Chapter 285 - Short-lived Kiss-I

Lee Taehyung found himself replying question Seulgi asked about his family even when it was all but a horrible nightmares to her. He looked at her, finding Seulgi running her gaze again and chuckled, "I don't fear being alone. Maybe I did when I was young but as I grew up, I learned that being alone is much better than staying with others. I don't want to get hurt. It's cowardly, don't you think?"

Seulgi stared at the way Lee Taehyung smiled tightly when he spoke and it tugged her heartstring, making her to feel sad from his words, "Running away is not cowardly. Seoyeon also told me that taking a step back is sometimes a push forward. It's human's instinct to run from pain."

"I guess you are right," Lee Taehyung said, his heart moved at her word which no one had never told him before, "What about you, do you fear being lonely?"

"Very much," Seulgi admitted, acknowledging the fear she had in her, "If there is one thing that I fear the most it would be to die alone. Which why I searched for people who would be there for me when I die and in my funeral. Someone who doesn't come from my family."

"You have a great heart, I am sure there will be many who would come to your funeral, but I believe it would take another thirty or forty years," Lee Taehyung replied, and Seulgi could feel her heartbeat turning loud with his words.

It was hard to control her emotion and Seulgi wasn't sure if it was because she had turn to a vampire that a part of her can't help but desire strongly for the man who sat beside her.

The moment she felt so, however, a sudden prickle hit her heart that was caused by her emotion. Lee Taehyung was a human, a person with a bright future ahead of him. Seulgi had been casted under the shadow, having the worse misfortune by getting caught by the dark witches and turned to their experimental item which succeed.

"Why do you think so?" Seulgi asked while looking at his eyes where she could feel her own self sucked there. 

"Because you are healthy and I can see your progress. You will get well soon," Lee Taehyung responded without realizing he had sighed aloud, with his eyes looking at the moon he uttered in a mutter, "It's a shame."

The lone word had Seulgi's eyes to widen. She felt her heart uplift at the regent that passed by Lee Taehyung's eyes. She didn't want to delve into the meaning only to be caught with the reality that it was only her wish, but hearing the way Lee Taehyung sighed, it was hard for Seulgi not to not to have her hope raise sky high. Fear of falling down and receiving a blow of reality scared her, but Seulgi who had once almost died, felt the need to confirm the doctor's feeling toward her.

But can she risk it all? Seulgi loved Lee Taehyung and much more than she realized in the beginning she had fallen too deeply and her love had burnt more ardently toward him. She wanted Taehyung to be happy as his smile was what saved her during the times she was anxious. She cannot risk Taehyung's bright future with her who had become a vampire.

"What is a shame?" Seulgi took courage to ask it, not wanting to beat to the bush, "Do you not want me to leave from the hospital?"

Lee Taehyung stared back at Seulgi's eyes that were anxiously trying to read him and find her answer by his expression, "If I say that, it would be the same as not wishing you to leave the hospital which mean I am wishing for you to be ill for the rest of your life. I was happy to have someone I can share my thoughts with and think it's a shame that it will soon end."

"Do you mean, it's a shame because you would not have anyone to talk with again?" Seulgi questioned, her eyes steered clear to see him now felt burning and she tried to stop her tears that grapple to well up.

Lee Taehyung stared at the girl. Their distance was close and watching her sad expression, his eyes softened. But it wasn't only Seulgi who was hiding her true identity. Lee Taehyung had a deeper past of himself which he knew would scare Seulgi if he was to tell her. 

"Yes," Lee Taehyung replied, pulling the act of a man who was ignorant to her feeling.

"Oh," Seulgi responded, she smiled at him but the smile hardly reach her eyes that felt as if it was about to shatter into tears. She bent her head down, thanking the night sky for the shadow could cover her smile that had fallen.

Lee Taehyung watched her heartbroken expression, feeling his heart wrenching but he turned his eyes away, just like her he was grateful of tonight's darkness.

"If," Seoyeon suddenly begin to speak again as if to fill the silence and Taehyung turned his face, getting his attention caught by her, "If I say there is someone who you hold dear was hiding something great about themselves that if you ever find the truth it would scare you as the secret is horrible, would you blame them?"

"What about you?" Taehyung questioned, his black eyes glistened with a hidden fire. "What if you found out the truth that your greatest misfortune is caused by the person you love. Would be able to accept them?"

