It had been around a week since their kiss, and they hadn't talked about it yet. Byul was worried that it had just been a spur of the moment thing for Yongsun and wanted to know how Yongsun felt about her, but she was too scared to ask. She didn't want to pressure Yong into anything, especially since these last few days she had been very busy at the hospital. 

Byul really liked her, as in more than a simple crush. However, right now, she was very annoyed at her. Yongsun promised her they would check out this new restaurant together tonight (it was the first time they would hang out this week!), but she canceled on her just half an hour before they were supposed to meet. 

Maybe something important came up, Byulyi tried to console herself as she walked alone through the streets of Seoul. Yongsun had told her to stay home for some reason, but Byul decided to go hunt some vampires. Usually, she had to adhere to the association's schedule, but today Irene had given her permission to go hunting, and Hajoon agreed to go too. 

Byul met with Hajoon downtown and they started their search. As they rounded the corner into an alley, she spotted her first target. Or more like she smelled her first target. Most vampires looked just like humans when they weren’t bloodthirsty or actively drinking blood. They were very secretive and mostly only went out at night; that's why very few people believed that they existed. But every vampire had something in common. They all reeked of blood. Most people's senses of smell are too weak to be able to smell it, but Byul had always had an outstanding sense of smell. Having a good sense of smell was a requirement for most vampire hunters.

Byul was six when she first smelled a vampire. One fall day after school, she decided to pass by her grandmother’s house before going home because she had made her a drawing and couldn’t wait giving it to her. When Byul opened her grandmother’s door, instead of smelling the usual smell of her grandmother’s cuisine, a strong metallic odor greeted her. There was someone, no, something, drinking her grandmother’s blood from her neck. When it looked up to Byul, she instantly recognized it as a vampire, but before being able to call for help, it had already run off with her grandmother’s body.

She had told her family and friends, but, of course, no one believed her. They told her it was just something she had imagined to cope with the murder and disappearance of her grandmother. They told her that vampires didn’t exist. After hearing that so many times, Byul started believing it.

She shouldn’t have. If she hadn’t believed them, if only she had been more careful, then maybe Wheein would still be alive today.

That’s all she could think about as she killed her first target that night.

Hajoon took the body back to the association, leaving Byul alone with her thoughts again. She watched mukbangs to distract herself and pass the time, but Hajoon didn't return. What was taking him so long? Hajoon was usually pretty quick when taking a body back to the association. Although his sense of smell wasn't the best, he was strong and fast. 

Byul got tired of waiting for him and resumed searching, even though she knew it was againts the association's rules. It didn’t take her long before she smelled another vampire and started following it. This vampire sensed her presence, however, and started walking faster. So did Byul. The vampire suddenly turned around and held her by the collar of her shirt.

“Why. Are. You. Following. Me.,” she asked, enunciating every word.

“You speak funny.” Byul snickered as she reached for her gun. The vampire immediately stopped her. How? Most vampires weren’t this fast. The vampire saw the surprise in Byul’ s eyes.

“What? Didn’t expect me to be this fast?” She laughed in Byul’s face before slapping her with such force that Byul was thrown into the pavement. She struggled to get back up.

“What reward do you think I’ll get when I show up with the best vampire hunter’s head? Last time I checked, they’re paying fifteen billion won to whoever kills you.”

“You know who I am?” Byul asked, mortified. She had worked so hard to keep her identity a secret. Byul only hunted at night and never let a vampire who had seen her live. Only a couple of hunters knew her identity, and they wouldn't expose her, right? Was a vampire spying on her and she didn't notice? How?

“Your wanted posters started spreading in vampire communities around a week ago. Honestly, you’re more good-looking in person. Wonder how handsome you’ll look when I drain all your blood out.” The vampire smiled and started getting closer. . She should've waited for Hajoon. 

Byul took out her gun, but it was knocked out of her hand as soon as she aimed. Time for Plan B: escaping. Byul tried to run, but the vampire punched her right on the nose. She fell again, but managed to take a brick that was on the floor and smacked the vampire hard on the head when she got closer. It slowed her down somewhat, but the vampire was still too fast for Byul. There wasn’t even a point in running. This was it. She was dying tonight. The vampire slammed Byul into a wall and continuously punched her in the stomach until all Byul could taste was blood. Suddenly, it stopped and Byul fell to the ground.

Someone was beating the vampire that was beating her. She squinted her eyes to try to see who it was, but it was too dark. Was it Hajoon? No, that was impossible. He was very strong, but the only thing that could beat a vampire with their bare hands was another vampire. Why was this vampire defending her? Maybe this one wanted the reward money for itself, Byul thought. She wanted to run away, to take this chance and escape, but she was too weak to even stand up. Byul could only watch and listen as the new vampire beat the other one until she was unconcious. Then the newly arrived vampire came closer to her. Is it the lighting or does her face look kind of familiar?

“Byul?! I thought I told you to stay home! What the heck are you doing here?!”

“YONGSUN?!”

“Be quiet! There might be more around.”

“Don’t shush me! You-y-y-y-You’re a vampire!?” Suddenly so many things made sense. The way Yongsun broke Byul’ s front door the first day they met, why she always went out at night for ‘club activities’ and never told Byul what they were for. But why didn’t she smell like the other vampires?

Yongsun tried to get closer but Byul pushed her away.

“Why didn’t you tell me?!”

“What was I supposed to do?! What would you have thought if I came up to you one day and suddenly said: hey Byul, yeah, vampires are real and I’m a vampire, I hope you don’t think I’m crazy?”

“But you knew that I know they’re real.”

“I just found out this morning! I saw your wanted poster. That’s why I told you to stay home!”

“And you were planning on getting that reward for yourself.” Byul spat out in anger.

“What?! No! I would never hurt you! You know I’m better than that.”

Byul’s head hurt. Yong was a vampire? The person she liked wasn’t even a person. Sure, Yongsun said she would never hurt her, but did she hurt other people? Was she friends with the vampire that killed Wheein?

Yongsun was desperate at this point. “Byul, I’m really sorry but please let me take a look at your wounds.”

“No! Get away from me! You monster!” 

Monster? No. She knew Yongsun wasn’t a monster, Byul was just too scared and confused to completely understand what she was saying. But it was too late to take back her words. Yongsun was crying.

“Fine. I called you an ambulance. I’ll leave you alone now.” Yongsun's voice sounded so hurt.

Byul could only watch as Yongsun disappeared from her sight. She fainted from the pain just as she heard the ambulance sirens approaching.