“Unnies! She’s over here!” Umji alerted the rest of group in the bleak of night.

Eunha was the first one to arrive at the tree where Umji stood. Appalled at Yerin’s condition, she immediately had to look away. Gathering up the courage, Eunha bent down to examine Yerin who laid lifelessly, blood pooling around her torso and soaking into the clutter of fallen leaves. SinB, Yuju, and Sowon jogged as quickly as possible to the spot. But, the youngest out of the three lost all strength in her legs as she stared at the bloody mess that was her girlfriend.

SinB dropped down to her knees opposite of Eunha, covering and shivering to no end. She wanted to stay strong, but looking at Yerin’s decrepit body caused her eyes to erupt in painful tears.

“Is she dead?” Sowon spoke with trepidation, holding tightly onto Yuju’s hand. Yuju stood behind the taller friend, unsure if she could handle the gruesome sight.

“In the technical sense, yes. But, in the literal sense, no,” Eunha explained, carefully observing the wooden stake that was still lodged in her best friend. “This stake needs to be extracted quickly. Umji and I can super speed her back to the headquarters where I could operate on her in the lab. Do you think you three can make it back on your own?” She looked at SinB whose tears were streaming down her face and promptly bit the inside of to stop herself from crying, as well.

Lips trembling, SinB wiped her eyes and nodded in response. In one swift motion, Eunha unlatched the concealed necklace she was wearing and handed it over to SinB. The younger girl let the metal charm of the necklace fall into her palm and realized that it was a key.

“Let yourself in when you get back,” Eunha said sternly, putting Yerin’s limp arm around her neck. “Umji-ya, get the other side.” The short girl scurried next to Yerin and rested the other motionless arm over her shoulders.

Simultaneously, the two vampires heaved Yerin up to a stand, the older girl’s head drooping downward. Eunha glanced at a crying SinB who took heavy steps to the side, giving them space to run. Inhaling a deep breath and gnawing the interior of her cheek even harder, Eunha strengthened her grip on Yerin. Hers and Umji’s eyes met and they both gave each other a quick nod of agreement. With that, they swooshed out of the forest. A pile of leaves scattered in the air from the unexpected velocity and delicately settled back to the ground.

With Yerin’s body now in the hands of Eunha and Umji, SinB tried to reassure herself that everything was going to be fine. That as soon as that stake got removed, Yerin would be back to her loveable, headstrong self who would shower SinB with kisses and make her feel warm and fuzzy inside.

But, SinB’s flicker of hope burnt out when she saw the remaining streak of blood that currently covered the forest floor. So much blood.

“SinB-ah, maybe it’s best we should get a move on,” Sowon suggested softly, wobbling next to the her poor friend who stood numbly next to the tree where Yerin occupied. “The sooner we get back to the headquarters, the sooner we’ll know if...that Yerin-ssi is alright.” She placed her hand on SinB’s shoulder.

Unable to suppress her storm of emotions, SinB crumbled into Sowon’s arms and weeped to her heart’s content. Sowon wrapped her arms around the shivering, blubbering girl and Yuju hurriedly strided towards the pair to contribute to the warm, comforting embrace.

“Hey,” Sowon consoled, “Yerin-ssi is going to be absolutely fine. You know she is. And, I’m sure she doesn’t want to see her girlfriend with red eyes and a puffy nose when she wakes up.” SinB breathed out a small giggle. “You’re her strength, SinB-ah. Don’t you forget that.”

SinB let her arms fall to her side as she stared at both of her friends with appreciation. Brushing the tears away with her sleeve, SinB thought about the meaning behind Sowon’s words.

Strength. It was odd to think that she was capable of being someone’s strength. A reason to live. A reason to hold on. SinB would never admit this to Sowon or Yuju, but during the first couple of days after she ran away and started working for Virgo, she became quite depressed. Not even the joy of dancing or being with her best friends was enough to stop herself from feeling useless, feeling unwanted.

But, then, Yerin came along. Was it love at first sight? Was it fate that brought them together? All that SinB knew was that death was no longer an option. She needs Yerin and Yerin needs her. More than ever, now.

