Chapter 38: Kiss You, Bite You

Ethan just wanted to turn off the MV for 'Kiss you, Bite you'. He couldn't stand the music, the style, the vibe, or even the appearance of the five members of Crimson Veil.

But then again, Crimson Veil was an idol group specifically created to attract female audiences aged 14 to 19. Clearly, seventeen-year-old boys like Ethan were definitely not their target audience.

Ethan's face started to scrunch up like a monkey, displaying absolute disgust just from watching the beginning of the MV.

(Come on, learn that vibe! There's 50 HP waiting for you!)

Ethan's rational mind screamed at him - it even instructed his stomach not to twist and act as if it was about to vomit.

Once his body stabilized, Ethan forced himself to focus back on the 'Kiss you, Bite you' MV.

Hmm, the five singers of Crimson Veil looked about his age, or maybe just a few years older.

Their looks reminded Ethan of the delicate, ethereal handsomeness of that kid, Felix Hoang.

All the members' faces were heavily made up, with contact lenses, blushed cheeks, and lips painted with lipstick. They all looked almost identical, and Ethan could only distinguish them by their hair colors.

Overall, Crimson Veil's appearance was just too polished and unrealistically immaculate. It felt like these guys would never have to wash dishes, take out the trash, or clean up cat litter.

Were the girls at Harmony High really going crazy over this kind of guy?

What kind of guy would Autumn like, he wondered?

(Hmm, who cares.)

Ethan quickly steered his thoughts back to the music and content of the MV.

'Kiss you, Bite you' by Crimson Veil was a mix of Pop and R&B. The melody was catchy and easy to remember, easy enough to sing along with. The only problem was that the lyrics were impossible to understand.

It seemed like this mumbled singing style was a common feature of contemporary music worldwide. From East to West, across Asia and Europe, this style had dominated the music scene for years.

So if a Vietnamese boy band - already not singing clearly in Vietnamese - sang in English, which wasn't even their native language, how much more incomprehensible could it get?

Ethan had to search for the lyrics on Google because he couldn't make out what the five singers of Crimson Veil were singing about.

As for the MV…

The opening scene depicts a young girl - probably of high school age - being forced to become a stand-in bride for her pampered younger sister.

They really chose the actress well. The female lead in the MV is very cute. She isn't stunningly beautiful but styled in a way that's very relatable. That way, every female viewer watching the MV can easily imagine themselves as the main character.

The stand-in bride is taken to a bizarre church deep in the forest. There, she's forced to perform a wedding ceremony with a guy she's meeting for the first time.

The male lead, played by the platinum-haired singer with red contact lenses, seems to be the leader of Crimson Veil since he's given the most screen time in the MV.

Right after the ceremony is completed and they exchange rings, the bride discovers that the groom is a Vampire. She grabs her wedding dress and bolts straight from the eerie church into the depths of the forest.

At this point, the music finally kicks in, accompanied by eerie, howling winds.

(Kiss you, Bite you)

Do you know it?

You can't run away

Nor can you hide away

From my love to you

When the girl reaches the middle of the forest, a pack of wolves suddenly appears. This so-called "wolf pack" is actually played by a bunch of Husky dogs. Their expressions are so goofy and derpy that it's impossible to take them seriously as wolves.

Ethan couldn't help but burst out laughing at the scene where the pack of Huskies lunges at the girl. He laughed even harder when the MV showed the platinum-haired Vampire getting seriously injured while saving her.

Yes, seriously injured… by a pack of derpy Huskies!

Why didn't the producers just use CGI to transform the Huskies into proper wolves?

Or at the very least, they could have used Alaskan Malamutes to give them a bit more of that wolfish vibe.

The next scene shows the girl feeling sympathy for the injured Vampire and deciding to follow him back to his dark yet lavish castle.

(Kiss you, Bite you)

Do you like it?

You are my wine

And I am your fire

We are our destiny

The following scenes of the MV completely baffled Ethan.

