“I'm pretty sure the waitress was flirting with you,” SinB brought up nonchalantly. “What did she say was her name, again? ‘Park Sooyoung-imnida, but you can call me Joy’?” SinB imitated the cute, perky server whose attention was fixed solely on Yerin.

She and Yerin were walking away from the family owned restaurant that SinB suggested to eat at and were heading to the Sisters of the Night headquarters. The restaurant seemed like a good choice, at first. But, SinB soon wished she chose a different place, when a young, attractive girl introduced herself as their waitress and gave the older girl a charming eye smile. SinB tried to be reasonable, but there was no doubt that “Joy” was interested in Yerin. Her Yerin.

“Really?” Yerin questioned, sounding genuinely surprised. “What makes you think that?” She glanced at SinB with her eyebrows knitted.

“Well, for one thing, she asked if we were on a date,” SinB replied, trying not to blush from the thought of it. “We weren’t, of course. But, as soon as I said that, she had the audacity to look at you with seduction eyes.” SinB was trying really hard to not let that little gesture get to her. But, the more she thought about, the more she gave into the green eyed monster.

“Seduction eyes, you say? Are you jealous, SinB-ssi?” Yerin teased with a smug expression on her face.

“Jealous? Pssh,” SinB scoffed at Yerin’s ridiculous, yet true accusation. “I’m not jealous. It’s just that, typically, I’m the one who gets hit on. I don't know if you've heard this about me, but I'm a certified ‘girl-crush,’” SinB responded in a jokingly narcissistic manner. “And, why did she give us extra breadsticks for free when you asked for them? Why did you ask for them, anyways?”

“I’m sure those breadsticks were complementary. And, I asked for them so I could give them to a couple of friends of mine,” Yerin simply reasoned. They were nearing the pleasant and sunny park. Yerin smiled at an elderly couple who strolled pass her and SinB. “Do you want to meet them?” Yerin asked, turning her head towards SinB. Her eyes warmly reflected in the sunlight.

“Um…will they mind?” SinB reluctantly replied, unsure what Yerin’s true motives were.

“Not at all. They actually quite enjoy meeting new people,” Yerin beamed, lending out her hand for SinB to take. “Come on. I'll lead you to them.” She flashed her famous eye smile. Though SinB was still skeptical, she held onto Yerin’s hand as they walked towards the forest sector of the park.

SinB noticed that this part of the forest was less intimidating compared to the overwhelming cluster of trees that Yerin led her to when they first “played tag.” In fact, the land was more like a meadow. A modest pond was situated and SinB could see two ducks leisurely floating in the water. SinB glanced at Yerin whose smile grew wider at the sight of her feathered friends. Reaching into her jacket, Yerin grabbed a small paper bag from the restaurant and took out a breadstick. She proceeded to rip a piece off, tossing it into the pond towards the ducks who eagerly swam to it.

Smiling in delight, Yerin looked at a humored SinB, and held out a torn off piece of bread to her. “Do you want try feeding them, SinB-ssi?” Yerin encouraged the younger girl.

SinB hesitantly took the piece of stale bread and followed what Yerin did. A sense of innocent satisfaction overcame SinB as she saw the ducks swimming after the new source of food. She found herself grinning ear to ear.

“I should’ve known you were talking about animals,” SinB mused, taking the breadstick from Yerin’s hand and ripping off another piece to feed to the ducks.

“I’ve always taken a liking to ducks,” Yerin said, fishing out another breadstick from the bag. “When I was younger, my Oppa and I would chase them around at our neighbor’s farm. And, my Umma use to call me her ‘little duckling’ because of the way I would protrude my lips like a duck whenever I wanted her or my Appa to give me a goodnight kiss. Seeing these cute creatures remind me of the precious moments of my past. It was quite a nice surprise to discover these ducks here when I first moved into the manor.” Yerin walked closer to the pond, squatting down and sticking out her arm in hopes that one of the ducks would eat the bread out of her palm.

Examining what Yerin was trying to accomplish, SinB dropped to the same position next to the older girl. The brown and green feathered duck curiously swam up to SinB, pecking at the bread in her palm before the younger girl retracted her hand  and stood straight up out of giddiness. “Eat well, Mr. Quack Quack,” SinB addressed the duck between fits of laughter from the odd sensation.

“That’s interesting,” Yerin spoke up in curiosity. “How did you know that I call this particular duck Mr. Quack Quack?” She stood up to face SinB.

