by Zhu Hsia
“But you said you live in Ouagadougou!”
He turned to look at her. “We’re not really allowed to say exactly where we live... so, that will forever be a mystery to you.”
“That’s unfair!” she complained. “How will I be able to visit you when...?” She didn’t finish her sentence. Sighing, she wrapped her arms around his neck and pressed her face into his back.
Mun Oh decided to lighten the mood. “Hey, you got 'Ouagadougou' right this time. Great!” When she remained silent, he decided to just let it go. “Hang on tight.”
The blast of cool air engulfing her as they did the special traveling thing that bloodsuckers do, did help a bit in soothing her nerves. She was able to let go of her worries for a while and enjoyed what would probably be their last ‘ride’ together. Moments later, they were in front of an archway that led to hundreds of tombs. Mun Oh let her down and spun around.
“This is where you wanna go?” he asked incredulously. He had just read her mind and saw that she was thinking of this place, but he had no idea why.
She nodded and took long strides toward the gates, taking the familiar path that led her to the one place where she’d be if she didn’t want anyone to find her. Not wanting to argue, Mun Oh walked behind her, kicking stones every now and then. Just when he thought they were far enough from civilization, she halted right in front of a plain white tomb with the words “Jin Ah, Lived and Died as a valiant mother and a loving wife” engraved on it. He noticed the withered flowers on top of the tomb as well as three small candles at the bottom.
“Your mom, huh?” Mun Oh asked quietly.
She nodded, faced him, seized his left hand, and then brought him closer to the tomb. She then closed her eyes and held his hand tightly.
“Hey, Mom...” she started in a shaky voice, her eyes still closed. “I want you to meet Lee Mun Oh. He’s a very special person... to me. Well, I can’t say he’s my friend, because saying that is like saying Dad’s the best cook in the world...” She paused to giggle. “He’s not my boyfriend, either, because technically, we haven’t even dated yet. We just had this mutual understanding that... that we like each other… very much.”
She took a deep breath. Mun Oh was motionless beside her as he studied her with sympathy.
“I know you’re probably mad that I didn’t tell you about him before," said Hyeon Jin. "Sorry. I just... I don’t think you’d approve. You see, he’s... Ji Sun’s younger brother... well, sort of. Technically, they’re not related anymore. And he’s not really human.” Mun Oh smirked. “I promise I’ll tell you about how we met and explain everything some other time. But for now... I just want you to meet him and tell me what you think... let me feel what you think.”
She opened her eyes and glanced at him before closing them again. “I know the last time I came here, I was depressed about you know what... And I told you that no one could replace you in our lives. But you know, Ji Sun…” She smiled thinly. “She loves Dad so much and she cares for me a lot, too. I’m not sure she can take your place in our hearts, but she definitely has a spot inside now. She’s a great lady, Mom; you should’ve met her. So stop worrying now, we’ll be fine with her.”
There was a deafening moment of silence. She didn't make any sound or movement, as if she was waiting for something to happen. Just when Mun Oh felt like it was getting creepy and stupid, a chilly breeze swept by, gently ruffling their hair and leaving both of them shivering. Without another word, Hyeon Jin bowed to her mother’s tomb and trudged away.
“Wait up!” He ran after her, still disoriented. “Is that... is that a yes?” he asked.
She raised an eyebrow at him as if sizing him up. “It’s a secret.” She snickered and then started sprinting away.
“Oh yeeaaah... right! You could really win in a running contest against ME, you dumb human!” he shouted after her before showing her his evident advantage.
Naturally, Mun Oh reached the gates first, leaning against the archway as he waited for Hyeon Jin, who came five minutes later, huffing and puffing, her face crumpled up and sweaty.
He winked at her and laughed arrogantly. “Hey! Welcome back! I was just getting ready to rescue you! I thought you had died back there or something,” he teased her as she bent over, hands on her knees, catching her breath. She was definitely having a hard time breathing. In one swift move, he was right beside her, whispering to her ear.
