Daeni was young, a teenager, with red blushing skin, freckled. The curly hair was greasy, creating a sense of geek

together with the glasses sitting on top of his nose. He was probably eighteen by the most, far from adulthood. But there

was an unexplainable wisdom in him, in his eyes, in the way he move and speak.

“I just thought you should know because I am sure Taeyeon will not be that easy to tell you the story,” he said after telling

Jessica the name of Taeyeon’s previous Host. He poured himself a glass of tea before refilling Jessica’s half empty one.

“I’m Daeni, by the way. Me and Taeyeon-noona go a way back,” he said with his hand held out for Jessica to shake.

“Jung….”

“Jessica,” Daeni smiled. “Nice to meet you.”

Jessica looked down to the photograph glued to the page of the book, “I’ve seen her. In my dreams and probably…

somewhere. I can’t really remember, but I know her. I’ve seen her face.

“Of course. She’s here… in Seoul.”

“But I thought…,” Jessica paused. “She’s not?”

Daeni shook his head.

“Does Taeyeon know about this?”

“Of course not. We don’t know what would happen if she meet Tiffany again.”

“Taeyeon won’t ever mention her by the name. So I just assumed.”

“When you have all your memories erased, lost everything including your own true self, and forced to start a new life,

wouldn’t it be the same as being dead?”

**

Sunny followed Byunghyun along the corridor to the isolation chamber in the hospital with Secretary Gaeil leading them.

Hyoyeon walked closely behind her in silence. They were heading to a room where the survivor of last night’s attack in the

hospital. It was a nurse who had worked a night shift named Jung Yeseung. She was young, had less than a year on the

job, yet had been given so many tasks because the hospital was short-staffed.

When they reached the room, Sunny found Yeseung was sleeping on a bed, sedated. The girl was expressionless but

there were traces of tears on her face and her nurse uniform was still moist by last night’s sweat.

Gaeil opened the door for Sunny, letting her in. Hyoyeon entered after Sunny and closed the door, leaving the men to

wait outside.

“You sure about this?” she asked Sunny.

“I’m not,” Sunny shrugged.

“I’ll be here if you need me,” Hyoyeon moved a little to the far edge of the bed while Sunny took position right next to the

sleeping Yeseung.

Sunny couldn’t help but to shiver when she imagined what the girl had witnessed. She must have been so scared to be so

traumatized she had to be sedated to just fall asleep. And now she was about to peek into her memory.

**

From the corner of her eyes, Jessica looked at Taeyeon and Mura who were tending to the garden, quite far from them to

not hear the conversation. Daeni was having his second glass of tea and offered Jessica for another refill but she

refused, she wanted the boy to go on with the story.

“Her memories were taken away?” asked Jessica.

“Yes. It’s safe to say, I think, that you have met a Host with a very unique ability. Memory manipulation.”

“Sunny? Taeyeon’s friend?”

“Yes,” Daeni nodded. “Back in April, Taeyeon and Sunny and Hyoyeon and of course, Tiffany, and the rest of the group

assisted the police in apprehending a Helminthia and a Host who had committed murder and robbery.  They were strong,

cunning and clever. Instead of facing the Helminthias, they went after the Hosts. Those with no offensive powers.

Sunny got out of the fight okay but Tiffany was injured. Badly injured,” Daeni took a short pause. “She was bleeding to

death that night and Taeyeon couldn’t watch her like that. So she decided to take Tiffany out of this life, out of her life.”

“She asked Sunny to take Tiffany’s memories away?”

“Everything. The memories of her childhood, the fact that she was a Host with the ability to see ghosts, the memories of

her family. Even the memory of Taeyeon. And then Sunny gave her a new memory, a false one. And Taeyeon broke the

connection.”

 Jessica unconsciously tightened the grip of her hand on the glass she was cupping.

“Taeyeon let go of her only source of life to free Tiffany from the danger of being a Host.”

**

There was fear, the ultimate horror, in Sunny’s heart as she watched a man stood in front of him. He was wet all over,

ragged. His eyes were dark and so were his popping veins. With such pride, the man raised his chin, smiling and soon

turned into a laugh as people around him fell down. Screams were heard all around her but she couldn’t take her eyes off

the man. 

