episode_0046

When Jaehyuk proposed extending their cohabitation until mid-July, Seojin decided to think it over before responding.

Honestly, considering their living arrangement thus far and the things he had mentioned, it would have been strange not to agree immediately.

…To give a positive answer felt somewhat like I lacked conscience.

For the past two and a half months,

he had helped me in countless ways.

Starting with offering cohabitation when I was struggling to find a place of my own, to making it possible for me to keep working when it would have been impossible if I were alone.

Despite his insistence on not wanting to burden me and claiming he wasn’t helping out of embarrassment, but rather grumbling all the time…

How could I not know?

Unless one was incredibly shameless, even a brief look around the house would reveal traces of consideration.

If I had been a presence that could be of even a little help to Jaehyuk, then perhaps, after hesitating for a moment, I might have agreed.

I could console myself by saying I could repay a bit of what I received and endure.

However.

“…Sigh.”

If it were another species, vampires, wouldn’t they be a damn useless race to live with, offering no real benefits?

In subculture, there are reasons why vampires appear as nobles.

Why would only noble and elegant vampires be portrayed, instead of showing vampires doing rough work?

It’s simple, isn’t it?

Because non-noble vampires have already perished and gone to the netherworld, isn’t that the case?

Things improved significantly after drinking blood, but I can assert that I was truly hopeless before that.

I asked him to do the dishes, and he ended up just running the water and counting bubbles all day long.

Unable to properly clean up a single mess, he would scream for help.

The food waste couldn’t be disposed of because the garlic smell made it unbearable to get close enough to throw it away.

Having caused more trouble than help, how could I just say, “Let’s do this!” and readily agree?

Cohabitation inherently comes with discomfort.

If possible, I didn’t want to cause any more trouble for him.

…I should figure out a way to commute to work without him even during the rainy season. It won’t be easy to find, but well.

After contemplating for a while, I responded with ‘hold’ once again, and he nodded understandingly.

The disappointment on his face for a moment.

Surely due to my ugly nature.

—–

[Personal Statement) Aren’t vampires a damn dangerous species?]

Author: BloodPouch

I saw foreign news today, and some countries treat vampires as disasters outright;;

They’re even considering extermination, isn’t it hard to see them as anything but pathetic idiots?

Honestly, it makes me a bit uneasy… Why doesn’t Korea have any vampire-related incidents at all?

Maybe vampires causing chaos in communities is just an elaborate smokescreen…?

Approve 17 Disapprove 18

– Yeah, did the blood-sucking gays show up today? Is it family night?

– It sounds plausible, but just by looking at the community, that vampire guy is indeed an idiot ㅇㅇ

– Originally, aren’t there only about one or two individuals currently accounted for?

ㄴ I know one. I saw him recently, working as a bartender.

ㄴ Isn’t he the blood-sucking gay who frequents the community?

ㄴ Mamangi couldn’t possibly…say that the laid-back and elegant ‘real vampire’ is a blood-sucker, right?

– You, suspecting that vampire guy so much, just tell me one thing and leave. The moment Koreans drink, vampires lose.

ㄴ Damn^^, in a country that even gives kimchi in free soup kitchens, how can you say people are defenseless…

ㄴ This is it, lol

ㄴ Indeed, the world’s third-largest consumer of garlic;;

ㄴ But seriously, why doesn’t Korea pop up anywhere? (I really don’t know)

A peaceful evening as always.

As I finished my half-hearted bath to prepare for work, the anchor’s dignified voice faintly echoed nearby.

[Early this morning, what is presumed to be two coffins of vampires were found at Incheon Airport…]

[As details are still unclear, for those watching the news, make sure to have garlic with you…]

[If by chance you encounter a vampire, be sure to report it to the police…]

‘Vampire,’ ‘garlic,’ and ‘police’—a combination of words that simply cannot be overlooked.

I roughly dried my hair with a towel, put on a gown, and headed straight for Jaehyuk.

“Did something special happen? Vampires all of a sudden?”

“Oh, it seems like two vampire entities have illegally entered Korea. Two empty coffins were found at the airport early in the morning.”

“…Could that be fake news? What kind of idiotic vampire would step foot into hell voluntarily?”

