In aeternum

Chapter 02

"Your dad is a what?!" Wooyoung half screamed into San's ears as they huddled under the staircase during lunch break as it was their secret hideout. Barely anyone passed by there either so it was the best spot for them to hang out without any distractions.

"Shhh! You're too loud," San whined and Wooyoung's eyes twinkled.

"A vampire! That's just as cool as being a hitman or assassin, if not cooler," Wooyoung gasped. San had no idea why he was telling Wooyoung this when he hadn't even confronted Seonghwa about it but the other had been pestering him the entire morning since he looked half dead and demanded to know why.

"Cool? You think that's cool?" San asked and Wooyoung noticed his friend's worried expression. He tried to calm down and nodded.

"Of course. Vampires are like, super strong and really fast, right? Your dad is basically superman."

"My dad?" San questioned with a tone filled with doubt. He knew his dad was many things but superman wasn't one of them. The man, however caring and nice he was, was also a clumsy man. San remembered when Seonghwa had forgotten to pack lunch for him and San had sulked the entire day so to make it up to him, Seonghwa had bought a 5 flavored ice cream for him despite him having a toothache. That man being a vampire superman? San could barely process it anymore. The more he tried to relate his dad to those blood sucking creatures, the more he couldn't.

"San~?" Wooyoung cooed to get his friend's attention. "Look, worrying about it isn't going to help. What did you do after you heard them talking about this whole vampire lord and not going to leave you thing?"

"My dad came out from the room and asked me to wash up. I... I basically screamed like a baby and ran away. I couldn't even meet his eyes this morning... oh my god. I'm such a horrible son," San whined and Wooyoung quickly moved to his side to hug him.

"Don't think that, San ah. You're a wonderful son," Wooyoung said and San buried his face on the other's shoulder.

"But I don't know how to face him after what I heard yesterday... He even pretended that everything was fine. I mean... I know my dad won't push me to talk about things I don't want to nor will he force me to say what's troubling me. Ah. Was that what it was... he's giving me space to think..."

Wooyoung couldn't help but think that San could sometimes be a gullible idiot. He patted his head assuringly. "What about this? When you go home today, sit him down and talk to him about it.

San bit his lip and closed his eyes tightly. "But..."

"No buts, San. I know you too well. You'll let this eat you up until you break down eventually and things will turn out worse," Wooyoung said and San looked at him.

"Since when were you the smarter one between us?" San asked jokingly and Wooyoung fake gasped.

"You hurt me. I'm a genius, please," Wooyoung replied dramatically and San smiled a little. "There you go. A smile fits you better."

"Sweet talker," San scoffed and rolled his eyes but he did feel better and more that Wooyoung listened to him without doubting him.

"Still, it's a huge thing. To suddenly know that the man who raised you is a vampire. Even I would be shocked and scream," Wooyoung said. "I might even react negatively by throwing something so I think you running away is just basic human instinct."

San smiled sheepishly at Wooyoung's efforts to comfort him as he leaned on the other's shoulder even though Wooyoung was shorter than him by just a tiny bit. "You're right. I should talk to appa about this instead of worrying myself over it... I might have hurt his feelings by running away like that too."