*𝕔𝕙𝕒𝕡𝕥𝕖𝕣 𝕖𝕚𝕘𝕙𝕥𝕖𝕖𝕟

-나는 그들의 것, 그들은 내 꺼야-

"areum!" seungkwan screamed at the top of his lungs, bursting into the room i was in. my body jolted at the sudden scream.

"you have to wake up!" he walked beside me, a bright smile on his face, but i only groaned at the volume of his voice.

i sat up from the bed, looking around with swollen eyes and tear stains. "but it's only eight!" i screamed as i looked at a clock. "it is," he sat beside me.

last night was so strange. i was attacked and then i finally told someone what happened two years ago. i felt scared but guilt-free almost.

"hey," he nudged my shoulder, "are you okay? we were all worried about you," he sat down, one hand on my shoulder.

"i'm okay," i smiled at him, my eyes were still too swollen to open properly, "but why are you waking me up so early?" i rubbed my eyes, stretching them in every direction so that i could see.

"don't you remember that we're moving?" he tilted his head.

"where are we going this time?"

i had completely forgotten, it slipped my mind. i was too preoccupied with jongin wanting to meet me that i completely disregarded all my other worries.

"we're going to joshua's favorite place," he chuckled at me, watching at my best attempts to open my eyes, "we're going to l.a."

"wait," i froze, "we're going to l.a!" i jumped up and now standing on the bed, "the l.a!"

"yeah, so put some clothes on, we're leaving in a few minutes to the airport," he stood up, for once having to look up at me.

"seungkwan, this is awesome!" i leaped to hug him, laughing as loudly as i wanted.

🌷

i frantically stood up from the bed, stumbling over my own feet to change as quickly as possible, excited at the thought of finally going to be in l.a.

joshua has always spoken so highly of the city. i've subconsciously started admiring it because of him.

when i looked in the mirror a strange realization hit me. the way i dressed was so different from them. they've always dressed very elegant and formal, the only time they wear something casual is when they're at home. i on the other hand have always dressed in neutral tones and my outfits have always been very casual.

i chuckled at the thought.

maybe i should dress more elegantly today? i know they will.

but i brushed away the thought, already in clothes making it too late to change.

so i opened my door and headed downstairs, making sure to grab the photo of all of us. all fourteen.

they had all been waiting for me by the door, chatting amongst themselves.

"good morning princess," mingyu was the first to notice my figure standing at the bottom of the stairs. "morning," i hugged him, my face landing on the middle of his chest.

"curse your height," i whined underneath my breath. but the only response to my comment he had was a pat on the head. that small gesture caused me to blush. it felt different.

a flurry of butterflies swept through my stomach at the contact.

"areum should eat something before we get on a plane," myungho appeared next to me, his hand on my shoulder and a bright smile on his face.

myungho was always serious compared to the others. seungkwan and seokmin were the ones that were always laughing and joking among themselves and sometimes they would get one of the others to laugh with them, but myungho always judges from afar.

the only time i ever see him smile is when he's speaking with me.

this was something i noticed after they came back, along with the fact that wonwoo truly wasn't as scary as i portrayed him in my memories. he's a silent man, but he does care.

"where are we eating?" jun said as he continued to look at his phone, "you're obsessed with that thing," myungho arched a brow, taking the phone from jun and putting it in his pocket.

"guys, let go," chan opened the door for all of us, and mingyu guided me.

i was met with the cold wind hitting my warm cheeks, it's winter in france and a fresh coat of snow had covered everything. it was a thin coat of snow, but it was enough to make me want to go get a long jacket.

