Till Death do we Part
Title: Till Death do we Part
Chapter: 8/?
Pairings: KiHae (Main), KyuMin, YeWook, KangTeuk
Rating: PG-16
Warning: Character Death
Summary: The one thing Lee DongHae hadn't expected to happen that Sunday morning was to die. But that is exactly what happened, and now because of a 'lingering regret', he can't pass on fully. What regret is this? A long-suffering crush on a boy who didn't even know he existed; Kim KiBum. So he is given one week on earth as a ghost to fulfill this regret... Or heaven might not even be an option for him anymore. But with KiBum the only one who can see him, and an experienced ghost hunter on his tail, can he even make the deadline?
A/N: This chapter explains alot... And adds some new questions XP *is shot*
Trailer || Chapter One || Chapter Two || Chapter Three || Chapter Four || Chapter Five || Chapter Six || Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight:
“LeeTeuk… JungSu… You can open your eyes now.”
LeeTeuk slowly opened his eyes, looking around him. He was in a completely white room, but the lack of color wasn’t blinding, but soothing. He breathed a sigh of relief, shaking his head a little to clear it. He was back in Heaven. He could still feel his heart thumping in his chest, like it was trying to come right out of him. That had been close. He hadn’t been eager to find out of it was possible for a Spirit Guide to be sent to the void.
He looked up at the person kneeling in front of him. A tired smile spread on his lips. “JaeJoong ah… Thanks,” He said. The male with the flawless face of a porcelain doll smiled back at him. “No worries. You didn’t think we were just going to leave you there, were you?”
“I was hoping not,” LeeTeuk sighed. “But how did you know to find me?”
“ChangMin was looking through the windows, and saw you were in trouble. He summoned me to bring you back home.” LeeTeuk looked up, seeing said Spirit Guide leaned against the door. ChangMin waved at him, smiling. ChangMin was the most recent addition to their numbers; he had died only a few years ago, at the hands of a ghost-turned-poltergeist. He was a good kid though, and smart, which explained why he had been able to rise in the ranks so quickly.
“Thanks,” LeeTeuk said again. “Don’t mention it,” ChangMin said with a soft laugh, walking out of the room and out of sight. LeeTeuk stood up, and followed JaeJoong out of the room as well. “I actually had a question I needed to ask you,” He said, catching up to walk beside the other Spirit Guide. Though he was physically older than JaeJoong, the other had been around much longer than he had. There was a rumor going around among the ‘Angels’ that JaeJoong had been one of the First, created by God himself. There were two ways to become an Angel; you died and went to Heaven, and went up along the ranks like ChangMin had… Or you were Created. Most of the First Angels had died out, in a battle between Heaven and Hell a few years ago. The surviving Firsts became members of the Elite Guard, YunHo being their leader. No one was sure whether JaeJoong was a member of the Elite or not; it was unofficially known that he was one of the strongest and wisest Angels here, but officially he didn’t attend any of the ceremonies as an Elite, but as a regular Spirit Guide. It was a mystery none of them seemed able to puzzle out.
“Ask away,” JaeJoong said absently, as they walked through the hallways, passing by Windows that showed scenes from different areas of Earth. It was through one of these that ChangMin had seem LeeTeuk in danger.
“While on Earth, I encountered a family of humans that were able to see me and my ghost DongHae. Not just see, but hear and make contact with us. The eldest brother could even see my aura, very clearly. Do you know how this could be? All the Entities were supposed to have died out a millennia ago.”
“They did.” Entities were the names the supernatural gave to the humans with the unique ability to make contact with them as if they were human themselves. JaeJoong smiled faintly. “There seems to have been a hidden strain of the gene that had survived through the years, and only showing itself now. I have a good idea of who you are talking about JungSu.”
“What should we do about them?”
“Nothing. They possess a very powerful and unique gift. Mankind is in need of guidance. In the end, this gift may be the very thing that could save them.”
“Save them? From what?”
LeeTeuk looked confusedly at JaeJoong, who simply smiled. What did he know that no one else did?
*****
“Are you sure it’s okay to follow me around school like this?” KiBum murmured under his breath as he walked down the hallway. DongHae smiled innocently. “Why not? No one else can see me.” Except for KyuHyun and KangIn, of course. LeeTeuk was still nowhere to be found. DognHae had stayed up late last night talking with KiBum, then jumping through the wall when someone else came into the room to check on him. He had told KiBum everything he knew about his situation… Except for KyuHyun, that is. He didn’t want KiBum to worry about him.
“Yes, but it’s hard not to make it obvious that I’m talking to you,” KiBum pointed out, not looking at him but flipping through his books with one hand.
“You’re going a great job!”
