Third Vampire Shadows (An Urban Paranormal Romance Novel)

by Zhu Hsia

  "Me...?"

  She stepped up to him, establishing eye contact. Although he was a good two feet taller than her, he was shaking uncontrollably, as though she was a scary giant towering over him.

  Without a word, Hyeon Jin knocked the books out of his hands, making them drop to the floor with a loud thud. Fear and surprise crossed the boy’s face as he bent over to pick his books up. But as soon as he had them in his hands again, she shoved them out of his hands again. He bit his lip and quietly retrieved his books, not daring to look up. Just when he was about to stand up, she kicked the books out of his trembling hands. This went on for about a minute or so, nobody saying a word at all. Eventually, Hyeon Jin grew tired of it.

  “God… Stand up, you loser!” she snapped at him.

  He did as he was told, with his head still angled down.

  “Who dropped the books?” Hyeon Jin asked him. “ANSWER ME!” she added when he didn’t reply immediately.

  “Me…?” he whispered.

  “What?”

  “Me.”

  “Dammit! It was not YOU, it was ME!” Hyeon Jin said exasperatedly.

  The boy looked up at her in confusion but said nothing.

  “Did I do it on purpose?” she asked.

  He shook his head without even thinking.

  She cursed aloud, staring fiercely at the boy. “I knocked the books out of your hands at least twenty times and you think I didn’t do it on purpose, you dimwit?!”

  “I— I just thought…”

  “Shut up!” she snapped. “If someone drops your things on purpose, who should pick them up?”

  The boy opened his mouth to speak, but Hyeon Jin cut him off.

  “No, don’t answer that.” She sighed heavily and continued eyeing the trembling boy in an irritated way. “You know what happens to losers like you?”

  The boy shook his head vigorously.

  “NOTHING! You stay like that forever!” she bellowed, causing him to jump back a few steps. “I know it feels good to be invisible and play a passive role in life. But you’re gonna have to deal with other people, one way or another. And these people are not gonna be nice to you. They’re not gonna get out of your way—either you get out of their way or you tell them to get out of your way. That’s how it is.” She paused to take a deep breath. “That’s how it’ll always be.”

  The boy stopped trembling and stared at her as though he was seeing her for the first time. She looked away as she tried to compose herself.

  After a few seconds of silence, she looked back at him again, and from out of nowhere, she knocked the books to the floor again. As if waiting for his cue, he just stood there, blinking at her. Just when Hyeon Jin was about to move, he bent down to get them.

  She covered her face with one hand in exasperation. “Gosh. You’re hopeless.” Hyeon Jin started to walk away from him.

  “I… I picked them up coz I’m a… gentleman,” he said in a soft voice, just loud enough for her to hear. Hyeon Jin stopped but didn’t look back. He cleared his throat. “But next time, I won’t pick them up for you, okay? Because you were the one who dropped the books… on… on purpose.”

  Hyeon Jin smiled despite herself. “That’s better!” she called out over her shoulder, and then went on her way to her P.E. class at the field outside.

  •••

  The next few days after their shopping spree were like a series of mushy and cliché scenes straight out of a sappy romantic movie.

  Every time Hyeon Jin tried to say some insult about Mun Oh, his new look kept popping up before her, forcing her heart to do a couple of involuntary backflips as she marveled at how different he looked.

  Mun Oh still managed to say mean things and throw an occasional "big feet" joke her way, but his attacks were noticeably weaker than before. Although he kept telling himself that he was merely bored of teasing her and that he was way over their “last laugh war,” he still felt an unsettled feeling at the pit of his stomach. Before, every time she smiled, the only emotion he felt was annoyance. But lately he found that her smile, especially when directed at him, caused a tidal wave in his stomach for some unknown reason.

  There were instances when they’d bump into each other inside the house, and instead of bickering like they normally did, they’d just avoid eye contact and go on their way without a word. Before, they didn’t want to be in the same room for more than a minute because they couldn’t stand each other. Lately, they didn’t want to be in the same room for more than a minute because they felt awkward for no reason at all.

  “You’re late again, Ms. Hyeon Jin,” the buff P.E. instructor yelled.

