Listen : Whispers (Chapter 7)
Title: Listen : Whispers
Chapter: [7/?]
Characters: Kyuhyun, Heechul, Yesung, Siwon, Donghae, Hangeng, Eunhyuk other SJ members might join in soon
Pairings: KyuChul, YeWook, past!HanChul, KyuSung_friendship, SiChul_friendship, Kihae and more to come soon
Rating: R
Genre: AU, Supernatural, Drama, Angst
Type: Multi-Chapter
Word Count : 2,950
Warning : Character death, ghostly apparitions?, mature language
Disclaimer : I own many things, but unfortunately Super Junior isn't one of them.
Summary:
After the whole ‘ghost’ incident with Heechul, Kyuhyun thought he would be free from all of the craziness and go back to his normal life as a university student. But when he starts to hear whispers again, nothing is as he expects...especially when so much more is at stake this time.
Listen (Part 1) - in Masterlist
Prologue | Chapter 1 | Chapter 2 | Chapter 3 | Chapter 4 | Chapter 5 | Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Kyuhyun shuddered a little too hard as he watched the pink motorcycle zoom across to the opposite apartment building, newly-fallen white filtering down and covering the rider’s helmet. He shook his head subtly and headed into the apartment elevator, shivering from the dive of temperature with the change of season and something else.
“Leave it there a little while. It’s cold.”
It shouldn’t be bothering him this much. A simple statement or perhaps just a favour to ask for warmth in the cold weather meant nothing more than what it simply just is; a simple favour. But the man also happened to be Kim Heechul, the same one who had pinned him to a wall on their first meeting.
Maybe the cold reminded the mysterious man of his past memories, maybe it was that accident. Or maybe he was just simply cold. Yeah, cold. And so the man was so absorbed with being cold that he just had to hold onto Kyuhyun’s hand for the longest time before finally letting go and heading to the motorcycle without another word. Holding hands between guys in the Korean society isn’t something that strange (sometimes he’d playfully grab his Yesung-hyung’s hand for fun and marvel at the extraordinarily small size when they watched TV together). It was nothing special, nothing out of the norm. So the fact that Kim Heechul had just entwined their fingers together in the cold under the falling snow shouldn’t bother him so much so that he kept pressing the wrong elevator floor button and ended up having to stop at almost every floor before finally reaching his apartment. No, it shouldn’t, but the other fact that he himself didn’t want to let go of Heechul’s hand was the one that really bothered him.
The tingly feeling from before had returned again and Kyuhyun found himself fidgeting more than ever, mind running back again and again with everything that happened that strange day. Finally his long time wish that the man would open up and tell him more about his dealings with the supernatural had come true and his painstaking question as to why he had gotten the ability to hear spirits had been finally answered as well, but somehow their recent ‘development’ from strangers to something so vague and unclear was weighing him down more than anything else.
He flexed his fingers as he fumbled to turn the keys in the door knob, shaking his head furiously when the artistic images that was Heechul’s sad face and fingers laced with his own kept crossing his mind over and over again. A nauseating feeling rose in his chest as he dropped the keys on the side table, legs dragging on as he reached a cold shuddering hand to his mouth. He needed to let it out before it drives him mad. Someone, someone… Yesung-hyung should be in his room by now. Perhaps he would know what was wrong with Kyuhyun and his seemingly sick, sick mind. Very sick; especially when he had the urge to just run over to the opposite apartment and resume what they were doing before in the snow even though it was nothing more than being hand-in-hand.
“Yesung-hyung…Are you asleep? I really really need to talk to you- Oh my-what are you guys doing?!“
Kyuhyun’s stomach threatened to escape his torso as it wrenched to perhaps half its original size when he had barged into something he didn’t think was healthy for his current state of mind. His Yesung-hyung and Ryeowook-ssi was tangled madly in the sheets, limb upon limb, sleepiness still lingering on as they struggled to free themselves from each other at the sudden intrusion that was Kyuhyun. The strange thing was the image that had formed at the back of his mind; he and Heechul…in Yesung and Ryeowook’s current position and how it amused him for a split second before really wanting to throw up at that point.