“What are you talking about? The librarian already thinks I’m senile.”
“The librarian’s got a few loose screws herself.”
KiBum chuckled softly, earning a few looks from people nearby.
“Oppa… Excuse me…” A girl came up to KiBum. He stopped, looking at her. It was SooYoung, from his class. “Um… I was kind of stuck on the homework the teacher gave out last class…” She said nervously. “I was wondering if you could help me? You’re very smart…”
KiBum looked surprised, but then nodded. “Alright. What did you need help with?”
“The equations… I didn’t really understand them…”
“Alright, well we’re on break now, so let’s go to the library?”
DongHae followed along behind them. He couldn’t help but feel a bit jealous of the girl. KiBummie was straight. Did she like him? Did he like her? It was sort of unreasonable to assume that right away, but still…
They got into the library, and took a seat near the back where there weren’t any other students. DongHae settled down in the chair between them, then fell right through with a yelp. KiBum’s lips twitched as he tried not to laugh, pulling out the Math book so he could help SooYoung.
DongHae sighed to himself, watching unhappily as SooYoung leaned forward, KiBum explaining to her quietly the problems they had been assigned last class. He felt a surge of jealousy again. She was too close to him for the ghosts liking. Much too close. Their faces were too close. Did she want to kiss him?
No, get a grip. She was leaning in because she wanted to better understand the problem. It was completely innocent. But… But… They were still too close! All it took was for her to look up and lean forward, and, and…
Was she looking up?
There was a thud behind them. KiBum looked up, to see a book lying on the ground. He frowned. That was odd. He glanced over at DongHae. The ghost looked pained for some reason. Well, he couldn’t exactly ask now. He turned back to SooYoung, who was looking at him expectantly.
A few minutes into it, another book fell off the shelves. SooYoung noticed too this time, looking spooked when they noticed there was no one nearby who could have knocked it off. “Oppa?” She whispered, eyes wide as she placed her hand on his shoulder. “What was that?” KiBum shook his head. DongHae stared at the hand on KiBum’s shoulder. He couldn’t hear past the roaring in his ears.
There was a deafening crack, and the chair she had been sitting on broke. SooYoung fell with a yelp, gasping in pain as the broken wood scraped across her arm, leaving an angry red mark. “SooYoung!” KiBum exclaimd, getting up and helping her to her feet. “W-what happened?” She stammered, as people came to see what was going on. KiBum looked around at all the books that had fallen off their shelves, then around at the other people. It was then that he noticed DongHae had disappeared.
*****
KangIn lay on the school roof, staring up at the clouds drifting by overhead. The events from yesterday ran through his head over and over. Mostly, LeeTeuk disappearing right in front of him.
His aura… It reminded him so much of the other time he had seen someone like that. He must have been ten at the time. KangIn remembered running out of the house angry at his parents, because it had always been KiBum this, KiBum that. Oh, KiBum’s a child genius! And what about YoungWoon? So what if he was the eldest? He wasn’t as smart as KiBum. He didn’t study obediently for hours. He didn’t ace tests. It was then, out in the rain, where he’d met the person he was sure to this day had been a real Angel.
***FLASH BACK***
It was starting to rain. Yet YoungWoon didn’t really care, letting the droplets land on him and soaking his short black hair and brown sweater. He finally stopped running, breathing hard and fast as he looked around him. Everything looked strange and alien. Where was he? He didn’t recognize anything, and that scared him. Just how far had he ran?
His parents had scolded him again for a lousy test mark. It wasn’t his fault! The material just didn’t stick as easily as it did for his baby brother. Only seven, and already the smartest in his grade. YoungWoon hated how KiBum could act like an adult long before his time, and be praised for giving up his childhood so easily, while YoungWoon did what every other boy his age did, and got cold shoulders and distant remarks. He hated his brother. He hated his parents. He hated his family.
Walking back down the way he had came, trying to find a street sign or something to tell him where he was, he tripped over the uneven pavement and fell, hissing a little as he scraped his legs on the unforgiving ground. Tears prickled at the back of his eyes, but he didn’t let them fall. The sky was crying for him, so he didn’t need to.
“Are you alright?” Came a soft voice. YoungWoon looked up, to see a hand in front of his face, skin pearly white and glowing in the darkness. Looking farther up, he saw a young adult, a male with a feminine face and perfect, fragile features.
Hesitating, he reached up and took the offered hand, and was pulled up to his feet. The mans skin felt a bit cold, but wasn’t wet from the rain YoungWoon was drenched in. Looking up at the man who smiled at him kindly, he noticed the other wasn’t wet at all. The rain didn’t seem to touch him, going right through his body even as YoungWoon clung to his hand, solid in his own.
