had taken pity on his star player and used a defrosting charm to free him.

"And now I’m so cold!”" he sighed over-dramatically, a playful quirk to his lips as he scooted closer to Seojin-a so that their sides were pressed together.

  

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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 look that flickered across Ahn-Bo’s face as soon as he switched to talking about quidditch made Jin smile wider. He loved when his friend grew animated; Ahn-Bo’s eyes widened just slightly and the honey-brown of his irises seemed to glow from the excitement of it. He was ever at his happiest when he was describing something about the game, or team, or practice, and even now as he explained about flying the fifty laps, Jin could feel the pride he felt at having accomplished it. But that didn’t make the little vampire any less worried about the flush. Especially after hearing that Kenji had frostbite. (Which, he probably deserved it and Jin didn’t care, but if conditions were so bad for one then they were bad for all!)

He hummed apologetically and made a show of fussing a little (just a tiny bit) as Ahn-Bo moved closer to him and complained about the cold. If anyone could understand how terrible a feeling that was, it was Jin. He reached to wrap both his arms around his friend and gave him a squeeze. “That sounds awful,” he agreed, indulgently. And it did. There was no way Jin would ever join the team knowing how brutal practices were first hand— but he wasn’t going to rub that in now. Ahn-Bo loved his quidditch too much to let a few frozen fingers dampen his spirits. (Jin, not so much.)

“Mianhe, Ahn-Bo-ah,” he continued, pouting playfully, and rubbed a small circle with his thumb against whatever part of his friend he could reach. “But you’re done now at least.” And breakfast would be soon. “Are you sure you don’t have a fever or anything?” He added a touch more seriously. “Flying in this kind of weather cannot be healthy.” Maybe he’d steal some of the herbs from his stash and make Ahn-Bo some tea before class. “Do you want some tea? I might have something in my things to warm you up.”

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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 Jeong

Just as he’d planned hoped, Seojin-a wrapped his arms around him snugly. Ahn-Bo nuzzled in, resting his chin on his friend’s shoulder and heaving another put-upon-sigh for good measure. The soft circles on his back felt nice, and his eyelids drooped slightly. Practice had been far too early in the morning and he hadn’t exactly had the most restful sleep. (Despite what he’d told Seojin-a.) If they sat there for too long, cuddly and cozy, the quidditch player would happily drift off for a quick nap. And if his vampire wanted to fuss over him, all the better. Although he did have to draw the line somewhere - and that was if if Seojin-a became too worried. So far, it seemed they were safe.

“Ani,” he said reassuringly against his friend’s shoulder, “It’s just windburn. Like sunburn but from the cold air.” Seojin-a was unfortunately very familiar with sunburn. The offer of tea didn’t particularly appeal to him (medicinal herbs were not his cup of tea*), but if his simkung was the one making it, he supposed he could make an exception. “Maybe in a little bit, this is warming me up already.” Ahn-Bo snuggled closer contentedly, secretly hoping that Seojin-a would continue his petting.

Before his vampire could insist, he switched topics. “How has your morning practice been? You wake even earlier than I do. Are you getting enough sleep?” Now it was his turn to be concerned and fuss, apparently.

*pun fully intended xD

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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 perfectly happy to keep his arms wrapped securely around Ahn-Bo-ah, and as his friend snuggled in, he smiled. The quidditch player’s shoulders were broad and strong, but he was not so big that Jin couldn’t wrap around him like a spider monkey should the need arise. (He tried not to, generally; any kind of clinging or climbing that was this side of too close tended to exasperate his hormones and could lead to very unfortunate and awkward situations that Jin massively preferred to avoid.) But this was perfect. He’d have stayed like this forever if the threat of Sensei Ootori barging in on them after breakfast had not been likely.

He continued to run small circles along Ahn-Bo’s back as the beater responded. Windburn did seem like a rather rational possibility, even if this was the first time he was hearing of it. Fifty laps in the bitter cold of dawn in winter was nothing to sneeze at. Jin laughed lightly as Ahn-Bo insisted he was warming already. “Da-haeng-ida,” he hummed, pleasantly.

As for how he was doing, Jin gave a small nod of reassurance. “Gwenchana,” he chirped. “It hasn’t been as cold in the room at night so I’ve been sleeping better.” The past week had been rather warm actually, allowing Jin to curl up comfortably in his bedroll. The previous few weeks had been so frosty and snowy that even despite the heating charms and other methods of warming thier Seonsaengnim tried, it had been quite frigid in the evenings. He hadn’t slept much then, kept awake by the sound of his own teeth chattering. But last night had been fine. His practice too.

