2pm, 31/8/2018.

It was Scarlet's last day at work. Over the past 2 weeks of work (even though she just went to work for 6 days in total), she got to know more about T and learnt that T was 25. It would be considered a large age gap in others eyes, but Scarlet didn't care. She actually had a thing for older guys. They did talk more and T even played with her hair sometimes and teased her...  her feelings towards T grew, and she was ecstatic when T was around when she worked. On the other hand, Max and her chatted through text from time to time too. She learnt that Max was a really helpful and nice guy and they shared some common interests such as their views on life and people. She reckoned Max a nice friend to talk to.

"Today will be the last day I'm seeing him... if I don't get his contact, or he doesn't get my contact... he'll disappear from my life... " Scarlet sighed and she was in a depressed mood. 

"Hey Scarlet, you don't look fine," Rachel came up to her and asked if she was okay.

"I'm just a bit tired, stayed up late last night," Scarlet raised her eyebrows and picked up a glass of water. 

T was standing at the entrance of the kitchen, but not looking at Scarlet like before. He was on his phone. 

"I wonder what's he looking at on his phone... is it some other girl? Does he have a girlfriend? Is he playing some mobile games?" Scarlet thought.

After some time, he looked up from his phone and gazed at Scarlet but didn't say anything and went back into the kitchen. 

"He doesn't care about me, at all." Scarlet was drowning in her thoughts.

"Hey Scarlet, come here," her boss called out to her.

"Yes, boss?" Scarlet came over to him, worried that her boss was going to complain about her performance since she seemed so distracted.

"Is that chef, T always trying to talk to you?" Her boss asked concernedly. 

"Um... kind of in the past 2 weeks, but not much," Scarlet raised her eyebrows. Why was he asking these kind of questions?

Her boss nodded. "I just wanted to say that he is not ... you know, he's not a good guy. He has a terrible background and didn't study. And he really doesn't care about how messed up he is, and he's irresponsible," he took a deep breath and continued. "He's talking with you and messing around with you. Trust me, he has a long history of playing with girls' feelings. You should know how to protect yourself... and just say no if he ever asks for your number," her boss said concernedly. 

"Yes... I know, thanks," Scarlet looked at the floor. It wasn't like she didn't know these things, she knew it very well. Yet her affection towards T grew... she just couldn't help it. But then she didn't even know his actual name. 

"Great, now go back to work."

"I know that he's no good... but Would he ever ask for my number? I wish..." Scarlet walked to a table and started wiping it, feeling more hopeless than ever.

-

Soon it was lunch time. The chefs took the food out to the big table. 

T sat across Scarlet. He accidentally kicked her leg.

"Hey, watch it!" Scarlet kicked him back. 

T just chuckled. 

"He was pretending that chuckle," Scarlet could tell. She didn't say it aloud though. 

"It's my last day here," Scarlet raised her left eyebrow and told T. "Aren't you happy? You won't have to see me anymore."

"How's that related?" T put up a what-the-hell-are-you-talking-about expression.

Scarlet shrugged like she didn't care, but deep down she became really weak. What T said hit her hard. Really hard. She finally realised that, T was the centre of her universe, but she probably didn't even exist in his. She didn't even know how he became the centre of her attention when he was staring at her at first.  He was just... always on her mind. And now she's got affection for him. She didn't notice it at all. 

T finished his food before Scarlet could realise what was going on and left the restaurant.

"Probably going to smoke again... but why should I care? After all, I'm not related to his happiness or sadness. I'm just a passer- by in his life that would never matter to him!" Scarlet rushed to the toilet. It indeed would be her last day here. She looked into the mirror, her face was covered with dark clouds of despair. 

"Please, T... I don't even know why I have feelings for you when we didn't even talk that much, but I really don't want today to be the last day I'm seeing you. Why did you stare at me so much? Why did you play with my hair? Why did you tease me? Why did you... why did you make me feel like you like me? " Scarlet felt like she was going to cry, but she couldn't. That kind of melancholy was stuck in her throat and she couldn't get rid of it... She furrowed her eyebrows really hard.  

