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Seungwan couldn’t complain that she was a vampire at twenty-five. She was hot shit and the people loved her. Sensational, they called her, with the voice of an angel trapped in the body of a demon. So that’s what they marketed her as, black prosthetic wings and red-eye contacts to play up the part. The crowds ate it up, watching her roam across the stage with fangs ablaze and her voice blaring into the microphone. Cameras went off, shutters snapping and red lights blinking. If fame was the price to pay for her mortality then maybe it wasn’t so bad.

Her heels clicked against the floor as she made her way back to the dressing room. People greeted her on her way, bidding her congratulations on another great show and praising her on her ability to captivate an audience. Seungwan responded to each of them with humble thanks and appreciative smiles, shaking hands and touching light kisses to cheeks to some of her favorite stagehands.

“Alright, alright, let’s get you changed,” chimed her manager, catching up on her heels and steering her into the dressing room.

The ruckus from outside choked off with the shut of the door. Coordinators rushed to her, helping to take off her wings and undo the ties of the corset that crushed her ribcage. She took in a breath once it was off and dropped into a chair to rid of her knee-high boots, buckles jingling as they were let loose one by one.

“Keep on the makeup,” said her manager. “There are fans waiting outside. You’ll greet them before you go. Don’t sign too many autographs, leave a few of them hungry, keep conversation to a minimum—”

“—Flirt with the cameras, don’t smile ugly, make sure to give proper fan service. I got it, Sooyoung. This isn’t my first gig.”

“I know, I know.” Sooyoung waved her hand in the air, eyes glued to an iPad in her hand that she started scrolling through. “It’s a habit.”

Seungwan smiled at her manager through the mirror where she stood, clipping off earrings and riding of the more than excessive jewelry. She liked Sooyoung. She didn’t feel like a manager but more of a friend, something that wasn’t easy to come by in a place like this.

A pair of skin-tight leather pants slipped up her legs and hooked on with a studded belt that glimmered low on her hips. The distressed crop top that followed clung to her like a second skin, shaping every defined curve and leaving only the unmentionables left to mystery.

“I’m starving,” she groaned, combing out the thick of her ombre hair. She didn’t know how she felt about it at first but it was stunning how the blonde that faded out of brown lit up in an array of colors under the changing stage lights. It was a new shade, deviating away from her signature jet-black that she had for years. When the comments came in about how much the public loved the new look she learned to appreciate it. Much more than the red she had in her fifth year.

“You can eat when we get to the penthouse,” said Sooyoung. She was half paying attention as she sat down in the neighboring makeup chair. Her brow creased at something on her iPad.

Seungwan waited for the last of the staff to exit the dressing room before she went on. “I want a Tap.”

That got Sooyoung’s attention. She looked up through her fake lashes, lips pursed. “Jeongsu doesn’t like you to do that.”

The mention of her agent’s name tightened her shoulders. Jeongsu was the reason she was who she was. He found her, made her, sculpted her.

“Jeongsu doesn’t have to know.” She prodded at Sooyoung’s shin with the toe of her boot. “Please, Soo. I danced so good for you tonight.”

Sooyoung glared weakly over at her and Seungwan stuck out her bottom lip in a childish pout. She knew how much Sooyoung hated her whining but she hated seeing her pout even more. If only because it was one of her most annoyingly effective charms.

“Please,” she sang, fist curled up beneath her chin. “I deserve it.”

Sooyoung rolled her eyes. “Gross, stop it. I’ll take you but then it’s back home. Got it?”

She bit into her lip, holding back the full extent of her smile. “Got it.”

-/-/-/-

The Immortal City was the city that truly never slept. It was built for people like Seungwan, the ones who no longer neededthings like eight hours and REM cycles or fussed over what to eat next or whatever mundane human thing that was cast aside in new skin.

There were other cities like the one Seungwan lived. They were called Hollows and were home to vampires who didn’t have high priced registrations to be on the outside. Vampire and human solidarity was something one could only hope for the future. Something that the Misses of those pageant shows said that they wanted during their speeches to gain higher marks and votes. In reality, it was hard to come by and only in certain areas was it truly accepted. The way to keep the peace was to separate them and that’s why Hollows existed.

Other parts of the world dealt with vampires in their own way. Some places, they were just like humans and could walk along the streets together like friends. Some places were ruled mainly by the vampires that were worshiped like monarchs and served to protect the people. Some places vampires were hunted and put down. Compared to most places, the Immortal City was a paradise for vampires within the country and so it was there that they lived instead of leaving altogether.

Opportunities were obtainable for vampires. Opportunities like the one Seungwan signed into. So maybe she was a commodity presented to the public as a dream, a sex image, and an unobtainable fantasy but she had a chance to live and she had a chance to build up a life that wouldn’t leave her on the streets. So she hoped. And maybe she ran the risk of never being able to get out of the city and explore something beyond her but she was making it. For now, she was making it and that couldn't be said for many others who lived behind the walls.

-/-/-/-

The car bumped over the road as Sooyoung drove. Seungwan sat in the back, head leaned up against the tinted window while her thumb scrolled through her phone. The reviews from the concert weren’t quite what she wanted but they were far better than the ones she used to get.

An overnight sensation is what articles dubbed her in her beginnings. She was a nobody who sprang into the limelight, took it by the neck, and made it her bitch. What they didn’t know was how terribly rough it had been for her to even set foot on a stage. How much she endured, what she gave up, what she bargained, what they beat into her day after day after night after sleepless night so that she could stand up there and bring in the highest dollars.

“We’re here,” said Sooyoung.

Seungwan lowered her phone to look out the window. They were idled in the parking lot of a building shadowed by others around it. From the outside, it looked like any normal hotel. Most would mistake it as such but the two plus signs tacked at the end of the name indicated its true nature of a Bleeder Bar.

Seungwan dropped her phone into her purse. “I won’t be long.”

“I’m going to a real bar up the street,” said Sooyoung. “Text me when you’re done.”

Slipping out of the car, she wrapped her scarf tighter around her face, hiding away from prying eyes as she approached the entrance. Bleeder Bars weren’t illegal but they weren’t exactly the type of thing to go around bragging about. There were mixed reviews about them, most of the harsher ones coming from the human side of the tracks.

Immortality was cool. Though Hollows were made for vampires, humans still flocked to them. Some in search of a vampire who would change them, others came just for the experience, to get up close and personal and have stories to tell their friends back home. Some came because they needed the extra cash which led them to places like bleeder bars where they could apply to be a Tap.

The money was good, Seungwan would know. She had been one in the past. Live blood was a rarity. It cost too much for any regular person to purchase. That’s why they had things like Bloodmarts where you purchased bottles like humans bought groceries. Stocks were brought in by trucks from the outside and sold off like fuel at a gas station. But bottle blood wasn’t as good as the hot, fresh stuff straight out the veins, and where sinking your teeth into a human was publishable by defanging, bleeder bars were as close as they could get.

Stepping inside, Seungwan was greeted with the smell of incense and low light. A front desk manned by a pretty boy vampire in a red bow tie and a black vest over a crisp patterned button shirt was up just ahead. He looked up at the arrival of a newcomer with a wide smile.

“Hi, welcome to The Red Labyrinth,” he greeted as usual.

Seungwan approached the counter with a grin. “Hey, Kibum.”

“Long time, no see.”

She wasn’t a regular, not really, but she liked this bar the best. It was far away from home and even further from the company building.

“Busy,” she said.

“I heard you stole the show tonight.”

She smiled modestly. Kibum told her he was a fan of hers long ago. At first it worried her. It was an assumed fact that most celebrities frequented bleeder bars but it was one of those things people liked to pretend wasn’t happening. If the information was leaked, it could hurt her success. Luckily bleeder bar employees were under contract to keep their customer’s anonymity. It kept most mum but there were few charmed by tabloid reporters offering large sums of money for a juicy item. Kibum turned out to be one of the good ones.

“Just tonight?” she played back.

He laughed, fangs flashing. They had been capped in gold with a sheen that glittered in the lamplight on the counter. Seungwan saw that they matched the gold polish on his nails. “V isn’t in tonight. There was an issue with another customer.”

Seungwan frowned. V was one of her favorite Taps. His veins were clean and he tasted like juicy peaches. She could tell he took care of himself better than most. The humans who served as Taps had to go through mounds of paperwork and background checks and stick to strict diet plans to keep their blood at top shelf quality. For the duration of their contract, they had to live within the city and the bar got a ten percent cut of their services though the tips were all theirs to keep.

“We did get someone new,” said Kibum, eyes scanning through a roster on the computer. “Pricey but might fit your taste.”

She tapped her finger on her lip as she thought about it a moment. “I’ll book.”

He gave a few clicks and taps on the keyboard. “Twenty-minute wait.”

Her throat burned with impatience. “Twenty?”

“I promise it’ll be worth it.”

The smug look on his face was promising enough. “Okay, I’ll wait.”

Taking a seat in the lounge, she waited until twenty minutes was up and a hostess dressed in black summoned her. Seungwan followed her into an elevator that let them off on a second floor and out, winding deeper through the dark corridors lit only by faux candles with bulbs that flickered like flames. Doors to private stalls lined the halls, each with a crystal knob and a golden number bolted into the wood.

“Right in here.” The hostess stopped in front of a door. Room 212.

Seungwan bid her thanks and slipped inside. The room was like all the others—a simple stall with black velvet walls and a chair that sat in front of a blacked out plane of glass with an intercom in the center. They weren’t allowed to see the Tap but they could speak with them if they so desired though wasteful conversation cut into feeding time so it was to be kept at a minimum.

Sitting down in the chair, Seungwan leaned her elbows onto the counter. There was a small flap built into it just below the glass where the drip tube would come through. She tapped her nail against it so whoever was on the other side knew someone was there.

“Hello?” she said.

“Hi.”

Her eyebrows lifted. A girl. She hadn’t bled a girl in a long time. They were often recommended to the male vampires. Made it easier for them to drink from. Seungwan didn’t care who it was she got to bleed as long as they tasted good and didn’t ask weird questions. Those were things she didn’t need to worry about with having a platinum grade Tap.

“How are you tonight?” she asked, casually.

There was a short pause. “I’m good, thank you. How are you?”

Seungwan grinned. The way the girl spoke was as rehearsed as all the new Taps she experienced before had. The more experienced ones got right to it, asked if she was ready or told her she was in for a feast or made jokes and light conversation as she sipped from their veins. Something about knowing this girl was brand new made her giddy.

“I’m starving,” said Seungwan. Her stomach pinched and her fangs lengthened now that she was only minutes away from eating. Concerts always left her fatigued and needy. She hadn’t been drinking properly lately either.

“Would you like to get started?”

“What’s your name?” She might be hungry but she didn’t like not knowing whom she was feeding from. It was good to know for reasons like leaving a good review or recommending them to someone else. It helped create familiarity.

“Irene,” she said, the name awkward on her tongue. It was a fake just like all the other Taps had fake names.

“Thank you for letting me have you tonight, Irene.”

“Thank you for choosing me.” There was a soft smile in her voice that made Seungwan’s own grin flash. “May we get started?”

“Please.”

The slot in the counter opened up. Seungwan accepted the drip offered to her and brought it to her lips. A few seconds passed before red began to flow through it and passed her lips puckered around the end.

Hot, sticky blood flooded her mouth thick and heady. Seungwan held back a moan as it touched her tongue and slid down her throat. Irene was delicious. She’d had her fair share of blood in the past. From her first months and years of the turn out of those who drank too much or smoked too much or ate things that turned their blood into interesting flavors. She’d had the high priced bottles sent to her home that were processed into the finest of delicacies. She had lovely Taps she drank from within the bars who left her satisfied and glowing when she left but Irene—

Seungwan pulled away from the drip. “Stop.”

The flow ended abruptly.

“Are you finished?”

Seungwan took in a breath to steady herself. She needed to pace herself. She needed to keep control. There was nothing more dangerous than a ravenous vampire and Seungwan could feel herself teetering on the edge.

“No, not yet,” she stuttered out. “I need a moment.”

She licked her lips, savoring Irene’s taste. She was sweet like candy and blazing hot. She made Seungwan’s stomach clench and her gums tingle, craving to bite into flesh and have a drink straight from the living, breathing, pulsing source. Not that Seungwan had ever done anything like that, but there was a primitive part of her that whispered for it.

Regaining her bearings, Seungwan brought to the tip of the tube back to her lips. “I’m ready now.”

“Starting.”

She drank with much more control now aware of the fine wine she was sipping on. She watched as the little red numbers above the panel that measured blood intake neared the end and groaned when the flow came to an end. She whined.

“Is everything okay?” asked that sweet voice. It was a little weak, a side effect from the sudden loss of blood. Seungwan was usually more careful than that, savored every drop, but she devoured Irene as if she were an oasis after days of no water.

Licking her lips, Seungwan steadied her voice. “Can I have you again?”

“Yes, you may.”

“I’ll see you next time.”

She had never left such a large tip before.

-/-/-/-

Her parents were junkies but they loved her. Seungwan was their prized possession, their number one girl, their star child. The little trailer park they lived in on the edges of the Hollow was a trash joint but it was home and her mom always made sure her belly was full and that she was happy.

Seungwan never questioned why her parents had fangs and kept plastic soda bottles filled with blood in the refrigerator. She was seven—practically a big girl—and she knew about vampires. Everyone did. They were people just like everyone else and some people, like her parents, chose to become them in order to live a long, long life in order to look after the kids they birthed when they were still in human skin. Seungwan thought her parents were cool. Her mom sang in bars and her dad played a list of instruments that he taught her how to strum and pluck and play too.

It was no surprise that scouts caught interest in her as she grew. They told her parents they could make her a star but they wouldn’t let her. They had always been protective that way. Told her to watch out for others, told her not to trust anyone too deeply.

She was twenty when she met Jeongsu. He called her talented, beautiful, extraordinary.

“I’ll make you famous,” he told her. “If you don’t mind the price.”

She leaned against the bar she was manning, smirk pulling at the corner of her mouth as she looked up at this intriguing customer. “Name it.”

“Want a set of these?” he asked, flashing his fangs.

Seungwan shrugged. Vampires didn’t intimidate her. Living with two her whole life, she was used to the sights of fangs and the cravings and the psychotic craze that set in when one got too hungry. She had a bite mark in her skin from one of her dad's episodes. He didn’t mean it and she never blamed him.

So it was easy for Seungwan to say, “I’d love a pair.”

-/-/-/-

“Someone’s lively today.”

Seungwan looked up from the wet polish on her nails where she sat at the breakfast bar, sunlight burning through the large bay window that spread through the kitchen. Sooyoung offered a yawn, slippers slapping the hardwood as she crossed over to the coffee pot.

“Oh,” she gasped at the already filled pot. “Someone is really lively.”

Seungwan laughed. “You’re welcome.”

Grabbing a mug, she filled it up with roasted hazelnut and sipped it black. “What gives?”

“Can’t I spoil my favorite manager from time to time?”

“I’m your only manager.”

Seungwan playfully fluttered her lashes. “Which makes you my favorite.”

Sooyoung wasn’t her first manager but she was one of the best she ever had. And human. Despite the Immortal City being mainly home to vampires, humans still stuck around, claiming jobs where they could.

Some say the Immortal City was an experiment to see if coexisting was possible. When they first opened the Hollow for humans to come in, it was a disaster. The vampires felt attacked. The humans treated them like a spectacle as if they had just happened upon the most exquisite zoo. They put themselves in danger, making themselves bleed to see what rise they could draw out of the vampires and strong-armed their way into vampire-only establishments.

The authorities put an end to that behavior quickly, slapped down a new set of laws and made all humans wanting to enter get passes and sign waivers before they could make the move across city lines. Despite all the work the authorities did, they couldn't stop all of the crime, and the benevolence sought out to establish crumbled.

Sooyoung was one of the ones who came willingly.

”A job is a job and they were the ones hiring,” is what she told Seungwan when she asked once.

As months passed, Seungwan realized just how lonely she had been before Sooyoung arrived and proposed they live together.

”It’s cheaper,” was Seungwan’s reasoning and was surprised when she agreed.

Sooyoung organized the entire thing and got them a pair of joint penthouse apartments with a spare set of keys for each of them.

”A girl needs her space. Trust me, it'll work out much better for us.”

And it did.

Sooyoung sucked her teeth in mock annoyance. Elbows clinked on the counter as she leaned against the bar watching the polish brush swipe across another nail. “Did you get any sleep last night?”

“I don’t need it.” Seungwan shrugged and blew on her nails. Deep violet, nearly black. She turned her hand in the light so that the color shimmered in the perfect strike of rays.

“Immortals still need their beauty rest.” She prodded at Seungwan’s face, poking a finger into her cheek. “Don’t want those bags to come back.”

She swatted her hand away. “I ate enough to last me a few days off of rest.”

“I should’ve known.” Sooyoung gave a muffled scoff into her mug as she took a drink. “You had that wild look in your eye when I picked you up.”

Seungwan nearly knocked over the bottle of polish when her mind jumped back to the bleeder bar. To that little room. To the soft voice on the other side of the partition. To Irene. Her tongue darted out, swiping across her lips. She hadn’t been that on edge in a long time. It revealed just how poorly she’d been taking care of herself despite her manager’s efforts to make sure she did. Even so, she couldn’t deny she hadn’t tasted someone like Irene in years.

“There was a new Tap,” she said. Her insides were buzzing. “Platinum.”

Worry passed over Sooyoung’s face. “How much do I need to hide from Jeongsu this time?”

She couldn't look her in the eye when she admitted that, “I didn’t bill the company card.”

“Seungwan—”

“Don’t worry about it.”

Sooyoung pursed her lips and Seungwan turned away, busying herself with screwing the top back onto the polish. Finances were a sore subject. For both of them. She normally played it safe, booking a lower class Tap to keep the pain out of her pocket. Hunger overrode dollar signs.

“Whatever.” Sooyoung let out a sigh before throwing back the last of her coffee and taking a seat on one of the bar stools. Creamy, bar legs peeked out of the split in her robe. “We need to go over your schedule for today.”

“Can we wipe it?”

A cellphone lifted out of the pocket of Sooyoung’s robe and lit up in her fingers. Seungwan watched her click through apps to get to the planner. “Why?”

“I’m tired,” she whined.

“You just said you had the stamina of an energizer bunny.”

“I’m tired of working.”

Sooyoung snorted and pulled her reading glasses off her hairline to sit on her nose as she scrolled through itinerary notes. “If you’re tired now, I don’t know what to tell you about the next millennium.”

A jolt of something uneasy swam through Seungwan’s stomach. She seldom thought of her immortality. After seven years had gone by and she saw the same face staring back at her, she’d grow desensitized to the oddity of it and threw away the fact she would always look that way.

Some part of her, some fragment of her past human self, still clung onto the inevitable end point of death. A natural death, that is. Because though vampires did not decay, they could be killed in other ways. Most did not see past their fifth hundredth birthday and very rare saw an entire millennium. Just hearing it gave Seungwan a bout of anxiety. Because her current mind conjured up the horrors of a thousand years of stages and costumes and new managers and Jeongsu breathing down her neck.

“I shouldn’t have to keep doing this,” she said. “Not for that long.”

“Of course you won’t but at the way things are looking, you’re going to be bound to this life a lot longer than you want if you keep paying off top shelf bleeders with money you don’t have.”

Seungwan bristled. This argument was an old one but a common one. “I work for it. It is mine.”

“Unfortunately you signed more than half of that right away when you put a pen to paper.”

Seungwan clenched her jaw. Contracts. God, she hated contracts. She wasn’t old enough to understand the way they worked when she was younger. She wasn’t smart enough back then to read all the fine print or to make proper negotiations. Ten years, Jeongsu said. The contract said. But that wasn’t the only thing that bounded her to him. With fame came a debt and if that debt wasn’t paid back by the contracted time, then the contract remained in place until every penny was paid.

She should’ve had millions by now. She did bring in millions but only a drop went into her own pocket while the rest was distributed through other costs with very little added onto her ever-increasing debt. And it only continued to widen as the years added up and the climate of the economy worsened.

It was unjust. It wasn’t right. It wasn’t fair. Jeongsu was a brilliant man, ingenious. He could turn a poor boy off the streets into the next big thing overnight but he was dirty. Seungwan wished she saw it sooner but she didn't. And so she paid the price.

Seungwan folded her arms against the counter. She didn’t want to talk or think about that anymore. They argued about it too much and it was the same old thing. They were both stuck, Seungwan more than her manager, and it was their joint frustrations that fueled their angry words. They were not each other’s enemy. It was Jeongsu and his slick tongue and nothing good ever came out of bitching about it.

“What’s my schedule?” she asked, defeated.

Sooyoung offered her a soft, sad smile before listing off the tasks for the day. Aside from practice and run-throughs, there was a fitting for her next set of concert costumes and a radio interview followed by a taped one for a social media site. It wasn’t the most she ever had to do in a day, but days after a concert were harder to push through than usual. She just wanted to stay at home. But more so, she wanted to return back to Room 212.

“How long do I have to get ready?” she asked, shaking the thought off her mind.

“A couple hours. I’ll come back to check on you then.”

Seungwan nodded. She was suddenly exhausted thinking about what she had lined up. It wasn’t unusual but at this point, it was draining.

“Are you okay?” There was an edge of concern that Seungwan didn’t like.

“Okay? I’m great.” Curling her arms in the air, she flexed. “Energizer Bunny, remember?”

Sooyoung rolled her eyes and climbed off the stool. “Two hours, Wan. Two!”

“You got it!”

-/-/-/-

The taste of Irene’s blood never left her.

Seungwan had never been the obsessive type. She heard stories of vampires who couldn't control their cravings, of those who met someone that was just too good that they had to eat them whole, of those who kidnapped a human and locked them away so that they never had to share them with another being again.

They weren’t common but when they did happen the news blew up. The humans used it as a way to convince others that vampires were deadly predators to the core no matter how charming or humanlike they presented themselves to be. The vampires would combat it with the list of human serial killers who had an insatiable desire for lust or greed or control just the same. After a time, the news would dry up and life would resume as one knew.

But that was extreme and Seungwan couldn’t say that what she felt—the prickly feelings on the back of her tongue—could be measured the same as that. Irene was the first fresh Tap she had in months. It made sense why she had become so fixated.

And she wanted more.

She let them poke and prod and pick pieces of clothing through fittings and laughed at all of the radio host’s cheesy jokes while following a boring script. By the time they got to the small studio for her in-person interview, Seungwan was counting down the dreaded hours of what was left of her schedule with the plan to escape to the bleeder bar lingering in the back of her skull. She knew she shouldn’t. She really shouldn’t. But she wanted it. She almost needed it.

“Focus.” Fingers snapped in front of her eyes, drawing her attention back to Sooyoung. A makeup brush touched her cheek as a coordi finished up the last touches now that she was alert again. “The day is almost done. Hang in there.”

“Sorry,” she muttered.

Across the room, she saw the interviewer with her staff going over last minute details. The space was simple—two chairs against a black backdrop with Seungwan’s concert poster set up behind them. She hadn’t needed to do these sort of promotions since her seventh year in. She was popular enough now for everyone to know who she was and she sat comfortably with the other names that rose up in her time.

Trouble hit within her tenth year as newer models came onto the scene and she was cast to the sidelines while others dropped out of the limelight. Jeongsu’s solution was to market her like a newbie, change up her act, make her edgier to stay current. Bolden up her makeup, sharpen her fangs. It was all so tedious. So tiring. The glamour of it had waned substantially. It was no longer a loving passion but a grueling job.

“Smile,” Sooyoung whispered.

“Huh?”

“Smile and be nice.”

“I’m always—”

“Hi!”

Seungwan shifted her attention to the interviewer who had come over. A smile came to her automatically, voice switching up to sweet. “Hi. I’m sorry we’re taking so long.”

“No problem! We’re ready whenever you are.”

“It should only be a few more minutes,” Sooyoung offered before lifting her cell phone to her ear and walking away.

The interviewer nodded in understanding. She was a pretty girl. A vampire. Seungwan remembered her name to be Jihyo. She was the face of a social media channel with millions of views and interviewed noteworthy talent. It was different than how things were when Seungwan first started out but the mechanics were the same.

“I’m so happy you agreed to do this,” said Jihyo, her smile never wavering. “I’ve been a fan of you for years.”

“Then I know I’m in good hands.”

“Sorry to interrupt,” said Sooyoung, returning. There was a look in her eye that Seungwan knew only she could read.

“Oh! No worry. Come over whenever you’re ready.”

Seungwan offered her a smile before turning to Sooyoung who’s eyes were on Jihyo’s back. When she was out of earshot, she whispered, “Jeongsu is coming.”

“What?”

“That was him on the phone.”

Seungwan’s jaw flexed. “Why?”

“I don’t know.”

“We’re finished, Miss Son,” interrupted a makeup coordi.

“Thank you,” she said, flashing a smile to the girl. When she was gone, she hissed to Sooyoung, “Does he know about…?” The bleeder bar.

Worry flashed through Sooyoung’s eyes before they settled. “He couldn’t and that’s not your problem to worry about right now. Go. Shoo. Finish your interview.”

Making her way across the studio, she climbed onto the chair opposite of Jihyo. The girl was kind, bubbly, warm. She kept Seungwan engaged and attentive even through the usual boring questions. Seungwan almost forgot to be nervous until she saw him.

The laugh she was giving at something silly Jihyo said died in her throat as her eyes locked on Jeongsu standing behind the heads of studio staff. Beside him was Sooyoung, her lips tight.

“Miss Son?” Jihyo called out to her.

Seungwan whipped her head back around, a smile finding its place on her mouth again. Practiced and perfect. That’s what he taught her. He should be proud.

“Sorry, what was the question?” she giggled it off with a low watt self-deprecating comment.

Jihyo waved the slip off and picked back up, continuing the interview without another beat missed.

For the first time in a long time, Seungwan wished the interview wouldn't end.

-/-/-/-

Jeongsu wasn’t bad, not in the evil sense. He had his downfalls, his angry streaks, his dabbles into manipulation and secrecy. He was like any other showman you encountered. Nice smile, a slick tongue, and slippery as a fish.

When Seungwan first met him, she thought he was incredible. The way he could take a nobody and make them something romanced her. Her parents were never able to do much for themselves or her and she was determined to change that. Jeongsu took her in, told her he and the other talent were like a family and they had a spot fit right for her.

Seungwan knew it would be hard. She heard stories of fame. How it ate you up and spat out a less than alive version of yourself at the end. Seungwan was determined to be different. At least she used to be determined to be different. Now she was just determined to get out in one piece with a semblance of her dignity attached.

“Seungwan.” His voice was low but precise, carrying across the room uttered just above a whisper. That’s all he had to do. Seungwan heard him, clear as day.

She broke away from the last of the crew who praised her on the interview and wished her luck on projects to come. Sooyoung joined her as they walked over to where Jeongsu hovered near the crafty table now picked through and left to be tossed away.

“How did it go?” he asked as if he hadn’t been standing there for half of it.

Seungwan knew he hated people who gloated so she answered with a humble, “I’m a bit rusty.”

“But she did well,” Sooyoung added. “I think the interview will be to your liking.”

Jeongsu smiled at them both, crooked and long. It was neither pleased nor disappointed. It was just...empty. Same as his eyes that fell on Seungwan. “I have the car waiting out front for us. You’ll make sure everything is wrapped up here, Sooyoung?”

“Yes, sir.” She bowed out, chancing one more glance to Seungwan before she was out of sight.

“Shall we?”

Seungwan let him guide her away with a soft push to the shoulder. She wanted to shrug it off but she knew better and let it remain until they broke out of the studio. The cold hardly touched her and the heat she found in the back seat of the car that waited for them on the curb was uncomfortably suffocating. She took in deep breaths of the frigid air from outside before the door shut and the vacant side was taken up by the overwhelming fragrance of cologne.

The car started forward, easily joining primetime traffic. The streets were alive. Despite the fact sunlight couldn’t harm them, nightlife was much more frequent than the daytime crowds. A balance was in play in the Immortal City where half of the places were open until sunrise just before the others opened right after dawn. There was never something not to do or place to go. Seungwan wondered where they were going.

“Relax,” said Jeongsu. His voice was like lace and cigarette smoke. Anyone would call it charming. “You’re acting like I’m here to fire you.”

“You’re not?” she joked.

He chuckled. “I wouldn’t do that to you. Not like this.”

Seungwan looked over at him. The lights from outside streaked across his face. His features were long. Sharp in places and round in others. He always reminded her of a snake. Sometimes he moved like one but at that moment she believed him. She had no reason not to. Jeongsu had his faults but he went about things in shockingly professional ways when it mattered.

Something landed in her lap and she looked down to see his hand on her thigh. “I have a favor to ask.”

“A favor?”

“Mmm.” He gave her thigh a squeeze meant to be comforting, thumb stroking lightly. “A friend of mine is coming into town. He has a couple of acts and needs an opener. I told him we have nothing but the best but he needs a bit of a push.”

“From the outside?” The outside. Beyond the wall. Not the Immortal City.

Seungwan had never been to the outside though sometimes she had dreams like she had—hazy concoctions of a place open and clean and bright. A place where her mom and dad were school teachers with a pristine apartment instead of junkies who lived in a trailer playing gigs for change to buy what vials of blood they could and keep their human child fed. They were strange dreams. She loved her parents, and despite their situation, they got by and they loved her.

“Yes,” Jeongsu continued, “and like you know, those in the Immortal City aren’t allowed to perform outside of Hollows without granted permission. He can grant that.”

Seungwan’s interest was piqued. The regulations were always odd to her. Vampires couldn’t perform outside of Hollows but they could sell their music and broadcast outside of the walls. And because the restrictions were so hard to get through, most people from the outside couldn’t come to see them.

For some acts, they could tour to other hollows but it was difficult when many places didn’t allow vampires to fly into their main airports and a lot of Hollows didn’t have private ones. Security had to be just right, the papers had to be just right, the scheduling just right. And it was costly.

Seungwan was lucky to have been able to tour outside of the Immortal City a twice before. But unlike what she saw of human celebrities landing at airports with hundreds of fans there to greet them and hand them gifts, she was treated like a prisoner, escorted by high security, shoved into military-grade vans and carted right into the Hollow without as much as a chance to glance at the world beyond the walls.

“Would we be touring?” She kept the excitement out of her voice though her insides were bursting at the possibility. Opening for human acts meant they would see the outside. If there was more than one show, she could see more of the world than she had ever seen in all her existence. And, oh god, how she wanted that.

His eyes cut to her. “We?”

“Oh. I just thought—”

“No, no, no, you don’t think.” Jeongsu laughed, mockingly and harsh. “You don’t do that. You do what I’m asking you. Don’t get your hopes up.”

What excitement had blossomed inside of her evaporated. Jeongsu was good at building up dreams and then dashing them with less than flattering realities.

“What do you need from me?” she asked.

“You’re one of my best achievements,” he said. Seungwan couldn’t hold back her scoff. Jeongsu’s brow creased in offense. “Is there something funny? Do you think I take my work lightly? Do you think I invested so much time and money on something I thought would be a failure? Are you a failure?”

She responded quickly, “No.”

“No?” His eyebrow lifted, pads of his fingers painful where they shot up to grip her chin, forcing her to look him in the eye.

Seungwan swallowed. She took a breath, softening her voice. “No, sir.”

“You’re right. You’re not. And who’s to thank for that?”

“You are.”

“That’s right. And I wouldn’t lie to you, Seungwan.” His hand left her chin to stroke against her cheek. His touch sent a chill through her, shooting down her back and to her toes. She hated it. “I’ve never done that.” Not outwardly, she thought. He had ways of doing it. Omission was his best angle and Seungwan had fallen for it from the very beginning. “Have I?”

“No, never,” she answered obediently.

Teeth sparkled in a satisfied grin. Seungwan held her breath as he tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and relaxed once he retreated back to his side of the car, gaze drawn out of the window as if nothing had just happened. As if he hadn’t just snapped at her with fangs showing in his wide mouth. “He’ll be here in a few weeks,” he said almost bored. “You’ll convince him.”

“How?”

“You’re talented in so many ways I’m sure one of them will entice him.”

It took a moment before she realized the car had stopped. What she could see out the window was familiar enough for her to make out that she was a few blocks away from the penthouse. Her stomach churned in a mix of emotion. Relieved to leave his presence but fearful of what Jeongsu’s favor really entailed.

“I’ll do my best, sir.” She offered him a smile she knew would please him.

“I know.” A hand cupped the side of her face, thumb stroking along her cheek. From anyone else, it would be comforting and at one point when Seungwan was younger she thought it was. She wished it was. “You’re the only one who has ever made me proud.”

The chill of the night rushed in as the driver opened her door, signaling that it was time for her to go.

“Goodnight, sir.” She bowed from where she stood on the curb.

“Goodnight, starlight.”

-/-/-/-

Missed Call from Sooyoung (2)

Seungwan stared at the phone vibrating in her hand. Sooyoung’s name glared across the front. She should pick up. She should tell Sooyoung what Jeongsu said.

The lights of the bleeder bar shined down on her from above. They were so welcoming and inviting. She could see through the glass doors into the lobby, the velvet carpet stretched out like a runway, begging her to come down.

She should go home. She didn’t need to be here. She wasn’t hungry. No, but she was something else. Anxious, wound up, nervous. Blood was more than just a form of sustenance. In its freshest form, it had some of the same effects of a sedative or a glass of wine to the humans. It relaxed you, calmed you, settled down not only the churning pangs of hunger but the tightness in the bones and muscles and joints. It wasn’t unheard of for older vampires to have blood drips from time to time to make sure the corrosion of centuries didn’t crystallize them.

Seungwan’s gums tingled. She wasn’t hungry but she needed it. Jeongsu’s words left her on edge and talking to Sooyoung would only do so much.

Turning off her phone, she tucked it into her purse and ducked into the bleeder bar, heels loud as they clapped against the floor.

“Hi, welcome to—“

“I want to see Irene.”

Kibum looked up from his computer screen. When he saw it was her, his expression turned smug. “Back so soon?”

“Is she available?” she demanded. If she didn’t get this done now she would guilt trip herself into leaving.

“Let me check the books.” Fingers worked over a series of keys followed by a couple of mouse clicks. “Can you wait fifteen minutes?”

“Not a problem.”

“Cash or credit?”

Seungwan wavered, teeth biting into her lip. She was so set on getting to the bleeder bar that she hadn’t thought it completely through. She weighed her options. She had the cash but it was only just enough and she was holding onto it. If she ran the card then Sooyoung would know. But Sooyoung’s bark was worse than her bite and if there was anyone she could convince of her dire need to relax it was her favorite manager.

“Credit.”

“Card, please?”

She watched the card swipe and signed an S on the line before taking a seat. The wait seemed torturously long this time and when the hostess called for her, Seungwan jumped in her chair.

“Enjoy your evening.” The hostess left her alone.

Seungwan paced the room once before she sat down. If her heart could beat, it would be racing. She could hear her on the other side. The steady pat of her pulse, the gentle flow of her breathing, the creak of the legs of the chair as she shifted her weight. Seungwan wondered what she looked like. Was she tall? Short? Pale? Tan? Did she have haunting eyes or ones lovely and bright? Did she prefer to smile with her teeth or hide them behind tight lips?

“Hello.”

Seungwan couldn’t help but smile at the sound of her voice. Light and lyrical. So much different than her own especially when paired with Sooyoung’s when they’d get into one of their arguments. Irene was a simple break from her own chaotic world, and in this tiny room, she had the chance to believe that things were completely okay.

“Hello, again.”

There was a pause. “Oh. Hi.”

“Hi,” she repeated. “How are you tonight?”

“I’m good, thank you. And you?”

“I’ve been better.”

“Maybe I can help.”

The corner of Seungwan’s mouth pulled upward. They were such simple words but they made something in her sting. “Maybe.”

No response.

“I’m sorry if I was rude last time,” she went on, filling up the silence. A glance at the clock said she already used up six of the allotted forty-five minutes. She didn’t mind. She wasn’t in a rush. Just hearing Irene’s voice was already starting to set her at ease. “I wasn’t expecting someone like you.”

“Like me?” There was a genuine surprise in her tone.

“I—“ Seungwan hesitated, mouth bobbing for the right words. She stared at the slot in the table, her voice dropping soft as a whisper. “Has anyone ever told you how good you taste?”

She swore she could hear the blush in Irene’s voice when she responded with a soft, “No. Never.”

Pride swelled in Seungwan’s chest. She wasn’t sure why knowing she was the first made her feel that way. “This is your first time being a Tap, isn’t it?”

“Yes.”

“Do you like it?”

She heard Irene shift again. Her pulse quickened a fraction before it eased after a few long breaths. Interesting. Seungwan didn’t know many humans who could control themselves like that. She must be practiced in another way. She wondered what.

“I’m afraid we only have twenty minutes left,” she said, veering them from the question.

“I hadn’t noticed,” she lied. “If you’re ready.”

When the tube snaked through the slot, Seungwan realized how much she was craving this. Her gums stung as her fangs eased from their sheaths and her mouth watered in anticipation as she brought the end to her lips.

“I’ll be easier on you this time,” she promised.

“Thank you. Are you ready to begin?”

“Yes, please.”

A second passed and red began to flow.

Seungwan was sure of it this time. Irene was unlike anything she ever tasted and there was nothing that was going to stop her from coming back.

