Absolute - Prologue and Chapter One
Title: Absolute
Chapter: 1/?
Fandoms: TVXQ/DBSK, Super Junior, SS501
Pairings: Various (a LOT O.o; )
Rating: PG-16
Warning: Angst, Violence, Character Death
Summary: Seoul’s All-Boys Night School is just like any other night school in the area, but there’s one thing that sets them apart from all the others, and that is their students. Seoul has been the battleground of an underground, interspecies cold war for centuries, with populations of vampyres, lycans, and all those in between. Even so, no one saw it coming when young members from practically every division ended up in the same night class, along with several unassuming humans. How do you deal with suddenly having to play nice with those you were raised to hate? A dangerous game of cat and mouse begins, where the only rules were to get rid of the enemy, not be caught by the humans… And not to fall in love.
A/N:Here's the first chapter! This is a rewrite of an old fic I wrote on Winglin called Lights Shadow (if anyone happened to stumble upon it at some point). The plot has been stripped to the bare basics and rewritten, so if you have seen the old fic, be prepared for quite a few changes. As far as pairings go, there will be a few of the usual OTPs, and a lot of rare pairings, so you'll have to read to see what happens XD /shot/ Beta'd by everkitsune ~!
Teaser Trailer
Prologue and Chapter One
Prologue
It was a crazy notion. Absolutely, irreversibly mad. But he had to give it a try.
Because if anyone was able to right the wrongs their ancestors inflicted upon themselves and others, it would be this generation; the generation where the inhabitants were starting to open up to new ideas and cultures. Surely they wouldn’t be content to waste their lives away pursuing an old tradition of hatred that has little to do with the here and now?
Tapping away lightly with the end of his pencil, the man pouring over a list in his hand ran over it with a critical eye. He’d written it not long before, using his Foresight as a guide. Each name, each person, was important in their own way. They were all unique individuals, living their own lives, dreaming their own dreams.
And yet together … Together, they could possibly bring the era of feud and meaningless hatred to a close. It seemed foolish to place his trust so fully in the hands of a group of people who hadn’t even begun to live yet, but his Gift had never failed him before.
Folding the list neatly, he stood and walked out of the room, tucking it neatly inside his jacket pocket.
Only time would tell if he was right or if he was about to damn them all.
For the sake of those yet to be born, and the innocents whose blood may be spilled, he hoped he was right.
Chapter One
“JongWoon! Over here!”
Blinking, the young man leaned around the corner, eyes searching the hallway for the voice calling his name. There were people milling around, but none of them looking at him. Frowning lightly, he didn’t notice a figure approach him from behind until something heavy hit him over the head.
“Ow!”
Turning around, JongWoon winced as the other male smiled at him. The cause for his pain, a large textbook held innocently in one hand, was pushed towards the disorientated male.
“Here. They were about to run out so I bought one for you too, pay me back later.”
“Thanks, I guess?” JongWoon said, accepting the book with one hand while rubbing the back of his head with the other. “What class are you in?”
“3-6, same as you,” the other replied, looking down at the remaining book in his hands and flipping through it idly. “So’s KyuJong. Don’t really recognize anyone else on the list, but at least they stuck us together.”
JongWoon nodded, adjusting the backpack slung over one shoulder. “Let’s go?” He suggested, and JaeJoong nodded, closing his book with a snap and starting off down the hallway.
The Seoul All-Boy’s Night School. After just opening this year, students from various other night schools around the area transferred over. JongWoon and JaeJoong, long-time friends and neighbors, were two such students.
“I actually wasn’t planning on coming here,” JaeJoong mused, running one hand through his hair. “But the school sent a flyer to my address, and since it’s closer and the tuition’s cheaper, figured might as well give it a shot. What about you?”
“Same reasons,” JongWoon replied, nearly tripping over a raised part of the floor. “It’s closer, and cheaper, and our old school smelled like rat droppings anyways, don’t you think? They should put up warnings for that,” he continued, pointing accusingly at the raised floor.
“Only you would trip over a little bump like that,” JaeJoong retorted, walking on. “Come on; let’s get there early so we get good seats. Those who arrive late always have to sit near the teacher, and there’s no way you’re doing that again. Ms. Park was ready to strangle you that day you brought Ddangkoma to school…”
“He was sick,” JongWoon defended, frowning. “And he wouldn’t come out of his shell all day.”
“That would be because he’s a turtle, and turtles don’t really mix with classrooms.”
“I don’t get why she freaked though, it’s not as if he was biting anyone-“
BAM!
Both students jumped, eyes wide. “…What was that?” JaeJoong asked first, staring at the wall beside them.
“Sounds like someone threw something at the wall.”
“If I told you once, I told you a million times, stay out of our territory!”
JongWoon winced at the loud voice, moving to cover his ears and hitting himself with the book in his hand instead. “Ow!”
JaeJoong gave a long-suffering sigh, looking at the room number. “Oh, look. We’re in that class too.”
Rubbing his head with a wince, JongWoon lowered his hand and stared. “… You got to be kidding me.”
“Let’s see what’s going on,” JaeJoong said, walking over to the door and peeking inside. JongWoon protested faintly at the idea of going into that room (he could hear loud arguing from inside, and if they were throwing things he didn’t want to be anywhere near them), but followed anyways.
Two young men around their age stood at opposite ends of the back of the room, glaring daggers at each other. One, the one closest to the two at the door, was well tanned and muscled, with a defensive stance. It was obvious why; a chair lay beside him, the object that had crashed against the wall. The one who had thrown the chair stood at the other end of the room with a haughty expression, lips pressed together and head raised. He was stick-thin, and in designer clothing he looked the epitome of the rich brat. Seated on a desk near the front of the class, a third male watched them with interest, swinging his legs back and forth.
