Archive of Our Own

Changgu had been a vampire for three months when Hongseok took him to a nightclub for the first time on Sunday.

The agenda was simple: find someone—ideally drunk—and seduce and suck their blood. Changgu understood that he couldn’t depend on Hongseok’s blood or blood bags for the rest of his life, but he’d never set foot inside a club before when he’d still been human, and now he was being forced to wander through the dancefloor alone while Hongseok observed him from the side.

The music was loud, the lights were bright, and no matter where Changgu moved, he was always smelling somebody’s perfume. The leather jacket he was wearing was zipped up to his Adam’s apple, and even though he could feel sweat clinging to his back, he didn’t want to open it. The jacket was the result of a compromise; if Hongseok was adamant that Changgu had to wear a metallic crop top, then Changgu insisted on something to cover himself up.

He weaved his way through, but he didn’t pay any attention to anybody’s faces. Why couldn’t they have started at the bar? That way, Changgu could have at least spotted who was drunk enough for him to approach with some confidence. He craned his neck to find Hongseok, but his companion was nowhere to be seen. Changgu’s eyes widened as he turned on the spot, trying to work out where the hell the other vampire had disappeared to—and then his elbow knocked into somebody’s arm—

“Sorry—” said Changgu, and then he saw the stranger he just hit.

Three things struck Changgu straightaway; one, the stranger was sober; two, he smelt like strawberries; and three, he was stunning. He was only just taller than Changgu, but his body was slender, and his wide shoulders seemed even wider thanks to the green leopard print blazer he was wearing. He had upturned eyes that sparkled, a long, straight nose, and his top lip looked thin compared to the plumpness of his bottom lip.

“Are you okay?” said the stranger. Changgu almost gawped. He hadn’t expected to hear such a soft voice, or a lisp.

“I—I’m fine,” said Changgu. He knew what he should be doing now; he should bow politely, say something about having taken up too much of his time, and walk off and find someone who was drunk. Instead, Changgu remained standing on his spot as he said, “Are you okay? I ran into you.”

“Don’t worry about me, I’m as strong as an ox.” The stranger pressed his arms against his body and squeezed like he was trying to flex his muscles, even though Changgu could tell that he didn’t have any. “Anyway, I’m Ko Shinwon. What’s your name?”

“I’m Yeo One,” said Changgu. It wasn’t illegal for vampires to suck a stranger’s blood in public, but there had been a recent surge in cases of vampires taking blood and leaving their victims bleeding, and humans were on edge. Coupled with Changgu’s inexperience, Hongseok had advised him to give out a fake name to avoid any trouble later.

Shinwon raised his eyebrows. “Yeo One?” he repeated. “Is that One as in ‘won’?”

Changgu nodded and said, “I’m actually called Yeo … Won … Cheol…? Yeah, that’s my full name, but … I don’t really like the ‘cheol’ bit, so … I like to shorten it.”

“Yeo One suits you really well.” Shinwon smiled, and his cheekbones rose.

Changgu had no idea how he managed to avoid swooning right there. The only thing he was certain of was that he wanted to bite Shinwon. He licked his front teeth as he imagined the taller man in his arms, gasping and clinging on as his fangs pierced his neck.

“Are you on your own?” said Shinwon. Changgu swore that he’d taken a step closer to him.

“No, I’m with a friend,” said Changgu. “I just don’t know where he’s gone. What about you?”

“Same, I came with a few friends. They were getting very boring though, and I’m so glad I decided to get away from them.” Shinwon winked. At the same time, Changgu caught another whiff of his cologne once again, and this time, it was a cross between strawberries and apples.

“I like your cologne.” Changgu figured he might as well address the subject. “It smells nice. What brand is it?”

“I didn’t know my body wash was that potent,” said Shinwon, now smiling a little. “I use Dove, by the way.”

Changgu shook his head. “I can smell something fruity.”

“It’s definitely not me.” Shinwon brushed his fringe back and dabbed the back of his hand on his forehead. “Aren’t you hot, Yeo One? I’m boiling, and I haven’t done up my jacket.”

“I am, a bit.” Changgu tugged at the zipper. He figured that there was no harm in opening his jacket a little, since his only objection was that his belly was on show; if he pulled the zip down to his chest, it would just look like he was wearing a regular top. Changgu started to pull, but the moment he noticed how Shinwon’s stare was following his zip, he didn’t want to stop. He kept pulling until he felt a draft of cool air hit his belly, and his jacket split open.

“I … I don’t usually wear stuff like this,” said Changgu. He could feel himself blushing hard as Shinwon continued to stare at his abs. “My friend said I had to, and … and I said I wouldn’t do it unless I got to wear this jacket—”

“Nice top.” Shinwon clearly wasn’t listening. He seemed to be too busy appreciating Changgu; and for the first time that evening, Changgu started to feel a little bit grateful that Hongseok had picked the crop top in the first place. “Nice … nice, er, nice … do you work out?”

“A little bit.” Changgu did use to go to the gym several times a week, after all, when he was still human.

“You’ve got something on your shoulder, by the way.”

“Do I?” Changgu’s eyes widened as Shinwon marched right up to him, and put a hand on his shoulder. His fingers slipped under Changgu’s jacket, and he used his thumb to brush his shirt.

Shinwon’s mouth looked so kissable up close; and Changgu realised that all he had to do at this point was lean forward on his toes, just a little, and their lips would touch. Before he could proceed with the thought, he gasped slightly when he felt Shinwon’s thumb brush the bottom of his Adam’s apple, and then his hand was snaking further back to the side of his neck, where he had stuck the plaster over his bite marks—

“Did you hurt your neck?” said Shinwon. He sounded concerned.

“It isn’t anything serious.” Changgu gripped Shinwon’s wrist, and dragged his hand back down to his shoulder again. “It’s just a cut.”

“My friends can heal it for you.”

Changgu shook his head. “Thank you, but it’s really not—”

“Some scars can be really hard to heal.” Shinwon freed his hand, and hooked his arm around Changgu’s shoulders to pull him in.

Changgu had to tilt his head to avoid bumping their faces together, and he ended up kissing the side of Shinwon’s neck. He was about to push himself off when he realised his top lip was touching a vein, and he could feel Shinwon’s rather fast pulse. He opened his mouth a little as his instincts took over, and his canines lengthened into fangs, and he prodded Shinwon’s skin with the tip of his tongue. He could smell and taste strawberries again.

It didn’t matter that he hadn’t really seduced Shinwon, apart from flash his abs at him. He liked how easy it had been. Shinwon had made all the effort to move in closer, and he didn’t react at all to the sensation of Changgu’s lips on his skin. It was like he wanted Changgu to sink his fangs into him—wait a second—the whole point of picking on someone drunk was so that they wouldn’t freak out as much, and Changgu would have an easier time learning. Shinwon was sober, so why wasn’t he putting up any resistance at all—?

Changgu felt Shinwon bend his elbow in order to clasp his hand over the back of Changgu’s head. At the same time, something solid poked Changgu’s hips, just above his crotch—and like that, Changgu’s thoughts came crashing back down to reality. He snapped his mouth shut. Fuck, was that a boner? Surely, surely, Shinwon didn’t have a vampire fetish, right? Hongseok had warned him about this; they were one of two types of humans that vampires should never, ever attract. There were stories of vampires who ended up with stalkers or, in rarer cases, were kidnapped and forced into starvation, or even worse.

“I wouldn’t bite anyone tonight, if I were you,” said Shinwon, straight into Changgu’s ear. Changgu shuddered at his low voice. “There are too many wizards around.”

Changgu’s arms trembled as he gripped Shinwon’s shoulders. He lifted up his head and pulled back far enough to glance down at whatever it was that was still prodding him. As it turned out, Shinwon was holding up a thin, wooden stick with a small turquoise stone embedded in the tip—and Changgu felt whatever colour was left in his face drain away. The fourth thing he knew about Shinwon was that he was a wizard. Hongseok had warned Changgu that he shouldn’t bite witches and wizards, because there was a high probability that the magic in their blood would kill him. Besides, wizards still hunted down vampires until today, and each murder was still a newsworthy story.

Shinwon glanced over his own shoulder. Changgu tried to take a step back, but Shinwon pulled him close again. This time, Changgu could feel the entire length of the wand pressed up against him, and he screwed his eyes shut as he grimaced. Never before had he so desperately wished that he was dealing with an erection, because that would at least be more easily solved. All Shinwon had to do was cast just one spell, and Changgu wouldn’t have enough time to react.

“My hyung’s coming,” said Shinwon. “I’m going to cover for you, okay?”

“Okay,” Changgu somehow managed to utter. He gasped as Shinwon rested his head on his shoulder, and his arms around him tightened.

“Shinwon,” came a stern voice. “What are you doing?”

