Chapter Text
Traitor.
From across the room, Jeonghan glared as his boyfriend, the love of his life, gave his entire attention to something else but him.
Those damned bats—they are supposed to be his familiar, essentially a part of Jeonghan, an extension of his consciousness and limbs, and yet for whatever reason, those bats monopolized his lover instead of obeying their master’s will.
Jeonghan glowered at the absurdity of the situation, watching as the bats lined up on the couch, giddily waiting for their turn so Joshua could put them in tiny handmade sweaters he personally knitted.
Have Jeonghan mentioned that his bats are technically infinite in number…?
Never in his life the vampire expected he would be jealous of his bats—of what Joshua called as sky puppies. Turned out a three-hundred-year-old vampire could get jealous with anything as long as it comes down to Joshua.
“Shua,” Jeonghan called, his voice uncharacteristically sharp around the edges, a familiar sign of the vampire being sulky. “They’re my familiar and they don’t feel cold. They don’t need your hand knitted sweaters.”
Joshua lifted his gaze to settle on his boyfriend, furrowing his eyebrows and giving a small frown. “Then it goes the same for you, Hannie. If you’re a vampire and you don’t feel the cold, then you don’t need my cuddles anymore, right?”
“What? That’s not what I—”
Jeonghan looked thoroughly upset and Joshua giggled, sending a small wink at the general direction of Jeonghan before returning his attention back to the excited sky puppies.
Blasphemous.
Sometimes Jeonghan considered on being stricter and punishing his familiar thoroughly, perhaps limiting their interaction with Joshua. But Jeonghan admitted he is indeed a prideful being, and it is the bats, who are more honest and rawer with their feelings, who gave Jeonghan the chance to be with Joshua.
And for that, Jeonghan let them off the hook.
Two years ago.
“Soonyoung.”
Too many times Jeonghan said his name with equal fondness and exasperation, but at this point he’s running out of patience for the younger vampire.
Undaunted as ever, Soonyoung grinned at him, flashing his canine teeth, and Jeonghan took a mental note, adding this to the list of things he should scold Soonyoung about. Soonyoung might be younger than he is, but he is a full-grown adult vampire, meaning the basic rules and ethics of being a supernatural being should be drilled into him.
In modern society, it is common for supernatural beings to live alongside humans all while hiding their true identity, blending in as if they are human being themselves. The long history spanning behind them indeed isn’t pretty. Even though society has progressed tremendously, with humans and supernatural beings reaching a consensus and striving for a better world, they learned to draw the line somewhere to avoid repetitive conflicts due to their inherent differences.
It is always an ironclad rule to never disclose anything related to the supernatural beings publicly without supervision, and it is an unspoken rule to never truly put your heart for someone with a different species than you are.
Not that it’s a taboo, but they knew better that it never ends well.
However, Soonyoung remains one of the most reckless and unpredictable vampires Jeonghan has ever known.
“I’m serious, hyung. I told you, I’m introducing you to my boyfriend,” Soonyoung stated, standing firm and tall with his decision.
A human boyfriend.
Jeonghan tried not to put every case into the same label, but he couldn’t help it. Compared to other beings, humans are far too different from them, more than just the physique and age difference. Their morals, values, ethics, behaviors, instincts, and feelings—they are completely different and at times foreign to supernatural beings like them. These differences will reveal themselves through time, eventually piling up, and Jeonghan observed from the front seat how most relationships with humans didn’t end well.
The problem is, when Soonyoung said he has a human boyfriend, Jeonghan thought it would be an easy and light relationship. They have lived alongside the humans quite a while and it’s normal for any supernatural beings to be curious, tempted to try a relationship with a human just once, or twice, or to their heart’s content.
This is clearly not the case, since Jeonghan saw how Soonyoung fell deep for the said human, and Jeonghan was nothing but concerned.
Truthfully, a part of Jeonghan didn’t get what Soonyoung was thinking of. The younger knew of the risk from the fragile and fleeting relationship. It was bound to end, leaving him hurt and alone, so why was he still willing to go through it?
