++4

April 5^th, 2017.

“Do you think I am a ?”

Joy stopped scrubbing the dishes and turned around, laser-staring her cousin’s back who busily arranged her kitchen set in the corner. “A POSITIVE YES BECAUSE YOU MADE ME DO ALL THE CHORES!”

“Do you want to get stabbed by this then? You’re the one who was messing my house and sending my maids to take a break in the first place.” Irene raised a knife at her and Joy was baffled to respond. “Oh you probably aren’t serious.” 

“Try me, peasants.”

The blonde woman was quick to fix her thrown words when Irene began to chop it around carelessly. “Okay geez…. Who are you? Zorro?”  She uttered quietly and went back to her chores. “You can be a bit y sometimes, but aren’t people has their own y moment?”

“Just a bit?”

“Well, I don’t have a choice, do I? You’ll definitely stab me alive if I were to say otherwise.” Joy commented as she glanced back at her cousin. She noticed her stunned look and wondered. “Ho okay, I’m kidding.” She chimed again. “But hey keep that knife away first, you’re scaring me.”

She watched Irene tidying the rest of her utensils and sighed in relief.

“Why are you asking me that question anyway?”

“I don’t know… I think I’m a bit overwhelmed these past few days.” Irene said as she took a seat for herself while heaving a loud huff. “So many things happened lately.”

“Are you alright?” Bubbles covered hand was suddenly coming in contact with her temple and Irene hastily slapped it away from her face. “Gross! What are you even doing?!”

“I was trying to be nice, grandma.” Joy washed her hands gruffly and joined her to sit in a second. “What’s really happening? You are a lot grumpier and crankier than the last 223 years when I first intruded your house in Incheon.” 

“And you’re still annoying after anything,” Irene remarked and slowly laid her head on the dining table, looking sideways at her cousin’s confused face. “I met a woman, a human, days ago, in this secluded area, being beaten up and all when I was on my way reaching my other house.”

 She heard a loud gasp and rolled her eyes when Joy began to shake her shoulders violently. She didn’t even have to finish talking, “You don’t hit her with your car do you?!”

“Answer me! Do you?!”

“I wish.” Irene sighed.

“Oh my God!!!” Her cousin paused for a moment, looking a bit perplexed by her reply. “Uh-you wish?”

“Yeah, I ended up bringing her to Wendy’s house, to get a treatment instead.” Irene slumped further on her position. “I couldn’t believe I did it.”

“Hey, it’s a good deed!” Joy clapped her hands gleefully. “How’s her condition, though?”

“She’s getting better, I suppose, but she lost her baby.”

“Whoa, wait a minute!” The blonde started leaning down as well, mirroring her current pose. “She had a baby?”

Irene nodded, “Apparently she was pregnant at that time, and because of the hard things she had to bear, did I say she got beaten up?” Joy quickly confirmed and she continued, “Yeah… because of that maybe? I’m not sure.”

“Whoever did that to her is really cruel!”  Her cousin balled her fists then smiled at her. “But you did the right thing, unnie. I’m proud of you.”

She waved her compliment off. “Do you know that I hate humans?”

“Duh, you even hate one of us. Of course, I know.”

She continued to probe the latter with another question. “Do you know why I hate them?”

“Vampire can kill each other too if it’s what you’re trying to imply.” Joy flickered her vision at Irene who groaned in respond and understood her underlying question. “Okay. Yes, I know why you hate them, but people react differently now though.”

She saw Irene closing her lids and muttered. “It doesn’t change the fact that they’re still judging us, yeah simply turning a blind eye, Sooyoung-ah.”

“I’m befriending humans and they’re far from what our kind says though. One of them even found out about me being a vampire the first time we met and guess what? She didn’t even run away nor did she tell everyone about it. She, in fact becomes my best friend now though.”

Irene raised her brows in skeptical. “She probably doesn’t want to lose her source of money.”