Standing behind Shinwon was, presumably, another wizard. The man was shorter than them both by at least half a foot, but his presence made Changgu feel like he was facing his boss at work. Shinwon straightened up again, and let go of Changgu completely as he turned to face his friend.

“Jinho hyung,” said Shinwon, grinning. “I was just making a new friend.”

Jinho rolled his eyes. “Shinwon, you know what you have to do.”

Changgu made eye contact with Jinho, and more sweat roll down the back of his neck. He pursed his lips in an attempt to avoid saying anything, especially when he saw Jinho looking at the plaster with a light frown on his face.

“I know,” said Shinwon. “Let me say goodbye to Yeo One first.”

Jinho’s frown deepened as he turned back to Changgu. “Yeo One?” he repeated.

Changgu bowed, partly because he didn’t want to offend Jinho in any way, and also because he had momentarily forgotten his fake name.

“I’m actually called Yeo Woncheol,” he said, when he straightened up again, “but I was saying to Shinwon earlier that I don’t really like the ‘cheol’ part, so I go by Yeo One now.” He put his hands behind his back when he realised that he was clenching his fists.

Shinwon waved his wand, and a piece of folded paper appeared in his other hand.

“Sorry,” said Shinwon, “looks like I’ve got to go. Call me when you get home.” He reached over to grab Changgu’s arm out from behind, and forced his fist open to put the paper in his hand. With a wink, he turned around and then followed Jinho through the crowd.

Changgu breathed out the moment that the wizards disappeared from view. He stowed the paper away into a pocket on his jacket, and then he remembered that his body was exposed. He was about to zip up his jacket again when he heard Hongseok calling for him, and he looked over to his left. Hongseok gripped his wrist the moment he was close enough.

“We need to leave,” he said. “There’s, like, four or five wizards patrolling the place.”

Changgu nodded, and he let Hongseok lead him out of the club. He never mentioned Shinwon to him. If Shinwon had protected him from Jinho, then he felt that it was only right to protect him from Hongseok in turn.

It was just after one in the morning when they returned to their flat. The first thing Changgu did was to enter the kitchen, where he opened the fridge and pulled out a blood bag from the bottom shelf. As he shut the door, he sighed and wrinkled his nose when a waft of copper hit his nostrils.

“Let’s just get this over with,” he said to Hongseok, who was standing by the door. He barred his teeth, and let his canines extend into fangs before puncturing the bag.

The blood seeped out, but Changgu frowned and screwed his eyes shut with every drop he drank. All blood tasted like copper, even Hongseok’s, and he had really come to resent that his tastebuds worked in death. Hongseok always ate like he was feasting on a homecooked meal, but Changgu figured that being a vampire for over sixty years had played a big part in desensitising him.

Changgu threw the empty bag into the bin, and he headed to the living room to grab a box of tissues. He could feel some blood on the corner of his mouth, but he would rather wipe it off than swallow another drop. His whole mouth tasted of metal, and it was going to take at least an hour before his tastebuds returned to normal. He kept his back to Hongseok as he dabbed his lips with a tissue.

“Changgu-ya,” he heard Hongseok call, “you shouldn’t waste blood like that.”

Changgu rolled his eyes. “It’s just one drop, hyung,” he said. “I’ll survive.”

He jumped when he felt Hongseok put his hands on his shoulders, and he turned around.

“I know it’s not the most delicious thing in the world,” said Hongseok. “You’ll get used to it. We were adaptable as humans, and that doesn’t change just because we’re vampires now.”

Changgu sighed. “I don’t think I ever will,” he said.

“Hey.” Hongseok took his left hand off Changgu’s shoulder to wag his finger at him. “What do I always tell you?”

“No negativity.” Changgu didn’t even need to think about the answer. He knew that Hongseok meant well—over the years, he’d seen newly-turned vampires depress themselves into a dark, pitiful state because their outlook was too pessimistic—but Changgu was allowed to hate one thing, wasn’t he? Besides, how was he meant to find a positive with his food? If he didn’t feed on blood, he’d die from starvation. It was simple as that.

Hongseok patted Changgu on the shoulder before he let go of him completely.

“I think things should calm down in a couple of days,” he said. “We should try again when it’s clear.”

“What if the wizards don’t go away?” said Changgu. “Everyone’s really scared.”

“They should do. We’re in Seoul. Most of the cases are happening in Gwangju and South Jeolla, for goodness sake.”

“We don’t have to go back that fast. It’s not like it’s the end of the world if I don’t know how to drink blood from someone else.”

“You need to practice.”

“I know, but it’s not something worth dying over. Anyway, we don’t have to go to a club. We can always try it at a pub.”

Hongseok shook his head. “There’s going to be wizards wherever we go.” He put his hands on his hips. “We’ll have to lie low for now.”

Changgu just nodded as he glanced further down the flat, where his bedroom was located opposite Hongseok’s. He remembered the paper in his pocket, but he couldn’t show it to Hongseok. For a start, he didn’t even know what had happened on the dancefloor, and Changgu had no idea how was he going to react once he learned that Shinwon was a wizard.

“I’m going to take this off,” said Changgu, as he pinched the collar of his jacket. He turned back to his flatmate. “I’m getting hot.”

“Okay,” said Hongseok. “How come it’s open, by the way? I thought you hated the top?”

Changgu hesitated. “Like I said, I got really hot.”

When Changgu returned to his room, he dumped his jacket onto his bed, and then sat down. He pulled the paper out of his pocket and unfolded it. At first, it was blank; and then, numbers appeared in big, scrawling handwriting, before it was finished off with a ㅎㅁㅎ face.

Changgu counted the digits. Shinwon had given him a full, correct mobile number. His first thought was that Shinwon had written down a commercial number, but nothing came up after he ran a quick Naver search. He wondered if it was Jinho’s number, but it seemed unlikely; if Shinwon had wanted to expose him, he would have done it back in the club.

Shinwon never texted back that evening. When Changgu checked his phone one last time before settling down to sleep, he tried to avoid feeling too disappointed. It was five past six in the morning. If Shinwon was awake, he was most likely getting ready for work.

Changgu may be a vampire now, but that didn’t mean he was exempt from paying rent and taxes. One of the first things he’d done as a vampire was secure a part time job at a nearby convenience store, where he worked the night shifts from eight until four. He’d wanted to work full time, but Hongseok had advised him to take fewer shifts for now, since he still had to adjust to being a vampire; and so Changgu settled into the routine of working every Monday/Tuesday, Tuesday/Wednesday, and Wednesday/Thursday night time.

Their home was a flat that Hongseok had purchased five years ago, located in a corner of Seoul that only magical beings occupied. Each block in the area left several flats vacant for ghosts, spirits, and the occasional passing fairy to take shelter in. Vampires worked the night shifts for all the convenience stores, clubs, and karaoke rooms. Each month, a week before the full moon, signs were affixed onto lampposts to warn non-magical humans to stay away from the area. It was an unspoken rule that you did not pet any dogs you didn’t own in the area, no matter how cute they looked, unless you wanted to have your arm amputated quickly. A handful of humans did live there, but they were all witches and wizards.

The first half of Changgu’s shift passed. He saw the regulars, helped several customers with the microwave, and someone asked him when were they going to restock a brand of instant noodles that they had stopped selling for well over a year now, according to the manager. When there was nobody in the store, Changgu wandered down the aisles to re-organise the shelves. He was putting all the boxes of Pepero back in their correct place when he caught a strong smell of pomegranate, followed by—

“Yeo One?” he heard a familiar voice ask.

Changgu’s mouth fell open as he saw Shinwon standing in front of him. Today, he was wearing a worn-out red tracksuit underneath a grey cloak, but it somehow made him seem even more attractive compared to last night, even though the whites of his eyes were looking a little pink. Pinched in the corner of his mouth was a disposable straw, with a Tipco orange juice carton attached on the end.

“Shinwon,” said Changgu. “What are you doing here?”

“You work here?” said Shinwon at the same time. He pointed at Changgu’s uniform, which was a red polo shirt with the company name printed on the back.

“I work part time,” said Changgu. “I’ve got to pay the bills somehow.”

“Oh, right.” Shinwon nodded. “Nice arms, by the way.”

Changgu blushed, and then glanced down at Shinwon’s basket. All he had inside so far were two pots of instant noodles, a big carton of Tipco orange juice, and a packet of biscuits.

“I got your text,” said Shinwon. “Sorry I didn’t answer back, I’ve been busy with work. I must say, it was a nice surprise. I didn’t think you’d want to get in touch.”

“I didn’t think you’d give me your actual number.”

“I couldn’t resist.”

Changgu looked up to see Shinwon smiling at him. His shoulders tensed up. None of this felt right; at the end of the day, Shinwon was a human, and he was perfect prey for a vampire.

“Aren’t you scared of me?” said Changgu.

