-CRAVING OF BLOOD-

─────

- FLASHBACK -

"Enemies?" Jungkook asks, his forehead creasing slightly as he tilts his head in thought. He runs his hand across his face, exhaustion clear in his features. "I think I have many of them."

The man exits the room with a pitcher in his hands, catching Jungkook's attention. As he approaches, he passes the pitcher to Jungkook.

"Drink it," he instructs, and Jungkook grips the pitcher, his eyes starting to turn red as veins protrude from them. His fangs begin to emerge as he tightly holds onto the pitcher, connecting his lips to it without hesitation, drinking every drop of blood within.

Namjoon raises an eyebrow as he observes the transformation. "He looks like a ripper. Anyways, whoever tastes human blood becomes like that," he explains, earning a nod from the man.

Jungkook remains focused on the precious blood in his hands, his thirst growing with each passing second. After finishing it, he smirks satisfactorily, blood dripping from the corner of his lips, fully embracing his vampiric nature.

"I feel so good. I want more," Jungkook declares, his craving intensifying.

"No," the man objects, grabbing Jungkook's arm and attempting to pull him back. "If you drink more, you'll get addicted. It's better if you don't."

Jungkook forcefully pulls his arm from the man's grip. "No. I want more," he insists, his determination evident. His eyes scan the room from which the man emerged.

The man and Namjoon quickly step in his way, blocking his path. Namjoon issues a challenge, his eyes turning red, and his fangs becoming prominent. "For drinking that blood, you have to fight us first, kid."

Jungkook meets Namjoon's daring gaze with equal resolve. "Then I will fight you," he retorts, his determination unwavering.

Namjoon raises an eyebrow and signals the man beside him to take action. The man nods in acknowledgment.

As Jungkook takes a step forward, the man seizes his shoulders, using all his strength to restrain him. Simultaneously, Namjoon grabs Jungkook's head, spinning it forcefully, causing Jungkook to fall to the floor.

Namjoon sighs in relief, admitting, "He looked like a tough one. I was scared for two minutes there."

"Yes," the man concurs, their faces reflecting the mixture of relief and apprehension following their encounter with the formidable Jungkook.

- END OF FLASHBACK -

─────

"So you were saying, you three are the new workers?" Raya inquires, her arms crossed and a disgruntled expression on her face.

"Yes," Taehyung replies with a slight pout. Alita and you are busy serving customers while the three of them sit at a table.

"I don't wanna work with you," Raya states, narrowing her eyes and pointing at Jimin, who promptly rolls his eyes.

"Did I say I care, lil' girl?" Jimin smirks, using the same nickname he had earlier, his hand resting under his chin with his elbow on the table and raised eyebrows.

"Lil' girl?" Taehyung interjects, pointing out the nickname, "You've got a nickname for one too."

"It's nothing like his," Jimin insists, rolling his eyes once more. "He was flirting. I wasn't," he says, referring to Jungkook, who is currently captivated by watching you work and hasn't heard a word of the conversation.

Jungkook's attention is scattered, his eyes following you everywhere as you move around the cafe.

"See, he's whipped, while I am not," Jimin states.

Raya walks away, clearly disgusted.

Jimin leans in closer to Taehyung. "She has a nice figure," he mutters while watching Raya walk away.

"And this man here says he ain't flirting," Taehyung replies, amused.

"I am not. I was just pointing out facts," Jimin retorts with a playful nod.

"Excuse me, miss. This man here is saying your figure is—" Jimin covers Taehyung's mouth as Jungkook remains oblivious to the conversation, still fixated on you.

"What's her name anyway?" Taehyung asks, testing if Jimin has genuine interest in this girl.

"Raya," Jimin answers immediately, without hesitation, and this catches Jungkook's attention. Taehyung's eyes widen, and he gasps.

"What?" Jungkook asks, and Taehyung looks at him in surprise.

"Don't think too much, okay?" Jimin says, looking hurt by what his friends are insinuating.

Jungkook turns to Taehyung. "Is this really a coincidence?"

