royal blood | sim jaeyun ✓

twenty-two🩸

Jaeyun and Miyeon were still regaining their breath when the door creaked open. Both Jaeyun and Miyeon froze, startled by the sudden noise. They turned quickly to see Sunghoon standing there, arms full of blood bags. Jaeyun, still catching his breath, let out a half-hearted laugh.

"Seriously, Sunghoon? You couldn't leave at least one blood bag in the fridge?" Jaeyun joked, though there was an edge of relief in his voice. He felt more like himself again, thanks to Miyeon.

Sunghoon gave a weak smile, but something about him seemed off. His usually sharp, confident demeanour was replaced by a hollow, almost robotic air. His eyes were dull, lacking their usual spark, as if a shadow had taken over his body.

Miyeon couldn't shake the feeling that something was wrong. She eyed him closely, her heart skipping a beat with a growing sense of unease. "Sunghoon?" she asked cautiously, her voice softer than usual. "Are you okay?"

Sunghoon looked at her but didn't answer immediately. His expression was blank as he placed the blood bags on the kitchen counter. "I'm fine," he finally said, but there was no emotion behind his words.

Miyeon exchanged a worried glance with Jaeyun. Jaeyun, now sensing something too, stepped forward, watching Sunghoon carefully. "You don't seem like yourself, man. You sure you're okay?" Jaeyun said, his earlier playfulness now replaced with concern.

Sunghoon stood there for a moment in silence, his back turned to them, before finally speaking. "I just had a rough night. That's all."

Though he said the words, they felt hollow. Miyeon could sense there was more going on. She moved a little closer, her instincts screaming that something deeper was at play. "You sure that's all?" she pressed gently.

Sunghoon turned to face them, his lifeless eyes locking onto hers for a brief moment before he gave a small, unconvincing nod. "Yeah I'm sure."

Later that afternoon, Jaeyun decided to step out and buy some clothes for himself and Miyeon. The atmosphere in Sunghoon's house had felt tense and heavy since the morning, and Jaeyun wanted a bit of fresh air to clear his mind.

"I'll go grab some clothes," Jaeyun said, grabbing his coat.

Miyeon, not wanting to be left behind in this eerie house, quickly stood up. "I'll come with you. I need to get some air too."

Jaeyun shook his head with a soft smile, though there was firmness in his voice. "It's okay, I won't take long. Besides, you should rest after everything that's happened."

Miyeon frowned slightly, sensing he didn't want her to be in any more danger, but eventually sighed. "Fine.Just don't take too long."

He gave her a reassuring smile, kissed her on the forehead, and then left, leaving Miyeon alone with Sunghoon.

The house felt unsettlingly quiet once Jaeyun was gone. Miyeon glanced at Sunghoon, who was seated silently across the room, staring blankly out the window. His earlier lifelessness hadn't gone unnoticed by her, and now that they were alone, the unease crept back in full force.

"Sunghoon?" she called out softly, stepping closer to him. "Is everything really okay?"

Sunghoon didn't respond at first, as if he hadn't even heard her. But after a few moments, he slowly turned his head toward her, his gaze distant and empty. "Why do you ask?" he said, his voice as hollow as before.

Miyeon took a deep breath, trying to gather her thoughts. "You just haven't been yourself today. Ever since you came back this morning."

"I told you, I'm fine," he said again, but his words felt more like a wall than reassurance.

Miyeon wasn't convinced. She had never seen Sunghoon like this. Something dark and strange had taken hold of him, and it felt like there was an invisible force lurking in the background, something that made the air thick with tension.

Before she could press further, Sunghoon abruptly stood up. "I need to go check on something upstairs. I'll be back in a bit." Without waiting for a response, he left the room, his movements unnervingly stiff.

Miyeon watched him go, the pit in her stomach growing deeper. She hurried herself to the kitchen, trying to shake off the unsettling feeling that had lingered since Jaeyun left. She opened the fridge, searching for a snack to calm her nerves. As she rummaged through, she felt faint footsteps, faint creeping up behind her.

Her heart raced, and she spun around quickly, expecting to see someone. But there was nothing. The room was empty.

She exhaled shakily, trying to convince herself it was just her mind playing tricks on her. The eerie quiet of the house and Sunghoon's strange behaviour had her on edge.

Just as she turned back to grab something, a sharp pain shot through her skull. Miyeon stumbled forward, clutching the side of her head in shock. She spun around again, only to see Sunghoon standing there, eyes vacant, a dark intensity radiating off him.

"Sunghoon?" she gasped, her voice trembling. "What are you—?"

Before she could finish, he lunged at her again, swinging with a force she didn't expect. Miyeon barely dodged, her heart pounding in her chest. He wasn't himself. As if another person was in control of his body.

"Sunghoon, stop!" she cried out, trying to block another blow. "What's wrong with you? Why are you doing this?"

But he didn't respond. His eyes were glassy, as if he couldn't even hear her. He swung again, this time catching her across the shoulder and sending her crashing into the kitchen counter.

Jaeyun walked back to Sunghoon's house, his thoughts were filled with anticipation of seeing Miyeon again. He carried the clothes he had bought for them, eager to share a small moment of normalcy.

But suddenly, a powerful force slammed into his side, knocking him to the ground. The impact was so swift that he barely had time to register it. Jaeyun groaned, pushing himself up, only to see a familiar figure standing over him, smirking.

Jungwoo.

"How... how did you find me?" Jaeyun asked, struggling to catch his breath as he glared up at his brother. There was no mistaking the cold amusement in Jungwoo's eyes.

Alaric shrugged nonchalantly, the smirk on his face growing wider. "I have my ways,brother. Plus, I know how close you and Sunghoon are compared to your other friends."

Jaeyun clenched his fists, fury building inside him. "What do you want?" he demanded, standing up and brushing the dirt off his clothes.

Jungwoo mockingly placed a hand to his chest, feigning innocence. "What do I want? Oh, nothing much. I just figured it was time to get back our favourite couple, that's all."

Jaeyun narrowed his eyes. "What are you planning?" His tone was edged with suspicion and fear. He knew Alaric had no limits when it came to cruelty, but this felt different more dangerous.

Jungwoo took a step closer, leaning in as if to share a secret. "Oh, I'm not planning much, really," he said, his voice dripping with malice. "Just that...Miyeon won't live to see another day."