Chapter Text
“What is this virus anyway?” Jungkook asked, frowning. “There’ve been other ones in the past few years, but we’ve been able to control them with time. And how do you even know about it? I didn’t hear about it in the news.” What was so different about this virus that was so important that his brother had to take measures against it?
Wooseok cleared his throat, but it sounded more like a small cough. “This virus isn’t an accident. We made it. Our leader has been preparing for this since before you were born.” When Jungkook just stared at him in horror, he elaborated, “The… goal is to get rid of all the humans in the world.”
“What- the leader of your clan is planning on using a virus to wipe out the entire human race?!” Jungkook asked, mouth still hanging wide open, head spinning for a moment as he sat up too abruptly in his bed.
Wooseok considered him silently, before nodding.
“Wh-why?” The idea was so incredulous that he was at a loss for words.
“Revenge," he said simply. "The humans have destroyed us, and are continuing to do so. If we don’t get rid of them, we can’t have a future.” Wooseok’s voice was low and it contained notes of solemnness, which Jungkook didn’t understand.
“Well, that’s because vampires kill humans all over the world!” Jungkook exclaimed.
“Most vampires have used animal blood or synthetic human blood for decades,” Wooseok suddenly hissed. “Still, there are rogues of our kind who continue to feed on humans for blood, and the humans target us all for it.”
Jungkook’s forehead creased. “But even so, this isn’t right. Do you really agree to this?” he asked. The doctor seemed so compassionate. He couldn’t actually think this all made sense.
“I don’t like it,” Wooseok admitted with a hint of sorrow in his voice. “But it’s the only way.” After a pause, he revealed, “I’m in the team of scientists who developed the virus in the first place.”
Jungkook held him with his eyes for a long minute. He wanted to say a million things, except he remembered Wooseok was the one who patched him up. He had also risked his neck to help save him. Jungkook knew he shouldn’t be rude, so in the pressure of the situation, he held back, deciding to veer off instead.
“And vampires are immune to all disease?” Jungkook asked in disbelief. There were still so many unanswered questions about being a vampire, questions he had meant to ask Jin hyung about, but had never gotten the chance. In the days he spent lying in the cold cage of the police station dungeon, he had wondered if he would ever get the chance to speak with Jin hyung again. A small warmth hugged his heart as he knew he would be back with his members soon. Taetae hyung. What he wouldn’t give to be in his arms right now, with his hands weaving in his boyfriend’s soft hair and his smooth lips upon his. His heart felt as if it would break in two at the mere thought of him.
The doctor replied, “There’s a high chance. Most people would say yes, because to put it simply, there hasn’t been any recorded or known case of a vampire coming down with any type of viral or bacterial illness, or any other human ailment really, even while living in close contact with infected individuals in times of plague, so you could think of it that way. But scientifically, I can’t give a definite conclusion, especially when there’s so much we still don’t know.” He stopped to observe Jungkook and continued, “That’s just me being a scientist though. It would be wrong to speak in absolutes, but immunity to disease is a widely-accepted perk of being a vampire in our community, at least.” He scratched his head softly. “It’s not like Jungsoo acted without knowing anything… he knew turning you into one of us would be the safest bet. If there’s anything else about vampirism you want to know, ask away. I’ll answer all your questions.”
Jungkook thought for a moment. He wondered if there was a chance, some kind of backup plan that could be put in place so that the humans could be saved. “Then… does that mean that if a human was infected with the virus you and your team made, and you turned them into a vampire, they wouldn’t be sick anymore?” He searched the doctor's eyes. Was the hopefulness in his tone too obvious?
Wooseok leaned back in his chair. “I’m afraid it wouldn’t work that way. Vampirism gives immunity, but that’s only if you were a vampire before infection. After infection, it would only speed up the virus’ effects. You see, your vampire blood would not only help you, but also help the infected cells in your body. In the end, that person would succumb, unable to handle their condition, coupled with the hardship of their transition period.”
“I see,” Jungkook said, dismayed. His shoulders slumped. So it’s basically die or become a vampire before the virus takes you. He had another question. “How come some people are born as vampires? My parents weren’t vampires. Or at least, I don’t think they were. So how come...” He trailed off, knowing the doctor would pick up where he left his thought.
