•••¤ Chapter 8 ¤•••

Another new Sight

She was a few inches shorter, with pale white skin, giant black eyes, petite body shape which was covered by a cheap black coat, a red faded scarf and a pair of black boots. Her long black straight hair has front to side bangs styled with a rose hair clippers.

“Seriously woman,” Robert said. “Could you wear something better in front of our guest?”

“You are such a critic,” I remarked calmly. “Because I look stunningly attractive in anything I wear.”

He rolled his eyes. “This is Cho Dae Rin, your new assignment.”

Robert introduced her to everyone. Dae Rin was like an angel – polite and shy. These two personalities remained me of meeting Gabriel in the past. Her parents abandoned her at the orphanage because they claimed her as a curse child. Not even a single parent would like to adopt her due to her gift.

“I would have adopted you as my daughter,” I said. I always fond of children.

The four Koreans stared at each other. Then, I realized that I spoke my sentence in Spanish. When I was about to translate, Robert’s word amused me.

“Her previous work place is far from the Headquarter. So the Covenant let her stay in here.”

“She can work as a Cinderella in the Headquarter,” I said. “I will be her nice step-sister.”

Robert rolled his eyes. “More terrifying than the original step-sister.”

“I can find a job here,” Dae Rin said shyly. “You do not have to worry about me. As for letting me live here, thank you so much, for taking me in.”

Upon her coming in the Headquarter, Robert threw up a small welcoming party for everyone. My sleeping attire had to go, changing them into a white hooded jacket which hood have bear ears popped out, a pair of red checked plaid jeans and a pair of white high top sneakers. Everyone was congratulating L for his success in compulsion when I went back to their party.

My outfit transformation caught Robert’s attention. “Nice hood. It reminds me of polar bears.”

“This jacket is from Gabriel,” I said bluntly where L and Robert immediately choked, “Through Caius as my belated birthday gift.”

Robert bit his lip. “Damn, he knows what to give you. I have a hard time choosing your birthday gift. One time I ever thought giving you y lingerie but that will give you the wrong idea.”

I snorted. “Indeed a bad idea. We don’t have to celebrate birthday annually. Maybe just for every hundred years.”

L frowned. “Every hundred years?”

“We have all the eternity, L. It sounds ridiculous saying ‘Happy five hundred and one birthday’” I said while glancing at Robert. “If you ask me, Jensen is approximately five hundred years old.”

Robert made a counter attack face. I knew he was sensitive about his age. However, the topic he chose, truly boiled my blood. He smirked. “I heard that you are going out with someone?”

“Hangout,” I corrected Robert, smiled to myself and then turned my head to Eunji. “You promised not to tell him.”

Eunji scowled. “I did not tell him who. When the front door was locked, I thought you were going out with him or something.”

“A boy, hmm.” Robert smiled his devil smile while looking at L. “Mind sharing your hangout detail with me.”

An incoming message prevented me from replying. It was from Lu Han, sending a short message of an address. That would be our next meeting point. I ran to my room, retrieving his coat and a pink red knitted scarf after I excused myself for leaving the party early.

The address led me to a department store which was packed inside. I made a stop near a hair accessory shop where there was less customer to reread his message. EXO is a highly demand idol group – meaning extremely busy. Maybe Lu Han mistyped the address. I wondered how he would spare some of his time to hangout.

Someone’s hand covered my mouth and another hand on my shoulder – slowly pulling me away from being seen. My reflex kicked up, I elbowed my kidnapper.

“Ouch,” Lu Han’s indignant voice echoed behind me.

He let go of me. Immediately, I turned to look at him. “Oh! Lu Han-sshi. Gosh, if you are kidnapper, I am willing to follow you.”

He winced. “I believe who ever try, might end up hospitalize.”

“Sorry. Why a department store? You know that your fans are tracking your every movement.”

“She learned,” he chuckled. “As for my fans, you have nothing to worry about. Let’s go.”

Lu Han used his coat over his blue hooded sweater. Hot packs probably warm him before I arrived. He pulled me inside a doll store. Shelves of variety type of cartoon characters and animals. I have a huge teddy bear in the Headquarter. Buying another one would be a total betrayal.

“So where are you from?” he asked.

Surprised by his question, I accidentally tore down two dolls apart. Oops! He went to apologize to the shopkeeper and returned back to me. “Shanghai. Then I moved to London when I lost my mother.”

He looked surprise with my answer. “Are you Chinese?”

“Half Chinese. My father was a British,” I said honestly. Asking me personal questions, feel like I am on an interview session now with someone cute, I thought. He flushed bright pink again. Oh wait, Lu Han is from Beijing. Of course, he was interested with someone from his homeland.

He hugged a brown bear from a special shelf while looking at me. “How long did you study Korean language? You speak so fluently,” he asked before he smiled.

I gasped. Oh my god, I feel like hugging him with the bear, I thought. He suddenly dropped the bear. Better drop it than ripping them apart. I probably freaked him out with my tearing skill. “I studied for five months before I have been assigned in Korea approximately three months ago.”