“I don’t know. Anyway, you’ll probably have quite a hard time until those vampires are caught, right? Are you okay?”

“I’ll manage somehow. I haven’t done anything wrong, so there’s no reason to be scared.”

Although quite a hassle will likely ensue, it’s an unavoidable situation due to our species’ nature.

I replied with a nonchalant attitude, then took out some pickled garlic from the fridge and inserted the fangs.

“Mmm…”

That taste that tingles no matter when you eat it.

However, while relieving my thirst, I pondered for a moment on that peculiar sensation.

It’s unlikely, but if they really did come to Korea.

What urgent matter could have led them to set foot in this hellish environment?

“…I don’t know.”

I just can’t comprehend.

I may be staying here because I’ve become too lazy to learn foreign languages and have found life tolerable, but still.

From another vampire’s perspective, isn’t this a place they wouldn’t need to visit unless they’re incredibly stupid or masochistic?

“The anchor’s words are quite amusing. Advising us to eat garlic, hehe…”

In a country that even provides free meals and shares kimchi, was it really necessary to tell us to eat garlic?

…I might have to endure some trouble due to the garlic smell for a while, though.

Lost in thought, I quickly devoured a bag of pickled garlic.

After letting out a long sigh, I put on a hoodie after a long time.

Even though there’s nothing to kneel for since I haven’t done anything wrong.

Unnecessary attention is not appealing at all. I don’t want to encounter any troublesome situations on my way.

Having finished preparing for work, I headed straight to the cocktail bar.

Contrary to my concerns, fortunately, no trouble arose.

There were occasional suspicious glances cast my way, but my hoodie concealed me well enough to leave them uncertain.

Thanks to no one reporting us, we successfully arrived at the cocktail bar without any issues, even reaching a secluded alley.

…The problem arose there.

“S-Sisters! P-Please help me…!”

A vampire girl in tattered Gothic dress, emitting a faint stench, tear stains scattered across her face.

The pitiful vampire girl, suddenly appearing from somewhere, clung to me, wailing.

It happened so swiftly.

As I stood there with a dumbfounded expression wondering what was going on, a seemingly insane incident unfolded one after another.

“C-Cough?! I-I smell garlic…!”

Sniffing her own pants odor, the vampire girl burst into tears and collapsed.

I glanced between the dirt-covered vampire girl and the elderly vampire man looking disdainfully at her, thinking.

…What’s up with these idiots?

—–

I had once thought about meeting a fellow vampire.

Despite feeling hesitant due to their previously seen lack of humanity or their immersion in teenage angst as portrayed in the news.

Do they perhaps know the characteristics of vampires that I am unaware of?

So, one day, I decided to have a quiet conversation with a normal vampire like myself.

“Oh, how can a vampire smell like garlic…! Sister! What kind of life do you lead… so peculiar?!”

…To think that meeting a fellow vampire for the first time would be like this, I couldn’t help but sigh deeply.

I wonder just how strong the smell of garlic is to them?

I tried sniffing my sleeve, but all I could detect was a faint fabric softener scent tickling my nose.

No smell at all, why such an exaggerated reaction?

If I meet someone who’s been to a pork belly restaurant, they might just burst into flames on the spot.

The only one who seems somewhat normal is an elderly vampire gentleman nodding his head beside me.

As Jae-hyuk reached for a narrow tube, I stopped him and quietly spoke to him.

“…It might get quite lengthy, but could you explain?”

“It might take a while, but should I speak about it here?”

“There’s a cocktail bar where I work nearby. Let’s discuss things there.”

Though I felt like ignoring and passing by, unfortunately, I couldn’t.

The reason being… simply out of sympathy.

Seeing that young vampire girl sobbing on the ground, she reminded me of myself before I adapted.

“There should be a motel around here. First, put out that urgent fire that the fool… no, the owner seems to be struggling with.”

“…I understand, as I lack experience. Then, let’s meet in a little while.”

As soon as I finished speaking, the old vampire disappeared in an instant, carrying the young vampire girl in his arms.

Watching their retreating figures, I murmured softly to myself.

“What on earth is Korea like for vampires…?”