Spirit Wars: ch 14
Name: Spirit Wars
Chapter: 14/?
Fandom: SS501, Super Junior, TVXQ, EXO, U-KISS, others
Pairings: HyungJoon/KyuJong, HyunJoong/KyuJong, KyuHyun/SungMin, YooChun/JunSu, KiBum/Kevin, more to come
Rating: PG-16
Warnings: Angst, violence
Genre: Modern fantasy
Summary: KyuJong was little the first time he saw a spirit battle. Years later, he transfers to a university in Seoul and finds himself right in the middle of Korea's largest gathering of spirit beasts and their human Keepers. Intrigued by the battles only he could see, he is drawn into growing conflict as Keepers and Hunters pour into the city in the hopes of challenging their Spirit King and claiming the title of Asia's strongest Keeper. But this year is different...the stakes have changed, and there is far more to be lost than just a title. The Spirit Wars have begun.
KyuJong drifted in and out of consciousness as the others dealt with the remaining bats. He was faintly aware of KiBum and Henry sitting down beside him, KiBum far too shaken up to be of help and the Hunter nursing a broken arm. Even if he was glad for Zitao’s quick rescue, he felt a surge of relief when he and Asena went to help with the bats instead of staying nearby.
“What the hell happened?” He heard KyuHyun’s voice not that far away.
“We were attacked, what did it look like,” SungMin replied. “Not one of yours, I take it?”
“Most certainly not,” Zhou Mi protested. “We have no bat spirit, and it was attacking us too. We’ll have to bring Henry to the hospital now. What of KyuJong?”
There was silence for a moment. KyuJong was too tired to open his eyes and see what was going on. “Yuetu says he’ll be fine,” SungMin answered finally. “He just overdid it a little. Well, Hae? Any word from Abaia?”
DongHae gave a frustrated sigh. “He lost the bat. Chased him halfway across the city too.”
“So what about what we actually came out here for?” KyuHyun demanded, apparently disliking being out of the loop.
KyuJong finally opened his eyes, blinking past the blurriness. SungMin, KyuHyun and Zhou Mi were talking not far away, DongHae pacing the roof beside them. MinSeok, Yixing and Zitao had taken up a corner of the roof, resting with their spirit beasts.
Zhou Mi held his raccoon spirit in his arms. “I know nothing about Keepers in comas, and it’s impossible Zitao would be the one at fault. You said the attack with the wolf happened earlier this night, right?” When SungMin nodded, Zhou Mi’s ever-present smile became a frown. “Zitao was with us all night, and so was Asena. Not that she could take any challenges without him. I’m afraid you have the wrong wolf.”
SungMin and KyuHyun glanced at each other. “…Don’t look at me, I have no idea who else it could be,” KyuHyun sighed, rubbing one hand through his hair. “And as for the bat…it could be Olitiau?”
“Who?” DongHae turned around, frowning. “Olitiau? I thought he was in South America? Hasn’t taken a Keeper here in Seoul since Moon JungHyuk.”
“More importantly, why would Olitiau be attacking us,” KyuHyun folded his arms across his chest. “We’ll have to ask Daniel, he knew JungHyuk while he was a Keeper.”
The sky was slowly lightening overhead; dawn was coming. And with it, the sound of sirens.
“We should move,” SungMin sighed, glancing in the direction of the noise. “Someone must have heard the commotion and called the cops.”
Zhou Mi called out to the other Hunters in Mandarin before turning back to SungMin and KyuHyun. “I will keep an ear open for this wolf you’re looking for. It’s none of our business, but I dislike the idea of Keepers put in comas.”
KyuHyun nodded, turning back towards the stairs. “Watch for that damn bat too. Whether it’s Olitiau or not.”
DongHae made his way over to KyuJong and KiBum, smiling at the older of the two. “Come on, time to move.” He helped KyuJong get to his feet.
Staggering and feeling like his legs were made of noodles, KyuJong looked around the rooftop as the others hurriedly made themselves scarce. SungMin and KyuHyun waited at the rooftop door for them. Zitao glanced back at KyuJong, meeting his eyes before disappearing down the stairwell with the other Hunters. Zhou Mi waited for Henry to catch up, talking to him in quiet Mandarin with one arm around his shoulders.
“We’ll have to lay low while the police go by,” SungMin murmured to them as DongHae, KyuJong and KiBum reached the stairwell. “Then we should all get some sleep.”
“What about that bat? And the wolf?” KiBum asked, still a little rattled.
