The Turning

(Twenty-Six)

Hyungwon entered the kitchen with the glassware and set them in the empty sink. He grabbed a bright yellow sponge and squirted some soap on it. After he cleaned the last glass, he dried and put them away. He wiped his hands on the dish rag hanging off the untouched oven and then exited the kitchen.

As he took a seat, his phone vibrated. He retrieved his cellphone from his pocket and scrolled through the text messages. According to the messages, his clan members were at their respective jobs. He got up from the couch. It was time for him get started on his next course of action. He tucked his cellphone in his back pocket and headed for the apartment door.

~~

Hyungwon stood in the elevator, watching the numbers decrease. For the past four days, his health had been his highest priority. After a few days of a proper diet, he knew he was ready to take the next step. A dinging sound filled the space as the elevator doors slid open. He stepped out of the elevator, taking a look at his cellphone screen.

He looked up from his phone screen, eyes wandering to the young redheaded woman standing behind a counter. Hyungwon gave the younger woman a warm smile and then closed his mouth. Humans weren't usually kind to vampires. It would be better for him if he didn't show his fangs to everyone.

"Have a nice day out, sir!"

Hyungwon paused, eyes wide. He had only walked through the apartment lobby twice during his stay with the MX clan. This would be his third time walking past apartment staff. None of the humans ever talked to him. Instead of answering the worker, he gave her another smile and walked toward the revolving doors.

As soon as Hyungwon exited the apartment complex, he ran. A grin spread across his lips. There was something magical about being able to run extremely fast. He moved past a large group of teenage boys and girls. He would have spread his arms wide, but he didn't want to hit anyone.

The vivid memory of him waking up as a vampire entered his mind. He remembered the day clearly. All he wanted that day was to escape. And somehow, he did. On the day of his awakening, he was able to hide in plain sight. It had been a shocking discovery and he wanted to test the ability out again.

Shops and street vendors zoomed past as he ran. He didn't know how his ability worked. When he first used the power, he was under immense fear and stress. He ran past another street vendor as he forced himself to concentrate.

Hyungwon spotted a purple and pink bakery sign up ahead. He slowed down as he moved closer to the bakery. Seconds later, he stopped in front of a glass door with the name Sweet Cakes printed on the surface. Through the glass door of the bakery he spotted an older woman staring at him. He probably looked strange to her. He moved away from the door and stood to the side. He wished he knew how his ability worked, but he didn't.

A sigh left his lips.

Hyungwon rested his back against a wall by the door and closed his eyes. He imagined he couldn't be seen by anyone. When he opened his eyes, he looked at the people passing by. No one looked at him. He turned his attention back to the bakery, looking through the glass again. It was time for a little experiment. Hyungwon opened the door and entered inside. At the counter, an old woman arranged pink, blue, green, and purple cupcakes on a wooden tray.

"Gosh, the wind so powerful today. It opened the door."

A smile graced his lips. He was standing in the middle of the store. The older woman looked through him at the door. It worked. Whether he mastered it or not was another issue, but he decided to worry about that later.

"Mari," the old woman said, turning to look at the back. "My dear, I need another batch of cupcakes. Our afternoon rush will be coming soon."

Hyungwon thought about snatching one of the cupcakes from the tray, but then changed his mind. He didn't want to give the poor woman a heart attack. If anyone saw a floating cupcake, they would surely be frightened. So, he waited for her to go to the backroom. Once she disappeared, Hyungwon picked up the cupcake tray and walked it over to the entry table by the door. He put the cupcakes down and then stood by the table.