Chapter Text
It started on a regular day, with the boys of Seventeen lounging in their practice room. They were rehearsing for their latest comeback, just running through moves, when they noticed something... different about Seungcheol.
"Did anyone else notice Seungcheol-hyung's eyes today?" Joshua asked, squinting suspiciously across the room.
"Yeah, his pupils were... weird," Woozi chimed in, his small frame still looking skeptical.
"Like, he had these huge circles under his eyes, and his skin was so pale—more than usual," DK added, trying to mimic Seungcheol's ghostly look by making a face that would haunt their nightmares.
"He's been wearing black a lot lately, right?" Vernon added, his voice conspiratorial, leaning in like he was about to tell them the biggest secret of the century.
"Wait, you're saying... what if he’s a vampire?" Joshua suggested with dramatic flair, throwing his hands in the air like he was solving a grand mystery.
The room fell silent for a moment, and everyone looked at Seungcheol, who was casually sipping on some coffee. His eyes were narrowed in concentration, but his lips twisted in a smirk. He was probably planning his next move, but did it have to be so... sinister?
"Guys," Seungcheol said, setting down his coffee. "What the hell are you whispering about?"
The group immediately snapped their heads away, pretending to do something productive, but it was too late. The seed of suspicion had been planted.
It was the middle of the night. Seungcheol was always the first one to go to bed—except tonight. The boys had been hanging out, watching movies, and Seungcheol was uncharacteristically still awake, sitting in the corner, eyes glinting as though they could see through the darkness.
"Is he... watching us?" Hoshi whispered to Jun, his eyes wide. "Like... stalker-vampire kind of watching?"
Jun squinted at Seungcheol's back. "If he is, I’m not sure if we should be worried. I kind of want him to bite me. Maybe I’ll get abs or something."
"Or maybe you’ll turn into a bat," Hoshi added, "and then we won’t ever see you again."
"Or worse—he’ll make you his familiar," Woozi said, looking oddly calm about the whole thing. "You know, like in those movies where the vampire gets a servant that does all their bidding... except instead of getting cool vampire powers, you’ll just be the one to clean up the mess when Seungcheol spills his coffee."
"And you’ll have to help him do push-ups at 3 AM," DK chimed in, his tone ominous.
At that very moment, Seungcheol turned to face them, his expression dark, his eyes glowing eerily in the dim light. "What are you all talking about?"
The group froze.
"I said, what are you talking about?" he repeated, walking closer, his every movement too smooth, too deliberate.
"Uhh..." Joshua stammered, "We were just saying how you’re... like... really strong, Seungcheol-hyung. Like... vampire strong."
Seungcheol narrowed his eyes, amused. "Vampire, huh? And what would make you think that?"
The group awkwardly shuffled their feet, trying to come up with a believable excuse.
"Well, you know... it’s late, and we were wondering how you don’t get tired," Joshua said, a little too quickly.
"Yeah! You always seem... refreshed," Woozi added, his eyes darting nervously.
Seungcheol gave them a dry look. "You all are so weird. Now, shut up and go to bed."
But as they all scurried to their rooms, they couldn't help but notice that Seungcheol had been staying up later than usual... and nobody had seen him eat anything solid in days.
The next morning, the boys gathered in the kitchen for breakfast. Seungcheol entered, still half asleep, but immediately caught their attention when he grabbed a bunch of grapes from the fridge and began popping them into his mouth.
"That’s it," Joshua said, dramatically slamming his palms on the table. "There it is. Grapes. The blood of the vampire."
"Vampires don't eat grapes," Woozi deadpanned. "They drink blood."
"Yeah, but have you seen how Seungcheol eats them? It’s like he’s savoring the juice," Joshua whispered, looking paranoid. "What if it's... like, a blood substitute? Do vampires drink juice to blend in?"
"Does that make sense?" DK asked.
"Probably not," Woozi said.
"But look!" Joshua pointed to the window, where Seungcheol had stepped out onto the balcony. "See? His shadow didn’t move in the sunlight. There’s no reflection! He's a vampire!"
The group rushed to the window and stared at him.
Seungcheol turned his head slowly and grinned. "What? You guys think I'm a vampire now?"
Joshua's eyes widened. "You... heard us?"
"Yes, I can hear everything. I have excellent hearing," Seungcheol said with a wink, which only fueled their suspicions more.
Hoshi shot up from the table, eyes wide. "That’s it! He’s a vampire with superpowers! We’re doomed!"
"Seungcheol, please, just tell us," DK begged, clutching his hands together. "Are you a vampire? Are you going to turn us all into... whatever the vampire equivalent of a family is?"
Seungcheol chuckled and rubbed his temples. "Okay, okay. I’m not a vampire. But if you want to keep thinking that, go ahead. I like the idea of being feared for once."
Just then, the doorbell rang. Seungcheol opened it to reveal the delivery guy with a box of... garlic bread.
The whole room went still.
"Are you... trying to keep your vampire side a secret?" Vernon asked, wide-eyed.
"No," Seungcheol said, taking the box of garlic bread. "I just like garlic bread. And also, I like messing with you guys."
The tension broke. The group stared at him, slack-jawed.
"Wait," Joshua said, narrowing his eyes. "You’re not even wearing a cape. How are we supposed to believe you’re a vampire now?"
Seungcheol smirked. "I’ve been wearing this hoodie for the last three days. It’s practically a cape."
The boys were done.
A few days passed. Seungcheol continued his usual routine, occasionally making the group second-guess his true nature. But finally, the truth came out one fateful evening.
"Okay," Seungcheol began, facing his team as they gathered around the living room, "I’m officially fed up. I’m not a vampire. You’re all insane."
"Then explain why you’ve been standing in front of mirrors for hours," DK demanded.
"I was fixing my hair," Seungcheol replied, deadpan. "It takes time."
"And the midnight runs to the park? Where you don't run... but float?" Joshua added, his voice dripping with sarcasm.
Seungcheol’s eyes flickered for a second, and his lip curled upward. "I’m just very light on my feet. Have you heard of ballet?"
The boys exchanged glances, realizing they had been fooled. Seungcheol wasn’t a vampire. But for one brief moment, they had all believed it.
"We’re never going to let you live this down, are we?" Woozi muttered, rubbing his temples.
"Nope," Joshua said, grinning. "But hey, at least we know you’re not an actual vampire now... right?"
Seungcheol chuckled. "Right. And I’ll keep making you think I am, just for fun."