─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

❝ Just come a little bit closer. I don't if I know you yet. Yet it seems to be new something every day. Why do I only wanna hold you? Why do I want you so bad? Yeah, you're beautiful but something's in my way ❞ — Daniel Seavey, Cold in LA, Why Don't We

🌹

C H A P T E R  S I X

IT WASN'T SOMETHING Changmin had expected. The way his heart pounded so loud when he was pushed to the wall, stuck between Youngjae's arms, and maybe fluttered when his thumb brushed against the skin of his rosy cheeks.

Or how blood rushed up from his neck to his face as the boy whispered in his ear lowly.

How he dared to pat his head, mess his brown locks, think he can have his way with him. Make his leave with a smirk playing on those kissable lips the author deep down somewhat wished were on his, or maybe that's too much.

He could fantasize about it.

Maybe make the other kiss him then again that's wrong and so is having the thought of the wolf boy kissing him.

Changmin stands against the wall, surprised that he's still standing and did not melt right there, and then from the way his knees had turned jelly, how he was breathing hard from the sudden attack, how his heart hammered.

From the lingering burning sensation flowing through his face, from the way his eyes sparkled when their gazes met before dropping and meeting again almost intensely.

He swore his heart jumped out of his ribcage and lost the strength in his legs.

Changmin was not the one to be easily defeated and played like that. He sets his mind straight when he comes back to reality. Face burning at the previous thought of Youngjae kissing him, balling his fists.

"You've already fallen for me, stupid wolf boy!" And just like that, he pushes himself off of the wall, dashes towards the other, grabs his hand, turns him around.

He pins him against the wall, cheeks fuming, opening his mouth to speak. He gasps instead of being pushed to the wall again, startled.

Both hands either side of Changmin's shoulder, Youngjae raises a brow, his dark brown eyes piercing through the other's honey-caramel ones looking at his from one to another, unsteady, searching for something he doesn't know.

"If I've fallen in love with you, I would have made you mine already," Youngjae growls out the words, leans, whispering in his ear again, "simply like this," letting his lips ghost over Changmin's ear. He then attaches his lips to the side of his neck, brushing against the skin there. Changmin breathes in sharply and shuts his eyes feeling Youngjae's lips move, pressing light kisses there. He can't seem to move but only fist hands into the boy's shirt as he hears the pulse in his ears pound. He can't escape because he's curious about how the wolf boy would make him his. The thought he had earlier or the pleasure blooming all in the right places, sending chills through his skin. He's lost in his touches, forgets everything but comes back to his senses the moment he feels Youngjae bite his earlobe and much to his dismay whimpers.

He's flustered and flabbergasted and furious.

He doesn't know why. They're not even in a romantic relationship or harbor feelings, let alone his eyes are shining. 

The lingering touch of the wolf boy's lips against his skin still burns.

And when Youngjae moves back, catching Changmin's gaze, his cheeks redden.

"Stop trying so hard because you are not pulling my heartstrings. You never will because no one will ever love a beast like me," the words are harsh, searing, shooting an arrow through his heart as Youngjae begins walking away.

Changmin wouldn't lie that he developed feelings for Youngjae in which he'd worry sick for the wolf boy and started caring for him.

He was sure about that yet the way his heart whispers something else he refuses to believe because it is unbelievable.

Changmin doesn't want Youngjae hopeless, the word that hung in the sky radiating, bringing warmth, happiness, signaling morning has arrived.

He wants his characters to see the hope of life, not the other way around. He pushes away the lingering sensation of the wolf boy's touch and his thoughts.

"You're wrong, you know? Because of hatred and the broken past, you've locked yourself. You can't be bothered to fix it because you're scared. You think you're so positive about it that you don't let the negative side do its part to balance out what's troubling you."

Changmin walks till he's a few feet behind Youngjae.

Youngjae's baffled hearing Changmin retort back, confidently as if he knows his life story but then realizes body language gives away everything.

