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When Chenle told his friends that he was moving from his house in Seoul to an ancient castle on the top of a mountain, everyone told him he was crazy. It's not like it was his choice anyway, since he was just following his parents, but he didn't think of it as a bad idea.
"It will be exciting!" He exclaimed, talking to his best friend Mark.
"It will be scary! This kind of buildings are always haunted... What if there are ghosts in there?!" Asked Mark. He was older than Chenle, but Chenle liked to pretend it was the other way around.
"Even better!" Replied the younger.
We can't say Mark was right, but we can't say that he was completely wrong either.
Chenle actually liked his new house a lot, because there were plenty of rooms and an immense garden, it was totally different from his apartment in the center of Seoul. They had moved there because his maternal grandfather had recently died and his mother had inherited the castle. After a period of internal strife over whether it was better to continue living in the city or enjoy life in contact with nature, Chenle's parents had decided that getting away from the chaos would only benefit them, as they were both always under stress. Moreover, they were both entrepreneurs and one of their company's locations was a ten-minute drive from the castle, so they could easily move into an office there.
✎
A few days after the move, Chenle was lying on the lawn scrolling Twitter when someone tapped on his shoulder.
"Mh?" He asked lazily, assuming it was his mother wanting to tell him to clean the house or something like that.
The other person cleared their throat. "I'm sorry." They said when they finally spoke. "I think you should leave."
Chenle pressed the button to turn off the screen of his phone and looked up at the person squatting down next to him. It was a boy around his age, with light brown hair and a cute nose, and he was wearing all black.
"Huh, hello!" Chenle greeted him, smiling awkwardly and sitting to face him properly. He was probably the most beautiful guy he had ever seen, his features almost making him look unreal.
"Hello." Said the other. He kept staring at Chenle in a serious way.
"Who are you?" Asked Chenle.
"The owner of the house." Replied the other, calmly but still looking very serious.
Chenle frowned. "You don't look like my parents. They are the owners."
"You all should move away."
"Oh." Chenle scanned the other. "So you're a... Gangster? A mafia member? Do you want a payoff or what? We won't give in to your blackmail, we are not scared." He raised his chin and tried to look as dignified as possible. Had he been threathened someone older or bigger or scarier, he would have probably started screaming in a shrilly voice to get anyone's attention in the whereabouts, but it was just a pretty guy who didn't look scary at all, and he knew he could face him. Maybe, if he was lucky enough, the young criminal would even be impressed by his bravery and ask him out. Who knows? Maybe they could get to know each other and eventually fall in love like in a movie.
"I'm... I'm none of these things." Replied the other, looking confused. "I'm a demon, and I don't want money. I just want you to leave."
"A demon? You mean a real demon?" Asked Chenle, amused.
"Yes. A real demon." Confirmed the guy.
"Show me."
"Uhm..."
The face of the guy turned very serious and he closed his eyes for a moment, as if he was concentrating on something. When he opened them again, their color had changed from dark brown into a bright yellow, and it was not the only difference. A pair of black horns had sprouted up from his head, and his fangs had become worryingly sharp.
"Oh my..." Muttered Chenle, his jaw dropping.
The demon's cheeks flushed pink as he moved his head to better show his horns, a proud smile on his face.
"Are you going to kill me?" Whispered Chenle, still petrified.
The demon widened his eyes. "W-what?! No! I mean..." He coughed, trying to look relaxed. "I hope I won't have to. Just leave the house."
"It would be cool, though..." Said Chenle, more to himself than to the other, but the demon heard him anyway.
"What will be cool?" He asked.
"To be killed by a demon."
The demon blinked a few times, incredulous. "Are you... okay? Do you need any help?"
At that question, Chenle snapped out of his reverie and blushed, laughing nervously. "Oh my... I'm sorry! I was just thinking out loud. You know, my life has always been boring... It's the first time something like this happens to me."
The demon nodded. "I understand it, my life is so boring too..."
"But you're a demon!"
"Yeah..."
After a few moments of silence in which they were both thinking, Chenle exclaimed: "Hey! You still have to tell me your name!"
