Danbi was walking down the street, surrounded by a quietness not even the sough of the wind dared fill. And through such silence, the crunch of leaves immediately seized her attention.
Her head jerked behind, her eyes widening slightly. She thought she was the only one there, so it was surprising to see someone also walking behind her, suddenly.
She continued with her paced walking as she didn't feel they posed a threat. However, a louder crunch made her stop in her tracks. She let her suspicion get the best of her, peeking behind her to check the position of the person.
A gasp left her lips as she noticed them walking fast her way. With a pounding heart, she took on running, her whole body filling with adrenaline.
"What do you want from me?!" She yelled as she ran, her body fueled by terror as she noticed the person was right behind her.
She speeded up with a scream, her eyes tearing up as she was just about to get caught. The area seemed to be getting darker and more unfamiliar, leaving her feeling hopeless.
She took an abrupt turn to lose their tracks, bumping with great force into something - or someone.
"Bi?"
She raised her watery eyes and wiped them, recognizing the voice but unable to see them clearly. "J-Junkyu?"
"Are you okay? What happened?"
Danbi shook her head. She clutched onto his shirt, pulling him close. She peeked behind, shocked not to see the person anymore. "We- we have to go. There was someone there. Someone was chasing me, Junkyu-" Her tongue numbed as she turned back to him.
Junkyu was staring down at her - with red eyes.
"Junkyu..." She could barely voice.
With just a small smile to warn her of his intentions, he gripped her arms firmly, aiming for her neck.
"Ah!"
Danbi's eyes shot open, her body frozen in fear. She could not immediately adjust to her surroundings, but the soft material of her blanket helped her get a grip on where she was.
Panting heavily, sweat breaking free from her pores, she let out a laugh of disbelief. "It was a dream?"
---
With light rain and dense clouds barriering the Sun, Saturday seemed like a better day to stay indoors, so Danbi, Jihoon, and Jeongwoo weren't sure how to bring up the idea of going out.
"Mom, um," Danbi put her fork aside. "Hyunsuk invited us over to his house."
Mrs. Park's eyes wandered out the window, her nose scrunching in distaste. "Is it a party again?"
"No, but, it's a sleepover. We won't stay up late watching movies again, though, don't worry." Danbi reassured her.
"Who's coming?"
"Um, us, Hyunsuk, Doyoung, Junkyu..." Danbi trailed off.
"And a friend of mine. Actually two," Jeongwoo added. "A girl and a boy. They're very nice, Auntie."
"Alright," Mrs. Park sighed. "But you girls are sleeping in another room, right?"
"Yes. We're sleeping in Hyunsuk's guest room probably." Danbi reassured her.
"Alright. Honey?" Mrs. Park suddenly pulled her husband into the conversation. "Can you drive them there?"
"Me?" Mr. Park questioned, a little confused.
"Why? Hyunsuk's house is nearby from what I heard." Jihoon said, pausing his eating.
Mrs. Park sighed. Her gaze flickered to her husband for approval to continue, which he gave with a brief nod. "There's been a wild animal attack."
The kids' eyes enlarged simultaneously. "What?" They exclaimed, immediately thinking of vampires.
"A young boy was bitten by what they think was a wolf." Mr. Park continued, having more information as he had talked to the local police.
Jeongwoo's stomach tightened at the thought of that young boy having been Junghwan.
"But it's not just that. The weather isn't too splendid, and you'll also have some luggage, so it's better if you take the car there. Hon'?" She turned to Mr. Park again, who placed his fork down, taking in a defeated breath. He couldn't oppose his wife's request.
"Of course." He smiled at the kids.
—
Apart from Jihoon and Danbi's small talk, nothing but the engine could be heard in the car. Jeongwoo was tapping his fingers on his thigh, phone positioned between his legs and opened on the chat with Junghwan - who wasn't replying. Jeongwoo knew that he had been out the previous night, hunting for vampires, and despite not wanting to overthink, the news about the animal attack kept replaying in his mind.
"Do we take a left turn here?" Mr. Park gathered his courage and finally spoke, grabbing Danbi's attention.
