"Grandma? He said grandma??" Hyunsuk asked, dumbfounded.
With tears in her eyes, she took a step forward and raised her wrinkly hands to his cheeks. Junghwan flinched at the contact, but he couldn't move. He was shaken up by how much she looked like his mother.
"Is it really you?" She questioned, her voice trembling.
Junghwan nodded slowly.
"We brought him to you," Danbi broke the sweet moment they were sharing, her gaze softer than before, "I think we deserve some answers."
The woman's expression straightened slightly as she said that. She retracted her hands, pushing the door to make way. Sighing, she invited them in.
"I think I'll wait here." Hyunsuk announced, getting the chills as the floor creaked under Junghwan. But Doyoung clutched onto his sweater, pulling him in.
"Sit down, kids." The old woman motioned towards the dusty chairs by the entrance.
"Let's not waste time," Danbi said, stepping forward. "Our friend was bitten because of whatever you put in that candy!"
The woman inhaled sharply. Among the many uneasy and somewhat upset expressions, she spotted her nephew's. There was a glint of disappointment in his eyes, which made her chest feel tight.
"You're right," She supported herself on the arms of the chair, standing up. "It... wasn't normal candy."
Though they had been expecting it, finally hearing her agree to it surprised them.
Doyoung and Hyunsuk were not aware of the candy discussion but could tell it was serious.
"It did something to her blood, right? Something to make it more appealing to vampires." Jeongwoo interjected.
The woman's eyebrows twitched up. She hadn't expected them to know. "That candy," she breathed, her eyes momentarily meeting Junghwan's for some courage, "I was told to give you that candy." She pointed at Jihoon, earning gasps from everyone.
"Me??" He remembered the day she handed him the candy sack instead of Jeongwoo, putting the pieces together.
"This boy, from your school I suppose, asked me to. He knew you would come to town, and he knew you would come here."
"From our school?" Doyoung asked.
Junghwan's face enlightened at once, overtaken by realization. He turned to everyone, eyeing Jihoon especially. "Yoshi,"
Everyone showed their surprise at Junghwan's assumption.
"I saw him! Hyunsuk, I saw him when I was out hunting for vampires! He was walking out of here. And-" Junghwan paused, now able to judge everything he had seen with new information. His eyes darted to Jihoon. "He was the vampire I saw that night."
"Yoshi is a vampire?!" Hyunsuk and Doyoung marveled.
"How do you know that? He- he can't be." Danbi shook her head, denying reality.
"He is," Jihoon joined, "Junghwan and I found out at the party."
Danbi let out a laugh of disbelief, her eyes pacing around the room. She could feel a headache creeping up the side of her head.
"I didn't know he was a vampire." The old woman revealed, and her voice managed to get the girl functioning.
"Is there a cure?" Danbi asked, shifting her focus to the woman.
The woman turned silent, looking down.
"There has to be," Junghwan stepped towards her. "right?"
"I'm," His grandma pressed her lips together. "I'm afraid not. Or, a-at least I haven't found one yet. The candy works by changing your blood composition. Your blood works as an antidote for them and thus helps them stay more human. The purpose of them was to make vampires go after you."
"Ok, this sounds like a Sci-Fi movie." Hyunsuk said, panicking.
"So what are you trying to say? She'll stay like this forever?!"
After Jihoon's outburst, the woman wasn't able to mutter a word. The lost looks in the kids' eyes made her stomach twist, guilt flooding it. She had been so desperate to finally see the little boy she dearly loved that she had ruined some teenagers' lives, blinded by her selfish wishes. Tears flooded her eyes as reality sank in. "I'm sorry." She mumbled almost inaudibly, her voice having turned to a squeak. "I had been wanting to meet you for so long," she gazed at Junghwan, whose eyes widened at the confession, "I never wanted to do anything like this, I just wanted to live peacefully. But when that boy said he'd bring you to me-"
"Wait," Junghwan intervened, overwhelmed. "All of this was because of... me? You did this because you wanted to meet me?"
