Masterpiece Boy - part VI
Part VI - Crime and Punishment.
It caught the creatures completely by surprise. Some of them gasped. Out of them, Chanyeol gasped the loudest.
But it was Baekhyun who reacted the fastest.
“Jongin, don’t,” Baekhyun said, almost begging.
“I have to,” Jongin justified, swallowing his own fear of death hastily. “All of this happened because of me. Because I’m alive. I can’t just sit and watch while-”
“For fuck’s sake, Jongin, don’t,” Baekhyun interrupted him, now definitely begging. “Don’t do this to me, Jongin, please-”
Heechul shut Baekhyun up by smacking him on the face, hard. The demon’s skull hit the wood with a sickening crack.
“Interesting,” The Devil turned around to face Jongin, eyeing the human with curiosity. “It’s an interesting offer.”
Sungmin looked over to Siwon questioningly. “What do you think?” he asked.
Siwon tilted his head to the side. “Well, he has a point… Chanyeol’s death is directly related to his own survival,” and yet, he still didn’t look so sure. “But look, Jongin, it’s not your fault that you’re alive. It’s Baekhyun’s fault. And he did commit high treason, after all.”
Jongin nodded. “If I hand my soul over right now,” he said, “would you be willing to forgive Baekhyun’s crime?”
Siwon sighed, as if he had expecting it. He shot a glance at Baekhyun, then another glance at Jongin. “Well,” God sighed once again. “It’s not up to me. Your soul wouldn’t belong to me, anyway.”
He then looked over at Heechul, who had a satisfied smile on his lips. Jongin shivered at the implications of that. What a shitty, shitty day to exist.
“Are you sure, Jonginnie?” Heechul taunted, walking over to where Jongin was standing, small and scared and with vomit on his shoes. “Death hurts, you know. And hell isn’t much fun either. It’s stuffy, full of noisy neighbors, and you’re forced to murder people in a daily basis. Someone with such brightly positive factors like you,” he was suddenly close enough to touch Jongin’s cheek, and he did so, and his touch was scalding. “Certainly doesn’t like killing people. Do you like it?”
“I…” Jongin was scared. God, Jongin was scared shitless. “I don’t,” he found it in himself to answer. “But I don’t want Baekhyun sshi to… unexist or something. If I’m still able to meet him in hell,” even though it wasn’t the time to be bashful, he blushed at his own boldness. “Then I’ll go with you. Willingly.”
Heechul nodded, looking ultimately victorious. From the corner of his eye, Jongin could see that Siwon was also smiling, as if approving his courageous act. Sungmin was scribbling again.
“So, let’s finish this. This trial has dragged for way too long,” the judge said, massaging his temples. “Hell, what do you say? Do you drop your charges?”
Heechul nodded. “I allow Baekhyun, as my subordinate, and Kyungsoo, as my defendant, to walk free,” the chains that confined Baekhyun and Kyungsoo to the pole dissolved, and the two of them fell to the floor heavily, painfully. “Under the condition of-”
“Wait a minute,” Siwon suddenly interrupted, to Heechul’s dismay. “Wait a minute, wait.”
Heechul rolled his eyes and huffed. Sungmin, too, seemed impatient. “What is it?” he asked dryly.
“Kim Jongin,” the way God roared his name made Jongin give a step back. “Why are you offering your soul to be taken?”
Jongin blinked. He thought he had answered that one already. “Because… because I don’t want Baekhyun sshi and Kyungsoo sshi to unexist,” he said, intimidated.
“And why is it? Why do you want them not to be off the map?” Siwon urged on, taking huge strides in his direction. Jongin pondered running away.
“B-because I don’t… um… I think Kyungsoo sshi didn’t mean any harm,” he answered. “And because I want Baekhyun sshi to be well. I was happy about being protected by him, so I want to go in his place.”
At this point, it seemed like Kyungsoo was holding Baekhyun’s arms back, as if to stop him from running towards Jongin. The demon, however, wasn’t moving; he was only watching the exchange, expression undecipherable.
“So you know that Baekhyun did something wrong,” Siwon was gleaming. “But wants to receive punishment in his place?”
Unsure what he could possibly be trying to milk out from him, Jongin was sincere and nodded.
Siwon simply turned around to face Sungmin and announced, “Selfless Suicide.”
It was as if he had slapped Heechul on the face. The Devil blinked, and his expression turned sour. “No. No, no, no, nope, no can do. He told me he wants to go with me-”
“Who has ever wanted to go with you?!”
