by Zhu Hsia
Min Ah’s hysterical sobs were now reduced to sniffling and deep breathing. Hyeon Jin looked up and saw Ji Sun staring weakly at her mother as Ji Hyun hugged her tightly. When she looked back at Mun Oh, he was smiling from ear to ear. It was one of the widest smiles she’d ever seen, and yet it was overflowing with sadness. She didn’t like that smile; it sent chills down her spine and she had a feeling that it would probably haunt her for the rest of her life.
“I know what I should do,” he said in a wistful and gritty tone as if he just had an epiphany.
“What?”
“Do you trust me?” Mun Oh asked, his voice still wistful and gritty. Hyeon Jin didn’t know what to say to that, so she just nodded. “Then... can you wait for me? I mean, really wait, no matter how long it takes?”
“Mun Oh... I don’t like your tone.”
Out of the blue, Mun Oh leaned over and planted a kiss on her right cheek. She didn’t have time to react before he was on his feet, dusting his tux off. He strode over to his parents, who were staring at him in an eerie way. It seemed as if they already had an inkling of what he was planning to do and they didn’t like it one bit. Ji Sun stood up, too, obviously curious about what was happening.
He said something in a low voice and beckoned his parents to the far side of the room, away from Hyeon Jin and Ji Sun. They talked in hushed tones for almost five minutes. Mun Oh seemed to be convincing his parents of something. Min Ah was crying again and Ji Hyun appeared to be at a loss for words. Just when Hyeon Jin thought she couldn’t take it anymore, she turned to Ji Sun.
“Do you know what they’re talk—” She stopped in mid-sentence when she realized that Ji Sun was looking at her, tears streaming down her lovely face. She was crying, yet she looked so serene and somewhat blissful. She must still have a bit of her bloodsucker senses, for Hyeon Jin guessed that she was probably able to hear their conversation... or maybe even read their minds.
She stood up and rushed over to her side, placing a hand on her shoulder. “Ji— Ji Sun… what’s wrong? Why are you crying?”
“Whatever happens, don’t blame yourself for this. Believe me when I say it wasn’t entirely your fault. In fact, I must thank you for coming into his life...” She wiped her face dry. “I’m so proud of my brother."
« CHAPTER 11 »
“Bite me.”
“No.”
“Bite me.”
“No.”
“I’ll pay you; just bite me.”
He rolled his eyes in utter exasperation. “Do I look like someone who needs your money?”
“Coward. And you call yourself a ‘vampire’... You can’t even bite me... Pffssh.”
A vein throbbed madly on his forehead. “For the last time, human, I am NOT a vampire! I’m a—”
“—Chicken vampire. Yeah, sorry; I forgot to add that first bit.”
He crossed his arms in frustration. “What is wrong with you? You should be scared out of your wits right now! Do you realize what I AM? Or are you just mentally retarded?”
Hyeon Jin shrugged, turning away from the angry bloodsucker. “Well, if you don’t do it now, you’ll probably regret it later. And then I’d be telling you that cliché, “I told you so.”
Her words hung ominously in the air as she went on her way, leaving a baffled, infuriated Mun Oh behind.
•••
She woke up as a warm ray of light shone over her eyes, momentarily blinding her when she tried to open them. Where am I? She asked herself. As her eyes adjusted to the light, she realized it was coming from the open windows over her head. Pulling the covers off, she climbed out of the luxurious bed with satin sheets she had been lying in. It was so comfortable that she had a hard time getting up. As soon as she was up, she tried to remember the last thing that happened, which might explain why she was wherever she was right now.
The humiliatingly sad and dramatic farewell... the ride on Han Kyung’s back all the way to the party... the appalling revelation... the confrontation... something about the Rule of Thirds... Ji Sun’s surprise arrival... the mind-boggling conversation at the conference room... and then...
She shivered as she strained to remember precisely what had happened after that. The horrible truth of what was about to happen the day after tomorrow.