“Oh you got it wrong, unnie.” Joy chuckled heartily. “She doesn’t even have any idea of my wealth. What she thought of me is a regular customer of this chicken restaurant who happened to have the same sense of humor as hers. We’re just fabulous like that.”

Throughout her cousin’s story, she couldn’t help but find it impossible. Just how come?

“Nothing is impossible, unnie.”

Joy winked at her and laughed in an instant when Irene pushed her away numerous times.

“My point is for you to tone down a bit your dislike. We can actually befriend them and hell, don’t judge them first. We live alongside each other you know, why can’t you at least react less hostile? They don’t live that long though, what’s the fun in that if you keep up your uptight-self all the time?”

“Uh… just go back to your task.” Irene sat properly and pointed at stacked dishes by the faucet. “They don’t wash themselves.”

“Well looking at all your earlier reactions, now I get it. I can already see you’re being a towards her aren’t you?” Joy raised her hand in mock surrender when the older woman threw a cold glare at her way. “Just apologize then, sometimes you need a little slap against your conceited prideful self.”

+++

April 8^th, 2017.

Irene quickly snatched a laying magazine on the coffee table and skimmed through it coolly when she perceived those shuffling sounds across the door. No, she didn’t eavesdrop anything.

Nope, she just didn’t discover anything like that nameless human’s actual name. Seulgi right?

And no, Irene obviously didn’t hear Seulgi laughing her off with whoever was that inside the room, talking like they won’t able to see sunlight in the next day. May they choke in their own spits…

The latter rolled her eyes at her own thought. Ho wait, why would I tune in their conversation anyway?

She flipped pages after pages without concern, mind wandering somewhere else. Oh right nothing is interesting, even this magazine.

The lone woman lifted her head up just in time to see Wendy’s assistant pulling the door close. Wendy’s assistant, YooA, seemed to acknowledge her presence as well, hence a formal and bow greeting she got to witness almost instantly.

“Good afternoon, Ma’am. Err…”

She raised her chin up, returning her greeting with a small, “Yeah…”

Just go already. Irene muttered inside, but to her dismay, the latter was standing way too long in front of the door. Her brow rose up as she heard her hesitating to say something, “I’m sorry, but Doctor Son told me earlier that she has something to do at the hospital.” YooA dipped her head down; scared to see her boss’s guest upcoming glare again, one was enough as she thought to herself. “Are you perhaps meeting Doctor, Ma’am?”

“I know and no, I’m not.” Irene remarked while she put the magazine down. She contemplated for a moment before she made her way to the still person. “Hey, I’m going inside so you don’t need to check on her every hour, okay?” She referred to the person behind this closed door with a high anticipated eyebrow. “Understand?”

The younger woman nodded quickly and fled away immediately when Irene discharged their short exchange with a flip of her hand. She then traced the wooden door in front her with bleary eyes, suddenly feeling unsure with herself.

“What did I do here exactly?”

Throughout her whole week, Irene had reflected her doing while she cleaned the whole mess her cousin getting her into. She did think her acts tended to be a bit overboard at times, just like what she did to Seulgi days ago. She acknowledged it although she didn’t want to blame it all to herself. She had her own reason for acting the way she did now—as something in the past had solidified her resentment against them.

Something that made her swear to not let all of her guards down anymore.

+++

January 22^th, 1517.

“Oppa… Don’t you know that they hate us?” The young woman whispered as she watched some of the villagers in the farm field harvesting their vegetables, they were observing them from a small hill under a shaded lone tree where they could practically see the entire bustling village in this sunny afternoon. Her eyes came into a slit, she mumbled sadly while scanning their surroundings. “What if they find out about us? About the truth? They will burn us alive, you know. They still think of us as monsters,”

Eyes dimly stayed open to see people below her interacting with one another happily. She sighed at the sight in irony. “-and for bringing bad lucks to them.”

He turned and examined the look she wore, reaching out his hand to soothe her hardened expression only to get it swatted down by the latter. “Hey, calm down little one.”  