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

Joohyun removed the needle from her arm. Sitting back she took in steady drags of air, head tilted against the headrest and eyes closed. Blood loss wasn’t uncommon to her. She had suffered injuries in the past that had to be patched and stitched and one that required a transfusion. But that was different.  She pinched the bridge of her nose as a wave of dizziness hit her. She knew it would be like this but she didn’t think it would be so bad. Orientation briefed her just as much as she briefed herself before applying for the position but no briefing could fully prepare a person for this.  A knock tapped on the door.  “Cleaners,” a voice called right on schedule. After each bleed, a cleaner came in to make sure the room was sterile again to prevent infection or contamination. They were also in charge of bringing wheelchairs or stretchers if necessary. Joohyun didn’t think it was necessary. They knocked again.  “Just a minute,” she called back. Lifting her head up she let her lashes split open. There was a light bruise on the inside of her left arm. She was clumsy this time with the needle but her customer didn’t help. She was greedy and impatient though she did put in better care this time. Even so, the rapid loss had its consequences.  Another knock.  “Is everything okay in there?” It was a new voice. Joohyun recognized it to belong to one of the staff members.  Getting up, she dumped the needle into the slit of a disposable box and made her way to the door. Catching the handle, she used it to steady herself as a bout of fuzz struck across her vision blurring the two faces that stared down at her through the crack.  “Sorry,” she offered an apologetic smile. The cleaner ignored her and walked in.  The staff member’s brow furrowed. “Would you like me to escort you to the restoration room?” “No, I’m okay. Thank you.” He wavered before giving her a nod and turned the opposite way. Joohyun let her smile drop then, eyes trained on his back until he rounded a corner. She had just enough in her to get to the locker rooms where Taps were required to keep their belongings before reporting to their stalls.  Joohyun made it in and onto one of the long benches that ran the length of a set of lockers before dizziness got the best of her. She laid down, the cold of the aluminum making her shiver, and closed her eyes. She just needed a few minutes.  A vibration went off in the locker room, shuddering against metal along with a ringtone that belonged to her. She groaned. Not answering would make things worse. She didn’t want to make things worse. She didn’t want to be an inconvenience.  The ringing stopped then started again a few seconds later. Rolling off the bench, she reached up to her locker. The combination turned and the lock unlatched. She snatched out her phone and sank down onto the floor, device to her ear.  “Hello?” She could only breathe. Her tongue was heavy and her temples were pounding. She hated not feeling her best.  “Hello?” they called again.  Joohyun dropped her head back against the locker, eyes drawn up to the overhead lights above that were starting to feather around the edges. “I need a favor.” -/-/-/- “You should be more careful,” Yerim huffed. She dropped into the car, bringing the cold from outside. The smell of fresh bread and melted cheese chased her, swirling around the cab accompanied by the strong fragrance of coffee. “Here.”  Joohyun took the wrapped sandwich from Yerim’s hand. Peeling back the paper, she took a bite. Crab meat and cheese burst across her tongue and she took another bite before she could get the first one completely down. She hadn’t realized how hungry she was. “I got you a soda, too— Hey, slow down it’s not going to crawl away from you.” Taking the can, she popped it open and took a gulp to help what was in her mouth go down easier. She shouldn’t be eating or drinking any of this. When she applied to be a Tap, she was given a choice of what classification she wanted to be. The lowest was bronze with the highest being platinum. Joohyun took the highest. She had to.  The nutritional restrictions were strict but they were reasonable. With three cheat days allotted every month, Joohyun didn’t think it would be hard. And it wasn’t. She would have to log this extra cheat meal and do the necessary flushes to keep her from receiving a strike if she redlined at check-ins. They were only given three strikes. After the fourth, they were taken down a class. Joohyun didn’t want that.  “Thanks,” she muttered, sheepishly. She never allowed herself to look like this in front of anyone. Catching her reflection in the rearview mirror made her cringe. Her skin was pallid and her lips were chapped just enough to make her self-conscious. Using a hand, she tamed her windblown hair, spreading dark bangs over her forehead.  “Yeah, just don’t make a mess,” Yerim grumbled. Joohyun took the napkin hovering over the console in a pair of fingers and dabbed at her mouth. She was starting to feel like herself again. “You could’ve asked for help,” she went on. “Don’t they have nurses on standby?” “I knew you would be close.”  Yerim scoffed. “You’re lucky I was already headed to your place. I wanted a break from the station, not another fire to put out. I should’ve known getting partnered with you was going to double my workload. Where’s my vacation?” “Being here is your vacation,” Joohyun joked lightly. The Immortal City was as far away from a resort as a trip to Chernobyl. But people still visited it. She never understood the hype. They had vampires on the outside. Few, but they were there. Like Yerim.  “As if.” She snorted. Joohyun didn’t miss the way her usual annoyance fell a little flat this time. “More like a prison.” “At least you can relax.” The Immortal City might not be the best place but it was somewhere vampires could completely be themselves. Where they weren’t defanged and put under strict diet provisions and one strike laws just so they could live a ‘normal life’. It was all very barbaric to Joohyun. She couldn’t give up parts of herself to be accepted. But then again, vampire and human alike did that in some ways. Some forms were just more extreme than others.  Yerim didn’t respond to that. “How is it going?” she asked instead.  “Same as before.” Joohyun wrapped up what was left of her sandwich. She ate too fast. Nausea lingered just behind a stomachache. She may have needed the food but breaking the diet routine had its personal consequences other than being demoted.  “They’re asking for lead.” Bringing a paper cup to her lips, Yerim sipped coffee from the opening in the lid. It was a wasted luxury on vampires but it was one Yerim picked up having been surrounded by humans for so many years. It started off as just a way to blend in and stuck. “Heechul is doing what he can to keep them off our back but he’s pushing.” Joohyun knew that already. She got calls and texts and emails from him regularly. She knew the mountain she was up against when she accepted the case. It wasn’t her usual cold case assignment but it came with its own set of difficulties. It started as someone else's and was passed to her because she had a knack for solving the unsolvable. Her track record was one of the bests in her division, able to scale walls to find clues others couldn’t and connect avenues that seemingly led to nowhere. “I’ll send in my report at the end of the week,” she said. The nausea had worn off to a dull ache of fullness. She sipped at the soda. The carbonation helped.  “Tell me the truth. Is this worth it?” Joohyun looked up through the windshield into the night. It was buzzing with life, faces blurring as they made way down the street going every which way. Neon lights flashed above and screens played advertisements among a slew of billboards. Each one had a story, a mystery hidden in depths that were seemingly unreachable. But it could be reached.  Joohyun didn’t have a choice but to reach. “Yes.” -/-/-/- The Immortal City had no charm. It was like any other big city—a little dirty, crowded, and pride for its streets that linked its inhabitants into a loose sense of camaraderie when it mattered.  At one point, anyone could travel in and out with a pass. It was a better place back then. At least that’s what the older ones like Joohyun’s grandfather used to say. They tried to make something of that place but it went to the dogs.  Joohyun didn’t really care much about the stories her grandfather told—fortunately for her mother who disapproved of him filling her head with tales of fanged ghouls in the night. She never thought she would have a reason to walk through its gates. She learned enough through books and searches and news stories and training. It was just another city. And despite how much the humans tried to make the vampires out to be the real monsters, they weren’t so far off themselves.  When she joined the police force seven years ago, her jurisdiction was humans. The normal, safer route as the boys would say. Dealing with vampires was a tough job, man’s work. Considering the physical differences in their kind, it made sense. Vampires were stronger and faster than the average human but they weren’t invincible. Having a human girl on the vampire division was rare and dangerous for many reasons. Being one of their best detectives, they made an exception for her.  Missing human cases was her niche. Joohyun cracked most of them. They were often a teenager who ran away from home and took up residence in the Immortal City, a woman or two plucked from a bar to become a personal bleeder bag for some elite, pompous vampire with enough money to keep them quiet, a news reporter who got too cocky and ended up becoming a news story himself. Those were the typical sorts. Easy enough. But then there was the Snatching Crisis coined after a particular time decades ago when babies would disappear from hospitals, strollers, and homes. Vampire biology kept the women from having children so their solution to the problem was to steal a human child to raise as their own. Many went into boxes as unsolved. Joohyun didn’t like that.  “You do understand the risks of going into that place?”  Joohyun remembered looking up across the large, mahogany desk to Heechul on the other side. He was a good lieutenant. He looked out for them, fought for her. He fought with the Chief to allow her to take on the cold ones and grant her permission to live inside the wall. She was good on the outside but it would be better for her to venture in. “I understand.” He didn’t ask her if she was sure. Joohyun was bright and certain and he knew that. “We’ll brief you on everything starting next week,” he said. “You’ll go through four weeks of intense vampire division training. I need you as prepared as you can be for what’s in there.” “Yes, sir.” He sighed. “Don’t get yourself killed, detective. We need you.” Joohyun smiled softly, her heart aching at the memory of the boxes of cases she’d already looked through. So many missing ones. So many broken families. “So do they.” -/-/-/- Joohyun got to the bleeder bar at ten, slipping into the gate that wrapped around the back half of the building where Taps and staff parked their cars. A red light shined above the door marking the entrance separate from the one at the front of the building. Taps weren’t allowed to come in that way. Their anonymity was important, something Joohyun was surprised at how strict they were on that detail.  Just inside was a check-in counter manned by a bored looking teenager behind the first window. “ID,” he said through the intercom in the glass. She handed over her badge and waited for him to swipe it through a scanner. The machine beeped with a green light and he returned her card. “Next window.” She shifted down to a smiling woman dressed in pale, pink scrubs and a pair of blue latex gloves. “Finger, please.” Joohyun slid her hand palm up into the small slot at the base of the window. Using a device, she took her index finger and pricked the tip. Joohyun eased her hand back after the bead of blood was wiped away with an antiseptic cotton ball and watched as the girl waited for the numbers to come up on the device. There was a scale: -80 to 0. The closer to zero, the worse. For her class, she couldn’t breech negative sixty or it would be considered redlining.  “Numbers are a little high this time but you’re good,” said the girl with a smile. “Did you submit your diet log online?” “I did last night.” “Great! You’re free to go in. Make sure to leave all personal belongings in your locker.” Joohyun walked up to the barred door and waited for the buzz that sounded that the locks were unlatched. Slipping through, she heading down the south hall that led to the locker room. There were two other Taps there. A boy and a girl chatting loudly as they stored their things away. The boy threw a glance to Joohyun before turning back to the girl not missing a beat in their conversation. She tried not to listen, but she caught bits of their conversation. Something about a get-together at a restaurant nearby with some friends.  Must be nice, Joohyun thought to herself. Spinning the combination, she popped her locker open and filled it with her things. The only person she spent free time with was Yerim. Sometimes they’d catch a flick at the cinema that played outdated movies, months late to what was on the outside. Other days, Yerim would accompany her to one of the few restaurants for humans.  Her life on the outside hadn’t been much different. Heechul liked to go out for a beer or two and the other officers sometimes threw potlucks or stuffed into noraebang booths with drinks and snacks and Yerim would snap embarrassing photos and videos on her phone. But those were few and far between and Joohyun kept to herself. Since coming to the Immortal City she realized just how quiet her life really was.  The clock on the wall struck eleven. That was her time to hit the floor.  Joohyun took to the hallway, traveling back up the way she came and headed down the north hall. Things were less glamorous on this side. The walls were grayish white and fluorescent lights glared above, bulbs buzzing in a few. Silver doors lined the walls with cold metal latch knobs. Joohyun found her usual—212. A monitor trailing the hall outside the door stopped her. She showed him her ID and he nodded, giving her the go-ahead to proceed.  The inside was sterile and white but the red bulbs turned everything the color of blood. A single, aluminum chair sat before a counter in front of a plane of glass. There was a lock on the counter cabinets that stored the disposal bins with a slot on the top for needles and tubes to be fed into once they were used.  On the countertop were two packages. One containing the needle and the other the clear, plastic drip tube. Joohyun sat down and ripped open the drip first, her hands knowledgeable of the process now. There was an odd sort of pleasure in tearing the plastic apart. She had done dangerous things in the past. It came with the job. But this was different. “Hello?” Joohyun faltered, fingers ripping the packaging of the needle roughly. The surgical steel almost fell out. She caught it before it could. She hadn’t expected someone to already be in her stall. Usually, they took a few minutes, allowed her to get settled in. “Hello?” they said again.  Joohyun recognized the voice instantly. It was bright and clear, twinged with the hint of a nervous smile that made it soft around the edges. “Hello, again.” “I think you might’ve gotten yourself a new regular.” Joohyun smiled. This girl wasn’t the only one who had come to fancy her. There were a few others. Others that Joohyun didn’t much care to remember quite so distinctly. “My first.” She heard a faint inhale of breath, a gesture she learned from Yerim that was hard to break. Vampires didn’t need to breathe but younger ones did regularly. Joohyun figured the girl couldn’t be much more than thirty vampires years—maybe even less—on top of the ones she spent as mortal. Suddenly Joohyun was intrigued more than she had already been. She wondered what her story was.  “Tell me if you don’t want to see me again,” said the girl. It was shy and insecure. Joohyun learned that out of the eyes of others, one’s true self bled through the guise they put on for the public. This girl probably didn’t have much control in her day-to-day life. Probably didn't have someone who served as a solid rock for her unstable foundation.  “I don’t mind,” Joohyun assured and she meant it.  “I haven’t...are you okay?” Concern tainted her bright tone. Joohyun imagined a crease in her brow. “I’m not being too rough am I?” “No,” Joohyun answered. Her hand subconsciously went to the bruise hidden beneath the sleeve of her shirt at the crook of her arm. That had been more her fault than the customer. So was her dizziness. She had rushed to the bleeder bar from the mid-city station on a stomach she hadn’t replenished since lunch.  “I don’t believe you.” Joohyun smiled despite herself. This girl was caring. Not all vampires were. They learned to form calluses around themselves—a tactic of survival. If she was young she must’ve spent a long time as a human. It would explain a few things. “Sometimes you can’t help your hunger.” “I’ll be better.” “Thank you.” She pressed harder. “I mean it.” “I believe you.” Joohyun wasn’t sure why she did but she did.  Joohyun heard the chair on the other side creak. She must’ve sat back, tension rolling away, unwinding her shoulders. Was she nervous? This wasn’t her first time. Joohyun had her twice before and she was certain she had been in the past. She knew exactly what to do, what to say, the proper way to sign off on tips. She must be hungry. “Are you ready?” she asked. “How was your day?” Joohyun wasn’t surprised by the question. Others asked the same thing but it was usually just a formality, a means to settle the tension and make the encounter not feel so demanding and stiff. But no one asked that genuine. Joohyun could hear it, hesitant but honest. There were rules both parties had to follow, stricter for Taps, but the customers also had boundaries. Personal inquiries were forbidden but pleasantries were okay.  “I had a good day today.” “Have you eaten?” “Yes, I ate.” She laughed softly, muffling it behind her hand. What a weird question. She was going to stop there but decided to name what she had along with the side dishes that Yerim helped her prepare even though she wouldn’t eat them with her. “I miss cooking,” said the girl. She sounded wistful.  Joohyun was struck with interest at that admission. At the way she said it. Vampires, even ones like Yerim, didn’t dwell much on their previous lives. Some were heartbroken about losing it, some cursed it, some had tossed it aside in joy and never wanted to be burdened with those vulnerable, fleshly lives again. Most, those who harbored longing, talked about not being able to bear children or annoyance with being stuck in hollows or other large scale issues that articles and news stories were written about. Something as mundane as cooking sounded silly.  “My parents couldn’t do it so I learned how to on my own,” said the girl. Joohyun stilled, listening intently. “I would make so much sometimes that it would go to waste. I’ve never had to cook for anyone other than myself. I try to do it for my manage—” she cut herself off, catching whatever it was she was going to say. Personal information from customers wasn’t against the rules the way it was for Taps but it was obvious that was a bit of information the girl didn’t want to share. “I’m sorry for rambling.” Her bashfulness was back.  “I don’t mind.” Whatever spell the customer had come under that made her spill out her words was gone. The subject changed abruptly. “Are you new to the Immortal City?” “Not exactly.” “How old are you?” Joohyun frowned. It wasn’t that risky of a detail but, “I’m sorry, I can’t tell you.” “I know.” She sighed. Was it frustration? Joohyun couldn’t tell. And if she knew, why would she ask in the first place? Joohyun looked at the clock. “We only have fifteen minutes left.” She regretted saying anything because the girl’s tone changed. The edges evened out sharp and the vulnerability evaporated. It was back to business when she said, “Okay. I’m ready.” Stringing the drip through, Joohyun held the needle against the inside of her arm. “Thank you for requesting me again tonight.” “Thank you for having me,” she replied.  Counting to three, Joohyun slid it into the vein with a wince. -/-/-/- The markets were poor imitations to the ones on the outside. They had the bare essentials and a limited variety. Joohyun picked out fruits and vegetables with care, checking them twice before filing up a bag and placing them in a basket. Shelves over, Yerim collected a few other items off Joohyun’s list. “This place is bleak,” said Yerim, dropping what she collected into the cart.  “You get used to it.” Yerim snorted and pulled out her phone, thumbs working on the screen. It was Heechul’s idea to pair them together. If she was going to spend the majority of her time surrounded by vampires, it was good to have a vampire friend you could trust. Three years had gone by since Joohyun took up residence in the walls, splitting her time between the Immortal City and her small apartment in the city on the outside. Checking out at the counter, Joohyun grabbed the bags. “Do you want one?” Yerim was looking at a display of little, plush toys smushed into a tower bin. They were the type of thing Yerim liked though she pretended she didn’t. She was a grown up in vampire years though she stopped aging at eighteen and still held the round, softness in her cheeks. In her new skin, some of her childlike cravings lingered, occasionally coming out in bursts of tiny tantrums and stubbornness and miscalculated judgments. Fragments of a person's mentality stuck from the age they were at the point of change only dulling but never fully going away.  “No,” said Yerim, pulling away from the display. Joohyun didn’t miss the ghost of a frown on her lips. “Let’s go.”  Getting back to the apartment, Joohyun placed the groceries away while Yerim clicked through channels on the small TV in the living room. Since she was a vampire, they weren’t allowed to live in the same building. Yerim’s place was on the other side of the city though she spent most of her time at Joohyun’s when she wasn’t at the mid-city station. It was smaller than the one on the outside. She missed seeing Heechul as much as she used to.  “I added my most recent findings if you want to take a look and compare,” said Joohyun from the kitchen.  The couch creaked as Yerim got up, walking for the far wall splayed in documents and clippings and notes and post-its. Red strings, yellow strings, blue strings, and green strings ran from one pushpin to the other connecting one dot to another. Some made sense others didn’t. Some led to something and others didn’t.  Grabbing the smoothie she made for lunch, Joohyun joined her at the wall. Sunlight seeped through a curtain making the papers glow like liquid gold flames. One beam created a halo around the face of a boy in a picture tacked on the edges of the display. He was Joohyun’s current assignment. Age two with a precious smile. He was last seen with his parents at the park three weeks ago.  “Do you think this is it?” Joohyun followed Yerim’s eye line to a spot on the map with a building circled in red marker. The Red Labyrinth. It was a high-class bleeder bar just off the central mark of the Immortal City. It was in the perfect location, surrounded by high traffic areas but just beyond the point where most people didn’t look twice. It held a strong guise, doubling as an actual hotel though the prices to stay were steep—a ploy to keep most from staying over. There was also a restaurant attached, the smells of food working easily to cover the stench of humans and hot blood.  “It has a good front,” said Joohyun. “I think it’s an exchange point.” Yerim lifted her eyebrows. An exchange point was used for many things. Drugs, guns, blood. Joohyun saw some of those dealings happen in her weeks of being a Tap there but that wasn’t what she was after.  “You think they’re smuggling kids, too?” asked Yerim turning over her shoulder. She sounded doubtful. That was a risky business especially in a place that was already under scrutiny for its services. “How do you know?” Joohyun sipped on her smoothie. Once or twice, she heard someone crying. A voice too high pitched and choppy to belong to a full grown adult. “A hunch.” “A hunch?” Yerim groaned. “The Chief isn’t going to like that.” “He’ll like it when I’m right.” Yerim ran a hand over her face and combed it back through her ash-blonde hair. The color was against regulations but she was a stubborn, rebellious teenager at heart. “What did Heechul say?” “I haven’t told him.” Because he would sigh at her the same way Yerim did. “I think the exchange will happen in a few weeks. A child this age, it usually takes a month to break.” Joohyun learned a few things in her time researching the Snatching Crisis. Babies up to the age of three were the most common but even as old as age five had been reported. Any older than that was extremely rare. The reason was that a child’s memory was easier to mold. Babies would grow up none the wiser and toddlers could be convinced after some time that the vampires who took them were their real guardians.  A month or two and the kid would stop being confused and the infiltrator parents didn’t have to worry about the little one saying the wrong thing in public. They’d call them mom and dad like any other kid and people would congratulate the pair on their adoption grant finally being approved.  “Should I get a team together?”  Joohyun shook her head. “Not yet. I’ll let you know.” Something touched her forearm and she looked down to see Yerim’s fingers wrapped around her arm, turning it over so the soft, leathery skin at the crook was exposed. The bruising looked far worse than what it was.  “You’re going to quit once this is solved, right?” Joohyun nodded. “I told you it was just for the case.” “You could’ve become an employee instead.” Yerim sucked her teeth and let her arm go. “But the easy way wouldn’t be you I guess.” Joohyun smiled. Yerim knew her well. “What were you watching?” she asked, breaking away from work discussion.  “Nothing yet. Want to see what’s on Netflix?” “Yeah.” -/-/-/- As a Tap, they were allowed to make their own schedules. It was encouraged. A person could only handle so much blood loss at a time with a maximum of three bleeds per week. They had the option of splitting it up over days or getting them all done in one night.  Joohyun took the three days. She didn’t care about the money (she was putting it all into savings anyway) but it was good money, though not enough to solely live off of, one could try. The Red Labyrinth was an upscale bleeder bar which meant it was particular about its applicants and even stricter about who they allowed to be platinum class. They were the ones that brought in the best money. Their blood was the most precious and they kept track of the distributions.  So when Joohyun sat down and heard, “Do you mind if we just talk today?” She stopped fumbling with the needle packaging and looked up to the ring of the intercom in the glass with her lip between her teeth.  She didn’t mind but she knew the bleeder bar might. If blood wasn’t taken, eight percent of the payment was refunded back to the customer. It didn’t happen often, but there were times when a customer wasn’t satisfied or a Tap was late getting to their stall or some other mishap. And the customer was always right so each complaint was a loss of money guaranteed.  “In order for us to—“ “The money will stay,” she said before Joohyun could finish. “So will the tip. If that’s okay.” Joohyun hesitated. She didn’t know how the management would take that. She didn’t know how she should take that. But it was still money and she was still technically doing her job and her arms were still a little tender. “That’s okay,” she said.  She could hear the girl give a sigh of relief. Strange. There were better places for this. Bartenders had no trouble lending an ear to a customer. It was less expensive, less restrictive. Easier to access. Joohyun wouldn’t question it.  “What would you like to talk about?” Seconds passed of silence. “Do you ever feel trapped?” Joohyun blinked, taken aback by the question. Usually, she would give a plain answer, something that would suffice the customer because they didn’t really care about her as a person anyway. Just her blood. Some liked to flirt with her and she would play along, giving them their fix while they sipped from her veins. There was something different about this girl and Joohyun found herself thinking about the question to give a proper answer. Had she ever felt trapped? Joohyun wasn’t the type of person to allow it. When something tried to lock her in, she left it. Her family wanted her to do something different. A doctor, an accountant, a scholar. She felt trapped under their ideas of what they wanted her to be so Joohyun pushed through and became an officer. They tried to limit her to a desk and easy field work. She made it so they couldn't hold her confined to a box. “Yes,” she answered honestly. It was vulnerable to admit but to a stranger on the opposite sides of a plane of dark glass, she could admit it without judgment.  “Do you feel trapped here?” Too personal. She deflected easily. “I found an opportunity here.”  “I thought I did, too.” Joohyun tilted her head, brow creasing as she turned over that response. As a vampire, the girl didn’t have a choice to be in the Immortal City. Then again, she could afford to book her regularly with a large tip attached so she could probably purchase a pass to get out.  “You could leave.” “No, I can’t.” “You can’t?” “I...I couldn’t.” Joohyun didn’t blame her. A life for a vampire outside the walls wasn’t as glamorous as the ads said. Yerim told her what it was like. How she was forced to have her fangs taken from her mouth and replaced with false, human canines. They were put on Suppressors, a medication that broke down the venomous enzyme in their saliva with a list of side effects like frequent headaches or dry mouth. It slowed down their regenerative time making them more susceptible to injuries and deaths caused by things that most vampires could walk away and live from.  That was only some of the things they had to deal with. Add on the prejudice and it was almost better to stay in a hollow.  “What is it like on the outside?”  Joohyun dropped her elbow on the counter and cradled her fist in her palm. What was it like? Since she took up residence in the Immortal City, she seldom made her way back. A majority of her work required her to be within the walls so her trips were few and far between. What she did remember from it— “It reminds me of here except more people.” “More humans,” the girl clarified. Joohyun smiled at that. “More humans. There aren’t any walls. The streets go for miles and the buildings are high. Even taller than the central tower that’s here.” “Are there beaches?” The question struck her odd at first but then Joohyun remembered where they were. The outside world was cut off from those inside. A simple thing like a beach was probably only heard of in books or seen on TV shows and movies. Any sort of open land was a fanciful dreamscape—something her kind took advantage of being able to see and access any part of the world they liked.  “Yes,” said Joohyun. “Beaches, lakes, ponds. And there are stretches of land, open fields where there are no buildings. Only nature. Trees and flowers and crops. Some people have farms.” “Which do you like better?” “I like the fields.”  “I think I would, too,” she whispered. For a moment Joohyun wished she could just show her. “I’ll have to cut this short tonight,” she said abruptly.  “Oh. Okay.” Joohyun sat back. Her elbows were sore from where she’d rested them on the counter. There was a dull ache in her neck and she rubbed at the back of it. She hadn’t realized how tense she’d been through the session.  “Thank you for talking to me,” said the girl. “Thank you for having me.” She heard the door on the other side close and looked at the clock, surprised that so much time had actually gone by. Usually, thirty minutes felt like an eternity. Tonight it flashed by. For some reason, not even the fifteen minutes that remains would’ve felt like enough tonight.  -/-/-/- She was running later than usual.  Rushing into the stall she sat down. “Hello.” “Hey,” a man’s voice answered back. Joohyun deflated. She was expecting someone else. A smiling voice, muffled, awkward laughs, and kind words. She wouldn’t get that tonight and she worked at plastic, preparing herself to bleed.  “The boy up front said you’d blow my mind.”  Joohyun bit back her disgust. She wondered where her new regular was. Did something come up? Was it costing too much? Did she get bored? Joohyun cast the thoughts away. It didn’t matter. She was here to find missing children, not overthink strangers she would never truly know or see.  “I hope I can,” she said.  The man chuckled and Joohyun slid the drip through. Needle in place, she sat back and let her blood flow. His moans carried over the intercom and her stomach churned. It was disgusting to hear. Not like the sweet girl who stopped in embarrassment, apologizing for her behavior. Being told she was a delicacy from those lips was different than the uncharming praises she was given from this man. “Damn, I’ll have to save for a month to get you again.” “Thank you for having me,” she said as practiced.  The drip found way back to her side and she discarded everything. She felt dirty for some reason. Leaving the room, she grabbed her things from the locker room and started out when she stopped. At the end of the hallway was a nurse. Standing with her was a man in a navy jumpsuit who looked like a custodial staff member. Joohyun took in his face. He was no one she had seen on this shift before. His actions were suspended as the nurse fussed quietly at him, one hand on the knob of a door while his other clutched a ring of keys, a brass one sticking out between his fingers.  Hiding back around the corner, Joohyun searched through her clutch. There wasn’t much. She only carried a couple of things with her. Keys, credit card, ID, a nail kit, a few mints in plastic wrappers and a protein bar that Yerim insisted that she have on her.  Taking out a metal nail file from the kit, she held it to the inside of her forearm and cut into her skin. Blood flowed, bright, fiery garnet over alabaster. Drops hit the tiled floor, bursting where they struck. Slapping her hand over the cut, she started back out the door. The two were still at the end of the hallway. “Excuse me?” Heads swiveled her direction. The nurse looked surprised as if she didn't think anyone was there while the janitor looked annoyed. The key was in the door, the muscles in his wrist taut ready to turn. His entire body seemed to stiffen when he saw her.  “Yes, what is it?” asked the nurse. “There was an accident,” she said. “Blood on the floor.” The nurse started for her. When she saw the janitor wasn’t following, she glanced back, hissing something that made him tail behind her. The nurse’s eyes widened when she was close enough to see the blood seeping between Joohyun’s fingers clutched around her arm. “What happened?” “I think I did the needle wrong,” she said. The nurse reached for her but Joohyun pulled back. “I can take care of it but the floor...” “Can you get a mop, please?” the nurse said to the janitor. He eyed her and looked up to Joohyun, expression bewildered. “Now,” she pressed and he finally dislodged himself from her side. “Are you sure you don’t want me to look at that?” Joohyun nodded. “I just need to clean off.” “Come with me,” she instructed. Joohyun followed her down the hall to one of the first aid closets. Inside were shelves of supplies and a large, metal sink sticking out from the wall. She motioned Joohyun toward it. “Wash off. I’ll get you a bandage.” Turning on the sink, Joohyun placed her arm beneath the stream. Goosebumps ran over her skin as cold water came first and gradually warmed almost burning. She thumbed at the cut, wiping away blood and watched it swirl in scarlet strings down the drain.  “Here’s a—” A crash cut her off followed by the muffled curse of a man. Lips pulled tight. “I’ll be right back,” she told Joohyun and walked off. Once the pad of footsteps turned nearly silent, she went to work. Taking a roll of bandages, Joohyun wrapped it around her arm where the cut and the bruising shined against her ivory skin. She tossed the roll aside and made for the door, peeking around the edge. A custodial closet was open, supplies spilling out into the hallway that the janitor was furiously trying to kick back inside. “That can wait!” The nurse emerged from the locker room, a mop clutched in her hand that dripped water onto the floor. “Help me in here.” “I don’t have time for this.” “Then stop wasting more.” Grumbling, he snatched the mop away and they both disappeared into the locker room, their voices distorted but clear enough for Joohyun to know they were arguing.  Darting out of the closet, Joohyun rushed toward the door the two were hovering in front of before. She knew the blueprints of the blood bank. She had gone over them multiple times, searching for a place that could serve as a holding area, any access point to the outside, any false doors or entryways. When she got to the door, she let out a breath. She was right. There was no other custodial closet in this hall other than the one that was now a mess. On the door in front of her was a label: STORAGE ROOM Joohyun’s brow pulled in. There shouldn't be a storage room here. From what she remembered, it should’ve been a— “Meet you for a smoke in five minutes,” said the nurse. Half of her body was out of the locker room, head still hidden away. Joohyun bolted from the storage room door. “Five!” She tore away from the locker room, the distress in her face morphing into a smile when she saw Joohyun walking out of the first aid supply closet. “Sorry about that.” “It’s okay.” She showed her bandaged arm. The nurse looked surprised but relieved. “I’m sorry for the mess.” “Yes, well, be more careful next time.” “I will. Thank you.” With a bow, she darted around the nurse and headed for the exit, pushing out of the heavy metal doors.  The cold air of the night filled her lungs and she took in the gasps of air she held back from running down the hall. Taking out her phone, she opened up her camera and followed along the side of the building. There was a designated smoke area under an awning back near the dumpsters. The air there was sour. When the back door opened, Joohyun crouched behind a catering van just as the nurse and janitor stepped out into the night. The janitor, red-faced and pants damp around the ankles. The nurse let out a loud, heave of air. Orange flickered across her face as she lit up a cigarette and brought it to her lips. “And you wonder why no one wants to marry you,” said the janitor. The nurse cut him a glare and blew a stream of smoke into his face causing him to choke in coughs. “I told you not tonight.” “I don’t take orders from you.” “You need to start listening,” she snipped back. “If you mess this up, it goes south for all of us.” “Hound said—” “Hound isn’t in charge.” The janitor’s jaw flexed at the same time a motorcycle engine roared to life. Joohyun saw both of them jump and her own pulse fluttered in her chest. White light glared from the parking lot, cutting around the corner so it illuminated the pair. Joohyun used the moment to snap a series of pictures on her phone.  “We’ll be in contact,” said the janitor now bathed back in darkness, the hum of the motorcycle fading into the distant night.  Putting out her cigarette, the nurse slipped back inside and Joohyun watched as the janitor walked away. She followed him, darting from behind the van to hide behind a black car. She could see him walk out of the entry gate. A few minutes later, a cab pulled up and he got in.  Joohyun dropped to the ground, spinning around so her back pressed against the car. Her pulse was racing and her head was starting to hurt, her vision blurring around the edges. Warding it away, she selected the recent photos and sent them to Yerim.  -/-/-/- “You were right to be suspicious,” said Yerim.  They were at a tiny coffee shop a walk away from Joohyun’s apartment. The dark wood paneled walls held them in like a cave, trapped under the dim light of naked Edison bulbs that hung above the booths. Joohyun shifted forward on the faux-leather seat. They were forest green and sank low so she could never properly sit up at the table.  “The nurse is on staff there,” Yerim continued. “She’s worked at a few other bars including bleeder ones before but the janitor doesn’t work there. His name is Shin Donghee. He’s a truck driver specifically a goods driver.” Joohyun reached passed a tall mug, billowing seam of Earl Grey, to slid the files toward her. Donghee’s picture stared up at her from a photo clipped to the front of the papers, his pudgy, round face looking gruff and bored. Joohyun flipped past it to read his information. If he was a goods driver, that meant he had access to the outside beyond the wall. Depending on the field, they were in charge of transporting blood, food, and supplies between the hollows and the outside. “Was a truck driver,” said Joohyun. “What?” Yerim leaned forward, head cocked to read what Joohyun was pointing at.  “He was let go a couple months ago.” From the looks of it, he didn’t hold any job very long. “Frequent issues with the books, supplies missing, late to checkpoints.” Yerim dropped back into her chair. She was nursing her own mug of harsh, black coffee. Joohyun could tell she had hardly touched it. She snapped her fingers. “That’s our guy.” “Maybe.” Joohyun picked up the file again, sitting back in the booth. A thumbnail found place between her teeth. She chewed on it while she read, brow creasing the more she read. There wasn’t much else and it was frustrating her.  “Can I put a team together now?” Yerim asked, impatiently.  “Not yet.” “But we’re close, aren’t we?” Hope sparked in her eyes. Yerim loved a good mystery. She loved the heroic nature of it. Of finding the bad guy and locking him behind bars. She loved the high of serving justice, the rush that came from closing in on a suspect, gun in hand and demanding that they surrender.  Before they came to the Immortal City, things were different. Vampires weren’t always trusted outside and Joohyun saw Yerim go from dreading the office to walking in first thing when they were assigned cases together.  “We’re getting there,” said Joohyun.  Yerim groaned, the newly ignited fire dimming. Picking up her mug, she brought it to her lips and sipped. “You’re so cryptic. That’s why the Chief has a hard time trusting you.” “I don’t need him to trust me.” She tried to keep her annoyance from showing but it slipped. Yerim cocked an eyebrow but didn’t say anything about it.  The Chief was never quite satisfied with her despite the work she did. Despite her good track record. Heechul told her not to worry about it, that the chief didn’t particularly like anyone especially those who thought they were above the law. Joohyun didn’t think she was above anything but she did believe they weren’t above helping those who desperately needed their aid. Something she had to fight for when she proposed diving into the cold cases and being proactive about the missing children that were seemingly brushed aside as commonplace and thus made them less of a priority.  So the Chief didn’t have to trust her. Joohyun didn’t particularly trust him. The families who she was doing it for trusted her and that’s what was important.  “What are you thinking?” asked Yerim.  Joohyun made a reach for her mug but didn’t pick it up. Her finger drummed against the side as she spoke. “Donghee is one of the players but he’s not the main one. I heard him talking to the nurse. He mentioned someone called Hound. He might not be in charge but I have a feeling he’s higher up.” “Maybe he’s the dispatcher? Maybe Hound tells the others like Donghee where to go.” Joohyun tapped a finger against her lips. “Do we have floorplans for the Red Labyrinth?” “I gave them to you.” She shook her head causing her bangs to play against her forehead. She turned, catching her reflection in the window beside them. They were getting long and her eyes were looking tired, the circles under her them seemingly darker. She looked a little sick. Maybe the bleeder bar was affecting her more than she thought. “Older ones,” she said turning her attention back to Yerim. “Ten or twenty years ago? Maybe more.” “I don’t remember if I came across any that old but I can look again.” “It was probably called something else back then.” “The noggin’s way ahead of you, Bae.” Yerim tapped a finger against her temple. “I need to go to the station. I’ll see what I can find when I get there.” She got up, stretching her arms up over her head. Joohyun guessed even vampires got stiff. “Don’t forget to call Heechul. He wants an update.”  “Thanks.” She stacked the files and tucked them back into their folder. When she looked up, she caught Yerim watching her. There was an odd twinged in her expression. “What?” “Be careful,” she said, deliberately. “Okay?” Joohyun nodded eyes searching the large, brown ones that were doing their best to look into her. Like they were searching through the ocean but couldn’t quite get deep enough. “Always.” Yerim offered a smile and waved as she walked off, her black coffee left to the cold.  -/-/-/- There was tiredness in her bones when Joohyun checked into the Red Labyrinth. She had been working with Yerim down at the station, searching through files and connections and evidence again. Most of the time she was energized about a case, spurred on by the challenge it brought. Lately, she was feeling more drained than usual. She wondered if it had anything to do with taking on too many days having her— “Hi.” Joohyun stared at the intercom from across the room. She had barely closed the door to the stall when she heard the voice. Whatever exhaustion she was feeling seemed to evaporate once she sank down into the chair. “Hello.” She reached for the drip package out of habit but didn’t make a move to open it. When she heard that familiar voice she had a feeling that draining her veins was of least priority. Joohyun didn’t mind. If she didn’t waste this night, she could add on another which gave her more days to investigate on the inside.  “I used to be where you’re sitting.” Joohyun played with the plastic wrap, crinkling it in her fingers just to keep them busy. She found she was always a little fidgety when she met with this customer. “You were?” The girl sounded mildly condescending. “I wasn’t always a vampire.” Of course not. Vampires were made not birthed. The minimum age a human could be turned was eighteen with a cap being forty-six though there were documented vampires older than that. Not many. If the person was too old, the higher the risk of passing during the transformation. Yerim described the change to her once, her words more ghastly than what she ever read in books. Joohyun never wanted to feel that sort of pain. “Did you choose to be?” asked Joohyun. “Yes.” “Was that when you came here?” There was the drag of a pause. “I’ve always been here.” Joohyun lifted her eyes to the glass though she couldn’t look into the eyes on the other side. It wasn’t unheard of but she was surprised. She should’ve figured when she asked about how things were on the outside but she found she couldn’t always think the clearest while talking to this customer. “Oh.” “Is that pathetic?” Joohyun shrugged even if it couldn’t be seen. “Do you like it?” “Do you like it?” Joohyun fished through her mind for an acceptable answer. “It has its charms.” “Like what?” Joohyun berated herself for lying. She couldn’t say much about the Immortal City. She really didn’t see the flare of it but maybe that was because she hadn’t actually seen a lot of it. She was a convicted workaholic, the inside walls of her apartment much more fascinating than the streets and attractions beyond her door. The times Yerim and the other detectives dragged her out, she retired early, waving away drinks and declining to follow them as they hopped from bar to bar.  “There’s good coffee,” said Joohyun. The girl laughed. It was louder than she expected. The girl was like two sides of a coin. One was hesitant and uncertain and doubtful while the other was bold and loud and a little flirty though Joohyun wondered if she was aware of the last one.  “How do you take your coffee?” “When you can’t tell it’s coffee.” She almost sounded sad when she admitted, “If it isn’t black I can’t taste it.” Joohyun remembered Yerim telling her something similar. Vampires had different taste buds than they did. Though they didn’t eat food or drink like humans, sugary things were pointless. The bitter, the better. And anything they consumed was obliterated by the venomous acid in their stomachs quickly after consumption. The only thing that sustained them was blood.  “I prefer tea,” said Joohyun. “You must be smart.” Joohyun couldn’t help her laugh. “Smart?” “My mana—my friend always says only smart people drink tea,” she said. Joohyun could hear where her nose had turned up, wrinkling on the edges. “They think it makes them better than everyone else. She’s right. Tea drinkers are snobs.” She couldn’t tell if she was joking but Joohyun was sure she could hear a smile laced in her voice. “Do I sound like a snob?” “You sound like that’s what you want others to think but you’re not.” She was serious, her voice suddenly controlled and sure. “I can hear it. The way you try to hide your laughs but you can’t and you can’t exactly sit still.” Joohyun blinked. She almost forgot that the girl could hear everything. She could probably hear her heart beating, her stomach groan in hunger, the light tap, tap, tap of her heel as her leg bounced. She quickly stopped her fidgeting and let go of the plastic she was playing with. Her hands had gone clammy and her skin was warm.  “Do I make you nervous?” asked the customer. Joohyun licked her lips and closed her eyes as she tried to remember her training. She needed to relax. She needed to stop her heart from beating like it was. “What do you think?” “You make me nervous.” Joohyun’’s throat prickled with dryness. She ran a hand through her hair, brushing it back away from her neck to cool off. She didn’t know why this girl could so easily unwind her. She wasn’t doing anything but talking, asking questions, being unsuspectedly charming and curious and attentive. It was like their roles were switched. Like Joohyun was the customer and this girl was the one entertaining her.  “I don’t usually do this,” said the girl. “I don’t usually tell— I think—” she stumbled, huffing irritated at her own fumbling. There she went again, losing that confident air and becoming timid. “I think your blood has made me go silly.” “My blood?” “I think about it—about you—all the time.” Joohyun swallowed. Her mind flashed an immediate red flag.  “I’m sorry, did I scare you?” For once Joohyun wished she wasn’t human. Her fluttering heart was giving her away. She was usually in control of herself and her usual techniques were failing her. “I’m not scared.” “I would never hurt you. I’m not that kind of person.” She was saying too much, her tone going a little higher like she was going to panic if Joohyun didn’t trust her.  “I didn’t think you were.” She didn’t know anything and her words were dripping off her lips clumsily.  “I can smell it, your blood. It’s faint but I can.” “I can’t smell you at all.” The girl laughed, the sound cutting through the tension and Joohyun felt like a hand had been removed from her neck. “You could.” “I like being a human.” She wasn’t amused by that comment. “It’s okay.” Her eyes drifted, catching the clock on the wall. Something like dread flared in her gut. “Time is almost up.” “I know. Ignoring it probably won’t make a difference, would it?” Joohyun shook her head then remembered. “Probably not.” “Next time?” Joohyun felt the sting of anticipation in her skin. “Next time.” -/-/-/- The apartment was quiet. The TV played a drama that Joohyun wasn’t paying attention to while she ate dinner. Her mind was elsewhere, drawn to the case. Her eyes were on the splatter of evidence on her wall but they weren’t seeing them. She was seeing a plane of black glass and a silver intercom. That’s what came to mind whenever she thought about her.  Her phone chimed with an email notification. Her payment from the bleeder bar had been deposited to her account. She opened it up, blinking in shock. Whoever was giving her tips was generous. Very generous. Clicking out, Joohyun tried not to dwell on who it might be. The gentleman who was hiding his trips to the Red Labyrinth from his wife? Was it the teenage boy who won a trip through some radio show game and got addicted to live blood? Or maybe it was the elder man who told her stories about the century he had lived and spoke about humans with disdain though he was there filling his belly with one.  There were many candidates but who was she trying to fool? Her gut knew who it was and the easy tug it brought at the corners of her mouth was both appreciative and intrigued. And guilty?  Abandoning her food, she went to the bedroom. She never actually decorated the place though she had lived there for a couple years now. She didn’t want it to seem too permanent. Her actual life belonged outside the walls. This was just a pit stop. She had a job to do, that was all. Nothing else mattered. No one else matters.  Grabbing her laptop, she sat at the center of her bed and pulled it open. The screen blared white-blue light and she logged into the station’s database. Yerim was the whiz with computers and data. She was quick in mind, eyes, and fingers, but Joohyun had her own set of skills and tricks. Fingers hovering over the keyboard, she went to type into a search when she stopped. She couldn’t do that. She bit into her lip. She knew there was a way to find out who frequented the bar. She could trace transactions or she could do a low tier hack into security footage except that wasn’t allowed. Her assignment was to be undercover. Infiltrating any systems broke the rules and despite what they found out, she ran the risk of losing her position and exported back outside with her hollow pass revoked. Joohyun slammed the laptop shut. What was she even thinking? The girl wasn’t part of this. The girl didn’t matter. She had a task to do and distractions were not allowed.  Her phone went off in the other room and she got up, happy for the distraction. She already knew who it was before she even saw the name on the screen. “Hey, everything okay? It’s late.” “It’s never late in the Immortal City!” Yerim shouted. There was noise in the background, loud pumping music and the clash of voices. “Come out!” “Where?” She riddled off the name of a club. “I know you’re probably going to say no but the others begged me to call so I’m calling. That’s done. I’m going to—” “I’m on my way.” “What?” She needed to get out of the apartment, away from her thoughts, away from her mind that was stuck in a private stall of a bleeder bar. “I’ll be there in twenty.” -/-/-/- She followed the address to a dance bar the others frequented. It was dark inside, lit by a combination of sapphire and magenta lights that mixed in spots across tables and couches and a rectangular dance floor in a smoky, lavender hue. Support beams glowed with golden light, offering bursts of clarity in the darkness.  Joohyun followed the path of burning yellow to where Yerim and the others were crowded around a couple of high tables they brought together to sit as one big group. When they saw her, they erupted in surprise, welcoming her into the cluster. Yerim shooed one of the guys off his stool and offered it to Joohyun while he went to fetch a new one.  “I can’t believe you actually came,” she said, shouting over the music. It was a little louder than necessary, something difficult to gauge when your ears could pick up the drop of a pen.  “You promised it wasn’t going to be crazy.” Yerim winced. “Maybe I lied?” She did. The place was rowdier than was let on but she should’ve expected it. Night time crowds were all the bustle and the bar accepted mixed company. Humans and vampires clashed on the dance floor, the vampire ones looking clean and crisp against the humans who’s brows sheened with sweat and their faces were red in excitement. No one seemed to care about the differences. They were there to have a good time.  Joohyun wondered if the girl behind the glass liked coming to places like this. Was she the kind to go immediately into the fray, hands in the air and body moving to the beat? Was she the kind to hover around the bar, batting her lashes and acting coy waiting for someone to buy her a drink? Or maybe she preferred a quieter evening, came in for a minute but spent most of her time lounging out on the patio where the bass still quivered through the floors and some blew smoke into the breeze sharing conversation.  “What?” Joohyun spun around to find Yerim staring at her.  “I said do you want a drink? Junmyeon said he was buying everyone’s first round.” “No, thank you.” She cast the thoughts of the girl aside. She came out to take her mind off of her. But she found ways to spill in. She had been spilling in too much lately, always looming in the back of her skull.  “Too much for you?” She saw Yerim’s mouth moving, forming the words before she heard them and they processed. “I’m just not used to it.” “Well, I’m going to dance.” Yerim got up. “Take care of her, Minseok,” she said to one of their colleagues sitting at the second bar table across from her.  He gave Yerim a thumbs up and smiled at Joohyun. She returned it. Minsoek was quiet but he was a good officer. She wondered if they dragged him out the same as her.  “Are you sure you don’t want that drink?” It was Junmyeon. “I’m sure.” “Okay. Wave me down if you change your mind.” He skipped off with a few others, Yerim part of the group.  Joohyun’s eyes followed, getting lost in the crowd. There were so many people. So many faces. She wondered if one of them belonged to the girl, the one who spilled words and secrets and turned Joohyun’s skin warm and coiled her muscles into nervous tension. She found the stare of a girl with long brown hair to her waist. Her skin looked blue in the lights of the club and the pull of her smile when she saw Joohyun looking was inviting. It could’ve been her but Joohyun wouldn’t know. Would never know. And for some reason that made her chest twinge.  She couldn’t shake her from her mind and the days between her next visit to the bleeder bar seemed painfully slow. When it finally came, Joohyun dressed and headed there, breezing through the check-in and tossing her stuff into her locker without double checking if she locked it. Finding her stall, she pushed the needle and drip to the side and froze.  She was breathing hard having basically run her way into the room. She took in long drags of air, steadying herself. Closing her eyes, she willed herself to calm down. She needed to relax. She needed to find her head again. This wasn’t healthy. This wasn’t good for her investigation. This wasn’t— “Irene.” Joohyun’s eyes shot open, gaze meeting the metal intercom in front of her. She swallowed, her breath and her voice now steady. “Hello, again.” “I thought I might’ve scared you off.” She sounded different tonight. Her voice was scratchy like she’d been talking or yelling for hours and it lagged, not as loud or quick as normal. She must be tired. Joohyun wondered when the last time she ate was. She knew it wasn’t from her if she had. “I told you I wasn’t scared.” “What do you look like?” she asked suddenly. “I…” Joohyun hesitated, the words right on the tip of her tongue but she stopped herself. “I’m sorry but I can’t tell you that.” “Not even one thing?” “Like what?” “What color is your hair?” She could do that. It wouldn't give anything about her exact appearance away in the slightest. “It’s black.” “And your eyes?” Joohyun smirked. “That’s more than one thing.” “I already know they’re brown but what shade?” There was a thud on the other side. Joohyun guessed she had rested her elbows on the countertop. “Are they dark? Are they light? Or do you wear lenses to make them blue or silver?” “They’re just brown.” The girl hummed curiously. “We’re similar.” “Are we?” “We’re both just brown,” she said. Joohyun sat there, trying to understand what she meant. “We come here three times a week,” the girl continued, “stare at glass, talk to each other. You haven’t put a needle in your arm since the third time I saw you. I’m still waiting for you to ask.” “Ask what?” “Why I’m spending so much money just to talk to you.” Her voice was the clearest it had ever been, as if she was right against the intercom, lips moving just inches away from the silver ring of metal. There was the smallest hint of a husk in it that Joohyun hadn’t noticed before. “There are shrinks for that. My manager recommended one to me once but I didn’t listen to her. I didn’t want to talk to someone and hear them spit out everything that was wrong with me when I already knew. I didn’t want that. I wanted someone to talk to.” The girl paused a moment. “Is that what you want, too?” Joohyun licked her lips. The prickles she was used to getting when she talked to this customer were budding along the surface of her hands and snaking down into her stomach. It was much too hot again and her throat was arid, tongue heavy in her mouth.  “When I’m in here,” said the girl, “when I talk to you, I can pretend I’m anywhere in the world. I’m free. I don’t really know what freedom is.” She laughed at herself, not a humorous but a sad cough of air. “I hear people talk about it but I still don’t understand. Maybe I won’t ever understand.” Joohyun found enough in her to mutter, “You will.” “How?” “Freedom is different for everyone. Sometimes it’s not given to you. You find it yourself.” “I wish I knew where to look,” she said nearly too soft for the intercom to catch it. “But maybe I’ve found a piece of it here.” The time buzzer went off and Joohyun jumped out of her seat, knocking it back. The sound of it crashing to the floor jolted her out of the haze of the moment.  “I’m sorry.” The girl sounded her usual self again, shaken herself. There was a hint of panic in her voice. “I’m sorry. I’ve talked too much. I said too much. I’m sorry if you were uncomfortable. I shouldn’t...I shouldn’t tell you anything but I can’t help it.” “You’re safe with me.” She didn’t know why she said it but her mouth seemed to have a mind of its own. Even if she meant it she knew the weight of the words she just uttered.  “Thank you.” There was a sniffle. Joohyun pressed her hand to the glass as if she could touch the one on the other side. She held it there. The glass was cold and it made her shiver. Or maybe it was the muffled echo of a cry she heard fluttering through the intercom. “Come see me again?” “Yes,” she said it like a promise. “I will. I will.” The door flew open. “Time’s up,” shouted a staff member. Joohyun peeled her hand away from the window and walked out, pretending that the cold prickles on her palm were left by another.