"you're riding with vernon, seungcheol, and soonyoung," mingyu kissed the top of my head, walking away to his car before i could respond.

nothing awkward about that.

vernon came to my side, resting his hand on my shoulder briefly before encouraging me to get in the car. all of their small gestures finding a way for heat to rise in my cheeks.

i sat down on the middle seat and vernon entered after me, on my other side seungcheol sat down, beside the driver's seat soonyoung was seated, looking around at the view in front of him, making sure that all of them had entered their cars.

after a moment, a man in his forties entered, his hair was slick back and he had a neat beard and a broad build. he was a dapper and groomed man. he sat down in the driver's seat.

my hands fidgeted with each other, picking away at my cuticle, hoping to find a way to ease the crippling anxiety i felt at that moment.

i was in a car with three men that had feelings for me and i for them.

i didn't know if all of them knew about how the other felt, or if they were okay with it, i was afraid they would start arguing, or that someone would try to make a move and the other might tell him off on it, causing a fight.

seungcheol took my hands into his own, causing me to stop and look up at him.

"it's okay," he leaned in and whispered, his cold hands were so soothing, so gentle with me.

i breathed a smile at him, his smile ever so intoxicating.

soonyoung quickly said something to the driver, his words too fast for me to comprehend, but in an instant the driver started the car and drove away, the others following suit.

i watched the house i lived in for four years disappear into the distance. i knew i would never see it again. this would be the last time i would ever see it in my life.

but it felt so surreal.

i couldn't even think of a goodbye to say to it.

ever since they returned, everything has felt surreal.

i used to dream of the day i would see them again, i used to dream of having my life and then one day them appearing again.

but i never anticipated it would be in this manner, which was so sudden and chaotic and then having to learn that they are vampires.

gods compared to the power a mere human has.

the mere power I possess.

it doesn't feel real. i feel like i've been dreaming the last few months. it is all too wild to be true. in my mind i'm still waiting for the moment i'll wake up.

go back to the simple life of just missing them.

it felt like a simpler life. so easy to live that way.

in ignorance.

but one cannot simply stay like that forever.

"excited?" vernon leaned into my shoulder, nudging my side. seungcheol pulled away from me, his hand landing on his thigh.

"out of my mind," i said exasperated.

"i've always wanted to," i looked down at my hands momentarily, "joshua always told me stories about the place. what it was like, what the people were like." i paused, "i've never actually met an american before," i chuckled slightly.

a smile spread across his face when he heard my voice, going on and on about how stoked i was.

"i'm sure you will have a wonderful time," his hand rested on my knee, a small gesture of love.

all of them have similar love languages. touch. it was what reassured them that a person was there, listening to their words. that there was another being that they cared for and a way of them showing it.

even wonwoo sometimes showed his love, but with minute gestures. paying attention to the smallest details.

"by the way, mingyu, jun, and myungho are going to china before they go to l.a., they have some business to take care of," he turned his body ever so slightly towards me, showing that he was serious.

"why would they ever need to go to china?" my mind buffered for a moment.

"all of us have our businesses. it just so happens that jun and myungho decided to build theirs in china. that's where they were born after all," he took my hand in his, "and mingyu is just tagging along."

"you guys are CEOs?" i furrowed my brows, turning to seungcheol and soonyoung for a moment, trying to see if they were listening.

seungcheol nodded his head yes without looking away from the window, his eyes were so focused on the people passing by.

"but doesn't that mean you have to be in the public eye?"

"yes, but no," he laid back on his seat, "we hide behind aliases, fake people if you will. no one truly knows what we look like except a few trusted people."

"every once in a while we have to go back to see how the company is doing," soonyoung chimed in. "that's what jun and myungho are doing."

there are still so many things i don't know about them.

they're still complete mysteries to me.

"can i go?" i spoke before i even thought about what i was saying. the words spilling out of me.

"can i go to china with them?" i turned to seungcheol.

"what?" he looked taken aback, "don't you want to go to l.a.?"

the words were out of me before i even realized it.

they have seen the entire world because of how long they've lived, i have seen nothing. i want to see so many places and this is an opportunity i might not get for a long time, and it's not like l.a. is going anywhere.

i'll go there anyway.

so i want to go with them.

i took a moment to think of the right words to explain myself. "i want to see the world. i've only seen paris and seoul, and still, i haven't even seen that much of it. i want to go to china. i want to go different places," i said, my eyes full of the wonder of the world i haven't seen.

he took in a deep breath as silence fell on all of us in the car. vernon's hand was on my knee, it felt calming to know i had someone holding onto me, soonyoung was looking back, a strange shock in his eyes at my words, at the way i looked up at seungcheol, at the way i was so comfortable with vernon's hand on my knee; the intimacy that gesture held.

he looked at soonyoung momentarily and then back at me, unsure if he should allow me.

