As the door opened, the bell rang and the strong mixed smell of nature and coffee welcomed Gahyeon. It's an eccentric combination but it's really aromatic and calming for her.

This isn't her first time in this old coffee shop, as their signage said, established since 1652. Its vintage interior reminded her of the past. Walls that were intentionally cracked and painted halfway in grays and browns, decorated by hanging plants and bronze photo frames with intricate carvings. Varnished chairs and tables made out of irregular chops of wooden planks, giving that forest-like vibe. Weirdly, she feels comfortable and familiar within the spaces of what seems like the garden of eden.

It's just that university life the hell out of her although she'd done it a couple of times already. She should be used to it but times are now different. The evolution of modern technology made things somehow more inconvenient for someone as old as her. No, old feels upsetting, maybe the right word is long-lived.

Her life was goddamned. Gahyeon was cursed. To live the life that will never end. In a sense of when she dies, she's reincarnated. Her soul remains. Her past lives never left her. All of it stayed. Her memories stacked inside her brain and she knows it better than the back of hand. Every detail of it as if looking through a photo album. Wars, snowfalls, waves, rainfalls, every face, every step, every passing breeze. She remembers all of it.

"Welcome, how may I help you?" 

Oh, she's new. Gahyeon thought.

The lady at the counter greeted her with a pleasant smile, her eyes sparkling and curved like the crescent moon, hypnotizing her with her gaze. Or maybe she just stared for too long. And also maybe she just finds this lady in a hairbun quite gorgeous.

"A cup of black tea, please." Gahyeon smiled back, as she reached for her money in her back pocket.

"Hm, the usual," The overly attractive lady said under her breath as she started to punch something on the screen in front of her but Gahyeon still heard it.

"What?" It sounded a pitch higher, her surprise not hidden even in the slightest.

"Oh," The lady chuckled. "I trained last week. You probably didn't see me at the back." 

Gahyeon pressed her lips. She's pretty sure at this point that she's bright red from her embarrassment. Nevertheless, she reached out her slightly shaking hand for the payment.

"That'll be 2,000 won, miss." Maybe her hearing's experiencing some malfunction but the slight bit of amusing tone in the other lady's voice didn't escape her ears.

It was not long until her cup's ready, and with cold trembling hands, she grabbed her tray.

"Do you need help?" The lady offered kindly, again with that sweet smile of hers. "You're the only customer, I don't mind accompanying you to your table."

Again, curving her perfectly shaped lips. 

Gahyeon never had the chance to reply. Her cheeks flushed as she followed her steps. As far as she can recall, pretty women doesn't scare her so why does she feel fidgety.

Not soon after, she just realized they were seating face to face at the table on the farthest corner of the shop.

"My name's Handong." The lady introduced. "Gahyeon, right?"

  What's the heck is just happening today?

At this point of Gahyeon's peculiar day, she felt like this must be a fever dream. It's their first time meeting, at least from her point of view and for as long as she can remember. She didn't expect this unusual and bizarre feeling deep inside her chest.

She blinked multiple times, trying hard to compose her confusion.

"How'd you know?" She asked, barely.

"I just know." Handong shrugged, plastering her smile. Gahyeon thought it's becoming addictive for her own good, that smile. That godforsaken but heartwarming smile.

Gahyeon just nodded slightly. Gulping with her already parched throat, she felt her lips dry and finding the taste of the tea she ordered quite comforting. It was hot, dark, and the familiar taste of boldness. Just like how the lady accross the table glances at her, as if she was a prey.

She's lying if she said that Handong is not hot. She's really attractive. Her weird scent mixing with the coffee just makes Gahyeon dizzy.

"You like the tea?" Handong questioned, genuinely curious of the taste. Gahyeon almost choked.

"I brewed it, so I hope you like it." Handong pointed at the cup, and not long after looking briefly at Gahyeon's eyes. 

  Oh, my god, is she flirting with me? Is this what they call flirting?

Don't blame her. She may have lived all her past lives but she lived those rather privately, in an attempt to lessen her memories. Say, she's a bit ignorant to wordly adventures.

Their eyes met for a split second before Gahyeon averted her gaze. It was pretty cold outside, afterall it's January. But the heat from her cup doesn't help her already sweating hands. For the first time in her lifetime, she feels really really nervous.

"It tastes like the usual." Gahyeon muttered quietly, hiding her trembling voice.

"That's nice." Handong beamed.

"Can I have a sip?" And before she can even react, the lady with the mischievous smile already grabbed both of Gahyeon's hands, embracing the cup and her hands, as she sipped from it.

  Slurp. Slurp.

"Hmm, tastes nutty." Handong slightly smiled. Again. Her hands still clasping Gahyeon's hands. The tea almost gone halfway of the cup, its heat became meaningless now.

And was replaced by a new one. Handong's hands.

Maybe things escalated too quickly. Maybe everything happened so fast. But Gahyeon remembered it all.

How Handong's gaze went from the cup to meet Gahyeon's eyes. 

How the women in her messy but pretty bun slightly guided her to put the cup down.

How the hands that was holding her a moment ago grabbed her by the neck.

How Gahyeon's eyes widen when this lady with her extremely uncomfortable smile that makes her feel antsy in a good way, closed their gap.

And how their lips met abruptly, and they both knew something's off.

—

"What the hell did you just do?" Gahyeon blurted out.

  This is insane.

Handong stood up and made a beeline to the door of the shop.

"Don't you dare get out!" The girl who's cursed shouted, following this unbelievable lady. 

