『Schadenfreude』▷ jaesahi。

c h a s e

What is it that we must fear?

The soft tweeting of birds resounded in the garden in blissful harmony, lush green grass swishing as the breeze blew by. Asahi was alone today, an atypical occasion; usually there would be an irritating human stowed by his back, carrying a disquieting smile on rosy lips. He bathed in relief as he turned a page of the olden tome, and one again, he welcomed a new day to his second life.

Is it the dark which keeps us from the light

A cloud of dust billowed as he placed the weighty book down, skin-and-bone hands unable to carry it for too long. The pages ruffled lightly upon the wind, sheets of paper creating noise as they whisked against each other, dissolving together with the noise of nature. Asahi paid it no mind, dark orbs slowly gliding over word to word.

It was a book so old its papers were yellowing, borrowed from the towering array of books on Jaehyuk's library, written with cursive, foreign words. The latter had allowed him access to any of the materials on the library, more likely uncaring rather than giving.

Or is it the light that shows us the darkness behind all?

Asahi sighed as he felt his head throb with pain, tired rather than hurt, too used to the sensation to care. The transition from human to vampire was nowhere near child's play, causing many great pains that might lead to one's death when not overcome. Even his complexion had become sickly, inciting the worry of his friends— and although there were but a meager two of them, it still bothered him like a leash would a cat.

"Are you perhaps in ill fettle, Sir Ettore?"

Like a glass hit by a speeding car, his tranquil state was blown into splinters by an erstwhile vampire. Jaehyuk seated himself across Asahi, grinning blithely.

"I've been wondering for a while, but," Asahi began, peering at the other with slight petulance. "Why do you always keep speaking in Old Korean when talking to me?"

Jaehyuk raised a hand, signalling for the maid that had arrived with him to prepare his tea. "I find it much more fitting than modern language," he spoke. "After all, I am old, am I not?"

The maid scampered away as quick as she could, struggling to maintain all etiquette that had been taught to her upon first coming to this place as she ran. Asahi watched her with vague bemusement, opting not to answer the rhetoric query of Jaehyuk's.

"Then, Sir Ettore," the Korean continued. "Would you prefer for me to speak in our language?"

Asahi stilled.

His eyes that had settled into its dark hue roared with red, leaving only small slits of stygian. Jaehyuk chuckled at his reaction, knowing that he was more than ready to pounce at him for saying such a thing.

"Don't be stupid, Yoon Jaehyuk," he snarled. "Speaking that language outside of the kingdom is strictly forbidden."

The other's eyes creased in taunt. "What shall change? I'd still be a criminal, either way."

"Shut up."

Jaehyuk couldn't hold the howl of laughter that left his mouth, amused by the discovery that Asahi always seemed to send him doubling up with just a few words. He stopped, calming himself, easing into a smile that he gifted the Japanese with as the maid came back with a tray of treats and tea.

He wondered why and how it was that Asahi was still so abiding to the rules of a kingdom that had long ceased to exist. After all, that puny castle of theirs had came tumbling down like a cheap house of cards at his own hands, bringing the lives of many along with its collapse—Ettore's being one of those many.

How ironic it was for someone who had seen its fall to still speak of it as if it were alive.

"Now that we speak," he mentioned, dismissing the former subject. "Why must you be bothered by my way of talking?"

"It's unbefitting."

"Unbefitting?"

Asahi nodded, "It doesn't suit you. You're human now, so why consider the years you spent as a vampire?"

Jaehyuk paused, befuddled.

"Why not?" he asked, supping up his tea with propriety. "It is but a matter of time before you become a vampire and also make me into one."

"What about yesterday, then?"

"I do not follow, sir."

"Yoon Jaehyuk."

"Are you threatening me?"

"Yoon Jaehyuk."

Condescending was not an exaggeration of Asahi's glare. He glowered at Jaehyuk, and for some reason this time he did it not with hostility, but simply of warning. Jaehyuk raised an eyebrow, intrigued, but conceded nonetheless.

The corners of his roseate lips stretched into an irksome grin.

"And why must I answer that question?"

Aware that he couldn't acquire anything more than the question of an answer, Asahi's face settled onto a scowl, the color of his eyes dissolving like fumes and spiralling back into its dark hue.

"If you aren't going to answer, then at least compensate me for wasting my time asking," he spoke.

Jaehyuk leaned forward with interest. "And what may I do for you?"

"Talk to me casually."

"What?"

"Talk to me like you would to any other person. No, rather," he quickly rephrased. "Talk to me honestly. In normal Korean, without any of your false politeness."

Brows furrowing together in a nonplussed frown, Jaehyuk asked, "And why should I do that?"

"If you don't, I'll stop drinking your blood."

"You'll die."

"I won't. There are many humans other than you. Obviously, once I stop drinking your blood, I'm not going to help you with your equinox either."

Jaehyuk lost his smile upon the other's words.

He wasn't displeased by the claims, no, but rather annoyed by the obvious lies that Asahi had spoken. Complete and utter nonesense— those were the words that perfectly described Asahi's statement.

He was a Krneluce, with blood worth at least twenty times the cost of the world's most expensive wine, with blood more addicting than any other drug and more intoxicating than any other liquor. For Asahi to claim to stop drinking his blood was simply jocular. A halfling, fueled by desire, claiming abstinence to his blood?

How risible.

Asahi was no nincompoop, he must know that Jaehyuk could never be fooled by such balderdash. So why was it that he would still use it as a threat?

"Fine then."

Intrigued, Jaehyuk couldn't help but agree to his ludicrous demand. Chin placed atop his hand, he gave Asahi a half-hearted smile; perhaps nettled, maybe riveted— either way, he had uttered an agreement.

Asahi looked at him with ever-unchanging eyes.

"I can't really tell what you're thinking, Asahi."

The halfling's reply was cryptic.

"In a game of tag, I prefer to chase that be chased."

-----

Apparently wattpad doesn't like this chapter so it decided not to publish it yesterday even tho I definitely pressed the freaking button.

I didn't check wattpad until now so yeah... sorry about that.

Also, I made a mistake last chapter. When Jaehyuk said "To be the first and last to taste the blood of a Krneluce", it was actually supposed to be "this Krneluce."

I've fixed it now. Thanks for reading this ugly chapter! See you on Friday when new characters finally get introduced.