"Yes. His house is the blue one over there." Danbi instructed him.
Her dad parked the car, allowing them to step out. Danbi grabbed her bag to get out but stopped when Mr. Park cleared his throat, hinting he had something to say.
"Is something wrong, Dad?" Danbi sat back down, looking his way.
Mr. Park's hands slid off the steering wheel, turning to his daughter. "So, that boy Junkyu is coming?"
Danbi snorted amusedly but was also touched by his care. "Yeah. But, I told you, Dad. Just... friends."
"Okay," Mr. Park smiled fatherly, stretching an arm to pat her head. "Go have fun. I love you."
She smiled, leaning forward to place a kiss on his cheek. "Love you too!"
Out of the car, Mr. Park drove off, leaving the kids standing outside of Hyunsuk's house.
Jihoon nudged her. "Just friends?"
Danbi's eyes twitched wide. "How did you hear?"
"The door was open, duh." Jeongwoo said sassily, earning an exaggerated eye roll from Danbi.
"Whatever," Danbi shrugged her shoulders, trying to escape the conversation. "Let's go." She hopped over to the door, leaving her unconvinced cousins behind.
Now in front of the door, awaiting its opening, mixed feelings surfaced to their consciousness. Though it was a no-vampire party, there were plenty of other reasons to be a little nervous.
The door swung open, revealing a woman in her 40s with a great sweet smile. She was dressed very chic, for going out.
"Danbi, I haven't seen you in so long!" She threw herself the girl's way, pulling her in for a tight hug. "And who are these handsome boys?"
Jihoon invited himself for a handshake, giving his most charming smile. "Hello, Mrs. I'm Park Jihoon, Danbi's older cousin, and he is Park Jeongwoo," he motioned towards the other boy, "also her cousin."
Mrs. Choi listened with an open mouth. "How come you've never invited them to our house, Hyunsuk?" She yelled for her son, who was approaching them.
"Mom, they moved here recently, I told you," He explained. "Welcome." Hyunsuk turned to his friends with a big grin.
"Is that so?" Mrs. Choi asked, stepping aside to let them walk in.
"Yes, Mrs. Choi. They're staying here temporarily."
"Oh, I understand. Well, it's a pleasure having you here-"
"Love, where did you put my black tie?" A man's yell emerged from upstairs, followed by some stomping. Hyunsuk's dad appeared in the frame, his lips turning to a smile upon seeing everyone. "Hello. New friends, buddy?" He patted his son's shoulder, earning an embarrassed laugh from Hyunsuk.
"They're Danbi's cousins, Dad."
"Oh," Mr. Choi smiled, extending his hand to shake their hands, "Nice to meet you two. My tie?" He turned to his wife.
"Did you forget that you stained it? It's not washed." She explained.
Mr. Choi tapped his chin, vaguely remembering the scene. "Right. Well, in that case, I'm ready!"
"Are you leaving?" Danbi asked the couple, who nodded enthusiastically.
"We're going on a little date, to give you some privacy," Mrs. Choi's arm curled around her husband's, a joyful grin appearing on her face. "But we'll return at around 7 or 8, to cook dinner, so don't eat too many snacks!" She playfully scolded them.
"Alright, Mom, we won't," Hyunsuk giggled awkwardly, having planned on treating his friends to snacks for the whole party. "Have fun on your date!"
Off were the two, leaving some clueless teenagers in the empty house.
"So... what should we do until everyone gets here?"
Hyunsuk smirked.
—
Junkyu and Doyoung were soon to join after the cousins - not just the party, but cleaning too. Hyunsuk had let Doyoung know all about his game list, which he had designed for Junkyu, Danbi, Junghwan, and Ayeong especially. He was planning on playing the cupid for them, aside from helping Junghwan and Ayeong make up.
"I'll get that!" Jeongwoo sang as he approached the door, happy to take a break from decorating - but most importantly, hoping Junghwan would appear as he hadn't replied to any texts or calls.
However, it wasn't him.
"Ayeong, hi." Jeongwoo greeted her with a smile, though a little disappointed.