“Nothing we can do about them right now; dawn’s just about here, we won’t see that bat again, and who knows where the wolf is. All we can do now is keep an eye open,” SungMin pushed one hand through his hair. “KyuJong, KiBum, I’ll meet you both on our usual rooftop tomorrow night after work.”
KyuJong nodded, too tired to ask why. DongHae helped him down the stairs and to the elevator. The group made their way to the building’s underground parking lot and stayed there until Anansi gave them the all-clear. By the time they made their way back up onto the street, the sky had lightened up considerably.
“What happened?” KiBum frowned, watching KyuJong stagger as he walked.
“We really need to work on your sync with Pantera, if you didn’t even notice,” SungMin said, looking between them. KyuJong couldn’t decipher the look in the blond-haired man’s eyes. “KyuJong synched with her and took care of the bats attacking you.”
“…He did what?” KiBum’s eyes widened. “But…wait, I’m Pantera’s Keeper, right?”
KyuHyun eyed SungMin. “You never said anything about this to me.”
“You are, and it’s too long a story to explain now,” SungMin said, sighing. “We’ll talk later, KyuHyun. Let’s just get some sleep now, as much as we can, anyways.” He looked towards the rising sun.
DongHae disappeared with a farewell, heading back to his own place. KyuHyun and SungMin accompanied KyuJong and KiBum to their apartment building. “Tomorrow night, don’t forget,” SungMin said, glancing between them. “Good night.”
“More like morning,” KyuHyun said as KyuJong and KiBum headed inside.
As much as KyuJong wanted to sleep the whole day away, especially after the massive energy loss earlier, he did have to go to classes eventually. Even so, he ended up sleeping past his first class of the day, taking advantage of the long gap between that and the next one to get some extra sleep.
Another reason to miss that class was HyungJoon. That was their only class of the day together, and as much as he wanted to see his best friend, HyungJoon still thought he was feverish. It would be easier to explain sleeping in rather than showing up at class apparently fully recovered.
So it was afternoon before KyuJong finally arrived on the university campus, heading towards his class slowly. The extra sleep had done him good; the exhaustion from before was only a dull ache in his bones. Maybe this was something he could get used to the more it happened. He hadn’t really blacked out on the rooftop compared to the other two times, just drifted in and out of awareness.
“Hey, you made it!”
KyuJong yelped when an arm slung around his shoulders, head snapping up. His eyes met DongHae’s, the other man grinning widely and half-hanging off KyuJong’s shoulders. “I was wondering if you’d show up today. Feeling better?”
“Yeah,” KyuJong nodded, startled by DongHae’s sudden appearance.
“Good, good. I have someone I want you to meet. Hey, get over here!”
KyuJong was spun around, protesting the whole time. Staggering to avoid falling on his ass, he found himself looking at a very familiar face.
“Uh…hi. My name’s HyukJae.”
Standing right in front of him, shifting awkwardly from foot to foot, was HyukJae. There was no spark of recognition in his eyes, but he wore a bright gummy smile nonetheless.
“Hyukkie here is in a couple of my classes,” DongHae was saying, tone nonchalant. As if he wasn’t re-introducing KyuJong to the man who had been one of his close friends. “He’s been kinda on his own, so I offered to help him make some friends. So, HyukJae, this is KyuJong! He’s a little too polite for his own good, but he’s a decent guy.”
“…I didn’t think you could be too polite,” KyuJong blinked, before his shoulders eased and he smiled back at HyukJae. “Nice to meet you.”
HyukJae’s uncertain smile softened and became more genuine. “Same. You’re nicer than the other guy he tried to introduce me to.”
“Other guy?” KyuJong glanced at DongHae, whose smile had frozen a little.
“I told you, Su’s just awkward around people he doesn’t know. He’s a great guy,” DongHae nudged HyukJae’s side, earning a sputter and a blush. “We’ll try again later. You’ve got class now, right Kyu? Let’s go get something to eat, Hyuk.”
“Uh…see you later?” HyukJae called over his shoulder to KyuJong as he was towed away.
KyuJong wished Abaia was around; he wanted to ask just what had happened between JunSu and HyukJae. Watching them go, he did feel a small smile form on his lips. He’d been worried HyukJae would be lost and alone without memory of his friends, but DongHae was obviously taking care of that.
Turning to continue, KyuJong stopped at a burst of purple light in his side vision. He turned towards it, already knowing what he’d see. A figure ducked back around the edge of one of the buildings, the purple glow following him.