There was a knock on the door. She took a deep breath and shuffled toward it. Ji Sun stood with a solemn and weary look on her face, carrying a tray of food. She managed a half smile as she looked up at her.
“Good morning. I brought you breakfast,” she said in what was supposed to be a cheery tone.
Hyeon Jin nodded and let her pass. After placing the tray on the coffee table at the center of the room, she reclaimed her position by the door.
“Eat, okay? I already need to explain a lot of things to your father without having him worry about your health.”
“How long was I out?” Hyeon Jin asked.
“Not more than eight hours. I think you need more sleep,” Ji Sun answered curtly.
“You could use some, too...” She peered at her pale face with concern. Maybe it was just the bright light emanating from the windows, but her normally ivory skin looked dull and lifeless. “Where’s Mun Oh?”
Ji Sun didn’t answer at first. Her expression went blank. So blank that Hyeon Jin shuddered with terror as memories of last night came flashing back. She slowly shook her head and glared at her, but Ji Sun blinked and her expression turned into something else. Hyeon Jin recognized it as a strange mixture of sorrow and compassion.
“You know why I never gave up on you even when you didn’t seem to like me before?” she asked her stepdaughter, traces of sadness apparent in her voice. She didn’t need to answer that, so Ji Sun simply smiled. “Because I saw my brother in you. I saw him in you enough that I felt like I was with him the whole time I was with you. Everything about you reminded me so much of him. And I was glad... glad that you were my stepdaughter.”
Hyeon Jin looked away; the sadness in her stepmother’s voice seemed to have stupefied her. “I didn’t... I did not... not like you… before,” she explained, still averting her eyes. “I was happy that my dad met you. He seemed so much livelier and you made him go back to the father that I used to know.” She threw a glance at her and smirked. “So I guess we’re even now. You changed my dad, I changed your brother.”
They both chuckled without humor.
“Not really. No one can change Lee Mun Oh. He’s still the same brother I knew... the same brother that I grew up with,” Ji Sun disagreed lightly.
Hyeon Jin furrowed her brows.
“You did not change him," said Ji Sun. "You just made him feel like a human being, in every sense of the word. It meant more to him than he would like to admit, but he was happy that for the first time in his life, he was not Lee Mun Oh, the bloodsucker.” She paused as comprehension dawned on Hyeon Jin’s face. “You made him feel like Mun Oh—the pest... the boy who held a special place in your heart.” She gave another humorless chuckle.
The silence that ensued seemed to be endless. A light breeze came in through the windows and passed the two of them. Ji Sun left without another word. Hyeon Jin made sure she looked presentable before rushing down the stairs after her, not bothering to touch her food. She found the big manor empty except for a couple of servants, who shot her deadly glares as she made her way out.
Where is that pest?! She wondered, searching the rather empty and lifeless garden in front of the manor. Sure, there were a few trees, bushes and plants here and there, but there were no beautiful flowers or anything that would give color and life to it. I need to see him before... She gulped, not really wanting to even think about it. She stopped dead in her tracks as a terrible thought occurred to her. He’s not... He did not do it... yet, did he? She asked herself, shuddering at the very thought of it. Just when she was ready to panic, a pair of strong arms scooped her up; in a flash, she was seated beside a magnificent marble fountain located in the manor’s backyard. The view was much more
pleasant there than in the lifeless garden in the front.
“Looking for me, big feet?” that voice that she had grown accustomed to, whether in a good or a bad way, whispered beside her. She almost fell into the fountain as she hastily looked around. Luckily, Mun Oh caught her arm milliseconds before her body touched the cold and sparkling waters.
“Still clumsy, are we?” he teased, pulling her up.
Hyeon Jin shrugged away from his grip and folded her arms across her chest. “I’m not clumsy. I told you not to do that thing. I could’ve died of a heart attack.”
He rolled his eyes and then frowned. “I wouldn’t want that.” There was pain and anguish in his tone, as if something in her words had triggered those well-kept emotions of his.
