🌼a/n:
please prepare your fingers- you will be cringing a lot in the second half of this chapter. 😂😂😂

3rd POV

"Jisung, how did you find the Kim's heirloom on Vivien?" Keni asked after getting some ointment on her right hand that was slightly burnt from the hot doorknob in Vivien's room.

The 18-year-old vampire looked at his guardian and sighed. "I was with her earlier," He answered while trying to think of how to explain it to Keni without her knowing that he was the one who started the fire. 

Keni was shocked at his answer but she waited for him to continue on.

Then Jisung added in, "She was helping me out, but it didn't go as plan and she ended up starting the fire in the kitchen." 

"And what were you two doing in the kitchen?" Keni asked, wondering what kind of help Vivien was giving to her vampire.

"She... she was helping me make your favorite food since I didn't know how to make it."

Keni's expectations died down when she heard Jisung's story and for a second she wanted to hug him for his efforts but she remembered what Jisung did to Soobin and what he did to her.

He manipulated my memories of Soobin. He may be my vampire and friend since we were kids, but he is also the reason why I'm feeling so confused about Soobin and what my true feelings are. Should I trust him?

The young guardian sighed and thanked Jisung for his efforts after deciding to trust him or not. 

Then she was about to walk away when he asked, "Why are you suspicious of Vivien?"

Keni bit her bottom lips and knew that if she lied, Jisung would see through it. So she turned around and said, "I believe that she's connected to Yeji's death."

One thing I know about Jisung is that he won't say my secrets to anyone else. That's the only reason why I told him some parts of the truth.

Jisung soon became worried about his guardian's safety around Vivien since he now knows what the female vampire is capable of. "I should help you out then-" he said but was cut off by Jaehyuck who is standing beside Keni.

"That's not necessary, Jisung," the older guardian exclaimed. "We would like to keep our group's intentions and work a secret from everyone else, especially from the professors and Principal Lee. We still do not have enough proof of Vivien. So if you do not mind, keep whatever information you have seen and heard a secret. Is that clear?"

Jisung was disappointed that he cannot help his friends out but he understood. So he nodded his head and told Keni, "Just be careful around Vivien," and walked away from the two guardians.

Keni looked at Jaehyuck and quietly thanked him for backing her up. The older boy shook his head and said, "I didn't do it for you."

"You did it for who then?" the younger one asked. "Is it for Soobin? Yeji unnie?"

Jaehyuck sighed. "I did it because I know what it's like to keep secrets from your own vampire."

Keni then looked at Soobin and saw the golden-red eyes vampire talking with Hyosung. She knew right away what Jaehyuck meant and smiled at him while saying, "Hyosung knows that you did your best for him when you were his Guardian, sunbae-nim."

Hyosung's eyes caught Jaehyuck's and he smiled at his former Guardian.

"Maybe you're right," Jaehyuck said to Keni before Principal Lee called all of the students to gather around.

=======================

"Classes has been canceled for the whole week?" Sungkyung asked, finding it hard to process. "But I studied so much for the Latin language class and the History Debate!"

Both Keni and Bomin gave each other a silent laugh before comforting the 20-year-old vampire.

"Come on, unnie," Keni spoke up with a gentle smile. "At least, you'll see mother and father again!"

Then Bomin joined in, "Keni is right! Are you not excited to see your parents, Kyungie ?"

Sungkyung glared at her guardian for using her old nickname. "Don't call me that, Bomin. Unless you want to see your paintings all wet."

Keni smiled at the two friends before being pulled to the side by Maya and Bora.

"We have a meeting in the greenhouse," Bora tells her as quietly as she could so that the two 20-year-olds wouldn't hear her.

Then Keni looked at Maya and whispered, "Nu-uh, you're not joining. You and Dakyung did enough today."

Maya playfully rolled her eyes and asked, "Are you not letting us join this secret spy group of yours because we didn't see the heirloom on Viv-" 

"AHA AHA! MAYA YOU'RE SO FUNNY!" Keni exclaimed out loud while faking a laugh. Then she hits her best friend's arm and whispered again, "Are you trying to expose us, Yoon Maya?"

