There are several things I notice when I step out into the outside world.
1. It doesn't hurt at all.
2. I feel better than I'd ever been.
3. Whatever that was blowing my hair against my face and tickling my face was wonderful.
Ignoring the fascination of the pure, unfiltered sunlight on my arm, I run towards the flowerbeds. I can't see Jungkook's face, and that makes me run faster, faster.
The man didn't see me yet, but he is about to.
I slam into his back as hard as a girl that weighs 47 kilograms can.
Thankfully, it's enough to make him stumble forwards— nearly tripping over his own feet and sputtering in anger.
Jungkook's eyes flash a deep silver-blue when he sees me, and in a single second his aura goes from submissive to pure dominant.
He's up on his feet so quickly I don't even see his legs move, his eyes practically glowing as he moves between me and the man.
"What are you doing out here." He hisses in the corner of his mouth, frantic and angry at the same time. "Go back inside, Elle. Now."
When the man looks to see that Jungkook has gotten up on his feet and worse, that whoever had made him stumble like a fool had been a girl, he didn't look happy at all.
"You," Jungkook growls, the air shifting with electricity with the single word. Even the man realizes the change, and stops right in his tracks.
Whatever submission this vampire had shown just a minute earlier was now gone, and he knew it.
His face was already turning pale with fear and terror.
"If you don't want to end up a bloodless corpse in a second, then I suggest you run."
The man runs, and Jungkook grips my shoulders so hard that I think they might break.
And then I'm back in my room, head dizzy and feeling deathly nauseous.
"Elle!" He shouts, eyes back to his original color. He looks even more panicked when I nearly tip to the side, his hand reaching out to steady me.
"Why would you do that? Why would you—" He gasps, steps quick as he sets me down on my bed.
"I wasn't even in trouble!"
"Yeah, you were." I say, trying to get the dizziness out of my head. When he starts pacing rapidly in the room, I can't help but think that I was really going to die. The dizziness was strong— was this just the beginning?
"No, I was not." He says as he kneels down in front of me. "Are you okay? How do you feel? Can you breathe— try. Right now."
To my relief, the dizziness eventually subsides, and I look up at him with an exhilarating smile.
He looks back at me like I'm crazy.
"I'm fine, don't worry." I say in the most reassuring manner I can, plopping myself down on the edge of my bed. To be honest, my heart feels like it's going to explode in happiness.
First time. Outside World. No death.
Then I notice the beginning of something purple and blue bloom on the side of his right cheek, and I tap the skin there gently.
"You have a bruise forming."
He brushes my hand away, his expression still silent and expressionless. Jungkook looks serious, which takes me aback. He wasn't usually this quiet and stormy without a good reason.
"Are you okay?" I ask, voice tentative. He hasn't spoken for a while now, which wasn't exactly normal. "Does it hurt?"
"It hurts," He says quietly. "But not there."
What?
"What do you mean?" I say worriedly. "Where does it hurt? Did he hit you somewhere else?"
He sighs, and I decide to stop talking. The air descends into silence, and I can't help fidget with anxiety at the fact that he was hurt and he won't tell me where.
Finally, he opens his mouth.
"Don't worry about it." He says heavily, like something is bothering him. Then my eyes go wide as he stands up, fingertips trembling slightly.
"I have to go."
"What?" I ask in surprise. "My mother isn't home from work for another hour."
Jungkook's face is pale as he presses his lips together. Something wasn't right here, and I didn't like how this was turning out.
I was okay, right? He was okay as well. Everything had turned out well, so why in the world was he acting like this? He usually begged to stay longer, and I always had to remind him that it was time to leave.
"I know," Jungkook says, and confusion deepens in my features. "I just have something to do today. It's important."
Then he disappears, just like that. Leaving me completely lost and wondering if I'd done something wrong.
I didn't understand. The books always wrote that people liked it when you helped them. And I'd helped Jungkook, right?
While I'm going over the events that could've possibly made him to act like that, the air vibrates like it always does when a vampire teleports into my room.
My head instantly looks up.
Was it Jungkook?
But it doesn't turn out to be the ebony-haired maknae at all.
"Tae?" I gasp, gaping at the smiling man in surprise. "What are you- I thought you were-"
"Disappointed I'm not Jungkook?" Taehyung smiles as he runs his casted fingers through his hair. "He didn't look like himself when he came back from your house, so I decided to pop in."
"Oh my gosh. Are you okay?" I exclaim, looking over the countless bandages over his body. Both of his arms are in thick black casts, the top of his head wrapped in white gauze.
"I know," He grins, eyes slanting happily for whatever reason I can't fathom. "I'm a mess."
"You shouldn't be smiling, you know."
"I know," He repeats, still smiling. "So don't tell me that you were the one that gave Jungkook that bruise? And he was so quiet when he came back. It wasn't like him, to reject me hugging him."
My lips curve downwards. So now I do know that I somehow made Jungkook sad. I didn't understand how or why, which just made me feel worse.
"Um," I hesitate. Was it a good idea to tell a person who'd just gotten beat up that a person he loved also had gotten hit?
Taehyung's eyes goes oceanic blue when I don't answer. It's the color of the sea, when it's stormy and filled with lightning and thunder.
"So someone did hit him."
When I nod, his vampiric eyes grow even stronger. He's not smiling anymore- instead he looks like he's about to mass murder a crowd of humans and not even blink an eye.
"Who do I need to kill?"
Most people would think he's kidding.
I don't think he is. At all.
Then confusion fills his face, and his ocean blue eyes fade a bit. "How come he only got away with a bruise? Or is that not all?"
"No, he only got hit on the cheek." I tell him, even though I'm still mystified at his confusing statement. Hurt, but not on the spot he'd gotten hit? What was that supposed to mean?
Taehyung is smart.
"Because you stepped in," He claps his hands together, like everything made perfect sense now.
"You went outside?"
I nod, and his eyes go wide.
"But then- how are you not dead yet? I thought you were allergic to the air outside? More importantly—you risked your life for Jungkook?"
"I don't know, either. Maybe I hadn't been outside long enough for the allergic reaction to begin."
Then Taehyung's eyes suddenly dart towards the door, and he waves at me in goodbye before he disappears into the air.
And then to my absolute horror, my mother walks in the room, her face angry as she holds up the front door security camera.