She brushed off the dust on her shirt and sweatpants. Her heart was beating fast. Her perspiration drained her shirt as if water was spilled all over her. “One more!” She dodged the punch that came her way. In return, she swung her fist and hit his cheeks. The sudden punch cracked across his cheeks, bursting the fine blood vessels in his mouth. Instantly, he could smell the blood pooling beneath his tongue. The impact her fist made to the rough skin of his face formed an aching pain in her fingers. Just when he was about to retaliate with a punch, she threw a kick at his side, making him double over in pain. A dimpled smirk erupted on her face, slightly amused by the boy’s reaction to his defeat. His once calm demeanor exploded into wild fits of anger. That ticked him off. It hurt his pride, knowing that he’d lost multiple times already.

 

“I win, Taemin. You know you can’t beat me. Give up.” She taunted him as she swung her fist once more.

 

This time, he caught her. He wrapped his hand against her fist, stopping her from creating any damage. A gasp of pure wild confusion and shock escaped her lips. Her once confident facade crumbled to bewilderment.

 

“Not so fast, Hae Kyung.” Taemin mimicked her tone as he twisted her arm behind her back. Hae Kyung’s face contorted with pain.

Frowning, she gave in to him, “Fine, fine. You got me. You can let go now.”

 

He shook his head in response, “No, no. where are your manners? What’s the magic word?”. She turned around and glared at him as those petty words escaped his mouth.

 

“Haha, Very funny. Quit playing around before my father comes in.” She slipped out of Taemin’s grasps as he loosened his hold on her.

 

His hand reached up as he rubbed his nape. A sheepish smile on his face formed, “I have to admit though. You’ve improved a lot, I remember the first time we’ve spared. You went down in a minute. And you...”

 

She walked towards the corner of the room where a bottle of water was placed on the table. The cool water made itch. “...And I vomited everywhere.” She cut him off, turning around to look at him, only to find Taemin holding back his laughter. “Can we just stop the chit chat and continue training? I’ll really appreciate it.” She grabbed her bottle and let the water flow down .

 

Taemin held both his hands up as if he was caught red-handed by the police. “ I won’t do that again.”

 

She rolled her eyes in response.

 

“You want some?” She asked while holding out the bottle towards him.

 

“Oh! Wow. Are you being nice to me?” Taemin amused.  She glared at him.

 

They’d been partners in crime for like 2 years and friends for about 10. He knew when to play around and be serious around her. This was one of the many times that they were training. This time they were slacking off. They perfectly knew that if Hae Kyung’s father found out they were doing so, they would get an earful. But hey, you can’t blame them. They’re teenagers after all.

 

“Fine. I’ll take the offer. Pass me the water, will ya?” She tossed the bottle towards him. It went up in a graceful arch and landed perfectly in his right hand. “Drink up. You’ll need it.”

 

“Can we take a break?” Taemin suggested as he took a seat on the padded floor beneath him. “We are taking a break now. C’mon, we need to train” She walked towards him, grabbing his arm. Slightly pulling on it, to urge him to stand back up.

 

“You sound just like your father. You crazy obsessive psychopath.”  Taemin asked. She was taken aback by his sudden outbreak. “What’s your problem? Can we just ing train? ” She replied .

 

“What’s my problem? Are you seriously asking me this right now?” He looked at her dead in the eye. “We need to talk about what happened four days ago,”

 

A sarcastic laugh escaped her lips. “Do you really think this is the right time to bring this up?” She folded her arms and stared back. “When will it ever be the right time, Hae Kyung? You’ve been shutting me out this past few days. Suddenly, today you pretend nothing is wrong. Well, stop it alright. I know you.”

 

“Then I’m pretty sure you already know why I’m like this. You can’t blame me. ” The atmosphere that was light and friendly went downhill to a distasteful awkward and cold one.

 

Instead he grabbed her arm pulling her down such that she was sitting right in front of him. “Yes, I can’t blame you but you need to calm down. Don’t think I haven’t noticed.”

 

“And what? What did you notice?” She pushed on, annoyed at her friend that brought up this subject matter again. “You’re still upset, Hae Kyung!” He grabbed her hands. “Shut up…” She retaliated.