“Are you lost?” The man asked. YoungWoon shook his head, even as a kid not willing to admit that he needed help. The other laughed, a sweet, bell-like sound that echoed in YoungWoon’s ears. It was then he noticed something else about the man, even stranger than the fact he was dry. He was glowing. It was gentle, but as soon as YoungWoon noticed it, it seemed to be the only thing he could see, the white light nearly blinding as it grew, and he had to release the mans hand and cover his eyes.
“You’re a sensitive one…” The man murmured, placing his hand lightly on YoungWoon’s head. “Open your eyes, it’s okay.” Slowly, the young boy opened his eyes again. The blinding light was gone, back to a steady glow. “If you don’t concentrate on it so much, it’s easier to bear…”
YoungWoon looked up at the mans face. “Why are you glowing?” He asked.
That kind smile widened. “Let’s walk back to your home, and I’ll tell you on the way, alright?” YoungWoon nodded, and when the man held out his hand again, YoungWoon took it, walking along beside him.
“Little one, is this the first time you’ve seen someone glow?” YoungWoon nodded, looking up at him, though he frowned at being called little.
“You’ve got a very special gift Kim YoungWoon… Your whole family has it. You’ve got the ability to see things other people cannot, many things. Normal people can’t see me, nor hold my hand like you are. To them, I don’t exist.”
“Are you a ghost?” YoungWoon asked, eyes wide.
“No. But you’re on the right track. Your family is very special, one of a kind. And that makes you, extra special.”
“I’m not special,” YoungWoon muttered darkly. “Umma and Appa say KiBum’s ten times better at stuff than me. And he’s younger than me.”
The man stopped, kneeling down in front of YoungWoon and placing his hands on the boys shoulders. “It is true, your brother is special… But you are special in a different way, YoungWoon.” He brushed his fingertips along the corners of YoungWoon’s eyes. “He may see what cannot be seen by normal people, but you, little one, can see things that are invisible even to him. He cannot see the glow. But you can, quite clearly. There are many more things that you can see, that will show itself to you when the time is right.”
YoungWoon looked at him, entranced by his gentle, song-like voice. “So I am special too?” The question was almost a whisper, almost too much to believe.
“Very special. You have the power to guide them, YoungWoon, when they’re surrounded by darkness and only you can see the thread of light to safety. When that time comes, little one, KiBum will need your help more than ever.”
YoungWoon smiled. The man stood. “Be strong, YoungWoon.” He held out his hand to YoungWoon, a white feather in his palm. “Take this. You don’t have to ace every test in history to be special.” YoungWoon took the feather. “What’s your name, sir?” He asked, looking up.
“For now… YoungWoong,” He said, smiling.
YoungWoon grinned. “That’s like my name!” The man laughed again. “Yes, it is.” He turned YoungWoon back around, and the boy saw they were in front of his house. “Now go, and don’t forget what I told you,” The man whispered to him, pushing him forward lightly. YoungWoon walked up the steps to his house, reaching out to take the doorknob. When he looked back, the man was gone, the only sign of his passing a white feather on the pavement, which was blown away by the wind.
***FLASH BACK END***
KangIn closed his eyes, letting the wind blow through his hair. He had finally seen someone else besides YoungWoong who glowed. LeeTeuk… Even the boy, DongHae, there had been something about him that was a bit off, just a feeling, like he glowed too but KangIn hadn’t looked hard enough to see it. Next time he saw DongHae, he was going to look harder.
Opening his eyes, he held up the white feather in front of him, twirling it between his fingers as he admired how flawless and pure it looked even after all those years. The feather of an Angel. He wondered if he would see YoungWoong again.
He hadn’t thought about his words for the longest time, but now that all this was happening they were all coming back to him. How KangIn could see things others couldn’t… And how KiBum would need his help one day. But if KiBum could see the Angels too, what would he possibly need from KangIn?
If only he could talk to YoungWoong again…
*****
He’d broken that chair. He was sure of it. But how? He hadn’t physically touched the chair, wasn’t anywhere near it. What had happened?
DongHae sniffed a little, sitting outside under a tree. He felt horrible. And scared. Making the books fall had been bad enough. Making the chair break had been bad enough. But… In those split seconds before the chair had broken, he had wanted… He had wanted to hurt her. To cause her pain. To make sure she never, ever came near KiBummie ever again. But she hadn’t done anything other than ask for help. And he had wanted to hurt her!
What was happening to him?
“LeeTeuk…” He whimpered, burying his face in his knees. He’d never wanted to hurt anyone before. It just wasn’t in his nature. He’d seen girls ask KiBum for help before, when he’d been alive. Never had he wanted to hurt any of them.
