eclipse ➵ kim sunoo

chapter 3

Chapter 3: "The Bite of Curiosity"

Hyeona’s POV

I was in deep. That’s the simplest way to put it. If common sense had a voice, it would’ve been screaming in my ear by now: Forget him, Hyeona!

Run! This is getting way too weird!

But whatever this strange pull was between me and Sunoo, it was stronger than my common sense.

The days that followed were strange. He was there—always just there. Walking ahead of me on the street, showing up at random places I went. Once, I even thought I saw him near my apartment building, just standing on the corner with his hands in his pockets, watching the sunset. Every time I tried to approach him, he’d vanish like smoke.

I’d be lying if I said it didn’t freak me out a little. But the truth? It excited me, too. Sunoo was like a puzzle with half the pieces missing, and I wanted to solve him.

When I arrived that night, he was already there, sitting at our usual table, looking like he’d walked straight out of a painting. I felt a little flutter in my stomach, which was annoying, honestly. He had this smug, quiet confidence, and I hated that it was starting to mess with my head.

He looked up as I walked over, giving me a small smile. “I’m glad you decided to show up.”

“Oh, please,” I scoffed, sliding into the seat across from him. “You’ve been acting like some kind of ghostly stalker all week. Did you expect me to just ignore that?”

He raised an eyebrow, as if amused. “Curiosity can be a dangerous thing, you know.”

“Yeah, well, curiosity killed the cat, but satisfaction brought it back.” I crossed my arms, refusing to let him scare me off with his cryptic nonsense. “So tell me—what’s your deal?”

Sunoo leaned back, studying me with those intense eyes. “You think you’re ready for that?”

“Ready as I’ll ever be,” I said, my voice braver than I felt. Part of me thought he’d laugh it off, make some excuse, and leave. But instead, he looked around the café, then leaned forward, lowering his voice.

“I wasn’t joking, Hyeona,” he said quietly. “There are things out there…things that most people can’t see. Things they don’t want to see.”

I tried to keep a straight face, but he was so serious that I couldn’t help it—I let out a tiny laugh. “What, like ghosts and goblins? Do you expect me to believe that?”

His gaze didn’t waver. “Not quite. But close.”

The laughter caught in my throat. There was something in his eyes, a coldness, a depth that seemed way too real. “So… what are you saying? You’re some kind of supernatural creature? A vampire?” I added the last part as a joke, but there was a tiny sliver of doubt in me now, and it freaked me out.

“What if I was?” he replied, his voice barely more than a whisper.

I swallowed, unsure whether to laugh or run. “Then I’d say you’re a really dedicated cosplayer.”

Sunoo’s lips twitched, like he was holding back a smile. “You’re stubborn, I’ll give you that. But believe me, Hyeona, there are things in this world that defy explanation. And sometimes it’s better not to dig too deep.”

I stared at him, half-expecting him to burst out laughing and say it was all a joke. But he didn’t. He just sat there, looking at me with this strange mix of amusement and… was it worry?

“You’re serious,” I whispered, barely able to wrap my head around it. “You’re actually serious.”

He nodded slowly. “I know it’s hard to believe. But this is your chance. Walk away, pretend we never met. It’ll be easier.”

I laughed, though it came out more nervous than I’d intended. “So… you’re telling me to leave you alone, and that’s supposed to make me not curious?”

He smirked. “Maybe a little reverse psychology. But I mean it, Hyeona. Curiosity can be dangerous.”

I looked away, biting my lip. This whole thing was ridiculous, like something out of a fantasy novel. But Sunoo didn’t feel like a fantasy. He was right here, with his mysterious looks and unreadable expression, and something in me wanted to understand him, even if it meant facing something unknown.

“Fine,” I said, trying to sound confident. “I’ll play along. Tell me what you are, Sunoo. And I don’t mean vague fairytales.”

He took a deep breath, hesitating for the first time. “I can’t tell you everything. Not yet. But if you really want to know, there’s a place I can show you. A place where I might… explain a few things.”

I blinked. “Is this your way of asking me on a date?”

“Think of it more as… a warning,” he said, though there was a glimmer of humor in his eyes. “But if you’re willing, I’ll meet you tomorrow night. Midnight, at the old park by the river.”

Midnight. An invitation to meet him in the darkest hour at the creepiest place in town. If my friends heard about this, they’d probably call the police on my behalf. But something inside me felt electrified. Alive. I was scared, sure, but I was also… exhilarated.

“Fine,” I said, my voice a little shaky but determined. “I’ll be there.”

That night, as I lay in bed, staring at the ceiling, I couldn’t shake the feeling that I was on the edge of something big. Maybe I was being reckless. Maybe this was all one big, dangerous game. But I had to know.

I had to.