"I'm not here to make friends..." Muttered the demon. "I'm just here for the castle."
But Chenle didn't care. "My name is Chenle." He said, offering his right hand with a friendly smile.
"I'm Jisung." Replied the demon, giving him a handshake. "Will you leave the house, anyway?"
"Sure... Will you come back to check?"
"Of course."
"Okay!"
✎
When Jisung came back to check a few days later, Chenle was still there. This time he was lazily swinging on a tire swing that was hanging from the strongest tree in the garden.
"You lied!" Exclaimed Jisung. "You didn't leave!" He looked like a normal person again, no horns or fangs on display.
"Hello! What did you say?" Asked Chenle, removing his headphones. He didn't get off the swing, waiting for Jisung to come closer instead.
"I said you lied to me." Repeated the demon, looking upset.
"Ah... Do you like my new swing?" Asked Chenle, casually. "I made it yesterday."
"Fuck!" Shouted Jisung. "I hate you, you don't even listen to me!"
Chenle noticed that his fists were clenched, and his eyes had switched to yellow for a short second.
"Hey, hey..." He said, standing up and putting a reassuring hand on Jisung's shoulder. "Calm down. I'm sorry, okay? But I have no power here. I can't decide to leave, it's my parents who take decisions. Why don't you come inside so we can discuss it? I made biscuits with my mom yesterday, would you like to try some?"
"I..." Jisung stared at him, dumbfounded.
"They are tasty!" Chenle's smile was so bright that in the end Jisung couldn't say no.
Actually, demons do not eat human foods, not because it could harm them, but because they just don't need it. It was not the first time Jisung tried human food though, because he refused to eat souls or hearts or even meat in general, and he'd rather have a cup of ramyeon or a cake.
"How are they?" Asked Chenle in anticipation when Jisung tried the first biscuit.
"They are good. Thank you." Jisung wasn't lying, they really tasted good. "Can I have... Another one?" He asked, since he had skipped breakfast that morning.
"You can eat as many as you wish."
"Thank you."
The house was very silent, so Jisung assumed it was empty. "Where are your parents?" He asked.
Chenle rolled his eyes. "At work. They moved there to enjoy life more peacefully but in the end they are always in their new offices. Nothing has changed."
"Did you tell them that you need to leave?"
"Uuhmm..." Chenle scratched his head with an apologetic smile, and Jisung sighed.
"When can I meet them?"
Chenle pretended to gasp. "Oh my God, are you going to ask them for my hand? But we just met!"
Jisung frowned. "What!? No, I... I'm really not that kind of demon, I guess. Your hands are pretty, but I'd rather see them attached to the rest of your body."
How was Chenle supposed to feel about such an expected answer? He had no idea. Part of him was a bit horrified by the interpretation Jisung had given to his joke, but the gay and silly side of him was more flattered by the compliment.
"I meant in marriage..." He muttered under his breath, but Jisung was busy eating yet another biscuit.
The biscuits and Chenle randomly talking about his life in Seoul completely distracted Jisung from his purpose, which he remembered only when it was time for him to leave.
"I have to go now, but next time I'll talk to your parents."
"Good luck catching them." Replied Chenle.
Jisung thought for a moment. "Can you tell me their working shifts?"
"I don't know them." Chenle lied, but Jisung just nodded and said goodbye.
✎
A couple of days later, Jisung came back but no one was in the garden, so he knocked the door. Once again, Chenle was alone and he couldn't meet his parents, but the guy still convinced him to stay offering him some chips.
"So, last time I was the only one who talked. Tell me something about yourself." Chenle said.
"I'm not here to..." Tried to say Jisung, and the other rolled his eyes.
"You're not here to make friends, I know, I know. It's just a way to spend time until my parents come back. Talking a bit won't kill you, right?"
Jisung sighed. "Right."
"What do demons do? Where do they live? How many are there?" Chenle was really curious about it.
"Wait, wait. One thing at time."
"Sure."
The demon made a concentrated expression that according to Chenle was extremely endearing, then he said: "We do... Many things. We live in another world but sometimes we would just move here. And... There are countless demons, I don't really know how many."
