The punching bag swung from one side to the other, as Hyunjin punched it over and over again, thinking if she should go and search alone, or follow the plan and tell Heejin to come with her. The plan required the both of them to be together in case they found someone and had to fake the scene on the spot, but part of her dreaded the hassle Heejin would be while searching. She was a human, after all. Slow-witted, slow in reflexes, and much more vulnerable.

She stopped, catching on her breath, and was about to drop to the floor for her push up routine when her phone rang.

[Jinsol] 
There has a been a report of someone missing. I’ll send you the location, meet Heejin there in an hour and search around that area.

Oh, great. Jinsol chose for her instead.

Hyunjin went back home from her training grounds, just a couple hundred meters from her house, to take a shower and dress appropriately – a comfy, plain tank top, black jeans, and her combat boots. She refilled her cats’ food and water bowls, and sat down with her bottle with the red liquid. They came from the couch were they lazed around and went straight for their food, and now Hyunjin could drink down her meal, while checking the location Jinsol had sent her on her phone.

After finishing her meal, she put on her leather jacket, stuffed her gun on the inside pocket, and her emergency blood flask on the other pocket.

“See you later.” Hyunjin kissed the top of Diana and Selene’s heads before heading outside.

She hoped on her motorcycle and the engine, setting the GPS on her phone. It should take her around fifteen minutes, so she wasted no more time and got on her way.

No surprise that Hyunjin ended up in a much calmer road, with barely any movement at all, but the location Jinsol sent her was behind closed gates. She stopped the engine just outside the private property and then read the sign – it seemed like it was some kind of sports club, and tall, dense trees surrounded the area.

“You ride a motorcycle?”

Hyunjin didn’t have to turn to know Heejin was there – not only she could distinguish her voice, but her scent had reached her nose a few seconds before she got there.

“Did you expect me to run in super high speed across the roads of Seoul at ten in the night?”

“You look like someone who jogs a lot.”

Hyunjin irked an eyebrow. “Yeah, I do. And I would probably run here faster than with Bumblebee, but it’s not exactly discrete for an unidentifiable body to run at superhuman speed through a highway, is it?”

“Bumblebee?” Heejin frowned.

“My motorcycle.” Hyunjin patted the black leather seat.

Heejin snorted. “You... named your motorcycle Bumblebee?”

“Are you making fun of it?”

“Well, sorry, I wasn’t expecting it.”

“Of course, because you would never expect a vampire to name her motorcycle, am I right?" Hyunjin stuffed her hands inside her pockets, leaning against Bumblebee’s seat.

“Yes.” Heejin shrugged. “Is it because it’s black and yellow?”

“Yes. I like yellow. Why, it doesn’t seem like I would like yellow as well?”

“You really don’t look like the type to be into such cheerful colors.” Heejin chuckled, and Hyunjin rolled her eyes. “I’ve been curious about something. What’s that on your wrist?”

Hyunjin looked at her own hands, trying to figure out what she meant. “This?” She pointed at her right hand.

Heejin nodded, and instead of explaining, Hyunjin took off her jacket, slightly turning so Heejin could take a good look at her right arm.

“Wow,” Heejin let out, widening her eyes at it – at the tattoo, starting with the sun on her shoulder, connected to the solar system's planets down her arm, with Pluto almost in the back of her hand. “I-It’s very cool. The one on your neck as well.”

Hyunjin irked an eyebrow and put on her jacket again.

“Thanks. And let me guess, you also wouldn’t expect a vampire to have planets and moon tattoos.”

“Touché.”

Hyunjin shook her head. “Let’s get to work. Someone went missing around here, and we might find a vampire lurking around. I can’t smell anything yet, but I’ll let you know if I do.”

“Alright, make sure to keep up with me.” Heejin smirked before turning on her heels. She sprinted, crossing the empty road, and jumped the security fence.

Hyunjin took her time to scoff and look around, making sure there really wasn’t anyone approaching, even though she couldn’t hear or smell anything aside from Heejin and her surroundings. Then, with enough impulse of her right foot on the ground, she launched forward, jumping as well. She landed a couple meters down, between the trees, her feet stepping on soft ground. She looked to her side, and Heejin landed beside her, rolling to her front.

