Ten Years Ago

Pink cherry blossom petals were scattered haphazardly on the ground, messy but beautiful. Some danced to the tune of the spring breeze, and some met with dirt and grime on the ground. They mixed and mingled amongst the contrasting bright green leaves from the other trees, with more pink staining the ground if you walked closer towards the lone cherry blossom tree in the park. Fluffy wisps of clouds decorated the sky, occasionally passing by and muting the sun's rays. Moonbyul paused, steadily breathing in the fresh air that signaled the arrival of spring in 2007. A gentle breeze of air zipped past her, blowing a stray lock of ash-blonde hair away from her face, to which she quickly tucked it back behind her ear.

However, Moonbyul wasn't here to look at the cherry blossoms. She lived walking-distance from the park, and the tree had been there for probably longer than she had lived on this planet. She had seen it plenty of times, there was no need for her to look at it once more. What she was interested in was the girl that was sitting against the base of the tree.

"The girl under the cherry blossoms," Moonbyul decided to call her.

Her legs were folded, the right one on top of the left, her foot tapping to a good-natured rhythm. Her hair was dyed a warm, gentle brown that looked wonderful against her skin. Glossy pink was the colour of her lips, and an even more subtle shade of pink doppled across her cheeks. She was looking down, at the Mitch Albom book in her slender fingers.

"Class of 2011," splashed across her shirt in typical white varsity font, and Moonbyul nearly shrieked in excitement when she realised it was the university she was studying at, too.

But even after living for centuries, being social wasn't her thing.

Thus, spring came and went, and it soon became winter without a of interaction between her and the girl under the cherry blossoms.

Her heart still throbbed to the tempo of a thousand crickets, and she knew she needed to do something about this infatuation.

Which was why she was standing there alone, clenched fists and a heart that felt like it was about to burst any moment.

She glanced around the silent part, praying that the crickets wouldn't start playing to the tune of cupid's song. She took in a deep breath, sweaty hands clasped around her lecture notes, feelings splayed across the ground like the pink cherry blossom petals that only seemed to take on the shape of tiny hearts when she got closer towards the girl.

You got this, Moonbyul. Just go up to her and make friends or something.

Alright, pep talk over. Moonbyul shuffled over to the side of the bench, eyes set on the girl with a book in her hands. The wind blew, and a lone cherry blossom petal landed on the top of the brown-haired girl's head. A nervous breath escaped Moonbyul's lips as she stammered.

"Is anyone sitting here?"

"You, in a couple seconds if you'd like," the girl replied, raising her gaze.

A smile greeted Moonbyul from behind a book, and her brown eyes twinkled like it was a galaxy in itself.

But something felt- no, smelled off about this girl.

"Moonbyul," Moonbyul whispered, a mix of enchantment and curiousity piquing her.

She held out her hand, earning a brow raise from the other girl.

"Moonbyul," the girl repeated, My name is-"

A gust of wind interrupted her, but Moonbyul could still hear the precious whisper of a name.

She smiled, dizzy.

"It's nice to meet you."
 

Present Day

"What do you mean they have the same eyes?" Wheein enquired, not taking her eyes off of the scrambled eggs in the pan. She turned to her side, picking up and scattering the chopped vegetables onto the fluffy yellow.

Silence ensued, and Wheein was getting a little concerned for her friend's mental state. She leaned back, catching a glimpse of the colourful pictures that rolled across the screen.

Moonbyul shrugged defeatedly and tightly embraced her dolphin cushion, squinting her eyes at the television. Her fingers ran across her lips, and Wheein looked up just in time to catch her lean forward and narrow her eyes further.

"Wheein, I think I need glasses."

"We're vampires. We don't need glasses."

"I need them."

"Stop avoiding the question," Wheein huffed, shaking the contents of the pan into a medium-sized plate. "What do you mean they have the same eyes?"

Moonbyul sat in silence once again, her foot thumping against the side of the couch in rhythm to the cartoon's opening theme. "They have the same eyes. When Yongsun sat here with me, I turned to look at her, and they had the exact same shade of brown. The same brown I fell in love with a long time back, but Yongsun's was missing something. They had the same eyes, but Yongsun's weren't shining like hers. They were something else, and it makes me uneasy."

"So, what? You're just going to not look her in the eyes for the rest of eternity?"

"They remind me of her, Wheein," Moonbyul muttered, shoving her head in her hands. "They remind me of her."

"Come on. Maybe you're just imagining it."

"Maybe."