"No, I don't think so," Taehyung responds, glancing at Raya and then back at Jungkook, his suspicions growing.

"Jungkook?!" Alita's voice suddenly echoes in the cafe, gaining everyone's attention, especially yours as you were serving a customer.

"Yes! Wait!" Jungkook and Taehyung both turn their heads in your direction.

"This is just a coincidence, right?" Taehyung turns to Jungkook, who nods, not wanting to believe the reality.

"Jungkook?!" Taehyung calls again, widening his eyes with a hand over his mouth.

"What?" Jungkook asks, his eyes filled with fear.

Taehyung leans in closer. "Remember the forest? How you lost your mind there, saying that she came back," Taehyung whispers, and Jungkook furrows his brows.

"Ask her," Taehyung gestures, pulling Jungkook's arm and making him stand. "Ask her if she was there."

Jungkook shakes his head. "No. What are you talking about? It's not happening."

"Why? You don't want it to?"

"I want it to," Jungkook replies, looking down, his eyes filled with sadness. "I just don't want to keep any hope."

"Y/N?!" Alita's voice suddenly echoes in the cafe as you're serving a customer.

"Yes?" You ask, a bit startled, as Jungkook stands in front of you with a serious gaze.

"Woah," you say in shock, taking a step back as he looks rather intimidating.

"Where were you on the night of the full moon, two weeks ago?" Jungkook asks, his voice serious, and you frown.

You glance at Alita, who gives you a curious look before walking away.

"Why do you even want to know?" you ask, crossing your arms defensively.

"I'm not here to go through your rebelliousness. Just answer me. I'm damn serious right now," Jungkook taps his finger on the table beside you, showing his determination.

You frown, contemplating whether to tell him or not.

"Are you contemplating right now? What can I do knowing you were somewhere before? I just have to know to confirm something," Jungkook says, his eyes never leaving yours.

"Forest," you answer shortly, causing Jungkook's gaze to shoot up to you, his eyes growing warm.

"Y/N?" he steps closer to you, his serious expression giving way to a sweet smile.

"Yes?" You ask, puzzled as to why he's acting so strangely around his friends.

Jungkook suddenly grabs your arms, pulling you into a tight embrace, almost squeezing the life out of you. "I missed you."

"What?" You ask, still not understanding why he would miss you. You feel a tear on your shoulder, which only deepens your confusion.

"I missed you so much," Jungkook mutters, nuzzling into your neck, not caring if people are watching.

"My Y/N," he says, his voice filled with longing. It's clear that he's overwhelmed with emotions, and this reunion means the world to him. It doesn't feel real to him, as if he's dreaming, and he can't believe you're back in his life. His heart is filled with warmth, and he wants to protect you, keep you safe from any harm.

Taehyung grabs Jungkook's arm, dragging him away from you. "Let's go tell Jimin. He deserves to know. He's her brother."

Jungkook nods, but his gaze is still fixed on you, filled with warmth and longing as Taehyung leads him away.

───── ☾ ─────

"You're saying Y/N's back?" Jimin rolls his eyes, taking the passenger seat in the car.

"Yes," Taehyung confirms with a nod, while Jungkook simply gazes down, trying to conceal his elation. His happiness is palpable, even if he's keeping it somewhat hidden.

"Do you have any proof?" Jimin asks, sporting an ironic smile and scoffing. "Even if she is Y/N, I wouldn't want him near her." He points at Jungkook as he gets out of the car, though Jungkook remains subdued, as if burdened by the misfortune that has befallen them.

Jimin exits the car and walks away, slamming the door shut. "I'll go home myself."

Taehyung turns to Jungkook, attempting to offer reassurance. "Ahhhh, he's just being grumpy. You know he cares about you like you're his little brother. Remember how he stopped you from doing something drastic last time? He was so angry that you tried to go through with it, and then he said he would try to be friends again. He cares for you. Don't worry." Taehyung pats Jungkook's shoulder, his eyes filled with warmth.

Jungkook gives a slight nod but continues to look down, his emotions still swirling beneath the surface.

