[FIC] Sixth Sense & Sensibility [1/3]
Sixth Sense & Sensibility [1/3]
Yunho/Jaejoong (Yoochun/Junsu)
PG-13 this part.
Yunho, Jaejoong and Changmin share a gift and use it to kick some paranormal ass.
Humour/Crack/Fluff/...Porn? 8D
This fic is for nullspace♥ who has already read part 1, but I hope this makes her smile anyway :*
Loosely based around the concept of Ghostbusters and Ghost Whisperer. Um, warning: Yoochun and Junsu are ghosts. But more Patrick Swayze than Bloody Mary. ;D
When eight year old Kim Jaejoong wakes up one night to see his grandma smiling at him from the doorway, he knows he’s special. She waves at him and winks conspiratorially. Jaejoong grins, waves back and rolls over to go back to sleep.
Grandma Kim died three weeks ago.
-
“Fuck,” says Jaejoong, twenty-one year old college student. He rubs his head where he bashed it on the top shelf in the fridge and winces. Standing up, he eyes the peanut gallery around him. “I know where the milk is, you don’t all have to shout at me.”
Frank, a Korean-American, raises a pale eyebrow. “Whatever,” he says in badly-accent Korean. “You were in there for two minutes. I was dying inside.”
Jooeun laughs loudly next to him. “Nice one!” she says, reaching out to pat Frank on the back. Jaejoong winces again as her hand reappears through Frank’s chest. It’s not that Jaejoong hasn’t seen this kind of thing a million times before, but it still freaks him the fuck out sometimes. Especially first thing in the morning when he’s not all there, brain-wise.
“Can’t I get a single moment of peace?” Jaejoong grumbles, locating the milk and plucking it out of the fridge sulkily.
Daekwan shrugs and smiles calmly. “You could always just ignore us, Jaejoong-sshi. You choose to see us and respond.”
Jaejoong glares darkly. “How can I possibly ignore a roomful of ghosts shouting at me that the milk is on the back of the second shelf?”
Daekwan just shrugs again and wanders off. Jaejoong sighs heavily and starts to make his morning cup of coffee, his only salvation. Daekwan reappears, his smile less calm and more excited than before. “There’s someone approaching the door!” he says, pointing uselessly at the front door.
Jaejoong sighs even louder and puts his coffee cup down with more force than necessary. He stalks over to the door and pauses, waiting for the impending knock before opening - he doesn’t want to scare anyone and add flame to the rumours that Kim Jaejoong is psychic. There is a firm rap on the door and Jaejoong pulls it open, trying to school his features into some semblance of a friendly expression.
“Hi! I’m handing out flyers for the new Chinese restaurant in Hongdae,” the person on the other side says. Tall, male, dyed caramel blonde hair, and the whitest smile Jaejoong’s ever seen. The guy then looks past Jaejoong and waves. “Hi there!”
There is a collective, deathly silence. And this is how Kim Jaejoong learns that Jung Yunho, sports student, can also see ghosts.
-
“You want a cookie or something?” Yunho asks a week later, shouting across the busy café at Jaejoong. Jaejoong cringes and shakes his head vigorously. Yunho shrugs and turns back to finish their order.
Jaejoong is still kind of gobsmacked every time he talks to Yunho. Not only because Yunho can see Jaejoong’s ghosts, but because he’s so nice and friendly about it. They’ve met up five times in seven days and Jaejoong’s head spins every time from the questions Yunho fires at him. Mostly because Yunho doesn’t even ask about the ghosts. Instead, he asks about Jaejoong’s studies, his parents and his hobbies. Jaejoong, to be quite honest, is freaked out. He’s also all kinds of attracted to Yunho with his bright smile and natural tan. Yunho, of course, is oblivious.
“There you go,” Yunho says brightly. He sets down a black filter coffee and a raisin and oatmeal cookie down in front of Jaejoong. Jaejoong raises an eyebrow. Yunho shrugs. “What? You look like you need one.”
“Thanks,” Jaejoong replies sullenly. “Didn’t you get one?”
Yunho grins and shakes his head. “Can’t. I’m watching my weight this week.”
Jaejoong rakes his eyes over Yunho’s form and scoffs lightly. Yunho has the perfect male physique, or at least that’s what Jaejoong thinks. Secretly. They drink coffee in silence for a few minutes, Jaejoong picking moodily at the raisins in his cookie between sips.
Yunho puts his cup down and rests his chin on his palm. “What’s up? You’re all quiet and brooding.”
“I’m not brooding,” Jaejoong says indignantly. “I just think it’s weird that you haven’t asked me about the ghosts yet.” He pauses and mentally slaps himself for thinking out loud.