"I know I really shouldn't be saying this, but you have to let it go. Let her go. How else will you continue living?"

"I don't know."

"Maybe this is just a sign that you need to move on," Wheein placed a hand on Moonbyul's shoulder, and the latter reciprocated by squeezing it with her own. "Maybe it's a sign that she sent, saying, that it's okay to stop loving her and that it's okay to start loving someone else, and more importantly, to start loving yourself."

Rain pattered against the panes, and the crickets slowed in their chirps. It was one of those days where the golden rays of the sun shined through even the largest of raindrops, and it was blistering hot even though it was supposed to be cold. Classes had ended, and Moonbyul was made to stay behind by some other teacher. She was just about to go home, until she noticed a certain brunette sitting with her pens and papers in the school cafeteria.

Moonbyul rested her body against the table, her arms folded, and her right leg crossed against her left. Her lips curled into a bright smile, and she tucked the silver strands of hair that ran across her eyes back behind her ear.

"Miss Kim?" she probed, her tone careful. "How's your coffee?"

Yongsun made her usual jovial face and tapped the edge of her coffee cup. "It's too sweet."

Moonbyul grunted, and comfortably took a seat beside her teacher before taking off her hair tie, running her slender fingers through her silver hair.

The other woman took a sip of her drink, eyes locked onto her student, and gathered her thoughts.

"You're sitting with me."

It was more of a question than a statement, though it really didn't sound like one.

"Am I not allowed to sit with you?" Moonbyul sank deeper into her chair, and clasped her hands behind her head. "You know, I'm kind of sad I didn't have math today," she added, folding her legs. Yongsun's eyes gradually turned to meet hers, and instead of that uneasiness that she felt a few days ago, her heart began to follow the chirps of the crickets in the background.

Maybe Wheein was right, maybe she was just imagining it.

"If you wanted to say that you missed me, you could've just told me, y'know?" Yongsun laughed, folding the rest of her papers in half and laying them on the table. She pursed her lips to one side, pausing to think for a moment. "Do you need me for anything today?"

Yeah, Moonbyul needed a kiss from her, but of course she wasn't about to say that.

"I'm good. Going out with a couple of friends today."

"Teens' night out, huh?"

"Something like that."

"Just remember to be careful, okay?"

"You sound like a mom," Moonbyul snorted, unclasping her hands and brushing off those pesky extra threads from her shirt. "If you wanted to say that you missed me, you could've just told me, y'know?"

A light-hearted giggle escaped Yongsun's lips, but a darker glimmer shone momentarily across her eyes.

"Your name," Yongun said, almost in a hushed whisper.

"My name?"

"Your name, your real name."

Moonbyul felt dizzy. She'd never allowed someone else to call her by her real name ever since that happened, and she'd never planned to. Everytime someone called her Byulyi, she would remember the good and bad memories, most of which she kept safe in a special part of her heart. She vowed never to break the lock, but maybe today was the day.

"Byulyi?"

Yongsun nodded, her gaze low. "It's a pretty name."

"You can call me Byulyi when no one else is around."

"Byulyi?"

Moonbyul laughed, her nose crinkling in such a matter that received a smile from Yongsun in return. "Yeah, just like that."

Moonbyul wasn't planning on getting drunk tonight. But one drink always leads to another, and another, and you get the message. She could feel the slow burn down , one that clawed at her stomach and chest but still felt so much better than the past week. Her fingernails clinked against the shot glass everytime she picked it up and demanded for another, and she felt so guilty every time she did, but she was here to forget.

And that was what she was going to do.

Forget.

At least for tonight, and maybe she could get Wheein to email the school that she was sick or something while she was stuck with the world's biggest hangover ever. Blocking out the tinkling of glasses and the whispers of others that only reminded her of the voices in her head, she slid her phone out of her pocket, running through her message inbox.

Her half-lidded eyes landed on one of the most recent contacts, a particular brunette. She scrolled through the conversation, a smile running over her lips. Closing the inbox, she continued scrolling past her contacts. She only had a few, three or four pages worth. After all, she didn't have many people she bothered to keep in contact with.

She paused at the final contact name, her finger hovering over the 'call' button. It was a contact that she had never had the heart to delete, and she had hoped up until recently, that maybe, just maybe, she would receive a call from the same caller ID that she used to call so much, and hear the same voice that had played the tunes of cupid in her heart one more time.

Moonbyul tapped the green call button, holding the phone up to her ear.

Please.