Youngjae had stopped in his tracks. He turns around slowly, meeting the author's gaze.

"It's like sitting on a seesaw. You're stuck down, won't allow another to weight it down so you can raise. Afraid that if you do, another will sink because you forced it. It doesn't work that way in this universe, requiring balance, understanding, warmth, encouragement, kindness, trust, loyalty, and love. I only want to be there for you, will you ever let me?" Changmin's voice shakes.

He hates how he can't be there for the wolf boy.

Changmin wants to change his ending. Whatever it takes, he will help Youngjae learn to love and be loved.

. . .

"Younghoon, are you still having a conflict with Youngjae? I can help come with a resolution." Hyunjae offers.

"What is there to resolve? It's obvious Younghoon doesn't want to be friends anymore." Younghoon says, ripping his gaze away from Hyunjae's.

"There could be some misunderstandings and a lot you don't know."

"Is there anything I don't know?"

Hyunjae gives a small smile and then explains the misunderstanding between the two to which Younghoon finds out his other two friends were bullying Younghoon. 

He never asked them so why would they do it in the first place? The one thing he's learned is to treat people with respect.

"Younghoon," Youngjae calls out to him. Younghoon turns around and sees Youngjae standing behind them. After the Moon prince had a talk with his other two friends he sits at a table across Youngjae who apologizes about locking him in the dressing room because his appearance caused a dilemma for him. 

Youngjae was the guest who was invited to dance with Hyunjae first that's why he locked Younghoon in the dressing room.

"I thought you ripped the handwritten notes and drawings, you wanted me to leave school. I misunderstood you and decided to avoid you."

"About the original handwritten notes and drawings, I just figured out about this matter too."

"If this ever happens again, let me know, yeah?" Youngjae nods at this and smiles.

"Can we still be friends?" Youngjae's voice filled with hope. 

Younghoon nods eagerly this time, a smile plastered across his face. 

"We can still be friends," Younghoon replies, relieved, happy all at the same time. He's also surprised when Youngjae pushes a cup of coffee towards him and an orange cinnamon roll sitting on a napkin.

"As a reunion of our friendship, I hope you can accept these treats and enjoy them."

"That's awfully sweet of you!" 

He takes the cinnamon roll, lifts it to his mouth, takes a bite of it. There's a content smile on his handsome face, however, once he swallows the pastry, he realizes what else was in it.

"You deliberately added peanuts in the cinnamon roll!"

Youngjae's content expression fades away at this.

He was sure he did not add peanuts.

Younghoon is allergic to peanuts.

"Are you sure you want to be friends with?" 

There is hope dripping of the older boy's tongue but it all washes down his throat as the thoughts of the other's previous actions and the fact he's part wolf tells the answer to Younghoon.

"Younghoon, I didn't put peanuts in there . . . ." Youngjae manages to say truthfully.

"Youngjae, if you want to be friends with me you wouldn't have made me eat that cinnamon roll knowing there were peanuts added." The wolf boy has no choice but to leave. 

He exits the culinary arts classroom, stops, lifting his head at the sudden loud voice.

"I heard everything. Can't you focus on more important things instead of hurting Younghoon?" 

"What did I ever do? Why are you also accusing me when I did not do anything wrong."

"Can you not do anything harmful? Why do you have to play around with Younghoon like that, giving him a cinnamon roll with peanuts added when you knew Younghoon is allergic to them. Do you think that if you make him allergic, Hyunjae will not like Younghoon, and he'll like you instead because you are not allergic to peanuts?"

"Ji Changmin, you've never liked me," his voice shakes, looking at the older boy, holding back tears that have formed making his eyes look just a little blurry, "If you really liked me, you wouldn't think of me like this. Oh, and earlier, I was just messing with you because it's fun to see your reactions. I didn't mean to hurt you if I did. I wasn't planning on hurting anyone anyway." 

Throwing an arm over his eyes to refrain tears from running, Youngjae leaves, sobbing. 

Changmin just stands there shocked.

. . .

