“You look happy today. Almost like you are glowing.” My co-worker leaned over the desk.

After what happened last night, I couldn’t stop smiling all day, “I started dating someone.”

After a silent excited freak-out, she rolled her chair over to my cubical. I could tell she wanted more information, “Tell me more. How cute is he?”

Should I tell her that I fell for a girl?

“Come on girl! I need details!”

Maybe I should amuse her with simple details, “Very cute and romantic.”

“Do you have a picture?”

Taeyeon freaked the last time I tried to get her picture, “no…”

“Well when you do, I want to see the guy who finally captured your heart!”

I laughed as if I was going to show her a picture of Taeyeon. I don’t mind right now that Taeyeon is my little secret, “Of course.”

“You better. I am so glad you are back into the dating game! Someone as beautiful as you can’t stay single for the rest of her life.”

Rolling my eyes, “There are more bad people out there than good.”

She laughed, “Tell me about it. I have too many creeper stories from the clubs.”

“Same.”

“Although I am a bit sad that you took one of the eligible bachelors off the streets. I also need to catch a good man.”

Technically I didn’t steal any of her potential suiters, “The right one will show up at the right time.”

“You make that sound so easy now that you found a good one.”

I laughed because I was surprised how fast I started falling for Taeyeon. It was almost like I was under a wonderful spell, “I didn’t think this would happen either but I am not going to mess this up.”

“Please, half the office wants to date you but are too afraid to approach you. Anyone is lucky to have you.”

She is probably just saying that, “Thanks.”

The clacking of heels slowly approached our cubical, “I hope you girls plan on giving me those reports by the end of the day. You can gossip anytime after work.”

“Yes mam.” We said in unison.

“Miss Choi go back to your desk please.”

My coworker pushed her chair back to her desk while our boss gave me a firm glare before leaving us. Sometimes she seems like the devil but I know she cares a lot about our future. She the rare case of a woman boss in our company and all the women here respect her for that.

Looking over to the clock, I was hoping time would go faster. I was excited to see Taeyeon after work like usual. Nighttime was beginning to be the best time of the day. Getting up from my desk, I walked over to the printer to get a few documents. As I walked over, I looked out the window to see the sun ready to set. Just a little longer and I will see her.

When I was finished working, I rushed outside to see Taeyeon leaning against the railing on the stairs, like usual she was smiling making me smile back, “You are done early.”

I skipped over to Taeyeon and took her arm and pecked her on her lips, “I didn’t have much to do today.” Not true, I was really busy but the thought of seeing Taeyeon made me want to escape.

Taeyeon held onto my arm, “Did you want to eat something?”

I nodded frantically, “I am starved.”

“I know the perfect place.”

It was strange that Taeyeon knew all the best places to eat in town. She hardly ever ate that much but she says all the websites say these places taste really good.

“I haven’t had BBQ for a long time.”

Taeyeon smiled, “It always smells nice when I pass here.”

“I feel like a salaryman who is going to have a drink after working.”

Taeyeon laughed, “I guess this place isn’t very romantic. Maybe for our next date, I can take you somewhere really expensive.”

“I don’t need expensive food. It is the company that counts. I am just happy it is a date with you.”

Taeyeon looked away from me shyly, “you are going to make me fall for you even more if you keep saying sweet things like that to me.”

“I am just speaking the truth. I really like being with you.”

I could see Taeyeon’s ears turn a bright red. She was so cute, “same…”

After the waiter came with our orders, I was memorized by Taeyeon’s diligence in cooking the food, “You seem like a master chief.”

Taeyeon scoffed, “Far from it. I don’t normally cook so I can only do simple things like this.”

“Do you eat out a lot then?”

“Ah you could say that. I mean I used to cook a lot, but that was a long time ago, that I forgot what it is even like to cook a full meal. I do know how to turn beef like this.” Taeyeon put several pieces of cooked mean on my plate, “Eat up.”

I noticed Taeyeon was so focused on feeding me, that she hadn’t even tried some of the meat, “Are you going to eat?”

Taeyeon looked down at her empty place as she placed a few pieces of raw meet on the grill, “O-of course.” The cook hardly had anytime to cook as she took it off the grill and put it into practically raw, “it is good.”