"Hey," She greeted timidly, her eyes scanning the room for Junghwan. "Is he...?"
"No," Jeongwoo sighed. "I'm worried something happened to him."
Ayeong's eyebrows furrowed as she recalled the live from the previous day. "Why do you say that?"
"He's not answering," He explained, and the two paused to think for a few moments. "There's been an animal attack yesterday, but I doubt it was an animal. I'm scared it might've been Junghwan getting attacked by a vampire."
Ayeong inhaled sharply at the news. She had not thought so far when his live suddenly got interrupted, thinking he had just ended it to make it seem as if he saw something. She felt awful for not realizing he could've been found, and not telling him sooner.
"Did you call him?" She grabbed onto Jeongwoo's arm, shaking him lightly.
"I did." Jeongwoo's sigh let her know that Junghwan hadn't answered.
"Hey, what are you two doing?" A sweaty Hyunsuk joined the two. "We've finished cleaning, I think we can start partying," He smiled suspiciously big, "Jeongwoo, is Junghwan coming too?"
Jeongwoo glanced at Ayeong. "I'm not sure."
"Let's play until he comes!" Jihoon yelled from the couch, exhausted from the intense cleaning session. "If we don't start the party I'll seriously fall asleep." He groaned.
"Let's go for Twister!" Junkyu proposed, pulling a box from his bag. "I didn't get to play at the Halloween party." He pouted.
"Okay!" Hyunsuk gave a thumbs up, a big smile spreading on his face. "Junkyu versus Danbi!"
The two blinked in surprise.
—
A pair of feet found their way to Hyunsuk's 'Welcome' rug but were keeping the boy still. He couldn't find the courage to make his presence known knowing she was there.
He took a deep breath, cracking his knuckles before pressing the door bell.
"Junghwan!" Hyunsuk greeted him, pulling him in for a tight hug. "We were waiting for you."
Junghwan chuckled, unable to move. He gave Hyunsuk a few pats on the back. "Oh, you were? Sorry, I slept in." His mind had been full of thoughts the whole night.
"Aye, don't worry. Come in, come in!"
Getting pulled in, he stumbled across everyone, all sitting on the couch or the ground and looking at Ayeong and Jeongwoo, who were battling it out on the Twister mat.
"Alright, I think we can end this game since we have Junghwan here!" Hyunsuk clapped his hands, causing both to turn their heads around, falling out of their positions immediately.
"Junghwan?" Jeongwoo asked, taken aback by the boy's sudden appearance. Relief filled Ayeong and Jeongwoo at the sight of him. "I thought you wouldn't come..."
Junghwan shook his head. "I said I would, didn't I?" He chuckled nervously, his eyes going to Ayeong for a second, who was watching him with a soft smile.
"You didn't reply to my texts, so I thought you weren't coming anymore."
Junghwan's smile faltered. "Oh, my phone broke yesterday. I dropped it at home." In reality, it had shattered on his vampire hunt.
"Didn't you say Yoshi would come too?"
Jihoon's question made Junghwan's face twist. "Yoshi is coming too?" He asked Hyunsuk.
"Yes, I invited him too. Why?"
Junghwan pursed his lips as he recalled the previous night. "Nothing, I was just wondering."
"Anyway, should we play truth or dare next?" Hyunsuk was most excited about that as he had prepared some dares especially for his plan.
"What are we, 5th graders? Are we going to dare each other to prank call one of our contacts?" Jihoon snorted, earning a subtle glare from Hyunsuk.
"We could add a punishment." Doyoung proposed, trying to help Hyunsuk with his plan. He grabbed everyone's attention with that.
—
"I can't do that!" Jeongwoo leaned back in defense.
"Come on, little one," Jihoon snickered evily, grabbing Jeongwoo by the shoulders. "I'm not that big."
"You're twice the size of me." Jeongwoo retorted, earning an offended look from Jihoon.
"You could've just said I'm musculous. You're making it sound like I weigh a ton."
"Just for 5 seconds, Jeongwoo. You can do it!" Junkyu cheered the younger male, making him sigh.