SinB exhaled a breath, releasing any negative energy, before patting her two friends on the back.

“Let's go, guys,” SinB said, a bit more relaxed. “Destiny awaits. But, first, we should put something on Sowon’s leg to stop the bleeding.”

“I’m probably going to have to throw these jeans away,” Sowon added, looking down at the blood stained cuff of her pants. “Which totally . These were my favorite pair.”

“Here,” Yuju chimed in, unraveling the scarf around her neck. “Maybe we could use this as a makeshift bandage. It’s Umji’s, but I’m sure she won’t mind if that means keeping you away from an infection. And, maybe I could buy her a new one.”

Yuju bent down and wrapped the scarf around the older girl’s long leg where the claw mark was still prominently exposed. Tying it in a secure knot, Yuju stood up and exchanged a small smile with Sowon.

The eldest of the bunch extended her leg to examine the scarf when a chilly breeze of air swept up some leaves. As the leaves gently floated back, a foreign object on the ground caught Sowon’s eyes.

“Wait, what’s over there,” Sowon said, pointing to the direction of the object’s reflective surface.

SinB squatted to pick up the small, flat item.

“It appears to be a business card,” SinB gesticulated, flipping the card back and forth. “But, there’s no apparent address or name on it. Just a bunch of numbers.” Her brows were furrowed as she stared at the sequence of meaningless numbers: 22-9-18-7-15.

“Do you think it might be a clue?” Yuju questioned as she and Sowon looked over the younger girl’s shoulder to see the card.

“Hopefully,” SinB responded in short. “Let’s get moving.” After placing the card in the pocket of her pants, SinB latched her arm with Sowon’s. Promptly, Yuju weaved her arm with the taller girl’s on the other side.

Arms linked together, the three friends walked in unison back to the Sisters of the Night manor, silently praying that Yerin was alright.

“Scissors,” Eunha, wearing a lab coat, rubber gloves, and a surgical mask, directed to Umji who wore the same medical garb.

The team of vampires were in the laboratory wing of the headquarters. A passed out Yerin laid on the operating table still wearing her yellow t-shirt and red jacket that was covered with the deep red hue of blood. Though tired from the nightly clash with those bat beasts, Eunha and Umji were in a frenzy as they tried to revive their friend and leader.

Umji handed the scissors right away to the seemingly calm and collected girl. Eunha proceeded to cut from the bottom hem of Yerin’s shirt just until the point where the older girl’s bra started to show. Spreading out the open ends of the shirt, Eunha in a sharp breath from all the blood that cloaked the older girl’s once cream-colored torso.

“Get all the towels you can from the supply closet, Umji-ya,” Eunha ordered, mopping up the blood with the single towel she had on hand.

In just a matter of seconds, the young girl came back holding a stack of white, folded towels that towered just below her chin. She settled them by the operating table, awaiting for the next instruction.

“I’m going to remove the stake, now. As soon as I get it out of her body, I need you to apply pressure to the wound with one of the towels. If the blood starts bleeding through, add another towel on top of it,” Eunha briefed Umji who immediately stood by with a towel ready to go.

Wrapping one hand around the stake and placing the other hand on Yerin’s side, Eunha inhaled a much needed breath before slowly and delicately pulling the stake. She was glad the wood was smooth enough to not worry about problematic splinters. Still, Eunha wasn’t certain of the effects the stake would bring once extracted. It was risky, but she was always the risk taker.

Centimeter by agonizing centimeter, Eunha withdrew the stake at a snail’s pace, making sure to avoid further damaging any of Yerin’s organs. What felt like an unbearable eternity, the pointy end of the stake finally came into view. Taking her cue, Umji placed the thick, absorbent towel onto the massive wound of her poor unnie. Meanwhile, Eunha brought the stake up to her face for close examination. There was nothing out of the ordinary about the weapon, but Eunha felt the need to run tests on it later on. She placed it on a metal plate for further inspection.   

“Is Yerin-unnie going to be okay?” Umji asked softly, her hands placing firm pressure on the wound.