"you can go, but you have to be by their side the entire time," he warned.

"thank you! thank you! thank you!" i hugged his figure at his approval. i wasn't entirely sure of what his answer would be. in the past, they have denied me simple things, small insignificant things, but they were adamant about not letting me have those small things. i wasn't sure.

i'm going to see china!

🌷

-vernon's pov-

she was asleep on my shoulder. she felt safe enough to do that...

when she was young, i was worried she would be afraid of us, afraid of me. the same fear i saw in my sister's eyes as she saw me become a monster. i always wanted her to feel safe, comforted in my presence, and at this moment i finally realise this.

i love you... my eyes teared up for a moment, overwhelmed with happiness.

"areum," i whispered to her.

the driver parked us at the entrance of the airport, soonyoung was already out of the car and seungcheol as well. i wanted a moment with her. to enjoy this moment.

she muttered for a moment, indistinguishable words leaving her lips. "we're here," i patted her head.

after we ate, she fell asleep immediately after. it's the same effect as giving a cat warm milk and then it falls asleep. she's always had small innocent qualities that make her who she is. she's a timid girl, but she has strong emotions.

she's more powerful than she thinks she is.

"already?" she softly opened her eyes, looked around. "yeah, we need to get going," i smiled lightly.

🌷

"jun!" she shouted, running towards him, the brightest smile on her face. every time she smiles i feel my heart flutter.

she is gorgeous.

-areum's pov-

"jun!" i shouted, running toward him. he was walking with his hands in his pockets, scrunched down, looking at the ground.

as soon as he heard the sound of my voice, he turned around, a smile appearing on his face when he saw my disheveled state, panting like there wasn't enough oxygen in the world.

"what are you doing?" he chuckled, "aren't you supposed to be going on the other plane?" he spoke to me in his mother tongue.

"seungcheol said-" i panted, "that i could go with you- to china," i bent over, my hand over my stomach, hoping that it would somehow make me breathe easier.

"take a breather, for a sec," he said, forcing me to take a moment, "didn't you want to go to l.a.?"

"it's not going anywhere." i stood up, "plus, i want to see the world. i want to see everything," i chuckled toward the end of my sentence. my excitement was growing.

for a second there was a look in his eyes, almost like pride.

-jun's pov-

she's finally started to speak up for herself. ever since she was young, she's been timid, too shy to stand up for herself or even request something like this. something so big.

to see her make choices like this fills me with pride, knowing that her confidence is growing, maturing.

"okay," i smiled, "let's go then."

🌷

-areum's pov-

"mingyu!" i shouted when i saw him sitting down. "what are you doing here?"

he had the most confused expression on his face as if he thought i would never want to stray away from where most of the others were going or that i never wanted to go to china. but there was also something behind that, like excitement.

"i'm going with the four of you!" I exclaimed as I sat down next to him.

from behind us, minghao stood up and looked down at us, another confused look.

"why? didn't you want to go to l.a.?"

"i'll go to l.a. eventually. first, i want to see china with you guys."

jun sat down behind us, where minghao was preciously sitting. he reclined in his seat and started staring at his phone like he always did.

satisfied with my response, minghao sat back down, a chuckle leaving him.

i looked around the jet, excitement filling me up as i anticipated what it would look like in china. what the weather would be like? what the people would be like? the fact that i could practice my cantonese and mandarin. i was delighted.

the pilot walked in, introducing himself, but i paid no mind to him, too excited to listen.

"mingyu, wherein china are we going?" i whispered to him, hoping not to interrupt the pilot. "we're going to shenzhen. that's where jun was born," he whispered back.

that's not too far from hong kong!

new ideas filled my head of things i could do.