The woman moved closer to him, taking his hand in hers. "I knew my daughter would never let me see you again. I knew that if I didn't grasp this chance, I'd-" Her voice got stuck in her throat as Junghwan slid his hands out of hers.
"I- I don't know what to say-" Junghwan's voice cracked. He grabbed onto his forehead, his eyes turning bloodshot. "Why? Why wouldn't Mom let you see me? It's because you're considered the witch of the town?"
"She kind of is." Added Jihoon quietly.
The woman sniffled, wiping her eyes with the back of her hands. She had always been desperate to defend herself in some way, but now, in front of her nephew, she wasn't able to do so. Not when she had proven to be exactly what everyone thought her to be.
Junghwan turned her back to her, not sure how much longer he could hold his emotions in anymore. The friends took this as a sign to leave, heavy emotions settling in them as they realized there was nothing they could do. The old woman had said it herself.
As they all turned to leave, however, she spoke up.
"There is something you could do for your friend!"
All snapped their heads to her, their eyes shining with hope.
—
The ride back to the house was quiet, but everyone respected each other's desire not to speak. It had been an eventful day, and there was too much information to process at once.
As the three teenagers entered the house, Mr. and Mrs. Park's angered faces greeted them.
"Jihoon, Jeongwoo, go to your room."
They were taken aback by the sudden demand. The two tried arguing but the looks on the adults' faces were too stern to allow for that, so they obeyed.
Danbi shrunk as her parents' stares fell upon her, both with furrowed eyebrows.
"Why are you lying to us?"
That question was enough to make Danbi's legs go weak. "W-what do you mean?"
"We spoke to Junkyu's mother, Danbi," Her dad spoke deeply, his eyes serious. "He's not home, and you didn't visit him after school."
"How did you-?"
Her mom turned her phone, showing her the shared location. "Junkyu's mother called to ask me if he's also staying over tonight."
"What's going on, Danbi?"
Danbi's breathing turned heavy as she looked between the two, left without any explanation to save herself. But most importantly, she could see in their eyes that it would be hard to redeem their trust after this - a fact that shattered her heart. She knew very well that, even as she was cornered up, there was little chance that telling the truth would help. But she had no choice, did she?
"Mom," she began, "Dad, you're going to have to promise to listen to me."
The two's faces morphed with uneasiness at their daughter's cautious voice.
Mr. Park sighed. "You're pregnant, aren't you?"
Danbi's eyes almost popped out of their sockets. "No! Dad, no, it's nothing like that. But it somehow is even more absurd than that,"
The two adults awaited her continuation nervously.
Danbi inhaled deeply. "Junkyu... was bitten by someone."
"W-what do you mean?" Mr. Park chuckled in disbelief. "Someone or something?"
"Someone. A," she breathed, "vampire." She shut her eyes, not wanting to see their reactions. But as silence persisted, she peeled them open one by one.
They clearly didn't believe her.
"Danbi, we'll support you no matter what. You don't need to come up with such things to hide that you're-"
"I'm not pregnant!" She cut him off, feeling her frustration reaching her limit. She pushed her hair away from her neck, feeling for the bandage and pulling it off.
Her parents gasped at the visible outline of the bite.
"Danbi..." Her mother's voice faded out as she stepped to her, inspecting the wound on her neck.
"When did this happen??" Her father interrogated her with wide eyes.
"That doesn't matter!"
"Of course it does! Daewoo, grab the keys. We should go to the police-"
"Stop!" Danbi yelled, stepping back. "We are not going to the police. I know you don't have all the information that I have and that it's hard to understand me, but I really need you to trust me on this one."
The word 'trust' provoked a reaction in both of them. She knew she had no right to say that at that moment.
"Well, tell us, then! Tell me why I shouldn't inform the police about a lunatic going around biting people!" Mrs. Park shouted. Mr. Park placed a hand on her shoulder, trying to calm her down a little.