Shifting a bit, Jin moved so that Ahn-Bo could curl against him more comfortably as he leaned (only just) on the edge of the piano. “Practice has been alright,” he shrugged. “That song you heard me playing when you walked in has been running over and over in my head for days.” He paused for a moment before adding, more shyly, “I wrote it actually,” Another pause and a blush and then, “about you, I think.” Jin reached one hand up to rub the back of his neck self-consciously. He was glad Ahn-Bo-ah couldn’t see the warm redness that had decided to tint his entire visage. “I’m not sure yet if I’m going to share it with anyone though,” he added more quickly. “I’m still working on the ending but it’s just a little… off.” It would resolve itself in time, once he explored a little more what to do with it. But for now Jin was happy with what he had. He didn’t have great ambitions to be any kind of performer or composer, but he liked what he could do while he could do it.

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Ahn-Bo Jeong & muse song
* I’m glad/that’s a relief

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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 Jeong

Ahn-Bo was relieved to hear Seojin-a was sleeping better. His morning spells were nowhere near Seonsaengnim’s, and even he had struggled to help the vampire stay warm enough. The quidditch player wanted desperately to suggest that they share a bedroll and body heat, but between being confident he would embarrass himself come morning and the fact that the room was open to everyone made it impossible. Just because he and Seojin-a were okay with their relationship didn’t mean everyone else was.

His eyes had drooped even more as he listened (which he was! Still very much listening!) to his simkung share about his own passion. So the song he’d overheard him playing had been different than what he was used to hearing him play. And he was writing it? His friend’s talents had no limits.

Did any of the scribbles he’d see in Seojin-a’s notebook over the summer made it into the song? And then… he learned it was about himself. (Possibly, but he was going to with one hundred percent yes.) Before he could react, the rest of the information - particularly that it wasn’t ready for sharing - was a bit of a letdown. He’d just been about to ask to hear it fully. Likely why Seojin-a had said it so quickly in the first place.

His eyes had flown open and he reared back slightly, just enough so that he could look the songwriter in the face. Ahn-Bo’s own expression was that of wonder and awe. “I’d love to hear it, whenever you’re done,” he forced himself to say first, as he knew was the right thing to do, and then he couldn’t help himself, and his animated chattering began: “Is it really about me? What’s it like? How long have you been working on it? Is it in your notebook?”

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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

Ahn-Bo was warm against him, despite his complaints about being cold. Maybe it was just their combined warmth or maybe he’d been angling, but either way— Jin did not want to let go. He could feel the big quidditch player relaxing into him as they chatted and, even if he didn’t know Ahn-Bo-ah was getting sleepy and closing his eyes, he suspected it from the soothing lilt in his voice as if it was sliding. He smiled to himself and nuzzled into the side of his friend’s head. If they’d been at that stage, he might have even kissed him gently there. As it was, Jin just tucked his nose into the smell of amber and spice.

Sitting like this it was easier to bring up the song he was working on. The embarrassment of it was still there, but it was something Jin wanted to share with Ahn-Bo. ‘Friend’ wasn’t really a strong enough word for what they were anymore, but it was even more reason Jin felt like opening up about the little, silly things in his life. After many years together as merely friends, and then these past two months being…. whatever more than that, he’d long since learned Ahn-Bo-ah did care and find every dumb thing he said interesting. Even if Jin himself felt like it was silly. So he found himself, more and more, just… sharing. Musing. And cuddling. Definitely cuddling.

He almost let out a soft noise of protest as his sharing pulled Ahn-Bo from his arms however. He didn’t go far, and the look on his face was eager and excited, but he still tugged back. Jin laughed at the flurry of questions that followed the compliment.

“I said it might be about you,” he corrected, teasingly. “Parts of it are in my notebook, but not all of it,” and then with a hum of thought “mmm… I’m not sure how long I’ve been working on it. At least since December,” but probably even before. The melody was familiar, like it had been sitting in the back of his head and in his chest for years, just unrealized. Another soft blush bloomed on his face at the thought. “But probably since I met you,” Jin heard himself add, shyly. He’d never had the right instrument with the right sounds to bring it to life, but the more he thought about it— ne, he had been carrying this song around for years. “Maybe now I’ll finally be able to finish it,” he said, softening around the edges as his embarrassment ceded to lovesickness.

The expression stole across his features, softening every line on Jin’s face, as he reached up to touch Ahn-Bo again. It was a gentle little brush of fingertips but he ran his left index finger down the bridge of his friend’s perfect, pointed little nose and then let it float across to one of his cheeks before cupping his face gently. Jin smiled again and his thumb rubbed another small circle there, unable to help itself.