“Kyuhyun! You’re back!” Yesung said a little too loudly as Ryeowook rummaged through the mess of tangled sheets like he was looking for something. “H-hello, Kyuhyun-ssi. I, err, should be going now,” Ryeowook muttered flusteredly as he tugged at his jacket that Yesung was unfortunately lounging on top.
“Wookie, you’re leaving already?” the frizzy-haired boy said with disappointment. Ryeowook shot him a look as he straightened himself up. “Okay, I’ll accompany you over!” he managed to shout but the shorter man had already sent himself to the front door. “It’s fine, Yesungie-hyung…I’ll see you tomorrow…!” Despite the quick steps and tense air the front door still only closed with a small click, with a sleepy Ddaming a few steps away from the closed door, wondering what had just happened.
“Don’t give me that look! We didn’t do anything!” Yesung exclaimed after his shoulders had drooped with disappointment at Ryeowook’s sudden exit as Kyuhyun clung a little helplessly against the door frame, looking pale from the shock. “Kyuhyun-ah!” But Kyuhyun had already dragged himself wearily into his own room, waving the back of his hand weakly at Yesung.
“You, you don’t have to explain. I’ll just go hide in my room and pretend I didn’t see anything. Well, after I throw everything up.”
“But we really didn’t do anything…?” Yesung scratched his head as he watched the door close with a small slam.
---
A dream inside a dream, Heechul shook his head slightly and scoffed to himself. A bundle moved at the foot of his bed before sprinting its way beside him. Heebum settled down comfortably next to his chest and purred when he reached out to stroke the fur.
Those dreams were no strangers, almost like an old friend who came to visit every now and then, but it didn’t mean that he enjoyed them. But something changed in the dream sequence. Something new, different…Something he couldn’t understand why was there in the first place. How on earth did Cho Kyuhyun end up in his dreams?
He reached out for the clock and glanced all sleepy-eyed at it. It’s 3.47 a.m.
He drew the covers closer and over his head with the sheets balled up in his fist and bit hard on his own lips. With one hand he threw the clock to the floor with a crash, listening to the contents break from inside. But then he regretted it a second later when Heebum shrieked in shock and leaped off the bed. He bit the insides of his cheeks, hoping desperately that it didn’t wake Donghae or Ryeowook up next door. Wookie needs the rest now, more than ever.
With a resigned sigh, he put on a thick sweater and sauntered out of his room. Peering around the dark corridor, he was relieved to find the dark slits under all of his dongsaeng’s room doors. He made his way blindly into his studio room, feeling Heebum staring holes into his back from the corridor. He shut the door and didn’t bother turning on the lights. The dull moonlight streaming in amidst the snowy night already felt too bright for him.
“Bad dream?” A familiar voice with a tinge of sarcasm filled his ears suddenly.
“Go away, Kibum. Go find an old lady to stalk or something. I’m not in the mood.” He reached up a shaky finger to touch his own face wearily, feeling the cold at the tip of his nose.
“I’d bug off soon, since you don’t seem to need me anymore these days again, eh? It went well with the dead pretty girl Victoria, didn’t it? Now that you’ve found a new sidekick to help you out with them. Why have you never considered my feelings? ” The ghost boy pretended to sob. Kibum’s presence had never been so annoying before.
Heechul gritted his teeth and settled at his work table, sweeping off scrunched-up paper balls into a nearby cat-shaped paper bin. “You do realize that you’re dead too? It seems like I haven’t made it clear enough that I don’t really give a damn about how you feel, so don’t even bother trying to make me give a damn. Okay?” He paused to rub away the sting and sleepiness from his eyes. “And he’s not my new sidekick or whatsoever,” he added as an afterthought.
