anticipation - stray kids

errorist

(n.) someone who repatedly makes mistakes, or is always wrong

beyond love - beach house

"they take the simple things inside you, and put nightmares in your hands"

✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧

seungmin leaned back in his chair, quietly observing the room as the party buzzed around him. jeongin was still caught up in a lively conversation with felix, hyunjin had left him, ensuring everyone had enough drinks, and minho and chan were, as usual, locked in their own little world, oblivious to everyone else.

seungmin preferred it this way, to stay on the outskirts of everything. the last time he'd been in a situation like minho and chan, the obliviousness to the world around them, it hadn't ended well. his stomach twisted at the thought of how they'd left things that day. he wasn't sure if changbin even remembered, or if he just didn't care.

meanwhile, jisung, ever perceptive, caught sight of seungmin sitting alone. he turned to changbin, nudging him slightly. "you should go talk to him," jisung said, his tone nonchalant, but his gaze sharp.

changbin blinked, taken off guard. "what? why would i—?"

"because you're both clearly avoiding each other," jisung interrupted, rolling his eyes. "and i'm tired of tension. just go. fix whatever you broke."

changbin frowned, looking over at seungmin. "it's not that simple."

"you're making it complicated," jisung countered, giving him a pointed look. "seriously, just go. he's not gonna bite your head off."

with one final push, jisung shoved changbin gently toward seungmin, and before he could protest, changbin found himself walking toward him. the silence between them thickened as changbin stood awkwardly for a moment, shifting his weight from one foot to the other. seungmin glanced up at him, raising an eyebrow.

he was definitely capable of biting his head off.

"hey," changbin started, his voice quieter than usual. "can i sit?"

seungmin shrugged, looking unimpressed but motioning to the chair beside him. "it's not like i can stop you."

changbin sat down, and for a long, awkward beat, neither of them said anything. the tension hung heavy in the air, as if neither of them knew how to start. changbin fidgeted with his drink, glancing at seungmin from the corner of his eye before finally letting out a deep sigh.

"look," he began, clearing his throat. "about what happened that day in the library... i just wanted to say i'm sorry. you shouldn't have been put in that position. it wasn't fair."

"it happened years ago, it's fine."

"no it isn't. just let me finish."

seungmin's expression didn't change. he simply stared at changbin, waiting for him to continue.

changbin's fingers drummed nervously on his knee. "the thing is, that's just how it works in the royal family. most of them behave like that. they've got... certain opinions, you know? about vampires from the rural areas."

seungmin's jaw clenched slightly, but he said nothing. changbin continued, his words rushing out like a dam had broken. "i mean, it's not like i agree with everything they say, but it's hard to... it's hard to push back against them. they're set in their ways. and i know it seems like we're all spoiled and out of touch, and maybe we are, but... that's just how things are in the royal court."

seungmin's eyes darkened, his voice low and measured as he asked, "do you agree with them?"

changbin blinked, caught off guard by the directness of the question. "what?"

"about rural vampires," seungmin clarified, his tone colder now. "do you agree with their opinions?"

changbin hesitated, unsure how to answer. "i mean... i don't think it's that simple."

"it's a yes or no question," seungmin pressed, his patience thinning.

changbin exhaled, rubbing his temple. "look, it's not that i hate rural vampires. i don't. but... the way some of them feast—on humans—it's unethical. it's wrong."

seungmin's eyes narrowed. "and what other choice do they have? do you think they want to live like that?"

"it doesn't matter if they want to," changbin said, his voice rising slightly. "it's still wrong. feeding off humans like that—it's barbaric."

"barbaric?" seungmin repeated, his anger starting to simmer beneath the surface. "do you even know why they have to feed off humans? it's because you and your kind took everything from them. all the resources, all the sustainable ways of feeding—you took it all. and now you call them barbaric for doing what they need to do to survive?"

changbin recoiled slightly at the venom in seungmin's words. "that's not—"

"no, you don't get it," seungmin snapped, his eyes flashing with frustration. "you've never had to fight for food. you've never had to worry about where your next meal is coming from because you've always had everything handed to you on a silver platter. you have no idea what it's like out there."

changbin opened his mouth to protest, but seungmin cut him off. "you're spoiled, changbin. you've had the luxury of living a comfortable life, never having to struggle the way rural vampires do. and now you sit there, judging them for doing what they need to do to survive? you have no idea what it's like to be one of them."

changbin's face hardened, a flicker of defensiveness rising in him. "just because i've had a different life doesn't mean i don't understand suffering."

"suffering?" seungmin scoffed, his voice dripping with disdain. "what suffering have you ever known, changbin? being denied a new coat because your last one wasn't the right shade of black? please."

changbin's temper flared at that, and he glared at seungmin. "it's not like that."

"then what is it like?" seungmin demanded. "explain it to me. explain to me how your cushy life in the royal court even begins to compare to what rural vampires have to go through. you think you're so righteous, so much better than them, but all you do is sit in your high tower and look down on them."

changbin clenched his fists, his voice tight with frustration. "it's not about being better. it's about ethics. feeding on humans is wrong, no matter how you spin it."

"and what are they supposed to do?" seungmin shot back, his voice rising. "just starve? die out quietly so you don't have to feel uncomfortable?"

"they could find other ways," changbin argued, though his voice lacked conviction. "there are always other ways."

"no, there aren't," seungmin countered, his tone harsh. "not when the royals have taken everything from them. they don't have the luxury of other ways. they don't have your privileges."

changbin fell silent, his jaw clenched, staring at seungmin with a mixture of frustration and something else—guilt, maybe. he wanted to argue, to defend his stance, but seungmin's words hit a nerve deep inside him, one he wasn't quite ready to face.

for a moment, neither of them said anything. the argument had left the air heavy between them, and the sounds of the party in the background seemed distant, like white noise.

seungmin finally broke the silence, his voice quieter now, though still firm. "you don't have to agree with me, changbin. but don't you dare judge them for trying to survive."

changbin stared down at his drink, unable to meet seungmin's eyes. he felt the weight of those words settle on his shoulders, uncomfortable and suffocating.

he didn't know what to say.

- hyunwaffles

seungbin, the ceo's of holding grudges