Park Seon-hee-ssi, who was turning 120 this year, was a beauty with the appearance of her late twenties. And in terms of documented age, she’d be turning 50 this December.
Vampires were guaranteed status as citizens of the Republic of Korea, but still, due to the characteristic of not aging outwardly, they couldn’t keep using one identity continuously. According to the Management Bureau’s internal regulations, when a vampire’s documented age reached 50, they were to be given a new identity. Of course, if they looked young, it could be renewed at 30.
A new name—they could continue using their original name if desired—career, various IDs, address transfer, property settlement, all were handled by the Management Bureau. Along with supplying blood to vampires monthly, identity renewal was one of the most important tasks done by the Bloodsucker Department.
―Can I push that back? About 6 months or so.
“As far as I know, advancing it is impossible but delaying it is possible. There should be no penalty up to 2 years from the renewal date.”
―Really? That’s a relief.
“Is there a problem?”
―Well, I took out an insurance policy recently, and they said I need to wait a year to properly receive the insurance money. It won’t be a year by the end of this year.
“It’s the first I’ve heard of such a clause?”
―It’s new these days, but the coverage is strong.
“How much is it?”
―1 billion.
“1 billion? Seon-hee-ssi. Isn’t that too much?”
―Why are you asking when you know?
When I said it was too much, Seon-hee-ssi burst into giggles beyond the phone. Getting a new identity at 50 meant the previous identity was discarded, meaning a death report would be filed. Taking advantage of this, vampires joined high-value life insurance policies and used the insurance money as funds for a fresh start. Strictly speaking it was insurance fraud, but since there were no problems on paper, there were no particular sanctions. Still, 1 billion. I could clearly see Seon-hee-ssi’s greed and ended up laughing along.
“Don’t you have another one for 200 million?”
―The more money the better. This time I’m definitely buying a house. The landlord keeps going on about raising the jeonse deposit. Living in a rented room is really sad.
“It is sad.”
―That’s what I’m saying. Even with real estate measures and whatnot coming out all the time, nothing changes.
I was smiling bitterly in deep empathy with Seon-hee-ssi’s words when I met eyes with Rashanin standing in front of the guest room entrance.
Just as we were about to enter the room, my cell phone rang, so I’d asked Rashanin’s understanding to go in first and was on the phone. But Rashanin wasn’t going inside and was looking this way.
The sun had already set, but thanks to the light illuminating the room entrance, I could clearly see the man making an expression that “strange” was insufficient to describe. I wondered why he was making that face when Rashanin couldn’t possibly understand Korean. I looked around thinking there might be something odd, but there was nothing special.
I deliberately ignored Rashanin’s gaze and turned away.
“But you know if it’s too excessive it’ll be a problem, right?”
―Of course. I won’t do more than this, so don’t worry.
“Understood. A notice will come out first around June, so we can discuss the details then.”
―I might forget, so you have to tell me for sure.
“Yes. Of course.”
When the conversation concluded, Seon-hee-ssi apologized once more and hung up. Just in case I forgot, I saved it in my phone’s schedule and called the office to confirm the extension period was indeed 2 years.
After finishing work like that and turning around, Rashanin was still standing in front of the door with a strange expression. It was truly so ambiguous it was hard to express in words, so I tilted my head and approached closer.
“What are you doing instead of going in?”
“You’re a different person.”
“Pardon?”
“It’s not a lover, right? You said you broke up.”
“I don’t know what you’re trying to say.”
I couldn’t understand why the word lover was coming up here. I’d clearly said it was work right before the call.
But Rashanin raised his hand and pointed at my face.
“Here. Your face changed.”
“……?”
“You were smiling with your eyes crinkling. Plus your voice was very affectionate.”
“……?”
“You don’t seem to know what kind of face you were making?”
“Well… I don’t look in a mirror while on the phone.”
I’d been told I was kind, but I didn’t expect to be pointed out like this. Thinking my face had changed strangely, I touched my cheek, and Rashanin clicked his tongue lightly.
“Who was it?”
“Ah… A resident of the night I manage.”
“You answer work calls like that?”
“It’s a kind of service industry.”
