"I was an ordinary human, just like you and any other person." Yeonjun began.
Soobin found himself stopped eating and listening to Yeonjun's story. All the ladies already surrounded them as though they were also interested in the story.
"You're seeing this place? It was my palace. I was the prince. The third prince." He smiled.
"But, because the other princes were not from the queen, they were not crown princes. Maybe that's why, every one of them and their mothers couldn't bear the sight of me." he continued. Soobin took a sip of water and then looked at Yeonjun once again.
"I was really naive. A kid. Maybe I was four? Or five?" Yeonjun looked at the ladies and asked silently.
"Four and half." One of them replied.
"Yes, that's right." With an approved nod, he began.
"I always wanted to play with my brothers, but they always bullied me. My half mothers also did very despicable things to harm me. But, I didn't understand their actions back then. I thought that was how we should play. One day, my mother, the queen, saw my brothers bullying me. She was furious. She directly went to my father and complained. That's when everything began to fall apart." He stopped.
"Oh, our poor prince." the ladies chanted in a melancholic way.
"What happened then?" Soobin asked, staring at Yeonjun curiously.
"My father began to be overprotective. He started to take me with him all the time. I no longer had the opportunity to play with others. All I had to do was stay beside my father and learn necessary lessons to be a perfect crown prince. But, since I was a child, my heart ached to meet my friends outside the palace. But, my parents didn't allow me." Yeonjun stopped, taking a long sigh.
"That must've been hard. Having nobody to play, or listen to, right?" Soobin smiled bitterly, as though he understood him well.
"Yeah! That's why… When the first prince came to me and said he wanted to apologize, my fool heart believed him easily. I followed him to the backside of the palace at night as he said he had a surprise for me." Yeonjun leaned on the chair.
"Ah, fuck! I'm not interested in your sob story. I have bigger fish to fry." saying that the lady who entered later, turned and left the hall.
"What happened after that?" Soobin was so intrigued that he didn't notice how he was bending towards Yeonjun.
Finding his reaction adorable, Yeonjun chuckled.
"That's when those two princes and their mothers killed me." Yeonjun said while grinning at Soobin.
"What?!" Soobin gasped, suddenly noticing how close he was with Yeonjun.
"Then…h-how…" Soobin was so stunned that no other words came through his lips.
"It was my father. I heard he went berserk after finding my body. After all, my mother was able to give birth to me after seventeen years of their marriage. So, he refused to bury my body. He tried every method to resurrect me.
At one point, he handed over his entire kingdom to our enemy because they told him they'd give him a potion which would resurrect me." Yeonjun sighed while shaking his head a bit.
"Did that work?" Soobin asked.
"No. People called him madman and they left the kingdom slowly since drought and famine started occurring. But, my father didn't give up, not even when my mother left him, saying she won't be able to handle such a psychopath anymore." he chuckled as though nothing was more amusing.
"Then, how are you alive now?" Soobin asked.
"I heard he learned black magic and called the devil, made a contract and saved me. In return, I'd be cursed and have to live on people's vital bodily fluids. My father agreed instantly. That's how he managed to resurrect me and made me the monster I am today." Yeonjun scoffed bitterly.
"Then, where is your father now? And who are these ladies if everyone abandoned you?" Soobin asked.
"I'm not really sure whether he's alive or dead. And honestly, I don't care. These ladies are created by his magic. They ought to take care of me." Yeonjun replied, his smile vanished.
"Why don't you care? He did so much for you!" Soobin frowned.
"You think it was about me? No. He was just obsessed with his succession. He wanted to resurrect me because that's the only thing humans can't do. Turning dead alive. But, he thought if he tried enough, he could. In the end, what did he do?
Made a deal with a devil! Turning me into something I never asked him? Making me something that I never wanted to? That's how he cared for me? No! He didn't! If he cared for me, he'd never agree to the devil. He'd have buried my body and prayed for my soul. But, no! All he did was…" Yeonjun's voice suddenly broke. He blinked as his eyes got teary.
"You know how long I've been trapped in this place? Probably for two hundred years now. In these years, do you know how many times I've tried to run away? Only to find out that people are afraid of me after they got to know my real identity. Do you know how many times I've tried to kill myself? If it was his love for me, then I do not want this! I do not! I want to live freely even if it's for one day! I want someone to hold me dearly! I want to be friends with at least one person who wouldn't be afraid of me. I can't keep living like this. I just can't!" Yeonjun suddenly sobbed.
With him, all the ladies started crying as though they shared the same emotion as him.
Suddenly, Soobin stood up and then hugged him warmly.
"Don't cry. I'll be your friend from now on, okay?" He patted Yeonjun's back slowly and said with a soft tone.