“Uh, lucky guess,” SinB awkwardly justified. She was also surprised that the same name both applied to Yerin in her dream and in real life. “It’s a pretty generic name if you think about it.” Suddenly, SinB remembered the part of her dream when Yerin threw that plush toy duck over her shoulder and fervently covered her neck with kisses. There goes SinB’s innocence.

“I guess you’re right,” Yerin reasoned as she dusted off her hands to get rid of the remaining bread crumbs. “We should get going if we want an adequate amount of training for today.”

“Training. Of course,” SinB said, clearly unexcited until Yerin held out her hand for the younger girl to hold. She grabbed onto it and they proceeded to walk out of the forest. SinB wished their fingers would entwine. She knew that their hands would fit perfectly together. But, the fact that they were touching at all made SinB feel contented.

The jealousy she had towards Joy disappeared as she glanced at Yerin who looked back at her with the warmth and glow of an afternoon sun.

The trek from the park to the headquarters did not take as long as SinB expected. While they passed through the friendly, residential area, SinB wondered if any neighbors suspected that their community inhabited vampires. The area seemed quite quaint compared to the bustle of the city. Perhaps, everyone was living in blissful ignorance.

When they reached the front door, Yerin quickly withdrew the key to the house from her pants’ pocket and proceeded to unlock it. Once they were inside, SinB looked around the neat and well-furnished house. It was as beautiful and exquisite as she hazily remembered.

“Yerin-unnie, don't you worry about vampires like Virgo breaking into the headquarters and disturbing the peace? I mean, the house isn't exactly under the radar,” SinB curiously prodded for an explanation.

“This house was sanctified with a charm placed by the elders of the Sisters of the Night. It wards off any supernatural energy that we might emit, making us undetectable from evildoers,” Yerin explained as she hanged her leather jacket on the coat rack. “Follow me. The training room is downstairs in the basement.”

Once they entered through the basement door, it was like stepping into another world, another dimension. SinB expected to immediately see the training room. Instead, she was greeted with an endless supply of antiques and artifacts from a variety of eras, all grandly displayed. It felt so surreal and magical. SinB wondered if this was how Harry Potter felt when he went through Platform Nine and Three-Quarters for the first time.

“This is where the elders like to keep their treasures,” Yerin spoke up, smiling when she saw the bright eyed look of astonishment etched on the younger girl’s face. “Joan of Arc’s armor. Sacagawea’s cradleboard that kept her child safe. ia Woolf’s typewriter. These relics are reminders of the true strength of females. They represent what the Sisters stand for.”

As they walked through the mini museum, SinB hoped that some of their power and vitality rubbed off on her. She was definitely going to need it in order to kick some vampire and put an end to Virgo.

They reached another door, and this time, it led to the training room. It was quite spacious with both ends of the room containing a plethora of exercise equipment. In the middle was a large safety mat that was used for any sort of sparring activity.

“Have you had any experience in martial arts, SinB-ssi?” Yerin asked as she walked towards one corner of the room to retrieve an object.

“Not exactly,” SinB responded hesitantly. “But, I'll have you know that I did manage to punch one of the vampires in the throat,” she revealed with pride. “Of course, they were still able to overpower me.” Her shoulders deflated with the memory of being straddled, choked, and held against her will. “It was a good thing you arrived at the right moment.” SinB looked shyly at the floor.

“You have moxie. That's good,” Yerin complimented as she walked towards SinB, hiding the object behind her back. “All you need to do now is learn how to properly use it. For the purposes of this tutorial, we won't be using wooden stakes. Instead, this plastic one would be used to simulate the moves.” She handed SinB a plastic replica of a stake that was about the size of a ruler. “I must admit that despite how frightening the experience was, you actually gotten off easy.”

“Easy?” SinB said in disbelief. “Like, level five on the intermediate setting easy?”

“More like level one on the beginners’ setting easy,” Yerin warily admitted. “When I first saw the two vamps, I knew that they haven't consumed blood in days from their overly pale skin and completely darken eyes. Blood is the one thing that gives vampires vigor. It keeps us alive. Without it, we either starve to death or become bloodthirsty monsters. Usually, it's the latter.” Yerin saw the worried look on SinB’s face and decided to place a comforting hand on her shoulder. “But, do not fear, SinB-ssi,” Yerin tenderly spoke as she looked into the younger girl’s eyes. “We’ll go through the basics today, and I promise you'll be more prepared than ever.” An eye smile radiated her face, giving SinB that much needed push of confidence.

