The next morning, after sleeping a few hours, Onew tries to wake Vera up. After talking to her last night, even after she had unwillingly fallen asleep at his command, he was able to forgive himself for all that happened. 10 minutes pass and he gives up on trying to wake her up, he had never realized how much his friend loved her sleep. He was just so used to seeing her awake that he wasn’t knowledgeable of her sleeping patterns. Watching her sleep, it took all of himself not to do anything to her-literally anything. Without caution, he could’ve kissed or even bitten her. So he just picks her up and phases over to her room, cradling her gently in his arms before tucking her into her bed.

On his way out, he bumps into Taemin, who was on his way in. The younger of the two looks at him suspiciously, wondering what happened the night before between them. His jealous instincts wouldn’t quit, even when everyone else told him to stop doubting his girlfriend’s intentions.

“Before you ask, we just talked last night. Nothing happened,” he sighs, the tiredness in his voice finally appearing. He runs his hand through his hair. “She was a bit upset, but I think she’s calmer now.”

But she slept in your room... Pushing the thought away, he nods, looking seemingly calm. “Thanks.”

He starts to walk away, but stops to add something. “Though I like her, I know she loves you, so I won’t overstep my boundaries.”

Wanting to trust his words, Taemin nods and walks into Vera’s room, closing the door beside him. Upon entering, he hears her slowly wake up and a smile tugs at the corners of his mouth. He would be able to talk to her.

“Onew?” she whispers, before noticing it was her boyfriend. She tenses and ducks under her covers, not wanting to see him. She would like to say it was because she was still mad at him about last night-it wasn’t-but really, it was because she was embarrassed after revealing her feelings to him. It was obvious Taemin wouldn’t let her live it down.

Unaware of her embarrassment, he finds it cute, nonetheless, and plops down near the foot of her bed, tucking in his long, slender legs as he pats the ground beside him. “Get up, I need to talk to you,” he says, casually.

“I don’t wanna talk to you,” she murmurs, from underneath the covers.

He giggles, but continues to pat the ground. “But I wanna talk to you, so get up already. I promise I’m not mad at you anymore.”

Knowing he’ll just keep talking to annoy her out of bed, Vera reluctantly throws the covers and walks over to him, glaring at him with crossed arms. “I’m here, what do you want?”

Taking the chance, he pulls her down, causing her to fall in his lap as he had planned. “Do you know what I wanted to talk to you about?”

She silently just glares at him in a way that asks “Do you think I know?”

His smile grows and he rocks her shoulder back and forth. “I’m sorry for not trusting you.”

“Uh huh...”

“And no, I don’t like you just for your face or your blood. I’m not that superficial,” he jokes.

“Then why do you like me, now that we’re on the topic.”

He starts to answer, but then stops. “I’ll tell you if you tell me why you love me,” he grins.

Quickly, she shakes her head. “Pretend I never said anything.”

Proud of himself, he smiles widely. “So you forgive me now?” he asks, cutely.

“For the time being, yes, but-”

He cuts her off with a kiss, breaking it after a few seconds. “Well, if that’s all, I’ll be going,” he says, trying to play it cool. Casually, he slides her off of his lap and stands up.

“Wait!” Vera tries to stop him, while trying to not blush.

“Oh yeah,” he stops, reaching into his pocket, his hands closing around her ring. “You remember the ring I gave you? You don’t have to wear it anymore. I’m sorry for trying to rush things.”

She glares, realizing his reverse psychology, but allowing it anyway. She holds her hand out. “I’ll wear it.”

He smiles and happily replaces it on her finger, still wearing his proudly. “Love you,” he says, simply, squeezing her hand as he shakes it up and down, giddy.

Embarrassed, she gives him a curt nod and a glare  before sending him on his way.

Still awkward around each other, the girls don’t say much to each other, basically waiting for the other to crack and start a conversation. Luckily, someone started the conversation for them.

Vera knocks on the door, patiently waiting for an answer, replaying the previous night’s events. She had offered to answer any of her friends’ questions after Onew suggested it last night. She had to try to see it from their perspectives to see how they might’ve reacted.

“Hello?” Angel asks, looking around, as if to make sure none of the others were behind her. Either she was scared of them after knowing their secret or she’s scared someone will yell at her because of her secret. “Vera?” she finally looks at her, almost sighing.

