A/N: is this story dragging on lmao i feel like im making it a little too long :p

a part of this chapter is inspired by the book Red Queen by Victoria Aveyard (those that have read the book will recognize which :)

When I woke up the next morning, the other half of the bed was empty. Judging by the lack of warmth coming from it, Jungwon had left quite a while ago. I sighed, feeling a familiar pain in my chest when remembering the outcomes of last night. 

I tugged at a piece of my hair, rolling around on the bed and getting tangled in the blankets. "Damn it, Yumin! Why'd you have to spark an argument when he was obviously hurting of all times!" I whined into the comforters. 

I paused, my face flush against the mattress. I understood why he would react that way. Jungwon isn't someone who does something for no reason, that I could personally defend. Even if he could be a little stuck-up know-it-all at certain times, he was never unkind. And I couldn't deny the truth in his words last night. I am a vampire. 

Still, he didn't have to accuse me so much. I pouted into the sheets. 

A knock sounded on the door. I threw an arm over my face, knowing that it was Diana. "You may enter." I said out loud, hearing the door open immediately after I gave the command.

To my surprise, it wasn't my maid that stalked in with an attitude. In fact, it wasn't a female at all.

"Yumin~" A dainty, but very much male voice called out. 

Sunoo. 

Immediately, I sat up. Sure enough, there was Sunoo standing in all his glory. There was an almost blinding light of perfectness emitting off of him, contrasting against my gloomy attitude. He flashed me a bright smile as he skipped to Jungwon's side of the bed, settling himself into the comforters next to me. 

I laughed as he innocently blinked at me. "What are you doing here this early?" 

He giggled, running a hand through his hair and staring at the ceiling. "Because you're the only person who doesn't mind me barging into their- wait." He cut himself off, sitting straight up on the bed and staring at me. 

I blinked back at him, feeling slightly insecure. I mean, come on. I knew morning Yumin wasn't the prettiest sight to look at, but he didn't have to make it that obvious. 

"Your voice." Sunoo deadpanned.

"My voice?" I echoed back. 

"It's croaky." He narrowed his eyes at me. 

I awkwardly laughed. "Uh, thanks?"

"And your face," he continued, that stern look still present in his eyes as he turned my chin to get a good look at it. "Puffy." 

"It feels as if you are pointing out my flaws this morning, Sunoo." 

Finally piecing all of the hints together, Sunoo let out a very dramatic gasp as he pressed one of his hands on his mouth. "Who did it? Who made you cry like this?" 

He rolled up his sleeves, throwing the blanket back (to my dismay) and letting out an angered exhale. "It was probably that bitch of a prince again." He murmured to himself, though I could clearly hear him. 

Sunoo shook his fist in the air at no one in particular, but I assumed he was envisioning my prince's face in his mind. "Oh you better watch out, boy." He seethed. "Next time I see that sorry Jungwon imma give him a hard kick in the ass to get his silly act together." He threatened, still shaking his fist in the air whilst fuming.

I almost felt sorry for Jungwon. Almost. He kind of deserved it, ngl. 

And so, that's how I ended up telling Sunoo everything that happened with an exhale of my breath. 

"And then he told me- are you crying?" I asked, shocked, turning to Sunoo. The prince was sniffling, but quickly flicked his tears away the second my eyes landed on him. 

"No," he grumbled, looking away from my eyes. "Just allergies."

I slowly nodded. "Uh-huh. Anyways, whenever I told him-"

"Watching my best friends get into an argument is so sad :((((" Sunoo wailed, latching onto me and sobbing. I was caught off guard, staring in bewilderment at the puff of platinum hair sobbing into my shoulder. 

Well damn. 

"Sunoo..." I groaned, starting to feel my own tears prickling at my eyes again. I, too, was sobbing soon enough. "YOU'RE MAKING ME CRY." I bawled, clutching onto the prince that clutched me back equally as tight. 

"NO, YOU MADE ME CRY WITH THAT SAD ASS STORY OF YOURS." 

"STOP CRYING." 

"YOU STOP CRYING."

<><><><><><><><><>

Two days past, and neither Jungwon nor I spoke a word to each other. 

It was like a game of pettiness, none of us willing to give in and start the conversation first. It was a constant of routine of me going to bed earlier than him, and him waking up earlier than me. He would then proceed to be gone for the rest of the day. If not for the slight warmth of his body temperature still lingering on the bed, I wouldn't have known if he actually came back or not. 

And boy, did it hurt. 

Sunoo was my greatest company, making sure to come and visit me with delicious treats of his. For a vampire, he sure knew what fit my human-like tastebuds the most. 

Of course, the other members came to visit, too, whether it was to check up on me or chide Jungwon. 

Now, I was sitting in the Sheep Garden, ironically. Sipping out of the delicate cup of warm tea in my hand, I sighed as I blankly stared at the plants that held so many dear memories. I wonder why I would even come back to this place. It was just something about it, something that pulled me in. 

Soft padding came from the door, and I turned to see a maid silently walk in with another kettle of tea. Glancing at my still rather-full kettle on the table, I held out a hand with a gentle smile. "Ah, there's no need to bring me more. I can just continue drinking the one I already have." 

The maid only offered me a tight smile with urging eyes, silently placing the new kettle of tea on the table along with a new teacup. Without a word, she expertly poured the steaming tea into the new cup and handed it to me, quickly bowing before she left. 

I tilted my head in confusion, staring at the teacup she had quite rapidly shoved into my hand. I was about to set it back down at the table, before something caught my eye. I froze, peering inside the cup again. 

Inside, was a single sliver of paper. It was quickly curling up as it got absorbed in the liquid, the ink on it starting to blot off. However, my eyes were able to read its content right before the ink ceased to exist. 

"Two days. Midnight."

I sat back in my seat, letting both teacups turn cold. Yunseo had finally contacted me.