“-and I pardoned them, so his soul is mine!” Heechul was having none of that.
Sungmin, on the other hand, was suddenly pensive. Slowly, very slowly, he turned around to face Heechul. “He’s right.”
“No, don’t even start,” Heechul was unable to accept it.
“You can withdraw your pardon, if you’d like, but there’s no help to it,” Sungmin pointed out. “It is what it is. By acknowledging their mistakes and still offering to receive punishment in their place, Kim Jongin is doubtlessly committing Selfless Suicide.”
“Which is a purifying action,” Siwon adds, excessively pleased. Heechul was fuming. “You can’t really walk into your realms with a positive soul with you, by law, you know.”
Jongin stood unsure of what to do. His glance darted back and forth between Heechul and Siwon, looking for a clue of what to do, starting to suspect that the best to do at a time like that was nothing.
“Well, fine. Pardon withdrawn,” Heechul rolled his eyes, waving a hand in defeat. “Which means shit because you’ll pardon them anyway.”
Siwon only smiled. “I allow Kyungsoo, as my subordinate, and Baekhyun, as my defendant, to walk free,” he said. “Under the condition of maintaining the soul of Kim Jongin under my possession.”
Sungmin nodded, back to scribbling, and Siwon walked towards Jongin to put a hand on his shoulder. Jongin thought he should probably feel relieved, but he felt nothing but anxious. So he was going to heaven? … slightly better than going to hell, even if it meant he was still going to die before even getting his first job. What a waste of all those years in university…
“Consider it done. Hell has the right to infringe punishment, as long as it doesn’t violate The Heavens’ sentence and condition,” Sungmin was apparently relieved to see the end of that trial. Heechul, on the other hand, looked positively, reasonably bummed.
However, The Devil’s expression was quick to brighten once again, and for no apparent reason. His previous frown dissolved into a brilliant, wicked grin. Jongin knew better than to expect anything minimally good from that change, and braced himself for what was to come.
“As a punishment for crimes already discussed,” Heechul said grandly, pointing at Baekhyun and Kyungsoo’s fallen form on the ground. “I condemn Baekhyun, as my subordinate, and Kyungsoo, my defendant, to a lifetime in a world with no safety, no certainty, and endless possibilities of looming menaces,” he bared his teeth. “The human world. I demote both of you, with the power conceded to me, to the status of human beings.”
Jongin blinked, frowned. Glanced at them, who were just as confused.
What was that plot twist?!
“You’re making them human?” Chanyeol asked, and that was when everyone noticed he was still sitting at the top of the stake. Feeling sorry for him, Siwon slowly floated him back to the floor, which resulted in a few seconds of Chanyeol looking like a drunk flying octopus.
“I am,” Heechul nodded confidently, and Chanyeol was impressively puzzled at that. “It’s the cruelest punishment I can think of right now.”
Well, Jongin was rather relieved. That surely didn’t sound like the cruelest anything, considering the other options. Baekhyun and Kyungsoo also looked quite relieved, and Chanyeol was still confused. Only Siwon seemed to be alarmed by the situation, but it dissipated as soon as he noticed Jongin was looking at him. He turned to look at the human boy and smiled.
“Then, shall we take you back home?” He said, patting his shoulder kindly. Jongin frowned and sniffed.
“You… you’re not gonna kill me?” Jongin had ceased to understand all things.
“Not right now,” God shakes his head. “I have no interest in claiming a soul so young. Besides, it’d be a waste of that driver license, right?” He winked, and Jongin started to understand that no, he wasn’t going to die that day, for reasons he could not yet wrap his mind around.
His eyes swelled with tears. “Thank you,” Jongin whimpered, bowing as low as he could. “Thank you so much.”
Siwon just smiled, shaking his head and patting him on the back. “Take care of Kyungsoo and Baekhyun, okay?” he requested. “It has been a long time since they were human. Their social abilities might be a little rusty.”
Jongin nodded furiously, sniffing harder than before. He was so happy he felt like he could explode. Everything had ended well, after all.
“Also, make sure you visit Chanyeol here,” Siwon handed him a business card, on the back of which were scribbled the name and telephone number of a hospital. “He’ll recover steadily, I believe, but it’ll take time. Also,” then, shooting a glance at Heechul - who watched their conversation from the corner of his eye and with a grin on his lips - he lowered his voice and added, “take care.”
