After lunch, I had gym class.  Gym is pretty miserable, and I take every opportunity I can to skip it.  So when I heard we were playing soccer outside, I made sure to fall while “trying to steal the soccer ball”.  The gym teacher, also a fan of Joonmyun, sent me straight to the nurse’s office and reassured me that I didn’t have to come back.

            “What is it this time, Kim Eunbyul?” The nurse didn’t even bother to look up from her paperwork.

            “How did you know it was me?”

            “Gym is after lunch.”

            I chuckled.  “I fell while playing soccer.  The teacher said I could rest here.  Do you have any tomato juice?”

            “You can’t keep on coming in here just because you hate gym class,” she grumbled, handing me a red drink.  “And stop stealing my drinks.”

            “But there’s no one here, and I’m pretty sure I’m the only student who actually likes tomato juice,” I replied.  “Plus, you didn’t even bother to ask me if I was okay.”

            The nurse looked up from her papers.  “Are you okay?”

            “Can I lie down for a bit?”

            The nurse rolled her eyes, which I took as a yes.  Lying down on one of the beds in the office, I put my tomato juice pouch on the table next to the bed, closed my eyes, pulled the curtain around the bed, and tried to relax.  Unfortunately for me, a few minutes later, someone pulled the curtain away.

            Someone asked, “What are you doing here?”

            “What does it look like I’m doing here?”

            “I asked around.  Your name is Kim Eunbyul.”

            Recognizing the voice to be Park Chanyeol’s, I didn’t even bother to open my eyes.  “So?  What about it?”

            “Why are you here?  I usually rest in the nurse’s office.”

            I opened my eyes and sat up.  Park Chanyeol stood, arms crossed, at the edge of the bed.  I noted for the first time how tall he was.

            “For your information, I was injured in gym.”

            “You don’t look injured.”

            I then realized that the room was empty.  “I have a sun allergy.  Where’d the nurse go?”

            His eyes widened.  “I told her that she could go to get lunch…and she locked the door.”

            “Are you ting me right now?”

            “Well, how was I supposed to know that someone else would be in here?” he grumbled. 

I watched as Chanyeol sat on the bed next to mine, kicked off his shoes, and crossed his legs.  We made eye contact, and I expected him to look away, but he continued to stare at me.

            “What.”

            “Why are you so pale?” he asked.

            “Sun allergy.”

            “Dark circles?”

            “I don’t sleep.” I said it with a straight face, hoping that he would get the joke.  Now that I think about it, I don’t think he ever did.

            “When we arm wrestled, your hand was so cold.” He shivered.

            “Sorry?”

            “You know, you’re incredibly strong.  You hate the sun.  Your skin is really pale…and cold.”

            What is this idiot trying to get at?  Is he trying to compliment me?  Or is he just trying to make fun of me?  “Thanks…I guess.  You smell really nice?”  I can play the weird compliment game too.  At that point, I noticed that he was slowly inching away from me.

            “You have dark circles under your eyes because you never sleep—”

            “Wait.”

            “And that tomato juice right there…is it really tomato juice?  Or is it something else?”

            I glanced to the juice pouch on the desk and stared at him, confused.  “What the hell? Do you think I’m--”

            “How old are you?”

            “...Eighteen.”

            “How long have you been eighteen?”

            I scoffed.

            “I knew it!  You must be a vampire.” He paused, staring at me in fear.

            Are you ting me?  Are you ing ting me?  I burst out laughing, and I laughed until tears formed at the corners of my eyes.

            “Oh my gosh, I saw your fangs.  You really are a vampire!” he yelled, throwing himself off the bed and onto the floor.

            “Ah.” I brought my hand up to my mouth, suddenly remembering my pointy canine teeth. “Look, Park Chanyeol, I don’t know what’s going through your weird mind right now, but I can assure you that I am not—”

            “You must be after my blood!  I’m not surprised, since I’m sure that my blood is the most delicious in all of this school—”

            Wow, you’re really starting to irritate me.  “Listen, Park Chanyeol—”

            “Even vampire girls want me.”

            I stood up.  “Yah—”

            On the floor, he got on his hands and knees.  “I promise I won’t tell anyone your secret!  Please, just don’t kill me.”

            At that point, I was so amazed at how ridiculous our conversation was, that I decided to play along.  I slowly made my way to Chanyeol, who backed up on his hands and knees until his back hit the wall.

            “Spare you?” I grinned.  “Why would I do that?”

            He gulped.  “I’m rich.  How much money do you want?”

            Chuckling, I shook my head.  “So am I.  And why would I want money when I could have your blood?”

            “Why don’t we go out some time?”

            “No thanks.”

            “I have friends that I wouldn’t mind sacrificing--”

            “I’m sure all of your friends would be glad to know that you threw them under the bus.”

            “But—”

            “Chanyeol, you even said it yourself.  The nurse locked the two of us in this room.  We’re on the second floor of the building.  You have no escape.”  At that point, I began to lean in toward his neck, attempting to hold in my laughter at the same time. 

            “Is it going to hurt?”

            “Well, what do you think?”

            He closed his eyes, and I still couldn’t believe how ridiculous the entire situation was.  But just as I was a few centimeters away from his neck, I heard the key turning in the lock.

            “Looks like you were saved today.” I stood up and returned to my bed.  “You know, maybe I was wrong about you.  I thought you were dumb and boring, but you’re pretty fun.”  Chanyeol sat on the ground, paralyzed.

            “Ah, you’re awake,” the nurse said as I walked to the door.  “When I went to grab lunch, you were sleeping.”

            I nodded.  “I actually feel really great right now, so I’ll be returning to class.”  On my way out, I turned and winked once at Chanyeol, who gulped in fear.  Laughing, I returned to the classroom in high spirits.  I must say that if vampires were real, I would have been an excellent one.