“I don’t think she slept much last night either.”

Mino looked up from his seat in the kitchen and eyed the individual who spoke. Jinwoo stared back at him. 

Following Jeeun’s confrontation from a few days ago, their optimistic outlook that Haneul would only slowly get better was starting to fade. In fact, she has only gotten increasingly worse. 

She doesn’t eat.

She never leaves the bedroom. 

Thankfully, the door is off its hinge since the latest fight and she couldn’t lock herself inside but she would have if it were possible. 

She didn’t want to see Mino – the simple thought brought a sigh leaving his lips. It would go as far as her screaming until he was out of sight and the others whole-heartedly obliged. They also agreed that distance would be the best medicine during this point in time. 

“If you would let me see her – “

“You know exactly why we can’t let you do that.” Seungyoon was quick to interrupt him. 

“We agreed it was best for you to keep your distance.” Taehyun added to remind him when he knew Mino was utterly aware of the agreement and the rationality behind it. 

“I also think she has nightmares at night.” Jinwoo speaks again.

“Jinwoo, you saying that would only make Mino rebel.” Seungyoon reasons.

That wasn’t new to Mino though. He had witnessed it when he was able to sneak into the bedroom once she was fast asleep and while the others weren’t paying close attention. The moments were minimal but the feat was still doable.

“I know but I really want her to be comforted.”

“And I can do just that.” Mino tries standing on his feet but Big Seunghyun instinctively and wordlessly blocks his path.

“You’re the one that will make it worse.” Jiyong points out. 

“Seungyoon.” Mr. Yang calls out, successfully earning everyone’s attention simultaneously. “Why don’t you try to overwrite it again?” 

That’s right.

This wouldn’t be the first time in the past few days but right now, it could be their only hope. 

“I’ll go with you, Seungyoon.” Bom willingly volunteers. “You all coddle her too much that’s why she’s so weak.”

And in response, they couldn’t argue. 

Walking towards Seungyoon, Bom pulls him up to his feet. The act forces him to make up his mind. Once the two make their way upstairs, Mino decides he just couldn’t sit around any longer.

“Where are you going?” Jiyong asked upon seeing him getting up from his seat.

“I’m stepping out for a bit.”

***

“Why are we doing this?” Junhoe asked upon dropping the last box onto the desk. He looked around to see the others setting the rest of the delivery down.

“Haneul asked us to prepare it.” Hanbin simply responds. They received a text almost a week ago – the first one in a while from Haneul and he wanted to help.

Opening one of the cardboard boxes, Jiwon took a peek. “Is she decorating?” But if so, he wouldn’t have chosen hawthorns. The scent was neither nice nor did they look exceptionally pretty. 

“Did she ever explain why she wanted these?” Junhoe focuses back on the topic at hand.

Hanbin shakes his head. “I didn’t bother asking.”

“Then, why did you agree?” Junhoe continued.

“Do you want to be the one that says no to her?” Chanwoo replied. “You do remember her friend, don’t you?” He wasn’t the only one still shaken by their meeting, right?

Hearing his words, the rest shuddered upon the memory.

“Do we have to see him again?” Bobby grimaced at the possibility. 

Nervously, Junhoe lets out a chuckle. “This can’t be real. We must have all saw wrong.”

“Were we out of our minds then?” Donghyuk softly sighs as he answers. There was no denying the events of that day. 

Not feeling comforted, Junhoe points at Donghyuk. “You couldn’t go along with it?”

“Did I come at a bad time?”

Everyone immediately freezes in their spots and looks toward the opened doorway. Warily, they clear their throats and step backwards at the sight of the new guest.

“Aren’t you going to invite me in?”

“Hold it – “ Junhoe throws his arm in the air to stop anyone from speaking. “Let’s think this through – “

“Gotcha.” Mino steps inside the office and knocks him on his head. “I was in here the last time.” 

Junhoe touches the spot that Mino contacted while staring after the vampire strolling into the office. His attention already taken by the various boxes. Peeking inside, Mino finally understood why he couldn’t sense what they were. 

Hawthorns.

He had come here with suspicions that Haneul was somehow up to something and now that he is here, he can confirm Haneul is up to something.

This would explain why he saw her phone lighting up like crazy during the nights when he was watching over her. Messages that always came from this group of kids. 

While the others were too afraid to say anything else, they shot looks in Hanbin’s direction – if anyone were to come for their leader, it would be Hanbin that they would sacrifice. 

“Is Haneul in trouble?”

His question wasn’t one Mino expected. In actuality, he was surprised they had sensed anything was up at all.

“What would you do if she were?”

“Well, we would help her in any way that we can.” Hanbin was quick to answer. She was a part of them, a part of their club – a friend.

“There must have been trouble then?” Yunhyeong wonders aloud.

“It’s been a rough couple of days.” Mino says before taking his seat in one of the chairs.

“She seemed different.” Yunhyeong comments before explaining it a little more. “When we were messaging.”

“Have a seat and don’t ask questions – just listen.”

Without any objections, everyone grabs a seat to offer Mino their attention. If this is what he wanted from them then they will whole-heartedly give into it. They didn’t exactly have the courage to do otherwise.

“There is a woman who has the power to control people once they take her blood. She managed to do that to Haneul and gave her orders – “

“Is this the same vampire that you and Haneul were worried about last time?”

“This is still an issue?”

“What orders – “ 

Mino looks in Bobby, Junhoe, and Jinhwan’s directions and the boys are quick to zip his lips. 

“Same vampire. Still an issue. And, we know the first two but there is one more that we can’t figure out.” Leaning back, Mino silently offers them permission to voice their curiosity. 

Raising his hand, Hanbin prepares to ask his question. “If this bad woman has a power, do you not have one as well?” 

“I can erase memories of the orders but Haneul will continue to carry out the orders until she succeeds whether she remembers receiving them in the first place.” Since he is the catalyst and still exists. “My friend is still unable to overwrite the commands as well.”

“What are the orders that you know so far?” Bobby finally gets to voice his question. 

“Haneul must hate me and my touch brings her physical pain.”

“Just you?” Yunhyeong asks and receiving a nod from Mino, he voices his suspicions. “You must be close to her then.” 

“What makes you think that?” Mino asks, wondering how the boy came to that conclusion. 

“Well, the orders are focused on distancing you and Haneul…the third order should be something similar.” He concludes. 

“I see.” Mino doubted this v