âŽïž currently in the process of moving to wattpad to continue posting current and future storiesâplease follow me here!
âŽïž most of my stories contain mature themes and explicit content â please do not interact with this list or any of the stories within if you are under the age of 18
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AU â¶ sugar baby!Seungmin x sugar mama!reader (ongoing)
AU â¶ florist!Seungmin x western gn!reader (3.5k)
âž all works posted on this blog and in this masterlist belong to me, daengtokkiâdo not repost, do not copy, do not translate, do not claim as your own, in full or in part
â¶ idol!Kim Seungmin x female reader
Your only friend in Korea sets you up on a blind date over a holiday weekend. You almost make the mistake of not going. Series + oneshots.
Blind Date Masterlist
âââââââââââââââ
AU â¶ co-worker!Kim Seungmin x noona!reader
⊠part one
⊠part two⊠part three
âââââââââââââââ
â¶ idol!Kim Seungmin x noona!reader
co-workers/friends to lovers
⊠part one
⊠part two
⊠part three
âââââââââââââââ
â¶ idol!Kim Seungmin x female reader
someone is cheating
I only write Seungmin and Seungmin-centered stories, typically Seungmin x western female reader.
Open to almost any type of request, but if I'm not comfortable writing something, I won't. I occasionally get strange requests/general questions, and unless you're anon, I'll reply. If requests are closed, I won't reply to any requests, anon or otherwise.
I like to write as realistically as possible, especially when it comes to explicit material. Even in AUs, Seungmin is written as close to his personality as we can imagine (unless it's yandere, etc).
I love making friends here, so don't be shy with messages or comments!
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wc: ~1.2k
rating: explicit/smut with some fluff (contains: teasing, over-stimulation, toys, f receiving oral
âŠSeungmin finds a vibrator in your drawer and if he doesnât tease you, heâll explode
[MASTERLIST]
What are you doing in there?
Seungmin hears you call for him, but he canât give up now. It was a long trip away from you, and heâs tired, but he knows he set your gift on the dresser before he hopped in the shower. It had to have slipped into the drawerâŠand why do you have so many damn pairs of socks and underwear? Why didnât he keep it in the box? He just wanted to look at it one more time and think, because youâre so hard to buy for. But you love blue, and you love him, so this should be a good choice.
Everything is nice and hot, get out here and eat!
âThere you are,â he pinches the golden clasp and looks it over again, but something else catches his eye.
*
âI thought you said you were hungry, I made your⊠uh, what?â
âYeah, I am.â But he just stands there, halfway between you and the bedroom door. âStarving.â He relaxes and holds an arm out in front of him. Something small and pink sits in the palm of his hand, and you donât recognize what it is right awayânot until he tosses it in the air like a baseball, catches it, and it starts vibrating softly. âWhat is this?â He smirks and pushes the button until it turns off.
Your face grows warm. âWhere did you find that?â Itâs still new, and youâve only used it once since it came in the mail a few days ago. Where did you even toss it after cleaning up that night? âOh, my underwear drawerâŠwhy were youââ
The smirk is still stuck on his face as he takes a few steps toward you. âItâs cute, looks like a roseâŠbutâŠâ You watch as he twirls it between his fingers, runs the pad of his thumb over the petals, maybe figuring out exactly how you use it.
âBut?â
Heâs there a moment later, grabbing your arm and pulling until he has you trapped, back against him. He squeezes your ribs until you let out the breath youâre holding. âCouldnât wait for me to get home, hm? Long week?â
âNo, MinnieâŠâ Despite your soft voice and hands touching him, he holds even tighter, lifting until your feet just graze the floor. âYou know I need you, soâoh, mmâŠfuck.â His palm is hot on you, and his fingers push just right against your clit. It doesnât take much to get you started, not when your mind is already two steps ahead, and not when you can feel how hard he is. âSeungmin.â
A laugh tickles your ear. âSo, how does it compare?â The vibration starts, the petals graze your clit, and your knees buckle on his second pass. âDo I have some competition?â Heâs squeezing again, pulling at your shorts until thereâs nothing between you and the toy.
âNoâŠnothing compââ Your body is begging for it, even if your mouth isnât. The petals touch you again, and Seungmin moves it until he finds just the right angle. âMinnieâŠfuckâŠoh my god.â
âWait a sec...â He peeks over your shoulder and moves it again, making you shiver, and making him squeeze until you hold still. âIs it sucking? I can definitely suck better than this. Is that what you want, love? Is that what you like?â
âI want youâ
âMm mmâŠyour little rose firstâ
Everything goes blurry when it hits your clit again, and Seungmin is careful and slow. The whining in your ear tells you heâs enjoying this as much as you are, but it wonât last long. You wonât last long. You steady yourself against him, dig your fingers into his forearm, and you canât keep quiet when you come for him.
âGood girlâŠI knowâŠthat feels so, soâŠâ he lets up, just barely, as you take a few breaths. âSo good. We can make up for all those nights away.â But he doesnât let you take too many. Itâs on again, and you feel the vibration turned up a level when it slides down your stomach and between your thighs. âOne downâŠletâs see how fast this works.â You canât stop from shaking, and he canât hold you steady until youâre against the wall. Another push of the button, and your moan makes him moan, and hearing him makes your legs shake, but all of your weight is back in the arm wrapped around you.
âTwoâŠâ he pulls away for a moment, just to tease.
âPlease...too muchâ
âToo much? Is it too strong, babe?â He kisses your neck and pushes until you try to wiggle free, and the attempt only makes him laugh and push even more. âNot nice and gentle like your Minnie?â
You squeak out a yes, and then a no, but the rose finds just the right spot again, and despite the pain, you feel so close to coming a third time, and it finally burns through you like lightning. Seungmin laughs again when you dig your nails into the arm holding your toy. Itâs off of you, and the absence of vibration is a relief. The room quiets when he turns it off, but the sound of your heart and your nerves firing off still fill your ears. âYouâre so mean.â
The kisses he leaves on your shoulder is a sharp contrast to the painful throb. âNever.â He slowly walks you to the couch and sits you down.
Crossing your legs is another relief, but the warmth and safety of your thighs is short-lived. âWhat are you doing?â Theyâre forced open again, despite your attempts to hold him off, and he doesnât like that. Youâre pulled down to the edge of the cushion, and he stares at you, eyes narrowed, waiting. âMinnieâŠâ you lower your voice to almost a whisper, but before you can finish, he starts working his way up your thigh. The slow kisses and intense stare are too much, and you throw back your head to look at the ceiling instead.
âLook at me,â he laughs and slides his tongue around every sore, overworked part of you, catching the arousal he forced out, and only slowing down when he gets to your clit. âPlease look at me.â His voice turns sweet as his lips close around you.
âI knowâŠyou winâ
âIâll be gentle, I promise.â He means it. The warmth of his mouth helps you relax, and he works his tongue in soft circles until you start to move with him. âGood.â A smile twitches just as you look down at him, and your eyes connect as he sucks. His cheeks hollow, but the smile is still there. âMhm,â he groans and releases you so he can do it again, and again, and again.
âIâm gonna come,â you sigh, and it turns to a laugh. This one you want. âDonât stop.â
Seungmin sucks again before sending his tongue over your swollen clit, and itâs just enough to push you over the edge. This one moves slowly, and every part of you feels himâhis fingers squeezing your thighs, his breath, his lips barely touching you, his tongue making sure it lasts.
âMmmâŠMinnie, you feel so good.â
He doesnât stop until heâs sure youâre finished, and when you relax and breathe deeply again, one more kiss sends a shiver up your body. âI know.â
Gonna apologize again for my long absence. Iâve been between jobs lately and trying hard to focus on rewriting and also keeping up with fic DEITY just to keep myself sane. Iâll be posting part 14 soon, and also an unrelated oneshot.
Iâm also going to link my ko-fi account here, in the part 14 post, and also at the top in my masterlist/info. I donât except anything from anyone, but I figured it wouldnât hurt to add it.
hai hai just checking in to see how youâre doing! hope youâre taking good care of care of yourself ehehe
-đ§
Hi đ„č
Donât worry, Iâm still here! Itâs been a rough few weeks and Iâm currently in the process of changing jobs. BUT, I am writing. Iâm still slowly working on the next part of DEITY, and Iâve started the actual serious rewrite to novelization process of the entire thing
If anyone is interested in following along, Iâve made a Instagram specifically for my writing, so itâll be 100% DEITY for the seeable future. Iâm realizing how important it is to create and keep a following (like you guys, my little handful of faithful of bery patient readers) before and during the process of writing and publishing.
You can follow me here! â daeng.tokki.writes. Highly recommend for anyone who enjoys the story but is also interested in what a different UNDER 100k words version will look like đ
SYNOPSIS: Seungmin floats through life alone, haunted by his memoriesâkeeping himself under control, and quieting his mind the only way he knows howâŠkilling and watching the life leave his victims eyes. When you cross his path on a morning hunt, something new (something forgotten) starts to move inside of him, leading both of you on a path to confront the unspeakable past.
comments: just wanna say hi to my new followers and new deity readers ( ˶ËêłËË” )
Seungmin opens his eyes to a bright blue sky, the tops of the pine trees, and an ache in his neck. There's the sound of birds singing, but otherwise; perfect, natural silence. It's nice for a moment, despite his pain, until the last several hours come flooding back to him, and his world crumbles all over again. He lets the tears fall freely down his cheeks as he struggles to sit up, and he wonders what he's going to do now that he's made it through the night.
All around him are tracks. Too many to count. There are so many circling him that he can't distinguish anything except the cloven hooves of a deer, so while he slept, he was visited by something other than the thing in the woods. "Why didn't you take me?" He asks in a shaky whisper. Nothing answers except the birds, but when he tries to stand, someone screams. An ear splitting, head splitting shriek brings him to his knees. âStop! Stop!â Plugging his ears does nothing; itâs as if the sound is coming from inside of his head. âPlease!â It stops suddenly. The scream doesnât taper off or echoâŠit just stops, like it never even happened. When Seungmin looks around him, and despite being on his knees, head hanging low, heâs dizzy. All he wants to do is lay in the dirt and fall back asleep. He spreads his hands out in front of him, âwhat is that?â he asks himself, staring at his pale, goose-bump covered arms. He takes a closer look and sees the scratches; three of them on each limb, starting at his knuckles and not stopping until he gets to his elbows. They donât hurt, and theyâre not deep enough to bleed. âDid I do that?â
Seungminâs ears start to ring, and the dizziness returns. He hears the footsteps behind him, and heâs only surprised by it being here now, in broad daylight. It had all night to come for him. The sound it makes is more terrifying than he ever imagined. Heâs heard the growls, and the whispers, but never it speaking directly to himâSeungmin didn't even imagine it having a voice. It sounds like a strange attempt at his name, but how can he answer? How can he Possibly turn and face it?