“She appears so,” Eunha responded. “Let go so I can take a quick look at her wound’s condition,” she instructed to the young girl.

Slowly, Eunha peeled off the towel and was disheartened when she saw that the wound was still severely opened. Typically, when a vampire gets stabbed anywhere other than their chest, they are able to heal almost instantaneously once removed. Clearly, something wasn’t adding up. Not wanting to admit despair to the precious girl standing before her, Eunha reapplied force and cleared .

“Go get Yerin-unnie some change of clothes, Umji-ya,” Eunha asked her companion, trying to sound hopeful. “Preferably some pajamas with a button-up shirt to make it easy for us to put it on her. I’ll apply the bandages.”

Nodding her head, Umji walked out of the lab, taking off her semi-bloody gloves and disposing them in the nearest trash bin along the way.

Alone in the room with an unconscious Yerin, Eunha stared at her friend’s somber face and began to dread each torturous second until the selfless, older girl wakes up.

“SinB-ah, slow down. I only have one leg that’s fully functional,” Sowon said as she hobbled with the assistance of only Yuju by her side.

The three friends made it safely to the vicinity of the headquarters. As soon as they entered past the gate, SinB dashed up the walkway and made her way to the front door, leaving Sowon and Yuju.

To say that SinB was eager to get an update on Yerin’s condition would be an understatement. She was livid. Though she kept her emotions at bay during the walk back, all SinB could think about was whether or not she would ever see her girlfriend’s eyes form into those precious crescents that never failed to make her heart palpitate.

“Mianhae, Sowon-unnie,” SinB quickly apologized before lifting the necklace that contained the key to the entrance over her head. With a twist of the key, the door lock clicked open, and SinB hurriedly pushed herself inside the magnificent manor.

Forcing herself to pick up the pace, Sowon limply walked into the house as Yuju graciously continued to be her crutch of guidance. The three girls made their way into the living room, hoping to see any of the vampire inhabitants they’ve all come to appreciate. To their dismay, there wasn’t a person in sight. SinB’s hopeful demeanor began to slowly die down.

Suddenly, two pairs of feet were heard gingerly escalating down the stairs. SinB, Yuju, and Sowon’s attention darted to the living room’s open entrance as Umji and Eunha, both still wearing their lab coats, traipsed into the warm space with unreadable expressions.

“Eunha-unnie,” SinB addressed the older girl anxiously, “How’s Yerin-ah? Is she fine? Were you able to remove the stake? Did...”

“Hold your horses, SinB-ssi,” Eunha interrupted the apprehensive girl. “Yes, I was able to dislodge that blasphemous stake out of Yerin. Whether she’s really adequate is a bit difficult to discern with vampires not having a pulse and all. But, the fact that she hasn’t immediately turn into dust should be a positive indicator of her well-being. Umji and I placed her in her room to rest.”

“That’s a relief to hear,” SinB breathed out, taking a couple steps back to sit on the armrest of one of the chairs. Pushing the messy strands of hair away from her face, she sat in silence, comforted by the good news.

Eunha was about to excuse herself and retreat back to the lab to conduct some tests on the treacherous stake when the smell of blood caught her senses. She looked over at Sowon who was leaning on a nearby bookcase with Yuju under her arm and noticed Umji’s scarf wrapped around the tall girl’s leg where that vampire hybrid clawed at. As much as she wanted to help Sowon, Eunha had too many things on her mind. She needed to find solace.

“Sowon-ssi, how is the condition of your leg?” Eunha asked, her tone apologetic for not becoming aware of the matter sooner.

“It kind of hurts when I walk, but I think the bleeding stopped,” Sowon replied, putting her weight on her injured leg to check if that ache still remained. She flinched a bit, causing her to lean back on the book case. Yuju patted her arm in sympathy.

“And, mianhae, Umji-ssi for ruining your scarf,” Yuju expressed her regret. “I’ll make sure to buy you a new one as soon as I can.” She smiled at the young girl sheepishly, eyes filled with remorse.

