by Zhu Hsia
“Sure. But he still needed to bite her and modify her memory! Falling in love with her was like the worst thing that could happen!” another lady said.
Her curiosity got the best of her, so Hyeon Jin plucked up her courage and finally found her voice.
“What’s wrong with that?” she asked out loud, keeping her eyes on Mun Oh. She was afraid to look at anyone but him.
There goes the loud murmuring again.
“I... We shouldn’t bite someone we had or have feelings for...” Mun Oh explained, his voice somewhat restrained. He kept his eyes focused straight ahead as he spoke. “But it wouldn’t be easy, for these feelings trigger our desire to bite...”
She furrowed her brow. It was slowly making sense to her now.
“So... let me get this straight. You had to bite me because I found out about you being... uhh... what you are, but you didn’t want to because... well, you just didn’t want to. But just when you were ready to bite me, you fell in love with me?” She cleared her throat. It was so embarrassing to say those last few words out loud. “So now, even if you wanted to bite me... you shouldn’t, because...?” She stared intently at the back of his head, hoping to see right through it and find all the answers.
Mun Oh, however, still chose not to look at her or even show any indication that he knew she was right behind him. He seemed to have momentarily lost his voice.
She decided to rephrase her question, getting pissed off at him for giving her the cold shoulder. “What will happen if you bite someone you love? What will happen if you… bite me?”
At that moment, she wanted nothing else but for him to turn around, look her in the eyes and answer her question. She wanted to hear it straight from him, not from stupid Han Kyung or some random bloodsucker in that room. But he remained silent.
Luckily, someone from the crowd was kind enough to answer her.
“Thy soul will turn into naught and drown in a dark and endless abyss. Thy physical body will perish and will cease to exist in this world,” an old man standing next to Ji Hyun said solemnly. He appeared to be the oldest bloodsucker in the room.
Hyeon Jin stared at him, completely dumbstruck. She was now more confused than she already had been a minute ago. Good thing Han Kyung was more than happy to elaborate further.
“In other words, you’ll die.” He said it casually, as if it was the most natural thing in the world.
It took five long seconds for those five words to sink in. When it did, she quickly clamped a hand over her mouth and stared at Mun Oh for some kind of confirmation or reaction. He simply bowed his head in a somber manner.
“Why...” she asked, as the initial shock wore off. “Why didn’t you just tell me? You should’ve bitten me before... before you started to like me!” She found it hard to say what was on her mind in front of an audience. Especially an audience of bloodsuckers.
That’s when he turned to look at her; she couldn’t quite identify the emotions behind those dark eyes.
“In case you didn’t notice, I never planned to fall in love with you. I didn’t count on that. More to the point, I didn’t realize that I was actually in love with you! It was a new feeling to me. I thought I was just drawn to you for some reason. So excuse me for not telling you to stay away from me right from the start because I might fall in love with you and your precious life would be in danger if I bit you while experiencing this silly thing that you humans call love.” He said it in one breath and exhaled sharply afterwards.
“Hey, I’m not the one who fell in love with me!” For want of a better comeback, she blurted out the first thing that came to her mind, no matter how dimwitted it sounded.
Some bloodsuckers chuckled, but it was all too much for her. The fear and intimidation she was feeling were now far gone from her system. Replacing it were confusion, exasperation and resentment.
“Whatever! At least I’m not afraid to tell Mun Oh what an ass he is, unlike all of you, who are so terrified of this bastard even though he's much younger than all of you.”
Another collective gasp, then silence. She might’ve said too much.
“Okay, that’s it. EVERYONE OUT.” Mun Oh realized he had to step in before Hyeon Jin ran her mouth again. When nobody showed any signs of movement, he stared deep into his father’s eyes, silently imploring him to help him out.
Fortunately for him, Ji Hyun thought it was time for them to leave, too. “You heard the birthday boy. Time to go, everyone.” Some of the bloodsuckers glanced at him, but were reluctant to leave.
“What about the Rule of Thirds? He couldn’t hear it because Ji Sun didn’t do the Ritual, right?” a small woman with short hair said.