“You want me to help you with that?” he asked coyly.
“Wi...th... whhaatt!” she croaked out.
“Breathing... I could transfer my breath into you...” he whispered smoothly.
She looked up at him. “Yoouu... could... do that?”
He nodded mischievously.
“How?”
He puckered up his lips as though waiting for a kiss; she blushed furiously and averted her eyes. Mun Oh started to walk away, guffawing madly.
“HEY! You pest! Come back here!” she bellowed at him.
He looked over his shoulders and smirked at her. “Catch me... if you can!”
•••
Back at the Lee manor, the meeting with the elders had just been adjourned. Three old gentlemen—two of them bearded—and two middle-aged ladies left the manor whispering among themselves and occasionally nodding or shaking their heads. Everything was set for the day after tomorrow: the day of Mun Oh’s half-voluntary, half-involuntary lethargy. There was no use arguing over it or debating what else there was to do.
Ji Hyun had already accepted his son’s fate, although it pained him greatly that he couldn’t do anything about it. In addition, the family name would forever be stigmatized by this disgraceful misfortune. Not that it mattered to him that much anymore; he just wanted his son to be happy. He never wished to turn the situation into something far worse. Min Ah was still inconsolable until this morning when Ji Sun talked to her.
“How are you doing?” she asked her as Min Ah paced her bedroom nervously.
“I’m fine,” she whispered, but Ji Sun knew better than anyone that she was far from being fine. She had a habit of pacing her bedroom right before she had a panic attack.
“Sit down, Min Ah. I wanna talk to you,” Ji Sun demanded lightly.
The casualness in her voice and the way she said her name made her stop in mid-step. Ji Sun simply shrugged. “I’m not allowed to call you ‘Mom’ anymore, am I?” she said with a sad smile.
Min Ah was at a loss for words. “I... well… it was... umm... what did you wanna talk about?” She walked to her bed and sat at the edge, staring apprehensively at her estranged daughter.
“Please don’t be too harsh on Hyeon Jin,” Ji Sun began, sitting at the ancient-looking chair in front of the grandiose dresser. “I’ve only known her for less than three years, but I can assure you that she’s a great girl. She’s really nice and funny and witty once you get to know her. Don’t let her being a human decide whether you’d like her or not. It’s not really a crime for our kind to like humans, right?”
“It’s not about her being a human,” Min Ah said. “I just can’t believe everything we worked so hard for so that Mun Oh would be able to uphold the family reputation and have a much better future was all thwarted by her mere existence.”
Ji Sun walked over to sit beside her. “Is that the real reason? Or are you just afraid to lose him?” she asked. “You’re afraid that he’ll end up like me—fascinated by the human world and eventually leaving this life for that.”
Min Ah didn’t have an answer to that. They simply gazed at each other for what seemed like an eternity. With a deep sigh, Ji Sun marched to the door. As she was about to turn the knob, Min Ah appeared right beside her, startling her.
“I— I have to remember not to be surprised when you do that,” she joked sheepishly, clutching her chest.
Min Ah gave her a wan smile before hugging her tight. It was a hug full of care and longing, but it only lasted for a second. Before Ji Sun could make another move, Min Ah was back sitting on the bed.
“I’m happy... that you found your happiness,” Min Ah whispered.
Ji Sun grinned nervously. “I was happy with our family, but it just wasn’t enough.” She took a deep breath and pulled the door open. “Don’t worry about Mun Oh. He’s stronger, in every sense of the word, than all of us combined. He’ll be all right.” With that, she was gone from her sight.
•••
“You wanna hear something funny?” Mun Oh asked as they strolled around the small park in front of Hyeon Jin’s school.
It had become more like a silent agreement between the two of them to spend their last day together in familiar and memorable places. It felt like retracing their footsteps and taking the path that led both of them to this very moment.
“I think I’ve seen you before,” Mun Oh went on, placing his hands at the back of his head.
She was chewing on a piece of gum that she had found in her pocket minutes ago. “What?”