"Because that lunatic is an actual vampire, Auntie." Jihoon's voice emerged from upstairs.
—
Danbi turned the pillow over, having soaked one side of it. Despite having explained all that was necessary to her parents, such as why Junkyu disappeared and about the vampires in their town, the evening ended with them reaching some sort of accord to not inform the authorities yet.
Everything from that day and the previous ones was sinking in at once, overwhelming the girl to an extent where she had no option but to cry it all out. She was sure it was very late into the night. The discussion had ended with a small hug between them but she could still feel that they were disappointed in her and unconvinced about the situation.
Danbi turned to face the ceiling and let out a long breath, now feeling warm tears streaming down both sides of her face.
She felt helpless; the old woman's words stuck with her. Was there really no cure for her? Was her normal teenage life over? Would she have to hide from vampires all her life, while trying to also protect those around her from them? The questions kept piling up, making her head throb.
Letting out a shaky breath, she decided to try and shut her eyes, hoping she'd escape the spiral of thoughts. But they jerked wide as a noise occurred from the side with her window.
Her heart was quick to pick up a rapid pace as she looked around like a meerkat, thinking of what to do. She feared it might've been Haruto or Asahi.
Taking some cautious steps towards the window, she gasped as her eyes landed on the person standing outside her window. With only one thought in her mind, she dashed downstairs. Making sure not to make a lot of noise, she grabbed a jacket and swirled it around her, unlocking the door and running out.
Hitting the corner, she halted, her pupils trembling as they observed the pale and shaky boy a few meters away from her.
"Junkyu..." She called under her breath.
Junkyu's lips quivered as he tried to lift them to a faint smile. "Bi." He called inaudibly.
With eyes filled with tears, Danbi rushed to him. "Are you okay?? You don't even know how worried I was! Where were you?"
He didn't reply - instead, he kept his gaze on her. He reached out to grab onto her wrists unconsciously, bringing her closer to him.
"Junkyu?"
He winced at her callout. The foreign, burning sensation within him only aggravated as his cold figure finally stumbled upon a source of warmth: her.
"Y-you've turned, haven't you?"
Those words didn't even reach Junkyu's ears. He could feel his whole being getting activated by her presence, but in a way that was far from the usual butterflies he got around Danbi. He craved her.
Junkyu dug his nails into the material of her jacket, pressing her against him. "I don't know what's happening to me." He voiced brittlely.
Danbi felt panic wash over her realizing she was right. Immediately, the old woman's words came to mind. She wasn't ready to do that but she knew she had to.
Junkyu's hold tightened on her as he felt her push herself away. He squeezed his eyes, trying to regain some control over his body.
"Junkyu, look at me."
Her soft voice brought some momentary calm in him. His eyes flickered open, meeting hers.
Danbi blanked with fear as she noticed red engraved in his irises. A flashback of her dream appeared before her eyes, making her unwillingly step back.
Realizing the reason for her scare, Junkyu also distanced from her, touching his face. Feeling a strong weakness monopolize him at once, his vision darkened, causing him to stumble back.
"Junkyu!" She reached out for his hand to support him. All the hairs on her arm stood up as she felt her hand come in contact with something as cold as a block of ice. That's when she knew it was bound to happen. She had to save him.
"Junkyu, listen to me," Danbi grabbed onto both his arms, keeping him up. "You have to bite me."
The boy suddenly grabbed onto her shoulders, his head hanging low as he shook it vigorously. "I can't." He said breathily.
"You have to!" She pleaded, pushing his chin up. "Bite me, Junkyu."
His eyes brimmed with tears as they met her worried ones. He couldn't get himself to do that, no matter how much his body pulled at him to do so. His feelings for her were battling with his urges.
"Please."
Junkyu's trembling hand reached out to push her hair away. He pressed his lips together as he shook his head, resisting his impulses with all his might.
However, the moment his gaze landed on the bare curve of her neck, all rationality vanished from his mind. He could almost hear the rhythm of her heart as he approached her neck, overwhelmed by anticipation.