Yunho, however, grins excitedly. “I was wondering when you’d ask.”
Jaejoong stares at him for a second. “Me?” he splutters. “You’re the one who saw my ghosts and didn’t say anything.”
Yunho laughs and Jaejoong is suddenly mesmerised by the way Yunho’s eyes crease prettily. “I didn’t want to seem intrusive,” Yunho explains. Then, “Actually, that’s a lie. I wanted to size you up before we swapped stories.”
Jaejoong briefly ponders getting up and leaving. But then he understands. Chances are, he wouldn’t have told Yunho anything if he’d asked straight away. He sighs in resignation. “I guess that’s fair enough,” he admits. “But I think you should tell me your story first, you sneaky bastard.”
“Have you been dying to know?” Yunho teases.
“No,” Jaejoong snaps. “Yes.”
Yunho takes a deep breath and smiles. “A few years ago, two of my friends died in an accident. I didn’t find out until I came back home from school and saw them sitting on my bed.”
Jaejoong doesn’t apologise for Yunho’s loss. He understands, and says, “Did you freak out?”
“Oh man, did I freak out or what,” Yunho chuckles. “It took me a long time to believe them and come to terms with it. Now I’m just grateful that I have them with me.”
Jaejoong finds himself smiling warmly. “That’s a nice story. I mean, not the dying, but that they came back for you. Are there any others?”
Yunho rolls his eyes and nods. “You bet. Once the word got out to the proverbial afterlife, they all came flocking. Mostly they just wander around and I ignore them now.”
“I wish I could ignore mine,” Jaejoong groans. “They’re worse than my mother.”
“How long have you been able to see them?” Yunho asks.
“Since I was eight,” Jaejoong replies. “My grandma died and then three weeks later, she was back. I didn’t freak out at all, though. That was weird. But it just felt like she was keeping me safe.” He looks at Yunho and laughs self-deprecatingly. “Lame, right?”
“Not at all,” Yunho reassures. “Do you want to come back to my place?”
“Excuse me?” Jaejoong blinks from the sudden change of topic. “Um, I-“
Interestingly, Yunho blushes. “I mean, to meet mine. Because I’ve already met yours. And there’s someone else I think you should talk to.”
Jaejoong sighs in relief and smiles. “Of course. I didn’t mean to-“
“It’s fine,” Yunho interrupts, still blushing. “Let’s go.”
Jaejoong downs the last of his lukewarm coffee and grabs his jacket from the back of his chair. They bump shoulders as they stand to leave, both chuckling at their awkwardness. Jaejoong doesn’t know how or why Jung Yunho happened, but he can’t help the excitement in his chest as he goes to learn a little more about Yunho’s life.
-
When Yunho pushes open his front door, Jaejoong is suddenly glued to the spot at the sight of two boys wrapped up in each other. They’re standing in the middle of the hallway, arms around each other and faces aligned in a kiss. Jaejoong immediately senses that they’re ghosts. On closer inspection, Jaejoong can see that their touch is an illusion, tiny gaps between their lips and hands and bodies. In age, they look to be in their late teens.
Yunho clears his throat loudly. “Do you mind?”
The boys break apart gracefully and one of them seems to sigh heavily. The other smiles and Jaejoong thinks he suddenly looks very much alive.
“Sorry about this, Jaejoong,” Yunho apologises. He ushers Jaejoong into the apartment and closes the door, sending a glare to the two boy-ghosts. “They have no sense of shame.”
Jaejoong watches Yunho as he talks and notes the fond expression. Somehow he knows that these are Yunho’s dead highschool friends. The two who died in an accident. “It’s fine,” Jaejoong insists, smiling.
“Ha!” the smiling ghost exclaims loudly. “See? It’s-what? He can see us?”
Both boys turn and gawp at Jaejoong, who gives them a little embarrassed wave. “Uh, hi! I’m Jaejoong.”
The boys continue to stare and Yunho sighs loudly. “This is Junsu and Yoochun. Junsu is the smiley annoying one and Yoochun is the tortured soul.”
“Hey!” Junsu and Yoochun chorus, turning in perfect sync to glare at Yunho. Jaejoong coughs to hide his smile. “Can you really see us?” Junsu queries, moving closer to peer at Jaejoong. “That is so cool! Usually we’re just stuck with Yunho and Changmin and they’re booooring.”
“Hey!” Yunho protests. “I’m not boring.”
“Yes, you are,” Junsu argues cheerfully. “All you do is sit in your room and read books, or go to school or work. The only fun thing you do is watch porn.”
