Listen (Chapter 8)
Title: Listen
Chapter: [8/?]
Characters: Kyuhyun, Heechul, Yesung, Siwon, Donghae, other SJ members might join in soon
Pairings: Eventual!KyuChul, YeWook, past!HanChul, KyuSung_friendship, SiChul_friendship and more to come soon
Rating: R
Genre: AU, Supernatural, Drama, Angst, Romance
Type: Multi-Chapter (potentially the start of a series)
Word Count: 2,672
Warning: Character death, ghostly apparitions?
Disclaimer: I own many things, but unfortunately Super Junior isn't one of them.
Summary:
Kyuhyun had always loved to have a window by his bed where he could write by. However, as far as he was concerned, he has not written anything constructive for ages. Not since he could never look at the large glass window pane again and not feel the hairs stand at the back of his neck. Not since he begin to spend every waking moment in fear and every sleeping one restless. And definitely not since the indistinguishable eerie sounds visited him resoundingly by the moonlit window almost every night.
Maybe he was listening to more than he can hear.
Masterlist
Prologue | Chapter 1 | Chapter 2 | Chapter 3 | Chapter 4 | Chapter 5 | Chapter 6 | Chapter 7
A/N : Sorry for the relatively late update. Been working on the later chapters and possibly the ending of the first part of the series. It should span about 20 chapters and then I'll write the second part soon. Hopefully I'll still have time to write it! Aah, anyway i'm glad to be finally here~ XD
Chapter 8
Kyuhyun had woken up in his own bed, too worked up for the past few days to be bothered by the fact that a bodiless voice had spoken to him not long ago in the shower in his very own apartment. But still, thank goodness it had been a few quiet days after that fateful incident. He sat up and stared at the planks nailed onto his wall.
Or maybe too quiet.
It had been 3 days and counting since he had allegedly pointed his finger at a stranger in said person’s own apartment and accused him of being someone he wasn’t. Kyuhyun had never felt so embarrassed in his life before after he mulled over his actions in bed for the previous nights. Maybe it was really the wrong person. But most of all he couldn’t bring himself to face his good friend and hyung for ruining his friendship with another guy he seemed so wound up about, for whatever reasons that applied.
He and Yesung hadn’t spoken much to each other except for a few ‘hi’ and ‘bye’ after that night. Even dinners were taken separately now and Kyuhyun felt like he was lugging a huge rock in his stomach each time he came back home. To live with someone else in the same place and ignore each other’s presence were harder than being alone.
---
“CHO KYUHYUN! What were you thinking?!” a familiar voice rang aloud from behind.
“Hyung, sorry, okay? I’m sorry! But it’s him! I swear I wasn’t wrong!” he yelled.
“I know you’re getting wacky over the voice thing, but you can’t just go into people’s apartment and point fingers at them just because of something you thought you saw,” Yesung stood firmly beside the bench, refusing to sit down.
“But it was really him! Why didn’t he admit it?”
“I just want you to calm down and think about it. How can you be so sure that it was him? It could’ve been anyone. And even if it was, why would anyone admit to anything like that anyway? Now we would have to go back to that haunted apartment! I wonder if Ryeowook-ssi is okay…”
“So you don’t believe me either, right? You think I’m crazy too, right? You don’t give a damn what I’m going through. You’re just worried that I’ll ruin your image in front of that Ryeowook guy!”
For the first time in months Yesung wanted to beat the crap out of someone.
“Cho Kyuhyun, that’s not what I meant! Fine, I’m going back to the apartment!” Yesung stormed off to the opposite direction, leaving a fuming Kyuhyun behind with a shaking hand curled up into a fist.
“That’s my haunted apartment, by the way!”
---
Kyuhyun brought his knees up to his face and buried it there. He knew he shouldn’t have done it but now he was done for. He could not remember any situation he had felt so helpless in before and it made his stomach feel sick. Thank god it was Sunday which meant he was free for the whole day. Or not, because it meant he had to be at home alone with his hyung. Perhaps it was time to resume Sunday church?
But the smell of something good wafted in the air and made him feel better, not to mention hungry as well.
He stumbled his way into the kitchen and saw the back of his apartment-mate with apron strings tied around the waist. A plate of rather burnt fried eggs lay alluringly on the dining table.
“H-hyung?” he croaked softly.