Danbi felt the contour of his plump lips press against her neck, making her flinch.
"I'm sorry." He murmured against her skin, baring his teeth.
Danbi grimaced as a sharp pain struck the side of her neck, making her yelp. She squeezed the material of his shirt, pulling at it as she tried resisting the urge to push him away.
It felt as if the whole existence was being sucked out of her. Her body felt lighter with every movement of his lips, sending a wave of television statics across her vision. Her grip on Junkyu loosened, her hands sliding from around him as she collapsed to the ground.
Junkyu's eyes enlarged in terror, all his senses returning to him at once. "Danbi!" He yelled but stopped before he could crouch beside her as his eyes landed on the fresh wound on her neck. Suddenly feeling lightheaded, Junkyu's eyes closed, falling beside the girl.
Hearing the commotion outside, everyone came rushing outside. Spotting the two on the ground, they gasped in terror.
—
A faint beeping noise was the first thing grabbing Danbi's attention as she regained her consciousness. Her head was throbbing but that was nothing compared to what her neck was going through.
Opening her eyes, she saw white. Her eyebrows furrowed, unable to focus enough to distinguish much from her surroundings. Hovering her head just enough to peek around, she realized she was in the town's hospital.
Her eyes jerked wide, panic washing over her. She couldn't get herself to calm down enough to remember what had happened, but as she spotted a familiar side profile from the corner of her eye, she remembered. Junkyu. The bite.
She exhaled and rested her head back down, letting the events sink in. "Junkyu?"
The boy didn't answer, he was still asleep.
"Oh, she's awake!" A man who she assumed to be the doctor spoke. She couldn't raise her head to check.
Footsteps approached and shortly after, she had 6 faces hovering over her. Her parents' and her cousins' were no big shock, but Mrs. and Mr. Kim's were.
"Are you feeling well, Danbi??" Mrs. Kim asked her worrisomely.
"It must've been a wolf." Mr. Kim commented, observing the size of the bandage on her neck.
Danbi gave her parents a confused look. Had they lied that it was an animal attack?
Her mother sighed, nodding subtly to let her know they had.
A groan emerged from the bed beside hers, turning everyone's attention there. Junkyu's parents were quick to migrate to him, not letting him wake up properly before bombarding him with questions.
"Does it hurt?" Jeongwoo asked, scrunching his nose at the bandage.
Danbi reached out to touch it, wincing.
"What do you think?" Jihoon raised a brow at Jeongwoo.
"You have a lot of explaining to do, young lady." Her father scolded quietly, though his eyes kept a soft look.
"I know." Danbi averted her stare.
"You should rest some more. I should also sit down for a bit." Her father said, grabbing onto his head.
"What happened? Is he okay?"
Mrs. Park sighed, nodding. "You lost some blood. The doctors needed a donor for you. He'll be fine, they didn't extract much."
A veil of tears formed in Danbi's eyes.
"Don't cry," Her mother cupped her cheeks, planting a kiss on her forehead. "You should rest. Don't worry about it, okay?"
Mrs. Park motioned the boys to follow her, leaving Danbi to rest some more.
Peeking from the corner of her eye and seeing Junkyu conversing with his parents and pouting, probably being scolded, a faint smile bloomed on Danbi's lips. A wave of relief washed over her. He was safe.
Mrs. and Mr. Kim finished their interrogation, though unsuccessfully as Junkyu didn't remember much of what had happened. They could only rely on Mrs. Park's explanation, that Danbi had gotten bitten while the two were on a late-night walk and Junkyu fainted as he saw the bite. The couple noticed Junkyu kept glancing in Danbi's direction, letting them know he wanted to also check up on her.
"We'll come back after we talk with the doctor." His mother informed, giving him a tight hug.
Junkyu hummed, smiling. "Alright."
Left alone with Danbi, Junkyu slid off the bed, gingerly planting his feet on the ground. He still felt dizzy, but it was nothing compared to how he had felt the previous day.