“It was my first time to bite someone. I was six. I wandered around trying to familiarize myself with every human smell... trying to find the perfect catch for me. That’s when I saw you,” he said indifferently.
She stopped to stare at him agape. “S—Seriously? I mean, where? When? How?”
“I don’t remember the exact place. It was somewhere downtown.” He shrugged. The memory was still fresh in his mind, as if it had happened yesterday. It had been a bittersweet moment for him. “I was ready to give up then,” he went on, “thinking my perfect catch must be in another place. But something—I still don’t know what—brought me over to this ice cream parlor where a little girl, probably the same age as I was, stood with two cones of vanilla ice cream stuck on top of her head, like a devil’s horns.” He sniggered for a split second.
Hyeon Jin’s jaw dropped. That memory was still fresh in her mind as well. It was the first time she had gotten a taste of bullying. She had been on her way home from school and, being clumsy, she bumped into a bunch of notorious bullies from her school. One thing led to another, and she went home that day crying like a baby, with ice cream cones on her head.
Mun Oh kindly closed her mouth for her before continuing. “Looking at that little girl crying her eyes out as those bullies laughed their heads off opened my eyes to the reality of how cruel and mean humans can be. I told myself I’d never be like my sister. I’d never be interested or even try to get close to your kind.” He grimaced. “I didn’t feel any pity for that girl; instead, I felt so pissed off at her. I’ve never felt so much hatred for someone, much less a human. Maybe because she was someone I was afraid of turning into—a pathetic and nameless loser.”
Hyeon Jin was biting her lower lip, which was trembling uncontrollably.
“But some inexplicably strong force inside of me yearned to put an arm around her and comfort her," said Mun Oh. "I have no idea why. In the end, that yearning forced me to come after her bullies. I found the leader, the one who stuck those cones in her head, and...” He closed his eyes for a second as though reliving the memory. “It was against my will to let her be my first bite; I didn’t like anything about her. But I had to... I just had to vent all the resentment I was feeling.” He bit his lip and gave a half shrug.
Hyeon Jin cupped a hand to her mouth as she realized something. “Did you... did you kill her?” Her voice sounded terrified.
He rolled his eyes at her. “No, dummy! I’m not a murderer!” He clicked his tongue. “I admit that I overdid her memory modification. It was all I could do to get back at her.”
Comprehension dawned on her face. “So, that’s why she and her family moved to another city all of a sudden? It was... You did that?”
They were near the park’s rusty gates now, which led to the street outside. Mun Oh fixed his eyes on the school gates straight ahead. “I don’t know why I did it. I was actually thinking before that, that I should just put you out of your misery and bite you. But...” He sighed. “I couldn’t bring myself to do it even back then.” He grabbed her by the wrist and crossed the street in one ultra-fast stride. “Now I’m kinda wondering what would’ve happened if I actually bit you right then and there. Knowing what we know right now.”
A gust of damp air swept over them as he pushed the school gates open and yanked her inside. She cleared her throat before speaking.
“How did you know it was me?” she asked quietly.
He let go of her hand and grinned that trademark impish grin of his, which never failed to make all the girls swoon. All except for one.
“I just know,” he answered smugly. “Race you to the rooftop!” He turned on his heels and got a head start to the high school building in front of them.
“Wha—? Hey! CHEATER!” Hyeon Jin wasted no time in catching up. “You should’ve at least given me a head start, you cheating vampire!” she yelled after him. Good thing the school’s guard was nowhere in sight. She would have been in deep trouble for being in there. But then again, she thought, already out of breath, being with him one last time would be worth a month’s detention.
It was the highlight of their day. Sitting side by side, with their legs crossed on the dusty floor of the school’s rooftop. Not saying a word. Just listening to each other’s breathing. Feeling each other’s presence and enjoying the quiet around them.
No stupid arguments.
No aching and miserable goodbyes.
Just the two of them under the setting sun, which cast shimmering slivers of orange all around, signaling an end, and a beginning.