“I wasn’t anywhere near your territory, and neither were the others,” the muscular man stated with a forced calm in his voice. “You might want to check with your own clan before pointing fingers. What happened had nothing to do with us.”
“Bullshit and you know it,” the skinner male sneered, one hand on his hips. “Then explain how HyunJoong found one of your pups wandering around on our side of the line?”
“They have a right to go where they wish, and have sworn to not cause any trouble. This is ridiculous HeeChul.”
The young man watching them, looking vaguely Japanese, noticed the two at the door and waved at them from his perch on the desk. JaeJoong headed over to him, then went back to drag JongWoon along after his friend just continued staring at the two fighting.
“What’s going on?” he asked the Japanese-looking male, looking back at the two staring at each other.
“No idea,” the other replied, shrugging. “It’s interesting though. Did you hear the chair? That HeeChul guy’s skinny, but he’s got quite the throwing arm. I’m surprised the chair’s still intact.”
“It’s not,” spoke up the one who’d avoided the chair, glancing at them. “The back leg’s broken off. Better hope no one tries to sit on it later.”
By this point, others were gathering at the door to the classroom, watching with wide eyes. One young man sighed, slipping past the barricade of bodies and walking to the back of the class, dropping his bag beside a desk. Then he sat down and to all appearances went to sleep with his head on the desk, either oblivious to or ignoring the heated argument. A few others hesitantly make their way into the class, but most of them stayed at the door when they saw HeeChul inch towards a stack of textbooks.
“What’s going on here?”
Everyone at the door scattered for their seats, revealing an older male in a suit behind them. Frowning lightly, he stepped into the room and looked around. “I’m guessing no one heard the bell ring. Well, class has started so if you could all take your seats? Kim HeeChul, is it? Books are for reading, not for beheading.” HeeChul glared and put the textbook down. The one he’d been fighting with quietly picked up the broken chair and placed it at the back of the class, out of the way.
“My name’s YoungSaeng,” the Japanese-looking male whispered to JongWoon and JaeJoong, smiling faintly. “Nice to meet you both.” He slid into his seat, and then quickly got up again and out of the way when a redhead tried to tackle him over in an enthusiastic hug. Another man walked over with a laugh, tugging the tackler down into a seat before getting whacked off the head by said redhead.
“Alright, settle down,” called the man that must be their teacher, placing his books on the desk at the front of the class. Everyone sat down quickly, JongWoon looking around the class with interest. He didn’t recognize anyone else from their old school aside from JaeJoong and JaeJoong’s adopted brother, KyuJong; how many night schools had transferred students over here?
“This is class 3-6, so anyone in the wrong room should leave now. Originally this class was to be taught by Mr. Kwon, but family affairs have him tied up for this year. My name is Daniel Armand Lee, and I’ll be your teacher this year in his place.” He smiled at the students, looking far less intimidating than most of them imagined him being. He wasn’t that much older than them actually, probably in his early thirties.
Alright, I’ll take attendance first, so raise your hand when I call your name. Cho KyuHyun?”
A quiet man to one side of the class raised his hand, dark eyes absently focused on the teacher. Mr. Lee smiled at him, looking back down at the list. “Choi SiWon?” This time one of the more athletic-looking students answered, paying keen attention.
“Han Geng?” At the Chinese name, everyone looked around at the male in the back who’d lifted his hand. Seeing them all looking, a flush covered tanned cheeks for a moment and he busied himself with his papers.
“Heo YoungSaeng?” The Japanese-looking male who’d greeted JaeJoong and JongWoon raised his hand.
Attendance went on like this. JongWoon absently paid attention to the names being called, fixing them with faces. Jung YunHo was the one who’d been fighting with HeeChul, giving a polite smile to the teacher when his name was called. Kim HeeChul, Kim HyungJoon. Kim HyunJoong was the one at the back sleeping, and had to be woken up by the boy beside him. Kim JaeJoong. Kim JongWoon, himself. Kim JunSu, Kim KiBum, Kim KyuJong.
Kim RyeoWook, a quiet student who was nearly marked as absent because the teacher didn’t see the shyly lifted hand. Kim YoungWoon, a burly man at the front of the class whose strong built didn’t match his almost cute face. There were so many Kim’s…
Lau Henry, or Henry Lau as the teacher corrected himself when he saw the English name. The boy in question lifted his hand cautiously. Lee DongHae and Lee HyukJae, the two at the front of the class who had yet to stop whispering to themselves even when Mr. Lee gave them a pointed look to be quiet. Lee SungMin. Park JungMin, the redheaded man who’d tried to tackle YoungSaeng earlier. Park JungSu, Park YooChun. Shim ChangMin, Shin DongHee (The teacher mixed his name up with DongHae’s and DongHee said they could call him ShinDong instead).
“Zhou Mi?”
There was nothing. Everyone looked around for the owner of the last name on the list, but no hand was raised. Han Geng blinked, looking surprised for a moment.
Mr. Lee frowned down at the list for a moment, before seeming to remember something. “Ah right. Your classmate is visiting family in China at the moment, he will be returning to us in less than a month. In the meantime, everyone else is here, so let’s start with the first lesson? Lee DongHae, Lee HyukJae, I’m sure whatever you have to share can be discussed outside of class time.” The two finally shut up.
