OJTTEG-Chapter 40: Short Story - A Night of Vampires, Revivers, Investigators, and Officers (Part One)

On the night of the explosion.

Creak.

In the darkness, a door quietly opens a crack, letting a sliver of light spill out. Along with the light, a nimble figure slips inside, reminiscent of a small deer, though appearing quite drenched. Rainwater trickles down skin as smooth as cream, like droplets on a popsicle.

"Strange, where could Dad have gone? He’s not picking up his phone," An wonders, using a dry coat from the doorway to towel off her hair. The rough texture suggests it’s not her coat; it seems to be Ormond's.

Oh well, she thinks, she can always wash it for him later.

The explosion in the affluent district is classified as a mysterious incident, and officers are already out erasing memories. This place will likely be searched soon too.

But that's secondary. The real issue is, where is he?

All the lights in the house are off, so it’s unlikely he’s home. She had been so worried about his safety, and now he might be off somewhere having a good time. Could he really come back with a stepmother for her?

Why does this coat feel so cold? It seems damp already.

Click.

With a sense of foreboding, An hesitantly switches on the light.

She freezes.

A tired yet handsome man stands nearby, looking at her with a teasing smile. He’s hanging a blue shirt on the coat rack, and the coat in her hand must be the one he hung up earlier. Ormond is cradling a cat in one arm.

It’s clear he returned without turning on the lights, choosing instead to pet the cat at the entrance, then remove his coat, and using it to wipe dry his hair.

Wait, when did you get back? And why are you sitting here in the dark petting a cat?

"You’re alright?" An breathes a sigh of relief.

"Of course I’m fine, but you, my dear," he says gently, "are about to be in trouble."

"Huh?" An sheepishly hangs the coat back on the rack, looking like a well-behaved child. "I’m sorry, I’ll clean it for you."

"Let's not rush to that. We need to follow the proper steps. Let's start with the first question."

Ormond smiles warmly at her, then opens his eyes, still gently stroking the cat.

"An, where have you been?"

"You have the ability to become a vampire, so I don’t think someone could bully you..."

"Uh-huh..."

I have a bad feeling about this, An thinks, shrinking back a little.

"Now please tell me, why are your clothes so tattered? And don’t tell me you just went out for a bit and came back like this."

Shifting from his usual gentle fatherly image, Ormond speaks sternly, "And there’s also the matter of you trying to hint at me."

"Ugh..."

"I think we need to have a serious talk."

Oh no! What should I say?

Should I mention going out and fighting Haunter? That I almost died once? Well, Haunter did die once, and then I ran into that three-meter-tall killer. Can I even talk about these things?

And how did he know I tried to hint at him? It must have been Uncle Johnny who told him! It's all his fault!

And there's another problem—what should I do about Haunter?

An suddenly feels her head spinning with all these thoughts. Ormond notices his daughter’s flustered and helpless expression.

"Go change your clothes first," Ormond says, his expression softening as he turns off the light. "Then take a shower. We need to have a good talk."

"Huh?"

Clothes? Oh right, my clothes are torn. I was so focused on Ormond that I didn’t notice. But why did he turn off the light? Could it be...?

An glances down, using the dim moonlight to see that her pants are mostly shredded, especially the left leg, likely torn by debris. It’s almost like she’s wearing half a pair of pants.

Her face heats up with embarrassment, and she quickly covers it with her hands. If that’s the case, wasn’t I seen like this earlier? And I just ran back home like this?

There’s only one solution now, An thinks, gritting her teeth. Eliminate everyone! Gouge out their eyes! I’ll explode with them!

She struggles to suppress this dangerous thought. Why do I feel like my thinking is aligning with Haunter’s? This isn’t a good sign. It must be from studying him too much, causing a slight shift in my own mindset.

"Didn't you notice?" Ormond, being a father, couldn't help but point out to his daughter, "Your underwear is showing."

"I know! You don’t have to mention it again!" An covers her face, feeling like an ostrich trying to bury its head.

"And it's not your face you should be covering, but your pants."

"Shut up!" An retorts, shuffling awkwardly toward her room, her voice tinged with frustration. "You're so blunt, that's why you have no friends!"

Ormond shrugs at her words and moves towards the door. "This kid is really flustered."

Just as he’s about to turn the light back on, he hears a noise at the door, like someone is picking the lock. But why so stealthy?

Ormond releases his grip on the light switch, puzzled and murmuring to himself, "Could it also be that there's an other accident?"