“Okay,” SinB nodded her head in determination. “I'm ready. What’s the first step, Yerin-sunbaenim?” She fiercely looked back into the older girl’s eyes, earning a small grin from Yerin.

Taking her hand off of SinB’s shoulder, Yerin lent it out. “Give me your hand,” she gently requested. SinB’s forehead creased in confusion, but she obeyed.

Delicately grabbing a hold of SinB’s wrist, Yerin hovered the hand over her own chest. She could feel SinB’s pulse quicken.

“Many people think that the heart is right in the middle of the chest,” Yerin stated, settling SinB’s hand on top of her chest. “But, the heart is actually situated more towards the left.” She proceeded to guide SinB’s hand on the left side of her chest plate. “Drive the stake there and it’s a critical hit,” she whispered, her eyes twinkling. She let go of the younger girl’s wrist, but SinB still kept her palm resting on Yerin’s chest.

“You don’t have a pulse,” SinB breathed out, staring at Yerin who was calm and unbothered by the lingering physical contact.

Yerin’s eyes reshaped into crescents as she smiled at SinB. “I’m a vampire, remember? The living dead? A heartbeat isn’t all that necessary for me.”

“Oh. Right,” SinB noted. Snapping back to reality, she quickly removed her hand away from the older girl’s chest and began to fiddle with the fake stake.

“Let’s start with learning how to deal with a vampire’s intimidation tactics,” Yerin generously moved along the conversation to save SinB from feeling embarrassed. “I don’t like to discredit my own kind, but I must say that most of us become arrogant fiends with the discovery of our powers. Intimidation is key in any good fighter, and vampires have learned to use it in a multitude of ways. The most obvious one is the displaying of fangs and the changing of eye color. But, intimacy has proven to be equally, if not more, threatening. Breaching one’s personal space or tantalizing them with sweet, yet condescending words enables vampires to take a complete hold on people’s emotions. In the end, these poor individuals have no choice but to submit to the vampire’s wishes.”  

“So, should I wear earplugs to avoid being manipulated by the sleazy talk of vampires?” SinB teased with her arms crossed as she held the plastic stake carelessly.

“No,” Yerin said with a light chuckle. “As a matter of fact, the vampire’s taunting will be more towards your benefit than theirs.” Yerin glanced at SinB whose eyebrows furrowed in confusion. “Pretend that I’m one of the vampires who attacked you last night. For now, don’t worry about technique or form. I’ll teach you that later. Right now, I want you to channel any fear that you had in the moment and turn it into frustration. With the stake, hold onto it tightly with one hand and strike it to my chest with as much force as you can. Your objective: try to make be stumble backwards.”

“Are you sure it’s not going to hurt you?” SinB asked with much concern. Even though she knew the piece of plastic won’t do any damage to Yerin, SinB still thought the idea was insane.

“Trust me, SinB-ssi. I’ve done this hundreds of times in the past with little to no harm,” Yerin reassured the younger girl. “This exercise is to help you understand exactly how much pressure you need to apply in order for that stake to go through a vampire’s body. TV and movies make it seem like a knife cutting into butter. But, the anatomical makeup of a vampire is similar to any human. There’s flesh and bone. It takes a lot more force than you think.”

“I guess I'll take a stab at it. Pardon the pun,” SinB sheepishly said, trying to relieve some of her nerves. She gripped the stake in her hand as she stood less than two feet away in front of Yerin. Drawing her hand back, SinB took one look at the older girl who stood up straight with her arms resting at her sides. Inhaling a deep breath, SinB sliced through the air with her plastic stake, but halted before the pointed end could reach Yerin’s chest. “I can't do this,” SinB admitted, letting out her breath. “I can't imagine you being on the same level as those creepy vampires.”

It was true. SinB was able to think back to the night before when Virgo’s minions attacked her. But, as soon as she saw Yerin’s serene face staring back at her, other warm memories of the older girl popped into SinB’s head. Like how Yerin embraced her when she began to cry over her parents’ abandonment. How Yerin was able to understand what SinB wanted in a significant other. How Yerin kissed her tenderly on the cheek.

“How about in the forest when I first revealed to you that I was a vampire,” Yerin suggested. “It was scary for you, right?” She turned her head to the side and began to constrict her facial muscles. When she turned her head to face SinB, the younger girl slightly jumped in surprise. “I hope this doesn't ruin my chances of a date with you,” Yerin repeated the same line in the same cunning, bone chilling manner. Her fangs were proudly visible and her soft, brown eyes were replaced with an electric, golden hue of yellow. “What about, now?” Yerin asked with a devious twist in her tone.