Shinwon frowned. “No. You’re not scary at all.”

“I’m a vampire, and you’re a wizard.”

“So?” Shinwon shrugged. “You were minding your business yesterday. It wasn’t like you were feasting off every human you saw.”

“What if Jinho had found out I was a vampire? I don’t think he would have spared me.”

Shinwon chuckled. “Stop worrying, Yeo One. I would have stopped him.”

“Really?” said Changgu, as he frowned. Jinho really didn’t looked like somebody who would take no for an answer.

“He only turns into old grumpyboots when he’s at work. I promise you, he’s not that scary.” Shinwon leaned in like he was worried about being overheard, even though he was the only customer in the aisle. “I’ve got an excellent video of him going through a haunted house. Between you and me, it’s one of the main reasons why I’ve still got my job.”

Shinwon smiled, and Changgu felt his body relax. He’d only known Shinwon for one day, but he seemed genuine, and there was something soothing about his presence as well.

Changgu glanced over his shoulder, and he spotted two women walking up to the till. Now that he remembered he was meant to be working, he turned back to Shinwon and asked him, “Can I help you with anything, by the way?”

“I would like some Pepero,” said Shinwon.

Changgu gestured at the shelf as he backed away. “It’s all yours,” he said, and then he returned to the till.

Shinwon came over to the till the moment it was free. He set his basket down on the counter first, and picked up the box of almond Pepero to hand over to Changgu.

“Did you used to like Pepero?” said Shinwon.

“I’d buy a pack every now and then.” Changgu lifted up the juice out of the basket, and he grinned. “What do you like more, Pepero or Tipco?”

Shinwon clasped his hand over his chest as his eyes widened out of mock horror.

“Yeo One, how can you ask me such a question?” Shinwon’s lips twitched into a smile as he spoke. “Well, Tipco’s tasty, but who can resist Pepero?”

“Me,” said Changgu, deadpan.

“I bet you wouldn’t say that if they made a seonji version.”

Changgu frowned. “That would be the most disgusting thing in the world.” Not to mention how metallic the whole thing would taste; it would be enough to put him off eating forever, full stop.

“You’re right, let’s not write to Lotte about that.” Shinwon took a sip of his drink. Changgu could see dark liquid flowing through the straw. Wait, wasn’t orange juice supposed to be light coloured?

“Is that nice?” said Changgu, and he nodded at the carton. He didn’t look down as he picked up the biscuits.

“Couldn’t taste better.” Shinwon gave a quick thumbs up. “It really helps beat the blues at, er, is it one in the morning now?”

“I think it is.” Changgu fished out the noodles. He glanced at the brand printed on the lid, and then shook one of the pots slightly as he looked at Shinwon. “Do you want to buy another one of these? There’s a three-for-two offer on them this week.”

“Is there?” said Shinwon. “Let me have a look.”

Changgu stacked the noodles together while Shinwon went to check the aisle. The offer was being promoted by an oversized yellow and red shelf tag; and if last night was anything to go by, Shinwon didn’t seem like the type to overlook any detail, no matter how small. Changgu pinned it down then on Shinwon being much more tired than he appeared.

“Thank you,” said Shinwon, when he came back with a third pot in his hands. “I don’t know how I managed to miss that.”

“You should really get some sleep,” said Changgu, as he scanned one of the noodle barcodes three times. He glanced at his screen. “That will be 7,200 won.”

“I know. I’m going home after this.” Shinwon reached into his cloak to pull out his phone.

“Do you live nearby?”

Shinwon used one hand to hover his phone over the card reader, and he pointed out the shop window with his other arm.

“I’m just down the road from here,” he said, over the beep of the card machine. He looked up as he stowed his phone away. “So, are you working here tomorrow?”

“Yeah, I’m here tomorrow.”

Shinwon nodded. “Did you say the three-for-two offer is on all week?”

“It is,” said Changgu. He narrowed his eyes a little. Was Shinwon going to come back tomorrow to buy some more noodles?

“Great.” Shinwon smiled as he picked up his shopping. “I’ll see you tomorrow, Yeo One.”

Changgu just watched as Shinwon left the store. In his wake was the heavy scent of banana.

Shinwon did turn up the following evening, just before midnight. He was wearing the same cloak and tracksuit from yesterday, he was drinking from the same carton, and his eyes were just as bloodshot. Changgu momentarily thought that he’d gone back in time somehow, until he looked into Shinwon’s basket and saw only three pots of noodles, and a 1.5 litre bottle of Coca Cola.

“I thought you were joking,” said Changgu, as he scanned the bottle first. “I didn’t think you’d come in today.”

“How can I stay away from the cutest vampire in the neighbourhood?” said Shinwon.

Changgu looked down to scan the noodles, in an attempt to hide his blushes. He recognised the werewolf standing in the queue behind Shinwon—he always came in on a Wednesday to buy two cans of maekju—and the last thing Changgu wanted was a regular customer witnessing what was happening.

“Anyway, Shinwon-nim, that is 6,600 won in total.” Changgu made sure to use the formal tense, as a reminder of where they were.

Shinwon didn’t seem to notice anything as he swiped his phone over the card reader. “What time do you finish work, by the way?” he said.

“I’m here until four in the morning.”

“Okay. I don’t finish ‘til late tomorrow myself, so I’ll see you a little later than usual.” Shinwon flashed a smile as he picked up his shopping; and somehow, the till area seemed to smell of tangerines long after he had left.

Even though Changgu knew that Shinwon was going to be late the next day, he still felt a little disappointed every time he looked at the door and saw other customers walk in. The disappointment soon turned into worry when, at three forty-five, Shinwon still hadn’t showed up. Changgu’s worry manifested in two different ways; he was concerned that something had happened to Shinwon at work; and that Shinwon had already grown weary of him. If he was tired, though, then why would he still call Changgu cute? He wouldn’t have been so talkative either, or let Changgu know that he was finishing late.

Changgu’s mind was only put at ease five minutes later, when he heard the door slide open and the whole store was filled up with a familiar smell of strawberries. He was in the second aisle, with a cardboard box by his feet and a stack of five noodles in his hands. Unable to resist, he yelled out, “Shinwon-nim?” A shuffling of feet followed, and then Shinwon appeared. He looked like he could barely keep his eyes open.

“Am I just in time?” Shinwon’s voice was faint. “I think I am? Sorry, numbers have gone all funny on me.” He drank from his Tipco, and so much liquid flowed through the straw that Changgu began to suspect the carton wasn’t as shallow as it appeared to be.

“You should go home,” said Changgu. “I’m worried you’re going to pass out.”

“Don’t worry about me. This’ll keep me going.” Shinwon tapped the side of the carton, and then held out his hands. “Could you give me three of those noodles?”

“Seriously? It’s nearly the end of my shift. You don’t have to buy anything.”

Shinwon’s lips twitched, like he was trying to smile. “I want to,” he said. Changgu vaguely registered the sound of the door open. “It’s a good offer.”

Changgu sighed. If Shinwon was persisting, then it would be quicker to get him through checkout and send him on his way rather than argue any further.

“Did you want anything else?” said Changgu, as he handed them over. “My shift’s going to end in a couple of minutes.”

“It depends. Have you got any good offers to recommend?”

“There’s some doughnuts.” Changgu put down the other two pots, and then started to walk to the till. Shinwon followed him. “They’re 25% off, but that’s because they’ve been in the store all day. The guys in the morning are going to throw them out.”

“I’ll give it a pass.”

Changgu reached the end of the aisle first, and he started when he saw Hongseok waiting by the till. Since when did his housemate enter the store? At least he was buying just two bottles of hand gel.

“I came in a minute ago, Changgu,” said Hongseok, as Changgu scanned the barcode twice. “I saw you were with a customer, so I didn’t want to bother you.”

Hongseok put the hand gels into his bag, but he remained standing close to the till after he’d paid. He was clearly waiting for Changgu to finish his shift. As Shinwon stepped up, Changgu wondered why the wizard was frowning at him. He pursed his lips when he realised the problem; Shinwon might be tired as hell, but it was obvious that he had heard Hongseok properly.

“What did he just call you?” said Shinwon. He sounded more amused than offended.

“I’ll tell you later,” said Changgu, and he picked up the noodles. Shinwon asked him if he was working tomorrow. “No, I’m done for the week. I’m only part time here.”

Shinwon reached for his phone. “In that case, I’ve got an early finish tomorrow, to make up for today. Do you fancy meeting me for a coffee?”

Changgu’s first reaction was to glance at Hongseok. The latter was looking at his phone, but his thumbs were hovering over the screen. He was listening.

“Sorry, that was a slip of the tongue,” said Shinwon. “You can’t drink coffee, can you?”

“It doesn’t matter,” said Changgu. He spoke a little quieter, even though he knew that Hongseok was standing too close to them. “I’d love to meet you later. That’s 3,200 won, by the way.”