“Oh hey,” she smiles, too quickly. Whenever Taemin left her alone, she always found herself smiling without effort. It was good to be happy, but at times she felt herself falling for him too fast. This was neither of those circumstances: now, she felt bad to come and smile about her relationship when theirs were (practically) in tatters. So for their sake, she puts on a blank face. “Hey,” she says, in a monotone voice to match her new expression. “Is Chaerin in, too?”

“Vera!” Having not slept the night before, the unnie springs up quickly and grabs her friend. “Are you ok? Did he bite you? she asks, searching every exposed part of her, save for her face. Unlike Angel, who was slightly afraid of SHINee, Chaerin actually was really interested about their story after she got over the initial shock. Finding her skin unmarked, she sighs and goes back to her side of the room, disappointed.

Vera laughs out loud at her friend. “What, did you want me to be a vampire or something?”

“Please!” Chaerin calls, while Angel looks at her with fear in her brown eyes.

“Are you? I mean, you spent a lot of time with them...”

Finding her statement funny, the girl laughs again. “No, Angel, it doesn’t spread through the air. It’s not the flu.”

“Then what happened with Onew and you?” Angel asks, quietly, Chaerin nodding in agreement. “He looked like he wanted to eat you alive.”

“Chaerin, you saw that I wasn’t attacked, and obviously neither of you are speaking to a ghost, so nothing happened.”

The youngest of the 3 nods, taking her word as truth. The oldest, on the other hand, has another question. “Are the rest of them vampires?”

Vera nods. “All 5 of them are vampires.”

Angel’s jaw drops, looking like someone just told her that tomatoes were actually fruits after years of thinking they were vegetables. “Even Minho?”

“Especially Minho,” she jokes, grinning.

“Wait, so they don’t eat food?” Chaerin asks, confused.

“They do. They just don’t need it to survive, like we do.”

“So you’re telling me, the 3 of us are the only humans?” Angel asks, still hung up on that fact.

The unnie nods, while Vera answers. “Why do you think they’re always so cold? They’re cold in summer, they’re cold in winter, they’re cold in spring, they’re cold in fall. They’re always cold.”

“That’s why!” Chaerin practically yells, laughing at her own surprise. “I always thought it was me.”

“That means you’re dating a vampire,” Angel says, still light years behind on this conversation.

Vera nods, twisting the ring again. “You guys are too...right? You’re still dating, right?”

The two girls silence and look away.

“What?” she asks, confused, now feeling very aware of her ring. Every fiber of her being wanted to take it off, but she could imagine Taemin’s annoying face if he noticed.

“Nothing,” they say in unison.

Deciding not to tell her about Angel’s secret, they send her off on her way. “Are you sure I answered all your questions?”

They nod at the same time, trying to get rid of her as fast as they can. “We’re sure.” Finally, she leaves them alone and they sigh.

“What’s going to happen with you and Jonghyun?” Chaerin asks, turning to Angel. “You’re not scared of him anymore, right?”

“...welll...”

“Well, what? Tell me while I’m not mad at you.”

Angel exhales and runs her hands through her hair. “It wasn’t my fault, ok?”

“So who’s was it, then? Jonghyun’s?”

“At least I told him myself,” she mutters under her breath, half hoping she heard and half hoping she didn’t.

Chaerin does and nods. “True,” she shrugs. As much as she wanted to forgive her friend, she just couldn’t help to think what Jonghyun must be feeling. But it is in the past...

“What about you, Key, and Minho? Have you decided yet?”

The unnie gapes. “How did you know?”

“Minho-oppa...told me,” she answers slowly, realizing quickly that it was something Chaerin didn’t want to think about. “Do you need help deciding?”

“Please!”

“Well...I think you’d like Minho-oppa, because..he’s playful and cute. And I think he really likes you.”

“What about Key?” Chaerin asks, attentive.

“I didn’t like him at first, but now he’s grown on me,” Angel smiles. “Now that I think about it, I don’t know...”

Chaerin makes a face at her. “Well thanks for nothing,” she glares, and walks out of the room.

The day goes by without too many festivities, but as night falls and deadlines draw closer and closer, things start to get a bit more...exciting, to say the least.

Before the group sets out for the evening, Key takes Chaerin over to the side. “So how are you?”

“I’m good,” she smiles, but only for a second, before giving him a neutral face. “You?”

He shrugs. “I guess you still might be shocked from yesterday, so we wanted to take you out somewhere.”

“We?”

