Chanyeol let go of your wrists and looked away, sliding his fangs back in and his eyes returning to their mundane color.

You sat on your seat, terrified and speechless.

Chanyeol broke the impending silence and looked you in the eye. “Sunmi, just…um, r-relax, hm?”

You put your hands over your mouth, tears welling up in your eyes. You felt your heart beat rapidly inside your chest, something Chanyeol had become really uncomfortable with.

He could hear your bounding pulse and your speeding heart rate, loud and clear. He could almost imagine the swishing sound your blood made as it flowed through your veins. He could smell your fear, your blood. You were so inviting. All he wanted to do at that moment was lean in closer to you and sink his fangs down on your neck and gulp the blood that would gush out of the punctures he made.

It was full moon, after all. It was the night when most vampires were barely able to control their carnivorous instincts; or worse, went rogue. They could not suppress their thirst for blood.

Instead, you started crying. Chanyeol badly wanted to comfort you but you reeked of fear. “I SAID, STOP CRYING!”

Your body went as rigid as a statue the moment you heard his thundering voice. You stopped crying and looked at him, wide-eyed. You heard the car window on your side crack and were sure that the car just swayed as if a medium magnitude earthquake hit the earth.

Chanyeol angrily ran his hands through his hair, his eyes flashing red once more. Then, slowly and gently, until his eyes returned into a hazy shade of brown, he told you, “Sunmi, I need you to calm down. Do not fear me, hm? I know this night’s been terrible for you, but I can’t have your fear intoxicating me like this or I would lose myself and bite you…and hurt you. I don’t want that to happen. Please.”

You nodded obediently. Happy thoughts. Think of happy thoughts, Sunmi.

You took deep breaths in and out.

When Chanyeol heard the beating of your heart return to its normal rate, he heaved a sigh of relief. Your fear was dissipating, too. It was being replaced by glee. I wonder what she’s thinking about.

“Thank you,” Chanyeol murmured.

Your head hung low, you said in a very soft voice, “I’m so sorry, Chanyeol. I didn’t know.”

A sympathetic smile spread across his handsome face. “I’m sorry, too, for not telling you.”

It’s not like something you could tell me or anyone else that easily. You’re a…vampire. You wanted to tell him your thoughts but you chose to be a little bit tactful.

“Come on,” Chanyeol said, pulling the gear back up and pressing on the gas. “We’ll ride well and I’ll take you somewhere really nice. You look awful when you’re stressed.”

You smiled at that and punched him playfully on the arm. “Just because you’re a vampire doesn’t mean you have all the girls swooning over you.”

Chanyeol grinned and winked at you. “You have no idea, cousin.”

You and Chanyeol had entered a ramen house somewhere downtown. You had not been expecting he would be taking you there, but the entire place felt cozy and warm. Perfect for a midnight getaway in a cold September night. You were surprised that the restaurant was bustling with so much activity and had lots of customers coming in and out, as if everything was as functional as it was in broad daylight.

Chanyeol slid into a booth in the corner of the room just beside the glass where you could see the lights from other stores and the people passing by. It was a comfortable spot.

“This is my favourite eating place,” Chanyeol said as he motioned for you to sit across from him.

“Is this near your school?” you asked curiously, your eyes wandering from the traditional Chinese landscape paintings hung on the wall to the waiters that walked in and out of the kitchen after taking your seat on the plump cushion.

“Walking distance,” Chanyeol answered. “You’re curious, aren’t you? This store is actually owned by a Chinese vampire. And the customers at night are usually vampires, too.”

You flinched. Chanyeol laughed at you. “Just kidding.”

You glared at him. “It wasn’t a good joke.”

A male waiter approached the two of you and asked for your order. Chanyeol spoke, “My usual order. Two of that please.”

“Usual order?” You raised an eyebrow at him.

“Um, spicy beef ramen? I thought you liked it, too.” Chanyeol said the last sentence uncertainly. It had been three years since the last time you’d seen each other.

“Ah! Yeah, yeah, I do. Don’t worry.”

You found yourself staring hard at Chanyeol’s eyes. Somehow, you were mesmerized at how the color of his eyes shifted from red to brown and vice versa—if you looked really closely. Chanyeol knew what you were feeling. He felt flattered about it but decided to break your reverie.

“You missed me too much? You’re looking at me as if you’re swooning over me,” Chanyeol teased.

This time, you reached out your hand to slap him on the chest. But that only made him laugh. Your arm was short and you were too tired to even slap a guy properly on the che