âWho are you?â He doesnât bother trying to hide his fear. Seungminâs chest tightens, and his voice shakes. The smell of dirt and decay hits his nose. He has to hold back his urge to vomit as the stench gets stronger and stronger. âPlease go away.â
you called for me
Itâs inside of his head. He can feel it echoing through his brain.
face me
âI wanna go homeâ
you have no home
âYes I do! I do have a homeâ
little stray, Iâm all thatâs left nowâŠwe are all thatâs left
âIâm not alone, Iâm not!â Seungmin thinks about his aunts, who he only met once when he was two. He doesnât remember, of course, but umma talked about them sometimes. His fatherâs sisters. They must be like dad, even just a little. âSomeone still wants me, right?â
donât be silly
âNo, they do!â
turn and face me, and Iâll consider letting you leave
Just one look. Besides, this is why he came out here in the first placeâto be found by it, and to never face another day again. Seungmin rises to his feet and takes a few deeps breaths. He has to get it over with. He turns, and somehow, the smell becomes worse. Itâs hereâŠitâs really here. Heâs seeing it with his own two eyes, ten feet away from him.
good boy
To Seungmin, it looks as if a piece of the forest came to life, started to rot, and this is the outcome. The smell matches the rest of it, and the cloven hooves match the tracks surrounding where he slept. A face like a bleached skull, and black pits where its eyes should be almost distract him from the red, shedding antlers. It doesnât move. The creature stands motionless as it speaks from its nonexistent mouth. How could this not be real? Why would Seungminâs mind create something so horrible just for him?
I wonât leave you alone
Seungmin doesnât hesitate, and his legs donât either. He runs until his chest burns, and his legs nearly give outâŠand then the bright reflection of the greenhouse comes into view. The grass is cool and damp against his skin; itâs a relief, but itâs still there, burned into his vision, and the smell still burns his nose.
âSomebody will want meâ
âWell?â
Seungmin squints at the screen, looks at you, and then back to the strangely detailed image heâs seeing. âWell, I wasnât expecting to seeâŠthem. Thatâs them.â
âYes, the 3D ultrasound still surprises parentsâ
âStill a little creepy,â you mumble and widen your eyes at her.
The tech looks at you and nods, âtheyâll be more like the babies you will hold in a month or so. They still need more time to gain weight.â
âTheyâre moving!â The images are jumpy, but every few seconds, thereâs a slight change in position. Seungmin canât take his eyes off of them.
âTwenty-two, almost twenty-three weeks is early for this scan, but they look healthy. And you have boys, one hundred percent certain.â
Seungmin laughs, and then pulls out his phone. âDo we get photos?â
You think heâs going to take his own, but he stops to read something instead. Itâs Heecheol, judging by the little smirk on his face and the smile in his eyes. You wonder if they decided on a time to visit, and if Seungmin remembered to mention the pregnancy to him. Thereâs no hiding it anymore, and the spare room wonât be a spare room when he comes to stay. The nursery is painted (a color called mint chocolate chip that Seungmin picked out himself), partially decoratedâthough Seungmin had trouble choosing a theme. The twin bed is still there, and itâs comfortable. Much more comfortable than the couch.
âYes, weâll print some images for youâ
***
A few moments ago he was sound asleep, but now you can feel his stare. Your eyes stay glued to your phone for a few more secondsâyour mother is texting you for the second time since youâve moved in with Seungmin, and you still havenât told her much. Seungmin doesnât exist in her world, and neither do Haneul and Haesung. In her mind, youâre still alone in your little apartment, working the job that pays you just enough to live and eat. You are still trying your best to learn Korean, but you havenât been going to formal classes as often as youâd like, and not at all since you started showing.
Before any of that information comes out, you need to mentally prepare for a long phone call. And maybe her anger, for two reasons: depriving her of what will be her first grandchildren, and worst of all, not having grandchildren that look like her. But twenty-five weeks is well over halfway there, and part of you feels guilty about keeping things a secret. Now you move your eyes away from the screen, and his are there, just like you thoughtâbig and round and dark. âWhatâs wrong, Minnie?â He blinks a few times, and his gaze drops away from you. âYou were almost snoring a minute ago.â
âWas I?â
âJust a little bitâŠyouâve had a busy weekâ
âWho are you talking to?â
Him noticing and wondering isnât a surprise, because you rarely text anyone but him, and one classmate who keeps asking when youâll come to classes. Youâve considered texting her and maybe getting out of the house, but it hasnât happened yet. Itâs so much easier to stay home and keep up with your dramas, or lose yourself for a while in a video game with Seungmin. Thatâs a new favorite for you. âMy mom.â
âHave you spoken to her much lately?â
âNope. I have texted back and forth with my sister just to let her know I was still aliveâŠbut mom never bothered to respond to anything until now.â
âDid you tell her?â
You shake your head as you read the next message that pops up.
I just donât understand why youâre still thereâŠyou donât have to be so far away from the only family and friends you have. You can come home anytime.
thereâs more here for me than youâre aware of
okay, so tell me whatâs so special about it there
âNot yet. I think that should be a phone call.â
âDo you think sheâll be unsupportive?â
âSheâs always unsupportive.â The message thread disappears, and you pull up what you were looking at before she surprised you. âDo you like this?â
Seungmin takes your phone in hand and brings it closer to his face, but he still squints. âSnoopy! Snoopy in a bunny suit. He looks so softâŠare there any other colors?â
âMochaâŠand yellow. Everything else is sold out.â
âGet one of eachâ
âMaybe we forget about a theme, and just fill the nursery with cute things. You add them to your cart and click on more characters. âPochacco?â
âPochacco? Yeah, we can do more puppies.â
âDo you like Pochacco? I wasnât expecting you to know your Sanrio characters.â Seungmin throws off the covers and heads for his closet. âWhere you going?â
âI still have things youâve never seen, I guess.â He opens the closet door and heads for the opposite corner of his photo boxes, and after a little bit of digging around, a few things come flying toward you: a small, soft Pochacco; Snoopy, floppy and worn out like Daengmo, and a small brown dog you donât recognize. The last one comes a few moments later, and itâs the biggest one.
âGrowlithe!â
âUmma got me a different puppy every year for my birthday. Daengmo was first, Snoopy was second.â
You canât help but wonder which one came last, but you know better than to ask. âPuppies it is.â
Seungminâs phone buzzes, and you see the text notification appear. You canât read it, or the nameâespecially not upside down and from this distance, but as soon as he dives back into bed and scoops it up, you get an answer.
âHeecheol says he has the weekend off, Friday through Monday, but he canât stay long. He has another nurse checking in on his umma while heâs away, though.â
âThatâs good. Is he coming on Friday? That gives me some time to clean and get the room ready.â
âFriday morning, yes. The apartment is clean!â
âNot guest cleanâ
The voice of his aunt is stern and serious, but it doesnât bother him. As much as she tries to make Seungmin listen, and he usually does, nothing quite compares to the steady, eerily calm voice of his late stepfather. He stares down into the pocket of his glove as she speaks.
âAre you listening?â
âIâm listeningâ
âIâm not trying to sound soâŠâ
âMean?â Eun-ji, who looks almost identical to her sister, just thinner, answers for her. âPlease remember what this boy has been through.â
She huffs, but nods in understanding. Four years with their mother and father was probably difficult enough, but itâs been four years since losing his own mother. Now, heâs moving again. âIâm sure halmanggu took good care of you, Seungmin, but sheâs getting old, and just canât keep up anymore.â
âShe didâŠand I know. Iâm sorry.â
âSorry? Why are you sorry?â
âYou have to care for me now, but Iâll try to be as helpful as possible. I wonât be a burden.â
They look at each other and smile. Seungmin doesnât understand why. He wrings his hands together as they look to him again. âWe know youâre a very well-behaved boy, and you get good marks in school. And you play baseball, right?â
He nods.
âYou like to read?â
âYesâ
âWell, I understand the high school has a baseball team you can try out for next year, and we have a very large library. Itâs just a quick bus ride into town. Oh, whatâs the matter?â
Seungminâs legs start to shake, but he doesnât know why. His chest tightens, and his eyes well with tears. He canât stop himself. âUhmâŠIââ
âThereâs no need for tears, youâre safe here with us.â Eun-ji reaches out and takes his hand in hers. âWeâll take good care of youâŠMinnie? Is that what your umma called you?â
Seungmin nods and wipes his face with the sleeve of his t-shirt. âSometimes.â
âCome over here and sit with usâ
He walks on his unsteady legs and squeezes between them on the couch. They smell nice, and Eun-ji still squeezes his hand gently. âI donât know why Iâm crying.â
âIf it helps you feel better, you should cry. If someone told you to be ashamed of your tears, you can just forget what they said.â
Can he? Seungmin isnât sure he can do that. Crying is a sign of weaknessâthatâs what stepfather told him, even when he saw his tear-streaked, dirt-covered face when umma found him and brought him home. Crying is for babies and little girls. Is that what you are? A baby? A baby sulking around with his little stuffed dog. Heâs been gone for years, and he still wonât leave him alone, just like the monster promised. Both of them swirl endlessly in his brain, and he just wants to make it stop.
âHere, let me clean your glassesâŠJi-woo will show you your new bedroom, and weâll get you unpackedâ
Friday morning comes, and you sit at the kitchen counter, wondering how you could possibly find the energy to finish anything. Your body and your mind has run on caffeine since you were fifteen, and now youâre afraid to drink more than a few sips of coffee. Itâs not just the thought of feeling nauseous, but itâs doing anything to could cause harm to them. You know in your brain that caffeine, a little bit, wonât hurt, but you still feel like you need to be perfect to keep them healthy.
âIâll be back. His bus should be getting here soonâŠare you okay?â
âBus? Oh, that must have been uncomfortable for him. Iâll finish getting his room ready.â
âAre you okay? You look sad.â
âSad? No, Minnie, Iâm not sad. I was justâŠthinking about coffee.â
Seungmin laughs, âcoffee? You must really miss it. I can grab some decaf while Iâm out. Maybe that will help the craving.â He brings you in for a kiss. âStay off your feet. Iâll finish getting things ready when we get back.â
You listen, and as soon as he closes the door behind him, you grab your pillow and Daengmo, and make yourself comfortable on the couch. Seungmin will be an hour at the very least, so you set an alarm just in case you doze off.
***
Any other day, the traffic wouldnât be worth the fight, but Seungmin doesnât want Heecheol on a city bus after a long bus ride. He drives the four miles there, and a half an hour later, heâs starting to feel nervous for no reason. The busy station does make him uneasyâheâs rarely around this many people at once. And he never has a reason to be here, so heâs unfamiliar with the layout. Eventually, after asking for directions twice, he figures out where he needs to be, and he waits. No text messages come through telling him heâs almost there, or that heâs arrived, but the trains are usually on time. He should be arriving in two minutes, according to the big clock above the schedule.
âMo!â
Seungmin jumps and turns to face his friendâs big smile. âYouâre early.â Heecheol gives him no time to react before he pulls him in for a hug. Itâs a strange feeling. Heâs grown used to holding you, and having your arms around him as he falls asleep, but this is different. Heecheol is taller; heâs strong, and Seungmin feels small in his embrace.