"Can you get into people's body?" Chenle's eyes were shining from excitement.
"Not really. These are ghosts, I think? I mean we still can, but it's different." Tried to explain Jisung.
"How?"
"Well, to possess someone we need them to let us in."
"What do you mean?"
"Like... I couldn't force myself into your body, right now. We kinda need to gain your soul first. You have to trust us and willingly give in to us..."
"Oh." Discussing these things with a real demon was way more thrilling than that time he bought a Ouija board at the flea market and tried to summon a ghost with his friend Renjun, epecially because Mark was there screaming and begging them not to play with those things. But that's another story. "I do trust you, though."
Jisung almost choked. "I- I don't do these things, okay? Moreover, it would consume your soul and you would end up dying."
"You don't?" Asked Chenle.
"I don't like it. Which is weird for a demon, I know. But that's why they sent me here to gain the castle back, because other demons have better things to do. Or maybe I should say evil things to do."
"Who sent you here, exactly?"
"My brother Hyuck. Oh..." Jisung saddened.
"What's going on?" Asked Chenle, worried.
"I have to go." The demon stood up. "If I come tomorrow at 3pm, will I find your parents?"
Chenle smiled. "The answer may vary. Will you still come if I say that it's very unlikely?"
What did that even mean? "I guess so..." After all, he was free and a bit lonely.
"Then I'm afraid you won't find them, but see you tomorrow."
✎
The next day, Chenle challenged Jisung to play video games, and before they knew it they had already spent three hours playing and chatting about this and that. Suddenly, Chenle remembered the speech from the day before and asked, "So you have a brother? What's he like? Do you get along?"
Jisung shook his head. "We don't get along very well. I don't get along with anybody very well. I know you think it's cool, but I really don't like being a demon. I wish I was human, I wish I was more like you. Making cookies and playing video games every day, not being surrounded by blood and horror."
"We should switch life then! I would love it. I am a horror movie expert and every Halloween I'm the king of the party, I always have the scariest costume!"
He also read a lot of demons or vampire stories on AO3, but he thought it was better to omit this detail.
Chenle looked really excited, but Jisung sighed. "You think you like it because you've never been in my shoes. It's... It's not a nice life. It really isn't. Stop romanticizing it."
Chenle bit his inner cheek. "I'm sorry. I keep thinking it's cool, but I'll stop saying it if you makes you uncomfortable."
"Thank you."
Chenle waved the joystick with a teasing smile to lighten up the atmosphere. "So... Do you want a re-match, loser?"
Jisung pouted. "It's my first time playing it and you're an expert! It's unfair!"
"Come here every day and you will be an expert too."
"Is it an invitation?"
"It is."
✎
So Chenle and Jisung started meeting every afternoon, spending time together and anticipating the next time they would see each other. Chenle's parents always returned around dinnertime, and by that time Jisung already left.
One day, Chenle suggested: "Why don't we go out? Why don't we have ice cream together? Can other people see you?"
Jisung tilted his head to the side. "What do you mean? I'm not invisible."
"Uhm, I mean... Can you walk around between people? Can you meet them? I mean, you're a demon, I don't know if you're free to go around." Tried to explain Chenle.
Jisung nodded. "I can do whatever I want, as long as I don't show them my real aspect or my powers, because I'd get in troubles."
Once they were sitting at the park while staring at the ducks in the pond and eating their ice cream, Chenle asked: "Do you count this as a date?"
Jisung coughed. "W-what?! Uhm... Do you?"
Chenle blushed a little. "Well... It would be nice to be on a date with you."
"Then... Then it's a date, I guess."
Chenle got closer until they were shoulder against shoulder, and put his hand on the top of Jisung's, smiling fondly. "Great."
✎
On their second date, they had a picnic in the wood near Chenle's house, and even went fruit picking from the trees around them. It was fun and they laughed a lot, holding hands from time to time.
