Third Vampire Shadows (An Urban Paranormal Romance Novel)

by Zhu Hsia

  Park Juno blinked at her. Hyeon Jin grinned and then devoured her donut, avoiding his eyes.

  “So what happened?” Park Juno asked.

  The question caught her off guard, because she suddenly started rambling on about the Bae Ji Hoon guy and how he had touched a nerve. When she was done, Park Juno was smiling sympathetically at her. That’s when she realized that she had probably said too much. The guy definitely knew her well; he even knew how to catch her off guard.

  “So… what did you wanna talk about?” she asked cheerily, in hopes of changing the topic.

  It was Park Juno’s turn to get caught off guard. He gulped before deciding to speak up.

  “I… I just…” He stopped. He couldn’t do it. He couldn’t possibly say it outright. He couldn’t tell her how he felt. It didn’t feel right, especially seeing that she was quite touchy and sentimental due to the earlier events. He looked at her; she was gazing at him in full anticipation. She couldn’t handle anxiety well and wasn’t a big fan of surprises either, Park Juno knew.

  With a deep sigh, he tried his best to look apologetic, silently wishing that he could do that telepathy thingy as well so that he wouldn’t have to say it out loud.

  “What is it?” she asked, her tone impatient.

  “I just wanna let you know that…” he paused; he could practically hear his heartbeat pounding in his ears. Hyeon Jin appeared to be holding her breath.

  “I found somebody else. And I just thought I’d let you know,” Park Juno said. So you can move on and start standing on your own two feet. Be happy, Hyeon Jin, he thought as he stared deep into her eyes.

  •••

  He walked listlessly toward the tall, black, shiny gates, not even thinking about what he would say once he was face to face with them. Them being his parents. He only left his spot at the park across Hyeon Jin’s school after realizing that the rain had finally stopped and he was already dry. His mind unstable and his heart beating madly, he let his feet drag him away. Surprisingly, he was able to travel even when his mind was wandering somewhere else. He halted just a few inches away from the huge oak doors and knocked twice. After taking in two long, deep breaths, the door was already wide open and standing in front of him was a weary-looking Min Ah.

  “What took you so long?” she demanded.

  “Nice to see you, too, Mom.” He dragged himself inside, found the nearest couch and surrendered to its soft cushions. Before his mom could even reach him, his eyes were already shut. He had never felt so exhausted in his entire life.

  “Lee Mun Oh. We need to talk,” a man’s voice said.

  Slowly, he opened his eyes and stared at him wearily. “Nice to see you, too, Dad.”

  “Mun Oh, what’s wrong?” Min Ah sat beside him and stroked his face.

  “Nothing.” He gazed at his father, who took his seat across from him. “You wanted to see me?”

  “You want to explain why you let a human discover your–our–secret and let her retain her memory? And how could you, Lee Mun Oh, let yourself be discovered? It is so unlike you.”

  Mun Oh sat up straight. “She was Ji Sun’s… stepdaughter. I couldn’t touch her since I’m living in the same house with her.”

  “But how did she find out?” Min Ah asked. “Were you being careless?”

  Mun Oh shook his head. “I couldn’t smell her.”

  A crease materialized in Min Ah’s forehead and she was lost in thought for a moment. Ji Hyun, however, had other things on his mind.

  “Still, you could’ve bitten her and got this over with the moment she found out, at least without letting Ji Sun know,” he said.

  Mun Oh didn’t know what to say to that, so he remained silent. When nobody spoke, Ji Hyun continued to interrogate his son.

  “Did you manage to get Ji Sun to… you know, renounce her position as the heir apparent? You’ve been there long enough; don’t tell me you couldn’t get her to do it.”

  “She’s still my sister. I couldn’t just force her to do something against her will.”

  “Mun Oh… she’s not your sister anymore. Keep that in mind. She’s nothing but a mere human now, not one of us,” Min Ah reminded him.

  The young bloodsucker glared at her and clicked his tongue. “Just give her some time. She’ll come around. Now if you don’t mind, I wanna get some rest and get back there tomorrow.” He stood up.

