The Girl They All Hunger For

Chapter 8 Humiliation

I lay flat on my bed, completely still. Peak “good kid” behavior.

The blackout curtains in the dorm were heavy. Almost no light got through.

The clock said 1 p.m. Outside, the sun was bright and warm.

My body clock—still not adjusted—kept urging me to go out, move, exist.

Meanwhile, my roommate, who had clearly adapted, was dead asleep. Snoring.

…Honestly, it felt like the one who had an emotional breakdown last night wasn’t even me.

The guy in the infirmary last night—his voice had been nice. His movements, gentle enough.

Just… what he said made zero sense.

Right after that line, I blacked out.

When I woke up, I was already back in my dorm bed.

But here’s the thing—

I didn’t forget anything.

Not a single bit.

Which meant… whatever Adrian was about to say probably involved some kind of secret about Elaris Academy.

Putting aside who that “perfume guy” with the nice voice actually was, I started thinking about why he said that.

“Forget everything here.”

…Rude much?

Like I’ve got superpowers or something. Ha.

My smile froze.

Drinking blood. Sharp fangs. Red eyes.

Night classes that avoid sunlight. Foreign noble family structures.

Fights with no injuries. People randomly saying I smell good.

All those weird details stacked together—

…That’s basically a vampire starter pack.

If I hadn’t consumed an unhealthy amount of random media growing up, I probably wouldn’t have connected it this fast.

But if something that only existed in novels and movies… actually exists in real life—

Then those blood bags…

…Are they like pre-packaged meals?

I slammed the brakes on that train of thought.

Okay. Focus.

Yeah, this is ridiculously surreal.

But when enough coincidences pile up, the absurd answer starts looking real.

…Which means Ring Guy might actually have powers.

I lifted my hand to rub my temples—then froze mid-air.

Last night.

My hand.

In Adrian’s mouth.

That wet, sticky feeling still lingered.

And those flushed, half-lidded eyes… soaked in something dangerously close to desire—

If Adrian really is a vampire…

Then what I did was basically shoving a drumstick into a starving dog’s mouth.

…

I sat up calmly.

Whoever brought me back clearly wasn’t kind enough to wash my hands for me.

I climbed off the bed and tiptoed into the bathroom to scrub them thoroughly.

My phone was still confiscated. I wouldn’t get it back until the weekend.

So no internet. No research.

And honestly? Even if I could look things up, a school like this would’ve covered its tracks long ago.

Calling the police? No evidence.

Best case, I get ignored. Worst case, I get locked up as insane.

Strangely…

I wasn’t scared.

If anything, there was a faint… excitement.

I’ve always been bold.

When we were kids, Ethan was afraid of the dark.

I was the one who protected him.

Every time he looked at me with that admiration… I felt proud.

Like I was a good sister.

…

Anyway.

Adrian being a vampire—still just a theory.

And since someone already tried to mess with my memory…

I’ll just pretend I know nothing.

Act normal. Go to class.

Simple.

I made a quick plan.

—

That night, I didn’t sleep at all.

Dark circles under my eyes, I checked the seating chart before class—just to confirm a name.

Theodore.

The last name? Way too long. Not worth remembering.

I walked into class, light on my feet—completely unaware of the disaster waiting for me.

First class.

Adrian wasn’t there.

Second class.

Still gone.

After the third class ended, I ignored all the stares, rushed out, and stopped the teacher.

“Excuse me—do you know where Adrian went?”

The teacher paused. Looked at me with something close to pity.

“…He broke the rules. Three days confinement. He’ll be back next week.”

Then he glanced nervously toward the classroom and walked off fast.

I stood there.

…

Great.

There are only two factions in this class.

And my side’s leader just got banned at the start of the game.

Now it’s just me, alone, facing a hostile boss with aggro already maxed out.

Love that.

—

Back in class, I ignored the malicious stares from the window side.

Didn’t give Theodore the panic reaction he clearly wanted.

But after fourth period, lunch, and heading back for a nap—

Yeah.

My mood dropped hard.

My roommate sat on her bed, crunching chips.

“I think… for the next three days, you should avoid Lord Theodore.”

I looked up. “You know much about him?”

She hesitated, then shared the common knowledge.

Karnstein family. Scepter House. Deep roots. Ridiculously rich.

Every word translated to:

If you mess with him, you’re screwed.

Just hearing that long name gave me a headache.

