An awkward silence fell between the seven members, until Dongwoo burst out laughing.

 

“Sungjong-ah! You really have to stop reading those fantasy novels fans send you. They disrupt your imagination,” said Dongwoo between peals of laughter.

 

Hoya, ever the kinder one, put a hand on his dongsaeng’s shoulder.

 

“Sungjong-ah, vampires don’t exist. It must be the trick of light. Come on, let’s go home,” he said softly.

 

The shuttle had come while Sungjong was upstairs, and they all piled into it and went home. But Sungjong’s mind never wavered from Hanmi: her red eyes, ivory fangs, snow-white skin. Once at home, he hardly slept thinking about her. He just made sure the other members didn’t notice, or else they won’t stop trying to make him sleep.

 

At work, Hanmi barely looked at him: down the hall, when he knocks on her office door, and everywhere else. On Hanmi’s part, she couldn’t find the strength to look at Sungjong anymore, the first person to ever see her in her monstrous state. It felt shameful to her.

 

But Sungjong wasn’t one to give up. He cornered Hanmi on her way out of bathroom. He pinned her to the wall, but Hanmi still wouldn’t look at him.

 

“What is wrong with you?” he demanded.

 

Hanmi stayed quiet for a while before muttering a response. “You saw my other side. My monster side. How do you expect me to be ok after that?”

 

“You’re not a monster!” hissed Sungjong. “You’re the first vampire I’ve ever seen and I think you were still beautiful. I expect all vampires are like that.”

 

“I’m still a mythical creature! I’m not supposed to exist! And I never wanted what I am!” sobbed Hanmi, still refusing to look up.

 

Sungjong’s heart broke at how broken Hanmi’s voice sounded and how depressed she was inside. He lowered his arms and just stared at Hanmi, his eyes threatening to release tears. He felt so sorry for her.

 

Hanmi hiccupped one last time and said, “I’m sorry you had to see that.” Then she dashed down the hallway and her office door banged and locked with a click. Sungjong pressed his back against the wall and ran his hand through his hair.

 

No, Hanmi-yah. I’m not sorry I saw you. You should’ve told me instead of shouldering the weight of the world on your own.

 

It was a free day and Sungjong only went to Woolim to check on Hanmi. He hurriedly went back home and borrowed Myungsoo’s laptop.

 

“What’s up? Finally getting an online social life? You could use a Twitter account, you know,” chuckled Myugsoo.

 

Sungjong only smiled at his mirth and took the laptop to his room, which he uses alone. He searched for vampires in the Internet.

 

Vampires, as he soon found out, only look like one when the full moon rises. They drink human blood to sustain their vampire bodies. Unfortunately, the vampire bite is fatal.

 

Sungjong already knew these facts among all the others, so he looked to see if there was any way to rid someone of their vampire blood. He clicked a promising site and arrived at this essay.

 

There is a way to rid vampire blood, but every step is crucial. First and foremost, there should be a willing human to perform the procedure. The process is useless when a victim is forced.

 

The willing sacrifice must let his blood drop on the vampire’s forehead and lips when it is asleep or unconscious. The deed is a vile thing among vampires. On the human’s part, it is a tremendous sacrifice. The offering of blood is a piece of him that leaves him much more vulnerable to a vampire’s weaknesses.

 

Once done, the sun will harm the human way more than it does to vampires. His/her life is at stake at this point, and the act of sacrifice is enough to put an ordinary human to a coma for quite a while. But death isn’t an option. He’ll live after he wakes from a long coma with no memory of what he did.

 

Sungjong’s heart best faster as he finished reading the short essay. He will be able to rid Hanmi’s vampire blood, but he will not be able to remember her. It wasn’t an easy decision. Later, Hoya found him seated on his bed and immobile, staring a hole in the air.

 

“Sungjong-ah, it’s time for dinner. You ok?” he asked. He came close and touched Sungjong’s back comfortingly. That’s when Sungjong woke up from his daze.

 

“Oh, hyung, what are you doing here?” he asked, shaking his head as if waking from a deep sleep.

 

“I said dinner’s ready. What’s wrong? What are you reading?” Hoya asked. He squinted at L’s laptop, but Sungjong closed is hurriedly.

 

“Nothing, hyung. Just doing a little research,” lied Sungjong.

