“Where the hell am I supposed to take a vampire?”
Juan stopped typing.
“A vampire?”
Jean froze completely.
“…”
“…”
“No. I mean...”
Jean covered his face with one hand.
What the hell is wrong with me…?
For a moment, he could practically feel the words hanging in the air above his head.
Juan stared at him, clearly trying to understand what had just happened.
“I've been writing so much about the magazine's story that the character has gotten stuck in my head.” Jean let out a nervous little laugh. “I meant Tesia. Tesia, of course. A completely normal blonde human with red pupils. Heh.”
Juan said nothing.
He simply turned back to his computer and continued typing.
“Hmm…”
Jean leaned slightly toward him.
“Can you think of anything?”
Juan stopped typing for a second.
“Think of what? About Tesia? Are you stupid or something? That's something you're going to have to figure out yourself.”
Jean stared at him.
“Me? But you know about women, don't you? I've only had two girlfriends… I don't exactly have much experience.”
“Well, sorry, but yeah, idiot. Only you can figure this one out.”
Juan picked up his pen again and spun it between his fingers several times before pointing it directly at Jean's chest.
“Every woman is different, Jean. What one woman likes, another might hate. They're mysterious. Every one of them is special. Every one of them is incomprehensible… Sometimes they just get angry for no reason. One day they can adore you, and the next they can hate every molecule of your existence. Every woman speaks her own language, Jean.”
“That doesn't help much.”
“I never said what I was saying was going to help you. I'm just telling you what I know.”
Jean let out a small, nervous laugh.
It slowly began to sound dangerously close to crying.
“So what do I do?”
Juan stopped typing for a moment and looked at him.
“Start with the simplest thing.”
“What?”
“Talk to her.”
“Talk to her?”
“Yeah. Tell her how you feel. Be honest with her and make things clear. Tell her you like her and that you want to get to know her. You don't have to show up tomorrow with a wedding ring.”
Jean lowered his gaze, thinking about it.
The idea sounded almost ridiculously simple.
And yet, somehow, he hadn't thought of it.
“I guess you're right.”
“Of course I'm right.”
“I shouldn't have told you that. Don't let it go to your head.”
Juan grinned.
“Once you've made your feelings clear, I'd say that if you want to know what Tesia wants—and this applies to everything—ask her. That's the best place to start. Communication is everything, Jean.”
He began counting on his fingers.
“‘What would you like to do?’ ‘What's your ideal date?’ Her interests, Jean. Find out all of them. From her favorite artist to her favorite yaoi manga. Be transparent. The day you're not, everything gets muddy, you know?”
I doubt she's into yaoi, but…
Juan… Juan is surprisingly wise.
Jean lowered his eyes toward his phone.
For a moment, he simply stared at Tesia's name on the screen.
Then he began going through all the memories he'd accumulated with her.
And somehow, despite everything they'd done together, she was still a surprisingly mysterious person to him.
She was extraordinary.
Someone he felt completely comfortable around.
Someone he could laugh with without thinking about it.
But when Jean really thought about it, their entire dynamic had revolved mostly around him.
Most of the things they'd done together had been things Jean had suggested.
That realization made him feel a little guilty.
I don't even know what the person I have the most fun with—and feel the most comfortable around—actually loves.
That had to be worthy of some kind of award.
“Worst Piece of Garbage of 2026.”
Jean brought both hands to his head in frustration.
He knew it was his fault.
He had spent so much time putting up walls that he hadn't really made an effort to get to know Tesia in that way.
Now that I think about it… I don't even know why she likes me.
“Thanks, Juan.”
“No problem.”
Juan went back to typing.
“Although…”
Jean raised his eyes.
“Yeah?”
Juan smiled.
“When she becomes your girlfriend, I want you to do me a favor.”
Jean frowned.
“What?”
“If she becomes your girlfriend, introduce me to one of her friends.”
Juan began rocking his chair from side to side, his grin growing wider by the second.
“Come on, Jean. If Tesia is that gorgeous, she must have some equally beautiful friends.”
His gaze drifted into the distance.
“Just imagine…”
“You're already drooling.”
“I'm not drooling.”
“Yes, you are.”
“I'm not—”
Juan wiped the corner of his mouth, pretending to be concerned.
“I think you're already dehydrated… You look completely dried out.”
“Shut up, dumbass. That's just how I look.”
Jean picked up his phone again.
“Fine. If I ever end up dating Tesia, I'll ask her if she has a friend who'd like to meet you.”
Juan gave him a thumbs-up.
“That's my boy.”
“But I make no promises.”
“That's fine. As long as you ask.”
Jean shook his head.
“You're crazy.”
“And you're going to end up completely in love with a beautiful woman as your girlfriend. Ahhh, you lucky bastard.”
Jean fell silent.
He didn't answer.
Instead, he turned his face away from Juan because he could feel the heat spreading across his cheeks.
Thanks to that conversation with his coworker—and friend—the possibility no longer seemed quite so absurd.
The possibility of believing that maybe he could be happy beside someone again.
Even so, there was still something inside him that couldn't quite accept it.
It wasn't that he didn't like Tesia.
Quite the opposite.
Maybe that was precisely the problem.
He had fallen for her too quickly.
And in his mind, he couldn't help but think that neither of them deserved something like that.
Not Tesia now.
And not Jess either, despite everything she had made him feel.
///
The afternoon passed faster than Jean expected.
Between articles, revisions, and a few ideas he finally managed to get down on paper, he barely noticed the hands of the clock creeping toward seven.
The office had gradually begun to quiet down.
The constant clicking of keyboards had become less frequent, conversations had faded, and the warm glow of the afternoon outside had slowly been replaced by the colder light of evening.
Jean saved a few documents.
He shut down his computer.
Then he leaned back in his chair and stretched both arms above his head.
“Finally…”
Juan was still working at his desk.
“You're leaving already?”
“Yeah. That's enough for today.”
Jean picked up his phone and began gathering his things.
Juan glanced at him.
“The Nordic beauty picking you up?”
Jean looked at him.
“Nordic beauty?”
“She gives me those vibes…”
“Yeah, yeah. The Nordic beauty is probably coming for me.”
That's actually not a bad nickname… Anything to make him forget that I called Tesia a ‘vampire.’
Although Juan had already completely forgotten about that.
Then Jean felt a vibration against his desk.
He picked up his phone and looked at the screen.
A message from Tesia.
Jean smiled automatically.
It was almost instinctive now.
But when he opened the conversation, that smile disappeared.
Tesia:
Jean…
A second later, another message appeared.
Tesia:
Help…
Jean stared at the screen.
His heart gave a small jump before dropping heavily back into place.
Something had happened.
He didn't know what, but he knew Tesia well enough by now to realize that this wasn't normal.
“Tesia?”
Juan looked up.
“What happened? You look as white as a sheet…”
Jean didn't answer.
He simply grabbed his phone and immediately called the vampire.
The phone rang.
Once.
Twice.
Three times.
Four.
Jean began pacing back and forth beside his desk.
The office suddenly felt much quieter than it had a moment ago.
“Come on, pick up…”
Finally, the call was answered.
“Tesia?”
There was no immediate response from the other end.
Jean frowned.
“Tesia, what's wrong? Are you okay?”
Then he heard her voice.
It was weak.
Shaky.
And for some reason, it sounded like she was on the verge of tears.
“Jean…”
“Yeah?”
A small silence followed.
“What do I do…?"