Maniacal laughter erupted from the back, causing almost everyone to look in that direction. Mr. Diversion himself, Han Kyung, was laughing his head off, holding another drink in his hand.
“Oh. I’m so sorry to interrupt this outburst. I just thought you all should know the most interesting part of the story!” he said, still chuckling uncontrollably.
Mun Oh froze. Han Kyung had obviously struck a nerve, and he was about to reveal something that he wasn’t even supposed to know about in the first place. Mun Oh wondered exactly how snoopy this guy was. Everything he had said so far, right from the start, was top secret, something that only he and his parents knew about. Even Ji Hyun, who was looking sideways at him, and Min Ah, who was quietly standing near the door all this time, were noticeably taken aback.
How the hell did he find out about it? What a sorry-ass, nosy loser, Mun Oh thought, clenching his fists.
“You know what? I’ve said too much. I still want to live... so, I’m just gonna go now and leave you all to interrogate that guy right there.” He pointed at Mun Oh and winked. “But just to give you a clue, Mun Oh has a slight idea what a THIRD is...” True to his words, he was gone even before anyone could take in what he just said.
This time, it was Ji Hyun and Min Ah who gasped in unison.
Just then, the door opened and in came a beautiful young lady dressed in ordinary, casual clothes. She appeared to have rushed all the way there. Min Ah, who was standing by the door, shrieked in surprise. The other bloodsuckers didn’t seem to recognize her now.
“Ji Sun...” Hyeon Jin said quietly.
“Is it too late to do the Ritual?” Ji Sun asked, searching the crowd for someone. She spotted her father and smiled at him.
Ji Hyun whispered something to the old man next to him and addressed the crowd.
“I am ordering all of you to leave this instant. This is a family matter and none of you have any business being here anymore. I can assure you that I will enlighten all of you about this tomorrow, but for now, I wish to have some privacy with my family,” he said in his most authoritative and firm voice.
Not really wanting to argue with Lee Ji Hyun, the bloodsuckers reluctantly gave in. One by one, they exited the room, shooting meaningful and questioning glances at Mun Oh, Hyeon Jin and Ji Sun. Ji Hyun must’ve told the old man to stay, for he didn’t budge from his position. He seemed to be one of the elders in their clan. After making sure that everyone else had left, he spoke to the five remaining people in the room.
“Let’s all go upstairs; we will be much more comfortable in the conference room.”
Five minutes later, they were all sitting around an oblong table made of ivory, cups of coffee in front of them. Ji Sun sat opposite Mun Oh and Hyeon Jin, who sat next to each other.
“You are going to do the Ritual?” Ji Hyun said, breaking the silence. His tone was so casual that Hyeon Jin shot him a questioning look. It was as if he was talking to a stranger, not his daughter.
Ji Sun nodded. “I thought I might do my little brother a favor.”
“He’s not your little brother anymore,” Ji Hyun said coldly. He didn't seem angry, just indifferent.
Hyeon Jin wanted to shout at him and tell him to stop talking as if she wasn't his daughter, but Mun Oh probably read her mind, for he quickly nudged her side before she c
ould utter a word.
“But I want you to leave Hyeon Jin out of this. I will take her home afterwards,” Ji Sun demanded, staring deep into her father’s eyes.
“Ji Sun, you have no right to demand anything. Just do the Ritual and get out of our house.”
It was Min Ah who uttered those harsh words. Hyeon Jin couldn’t take it anymore; after all, Ji Sun WAS her stepmother. Actually, she is as good as her mother now.
“Hey! What’s with all the hostility? Why are you acting like you don’t know her? She’s your goddamn daughter, for heaven’s sake! You made her; you brought her into this world! So stop acting like you don’t give a damn about her!” said Hyeon Jin.
Mun Oh cursed under his breath as his parents’ eyes widened in shock.
“Hyeon Jin...” Ji Sun said, somewhat amazed at her boldness.
“Look, I know this is a family matter and something that doesn’t concern me. But Ji Sun still treats you guys as family, so why do you keep pushing her away just because she chose to be happy and live as a human? Is it because of that law or ritual-whatever?! That’s stupid. You shouldn’t let bullshit like that control your lives.” She was breathing hard and looking back from Ji Hyun to Min Ah as she spoke.
