On a sunlit Saturday morning, Carrie wandered into Jae-wook's mini library, the golden light streaming through the tall windows painting the room in a warm glow. Her fingers trailed lazily along the spines of countless books, their titles whispering tales of adventure and mystery.
"What is it with him and fantasy?" she mused, pulling out a book only to frown at its cover before sliding it back into place. "vampires,wolves, wizards, ancient curses—where's the reality check?"
Her gaze fell on a lone book resting on Jae-wook's desk, its leather-bound cover gleaming darkly, as if daring her to touch it. Intrigued, she picked it up, her fingers brushing across the embossed title: The Vampyre's Code.
"Well, this is… fascinating," she murmured, settling into a nearby chair. As she turned the brittle pages, strange illustrations and cryptic phrases drew her deeper, her curiosity swelling like a tide.
An hour later, Carrie sat upright, her thoughts a swirling storm. "Jae-wook really has a thing for vampire fantasies," she said aloud, though the words lacked conviction. Her brow furrowed as she recalled his unnervingly pale skin, his quiet grace, and the way his dark eyes seemed to pierce right through her.
Her lips curled into a half-smile, half-grimace. "Or… could he actually be a vampire?" she muttered, almost too quietly to hear herself.
The absurdity of her own suggestion hit her like a jolt, and she burst into laughter, clutching her stomach. "That's ridiculous! Vampires don't exist."
But even as she dismissed the thought, her mind refused to let go. She rubbed her chin thoughtfully, her eyes narrowing as snippets of odd moments with Jae-wook flashed before her. "Still… it does explain a lot. His riches, His aversion to bright lights. That one time he refused to eat garlic bread…"
A chill ran down her spine, but she shook it off. "Get a grip, Carrie," she muttered, snapping the book shut. Yet, as she placed The Vampyre's Code back on the desk, she couldn't help but glance over her shoulder, half-expecting Jae-wook to appear out of nowhere. "Carrie Evans don't you dare do something stupid" she said pulling herself from her thoughts.
BUT TO NO AVAIL
Half an hour later, the once peaceful library scene had devolved into utter chaos. Carrie, the ever chaotic queen, stood in the middle of the kitchen, gripping a wooden cross as if her life depended on it. Her eyes were wide, her breathing erratic, and her stance somewhere between a knight ready for battle and a squirrel caught stealing nuts.
Across from her stood Jae-wook, drenched from head to toe, his hair plastered to his forehead and water dripping steadily onto the polished hardwood floor. His usually composed expression was replaced by one of sheer incredulity, as if he couldn't quite believe the spectacle unfolding before him.
"Oh. My. God," Ava exclaimed, as she walked into the kitchen staring wide-eyed at the chaotic scene before her.
"Ava, he's going to kill me this time!" Carrie whimpered, darting behind Ava like a human shield.
"What the hell happened here?" Ava questioned, her curiosity piqued as she glanced at the drenched Jae-wook, who was standing stiffly with fury radiating off of him like a nuclear meltdown waiting to happen.
"I can explain!" Carrie squeaked, her voice trembling as she peeked over Ava's shoulder. "I was just… curious about Jae-wook. You know, what he really is."
"That's not an explanation! If anything, I'm even more confused now," Ava said, raising a brow.
"Okay, okay. So… I had this hypothesis that Jae-wook wasn't human," Carrie began, fidgeting nervously.
"Wait, what?"
"And I needed to prove it! So I drank his insanely expensive bottle of imported sparkling mineral water. From Italy."
"NOT THE SPARKLING WATER!" Ava gasped dramatically.
"I know, I know! But then I wanted to see if he was a vampire. So, naturally, I baptized him with a jug of holy water and brought out a cross."
"Naturally?" Ava deadpanned.
"It made sense in the moment! The theory was that if he was a vampire, he'd sizzle or something, but all I got was a pissed ass Jae-wook dripping with water. And, um… that's when I realized I was really dumb," Carrie finished with a wince.
Ava stared at her in disbelief before bursting into uncontrollable laughter. "You thought Jae-wook was a vampire?!"
"It's not funny!" Carrie protested, crossing her arms.
"Oh, it's absolutely hilarious. Why on earth would you think Alex—sorry, Jae-wook—is a vampire?" Ava asked, still giggling.
"Okay, hear me out! He has those piercing eyes, his skin is way too flawless and pale, he's ridiculously rich, he never talks about his family, and don't even get me started on his brooding, cold personality. Plus, have you seen Korean vampires? They're always annoyingly good-looking! Let's not forget the garlic bread incident."
At this, Jae-wook, who had been silently glaring throughout the entire exchange, took a threatening step forward. Carrie ducked further behind Ava.
"I'm sorry, okay? I was wrong!" Carrie pleaded sincerely.
Just then, Leo waltzed in, his expression a mix of curiosity and amusement. "Are we having a family meeting? Why wasn't I invited? And why is Alex drenched? Wait, Carrie, why are you hiding—" He stopped mid-sentence, his eyes widening dramatically.
"Carrie thought Alex was a vampire so she baptized him with holy water and even held out a cross" Ava teased.
"No way! "Is he, though?" Leo asked, eyes darting toward Jae-wook with mock suspicion.
"Find out yourself, there's another jug of holy water on the counter" Carrie said, peeking her head back in momentarily before vanishing.
Jae-wook's glare burned hotter, and Ava, sensing the danger, quickly stepped closer to him. "Alex are you… okay? You've been awfully quiet. Or… is Carrie actually right?"
Jae-wook fixed her with an icy stare so intense that Ava felt her soul leave her body for a moment. Without a word, he stormed out, leaving a tense silence in his wake.
"Yikes," Leo muttered, exhaling loudly. "He is really furious, If he talks right now, someone might end up in therapy for life."
"Leo! What if he really is a vampire?!" Ava whispered nervously, clutching his arm.
"Don't be ridiculous," Leo scoffed. "He wears a cross necklace, and isn't he Catholic? Vampires don't do religion." He patted her head like a child.
Ava blinked up at him, her nervousness melting into a mischievous grin. "True. Hey… do you want to get a tattoo?"
Leo froze mid-pat, giving her a skeptical look. "That came out of nowhere. Do you want one?"
"Yeah! Like, a matching tattoo," Ava said, her grin widening.
Leo tapped his chin thoughtfully. "Hmm… why haven't we ever thought of that before?"
"Because it's painful," Ava said with a laugh.
"True, but let's do it anyway. In fact, let's make it a whole thing. We'll watch a movie, then get the tattoos after while we're still hyped," Leo suggested with a casual shrug.
"Today?!" Ava gasped.
"Why not? The vibe is here, and I am not wasting it," Leo replied, his grin matching hers.
Ava squealed and threw her arms around him, her excitement bubbling over. "Oh my God! I'm so excited! What should we get?"
"Something cheesy. Maybe a tiny heart or a matching phrase in a cool font?"
"I love it," Ava said, pulling back to look at him with stars in her eyes. "This is why you're my favorite person in the world."
"And this is why I put up with all your crazy ideas," Leo teased, wrapping an arm around her shoulders. "Come on, let's plan this out while you still think it's a good idea."
"Deal. But you're paying for the snacks at the movie," Ava said, laughing.
"Fine. But you're buying dinner afterward."
As they walked off, bickering playfully, neither of them noticed Jae-wook glaring from the corner, still dripping wet, muttering under his breath. "Matching tattoos? Humans are so dramatic..".