“It doesn’t have to be coffee. We can go somewhere else.”

“I really don’t mind it. At least we’re meeting somewhere that smells nice.”

“Well, if you’re sure…” Shinwon trailed off as he tapped his phone on the card reader. “I’ll text you the details later.”

Changgu smiled as he handed over the noodles. “Any time after seven is fine with me.”

Shinwon had barely left the store when Wooseok walked in to take over for the morning shift, and Changgu was free to return home at last. He only took one step out of the store when Hongseok slung an arm around his shoulders and grinned.

“Who was that, and why was he meeting you for coffee?” said Hongseok.

Changgu blushed. “That was Shinwon,” he said. “He just … came into the store a couple of days ago, and we … we kind of hit it off.”

Hongseok wrinkled his nose. “Are you sure you want to meet him? I’m pretty certain he’s a wizard.”

Changgu forced a laugh. “A wizard? What makes you say that?”

“He was wearing a cloak—”

“Normal humans wear them too.”

“—and he was drinking from a carton that was floating.”

“Maybe someone made it for him.”

“Also, nobody non-magical wanders around here at four in the morning.” Hongseok pointed to a lamppost across the street, where there was a piece of neon-coloured paper tied to it. “Especially since it’s going to be the full moon on Saturday.”

Changgu wriggled himself free. “Even if Shinwon is a wizard, it doesn’t mean he goes around killing vampires. Besidess, we’re only going for a coffee. He’s not going to hurt me in front of other people.”

“If you’re going to meet him, drink some blood before you go.” Hongseok crossed his arms. “I don’t want you getting hungry while you’re with him.”

“I know, I will.” Just thinking about Shinwon reminded Changgu of that sweet, sugary smell that followed him everywhere. “What cologne do you think he uses?”

“What?”

“The whole store smelt of strawberries when he walked in. He said it’s his bodywash, but I don’t think that’s true.”

Hongseok shook his head. “It must have worn off when I came in. I couldn’t smell anything.”

Changgu frowned, but decided to stay silent. Hongseok wouldn’t lie to him about something that trivial, but it still didn’t make sense. How come he was the only person who could smell it?

Shinwon was already at the café when Changgu arrived at ten past nine. He knew because he’d spotted the wizard sat by the window when he’d walked past—but what he hadn’t noticed was Jinho, who was standing by the table and talking to Shinwon. Both of them were holding their wands and making what looked like a pile of gold glitter on the table vanish.

Changgu still walked over, but he could feel his feet dragging like he was trying to slow himself down. He hadn’t covered up his bite marks. If Jinho recognised him, he was going to piece two and two together, and—

“Yeo One,” he heard Shinwon call.

“Hi,” said Changgu, when he was near enough to the table. He tried to smile but his muscles tensed up when Jinho looked at him, even though he seemed to be a fraction less intimidating than he’d appeared on Monday. Maybe it was because they weren’t at a club, or maybe it was because Jinho was wearing a hoodie and jeans underneath his cloak.

“Hello,” said Jinho. His eyes shifted to the side of Changgu’s neck, where his bite marks were visible, and then he turned back to Shinwon. “You were at work on Sunday.”

“Come on, hyung, I’m allowed to take a break,” said Shinwon.

Jinho sighed. “We’ll talk about this tomorrow.”

Changgu glanced down at their wands while Jinho proceeded to talk about something that he didn’t understand. The two wands were similar in length, but Jinho’s was made from a darker-coloured wood, and there was a diamond in the tip of his one.

“See you later, hyung,” said Shinwon, a few minutes later. Changgu bowed slightly to Jinho, and then he sat down. “Sorry, I had to discuss a few things with Jinho hyung.”

“It’s okay,” said Changgu. He looked at the cup on the table, and gently inhaled. As refreshing as the coffee smelt, it triggered nothing inside him. Like a lot of things, coffee had been reduced to nothing more than a passing smell and something he occasionally missed. “You were working on Sunday?”

Shinwon pointed his wand at the cup. The saucer slid closer to him, and then the spoon began to stir on its own.

“I was,” said Shinwon. “So, how come the vampire called you ‘Changgu’?”

“What job do you do?” said Changgu. He didn’t want to answer Shinwon just yet, not in the least because it felt awkward. Shinwon was, originally, meant to be somebody who Changgu would remember in the distant future as the first person whose blood he ever sucked. They should have cut off all contact once Sunday was over; and what Changgu should have done, really, was correct Shinwon on Monday once it was becoming clear that Shinwon wasn’t going to be disappearing out of his life any time soon.

“I’ll tell you if you tell me your name.”

“I’ll tell you about my name if you tell me about your job first. Mine’s a long story.”

“So is mine.”

“Pretty please?” said Changgu, and he smiled the way Hongseok told him to smile. He smiled until he could feel the corners of his mouth straining his cheeks, and his eyes narrowed into crescents and the little bags appeared underneath.

There was a gentle clatter, and Changgu noticed the spoon fall over mid-stir. Shinwon put his wand down.

“Since you asked nicely,” Shinwon started, “I’m kind of like a magical handyman. I work for a firm that does anything within reason. If someone needs a witch or wizard to help get their beloved cat Mr Snuggles out of a tree, we can help. If someone wants us to help them deliver a message to their ex-partner who hasn’t spoken to them in over year, then no, we won’t do that.”

“What were you doing on Sunday?”

“We were security, technically speaking. The club management team knew about the vampires in Gwangju and South Jeolla, and they wanted peace of mind, so they hired us.”

All the fear that Changgu had felt on Sunday came rushing back to him, and his mouth fell open. “Oh,” he said, “so … what were you going to do if … if you’d found a vampire…?”

“We would have just escorted you off the site.” Shinwon smiled a little. “The last thing the club would’ve wanted was a murder in their venue. We would have only used magic if you’d been violent.”

Changgu watched as Shinwon picked up his cup. He breathed in, but started when the smell of grapefruit drowned out everything else. He didn’t even realise he’d licked his lips until he felt his tongue bump into the corner of his mouth, and his eyes were fixated on the prominent vein running along the side of Shinwon’s neck. Was it possible that sweet, fruity scent he kept smelling around Shinwon was actually his blood—? Yet if Shinwon’s blood smelt that sweet, then it should surely mean his blood would taste like sugar, which would contradict one of the first things Changgu had learnt, that all blood tasted like metal.

“I’ve told you about my job,” said Shinwon. “I think you should tell me about your name.”

“About that…” said Changgu. He breathed in; the café smelt of coffee again. “You probably worked out why I was at the club.”

“You wanted to bite someone.”

“Hongseok said it was about time I tried it on someone else. He said I shouldn’t give out my real name, since it’s my first time and I might screw up.”

Shinwon nodded, and Changgu could sense him putting everything together.

“I’m actually called Yeo Changgu,” said the vampire. “I made up Woncheol on the spot.” Changgu slumped into his seat a little. At least he’d cleared up the biggest deception.

“I think Yeo Changgu sounds even better than Yeo One.”

Changgu blushed a little. “You’d say that about any name I give you.”

“No, I wouldn’t. I never lie. If you need more proof, you should ask my colleague Hyunggu, but please don’t ask him too much. That kid knows way too many good and bad stories about me.”

Changgu raised his eyebrows. “You say that, but you lied to Jinho on Sunday. You didn’t tell him I was a vampire.”

“I didn’t lie. He didn’t ask, so I didn’t say anything.” Shinwon lifted up his cup. “How long have you and Hongseok been living here? I swear I’ve never seen either of you before.”

“I’m pretty sure Hongseok’s been here for five years. I only moved in three months ago.”

“Was that when you became a vampire?” said Shinwon, when he finished drinking his coffee. Changgu nodded, and he was relieved that Shinwon had the sense to stay quiet.

All Changgu could remember was that he’d parked up in a car park, and he’d stepped out past the bonnet when he’d heard a scream. A split second later, something heavy had slammed into him, followed by a sharp pain on the side of his neck, and he’d passed out. When he had regained consciousness, he’d shivered and shivered as his body felt as cold as the car park floor he was still lying on. That was when he had become aware of Hongseok kneeling next to him and telling him to stay calm.

“Is that how you met Hongseok?” said Shinwon, eventually.

“He’d bit the vampire that bit me, so he felt really bad about what happened to me.” Changgu shifted in his seat. He’d barely told Shinwon anything, but he didn’t want to talk any further. A distraction was needed, and he pointed at the half-empty cup. “Are you going to be able to sleep tonight?”

“It’s nothing a little magic can’t fix. I’ve been drinking a sleeping potion every night for nearly two years.”