“Hae? What’s up?” LeeTeuk appeared beside him, looking rather distracted. But his attention completely focused on his charge when he saw what state DongHae was in. “Hae?” He crouched down beside him, concerned. “What happened?”
“I-I hurt her…”
LeeTeuk froze. “What?”
“I d-don’t know what happened… She was just a-asking KiBummie for help, and, and I got so mad… And books were falling, and her chair broke…” DongHae sniffed, tears filling his eyes. “LeeTeuk, what’s happening to me? I n-never would have done that… Never…”
LeeTeuk was silent, stroking DongHae’s hair soothingly. “It’s alright, Hae…” He said softly. “I’ll find out what’s going on, okay?” DongHae nodded, trembling. LeeTeuk closed his eyes, and said firmly, “Shim ChangMin, I know you’re watching, get your butt down here pronto.”
“Yes sir,” Sighed a new voice. DongHae jumped, looking up at the man who had appeared out of nowhere. ChangMin was around his age… The new arrival smiled at him, then looked at LeeTeuk.
“Don’t look at me like you don’t know what we were talking about. Take a look at him, and tell me how much time he has left.”
ChangMin nodded, sitting down in front of DongHae and looked straight at him. DongHae squirmed slightly, looking away. “It’s okay Hae. Look t him,” LeeTeuk said, voice soothing. DongHae shivered, then returned the others gaze.
At first, nothing happened. Just when he was about to ask what the point of this was, Hae felt a bubble of anger inside him, like before. ChangMin continued to hold his gaze, doing nothing else, but the effect was like poking him with a stick. The anger slowly rose, the wind picking up around them at the same time. Stilll, DongHae looked right into ChangMin’s eyes, where he could see his own reflection.
Suddenly, DongHae’s eyes flashed red, and there was a deafening crack from overhead, as a branch from the tree thudded into the ground beside him.
“Enough!” LeeTeuk said, covering DongHae’s eyes. Instantly the anger faded, the wind returning to normal. DongHae started to shake again, scared silly by the reflection of himself in ChangMin’s eyes. He had seen his own eyes turn red, demonic red, and he had to bite his lip to keep from crying again. He let LeeTeuk pull him into his lap, shivering.
“Three days,” ChangMin said, shaking his head. “Give or take. So Saturday’s the limit for him, LeeTeuk.”
“Alright,” LeeTeuk sighed. “I was planning for him to pass judgement on Saturday midnight anyways, so that’s a relief.”
“What is he talking about?” DongHae asked, looking up at LeeTeuk. “What’s happening?” He recalled what LeeTeuk told him on Sunday, when they first met.
“A week only? Why not longer?”
“It’s the rules. There’s a reason for it, but you don’t need to concern yourself with all the technical issues now. It’ll only make you even more depressed.”
“LeeTeuk, what happens to me if I stay longer than a week?”
*****
“I’m sorry I didn’t come more often,” KyuHyun murmured. “My family left for China, and I only got back a few days ago. Things have been rather busy since.”
There was no reply. Not that he had expected one.
“I met a boy named SungMin. You would have liked him. A bit too much pink for your tastes, but he’s got a great personality. Is it strange to fall for someone you just met, hyung? I used to think so… But… I don’t know. It feels right.”
He sighed a little, looking up at the tombstone, standing silently in front of him. “It’s already been… Four years, right hyung? Three since the last time I visited you. I brought Mandu, you liked it so much…” He looked at the bowl he’d placed in front of tombstone. “I wonder if you get Mandu in heaven? For your sake I hope you do…”
He closed his eyes again. “I hope you can hear me… And I wish there was a way I could see you again,” He said softly, bowing his head. “It’s been hard, hyung. I had a boyfriend in China, but he was a necromancer… You know how well ghost hunters and necromancer’s get along. We broke up shortly before I came back.” His lips twitched slightly. “I think that he was ticked that every zombie he managed to bring up, I sent right back where it came from.
“I think there are ghosts here, hyung. Two of them. I don’t know how long they’ve been here, and I can’t take any chance with them. You know first-hand how they get after the first week is up.” He opened his eyes again, looking up at the tombstone.
“I promise you I’ll get rid of them. I think I’m in love with SungMin… No, I know I’m in love with him. I don’t want him to be hurt. I don’t want him to die like you did. It was my fault. I shouldn’t have hesitated. You had nothing to do with us, you couldn’t even sense the spirits, and he killed you. I don’t want SungMin to die too. So this time, I won’t hesitate.”
He placed one hand on the cold stone. “I won’t lose someone precious to me again,” he whispered. His fingers traced over the name written on the stone, engraved forever.