“Kyu, you’re awake! Wait a little more, yours are gonna be done soon,” Yesung said chirpily, turning around to reveal the apron he had donned which had pictures of many small little turtles on the front. For the first time in days Kyuhyun let out a chuckle.
“What’s so funny? This? My umma bought it for me back home and insisted I brought it along. Is it really that funny?” Yesung said with a puzzled expression, frizzy hair sticking out in all directions.
Kyuhyun quickly stifled his chuckle and shook his head, still wondering what was happening. He sat down at the table and stared somewhat happily at the burnt eggs.
“Those are rather burnt, Kyu.” He said, turning back to the frying pan.
“I rather enjoy them, actually.” He put a spoonful of it into his mouth. “Burnt. Yummy.”
It was the truth.
“You don’t have to force yourself, okay? Look, I’m sorry for what I said that night. But I just wanted you to know that I do give a damn to what you’re going through…” Yesung scooped up the eggs and plopped it onto a plate, joining the messy-haired boy at the table.
“No, I’m sorry, hyung. I shouldn’t have acted that way at Ryeowook-ssi’s apartment that night. I guess I was just angry why that guy didn't want to admit it. What if he doesn’t want to talk to you again?” he muttered, pushing his food around in his plate.
“Forget it; I don’t think Ryeowook would mind it so much as to not talk to me ever again. Maybe I’ll just need to give him some time. I’ll be seeing him at the animal shelter today. We’ll see then, I guess…” Yesung twitched his eyebrows and smiled.
“Anyway, have you been hearing anything again lately?”
“Erm, nothing. It’s strange… Maybe it’s gone for good or something. But I can’t tell for sure. He surely likes to surprise me at the oddest moments to make sure I don’t fall short of a madcap,” he lamented, forking the egg into his mouth.
“Ah well, be thankful, I guess? Thanks to the letter, maybe all he wanted was for us to know who he was and why he died? I guess he’s appeased now… ” Yesung’s voice unknowingly dropped a key lower.
Kyuhyun looked up and frowned.
“By the way, I’ve already confirmed it with one of the neighbours living on the second floor. He said that someone indeed committed suicide by jumping from the sixth floor of this apartment last year, from this very unit. Which is exactly why the whole floor is empty except ours. He said everyone else in the building were very shocked when you moved in.”
Kyuhyun’s face went blank because he didn’t know how to respond to that. His insides felt like they were knotted up. “I can’t believe this,” was all he could muster.
“But I guess it’s a good thing if he’s at peace now.” He shrugged. “I don’t want to hear those weird sounds again.”
Yesung looked up. “You wanna call a medium up?”
He shrugged as Kyuhyun raised his eyebrows. “I don’t know, just to make sure?”
Kyuhyun shook his head. “Nah, I don’t believe in mediums.”
“So what are your plans after knowing that someone died here?” Yesung asked meekly, afraid of the answer.
“I paid the rent for a whole year!” Kyuhyun cried, hand clutching his fork tightly.
Yesung breathed out in relief secretly. He really didn’t have anywhere else to stay.
“Ah, but I guess it’s over now… Do you mind if we continue to stay here?” Kyuhyun yawned, giddily relieved that he had his friend back and that his ghost problems were at the very least, should be gone.
Jongwoon nodded fervently. “I mean, no!” He quickly switched to shaking his head.
Kyuhyun smiled at his hyung’s fail and scratched his face nonchalantly.
“You should really prepare breakfast every morning, “he said before shoving more egg into his mouth.
---
“Hyung, I get a day off today! Let’s go somewhere!”Donghae rapped on his hyung’s bedroom door excitedly early that morning. He had not felt so excited in weeks because it was his first day off in said time. And he hated how he reeked of the smell of dead fish every time he came home from work. It was no secret that fishes were his favourite animals. Ever. It was even his nickname.
No answer.
Donghae thumped harder, a series of knocks forming a rhythm.
“Come on, hyung! I just want to go out somewhere!” the younger boy chirped, proceeding to perform some popping dance in front of the door. “I’m going out of my wits here!” he cried, locking and popping his hands in a series of waves.
“Why did you lock the door?” he complained when the door finally opened with a creak.
“Donghae?” A pale and tired-looking Heechul in pink pyjamas stuck his head out from behind the door.
“Hyung-ah? Are you alright?” Donghae stopped his dancing at once, pushing the door wider. The older man shuffled back in and slumped onto his bed. “Yeah, I’m just sleepy.” The younger boy’s youthful face shifted into a pout, lying back onto Heechul’s lap.
