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Kangmin jolts awake with a gasp. Rainfall pelts the boy as he lies wide-eyed on the concrete, staring at the star-lit sky. Distant sounds of the night drone on.
His ears ring. Kangmin groans as he reaches up to his head, holding it to soothe the sudden pain. He sits up and finds himself inside a dark, empty alleyway.
He stumbles out to the sidewalk in a daze with a pounding headache and spots in his vision. He struggles to walk straight and holds himself against the walls to avoid falling, but eventually gathers the strength to walk on his own. For a few minutes, he mindlessly wanders down the road, trying to make sense of the noise that fills his head.
What happened?
Unsuccessfully recalling any memories of the night, he pulls out his phone. It’s 12:37 AM, and he has 13 missed calls—10 of them from Dongheon.
The phone barely rings before the line picks up. “Kangmin? Why weren’t you answering your phone? Where are you, are you okay?”
His barrage of questions take Kangmin aback. “Dongheon...”
The silence lingers; Dongheon waiting for an answer, Kangmin trying to find the words. “Can you pick me up? I’ll send you my location.”
“What? What happened? Are you hurt?” the worry is evident in his voice.
“No, I... I don’t... It’s kind of a blur. I just... I just wanna get home first.” Kangmin runs his hand through his wet hair. The water collects between his fingers.
Dongheon sighs. “Alright. Stay where you are, I’ll be over soon.”
“Thank you...”
Kangmin ends the call, lets out a deep exhale, and slides his back down the wall. He curls his knees to his chest, wraps his arms around them, tucking his hands inside his sleeves to keep them from going numb, and buries his head. The rain pours around him and the air is chill. He reassures himself,
I’ll be home soon...
~ ~ ~
The drive is uneventful. Neither Dongheon nor Kangmin make much conversation. Kangmin is too tired, and Dongheon doesn’t want to pry. Not yet, at least. With every sideways glance Dongheon notices something new; dirt on Kangmin’s face, a busted lip, and a dried nosebleed. Seeing the young boy like this makes his heart ache.
Dongheon pulls into the driveway and parks, immediately stepping out to help Kangmin out of the car. He wraps Kangmin’s arm around his shoulders, and they start toward the door. Kangmin’s jacket is covered in mud, there’s blood on the collar, and his hair is a mess. On top of all that, he’s soaking wet. When Dongheon grabs his arm the wrong way Kangmin winces. He’s littered with bruises. Dongheon can’t help but wonder,
What happened to him?
With growing concern he stops at the door. “Kangmin, what happened to you? You didn’t get mugged, did you?”
“Dongheon, please...” He rubs the bridge of his nose. “I don’t want to talk about this right now, I just... I need a bit. I don’t know...”
“Fine, but...” Dongheon trails off when Kangmin looks up at him. He looks incredibly tired. Dongheon swallows his words. “Alright.”
He unlocks the front door and lets Kangmin inside first. Gathered in the living room, the others perk up at the sight of their friends.
“Kangmin!” Minchan jumps up and quickly starts walking over.
“Ah—” Dongheon stops him, shaking his head. He looks at Kangmin whose head hangs forward. “Kangmin, go take a seat on the couch.”
“Actually, I just want to go to bed...” He looks back at Dongheon. “If that’s okay?”
Everyone glances around, unsure how to respond. Their eyes land on Dongheon. “I think everyone needs to rest for the night. It’s late. We can talk about it tomorrow,” he says.
No one moves.
“I’m alright, guys. I’ll...” Kangmin trails off, weakly dropping his jacket next to the wall. “I’ll let you know about it tomorrow.” He looks up at the others. They’re not convinced. “I’m fine, really.” He gives a weak smile before going to his bedroom.
The others pass glances at each other, trying to figure out what to do next. Dongheon clears his throat. “Well, you heard him. We’ll talk tomorrow.”
“Seriously?” Yongseung asks. “Kangmin was missing an hour ago, completely unresponsive. What happened to him?”
“I don’t know.” Dongheon shrugs. “He wouldn’t tell me anything, just kept saying he wanted to rest first.” He sits at the dining table and rubs his forehead. “Trust me, I’m just as concerned as the rest of you, but it’s no use trying to interrogate him while he’s out of it. We should just get some sleep and figure it out tomorrow, like he asked.”
The group agree begrudgingly and split for the night. Falling asleep is a struggle as the same question plagues their minds:
What happened to Kangmin?
~ ~ ~
Kangmin wakes to an irritating sting on his skin. He opens his eyes to sunlight peeking through the blinds, dimly lighting the room. He climbs out of bed and shuts the blinds. The room goes dark.
Kangmin’s head snaps over his shoulder at the sound of someone shifting in bed. Minchan grumbles, turning to his side. A pit forms in Kangmin’s stomach, and his chest starts to burn. His throat is dry as he swallows, clenching his jaw. He is drawn towards Minchan—helpless. Unaware. Completely at his mercy.
He walks up to Minchan and pulls him off his bunk, Minchan shouting as he falls to the floor. “What are you doing—?”
Kangmin straddles Minchan’s body, pinning his arms to the ground. Minchan watches in horror as Kangmin opens his mouth, revealing a pair of long, pointed teeth.
Fangs.
A shudder moves down Minchan’s spine as Kangmin stares down his prey, his eyes sparkling a fiery red.
Bloodlust.
He throws his head down, sinking his fangs into Minchan’s neck. They pierce through his skin and Minchan screams, desperately trying to wriggle his hands free, but Kangmin overpowers him, keeping his body pinned to the ground with inhuman strength.
The bedroom door swings open as Dongheon runs in shouting, “What’s going on?!” His eyes go wide in horror at the sight before him. “KANGMIN!” he screams.
Dongheon runs in and shoves Kangmin off of Minchan, quickly helping him to his feet. Minchan stumbles out the door before falling again. Gyehyeon and Yongseung crowd in the hallway, coming to Minchan’s aid. Dongheon slams the door shut and holds it closed, shocked at what he just saw. His eyes quiver.
Blood stains the side of Minchan’s neck and the collar of his t-shirt. He holds back sobs, sitting against the wall with Gyehyeon at his side, Yongseung grabbing a small towel from the bathroom to mop up the blood.
Behind the closed door Dongheon hears crying. Kangmin, curled up against the bed frame, stares at the blood on his hands wiped from his mouth. The red in his eyes is gone, the burning in his chest dissipates, and the pit in his stomach is replaced by complete and utter despair.