Birthday Spree

Three

Peniel came in the morning when I still had my bedroom hair and volunteered to make me a cup of tea. It wasn't weird for any BTOB members to come searching for Changsub and knowing Peniel, he probably feel bad about waking me up at 7am thus the tea.

Aside from the sound of boiling water from the kitchen, it was almost silence. Milk boy will come at 8am everyday without fail and doorbell was doubtless the first sound I heard on new day - if you count out Changsub's dissaproval grunts. Being at home with Peniel wasn't awkward but I thought that TV would be a good filler at the moment, at least until my head rectify itself.

Morning news were never better; several reporting mediums served the nation with pretty ridiculous information - a dog managed to escape to Jeollanam that was recognized for its 0% dog population, Gwahae-do was to build a new block of stores to accomodate their increasing number of citizens. Entertainment news started right after the ridicule things were delivered.

'a member of an idol group -'

"Nuna", I turned my head to Peniel who waved, asking me to go to the kitchen, "Can you help..?"

*

The moment we sat down at the living room, after I took a sip of tea he made - a bit sweet from Changsub's - that he spoke.

"A-are you o-kay?" he stuttered and at the same time wiping his head with a bandana he bought along.

"I'm fine", I bit a mouthful of toast, didn't forget to make extra pieces for Peniel, "Why did you ask?" not going to lie, my heart beat faster without exact reason. His face changed and that was the time I realized there was something wrong. "Peniel?" his breath hitched.

He gaped his mouth and closed it like a dying fish. His eyes uncertained, unfocus and I can see his Adam apple bobbed at my intense stare.

Peniel rummaged his pockets, searching for something I had no idea what it was and he took out his smartphone. He stood up from his seat and made his way to me, holding out the gadget. I was puzzled out but received it nevertheless.

It was a picture of someone in white robe. laying on bed with white sheet white duvet, IV drop, heart monitor and a man sat next to the bed - Manager Park?

If it wasn't because of the red line on arm I saw last time, I wouldn't know it was -

"Changsub", my eyes teary when I looked up to Peniel and the latter nodded. He kneeled on the floor, peeling off the phone from my trembling hands before held them in his palms. The shocking state I experienced was frightening and left me teeth clattering but mute.

"He's fine. I swear", his doe eyes begged for my understanding but my eyes were fogged by crystal glass, collected on the rim and flowed down like a stream. "I will bring you there. Manager Park has a lot of things to explain"

*

The short journey felt long, I can practically heard my watch ticking - second, two seconds, three seconds - I had my phone clutched in both hands, let it near to my chest in case Manager Park make a call. Or text. But deep down I hope he never calls until we reached the hospital, anything can happen. I stumbled upon the virtual buttons while trying to unlock the screen. Their manager had called me 49 times last night and sent me five text messages.

I checked the notification bar, nothing. My thumb smoothly pressed the round button to the mainscreen, where the wallpaper was a picture of us on my birthday last year. We wore party hat and laughed gleefully at each other; he had whip cream on his nose and God can he appear even dumber than this?

I choked on my tears and slumber swept me off of my feet.

*

"Baby", I whispered, loud enough for him to hear. I placed the back of my hand on his forehead - he is burning. My puffy eyes scanned everywhere of his body; legs checked, arms checked, he had no visible scratch nor bruise. His face was clean. His eyes were still shut, only heaving chest gave out huff of pants.

"He's okay"

"Oh", I wiped my wet cheeks and calm my breath before decided to talk. Though my voice was cracked and befriending hiccups. "Is he going to be okay?"

"He is recovering", Manager Park patted my shoulder to assure, "Come here, we need to talk"

*

"Vampire?"

"Vampire syndrome. Yes", Manager Park handed me coffee in paper cup and took his seat next to vending machine. His mein dropped in tiredness and exhaust. He rubbed his face before continuing, "the patient's blood temperature is few degrees colder than normal and that makes them prone to any disease", Manager Park licked his lips, perhaps arranging his speech before delivering them to no-clue me.

"The patient can't stay under the sunlight too long and it's better if they stay shaded all the time. That's why I had Changsub locked up everytime he came to work with rashes", his gaze bore a hole to my head - was it blame, was it sympathy? The coffee in my hold lost its heat.

My saliva tasted bitter, maybe it was the coffee. The fact that I can't say anything to back myself up had me restless.

"His condition is getting worser. Aside from drowsiness and constant cold hands, it also changed his biology system", my head shot upright at the new information I got. The only biology change that I had in mind was change of his..

"Gender? His gender is going to change?", my face warmed at the thought of that. It won't be Changsub if he changed into a woman, like - like me. Oh god. I'm not gay.

"No, not like that, for God's sake", I can tell he was on the verge of snapping out, the amount of stress he had right at the moment most likely unbearable - imagine the tense he received from the company; and Melodys; and the members; and me - "Listen carefully, young lady", he got up to buy another cup of coffee with two extra shots before sitting next to me, inhaling deep breaths of medicine and sanitizer from the hallway.

"Vampire syndrome", he paused again. Seemed uncertain and I was about to stop him from saying anything and let me meet Changsub's doctor myself, "mainly attacks one's reproductive system. The low blood temperature will freeze his - shit - male liquid, okay? And in order to avoid that, he needs to feel endless pain so the adrenalin rush helps his blood to 'boil'", he cursed under his breath, questioning why did he sign up for this, which former life of his made a mistake until this life served him nothing but miserable matters.

I blushed at the repro-ahem word. It was nothing that I expected. His cold hands, morning grunts telling me to shoo the milk boy, rashes, everything made sense, "That's why he had tattoos",

"Correct"

"And that long scratch too?"

"Yup", Manager Park crumbled the paper before throwing it into the nearest dustbin. "You are catching up faster than I thought"

My rusty mind creaked to process everything that I have been given - syndrome, pain, repro..ductive.

"You are surely know how much he loves child, right?" the older person shot me a question and I nodded abruptly. No one can deny his adoration for the small minions, it was proved in many fansigns that he really wanted to get married and have few kids to call his own.

Next thing I couldn't believe my ears, Manager Park chuckled and ruffled his dry hair, "I still don't know what was he thinking when he gulped down a bottle of wasabi and passed out"