  “Your birthday is coming. You need to make her do the ritual for you to be able to hear the Rule of Thirds, Mun Oh,” Min Ah said in a quiet tone.

  Before Mun Oh could even sigh, Ji Hyun was speaking again. It was so unusual to hear his father talk more often than his mother.

  “Han Kyung told me that there’s more to your relationship with this human girl than meets the eye. Is that true?”

  Mun Oh blinked and immediately a tidal wave of emotion overwhelmed him. Everything that happened within the past few weeks came back to him like a memory that he had momentarily lost.

  “That’s ridiculous,” he blurted out.

  “Look at me and tell me what that girl is to you that you felt like you couldn’t suck her blood and modify her memory,” Ji Hyun demanded.

  He inhaled deeply before facing his father. Lying wouldn’t get him anywhere. But he wasn't going to admit anything. No way. He was Lee Mun Oh: the nastiest and scariest bloodsucker ever. The pride of the Lee Clan. He wasn't gonna admit that he had feelings for a girl. A human girl.

  Just one look straight into his son’s eyes and Ji Hyun didn't need to ask any further. He cursed under his breath as he looked away. Getting the hint, Min Ah clamped a hand over her mouth to prevent herself from uttering harsh words. Then she suddenly remembered something.

  “Did you just say you couldn’t… smell her?” she asked, the terror apparent in her voice.

  Mun Oh had no idea what the big deal about him not being able to smell her was, so he gave a small nod. His parents exchanged meaningful and petrified looks.

  « CHAPTER 9 »

  Hyeon Jin went home in a daze. She could hardly see where she was going, because hot tears were welling in her eyes, clouding her vision. Her mind was still reeling from everything that had unfolded within the last few hours. It was like something straight out of a terrible dream… a dream that she never wished to recall. A nightmare.

  It was her worst nightmare.

  She caught a glimpse of a green picket fence in the near distance but she just passed it. Taking a left turn at the far end of the street, she found herself on the other side of the neighborhood and didn’t stop walking until she was once again striding past the green picket fence. Tears fell to the ground with every step she took; each footstep reverberated in the painful silence.

  She didn’t know how many times she had circled the neighborhood or how much time had passed, but her feet couldn’t carry her much longer. She sat on the sidewalk in front of a large house with a red roof. She wasn’t really an emotional person. In fact, most people thought she was somewhat abnormally unemotional. Being emotional, by her own definition, was being a crybaby, breaking down or showing an excess of sentiments on a regular basis.

  But it was all too much for her. At least for one day.

  Okay, so I still like him… she thought to herself, hugging her school bag to her chest. Correction, I still like him a lot. She rubbed her tired and heavy eyes. But he found someone new. Why does it hurt so much? He’s just one guy.

  She glanced up and down the deserted street, as though searching for someone. Someone who could lend a shoulder for her to cry on or just anyone who could give her a pat and tell her ‘everything’s gonna be all right.’ But there was nobody except her.

  Even that pest is nowhere to be found, she thought with a sad smirk.

  Taking in a few deep breaths, she slowly got up from the sidewalk, made sure she looked reasonably okay, and headed home.

  No use crying over spilled milk.

  That’s what her late mother would always tell her.

  Her mothe
r. She was part of the reason why Hyeon Jin had turned out to be like this. And only two other people knew about it. One was her father.

  She arrived at her house, stomped to the front door and knocked.

  The other one was Park Juno.

  There was no sign of Mun Oh that night. Everyone thought he’d turn up the following morning, but he didn’t. Ji Sun quickly made up a lie about Mun Oh, saying something about staying at a distant relative’s house in the neighboring city. Kim Junjin never seemed to mind, but Hyeon Jin had something to say about it.

  “He could’ve at least called or something,” she mumbled absentmindedly, gulping her strawberry milk.

  Ji Sun was flustered. “Umm… he always does this, you know, not coming home for days. But I’m sure he’ll be fine.” She cleared her throat and added, “I’m sorry about this.”

  Hyeon Jin merely shrugged. “At least he’s not my brother.”

  “Well, I have a strong feeling he’s coming home tonight,” Kim Junjin said, a little too cheerfully.

