Listen (Chapter 19)
Title: ListenChapter: [19/?]
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: 2,517
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 | Chapter 8 | Chapter 9 | Chapter 10 | Chapter 11 | Chapter 12 | Chapter 13 | Chapter 14 | Chapter 15 | Chapter 16 | Chapter 17 | Chapter 18
Chapter 19
“How is she doing, doctor?”
Yesung piped up beside a fidgeting Ryeowook, whom he knew was dying to ask the same question. The both of them stood side-by-side nervously as the small-framed boy’s eyes trained intensely at the way the veterinarian was lifting the small dog up on his front legs and then bouncing it up the other way round to check with her stethoscope. After a while she finally handed the dog back to its respective owner, pulling her gloves out by the fingers. Ddaming fumbled back into Ryeowook’s open arms almost drunkenly, beady eyes on her owner’s as if to complain about the vet’s roughness. Yesung would have chuckled if the atmosphere wasn’t so tense.
“Your dog…”
Yesung could almost feel his own heart pop out in anticipation. He figured Ryeowook’s was almost certainly prancing around on the clinic floor already moments ago; what he felt was probably ten-fold by the other boy. He can’t help but give a gentle squeeze on the boy’s arm.
“…is doing so much better now. Her lungs have improved so far, very good…” the female veterinarian’s face broke into a smile as she scribbled something on her notepad.
“…Really?” Ryeowook’s breathed out in relief, leaning backwards subconsciously and bumping lightly into Yesung’s chest. “Ah, sorry…hyung,” he stuttered awkwardly. Yesung held his shoulders and helped him back into balance.
“Are you absolutely sure? Did you check everything? Maybe there’s something else wrong with her?” Ryeowook said nervously again.
“Mm-hmm, relax, everything’s fine…By the way, are you two…together?” the vet questioned suddenly, glasses lowered somehow mischievously at them.
“No!”
The other boy had answered rather loudly as Yesung quickly stopped his head from nodding. He felt something sink inside him suddenly and stepped away swiftly from the other boy, shaking his head a moment later with a small smile.
“Oh, okay, my bad. I just thought maybe you were. You look cute together, by the way. It’s not all that rare, you know. Ask me, I would know,” A mischievous glint played in her eyes as she gave a quick ruffle on Ddaming’s head before turning to her computer. “Her medicine’s outside. That’s all, thank you.”
Nobody spoke a word even after Ryeowook collected Ddaming’s medicine from the counter and paid up. Ryeowook quickened his steps to the door and let himself out in a hurry; as if to make it there before Yesung opened it for him. The other boy could only trail him from behind, catching the swinging door by its handle.
The two of them walked down the pavement quietly next to each other a moment later; no definite destination in mind. The tense silence in between was barely broken by Ddaming’s quick pants in the dog carrier. Yesung glanced sideways, trying to catch the other boy’s eyes but to no avail. It was obvious he was avoiding eye contact; eyes fixed ahead rather forcefully. Yesung pursed his lips and let out a silent sigh.
“No!”
No hesitation at all; voice firmer than he’s ever heard it. He turned back to the front and his legs carried on wherever the younger boy would walk. He can’t help but feel a bit hurt by it; but what was he hoping? He did say he wasn’t expecting anything back. You reap what you sow, Kim Jongwoon.
“W-want to go grab dinner?” he said finally, scratching his head lightly, a little bit dazed and surprised because they’ve somehow managed to end up about four blocks away from where they were.
The other boy was startled by the sudden conversation starter and let out a small cry, quickening his steps. “Anything would do…” Ryeowook said, still not looking at the one who spoke up. Yesung couldn’t take it anymore and stopped in his tracks by the side of the road. A moment later the other boy in front stopped as well, turning back with his eyebrows furrowed.
“What’s wrong, Jongwoon-hyung?” The face was oddly neutral-looking, brushing a hand past his fringe.
Dammit, he called me Jongwoon again.
“Why are you like this, Ryeowook?”
“What do you mean?” The face looked odd with the forced smile, looking away yet again.
Yesung trudged forward and grabbed the other boy’s arm. “You said you’d try. But why can’t you just accept the good things that are happening to you?”
Ryeowook writhed his arm out of the grip and held onto the carrier tighter, nervous smile giving away everything. “What are you talking about?”
