CHAPTER FORTY : PAIN

It Comes Around.

Cheondung did not notice when the sun was already up in the sky only until when its rays touch his skin. After the ordeal that happened last night, he went out to the terrace and sat on the side railing, crosses his arms above his chest and closes his eyes. He sat still while thinking the whole night, though he know his effort is just all in vain from the start…he knows that it’s no used if he put a little more distance from him and Ji Eun, he will still not be able to control the hungers inside of him…so far, he knew he never succeeded because all throughout the night, all he could think about was her. It did not help that even in a distance he could still smell and feel everything about his beloved best friend.

He sat there almost like a statue, unmoving…but despite his thoughts who were constantly on Ji Eun, he did not fail to notice the surrounding changes in the whole Pledis House. The new vampire that arrive last night after he had taken Ji Eun to the room has put a shield over the house, a very helpful skills which would have prevented the attack last night if he had come a minute earlier.

He think the vampire must have a reason for such a late coming and as he could sense, that vampire is in a bloodletting relationship with one of Uee’s sister, so as much as he was eager to talk about the attack last night, he decided to wait when the vampire is willing to explain everything.

Cheondung slowly opened his eyes when he smelled the sweet scent that always hunts him whenever she is around or not. His eyes met Ji Eun’s.

She was still in her bloody turtleneck sweater and black jeans but her toes were bare as she comes toward him. He inhaled, savoring the sweetness of it and allowing the pain of hunger in him as well. He knew his eyes has been in amethyst color and it never changes back to normal again after he went out of the room last night, but seeing its color mirrored Ji Eun’s eyes, he felt a guilt stirring on his inside. He thought he can handle this vampire thing especially with her on his side but as he looked at her now and all the things he had thought the entire time he was in the terrace…the conclusion he had made is becoming clearer now.

Ji Eun’s stood in front of him with redness under her eyes; he knew that she had cried herself to sleep last night, which was his fault. His entire fault…he gives her a simple smile opposite of what he truly feels.

“Good morning…” he said, trying to lighten the mood as early as possible.

She just stood in front of him and crosses her arms around her body due to the morning cold. He quickly walked the few distance away from her and enveloped his body in his embrace. She circled her arms on his torso and laid her face on his chest. He felt her sighs of relief.

“You did not come back?” she whispered

“I was hoping to control the hunger before coming back to our room….”

She looked up and met his amethyst eyes, “But you did not…and you didn’t have to.”

He raised one eyebrow, “Clearly, I failed. Thus the morning crept on me…”

“I don’t like not being near you…” she whispered reluctantly

“Believe me, I don’t like it too.”

“But we have things to settle and things to understand” Ji Eun said, she pulled out from their embrace and sat on the edge of the terrace railings while still looking at him.

Cheondung nodded in agreement. “Yes, we have to understand first before we proceed in doing anything…” his eyes were locked on hers.

Ji Eun slightly nodded, understanding the indication of his words. “I know, but promise me one thing…”

He knotted his brows, “What is it?”

“That no matter what happened, you will tell me everything…I mean it, everything that is happening with you…?”

“What do you mean?”

Ji Eun comes near him and places her hands above his chest as she lean up to met his eyes, “We’ve been best friends since we’re young. We have done many things together. I thought I know everything about you but it takes for me to be you’re bloodletter to know that you’ve been in love with me all this past years…a big thing to hide from your best friend…”

“But---,” Cheondung was about to explain but he was stopped by Ji Eun’s right forefinger on his lips.

“I know you’ve done that not because you can’t tell me, but because you don’t want to risk the relationship we have---you value being my best friend far too much to risk a change that will happened once you told me about your feelings. Believe me, Donggie. I understand…But I want you to view my side too.” She caresses his left jaw with her right hands.

Cheondung waited for her to continue.

Ji Eun drew a deep breath before she finally say, “You’ve been always there for me. You’re one of the constant thing in my life…and there was once a time in my life that I do think of you as more than my best friend…” she saw his eyes grew big because of the revelation she just said, she closes her eyes for a moment then looked up again before continuing, “…But that time has passes by and we’ve become adults, saw what the world has for us…I’ve met someone such as Eunhyuk that I do believe have love me…”

Before she can continue Cheondung step back away from her, he closes his amethyst eyes and shook his head. Then he met her gaze again, the amethyst color of his cornea seems to become darker than before. “I understand what you’re saying Ji Eun…you don’t have to tell me again and again. You will always be my best friend. I know that” he said in gritted teeth.

“Cheondung…” Ji Eun started to take a step closer to him again but he had stopped her.

She saw his growing pain written in his face, his hunger is taking a hold of him again. “I just want to relieve you of your pain”

Cheondung snickered in annoyance of what she said, “I am becoming a master of it, believe me”

“You don’t have to. I am your bloodletter, remember?” Ji Eun said in knotted brows, she’s becoming confused on the sudden change in Cheondung’s attitude towards her.

“Yes, you’re my bloodletter and you’re my best friend” Cheondung said as if making the two identifications she have on his life is something bad in the mouth if said side by side.

“What do you mean by that?” she asked with a raise eyebrow.

“It means that whether a vampire or a human, you shared my pain. There is no getting away from it…this link forged so strong that even though you can have a life on your own you cannot because there seems to be an invincible chain that