[CONTENTID1]Pink Rose[/CONTENTID1]

[CONTENTID2]Chapter Eleven[/CONTENTID2]

[CONTENTID3]

Yoonhee sat in the shade of a tree with a spell book on her lap and her legs folded beneath her. The summer sun was unforgiving, so she preferred to spend time here, where it wasn’t as hot. She had been practicing a new spell, one that would allow her to grow plants within the span of seconds. It required her to focus and since she needed large amounts of magic to accomplish it, she soon felt drained.

A green glow manifested in the palm of her hand. She concentrated on it, willing it to grow and take on a specific shape. A small stem appeared out of thin air. She watched with bated breath as it became longer and gained vibrant green leaves. A pretty camellia opened up its blossom, its silky and layered petals looking as soft as she had imagined it.

She smiled as she gazed at her new creation. It was the first time she had successfully used this complex spell, and she was proud of herself. Maybe if she practiced a little every day, this would soon become second nature to her. It would be a big step for her as a green witch.

She placed the flower on the grass and closed her spell book, leaning her back against the tree. Yoonhee had grown tired and decided to take a little nap in the garden. Since she sat in a secluded part, shielded by hedges and flowers, she doubted anyone would bother her. The only other person in the garden was Kyungsoo, and he was busy tending to his roses. Closing her eyes, she let herself fall into a light sleep, the noises around her fading into the background.

When noon rolled around, footsteps neared her, but she didn’t notice the approaching vampire. Baekhyun came to stand in front of her and gazed at her with a mischievous smile on his lips. Yoonhee looked peaceful, surrounded by blooming flowers and little butterflies. He had been searching for her, but not for long since his soulmate’s delightful scent was easy to locate. It always stood out to him.

Because it was lunchtime, he wondered if she was hungry. He had learned much about her and her eating habits in the past week. Baekhyun had never gone grocery shopping before he met her, but now it had become normal to him. And on top of that, Minseok loved using this opportunity to try out all kinds of recipes since he now had a housemate who needed to eat actual food.

Baekhyun was relieved she felt comfortable enough to fall asleep in the garden. After the incident with Sehun, he had been scared she would fall back into old habits and hide in her room, but that had not been the case.

He crouched in front of her, touching her cheek with his fingers. “Wake up, little flower,” he murmured. “It’s time for lunch.”

She blinked, scrunching her nose. “Huh?” she mumbled. The familiar face of her soulmate came into focus as her eyes adjusted to the bright sunlight. “Baekhyun?”

“Did you sleep well?” he asked amusedly.

“It was comfortable,” she answered, cocking her head when she realized he was making fun of her. Was it strange to take a nap in the garden? Maybe to a vampire, it was. “I’ve mastered a new spell, look!” She picked up the stem with the camellia and proudly held it under his nose.

“Did you make this?” he asked, fascination sparking in his blue eyes. It was a delicate little plant, undoubtedly forged by her very own magic.

“Yes,” she replied. “I practiced for a long time and now it finally worked!” She overflowed with joy—so much that he couldn’t hold back a smile of his own.

“That’s amazing, buttercup. Is this why you were tired?”

She nodded. “It happens when I use a lot of magic. I get sleepy.”

“Then you should eat a tasty lunch now,” he decided, lending her a hand to help her up. She took her spell book and followed him through the garden.

They entered the house through the front door, encountering Minseok and Chanyeol who were about to leave.

“Wait, are you going to use the kitchen?” Minseok asked, throwing Baekhyun a warning glare. “Don’t ruin anything, do you understand, Baekhyun?”

“Why are you looking at me, huh?!”

“Because you’re a lousy cook?” Chanyeol teased.

“I’m not!” Baekhyun grumbled, ignoring Yoonhee’s cheerful laugh.

“Tell yourself that,” Minseok grinned. “Anyway, we have to go. See you later!”

“Bye,” Yoonhee called after them before they were out the door. Baekhyun cursed under his breath and walked on towards the kitchen. She followed him, smiling to herself. His friends loved teasing him—it was endearing to witness.

Since Yoonhee and Baekhyun worked together, lunch was prepared in no time. They set the table and tried the Samgyeopsal they made, Yoonhee noticing how hungry she had been when its delicious smell reached her nose.

“One day, I would like to introduce you to my parents, if that is okay,” Baekhyun mentioned nonchalantly.  