“We are not monsters, Oppa. We don’t even people to death like those rumors they are spreading around… ”

She ripped her gaze out of them and looked down at her dainty fingers, balling it into a fist as the amount of anger started to increase by the second. “It’s not our fault if they stumble into bad luck, I mean really? We’re already cursed like this, why would they solely blame it on us as if they don’t even create any single sin in this world?”

Words came out of in an irritation as she stared ahead, fixing her long look at them once again. “Such a hypocrite.”

Her dislike that she addressed to humans wasn’t something she did out of petty. She just didn’t understand why they would suffer this fate, sure they were granted with unspoken wealth and long lives, but the treatment they got was awful when people around them found out their buried secrets. She muttered in a low tone.

“Gosh, I hate them.”

But the tall man who shared nearly the same facial features as hers only shrugged it with a gentle smile. He patted her head and occupied the space beside her, observing people below them as well.

“Joohyun my baby sister, just look at it this way,” He beamed, lips levitating in each corner of his mouth. “This small village is so beautiful and peaceful, I personally know everyone in this place. From this ahjumma shopkeeper downtown to the goofy podocheong who patrols around this village… you name it.” The man leaned back with hands to support him, his face looked content. “They are very kind so I find it hard to believe that they will do anything bad to us. In fact, I’m doing all this to repay their kindness.” He talked about how he would help them secretly by buying their yields in enormous scale, almost every time. “That’s the least we could do.”

She hauled her head aside to see her brother smiling tenderly at those humans. She then raised her brows at the sight of him being soft and all. “You really adore them, do you?”

“I like it here, Joohyun-ah.” He angled his head at her and grinned. His voice sounded easy like nothing was wrong with it—like it was a mundane thing to be said by them.

 “People here…They’re like a family to me.”

 “Bogum!”

Both of the siblings leaned down to see an old man looking up at them in his work attire— loose shirt and pants already scattered with muds, he didn’t forget to use his weary boots, smiling as he discovered her as well. “Oh hi, Joohyun!

She gave a small smile and waved at him back. “Hi, uncle Kang!”

“What can I help you uncle?” Bogum said as he swiftly strode down the hill, meeting the man in the halfway with his beaming smile.

She watched both of the men laugh heartily while making their way to the mud-filled ground, probably doing physical work down there. The older man turned in her direction abruptly and raised his hand, “Joohyun-ah! I borrow your strong brother for a moment to help this old man here~” He shouted merrily. “Is that okay with you?”

Joohyun brought her thumbs up and unknowingly smiled when she saw her brother being shoved sideways by the older man much later.

They invite us to come to their dinner. Do you want to come?

Bogum questioned her as he threw a quick glance at her. The woman only hummed a lazy reply. Do you?

She could already guess his answer from the way he asked her earlier.

I do!

Okay. She answered sluggishly while observing her brother who already back to helping the older man with twinkle filled eyes. 

Sometimes Joohyun wondered whether her brother did hate their current life as well, living nomadic for years, watching mortal people they knew die every passing time when the two of them didn’t even aged—facial appearance wise.

Sometimes Joohyun did wonder.

Did her brother leave their secluded huge mansion just to be this close to humans?

Whether he wanted to be normal—whether he wanted to be a human at all.

+++

April 8^th, 2017.

She shut her eyes close as the memory of her past life flashed in. Hissing at her own memories, the thought of it would always leave her somewhat devastating. Mind was snapping up into reality as she didn’t want to dwell on it any longer, her vision slowly gained its function back.

“Family my .”  She uttered numbly.  

As much as she hated humans, she remembered that she was the one who brought Seulgi here, therefore she shouldn’t accuse, nor do she had to throw hate remarks at that human. Because if any of Irene’s words were serious, she wouldn’t even bother to help her at all and might let her die that night or so she thought.

“This is getting ridiculous. I’m nowhere near being kind to her.”

