Chapter Text
Tonight wasn't very gratifying, the art he created meticulously was a wretched failure. To prevent any potential errors, the dentist had to swiftly eliminate the unnecessary bug crawling under his skin. He hates insects, everything must be clean. Smooth. And thorough — like solving a mathematical examination without a singular mistake.
So with just a click of his fingers, another one bites the dust — leaving no trace of evidence to be unfold. Entirely erasing their existence. It's the supreme Seo Moonjo specialty, one second you're at his mercy, an irrelevant plaything in his hands, and any error is met with immediate and brutal retribution. Like a puppet master controlling your every move, however the slightest misstep will have him to squeeze the life out of you.
Jihyeok had to go, Moonjo's boredom regarding him growed until it gnawed him. So he had to summon energy and precious time all go to waste like garbage, drag himself to Jihyeok's path and end his destination by surrounding his fingers around the man's throat with purpose until life was extinguished.
Disappointments shall never last, a failure must not aggravate him like a lonesome child whining about their lost teddy bear. Sloppiness isn't tolerated to him, that's precisely what makes it ugly for his artistic eyes.
The dentist didn't want to bid his farewell in this way, but he has grown out of interest. Moonjo needs art that hydrates his soul, ravishing his entire being to the fullest. One that hands out perfect executions from his deep concealed desires like they could read what Moonjo truly enjoys. Understand him as a person — as an artist who assembles shattered parts of things — things that he destroyed. Tormented and tortured.
The dentist has been searching, lurking, and wishing to come across upon the treasure he's been craving for with a surge of desperation.
And that's when the writer steps into the scene like a superhero saving the day — all brave and mighty.
High and above, the full moon — a radiant pearl underneath the blanket of dazzling stars and the inky sky, watching over the starry expanse and its luminous glow seeping through into the world's hidden corners. Its gleam a serene contrast to the dark canvas of the night.
The dentist wanted to feel the night's chilly breeze, to help him ignore the hot burning sensation at the tip of his fingers. The burn lingers, it's pulsing and itching deeply through his flesh. It was delightful to feel Jihyeok's warmth for the last time before coldness seizes in his eyes and body like freezing ice.
The dentist strides towards the roof top, a temple relaxation, seeking for solace and the peacefulness that clouds in his mind when he takes charge of watching the settings underneath the looming residence.
The moon — as if figuring out his frustrations, casts a soft glow beneath a man leaned against the railings. Moonjo stops in his tracks almost too quickly, observing the man who seems to be quite distracted by his own. The dentist idly loiters in the dark, not as a predator stalking its prey — but a sole inspection.
He must be new. Moonjo ponders, gaping at the writer with full interest glinting in his eyes. That familiar smirk of his creeps up onto his lips, and the butterflies in his stomach unleashed from its cocoon. It's been forever since he has felt genuine excitement. His heart exhilarated deep within his chest — he felt magnified towards the writer, as if there's an invisible thread pulling him.
Gravity felt like it pushed him forward to inch closer to the man, each nearing step he could take a clearer look. The dentist's eyes drapes all over the unaware writer, clueless about his unsettling presence. He couldn't point his finger on what makes this man suddenly the most alluring thing, but approaching him will certainly provide a helping hand for him to investigate why.
"Are you the new guy?" Asks the dentist, his leathered shoes clacking beneath the floor's surface by each step he strolls. Moonjo stops right in front him, feeling satisfied with the transparent border distancing the two of them.
The writer in return ever so slightly jolts his shoulders up in surprise, glancing at Moonjo eerily approaching him and a breath away intruding his personal space. Which he dearly protects — not humoring any interference.
Easy there, I won't bite. Yet. The dentist wasn't expecting to have his night with a tragedy event take a complete turn. He's self-assured that it'll end with a pleasing outcome.
No time was wasted for the two of them to get approximately comfortable with one another, their conversation was smooth sailing and the unease tension slowly flew away from the atmosphere they share. The dentist was hooked — scratch that, he positively felt Cupid's bow arrowed at his heart like bullseye.
Yoon Jongwoo was tugging the strings attached to his heart with every spoken words blurted out from his mouth — with every light streak of his eyes like the millions of stars up high witnessing their growing bond. The writer was truly like a magnet and he's the unfortunate metal being hauled towards his enchanting force. And Moonjo's bewitched, as if Jongwoo was a hypnotic illusion causing a large hurricane hit inside the dentist's brain.