“What were you saying?” Hyunjin asked.

“I would give you a trophy for that, but I’m not carrying any right now. Sorry,” Heejin said, fixing and shaking the leaves off her jacket and jeans.

Ignoring, Hyunjin led the way, her eyes shifting, and her vision adapting to what was ahead of her. What was the point in trying to compete when Heejin didn’t seem interested? In Hyunjin’s defense, she was the one telling her to keep up. That’s what she did.

They walked further into the trees in silence, Hyunjin trying to hear or smell anything suspicious. But it was just a calm night, and all she could hear was their steps, the sounds of the city further away, and the scent of dirt and grass.

“I don’t think there’s anything here. Let’s try the other side,” Hyunjin said, and Heejin nodded, following her all the way back to the road where they meet, so they could search the other side.

But it was just as empty of vampires or anything weird at all. It was a warm and peaceful night.

“We should just call it a night,” Hyunjin said, leaning against a tree and staring ahead at the tall, illuminated buildings of central Seoul in the horizon.

Heejin sighed. “Were we really supposed to find something?”

“Look, even I end up with empty hands sometimes. Jinsol gave us a lead, but it doesn’t mean that a vampire would necessarily show up here, waiting for us to get him. Let’s just try again tomorrow.”

“You know I can’t promise I’ll be free.”

“Whatever, when Miss Busy Slayer is free, we will try again.”

Without an answer, Heejin spun and walked away. Hyunjin shook her head and followed her. Since they were still in silence, Hyunjin took the moment to look up at the sky, observing the stars and the moon, on her way to the third quarter, through the high foliage.

“Tell me when you’re free, or if you find something,” Hyunjin said, hopping on Bumblebee.

“You too.”

Hyunjin nodded and the engine.

“Aren’t you going to ask me if I need a ride?” Heejin asked.

“You refused a ride from Jinsol the other night. Why would you accept a ride from me?”

“You could still ask, you know, to sound nice.”

“Do you want a ride?”

“No, thank you.”

“There you go.”

Heejin laughed and turned, raising a hand and waving it at her. A couple steps after she halted, and turned her head. “Oh, and say hi to Diana and Selene.”

“Selene doesn’t like you.”

“But I like her.”

She resumed her way, stuffing her hands inside her jacket pockets. Maybe Hyunjin expected her to turn again, tell her goodbye, like she did the other night, but she didn’t. Shrugging, she kicked the ground and drove away.

—

It had been two weeks. And they still hadn’t found a thing.

On the third night, they did find a vampire. A rogue one, almost entering blood lust, and as soon as he landed eyes on Heejin, he jumped on her, mouth wide open with his teeth ready to sink on her skin. And just as fast, Hyunjin pulled the trigger. His body fell on the ground, rolling on the fallen leaves as it turned into ash.

Widened eyes stared at Hyunjin.

“What?” Hyunjin asked, putting her gun back on the inside pocket of her leather jacket.

She opened , but no sounds came, like she was wondering what to say. “Silver bullets?” she ended up asking.

“Yes.”

“Smart. And your gun... barely made any noise.”

“Yeah, I can’t really go out here and catch people’s or the police’s attention with loud shots.”

“Makes sense. Nice shot, by the way.”

Hyunjin irked an eyebrow. “Thanks.”

Did Heejin just... compliment her? Her shot, not... her.

But other than that night, they got nothing.

“It’s like the tenth night we come hunting, and nothing.” Heejin said, huffing.

Hyunjin sighed. It was another beautiful night, the moon barely visible as it was growing again after the new moon, but the stars shone brightly in the sky above them, and Heejin had to go and throw a tantrum.

“We don’t have any other choice.” Hyunjin kept walking, following Heejin between the trees and focusing on her senses.

“We’re just wasting time.”

“We’re doing what we can. We need to keep trying. And you agreed on the plan.”

“Until when will we keep trying? What are we even looking for? Maybe there’s nothing out there, and here we are, wasting our time.”

“If this is so bad, go ahead and give some ideas.”

“Sure, I do have an idea, you know. Probably better than this.”

“Oh? Go ahead, enlighten the poor, ignorant folk.”