“Your… parents?” Yoonhee felt odd about this—she had never thought much about his family, probably because she herself didn’t have one anymore.

“They are currently visiting friends in Kuala Lumpur. I’ve talked to them on the phone and told them I found my soulmate. When they return from their travels, they want to meet you.”

She bit her lip and gazed at her plate, wondering what his parents were like. “Do you think they will accept me?” she wondered.

His eyebrows drew together as he frowned at her. “Why wouldn’t they?”

“Because I’m not a vampire.”

“They don’t care about that,” he assured her. “Not at all. On the contrary, they were relieved to hear I finally found you. There have been some… issues in the past which they were worried about.” A shadow flickered over his face. His eyes turned bloodred for a moment until he sighed and shook off the bad memories.

“Issues?”

“I don’t want to talk about this right now. It’s all in the past,” he said repellently. His tone wasn’t nonchalant anymore. She noticed an edge in it that had not been there before, and she realized that she shouldn’t pursue the topic. Still, she wondered what it was about. Baekhyun had lived for over two centuries—he must have experienced many things throughout this time, and she questioned what part she played in it.

“What are your parents like?” she asked to change the topic and he more than readily complied.

“They own a law firm but like to stay away from the public eye because they can’t afford to draw attention to themselves. Since they don’t age, humans would become suspicious… They are not part of a clan and live on their own,” he explained.

“Isn’t that rare?”

He tilted his head. “Not really. Clans can be convenient, but they can also be restricting because you have to abide by the leader’s rules. Not all vampires like that.”

“I didn’t know about that. Does our clan have rules too?”

“Yes, but most of them are meant for us vampires. For example, not turning or killing humans when drinking their blood, and making sure our true identity is not discovered. The latter is something you are already careful about.”

“You don’t kill humans,” she repeated.

“Why would we? There is no reason to,” Baekhyun answered, clicking his tongue. “But not all vampires share this sentiment. Some clans ruthlessly kill whenever they are thirsty. Another reason why you don’t necessarily want to join a clan. My parents are the living proof it works without one.”

Yoonhee put her chin on her hand and watched him thoughtfully. She had a hard time imagining his parents, but since vampires didn’t age after reaching adulthood, they likely didn’t look any older than Baekhyun.

“I wonder what my parents would say,” she murmured, “if they met you.”

“They did not like vampires,” Baekhyun guessed and earned a nod.

“But they did like the concept of soulmates, so that makes me wonder whether they would have been happy for me. I haven’t visited their grave in a long time,” she said guiltily. She had been busy with her shop until recently, and Sooyoung had kept her on her toes as well. “Maybe I should do it soon.”

“Why don’t we do it today? I will accompany you.”

“Do you really want to?” she asked unsurely, not finding any sign of discomfort in his calm expression.

“Of course. I’m sure it would make you feel better,” he replied. “You seemed sad when you mentioned them, Yoonhee.”

They left the house right after lunch, taking Baekhyun’s car. The drive lasted for roughly an hour until they reached the town where Yoonhee had grown up. Everything was as she remembered, save for a few shops that had been reopened or closed during her absence. She decided to wear a face mask in case anyone might recognize her. Chances were slim, but she could never be careful enough. She could not draw any attention to herself. Visiting this place was a risk in itself.

They followed the busy main street and Yoonhee let her gaze wander. The familiarity of her surroundings evoked pain in her heart. She had left all this behind years ago but retained so many memories that were tied to this town. The restaurant at the next street corner had been her family’s favorite. They had eaten dinner there often.

And only one street after, she spotted the building that housed her former high school. She held in a sigh, remembering her old friends. After the murder of her parents, she had been forced to end all contact with them. She didn’t want to leave any ties that her parents’ murderer could use to find her. It had been a harsh and painful cut, but it was for the best.

Yoonhee hadn’t said a single word since they had reached this town, and neither had Baekhyun. He threw glances at her from the corner of his eye, realizing that she was lost in her thoughts. He followed the instructions of the GPS and drove the car to a large green area—the town’s graveyard. After he found a parking lot, he turned off the engine. None of them moved for a few seconds.

“This is it,” she eventually whispered. Her hand was shaky when she opened the car door. She felt like she was moving in slow motion and by the time she got out, Baekhyun was already waiting for her. He reached his hand out to her and she held on to it, interlacing their fingers. His hand was slightly colder than hers, but it didn’t bother her. Their connection gave her strength—she liked the pl