Yunho blushes fiercely and Jaejoong bites on his knuckles to stop himself laughing out loud.
“Junsu,” Yoochun chides. He smiles apologetically at Jaejoong and bows slightly. “I’m sorry about this. He was always excited about meeting new people.”
Junsu pouts a little. It looks adorable on him and Jaejoong doesn’t miss the way Yoochun and Yunho’s expressions soften. “You don’t agree?” Junsu asks, facing Yoochun. “You know it’s true!”
“Whether it’s true or not is unimportant. It’s rude to say such things in front of Yunho’s new friend. Come on, let’s leave them alone.”
“But-“ Yoochun disappears through a wall and Junsu frowns at the empty space left behind. “Always leaving me,” he mutters.
“I’ll never leave you,” Yoochun’s voice drifts through the wall. “Now come on, stop being a pest.”
“Fine,” Junsu sighs. He grins at Jaejoong. “See you later, Jaejoong!” And then he’s gone.
Jaejoong looks at Yunho, who is rubbing his temples, and laughs. “They’re hilarious.”
Yunho spares him a withering glance and groans. “They’re a handful, even dead. Come on, let’s get a drink.”
Jaejoong follows him into the kitchen and sits down when Yunho gestures to one of the chairs around a small circular table. He watches for a moment as Yunho potters around making some Japanese style green tea, then averts his gaze and looks around the kitchen. There’s a photo of Yoochun, Yunho and Junsu stuck to the fridge with a magnet. Jaejoong feels the air stutter next to his arm and turns to smile at a young girl who sits up on the chair next to him. “Hello there,” he says quietly.
She beams back at him. Jaejoong notices that two of her bottom teeth are missing. “Hello,” she replies brightly. “Who are you?”
Yunho whips around and yells, “Eunbi!” so happily that it scares Jaejoong momentarily.
“Yunho!” she shrieks, bouncing in the chair.
Yunho brings over his and Jaejoong’s tea, then sits in the chair next to Eunbi. “Where have you been, sweetie?” he asks her, smiling then pulling a funny face.
Eunbi giggles and answers, “I went to see my parents. Daddy was trying to cook, it was funny.”
Yunho laughs and takes a sip of tea. “Poor Daddy, huh?”
Eunbi points at Jaejoong. “Who’s this?”
“I’m Jaejoong,” Jaejoong answers. “Nice to meet you.”
“You can see ghosts too?” she questions, staring at Jaejoong in awe.
Jaejoong leans closer to her and whispers, “Only the pretty ones.”
Yunho and Eunbi share a look and then laugh at the same time. “Ignore Jaejoong, he’s a big creep,” Yunho tells her seriously, glancing up and winking at Jaejoong. “Why don’t you go find Junsu? He’s probably annoying Yoochun somewhere.”
Eunbi’s eyes light up and she disappears suddenly. Jaejoong sits back and grins at Yunho. “She’s cute. Did she find you?”
Yunho nods. “She died the day I moved into this apartment. Her parents live downstairs.”
Jaejoong studies Yunho’s face carefully for a few seconds before taking a long sip from his cup of tea. “You didn’t tell me Yoochun and Junsu were together,” he says quietly.
Yunho shrugs and stares down into his own cup. “I didn’t know if you’d be okay with it.”
“Yunho, I’m more than okay with it,” Jaejoong insists. He smiles when Yunho looks up. “They look good as a couple. I can already see how much they adore each other.”
Yunho mirrors Jaejoong’s smile, tinged with relief. “They are sickeningly cute. And also the most irritating people in the world.”
“But you love them?”
“I love them,” Yunho says firmly. He checks his wristwatch suddenly. “And I have to make a phone call. Changmin is late.”
“Changmin?”
“My roommate. He can see ghosts too, he wants to meet you,” Yunho explains. He stands up to leave. “Finish your tea if you want, or you can just watch some television. I won’t be long.”
Jaejoong shakes his head. “Actually, is it okay if I go for a smoke somewhere? Bad habit, I’m afraid.”
Yunho directs him through the living room to a tiny balcony before going to make his phone call. Jaejoong leans against the rough cement and lights up. He’s barely taken his first drag when the air changes and someone appears beside him. “Hey,” he says, nodding at Yoochun. “How’s it going?”
Yoochun smiles warmly. “Good. I left Junsu with Eunbi. She said she spoke to you.”
Jaejoong breathes out a long plume of smoke. “Yeah, she’s adorable.” He taps away some ash before continuing, “So is Junsu. You guys make a cute couple.”