Speechless and a bit startled, SinB simply nodded her head in agreement. It wasn't so much Yerin’s appearance that made SinB scared. It was more so the thought of how this kind, compassionate girl was wrongfully turned into a vampire out of spite. Because of Virgo, Yerin has to live with the burden of not being able to save her brother. Virgo took away a piece of her that could never be healed no matter how much time passes. Using the disgust she had for Virgo, SinB drew back the plastic stake she tightly held and aimed it at Yerin’s chest. The unbelievable impact actually caused Yerin to stumble several steps backwards.

Steadying herself, Yerin’s face reverted back to its usual, lovable demeanor. She looked at a surprised SinB who was breathing heavily. Yerin grinned at the younger girl.

“That’s good,” a flabbergasted Yerin said as she rubbed the spot where the stake hit her. “Let’s put some movement into the mix. I'm going to pretend that I'm one of Virgo’s minions. I’ll perform all the common intimidation tactics to see how you will deal with it.”

“Got it,” SinB answered, a little shaken up from the adrenaline.  

“Keep your arms close to your body until you're ready to attack and carefully watch each move I make. Use that same intensity, perhaps, even take it up a notch,” Yerin instructed. “Remember, don't let yourself be intimidated. Show that vampire who’s the boss.” She winked at SinB before changing back to full on vampire mode.

Yerin began to circle around the younger girl with an excruciating slowness, as if she could strike at any moment. SinB kept her eyes trained on Yerin as she held the stake in a death grip, afraid to let it go.

“You should be thankful that Virgo took you off the streets,” Yerin sneered at SinB. “With a pretty face like yours, I'm surprised you didn't go into ion.” A cocky smirk was plastered on her face.

Hearing those words come out of Yerin’s mouth stung, but SinB tried to not let it faze her.

“You're a selfish brat,” Yerin taunted, looking menacingly into the younger girl’s eyes. “You ran away to pursue a silly dream as a dancer? Please. You're parents were right in abandoning you.”

That was SinB’s breaking point. Thinking about that For Sale sign still made her heart feel heavy. She charged towards Yerin, swinging the stake at her chest. Yerin moved away unharmed with ease, her prominent fangs. Mustering all her frustration, SinB jumped on and tackled the older girl, sending the both of them to the floor. They wrestled for dominance with each girl rolling on top of one another. When SinB found herself straddling Yerin, she grabbed both ends of the stake and slammed it down on the older girl’s neck, choking her. Yerin tried to pry SinB’s hands away, but the younger girl didn't budge.

Tears were welling up in SinB’s eyes. But, even through her blurred vision she could tell that Yerin transformed back to her Yerin. The Yerin that she fell for. The Yerin that she came to love.

“Yerin?” SinB breathed out, blinking the tears and letting them roll down her cheek.

“Mianhae,” Yerin gasped out, still being choked by SinB.

Remembering that this was all just an exercise, SinB released the stake and threw it across the room. Both of their chests were heaving in and out, refilling their lungs with air. Still straddling the older girl, SinB stared at an exhausted Yerin massaging . She didn't know what came over herself. The thought of Yerin ever serving a despicable being like Virgo was unbearable for SinB. Every nasty comment fueled SinB’s desire in putting a stake through the low-life vampire that Yerin pretended to be.

Both of them were silent as their eyes focused on each other. Both wore unreadable expressions.

A new and completely different urge overcame SinB. She slowly leaned her face closer to Yerin’s, never breaking eye contact. As each second passed, SinB’s lips moved centimeters closer to Yerin’s. The older girl gulped as the realization dawned upon her. But, Yerin didn't move. She didn't stop her.

SinB tilted her head to get a clear entryway to Yerin's lips. Breathing in each other’s air, SinB parted . Their lips brushed ever so slightly…

Click. Creak.

“What a compromising position I found the two of you in.”

SinB’s attention darted up towards the door, eyes wide like a deer in headlights. At the training room’s doorway was Eunha standing smugly with a hand on her hip. Embarrassed to the max, SinB hurriedly got off of Yerin, cheeks blushing furiously. Yerin swiftly picked herself off the ground, equally flustered.

“Oh, don't mind me,” Eunha purred, sauntering towards the guilty-looking couple. “I was just about to leave to douse my eyes with bleach,” she said sarcastically.