 

“No. You shut up and listen. You need to let it go alright. We’re fine now and that’s all that matters.” She avoided eye contact with him.

 

Subconsciously, she reached out to touch his neck where he was wounded. Realizing what she was doing, her hand retreated back into its original position and onto her lap. “It’s just that.. This time it was too close. I almost lost you to some mutt. It’s my fault. In all of our time fighting monsters together, I was scared that you wouldn’t make it.”

 

He grabbed her arm. “Yeah, I know. But, don’t be. You can’t work yourself up and force yourself to train till you body gives in. Stop it, okay. You need to take a break. You’ve been training for three days straight nonstop.”

 

“So that’s what made you notice.“ She said as she laid on the ground. Finally, noticing how lethargic and slow her actions were. “Well and the fact that you’re so frustrated and cranky. And desperate to beat me. Oh wait, you’re like that all the time,” Taemin teased, trying to lift their spirits. Well, his to be specific.

 

“Oh, shut up.” She sat up and whacked the back of his head. “Ouch. Don’t deny that it’s true.” He rubbed his head.

 

 

---

 

 

Later in the day

 

She sat at the coffee table. The television was on. She wasn’t paying any attention to it. Her eyes were glued on the bright images as they flashed by. The sound from the television blurred into one noise. It was annoying but she just ignored it. On the table was the cup of coffee she made half an hour ago. She hadn’t touched it since. It’s not like she was planning to drink it hot anyway like how most people enjoy it. She doesn’t bother. It’s just a small matter. Cold. Hot. What’s the difference?

 

There was one month left till she had to balance her job and school work. That means she couldn't enjoy quiet afternoons like this anymore. She just couldn't understand why her father had still wanted her to study when the whole hunting business took so much time and effort. Why not just focus on one thing? Why balance two things when so much pressure is put into one?

 

She tried talking herself out of it. But it always ended with a lecture about their family’s name. The ‘Kims’. The almighty werewolf hunters. He had set the bar high. Now her father wants her to set it even higher. It . It really does. Sometimes, she just wants to see what it’s like to live a normal life. It was purely curiousity. Just a normal teenager with a normal life, only having to deal with normal problems. Probably the only few major problems a girl like that would face is what dress will she wear to prom or how was she going to turn a ‘C’ to an ‘A’ for Calculus.

 

The front door creaked open as her father entered their home. The keys jingled, making a clanking noise as it settled back into his pocket. He carefully removed his jacket to hang it at the coat rack where it belonged. It was just right beside the mirror near the hallway.

 

“Hae Kyung ah!”. His loud, booming voice smacked her back into reality. That was her cue. She rushed to the front door to greet her father. Soon, she emerged from the living room down the hallway. Hurriedly, she grabbed onto his arm, allowing him to put his weight on her.“Welcome home, father.”

 

Step by step, they made their way to the living room. She helped him to his favourite leather chair. The brown leather looks worn and cracked from the many years of use. Afternoons wasted with a good cup of coffee and cigarette in hand. That was the mental image that came in her head of her father. Every time she would go downstairs, her father would be there.

 

“You’re late, today. I was standing by the door for 10 minutes.” The disappointment in his voice made her feel bad. He settled in his chair as she passed him the latest copy of newspaper. “I was thinking, that’s all.” Afterwards, she went back to keep his crutches in the living room. Her father was watching her as she moved around the room. His eyes trailed her actions, following every movement. A burning jealousy longed in him for he was envious of his own daughter. He was envious of something that he is unable to do anymore. To move around freely, run, jump or sprint. No, he couldn’t do that. Her daughter, on the other hand , who’s at her prime had reminded him of the time when he was at his. One thing’s for sure he missed the days where he would be out hunting. A hobby turned occupation. The praise he got from The Underground encouraged him to push on till he himself was an old man.

 

Whenever he looked at his daughter, he was reminded of himself. A young female teen version of himself. It also pained him to see how much her features had reminded him of his wife .