Is love such a powerful thing—or does it make you stupid?
“Hyung.”
Soonyoung’s hopeful eyes gradually persuaded Jeonghan, and he caved in.
“Fine, just this once.”
“Hyung! You’re the best!”
“I know.”
Jeonghan let himself be dragged by the eager Soonyoung, guiding him while rambling about how perfect his boyfriend is, and how Soonyoung has been waiting for a long time to introduce him to Jeonghan, until they reached a café. A simple and nice-looking café, and Jeonghan thought he might’ve passed by this place a few times, though he never really noticed since there’s nothing special about it.
As they entered, Soonyoung waved to the direction of the counter, hopping lightly on his toes. “There he is!”
Jeonghan followed his line of sight and… he felt as if his heart stopped beating.
His keen vampire eyes locked themselves at the sight of a man standing by the counter, as if the entire world disappeared but that man.
There is no way to describe him, other than it is as if he holds all the stars in his eyes, sparkling under the dim lighting of the café. His gentle features are prominent even across the distance between them, doe eyes and plush lips—and everything of him is calling out to Jeonghan. So beautiful, so ethereal, and Jeonghan didn’t understand how, but he wanted to cry.
Dread settled on Jeonghan’s heart.
Soonyoung’s beloved is so beautiful.
The man turned back to the counter to pick up his coffee, and after a nod to the cashier, he promptly walked towards them.
Their gaze met, but this time much closer than before.
Three hundred years of living and Jeonghan felt as if time slowed down to torture him.
The man nodded slightly at Jeonghan and… he passed by, leaving the café, and Jeonghan watched as the glass door closed in front of his face.
What? Why did he—
“Hyung?” Soonyoung waved his hand in front of Jeonghan’s face. “Why are you staring at that guy? Is it someone you know? Come on, Jihoon is waiting for us.”
“Huh?”
“What do you mean ‘huh’?”
Soonyoung continued to wave at the cashier, and only now did Jeonghan notice the shorter man standing behind it, crossing his arms and looking quite disgruntled, but Jeonghan could discern the unease hiding behind his strong persona.
“I can assure you he’s 100% human. Don’t be daunted by his fierce look! He’s very small and cute.” Then Soonyoung quickly added in a hushed whisper, “please don’t tell him I say that.”
Oh, so Jeonghan mistook the beautiful man as Soonyoung’s lover, when it was actually someone else behind the counter and not him.
The tension left him and it was soon replaced by confusion.
Jeonghan turned hastily, trying to catch a glimpse of the said stranger across the street, walking away further from the café—further from him.
Who is that person and why did his presence disarray Jeonghan so much?
Soonyoung noticed the older vampire frozen on his spot, so he resorted to pulling Jeonghan along. “Hyung, come on.”
“Right, okay,” Jeonghan tried to cast all unnecessary thoughts away.
Whoever he is, there was no urgency since Jeonghan sensed no danger nor malice from the stranger. He is mysterious but not in a bad way, and it is enough to set aside the contemplation for later. Jeonghan should focus on meeting Soonyoung’s boyfriend first, to see whether he’s equally loyal and committed to Soonyoung or not.
Jeonghan tried to focus but he failed.
He was captivated by those beautiful eyes.
Jeonghan wandered down the street with the sun setting behind him, casting a long shadow of his figure. Darkness fell across the city, and in the domain of the night, his mind is clearer. Though modern vampires aren’t as sensitive towards the sun compared to their ancestors, they are fundamentally more active at night, and Jeonghan certainly isn’t a morning person. Somehow, at night, he is more in his element.
It didn’t take long for Jeonghan to see how Soonyoung’s boyfriend, Jihoon, reciprocate the same heartfelt devotion, even though the shorter man kept on stomping Soonyoung’s foot or jabbing his stomach whenever the vampire gushed out too much about how sickeningly in love he is. Honestly, Jeonghan couldn’t blame Jihoon for his rough treatment. It was quite the relief to see the two of them getting along well, having the same intense feelings towards each other.
Still, it doesn’t guarantee a happy ending.