"Just let us join, okay?" The other guardian suggested with a pleading look. "We can use my place as our temporary hideout- I mean, meeting place since my grandparents are still on their business trip in Japan. Just picture it as another sleepover but with four guys."

Keni groaned in irritation but she finally gave in, making Maya squeal nonstop. Then Bomin called for Keni's attention. The younger Guardian looked at him and her older sister.

"Keni, when are you going to start packing your clothes?" Sungkyung asked.

"Um, unnie, I was actually thinking of staying over at Maya's for the week," Keni replied back.

Sungkyung smiled and nodded her head while saying, "Alright, I'll tell mother and father then. Maya, take care of Keni for us!"

Maya laughed and joked, "I'll make sure to fatten her up before classes start!"

Bomin and Sungkyung both laughed at the small joke which earned them a glare from Keni. Then they both walked to their dorms and Keni hits Maya's arm again. 

"Not funny," she scolded her.

==========================

"So she really is Ruth Kim?" Dakyung asked once everyone settled down on the benches inside the greenhouse. "How is this possible? I mean, from what I can remember, she was supposed to be at St. Luke's right?"

"She was actually released a month ago and was staying with her aunt from her mother's side," Bora explained, surprising both Keni and Soobin.

"How did you know about that?" Soobin asked. wondering if Bora's got that kind of gift.

Bora softly chuckled and answered, "Perks of being adopted by the Academy's Principal. I've heard about it from my mother and Professor Do. They just finished checking up on Rose sunbae-nim since she was still locked up in her room."

"She was released... If that's the case, then why not come here as Ruth Kim? Why bother going through a fake identity?" Maya asked, still confused.

"Wait, is that why you think Ruth is connected to Yeji noona's death?" Soobin asked Keni, making her sigh and nod.

"Soobin, I promise to explain everything to you, but you mentioned that Yeji unnie and Ruth were good friends before the fire at the Kim's manor. It must be because they are cousins. Now, here's the question... Did something happened between them?"

The young vampire bit his bottom lip and said, "Yeji noona and Ruth had a fight when we visited her at St. Luke's. I wasn't sure why but it had something to do with being the eldest child of the family."

"Shit..." Haruto exclaimed, making the older students in the greenhouse turned their heads in shock after hearing him cursed for the first time.

"Ruto... I... Did you just curse?" Keni asked while biting her bottom lip from smiling.

"Sorry, noona, I mistakenly pricked my finger on one of the flowers," Haruto explained, embarrassed for cursing out of nowhere.

Keni, Maya, and Bora smiled at how cute their youngest member is. Then Soobin showed up with a first-aid kit.

"Come on, give me your finger." Soobin opened up the first-aid kit while Haruto showed his pricked finger. "Next time, keep your hands to yourself, okay?"

Haruto nodded his head slowly and hissed in pain when Soobin wiped the blood off of his friend's finger. Then placed some ointment for the wound and a small bandage around the finger. Haruto smiled happily and thanked his hyung. 

Then he looked at Keni and spoke up, "Noona, I've been thinking about it... But isn't Yeji noona a few months older than Ruth Kim?"

"Shit!" Bora said out loud, making Jaehyuck look at her in worry.

"Did you also prick yourself?" He asked quickly, making the others except for Haruto snort quietly to themselves.

Bora smiled in embarrassment and shook her head. "No, I didn't prick my finger," she answered, making Jaehyuck fake a cough for being worried.

Then she added in, "Haruto is actually onto something. Yeji unnie is older than the twins. I've seen Rose sunbae-nim's school profile and she's actually 5 months younger than Yeji unnie. Since Rose and Ruth are twins then that would make Yeji the eldest child of the Kim family."

Keni then took the heirloom out of her pocket and remembered what Yeji had told her back in Vivien's room.

"Yeji unnie knew how the heirloom looked like," she spoke up. "Because she was the original owner of the heirloom but-"

"But her grandparents disowned her father and the heirloom was given to Ruth instead," Soobin said, finishing Keni's sentence.

"Is that the reason why Yeji was killed?" Jaehyuck asked, finally joining in the conversation.

No one can answer the question. It wasn't because they do not know the answer, but because they do know the answer.

The meeting ended there and Soobin ran off using his speed.

