episode_0065

Late at night.

Returning to my studio apartment after work, we started tilting our glasses while eating the pig’s feet we had ordered in advance.

A modest party to celebrate the end of a relatively smooth semester.

Feeling the gradually rising tipsy mood, I wrapped a piece of meat in lettuce and put it in my mouth.

The fantastic taste where the greasy flavor of the pig’s feet, various vegetables’ aroma, and the salty taste of the dipping sauce blend together.

With a face beaming with delight, savoring a taste that would drive any Korean crazy, Jaehyuk raised his eyebrows in disbelief.

“Huh, are you now eating raw garlic too? You must be determined to overcome it as much as your ancestor Dangun did, huh? Chewing on garlic like this without a gas mask for 24 hours is practically like surviving a chemical warfare training. It’s only natural to build up immunity, right? And honestly, after enduring this much suffering, it’s about time for me to start feeling happy, whether you like it or not.”

Sipping lightly on soju, I slowly reflected on the pitiful and miserable past self.

Having to count tears-soaked rice grains scattered on the floor.

Being unable to deal with a single hedgehog that entered the room and having to hide in a corner.

Moments from the past where I had to desperately swim away from predatory birds.

Are there any other idiotic species like the Pixies out there?

I filled my glass with soju and let out a quiet sigh.

Yes, I deserve to live happily.

I mean, unlike other species who have led happy lives from the beginning, didn’t I struggle for months?

And even if we just consider the fact that I went through military service and then transformed into a woman, wouldn’t that alone be proof enough?

As I recall the hardships, a melancholic emotion washes over me.

I don’t want to feel that way on such a good day, so I quickly gulped down the soju along with a piece of meat.

“Ah…”

Perhaps I set the pace faster than usual? My mind momentarily spins under the rush of intoxication.

…I might need to drink a bit more slowly; it’s not wise to get drunk before getting to the point.

Just as we were starting the conversation now, it’s not the time to pass out before exchanging a few words.

Switching to water instead of soju, I slowly began to reminisce about the events that took place during the semester with him.

“I, among other things, will never forget that sight.”

“What sight?”

“When I opened the door and saw you frantically counting rice grains. You’ll never know how embarrassed I was at that moment.”

“Well, I can guess to some extent. If a stranger is doing something foolish, I’d be embarrassed too.”

Starting from the awkward feeling when we first met after he turned into a vampire.

“No matter how I think about it, Yoon Jaehyuk, you really are a despicable jerk.”

“Why only me, Han Jiwu? Or do you have a reason to think that way?”

“Spreading millet because you’re bored, threatening to hit me with silver chopsticks if we argue and you lose, what else was there? There have been countless misdeeds… Oh, listing them all is escaping me, so let’s stop here. Anyway, you’re a damn awful guy, really.”

“Who started scratching first?”

Through the discomfort they felt towards each other and the intense emotions that arose as a result.

“…Still, congratulations on finishing the semester without any major mishaps. It could have been a really eventful semester if you hadn’t helped, right?”

“Oh, who’s responsible for that? If you hadn’t helped, it would have been a disaster of a semester, right?”

“It’s just me, giving you a room in my apartment, nothing much.”

“Do you know how significant that is? And that’s not all, buddy.”

“…What?”

“Hanging blackout curtains in the room, lending you a laptop during lectures. If I quietly help you without making a fuss, do you think I wouldn’t notice?”

The conclusion is a mix of regret, gratitude, and relief.

Finishing the reminiscence, the atmosphere was now significantly lighter, signaling it was time to get to the point. Slowly, I opened my mouth.

“Sigh, once we finish the semester and start drinking, all sorts of stories come out. What was I going to talk about again…”

“…When the semester ends, something else ends too. Maybe we forgot about that?”

“Oh, right. Cohabitation. I completely forgot about that story. Hehe…”

I tried to smile naturally, but instead, an awkward grin formed.

I thought that once the mood was set and the alcohol kicked in, I could be more straightforward. However, it wasn’t working out as planned.

I reluctantly took another shot of soju, then continued speaking in my hazy state of mind.

“The original agreement was that cohabitation would end when the semester ends, right?”

“Right. But around the end of the semester, the rainy season starts, so I suggested extending it for another month.”

“Haha, yes. I remember saying I would find a way back then. I vaguely recall saying that and dodging the question, yeah.”

“So, did you find a way?”

“…”

Instead of answering, I picked at a piece of meat, sighed, and spoke.

“I really pondered over it for a long time.”

“…And it didn’t work out as you thought?”

“…Yeah, no good solutions came to mind. Everything I thought of just ended up causing trouble for others.”