The road ahead will be rougher for them. Relationship between two different species face much more hardship compared to normal relationships, and it can’t be avoided.
The least Jeonghan could do is to provide help and advice whenever they need it, hoping only the best for the two of them.
And now…
He stared at the empty road, deserted of any soul, and his heart felt emptier than it usually is. No, it’s not because of Soonyoung or Jihoon. The simple encounter with the man at the café left a mark on him, shaking his core, leaving an uneasiness inside his heart.
If the man isn’t human, Jeonghan would be able to identify what he is from a single glance. There was no trace of any supernatural being, as if the man is a harmless and ordinary human. It was a different feeling compared to when he encountered a suspicious individual who truly meant trouble.
The feelings he felt… was hard to explain.
Jeonghan is strongly pulled towards that man, an enchanting silent voice calling for him. He wanted to drop everything, grab the stranger, and stare into his devastatingly beautiful eyes, as if Jeonghan would receive his answer from the stars decorating the stranger’s irises.
There’s no logical reason for why he would feel so strongly towards a single human.
Pinching the bridge of his nose, Jeonghan exhaled deeply.
Perhaps, it was nothing but layers of stress piling up, turning him quite delirious. Aside from being concerned after his younger vampire friends (especially Soonyoung), Jeonghan is burdened from his duties as one of the representatives for the vampires of this city. As the youngest and newest representative, he’s reduced into a mere office boy, cleaning up messes and running errands. He’s tasked to patrol around the neighborhood, keeping an eye out for incidents or suspicious activities involving supernatural beings—especially vampires.
He used his bats as his eyes and ears to watch over the area. While he’s doing errands, he would let the bats prowl independently, and they would report back to him whenever something happened. Sometimes, Jeonghan would gather them around to give himself a break, since using familiar does require energy.
Stretching his arms, Jeonghan focused on the connection between him and his familiar, calling for each of them to return. From the shadows, bats started popping out, swirling around him before they melted into his skin, fusing back with him. Jeonghan absorbed their memories, finding nothing out of ordinary today, but he did notice one of them missing.
He didn’t need to count the bats as they are a part of him, and he is connected to them as if they are his own hands and legs. If any of them are missing, he can feel it. Vaguely, he could sense the bat was fine and unscathed, unlike other emergencies he encountered before. However, for unknown reason, the bat refused to return.
When Jeonghan tugged on their connection and urged the bat to go back, it just outright ignored his call.
That’s weird.
This was the first time something like this ever happened, for his bat to be stranded away from him and refused his call on purpose. Jeonghan is their master and there is no reason for why they would disobey him unless there is an unforeseen situation.
Jeonghan could easily track it down, and so, he decided to fetch the last bat on his own.
“Look at you, all excited and happy like this. Are you feeling better now?” Joshua cooed softly, his gentle hands caressing the bunny’s soft hair, stroking back the fluffy ears.
The white bunny relaxed under his touch, nuzzling into his palm in content. It’s been three days since Snowball the bunny stayed with them due to a case of ear infection. When the bunny first arrived, he scratched his head a lot and grinded his teeth in pain. Joshua was thankful most of the symptoms calmed down. More treatments needed to be done for a full recovery, but at least the owner can take him home and administer the medicine themselves now.
Joshua leaned down to the examination table, leveling his eyes with the bunny, giving a smile that reached his eyes. “Are you excited to go home tomorrow? You’re getting so much better! What a sweetheart you are, good boy.”
As if responding to Joshua, Snowball groomed his nose, and his heart was squeezed by the adorable gesture.
He could stay and indulge in the sweet bunny forever, but Joshua heard footsteps behind him.
“Shua-hyung, you can go back first if you want to. I’ll check on the other kids,” Wonwoo said, walking over to the examination table and giving Snowball a quick pat. “His condition is improving a lot. What a strong bunny, you are.”
Joshua couldn’t contain the giggle escaping him, because he knew better than anyone how Wonwoo’s cool persona is a façade in front of the pet owners. Behind closed door, Wonwoo would slip into his baby-talk, cooing and praising every pet he came across. Of course. How could you work at a vet clinic and not pamper all the animals?