Sighing softly, KyuJong stuffed his hands in his pockets and walked in that direction. He stepped around the edge of the building. “Hey…you okay?”
“Just fine.” JunSu looked away from KyuJong. His voice was strained. KyuJong watched him sit down on the ground with his back against the building. After a moment of debating, KyuJong sat down next to him. He didn’t say anything, just watching Muninn fly around overhead.
“It’s just…different now,” JunSu said finally after a few minutes of silence. “I don’t know what to say to him. Not without coming across like a creep or something.”
“What happened before?” KyuJong asked softly.
JunSu closed his eyes. “DongHae tried to introduce…re-introduce us. I panicked, snapped at them both and ran. I shouldn’t have done that…but I’m not DongHae. I don’t know how to start over from square one.”
”You’re scared of it, you mean,” spoke a voice KyuJong didn’t recognize. Muninn landed on the ground in front of them, pecking at JunSu’s leg with his beak.
“Ow.” JunSu pretended to kick at the crow, obviously missing. “Shut it.”
“What does he mean?” KyuJong asked.
JunSu blinked, glancing at KyuJong. “…You can hear him?” He sighed loudly and rested his head back against the brick wall, looking up at the sky. “I’m assuming DongHae’s already told you I’m a Twice-Blessed, right?”
“…A what?”
“Twice-Blessed. Someone with enough spiritual energy to have more than one spirit beast in their lifetime.” JunSu snorted a little. “More like Twice-Cursed, but yeah. That’s the name they gave us. Muninn is my second spirit beast.”
“Oh…DongHae told me about that,” KyuJong nodded. “He didn’t call you a Twice-Blessed, but he told me about your…dolphin spirit, was it?”
“Yeah. At least, that’s what he told me. Do you know what that even feels like? Believing you know everything there is to know about yourself, who you are, and suddenly finding out there’s this massive hole spanning years in your memory? A hole you didn’t even know was there, because your mind filled in the gaps for you?”
JunSu picked at the grass beside him. “It’s the most terrifying feeling I’ve ever known. I don’t know the difference between someone I knew then and a complete stranger. Certainly I didn’t recognize DongHae the first time we met.” He paused, then snorted. “I say ‘first time we met’, but that isn’t true. See what I mean?”
KyuJong nodded slowly. “So…you’re scared to be friends with HyukJae again, because he doesn’t remember you?” He asked quietly.
“I’m scared because…in my mind, we’re still best friends. I’ve known him for years, I know practically everything about him. How am I supposed to pretend I don’t know him? If I slip up, he’ll think I’m some sort of stalker. I…don’t know what I’d do if that friendship doesn’t come back.”
JunSu’s shoulders had hunched, and he sniffled quietly. KyuJong hesitantly put one hand on his shoulder.
“He doesn’t know me,” JunSu whispered, blinking rapidly. “It hurts. And I forgot all my old friends the same way. How many of them passed me by every single day only to be ignored? Did any of them ever approach me to be friends and I just brushed them off? I can’t remember. I can’t remember.”
He was crying softly now. KyuJong wrapped his arm more securely around the other man, and JunSu leaned into him. Neither of them said anything after that, KyuJong just trying to offer some measure of comfort to the distraught Keeper.
He could see why JunSu would think he was cursed instead of blessed.
KyuJong ended up being late to his next class, but he couldn’t really feel guilty for it. He’d stayed with JunSu as long as the crow Keeper had needed to get himself back under control, offering a shoulder to cry on and an ear to listen. He thought that after this, he understood JunSu a little more. Why he’d always seemed so distant and unfriendly, why he refused to take challenges and why he distanced himself from those who would.
He liked to think that after this, JunSu would trust him more, but it wasn’t safe to make any assumptions like that. At least JunSu would know KyuJong was around to offer support if he needed it. He hoped DongHae understood why JunSu acted the way he did too, and didn’t hold it against him. They’d known each other for a long time after all, even if JunSu could only remember half of it.
There was no sign of HyungJoon throughout the day, the younger man not waiting outside KyuJong’s last class like he usually did. Sighing and figuring HyungJoon thought KyuJong was still at home sick, he shouldered his pack and headed back to his apartment. There was still some time before he was to meet SungMin, so he’d make something to eat.
He’d barely stepped into the apartment and shut the door behind him when a loud knocking made him jump. Blinking as he slid his backpack off and dropped it to the side, he opened the door again.
HyungJoon stood on the other side, KiBum looking totally confused behind him. “Hey, Kyu,” HyungJoon smiled at him. The smile was strained. “Can we come in?” He had a grip on KiBum’s arm.