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

Seungwan left the bleeder bar in a blur, the frigid night capturing her in the claws of wind that cut through her jacket and nipped at her skin. She didn’t shiver, she couldn’t feel the cold that way anymore, but she pressed back against the side of the building where the wind couldn’t slice at her as strong. She needed a minute. 
Her eyes stung with tears that she wiped away. What was wrong with her? Babbling off to some Tap like that? She was letting herself go too much but Seungwan found a part of her didn’t care. Not when she could feel some of the knots that she clutched, coiled up so tight and tangled that she couldn’t make sense of them sometimes, loosen just a bit when she got to sit in that room. 
Still. She needed to get a hold of herself.
Pulling off the wall, she started for the street when a black car drove up, tires screeching as they came to a harsh stop on the curb. A tinted window rolled down and Seungwan felt her stomach drop when she saw Sooyoung leering up at her.
“Get in the car.”
-/-/-/-
“Are you out of your mind?” Sooyoung roared, shoes throwing off her feet as she kicked them off at the doorway. 
The drive back to the penthouse had been quiet. Seungwan sat in the backseat, fingers dusting the rest of the tears on her cheeks away while Sooyoung weaved through traffic, her foot heavy on the gas pedal. Seungwan thought the silent treatment would serve as her punishment this time. She was wrong. As soon as the deadbolt latched, Sooyoung exploded.
“You must be out of your mind.” Keys struck the coffee table hard where Sooyoung threw them down, the metal leaving scrapes in the wood that they wouldn’t complain about until later when emotions weren’t running so high. 
Seungwan winced at the sound and hunched her shoulders. She was still trying to wiggle off her boots. Sooyoung didn’t get upset at her like this often but when she did, Seungwan knew it was because she cared about her. She was more worried than she was angry and it came out in pointed words before the cooldown came and she no longer wanted to wring Seungwan’s neck.
“It was only once or twice,” Seungwan muttered. Sooyoung stopped in the middle of the living room and spun back around on her heels causing strands of shoulder-length black hair to whip her in the face. 
“Do you remember when you asked me to help you sort out your finances and you gave me access to all of your accounts? All of them?” Sooyoung crossed her arms over her chest, her head ducking to make sure Seungwan was looking her straight in the eye. “I get alerts, Seungwan. I can see the money flow. You can take out cash all you want but the money talks.”
“It’s fine. I have some savings.”
Sooyoung scoffed. “That’s the least of my worries. You lied to me. You said you were going to night yoga.”
Seungwan had to bite her lip to stop the smile that threatened to make a show. “What vampire even does yoga?”
“I don’t know!” She threw her hands up. It was then that Seungwan noticed she wasn’t exactly dressed. As if she had thrown something on quickly before heading out of the house. Her socks didn’t match and Sooyoung never went out the door in sweatpants. “It’s not like I believed you. I thought you just needed space and needed an excuse so I didn’t ask questions. Do you think I couldn’t tell how high strung you’ve been? This isn’t the first time you’ve gotten like this but I figured you found a better way to cope.”
Seungwan’s eyes narrowed. She didn’t like that word cope. “There’s nothing wrong with having a Tap a few times.”
“You’ve had a Tap six times in the last two weeks!” Her voice went shrill and Seungwan flinched. “So what, you have savings and you have a check that’s about to drop but that isn’t the point. What happened to priorities? What happened to wanting to get out of here?”
Seungwan snorted, trying to ward off the heaviness of Sooyoung’s words with apathy but it didn’t work and the suffocating feeling of being trapped started to well up again. “I’m not getting out of here.”
“Fine. Screw yourself over but what about your mom?”
Her teeth clicked shut, eyes snapping to meet Sooyoung’s. At first, she was shocked she brought her family up. It wasn’t something they talked about. Family was a rare subject hardly broached but unlike Sooyoung who could keep the secrets of hers trapped away, there was a light cast on Seungwan’s because it was weaved into financial choices that would never go away. And Sooyoung was right, Seungwan did ask her for help to figure things out so it wasn’t so surprising she brought it up now.
Seungwan shifted uncomfortably. She had pulled her arms up, crossed tight over her chest. She felt safer that way as if her insides weren’t going to spill out and all the daggers the world was throwing at her wouldn’t get to her more than they already had, cutting her up into tinier and tinier pieces over the years.
“I already made sure she was taken care of for the month,” she said. 
Sooyoung deflated, body dropping like a weight onto the couch. She pressed her fingers into her forehead, massaging hard enough to leave little red prints on her skin. “Talk to me, Wan, please. I know I’m your manager, but I’m also the closest thing you probably have to a friend.”
She was right. Sooyoung was the closest thing she had. The closest thing she probably ever had. She wasn’t another labelmate trying to use her fame for their own success or an agent who only wanted to use her for profit. Sooyoung was a rock. She was someone Seungwan needed but she could never fully let herself lean on her. Because, like all managers, there would come a time when she would go and it would be back to square one.
Moving across the room, Seungwan joined Sooyoung on the couch, back propped against the armrest and legs pulled up onto the cushion. “I might get to perform outside the wall.”
Sooyoung dropped her head against the backrest, the stretch of her neck making her words strained. “Jeongsu told me.”
Seungwan gaped. “You knew?”
“It’s my job to know but it’s also my job to protect you,” she said. “I overheard a conversation he was having on the phone. I was going to pretend that I didn’t, but he saw me and I asked.” When Seungwan scoffed, she sat up, body turning so they faced each other. Sooyoung looked as tired as Seungwan felt and she almost forgot that her ever-strong manager had her limits, too. “I didn’t tell you because he asked me not to. The timing wasn’t right.” She was being honest and Seungwan felt her betrayal begin to leave her quickly. “Is that what he told you that night after the interview?”
Seungwan nodded. That conversation felt like ages ago. “He said that his friend still needed convincing.”
Eyes narrowed. “What kind of convincing?”
“I don’t know.”
The muscles in Sooyoung’s neck tightened and her face changed. It was that face she got when— “I’m going to find out.”
“Soo, no.” Seungwan caught her by the wrist. She might be human but she was quick. She already had the phone in her hand, thumb hovering over Jeongsu’s name on speed dial. “Don’t.”
“Why not?”
Seungwan worried her lip between her teeth, the skin scratching on her fangs. There were too many things firing off inside of her at once. Curiosity from wanting to know, fear of what Jeongsu might say, the anticipation of what could go wrong good or bad. There were many things but it all came down to one.
“I want to perform,” she said. 
Sooyoung frowned but her voice was hard when she said, “Jeongsu’s dirty but you don’t know his friends.”
“I’ll do whatever I need to do.” She tightened her grip on Sooyoung’s wrist, careful not to hold too hard. She felt so fragile beneath her fingers but it was only in her bones that she was weak to Seungwan. Sooyoung was strong, almost unbreakable if you didn’t know the right places to chisel. “Please, Sooyoung. I need this. I need to get outside the wall. Just once.”
Sooyoung’s fingers loosened and Seungwan let her go when the phone dropped into her lap. “Okay, you win.”
“Thank you.” Seungwan dropped her forehead onto Sooyoung’s thigh, hands clasped above her head in gratitude. “Thank you, thank you, thank you.”
Sooyoung sighed. “But no more secrets, okay?”
Immediately, “Okay.”
“And—”
Seungwan jerked up. “Don’t say no more Taps.”
“—easy on the Taps.”
Seungwan exhaled, relieved. It scared her how strong the fear of being cut off from Irene was. Only two weeks had passed. Two weeks full of hard, hard work but they were bearable and they went by because at the end of some of those nights, she got to close herself in a private room and...just talk. 
It wasn’t the blood anymore. It wasn’t the hunger anymore. It was the thirst to quench something much deeper, something that Irene could scratch the surface of and each night Seungwan found herself letting her dig a little deeper. 
Silence hung over them and without the flare of anger, Seungwan felt awkward. She looked up to find Sooyoung picking at a fray in her sweatpants. Seungwan told herself she would buy her a new pair. It was the least she could do. 
“Thank you for worrying about me,” she said.
Sooyoung rolled her eyes but she softened. “Do you mind if I sleep over here tonight? It’ll give me peace of mind.”
“Only if you’ll let me make you breakfast in the morning.”
Sooyoung gave her a smile and she knew it was the end of the argument. They were okay again. “Deal.”
-/-/-/-
The recording booth used to be the scariest place for Seungwan. She knew she could sing, knew it since she was a kid, but when she met Jeongsu and was assigned a professional vocal trainer, all of her confidence crumbled. It was no wonder it took her five years before she properly debuted. 
The lights inside the booth were low the way she liked it with a clip light attached to a stand that held the lyric sheets. They were worn, the edges bending and some of the pages were wrinkled. Pencil marks, some faded from having been erased away and new ones, scrawled across the words with little symbols and abbreviations only she understood. 
Through a plain of glass, she could see the sound engineer sitting at the bored, snapback over his curly head of hair along with her vocal coach. A producer sat between them, a pen tapping against his lips as he talked to the other two, discussing what she just did. After a moment, the producer gave her a smile through the window. She was comfortable in the booth now, her fear long gone with only the pressure of perfectionism lingering over her. 
“Let’s take five,” said the producer. 
Seungwan gave him two thumbs up and shrugged off her headphones so they cradled around her neck. They were working on tracks for her next album. It had been three years since she released a full one instead of the occasional single or cover or EP and the people were hungry. Jeongsu’s idea to rebrand her had its perks but that also meant she was back in the harsh glare of the spotlight and she had to work double to maintain her renewed public interest. 
“Do you think you’re up to go through the entire thing again?” asked the producer. 
Seungwan perked up, pulling up her enthusiasm. Jeongsu taught her to always be on her best behavior while she was in the booth and she never forgot that. Even if she was exhausted. “Yeah! Let’s do it.” 
“Alright. From the top.”
The door in the recording studio opened just as Seungwan got her headphones back on and Jeongsu stepped into the room. Everyone stopped their work to greet him, exchanging bows and a handshake between him and the producer. Seungwan offered a bow herself when he turned to look at her through the glass. His lips moved, saying something she couldn't hear and the room cleared out leaving only the two of them. 
Seungwan watched him move to the board where he sat down in one of the leather rolling chairs and sat back, his palms held together beneath his chin that rested on the tips of his fingers. There were gold rings on three of them that matched a gold tie tucked into the jacket of his royal, blue suit. 
He stared, examining her in the silent seconds that ticked by. Seungwan remembered she dressed down today—jeans, a black crop top, and a flannel with sleeves that cover her hands. Jeongsu was very particular about the way she presented herself in the public eye. She had to discard the image of the poor, trailer park girl who worked at a dingy bar and adapt a new image that spoke of money signs and charisma and dark allure and mystery. And she did but it wasn’t her. 
“How did it go?” he asked finally.
Seungwan took in a breath. She hadn’t realized she stopped breathing—a habit she never quite shook—while she waited for him to speak. “We haven’t finished.”
“You’re better than this.”
Seungwan felt the blow in the pit of her stomach. She wanted to say that, since the concerts, her voice wasn’t in the best condition. She wanted to say that no two recording sessions were the same and off days happened. She wanted to say that the new songs required her to take on more of a rock edge rather than the alternative voice she was used to and that took time to adapt. She wanted to say many things. 
Instead, she said, “I’ll try harder.”
“I know,” were his words but what he meant was that she had no choice. They were on a schedule and less than expected meant more than just delays. It meant losing money and Seungwan found that in this business money was everything. 
“Did you need me?” she asked. 
He dropped his arms down to the armrests and crossed his legs, one ankle propped on the knee. “When you’re finished here, we’re leaving.”
She wasn’t expecting that. “Where are we going?”
“The Marquee District.”
Seungwan blinked. The Marquee District was the rich part of the Immortal City. It was where celebrities and the notable went shopping or to spend their day or to sign leases for condos more elaborate than the penthouse Seungwan stayed in. You could find name brands, Immortal City exclusives along with the ones found on the outside, and everyone who walked the streets walked styled in their best. The buildings scaled high and billboards were exchanged with LED screens that flashed advertisements off the sides of buildings and erected on sidewalks. 
“We’ll be out most of the evening,” he said. “Don’t worry about your schedule, I’ve cleared it.”
The way he said it made Seungwan guess that Sooyoung didn’t know about this trip. She wondered why. “Should I meet you at your office?”
“After you change, yes.” He got up, dark brown eyes scanning her again. He wasn’t pleased. She could tell by the faint crinkle that formed at the side of his nose. “Fix your face while you’re at it.”
If she could still blush she would’ve in embarrassment. “Yes, sir.”
He left her and the others came back in shortly after. They were laughing with one another, each one oblivious to the conversation that just happened. Seungwan wondered if they knew who Jeongsu really was—if they ever fell victim to his tricks and manipulation. For some reason, Seungwan thought they hadn’t. She felt as if they were in on the morbid joke and their laughs were laughs at her. 
Once they settled, the producer punched the com. “Ready?”
Seungwan forced on a full-watt smile. Despite it all, she was still a product and she had a job to do. Better than before. “Ready!”
-/-/-/-
She traded her flannel and jeans for a leather skirt and tights with a black, lace top and a moto jacket to combat against the cold. Adding on a scarf, she hurried out of the stylist's closet, chrome zippers on her booties jingling all the way to Jeongsu’s office. He gave her a terse look over and led them out into a car idling in the back of the building. 
It was cloudy out, turning everything into a flat tone of gray. A news report during a commercial break on the radio spoke of rain in the forecast in a day or two. Seungwan always liked the rain and she clung onto the small joy of an impending storm as they rode quietly through the city. 
Signs on the road popped up, indicating they were close and Seungwan suddenly felt nervous. She had been to the Marquee District many times before. For company dinners, red carpet events, window shopping sprees with Sooyoung and music video shoots with crews but she had never come with only Jeongsu. Something about it didn’t feel quite right though she couldn’t say just what and she didn’t have more time to think about it as the car pulled up in front of a shop.
Neck craning, Seungwan peered out the window, lips parting in surprise when she saw that they were at a designer dress store. Gowns were on display in the windows, flowing down the length of what Seungwan thought were mannequins at first until one of them turned, changing their pose to show off the dip in the back of the dress. Another one followed and Seungwan was stunned. Vampires did make great statues. 
“Are we shopping?” she asked. 
“Do you remember our little chat we had the other week?”
How could she forget? It lingered in the back of her mind every day, haunting her. 
“Yes,” she said, sitting back in her seat and turned to him. 
“Mr. Kim is a particular gentleman,” said Jeongsu. “You’re aware of the importance of dressing the part and I want to make sure you’re exactly what he’s looking for.”
Leaning forward, he whispered something to the driver before getting out. Seungwan mirrored him on the other side of the car and stepped onto the curb, waiting for him to round to her. 
"Good afternoon, welcome to J. Jungs,” greeted a clerk.
Jeongsu replied. “We called ahead.”
“Yes, right this way sir.”
They followed the clerk back to a dressing room. The large, red velvet curtain was drawn back so Seungwan could see a full-length mirror mounted on the back wall and a plush bench inside. Hooks were on the walls at varying heights and bulb shined hot and bright from different angles. 
“Here are our selections,” said the Clerk as an assistant rolled over a rack full of dresses. Seungwan couldn’t see all of the price tags but what she did peek made her stomach hurt. She might be used to wearing designer clothes since her career lent itself to that but there were moments her old self still gawked at it. “We hope they’re to your liking.”
“Yes, thank you.” Jeongsu dismissed the Clerk easily and with her gone, he focused back onto Seungwan. “Go ahead.”
She shyly thumbed through the rack until she found a simple, cobalt dress. Taking it, she took to the dressing room and went to pull the curtain shut when the Assistant who had brought the rack did it for her. “Let me know if you need any assistance,” they said. 
The dress was easy to figure out and Seungwan got it on with little difficulty. She paused to look at herself in the mirror. The fabric was soft and the skirt flowed down to her calves, bellowing out just enough to give it shape. It fit neatly against her waist and the straps were thick, cradled snug over her shoulders. 
“Seungwan,” said Jeongsu and she stepped out. He was seated now, relaxed in the plush cushions of a chair, one arm splayed on the armrest while the other held his hand at his lips where a thumb scratched lazily at the corner of his bottom mouth
His head tilted when he saw her, sharp eyes taking the entire ensemble in. The Assistant was nearby, explaining specifics about it, giving details on how it was made and the fabric and why it would be a positive choice to pick. Seungwan could tell Jeongsu wasn’t listening to her. He was too focused on Seungwan and his attentiveness made her dart her eyes away nervously, trying to find something else in the room to settle on to calm the odd prickle of nerves twisting under her skin.
This sort of outing was strange. Usually, he had the coordinators order in outfits and she would go up to the studio and try them on. Sooyoung would be there, making her twirl and snapping pictures on her phone to send to Jeongsu to get his final say since he was never present. Seungwan thought the entire thing bore him but he was so engaged and concentrated on what they were doing now that Seungwan started to wonder how big really was the deal he was trying to close on with his friend. If he really was a friend at all. 
“Take it off,” said Jeongsu, clipping off whatever the Assistant was saying. 
Without a word, Seungwan turned right back around and stepped behind the curtain. 
From there, it went the same way with the other dresses. She shrugged one off and slid on another, occasionally beckoning over the Assistant to help her with a zipper or how the straps were supposed to lay or if she had the front and the back sorted out correctly. When she would emerge from the curtain, Jeongsu would narrow his eyes, silently observing until he waved her off and made her do it again.
She had gone through twelve dresses. On the thirteenth, he stood up out of his chair after she stepped from the curtain and gave a curt, “We’re leaving,” and walked off back into the main store.
“Would you like help getting out of it?” asked the Assistant. She looked flustered and the hard twists at the corner of her mouth said that she was holding back words she knew better than to let out.
Seungwan offered her a kind smile. “Yes, please.”
Behind the safety of the curtain, the Assistant loosened up as she turned Seungwan around to get to the zipper. “May I ask what the occasion is?”
“A business outing,” she kept it short and simple.
In the mirror, Seungwan could see the Assistant looking at her. When they saw she caught her, she looked back down and Seungwan prepared herself for the question she knew was coming. “I didn’t want to say anything”—she paused to step back, letting Seungwan shoulder herself out of the dress—“aren’t you Son Seungwan?”
“Which one?” she teased and grabbed her shirt once her pants were fastened.
The assistant ducked her head in embarrassment, cheeks tinting pink. It was always nice to speak with humans. She liked how telling they were in everything—a skip of the heart, a blush, a hard swallow. Seungwan had spent her entire life surrounded mainly by vampires that sometimes she forgot you could rely on those things to tell you what you needed to know. She remembered back to being at the bleeder bar, listening to Irene on the other side. She noted every shift, every breath, every little thing. She didn’t know why it was invigorating to know this girl through sounds but not with her eyes. She felt like she knew her though she really didn’t. 
“The Lost Siren,” said the Assistant sounding off her official stage name. 
It was Jeongsu’s idea to call her that. Seungwan wasn’t sure if she liked it at first. She wanted to be like those human acts she heard about on the radio who used just their names and it became more of a brand than an actual identity. After a while, Seungwan came to accept it. She found a comfort in it knowing that on the stage she was one thing but when she went home she was herself, she was just Seungwan and she could wear her comfy tights and oversized shirts with a messy bun and imagine being back in that trailer park where her worries then had seemed so large but were small in retrospect. 
Seungwan gave her a smiled. “That’s me.”
The Assistant’s eyes gleamed and Seungwan could tell she was trying to hold back the surge of excitement that went through her, causing her heart to flutter. “It was a pleasure to dress you.”
“Thank you for everything,” she said, “and I’m sorry if he was rude.”
The Assistant’s eyes got big and she lowered their voice, taking a step forward to ensure that Seungwan and only Seungwan heard her. Even so, it was mainly breath that came out as her mouth moved, “Is that the Park Jeongsu?”
Seungwan could tell she was stunned. A big star like Seungwan and one of the most well-known talent agents in the Immortal City with notable fame on the outside. It was such a striking event having the pair of them that Seungwan knew what she needed to do.
“I know you're excited, but if you could, I would like it if you respect the privacy of this visit.” She turned from the mirror, her smile falling to only a faint pull and making sure their eyes met. “Please.”
She could see the Assistant shiver. “Yes, of course.”
“Seungwan.” It was Jeongsu.
Mouthing a thank you to the Assistant, she stepped out from behind the curtain leaving her new confidant to tend to the dresses. She didn’t look back knowing that there were eyes trailing them curiously as they headed for the exit.
“What did you think?” she asked as they made it to the car. 
He waited until they were both inside and seated before speaking. “I think we have work to do,” he said to her then followed up to the driver with a, “Next, please.”
Seungwan slumped back in her seat, arms folded around her chest. Out the corner of her eye, she watched Jeongsu. He was sitting back the way he always did, legs spread, elbow on the windowsill while his other hand rested on a knee, pointer finger tapping on it every so often. He looked normal, calm as unusual but then Seungwan saw it. The tension in his neck, the way he kept scratching at his lip, the consistency of the way he was tapping on his knee and he shifted a couple of times as if he couldn’t get comfortable. Like he couldn’t quite relax.
That’s when Seungwan knew, he was just as nervous as she was. And if he was nervous, even just a little, Seungwan knew she couldn’t mess up. She had no room for error. She had to follow every one of his instructions and requests and demands and there would be no use in trying to bargain. He needed Seungwan for this and she needed it to work for her own sake.
For the first time, Seungwan felt like they were truly in this together. It wasn’t much but it was enough for her to be terrified. 
-/-/-/-
It was evening when they arrived at a restaurant. A host escorted them to a private room that overlooked the Marquee District from a thirteenth floor. Seungwan didn’t like being in tall buildings. When she looked out, she was reminded that she was trapped. She could see all the buildings cramped together, the small blocks of districts bleeding one into the other, and residential areas packed so tightly it was hard to find any real sense of privacy. 
And she could see the wall. It scaled just past the tip of the tallest building, large and thick and virtually impenetrable. That’s what the government said. There were watchtowers posted around the inner perimeter and base stations along the outside. Some thought that the wall was a perfect circle but it wasn’t. It was built to swallow up cities that were already there, cutting in an odd jagged shape with everything within five miles outside of the wall vacant because it was said that being too close to the city was dangerous. 
Sometimes Seungwan would go onto the roof of the penthouse and look across the horizon, staring at the wad of cement that cut her off from the rest of the world. It was so close yet so out of reach and she wished she could throw herself over it. 
“You’re holding together well,” said Jeongsu.
Seungwan dragged her eyes from an LED screen that showed her face on a radio station ad to face Jeongsu. This part of the restaurant was dimmer than the rest. Candle-like torches hung on the wall, burning orange light that cast across his face. He looked just like he did when he walked into the bar Seungwan was working in when he scouted her. Flashy suit and all. The one difference was that he didn’t look so calloused then. His smile came a little easier and he no longer looked at her with some sick, greedy potential he saw in her back then. She almost couldn't believe she had known him for nearly twenty years now. 
“You had everything planned all I had to do was go along,” she said. 
“I’ll have our seamstress alter the dress. She’ll know better than anyone how to fit it perfectly to you.”
It took five stores before they found the right dress. It was a simple, black piece that conformed neatly to her curves with long, sheer sleeves. It wasn’t what she expected for him to choose. It was not nearly as revealing or elaborate or intricate as she thought he would decide on but she figured he knew what he was doing and didn’t question him. 
“Do you think he’ll like it?” she asked. 
The smile he gave her was empty. “Let’s hope so.” 
A waiter came to the table who looked at them curiously noting the obvious. Vampires didn’t eat like this but he didn’t ask questions. Jeongsu ordered for them and Seungwan's stomach twisted at the spread he picked. She hadn’t eaten that much human food in years. 
“I know this isn’t what you’re accustomed to,” said Jeongsu once the waiter was gone and picked up a glass of wine that was poured for them, “but Mr. Kim is human and their kind is always more forthcoming when they’re not the only one eating at a table.”
Seungwan nodded. They were doing a lot of work for this. “Mr. Kim, you said?” Jeongsu hummed a confirmation she had it right. “What company?”
“Dynasty Records.”
“Oh my god.” She didn’t know how to take it in. 
Dynasty Records was well known and its artists were some of the most polished, well articulated, and well trained of the other companies on the outside. To perform with acts from Dynasty would immensely increase her fame and would be more than beneficial for Jeongsu and his label. He was known but his reach was limited considering his roster consisted of vampires with few branches for them to extend to. Now it made sense. 
Jeongsu's eyebrow lifted at her reaction and he held the ghost of a smile, amused by her response. “Now you understand why I am taking the utmost care with this meeting. That’s why I chose you. There’s no one else better suited for what I need than you, Starlight.”
Seungwan ducked her head suddenly feeling bashful. She didn’t know why. Jeongsu had spoken compliments to her before and though she learned that sometimes they were empty, repeated phrases to the other talent, there were times that it still did something in her. When she knew he meant it. Because deep down she wanted to do great and be great and hearing that she was no matter how fickle, it was rewarding. 
“We’re here to test your table manners,” he went on. “I already have faith in you but it never hurts to be over-prepared.”
Seungwan wanted to ask what exactly was in it for him. Instead, she said, “I’ll do whatever you need me to do.”
The waiter returned with their food. Seungwan let her eyes drag over it. The smells were strong, seasoned well with spices and accented with garnish. A part of her, the semblance of the human she used to be, was impressed. She never ate like this before the change. She settled for instant ramyun and packaged meals she could cop at the convenience store where she’d heat the tray there and take a seat on one of the picnic tables outside before having to rush to work at the bar. Even in those five years of training in the company, she never reaped the benefits of it until she was an actual real celebrity bringing in bucks and by then her most delectable treat was hot, fresh blood. 
For a second Seungwan yearned for a mouth that didn’t have fangs. She wanted to appreciate this meal for what it was. She wanted to taste the meat and the spices and the sauces and vegetables and the starches that would burn away quickly in the acidic venom in her stomach. Her mouth didn’t even water at the sight. 
“Everything looks great, thank you,” Jeongsu said to the waiter. They nodded and walked away leaving them alone. “Well.”
Seungwan looked up, catching his eye. He was watching her closely and she remembered this all served a purpose. She wasn’t here to enjoy the experience and she unrolled her silverware from its cloth sheath. Jeongsu mirrored her after a moment and they ate.
Through the meal, he made quiet but firm comments. How she should sit straight, the way she held her knife wasn’t right, she needed to be more aware of where she was dripping. Halfway through, Seungwan started to hate it. The food was bland in her mouth forever altered for a different taste, the setting was a claustrophobic reminder that she was stuck in this business ploy as well as being a forty-five-foot wall of cement, and the fact she was still just a product for to use was crushing.
When it was over and he drove her back home, stopping down the street from the penthouse, she wanted to feel relieved but she couldn't find it in her as she grabbed the handles of a shopping bag that sat on the seats between them. It had appeared after going into the third shop of the day, something the driver went to pick up while she tried on dresses. A peek inside told her it was a shoe box along with a smaller bag she figured were accessories. 
“There’s something else in there for you,” said Jeongsu before she could get the door open. “Something special.”
She knew it wasn’t out of the kindness of his heart so she kept it professional as the entire outing had been. “Thank you, sir.”
She let herself into the penthouse as quiet as she could. It was late and even though she was sure Sooyoung probably couldn’t hear her, she kept her steps light, treading on her tiptoes and wincing when the bolt unlatched a little too loudly on the keypad lock. 
Through the walls, she could hear the muffled sound of voices. Sooyoung was still awake. Probably watching TV. She couldn’t tell. It was then that she remembered she hadn’t checked her phone the entire day. Jeongsu hated seeing them. In his company, you were to give him your full attention. Electronics were only used for business purposes in his presence and Seungwan always minded the rule.
Tossing the bags onto her bed, she unlocked her phone. There were a few missed calls from Sooyoung and a couple of texts. None were urgent. It sounded like she had a busy day and curiosity as to where Seungwan had disappeared to turned into texts about how annoying and irritating her day was and she really needed a bubble bath and a drink.
Seungwan set her phone aside. She wouldn’t respond. She was afraid Sooyoung would come over and she would have to...lie. Something about telling her she spent the entire day shopping with Jeongsu felt wrong just as much as not telling her did.
Shaking it off, she got up to change when she remembered the shopping bag. She pulled out the shoebox first and opened the lid. It was a pair of heels. Beautiful, expensive, heels. Seungwan didn’t trust herself to take them out and she set the box aside to grab the small bag tucked into the bottom of the other.
Reaching in, her fingers hit something soft and she lifted it out to find crimson lace. She could feel ice begin to slowly make its way through her when she spread out the fabric, holding the flimsy pieces between the pads of her fingers. It was lingerie. A pretty, red lingerie set with simple bottoms and top that she knew would fit her curves just right and show off just the right places.
Seungwan stuffed it back into the bag.

Oh, god.

Grabbing the bag, she peeked back inside. She had to be certain she saw what she saw and held what she held.
She had and there was no secret to what Jeongsu meant by convincing anymore.
Seungwan’s hand covered her mouth. “Shit.” 
-/-/-/-
“What’s so great about them anyway?”
Seungwan looked up to see Sooyoung looking at her in the rearview mirror from where she sat at the wheel, Bluetooth earpiece in one ear. She was on hold and they were running late to a cover shoot and Seungwan wasn’t too excited for the interview they wanted to tack on in the pages. 
“Who?”
“The Tap you’re still sneaking off to see.”
Seungwan opened her mouth to say that she hadn’t seen Irene in days but she stopped. It was better for her to believe that than to know where she had been the previous day.
“I can talk to her.”
Sooyoung tossed her a glance in the mirror fringed in hurt. Before Seungwan could respond, Sooyoung’s attention shifted when whoever put her on hold came back to the line. She spouted off a list of apologies, her voice high-pitched and friendly as she talked them up, easily gaining forgiveness for their tardiness. Sooyoung wasn’t only her favorite manager for being easy to talk to. She could also talk herself out of about any situation and talk down the most fired up of persons with a couple of sugar-laced words and an eyes smile.
She ended the call, Seungwan spoke. “Are they mad?”
“Not yet but we are burning precious time,” she said the last bit in a mocking, nasal voice no doubt mimicking whoever was on the phone. “It would probably be best not to cause even the slightest of trouble. Do that sweet, innocent act you’re so good at.”
“Act?” Seungwan teased. Sooyoung snorted as they turned a corner. They were close to the studio. “I know I can talk to you,” she said continuing their previous conversation. “But not the way I can with her. She doesn’t know me. She doesn’t know I'm a celebrity or my name or where I come from. It’s easy.”
“There are cheaper ways to get your feelings out. You could be like any normal wounded heart girl and get a diary. It’s just as good as talking to glass and half the price.”
Seungwan crossed her arms, slightly offended. There was no reason for her to be offended other than the fact Sooyoung made it seem like Irene wasn’t worth the hassle. She wasn’t wrong. A hot Tap wasn’t worth the hassle but Sooyoung didn’t know Irene and she didn’t know what happened between that slab of glass. “She talks to me, too.”
“Aren’t there rules?”
“I know the rules. We haven’t broken them.” Maybe a little but Seungwan wasn’t going to log into google and type in a flimsy description that matched millions of people just to find one girl. “Besides, you said I can’t go back.”
“I never said that.”
“You forbid me!” 
“Don’t be dramatic.” She rolled her eyes and parked the car. She didn’t immediately get out and instead turned around so she could face Seungwan directly. “I told you to lay low for a week or two. You’re smart so I know you’ve been careful not to show your face too much outside but if someone keeps seeing the same pretty vampire going into a bleeder bar they’re going to start getting suspicious.”
“Aww, you called me pretty.”
The bout of concern Sooyoung was showing depleted and she pushed out of the car. Seungwan followed. The studio was in a commercial building in the Arts District not too far from the Marquee District. Seungwan used to like the area. When her parents were feeling lucky, the would come to the Art District, set up a hat and sing songs on the streets in front of small galleries and shops. Seungwan would come with them sometimes to help play on the sympathy of the passerby’s. Sometimes they walked away with cash other times they were told to leave by a bored police officer who had nothing better to do on his beat. 
Taking the elevator, they went up to the second floor that opened to a short hallway. There was music playing from the room at the end of the way where people crisscrossed with photo equipment and articles of clothing in their hands. 
“Breathe in,” said Sooyoung softly. Seungwan did as she said and followed her instruction to, “Breathe out.”
“Remind me that I asked for this,” she whispered after she repeated the breaths again just a few paces outside of the door. 
“You signed up for hell so you better bear the flames.”
Seungwan’s lips twisted in a smile at her lousy pep-talk and let it brighten up her face as she entered the studio.
-/-/-/-
The photoshoot went terrible. Not in the sense that they didn’t get the shots because they did but Seungwan’s head wasn't in it. She kept thinking back to a designer dress and red lace and an impending date that she couldn’t pinpoint because it was shrouded in mystery. She could see Sooyoung watching her in the background past the photographer and lights and racks of clothes. What damage control she had done before they arrived almost seemed for naught.
“We’re done,” said an assistant a few minutes after the photographer walked off set to review the digitals on a screen. He placed down his camera and walked away to speak with Sooyoung while Seungwan was ushered behind a screen to change.
She was back in her normal clothes quickly and offered handshakes and bows to the staff, putting an extra pep in her voice hoping it helped some. It didn’t and she could tell everyone was ready to go and done with the session.
“Follow me, don’t look back,” Sooyoung clipped. 
Seungwan caught up on her heels. “Don’t we need to stay for the review?”
“They said they’ll send a link and we can decide.” Sooyoung stopped in front of the elevator and hit the button as she turned to get a good look at Seungwan. She was irritated. Seungwan could tell by the tension in her lips but there was a concern in her gaze. She sighed. “Are you okay?”
She shrugged. “I’m fine.”
“Are you hungry?” The elevator chimed and they stepped in.
Seungwan was ready to tell her that she wasn’t but then she realized her last meal was with Jeongsu and the last one that actually counted as proper sustenance was with Irene at the top of the week. It was rolling into the weekend now and if Seungwan didn’t have such a packed schedule she would’ve snuck off to see her. Now Irene was all she could think about even before the rich flavor of her blood made her gums tingle. 
“Yes,” she said as the door closed. She was closest to the panel and hit the button for the ground floor. 
Sooyoung narrowed her eyes. “Are you just saying that?”
“No, look.” 
She pulled up the sleeves of her sweater to show the veins in her arms. Under the harsh studio lighting, they were washed out in the white light mixed mixing them in with her pearly skin. Now she could see it clearly, rivers of dark red nearing purple lines marking her skin. Seungwan winced. 
She was a couple of days off from having what they called dead-veins. In a few days, they would go blue and the hunger would settle in stronger than normal. To wait any longer often resulted in fatalities. For humans. Starvation wasn’t an option for vampires because it meant desperate attempts at getting what they needed. 
Seungwan never reached that point before but her dad did once. He always put his family first, making sure she and her mom were fed but that meant he went often a little too long on an empty belly. Seungwan had a bite mark in her shoulder to prove it and it was her mother who saved her, slashing open her wrist for him to devour some of her own, dark colored blood to tide him over another day before they could purchase the vials they needed. 
It was moments like that when Seungwan could understand why they built walls and enforced strict laws to keep their kinds apart. A starving vampire was a threat but even Seungwan remembered being flesh and beating heart and how her human hunger drove her mad some days to the point she might’ve killed for it. Those days seemed so long ago now.
“Seungwan.”
She knew the tone without having to ask but seeing Sooyoung’s disappointment mixed with concern still hurt. Her number one rule was to keep Seungwan healthy. If she couldn’t do that, everything else crumbled. Now it made sense why she looked so tired lately. She was doing a lot more to keep Seungwan afloat and she wished she wouldn’t. She didn’t have to try so hard for her. She was only human after all. 
“You’re a celebrity vampire,” said Sooyoung leading them to the car. “There’s no reason for you to look like this.”
“Crash dieting isn’t just for your kind.”
Sooyoung didn’t find it funny. “Did the stocks run out at home?”
“Yeah.”
Sooyoung pressed her fingers to her temples, massaging them as she gave a terse. “Get in the car.”
Seungwan did as she was told while Sooyoung dropped in and started the engine. They were silent and Seungwan knew better than to disrupt the quiet when Sooyoung was like this. The more time that passed the more guilt Seungwan felt. She had severely underperformed and it was one thing if she had messed up in one of her own, private endeavors like getting too wild at a club or getting caught on someone iPhone video of her getting mouthy with a store clerk. This had others like her manager and her company attached. 
“This can’t happen again,” said Sooyoung as if she knew Seungwan was stewing on the photoshoot. 
“I’m sorry.”
“Don’t apologize to me.” She flashed her eyes into the rearview mirror for a second then cut them back to the road and tightened her hands on the steering wheel. “The only one you’re hurting is yourself. You’ve been in this long enough to know there is only so much give and take and I know you’re heart might not be in it like it used to be but you are still an employee. This is still a job. You still belong to Jeongsu and he still signs your checks.” 
Seungwan bit her tongue, holding back her retort. The words were harsh but Sooyoung was right. Even so, it didn’t hurt any less and she sank down in her seat wondering when she let herself get this bad. She was once praised for always being perfect. Always eager for a new challenge, the first one to speak up and offer an encouraging word, the one who always smiled after a long day of practice to keep up morale. 
That Seungwan was still in there somewhere. She felt it in moments when she was on stage or in the recording booth and she was in her element, doing what her heart loved. It was when it crashed into the reality of what surrounded that that had buried her. She wished she knew where to get a shovel or even more the strength to start digging.
“Speaking of,” started Sooyoung, “where were you all day yesterday?”
“Recording,” Seungwan lied. Before Sooyoung could ask more she cut in. “Where were you?”
“Jeongsu needed me to take care of a few things.” 
Vague. Seungwan didn’t press more. If she did, she would feel too guilty about not telling her the truth so she left it as it was. 
Looking out the window, she watched as a familiar street sign passed them by and Sooyoung veer the car onto a road that would take them into the outskirts of the city. Seungwan knew this route and even through her disbelief, her stomach fluttered in anticipation as they pulled up to the Red Labyrinth, the sign out front shining just as welcoming as always. 
“You brought me to a bleeder bar? Voluntarily?” Seungwan caught Sooyoung’s eyes in the rearview mirror, her shame meeting Seungwan’s smug grin that she couldn’t help. 
“Listen.” Sooyoung shut off the car with a heavy release of breath and turned back to look at Seungwan directly. “I know what I said and I still stand by it but if this is helping you in some weird twisted therapeutic way then, as your manager, I’m obligated to make sure you keep your shit together.” She opened the door and added, “but this is the last time for a while,” before climbing out. 
Seungwan was quick to follow. It was odd having Sooyoung with her at her side as they walked inside. Kibum’s nostrils flared when the wind from outside blew their scent his way and he looked up, eyes landing on the human on Seungwan’s left. Sooyoung didn't seem fazed by the slight upturn of his lip. 
“She’s with me,” said Seungwan before he could say anything
Kibum saw the steel in Sooyoung eyes, daring him to challenge her, and cleared his throat with a welcoming smile to Seungwan. “Welcome to the Red Labyrinth,” he said as usual and began typing on the computer already aware of what and who she was there for. “You’re in luck, she just got in. Ten-minute wait?”
Seungwan went for her purse when Sooyoung stuck out her arm, card in her fingers. “I’m paying this time.”
“You don’t—”
“Just let me do this,” she quipped. No argument. Seungwan relented and stepped back for Sooyoung to let her card swipe. Taking it back, she hastily stuffed it away and turned to Seungwan. She looked like she wanted to say something in particular but she settled with, “I’ll wait in the car.”
“Thank you,” Seungwan mouthed, hands clasped in thanks under her chin.
Sooyoung flicked her in the forehead and left her be with a teasing eye roll. She really was the best manager and for a moment Seungwan felt a pang in her stomach knowing Sooyoung was human and her time would expire at some point. She didn’t want that but she knew Sooyoung wouldn’t give up the beat of her heart. She just hoped she wouldn’t lose her like she had all the others she loved. 
Ten minutes was reduced to five when she was fetched her from the waiting area. As Seungwan followed the hostess, her stomach started to go fuzzy. So much time had passed since she saw Irene that she was nervous all over again. Her brain started replaying their past interaction and if her cheeks could still color they would. She had told the Tap so many things and coming back after so long made the meeting feel like an awkward morning after.
“Hi,” she said timidly once she was settled in the chair and heard Irene finish setting up with the needle and drip on the other side. 
Seungwan clasped her hands in her lap, body tight and tense to hold her hunger at bay. She knew she was hungry but being this close and knowing it was Irene’s veins she’d be drinking from was making her ravenous but she didn’t want to be too hasty. She wanted to talk to her first. She needed to talk to her first. 
“Oh!” Irene responded in genuine surprise. “Hello.”
Seungwan smiled and her grin stretched even wider when she could hear her try to cloak it in her usual greeting. “Miss me?”
There was a pause as if Irene was trying to find the right way to answer. “I thought I lost a regular.”
“There are others?” It was a given that she would but Seungwan felt a flare of envy spark thinking about the ones who came to see her during the days she hadn’t been back. What did they talk about? Did Irene like talking to them? Did her heart flutter and her fingers tap nervously for them?
She heard Irene giggle. “Have you been busy?”
“More than you know.” Like a switch, Seungwan slipped into that comfortable spell that Irene provided and her mind raced, the hunger dulling for a moment when the other parts of her life smacked her and she thought about red lace. There was only one reason for her to need to wear something like that and that was for it to be seen. 
Sickness whirled in her stomach. It wouldn’t be the first time Jeongsu asked her to do something like this but it was never to this extreme. Other occasions he told her to flirt a little more, bat an extra lash, show just enough thigh to get someone's blood pumping, shift her dress a little lower to make eyes dart, let her hands fall against shoulders and arms and brush knuckles to dangle what they couldn’t have in front of them just enough to take the bait. 
She didn’t like it but it was business and she went home with at least half of her dignity still in place. But this? It was stirring fear in her she hadn’t expected. Jeongsu was shady but he always protected her. He protected his artists. Part of this act felt like a betrayal even if she knew how desperate he must be to even go through with it and how shameful he must feel to not outright tell her when he needed from her. 
What would Sooyoung think? What would her parents? What would—
“Are you seeing anyone?” she asked suddenly. Thinking about all the helpless businessmen she had flirted with in the past was stirring something in her. Something that pulled at the strings in her heart and compressed in her chest. 
She was nothing but a flirtatious piece to move around a game board and nothing more. What few encounters and outings and secret cafe dates tucked into shadowy corners of booths were fleeting and hard to come by. When she was human, it was different. She knew people, met people. She had friends. She had a family. She missed the simplicity of it. She missed being cared for just because she was her and not what she could earn or give. 
“No,” said Irene.
“Me neither.” Irene didn’t speak so Seungwan continued. “The last time I was with someone, I was eighteen.” 
She meant with someone with someone. Because she had been with others since then but nothing authentic. Nothing that stuck. Nothing that she was permitted to keep other than a little side project to all the other list of things she needed to pay attention to. She didn’t have those sorts of relationships with people anymore. Romantic or not. She knew she could have friends but over the years it became easier to keep to herself than form bonds with figures with fleeting interactions that didn’t solidify passed the shared struggles of fame.
They weren’t her kind of people. She may be decades removed from her old life but that part of her would never change and it was that part she found herself yearning for but never expressed because she knew the backlash she would get. She knew how many people would berate her for complaining about her fame and success when so many others were suffering. Was she not allowed to suffer, too?
“Oh,” said Irene, a tightness in her throat. 
“His name was Yoondo,” Seungwan continued, too caught up in her own reverie to analyze the change in Irene’s tone. Her mind was busy recalling Yoondo’s face in her mind though it was fading now and she had to try hard to piece together the details of his kind, simple features. “We met at a bar I used to work at. He said he’d seen me singing at gigs before and asked if I wanted to go to noraebang after my shift. I didn’t get off for another three hours, but he waited. It was nearly two in the morning but he didn’t care.”
She remembered how nervous he was but he was a proper gentleman. Paying for their time and ordering them snacks and drinks to nibble and sip while they sang until a worker came by to let them know they were closing soon and they had to leave. 
“It was the most fun I had in a long time,” she said, wistfully. Seungwan didn’t want that night to end. “My dad was the only boy who ever took me to noraebang. After he died, I couldn’t find it in me to go but Yoondo…he was nice.”
“What happened?”
“To Yoondo?” she asked for clarification. When she heard Irene hum the affirmative she continued. “We were together almost three years but I had to let him go.”
“Why?”
She opened her mouth to mention how her contract strictly stated that dating was prohibited within her training period. It extended into her debut days and professional career though Jeongsu became lax on her hooking up and eventually told her she could see someone but it had to be approved. He must’ve known she was too tired by then, too worried about her image, too scared, too jaded to let anything extend beyond one or two nights. 
“I wanted something else,” she said finally. “I wanted something I thought was bigger than him. He said he understood wanting to chase a dream but it hurt him that he couldn’t be a part of it the way we talked about. We tried to make things work but…” 
Seungwan clenched her teeth. She remembered how heartbroken he was. She was. But she wanted it. Jeongsu had gotten to her and aside from the glamour of fame, she knew it was a way she could help her mom. She was never quite well since her dad was killed. She could never properly get a hold of herself and Seungwan thought if she could get her out of the trailer home, get her out of the debt he left behind, get her some real friends who didn’t enable to spiral she had plunged down and decent money she would do better. She didn’t do better but Seungwan still got her place on a stage. So it was all worth it, right? 
“He left the Immortal City,” she whispered. Her hands held so tight that her nails were digging into her palms. “He asked me to go with him. He said I could chase dreams on the outside, too, but I couldn’t. He left. I was turned a few years later and we never spoke again.”
Silence hung between them like a thick lump caught in the throat. 
“Did you get your dream?” Irene asked like she was afraid to ask. 
“Yes.” But it had turned into a nightmare. And she was done with that. She was done with the pools of emotion and she batted back the tears in her eyes and cleared her throat. Part of her still ached but not as much as it had before now that she had gotten some of it out. “I’m ready now.”
It took a minute before the tube snaked through the slot. Seungwan brought it to her lips and she tried her best not to be greedy but she actually was hungry. She drank too fast and though she could hear Irene’s breathing deepen, she didn’t slow down. She let it all slide down her throat, devouring in a famished haze until the numbers countered her allotted amount of intake and she pushed herself out of the chair with a rumble in her throat.
“Are you okay?” Irene’s voice was faint. Weaker than normal.
“I’m sorry.”
“Are you okay?” she asked again but the edge was different. Like she was asking more, past the surface, down deep in depths that Seungwan somehow always found herself reaching down into when she was sitting in this chair. 
“I’m scared,” Seungwan heard herself say before she could stop herself but she didn’t want to stop herself.
She wanted to say more. She wanted to tell Irene about Jeongsu and Mr. Kim and the dress and the red lace hidden in a bag in a dark corner of her closet. She wanted to tell Irene that she didn’t want to be used anymore, especially not like that but also that she would do almost anything to get out of these damn walls. She wanted a place to let it all go and let it out but she wasn’t allowed. She couldn’t and she couldn’t tell Sooyoung and she couldn’t tell anybody.
“I’m sorry,” she said again. 
For being too rough and for dumping so many words on a stranger. What she told Sooyoung was true, she could talk to Irene but Irene was trapped like a diamond behind a display case. She couldn’t see her or touch her. She could only gauge so much of how she felt. Did she really care? Did she like to talk to Seungwan as much as she did her? Did she truly listen? Did she wish there wasn’t glass between them either? Did she have storms waging in her own chest that flashed and thundered in the night making her toss and turn in bed?
Irene was like the outside. So close yet so far and god she wished she could pluck her up and drop her into her real world.
“When will you be back?” asked Irene after a couple of minutes. She still sounded winded and distant like she was using the last of her strength to stay there talking to Seungwan. 
She would say tomorrow if it weren’t for the restrictive words of her manager. Part of her wanted to test them but she knew Sooyoung was right. She needed to be careful. “I don’t know.”
“Come back,” she said, her voice so soft. There was the faint damp sounds of a tongue dragging across lips and the long drag of breath. And her pulse. Her pulse that was so, so telling was so rapid and clear and Seungwan wondered why she was so scared. Or nervous? Or— “Please.”
Seungwan looked up as if she could see eyes looking back at her. She didn’t want to test Sooyoung anymore than she had so she offered something she figured was plausible. “Seven days.”
“Seven,” Irene said it like a promise. 
Seungwan hoped she could keep that promise, too.