In memory of Shim ChangMin
Chapter: 8/?
Pairings: KiHae (Main), KyuMin, YeWook, KangTeuk
Rating: PG-16
Warning: Character Death
Summary: The one thing Lee DongHae hadn't expected to happen that Sunday morning was to die. But that is exactly what happened, and now because of a 'lingering regret', he can't pass on fully. What regret is this? A long-suffering crush on a boy who didn't even know he existed; Kim KiBum. So he is given one week on earth as a ghost to fulfill this regret... Or heaven might not even be an option for him anymore. But with KiBum the only one who can see him, and an experienced ghost hunter on his tail, can he even make the deadline?
A/N: This chapter explains alot... And adds some new questions XP *is shot*
Trailer || Chapter One || Chapter Two || Chapter Three || Chapter Four || Chapter Five || Chapter Six || Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight:
“LeeTeuk… JungSu… You can open your eyes now.”
LeeTeuk slowly opened his eyes, looking around him. He was in a completely white room, but the lack of color wasn’t blinding, but soothing. He breathed a sigh of relief, shaking his head a little to clear it. He was back in Heaven. He could still feel his heart thumping in his chest, like it was trying to come right out of him. That had been close. He hadn’t been eager to find out of it was possible for a Spirit Guide to be sent to the void.
He looked up at the person kneeling in front of him. A tired smile spread on his lips. “JaeJoong ah… Thanks,” He said. The male with the flawless face of a porcelain doll smiled back at him. “No worries. You didn’t think we were just going to leave you there, were you?”
“I was hoping not,” LeeTeuk sighed. “But how did you know to find me?”
“ChangMin was looking through the windows, and saw you were in trouble. He summoned me to bring you back home.” LeeTeuk looked up, seeing said Spirit Guide leaned against the door. ChangMin waved at him, smiling. ChangMin was the most recent addition to their numbers; he had died only a few years ago, at the hands of a ghost-turned-poltergeist. He was a good kid though, and smart, which explained why he had been able to rise in the ranks so quickly.
“Thanks,” LeeTeuk said again. “Don’t mention it,” ChangMin said with a soft laugh, walking out of the room and out of sight. LeeTeuk stood up, and followed JaeJoong out of the room as well. “I actually had a question I needed to ask you,” He said, catching up to walk beside the other Spirit Guide. Though he was physically older than JaeJoong, the other had been around much longer than he had. There was a rumor going around among the ‘Angels’ that JaeJoong had been one of the First, created by God himself. There were two ways to become an Angel; you died and went to Heaven, and went up along the ranks like ChangMin had… Or you were Created. Most of the First Angels had died out, in a battle between Heaven and Hell a few years ago. The surviving Firsts became members of the Elite Guard, YunHo being their leader. No one was sure whether JaeJoong was a member of the Elite or not; it was unofficially known that he was one of the strongest and wisest Angels here, but officially he didn’t attend any of the ceremonies as an Elite, but as a regular Spirit Guide. It was a mystery none of them seemed able to puzzle out.
“Ask away,” JaeJoong said absently, as they walked through the hallways, passing by Windows that showed scenes from different areas of Earth. It was through one of these that ChangMin had seem LeeTeuk in danger.
“While on Earth, I encountered a family of humans that were able to see me and my ghost DongHae. Not just see, but hear and make contact with us. The eldest brother could even see my aura, very clearly. Do you know how this could be? All the Entities were supposed to have died out a millennia ago.”
“They did.” Entities were the names the supernatural gave to the humans with the unique ability to make contact with them as if they were human themselves. JaeJoong smiled faintly. “There seems to have been a hidden strain of the gene that had survived through the years, and only showing itself now. I have a good idea of who you are talking about JungSu.”
“What should we do about them?”
“Nothing. They possess a very powerful and unique gift. Mankind is in need of guidance. In the end, this gift may be the very thing that could save them.”
“Save them? From what?”
LeeTeuk looked confusedly at JaeJoong, who simply smiled. What did he know that no one else did?
*****
“Are you sure it’s okay to follow me around school like this?” KiBum murmured under his breath as he walked down the hallway. DongHae smiled innocently. “Why not? No one else can see me.” Except for KyuHyun and KangIn, of course. LeeTeuk was still nowhere to be found. DognHae had stayed up late last night talking with KiBum, then jumping through the wall when someone else came into the room to check on him. He had told KiBum everything he knew about his situation… Except for KyuHyun, that is. He didn’t want KiBum to worry about him.
“Yes, but it’s hard not to make it obvious that I’m talking to you,” KiBum pointed out, not looking at him but flipping through his books with one hand.
“You’re going a great job!”
