Joohyun looks at the list and resists the urge to crumple it and hurl it at Minhyuk’s face.

Minhyuk who was even kinder than Jungshin.  He was shyer, more serious but had a sense of humor that appealed to her.  He was Yonghwa’s CFO and unlike Jungshin who was basically a rich man’s son, Minhyuk took his job seriously.

The week before that she considered him the best thing that ever happened to her.  He had come in the soup restaurant one late evening with Yonghwa. All the waitresses were curious – another handsome man they exclaimed to Joohyun. He accompanied them back home and like the finance officer that he was he sat Joohyun down and explained the monies that were still due her.

At first Joohyun suspected that the sudden windfall of money was from Yonghwa but Minhyuk assured her it wasn’t. It was from her father – stocks from Yonghwa’s companies that were given every year to select valued employees. Her father apparently handled the more sensitive accounts with Minhyuk.

She had replenished her very lean bank account and after a long while she felt that she would be able to go on to Julliard. She just had to convince Yonghwa to go with her. She knew she was daydreaming – he would never leave Korea for long periods of time – his family was here in Korea.

“How long were you both planning this?” Joohyun whispers with clenched teeth.  She was shaking with anger.

“Hyunnie – Nauri has your best interests at heart.” Minhyuk was distressed. He knew that Joohyun was upset with his Master.  Unlike Jungshin, Jonghyun and Yoona – Minhyuk agreed with Yonghwa that Joohyun should live like a normal person.

“Where is he?” She asks. “Why is it that you are the one to give this list to me? Can’t he face me?”

“He’d been called away to Tokyo on urgent business but he will be back tonight.” Minhyuk replies. “Hyunnie – please think about it.”

“Oh I will – I assure you I will think about it.” Joohyun looks at Minhyuk. “I’d like to go lie down first Minhyuk-ah. Believe it or not I understand your intentions but that doesn’t mean I agree to it. Good afternoon.” Joohyun walks him to the ancient doors and lets him out.

When she closes the doors she sits down on the floor and gives way to her tears. She didn’t care if Minhyuk could hear her or not. Her tears were of anger and frustration. After an hour she stands up and takes a shower.  She dresses up in jeans and a hoodie.  Taking her suitcase she packs everything that belongs to her. Nothing that Yonghwa bought was included.  She would leave this place with the plain basic clothes that she had. She buries her face in the cool material of the kimono – it had become very dear to her and was her favorite article of clothing but it wasn’t hers so she couldn’t take it.

She goes out the bedroom and at once headed for the piano.  She plays close to 2 hours – until she felt like her hands would fall off – until her wrists hurt. She was dry eyed but pale.  Her heart ached so much that she had to stop time and again while she was playing.

How could he do this to me? How?

Her mind went around and around those questions.  She knew she meant something to Yonghwa– every word and action from him showed her that yet he could do this to her. She just could not understand.

Her mobile vibrates. It was a friend from school – Hyoyeon.

“Unnie!” Her friend was excited. “I talked to my parents – you can move in anytime you want. The studio is furnished you don’t need to do anything.”

“Thank you Unnie for doing this.” Joohyun tried to make her voice as normal as possible but her hand gripped her mobile.

“No – thank you- we didn’t want to give up the studio when I go the USA for 2 years. My Omma said you just need to send her the rent every month and if you need anything you can just call them.”

“When can I move?” Joohyun asks.

“Anytime Unnie. Since I’m leaving in 3 days my parents have demanded that I stay with them until then.” Hyoyoen was laughing. “You know how needy they are!”

Joohyun smiles sadly. She didn’t know about parents wanting to be close to their children. Family life was a vague memory for her. “Thank you Unnie – I’ll take care of the studio. Have a wonderful time in the New York School of Dance. Make Korea proud!”

They said their goodbyes and Joohyun sits down in the sofa. She sat in the darkness – waiting for Yonghwa to come home.

He came before midnight – the doors open and light flooded the living area.

“Joohyunah – you’re sitting in the dark.” He walks up to her. Knowing her as he did – the set of her pale face and the stillness in her stance – she was very angry with him.

