"Children, gather 'round." "Yes, Grandma. What is it?" "Now that you've turned 20, it's time I told you."

The expressions on my face and the other children's were strange. It was that look of curiosity mixed with fear.

The village elder continued her story.

"Up there, Mount Paektu. Do you know of it?" "Yes, of course we do."

"A vampire lives there."

Everyone lost their words. The child who had been picking at their fingernails on the floor, the child who had been jumping around out of boredom—everyone.

"Once every twenty years, we choose one person to go meet the vampire." "Sometimes, we send a married couple together." "However, no one has ever returned."

"Guest, your mother and father were also chosen to go there."

"...That is why your parents are not here."

"Anyway, tomorrow is that day that comes once every twenty years."

"Tomorrow, we will choose the person who will go to meet the vampire."

Anyway, now.

I have been chosen as the person to meet that vampire.

Which means, basically, I've been kicked out of the village.

"Ha, dammit. I've had such a hard life without a mom or dad, and now what?"

"A vampire?"

"Make it make sense. As if such a thing exists." "Sigh... my life..."

Well... that's what I believed until then.

Deep in the mountains after the rain, it was pitch black. The mud soaked by the rain dirtied the one pair of boots I brought, and the gnats refused to leave my face alone.

"Ugh, what vampire? Vampire my ass, there's nothing here..."

Just then, a red lantern flickered in the woods. It swayed toward me.

"...? What is that?"

"Whatever, I'm seeing things now."

"Anyway, where's the vampire?! Hey, you damn vampire!!! Where are you?!"

Believing there was no such thing anyway, I screamed at the vampire who wouldn't show up no matter how much I walked.

But then...

"....Why do you call?"

A warm light descended from above my head, and a low voice pierced my eardrums. I looked up and...

A handsome vampire was standing there.