Kibum hopped down from the window seal he was swinging his ghostly legs from. “Don’t deny it, Heechullie. You know very well as much as I do that you’ve found a new toy, who oh-so-lucky also happens to have the ability to help you with your Melinda Gordon-worthy of ghost whisperings. You don’t feel so sick anymore around my kind, do you? But oh, poor, poor Hannie. Being replaced just like-“
A few paint brushes shot across the room and several passed through Kibum’s stomach, falling only to resounding clatters on the floor. Kibum smirked, knowing he had touched a nerve.
“Shut up! Shut up about Hankyung! I told you to go away!” Heechul reached for the empty glass on his desk.
“Okay, fine. But your expression just told me I’m right about it. I’ll just go then. I too, have found a new toy.”
And Heechul felt the presence lifted from the room instantly, leaving him alone finally with the empty air. He furrowed his eyebrows in surprise and crossed his arms; since when the boy had become so compliant to his orders? Even the voice was a tad bit too cheerful than usual. Come to think of it, he hasn’t seen the boy for quite a while now. And what did he meant by a ‘new toy’? Since the flying orb camera Heechul hadn’t bother to bring home anything else for the boy.
He shook his head in fury; the boy just loved to get under his nerves. But even Heechul was surprised at himself tonight; usually he would get a little angry at Kibum’s snide comments and just brush it off the next second, but this was the first time he had resorted to throwing things at the dead boy. Before this he didn’t bother with it, knowing very well it would just pass through and wouldn’t give the boy even a scratch. It must’ve been the bad dreams. Or the exhaustion. Or maybe how Kibum seemed to always have some truth to what he says. He cursed under his breath, furious and frustrated at himself for the confusion he felt inside.
He sat down at his work table and reached for the lone brush rolled off to the side, willing his hands to take control of his mind before a soft rap on the door came, breaking all his concentration, very much to Heechul’s annoyance.“Heechul-hyung?” He sighed before flicking the brush in his hand, letting it bounce helplessly off the board in front of him.
“Come in.”
It was Siwon, clad in a gray-coloured sleeping robe, thick and expressive eyebrows joining almost into a line. He shuffled in hesitantly, looking around the dark room as if searching for something. “He’s not here, if that’s what you’re wondering,” Heechul informed him wearily about Kibum, massaging his leg absent-mindedly.
Siwon let out a breath of relief and didn’t motion to turn on the lights as well. “I heard the sound from your room, but you weren’t inside. I figured you’d be here. Are you having those dreams again?” The tall man resorted to lean against the wall, with his back careful not to touch the painting of a park hanging behind him. “Was I really that loud? Did I wake the other two up?”
Siwon shook his head in assurance as he crossed his arms. “I don’t think so. Donghae sleeps like a log at night after working so hard at the supermarket, and Wookie…well, you know how he sleeps absurdly deep when he’s having problems.”
“Sleeping deep doesn’t mean he’s sleeping well, Siwonnie. The kid’s been through so much. That man doesn’t deserve to even have him by his death bed,” Heechul remarked darkly.
“Hyung, but you…you saw what happened, didn’t you? Between Ryeowook’s parents. The day Mrs Kim…died,”Siwon gulped as Heechul’s cat-like eyes shot him a sharp look despite the tiredness lurking within. “I told you about it before, didn’t I? It makes no difference no matter what I saw. The damage’s done. And now he’s back to ruin Ryeowook’s life again.”
Siwon furrowed his eyebrows in the dark, feeling Heebum encircling his feet from below. “I know, hyung. You’re just trying to protect him, but don’t you think it’s time you let Wookie know about what you saw? Mr Kim is his father, no matter what.”
“It’s not going to change a thing,” Heechul bit the words out. “His mother is dead, and soon is his father. It’s not going to be anymore easier, Siwon. At least this way he has a place for all the hatred to go. It all boils down to Wook’s choice, in the end. If he’s decided to go, then he should.” Siwon nodded solemnly while pursing his lips, knowing with the tone Heechul has let out all he can offer.