 

“I presumed you trained hard today. That's good but you have to focus more on school. Your grades are horrendous. We’ve already discussed about this. I don't see you drawing anymore. You need an outlet for stress if you want to perform at your best,” He said, his voice sounded monotonous.

 

As the words escaped his mouth, his eyes were glued onto the newspaper. She sat down on the couch, grabbing a pillow in the process. “I don’t find any joy in drawing anymore.” The pillow felt soft as her arms trapped it in her embrace.

 

Then, it was silent again. She was lost in her thoughts. She isn’t exactly happy at her current situation but the thing is, she knows that there are people who have it far worse. No. She doesn’t have a terminal illness. Neither is she starving. All the more reason she should stop wallowing in her sadness. She continued with her answer that she knew wasn’t complete. “Well, I can’t anyways. Drawing is all about practise. It’s been so long since I’ve drawn. And I really can’t. It reminds me too much of...“ She paused as an image of a woman appeared in her head. When she looked up, the newspaper was on her father’s lap. He was waiting. It was as if he was waiting for her to mention her name. But she didn’t want to. She knows how upset he gets when the topic is brought up. “About past memories.”

 

“If you have something to say about your dead mother then say it. I didn’t raise a coward.” There it was her father’s ego. The tough persona that she hated the most. He wasn’t like this when she was little. People change and so did her father. Her hands tightened into a fist.

 

“You didn’t.” She spoke up. Her father ignored her and proceeded to take a white envelope out of his pocket.

 

“I have a new job for you and Taemin. He’ll be coming round soon. The details are in this envelope,” He held the piece of paper towards her, cocking his head. A sign that she was suppose to take it from him.

 

Documents and photographs poured out of the envelope. She flipped through each document and looked through the photographs. A house. A school. Her eyes widened, “We’re moving?”. Her father stood up. He carefully walked up to the chest beside the coffee table. He put his weight on the walking cane as he moved. Every step was agonising. He still hadn’t fully recovered but he couldn’t care less. “I think this is the one, Hae Kyung ah! There have been multiple unusual sightings of a huge dog,”

 

She remained quiet. She was too overwhelmed to move or even say anything in response. Her eyes widened and if it stayed that way any longer it felt as if they were going to fall out. The situation was all too crazy to her. Seeing her father this excited, this worked up about something was truly a sight she has never seen in ages. The glint in his eyes made him look like he finally had feelings. It was stark contrast to his dead ones. She admit werewolves are hard to find. They blend well with humans. She had done some research herself. It was impossible to find their coven. Werewolves, they travel around often. It is hard to spot them at the same area for a few months. But it seems her father had found out otherwise.

 

Her old man was truly a madman. Taemin was right. He is a psychopath. She was in denial even though she knew her father was strict and determined on killing those monsters. She felt a chill go down her spine. Seeing her old man forcing himself to walk was enough to prove Taemin’s statement. Her father had shattered the bone in his right leg, from the ankle all the way to the knee. His left leg, on the other hand, was sprained. He was a great hunter back in the day. But he can’t seem accept that his body is too worn down to claim that title anymore. With old age, comes many health problems that her father chooses to ignore. Her old man was too stubborn.

 

The doctor said it’ll take at least a few months for his legs to heal fully. But that doesn’t mean he should go running around and moving about again. His legs are not going to feel the same again. What do you expect from an injury by a vampire. That bloodsucker had crushed his legs as if it was nothing. At least, he didn’t need to go avenge himself. She had already done it for him. She shoved a wooden stake right through it’s heart and watched it turn to a pile of rotting flesh. She even ripped off it’s head and burned the body to ashes for good measure. It was a pain in the to track down a supernatural being. She did it anyway to shut her father up. He was seething with rage. She had to do something to calm him down. That was when she presented him with the ashes of the vampire in a tin can she found lying around on street. Taemin called her crazy. Well, she told him to shut up.