Seo Moonjo, who isn't a stranger to confining chains on people's sanity — trapping them in the pits of an imprisoned hellish place and tormenting them until they're left with broken segments from their past selves they'll never be able to recover back nor remotely remember.
That Seo Moonjo seems to be ejected, lost and missing. What he feels, particularly for the captivating writer is new. Extremely different. Unrecognizable. He knows the silent cries concealed within Jongwoo like restless ghosts and this time, he doesn't need to put the chains on him — Moonjo will remove the chains already resisting back Jongwoo's potential, his hidden beauty.
And to release his mass potential from being restrained, Moonjo had to snip Jongwoo's saneness bit by bit. Persistent, deliberate but careful — each cut calculated and measured. Jongwoo's true colors slowly crawls out of the split parts of his shell, and witnessing every phenomenal moment of it has Moonjo starstruck.
Seeing the fire ignite out from the writer's cracked vessel was breath taking. Unlike Moonjo, his technique of killing is neat — precise and fully analyzed. But he also sweetly adores Jongwoo's way — it's messy and asserted with more violence, he learned this after watching Jongwoo drive into insanity and end the Eden resident's pathetic lives — which the dentist never sincerely claimed to be his found family.
They were his useful tools but remains worthless in his eyes. So their lives never once mattered.
However, Jongwoo was a unique individual — he was a reflection of himself. Moonjo developed an inexplicable emotions regarding the writer and gaining strong fascination. He had a vision of having Jongwoo become his partner together in his twisted world and Moonjo damn near made it his only goal — an intense priority and sole purpose.
And his dear jagiya fails every time to understand how special he was — how he became special to the dentist. So immediate and easy. Moonjo's desires doesn't stop at making Jongwoo his equal, but to make the writer see the power they have when they unite as one.
To make him see how incredibly beautiful he is from the deepest and dirtiest parts of himself from the inside to the physical features of him from the outside.
To ensure Jongwoo understands that Moonjo alone can satisfy his inner deepest desires and fulfill his needs and what he longs for.
To make him feel Moonjo's genuine spark of emotions storming in his heart and mind, nearly making him lose control over himself — where the moments of him stalking the writer and feeling the overwhelming impulse to show himself at last is an example. But Moonjo knew — he knew his jagiya had thought the entire time he was dead. And he believed it's absolutely fucking adorable.
After the incident, the dentist had to lay low. Be one with the shadows lurking at the corners and follow Jongwoo from behind. Not too far and not too close. His unnerving presence is there, but it isn't quite noticeable. But to see Jongwoo subtly feel him from time to time delights Moonjo to the fullest — knowing he's implanted in the writer's mind. And hopefully next in his heart. So they could be truly complete when together.
Regardless of what activity Jongwoo was doing, it oftens creates a ghost of a smile played on the dentist's face — a stark contrast of his sharp but overly handsome features. Especially that one day he spotted the gruesome accessory he gave to his jagiya, an uncanny bracelet with real human teeth. The teeth of those Moonjo's poor victims, and his favorite one — Jongwoo's ex girlfriend's tooth.
The accessory is a symbol of their bond, signifying the writer's stunning transformation. He highly expected it to be forsaken and thrown away, deserted somewhere else and abandoned like an unwanted child. But it was there, worn on the writer's wrists. Every single day. And the dentist took it as a sign of the writer's acceptance — a reciprocation of Moonjo's feelings all along.
Does his jagiya also yearn for him?
Does he miss Moonjo's presence, only to be frustrated by his absence each morning?
Does he find himself contemplating Moonjo's advice as if it were a profound lesson?
Moonjo's patience was wearing off, he kept watching, stalking like the moon at night, and observing Jongwoo to see if his jagiya would mention his name for onco — shed tears for him and call out amidst of the silence filling in his days that went on for unbearable months.
But the writer never did.
Not a single time.
Not a single chance.
Jongwoo was pushing him away, he didn't express any feelings of accepting him.
