“Ah this is damn tiring. I wanna resign now…..”

“Seriously?”

“Damn serious…I don’t even have energy to say how serious I am…”

Year-end closing was too harsh on her mental wellness and it’s getting harder every day.  It has been two weeks when she went home at midnight. Her friend looked at her dishevelled hair and eye bags which completes her tired looks. Out of concern, Yoojung offered her a tiny rubber band which she gladly accepts. Slowly she tied up her unkempt hair and smile to her friend as gratitude.

“Do you want to eat?  We can go together.”

“I can’t afford going home drunk. Still a week to go before closing ends. Sorry Yoojung-ah.”

“Ramyeon again? You’re going to get bald. You don’t have to drink.”

“That’s good. You don’t have to give me rubber band anymore keke. I don’t believe you, every time we had dinner together, I’ll woke up next morning banging my head on wall.”  

After saying goodbye, she walks along the road alone. As X-mas is just around the corner, the road has been decorated with pretty lamps, gleaming beautifully throughout the night. She hummed her favourite song, to ease up her cluttered mind.

On her way home, she prefers to take a shortcut at park since there are too much tent bars around. She’s not in mood to encounter drunkards so she tries to avoid it. She takes her sweet time to stroll around the park for some fresh air. Feeling tired, she sat on bench and out of sudden, someone hugged her from behind. The person reeks out alcohol, and that scares hell out of her.

, now people even get drunk at this park?!

“Let me go when I’m still nice.” She said to the perpetrator calmly. “No….no…” The man responded, stuttering in his reply. When the hug is getting too tight, she knows she needs help.

“I’m going to scream!”

“No….nooo…”

“HE………….”

“AH AHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!”

Eh? I don’t even shout yet, and now he’s screaming?

She turned around when the hands loosened from hugging her and her eyes bulged, seeing a man pulling up another man’s hand, causing him to writhe in pain. The man, who looks like in early forties, begged the younger man to let his hand go. She was stunned in wooden bench as everything seems too fast for her to digest.

The young man whispered something to the perpetrator, and when she realized it, the man who hugged her already ran away with frightened face.

“Are you okay?” He asked calmly while adjusting his coat.

“Ummm…yes…..thank….thank you!”

For seconds she thought she saw red lights flickered in his mesmerizing eyes. Draped in long black coat, his slim figure stands out effortlessly. He has pale complexion, matching with silvery chrome hair color. He smirked, showing quite eminent canine teeth inside by chance.  She rubbed her eyes and pinched her own hand, in case she’s getting drunk without consuming alcohol. First eyes, now fangs alike teeth? I must’ve been pretty drunk, with paperwork I guess, she thought.

“Be safe.  Good night.”

“Ah….wait..”

The man slowly walked away when she called him. “What…what’s your name?”

He stopped and turned to face her. “Baekhyun.” He replied firmly. A smile curved on his lips before he turned back and walk again until he vanished from her sight.

__________________________________________________________________

She was excited to take the same path again the next day, hoping to meet the guy named Baekhyun at the park. She went for walk around, stretched her neck to search for that man, but none seen that night. Feeling disappointed, she leaned on nearest lamp post to rest. When a huge clock in park hit number 12, light above her starts blinking and one of it turned off unexpectedly. That’s when she felt breath brushed against her hair.

“You have a….beautiful neck..” The cold voice suddenly whispered from back while his lean fingers crawled on her neck delicately. Pink tint crept on her cheeks, feeling nervous from his touch. His mysterious dark voice lingers on her mind, causing her froze from screaming.  She gathers all her might, trying to talk to the person behind him. “Baek…Baekhyun?”

“You shouldn’t walk alone here…not after what happened yesterday.” She turned to face him once he replied. His dazzling eyes somehow look solemn today.

“………why not? This is my usual way going home.”

