LOVE BITES -Jeongcheol

Chapter 18

The night was cool, the kind that made your skin prickle just enough to notice but not enough to shiver. Joshua and Seokmin sat on the rooftop, their legs dangling off the edge, moving in lazy sync. The first snow of the year had begun to fall. The city twinkled, a mirrored version of the stars above, and a soft, romantic song played from their shared wired earphones—one earbud in Joshua's ear, the other in Seokmin's.

Joshua leaned back slightly, supporting himself with his hands as he gazed at the sky. "Why does it have to be so hard?" he murmured, "It's been a month since Jeonghan left. I don't even know where he is. Chan does, of course—he visits him for blood—but apparently, Jeonghan made him promise not to tell anyone." He sighed, shaking his head. "I don't get it. Why does Jeonghan cling to this righteous vampirism that does nothing but weigh him down with responsibilities? It gives him nothing but burden"

Seokmin chuckled softly, his gaze fixed on the lights below. "Same with Seungcheol and his righteous hunterism. I get it—they're built for it, born for it. But people can change. At least, I believe they can." He turned to Joshua, a small smile playing on his lips. "It's probably hard for him to fathom that I chose to fall in love with you—a vampire."

Joshua let out a short laugh, "I can't fathom it either."

Seokmin's smile softened. He reached over to brush Joshua's hair out of his face, his touch gentle. "Vampire or not, I'd still choose to fall in love with you. It wouldn't matter if you were a mermaid, a ghoul, a witch, a hunter, or even just... human."

Joshua smiled, shaking his head. The music continued to hum faintly between them, the shared melody creating a bubble of quiet intimacy. Then, a thought struck him, sudden and sharp.

"Human..." he said, his voice barely above a whisper.

Seokmin tilted his head. "Hmm?"

"The cure. The one that vixen mentioned that day."

"What about it?" Seokmin asked again, his tone cautious now.

Joshua hesitated. "Would you want me to take it?"

Seokmin didn't flinch. "It's your choice. I don't have a say in it."

"But what if you did?"

Seokmin exhaled softly, the faintest crease forming between his brows. "Then I'd be selfish and say no." His voice was firm, but his eyes were warm. "If you take the cure, you'll become human. Hunters are immortal, Joshua. There's no universe where I'd want to outlive you. I couldn't. Watching you grow old while I stay the same? Losing you to time while I keep going? Baby... I couldn't survive that." He placed his hand over Joshua's, his smile sweet but laced with something deeper. "You are my forever, vampire or not. I couldn't bear to see you slip away, not when I know I'd still be here, holding on to a world without you in it."

Joshua blinked, his throat tightening at the depth of Seokmin's words. But instead of responding with equal weight, he let out a small scoff, rolling his eyes in a weak attempt to defuse the overwhelming emotion. "So cheesy," he muttered, though the corners of lips curled.

"I'm serious," Seokmin said with a small laugh. Then his tone grew softer, more thoughtful. "In all honesty, though, I know you don't want to take the cure either."

Joshua nodded slowly, his gaze fixed on the horizon, where snowflakes blurred the edges of the city lights. "I don't. I never have," he said, his voice quiet but sure. "Not even when I fell for you. I can't imagine being anything other than what I am. Besides, I wouldn't be strong enough to protect you if I were human." He flashed a playful, almost cheesy smile.

Seokmin scoffed. "As if. We both know I'm stronger than you."

Joshua chuckled. "Agree to disagree." He paused, his expression turning more serious as his thoughts lingered. "But really, I could never leave my people behind. No matter how messy things get—dating you, being a vampire—it's who I am. It's everything I've ever known. I thought Jeonghan understood that too..."