His whole face went pink. Is it hot in here? He choked, “Five months?” He saw me nodding. He hugged the brown bear again. “It took me years. People say, to speed up the learning process, you have to find a lover. Do you have one?”

I blinked. How could I find another when the previous one is still chasing me? I want to say. Instead I said “No, my work prevents me.”

He narrowed his eyes. “What work do you do?”

Dear god that was a million dollar question. I have to lie every time if a human ask me that. “Now, it is my turn to ask. Are you going to buy that brown bear? I think it is limited edition.”

The brown bear suddenly vanished from his grips. A teenage girl took it from Lu Han. He chased her until they reached to the counter. Sounded like he was betting with the girl.

“300,000 WON?!” Lu Han jaw dropped. “But you are just a teenager?”

The girl stuck out her tongue. “I waited five months for this bear. I will bet you in any price.”

I approached Lu Han. “The girl sound like an assassin. You lose the bet?”

His face was down. Damn, I hate to see a sad cute boy. “It’s not I don’t have money, but it’s just too expensive for me. Can we just go?” He whispered to me with a sad expression. Oh no, heart failure to a cute boy here. I squeezed my eyes to close and exhaled deeply. Lu Han lips turned into thin lines, and then blushed. He was waiting for an answer.

“500,000 Won for the brown bear,” I spoke out while gesturing her with my fingers all stretched out showing out the number five, and then crossed my arm.

The girl opened widely. “You are lying. You do not have that kind of money.”

“Watch me.” I pulled out my platinum visa card from my wallet and handed it to the shopkeeper.

When my brother died, all my family inheritance and business was given to me. Occasionally, I employed many sorcerers to run my business. My largest contribution was to fund the Covenant.

The girl ran out crying. Lu Han eyes were widened when I gave him the bear. That brown bear looked cute with him than her. I took my visa card back and walked out from the store. A strange incoming phone call rang out. I frowned. It was not from my phone but I do have many missed calls. I looked at Lu Han who was then looking at me.

“Lu Han-sshi, I think your phone is ringing.” I said, pointing at his coat pocket.

He blinked before he answered his phone, too low to overhear. His expression was worried. Something bad must have happened. When his phone call ended, he went back to me. “Sorry Su Jeong-sshi. It’s something urgent that I have to go. See you again. Bye.” He ran toward the exit, pausing only to glance back at me while walking backward as he went. “And oh yeah, thanks for the bear!”. He literally pushed everyone in his way. It was really fun hanging out with him. I was looking forward to our next meeting.

The Headquarter was quiet when I got back at night. It seemed the party was long over. Hope that no one minded me leaving the party. I spotted L who was lying down on the sofa, flipping through my spell book.

“I thought you returned back to your world tour?”

He sat up and placed the book gently on the table. “The werewolf pack was under attack just now. The Covenant sends Robert to investigate immediately. Robert said he will send us back tomorrow.”

“Under attack?” If it was Gabriel, what interest him in the werewolf pack? Werewolves are mutual enemy of vampire. I never encountered a werewolf in my whole life. Other sorcerer said werewolf under The Covenant is different than the rogue werewolf pack.

“Su Jeong-sshi,” L called, waving his hand. “Come back to reality.”

That was my first time he called my real name. Not Noona like Sung Yeol did. The way he said it, made my heart feel heavy. Maybe I was guilty for setting him up. He would not be talking with me if he hate me for that. “Sorry. Werewolf issues occupying my head. Why are you not asleep yet? I thought celebrity treasures their sleeping time.”

 “Said by someone who has a sleeping trouble,” he muttered.

Gees, I felt like I was talking with another Robert. I sat at the corner of the sofa, opening my sneakers. “Be careful L, you might lose your good looking face.”

“It will heal anyway. Return back to its glory.”

 I rolled my eyes. “Do you need something from the spell book? You were flipping through it just now.”

“Can you make some teleportation charm for me?” he asked. His tone sounded like he was pleading.

Portal charms are way better than teleportation charms, I thought. “Here I am, thinking you might want magic mirror to ask ‘Mirror mirror on the wall, who is the most handsome of them all?’”

Unexpectedly, he burst out in laughter. His laughing face gave a pain shot in my heart. Ouch! What is wrong with me? Maybe I should avoid from him before he will give me a heart attack.

“Even better,” he said.

Instead of replying, I checked my phone which has many unread e-mail in the inbox. Most of it I received from Robert. We usually e-mail among ourselves about testing spells. It seemed there was no e-mail regarding about the werewolf attack. The latest email caught my attention. It was an attached photo from Lu Han. I clicked it to view. He was posing with the brown bear while hugging it from behind. Kyahh, this is so cute!  I set it as my phone background wallpaper, his face with my finger. Gah, so cute.

My screaming thought was snapped by L who was waving his hand again. “Hey, how do I switch on the television? There is no remote around here.”

I snapped my finger once, switching the unplugged TV on. Lucky me that L did not ask any further question. The TV was airing a Korean drama which I have never seen the actor and actress. Despite my little knowledge in Korean drama, I enjoyed watching the drama until the end. Maybe I should watch some of the Korean dramas. Another pile of homework for me.

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