They were now lying on the grass and cuddling while staring at the sky, when Jisung turned to face Chenle just to find out the other was already staring at him, and this resulted in their noses touching. Jisung panicked for a moment and was about to back out, but he saw the expectation in Chenle's half-closed eyes and this stopped him. He took a few moments to study Chenle's face, that he had seen so many times already, but never this close. He had a cute little mole on his ear lobe that almost looked like a earring, but overall the skin of his face was very smooth and even, and Jisung found himself wondering if his lips were as soft as they looked. It didn't take him long to find out, because before he even realized it, he had pressed his own on them, just enough to confirm that they were indeed very soft. Soft and sweet, the flavour of the fruit they had eaten still on them. He was not an expert, but he brushed against Chenle's lips a little more, just to savour the moment.
"Is this... How you start to give in to a demon?" Asked Chenle in a whisper, when he opened his eyes.
Jisung gulped. "Uhm, well, kinda. One of them. But Chenle..."
"You don't do these things, I know. I was just wondering, don't worry!"
✎
The hours Chenle had to wait between the time he returned home and the time he would see Jisung again the next day seemed endless, but when the young finally demon arrived, he didn't look happy at all.
"What's... What's going on?" He asked, when he saw the expression of anger mixed with sadness painted on the demon's face. He had been waiting for him on the tire swing, so he got off and approached Jisung.
"I..." Started the demon. "I don't think we should keep seeing each other. Leave the house and no one will get hurt."
He had now assumed his demon form, and Chenle took a few steps back. "What?! What happened?"
"I thought demons were evil, but now I know humans can be evil too." There was pain in his voice, but Chenle had no clue about what could have caused it.
"Jisung, whatever happened I'm sorry, okay? Let's go inside, do you want a glass of water? A chamomile tea? Do you want a hug?"
"Your relative killed my uncle."
"What?! Jisung, please, calm down and explain."
"Should I trust you?" Asked the demon, dryly.
Chenle shrugged. "Well, you're the one who could kill me very easily here, and yet I trust you. Why would you not trust me?"
"Uhm..." Jisung sighed and sat on the grass, and Chenle imitated him.
"Tell me everything." He invited him, taking his hand.
"Do you know why this castle is yours?" Asked the demon.
"Uhm... Because we inherited it from my grandfather. That's why I don't understand why you want it so bad."
"But why did your grandfather even have it?"
Chenle frowned. "I have no idea? I know he grew up here and so did my mom, until she moved away as an adult... So it must have been my great-grandfather's."
"But it wasn't his. It belonged to my uncle Jeno." Replied Jisung. "But your great-grandfather Jaemin killed him."
Chenle was shocked. It was not possible. He opened his mouth to ask how could his uncle possibly be old enough to be around when his great-grandfather was alive, but then he remembered that he was a demon and they age differently. But if he was a demon... "How could my great-grandfather kill a demon? I'm pretty sure everyone in my family is human."
"We don't know."
"Who told you these things?"
"Hyuck." Jisung was staring at the grass to avoid facing Chenle. "When I got home yesterday, he saw me particularly happy and asked me if I got the castle back... I said no and he kept asking questions until I confessed that I was in quite good terms with you, so he told me the story. He warned me about you and your family."
Chenle shook his head. "It still... It still doesn't make sense to me."
"Then how do you explain that my uncle's castle belongs to your family, now? And my uncle's death? I don't know how he killed him, but Hyuck told me that uncle Jeno decided to trust your great-grandfather and that was the result."
"I... I will ask my mother, okay? I promise."
"And then what?"
"If it's true, we will leave. It won't bring your uncle back to life, but at least it's something..."
Jisung stared at Chenle. "Would you leave? For real?"
"Yes."
"Thank you."
✎
"Mom... Do you happen to know anyone named Jaemin?" Chenle casually asked that evening, during dinner.
His mother was serving salad, and replied in a distracted way. "No, sweetheart."
"You never knew one? Not even in the past? Maybe... A relative?"
His mother finally faced him. "My grandfather was named Jaemin. Why are you asking?"
"Did he kill a demon?" Chenle was known for being very straightforward.
His father started laughing. "Chenle, Chenle. You've always had a great imagination, but you're not a child anymore. Don't you think you should stop the nonsense? Demons do not exist."