"Alright." Jeongwoo bent his knees, positioning himself to allow Jihoon to hop on. Jihoon didn't waste the opportunity and threw himself onto Jeongwoo's back, making his legs go weak in seconds.
"Jeongwoo's vibrating like a washing machine." Ayeong observed, trying to suppress her laugh.
"Why don't you all try to carry Hulk?" Jeongwoo said through gritted teeth, struggling to even breathe through the tension. All laughed at his comment.
"Done, you can drop him." And Jeongwoo literally dropped his older cousin.
"Ow!"
The doorbell rang, and since it wasn't even 7 yet, all knew who it must've been. Danbi, who was closest to the door, stood up, heading to open it.
"Hi, Yoshi," She stepped aside, allowing him to walk through. But Yoshi didn't move for a few seconds, not having expected she'd be the one to welcome him. "Come in." She motioned him to do so, getting him to function.
"Hi..." He smiled at her quickly, rushing to put his jacket somewhere. He was quick to join the circle around the table, opposite Danbi.
Junghwan's eyes followed his every movement, suspicion dawning on his face. He was certain it was Yoshi he had seen the previous night, but he wasn't sure he was the vampire he had seen a few nights prior.
"Yoshi can go now since he just got here." Danbi moved the empty soda bottle over to his side, giving the boy a small smile.
Yoshi grabbed the bottle from her, clearing his throat. "Okay." He spun the bottle, and it landed on Jihoon. His eyes traveled to the boy's face, whom he had not noticed as he walked in, a slight squint overtaking them.
"Uh, I choose dare." Jihoon chuckled awkwardly, having forgotten that Yoshi wasn't his biggest fan.
"I," Yoshi played with the lid of the bottle he was holding, screwing it tighter as his eyes found Jihoon's. "I dare you to tell us something you regret doing."
The room quieted at the serious dare.
Jihoon snorted, proudly pushing his hair back. "No biggie. I regret eating Jeongwoo's lunch pack in 7th grade and blaming it on his friend."
Jeongwoo's eyes enlarged. "It was you?! You broke a friendship, Park Jihoon." He said disappointedly.
Getting a rough push from Jeongwoo, Jihoon laughed. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry!"
"That's it?" Yoshi asked, quieting down the other two.
Jihoon shrugged, a little confused. "Yeah, I guess. I mean, that's what comes to mind."
Junghwan grabbed the bottle as it was his turn, turning their attention to him. His eyebrows jumped as he looked in its direction, seeing Yoshi.
"I'll go for truth." Yoshi said.
Junghwan pursed his lips, his eyes narrowing for a second. He thought of asking him where he was yesterday night but feared he might be too obvious.
"What were you doing around the old ice cream shop when Ayeong, Jeongwoo, and I were out back then?"
Ayeong and Jeongwoo turned to Junghwan, surprised.
Junghwan noticed a subtle change in Yoshi's expression, but he quickly covered it with a smile. "I was visiting a relative. They live around the shop."
Junghwan's brows furrowed contemplatively. A thought that Yoshi might be the old woman's nephew crossed him mind, but it didn't seem too plausible. "Oh, I see."
Realizing it was his turn next, Hyunsuk's face enlightened. He grabbed the bottle and and placed it on the table, sticking his tongue out as he strategically positioned it. It had to land on Danbi or Junkyu.
Wasting no time, he spun it. All followed the bottle with their eyes, curious over why Hyunsuk seemed so concentrated. It landed on Jihoon, to his shock.
"Uh..." Doyoung bit his lip, realizing Hyunsuk's plan was probably screwed.
"Do you guys like me that much?" Jihoon commented, more bewildered than amused.
Hyunsuk groaned, lowering his head. He had to use this opportunity somehow. "Jihoon, I dare you to," His head jerked up as an idea popped into his mind. "Play with me against Junkyu and Danbi. In a Pocky Challenge match."
Danbi thought she had heard wrong. Her eyes went to Junkyu and she found him rocking a look just as startled as hers.