Seulgi didn't know why Lee Taehyung had asked her the question. She gazed at his unfathomable gaze, replying, "I don't know," and Taehyung showed her a faint trace of smile, "But I will put my effort to learn it. I will learn their reason and take my decision from there. What about you? What was your answer to my question?"

"I won't," Lee Taehyung answered, "Everyone has their own reason to hide their secret because even now, I am not as transparent as you think I am. It's already too late. I will leave now." Standing up, Lee Taehyung who could tell with his wild instinct that staying in Seulgi's room would only pull him into something he could never get away, chose to leave.

Seulgi saw him to leave, her hand raised on the air but she clenched it back, the movement was caught by Taehyung's eyes. "I heard there are many things that are meant together," he spoke, "Like how the moon is with the night sky, the sun and the blue sky, and the flowers on the ground. But there are also some that are made to not be together."

Seulgi watched Lee Taehyung leaving, her heart breaking as she couldn't help but notice the wall he put up by saying those, "Is that how you reject me?"

"You haven't told me anything yet, what is there that I rejected?" Lee Taehyung instead question, having her on a momentarily speechlessness.

"Which mean I have a chance," Seulgi didn't want to give up.

Lee Taehyung weighed the choice of using a harsher word to push Seulgi away and her affection, only to later find himself agonizing in his former choice, and replied with a much milder word, "You don't know me, Seulgi."

"You know nothing of me either. We can start by learning and getting close to each other," Seulgi pushed herself from the bed, walking toward where he was, facing his back she felt her hair scattered by the wind as they had opened the window. "Was there really no affection you have to me? Just a little and I'm sure I can work something out."

Lee Taehyung turn his face slowly, looking back at her, "There are consequences in loving me."

"And there is also consequences to love me, just like how most people live. Was the time we spent together meant nothing to you?" Seulgi asked. She didn't understand why Taehyung did not want to admit his feeling. Even if it was minute, she know from the way he spoke earlier, he was attracted to her. 

Seulgi didn't stop urging him, seeing Taehyung only stared at her with his lips set on a line, "I won't ask you to love me back, just tell me whether you enjoy being with me than others," Seulgi waited for his reply, only to hear nothing as Lee Taehyung watched her with his gaze unblinking. A smile then followed which she couldn't tell what it meant.

"Good night," Lee Taehyung said, turning his back on Seulgi. He was a dark witch, while Seulgi was a vampire, two being that was never meant together. Even if they decided to be together, no matter where they go, humans, vampires, and witches won't accept them. He had casted his family but Seulgi had not and he won't ask her to do the same.

"No," Seulgi whispered, and his feet stopped, Lee Taehyung frowned, pushing himself to walk again when Seulgi caught him by his white robe. He turned his face, ready to break her heart even if it means leaving a scar but was startled by a soft sensation.

Seulgi pushed her entire body to her toes, leaning forward, he pressed her lips toward his. She closed her eyes, before pulling back after successfully stealing a brief kiss. "I thought being coward is fine, but you should not do it often. It breaks my heart. Come back here tomorrow. That's all I ask. Good night."

Taehyung stared at her a couple more times, only finding himself with no response e restrained himself and turned his back, leaving the room. Seulgi had a hope he would have said something but the more wind brushing her hair, she was awoken from her own thought that hoped this was her dream.

Leaving the room, Lee Taehyung exhaled his breaths. He turned to stare at the door again. Seulgi wasn't wrong. The truth was, he had also became attracted to her and fell in love. It would be easy to accept her love, but the consequences Seulgi would have to carry on her shoulder was too vast, she would only end in suffering.

Lee Taehyung closed his eyes, shaking his head. He can't cost Seulgi by making the same mistake as he did in the past.

Not far from them, Lee Taein leaned his back on the wall, his hand crossed. Wearing all black clothes with hood that covered his head camouflaged him with the darkness, causing no one, not even his genius brother to notice him. But he knew Taehyung hadn't notice him because of his attire and his stealthy move. It was because the confession the woman in the room he had just left earlier.

Having heard everything, Lee Taein leaned his head to the left, his smile slowly grew wider, "You just never learn brother. Despite having the skill and talent in you, you are as soft and weak as human." Lee Taein took a walk from the wall, passing by Seulgi's room, his eyes trailed there before casting away, "It will end tomorrow though.. Mother won't forgive this nor remitting this."