Looking around, JaeJoong wondered faintly if he was the only one who could still sense the tension in the room. HeeChul was openly glaring at YunHo, who was pointedly looking straight ahead to avoid the challenging stare. JongWoon seemed oblivious to it, but YoungSaeng was keeping an eye on the two absently. HyunJoong, whose name had been mentioned in the argument earlier, had simply fallen back to sleep, and no one bothered to wake him up this time.
YunHo’s gaze shifted to the side, and he met JaeJoong’s. JaeJoong blinked at him, then quickly turned around again. All throughout the lesson he thought he felt the man’s eyes locked on him, but he must be imagining things.
*****
Class was long, and while Mr. Lee made it more interesting than most teachers, SungMin was still glad to see it over. Well, not over completely; they had an hour break before continuing. Standing up and stretching, he watched the other students leave the class. HeeChul and HyunJoong took off right away; JungMin darted out, then darted right back in to pull YoungSaeng and HyungJoon out with him. There were a bunch of interesting personalities in this class; he absently wondered what the story was with HeeChul and YunHo.
Walking out of the class, SungMin waved absently at JunSu, shaking his head to decline the others offer to join him. “I’m going to take a look around,” he said with a grin. “This place looks pretty big.”
“Don’t get lost!” JunSu replied with a ringing laugh, and SungMin walked away, laughing quietly to himself.
The school really was big. It could have been several university campuses put together. He wondered what kind of classes it had during the day. Wandering around with his hands in his pockets, SungMin turned down whatever hallway happened to look interesting. The entire school gave off an almost eerie feeling at night, the windows dark and the lights dimmed. Some hallways weren’t even lit at all; he assumed to save energy when there were no classes going on in that section.
Looking behind him, a frown appeared on the young man’s lips. He couldn’t tell where he was anymore. Of course, he would manage to get himself lost in a school. But it really wasn’t his fault; everything looked the same at night.
Deciding if he just kept on walking he’d wander his way out sooner or later, SungMin continued down the hallways. He was in the dark section now; all he had to do was look for a brighter-lit hallway, and he should be fine.
Wait… What was that noise?
Stopping and listening, SungMin could hear the faint sound of singing echo down the hallway. It couldn’t be too far away… Maybe if he followed it, he’d find the others. Besides, whoever was singing was very good; the voice was smooth and deep, melodic to the ears.
Curiously, SungMin walked down the hallway towards the voice, turning down a different corridor. One of the classroom doors was open; the voice spilled out from inside. Creeping up carefully, SungMin peeked in, but the room was dark. He could see a figure at the back of the class, perched up on a desk, but he couldn’t see who it was.
If this person was singing all the way out over here, he probably didn’t want to be heard. So if SungMin made his presence known, the singing would most likely stop. But he wanted to know who it was…
Looking down at his hands, he frowned thoughtfully, concentrating hard. The skin in front of him flickered slightly, shifting in and out of view. Brow furrowing, SungMin focused harder, watching intently as his hands faded out of existence.
The transparency flowed up his arms and across his chest, and he grew in a shuddering breath as his entire body felt like it was ducked in ice-cold water. But it worked; when he looked down at himself, he was completely invisible, clothing and all.
He knew he’d get in tons of trouble if his parents found out he’d been using his Gift, but curiosity won out over everything.
SungMin was Gifted; he’d done research on it, and various internet groups labeled the extraordinary control over one’s body in a particular way as a Gift. Well, he preferred being called Gifted over the term ‘mutant’. His parents weren’t; neither were his siblings. It was only him, and he didn’t know anyone else with a Gift. It upset his parents, and his siblings thought of him as a freak, so he took to experimenting with it in secret. He could turn himself invisible, as well as inanimate objects he was in contact with, such as his clothing. Living creatures were much harder to turn transparent; their bodies resisted the change in their atoms. And he could only keep something invisible as long as he was in contact with it.
Slipping into the room quietly, SungMin made his way over to the corner where the male was sitting, careful not to make any audible footsteps. The clear, deep voice flowed over him, the singer’s features becoming clear as he approached.
It was one of the young men from his class… SungMin vaguely recalled the sickly-looking one at the back. KyuHyun, wasn’t it? Cho KyuHyun.
If he was sick, it didn’t show in his voice at all. The young man sang with power and conviction, voice not wavering for a second. He could do it as a profession; there was no flaw to be heard. It was inspiring, SungMin thought, listening with wide eyes.
Taking another step forward, the Gifted froze when his leg jostled a chair lightly, making it shift forward with a sudden screech.
The singing cut off as though someone had hit a mute button, KyuHyun staring at the chair right in front of him that had moved by itself. SungMin swallowed, freezing on the spot as the slightly younger male dropped off the desk, looking around.
“Is someone there?” he questioned, deep voice wary.
When KyuHyun took a step forward, SungMin backed up, pressing one hand firmly over his mouth to hush his breathing. It was a useless effort; he bumped into a desk behind him, making that move as well as he threw his arms out for balance, hands coming down on the desk to stay upright.
KyuHyun stared at the desk, eyes narrowing slightly. SungMin could almost see the gears turning in the other’s head; how could a desk and chair move on their own?
“Who is it?” KyuHyun asked again, voice going quiet, the anger at being eavesdropped upon fading from his face at the mystery in front of him. He lifted his hands carefully, stepping forward and searching the air for something he couldn’t see.
SungMin just stared in alarm, frozen at the idea he’d been caught. At the gentle brush of fingertips across his cheek though, he snapped out of it, leaning away. As KyuHyun withdrew his hand in shock at the feeling of warm flesh, SungMin pushed the desk back and out of the way as he ran out of the class.