Changgu looked horrified at Shinwon, and the wizard countered by explaining, in detail, what ingredients went inside the potion and why it was safe for him to drink. They meandered onto other subjects from there, although most of the time, it was Shinwon telling Changgu stories about himself. The main anecdote that stuck with Changgu was about that time when a ten-year-old Shinwon stole a book from his mother’s bookcase to learn how to transform himself into a fish, and it resulted in scales growing along the right side of his neck, torso, and upper arm. It had taken his parents a week to remove all the scales; and when his grandma had found out a day later, she’d enchanted a broom and a mop to chase him until he’d been smacked by each item three times.

Shinwon worked on Friday but they still managed to meet up in the evening; and when Shinwon suggested they met over the weekend too, when they were both free, Changgu had never been more eager to agree to anything. Since the full moon was happening on Saturday, Shinwon insisted that Changgu came over to his flat, as they would be safer if they weren’t out in public. The two of them stayed there until they heard a distant howl close to midnight, and Changgu briefly entertained the idea of sleeping over at Shinwon’s until Hongseok called him.

“I’ll escort you home,” said Shinwon.

“Are you sure?” said Changgu. “I don’t want to put you in danger.”

Shinwon grinned as he picked up his wand, and twirled it around between his fingers. “What makes you think I haven’t fought a werewolf before?”

“How full was the moon when you fought?” Changgu only asked since he had just spent three days listening to stories of Shinwon essentially behaving stupidly—sometimes borderline dangerously—around magic.

Shinwon laughed. “You should have more faith in me, Changgu. I once managed to banish a poltergeist from Jinho’s office. It’s still one of Hyunggu’s favourite stories about me.”

The streets were empty, and the air smelt of raspberries. Changgu couldn’t stop blushing, or wondering what he’d done right to be walked home safely by the hottest wizard in the neighbourhood.

“This feels nice,” said Changgu. He hooked his arm around Shinwon’s. “It’s like I’ve got my own bodyguard.”

“It’s one of the many things I do.” Shinwon raised his wand. “Consider this a free trial of my bodyguarding services. I could give you a full list of rates, if you’re interested.”

Changgu rolled his eyes. “Were you just looking for new customers on Sunday?”

“No comment.” Shinwon winked. “Are you sure you don’t want the full list?”

“Let me guess. Being a bodyguard is … 50,000 won per hour?”

“Oooh, nearly, it’s actually 44,500 won per hour.” Shinwon tugged his arm gently. “Since it’s you, I’m happy to extend today’s free trial for longer.”

“Do you like working as a handyman?”

“Of course. It’s a fun job, it pays the bills, and it means I can afford to treat myself to an egg bulgogi burger at four in the morning if I fancy it.”

“It doesn’t seem like a conventional wizard’s job.”

Shinwon shook his head. “That’s because it isn’t. I was supposed to work at my cousin’s apothecary a few years back. My cousin made me practice a few of their potions, but I put the wrong type of ginseng into the strengthening potion, and they decided they didn’t want me.”

“That’s harsh.”

“Not really. The ginseng is a key ingredient. Besides, if I had worked there, then we would never have met.”

They turned a corner, and Changgu realised that Hongseok’s flat was just down the road now. He turned to Shinwon, and that was when he became aware that their arms had hooked together at some point on their walk. He gently slipped his arm out, and gestured at the building.

“Looks like I’m home already,” he said. “Thanks for walking me back.”

“I’m always happy to help.” Shinwon smiled, but the corners of his mouth barely moved. Changgu could swear that he seemed disappointed. “Since our time got cut short today, how do you fancy meeting me tomorrow?”

“I thought you wouldn’t ask.”

“I wasn’t sure if you were sick of me yet,” said Shinwon. Changgu just smiled at him in response.

Changgu entered the lobby alone, although he could still see Shinwon standing outside, presumably waiting until he’d seen him enter a lift. He waved goodbye to Shinwon when an empty lift arrived, and then he pressed the button for the eighth floor, and leaned on the wall.

On a more platonic level, Changgu really was grateful to have met Shinwon. He was the second friend he’d made since becoming a vampire, and meeting up with him made him feel like he was human again, if only for a few hours. His social life had been okay when he as human; but ever since the attack, the only people he’d seen were his parents and his sister, two friends from university who visited together and tried their best to hide their awkwardness, and one ex-colleague who barely spoke and stayed for ten minutes. All his old friends were more willing to talk to him through texts and the occasional phone call, but no matter how much effort Changgu made, he just didn’t feel as close to them as they used to be.

In a way, Shinwon being a wizard was more important than Changgu had first realised. Shinwon was used to being around vampires. He was the first human in months who was interested in him as a living being. Shinwon being gorgeous and full of good humour was a bonus. The fact that he smelt like fruit all the time made him even more attractive. If there was a possibility that his blood also tasted like fruit, well…

Changgu broke his train of thought as the lift doors opened. He unlocked the door to the flat, and as he pushed it open, he saw Hongseok emerge from his room.

“What’s that smile for?” said Hongseok, when he drew nearer.

Changgu stared. He was smiling? He cleared his throat, and said, “I’m just—er—you’re happy I’m back in one piece, right?”

Hongseok narrowed his eyes. “You’re not smiling because of that.”

Changgu stayed silent as he took off his shoes and pushed them to one side with his foot. “Has blood ever tasted like anything else to you?” he said, as he put his slippers on. “Other than copper?”

“Do you know what?” said Hongseok, after thinking for a moment. “I don’t think it ever has.”

Changgu pulled a face. “That sucks. The only thing that we can eat tastes like loose change.”

Hongseok sighed. It sounded resigned, and Changgu suspected that it wasn’t the first time he’d made that noise.

“That’s mother nature for you,” said Hongseok.

“What do you mean?”

“Take the koala. They only eat the leaves of the eucalyptus plant, right? Do you know what effect the plants have on them?” said Hongseok. Changgu shook his head. “Eucalyptus plants have poison in them, and koalas need a lot of energy to kill the poison and digest their food, so they have to sleep for over twenty hours each day. Imaging being a koala. You sleep for that long, wake up for food, and then you’ve got to sleep again or you won’t have enough energy to stop yourself from being killed by your own lunch.”

“Wow, that’s shitty.”

Hongseok smiled a little. “When you look at it like that, it doesn’t make our problem seem so bad.”

“What if there’s a chance, though, that blood could taste better?”

“If that’s possible, then I’d love it.”

Changgu left the conversation there. Shinwon’s blood was just a theory. The only way he could prove anything was if he could taste just a drop.

It was next Friday—or, in other words, the twelfth day in a row that Changgu had seen Shinwon in person—and they had met up at their usual café when Shinwon asked, “Are you and Hongseok going to go clubbing again soon?”

“I think we are,” said Changgu. “There haven’t been many cases this week. I guess the clubs and pubs are starting to calm down?”

“It looks like it. We’ve been hired as security for a venue in Itaewon tomorrow, but that’s the last booking we’ve got.”

Changgu nodded. The thought of returning to a club and finding someone to bite was making him reluctant, but it was a different kind of reluctance this time. Previously, he had hated the idea of being squashed between people on an overcrowded dance floor. This time, his reluctance was bordering on disinterest.

“I take it you won’t be going on your own?” Shinwon continued.

“Even if I wanted to, Hongseok would never let me. He wants to make sure I don’t screw up or make a mess.”

Shinwon just nodded a lot. Changgu could tell he was thinking, because he was holding the spoon to stir his coffee, instead of using magic like he always did.

“I’ve got the next weekend off, and so does Jinho hyung. I kind of want to introduce him to Hongseok, on Saturday if possible.”

Changgu raised his eyebrows. “Are you sure that’s a good idea?”

Shinwon waved his free hand. “It doesn’t have to be romantic. Jinho hyung broke up with his ex at the start of the year, and he’s still a bit sour about it until now. I want to help him take his mind off things.”

“That’s going to grow cold if you keep stirring.” Changgu nodded at the cup, and Shinwon put the spoon down on the saucer.

“Thanks.” Shinwon picked up the cup, but put it down just as quick. “It doesn’t matter too much if Jinho would rather stay friends with Hongseok. I want him to get out there a bit more, open up a bit, that sort of stuff.”

“You don’t have to worry about Hongseok hyung, he’ll definitely come along. You know that Sunday we first met? I really didn’t want to go that day, especially as he made me wear that crop top.”

This time, Shinwon kept his grip on his cup steady as he raised it to his lips. “Did he? Looks like I need to thank him then.”

Changgu put a hand over his face. “If you praise him, he’s only going to keep putting me in crop tops.”

“Oh really?” Shinwon grinned. “What’s Hongseok’s number?”

Changgu sank as low as he could go in his seat. He was blushing, but he didn’t know what from—either from the idea of Hongseok being right about the crop top, or from the very tempting idea of wearing something sexy again to tease Shinwon.

On the Thursday before they were due to go to the club, Changgu was certain he’d derailed all their plans.