“Umji-ya,” Eunha spoke affectionately, desperately trying to remove herself from the room, “do you mind taking the reigns and tending to Sowon-ssi’s wound with the first aid kit? I need to finish up some business in the lab.”

“Not at all, unnie,” Umji replied adorably as she assisted Sowon to sit on the couch.

Before she left the living room, Eunha’s disposition dampened as if something was extremely bothering her. With the other three preoccupied on Sowon’s scarred leg, it seemed like SinB was the only one who noticed the change in the typically pompous girl. Though they perceived each other to be sworn enemies from the beginning, SinB couldn’t help but feel concerned for the older girl. Without notifying the others of her absence, SinB decided to follow Eunha who went to the kitchen.

Opening the door, SinB peeked inside and saw Eunha leaning her back against the counter with her head resting in her hands and eyes tightly shut. Worried for the older girl, SinB stepped inside the kitchen, slowly closing the door behind her.

“Eunha-unnie,” SinB quietly called out while gradually moving towards her, “is something wrong?” It was quite an usual sight seeing Eunha so distressed. SinB knew that it might be about Yerin, but she tried to not let it trouble her too much.

“This shouldn’t be happening,” Eunha spoke suddenly, head still lying in her hands as she massaged her temples.

“Does this have to do with Yerin-ah?” SinB said, keeping some space between her and Eunha.

The older girl nodded and sniffed before releasing her hands and bringing her semi-watery eyes to look at SinB. “The stab wound isn’t healing...at least, not fast as it should for a vampire.” She crossed her arms and began to pace back and forth. “I’ve seen Yerin-ah walk through fire unscathed. I’ve even seen her remove stakes out of her body with her own two hands. It just doesn’t make any sense!” She flailed her arms, only to cross them again. The speed of her pacing quickened as she became hysteric. “With Yerin still unconscious, we don’t have a leader. And, Virgo and his endless army of numbskulls will surely overpower us. And, we’ll probably all be dead in a matter of days.” Eunha went to the refrigerator, opened it, and slammed it closed with a big shaking rumble. “And, we ran out of Type AB!” she huffed, leaning on the counter and massaging the bridge of her nose.

“Mianhae, Eunha-unnie,” SinB, who was surprised by the older girl’s outburst, spoke cautiously, “but, what does Type AB blood have to do with all of this?”

“Other than Type O, Yerin loves to drink Type AB,” Eunha tiredly explained. “It’s her blood of choice. I thought that maybe she would like some once she wakes up.”

“I’m Type AB,” SinB said. “If it's alright, I wouldn't mind donating some of my blood.”

Eunha looked up from her slouched posture and stared at the younger girl. Her eyes were understandably exhausted, but SinB saw a small spark flicker in them.

“Follow me,” Eunha simply instructed, rolling her eyes discreetly before walking out of the kitchen.

SinB was led to a dim, long hallway further back in the house. It was another unfamiliar wing that contained many more doors that led to who-knows-where. Reaching the last door, Eunha swung it open and SinB was temporarily blinded by the bright, fluorescent lights that shined in the spacious laboratory.

“Take a seat,” Eunha, with her back turned away from the younger girl, directed sternly. She proceeded to briskly put on a pair of rubber examination gloves and gathered the supplies needed to extract blood.

Hesitant, SinB sat at the nearest work station, taking off her coat to expose her arms.

Eunha returned and sat next to SinB. She tapped on the table’s metal surface, signaling SinB to lay her arm, palm up, on it. Hooking up a blood pressure cuff on the younger girl's bicep, Eunha let the machine work as she tore open an alcohol pad and cleansed a section of skin near the crook of SinB’s arm.

“I’m going to collect approximately a pint of your blood,” Eunha said, almost robotically. “If you start to feel lightheaded at any moment during the process, please let me know immediately.” She waited for SinB to indicate that she understood before inserting the sterile needle into the younger girl’s arm.

SinB watched as the clear tube started to fill up with her blood. She had never donated her blood before. Though she wasn’t a fan of needles, SinB felt the need to temporarily put her phobia in the backburner. Her blood was going to help Yerin feel better after experiencing a traumatic encounter with that wretched Virgo.