  Ji Sun smiled at him, although knowing her brother, and knowing where he might be, it was highly unlikely that he’d be coming back soon.

  Sure enough, they spent another Mun Oh-less dinner. It made Hyeon Jin take her mind off Park Juno for a moment and wonder out loud where the “pest” could be.

  “Last time I saw him was before we did that telepathy thingy…” she muttered.

  Kim Junjin furrowed his brows. “Tele… what?”

  She looked up and caught a glimpse of Ji Sun’s panic-stricken face, so she decided to change the topic.

  “Park Juno found someone new.”

  The words were out of her mouth before she could stop it. It was the first thing that came to her mind, and in her haste to change the topic, it just came stumbling out automatically.

  It was Ji Sun’s turn to furrow her brows as Kim Junjin gave a short nod. “Good for him,” he muttered, chewing on a piece of kimchi.

  “You’re supposed to be my father,” Hyeon Jin said scathingly.

  Kim Junjin chuckled and winked at his daughter. “Oh, come on! Let the guy breathe. If you two are really meant for each other, then I’m sure you’ll end up together no matter what. Don’t you believe in destiny?”

  She rolled her eyes at him. “Dad, you watch too many TV dramas.”

  In hopes of keeping her mind occupied, she decided to busy herself with the dishes. Ji Sun insisted on helping her with it. After making sure that Kim Junjin was in another room, she inched closer to a humming Hyeon Jin.

  “I… I know that you already… know about us.”

  Hyeon Jin didn’t look up or even react; she simply handed her the plate that she just scrubbed.

  “I just wanna apologize,” Ji Sun went on. “I didn’t wanna keep it from you, it’s just that…”

  “Don’t worry about it,” she said, cutting her off. “I don’t really mind.”

  “But—”

  “Listen, all you have to worry about is my dad. Just…” She cast a sideways glance at her. “Don’t ever get tired of taking care of him and loving him.” She gave her a wan smile. “And just don’t die on him.”

  Ji Sun seemed taken aback and overwhelmed at the same time. She watched as her stepdaughter went back to her scrubbing as though she hadn’t uttered a word.

  “It must be hard for you,” Hyeon Jin said after a while.

  “Hmm?”

  “Leaving your family and turning your back on being a vamp—errm, bloodsucker—just to be happy.”

  Ji Sun had to swallow the lump in her throat before she could say another word.

  “It’s… It’s not like I wasn’t happy with my family.” She glanced at Hyeon Jin, who was studying her closely. “I just didn’t feel like I belonged… in there.”

  Nobody said a word after that. They finished washing the dishes and went to bed in awkward silence. For some reason, each of their last thoughts was about Mun Oh.

  Only one more day before Mun Oh’s birthday… Ji Sun thought, cuddling next to Kim Junjin. Shall I do the ritual?

  Where is that pest? His birthday’s coming… Hyeon Jin wondered, plopping down on her bed.

  •••

  Hyeon Jin awoke with a start. Someone had just pulled the curtains open, letting in a considerable amount of sunlight. She put her hands up to her eyes, shielding them from the blinding light.

  “Rise and shine, sleepyhead,” said a familiar voice.

  She jumped to her feet, twirled around stupidly and abruptly stopped as she saw him. Standing by the door, wearing a dark blue button up and stylishly ragged jeans, smiling conceitedly, was the bloodsucker: Lee Mun Oh.

  “What… What… Where have you been?” she blurted out. “It’s almost your birthday and—”

  “Save the drama for your pathetic human friends,” Mun Oh said. Although he was still smiling, there was something cold and terrifying about him. “I just came here to bite you.”

  Her mouth dropped open as she backed away slowly. “Ex-cuse me? But you said…”

  “I never said anything to you, human,” he hissed, taking a step with every word he uttered. “You’ve caused enough trouble for me.”

  Hyeon Jin backed up some more, until the back of her knees collided with the bed and she was forced to sit down. There was something wrong with this picture. Mun Oh wasn’t supposed to bite her. He had made sure that biting her would be the last thing he’d ever do.

  But could she truly trust his word? He was a bloodsucker, after all. He was not human—love, trust, and promises were nothing but words to him.