It was a decision almost tantamount to silence.

Unable to delay any longer, I forced out the answer I had been postponing with a bitter smile.

“I’m truly sorry, but it seems I’ll have to owe you for another month. By the way… has anything changed between then and now?”

Asking cautiously, I was met with a pleased smile and a nod from Jaehyuk.

Whether he was slightly intoxicated or not, he generously granted permission for cohabitation in a voice filled with memories.

“I welcome it… Well, honestly, there’s no more efficient method than that. It’s better to owe one person than multiple people.”

“But now it’s not parasitism; it’s a symbiotic relationship, right? You provide me with a place to live, and I protect you from other species. It’s a win-win situation…”

“It’s not exactly a win-win. While it’s safe from other species, you become a target for me.”

“…What are you talking about? What am I a target for?”

Despite trying to deflect the topic and avoiding eye contact, Jaehyuk stared right through me with a teasing look.

Extending his arm with a small scar visible, Jaehyuk lightly tapped the mark as if tempting me.

“If I see even a slight opening, I might attack. Whether I’m targeted by another species or a vampire, it’s all the same, isn’t it?”

“…”

“Isn’t being targeted by a vampire a bit more dangerous? The former is a matter of possibility, but the latter, the moment you relax even a bit, you’ll be attacked. Am I wrong?”

His words rang true.

Still salivating due to the lingering effects of alcohol, I couldn’t find a way to refute him and began nervously biting my nails.

…The only advantage Jaehyuk had from our cohabitation was indeed that.

If cohabitation continued as a parasitic relationship rather than a symbiotic one, I doubted my ability to bear the burden.

An unhappy situation where the advantage I had painstakingly found until the end of work disappeared in an instant.

Shoulders slumped, I downed my soju in one go, but he snatched my glass away, halting my drinking.

“Geez, why is a lightweight like you drinking so much? Getting drunk and causing trouble again.”

“…I’m pathetic, useless, and just draining others. Here, take my glass, I’ll drink more.”

“Being of no help doesn’t mean it’s useless. You’re already plenty helpful as it is now. And I don’t think I can give you a drink; if you get drunk, I might be screwed right away.”

Hiding the glass behind his back, he calmly spoke.

“Don’t look at me with that kind of gaze as if the help isn’t real. Whether you realize it or not, you’ve been helpful all this time, truly.”

“What nonsense are you talking about? What have I done to help?”

Had he done household chores, or perhaps relieved boredom by giving massages?

Would he have furrowed his brow in annoyance, thinking it was nonsense even upon reflection?

Receiving his gaze, Jaehyuk let out an unpleasant chuckle and soon threw a joke in a playful tone.

“Isn’t it so much fun living because of you, the laughing bell itself? If we were to go back before living together, you’d probably want to die out of boredom.”

“…You really seem like trash. Saying someone is more devilish than a devil.”

“That’s meant as a compliment these days, you know?”

“More elvish than an elf.”

“That’s a bit harsh.”

After exchanging a round of banter, we both burst into laughter simultaneously.

Yes, I need to be a bit shameless too.

Living burdened by every little thing, how can one endure such exhaustion and hardship?

A slightly lighter heart.

Thanking Jaehyuk in my mind, just as I was about to pick up some pig’s feet.

“Ugh…!”

Was it the consecutive shots of soju just now that made the intoxication surge up explosively, dizzying my vision?

What should I do?

It definitely seems like I’m properly drunk.

A clouding consciousness.

Simultaneously, a rapidly rising urge to feed on blood.

I wanted to control both my sanity and bloodlust, but unfortunately, I was struggling just to grasp one.

I had no choice but to let go of one and choose the other.

…If I can at least hold onto my sanity, maybe I can avoid a dangerous situation?

Clutching my fading consciousness precariously, I began closing the distance between him and me, staggering.

Sensing the alarming situation, Jaehyuk hastily tried to flee, but a vampire in full form, no different from a predator at dawn, couldn’t escape the clutches.

Helplessly subdued, he couldn’t evade the fate of becoming a blood pouch for the hungry vampire.

“Hah, hah… Hey, I’ve got a really curious question now.”

“I-I’m not really curious about that…!”

“Listen, you’ll become curious too. They say alcohol mixes with blood when you drink, right?”

“You’re not curious at all? Are you not letting go of this?”

“So, if a vampire drinks the blood of someone who drank alcohol, would the vampire get drunk? Suddenly, I’m curious!”

“You’re not listening to me at all… Argh!”

For no apparent reason, the vampire mercilessly sank his fangs into his friend’s shoulder.

Before the dawn broke, in a certain studio apartment, a man’s faint yet agonizing scream began to echo.