Perhaps Moonjo wasn't really bothered — just seeing the writer survive was sufficient. It was decent although he couldn't accomplish his dreams. And that's where he was wrong, Moonjo fucking knew no conflict will stop him. He'll reach out to his jagiya and keep him trapped in his embrace — absorb his heart and soul. Blood and tears — Jongwoo's everything until Moonjo can't get enough of him.
All Moonjo wants is to devour — obsessively and loving. For his jagiya exclusively.
Therefore, being far away will not be a hindrance to the dentist feeling protective and extremely fret despite being majorly apathetic. It's Jongwoo after all.
One night, lurking in the dark once more — following the writer's each direction and location, it's not stalking if it's for love, right? However, the dentist stops when an approaching vehicle arrives.
Hm, it must be the transportation to the games. Moonjo assumes, he was no doubt stalking Jongwoo at the train station where he met the recruiter. Driven by a need to know and his curiosity was piqued, Moonjo decided to tail the man — ditching his jagiya for now since he had to get his hands on that card.
As soon as Jongwoo dialed the number seemingly to join, Moonjo did too — there won't be any excuses for him to be convinced not to follow the writer around with pure determination, even if it meant he'll be dedicated to do it for the rest of his life.
When the black van pulls up at the side of the streets, Moonjo notices the subtle pause in Jongwoo's step and his shoulders tensed so suddenly. How cute. Jagiya, you sweet innocent thing. Moonjo thinks mockingly, sliding into the dark just before Jongwoo glances from behind.
Next, he sees the writer entering the black van — the vehicle's door shutting, breaking the night's heavy silence. Moonjo waited for just a few seconds to pass then he walks out of his hidden spot. The van rumbles to life again and approaches towards his designation, stopping just right in front of him.
His heart skipped a beat, he'll finally be close besides Jongwoo after all those moments he's been present from behind. Moonjo didn't let any seconds go to waste and he steps inside the vehicle, anticipating to see his jagiya's wide eyed surprised look and dumbfounded expression but was greeted by an unconscious Jongwoo instead.
Disappointing, he passed out before I could even talk to him. Or even hear him say my name surprisedly. Moonjo released a soft sigh in disbelief, sitting right next to Jongwoo who's deep in slumber and not alerted of him.
The dentist observes the writer closely, his eyes glinting with fascination and lighting up with admiration to be able to mesmerize Jongwoo's face. He could hear him faintly snoring — breathing quietly. His plump lips fell apart, and his head lolled to the side.
Such an angel when he sleeps. Moonjo thought fondly, a small smile spreading on his lips. The writer slept as if he wasn't living a troubling life and the world has always been considerate, kind, and thoughtful to him — deep asleep like as a matter of fact Moonjo is really dead.
Moonjo's fingers ached to gently reach out and just tuck a strand of his loose hair behind his ear shell but he was taken aback when a white gush of cloud streams out of nowhere in the van. However, the dentist couldn't care less — his hand rises up and cautiously reaches closer to Jongwoo.
He wanted to tenderly touch him, feel his jagiya's warmth at his finger tips and graze it against his smooth skin. Unfortunately, the gas quickly took effect and made the dentist feel increasingly drowsy and weak.
His sight grew fuzzy — his vision swam allowing only blurry glimpses of Jongwoo's pretty face as it turns into a hazy image. Darkness crept in with each blink of his eyes — heavy like dumbbells until he succumbed to sleep, his hand falling atop of Jongwoo's.
Moonjo had envisioned a scene straight out of a fairy tale in his fucked up brain: rainbows arcing across the sky, sunbeams dancing, and butterflies fluttering around with dancing unicorns every where. That feeling is same with just watching his jagiya — sadly, reality hit him like a rogue hammer to the face.
Rather than admiring Jongwoo from afar like a divorced lover seeking for closure — he's shivering in his boots and damn near shitting his pants. The dentist darts his eyes all around the field, searching for one particular person. Jongwoo, his beloved.
It wasn't the game that had Moonjo's typical calm and collected mind, filled with anxiety for the very first time doing the fuckass cha-cha; it was the frightening realization that Jongwoo was missing, and he was pretty sure "missing" in this scenario meant worse than cancer. It really does.