───── ☾ ─────

You stand there, still processing the unexpected hug from Jungkook, and Raya approaches you with a questioning look.

"Why did he hug you?" Raya inquires, subtly gesturing toward the door where Jungkook had gone.

"I—I don't know," you stammer, feeling your cheeks flush with embarrassment.

Raya doesn't let it slide. "Why are you behaving like this? The last time I remember, you hated men approaching you, and when he hugged you, you froze. What happened? Are you in love already?" She teases, a sly grin playing on her lips, while collecting a tray from a nearby table.

"NO," you respond adamantly, shaking your head and walking away, trying to hide your embarrassment.

Raya mutters to herself, "She is," shaking her head, and Alita, who's nearby, nods in agreement as she helps Raya.

"You are, too," Alita adds with a playful smirk before walking away, leaving Raya flustered.

"Bitch? Come back here. What did you just say?" Raya calls after her, but Alita sassily responds, "I saw you staring at him." Raya understands exactly which "him" Alita is referring to.

"No, I didn't," Raya insists as she walks away.

Alita smirks and mimics Raya's tone, muttering sarcastically, "Yeah, yeah. You didn't," as she walks off, leaving Raya to contemplate her feelings.

───── ☾ ─────

Jimin steps into a dimly lit alley, spotting a girl walking alone. With a deceptively sweet tone, he calls out to her, prompting the girl to turn towards him.

"Hey!" Jimin beckons, his voice laced with a compelling charm that freezes the girl in her tracks. Her dilated irises indicate her compliance under the influence of the vampire's compulsion.

Jimin's transformation is swift. He grasps the girl's neck, his mouth gaping wide as elongated fangs sprout from his teeth. His once human eyes are now a fiery red, veins pulsating ominously. He lowers his head to the girl's neck and begins to feed on her blood, a sadistic pleasure evident in his expression. The taste of human blood exhilarates him, igniting a sinister love for this dark act.

───── ☾ ─────

Jungkook returns home, silently slipping away to his room with a sense of despair lingering in his heart. He retrieves several bottles of alcohol, intending to drown his sorrows in its numbing embrace. Alone in the confines of his room, he sits on the floor, pouring a glass and filling it to the brim with the amber liquid.

A deep frown etches across his face as memories rush back like a relentless tide.

"Hyung, she's back."

"Even if she's Y/N, I wouldn't want him near her."

"Forest."

"Blaise Morrigan is alive!"

"How can she leave me?"

"I still miss her."

"It was never your fault."

"It is my fault."

The questions torment him, the doubts and guilt that have haunted him for so long. Why was he cursed in the first place? His mind races, searching for answers, but the truth remains elusive. Was it mere coincidence, or had some higher power singled him out for suffering, to derive enjoyment from his misery?

A solitary tear escapes his eye, tracing a path down his cheek as he wraps his arms around his knees, resting his head upon them in a moment of vulnerability. The weight of his curse and the uncertainty of Y/N's return weigh heavily on him, leaving him to ponder the cruel twists of fate that have defined his existence.

Why was he cursed, and what if Y/N isn't truly Y/N? The questions linger, haunting his thoughts as he seeks solace in the bitter embrace of alcohol.

───── ☾ ─────

Jimin stands there, his gaze fixed upon the lifeless body lying before him, a victim of his insatiable thirst for blood. A single tear trickles down his cheek, mirroring the crimson stains that mar his hands. He backs away slowly, his horror and guilt intensifying with every step.

Crouching down beside the girl's lifeless form, Jimin is overwhelmed by a sense of dread. He reaches out, trembling, and touches her cold shoulder, desperately shaking it in a futile attempt to rouse her.

"Hey?" he implores, his voice quivering with regret. "Hey, please wake up. Please." His pleas fall upon deaf ears, and the girl remains motionless, her veins stark against her pallid skin.

From a distance, the murmur of approaching voices reaches Jimin's ears as a group of people stroll toward the alley. Panic courses through him, and without hesitation, he grabs the girl's arm and hastily drags her away, shielding her from the curious eyes of passersby.