“Shouldn’t we be there as well to support him while he sees the old man for the last time? He asked us to go.”
Heechul shrugged his shoulders casually, pretending to flip through his portfolio. “I’ll decide tomorrow. I still have to finish up these book illustrations.”
Siwon sucked in some cold musty air and kept in mind to air the room tomorrow, knowing that Ryeowook wouldn’t have the heart to do it anytime soon. “And you haven’t answered me yet. You’re having dreams of Heejin-noona and Hangeng-hyung again?”
Heechul gritted his teeth and let his head drop into his cupped hands listlessly. “Am I really that predictable?” He sighed and nodded resignedly with his head still in his cold hands.
“I’ve heard you call out their names in your sleep. Funnily, I thought I heard someone else’s name too.” Siwon added a note of suspense as he moved closer to where Heechul was sitting. “Were you out with him today doing dangerous things again?” Siwon questioned, tone of voice suddenly changed into a reprimanding mode.
Heechul cursed, a little more loudly this time. “You’ve been listening outside my door, haven’t you, Choi Siwon?! Am I going to have to build myself some sound-proof walls and doors?” he shouted as Siwon quickly moved over to close the door before the older man blared any louder.
He sighed and shook his head subtly. “I don’t understand what you see in him, hyung. You don’t used to like hanging around him so much. The boy’s snarky and rude. And annoying, wasn’t that what you said before? Or is it because he’s the same as Hangeng-hyung? Have you…given up?” Siwon’s voice trailed off uncertainly.
“What are you trying to say?” Heechul said, his voice dangerously low. He could not believe that this was the second time within the same night that he’d been allegedly accused of the same thing. First that Kibum and then now Siwon?
“He’s not the same. No one’s ever the same. The kid’s just a kid. And I don’t need to fucking prove myself to anyone. You know I still want my answers,” he said angrily, hands itching to shred the paper on his table into bits.
Siwon uncrossed his arms slowly and crouched down to pick up the brushes from the floor. “I know, hyung…I know, I’m glad to know that. But at the same time, I also want you to know that it’s not that bad even if you have. After all, it’s been a long time since he’s left. Hangeng-hyung would have wanted you to move on…”
“Fuck you, Siwon. Fuck you.”
“No thanks, hyung. That would just be too unholy.” Siwon shook his head as he unclasped his fingers and let the brushes of various types roll down from his palm slowly onto the table. “I guess I’ll just go back to sleep, hyung. Don’t be too late as well. Goodnight.”He turned to leave, Heebum trailing soundlessly in his tracks.
“You just came in to fuck with my mind, didn’t you?” Heechul said darkly as Siwon motioned to open the door.
He paused in his tracks and closed his eyes momentarily. “Of course not, hyung. Hangeng-hyung asked me to look after you. I just want you to be true to yourself, because sometimes we don’t realize what we feel inside. God bless and goodnight.” Siwon closed the door with a soft click as Heebum followed him out.
“Fuck everyone,” Heechul muttered under his breath.
The next morning he woke up in the studio room with a painting next to him; definitely not one of his best works but he scribbled on it with his signature anyway. He didn’t know how he managed to fall asleep feeling so pissed by everything the night before. He peered down at his own hands and made a face at the multiple stains of paint decorating his delicate fingers. They were all red and black; just two colours. He was reminded of the brown colour of ground on his own hands grasped tightly by that Kyuhyun yesterday. He stopped a smirk before it formed on his face subconsciously when the kid’s slightly idiotic face came into view in his mind. Fuck you too. It’s all your fault.
He peered at the painting and scoffed to himself. It was a picture of a thousand or so cherry blossom petals, falling into a big, and black hole. The petals were painted red, though.
It’s 7.10 a.m. His cheeks felt sticky. Heechul would have to apply some powder to cover up the puffy eyes before breakfast. Ryeowook needs to have his back covered.