"I'm just gonna close the shop, okay?" Handong said back, much more calmly than the enrage girl with her. She flipped the close signage and locked the door.

Gahyeon tried to process what the hell happened.

This lady named Handong, kissed her. It wasn't long, and not even a sweet one. And when their lips met, a part of Gahyeon's memories were gone. Probably a three decades worth. She isn't even sure anymore. She's just sure that the woman with her is not normal, just like her.

"What are you?" Gahyeon straightforwardly asked. "How did you do that?"

"Okay, uhm.." This time, it's Handong who feels anxious. "Let's take a sit first." 

She lead both of them back to their table and Handong may have pounded for too long on what to say.

"Stop shaking your legs and just tell me." Gahyeon declared.

Handong stared at her. Eyes full of worry. For a short period, Gahyeon thought she looked like someone she knew already.

"Don't freak out, okay?" Handong gulped, clasping both of her hands together.

"I'm a vampire..." She mumbled. "I'm sorry..."

"A what?"

"Vampire...?"

"You're unsure of it?"

"I don't drink blood." Handong assured.

"You're a vampire but you don't drink blood?" Gahyeon said in disbelief. She felt like her head exploding. What the hell is this situation?

"You..." Handong started. "Your memories..."

Gahyeon looked up, startled. "What do you mean?" 

"It's cause instead of blood I feed off from memories and yours was..." Handong whispered, dropping her head lowly.

And like something was switched, everything suddenly makes sense now.

Gahyeon never wanted this. She doesn't want this curse. It wasn't convenient most of the time. Remembering the deaths of the people around her, their blissful memories with her and her own, never forgetting every piece of her unending lifetime. It feels like she's inside a hourglass and the sand continously ran but she never drowns from it. It fills her mind but not completely. She's trapped inside her own mind. Her immortality led her brain to never age thus her memories remained there.

Untouched, preserved, remembered.

But here came a lady, who possessed the power to relieve her from her torturing curse.

"I'm cursed to live the life that will never end," Gahyeon started. "My memories from thousands of years ago remains."

Unusually, it felt comfortable. Maybe it wasn't bad as she thought. She never actually had the chance to talk about her curse and knowing that someone shares a burden different from unextraordinary felt like an assurance.

"I- I'm sorry," Handong stammered. "I didn't know..."

"Of course, you didn't! Silly," Gahyeon said, amused of the other's reaction. "It was nice."

The kiss wasn't sweet, yes, however she felt a rush of solace when the pool of her memories were lessened. It was a burden, a hardship she thought she'll bring with forever. But knowing that a vampire like this lady exists, she realized maybe she's not cursed afterall.

Handong finally raised her head.

Handong never knew who she was or what she was. The first of her kind and most probably the last. She never understand her hunger. Her craving for touch, to eat something, to feed off of someone. And before she knew it, the memories of others serve as hers.

She's a vampire, a modern vampire. And thanks to her drop-dead physical appearance and flirtatious actions, she managed to lure her preys into a kiss. Just one kiss would be enough, the longer the better. A kiss will let her come inside their brains like a parasite, shuffling their memories and choosing the best ones. Most of it are the joyous and gleeful memories. Like first kisses, weddings, parties. These lasts her for three days or a week. Times when she feed off from dull memories doesn't ven make her full for a day or two.

Then here came a girl.

When their lips touched, she was overwhelmed. It was a blurry ride. Her vision fuzzy. Too much was inside of her. It left her with no time to choose from the dozens of dozens of memories. It was a quick peck, their lips barely touched but Gahyeon's memories will surely survive her for a whole month.

"February 3, 1252 till November 29, 1322. I particularly hate that life of mine.” Gahyeon said, smiling softly.

Handong searched through the girl’s eyes. She honestly wanted it. Basically deleting a lifetime in her. In a sense, Handong’s immortal too. She lived for a hundred years but never did she encounter her. Atleast they must’ve met or grazed past each other once. The possibilities are endless. They might have not met in the past, but the present that they're living now is what matters.

Handong shared Gahyeon’s smile.

Per Gahyeon's wish, they kissed once again, this time it was different. Savoring every bit of her memory as their lips clashed. It was a smooth ride. Handong doesn’t mind, of course. She’s feeding, making herself full from Gahyeon’s burdens. 

On the other hand, Gahyeon wanted to kiss the vampire in front of her for as long as she could until the memories left with her are from the lifetime she’s in now. But the vampire is full. She can’t consume more than what she can handle. 

And so their out of this world relationship started.

They always meet. In the same coffee shop. On the same spot. They share a cup, and exchange a few stories. Sometimes, Handong tells Gahyeon her past life. It was always a funny conversation. 

“You know, they said a person will meet their other half one in ten thousand of lifetimes.” Gahyeon stated, out of the blue.

They sat in a bench outside Gahyeon’s university. The night spring breeze greeted them warmly.

Handong held Gahyeon’s hand, intertwining their fingers. Their eyes met and curved so softly. In moments like these, the love that bloomed in them reflected in the most beautiful way possible.

Never did Gahyeon became grateful to be cursed and to finally meet someone like Handong. The night they once discovered each other’s presence was followed by more. For years, for decades, they both endure and take part of each other’s lives. As Handong satisfies her hunger, a part of Gahyeon soothens.

“Hey,” Handong said as they walk down the road. Gahyeon hummed in response.

“I just realized that I really belong to you.” Handong smiled at her own words. They both shared the feeling of contentment as they laughed at their cringeworthy lines.

In moments like this, they thanked whoever cursed the both of them. Never letting go of each other hand, engraving it in her hearts. And these memories are the ones they will never forget.