âSorry it tookâŠtwo months?â
âTwo and a half.â But what is that compared to fifteen years?
He pulls away, but his hands fall to Seungminâs shoulder. âIt was hard picturing you grown up, even as I looked in the mirror and saw myself getting older. I kept thinking about that when you two left.â
Seungmin isnât sure what to say, but he returns the smile. He doesnât know how to tell Heecheol that his mind was lost for a very long time, and he didnât think about him nearly as much as he should haveâat least not until ten weeks ago. It never occurred to him that he was still being thought about as he struggled through his school years, just from very far away.
âBut we should get out of here, itâs getting even busierâ
âRight, Iâm parked not far from the entranceâŠI just,â he stops. Seungmin had more than enough chances to tell him, but he kept putting it off. âI have to stop for some coffee before we head back.â
âI havenât been to Seoul since I flew home last year. City life is already lost on me, even after Charlotte. But that doesnât compare to this.â
âItâs smaller there?â
âMuch smaller, less people. Do you like it here?â
âItâs okay. I donât really get out much, so I might as well live in a small town sometimes.â Except if Seungmin lived in a small town, he would have been caught a long time ago. He chose to stay in Seoul for the ease of blending in, or disappearing. And for the wide pool of potential victims. âI say that now, but when I wasâŠsingle, it was different. Itâs easier to be at home now, because Iâm not always alone with my thoughts.â Yeah, that makes sense. Seungmin can turn off the bad noiseânot always, but certainly more than before.
âThat makes sense. Sounds nice. Sounds serious.â
âIt is. And speaking of that, thereâs something I kept meaning to mention, and I justâŠI havenât.â
âWhat is it?â
***
He makes sure to text you on the way up the elevator, but you donât reply by the time he slides the key in and pushes the door open. âWeâre hereâŠoh.â Seungmin shuts the door softly, and Heecheol watches as he kneels where youâre still sleeping on the couch; blanket pulled up to your chin, Daengmo shielding your eyes from the sunlight. Seungmin picks him up slowly. âHeyâŠâ
You stir a little, and as your eyes flutter open, you remember where you are, and whatâs going on. You remember where Seungmin went and that he wasnât returning alone. âMy alarm didnât go offâŠor, I slept through it, Iâm sorry.â
âItâs okay, you can nap. Do you wanna get into bed while I get us settled?â
It takes a moment, but you sit up carefully and wonder how puffy and groggy you look to your guest. âNo, Iâm awakeâŠhi.â
âHi.â He smiles at you just as sweetly as he did before, but his eyes fall to your stomach this time. âI can understand why youâre tired. Please donât force yourself to lose sleep because of me.â
âI sleep all the time...maybe too much. Iâm hoping my decaf will trick my brain into thinking itâs getting caffeine.â
Heecheol approaches, a little hesitantly, but then sits a few inches away on the couch. âRight, the decaf makes sense now. Did you drink a lot of coffee before you were pregnant?â
âYes, every dayâ
âA little bit of caffeine here and there wonât hurt. And if it makes you happy, thatâs probably better for baby than you feeling miserable without it.â
âIâm nervous about doing something wrongâ
âWhen did you have your last appointment?â
âTwo weeks agoâ
âAnd how did it go?â
âIt went well. They looked very healthy, and they just needed more time to fatten up.â
âThey?â His eyes grow, but he looks to Seungmin for an answer.
***
âI should have told you before todayâ
âAs long as sheâs comfortable with me here, thatâs what matters.â
Seungmin sets his iced coffee in front of him, the same as what heâs drinking. âStill. I hesitated. I told you how long we were together, and I didnât want you to think it was because we made a mistake.â
âI donât think that.â Heecheol slides his hand across the counter and sets it over Seungminâs. âYou donât have to explain yourself to me, Mo.â
He smiles at thatâhis nickname. The first time Heecheol heard his mother call him Mo, it stuck. Seungmin turns his hand over and squeezes his fingers.
âIâve never known you to do anything lightlyâ
They speak softly at the kitchen counter, but you still catch pieces of the conversation. You recognize some of it, to your surpriseâsingle words, at least. You catch your name, and thatâs not surprising. Heecheol didnât seem very surprised when he saw you, so Seungmin obviously got around to telling him at some point. The babies are moving around as you stand by the door and adjust your shirt, and you have to stop and breathe until they stopâŠit feels like theyâre arguing in there; kicking each other, fighting for more room. Breathing excercises aren't enough. The horrible swirling feeling and the smell of lunch cooking on the stove makes you sick, and you stumble out and head for the bathroom.
âTokki, are you okay?â
You see them from the corner of your eye as you walk by, but you donât stop, because if you do, you might not make it.
âStill getting nauseous?â Heecheol asks. He walks up behind Seungmin as he stares at the closed bathroom door.
âSometimes. Especially if theyâre very active, but active is good, right?â
âYes, and theyâre taking up a lot of space in there. Iâm sure itâs very hard when they wonât rest together.â
Heâs never thought about it quite like that. Just because they share a space doesnât mean they share a schedule. One takes a nap, the other wakes up and kicks his brother until he starts to kick back. He canât imagine how strange that feels inside of you. âHopefully they rest together when theyâre here with us.â
âTheyâll keep a routine as long as you give them one, and they need that, but babies will always do what they wantâ
âCheoli, you seem to know a lot about babiesâ
âLots of rotations on the maternity ward, here and in the states. Itâs my favorite. Oh, how did your cut heal?â
Thereâs a scar there, but barely. Seungmin sticks out his arm and Heecheol runs his thumb over it. âVery well, you stitched it so straight.â
A few minutes later you emerge, pale in the face, but feeling better. The two of them look at you from where they sit at the counter, and Seungmin smiles as you approach. Theyâre both clutching their coffees now, but youâre certain you saw them clutching each other before you interrupted.
âI can make you something easier on your stomach, if you wantâ
You hoist yourself onto the stool next to him, âno, Iâm okayâŠI think they finally calmed down,â and Seungmin scoots you closer.
The silence, one long enough to start feeling uncomfortable, is finally broken by Heecheol. And he speaks to you. âDo you like living here, in Korea?â
The thought never crossed your mind, strangely enough. Living here, or living thereâitâs been the same in some ways, or it used to be. You lied to Seungmin about how long youâve been here, and he knows that, but youâve never actually told him the truth. Two months spent by yourself, trying to adjustâŠtrying to settle somewhere new and far away from home. âI do. Learning Korean has been hard, and I feel like Iâll never get the hang of it. I really should be immersing myself, but itâs hard when he speaks perfect English.â
He nods and smiles at Seungmin, who looks a little guilty for making things too easy for you.
âIt was hard when I was alone. I almost left a few times, but finding him made everything feel right.â
âAnd now you two have made a sweet little family"
Seungminâs smile is so wide, you can see it without even turning to look at him, and it gives you butterflies. Or maybe the babies are just awake again. You didnât expect to reminisce about the way your relationship came to be, but of course his friend wants to know detailsâdetails you canât give, but ones youâll remember, sometimes in intense detail. The forest hasnât been forgotten, not at all, and you still wonder what pulled him in there. If you asked, he wouldnât know, so sometimes you wake up in the middle of the night and wait for a dream to come; a nightmare that gets him talking. It does weigh on youâthe eavesdropping and the hope for a vivid dream, but so does his strange behavior.
âSometimes I would wonder if it was ever possibleâŠbeing a father, and if I could even do it. It seemed out of reach for me.â
âWhy? I understand the feeling, though."
âTokki should have dropped me and ran more than once already, butâŠIâve been lucky. Iâm not easy to deal with.â
Heecheol smiles and lets out a tiny laugh, but only after seeing your smile. âWe fit well together, just like the two of you seem to. Iâve never seen him smile at anyone else the way he smiles at you.â The happy blush already on his cheeks darkens even more, and his eyes drop to his coffee. Every time you look at him, it just reinforces your assumptions. Maybe Heecheol didnât have feelings for Seungmin when they were kids, but he does now, and it hit him so suddenly when he laid eyes on him again. All those good feelings came back; the comfort, and the understanding.
Or maybe youâre just projecting. Maybe youâre just thinking anyone could fall in love with him so easily.
Seungmin squeezes the hand you placed in his lap, and at the same time, slides the other across the counter. Heecheol grabs it without hesitation.
âThis time last year,â he starts, but you can tell he hasnât gathered all of his thoughts yet. âUhm, uhââ he releases both of you and wrings his hands together as he continues to think. You can tell heâs retreating. âNevermind.â
What was Seungmin doing last spring: what was going through his head?
âYou can tell us, Mo. When it feels right.â
Both of you are gentle with him, and Heecheol doesnât even know just how much Seungmin needs that. He also doesnât know how rarely he opens up. Too often he lies in bed, staring at the ceiling; eyes slowly closing, but he never falls asleep before you do. Whatever is on his mind in those moments belong to him, and only him.
Tonight is one of those nights. An hour passes slowly as you watch him think. It was an unseasonably warm day, perfect for the baseball game they went to, and itâs carried into the nightâa breeze just barely makes it to the bed. Seungmin is star-fished on his back, blanket covering one full leg. The rest of him, aside from what his shorts cover, is out and damp with sweat.
âI can put a fan on if youâre too warm,â you say, even though his eyes are closed now, and he might finally be asleep.
âIâm okay. Are you? Are the babies making you warm?â
âA littleâ
Heâs up with a grunt, and he stretches his back and shoulders as he heads for the balcony. First he pulls the curtains aside as far as theyâll go, and then he slides the door open a little bit more.
âThat makes me nervousâ
âHmâŠwhat does, the balcony?â
âThe curtain and the door being all the way open.â You feel stupid thinking it, but not stupid enough to keep it to yourself. âI keep wondering if you were sleepwalking that night.â
âIf I was,â he smiles sweetly at you, âI havenât done it since. You havenât caught me, at least.â
âI knowâ
âAnd we have a nice breeze coming in nowâŠyouâll sleep betterâ
âDo you think Heecheol is okay? I donât want him to be uncomfortable and not let us know.â
Seungmin stops halfway back to bed, âIâll check.â
***
He doesnât bother turning on a light, so he walks carefully to the refrigerator to grab a bottle of water. While heâs there, he wonders if alcohol is a good choice. A beer, just one on top of the three he had earlier, probably wouldnât hurt. Maybe itâll help him sleep. Seungmin grabs one and heads for the nursery, and before knocking, sets his ear against the door. At first itâs quiet, but a moment later, he hears what sounds like a muffled video playing on his phone. A soft knock, and a moment later, he hears himâŠIâm awake, you can come in.
