Vampire Brothers

Chapter 10

After breakfast, Haneul returned to her room, grabbed her school bag, and headed out. Instead of going straight to the staircase, she walked past several rooms until she reached the one at the end of the hallway.

Taking a deep breath, she exhaled slowly. *Here goes nothing,* she thought as she knocked on the door. "S.Coups oppa? It's me. Can I come in?" she asked, but there was no response. Tentatively, she tried the door handle and found it unlocked.

As soon as she stepped into the room, S.Coups's scent overwhelmed her senses. *Damn it! His scent... it's too sweet,* she thought, instinctively covering her nose. She was about to leave when a voice called out, "Haneul?"

She turned and was startled to see S.Coups, shirtless and sitting on the bed, watching her. Her face flushed bright red. "S-Sorry for disturbing you. I should leave," she stammered, trying to back away.

"No, come here," S.Coups said, ruffling his hair. Haneul hesitated, taking a few cautious steps toward him. "You're going to school already?" he asked, and she nodded. "How are you feeling? Better?" he inquired, and again, she simply nodded.

S.Coups sighed, "Give me your hand." He extended his hand toward her, waiting for her to place hers in his. After a moment's hesitation, Haneul finally placed her hand in his.

Without warning, S.Coups pulled her closer and threw her onto the bed. Haneul gasped in shock, "Oppa!" She was trapped beneath him as he leaned over her, his hands on either side of her. "You say you're fine, but your face is all red, and your body is quite warm," he said, placing his hand on her forehead to check her temperature. "You still have a fever, but it's not as bad as before." He got off the bed and walked away, grabbing a towel on his way to the bathroom. "You can go to school, just take care of yourself," he advised before disappearing into the bathroom.

Haneul sat up, dazed. "What just happened?" she whispered to herself. The memory of S.Coups's intense gaze made her heart race. She clutched her school uniform, *Oh gosh! Why am I like this?!* She touched her forehead, recalling his touch. *His scent... it's all over me,* she thought, taking in the lingering sweetness that clung to her uniform.

"Lee Haneul! Where the hell are you?! You're going to be late for school!" Seungkwan's loud voice snapped her back to reality. *Damn it, school!* In a rush, she bolted out of the room.

Meanwhile, in the bathroom, S.Coups leaned on the sink, staring at his reflection in the mirror. "What the hell are you doing, Choi Seungcheol?!" he muttered, clenching his fists. *That was too close. You're too close to her!* His eyes glowed red, and his fangs protruded slightly. *I'll wait for you, Haneul. I'll wait for you to be ready. When you finally learn the truth about yourself, you won't be going anywhere. You're mine alone, my soulmate.* He thought resolutely.

As Haneul walked into school, she noticed everyone staring at her. Their eyes followed her every move, whispers and murmurs echoing down the hallway. When she entered her classroom, the usual chatter died down to an eerie silence.

Confused, she greeted her classmates, "Uh, hi guys?" but no one responded. She turned to Yeonhwa, but even she avoided making eye contact. Feeling hurt, Haneul brushed it off and went to her seat.

"Do you think it's safe for her to be in this class?" one of the girls whispered loudly."I don't know. You tell me," another classmate replied.

"I can't believe we have a vampire in our class," someone else muttered.

*Vampire? Who are they talking about?* Haneul wondered, frowning.

Just then, Moonkyu approached her but stopped a meter away. "Hey, you," he called out.

Haneul looked up at him. "What?" she snapped, glaring at him.

Moonkyu hesitated but forced himself to speak. "W-we don't w-want you in our class."

"And why not?" she demanded.

"You're not one of us anymore, are you?"

Haneul frowned deeply. "What are you talking about?"

"Don't lie to us, bitch! We all know you're a vampire!" Moonkyu spat, gritting his teeth.

"What?! What in the world are you talking about?!" Haneul stood up in shock.

"Care to explain why your eyes turned red the other day? And don't tell us it was an infection or some illness because we're not buying it!" Moonkyu shouted. Haneul was taken aback, turning to Yeonhwa for help, but Yeonhwa just looked away, avoiding her gaze. "Yeonhwa...?" Haneul's voice trembled as tears blurred her vision.

During recess, Haneul pulled Yeonhwa aside behind the school building. Yeonhwa kept a safe distance between them. "Yeonhwa, please tell me, what did I do wrong? Why is everyone avoiding me? Why are you avoiding me?" Haneul pleaded.

"Why don't you tell me who you really are, Haneul?" Yeonhwa asked, her voice cold.

Haneul was stunned. "What are you talking about, Yeonhwa?" She took a step closer, but Yeonhwa recoiled.

"Stay away from me!" Yeonhwa shouted, her voice trembling.

"W-Why... Y-Yeonhwa?" Haneul's eyes filled with tears as she tried to approach her friend. "Stay away from me, you vampire!!" Yeonhwa screamed.

Haneul froze. "W-What?!"

"That day... I saw your eyes change color. And that strong wind... What else can explain that, Haneul? You're a vampire!" Yeonhwa accused.

"But vampires don't even exist!" Haneul protested.

"Whether they exist or not, I don't care! What matters is that you're a freak, and I want you to stay away from me!" Yeonhwa snapped before storming off, leaving Haneul in shock.

"What's important now is that you're a freak."

"You're a freak."

Yeonhwa's words echoed in Haneul's mind like a haunting alarm.

Her knees buckled as she realized her best friend had just abandoned her. Collapsing to the ground, she sobbed uncontrollably. The wind around her picked up, growing stronger and more chaotic. She clutched her head, "Why does everyone leave me?" Her eyes slowly turned red again. "Why?!" she screamed, and the wind roared like a thunderstorm.

As the sky darkened, Haneul's shadow began to waver and then morphed into a human form. The figure silently approached her from behind. "I'm sorry, princess," the figure whispered before knocking her out with a swift blow to the back of her neck. Haneul collapsed into the figure's arms. "I'm so sorry, my princess," the figure murmured.

He glanced up at the sky as the dark clouds dissipated and the wind calmed. *Something's not right,* he thought, noticing that his shadow had returned to normal. "Let's go home, my princess," he whispered before they both vanished into the shadows on the ground.