She and Eunha sat in silence. It was a bit awkward to say the least. SinB knew that she wasn’t on the best of terms with the older girl, but they both were going through a difficult time. While SinB was glad that the elegant girl managed to successfully remove the stake, she wondered what it may have been like for Eunha to be put in that position. To be the only one capable to do a procedure like that. All the potential risks and troubles. One wrong move and she could send Yerin into oblivion.

Caught up in her thoughts, SinB jolted a bit when she heard the velcro fastening of the blood pressure cuff tear apart. She glanced at Eunha who removed the needle out of her arm before blotting the remaining blood with a piece of tissue and placing a bandage over it.

“You can rejoin your friends now,” Eunha said, eyes focused on the once clear bag that now contained the younger girl’s blood. She got up from her chair and went to another station, back facing SinB.

It was the safer choice to return to the living room where friendly, sympathetic faces awaited her. But, SinB didn’t want to leave Eunha who was still clearly upset. What kind of girlfriend would she be if she didn’t at least try to help Eunha, Yerin’s best friend, feel slightly better?

“Actually, Eunha-unnie,” SinB spoke with reluctance, “I was wondering how you know how to do all these medical procedures?”

“If you must know,” Eunha, too focused on prepping the blood to face SinB, began, “I was a biology major before I became a vampire.” She straightened her posture a bit. “My family would say that I could be the next Marie Curie. Those loveable dimwits couldn’t tell the difference between a biologist and a physicist,” she recollected, releasing a breathy laugh.

“You were nineteen-years-old when you got bitten, right?” SinB eased in the question as she put her coat back on.

“Correct,” Eunha answered, pouring the blood into another container. “It’s funny, in a sadistic sort of way, how your life has the ability to drastically change with every decision you make. When I was nineteen, I thought I had it all figured out. I was the top student in all my classes, beating all the boys in their own game. My roommate thought I too strung up, though, and she decided to take me out to a disco. There, I met a stranger who had everything that a provincial girl like me could ever dream of. We talked, we danced. Next thing I knew, he had me pinned in the back of his pick-up truck. I’m sure you can surmise where this leads to afterwards.”

“He was a vampire,” SinB inquired.

“Correct, again,” Eunha said sarcastically before removing her gloves and washing her hands. “The bastard left me for dead. I woke up the next day in a cemetery, transformed and lusting for blood. Thankfully, I was able to steal a couple pints from the biology department. But, blood wasn’t the only thing I craved. I wanted revenge.

“That night, I went back to the club to give that lowlife a piece of my mind and a punch to the face. Unfortunately, I discovered my ability to read minds there. You would think that the minds of clubgoers would be empty with all the drugs and alcohol, but no…” She shook her head while drying off her her hands. “There were so many thoughts buzzing around. So...many...thoughts. Unable to control my power, I started to go crazy. And, then I saw him, making moves on another naive girl. He took her outside to an alleyway. Before he had the chance to do anything to her, I took a broken fragment of wood that was on the ground and stabbed him. I knew where his heart was, and I knew that it was useless to him.

“He turned into dust, the girl ran away, and I was left alone unsure what to do with this next stage in my life as a vampire. But, like a beacon of hope, Yerin, who had the kindest and most compassionate smile that I’ve ever seen, appeared in the alleyway.” Eunha smiled at the memory. “She introduced herself and the Sisters to me and the rest is history. For forty-one years, we’ve been working together, completing exciting, and often times, bizarre missions. Along the way I fell for her, even though I knew, with or without the help of my powers, that she didn’t return my feelings. But, that doesn't change how much I care about her.” As she concluded, Eunha poured the blood into a mug.

“Kamsahamnida, Eunha-unnie. But, why did you tell me all of this?” SinB said shyly. As intriguing as Eunha’s story was, SinB kept flashing back to how enraged the older girl was when she asked how they became vampires during their first encounter.