“What are you talking about? The librarian already thinks I’m senile.”
“The librarian’s got a few loose screws herself.”
KiBum chuckled softly, earning a few looks from people nearby.
“Oppa… Excuse me…” A girl came up to KiBum. He stopped, looking at her. It was SooYoung, from his class. “Um… I was kind of stuck on the homework the teacher gave out last class…” She said nervously. “I was wondering if you could help me? You’re very smart…”
KiBum looked surprised, but then nodded. “Alright. What did you need help with?”
“The equations… I didn’t really understand them…”
“Alright, well we’re on break now, so let’s go to the library?”
DongHae followed along behind them. He couldn’t help but feel a bit jealous of the girl. KiBummie was straight. Did she like him? Did he like her? It was sort of unreasonable to assume that right away, but still…
They got into the library, and took a seat near the back where there weren’t any other students. DongHae settled down in the chair between them, then fell right through with a yelp. KiBum’s lips twitched as he tried not to laugh, pulling out the Math book so he could help SooYoung.
DongHae sighed to himself, watching unhappily as SooYoung leaned forward, KiBum explaining to her quietly the problems they had been assigned last class. He felt a surge of jealousy again. She was too close to him for the ghosts liking. Much too close. Their faces were too close. Did she want to kiss him?
No, get a grip. She was leaning in because she wanted to better understand the problem. It was completely innocent. But… But… They were still too close! All it took was for her to look up and lean forward, and, and…
Was she looking up?
There was a thud behind them. KiBum looked up, to see a book lying on the ground. He frowned. That was odd. He glanced over at DongHae. The ghost looked pained for some reason. Well, he couldn’t exactly ask now. He turned back to SooYoung, who was looking at him expectantly.
A few minutes into it, another book fell off the shelves. SooYoung noticed too this time, looking spooked when they noticed there was no one nearby who could have knocked it off. “Oppa?” She whispered, eyes wide as she placed her hand on his shoulder. “What was that?” KiBum shook his head. DongHae stared at the hand on KiBum’s shoulder. He couldn’t hear past the roaring in his ears.
There was a deafening crack, and the chair she had been sitting on broke. SooYoung fell with a yelp, gasping in pain as the broken wood scraped across her arm, leaving an angry red mark. “SooYoung!” KiBum exclaimd, getting up and helping her to her feet. “W-what happened?” She stammered, as people came to see what was going on. KiBum looked around at all the books that had fallen off their shelves, then around at the other people. It was then that he noticed DongHae had disappeared.
*****
KangIn lay on the school roof, staring up at the clouds drifting by overhead. The events from yesterday ran through his head over and over. Mostly, LeeTeuk disappearing right in front of him.
His aura… It reminded him so much of the other time he had seen someone like that. He must have been ten at the time. KangIn remembered running out of the house angry at his parents, because it had always been KiBum this, KiBum that. Oh, KiBum’s a child genius! And what about YoungWoon? So what if he was the eldest? He wasn’t as smart as KiBum. He didn’t study obediently for hours. He didn’t ace tests. It was then, out in the rain, where he’d met the person he was sure to this day had been a real Angel.
***FLASH BACK***
It was starting to rain. Yet YoungWoon didn’t really care, letting the droplets land on him and soaking his short black hair and brown sweater. He finally stopped running, breathing hard and fast as he looked around him. Everything looked strange and alien. Where was he? He didn’t recognize anything, and that scared him. Just how far had he ran?
His parents had scolded him again for a lousy test mark. It wasn’t his fault! The material just didn’t stick as easily as it did for his baby brother. Only seven, and already the smartest in his grade. YoungWoon hated how KiBum could act like an adult long before his time, and be praised for giving up his childhood so easily, while YoungWoon did what every other boy his age did, and got cold shoulders and distant remarks. He hated his brother. He hated his parents. He hated his family.
Walking back down the way he had came, trying to find a street sign or something to tell him where he was, he tripped over the uneven pavement and fell, hissing a little as he scraped his legs on the unforgiving ground. Tears prickled at the back of his eyes, but he didn’t let them fall. The sky was crying for him, so he didn’t need to.
“Are you alright?” Came a soft voice. YoungWoon looked up, to see a hand in front of his face, skin pearly white and glowing in the darkness. Looking farther up, he saw a young adult, a male with a feminine face and perfect, fragile features.
Hesitating, he reached up and took the offered hand, and was pulled up to his feet. The mans skin felt a bit cold, but wasn’t wet from the rain YoungWoon was drenched in. Looking up at the man who smiled at him kindly, he noticed the other wasn’t wet at all. The rain didn’t seem to touch him, going right through his body even as YoungWoon clung to his hand, solid in his own.