Alerted to the Gifted’s retreat by the sound of running footsteps, KyuHyun shook his head to clear it and shouted, “Wait!” He ran after the retreating eavesdropper, following the sound of the footsteps in the otherwise quiet corridors.
SungMin ran as fast as he could, panting lightly. He couldn’t believe he’d been so stupid as to be caught. His parents had warned him what could happen if his Gift was found out… He’d be labeled as a freak, he’d be taken by the government, used for tests, experiments… Alienation, lab rat… Behind him, he heard KyuHyun’s footsteps getting closer and closer.
Rounding a corner, he yelped when a hand seized him by the back of his shirt, pulling him against the wall. Looking behind him in alarm, he saw that bookworm kid from the class holding on to him with one arm. The other hand held onto a book that he continued to read calmly. “Be quiet and don’t move,” the young man murmured, not looking up from his book. Unable to speak, SungMin just nodded his head, shocked that this man had been able to grab him while he was running by invisible.
KyuHyun ran by, pausing to look at the man reading the book, but when the other simply lifted his gaze and looked at him questioningly, the singer sighed and continued, vanishing down the hallway. Once he was gone, the hand gripping SungMin’s shirt loosened and slipped away.
SungMin looked at the other, hesitant. “Thanks, I guess…?”
“Don’t mention it.”
“How can you see me?” he questioned, shifting back to full visibility when he judged KyuHyun was far enough away by now.
The man closed his book, standing up straight. When he was at his full height, he was pretty tall, much taller than SungMin. “Because I’m like you,” he replied with a smile that caused his eyes to become mismatched in size. “Different.”
Another Gifted?
Seeing the look of utter shock on SungMin’s face, he laughed and tapped beside his eyes lightly. “I can see things. All sorts of things.”
“What kinds of things?” SungMin questioned, joy flooding through him after the initial shock. He wasn’t alone.
“Invisible people, for one,” the other replied with a chuckle. “I can see through walls… See things that are far away clearly, see in the dark… All sorts of things. I’m not quite sure myself how far the Gift goes. I was watching you and that KyuHyun. You might want to be careful around him; he’ll be keeping an eye out for you.”
SungMin nodded mutely. He definitely would be careful in the future. At the same time, he wondered if KyuHyun would return to sing again tomorrow. It was something he wouldn’t mind hearing again… If he could be less of a klutz next time.
“What’s your name?” he questioned, watching the other slid back down to sit against the wall, opening his book again.
“Shim ChangMin,” the other Gifted replied, looking up at SungMin with a smile.
“Lee SungMin,” SungMin said in return. “Do you know any others? I mean… People like us?”
ChangMin thought for a moment. “People like us? No. Not yet.”
SungMin frowned. Oh well, it had been worth a shot. Excusing himself and promising to talk to ChangMin again later, he headed off in the direction the other said would bring him back to the main halls. Walking down the slowly lightening corridors, he wondered absently at ChangMin’s almost cryptic response. There had been almost too much emphasis on those words…
*****
Bowing to the teacher as the class let out for their break, SiWon gathered his books and glanced around the room. The tension from before had finally left, though he knew it wasn’t far from their minds.
SiWon wasn’t one to skip classes, but he was seriously thinking of leaving for the rest of the night. He must be out of practice with dealing with humans; being in a room full of them tried his patience like nothing else. So he politely declined any offers to hang out and left the room, bag slung over his shoulder.
“Yah, where do you think you’re going?”
Turning around, SiWon smiled politely at the older male. “HeeChul hyung,” he said, having almost expected the other would say something to his sudden departure. “I’m just going to get some fresh air.”
“And not come back, right? I know that expression, you’re so obvious.” The other lengthened his stride to walk beside SiWon as the taller headed towards the exit.
“I might. I just need to clear my head a little.”
“And get away from the walking blood banks, right?”
“Hyung!” SiWon stared at the other, eyes wide. “Not here!”
“What? It’s true,” HeeChul said with a shrug. “Speaking of which, a little O+ might help with your complexion. Maybe.”
SiWon pressed his lips firmly together, shaking his head. “No.”
“Fuck, SiWon,” HeeChul murmured, running one hand through his hair. “You know you can’t keep on doing this. You need blood, decent human blood, not that disgusting rats blood you keep taking.” SiWon was glad they were away from the rest of the students by now, or else they would be getting quite the look right now.
“I’m doing fine,” SiWon insisted, lifting one hand to brush cold fingertips against the gold cross around his neck.
“That’s why you looked like you were going to jump the first person who so much as said hi. Don’t be a complete moron, SiWon,” HeeChul groaned when he saw the other play with the cross around his neck. What a fool. “No God is worth you going insane. Everyone knows what happens when you go vegetarian, you go fucking psycho. It’s a shock to everyone you’ve lasted this long.”
“Because He’s on my side.”
“Don’t be an idiot.” HeeChul stopped SiWon with a hand on his arm just as they were about to pass the school gates. The grip on the taller male’s arm was surprisingly strong for such a small person. The gaze that met SiWon’s was intelligent and sharp, too sharp.
“We’re Vampyres, SiWon. We aren’t going to Heaven. Now get that through your skull, and go on a decent hunt before sunrise, before I have to force blood down your throat myself.”
SiWon ducked his head slightly, not saying anything. HeeChul sighed and let him go, watching as the younger male vanished into the darkness. One hand rubbed at his temples as he turned back to the school. “Fuck… Between him and the wolf, I’ll have grey hairs before I’m 100,” he muttered, walking back to the building ahead.
