Chapter Text
In his defence, Sunoo really didn’t see it coming. Yet looking back now, he really can't blame anyone but himself. There had been so many signs, just ones that were easy to ignore.
In fact, if he were to recount it, it would start as far back as two months ago. Shortly after the Harrison Vampire trials, the public perceptions began to change due to the extensive coverage of the case by the National news. Two teenage girls were bitten and bled dry by the brothers Jimmy and James Harrison until they passed out is not the prettiest of stories to stomach, least of all to an already vulnerable public perception. The sisters were taken to the ICU immediately, yet it took weeks before they stabilised. This marked the first change in general public’s perception towards vampires. It manifested in subtle ways at first, the slight scowl by the strangers walking by anyone who is overtly pale. The reduced funding for blood-bank programs. But then it hit a full force. Almost overnight, the hostility sharpened into hate, signs on storefronts banning entry to vampires, salt crushed at the thresholds of restaurants like a medieval warding ritual.
Sunoo had scoffed at the time. How silly, he can totally cross that border since touching salt has no impact on vampires. Ingesting it on the other hand will have him throwing up for days. No matter the length of time to pass, the world will still cling onto archaic myths in the same way the world clings onto the negative characterisation of vampires.
However, Sunoo considers himself lucky for being an idol made his fans see him first, not as a vampire, but as a human. As one of them. And to Sunoo whose heart is frozen cold, beating slower than humanely possible, that was the greatest compliment he could ever receive. To belong. But he forgot, the worst thing about fame is that you have no control over the attention you attract.
So when the spell hit him, he truly did not see it coming.
It was their 5th anniversary concert at Seoul. The crowd was electric, oceans of lightsticks rippling through the stadium in waves. The stage shimmered beneath them, a blaze of colour and sound. He loves this feeling, the anticipation of something great to come, the rush of the pre-performance adrenaline. Security had quietly removed a handful of anti-vampire demonstrators earlier in the day, but they hadn't been violent, just loud, and tired. Sunoo was standing backstage watching it all, his in-ears silent. The others were stretching, humming, laughing like they always did.
Then the music started, and the lights burst to life, and they ran out onto the stage. The crowd was deafening. An endless sea of fans, faces tilted up, eyes glittering. All around him, excitement pulsed like a heatwave from the stage floor. He could feel it in his bones, a feeling he hopes to never let go. Overwhelmed, all he could do is sing his heart out.
That’s when he saw her.
Mid-performance, just after the second chorus of their opening song, he glanced toward the east section of the stands. The crowd blurred in motion, a kaleidoscope of colour and light but she stood out. Her eyes were cold, clothed fully in black in an half-attempt to conceal her identity. This should have been Sunoo’s first warning bell. But he kept watching, fascinated as she thrusted her arms out, her palms lighting up orange.
What the—
“sit amor responsum.” Thud.
Sunoo heard her words before he feels the impact of them. But when he does, it knocked the breath out of him. His knees buckled, body hitting the ground as the stage lights above twisted into dizzying spirals. He groans in pain. Whatever she did, it hit him directly in the chest, pain now emanating from the centre of his core.
Somewhere beyond the haze of pain, he heard the music falter. A mic dropped. Voices explode, the crowd gasps.
Sunghoon’s face suddenly appeared above his, face twisted into an emotion he has never seen before. Fear and panic.
Sunoo feels his head grow even colder, his vision dimming. Yep he is definitely passing out.
Uh oh. This cannot be good.
—
“Oh ohhhh I think sleeping beauty is coming around.”
There’s a snort of laughter. “thank god i did not want to go to hospital you know their blood bank section—“
“Ni-Ki” someone says warningly.
Sunoo stirs at the noises, a low sound caught in his throat. The pain has subdued into something duller, thank the lord.
“You coming around?”
This voice more gentle than others, Sunoo knows it like the back of his hand.
He clears his throat, feeling drier than usual.
“Yeah Wonie, give me a sec.”
The light above him too bright when he finally opens his eyes, his head starts to throb with pain.
“What…?” he rasps, not fully opening his eyes. “What time is it?”
“It’s tomorrow,” another voice says, from somewhere to his right. “Or is it still today. But definitely not yesterday.”
“That’s not helpful,” Jungwon mutters before adding, “It’s 12:03……. AM.”