"Bi?"
Danbi turned her head slightly, her eyes widening momentarily as she saw Junkyu's face. Color had finally returned to his face.
"Junkyu..." Her lips curved to a smile. She tried to stand up and Junkyu was quick to get closer to her, supporting her lower back.
Being close to her neck, he recalled the previous night, a heavy feeling settling in him. "I... bit you." He plopped down next to her, realization hitting him now that he was conscious.
"Don't worry about it," She grabbed onto his hand, looking his way worriedly. "You had to. There was no other way I could've saved you,"
Junkyu shook his head, looking down at their intertwined hands. He couldn't get himself to meet eyes with her. He had hurt her.
"Junkyu," She called for him, shaking his hand to get him to look at her. "I'm fine. It will heal." She tried reassuring him.
He smiled faintly, though that didn't make him feel any better about his actions. Though most of what happened after he left Danbi's house that night was a blur, he had still been lucid. He should've held back.
"Where were you? We were all worried about you. Why did you suddenly run off that night?"
He couldn't tell her why, because he had run off due to his urges. He had wanted to bite Danbi that night too, when they were on her bed.
"I felt weird, and- I didn't want to hurt anyone," he voiced with a sigh, "I'm not sure where I went but I know I reached Asahi's house. I was running so fast."
Danbi's lips parted. "Asahi?"
Junkyu nodded briefly. "He saved me. I was close to passing out, but he, um, gave me..." He couldn't get himself to continue.
"He gave you blood?"
"Yeah..." Junkyu cleared his throat, disgust filling him whole.
Danbi was surprised by the news, but it reminded her once more that the vampires were nothing more than some teenagers with a unique medical condition. Even Haruto, despite her finding it hard to see him as that after the party.
"I'm so glad that you're here,"
Junkyu raised his head, finally looking her way. His heart involuntarily skipped a beat.
"We all went to that old woman after you disappeared. She revealed everything. And we found out some things that just seem," she paused, "absurd."
"Like what?"
"Yoshi's a vampire,"
Junkyu gasped.
"And... he's behind all of this."
Junkyu couldn't get himself to digest the information. "What do you mean?"
"I mean," Danbi huffed, "he asked that woman to give Jihoon the candy. It was meant for him, apparently, but I ate it instead."
"No way," Junkyu was open-mouthed. "But, why? What reason would he have to? Does he even know Jihoon?"
"Yedam said they knew each other when they were little, but that doesn't tell us much."
"I don't get it." Junkyu frowned, puffing his cheeks. "Why are things so complicated?"
Danbi pressed her lips together. "I don't know. But some things are sorted out, at least." She hinted at his situation.
Junkyu's eyebrows furrowed. "How did you know how to save me?" He asked.
Danbi let out a short laugh, wincing after as the movement made her neck hurt. "Junghwan's grandma told me that too."
"Junghwan's grandma?"
"Junghwan is the old woman's nephew." She revealed.
Junkyu could only open his mouth at the information.
"But..." Danbi moved her attention to her hand, playing with Junkyu's fingers. She sniffled, her emotions from earlier returning. "She doesn't have a way to help me."
Junkyu's gaze softened with sadness at her glossy eyes. "There's nothing she can do to turn your blood back?"
Danbi bobbed her head, letting out a nervous laugh as she wiped her eyes. "I guess it will take some time to adjust to that idea."
Junkyu's brows furrowed with determination, grabbing her hand with both hands. "There has to be a way. She made that candy, she should be able to reverse its effect!"
Danbi blinked, glancing between his hands and his face. Her mind strayed from the tense discussion for a moment, letting herself get conquered by the butterflies swarming her stomach.
Junkyu was in a similar state, flustered by his own actions. He pursed his lips in embarrassment and was about to look away when Danbi reached her other hand out, holding his jaw. She didn't know what had taken over her, but it felt right.
Junkyu was forced to look back in her eyes at her action, his lips parting as he found himself getting lost in them.
