Year of the Werewolf

Red String

Being a werewolf is not easy for Sherry. It's not like she has anyone to tell her secret. But she noticed that ever since she turned into one, she can't seem to stick around in her place like before. She finds it better to remain outdoors and be with nature.

She finds herself going to the park more so that she can enjoy a little bit of nature. Instead of working indoors, she finds it better to do it under the tree or while sitting in the grass. Somehow, she was able to enjoy nature more now that she's a werewolf.

It's a must that she makes more money now since she doesn't find other food satisfying anymore. She always has to buy a few kilos of meat from the deli shop. But she discovered that it's better to buy straight from the butcher since it's fresher.

Most of the time, she feels disgusted whenever she thinks about how she's going to eat them. But when her hunger strikes, she can't think straight anymore. Most of her income is just going to her meat consumption. It is expensive now that she seems to turn into a carnivore.

Her online research about werewolves seems to be limited as well. It seems to all be based on the fiction of the work since nobody seems to experience being with a werewolf. There's no way a lone werewolf like her will reveal herself so the information posted is not that reliable.

She tried the local library but it seems that Koreans are more interested in the nine-tailed fox. But even if they happened to be real, she can't look for them since they happen to slay werewolves from the past. They protect humans like nature and werewolves don't have a good past since they eat humans according to folklore.

After her first full moon, she knows how she looks like a werewolf. She made sure to set up her camera to see if she's going to transform. It happened but she was still able to break out of her window. But the camera shows that her fur is reddish. She even admires her form before jumping out of the window.

The problem is, she can't remember anything when she's on that form. Maybe she should wear a camera next time so she can see where she goes. But maybe she shouldn't know about those moments. She will not accept it if she sees herself eating an animal or worse, another human.

Sherry looks at herself from the mirror. She's getting ready to go out tonight again. It seems that she only stays at home to sleep these days. If she's not out in the park to work, she's out to spend the night in a bar nearby. She can't seem to contain her energy inside her small place.

But tonight, she feels very excited to get out of the house. Maybe her werewolf sense is picking up something nice is about to happen. She looks one last time to her reflection and leaves her apartment. Maybe she needs to have a bigger place so she can have a backyard but she doesn't want to leave Seoul for now.

The bar is not packed since it's a weeknight. But she's not there to mingle around other people. It's just right for her so she can just be alone with her thoughts as she drinks. She's not worried that she will be transformed tonight. The next full moon will be in another week.

She sipped her red wine since it's the only drink that her system can accept. It's hard to pretend that nothing's wrong with her but she's trying her best to deal with it. She thought about going back to the Philippines but she's afraid to be discovered.

It's best to stick around Korea for now until she can make sure that her condition will remain a secret. She needs to find that werewolf who turns her into one. Maybe he knows how to reverse it or she can just take her revenge and kill that bastard who ruined her life!

She makes sure to use the bag that she used before. Maybe that werewolf will recognize her and approach her. It's impossible to find a werewolf in hiding. So she will just need to let him find her instead. She doesn't even know how to live this way and she can't go back to her old life until she finds him.

"Excuse me, miss! I think you dropped this."

She almost jumped from her seat to hear a man's voice. He's holding the bag to return to her. She took it from the guy right away and felt relieved. If she lost this bag, there's no way she can find that werewolf who did this to her.

"Thanks!" That's all she can say and turn her back to the guy.

She's sitting in front of the bar since she's alone. The guy took her seat beside her but she tried to ignore him. She's not in the mood to talk to anyone right now. What if she turned into a werewolf while they are together? She can't afford to be discovered before finding that werewolf first!

"I'm Youngho! I believe you're alone. Can I join you?" He asked.

"Sure, no problem!" She said even if she doesn't want to.

She realized that she can't be a snob, especially a Korean guy. She's not in her territory and she respects that. Maybe she just has to be straightforward to him in case he decided to hit on her.

"How long have you been here? I mean in Korea?" He asked.

"It's my third month!" She made sure her replies are short to stop encouraging him.

Youngho nodded and ordered a drink. Sherry noticed that he is fluent in English but didn't ask about it even if she's curious. It will make them talk more and end up being too familiar with each other. She sipped more wine.

The bartender opened a bottle of wine and poured it into her glass the moment she put it down. She wanted to refuse but Youngho looks like a generous type of guy. She didn't want to offend him so she smiled at him again.

"Thank you! You don't have to buy me a drink." She exclaimed.

"You're welcome! Well, I'm also alone so might as well just drink together." He replied and proposed a toast.

She never talked to anyone for a few weeks now and she's craving some human interaction. Sherry raised her glass to give Youngho's glass a toast. They drink their wines and she notices that he's an attractive guy. If only she's not a werewolf, she might end up dating him.

"By the way, my name is Sherry." She offered.

Finally, she said her name! Youngho thought and smiled at her. She looks like a nice girl and she's also attractive. It seems that he's not wrong about choosing her to be his mate after all! But she has no idea who exactly he is but he's planning to let her know in time.

For now, he needs to make sure that she will not be dating anyone. It will be a good idea to befriend her first to get her trust. He doesn't know her exactly and they have to get to know each other better. He saw her during the full moon and she's the most attractive luna that he has ever seen in his life.

Youngho took her hand to shake it and Sherry smiled with her gesture. She smiled and felt embarrassed. It's her first time talking to a Korean guy and she didn't even offer a handshake. This is unacceptable if it's an older person. At least Youngho seems to be good about it.

"I'm sorry, I think I have forgotten my manners. I don't usually go out and meet people." She apologized.

"That's alright! We're the same age so you don't have to be very formal with me." He laughed.

Sherry can't seem to stop herself but to admire him more. She loves the way he laughs and it's contagious. It's so sincere that it makes her feel emotional a little. She tried to get back to her senses and realized that Youngho is still holding her hand.

"Do you believe in the red string of fate?" He asked.

"I have no idea what you're talking about!" She replied and giggled.

"I'm asking because you have the same string attached to your pinkie just like mine." He responded.

"But I don't have a string tied to my pinkie. I guess you're drunk. You're already seeing things!" She said and took her hand back.

Youngho blushed because he almost forgot his agenda. Shery doesn't have to know that he knows that she's a werewolf. But how come they both have that red string tied up to their pinkie? It appears to him on that specific night when he found her. But he didn't know that she would also have it. The red string of fate seems to already have tied them up now.