With the mug in her hand, Eunha turned around to finally face SinB. She walked closer to the younger girl who seemed to cower with timid anticipation.

“Consider it my way of declaring a truce between us,” Eunha announced, extending the mug to SinB who took it in a confused state. “I’ve seen the way Yerin-ah looks at you, and I’ve heard the way she talks about you. You can’t blame me for being a bit jealous. But, when all's said and done, I know that your heart belongs with her and vice versa.” Her face brightened with a small, closed-mouth smile. “Take that mug to Yerin’s room. You can wait for her to wake up if you want. I’m sure Yerin-ah would be thrilled to see you presenting a cup of your own blood. ‘Have your cake and eat it too,’ as the saying goes.”

“Eunha-unnie...Kamsahamnida, again,” SinB thanked, bowing to the older girl who simply waved her hand. “Oh, I almost forgot. After you and Umji-ssi left, we found this on the ground in the woods.” SinB reached into the pocket of her pants to remove the card and handed it over for Eunha to examine. “We think it might be a clue as to where Virgo is hiding.”

“Well for one thing, these numbers spell out his name,” Eunha deciphered with ease. She glanced at SinB who gave her a puzzling look. “The numbers correspond to the letters in the English alphabet. ‘V’ is the twenty-second letter. ‘I’ is the ninth. So on and so forth,” she explained, earning a nod of comprehension from the younger girl. “But, no need to worry. I’m sure there’s more meaning to it other than another testament of his egotism. Now, if you don’t mind, SinB-ssi, I wasn’t lying when I said that I had important matters to attend to.” She placed the card in the pocket of her lab coat.

SinB bowed once more, smiling hopefully at Eunha before exiting out of the lab.

Left by her lonesome, Eunha went over to her work station where she hid the stake that she previously removed out of Yerin. The blood was almost dried, blending with the dark brown color of the wooden stake. She was just about to chip off a sample of the wood when she heard a knock at the door. The handle started to turn slowly. The person on the other side, opened it at a steady pace. Before Eunha could spring to action, out peeped Sowon’s friendly face.

“Hey, Eunha-ssi,” Sowon greeted the girl as she stood by the doorway. “Is it okay if I could hang out here...with you. You know, keep you company?” Her tone was in a fluctuating state of nerves, but she wore a sheepish smile that was much too cute to say no to.

“Come on in, Sowon-ssi,” Eunha coolly replied, sauntering closer to the entrance. As Sowon stepped inside the lab, Eunha took note of the taller girl’s change of clothes. The bloodied jeans she wore earlier were now replaced with gray sweatpants that barely reached the length of her legs. She still walked with a slight limp, but Sowon’s smile did not falter as she staggered nearer Eunha. “I take it that Umji-ya patched you up well.”

“Of course. Well, other than the fact that she kept on staring at my leg like it was a plate of bulgogi,” Sowon joked which made Eunha release an airy giggle. “But, nonetheless, Umji-ssi did a great job with taking care of me.” She lifted her pants slightly to reveal the gauze that covered her wound. “She and Yuju are in the living room conversating over a cup of Type B and tea, respectively. I figured it was best to give the two of them some alone time.”

“Are you insinuating that they’re developing feelings for each other?” Eunha questioned, quirking an eyebrow and placing a hand on her hip.

“Maybe. Maybe not,” Sowon teased, rocking back and forth on the heels of her feet. “All I know is that they’re enjoying one another’s company quite splendidly.” Her smile grew smug. “So, what were you planning to do before I interrupted. Maybe I could be your assistant.”

“Are you sure you would rather not rest, Sowon-ssi?” Eunha suggested. “It is awfully late already and even I feel particularly famished.”

“I guess the adrenaline from the battle hasn’t worn off, yet,” Sowon surmised. “Besides, I was wondering if we could play a little game first, something that could ease our nerves a bit.”

“What kind of game do you have in mind?” Eunha purred, pulling two chairs for her and Sowon to sit on.

“Oh, nothing too complicated,” Sowon replied, taking a seat. “How about a friendly match of kai-bai-bo? Winner gets to ask the loser whatever question they want, and the loser has to answer.”