Suddenly, out of nowhere, more Vampires show up trying to kidnap the girl. These guys are supposedly the main character's rival brothers, played by three other singers with hair colors of blonde, pastel pink, and light blue.

Hmm… Why do those three supporting characters look so oddly familiar?

And then, another guy shows up - presumably a Vampire Hunter, since he doesn't flash his fangs like the four Vampires do. This character is played by the last singer, with black hair and green contact lenses.

The Hunter and the Vampire are the primary rivals in this MV's love triangle, both fighting over the female lead. This gives the MV a few flashy battle scenes, mainly to let the five singers show off their physiques.

Overall, the 'Kiss you, Bite you' MV was clearly designed to cater to the fantasies of dreamy teenage girls: a handsome and wealthy male lead, forced marriage that turns into love, being locked up in a luxurious mansion, and having multiple guys fighting for her affection…

And so the MV goes, sometimes showing the storyline, sometimes switching to shots of the five singers each taking turns singing, and other times having them all dance together in the grand hall of the mansion. Ethan felt exhausted just watching it!

By now, Ethan finally understood why they didn't bother using CGI to turn the pack of Huskies into actual wolves.

The entire MV budget was probably blown on the outfits for the Crimson Veil members. Their costumes changed in almost every scene.

Sometimes, their attire was lavish, extravagant, and colorful, resembling aristocrats before the French Revolution.

Other times, they appeared dark and dangerous, like upper-class elites from the Victorian Gothic era.

(Kiss you, Bite you)

Do you want this?

The feeling…

When my lips kiss you

Then my fangs bite you

After countless scenes of kidnapping - rescuing - kidnapping again - and more rescuing, the female protagonist finally surrenders herself to the platinum-haired Vampire. She tilts her delicate, pale neck, offering it to him. He sinks his fangs deep into her flesh.

Her eyes gradually become glazed over.

Her face twists into a strange expression, both agonized and entranced…

Her body begins to tremble uncontrollably. After a moment, her hands go limp, falling loosely to her sides. Occasionally, her fingers would twitch slightly, signaling that she was still alive.

The chorus of 'Kiss you, Bite you' played one last time - grand and dramatic, haunting and mesmerizing.

And… the Bloodbound mark on Ethan's neck began to throb and pulse in sync with every beat of the music.

(Kiss you, Bite you)

Do you feel it?

My venom is flowing

Into your veins

Is it burning like Hell?

(Kiss you, Bite you)

Do you feel it?

A part of my soul

Bound to your soul

Together deep down in Hell?

The Vampire held his bride tightly, greedily sucking the warm blood from her veins. A crimson glint flashed in his eyes, making him look truly sinister. Ethan hoped it was just CGI effects.

Ethan instinctively touched his neck, where the Bloodbound mark kept throbbing since earlier. He no longer found the MV ridiculous or laughable. Having experienced being bitten by a Vampire, he now saw the scene with a different perspective - it felt disturbingly real, especially in the portrayal of the characters' emotions.

Or… maybe it was just because the female actress and the platinum-haired singer acted too well?

How strange!

But back to the main issue.

Did that mean Ethan would have to go up on stage and dance, prancing around in flamboyant, extravagant outfits like those guys from Crimson Veil?

Bang! Bang! Bang!

Suddenly, loud banging erupted from the door, nearly causing Ethan's heart to leap out of his chest.

Ethan glanced quickly at the clock.

It was already midnight.

Normally, neighbors in the mini apartment building almost never knocked on his door, especially not at such a late hour.

Could they have just knocked on the wrong door?

Ethan ignored the door, waiting for whoever it was to realize their mistake.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

The pounding continued, more hurried and desperate this time.

If they were knocking for this long and with such urgency, it probably wasn't a mistake.

Maybe when he was watching 'Kiss you, Bite you' earlier, he had laughed too loudly and disturbed the neighbors?

Ethan stood up and slowly walked towards the door.

Suddenly…

The Bloodbound mark on Ethan's neck began to throb violently, with a searing pain far worse than ever before.

It hurt even more than when the Femme Fatale group tried to approach him at school.