“Are you sure you're fine alone?”

“Yeah... I can manage...”

Mumbling those words distinctively, everyone knew it was a blatant lie. Who would be able to cope when one has lost their family in the blink of an eye unexpectedly? Hanging alone in the world with no one to rely on, Jieun felt her past life invading and destroying her present. The loneliness she once felt when she was still in the orphanage revived and took over her life. It owned her...again.

She was advised to move back into the orphanage and wait till she turns 18 to legally live alone. Efforts have gone futile. Pestering her to move back was a nuisance, she was so defeated till the extend that she didn’t even bother to look at anyone in the eye, let alone answer simple questions. She would scream at doctors and trash objects at officers who kept bugging her for the details on that demonic night. She was exhausted. She despised reality.

It has actually been 5 days since Jieun was in a coma when the police found her and her family. The frigid weather froze her systems and put her into the coma that she has now recovered. She was released by the hospital 3 days after regaining consciousness. Her vitals stabilized and no sign of critical harm was detected in her, except for a cut on the forehead. Both her parents were confirmed to be deceased, but Sunggyu's body was never found.

Trudging back to her house, she felt no warmth. Nothing and no one was at home to welcome her back, it hurt. There was only one thing replaying in her head-the past conversation she had with an officer.

“Where was I found?” she asked the officers, deadpan.

“In the cabin next to your mother,” the officer questioned replied briefly.

“My dad? My brother Sunggyu?” she asked again, tears forming at the corners of her eyes.

“Your dad was flung outside, and your brother is nowhere to be found...”

“Wh...what?” she gasped. “What do you mean my brother is nowhere to be found?”

She was treated by silence.

“TELL ME! WHAT HAPPENED?” She shouted, crying.

“We don't know, there was a pool of blood that seemed to be his, he was just, gone...we're still investigating.”

Appa and omma gone for real, but no sign of Sunggyu. What in the world has happneend? She remembered running out into the snow, but why was she found in the cabin? She witnessed Sunggyu being stabbed, but why was he not found? It made no sense.

Opening the door of her house, it felt cold and deserted. Even though she finalized that she wont be requesting mental rehabilitation, she was already dead...mentally. She walked straight up the stairs, entering Sunggyu's room, and landed on to his bed.

“Oppa,where are you? Don't leave me in hell here. Please...”

The scent of Sunggyu wafted through her nose, she sobbed, fingers digging into the covers, and let out a loud and uncontrollable wail. Anguished, she felt no wisp of relieve, as her mind drifted into the abyss of torment. Hopelessly she she ponder those afflictions, only reaffirming the hell she now wonder. Any hope for relief is thwarted by the pain and agony that haunts her.

***

The repeated ringing of the doorbell hoisted Jieun out of her sleep. She opened her eyes with great effort as a sharp pain throbbed in her head due to the cut. Her face was stiff from the dried tears that left her eyes. The sound of the doorbell didn’t stop, it was still ringing from time to time. She walked down the stairs meekly, having no intention to fix her appearance and opened the door.

It was Taehyung. He gasped as he focused his vision on Jieun. She looked as pale as a ghost, like she was the ghost herself. Eyebags drooped to her chin and her lips were cracked and dry. Her hair stuck out in odd places, messy and tousled. She looked awfully thinner than the last time Taehyung saw her before sem-break. Apparently, the news about the death of her family was spreading like wildfire, it was on both TV and newspaper, that’s why he rushed over, worried of her condition, but was in for a total shock to see her like this. Being her best friend, it only pained him to see the wound on her forehead, it was bound to leave a scar... a scar that will haunt her forever.

“Ji...eun...ah..”he lifted out his hand to touch her face gingerly as he can't find words to express himself. Jieun stood there expressionless, and Taehyung knew he wont be seeing her smile again. He pulled her into an embrace, hoping that she would still feel warmth.

