[ ❉ A Few Days Later - Hallowmire Festival Day - October 8th 2016 ]

   In the peaceful district of Hallowmire, there was one place that was guaranteed to be lively at any time of the day. Luhan pushed through the crowd inside the Hare & Hounds bar, glancing side to side before taking a seat alone by the misted window. Sehun had gone to the bathroom as soon as they arrived, leaving him to find them a place to sit on this busy night. Luhan called out to the barista and requested both his and Sehun’s usual drink orders. While he waited, he turned around and surveyed the crowd.

   It was around dusk, and the venue was getting busier with revellers welcoming the weekend. After returning the little girl to her distraught but grateful parents a few evenings ago, they’d stayed at a local inn and were planning on returning to Greyfleur tonight.

   Usually, the districts of the Outskirts weren’t worth a visit, but Hallowmire seemed different this week. The bar was loud and raucous with people heartily drinking and socialising. The streets outside seemed busier, filled with groups of people dressed up in different costumes and bags of shopping in hand. The barista called out to Luhan and served him his ice-cold Americano. He nodded in thanks before turning back round to the crowd again.

   Just then, a young man sat down at the table to his left and ordered a drink. He looked exhausted, slouching over on the table and resting his head on his small black backpack.

   “Long day, huh?” asked Luhan, grabbing the man’s attention.

   The young man looked over and nodded wearily, “Yeah. I’ve been travelling all day.”

   “Oh, where to, if I may ask?”

   “To Merehua, and back.”

   Luhan nodded in reply. He had been to Merehua a few times, but like many other human cities, they weren’t too fond of vampires. He didn’t have many good memories there.

   “Do you work there?”

   “Only sometimes. I travel a lot for my work. I’ve got close ties with an orphanage there, so they call me out often when the kids are sick,” the young man said, ruffling his hair.

He had a kind smile, thought Luhan, and a warming presence.

   “That’s a bit like what I do. My partner and I are always travelling for our job,” Luhan remarked.

   “What do you do?” asked the stranger, voice piqued in interest.

   “We’re bounty hunters.”

   Luhan watched as a tinge of fear flicker in the stranger’s eyes. He had anticipated that exact reaction, and he felt humoured seeing the young man try to act to be normal. Bounty hunting was a rare profession, and it wasn’t one of the safest or innocent of career choices.

   The stranger gave a nervous laugh, “I see. I’m not that exciting. I’m just a healer.”

   Just then, the waitress came back with the man’s coffee order.

   “That’s a good job,” said Luhan, gesturing with his drink as a sign of toast, “You must have a good heart.”

   The stranger held out his coffee and the two of them toasted.

   “I do what I can. I’m Kyungsoo, by the way,” he said, holding his hand out.

   Luhan introduced himself, and they exchanged brief handshakes.

   “Well, this is goodbye from me. I’m helping the organisers with the festival today,” said Kyungsoo, “But I need to get changed and then meet someone else before I start work again.”

   Luhan gestured outside to the bustling crowd, most were dressed in a wide variety of costumes, “Is that what this is? A festival?”

   Kyungsoo nodded, “Yeah.”

   “Sounds interesting,” mused Luhan, with a raised eyebrow.

He had spent the last few days re-bonding with Sehun, talking through their feelings and enjoying each others company. It was a much-needed change after the hostility of the past fortnight. A festival sounded like a great way to end their trip to Hallowmire.

   “A few of the local districts gather on the first Saturday of the month every three months to celebrate the peace. Hallowmire is the host this quarter; there will be hundred’s of stalls selling food, games and goods. There’s even a fireworks show tonight. You should stop by if you have time. I could show you the way if you wanted to check it out?”

   Luhan looked around the bar again, it’d been a while since Sehun had disappeared to the bathroom and there was still no sign of him. Seizing at the opportunity, Luhan picked up his things and followed Kyungsoo in a flurry of chatter and excitement, texting Sehun along the way to tell his dongsaeng where he had gone.

   Brightly lit yellow and red coloured lanterns crisscrossed above the main square, the lights within them glowing like fireflies as they bobbed in the wind. Hundreds of stalls were packed side to side, lining the streets and people bustled between each booth, eager to find something new to part with their money. It was nice, Luhan thought, to see people gather at events like these. It almost felt like how it was before the war started, a more peaceful time.

   A bright ringtone rang through the air, startling Kyungsoo. He took the call, and within a few minutes, he said his rushed goodbye’s. Luhan watched as Kyungsoo ran off into the crowd, his black hair bouncing with each step. Sehun still hadn’t replied. Reserving himself to enjoy the moment, Luhan sipped on his Americano and moved off into the sea of people, occasionally checking out a stall.

   Jeongri sat alone on the benches in the clinic area, beneath a large oak tree that was shrouded in hundreds of multi-coloured fairy lights. She nervously adjusted her facemask and tapped her feet across the stone-paved floor to the beat of the music that filled the streets. It was getting busier now. Jeongri kept looking around, trying to find some sort of familiarity in the sea of faces that pushed past.

   The festival was in full swing. Children laughed out loud, running up and down the streets in their costumes, candy floss in one hand and toys in the other. Jeongri pulled on her cloak for the umpteenth time, cursing at how it kept sliding off her legs. She was dressed as Little Red Riding Hood today. It wasn’t as though she had a choice since the store only had the iconic red hood left this close to the festival, so she’d paired it with a black knee-length a-line dress that she’d found at the charity store and a pair of simple black heels. The dress was a bit small and uncomfortable, but at least she could hide herself within the huge red cloak. It was the first time in over a month that Jeongri felt pretty again; lips painted red and black eyeliner shrouding her large grey eyes, but she couldn’t help but let the anxiety get the best of her. It was the first time she had been separate from Kyungsoo ever since they’d met and he was late to meet her.

   “Boo!” came Kyungsoo’s voice from behind her.

   She turned around and started laughing at the sight of his costume, “What the-”

   Kyungsoo was dressed head to toe in his usual black attire except his face had been painted a gaunt and haunting white colour. Around his eyes, he’d applied heavy black eye makeup, and he had flattened his black hair down with gel.

   “What on earth are you meant to be, Mr Do Kyungsoo?”

   “The boy from The Grudge,” Kyungsoo said, turning around with his arms wide out rather proudly. He dropped his backpack onto the floor and grinned at her, “How do I look?”

   “How are you planning on treating kids while dressed like that?” she said, giggling, “You’re going to scare the poor children away.”

   “Oh yeah, I didn’t think about that…” he mused, scratching his head.

   “What am I going to do with you?” Jeongri laughed, shaking her head.

   Kyungsoo could only grin in response. He looked at her costume,