IF THERE WAS a time machine or some genius that could help get Youngjae's thoughts together, go back in time to fix everything, he would be ever truly grateful and maybe for his existence but the sole meaning of life meant nothing to him. 

He left Changmin with reckless words, his lips did not mean to plant small kisses on his neck merely just to tease him. 

For some odd reason, he found it amusing how tense the boy's smaller body became, how his cheeks were red as roses, and the astonishment written across his face that washed away to worry.

It's weird how that worked. How the universe worked. How the older boy does not give up touching his heart but how could he possibly do so when he was nothing but a beast? 

He hates it. He hates how he easily lets the transformation take over when the moon comes out. He stays hideous, huge, horrifying with sharp luminous lemon drop eyes, a deeper voice, hands that were once like humans and now large and hairy like a wolf's. His body like one.

Changmin was right about him. He's locked himself in this high colossal dark castle beyond the woods where no one knows about unless they stumble across the massive architecture, then that's another story.

Youngjae would lock them up as well and ask them questions to which the strangers would stay silent, cry for help. Once released they tell the Sun and Moon royal families about this beast whom they are now aware of, and have no association with. 

The kings and queens of the family only require their children shall not make any relationship with the beast.

CM: Sorry, I misunderstood you. I'll find you at the basketball class tomorrow.

YJ: Don't bother. I am busy tomorrow, have plans with someone

CM: Is it someone who I know?

Youngjae doesn't reply back, instead, he messages Hyunjae.

YK: Let's go play basketball tomorrow

JH: Sure

He stares at the picture frame that's almost shredded from him ripping the art portrait of his very self. He starts talking to it as if he's talking to his past self. He then shifts his gaze to the full moon disappearing behind the sea of clouds and sighs.

Now at the balcony, watching the enchanted rose petals fall lifelessly one by one, to distract himself, he picks up the magic mirror and takes a deep breath.

"Show me, Ji Changmin," it takes no more than ten seconds for the magic mirror's blank expression escape to the sight of a lean and muscular framed boy diligently writing nursing notes.

Groaning when he writes down the wrong definition of the terms. He runs a hand through his tousled hair that falls just above the rim of his glasses sitting on the bridge of his nose. 

Changmin shoots out of the chair with an arm flying into the sky after accomplishing jotting the notes.

A smile splits on his lips at the boy trying to help him. A soft chuckle leaves his mouth too, finding him adorable and silly especially that he's now pacing around the room, flops onto the bed. Messes his hair again and then covers his face with both hands.

Cute. Youngjae thinks, unable to register why Changmin wants to help him. 

Be there for him, even after all he's done to him.

 Asking the magic mirror to stop showing the author, he turns around hearing the forbidden room's door creak open upon seeing a warm smile on the older boy's face who reminds him of an albino buffalo, whose coffee irises that tend to shine when his lips curve from one end to another. 

"Your royal highness, is something on your mind?" Joonyoung enters the forbidden room, sighing, noting the despondent face of the prince, the rose petals drifting before falling asleep into a slumber. 

"Do you think the universe despises me?"

"Youngjae, your royal highness, the universe does not despise you."

"The universe sure despises me," a small voice squeaks, his face milky white accompanied by hickory colored eyes, beautiful lips. 

The younger struggles onto his feet as he had transformed back to human, cringing at the taste of blood on his tongue. 

Chanhee wants the taste gone immediately. He wants to stop drinking blood but he can't no matter how many times he's tried because it's part of him. 

He feeds on human blood whether he likes it or not, stumbling towards the beast but is caught in his friend's arms.

"Chanhee, you silly child, stop being so harsh on yourself," Joonyoung tells Chanhee. 

Joonyoung runs a hand in his messy raven hair to which Chanhee glares at him.

"I can drink your blood right now, so stop it," Chanhee hisses. He scrunches his nose, shuts his eyes at the familiar hand patting his head that relaxes him, although, he didn't seem like the one for affection.