He was sat in the living room of Shinwon’s flat when he heard something shatter, followed by Shinwon hissing from his bedroom. Changgu ran to check on the wizard, and he found him standing by his desk, where there was a pile of broken glass. Shinwon had cut his finger.

“Are you okay?” said Changgu.

“It’s nothing,” said Shinwon. He picked up his wand, and pointed it at the door behind Changgu. There was a faint rustling somewhere further down the flat, and then a box of plasters came flying into the room. Shinwon held his hand out, but the box fell down closer to Changgu.

“Let me help you.” Changgu squatted down to pick up the box.

“You really don’t have to. I only need—”

Changgu looked up first, and his eyes darted to the wound. The smell of strawberries overpowered the entire room. Shinwon was still bleeding, but his blood was looking red and juicy, and it would be such a waste if he just wiped it away. He yanked Shinwon’s hand closer to his mouth, and licked the blood off his injured figure.

Changgu snapped his head back the moment he tasted Shinwon’s blood. There was the faintest tang of metal, but the main, overpowering taste was similar to raw sugar. He licked both rows of teeth, like he was trying to smear the blood everywhere even though he’d fully swallowed everything by now.

He started when he felt something nudge him above his chest, and he came back to his senses when he registered Shinwon’s wand. The turquoise tip was glowing, and the wood itself seemed to be pulsating from the amount of magic that was stored inside. Changgu let go of Shinwon’s hand, and he stiffly raised both hands above his head. His legs almost gave way as he stood up, and his breathing hitched when he saw Shinwon flick his wrist. The box flew out of Changgu’s hand, and landed next to the glass on the desk.

“I can manage on my own,” said Shinwon, as he resumed pointing his wand at Changgu’s torso.

Changgu took a small step back, and he looked at Shinwon. He no longer had any trouble visualising the Shinwon who had banished a poltergeist, dealt with a runaway phoenix, and fought off a werewolf—he was on the receiving end of that side of Shinwon right now. The wizard looked so serious that Changgu felt his knees weaken and threaten to give way again for the second time.

“I’ve just remembered,” said Changgu, as he continued to retreat. Shinwon remained standing on the spot, and he never lowered his arm. “Hongseok wants … he wants me home early to … today, and I should get going. You don’t have to see me off, I … I can also manage on my own. I’ll see you later.” He tried to wave his hand, but his arm was frozen solid.

“See you,” was all Shinwon said.

Changgu darted out of the flat, and he kept running until he entered the lift to take him to the eighth floor. He spent his time in the lift with his forehead bumping on the wall, ashamed and dreading that this was the end of his friendship with Shinwon. Nobody would want to be friends with someone who had just licked blood off their finger. He hadn’t even thought about it; he’d seen blood and that had been his first instinct.

As Changgu unlocked the front door, the first sound he heard was the TV, followed by Hongseok commenting on his early return. Changgu didn’t say anything as he took his shoes off, and he began to walk towards his bedroon. His plan was to mumble something along the lines of Shinwon needing the flat to himself again, and then he would shut his bedroom door before Hongseok could ask him any more questions.

Instead, Changgu had barely passed the back of the sofa when Hongseok leapt over and blocked his way.

“Why can I smell blood?” said Hongseok.

Changgu frowned, and sniffed. He couldn’t smell anything. “What’re you talking about?” he said.

“Don’t lie to me.” Hongseok shoved Changgu against the wall, and he pinned him down by clasping a hand over his shoulder. He squeezed Changgu’s cheeks to force him to pucker his lips, so that he could examine his teeth.

“I didn’t—”

“Whose blood was it?”

Changgu grabbed Hongseok’s wrist, and made him let go of his face.

“Shinwon—ow—” Changgu flinched as Hongseok began to slap his forearm. “—hyung, stop—ow—”

“I told you—” said Hongseok, through gritted teeth. He punctuated each word with another slap. “—don’t—drink—blood—from—a wizard—”

“I didn’t—it was one drop—”

Hongseok gave one last slap, and then he pressed both hands onto the wall either side of Changgu’s head. His burst of anger had shifted a little into frustration, and his stare was the sharpest Changgu had ever seen.

“What did you do?” said Hongseok.

“Shinwon cut his finger, and I saw his blood and I licked his finger.” Changgu screwed his eyes shut. He sensed Hongseok taking his hands off the wall. “Don’t look at me like that.”

“You licked his finger?”

“It wasn’t on purpose.” Changgu put his hands over his face. He had shut his eyes to block out his flatmate, but he could picture the scene in his mind. “I didn’t think. I just saw blood and went for it.”

“Are you sure it was just one drop?”

“I don’t know, it might have been more? Maybe two or three?” Changgu opened his eyes, and opted to look through the crack of his fingers. Hongseok was facing him with his arms crossed, and he appeared to be deep in thought. “I feel fine. His blood tasted like … well, blood.”

“I don’t want you going anywhere else tonight.”

“I won’t.”

“If you feel sick, you have to tell me straightaway.”

“I will.”

Hongseok sighed as he returned to the sofa, and Changgu followed him. He sat down next to his housemate, and tried to focus on the drama that was airing to take his mind off Shinwon.

Can you meet me tonight?

Changgu had received the text from Shinwon the moment he woke up an hour ago, and he still didn’t know how to answer. He was free, but still very embarrassed from last night; and after another twenty minutes had passed, he eventually texted back:

Can we at least do a video call? I can talk now ㅎㅁㅎ

Instead of texting back, Changgu made the call first. As he waited for Shinwon to pick up, he sat cross-legged on his bed, and ran a hand through his hair. He intended to straighten his hair out at first, but changed his mind halfway through and gently ruffled the front instead. He frowned when he looked at himself on his phone, and he was about to neaten his hair again when the call connected, and Shinwon appeared.

“Changgu, hi,” said Shinwon. He was smiling for a start, which was good. His face took up most of the screen, but Changgu figured from the little background he could see that Shinwon was in his flat.

“Hi,” said Changgu. He tried to smile, but his cheeks reddened instead. “How was work today?”

“It was alright.” Shinwon began to count on his fingers. “I was asked to help carry the shopping for a client’s grandma at a street market today … I also rescued someone’s dog, and … someone asked me to get rid of a mysterious stain from their coat.”

“That sounds menial.” As far as Changgu could tell, Shinwon was speaking normally to him.

“Well, if people are happy to pay the firm at least 15,000 won for me to help them, then I’ll help. They’re giving me the money to buy 12 pots of those noodles.”

Changgu rolled his eyes. “The offer ended last week.”

“I can wait for another to come along, although just to let you know, I am starting to run low on noodles.”

“I don’t think we’re going to do another offer on them for a while. You’ll have to start buying them at full price again.”

Shinwon pouted, and Changgu laughed. As he calmed down again, he took in a breath and said, “How’s your finger?”

Shinwon smiled as he showed Changgu his hand. The cut had healed so well that his finger looked as though it had never been injured at all.

“I told you I could manage on my own,” said Shinwon. He lowered his hand. “Those plasters really work wonders. I stuck it on for about an hour, and everything was all healed up.”

“That’s good.” Changgu glanced down at his feet. He could almost taste the sugar in his mouth again.

He turned back to the phone when he heard Shinwon call his name.

“There’s no hard feelings on my part,” said the wizard. “I know you well enough.”

“We’ve only been friends for three weeks.”

“That’s still plenty of time to know someone.”

“Shinwon, I know what I did. I didn’t say anything, I just saw your blood and licked it. What if I’d gone even crazier and tried to bite you?”

“Oh, I’m not scared.” Shinwon smiled as he spoke. “All I did was turn my wand into a torch, and you backed right off. Did my blood taste delicious?”

Changgu decided to avoid answering the last question. “How are you so calm about everything?”

“We’re alike. I’m not a normal human, and neither are you.”

“You mean I’m not human.”

Shinwon held his phone so close to his face that all Changgu could see were his forehead, eyes, and nose. The vampire pouted a little. It was so unfair that someone could look good, regardless of whether Changgu was seeing him in person or over the phone.

“You’re still human,” said Shinwon. “You’re still thinking and behaving like one. The only things that have changed are your diet, and you’re awake during the night.”

“You say that, but my skin burns if it comes into contact with sunlight. I didn’t used to combust when I was human.”

“Ah, you’ll build up your immunity as you get older.” Shinwon pulled the phone away, but the screen wobbled, and it looked as though he was lying down onto his back. Changgu could just about glimpse the corner of a white pillowcase underneath his head. “Have you got any more objections?”

“My teeth didn’t used to turn into fangs,” said Changgu. Seeing Shinwon look so comfortable on the screen made Changgu uncross his legs, and he laid down on his front.

“That’s just a small biological change. It doesn’t make you any less human.”

Changgu frowned. “You’re really not scared of me?”

