Seoul Dragon - Chapter 36

In situations like this, I knew exactly how to act.

At times like these, staying quiet is the best approach.

That person would likely appreciate this silence.

Since I was also an introverted person before my mutation, I understood the behavioral patterns of introverts.

Being overly enthusiastic would be a negative.

Just slightly nonchalant, with a smile.

"Hello. I look forward to working with you."

The key point here is to convey that I'm not someone who makes them uncomfortable.

People like that prefer narrow but deep relationships rather than broad but shallow ones, so I shouldn't approach too hastily and raise their guard.

Just maintaining this level of distance for now.

"Ah, yes, yes... Um, that, you're a dragon, right?"

"Yes, that's right. I heard Yeonhwa is a Jinjho... Are there specific characteristics of a Jinjho?"

And I give them space to speak.

Above all, I should never mention anything about seeing posts on the community.

That's the biggest landmine of all. If I touch on that, this person won't talk to me at all.

Someone seeing what you anonymously wrote on a community?

That alone would make you want to hide in a mouse hole.

So I needed to be a good listener.

I should bring up topics that are comfortable for them to discuss, and listen to them enthusiastically.

As they gradually open up, it won't be long before they start talking excitedly.

Until then, patience is needed.

Back when I first entered university, I made various efforts to force myself to open up to people.

Knowing that it takes tremendous courage for an introvert to initiate conversation, I patiently waited for Yeonhwa to speak.

"Ji-Jinjho...? Jinjho is, just, a more powerful, kind of, vampire... you could say. Hehe..."

"Oh... that sounds amazing?"

"Heh, do-do you think so?"

"Yes. I heard from the Vice Director earlier that you can live in sunlight..."

"Th-that's true... but I don't like it. Of course, it's, a bit more difficult... I-I need to replenish my blood to be active during the day..."

"So even for a Jinjho, sunlight is still somewhat threatening."

"Yes. That's why I try not to go outside if possible..."

"But will you be okay working here? You'll have to be active during the day sometimes."

"St-still, most of the time I'll be inside the building... and the pay is good..."

"Ah."

Indeed, compensation is an important factor.

She seemed to be opening up a bit, as she slightly raised her gaze from the floor to look at me.

...With looks like that, staying cooped up at home—others would find it quite a waste.

"A-actually, I didn't really want to do this either, but they said they'd pay me and provide blood packs for free..."

"Oh, really? I heard earlier that you had to purchase them at a fair price..."

"That's true, but still, I can't afford to buy blood packs for every meal... I've been making do with cow or pig blood as a stopgap measure... but it's hard."

"I see..."

Suddenly, I became curious.

Perhaps my blood could help this poor vampire?

Honestly, considering my original size, I don't think I'd become anemic from donating just one blood pack.

"What did you do before becoming a mutant?"

At my question, Yeonhwa's head, which had been precariously raised to look at me, dropped back down to the floor.

"Th-that... Just, yes. I-I lived in my room... getting scolded by my mom. B-but now that I'm working with a government agency, my mom is happy... Hehe, I'm glad I mutated. I was living like an owl anyway..."

Ah, this is a landmine. Though the speaker herself didn't seem to think so.

No need to linger on this topic.

"I see. My situation also improved in many ways after mutating. Oh, by the way, what abilities do you have, Yeonhwa?"

"I, um, can transform into a bat... and I can control blood..."

"Blood?"

"Yes... I can control any living creature's blood. But, I've never tried it because I think it might kill people if used carelessly. It's a ve-very dangerous ability..."

Now I understand why the Vice Director called this person a saint-level personality.

To have such abilities and just stay shut in at home.

"A-and I can control vampires."

"What?"

"U-unlike Ch-Choi Sia the High Elf... since vampires as a species exist in a hierarchical relationship... as a Jinjho, I can control and manage lower vampires..."

At that moment, the Vice Director, who had been listening, interrupted.

"Actually, that's why there haven't been any vampire-related crimes in Korea."

"Oh, really?"

"Yes. Overseas, vampires are the most avoided type of mutant, right? But in Korea, there hasn't been a single incident caused by vampires."

"Could it be..."

"Yes. It's all thanks to Yeonhwa here. She firmly instructed all the vampires in Korea not to cause trouble."