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

Joohyun’s eyes fluttered open. A white, tiled ceiling hovered above her. The yellow glow of the sun burned through the heavy curtains of a window. The thick of a blanket was pulled up to her chest, swaddling her in the cocoon of a bed. Joohyun shifted. Her muscles were stiff and she relaxed back into the cushion beneath her, brow furrowing. Where was she? “Welcome back.” She turned her neck to find Yerim sitting in a chair against the wall. It took Joohyun only a second more for her to realize they were in a hospital room. A shadow passed across the window into the hall, a figure with a clipboard gone as quickly as they came. A machine blinked with her vitals above her head and there was the faint sound of chatter and activity just past the walls. Joohyun sighed, eyes closing in frustration. “How long?” “A day. I’ll get the nurse.” Yerim exited the room and returned a minute later with a nurse, plopping back into the chair. The nurse smiled at Joohyun as he approached, asking her questions while he examined her vitals and checked the drip that was attached to the crook of her arm. He gave a positive report, letting her know she could go soon and left them alone again to get the paperwork. The covers rustled as she sat up, using the pillow to help prop herself up. Her body was so heavy and when she turned back to Yerim, she found she wasn’t looking at her. Her gaze was drawn down to her lap. Joohyun saw she was holding an orange pill bottle clutched in her hands hidden between her knees. She wanted to ask what the bottle was but there was something else she needed to say first. “I’m sorry.” Yerim jerked her head up. There was fury behind her eyes but her face softened when she took Joohyun in. Letting out a sigh, she relaxed in the chair, slouching the way she normally did. “I told you to be careful.” Joohyun tried to recall the last few minutes of the bleeder bar. She remembered the sadness in the customer’s voice, the sudden jolt in her own chest, the way the room began to distort, her heart pumping faster than normal, the promise they would meet again. It was black after that. “I didn’t know my limits as well as I thought,” said Joohyun. Laying in a hospital bed told her what happened after that. “You think?” Yerim scoffed. Her eyes darted around, unsure of where to land as she muttered. “You scared me. I got a call from the bleeder bar saying you were transferred to the hospital.” Yerim shook her head, brow creasing and lips pursed as if she was recalling the night now. “I haven’t been human for a long time. I thought you were going to die when they told me you lost too much blood.” She looked up, sheepishly. The corner of her mouth was kinked up a little. “You’re just as hard to kill as us, I guess.” Joohyun laughed softly and was relieved when Yerim did as well. Her chest loosened up and she let out a long breath that took away the heaviness with it. “What is that?” she asked, motioning with the jut of her chin. Yerim followed her eyes to the pill bottle. She groaned when she lifted it up so Joohyun could get a better look at what it was. “Suppressors.” “What for?” asked Joohyun. While they were behind the wall, Yerim rarely took them. She didn’t need to here though she took them once or twice a week. To go completely off meant that coming back on later would bring the onset of terrible side effects until her body adjusted again. Yerim’s face twisted. “Heechul called. We have to go to the main station.” “Did something happen?” “The Chief happened,” she said, grave. Joohyun’s jaw tightened. “Heechul didn’t say much other than that the Chief wanted to have a talk with us. I told him we were a little tied up here but left out that you were in the hospital. They expect us tomorrow.” Joohyun gave a terse nod. “Where are my clothes? I need to change.” -/-/-/- They approached the gates early in the morning, bags packed in the trunk. It didn’t matter how many times Joohyun had gone in and out of the city, whenever she saw the scaling wall of cement, she always found the sight of it a little daunting. At a Checkpoint Terminal Window, Yerim showed their IDs and were waved through by an attendant with a safety green baton, directing them to one of the active inspection lanes indicated by a green light over the overhang. There were four lanes in total buzzing with Inspectors in their orange vests and blue gloves, swarming around cars, checking the trunks, backseats, and any spaces where things could be stowed away. “Why couldn’t this be a Skype meeting?” Yerim groaned from the driver seat. Pills rattled as she shook a Suppressor into her palm and tossed it into her mouth when a Patrol Guard in a black shirt and army green pants rounded to the car. “Step out of the car, please,” he instructed. Yerim got out first and Joohyun followed, leaving the car idle in the second lane behind two other cars. Another Patrol Guard waved them into the Checkpoint Station where a front desk greeted them manned by a woman behind a thick, plane of glass. It was much like the check-in at the bleeder bar with an iron, barred door to the left that gave into the rest of the area. “ID and Pass Verification, please,” said the woman. Yerim took Joohyun’s from her and passed them both through the slot. The woman checked the facial recognition then scanned them through a device that printed out two approved pass slips and handed them over along with their cards. Scanning the pass slip at the gate, the door buzzed green for access and they stepped through. Security Officers were posted at various metal detector stations. Others had gone through the archways and were being waned and patted down while others were shrugging on their coats and collecting the items that they had to put into bins. Reaching one, they both discarded their belongings into a bin and stepped through the detector. It didn’t take long. They were used to the customs already and Joohyun put on her jacket and gathered her belongings quickly. “It’s not like we can stuff a whole vampire into a purse,” Yerim grumbled as they headed down the long corridor for the exit door that would put them on the opposite side of the wall. Joohyun gave her a weak smile. She wasn’t wrong and she didn’t think all the precautions were necessary. It was rare that vampires tried to escape and even if they tried, the system made it near impossible. The ones who did breach often went into hiding and lived quiet lives. Reports on rogue vampires attacking humans or raising crime had declined severely over the years. It was fear of the past and fear of what could happen if they gave vampires free rein that kept the wall intact and the laws ironclad. Outside, they found their car waiting on the curb in the Pick-Up Queue and a Security Officer let them proceed once they showed IDs one more time. Getting in, Yerim pulled them away from the curb and navigated through the last Checkpoint Terminal Window until they hit the road that would lead them home to the station on the outside. The closer they drew, the more unsettled Joohyun felt in her stomach. She wasn’t sure why. Heechul had asked for them to come before. Doing everything over the waves of a computer screen was convenient but he liked to have them in person when he could. But there was something about this summons and the Chief’s involved that made Joohyun uneasy. By the way Yerim was keeping quieter than usual, she could tell she felt the same. “Do you mind if we stay the night?” asked Yerim after the first hour. They’d made little conversation so far and Joohyun had almost dozed off. “I know we should probably get back over the wall as soon as possible but I’d /really like to see my cat.” "Your cat?” Joohyun joked. “Don’t say that!” Yerim hit her lightly in the leg. “He’s mine, I don’t care what Saeron says,” she grumbled about the friend she left her Munchkin to while she was gone. Joohyun laughed. She was glad she didn’t have any pets to account for back home. “We can stay.” It was a couple more hours before they reached the station and Joohyun was happy she agreed with Yerim to take a night in their original homes before going back. The knots in her stomach kept her from getting a nap and her muscles were sore from how tightly she was wound. She stretched once they got out of the car but they did nothing to relieve the tension in her gut as they entered that station. A few officers greeted them, welcoming them back and asking about how long they would be in town. They kept conversations short and quick, winding through the station until they reached back where Heechul’s office was. He was headed out of his office when he saw them, hand held up in a wave as he approached them. “Officer Kim, Detective Bae,” Heechul welcomed. He was in his usual slacks and blazer over a sweater vest and pressed button-down. She noted his hair had grown longer since the last time she saw him so it curled around his ears. She wondered how long the Chief would let him get away with having long hair before making him cut it properly. Joohyun nodded a greeting after Yerim. “Lieutenant.” “The Chief is still in a meeting but he should be done in about half an hour,” he said, looking to each of them. Something about the terse nature of his voice only made this meeting all the more unnerving. “Let’s talk.” Filtering into a conference room, they shut the door behind them. Joohyun thought to sit but there was an unusual current of anxiety that kept her on her feet. When she cut her eyes to Yerim, she could see that she was hesitating with her hands clasped on the back of one of the leather chairs, index finger tapping every so often in a nervous tick. “Did someone die?” asked Yerim, breaking the silence. Heechul looked up at her incredulously before he started laughing. The sound of it was relaxing if only for a moment. “I’ve missed your humor, kid.” Yerim scowled at him but there was a soft pull at the corner of her mouth. “Really, what’s going on? What did we have to come all the way here for you to tell us?” His cheeks puffed out as he let out a breath, his hands sliding deep into his tan pockets. “It wasn’t my idea. It was the Chief.” Joohyun heard Yerim sigh. “Figures.” “Is it about the case?” she asked. Heechul seemed to think about the question for a moment. “Yes and no. But I do want to hear about that.” His eyes locked on Joohyun, mouth pulling tight. “Your reports are lacking. I know you, both of you, are doing everything you can but it’s not enough. Over time, you’re leaving out more and more details and the Chief won’t continue to give support if you’re not completely transparent with him.” Joohyun’s brow furrowed in offense. “We are transparent.” “I know you have your ways of working but to appease him you’ll need to do a little more.” He kept his eye on her, challenging her silently the way he always did when he knew Joohyun didn’t agree. She was slow to relent this time and blinked away, letting him know she understood what he was saying. “So what?” started Yerim. Heechul glanced over at the door then sat down in one of the chairs. With the wave of a hand, he signaled for them to sit in the spaces near him and clasped his hands on the woodgrains. When he spoke, he spoke softly. “There’s been...a flux.” Joohyun’s eyes narrowed curiously. “Flux?” “Not like we saw during the Snatching Crisis but something else,” he explained. “It’s not just babies and toddlers. They’re older. Pre-teens. As you know, that’s usually due to some neo-wave of kids wanting to stick it to their parents and run away but I’m not so sure.” Joohyun blinked, eyes turning to look at Yerim who had a mirrored look of concern on her face. Something like that was unusual and it was unusual because of how difficult it was to get away with it. Older people often put up a fight, had a consistent life hard to erase, friends and family and connections that would be difficult to severe and easy to trace and question if you knew how. “Why haven’t we heard about this?” asked Joohyun. Heechul’s mouth turned downward. “That’s why you’re here.” “To tell us that?” Yerim deadpanned. “To tell us we’re not on it,” said Joohyun. Her eyes swung back to Heechul and the purse of his lips confirmed it. “The Chief didn’t want us to know.” “No, and he wants to remove you from any Snatching case after this one.” He sat back in his chair causing the leather to whine as he let the information sink in. Joohyun felt it press against her chest like a weight and stir up unease right beneath her ribs. “He hasn’t been the most proactive about finding kids but with this change, he’s gotten a lot more pressure. We’ve assured the public that we have people on it but he can only assure people so much when the people he has on the inside are insubordinate.” “We’re not insubordinate,” Yerim hissed. Heechul tossed her a warning glance but his tone was even. “You know what I mean.” Yerim huffed and pushed out of her chair in frustration. Joohyun watched her pace the room, hand running through her hair before she settled back on Heechul who was watching her closely. The muscles in her neck tightened. “What do we need to do?” she asked. “What else?” Heechul smirked. “Convince him otherwise.” -/-/-/- An hour passed before they filed into the briefing room. Joohyun sat on one side of the table with Yerim and Heechul on the other while the Chief took the head of the table. He was a short, stocky man with a thick head of black hair though it had started going gray on the sides that were combed back and gelled to stay against his head. He used a handkerchief to clean off a pair of glasses that he set neatly back over his nose and looked up to address the table with a long, scanning look across the room. When his gaze landed on Joohyun, he paused, stuffing the handkerchief back in place as he asked, “How are things inside the wall?” “They’re good, sir,” said Joohyun. She caught Heechul giving her a pressing look and quickly added on, “We’re making progress with the case. We’ve narrowed it down to a particular bleeder bar we think is an exchange point.” The Chief tilted his chin up, forehead wrinkling in question. “That wasn’t in your report.” “We wanted to wait until we had the most amount of evidence before strictly naming it,” Joohyun supplied. She could feel Heechul staring at her and she peered over at Yerim, making sure she was on the same page. She saw her dip her head in a slight nod, indicating that she fully had her back. “We didn’t want to falsely accuse an establishment and rush in until we were certain.” “And I take it you have a team ready to advance once you are certain?” He looked to Yerim. “Yes, sir,” she responded confidently, straightening out in her chair. “Myself along with Officer Kim and Office Oh have come up with the basis for an organized infiltration. Once we have more details from Detective Bae, we will brief the rest of the officers and proceed.” She concluded with a swift eye across the table at her partner. Joohyun bit the inside of her cheek to hold back a thankful smile. She knew she could count on Yerim but it was in moments like this that she realized how appreciative she was of her and how well they worked together. Joohyun had been alone, paired with others who came and went depending on the nature of the case. Yerim was her first, full-time assigned partner and she was grateful. “You have both worked hard and I appreciate what you’ve done,” started the Chief. There was a closing note in the way he spoke and the ease she gathered from Yerim quickly evaporated. “You’ve gone three years strong and I believe it is about time to have you back on our side of the wall. After this case, I would like you to return to us here.” The room was quiet after that. Joohyun knew it was coming but it didn’t make the blow of his words any easier to hear. She wondered what she would’ve done if Heechul hadn’t warned them beforehand. Across the table she saw Yerim’s eyes get big, her mouth parted in faux shock while Heechul’s expression went hard as steel. All attention turned to her and Joohyun used the next few seconds of the lull in conversation to add to the heaviness the Chief believed he created. “Thank you for allowing us to take on this branch of assignments,” she said, “but I must ask who you have in mind to take over once we are gone.” “There are a few candidates,” the Chief offered cryptically. By the way he shifted in his chair, Joohyun wondered if he had honestly thought the decision fully through or if he was waiting to deal with the repercussions after telling Joohyun and Yerim the news. “Lieutenant Kim here has been scouting the best candidates for the job.” That struck her pride. “Wasn’t the reason I was given this branch of assignments was because I am one of the bests, sir?” “No disrespect to you, Detective, but I believe you may have overstayed your welcome,” the Chief clipped. “Your skills are beyond exceptional and they are being nothing but wasted within the wall when what matters is our people on this side.” “What I am doing, sir, is for our people,” Joohyun countered, sharply. “Detective—” “You can’t remove me,” she cut him off. She could see Yerim staring at her, taken aback with the terse way she was speaking. She didn’t dare look at her or anyone else as the Chief’s jaw flexed, mouth split open to retort. Heechul beat him to it. “What I believe Detective Bae means is that she shouldn’t be removed.” Heechul turned to her, begging in his eyes for her to proceed with caution with her next words. “Right?” Joohyun took in a long breath through her nose and let it out in a soft but sure, “Yes.” “Like you said,” started Yerim carefully, “we’ve been inside the walls for three years. If anything, we know the in’s and out’s of the city more than anyone here. We’ve had time to learn how it works and developed relationships with the police force within the wall which is not easy. Bringing in a new set of officers may do more harm than good,” she finished then added on. “Sir.” “They do have a point,” said Heechul and Joohyun was thankful for him as he finally took over. “I have been interviewing candidates for weeks and Detective Bae is still our top choice. With Officer Kim, it has helped us bridge the gap between the inside and outside forces.” He motioned to her with a hand to which she smiled proudly. “They trust us because of them. Do we really want to sacrifice that trust now? Right when it counts the most?” The Chief’s eyes darted from Joohyun to Heechul, seeing if she caught the hidden meaning in what Heechul said. She kept her expression neutral, hiding her knowledge as well as Yerim who watched them intently not giving the Chief a chance to slip something past them if he tried. After a moment, the Chief turned to them. “Would you give us a moment?” “Yes, sir,” said Joohyun. Yerim echoed her and they both got up to leave the room. Standing on the outside of the door she whispered to Yerim. “Can you hear them?” She tilted her head to the side. “Not well.” She dropped her concentration with a groan. “They’re talking too soft and these damn doors are thick.” Joohyun frowned at her. She knew that wasn’t all. Taking the Suppressors, all of her senses were diluted and Joohyun could tell how much it unnerved her by how she hadn’t seemed as relaxed or alert as she was in the city. “I can’t believe he was going to do us dirty like that,” she hissed softly. Joohyun leaned against the opposite wall. “Something doesn’t feel right.” “What do you mean?” Before she could answer, the door opened. Heechul stepped outside first followed by the Chief. “I’ll be expecting a thorough report by the end of the week,” he said. He gave them each a hard stare, eyes lingering on Heechul a second longer before leaving the three of them alone. Yerim was the first to talk when his back disappeared behind a corner. “So?” “You’re staying on.” Yerim squealed then quickly muted herself with a hand over her mouth. Joohyun tried her best not to let her relief and excitement show but she felt the smile stretch across her face that matched Heechul’s own proud grin. “There are conditions,” he added, reminding them about the reality of the situation. “He only agreed if we add to the forces. You can expect two to three more officers joining your team.” Yerim deadpanned. “That’s it?” “That’s it.” He smiled at Yerim’s eye roll. Joohyun didn’t like the idea of new recruits as much as her. “In the meantime, let’s keep it between us that you know about the flux. And Bae—” “I’ll submit a thorough report,” she filled in for him. His shoulders loosened in relief. “I’m counting on you.” -/-/-/- The door to her apartment opened with a whine, the hinges dry from nonuse. She stepped inside taking in the shut-in musk that mixed with the stale scent of dust and aged books that wafted through the apartment. Flicking on the light, the space illuminated to a small compact residence and she stepped out of her shoes to leave them at the door. Going for the kitchen, she turned on the light and examined the calendar she had tacked on the wall above a coffee maker, the glass pot frosty from a layer of fine powder. A little over a month had passed since she last visited and she flipped a page to the right month. She hadn’t realized so much time had gone by and almost didn’t believe it until the sour stench of old milk attacked her when she opened the refrigerator. She coughed, waving her hand in front of her face to waft away the smell and shut the door. She normally emptied it out before leaving but she must’ve forgotten in the haste of her departure. In the bedroom, she sifted through the closet, taking inventory of what clothes were still there. It surprised her to see that she had taken most to the Immortal City leaving the rack half empty and only a couple pair of shoes that she never really liked to wear. In a drawer, she found a set of pajamas. The fabric softener scent they once had when she folded them up was gone now replaced with the reedy scent of the wood from the dresser. She put them on anyway after scrubbing down in a shower and brushing her teeth with a travel brush she brought in her bag. Being in her original place felt odd. When anyone asked her, she told them that this was home. That the outside was her home. But she spent so much time in the Immortal City that this was starting to feel second now. She didn’t like it. It left her with an odd feeling, a sense of belonging to nowhere, trapped in the middle with nothing real to anchor her down to either place. What was even stranger was that the pull she had was more for behind the wall than here. Her mind wandered back to the city they left that morning—back to the bleeder bar. To her. If she were to venture out, see the rest of the world, would she still claim the Immortal City as home? Would she find it as glamorous as the humans talked it up to be? Did she want to run away? Was she unhappy there? Joohyun wanted to know. She only had little to go on but that little told her something. Something was wrong. Joohyun could hear it in her voice. And it shouldn’t concern her but she couldn’t help that it did. She couldn’t help that she floated in the back of her mind, creeping in through the cracks. Joohyun had met many vampires in her work. She knew their stories so this girl shouldn’t be any different. But she was. Pulling her bag onto the bed, Joohyun took out a file folder. Cracking it open, she read the top: Red Labyrinth Customer Roster Her stomach fluttered. It was only a list of names but it was one step closer to knowing who the girl might be. Heechul didn’t even inquire about the request when she asked if he could get it for her knowing his position would give him clearance to the private documentation without issue. She simply told him it was for the investigation and he trusted her. He told her he could give her more than that but she declined. There were three pages in total, each one with a name, sex, and age. Joohyun ignored the male ones interested only in the women and narrowed it down to the ones with ages within the twenties to thirties range. She was glad that they logged original birth dates and not turn dates but it did nothing to calm her nerves as she took in the names. Myoui Mina Moon Byulyi Park Minyoung Son— The phone rang and Joohyun jumped. Looking down, she saw the screen lit from the comforter. Yerim’s name shined up at her along with a picture she added of herself along with the little devil emoji she put beside her name. Joohyun’s hand hovered over it, her gaze shifting back to the names. She could narrow it down even more. She could type them into a search and see what came up. She could… “Hello?” “Hey,” said Yerim. Her voice was tired but there was restlessness flaked in there. “Sorry, were you asleep?” She pulled her phone back to note the time. A little past eleven p.m. Now that Yerim said something, Joohyun remembered she was tired. The file had made her forget. Setting it down, she massaged the bridge of her nose. “No, I’m awake.” “I couldn’t sleep.” “How’s the cat?” “He’s a jerk,” she said in a grumble. Joohyun laughed. “Can we talk? I know you want to relax but—“ “We can talk.” Joohyun sat up so she was leaned against the headboard. Her eyes wandered to the file on her bed then over to her laptop. A couple of clicks was all it would take. “Was there something in particular?” “I searched the bleeder bars floor plan,” Yerim told her. “You were right. I went further back in time, like before the wall back in time, and the place used to be some sort of shelter for homeless kids or something. When it was caught inside the plans for building the wall and they started rebranding the districts, it was changed into a hotel that eventually became the bleeder bar.” “Major structure changes?” Joohyun forced herself off the bed and left the room putting distance between her and temptations. “They built onto it and knocked out some walls but a lot of the original building is intact.” She paused. “I just sent you a picture.” Leaning a hip on the kitchen counter, Joohyun pulled her phone from her ear and turned it on speaker while she opened the message Yerim sent. Maximizing the image with her fingers, she squinted, noting the places she knew with the ones she didn’t from the past. “Anything interesting?” asked Yerim. “I don’t…” Joohyun turned the phone landscape, expanding the image. Her eyes traced along the etched lines until she found what she was looking for. “There’s a basement?” “Huh?” The soft taps of Yerim working on her computer filtered through the phone. “Oh, I see where you’re talking about. It used to be a laundry room. They probably changed that now.” Turning around, Joohyun leaned over, elbows propped on the counter and phone held up at her eyes. That’s what it was. The new floor plans mapped out a boiler room not a storage room. And it was the same door that the nurse and Donghee were trying to get into. “What are you thinking?” A lip found a place between Joohyun’s teeth. She chewed the skin idling in her concentration. “I have to investigate it but I think I know where they might be hiding the captives.” “In the laundry room?” Yerim was quiet for a second before she snorted. “Wouldn’t someone know? A kid is a big thing to hide especially for that long in a place where there’s twenty-four-hour staffing.” Yerim wasn’t wrong but, “I’ve seen stranger.” “Yeah…” Yerim said it like she didn’t want to admit it. “Well, our search just got a lot easier.” “Maybe.” Joohyun pursed her lips. It was easier. Too easy. She yawned. “I should let you sleep.” “How hard would it be to get me information on frequent customers?” she asked on impulse, succumbing to the gnawing curiosity and the incessant itch about the nameless girl behind glass. “Not that hard,” said Yerim, “but if there’s a long list, it might take me awhile. Was there someone you wanted to look into?” “No, it’s nothing.” She forced on a yawn to stunt Yerim from prodding further into her sudden inquiry. “Thanks for looking into the floorplans.” Yerim was the one to yawn this time. “I’ll pick you up around six.” Joohyun ended the call and ventured back to the bedroom. The roster was still there, each name on the list calling out to her. Placing the paper back into the folder, she slapped it closed and buried it into her bag that she tossed to the floor. She needed to stop. She didn’t need to know who that girl was. But the more her dreams were full of glass and a soft, shaking voice, the more Joohyun felt her resolve begin to wane. -/-/-/- There was an odd sense of relief being back across the wall. Entry checks were much faster and Yerim drove them in with little grumbling. It was a short drive to her apartment from there. The radio played softly. Joohyun wasn’t paying much attention to it. Her thumb was scrolling through her email. There was one from the Red Labyrinth. A notice that she was put on temporary leave due to the incident and would only be admitted after two weeks or with a doctor’s note that said she was fit to serve again. Ice glazed her chest and filtered into her stomach. If she was out two weeks, she would miss her. There were only three days left until seven and they made a promise. She had to be there. She needed to be there. She— Joohyun’s head picked up, her brow furrowing at the music playing through the speakers. Head cocked, she eyed the console where the clock glowed green numbers on the dash. “Who is this?” “You don’t know The Lost Siren?” Yerim did a double take, gapping when Joohyun shook her head. “You humans are so dull.” Rolling her eyes, she turned the volume up a few clicks and kept talking. “She was really popular like ten years ago. She went dark for a while but made a comeback not that long ago. Her new stuff is kinda edgy.” “And you like edgy?” Yerim shrugged. “Like the poetic sort of edgy. And her voice is so good,” she gushed. Joohyun smiled and nodded, putting the flare in Yerim’s pride at ease. The song kept on while they drove and Joohyun couldn’t help but feel like the voice sounded familiar. Smoky, warm, gentle despite being paired beside the sound of guitars and drums. The lyrics were edgy like Yerim said but the musicality wasn’t too harsh or overbearing. It fit with the voice. A voice that reminded her of her. But it couldn’t be her. Could it? “Let’s meet up tomorrow,” said Yerim. It took a second before Joohyun realized they were idled outside of her apartment building. “We can reevaluate and I can start doing research into this new flux Heechul was talking about.” Joohyun nodded. “Do you think you could forge me a doctor’s note?” Yerim’s face fell. “You need to rest.” “I know, but—” “No but’s,” Yerim cut her off. “You don’t even need the money and the investigation is almost over. Take the leave. Please.” Joohyun’s jaw flexed. “Okay. I’ll rest.” “I’ll pick you up in the morning? Coffee before going to the station?” “Sure.” -/-/-/- The check-in counter was manned by someone different during the day. It was an older man with glasses who greeted her like a professional. “Hi, I was put on leave but I didn’t get to collect my things from my locker. Is it okay if I grab them?” “ID?” She handed it over willingly and waited for him to make the scan. The light that usually lit green for her flashed yellow this time indicating her leave status. Handing her ID back he let her know she had, “Ten minutes. “Thank you.” Buzzed through the door, she slipped in. Business was slow during daylight hours. The staff was cut down by more than half making it easy for Joohyun to swerve away from her normal pathway to the locker rooms and take a left toward the Storage Room door at the opposite end of the hall. Reaching it, she crouched and pulled out the black case of a lock pick set from her pocket. She had only used it a few times. Yerim was handy with gadgets but Joohyun learned just as well. Slipping the end of the tools in, she wiggled them around, checking back over her shoulder every few seconds until she felt the last pin give and access was granted to her. Joohyun slipped in quickly, careful letting the door click shut behind her as it plunged her into dusty darkness lit only by the sliver of light coming from the crack at the bottom of the door. Feeling around against the wall, she found the light switch and flicked it on. The room was small. There was clutter. Old sheets of glass that used to be in rooms, wooden shelving, signage no longer used, filing cabinets, desks, and office supplies and a few computer monitors that were out of date and needed to be thrown out. And it was stuffy. The air was sticky with the faint smell of mold and dampness. Joohyun looked up, seeing is she could spot out a leak that was causing the stench. She didn’t find signs of one but she could see where the walls had been built to close off the room from what else it used to be. Her gaze trailed the tells in the walls, squinting when something caught her eye. Stepping over a tipped over office chair, she made her way over to a medium-sized bookcase. It was a foot taller than her and the wood matched the decor of the other old, shelvings and office furniture crammed into the room. The only odd thing about it was that it was fairly clean, the dust that could be found on the other items seemingly uninterested in it. Bracing her shoulder against the side, Joohyun pushed. The bottom screeched on the linoleum floor and she paused. Giving another push, she scooted it a few inches out of the way when she spotted long, vertical and horizontal cracks in the wall that met at a point creating the clear outline of a small door. When she crouched to get a better look, she found it. A keyhole. “When?” Someone hissed. The door to the storage room opened and Joohyun jerked away from the door. She had just another second to use as the entering person was distracted by the light switch already being turned on to curl herself up behind one of the blacked out sheets of glass. “What’s taking so long?” They hissed. Joohyun didn’t have to see their face to know that voice belonged to the nurse that was with Donghee. “The clients are getting impatient. No, I don’t trust you. They should already be in my care.” Joohyun peeked around the edge of the glass. She could only see a sliver of the nurse around a file cabinet that obstructed her view but she could see that her fingers were pinched at the bridge of her nose and her foot was tapping impatiently against the floor. Over the phone, she could hear the distorted, fussing voice of the man on the other line. Joohyun would bet it was Donghee. “What?” the nurse’s tone changed to surprise. “What do you mean the assignment has changed?” Her fingers left the crease between her eyes and she looked up. Joohyun darted back around the corner when the nurse started to move toward the shelf she had slid out of place. Joohyun heard it scratch against the floor as it was put back into place. “No, you need to tell me—” “Nurse Lee you’re needed in Recovery Room D,” crackled a voice over the intercoms. The nurse cursed as the announcement repeated itself. “I have to go. We’ll talk later,” she muttered. “Yes, later!” Lights went out and feet padded out of the room. Joohyun let out a breath. -/-/-/- “What flavor do you want?” Joohyun looked over to Yerim. She was standing in her small kitchen, clutching two tins of tea in each hand while a kettle warmed on the stove. They were at Yerim’s apartment and Joohyun was sure the appliance was seldom to never used but she figured a living space without a proper kitchen was odd even to a vampire. “That one.” Joohyun pointed to the one in Yerim’s left hand. Placing the other back into the pantry, Yerim popped open the top and started scooping a few teaspoons of greenish-tan leaves into a little, circle wire strainer. Joohyun turned her attention back to her laptop cracked open of the coffee table, her legs stretched out beneath the long, short table with her back rested against the side of the couch. Yerim’s own PC was sitting on the cushions, playing music from the tiny speakers. “I didn’t have time to do it,” said Joohyun, continuing the conversation they were having before Yerim got up to start a pot of coffee and search for some tea. It was late and none of the good shops were open which led them to keep it indoors for the night along with the steady patter of rain on the windows. The kettle started to whistle as Yerim suggested, “Maybe I could go in.” Joohyun told her about going to the bleeder bar and checking out the Storage Room. After Nurse Lee left, Joohyun tried the lock on the door behind the shelf but she couldn’t get it. The lock was old and required a certain type of key or tool that she didn’t have. Without any more time to waste before one of the staff came to look for her, Joohyun left. There was a series of clinks and clanks from the kitchen. Joohyun waited for them to settle down before she said anything. “Only humans are allowed and they have a finger prick check. They’d know what you were even if you took suppressors.” Yerim sighed in frustration, the action blowing the hair out of her face as she placed a mug down on a coaster beside where Joohyun was working bringing the fragrance of Jasmine that was easily overpowered by the coffee in Yerim’s one cup. “So we just wait? By then, they’ll have made the exchange.” “I don’t think the nurse and Donghee are on the same page,” said Joohyun while Yerim situated herself on the couch so her back was propped against the armrest and computer was cradled in crossed legs. “It doesn’t sound like the operation is going as planned. She sounded frantic.” “I didn’t think I needed to dig any deeper with the nurse,” said Yerim. Joohyunwatched her duck her eyes into her laptop. A few minutes later, she turned to screen for Joohyun to see. “Her, right?” Joohyun scanned the face and nodded. “Right. Lee Soonkyu.” “Great.” She angled the screen back her way and took a lazy drink of coffee. “I’ll see what more I can find. From what I remember, her record was clean but I might’ve overlooked a detail that could lead us into something more.” “I’ll see what I can find about this flux in activity too,” said Joohyun. “I’ve been searching but I’m not coming up with much yet,” Yerim hummed into her mug and let out an uncharacteristic yawn. “I know an officer at the station who works in the division that deals with runaways. Heechul said they might not be but it’s worth a try.” She lowered the screen of her laptop down a fraction so she could see Joohyun in her place on the floor. “I don’t understand why the Chief wouldn’t tell us.” Joohyun bit the rim of her glass. She couldn’t shake that it felt strange. Did the Chief really want to take them off because they had overworked themselves? If so, why did Heechul feel the need to tell them about his plan and the flux beforehand? And why did even Heechul look unnerved about what was happening? “Maybe he doesn’t know himself,” said Joohyun. The ceramic clinked as it set back on the coaster. “Otherwise, why didn’t Heechul tell us all of the details?” Yerim’s eyes narrowed, tongue working on the inside of her cheek in a moment of thought. “I don’t know, but we better be on it.” Joohyun nodded in agreement. “Be careful who you talk to. If it gets back to the Chief that we’re looking into it when Heechul told us to be quiet, we might not have a choice but to back off.” “Yeah, yeah,” Yerim waved a dismissive hand. “Don’t worry, I got this. In the meantime, you’re not going near that bleeder bar again.” Joohyun blinked. “What?” Yerim shot her a pointed look over the edge of her screen. “You’re on leave. There’s no reason for you to go. You shouldn’t have been there today.” “I was there on investigation,” Joohyun argued. “I know but—” she sighed, laptop clicking shut at the quick flick of the wrist. “I don’t feel right about you being there. Ever since you’ve started…” “Ever since I started?” Joohyun’s gaze followed Yerim as she lifted off the couch and moved to sit on the coffee table, not minding to move the scatter of papers that were there. She settled her mug on her knees, her head tilted down toward her. “It’s your business but I have to ask.” Her fingers fidgeted around the mug. Steam was still rising out of it and the ceramic must be burning but she didn’t notice. “Is there anything going on?” Joohyun narrowed her eyes. “What do you mean?” “I don’t know.” She gave an empty, nervous laugh, hand ruffling through her hair, strands wavy from being freshly washed. Joohyun enjoyed seeing Yerim like this—in her home, comfortable in marshmallow pajama pants and an oversized sweatshirt. The comfort of it was interrupted by the honest concern she was looking at her with. She had looked at her like that too much lately. “Maybe not when you started but recently you’ve been distracted. Dazed. I don’t know if it’s the blood loss or something else. It’s like your head is elsewhere.” Joohyun opened her mouth to retort but stopped. She knew what Yerim was talking about but she didn’t realize anyone else noticed. She thought she was doing a good job at not allowing her own personal project of borderline obsessive curiosity to show. And if there was one rule Joohyun kept in place and expected from others around her it was to put her job first. She had work to do, people to find, criminals to catch. With the Chief doubting her, just one mistake away from completely dismissing her from what she begged to do, she couldn't afford to slip up. Not in a way that showed. “You’re right,” she said after a moment. Placing her mug down, she clasped her hands in her lap and forced herself to meet Yerim’s stare. “I should slow down.” Yerim stilled. “Whoa. That was too easy.” “I’ve been thinking about it.” It wasn’t completely a lie but the words weren’t entirely true either. What she had been thinking was how she could get around the leave put on her to be able to meet her. What she had been thinking was how careless she was with her health to get that leave. What she had been thinking was how there was only a day left until seven and there was a nervous pang in her stomach when she knew she couldn’t be there. “I was taken to the hospital and what you said about the money is true. I’ll cut back.” Yerim examined her for a moment before her face softened. “Thank you.” Joohyun offered a smile just as a tenant came by, knocking on the door. “Ten minutes until curfew.” Joohyun checked the time on her phone. Almost midnight. Humans were only allowed to stay over until midnight unless they checked in as overnights and were given notification signs to hang on the knobs to let others know. Not all complexes were run that way, but the more expensive ones with actual security and maintenance had the feature. “Come on”—Yerim got up from the table, arms stretching up above her head—”I’ll take you back to your place.” -/-/-/- The Lost Siren Joohyun stared at the cursing blinking at the end of the words typed out in the search bar, her finger hovering over the enter key. Her eyes cast over to the work she was neglecting. Yerim sent her information on Lee Soonkyu and there were some details on teenage runaway groups that she had yet to touch. The hours were winding down and all Joohyun could think about was her. Would she be upset that she couldn’t be there? Would she go in and have a Tap anyway? Or would she decline and leave? Joohyun knew by now that she didn’t always come for blood. The last time she was in was different. There was something off and though Joohyun couldn’t place it or knew exactly what, it was behind the reason why she asked her to come again. Made her promise. An odd prick of jealousy went off in her stomach when she thought that maybe she would bleed someone else. That she would talk to someone else. Joohyun huffed and shook it off. It didn’t matter...it shouldn’t matter. She shouldn’t even matter. But here she was. And no matter how much Joohyun told herself to stop, abort mission, hit delete! She hit enter anyway. Result after result after result popped up. Articles, blogs, fan pages, magazine covers, video links, discography links. Joohyun blinked though she wondered why she was so shocked about what was splayed across her computer screen. Yerim said she was popular, and if she was good enough to play on the radio she must’ve been more than just a random, new, rookie act. She figured it was because this was the Immortal City. Celebrities here weren’t given the same tier of credibility as the human acts on the outside though the vampire ones had an other-than allure that drew curious eyes even from those who didn’t like their kind very much. Joohyun clicked on the first link, pulling up a profile page of the girl. With it was a picture. She was gorgeous. Of course she would be. Fair skin, dark eyes but not too much so that the browns were drowned out to black, compact and thin. She had the odd, marble sculpture-like luster to her skin like all vampires did. It made them look too smooth and too perfect like the models you saw on magazine covers with makeup that hid their pores. Nonetheless, Joohyun could see that even as a human, the girl was already pretty and the change only enhanced that. In the picture attached to the page, her hair was black, falling down her shoulders over a sheer, black top that gave into red snakeskin printed pants and boots with large, silver buckles on them. Her makeup was heavy around the eyes and one side of her mouth was kinked into a smirk, tugged up just enough to see the tip of the fang hidden behind glossy lips. Looking at the image, Joohyun couldn’t help but feel like she was wrong. This girl didn’t look like she would be the customer she talked to behind glass. She looked a little bratty and haughty with an undertone of bitchy which didn’t lend to generous sums of tips. But when her eyes flicked down, Joohyun wasn’t so sure she should doubt herself. Stage Name: The Lost Siren Name: Son Seungwan Birthday: February 21st, 1979 Label: JSU Entertainment Records Joohyun stilled. That name… Getting up, she went for her bag and drew out the files she got from Heechul. Her fingers were clumsy in their haste to open the document and find the sheet of paper with the list of names. Running her finger down the names, she mouthed the names out loud until she stopped on one. Son Seungwan Her heart jolted. It was her. It had to be her. Joohyun clicked on the most recent interview. It led her to a YouTube video on a channel called JihyoInTheKnow. And she didn’t stop clicking after that. She wondered what her appeal was. Was it because she was kind? Because she was a woman? Because she talked to her? Joohyun didn’t talk to many people and talking to her was a nice change of pace. It added color into the monochrome that her life and job had taken on. Her life and job. Could she even separate the two? They were weaved into one, creating a routine that Joohyun could always predict, she always knew how to approach it and what would come next. She changed that. She deviated. She was a new case Joohyun had never had her hands on and she was hungry to dive into it. -/-/-/- The cab ride took her longer than normal if only because she spent half an hour trying to talk herself out of getting into one. Now she was here. The Red Labyrinth was both dark and light, it’s neon signs welcoming in the shadows around it. Joohyun stood across the street, perched on a bench in front of a resale video store just closed. There was minimal activity here but she could hear the sounds of the city alive a block over. This area was frequented mainly by vampires and Joohyun reached into her coat, feeling for the sidearm she had strapped to the inside. She didn’t always carry it but she felt safer with it now as she waited. A sleek, midnight blue car pulled up on the curb just a ways down from the bleeder bar. Joohyun sparked alert. It had the flare of someone rich though she didn’t take her as being the flashy type. And it wasn’t her. Joohyun’s jaw tightened when she saw a man step out. A stray beam of streetlight illuminated the face of Donghee as he hopped onto the curb and hurried to the side entry gate of the bleeder bar. Joohyun fished out her phone, going to message Yerim but thought against it. She squinted, trying to get a look at the license plate but she couldn’t see it the angle she was sitting. Getting up, Joohyun flipped up the lapels of her coat, shielding her face from view as she stalked across the street, using the pass of two others as cover and stopped at a crossway far enough behind the car that the red beams of rear lights couldn’t catch her. Taking out her phone, Joohyun typed in the plate numbers just as a cab pulled into the front lot entrance of the bleeder bar. Joohyun took off, head ducked as she traveled up the sidewalk and passed the car. She reached around the edge of the front of the building just as a woman was stepping up to the entry doors. Joohyun couldn’t see much of them. They were in a long coat and scarf that wrapped tightly around their neck and chin. Brown hair that faded out into blonde fell long, blowing into their face, obstructing it from view and disappeared inside. The cab pulled out of the drop-off lane and Joohyun eased back into the shadows, staying away from the lights. She waited. Seconds ticking by. Familiar voices distracted her and she peered back down the street to where the blue car was idled. “Where are you taking me?” asked Soonkyu, irritated but unsure as she followed after Donghee to the car. “Just get in the car,” Donghee ordered. Car doors shut and an engine revved, fading off into the night. Joohyun's muscles tensed. She should go after them. That should be her main mission, not some stakeout to see if she would spot Seungwan. But as soon as the guilt of betraying her job and Yerim came to her, it was washed away when the front door of the bleeder bar opened again. Joohyun swept her eyes back toward the entrance just as the same woman stepped out. Joohyun watched as she just stood there. She soon pulled out a phone and looked at the screen. Joohyun figured she was checking the time because she brought it back down and spun around, looking back at the doors then out toward the lot once again. Shoulders sagged as she brought her phone to life again, thumbs working on the screen. A sharp brush of wind cut through Joohyun’s coat and fluttered through the woman's long, wavy hair. Joohyun shuddered as a chill passed through her and air sucked swiftly into her lungs when a head snapped in her direction, landing perfectly in the place she was hiding. There wasn’t enough light to reveal her but there was just enough where the woman was standing for Joohyun to see her face. A face that matched one she saw over and over and over again in searches. Thing finger lifted, pulling down the scarf wrapped their to reveal the rest of it and Joohyun’s stomach dropped. It was her. Seungwan. Her eyes narrowed, head titled the slightest as she squared her shoulders toward where Joohyun was. “Irene?” Her skin turned to ice. How did she— Of course. How could she be so clumsy? Seungwan was a vampire and she knew her scent. She had countless encounters behind glass to memorize the taste and essence of her blood. It carried over into the fragrance of her skin and gave her away as easy as a facial recognition. Joohyun turned away. She wasn’t supposed to be discovered. She couldn’t. Seungwan hadn’t seen her. If she left now, maybe she could get away. Joohyun started off, away from the bleeder bar. Away from Seungwan. “Irene.” The voice was closer now. Clear. Joohyun fought against turning around. She wanted to. What was the harm in it? Accidents could happen. They could’ve easily run into each other outside of the bleeder bar at any point during the times that they met each other. They could’ve passed one another in the city while out shopping. They could’ve crossed paths a hundred times already and hadn’t known it. But Joohyun knew better. She kept walking. She wasn’t supposed to be seen. The glow of headlights glared behind her and she glanced back just enough to see that it was a cab. Raising her hand, she hailed it over to her. Footsteps finally began her way. Her heart sped up, pulse beating hot and loud in her ears. The cab stopped. Joohyun gripped the handle. “Wait—” The door slammed shut.