Wooseok explained, “It’s a rare recessive mutation. It’s quite complex, so it depends on a lot of factors, but in your brother’s case, your parents must have both been carriers for the vampire genes, even if they weren’t vampires themselves.” When he saw the puzzlement on Jungkook’s furrowed brows, he gave a clarification on mutations, the types involved, and what a carrier was. Eventually, Jungkook nodded slowly, trying to make the information sink in. It seemed to make sense right now, the way the doctor was telling him. He had a way of making things seem so logical, and it brought a certain order to Jungkook’s mind, as if the messy luggage in his mind had grown limbs and started self-bagging themselves.
“How... did you and my brother become friends?” he asked before he could stop himself.
Wooseok gave him a strange look. Jungkook elaborated, “He just never liked people in general, or at least that’s how he was before. So it’s kind of a surprise that you seem like close friends, I guess.” He hoped it didn’t sound offensive, as he hadn’t meant it that way. He had simply stated it the way it was.
Wooseok chuckled. “He’s still like that, don’t worry. It’s a long story, but your brother Jungsoo’s really not a bad kid.” Fond wrinkles formed at the corners of his eyes.
Hm. So the doctor didn’t want to tell him. Instead of pushing the matter further, Jungkook changed the subject. “So, why are you in the clan? You could probably be working at a really big hospital with your skills, or at a top research center or something.”
The area around Wooseok’s lips tightened. “I was actually a med student at Yonsei University, but I quit when my younger brother joined the clan. You see, my family was an extremely rare case where my parents, my brother, and I were all vampires from birth. But my parents were taken away one day, then tortured and killed. By the vampire police. Of course, they claimed it was in self-defense, that my parents had attacked them. Impossible. They wouldn’t have done that.” His voice had turned venomous for a moment, but he let in a breath, proceeding to say his next words in a factual tone that barely emitted any emotion. Not in such a way that was robotic or lacked compassion, but in a rational way that seemed to be so characteristic of the doctor, not that Jungkook even knew him very well at all.
“My brother was young, nineteen at the time, and was going crazy over revenge. So he joined the clan to achieve that and I followed him, since I couldn’t let him go there alone. I had to protect him. But during one of his rescue missions, when we infiltrated the vamp police and freed a couple of vampires, he was caught and killed.”
Jungkook swallowed. His brows furrowed in sympathy. “After that, I couldn’t leave. I have to stay and try to create a better world - one where my brother wouldn’t have died.”
“I’m really sorry about your family,” Jungkook said, looking down. “It must have been terrible.” He knew it was probably the understatement of the year, but he hoped the expression in his eyes was enough to translate the sympathy he felt toward the man.
Wooseok paused. “You and your brother… I really hope you can grow close again.”
Jungkook let out a small laugh in surprise. Would that even be possible? The idea seemed ridiculous with everything that had happened, but he replied, “I hope so too.” Wooseok smiled at him and Jungkook gave an awkward smile in return.
“So. Anyway, your injuries should heal within a few hours. They injected a substance in you to slow your healing process, so that’s why it’s gonna take longer than normal, but you should be fine by tomorrow. I’ll come back then.”
Jungkook thanked him. As Wooseok turned to leave, he was reminded of how the room would feel different when he was in it alone. Darker. He was not looking forward to spending the night in a hospital. He wished he could be in his own bedroom, cuddling with Taehyung. Images of his boyfriend’s beautiful box-shaped smile popped into his mind. He could feel his own mouth twitch into a smile by instinct. His heart ached. He missed him so much. He missed all of them. “I have to go back,” he said, making the doctor pause in his steps. “My members must be wondering where I am. I have to be with them.”
Wooseok turned to give him a sympathetic look. “Kid… I’m sorry, but you can’t.”
“Why not?” Jungkook demanded. “You can’t keep me here.”
“Here, look.” Wooseok took out his phone and made a few taps on the keyboard, making a search. He passed the phone over to Jungkook with an apologetic look on his face. “This was just released.”
Jungkook’s eyes widened in horror as he made out the headline “BTS’ Jungkook revealed to be a vampire.” He frantically scrolled down to read the article.
Bangtan Boys’ Jungkook, who had been reported missing two weeks ago, has just been revealed by the VCDMU (Vampire Control and Disciplinary Measures Unit), investigative branch of the police, to be a vampire. The 18-year-old idol, who had been held in secret custody instead of reported found, due to the vampire protocols, has escaped this evening. Big Hit Entertainment, the label in charge of Bangtan Boys, has yet to release an official statement.