Irene pinched the bridge of her own nose in frustration and decided to just stroll in to see that human mumbling cheerfully, “Oh you’re fast YooA! Can I perhaps get a sharpener or cutter? I think this pencil is way too- ”

She somehow liked it when an alarmed look was plastered on Seulgi’s face almost immediately the moment Irene stepped in, oh the sense of authority she got. She noticed Seulgi no longer paying attention to whatever was that on her laps, something to do with, she squinted her eyes. Drawing?

“Way too what? Just continue.”

“Uh way too rounded…”

Irene nodded and casually marched towards the opened window, where rays of sunshine gleaming past the curtains. She didn’t afraid of sunlight, but it did hurt her eyes in some way so she decided to draw the curtain close while pulling a chair along to the corner. She sat on the dragged chair and unintentionally engaged herself into a locked gaze with Seulgi.

“What are you looking at?”

“I thought you hate me?”

Is she being sarcastic now? Irene tilted her head and watched her staring blankly at her back. After a quick analyze, the woman shook her head in a gesture saying Nah, she looks dumb though. She leaned forward in her seat. “You’re fast in catching things, huh? So yeah, yes.”

Seulgi wore a surprised look that surprised her even more.

“Don’t be surprised at all. You hate me too, right?” Irene asked in a knowing tone. “We’re on the same page.”

“NO! I don’t hate you!” Seulgi hastily straightened her sitting position, making her bed noisily squeak. The latter then bent her body forward in a snap, bowing in her direction, hands on stomach with head just about touching her covered thighs. Irene almost shrieked when she thought every joint in Seulgi’s body creak painfully loud. “I don’t hate you really! I was just a bit shocked that day. You were right though, so there was no use for me to complain or anything.”

“Uh…”

“Thank you so much Ms. Bae.”

And the room went into a silence, just after Seulgi uttering her gratitude. However, the said woman was still supporting her twisted position.

“What are you doing? Get back to your position!” Irene sat on her seat with a terrified face. “You scare me!” Oh my God, Wendy will hate me forever….

She stood up and slowly paddled towards Seulgi’s bed. “You don’t happen to snap your neck and die here right?”

“I’m not,” Seulgi gradually rose to her former position and smiled widely at Irene. “Thank you so much for saving me that night, Ms. Bae. I don’t know what would happen to me…if-” Her voice shook a bit as she continued to set a smile. “I-if you didn’t come and save me.”

“Wait a minute.” Irene held her palm out, stopping Seulgi from her other on-going thankful words. “Who told you my name? I didn’t remember telling you mine.”

“Wendy told me.”

Wendy?

Seulgi smiled while taking her free hands in a very tight clutch. “She told me as well that you refused another injection of sedative to calm me, just so I won’t suffer from getting too much of it and being paralyzed much longer. Thank you for your concern!”     

Irene threw a strange look and narrowed her eyes at the additional hand on hers. “Let go of my hands now.”

“Oh wow… your hands are cold Ms. Bae!” Seulgi hurriedly retreated hers and rubbed it together and she sensed that the room felt a bit colder than before. She observed the pale woman with concern and saw her glaring back.

“A-are you okay, Ms. Bae?”

“Don’t you dare touching me again.” Irene spat and stomped her way back to her seat, furthering away their distance with a scowl on her face. She glanced at her hand and growled to herself.

“I-I’m sorry, Ms. Bae. I didn’t mean to offend you or anything. I-I just want to honestly thank you.”

“Just be quiet.” Irene breathed out, throwing her head back in stress. She hated it when people lay a single finger on her. That shut Seulgi in an instant and Irene sighed inwardly.

The peace she ought to get broke immediately when a blast of ringtone along with its vibration got Irene’s body to jerk in surprise, she thought that she was electrocuted for a moment there. Quickly realizing what it was, she hastily fished the buzzing device out of her jeans pocket, lifting it with a pinch oh her fingers.