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

“It is you.”
Wide, brown eyes looked up at her from inside of a cab. Seungwan was shaking. She couldn't believe she just did that. She should’ve let Irene go. She should’ve left. But she didn’t. For the first time in years, she was grateful for being a vampire. She was fast and she needed to be before the cab could drive off. She caught it just in time, wrenching the door open with a jerk of the handle. 
Now she wasn’t so sure that was the best decision. Irene looked terrified though it only lasted a second before her face change, molding into something unreadable. 
“In or out, I don’t have all night,” grumbled the driver.
Seungwan threw herself inside and shut the door just as the car jolted forward. She looked out the window, watching as the sign of the Red Labyrinth drew further and further into the distance. Her insides were all tangled up and her stomach was doing flips. Oh god. She was in the car with a Tap. With Irene. 
“You shouldn’t be here.”
Seungwan turned to face the girl in the seat across from her. To anyone else, she was sure they would think Irene was calm. That the fixed expression on her face spoke of nonchalance. She was anything but calm. Seungwan could hear her heartbeat. It was slamming so hard and her blood—her blood.
Seungwan’s tongue darted out in an involuntary lick, her eyes shooting down to take in the soft beat of the pulse in her throat just visible beyond the lapels of her coat. Her cheeks were rosy from the cold and a blush that was spreading over her skin the longer she was under fixed, focus scrutiny. Seungwan could smell it. She could smell it outside of the bleeder bar and it was that alone that told her that the woman stalking out in the darkness was the one who was hidden behind glass to her for weeks. 
“I needed to see you,” she said, unable to stop the words like usual. She wished she knew what it was about Irene that made the worlds in her head tumble off of her lips. Right now she was sure it was desperation, impatience, coupled with the adrenaline rush and the sudden high of being trapped in a cab with her intoxicating smell. But it wasn’t just her blood. Irene smelt like the cold and cream laced with something soft like lilies. And she looked—
Irene’s lips parted a second in surprise. She regained herself quickly. “Not like this.”
Seungwan dragged her gaze from the swell of her pink mouth to the eyes that were staring back at her. Irene had a steady gaze. It was searching. Watchful. Curious and careful and calculating. She was simply observing Seungwan, taking her all in with her eyes the same way Seungwan was doing with her nose. 
“Where are you going?” she asked, ignoring the undercurrent of fear she heard in Irene’s voice. 
Irene’s head turned before her eyes moved to look out through the windshield as if she was looking for something. A wrinkle touched the space between her eyes and was gone a second later. “Home.”
At that, Seungwan leaned forward, giving the driver an address.
“Where are you taking us?” asked Joohyun. Her eyes were big again. Was it concern?
Seungwan offered a soft pull of her lips. “I won’t hurt you.”
Irene’s mouth opened to say something but whatever it was it was never spoken and they fell into silence. Seungwan wanted to fill it up. The rush of excitement that had ruled her into getting into the cab was gone and left an awkward tension in its wake. It was when the car stopped and she got out that she realized how tight she was holding herself, muscles wound and neck stiff. She didn’t want to do anything that would make Irene uncomfortable. She didn’t want to scare her any more than she might have been. 
“Will you come inside?” asked Seungwan, bent over to speak into the backseat. Irene was looking out of the door passed her to the entrance of a bar. When she met Seungwan’s stare again, it read unsure. Guilt hit her then, clenching in her chest. She should’ve never done this. 
Closing the door, Seungwan left her where she was. 
It was warm inside the bar. The lights were dim and the music was just loud enough to cover quiet conversations while boisterous laughs took turns rising from the bar counter fanned with a few patrons. Seungwan found a spot quickly, hiding in a corner booth toward the back. She was familiar with the place, a high priced little nook just outside the bounds of the Marquee District she knew she would be safe from too many curious eyes.
Resting back against the leather, she took in a breath and let it out. The past fifteen minutes replayed in her head and she cursed herself silently for her actions. Of course, Irene wouldn’t have wanted to come inside with her. Of course, she was freaked out. Of course. Groaning, Seungwan dropped her face into her hands. 
“Hello.”
Her head snapped up. She wasn’t as good as Irene was at cloaking her shock. It showed plainly on her face, eyes big and mouth open. In the lights of the bar, Seungwan could see her much better. She was smaller than Seungwan pictured but now seeing it, she thought her size fit her well. Her skin was creamy and smooth and her eyes sparkled even in the dim light of the bar. A tongue darted out wetting pink lips the sweet shade of roses. Her cheeks were the same color—warm and full of life. She was beautiful. Strikingly so. 
“Hi,” said Seungwan, stuttering some. She threw out a hand, her normally controlled movements fast in her unsettled nerves. She glanced to Irene to see if she was put off by her unnatural speed but she didn’t seem concerned with it as much as she was with looking into Seungwan’s eyes with that same curious examination. “Would you like to sit?”
Irene hesitated before she slid into the opposite seat. She sat straight and poised, her hands hidden under the table that Seungwan figured were clasped in her lap. She did a sweep of the area around them, fast and precise. When she was done, her shoulders loosened enough to take away some of the stiffness and Seungwan found herself easing now that Irene wasn’t as one edge as she was moments before. 
“Is it…” Irene started then paused, brow creased like she was searching for the right way to phrase what she wanted to say. “Is it okay to be here?”
Seungwan’s chest tightened where her still heart was. “Do you know who I am?”
Irene nodded slowly, the corners of her lips tugging downward. Seungwan wished she knew why she did that. Did she feel sorry for knowing? For Seungwan? Did she ask the question because she was worried for Seungwan or was she worried for herself? Whatever the reason, she needed to even the playing field. 
“Do I get to know your name?”
Irene’s bottom lip pulled between her teeth. “I’m sorry.”
Seungwan didn’t push. She was a public figure, easy to search and plastered on billboards, ads, and TV screens. Her information was out there, just a search away. What little privacy she had was meticulously maintained while she let the public’s imagination run free about who they thought she was and what she did. Irene wasn’t like that. Irene was just a human girl, making cash at a bleeder bar. She didn’t have her stories out there for public scrutiny and her privacy was still hers to maintain. And she should. Sitting in a bar with a vampire no matter how famous they were was a risk even for her. Especially one that knew the taste of what ran in their veins and was very open about how much they liked it. 
“That’s okay.”
Her frown eased up at that and Seungwan returned it, careful that her fangs were fully retracted. She could feel them aching in her gums. She knew she had control. She knew that the last thing she wanted to do was hurt Irene or take from her but her nature was strong and it was hungry. 
“I’m familiar with this bar so there’s nothing to worry about,” Seungwan assured. Irene offered her a simple nod. “My manager would kill me if she knew I was here right now though,” said Seungwan, throwing in a laugh. It was strained, clouded by the nervous lump in her throat. “Especially with you.”
She realized she shouldn’t say things like that. Behind glass was one thing but they weren’t there anymore. Now that Irene knew her face, things were different. Anything she said could be used against her. For all she knew, Irene could be recording their conversation now. She could go and tell everyone she met her in person and slander her name, report to any news outlet about the place she frequented. 
She had so much power and she didn’t even realize it. She didn’t realize that that power wasn’t just from knowing her face but that it was much deeper. Because even so, Seungwan felt it in her that she wanted to be nothing more than candid with her. 
“Because I’m human?” asked Irene.
“Because you’re a Tap.” Seungwan realized how dangerous this was for her. She was so focused on getting to talk to Irene that she forgot to factor in the other eyes around them. Taps had anonymity to the vampires but the humans knew who they were. What if someone put two and two together? “I know you're scared but you don’t realize that I’m risking just as much right now.”
“I’m not scared,” said Irene, looking Seungwan right in the eye. “Not of you.”
Seungwan’s mouth bobbed, taken aback by the honest answer. She searched Irene’s face, looking for deception but she found none. She found very little there and Seungwan wasn’t sure if that calmed or unnerved her. “If anybody sees us together…”
“I won’t say anything,” she said then added, “I have a job to keep too.”
Seungwan nodded and let her back rest against the booth. It was quiet between them again and she couldn’t take it anymore. “Do you want a drink?”
“No. Do you?”
She was about to say no but she could feel her nerves getting the best of her. “I’ll be right back.”
She took the few minutes away from Irene to regain her bearings. If Irene didn’t want to be here, she couldn't. She had a chance to go on, to take the cab home like she wanted but she didn’t. It was reassuring but even as she her drink and headed back to the table, she was scared that Irene wouldn’t be there. That she came to her senses and ran off.
But she was there. She watched Seungwan the entire time she closed the distance to the booth and sat two glasses down onto the dark, wood of the tabletop. “I got you water.”
“Thank you.” She reached for it, bringing it closer but didn’t make a move to drink. 
“The host told me you were on leave,” said Seungwan. 
“I am.”
“But you were there tonight.”
“I—I wasn’t. I…” Color filled into Irene’s cheeks. “I needed to pick up my things that I left.”
Seungwan didn’t want to read into it but now that she could see Irene, every little thing about her was much more telling than the subtitlies she picked up in the bleeder bar. “Why did you run away?”
“I didn’t want to scare you.”
“I’m terrified right now.”
Irene’s eyes gave a small, curious narrow. “Why?”
“Because you’re right. I shouldn’t—we shouldn’t be here. We shouldn’t see each other like this.”
“Then why did you run after me?” 
“I was scared that I wouldn’t ever see you again.” Seungwan bit her lip. “I’m not supposed to have Taps. Not as frequently as I have. If I overdo it again, my manager will put a ban on me.”
Something clicked into place and Irene sat back. “That’s why you needed seven days.” 
Seungwan nodded. “After tonight, I didn’t know how long it would be until next time. When Kibum told me you were on leave I…panicked.”
“Panicked?”
“Was it because of me?”
“I…” Irene’s eyes dropped, following a bead of condensation that snaked down the side of her glass. 
“I’m sorry.”
“It wasn’t your fault.”
“It was. You should’ve stopped me.”
“I didn’t want to stop you.”
Seungwan stilled. Irene was staring back at her. Right in the eye. She was telling the truth. Irene wasn’t scared of her but she was something. “What are you going to do if you’re on leave?”
“I’ll be okay.”
“I you me to, I could pay you for tonight as if we were there.”
“It’s okay, Seungwan.”
Her name in Irene’s mouth felt weird. Unusual. Foreign. She stopped for a moment, replaying it in her head. She had been nameless to her for so long but now Irene knew her. It made Seungwan’s stomach flutter. 
“Isn’t that your job?” she asked. 
“Not the only one and I have enough saved up. Thanks to you.”
Irene’s phone vibrated. She took it out to look at the screen. Seungwan watched the thoughts in her head read across her face in subtle changes of her expression. Irene was full of subtleties, she found. Little tales, tiny gestures, intricately woven emotions given only in fractions. It intrigued Seungwan. 
“Do you need to go?” she asked once Irene shut off the screen. 
“It is getting late.”
“I’m sorry for kidnapping you.”
Irene shook her head. “I didn’t mind.”
“I know we shouldn’t but I’m happy that we’re here. I’ve thought about us meeting for weeks. I never thought it was going to happen.”
“Me neither.”
Grabbing for her purse, Seungwan dug through it finding a pen at the bottom. Taking a napkin, she wrote down her number and folded it. “For you.”
Irene’s mouth tugged downward. “Seung—”
“You don’t have to use it if you don’t want to but, please, take it. I want you to have it.” 
Irene looked from the hand hovering between them back up to her. Slowly, she reached for the napkin, taking it into her fingers. 
Seungwan smiled. “I guess this is goodnight.”
Irene’s eyes followed her as she slinked out of the booth. A gentle smile pulled at her lips. “Goodnight.’
Before she could stop herself, Seungwan left. 
-/-/-/-
Seungwan rubbed a towel through her hair as she left the bathroom. She wasn’t surprised to see Sooyoung sitting in her living room, thumbs working over the screen of a cellphone while her laptop sat on her crossed legs. 
“Morning,” said Seungwan, crossing through to the kitchen, a lightness in her steps. She didn’t realize that Sooyoung hadn’t said anything back to her until she was scooping coffee grounds into the maker. “Good morning?” she tried again, yelling over the breakfast bar. 
Her phone buzzed and Seungwan fished it out of her robe, eyes rolling when she saw the text was from Sooyoung as she opened it. A grainy photograph glared up at her. The quality was bad but there was no mistake of the people in it. All of the fuzzy feelings that were swirling around in her stomach, a left over from the night she spent with Irene turned into heavy stones dropped into her gut. 
“Care to explain?”
Seungwan brought her eyes up. Sooyoung was looking at her, the glare of her computer screen catching in her reading glasses that she pushed up to rest in her hairline. The corners of her mouth were tight, her stare expectant and waiting for clarity. A million and one things ran through Seungwan’s head. She could tell her the truth, tell her that it was the Tap that ran through her mind like a marathon. She could tell her what happened, that she ambushed her and invited her out and they got caught up. She could tell her she hadn’t intended on any of it happening, that she might not see Irene again anyway considering she was on leave and the truth was sure to make Sooyoung put a ban on her at that particular bleeder bar indefinitely. 
But she didn’t want to tell the truth. She couldn’t tell the truth because of what it might do. She didn’t want to let go of the hope that she would see Irene again. She didn’t want to forfeit the burning anticipation of her number crossing her screen, her voice coming through the receiver, her presence. She didn’t want to lose any more of the good things she had.
“I’m not allowed to go out?” she said, challenging Sooyoung’s glare with a soft bite in her voice. 
Her manager scoffed. “You might not have a ball and chain on you but stunts like this are out of the question.”
“All I did was go to a bar.”
“And leave with a woman.”
Her throat tightened up. “So?”
“A human woman.”
Seungwan’s jaw clenched. She knew what Sooyoung was getting at. It was the same list of fears and worries that Seungwan had when she was there with Irene. Unease swarmed in her stomach. Did Sooyoung know who she was? Had she put it together? Was she just playing her, seeing if she would tell on herself or would she do exactly what she was doing now and lie?
“Don’t worry,” said Sooyoung before Seungwan could take a breath to explain. “I’ve already taken care of it and doused the fires before it could spread. Whoever the girl is, she’s a nobody. I doubt anyone will look into it.”
Immediate relief deflated the balloon of distress. So she didn’t know who Irene was but Seungwan was even more relieved to find out that Irene was a nobody outside of being a Tap. There was no one to ask questions, no leads to go on, no secrets to uncover. It was relieving but it piqued Seungwan’s curiosity. She wanted to know more. What else did she do with her time? Did she decide to live beyond the wall voluntarily? Why did she need to work at a bleeder bar? Where did she live? Where did she come from? Who was she completely aside from being a blood bag for Seungwan and others to get a sweet fix? Who was Irene?
“I’ll be more careful.” Seungwan turned her back and grabbed a pair of mugs from the cabinet, a smirk playing on her lips while she filled each of the glasses. Today she won.
“Who is she?”
She shrugged and hoped that the way her muscles tensed didn’t come through in her voice. “Just someone I met at the bar.”
“I didn’t hear you come in last night.” Sooyoung was giving her a look, her eyes sharp and searching as they followed Seungwan from the kitchen into the living room. They stayed on her even as a hand reached up to take the handle of one of the mugs.
Seungwan frowned and sat down on the chair across the coffee table, legs pulled up beneath her and coffee balanced on her knee. “I didn’t do anything.”
“Anything?” Eyebrows wiggled and whatever hurt she felt at assuming Sooyoung thought she would’ve actually hurt someone was replaced with a fluster. “How about anyone?”
Seungwan floundered. “I didn’t sleep with her!”
Sooyoung crackled and blew the steam from the top of the little, pool of blackness in her cup. “Maybe you should’ve. You need to relax.”
If Seungwan could blush she would’ve. “Am I really that wound up?”
“I’ve been wondering why you haven’t hooked up with anyone since I came on and now I know why. I was paying attention to the wrong thing.”
Seungwan groaned. “I don’t pick sides. And I haven’t had time for—”
“Fornicating?”
“Why are you so crude!” Seungwan shuddered and Sooyoung’s laugh only made it worse. She glared halfheartedly, trying to curb her manager’s fit of fun but it only served to make her grin split all the more. “Is my sex life really manager business?”
“Yes and it’s also friend business. So, the next time you want to pick up ladies—”
“I said I don’t pick sides!”
“—from bars, I’ll know the right way to spin the story if someone manages to snap pictures again.” Sooyoung flashed a playful grin that disappeared behind a cautious sip, one hand waving in the air to dismiss Seungwan’s embarrassed exclamation. “Your preferences don’t concern me but it’s easier to tell the press you were catching up with friends instead of having a drunken night with a hot, male hunk. Sexists, I know, but that’s the world we live in and I work to keep you tame and likable in the public eye and not a washed-up whore that Jeongsu might have to dump for tainting his company’s reputation.”
“You’re terrifying.” Seungwan eyed her over the rim of her mug. “Is that why they kicked you out of the real world and you came here?”
“A devil belongs in hell, no?” Sooyoung winked. Attention focused back on her laptop as she listed off what they needed to get done for the day. “Jeongsu wants to have a meeting with you as well. It should fit in around lunch time.”
“Meeting?”
“He didn’t go into detail but it’s probably about this agreement he’s trying to make with his friend.” She said it with so much disdain that it made Seungwan’s eyebrow cock upward. 
“Do you know anything else?”
Sooyoung shook her head, the action causing her reading glasses to slip down. She pulled them all the way on and squinted as she used two fingers to scroll through whatever was on her computer. “He’s been tight lipped about it since I overheard him that day. I did run into Jinki in business management and he hinted that they were anticipating something big.” 
“Big?”
She peeked over the top of her screen with wide eyes. “Big, big.”
Seungwan bit into her lip. She knew that much. The moment she knew it was with Dynasty Records, she knew it was big. At first, it was something that excited her. When Jeongsu first told her about it in the car, she was restless with suspense, wound up with anticipation, burning with expectation. All she really heard was going outside. That she could breach the walls. That she could see something more. The closer the time drew, the deeper she was taken, the more Jeongsu reminded her about the stakes and the importance about what this meant had turned that excitement into an unusual mix of fear and eagerness. She wanted it but there was a cost to be had yet clear to Seungwan and it made her uneasy. Though the uneasy she had wasn’t where she expected.
“So don’t mess up,” said Sooyoung.
Seungwan sighed. “Why is it on me?”
“That’s what I want to know too.” Sooyoung’s eyes narrowed.
Seungwan broke the stare. The more she talked to Sooyoung about it, the more she was tempted to tell her what else was going on. She itched to tell her that Jeongsu didn’t just want her to meet Mr. Kim he wanted her to...what exactly did he want? There were many things that red lace could hint at and they didn’t all have to mean the extreme end of the spectrum like she was thinking. It could be nothing. But even Seungwan doubted it would be just a simple panty show. And if it was more than that, would she be able to go through with it? Was extending outside of the walls of her home that important? Did it trump dignity and self respect? How far would she go? How far could she go? And why did her unease stem more from the unknown lengths of her desperation than what actually lie ahead of her? 
“I’m his favorite that’s why.” Seungwan batted her lashes, hands folded beneath her chin. 
“I wouldn’t go bragging about that,” Sooyoung grumbled. It didn’t sound as playful as usual. There was a sharpness to it. Something on the edge of displeasure but something else. Worry? Seungwan couldn’t place it and it made her wonder if her manager knew more than what she was letting on. 
It made her wonder if they were both pieces in Jeongsu’s game, playing along in their own roles and kept in the dark from one another. “I’m going to finish getting ready,” said Sooyoung. Her laptop shut with a soft click and she gave a satisfied moan as she stretched her arms up above her head. “Be ready in an hour?”
Seungwan tipped her coffee cup toward her. If they were both playing Jeongsu’s game, somehow she would have to get them into the same field.
“I’ll be here!” 
-/-/-/-
Jeongsu’s office was on the seventh floor. The entrance to it greeted her right out of the elevator—double frosted glass doors with JSU Entertainment Records plastered in bold text above the handles. Seungwan remembered the first time she stood in front of these doors. She was twenty, in worn out chucks and a button down shirt she bought at the half-off store hoping the outdated design could be viewed as vintage and not a cheap, hand-me-down. She remembered trembling, her hands sweating, her heart fluttering, and her stomach doing flips. She was too excited for words then. She was young and eager and nervous.
The knob was cold under her grip this time as she let herself in. It was warm inside. Jeongsu always liked to keep the places he was warm. Sunlight poured in from a wall of windows, filling the entire room with a hot glow that bounced off the white walls and cooled against the gray carpet. In the center was a desk, long and black that sat on top of a black rug. In front of it were two leather blacked chairs, the cushions more comfortable than they looked. Seungwan sat in one of them the first time she stepped into this office and she looked up at the same man that occupied the desk now, face lit up by a stylized lamp in all of its immortal handsome beauty. 
There were many things that changed from that first time until now. The way Jeongsu looked at her seemingly didn’t. He titled his chin up, eyes half closed in intrigue as he observed her, chin rested between his fingers and a thumb running back and forth at the corner of his mouth. He was in navy today, the dark color stark against his fair skin. 
Seungwan bowed in greeting the same way she always did. “You wanted to see me?”
His mouth curved up in a smile forming dimples in his skin. They were part of his charm. Seungwan used to think they were charming. She still thought they added to his allure but she no longer had that same fanciful admiration she had for him then. She knew Jeongsu in ways she wondered if the others under his label did and it made her both a little afraid but also fond of him in a sick, twisted confusing mess of emotions. She neither loved him or hated him, was comfortable with him or afraid of him, admired him or despised him. It was all of those things wrapped up into one.
“Your dress is ready,” he said. He sounded pleased and Seungwan couldn’t help but to be delighted by that despite what the dress meant. “Would you like to try it on?”
What he meant was that he wanted her to try it on. There was no option to opt out even if she wanted to. “Yes, please. I would love to.”
Picking up the phone, he punched a few numbers and spoke soft and quickly to whoever answered before setting it back into its cradle. The chair he was in swiveled slightly as he leaned back, crossing one leg over his knee and crossed his arms comfortably. “You’re going to be beautiful in it.”
“Thanks to you.”
His smile pulled wider. It was a true, genuine smile. Seungwan would know. She had seen very few of them but it was enough to distinguish from the ones he gave just to appease others. Seungwan dipped her head modestly, stomach fluttering at his sincere content with her just as a knock tapped on the door.
At Jeongsu’s summons it opened letting in a stylist, an older woman who Seungwan had seen and worked with many times, wheeling in a shelved garment rack while an assistant holding a changing screen followed. On the rack hung one single white garment bag she was certain held the dress while the rack was stocked with various pairs of heels and a jewelry displays. Seungwan eyed the diamonds and the heels and the necklaces and the earrings. She had worn expensive things before. Her status called for it but she could tell that the things on the rack were higher grade than anything she had ever touched. 
“Mrs. Nam will assist you,” said Jeongsu. 
Seungwan stepped over to the rack, her eyes on the heels. There were a pair similar to the ones Jeongsu had already given her. She ran her finger along the intricate design of diamonds along the side. 
“Miss Son,” called the Stylist.
Seungwan stepped behind the screen. The assistant met her there, instructing her to get undressed. Once she had the last of her garments off, the Stylist rounded with the bag. The zipper came undone with an audible sound and Seungwan watched careful hands pull it out. At first, Seungwan wondered what they did to it but she quickly noticed the white collars and wrist cuffs added to it that hadn’t been there before. 
The Stylist and Assistant talked amongst each other, exchanging instruction as Seungwan stepped forward. She braced herself with a hand on the Assistant’s shoulder as she stepped into the dress. It slinked up her body easily and she turned around for the zipper to be done up the back noting that it was also a couple inches shorter than it was originally, riding up high on her thighs. 
The heels came next and she eased her feet into them, her eyes now at level with the Stylist who stood in front of her, examining the ensemble while the Assistant hooked on a pair of necklaces that hung at different lengths beneath the collar and presented two sets of earrings before settling on one and speared them into Seungwan’s ears where the dangled heavily.
“What about her hair?” asked the Assistant. 
“It will be worn down,” said Jeongsu from the opposite side of the screen. “Is she done?”
The Assistant shared a quick look with the Stylist who nodded and stepped from behind the screen. Seungwan followed, the clicks of her heels muffled on the carpeted floor as she made her way into the center of the room where she stood, flanked by the two older women. 
“Sir,” said the Stylist. 
Jeongsu turned around from where he was idled by the windows, his hands buried in the deep pockets of his pants. His eyes found her immediately, squinting as they did a first pass. A wrinkle etched in his brow. Seungwan saw that same wrinkle many times as they went through shops trying to find the right dress for her to wear. She knew it meant nothing good.
“Leave us,” he instructed. 
The two women moved without question, leaving them alone. The cool draft from outside that whooshed in from the door brushed against her legs, teasing up into the head between her thighs. Seungwan was made aware of how vulnerable and exposed she was—how vulnerable and exposed Jeongsu was making her feel as he stepped away from the window to stand in front of her. 
“I was right,” he said softly, the unamused crease in his brow ironing out. A kink at the corner of his mouth replaced it. “Beautiful.”
“Do you really think so?”
“Think?” His eyes took her in completely then, unrestrained by the eyes of others. It was so much like the first time they met. Seungwan wasn’t sure what it meant back then. She thought it was amazement and intrigue. Now she knew what it was. Greed and power and pride. “I picked right with you.”
“You always know best.”
He laughed, a soft chuckle of a sound in his throat. If he knew she was only flattering him he didn’t show it. “There is one other thing,” he said, leaning back on the front edge of his desk. Not once did his eyes leave her. “I would like for you to prepare a song. A ballad.”
“Any ballad?”
Jeongsu rubbed at his chin. “Compile a list and I will approve one or two that I deem appropriate for the occasion.”
“When is Mr. Kim coming?”
“At the end of the week,” he said. Seungwan’s throat went dry. She knew it was coming but knowing it was right there made her palms prickle. ““How did you like my gift?”
She chose her words wisely, watching the way his gaze flicked from her mouth to her eyes, reading her just like she tried to read and gauge him. “It’s very pretty. Thank you.”
“Then you understand what this means.”
“Yes,” she said but Jeongsu caught it. 
He was up on his feet instantly, a few steps closing the distance between them so he stood only a feet in front of her. She could smell his cologne over the faint cooper smell of blood that was still fresh on is breath from a recent feeding. The scent made Seungwan’s own stomach clench with hunger but it was forgotten with his concern. “What’s wrong?”
She craned her neck up to look at him. He was so close it made her all the more nervous. She licked her lips, giving her another second of preparation. “I’m just not really sure of what you want me to do exactly.”
“I want you to win this for me. For us.”
“But the lingerie—”
“Some things are just as good seen even if they are not touched. Sometimes that’s even better.”
She blinked. So she was right. Right to assume that where Jeongsu wanted the evening to go would dip into sensual territory but she didn’t expect the other bit. “So I don’t have to…”
“Do you think I would force you to do something you don’t want to?” The creases in his forehead were back, his lips tight. “When have I ever demanded you put yourself into harm's way?”
Her mouth was dry again. “Never.”
“Do you know how many emails and phone calls and texts I get about you? How many people want you? You do not realize that I have protected you the moment you stepped into my company and I will always do that.”
“I know that, sir.”
“I run a business.” he hissed, voice still low but sharp and pointed as the fangs she could see partially lengthened in his mouth. “I understand business. I understand what people want, how to entice them, how to persuade them. You know this. You’re acting like this is the first time you have been apart of the plan. This isn’t any different.”
“You’ve…” she trailed off.
“I?” A finger bumped beneath Seungwan’s chin, bringing her eyes back to his. “I what?”
“You’ve never gone this far.”
“I go this far because it will make us go far. Of anyone you should understand the prices we must pay for what we want. That is why I chose you.” The hand under her chin reached back, brushing the hair off her shoulder. Seungwan shivered as fingers grazed over her neck, ghosting along the taut pull of muscles and tendons there. “You really are my most perfect creation. You’re everything to me.”
Seungwan stayed still. His words could’ve been nothing but they were true. Jeongsu did not just make her into who she was. He made her intowhat she was. His blood turned her and his power exalted her. Even if she did leave him, if she finished her debts and left the company, if she tossed away her stage name and put her years under lights behind, she would forever and always be connected to him. 
“This is important for both of us. Don’t forget that.” A finger pressed against her lips, cutting her off before she could speak, and Jeongsu leaned forward, his eyes level with hers and his face only a breath away from hers. She could see into his eyes, the deep, deep browns and she could see the tiny, nearly invisible blemishes in his skin that had been repaired over during his change. “We don’t do this because we want to but because we have to. You understand that, right?” He waited for her to nod. “Don’t disappoint me,” he said barely above a whisper. “Will you disappoint me?”
Her lips scraping against the cool touch of his finger as she spoke. “I won’t, sir.”
“I know you won’t, starlight.” He smiled, a pleased curve of his mouth. Chin tilting up, he sighed as he touched a kiss to her forehead. “I know.”
-/-/-/-
When Seungwan was eight, her dad gave her a dress. She remembered him telling her to cover her eyes as he picked her up and took her inside from where she was playing with a hula hoop her babysitter had gifted her—a treasure with gold to Seungwan. 
She remembered standing in the middle of the room, her little fingers getting sweaty in anticipation and her heart pounding excited at what her dad wanted to show her. When he told her she could finally look, Seungwan thought she was dreaming.
The dress was blue, pale like the sky with white lace around the hem and sleeves and buttons on the front. She was scared to touch it until her dad said she could try it on and when Seungwan did, she felt like a princess. The dress was so nice. So different than the hand-me-downs her mom found at the bargain store and the stitching was strong and perfect unlike the sown patterns her mom made for her. 
“But is not my birthday,” Seungwan told her dad.
He laughed at her and kissed her on the forehead and told her it was because he loved her. Seungwan’s chest lit up like hot coals and she held onto his neck with happy tears in her eyes. 
Now, Seungwan stared at her reflection in the closet mirror across from where she sat on the edge of her bed. The bag holding Jeongsu’s little gift was clutched in her hands and Seungwan closed her eyes, picturing herself in the black dress she had tried on. It was so beautiful. So perfect. She should’ve felt like a queen. She should’ve felt like she did when she was given that pretty, blue dress years ago. 
Eyes fluttering open, she saw her younger face looking back. She was seven and she was on her dad’s shoulders dressed in the colors of the sky and clouds. But then his face molded and she saw Jeongsu looking back at her, his crooked smile pulled at his mouth as he pressed a kiss to her temple and for a moment Seungwan felt a wave of comfort. 
There was no reason to be afraid. Jeongsu protected her. Jeongsu wanted the best for her. Jeongsu, in an odd sort of twisted way, loved her. He was doing this for her. 
“Are you almost ready?” Sooyoung’s voice carried into the room with a knock on the door. “I’m supposed to drop you by the company building in half an hour.”
“Almost.” She stuffed the bag into her purse, sure that it was hidden from view as Sooyoung announced she was coming in. 
The door creaked open, letting in a draft of cool air from the hall. Seungwan got up from where she was sitting to finishing getting dressed. There was no makeup or hair to be done. The stylists were going to do it at the studio so she grabbed a mask to hide her bare face Incase anyone saw her on the street. 
“I don’t like this,” said Sooyoung. Seungwan glanced up at Sooyoung leaning against the doorjamb, her arms crossed. “I should be there. I’m your manager.”
“It’s a private event I think it will be okay,” Seungwan tried to assure her but even in the pit of her own stomach she wished Sooyoung could come. Even if she had to hang in the shadows, tables away and out of sight, having her bear was a comfort. 
“I don’t know. I have this feeling…”
“What kind of feeling?”
She bit into her lip nervously, her eyes following Seungwan through the room as she grabbed a pair of pants from a drawer then snatched up a shirt from the closet. “I...I just want you to be safe.”
“I’ll be safe,” she said. Pushing her head through the neck of her shirt, Seungwan pulled her hair out of the collar, fixing it in the mirror where she could see Sooyoung’s reflection. She knew Sooyoung was prone to the occasional bout of worry but there was something different about her now. “Soo?” She turned around to meet her eyes directly. “What aren’t you telling me?”
The last bits of her restrains broke and she dropped her arms with a guilty sigh. “I know who’s going to be there tonight.”
Seungwan went stiff. 
“I didn’t like being left in the dark,” she said, moving deeper into the room to sit in the opposite edge of Seungwan’s bed. “I’m never left in the dark like this. I did some digging and it all seems too good to be true.”
“What does?”
“Dynasty Records. They’re like seriously huge. What do they want with a company in a Hollow? I know Jeongsu is renowned but why the sudden interest? Why the investment? Why the secrecy?” She pressed. “I’ve worked in entertainment for a long time and my stomach has been hurting ever since I overheard that conversation.”
“What are you afraid of?”
“I don’t know. I don’t know!” Sooyoung rubbed at her temple with two fingers. Seungwan thought she was the only one who was stressed about the ordeal. “I want you to get out of here. I want this to go well for us because that means you can get out. The money this could draw in could be enough to break the contract and get you an outside allowance registration but I’m worried about what the cost is.”
Seungwan’s jaw flexed. She had thought about nothing but costs since Jeongsu first told her about the favor he needed. She had wrestled with the brevity of what those costs were after the day he took her shopping. But she had come to terms with them after she put on that dress in the office. What was a cost when it could gain her so much? What was a little fire when the product to be built from it was more beautiful than what she had now? 
“Jeongsu protects me,” she said. Sooyoung scoffed and Seungwan was surprised by the flare of offense she felt at it.“He has a weird way of showing it but he does.” 
He said he did. Seungwan knew he did. She wouldn’t be here without him. She would’ve be given this opportunity or this choice if it wasn’t for him. She just had to do a little bit more, walk a few more miles, and she would finally win. They would win. 
“He’s not your friend, Seungwan.” Sooyoung tone was as cold as her glare was disgusted. 
“I know what I’m getting into,” she bit back, turning away from Sooyoung to pull her hair up in the mirror. “I’ve been doing this a long time, too, and I know the risks. Whatever this is, I don’t care about the cost—“
Sooyoung laughed. “I thought you had more self respect than that.”
“You can’t imagine how much I want to be free of this place!” She snapped, whipping back around. Sooyoung’s teeth shut with a click and the words left Seungwan like a flood. “You don’t understand and you never will. You’re human. You can leave whenever you want. This isn’t an ‘us’ thing, Soo. This is for me and I’ll do whatever I have to do.”
Sooyoung blinked in the silence that fell between them and Seungwan watched as her shock and defenses melted away. “You’re right,” she said. “I don’t.”
Guilt rushed in like a tidal wave. “Soo—“
She shook her head, cutting her short. “You made yourself clear but can I ask for one thing?” She waited for Seungwan to nod before continuing. “Will you check in with me tonight? You’re a big girl you know how to handle yourself but it would give me peace of mind of you did. Just a text. Okay?”
“Okay,” Seungwan agreed. 
Sooyoung stood up, offering a sad smile. “I’ll be in the car.”
-/-/-/-
They did her up nicely, a soft curl to her hair, a brush of blush across her cheeks, a touch of lipstick, a dash of eye shadow. Seungwan saw it in the reflection of the rearview mirror that sparked with streetlights and billboard signs as they drove deep into the Marquee District. Jeongsu sat beside her, his attention drawn out of the window. He was quiet tonight. Seungwan wished he wasn’t. In silence she had no choice but to be left with her thoughts and her nerves that were clenched so tightly in her stomach it started to hurt. 
A buzz went off in her clutch and she slipped out her phone, the light glaring in the dark car. It was a message from Sooyoung. A reminder to keep her updated. She quickly typed out a reply and put it away just as the car slowed.
“We’re here,” said Jeongsu, his voice soft.
Seungwan looked out the window where a sign lit up in yellow gold lights shined back at her for the Foxhound Casino & Resort. Shifting her eyes up, she took in the building—wider than it was tall—as the driver took them into the curved drop-off lane. 
The car came to a stop behind a limousine sitting in front of the line of gold doors to the entrance. 
“How are you feeling?”
Seungwan blinked, her focus on the fountain out front, water spraying up in artistically cross-crossing arches in purple and gold, to turn to Jeongsu. He was in a crushed velvet suit, the color a red darker than blood and accented with gold. There was warmth in his cheeks from a recent feeding though it lacked the natural blush found in mortals. “I’m expectant.”
“Expectant?”
“To meet Mr. Kim.”
“Funny.” Jeongsu rubbed his chin, the lights outside glinting off a large, golden ring on his index finger. “At the studio, you were stiffer than a corpse.”
“It’s natural to be nervous.”
“Don’t show it.” His fingers left his own chin to take Seungwan’s. He lifted her head up easily, thumb stroking across her bottom lip that peeled it down just barely. “And make sure to keep those hidden. You have a bad habit of letting them out when you get excited.”
“Isn’t excitement the way you want tonight to end?”
His grip tightened and he jerked her neck back down so that their eyes met. “That is up to up.”
“I know, sir.” She licked her lips, wetting the place where the pad of his finger had left it feeling dry. “I trust you.”
His smile spread as their turn in the drop-off lane came up and two attendants came around to either side of the car, opening the doors for them. Seungwan stepped out with the aid of a hand and stepped up onto the curb at the base of a short set of stairs that lead up to the golden doors. Jeongsu was quick to round to her, his arm presented out to her. 
“Shall we?”
Putting on a smile, she took his elbow and let him lead them into the venue where they made their way into the elevator to a floor that indicated a dining hall. The smells caught her first before the sounds of soft chatter, clinking plates, and gentle music. The air was thick with the scent of humans, all their scents mixing up into a strange, foreign and powerfully tempting fragrance. Despite their behind humans through the Immortal City, it was rare Seungwan was in close quarters with so many of them. 
There were so many flavors of blood, some more tantalizing than others. Seungwan could feel her gums tingle, teasing her to let her fangs slip free. She clenched her jaw and stunted her breathing to keep them from winning. Now she knew why Jeongsu had made sure to have eaten before coming. 
Giving a name to the hostess, they followed her through the restaurant to a dimly lit dining hall. Tables spread across the floor, peppered with occupants while a jazz ensemble played on a stage at the front of the room against a shimmery gold backdrop. A man was at the mic, his voice warm and smooth atop the mellow vibration of bass and a lyrical trumpet. 
On the far side of the room was a fireplace, burning with licks of golden orange flames that gluttered against a set of windows that took up the opposite side of the dining hall. At a table near the window sat a man outlined by dark curtains, the full view of him obstructed by a waiter who tipped a wine bottle into a glass sitting on the tabletop. Their path lead to him and Seungwan stopped breathing as her nerves got the best of her. 
“Make me proud, starlight,” said Jeongsu, his voice too low for any other ears but her to hear. 
She squeezed his arm to let him know she heard him just as the waiter stepped away, revealing the stranger. He turned to them, his gaze falling first on Seungwan, taking her in with one full sweep before they shifted to Jeongsu. A smile curled on his mouth though it wasn’t friendly. It was a pleasantry and Seungwan wondered if what Jeongsu said about this man being his friend was true.
“Mr. Park,” he said, standing up to greet him properly. He was a little taller than Jeongsu and thicker all around with round, puffy cheeks. 
“Mr. Kim.” Jeongsu gripped his hand, giving it a firm shake. “Pardon our tardiness. The Immortal City may be small but the traffic is more than it can handle at times.”
“You’re more like us than they say,” Mr. Kim joked, bringing a modest laugh between the three of them before his attention diverted to Seungwan. “Good evening to you.”
“Evening,” she smiled back. 
“Miss Son,” started Jeongsu, “this is Dynasty Record’s Kim Youngwoon.”
She finally looked at him fully. He wore all gray. Gray suit, gray shirt, and a gray bowtie that had a soft sheen that shimmered when the light hit it just right. He was perfectly polished from the neat sculpt of his dark hair to the shine of a silver watch to the gloss of his black dress shoes. He had the refined class look of a vampire but the musk of human that permeated from his pores leaking perspiration hidden beneath his garments lent to his status of a mortal. 
“Pleasure to meet you, sir,” said Seungwan, offering a bow. 
“The pleasure is mine.” He smiled. Eyes raked over her once more, lingering in the obvious places. She let him, keeping herself open and presentable and tossed her hair back over her shoulder so that his eyes could feast on the fine, fleshy column of her neck. “Mr. Park was right. You are more emmaculate in person.”
She didn’t have to try hard to feign her shock. She was genuinely curious about the words that were exchanged between the two men about her. “You know about me?”
“You’re all he’s has talked about.” Youngwoon clapped a hand on Jeongsu’s shoulder, grinning down at him. “I’ve been looking forward to meeting you. They tell me you’re quite talented.”
She ducked her head modestly. “I’m sure they’ve exaggerated.”
“I guess we’ll find out.”
Seungwan’s lashes flickered up to catch the sly tug at the corner of Youngwoon’s mouth. It was so telling. All the men she had encountered at business dinners and events and company outings always were. But with all of those times, Seungwan knew it was a harmless night of fun. Of empty flirts and dropped lines of flattery, each one another simple move of a pawn on the chessboard that inched them steadily toward a win. Tonight, however, their were no pawns. Seungwan had to play the highest role and the lace pressed against her skin hidden beneath the fine fabric of her dress was her key to a checkmate. 
“Shall we sit?” said Jeongsu, gesturing for the table and they all moved. Seungwan sank down beside Jeongsu. Tucked closest to the window while the two men sat across from one another. “What happened to your guest?” asked Jeongsu gesturing to the empty seat beside Youngwoon.
Youngwoon picked up his wine and sipped. “Taking care of a situation for me. Shame,” he turned his attention to Seungwan, “she would’ve loved to meet you just as much as I did.”
“How long are you in the city?” asked Seungwan. “Perhaps we could meet again before your leave.”
“I’m sure we could squeeze another outing into our schedule. What do you think. Mr. Park?”
He didn’t miss a beat to reply, “Let us know when you’re free.”
Seungwan gave Youngwoon a smile at the good news before glancing at Jeongsu who bid a thanks to the waiter returned to fill two glasses of wine for him and her. It didn’t go missed. She had never seen him or hear him be so compliant. 
“The eggplant soup sounds good,” said Jeongsu, his eyes never leaving the menu he had picked up. “Miss Son, why don’t you have a look?” 
She almost forgot. Picking up a menu, she let her eyes scan the pages. She was grateful for Jeongsu taking her out that one day to go over the cutersies of dining out but it was her first twenty-five years spent as a human that helped her navigate through the listings. She found something that had all the things she used to like and gave the order to the waiter who took their menus away once he left.
“So,” started Youngwoon, “what is it about the Immortal City? What brings people here? Not your kind, of course, you don’t have much of a choice.” He laughed and Seungwan offered a forced smile of amusement along with Jeongsu’s veiled strained one. “From what I’ve seen, it’s a far cry from a paradise. I didn’t expect to see so many humans here.”
“Call it curiosity,” said Jeongsu.
“One hell of a zoo if I’d ever seen one.”
Seungwan used a drink of wine to hide her grimace while Jeongsu’s fist curled where it rested on his knee beneath the table.
“It could be curiosity, but I’m curious to,” said Seungwan, pulling the attention to her. “I think we’d like to hear more about your side of the wall. I’d love to see it.”
“Wishful thinking, hm?” 
It took everything in Seungwan to get the laugh out. To continue to play the part and hide her smile behind a hand while she let her eyes drop. A hand landed on her thigh with a squeeze. A little reminder about what they were here for.
“Tell me about yourself,” said Youngwoon. “Mr. Park has shared bits but he likes to keep his possessions under a certain air of mystery.”
“Seungwan is one of the top stars of the company and the Immortal City itself,” said Jeongsu for her. “Even beyond the wall she’s known.”
“The Lost Siren.” said Youngwoon and Seungwan had honest shock when she caught him staring pointedly back at her. “I know who you are. It’s not common for a vampire to ease into the hearts of humans the way you have.”
“My dream is to win them.”
“How would you do that?” he quizzed, his tone vaguely condescending. “You’re a vampire, lesser than us. To live outside the wall is hard enough but to stand in front of them and perform? That’s a challenge. What you have in these walls is a privilege. Your kind accept you, they want to be like you. Yes, some humans want that, too, but you’ve seen the critiques.” He gestured a hand between her and Jeongsu. “Both of you. You’ve seen the way they mock you, wish you dead, wish you were never created.”
Seungwan took in a steadying breath, her hand folding over Jeongsu’s that never left her leg. “It’s not me I want them to love it’s my voice.”
“You’re one in hundreds. What makes you so special?”
“Why don’t you show Mr. Kim how special you are, Miss Son,” Jeongsu chummed in before she could draw in a breath to speak.
She looked up at him to confirm what she thought he was suggesting. At his smile, she turned back to Youngwoon. “I could show you.” 
Thick eyebrows lifted. “Yes, please. Show me.”
Getting up, Seungwan made her way across the room to where the announcer was sitting with a group of hostess, nursing drinks and laughing amongst themselves. Stealing his attention, she gave her request and stood back while the announcer got up to whisper in the singer’s ear who was taking a short break while the musicians played something soft and instrumental. The singer nodded and the announcer returned to the table.
“You’re up next,” he told her. 
Music soon faded out on a pleasant note. A few of the patrons applauded and the Announcer took to the mic. He gave a few lines about the jazz band before he introduced her as a special guest performance. Applause sounded once again and Seungwan took it as her cue to approach the mic. 
“Thank you,” she said. “I hope you all don’t mind me taking over for a few minutes. When I hear music, I just can’t help myself but to sing.”
Courteous laughs trickled through the crowd. Seungwan saw a few smile and some pull out cell phones, their cameras turned toward her. She had done this more times than she could even count but she didn’t think she had ever been as nervous as she was now, listening to the drummer count off the band and the music start to play the first few measures of introduction. 
Across the room, she caught sight of Jeongsu. His eyes were so focused and his shoulders were rigid though it was something that a human wouldn’t catch thinking it to be nothing but the typical, stonelike nature of vampires. But she could see it and she could see Youngwoon, his mouth opening in a yawn that he hid poorly behind a drink. Seungwan closed her eyes when she saw him glance impatiently at his wrist watch and opened her mouth to sing.
The words and the notes flowed out of her easily. The song was moderate tempo. A little bit faster than a ballad but she and Jeongu agreed it was a good choice. It was sultry and it was difficult. It was the perfect pick to showcase her vocal talent but it was also a song to flirt to. And she did. She let her lashes flutter open slowly, let the husk color her voice, let her fingers glide down the length of the mic stand and her eyes smolder through the patrons watching her until they landed on Youngwoon.
He didn’t look so bored anymore. 
At the bridge, their eyes locked and Seungwan sang straight to him, her lips nearly grazing the cool metal of the mic as she growled into the last chorus. Thick eyebrows lifted in heated interest and Seungwan drew on a smirk as she held the last note until the end. 
Hands clapped their praises and Seungwan bid her thanks once more before leaving the stage. Her legs felt heavy and weightless at the same time as she made her way back through the dining hall. Her breathing came in heavy drags as she tried to calm herself down but the way Jeongsu was looking at her pleased and the smoldering burn of Youngwoon’s stare kept her on the edge. 
“Amazing as always,” said Jeongsu when she got back to the table.
“Thank you, sir.” She sat. The cold chair felt good against her skin that prickled when she caught Youngwoon looking over at her. She drew her bottom lip between her teeth, a nervous habit that she used to her advantage as she returned his gaze. 
“How about another drink?” asked Jeongsu, cutting through the tense connection now brought to the table. His tone was much lighter than it had been before and Seungwan knew why. They had Youngwoon in their court now. “I’ll make a trip to the bar.”
Receiving their requests, Jeongsu got up, leaving the two of them alone. 
“I might have underestimated you.”
She smiled. “Most do when there are fangs attached.”
“I don’t mind the fangs.” Youngwoon sat back, one arm thrown across the empty chair beside him. “I’m sure Jeongsu has told you a little about the project we’re planning together.”
“A little but I would love to know more.”
“I could say the same.” His lip peeled back in a grin that made Seungwan’s stomach churn. “I know you have an amazing voice but I would love to get to know the woman behind it.”
Seungwan chewed on her lip. “I’m afraid she isn’t very much.”
“I’ll just have to show her what she really is.”
“Are you embarrassing my girl?” said Jeongsu, sweeping in right on cue with their drinks. Seungwan was almost certain he had been listening the entire time, waiting for the right moment to return. “She just gave you the performance of a lifetime.”
“That she did.” Youngwoon grinned her direction as he sipped at a scotch. “I was wondering if you’d like to take this elsewhere. I have a luxury suit on the top floor with a fully stocked minibar. It’s better we discuss matters away from sharp ears.”
“What do you think, Miss Son?” asked Jeongsu, turning to her. 
Seungwan licked a bead of moisture from her lips, martini glass poised between her fingers. “I’d love to.”
-/-/-/-
The view from the balcony was amazing.
At least it was behind Seungwan’s closed lids.
“There you are.”
She opened her eyes. The Immortal City glowed beneath her cut off abruptly by the ominous, looming presence of the wall. Beyond it was a stretch of nothingness but if Seungwan squinted she could see the twinkle of the distant lights from the world outside. 
Warmth burned on her left side and she turned to see Youngwoon standing beside her, a crystal glass of brandy in his fingers. A quick drag of breath told Seungwan that his veins were saturated with alcohol though he held it well. There was barely a blush in his cheeks and his tongue didn’t slip.
“Pardon me for slipping away,” Seungwan offered, letting her teeth show in an apologetic grin. “Where is Jeongsu?”
“Stepped out.” Seungwan knew the truth that wasn’t fully spoken. Jeongsu left. His part of the night was complete and it was now fully hers to lead. “What were you doing out there?” asked Youngwoon.
Seungwan turned back to look out across the darkness. “Someone said that this hotel had one of the best views in the Immortal City. I wanted to see for myself.”
“Jeongsu told me otherwise.”
“What did he say?”
“That I’m looking at it.”
Seungwan hid a giggle behind her hand. 
“Isn’t it a shame?” he went on. “You must feel like a caged bird in here.”
“Do I have a choice?”
“You could.” He took a sip and glanced at the watch on his wrist. “It’s getting late.”
“I hadn’t noticed.”
He laughed softly into a glass. “You vampires really are different.”
“How so?”
“You can go a lot longer than us.” Something dark flickered in his eye and Seungwan was quick to catch the double meaning. The game was back in session. “You must be suffocating in that,” he said, motioning to the length of her. 
Seungwan looked down at herself. “I could wear this all night but these heels.”
“Have a seat.” Youngwoon motioned toward the bed. “Allow me.”
Seungwan sank down onto the edge of the bed. The cushion was soft beneath her but all she felt in her veins was stone as she watched Youngwoon place his glass onto the desk and grab the chair, pulling it up in front of her where she sat. He stared up at her as he patted a hand against his knee and Seungwan lifted her foot. 
A hand wrapped around the back of her calf, pulling it up until her ankle was rested on his knee. The action caused the hem of her dress to ride higher up her thigh and she saw glossy eyes dip, chancing a peek at what was hidden in the shadow between her thighs but just out of sight. 
“You have beautiful legs,” he said. She watched as his fingers trailed down the length of her calf, stroking softly along to her ankle to the buckle on the side of her heel. 
“Thank you,” she breathed. 
The strap loosened and the heel peeled away from her foot. There was a soft sound where he sat it gently on the floor beside the chair. “Does it hurt the same way for you like it does human women?”
“Oh, just as much.”
He offered a faux smile as he massaged the top of her foot, thumb and fingers pressing in deep. She allowed him to do it a while longer, the tension in her chest winding up all the more as his hands strayed away from her sole to play at her ankles and to her calves where he teased the soft skin behind her knee. HIs grip was firm and knowledgeable. There was no question that he hadn’t done this before.
“Will you give the other the same love?” she said.
He laughed in good humor and reached down, drawing up her leg rough and fast. Seungwan wasn’t quick enough to choke her squeal, balance leaving her for a second so she fell back, catching herself on her elbows. Her eyes snapped up, taking in the position she was in with both of her ankles rested on either of his knees while he worked at taking off her second heel. Hands smoothed over bare skin but his attention was elsewhere, drawn to the smallest peek of red that showed from the hem of her dress. 
Seungwan bit her lip, eye catching his. She let the flesh between her teeth ease out slowly, keen on the way he watched her do it, the way his pulse picked up a little bit, the way his scent became all the more inflamed with lust. Fingers dug deep into her skin and Seungwan allowed her head to fall back, lids fluttering closed in a show of pleasure as he began to massage. 
“How does that feel?” he asked, his voice huskier than before. 
“It feels good.”
“How about a little more?”
She rolled her head up to see him. “A little more?”
He shifted forward, making it so her legs spread around his waist and hands landed just above her knees. Seungwan gasped, her breath picking up as he massaged the thick flesh of her thighs. His fingers teased the apex of her thigh, touching so close to heat that she gasped. 
“Still feel good?”
His fingers dipped just barely and Seungwan knew her heart would be hammering right now if it could. In its place, her mind was racing, her stomach was flipping. Her skin was crawling all over and every muslce in her body was telling her to pull back, stop him. But she couldn’t stop him, could she? This was what she wanted.
“Miss Son?”
She needed to say something. She needed to do something. 
“It’s hot,” she blurted, breathlessly. 
He looked up at her with a crooked grin. “Let me help.”
She placed her hand into his and let him sit her up. Arms reached behind her, pulling her further into thim. His cologne was so strong in her nose as he felt for the zipper at the back of her dress and dragged it down. Seungwan leaned back, letting the sleeves come off her arms by the aid of the soft tug of his fingers and lifted herself up just enough for the dress to be pulled down her legs and off. 
Cold attacked every bit of her skin. If she could still get goosebumps they would be all over her now though she wasn’t sure why. Was it the chill? Was it his hungry stare? Was it her nerves? Was it the boundaries and lines she was about to cross? Or perhaps it was the desperate willingness she had to cross them. 
Did she want to cross?
Did she want to get out of this place that bad? God, she did. She wanted it more than anything but—
“How’s that?” he asked, shaking her out of her head.
Seungwan drew her eyes up, mending the tear in her mask quickly and easily. “Better.”
“I agree.” He chuckled. A hand landed against the bow in the lace of her panties and slid up, running along her stomach where a finger teased against her sternum. “You’re so fucking gorgeous.” His palm was hot as it trailed back down, the heel of his hand dipping low, just easing the tip of nerves poorly hidden there. Seungwan held her breath, watching the way his fingertips played with the waistband. “That will only get you so far.” 
Seungwan peered through strands of hair that had fallen into her face. “What if I don’t want to stop?”
“We don’t have to.” Grabbing her ankles, he pulled, sliding her off the bed into his lap so she straddled him. Hands braced herself against his chest as he curved arms around her, drawing her into him far enough that she could feel the press of hardness against herself. It sparked a jolt of heat through her that made her gasp. “I could make you greater than Jeongsu ever could.”
“Can you?”
“Fuck, yes.” He pulled her hips closer still, shuddering at the way he ground her into him. “Feel that? The outside is so close.”
Seungwan stared down at him, finding the sex drunk look in his eyes. They were dark. Too dark. The firmness of his chest wasn’t right. The texture of his skin was too rough. The fragrance of his blood wasn’t pleasing to her nose. This wasn’t right and she knew it in the depths of her gut. 
“I need a minute.”
Disappointment flickered in deep browns. “Is there something wrong?”
“Everything is perfect.” She smoothed a hand over his chest and back behind his neck, pressing her forehead to his so her lips were tantalizing close but not enough to touch. “Even a vampire needs her minute.”
She drew away slowly, slinking her body away from him. At the door, she shot him back a wink then disappeared from his sight. Finding her clutch hanging on the back of a chair, she snatched it up and went into the restroom, locking the door behind her. 
Turning on the faucet, she let cold water run. She was shaking, her fingers shivering like leaves in a winter's wind as she held them beneath the stream. She said she was hot but she was cold all over. 
The glare of her reflection stared back at her and Seungwan barely recognized herself. Who was this person? Who was this person willing to go that far? Was she really about to? Would she have been able to go through with it? Would she have been okay with it?
She asked herself those questions over and over again, seeking out answers but each one came back more confusing than the questions themselves. Because parts of her said yes while the others were cringing and telling her, no, turn back. And it was then that she really understood—when she truly understood what Jeongsu meant. 
He did protect her. He never did put her into harm’s way or force her to do something she didn’t want to. He just dropped doubts and questions into her head, making her question, making her insecure, making her yearn. He never had to force her to it because Jeongsu knew that her desire to be outside the wall was so strong that she would do almost anything to get it. Anything. Anyone. He knew it. He exploited it. And Seungwan was ready to lay everything down for it. 
Two knocks tapped on the door. “Everything okay?”
Seungwan swallowed. “Yes, sorry. Another minute?”
“I’ll make us a drink.”
She waited until his footsteps were away from the door and back in the other room before she grabbed her purse, She needed to call Sooyoung. She needed to get out of here. She needed to—
Seungwan froze, her phone clutched in her hand. 
She blinked, hoping that it would clear away the angry tears welling up on her lids along with the mirage she was seeing.
Because there, on the screen, was one simple thing from a number unknown.