“Eunha-ya,” Yerin called out to her friend as she straighten her clothes, trying to pretend like nothing happened, “do you have anything to report about concerning Sowon-ssi?”

“Ahem. As a matter of fact, I do,” Eunha, clearing to conceal her amusement, replied with a cheeky smile. She looked over at SinB and had to bite the inside of her lip to stop herself from laughing at the poor, blushing girl. “I had the pleasure of tutoring your friend, Sowon-ssi, and discovered that she has been worrying over you. Dare I say, she even forgives you. Spring the trap and she’ll be back as your dear ol’ pal in no time.”

“Kamsahamnida, Eunha-ya,” Yerin politely thanked the posh girl, hoping that she wouldn't later on.

“Eunha-unnie,” SinB addressed the older girl with trepidation, “do you think Sowon-unnie has a chance at passing her trig midterm?”

“With my help, I believe she will do wonders,” Eunha said, her gaze darting to the floor as she smiled at the thought of that tall, bumbling girl who has been running through her mind all afternoon. Looking up at the still uncomfortable pair, she smirked. “I'll leave you two to continue… whatever it was you two were doing,” she alluded, quirking an eyebrow. Turning her back, she strutted out of the training room, closing the door behind her.

Awkward silence and unresolved tension quickly filled the room. Yerin had her hands dutifully behind her back while SinB self-consciously examined her fingernails. SinB nervously glanced at the older girl who glanced back at her. Anxious smiles were exchanged.

Yerin cleared her surprisingly dry throat before speaking. “Um...let's cut today’s training session short.” She cordially smiled at SinB to ease some of the discomfort. “You were really great, though. You know, with harnessing your aggression and showing no fear in the face of intimidation. You could’ve fooled me when you said that you had no experience...with fighting,” Yerin sputtered and squirmed where she stood, shying away from the one reason why the both of them felt apprehensive.

As much as SinB wanted to continue what she started, the mood was ruined with Eunha’s appearance and snarky remarks. At least, she now knew that Sowon, the Tom to her Jerry, misses her as much as she misses the older girl. And, despite the terrible things that SinB did in the past, Sowon still managed to have the heart to forgive her. All that was left to know was whether or not Yuju was willing to repatch their lifelong friendship.

“Yerin-unnie,” SinB addressed the girl who looked adorable in her flustered state, “let’s just forget about what happened. Put it in the past.” SinB did not want to have this awkward tension between them any longer. It was much too excruciating. Who knows what they would be doing now, if Eunha didn’t barge in? But, it was clear that she and Yerin still had a long way to go in order to feel unembarrassed in situations like this. It was best that they moved on, no matter how much SinB yearned to kiss those soft lips. “I was probably just too caught up in the moment. You were pretty convincing in playing the bad guy.”

“Yeah, I guess that happens sometimes,” Yerin meekly replied, releasing a breath of relief. “It's getting dark, and I believe there's a full moon tonight. Since it might still be dangerous for you to return back to your apartment, do you want to spend the night here?”

“If it’s not too much trouble?” SinB courteously asked.

“Haven’t I told you, SinB-ssi?,” Yerin, who was much more relaxed, playfully inquired. “You’re worth the trouble.” She smiled at the younger girl. Her gaze was warm and comforting. Walking closer to SinB, she lent out her hand. “Come on. I’ll show you to your room.”

SinB took Yerin’s soft, yet strong hand. The past couple of days have been a mixture of ups and downs. But, Yerin’s presence was like a beam of light in SinB’s dark world. She had someone to lean on. Someone who could make her feel needed. Someone who she felt she could give her love to.

Just before they left the training room, Yerin stopped in her tracks causing SinB to halt, as well. Yerin stood in front of the confused girl.

“SinB-ssi, I think you have a smudge on your face,” Yerin pointed out.

“Really? Where?” SinB replied, brows furrowed. She began to raise her hand up to her face, until Yerin pulled it back down.

“Don't worry. I'll get it for you,” Yerin insisted. Carefully brushing the strands of hair out of SinB’s face, Yerin used her thumb to caress the younger girl’s cheek. A small smile formed on both of their faces as Yerin lowered her hand away. Before SinB could thank the older girl, Yerin leaned in to place a kiss on the corner of SinB’s lips.

SinB was stunned. She had no doubt that Yerin could feel her erratic heartbeat. Yerin took a small step backwards and smiled pleasantly at SinB.

“I think it's best if we took things slow,” Yerin quietly spoke, giving SinB’s hand a light squeeze. “But, just know that I really like you, SinB-ssi.”