“Yah, I only get a day off in weeks. Hyungggggg~! Let’s go…” Donghae tugged at his pyjama sleeve, not unlike a small boy. Heechul always wondered how his dongsaeng could maintain that cute demeanour and not annoy him at the same time.
The door creaked again but no one was there. Then a soft ‘meow’ sounded somewhere from below.
“Ah, Heebummie!” Donghae shot up as the gray cat eyed them casually.
“Come here, Heebum!” he cooed from the bed, hands reaching out to the cat whose slender tail was snaking in a slow and enticing motion in the air. However, the cat hissed and shot out from the room. Donghae tilted his head in surprise. “Hyung, what’s wrong with Heebum? Did you forget to feed him or something?”
Heechul gave a sideways glance that Donghae did not see, breath steadily becoming more and more erratic in silence. Darn it, he thought.
He hid it with a throaty laugh that ended up in a cough. “Heebum’s just being Heebum. He’s mad at me for something. Being the diva he is,” he shook his head and smirked.
“Not unlike the owner, though,” the younger boy remarked playfully. Heechul gave his younger brother a small swat on the forehead.
“Hyung, is everything okay?” Donghae had been asking that question over and over again for the past few days he realised it had started to annoy Heechul slightly. But he knew no matter how many times he asked the answer would still be the same. It wasn’t any different when Hankyung-hyung had left them.
“Yeah,” came the expected response.
He didn’t understand why his hyung always had to keep up with the tough act all these years. If he had anything that bothered him, Heechul always went to talk with Siwon only. If he was his favourite dongsaeng like how he had always claimed, then how come he didn’t come to him when he was troubled?
He was even a little more than the average dongsaeng; he was Heechul’s adopted brother after all. He wanted to help his hyung like how hyung and his family had helped him back then. If it wasn’t for them, Donghae would probably still be at that dreaded place; abandoned and alone.
“Who were those people who came the other day? Did you know them?” he asked quietly.
Heechul swallowed and shook his head casually. “I don’t. They must’ve gotten the wrong person.”
Donghae didn’t know if it sounded convincing enough, coming even from his confident older brother.
“Yah, don’t you want to go out?”
Donghae shook out of his train of thoughts at the sound of his hyung’s voice and quickly nodded. “Tell you what, you go and change and bathe or whatever first. I need to drop by the university for something. It won’t take long. I’ll meet you up later.” Heechul shoved him off the bed.
“Then what about Siwon? Wookie already cooked us breakfast and left. He has volunteer work at the animal shelter today,” Donghae asked eagerly, standing up from the floor.
“Ask Siwon to go to church. It’s Sunday, isn’t it?” Heechul drawled lazily, twisting his locks in between his fingers.
Donghae grinned, unable to hide his delight. For once, he’d be able to be around his hyung without the other boy tailing them or getting in the way. Sunday was such a lovely day, he noted to himself. He danced out of the room delightfully.
---
His phone rang three times before he reluctantly swiped the ‘answer’ icon on his phone.
“Yeah, umma?”
“Siwonnie? Why didn’t you answer my calls?” The gentle voice which belonged to his mother melted into his ears like candle wax.
Siwon brought his hand up to the side of his face and let his palm slide down along it.
“I-uh, I’ve been busy. With school and stuffs. How are you?”
“I’m fine, dear. Your appa and I miss you so much. When are you coming back?” Siwon hated the almost pleading tone in her voice because it made him feel like he was committing a very big sin. He got up from his bed and kept the bible in his drawer with his free hand.
“You know I can’t yet, umma. I’m attending university. I’ll be home when it ends.” He stared into his mirror. “Your father’s been very upset lately, dear. He wants you to come back and help with the company,”
This was exactly why he had dreaded the missed calls in his phone.
“I am trying to help. Why would I opt for Business Management and Accounts in the first place?” he sighed, trying to soften his rising tone in the process of straightening his shirt.
“We told you it wasn’t needed. Your father said he’ll get someone to teach you the basics. After all, the company will be yours soon, so why waste the time? Your university’s not that far, why can’t you stay home with us? We could’ve hired a private lecturer for you. We just want you back home wi-“
“Siwonnie, isn’t it time for church?”
