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"Ah, I'm so smart," Ahyoung smiled to herself as she and Rina sat outside on a campus bench. The autumn was slowly melding into winter, the crisp brown leaves shrivelling up just to disappear, and the grey clouds either darkening or lightening, depending on the forecast. The two vampires weren't overly affected by the chill in the air, though. Instead, taking it in their stride.

"You're vain too. I bet you were unaware," the older of the two rolled her eyes, thoughtfully chewing on her thumbnail and leaning forward.

"Oh, knock it off. I'm not as much as a sucker for vanity as some girls. Besides, when a plan works to the 't', one must celebrate and appreciate the success."

"And what plan is that?"

"You're so slow, Rina. I thought I'd told you long ago that I was going to push my one problem off the face of the earth, didn't I?"

Oh god, she's not doing what I think she's doing...is she? "I'm assuming this problem is Wooyoung?"

"Of course. That little shit has been playing with San for too long, and I'm the only person who can really appreciate him. He'll see the light once that human isn't acting as a cloud in front of my sun."

"Choi San hasn't looked at you in that way for all your lives. Why would getting rid of his recent 'love' change that now?"

Ahyoung gritted her teeth, fangs very nearly ready to come out with irritation. "Shut up. You're just hopeless and a coward. Look a Mingi, as single as ever and you're still pretending to be shy. At least I fight for what I want!"

"Fuck off with that," Rina scowled, standing up furiously and stomping off in a huff to get away. She couldn't take it anymore, and she couldn't stand that bitch. Years of putting up with that bullshit for 'appearance's sake' had finally worn away her patience.

Her mind and body weren't particularly synchronised as she fumed over Ahyoung's attitude yet stood before the canteen. Kang Yeosang was sitting on his own for once, with Jongho close by for company.

The perfect target.

Fuck it, I'll just tell someone straight and end this mess. Ahyoung doesn't deserve a happily ever after, and Wooyoung doesn't deserve to die. Before she knew it, her fists slammed down on the pureblood's table hurriedly as she captured his attention in an instant. "Kang Yeosang."

The older furrowed his brows skeptically, pushing his unwanted plate away and sitting back to fold his arms. "Lee Rina. I hope there's a reason for such a disrespectful entrance-"

"Wooyoung is going to die."

Silence.

A not so peaceful calm settled over the pair like a blanket as the words actually sank in with both. The harshness of them, we well as the sick little reality they depicted.

"I'm sorry, pardon?" Yeosang sighed, sitting up straighter with much more interest now.

"Wooyoung is in danger. You've always known as well as I have that Ahyoung is a little shrew with an unhealthy obsession surrounding your friend. She has it in her head that San belongs to her, and we know it's dangerous.....yet she's finally choosing now of all times to act upon it."

"What exactly is it that's she's doing? Can you prove it?"

".....I can't really. I just want you to trust me on this. I think it's going to be poison or something, since that's the way that witch's mind works."

Yeosang looked down at the table for a brief minute as he rooted through the possibility of it at all, and couldn't help but try to devise a sort of plan. He couldn't just act on this himself, and it really wasn't his fight. He also knew Rina wouldn't want to interact with San if she didn't have to, due to her sudden shyness around power or strangers. "I'll let him know, okay? Thank you for telling me."

"No, thank you. You'll be doing everyone a huge favour by moving this process along. The queen must fall, and I'll be there to light the fire when that witch burns. See you around."

"So causal."

"You're too realistic and playful to feel intimating," she smiled briefly, walking away and covering her mouth in slight self-surprise. It felt like a weight had been lifted off her shoulders now that she had performed a good deed. Hopefully the results were fast-acting.

San stood outside the human dorms, staring up at the window he knew best and simply fondly recalling memories. The time for him to leave was too soon, and still, still Wooyoung wasn't his. It felt like a fruitless effort now, without any progress (as far as he could tell).

The biting breeze pushing through the land crossed his exposed skin, his cheeks chilling and coat ruffling.

Wooyoung was asleep up there.

He hadn't woken up this morning, even with San by his side. The teen seemed sleep deprived and pale, much to the older's dismay. He wanted to help. Oh how he wanted to help.

But a deal was a deal, and Wooyoung hadn't agreed to his blood yet.

Suddenly, amidst the freezing winds passing his frame, a cold hand grabbed his shoulder and spun him around to face the new arrival. Black hair and a desperate expression met him, both especially familiar.

"Yeosang?"

"Hey, San."

The younger of the pair paused for a moment of thought as various conclusions as to why he was being interrupted came to mind. The other pureblood wasn't one for beating around the bush, so perhaps he had missed something. A class? Homework? A story of relevance?

"I have some important news for you, so please listen, and don't act out."

"Act out?" The younger tilted his head, somewhat confused. "Why? What is it?"

"Is Woo up there?"

"Of course..."

"Go to him. I just heard that whatever infection or virus we thought he might have been fighting, isn't it. Rina has reason to believe he's being poisoned, and I don't know about you, but Rina isn't a liar to me, nor does this seem farfetched."

San waved his hand for a moment, "Hang on, I'm very confused right now. You think Wooyoung is being poisoned?"

"Yes. It would explain all-all of this, wouldn't it? The illnesses, the not getting better, the slow degradation. It's a poison."

".....Oh. Fuck," he hissed lowly, an out of place swear word slipping into his vocabulary as his blood almost physically boiled with the boiling rage in the pit of his stomach. "Son of a-" he paused, "But who would do that?"

"Ahyoung. God, you're so slow. She's a rotten apple."

Dammit, I've been so blind lately that everything important has slipped me by, the ravenette cursed himself, rubbing his eyes. "This is a disaster then. There's only one way around a poison, and that's draining it from the system."

Yeosang nodded slowly, "Yet his body is almost completely affected and degraded. A simply drainage won't work."

"Unless...."

The older waited for the rest, though picked up on his train of thought and scoffed lightly. "My my, you want to make him your 'toy', don't you? To strengthen his blood cells."

"If I can take all the infected blood out, and replace it with my own as well as make him mine in that short window of time...it could work."

"He could potentially die. That's like, what, an eighty percent chance of failure? More?"

"Ugh, I don't know..."

The pair then sighed simultaneously, looking up at the window again together and figuring that the whacked plan was the only one they had. There was no more time to concoct a safer option.

"He'll hate me forever," San hummed dismally, reaching his hand up to the darkened pane well above his reach.

"Worth it? To see him live?"

"Mmm," he smiled faintly. "Worth it."

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