—Hi.

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

A cab pulled onto the curb. Joohyun waited just out the beam of a streetlamp, watching as heeled feet stepped out, clicking against the pavement. She wasn’t expecting to see Seungwan the way she was. Dolled up as if she had just left a red carpet event. She was stunning all the way down to the sweet fragrance of her perfume that wafted on the wind, interrupted by exhaust from the cab as it drove away leaving them standing alone on the sidewalk. “Hi,” said Seungwan. Wind blew through her hair, the blonde ends appearing molten gold in the lamplight that touched her. Joohyun blinked, breath caught in her throat. She should’ve been used to Seungwan’s voice by now. She had listened to it and only it for weeks, analyzed it, memorized it, dissected it and sown it back together. But there was something different about having it right there, pure and natural and not filtered through the disruption of an intercom. Tonight there was something different about it. It was dark, husky, and stripped as if she had just gotten off the stage after performing for hours. It was raw and tired and heavy. It matched the sullen expression in her eyes that Joohyun missed the first time while distracted by the pristine makeup that was drawn onto her blemishless face. “Hi,” said Joohyun, just like her text. Her palms were still clammy from typing it. She didn’t expect Seungwan to respond. She didn’t expect Seungwan to ask if she was free, if she could meet her, that she needed to see her. Joohyun remembered sitting on the floor of her apartment, drowning in a sea of files spread around her. She remembered the way her chest warmed. It was the same every time Seungwan confessed she needed to see her. “Sorry, I’m late.”Joohyun let her eyes sweep her, noting the way Seungwan’s hands were hidden in the pockets of her coat, her lip was pulled between her teeth, her shoulders were tight. Something was wrong. “Should we go inside?”Seungwan nodded and stepped forward, leading them through a glass door. It wasn’t a bar this time. It was a small diner on the outskirts close to the lower class edges of the Immortal City. Seungwan led them inside, weaving around the self-seating sign to find them a table cooped into the back most corner away from the front windows and from view of newcomers if they walked through the door. Joohyun didn’t think many others would come in. It was a human targeted establishment and the time on her phone blinked two in the morning. Silence ticked between them until a waiter showed up. He eyed Seungwan curiously, a slight look of recognition on his face but Joohyun could tell he wasn’t quite sure. She ordered a hot, oolong tea for herself and was about to let him go when Seungwan spoke up.“Banana french toast, please.”The waiter wrote down the order and walked away, throwing a glance over his shoulder once more before disappearing into the kitchen. Joohyun quirked an eyebrow. “French toast?”“Oolong tea?” she fired back. Joohyun remembered what she said once about people who drank tea and was relieved to see the soft, teasing kink at the corner of Seungwan’s mouth. “Did you have an event tonight?” she asked, eyes running over her again.The smirk left her face. “Yes.”“How was it?”Eyes found Joohyun’s, intense and capturing. “It’s better now.”Joohyun’s eyes cut away. Like Seungwan’s voice, she still wasn’t used to having her eyes on her. Especially when they bore into her that way. It made her spine tingle. “I didn’t think you were ever going to text me,” said Seungwan. Her fingers were playing with one of the rolls of silverware, wrinkling up the napkin and picking off little pieces of white that flaked on the tabletop. “I wasn’t,” she said honestly. “Then why did you?”“I…” Her mind filled with a list of responses. ”It’s all I’ve been thinking about since you gave it to me.”“I can’t seem to stay away from you.”“I wanted to see you, too.”They all sounded too deep. Too open. Too vulnerable. She was starting to find the way she was with Seungwan problematic. She was allowing herself to become interested. “I wanted to say hi,” was what she settled on.Seungwan deadpanned. “You wanted to say...hi?”“Isn’t that why you gave me your number?”Seungwan laughed lightly. “It is. Thank you.”“Thank you?”Seungwan nodded. “For saying hi.”The waiter came, bringing their orders. Joohyun eyed the french toast dressed in cooked bananas sprinkled with cinnamon and topped with a swirl of whipped cream. It smelled amazing. Joohyun blew at the steam rising from her cup. She may be on leave but she still had diet restrictions to follow though thinking about going back to the bleeder bar was dulled. Even though she knew it was for the case, the drive to want to show up there was waning dangerously now that she had access to the only good part of her undercover work a chime away. “I don’t know many vampires who eat like this voluntarily,” she said, head tilted toward the plate. Seungwan pulled out the fork from the tattered napkin roll and cut into the slices. “Do you know many vampires?”“My closest friend is one.”“That’s one, not many,” Seungwan pointed out. It was playful so Joohyun didn’t see a reason to counter with anything. “Do you have siblings?”She was about to say that she couldn't answer that question but then she remembered they weren’t at the bleeder bar anymore. They were free to talk about whatever they wanted in however much depth they wanted. It was strange to think about. It was even stranger how much Joohyun wanted to tell her though she knew she couldn't. Everything she shared was filtered through the guise of being a normal civilian. “An older sister,” she answered, tightly. Joohyun pulled a sugar packet from its dish and messed with it in her fingers to keep their eyes from meeting. “Where is she?”Her jaw flexed. A lump formed in her throat that she tried to swallow away. She barely could. There were many things Joohyun could cloak—could pretend didn’t get to her. Her sister wasn’t one of those things. “Back home.”“And your parents?”“The same.” Back in Daegu that Joohyun left to join the police force. She hadn’t been back since then even though they asked her to visit from time to time. They never did like what she chose to do and they liked it even less that she spent her time with vampires and drowning herself in depressing cases. Ones that used to give her nightmares.Her family felt oceans away to her while she drifted out in the sea like a lost lifeboat, alone and searching for something but unsure of what. The question about her family should’ve been an easy one. Others had asked like Yerim and Heechul but Seungwan’s question made her plunge into a depth of herself that she didn’t want to go. A place where she was made to glimpse at her life and see things she didn’t want to see. Feel things in her chest that made it twinge. “What are they like?”“What’s your mom like?” Joohyun countered. Seungwan blinked a few flutters of shock. Joohyun remembered her mentioning her dad. That he was gone. She didn’t think she had the place to ask about him and what happened to him. She thought asking about her mom would be easier but Seungwan’s expression cast over, darkening in a cloud of gloom. “You don’t have to answer.”“My parents were the best people I knew.” Her voice was soft and she had stopped eating. There was more than half of her french toast left and Irene realized she had just been cutting up bits and moving them around her plate with no aim to eat most of it. “They had their problems but they loved me. My mom said that when I was born, she cried. She wanted a daughter so bad and she finally had one.” A faint kink came to the corner of her mouth. “My dad had a heart bigger than anyone else I knew. He...”Seungwan’s brow creased. Joohyun felt guilty. “It’s okay if you don’t want to talk about him.”“We didn’t have a lot of money when I was growing up,” she said anyway. “My parents used to fight about it. They would get so loud sometimes that it would keep me up at night. In the morning, my dad would come into my room, put me on his back and bring me here.” She gestured to the diner with a swift wave of the hand. Her eyes followed, scanning the place in deep thought as she continued. “He would order me banana french toast and apologies. He would tell me it would get better—that he would make it better for us.” She speared the end of her fork into a slice of banana but didn’t make a move to bring it to her mouth. She played with it, dragging it through a pool of syrup and cinnamon. “It didn’t get better,” she muttered almost so quiet Joohyun barely heard it. “But eating this makes life a little less bad.”Joohyun stilled in her chair. This outing suddenly took a different turn. The heaviness that was already there settled in deeper. “I’m sorry.”“It’s okay.” She pushed on a smile but Joohyun could tell it was empty. False. “The event tonight was...sometimes I hate the things that I have to do.” She scoffed and sat back, the fork in her fingers dropping against her plate with a clink that made Joohyun flinched at the sudden noise. “Do I sound selfish?” she asked suddenly, her eyes landing on Joohyun’s. “I’m a celebrity. I could have almost anything I want. This is better than what I had but I...sometimes I can’t help but hate it.”“If you hate it then is it better?”“It was.” She said it through her teeth. A spark of anger flashed over her usually gentle expression then it was gone. Her shoulders slumped and it was like all the life had drained out of her. “Where in the wall did you grow up?” asked Joohyun, changing the subject.“Near the eastern gates in the Outliers.”The Outliers. That was what they called the lower class areas of The Immortal City. Strange. Though Joohyun had heard many stories about celebrities going from rags to riches it wasn’t a common one within the wall. Seungwan’s rise was a miracle. “We used to live in a small apartment further in,” said Seungwan, “but my dad lost his job and we couldn’t afford it anymore so we lived in a trailer. I didn’t mind.”“You don’t mind when it’s home.”Seungwan smiled softly. “What about you? Where is home?”Joohyun was surprised by her own hesitation. It was so easy for her to say home was on the outside but the words were slow to come to her. She didn’t know if it was so she settled with, “In Seoul.”Seungwan’s brow creased in thought, teeth chewing absentmindedly on the prongs of the fork she held in her mouth. “Why are you here?”She chose her words carefully. “My job moved me here. The other job.”Seungwan nodded indicating she remembered. “What do you do?”“Nothing compared to what you do,” she deflected. She felt guilty for not being as transparent with Seungwan as she was her. She didn’t think she would care much that she was a detective. Maybe she would find comfort in it? Or maybe she wouldn't. Maybe he would feel betrayed like Joohyun was only spending time with her and getting to know her to bring her down for her activities at the bleeder bar. She wondered if she would ever tell. If she ever could tell. “I used to always dream of being a singer.” The wistfulness was back in her voice. An elbow rested on the table and Seungwan leaned forward to drop her chin on her fist. “Now I wonder what it would’ve been like if I was never scouted. Would I still be a bartender? Would I still be living in the Outliers? Would I still be alone?”“Don’t you have friends? Other artists?” She didn’t know much about the industry but she figured. Seungwan shook her head. “No one is really your friend.”“I don’t have many friends either.”“We’re the same again,” she pointed out. Just like she mentioned at the bleeder bar. Both the same. Brown. Back then, Joohyun wasn’t too sure what she meant but tonight she thought she might understand a little better now. “Maybe that’s what makes it so easy to be around you.”Her stomach fluttered. “Are you sure it’s not because of my blood?”“It could be.” Her head tilted, eyes doing that thing where she observed Joohyun, taking her in. Her eyes. Her lips. Her face. It disarmed her. Not many people looked at her that way. Like they wanted to see into her depths just for the purpose of seeing and nothing more. “But I think it’s because you know how it feels, too.”That was it. That’s what she meant about them being similar before. They were both brown. Muddy, unclear lines, dirty paths. There was no black or white. There was just...a mess. Everything all jumbled together into one. Like they were both swimming through murky waters, futilely trying to find the surface but the closer they drew the swampier things became. Joohyun didn’t use to think of her life as muddy. She had a job she liked and she had a home and she had...what else did she have? Seungwan’s phone rang. The vibration jolted Joohyun out of her thoughts. She watched as Seungwan retrieved the device from the pocket of her coat then put it back away. “My manager,” she said. Joohyun took that moment to check the time. It was late. Later than she planned to be out. But that’s what happened when she talked with Seungwan—when she even thought about Seungwan. Time escaped her and she was left with wanting more minutes to eat up with her in her presence. “I should probably let you get home.”She grimaced. “I can’t be there right now.”“Why not?”Seungwan didn’t answer. She was zipped back up again, blocking Joohyun out of parts she wanted to keep to herself. It was strange. She so easily spilled tales about her life, her family, her frustrations with being trapped but at the same time, she was still a chest with padlocks to be unlatched. Another way that they were alike even if Joohyun didn’t admit it. But she could admit that she didn’t want this time to end. Not yet.“I’m not far from here,” she offered.Seungwan was bashfully surprised at that. “Are you sure?”She wasn’t. Not entirely but she was sure that she wanted to help ease the pain that showed all over her, fragmented into the array of emotions she displayed through the short time they spent in the diner. So it was easy for her to nod with a simple,“I’m sure.”-/-/-/-When Joohyun woke up, she almost thought it was a dream. The room was cool, the chill of it touching her as she slinked out of bed and tucked her feet into a pair of slippers. Stepping out of the bedroom, she approached the couch, peeking over the back. There she was—Son Seungwan—sleeping cocooned in a spread of blankets. Her hair fanned along one of the decorative pillows, chocolate and caramel strands like waves. A slightly parted mouth showed the tips of elongated fangs behind pink lips, a sign that she was fully and completely relaxed. Joohyun envied her a bit. She never slept well in other places.Stepping away from the couch, she padded into the kitchen, careful not to make too much noise as she snatched up a tea kettle and filled it with water to place on the stove. A buzz went off in the other room. Joohyun rushed back into the bedroom to retrieve her phone. Bringing it to her ear, she peered out of the door, making sure Seungwan hadn’t been stirred awake before answering with a soft, “Hello?”“Why are you whispering?” asked Yerim. She sounded bright and alive. Checking the clock, Joohyun noted it was well past nine in the morning, the hour steadily approaching ten. She had slept in much longer than she told herself she would. Six in the morning didn’t sound as kind when she didn’t get back to the apartment with Seungwan until nearly three. She made sure to go in first where she stored files into their boxes and stacked them up in her room before doubling back and taking down the pinboard from the wall. She managed to get it into her closet and did one more final sweep before she opened the door and let Seungwan in. She expected that they would be up a little longer. Maybe Joohyun would ask her about the event she had and why there was a dullness in her eyes. She didn’t have the chance after gathering blankets for her and Seungwan told her she should sleep. A part of Joohyun didn’t want to. She didn’t want to let Seungwan out of her sight with the worry in her chest. But she was exhausted and she didn’t put up much of an argument and drifted to sleep before she could dress down. Joohyun vaguely remembered her alarm going off and shutting it off. That felt as much as a distinct, foggy, haze of a fantasy as much as the fact that she had Seungwan on her couch though she couldn’t deny how familiar it felt. Seungwan wasn’t much of a stranger to her, not really. And she was never a celebrity to her. She was just another customer who spoke her heart and Joohyun was shaken by seeing it break in front of her. “Joohyun?”“I—” She pulled back into the bedroom when she didn’t hear any sounds of waking from the living room. “What do you need?”“There’s something I need to talk to you about,” Yerim went on, sounding urgent. “I can pick you up and we can talk before going to the station.”She ran a hand through her hair when she caught her reflection in the mirror of her ensuite bathroom. She forgot to take her makeup off the night before too. “I’m still far off from being ready. I had a really late night.”“You? Late night?”She rolled her eyes despite Yerim not being able to see her do it. “Working.”“Obviously.”“It’s better if I meet you there,” she said, changing out of her stuffy clothes from the night before and slipped on jeans and a t-shirt. The light buzzed as she flicked it on in the bathroom and she grabbed a pack of wipes to clean off her face. “We can meet in the conference room?”“I guess that will work.” Yerim hummed in thought. “Or we can take an early lunch. I don’t feel right discussing you-know-what there.”“Paranoid much?”“Security cameras might not have microphones but people can read lips.”Joohyun laughed. “Okay, early lunch.”“See you then.”Joohyun hung up and grabbed a towel to dry off her face. Hair thrown up in a bun, she made her way back out of the bedroom where her steps stuttered to a stop. A neck swiveled back, leading brown eyes to land on her. Long lashes fluttered lazily, flickering strands of coffee brown that had gotten stuck in them. “Hi,” said Seungwan, her voice rough with sleep. She yawned, her hand lazily moving up to cover her mouth where Joohyun’s attention shifted, watching as fangs eased back into their sockets. It shouldn’t be a surprising sight to her. Joohyun had seen her fair share of fangs but it was different seeing them on Seungwan. Like they didn’t quite belong there. “Sorry if I woke you,” said Joohyun. Seungwan in the morning was different than the Seungwan’s she saw before. She was vulnerable and groggy. The normally, sculpted stone tone of her skin looked soft and malleable. Like play-doh. Seungwan shook her head, hand coming up to brush hair out of her face. The action caused the blanket to fall off her shoulders, revealing red lace. She must’ve rid of her dress in the night, too stuffy and restricted in it to sleep properly. Seungwan was slow to notice and she drew the blanket back up, her eyes, now fully alert, flickering with a hint of shame. Joohyun didn’t know why. There was nothing wrong with what she was in but the way Seungwan’s gaze dropped told there was a little more to it than that.“I’ll get you a robe,” she said. Finding one in her closet, Joohyun returned.Seungwan accepted it with a smile. “Thank you.”Joohyun’s eyes wandered as Seungwan stood up. The red lace did nothing to hide even the most intimate parts of her body. They could be seen just barely through the sheer fabric, soft peaks and intimate swells. Joohyun thought that the patterns and the color suited her well—flaming hot against the cool, alabaster plane of skin, smooth and unblemished and perfectly toned as if she were sculpted out of marble. When she was younger, Joohyun was intrigued by vampires. She found it interesting the way the transformation changed them, how it made them into desirable predators, designing them in such a way that was hard for anyone to resist. Joohyun started to tell herself that vampires weren’t very much different from herself—from humans. They were human once and their allure was only the work and purpose of their design. But that was something Joohyun forgot to remember as she watched Seungwan slip her arms into the robe and tie the belt securely around her waist. She wasn’t thinking about design or nature or prey and predator. She just thought breathtaking.The kettle whistled causing Joohyun to jump. Breaking away from the living room, she hurried into the kitchen and lifted it off the burner, nearly singing herself on the coils in the process. She told herself to slow down. Calm down. She wasn’t normally so clumsy or so nervous. “Would you like anything?” she asked, pouring steaming water into a mug. A strainer full of tea leaves followed, turning the clear liquid into orangey brown. Seungwan approached the breakfast bar that separated her from the kitchen. “I’ll have whatever you’re having.”Joohyun prepared another mug of tea and placed it on the counter. Seungwan’s fingers curled around the pale yellow ceramic, her fingertips numb to the heat that burned through it. “You really do like your tea,” she said, smiling as she took a sip.“Maybe I really am a snob.”Seungwan’s soft smile went lopsided, morphing into a smirk. Joohyun found her eyes tracing it, logging it to memory and attaching it to all of their encounters at the bleeder bar. She liked this—getting to see Seungwan’s facial expressions even if it was still a little odd to her. “Does drinking or eating not make you sick?” asked Joohyun, taking a cautious sip. She had done research and asked Yerim but she was curious. Yerim never ate and the only thing she drank was coffee and the few drinks when they went out.“Liquids don’t hurt us,” Seungwan explained. She leaned against the countertop, mug cradled in her hands, thumb absentmindedly stroking along the smooth side. “It enters our system the way blood does but it burns out quickly. That’s why alcohol or coffee has short-term effects.”“And food?”“It makes us lethargic.” Seungwan laughed a little and Joohyun thought back to the banana french toast and how her eyes had been so heavy when they got back to the apartment. She was dragging before but she had a droop in her eyes and a sag to her shoulders that wasn’t there before. “It takes longer to break down. Especially on a bloodless stomach. Too much solid food can make us sick. Like having the worst case of indigestion.”Joohyun tried to imagine what that felt like. It didn’t sound pleasant. “Even if you were really hungry…” “Only blood works.”Joohyun’s eyes flickered down to see the backs of Seungwan’s hands. Her veins weren’t warm and red like they were the last time they saw each other. They were darker, deep crimson fringing on the hue of violet. She knew what the color tones meant. She knew Seungwan must be hungry. “You don’t have to worry,” said Seungwan pulling her hands back, crossing her arms to hide them away. “I meant what I said when I told you I wouldn’t hurt you.”Joohyun let her eyes flicker up to Seungwan’s face. The makeup she wore was a distraction, Joohyun realized. Now that she was paying attention, she could see little tells behind it. Like her skin, though always pale, looked chalky. Less smooth, more grit. There was usually a hint of warmth in her cheeks different than the natural blush of a human as it was the result of a feeding. All around, she didn’t look well. Almost sick.“When’s the last time you had a Tap?”Her head ducked, lip pulling between her teeth. A shy gesture fringed in guilt. Joohyun had picked up on it. After only being with her behind a wall of glass, Joohyun was hyper-aware of every little mannerism and gesture and movement Seungwan made. She thought it would help her add all the puzzle pieces of who Seungwan was but she was still alluring mysterious. Her soft edges along with the colder darker ones. The stories in her eyes, the curiosities of the low watt curl of her lips. The rigid movements against the more fluid ones. “I haven’t been back since you’ve been on leave,” she admitted. Joohyun’s eyebrows lifted. That was a week ago and since she hadn’t eaten then, the last time she drew from a Tap was the night that landed Joohyun in the hospital. She knew she should feel only concern but there was something else paired with it. Relief? She shook it away, reminding herself that Seungwan could drink from whoever she wanted whenever she wanted and whatever twinge akin to jealousy had no place. “Is that okay?” she asked. “I can eat at home.” Her tone was sharp and her eyes narrowed, jaw clenched. Joohyun didn’t miss the way her gaze flickered down to the crook of her arm and she wondered if Seungwan was telling that to her or if she was telling herself. There was a faint buzzing noise from across the room. Joohyun followed the spin of Seungwan’s neck back to the couch she had occupied. She couldn’t see it from where she stood, but she was familiar enough with the sound to know it was a cellphone ringing between the cushions. Pulling away from the counter, she went to retrieve it. The blue light of the screen gleamed off her face that pulled into displeasure at whatever she saw but she didn’t make a move to answer the call. Her thumbs tapped the screen instead and Joohyun turned away, giving her a moment of privacy while she busied herself with a jar of sugar cubes, dropping one into her tea with a waterly plop. “Sorry.” She made her way back over to the counter. “Manager?” she asked. Seungwan nodded. Her neck was tight and her hands played with the loose ends of the robe belt. She was nervous. Or was she afraid? “Do you have to go?” “I should.” She stopped terrorizing the lip between her teeth to look at Joohyun. The worried glint in her gaze mellowed out into an unreadable intensity that made Joohyun shift self-consciously under her scrutiny. And she couldn’t help the tingle that went down her spine when Seungwan let their pupils lock and admitted, “But I don’t want to.”The gulp of tea she took scorched all the way down though it wasn’t from the temperature. Her skin flamed red hot and she knew there were roses in her cheeks. Joohyun cleared her throat. She didn’t like that. She didn’t like the way Seungwan could dismantle her. Or maybe she did. She wasn’t sure. Not yet. “Won’t they be worried?” she asked. “They’re always worried.” Seungwan rolled her eyes. “They’re only worried because they think I’m doing something that I shouldn’t.”“Aren’t you?”“If I stay longer, I might.” Her eyes narrowed again and they flashed with a sinister glint like a predator. She was a predator and the implication of what she meant didn’t go missed. She wondered if Seungwan had ever put her teeth into someone’s skin. She wondered what it would feel like. She wondered if she would mind if it meant helping Seungwan with...with what? She didn’t know, but she could tell that things weren’t right. “I should get dressed.” Seungwan broke from the counter, shattering the glass of tension that formed between them.Joohyun turned her back, facing the wall of her kitchen where an analog clock with a bunny on it that Yerim gave her hung over a small dry-erase board where she jotted down notes on what she needed to get from the grocery store, reminders of when to take the trash out, a few phone numbers of take-out places that delivered.Behind her she could hear Seungwan shuffle about, the soft drop of clothing and the rustle of fabric sliding up arms. Joohyun wasn’t looking at her, but her mind had taken a snapshot of what she saw before. The spill of skin, the red, the toned muscle, the pinks, the peaks, the swells. “I’m sorry I couldn’t finish the tea,” said Seungwan.Joohyun turned back over her shoulder finding her back in her dress and coat. “Don’t worry about it.”Leading her to the door, Joohyun opened it for her. Seungwan stepped out and turned back, lingering in the hall. Her mouth opened like she had something to say but it sealed back shut with her forehead wrinkling. Joohyun watched her. Watched how she teetered on her feet, how she looked around stalling for another second. What was she waiting for? Did she want something? After a moment she finally let out a sigh. “I’m going now.”Joohyun nodded. A smile threatened to make a show. Seungwan was...cute. She looked so fragile there with her expression a little lost. God, who was this woman? How was she the celebrity Joohyun spent looking into, researching, watching, learning? The aura she gave on the screen was so different from the one Joohyun was presented to and though she knew that what the public saw was only a fraction of who the person truly was, she couldn’t help but find it jarring. Yet intriguing. And endearing. “Thank you for saving me,” said Seungwan after licking her lips in a nervous swipe. Joohyun’s head tilted at the odd choice of words. Save her? She wanted to ask what she meant, just a little bit of elaboration, but Seungwan was already walking down the hall and into the elevator.-/-/-/-It was mid-afternoon by the time Joohyun slipped into a small ramyun shop with a yawn. The place was busy, people crowded at the register and squeezing into booths during the lunchtime rush. She stretched on her toes, trying to see over heads. Yerim told her she already got a table. A hand waved in the air and Joohyun maneuvered between the shoulders of businessmen to reach where Yerim was seated in a booth. She plopped onto the cushion with a sigh, hand combing back her hair so her bangs were swept to the side. Yerim looked at her curiously, her sharp eyes observant. There was really no use hiding from Yerim. She could see as well in the dark as she could the cracks in makeup. “Are you okay?” she asked. “Hm?” Her eyes picked up from a menu that she had busied herself with. It was unnecessary. Yerim told her she already ordered for her. She just needed something to distract her, something to focus her mind onto, something that wasn’t Seungwan with her haunted eyes and her odd allure. “Oh. I told you I had a late night.”“What were you looking into?”She didn’t completely lie to Yerim. She was working. But in the midst of her work, she drifted. She did a lot of drifting these days. She remembered holding her phone in her hand, staring down at Seungwan’s number. She told herself she wasn’t going to put it in. She was going to throw the number away, pretend the napkin got washed in the pocket of her jeans or accidentally got thrown out with the trash. That didn’t happen and Joohyun went back and forth with what to do after she added her as a contact.She wondered why it would matter. Having friends wasn’t wrong. She was allowed to talk to other people outside of the force—outside of Yerim. But Seungwan wasn’t really a friend and she wasn’t just any other person. She was something more, something else, and she was becoming something of a dirty little secret. But why? Was it for Seungwan’s safety or was it because...“I was reviewing the floorplans,” she said, “to see if I could find a way that they were getting kids in and out. I have a few theories.”Yerim sat back in her booth, accepting her reply. “What’s your guess?”“If it was a laundry room, it must’ve been a basement,” she said and placed the menu down. With Yerim she was forced to think about work. What she should be thinking about. “Most basements had windows while others had shafts that went down to them on the outside. I think that’s how they’re doing it. Instead of bringing them through the bar, they’re bringing them in from the outside. The door on the storage room is how Lee would check on them and bring food or supplies. No one would question why she was using the room.”“Do you remember seeing anything like that from the outside?”Joohyun shook her head. “I wasn’t looking for it. I’d have to see the building in person.”“I’ll do it,” said Yerim. “They don’t know me so they won’t wonder why one of their registered Taps is wandering around the bar. I’ll go undercover. Maybe as a maintenance worker.”“Maintenance?” “I’ll think of something.” Yerim rolled her eyes. “Anything else?”Other than that Seungwan was a mystery in herself with an uncharted floorplan full of doors and windows yet to be explored. “No. What did you find out?”There was a lull in the conversation as a bowl of ramyun was brought to the table along with a black coffee. Joohyun thanked the waiter and grabbed her utensils. The broth and the spices wafted through her nose and her stomach growled. She didn’t realize how hungry she was as she took her first bite.“I talked to my friend who works with runaways,” started Yerim while Joohyun ate. “He said things have been as usual but there were a couple of girls who he helped get sent back over recently.”“How is that different than usual?”“He said they were pretty out of it. When they were brought in for questioning, they hardly remembered anything. They figured it was probably from partying all night. He said it was hard just getting phone numbers to contact friends or guardians and ended up having to phone the station outside and looking up social media contacts before they got in touch with anyone.”“Did they run any tests?” Acute lapses in memory could be one of two things—too much drinking and partying or deliberately drugged. In cases Joohyun had seen, the drugs involved was a concentrated form of vampire venom shot directly into the veins. It worked better than any other sedative. Mixed with other elements, it had various forms of usage and results. Yerim shook her head. “I know what you’re thinking but they didn’t. You know that unless there’s a reason to they won’t. Plus they were of age.”And no one died. Or got hurt.“Do you know where they were last seen before being brought in?”“I didn’t ask but this has club written all over it. I could probably find out which one.”Joohyun sighed in frustration. “We should have known about this.”“You know how it goes,” Yerim grumbled. “It isn’t considered our tier involvement unless it’s over a week. Not to mention they said their friends figured they were going to try and jump the wall. They’d been talking about getting into the Immortal City for a while. The case was done before it even started.”Joohyun’s brow creased. “If they knew, why did it take a few days for them to be found?”“Maybe no one noticed.”That didn’t sound right either. “Do you know their names?”“I could ask again.”“Don’t. I don’t want him getting suspicious.”“We can trust him.”Joohyun shook her head. “We dig into it on our own. The less involved he is the better.“You’re right.” Yerim tapped her knuckles on the table top then leaned forward. “There is something else. I ran that plate. It’s registered to Donghee but that happened only recently. The car used to belong to a Choi Siwon. He’s a big shot name in the Immortal City, owns a list of the high-end clubs and is a partner of a handful of corporations both in and outside the wall.”“Vampire?”“Human,” she said. Joohyun’s eyebrows lifted. “I was shocked, too.”“It’s not that. It doesn’t add up.”“What doesn’t?”“What would someone of Siwon’s status want with a goods trader like Donghee.”“Smuggling.”“Kids?” Joohyun sat back, setting her utensils down. “I could understand narcotics or weapons but children don’t sound like something he’s interested in.”“If you’re greedy, does it matter?”She had a point. Joohyun tapped her finger against her lip. “Can you keep tabs on the car?”“I can try but without a tracker, it’s going to be tough.”“Could you access traffic cameras and public video surveillance? We can probably figure out where it went that night.”“I’ll see what I can do,” said Yerim. “Where did you go that night?”“Hm?”“You never explained where you were when you saw the car.” When Joohyun didn’t answer Yerim sighed. “You promised.”“I didn’t go inside.”“Joohyun.”“I only went to…”“To what?”“Observe. There’s a case that needs to be solved and that bleeder bar is still our best lead. I had to go if only for a stakeout.”“You know we’re called partners for a reason. To work together. I don’t mind running plates and digging up files but I was trained to be in the field just like you. I can help.”“I know. I’ll fill you in next time.”“And let me come with you?”“And let you come with me.”-/-/-/-The CaNineJoohyun looked up from the address she logged into her GPS to the large, glowing neon blue sign above the club. There was a line outside, kept at bay by a bouncer and in line by the string of stanchions. Patrons waxed and waned out of the door in toting expensive bags and wearing designer clothes. Pricey cars rolled up, picking guests up brought by drivers and valet attendants. “This it?” asked the cab driver.“Yes, thank you.” Joohyun climbed out on the opposite side of the street in front of a small trinket shop and slipped in. The smell of burning candles was heavy in the air and the lighting was low. Soft, instrumental music played through the shop setting a calming vibe. Joohyun moved through the displays of handcrafted wooden sculptures, jewelry spun with delicate hands, silk and knitted scarves priced reasonably in their originality, and wooden boxes of crystals in all forms advertising their benefits. “Did you need help finding anything?” asked a clerk dressed in a long, flowy dress with dangling earrings. Joohyun offered a smile. “Just looking.”With a nod, the clerk left her be, returning behind the glass counter where she picked up a magazine and opened it on her knees as she sat on a stool. Joohyun made a show of looking through the products before she ventured back toward the front of the store where the window looked out across the street. There was a stack of books nearby and she picked one up, her eyes ignoring the pages to peer at the club.She didn’t expect to find a high-status club when Yerim supplied her the name of the place. Often times, the places she heard reports of people being drugged or going missing for a few days happened in the cheaper ones. The ones with questionable security and used the line of getting to spend a night with real vampires as a marketing ploy to pull in more humans. They were dark places where patrons dressed in all black, playing to the gothic and demonic lure of bloodsuckers the way history always depicted them. Humans loved that sort of thing so it was easy to draw them in.Joohyun’s phone vibrated in her pocket. Glancing over her shoulder, she checked to see if the clerk had lost interest in what she was doing before pulling out her own phone. A not so unknown number ran across her screen. Joohyun’s stomach flipped. —HiJoohyun smiled at the message. Was that their thing? A simple hi?She typed back a reply. —Hello—Are you busy?She lifted her eyes off her phone to observe the club. The guests outside were riled up about something. They had phones out and nudged their friends, pointing at something down the street. Joohyun craned her neck, trying to get a better look at what was causing the commotion but the drawn curtains obstructed her view and the displays crowded in the window kept her from being able to get closer to the glass. Remembering the text, she quickly typed back.—Not reallyThe front half of a gold sports car pulled into frame. Joohyun leaned against the display counter, hips digging into the wood as she strained to see who was getting out as the doors opened. She could make out someone in dark clothes get out of the passenger side and the head of another emerging from the driver side just before valet staff stepped in the way.Her phone buzzed again. Joohyun ignored it, leaving the message for later but it continued to buzz. Once twice. Three times. Her phone was ringing. Seungwan’s number burned large on her screen and Joohyun’s thumb hovered over the green button. She couldn’t take the call now. She shouldn’t take the call now.“Irene?” she heard Seungwan say into her ear. Her voice was as soft and husky as usual. She wondered what her real name would sound like in that voice. She opened her mouth to answer when her eyes caught the two from the car headed toward the club entrance. Flanking them were two other men in black with surveillances tucked into their ears heading into the club. Security. Who were they? And how important were they to need security?“Hello?” Seungwan beckoned.The doors of the club closed on the backs of the men. “I’m here.”“I know. I can hear you breathing.”“What else can you hear?” she asked curiously. Seungwan was quiet for a moment. “Cars, people, is that music?”“You have a good ear.”“My vocal coach says that, too.”Joohyun laughed softly. “Hi, Seungwan.”“Hi, again.”She chewed on her lip. Her stomach felt weird. Prickly. Itchy. Like the tingles you got when the popular boy in class glanced your way for the first time acknowledging your existence. Joohyun didn’t know what to make of the feeling. She hadn’t felt something like that in a long time and the fact Seungwan eliciting it in her was making her nervous but also...comforted?“What are you doing?”There was a soft tap on her shoulder. Joohyun looked up to see the clerk who pointed at the watch on her wrist, indicating that she would be closing up soon. Joohyun nodded and mouthed that she would only be another minute. “Nothing.”“You have to be doing something.”Putting the book down, she pulled away from the window and said the first thing that came to mind. “Shopping for a gift.”“For your vampire friend?” asked Seungwan. Joohyun hummed an affirmative and moseyed through the store, her eyes taking all the trinkets and knickknacks she hadn’t concentrated on before. She wondered what sort of things Seungwan liked. “That’s why you’re not scared of me.”Not because she was a vampire was what Joohyun wanted to say. “Should I be?”“No...I didn’t mean— that’s not what I—”Joohyun laughed as her fingers brushed down the length of a deep, navy scarf that had silver spun into the threads. The color was beautiful and the fabric was soft and warm. “I’m kidding.”Seungwan huffed on the other line. “Right. It’s hard to tell when I can’t see you or smell you.”“What do I smell like?”“Like winter,” said Seungwan and Joohyun paused with her fingers on the scarf’s price tag to listen. “When there’s snow on the way and someone just lit a log fire,” said Seungwan. “Sometimes it changes. Sometimes instead of snow, it’s rain. Sometimes instead of firewood, it’s cinnamon or rusty and metallic.”“What do they mean?”“I don’t know yet.” She sounded a little frustrated. Like she’d been trying to figure it out but couldn’t quite get it straight. Something about what Seungwan told her made Joohyun nervous. She knew everyone had a smell. She knew vampires had senses greater than her own but she often forgot about those things. They didn’t matter to her to remember. Not until Seungwan brought it up and it showed that Joohyun couldn’t hide away or cloak her feelings as well as she wished she could. With Yerim it was different. Yerim knew her and she never mentioned what she could gather from the human tells of Joohyun unless she needed to. “Are you feeling better?” she asked, driving them away from the subject. Approaching the register, she laid down the scarf and a few more items onto the counter.“I don’t know.”“You don’t know?”“Have you ever had to do something that you don’t want to do but you want to do it anyway?”Offering a smile to the clerk, Joohyun grabbed the bag and headed out the door. “I don’t think I follow.”“If someone asked you if you wanted a million dollars but you had to jump out of a plane, would you do it?”“For a million dollars?” Joohyun peered across the street at the club. The commotion outside had settled down though there was still an exciting buzz of energy in the air. She tapped her finger against the back of her phone in thought. Should she go inside? “I think so.”“What if the parachute was lit on fire?” Seungwan swung focus back to her. “No,” said Joohyun when she realized what was said. She leaned against a light post, chewing on her lip as she watched the bouncer stop a rowdy guy from trying to strongarm his way inside. A woman at his side argued loudly with the bouncer who shook his head. “Absolutely not.”“But it’s a million dollars.”“What is money at the cost of my life?”“That’s what I thought, too.”Joohyun’s eyes drifted from the club, her mind and attention leaving the mystery inside to let everything Seungwan just said to her sink in. God, she wanted to know what was really going on. She wanted to be inside of Seungwan’s head. She wanted to be completely on the other side of the glass that seemed to still be between them. But Joohyun didn’t think she could ever be. Not only was Seungwan a celebrity with her own life to protect, Joohyun was a detective with her own identity to keep concealed. She didn’t think she could keep the truths of her own life a secret if she stepped over those liens with Seungwan. Yet, every time they spoke, the more Joohyun wanted to. The less she started to care about boundaries. “Did you do it?” she asked, feet taking her away from the chatter and the muffled music of the club. “What?”“Did you jump out of the plane?”“Almost. But now I think I’m the one on fire.”“What—”A beep in her ear cut her off. Pulling the phone away, Joohyun saw an incoming call from Yerim on her screen. She stared at it, debating whether to take it or not. She could let it go to voicemail and wait for Yerim to leave a message or text her. Or she could do what she was supposed to be doing. Yerim was always a stark reminder for what she should be doing. What her entire purpose for being over the wall and investigating the club was for. She should know better.“Hello?” she heard Seungwan say.Joohyun brought the phone back to her ear. “Sorry, but I have to go.”“Oh.” The disappointment in her voice was glaringly apparent. “Okay. Thanks for talking to me.”“Bye, Seungwan.” She quickly let the call end before she could change her mind and dialed Yerim back. “Hey!” she answered, brightly. “I got a hit.”Those words jolted Joohyun back into reality. “Where?”“At five this afternoon, the car and Donghee were spotted speaking to a man who then boarded a delivery truck,” said Yerim. She sounded excited. “I tracked that and the last it was seen was headed into one of the port districts. As far as I know, the only thing in port districts is delivery posts and warehouses. I couldn’t get much of the plate but I made a few calls to see if any workers noticed the vehicle with what letter and number combination I could see and we have a hit on an address that uses those types of trucks.”Stepping to the curb she waved down a cab. “We should look into it.”“What about backup?”“The mission will be observation only,” said Joohyun. “If we see an exchange happens, then we call someone in.”“You’re the boss, boss. When do we convene?”“Two hours.” A car rolled up and she slipped inside. “I’ll wait for you out front.”-/-/-/-Headlights peered over a vacant parking lot as they pulled up to the warehouse. The building stretched long, the tan brick weather-worn and aged. The concrete of the lot was broken up, tuffs of plantlife breaking through the asphalt in new growth through cracks and chipped paint of parking lane parkers. Toward the back stood a chain link fence, the metal corroded and browning at the tops while parts of the wire were bent and ripped open.“Isn’t this a little on the nose?” said Yerim. “Old, abandoned warehouse.”Joohyun thought so, too. “Cut the lights.” Headlights went off plunging them into dusty darkness. There was little light but there was hardly much to see. “Let’s drive the perimeter then look past the gate.”Nodding, Yerim turned the car to drive down the lot, trailing the side of the building until they reached the end then turned around, retracing their steps until they reached the entry point in the gate. There were chains holding the doors closed held secure by a thick padlock long rusted.“It looks clear.”“Drive up to the gate.”The car eased forward and they stopped. Joohyun strained, trying to see deeper past the fencing but she could barely make out more than a few feet in front of them before there was only blackness obstructed with shadows. “Can you see anything?” asked Joohyun.Yerim squinted and leaned forward against the steering wheel. “I don’t see the car but there are tracks. It’s hard to tell how new or old they are.”“What about that?” Joohyun pointed to a bulk of a shadow she could see beyond the gate, peeking around the edge of the building that they couldn’t reach. “Transport truck,” Yerim confirmed and turned to her. “What do you want to do?”She unbuckled her seatbelt. “Wait here.” “Are you crazy?” Her own buckled rattled as she took it off. “I’m coming with you.” “I’m not going to engage,” said Joohyun. “I’m only going to look around. I need you to stand guard.” Not waiting for more protest, Joohyun climbed out.“Joo—”The door shut, choking the next syllable off. Joohyun crossed the lot, her boots crunching on the pavement and gravel beneath her soles as she walked up to the gate to get a better look. Face pressed to the chain, she leaned in as far as she could until she could see further around the back of the warehouse. There wasn’t just one transport truck. There were three. Pulling away, she walked over to the building, hand against the brick to guide her way along the wall. It was quiet. Too quiet. She had been in situations like this before but there was something unsettling about this location. About how still and barren it seemed to be. Rounding the corner, she could make out the rectangular outline of a door metal door where she stopped. She dragged her hand along it feeling the material. It was thick, heavy metal. Grabbing the handle, she gave it a turn. Knob swiveled in her grip but didn’t budge when she pulled. Relaxing, she tensed up again, using more force to yank it open. Still nothing. “Need some help,” whispered Yerim. Joohyun jumped. She hadn’t heard even a footstep of her approaching. “Boo,” she teased, snickering as she took hold of the handle and pulled. The door came loose easily.“Show off,” Joohyun whispered. “You’re welcome.” Yerim flipped her hair. “And you might want this.”A flashlight was pressed into her palm. “Thanks.” Joohyun went to step forward when a hand stopped her. She pursed her lips up at Yerim. “I’ll check first.”“No, human, I’ll check.” Not waiting for approval, she pushed past Joohyun through the door, mumbling how humans really are brainless sometimes. The moonlight outlined her form in the doorway then it was gone, disappearing into the shadows.Joohyun remained still, one hand tucked into her jacket where her fingers curled around the grip of her gun hidden there. It was the only weapon she had on her and the only one Yerim had as well other than the natural tool of her nature. The severity of the situation that they were in and how unprepared they were going in hit her like a train. It wasn’t the first time she had walked right into danger but there was something much more unsettling about the place they were than usual. Yerim appeared back in the doorframe a minute later, a strange expression on her face. “Anything?”“No one but there’s something you should see.” Returning to the darkness, Joohyun followed after her, her flashlight burning with red light. She dragged the beam around, taking in what was an old office space. The equipment inside was outdated, rusted, and dusty. The place must’ve been abandoned years ago. Joohyun wondered why. There weren’t many places in the Immortal City that were just left and not repurposed into something else. They didn’t have enough room to let things to go to waste. The fact that this warehouse hadn’t been touched in a while sent off an alarm and a curiosity in her. Breaking out of the offices, they traveled down a hall with an open door at the end. Yerim stopped a few feet away from it. Joohyun looked up, meeting her eyes, questioning her with a silent movement of the lips. “Prepare yourself.”She didn’t understand what Yerim meant until they stepped through the door. At first, she didn’t see anything. All she could do was smell and feel. She could tell they had stepped into the warehouse portion. There was an eeriness to the area and an uncomfortable amount of openness that caused Joohyun’s muscles to tighten and her senses to heighten with the rush of adrenaline that went through her. The place smelt damp and old and dusty. She held for another second, waiting for the smell of death to touch her. Usually, when Yerim warned her about something it was because it meant death. But none of that came.“Yerim?”A hand grabbed the wrist of the hand that held the flashlight while another hand pressed against her back, guiding her through the dark. As they ventured deeper, Yerim raised her hand, casting the beam into the warehouse.Joohyun’s heart sank.There were rows of them. Beds and cribs. Some were bare, the wireframes left empty and chipped in rust or rotted wood while others were still spread with blankets, the white sheets yellowed from age. Joohyun approached them slowly, her legs growing heavier the longer she looked on them, examining each one until she stopped in front of one of the beds. Sitting on top of the sheets were a pair of shoes. Little boy shoes. “Do you think this is where they used to keep them?” asked Yerim.It had to be. All those years ago. She had only read and studied the Snatching Crisis. She had only seen pictures of things like this, old grainy videos taken from sites, and tales spoken from mouths of victims and those who were saved. They told her that the operations were shut down and clean up went in to erase the ghoulish past. It seemed they had missed one. And now, to actually be standing in a place that had been a part of, it chilled her.“How didn’t we know this was here?” asked Joohyun. “How did no one?”“Not no one.” Joohyun let Yerim guide her flashlight again to the floor. Footprints. “Those are fresh.” Joohyun started after them, the red beam of light bouncing as her walk turned into a trot. She knew she was being too loud, her footsteps hitting down harder than she usually would, but her heart was slapping wildly and there was a lump in her throat, machine into her chest and—She stopped. The tracks ended. Right in the middle of the room. Joohyun whirled her flashlight around, trying to find where the path led off to. It didn’t make sense. Footprints didn’t just disappear there had to be—Shoes.Her flashlight landed on a pair of shoes and she jerked her wrist upward, trailing what they were attached to. There. In the middle of the room. A figure stood in front of her, draped in black and Joohyun froze. Under the shadow of a cap, a strip of black fabric concealed their eyes so that only a mouth could be seen. Lips peeled back showing a pair of fangs. “Looking for something?” said a male voice.“Joohyun!” Yerim called in warning.Joohyun snapped alert. Hand darting beneath her jacket, she grabbed for the gun cradled in her holster at the same time the vampire moved. He was so fast. Joohyun only got her fingers around the grip when she was sent hurtling backward. She hit the ground hard and slid across the cement floor. Back hitting a wall, Joohyun wheezed as the wind was knocked out of her leaving her gasping. She struggled for air as she pushed onto her hands and knees. Ahead, her flashlight rolled to a stop, the red beam casting across the warehouse where she saw Yerim duck under the swing of a kick. She countered quickly, fist rounding up to sink into the vampires gut. But he was just as fast. An arm sliced down into Yerim’s back, sending her to the floor where she dropped with the sound of a shattering rock. “Yerim!” Joohyun yelled.The vampire’s neck snapped to her and ran for her, his footsteps silent in his charge. In a blink, Joohyun found herself sprawled out on her back. Weight crushed over her and she fumbled. Finger slipping over the trigger, she took a shot, sending the bullet through her jacket and into his stomach. His movements stuttered for a second long enough for her to reposition the barrel and sink a bullet into his chest.He gasped a shuddering breath, then snarled, mouth wide open and hand reeled back with fingers bent into claws. Joohyun braced herself for the impact but only the tips of his nails scrapped her neck as his weight was lifted off of her and tossed aside. Joohyun saw a flash of Yerim just barely able to catch the quick speed of her gripping her gun. Three shots rang out in the direction she had thrown the vampire. Out of blackness, he appeared again and Yerim collided with him, their bodies clashing in a sickening sound. Yerim snarled. Something cracked. And then it was quiet.Joohyun scrambled, crawling over to grab her flashlight. She darted the beam, stopping it on the vampire sprawled on the floor. There was blood on the floor, glossy and black in the red light. The bend of his neck was wrong, turned too far and protruding on one side with rips of bloody skin. Joohyun knew better than to think he was dead. It took more than a few bullets and a broken neck to put one down.“Are you okay?”Joohyun turned her light on Yerim. Her eyes were wide with worry and her face was bloody around her mouth. Joohyun knew what the rips in the vampire’s neck were now. She had bitten him.“Joohyun.”“I’m okay.”Yerim was crouched in front of her in an instant. The movement made her wince but Joohyun didn’t have a chance to ask her if she was hurt. Fingers touched her chin, turning it to get a better look at the cuts in her neck. She had forgotten about them until now. They were starting to sting and she could feel the coolness against her skin there indicating the presence of blood.“Don’t—” Yerim warned but Joohyun’s fingers had already reached up to touch them. There was more blood than she thought. He had gotten her deep no doubt planning to slice through her neck. “We need to get those looked at.”“What about him?”“We didn’t come prepared. We have no cuffs, no restraint, and no squad car. He’ll be conscious again before we could get him back to the station.”Joohyun cursed herself. How had they been so stupid? How could they rush in like that so underprepared? There was no telling what they would’ve discovered by following the trail. She hadn’t just put herself in danger, she put Yerim in danger. If anything would’ve happened to them, it would’ve been her fault. Again. It would’ve been her fault again. She couldn’t mess up again. “So we leave him,” she said, tone flat. They were so close but Yerim was right. They didn’t have what they needed to restrain him properly. Not a skilled vampire like that. They’d be dead. “We’ll have to but we can find him again.” Yerim pointed to her mouth. “His blood is all over me.” She cringed as she licked her lips then spit onto the floor. “He tastes sour.”A groaned whined through the darkness.Joohyun’s neck snapped to where the vampire was. The action stretched the cuts on her neck and she hissed, teeth clenching to hold back an audible moan.“Come on,” said Yerim. “Let’s go.”Taking Yerim’s hand, she let her pull her to the feet. Following her out of the warehouse, she took one last look back at a tiny pair of shoes.