Chapter: 1/?
Fandoms: TVXQ/DBSK, Super Junior, SS501
Pairings: Various (a LOT O.o; )
Rating: PG-16
Warning: Angst, Violence, Character Death
Summary: Seoul’s All-Boys Night School is just like any other night school in the area, but there’s one thing that sets them apart from all the others, and that is their students. Seoul has been the battleground of an underground, interspecies cold war for centuries, with populations of vampyres, lycans, and all those in between. Even so, no one saw it coming when young members from practically every division ended up in the same night class, along with several unassuming humans. How do you deal with suddenly having to play nice with those you were raised to hate? A dangerous game of cat and mouse begins, where the only rules were to get rid of the enemy, not be caught by the humans… And not to fall in love.
A/N:Here's the first chapter! This is a rewrite of an old fic I wrote on Winglin called Lights Shadow (if anyone happened to stumble upon it at some point). The plot has been stripped to the bare basics and rewritten, so if you have seen the old fic, be prepared for quite a few changes. As far as pairings go, there will be a few of the usual OTPs, and a lot of rare pairings, so you'll have to read to see what happens XD /shot/ Beta'd by everkitsune ~!
Teaser Trailer
Prologue and Chapter One
Prologue
It was a crazy notion. Absolutely, irreversibly mad. But he had to give it a try.
Because if anyone was able to right the wrongs their ancestors inflicted upon themselves and others, it would be this generation; the generation where the inhabitants were starting to open up to new ideas and cultures. Surely they wouldn’t be content to waste their lives away pursuing an old tradition of hatred that has little to do with the here and now?
Tapping away lightly with the end of his pencil, the man pouring over a list in his hand ran over it with a critical eye. He’d written it not long before, using his Foresight as a guide. Each name, each person, was important in their own way. They were all unique individuals, living their own lives, dreaming their own dreams.
And yet together … Together, they could possibly bring the era of feud and meaningless hatred to a close. It seemed foolish to place his trust so fully in the hands of a group of people who hadn’t even begun to live yet, but his Gift had never failed him before.
Folding the list neatly, he stood and walked out of the room, tucking it neatly inside his jacket pocket.
Only time would tell if he was right or if he was about to damn them all.
For the sake of those yet to be born, and the innocents whose blood may be spilled, he hoped he was right.
Chapter One
“JongWoon! Over here!”
Blinking, the young man leaned around the corner, eyes searching the hallway for the voice calling his name. There were people milling around, but none of them looking at him. Frowning lightly, he didn’t notice a figure approach him from behind until something heavy hit him over the head.
“Ow!”
Turning around, JongWoon winced as the other male smiled at him. The cause for his pain, a large textbook held innocently in one hand, was pushed towards the disorientated male.
“Here. They were about to run out so I bought one for you too, pay me back later.”
“Thanks, I guess?” JongWoon said, accepting the book with one hand while rubbing the back of his head with the other. “What class are you in?”
“3-6, same as you,” the other replied, looking down at the remaining book in his hands and flipping through it idly. “So’s KyuJong. Don’t really recognize anyone else on the list, but at least they stuck us together.”
JongWoon nodded, adjusting the backpack slung over one shoulder. “Let’s go?” He suggested, and JaeJoong nodded, closing his book with a snap and starting off down the hallway.
The Seoul All-Boy’s Night School. After just opening this year, students from various other night schools around the area transferred over. JongWoon and JaeJoong, long-time friends and neighbors, were two such students.
“I actually wasn’t planning on coming here,” JaeJoong mused, running one hand through his hair. “But the school sent a flyer to my address, and since it’s closer and the tuition’s cheaper, figured might as well give it a shot. What about you?”
“Same reasons,” JongWoon replied, nearly tripping over a raised part of the floor. “It’s closer, and cheaper, and our old school smelled like rat droppings anyways, don’t you think? They should put up warnings for that,” he continued, pointing accusingly at the raised floor.
“Only you would trip over a little bump like that,” JaeJoong retorted, walking on. “Come on; let’s get there early so we get good seats. Those who arrive late always have to sit near the teacher, and there’s no way you’re doing that again. Ms. Park was ready to strangle you that day you brought Ddangkoma to school…”
“He was sick,” JongWoon defended, frowning. “And he wouldn’t come out of his shell all day.”
“That would be because he’s a turtle, and turtles don’t really mix with classrooms.”
“I don’t get why she freaked though, it’s not as if he was biting anyone-“
BAM!
Both students jumped, eyes wide. “…What was that?” JaeJoong asked first, staring at the wall beside them.
“Sounds like someone threw something at the wall.”
“If I told you once, I told you a million times, stay out of our territory!”
JongWoon winced at the loud voice, moving to cover his ears and hitting himself with the book in his hand instead. “Ow!”
JaeJoong gave a long-suffering sigh, looking at the room number. “Oh, look. We’re in that class too.”
Rubbing his head with a wince, JongWoon lowered his hand and stared. “… You got to be kidding me.”
“Let’s see what’s going on,” JaeJoong said, walking over to the door and peeking inside. JongWoon protested faintly at the idea of going into that room (he could hear loud arguing from inside, and if they were throwing things he didn’t want to be anywhere near them), but followed anyways.
Two young men around their age stood at opposite ends of the back of the room, glaring daggers at each other. One, the one closest to the two at the door, was well tanned and muscled, with a defensive stance. It was obvious why; a chair lay beside him, the object that had crashed against the wall. The one who had thrown the chair stood at the other end of the room with a haughty expression, lips pressed together and head raised. He was stick-thin, and in designer clothing he looked the epitome of the rich brat. Seated on a desk near the front of the class, a third male watched them with interest, swinging his legs back and forth.
