"thank you for coming!"donghyuck said for the nth time that day.

the boy watched the customer leaving the store he was working in before looking up to the clock that indicated half past midnight.

he sighed. half an hour left and he would be able to go back home and sleep. that's the only thing he wanted to do right now. sleep.

another customer walked in, almost stumbling on his way in. he was followed by two other men who didn't spare a glance to donghyuck and headed to the alcohol alley.

donghyuck took off his glasses and rubbed them with cloth until he heard glass shattering inside the shop. he rose to his feet immediately, put his glasses on the bridge of his nose, and walked towards the noise, only to find the three men in the middle of the drink's alley, bottles of beer scattered around them.

"i'm sorry, but you'll have to pay for that."donghyuck said mentally cursing because he'll need to clean.

the men looked at him before bursting in laugher.

"who do you think you are bossing us around?"one of them said, dangerously approaching donghyuck as the others kept laughing.

"i-i... hum... y-you broke it, now you have to pay..."donghyuck stuttered, walking back.

the man chuckled and blocked donghyuck against the alley, strangling him with his hand. "do you think i'm going to be impressed by a teenager?"he spat, allowing donghyuck to feel his alcoholic breath. the poor boy was starting to have trouble breathing. the drunk man's grip was tighter and tighter every second.

"let him go."an unknown voice said.

the grip on donghyuck's throat didn't loosen.

"i said let. him. go."

the drunk man winced in pain as he let go donghyuck who fell on the floor coughing loudly.

the three drunk men ran away, leaving the shop as if they never came in the first place, leaving donghyuck and the mysterious man alone.

"are you okay?"the man asked, crouching beside donghyuck.

"y-yes, thank you very much."donghyuck responded, rubbing his neck. he took some time to look at the stranger who helped him. blond hair, blown eyes, tall, broad shouldered, beautiful smile, and surely older than him.

the handsome stranger held out a hand to help donghyuck up who gladly accepted it.

"what's your name?"the stranger asked.

"i'm lee donghyuck. and you are?"donghyuck responded shyly.

"kang daniel."

"nice to meet you. and thank you very much."donghyuck smiled.

"it's not safe for such a cute boy to work so late in a shop. you know, there can be dangerous people..."daniel told seriously.

donghyuck shrugged. "i know, but i it's my only way to earn money, and if i don't have a job, i can't pay for my studies..."donghyuck told before looking at his watch. "oh! it's almost closing time! i should clean all the mess!"

"i'll help you."

daniel and donghyuck cleaned the broken bottles and the liquid, and soon, donghyuck could close the store. daniel kindly walked donghyuck back home, because it was very late and he could tell the younger was very tired. daniel didn't want anything to happen to donghyuck.

"i should really repay you for everything you did to help me."donghyuck said when they were next to his building's entrance.

"oh, it was nothing."

"nothing?! you literally saved me, helped me cleaning the mess, walked me home and prevented me from being harmed. it's much more than 'nothing'."

daniel chuckled at the younger's remark.

"i'm going to seoul university starting tomorrow."

"really?"donghyuck exclaimed."that's where i go as well!"

"oh! that means we'll see each other again."

"definetly."

"see you tomorrow then?"daniel smiled, ruffling donghyuck's hair.

"yup! see you tomorrow."donghyuck said before heading inside his building and entering the place he called his home to have a peaceful night.

†

the bell rung, signalling the end of the period.

"thank god." jaemin sighed before laying on his table. "where are you going?"he asked donghyuck who had stood up.

"i need to find someone."

"who?"jaemin raised a brow.

"a friend."

that was not usual. donghyuck would always be glued to his phone during break time, and he never made friends. so, this was unexpected for jaemin.

"i'm coming with you."jaemin told.

"what? no."

jaemin pulled donghyuck's hand."yes i am."

"okay then. move your ass."

the two boys walked around the labyrinth of corridors that were their school at a fast pace. donghyuck didn't really know why, but he was eager to meet daniel again. the boy had been so kind the night before.

well, donghyuck was so deep in his thoughts that he didn't see the three boys walking in front of him, causing him to bump right in one of their chests. this caused him to fall on his butt and make his glasses fall from his nose in the process, blinding him totally.

the tanned male let out a wince as jaemin tried helping him up.

"watch where you're going human."one of them spoke.

"do you think that because you are a vampire you are allowed to do everything mister jeno?" jaemin spat confidently.

"j-jaemin, i-i can't see..."donghyuck whispered very very low.

"are you trying to impress me, human?"jeno smirked.

"i am not scared of you, leech!"jaemin screamed gripping jeno's collar.

jeno unconsciously licked his lips and stared right in jaemin's eyes, his fangs appearing and his eyes turning red.

"what did you just call me?"the vampire asked, his voice so low that it sent shivers down jaemin's spine.

"n-nothing."

jaemin had his eyes closed at that point, and his grip on jeno's collar had loosened.

"that's what i though."jeno said, voice normal again.

as jeno and jaemin were causing a scene, mark could only roll his eyes. however, when he noticed the human in distress that had bumped into jeno, he couldn't help but smile at his cuteness. right now, he seemed shy and was clutching onto jaemin's side, mumbling that he couldn't see – mark could hear that, he was a vampire, he had a very developed hearing. mark then noticed the golden spectacles that were on the floor next to his feet. he crouched to pick them up and approached the innocent male.

"hum, your glasses?"he said, patting the boy's shoulder.

the tanned male took the small object and adjusted it on his button nose, eyelashes fluttering when he could finally see again.

however, when he noticed who had given him his glasses back, his cheeks flushed red at the proximity between their faces.

"t-thank you."he stuttered.

"no problem... what's your- "

"donghyuck!"jaemin cut mark's question. "let's get out of here. too much leeches in too little space."

donghyuck couldn't protest, he was dragged away by jaemin, far from the vampires.

donghyuck was following him around as he kept rambling about how much he hated vampires and more particularly jeno until donghyuck noticed a certain male at the end of the corridor.

"he's here!"

jaemin stopped his bickering to listen to donghyuck.

"who?"

"my new friend."

this time, it's donghyuck who dragged jaemin across the corridor towards a group of boys. donhyuck stopped a few meters away from them.

"it's him."he said, pointing at the boy in front. "his name is daniel."

jaemin whistled. "you got yourself a handsome one..."

as if daniel had heard their conversation, he looked right in their direction and waved at donghyuck who shyly waved back, cheeks red.

"hyuck. am i that horrible that you don't want to be with me?"

donghyuck raised a brow not understanding what jaemin was talking about.

"we made the deal yesterday and here you are already finding yourself a handsome boyfriend..."