"She's saying she wants to be a vampire!" Hyejoo pointed at Chaewon. "She wants me to turn her!"

Jiwoo gasped, and Hyunjin only let her eyes grow bigger.

"Just let me explain!" Chaewon cried.

"There is nothing to explain, I won't do it!"

"Hyejoo, that's enough," Hyunjin said. "Chaewon, please explain."

Chaewon swallowed and sniffed, taking a relieved breath.

"What? Why aren't you telling her that's ridiculous?!" Hyejoo frowned at Hyunjin.

"Can you shut up for a second, please?"

Hyejoo clenched her jaw, her nostrils flaring. "Whatever, I don't wanna listen to this bull."

She dashed to the door, but Hyunjin grabbed her arm in time. "I won't let you run away this time. You'll stay and listen before calling someone's feelings bull."

Hyejoo rolled her eyes, but stopped fighting.

"It's about my hand!" Chaewon said, raising her right hand. "I talked to Jihyo today, she said it can take months to heal, but I also have a chance of losing my whole hand. But if I get turned, it will heal in no time. I know I won't have my fingers back, but at least I don't need to lose my hand or be incapacitated for months! We're going to battle in a few days and I want to make myself useful instead of a nuisance, a dead weight that needs to stay put or to be protected. I'm tired of being the weakling that always stays in the back and can't fight alone. I've been thinking about this the whole day, and I've made my choice."

Hyejoo pulled her arm away from Hyunjin's grip. "I can and will protect you-"

"I don't want you to! I can fend for myself, I can also be there for you! Can't you see that if you're always thinking of protecting me, you can't even protect yourself properly? Do you think I would find any joy in you getting hurt in my place?"

"And you need to be turned for that?"

Chaewon shook her head in disbelief. "You're being a selfish , did you know that? You started yelling at me before I even had a chance to finish. Why do you always think you know what's best for me better than I do myself? You're not my mother!"

"Selfish?" Hyejoo dropped her chin and scoffed. "I'm thinking about you, I'm putting you above everything else, and I'm being selfish?!"

"No, Hyejoo, you're thinking about what you want for me, and not what I want. You want me to stay human so you're the one protecting me. That's not what I want. I'm tired, so tired of it, I just want to be strong like you are."

"You don't need to become a vampire for that!"

"Yeah, but right now it's my best chance at keeping my hand, and possibly my life. Did you know such an infection has a chance of spreading throughout my whole body and I could actually die? Are you going to wait until that happens and my body is too weak to handle the transformation?"

"And you expect me to turn you? Voluntarily?!"

"If you don't do it, I will," Hyunjin said, earning widened eyes from everyone, except for Hyejoo, who threw her a glare that could pierce through her skin.

She took a step closer to Hyunjin, frowning so hard a vein popped in her temple. "You will not-"

"Get out," Hyunjin spat. "I changed my mind. Go get some air."

"Hyunjin, i-it's late," Jiwoo said, her voice quivering.

"I don't care." Hyunjin kept staring Hyejoo dead in the eyes. "I really care for you Hyejoo, and I know you can be a hardheaded, but you're crossing the line. You're making this a hundred times worse than it needs to be, and Chaewon has a point. If it can save her hand, then you should even be glad, not making a scene like this."

"She's trading away her chance at a normal life with the things neither of us will be able to enjoy anymore, for a chance of something worse happening, which hasn't even happened yet. And you somehow think that's reasonable?" Hyejoo was still yelling, clearly so taken with nerves her eyes had turned silver.

"Imagine this was you. You fight with your hands. What if you were at risk of losing a hand, but becoming a vampire would save you? What if Chaewon insisted she would never do it, how would you feel then? Maybe if it was you, you would take the chance on your hand and prefer to live a human life, still. Fair enough. But that's not what Chaewon wants and you need to listen to her."

Hyejoo's features softened, and now, she couldn't come up with anything to say.

"Go outside, get some air, go to the training grounds and punch some dummies, I don't care. Come back when you've calmed down and thought seriously about this," Hyunjin said, waving her hand at the door.