Donghae’s voice soared through the air and Siwon lost track of his mother’s frail voice. He couldn’t be sure if it wasn’t entirely accidental on his part.
“Umma, I gotta go. Church service. You take care of appa and yourself, alright? I love you, umma.” He tapped on the red icon before his mother could even utter a goodbye.
He held his phone near his chest, letting the guilt sink in entirely. If only he could tell his mother why he had to stay. If only there wasn’t a reason to stay. But he couldn’t just leave like this, not anytime soon.
“What? Yeah! Heechul-hyung!” he opened his door and strode to the door across the hallway.
Behind that door, his Heechul-hyung had the urge to push the wardrobe in front of his door.
“Hyung, you’re coming to church with me,” the stern voice from behind the door ordered.
“No I’m not. I’m going out with Donghae later,” Heechul was not going to back down any time soon; his back holding up against the door although technically, it was already locked.
“Heechul-hyung, open the door. I need to talk to you.”
No answer.
“Hyung! OPEN IT RIGHT NOW!” Siwon felt his inner bull charge out and the next thing he knew he was twisting the knob and banging the door like a mad one going after a red flag.
Siwon groaned when he heard the front door close with a bang. Behind him Donghae was chuckling with a cup of frozen yogurt in hand.
“Hyung just escaped by the toilet again.”
Siwon knew what he had meant. Heechul and Donghae’s room were connected by a shared bathroom which had doors that went either way.
Siwon punched the door with his fist and didn’t wince at the stinging pain that came fast with it. Behind him a loud clang rang from the floor. Donghae’s metal spoon had slipped from his hand. Siwon grabbed his keys and wallet and rushed out, door slamming as he went.
“S-Siwon?”Donghae called out. The air was as empty as his yogurt cup.
Siwon fled down the staircase, not even taking the elevator. His heart thumped wildly in his chest.
Why does that idiot never know how dangerous it was to be alone with a ghost hanging around him?
---
Comments are <3! Anyway, just gotta say how excited I am for SJ's 5jib comeback! Among all the 5jib rumours the one that I hope will come true the most would be Kibum coming back for this album. But seeing his name missing from the pic tweeted by suju's chereographer, i know the chances are really slim now. :( But anyway, let's support them with our best, aye? 5jib daebak!
Chapter: [8/?]
Characters: Kyuhyun, Heechul, Yesung, Siwon, Donghae, other SJ members might join in soon
Pairings: Eventual!KyuChul, YeWook, past!HanChul, KyuSung_friendship, SiChul_friendship and more to come soon
Rating: R
Genre: AU, Supernatural, Drama, Angst, Romance
Type: Multi-Chapter (potentially the start of a series)
Word Count: 2,672
Warning: Character death, ghostly apparitions?
Disclaimer: I own many things, but unfortunately Super Junior isn't one of them.
Summary:
Kyuhyun had always loved to have a window by his bed where he could write by. However, as far as he was concerned, he has not written anything constructive for ages. Not since he could never look at the large glass window pane again and not feel the hairs stand at the back of his neck. Not since he begin to spend every waking moment in fear and every sleeping one restless. And definitely not since the indistinguishable eerie sounds visited him resoundingly by the moonlit window almost every night.
Maybe he was listening to more than he can hear.
Masterlist
Prologue | Chapter 1 | Chapter 2 | Chapter 3 | Chapter 4 | Chapter 5 | Chapter 6 | Chapter 7
A/N : Sorry for the relatively late update. Been working on the later chapters and possibly the ending of the first part of the series. It should span about 20 chapters and then I'll write the second part soon. Hopefully I'll still have time to write it! Aah, anyway i'm glad to be finally here~ XD
Chapter 8
Kyuhyun had woken up in his own bed, too worked up for the past few days to be bothered by the fact that a bodiless voice had spoken to him not long ago in the shower in his very own apartment. But still, thank goodness it had been a few quiet days after that fateful incident. He sat up and stared at the planks nailed onto his wall.
Or maybe too quiet.
It had been 3 days and counting since he had allegedly pointed his finger at a stranger in said person’s own apartment and accused him of being someone he wasn’t. Kyuhyun had never felt so embarrassed in his life before after he mulled over his actions in bed for the previous nights. Maybe it was really the wrong person. But most of all he couldn’t bring himself to face his good friend and hyung for ruining his friendship with another guy he seemed so wound up about, for whatever reasons that applied.