Yesung looked away this time and planted the hand into his jeans pocket instead. “You...Why don’t you understand that-“
“Wait.”
His sentence was left hanging when Ryeowook’s ringtone suddenly filled the air from his pocket. “Aish…” Yesung turned away and grabbed Ddaming’s carrier from him a little too forcefully, letting the boy answer the call that came in the worst timing.
“Ddaming-ah…why is Ryeowookie like this? Why can’t I be your appa?” he set the carried down on a nearby bench and plopped down himself. He then peered into the mesh with a frown, fingers fitting in between to pet the dog who had fallen asleep along the way somehow. Ryeowook was still on the phone, pacing up and down not very far away. He wondered who it was, cursing whoever it was silently.
A few moments later Yesung felt the carrier leave his side from the bench and he quickly turned around. It was Ryeowook, yet it wasn’t. The face was more serious and paler than before; but almost blank. Yesung hurriedly got up from his seat.
“Who was it?” he asked, but the other boy was already trudging down the street with the dog carrier. He quickly followed through but Ryeowook suddenly turned back.
“You know why I’m like this? You’re right, Jongwoon. I can’t accept good things that happen to me. You know why? Because crap like this always happens.”
And then the next thing Yesung knew Ryeowook had already turned and walked into the next corner, leaving him more confused than ever.
---
“Don’t you have a girlfriend?”
A sickeningly sweet giggle followed.
Anxiety crashed like wild waves when he heard noises coming from the stylish-looking couch and saw through the dim lights two figures on it, much more comfortable by themselves than he had preferred. He stifled a scream and gulped it down his throat harshly when he felt something grab his wrist out of a sudden.
Even in this surreal atmosphere the man’s voice was drawling yet intense at the same time, slim figure suddenly appearing beside him. But for the first time Kyuhyun saw something different and foreign in the man’s eyes which were burning into his; something uncharacteristic…like panic.
He quickly drew a finger to his lips in a shushing motion, eyes darting frantically towards the couch, beads of sweat forming on his forehead. But the other man shook his head slowly.
“They can’t hear us, pabo.”
Kyuhyun, who had already flattened himself against the wall, tilted his head in confusion to Heechul and then to the figures on the couch. Just watch and stay close, the other mouthed, eyes fixed at the scene in front of them.
The strong grip on his wrist felt warm and cold at the same time, sending a strange tingling sensation through his skin. In his mind he wondered why this guy kept holding his wrist this way, mind flashing back to the time it first happened. He quickly shook his head, clearing away those random thoughts. A stern stare stopped his from wriggling away and he didn’t dare to move since, watching quietly in puzzlement along with the black-haired man. The other two didn’t seem to pay them any attention at all.
“She’s so far away. How would she know? Unless you want me to tell her, eh? Forget about that, didn’t you want to hear the jokes I have in mind just for you? They’ll tickle you in places you can only imagine.”
The man, who was slightly stocky and had curly brown hair, had a strange smile on his face and one hand running through the girl’s lush black hair. He supposed the man was Shindong; he would have recognized the voice right away if it wasn’t in a flirtatious mode (Kyuhyun gave a slight shudder at that). The girl, however, wasn’t Park Eunri-ssi. The make-up was definitely much thicker and she didn’t have the demure look upon her like Eunri.
“You’re so bad, you know? By the way, I love the bag you bought me today.”
“Then wouldn’t you need to thank me or something?”
Another giggle from the girl as she lowered herself onto the couch. To his horror he realized what could potentially happen next. He gulped and sneaked a sideways glance at Heechul, but the other man was apparently unfazed by what was about to unfold. But before he could look back to the front, the door creaked open and a dull thud bounced off the floor.
“S-Shindong?”
It was definitely Park Eunri this time; face pale from shock with tears already flowing down her cold cheeks, not unlike how Kyuhyun had first seen her earlier that day. The source of the sound earlier came clearly from the paper bag now lying forgotten on the floor, filled to the brim with what seemed to be containers of kimchi and kimbap.
He pursed his eyes shut suddenly, a wave of emotions suddenly crashing and overwhelming him within his chest. His head felt like it was going through a mixer, spinning and spinning faster. Everything went dark and numb but the grip on his wrist never went away and became the only thing he could feel, tightening even more as he felt his surroundings change again; the sounds of running footsteps echoing in his ears.