"Hyunsuk...!" Junkyu mouthed to him, his eyes flooded with disbelief.
"Do you two want to carry Jihoon?" Hyunsuk questioned with a raised eyebrow.
"Isn't Jihoon supposed to get the punishment if he doesn't do it?" Jeongwoo joined, also finding Hyunsuk's dare to be too much.
"I'll carry myself if it means I won't do this dare." Jihoon admitted, cringing just at the thought of it.
"Aw, come on! It's just a game, we're not going to kiss." Hyunsuk reassured Jihoon, though he wasn't too sure about Junkyu and Danbi. He truly hoped he'd play the cupid for them.
"I bet 10$ Junkyu and Danbi will win." Doyoung challenged with a mischievous smile, and his aid was successful as Jihoon's smile returned.
"Game on." Jihoon crossed his arms over his chest, motioning Hyunsuk to bring the pocky sticks.
The two pairs positioned themselves in the middle of the carpet, facing each other. While Hyunsuk was greatly excited and Jihoon was a bit awkward, there was a whole nother level of feelings on Junkyu and Danbi's side. The tension between them was growing to an overwhelming extent as Junkyu held the stick caged between his lips, which he was pressing into in anticipation. He knew they would most probably not kiss, but couldn't help but remember the kiss from that night.
"Ready, set," Junghwan smiled as he paused, amused over how Hyunsuk and Jihoon looked. "Go!"
Danbi adjusted herself forward, taking in a deep breath as her knees touched Junkyu's. She grabbed onto the chocolatey part of the sweet snack, positioning her lips onto it without looking Junkyu's way. The moment his breathing made its presence noticed across her skin was enough to make her heart skyrocket.
"Woah, Jihoon wants to win!" Ayeong noticed with a loud laugh, which got Junkyu to move. His mind was spinning, all muscles on him tensing as he closed the gap between them. Danbi struggled to not look at Junkyu.
Hyunsuk was trying to peek their way while not breaking the stick, praying that Doyoung was recording since he wasn't able to.
With a ballroom of dancing butterflies in their stomachs, the two were less than an inch away - so close their breathing was one, forcing Danbi to look at him. The moment his eyes reached hers, a flashback of her dream appeared. Red eyes. She backed out, startled.
Junkyu's lost gaze lingered on her as the remaining bit of the pocky stick dropped to the ground. Danbi grabbed onto her forehead, her chest rising rapidly. She shook her head, bringing herself back to reality.
The others looked their way surprised, unable to mutter a thing. They were just as confused as Junkyu.
"S-sorry-"
"Yes!" Jihoon cheered from the side, finally separating from Hyunsuk. Hyunsuk's face dropped as he realized Junkyu and Danbi had not kissed, and neither had they won. "My 10$, please." Jihoon extended his hand Doyoung's way, who was forced to obey.
"What happened?" Hyunsuk interrogated, noticing there was a 3-centimeter difference between his stick and the other pair's.
"I... don't know." Junkyu mumbled, disappointment hearable in his voice. He hadn't expected they'd kiss, but he also didn't expect she'd just back out like that.
"I just- I lost focus. I'm sorry." Danbi apologized, avoiding to look at Junkyu. Though she didn't know she had hurt him, she could imagine he was confused.
"I don't know what happened, but thank you, coz." Jihoon patted her shoulder with a smile, flexing his earned 10$.
"Um," Danbi stood up, pressing her lips together. "I will go refill the snack bowls if that's alright. You guys can continue the game." She hurried away from there, all eyes watching her.
Hyunsuk and Doyoung crawled over to where Junkyu sat, their eyes worried. "What happened?" Doyoung asked, grabbing onto his shoulder. "Did you..."
"No," Junkyu pouted, unable to hide his frown. "I don't know what happened." He said under his breath.
Danbi reached the kitchen and positioned her hands on the island, letting her head drop. She took a few breaths in, trying to calm down. She had been expecting a vampire dream with everything going on, but never one with Junkyu.
"Are you ok?"
She whipped her head around, startled by the sudden voice. "Oh, Yoshi."