A few moments of silence passed before she finally relaxed and turned to him with watchful eyes.
“Mun Oh... what happened last night? I mean, after you talked to your parents? I couldn’t remember it, for some reason.” Her eyes were still locked on his face, not wanting to miss even the slightest change of expression.
Something hilarious must have happened, for he suddenly broke into laughter, although there was still a hint of pain in his eyes. “You don’t remember? Well, you probably shouldn’t remember...”
“I’m serious,” she snapped at him.
“Suit yourself.” He shrugged. “After I finished talking to my parents, I came over to tell you my decision... and then you puked all over the floor and passed out.” He said it like it was the most amazing thing that happened last night.
She gasped. “No! I DID NOT do that!”
“Yes, you did.”
“Hell no! In front of your parents?” Her face was horror-struck.
Mun Oh chortled. “My mom and Ji Sun cleaned up your mess. It was nasty.” He faked a disgusted shiver. “You probably shouldn’t drink root beer for the rest of your life.”
“Shut up! Why the heck would I throw up? What did you tell me?” she asked, still horrified.
But there was no need for him to answer that. As if it was just waiting around the corner, everything came rushing back to her.
She remembered clearly now as if it was happening right before her very eyes. Mun Oh had approached her with that blank look on his face and started telling her about what he was going to do. She had blatantly disagreed and asked him to think it over. But it was the only possible thing he could do to neutralize everything as soon as possible. The plan wasn’t so bad; it was less hazardous than all the other options, and though it was risky, it was still plausible.
“You’re probably just worn out, that’s why you puked. Don’t worry about it. My parents won’t tell anyone,” his mocking voice cut through her reverie.
She shook her head and stared at him in disbelief. “Why couldn’t you just bite me? I still don’t understand...”
“How many times do I have to explain it? Are you dumb or are you just trying to piss me off?” Mun Oh stood up, angrily shoving his hands in his pockets.
“I just think it’s unfair.”
Her words were somewhat unexpected; he threw a questioning look at her.
“You don’t want to bite me because you don’t want to put my life in danger, and at the same time, you don’t want to put your life in danger, either. You also wouldn’t bite me even if I’m not your third or even if you could, because you don’t want to remove yourself from my memories… you don’t want me to forget you because you… you like me.”
Mun Oh stared at her, realizing that she actually said everything he had told her last night verbatim. She flashed a sad smile at him before continuing.
“It’s all about YOU. What about what I want... and what I don’t want?”
“Look, this isn’t just about you—” said Mun Oh.
“It’s not just about YOU, either—” Hyeon Jin said.
“I know, but—”
“But you think I’m just a lowly human and my opinions shouldn’t be valued whatsoever, right?”
“No! Will you just LISTEN to me?” He balled his hands into fists inside his pockets. He was trying with all his might to fight the urge to hit something or at least release some of his balled up fury, afraid that it might scare her. “I know it’s about the two of us. But for once, let me make the decision. It is MORE about me than about you.”
Hyeon Jin stood up, too, and turned from him. “You can’t always have it your way, you know.”
“Fine. So what is it that you want? Let me hear your brilliant idea, then,” he said, his voice filled with sarcasm.
“I want you to just bite me—turn me into a Kala-something or whatever it is that you have to do to your third. I know it’s risky, but I’ve got a strong feeling that I’m not gonna be the third who’ll destroy you. I’m more like the ‘good’ third.”
Mun Oh laughed derisively. “And where, may I ask, do you get this strong feeling? Human intuition? Because you know I’ve heard about that and I think it’s pretty reliable,” he said sarcastically.
She turned around and gave him the strongest and hardest punch she could muster.
“You’re still so foolishly selfish and arrogant, you know that?”
He smiled with blatant pain and sadness. “Well, some things never change.”