"But I'm seeing one!"
Chenle's mother was now quite pale. "You what?"
"I'm seeing a demon. His name is Jisung."
His father raised a brow. "And how do you know he is a demon?"
"He has black horns and yellow eyes and sharp teeth. I saw him transforming in front of my eyes. And he wants this castle back." Explained Chenle.
"It's dangerous..." Muttered his mother.
Chenle's father looked at the woman in surprise. "Darling, you should not indulge him."
A phone call to Chenle's mother from a business partner interrupted them and they dropped the topic, but Chenle was determined to interrogate the woman again the following evening.
✎
When he went to the kitchen to have breakfast the next morning, Chenle found a note in his mother handwriting and something that looked like a very old notebook with a brown worn leather cover that said 'jaemin'.
The note said: "Dear Lele, my grandfather didn't kill any demon, but I know they are real and mad at us, so be careful. Read his diary and you will understand.
P.s. Your father didn't know either, but I'll tell him"
Chenle's heart skipped a beat, but for how much curious he was, he decided to wait for Jisung so they could read it together.
A few hours later, the two of them were sitting on Chenle's bed, scared to open the diary.
"You read." Said Chenle.
"No, you read!" Replied Jisung.
"Let's read together."
They took a deep breath and opened the diary.
The first page said:
«Dear diary. I decided to start writing because since I met him I feel so many emotions that I think I will explode if I don't vent about them. I have never felt this way in my 21 years of life, I don't know what is happening to me. I don't even know him that well. Yesterday he smiled at me in the literary circle and I felt my heart on the verge of bursting. He is the most attractive person I have ever seen, yet he is not full of himself. He is nothing but kind smiles and words of reassurance for everyone.»
Chenle and Jisung exchanged a glance. Who was 'he'? And why were they reading someone's love affairs?
They decided to quickly scan the pages, which were nothing more than Jaemin pouring out his feelings for this boy onto paper.
The tenth page read like this:
«Dear Diary, It was raining yesterday and he walked me home because I forgot my umbrella. We talked the whole time. He is so smart, so alert, so bright.... And he smells so good. Even when we sat next to each other in the circle, we were never as close as we were today while sharing the umbrella. I think he noticed I was a little tense, so he smiled and said "if you prefer I can walk in the rain. It's not too heavy." Of course I said no. I don't know when I will get the chance to be this close to him again, he is really popular and full of friends, and he seems to have a busy life. I am so happy today.»
Chenle chuckled. "This is so cute! So romantic!"
Jisung felt conflicted. "It is, but let's not forget that Jaemin may be an assassin."
Chenle's mood suddenly changed. "You're right, sorry..."
As much as they wanted to skip pages, they both had to admit that they were getting a little passionate about the story, so they found themselves reading about Jaemin pining over this guy, secretly rooting for him. Fortunately for Jaemin, after the rainy day he and this boy began to sit next to each other much more often, conversing frequently and going home together from time to time.
Around the twenty-fifth page of that story that looked like a slow burn fan fiction, Jaemin wrote:
«Dear diary. Today I went to a fair down town with Jeno. There were rides and a circus and we had the time of our lives, and when he walked me home he kissed me on the doorstep. I don't think I'll be able to sleep tonight. He told me he likes me, and I told him I likes him back. We're a couple now. I still can't believe it.»
"I can't do this!" Screamed Chenle, his cheeks turning red. "I know you said I shouldn't enjoy this story but... They are so cute! I... I am a blushing mess!"
Jisung smiled at him fondly. "I know, I... I think they are cute too. You are cuter, though." He leaned over to Chenle and gave him a kiss, and for a few minutes they completely forgot about the importance of the diary and the real reason they were reading it.
When they went back to reading, things between Jaemin and the boy seemed to be going perfectly until page 42, where it read:
«Dear diary, I'm scared. I'm scared because I'm madly in love with Jeno, but I think he's hiding something from me. Sometimes he disappears for a while, and he's always vague when I ask him to explain. Strange rumors start to circulate. They say that anyone who gets too close to him disappears under mysterious circumstances. At the same time, though, no one has any proof, and his friends say it's just nonsense. To speak ill of him it's only people far from him, no one I know would question his goodness. I feel bad because he would never doubt me, while I'm doubting him. Yet, I am scared.»