•••
That night, neither of them wanted to sleep. They ate dinner at That Place and went for a walk at the famous “mini forest” at the back of the eatery. The significance of this place for both of them was a bit complex but nonetheless evident. It was where she accidentally discovered his not-so-little secret. If it weren’t for this particular place, maybe things wouldn't be quite the way they were now. Neither of them was sure whether they should be grateful or remorseful of that day and this place.
Fortunately, they had the clearing to themselves. There was no sign of life at the usual “make out” spots. Hyeon Jin slid down underneath a wide oak tree and Mun Oh settled beside her. They just stayed quiet for a few minutes, enjoying the serene ambience and the cool night air. There had been lots of these quiet moments between them every now and then; sometimes it would take an hour or so before anyone would speak up.
“Do you ever get tired of what you do?” It was Hyeon Jin who broke the silence.
Mun Oh was leaning against the tree, quite comfortably. “What do you mean?”
She shrugged, looking over at what little she could see of his handsome face. The moon was hidden in the clouds that night, as though it was sulking, fully aware of what was gonna happen the day after tomorrow. “You know. Biting people and sucking their blood,” she said in what she hoped was a casual tone.
Mun Oh didn’t seem to mind her question. “How about you? Do you ever get tired of living?”
“How does my living relate to your way of living?” she asked, bemused.
“Exactly,” he replied promptly.
“You know, sometimes I really wish you could talk your age so we could understand each other a whole lot better,” she retorted, clicking her tongue.
He snorted. “So what exactly are we, baby?” he asked, playfully stroking her back.
“Okay, I take back what I said. I really wish you could just sit there, put your lips over your head and swallow,” she snapped, hugging her legs to her chest irritably.
He laughed in a very sweet and not-so-annoying manner. “Hey, be nice. I’ll bet my lifetime savings that you are gonna miss me when I...” He stopped in mid-sentence and sniggered uncertainly. “You’re gonna miss me, right?”
She leaned against the tree as well and snuggled close to him without a word. Although there was simply nothing left to say between them, she still had something on her mind.
“Come on, you can ask me,” Mun Oh said, probably listening to her
thoughts.
“Hey! I said no mind-reading!” Hyeon Jin complained, pouting. “Do that again and I’m gonna kill you myself,” she threatened, squeezing his arms. She whistled before she went on. “I just wanna know… how would you know how to keep your memories while you’re under that lethargy thing when you haven’t even done that before? What if you fail? What if... instead of keeping all your memories, you end up losing everything?”
“Didn’t I tell you not to linger on the what ifs?”
“You don’t understand. I just wanna do something. I don’t wanna be known as 'the human girl who caused the great Lee Mun Oh’s downfall' or 'the reason why Lee Mun Oh didn’t know how to tie his shoelaces.'” She cried, obviously frustrated.
They were both silent after that outburst. He was too tired to argue, and even if their argument led them to something, it would still be for nothing because everything had already been determined. They could not change the plan at the last minute.
“You wanna play a game?” Mun Oh asked, trying to ease the tension. Hyeon Jin pulled away from him, got up and started walking away. “I’m challenging you to an Of Course game, Hyeon Jin,” he called after her.
She continued walking.
“We get to have three questions each and if I score a point, you take a step toward me, and vice versa. If you reach me first, you have to promise me something,” he said, and he stood up as well. “If I reach you first, then I’ll promise you something.”
She had stopped in her tracks now and slowly turned to face him.
“What do you say? Are you up for it, or are you too much of a chicken to go against the GREAT ONE, yours truly, Lee Mun Oh?” He gave an adorable toothy grin, which Hyeon Jin saw for the first time, his pearly white teeth glistening in the almost dark surroundings.
She shrugged and cocked her head to the side. Might as well give it a try, she thought, taking a couple of steps back to where he stood. After all, the ‘Of Course’ game was another memorable thing for them.
“Fine. If it makes you happy, Mr. Lee Mun Oh. Bring it on,” she said in a flat tone.