“I wasn’t anywhere near your territory, and neither were the others,” the muscular man stated with a forced calm in his voice. “You might want to check with your own clan before pointing fingers. What happened had nothing to do with us.”
“Bullshit and you know it,” the skinner male sneered, one hand on his hips. “Then explain how HyunJoong found one of your pups wandering around on our side of the line?”
“They have a right to go where they wish, and have sworn to not cause any trouble. This is ridiculous HeeChul.”
The young man watching them, looking vaguely Japanese, noticed the two at the door and waved at them from his perch on the desk. JaeJoong headed over to him, then went back to drag JongWoon along after his friend just continued staring at the two fighting.
“What’s going on?” he asked the Japanese-looking male, looking back at the two staring at each other.
“No idea,” the other replied, shrugging. “It’s interesting though. Did you hear the chair? That HeeChul guy’s skinny, but he’s got quite the throwing arm. I’m surprised the chair’s still intact.”
“It’s not,” spoke up the one who’d avoided the chair, glancing at them. “The back leg’s broken off. Better hope no one tries to sit on it later.”
By this point, others were gathering at the door to the classroom, watching with wide eyes. One young man sighed, slipping past the barricade of bodies and walking to the back of the class, dropping his bag beside a desk. Then he sat down and to all appearances went to sleep with his head on the desk, either oblivious to or ignoring the heated argument. A few others hesitantly make their way into the class, but most of them stayed at the door when they saw HeeChul inch towards a stack of textbooks.
“What’s going on here?”
Everyone at the door scattered for their seats, revealing an older male in a suit behind them. Frowning lightly, he stepped into the room and looked around. “I’m guessing no one heard the bell ring. Well, class has started so if you could all take your seats? Kim HeeChul, is it? Books are for reading, not for beheading.” HeeChul glared and put the textbook down. The one he’d been fighting with quietly picked up the broken chair and placed it at the back of the class, out of the way.
“My name’s YoungSaeng,” the Japanese-looking male whispered to JongWoon and JaeJoong, smiling faintly. “Nice to meet you both.” He slid into his seat, and then quickly got up again and out of the way when a redhead tried to tackle him over in an enthusiastic hug. Another man walked over with a laugh, tugging the tackler down into a seat before getting whacked off the head by said redhead.
“Alright, settle down,” called the man that must be their teacher, placing his books on the desk at the front of the class. Everyone sat down quickly, JongWoon looking around the class with interest. He didn’t recognize anyone else from their old school aside from JaeJoong and JaeJoong’s adopted brother, KyuJong; how many night schools had transferred students over here?
“This is class 3-6, so anyone in the wrong room should leave now. Originally this class was to be taught by Mr. Kwon, but family affairs have him tied up for this year. My name is Daniel Armand Lee, and I’ll be your teacher this year in his place.” He smiled at the students, looking far less intimidating than most of them imagined him being. He wasn’t that much older than them actually, probably in his early thirties.
Alright, I’ll take attendance first, so raise your hand when I call your name. Cho KyuHyun?”
A quiet man to one side of the class raised his hand, dark eyes absently focused on the teacher. Mr. Lee smiled at him, looking back down at the list. “Choi SiWon?” This time one of the more athletic-looking students answered, paying keen attention.
“Han Geng?” At the Chinese name, everyone looked around at the male in the back who’d lifted his hand. Seeing them all looking, a flush covered tanned cheeks for a moment and he busied himself with his papers.
“Heo YoungSaeng?” The Japanese-looking male who’d greeted JaeJoong and JongWoon raised his hand.
Attendance went on like this. JongWoon absently paid attention to the names being called, fixing them with faces. Jung YunHo was the one who’d been fighting with HeeChul, giving a polite smile to the teacher when his name was called. Kim HeeChul, Kim HyungJoon. Kim HyunJoong was the one at the back sleeping, and had to be woken up by the boy beside him. Kim JaeJoong. Kim JongWoon, himself. Kim JunSu, Kim KiBum, Kim KyuJong.
Kim RyeoWook, a quiet student who was nearly marked as absent because the teacher didn’t see the shyly lifted hand. Kim YoungWoon, a burly man at the front of the class whose strong built didn’t match his almost cute face. There were so many Kim’s…
Lau Henry, or Henry Lau as the teacher corrected himself when he saw the English name. The boy in question lifted his hand cautiously. Lee DongHae and Lee HyukJae, the two at the front of the class who had yet to stop whispering to themselves even when Mr. Lee gave them a pointed look to be quiet. Lee SungMin. Park JungMin, the redheaded man who’d tried to tackle YoungSaeng earlier. Park JungSu, Park YooChun. Shim ChangMin, Shin DongHee (The teacher mixed his name up with DongHae’s and DongHee said they could call him ShinDong instead).
“Zhou Mi?”
There was nothing. Everyone looked around for the owner of the last name on the list, but no hand was raised. Han Geng blinked, looking surprised for a moment.
Mr. Lee frowned down at the list for a moment, before seeming to remember something. “Ah right. Your classmate is visiting family in China at the moment, he will be returning to us in less than a month. In the meantime, everyone else is here, so let’s start with the first lesson? Lee DongHae, Lee HyukJae, I’m sure whatever you have to share can be discussed outside of class time.” The two finally shut up.
