LONDON SEOUL (BTS)

XLI

"I still don't get it," I said to Joon who was reading on his bed, frantically scribbling on a piece of paper.

"Jin believes that magic is a product of deceiving time or the perception of it," he replied almost absentmindedly as he noted something in the corner of the book he was reading. "Something about how some reality doesn't exist if there is no one to see it."

I nodded, looking back at the mirror on the vanity. I was trying to do my hair. I usually wasn't as enthusiastic about hair or mirrors in general. I would have much preferred if Byul was here to help me. Adelaide. I sighed, resting my head on the vanity table. You have grown pretty just like your mother.

"Did you know Jimin was only a few months older than Taehyung?"

"Yeah," I answered. "Both me and Jimin are only a couple of months older."

"Hmm."

I looked back at him, "Why?"

"The people you marked in the records, who were not in the typical demographics, are all born the same year," he remarked. "I don't know if it's a coincidence, but the probability seems pretty low." He raised a piece of paper on which he had performed his calculations.

I stood up to look at it, but a gentle knock came on the door. "Come in," I called.

Byul entered looking dejected. "She apparently already left. She was apparently called on early for some reason, earlier this morning," she announced.

"Lady Kim?" Joon asked.

Byul nodded.

I had thought if anyone would be able to enlighten us on the situation it would be her. It seemed like I was always a step behind. I sat back dejected.

"Taehyung could help us," Byul offered.

"Is he awake?" Joon questioned.

Byul shrugged, "I just got back." She looked at me, "Do you need help with that?"

I nodded. My hair was a mess.

I twirled mother's gold leaf in my fingers.

"Do you want to put that on?" Byul asked.

"Umm. No." Mother apparently used to change normal leaves into gold ones. She was known for her dresses either woven with gold or decorated with gold leaves. Maybe Jin was right. One couldn't fundamentally change something with magic. A leaf was never made of gold and it would never turn into one.

I straightened up. "Joon. Tae was never a vampire."

He looked at me through the mirror, while Byul slowed down her work tilting her head questioningly.

"Tae was never a vampire. His grandfather just thinks he changed back, but he didn't. He was never one."

"You are moving," Byul complained, trying to hold my head still.

"Yes," I agreed. "I got it. Finally. Fucking finally."

"Still moving," Byul mumbled.

Joon closed his book. "You think Lord Kim wants him to turn himself back?"

"Don't know," I replied. "But that's the only thing that's glaringly odd about Tae."

Byul nodded, hastily finishing up my hair. "That's true. The kid is pretty normal. I didn't even think of it since we all knew Jimin was behind it."

I rushed out of the room to the hallway. I was interrupted by Jungkook climbing up the stairs skipping three steps in a row.

He breathed heavily when he got to the hallway.

"Where were you?" I asked.

"Work," he said trying to calm his breathing. I had to get the concept of work into my head. And the fact that one had to work every single day for a living.

"Taehyung isn't the one," he finally said.

"I know," I said surprised. "How did you know?"

He stabilized himself on the railing and stood straight, still short of breath. Did he just run from the station?

"Do you need water?" I asked.

He shook his head. "Vampire we caught at the station said humans immune to venom had special powers. Cure everything."

Oh. Interesting. Probably just random rumors propagated by desperate vampires, but that did explain a lot.