Seungmin pokes his head in and sees him propped up on the pillows, phone in hand. âSorry, we just wanted to make sure you were comfortable.â The window is cracked, and he can feel the breeze coming in. âOr if you needed anything.â
âYeah, Iâm comfortable. I thought youâd be asleep by now, itâs late.â
âCanât sleepâ
âYou can come inâ
Seungmin steps in and sets the water on the side table. âBrought this anyway.â
He nods to the bottle of beer. âWhoâs that for?â
Both of them had enough to drink at the game, but his enough is double that of Seungminâs, at least. He was still a little tipsy on the bus ride home, and Heecheol quietly stared at Seungmin for the duration.
âI can get another if you want this oneâ
âNo, I think I hit my limit today.â The bed squeaks as he moves to make more room, and Seungmin takes the invitation. âWent a little over it, maybe.â
âAre you feeling okay now?â
âYeah, back to normal I think. So this is the future nursery?â
Seungmin looks around and smiles as he twists off the cap. The color he chose looks nice in the dim lamplight, and a small collection of plushies is already accumulating on top of the dresser. Two boxes lean against the wall; a crib for each boy, and he knows he needs to start working on assembling things. Youâve already told him they wonât be sleeping in here for a while, so in your bedroom are two more boxes, each containing the pieces for a bassinet. Seungmin never really knew how much a baby needed, but itâs a surprising amountâdoubled. âYeah, just enough room, at least while theyâre small.â
âDo you need help putting those together? Or anything elseâŠdoesnât seem like you have everything yet.â
âNo, I canât make you work while youâreââ
âWhat was that?â The noise is faint, but Heecheol catches it. Seungmin hears it the second timeâa soft cry, like youâre trying to call for him.
Theyâre both on their feet, stumbling through the dark until Seungmin pushes the door open, and his stomach drops when he sees your pale, anguished face. âWhat⊠what is it, whatâs wrong?â He asks as calmly as possible.
Heecheol rounds the bed and grabs your hand, and heâs quiet for a few seconds. âWhatâs hurting?â
âEverythingâ
âHave you felt pains like this yet?â
Flashbacks of the intense pains you felt while hiding out months ago come back to Seungmin. He was mostly useless then, and he feels only slightly less useless now.
He reaches for the lamp and clicks it on, giving the room some well needed light. âHave you had any false labor pains yet? HeyâŠlook at me, I know it hurts.â
âNo pains, noâ
âOkay, try to breathe deep through your nose, and then let it out slowlyâŠvery slow.â
Seungminâs grip on your hand relaxes. âI can seeâŠis that them moving?â He almost lays his palm on your stomach, but thinks better of it. Thatâs probably not what you want or need right now.
âThey can feel it, too,â Heecheol speaks softly, âand this is a long one. Take another big breathâŠitâll pass.â
You listen, and as hard as it is to take a deep breath, you manage it twice. This is a new type of pain youâve never experienced before, and youâre not sure youâre ready to deal with it again. Two long minutes of it, and all you can see to your left is a blur of Seungmin staring you down. Youâve never seen him look more worried than he does right now. âItâs okay, MinnieâŠIâm okay.â You arenât, not really, but the pain is gradually easing up, and it becomes easier to breathe.
Heecheol squeezes your wrist again, and his other hand lands gently on your stomach. âThey might be awake for a while now, but hopefully no more pains that intense.â
âI donât think I can do that againâ
âYou canâyou will, and youâll be surprised by the amount of pain you can endureâ
âI donât want to,â you laugh, and wince in pain again when one of them kicks hard enough to see.
Seungmin stares, and finally places both hands on your stomach. âIs it normal to see them moving like that?â
âYeah, especially considering how cramped itâs getting in there; youâll see all kinds of movement. Feel anything?â
He smiles, âyeah, Iâve never felt them so active before.â
âMe neither,â you sigh and set your hands on top of his. âI wonder which one is the worst.â
âDo you need anything? WaterâŠand something for the muscle pains youâll be feeling would be a good idea.â
âIâll get you something, Iâll be right back.â Seungmin bends down to kiss your hand before jumping off the bed and heading for the medicine cabinet. He wants to feel useful, and itâs tough to do with a nurse in the room.
You watch Heecheol start to rise, but he stops and feels your pulse. Heâs calm, like heâs been in this situation more times than he can remember, and having him here right now, tonight, was very lucky. âThank you. I donât know how well he would have handled that alone. Heâs doing a good job, but he worriesâŠand overthinks.â
âSo he hasnât changed.â Heecheol laughs and looks around. He sees the dried flowers, slowly crumbling away in a brand new vase, and next to it is the still broken pieces of his music box. To new eyes, it probably looks like a mess, and nothing else.
Thereâs no sound coming from outside the bedroom, so you keep your ears perked while you watch him walk to the other side of the room. âCan I ask you something, before Seungmin comes back?â
âHuh? Yeah, sureâŠis it aboutâŠâ his gaze drops to your stomach.
âNo, itâs about when you two were kids.â Heâs making something warm to drinkâyou hear the familiar clumsy sound of him making tea. Heecheol moves closer as you sit up a little more. âDid he ever wander into the woods? I mean, aside from the incident with his stepfather. Did either of you ever see anything strange in there?â
The look he gives you is loaded with questions, and you think the meds must be one of them. âThe woods? The pine forest around the old house?â Now his gaze moves to Seungminâs side table, and you see what he's spotted. Seungminâs prescription came in a box this time, and the writing on the front is hard to miss: HALOPERIDOL 2mg. âNot that I recall. It was creepy in thereâŠI do remember him telling me he saw something, but just once. I didnât believe himâI thought he was trying to scare me.â He has no clue which incident you're referring to with his stepfather, but he's curious. âWhy do you ask?â
Thereâs no time to elaborate, because Seungmin is backâmug in one hand, bottle of water tucked under his arm. You remember this. He looks exactly like he did that night; worried, a little pale, half dressed with a mug of tea in one shaking hand.
âI sweetened it for you.â He sets it on your table, along with the water and two tablets he had clutched in his fist. âCheoliâŠis it too early for this, the pain?â
âNot necessarily, but if there are more tonight, more that last that longâŠcould be uhm, could be the babies trying to move into position.â
âPosition? Position to what?â
Heecheol laughs. âTo be born. They have to turn, head down preferably.â
âRight. But they canât be born yet, itâs too soon.â
As much as you want to tell him not to worry, you canât, because youâve been nervous since the day you found out you were pregnant. Getting this far was a surprise. All you can hope for is Heecheol to put his mind at ease.
âIt is, but the pains donât mean theyâre coming yetâ
Somehow, Seungminâs face grows even more pale. Not trying to worry him further is not working, for either of you. You calmly sip your tea, but he continues to watch you like youâre going to explode at any minute.
âIâm sorry, Mo, Iâm not trying to worry you.â
Seungmin swallows and nods, and he follows Heecheol as he heads for the door. âIâll be right back, okay?â
***
Half of his bottle is drained quickly, âwhat?â Seungmin isnât just feeling watchedâthe look Heecheol is giving him is one of concern, and curiosity. Some confusion. âI know I didnât handle that very well. I should be stronger than that.â
He shakes his head, âno, youâre allowed to be worried and a little scared. A little clueless. The two of you will get through it. But I do have to ask somethingâŠbecause you said, or we saidâŠmaybe we were both a little tipsy or getting too much sun at the gameâŠâ
He remembers. How can he do it, though? Seungmin canât tell him everything. âNo secrets, just like when we were kids.â
âThat means a lot of catching up.â Heecheol takes the bottle from him and finishes it. âThe Haldol, Iâm assuming it's yours.â
Seungmin was so worried and distracted, he didnât think about his medication sitting out in the open on his bedside table. Keeping them within sight has helped. But now he might have to jump right in and tell him something. âYes, theyâre mine.â
âWe can talk about it another time, if you want, but no more alcohol. Just promise me that.â
âOkayâ
âGo get some sleep. Wake me if either of you need anything.â
***
The pain mostly subsides, but the kicking and squirming doesnât. Both of them feel like theyâre spinning inside of you, and thereâs nothing you can do to stop it. Breathing exercises only help so much, and if thereâs a neural connection that lets you communicate with them, theyâre ignoring every word you say tonight. But Seungmin returns, and regardless of how tired and mopey he looks, youâre relieved to see him shuffling toward the bed. âJust in time. Câmere.â
âAre you hurting again?â He climbs across the bed and curls up next to you, despite how warm he is. The alcohol and conversation made him even warmer. âMore pains?â
âNothing like before, no. Can you talk to them, or something? Anything. Theyâre all worked up.â
Seungmin sits up and sets a hand on you until he feels movement. âI can try.â He lies down again, this time with his head on you, ear pressed against your stomach. âItâs bedtime,â he whispers. âTime to settle down and rest. HaneulâŠHaesung, which of us will fall asleep first? It canât be me. Iâll stay up until umma falls asleep, and that means you two first.â
Heâs been speaking to them by name for two months now, and youâve started to as well. There hasnât been any more discussion about it, so it seems like a good fit. Seungmin starts to hum, and you can feel it move through your chest. You worry for a moment that theyâll start squirming again, but they donât, and you can finally close your eyes and relax. Thereâs still some fear that the pain will hit again, but youâre too tired to let it keep you up, and you feel yourself slowly fading into sleep.
*
A dim, measured beep starts going off, just enough to be annoying. Youâre still tired, and you desperately want to sleep, so you try to block it out and slip back to where you were, but it gets louder.
âSeungminâŠwhat is that noise?â You cup your palm over your ear, but it doesnât help. âIs that your phone?â No, his alarm doesnât sound like that, and he never has the sound on. Maybe heâs at his computer, mixing something togetherâŠbut he hasnât done that in a while. Your hand slides downward and jumps to your stomach. Nobody is kicking nowânot that you can feel, but you canât feel anything. âSeungmin?â He isnât next to you. Finally, you open your eyes, and itâs blinding. Wherever you are is too bright, and itâs certainly not your bedroom. Moving is almost impossible, but as soon as you force yourself onto your back, all you see as your eyes adjust is a plain, drab room. You set your hand on your stomach again; thereâs nothing there; no bump, and not even the ghost of one. This is the same stomach you had six months ago. Everything below your chest is numb.
The doorknob clicks, and a nurse walks in without a word. She looks at you, clicks a pen, and still says nothing.
âWhere are my babies? Where am I?â
âBabies?â
âWhere are theyâŠwhere is Seungmin? He wouldnât leave me here. Seungmin!â
âWhat is it? Whatâs wrong?â
You wake up again, and seeing him stare down at you is the most beautiful thing youâve ever seen. His big worried eyes, and his warm hands squeezing your shoulders bring you back immediately. "Stupid dreams," you mumble.
âAre you in pain?â
No, you think. Not at all. It was just a dream, and youâre here with him. Everything is okay. But you are in pain and it takes another few seconds to hit. It feels like youâve been in pain for hours, and youâve never felt anything like it before.
âHey, itâs okayâŠeverything is okay, Iâm hereâ
Itâs as if a vice is squeezing your back and pulling your spine from your body, inch by inch. Your chest burns when you try to breathe, and it comes back out in a cry. âIt hurts.â
âIâm gonna take care of you, donât worry.â He turns away screams for Heecheol.