 

Hoya looked at him skeptically. “That’s not… or anything, is it?” he asked real seriously.

 

“WHAT?! Hyung, no! Ew! I don’t read stuff like that,” gagged Sungjong.

 

Hoya laughed. “Ok, I believe you. C’mon, let’s eat. I’m hungry.”

 

The next day, Sungjong passed by Hanmi’s office for the nth time. She was there, scribbling in her notebook, busy with work, not caring about the world. He thought a lot about what was needed to make Hanmi happy. In the process, he could lose her.

 

He decides to ask Sunggyu about this. One night after dinner, he asked Sunggyu to follow him in his room.

 

“Hey, no funny business!” called Woohyun after them. Sunggyu gagged, but Sungjong kept going. He let his hyung go in and closed the door.

 

“What’s up, Sungjong-ah? Is something wrong?” asked Sunggyu kindly. He joined their maknae and sat with him on the bed.

 

“Hyung, if you had a choice, what would you do? Help your friend and lose her, or just accept her for who she is, regardless how much she wants to change?” asked Sungjong quickly.

 

Sunggyu was taken aback. “Say what?” he asked, bewildered.

 

“Hyung, can I trust you?” said Sungjong quietly.

 

“How could you ask that? Of course you can!”

 

“In order to ask for your opinion properly, I have to tell you a secret. I hope you won’t tell anyone,” said Sungjong.

 

“Sure, Jonggie, what is it?”

 

“Believe me and don’t laugh at me.”

 

“Lee Sungjong, what is going on?” said Sunggyu, looking straight into Sungjong’s eyes.

 

Sungjong took a deep breath before telling the story.

 

“Remember the night I told you I would go back to the practice room to check if I forgot something? Actually, I went to check on Hanmi. When I got to her floor, I saw her disappearing behind the bend that lead to the lobby of that floor. Curiously, all the fluorescent lamps have blown their fuses. I jogged to catch up with her. She had thrown the windows open and she looked like she was about to jump out. I called her, and she turned to me. For a moment, I didn’t see any difference because it was too dark. But when the light of the moon shone thru the window, I saw her eyes had become blood red, and her entire body was pale and white as snow. I didn’t see any fangs, but I am almost sure that Hanmi is a vampire. I was serious that night, telling you that I saw a real vampire.”

 

Sunggyu could not speak for a moment. He was staring at his dongsaeng as if he’s gone mad. The expression didn’t last long. His face became serious.

 

“It’s hardly believable that there are actual things as vampires living among us, but your story is almost infallible,” he said at last.

 

Sungjong’s eyes sparkled. “You believe me, hyung?” he said hopefully.

 

“Well, yeah,” Sunggyu said sheepishly. He rubbed the back of his neck as if embarrassed, but then he immediately became serious. “But if this is true, then Hanmi could be in danger if anyone knew about her.”

 

“I trust you, hyung. But there is more. Hanmi said that she wants to rid herself of her blood, and I think I found out how,” said Sungjong.

 

Sunggyu nodded, so Sungjong proceeded to explain. He told his hyung of the article he saw online, and when he finished explaining, it was clear that Sunggyu didn’t like it.

 

“Sungjong-ah, I can’t let you do something this dangerous,” said Sunggyu seriously. “You know the consequences; you will fall into coma!”

 

“Hyung, I love Hanmi…” said Sungjong quietly, lowering his head. “She’s suffering, and I want to relieve her of this curse, regardless of what might happen to me.”

 

“But you might forget her! You might forget us! Everything is at stake here. And your efforts will all be for nothing.”

 

“No it won’t. She’ll be released from her cursed blood. That’s what I want to do. It will hurt me that I do have her, but every night of the full moon, she’ll be under her curse.”

 

Sungjong looked up at his hyung, his eyes wide and pleading. Sunggyu could hardly resist.

 

“If that’s what you think is the best decision, then I’m all for it,” said Sunggyu, giving up.

 

Sungjong was so happy he threw his arms around Sunggyu. “Thanks, hyung!”

 

Sunggyu could only smile and ruffle his dongsaeng’s hair.

 

After a few weeks, Sungjong found a day that they don’t have to work until late at night. Infinite retreated to their dorm at 8 PM. Come 11 PM, Sunggyu came to Sungjong’s room.