“I like the way you think, Sowon-ssi,” Eunha responded flirtatiously, inducing a wide grin from the taller girl.

The two girls extended a hand out in a fist. For a second, their eyes made contact with each other causing them to quickly look away, shy and embarrassed. Sowon cleared before she and Eunha started to chant kai-bai-bo!

Sowon threw out the hand sign for scissors while Eunha laid her hand flat like a piece of paper. Happy that she won, Sowon hollered in joy before returning her attention back to a sulking Eunha. Leaning back in her chair, Sowon pretended to think deeply in thought before snapping her fingers to indicate that she was ready to reveal her question.

“Eunha-ssi,” Sowon addressed the girl sitting beside her, “Umji-ssi told Yuju and me that she could infiltrate and create dreams for other people while Yerin-ssi displayed her ability to make force fields. My question to you is, ‘What is your special power?’” Her smile grew wider as if she caught Eunha off guard.

“Mind reading,” Eunha responded without a second thought. Sowon’s smile devolved into a frown in almost an instant upon processing Eunha’s answer.

“Mind reading, huh?” Sowon repeated nervously. “So, did you just use your powers right now to let me win?”

“Not at all,” Eunha admitted with all the sincerity in the world. “Like Yerin-ah, I'm not the type to take advantage of it. Reading people's minds never really felt ethical to me.”

“That’s good to know,” Sowon replied with a sweet smile. Glancing away from Eunha’s round, piercing eyes, the stake resting on the table caught Sowon’s attention. “Hey, is this the stake that Virgo guy used to injure Yerin-ssi?” she asked, walking closer to the work station.

“Yes, it is,” Eunha answered straightforwardly. “I was planning to conduct an experiment to see if there’s a foreign substance that may be embedded in it. Though I was able to remove it, Yerin-ah is still severely wounded. You see, the molecular level of a vampire is far more superior to that of an average human. Yerin’s body should have healed itself by the time I extracted the stake. My hypothesis is that Virgo may have used something on the same playing field as the dark arts to ensure that Yerin-ah stays weak and injured.” She glanced at Sowon who stared at her blankly.

“I know that this isn't the best time to say this,” Sowon began to speak, “but I'm taking a science class next semester. Do you think you can tutor me in that, as well?” A rueful smile formed on her face.

“I'm sure I will always find a way to fit you in my schedule, Sowon-ssi,” Eunha replied, an amused grin tugging on the corners of her lips.

“Kamsahamnida,” Sowon conveyed her gratitude with a slight bow. “It looks like we have a long night ahead of us. I'm going to the kitchen to get some coffee. Do you want anything?” she graciously offered, wobbling to the door of the lab.

“Type A would be marvelous at this hour,” Eunha relayed her request.

“That's funny,” Sowon commented, her body halfway out the door. “My blood type is Type A.”

“Funny indeed, Sowon-ssi,” Eunha, eyes sparkling even under the harsh bright lights of the lab, remarked as she tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear.

SinB stood by the door of Yerin’s room, the mug containing blood in one hand and the other resting on the doorknob. She has been standing in this position for quite some time, emotionally preparing herself for the sight she was about to see. But, even on the second floor of the manor, SinB could hear the ever soothing sounds of Yuju singing while playing the acoustic guitar. Her best friend since elementary school began to strum a song that perfectly fitted the emotions which currently flooded her heart and mind, “Dreaming” by IU.

Eyes that only look at me

A nose like a sculpture

Loveable lips

Skin like milk and

A face that’s curious about something

Chic words

My friends think

I’m delusional

But I knew in your heart

Even when you’re coy

I know

You can fool a ghost

But you can’t fool me

Step by step

Nervous footsteps

With excitement

Today with a heart

As big as this

Confess

Your dream

With a courageous heart, SinB turned the knob and opened the door.

Author's Note: Hey everybody! Sorry for another cliff hanger. But, I promise you that the next chapter will be overflowing with SinRin moments. Stay tuned! And another huge thank you to each and every subscriber ^^