“Sure?” KyuJong mirrored KiBum’s look of confusion, stepping aside. The two brothers filed in. “What’s going on?”
“I just want to talk to you for a minute.”
Shrugging, KyuJong closed the door behind them and went to sit down. “Okay, take a seat.”
HyungJoon was holding onto a bag tightly in his other hand as he steered KiBum to a chair before taking one himself. Pantera appeared out of the shadows, laying down beside KiBum’s chair and yawning widely. KyuJong had to stop himself from smiling at her, instead watching HyungJoon. “What’s bothering you?”
HyungJoon’s lips thinned and he looked down at the floor, seeming to argue with himself. Finally he reached into the bag he’d brought. “What’s this, Kyu?”
He pulled out KyuJong’s journal on spirit beasts.
KyuJong’s eyes slowly widened, heart plummeting. “You…where did you get that?”
“Last night,” HyungJoon said tersely. “It was sitting open on your table when KiBum brought you back here. What’s all this about?”
“What? What’s in there?” KiBum blinked, looking between them.
“A lot of stuff,” HyungJoon answered before KyuJong could. “Stories about snake spirits and talking rabbits. Shadow panthers. What’s going on, Kyu?” He was scowling now. “You writing a story or something? What’s KiBum’s name doing in here?”
KiBum had paled, realizing just what was in the journal. KyuJong swallowed thickly at the look he was getting. “Joon…it’s…th-that’s personal, why were you looking through my stuff in the first place!”
“I shouldn’t have been. But Kyu…I’m worried about you. Are you okay? Are you not feeling well? We can go to the hospital-“
“Wait…you think I’m crazy?” KyuJong asked in disbelief.
“What else am I supposed to think?” HyungJoon demanded. “You’re seeing things! And bringing my brother into this… Saying he sees them too? KiBum, you don’t believe a word of this, do you?”
“I…” KiBum faltered, looking at KyuJong with wide, alarmed eyes. He was stuck; not wanting his brother to think he was crazy too. “Can’t we just…drop it? It’s not hurting anyone.”
“Yet. You think I didn’t notice you both disappearing last night?” HyungJoon’s lips thinned. “This is just some sort of misunderstanding, right? You don’t actually think there’s…animal spirits wandering around Seoul, right?”
KiBum looked down at Pantera before drawing himself up. Sensing what her Keeper was about to say, Pantera stood and put herself between the two brothers. “Hyung…I…I do. They’re called spirit beasts. I do see them, just like KyuJong, and they’re real.”
HyungJoon looked back at his little brother with wide eyes, obviously not expecting KiBum to agree to the insane ideas written down in the journal. “KiBum…you’re joking, right. This is just some sort of game. Not very funny, but okay, if you guys are into some sort of weird roleplaying thing, just tell me.”
“It’s not a roleplaying thing,” KiBum replied, voice becoming annoyed. “They’re real…Pantera, Yuetu, whoever else you read about in there, they’re real!”
HyungJoon stood up, looking at them both in disbelief. “You expect me to believe in make-believe animals-GWAH!” Pantera headbutted his legs and the older brother fell onto his ass, not expecting to be hit by something invisible.
“Hyung!” KiBum stood up quickly, KyuJong only a second behind. “Are you okay?”
“What just…” HyungJoon let out a shriek of surprise; Pantera was licking his knee with her rough tongue. He scampered back away from the spirit beast and hit the chair, yelping again.
“Pan-Pantera!” KiBum exclaimed, forgetting himself for a second. “Stop- You just-“ He tried to pull the panther spirit away from his brother, but she was completely focused on her task of washing his knee.
KyuJong tried to imagine what the scene looked like for HyungJoon now: First being knocked over, then feeling an invisible cat’s tongue as his little brother talked to something that wasn’t there. HyungJoon’s eyes couldn’t get much bigger, and KyuJong worried he was going to pass out right then and there.
“What’s that!?” He tried to fend off the invisible spirit, kicking Pantera. The panther snarled before lunging forward to sprawl herself over both of HyungJoon’s legs, effectively trapping and preventing him from kicking her again.
“That’s…” KiBum looked helplessly down at Pantera, who was stretched out on HyungJoon’s legs like an oversized house cat, before sighing and looking at his brother. “HyungJoon, meet Pantera. My spirit beast.”
Clunk.
KyuJong sighed. “Aaand he’s down.” They’d have a lot of explaining to do, whenever HyungJoon woke up.