 

“Jonggie~” whispered Sunggyu. Sungjong stirred, but did not wake. Sunggyu came closer and knelt by the bed.

 

“Jonggie, if you want to remove Hanmi’s cursed blood, it’s best to do it now,” whispered Sunggyu, putting his mouth as close as possible to Sungjong’s ear. Sungjong’s eyes snapped open. He immediately got up and put on a long sweater over his sleep clothes.

 

“Thanks for waking me, hyung,” he said hurriedly, then took notice of Sunggyu’s attire: jeans and a dark sweater. “You going somewhere, hyung?”

 

“You don’t expect to walk all the way to Hanmi’s, do you?” said Sunggyu.

 

“You’ll drive me, hyung?!” said Sungjong excitedly.

 

Sunggyu smiled and they queity got out of the house. Sungjong flinched at the sound of the car starting, but they got away without being noticed by anyone in the neighborhood. The night was cold and dark. The tree made oddly-shaped silhouettes against the cemented street.

 

Soon, they got to the Lees.

 

“You want me to accompany you?” said Sunggyu.

 

Sungjong was about to say no, but he gave it a thought and said, “Do you mind, hyung?”

 

Sunggyu shook his head and they both entered the fence. Somehow, Sungjong knew where to go and how to get up Hanmi’s balcony. He opened the glass door and the wind blew the curtains apart. Sungjong noticed Hanmi shiver, but she didn’t wake. He gripped the handle of the knife he took from the kitchen hard. He quietly walked toward to bed. He took the knife out from his pocket and put it against his palm. He hesitated for a moment.

 

‘This is for you, Hanmi-yah,’ thought Sungjong.

 

He gritted his teeth and sliced the knife across his hand. It took a while before blood came from the slit and dropped on Hanmi’s forehead. Sungjong moved his hand over her lips and the blood stained it.

 

Suddenly, Sungjomg felt a horrible feeling of nausea and he doubled over. Sunggyu rushed to his aid. The elder shot the younger a look of concern that Sungjong answered with a look that said ‘I’m fine.’ Sunggyu kept his arms around Sungjong, afraid that he may fall. Sungjong was feeling unsteady and he was certainly not fine.

 

Then Sunggyu felt something warm on his leg. The room was suddenly flooded by the golden light of the sun. Sunggyu paled. He remembered what Sungjong said.

 

When the process is complete, I will be more vulnerable to a vampire’s weaknesses.

 

“Oh no,” muttered Sunggyu. “Sungjong-ah, we have to get out of here.”

 

Sungjong let himself be dragged the way they had come in, but as soon as he stepped into the light, a searing pain spread throughout his body. It felt like his very flesh was put on an open stove.

 

Sungjong yelled in agony. Sunggyu panicked. He took of his cardigan and draped over Sungjong, then steered him towards the car. Once inside, the pain decreased, but it still hurt just the same. When they got home, Woohyun got the door and saw his hyung without the cardigan.

 

“Hyung, what the hell?! What did you and Sungjong do all night outside that caused you to lose the cardigan I gave you for Christmas?!” Woohyun exclaimed.

 

Sunggyu pushed through Woohyun to lay Sungjong on the couch. “Woohyun-ah, get a wet towel. Ppali!”

 

Woohyun stood rooted on the spot for a moment, and then went off to dampen a towel. Sunggyu wiped Sungjong’s exposed skin which had turned pink with irritation. Sungjong had been whimpering ever since the sun and scorched his skin, but now those subsided and he had fallen unconscious.

 

“Sungjong-ah, what happened to you?” asked Woohyun. He tucked a strand of their maknae’s hair behind his ear, but Sungjong didn’t even stir.

 

“Hyung, he’s not responding! Sungjong has always been a light sleeper!” cried Woohyun.

 

Sunggyu remembered the other consequences of the vampire-blood-ridding process.

 

I might fall into a coma for a while, a month or two, and when I wake up, I won’t remember Hanmi.

 

“He’s in a coma! Dongwoo, where’s Dongwoo?” called Sunggyu.

 

Dongwoo popped his head out of the room he shared with Hoya. “You called, hyung?”

 

“Yeah. Drive us to the hospital.”