"If only I've learned my lesson then the both of you wouldn't have to struggle twice as hard," Youngjae reasons, breaking into a smile seeing his friends tease each other. Joonyoung puts a hand on his shoulder, giving it a squeeze. Chanhee comes to his side, throws arms around him.

Joonyoung does the same.

"Love will find a way to your heart one day and maybe it already has," Joonyoung sucks in a breathe, lifting his head to meet eyes with Youngjae who has tears escaping the rim of his eyes, streaming down his cheeks, and land on his pant leg. 

"If only you give yourself to someone that wants to know you, all of you. If they are bringing even the smallest ounce of happiness to you, then I would say that's love because it holds a heavy yet light meaning to everyone." Chanhee speaks his mind about love despite his said words about the universe earlier.

. . .

WAITING FOR HYUNJAE to arrive back after changing, Youngjae walks around the basketball court. Taken aback, he glares at the sight Changmin and Younghoon stepping onto the court.

"Why are you here?" Youngjae was not expecting Changmin to actually come and play basketball. He only wanted to play, stop thinking about things.

"The peanut addition is a misunderstanding. I came here to explain it."

"Forget it. Since you came, let's play a good game." Youngjae throws the ball towards Changmin who fails to catch it and instead gets hit by it. Changmin holds his arm, confused. 

Younghoon notices this. Figuring that Changmin wasn't ready to catch,  he steps in front, picks up the ball, passes it to Youngjae with a determined look.

"Fine, you want to play. Let's play basketball," dashing, Younghoon reaches a hand out for the dribbling ball making a light sound of a drum, touching the ground, bouncing back up, but Youngjae drives the ball forward and leaps. 

He shoots the ball into the net, accidentally, hurting Younghoon.

"Both of you aren't kids anymore so stop! Competition second, friends first!" Changmin reasons.

"Hey, what's going on here? I thought we were playing basketball, not fighting," Hyunjae arrives after five minutes. He asks if Changmin is okay from the way he was limping, caressing his arm. 

Younghoon tells what's the issue. Everything just collapses the moment that was supposed to be of reconciliation and fun turns into a hot mess. 

Youngjae throws the ball aggressively, "the situation isn't like that at all!" He starts to leave.

"Your past conflict is a misunderstanding," Changmin says, catching up behind him.

"I don't want to listen, it doesn't matter to me."

"I'm here to protect you."

"Can I request you to stop deciding what's right, wrong, or good for me? You are not my friend, family, teacher, or someone else. What I do for good or bad, should not matter to you."

. . .

"Ji Changmin, here's the medicine for your shoulder," Hyunjae comes to sit on the sofa next to Changmin, handing over the first aid kit. 

"Thank you!" Changmin says, grabbing the kit from Hyunjae. He opens the kit and pulls out a bandage, a cleaning wipe, cotton swab, the ointment. He starts rubbing the ointment using the cotton swag on his injury. Sensing Hyunjae observing him, Changmin cheerfully replies, "Don't worry the wound is small."

"You have my words nothing like this will ever happen again. I won't let anyone else hurt you like this," Hyunjae looks at Changmin with concern. 

The author chuckles at this, startled at his sentence. "I don't understand why people fight and argue over silly misunderstandings that be resolved right away. Why hold a grudge over it and be cruel when the world already has enough of that?"

"I don't understand either."

"Do you know why I wanted you as my assistant?"

"Well . . . I was thinking because of my marvelous appearance and exceptional skills," Changmin laughs but stops at the voice of the crown prince, explaining the actual reason, smiling because of the wisdom he has.

"You can't really know a person until you know their heart," Hyunjae pauses, remembering something, "You said I'm like those one percent perfectionists? What did you mean by that?"

"For instance, you're learning choreography for a show you are going performing, so you have to really pay attention to the details besides looking at the big picture. You've practiced enough for the day, however, you're determined to make what you practiced within a day or two because you're scared that if you make one wrong move you'll be a failure. So, you make sure to get the moves perfect as soon as possible and you're strict on yourself." Changmin explains as he performs a part of the choreography for a show that's coming in late December. His steps are gentle, negligent, light, eyes focused, his heart beating as he moves around like a swan, twirls, and leaps, landing perfectly.