Keni knew what he was feeling. The Soulmate Connection was telling her to go to him but she needed her own space. She just needs to be alone for now.

=======================

"It's quite ironic since Yebin just got back yesterday," Maya spoke up as she and Dakyung walked back to the academy.

"Why is it ironic?" Dakyung asked with a goofy grin.

Maya shrugged. "Because we all have to go back home for the week."

"Did you say that Yebin is back?" Leela asked as she excused herself from Hanuel and ran up to the female guardian.

"Jeez! Leela, do not creep up on me like that!" Maya exclaimed, her hands patting over her chest where her heart was beating rapidly out of surprise.

Leela apologized and asked her question again. 

Then Maya nodded her head while saying. "You don't know? Aren't you in the same friend group as Sungkyung unnie?"

"I am... but she's been busy helping the new girl out that not everyone in the group had a proper conversation."

"Well, that's the Vivien effect alright," Hanuel said, joining in. "Just don't fall for her good girl act, sunbae-nims."

Leela sighed. "You just don't like her that's why."

"Actually, we don't like her, too," Maya said bluntly, earning a surprised expression from the two younger vampires.

"By the way where are the other girls?" Dakyung asked, noticing that Noah, Minjung, and Chaewon are not with the other two.

"Oh, they all decided to start packing their clothes now since they have decided to stay over at Minjung's since her place is is closer to the Academy," Hanuel answered.

"And you're not going to stay over at Minjung's?" Maya asked with a confused look.

"We are but Leela wanted to visit Yebin," Hanuel said while patting Leela's shoulder.

Then Maya gave the younger girl a comforting smile and said, "Leela, whatever had happened between you and Yebin, you both can overcome it. Just don't stop believing in yourself and in Yebin. You both have been friends for a long time. So you can do it!"

Leela smiled at Maya's encouragement and thanked her. Then she and Hanuel went looking for Yebin.

"Who knew you can give such advice," Dakyung teased which Maya just walked away from. "Aw! Come on, M! I was just joking!"

"Pfft! Leave me alone, Han Dakyung!" Maya hollered already halfway down the corridor of the east wing.

Dakyung chuckled and ran up to her while placing his arm around her shoulders.

"If you keep running away from me, I'll make sure to tie a rope around our wrists," he whispered into her ear before running away to the boys' dormitory.

"Ugh, the nerve!" Maya muttered under her breath as she rubbed her blushing cheeks.

======================

"WELCOME TO MY HUMBLE-" Maya couldn't finish her sentence since she started to cough out of nowhere. 

The group quietly laughed at what happened and entered the Yoon's house with their luggage right behind them.

Then Maya finally calmed down after Dakyung ran to the kitchen and came back with a glass of water to give to his vampire. Maya took a sip and apologized to her friends.

"As I was saying, welcome to my humble home!" Maya said with a proud smile.

Then Dakyung spoke up, "There are four rooms in the house. The boys will be staying with me in the guest room and for the girls, well, Keni knows what to do. The girls can stay with Maya."

Maya glared at her vampire and asked, "Who in hell gave you the authority to assign them the rooms?"

"Your grandparents told me to take care of you now that we are outside of the Academy."

"They did, but that doesn't mean that you're going to be the head of the house!"

"I'm just helping you out here, Maya!"

"Helping? Pfft! I don't need your help!"

"Are you being serious right now?"

"Do I look like I'm joking with you?"

The group looked at each other and then at Keni. She mentally groaned and asked Jaehyuck to help her out. The older boy hesitated but in the end, he helped her.

"Okay, kiddos, how about we start unpacking and get some ice cream afterward?" Keni suggested as she placed her arm around her best friend and Jaehyuck standing by Dakyung just in case the verbal fight would be a physical one.

"I don't want any ice cream!" Maya growled, making Bora and Haruto step back and hiding behind Soobin, who gave them a confused look.

"You can conjure fire, hyung," Haruto whispered softly to his older friend who quietly chuckled.

"If you don't want ice cream, then what do you want, M?" Keni asked as calmly as she can.

Maya hesitated for a second and said," I want... I want Dakyung's head on a platter!" Then she took a step forward and was about to grab Dakyung's shirt if Keni had not pulled Maya back.

