CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE: The Music Room

Ji Eun was walking at the hallway that leads to their music room and she can hear the soft music that was coming from the room. She already knew that it was Cheondung, strumming the guitar. The music has beautiful rhythm, a ballad in the making…it has a bold start until it descend to a soft cooing as if uncertain and just going in circle.

When she holds the doorknob and slightly open the door, she saw Cheondung sitting at the chair in front of the grand piano. She looked at him as she walked into the room. He had closed his eyes as his fingers continued to strum the guitar strings he was playing.

She leaned on the side of the piano while she tried to freeze in her mind the vision of Cheondung that she was staring at the moment, here in their music room while he express his emotion in his music, it was as if his transformation into a vampire did not happen at all. This is the kind of companionship that they are familiar with…their love for music has bring them together and solidify their relationship as best friend…But when she continued to looked at Cheondung…her feelings that used to be a comfortable breeze is starting to become a passionate whirlwind. Her best friend has change in only a matter of days and so was she. Thus, she’s uncertain at the meaning of what she had been feeling these days…aside from the bloodlust that she is feeling with him there is also the erratic heartbeat and the uncharacteristic longing she felt whenever he is not within her sight.

This must be just because of the bloodletter bond we have. It’s only influencing my feelings.

She did not make a sound, not wanting to disturb the music filling the room. She walked back to the long divan at the back of the grand piano, attached to the wall; she sat there as she listened. Later, she felt her eyes getting heavy and did not resist on laying her body for just a short slumber since she is now sure that Cheondung won’t leave without her knowing.

Ji Eun awakened in her dream, or so she thought because the thing that is happening seems to be only a dream.

Her eyes remained close while she felt warm hands roaming on her body, awakening a fire she doesn’t know how to stop. She was familiar with such hands; she was sure that it was of a man…his hands that she had long been wishing to touch her.

His palm up her silken skin, tracing her narrow rib cage, enticing her. She felt his other hand holding her nape, willing her to tilt her head. She turned to him and lifted to his without hesitation. Gone was the usual gentleness he gives her because this time it was all fire and hunger. He consumed her, feeling their equal hunger for each other.

Her slender arms circled around his neck; she pulled her body closer to him, until their body is molded together, feeling each other heartbeat and each rise up of their chest.

The kisses was accompanied now with both of their exploring hands were quickly making the burning desire inside them to escalate. She desperately wants to give in to the smoldering passion that has enslaved them. “Cheondung…”

“Ji Eun…” he whispered his voice full of unanswered desire that making her inside knots in anticipation.

 She her hands through his hair when she heard the place grew silent. Something has stopped. The music has stopped. She opened her eyes.

She was greeted by the standing figure of Cheondung in front of her. She closes her eyes again and opened it, when she still saw him still standing there; there she knew that she had been dreaming all along.

Ji Eun quickly covered with her right hands. She stifled the gasped she releases because of the shocked about what she had dream. She sat up from the divan.

Why am I dreaming something like that?! In this room of all places?!..and-and with him?!

Cheondung squatted in front of her to meet her gaze. “You’ve been dreaming. What did you dream about?”

His question was a common thing between them. She used to sleep whenever his playing at the music room and so every time she wakes up he would asked her what she dream about. Except that now, she can’t possible tell him that he was the dream. And that it has a mature content.

She avoided his eyes. “I-it’s about fire…just fire” she can’t help but stammer. A passionate fire?!

“Fire? That’s something” he quirked an eyebrow as he stand up and leaned his back on the grand piano for support then he crosses his arms on his chest. He met her gaze. His eyes seem to have a subtle glow.

Her eyes rounded upon the realization that his eyes have turned amethyst again. “You’re hungry again?!”

Cheondung rubbed one of his hands on his forehead as if trying to get a headache away from it. “How did you guess?”

“It’s obvious now. I notice that your eyes turned amethyst when you’re thirsty or hungry…” she said with a raise eyebrow as if saying its-a-matter-of-fact kind of thing.

He crossed his arms in front of his chest again. “You’re eyes has turned amethyst too.”

She sighed. “It can’t be helped. It seems that my eyes is like a mirror of your hunger too” she looked at the opposite wall when she muttered, “Or was everything I’m feeling a mirror of what you feel?”

“Probably” Cheondung said flatly.

It was only a second when both of their gazes met and they looked away at the same time. There was no hiding from both of what they are feeling because even if they did not voice it out, they will feel it…if what their assumption is true. In which both of them guesses that they are almost ninety percent true.

“Is this how a bloodletter works?” she asked as she leans on the divan.

Cheondung shrugged his shoulder, “I don’t know much about it. I’m as clueless as you too. What I know is also base on observation which we are very quick at learning, by the way” he pointed out.

She nodded in agreement. “So, who’s the one knowledgeable about bloodletter?”

“The bloodletter herself...The one who change you.”

Ji Eun lifted an eyebrow for inquiry. Cheondung quickly answered her, “My twin’s bloodletter, her name is Uee.”

She almost jumped out of the divan but composed herself immediately. She had forgotten Cheondung’s twin brother, Sang Hyun. “Sang Hyun’s bloodletter?...You mean, he has become a vampire too?”

Cheondung nodded. “Yes, apparently, for us, vampirism is hereditary. Bad luck, huh?”

Ji Eun shakes her head, unable to agree completely, “I cannot guess yet…If it’s hereditary or bad luck.” She crosses her arms in front of her too. “Did you check on your family history?”

“We’re on that. Both of us, Sang Hyun and I are currently rummaging all of our parents and