“He keeps staring at you.”

 

“Who?”

 

“The new guy!”

 

You looked across the chemistry lab from where you were seated, your eyes immediately laying upon the most beautiful man you have ever seen. His eyes were a heart-stopping shade of hazel and his light brown bangs were perfectly brushed, sitting on his forehead. Only after you realized he was staring back at you did you look away, turning a shade of bright red.

 

“I believe he thinks you are incredibly hot.” Soojung, your best friend nudged you.

 

You scoffed, “Please, why would he think that?”

 

Soojung rolled her eyes in response, “Please, he’s been staring at you since you practically strode into the classroom,” she peaked behind her for another look at the boy, “he’s still doing it now, just thought you should know.”

 

“Well then, maybe he thinks I look weird or something.”

 

“Oh my God, you ! Just go talk to him will you, after class?”

 

You stared at her with pure disbelief, “And why on earth, pray, should I do that?”

 

“Because unlike you, I don’t want to wallow forever in self-pity without a new boyfriend. Face it, you need new someone new to make you feel happy.” She smiled.

 

You felt a small stab in your chest, being heartbroken – being cheated on to be exact hurt, and maybe, just maybe you weren’t ready to move on, “I don’t know…” you shrugged.

 

“Hey, what happened, happened. So don’t lower your self-esteem just because a guy thinks you’re not the greatest thing that has happened to him. Just give it a try, okay?” Soojung threw you a wink.

 

You smiled at her, not really knowing whether or not taking a chance on this new guy was the greatest idea in the world. You worried that he kept staring at you simply because your of an ex-boyfriend has been constantly talking about you to the entire student body. By the time the bell rang, you thought about it and oh what the hell, nothing’s wrong with getting a new friend, right?

 

As you walked over to him, you saw him smile, “I’m guessing you think I’m either psychotic, neurotic or a addict don’t you?”

You laughed, “Well, you have been staring at me for the past hour and a half.” He chuckled, and for the first time in a while, you felt butterflies, “I’m __, and you are?”

 

“Sungkyu, Kim Sungkyu.” He stretched out his hand for you to shake, “I’m sorry I was staring at you, I just think you look familiar.”

 

This time, you got a chance to really look at him. He was even more stunning up close, it was as if his fingers were crafted perfectly; thin, soft and a pale shade of white. The white shirt he was wearing had a button undone and good Lord did it shape that chest of his. It showed off his proportions perfectly; not exactly gym-boy muscular, but you understood why quite a few girls found him attractive.

 

You shook your head at the thought and shot him a shy smile, “Really? Do you think we’ve met before?”

 

“I don’t know, maybe we did in a previous life.” He shrugged.

 

You raised an eyebrow, “I don’t know if I believe in any of that.”

 

He smiled and rose off his seat, “Look, I’ll go out on a limb here and be optimistic that maybe you want my number too, so here’s mine. Looking forward to seeing you around.” He winked at you as he walked out of the classroom.

 

You looked down at the piece of paper on your hand and noticed just how cold his skin was when you two touched. And that talked about previous lives? What was that? You hardly ever heard any guy in high school talk about something so deep post-chemistry. You decided that maybe he was just old-fashioned, or religious or something. You walked out of class and thought about him for the rest of the day.

 

Little did you know, Sungkyu remained close to you for the rest of the day.

 

“It is her.” He said to himself and smiled.

 

 

…

 

 

The weekend passed and still no phone call from Sungkyu. You felt the urge to call him a few times but you thought that since you were officially ‘back on the market’, playing hard to get was the way to go. Of course, Soojung highly disapproved, stating that playing hard to get was going to get you nowhere. As you walked into the cafeteria that afternoon, you bumped into a person, nearly dropping your entire food tray.

 

“I am so sorry-Oh, Sungkyu?” you looked up to the boy in front of you.

 

He laughed, “Nothing to be sorry about. Hey, you.” The way he responded to you brought shivers down your spine.

 

“I guess I’ll get going then-“

 

“Wait,” he called out, “Can I sit with you?”

 

Your eyes widened but you slowly nodded, you could use the company anyway. You felt eyes staring at you as the boy followed you to your usual table. Soojung wasn’t there yet, and you figured you could try asking him why he hadn’t called, but he beat you to it.

 

“I’m sorry I didn’t get a chance to call you,” he said as he sat down, “I was out for the weekend.”

 

You opened your water bottle and shook your head, “No it’s fine. Family business?”

 

He smiled, “I guess you could say that. My family likes to go camping over the weekend; my sisters are extremely outgoing.”

 

“Hmm,” you smiled at him and played around with the salad in front of you, “What did you mean about me being familiar?”

 

He thought for a while, “I once met someone. She looked just like you, extremely beautiful.”

 

It was as if every nerve in your body shot up as you blushed crimson, “When did you meet her?” you said without being able to meet his eyes.

 

“A long, long time ago.” He smirked.