He leaned his face closer to her ear. “Cause I might kill you.” He said darkly. His voice send chills throughout her body, stunned her from continue to react. She felt his lips curled into smirk against her cheek and inevitably she pushed him a bit, creating distance between them.

“Why….?”

“The lesser you know, the better.”

“But….but I want to know you better!”

He cupped her face with both hands, with stern look on his eyes. “I’m a vampire.”

“Sorry?” Did I hear him wrong?

That exact moment a lash of red light emblazoned in his eyes, glimmering beautifully just like the way she saw yesterday.  “I’m not a human like you.” His white canine teeth once again seen by her, only this time it got bigger. Shocked by his confession, her legs started to feel weak. He quickly hold her waist firmly, preventing her from slipped down to ground. “Too much to accept?” He smiled, like nothing happened. Cold sensation emitted from his figure brushed against her skin, too cold than human being should be. Despite the coldness, a sweet scent of him lingers around her, the flower scent.

But he’s not a human.

This is total madness.

“I’m…alright….I think….” She released herself from his embrace, moving her feet so that she won’t feel wobbly again. “Okay….okay…I’m crazy to trust your story but….,” she stopped awhile, gathering all energy she has to continue. She tucked her long hair behind and went closer to him, while literally shoving her neck to his face. Baekhyun gulped at sight of her fair neck.

He’s never been hungry like this before. The temptation is luring him down.

“I guess this is the only way I can repay your kindness…is it? Just don’t let me see my own blood, I might puke before fainting.”

Someone please just yell candid camera now…I don’t mind looking fool around the nation. My nerves are killing me.

It’s unbearable.

His face plastered with amusement. Never once in his life someone actually offered him their own blood. Most of them will just run away once he admitted being a vampire. She closed her eyes tightly when he pulled her closer for hug. Due to nerve-wrecking emotion, her fingers grazed behind him intensely, which alerted him on how scared she was at the moment.  “You’ll regret this decision….”

“Why is that?”

“I won’t leave any single drop.”

“Er…..can you just drink….450ml..maybe?”

He’s amused again.

“Now you sound like milk carton. You can’t deal on thing like this.”

“Baekhyun...you just make the guy ran away, you’re not even injured. As token of appreciation, I strongly think 450ml is enough….right? Fair and square.”

“Deal. Better than nothing.”

Swiftly he moves his face near to her neck, getting ready for bite his victim. “Only 450ml okay?” She blurted out suddenly. “We will see. I don’t know how much is 450ml.”

Something sharp begins to pierce her neck, and she can’t hide her frightened face.

“Baek….ah! It hurts! Can you do it softly?!”

Baekhyun buried his face on her shoulder, unable to contain his laughter anymore. “I don’t even start yet. Just messing around with my nails. They’re pretty sharp too.” She quickly touches her neck, to check any wound inflicted. “When you’ll start anyway? I’m really scared, so just does it as fast as you can alright?” He whispered slowly. “I won’t drink now. So your 450ml blood is on lease. It’s mine.” Baekhyun kissed her cheek tenderly before disappear in total darkness, leaving her dumbfounded.

And the lamp starts to flick for a while before it begins to shine bright again.

__________________________________________________________________

“Baekhyun I bought you these!”

He took the plastic she gave, and looking puzzled. “Strawberry milk?”

“Good for bone and teeth.”

“I won’t reduce the blood amount.”

“Vampire don’t accept bribe? At least it’s red.”

“You can buy me watermelon juice instead. Whole coven will laugh if they saw me drinking this.”

She smiled while happily sipping the trace of the milk. Never once she thought going home late will lead to such meeting, and now she’s excited everytime clock strikes midnight.

“Baekhyun..when can I see you again?”

“When moon is in brightest side….full moon.”

“I thought full moon is for warewolves haha,” she chuckles a little when Baekhyun stares at her coldly.

“You read too much novel.” He replied. “The only light I’m able to endure….is moonlight. Ah…by the way…”

He pulled out her hand, only to give her a bloody red colored rose. “Wow, what a surprise.”