It echoes in your head, and pain shoots around your stomach, around your back, and down your thighs. âThey canât come yet.â
âYouâll be okay, and theyâll be okay, too. Just look at me, take a breath.â
Heecheol runs into the room, but you can tell heâs calm as he approaches. âHey, another bad one?â His hand clutches yours.
âBadâŠitâs badâ
âWhere does it hurt the most?â
âGod, my backâŠand,â you set your hand on the bottom of your stomach and attempt another deep breath. âMy chest.â
âChest? How far is the closest hospital?â
âUhm, the university hospital isnât far. Should I call an ambulance?â
Heecheol gives your hand a gentle squeeze. âCan you walk? When this passes, if you can walk, we should get you there, just in case.â
âIâm not sureâ
He looks at Seungmin, âif it doesnât pass in the next few minutes, weâll call. If it does, we can get ready and drive there.â
It does start to fade, but not nearly as quickly as before. Your head pounds from the tension in your body, and every muscles aches in its own way. You close your eyes and feel both of them move away from you, but you donât bother to focus on what they sayâŠ
âHospital? You think itâs time for that?â Seungmin asks. He watches you carefully as you finally start to relax.
âThe pain seemed pretty intense. Is the pregnancy considered high risk?â
âI donât think soâŠeverything has been fine at the appointmentsâ
His hands, warm and damp are on you again; one squeezes yours, and the other runs softly across your thigh, âyou okay?â He whispers.
âI dunnoâ
âWeâre just gonna go to the hospital, to be safe,â he whispers again, trying desperately to keep you calm as he feels something falling apart inside of him. âSo you can be more comfortable.â
âWill you stay with me?â A nauseous feeling starts to swirl inside of you, and you hope itâs the babies fighting again. You need them to move again. They havenât moved since you woke up from your dream. âPlease.â
***
The beeping is there againâitâs loud, and when your eyes open, everything is different, and heâs there, asleep with his head in his arms at the edge of your hospital bed. The lights are dimmed, and nobody else is around, because you assume itâs still the middle of the night. You donât even know what time it was when you woke up in pain.
âMinnie?â Your voice cracks, and your cough is what wakes him up. âWhat time is it?â
âUhm,â he grabs your arm and searches for his phone, âitâs 5:30. How do you feel?â
âTired. What happened?â
âThey gave you something to keep you from going into labor.â Heecheol closes the sliding door. Thereâs a coffee in each hand; one for him, and the other for Seungmin. âAnd something for the bleeding. And the pain.â
âAre the babies okay?â
âYeah, babies are good. You donât remember the ultrasound?â
Did you black out from the pain? Is labor actually that painful? âNo, I donât remember leaving the apartment.â If so, any fleeting thoughts you had of a natural birth before tonightâŠtheyâre long gone. âHow long does the medicine stop me from going into labor?â
âTwo days at the least, but an extra week is possible. Twenty-six is much better than twenty-five.â
You look to Seungmin, whoâs looking at you the way that he tends to do; into you, and through you. He canât hide the worry and sadness heâs carrying around with him. âMinnie, Iâm sorry.â
âWhy? You donât have anything to be sorry for. Youâll be okay, and so will they.â
The dream keeps coming back to you, though.
***
Itâs another two hours of you moving in and out of sleep before your doctor arrives, and when she walks into the room followed closely by someone elseâa nurse, she looks concerned. You can tell she tries to shake it off when she gets closer.
âGood morning, how are you feeling?â
âBetter than I was last nightâ
âLast week everything looked very good, and they wereâŠâ She stacks her arms parallel to each other against her stomach, âtransverse. They both moved very quickly, and now theyâre both head down.â
âIs that bad?â
âItâs unusual this early, but weâll try to keep labor at bay for as long as possible, and we can give you something to help speed up lung development. But after that, we just wait.â
âI have to stay here?â
âJust for three or four days. If everything stays calm after that, you can go homeâŠbut bed rest until the babies are born,â She looks at Heecheol, and then to Seungmin. âIâm counting on you to keep her there, and do everything she says.â
***
Seungmin doesnât want to, but eventually, after convincing him youâd be alright by yourself, Heecheol and him head back to the apartment. Itâs a quick, silent drive, and neither of them speak much until theyâre on the elevator, halfway up the building.
Heecheol wants to say something to comfort him, but he doesnât know where to start, and he doesnât know if anything he says will help, so he keeps quiet for now. In place of conversation, he starts making more coffee while Seungmin shuts himself in the bathroom.
He takes a long shower, and heâs still silent as he heads for the bedroom wrapped in his towel. The sounds of him changing, and then the familiar sound of a pill being pushed from the blister pack filters out through the cracked door. Heecheol wonders how long heâs been taking Haldol, and how serious his condition is. Schizophrenia? Bipolar disorder? Both, possibly. It seems to be well under control, though, and he hopes Seungmin will talk to him about it.
The door swings open. âHow likely is survival if theyâre born this premature?â Seungmin asks. The doctor may be going over this with you right now, but he needs to know, too. And he needs to talk about it.
âAround 75âŠ80%. Each week increases that percentage a little more.â
âIâm sorry you have to be here for all of this, Cheoliâ
âI donât mind. I can get someone to check in on umma; sheâll be fine.â He slides a coffee closer to him. âIâd hate to think about you all by yourself here, waiting around. Besides, youâll need help getting this apartment ready if momâs stuck in bed for a while.â
The list of things to finish is getting longer, and he wasnât sure heâd have enough time before they arrived. Now he might have no time, but it doesnât matter, as long as they make it home. âIt would be nice to get the nursery done, even if they wonât be sleeping in there when they come home.â He reaches for his buzzing phone and sees a text from you already.
I know you just left, and you seemed fine, but are you okay? You can call or text whenever you want to, because Iâm gonna bother you just as much
I will, but Iâll feel bad if I wake you. Keep your phone on do not disturb and Iâll feel much better about it. And sleep. If youâre hungry for something Iâll bring it in for you. AND I will be there tomorrow morning.
I will, I promise. I just had breakfast, and it was okay, but maybe you can make me some soft-boiled eggs and sneak them in? They only gave me a half of one :(
Iâll bring you as many eggs as you can eat. How are you feeling? Are you comfortable?
I am, Iâm feeling good, no pains or anythingâŠlots of kicks, I think they still want out
Iâll try to visit tonight before you go to bed, and Iâll tell them they need to stay put for while. Cheoli is going to help me finish putting things together here. Everything will be ready before you come home đ€
the list Iâve been working on is in my drawerâŠwe still have a lot to cross off
Weâll take care of everything, promise
***
Seungmin finds your notebook right where you said it would be. Next to it is your old oneâŠthe one you were using to practice Hangul months ago; the same one you wrote his name in over and over through the first few pages. He opens it to see everything still there, and then flips further back to see how much better your handwriting eventually became. You donât feel confident speaking Korean, even though you practice with him all the time, and heâs being honest when he says youâre doing well. But no matter how much he reassures, you still believe you just canât get it. A few nights ago, you made yourself cry from the fear of not being able to speak to them properly. Itâs the first time in a long time, aside from last night, that Seungmin can remember feeling truly helpless when it comes to you; he canât fix itâŠnot without time.
It justâŠscrambles in my head, even when you speak slowly to me. I canât make sense of it.
Weâre going to be speak Korean and English to them, right? So you keep learning as they learn.
The new notebook is a baby planner, and itâs well-used. The side pockets are stuffed with pamphlets and information the doctor gave you in Daegu; older, messier lists to refer back to, and a paint color swatch for the greens Seungmin chose from. He flips to the middle where your much neater, much more organized lists are, starting with NURSERY: two cribs and everything thatâs goes with them, two bassinets, changing table, dresser. Most of that is sitting in their respective boxes, untouched. Baby monitor, just one of those; blankets, too many to count; pacifiers, also too many to count. He flips the pages. Fortunately, most of that section is checked off.
Fatigue starts to creep up on him, and just as he flips to the next page (FEEDING) Heecheol sneaks up behind him. âFeeding, still need all of those. We can get a lot done today, but we need sleep first.â
He must see it on him, the exhaustion. Neither of them slept last night. âYeah, I am very tired. I can hear Tokki yelling at me for itâif I just start working without at least trying to rest.â
âCan I ask where the nickname came from?â
âTokki?â
âMhm. She looks more like a deer than a bunnyâŠfeels like one, too.â
He thinks about it, picturing your face in his mind; your voice, and your walk. Maybe you are more like a deer, but youâll always be Tokki to him. âThatâs true, butâŠsheâs my moon, I guess.â
âYour moon?â
âYeah. We should get some sleep.â
***
Both of them get back into bed without bothering to set alarms, and they both sleep well into late afternoon. The sun is still up, just barely, when Heecheol finally opens his eyes, but his head is pounding. He decides to close his eyes again, and if Seungmin happens to wake up and need him, heâll get up, but that doesnât happen.
The first time Seungmin wakes, the sun is setting, and some of the light is pushing through the thick curtains. Before dozing off again, he watches it move across the room, and then he looks at his phone; no notifications. He knows youâre safe and resting, and that makes it even easier for him to slip back into sleep. But something creeps into his head without him realizing it; it was there last night, and when he sat in the hospital room watching your every move. It was there as he flipped through the baby book, trying to figure out his next step. It's been there since he went back into the woods; he's just gotten better at holding it back.
Itâs full dark when he wakes againâ10 oâclock. He slept too much, and the pain in his head is pulsing behind his eyes. He canât remember what day it is, and why heâs been asleep. Why is he waking at this hour? Seungmin sits up. âWhy is it so quiet?â He says to himself, and immediately falls back onto his pillow. Again, he looks at an empty phone, and then he scratches at the scar on his forearm. The empty spot to his left confuses him, and without thinking; without knowing exactly why, he jumps out of bed and opens his drawer.
âWhat? WhereâŠisâŠâ he moves a few things around. He doesnât remember putting these things here, and he certainly doesnât remember moving his tools. Seungmin moves to the dresser and checks each drawer. Nothing. Next is the closet. He glances at the bin by the door; the one filled with his old baby clothes, and a few forgotten toys, but he chooses to ignore it. The first thing he notices is a box, slightly larger than the photo boxes itâs sitting next to. Itâs a nice box, with a hinged lid and a lock. And itâs locked. Does he have a key for this lock? Seungmin is pretty certain he has a key for every lock.
The ring of keys was in the drawer, so he and the box return to bed, and after four careful tries, it clicks.
âHow did you get in here? I donât remember...â He picks up his knife, safe in its leather sheath, and slowly pulls it out. It shines at him in the darkness, and he sees his reflection in the polished steel. âOh well.â
Back to the closet, and then to the dresser. Black jeans, and a fitted tank top. Black bootsânot his good ones, but theyâre still niceâand two silver chains around his neck. He checks himself in the mirror before throwing on his jacket...runs his fingers through his hair and fluffs it up a little. By the time he walks out the door, he looks perfect.