  “I know, sir,” she replied nonchalantly, changing into her tennis shoes.

  She looked around; everyone was already doing laps around the field.

  “One more tardy and I swear I’m gonna kick you out of my class!” he threatened, getting back to his clipboard.

  Hyeon Jin joined her classmates and started running around the field. Shin Erin saw her and quickly caught up to her.

  “Hey! What’s up?”

  “Nothing much,” Hyeon Jin replied with a yawn.

  “So what happened to that pest? Still in your house?” Shin Erin asked, trying to keep up with her.

  “Yeah. Sure. Don’t see anything wrong with it.”

  For some reason, Shin Erin stopped dead in her tracks. Hyeon Jin didn’t notice it immediately, but when she did, she was a good four feet away. Confused, she ran back to where her friend stood frozen.

  Shin Erin was looking at her as if she were a ghost or something. Hyeon Jin scratched her head.

  “What?!” asked Hyeon Jin.

  “You… like him, don’t you?”

  “WHAT!”

  Hyeon Jin shook her head, unsure whether she had heard her correctly. She scanned their surroundings, making sure that nobody was watching them, and then dragged Shin Erin behind one of the large trees nearby.

  “What did you just say?”

  Shin Erin smiled mischievously. “You do like him, huh?”

  “I do NOT like him—wait, who? Mun Oh? I mean, that pest? No way! Haha. What gives you that idea? Like, duh,” she blurted out incoherently.

  Shin Erin merely shrugged. “I can see it in your eyes. It’s the same look you had when you first told me you liked Park Juno.” She started to sprint away, leaving Hyeon Jin feeling more confused than ever.

  •••

  Since he had nothing to do at home, Mun Oh made it a daily habit to take long strolls outside. Sometimes he would visit nearby malls, shops and famous districts, and sometimes he would take a tour of nearby villages and other areas. Now he slightly understood why his sister was fascinated with these humans. They were quite interesting after all.

  He closed his eyes as he stood in the middle of a busy district lined with miscellaneous shops and tried to smell out a possible catch. It had been quite a while since he had sucked blood, and he was getting excited about taking some into his dry mouth again. To his right, a pretty young lady in her early twenties caught his attention. She smelled like raspberries. A few meters away, another girl smelled like roses. Yet another one smelled like freshly brewed coffee.

  The perfect catch was standing right in front of him. A girl who was a couple of years older than him, with a small face and her hair tied in a neat bun. She was smiling from ear to ear as she tried to sell a peculiar “five-in-one” gadget to passersby. Mun Oh opened his eyes slowly and gazed at her as the familiar tingling sensation in his body overwhelmed him. He took big steps towards her, his eyes glistening malevolently.

  Finally. I've found my catch… he thought with excitement.

  •••

  “What are you doing?” Ji Sun’s voice asked from out of nowhere, making Kim Junjin drop the kitchen knife in his hand.

  “Can you not do that, please?” he said angrily, bending over to pick up the knife.

  Ji Sun strode over to check on him. “Are you making a kim bap?” she asked. Kim ba
p was the Korean version of sushi.

  “Isn’t it obvious?” Kim Junjin snapped, carefully cutting it into small pieces.

  “You can’t cook to save yourself,” Ji Sun said flatly.

  “Okay, now you've ruined my mood,” he said, dropping the knife on the counter. “I’m trying to make something special for you guys, and you just had to do that, didn’t you?”

  Ji Sun smiled sweetly and slowly pulled him toward her, planting a kiss on his lips.

  “You don’t have to make something special for us. Every day with you is special enough.” She hugged him tightly. “I’m sure Mun Oh and Hyeon Jin feel the same way.”

  “I think there’s something wrong with her.”

  “Who? Hyeon Jin?” Ji Sun asked, pulling away from him.

  “Yeah. She’s acting weird these days. She got home today and stayed in her room. It’s not like her. And she hasn’t had an argument with Mun Oh for quite some time now, don’t you think?”

  Ji Sun bit her lip as a horrible thought occurred to her.