“I know you’re not alright.” Because he knew her well, there's no need to beat around the bush. “I know you don’t want to talk, but remember, theirs always me to rely on.” Words like these touched her heart, forcing tears to roll down her cheeks that eventually lead to painful sobs. With trembling hands, she returned the hug.

His sincere concern towards her had persuaded her to take a warm shower. Water rushed down her whole body and she stood there, feeling the heat on her bare skin, but felt no better.

“You should eat,” Taehyung placed food he had just cooked. “I know you're depressed, but at least treat your body right.”

Without replying, she sat down and picked up the spoon laid next to the bowl of soup, drinking bit by bit. Taehyung sat next to her in silence. He decided that it's better to not question anything and let her be the one to speak. School was about to resume soon, and Taehyung wondered how she would be able to cope. His thoughts were interrupted by a clang sound while Jieun laid her spoon on the table. Her stomach felt warm finally after days without food, and she decided to tell Taehyung what has actually happened.

“I can move in for a whole if you want me to,” Taehyung walked to the front door.

“I can manage, it's fine. You can go,” Jieun declined.

“Don't do anything stupid okay?” He warned.

She closed her eyes and nodded. She had already made her mind not to commit suicide or whatever, she wanted to investigate further about the tragic death of her parents and look for leads to finding Sunggyu. Her gut is telling her that Sunggyu's still alive...somewhere.

“I'll visit you again tomorrow,” he gave a small smile and ruffled her hair, not expecting her to return the smile.

“Okay.”

Upon closing the door, she bolted upstairs into her room and opened her laptop. She pondered for sometime before typing into the Search Engine.

Supernatural...absurdly strong...change in eye color...terrifying...beast..

Words like these popped into her mind. There's only one word to summarize everything. Her fingers began typing away, forming the word 'vampire'.

Vampire

[/ˈvampʌɪə]

a corpse supposed to leave its grave at night to drink the blood of the living by biting their neck with long pointed canine teeth.

A preternatural being, commonly believed to be a reanimated corpse, that is said to the blood of sleeping persons at night.

a corpse, animated by an undeparted soul or demon, that periodically leaves the grave and disturbs the living, until it is exhumed and impaled or burned.

A Vampire is a mythical being who subsists by feeding on the life essence (generally in the form of blood) of living creatures. In folkloric tales,undead vampires often visited loved ones and caused mischief or deaths in the neighborhoods they inhabited when they were alive. They wore shrouds and were often described as bloated and of ruddy or dark countenance, markedly different from today's gaunt, pale vampire which dates from the early 1800s

Researching about vampires for the next 2 hours, she figured its probably them who killed her family, but was still tentative about it. Putting her feelings aside, she turned off her computer and made her way downstairs, and walked out the door to a nearby town.

***

Passing by shops on both her sides, she buried her face deeper into her scarf Sunggyu had given her on her birthday last year. Kids laughing as they receive candies from their parents only made her even depressed. Seeing older brothers hugging their younger siblings hurt her even more. Her footsteps stopped at the entrance of a CD shop, Sunggyu's favorite place as it was filled with nothing but music and albums. Smiling bitterly behind her scarf, she entered.

Walking through shelves of albums placed neatly, she stopped at 4 Minute's section. Taking out one of the albums, she reminisced about the times Sunggyu would dance to their songs like a dork. A teardrop escaped her eye.

Oppa,where are you....

She took out a few more to browse through when someone accidentally bumped into her, causing the albums to fall on the floor.

Authornim: TADAAAAAAAAAAAAA! IM BACK! DORAWWAJWOO, I WANT YOU BACK BACK BACK BACK BACK!!! /gets slapped

In the end, Taehyung won for the voting as cameo. I have considered the other options you guys have proposed and it didn't really fit the characteristics I wanted, sowieee~~~ T^T It's 4.19pm here and raining...Zzz can't be on for long now, I dont wanna get electrocuted xD I can smell food....bet my mom's cooking downstairs...fooddddd~~~~ I'll be out for now~~~ Bye byeee, till next time~

xoxo