"You can dance?"

. . .

"Today we've invited a talented dancer to our school! He will be our temporary dance teacher, please welcome him, teacher Ji!" The headmaster of Lunar College announces in the dance room, leaving his spot so the brunette can enter. 

He takes the place where the headmaster was as students applause for his entrance. It is the guardian angel he seems to make of himself. He's nothing but a guardian angel that's sometimes so confusing.

"Hello everyone, I'm Ji Changmin. From now on, I'll be Lunar College's dance teacher. I will also occasionally intertwine in your lives. I'll be here to help you and be there in a blink of an eye."

With dance class finishing, Youngjae grabs his bag, throws it over a shoulder. Pulling the strap, he begins to leave. He stops hearing the sound of piano playing which was coming from no other than Changmin.

"Son Youngjae. I'm your teacher now. Shouldn't you respect and listen to me?" Changmin says innocently, lips tugging into an ever so sweet smile where his dimples show. Youngjae ignores this but is halted. "Youngjae, how can I show you that I truly care about you? Don't resist, yeah?"

"Ji Changmin, do you know why I'm resisting? It's all because you make a big deal of helping me every day to express how grateful I am," and then he leaves without another word. Changmin is dumbfounded, once again. He walks over to the wolf boy's desk, picks up an unfamiliar book. 

The title reads kidney transplant.

His eyes are wide as saucers, realization hitting him straight in the face.  

He isn't connected to Lee Jaehyun anymore, yet he still wants to donate his kidney? 

The next day at the Sun family's royal castle, Changmin and Hyunjae are walking around in a garden talking about family matters which switches to love life because apparently, the crown prince was uncomfortable conversing about family.

Hyunjae isn't close to his parents.

Hyunjae watches as Changmin drops to the ground, grabbing his shoulder and groans at the sudden pain throbbing around his shoulder and back. "Are you okay, Changmin?" Hyunjae asks. Right after he gets up, he nods.

"I'm sorry, I have to go."

"Don't worry about me. Worry about yourself first."

He enters his car and begins driving to Youngjae's house, asking the student officers over the phone what address it's located, figuring out that the wolf boy is at his castle. 

When he arrives at the large towering castle where the wolf boy's locked himself, he dashes inside as he hears a scream and two people talking—arguing. Talking was not the right word to describe what the author heard. 

The castle looks familiar but he can't figure out exactly where to dash and when he hears the scream again, he knows where he's going. He starts for the stairs, quickly, not wasting a single time. 

"Let go! Those are the notes and drawings for nursing a friend gave me!" Youngjae tells the man.

He stops halfway, turns in the direction of the voice, hurries for the door, pulling it open, breathing hard. Youngjae's so-called father is throwing flower vases at him without thinking as Youngjae ducks behind a table.

"Stop right there, right this instance," Changmin glares at the man before looking at Youngjae who's surprised to see him, arms crossed, tears still evident in his eyes.

"It's you! A liar who pretends to be rich. I can't believe you had the guts to come here."

Changmin's hands come to his shirt, he pulls it just where it makes him look cool along with rolling his sleeves, the bangs of his hair whips across his forehead as he meets Youngjae's gaze.

"Please sit and make yourself comfortable. Have some tea and biscuits."

"Why are you hitting him?"

"Do you know who he is?" Changmin says upset, pausing, looking at Youngjae, then continues, "He's. . . He's someone very important to me! Let me give you a fair warning. If you ever touch him or move an inch of his hair, I will—"

"I will not. I promise I will not."

"Good, let's go for ramen, Youngjae."

DURING THE CAR ride, it's silent but a comfortable type of silence especially since the wolf boy needed it. The author has the radio turned on to soft music for the background. 

