Haemin

         “That was quite a power back there, but I swear I’m getting sick by the minute.” I shook my head as Sehun had released a light chuckle. “Sorry about that,” he said with a hint of playfulness in his tone. “Its fine, but I did have fun there.” I laughed along with him as he gently sat me down back on the marbled floor of the balcony.

          We were now back at the castle, seeing that we eventually ditched the other six who were whining as he kept on teasing them from above having me in his arms that time. We both left them at the castles entrance, playing amongst themselves as they bullied the poor little member for being such a slow poke in everything that they were doing.

          “I pity Kyungsoo, he didn’t even know what was going on.” I said as the latter continued to let out a laugh. We then made our way back inside his room, jumping on top of his bed as I let out a long sigh of comfort. “I’m so tired.” I mumbled against the nearest pillow as I felt the bed sink in on my right. “Had a long day, huh?” He asked, leaning against the bed’s head rest as his feet was on my side.

          I slowly sat up, covering myself with the white blankets as I stare at the latter in front of me. “I have a question.” I began as Sehun raised a brow at me, signaling for me to continue. “You guys mentioned before that growing up you guys were nine and not seven, and yet through photographs and obervations, it has always been you guys only. Where are the other two?" I saw him nodding his head before he gave me a light smile. "You mean Yixing hyung and Junmyeon hyung?" He asked, I looked at him with confusion before nodding my head.

          "Yeah you could say that, where are they?" I fiddled with the silk of his duvet, still staring up at the man beside me. "They went missing..." This time, I could feel my lips quiver as I see how his eyes were shaking. "M-Missing? How did they    " "They were the eldest of us nine, they were considered our leaders. 10 years ago the palace was attacked by some unknown dark mist and we couldn't do anything, we couldn't even fight. Our vampire senses and powers wouldn't work under that thick-dark mist." Sehun by now was already clenching his fist, his knuckles turning white.

          "When it was gone, we noticed some guard and maids went missing and next thing we knew, we couldn't find both of them in the palace. It was if they went missing together with the others." This time, my lips began to quiver even more as I slowly faced the man beside me. "S-Sehun, I'm so sorry..." He gave me a light smile before shaking his head. "It's alright, someone had to mention this to you sooner or later." I nodded my head. "So the picture back then...You guys took it after    " "After they dissapeared, yes." He nodded as I let out a light sigh, slowly reaching out to give his hand a light squeeze.

          "But we never stopped searching, you know. Until now father, the King, has been sending out search patrols in each part of this planet. For several years we've been doing this, until now we still don't have any leads." Sehun was now fiddling with my fingers, letting out a sigh here and then. "You'll find them soon, Sehun. I know you will." I gave him a gentle smile, seeing that he gave me one too soon after.

          I then cleared my throught before asking him another question. "How old are you? I mean I noticed that I’ve spent nearly three month with you guys yet honestly, I don’t really know you guys that much. Not to get too personal or something.” I nodded my head, seeing Sehun surprisingly chuckled at my sudden question. “Twenty seven.” He simply said with a smile. “I’m twenty seven years old.” I blinked up at him, not knowing if he was tricking me or that he really just looked too young for his age.

          He might have sensed my kind of stare as he looked back, raising a brow at me before letting out a chuckle again. “Why? Am I too handsome to be in that age?” He started to tease, making me pull out from the stare before throwing a pillow at him, which he effortlessly dodged. I then asked another question

          “How about your vampire age? I mean, I’ve read books about vampires and it says that they’re obviously immortal hence having them to live up over centuries. So, how old are you?” I plumped back I had my stomach flat on the bed, having my elbows resting on the mattress as my chin was resting on my right palm, feet playing against each other in midair.

          “Honestly, it’s both.” He let out a chuckle before reaching out to scratch the back of his neck, making me raise a brow. “What do you mean both?” I asked again. “I’m twenty seven in both human age and vamparic age.” He said as he looked down at my confused face.

“But that’s, so you mean—”

“Yes, I was just born twenty seven years ago.”

          I continued to stare up at him, blinking my eyes as I tried to process everything that he had just said. Even though it made pretty sense but I can’t just help but feel a little bit more confused. I was about to speak up when he beat me to it. “I’m actually half you. You know, human.” He said before looking down, fiddling with his fingers afterwards. I took in the new found information that I had just received, letting out a soft sigh as I slowly crawled my way beside him, leaning on the head rest as I gaze up at him on the side.

          “So, you’re half human?” I asked again, earning a nod from the latter. “Well that’s something I should be happy about, right?” I reached up to scratch my head, letting out a low chuckle as I heard he did too. “I guess you could say that.” He nodded his head before letting out a smile at me. But then he turned serious, reaching out to place his hand on his as he gaze at me, pursing his lips into a thin line.

          “But—” He began. “But you should not tell anybody about this. The only ones who knows this is the royal family and no one outside has ever heard of anything like this. Can you promise me that?” He asked me, feeling his tight grip on my hand and I knew he was being very serious right now. I nodded up at him, seeing his smile back up on his face again. “Thank you.” He whispered before he pulled away, leaning back on the head board again.