He and Yesung hadn’t spoken much to each other except for a few ‘hi’ and ‘bye’ after that night. Even dinners were taken separately now and Kyuhyun felt like he was lugging a huge rock in his stomach each time he came back home. To live with someone else in the same place and ignore each other’s presence were harder than being alone.
---
“CHO KYUHYUN! What were you thinking?!” a familiar voice rang aloud from behind.
“Hyung, sorry, okay? I’m sorry! But it’s him! I swear I wasn’t wrong!” he yelled.
“I know you’re getting wacky over the voice thing, but you can’t just go into people’s apartment and point fingers at them just because of something you thought you saw,” Yesung stood firmly beside the bench, refusing to sit down.
“But it was really him! Why didn’t he admit it?”
“I just want you to calm down and think about it. How can you be so sure that it was him? It could’ve been anyone. And even if it was, why would anyone admit to anything like that anyway? Now we would have to go back to that haunted apartment! I wonder if Ryeowook-ssi is okay…”
“So you don’t believe me either, right? You think I’m crazy too, right? You don’t give a damn what I’m going through. You’re just worried that I’ll ruin your image in front of that Ryeowook guy!”
For the first time in months Yesung wanted to beat the crap out of someone.
“Cho Kyuhyun, that’s not what I meant! Fine, I’m going back to the apartment!” Yesung stormed off to the opposite direction, leaving a fuming Kyuhyun behind with a shaking hand curled up into a fist.
“That’s my haunted apartment, by the way!”
---
Kyuhyun brought his knees up to his face and buried it there. He knew he shouldn’t have done it but now he was done for. He could not remember any situation he had felt so helpless in before and it made his stomach feel sick. Thank god it was Sunday which meant he was free for the whole day. Or not, because it meant he had to be at home alone with his hyung. Perhaps it was time to resume Sunday church?
But the smell of something good wafted in the air and made him feel better, not to mention hungry as well.
He stumbled his way into the kitchen and saw the back of his apartment-mate with apron strings tied around the waist. A plate of rather burnt fried eggs lay alluringly on the dining table.
“H-hyung?” he croaked softly.
“Kyu, you’re awake! Wait a little more, yours are gonna be done soon,” Yesung said chirpily, turning around to reveal the apron he had donned which had pictures of many small little turtles on the front. For the first time in days Kyuhyun let out a chuckle.
“What’s so funny? This? My umma bought it for me back home and insisted I brought it along. Is it really that funny?” Yesung said with a puzzled expression, frizzy hair sticking out in all directions.
Kyuhyun quickly stifled his chuckle and shook his head, still wondering what was happening. He sat down at the table and stared somewhat happily at the burnt eggs.
“Those are rather burnt, Kyu.” He said, turning back to the frying pan.
“I rather enjoy them, actually.” He put a spoonful of it into his mouth. “Burnt. Yummy.”
It was the truth.
“You don’t have to force yourself, okay? Look, I’m sorry for what I said that night. But I just wanted you to know that I do give a damn to what you’re going through…” Yesung scooped up the eggs and plopped it onto a plate, joining the messy-haired boy at the table.
“No, I’m sorry, hyung. I shouldn’t have acted that way at Ryeowook-ssi’s apartment that night. I guess I was just angry why that guy didn't want to admit it. What if he doesn’t want to talk to you again?” he muttered, pushing his food around in his plate.
“Forget it; I don’t think Ryeowook would mind it so much as to not talk to me ever again. Maybe I’ll just need to give him some time. I’ll be seeing him at the animal shelter today. We’ll see then, I guess…” Yesung twitched his eyebrows and smiled.
“Anyway, have you been hearing anything again lately?”
“Erm, nothing. It’s strange… Maybe it’s gone for good or something. But I can’t tell for sure. He surely likes to surprise me at the oddest moments to make sure I don’t fall short of a madcap,” he lamented, forking the egg into his mouth.
“Ah well, be thankful, I guess? Thanks to the letter, maybe all he wanted was for us to know who he was and why he died? I guess he’s appeased now… ” Yesung’s voice unknowingly dropped a key lower.
Kyuhyun looked up and frowned.
“By the way, I’ve already confirmed it with one of the neighbours living on the second floor. He said that someone indeed committed suicide by jumping from the sixth floor of this apartment last year, from this very unit. Which is exactly why the whole floor is empty except ours. He said everyone else in the building were very shocked when you moved in.”