Wonwoo narrowed his eyes at Joshua, knowing exactly why the older is laughing. “I’ll put him back to the wards. See you tomorrow, hyung,” he cradled Snowball into his arms and disappeared down the hallway with a wave.
By volunteering to check on the wards before they closed, Wonwoo took the chance to have his personal time cuddling and cooing at the inpatients, and he’s especially aiming for the marvelous gray ragdoll he’s so fond of. Wonwoo and his obsession with cats. Plus, if Wonwoo is in charge of the wards, then it means Joshua is in charge of cleaning up and taking out the trash. Joshua admitted it is a superb tactic from the younger vet.
Today was a slow day, so they sent most of the assistants and nurses home early, leaving the closing to the two veterinarian physicians.
Even though Paws Clinic is small compared to those big animal hospitals, they have enough regulars to keep them occupied. Their name is also very cute, half of the reason why Joshua applied to work here in the first place. The clinic technically belongs to Wonwoo’s uncle, but the owner himself had been taking it easy, basically leaving the clinic on his nephew’s hand. Sooner or later, Joshua knew it’d be officially handed over to Wonwoo.
Stepping outside the clinic, Joshua shivered under the cold breeze and he quickly threw the trash out. As he walked back, under the low lighting, he noticed something small and black lying on the pavement. Joshua initially thought it was a random plastic bag. Curiosity took over him and he approached it, only to find a pair of black wings and two tiny round eyes peering up at him.
“Oh,” Joshua let out a small gasp at the pleasant surprise.
The small bat flinched and Joshua stopped in his tracks, careful not to scare the little creature away.
There’s only one reason for why a bat is on the ground like this instead of flying or dangling upside down somewhere. It must be wounded and it is a natural instinct for Joshua (or perhaps for a vet) not to leave it alone.
“Are you okay?” he whispered gently, as if to persuade the bat that he isn’t hostile at all.
At snail’s speed, Joshua crouched down and crept closer to observe more. It was quite dark and he couldn’t make any initial guesses as to why the bat was stranded. He needed to bring it back to the clinic to examine it properly.
"Can you wait for a few seconds? Be a good boy and wait for me here?"
To Joshua's wonder, the bat stared at him intently, with no intention of thrashing around or moving a single muscle. There was a pause and Joshua wondered if the bat is just a doll, and he merely imagined it moving, but then the bat tilted its head adorably, as if questioning for why Joshua wasn’t doing anything. Joshua took it as a good sign, so he hastily went back to the clinic and returned with gloved hands and a fresh clean towel.
He approached the bat slowly, all while lowering himself and offering baby noises for consolation. The bat was within a hand’s reach and it was still peering curiously at Joshua. When he reached his hand out, the bat did shrink away, but it wasn’t reacting agitatedly. So, Joshua made initial contact, the tip of his finger slowly caressing the furry body. He continued stroking lightly, making sure the bat was getting used to being handled by him.
Originally, Joshua planned on covering the bat with the towel, blocking its vision and making it easier to pick it up. But because the bat was being very docile, Joshua weighed his options. Subtly, his other hand made their way around the bat, and he easily scooped it up in one smooth movement. Instead of thrashing or flopping away, the small bat grabbed around Joshua’s palm with its tiny paws, steadying itself.
Joshua stared in awe, taking in the fact that a bat is on his palms right now.
Even as a vet, he had limited experiences with bats, interacting only with those kept in shelters and sanctuaries. Contrary to popular belief (or maybe Joshua is biased because he loves any animals), bats are cute, especially baby bats which are also called as pups. Their round, large, black eyes are like sparkly chocolate chips. Joshua once saw how the babies are swaddled with blankets and he combusted from the sheer cuteness.
He sucked in a deep breath as he watched the bat squirmed, as if settling itself more comfortable.
“I’m going to move you, okay?”
The bat sat still without any struggle and soon they reached one of the examination room. He set the towel on the table, putting the bat on top of it gently.
"Such a good boy. I wonder why you are so calm?" Joshua wondered.