“It’s comforting to sit in the dark.” She answers as she puts the list on the coffee table.

“Mnhyuk gave you that already?” He sits down opposite her. “What do you think?”

“Right now – you wouldn’t want to know what I think.” Her eyes flash.

“No I want to know what you think.” He looks at her.

“It doesn’t matter what I think because you’d still do what you want to do – or what you think is the right thing to do.” She crosses her arms – she hugs herself because she was trembling with rage.

“I believe that you deserve a normal life.”

“And sentence my future daughter to the fate the same as mine?”

“You don’t need to have children. Just a husband – a man who would love and cherish you.”

Like I do.

“So you have it all figured out – I choose among this list of suitable candidates, get married, lose my ity, become someone’s wife, become old and die. This way the void will not come after me anymore. Correct?”

“That is correct. That is what I want for you Joohyunah - to live your life.”

“And this is your way of answering my feelings for you.”

“Yes – this is my way. I cannot kill you Joohyun – I cannot make you a creature of darkness not even to save the world. Not even to save creatures like me. This is my way of cherishing you.”

Joohyun closes her eyes and lets the pain wash over her body. He was being sincere she knew that and he honestly believed that what he was doing was right.

Yonghwa felt her pain – it was like a tangible cloak around her. He wanted to hold her and kiss her but he shouldn’t – he let his iron self-control took over. He willed himself to show no reaction.

“You’ve done this before haven’t you?”

“What do you mean?”

“You’ve done this before – when you were still a new vampire. You did this to someone before.”

Yonghwa angers flares. “Have they been talking?”

“Don’t you dare take it out against them for telling me!” Joohyun jumps up from her chair. “I’ll never forgive you!”

“You need not know the past.”

“Why not? Why can’t I?” She raises her voice. “You’re tearing me apart – I have every right to know!”

“Joohyunah!”

“Don’t even try to calm me down!” She goes to the windows and throws open the curtains. The void rushes to the windows.

“That thing and you are about the same level now! I hate you both!”

“Which is why I want you to have a normal life!” He exclaims in exasperation. “Don’t you understand? Do you know how precious your life is to me? I don’t want you to become like me!” He pulls her away and closes the curtains.

“Who said you could decide for me Jung Yonghwa? Who died and made you the owner of my life? This is my life! Mine! I can choose what I want to do with it – not you not that monstrous thing outside! Me!” Joohyun’s tears were pouring.

“Is this the same reasoning that you said to the girl you were supposed to marry? Shin Hye? That was her name according to Jonghyun.  You were betrothed to her when you came to live with your father. When you became a vampire you appeared to her and told her that you would pick out her husband for her – you gave her a dowry and land that your family owned. You went to Japan after her wedding and came home to Korea for brief periods – her children’s births, her family’s fortunes – you were there. When she died you were there too. To this day you have looked after her descendants.”

“I owed it to her to take care of her. When I died and my family was ruined – as my betrothed Shin Hye was ruined as well – no man would marry her because according to the engagement rites she was already married to me. So yes, I did take care of her and her family until the day she died.  She knew what I was.  I didn’t hide it from her.”

“Tell me Jung Yonghwa – did you even ask Shin Hye what she thought of the great plan you had for her? Did she even get a say?”

“She had no choice.”

“You mean you didn’t give her a choice. She just accepted what you said.”

“I was her betrothed of course she would follow me.”

Joohyun walks up to him, arms crossed and eyes dark with anger. “Listen to me Nauri – that was 550 years ago – right now you are looking at a woman of the 21st century. You will not tell me what to do Jung Yonghwa! You went behind my back and did up this list of acceptable men – you knew I would be angry but you still did it.”

Yonghwa was silent – his pale beautiful face only looks down at her.

Pain twists Joohyun heart – maybe like Shin Hye 550 years ago – she should just let him do what he wanted – maybe like Shin Hye 550 years ago she should agree – because she loves him too much.

Suddenly all the fight went out of Joohyun – she takes a shuddering breath and closes her eyes.  Life had never been easy for her and right now what she felt was overwhelming helplessness.

