There was Jason, still skulking behind his team, so I handed my bag to Ava, pulled my hair back in a high pony, and threw down a challenge.

"Hey, Jason! Prove you're not all talk. Beat me in a one-on-one."

Before I could get my words out, his tall figure rushed up and clamped a hand over my mouth. His movements were so quick and forceful that my retractable fangs accidentally nicked him, drawing a bit of blood.

The cut wasn't serious—just a bead of blood.

But this poses a bigger problem for me. To blend in with humans, I've adopted their ways, living their lives, and eating their food.

Yet, lacking fresh blood causes me nutritional deficiencies.

I could survive on animal blood, but I'm an exceptionally finicky eater for a vampire. Most meats turn my stomach, so I've mostly stuck to a vegetarian diet.

Now this situation took a twisted turn—the big guy in front of me accidentally fed me a drop of his blood, and it awakened something primal in me. I felt an overwhelming urge, rising from the depths of my being, craving more blood.

And I couldn't resist. I fixed my gaze on Jason, pressing his hand still against my lips, desperately sipping more of his blood.

Jason froze, a deep blush spreading across his face, but his hand lingered.

That jolted me back to reality. What was I doing? This wasn't me! Can't let all my efforts go in vain!

I let go as if I'd touched fire, turned on my heel, and ran, leaving Jason and an audience of stunned onlookers in my wake.

In the following days, a new rumor spread around campus: Jason, the student council president, had supposedly led the basketball team to corner freshman Olivia, all just to hear her admit that he was good at what he did.

People who knew me kept asking what really happened, but I didn't have the patience to explain, so the rumors spiraled out of control.

The final version? Olivia was supposedly dumped by Jason and left crying on the basketball court.

In the past, I might have gone after every single rumor spreader to set things straight, but I had bigger fish to fry—I was desperate to hit up the local steakhouse for some blood-rare steak.

Arriving at the steakhouse, I was confronted with two plates of steak so rare they nearly brought tears to my eyes. I braced myself and grabbed a piece.

It tasted awful. As soon as I swallowed, a wave of nausea hit me. I clutched my mouth and fought hard to keep it down.

The steakhouse was sparsely populated that afternoon, but as luck would have it, Jason and his roommate were there too, dining at the same place.

This time, he didn't run. Instead, he came over, all awkward and blushing like a schoolboy with a crush.

His red face irritated me. "What's with you? You look like you're about to explode."

He opened his mouth to respond, but I didn't give him a chance. My stomach revolted, and I threw up all over him.

The world stopped. Everyone did too. I felt like I was sinking into the floor, utterly mortified.

It was a complete disaster. I had no idea what to do, so I just shut my eyes and passed out.

For real, I didn't fake it—I just blacked out from all the stress.

When I came to, I was in the infirmary, covered up and cared for.

"You up?" Jason was there, hovering with a worried look.

"Dreaming, so shush," I snapped, barely looking at him.

It seemed like Jason and I were just a recipe for disaster. Trouble brewed whenever he was around. Right on cue, Ava burst in, "Olivia, you pregnant or what?"

I was flabbergasted. Pregnant? As if! What kind of nonsense was she spouting?

"Why would you even say that?"

"Well, I heard about the vomiting and fainting, and how Jason carried you here..."

Just then, she noticed Jason. "Oh, the plot thickens. Look who's here too!"

Jason and I just froze, caught in the rapid spread of 5G-era gossip.

"So, you gonna explain yourself, Jason?"

Jason fiddled with his shirt hem, his voice tinged with regret. "I never expected things to spiral like this. Don't worry, I'll set the record straight soon. Focus on your recovery for now. The nurse mentioned your fainting was due to anemia and stressed that you should eat properly—don't skip meals trying to diet..."

Ridiculous. Even in my centuries of vampirism, I've never felt so dumbfounded.

I attempted to stand and escape this jinx, but dizziness overwhelmed me, and I nearly collapsed. Jason caught me in the nick of time.

Ava looked on, utterly amused by the drama unfolding.

"Seriously, Ava? This isn't a TV drama. Help me out here, or I'm really gonna hit the deck!"

I shot her a glare, then turned to Jason. "Forget explanations. Just... stay away from me! It's a disaster every time we meet!"

Once back in my dorm, I felt worse. Something had to change. I requested a few days off to consult with my grandfather—the elder vampire—on what to do next.

I grabbed a morning ticket to my village and by afternoon, I was standing at its gates.

This village is our vampire sanctuary, with few of us left around the globe.

The younger vamps, like me, blend into human society, thriving on animal blood, while the older ones retire here, away from the hustle.

Deep breath in, I stepped into the village.

No sooner had I entered than a shot put ball came hurling towards me. Weak as I was, my reflexes didn't fail me—I caught it mid-air.