***
Might as well just sleep the rest of the night, Heecheol thinks as he rolls around trying to get comfortable. He checks his phone for messages, and thereâs nothing, so everything is fine at home. No need to worry. The headache is gone, at least, but he has to get up and rehydrateâŠmaybe check in on Seungmin. He had a rough day, and meds or no meds, things can go downhill quickly.
The little hallway is dark, and so is the living room. One tiny light in the kitchen helps guide him toward the water, but not before noticing the light coming from Seungminâs bedroom, so maybe he is up, and he is okay. Heecheol grabs his water and heads for the bathroom, but he doesnât get far before something grabs his attention; a sound, and not a particularly nice sound. A gasp for air.
âSeungmin, are you up?â He says softly, and his heart pounds louder than his voice. One ear pressed against the door is his second mistake; the first being approaching it at all.
youâŠfuckingâŠdonât fight meâŠdo not touch me
âWhat the hell?â
A few seconds pass, and silence takes over. Heecheol is afraid to move in case the hardwood floor squeaks and gives him away, so he hears something elseâa quiet groan, but itâs not Seungminâs voice. He takes a chance when he starts to speak again, and somehow manages to make it to the nursery and close the door behind him. Just in time. The door opens, and light fills the living room. Heecheolâs view from the keyhole is a little too good, because the reflection on the knife seems to bounce right off of his door. The weapon almost distracts him from the fact that Seungminâs hands are covered in blood, and a splatter of it managed to travel across his cheek. The bathroom light illuminates things a little moreâSeungmin disappears inside, and Heecheol waits motionless; breathing in shaky breaths, and letting them out quietly. What is he witnessing right now? What did his friend do?
The bathroom water runs for a few minutes, and then he emerges again with a clean knife in his clean hands. The front door clicks, but thereâs no way heâs leaving the apartment with a body (maybeâhe doesnât know if thereâs a body anywhereâŠhe could just be in a very vivid nightmare for all he knows) laying in his bedroom. Heecheol waits it out for another few minutes, but manages to unstick himself from his spot and grab his phone. A well-timed text might help clear things up, or confirm some very scary suspicions, but when he pulls up the message thread, he canât do it.
The door opens and another light clicks on, and Seungmin is heading back to the bedroom. Thanks to the extra light, he can very clearly see what heâs now carrying; a neatly folded tarp, orâŠsome type of plastic. A drop cloth youâd use while painting, possibly. And a bucket, he assumes full of cleaning supplies. There wasnât much doubt in what he was hearing and seeing, especially with a knife in hand, but this confirms what heâs really, truly trying to push out of his head. Seungmin is preparing to dispose of a body, right in front of his eyes. Is he not worried Heecheol will hear or see him? âMaybe youâre not all there right now,â he whispers as he turns and somehow still gives his friend the benefit of the doubt; but not reallyâŠhe knows whatâs happening, sure, but maybe thereâs something more. âWhat is wrong with meâŠhe just killed someone, quietlyâŠoh, Mo, what the hell is going on?â
He should be planning his escape right nowâpacking up and heading to the train station or finding a hotel. Why isnât he moving?
A thud, the sound of plastic, and then he appears again, slowly. Seungmin comes back into his field of vision, back first, pulling the wrapped body little by little. He canât make out much except a vague idea of size, and itâs not very small. Seungmin grunts a little each time he pulls, and then you hear his phone. Of course he turned the sound on in case you called or messaged him. Of course itâs you. He drops what heâs doing and hops over the body as he runs for it, and he gets there before you hang up.
âHi sweetie, youâre up lateâŠis everything okay?â
âŠnothing quite as frustrating as hearing one side of the conversation, Heecheol thinks. But not for long. Seungmin puts it on speaker and puts the phone in his pocket so he can continue. Apparently, Seungmin's mental break erased Heecheol from the equation.
why are you up so late? You donât sound like you were sleeping
âI slept all day. I bet you did, too. How are you feeling?â
Yeah I fell asleep right after dinner. Did you eat? What are you doing?
âUh, noâŠI havenât eaten, not yetâ
is Heecheol still there?
Hearing you say his name sends him into a panic, and he has to cup his head over his mouth to quiet his breaths.
âIsâŠHeecheol?â Seungmin pulls one more time, stops, and stands up straight. âUhmâŠâ
Minnie, what was that? What are you doing?
âŠand then he turns his head toward the nursery door. âNuhâŠnothing.â
did you leave and come back with someone? Please tell me you didnât do that, not right nowâŠbaby
Seungmin does something stupid. Heâs never hung up on you, or ignored you; not until tonight. He hits the end call button and shoves the phone back in his pocket, and now Heecheol watches him approach. He freezes for a few more steps, but manages to quietly slip back under the covers and pretend to sleep.
âHeecheol?â
His heart feels on the brink of giving out. Thereâs no way heâll fall for the fake sleeping unless he can relax. The door clicks and squeaks a little as itâs pushed open.
âCheoli, are you...â
Deep, steady breaths. No, sound asleepâŠhe heard nothing, and he saw nothing. But heâs not in the clear yet, because Seungmin is still there watching. Heecheol hears him sigh.
â...awake?â
The doors squeaks again, clicks shut, and Heecheol finally shifts. The phone rings again, so he knows Seungmin has returned to his job.
âHey, Iâm sorryââ
Donât ever hang up on me like that
âIâm sorry, I amâŠI donât know why I did thisâ
He must have turned the speaker off, but Heecheol can still hear youâyour voice carries easily in the quiet apartment.
Are you at home? Did you finish?
âYeah, almost. I made a mess, though.â
oh, noâŠ
âEverything will be fine. Iâll clean up. Heecheol was asleep when I just looked in on him.â
No, Seungmin itâs happening again
âWhat, whatâs happening?â
Thereâs no real answer on your end of the conversation, but thereâs a horrible, anguished wail. The labor pains have already returned.
âFuck, Iâll be there as soon as I canâ
The call ends, and Heecheol is still stuck. Seungmin canât run off with a dead body in the middle of the floor, so he has to clean up before he leaves, but he might not have much time. He can hear the sounds of him banging around, and he canât begin to imagine how heâs taking care of this.
Seungmin grabs the end of the plastic again and pulls. Heâs moving faster now, because he has to, and a few seconds later heâs out the front door. The next apartment; the empty one theyâve started using as storage, is thirty feet down the hall, and Seungmin covers it quickly. Adrenaline pumping through him should make quick work of this.
The slam of the neighboring door gets Heecheol up again and peeking through the keyhole. He catches sight of Seungmin running by and pulling off his top, and after a few minutes of changing and cleaning up any leftover blood (he assumes), Seungmin bolts by again, slams the door shut, and everything goes quiet again.
âWhat theâŠfuck?â Itâs strange hearing himself after the terrified silence. âSeungmin, what the fuck?â Now what is he supposed to do? Stay? Leaving in the middle of the night is out of the question, unless he wants to make it obvious he actually did witness a murder. Seungmin might have to get rid of him or anyone who knowsâapparently not you, though. You knew exactly what he was up to, and even though you werenât thrilled about it, youâre still here and carrying his children. Tokki should have dropped me and ran more than once already, butâŠIâve been lucky. Iâm not easy to deal with. He thinks he knows at least one reason why Seungmin is difficult. Itâs almost 2am when he checks his phone again. In another minute, heâll text him:
I heard the front door slam, and you were gone when I checkedâŠeverything okay?
Itâs less than three kilometers to the hospital, so driving there at this hour should be quick. It takes three more minutes for a reply:
Yes Iâm sorry Cheoli. I panicked and ran. I didnât wanna wake you, but Iâll keep you updated.
If you can. Let me know if you need anything.
Maybe he doesnât suspect anything. He is typically a deep sleeper, and Seungmin might remember that from when they were kidsâhopefully he does. Heecheol is more worried about you, actually. You might not believe he missed the entire ordealâyouâre going to suspect he witnessed everything, even is Seungmin doesnât. He needs time to process this, and the first thing he does is check the bedroom. It looks the same as it did last night, but it smells like a mix of disinfectant and the coppery scent of blood. The open balcony door hasnât helped air it out yet. The only other thing that seems off is the wooden box sitting on his side of the bed. Itâs closed, but it isnât locked. âOh no,â he cringes when he sees whatâs inside; the knife, clean and back in its sheath; nylon rope; syringes; handcuffs.
It feels stupid as heâs doing it, but he heads to the kitchen and makes himself a cup of tea. He checks one of the cupboards and finds a hoard of snacks that he can only assume belongs to you. He pulls out an already open bag of chips and starts to eat while his tea steeps.
A few minutes later, a text message comes through, and itâs from Seungmin.
They canât stop it this time, theyâre preparing for delivery
âDamn. Iâm sorry, buddy.â He says it out loud to himself, and immediately feels a horrible swirl in his stomach. Hours ago, he knew Seungmin deserved all of the good things he was finally getting. A good relationship, and a family of his own. Heâs been through a lot, and Heecheol doesnât even know how terrible Seungminâs childhood actually was, but he just killed someone in his bedroom. Itâs possible that both of you are killing; some sick version of Natural Born Killers come to life. Is that actually how you two met?
Itâll be okay. Theyâll take good care of them. All three of them.
They wonât let me in the room. They said I have to wait until things are more stable.
Thatâs normal. Just stay calm and theyâll let you in as soon as they can. Iâm sure sheâs asking for you. I can make my way down there.
He can?
Can you, Cheoli? Iâm sorry you have to come down alone
Yes, he can. Seungmin needs him.
Iâll look for a ride right now
This has been his worst day in a very long time, and he can feel it in every single nerve in his body. His head aches, and his joints do, too; his heart hasnât stopped racing since he woke from his very long nap. But his friend is coming to be by his side, and thinking about how close he came to ruining things is making him sick to his stomach. You, in that room, alone and in pain, has him on the verge of crying and screaming at everyone he sees sitting calmly in front of him. Can they not see how distressed he is? Why isnât anyone telling him how you are?
âHey, Moâ
Seungmin jumps, but smiles when Heecheol sits next to him in maternity waiting room. One of the nurses glances at them, but says nothing. âThanks for coming.â
âThatâs what friends are for.â He looks down at Seungminâs fidgeting hands and sees blood that isnât there. âHavenât heard anything new?â
âNo, I feel like everyone is ignoring meâ
âIâm sure theyâre not. Itâs a stressful situation, and everyone is focused on making sure Tokki and the babies are both safe.â
âYeah, I guess youâre rightâ
âWeâll hear something soonâ
***
The pain meds took hold, and the nurse made sure to tell you how lucky you are that they pushed them in time. Everything from your stomach to your knees is a partially numb, but every time you take a breath, you feel the pain.
