Wooyoung Saves Changbin's Life | Stray Kids & Ateez | Changjin

Grandest of Finales

The final step of the plan was simple: check with Jongho if Hyunjin was indeed present, as Minho had promised, and then, ask him to take Hyunjin to the poetry reading, and if that failed, to see the sad love letters for himself.

Luckily, Hyunjin was weak for anything love related, ("he calls himself a romantic," Jongho had said indulgently. "He calls himself a romantic," Minho had hissed and then blown a kiss across the room to Jisung, who made finger hearts,) so Wooyung got a glass of champagne and watched a profusely sweating Changbin step up to the podium.

Since when did Vampires sweat? Excellent question.

To Changbin's heart's luck, he hadn't spotted Hyunjin yet. Hyunjin was currently looking at a scroll of poetry, furrowing his brow like he was thinking really hard, and when he heard Changbin clear his throat, he smiled – surprised and happy – and turned to listen.

"Um. Hello," Changbin started. And stopped. Tentative applause sounded through the room, and then died to expectant quiet.

He read two poems, both intensely romantic and one referring to Hyunjin by name – at which point Hyunjin was crying into Jongho's shoulder. Wooyoung had to wipe a tear from his eye, he was smiling so much.

His poetry, like his more recent rap lyrics, was beautiful. Changbin had always had a way with words, and Wooyoung liked his love songs the most. Or, here, the love poems, written in the style and the old dialect of the time but still true to his heart. Honest and raw in a way Changbin so rarely admitted to feel, and powerful as well. He'd written 'I love you' in words, once, in the middle, but with the musical beginning and epic climax of the poem, Wooyoung thought that he'd meant to write 'I love you' in every single line. The poem was met with awed silence, and Wooyoung could see Changbin nervously toying with the edge of the paper he read from.

Then Changbin read a letter, addressed to the 'love of his immortal soul,' like a loser. Wooyoung shook his head. He loved Changbin, but damn. He hadn't known he could be that dramatic. When Changbin stepped away from the podium, most of the crowd was crying. Wooyoung made his way towards Jongho and Hyunjin.

"I'm gonna die," Hyunjin was whispering. "By the blood of our enemies, I am going to die."

"It's okay, hyung," Jongho said, angel that he was, patting Hyunjin's shoulder supportively.

"It will be okay," Wooyoung added, "if you go to him now and kiss him, you idiot."

Hyunjin glared, but it wasn't very convincing. "What makes you think he still feels the same?"

...

Wooyoung was shocked, stunned, speechless, frozen, flabbergasted, floored: finally, at last, at a loss for words.

"No, no, no," Jongho shook his head. "No way. Absolutely not. You're so stupid."

Fortunately for Wooyoung, Jongho didn't take any shit, so he grabbed Hyunjin's wrist and dragged him towards the corner where Chan, Jisung and Minho were about to get Changbin drunk. Unfortunately for Wooyoung, Jongho also dragged Wooyoung with him.

"There," Jongho hissed, and pushed Hyunjin at Changbin, who dropped his glass (Chan caught it before it hit the ground, Vampire mom friend reflexes and all) and steadied Hyunjin.

Changbin paled and opened and closed his mouth.

"I am in love with you too," Hyunjin blurted, then he stepped back from Changbin, eyes wide in panic. "Um, I mean – I definitely have feelings for you. Had! Had feelings for you, too. Have. You were in love with me? I mean, I'm in love with you, but you with me? Was, I mean, um, back then, but still –" Hyunjin cursed. "Um, sorry, I'll just... go."

He tried to turn, but Minho stepped in his way and glared at him, so he turned back.

"I love you," Changbin said, finally. "Still. Always. Forever."

"You do?" Hyunjin turned back to him with the biggest smile Wooyoung had seen on another's face.

"Yeah," Changbin whispered, and smiled.

"YES!" Jisung clapped Changbin's shoulder and high fived Minho. "Now you can kiss."

It was Huynjin's turn to blush, and Changbin blinked, finally starting to process what was happening.

Then, Changbin's eyes settled on Wooyoung.

Oh-oh.

"You," Changbin said.

"Ah, Changbinnie-hyung, sweetie-cake-pumpkin-pie-bestie," Wooyoung smiled sweetly, lifting his hands in front of him and taking a nervous step back, "remember that I'm your Best Friend and Chan-hyung is right next to you and he doesn't want you to kill me. I gotta go, um, water my fish, feed my plants, and do my laundry..." He bumped into someone.

"Professor Jung?" Lee Jieun asked, a note of surprise in her voice. "I didn't expect to see you here today."

"Aaaaaand I need to fake my death," Wooyoung lamented. "How does exile in Australia sound? My sincerest apologies, Professor Lee, but I'm afraid I must go join a circus." He bowed to Jieun with an apologetic smile, then again towards his friends, theatrically like he'd just performed the show of the decade, and ran.