∞ 23 ∞
Paradise in a Secret“There’s no way in hell that I’m going to be going anywhere near that man.” Eunhye protested as she struggled against Jihoo’s pushing.
“Oh, you baby. Just deal with your problems already! The man came all the way here and he even climbed over the balcony just for you.” Jihoo tried to reason with her. “Go with him and sort out your little feud before my mom finds you here.”
Eunhye sighed and stopped resisting. She looked past Howon and focused on the cluster of buildings behind him, desperately trying not to make eye contact with him.
“Tada!” Jihoo unlocked the balcony doors and slid them open, allowing the chilly morning winds to enter his room. He shivered as he shoved Eunhye out onto the balcony. “I’ve delivered your princess to you, now get the hell off my property before you two set it on fire in the midst of your quarrels.”
“I don’t have a fire starter, and I was already planning to go somewhere else to talk.” Howon raised an eyebrow in amusement. “Thank you for tending to her injuries, though.”
“Just making sure she’ll have a pretty face for your wedding.” Jihoo winked before he closed the doors and shut the blinds, leaving Eunhye and Howon to stand alone on the balcony.
Howon studied Eunhye’s expression for a short moment before he exhaled audibly. He wasn’t sighing – he was trying to be as human as possible. Glancing down at the roads, he frowned as he realized that the morning rush had begun.
“We should go back to the apartment to talk, so that people won’t eavesdrop on us.” Howon quietly said. “We can take the alleyways for a quicker way back.”
Eunhye hummed and nodded. She noticed Howon moving closer to her, and instantly stepped away by reflex.
“Cooperate with me just this once?” Howon looked pained at her reaction. “It’ll take a minute at the most to get back to the apartment.”
She tore her eyes away from the buildings and finally took a look at Howon. She chewed on her lip and thought over it for a few seconds before she nodded.
“Please don’t scream the entire way there.”
That was the only warning Howon gave her before he picked her up, threw her over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes, and jumped off the balcony rails. When the surroundings were clear, he sprinted down the alleyway.
“I think I’m going to be sick.” Eunhye stumbled into the living room, her face too pale to be healthy. She sat down on the couch and rubbed her temples. "He never warned me that he was going to run at the speed of light."
Howon chuckled sheepishly before he went into the kitchen to prepare breakfast for Sunggyu and Eunhye. He knew that he needed to give Sunggyu some time to have a human-to-human talk with Eunhye. It would be less intimidating if Sunggyu explained a few snippets to her first.
“Have some tea, it’ll help.” Sunggyu smiled as he placed a cup in front of Eunhye. He then sat down across from her and crossed his legs. “Before you freak out or anything, let me tell you that I’ve been living with Howon for five years. Never once has he tried to attack me. I’ve only found out about it this morning, just like you, but I know for a fact that he’s not dangerous.”
Eunhye glared at Sunggyu. “Anyone who eats other people to live is automatically dangerous.”
“Technically, he drinks. Tearing off flesh can be fatal, but all Howon needs to keep him going is half a liter a week. Considering that we can replace blood after each injury, and that it takes a full liter to render a human unconscious, it’s not bad.” Sunggyu explained. “Obviously, you’re thinking that ‘it’s only the minimum amount they need to intake! They’ll always eat more!’ Well, that’s true. It’s like humans and our obsession with eating a lot of snacks and junk food between meals.”
“That’s not helping.”
"You're not going to be attacked just because Howon wants a snack. He eats regularly." He turned his head to the kitchen and watched Howon flit around, attempting to keep everything under control. "Even if he doesn't get his weekly dose, he has strong self control."
"There was this one occurence where he looked like he was struggling to stay controlled, and he ran out of the room." Eunhye glowered and shivered at the thought that she could've been his target.
Sunggyu noticed Howon stiffly stirring the pot of pasta. Frowning, Sunggyu shook his head. "There's most likely an explanation to that incident. Howon hasn't told me every single spec of his kind, so I can't speak on his behalf for what happened. I don't know, and you don't know either – shouldn't you save the assumptions for after you learn everything about him?"
Eunhye stared blankly at Sunggyu.
“My point here is, snacks and junk food aren’t essential to living. There aren’t many binge drinkers out there, and Howon definitely isn’t one. Mind you, blood is very expensive, and becoming a notorious serial killer isn’t the best idea for someone who's immortal.” Sunggyu rolled his eyes as he leaned back into the couch, focusing his gaze on Eunhye. “Back to the main point; yes, he is dangerous. However, that does not mean he’ll kill you. I mean, look at dogs! They can easily rip a chunk of us out with their jaws or maul our faces off with their claws, yet they’re called man’s best friend.”
“Comparing me to a dog now, are you?” Howon cautiously stepped into the living room while holding two plates of pasta. “I believe that dogs can – and will – eat hamsters.”
“If you didn’t have a black belt, I’d have beaten you to pulp by now.” Sunggyu grumbled as he didn’t retaliate.
Howon laughed as he set the dishes down on the coffee table. He settled down beside Sunggyu and silently watched as Eunhye stiffly poked at her food, obviously not comfortable with Howon being around.
“Is there a reason why you… panicked?” Howon hesitantly asked.
“Well obviously she was freaked out that you looked like a monster.” Sunggyu snorted quietly as he stuffed his face with the pasta.
Howon glared at Sunggyu and smacked him up the back of his head, causing him to choke on the food. “I meant the mini panic attack.”
Eunhye stared at the plate of pasta and chewed slowly, trying to avoid talking. Silence fell upon the group as both Sunggyu and Howon waited for her answer. When was almost empty, she began considering pretending to chew, but she wasn’t very confident in her acting skills.
Sunggyu swallowed his pasta and reached out for his cup of tea, taking a sip of it just when Eunhye finally mustered up the courage to speak.
“My parents were murdered by your kind.”
Edited: 140915
Elephant School and Secondary Schools where I live are currently on a strike right now <__< they've been on since May and it's really pissing me off...
But anyways man oh man it's been such a long time since I've updated;; I'm so sorry omg. Life just got really busy and everything and I couldn't find the time to focus on re-editing. 미안, 미안!
Comments