âIâm going to see if things are progressingâŠâ a nurse says and pushes hard on one of your knees. She speaks to another nurse first, than to you. âStill five centimeters.â
Still. Youâve been at five since the pains first started. âWhen can I see Seungmin?â
âSeungmin?â One looks to the other and asks.
âNampyeonbunâ
âOhâŠthe cute, pouty one sitting in the waiting room? She whispers in Korean to her partner. âSoon, youâll see him soonâ
You look everywhere for your phone, but one of them must have taken it when things started getting chaotic.
âDonât cry, everything will be fine. Doctor will be here soon, and sheâll know exactly what to do.â
She will, but you canât stop yourself. Itâs too soon, and itâs very possible that, no matter how smoothly the delivery goes, you could still lose one, or even both of them. That canât happenâyou wonât be able to handle losing what you thought you never wanted, or failing to keep his children alive. And Seungmin wonât be able to cope with losing another piece of himself.
âShould we go get him?â
Just as she asks, the doctor arrives, only slightly deshelved from the 2am phone call. She smiles at you just like before; a bad attempt at hiding her obvious concern. âWhereâs dad? Not sleeping, Iâm sure.â
âI was just going to get himâ
The other nurse moves to stand by your bedside. âNo progress in dilation for an hour. Five centimeters, currently.â
âThank you. Did the epidural work?â
âSort ofâ
âIf you donât progress in the next half an hour, we should consider other options.â
The nurse returns, and Seungmin comes in quietly behind her. Heâs pale, and his cheeks are red and blotchy. He looks as if heâs been awake for two days straight. His approach is hesitant at first, as if heâs afraid to touch you, but when you whisper his name, he breaks out into a smile. âHey.â He touches your hand and you pull him until he puts his arms around you. âPlease donât be mad, I didnât mean to be so careless.â
âIâm not, I promiseâ
âWe were just discussing other options that may become necessaryâ
âWhat options?â Seungmin asks.
âHeart rates have returned to normal, but they may not stay that way. C-section would be less stressful for mom, and less traumatic for the boys.â
He looks to you, hopeful, thinking thatâs an easy solution to this problem. âIs that something you would want?â
It might be. âIf I have to, I will.â
âOkay,â the doctor nods. âOnly if necessary. Weâll check again in thirty minutes. Weâll leave you two alone, but call if you need anything.â
***
The two of you stare silently at each other, waiting for the other to speak. Seungmin squeezes your hand, and eventually drops his gaze to your stomach. His other hand feels for any movement.
âWhat happened?â
âNot sure. I woke up andâŠit felt like what I had to do. Maybe all the worry and stress caught up to me.â
You squeeze back. âIâm only upset because Iâm worried you were disassociating again, and not all there. Do you remember everything? Did he see you?â
The finer details are already lost on him, now that you mention it. Heâs forgetting this, just like he couldnât remember wandering into the woods, or what he did while he was there. He doesnât even remember the feeling creeping up on him; the voice pushing him to do it. What he does remember is making a mess. The knife seemed like the obvious solution to quell the need. âSome. And no, I donât think so. Heâs in the waiting room.â
âHeâs here?â
Seungmin nods, and you reach out to rub a spot on his neck. âI didnât have time to clean up properly...what is it?â It feels like heâs setting off your pains. Every time he does something stupid, they return. âShould I call someone back?â
âI know I canât push butâŠfuck, theyâre making it very hardâ
âOkay, youâre supposed to do the breathing techniques, right? No pushing, just nice big breaths.â
You breath in and out as steadily and calmly as possible, and Seungmin does it with you. It feels good doing it with him, and eventually, the contraction passes.
âNo meds for the pain?â
âYeah, it helped a little. I can still feel it.â
Heâs surprisingly calm, and maybe heâs truly confident that everything will be okay. The last twenty-four hours have been more than stressful, and his kill seems to have grounded himâat least heâs gained that much. Not having him clear-headed and here with you is something you let yourself worry about far too much.
Another pain shoots through you, this time a little worse. He panics and pushes the call button on the side of your bed, and the doctor makes it in the see the very end of your contraction.
âWas that your first contraction since we left?â
âSecondâ
âLetâs check things out.â She pats your knee sweetly, and her bedside manner is a relief compared to both of your nurses. A few seconds into her inspection, and again youâre relieved to see a non-worried smile on her face. âGood, almost there. One more contraction and you might be ready to let them out.â
âYeah?â
âIâm going to wash up and change, and dad is going to join me so he can stay.â
For five minutes, youâre completely alone again. The only sound is the woosh of two heartbeats, and when you look at the machine youâre hooked up to, you see your own heart rate sitting at 90. Baby 1 is 125, and baby 2 is 130. It occurs to you now that the two of you havenât discussed who is who, so itâs the first thing you say when he walks back in, and heâs almost unrecognizable in his mask and gown.
âFirst bornâŠHaneul or Haesung?â
Seungmin adjusts his mask, and his eyes look even more intense peeking over it. âHuh? Oh, who is Haneul andâŠI guess we never thought about that part. Should the oldest be Sky? And Haesung is little brother.â
âThat sounds goodâ
The mask doesnât hide his sudden worry. Thatâs all in his eyes, but he does his best to keep his mind on you. Seungmin made sure to update Heecheol before getting ready, and before he got his attention, he looked lost. He looked like he wasnât sure which direction to go in. Heecheolâs foot tapped nervously, and he was chewing on his fingers, but Seungmin doesnât think any of that was because of the situation theyâre in here at the hospital. No. Now heâs wondering if Heecheol did hear something. Or worseâsee something. As soon as he saw him approach, he perked up and gave him a smile.
âDelivery time. You can stick around if youâd like, or I can call a ride and you can get some sleep. Iâm sorry your visit has been so strange.â
Strange doesnât quite cover it. Running to and from the hospital has been very normal by comparison, and honestly, good bonding time for him and Seungmin. âHow about I stick around for a little longer, and then when I know everything is okay, Iâll head back and put that nursery together.â
âYou donât have to do thatâ
âI know. But Iâd like to. Iâll make myself something, get some coffee going, and you stay here as long as you need to.â
âCheoli, IâŠwhen I say I donât deserve a friend like you, I mean it. If things go well tonight, and I desperately need them to, itâs not because I deserve anything. Tokki does. I donât.â
âWhere is this coming from?â
âMy heart, and my very damaged headâ
He shakes his head and forces himself to smile. Does he know he knows? Is he attempting damage control? No. Heecheol doesnât really think thatâs the case. That might be part of it, but the bigger part is his sincerity, and his genuine aversion to himself. âYou canât get rid of me that easily.â
***
The doctors voice is floating somewhere in the room, but you canât catch all the words. Her face is between your legs, and Seungmin has decided he doesnât need to see whatâs happening down there. He has your hand cupped between his, and he keeps putting his face into the sheets out of frustration. Youâre dilated, but nothing is happening. You havenât felt the urge to push in at least ten minutes.
Two incubators are pushed against the wall, ready and waiting, and every time you catch sight of them, it makes you a little more nervous. âTell them to come out,â you whine, and the doctor laughs when she hears you.
âI think theyâre going to listen to one of you better than me. Go ahead, talk to them.â
Seungmin takes her advice and scoots a few inches to his right. He bends close enough to set his lips against the little bit of skin showing between your gown and the blanket draped over your lap. âAre you two sleeping? Itâs not a good timeâŠyou can nap after you come out and say hello.â He stops and waits a few seconds. âPlease, I know itâs early but I would really like to meet you.â
Another few seconds, and you start to relax again, but you should know better. This isnât the first, or second, or third time theyâve responded to his voice. This contraction doesnât hit hardâit progresses slowly until you canât take the pressureâŠ
âDeep breath and a nice, slow pushâŠgood! Slow and steady. We have an appearance.â
âWe do?â
âHopefully youâll only have a moment to rest, and then one push should give us your first born.â
Sheâs right. You get three full breaths before the next one comes, and when you push, you think Seungmin might crush your fingers under his grip.
âGoodâŠkeep pushing, very good. There he is, baby boy number one.â
All you see is the top of her head as she works quietly, and Haneul is quiet, too. Seungmin doesnât move, but he does soften his grip.
âYou worked hard, little one. I know you can cry for us.â
Seungmin takes a step towards them. âWhatâs wrong?â Heâs wrapped and cradled in her arms, and sees a tiny foot and the briefest glimps of his face as heâs handed to one of the nurses. âIs he okay?â
âJust making sure his airways are clear, no need to worry.â
The nurse suctions his mouth and each nostril before setting him down and pulling at his blanket, and itâs right now that Seungmin gets his first real look at Haneul. Too small, but otherwise, he looks just like he imagined him all this time. Thereâs more hair on his head, thoughâfor some reason, he wasnât expecting so much already. His quiet cry finally comes, and everyone sighs in relief. It gets louder and louder until heâs wrapped up tight again.
âHe sounds pretty strong for barely twenty-six weeks. Letâs get him comfortable, and after little brother arrives, weâll bring them back in for a visit.â
The doctor takes her place between your legs again, and you try your best to tell him itâs time. Following his brother out should come naturally, right? You would really prefer them to only be minutes apart, because if you have to wait another tenâtwenty minutes like this, youâre going to start crying.
âHey, you okay?â Seungmin cups your cheeks and makes you look at him.
âDid you see him?â
âA little, yeahâ
Lucky you; the contraction hits quickly, and itâs the worst one. The partial numbness is fading, and it might be in your head, but youâre certain you feel every part of him as he makes his way out. No scream, though. You decide to do that inside your own head so Haesung comes out to a calmer, more peaceful room
âOh, that was fastâŠvery goodâ
Seungmin doesnât inch closer for a look; he retreats until heâs at your side again, and you wonder if heâs afraid of not hearing another little cry. His stare gives you his answer. âHeâll be okay. Theyâll both be okay.â
The doctor stands, and you see him as she turns and heads toward the table. Again, just like his brother, his airways are cleared. And Seungmin inches closer.
âPlease, donât punish him for what Iâve doneâ
You hear him whisper, and you wonder if anyone else does.
She looks back and beckons him closer, and he hesitates again. âCome here and say something to him.â
Seungmin takes a few steps closer, and when he finally sees Haesung, he canât believe how small he is. Smaller than his brother, he thinks, and with a little less hair. âHi baby. Haesung, do you know who I am?â
You can make out almost every word of his soft, slow Korean from here. It feels strange to understand him after so much trying, but you do. He shifts a little so you can see better; you can see both of them as Seungmin runs his finger across an arm that isnât much different in size. Thereâs still no dramatic cry, but heâs moving the only way something so new and weak can manage, and you do hear the tiny fussy noises all the way across the room. The doctor doesnât seem worried, so you arenât either.
***
Being left in the room alone to wait and wonder is excruciating...so much more difficult than anything has been the last twenty-four hours. Thereâs so much you can say to him, and ask him, but itâs not the time. It might not be the time until his friend questions and accuses Seungmin of the things you know he witnessed. This is really the only way to keep your mind off of the twinsâyou have to wonder if Heecheol is putting the Haldol and the strange behavior together; your question about him wandering into the woods as a child; his failed attempt to open up about something to both of you.