“I’ll just report this to the organization and-”

“No, you absolutely will not do anything like that,” Hyunjin interrupted her.

Heejin halted and turned to face her. “And why not? You would stay out of this, and leave it to who should be taking care of it.”

“If it wasn’t for me, you wouldn’t even know about this. I am the one that should be taking care of this, just like I am. You will not say a word to your organization.”

“What if I did?”

“Maybe you’re forgetting about Jinsol’s warnings.”

“Warnings.” Heejin scoffed. “She’s blackmailing me. How can she even call herself a detective-”

“Listen here.” Hyunjin took a step closer, her bulkier and taller figure towering over her. “I honestly don’t give a about what you think of me, but I won’t let you say a word about Jinsol.”

“Or what? You will attack me, vampire?”

Hyunjin clenched her jaw, forcing back her fangs to prevent them from coming out. She was clearly provoking her.

“She is doing what she has to do. I don’t care if she’s blackmailing you. She’s doing what she can to protect me and Yeojin, and helping us finding out whatever is going on.”

“Well, it’s clearly not working. If she wants me to keep working with you, she better come up with something better. I don’t wanna end up in jail, but even that is starting to sound more appealing than spending the rest of my life stuck on this agreement, going out every other night to take a stroll around Seoul to absolutely no avail.”

Heejin turned around and left.

“Where are you going?” Hyunjin asked.

“Leaving. This is useless.”

“We didn’t come that way, you know. You have no idea where you’re going.”

“I don’t care, I’ll find my way.”

“Whatever suits you, then.”

Hyunjin turned as well, because unlike Heejin, she knew the way back. But as she was about to take the first step, a scream echoed in the trees.

Without second thought, Hyunjin dashed to the source, knowing too well it was Heejin who screamed. Her eyes bulged when she caught sight of Heejin rolling down a hill, and her legs acted before her mind. She launched towards her, grabbing her rolling body mid fall. Hyunjin’s back hit the ground instead, with Heejin’s body weighing down on her chest.

“...” Hyunjin mumbled. “I told you that was the wrong way.”

Heejin didn’t answer.

“Heejin?”

“M-My head...”

"Did you hit your head?” Hyunjin asked, and as she took a deeper breath, an intense scent reached her nose. She sat up, holding Heejin on her lap, and her chin dropped as she stared at the blood running down her forehead. “You’re bleeding.”

The smell was strong. So strong that Hyunjin’s eyes rolled backwards, her mind spun, and contracted with a hard gulp. But all it took was a couple seconds for her to come to her senses again, as she took a deep breath. She blinked, her vision focusing again, and as she locked eyes with Heejin’s widened ones, she threw herself out of Hyunjin’s lap, crawling back.

“D-Don’t come close,” Heejin said, her voice filled with panic.

Hyunjin frowned. “What?”

“I saw. Your eyes, a-and... your fangs growing.”

“It’s a natural reaction, I can’t do anything about it.” Hyunjin stood up, and Heejin tried to do the same, her movements hurried and clumsy, but she couldn’t. She stumbled back and fell on her .

“Don’t come close!” Heejin pleaded.

Ever since she knew Heejin, in all the times they had been together, with all the things she had told her that could hurt her, nothing had hurt like that.

The pure fear in her eyes, like they were staring at a monster that would plunge at her any second now and drain all the blood out of her body.

“I’m not going to attack you,” Hyunjin said, not managing to hide the pain in her voice.

Heejin didn’t say anything else, and looked away from Hyunjin. She could hear her shallow, fast breaths, her heart beating so fast. And it hurt.

“Don’t you trust me yet?” The question flew from Hyunjin’s lips. “I could have attacked you so many times already, why would I change my mind now?”

“It’s not you, i-it's... your instinct.”

Hyunjin couldn’t say she wasn’t taken aback. She just wasn’t sure about which part of what Heejin had said hit the hardest.

But she didn’t have time to think of an answer.

“I smell a vampire. They’re approaching. Heejin, the plan. We have to focus.” Hyunjin took a step closer and extended her a hand.

Heejin stayed in place, her body frozen.

“Come on! Look,” Hyunjin showed her teeth, no longer sharp and pointy. “This is our chance! Let's do this! Weren’t you the one whining about getting nothing all this time? Now’s the time.”