---
Chapter: [7/?]
Characters: Kyuhyun, Heechul, Yesung, Siwon, Donghae, Hangeng, Eunhyuk other SJ members might join in soon
Pairings: KyuChul, YeWook, past!HanChul, KyuSung_friendship, SiChul_friendship, Kihae and more to come soon
Rating: R
Genre: AU, Supernatural, Drama, Angst
Type: Multi-Chapter
Word Count : 2,950
Warning : Character death, ghostly apparitions?, mature language
Disclaimer : I own many things, but unfortunately Super Junior isn't one of them.
Summary:
After the whole ‘ghost’ incident with Heechul, Kyuhyun thought he would be free from all of the craziness and go back to his normal life as a university student. But when he starts to hear whispers again, nothing is as he expects...especially when so much more is at stake this time.
Listen (Part 1) - in Masterlist
Prologue | Chapter 1 | Chapter 2 | Chapter 3 | Chapter 4 | Chapter 5 | Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Kyuhyun shuddered a little too hard as he watched the pink motorcycle zoom across to the opposite apartment building, newly-fallen white filtering down and covering the rider’s helmet. He shook his head subtly and headed into the apartment elevator, shivering from the dive of temperature with the change of season and something else.
“Leave it there a little while. It’s cold.”
It shouldn’t be bothering him this much. A simple statement or perhaps just a favour to ask for warmth in the cold weather meant nothing more than what it simply just is; a simple favour. But the man also happened to be Kim Heechul, the same one who had pinned him to a wall on their first meeting.
Maybe the cold reminded the mysterious man of his past memories, maybe it was that accident. Or maybe he was just simply cold. Yeah, cold. And so the man was so absorbed with being cold that he just had to hold onto Kyuhyun’s hand for the longest time before finally letting go and heading to the motorcycle without another word. Holding hands between guys in the Korean society isn’t something that strange (sometimes he’d playfully grab his Yesung-hyung’s hand for fun and marvel at the extraordinarily small size when they watched TV together). It was nothing special, nothing out of the norm. So the fact that Kim Heechul had just entwined their fingers together in the cold under the falling snow shouldn’t bother him so much so that he kept pressing the wrong elevator floor button and ended up having to stop at almost every floor before finally reaching his apartment. No, it shouldn’t, but the other fact that he himself didn’t want to let go of Heechul’s hand was the one that really bothered him.
The tingly feeling from before had returned again and Kyuhyun found himself fidgeting more than ever, mind running back again and again with everything that happened that strange day. Finally his long time wish that the man would open up and tell him more about his dealings with the supernatural had come true and his painstaking question as to why he had gotten the ability to hear spirits had been finally answered as well, but somehow their recent ‘development’ from strangers to something so vague and unclear was weighing him down more than anything else.
He flexed his fingers as he fumbled to turn the keys in the door knob, shaking his head furiously when the artistic images that was Heechul’s sad face and fingers laced with his own kept crossing his mind over and over again. A nauseating feeling rose in his chest as he dropped the keys on the side table, legs dragging on as he reached a cold shuddering hand to his mouth. He needed to let it out before it drives him mad. Someone, someone… Yesung-hyung should be in his room by now. Perhaps he would know what was wrong with Kyuhyun and his seemingly sick, sick mind. Very sick; especially when he had the urge to just run over to the opposite apartment and resume what they were doing before in the snow even though it was nothing more than being hand-in-hand.
“Yesung-hyung…Are you asleep? I really really need to talk to you- Oh my-what are you guys doing?!“
Kyuhyun’s stomach threatened to escape his torso as it wrenched to perhaps half its original size when he had barged into something he didn’t think was healthy for his current state of mind. His Yesung-hyung and Ryeowook-ssi was tangled madly in the sheets, limb upon limb, sleepiness still lingering on as they struggled to free themselves from each other at the sudden intrusion that was Kyuhyun. The strange thing was the image that had formed at the back of his mind; he and Heechul…in Yesung and Ryeowook’s current position and how it amused him for a split second before really wanting to throw up at that point.