He walked closer and Sunny could saw the black eyes even clearer. While everyone in the ER dropped down in pain, the

man had his eyes locked to Sunny, smiling eerily. Sunny trembled in fear. She knew that the man had such an incredible

power, so massive that it hurt everyone around him, including her.

Then the man turned to the exit, leaving. Sunny watched him walked among the fallen victims of the power of his mind.

Then the fear inside of her peaked up, boiled her blood and she let out a loud scream.

“Sunny!” Hyoyeon hugged her from behind, pulling Sunny back into reality as her touch on the sleeping nurse’s skin

broke off.

Sunny was panting hard, trembling all over in Hyoyeon’s embrace.

“Hey, hey,” Hyoyeon calmed her down. “You’re back. You’re okay.”

Sunny looked inside the familiar eyes of Hyoyeon in tears.

“I’m here,” said Hyoyeon.

The terrified girl forced a smile but then she broke into tears, pressing her face against Hyoyeon’s chest. The latter girl

looked outside the room where Byunghyun and Gaeil were waiting. The two men nodded in unison, gesturing a sense of

gratitude.

“Thank you,” Byunghyun mouthed from behind the glass but Hyoyeon averted her eyes.

Gaeil looked at the man next to him. “She’s angry.”

Byunghyun sighed. “Wouldn’t you be? Look at Sunny.”

Gaeil couldn’t say anything because he didn’t know what to describe what he was seeing. Sunny was like a little kid,

sobbing in her mother’s arms. It must have been a very awful memory she had gone into.

**

“Hey,” Taeyeon came back running to Jessica. “You’ve met Daeni.”

“Yes,” Jessica smiled.

Daeni stood up when Mura walked to the table. “How’s school?”

“Same old, same old.”

Jessica caught a glimpse of relaxed expression on Mura’s face when she was looking at Daeni, as if she was content, at

ease when she was with the boy. “Good,” Mura said. “Let’s head down and have something to eat.”

“Sure,” Taeyeon grabbed Jessica’s hand and the latter girl blushed in an instant. “You’re hungry, right? Mura is a great

cook.”

“Ye – yes. Yes,” Jessica smiled a little wider.

Mura and Daeni walked into the building, leading Jessica and Taeyeon. The oldest girl pressed the elevator button and

when they were waiting for it to come, Jessica said, “Before, when you said you were expecting me…. You knew we were

coming? Did Taeyeon….”

Mura turned around at Jessica with a smile. “Daeni told me.”

The young boy rubbed the back of his head. “My skill as a Host is that I can see the future… sometimes.”

Jessica’s eyes widened in an instant, “You’re a Host?!”

“My Host,” Mura said and she took Daeni’s hand into hers.

**

Sunny had her head hung down, looking at the ice chip Hyoyeon brought her. They were now sitting in the cafeteria.

Byunghyun was with them while Gaeil was on the phone with Yoohee.

“It was a man,” said Sunny. “A Helminthia, I think, because… everyone keeps falling down around him, even though he

didn’t… he didn’t do anything. But I know it was him. He was the one killing everyone… with his mind.”

Hyoyeon could tell how Sunny was still quite shaken up but the girl had determination all over her face so she couldn’t tell

her not to retell the memory.

“Did you see a Host with him?” asked Byunghyun.

“No. He was alone.”

“Was it the same Helminthia you saw in Park Shinhye’s memory? The one with the fire ability?”

“No,” Sunny shook her head. “That one is a girl. But the one who did this is a man, black eyes… black blood…. A

monster….”

Hyoyeon looked at Byunghyun with a confused look and the man returned it just the same.

“First a perfectly good Helminthia went berserk and wanted to drown the city. A fire ability Helminthia that’s killing Hosts.

And now… a monster Helminthia?” Hyoyeon said.

Byunghyun shrugged. “All my life… I’ve never experienced finding so many Helminthias all at once.”

**

Taeyeon was right, Jessica thought, Mura was an absolutely great cook. She only made a pot of red bean soup with

mashed potatoes but the taste was out of the world. Jessica refilled her plate three times and not until her stomach

couldn’t take it anymore that she had to stop stopped eating. Mura and Daeni was a perfect pair as a host; hospitable,

kind and had so many things to talk about.

They were laughing for a long time and if Taeyeon hadn’t remind Jessica of the time, Jessica would still be lost in the

conversation. After spending so long in the apartment, Jessica and Taeyeon excused themselves. When they got out, the

sky had turned orange.