Not giving her a straightforward answer, he just nods. “Meet us at the front in an hour, k? And wear something pretty,” he grins and walks off.

“What was that about?” Jonghyun asks, as she turns to face him.

“I don’t know,” she shrugs. “Guess I’ll have to wait and see,” she says, walking back to her room.

Just like he had asked, after eating dinner with the group, Chaerin splits off to meet him at the front.

“Where are you going?” Angel asks, looking at her as if a deer caught in the headlights. Though she could still feel her friend’s anger radiate from her, she still wasn’t confident enough to face Jonghyun alone.

“Somewhere,” she shrugs, but pats her dongsaeng’s shoulder. “Stop being so scared of him. It’s not like they’re demons.”

Angel smiles at the comment, but her heart sinks when she feels her phone vibrate for the third time this night. She had something to get off her chest, but wasn’t sure if it’d hurt more if she told it or kept it hidden.

After bidding her friends goodbye, Chaerin walks down the stairs and finds Key and Minho standing outside the hotel, their backs to the glass. Their style preferences were obvious, Key wore a trendy, yet flamboyant ensemble, while Minho stuck to his traditional preppy style, and it made her giggle, before reinforcing the butterflies in her stomach. Who would she choose?

She presses the glass door open with her hand and steps out into the warm evening. As soon as her feet touched the smooth concrete ground, they turn to face her with very different faces.

“Yah, I told you to wear something pretty! What’s this?” Key asks, eyeing her outfit with sharp eyes.

Chaerin doesn’t falter, used to his ways. “Hey, for me, wearing heels means pretty,” and makes a face at him. She crosses her arms at him and stands her ground.

Minho, on the other hand, laughs at his friend’s comment. “And this is really pretty. You look nice, Chaerin,” he compliments, smiling down at her.

She beams at the compliment and drops her arms. “At least someone likes my outfit,” she says, pointedly, but in a teasing manner, before standing in between the two gents. “So where are we going?”

“You’ll see,” Minho says ominously in his low voice, a bright smile on his face, despite the occasional waver in his heart.

The trio walk in almost perfect silence, aside from the city’s commotion and Chaerin’s frequently asked but never answered questions. In her heels, she barely makes it to Minho’s shoulders, but thankfully doesn’t look as petite next to Key, who decided to forgo the platforms for tonight’s adventure. All in all, who ever she picked, she would look nice next to, so appearances were off her list of reasons to pick one over the other. Her knees got a bit wobbly at the thought, that it was a miracle she didn’t stumble.

Minutes pass and landscapes change and Chaerin’s had enough walking for a millennia. “Are we there yet?” she asks, tiredly.

“Nope,” Key chimes, a wide smile across his perfectly made up face. “Just a couple more miles to go.”

“Where are we walking to? South Korea?”

The two males laugh at her comment, finding it amusing. “No, what makes you think that?” Minho answers, still laughing.

“We’ve been walking for hours,” she replies, dramatically. “Or at least that’s what it feels like...”

“We’ve only been walking for 10 minutes!” the blonde says, laughing.

“10 minutes too long,” she mutters under her breath, earning a grin from Minho.

“Don’t worry, ok? We’re almost there,” he replies, reassuringly.

“We better be,” she huffs. Just as promised, a couple minutes later, the 2 males stop and Chaerin stops seconds later, not used to their fast reflexes. “We’re here?” she asks, surprised.

Smiles spread across their faces as they nod, holding back their laughter at her surprise.

“Where are we?” Chaerin asks, ignoring their idiocy in exchange for looking at the beautiful architecture around her.

“We’re in the Gothic Quarter of Barcelona, also known as the setting of tonight’s story,” Key narrates, sounding as if from a storybook. Which from Vera’s perspective, he and the other four were.

She laughs, enjoying his dramatic voice, but not realizing the seriousness of his words. Tonight a story shall be written, but no one knew the ending.

“Close your eyes,” Minho states, no longer smiling.

“Why?” she asks, seconds before a dark fabric covers her eyes.

“We’ll give you 10 seconds and then you can open your eyes,” he continues, tying the blindfold behind her head.

“Why are you doing this?” she asks, trying to hide her fear as curiosity. As much as she tried to push the thoughts away, she couldn’t help but think they were going to hurt her.

“Because you couldn’t choose,” Key answers, solemnly. “So now we’ll let your mind choose for you.” And those were the last words she heard before they disappeared.