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

Her skin burned.  “Careful!” Joohyun hissed, shrinking away. Yerim grumbled. “I’m being as gentle as I can.” Squeezing a tube of ointment, Yerim swiped a bead of it onto her fingertips and touched it to the flaming cuts on the side of Joohyun’s neck. Joohyun watched her through the bathroom mirror, her head tilted to one side to give her better access to the tender flesh. Four lines marred her skin, each one a little worse than the other. They were deep but not deep enough to require stitches though Yerim begged her to see a proper doctor. She argued that Yerim didn’t hold one of the highest sets of marks in medical assistance and first aid to make her waste time on doctor’s offices.  Bandages followed and Joohyun set her jaw to hold back a whimper. They hurt despite how gentle Yerim was. They would leave permanent scars once they healed. Ugly, little, jagged lines forever as a reminder of her rash decisions. “I’m sorry,” she found herself muttering. Yerim stopped fiddling with the first aid kit to look at her through the mirror. “For what?” “The warehouse.” She shrugged, letting it fill in the space for the rest of the words she couldn’t quite find.  Yerim pursed her lips, her eyes leaving her as if it was painful to look at her partner. “You don’t need to apologize.” But her tone was heavy and tight. Yerim wasn’t stupid. She knew what they did was dangerous. If she blamed Joohyun, she didn’t show it but it was obvious she wasn’t pleased with her. “Did you run the blood ID?” she asked, veering them away from the heaviness. Vulnerability wasn’t their strong suit.  “I did but nothing that made sense came up.” “What do you mean?” “I’m not sure.” The latches on the first aid kit popped back into place and Yerim reached up to store it on one of the shelves in the mirror cabinet. “It’s like the person it belongs to doesn’t exist. I sent the information to Heechul to see if their database turns up anything.” Joohyun whipped her head around and instantly regretted it when the cuts seared. “You told Heechul?” “Yes, I told Heechul.” The cabinet shut hard with the forceful swing of Yerim’s hand.  She winced, taken aback by her own outburst then deflated as she turned around, leaning back against the sink counter with her arms crossed.  “It’s not your fault for what happened last night,” she said, softly. She couldn't bring herself to look at Joohyun in the eye but she didn’t have to for her words to land pointedly. “I was there, too. I should’ve made sure we were ready. We were lucky that you only walked out of there with those scratches and my fractured ribs.” She shook her head like she was trying to erase the memories of how those injuries were induced. “I know you want to do this on your own. I know you have some sort of complex that makes you think you have to be the one to save the day all the time but you’re going to have to realize that you can’t always do that. This is bigger than us. We need help. We need a team. We need Heechul.” Her eyes finally met Joohyun. What bout of guilt she already felt only intensified. Yerim had given her these talks more than she needed to lately. She shouldn’t have to. She was the one in charge. She was the leader. She was the one who was supposed to make sure that they met protocol and executed every mission with a ninety percent success rate and a low chance of causality or injury. She wasn’t only letting herself down here. She was letting Yerim down and by extension all the people who relied on her to bring back positive results and findings.  Joohyun dropped her gaze. “You’re right.” “You said that last time just before you went behind my back,” she shot back.  “I mean it this time,” she tried but there was still skepticism on Yerim’s face. “You’ve been right. I shouldn’t exclude you from investigations and we shouldn’t keep Heechul in the dark. What happened at the warehouse...without you, I could be dead right now.” “Whoa, whoa, whoa.” Yerim threw up her hands. “Let’s not throw around the D-word, okay? You were being stupid but not that stupid. I didn’t stop us either, remember?” “I remember.” The corner of Joohyun’s mouth pulled up in a soft smile. “Even?” “Even.” A hand reached down and Joohyun took it, allowing Yerim to help her to her feet. Making their way through the apartment, they settled in Joohyun’s living room like usual. “Okay,” Yerim started, hands clapping together. Turning around to face the wall, she stopped short, brow wrinkling in confusion. “Where’s your evidence board?” Joohyun stilled. “The closet.” “Why?” Her throat went dry. Since the incident, Seungwan was forced to the back of her mind. It all came rushing back within seconds and her entire body tensed up when she remembered Seungwan in her apartment, walking these floors, lying on this couch. She had no explanation to offer Yerim other than a shrug. Yerim didn’t ask questions as she went to the bedroom and retrieved the board. Bringing it back, she sat it on the floor, propping it against the TV stand. “Let’s go over what we know.”  Joohyun shifted on the couch, drawing her legs up to sit crisscrossed on the cushions. This was what she needed. Work. Focus. She had to stick to what she told Yerim this time. She needed to have her head locked in and she needed to do the best she could to keep Seungwan from hazing the corners of her mind, tempting her into curious waters.  Eyes finding familiar pictures on the board, she traced a line from them connected to one of young, innocent youthful eyes. “Starting with the basics, we know that Donghee and Soonkyu are working together. There is a child involved but at this point, we don’t know who has him or where he is.” “We also know that Donghee is connected to Choi Siwon.” Turning to the board, Yerim created a line that connected the two as she continued. “Who has connections both inside and outside the wall. For his business, he would obviously need supplies to be shipped in.”  “Do you know what delivery business he prefers to use?” asked Joohyun. “Maybe we could find a commonality between that and the warehouse.” “I could find out.” Yerim’s brow creased as she focused away from the board back on Joohyun, arms pulled up to cross over her chest. “But isn’t the warehouse a dead end?” “I don’t think so. I don’t think it was as abandoned as we think. The tracks outside could’ve been new and we don’t know why there was a vampire inside who attacked us.” “Maybe we stumbled in on an operation and he was the guard?” “We only saw the offices and the warehouse,” Joohyun pointed out. “There could be more rooms that we didn’t get to check. That place was designed to house children for extended periods.” “Or we could be wrong.” “What do you mean?” “None of this could be connected and the information tip I got was wrong.” Yerim huffed out a breath as she crossed the room and sank down onto the edge of the couch beside Joohyun. Leaning forward, she rested her elbows on her knees. “There are other warehouses and tons of trucks that look like that.” Joohyun chewed on her lip in thought. There was a possibility that there was something unrelated to what they were doing going on but there was a feeling in her gut that told her otherwise. There were too many links and patterns for it to be a coincidence.  “Even if, we’re still forgetting someone.” “Who?” “Hound.” Joohyun frowned. Her neck might’ve been what was injured but she could feel a headache starting to form at the center of her skull. Using two fingers, she massaged the space between her eyebrows. “A true dead end.” Yerim groaned, chin dropping against her propped up fists. “We’re back at square one.” “We’re not. Even if it’s not connected, though I think it is, we did learn that Donghee is talking to a transporter. That tells us we’re right about them having a kid.” Yerim nose scrunched up. “We already knew that. What Nurse Lee said confirmed it.” “So why haven’t they put him into her care? What’s the holdup?” Yerim’s eyes narrowed as she listened to what Joohyun said, her thoughts taking her into a new direction. “And why use the bleeder bar if they have a warehouse?” “Right.” Groaning, Yerim threw herself dramatically back against the couch. “Did you change perfumes?” she asked suddenly. Joohyun looked over at her. Yerim had her chin tilted up, nose in the air as she sniffed. She couldn’t detect it but Joohyun knew what she was smelling—who she was smelling. Her heart fluttered when she thought back to the night Seungwan had been sprawled out along this very couch, hair thrown over the armrest, nose buried in one of the decorative pillows, limbs curled and weight sinking deep into the cushions. That was days ago and the last thing Joohyun thought about was her leaving traces of her scent around.  “It was a sample,” she lied, keeping her voice even. “Hmm, smells good.” Yerim took in another long whiff before focusing back on the discussion. “What about the flux?” “Nothing really,” said Joohyun. “I investigated the club that the girls were last seen at. It’s high-end. A couple of guests showed up that had everyone’s attention but I couldn’t get a good look at them.” “You’re not going to like what I found out.” “What is it?” “I looked into that case a little further. There are other reports of the same thing,” said Yerim. Something in Joohyun’s stomach twisted at the information. “Some are teens who wanted a night out and didn’t tell their parents where they were going while others gave confusing reports. It’s all the same. Usually a night at a bar or club or house party. There’s drinking involved then they’re a little dazed and sent back.” Joohyun narrowed her eyes. “That sounds strategic.” “I thought so, too. I plan to run the runaway cases alongside the missing ones from the outside to see if there’s any correlation. Maybe I can find out about the club guests?” Yerim peered over at Joohyun for permission. When she nodded, she continued. “I’ll keep Heechul out of this one since he wanted us to keep it quiet.” Joohyun hummed in agreement. “While you’re on that, I’ll try to piece what’s going on together a little better. I know there’s a connection.” “Then we’re back in business.” Standing up, Yerim stretched her arms up over her head. “I’ll order you something to eat. How does soup sound?” Joohyun smiled. “Perfect.” -/-/-/- She was summoned to the company building early and told to dress business casual. Seungwan followed Jeongsu’s instructions exactly and clicked through the building into the elevator in a pair of black heels to go with her navy pantsuit.  Reaching the seventh floor, she knocked on Jeongsu’s door and let herself in on his word. She found him standing at the windows, staring out over the city with his hands deep in his pockets. His suit jacket was off and the sun burned against the maroon of his shirt. It made him look so casual and unassuming.  “Good morning, sir.” He turned around to face her, the sun glittering off the gold accents of his watch and necklace that set neatly against his chest. “There’s my starlight.” His mouth stretched back into a smile. Seungwan didn’t know what to do at the sight of it. Why would he smile at her? Didn’t he know about that night? Didn’t he know that she disappointed him in the end? What happened haunted her, curdling anxiety in her stomach that she couldn’t seem to shake. Every time she thought about it, she fell into a panic. What would he do to her? What would Youngwoon do to her? “Mr. Kim will be here shortly,” he said as he broke from the window to cross the room. Rounding his desk, he leaned back to sit on the front edge, chin tilted slightly to look at Seungwan directly. “We have much to discuss about the agreement.” “The agreement?” “Mr. Kim called me. He was very impressed with your performance.” Seungwan froze. Her...performance? She knew better than to believe he meant the song she sang. Not from the curl at the corner of Jeongsu’s mouth or the way he was looking at her, taking her all in again, as if he was seeing her for the first time—in a new light. As if he was truly impressed with her for the first time, surprised by her commitment and devotion.  Her stomach was twisting the way it had been since that night and now there was a sickness filling into it the more she thought about what would’ve happened in that hotel if Irene never texted her. She could still sense the heat of Youngwoon’s hands on her, smell the stink of alcohol on his breath, feel the arousal pressed against her, begging for her, wanting her. She always knew she was a commodity for the company but it was in that moment she truly felt like a product. And to think she would’ve let it happen. She was so close to letting it happen. “That’s great,” she said, forcing a smile.  “It’s better than great. It means we’re now closer than ever.” Pushing off the desk, Jeongsu approached her, fingers on her chin guiding her eyes to look into his. “You’ve made me proud.” She bit her lip. “Didn’t you have faith in me?” “Oh, I did but you always seem to impress me.” The phone on his desk rang and he broke away to answer it. The conversation was quick, over a second after he picked up the line. “Mr. Kim is only minutes away. We’ll meet him in the main green room.” -/-/-/- She knew why Jeongsu picked the green room. Unlike the conference room, it was open and dimly lit with couches and chairs and lamps. A little pocket of comfort. On the coffee table that sat on a fur rug in the middle of the room was a spread of refreshments and bottles of water arranged neatly. It was all for show. Another means to make the outsider humans feel comfortable.  Seungwan sat in one of the cushioned chairs, her hands folded neatly in her lap while Jeongsu lounged on a leather couch, his legs crossed in his usual stature. The thumb on his right hand played with the ring on his index finger, spinning the little circle of metal in it that whizzed when he gave it a flick. Impatiently, he checked his watch. Another two minutes dragged by when Seungwan heard the pad of footsteps. Jeongsu heard them as well and he got up, smoothing his hands over his suit jacket just as a staff member opened the door. Youngwoon’s face filled up the frame and Seungwan stopped breathing.  His eyes locked onto hers from across the room and the night they shared all came rushing back. She remembered the excuse she came up with once she left the bathroom, telling him that she wasn’t feeling too well. That, “Even vampires can get food poisoning.” It was flimsy but he was human and he didn’t know better. Her lack of a proper feeding made her skin more washout than usual and the dark circles it brought around her eyes worked in her favor. He let her go but not without stealing her lips in a kiss laced with scotch and a reminder that they would finish later. Seungwan almost threw up the dinner she was forced to eat on his shoes. But she didn’t. She couldn’t do that to Jeongsu. She couldn’t do that to herself. She had to keep playing the part. She had to be good for her sake. So she kissed him back like it was the seal of a promise and strode off until she was out of eyesight, trapped behind the doors of the elevator where she broke down. She had messed up and she would pay for it. Or she thought she would have to pay for it.  Seungwan kept her eyes on Youngwoon as he stepped further into the room. What game was he playing? What story did he fabricate? “Miss Son,” Youngwoon greeted.  “Mr. Kim, sir.” She smiled and allowed him to lavish the back of her hand with a kiss. Dark eyes peered up at her, darker than the night they shared in that hotel room. Cold slithered down Seungwan’s spine. It wasn’t over. “Pleasure to see you again.” “As to you.” Seungwan made a show of biting the inside of her lip. Her eyes shifted then, catching sight of a woman just behind him. She was tall and thin with black hair cut just past the shoulders and sunkissed skin. “This is Kwon Yuri. My assistant,” Youngwoon introduced. “She didn’t want to miss today.” “It’s an honor to meet you, Miss Son,” said Yuri. “You, too.” “Please have a seat, everyone,” Jeongsu instructed.  Seungwan found her chair again while Jeongsu and Youngwoon sat across from each other on a pair of couches. Yuri took her place on Youngwoon’s right, a laptop drawn out of a leather bag cracked open on her lap. Seungwan caught Jeongsu’s glance in her direction. “Should we cut straight to it, then?” said Youngwoon. When Jeongsu dipped his chin in a nod and gestured a hand toward Seungwan his attention fell on her. “I’m not sure how much Mr. Park has shared with you, Miss Son, but Dynasty Records is in the middle of one of our biggest marketing changes. We’ve been doing a bit of rebranding, making a global push to stretch beyond our country’s boundaries much further and harder than we ever have. Up until now, Dynasty has been a strictly human entertainment company but times are changing.” “As they should,” Jeongsu interjected. “Some would beg to differ,” Youngwoon clipped, “but business is no business without money and there is much to be had with this global expansion but even more if that extended to the vampires.” Seungwan’s eyebrows lifted. Of everything she was expecting, this wasn’t it. She’d heard rumors about something like it. But that’s all they were. Rumors. Sure, they had vampires who lived outside the wall but they were forced to mimic a human life. They were forced to integrate and not advertise that they were different than their mortal peers.  It was always said that if vampires and humans intermingled freely, it would tip the scales. It would make people stop seeing vampires as the monsters they were told that they were. It would mean that they would have to let more vampires live outside the wall without guidelines, they would have to accept coexistence, they would have to tear down the wall.  It was one thing to let humans enter their gates but the other way around was barbaric.  She heard the politics of it but this... “What would that look like?” she asked.  “The climb will be slow,” said Jeongsu, taking over. “Before Dynasty takes on a full roster of vampire acts, Mr. Kim would like to do a test run—see how the people react to seeing vampires on their stages mingling with humans. If all goes well, then we will enact phase two.” “A partnership,” said Youngwoon. “Between Dynasty and JSU. We would operate under one label with our artists able to move freely between any hollow and beyond its walls.” Seungwan blinked. Her head was reeling. A partnership? Was that why Jeongsu was pushing so hard for this? Seungwan didn’t know and she wasn’t sure she cared because the word that stuck out to her was free. She could move freely. She could leave. She could go anywhere. She could see anything and everything.  She turned her attention to Jeongsu who was watching her with curiosity behind a polite smile. This was huge. This was larger than her and anything she ever dreamed. And for a moment, all of the sickness in her stomach went away. Perhaps it all was worth it. Perhaps the payoff did outway the cost. Perhaps all of the years she spent clawing her way through and pushing herself to be the best in her field in every way she could weren’t wasted “We’re here to discuss terms and details of the artists' side of things,” said Jeongsu after a moment. “That means you.” All eyes were on her and Seungwan was slow, too caught up in the array of possibilities and dreams and fantasies that were overtaking her to realize they were waiting for her to speak.  “I’m overwhelmed,” she said, keeping her laugh modest. She wanted nothing more than to scream, than to jump up and down and run through the halls. “This is more than I could have ever dreamed.” “Then your dreams are too small,” said Youngwoon, pulling her gaze to him. “The talents that you have displayed are exceptional. I have also had the privilege of meeting a few others at JSU and I believe there is something to be found here. However, I would like to extend the invitation to you personally.” That hit her hard in the chest. “Me?” “There is no one else better fit to help usher in vampire acceptance in the outside industry,” said Youngwoon. “You’re beautiful, well mannered, talented, and hardworking. Others have been chomping at the bit, begging to get out but you have waited patiently. You’ve seasoned yourself. You’re first.” “Mr. Kim and I share the same faith in you.” Jeongsu’s smile was genuine now. He wasn’t hiding it from her and she knew then that he was just as excited and pleased as she was. It was infectious and Seungwan could hardly keep her own smile from spreading into its truest form.  “I don’t know what to say.” Yongwoon laughed. “Say yes.” “Yes! Yes, I would love to accept.” “I knew you would.” Youngwoon grinned, teeth peeking from behind his lips. If Seungwan wasn’t still soaring from everything she was just told she would’ve been afraid of the glint in his eye when he said that. “There is more to go over. Forms, documents, contracts. Yuri here has been working on them as we speak. Mr. Park and I will go over the main details and then we will call you in to look over the finer details, make sure that it follows as closely with the terms you already have at JSU. We want you to be comfortable working with Dynasty, not stifle what you’ve built for the past fifteen years.”  “Shall we break then come back to review?” Jeongsu asked to Youngwoon.  “Let’s take a lunch,” he replied the turned back to Seungwan. “I can’t wait to see what you can really do.” The meeting broke and Seungwan stood up on shaky legs. She was feeling so many things. Excitement, fear, relief, gratitude, worry, butterflies. They all swarmed through her and she ached to tell someone. She needed to tell I— “Now you see what I meant,” said Jeongsu to her as they walked out of the green room.  She turned up to him, rocked by the seriousness of his tone. They won something together but she had to remember that it wasn’t over. That this was still a business. That it wasn’t just a party to be had. There would be work involved as there always was. “I’m impressed,” she said. He chuckled, low in his throat as the back of his knuckles brushed along the curve of her jaw. “What do you say to me?” “Thank you,” she replied knowing that’s what he wanted to hear. He grinned. “You’re welcome, starlight.” “Mr. Park,” called Youngwoon’s assistant as she approached them. “May I steal you for a moment?”  Nodding, he stepped away with her to the side.  “Miss Son.” Turning around, she found Youngwoon staring down at her.  “Thank you, sir, for this opportunity,” she said.  “Don’t misunderstand,” said Youngwoon, his voice low but sharp. “I haven’t forgotten that night and don’t think for a second you can play me for a fool. You made a mistake running out on me but I understand. Someone of my power, it can be intimidating.” Seungwan wished that was all it was. “I’m sorry. I never mean to lie.” He scoffed. “You’re lucky that I am a generous man so I will make you a bargain. He stepped closer, his chest bumping against her shoulder as he leaned down, speaking soft enough so that not even Jeongsu could hear the words he spoke to her. “I’ll keep your secret but I will come for what I want and I will get it. You have only seen a glimpse of what I can do for you. When you finally see what more you can have, you will pay up. You’ll have to. Anytime that I want. Or I’ll crush you and everything you love about this puny company you hide behind. Do you understand?” The breath she took in shook. “Yes, sir.” “Mr. Kim?” beckoned his assistant. “The car is out front.” “Thank you, Yuri.” He smiled to her then turned back to Seungwan. “I look forward to having you in my company again, Miss Son.” -/-/-/- Joohyun drummed her fingers against her lips. There were new lines of string stretched out across the board and index cards scrawled with information tacked around pictures and files of evidence. The remains of lunch were discarded across the coffee table, both of them too caught up in work to have cleaned it up. A mug of tea clung in Joohyun’s fingers, steam long gone and lukewarm.  Across the room, Yerim sucked her teeth in annoyance at a game she was thumbing at on her phone that she retired too after the frustrations with the case forced her into taking a break. Joohyun knew she should do the same but she couldn’t bring herself to. Eyeing the board, she realized how much had been falling through the cracks, how much she hadn’t been seeing, how much of her attention had been pulled away onto other matters.  Bringing the edge of her mug to her lips, Joohyun went to take a sip when her phone began to ring. She ignored it, in favor of keeping on track than being thrown off by another distraction and let it chime in the background. “You should answer,” said Yerim from behind her. Joohyun was slow to turn around. When she did, she found Yerim holding up her phone, the screen turned Joohyun’s direction so she saw the name flashing on the front.  Reaching out her hand, she took the device and brought it to her ear. “Heechul.” “Detective,” he said it like a sigh of relief. It stabbed pins into her skin. Heechul was not easily shaken but she could hear his worry in his voice. “Kim relayed your operation from the previous night. Report?” She knew he wasn’t asking about their findings. Yerim had already filled him in on all of that. “I’m okay,” she answered. “Just a couple of scratches.” “Don’t downplay this, detective. What happened should not be taken lightly. You already know what I’m going to say about the way your mission was handled but I need you to understand that we cannot have something like this happen again. Is that clear?” She swallowed. It wasn’t often that Heechul got stern with her but when he did she knew he meant it. He meant business. “Yes, sir. I understand, sir.” He let out a sigh that Joohyun felt in her bones. “I’m glad you're okay.” “Me, too, sir.” Clearing his throat, Heechul shifted gears. “Have you been back to the bleeder bar?” he asked. She expected him to even out after reprimanding her about their failed mission at the warehouse but there was still something frantic about his tone.  “No. Why?” “After Yerim told me about what happened, I couldn’t help but feel like something wasn’t right,” he told her. Joohyun looked over her shoulder at Yerim who was staring at her curiously. Placing the phone down, she turned it onto speaker. “Something about that attack seemed too calculated. The baby shoes, the hitman, the old housing warehouse? It was very on the nose. Almost like a show.” “I knew it!” Yerim came over to stand behind the couch. “Like it was planned, right?” Joohyun tossed a look back to Yerim. It was something she had been thinking but hearing it out loud and shared between all three of them brought the entire ordeal into a better perspective. “If it was planned, then that would mean that they know we’re onto them.” “Then why the workaround?” asked Yerim. Leaning over, she rested her weight onto her elbows along the back of the couch. “If they knew we were onto them, they could’ve sent anyone to take us out a long time ago.” “Not if they were doing it on purpose.” Joohyun’s eyes narrowed as she stood up, chin cradled between her fingers as she sank into thought. “Not if they wanted to distract us.” “You mentioned a room you found at the Red Labyrinth,” said Heechul. “If that’s what they’ve been using, what’s the purpose of the warehouse? It was abandoned, empty. Everything you found there was old and outdated except for a few tracks.” Joohyun nodded. She thought the same thing. They were all thinking the same thing. With Heechul saying it out loud, it only made it all the more strange. It didn’t make sense. Two points of operation? Unless they were separate cases, there would be no reason for having different places. Not unless— Joohyun stilled, wide eyes shifting over to Yerim who raised an eyebrow at her. “They’re going to wipe it.” “What?” asked Yerim.  “They’re going to clear out the basement!” Uneasy, Joohyun began to pace. “If they knew we were onto them, then they knew we were getting close to their operation at the bleeder bar. The car, the truck, the warehouse, they were all a diversion.” Scoffing, she stopped in the middle of the room, hand running through her hair in frustration. “We were too busy paying attention to that and forgot to pay attention to the one place we know they’ve been operating from.” Yerim met her stare, her eyes going wide when realization set in. That had to be it. There was no other explanation. There were too many links, tying the warehouse and the bleeder bar together to even try and convince themselves that they weren’t related.  “Yerim,” said Heechul, “how quickly can you send in a team?” “They’re just awaiting the order.” “Go. Do it now. Send them to the bleeder bar.” “Yes, sir.” Yerim pulled away, zipping over to grab her phone and around the room in a pace much too quickly for Joohyun to keep up with as she started packing up her things to head out.  “What about the warehouse?” asked Joohyun.  “Get a team to clean it out,” Heechul instructed. “Write in your report that you were following a lead and came across a rogue vampire who was squatting there and you had to attack. Do you copy?” “But—” “Do you copy, detective?” Her jaw flexed, tongue ready to question why Heechul wanted to keep a find like that in the dark but didn’t dare to. There was still something very off about the case and if it was enough for Heechul to make her lie about a key detail then she would keep it locked up herself. “Yes, sir. I copy.” “I have to go. Keep me posted and do not do anything else stupid. Keep your work clean and your trails cleaner.” “Yes, sir.” Joohyun ended the call and pocketed her phone as she turned to find Yerim across the room at the door, toeing on her shoes. “Status?” “Junmyeon says they’re gearing up now,” she said, tugging at the laces. They were tied in a blink. “They should be at the bleeder bar in less than twenty minutes.” “Go on ahead,” said Joohyun. “I’ll meet you there.” -/-/-/- “Congratulations.” Seungwan stuttered in her steps just inside the door. She expected to see Sooyoung when she got home. What she didn’t expect was to see Sooyoung wearing a party hat and shaking a bottle of chilled O-positive in her hands when she got home. Even though the party hat was a leftover accessory from an event they had months ago and the bottle was one of the ones she pulled out of the fridge, Seungwan couldn’t help but grin at the gesture. She reached out, taking the bottle from her and accepted the other party hat as it was strung around her chin and sat lopsided over her head.  “Thank you, Soo.”  And just for those couple of seconds, she forgot all about contracts and green rooms and bargains. She only thought about the fact that she was going outside the wall and nothing else. She only let herself focus on the win and nothing else. But it was short-lived and she was plunged back into the reality of the situation.  “Tell us, Miss Son, how do you feel?” Sooyoung held a fist in front of Seungwan’s mouth pretending that it was a microphone. Seungwan laughed and leaned forward into it. “It’s everything I’ve ever wanted.” “Is it?” Sooyoung’s hand lowered, her eyes narrowing as she looked Seungwan over. “You’re saying one thing but everything else doesn’t look the part.” “I am excited. It’s just…” Walking through the room, she dropped onto the couch like a weight. Now that she was away from the company building, she could process everything she was just told. “Stressful.” “I’m still amazed the deal was made,” said Sooyoung.  “You should’ve been there.” “Of course I should’ve. It’s my job to be.” Sooyoung scoffed and ripped the party hat off her head, tossing it onto the coffee table where it slid off onto the floor. “Jeongsu made it very clear that this entire deal was a you-and-him thing. Not that you needed me. Everything worked out.” Her eyebrow lifted. “Thanks to you.” Seungwan heard the light jab in her voice and she looked up, unsurprised to see the sharp edge of the look she was being given. Everything inside of her coiled. She knew this conversation would happen sooner or later.  “So, what happened that night?” asked Sooyoung, rounding the couch to sit down on the cushion beside her. “What was it that made Dynasty agree?” Seungwsan couldn’t look at her. With a sigh, she drew her attention to the bottle in her hands, nail picking at the corner of the gold label stuck to the front. “I don’t want to talk about it,”  “Well, you didn’t want to talk about it the morning you came home so now seems like a good time.” The bottle lifted out of Seungwan’s hands with a snatch and was deposited with a thud onto the coffee table. “What happened?” Seungwan shifted where she sat, drawing up her arms over her chest. She kept it simple. “We went to dinner.” “And?” Seungwan sighed and took off her party hat. This wasn’t a celebration anymore. Her manager wasn’t going to give up until she gave her something of substance. So she told her. Told her about shopping with Jeongsu to find a dress, how he took her out to coach her table manners, how he drove how important this meeting was over and over.  “That’s...a lot.” Her brow furrowed. Seungwan watched her, examining the way the information sank in, morphing her face from one expression to another. She didn’t look pissed but she didn’t look pleased either and Seungwan found herself chewing on her lip, fangs stabbing into fleshy pink, as she waited for her manager to speak again. “He did a lot for this and without informing me,” she finally said.  “Was it supposed to be a secret?” Because now Seungwan wondered as well.  If what Jeongsu was aiming for was to branch off into another company and have Seungwan as their pick as the frontrunner for the new project, why keep Sooyoung in the dark? She should’ve been there. She should’ve been clued in on the contracts and business agreements. All of her managers before had been clued into every little thing Seungwan did.  “I don’t know why it should be.” The crease in her brow deepened, eyes narrowing as she looked over to Seungwan. “Unless…” “Unless?” “What else happened?” The lip between Seungwan’s teeth slipped out and she swallowed, feeling the lump go down every painful inch in her throat. She was at a crossroads. To tell Sooyoung about the hotel room with Youngwoon or not. She knew each had its pros but they both had cons. And it was eating at her. All of these secrets. From Youngwoon to Irene. There were so many things she was holding in, locked up like fine china but they were getting heavy and she couldn’t take much more. She needed to take some out. She needed to tell Sooyoung the truth.  “After dinner, we went back to his hotel room,” the words rushed out of her before she could choke them off. Sooyoung’s eyebrows quirked upwards, a new form of curiosity taking over. “All three of you?” “Yes.” She licked her lips. Her hands were turning warm and she clasped them in her lap to keep them from shaking. She had never been so terrified to tell Sooyoung something before. If she had a heart that could still beat she knew it would burst out of her chest. “At first.” “What do you mean”—her eyes narrowed—"at first?” “Jeongsu left.” “Seungwan.” She knew that tone. She knew Sooyoung was putting the pieces together. She knew there would be no easy way to admit to everything that had happened behind Sooyoung’s back. She wished she could rewind time. She wished she would’ve lied instead because the way Sooyoung was looking at her—eyes too focused, mouth too tight, posture too stiff—told her that she was about to ignite a fire. “It was fine,” she tried, her voice a little too thin to be convincing. “Everything was okay. I was in control of the situation.” “There was a situation?” Seungwan winced. She couldn’t say the words. They got all muddled in her mouth. Now that she was saying it out loud, she realized the degree of the situation.  “I have to show you something,” she muttered. She felt like a kid again being questioned by her parents for something she very much did but tried to hide. They were always understanding of her fear. They always told her it was better to tell them what happened and they always forgave her and Seungwan was left wondering why she had been so scared to tell them in the first place. Maybe with Sooyoung, it would be the same. She hoped it would be the same. “Okay?” “But you have to promise not to get mad,” Seungwan added on. She rolled her eyes. “You know I don’t like to make promises I can’t guarantee I’ll keep.” “Please, Soo. Cross your heart?” “Fine.” She sighed and dragged a finger across her chest in two lines. “Cross my heart.” Getting up, Seungwan disappeared into her room, retrieving the bag she placed the lingerie in. At the door, she paused. There were pins and needles all over her skin and her throat was tight. Even the place where her heart was felt tense.  “It’s rude to leave people on a cliffhanger,” called Sooyoung from the other room. Taking in a breath, Seungwan returned to the living room. Sooyoung’s eyes fell on the bag in her hands, her eyebrow cocked upward when Seungwan handed it to her. “What’s this?” “Open it.” She couldn’t bring herself to sit back down while Sooyoung took the bag into her fingers and split open the top. Her entirety was as tight as a bowstring as Sooyoung reached inside and pulled the garment out. The red fabric was like blood against Sooyoung’s fingers. Pinching the sides, she held up the bottoms to examine the ensemble.  Images swirled through Seungwan’s memory as she recalled having the piece on, the way it clung to her skin, shaped every curve, dipping into creases to display the most of her body to eyes that ate her up like a dish served on a silver platter. She felt sick all over again. “I appreciate the thought but these aren’t my size.” “Jeongsu gave it to me,” said Seungwan. She licked her lips again tasking how raw they were from biting into the bottom, steadying herself to deliver the rest. “For that night. For Mr. Kim.” Sooyoung flipped like a switch. “What the fu—” “You said you wouldn’t get mad!” “Bullshit, Seungwan! Promise off. This is serious.” She looked up at her, the swirl of shock and disbelief painted across her face the same as the night Seungwan opened that bag and discovered its contents. It was much worse seeing it on Sooyoung. It was so much worse because it drove everything home. “Are you serious?” She wished she wasn’t. She wished she could tell her no but she had no other choice but to let out a squeak of a, “Yes.” “You...you wore this?” Sooyoung looked down at the lingerie again, scoffing when she got a second look at the barely-there fabric. When she turned back to see Seungwan nod, her face flared red. “Did that creep see it?” she snarled.  Seungwan could only nod again.  Sooyoung’s jaw flexed, her anger boiling over the surface. “Oh my god.” “It was my choice.” “Choice?” Her voice went shrill, the volume of it echoing off the walls and Seungwan flinched.  She knew it was right to tell her the truth but she hated this. She hated how Sooyoung was looking at her. Not that her manager would ever shame her but that’s what Seungwan felt. Like she was being judged. Like she was a child who should’ve known better. Like she was an idiot who threw her dignity away for something dumb and mundane.  “Yes, choice!” she countered. “I told you I would do whatever I needed to do.” “You should never need to do this.” “Maybe not but look where it got me,” she pressed hoping it would temper the flames. Hoping she could erase the horrid expression on Sooyoung’s face. “I get to leave.” Seungwan sank onto the couch beside her, ducking her head to meet Sooyoung’s eyes. “I get to finally leave. This could be the start of something better. Can’t you see that? Can you at least try to be happy for me?” “I am happy for you—for that—but for God’s sake, I want you to get out of here almost as much as you do but, Seungwan—” She let out a breath, her eyes screwing up to the ceiling. It was then that Seungwan saw the angry tears fringed on her lids. She quickly blinked them away. “Choice or not, this”—she held up the bag, clutching it hard in her fist with a shake as she turned her eyes back down to meet Seungwan’s—“It shouldn’t be like this.” It shouldn’t. She knew it shouldn’t. If it didn’t have to be, she would’ve chosen another path, she wouldn’t have let Jeongsu convince her, she wouldn’t have let Youngwoon make that bargain with her. Maybe she would’ve denied him at that bar all those years ago, turned him down and kissed the dream of being something bigger than she had ever been away. But that wasn’t what happened and Seungwan chose a different path and she said yes and didn’t stop herself and now she was here and she had to keep moving forward. She had to push. She had to do anything to be free. And when she was free, she would close the door on all of this forever.  “I’m sorry,” she whispered, too afraid to speak any louder less the dams on her own tears break.  Sooyoung shook her head. “Don’t you apologize. It isn’t your fault.” “I couldn’t say no, Soo.” “I know.” She sniffled and Seungwan gritted her teeth. A hand gripped her by the sleeve, pulling her up into long arms. “I know.” -/-/-/- Joohyun pulled onto the curb in front of the Red Labyrinth. There were squad cars parked in the lot, their presence drawing the attention of onlookers who passed down the street. Amongst them was another car—black with a single red light on the roof. Joohyun walked by it slowly as she approached the entrance. They didn’t have these sort of vehicles within the wall and the presence of it did nothing to ease her already on edge nerves.  Stepping inside now was different from stepping in undercover. The man behind the check-in counter stood up when he saw her, mouth opening to speak. The show of her badge stopped him short and he stumbled over his words as he informed her that the others were just ahead. She could feel the eyes of the nurse on her as she walked through the gate that they opened for her. No finger prick and no diet checks needed. A part of her missed it.  There was a time when she forgot that she was undercover and her trips to the bleeder bar were nothing more than a routine. She didn’t want to dwell on the fact that she started to lose sight of what she was truly there for was at the same time Seungwan started to make herself a regular there. And for a moment, as Joohyun trailed the hall, she wondered what her life would be like if she wasn’t a cop. If there was no assignment. If she was just another girl, drawn into the Immortal City by some fanciful dream only to be forced into selling her blood to make ends meet. “Detective.” The address drew Joohyun from her thoughts. Just up ahead was Junmyeon. With him was one of the nurses. Her face that was pulled into worried lines of distress from the questioning turned to confusion into shock when she recognized the person he was speaking to was Joohyun. She ignored the nurse who kept staring at her as she walked away and turned up to Junmyeon as he approached her, stuffing his pen and pad into his pocket.  “Anything?” she asked.  “No one seems to have a clue what’s going on here,” he said, voice low. “Either they’re telling the truth or everyone is playing into the same fabricated lie.” “Where’s Yerim?” “Here.” She rounded a corner into the hall where they were. She was tense. Joohyun could tell by the pull of the tendons in her neck. She tried to question with her eyes but Yerim shook her head. “You’re not going to like this, Bae.” She opened her mouth to ask for clarification but stopped cut herself off as two others appeared from around the corner, following Yerim’s previous path. They were detectives. She could tell without seeing their badges. They were dressed like outsiders in black suit jackets and ties and the gloss of their shoes matched the polished sheen of the black squad car she saw outside.  “What’s going on here?” asked the shorter of the two. “We said no civilians.”  Joohyun pulled out her badge. “Detective Bae. This is my investigation.” “Our apologies, detective,” said the other, hands up. “I’m Detective Kim Jongin and this is my partner, Kim Jongdae.” They each showed their badges. It was too quick for Joohyun to examine further than the seals that marked them in a different division than the one she and Yerim were in. “We were requested to join the case by the Chief. When we arrived, we heard the news about the bleeder bar and came right over. No one else had arrived on the scene so we went on ahead.” “You went ahead?” When she looked to Yerim passed their shoulders all she got was a head shake and a shrug. Jongin’s forehead wrinkled in offense. “This is our case, too, detective.” Joohyun’s jaw flexed. “What did you find?” “I checked the storage room,” said Yerim, speaking before the others could. They each regarded her as if they forgot she was there and she stepped forward. “The door you found did lead into a boiler room but there was nothing there.” “What do you mean nothing there?” Yerim paused before she answered. “The room was empty.” Panic fluttered in her chest. “That can’t be right.” “She is right,” said Jongdae.  She fought back a glare in his direction. “I want to see for myself.” “Detective Bae—” Pushing past them, she headed toward the storage room. Yerim was first to follow after instructing Junmyeon to convince with Minseok who was questioning the hosts on the opposite side of the bleeder bar. The other two detectives thundered after them, each pad of their footsteps grating on Joohyun’s patience. She had questions about them. Questions as to why the Chief didn’t give her and Yerim a heads up or why Heechul didn’t mention it before. Unless he also didn’t know. Whatever it was, she didn’t have time to give to it now.  The door to the storage room was open when she arrived. Stepping inside, Joohyun stopped short. The last time she was in the room, there were piles of junk. Tables and supplies and outdated electronics piled in stacked with no plan or structure to it. This time, it was organized. Swept through. Clean.  “What is it?” asked one of the detectives. She didn’t care to find out who it was. Her focus shifted to the door that was once hidden. Lock gone, she pulled it open and descended a set of steps that lead into an open room. It was a moderately sized space. Not too cramped. Above was a set of windows at level with the parking lot, barred from the outside and across the room, she found the laundry chute that she and Yerim had expected to be there. What she didn’t expect to find was for the room to be empty. But it was more than that. It was stipped. Every surface wiped. Every speck of dust erased. Every trace of there ever being something inside gone.  Her fist balled at her side, nails digging into her palm. “Yerim?” “I can smell it.” She tilted her nose into the air. “Cleaner. The strong kind.” She winced, rubbing at her nose and sniffled. “We were right. They knew.” “Who knew?” asked Jongdae.  “The ones we let clear this space out,” said Joohyun, turning to face him. “You heard what she said. This room has been recently cleaned.” “Routine?” Jongdae tried.  “No,” said Yerim. “This is fresh. Thorough.” She turned back to Joohyun. “I looked through the bleeder bars supply lists. Some of the cleaners used here aren’t part of their inventory.” Joohyun closed her eyes. Too late. They were too late. Frustration burned in her gut. How could they have been played so easily?  “All of our leads are gone,” said Yerim with a sigh.  Joohyun was almost ready to admit defeat when she remembered something. Someone.  “No, they’re not.”  Taking to the stairs, she found her way out of the room and back to the front. The clerk and the nurse were still there, both behind the glass whispering to each other. When they saw her, they cut their conversation off.  “Pardon me, is there a Lee Soonkyu on staff here?” asked Joohyun.  The nurse shook her head. “There was but she stopped working here a while ago.” “Do you have a contact number I might be able to reach her at?”  “One moment.” After a couple of clicks on the computer, the nurse grabbed a post-it note and a pen. Writing down a series of digits, she handed it off to Joohyun just as the others filtered into the lobby. She paid them no attention as she took the post-it and pushed out of the exit with a thanks.  “Detective Bae!” Jongin called after her. She could hear him and Jongdae’s pace quicken to match hers while Yerim easily zapped to her side. “Detective Bae, where are you going?” Without turning around, she hissed, “To do my job.” “We have an open investigation here.” “So take care of it.” She waved a dismissive hand in the air. “Yerim?” It was all she needed to say for her partner to understand what she needed.  “I’ll handle them.” Joohyun flashed her a thankful smile left her to deal with the damage.  -/-/-/- It was late by the time she got in.  Joohyun took out her phone, scrolling to the number for Nurse Lee that she put in earlier. Stepping into the elevator, she hit dial.  “We’re sorry the number you are trying to reach is not available.” Joohyun hit end.  Digging into her bag, she pulled out the slip of paper the nurse had written the number down on to compare. Same digits.  She tried again, typing each in manually just in case.  “We’re sorry the number—“ She ended the call before it could go any further. Great. Another dead— She gasped, the force of it burning in her throat. Instinct took over and her hand dipped beneath her jacket, fingertips around the metal of her gun until her mind caught up with what she was seeing. Or rather who she was seeing.  There, leaning against the wall in a sweatshirt and jeans, half her face hidden behind a face mask, was...  “Seungwan?” she said despite the fact she knew it was her. Joohyun eased up, discreetly retracting her hand from her coat. The shock was slow to wear off however and it never fully went away. It just morphed into nerves and odd, violent butterflies when Seungwan pulled down her face mask to reveal a shy smile.  “Hi,” she said as usual.  Joohyun swallowed against the sting in her throat. “What are you doing here?” She shifted in her shoes. It was odd seeing Seungwan so casual. It was a complete one-eighty from the last time she saw her and different from the night they first saw each other face-to-face. She looked so...normal. So soft. The shock of seeing her and the anger toward the case clashed, canceling one another out. She suddenly didn’t know what to feel. “I had to tell you something,” she said.  Joohyun examined her. Taking every cue in that she could. She didn’t seem worried so it couldn’t be anything bad. There was a slight upward tug on the corners of her mouth and her eyes—her eyes—were shining. “Can I come in?” Joohyun opened her mouth but stopped. All of the files from the investigation were still out. “It’s a mess.” “I don’t mind.” “I do.” She pressed a hand to Seungwan’s shoulder, stopping her before she could take another step. Just as quickly as it was put there it was taken away. “Can I have a minute?” Seungwan nodded.  Joohyun slipped inside and went to work. There was much more to move this time around. She settled with just throwing the most of it into her room. Seungwan wouldn’t be going in there so she had nothing to worry about.  Pacing back to the door, Joohyun’s hand hovered over the knob. She didn’t know why she was so nervous. Taking in a breath, she calmed herself down and opened the door.  “You can come in now.” She stepped through the threshold as if she were entering a new realm. There was caution in her steps and her eyes were wide, searching as they surveyed the place. Joohyun wondered why. Perhaps the last time she was there, she was too out of it to take notice of the space. “You weren’t hiding a dead body were you?” she said over her shoulder.  Joohyun laughed and closed the door behind her. “What if I was?” Seungwan feigned a gasp of horror.  “No corpses. I promise.” “Then what are you hiding?” Joohyun tilted her head curiously.  “You still haven’t told me what else you do.” She shrugged. “It isn’t important.” “And your name?” “Irene has started to feel real to me.” “How about who else was here with you? Not the corpse.” She smirked playfully.  Irene returned it with a soft eye roll. She really did like this lighter Seungwan a lot more. “Just my friend.” “If it didn’t smell so strongly of them I would think that you’re lying about them, too.” “I haven’t lied to you.” But even those words felt like a lie. There was so much of herself shrouded from Seungwan. And though she hadn’t outright given her false ideas of who she was, the omissions and the evasion made her feel guilty considering all that she knew about the singer.  “I know. My manager would’ve found out already.” Fear made her stomach plummet. “What do you mean?” “There was a picture of us together from the night at the bar. She took care of it but for safety, she had a look into you.” “What did she find?” “She said you were a nobody.” Seungwan shrugged nonchalantly but then her eyes sharpened as she zeroed her focus right onto Joohyun. “But I don’t think that’s true.” “Maybe it is. Maybe it’s not.” Seungwan examined her for another second before pulling her eyes away. She let them roam around the apartment again as she rounded the couch and sank down onto one end. Every move she made was so natural. Comfortable.  “You don’t have much,” she commented.  Joohyun surveyed the room herself. She was right. It was more of a place to sleep than a home. Just like the apartment she left behind on the outside, there wasn’t much connecting her to it.  “This place wasn’t supposed to be permanent.” “How long have you been here?” “Three years.” “That sounds permanent to me.” It was starting to be, is what Joohyun thought.  “What did you need to tell me?” she asked, taking a seat on the chair across the room.  The question flipped a switch in Seungwan. She sat up straight and her lips pulled in like she was trying her hardest not to let whatever thing inside of her erupt out of her. She was incredibly squirmy and her eyes were big and shining. “What?” Joohyun couldn’t help her smile but smile at her behavior. “What is it?” “I’m going outside the wall.” The words fell out of her mouth in one, jumbled sentence.  Joohyun gasped, her mouth parting in surprise when what she said settled. She didn’t know what she was expecting but it wasn’t that. And she was expecting the wave of emotion she felt hearing it. “Really?” Seungwan nodded. Her smile was so bright, bursting at the seams. It took over her entire face, scrunching her cheeks. Hands lifted to hide it away and Joohyun’s insides melted at the sight. This Seungwan was a much better Seungwan than the ones she met before. She had a face that should always house a smile. “When?” “I don’t know,” she said from behind her hands that came up to cover her face in attempts to hide her joy. They fell away to show a smile only half dimmed. “I can’t say what it’s for or what I’ll be doing but it could change everything.” Joohyun eyes stung. “I’m happy for you, Seungwan.” “You are?” “More than you know.” Her head ducked so that her hair hid her face from view. Joohyun liked to think the lip bite she gave would’ve been paired with a blush if she still could.  “I’ll need a list.” Seungwan practically bouncing on the cushion. “A list?” “Of places to go,” Seungwan explained. “Things that I should see.” Joohyun grinned. “I don’t even know where you’ll be going.” “Does that matter?” Her chest twinged. Of course, Seungwan wouldn’t know how vast the outside was. How far it stretched even outside the borders of the country. Even if she heard stories about it, there was no way of understanding it all until you experienced it yourself. It was the same thing for Joohyun before she entered the Immortal City. No matter how much she was prepared or briefed she was taken aback and hit with a slap of culture shock when she arrived.  “I can show you.” Her eyes glittered. “You can?” “Wait here.” Getting up, she grabbed her laptop off the dining table. She cracked it open in her hands, making sure that all of the documents and files from her previous research were down before she returned to the couch settling next to Seungwan.  “Are these places you’ve been before?” The cushions dipped as she moved closer to be able to see the screen. Joohyun tried not to think about how close she was or how the coolness that she exuded contrasted with the heat of the computer in her lap.  “Some of them.” An internet browser opened and her fingers took to the keyboard, typing out a search. “There’s somewhere that I like to visit. My parents used to take me and my sister—” “What happened?” Joohyun paused. Turning, she followed the line of Seungwan’s sights. When she realized what had caught her attention, a hand shot up to her neck over the bandages that were there just peeking over the collar of her button shirt. She had forgotten it was there but now with Seungwan’s scrutiny she could feel the warmth of the cuts and their dull sting that had only let up a fraction since the previous day.  “It’s nothing.” “It’s not nothing. You’re bleeding.” Fingers touched the edge of her jaw then drew away as if she touched fire. “I mean the bandages, they’re bled through.” Warm browns finally drew away to meet Joohyun’s stare. She looked almost worried and her jaw flexed. “Shouldn’t they be changed?” “You don’t have to worry.” “Where are the bandages?” “Really, Seungwan.” “You need to change them,” she almost snapped. “Please.” Joohyun understood then—the tension in her shoulders and the clench of her teeth. Seungwan always made her feel so comfortable, made her forget where they were and who they were that she even forgot what Seungwan was. Forgot how much her blood affected her.  “Okay.” Grabbing the first aid kit from the bathroom, she brought it back to where Seungwan was still seated on the couch. She wasn’t as relaxed as she was before. She was stiff and when she saw Joohyun return to the living room.  “I’m sorry.” “Don’t be.” Joohyun sat down, putting a little more distance between them than she had before. She didn’t miss the way Seungwan glanced down at her neck then quickly away. “I should be more careful.” Seungwan gave a terse nod. Her bottom lip was snagged beneath one of her fangs that chewed into it. Even sheathed they looked sharp. Predatory. Joohyun never paid much attention to them before but now she was and the thought of what they could do to her made her shiver.  “Do you need me to—” “I can do it,” Seungwan assured.  Joohyun knew she should be cautious. That Seungwan wasn’t Yerim who trained and trained to have nearly unshakable control. She wasn’t Yerim who had never tasted a single drop of her blood but maybe the fact Seungwan had eased Joohyun a little. Because she knew her taste and she was still able to withstand now.  “I can,” Seungwan repeated, reading Joohyun’s lack of response for uncertainty.  “Okay.” Seungwan offered a smile and turned her body so her back was against the armrest, one leg pulled up on the couch that she bent beneath her. Joohyun had to move closer for her to work and she held the first aid kit with a tight grip in her lap when she felt the first touch of Seungwan’s fingers against her skin.  They didn’t speak. The entire apartment fell quiet and Joohyun froze as a nail lifted the edge of the bandage and pulled t slightly. The pressure of her other hand cupped around the back of her neck and Joohyun’s breath hitched, struck surprised by the coolness of the palm against the heat of her skin.  Seungwan was gentle as she peeled off the bandage, taking every little inch slowly as to not hurt her. The fresh exposure to the air brought a new sting to cuts making them throb.  “These are…”  Joohyun saw Seungwan out of the corner of her eye. Saw how her brow creased as she assessed the damage. “It was an accident.” “Accident?” Her tone was one of disbelief.  Joohyun could only supply a nod. Lips pursed but Seungwan didn’t ask any more questions as the last bit of adhesive untacked from her skin. Rolling up the bloody bandage, Seungwan wrapped it in a wad of tissues she pulled from the kit and set them as far away from her as she could. With cold hands no longer on her, she could breathe again.  “They’re deep,” Seungwan commented. “A little inflamed.” “Are you secretly a doctor, too?” Seungwan smiled, the pull of it lopsided and shy. “My parents were vampires. We had our fair share of accidents. I learned how to take care of them since we couldn’t afford to see a doctor.” Joohyun’s brow lifted. That was the first she heard of what Seungwan’s parents were though it should’ve come as no surprise. To have never ventured out of the wall meant that something was keeping her from doing so and no child was able to cross over without guardian until they turned eighteen. “The kit?” Joohyun handed it over and Seungwan popped it open. She fished out a bottle of antiseptic cream and Joohyun turned back around, eyes focusing on the TV across the room and not on the chill that slithered down her spine when Seungwan’s hand returned to the back of her neck.  She braced herself then, waiting for fingers to smooth across the cuts but nothing came.  “I could help,” she said into the lull and leaned away enough for Joohyun to see the curious look she had on her face. Bottom lip pulled in, she chewed on it as she sat there in thought for a few seconds. “I could...help them heal.” Joohyun flushed when she realized what Seungwan meant. Vampire venom. Because of it, their saliva had a healing agent. It wasn’t to the degree of what they had naturally where they could repair from cuts and broken bones and wounds rapidly without means of professional help but it did help to ease the pain and quicken the first stages of the healing process. What could take a week could be gone in a couple of days.  “Seungwan, no.” Joohyun ducked from under her hand but even without it there it did nothing to fight the heat that was rising in her neck at the thought of what Seungwan would have to do to make that happen. “Use the ointment. That’s what it’s for.” Seungwan shook her head. “You’ll have scars.” “I would either way.” “Not as bad,” Seungwan reasoned. Joohyun knew she was right. Instead of long, jagged pink scars, they would seal up barely there. Skin almost like new. “Please,” she urged before Joohyun could say a word with the breath she dragged in. “Let me.” Every good decision making bone in her said no. She shouldn’t. There was no reason to. She could heal on her own. She could deal with scars—they wouldn’t be the first she carried. She didn’t need Seungwan to do that for her. But... What harm could come from it?  “Okay.” Seungwan’s reaction was the physical form of the surprise Joohyun felt by her own words. “Are you sure?” “It was your idea.” “I know,” she stuttered. “I had to make sure.” “I’m sure, Seungwan.” The sound of her name seemed to be the reassurance she needed.  “I haven’t done this in a long time.” It was her way of letting Joohyun back out now if she wanted to. But she had already made her mind up.  Joohyun shook her head. “I trust you.” Seungwan let out a breath. Normally Joohyun wouldn’t have caught it but everything in her was hyper-attentive to everything that was Seungwan to the point she could hear the nervous tremor in that breath.  Those same nerves were echoed in Joohyun as she tilted her head at the guidance of fingers on her chin.  Seungwan dipped down into the crook of her neck, her breath cool against Joohyun’s heated skin. Her heart was thrumming. She knew Seungwan could hear it but she didn’t comment on it as she drew closer. If it was possible, her muscles coiled ever tighter when she felt the soft touch of Seungwan’s tongue on her skin. It was warm compared to her breath and the drag she took against the first slice was like the strike of a match making her shudder out a soft gasp.  “Did I hurt you?” asked Seungwan, pulling back to look up at her. She could feel the flush in her cheeks and she wished for a moment that she wasn’t human. That the proximity that she was to Seungwan wasn’t so apparent. That she didn’t see the gloss of saliva on her lips and that her pulse didn’t accelerate when her mind wandered to the thought of what it would feel like with them touching her skin. Her neck. Her cheek. Her lips— “You didn’t.” “Okay.” She blinked. Then swallowed. Her eyes were wide and her pupils were a little blown. She licked her lips. “Okay, that’s good. I’m going to continue now.” “Okay,” she tried to keep the shake out of her voice but it was there even in the way she whispered it.  Seungwan dipped out of eye line again and this time the stroke of her tongue was long and languid. Joohyun clenched her fist and was surprised when she felt fabric against her knuckles. When had she moved her arm? When did her hand come up to brace against Seungwan’s chest? It must’ve been an involuntary action, one that came from the fact that this was too much and Seungwan was too close and she needed to keep her at bay but it wasn’t enough to starve her off because her tongue lapped once more.  The shudder that was given this time, however, wasn’t hers. It was Seungwan. And her hand came up to cup the other side of Joohyun’s neck. Fingers curled back so the tips just barely touched at the nape of her neck as she licked the last line of red in her flesh, tongue flicking off her skin with a satisfying breath of a moan.  Heat washed through Joohyun at the sound and was chased by something fuzzy and prickly.  She blinked, finally turning her focus to Seungwan who still had her hand cupped around her neck. Joohyun reached up for it, fingers fitting between the knobs of her knuckles as she eased it away.  “Are you okay?” Seungwan wasn’t breathing. She was just sitting there. Staring at her.  “Seungwan?” “I’m fine.” She finally drew her hand away and Joohyun watched it go, the movement appearing to be in slow motion. “Are you?” Gaze shifting back up, Joohyun fluttered her lashes trying to rid of the odd haze that feathered around Seungwan but it was of no use. Her world was starting to distort and her body was beginning to run warm.  “I don’t know. I—“ She felt it in her fingers first—an odd tingling sensation. It spread through the rest of her body slowly. It was different than pins and needles. Warmer. More like static. Or a gentle humming. Like her insides were tuned to a new frequency. It buzzed even in her mind, jumbling her thoughts up and she blinked, lashes fluttering a few times as the edges of her vision started to feather. “Why do I feel so strange?” she asked. Her voice sounded padded and soft and her tongue was heavy in her mouth.  “The venom,” said Seungwan, concern creasing her forehead. “Some of the cuts were still open.” Joohyun’s eyebrows lifted in alarm but she couldn’t bring herself to truly worry. Her limbs were starting to feel heavy and her mind was growing a little fuzzy. Not much but just enough to inhibit rational thinking. Suddenly all she wanted to do was lie down, wrap herself into something warm like a blanket or a pair of arms and fall asleep.  She knew what vampire venom did to the body but she had never experienced it. She was always careful. Even with Yerim, she was careful. Despite their friendship, they kept a professional boundary between them especially when it came to things that involved Yerim’s vampiric nature. She never once asked Yerim to do what Seungwan just did and she never would. Now she knew why they had such strict rules. “It feels…” her voice trailed off with her thoughts when her eyes caught something new. She squinted, fingers coming up to touch Seungwan’s lips, splitting them open a little more. “I can see your fangs.” It was so surreal seeing them in Seungwan’s pretty mouth. It excited her. “Are you going to bite me?” “No.” Before sense could catch up with her she blurted a sad, “Why not?”  Seungwan moved her head so that Joohyun’s fingers fell away from her mouth. There was something off with her. She looked nervous? Was she nervous? “That’s the venom talking.” “What if it’s not?” “It is. Come on, I’ll get you to bed.” Seungwan stood up and Joohyun heard alarms go off in her head. They couldn’t go in there. Why couldn’t they go in there? Something to do with work.  “No,” she protested when hands started to pull at hers.  The world around her smeared as she was pulled easily up to her feet. Though she didn’t feel like she was on her feet or like they were touching the ground. Maybe she wasn’t touching the ground. She couldn’t tell. There was a disconnect from reality that she couldn’t fix no matter how hard the last fragments of her coherent mind tried.  “No, I don’t want to,” she tried again, her push against Seungwan’s restraints barely doing anything  “You should sleep it off,” Seungwan tried. Despite the fact she could easily pick her up, she remained gentle and compliant to what Joohyun said. “You’ll feel better in the morning.” She shook her head, the action making everything in her head scatter into a jumbled mess. “I can sleep here.” “Irene—“ “Here.” Relenting, Seungwan eased her back down onto the couch. It was so easy for her to sit her down. Like Joohyun weighed nothing and Seungwan had the strength of gravity within her.  The cushions enveloped her like a cloud and Joohyun slumped against it. A gentle push led her down and Joohyun had no choice but to comply despite parts of her mind telling her to stay sitting up, stay focused, stay alert. But her muscles wouldn’t listen and she found herself cradled against the couch and accepting the blanket being pulled over her.  “Try and sleep,” said Seungwan. Her voice was so syrupy and delicious. So warm. The first thought Joohyun had was that she wished she could bottle it. “I should go.” Panic.  She saw her hand shoot out as if it had a mind of its own. Seungwan’s skin was cold under her fingers but it wasn’t offputting. Her thumb stroked on the underside of the wrist in her grip, smoothing against the creamy, marble texture of her skin. She felt so nice. So seamless. Unreal.  “Irene.” She dragged her eyes up from where they were fixated on Seungwan’s arm to find her eyes. She was staring at her so worried. Why? They weren’t in danger. No one was hurt. Joohyun felt better than she had in weeks. The last rational piece of her brain that was fading further and further away was reminding her that that was because of the venom in her system but the other part said it was because of Seungwan. Seungwan was here and she was close and that meant Joohyun was safe. She wasn’t alone. She didn’t want to be alone.  “Stay,” she said. She wasn’t even sure if the sound actually came out of her mouth when she moved her lips or if it was all in her head.  The corners of Seungwan’s mouth pulled downward. A frown. Joohyun didn’t like that. She didn’t like the way it looked there. “Irene, I think—”  “I want you to stay.” The grip she had on Seungwan’s wrist tightened. God, what was she doing? She needed to let go. She shouldn’t be saying any of this. But she couldn’t help it.  Sharp eyes flickered down to ironclad wrap of fingers before coming back to meet hers. The worry had smoothed out of Seungwan’s brow and the frown lifted, turning into a soft smile. Better. Much better.  “Okay,” said Seungwan. “I’ll stay.”