"But now you don't even bother, and I'm not even close enough with you to have an effect on your emotions. Yet... you made me experience profound sadness already... I don't know what this is but it feels really unpleasant... But somehow I have a feeling that this won't be the last time I'm seeing him... but... UGH I DON'T KNOW!!!" Scarlet was breaking down internally. She felt like the feeling was going to drive her nuts. 

Some time passed before Scarlet started getting herself back together. 

"Okay, Scarlet, it's fine, everything is fine. Go to the restaurant and see him one last time... it's fine. It's perfectly fine," she told herself. "I'm perfectly fine."

She walked out of the bathroom and went back to the restaurant sluggishly and sat down on the long sofa that T would always rest on. 

"Since I don't matter to him, he'd definitely come to rest here like usual," she though as she gripped her phone tightly.

Soon T came back from smoking and walked over to the long sofa where Scarlet was already sitting across. Rather than sitting, she looked more like she was slouching, as if she was a werewolf who'd lost their mate. Her eyes brightened up after she saw T walking towards her and getting on the sofa, although he paid no attention to her.

"Why are you still here?" T asked, lying on the long sofa and playing his phone. He didn't even look at Scarlet when he asked the question. 

"Hey, what's that supposed to mean?" Scarlet immediately sat up straight after hearing his voice. It was clear that the existence of T lit up her expression. 

"Asking you why you're still here. You don't have night shift today do you?" T replied lazily, his eyes still glued to his phone.

"Well, I don't have night shift, that's true, but I don't want to leave yet. After all, I'll probably have no reason to come here again after school starts," Scarlet spoke the truth and hoped that T would say something nice to her.

"Aye, school. A long time since I'd been there. It was hell," T was still on his phone. "Although it's probably better now. You should study hard, young lady." T finally got his eyes off his phone and looked at Scarlet. 

That look. It was that kind of look... how T always stared at her and caught her attention. 

They stared at each other for more than 10 seconds.

"School's annoying and troublesome," Scarlet sighed. "It's boring."

"Being in school sucks but not being in school sucks even more," T looked at her in the eyes. "Trust me you'll know what I'm saying in a couple of years." 

However sincere he looked, T was merely bluffing. He didn't even remember how school was and just kept interacting with bad friends and people which influenced him really negatively after he got dropped out. Yet Scarlet felt like she was drowning in his pathetic eyes. She was so attracted to him and completely believed anything he said. It wasn't magic or anything, it was a really strong feeling that she had, inside her, that made her trust him completely. 

She responded him with a sigh and looked elsewhere.

"Hey, Scarlet, I just realised that I don't have your number," T started using his phone again. 

Scarlet couldn't believe her ears. Did that mean... 

"If you give me your number I'd text you from time to time asking how's school," T chuckled. "It's been a long time that I haven't been in school after all."

"Give me your phone," Scarlet smiled and reached for T's phone, and T gave it to her. 

She entered 999 on the phone keys, and gave it back to T.

(A/N : 999 is the emergency number in Hong Kong.)

"999... great..." T yawned.

"Give it to me," Scarlet chuckled. She entered her phone number this time. 

"Call me, so I'll have your number too," she gave the phone back to T.

T called her and she cut the call. 

Both of them smiled, T slyly, Scarlet sweetly. 

"Right, I don't even know your name," Scarlet shrugged, smiling.

"Oh me... my name is Torn," he closed his eyes.

"Oh, I see," Scarlet's smile faded. T was Torn. He's the notorious vampire Torn, who'd drink vampires' blood and mess with girls' feelings. 

"No," Scarlet thought, "There's no way Torn is like that. No fucking way, he's so... he just can't be like that! There must've been a mistake, a misunderstanding. I trust that he wouldn't do anything like that."

"On the other hand, he asked for my number! That means he is interested in me after all!" Scarlet thought and smiled again. "Maybe we'll get to go on dates and today won't be the last day I'm seeing him!" 

"Bye, I'm going to sleep," T said and faced the other way. 

"Bye, Torn," Scarlet stood up and went to get her personal belongings. 

As she stepped out of the restaurant, she couldn't hide her feelings anymore. "Yes! He actually asked for my number! WOOHOO! Maybe we can go watch movies together soon and we'll get to do more things and we'll get closer..." Scarlet started skipping as she walked to the bus stop. 