She leaned closer and whispered,

“If things get bad… maybe apologize?”

I thought about the way he looked at me yesterday.

Arrogant. Petty. The type who’d absolutely humiliate someone for fun.

Apologizing would probably just make it worse.

Best move?

Commit to the enemy route.

All the way.

“I don’t think Adrian can protect you…” she muttered.

Yeah.

A guy who opens his mouth the second you tell him to isn’t exactly leadership material.

But that’s exactly why I picked him.

Someone like Theodore? He’d think too much.

If he asked why I wanted to join Hunting Day, “curiosity” wouldn’t cut it.

…

Though if they really are vampires…

Hunting Day…

…Haha.

They’re not hunting humans, right?

…

Yeah, no.

Not thinking about that.

I pulled the blanket over myself and forced a nap.

—

From Wednesday night onward, things went exactly as expected.

My dynamic with Theodore became:

He chases. I run. I cannot escape.

The moment I saw him heading my way, I’d dive into the crowd and vanish.

Fast.

After a few failed attempts, he started blocking exits with his lackeys.

Didn’t matter.

I sat near the window.

So I just—

Climbed out.

The rest of the class?

Stunned.

At meal times, I stayed completely out of public view.

Outdoor classes? The second dismissal hit, I disappeared.

Like a ghost.

For two nights, I stayed safe.

—

Last class of the week.

The moon hung high in the sky.

I crouched in a tree, hidden among thick branches, watching three guys search below with miserable expressions.

I rested my chin on my hand.

Huh.

I thought vampires had a good sense of smell.

Are they really vampires?

Or is everything else coincidence… and Adrian just has some weird blood-drinking condition?

…

After tonight, it’s Saturday.

Once I’m off campus, I’ll have more places to hide.

No way Theodore follows me outside.

And if they are vampires—

Then sunlight should be a problem.

By Monday, Adrian will be back.

No more playing hide-and-seek.

Thank god.

This is exhausting.

—

I watched them leave, then dropped from the tree.

Stretched.

Avoided the crowd.

Headed toward the academic building.

—

Theodore would never admit he was getting frustrated.

But I was basically a human eel at this point.

Slippery. Untouchable.

He stood against a wall, arms crossed, lips pressed tight.

That pretty face? Stormy as hell.

Dark red eyes simmering.

No one dared approach him.

But everyone was watching.

They’d all expected me to get crushed on day one.

—

Vampires have sharp senses.

But Theodore? A pureblood noble.

No way he’d personally run around chasing someone like a fool.

Except—

His lackeys were useless.

Two days.

Not even a glimpse of my shadow.

Pathetic.

He’d already wasted too much time on me.

His temper snapped.

Teased by other purebloods—

He finally hit his breaking point.

He decided to do it himself.

Drain me dry.

Make me beg.

Then let me die in pain.

—

Someone suddenly pointed.

“Hey… isn’t that—”

Theodore looked up.

Saw it instantly.

My high ponytail. Swaying with my steps.

Light. Relaxed.

Completely at ease.

…

That human.

—

He didn’t wait for his lackeys.

Just followed.

—

Through a few buildings.

I didn’t look back.

But I sped up.

So did he.

I ran up to the second floor.

A long corridor.

No cover.

Railings on one side.

Locked labs on the other.

Nowhere to hide.

Footsteps echoed.

Just the two of us.

—

Theodore slowed down.

Confidence returning.

Like a predator who knew the hunt was over.

He sneered internally.

Stupid human. You think you can outrun a—

His thoughts cut off.

I stopped abruptly.

Looked left. Right.

Then—

Hands on the railing.

—

He knew that posture.

I’d done it all week.

—

“Again?!”

—

Too late.

I vaulted over.

Clean.

Fast.

—

He lunged.

Missed.

His fingers brushed my uniform.

Gone.

—

He rushed to the edge.

Looked down.

—

I landed lightly on the first floor.

Like a cat.

—

Didn’t leave.

Instead, I looked up.

Grinned at him under the moonlight.

“Hey, your highness… you kinda suck.”

—

Silence.

—

That was humiliation.

Pure. Undeniable.

From the start—

I’d been playing him.

—

Something snapped in his mind.

—

I turned to leave—

Then froze.

Nearly slipped.

Almost slammed into a pillar.

—

Wait.

What the hell?!

—

“Why are you crying?!”