12:03 AM?
Sunoo’s breath snags. He’s been out that long?
The shock finally forces his eyes open. And for a moment, the scene in front of him looks so surreal that Sunoo would end up laughing at the comical nature of it later.
He is lying down on their backstage couch, blankets tucking him in. But above him looms all his members restlessly like vultures.
Jake stood near the center, looking the most composed, second only to Jungwon, of course, who never falters under pressure. That steadiness they hold was almost unnerving. Especially in comparison to the other members. Ni-ki is to his right, had a crooked smile that didn’t quite reach his eyes, acting like he doesn’t care about the situation but the wringing of his hands behind his back gives away the fact that he is scared. Terrified even. Sunoo can’t remember the last time he had seen Ni-Ki this fearful. Jay’s fear was much more evident. Clear indication of the stress he had been in the past few hours starting to show in the slump of his shoulders, the tightness of his posture, the constant tremble in his fingers that he tries his best to still.
Sunghoon, looks shell shocked. His face looking even paler than normal, like the colour had drained from him completely. His hair was an unassuming mess—flattened in some places, sticking up in others—and Sunoo knew exactly what that meant. Sunghoon only pulled on his hair when he was overwhelmed, when things spiralled beyond his control and he didn’t know how to ground himself.
Feeling the weight of Sunoo’s gaze, Sunghoon looked up. His face contorts into worry, dark eyes examining Sunoo for any indication of lingering pain, confusion or anything that might tell him how bad it really is.
And for the first time since opening his eyes, Sunoo felt the full weight of it all:
They really thought I wasn’t going to make it.
Sunoo is touched by all the concern. No really he is, but he is also a vampire. His world could catch on fire and he would still be alright.
“Why do you guys look like you saw someone die?” Sunoo remarks, desperate to break the emotional strain in the room.
Ni-ki huffed, eyes rolling as he crossed his arms tightly across his chest. “Maybe because we did, idiot,”
Sunghoon, standing closest to Sunoo, scoffed at his attempt at humour, shaking his head with a tired sigh. The sound was full of frustration, but it didn’t fully mask the underlying concern. He ran a hand through his disheveled hair, his fingers pausing for a moment as if to gather himself. “You scared the hell out of us, Sunoo,” he said, his voice softer now but still carrying that deep strain.
Sunoo winced slightly, his own attempt at lightening the mood falling flat. But still, he pushed on, trying to regain a false sense of control. “Did you all forget I’m a vampire? I could have literal bullets shot into me and I’d still survive.” He smirked, but it felt weak.
Jay, who had been leaning against the wall, pushed himself off with a tired groan. He shoved his hands into his pockets defensively.
“Yeah, but if that was the case,” he began, his voice low, a little dry with exhaustion, “you’d’ve hunched over in pain at worst. But this time… you blacked out, Sunoo. I mean have you ever seen a vampire black out before !?”
Sunoo swallowed hard, the realisation slowly sinking in. Jay was right. He had never heard of a vampire blacking out before. The worst that ever happened was fainting from pain, and even that was rare. Vampires were practically designed for endurance; their hearts beat so slowly, a lack of blood to the brain was never an issue. In fact, that’s why they were often targeted by the military. Vampires were considered living machines. Rather ironic if you ask Sunoo.
Sunoo has no answer to Jay’s question, after all what could Sunoo possibly say to that.
“It was a spell wasn’t it.” Jake spoke up, the first word Sunoo has heard him utter all day.
“Hmm?” Sunoo asks, his mind still hazy from the events of tonight to be following any train of logic.
“I saw the way your energy shifted when you hit the stage,” He continued, voice low. His eyes avoided Sunoo’s, but there was no mistaking the concern that laced his tone. “You’ve been cursed, Sunoo.”
Sunoo winced. The memory came back to him in flashes, orange light, her chanting, the crushing weight in his chest. And for the second time today in under a minute, Sunoo had no answer, stunned by the truth. God, the sudden absence of sound in the room was suffocating him.
Jay suddenly clicked his tongue, as if having made up his mind on something. He moved forward, and knelt before the couch Sunoo was resting on and placed a tender hand on Sunoo’s wrist before speaking.
“I think it is a good idea if we go to the hospital.”
