When Blood Meets Silver

Chapter 17

The bleeding on Heejin's arm and Chaewon's leg had stopped after they used cloth to press on the injuries. A deep silence engulfed the whole house as they waited for Jinsol and Haseul to arrive. Hyunjin sat on her armchair, eyes closed and hands buried in Selene's fur.

Haseul was coming. She promised her she would protect Yeojin, and in reality, it was her protecting Hyunjin. How was she going to explain that? How would Haseul ever forgive her failure?

Their scents reached her nose, and she braced herself for the reality she was about to face.

Mere seconds later, the front door barged open, and the moment Haseul's eyes landed on Yeojin, laying on her stomach over the couch with the cut on her back exposed, her body froze completely, the case dropping from her hand to the floor.

"Hey, sis," Yeojin greeted, waving her hand weakly at her.

Taking small steps, Haseul walked towards Yeojin, tears breaking free from her eyes as she kneeled beside her. Jinsol, still standing by the door, had her eyes widened at the whole scene.

"What in the world happened?" Jinsol approached everyone as well, and when her eyes found Hyunjin's and she noticed her neck, she gasped.

"Don't worry about me, I'm fine," Hyunjin said.

"Is... everyone safe?" Jinsol asked, looking around and taking better looks at them.

"Does she look safe to you?!" Haseul's voice boomed in the room, more tears running down her eyes. "You said nothing would happen to her! You said you were only going to train her! How could you let this happen?"

Hyunjin knew all of that. But it didn't hurt any less. Letting Selene down on the floor, Hyunjin dropped on her knees, bowing until her head almost reached the floor.

"H-Hyunjin!" Jinsol gasped, alongside others in the room.

"I can't possibly apologize, and I'm taking full responsabil-"

"Get up, Hyunjin," Yeojin said. "You did your best to protect us. We were ambushed, and they weren't even coming for you. I got hurt because I was fighting alongside everyone, and that's better than standing back and letting you get hurt in my place."

Hyunjin raised her head enough to look ahead at them. Haseul looked away, sighing.

"Get up," Haseul mumbled.

Hyunjin did as told without another word, and everyone's eyes were on her.

"Haseul, I know you're worried, and yes, this hurts and it's gonna scar, but I'm a vampire. Heejin and Chaewon are injured. They don't have healing powers like I do, so please, help them instead," Yeojin said.

"Am I not supposed to do anything to help you?" Haseul asked, taking a closer look at her back.

"No," Hyunjin said. "We were attacked with silver weapons, but the wound will eventually heal on its own. Mine scarred already."

Haseul looked at her neck, at how the cut had closed, but the scar was left there forever. She looked around then, noticing Chaewon and Heejin at last, sitting at the dinner table, still pressing the cloth to their wounds. She sniffed, and after kissing Yeojin's forehead, she stood up.

"I'm sorry, I let my emotions get the best of me." Haseul wiped her eyes. "I'm a doctor, and this behavior is unacceptable. Let me see your injuries."

She grabbed the case from the floor and joined them. Chaewon was already holding on Hyejoo's hand, but insisted Haseul should take care of Heejin first, so she approached her to take a look at her arm.

Jiwoo and Jungeun scooted closer to Yeojin, keeping her company, and Hyunjin only observed everything, her mind a big void.

Fingers touched her neck, tracing her new scar, and Hyunjin turned her head. Jinsol stood beside the armchair, eyes fixed on her.