San got up early the next morning, his mind still focused on only one thing -- one person.
Seonghwa.
All he's been thinking about after speaking with Areum were plans on confronting Gyungho and Hyejin in some form or fashion. San hopes that maybe if he sits down and is able to talk to them about his and Seonghwa's situation, he will have a better chance of getting them to change their minds. Maybe if they knew that he and Seonghwa were fated mates, they would allow for them to be together, even if it meant bending the rules they, and this pack, seem to love so much.
There's always a chance, right?
San gets in his own head the whole walk to see Gyungho and Hyejin, thinking and rethinking his words. Should he say this, should he not say that... The biggest thing he's debating on whether or not to tell them is how deeply he is in love with their son.
It's going to be okay no matter what, so there's no real need to worry, right?
San's wolf doesn't help his worries, knowing that it will never be satisfied fully until Seonghwa is his for good with finality. Seonghwa said how he would come back to him, and even Areum said they were going to figure everything out. She just has to talk to--
San walks into the room, and finds someone is already there talking with the very people he went to go see.
Eunji turns her head, fear evident in her eyes when she sees San standing in the doorway.
San looks between Eunji and Seonghwa's parents, seeing fear and confusion on all of their faces and San realizes that could only mean one thing.
Eunji just told them about Yunho possessing magic.
San faintly hears Gyungho saying something to Eunji as he goes closer, "Go sit over there, Eunji, we'll... Talk more about this in a few moments, alright?" To which Eunji nods and slowly goes to sit down by one of the windows, her eyes still glancing back at San and then looking down in shame over what she's done. She can only hope that San, nor the others, will hold it against her.
San reaches Gyungho and Hyejin and bows deeply before them, his back visible to the two of them as he does so, showing the slightly patchiness of deep red splotches.
"Stand up," Gyungho says, trying to be neutral and calm after what Eunji had just told him and his wife about one of their guests.
San rises from the ground and looks between Gyungho and Hyejin, noticing how Seonghwa's mother gives him a guilty look after seeing how badly hurt his back still is from the severe punishment he had received.
"Now, what are you doing here, Choi San?" Gyungho asks, his eyebrows more furrowed than normal, knowing that this was the boy found in bed with his betrothed son.
"I..." San starts, but pauses to keep his voice from shaking as he tries to focus on Gyungho, "I came to talk about Seonghwa, Sir," San tries to be as formal as he can be in this situation.
"Not here. San, don't start this here, please," Hyejin pleads, trying to make San back down before he can begin.
"I have to try," San says with more confidence in his voice, "I just ask for you two to give me a chance and listen to what I have to say, okay...?"
Gyungho and Hyejin both look at each other before turning back to San and nodding for him to continue.
"Seonghwa and I are fated mates," San says blatantly, deciding he might as well come right out with it, "We... We found out last year when you all came to Eclipse for the first time, right when he stepped foot in the grounds and we made eye contact."
San attempts to explain, hoping that Gyungho and Hyejin might understand the concept of fated mates, as much as they are rare.
San notices they're trying to take in all this new information, Hyejin looking slightly less surprised than Gyungho which worries San. He finds himself looking around a bit, in hopes to see his love, but with no luck, he continues his explanations and pleas.
"I know that Seonghwa is... er- betrothed to Eunji, and that in Chrysalis' rules we cannot be together, but... it could be dangerous for us to be away from each other," San tries to convince them, his voice getting more wary the narrower her eyes become as he speaks. He can't read her or what she could possibly be thinking, but he thinks he saw a hint of sadness behind her eyes.
"Please may I have your blessing..." San begs while he's thinking carefully over his next words, faintly hearing the sound of the door sliding open.
Seonghwa opens the door to his parents' room to see San standing there, his eyes instantly drawn to his love's back, seeing blotchy blood stains all over. Seonghwa doesn't notice as his eyes start to water at the sight, knowing how San's back must be wrapped up from the severe punishment he received. Seonghwa is surprised to even see him standing after that, having heard past stories of people being bedridden for weeks afterward.
"W-What is going on?" Seonghwa's voice shakes, but as soon as his voice reverberates through the room, San immediately turns around and they meet eyes. It feels like it's been so long since they've last seen each other, the memories of that beautiful night they shared together surfacing back up -- as if it ever left either of their minds.
Seonghwa feels an unusual wave of anger come over him as he sees his parent's faces behind San, knowing they're the reason why San is in such pain. They're the reason why Seonghwa has been hidden away the past few days, unable to even lay eyes on his love's handsome face. They told Seonghwa it was for the best, but the aching in his heart and soul knew otherwise. He knew how false their words were before they even left his parent's mouths.