  Maybe Mun Oh did something to her. No way. He wouldn’t do that. Besides, they’re getting along quite fine lately, she thought restlessly. Wait! Are they getting along more than fine? She stared at Kim Junjin with wide eyes. No way. They couldn’t have… They wouldn’t… No…

  “What’s up?” Hyeon Jin’s voice cut through Ji Sun’s thoughts.

  “Oh! You’re here. We were just talking about—”

  “Kim bap!” Ji Sun said, cutting Kim Junjin off. “Your dad just made the most amazing kim bap for you!” She smiled, offering the plate to a confused Hyeon Jin.

  “Uh… No thanks. Dad can’t cook. Or even make something edible,” she said, eyeing the plate of kim bap with disgust.

  Kim Junjin pouted as Ji Sun giggled. “Come on, try one! I did that for two hours!”

  Hyeon Jin shrugged and grabbed one, putting it in her mouth without further ado. After chewing for only a second, she dashed to the nearest waste bin and spat it out. Ji Sun tried to keep a straight face as Hyeon Jin emerged from the waste bin. The expression on Kim Junjin’s face was unfathomable.

  “Dad, seriously. Don’t ever try to make something again. EVER.” She shook her head and wiped her mouth. “I’m gonna go take a walk. Be back for dinner. Real dinner.”

  Once outside, she breathed in some fresh air and headed to the left side of the neighborhood, where a playground was located. She was almost at her destination when she sensed a presence behind her. She quickly turned and found herself face to face with a young man, a few years older than her, with formidable features and a Cheshire cat smile on his brooding face. He looked like one of those ‘bad guys’ in the movies.

  Hyeon Jin took three steps back before speaking. “What do you want?”

  “You live in that house, human?” he answered in a deep and otherworldly voice.

  She shivered a little. Everything about the man was creeping her out.

  “What house?”

  “The bungalow with the green picket fence.”

  She thought hard before answering. She wasn't really stupid enough to give out her address, or any information for that matter, to just anyone on the street. But this guy looked like he might beat her to a pulp if she didn’t reply.

  “Y—Yeah… Why do you ask?”

  What freaked her out the most was the fact that he was using a calm tone but his voice still had an ethereal feeling to it. And he had that creepy Cheshire cat smile on his face all the time. The guy took a step toward her. She took two more steps back.

  “Do you know anyone by the name of Lee Mun Oh?”

  She froze as the nagging feeling stopped and her assumptions were proven.

  So he is one of Mun Oh’s kind… that explains his ethereal look and creepiness, she thought anxiously.

  “You know him, don’t you? Where is he?” the guy asked.

  “I don’t know. Why would I know? And who are you?” She was quite brave enough to snap at him now that she had an idea of who he was. Or rather, what he was.

  “It’s none of your business, human. Now, where is he?” he asked, quite irritated now. When she didn’t say a word, he took incredibly quick steps towards her, causing her to jump back in shock and fall hard on her butt.

  “I know what you are, you bloodsucker, and I’m not gonna let you bite me!” she screamed at him, her eyes closed and her hands instinctively covering her neck.

  The guy stopped dead in his tracks, unable to believe what he had just heard. Hyeon Jin looked up at him, wondering why he hadn't attacked her yet.

  “You… You know about us? About… Mun Oh?” he asked, surprised.

  Hyeon Jin nodded, her hands still covering her neck.

  “And he knows that you know, right?”

  She nodded again, getting more and more confused.

  “And he didn’t even try to modify your memory when you live in the same house?” he mumbled more to himself than to her.

  The guy’s Cheshire cat smile widened as he looked down at Hyeon Jin. He held out a hand and, after staring at it for a few seconds, she took it. Right after helping her to her feet, he left without so much as a goodbye, leaving her more confused than ever.

  •••

  Mun Oh whistled cheerfully as he made his way home. His catch had just made his day. He could still practically taste her blood in his mouth… every drop as sweet as honey, lingering on his tongue, moistening his throat… satisfying him like never before.

  He had just rounded the corner leading to the street to their neighborhood when he noticed a familiar scentless figure shuffling down the street. Perplexed, he slowed down a bit and tried to catch her attention. She seemed to be in a hurry and her eyes appeared to be in search of something… or someone. Aside from that, Mun Oh noticed how dazed and disturbed she looked. When she was just about a couple of feet from him, he stopped and opened his mouth to say something, but she just passed him as though he wasn’t there.