“I should be paying for the milk anyway.”

“For a moment I just wanna ask where do you get this, but I forget that you’re magical.”

Under dim light, she saw his red lips formed into such tender smile.

And her heart can’t stop thumping.

__________________________________________________________________

After few days, the moon starts to take another shape. Somehow it makes her sad.

I can’t even sleep these days. I…..missed him. We met only for couple of days, but still he’s someone special…for me.

I can’t wait for today.

Complicated. Ah....I think I'm addicted.

__________________________________________________________________

“Baekhyun?”

It was quiet tonight at the park, not even his shadow seen at their usual meeting bench. She wandered around, looking for him. She can’t let this opportunity pass by, as she might have no more chance to meet him again. Her footsteps stopped when she heard something move in bushes nearby.

Feeling curious, she walks slowly to the bushes, only to find Baekhyun on the top of unknown man, who’s fainted. She screamed when she saw Baekhyun is getting ready to bite him.

“BAEKHYUN DON ‘T DO IT!!!!”

Baekhyun quickly looked at her. His face coated with guilt, and the fangs are still visible. Tears begin to fall down across her cheeks, hoping what she saw just now is not true. His heart stings with pain, seeing her cried.

“Why don’t you take mine instead...why? You can take as much as you want….,” she stopped talking for awhile, the emotion is crushing her that she could barely speak now.  “…….just don’t do it to the other people…..I’m begging you…..”

He stands in front of her, and wipe the tears with his beautiful fingers. When she looks at him, she saw him crying silently. “Don’t…cry…”

“I…..can’t change. This is who I am..” Slowly he holds her hand, intertwining his fingers with hers. “I don’t mind….I really am! Just…take mine. It hurts me seeing you do that to other people. You…have me..”

A painful smile curved on his fine red lips. “I can’t hurt you..”

“Why…..why not…?”

Out of sudden, she’s already inside his embracement, tightly. That was first time, she ever feel warm being hugged by Baekhyun. “You’re the first to make me feel this way…you’re the first person….who make me regret of not being human..”

His eyes gleaming with tears, and she can’t even decipher the pain she saw behind it. Softly, her hands cupped his face and she smile towards him. “I know we are different…but it doesn’t mean we can’t be together..I can't....I can't let you...go...”

Baekhyun chuckles a bit, trying to hide his sadness. “We can’t even get married. I can’t stand in church. Or I might burn to death.”

“We can just register our marriage. No big deal.” She replied spontaneously, making him smile widely. “You always have answers, don’t you? I can’t go out in morning.”

“We….we will figure out how later. Just don’t leave ….,” her speech was cut out short when Baekhyun’s lips crashed on hers softly. "I love you." He whispered between the kiss, which surprised her. He stares deeply at her shocked face before continue to kiss her again. Tears fell across her cheeks when he slowly wiped it and smile.

"I'm sorry you have to see my darkside.....I'm so sorry.."

"Don't go....."

"I'll see you again.....in full moon."

"I love you Baekhyun....don't....just don't leave me...."

"Me too.."

He gave her the warmest smile she ever seen before he disappeared in thin air. Tears keep flowing as something pained her heart so much. 

It's so painful that I feel like dying. 

__________________________________________________________________

She never saw Baekhyun after that night. She missed him so much that every time moon took it full form, she will stroll at park for hours until midnight appears.

When her alarm rang, as sign of 12 o'clock, the soft breeze with sweet scent will greet her and in seconds, a bloody red rose will be placed at the bench, first place when she first met Baekhyun.

She picked it up, and there's note attached to it. 

I missed you.

Next time you have to buy me strawberry milk again.

I love you. 

So much.

- Baekhyun

She smile happily and kiss the rose before putting it in her bag.

Love doesn't have to be complicated, she thought.

"I love you too." 

Slowly she walks away, eagerly waits for another full moon again.