🌷

As soon as the plane reached the sky, I realized I hadn't asked how long the flight would be, and then a brilliant idea came to me. a way for me to tease mingyu.

i turned to him, he was scrolling through his phone, and said, "samcheon, how long is it to get to china?" a smirk appeared on my lip.

it took him a moment to realize what i said, he looked up at me, opened his mouth to say something, and then he paused, "excuse me?"

"what did you call me?"

"samcheon?" i looked at him confused. he always hated it when i referred to him as "old," even when i was young, i called him old because he was much older than me, but it was always great fun for me.

"i am either mingyu or oppa," he corrected me, emphasizing the word "oppa" and pointing at his chest.

"okay, samcheon," i continued.

he leaned towards me, placing his phone on his lap, "princess, i am not an old man." he narrowed his eyes at me, a strange smirk on his lips; he knew very well what i was up to.

"f-fine," i stuttered as i realized just how close he had gotten, his nose almost touching my own and his hand on one of my shoulders.

"it's twelve hours," myungho peeped in through the two seats, "what?" i pushed mingyu away, and butterflies filled my stomach as i saw his expression; that smirk, his dark eyes.

"we're going to land in twelve hours," he repeated.

i looked down at my phone; it only had 34%.

i don't think i'm going to survive twelve hours without my phone. i didn't bring a book or anything, i pouted.

🌷

the flight was extremely uncomfortable. i've found that i can never find a good sleeping position. flights always consist of endless shuffling and waking up with major pain in my back and neck.

it might be my inexperience with planes, but i'm not a fan of spending too much time on a plane.

but the part i've always looked forward to is watching it land.

watching the land the land get closer and closer and feeling like i'm falling is a surprisingly euphoric feeling. it's strange.

you would think that feeling like that would make someone panic, but it doesn't make me feel like that.

"jun, where are we staying?" i turned my head towards him. he had somehow managed to sleep the entire flight. i was almost jealous.

"we're staying at the marriot hotel that i own," he looked around with a groggy expression, rubbing his eyes as he spoke.

"you own a hotel?" "yeah, it's very successful here in shenzhen," he suddenly smiled at me, "and you're getting the best room in the entire place."

i chuckled at his happiness.

the building itself was enormous, i was an ant compared to it. I stayed there, staring up in awe at it's sheet size and beauty.

"areum?" myungho placed his hand on my shoulder, taking my mind away from my thoughts, "you can't stay outside staring at it, lets go inside." he offered a reassuring smile.

"it's humongous," I smiled back at him. "wait until you see the inside," he smiled even brighter.

as soon as we walked in we were greeted by the smell of cleaning bleach. the smell overpowered the smell of the streets; the stench of bus diesel and car fuel, the hideous smell of cigarettes and the sewage. the noise of a busy city faded as soon as we entered. it was like entering a completely different world.

the woman at the front desk seemed to recognize jun as soon as we entered and greeted us hurriedly and as soon as jun greeted her, we were on the move. she was a middle aged woman, her hair was pinned up in a sleek bun and she was in formal attire. she didn't spare any of us a glance besides jun.

i suppose being the owner of the hotel regards more respect than others, i thought to myself.

she pressed the button for the top floor as soon as we all entered. the sheer speed of the elevator caused my ears to pop.

"it's good to see that the management we have here is quite efficient," jun whispered to me. the woman moved swiftly and elegantly as she guided us through the building but it seemed that they already knew where they were going.

mingyu and myungho moved confidently through the hall, not sparing a moment to look at the details in the walls or to look at the pretty flowers by each door, like they had seen it a million times before.

"goodnight areum!" myungho split from us at a hallway, and a second later mingyu left as well.

"g'night," he said.

but jun and i continued and the woman continued guiding us, even though i'm sure jun knew where we were going.

"that's enough," he smiled politely and the woman took her leave.

"it's like she's in a trance," i whisper to him when she was out of ear shot and he chuckled at me.

"c'mon, this is our room."

when we walked in i was taken aback at the size of the room. "this is really a hotel room?'' "this is my personal room," he smiled with pride.

"and yours is over yonder," he pointed at a door on the other side of the space with a hand on my shoulder.

"it's so nice" i smiled.

"i'll be right back i'm going to ask someone to buy you something to wear quickly"

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