"Are you feeling sick? Maybe you ate too many snacks." He joked around, planting himself right beside her.
"No, no, I think I'm just a bit tired," she chuckled briefly, "I didn't sleep too well last night."
He nodded, looking down. "I understand. I didn't either."
"Ah, I wanted to ask you. Are you feeling well these days? During the test-"
"Oh," Yoshi laughed shortly, "Yes, don't worry. I didn't study as well as I thought." He forced a small smile.
"I see," Danbi nodded, turning around to also lean against the counter. "Oh, but..." She paused as Yoshi finally looked her way, his eyes appearing darker than usual. She thought it was because she hadn't turned the lights on in the kitchen.
"What?" He asked, looking back down.
"Nothing, I," She turned back to the snack cabinet, opening it and finding it empty. "I think we should go get some snacks. We already devoured everything." She laughed.
Yoshi's head jerked up energetically, turning his torso to her. "Us two?"
Danbi blinked, taken aback. "Yes." She smiled.
Returning to where the others were, they noticed some were missing.
"Where are Ayeong and Junghwan?" Danbi asked, at which Hyunsuk beamed.
"They're spending 7 minutes in heaven."
"Your idea?" Danbi cocked an eyebrow at Hyunsuk, which gave her a big smile. "I see. You ran out of snacks, by the way. We want to go get some."
Hyunsuk gasped, covering his mouth. "Really? I could've sworn I had two more bags of chips."
"You did, and they were delicious." Jeongwoo admitted from the side, making all laugh.
"Are you two going?" Jihoon asked, at which Yoshi and Danbi nodded. "I'll go with you, Yoshi. It's getting dark outside, it's better if Danbi stays home."
"But..." Yoshi's fist tightened behind his back. "It's okay, I'm with her."
"Aye, come on. I have these big guys to help us." He patted his biceps, at which all showed their annoyance in some way.
"I'll stay, then. Good luck, Yoshi." Danbi gave Yoshi a quick pat, going to sit down.
Yoshi's jaw clenched as she walked away from him, finding it hard to maintain control over himself.
"Should we go?" Jihoon called for him, already with his jacket on.
Yoshi forced a nod.
—
A deep silence surrounded the two who were struggling to maintain a distance in Hyunsuk's mom's dresser. A sequin dress poked at Junghwan through his t-shirt but even so, he didn't dare get closer to Ayeong.
Not even one minute had passed, making them wonder how they'd endure it.
"So-"
"Ayeong-" They spoke simultaneously.
"Sorry, you go first." Ayeong invited.
"No, no, you first." Junghwan swallowed, avoiding eye contact.
"Um," she pressed her lips together, "Okay. I wanted to say I'm sorry,"
Junghwan's head snapped up at her confession.
"I saw your live. I was worried something might have happened, especially when Jeongwoo said he couldn't contact you."
A smile unwillingly appeared on Junghwan's face. "So, you believe me? But-"
"Wait," Ayeong inhaled deeply, her gaze lowering. She had made up her mind to tell him the moment she saw him coming through the door, but thinking of it was easier than doing it. "I have to tell you something."
Junghwan didn't know what to make out of the sudden seriousness she held. He gulped, nodding at her that he was listening.
Ayeong clasped her hands together and squeezed them. "I knew about them," Though she had said everything, the cluelessness on Junghwan's face pushed her to elaborate. "I... knew about vampires,"
His expression didn't budge, making her stomach tighten. "B-both Jeongwoo and I did. But, listen," She grabbed his hand, looking into his eyes. "We wanted to tell you. It's just- we found out by chance, and Jaehyuk said we shouldn't tell anyone else. I didn't-"
"You both knew."
A pang of guilt hit Ayeong. His tone conveyed an expected disappointment, but it didn't fail to crush her.
"Junghwan, I'm-"
"Did you have fun watching me fool around?" He slid his hand out of hers, his eyes turning bloodshot. "Was it fun making me feel like I was crazy? You told me I saw wrong, and that I- I should be careful about saying things like this. Do you even realize how desperate I was to show you that I wasn't crazy?!"