"He-hehe..."

Yeonhwa scratched the back of her head in embarrassment. Even that awkward gesture had a charm that caught one's attention. Typical vampire.

Jin-ha would really like her if she saw her later.

"Oh, have you met Jin-ha by any chance?"

"I did introduce them before, but..."

"Eeeek! J-Jin-ha is sc-scary...!"

"What?"

Jin-ha is scary? Why?

It was puzzling to see someone with abilities that could overpower most mutants react this way.

"That overwhelming, oh, overwhelming aura of a social butterfly...! A-a loner like me would burn up just approaching her...!"

"As you can see, this is her reaction... Though the clothes Yeonhwa is wearing now were made by Jin-ha."

"Ah, haha... But there's something I'm curious about, Yeonhwa."

"Y-yes?"

"Would you like to try dragon blood?"

"D-dragon blood...?"

"You seem to be having difficulties with blood supply. But because of my original body size, I think I'd be fine even if some of my blood was drawn..."

"Oh, would you be willing to donate blood then? There happens to be a blood donation center nearby. If Seohyun's blood makes your activities easier, that would be beneficial in many ways. After all, blood packs are quite a rare resource since not many people donate."

"Let's give it a try, then."

With that, I headed to the blood donation center.

"Huh? Why is this..."

There was a minor issue with the needle not piercing my skin, but when I relaxed my body and allowed the metal to enter, the needle slid in smoothly as if nothing had happened.

It's truly fascinating, even though it's my own body.

It reminded me of those scenes in martial arts novels where a master of invulnerability can't receive surgery.

Anyway, after that small incident, I obtained a processed blood pack from the donation center and handed it to Yeonhwa.

"He-hehe, bl-blood..."

"Is blood that delicious?"

"Yes, yes. To me, it's a taste incomparable to any delicacy in the world... Even pig blood, which has the worst taste, feels more delicious than any food I ate as a human."

"I see..."

"So honestly, if I had one wish, it would be to drink blood to my heart's content... I-if this blood doesn't cause any problems..."

"Well, I think I could provide you with one pack every day. Judging by how I felt nothing after donating, it should be entirely possible."

"A-amazing...!"

Yeonhwa's expression was that of someone who had encountered a deity. Is it really that significant?

It seemed that obtaining blood packs had been harder than I thought.

From what I heard earlier, she didn't drink that much blood... but that too must have been her severely suppressing her desires.

How could a Jinjho's wish be simply to drink blood to her heart's content?

As the Vice Director said, it wasn't without reason that she was called the modern-day Virgin Mary.

It wasn't just because she was introverted; it seemed she had a fundamental mindset of not causing harm to others.

And that mindset was strong enough to suppress her instincts.

I didn't mind giving blood to someone like that.

Yeonhwa carefully held the blood pack containing my blood and inserted a straw. Where did she get that from?

Well, maybe she just carries it around.

She carefully put the straw in her mouth and took a sip of my blood.

"...!?"

In that moment, her eyes widened, and her body froze. Is there a problem...? Did she faint?

"Um, Yeonhwa? Are you okay...?"

Only after I asked did her body twitch. No, it wasn't just a twitch.

Drip.

"Huh?"

Yeonhwa was crying. What's going on? Does it taste that bad?

But that concern was unfounded.

"H-how can this taste...!"

Because what burst from her lips was an exclamation of overwhelming joy.

"It's so delicious! I could eat this my whole life...! No, and my body feels so energized! Usually during the day I feel weak and my condition isn't that good, but now I feel as vigorous as at night...!"

"Th-that's good. I thought for a moment something had gone wrong."

"S-Seohyun? You'll really give this to me every day...?"

"Yes. Since we'll be working at the same agency, and I'm the director, I think it's right to provide as much convenience as possible to the people working there. I was worried that my blood might have adverse effects on your body... but since there doesn't seem to be any issue, I'll provide you with a sufficient amount every day from now on."

"I'll work hard! Just tell me what to do!"

How delicious could my blood possibly be that someone who couldn't even look at me properly now had such sparkling eyes?

No, it didn't stop at just sparkling eyes.

Like a fanatical believer, she was looking at me.

...Seriously, what kind of taste was it?