Yoochun seems to glow, or get brighter at the mention of Junsu. “Junsu is definitely special,” he says softly. “We wind each other up but no one else ever made me laugh as much as Junsu.”
The words strike a cord in Jaejoong’s heart. “How long have you been together?”
“Since the day we died,” Yoochun replies.
The answer makes Jaejoong frown. “Not before?”
Yoochun ponders the question for a moment. “I think we were always in love. We just didn’t know it until right before our hearts stopped.”
Jaejoong stubs out the remainder of his cigarette and throws it over the balcony edge. “That’s so tragic,” he murmurs.
Yoochun laughs. “Maybe. But now we know, and I have him with me forever.”
“And I have you,” Junsu says, appearing through the glass door. “You sentimental loser.”
Yoochun mimes a tear running down his face and Jaejoong laughs. They really are a cute couple. He says, “So if you’re together now, why haven’t you passed on?”
Junsu’s face creases in thought. “That part is a mystery. Maybe we’re just waiting for something, or we’re here for a purpose. To look after Yunho? To wait for that one moment of true love?”
Jaejoong holds his breath, waiting for Yoochun to tease Junsu. Instead, all Yoochun does is reach out and rest his palm next to Junsu’s face. “You never told me that before,” he whispers.
Junsu shrugs and looks embarrassed. “You never asked.”
Jaejoong slips away as quiet as he can, smiling to himself. Suspended in the afterlife and waiting for true love. It’s a tragic concept, but at least Yoochun and Junsu have each other for company.
“Everything okay?” Yunho asks, stepping out of a room to the left and closing the door behind him.
Jaejoong is about to reply when a tall, handsome stranger saunters through into the living room. “Sorry I’m late,” the stranger says. “Traffic sucked.” He turns and notices Jaejoong. “Oh, hey! You must be Jaejoong. I’m Changmin.”
“Oh, hello.” Jaejoong bows in greeting. “Nice to meet you.”
Changmin slings his bag onto a beaten up old couch by the wall and slumps down next to it. He eyes Jaejoong. “So Yunho tells me you can see ghosts.”
Yunho sighs and rubs his temples again. “Yes, Changmin, my day was fine. And obviously you’re pleased to meet Jaejoong.”
Changmin looks at Yunho as if he’s crazy, then turns back to Jaejoong. “How long have you been seeing them? Yunho hasn’t told me, even though he’s been talking about you non-stop for a week.”
“Changmin!” Yunho yelps. “Great time to lose your finesse. Jaejoong, have a seat, please. Ignore everything he says about me.”
Jaejoong sits down next to Changmin and chuckles. He’s not quite sure if he likes the kid yet, but what he does like is an adorably flustered Yunho. “You gonna sit down too?” he teases.
Yunho walks over and sinks down on the other side of Jaejoong. “I’m really sorry,” he says genuinely. “I didn’t think you’d get so much thrown at you within half an hour of stepping into my apartment.”
“Are you kidding?” Jaejoong retorts. “This is the most fun I’ve had in weeks. And I’ve been seeing ghosts since I was eight and my grandmother died,” he directs at Changmin.
Changmin’s face lights up. “So you’ve got a lot of experience? Have you ever met a bad ghost?”
“A bad ghost?” Jaejoong queries. “Like an evil one?” Changmin nods and Jaejoong tries to remember if he has. “I don’t think so. I’ve met really annoying ones, but never a bad one.”
“Annoying is normal,” Changmin deadpans. “We live with Junsu. So you’ve never had to banish a bad ghost or spirit?”
“I didn’t think you could banish a ghost,” Jaejoong replies, confused. “I would have sent Frank away years ago.”
Changmin ignores the mention of Frank but he brightens up again, a slow smile spreading across his face. “Forgive my abrupt approach, Jaejoong, but I believe you’re something special. I think it was fate that you and Yunho met.”
Jaejoong glances at Yunho uncertainly and then back at Changmin. “Er, thanks? You believe in fate and all that crap?”
“If I believe in ghosts, and can see them,” Changmin reasons, “why wouldn’t I believe in fate?”
Jaejoong has absolutely no response to that, so he just nods. “Fair enough. Why did you want to meet me?”
Changmin seems positively gleeful as he says, “Yunho and I are part of an organisation which banishes evil spirits from those they haunt. We’d like you to be our third member.”
“O-organisation?”
Yunho pats Jaejoong’s shoulder consolingly. Changmin rifles around in his bag and pulls out a business card. He hands it to Jaejoong proudly.
“Gostubastuhs?” Jaejoong reads out the English word on the card.
“Precisely!” Changmin exclaims happily.