“Yeah. But you know, I never really thought you could be any more selfish! Just think about how you’d feel if something happened to me; you’d feel a lot better if I was safe while you were rotting away in your deep sleep! What about how I would feel if something terrible happened to you? How would you think I’d survive if you didn’t wake up at the right time? What if something went wrong?”
“You’ll survive,” he said bitterly.
“No! I won’t! I can’t even imagine waiting for like a hundred years for you to wake up! I couldn’t bear to live my life knowing you may or may not open your eyes ever again! And you’re saying MY idea was more risky?” She found it amazing that tears were not yet flooding her eyes.
“You have your whole life in front of you, Hyeon Jin. You’re still young. You still have a lot of time to fall in love again, make new friends, and be happy with your family—”
“It wouldn’t be the same without you.”
Mun Oh chuckled, all traces of anger and frustration gone now. In their place was nothing but sorrow. He patted her head and playfully tousled her hair. “Silly human girl. I can’t believe I’m hearing this from you. You—Hyeon Jin, the meanest bully in town. Ha! I think someone pulled a prank on both of us...” He shook his head, smiling to himself.
Hyeon Jin smoothed her hair. “It was a pretty good prank.”
Silence.
“Just trust me. I’ll never disappoint you again. Just this once. Please trust me,” Mun Oh implored, staring deep into her eyes.
“But...”
“Don’t think about the ifs and buts; they will take you nowhere, believe me.” He took her hand and led her towards the backdoor of the manor. “We barely have one day left... you wanna do something fun?” he asked, winking playfully at her.
She thought for a while and grabbed his arm, pulling him away from the backdoor and into the narrow passage to the front yard.
“I want you to meet someone,” she said, her tone back to normal. For once, she didn’t want to be sad or frustrated or angry anymore. She just wanted to spend her last few days with him in a cheerful, light atmosphere.
•••
Bloodsuckers generally have a few more rules and laws that they abide by. Aside from the Rule of Thirds, the law about being subtle around humans, and the rule about modifying the memory of their catch, they also have a “Rule of Reawakening” and a “Rule of Neutralization.”
The Rule of Reawakening states that bloodsuckers who have undergone voluntary or involuntary lethargy must only be reawakened at the winter solstice in a year where the blue moon and the red sun manifest simultaneously. Only when this eccentric and special moment occurs can a slumbering bloodsucker be reawakened without endangering his or her
life. The Ritual of Reawakening shall be done by offering the bloodsucker a goblet-full of mixed blood from his family and anyone else he might have to remember.
The reawakening is like the starting point of the bloodsucker’s life. The lethargy he underwent might or might not have cleared his mind of thoughts and memories of his life before the deep slumber. It's like reinstalling your computer's OS, causing your files to be lost unless you backed them up.
It is up to the bloodsucker to fight off the lethargy’s bad side effects. The choice is up to him whether he will let himself fall deep into the slumber, hence giving up every vital memory in his mind.
The Rule of Neutralization is the only known solution to most of the bloodsuckers’ law-breaking dilemmas. It is said that the worst punishment for one’s unlawful activity is something that would involve a sacrifice on the bloodsucker's part. If the bloodsucker was to do something that would cause him a great deal of pain and inflict sorrow and misery, allowing him to repent would even out whatever wrongdoing the bloodsucker had done. In short, a sacrifice of whatever sort would definitely neutralize any misdemeanors—grave or not.
Mun Oh had originally planned to abstain from drinking blood, knowing full well that a couple of weeks later, he’d definitely fall into an involuntary slumber. That was his solution before he realized he was running out of time. His misdeeds were like ticking time bombs. The moment he had decided not to bite Hyeon Jin to modify her memory, he had unwittingly damned himself. His sacrifice was long overdue; he needed to do it now or it would be too late for him.
“Tell me something first...” Hyeon Jin demanded as she carefully clung onto Mun Oh’s back.
“What?”
“Are we really in Ouagadougou?” she asked curiously.
He propped her up higher and chuckled to himself. “I can’t tell you that. It’s a secret.”