Looking around, JaeJoong wondered faintly if he was the only one who could still sense the tension in the room. HeeChul was openly glaring at YunHo, who was pointedly looking straight ahead to avoid the challenging stare. JongWoon seemed oblivious to it, but YoungSaeng was keeping an eye on the two absently. HyunJoong, whose name had been mentioned in the argument earlier, had simply fallen back to sleep, and no one bothered to wake him up this time.
YunHo’s gaze shifted to the side, and he met JaeJoong’s. JaeJoong blinked at him, then quickly turned around again. All throughout the lesson he thought he felt the man’s eyes locked on him, but he must be imagining things.
*****
Class was long, and while Mr. Lee made it more interesting than most teachers, SungMin was still glad to see it over. Well, not over completely; they had an hour break before continuing. Standing up and stretching, he watched the other students leave the class. HeeChul and HyunJoong took off right away; JungMin darted out, then darted right back in to pull YoungSaeng and HyungJoon out with him. There were a bunch of interesting personalities in this class; he absently wondered what the story was with HeeChul and YunHo.
Walking out of the class, SungMin waved absently at JunSu, shaking his head to decline the others offer to join him. “I’m going to take a look around,” he said with a grin. “This place looks pretty big.”
“Don’t get lost!” JunSu replied with a ringing laugh, and SungMin walked away, laughing quietly to himself.
The school really was big. It could have been several university campuses put together. He wondered what kind of classes it had during the day. Wandering around with his hands in his pockets, SungMin turned down whatever hallway happened to look interesting. The entire school gave off an almost eerie feeling at night, the windows dark and the lights dimmed. Some hallways weren’t even lit at all; he assumed to save energy when there were no classes going on in that section.
Looking behind him, a frown appeared on the young man’s lips. He couldn’t tell where he was anymore. Of course, he would manage to get himself lost in a school. But it really wasn’t his fault; everything looked the same at night.
Deciding if he just kept on walking he’d wander his way out sooner or later, SungMin continued down the hallways. He was in the dark section now; all he had to do was look for a brighter-lit hallway, and he should be fine.
Wait… What was that noise?
Stopping and listening, SungMin could hear the faint sound of singing echo down the hallway. It couldn’t be too far away… Maybe if he followed it, he’d find the others. Besides, whoever was singing was very good; the voice was smooth and deep, melodic to the ears.
Curiously, SungMin walked down the hallway towards the voice, turning down a different corridor. One of the classroom doors was open; the voice spilled out from inside. Creeping up carefully, SungMin peeked in, but the room was dark. He could see a figure at the back of the class, perched up on a desk, but he couldn’t see who it was.
If this person was singing all the way out over here, he probably didn’t want to be heard. So if SungMin made his presence known, the singing would most likely stop. But he wanted to know who it was…
Looking down at his hands, he frowned thoughtfully, concentrating hard. The skin in front of him flickered slightly, shifting in and out of view. Brow furrowing, SungMin focused harder, watching intently as his hands faded out of existence.
The transparency flowed up his arms and across his chest, and he grew in a shuddering breath as his entire body felt like it was ducked in ice-cold water. But it worked; when he looked down at himself, he was completely invisible, clothing and all.
He knew he’d get in tons of trouble if his parents found out he’d been using his Gift, but curiosity won out over everything.
SungMin was Gifted; he’d done research on it, and various internet groups labeled the extraordinary control over one’s body in a particular way as a Gift. Well, he preferred being called Gifted over the term ‘mutant’. His parents weren’t; neither were his siblings. It was only him, and he didn’t know anyone else with a Gift. It upset his parents, and his siblings thought of him as a freak, so he took to experimenting with it in secret. He could turn himself invisible, as well as inanimate objects he was in contact with, such as his clothing. Living creatures were much harder to turn transparent; their bodies resisted the change in their atoms. And he could only keep something invisible as long as he was in contact with it.
Slipping into the room quietly, SungMin made his way over to the corner where the male was sitting, careful not to make any audible footsteps. The clear, deep voice flowed over him, the singer’s features becoming clear as he approached.
It was one of the young men from his class… SungMin vaguely recalled the sickly-looking one at the back. KyuHyun, wasn’t it? Cho KyuHyun.
If he was sick, it didn’t show in his voice at all. The young man sang with power and conviction, voice not wavering for a second. He could do it as a profession; there was no flaw to be heard. It was inspiring, SungMin thought, listening with wide eyes.
Taking another step forward, the Gifted froze when his leg jostled a chair lightly, making it shift forward with a sudden screech.
The singing cut off as though someone had hit a mute button, KyuHyun staring at the chair right in front of him that had moved by itself. SungMin swallowed, freezing on the spot as the slightly younger male dropped off the desk, looking around.
“Is someone there?” he questioned, deep voice wary.
When KyuHyun took a step forward, SungMin backed up, pressing one hand firmly over his mouth to hush his breathing. It was a useless effort; he bumped into a desk behind him, making that move as well as he threw his arms out for balance, hands coming down on the desk to stay upright.
KyuHyun stared at the desk, eyes narrowing slightly. SungMin could almost see the gears turning in the other’s head; how could a desk and chair move on their own?
“Who is it?” KyuHyun asked again, voice going quiet, the anger at being eavesdropped upon fading from his face at the mystery in front of him. He lifted his hands carefully, stepping forward and searching the air for something he couldn’t see.
SungMin just stared in alarm, frozen at the idea he’d been caught. At the gentle brush of fingertips across his cheek though, he snapped out of it, leaning away. As KyuHyun withdrew his hand in shock at the feeling of warm flesh, SungMin pushed the desk back and out of the way as he ran out of the class.