Charming Joy~

She stared at the name flashed on her phone and yelled inside her head. Why are you calling me with it?!

Answer with your phone, unnie!

Irene’s eyes were constricted into a slit. I am answering now so you better speak.

Why in the hell we are conversing this way though. You’re such an old-fashioned person!

I am. So, what? Have any problem? Fight me then.

Just answer me with your DAMN phone unnie!

Joy was straight to whining already and it hurt her head in every possible way. Stop screaming!

Won’t until you use your phone!

Ridiculous, was what Irene about to roar out. That’s where you get it wrong. My latest phone is a flip one and what you got me is all screens! It doesn’t have a keypad on it like any other normal phones do! How am I supposed to use it?!

Oh my jezz! How long did you exactly outcast yourself? That so called flip phone is dead already, unnie. People in this generation no longer use it. That’s why I bought you one so you can be like accustomed to it normally like any other people out there would do. It’s the newest line up you know!

Do you realize I’m not that good with technology? I was having a hard time with my former phone back then. Irene raised the device in one hand higher.  I can’t even operate this thing! Let alone make a phone call!

I’m sorry unnie but I won’t say any word to you until you use your phone properly. Bye!

She heard her own scoff and raised her eyebrow at the pointless argument they currently had. The did you call me all the way just to be this annoying? Gracious, just get lost already.

“Aren’t you going to pick it up? It’s been ringing for a while now though.”

“No need.” Irene tore her eyes from her phone’s screen and gave a casual shrug when the ringing abruptly stopped; she shoved it back into her pocket. “See? It’s dead already.”

The room suddenly turned gloom and Irene kind of blamed her own exaggerated respond. They were in a dead silence now, and she didn’t know how to react in this kind of situation. Just when she thought it would be better to leave, Seulgi suddenly spoke up much to her surprise.

“I’ve always wondered about myself,” She drawled in a certain tone that made Irene stare at her questioningly. “Do I really easy to be read?”  

“Like that time you asked me, or more like pointed it out for me.”

Her confused eyes met the ones who solemnly looked back as if reminding her of what she had said. “Whether I still have my family left or not,” Seulgi chuckled bitterly, almost tearing up at some point when she tried to look anywhere but her. “The funny thing is yeah, I don’t have any family left so you’re actually right. I could hear perfectly your emphasized words that d-day.”

The latter heaved a deep sigh and dropped her head down. “I’m so pathetic…” She continued to utter in difficulty, having a slight trouble in breathing when her eyes started to ream another trail of tears. “I-I even lost my baby.”

“How am I supposed to respond to your story?” Irene probed with an unsure tone. She did nothing this time though. “Why did you tell me this as well?”

“You said so yourself that you hate me. So, yeah you could laugh maybe? I don’t know…”

When she no longer heard Seulgi mumbling thus she was positive that the latter was bawling her eyes out again.

I couldn’t believe I did this…

“Just wipe your tears with it.” Irene threw her freshly washed handkerchief towards her direction, ignoring her astounded look. Was she surprised to actually meet someone who carried a handkerchief rather than tissue nowadays?

“And, please do not snot on it…. I just washed it.” Irene reprimanded when she saw Seulgi about to blow her nose with it. The said woman was halting her movement with wide eyes on display, feeling awkward at her abrupt warning—because she happened to do just that.

“I don’t have tissue either since using it means contributing to global warming. So, use anything else to get rid of your snots, thank you in advance.”

Hello! The teasers are out everyone! huahahah I suddenly worship watermelon, orange, pineapple, kiwi, and grape~  <3
Anyways, I'll get back to uni in the next day so yeah won't have much time to update in a fast pace so hope this chapter somehow makes up for it? 
Thank you for reading, subscribing, commenting and upvoting this story! I really do appreciate it~~
Have a nice day everyone!!
Ps. Let's stay awake for another possible teaser! Kkkkkkkkk