It was the relationship between vampires known not to exist in the world and secret agents who managed those vampires. Though there were agents who only dealt stiffly and officially, I tried to accommodate as much convenience as possible. Since we interfered with personal daily lives and learned a lot about each other, we inevitably became close.
“Unnecessarily affectionate.”
“……?”
I couldn’t understand why Rashanin was grumbling in dissatisfaction. I looked at him asking what he was talking about, but Rashanin didn’t respond and opened the entrance door himself. Since that day, I’d been continuously receiving his escort. Though I was getting used to it little by little, I was definitely conscious of it now. Because I knew what would happen once I opened this door and went in.
It always started with a kiss. After dinner, when we drank alcohol or tea and returned to the room, Rashanin closed the entrance door and asked if he could kiss me. On the second day, when I said no, he sucked my fingers. When I demanded to know what the rush was, I heard the ridiculous words that the night was short. That continued until yesterday.
When we kissed, we either had sex or went right up to just before sex. And we slept embraced like lovers.
Will he ask to kiss today too?
We’d drunk quite a lot of wine during dinner. It was the first time since I’d been shocked at the price of wine Rashanin preferred. Nothing made you forget eternal worries like alcohol. Also, drinking made emotional ups and downs bigger.
After entering the room, I looked up at Rashanin. Perhaps because I’d acknowledged I’d fallen for him, he looked even more attractive. Maybe I was really drunk.
Rashanin told me to look forward to it, but the afternoon flowed no differently than usual. We spent time in the rooftop garden until before dinner. Recently, rather than watching people, Rashanin who read a lot was absorbed in newspapers and magazines. He spent time like that, sometimes asking me about unknown words or things he was curious about.
Making people yearn while pretending to be calm was the man’s bad habit.
“I told you before that looking at me like that seems like seduction.”
Rashanin, looking down at me, clicked his tongue.
“May I kiss you?”
The words came out impulsively but it was fine. I really wanted to kiss him.
“My, what wind has blown?”
“I must be drunk.”
Rashanin subtly wrapped his arm around my waist and pulled me close. The way he rubbed the place pressed together without gaps was explicit.
“You did drink too much. But if you want to kiss, you shouldn’t just say it but show it with action.”
I stared intently at the lips of the man smiling cunningly. The man who was pretty everywhere without exception had pretty lips too. While pondering what to do, our lips touched. Only after feeling his lips were soft did I realize what I’d done. Hesitation arose, but this wasn’t bad either. I grabbed Rashanin’s shoulders and kissed him a second time. Then Rashanin let out a small moan.
“Getting me all excited and then a baby kiss.”
“If you don’t like it, stop.”
Even as I said to stop, I pressed my lips together a third time. Then Rashanin smiled and bit my lower lip. The kiss that started lightly quickly became hot. I embraced the man’s back, pouring out hot breaths while he held my waist.
*
“Ahh.”
My head was literally burning bright red. I didn’t want to analyze whether it was because of the moans that came out on their own, the squelching sounds from the penetrated place, or because I was aroused as Rashanin stimulated me.
Actually, it wasn’t something to get used to in just a few days. Separate from acknowledging I’d fallen for him, rubbing bodies with a male was still awkward. The touching flesh was hard and sturdy, making me realize it was a man, not a woman. What was fortunate was that I was properly aroused. If not, I might have kicked him away from awkwardness.
“I’m curious what you’re thinking in this situation…”
Biting my nape, Rashanin laughed soundlessly. Hot breath filled with moisture spread widely by my ear. Rashanin didn’t ask what I was thinking. Instead, he firmly grasped my thigh with his large hand, spread it, and thrust in hard.
My mind went completely blank at the feeling of being opened below. On the 10th day, counting the times it was over ten, but at the start I always had to grit my teeth at the foreign sensation and burning pain like being scorched. Then Rashanin’s member filling my inner walls wriggled on its own and stirred inside.
“Hngh.”
Even gritting my teeth at the tingling pleasure like being electrocuted, suppressed moans leaked out. Then Rashanin smiled in satisfaction and roughly rubbed the same spot. The man’s bedroom manners were quite fierce. He put effort into foreplay, but once he penetrated, he transformed into a beast.