It seems the elder vamps had adopted a new fitness regime—tossing shot puts at each other, much like humans playing catch with beanbags.

The last time I was here, they were into inverted running. These old-timers really know how to keep their spirits high.

As I walked, I greeted them warmly,

"Grandpa Mark, nailing the game as always!"

"Granny Anne, looking stunning today!"

"Uncle Leo and Aunt Naomi, still the power couple! Relationship goals right there!"

They all beamed at the praise; guess flattery works on vampires too.

I knocked on Grandpa Clive's door, which he opened to let me in. I spilled my guts about everything, and as his expression grew stern, I couldn't help but ask, "Grandpa Clive, is there any hope for me? I'm only 400 years young; I'm not ready to kick the bucket!"

He pondered for a moment before asking, "Is he good-looking?"

"What?" I was floored. Was this really the time?

I should have known these old folks never take things too seriously.

I grabbed a cushion from the couch and threw it at him playfully.

"Stop scaring me! Just tell me what to do. I can't handle even one drop of his blood like I used to human blood, and animal blood is off the table. If this keeps up, I might have to move back here and you don't want me waking you up with megaphone drills every morning, do you?"

Grandpa Clive winced at the thought, then chuckled sheepishly, "Oh come on, it's not a big deal! Just sip his blood now and then. You don't need much, and you can square things away with him afterwards."

"Are you listening to yourself?" I was tempted to crack his head open and see if everything was wired right. "What if he finds out I'm a vampire?"

Clive scratched his chin, suddenly serious. "Well, there's another way—kind of like tricking yourself. Just stick close to him, pretend you can enjoy the vibe. Think of your food as his blood. It's all about the placebo effect."

I stared at him, not amused.

"Look, kid, that's the best I can do. Remember the pact we made with humans? No hurting them. Surely there's some human food you enjoy. Try eating next to him, it might just trick your mind."

Reluctantly, I nodded. It seemed I had no better option. After bidding farewell to the village elders, I made my way back to campus.

I hadn't sought out Jason yet when his friend request popped up on my phone. That saved me the hassle.

[Olivia, I've given it some thought. This mess is my fault. If only I hadn't botched the game, you wouldn't have called me out, and we wouldn't be in this mess...]

I was bewildered. Was he for real? Had he taken a page out of a cheesy drama?

I was about to respond with [Are you crazy?]

But recalling Grandpa Clive's advice, I erased those words and typed instead: [Then make it up to me with dinner.]

His reply was swift and affirmative.

He chose a restaurant with a great vibe, turning heads as we walked in.

No denying it—Jason is a head-turner, and tonight he'd really cleaned up well.

What was he playing at? This wasn't a date.

Not that I'm usually one to swoon, but under different circumstances, his charm might have stirred even my cold, undead heart.

Right now, though, all I cared about was food. I was starving.

Sensing my impatience, he asked, "You that hungry?"

I gave him a sideways glance. "Starving... almost enough to drain you dry."

He turned away, his ears reddening—a sight that made him look even more appetizing.

Once the food was served, I realized something was off. Jason was sitting too far away across the table.

Why was my distraction sitting at arm's length? If the mountain won't come to Muhammad... I grabbed my utensils and moved right beside him.

Getting closer, I could almost taste the sweet scent wafting from his neck. Inhaling deeply, I began to eat, trying to convince myself of the illusion.

Grandpa Clive was onto something—it really did make a difference!

I ate voraciously, feeling better with every bite after days of barely managing to eat anything satisfying.

So engrossed was I in the meal that I didn't notice how close I'd gotten to Jason, nearly leaning against him.

He coughed slightly and shifted, creating a little space between us, and suddenly the food didn't taste as good. I grabbed the back of his head, pulling him closer.

"You said you were making amends, right? Just sit still and listen."

Jason complied, mostly watching me eat for the rest of the meal, his face turning the shade of a ripe tomato. He's strangely adorable when he blushes.

After dinner, he escorted me back to the dorms. All the way, I pondered how I could make such a lucky charm a fixture at my meals.

Inviting him out seemed like a good idea, but then I thought of my dwindling finances. I used to have a bit of money, back before we invested in the village for the elder vamps. Now, keeping a cute guy on the payroll seemed out of reach.

What a hassle.

As I let out my forty-seventh sigh of frustration, Jason finally broke his silence. "Olivia, what's wrong? Something on your mind?"

"Just figuring out how to keep you close..."

I hadn't finished my sentence when his phone rang. After a brief conversation, he ended the call, and then turned to me with a formal bow.

"I appreciate your sentiments, Olivia. I'll give it some thought."

And with that, he dashed off, leaving me baffled at the base of the dorm.

What was that all about? Did he misunderstand something? How does someone with such scrambled wiring ace his exams? I was puzzled yet oddly impressed.