Jimin knows he can't continue down this dark path. He makes a solemn promise to himself: he will not drink human blood again. He's horrified by the monster he's becoming, the insatiable craving that drives him to commit such heinous acts. For now, his focus is on dealing with the consequences, taking care of the lifeless body he's left in his wake.

───── ☾ ─────

Jimin walks down a dimly lit street, his hood pulled low to conceal his face, his eyes darting around with an expression of terror and desperation. He had vowed not to drink human blood again, to avoid becoming the monster he feared he was becoming. Yet, as he strolls along, his hands tremble involuntarily, and the insatiable craving gnaws at him.

A passerby approaches him, and Jimin comes to an abrupt halt. His hands quiver, and he clamps them over his mouth, desperately trying to suppress the emergence of his fangs. He cannot succumb to this dark urge again. The first time was a mistake—a horrifying one at that.

Veins start bulging in his eyes as his struggle intensifies. The stranger pauses beside him, glancing at Jimin's unsettling demeanor. In an instant, Jimin steps in front of the man, his face contorting with the uncontrollable desire to feed.

"No. Please," Jimin stammers, his voice fraught with desperation as he fights against the relentless hunger.

His eyes flare crimson, and his fangs protrude menacingly. He's on the verge of losing control when he forces himself to turn away from the man, his face hidden from view. The stranger watches him with a mixture of fear and bewilderment.

Jimin's resolve crumbles once more, and his face twists into a snarl. He seizes the man's shoulders and sinks his fangs into the unsuspecting victim's neck. The air is filled with the man's anguished screams as Jimin succumbs to the dark thirst, momentarily surrendering to his vampiric nature, drowning his pain and turmoil in the rush of blood.

───── ☾ ─────

Jungkook sits by the familiar river, the place he often retreats to when he's grappling with his thoughts. Rocks lie beside him, waiting to be thrown into the water one by one, just as they have been many times before. He seeks answers, but the curse that plagues him remains as enigmatic as ever.

Suddenly, a voice disrupts his solitude. "Hi, friend. How are you?" The words catch Jungkook's attention, and he turns with a quizzical frown to face the newcomer.

"Friend? Really, Baekhyun?" Jungkook retorts, skeptical. As Baekhyun takes a seat beside him, Jungkook's frown deepens, his gaze fixed on the rocks he had gathered for himself.

Baekhyun doesn't hesitate to reach for the rocks, prompting Jungkook to quickly pull them away, guarding them like precious possessions. "What? Stop being so childish!" Baekhyun insists, grabbing the rocks forcibly and keeping them on his side.

Jungkook relents, albeit begrudgingly, about the rocks, shifting his focus back to the pressing matters on his mind. He begins to speak, his tone weighted with frustration, "I am saying this in advance again. I am not in the mood to fight."

Baekhyun sighs heavily, and Jungkook allows the rocks to stay where they are. Baekhyun's next words take Jungkook by surprise. "I am sorry." The apology is unexpected, and Jungkook raises an eyebrow in suspicion, questioning Baekhyun's intentions.

"I am saying this in advance too. I don't want to fight either," Baekhyun adds, his voice sincere this time. Jungkook seems surprised, but he nods, accepting the apology.

"It's a genuine sorry, Jungkook," Baekhyun assures him. They both throw rocks into the river, their shared sighs echoing their relief and understanding.

Then, Baekhyun shifts the conversation, revealing something personal. "I think I found my mate."

Jungkook is taken aback. "What?" He turns to Baekhyun, his eyes wide with astonishment, the weight of the revelation settling in.

Baekhyun continues, "I don't know how to approach her . . ."

"You need flirting classes from me?" Jungkook asks seriously, offering his assistance.

Baekhyun chuckles. "I don't need your broken flirting classes."

"My classes are expensive, not broken," Jungkook retorts with a smirk.

Their banter eases the tension, and Baekhyun admits, "I don't think she knows."

Jungkook is curious now. "Where did you even meet her?"

"In the forest," Baekhyun reveals, sharing the intriguing story of his potential mate.

──────

VOTE