"Sorry, the number you have dialed is not-"

Moonbyul huffed and exited the call, scrolling back up. She slid her shot glass back to the bartender, who only raised his eyebrows as if to say, "you're ing kidding, right?"

She shook her head, and watched, uncaring as the liquid filled her glass.

Crossing her legs, her slender fingertips made their way over to the contact name that was ever so familiar, one that made her feel safe and always brought a smile to her lips.

She liked to feel safe.

Yongsun was her safe place.

She didn't know what she was doing, and probably wouldn't remember it in the morning, but that was exactly why she was at a bar in the first place.

"Yongsun," she mouthed breathily as she typed. Her half-lidded, glassy eyes couldn't even make out the difference between 'c' and 'o', and she could barely even feel her fingers, but continued typing anyway. "I miss you."

youngsun i miss yo u

yongusn?? i'm so loenly i need to ytell you something

Moonbyul? Are you okay?

The next reply came a little faster than usual.

Are you drunk?!

Moonbyul felt a sting in her heart as she downed the next shot, feeling the fiery heat blaze down as her cheeks flared up in pink even more, and she wasn't sure if it was because she was drunk.

i'm not drukn

Where are you.

bar the bar at the end of town

Moonbyul clicked her tongue, a smile apparent on her lips as she slid the payment over to the bartender. She tapped an impatient, rushed rhythm against the side of her glass.

She leaned across the counter, stretching and nearly knocking over someone else's cocktail, to which she simply gave an apologetic nod and an awkward gummy smile. A hand caught her wrist abruptly, and she stared at it for a moment, brows furrowed in confusion, until she looked up.

It was her safe place.

Before she even knew it herself, a lopsided grin was on her face as she glanced Yongsun up and down. Her hand was so warm, and it made her heart tick like the clock on the wall with every second.

"You're fast," Moonbyul mumbled as Yongsun sloppily dragged her out of the bar.

"I live near. Come on, let's get you home."

Moonbyul's stomach rumbled, along with her starting to dry heave. She felt warmness leave her wrist, and instantly the cold began to wrap around her. She was brought to her knees on the side of the pavement, lurching out the liquid contents in her stomach.

"What were you thinking?" her voice sounded so authoritative, yet felt like a gentle spring breeze.

The fact that Yongsun looked lovely in a simple tee and jeans combo, was all Moonbyul could think of.

She was about to tell Yongsun that, but her world slowly collapsed into one that existed without light.

The most difficult part were the stairs, but after conquering those, Moonbyul glanced around at the spacious, vibrant environment that popped out that her with bright colours. It smelled and looked like how its owner was, bright and colourful. It was definitely Yongsun's.

"I'll help you with your top and your shorts," she pointed out, setting Moonbyul onto her bed. "We can't have you laying down in dirty clothes. But you'll take care of the rest yourself, alright honey?"

"Why?"

"Because these sheets are expensive."

"I meant, why did you come? Why did you come to get me?"

"Why did you drink so much?"

"Alcohol tastes sweet when life is bitter."

"You're not wrong."

Moonbyul laughed, clasping her fingers around Yongsun's wrist, sending an assembly of light tingles up her own arm. "Do you feel that? I do. Do you?"

"Byulyi."

She watched Yongsun's eyelids flutter shut for a moment and she knew, or at least hoped, that Yongsun felt it as well.

"You're so beautiful," Moonbyul whispered, slowly drawing her hand away from Yongsun's.

"We have to get you out of these," Yongsun replied, her voice strained. "Come on."

She gripped the hem of Moonbyul's shirt, tugging it off of her and replacing it with another that seemed a little too oversized for the skinny vampire. It was large, boxy, and seemed as if it was designed by a three year-old playing with paint, totally unlike something Yongsun would wear. She chuckled at the thought, amused.

"You know," Moonbyul breathed, her eyes taking in the curve of Yongsun's body. She was absolutely breathtaking, even more so in the dim curtain of night. "You know what?"

"Know what?"

Maybe it was because of the alcohol. Maybe it was because she knew they were completely and utterly alone and she'd might never get a chance like this ever again, or maybe it was because of the fact that Yongsun made her feel like she wanted to love again.

Leaning forward and closing the gap between their faces, Moonbyul placed her palm onto Yongsun's cheek and spilled her silent confession against the brunette's lips.

author's note: hello! this was a nice chapter, for me at least. if you liked it, please feel free to comment your thoughts! <3 also the last sentence omg aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa i'm dying