Chapter 15 ~~ Growing Human

"The night's long. How about a game?"

I turned towards him. "What kind of game?"

"How about me trying to rip off your head?"he jumped over me, smirking.

"No way, doggy!"I pushed him, making him fly through the air.

He landed on his feet and smirked at me, showing an impressive denture. "You. Me. The river. Last one there is a pussy!"

And he dashed towards the Han River, without looking back. I started laughing and rushed after him. That guy was so going to get it from me this time!

"Seung Ho..."

I stopped on my tracks. The whisper came with the wind and faded away. Not wasting another second I turned around and chose another alley. I speeded off towards the place I knew she was.

"Yah...wait up!"yelled someone after me.

Joon was behind me, running as fast as his feet could bare. From the looks, he already had a bath in the river.

"You heard it too?"I asked as he cought up with me.

He nodded. "What do you think happened?"

"I don't know,"I heard myself whispering as I increased the speed. I was really thankfull that the full moon was on the sky, shining brightly upon the town.

We stopped in front of the old coffee house. Joon nodded as I pushed open the door. Inside was dark. And then an explosive light hurt my eyes...

"HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOUUUUU! HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOUUUU! HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU, DEAR SEUNG HO! HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOUUUUUU!"they all sang in one voice.

My eyes grew wider as she stepped in front, holding a red cake in her hands. It had three candles on it: 246...

"Happy birthday, Seung Ho,"she smiled as she put the cake in front of me. "Make a wish."

I looked at her. She was ok. She was unhurt. And everyone else was smiling. So I turned my attention on the red cake and took a deep breath and blew the candles. 'If you're up there dear God, please let me take care of Min Ah till the moment I no longer can breath...'

"What did you wish for?"she asked as she passed pieces of cake to the guys.

"I can't beleive you tricked me!"I hissed, all smiles. "You could have told me that you want me to be here at a certain hour and I would have come without being scared like that!"

"Yeah, I could have. But then it wouldn't have been a surprise,"she replied smiling.

"Man, I hope this is not made of blood,"mumbled Joon while examining the cake from his plate.

I placed my arm around his neck and pulled him closer, living him breathless and incapable of breathing normally. "Well, I'm a vampire and that is blood. And inside, the creme is made of human fingers marinated in worm souce. Enjoy!"I smirked.

"Don't mind him, Joon! The glaze is made of brulee and pomegranate,"smacked my head Min Ah as she passed a piece of cake to G.O. "I made it myself so there are no fingers lost in it since I have all of them with me,"she continued, waving her fingers in front of Joon.

"Min Ah! You're no fun!"I complained, pounting.

"Of course I'm not!"she stuffed some cake into my mouth. "I don't like morbid jokes."

I swallowed the sweet cake and smiled. This girl transformed me into a sweet addict! But I couldn't help myself since it was so tasty. Every single cake she made was so tasty and full of flavour. 

"Look who's seeing the Heaven,"joked Thunder from my side. "You like her cakes so much?"

I nodded.

"Pffff! Then my sister should be happy for having you around. Neither of the guys like sweet things,"he laughed making Min Ah smack the back of his head. "What was that for?!"

"For talking behind my back!"

I laughed as they continued to fight over such a small thing. It was new for me. It was new to be around so many people and to actually enjoy their company. It was new to me to smile out of nothing, just because they gather around the table, fight ovet the stew pot. I stepped on the terrace and took a deep breath. The night was still warm even though it was already October. My birthday, huh?

I turned my face towards the forest that was streching on the northern part of the city. I wonder what my old nest looks like now.

"Hey you there!"called Min Ah, making me turn around to face her. "What are you doing here alone? It's your birthday, man!"

"I know, I know,"I smiled. "I just wanted to smell the night."

She placed her hands on the railing and looked towards the forest as well. "You were thinking about it, weren't you?"

"Yeah, I was."

"Do you miss it?"

"Sometimes. Sometimes I just hate the memory of me living there."

"It is a part of you though."

"It is."

I looked at her hands. The same white and slim fingers that appeared through the fire that night. The same hands that pulled me out of the fire and saved my miserable life one year ago. The same fragile human that risked her own life to save mine. And she paid a price...her lungs were black inside of her. Her life spam was shortened with 20 years in just one night.

"Thank you, Min Ah."

She hid her coughing by laughing. "What are best friends for, huh?"

Best friends, huh?

***

I prepared the tea and smiled as the sun ray played on my skin, warming it. I poured the warm liquid in two cups and headed towards Min Ah's bedroom.

"Min Ah?"I called through the closed door.

"Enter."

I pushed the door open. She was standing on the window's sill, watching the kids in the street. The sun that was playing on her milky skin and her white dress gave her an angelic look that made me stare at her surprised. Her brown and wavy hair was falling on her shoulder, surrounding her small face. Her big eyes were smiling even though her whole body was suffering.

"You made tea,"she smiled as she made space for me to sit next to her. "You're a treasure!"

"Min Ah...how are you feeling?"I asked as I out my fingers on her forehead.

"Perfect!"

"Liar,"I mumbled, looking at her trembling fingers. 

She just smiled. "It will be ok."

And how I wished it would be so. I sipped from my cup of tea and watched her dancing around the room, playing with a big teddy bear that she received from Thunder few days ago. She was still hiding the fact that she was going to die...because of me. I think, I think Thunder would have killed me right there on the spot instead of giving me his blood to regenerate myself. And now, now I was going to live with her and protect her as long as I could. If only...

"Watch out!"I cought her in my arms before she hit the floor. "Yah...Kwon Min Ah!"I called her name, seeing her closed eyes on her white face. "don't play around with me and open you eyes already!"

And she did. With a weak smile she tried to get up, but i pulled her back into my arms.

"I'll protect you, Min Ah. Just don't hide anything from me, ok?"I whispered in her ear.

"Seung Ho..."

She pulled back and looked straight into my eyes. Those big, brownish eyes had now a dint of icy blue. For a second I thought I saw wrong, but the blue was there, making her eyes even more brighter.

"Tell me something, Seung Ho."

"Anything."

"Do you love me?"