Ayeong flinched at his yell. "I know. And I'm very sorry, believe me-!"
Junghwan scoffed, turning to the door of the dresser. "Believe you? You didn't believe me either." He pushed the door open, getting out.
"Junghwan!"
The door to the bedroom opened and through it stormed an upset Junghwan. All stopped from what they were doing, turning to him.
"Junghwan?"
"Mom called me home." He didn't even stop in his tracks, heading straight out the door upon getting his jacket. Ayeong came running out of the room, stopping right at the front door.
"What happened? Why did Junghwan leave?" Junkyu questioned, puzzled.
Jeongwoo shook his shoulders at Ayeong, who nodded. She had told him, but it didn't turn out the way she thought it would.
"Right, I think that's enough truth or dare." Hyunsuk laughed on an awkward note, standing up. "Movies?"
---
"So," Jihoon cleared his throat, unable to endure the quietness anymore. "Are you from here? Your name-"
"No." Yoshi cut him off.
"Ah, alright. So we couldn't know each other from before,"
Yoshi's grip on the bag tightened.
He didn't reply, making Jihoon feel even more awkward. "Did I do something to you?" He decided not to beat around the bush anymore.
Yoshi loosened his hold, wiping the sweat off his forehead with his free hand. "No," he replied, "Why?"
"I just thought I might have." Jihoon tittered.
They continued their walk home in more silence, only the crinkling of their grocery bags filling it. Yoshi was getting worse by the minute, making it hard to even keep up with Jihoon's stroll.
He knew from the moment Hyunsuk invited him it was not a place he should be in. Not where she was, not even a kilometer away from her. Yet he found himself right in front of Hyunsuk's house, indulging in her presence the moment he stepped through that door. Now more than ever, after the talk with that old woman, he was finding it hard to dominate his instinct with logic and morals.
Feeling his hands beginning to shake and his extremities growing cold, he reached out for the front pocket of his hoodie. His thermos wasn't there.
He suddenly stopped in his tracks, freezing in terror as he realized he must've left it at Hyunsuk's.
"What? What's wrong?" Jihoon stopped as well, studying him with confusion.
Yoshi dropped the groceries, continuing to search though knowing it was in vain. He felt his blood pressure dropping at a fast rate, one that didn't allow for a quick trip back to the party to get his supply.
"Are you okay, Yoshi?" Jihoon was about to reach out to him but Yoshi backed out, lowering his head.
"I have a stomach ache." He muttered before turning away and running off, leaving a speechless Jihoon behind.
"What the...?" Jihoon watched him vanish between the trees, picking up the fallen grocery bag. "What's up with him?"
---
"Ah!" Hyunsuk screamed for the nth time. No one was even phased by it anymore.
"Right in my ear..." Doyoung sighed, covering his ear.
"Why did you choose a horror movie then? Really..." A fearsome Hyunsuk whined.
Jihoon had joined and all were gathered on Hyunsuk's bed, watching the last few minutes of a very low-budget scary movie. Danbi's phone kept buzzing, grabbing her attention. It was an unknown number.
"It's Jaehyuk,"
Her eyes widened at the first text. Ayeong was right next to her, but before she could even tap her shoulder, another text popped up.
"I have something important to tell you, but Ayeong can't find out. Are you alone?"
Danbi backed out into the headboard, checking where everyone was looking. "Why can't she find out? And where?" She typed back.
"It's about Asahi, and I want to keep her out of this. I'll send you the address."
"Can't you tell me over text?"
The next text made her mouth go dry. "It's better if we talk. I also have to show you something. Meet me at 11 here." He attached the address.
Danbi couldn't believe the situation. He supposedly knew well that it was dangerous to go out on her own, especially at night.
"Are you taking me there? With your car?"
"I can't."
Her stomach sank at his reply. But on one hand, Jihoon's words lingered in her mind. Maybe Jaehyuk was being like that because he also noticed the vampires had settled down. And, just maybe, the candy's effect had actually worn off. So with a bit of hope and no clue how she'd go there without everyone noticing, she wrote:
"I'll be there."
