[Sera]

“She’s not in, again.”

I sighed, feet reluctantly shuffling away from the front door of a certain girl’s house. They stopped, and I wheeled around. My eyes darted up to her room’s window, and they stared hard, hoping for some movement, for some light to be switched on within the household, for some form of miracle that my best friend is inside.

But, like the other days I’ve visited, the window remained still and unlit.

And Kim Jieun non-existent.

“Sweetheart... Penny for your thoughts?” A pair of arms circled around my waist as I ascended the stairs that leads to my floor.

“Yes please, I’d like a penny.” I replied sarcastically, a mocking grin on my face as I gave him a sideward glance.

“Always teasing me.” The boy stuck out his tongue. “Look, even though Jieun isn’t around, you still have the rest of us boys, and of course, me.”

“Tch, someone’s pretty affectionate this morning.” I pretended to cringe and earned myself a light pinch on the cheeks. “I’m kidding, Yixing-oppa! Sheesh.” To make up for my cheekiness, I leaned in and pecked his lips.

Just then, a voice I never thought I’d ever hear again (okay, I exaggerate) rang out in the stairwell.

“Ewwwww, I need to wash my eyes!”

I snapped my head to the direction of the playful voice, and relief flooded me instantly as my eyes registered the identity of the owner. But as fast as the relief came, it subsided just as quickly. I pried Yixing-oppa’s arms off my body and stomped up the remaining steps, a deep scowl on my face. My fists were clenched and the smile on her face soon dropped when I backed her into a corner.

My fists slammed onto the wall, on either sides of her head. I controlled myself, willing my mind to keep my vampiric strength in check as the frustration and fury accumulated within the past week spread throughout my body. Scorching tears welled in my eyes, and I could feel my lips trembling as my eyes roamed her face, searching for any form of injury or sign that could have justified her sudden absence.

"You’re s-scaring me here…” Her fingers appeared in my blurred vision and I instinctively snapped in annoyance, “Don’t touch me!”

Regret washed over me immediately, and I was about to stammer out my apology when the anxious expression on her face vanished, and a subtle darkness replaced it.

“Fine, so be it.”

Her spine-chilling cold tone caught me off guard, as the flame of rage within me blew out, and confusion seeped in. I watched in puzzlement as she brushed my arm aside with a sneer, an expression I’ve never seen on her.

"J-J-Jieun?" I turned to follow her, but a swift movement that I noticed from the corners of my eyes attracted my attention and I found Yixing-oppa gone from the stairs; he must have headed to his classroom. Alone, I dashed after the girl and almost got my hand slammed by the sliding door that closed harshly on me.

“Jieun…” I settled down next to her, eyes pleading for eye contact as she pointedly avoided them. “I’m s-sorry… I– I acted out of reflex… Please forgive me…”

My begging tone must have somehow melted her steel heart and she sighed, the corners of her lips twitching.

“It’s not you that should apologise.” She finally glanced up at me, a look of apology forming on her face. “I should be the one saying sorry. I’m sorry for disappearing so suddenly.”

I gazed at her, eyes prompting for her to continue with her reason but a cloud of gloom descended upon her.

"I'm sorry that I didn't contact you at all during the week I was gone... I had some sudden family matters to attend to and they required my dad and I to head out of town and while I was there, I’ve been busy everyday.” Her eyes begged for me to believe her and I hurriedly nodded my head. She relaxed, and her arms pulled me in for a hug.

“Thanks, Sera.”

I froze, as I heard her call my name for the first time in over a week. The hairs on my neck stood, the goosebumps on my arms appeared, and a cruel thought flashed across my mind in that moment. A strange and unknown feeling crept stealthily within me, filling parts of me with doubt and shockingly, fear.

Fear? Why… would I feel that way?

I mentally shook my head, dismissing the outrageous feeling and banishing the thought from my mind.  

It’s because I haven't seen her for a week, that’s why I’m feeling this ‘far away’ from her. Yeah, that’s the reason.

We parted, a bright smile on her face, an uneasy one on mine. I settled back onto my chair just as the class representative came over. She greeted Jieun and asked about her reason of absence.

The girl ignored her.

I stared at my best friend, bewildered. The class representative frowned, but she tried once more. The girl didn’t even bat an eyelid at her question.

“The is wrong with her, Oh Sera!” She glared at the top of Jieun’s head, and stomped back to her seat. I kept my eyes on my best friend as she continued to write on her notebook, eyes never leaving the page.

Something’s wrong. Something must have happened.

I was about to open my mouth to ask about it when the teacher entered the classroom and I bit on my lower lip, annoyed at his untimely entrance. Yet, throughout the lesson I kept sneaking glances at her, realising through her minute movements that something indeed was wrong with my best friend.

The way she sat, her legs now wide open instead of clamped tightly; her bag now placed on the floor as opposed to draping it off the back of her chair; and the way she writes, her fingers holding it differently from the past. She even ignored the strands of hair that would always flop over her eyes, for she would always blow them back up immediately, or tuck them behind her ears.

The girl did nothing.

The morning’s lessons progressed, and the lunch bell soon rang overhead. I kept my things as svelte fingers appeared on the edge of my table and she called out my name. The same unfamiliar feeling washed over me as her hands gripped onto my forearm, pulling me out of my seat and towards the canteen.

All the while, as I stared at her back, the cruel thought from before surfaced in my head and there was nothing I could do but to let it raise alarms for each time my name rolled off her tongue, the simmering fear in me grew.

And I let it, because Oh Sera was seriously scared, and the thought in my mind continued to scream.

Who is she? Who is she? Who is she?

Who is this girl in front of you?  

"Jieun ah, you know... If there's anything that is bothering you, I am always here, ready to listen."

"Uh huh..." She was scrolling on her phone screen, an unusual act that she had never once done du