Chapter: 14/?
Fandom: SS501, Super Junior, TVXQ, EXO, U-KISS, others
Pairings: HyungJoon/KyuJong, HyunJoong/KyuJong, KyuHyun/SungMin, YooChun/JunSu, KiBum/Kevin, more to come
Rating: PG-16
Warnings: Angst, violence
Genre: Modern fantasy
Summary: KyuJong was little the first time he saw a spirit battle. Years later, he transfers to a university in Seoul and finds himself right in the middle of Korea's largest gathering of spirit beasts and their human Keepers. Intrigued by the battles only he could see, he is drawn into growing conflict as Keepers and Hunters pour into the city in the hopes of challenging their Spirit King and claiming the title of Asia's strongest Keeper. But this year is different...the stakes have changed, and there is far more to be lost than just a title. The Spirit Wars have begun.
KyuJong drifted in and out of consciousness as the others dealt with the remaining bats. He was faintly aware of KiBum and Henry sitting down beside him, KiBum far too shaken up to be of help and the Hunter nursing a broken arm. Even if he was glad for Zitao’s quick rescue, he felt a surge of relief when he and Asena went to help with the bats instead of staying nearby.
“What the hell happened?” He heard KyuHyun’s voice not that far away.
“We were attacked, what did it look like,” SungMin replied. “Not one of yours, I take it?”
“Most certainly not,” Zhou Mi protested. “We have no bat spirit, and it was attacking us too. We’ll have to bring Henry to the hospital now. What of KyuJong?”
There was silence for a moment. KyuJong was too tired to open his eyes and see what was going on. “Yuetu says he’ll be fine,” SungMin answered finally. “He just overdid it a little. Well, Hae? Any word from Abaia?”
DongHae gave a frustrated sigh. “He lost the bat. Chased him halfway across the city too.”
“So what about what we actually came out here for?” KyuHyun demanded, apparently disliking being out of the loop.
KyuJong finally opened his eyes, blinking past the blurriness. SungMin, KyuHyun and Zhou Mi were talking not far away, DongHae pacing the roof beside them. MinSeok, Yixing and Zitao had taken up a corner of the roof, resting with their spirit beasts.
Zhou Mi held his raccoon spirit in his arms. “I know nothing about Keepers in comas, and it’s impossible Zitao would be the one at fault. You said the attack with the wolf happened earlier this night, right?” When SungMin nodded, Zhou Mi’s ever-present smile became a frown. “Zitao was with us all night, and so was Asena. Not that she could take any challenges without him. I’m afraid you have the wrong wolf.”
SungMin and KyuHyun glanced at each other. “…Don’t look at me, I have no idea who else it could be,” KyuHyun sighed, rubbing one hand through his hair. “And as for the bat…it could be Olitiau?”
“Who?” DongHae turned around, frowning. “Olitiau? I thought he was in South America? Hasn’t taken a Keeper here in Seoul since Moon JungHyuk.”
“More importantly, why would Olitiau be attacking us,” KyuHyun folded his arms across his chest. “We’ll have to ask Daniel, he knew JungHyuk while he was a Keeper.”
The sky was slowly lightening overhead; dawn was coming. And with it, the sound of sirens.
“We should move,” SungMin sighed, glancing in the direction of the noise. “Someone must have heard the commotion and called the cops.”
Zhou Mi called out to the other Hunters in Mandarin before turning back to SungMin and KyuHyun. “I will keep an ear open for this wolf you’re looking for. It’s none of our business, but I dislike the idea of Keepers put in comas.”
KyuHyun nodded, turning back towards the stairs. “Watch for that damn bat too. Whether it’s Olitiau or not.”
DongHae made his way over to KyuJong and KiBum, smiling at the older of the two. “Come on, time to move.” He helped KyuJong get to his feet.
Staggering and feeling like his legs were made of noodles, KyuJong looked around the rooftop as the others hurriedly made themselves scarce. SungMin and KyuHyun waited at the rooftop door for them. Zitao glanced back at KyuJong, meeting his eyes before disappearing down the stairwell with the other Hunters. Zhou Mi waited for Henry to catch up, talking to him in quiet Mandarin with one arm around his shoulders.
“We’ll have to lay low while the police go by,” SungMin murmured to them as DongHae, KyuJong and KiBum reached the stairwell. “Then we should all get some sleep.”
“What about that bat? And the wolf?” KiBum asked, still a little rattled.