 

You wondered when exactly but decided not to push further, pushing the tray of food instead since you lost your appetite. You felt the need to get to know the man better, “So, tell me about you.”

 

He smiled, “Well, I’m Sungkyu, in high school and I like sunsets.”

 

“Sunsets? Really?” You laughed.

 

He poked your nose, “See you might find that weird, but I like that time of day. The darkness of the night pretty much soothes me.”

 

You blinked a few times, “You should thank God for your good looks; people would find you extremely weird and emo otherwise.”

 

“Yeah, I get that a lot,” he burst out in laughter, “Hey, did you hear about the school dance? What’s that all about?”

 

“It’s this dance thing the seniors have to celebrate the end of the year. This year’s theme is something of the Fairy tale sort.” You rolled your eyes.

 

“You don’t like fairy tales?”

 

“I don’t know,” you shrugged, “I think that people don’t always get the fairy tale endings they want in this world so I guess Halloween’s more awesome.”

 

He chuckled, “Halloween huh? This coming from the girl who laughed when I said I liked night better than day.”

 

“I guess I’ve always been a fan of the vibes that Halloween gives off you know? Supernatural and all,” you grinned, “I find it fascinating how creatures around us could not necessarily be human but they’ll live life unnoticed.”

 

“Ever thought about the possibility that someone you know might be a monster of some sort?” he gestured around the room.

 

You thought for a while, “I don’t think they’re monsters. They have souls, just like us and I think they deserve to feel love. I guess that’s why the idea of it fascinates me more than the princess getting her prince charming.”

 

He let out a chuckle, “Careful what you wish for.”

 

“And what’s that supposed to mean?”

 

This time, he shrugged, “I guess you just never know. Perhaps the people you’re closest too might not be who you think they are.”

 

“Yeah, like you right?”

 

His eyes widened for a moment and you felt that he was surprised for some reason. But after a few moments he seemed to relax, “Maybe, my mom and dad used to call me a mythical hamster.” He winked.

 

Your burst out laughing, “I’m guessing that’s because of your eyes.”

 

He took your hand, earning another blush from you, “Don’t tease, hamsters get angry when people tease.” He said as he played with your fingers, “I guess I’ll see you at the dance then?”

 

“I guess.”

 

He stood up and gently rubbed the top of your head before walking. The way he strode out of the cafeteria was so perfect it actually hurt.

 

…

“I told you to not get me a Cinderella-like dress!”

 

“This is so not Cinderella!”

 

“Jesus Soojung, I’m not wearing this.”

 

Soojung groaned, “Look, I’ve spent the entire week trying to find a dress perfect for you and you are not going to waste my time! You are wearing this dress and going to dance if I have to drag you there myself! No go and change!” She pushed you to the bathroom and locked the door, “I’m not letting you out until you change!”

 

You sighed and figured you could only surrender. A positive side of tonight would be the fact that Sungkyu was at the dance you dreaded. Yet you felt like you were abandoning everything you said to him, about hating fairy tales just by wearing this dress. You held the dress in your arms and took a look at it once again. To be honest, it was beautiful, but it literally was a ball gown. A puffy skirt in a shade of blood red which went all the way to your feet. It seemed to shine under the light, all you needed were a pair of glass slippers.

 

After finally being able to exit the room, Soojung looked at you, “Perfect, I love that you’re wearing your hair down. Sungkyu will fall to his knees once he sees you.”

 

 

…

 

 

You looked around the room, your eyes scanning every corner trying to get a glimpse of him. Did he decide not to show? At that very moment, you felt a cold palm on the small of your back.

 

“Hey, you.’

 

“Hey to yourself.” You smiled at him.

 

You noticed that his eyes were with a different colour now, they were a beautiful shade of red to match your dress.

 

“What’s with the eyes?”

 

He smirked, “I thought you said you liked monsters.”

 

You felt goose bumps creeping up on your arm, “I do…”

 

He smiled, “Will you dance with me?” he held out his arm.

 

Taking his hand, he pulled you closely towards his chest as the both of you swayed to the music. He started humming the tune of the familiar ballad, and you were in awe of his incredibly voice.

 

Nal bodeon ne nunbitgwa misoga

 

Geu ttaseuhan ipsulgwa songiri

 

Neomu geuriwo, neomu geuriwo…

 

 

“You’re beautiful, and you can sing. I think I know why the girls love you here.” You giggled.

 

Sungkyu pulled you away from his chest. He pushed a strand of hair behind your ear and took your arm as he walked the two of you out of the crowd, towards a secluded garden behind the venue.

 

After reaching the outdoor patio lit with lights he looked at you, “If I tell you something, will you run away?”

 

You looked at him, puzzled, “Why would I run away?”

 

“Because honestly, you mean so much to me… and I would hate it if you walked away from me after this.”

 

Your blushed pleasantly at his remark, “Sungkyu, we just met? How could you say that?”