And again, on page 48:
«Dear diary. Jeno and I had a fight today. I'm really scared. We had never fought before, but today we yelled at each other and I don't know if I'm going crazy, but I think his eyes changed color for a moment. Right after it, he looked scared too. He was very agitated, he almost cried. He started apologizing to me and begged me to never fight again. He whispered something I couldn't quite understand, but I think he said he doesn't want to hurt me by accident. I think the fight was my fault because I was throwing a tantrum over something silly, but he said it didn't matter and eventually took the blame. Right after that, he went home. It was so... Weird. I don't know how I feel about it.»
Chenle gasped. "His eyes... Do you think..."
Jisung nodded. "I think 'he' is my uncle Jeno."
"Fuck... But my great-grandfather loved him! There is no way he would kill him!"
"Maybe for his own safety..." Hypotesized Jisung.
Chenle was very upset. "I refuse to believe it."
They weren't so far from the truth. Page 52 was almost incomprehensible, it was clear that Jaemin's hands were shaking while he was writing.
«Dear diary. Things between Jeno and I had started to go well again, but now the world came crashing down on me. He is not who he claims to be. I knew he lived alone in a castle, and I had seen it from the outside, but he had never taken me there. I went there today because I wanted to surprise him, I cooked dinner and put it in a picnic basket to eat it with him, because I know he is often busy studying and skips dinner. It's my fault for climbing over the fence, but I never imagined such a thing. I'm still wondering if I dreamed it. Maybe I'm crazy. I sincerely hope I am.»
The ink was smudged in a few places where the paper was rippling, Jaemin was clearly crying and had ended up smearing the page with tears.
"I'm not sure I want to continue..." Whispered Chenle. Yes, he was a horror enjoyer, but not when his family was directly involved. He was feeling so bad, he just wanted to throw away that diary and forget its existence.
"We have to." Replied Jisung, holding his hand.
«The front door was half-open, and I walked in. He was in the living room, but there was someone on the floor. I don't know who it was, but he was lying in a pool of blood, the same blood that Jeno's hands and mouth were covered with. I dropped the picnic basket in fright, and Jeno noticed my presence. He had black horns on his head, his eyes were as I saw them the day of the fight. His teeth were scary. He looked at me with a guilty expression and tried to say something, but I ran away as fast as I could. He didn't try to follow me. I don't know what will happen next, I don't know if this is the last page I write. Jeno is a monster, and maybe I'm his next victim. Maybe I was a target from the very beginning. I am such an idiot.»
"Shit!" Chenle started shaking his head in denial. "This doesn't make any sense! They were in love! They were in love! They were just like us, why couldn't they make it work?"
"I didn't lie about my identity..." Muttered Jisung. "Moreover, I do not eat humans. I'm a sort of vegetarian demon. He was not."
"But still!"
"I know.... This is fucked up."
The two hugged each other and they took their time to process everything before going on with the story, because it was actually not the last page.
The following one said:
«He was here. Now that I know he's not human, I guess he could have broken down the door, but he didn't. He knocked, and I didn't open. He called my name, and I didn't answer. I hid under the bed. Eventually he left, but he slipped a letter under my front door. I really have no idea what to do. I'm definitely going crazy. I read it, but I need time to process.»
A paper clip attached a letter, presumably Jeno's, to the next page. It was written by a different hand, and it said:
«Jaemin, my beloved. I'm sorry I lied to you. It's true, I'm a demon, and you'll probably be scared to death, but I never meant to hurt you. You are all that matters to me, and I have always told you the truth about my feelings. I love you. I wasn't going to keep lying to you forever, but I was really afraid of your reaction. I would have told you one day, I swear. I imagine you won't want to hear from me again, but I want to reassure you that whatever will be your decision, I will never hurt you, ever. I only ever killed evil people, and you have a pure soul. I know you're scared of me, and I can move far away from you. I just want you to feel safe despite what you've seen. But if you will still be scared, then kill me. If I lose you, I don't care about my life. I can fill the tub with holy water and immerse myself, it will melt me. You can watch if you don't believe me. I just want your serenity.