---
Hyunsuk's parents had returned, dinner had been eaten and digested, and all had gotten in their beds, some far into dreamland. Danbi wasn't.
She held her phone to her chest, eyes moving around the ceiling as she practiced some deep breaths to calm down. It was 10:40.
Ayeong's soft snores somewhat reassured her that she had a granted exit out of the house, but part of her wished that someone would catch her trying to go out and stop her from doing what seemed like a terrible mistake. She couldn't understand Jaehyuk's behaviour, no matter how much she thought about it.
She rolled off the bed, gripping tightly onto her phone. She tiptoed out of the room successfully, letting out a sigh of relief as she closed the door.
Turning around, she almost screamed as she found Junkyu in the middle of the hallway, looking surprised.
"Bi?"
Danbi gulped the scare away, regaining her composure. "What are you doing out here so late?" She asked.
"I want to get some water," He rubbed his neck, unsure how to act around her. "W-what about you?"
"Toilet." She lied.
"Oh." He smiled shyly, realizing they were the only ones in the darkened hallway. He let himself get absorbed in her sleepy features for the few seconds of silence between them, her glittering eyes leaving him breathless.
"Well, I'll go." She pointed towards a door, lips pressed to a line.
"Wait," Junkyu stretched an arm her way, grabbing onto her wrist. She stopped, her brows jumping at the skinship. "Bi, um, did something happen during the game?"
She blanked out, not having expected he'd ask again. "No, I told you. I was out of it, I didn't sleep too well."
Junkyu puckered his lips, nodding. Realizing he was still holding onto her, he slowly retracted his hand. "S-sorry, I was just worried." He gave her a timid smile, feeling overwhelmed by even such small interaction.
"No problem," She smiled back. "Good night, Junkyu."
"Good night, Bi." Junkyu grinned, turning and heading downstairs.
Danbi crouched, distressed. She was losing trust in her decision to go out, but her phone buzzed again.
"You're coming, right?"
She exhaled shakily.
"Yes."
—
There's a point at which a person should know to turn back, but Danbi was too far to do that, despite her mind screaming for her to do so. With such a small distance left between their meeting spot, it was more dangerous to return than continue.
Her heart had not calmed down from the moment she exited the house, getting greeted by icy wind and little visibility. Her pace was hurried and her arms were secured around herself protectively.
The location she was following was out of town, in the wilder part of it, and it didn't help with her anxiousness. The street to it was not even named. An unknown path to an unknown location.
Her lips quivered from the cold. She tried not to mind the faint rustles around her as she thought it was better to keep walking - no matter who could have been behind her, lurking in the shadows.
She took a right turn, officially exiting the populated part of the town. To assure herself it was safe to advance, she took a peek at her surroundings. No one seemed to be there. "Ok, Danbi, just go. Once I reach Jaehyuk, it's alright."
She forced her focus on her phone as she pushed through the dried, long grass covering the ground, reaching a dirt path - the one indicated by the GPS. Raising her stare as she appeared to have reached the spot, a broad, 2-floor house came into view. Based on the looks of it, painting ripping off in straps and porch missing some stairs, it was abandoned.
She swallowed and strained her trembling hands to open the chat with Jaehyuk. She took a picture of the building, chewing onto her bottom lip. "Is this it?"
She waited anxiously for his reply.
"Come inside."
Her heart was uneasy, but she followed, continuing her way to the deteriorated wooden door. Panic surged through her as the door creaked under her push, allowing her to reach the darkened interior of the house. It was too late to be doubting her choice, though she was doing so.
"Jaehyuk?" Her voice barely squeezed through her throat as she advanced.
There was silence.
She dared take another step deeper into the darkness. A shutting noise emerged from behind her, making her gasp. Seeing the door shut, terror struck her.
Her feet took her a step back unwillingly, realization dawning on her at once as her back hit something hard. She shouldn't have come there.
"Finally." A voice sounded in her ear, and she knew for sure it wasn't Jaehyuk's.
"A-Asahi."