 

He shook his head with a slight smile, “No I know, but I’ve known you far longer than you’ve known me”

 

“Then why don’t I remember you?”

 

“Because I’ve been close to you since you were born.”

 

Your eyes widened, not knowing what to say, “I…how?”

 

He smiled softly, “A long, long time ago. I meet someone you would probably consider a grandmother of some sort. She had long, beautiful black hair and was feisty, just like you. Funny enough she was also attracted to the supernatural. She loved me for who I was, but she believed that I wasn’t for her, and now I know why.”

 

It all fell into place but you refused to believe what you were thinking was true, “What do you mean by that?”

 

“You know what.”

 

All those nights you spent pining about him, why he seemed so different to everyone else. It struck you, he wasn’t human, “You’re a vampire.”

 

He nodded, “You know, she was exactly like you.”

 

“Who?”

 

“Your grandmother.”

 

You went silent for a while, but it made incredible sense. Your grandmother always talked about the creatures of the past, always focusing on vampires. She once mentioned a creature that held a special place in her heart because he was different, he knew so much about the world and about love that at a point it put him in a dangerous place. When she passed away, you always figured that the stories she told were purely fiction and that the two of you simply shared a love for the supernatural. But maybe she wasn’t making it all up.

 

“Did you love her?” you asked.

 

“I did.” He looked towards the sky, “But your grandmother knew that we didn’t belong together. At the time I was heartbroken, but she said that eventually someone would fill that place again, and it was going to be someone she loved as well.”

 

You were awestruck, “But…how?”

 

“Because your grandmother always had a gift. It was as if she could see the future of the people she loved. She went back to find me after she got married to tell me what she saw…you.”

 

“Why didn’t you fight for her?”

 

He looked at you and stepped closer, “Because I believed that she was doing the right thing for herself, and for me. Your great grandparents would have never approved despite the fact that neither of us thought it mattered. At the time, creatures like us ran around the city like it was normal, everybody knowing we were different. But then things happened and we sort of…went into the dark.”

 

You hummed at the thought, “You said she saw me?”

 

He smiled, “Yes. She said that you were the only one who could love someone different as much as she did, even more. That’s why you always felt connected with her more than anyone else.”

 

That was true, you were devastated when you lost her, it was like losing a piece of yourself. It came to you that she always told you to look out for yourself, that love was going to come from a place that you would never expect. You had so many questions but one stood out the most, “Sungkyu… do you still feed?”

He laughed, “Is that the first thing that came to mind?”

 

You blushed but let out a small giggle, “Well, yeah.”

 

“I would cease to exist if I didn’t, but I don’t kill.” You let out a nervous laugh. He seemed to notice and went closer to you, “I’m not going to hurt you.”

 

“How can I trust you?”

 

He held your chin so that you looked up to meet his red eyes, which seemed like they were staring into your soul now. He slowly went own and brought his lips to yours; a kiss ever so gentle and beautiful that it literally felt like fireworks were erupting within you.

 

You could feel his tongue begging for entrance and you let him in. He placed his arms around your waist as you brought yours to his neck. He started placing soft kisses against your jaw, slowly heading towards your neck. All of a sudden, you heard a small hiss in his throat and you tightened your grip around his neck, “Sungkyu…don’t.”

 

“Trust me, you have to trust me. I won’t hurt you, I promise.” He said as he breathed against your neck.

 

You closed your eyes as he kissed a spot where you could feel your veins pumping blood. In the split of a second, everything became a blur; you could feel two sharp teeth sink into your neck and the blood slowly flowing out of your body. You held onto him for dear life and prayed that he would spare your soul and that it all would be worth it in the end.

 

As soon as you started to feel lightheaded, you felt the two teeth escape from your neck. He kissed the spot once more and the marks left started to close up. You touched the spot where he just bit you; you were alive and breathing.

 

“How did you do that?” you asked him.

 

He pulled you against his chest and kissed you on the forehead, “You have to know that you are the last person I would harm on the face of this planet. I would kill myself right after if I did.”

 

You caressed his cheek, “Why are you so sure about me?”

 

“Why are you?” he looked at you.

 

He was right, you barely knew him and yet you felt the need to be close to him at all times. It was as if you knew that with him, you were almost invincible and that nothing would ever hurt as much as losing him.

 

“Because I guess… I know you.”

 

He smiled, “And I, you. I do care about you…and I might be falling in love with you.”

 

“Do all vampires know how to sweet-talk women into their lives?” You said as he held you closer.

 

He let out a chuckle, “Not really, but I’ve been waiting to meet you for nearly a century.”

 

You smiled and looked at him, “You know, it’s not going to be easy – us.”

 

“I know, but I’m willing to fight for it.”

 

You placed your hand over his heart, “Well then, maybe fairy tale endings do exist.”

 

“I’m no prince-charming, but I can guarantee that I’m all yours.” He whispered.

 

“Mine.”

 

You smiled as you entered into what would be a blissful life with something no princess could ever get…

 

A vampire.