"Son Youngjae, are you crazy? You know you can control yourself from turning into a wolf yet you easily let the transformation take over? That's ridiculous!" Changmin breaks the silence.

"You're crazy for telling me what's right and wrong when I can decide for myself too!" Youngjae adds, crossing his arms over another, watching the city pass by as Changmin drives the car. He stops the car once they've arrived at a small snack shop and lets out a groan when Youngjae moves his shoulders.

"Why do I think we are feeling the same pain?"

"My heart hurts," is all that Changmin comments. "Let me see your arm," and so Youngjae extends his arm as the brunette places bandages over his dry scratches, blowing over them.

He was fighting with leopards just to protect a kid that passed by, grabbing wood for a fire. 

Leaning just so he's face to face with the other, where their noses almost touch, Changmin's cheeks redden and so does Youngjae's.

"What are you doing?"

"You have an injury on your collarbone and your back."

Youngjae does not say anything. He pulls the collar of his shirt down and lets Changmin place a bandage there, vary of the distance between them, he quickly thanks to the author before sitting back against the seat. When he does, his back touches the seat. The pain is unbearable.

He turns to look at Changmin sitting there, waiting for him to maybe speak or something? 

"Hey, if it makes you any less uncomfortable, I can close my eyes while attending your injury, you know? Tell me where it hurts, though. I just want to help you and there for you, Youngjae."

He turns around and laughs. "If you want to be there for me and help me, be my guest."

And so Youngjae grabs the hem of his shirt, pulls it up. Slips it off over his head, the shirt laying on his lap, so it's easier to see the dry deep red scratches from the leopards. 

Changmin's stunned. 

He was not there for him at that time. 

Right now the only thing he can do is help him heal.

What caught his eyes was the rose tattoo on his shoulder. He doesn't know why but he lays a hand on the boy's muscular back, runs it down, then back up to his shoulder. Youngjae whips his head over his shoulder at the warm and gentle touch like a feather's, startling the author who's face is beat red. 

Youngjae does not want to admit it but Changmin's touch somehow healed him, calmed him down, like rain droplets racing down his back during summertime with a mix of butterflies. 

Up close kind of intimidating. 

Youngjae wonders if the last thought was how Changmin felt when he touched him. Did he frighten or bring him calmness? Was it a mix of both? Oh, god, he shouldn't be thinking like this. 

Turning around, he holds eye contact with the other perhaps for a bit too long, and suddenly he's leaning, letting his eyes roam across his small face. Changmin assumes he's aiming for the lips, so he lifts his arms over his face. Grabbing both arms, Youngjae puts his arms down in the boy's lap. 

He just strokes his head and cracks a smile. Changmin feels his face turn into a deeper shade of red. Youngjae's smile is warm, refreshing, silly too. Why hadn't he realized before?  

"Thank you, for caring about me."

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

A U T H O R 'S  N O T E

Dedicated to sugafy one of my lovely friends who I cherish the most and care about. I hope you are taking care of yourself and doing stuff you love. And when it gets hard, I hope you find someone or something that relaxes you like a healing touch 

 It will distract you in a good way from whatever hardships you are going through ++ it makes your heartbeat and breathing is calm and you feel warm, and everything just feels serene like when it rains during summertime

Hi everyone! So first of all, I apologize for updating after 2 days but l hope this chapter makes it up and that you guys enjoy it as much as I loved writing it 😇 

I also want to thank you for reading and commenting! Thank you for taking the time out of your day to read this story, try reading it, and you guys, unexpected is already at 1k reads?! Like what? I was not expecting it to reach 1k reads that quick like who and how where did you guys come from? adksajldhs I'm I just can't believe it you guys are making me cry. Thank you for giving unexpected a chance 💖❤️  💛 💚 💙 💜

What was your favorite part?

I've learned my lesson too. I'm gonna keep the chapters short like around sweet 1-2k word length and I'm sorry if there are any mistakes. I'll make sure to fix them as soon as possible 😔