Kyuhyun’s face went blank because he didn’t know how to respond to that. His insides felt like they were knotted up. “I can’t believe this,” was all he could muster.
“But I guess it’s a good thing if he’s at peace now.” He shrugged. “I don’t want to hear those weird sounds again.”
Yesung looked up. “You wanna call a medium up?”
He shrugged as Kyuhyun raised his eyebrows. “I don’t know, just to make sure?”
Kyuhyun shook his head. “Nah, I don’t believe in mediums.”
“So what are your plans after knowing that someone died here?” Yesung asked meekly, afraid of the answer.
“I paid the rent for a whole year!” Kyuhyun cried, hand clutching his fork tightly.
Yesung breathed out in relief secretly. He really didn’t have anywhere else to stay.
“Ah, but I guess it’s over now… Do you mind if we continue to stay here?” Kyuhyun yawned, giddily relieved that he had his friend back and that his ghost problems were at the very least, should be gone.
Jongwoon nodded fervently. “I mean, no!” He quickly switched to shaking his head.
Kyuhyun smiled at his hyung’s fail and scratched his face nonchalantly.
“You should really prepare breakfast every morning, “he said before shoving more egg into his mouth.
---
“Hyung, I get a day off today! Let’s go somewhere!”Donghae rapped on his hyung’s bedroom door excitedly early that morning. He had not felt so excited in weeks because it was his first day off in said time. And he hated how he reeked of the smell of dead fish every time he came home from work. It was no secret that fishes were his favourite animals. Ever. It was even his nickname.
No answer.
Donghae thumped harder, a series of knocks forming a rhythm.
“Come on, hyung! I just want to go out somewhere!” the younger boy chirped, proceeding to perform some popping dance in front of the door. “I’m going out of my wits here!” he cried, locking and popping his hands in a series of waves.
“Why did you lock the door?” he complained when the door finally opened with a creak.
“Donghae?” A pale and tired-looking Heechul in pink pyjamas stuck his head out from behind the door.
“Hyung-ah? Are you alright?” Donghae stopped his dancing at once, pushing the door wider. The older man shuffled back in and slumped onto his bed. “Yeah, I’m just sleepy.” The younger boy’s youthful face shifted into a pout, lying back onto Heechul’s lap.
“Yah, I only get a day off in weeks. Hyungggggg~! Let’s go…” Donghae tugged at his pyjama sleeve, not unlike a small boy. Heechul always wondered how his dongsaeng could maintain that cute demeanour and not annoy him at the same time.
The door creaked again but no one was there. Then a soft ‘meow’ sounded somewhere from below.
“Ah, Heebummie!” Donghae shot up as the gray cat eyed them casually.
“Come here, Heebum!” he cooed from the bed, hands reaching out to the cat whose slender tail was snaking in a slow and enticing motion in the air. However, the cat hissed and shot out from the room. Donghae tilted his head in surprise. “Hyung, what’s wrong with Heebum? Did you forget to feed him or something?”
Heechul gave a sideways glance that Donghae did not see, breath steadily becoming more and more erratic in silence. Darn it, he thought.
He hid it with a throaty laugh that ended up in a cough. “Heebum’s just being Heebum. He’s mad at me for something. Being the diva he is,” he shook his head and smirked.
“Not unlike the owner, though,” the younger boy remarked playfully. Heechul gave his younger brother a small swat on the forehead.
“Hyung, is everything okay?” Donghae had been asking that question over and over again for the past few days he realised it had started to annoy Heechul slightly. But he knew no matter how many times he asked the answer would still be the same. It wasn’t any different when Hankyung-hyung had left them.
“Yeah,” came the expected response.
He didn’t understand why his hyung always had to keep up with the tough act all these years. If he had anything that bothered him, Heechul always went to talk with Siwon only. If he was his favourite dongsaeng like how he had always claimed, then how come he didn’t come to him when he was troubled?
He was even a little more than the average dongsaeng; he was Heechul’s adopted brother after all. He wanted to help his hyung like how hyung and his family had helped him back then. If it wasn’t for them, Donghae would probably still be at that dreaded place; abandoned and alone.
“Who were those people who came the other day? Did you know them?” he asked quietly.
Heechul swallowed and shook his head casually. “I don’t. They must’ve gotten the wrong person.”
Donghae didn’t know if it sounded convincing enough, coming even from his confident older brother.