“Hey, Jonghyun-oppa, can I talk to you for a second?” Angel asks, trying to swallow the fear that rose to , as her phone continues to buzz in her clutch.

He smiles, initially, happy to have been acknowledged, but then stops when he notices her face. He stands.

She forms a fist with one of her hands and holds her clutch with another as she stands, almost tripping over her dress in her nervousness.

Curious as to what was happening, Vera looks up and watches their faces as the couple walks away, stiff as ice. “Do you know what’s happening?” she asks, anyone who cared to answer.

“Don’t worry about it,” Onew says, quietly, analyzing their faces as well. Something was off about Angel. She was scared, but he could tell it had nothing to do with her previous secret. Still, he decides it would be best for him and his dongsaengs stay out of it. So he stays seated.

“Key? Minho?” Chaerin calls, frantic, when seconds pass in silence. No longer was she surrounded in their coldness, they had left her alone. It takes awhile for her to remember their words and rip the blindfold off. She looks around the area, trying to find a glimpse of either two, half regretting not being able to choose by herself. Where the heck could they be?

“You’ll find whoever your heart wants to find,” Key says, sounding as if by her side.

“What was that?” she asks, turning around trying to find the voice. It was the first time she had heard his voice in her mind and it threw her off. “Where are you guys?” She continues to ask questions, hoping he’ll respond, but he stays silent, letting her work through the maze herself.

Minutes pass and she decides to follow his instructions, walking around aimlessly. Listening to the various voices speaking in the background and the sharp click of her heels against the brick lined floor, she spots tall palm trees and tall black lampposts. Her curiosity awakens and her feet quicken, though tired from the initial journey. In the center of the square is a fountain, and on the steps sits a familiar male with crossed thin legs and a wide boyish grin.

“Where’s Key?” are the first words she asks, nearing him, forgetting the purpose of the scavenger hunt.

Too excited to see her, Minho doesn’t hear her words and quickly wraps her into a bear hug. “Did you just get here?”

“Yup,” she nods, enjoying the cool hug. Though her mind forgot the purpose of tonight, her heart sinks in realization. Chaerin thinks it’s just hunger and grabs her stomach. “So where to?”

Noticing her hand, he smiles again to himself. “Are you hungry?” She nods. “Great, because I hear we’re near some really great restaurants. Let’s go.”

Happily, she follows him and his long legs, a smile on her face in the prospect of adventure and her hand laced with his.

Holding a bouquet of Spanish flowers he bought at a nearby flower market, Key shifts in his designer shoes nervously, waiting for Chaerin to find him. Maybe I shouldn’t have gone so far out, knowing how quickly she gets lost. He tries to encourage himself, remembering his words. If she wants to find me, then she’ll find me. Nothing to worry about.

Just as his confidence returns to him, he spots his friends walk by La Rambla, where he stood, hands entwined.  No doubt about it, she had chosen Minho. It pained him to put all the pieces together, but he hides it under a small smile, letting the flowers fall from his hands. He puts his hands into his pockets and takes a last look at them before he walks away. Good for Minho. He got the girl. Walking amidst the lively streets with its living statutes and beckoning markets, the one thought he didn’t want to think echoes in his mind on loop. She’s only a human. But why does it hurt so much?

“What is it?” Jonghyun asks, as Angel stops walking. “You said you had to talk to me.”

She looks ahead, not trying to look at him for fear of the tears falling. Her hands shake as they reach into her clutch and pull out the forever buzzing phone. Handing it to him, her eyes flick up to his for a second, and then starts the waterworks.

“What?” he asks, taking the phone cautiously. The phone had been ringing and buzzing all night and everytime it did, his girlfriend grew more and more stiff. It held the answer to her secret, but he wasn’t sure he wanted to find out what it was.

“I’m really gonna miss you, oppa,” she starts, wiping her face, as if it would stop the waterfall. “I’m sorry for what happened between us and I wish it didn’t have to end like this.”

“Angel, what are you talking about? Is this the guy? Is he harassing you?”

Angel shakes her head, before sniffing. “I have to go back to America. This is my last year in Korea.”

Hey you guys! Sorry for not updating recently, school's been busy. What do you think of all the plot twists? Onew likes Vera! Chaerin picks Minho! Angel's leaving! Are your ships dying or are you rejoicing? Don't forget to comment and subscribe, I love hearing your feedback. The story is coming to a close, so hold on tight for the rollercoaster of surprises.

Happy St. Patrick's Day everyone~