Without a word, Hyejoo turned and left, shutting the door with a loud thud. Hyunjin rubbed her temples with a long sigh.

"S-Should I go and make sure she will be okay?" Jungeun asked.

Hyunjin turned to find Jungeun holding Heejin's hands by the stairs, faces drained of any color.

"Let her be."

Chaewon broke down crying again, dropping her body to the couch, and Jiwoo ran to her, kneeling in front of her.

Did Hyunjin go too far with Hyejoo? No, Hyejoo was definitely in the wrong there.

"What now?" Heejin asked.

"I don't know." Hyunjin dropped her head back, closing her eyes. "I don't really know."

Hands held Hyunjin's, making her look ahead again, at the worry in Heejin's face.

"I don't want to be the only one aging!" Chaewon kept crying. "You're all vampires now, and I don't want to see Hyejoo stuck in time while I grow older without her! And I don't want to die now because of my hand or die in the fight because I'm too weak!"

Hyunjin had no idea why that hurt so much in her chest. Maybe because it was unfair for the both of them to be fighting like that, when an honest and calm conversation could solve it all. They just had to open up to each other, talk about their feelings, and all would be okay. But all they've been doing lately is fighting and being mad at each other, when all they want is to protect the other.

She turned and walked towards Chaewon, sitting next to her.

"Chaewon, listen to me. I know it's unfair of me to ask you this, but please, talk to Hyejoo. And when I say this, I mean, tell her how you really feel about her."

Chaewon cleaned her eyes and faced Hyunjin. "W-What do you mean?"

"You know what I mean. You're both afraid to talk about it, and look where it got you."

Red painted Chaewon's cheeks. "I... I-I don't know."

"But I do."

"What do you know?"

"I know what we all know, except you two, apparently."

Chaewon blinked. "Wait, I'm confused."

Hyunjin grunted in frustration. "Goddess, just tell Hyejoo you like her."

A gasp escaped Chaewon's throat, her body recoiling. "W-Why are you... why now?"

"Because I'm sure a big part of why you've been fighting lately is because both of you have feelings you never spoke about, and unconsciously, are making each other frustrated and taking it out on the other. Not only that, but the whole 'I need to protect her' too. This is the worst time for you to be fighting, so please, talk. I wouldn't in like this, but we're about to do something very important in a few days and our teamwork needs to be perfect if we're taking on an enemy like that. Right now, this tension is affecting the team big time."

Chaewon didn't say anything else. She looked down at her lap, sniffing hard, but at least she had stopped crying by now.

"I'll stay with you until Hyejoo's back." Hyunjin rested a hand on her leg. "You three can go to sleep."

"We can stay," Jiwoo said.

"No, I insist. I also want to apologize to Hyejoo when she's back."

Jiwoo and Jungeun shared a look.

"Call us if you need something." Jungeun stood up with Jiwoo.

"Will do. Good night."

They went on upstairs, but Heejin stood still by the stairs.

"Gimme me a second," Hyunjin whispered to Chaewon before standing up and walking to Heejin. "You okay?"

"Do you want me to stay?"

"It's okay, really. Go and have some sleep."

Heejin pouted, and Hyunjin pecked her lips.

"Alright. Get some rest as well."

"After I make sure Hyejoo is back."

Another kiss, and Heejin headed back to their room. Hyunjin sat next to Chaewon again, silently keeping her company.

"Is it the right choice?" Chaewon asked.

"About you turning?" Hyunjin faced her, and she nodded. "You're the one that has to decide. But I understand your reasoning. And indeed, if you turn, your hand will heal in no time and you'll be able to fight better."

"Why was Hyejoo so against it, then? Would she... not like me if I was a vampire? Does she think I'm gonna change? I can't believe she went on that whole speech about how vampires aren't any different than humans just earlier today and now she's acting as if being a vampire is the worst thing on earth. That's so unfair, and honestly, hypocritical."

