I’ve never seen anyone eat that well before. Chaerin never stopped from the moment the first order of sirloin touched the table. The sizzle of raw meat on the grill just ignited her hunger. My hand waved down a waitress and I smiled politely at her, “Can me and my friend get another round of Kobe beef?”

She smiled and nodded, “Anything for a Kwon, sir.” She walked off and Chaerin wiped her lip with her thumb, raising a brow at me.

“How does she know you?”

“Kwons have been here forever. We’re a big help to the community ever since our wealth and popularity increased.” I picked up my water glass and drank some, “We’ve settled rivalries and debts and we arrange acts of service.”

She scoffed, plucking more beef of the grill, “Impressive, Jiyong.”

“Hey, I’m older than you; shouldn’t you be calling me ‘Oppa’?”

Chaerin smiled and stuck the piece on her chopsticks in , mumbling, “I’ll call you that when pigs fly.”

“We’re Vampires,” I whispered, “anything is possible.” The waitress brought back a plate of Kobe beef and smiled at me. “Thank you, ma’am.”

The young woman leaned on the table, smiling a little too sweetly for my taste and extended her legs a little. I eyed her and drank more water as she spoke, “Is there anything else I can do for you, sir?”

I pursed my lips together and looked at Chaerin. She placed a slice of meat on the grill and spoke up, noticing my glance, “That’s it for now, thank you.” The waitress bit her inner cheek noticeably and nodded before she stepped away. “You’re way too popular.” Chaerin said, dunking the beef into her side dishes and eating with a smile, “Oh my god this is so good.”

“I can’t really help it, Chaerin.” I sighed and grabbed a piece, “Ooh. This is good.” I awed. She giggled and drank water, only to go back to the meat, “Your cravings are so insane.” I told her as she scarfed down another two pieces wrapped in lettuce.

“I’ve been asleep for one hundred years, of course my cravings and is gonna be all weird.” She said, waving her arms and pushing me back. I laughed and she stole a piece from my plate.

I gasped, “Yah! That’s mine.”

“Sorry. Cook more for me please? I’m tired.” She wiggled her arms like a child, whining and talking in an immature voice.

“Fine, fine. Relax, we have all day.” I assured. She brought her knees up in the booth and hugged them over her chest, smiling at me. I placed some on her plate and she ate some, swallowing hard and she sighed loudly. “Good?” She nodded and gave me thumbs up. Then she frowned and turned her head away, “What’s wrong?”

“Your ing friends! Like I said-you’re too popular!” She hissed and pointed. I looked back and cussed under my breath. Seunghyun and his brothers. Not good-Zelo is such a gossip. Chaerin waved down a waiter, “Check please.” She said and he nodded, walking away. Chaerin kept her head down and sighed, “Jiyong…who are the other three? The one with blue hair I know is Seunghyun.”

I whispered, “They’re the four Choi Brothers. Dongwook, he’s the eldest Choi brother, the one with floppy dark hair, the nicest. Siwon is next, with spiky black-but he’s also the most temperamental. And the youngest, Zelo, is the tallest by a little-he’s also a mischievous one and a giant gossip.”

“Oh. You’re friends with just the right people aren’t you?” She said sarcastically, resting her head in her arms on the table.

“Hey, I’m closer to Seunghyun. His brothers just come in the package sometimes.” I grabbed the check and nodded, “Let’s get going.” I kept my back facing the Choi brothers and ushered Chaerin under my arm towards the cashier. I grabbed out a bunch of bills and threw it down, “Keep the change.” I smiled and we got out of there, luckily none of them noticed us. I hoped.

I let Chaerin read some of my books on the shelf in my room. But she told me that she was too lazy to move somewhere else, so she laid beside me and we read. Sometimes, she’d laugh out loud and cover and I’d just smile because I know what part she’s at. Or she’d scoot closer to me and say that her arms are tired, but it’s a horror novel she’s reading and she could be scared. Well, she went back to that pair of sweats I first loaned her and took off the sunglasses, but she refuses to take off my hoodie. “It’s comfy.” She told me.

We stayed in my room for hours, reading until she set the book she had in her hands down and groaned, “My head hurts Jiyong!”

I looked back at her and smirked, “That’s how normal people focus.”