The timer was ticking like a bomb threat, the dentist even had to look at the unfortunate players getting shot just to check if anybody was his Jongwoo. He swore on his soul that everyone will feel safer to play the games instead of having a broken hearted Moonjo freely walking around in this place — he'll absolutely lose his shit.
The numerous long lines of participants frustrated him — a total pain in the ass, obscuring his view of the players ahead. "Green light." They all still remained in line like loyal civilians while Moonjo dashes across the field on his own rebelliously — the dentist is on a mission and he isn't about to waste his time on doing unnecessary strategies.
He turns to the left, no Jongwoo.
He shifts his gaze to the right, there still isn't any Jongwoo in sight.
He glances behind — at this point his jagiya might actually be dead.
Moonjo thought he was having a kidney failure when he even dared to think about the writer dying.
He looks to the front and suddenly — at the distance, player 304 cuts in line and runs ahead to seemingly steal an empty spot. Moonjo stops in his tracks almost too immediately, causing him to lose his balance.
Jagiya...there you are. The dentist looked like a domestic dog exaggeratedly wagging its tail with pure happiness and about to piss themselves from being over joyed. If only he could slide his knees towards Jongwoo with an outstretched arms — he would. Perhaps next time.
"You better not drag me down with you. " Jongwoo utters, his arms ever so slightly tightening its grasp surrounding his neck. The dentist lets out a light chuckle, his hands gripping Jongwoo's dangling legs harder in return.
"I'll never leave your side, I promise you that — jagiya." Moonjo responds, the writer on the other hand felt his heart flutter. He wanted to smack the shit out of Moonjo right then and there, but that would mean he'll have to risk his life from doing that and he's not willing to.
Amidst of the chaos and the distressing situation they all couldn't escape — which the only sole escape is death, Jongwoo could tremendously feel every player's stare lasering onto his back. He's certain it's all judgment, but all they can do is either fart on his face or get shot in the head.
Moonjo swiftly began pacing, his long strides eating up the distance as he kept Jongwoo securely on his back. The writer bounced gently with each step as Moonjo ran across the field, his labored breathing audible. It shocked him when Moonjo ran past a few players — being ahead of them whilst literally carrying Jongwoo.
Jongwoo couldn't figure out if he was that weightless to him or Moonjo's just unbelievably strong. Whatever it is, he's impressed and definitely more petrified.
"Red light." The dentist froze instantly, the sudden stillness jolting Jongwoo from his reverie. Gunshots shattered the air — followed by five more in succession — before silence descended once more. Moonjo remained as immobile as a statue, compared to Jongwoo, who flinched at each echoing blast like a thin leaf.
"1 minute and 38 seconds left..." The dentist muses, carefully muttering. Jongwoo shudders in response, biting his lower lips anxiously. Moonjo could feel Jongwoo's heart thumping against his back — it's rapid, almost too fast. Everything's nerve wracking, adrenaline rushing — and quite discouraging but with Jongwoo in here, Moonjo won't falter.
"Green light." The dentist immediately bolts across the field like they're being chased by a pack of dogs while his dearest riding onto his back is being absolutely mind blown. Jongwoo never thought that something else could be more terrifying than his embarrassing fear of rollercoaster rides.
The writer held onto Moonjo as if the world will explode if he loses his grip. Moonjo maintains his fast pace, panic wasn't surging in his nerves — it was the urge to protect, and it's overpowering. He would rip his heart out of his chest if the writer asked him to.
Jongwoo's eyes caught the familiar sight of the timer — there's 1:30 seconds left. However, he felt ironic for not feeling any sense of worry — Jongwoo felt confident. With Moonjo's legs moving with the speed of light together with Jongwoo's thoughts and prayers, they might actually make it.
But things doesn't always go the way Jongwoo wanted.
"Red light." Moonjo freezes, and Jongwoo instinctively did the same. He glances at Moonjo's side view, a trickle bead of sweat streaming down from his temple then onto his cheek bone. I thought vampires never sweat. Jongwoo imagined himself licking it to taste and see if it was for real.
Whilst the writer was having vulgar thoughts, blaring sequence of gun shots thunders the whole place. A player from behind them unmistakably gets shot, their body thudding against the floor. Jongwoo could feel Moonjo slightly heaving, but he knew the dentist isn't anywhere near his limits.