“Nothing we can do about them right now; dawn’s just about here, we won’t see that bat again, and who knows where the wolf is. All we can do now is keep an eye open,” SungMin pushed one hand through his hair. “KyuJong, KiBum, I’ll meet you both on our usual rooftop tomorrow night after work.”
KyuJong nodded, too tired to ask why. DongHae helped him down the stairs and to the elevator. The group made their way to the building’s underground parking lot and stayed there until Anansi gave them the all-clear. By the time they made their way back up onto the street, the sky had lightened up considerably.
“What happened?” KiBum frowned, watching KyuJong stagger as he walked.
“We really need to work on your sync with Pantera, if you didn’t even notice,” SungMin said, looking between them. KyuJong couldn’t decipher the look in the blond-haired man’s eyes. “KyuJong synched with her and took care of the bats attacking you.”
“…He did what?” KiBum’s eyes widened. “But…wait, I’m Pantera’s Keeper, right?”
KyuHyun eyed SungMin. “You never said anything about this to me.”
“You are, and it’s too long a story to explain now,” SungMin said, sighing. “We’ll talk later, KyuHyun. Let’s just get some sleep now, as much as we can, anyways.” He looked towards the rising sun.
DongHae disappeared with a farewell, heading back to his own place. KyuHyun and SungMin accompanied KyuJong and KiBum to their apartment building. “Tomorrow night, don’t forget,” SungMin said, glancing between them. “Good night.”
“More like morning,” KyuHyun said as KyuJong and KiBum headed inside.
As much as KyuJong wanted to sleep the whole day away, especially after the massive energy loss earlier, he did have to go to classes eventually. Even so, he ended up sleeping past his first class of the day, taking advantage of the long gap between that and the next one to get some extra sleep.
Another reason to miss that class was HyungJoon. That was their only class of the day together, and as much as he wanted to see his best friend, HyungJoon still thought he was feverish. It would be easier to explain sleeping in rather than showing up at class apparently fully recovered.
So it was afternoon before KyuJong finally arrived on the university campus, heading towards his class slowly. The extra sleep had done him good; the exhaustion from before was only a dull ache in his bones. Maybe this was something he could get used to the more it happened. He hadn’t really blacked out on the rooftop compared to the other two times, just drifted in and out of awareness.
“Hey, you made it!”
KyuJong yelped when an arm slung around his shoulders, head snapping up. His eyes met DongHae’s, the other man grinning widely and half-hanging off KyuJong’s shoulders. “I was wondering if you’d show up today. Feeling better?”
“Yeah,” KyuJong nodded, startled by DongHae’s sudden appearance.
“Good, good. I have someone I want you to meet. Hey, get over here!”
KyuJong was spun around, protesting the whole time. Staggering to avoid falling on his ass, he found himself looking at a very familiar face.
“Uh…hi. My name’s HyukJae.”
Standing right in front of him, shifting awkwardly from foot to foot, was HyukJae. There was no spark of recognition in his eyes, but he wore a bright gummy smile nonetheless.
“Hyukkie here is in a couple of my classes,” DongHae was saying, tone nonchalant. As if he wasn’t re-introducing KyuJong to the man who had been one of his close friends. “He’s been kinda on his own, so I offered to help him make some friends. So, HyukJae, this is KyuJong! He’s a little too polite for his own good, but he’s a decent guy.”
“…I didn’t think you could be too polite,” KyuJong blinked, before his shoulders eased and he smiled back at HyukJae. “Nice to meet you.”
HyukJae’s uncertain smile softened and became more genuine. “Same. You’re nicer than the other guy he tried to introduce me to.”
“Other guy?” KyuJong glanced at DongHae, whose smile had frozen a little.
“I told you, Su’s just awkward around people he doesn’t know. He’s a great guy,” DongHae nudged HyukJae’s side, earning a sputter and a blush. “We’ll try again later. You’ve got class now, right Kyu? Let’s go get something to eat, Hyuk.”
“Uh…see you later?” HyukJae called over his shoulder to KyuJong as he was towed away.
KyuJong wished Abaia was around; he wanted to ask just what had happened between JunSu and HyukJae. Watching them go, he did feel a small smile form on his lips. He’d been worried HyukJae would be lost and alone without memory of his friends, but DongHae was obviously taking care of that.
Turning to continue, KyuJong stopped at a burst of purple light in his side vision. He turned towards it, already knowing what he’d see. A figure ducked back around the edge of one of the buildings, the purple glow following him.