“Shut up.” She pushed me off the bed, but I fell, in a fit of giggles. She peeked her head to look at me and sighed, “It’s night-time. Can we go out to my home now?”

“Uh, I guess so.” I pushed myself off the floor and she walked past me, burying her hands into the hoodie pocket, “You’re gonna have to give that back sometime.”

“Just not now, please.” She said and skipped out. I followed her and grabbed the Rolls Royce keys from the countertop. Chaerin left first and waited outside the car while I came out. I unlocked the doors and she climbed into the passenger seat, huffing as she buckled her seatbelt. I started the engine and backed out the driveway, deciding to take another way to the Lees’ household, “There’s another way.” She said.

“I know… But the other way is visible to my friend’s house. They could see me and start to get suspicious.” I said and drove quickly. “How long will we be in there?”

“Not long, Minji is already there I think. She told me she goes inside at night on weekdays.” Chaerin replied, looking at the neighborhoods. We went onto the main road and she sighed, “Seoul never sleeps…”

I shook my head, “No, it doesn’t.” Her eyes longed to go to the lights. I could tell as she leaned beside the window, staring wide-eyed at every building we passed. She’s never seen things like this, I assumed. I stared back at the road and continued on. My mouth itched at the sight of people running across the streets freely but I ignored it.

The Lee house was on the edge of Seoul, a magic barrier around it so no one could intrude or have questions. Lee followers inner circle learned the way to enter, but I guess that Minji and her friends changed the passwords and prayers ever since their beloved rulers disappeared. Chaerin finally spoke up, “Have you been to it?”

“No. But I’ve seen it in pictures. Beautiful work.”

“Has it changed? Do you know?”

I bit my lip, “I don’t think it’s changed…”

We pulled up to I was sure the Lee entrance was. “Do you have a phone?” I tossed it to her, “I’m calling Minji.”

“You know her number already?”

“Well, the girl is my best friend, that was one of the first things she told me.” Chaerin called her and held my phone to her ear, “Minji…I’m here. Let me in-and tell me what you changed it to.” She hung up and gave me my phone back. Minji opened the portal and ushered us in, “What’d you change the password to?”

“Oh, it’s-“ She looked at me and stopped herself.

Chaerin hit her arm a little, “It’s ok. Jiyong can know the password.”

“You sure?”

I raised a finger, “I know that we’re not close, but really?”

Minji sighed and stepped up to the border, waving her right palm in front of it. Straight across, going down rapidly before stopping about two inches from its original spot. She closed her eyes and whispered two words: “Pride. Family.” And pushed the hand through, her arm sticking outside the barrier. “There. Although, a bit of a problem. Only those barring the cat’s eye can enter.”

“Cat’s eye? That will be a problem if I wish to enter, Chaerin.” I said to her and she nodded.

“No matter. I assume that each time I’ll be with you.” She said.

“And if not?”

She smirked at me, “Then start following me.” She and Minji went forward and I smirked behind their backs, following them. Chaerin opened the door and whispered, “Is there anyone else in here?”

“No. I told the others I’d do all the work tonight.” Minji reassured with a kind smile. Chaerin walked inside and sighed, “Doesn’t it look the same?”

She nodded, wordless. The Lee house was really huge, and the inside was so beautiful. Marble everywhere, beautiful colors everywhere. Gold, white, precious black. I’ve never been inside, but I just wanted to run and giggle like a spoiled brat. The Lees were simple in their color pallets, and they were certainly Original personalities. Chaerin sighed, “Jiyong, would you like a tour?”

Minji raised a brow, “Unnie, is that necessary?”

This girl. Chaerin slipped her arm into mine and smiled, “This good man is taking care of me. I’ve been in his home, he should be treated well in mine.” Her eyes went amber and stayed that way, “Shall we?”

I curled my mouth in a ghost of a smile and nodded, “It’d be my pleasure, Chaerin.”

“Minji. You may leave.” Chaerin said suddenly and pulled me along, “I got it from here.” She walked me around the house, describing things like each square foot mattered. The living room, Chaerin and Seungri apparently used to jump on that warm brown couch when they were young and eat while playing games and making fun of each other. The kitchen, where her mother and father had made amazing meals and Seungri once threw flour on her and Minji.