“You’re right,” Ji Hyun said quietly. Hyeon Jin looked at him in surprise. “This doesn’t concern you at all, human, so I suggest you keep a passive role in this conversation or else...”
“Or else what?” Mun Oh snapped at his father.
“Mun Oh, don’t talk back to your father,” Min Ah said.
He rolled his eyes and looked away. “Let’s just get this over with.”
“How did you know about the Rule of Thirds, young man?” the old man asked. “You are not supposed to know about that since Ji Sun has yet to perform the Ritual of Renunciation. You just broke another law.”
Mun Oh clicked his tongue. “Look, I’m not a nosy guy. I just accidentally heard it from Mom and Dad the other day. They were arguing about something, and I heard Mom said that Hyeon Jin is my third... and then Dad explained what a third is.”
“What the hell is a third?” Hyeon Jin asked before anyone could beat her to it.
“Well, then... it is indispensable that you hear the Rule of Thirds now,” the old man said. He chewed on his tongue for a second and then told Ji Sun, “If you may, Ji Sun, do the Ritual of Renunciation now. We’re running out of time.”
Ji Sun took a deep breath and her eyes lingered on her parents before gazing at her younger brother, who bit his lip.
“Are you sure you want to do this? I mean, you know the... consequences, right?” Mun Oh asked her, concerned.
His sister gave him a toothy grin. “Of course I do. It’s the least I could do for you... just remember that you’ll always be my little brother...”
“Wait! What are you gonna do? I mean, what is this ritual thing? What will happen to you if you do it?” Hyeon Jin asked frantically.
Before anyone could reply, Ji Sun gave her an assuring smile. “Nothing will happen. I’ll just renounce my position as the heir apparent to our family. As simple as that. Don’t worry, I’ll be fine,” she lied, quite convincingly.
“Do it,” Min Ah said in a flat tone.
Without further ado, Ji Sun held out her right hand across the table, Mun Oh stretched his left hand to touch her hand and locked his fingers with hers. They both closed their eyes and after a minute or so, Ji Sun spoke in an uncharacteristically deep and loud voice.
“I renounce.”
For a moment, nobody spoke or even moved, they were stuck like that. Just when Hyeon Jin thought something bad had happened, they opened their eyes together and released each other’s hands. Mun Oh seemed to be fine, but Ji Sun was pallid and her eyes were unfocused for a second.
“Wait, that’s it?” Hyeon Jin had to ask. Mun Oh nodded and Ji Sun forced a smile. “Are you... okay?” she asked her. She nodded and got up abruptly.
“We need to go now; your father is worried about you,” she said, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear.
“You may go, but she stays,” Ji Hyun said.
“No. You said that if I do the Ritual—”
“No; let’s stay for a while, Ji Sun. I want to know about the Rule of Thirds,” Hyeon Jin said firmly.
“But Hyeon Jin, you shouldn’t even be here...”
“The Rule of Thirds... an ancient rule, passed from generation to generation only through word of mouth,” the old man said, as though he wasn’t aware of the conversation around him. He chewed on his tongue again. “It’s a simple rule. Three bloodsuckers for every generation will have their third in the form of a human being. It is the human who is born as the third full moon makes its appearance in a starless sky, three months before the bloodsucker is born. Destiny will bring the bloodsucker and his third together. It is foreseeable. The third is characterized by the fact that the bloodsucker will not be able to smell him… or her.” There was a long pause. All eyes were on him as he chewed on his tongue longer than before.
Hyeon Jin was desperately trying to digest every bit of information. So far, all she had managed to figure out was that she is Mun Oh’s third and he couldn’t smell her... not that she hadn't been already aware of that. She wasn't really a big fan of lengthy explanations.
“So what if I’m his third?” she asked.
The old man closed his eyes. He might’ve dozed off, Hyeon Jin thought, for he kept his eyes closed for almost two whole minutes. Nobody else from the table seemed to want to wake him up, so she took it upon herself to disturb the old man’s peaceful slumber. She tapped on the table thrice.