Shinwon shook his head. “I would never have approached you if I was. Anyway, quite a few of my clients at work at vampires. It’s not just the non-magical people that need our help.”

“Really? What do they need you for?”

“The most common problem, believe it or not, is that they can’t change their curtains because sunlight gets in the way.”

“Very funny,” said Changgu, as he gently rapped his knuckles on the screen. He laughed for real when he saw Shinwon put his hand over his open mouth, like he was in shock.

“Don’t laugh at me like that. It’s not every day we get to deal with runaway phoenixes, or Jinho hyung’s eyebrows—”

Changgu looked over his shoulder when he heard Hongseok knock on his door. He got up off his bed, but left his phone behind to answer the door.

“Are you in the middle of something?” said Hongseok.

“I’m just video calling Shinwon. I can always—”

“Is that Hongseok?” came Shinwon’s voice from the phone. “Can I talk to him for a minute?”

Hongseok’s eyes widened as he pointed at himself. “He wants to talk to me?” he said.

“You don’t have to,” said Changgu, as he frowned. What did Shinwon want to see his housemate for? Hongseok looked like he was about to reject, but then he held his hand out.

Changgu picked up his phone. Shinwon was sitting up on the other end, but his hair was looking more tousled than before. Instead of handing the phone over, Changgu positioned himself so that Shinwon could see them both standing next to each other.

“Hongseok,” said Shinwon. “I really have to thank you for making Changgu wear that crop top—”

“Shinwon—” Changgu whined as he pulled the phone away, but he could see the deep, confused frown on Hongseok’s face.

“What?” Shinwon sounded innocent, but there was a grin on his face, and his cheekbones had appeared. “I’m just passing on my thanks.”

“If you want to say it so badly, you can tell him tomorrow.” Changgu hung up and dumped his phone on his bed. He turned around, and then sat down on his bed when he saw Hongseok stand in front of him with his arms crossed.

“I thought you met Shinwon at work?” said Hongseok. He sounded incredulous instead of angry, but Changgu still put his head in his hands.

No matter how much Changgu had come round to the idea of dressing in sexier, tight-fitting clothes for Shinwon, he was still careful to never admit it to Hongseok. Even though he’d been thrilled with the idea of wearing another crop top for the club that evening, Changgu still made a point of arguing until he got to wear his leather jacket, which he had zipped up to his neck once again.

“You’re up to something, aren’t you?” said Hongseok, when they were walking into the club. They had returned to the same one where Changgu had first met Shinwon—except this time, the entire venue seemed to smell of a mix of fruits.

“No,” said Changgu, “what makes you say that?” Shinwon had texted him a few minutes earlier, and he started to make his way to the bar.

“You argued a lot with me last time. Why did you give in so easily tonight?”

Changgu felt himself blush, and he was glad to be walking ahead of Hongseok. “You gave in easily too,” said Changgu. “You weren’t fond of the jacket last time.”

“I only gave up because we had to be out of the house.”

“Yeah, sure.” Changgu spotted the top of Shinwon’s head, and he raised his arm straight up to wave. The wizard caught sight of him a second later, and waved back. “They’re here.”

“You made it,” said Shinwon. Next to him, Jinho was halfway through a drink; and he raised his eyebrows as he studied them both. It didn’t escape Changgu that his eyes settled on their necks, where they had once again stuck on a plaster to cover up their bite marks.

“Is this why you insisted I came?” said Jinho, as he looked back at Shinwon. The taller man began to massage his shoulders.

“I’m not the only person who wants you out the house,” said Shinwon. “Hyunggu and Hwitaek hyung can back me up.”

“I’m fine—”

“You don’t love your job that much. I know you don’t like to spend your entire day rescuing cats.”

Changgu figured that he should say something to get Hongseok into the loop. He hesitated, however, when he realised that Hongseok wasn’t taking his eyes off Jinho. He brushed his fingers on his forearms to shake him out of his revere, and he gestured at the wizards.

“Anyway,” said Changgu, “this is my flatmate, Hongseok. I don’t think you’ve met him properly yet, have you?”

“No.” Shinwon smiled. “I believe this is our first time.”

For a while, it was Changgu and Shinwon who kept the conversation flowing. Hongseok joined in every now and then, but Changgu could tell that he was too engrossed with Jinho to register half of what was going on. At first, Jinho just kept drinking, but the reluctance on his face did fade with each sip he took, and he even looked Hongseok up and down once by disguising it as a long, slow nod of the head. The moment it happened, Changgu felt Shinwon grab his wrist.

“Do you fancy dancing, Changgu?” said Shinwon.

“Why not?” said Changgu.

Shinwon glanced between Jinho and Hongseok. He used his free hand to pull out his credit card from his jacket, and he handed it to his friend. “We’ll leave you alone, since you two don’t look like you want to dance. Drinks are on me, hyung, and you, Hongseok.”

Changgu let Shinwon lead him onto the dancefloor. They stopped when they could just about still see the top of Hongseok’s head; and even though they had enough space, Changgu felt like he had to stand as close as he could to Shinwon. The latter must have had the same thought, as he placed both hands on Changgu’s hips to draw him in.

“Aren’t you hot, Changgu?” said Shinwon.

Changgu nodded as he put both arms on Shinwon’s shoulders, and linked his hands together behind Shinwon’s neck.

“I am,” said Changgu. “Can you unzip it for me, Shinwon?”

He didn’t—or rather, couldn’t—look away from Shinwon’s face. His face seemed even more perfect than it had been three weeks ago, and his mouth was more inviting than ever. Changgu gasped as Shinwon slid a hand around the side of his lower waist and his fingertips brushed the small of his back. Since when did Shinwon even finish unzipping his jacket? Changgu didn’t care; he leaned in until their bodies were pressed up against each other, and Shinwon threaded his hand through the hair on back of his head, and their lips touched.

Changgu’s eyes fluttered shut. There was nothing deep or overly passionate about their first kiss, but Changgu still melted under Shinwon’s touch. If he was going to suffocate under the scent of fruit, then so be it. He freed his own hands to hook one arm across Shinwon’s shoulders, and stroked his neck with the other. His fingers traced his veins, where he could feel Shinwon’s pulse beating as fast as his own, and he sighed into the wizard’s mouth.

Shinwon pulled back first. His cheeks were rosy, but his lips were even redder. When Changgu leaned in to kiss him again, Shinwon stopped him and instead rested his chin on his shoulder to tell him, “Let’s go.”

Changgu didn’t need to ask where they were going; he knew they were going back to Shinwon’s, and he smiled when Shinwon hailed a taxi and gave the driver his address. For the first minute or two, Changgu looked out of the window; partially because he was blushing hard from Shinwon’s hand resting on his thigh and the gentle touch of his fingers digging the inseam of his jeans; and also, because Changgu wanted to shake off the feeling that he was dreaming. These things had never happened to him before. He had never got off with anyone as hot as Shinwon before, and he’d never been considered so desirable that someone would pay for a taxi just to take him home to fuck him. In fact, the only thing that was stopping him from making out with Shinwon right now was the cabbie, who Changgu knew was glimpsing them through the rear-view mirror every now and then.

“Do you have any cash on you?” said Shinwon. “Or card?”

Changgu turned to him. “Why do you ask?” he said.

“I forgot I gave my card to Jinho hyung.”

Changgu rolled his eyes as he pulled out his credit card from inside his jacket. “You should’ve checked before getting a taxi.”

“Then you should’ve reminded me about Jinho hyung.” Shinwon smiled as he squeezed Changgu’s thigh a little.

They arrived outside of Shinwon’s flat in what felt like no time at all. They had the lift to themselves, but Changgu spent the journey up crowded in the corner by the buttons panel while Shinwon nuzzled his nose into his neck. He kept nudging the plaster in particular, like he was questioning Changgu whether it was necessary anymore. Changgu teased him with a ‘not-yet’ noise; he wanted to wait until they were inside Shinwon’s flat, at the very least.

They remained touching each other as the lift doors opened, and Shinwon part-lead, part-dragged Changgu to his front door. After a short fumble with the lock, the door swung open; but Shinwon never bothered to turn the lights on, and Changgu had only taken off his left shoe when he was pinned up against the wall and Shinwon slipped a knee in-between his legs as their mouths met again.

Now that they were somewhere private, Changgu had no problem kissing Shinwon with all the heat that he had been holding back in the club. He clasped a hand over the back of Shinwon’s head to pull him in even closer and to kiss him harder. He moaned when Shinwon slipped his tongue inside his mouth, smiled when Shinwon moaned back at him, and his knees threatened to buckle when Shinwon snaked his hand around his waist and down past the small of his back.

They broke apart at the same time, and Changgu’s head bumped the wall as he grabbed his breath back. He shuffled his feet, and only then remembered that he was still wearing one shoe.

“Isn’t it polite to wait until your guest has taken off both shoes?” said Changgu, as he freed his right foot.