  Irked, he turned around and yelled at her. “HEY! Hyeon Jin!”

  She froze and slowly turned to face him. For a fleeting second, he swore he saw something in her eyes. The moment Mun Oh blinked it was gone, so he didn’t have time to fully comprehend what it was.

  “Mun Oh…” she said with a sigh of relief. “I mean, it’s you… pest,” she quickly added before looking away.

  Mun Oh took a step closer to her. “Where are you headed?”

  “I was just—”

  “—looking for me?” Mun Oh said aloud, accidentally reading her thoughts. They both appeared to be extremely surprised. For some reason, she seemed to be in no condition to argue or deny it; she simply stared at him with wide eyes.

  Mun Oh cleared his throat. “Why were you looking for me?”

  “I wasn’t! I mean, someone else was… looking for you,” she stammered, blushing slightly.

  Before he could ask who, a cold and strong gust of wind hit him as though an invisible force had just zoomed past him. His whole body went rigid as his bloodsucker senses alerted him of a presence nearby. There was no mistake about it. Someone was watching them, and that someone was no ordinary human.

  “You know what, I think we need to go home now,” he said to her, grabbing her by the elbow. But before they could even take a step forward, another cold gust of wind engulfed both of them, like a mini-twister, and before they knew it, a figure was standing in front of them.

  Instinctively, Mun Oh placed himself between the figure and Hyeon Jin, still holding the latter by the elbow.

  “Lee. Mun. Oh,” the figure said in that deep and otherworldly voice.

  Recognizing the figure before them, Hyeon Jin opened her mouth to speak, but Mun Oh quelled her with a soft pinch.

  “Lim Han Kyung,” Mun Oh hissed, staring daggers at him. “What do you want?”

  Swiftly, Han Kyung pulled out a piece of folded paper and handed it to Mun Oh. “A message… from your parents.”

  Mun Oh stared at it for a moment before dec
iding to peruse it. Although the letter was short and written plainly, he still had to read it twice to make sure.

  “I see you made some human friends here,” Han Kyung remarked, eyeing Hyeon Jin with malice. The way he said the word human was similar to Mun Oh’s tone—full of disgust and hatred.

  “Leave her out of this,” Mun Oh snapped, pocketing the paper.

  “Of course.” He closed his eyes and sucked in some air. “But you see, she seemed to be triggering my 'catch sensor.'” His eyes narrowed into slits as he took a threatening step toward them.

  Mun Oh tightened his grip on Hyeon Jin, not taking his eyes off Han Kyung. A foreboding feeling was starting to overwhelm him as he stared at the guy’s annoying Cheshire cat smile.

  At that crucial moment, Hyeon Jin decided to free herself from Mun Oh’s grip, distracting the wary bloodsucker. Han Kyung took his chance, and in one swift move, he was inches away from a stunned Mun Oh.

  “I know… that you know… that she knows…” he whispered in his ear. He took a couple of steps back before Mun Oh could react.

  Mun Oh tried to process everything he said as the foreboding feeling settled at the pit of his stomach. He took a quick glance at Hyeon Jin, who merely shrugged, looking scared and confused. Han Kyung looked like someone who had just won the lottery. Although he was Mun Oh’s senior by a few years, they’d been rivals for as long as they could remember. Nobody really seemed to notice it, but there was an unspoken antagonism between the two. They had settled the score between the two of them ages ago, but Han Kyung was a sore loser. Even though Mun Oh had already proven that he was far greater than him in more ways than one, he was still unyielding and would take every opportunity he could to humiliate him or cause him trouble.

  Actually, it wasn’t such a bad idea. If Han Kyung bit Hyeon Jin, then her memory would be modified, which would solve two of Mun Oh’s dilemmas in an instant. He wouldn’t have to deal with her anymore and he could gladly wash his hands of it. Ji Sun couldn't blame him since he wasn't the one who had bitten Hyeon Jin. But then again, giving in to Han Kyung’s demand meant letting him get what he wanted, therefore giving him great satisfaction. He couldn’t do that. No way.