"You're doing great..." The writer mumbles, quiet and shy — however Moonjo's ears were sharply keen enough to hear every syllables. Jongwoo swore his mouth moved on its own, mentally slapping himself repeatedly in humiliation and Moonjo on the other hand felt like he was the first person to ever step on the moon.
"I appreciate it, Jagiya." Moonjo whispers back, almost teasing and a hint of mockery — Jongwoo made a promise to himself to rip off Moonjo's hair from his scalp until he's bald after the games.
"Green light." The dentist's legs shuffles forward but he was taken aback when a hand grabs his ankles — Jongwoo was similarly startled. Moonjo looks at the owner of the hand currently preventing him to move, a vein popping out of his jaw line — irritation evident on his apathetic face.
"Please! Please..! Save me..! I'll do anything..!" Moonjo could just taste the pathetic desperation in his mouth, and unfortunately the player's pleas falls on deaf ears. The writer on the other hand felt a slight ounce of pity — never empathy.
"Let go." The dentist spoke, it would make the little hairs rise on Jongwoo's nape if Moonjo said it directly to him — but it's a demand for the player begging for help. Moonjo doesn't give two flying shits, neither did Jongwoo.
"You're gonna fucking kill us too!" Jongwoo snaps back, eyes glaring down on the asshole dragging them both down to their graves.
"Please! I just need—"
"Red light." The player shuts his lips, and Moonjo kept in position. Jongwoo clicks his tongue exasperatedly — eyes twitching with fuming rage. He glances at the timer — and there's fucking 58 seconds left.
Fuck! We're not gonna make it! The writer curses in his mind, and his teeth grinding furiously. After he had handled every foul occurrences in his life this is how he dies? With freaking Seo Moonjo? and because of a dumbass ruining their stakes of chances to survive? He's so fucking pissed.
"Green light." Moonjo shuffles — but his legs are still held bound by the player stubbornly gripping his ankles like a fuckass dog who bites and refuses to let go. Jongwoo had to physically restrain himself from jumping off of Moonjo and round house kick the man.
"What the fuck?! Just let go of him and accept the fact that you've got no hope!" The writer exclaims while waddling his legs furiously in the air. Jongwoo shifts his eyes back to the timer — 49 seconds left.
Just fuck me with a chainsaw at this point.
Jongwoo will in fact not rather that, but compared to the situation he's in it's much more pleasing to consider.
"Selfish fucks! If you get down and actually try to help then I can survive!" The man snaps back, gaining boldness to even insult the writer with a fair point. Jongwoo felt his blood boiling — his eyes yet again twitching and fists aching to land on the man's hideous nose.
"Then why don't you try to crawl?" Moonjo spurt out, the man only blinks with a baffled expression. Jongwoo wanted to spit on the player then clash his lips against Moonjo's lips passionately. This is the first time he agrees with the dentist's indifference.
The man sobs, and Jongwoo just can't find a piece of his heart to care and sympathize with man's ugly crying. Moonjo who's staring blankly at the insect on his feet — shoves his ankles from his grasp forcefully then lunging a brutal kick on his face. An audible crack was heard, and it felt satisfying.
Moonjo glances back at the timer — 38 seconds left. It didn't go unnoticed to Jongwoo, the writer has been watching the timer flew by earlier.
"We're gonna die..." He mumbles, weak and quiet — as if hopelessness caught up to him. Jongwoo lets out a sigh in disbelief, followed by a light chuckle. Moonjo whole heartedly laughs, as if he couldn't believe that Jongwoo will die when he's literally right there.
"I don't accept boring deaths jagiya, we'll get out of this." The dentist replies, not a single fret seen in his eyes. Moonjo still has a lot of strength in storage, it's time that he's running off and he needs to be faster than a flying slipper thrown by a mother.
"Red light." Jongwoo closes his eyes in both acceptance and feeling helpless. Gun shots doesn't stop dominating the field and the bodies continuously added laid dead on the ground. Moonjo almost forgot about the participants around him, since Jongwoo's warmth and weight pressed against his back has been very distracting.
35 seconds left.
"Green light." Moonjo shifted Jongwoo's weight against him, his grip tightening momentarily on the writer's thighs as if ensuring a secure hold. Then, with a burst of terrifying agility, he sprinted across the field, moving with an unnerving speed.