The head of the vampire unit, Chief Park Seonho, has stated, “I am releasing this information as it is of the utmost importance that the citizens of this country are protected, and I believe it is the right of the general public to have access to this knowledge for their safety. I extend my apologies for the lateness of this message. We are working to the best of our ability to find him. I will not tolerate any vampire to be allowed to remain free and pose a constant threat to our lives.”
Jungkook’s heart pounded in his chest. His worst fears had turned into reality. His identity had been revealed to the entire world. His hands grew sweaty as he thought of his fans and his members. He gulped. That meant Yoongi hyung knew. Or if he didn’t, he would find out soon enough. His fingers trembled as he scrolled down further to read the comments on the article.
Scum like that shouldn’t be a part of society, much less be active in an idol group. What is this country coming to?
A vampire is walking out there, free? And the police tell us this now?! And they probably have no idea where he even is. If someone turns up dead with a bloody neck, the blood is on their hands.
I’m shocked… Jungkook oppa… a vampire? Still, I’m going to support him and Bangtan, always. Once an ARMY, forever an ARMY…
Stupid fans who will even support vampires…that’s no different from supporting serial killers. The younger generation...tsk tsk… I feel sorry to our ancestors, thinking of the sacrifices they made for our country, only for it to turn out like this.
We should listen to Jungkook’s side of the story too… people, let’s not get so riled up. Who said he even did anything wrong?
Yeah, if you’re a true fan, how could you turn against him so easily without even hearing him out? People like you are probably antis who were just waiting for Bangtan to slip up so that your no-name group could get attention. No chance of that happening though…
You are probably a vampire yourself, if you’re defending him. The fact that he even got taken by the vamp police means that he did something wrong.
Don’t act like vampires are so different from us. They are people too. Have some compassion.
If he is found and they let him continue promoting in his group… I’m going to lose my faith in humanity.
If he has any shame, he should drop out of Bangtan. I feel sorry for the other members. Poor boys, they might have to disband just because of one member…
Who’s to say the other members don’t know? They were probably all in on it. They should disband.
I’m... a big fan of BTS, and Jungkook is my bias, but when I think of my sister who was killed by a vampire, I feel so sorry toward her. I don’t think I could look at her picture properly anymore… I know it’s not fair to see them as all the same, but it is true that they all have an instinct to feed on our blood...
It’s things like this that make our country laughable to the rest of the world. Just look at other countries. They have strict rules so this kind of thing never happens. A vampire? In an idol group? Wow… unbelievable.
What a traitor! We loved and trusted him, but he turned out to be one of those bloodsucking monsters? And he hid it so well too! Wow, you really don’t know what people are like on the inside.
He should leave Bangtan, if he truly loves them and doesn’t want to bring them down.
Jungkook’s eyes stung with tears as he imagined each of the negative comments coming from Yoongi hyung’s mouth. They might as well have been. One thing was for certain: there was no going back to Bangtan. Going back would only bring them down. Even now, they might have to disband. But if he joined them, staying as a group was not only out of the question, but it would also reflect terribly on all of them. Even his hyungs’ prospects of solo careers in the future would be harmed, just by being supporters.
He desperately hoped Jin hyung would be okay and he felt a small relief in knowing that his identity seemed safe for now, at least. Even whilst knowing he had to leave, he was loathe to do so, but he knew he had to accept it, no matter how painful it was. He took a few deep breaths, trying to compose himself. Why did Jungsoo hyung have to turn me into a vampire? Bitterly, he thought he would rather die from the virus as a human than live as a vampire. Would he be forced to watch his friends die? Or would he resort to turning his friends into vampires? That would be cruel. To many humans, it was a fate worse than death.
Jungkook tried to press down his emotions. What’s done is done. After all, didn’t he know from the start that he would have to leave them someday? It was the best thing he could do for them. He felt stupid at how little he had thought about what would happen after escaping the police. Of course they would out him to the public. Yet he had thought only of returning to his members. Jungkook pressed his lips into a thin, hard line.
He turned to Wooseok. “I understand. I’ll stay here,” he forced himself to say. The words felt like sandpaper grating on his tongue.