A chill ran down Jongin’s spine as he caught on the hint. It wasn’t over yet.
With a final friendly pat on his back, God left Jongin’s side in order to join Heechul at the base of Sungmin’s table. Jongin was left standing alone, several meters away from the whole make-do court, as well as from his friends.
“So, is everything settled?” Sungmin asked for a confirmation.
“Yep,” Heechul chirped contently.
“Sure, your honor,” Siwon eyed The Devil with suspicion.
“Great,” the judge sighed. “I thereby state that the wandering soul Park Chanyeol will be restored, and that the fire demon Baekhyun and guardian angel Kyungsoo are demoted from their current statuses and condemned to… go back to humanity, or something,” Sungmin shook his head, apparently also puzzled at Heechul’s punishment. “I declare this court closed. Finally.”
And, with a slam of the hammer, lightning fell on them, and they were gone.
Or rather, not everyone was gone; Jongin, missed by the lightning, was still there to notice that Baekhyun and Kyungsoo had been left behind, hair damaged and clothes singed. Jongin finally did what he has been dying to do since they had been unchained: ran like a mad man, then threw himself on them.
“Jongin!” Kyungsoo yelled when Jongin’s leg hit him on the chest and his knee fell heavily on his thigh. “That hurts!!”
“Are we human? Is that all it is?” Baekhyun was slightly disoriented, but was also getting used to having Jongin’s arms tight around his neck.
“I guess so,” Kyungsoo said, looking around with slightly lost eyes. “I feel different. I don’t think I could fly even if I tried to. Can you still set stuff on fire?”
Baekhyun frowned, also looking around. The weather was finally beginning to clear up. “No,” Baekhyun said a bit dejectedly. “Man, I lost my horns. I’m pissed. I looked good with them.”
Jongin, who was on the verge of crying again, let out a shaken laugh. That attracted Baekhyun’s attention, and the now ex-demon pushed him away in order to face him properly.
“You gave me a hell of a scare there,” he scolded Jongin in a soft voice. “I thought all these years of fighting the law would end up with the law winning. Don’t ever do this again, okay?”
“Okay,” Jongin sniffed. “I’m sorry,” he sniffed again, and Baekhyun chuckled, giving his lips a quick, soft kiss. Jongin’s face turned red.
“Gross,” they heard Kyungsoo mutter as he squirmed away from them, leading Jongin to fall butt-first on the moist grass. Baekhyun stuck out his tongue at him, muttering ‘rude’. “We have to find Chanyeol soon. He’s probably going to panic when he sees the state his body is in.”
Baekhyun nodded. “True,” then, to Jongin, “give him the card with the hospital data.”
Jongin did as told, handing the now slightly crumpled card to Kyungsoo. He made a face when he read the name, apparently unaware of the existence of such place.
“I should probably drive you there,” Jongin said, worried about Kyungsoo despite not being in the mood to drive. However, Kyungsoo dismissed him.
“I can go alone. Just… give me your money,” he said, and Jongin obeyed, pulling his long forgotten wallet and handing all his money to the ex-angel. “I’ll just ask for directions and take a bus. I don’t want to be near the two of you right now,” he added with some bitterness to his voice. Baekhyun laughed.
“Your time will come,” he said, nuzzling Jongin’s neck affectionately so to show off. Jongin’s severe case of burning cheeks worsened. “You’re in love with Chanyeol, aren’t you?”
Kyungsoo rolled his eyes at him. “Well, duh. I’m his guardian angel, am I not?” then, after a second thought, “I mean, was. Was his guardian angel. Anyway, it’s obvious that I love him.”
Baekhyun raised an eyebrow. “Is that how The Heavens’ people work?”
Kyungsoo shrugged. “Apparently.” He turned around. “I’m going now. We’ll meet again, eventually.”
“Say hello to him for us,” Baekhyun requested as Kyungsoo’s figure became more distant. The ex-angel answered with a wave of hand, and walked away from the clearing, into the road.
Soon enough, Baekhyun and Jongin were alone, and Jongin turned his attention back to Baekhyun’s leather pants.
“Where did you buy these clothes?” he asked, tugging at a stud on Baekhyun’s jacket.
“I have friends. These aren't really mine, though. Not yet,” was the answer. Baekhyun grinned. “Did you like them?”
Jongin also grinned, and nodded. “They really suit you,” he said, scooping closer to the other’s warm body.