          “So, which parent is the human?” I spoke gently, waiting for him to respond as he pulled the covers more closely to me. “It was my—” His answer was cut off when the door of his rooms burst open revealing one panting boy. Before I could even speak, the boy had already jumped his way on top of the bed, crawling under the blanket as he successfully made his way in between me and Sehun. “Hide me,” He said before covering himself even more with the duvet, having the other boy roll his eyes.

          “Jongin, get out of here.” Sehun spat but was ignored by the hiding latter. I let out a giggle before shaking my head as I got out from the bed as I made my way towards the door, leaving the two boys bickering behind me. I rolled my eyes at their childishness before opening the big door. “I’ll be right back!” I yelled as I sprinted out, ignoring the protesting latter and the whining boy who yelled to not speak of his whereabouts to the other five.

 

          I arrived at the beautiful garden situated at the back of the castle, looking around to see that new flowers had bloomed since the last time that I had visited. While walking mindlessly near the flower path had I not noticed the figure that had been standing in front of me, having me collide with the latter’s back in a second.

          I slowly straighten up as I noticed the elegant gown the person had worn, hearing a light giggle coming out from . “Haemin-ah, you’re here.” She said with a gentle smile that I pretty much know of. “Your Highness.” I immediately bowed, biting my tongue as I scold myself for being so careless.

          “I’m so sorry I wasn’t looking and the flowers were too pretty that I didn—” “It’s okay, my child. You can be such a cutie pie, huh?” The Queen let out another giggle before reaching up to pinch my cheeks. “Come, I have something to show you.” She reached out her hand and without wasting any time, I had accepted it.

          “You know, you remind me of a dear friend. It’s been a while since I last saw her.” She started, bringing me with her to the very most back of the Kingdom where more flowers were even seen. “She had the same black hair as yours, the same brown eyes and same small figure.” We then arrived at the green house, seeing a beautiful fountain in the middle as it left me in awe.

          “Enough of that, I actually brought you here because I wanted to give you something in secret.” She said before we both had sat down on the edge of the fountain, having her hand on top of mine. “What is it, your Highness?” I asked with a big smile on my face. She then pulled out before getting something from behind. Once she turned around to face me again as she revealed a small box in her hands, elegantly looking as the Queen herself.

          “Why don’t you open it dear?” She smiled before bringing the box nearer to me. I debated whether or not I should but thought of it otherwise, knowing that the Queen actually had given me the honor to do so. I slowly reach out to the box, slightly opening it as soon as I did, my mouth fell open wide. It revealed a very beautiful looking jewelry, a necklace.

          “Your Highness, it’s so beautiful.” I gaped at the fancy looking jewelry in my hand; this must have cost a fortune. “I couldn’t poss—” “Take it my child, this is my gift to you.” She said sincerely, reaching out to caress the side of my face as she had a gentle gaze on me. “You are pure and beautiful, strong and intelligent and a girl like you deserves a gift like this.” She added before reaching out to take the jewelry back in her hands before smiling back at me again. “Turn around sweetheart.”

          I did what I was told and then, I felt something cold hit my bare neck as I now see the wonderful peace of necklace decorating my skin. “Beautiful.” I said again before looking down at my reflection on the fountain’s water. “You are beautiful, my dear.” I then turn my attention back at the queen as I gave her a genuine smile “Thank you for everything your Highness, I deeply and completely thank you.” I gave her a light bow before I felt warmness around me.

          “Umma, just call me umma.” She then pulled away from the hug before she clapped both of her hands together. “Okay! I want you to wear that at the ball this friday, okay?” She let out another smile before I tilted my head in confusion. “Ball, you say?” I asked, wanting to know if I heard right. “Hmm, It’s the King’s birthday this friday and he wanted to make it into a masquerade ball. And I want you to look the finest, be the most beautiful young lady there is at the party, got that dear?”

          Oh I couldn’t possibly decline her offer, she was the Queen herself. “As you wish, umma.” I let out a chuckle before the Queen did too, pulling me into another embrace as I leaned in in her warmth.

 

Narrator

           She wouldn’t really say that being back there in Musean was a good idea; it was actually quite the opposite way on what the latter had felt the first time she came there. Seeing everybody in their normal morning routine wasn’t the reason why the girl had felt the unsettling discomfort in her surroundings, but it was actually the thought of knowing that everyone wasn’t like her; a human.

          Haemin knew that being around a crowded place as such as this wasn’t in her intentions of planning, but it was because the boy beside her had literally forced her out of the bed to go shopping—as to what the Queen had used as a term when she found out about the human society some time ago.

“You’ll be fine, trust me.”

          As if her partner had sensed her uncomfortable state, Sehun then reached out to place an arm around the small girl as they continued to walk their way to which the boy had planned on going, in courtesy of his mother of course. “Why do we need to go shopping anyways? I mean, isn’t royalty too high to even go shopping? Not that I’m taking it as an offensive term.” Bringing her hand up defensively as the boy only chuckled at her statement.

          “Well, the Queen wanted to let you feel as normal as possible so she suggested more on the human type of way. Isn’t shopping what normal human girls around your age would always think of?” Looking over at the girl beside him, raising a brow as the latter only shrugged at his statement before pursing her lips into a thin line.

          “Honestly, no. Well, it is true that girls back at Earth would love the thought of shopping but if you could just look at me, do you think I’m the type of person to even have the same i