How could someone eat practically raw meat like that? Although I thought that was kind of gross, I didn’t want to judge.

After we ate most of the meat, I was excited to plan our next date with the weekend coming up, “Taeyeon we should see the flowers tomorrow.”

Taeyeon looked around nervously, “I am umm busy tomorrow.”

“Oh…” I looked down at our hands intertwined, “The cherry blossoms only bloom for a short time.”

Taeyeon stopped flipping the meat for a second, “I am sorry. Maybe you can go with your roommates?”

I nodded, “It is just something for couples to do.”

“It will still be beautiful…you know without me there.”

No it won’t, “when will you be available next? Maybe we can see the flowers then?”

Taeyeon scratched the back of her head nervously, “I ah…can meet you tomorrow night instead if you want? There are some really awesome movies at the theater.”

A romantic movie date does sound fun, “Okay. Movies it is, but nothing too scary.”

“The scary ones are the best.”

“No way…monsters and stuff that jump out scare me to death.”

I am not sure if I said something wrong but Taeyeon started fidgeting in her seat, “S-should we get you home? It is a little late.”

We were pretty much done with the food anyway, “Sure.”

Like usual, Taeyeon paid for the food and she offered to walk me home. Although we didn’t always talk on the way back to my place, it just felt nice to hold her hand walking by her side. Being with Taeyeon gave me a weird calming effect like I would always be safe if I stayed by her side.

“What movie should we see? Romantic? Comedy? Action?”

I squeezed Taeyeon’s hand, “I am good with any of those. I haven’t been to the movies for a while.”

Taeyeon nodded, “Me neither. I am not sure I know who the famous actors are these days.”

“Do you have a favorite actor?” I nudged Taeyeon.

“Ah…is Baek Il-seob still doing movies?”

Baek Il-seob? Isn’t he in like Grandpa’s Over Flowers? “The really old guy?”

“I don’t know..I remember him from a few movies like “Light Flower.”

“Taeyeon…that movie came out before we were born. Why is he your favorite?”

“I like older movies?”

I wanted to ask her more about why she likes older movies and her strange taste in actors, but a man wearing a hood snuck up on us pushing a hard object to my back, “Give me your purse if you don’t want to get hurt.”

Taeyeon quickly turned to protect me, “Back away kid.”

The man in the hood pulled me against him with a knife to my neck, “Listen girly I don’t want to hurt you but if you don’t give it now, I will get it another way.”

I was scared but somehow, seeing Taeyeon trying to protect me, was calming, “I won’t repeat, let her go and leave now.”

The guy didn’t listen and pushed me aside to lunge at Taeyeon, but Taeyeon was quick and knocked the knife away and kicked the man in the stomach. The guy spit out a little bit of blood while he reached for the knife, but Taeyeon quickly stepped on his hand and whispered something in his ears before he ran away in fear.

I was excited and amazed at Taeyeon’s heroism, but when Taeyeon turned around quickly to see how I was doing, I stumbled back frighted seeing her eyes glowing red.

Taeyeon blinked a few times and her eyes went back to normal, but she must have sensed I saw something I should have seen, “A-are you hurt?”

Slowly I backed away from her, “What are you?”

Taeyeon bit her lip, “Jessica…I am…please just let me explain.”

“I-I saw your eyes…they changed color.”

“T-that only happens when I get angry…I can explain.”

Angry? “Taeyeon what I saw…wasn’t normal.”

“I know.” Taeyeon looked down and stayed silent for a second, “I was going to tell you eventually. I didn’t want to scare you away.”

What would scare me away?

“I really really like you Jessica and I would do nothing to hurt you. You have to believe me.”

“Taeyeon…what are you?”

I could see she was afraid to tell me, “I am not human…I am a vampire.”

What? Vampire? At that moment everything made sense. The reason Taeyeon didn’t like to go out in the sunlight, she was afraid of photos cause of the flash, and that she loved foods cooked in blood. I needed to get out of here.

“Jessica wait!”

I didn’t stop, instead I hoped onto the first bus I saw. It was like I was living in some strange nightmare.