“Hey, I was asking you—”
“The third...” the old man said in a booming voice, causing her to jump out of her chair. He still had his eyes closed; making her wonder where the hell that booming voice came from. “...is the one ill-fated to either make or break the bloodsucker.”
At the same time, Ji Sun, Mun Oh, and Hyeon Jin asked, “What?” though in different tones.
“Only time can tell whether the third will make or break the bloodsucker...” Ji Hyun added, staring at the cup of coffee in front of him.
“I still don’t get it,” Hyeon Jin said.
“The third only appears once in a bloodsucker’s lifetime,” Min Ah said. “As Mun Oh’s third, you might be the one destined to be with him, or...”
“Or what?” Hyeon Jin snapped at her, getting more and more impatient with all the cliff-hangers.
Ji Hyun and Min Ah exchanged meaningful looks while Ji Sun and Mun Oh simply stared at their parents. Hyeon Jin pounded her fist on the table again.
“Or what?!”
“The one destined to destroy him,” the old man replied in a stern voice, his eyes still shut.
Hyeon Jin was quite sure she had misheard him. She continued to glare at the old man, hoping to hear him say another “but” or another “or.” To her dismay, he was back to dozing off. Min Ah appeared to be close to tears as Ji Hyun reached out to hold her hand for comfort.
“I didn’t know about that last bit," mumbled Mun Oh, hanging his head. "I just heard that she was the one I was destined to marry or something... that’s why I was happy.”
“But... it is uncertain whether she will make or break him?” Ji Sun asked. “I mean, how would he know?”
“We honestly don’t know. I, for one, tried to stay as far away as possible from my third. It wasn’t easy, but I had to do it,” Min Ah said helplessly.
“No one knows... No one ever knows,” said the old man. Hyeon Jin seriously thought he might’ve been sleep-talking all this time. “Those who were born with a third are unlucky.”
None of this was making sense to her. Maybe Han Kyung had done something to slow down her brain's thinking process. She made a mental note to make sure she kicked his ass later.
“Damn it! Screw that 'make or break' thingy! It’s not like I’m gonna get married to him right away, and I sure as hell wouldn’t kill him even if you paid me! How could
I kill him? Besides, he’s stronger than me and I’m just a mere human, remember?” she said, her tone full of sarcasm.
“You need to understand that you could destroy someone without even using force,” Ji Hyun snapped at her.
“I can assure you that no matter how much of an annoying jerk he is, I’m not gonna kill him. If I wanted to, I would’ve done it the first time we met.”
Min Ah had had enough. The tears that she had kept inside flooded from her eyes as she stood up abruptly, knocking her chair to the floor. She glared at Hyeon Jin, who was stunned.
“Stop talking about things that you do not fully understand! It’s all about you, isn’t it? Do you not realize that our son is doomed because of you? Do you not see that whichever path he takes, whatever he does, he’d still end up sacrificing something and destroying himself? And it’s all because of YOU!” She was sobbing uncontrollably. Ji Hyun stood up and wrapped an arm around her.
Hyeon Jin felt as though she had been slapped across the face. Min Ah's words stung her so much that she felt her body shaking with guilt and misery, and her eyes filled with hot tears. She felt as though her head was about to explode from all the information and the sudden burst of emotion. Just when she was about to break down as well, Mun Oh seized her hand and held it close to his heart. She didn’t realize that he was looking at her.
“It’s not your fault...” he assured her. His voice comforted her and eventually calmed her down.
She took her hand away from him, wiping the single teardrop that rolled down her cheek. “If it makes you happy, then just bite me.”
“You know I can’t do that,” he answered grimly.
“But what am I supposed to do? I feel so guilty for screwing up your life without even realizing it! I mean, I wouldn’t feel this way if I was doing it on purpose! I’m giving you my consent to just bite me, modify my memory, and do whatever the hell you want!” she cried in frustration. “I don’t know what else to do.”
She had never felt this helpless and frustrated. Min Ah was right; it was all her fault. If she hadn’t been the meddlesome fool that she was that day, she wouldn’t have discovered his secret. He wouldn’t have broken the law and he wouldn’t be in this mess right now. It was as if they were inside a maze—each turn only led them to a dead end. It was an endless and hopeless problem.