Jongwoo squeezes his arms harder on Moonjo's neck, nearly choking the dentist. He kept his eyes shut closed, fighting the urge to glance up at the sky — perhaps for the last time. The sky, however, was best admired when you had something beautiful to remember. The writer has nothing.
"Red light." Moonjo halts then stumbles but instantly controls his balance. The arms of his dear tightly embraced onto him was an anchor of courage and hope. He wanted to live not because of the inevitable death, but the need to be with Jongwoo now that he has him back.
28 seconds left.
Some players were able to cross the finish line, and they all win despite it not being a race. On some point, it could be — but their competition is the time. While a few unfortunate ones were left deceased. And in between of those are players like Moonjo and Jongwoo — bless their hearts, still on the field. Fighting and barely surviving.
"Green light." The dentist runs with long strides, passing by a few players who are struggling to keep their wobbling legs not to collapse. Jongwoo peeks with one eye open, and then it widens in surprise — they were close! So fucking close.
"We can actually make it!" He beams, and he felt a large weight on his shoulders washing away. Moonjo huffs a small chuckle, a smile ghosting on his lips. There was 20 seconds left, and if he's correct — within just 10 seconds of it they could reach the end!
They were going to live.
Wait, why am I glad that Moonjo is also gonna live. Should I kick him out after we get to the finish line at the last second?
The devil says yes.
The angel says no.
Jongwoo chose to ignore both sides.
I'll just take whatever happens, what if we actually don't make it out of here?
"Red light." The writer chokes on his saliva. Moonjo knew his jagiya was having another session of his inner turmoil.
Just when I thought the possibility we might die, the universe seem to like the idea. Unbelievable! Thought Jongwoo, feeling extremely aggravated.
Absolutely adorable. Moonjo muses internally, acting like a high schooler disgustingly in love.
15 second left and they were at least 80 feet away. Jongwoo whimps in frustration, eyes closing in defeat. He just felt so defeated. He had lost hold of his precious things, but the idea of his own life included to be stolen was incredibly absurd.
A storm of anger, fury, and bewilderment raged Moonjo. The certainty of reunion with his jagiya in another universe after death seems to be a blur because he was acutely aware of his own monstrous nature, the sheer horror his existence had inflicted on both humanity and society. He knows punishment, but isn't ready to take it. Not now.
"Green light." The writer peeks at the timer as the dentist bolts, 10 seconds was left. He goes back to squeezing his eyes shut — and counts the numbers in his mind serving as a distraction. He doesn't want to reminisce about the past moments in his life. Not even his mom.
He should have just stayed with his mom.
Eomma, I'm scared.
10..
Moonjo keeps his legs bursting speed —holding his breath in till his cheeks were glowing red. A lively color on his pale skin.
9..
Jongwoo's ears are infiltrated by desperate cries and wailings, thuds of numerous feet stomping against the ground like an unsynchronized music.
8..
His heart felt like it was knocking on his chest, threatening to leap out of his flesh from thumping too rapidly. Moonjo couldn't even form a thought, his brain too centralized to command his legs to keep moving.
7..
"I don't want to die..." The writer stammers, sniffling a sob as tears slowly begins to pour down on his cheeks. The dentist heard for the first time, and Moonjo felt the strange clench in his heart — a vague emotion. But the dentist didn't lose courage, he'll flip the world upside down to survive with his dear.
6..
Jongwoo remembers his decent life in Busan, it wasn't entirely a series of beautiful memories — however, all were just normal. Old and nostalgic.
No struggle in Seoul.
No Eden Residence.
NO lurking Seo Moonjo.
And this.
5..
Despite the chaos, Moonjo's warmth offered a strange comfort. Jongwoo clung to him, feeling as though he were on the park strolling along with the morning breeze. It was a dark irony, but Moonjo's presence was inexplicably a source of solace.
4..
"We'll make it, jagiya.." Says Moonjo, feet continuously motioning to run — grip tight and secure on Jongwoo.
"That's not going to be possible.." The writer replies, followed by a choked sob. He hears the dentist chuckle — fucking laughing like this wasn't going to be their last day.
3 seconds left...I hope those guns will kill me instantly.
3..
2..
1..
...