It’s been an hour since the class ended but Lia and some of her classmates are still in the class because their professor told them to answer a fifty pages booklet quiz and pass it before three in the morning. It’s already pass midnight and she hasn’t even done answering half of it. She feels so sleepy that’s why she can’t focus on the questions. She thinks her mind stopped working. She can’t think properly to answer the questions, even the easy ones or maybe because she’s not us to study and answer quizzes in this time.

 

 

 

She looks to the students going out the room. They envy them because they already finished the quiz and they can finally have their sleep, while she hasn’t done the first half of it yet. This is supposed to be a quiz for two but since her partner is busy sleeping beside her, she has to answer all of it by herself.

 

 

 

She’s starting to regret being partner with Yeji. She should have just accepted Haechan to be partners earlier but even if she did, Yeji will still command her to be her partner.

 

 Haechan is friendly, he often sit beside Lia and talk with her but most of the time he is so noisy and annoying.

 

Yeji doesn’t want him to be hear her. She has this kind of hate towards him. Since she’s sitting just beside Lia, whenever he goes to talk with her, she will always pushes him away from them. No doubt she really hates humans. She sits alone at the very back of the class because she doesn’t want them to be near her.

 

 

 

Lia feel uncomfortable with it. Yeji always make her stay beside her because if not, she will hurt her and she feel scared that why she just did what she said and always stay beside her. Yeji said that Chaeryeong want Lia to always stay beside her and also asked her to look after her. She have no choice but to always stay beside Yeji since Chaeryeong said but it saddens her, because of it she can’t even make friends. She is still alone just like how she’s alone in her past school.

 

 

 

Another group finished the quiz and head out of the room leaving just the two of them. There are only two hours left for her to finish the quiz and pass it before the cut off but she’s still hasn’t even done answering the half of it. She thinks she’s going to crazy. She wants to answer as fast as she could so she can pass it already but her body and mind doesn’t want to cooperate with her, it already want to sleep.

 

 

 

She looks to the one sitting beside her. She’s still sleeping. She always sleeps. She never sees her do other things yet, except when she attacks her. She looks back to the booklet, still lots of pages with unanswered question on it. Her mind is tired already. She can’t answer all of it if she’s this sleepy.

 

 

 

She sighed deeply and closes the booklet. She rests her head on her arm. She can’t focus answering those questions. Her mind need to rest. She decided to take a fifteen minutes nap just to recharge her mind. She rests her head toward Yeji’s. Observing her side view sleeping face that slightly covered by her long hair, she smiled as she slowly falls asleep.

 

 

 

Hers supposed to be a very short nap turns in to an hour and a half sleep. She woke up with all lights in the room are out, only the light coming from outside lightens the room. Yeji is not in her sit anymore, same with the quiz booklet; it’s not in her table anymore. Yeji probably finished answering it and pass it, and immediately left.  She’s the only one left inside the room. She’s disappointed to Yeji; she didn’t even wake her up she just left her here like they’re not living in the same roof. Who is she kidding? She’s just a server in that house; she shouldn’t expect her to care for her.

 

 

 

The door of the room suddenly slides open causing her to squeal. A bright light pointed towards her and she immediately covers her eyes.

 

 

 

“What are you doing here miss? This room is so dark” A man spoke. He the switch giving a proper lightning in the room. She looks to the man. At first she thought he’s the care taker of the school but when she looks at him; he’s is wearing a same uniform as hers with his bag hanging on his right shoulder.

 

 

 

“I o-over slept” She stood up and fixes herself before she fix her bag.

 

 

 

“Okay then come with me. The gates are already locked but I know a secret way out here.”The guy offered. She hesitates to go with him, they just met now and she doesn’t know if she could trust him or not.

 

 

 

“If you don’t want to come then it’s alright, but you don’t want to stay here for the whole weekends, don’t you?” He gave her his charming smile before he slides the door close. Because of what he said, she realized that last night was the last day of their class this week and today is already weekends ... and she’s still inside their classroom.

 

 

 

“Wait for me” She hurriedly follows the man, not forgetting to turn off the lights and to close the door before she left. She spot saw him walking with his flashlight on not far from her. Her footsteps echo through the hall way as she runs which caught the guy’s attention, he stops his steps and wait for her to catch up.

 

 

 

“I thought you’re not coming” The guy .

 

 

 

“I don’t want to stay here for weekends” She lowers her head, she don’t know why but she feels shy in front of him. He chuckled and mess her hair.

 

 

 

“You’re cute” He said. She can feel her cheeks getting warmer. Fortunately the lights are out; he won’t see how red her face is.

