GHOUL | JJK

ACT 4

ACT 4 // SEOUL
HYUKOH – DIE ALONE
JJK.

THE NIGHT BEFORE.

THE GENTLE SMELL of roses kindled memories of summers gone in her grandfather's garden. blades of emerald tickled the pairs' shoes as they strolled through the winding streets, turned incandescent by rays of golden brilliance up above them. simultaneously, a smile made its way to each of their flushed faces and the air grew thick with a tenderness that couldn't help but make them breathe slower, deeper, happier.

"hey.."

heat rose to jungkook's cheeks as her voice played symphonies in his ears repeatedly; his infatuation with the sound slowly becoming his new hobby. he looked her way in such a manner that almost seemed too eager, yet he just couldn't get enough of the sight of her honeyed complexion. especially the subtle pools of lavender which embellished her irises as if she were simply painted in watercolour.

ok, jungkook. concentrate.

"i saw you reading "the black goat's egg" in anteiku.
pretty amazing work right?"

at this, his heart (albeit nerdy) thumped so hard against his chest he could've sworn it was audible.

"y-yeah! definitely in the top 5."

she grinned at him; an illegible sort of grin, yet all the same, it still made him that little bit more anxious to be around her.

the pair had taken their seats; whilst the conversation flowed at a certain pace, jungkook couldn't help but realise her strangely minuscule appetite.

"i'm on a diet...that's all."
she had said.

yet she seemed a perfect shape in his eyes.

–

the moon was quick to arise from its nest, and so were the two teens from the dining table they shared.

the boy glanced at his watch for the fifth time, his brain felt like a wire wasn't connected properly and was malfunctioning as if he was drunk.

the girl's soft-natured face presented a shy smile which juxtaposed the ominous gleams of moonlight.

"it's getting a little late, huh?"

jungkook looked at her, failing to control his corny smile, and nodded slightly.

"let me walk you home."

she giggled, shrugging.

"well, just so you know, i live near where a lot of those ghoul incidents have been. pretty freaky. i'm sure you've heard of them."

she spotted that jungkook had a pitiful ingenuous look on his face.

"i don't mind."

the girl grinned; a little too widely. he simply began to follow her toward where she was headed.

during their stroll, however, a figure arose from the darkness, appearing similar to that of the girl from the café–jiae, was it?

jungkook recognised her behind her tangled locks and charmingly boyish features.

they weren't really friends, yet he couldn't deny his slight (ok, huge) crush on her.

jiae's lips twitched upwards as her footsteps evaporated into the night.

she thought it slightly strange that jungkook would be around with her. but then again, she decided not to question it.

the two were alone again; they now stood in front of a homely apartment complex surrounded by a murder of crows.

well this is unsettling.

streams of lavender ran down the hue of her locks, framing a heart shaped face with expressive eyes. a dazed expression dominated her features.

and he said it.

"i like you, sa–"

his confession was abruptly interrupted by her arms around his frame.

"i think i like you too, jungkook."

at this point,
she had begun to

TURN.

pale skin.

as pale as death.

jagged, grotesque cheek bones.

skeletal shoulders draped in black.

two blazing pools of malice and evil stared daggers at him.

her face appeared as though it had been taken to pieces and reinforced by a child with only a vague knowledge of the human form.

yet she wasn't human.

it wasn't human.

–

the only thing that jungkook knew was that she was dead, or the ghoul, rather.

crushed by falling steel.

the way a monster should die.

he had been taken into hospital care after she had impaled him in the shoulder; the grim look of sadistic joy still bringing jungkook to a relapse of chilling shudders.

however, the ghoul's organs were not wasted. the new owner of those organs happened to be jungkook–and there was no turning back now.

well,
once you turn,
there really is no way back.