CHAPTER TWENTY: The Bestfriend

Cheondung has it going on for days…and now, he can’t hold it much any longer. His hands were on his chest, it ache so much, it hurt to breathe.

He had been doing his routinely visit on his club then coming home. Just like what Sang Hyun has told him, the other humans did not affect him as much but...the growing hunger that is at the pit of his stomach at first was now escalating to a dangerous level that he knew it will only be a matter of time until he go to her…

He was on his room, where everything was returned to normal. The furniture that was broken was replace with new ones, the light was already replace but it did not matter to him anymore because he had already grown a liking to the darkness, thus his room has remained dark…and the light that was replace was never been opened.

He was getting ready to his usual nightly visit on his bar which he learnt that his ever-reliable manager has managed to run just fine without him on his first vampire week. Nobody on his employees has suspected the change in him. All he did tell them is that he had an emergency thing that needed to fixed, or that’s what he say to Joon, his club’s manager.

“Another night…” he whispered to himself as he wear his wristwatch. He was wearing a polo shirt, a blue jeans and a simple sneakers  and was about to leave his room when his cellphone on his pocket ring on vibrate mode. With his superb hearing nowadays, he wants to keep everything around him in a less sound as much as possible, thus going to his club is somewhat only a duty now than an enjoyment, pretty opposite when he is still human, when he likes all the noise. But now, all he had was silence and the pain of hunger.

He get his phone and put it on his ear, “Hello---“ before he could talked any further, the person on the other line said in frantic tone, “Dongie?..Dongie! You have to help her! I don’t know what to do anymore…You have to come here. Immediately!” then the line went off.

Cheon dung stood frozen. He knew that voice and he doesn’t need to check the caller id to identify her. He gripped the phone in his hands until he didn’t realize that he broke the phone.

“Sh*t!,” he exclaimed and just throw the phone on his bed before leaving the room, running, in a matter of seconds, he was out of their house and into his car.

Aunt Seoyo’s voice sound so desperate.

His grip on the wheel tightens but he remains to keep his self in check as he speed up the car out of their mansion.

Ji Eun’s in danger…and it could only be because of me.

Once he arrived at Ji Eun’s house, the maid quickly let him enter. The mansion was not as big as theirs but it cannot be overlook that his bestfriend has come from a wealthy family as well. Not to mention that their house was only a few street away from each other.

Cheondung was running up to the staircase where Ji Eun’s room is. He didn’t even bother to say his greeting to the people in the living room since he knew by their smell that their not Ji Eun or Aunt Seoyo.

When he gets near at Ji Eun’s room, he saw Aunt Seoyo just outside the room. She was knocking on the door.

“Ji Eun? Ji Eun? You’ve been there for almost a week. Will you open the door now? If you have a problem, we can talk about it…”

“Aunt Seoyo…” he whispered.

Aunt Seoyo turned to him and he immediately saw the sorrow in her eyes. She had been crying.

She grasped his arms, “Cheondung, I’m sorry to call you at such state earlier. But I don’t know what to do anymore,” she turned to stare at the close door of Ji Eun’s bedroom, “When she had returned from your home, she did not talk about anything and just went to her room. The next day, she was still acting normal so I thought she must have been just tired. But then, the next day and the next…she started to stay on her room and if its meal times the maid just delivered her food on her room. When I knocked on her door, she answered so I thought that she want time alone. But…today, she didn’t answer any of my inquiries, I’m afraid that something must have happened inside….I am afraid that….” She did not finish her words though Cheondung already know what is on her mind. Her grasped on his arms tighten in desperation, “Can you tell her to come out? She wouldn’t listen to me. I also asked Eunhyuk, but she didn’t answer to her as well. You’re my last resort. If she still won’t come out, I’ll have to barge in inside.”

Cheondung’s jaw tightens upon hearing Aunt Seoyo’s word. He was only meter away from Ji Eun and though the door was close he knew just by the sweet scent that Aunt Seoyo’s worst nightmare is not happening. She’s still alive. I can smell the sweet aroma coming from her room.

Then he heard footsteps behind him, it was one of the man that was from the living room.

Eunhyuk?!

“Aunt Seoyo, have he tried already? Did she come out?” Eunhyuk’s voice was anxious.

Aunt Seoyo turned to Eunhyuk and shakes her head. “He just arrived. I have only told him what happened.”

Cheondung’s back was facing Eunhyuk so he didn’t know what kind of face Ji Eun’s boyfriend was giving to him. Since they’ve met, they are always been civil to each other, but he knew the man did not like his closeness to Ji Eun and was only tolerating his presence due Ji Eun’s request.

He clenched his right fist, suppressing his urged to punched the man who was supposed to be taking care of Ji Eun, instead he kindly smile to Aunt Seoyo, “I’ll knocked and ask Ji Eun if she’s alright…”

Aunt Seoyo nodded at him and let him passed in front of the wooden door.

He drew a deep breath first before he raises his right knuckles to knock, “Ji Eun…” he wasn’t able to continue because he already heard a weak answer from the other side of the door.

“Cheondung…is--is that you?”

His pulsed quicken and for a moment his eyes turned amethyst. His face almost turned white just by hearing her weak voice. He closed his eyes and when he opens it again it was on its natural color.

“Why did you stop, Cheondung? Is something wrong?” Aunt Seoyo questioned him.

He looked at her, his lips formed into a crescent moon a little, “I think I just heard Ji Eun speak.”

“Did you? I haven’t heard her voice…” she turned to Eunhyuk, “Did you hear her too?”

Eunhyuk shake his head, “No, I haven’t heard her voice, Aunt Seoyo” as he looked at Cheondung with knotted eyebrow.

Cheondung sighed but nodded. He knew what to do. They must not have heard her because her voice is weak. She must have only whispered but due to my enhance hearing I was able to hear her. “Ji Eun, your mother is worried if you’re okay there. If you can’t speak, could you make some noise perhaps just to assure your mother”

“She can’t speak? How come she can’t speak?” he heard Aunt Seoyo said beside him.

They heard a knocked from the other side of the door. Aunt Seoyo and Eunhyuk quickly smiled a little but still their face is filled with concern.

He turned to Aunt Seoyo, “Aunt, will it be alright if I enter first? Can I borrow the key to her room?”

Aunt Seoyo was frozen momentarily at his request but slowly nodded and gives him the keys.

“I’ll check on her first. I am sure she did not want you to worry for her like this. Something must have happen.”

“If something happen, it just right that Aunt should be the one to check on her first and not you”, Eunhyuk said in bitter words.

“I just thought that if Ji Eun only answered when I’m here she would want something from me”, he reasoned out though he knew what could be the reason to Ji Eun’s reluctance to answer to her mother and boyfriend at the moment.

Aunt Seoyo seems to understand because she patted his shoulder. “I know my daughter. She must have been going through something that sh