She quickly texted Steve and Rain. 

Scarlet : HEY GUYS GUESS WHAT!!! THAT CHEF GUY ASKED ME FOR MY NUMBER!!!

Steve replied shortly.

Steve : Good for you haha. He's probably gonna text you soon :)

Scarlet : I hope so!

Rain : Wow you must be happy asf.

Scarlet : Actually I'm at the edge of going hysterical!!!

Rain : Just be careful, you don't even really know that guy.

Scarlet : I trust that he won't hurt me! His name is Torn btw.

Steve : What kind of name is that? Wtf.

Rain : That's a very weird name.

Scarlet : Well it's not a common name and that's what makes him even more attractive! I think he's a vampire also, btw!

Rain : How? 

Steve : Yea, how?

Scarlet didn't want to tell them what Max told her, she felt like they'd probably tell her to get away from him. 

Scarlet : Idk, I just felt like he is cuz he has really pale skin and he doesn't eat much food. Besides  can vampires smoke?

Rain : Um, sure they can. Why are you asking?

Steve : Yea, they can. Why not?

Scarlet : Nothing. 

Steve : Does Torn smoke?

Rain : I honestly can't stop laughing at his name... Torn. 

Scarlet : Yea, he does. He smokes.

Rain : Ack, I don't like guys who smoke. 

Scarlet : I don't mind, he's so attractive.

Steve : For fucks sake, that sounds like he's a sorcerer who'd casted a spell on you and made you all over him.

Rain : I don't think there's such spell but he's right.

Scarlet : Whatever! I'm getting home anyway, bye!

Scarlet put away her phone and got off the bus. "Maybe I could tell Max too?" A thought crossed her mind. "Max is a really nice friend and I want to share my happiness with him!"

-

6pm, 31/8/2018.

"Ding!" a notification popped up on Scarlet's phone. 

Unknown number : What are you having for dinner today?

Scarlet knew it was Torn. A big smile appeared on her face.

She wasn't sure if Torn was actually a vampire, so she decided to jeep her alert on... in the aspect.

Scarlet : Nothing, just some vegetables and rice. 

Torn : Really? 

Scarlet : Really.

Torn : I thought ghouls couldn't handle human food...

Scarlet was shook. Did that mean Torn was actually a vampire? 

Scarlet : What ghouls? What are you talking about?

Torn : Don't play dumb. I know you're half vampire and half ghoul, young lady. Don't worry, I won't tell anyone.

Scarlet : How did you know?

Torn : I can smell other vampires. I'm a vampire myself. You give off a really weird smell, not a complete vampire, but not human either. You don't eat much during lunch, so I figured that you'd probably be half ghoul half vampire.

Scarlet : Wow, impressive. Indeed I'm going to have a heart and an arm for dinner tonight, with a glass of blood. 

Torn : Enjoy, I just smoked 2 cigarettes. Gonna drink a whole bucket of blood when I reach home tonight. 

Scarlet : Enjoy. Why are you always smoking tho? 

Torn : It's not anything special. A lot of chefs smoke, and I started at a young age so I'm basically unable to get rid of it now. 

Scarlet : I see. Don't you have work? 

Torn : There's not a lot of  people coming to the restaurant. I don't have anything to do now. 

Scarlet : Then you can take a rest, it must be stressful working in the kitchen.

Torn : Every job is stressful. 

Torn went offline 

Scarlet took out a bloody heart from the fridge, as well as an arm. She heated them up. 

"'Every job is stressful?' He's probably trying to act like everything is fine in his life and he doesn't want me to think that he's weak," she thought. "I really want to care for him and know what's going on in his mind. I want to be more than just some ordinary friend..."

She went on Instagram and started scrolling. She came across a post "signs a guy is interested in you". She read the post. 

1. He's always staring at you

2. He tries touching you 

3. He mimics what you do

"He's always staring at me!" Scarlet gasped. "And he kicked my foot at lunch today! Was he trying to touch me?" She couldn't hide her smile. "Maybe we'll keep talking to each other and... somehow be more than friends?" She bit her lip. She was craving him... the first one who caught her attention in 16 years.

She looked out to the sunset. Such a beautiful landscape. She really wished Torn was there with her.