“Are you lost?” The man asked. YoungWoon shook his head, even as a kid not willing to admit that he needed help. The other laughed, a sweet, bell-like sound that echoed in YoungWoon’s ears. It was then he noticed something else about the man, even stranger than the fact he was dry. He was glowing. It was gentle, but as soon as YoungWoon noticed it, it seemed to be the only thing he could see, the white light nearly blinding as it grew, and he had to release the mans hand and cover his eyes.
“You’re a sensitive one…” The man murmured, placing his hand lightly on YoungWoon’s head. “Open your eyes, it’s okay.” Slowly, the young boy opened his eyes again. The blinding light was gone, back to a steady glow. “If you don’t concentrate on it so much, it’s easier to bear…”
YoungWoon looked up at the mans face. “Why are you glowing?” He asked.
That kind smile widened. “Let’s walk back to your home, and I’ll tell you on the way, alright?” YoungWoon nodded, and when the man held out his hand again, YoungWoon took it, walking along beside him.
“Little one, is this the first time you’ve seen someone glow?” YoungWoon nodded, looking up at him, though he frowned at being called little.
“You’ve got a very special gift Kim YoungWoon… Your whole family has it. You’ve got the ability to see things other people cannot, many things. Normal people can’t see me, nor hold my hand like you are. To them, I don’t exist.”
“Are you a ghost?” YoungWoon asked, eyes wide.
“No. But you’re on the right track. Your family is very special, one of a kind. And that makes you, extra special.”
“I’m not special,” YoungWoon muttered darkly. “Umma and Appa say KiBum’s ten times better at stuff than me. And he’s younger than me.”
The man stopped, kneeling down in front of YoungWoon and placing his hands on the boys shoulders. “It is true, your brother is special… But you are special in a different way, YoungWoon.” He brushed his fingertips along the corners of YoungWoon’s eyes. “He may see what cannot be seen by normal people, but you, little one, can see things that are invisible even to him. He cannot see the glow. But you can, quite clearly. There are many more things that you can see, that will show itself to you when the time is right.”
YoungWoon looked at him, entranced by his gentle, song-like voice. “So I am special too?” The question was almost a whisper, almost too much to believe.
“Very special. You have the power to guide them, YoungWoon, when they’re surrounded by darkness and only you can see the thread of light to safety. When that time comes, little one, KiBum will need your help more than ever.”
YoungWoon smiled. The man stood. “Be strong, YoungWoon.” He held out his hand to YoungWoon, a white feather in his palm. “Take this. You don’t have to ace every test in history to be special.” YoungWoon took the feather. “What’s your name, sir?” He asked, looking up.
“For now… YoungWoong,” He said, smiling.
YoungWoon grinned. “That’s like my name!” The man laughed again. “Yes, it is.” He turned YoungWoon back around, and the boy saw they were in front of his house. “Now go, and don’t forget what I told you,” The man whispered to him, pushing him forward lightly. YoungWoon walked up the steps to his house, reaching out to take the doorknob. When he looked back, the man was gone, the only sign of his passing a white feather on the pavement, which was blown away by the wind.
***FLASH BACK END***
KangIn closed his eyes, letting the wind blow through his hair. He had finally seen someone else besides YoungWoong who glowed. LeeTeuk… Even the boy, DongHae, there had been something about him that was a bit off, just a feeling, like he glowed too but KangIn hadn’t looked hard enough to see it. Next time he saw DongHae, he was going to look harder.
Opening his eyes, he held up the white feather in front of him, twirling it between his fingers as he admired how flawless and pure it looked even after all those years. The feather of an Angel. He wondered if he would see YoungWoong again.
He hadn’t thought about his words for the longest time, but now that all this was happening they were all coming back to him. How KangIn could see things others couldn’t… And how KiBum would need his help one day. But if KiBum could see the Angels too, what would he possibly need from KangIn?
If only he could talk to YoungWoong again…
*****
He’d broken that chair. He was sure of it. But how? He hadn’t physically touched the chair, wasn’t anywhere near it. What had happened?
DongHae sniffed a little, sitting outside under a tree. He felt horrible. And scared. Making the books fall had been bad enough. Making the chair break had been bad enough. But… In those split seconds before the chair had broken, he had wanted… He had wanted to hurt her. To cause her pain. To make sure she never, ever came near KiBummie ever again. But she hadn’t done anything other than ask for help. And he had wanted to hurt her!
What was happening to him?
“LeeTeuk…” He whimpered, burying his face in his knees. He’d never wanted to hurt anyone before. It just wasn’t in his nature. He’d seen girls ask KiBum for help before, when he’d been alive. Never had he wanted to hurt any of them.