"She never asked to be turned, so she probably finds it hard to understand why would someone ask to be. But give her time. I know she'll understand your reasons."

Chaewon nodded again, and silence settled in once more. A few minutes later, a head hit Hyunjin's shoulder, making her look down at how Chaewon had fallen asleep. She was probably exhausted from the long day. Careful as to not wake her up, Hyunjin grabbed her and laid her down on the mattress behind the couch, pulling the sheet up to her neck.

Sighing, she looked around. How she would love to play the piano now, but couldn't. Instead, she sat cross-legged by the big window that allowed her to look outside at the sky, but soon after, her own eyes closed.

A hand on her shoulder shot Hyunjin's eyes open. She jerked her head towards it, to Hyejoo who stood by her.

"Were you asleep?" Hyejoo asked.

"Yeah."

"Sitting?"

Hyunjin stood up with a light chuckle. "Yeah, I can sleep like that."

Hyejoo showed a small smile.

"Are you feeling better? Calmer?" Hyunjin asked.

"Yeah." Hyejoo held her arm, looking somewhere else. "I'm sorry."

"It's not me that you have to apologize to. In fact, I wanted to apologize to you. Sorry about the way I spoke to you."

"No, in fact it helped."

"So, will you accept her request?"

Hyejoo nodded with a hum. "Putting myself in her position helped me understand. And she was right, I was only thinking about what I wanted for her."

Hyunjin rested a hand on her shoulder. "You know how it is to be a vampire. It a bit, but it's not entirely bad. Also, she said she doesn't want to grow older while you're stuck in time."

"S-She said that?"

"Hyejoo, I think it's time for you to be honest with your feelings. Trust me, and tell her."

She didn't answer at first, and Hyunjin wondered if she was trying to find an excuse not to do it.

"I will," Hyejoo said instead. "I don't know if it's the right time, but you're right, my feelings get in the way. I think it's better if I'm honest, and even if I'm rejected, we can be honest with each other and work things out."

How Hyunjin wanted to tell her she would not be rejected. "Do that."

"Thank you, Hyunjin, once again."

"Everything will be okay." She squeezed her shoulders before pulling her into a quick hug. "Now join Chaewon and sleep."

"You too. Heejin must be lonely without you."

"She probably is." Hyunjin chuckled. "Good night, Hyejoo."

"Good night."

Hyunjin walked upstairs, straight to her room, where Heejin laid, eyes closed. Slowly, Hyunjin got in bed next to her, spooning her and unable to stop herself from kissing the back of her neck before closing her eyes and getting the sleep she needed.

—

Morning came, and apparently, Chaewon and Hyejoo had talked already. Hyunjin sensed an awkwardness between them, and even though she was sure things went well and they were just shy now, she couldn't help but feel scared that something had gone wrong.

"S-So, how do we do this?" Chaewon asked.

"Should we call Haseul and ask her to come so she can take some blood from you?" Jiwoo said.

"Can't I just cut my arm?" Hyejoo looked around at them.

"N-No!" Chaewon hit her arm.

"You can, but you know it will hurt a bit," Hyunjin said.

"Whatever, I don't wanna bother Haseul just for that. Give me a knife and a bottle." Hyejoo stood up and walked to the kitchen.

Hyunjin shook her head, but followed. Chaewon wanted to do it as fast as possible, so her hand could heal, and she could get used to everything before the big battle a couple days ahead.

She fetched for a sharp knife from a drawer and turned to Hyejoo. A trembling hand reached for it, and Hyunjin retreated her hand.

"Are you okay?"

"ing nervous." Hyejoo breathed.

"How did the conversation go?"

Hyejoo's heart beat so hard Hyunjin didn't even have to focus much to listen to it. "W-Well."

Hyunjin irked an eyebrow. "You... confessed, right?"

Now it was her cheeks, gaining a redder hue. "Yes."

"Congrats." Hyunjin smiled, handing her the knife. "Would you rather I did it?"

"No, just hold the bottle, please."