“Let’s do what you want Nauri.” Joohyun picks up the list and shows it to him. “You want me to pick a husband? I will. From this list I will pick out my husband but it will be on my terms.” She walks to the bedroom and brings out her suitcase.

“Where are you going?” Yonghwa asks.

“I can’t entertain suitors in this place. I need a place of my own.” She doesn’t look at him but heads for the doors.

“You can go tomorrow.”

“I leave tonight – I have a place to stay.” She answers before putting her palm on the door.

“At least let me take you where you’re going.”

“No thank you Nauri. I will take a cab. You will not be invited in my new home. I let you have your way but that doesn’t mean you still control the outcome. Like I said it will always be my choice.”

When the doors open she turns and bows to him respectfully. “Goodbye Nauri.”

Yonghwa felt like he was rooted to the spot he was standing in. He shouldn’t be going after her – the anger she was feeling wasn’t something he could appease in a few hours’ time. He felt a heaviness on his chest like he’d been in a fight. He looks at the ancient wooden doors that just closed a few minutes ago.  He walks to his desk and opens his computer – looking into the security CCTV he sees Joohyun talking to the guards. He sees her get in a cab, her suitcase put in the trunk of the cab by one of his guards.

He walks to the bedroom and finds it immaculate. The facial products he’s gotten for her from Japan were lined all neatly on the vanity table. In the bathroom the cherry blossom shampoo and conditioner were neatly placed on the glass counter. The marble counter was spotless, the towels neatly folded – like no one ever used it.

In the walk in closet – all the clothes he bought for her were on the hangers, the shoes were in their boxes only the faint scent of flowers remained.

Just as he was walking out he notices the kimono neatly folded on the far end of the bed. He reaches out to touch it and finds it damp. He closes his eyes and remembers putting it on her when she was so sick. The kimono was her favorite – she wore it often. His hand goes over the smooth silk knowing that she had cried in this room while waiting for him.

He walks out and stares at the baby grand piano.

His house was quiet.

She was gone.

Three nights later Yonghwa opens the doors to Jungshin. “What are you doing here?”

Jungshin took in dishevelled appearance of his Maker.  It was totally out of character. Yonghwa’s hair looked like he’d run it through his fingers more than could be counted. His clothes were crumpled and his feet were bare. His face was flushed and if Jungshin didn’t know any better he could have sworn that his Maker was drunk.

“I come on an errand. May I come in Master?” Jungshin puts on his brightest smile.

“I am Hyung when you need something then you call me Nauri - when you need something more then I become Master if what you need involves a lot of money. Lee Jungshin I wasn’t in the proper frame of mind when I created you.” Yonghwa looks at his youngest child from head to foot before turning and walking back in.

Jungshin looks at the open doors. They were enchanted and could open and close at his Master’s will. For the last 3 days the guards told him that Yonghwa remained inside. His mobile was turned off and he was not available on line. Minhyuk told him that all appointments and meetings were transferred to him. Their Master was not seeing anybody.

Since the Agassi left the guards told Jungshin. Master was this way since Agassi left.

Jungshin shakes his head and walks in. The doors close silently behind him.

“Why are you here?” Yonghwa sits on the sofa. The giant TV was on but there was no sound.  The coffee table had 4 bottles of rare scotch whiskey, 4 bottles of brandy and 3 bottles of vodka.  All empty together with 5 packs of plasma.

Jungshin viewed the scene with alarm. Older vampires like his Master used to mix alcohol with blood and get really drunk resulting sometimes in multiple deaths of servants and villagers. But as far as he could remember Yonghwa stopped participating in those events 400 years ago.

“Answer child!” Yonghwa levels a hard look at Jungshin.

“Joohyun requested me to get all the food in the refrigerator. It would be waste if you just threw them.” Jungshin walks to the kitchen and gets out the big ice chest.  Opening the refrigerator he begins to put in all the side dishes, fruits, eggs, meat and fish.

Yonghwa smiles bitterly. Of course, trust Joohyun to be practical an