[CONTENTID1]Choice: Sit on the bench.[/CONTENTID1]

[CONTENTID2]“Thanks for the offer, Jooheon, but I’d rather sit and wait over here,” Haera weakly smiled. “My ankle is killing me.”

“Then,” Jooheon gently placed an arm across his stomach, palm facing upwards. “Please wait here and rest.”

Haera thanked him in advance for his help before he turned around and went on his way inside the castle. In the meantime, Haera went over to the stone bench and sat on it. The cold contact from her wet jeans to the stone bench made her squirm in place. She let out a sigh after finally getting some much needed rest.

The night winds weaved in between branches which made the leaves rustle and dance. There were also the soft sounds of the waves that crashed against the cliff down below. 

Haera closed her eyes and focused on her breathing. Then she opened them and began to scan the area around her. The castle lights were beaming bright. It was a wonder why no one has ever mentioned seeing them by the docks where they hosted the Halloween event. But then again, stories of dense fog being prominent around these areas might have been aiding its concealment. 

As she looked up the castle walls, she noticed a figure behind one of the windows on the second floor. She couldn’t see his face but from the silhouette, she gathered that he too was wearing a vampire costume like the others.

Her eyes then wandered elsewhere which made her notice the varying little bear statues all over the property. One bear stood up and played with the bear beside it while another bear was laying down on the little grassy area. The remaining bears all had different poses and accessories.

“Are they supposed to be their version of garden gnomes?” Haera chuckled to herself. “They’re adorable though.”

She turned her body and examined the purple irises by the entrance to the hedge maze behind her. The purple irises were in full bloom, revealing the yellow butterfly-like veins at its center. Haera wasn’t versed in any type of flower nor did she learn any of their meanings. All she could do was appreciate the beauty as she saw them, the smell as she got a little whiff, and their delicate nature as she touched them. 

“Purple irises symbolize royalty and wisdom,” a deep voice said beside her. “A great fit for us vampires.”

She turned her attention to the new arrival that loomed over her and noticed that it was the man named Wonho she saw earlier.

“However, these beautiful ones,” he carefully placed a hand near a bloomed flower but didn’t touch it, “are poisonous.”

“Oh my—” Haera automatically moved her body away from the hedge at the mention of it being a poisonous plant.

Wonho chuckled. “But as long as you don’t touch them,” he paused as if he thought about how to phrase the next line, “you’ll be fine.” He turned his eyes towards the female sitting below him and smiled. “Hello again, Miss Park Haera.”

“You seem to know a lot about flowers,” she straightened her back and tried to keep herself calm. Her cheeks flushed a bit after she heard him chuckle when she flinched earlier. 

“I take care and maintain the castle’s flowers and garden,” he replied. He began to untie the cape around his neck with a quick tug from one of its strings using his right hand’s thumb and index finger. After he removed the extra piece of clothing that clinked to him, he fluttered it into the air and gently wrapped it around the slightly quivering female.

Surprised at the sudden gesture, Haera almost jumped up from her seat. “T-Thanks.” She held onto the cape and wrapped her body tightly in it to latch onto the warmth it radiated.

“You’re welcome.”

Wonho gave her a smile but beneath those yellow eyes, she could sense that there was sadness deep inside him.

Before Haera could ask what was troubling him, the sound of footsteps from the direction of the castle’s entrance caught her attention. Jooheon was casually walking towards their direction with a little white box dangling by his right and a thick blanket tucked under his left.

“Hey, sorry for the wait,” he said apologetically as he bent down to place the first aid kit on the bench beside her. He then opened the neatly folded blanket and wrapped it around Haera. “There, to keep you warm.”

“Thank you, Jooheon.”

Jooheon looked over to Wonho to which the latter gave him a nod. “I’ll leave you to it then,” he smiled and went on his way back to the castle.

Wonho bent down and started untying Haera’s left shoe. Despite her flustered protests, he assured her that it was fine and to not worry.

“I’ve bandaged myself a lot so I know what I’m doing,” he reasoned. “Plus, it's better to have someone else do it when you're already in pain.”

“Thank you,” she lowered her head. “Again.”

After giving her a reassuring smile, Wonho continued to skillfully bandage Haera's bruised ankle. Although she winced a bit due to the pain, she tried to keep it to herself to not worry him further.

Once he was done, he stood up and dusted his pants. Then he politely asked if he could sit next to her. With a nod of affirmation from the female, he sat cross legged beside her. As Haera continued to stare at his side profile, she again noticed the sadness in his eyes.

“I don't mean to intrude into your life, but is something bothering you?”

“Hmm?” He looked at her straight in the eyes yet maintained his neutral expression. “I'm fine. What makes you say that?”

“An individual's eyes can tell a story,” she fiddled with the hem of the blanket. “Forgive me if I'm prying too much, but I'm studying to become a psychologist and sometimes, I end up noticing unmentioned details.”

“Interesting,” he snickered. He paused for a few moments before continuing, “I was just thinking about how one of the flower paths at the opposite end of the maze needs to be changed. That’s going to be a lot of work.”

She narrowed her eyes at him. “And that’s enough to make you give off these sad vibes?” 

“Hey,” he feigned a pained look with a hand on his chest. “I love all of my creations. Having to replace them can break my heart.”

“Mhmm,” Haera raised an eyebrow but didn’t inquire further knowing that he probably wouldn’t divulge anything else. She scanned around and noticed that the figure by the second floor’s window was still there. “By the way, who’s that?” She pointed upwards to which Wonho followed where her finger led with his eyes.

He smirked. “Oh, that’s Hyungwon. He likes to gaze out into the night through that window.”

“For what reason?”

“Surveillance,” was all he said until a soaked figure emerged from the hazy and heavily pouring forest. 

The man ran his left hand over his drenched light brown hair, making the locks stick in place. Aside from the same obvious vampire attire he was wearing, he had two scars that were a few inches apart on the left side of his face. He gracefully walked towards the entrance of the castle but stopped midway when his nose twitched.

“A human on the gr