Although he’s not an expert in treating bats, there’s a baseline in administering first aid to every animal all the same, so Joshua started his examination. There’s no visible open wound, and the eyes, ears, nose, and mouth of the bat looked healthy enough without a scratch. When he stretched out the wings and checked the limbs, the bat didn’t react in pain. Is the wound internal or did he eat anything bad? Since the bat’s condition wasn’t critical, he would consult with the people of the sanctuary tomorrow. For now, he would help the bat to be as comfy as possible, providing drinks and food, as well as preparing a place for it to stay for the night.
His focus was interrupted when the bat nuzzled to his fingers.
Joshua’s heart swelled at the endearing gesture. Picking up wild animals or wounded strays is tricky since most of the time the animal is acting very agitated and scared, so they will have to handle it cautiously. But this bat was weirdly docile and calm.
"I think you're used to around human," Joshua said, lightly scratching the bat’s chin.
The bat responded, moving its head up and down, and for a moment Joshua paused—
Did the bat just respond to him?
He was quick to brush the thought away. “Oh well, it’s just a coincidence. There’s no way you would respond to me, right?”
The bat leaned his head sideways, one of its ears perking up, before it nodded once again.
Blinking, Joshua took another momentary pause. “Did you just… respond to me?”
Joshua watched with wide eyes how the bat gave another nod and started internally contemplating the chances. Some animals could be trained to understand human speech, but most of them are domesticated species like dogs or cats. He didn’t know bats are this intelligent. Maybe this bat is really used to human, perhaps once living in a shelter or sanctuary.
“Wow,” he breathed out. “You’re not only sweet and cute, but you’re also smart. What a good boy you are!”
As if understanding the vet’s praises, the bat brightened up, its body gesture livelier and more confident. At this point, the two were comfortable with each other, with Joshua basically coddling the bat on his palm, rubbing the side of its body with his thumb gently, and the bat wriggling happily in response.
It is so cute.
Really, what are the chances of you picking up a stray bat on a pavement and it understands human speech?
It really was… quite uncanny.
“Paws?” Jeonghan read the sign aloud, more to himself.
It was quite amusing and baffling at the same time how the last bat is stranded in a vet clinic. Jeonghan could imagine a random kid accidentally finding the bat, bringing it here to be treated even when the bat is perfectly fine. Long story short, the bat must’ve been roped into a ridiculous situation. It’s the only explanation for why the bat is fine yet unable to return.
The clinic is obviously closed from the sign hung at the door, but the lights were on and Jeonghan could sense precisely two humans inside, perhaps cleaning up to end their shift. Jeonghan would love to avoid them, preferably closing this situation without a mess at all. With the distance between them much closer, Jeonghan’s connection with the lone bat is stronger, and so he tried to call the bat forcefully this time.
Against his master’s will, the bat tugged back, refusing strongly to be called back.
Jeonghan raised an eyebrow, crossing his arms. The bat was truly desperate, using all his willpower to refuse Jeonghan’s call despite it being much weaker than its master. What is making it against going back? Just what is it holding the bat back? He decided to personally step inside and gave the bat a thorough scolding later, whatever the situation is.
Easily, Jeonghan opened the yet-to-be-locked front door, navigating himself through the small clinic, his footsteps not making a single sound. It didn’t take long for him to start hearing voices, which presumably came from one of the human employees working here.
“Is something wrong? You’re all tensed up like that,” the voice talked, soft and gentle, and somehow Jeonghan felt a slight tug in his chest.
The door was wide open and Jeonghan peered inside—and there’s that man from the café.
The same man who holds the stars in his eyes, the same man with his gentle features, the same man that stops time for Jeonghan—the very same man, but instead of dressed in his brown coat, the man was in light blue scrubs. And there, on top of the examination table, was the last bat he has been searching for.
Why is—no, the reason why is clear. The man must’ve been one of the veterinarians working here. The question is how did his bat ended up on the palm of the said man? Jeonghan knew sooner or later, curiosity would win over him and he would dispatch his bat to track down the stranger, but he never expected them to be reunited this fast and in this way.