“Hae? What’s up?” LeeTeuk appeared beside him, looking rather distracted. But his attention completely focused on his charge when he saw what state DongHae was in. “Hae?” He crouched down beside him, concerned. “What happened?”
“I-I hurt her…”
LeeTeuk froze. “What?”
“I d-don’t know what happened… She was just a-asking KiBummie for help, and, and I got so mad… And books were falling, and her chair broke…” DongHae sniffed, tears filling his eyes. “LeeTeuk, what’s happening to me? I n-never would have done that… Never…”
LeeTeuk was silent, stroking DongHae’s hair soothingly. “It’s alright, Hae…” He said softly. “I’ll find out what’s going on, okay?” DongHae nodded, trembling. LeeTeuk closed his eyes, and said firmly, “Shim ChangMin, I know you’re watching, get your butt down here pronto.”
“Yes sir,” Sighed a new voice. DongHae jumped, looking up at the man who had appeared out of nowhere. ChangMin was around his age… The new arrival smiled at him, then looked at LeeTeuk.
“Don’t look at me like you don’t know what we were talking about. Take a look at him, and tell me how much time he has left.”
ChangMin nodded, sitting down in front of DongHae and looked straight at him. DongHae squirmed slightly, looking away. “It’s okay Hae. Look t him,” LeeTeuk said, voice soothing. DongHae shivered, then returned the others gaze.
At first, nothing happened. Just when he was about to ask what the point of this was, Hae felt a bubble of anger inside him, like before. ChangMin continued to hold his gaze, doing nothing else, but the effect was like poking him with a stick. The anger slowly rose, the wind picking up around them at the same time. Stilll, DongHae looked right into ChangMin’s eyes, where he could see his own reflection.
Suddenly, DongHae’s eyes flashed red, and there was a deafening crack from overhead, as a branch from the tree thudded into the ground beside him.
“Enough!” LeeTeuk said, covering DongHae’s eyes. Instantly the anger faded, the wind returning to normal. DongHae started to shake again, scared silly by the reflection of himself in ChangMin’s eyes. He had seen his own eyes turn red, demonic red, and he had to bite his lip to keep from crying again. He let LeeTeuk pull him into his lap, shivering.
“Three days,” ChangMin said, shaking his head. “Give or take. So Saturday’s the limit for him, LeeTeuk.”
“Alright,” LeeTeuk sighed. “I was planning for him to pass judgement on Saturday midnight anyways, so that’s a relief.”
“What is he talking about?” DongHae asked, looking up at LeeTeuk. “What’s happening?” He recalled what LeeTeuk told him on Sunday, when they first met.
“A week only? Why not longer?”
“It’s the rules. There’s a reason for it, but you don’t need to concern yourself with all the technical issues now. It’ll only make you even more depressed.”
“LeeTeuk, what happens to me if I stay longer than a week?”
*****
“I’m sorry I didn’t come more often,” KyuHyun murmured. “My family left for China, and I only got back a few days ago. Things have been rather busy since.”
There was no reply. Not that he had expected one.
“I met a boy named SungMin. You would have liked him. A bit too much pink for your tastes, but he’s got a great personality. Is it strange to fall for someone you just met, hyung? I used to think so… But… I don’t know. It feels right.”
He sighed a little, looking up at the tombstone, standing silently in front of him. “It’s already been… Four years, right hyung? Three since the last time I visited you. I brought Mandu, you liked it so much…” He looked at the bowl he’d placed in front of tombstone. “I wonder if you get Mandu in heaven? For your sake I hope you do…”
He closed his eyes again. “I hope you can hear me… And I wish there was a way I could see you again,” He said softly, bowing his head. “It’s been hard, hyung. I had a boyfriend in China, but he was a necromancer… You know how well ghost hunters and necromancer’s get along. We broke up shortly before I came back.” His lips twitched slightly. “I think that he was ticked that every zombie he managed to bring up, I sent right back where it came from.
“I think there are ghosts here, hyung. Two of them. I don’t know how long they’ve been here, and I can’t take any chance with them. You know first-hand how they get after the first week is up.” He opened his eyes again, looking up at the tombstone.
“I promise you I’ll get rid of them. I think I’m in love with SungMin… No, I know I’m in love with him. I don’t want him to be hurt. I don’t want him to die like you did. It was my fault. I shouldn’t have hesitated. You had nothing to do with us, you couldn’t even sense the spirits, and he killed you. I don’t want SungMin to die too. So this time, I won’t hesitate.”
He placed one hand on the cold stone. “I won’t lose someone precious to me again,” he whispered. His fingers traced over the name written on the stone, engraved forever.
In memory of Shim ChangMin