“Kyuhyun! You’re back!” Yesung said a little too loudly as Ryeowook rummaged through the mess of tangled sheets like he was looking for something. “H-hello, Kyuhyun-ssi. I, err, should be going now,” Ryeowook muttered flusteredly as he tugged at his jacket that Yesung was unfortunately lounging on top.
“Wookie, you’re leaving already?” the frizzy-haired boy said with disappointment. Ryeowook shot him a look as he straightened himself up. “Okay, I’ll accompany you over!” he managed to shout but the shorter man had already sent himself to the front door. “It’s fine, Yesungie-hyung…I’ll see you tomorrow…!” Despite the quick steps and tense air the front door still only closed with a small click, with a sleepy Ddaming a few steps away from the closed door, wondering what had just happened.
“Don’t give me that look! We didn’t do anything!” Yesung exclaimed after his shoulders had drooped with disappointment at Ryeowook’s sudden exit as Kyuhyun clung a little helplessly against the door frame, looking pale from the shock. “Kyuhyun-ah!” But Kyuhyun had already dragged himself wearily into his own room, waving the back of his hand weakly at Yesung.
“You, you don’t have to explain. I’ll just go hide in my room and pretend I didn’t see anything. Well, after I throw everything up.”
“But we really didn’t do anything…?” Yesung scratched his head as he watched the door close with a small slam.
---
A dream inside a dream, Heechul shook his head slightly and scoffed to himself. A bundle moved at the foot of his bed before sprinting its way beside him. Heebum settled down comfortably next to his chest and purred when he reached out to stroke the fur.
Those dreams were no strangers, almost like an old friend who came to visit every now and then, but it didn’t mean that he enjoyed them. But something changed in the dream sequence. Something new, different…Something he couldn’t understand why was there in the first place. How on earth did Cho Kyuhyun end up in his dreams?
He reached out for the clock and glanced all sleepy-eyed at it. It’s 3.47 a.m.
He drew the covers closer and over his head with the sheets balled up in his fist and bit hard on his own lips. With one hand he threw the clock to the floor with a crash, listening to the contents break from inside. But then he regretted it a second later when Heebum shrieked in shock and leaped off the bed. He bit the insides of his cheeks, hoping desperately that it didn’t wake Donghae or Ryeowook up next door. Wookie needs the rest now, more than ever.
With a resigned sigh, he put on a thick sweater and sauntered out of his room. Peering around the dark corridor, he was relieved to find the dark slits under all of his dongsaeng’s room doors. He made his way blindly into his studio room, feeling Heebum staring holes into his back from the corridor. He shut the door and didn’t bother turning on the lights. The dull moonlight streaming in amidst the snowy night already felt too bright for him.
“Bad dream?” A familiar voice with a tinge of sarcasm filled his ears suddenly.
“Go away, Kibum. Go find an old lady to stalk or something. I’m not in the mood.” He reached up a shaky finger to touch his own face wearily, feeling the cold at the tip of his nose.
“I’d bug off soon, since you don’t seem to need me anymore these days again, eh? It went well with the dead pretty girl Victoria, didn’t it? Now that you’ve found a new sidekick to help you out with them. Why have you never considered my feelings? ” The ghost boy pretended to sob. Kibum’s presence had never been so annoying before.
Heechul gritted his teeth and settled at his work table, sweeping off scrunched-up paper balls into a nearby cat-shaped paper bin. “You do realize that you’re dead too? It seems like I haven’t made it clear enough that I don’t really give a damn about how you feel, so don’t even bother trying to make me give a damn. Okay?” He paused to rub away the sting and sleepiness from his eyes. “And he’s not my new sidekick or whatsoever,” he added as an afterthought.