I love you and I always will.
Jeno»
Both Chenle and Jisung realized they were sobbing.
"I hate this fucking story!" Exclaimed Chenle. "I wish I never knew it!"
Jisung didn't reply, feeling as overwhelmed as him.
It was late already and Jisung had to leave, promising he would come back early the next morning. When his parents returned home, Chenle refused to leave his room for dinner or talk to them. His mother didn't insist, deciding to give him his time.
✎
Knowing it beforehand, they would have read the whole story in a day, because the agony of waiting caused them a lot of unnecessary pain.
There were a few pages of internal conflict from Jaemin, with Jeno knocking his door on the daily and Jaemin avoiding him. He didn't want Jeno to die, but he didn't want to face him either.
Then there was this page:
«Dear diary. I was told this morning that the bishop was looking for me. It was strange, because even though I go to church every Sunday, I am not particularly involved in church activities, and I had no idea what the bishop might want from me. I went to him in the late afternoon, and he shocked me. He said that Jeno had come to him asking for an absurd amount of holy water, and that this had made him suspicious. After a long interrogation, Jeno had confessed the whole story and his desire to die so that I wouldn't have to live in fear. I felt my heart shatter. Was I totally wrong? Maybe I was never a target for Jeno. Maybe his feelings were truly genuine. But I was terrified to ask what happened later. The bishop told me that he decided to help Jeno and that, according to ancient writings that demons deny the existence of but the church still keeps, if a demon is sincerely repentant and is willing to renounce to his eternal life and offer himself to God, he has a chance to save himself and become human. He also said that the ritual involves prayers and holy water and it is very risky because the chances of dying are still very high, but Jeno still wanted to try. My throat felt incredibly dry, but I was finally able to ask how the ritual went. He led me into another room and showed me Jeno lying on a small couch, motionless. I started shaking, but the bishop immediately reassured me that he was alive, just unconscious. He told me that he would keep Jeno with him until he recovered, but that in the meantime I needed to know. I cried so hard that I have no more tears, I can't believe he decided to risk his life for me after all.»
"Whoa!" Exclaimed Chenle. "Jeno really loved him..."
"I think so too." Confirmed Jisung.
They found out the reason Chenle's grandfather had the castle as they finished the story.
Jeno had been senseless for days, but eventually awoke and was able to begin his life as a human. He and Jaemin had argued for a long time, clarifying many things, but in the end everything worked out for the best. They got married a few years later, and Chenle's grandfather was the child they adopted. Jeno had no further contact with the demon world, which is probably why they believed the human he was dating killed him.
"Now I know what I have to do." Said Jisung, at the end.
Chenle frowned. "What do you mean?"
"I'll do the same as uncle Jeno."
"What?!"
Jisung looked very determined. "I hate being a demon, I always hated it. I've been investigating for years to find out a way to quit and live a human life, but there was nothing about it anywhere."
"The demons deny this possibility..." Remembered Chenle.
"Yeah..."
"Are you sure you really want it?"
Jisung sighed. "I know you think being a demon is cool, but I've been thinking about it for years and I'm very sure of it. Will you support me?"
"Of course I will! I only asked because it's risky..."
"I have to try or I'll never be happy."
Chenle nodded. "Okay. I'll be with you."
After submitting Jaemin's diary to his brother, Jisung tried to become human and, luckily, he survived, because his heart was sincere.
Even if his boyfriend was no longer a demon, Chenle didn't love him any less. Or better, he loved him even more, for being bold enough to risk it all to change life.
"You know, Jisung, maybe I should write a diary too. So, if a young demon will ever want to become human, it will help him. Or maybe I should just write our story in third person and publish it on AO3." He said.
"Where?!" Asked Jisung, confused.
Chenle chuckled. "Don't mind me, I was just kidding. Maybe."