They observed each other's features, not even realizing the gap between them was shrinking by the second. Junkyu closed his eyes, leaning in.
"Hey, is Hoon here-?" Jeongwoo covered his eyes and screamed as he stumbled upon the two. "Sorry!" He exclaimed, his back facing them.
Junkyu and Danbi were quick to distance, their cheeks burning with embarrassment.
"Wasn't Jihoon with you?" Danbi asked, looking everywhere but at Junkyu.
"He was, but he suddenly disappeared. M-maybe he went to the bathroom! Yeah." Jeongwoo nervously laughed, rushing off.
Left alone, Junkyu and Danbi peeked at each other. They quickly looked away, their faces only turning redder. They were just about to kiss, and both had a hard time containing their smiles.
—
"She's free to go, but as she also has a concussion, she should rest for a few days. She shouldn't move around a lot, and be sure to inject the vaccine intramuscularly, in the arm."
"Thank you, doctor," Mr. Park smiled at the man, giving his daughter a quick side hug. "We will do so."
"Did you call Jihoon?" Mrs. Park asked as the two approached.
"I did," Jeongwoo swallowed, panicking, "he's not responding."
"What happened? Where's Jihoon?" Danbi asked, glancing between the two.
"We don't know," Mrs. Park cupped her forehead, exhaling. "But I think I am grounding all three of you from today onwards."
—
Jihoon's eyes scanned the busy halls fiercely as he stomped his way to class B6. Storming inside, he narrowed his eyes at a particular bench, where two boys were chatting.
"Jihoon??" Hyunsuk rushed to him. "What happened? Why aren't you guys at school?"
Jihoon kept his eyes on the bench. "Danbi saved Junkyu. They're at the hospital."
"What?! But-"
"Hyunsuk, I can't talk right now." Jihoon cut him off, motioning his head towards Yoshi.
Hyunsuk's eyes embiggened. "Here??"
Jihoon nodded, pushing past the boy. Before the two could even notice the presence approaching them, Yoshi's collar was grabbed, and he got pulled up from his seat. His eyes twitched wide as he noticed a flaring Jihoon in front of him.
"Let's talk."
Yedam's eyes darted between the two, standing up and grabbing Jihoon's wrist. "What's going on, Jihoon? Why are you like this?"
Jihoon didn't reply, grabbing onto Yoshi's arms and pulling him out of his bench. Everyone watched in bewilderment, unsure whether to intervene or not. Yedam was about to go when Hyunsuk stopped him, smiling sheepishly. "Class is starting."
Hitting the corner of the building, Yoshi was pushed up against a wall. He winced, feeling the texture of the wall against his head.
"I know everything."
Jihoon's words instantly sent Yoshi into panic.
"W-what are you-"
"I know about the damn candy!" Jihoon's jaw clenched.
Yoshi quieted down, lowering his head. A laugh left his lips, to Jihoon's anger.
"You're laughing?" The older one asked incredulously, squeezing his collar one more time before letting go. "How can you laugh?! Do you have any idea what happened to Danbi because of it?"
"I never intended it to end up at Danbi." Yoshi admitted.
Jihoon scoffed. "Right. Because it was for me."
Yoshi's brows jumped at that. "How did you-"
"What the heck do you have against me?" Jihoon questioned in a low voice, his teeth gritted.
"Against you?" Yoshi asked under his breath, clenching his fists. "You really don't remember me? Did your consciousness push my existence to the back of your mind?"
A line appeared between Jihoon's brows.
Yoshi scoffed, but all his facade had crumbled down. He was trying hard not to let his emotions burst through. "You left me in that forest, the night before you moved,"
Some vague images popped into Jihoon's mind, but he couldn't make out what had happened yet.
"I turned into a vampire because of you."
---
So much going on in this chapter I'm not even sure what I just wrote. Anyway, I hope you enjoyed, and please do let me know if you find any plot holes so I can fix them! :))