“Open your eyes, kid.”
He opened his eyes slowly and found himself in another different place, he looked to his right and saw Heechul there again; the only thing that kept him awake and grounded. If Heechul was there then it would mean that this was somehow real, and not his imagination. His hand was starting to relax against the other man’s hand as he tried to shake away the wooziness and squinted through his blurry vision.
Through the thick smoke colourful lights flashed at a big crowd of drunken men and scantily-clad women dancing away to loud booming music. He shook his head again at the huge change of scenery.
And then his focus was brought to a table where two men sat, one smoking away and the other drinking profusely to himself.
“Hey, you broke up with your girl? Don’t beat yourself over it. She cheated on you?”
The drinking man took another big swig out of his fifth drink and nodded half-heartedly before ordering yet another one.
He clenched his other fist into a ball. Something told him that Shindong wasn’t being entirely truthful that night. It didn’t feel right at all and that was when he caught the look of guilt in the man’s eyes. This must have been the night he had started to let the small lie grow and fester. It was slowly coming back to him, the memories, flowing back like a thousand needles pricking him all over. Memories; memories that didn’t quite belonged to him, but he wasn’t too sure now.
He squeezed his eyes shut yet again, overwhelmed by the array of emotions that came with it.
And it was all quiet again.
Not really quiet, actually. Soft sobs echoed off the walls from the table in a corner. A figure was crouched over on it, one hand clutching a piece of crumpled paper and another one outstretched across the table, fingers lax around a bottle of alcohol. In front of him were two opened containers of what he instantly recognized as kimchi and kimbap.
It was his bedroom, and the moonlight streamed in from a crescent moon that fateful night through his big window. Bottles of alcohol scattered on the floor. This was the night. The cold wind blew into his room and enveloped his crying figure. He had thought opening the window that night would help lift the suffocating feeling a little that was his guilt.
How very wrong he was.
“I’m sorry, Eunri. I’m sorry, it was me, it was me. It was my fault, I’m sorry…” The paper swayed limply in his shaking hand.
It was painful yet pathetic to watch. Why was it this way? Why make him remember the pain? He closed his eyes yet again, but his ears wouldn’t.
“I’ll eat them now, Eunri, I’m sorry…I love you…”
Some cheap alcohol and three kimbap made their way down together into his throat and then stopped halfway, refusing to budge. He dropped the bottle as he grasped his own throat, veins thickening every slow second that crawled by. His eyes widened in craze as he realized his windpipe was totally covered with food made by the one he loved the most, yet deceived.
He wanted to scream but nothing came out. He willed his throat muscles to swallow but soon realized it was nothing but wishful thinking. With one hand outstretched he jolted upwards, knocking his chair backwards along the way. His face was turning an ugly shade of maroon, eyes starting to roll backwards. Short, rapid gasps escaped his lips but not quickly enough. In his oxygen-lacking mind he knew he probably deserved this.
No, now he knew that he did deserve it.
Two steps forward and his right foot caught on a half-bottle of beer. And the next moment he was too busy trying to taste the air to notice that he was flying, cold wind brushing harshly against his face, sending his hair bouncing in the dark. Ironically an old tune about Superman filled his ears. He was free-falling and it would all end.
But suddenly it all stopped with an abrupt jerk; he opened his eyes and realized he was somehow tangling out from his bedroom window. His body was hanging out in the cold, yet he had never felt lighter than before. He was feeling so tired, and a moment ago it felt as if breaking his body into a million pieces would do him a big favour. Wasn’t that supposed to happen? Wasn’t he supposed to be all broken and forgotten by now?
There should have been a sickening crunch on the ground below, unheard in the dark night following the brief time needed for one to fall six floors down a building. Yet he was still there, feeling neither broken nor alive. His cheeks felt wet when he looked up and saw the only thing stopping him from falling into the dark abyss below; his hand, cold and numb against the wind, pulled up by another arm leading up to a pale-looking face with the biggest and most enthralling eyes he’s ever seen.
Don’t let go, the words rang in his head.
It was Kim Heechul. And then it dawned on him again finally.
He was Cho Kyuhyun. Don’t let go…
Everything else drifted into darkness.
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A/N : We're very, very close to the end of this~ XD / T.T