Sighing softly, KyuJong stuffed his hands in his pockets and walked in that direction. He stepped around the edge of the building. “Hey…you okay?”
“Just fine.” JunSu looked away from KyuJong. His voice was strained. KyuJong watched him sit down on the ground with his back against the building. After a moment of debating, KyuJong sat down next to him. He didn’t say anything, just watching Muninn fly around overhead.
“It’s just…different now,” JunSu said finally after a few minutes of silence. “I don’t know what to say to him. Not without coming across like a creep or something.”
“What happened before?” KyuJong asked softly.
JunSu closed his eyes. “DongHae tried to introduce…re-introduce us. I panicked, snapped at them both and ran. I shouldn’t have done that…but I’m not DongHae. I don’t know how to start over from square one.”
”You’re scared of it, you mean,” spoke a voice KyuJong didn’t recognize. Muninn landed on the ground in front of them, pecking at JunSu’s leg with his beak.
“Ow.” JunSu pretended to kick at the crow, obviously missing. “Shut it.”
“What does he mean?” KyuJong asked.
JunSu blinked, glancing at KyuJong. “…You can hear him?” He sighed loudly and rested his head back against the brick wall, looking up at the sky. “I’m assuming DongHae’s already told you I’m a Twice-Blessed, right?”
“…A what?”
“Twice-Blessed. Someone with enough spiritual energy to have more than one spirit beast in their lifetime.” JunSu snorted a little. “More like Twice-Cursed, but yeah. That’s the name they gave us. Muninn is my second spirit beast.”
“Oh…DongHae told me about that,” KyuJong nodded. “He didn’t call you a Twice-Blessed, but he told me about your…dolphin spirit, was it?”
“Yeah. At least, that’s what he told me. Do you know what that even feels like? Believing you know everything there is to know about yourself, who you are, and suddenly finding out there’s this massive hole spanning years in your memory? A hole you didn’t even know was there, because your mind filled in the gaps for you?”
JunSu picked at the grass beside him. “It’s the most terrifying feeling I’ve ever known. I don’t know the difference between someone I knew then and a complete stranger. Certainly I didn’t recognize DongHae the first time we met.” He paused, then snorted. “I say ‘first time we met’, but that isn’t true. See what I mean?”
KyuJong nodded slowly. “So…you’re scared to be friends with HyukJae again, because he doesn’t remember you?” He asked quietly.
“I’m scared because…in my mind, we’re still best friends. I’ve known him for years, I know practically everything about him. How am I supposed to pretend I don’t know him? If I slip up, he’ll think I’m some sort of stalker. I…don’t know what I’d do if that friendship doesn’t come back.”
JunSu’s shoulders had hunched, and he sniffled quietly. KyuJong hesitantly put one hand on his shoulder.
“He doesn’t know me,” JunSu whispered, blinking rapidly. “It hurts. And I forgot all my old friends the same way. How many of them passed me by every single day only to be ignored? Did any of them ever approach me to be friends and I just brushed them off? I can’t remember. I can’t remember.”
He was crying softly now. KyuJong wrapped his arm more securely around the other man, and JunSu leaned into him. Neither of them said anything after that, KyuJong just trying to offer some measure of comfort to the distraught Keeper.
He could see why JunSu would think he was cursed instead of blessed.
KyuJong ended up being late to his next class, but he couldn’t really feel guilty for it. He’d stayed with JunSu as long as the crow Keeper had needed to get himself back under control, offering a shoulder to cry on and an ear to listen. He thought that after this, he understood JunSu a little more. Why he’d always seemed so distant and unfriendly, why he refused to take challenges and why he distanced himself from those who would.
He liked to think that after this, JunSu would trust him more, but it wasn’t safe to make any assumptions like that. At least JunSu would know KyuJong was around to offer support if he needed it. He hoped DongHae understood why JunSu acted the way he did too, and didn’t hold it against him. They’d known each other for a long time after all, even if JunSu could only remember half of it.
There was no sign of HyungJoon throughout the day, the younger man not waiting outside KyuJong’s last class like he usually did. Sighing and figuring HyungJoon thought KyuJong was still at home sick, he shouldered his pack and headed back to his apartment. There was still some time before he was to meet SungMin, so he’d make something to eat.
He’d barely stepped into the apartment and shut the door behind him when a loud knocking made him jump. Blinking as he slid his backpack off and dropped it to the side, he opened the door again.
HyungJoon stood on the other side, KiBum looking totally confused behind him. “Hey, Kyu,” HyungJoon smiled at him. The smile was strained. “Can we come in?” He had a grip on KiBum’s arm.