“You’re fine just a second ago, so why… oh.”
The man—Joshua stopped, realizing that a complete stranger was standing at the door.
At the sight of its master, the bat jumped, scared of the vampire’s anger. Lucky for the bat, Jeonghan was fixated at the sight of Joshua, the hundreds of thoughts running in his mind are drowned by the presence of the human alone.
“Um, I’m sorry the clinic is closed, and—,” Joshua faltered, eyes widening in recognition. “I think I saw you on Ruby Café just now.”
So, it wasn’t only Jeonghan who remembered him.
“Yes,” the vampire responded shortly, as if he was in a trance.
Feeling uncomfortable from the stare, Joshua casted his gaze away sheepishly. “Um, okay. The clinic is actually closed, but is there an emergency? Can I help you with something, sir…?”
“Jeonghan. I’m Yoon Jeonghan.”
“I’m Joshua, Hong Joshua, one of the vets working here. So, is there something I can help you with, Mr. Yoon?”
Joshua.
Jeonghan wanted to try saying the name out loud, but what comes out next is truly out of his control.
“I want my bat back.”
There was a second of pause and Jeonghan was painfully aware at how absurd he sounded. It was further confirmed when Joshua gave him a baffled look.
“Y—your what?”
It was too late to take back his words, so Jeonghan cleared his throat, feigning confidence as if he said nothing wrong at all. “My bat.”
On cue, the little bat flapped its wings and nodded in agreement. Even though the creature is reluctant to go back to Jeonghan and leave Joshua’s warmth, the bat knew it made a mistake for being stubborn. At the very least, the bat could help sort out the misunderstanding and hopefully avoid inciting more wrath from the vampire.
The vet looked down at the bat, then back at Jeonghan, raising an eyebrow. “This bat is yours?”
“Yes.”
Quite the ridiculous claim since bats aren’t domesticated animals or meant to be kept as a pet. Even if they are kept somewhere, most of them are in a shelter of sanctuaries, where the handlers are experienced in taking care of them, and not some random person wanting a house pet.
“I see, I actually found him outside just now, lying on the road. I examined him and I found no open wound. His condition also seems fine. May I know if you’re working for a shelter or anything?”
Jeonghan seemed quite confused at Joshua’s question. “No… it’s just… he’s just my pet?”
Joshua recalled how the bat is used to around human and generally understood human’s speech, so maybe the notion of this man having a bat as a pet isn’t impossible.
“You have a bat as a pet?” Joshua laughed, thinking of making a joke to loosen the situation and make Jeonghan talk more. “What are you, a vampire?”
“Yes, I am.”
Okay, that definitely wasn’t the answer Joshua is expecting—and surprisingly, Jeonghan was sporting the same surprised look as he is. The two blinked at each other and the situation is quite… comical.
Smooth, very smooth, Yoon Jeonghan.
The vampire would love to groan loudly into his palms, as well as disintegrating his body into hundreds of bats and flying away from this place immediately.
Three hundred years of living as a vampire and mastering the art of hiding his identity—and everything was blown away within second. This happened because of this stranger, this man he randomly met at a café today, this man who have such beautiful eyes and handsome face and gentle voice and perfect name and—okay, that’s enough.
They’re seconds away from Joshua freaking out, thinking Jeonghan is a nutcase, and truly, the vampire couldn’t blame him for thinking so. He shouldn’t worry needlessly, since he could erase Joshua’s memory after this—
“That’s cool,” Joshua breathed out, releasing the tension of his shoulder.
“What?”
“You’re a vampire? That’s cool.”
Now it was Jeonghan who thinks Joshua is a nutcase.
This human is definitely weird and it is certainly the first time Jeonghan ever got a response like this.
“I just told you I’m a vampire, and you believed that?”
Joshua blinked at him unsuspectingly. “Well… I mean, you said so. We just met, so who am I to judge your answer, or who you are?”
Completely lost at the turn of events, Jeonghan shook his head and pinched the bridge of his nose. “I—whatever and give me that bat back.”
“He’s clinging to me, though,” the vet pointed out.
