Monster Blood 『박 성훈☑』

20|| Longing

Lia escaped her classes and headed home. She blankly walked in the empty road while recalling Sunghoon's words and the changes in his eyes.

"Jungwon is my brother" those words kept echoing in her ears. Her tears start to fall one by one in disbelief.

After she got home, instead of lying down her bed, she decided to enter Sunghoon's room.

His room is so messy. The blankets are scattered on the floor. She picked them up and fixed everything.

On the table, there is an open note Sunghoon was writing but forgot to fix it. Beside the note was an orchid.

Lia can't help herself to take a look on it.

As she take a sit, she saw many more handwritten letters on the corner of the table. She picked the bottom one and starts reading.

"Sunghoon:

How's Lia out there? I can't show myself yet because I know many people will still recognize me. But I hope she can get to know who we really are. That we are not humans. We are vampires and a prince....."

Lia shaken when she red the note. Her body turned cold and started sweating heavily. Still, she continued to read it.

".... I feel sorry for leaving without telling her who really I am. So, I'm hoping you could tell it to her. Take care in there.

Jungwon. "

She immediately took the unfinished letter of Sunghoon and red it.

"Jungwon;
. Know that as long as she's with me, she is safe. I don't know how to tell her everything specially because I'm starting to....." His unfinished letter stopped there.

"Safe with me? What does he mean? Is he perhaps protecting me?" Lia questioned.

"Lia?! Are you in here?! Sunghoon?!" Mr. Kim called downstairs after arriving home early and the door was open.

Lia dashed downstairs with the letters on her hand.

"Dad" Lia called starting to tear up.

"Oh Lia. You're here. Did your class already ended?" Mr. Kim asked. He lifted his gaze on his daughter whose standing in the staircase.

"Are you crying?"

"Did you knew all along that Jungwon and Sunghoon are not humans at all? Is that why you let them live with us even though they're strangers? What else do you know?!"

Mr. Kim's eyes widened. "Lia, what are you talking about?"

"Don't lie to me, please" Lia uttered crashing down into tears.

Mr. Kim gathered all his courage for he knows the time has come.

-

Lia lost her interest in going to school after they talked about everything last night. Mr. Kim calmly explained everything to her including the curse, her blood and the history of their families.

"Won't you go to school?" her dad asked.

Lia forced a smile and shook her head. "I'm sure Sunghoon will return anytime so I'll wait for him" she replied.

Mr. Kim pitied his daughter. She looks so desperate in waiting for his return.

-

Lia waited for a whole day but even Sunghoon's shadow didn't appear.

And the next day....

And another day.....

And more days......

It's almost two weeks of waiting but Sunghoon didn't showed up.

Not until.....

One weekend, Lia heard a knock on the door. Her hopes made her ran to open it.

The joy inside her disappeared when Sunoo and Yoona was the one who's waiting out in the balcony.

"SURPRIS---" Yoona's smile dropped when she saw Lia gloomy and pale.

Sunoo's bread fell off from his hand and the bread he's about to swallow was stocked on his throat when he met her like that.

"Ah. It's you. Come in" she greeted blankly with a bitter smile.

-

"Did something happened? It's been two weeks and you did not appear in school" Yoona asked, trying to have a peaceful conversation with Lia in the balcony.

"Where's Eli?" Lia asked, avoiding her question.

Yoona's eyebrow raised up, "huh?"

"She's my friend for years but why is she not in here?" Lia stared at the air not showing any emotions.

Yoona scratched her nape, "W-well, about that....."

Lia lifted her gaze,looking straight at her.

"E-Eli disappeared during the school festival last week. We were grouped into two, to play hide-and-seek. She was my assigned partner but then she told me to hide in the woods.

I lost her in the middle of the game then suddenly wolv--" Yoona was cut off when she realized what she's about to say.

"Then suddenly....?"

Yoona snapped her fingers and faked a laugh. "Suddenly, Sunoo came in rescue. We tried to find her but she is not around. Until now, she hasn't appeared yet."

'Is she perhaps looking for Sunghoon?'

"What about you? Why aren't you entering class?" Yoona tried to change the triggering topic.

Lia lowered her gaze. "I'm planning to drop out."

Yoona froze when hearing her answer. "Did I hear it right?"

Lia forced a smile and nodded. "Look, I don't know what kind of danger is ahead of me. And I don't wanna waste my time focusing my eyes on school. I will drop out and do the things I missed" Lia answered bravely.

Yoona was so speechless.

Lia sighed and looked at the dazzling day, "So, please tell it to Ms. Ji-na. I've talked about this with dad anyway" she replied.

"Why are you doing this?" Yoona asked.

Lia stood up, avoiding her question. "Goodbye. I need rest. I haven't slept for how many nights" she excused.

"Is it because of Sunghoon?"

Lia stopped and tilted her head. "Visit me whenever you want. Goodbye" she bid once again and continued her way.