 

She watched her father unlock the chest with the key he wore around his neck. In there was all the evidence, newspaper articles, addresses, everything to prove that they had to drop everything and move. He picked one particular parcel. “This for you and Taemin. Take this first,” he tossed the parcel towards her. It went up in a graceful arc and landed perfectly into her hands. “Did he mention what time he was coming?” She asked as she fiddled with the parcel. It’s not too big and not too small. Looking at the box and the yellowing tape used to secure it, he had kept this box for a few months now. Just how long has he been keeping this to himself?

 

“He should be here any moment now,”

 

 

---

 

 

The duo took refuge inside Hae Kyung’s room. She paced back and forth. On the other hand, Taemin was lying on her bed, looking at the contents in the parcel. This is the first time they had to move for a job. Usually only Taemin and herself had to stay in a dodgy hotel for a few weeks. On rare occasions, they would prepare fake passports and IDs to travel out of the country. Her father disapproves of them going overseas since they were still teenagers. But it was only twice a year, so it was fine.

 

“Why do you think you have to move?” He suddenly questioned as she walked in front of the window.

 

It overlooked the tiny village they lived in. Her house was situated on top of a hill. You could see everything from there; The sea. The colourful rooftops of the other neighbouring houses. The village centre. The small and adorable supermarket that opened 24 hours. The kids playing at the field. This had been the village she had grown up in. All her memories of her mother had been ingrained in this village which she had grown to love overtime. This was even where she had first met Taemin. If she had a choice she wouldn’t want to move. Heck, even the idea of dropping and leaving everything behind was crazy. Knowing her father, if they did move, she wouldn’t get the chance to visit their quaint little house anymore.

 

“I think there’s actually a few reasons why he would want to move. C’mon the old man’s injured and vulnerable. Wouldn’t you think his enemies would use this perfect opportunity to kill him. I hate to say this myself but if we want to survive we have to keep moving,” She said as she turned back to face him so that she wouldn’t have to look out the window anymore.

 

“Hey...Don’t be sad. I’m coming along too.” Taemin said, trying to lift her spirits. She was unknowingly pouting. Whenever she felt down, her lips will automatically form a pout. “It’s crazy how he’s already enrolled us into the school. I mean just look at our school ID cards,” Taemin continued when she threw a pillow at his face. There was glint of a bewilderment in his eyes as he emptied the contents of the parcel. In it, there was everything they needed to start a new life in a small town up north.

 

“Why are you so excited to move?” She moved closer, jumping on the bed. She took her rightful spot on the bed as the owner. She laid sprawled beside him. The contents of the parcel were in between them, separating the two. “I thought you liked your house.”

 

“You idiot. Would you like to live in a tiny empty room all by yourself? You’re basically alone and lonely. If someone or something were to come after me and kill me, no one would know. Do you know why? Because there’s no one there. The stench of my rotting body would be the only indication that I even lived there in the first place.” Taemin ranted, smacking the back of her head as a punishment for asking such a  dumb question. The girl knows that even though he enjoys his privacy, he hated the feeling of being lonely. “Now that I’m moving in with you guys, I don’t have to cook for myself anymore. You’ll do that.” He said.

 

“Aww. You think I can actually cook. I’m honoured.” She put her hand on her chest, acting as if she was touched by his words. Sarcasm was reeking from her.

 

“No...don’t lie. I know you can.” He looked over, only to find the girl shaking her head. “Noo...How can you not know how to cook?” He whined, absolutely devastated by the news. “I know how to cook okay? Just simple dishes and that’s it. The question of whether it tastes good or not depends on my mood.” She said as she rolled over to face him.

 

“You know what? We should start packing soon. The movers are going to come in a week and then that’s when our road trip will begin,” She grabbed the schedule her father had prepared. Everything from moving out and settling in had already been planned. To her surprise, her father had already done majority of the packing when Taemin and herself were away about four days ago. The only thing left to pack was the essentials that were in the living room and kitchen. That was her father. He always prepared, maybe even a little too prepared.

 

“Actually I think I’m all good to go.” He said as he stretched his arm outwards, placing it at the back of his head. His arms formed a weird upside triangle. His arrogant demeanor had irked her.

 

“What?” She did a double take as the words escaped his mouth. “I haven’t unpacked from our last trip,” He replied simply.

“You’re disgusting.”