Kibum hopped down from the window seal he was swinging his ghostly legs from. “Don’t deny it, Heechullie. You know very well as much as I do that you’ve found a new toy, who oh-so-lucky also happens to have the ability to help you with your Melinda Gordon-worthy of ghost whisperings. You don’t feel so sick anymore around my kind, do you? But oh, poor, poor Hannie. Being replaced just like-“
A few paint brushes shot across the room and several passed through Kibum’s stomach, falling only to resounding clatters on the floor. Kibum smirked, knowing he had touched a nerve.
“Shut up! Shut up about Hankyung! I told you to go away!” Heechul reached for the empty glass on his desk.
“Okay, fine. But your expression just told me I’m right about it. I’ll just go then. I too, have found a new toy.”
And Heechul felt the presence lifted from the room instantly, leaving him alone finally with the empty air. He furrowed his eyebrows in surprise and crossed his arms; since when the boy had become so compliant to his orders? Even the voice was a tad bit too cheerful than usual. Come to think of it, he hasn’t seen the boy for quite a while now. And what did he meant by a ‘new toy’? Since the flying orb camera Heechul hadn’t bother to bring home anything else for the boy.
He shook his head in fury; the boy just loved to get under his nerves. But even Heechul was surprised at himself tonight; usually he would get a little angry at Kibum’s snide comments and just brush it off the next second, but this was the first time he had resorted to throwing things at the dead boy. Before this he didn’t bother with it, knowing very well it would just pass through and wouldn’t give the boy even a scratch. It must’ve been the bad dreams. Or the exhaustion. Or maybe how Kibum seemed to always have some truth to what he says. He cursed under his breath, furious and frustrated at himself for the confusion he felt inside.
He sat down at his work table and reached for the lone brush rolled off to the side, willing his hands to take control of his mind before a soft rap on the door came, breaking all his concentration, very much to Heechul’s annoyance.“Heechul-hyung?” He sighed before flicking the brush in his hand, letting it bounce helplessly off the board in front of him.
“Come in.”
It was Siwon, clad in a gray-coloured sleeping robe, thick and expressive eyebrows joining almost into a line. He shuffled in hesitantly, looking around the dark room as if searching for something. “He’s not here, if that’s what you’re wondering,” Heechul informed him wearily about Kibum, massaging his leg absent-mindedly.
Siwon let out a breath of relief and didn’t motion to turn on the lights as well. “I heard the sound from your room, but you weren’t inside. I figured you’d be here. Are you having those dreams again?” The tall man resorted to lean against the wall, with his back careful not to touch the painting of a park hanging behind him. “Was I really that loud? Did I wake the other two up?”
Siwon shook his head in assurance as he crossed his arms. “I don’t think so. Donghae sleeps like a log at night after working so hard at the supermarket, and Wookie…well, you know how he sleeps absurdly deep when he’s having problems.”
“Sleeping deep doesn’t mean he’s sleeping well, Siwonnie. The kid’s been through so much. That man doesn’t deserve to even have him by his death bed,” Heechul remarked darkly.
“Hyung, but you…you saw what happened, didn’t you? Between Ryeowook’s parents. The day Mrs Kim…died,”Siwon gulped as Heechul’s cat-like eyes shot him a sharp look despite the tiredness lurking within. “I told you about it before, didn’t I? It makes no difference no matter what I saw. The damage’s done. And now he’s back to ruin Ryeowook’s life again.”
Siwon furrowed his eyebrows in the dark, feeling Heebum encircling his feet from below. “I know, hyung. You’re just trying to protect him, but don’t you think it’s time you let Wookie know about what you saw? Mr Kim is his father, no matter what.”
“It’s not going to change a thing,” Heechul bit the words out. “His mother is dead, and soon is his father. It’s not going to be anymore easier, Siwon. At least this way he has a place for all the hatred to go. It all boils down to Wook’s choice, in the end. If he’s decided to go, then he should.” Siwon nodded solemnly while pursing his lips, knowing with the tone Heechul has let out all he can offer.