 

 

 

“Let’s go” She followed him.

 

 

 

They talk to each other as they walk toward the back side of the campus. He stay late in school because they professor told them to do the same thing as theirs. She learned that they are just same age and same year level. Mostly, he tells her funny things just to makes her laugh. He’s tall and good looking, lots of girls probably going after him. He is charming and very talkative.

 

 

 

When they arrived at the back of the campus, she noticed something familiar to her. The trees, the plants, the scent, the pond … they are in the garden. The backside of the campus is where the school garden is. She hasn’t return here after the incident because she’s still feel scared. She doesn’t feel safe in this place, especially this night.

 

 

 

“Are we safe here?” She keeps on looking around, mostly in the direction of a huge tree where she saw the man.

 

 

 

“Aw~ are you scared to be out at night?” He patted her head.

 

 

 

“No I’m not, it’s just that …”

 

 

 

“Don’t worry; we’re going to get out of here. Follow me” He jump over the railing and walk towards the huge tree. She has no choice but to follow him. She follows him behind the huge tree. It’s so dark; there is no lamp post to brighten the place.

 

 

 

“Over here” He removed an artificial grass on the ground that covers a trap door. It’s an entrance to a long tunnel that goes under the huge walls of the campus leading to outside. They got out of the tunnel; he immediately covers the trap door back with the artificial grass before he holds her wrist and led her to the road.

 

 

 

“Told you we’re going to get out the campus” He boasts. She thanked him before a sudden awkward silence surrounds them. He’s just staring at her and it make her feel uncomfortable.

 

 

 

“I think I have to go now” She said. He offered her to take her home but she refused, she can go home by herself, and she don’t want him to know where she live because she’s living with vampires.

 

 

“At least tell me your name” He clasps his hand in front and pouting his lips. His cuteness made her smile.

 

 

 

“I’m Lia, you?”

 

 

 

“I’m –“Someone suddenly called her name. She turned around to look to the source of the voice and she saw Ryujin walking not far from her.

 

 

 

“Lia, where have you been? We’re looking for you everywhere. What are you doing here?” She continuously asked her. Lia felt her concerned for her in the tone of her voice.

 

 

 

“I was just in our classroom. I over slept so I didn’t notice the time”

 

 

 

“What are you doing here on the back of the school? It’s not safe here”

 

 

 

“The gates are already locked so we got out from the secret tunnel on the garden. Don’t worry I’m with him-“She face him back but he’s not there. She looks around to look for him but she sees no sign of him anymore.

 

 

 

“Who’s him? You are alone when I saw you” Her brows creased. He’s just with her few seconds ago, standing just right beside her, she’s even talking with him until Ryujin came. Why did he left immediately?

 

 

 

“Come on Lia, let’s go home now” Ryujin hold her hand and lead her to the car waiting for them. She’s disappointed. He left without even saying goodbye to her. He didn’t even tell her his name.

 

 

 

They return back to the mansion. She saw Yuna sleeping peacefully in the sofa on the receiving room.

 

 

 

“Guys I found her already” Ryujin shouted before she sits beside her sleeping Yuna. She sat opposite to the couple while waiting for Chaeryeong to come out. She will probably ask her where she been and ask her if she’s okay, just like what she’s always do. Chaeryeong is the one that always look after her the most. Second are Ryujin and Yuna, and never from Yeji.

 

 

 

Before she could see Chaeryeong come out. She got thrown onto the wall, it cause an extreme pain on her back. Her feet got off the ground when a hand  wrapped around her neck lift her up and pushing her further onto the wall, preventing her to breathe.

 

 

 

“Where have you been?” She trembles in fear. Yeji’s eyes are glowing red and her sharp fangs are out. Her grip slowly tightens when she didn’t answer her.

 

 

 

“I-I’m just in the classroom, I was sleeping” She tries to loosen her grip on her neck but she’s so strong for her.

 

 

 

“Are you alone?” She didn’t answer her. Her grip is so tight that she can’t speak any.

 

 

 

“I’m asking you, I said are you alone?!” She shook her head instead as her response.

 

 

 

“Stop it Yeji, you’re just hurting her” Ryujin spoke.

 

 

 

Yeji let go of her. She falls down because her legs can’t support her. It’s both trembling and weak because of fear and lack of oxygen.

 

 

 

“Mind your own business, Shin” She thought she’s done already to her but she’s not. Yeji pull her up back and start aggressively ing her uniform.