Without San, Seonghwa would never be at his best. There would always be a piece of himself missing, leaving Seonghwa as a ghost of his own potential. San brought out the best in Seonghwa, and after letting down his walls for him, he wasn't sure if he was ready to build them all back up again. It felt good to actually feel something again and Seonghwa didn't want to let go of that. He didn't want to let go of San.
"What are you doing? Seonghwa's voice is laced with venom as he starts walking towards San and his parents, his words directed towards his parents. He's never been angry towards his parents before, so the confusion on their faces isn't a surprise. They would've never expected their son's voice to ever come out that way.
Hyejin makes a motion towards Seonghwa, afraid for him to be around San, but she pauses when the door slides back open to reveal Areum.
"What's with all the noi-" Areum starts, but she stops when she sees Eunji on the side of the room and Seonghwa and San standing in the center with her parents. She notices how San doesn't turn towards her like Eunji and Seonghwa do, hearing his faint voice which surprises her.
"I'm in love with Seonghwa."
Everyone turns to look at San when he says those words that leave the room with a deafening silence. Seonghwa already has heard them before, of course, but it doesn't make hearing them again any less spine-chilling for him. It makes his hair stand on end as the butterflies fill his whole body. His heart pounds faster than ever before as he realizes that now his parents and sister know about San's feelings for him.
"I-Is that true...?" Hyejin asks San shakily, looking between him and her son. Gyungho carefully rubs the small of her back as he holds back showing his face of mixed expression. He doesn't know what to think, but his wife seems to be emotionally affected by this situation. He, however, is getting frustrated because Seonghwa is always betrothed to Eunji. There is no going back and there is no breaking Chrysalis rules. They were implemented long ago for a reason, and he and his ancestors have always followed them without disturbance or any problems.
Hyejin took a step towards San with worried eyes, water visibly filling in them, "Is it?"
San clenches his fists and nods curtly, "Yes, I am in love with Park Seonghwa."
Hyejin feels as if her eyes glaze over and the words go soundless through her ears, remembering the time all those years ago with her first love back in Nightshade.
Those were the very words she longed to hear from her -- from Youngmi.
She never had enough time back then to even get to tell her what her own feelings were, and it's been something she's regretted for so many years. Hyejin wasn't able to tell Youngmi how much she loved her and how she would always love her. Albeit, she was just a young girl back then, both of them were, but even now, Hyejin knows what it was she felt back then for the girl she met in Nightshade.
Standing here now with her son's fated mate telling her and her family that he's in love with their son, she doesn't know what to think, let alone feel. All that she could describe it as would be bittersweet.
Hyejin is about to tell San to leave when Eunji's sobs turn audible and Areum immediately rushes over to her.
"What's wrong, Eun?" Areum asks, worried for her best friend crying so hard.
"I-I... I messed up," Eunji mutters, not daring to lift her face up to show everyone the immense guilt ridden on it, "I did the w-wrong thing," she weeps, falling to her knees, to which Areum crouches down quickly after her, "I told them, I told them everything..."
Areum tilts her head in confusion, "What did you tell them? Who did you tell?"
"Your parents... About-" she sniffles and rubs her tears away as she looks up at Areum in shame, "About Yunho's magic."
San and Seonghwa both widen their eyes at her confession, having had suspicions that she was going to tell, but weren't sure if she'd actually go through with it.
She did.
Suddenly, they all turn towards Hyejin and Gyungho and see as they both sigh. The few people standing in the room now are aware that Hyejin and Gyungho hold the power to start a war with the news of Yunho being leaked, but that's the last thing they want. Their goal is to stop wars, not start them. They watch as Gyungho pinches the skin between his eyebrows with his thumb and index finger, seemingly in stress, but he composes himself quickly.
"We must think."
His words are met with silence as they all look at each other.
"Leave. Everyone go back to your rooms. That includes you, Areum," Gyungho says, making sure to lay his eyes on each of them... Except Seonghwa.
San gives Seonghwa a hope-filled look and a small smile to let him know everything will be okay one day and they start walking out with Areum and Eunji, until a hand is placed onto Seonghwa's shoulder. He flinches at the contact, having gotten so used to San's touch and only San's touch, that his own family's touch feels foreign to him.
"Not you."
Seonghwa's eyes widen, his body stiffening up as he stands there unmoving, staring into San's eyes as he walks away -- not without a fight first, but his attempt only resulted in Hyejin yelling at him to get out.
San takes in as much of Seonghwa's eye contact as he can before the door to Hyejin and Gyungho's room slides shut, the last thing he sees is the small tear that runs down Seonghwa's cheek.
All he could do was try for the both of them. Now the ball lies in Seonghwa's court and San has to put all of his trust into his fated mate's words that tell him he'll come back to him.
San smiles to himself, no worries residing in him any longer.
He knows that Seonghwa will come for him.
End of Chapter Thirty Three