“Sure?” KyuJong mirrored KiBum’s look of confusion, stepping aside. The two brothers filed in. “What’s going on?”
“I just want to talk to you for a minute.”
Shrugging, KyuJong closed the door behind them and went to sit down. “Okay, take a seat.”
HyungJoon was holding onto a bag tightly in his other hand as he steered KiBum to a chair before taking one himself. Pantera appeared out of the shadows, laying down beside KiBum’s chair and yawning widely. KyuJong had to stop himself from smiling at her, instead watching HyungJoon. “What’s bothering you?”
HyungJoon’s lips thinned and he looked down at the floor, seeming to argue with himself. Finally he reached into the bag he’d brought. “What’s this, Kyu?”
He pulled out KyuJong’s journal on spirit beasts.
KyuJong’s eyes slowly widened, heart plummeting. “You…where did you get that?”
“Last night,” HyungJoon said tersely. “It was sitting open on your table when KiBum brought you back here. What’s all this about?”
“What? What’s in there?” KiBum blinked, looking between them.
“A lot of stuff,” HyungJoon answered before KyuJong could. “Stories about snake spirits and talking rabbits. Shadow panthers. What’s going on, Kyu?” He was scowling now. “You writing a story or something? What’s KiBum’s name doing in here?”
KiBum had paled, realizing just what was in the journal. KyuJong swallowed thickly at the look he was getting. “Joon…it’s…th-that’s personal, why were you looking through my stuff in the first place!”
“I shouldn’t have been. But Kyu…I’m worried about you. Are you okay? Are you not feeling well? We can go to the hospital-“
“Wait…you think I’m crazy?” KyuJong asked in disbelief.
“What else am I supposed to think?” HyungJoon demanded. “You’re seeing things! And bringing my brother into this… Saying he sees them too? KiBum, you don’t believe a word of this, do you?”
“I…” KiBum faltered, looking at KyuJong with wide, alarmed eyes. He was stuck; not wanting his brother to think he was crazy too. “Can’t we just…drop it? It’s not hurting anyone.”
“Yet. You think I didn’t notice you both disappearing last night?” HyungJoon’s lips thinned. “This is just some sort of misunderstanding, right? You don’t actually think there’s…animal spirits wandering around Seoul, right?”
KiBum looked down at Pantera before drawing himself up. Sensing what her Keeper was about to say, Pantera stood and put herself between the two brothers. “Hyung…I…I do. They’re called spirit beasts. I do see them, just like KyuJong, and they’re real.”
HyungJoon looked back at his little brother with wide eyes, obviously not expecting KiBum to agree to the insane ideas written down in the journal. “KiBum…you’re joking, right. This is just some sort of game. Not very funny, but okay, if you guys are into some sort of weird roleplaying thing, just tell me.”
“It’s not a roleplaying thing,” KiBum replied, voice becoming annoyed. “They’re real…Pantera, Yuetu, whoever else you read about in there, they’re real!”
HyungJoon stood up, looking at them both in disbelief. “You expect me to believe in make-believe animals-GWAH!” Pantera headbutted his legs and the older brother fell onto his ass, not expecting to be hit by something invisible.
“Hyung!” KiBum stood up quickly, KyuJong only a second behind. “Are you okay?”
“What just…” HyungJoon let out a shriek of surprise; Pantera was licking his knee with her rough tongue. He scampered back away from the spirit beast and hit the chair, yelping again.
“Pan-Pantera!” KiBum exclaimed, forgetting himself for a second. “Stop- You just-“ He tried to pull the panther spirit away from his brother, but she was completely focused on her task of washing his knee.
KyuJong tried to imagine what the scene looked like for HyungJoon now: First being knocked over, then feeling an invisible cat’s tongue as his little brother talked to something that wasn’t there. HyungJoon’s eyes couldn’t get much bigger, and KyuJong worried he was going to pass out right then and there.
“What’s that!?” He tried to fend off the invisible spirit, kicking Pantera. The panther snarled before lunging forward to sprawl herself over both of HyungJoon’s legs, effectively trapping and preventing him from kicking her again.
“That’s…” KiBum looked helplessly down at Pantera, who was stretched out on HyungJoon’s legs like an oversized house cat, before sighing and looking at his brother. “HyungJoon, meet Pantera. My spirit beast.”
Clunk.
KyuJong sighed. “Aaand he’s down.” They’d have a lot of explaining to do, whenever HyungJoon woke up.