“Thank you. You give good fashion advice,” Baekhyun said before landing a tender kiss on Jongin’s plush lips. It was just a chaste touch at first, but, when Jongin started responding, he felt a graze of teeth on his bottom lips and something inside of him stirred. Unfortunately, Baekhyun pulled away. “Man, we have so much to do. I have to pretend I’m a person who has been existing for some time,” he wrinkled his nose. “And we have to start saving money for Chanyeol’s bail. So much for thinking everything is magically fine…”
Jongin remembered Heechul’s sideway grin from before, and Siwon’s words, shivering at the fresh memory. Take care. He shook his head, trying to get rid of such thoughts; for now, they had to focus on more immediate issues.
“I’m hungry,” Jongin said rather honestly. Now that his body was at peace, his stomach felt horribly hollow. He also needed a shower. “Can we go home for now?’
Baekhyun smiled tauntingly. “So you want to take me home, hm~?” Jongin felt that he had the right to hit him, and punched him on the shoulder. “Ouch. Okay, okay. Let’s go. We need a shower, probably. You have vomit on your shoes.”
“Your hair is all up,” Jongin pointed out in revenge. Baekhyun clicked his tongue, running a hand through his damaged hair, and reaching out his other hand for Jongin to hold.
With their fingers laced together, and feeling the warmth of Baekhyun’s palm against his own, Kim Jongin went home. And that was the real end of his supernatural adventures.
For a while, at least.
Epilogue.
Baekhyun told all of Jongin’s neighbors that he was Jongin’s cousin.
“Byun Baekhyun from Bucheon, Gyeonggi province. Twenty-five years old, amateur musician,” Baekhyun recited his background to Jongin over a bowl of kimchi rice. “Son of your mother’s sister’s first marriage.”
Jongin nodded, fairly impressed. “That’s pretty good.” Then, he wrinkled his nose. “Weird surname. Why not Kim?”
“Kim is too plain,” Baekhyun deadpaned, and Jongin was only mildly offended. “Also, it’d make us look even more like an incestuous pair.” Ah, that one was true.
Baekhyun had also gotten around faking official documents and such. He got some for Kyungsoo that “proved” that Kyungsoo was a relative of Chanyeol’s, just so he could visit Chanyeol at the hospital more often. The three of them had taken in several jobs in order to pay Chanyeol’s hospital bills. As for his debt, his boss had, rather surprisingly, decided to pardon him.
“I wasn’t that far from paying everything I owed, and the police wouldn’t let me go so easily if they found me burning stuff down again,” Chanyeol told them once when Baekhyun and Jongin visited him. Not all that surprisingly, the case had been muted by the people Chanyeol worked for. It was bad for society, but good for the ex-arsonist. “Besides, I’m useless like this, anyway.”
Chanyeol had been lucky not to have lost any limbs. His arms had been severely damaged, and it was obvious there would be other consequences besides the scarring. Nevertheless, his recovery had been steady, and the doctors were optimistic: he’d probably leave the hospital after all but six months.
“It’ll be hard to get a job,” Chanyeol lamented, looking at his face in Baekhyun’s hand mirror. “Maybe I can become a pirate or something.”
“Or a scary bartender,” Jongin suggested.
“Or you can just be Kyungsoo’s housewife,” Baekhyun said, toying with Jongin’s hair absentmindedly. “Do Kyungsoo, the bookstore clerk, arrives at home tired after a day of work. He shouts, ‘I’m home, honey!’ and, from the depths of the kitchen,” he did his best to mimic Chanyeol’s deep voice. “Welcome home, darling~!”
Chanyeol and Jongin laughed soundly. Soon enough, Chanyeol’s expression turned dreamy. “I could live with that.”
All in all, everything was going on smoothly. Of course that, sometimes, Jongin saw nightmares of red hair and taunting smiles, only to wake up drenched in sweat and wrapped tightly in Baekhyun’s arms. Some other times, those last moments in the end of the trial would come back to haunt him. Take care. In those days, he’d go to bed with his heart heavy with fear, wondering if he’d survive another day, if he’d wake up to Heechul waiting for him outside his door.
But, in the end, Jongin reached the conclusion that he shouldn’t think about that. He had to live life to the fullest, one day at once, enjoying every second. Thanking God for being alive. God, and Baekhyun.
part I | part II | part III | part IV | part V | part VI