Keni looked at Jaehyuck and told him, "Okay! Sunbae, get him out of here!"

Dakyung was too shocked to move but with Jaehyuck and Bora's help, he was able to walk to the living room.

After a minute, Maya had finally calmed down and Soobin and Haruto had decided to move everyone's luggage upstairs, leaving the girls behind.

"Girl, what the fuck?" Bora exclaimed as she walked over to the two. "Maya, are you on your period or something?"

Then Maya looked at her and sassed, "I don't know. Am I?"

Keni bit her bottom lip from laughing and patted Maya's back. "I think you are, M. Why don't we go upstairs? Bora and I will start unpacking. Then you go ahead and check in your bathroom, okay?"

Maya sighed. "Fine." 

Then she started to walk up to the stairs, Keni and Bora following right after her. Once they reached the second floor, Haruto jumped in surprise when seeing Maya.

"S-sunbae, please, don't cut my head and place it on a platter," he squeaked in fear.

Maya raised her eyebrow at the younger boy and asked, "What are you talking about, Ruto?"

"N-nothing!" Then Haruto ran away, leaving Soobin with the luggage.

The older vampire sighed and looked at the girls. "Sorry about Haruto," He said to Maya before walking to the top of the staircase.

But before he could go back downstairs, Keni stopped him.

"Hey, um... I've been wanting to talk to you..." She whispered, hoping that Maya and Bora wouldn't hear her, but then she heard her two friends giggling from the hallway.

"Keni, we'll just start unpacking!" Bora exclaimed.

While Maya said, "You can have Keni, Soobin. I no longer need her!"

Then the two girls ran inside a bedroom, locking it so that Keni won't be able to get inside.

"Nice friends you've got there," Soobin joked, trying to lighten up the mood.

Keni mentally sighed at the two and looked back at Soobin while feeling nervous.

"I just wanted to tell you the truth," she said right away, making Soobin hold onto the staircase's handle tightly.

"A-about what?" Soobin asked, gulping down his saliva. "If this is about, the Soulmate thing then don't worry! You need your space, I get it!"

"Well, that was quick..." Keni thought to herself as she tried to form her own words.

Then she sighed out loud and looked at Soobin in the eyes.

"I lied about not remembering our memories."

"W-what?" Soobin looked at her in surprise. "Why? Why did you lie?"

Keni looked away from Soobin before answering, "Because... After Jisung manipulated my memories and when I found out, I've just been confused about everything. I have feelings for you, Soobin, but I don't know if it's mine or the Soulmate Connection."

"So, you're questioning about it because you're confused? And not because you may or may not have feelings for Jisung?"

"I don't have feelings for Jisung. He's my brother."

"Adopted brother."

Keni looked at Soobin, annoyed. But she softened up when she felt the connection again. But this time it felt... warm and familiar.

Then Soobin spoke up gently, "What you are feeling right now. That's not the connection. That's my feelings for you. It's the Soulmate thing that is making you feel what I feel, and vice versa. If you are confused about this whole thing because Jisung manipulated your memories of us, then please don't push me away because you are scared of hurting me. I will always be here for you, Keni. Whatever you need me as I will be that for you. A friend? A protector? A lover? Because I know that my feelings for you are true. This Soulmate thing is what made me confident in telling you my feelings. It's what pushes me to tell you these three words."

"Th-three words?" Keni asked as her eyes went wide.

"I love you. I've always had and whenever you're around me, it just makes me the happiest person in the entire world."

Then Keni whispered as she held back her tears, "You're going to make me cry...  Why do I feel like I've heard these words before? Yet deep down I know that I've never heard of it."

"It's because it has always been there. I just never got to say it out loud," Soobin answered, honestly. "But you've felt it many times."

Keni sniffed and gently took his hands into hers. "Promise that you'll wait for me," she whispered again, hoping that one day she'll say the same three words.

Then Soobin smiled at her. "I promise."

🌼 a/n:

if anyone cringed or cried, welcome to the club.
as for Maya's attitude earlier... aha welp it's her time of the month.

ayieeee I hope y'all had a fun time reading this chappie! word count is 3151! 🥺🧡

ima go and walk with my dog now. 😅😂

stay healthy, guys!!

[chapter not yet edited!!]