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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 Jeong

If Ahn-Bo had come upon a couple cuddled up in a classroom, essentially wrapped around each other, and staring into each other’s eyes like two puppies staring at a bone, he would have retched at the far too much mushiness and ridiculousness of it all. But as one half of the couple, he was far too busy experiencing butterflies and blushes with hearts in his eyes to even bother himself with the realization. Seojin-a was writing a song about him—or inspired by him at the very least—and his stomach did another delighted twirl. Hardly anyone had songs written about them, and to have someone as talented as his simkung doing it… it made him feel… He wasn’t quite sure how to name the feeling. ‘Special’ didn’t seem strong enough. Treasured, maybe?

His friend's hand was just as cool to the touch as it always was, and Ahn-Bo welcomed it. It meant Seojin-a was touching him—something that had very quickly become one of his favorite things. He grinned like a complete fool as the fingertip ran down the length of his nose, and then Seojin-a's soft palm was cupped around his face. Ahn-Bo leaned into it ever so slightly. (Also objectively ridiculous.) "So it is about me," he mused playfully, "Is it about how handsome I am? Talented? The living example of utter perfection that can do no wrong?" While his tone was teasing, he was genuinely curious to know what it was about him that seemed to have connected everything that Seojin-a had needed.

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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 let out a soft laugh at Ahn-Bo’s (albeit correct) assumption that the song must be about him. His instinct to tease and deny and roll his eyes warred with a newfound instinct to be truthful and sappy and gross and just take every opportunity he had to tell Ahn-Bo-ah how much he adored him. Jin didn’t know if there was an expiration date on his allowance to do so, but he didn’t want to risk it either. “Ne,” he chirped, agreeably. “All of the above.” And while those things were certainly all true, the song hit a lot deeper than that in ways Jin wasn’t even sure he could vocalize. “Though I’m not sure about that last one,” he added, unable to help himself. "‘Do no wrong’ sounds awfully subjective.”

Ahn-Bo had just… found the right way to glue the fractured pieces of Jin’s heart back together into something vaguely resembling a human organ, necessary for life. He didn’t know it yet, but it was this truth that would allow Jin to develop into a (mostly, or at least partially) normal adult given everything that had already, and would still happen. He’d been growing into it, nurtured and cared for in just the right way. Even if it was a little clumsy and explosive at times, as things between children and later teenagers were wont to be.

It was with these appreciative and silly, fluttery thoughts that Jin hummed again. He could feel Ahn-Bo leaning into his touch and something in his chest melted. His gaze flickered down to his friend’s lips and he wondered, for half a second, what would happen if he just— kissed Ahn-Bo-ah. Really quickly. Probably nothing, if he was honest. But was it worth the risk?

Jin decided that, maybe, it was— and so with no warning at all, he closed the space between them and pressed the fastest, most chaste kiss ever to his friend’s lips. Then, he pulled back, owl-eyed and blushing, to see if that was ok. His heart was practically in his mouth as he did it.

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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.

Ahn-Bo Jeong

”I can’t help it if you think I can do no wrong, Seojin-a,” He laughed, knowing full well that hadn’t been what his friend had meant. Ahn-Bo had hoped he would have given Seojin-a a reason to expand on what the song’s real meaning was. It certainly could have had how attractive and amazing he was–that was believable. But he had a niggling feeling that there was more to it than that. The explanation would have to come later, when the song was complete. Hopefully. For now, he was too giddy to even be disappointed at having to wait for it.

The vampire’s amused grin fell to Ahn-Bo’s mouth, briefly. It had been happening more often than not lately–and Ahn-Bo had been doing the same. There had been plenty of moments where he’ been tempted to lean forward and press a kiss to his simkung’s lips, but he was also keenly aware of the last time he’d kissed someone, and was terrified that if he did so, it would trigger the bad memory for both of them. So he hadn’t, but believed he was working up to it.

It had never been a thought in his mind that Seojin-a would have been the one to do it first. It would follow the pattern of their friendship. Ahn-Bo had been the one driving from the very start, having essentially forced the vampire to be his friend. Although he did slow down enough to confirm that Seojin-a wanted to be along for the ride. Although now that the romantic element between them was present, his friend was doing more of the initiating. He’d been the first to admit his attraction outloud though, so perhaps he was the one steering now.

The kiss was so quick that Ahn-Bo nearly missed it, his eyes not even having a chance to close before his simkung had pulled away. Seojin-a didn’t seem entirely sure what had happened either–if the blush and wide-eyes were anything to go by. A startled, ”You kissed me,” was the first thing out of Ahn-Bo’s mouth, blinking as he processed. It had been over in a blink, but he didn’t think either he or the vampire felt like it was tainted by bad memories.

A happy smile filled his expression, and Ahn-Bo leaned in toward Seojin-a again, only a hairs breadth from pressing their lips together again before he paused. ”I didn’t even get a chance to kiss you back.” His murmur was soft, and then he pressed his mouth against Seojin-a’s in a deliberately not too fast to process way.

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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