And this is the day that Kim Jaejoong, twenty-one year old college student, becomes a Ghost Buster.
Yunho/Jaejoong (Yoochun/Junsu)
PG-13 this part.
Yunho, Jaejoong and Changmin share a gift and use it to kick some paranormal ass.
Humour/Crack/Fluff/...Porn? 8D
This fic is for nullspace♥ who has already read part 1, but I hope this makes her smile anyway :*
Loosely based around the concept of Ghostbusters and Ghost Whisperer. Um, warning: Yoochun and Junsu are ghosts. But more Patrick Swayze than Bloody Mary. ;D
When eight year old Kim Jaejoong wakes up one night to see his grandma smiling at him from the doorway, he knows he’s special. She waves at him and winks conspiratorially. Jaejoong grins, waves back and rolls over to go back to sleep.
Grandma Kim died three weeks ago.
-
“Fuck,” says Jaejoong, twenty-one year old college student. He rubs his head where he bashed it on the top shelf in the fridge and winces. Standing up, he eyes the peanut gallery around him. “I know where the milk is, you don’t all have to shout at me.”
Frank, a Korean-American, raises a pale eyebrow. “Whatever,” he says in badly-accent Korean. “You were in there for two minutes. I was dying inside.”
Jooeun laughs loudly next to him. “Nice one!” she says, reaching out to pat Frank on the back. Jaejoong winces again as her hand reappears through Frank’s chest. It’s not that Jaejoong hasn’t seen this kind of thing a million times before, but it still freaks him the fuck out sometimes. Especially first thing in the morning when he’s not all there, brain-wise.
“Can’t I get a single moment of peace?” Jaejoong grumbles, locating the milk and plucking it out of the fridge sulkily.
Daekwan shrugs and smiles calmly. “You could always just ignore us, Jaejoong-sshi. You choose to see us and respond.”
Jaejoong glares darkly. “How can I possibly ignore a roomful of ghosts shouting at me that the milk is on the back of the second shelf?”
Daekwan just shrugs again and wanders off. Jaejoong sighs heavily and starts to make his morning cup of coffee, his only salvation. Daekwan reappears, his smile less calm and more excited than before. “There’s someone approaching the door!” he says, pointing uselessly at the front door.
Jaejoong sighs even louder and puts his coffee cup down with more force than necessary. He stalks over to the door and pauses, waiting for the impending knock before opening - he doesn’t want to scare anyone and add flame to the rumours that Kim Jaejoong is psychic. There is a firm rap on the door and Jaejoong pulls it open, trying to school his features into some semblance of a friendly expression.
“Hi! I’m handing out flyers for the new Chinese restaurant in Hongdae,” the person on the other side says. Tall, male, dyed caramel blonde hair, and the whitest smile Jaejoong’s ever seen. The guy then looks past Jaejoong and waves. “Hi there!”
There is a collective, deathly silence. And this is how Kim Jaejoong learns that Jung Yunho, sports student, can also see ghosts.
-
“You want a cookie or something?” Yunho asks a week later, shouting across the busy café at Jaejoong. Jaejoong cringes and shakes his head vigorously. Yunho shrugs and turns back to finish their order.
Jaejoong is still kind of gobsmacked every time he talks to Yunho. Not only because Yunho can see Jaejoong’s ghosts, but because he’s so nice and friendly about it. They’ve met up five times in seven days and Jaejoong’s head spins every time from the questions Yunho fires at him. Mostly because Yunho doesn’t even ask about the ghosts. Instead, he asks about Jaejoong’s studies, his parents and his hobbies. Jaejoong, to be quite honest, is freaked out. He’s also all kinds of attracted to Yunho with his bright smile and natural tan. Yunho, of course, is oblivious.
“There you go,” Yunho says brightly. He sets down a black filter coffee and a raisin and oatmeal cookie down in front of Jaejoong. Jaejoong raises an eyebrow. Yunho shrugs. “What? You look like you need one.”
“Thanks,” Jaejoong replies sullenly. “Didn’t you get one?”
Yunho grins and shakes his head. “Can’t. I’m watching my weight this week.”
Jaejoong rakes his eyes over Yunho’s form and scoffs lightly. Yunho has the perfect male physique, or at least that’s what Jaejoong thinks. Secretly. They drink coffee in silence for a few minutes, Jaejoong picking moodily at the raisins in his cookie between sips.
Yunho puts his cup down and rests his chin on his palm. “What’s up? You’re all quiet and brooding.”
“I’m not brooding,” Jaejoong says indignantly. “I just think it’s weird that you haven’t asked me about the ghosts yet.” He pauses and mentally slaps himself for thinking out loud.