His expression was solemn, and Sunoo felt the authority he is exerting on him. It was worded as a suggestion but his tone made it a demand. Times like these Sunoo is sharply reminded of why Jay truly is their eldest. You might not see it when he is messing around with the younger members, joking with them, teasing them, or even standing back and letting others take charge. But when the stakes were real, when things get serious, Jay's experience came to the forefront. Quiet sure, but undeniable. He stands like the glue that holds them together.
But the last thing Sunoo wanted was to head to the hospital. Going to the hospital would mean the media will know. The media knowing means they will make this a bigger issue than it truly is.
“No Absolutely not.”
His answer came out sharper than he intended, and he winced again at the way it sounded.
“I feel fine. I mean I am fine. I think I was just tired before which is why I blacked out.” He lies easily, “If I need help I promise I will go, but there is no point now when I literally feel better than I did yesterday.”
Silence, is all that answered Sunoo. He counted 24 collective heart beats before Jungwon stood up from where he was crouching.
“Look, it’s too late to do anything now,” he said, his voice calm but resolute. “If Sunoo hyung says he’s fine, I trust him. He knows his limits better than anyone.” His gaze swept the room, eyes hardening as if daring anyone to disagree. "Let’s just back off, okay?"
No one looked convinced, but it is a bit hard to argue back when the leader has made up his mind.
“Okay then, let’s go.”
—
Their ride back to the dorms was uneventful.
Thankfully, there was no press around to disturb them due how late it was. The time is now 2:17 AM and an hour has passed since they officially arrived home. The members’ exhaustion finally surfaced as the minute they arrived, everyone bid their quick goodnights and headed to bed.
But Sunoo was still awake. Sitting in the corner of his bed, laptop open in front of him, he stared blankly at the screen, the soft glow illuminating his face in the dark room. He knows he should go to bed like the others, but the events of the day replayed over and over in his head, gnawing at him relentlessly, refusing to let him rest. He just needs to know what could that curse mean?? If it even is a curse…
More importantly what does it do??
Google however is, as Sunoo is soon finding out, useless at answering these questions.
Multiple searches of curses witches vampires only brought up recountings of the centuries-old war between vampires and witches. Old newspaper clippings, ancient history essays, speculative blogs. All theory, no real accounts. No proof of modern curses—let alone recent cases like his. Nothing about what could knock a vampire out cold in the middle of a stage.
He sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. Maybe if he could figure out who she was-- maybe if he could track her down he’d get answers.
If only he could remember what the words she uttered were… maybe it might have been a clue??
But before his thoughts could spiral further, something outside his door caught his attention.
A heartbeat.
Sunoo froze, ears sharpening. One of the perks—or curses—of being a vampire: he could hear heartbeats from rooms away if he focused. And this one was approaching quietly, cautiously.
He slammed his laptop shut on instinct, the sound muffled by his blanket. No one could see what he was looking up. He couldn’t let them know he was still thinking about it. Worry was contagious. And if they caught wind of his doubt, it would only create more problems—for them and for him.
Whoever it was paused just outside his door. Then click. The door creaked open just a crack, pale coloured hair spilled over the frame of the door. It was Ni-Ki of course, who else would be awake at this hour?
“Hyung?”
Sunoo’s heart tugged at the sight of the youngest peeking in.
“Hey,” he said gently, “just couldn’t fall asleep. What’s up?”
Ni-Ki lingered in the doorway for a second longer, like he was debating internally on something.
“I just wanted to check whether…” he started, voice barely above a whisper, but then trailed off. His eyes dropped to the floor. Emotion wasn’t his strong suit but Sunoo knew that. Understood it well even.
Instead of finishing his sentence, Ni-Ki shifted gears completely, swinging the door open the rest of the way.
“Can I sleep in your bed tonight?”
It was Ni-Ki’s own quiet way of showing his affections for his hyungs. Normally, Sunoo would’ve scolded him. It’s too late. I’m tired. Something responsible blah blah blah. But tonight was different. Today’s events were different. Sunoo didn’t have it in him to turn him away.
“Okay,” Sunoo said, leaning back against his pillows, placing his laptop on the floor. “Turn off the lights and come over.”
And when he feels the bed dip beside him, even just for a moment, the weight on his mind begins to lift, eased by the quiet comfort of his members’ love.