"Boss, we found out that the Korean gang is affiliated with some weird vampires," one henchman said to a Yakuza boss.

"Sou ka (Is that so)?" the boss asked, pondering as he toyed with his fluffy mustache.

The boss beckoned his henchman to come and whispered something. The henchman nodded, bowed, and went away in an instant. The Yakuza sneered like the corrupt buccaneer.

****

Meanwhile, Shin Hye was walking home with a cup of strawberry yogurt in hand. Her thoughts were really that deep when she remembered what Yong Hwa asked of her. Will she still defend them, though vampires that they are, just like the way she did with the other students?

"Geureom," she thought. "Geu sonyeon....yeojeonhi nae haksaengiya (those boys...still are my students)."

She remembered her conversation with Geun Suk. The summer had ended, and he and G.na were in Europe for their honeymoon. The boys, meanwhile, were starting to look for a place to stay, but Harabeoji had them sojourn at his house for the meantime, or until they graduate high school.

Suddenly, it occured to her consciousness that something came up. What if Yong Hwa was not joking? She suddenly felt anxious that she grabbed her phone and dialed his number.

"Yeoboseyo?" she heard him answer on the other line.

"Jeo~~~ gwaenchanha?" she asked.

"Eo. Wae?" he asked.

"Geunyang.... uhm, just be careful," she said.

"Tsh," he smirked over the other line. "You worry too much about me, Noona."

"Yong Hwa...." she whispered, her chest still banging hard. "Eodi isseo (Where are you)?"

"I'm here at the park...."

But his voice was suddenly cut when Shin Hye heard him groan.

"Yong Hwa!" she screamed over to her phone.

"Hehehe, you and your vampire cousins.... you don't know that we know what's gonna kill you?" a voice asked over the phone.

"Ughhhh...."

"Yong.... Yong!" Shin Hye whispered over the phone while dropping her cup of yogurt.

She darted from the street and almost got hit by a guy on a motorcycle. She bowed in apology before running to the park.

****

Yong Hwa and his cousins were under the giant acacia tree at the park. All the guys were nursing their guts, for the thugs punched them real hard. They could have dodged the hit, but were unable to. The Yakuza boss came in with a smirk.

"You think you are all that powerul, eh?" the man asked in Korean. "Even Superman has a weakness. The Kryptonite."

The boss grabbed a roll of tobacco leaves from his trench coat, and placed on onto his lips. A henchman lit up the lighter and gave his boss some fire. The man inhaled the smoke before exhaling some, and Yong Hwa and his cousins got dizzy.

"Tobacco is the vampire's Kryptonite," the Yakuza said. "Unlike the others who die of salt, crosses, and onions."

One henchman cleared his throat and whispered to the boss.

"It's garlic, boss."

"Ah, sou ka?"

"Sou desu, sou desu...."

The man turned back to the boys and cleared his throat.

"Oh, not onions. I mean garlic," the Yakuza said in embarrassment.

But he soon let go of his shameful feeling as he laughed all he could and kicked each worn-out guys. Jung Shin was thinking of Nana as he coughed out blood. Min Hyuk remembered his Yeon Seo-noona and the nights that they had as he cringed in pain. Jong Hyun felt the bitterness of his uncle's marriage to G.na, his fading love for Victoria (whom he tried so hard to forget still), and his growing love for Hitomi as the kicks burst his lips. Yong Hwa hungered for air and struggled to hold the man's ankle as he remembered Shin Hye and her smile. He remembered his request to her, and thought if she could come to the rescue. So, was that the reason why she called him in the first place?

The Yakuza got excited at the painful expressions the boys have.

"Soon, I will get hold of your rich Uncle, and have his young bride as my geisha," the Yakuza laughed.

"How dare you!" Yong Hwa shouted.

The man kicked him again, and Yong Hwa groaned in pain. All of a sudden, the other henchmen groaned and flew from all over. The boss looked around to see his men unconscious, with a short lady standing by. She had a really angry expression on her face.

"You hurt my students!" she hissed.

The Yakuza stepped forward to slap her, but Shin Hye was faster. She kicked him on the face, and the boss retaliated by grabbing a pen which was a knife in disguise. He and Shin Hye fought in a combat for what seems like half an hour, while the boys watched on, their lives wearing out. Finally, Shin Hye got the upper hand and punched him by the gut. When the man lay down unconscious, Shin Hye ran to her students and assisted them in sitting up. Their faces were so battered that her motherly heart ached for them.

"Oh, my poor babies," she cried.

Tears fell as she hugged and kissed each one of them. Min Hyuk, Jung Shin, and Jong Hyun wrapped their arms around her in an embrace, and gave her to Yong Hwa afterwards.

"Ssaem!" a funny voice came up. It was Jom Bi.

He brought Park-byeon (Shi Hoo) along, and some members from the gang too. The other guys did not know about the weakness of the vampires, but Shi Hoo offered to legally represent them just in case.

"Gwaenchanhayo, Oppa," Shin Hye said to her cousin.

Shi Hoo and the rest of the gang members brought the Yakuza to the headquarters, while Jom Bi and some of the henchmen assisted Shin Hye in bringing the wounded boys to the house.

****

Hitomi and Shin Hye tended to the wounds of the boys when Jom Bi came in and announced dinner. The six of them left the guys' room to grab something to eat. Harabeoji became worried for the boys because the boys got into a trouble which they should not have any knowledge of to begin with.

****

Jong Hyun and the rest of the guys stayed in Hitomi's room because Yong Hwa wanted to be alone to think. When everyone else was asleep, Shin Hye went to the room, but found it shut tight. The room from inside was dark, but she knew he was inside. Shin Hye grabbed her phone and dialed his number. Yong Hwa, from the inside, grabbed his phone to answer.

"Yong?"

"Please...don't look at me tonight."

"W...wae?"

"Just please..." he begged in a hoarse whisper.

"I just want to see you.... to comfort you... to touch your face... to hug you... to kiss you...."

"Mianhae, Noona," he whispered back. "I don't want things to get hard for you."

"Yong..."

"And I'm sorry for even requesting it from you."

"Ani... Yong... listen.. even if you do not ask me, I will do it still. Even if it is just Min Hyuk or you... I will fight for you."

"Just... just look at me tomorrow, Noona, when my face is bright," he requested her before hanging up.

"Yong..." Shin Hye protested.

She leaned on the door to sob. Was he trying to push her away? From inside, Yong Hwa heard her sob, and felt his heart being crushed.

"Mianhae, Noona," he thought as tears fell down his eyes. "I don't want you to see the weak me. I want you to see the strong me... And I am getting weaker everyday."

He wiped his face.

"It's not the scent of tobacco that renders me weak. It's the thought that I will be graduating high school, and might not see you everyday," he thougt. "Sorry to push you away, Noona. I don't want you to see this weak side of me..."

~~~~