On the bus ride home, Jessica was smiling all along. It was a great day right to the moment they reached Jessica’s

apartment.

“It was fun,” she said, looking at Taeyeon’s pale face behind the bright sunset.

“Sorry. I know I promised you a great date but that was the only thing I could think of. But I’m glad you had fun.”

Jessica shrugged. “I was expecting a movie and popcorn but you did more so it passed the bar, I think.”

“Great,” Taeyeon said, pulling back a little. “Well, you get some rest. I should go home.”

“Yeah,” Jessica moved her hand on reflex and brushed Taeyeon’s arm. “Be careful.”

It was a pleasant gesture so Taeyeon smiled. “Bye.”

Taeyeon walked away from Jessica as the latter girl inserted the key into the door but then she stopped and called

Taeyeon’s name. “Taeyeon.”

“Yes?” Taeyeon turned around.

“I hope it’s okay with you but Daeni told me everything about… Tiffany.”

Taeyeon curled her lips, thinking. “Well, you’ll know sooner or later, I guess.”

“It’s… very brave of you.”

“Thanks,” Taeyeon smiled.

“But…,” Jessica stopped.

 Taeyeon waited.

“Don’t do it to me,” said Jessica. “Now that I am your Host, I’m not planning to leave you and I will see it through. I’ll stay

with you until….”

Taeyeon smiled. “Stop.”

Jessica bit her lower lip when Taeyeon looked down to her feet. “Don’t say things that would make me….”

“You’re still in love with her, aren’t you?” Jessica said without waiting for Taeyeon to finish her sentence. “You are afraid

that you’ll like me and forget your feeling towards Tiffany.”

Taeyeon didn’t answer the question. She said something else instead, “I’m with you now.”

Jessica had to settle with that answer because Taeyeon waved goodbye at her and turned around, leaving the apartment

building.

**

Seohyun came back home at six and found a note in the fridge that her mother had gone for a grocery run. She took a

quick shower and had a light dinner before running up to her room to do study.

As the sun went down, turning her room all dark, she had to take a break. After a long stretch, she walked to the light

switch near the door. When she turned the light on, she shrieked in horror. A man was standing next to the window,

looking at her. It was the man she met at the park, the one who choked her and kissed her. The difference was his eyes.

He had black eyes, so dark and empty.

Seohyun grabbed the door and tried to open it but it was shut tight.

“Relax,” said the man.

Seohyun pressed her back on the door. “What do you want?”

The man walked closer. The terrified girl pressed her body against the door harder. “I need to make sure of something.

“Get away!” Seohyun grabbed a book from the shelf next to her and threw it at the man. The book flew away into a

different direction and then she felt something held her body against the door by the shoulders. “No. No!”

An invisible force choked her, cutting the air and she couldn’t do anything except blink in desperation. The man was now

standing so close to her.

“Just… relax,” he said as he moved his face closer to Seohyun’s face. “Hmph.”

Tears started to roll down Seohyun’s cheeks when the man sniffed her like a dog.

“You’re not my Host…,” he said, reeling back. “I don’t feel a connection.”

 The force on Seohyun’s throat disappeared and she coughed so hard when air rushed into her lungs. “What do you

want?!”

“Now? Nothing,” the man smiled. “You’re not my Host so I don’t think I will need you… ever. I’m Hostless. I’m free.”

“What are you talking about?! What are you doing to me?!” Seohyun cried. “Let me go!”

“Seohyun?! Dear, are you okay?!” the sound of her mother coming home from the first floor was heard.

“Mom!” Seohyun cried out. “Mom!”

The man grinned. “Is that your mother?”

“Seohyun?!” Seohyun’s mom banged on the door. “Open it! Open the door!”

“Help me!” Seohyun yelled.

“Tell your mom I said thank you. Her daughter was my savior,” the man said and he let Seohyun go. The girl dropped on

the ground, crying.

The door swung open and the worried mother came inside. Finding her daughter crying on the floor, she hugged her

immediately. “What’s going on? Are you okay?”

Seohyun was hysterical, clawing at her mother’s hand. “There was a man…. A man….”

Her mom took a look around the room but found no one. “There’s no one here, Honey….”

“I’m scared…,” Seohyun sobbed.

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