“You could’ve told me to wait,” said Shinwon.

“That’s the problem.” Changgu nestled his fingers through Shinwon’s hair. “I didn’t want to.”

They were kissing when they stumbled into Shinwon’s bedroom. Changgu felt Shinwon push him onto his bed, and as he sat down on the edge, the lights turned on. In the time it took him to blink and readjust his vision, Shinwon straddled him and slipped his fingers under the collar of his jacket to push off his shoulders. The jacket crumpled into a pile by Changgu’s wrists.

“I thought you were going to use magic,” Changgu commented, as he pulled his arms out of the sleeves.

“I prefer to use my hands,” said Shinwon. He wriggled out of his own jacket, and chucked it on the floor behind him. “It’s more magical this way.”

Changgu giggled, and he let Shinwon kiss him again. Shinwon moved one hand up along his nape and into his hair, and he began to peel the corner of the plaster with his other hand. Changgu grabbed Shinwon’s wrist to drag his hand down to his abs instead, and he made satisfied noises when he felt Shinwon palm his six-pack. Now that the plaster was free, Changgu ripped it off in a clean stroke.

The effect was immediate; Shinwon trailed his kisses down along Changgu’s jaw, over his Adam’s apple, and then his lips brushed the bite marks. Changgu bit his lip as he groaned and tossed his head back. His mouth fell open when the tip of Shinwon’s tongue glided over the marks, and he started to kiss the spot over and over.

“Are you trying to bite me?” said Changgu.

“No,” said Shinwon. His lips were still pressed to Changgu’s neck. “Someone’s done a better job already.”

Changgu laughed as he placed his hands on Shinwon’s shoulders, and pushed him back. He intended to tell Shinwon something along the lines of having never been complimented for his bite mark before, but he changed his mind when he saw his lips again, and he kissed him instead. All he could smell were strawberries when he began to run his fingers along the veins on Shinwon’s neck, and his Adam’s apple bobbed.

It was Changgu’s turn to plant kisses along Shinwon’s jaw and neck. He could feel Shinwon’s pulse so clearly that each beat was like a punch to his lips; and his canines began to change into fangs the moment Shinwon tossed his head back, and the hand in Changgu’s hair curled up and tugged his hair in handfuls. Changgu dragged his fangs over Shinwon’s skin as he cupped his nape for support; he was looking for the perfect spot to bite him, but he still smiled when he felt Shinwon shudder.

“Bite me,” said Shinwon. His voice was so low and raspy and dripping with desire that a surge of confidence rushed through Changgu, and he sank his fangs into his neck.

Shinwon’s blood still tasted of sugar, but this time, it was like Changgu’s mouth was stuffed full of popping candy as well. The taste from each drop of blood he lapped up seemed to explode all over his mouth, and his whole body tingled. All he could think about was Shinwon and his blood and the smell of strawberries and the way how Shinwon’s moans came from deep within his chest.

Changgu’s head began to spin as he licked the wound for the final time, and he pulled away from Shinwon. He couldn’t close his mouth or find the strength to keep himself upright anymore, and the whole room seemed to blur into one. There was so much blood rushing through his body right now that he was confident his heart was on the verge of exploding. He gasped when Shinwon laid down flush on top of him, and they kissed again.

“Are you okay?” said Changgu, mostly into Shinwon’s mouth.

Shinwon raised his head. He wasn’t bleeding from the bite, but the skin around the marks looked red and raw.

“I’m fine,” said Shinwon. “Are you okay? You look really spaced out.”

“You taste amazing.”

Shinwon smiled, and the very sight of his cheekbones made Changgu want to pass out right there.

“Already?” said Shinwon. He wiggled his eyebrows. “We’re only just getting started, Changgu-ya. Let me take care of you.”

Changgu stuttered. Out of all the things Shinwon had ever said to him, calling him ‘Changgu-ya’ was the most devastating thing he had ever heard. When it was clear he wouldn’t be able to say anything coherent, he nodded instead, and he arched his back to let Shinwon take off his jeans with ease.

For the first time since becoming a vampire, Changgu slept through the early hours of the morning.

When he eventually awoke, he stirred and gently opened his eyes to find the room was in darkness. Then he realised he could smell passionfruit, before a burst of blue light appeared somewhere to his left, and Changgu jumped. He squinted, and could just about make out Shinwon’s outline.

“Sorry,” said Shinwon. “I didn’t mean to wake you.”

“You didn’t,” said Changgu. “You can turn the lights on. I don’t think I’ll be able to sleep again.”

“Are you sure? It’s not four yet.”

Changgu groaned as he propped himself up onto his elbows. “Go ahead.”

“Okay.”

As far as Changgu could tell, he didn’t hear any footsteps. The lights turned on, and he saw Shinwon put his wand down on his desk. This was probably the most awake Changgu had ever seen him, but he was distracted by the fact that Shinwon was wearing just a dressing gown. It was white, but the pinkish-red circular patterns looked less deliberate and more like the result of the wizard not separating his whites from his reds before putting his laundry in the wash.

“Have you been wearing that all day?” said Changgu.

Shinwon shrugged. “It’s nice and comfy.”

“You could have put some clothes on.”

“I wanted to wait until you were awake,” said Shinwon. Just when Changgu was thinking about telling Shinwon to join him, the wizard stood up and unfastened his gown to reveal he was wearing nothing underneath. “I also thought it would be kind of weird if I was fully clothed and you weren’t.”

Changgu lied down on his back again. At the same time, Shinwon walked over, and his gown slid off his body and landed in a crumpled mess on top of Changgu’s clothes.

“I feel weirder that you were in a dressing gown and watching me,” said Changgu, as Shinwon lied down next to him.

“You wish I was watching you,” said Shinwon. He shuffled in until his body was pressed up to Changgu’s side, and he threw an arm across Changgu’s shoulders, and a leg across his thighs and knees. “I was busy.”

“Busy with what?” Changgu asked, playfully.

Shinwon grinned as he pointed at the curtains. Changgu frowned; the floral pattern was the same. The only change he thought he could see was that the fabric was now a shade darker than before.

“I put a blackout spell on the curtains so you wouldn’t get burnt by sunlight,” said Shinwon. “I told you I do this for vampires all the time.”

Changgu pretended to look unamused. “You just want 15,000 won from me, don’t you?”

“If you could, that would be great. I should never have handed my card to Jinho hyung, I forgot he can hold his drink.”

“What happened to my free trial?” Changgu pouted.

“That only applies to my bodyguarding services.”

Changgu lifted up his head slightly, and then dropped back onto the pillow. “I can’t be arsed to get my card,” he said. “Can I pay you with a kiss instead?”

“It depends how good it is,” said Shinwon, which was invitation enough for Changgu to lean in.

Changgu kissed like they had time on their side, and it seemed Shinwon had the same idea. They slowly deepened the kiss, and Shinwon shuffled in even closer so that he could run his hand through Changgu’s hair, but there was none of the heat from last night.

“Good news, Changgu-ya,” said Shinwon, when they parted and he had untangled his hand. Changgu blushed, still unused to being addressed so casually. “I’ve decided your kiss is worth way more than 15,000 won.”

“As it should, Shinwon hyung,” said Changgu, and he smiled as Shinwon’s face reddened. He glanced at the wizard’s neck, where the marks from last night were beginning to fade, and the skin was no longer red. He could hear Hongseok’s voice telling him to never bite a wizard, and he screwed his eyes shut and groaned.

“What’s wrong?”

“I shouldn’t have bitten you last night.”

“Why not?”

“Wizard blood is usually fatal to us. Hongseok hyung says it’s the same reason why people with type A blood can’t accept type B blood.” Changgu opened his eyes when he felt Shinwon hover a finger under his nose.

“You’re alive to me,” said Shinwon.

“Not for long. I’m going to be dead once Hongseok knows what I’ve done.”

Shinwon smiled, and it was so sly that Changgu began to suspect he’d learnt something during the day.

“Well, if he tries to give my Changgu-ya shit for hooking up with me,” Shinwon started, “I’ll just ask him what he was doing with Jinho hyung last night.”

Changgu’s eyes widened. “They slept together—?”

“Oh yes.”

“Oh.” Changgu had never imagined that Hongseok would be interested in someone who was small, scary, and a wizard, no less. From what Changgu knew, Hongseok’s ex-partners had all been vampires. “Wait, what did you just call me?”

“My Changgu-ya,” Shinwon repeated, and Changgu felt like grabbing the duvet and burying his head underneath it. “I mean, I hope I haven’t made a mistake—”

“No,” said Changgu. He grabbed Shinwon’s wrist first, and slipped his hand into his. “No, you really haven’t.”

Changgu felt Shinwon squeeze his hand; and in that moment, all he could smell was the sweet, intoxicating scent of strawberries.