a heavenly way to die (a time to be alive)

7th

By the time Hyunjung has mustered the courage to go to Jiyeon's apartment, the moon has risen.

She clutched a stack of papers to her chest with one hand and knocked firmly on the apartment door with the other. As she stood alone in the shadowed hallway, waiting for the vampire to appear from the darkness, Hyunjung realized this was one of the defining moments of her life. She felt that the moment she stepped through Jiyeon's doorway, there would be no coming back to who she was before.

The door didn't open. Hyunjung was left on the other side alone. She knocked again.

"Jiyeon?" She called out hesitantly.

Only the silence responded. Hyunjung took a moment to deliberate. She didn't want to break Jiyeon's trust again, but she also couldn't wait for Jiyeon to come to her first. She couldn't let the bitterness between them linger any longer. It was not right. It was not what they should have been.

With her free hand, Hyunjung reached into her coat pocket and pulled out a paperclip. She skillfully inserted it into the keyhole and picked the lock with one hand. It was a skill she had perfected— after all, humans couldn't sneak around as well as vampires could.

The door made a satisfying click. Hyunjung returned the paperclip to her pocket and gently turned the doorknob. She hardly made a sound, as if she were a spirit trespassing on Jiyeon's property. She heard her heart pound in her ears as she stepped inside, but not because she was afraid.

Inside, Hyunjung fumbled for the light switch. The apartment was suddenly flooded with light. The hunter's lips parted with surprise, and she began to explore.

Jiyeon has decorated the apartment. She must have had several of them across the world— Taeyeon did mention she travelled a lot. Still, though it may not be a permanent home, it is littered with remnants of Jiyeon. There were paintings on the walls. There was a soft yellow rug in the living room. There were small flowers lining the window ledges in various stages of bloom.

Hyunjung traced her fingers across Jiyeon's bookcases. They were all romance novels, she noted, smiling as she skimmed her hands over the spines of Jiyeon's books. She has records, too; old jazz and bright pop, and a vintage green record player.

The kitchen was full. Vampires didn't need to eat, but Jiyeon clearly enjoyed it. The fridge was full of sugary foods and fruits, and she had a stock of tea and coffee beans in the cupboard. There were plates in the sink— perhaps she'd had a friend over recently. There was so much humanity here.

When Hyunjung reached the bedroom, she paused in the doorway. Perhaps she shouldn't intrude. But then her boot crossed over the threshold, and it was too late. White bedsheets, and a yellow lamp by the side. There were several books scattered on the pillows, but the bed was made neatly.

It was then that Hyunjung pulled open a drawer and found a treasure trove of Jiyeon's memories. In the drawer were all sorts of momentos. Postcards from old friends; polaroids of Jiyeon with other people; letters from people she met long ago. There were sketches by Jiyeon and her friends— writing by them, too.

It felt like she had lived more humanly than Hyunjung had ever had.

And strangest of all, Hyunjung found traces of herself. There were images of Hyunjung that must have been shared amongst the more unsavoury vampire communities to warn them she was a hunter. There were several articles that Hyunjung published in the Vampire Hunter's Journal.