Hyunjin did as told, holding the bottle beneath Hyejoo's left arm. Holding the knife with her right hand, and without hesitating, she made the blood drip from her forearm and down to the bottle.

"Are you okay?" Chaewon yelled from the living room.

Hyejoo laughed. "I'm great."

She didn't even show any signs of pain in her face, when Hyunjin was sure it was hurting.

"Can you believe Gowon's reaction was to hit me when I told her?" Hyejoo shook her head with a chuckle.

"What? Why?"

"She was like, I can't believe you never told me! But she never told me too!"

Hyunjin chuckled along. "And then?"

The contrast between the tough girl cutting her own arm and the shy smile on her lips was impressive. "And then I kissed her."

"Seems like you're not that shy, then."

"She wouldn't stop whining, I had to make her stop somehow. But she got even angrier because I didn't let her talk..."

"A classic. I think that's enough blood already."

Hyejoo took the knife away from her arm, watching as the cut closed in mere seconds. "Well, this was quite an experience. Talking about love while doing... whatever this was."

"Yeah, quite so. Let's go back before Chaewon passes out from anxiousness." But before they could take a step forward, Hyunjin held her arm. "I'm really happy for you."

"Me too. If I wasn't nervous for this, I would be jumping around and, yeah, you get it. Should we announce it or something?"

"Well, I'm sure the others heard us."

Hyejoo shrugged and headed to the living room, with Hyunjin following behind. Heejin held back a smile, but Jiwoo couldn't.

"I'm sorry, we did hear you," Jiwoo said. "Congrats, you two!"

Chaewon's cheeks burned red. "H-Hyejoo!"

"What, were you gonna keep it a secret? All that talk about a team or whatever, right? It needs to be out in the open, I guess."

"Yeah." Jungeun nodded. "You weren't really subtle at all."

"Took you long," Heejin snickered.

"Better late than never." Hyejoo glared at her, sitting next to Chaewon with the bottle in her hands.

Everyone focused on it, waiting for what was coming next.

"I just need to drink it?" Chaewon asked.

"Have you suddenly forgot everything you know about vampires?" Hyejoo shook her head.

All eyes were on Chaewon, and hers on the bottle. The girl was probably super anxious-

She stole the bottle from Hyejoo's hands and with the most determined expression on her face, she took it to her lips, shoving the liquid down , taking the girls by surprise. Chaewon frowned as she finished, scrunching up her nose. There was silence again, as the girls exchanged looks.

"How long is this gonna take?" Chaewon asked.

"It depends, and I honestly don't know the criteria," Hyunjin said. "It can take a couple hours, or half a day. Heejin was pretty quick, but it took a long time for you, right?" She turned to Hyejoo.

"I was turned in the middle of the night of the attack, and only fed here the next morning. Around seven or eight hours."

"Do I need to wait that long?" Chaewon whined.

"Maybe not. You'll feel sick in the stomach, and you'll know when you need to feed."

Chaewon gulped, but nodded. Hyejoo held her hand, and she relaxed.

"I hope it's fast, though. You need to learn how to use your abilities, and fast."

"Okay. So now we wait." Chaewon let her eyes wander, gazing off into the distance before letting out a loud gasp that caught everyone's attention.

"What?" Hyejoo rushed to her.

"There's something really important I want to do before I'm turned! Oh no, why didn't I think of this?" Chaewon looked genuinely panicked.

"What's wrong?" Hyejoo insisted.

"I want to eat something super delicious before I can never eat again!"

Everyone sighed in unison and shook their heads, while Jiwoo laughed out loud. Hyunjin couldn't help but chuckle.

"Go ahead Chaewon, I'll cook you anything you want. Just say it." Hyunjin rushed to the kitchen, smiling to herself. It was good to have Chaewon back.

---

A/N: HYEWON, AT LAST!!!!!!! And now they're all vampires WOOOOO

Okay so the final battle IS ALMOST THERE, but before, there's still a scene, one of my fav scenes, AND IT'S HAPPENING ON THE NEXT CHAPTER, Y'ALL AREN'T READY I SWEAR *screams*

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