Alerted to the Gifted’s retreat by the sound of running footsteps, KyuHyun shook his head to clear it and shouted, “Wait!” He ran after the retreating eavesdropper, following the sound of the footsteps in the otherwise quiet corridors.
SungMin ran as fast as he could, panting lightly. He couldn’t believe he’d been so stupid as to be caught. His parents had warned him what could happen if his Gift was found out… He’d be labeled as a freak, he’d be taken by the government, used for tests, experiments… Alienation, lab rat… Behind him, he heard KyuHyun’s footsteps getting closer and closer.
Rounding a corner, he yelped when a hand seized him by the back of his shirt, pulling him against the wall. Looking behind him in alarm, he saw that bookworm kid from the class holding on to him with one arm. The other hand held onto a book that he continued to read calmly. “Be quiet and don’t move,” the young man murmured, not looking up from his book. Unable to speak, SungMin just nodded his head, shocked that this man had been able to grab him while he was running by invisible.
KyuHyun ran by, pausing to look at the man reading the book, but when the other simply lifted his gaze and looked at him questioningly, the singer sighed and continued, vanishing down the hallway. Once he was gone, the hand gripping SungMin’s shirt loosened and slipped away.
SungMin looked at the other, hesitant. “Thanks, I guess…?”
“Don’t mention it.”
“How can you see me?” he questioned, shifting back to full visibility when he judged KyuHyun was far enough away by now.
The man closed his book, standing up straight. When he was at his full height, he was pretty tall, much taller than SungMin. “Because I’m like you,” he replied with a smile that caused his eyes to become mismatched in size. “Different.”
Another Gifted?
Seeing the look of utter shock on SungMin’s face, he laughed and tapped beside his eyes lightly. “I can see things. All sorts of things.”
“What kinds of things?” SungMin questioned, joy flooding through him after the initial shock. He wasn’t alone.
“Invisible people, for one,” the other replied with a chuckle. “I can see through walls… See things that are far away clearly, see in the dark… All sorts of things. I’m not quite sure myself how far the Gift goes. I was watching you and that KyuHyun. You might want to be careful around him; he’ll be keeping an eye out for you.”
SungMin nodded mutely. He definitely would be careful in the future. At the same time, he wondered if KyuHyun would return to sing again tomorrow. It was something he wouldn’t mind hearing again… If he could be less of a klutz next time.
“What’s your name?” he questioned, watching the other slid back down to sit against the wall, opening his book again.
“Shim ChangMin,” the other Gifted replied, looking up at SungMin with a smile.
“Lee SungMin,” SungMin said in return. “Do you know any others? I mean… People like us?”
ChangMin thought for a moment. “People like us? No. Not yet.”
SungMin frowned. Oh well, it had been worth a shot. Excusing himself and promising to talk to ChangMin again later, he headed off in the direction the other said would bring him back to the main halls. Walking down the slowly lightening corridors, he wondered absently at ChangMin’s almost cryptic response. There had been almost too much emphasis on those words…
*****
Bowing to the teacher as the class let out for their break, SiWon gathered his books and glanced around the room. The tension from before had finally left, though he knew it wasn’t far from their minds.
SiWon wasn’t one to skip classes, but he was seriously thinking of leaving for the rest of the night. He must be out of practice with dealing with humans; being in a room full of them tried his patience like nothing else. So he politely declined any offers to hang out and left the room, bag slung over his shoulder.
“Yah, where do you think you’re going?”
Turning around, SiWon smiled politely at the older male. “HeeChul hyung,” he said, having almost expected the other would say something to his sudden departure. “I’m just going to get some fresh air.”
“And not come back, right? I know that expression, you’re so obvious.” The other lengthened his stride to walk beside SiWon as the taller headed towards the exit.
“I might. I just need to clear my head a little.”
“And get away from the walking blood banks, right?”
“Hyung!” SiWon stared at the other, eyes wide. “Not here!”
“What? It’s true,” HeeChul said with a shrug. “Speaking of which, a little O+ might help with your complexion. Maybe.”
SiWon pressed his lips firmly together, shaking his head. “No.”
“Fuck, SiWon,” HeeChul murmured, running one hand through his hair. “You know you can’t keep on doing this. You need blood, decent human blood, not that disgusting rats blood you keep taking.” SiWon was glad they were away from the rest of the students by now, or else they would be getting quite the look right now.
“I’m doing fine,” SiWon insisted, lifting one hand to brush cold fingertips against the gold cross around his neck.
“That’s why you looked like you were going to jump the first person who so much as said hi. Don’t be a complete moron, SiWon,” HeeChul groaned when he saw the other play with the cross around his neck. What a fool. “No God is worth you going insane. Everyone knows what happens when you go vegetarian, you go fucking psycho. It’s a shock to everyone you’ve lasted this long.”
“Because He’s on my side.”
“Don’t be an idiot.” HeeChul stopped SiWon with a hand on his arm just as they were about to pass the school gates. The grip on the taller male’s arm was surprisingly strong for such a small person. The gaze that met SiWon’s was intelligent and sharp, too sharp.
“We’re Vampyres, SiWon. We aren’t going to Heaven. Now get that through your skull, and go on a decent hunt before sunrise, before I have to force blood down your throat myself.”
SiWon ducked his head slightly, not saying anything. HeeChul sighed and let him go, watching as the younger male vanished into the darkness. One hand rubbed at his temples as he turned back to the school. “Fuck… Between him and the wolf, I’ll have grey hairs before I’m 100,” he muttered, walking back to the building ahead.