  He was now towering over her.

  “It’s time to forget, human,” he said in an eerily cold voice.

  She couldn’t do anything but look up at those eyes—those usually dark and mysterious eyes were now glowing with a sinister look. A small scream escaped her lips as the bloodsucker opened his mouth to reveal his fangs, which glistened threateningly, sending chills up and down her spine.

  “Don’t… please… I don’t want to forget you…” she croaked. “I don’t want to forget how much… I love you.”

  To say that she woke up sobbing so hard that she could hardly breathe would be an understatement. It took almost an hour for her to calm down and realize it had all been a dream. A dreadful dream.

  Looking out the window, she saw that the sun had already risen. Scrambling to her feet, she quickly got ready for school, though she was still feeling weak and emotional. As she stepped out of her room, she hastily clamped a hand up to her mouth upon remembering something.

  Today was Mun Oh’s birthday.

  “Good morning!”

  Hyeon Jin dropped her bag to the floor in surprise and immediately stooped to retrieve it. Ji Sun raised a questioning eyebrow at her. She emerged from the kitchen wearing an apron, her hands covered in flour.

  “What’s wrong?” she asked, taking a step toward her.

  “Nothing. I just… I need to go now.” She shuffled to the door and left without glancing at Ji Sun. She didn’t want her to get a good look at her—to see the baffled and petrified expression behind her red, puffy eyes. With a heavy heart, she made her way to school, although she was aware that it was a tad bit early, at least for a consistently tardy student like her. She kept thinking about that dream because it had felt so frighteningly real. What’s more, there was a creepy feeling to that dream. It was as though it had actually happened.

  A few students were already making their way to school, walking in pairs and in small groups, chattering excitedly. There was a certain feeling of apprehension hanging in the air as the students discussed their possible exam scores, which were about to be revealed today. But Hyeon Jin’s mind was somewhere else. She couldn’t possibly think about something as trivial as exam scores when she still couldn’t sort out her feelings. Just a few moments later, she found herself in front of the school gates, with throngs of students passing her. As she was about to set foot inside the school, a hand grabbed her by the wrist
and gently tugged on it.

  “You’re early, big feet.”

  She turned around and froze on the spot. It was Lee Mun Oh. He definitely did not appreciate being stared at like he was some kind of ghost or hideous creature, so he suddenly let go of her hand.

  “What?”

  She inhaled sharply and bit her lip. She didn’t know what to say or what to think. Being face to face with Mun Oh was somewhat disquieting, especially after that terrible dream she had of him. Slowly, she counted to three before saying anything. But when she opened her mouth, no words came out. This was not good; if there was something she shouldn’t be displaying in front of this bloodsucker, it was fear.

  But I’m not really afraid of him. I’m just afraid of forgetting everything about him… she thought.

  “Was I gone for like ten years and you don’t recognize me now?” he snapped, bringing her back to reality.

  “It’s your birthday,” was all that she managed to say in a weak voice.

  Mun Oh raised an eyebrow at her and smirked.

  “Thanks for reminding me,” he said. “So… You still owe me lunch.”

  “Huh?”

  “I helped you in your exam, dummy.”

  “Oh.” She blinked. “Oh! Umm, that reminds me, I need to go in now. I’ll just see you around… errm, I mean, at home or, yeah, whatever.” She left without waiting for a reply.

  Mun Oh was bewildered. She doesn't seem like herself, he thought grimly. Well, she tended to be elusive sometimes, but he felt as if she was hiding something from him. Before he could ponder it much longer, a tap on his shoulder made him turn around.

  “Do you have a minute?”

  He tilted his head slightly and cast a wary look at the guy before him. It was Park Juno.

  “What do you want?”

  “It’s about Hyeon Jin.”

  •••

  Try as she may, Shin Erin couldn’t cheer up her best friend. Normally, Hyeon Jin would enter the classroom with a bang. Literally. She would never fail either to kick the door open or send chairs, books and even fellow students flying out of her way. But today, she was as lifeless and apathetic as their zombie-like homeroom teacher as she slowly and quietly made her way to her desk.