Yunho, however, grins excitedly. “I was wondering when you’d ask.”
Jaejoong stares at him for a second. “Me?” he splutters. “You’re the one who saw my ghosts and didn’t say anything.”
Yunho laughs and Jaejoong is suddenly mesmerised by the way Yunho’s eyes crease prettily. “I didn’t want to seem intrusive,” Yunho explains. Then, “Actually, that’s a lie. I wanted to size you up before we swapped stories.”
Jaejoong briefly ponders getting up and leaving. But then he understands. Chances are, he wouldn’t have told Yunho anything if he’d asked straight away. He sighs in resignation. “I guess that’s fair enough,” he admits. “But I think you should tell me your story first, you sneaky bastard.”
“Have you been dying to know?” Yunho teases.
“No,” Jaejoong snaps. “Yes.”
Yunho takes a deep breath and smiles. “A few years ago, two of my friends died in an accident. I didn’t find out until I came back home from school and saw them sitting on my bed.”
Jaejoong doesn’t apologise for Yunho’s loss. He understands, and says, “Did you freak out?”
“Oh man, did I freak out or what,” Yunho chuckles. “It took me a long time to believe them and come to terms with it. Now I’m just grateful that I have them with me.”
Jaejoong finds himself smiling warmly. “That’s a nice story. I mean, not the dying, but that they came back for you. Are there any others?”
Yunho rolls his eyes and nods. “You bet. Once the word got out to the proverbial afterlife, they all came flocking. Mostly they just wander around and I ignore them now.”
“I wish I could ignore mine,” Jaejoong groans. “They’re worse than my mother.”
“How long have you been able to see them?” Yunho asks.
“Since I was eight,” Jaejoong replies. “My grandma died and then three weeks later, she was back. I didn’t freak out at all, though. That was weird. But it just felt like she was keeping me safe.” He looks at Yunho and laughs self-deprecatingly. “Lame, right?”
“Not at all,” Yunho reassures. “Do you want to come back to my place?”
“Excuse me?” Jaejoong blinks from the sudden change of topic. “Um, I-“
Interestingly, Yunho blushes. “I mean, to meet mine. Because I’ve already met yours. And there’s someone else I think you should talk to.”
Jaejoong sighs in relief and smiles. “Of course. I didn’t mean to-“
“It’s fine,” Yunho interrupts, still blushing. “Let’s go.”
Jaejoong downs the last of his lukewarm coffee and grabs his jacket from the back of his chair. They bump shoulders as they stand to leave, both chuckling at their awkwardness. Jaejoong doesn’t know how or why Jung Yunho happened, but he can’t help the excitement in his chest as he goes to learn a little more about Yunho’s life.
-
When Yunho pushes open his front door, Jaejoong is suddenly glued to the spot at the sight of two boys wrapped up in each other. They’re standing in the middle of the hallway, arms around each other and faces aligned in a kiss. Jaejoong immediately senses that they’re ghosts. On closer inspection, Jaejoong can see that their touch is an illusion, tiny gaps between their lips and hands and bodies. In age, they look to be in their late teens.
Yunho clears his throat loudly. “Do you mind?”
The boys break apart gracefully and one of them seems to sigh heavily. The other smiles and Jaejoong thinks he suddenly looks very much alive.
“Sorry about this, Jaejoong,” Yunho apologises. He ushers Jaejoong into the apartment and closes the door, sending a glare to the two boy-ghosts. “They have no sense of shame.”
Jaejoong watches Yunho as he talks and notes the fond expression. Somehow he knows that these are Yunho’s dead highschool friends. The two who died in an accident. “It’s fine,” Jaejoong insists, smiling.
“Ha!” the smiling ghost exclaims loudly. “See? It’s-what? He can see us?”
Both boys turn and gawp at Jaejoong, who gives them a little embarrassed wave. “Uh, hi! I’m Jaejoong.”
The boys continue to stare and Yunho sighs loudly. “This is Junsu and Yoochun. Junsu is the smiley annoying one and Yoochun is the tortured soul.”
“Hey!” Junsu and Yoochun chorus, turning in perfect sync to glare at Yunho. Jaejoong coughs to hide his smile. “Can you really see us?” Junsu queries, moving closer to peer at Jaejoong. “That is so cool! Usually we’re just stuck with Yunho and Changmin and they’re booooring.”
“Hey!” Yunho protests. “I’m not boring.”
“Yes, you are,” Junsu argues cheerfully. “All you do is sit in your room and read books, or go to school or work. The only fun thing you do is watch porn.”