“Shouldn’t we be there as well to support him while he sees the old man for the last time? He asked us to go.”
Heechul shrugged his shoulders casually, pretending to flip through his portfolio. “I’ll decide tomorrow. I still have to finish up these book illustrations.”
Siwon sucked in some cold musty air and kept in mind to air the room tomorrow, knowing that Ryeowook wouldn’t have the heart to do it anytime soon. “And you haven’t answered me yet. You’re having dreams of Heejin-noona and Hangeng-hyung again?”
Heechul gritted his teeth and let his head drop into his cupped hands listlessly. “Am I really that predictable?” He sighed and nodded resignedly with his head still in his cold hands.
“I’ve heard you call out their names in your sleep. Funnily, I thought I heard someone else’s name too.” Siwon added a note of suspense as he moved closer to where Heechul was sitting. “Were you out with him today doing dangerous things again?” Siwon questioned, tone of voice suddenly changed into a reprimanding mode.
Heechul cursed, a little more loudly this time. “You’ve been listening outside my door, haven’t you, Choi Siwon?! Am I going to have to build myself some sound-proof walls and doors?” he shouted as Siwon quickly moved over to close the door before the older man blared any louder.
He sighed and shook his head subtly. “I don’t understand what you see in him, hyung. You don’t used to like hanging around him so much. The boy’s snarky and rude. And annoying, wasn’t that what you said before? Or is it because he’s the same as Hangeng-hyung? Have you…given up?” Siwon’s voice trailed off uncertainly.
“What are you trying to say?” Heechul said, his voice dangerously low. He could not believe that this was the second time within the same night that he’d been allegedly accused of the same thing. First that Kibum and then now Siwon?
“He’s not the same. No one’s ever the same. The kid’s just a kid. And I don’t need to fucking prove myself to anyone. You know I still want my answers,” he said angrily, hands itching to shred the paper on his table into bits.
Siwon uncrossed his arms slowly and crouched down to pick up the brushes from the floor. “I know, hyung…I know, I’m glad to know that. But at the same time, I also want you to know that it’s not that bad even if you have. After all, it’s been a long time since he’s left. Hangeng-hyung would have wanted you to move on…”
“Fuck you, Siwon. Fuck you.”
“No thanks, hyung. That would just be too unholy.” Siwon shook his head as he unclasped his fingers and let the brushes of various types roll down from his palm slowly onto the table. “I guess I’ll just go back to sleep, hyung. Don’t be too late as well. Goodnight.”He turned to leave, Heebum trailing soundlessly in his tracks.
“You just came in to fuck with my mind, didn’t you?” Heechul said darkly as Siwon motioned to open the door.
He paused in his tracks and closed his eyes momentarily. “Of course not, hyung. Hangeng-hyung asked me to look after you. I just want you to be true to yourself, because sometimes we don’t realize what we feel inside. God bless and goodnight.” Siwon closed the door with a soft click as Heebum followed him out.
“Fuck everyone,” Heechul muttered under his breath.
The next morning he woke up in the studio room with a painting next to him; definitely not one of his best works but he scribbled on it with his signature anyway. He didn’t know how he managed to fall asleep feeling so pissed by everything the night before. He peered down at his own hands and made a face at the multiple stains of paint decorating his delicate fingers. They were all red and black; just two colours. He was reminded of the brown colour of ground on his own hands grasped tightly by that Kyuhyun yesterday. He stopped a smirk before it formed on his face subconsciously when the kid’s slightly idiotic face came into view in his mind. Fuck you too. It’s all your fault.
He peered at the painting and scoffed to himself. It was a picture of a thousand or so cherry blossom petals, falling into a big, and black hole. The petals were painted red, though.
It’s 7.10 a.m. His cheeks felt sticky. Heechul would have to apply some powder to cover up the puffy eyes before breakfast. Ryeowook needs to have his back covered.
---