The staircase was slippery. Chaerin said it was always like that, and would roll down the steps as a kid, but that resulted in bruises and strong skin. Her parents’ room was large and everything was soft. She almost cried talking about her parents. But when we reached Seungri’s room, her eyes darkened in their amber color. She sat on his bed and touched his desk, looking around, “It’s all so untouched.” She whispered.

She sat there for a little, looking at scattered papers and drawn walls. “He wrote on his walls?”

“Yeah… A lot. About his thoughts and his dreams.” She replied and stood, “Would you like to see my room?”

I chuckled, “Oh please.” She took my arm again and I felt something run through me as she smiled. Across the long hallway, she pushed down double doors. Her walls were plain white, her floors made of wood that still glistened, her bed was as large as her parents’ and I couldn’t help but jump on it. I pointed to the closet in front of me, “You got anything cute?”

She smiled and pulled a suitcase from under her bed, “Maybe.” She went to pack and sighed, “Hmm… Jiyong can we go shopping some time?”

“Sure. We can go tomorrow if you want.” I said, trying to remember if I had anything important going on, “After I’m done with school.”

She laughed and looked over her shoulder at me, “You go to school?”

“I have to.” I said, “Mom and Dad make me, or else some people would look at me oddly.” I tilted my head to peek in her wardrobe as she stuffed some more of her clothes into her bag.

Chaerin sighed, “I’d get bored.”

“Do you know how to drive?”

“Yes. And how is that relevant?”

I shrugged and looked at her, “Tomorrow, you can drive one of my cars and we can go out to lunch together. Does that sound good?”

She smiled brightly and nodded, her face turning pink, “Yeah, I’d like that.” I stood and went to her shelf on the other side of the room, “Oh. My books. I never got around to all of them, so I think I’ll pack some too.” She grabbed a few and pushed them in her bag. I took some more and bit my lip. “I think I’m done here. Let’s get going.” We hurried down the steps but suddenly, she stopped.

“Chaerin?”

“Sh… Do you hear that?” She whispered. I closed my eyes and focused with my ears, straining myself.

A car door opened, closed. Another opened and closed. A few people were talking and they closed in, probably stopping at the barrier. We looked out the window and we saw Seunghyun, Youngbae, Bom and Dara. Seunghyun raised his phone to his ear and my phone vibrated in my pocket. Chaerin nudged me as I picked up, “Hey Hyung. What’s up?”

“So. Ji, you coming by later? Or is that thing keeping you up?” He didn’t notice the extra Rolls Royce in the driveway so I shrugged.

“Um, yeah. I’m caught up. Sorry. I’ll go home with you guys though.” Chaerin nodded at me and I continued, “After school tomorrow. Ok?” He mumbled an agreement and hung up. “He just called to cancel.”

“Sh. I’m gonna try and listen to them.”

“Same.” I leaned closer to the window and closed my eyes, hearing Seunghyun reply in an oddly relieved voice:

“Ok, so Ji cancelled. What are we doing here Bommie?”

Bom crunched across the grass and sighed, “Something about this place is different. Teddy gave me a call saying that the Kwon King and Queen were in Pusan. So…they’ve been odd, huh?”

Youngbae mumbled, “I guess. But, what does that have to do with the Original Lees?”

“Too much to tell you for now, Bae.” Dara insisted, “But trust us… We need to get inside.”

Chaerin stepped back and tapped my arm, “There’s an underground passage way. Come on.”

“Well, we can’t leave with them right outside!” I hissed, “They’re trying to come in! What are we gonna do?!”

“They can’t-!”

I waved my arms and groaned, “That doesn’t matter! They’ll stay out there for as long as it takes…” She paced behind me and I replied, “We can just stay here for the night. Right?”

Chaerin nodded and pointed upstairs, “You can sleep in Seungri’s room. I’ll be just right down the hall.” We trotted back up the stairs and went into the respective rooms. “How long will they be out there?”

I sighed, “Not after eight AM, I know. Seunghyun and Youngbae hate to be late for school.” God. I can’t sleep in jeans. I sat down and pulled them off, closing the door and calling out, “We just have to get to school by nine.”

She called back, “Ok!”

A/N: Almost went to Hell for a second...lol, I was in bed when I suddenly remembered that I had to update. XP Silly me...hope you guys enjoy though, and thank you for all of the love and support~

-TAIwin