Yunho blushes fiercely and Jaejoong bites on his knuckles to stop himself laughing out loud.
“Junsu,” Yoochun chides. He smiles apologetically at Jaejoong and bows slightly. “I’m sorry about this. He was always excited about meeting new people.”
Junsu pouts a little. It looks adorable on him and Jaejoong doesn’t miss the way Yoochun and Yunho’s expressions soften. “You don’t agree?” Junsu asks, facing Yoochun. “You know it’s true!”
“Whether it’s true or not is unimportant. It’s rude to say such things in front of Yunho’s new friend. Come on, let’s leave them alone.”
“But-“ Yoochun disappears through a wall and Junsu frowns at the empty space left behind. “Always leaving me,” he mutters.
“I’ll never leave you,” Yoochun’s voice drifts through the wall. “Now come on, stop being a pest.”
“Fine,” Junsu sighs. He grins at Jaejoong. “See you later, Jaejoong!” And then he’s gone.
Jaejoong looks at Yunho, who is rubbing his temples, and laughs. “They’re hilarious.”
Yunho spares him a withering glance and groans. “They’re a handful, even dead. Come on, let’s get a drink.”
Jaejoong follows him into the kitchen and sits down when Yunho gestures to one of the chairs around a small circular table. He watches for a moment as Yunho potters around making some Japanese style green tea, then averts his gaze and looks around the kitchen. There’s a photo of Yoochun, Yunho and Junsu stuck to the fridge with a magnet. Jaejoong feels the air stutter next to his arm and turns to smile at a young girl who sits up on the chair next to him. “Hello there,” he says quietly.
She beams back at him. Jaejoong notices that two of her bottom teeth are missing. “Hello,” she replies brightly. “Who are you?”
Yunho whips around and yells, “Eunbi!” so happily that it scares Jaejoong momentarily.
“Yunho!” she shrieks, bouncing in the chair.
Yunho brings over his and Jaejoong’s tea, then sits in the chair next to Eunbi. “Where have you been, sweetie?” he asks her, smiling then pulling a funny face.
Eunbi giggles and answers, “I went to see my parents. Daddy was trying to cook, it was funny.”
Yunho laughs and takes a sip of tea. “Poor Daddy, huh?”
Eunbi points at Jaejoong. “Who’s this?”
“I’m Jaejoong,” Jaejoong answers. “Nice to meet you.”
“You can see ghosts too?” she questions, staring at Jaejoong in awe.
Jaejoong leans closer to her and whispers, “Only the pretty ones.”
Yunho and Eunbi share a look and then laugh at the same time. “Ignore Jaejoong, he’s a big creep,” Yunho tells her seriously, glancing up and winking at Jaejoong. “Why don’t you go find Junsu? He’s probably annoying Yoochun somewhere.”
Eunbi’s eyes light up and she disappears suddenly. Jaejoong sits back and grins at Yunho. “She’s cute. Did she find you?”
Yunho nods. “She died the day I moved into this apartment. Her parents live downstairs.”
Jaejoong studies Yunho’s face carefully for a few seconds before taking a long sip from his cup of tea. “You didn’t tell me Yoochun and Junsu were together,” he says quietly.
Yunho shrugs and stares down into his own cup. “I didn’t know if you’d be okay with it.”
“Yunho, I’m more than okay with it,” Jaejoong insists. He smiles when Yunho looks up. “They look good as a couple. I can already see how much they adore each other.”
Yunho mirrors Jaejoong’s smile, tinged with relief. “They are sickeningly cute. And also the most irritating people in the world.”
“But you love them?”
“I love them,” Yunho says firmly. He checks his wristwatch suddenly. “And I have to make a phone call. Changmin is late.”
“Changmin?”
“My roommate. He can see ghosts too, he wants to meet you,” Yunho explains. He stands up to leave. “Finish your tea if you want, or you can just watch some television. I won’t be long.”
Jaejoong shakes his head. “Actually, is it okay if I go for a smoke somewhere? Bad habit, I’m afraid.”
Yunho directs him through the living room to a tiny balcony before going to make his phone call. Jaejoong leans against the rough cement and lights up. He’s barely taken his first drag when the air changes and someone appears beside him. “Hey,” he says, nodding at Yoochun. “How’s it going?”
Yoochun smiles warmly. “Good. I left Junsu with Eunbi. She said she spoke to you.”
Jaejoong breathes out a long plume of smoke. “Yeah, she’s adorable.” He taps away some ash before continuing, “So is Junsu. You guys make a cute couple.”
Yoochun seems to glow, or get brighter at the mention of Junsu. “Junsu is definitely special,” he says softly. “We wind each other up but no one else ever made me laugh as much as Junsu.”