“Yah, don’t you want to go out?”
Donghae shook out of his train of thoughts at the sound of his hyung’s voice and quickly nodded. “Tell you what, you go and change and bathe or whatever first. I need to drop by the university for something. It won’t take long. I’ll meet you up later.” Heechul shoved him off the bed.
“Then what about Siwon? Wookie already cooked us breakfast and left. He has volunteer work at the animal shelter today,” Donghae asked eagerly, standing up from the floor.
“Ask Siwon to go to church. It’s Sunday, isn’t it?” Heechul drawled lazily, twisting his locks in between his fingers.
Donghae grinned, unable to hide his delight. For once, he’d be able to be around his hyung without the other boy tailing them or getting in the way. Sunday was such a lovely day, he noted to himself. He danced out of the room delightfully.
---
His phone rang three times before he reluctantly swiped the ‘answer’ icon on his phone.
“Yeah, umma?”
“Siwonnie? Why didn’t you answer my calls?” The gentle voice which belonged to his mother melted into his ears like candle wax.
Siwon brought his hand up to the side of his face and let his palm slide down along it.
“I-uh, I’ve been busy. With school and stuffs. How are you?”
“I’m fine, dear. Your appa and I miss you so much. When are you coming back?” Siwon hated the almost pleading tone in her voice because it made him feel like he was committing a very big sin. He got up from his bed and kept the bible in his drawer with his free hand.
“You know I can’t yet, umma. I’m attending university. I’ll be home when it ends.” He stared into his mirror. “Your father’s been very upset lately, dear. He wants you to come back and help with the company,”
This was exactly why he had dreaded the missed calls in his phone.
“I am trying to help. Why would I opt for Business Management and Accounts in the first place?” he sighed, trying to soften his rising tone in the process of straightening his shirt.
“We told you it wasn’t needed. Your father said he’ll get someone to teach you the basics. After all, the company will be yours soon, so why waste the time? Your university’s not that far, why can’t you stay home with us? We could’ve hired a private lecturer for you. We just want you back home wi-“
“Siwonnie, isn’t it time for church?”
Donghae’s voice soared through the air and Siwon lost track of his mother’s frail voice. He couldn’t be sure if it wasn’t entirely accidental on his part.
“Umma, I gotta go. Church service. You take care of appa and yourself, alright? I love you, umma.” He tapped on the red icon before his mother could even utter a goodbye.
He held his phone near his chest, letting the guilt sink in entirely. If only he could tell his mother why he had to stay. If only there wasn’t a reason to stay. But he couldn’t just leave like this, not anytime soon.
“What? Yeah! Heechul-hyung!” he opened his door and strode to the door across the hallway.
Behind that door, his Heechul-hyung had the urge to push the wardrobe in front of his door.
“Hyung, you’re coming to church with me,” the stern voice from behind the door ordered.
“No I’m not. I’m going out with Donghae later,” Heechul was not going to back down any time soon; his back holding up against the door although technically, it was already locked.
“Heechul-hyung, open the door. I need to talk to you.”
No answer.
“Hyung! OPEN IT RIGHT NOW!” Siwon felt his inner bull charge out and the next thing he knew he was twisting the knob and banging the door like a mad one going after a red flag.
Siwon groaned when he heard the front door close with a bang. Behind him Donghae was chuckling with a cup of frozen yogurt in hand.
“Hyung just escaped by the toilet again.”
Siwon knew what he had meant. Heechul and Donghae’s room were connected by a shared bathroom which had doors that went either way.
Siwon punched the door with his fist and didn’t wince at the stinging pain that came fast with it. Behind him a loud clang rang from the floor. Donghae’s metal spoon had slipped from his hand. Siwon grabbed his keys and wallet and rushed out, door slamming as he went.
“S-Siwon?”Donghae called out. The air was as empty as his yogurt cup.
Siwon fled down the staircase, not even taking the elevator. His heart thumped wildly in his chest.
Why does that idiot never know how dangerous it was to be alone with a ghost hanging around him?
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Comments are <3! Anyway, just gotta say how excited I am for SJ's 5jib comeback! Among all the 5jib rumours the one that I hope will come true the most would be Kibum coming back for this album. But seeing his name missing from the pic tweeted by suju's chereographer, i know the chances are really slim now. :( But anyway, let's support them with our best, aye? 5jib daebak!