Indeed, the bat wrapped its tiny wings around Joshua’s hand, reluctant to let go or budge a single bit. It looked up at Joshua with an expectant gaze akin to puppy eyes, asking for his help.
Of course, Joshua relented. “As I told you before, your bat isn’t wounded, but I found him lying on the road. There must be something wrong with it. Be sure to have him checked up later, okay?”
Jeonghan narrowed his eyes, glaring at the bat, and the little critter cowered in fear.
“There’s no need to,” Jeonghan sounded grumpy more than he intended to, so he softened his voice. “It’s—it’s my familiar. When they’re wounded, they can always go back to my shadows and recuperate. I don’t understand why there’s a need for this one to feign a wound and let themselves be treated like this.”
The bat flinched, caught guilty as Jeonghan’s words hit the mark, and it tried to seek refuge behind Joshua’s warm fingers.
Damn it.
Why is Jeonghan so irritated at the clingy antics of his own familiar?
Joshua looked back and forth between the bat and its owner—the self-proclaimed vampire. “Oh… um, but are you sure? He looks quite lost when I found him, like disarrayed and confused. He’s been a very good boy so far, but if you are to take him back, please make sure he’s okay, alright?”
At Joshua’s gentle words, the bat nuzzled to him appreciatingly, and Joshua gave him scritches in return. Jeonghan felt even more frustration, seeing how the bat savored every single attention from the vet.
“Look at him, such a good boy.”
Jeonghan narrowed his eyes. “Good boy? But he’s not a puppy.”
When Joshua looked up at him, his eyes are sparkling with the stars and Jeonghan felt his heart clench.
“Well, don’t you think bats are like sky puppies?” Joshua told him, his lips and eyes curling beautifully into a smile.
“Sky… puppies?”
“Yep! Look at his big eyes and cute little snout. Don’t you think he resemble a puppy?”
To be honest, Jeonghan isn’t a fan of animals and he could hardly see the resemblance. However, when Joshua said it with his sparkly, round eyes, Jeonghan thought Joshua is the one who resembles a puppy more.
He’s cute.
An alarm was faintly ringing at the back of Jeonghan’s mind. Did he just—did he just think this random stranger is cute?
“Don’t you think so?” Joshua’s words snapped him out of his stupor.
“Y—yes,” Jeonghan blurted out, trying to calm down by taking a deep breath. “In any case, I need to take him back, and we need to leave now. Don’t worry, I’ll take care of him well.”
Jeonghan signaled with his fingers, and unlike the other times he was disobeyed, this time the bat flew directly to his shoulder and perched there. For a moment, the vampire paused, pondering whether to erase Joshua’s memory or not.
It is true the majority of supernatural beings, including vampires, are hiding their true identity from humans. Even so, in this modern times, humans are more rational, meaning they won’t believe supernatural beings or phenomenon so easily. If a human meets someone who claims to be a supernatural being, they will brush it off as an encounter with a weird person. The same goes if a human experiences a weird phenomenon, since they’ll try to find a scientific reason behind it. There are rules in the underworld society, but unless it is a huge case where they are exposed in public, they won’t bother erasing any memories at all. These humans will dismiss themselves easily.
In the first place, did Joshua really believe Jeonghan is a vampire? Or did Joshua think Jeonghan is role-playing as a vampire and he’s just playing along with it? It’s not Jeonghan’s first time to encounter a human that thinks as such, so it is highly plausible.
Joshua stared at the vampire with his innocent, unsuspecting eyes, and then he tilted his head. “Is something wrong?”
Yes, definitely the second case.
Letting out a deep sigh, Jeonghan decided he should let Joshua go for tonight. There were stuffs he needed to sort out right now and dealing with a single human wasn't in his agenda. Perhaps he would assign one of the bats—not this one—to monitor Joshua for a few days and evaluate his reaction. After that, he would decide what to do with the human.
“Um…? Hello?”
“Thank you for taking care of my bat. Good night, Dr. Hong.”
The vampire dismissed himself as quickly as possible, before he changed his mind and stayed longer than intended.