The words strike a cord in Jaejoong’s heart. “How long have you been together?”
“Since the day we died,” Yoochun replies.
The answer makes Jaejoong frown. “Not before?”
Yoochun ponders the question for a moment. “I think we were always in love. We just didn’t know it until right before our hearts stopped.”
Jaejoong stubs out the remainder of his cigarette and throws it over the balcony edge. “That’s so tragic,” he murmurs.
Yoochun laughs. “Maybe. But now we know, and I have him with me forever.”
“And I have you,” Junsu says, appearing through the glass door. “You sentimental loser.”
Yoochun mimes a tear running down his face and Jaejoong laughs. They really are a cute couple. He says, “So if you’re together now, why haven’t you passed on?”
Junsu’s face creases in thought. “That part is a mystery. Maybe we’re just waiting for something, or we’re here for a purpose. To look after Yunho? To wait for that one moment of true love?”
Jaejoong holds his breath, waiting for Yoochun to tease Junsu. Instead, all Yoochun does is reach out and rest his palm next to Junsu’s face. “You never told me that before,” he whispers.
Junsu shrugs and looks embarrassed. “You never asked.”
Jaejoong slips away as quiet as he can, smiling to himself. Suspended in the afterlife and waiting for true love. It’s a tragic concept, but at least Yoochun and Junsu have each other for company.
“Everything okay?” Yunho asks, stepping out of a room to the left and closing the door behind him.
Jaejoong is about to reply when a tall, handsome stranger saunters through into the living room. “Sorry I’m late,” the stranger says. “Traffic sucked.” He turns and notices Jaejoong. “Oh, hey! You must be Jaejoong. I’m Changmin.”
“Oh, hello.” Jaejoong bows in greeting. “Nice to meet you.”
Changmin slings his bag onto a beaten up old couch by the wall and slumps down next to it. He eyes Jaejoong. “So Yunho tells me you can see ghosts.”
Yunho sighs and rubs his temples again. “Yes, Changmin, my day was fine. And obviously you’re pleased to meet Jaejoong.”
Changmin looks at Yunho as if he’s crazy, then turns back to Jaejoong. “How long have you been seeing them? Yunho hasn’t told me, even though he’s been talking about you non-stop for a week.”
“Changmin!” Yunho yelps. “Great time to lose your finesse. Jaejoong, have a seat, please. Ignore everything he says about me.”
Jaejoong sits down next to Changmin and chuckles. He’s not quite sure if he likes the kid yet, but what he does like is an adorably flustered Yunho. “You gonna sit down too?” he teases.
Yunho walks over and sinks down on the other side of Jaejoong. “I’m really sorry,” he says genuinely. “I didn’t think you’d get so much thrown at you within half an hour of stepping into my apartment.”
“Are you kidding?” Jaejoong retorts. “This is the most fun I’ve had in weeks. And I’ve been seeing ghosts since I was eight and my grandmother died,” he directs at Changmin.
Changmin’s face lights up. “So you’ve got a lot of experience? Have you ever met a bad ghost?”
“A bad ghost?” Jaejoong queries. “Like an evil one?” Changmin nods and Jaejoong tries to remember if he has. “I don’t think so. I’ve met really annoying ones, but never a bad one.”
“Annoying is normal,” Changmin deadpans. “We live with Junsu. So you’ve never had to banish a bad ghost or spirit?”
“I didn’t think you could banish a ghost,” Jaejoong replies, confused. “I would have sent Frank away years ago.”
Changmin ignores the mention of Frank but he brightens up again, a slow smile spreading across his face. “Forgive my abrupt approach, Jaejoong, but I believe you’re something special. I think it was fate that you and Yunho met.”
Jaejoong glances at Yunho uncertainly and then back at Changmin. “Er, thanks? You believe in fate and all that crap?”
“If I believe in ghosts, and can see them,” Changmin reasons, “why wouldn’t I believe in fate?”
Jaejoong has absolutely no response to that, so he just nods. “Fair enough. Why did you want to meet me?”
Changmin seems positively gleeful as he says, “Yunho and I are part of an organisation which banishes evil spirits from those they haunt. We’d like you to be our third member.”
“O-organisation?”
Yunho pats Jaejoong’s shoulder consolingly. Changmin rifles around in his bag and pulls out a business card. He hands it to Jaejoong proudly.
“Gostubastuhs?” Jaejoong reads out the English word on the card.
“Precisely!” Changmin exclaims happily.
And this is the day that Kim Jaejoong, twenty-one year old college student, becomes a Ghost Buster.