 

 

 

“Please stop” She mumbles but Yeji didn’t hear it. She removes her blazer and her shirt leaving her top in underwear. She looks on her neck part down to her shoulders like she’s looking for something. She turns her gaze left and right, strictly scanning every inch of her skin in those parts. After she satisfies, she looks directly back to her eyes.

 

 

 

“Didn’t I tell you to always stay beside me?” She nodded immediately.

 

 

 

“Then why! Did you! Disobey me?!” Yeji raises her fist. She immediately covers her head in fear that Yeji might hit her. But her fist landed on the wall just beside her head, creating a huge crack on it.

 

 

 

She just looks down. She can feel herself trembling. Tears start to flow down her cheeks. She’s leaving in fear of death in vampires and she can’t live like this anymore. She always got hurt, Yeji always hurt her. Living with her is worst than living with her auntie and cousins. She want to go back to her auntie, she don’t want to be here anymore. As much as she wants to leave; she can’t because her aunt sends her to this house to pay the debt her aunt owns.

 

 

 

Yeji surprisingly calm down. She slowly loosens her grip on her. Lia can’t see the angry and aggressive Yeji anymore. She has this look on her face like she did something wrong.

 

 

 

“Yeji-sshi that’s enough, she need to rest” Chaeryeong spoke. She didn’t let go of her instead she support her to stand up.

 

 

 

“Ryujin, take her to my lab” Ryujin pick up her clothes and took her from Yeji. She carried her in front and brings her to Chaeryeong’s lab. Chaeryeong look back to Yeji. Confusion can be seen in Yeji’s.

 

 

 

 

“What- why d- did I do?” Yeji ask confusedly. Chaeryeong shook her head in disappointment before she left her.

 

 

 

Lia is lying in her front inside the lab while Chaeryeong put ointment and patches on her back.  She doesn’t have any wounds but there’s huge red mark and some injure on her back because Yeji threw her hard onto the wall. It’s quiet inside the lab, none of them are talking. Chaeryeong is busy putting patches on her back while she space out.

 

Chaeryeong help her again like always and she feels so thankful for her.

 

 

 

“Thanks” Lia mumbles.

 

 

 

Chaeryeong heard it. She stops. She knew Lia is thankful to her for taking care of her. She does this because she feels pity for her. Just to think that her aunt uses her as a payment to debts is too cruel. She already had a hard time living with her aunt and she doesn’t want to give her the same here, even though she’s here to serve them.

 

 

 

“You might sometimes feel back pain for couple days. I recommend you not to carry heavy things” Chaeryeong told here. Lia sits up. She took her clothes just in the table beside the bed and wears it.

 

 

 

“Thanks” She’s just too thankful to Chaeryeong. If not because of her, she might be dead right now because of Yeji.

 

 

 

“You don’t have to-“

 

 

 

“No. You always take care of me. You always treat me whenever a got wound. You always help me when Yeji-sshi is attacking me. You even ask her to look after me and you want me to always stay beside her and-“

 

 

 

“I didn’t say that” She stops when Chaeryeong spoke. She got confused, she looks to her trying to process what she said and Chaeryeong noticed it.

 

 

 

“I said I didn’t say those things. I never ask her to look after you and I never said that I want to always stay beside her. Why would I even do that when I knew she hate humans like you” Chaeryeong turned her back to her and starts fixing the things she used on her back.

 

 

 

 

‘If she didn’t say that, then why Yeji-sshi did said those?” She thought.

 

 

 

After that she decided to return to her room. Sun is going to rise few hours from now and she really need to take a rest. She’s still wondering why Yeji said those things if Chaeryeong didn’t really say it to her, and if Chaeryeong really didn’t say those then why Yeji want her to stay beside her.

 

 

 

She brushes the thoughts off her mind. She continues walking back to her room. She walk pass to one of the restricted room in the house, she notice that the wooden plank that blocking the door is now gone. Curiosity came to her she want to know what’s inside the restricted room but at the same time she doesn’t want too. She knew Yeji will get mad to her again if she caught her.

 

 

 

As much as she wants to, she decided not to. She’s scared that she might hurt her again.

 

 

 

‘ … No please, no I’m begging you …’

 

 

 

She stops her steps when she heard voice coming from inside the room. She stood in front of the door and lean her ear to it.

 

 

 

“ … Please stop, please …don’t kill me …”

 

 

 

She suddenly has difficulty in breathing lean onto the wall as she tries to catch up her breath. Slowly she starts to feel pain in her chest. She holds her chest both of her hands as she falls on the ground and curl in pain.

 

 

 

She silently wishes the pain would vanish soon.