“We don’t even know who’s coming!”

“But we have to try! They’re coming, they probably smelled your blood. If we do nothing, you could be in danger.”

Heejin’s eyes jumped between Hyunjin’s face and her hand, still extended at her. She grabbed her hand and Hyunjin pulled her up.

“Okay, I’m a slow, weak, hungry vampire that just wanted to feed and was being chased and attacked,” Hyunjin mumbled to herself. “I’ll get a bit ahead, in the direction of whoever is coming towards us. Draw your weapons out. Can you run? Did you hit your head too bad?”

She reached for the blades by her waist and drew them out. “I think I can.”

“Slash my arm,” Hyunjin said.

“What?”

“It’s more convincing! Just give it a little cut.”

“They’re made of silver!”

“I don’t care, just do it.”

“No!”

Hyunjin grunted and grabbed Heejin’s hands, placing the blade near her arm.

“Stop!” Heejin kicked her stomach, making Hyunjin stumble back and cough, letting go of her arm. “I’m not going to scar you for no reason!”

“That kick definitely hurt enough.” Hyunjin didn’t expect that strength from someone that looked as weak and fragile as Heejin.

“Sorry.”

“Fine. Count to five and run after me.”

Hyunjin turned, but before taking off, she remembered. “Take my gun with you. Give it to Jinsol.”

“But what if-”

“If it’s a dangerous vampire, you’ll be there. I can’t have a weapon with me.” Hyunjin stuffed her gun into her hands, and then sprinted towards the scent of the vampire, controlling her speed, so it was slow and easy for Heejin to run after her.

The scent was growing stronger, the steps clearer. Hyunjin looked up at the sky and asked her Goddess for everything to go well.

“H-Help!” Hyunjin cried when she knew she was so, so close.

A few more hurried steps, and a girl appeared from behind a tree, almost bumping into Hyunjin. Her eyes shone a color she had never seen in a vampire’s eyes, a pastel pink, almost peachy.

“There’s someone after me, I-I just wanted to feed,” Hyunjin put on her best pained voice.

The girl gasped and looked ahead, in the direction from which Heejin’s steps approached.

“Stay behind me,” she said, and her voice, even though girly and sweet, showed confidence.

A few seconds after, Heejin came into view. She halted, eyeing the two vampires in front of her. She clicked her tongue and spun on her heels, disappearing through the trees.

“She probably couldn’t fight two of us,” the girl said. “Are you hurt?”

Hyunjin blinked, surprised that she didn’t sprint after Heejin. “No. I managed to run. She had weapons at her waist and she just lunged at me.”

“Are you alone? I smelled blood, so I was going to take a look.”

“Yes. I was just trying to feed, and I didn’t see her blades from behind. I fought back, managed to land a hit on her head. That gave me time to run away, and I picked up your scent when I cried for help.”

The girl nodded, her eyes went huge for a second, and her lips stretched into a grin. “Wait a second!”

Hyunjin frowned, but only nodded. She turned around and fetched for her phone on her pocket, walking a few steps away from Hyunjin.

“Lippie!” the girl said on the phone. “Fall back for today! I found a loner!”

Hyunjin's heart shot up in her chest.

“What?” Hyunjin heard the other person over the call. “So what?”

“She was alone, hunting, and a slayer attacked her. Let’s just take her instead!”

“No, let’s stick to what we have to do.”

“Please! You know how I hate doing this.”

“I do too, but I’m not about to get for not doing our jobs properly.”

“But we’re taking a vampire! Who’s going to care?”

There was a pause.

“Fine. Bring her to me and let’s get back.”

The girl squealed. “Thank you! We’ll be there in a second.”

The call was over, and Hyunjin didn’t remember the last time she felt so nervous.

“My name is Jiwoo,” she said, extending Hyunjin a hand. She stared at it for a few seconds before accepting and letting her shake it, another grin flashing on her lips. “Will you let me help you?”

---

A/N: CHUU AND LIP ARE HERE!!!!!! 

And if you think Hyunjin looks cool with her motorcycle, check the fanart I did for this chapter on my Twitter! ^-^