"Really?" Yeonjun sniffled and looked up.
"Hm, really. Because I don't have any friends as well." Soobin smiled while Yeonjun buried his face onto Soobin's stomach like a little kid.
"Then, you won't leave me?" Yeonjun asked in a child-like voice.
"Uh…" Soobin hesitated at first, glancing around.
"Won't you kill me if I try to leave?" Soobin chuckled.
"No! You're my friend! I won't kill you!" Yeonjun nearly shouted.
"Okay. I won't leave you." Soobin smiled warmly.
"Yayy!" Yeonjun stood up, and pressed a kiss on Soobin's soft lips.
As Soobin was completely unaware, he gasped and stepped backwards.
"Hey! Friends aren't supposed to do that!" he shouted as his ears turned red.
"Then, what do friends do?" Yeonjun hugged Soobin from behind while asking.
"Ah… that's… you have a long way to go." Soobin scratched his temple, understanding what kind of mess he was getting himself into.
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Soobin stood in front of a grave, his grandmother's name carved onto the stone in front of him. Yeonjun, in a black suit, stood beside him, placing the bouquet on the grave before paying their respect.
"Grandma, I couldn't save you. I'm sorry. I should've borrowed the money sooner. But, look who I've found because of that money? He's an amazing person. He needs someone beside him right now. I couldn't be there for you, but can I be there for him? Please give us your blessing." Tears spilled from Soobin's eyes as he said the words loudly.
Yeonjun looked at him and then wrapped his hand around Soobin's shoulder before pulling him closer.
"Grandma…" Yeonjun looked at Soobin confusedly.
"I'm much older than her. Can I still call her grandma?" he asked.
Soobin chuckled and nodded. "You can."
"I'll take good care of him. So don't worry and give us your blessing." Yeonjun said with a grin.
"Blessing? Us? What are you saying?" Soobin blinked dumbfoundedly.
"Ah… about that…" Yeonjun turned to the other side and pressed his lips. "Shouldn't friends also need blessings from their elders? In my era, we needed to." He added with a smirk.
"Really? I had no idea." Soobin pouted while saying.
Yeonjun suppressed his laugh as he meant something different.
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"You said I'd have to pay you back. You cleared my debt after all. So, shouldn't I go to work?" Soobin asked as Yeonjun hugged him from behind and didn't let him go outside.
"You can pay me differently." Yeonjun sniffed Soobin's neck all of a sudden.
Soobin tried to turn to Yeonjun, but failed. He frowned as he couldn't understand what Yeonjun was up to.
"How'd I pay you if I don't go to work?" Soobin chuckled.
"Like that day you did. When you came here first." Yeonjun whispered into Soobin's ear.
"You mean, I should give you more blood? Okay, I can give you more if you need." Soobin tried to free himself from Yeonjun, but his grip only tightened.
"Not the blood, I want the other thing." Yeonjun said in a very low voice, his retina turning red.
"Other?!" Soobin scowled for a moment and then when he realized what Yeonjun was referring to, his face turned red.
"Listen… it was… a mistake… that day. Friends aren't supposed to do so." Soobin hurriedly explained although Yeonjun didn't listen to him and licked the skin of Soobin's neck.
"Wait! Umh!" Soobin held Yeonjun's hands to free himself, but couldn't.
"Then, let's be more than friends so that we can do that, hm?" Yeonjun's raspy voice sounded way too sweet to Soobin that he wanted to give in.
But, he was afraid. Afraid that if he gave in right then, everything might be ruined between them. And he didn't want to let go of this one friend he had.
"What about the promise we made? We are meant to be friends!" Soobin said loudly as Yeonjun slipped his hand under Soobin's shirt.
"Please don't leave me. I want you. Not as a friend, but as my family. I want to keep doing these naughty things to you. Please don't go because I want it. Please." Soobin heard Yeonjun's sniffle from behind as his hands caressed the skin under his shirt.
Soobin started breathing heavily. Before he could run his mind, his body gave up to his own desire.
"F-fine… hng! Ahh!" He leaned on Yeonjun while moaning softly, letting him play with his nipples.
"Thank you!" Yeonjun said in a low voice before kissing his neck, a smirk appearing on his face as though he had just won the challenge.
"Then, let's get to the bedroom. Promise me you'll always be here with me?" Yeonjun asked in an adorable voice while leading Soobin inside.
"Okay. I will." Soobin replied smilingly.
"Yayy!" Yeonjun kissed Soobin's cheek and almost bounced as they walked further.
Before they ascended the stairs, Yeonjun glanced back at the palace door. Making a creaking sound, the door closed behind them. Yeonjun turned back while his sneer lingered on his face.
Side story - The End