Author’s Note:

I am terribly sorry for the delay. The second chapter has been waiting in my draft for a long time, I just don’t know how the first bite scene should be and I’ve been squeezing my brain out for this.

Also, I’ve been very preoccupied with finding internships and such, in my country, it’s a bit hard to get jobs when you’re a literature student :/ but thankfully I managed to land an internship and that’s that :)

Anyway, what do you guys think about this chapter? I originally wanted to do the bite scene as horror as possible but then I remember I at horror movies and probably even worse in creating one so I choose to settle with that hehe :(

Anyway! Thank you for those who has stayed around and read the story. Don’t forget to subscribe and comment because it’ll mean so much to me (upvote will also be loved ehe) and Happy Eid Mubarak for the Muslims! Hope you guys are safe and happy with your loved ones <3

Two.
The First Bite.

“I was so worried when we heard there’ll be a storm tonight,” Aunt Kim says as she sets the dining table. She straightens her back and look at Sehun, who’s sitting in her living room with Jisoo on his side. “Storms in Ijeon have never been friendly.”

Jisoo nods vigorously. “It’s good now that you’re here.” A comforting smile blooms across her face. “How was your trip?”

Sehun purses his lips, not quite knowing what to say. “It was okay, tiring, but okay.”

“Too bad it’s foggy right now. The scenery is very beautiful when the sun is out.” Jisoo comments. “Nothing bad happened, I hope?”

He opens his mouth but closes it again, wondering if he should tell Jisoo what he saw. Jisoo arches an eyebrow at Sehun’s silence and Sehun decides to tell her. Shifting a little, he turns his body so he can fully face Jisoo and lowers his voice. “You know, I think I saw something really, really crazy on the street.”

Much to his surprise, Jisoo’s eyes brightened, however she seemed to notice the gravity of the situation because she whispers. “What? What happened?”

Sehun bits his lower lip. “Don’t tease me for this. I was scared less.”

A crooked smile blooms on her lips. “I won’t. Come on, just tell me already!”

With a sigh, Sehun speaks. “It was very foggy when I was on the way here but I saw something on the road. Something abnormal.” He starts, searching for Jisoo’s eyes and somehow is comforted by the fact that Jisoo is giving him her full attention and not treating this as a joke. “There was a moment when the mist clears up a little and I saw… a girl on the middle of the street. She’s covered in blood and—and she was crouching in front of… in front of a dead animal… or something, I didn’t really see it. My driver was doing something so he didn’t see the girl too.”

To his surprise, a mischievous smile appears on Jisoo’s lips. “So you’ve seen one of them. I’m jealous. I’ve been living here for almost a year and I’ve never even see one of them… or anything else, really!”

“One of them?”

“One of the ghosts of Ijeon.” Jisoo says mysteriously.

Sehun blinks before letting out an annoyed groan. “Jisoo, I’m being serious.”

“No, no. I’m being serious, too!” the younger girl protests, shaking her head. “It’s an urban legend around here and you’re not the only one who have seen the bloody girl.”

“That sounds like a child’s story.”

“I’m dead serious, Sehun.” Jisoo insists, grabbing both of Sehun’s arms. “Ijeon is surrounded with dense forests and mountains and a lot of people have been missing every year when they go there—“

Sehun clicks his tongue. “So I’ve heard. The taxi driver told me about that too and warned me not to go into the forest alone.”

“And he’s right.” She nods wistfully, letting go of his arms and propping her chin on her palm. “Folks here say that the forests and mountains are haunted and every once in a while, the ghosts of people who passed away there appear at night… or when the mist cloaks the earth.”

“Sounds pretty poetic.”

Jisoo rolls her eyes. “Numerous people have been seeing these ghosts, sometimes it’s male, other times a female, sometimes a child, other times elders. People around here often go to the edge of the forest to leave offerings such as flowers, foods… toys… they say it’s to help the spirits to be at peace.”

Hearing this, Sehun can feel himself getting a bit uncomfortable. Personally, he believes that ghosts exist, that there are good spirits and bad spirits in this earth (he had watched too many paranormal documentaries to not believe) but he has never seen them with his own eyes. Was the girl he saw on the street a ghost? He’s not quite sure but somehow his heart is more at peace if the girl really was a ghost and not some… lunatic who ate dead animal’s carcass in the middle of the street during a very foggy night.

“That’s quite sad.” He murmurs.

“We can go there tomorrow if you want to see it.” Jisoo offers. “I mean, we’re going to see your flat tomorrow so why not take a detour?”

He clicks his tongue. “Don’t know if I want that kind of detour right now.”

A chuckle escapes Jisoo’s lips. “Well, better get used to it because there are a lot of strange things in Ijeon. Ghosts of the forests and the mountains are not the only urban legends here, y’know?”

“Somehow I don’t want to know.”

This makes Jisoo smiles more, as if teasing him. “By the way,” she says, staring at Sehun’s belongings that are sprawled across the living room. “Sorry for not being able to provide you a place to live here. Our flat only has two rooms and one bathroom and it’s already very, very cramped.”

An understanding smile blooms on his lips. Jisoo’s father passed away roughly a year ago from cancer and the medical fees were very expensive and have a lot of the family’s fortune. After his death, Jisoo and her mother moved to Ijeon, the life expenses here are a lot cheaper than Seoul, plus, her mother got a decent job in town so Sehun guesses they’re on a good start.

“It’s alright. Don’t worry about me.”

“You’re really okay sleeping on the living room tonight, right? You can use my room if you want to…”

Sehun shakes his head quickly. “No. I’ll be fine here. Don’t feel bad.”

“Alright, it’s time to eat now!” Aunt Kim’s voice rings from the kitchen.

Jisoo gives Sehun a tight smile before giving his hand a squeeze and saunters into the kitchen. Sehun sighs before standing up and follows her.

The dinner is simple but Sehun doesn’t complain. There are bacons, sausages and three eggs completed with three glasses of water. He takes a seat on the circular table. It has four seat but only three are seated—his, Aunt Kim’s and Jisoo’s. It’s only when he starts to eat that Sehun realizes how tired and hungry he is.

“This food is really good, Aunt Kim.” Sehun mutters gratefully.

The corner of Jisoo’s mouth lifts up. “Mom makes the best dishes,” she says proudly. “Anyway, mom, Sehun saw one of the ghosts of Ijeon back then.”

This makes Aunt Kim arches an eyebrow. “Oh, like the ones you said Mr. Lee saw the other day?” she replies, not really believing Jisoo but otherwise encouraging the girl to go on with the story.

“Not really…” Jisoo trails off. “What Mr. Lee saw resembles more of a monster rather than a ghost, didn’t he told us that thing has fangs and covered with hair?”

“What?” Sehun deadpans.

Jisoo looks at Sehun excitedly. “I mean it when I told you folks around here saw ghosts. There was this old man, Mr. Lee, he lived across the street. He traveled to the forests often to scavenge for lost travelers or wounded animals, don’t ask me why. So last month he was chasing a trail of an animal, it was bleeding, and it was nightfall—“

“You sa