âIs Heecheol still here?â
âI think so. I let him know what was going on a few minutes ago, but he hasnât responded yet.â
âOkay, let me know when he doesâ
The nurse finally returns, and sheâs pulling something in behind her. The second nurse pushes from the other end, and you finally get your second wind. It no longer feels like you're running on almost no sleep. Theyâre here, and they must be okay if theyâre coming to visit. No doctor coming in alone to break the bad news that one, or both of them, have a very slim chance of making it more than a few days. A few hours. You kept trying to prepare yourself for that moment to come, just in case, but no amount of that could ever make things any easier.
And youâre pleased to see a new, much happier looking nurse with them. She must be one of their new carers in the NICU.
âBaby Haneul is 1.3 kilograms, much bigger than we expected! Baby Haesung is 1.14 kilograms. They are both breathing well with a little bit of help from the incubator, and they are very excited to see you.â
Seungmin backs away as theyâre rolled closer to the bed. Everything still feels a little bit dreamy to him, even as he looks down and sees them, face to face, arms carefully entertwined as if they can't get close enough. "They're both alright?" They were safe inside of you. They were warm, and well fed. Every night, Seungmin spoke to them, or read them stories. A few times, he sang. And nowâŠ
"Haesung is not quite as strong as his brother, but being cuddled up together will help get him there."
"It will?"
The nurse nods at both of you. "I'll leave the four of you alone to meet each other, but please ring the bell if you need anything."
She leaves, and suddenly, it's just himâŠand youâŠand them. The four of you. He sits so he can be at eye level and takes in everything about them; the little bit of dark hair, and tiny noses. Their perfect tiny lips, pursing and puckering as if they're waiting for their first real meal.
âThey have your earsâ
Seungmin cups his hands over them, âdo they?â He tugs at his earlobes and smiles as he examines a little closer. âCan we touch them?â
âYeah, you canâ
This part is hard for him, no matter how excited he is. Before he reaches, you watch him get up and walk across the room where the sink is, and he washes his hands for the third time since they were taken from the room. He takes his time, inching closer and closer until Haneul shifts, and Seungminâs fingertip moves softly across his shoulder. He squirms a little, and his arms seem to tighten around his brother. Now heâs feeling more confident, and he very gently runs the same finger over the helix of his ear. And then he does the same to Haesung. âCan you hear me in there?â Seungmin asks. âDo you recognize my voice?â
They both move and fuss a little more, as if answering.
âI think they doâ
âYou understood what I said?â
You wince as you adjust yourself and sit up. âUh, I think soâmogsoliâŠnae mogsoli. Your voiceâŠyeah, they know your voice, Min.â
âGimme your hand.â He wiggles his fingers above them, close to the portal hole on your side, and he latches onto your fingers.
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part eight | ppuli // serial killer!Kim Seungmin/afab reader
WC: 13k
RATING: mature/explicit/mdniâcontains: self harm, hallucinations, monsters(?), medication mention, pregnancy, fluff...and a new OC
SYNOPSIS: Seungmin floats through life alone, haunted by his memoriesâkeeping himself under control, and quieting his mind the only way he knows howâŠkilling and watching the life leave his victims eyes. When you cross his path on a morning hunt, something new (something forgotten) starts to move inside of him, leading both of you on a path to confront the unspeakable past.
COMMENTS: Hi guys, I'm kinda back. I hope you all enjoy part eight! We still have a long way to go. Please reblog and help support me and my work! I love and appreciate you all very much ⥠ËËË
Itâs not as bad as you thought it would be. It doesnât look quite like how it sounded when it hit the floor, but each side of the music box separated from itself on impact, and now itâs a sad shell of its former self. You can fix it, thoughâyou have to fix it.
You lower yourself for a closer look, making sure to avoid the sparkling glass covering so much of the floor. The glimmer of something else catches your eye, so you move carefully, pinch the silver chain between your fingers, and pull it from its tiny pool of water. âCan I wear this until itâs in one piece again?â
An odd request, maybe, but Seungmin doesnât bat an eye at it. âYou wanna wear St. Michael? Are you feeling guilty again, orâŠâ he pulls his shirt over his head, sweat soaked from his workoutâdisposing of the body. âFeeling the snares of the devil?â
âShould I be feeling him?â That wasnât a yes, but you clasp it around your neck anyway.
He smiles at you and shrugs.
âYouâre no devilâ
âNo? Youâre just blinded by me. Biased.â
âTrue. What did you do to me?â
His face falls in confusion. âNothing. I meanâŠI always wondered ifââ
âMinnie, Iâm joking.â But he still has that worried look in his eyes. Itâs been a while since youâve seen it. âWhat have you always wondered?â
Now he seems reluctant to finish. Seungmin grabs his clean towel and shorts and looks toward the door, but he turns to you again. ââŠif I did do something to you that night. Itâs silly.â
âWhen I passed out?â
âWhen you died,â he corrects you. âYou were dead, no pulse. One minute andâŠforty seconds.â
âYou never told me thatâ
âI never told you how long you were gone?â
âAnd that I had no pulseâ
He takes a few steps toward you. âNo, I guess I didnât. I thought you knew.â
Seungmin touches the medallion on your chest, examines it, avoids looking directly at you. Heâs thinking, you assume, about whatever it is he believes happened when you died for one minute and forty seconds. His hands are warm on your skin, and youâre already craving his touch again, but his mind seems to be somewhere else entirely.
âI was wearing it that night. Usually, I take it off when I go to bed, but I fell asleep reading.â
âWhat night?â You take his hand in yours, but he slips away and starts toward the door. âSeungmin, what night?â The air starts to feel thick with tension. Seungminâs mind still turns so quickly sometimes, but not this quickly.
âCan we talk after I shower?â
/ / /
The living room fills with the scent of almond blossom tea and Seungminâs steamy, citrusy shower. He spent a long time in thereâwashing away his kill, thinking of a way to tell you his story, wondering if itâs time. It has to be. Seungmin knows youâve earned every truth he has to give. Itâs the least he can do. He stares absently at the floor with his mug cupped in both hands. âThe night my mom and stepdad died.â
Your mind goes every which way, wondering what direction his story is going to go in. âThey both died the same night?â
âYes. I should have told you this when you opened up to me months ago.â
âNo, not if you werenât readyâ
It feels so complicated in his head, but telling you everything takes no more than ten minutes, even through the tears that eventually start falling. And in that ten minutes, you end up on the couch, Seungmin curled up in your arms for comfort. Still, he left out a few details, like her voice starting right there in the greenhouse; his trip into the woods hoping to be taken by the thing that lived thereâstill lives there.
He melts into you even more. âThatâs worse than I could have ever imagined, my poor sweet Minnie.â
The ground in Uljin is sour, except for where his mother rests, and everything about your visit there starts to make sense. The shed is the rotting corpse of his stepfather, and its arms still reach far enough to hurt Seungmin. The garden he and his mother created; the greenhouse, and every single everlasting flower that it holds seems to keep him here, reaching a little further and giving you who you have in your arms.
âIâm so glad you made it through.â
âDid I? Sometimes it feels like I died back thereâŠâ he stops and sniffles, wipes his cheeks, âin the woods.â
âYou didnât. Youâre here with me, like youâre supposed to be.â
Seungmin is exhausted, physically and mentally. His eyes close, and his body relaxes as he puts his arms around you again.
âThe woods where he left you. The same ones from your dream last night?â
He mumbles a yes.
âThe ones we drove throughâŠI didnât like those woodsâ
âThereâs nothing to like about themâ
âThey felt hauntedâ
âThatâs one way of describing it. They were like that long before I put him the ground, and now itâs worse. The dirt heâs decaying in hates me just as much as he did.â
âHeâs still there? Is she?â
A long blank stare, followed by a slow nod. âYes.â Seungmin looks at you, still so full of secrets, but heâs running out of energy to keep going.
âWhat did the rest of your family think happened?â
âThat he killed her, and disappearedâ
Now itâs your turn to close your eyes and relax in his embrace. Just learning about his past is tiring, and overwhelming. How could a nine year old come out of that? Seungmin did, but it damaged him so severely he can no longer live a normal life.
âI was sick before any of that happened, though,â he starts again. âUmma knew I was seeing and hearings, but she didnât know what to do, except give me thisâŠâ He touches the necklace again, presses his lips to your chest, âand pray, read to me, surround me with flowers. But I was so much worse after he left me in the woods. And he didn't believe I needed a doctor."
For the first time in a long time, youâre lost for words. Thereâs not much you can say right now to bring him the comfort he needs, but your touch might help. You kiss his forehead, and rub his back until he lifts his head to look at you. He just stares, searching your face for something; waiting for more, maybe. Does he still think the things he tells you will scare you off?
âItâs genetic, isnât it?â He asks.
âYeah, I think soâ
âSoâŠthe chances of one of them being sickââ
You knead your fingers into his neck and squeeze before he finishes. If only you could make this one worry go away. âTheyâll be okay. Weâll worry about that whenâŠifâŠthe time comes.â
âAre you?â
âAm I what?â
âYouâve been seeing things, too. Has that ever happened before?â
âNoâ
/ / /
Why are you seeing things? The thought hadnât occurred to you until now, because everything from the last several months has been some level of strange. The dreams felt like dreams, even after you discovered they were echoes of Seungminâs nightmares, and even how easy and beautiful it felt to fall for him didnât seem unusual. The truth is, thatâs never happened to you...nobody has ever been as close to you as he is. The connection is preternatural. If there were ever time to use that word, this is it. âNo, Iâve never even seen a ghost. Seeing that dog under the bed is the first time something like that has happened.â
âSo, maybe it was really thereâ
You shake your head. âIf so, it had to have slipped into a tear in the fabric of spaceâŠa wormhole. Or itâs just magic.â
âLike Bulgaeâ
âBulgae?â
âMm, theyâre just mythical creatures, a fairytale I guess. The fire dogs that chaseâŠoh,â he rubs his chin with his knuckles, and his eyes wonder around the room. They land on the window, where the quarter moon stares in. âThey chase the sun and the moon. Do you think thereâs a tear in space under my bed?â
âI wouldnât be surprised, Minnieâ
âAre you up for a long drive tomorrow?â
Seungmin doesnât like going homeâyou assume, and he doesnât pretend itâs easy. He does it as if itâs a necessary pilgrimage to a partially sacred place. He has to fight through the oppressive evil to get to the little bit of warmth still existing there, and heâs succeeded every time so far. But this is only your second time accompanying him.
âYou can sleep if youâre comfortable,â his fingers run down your arm and wrap around your wrist. âI can see how tired you are.â
Yesterday was exhausting, and your dreams kept you up most of the night. The dog returned, just the white one, but it didnât try to hurt you. It didnât even look at you. You watched it from the balcony as it struggled to reach what you assume was some representation of the moon; a glowing blue sphere in the middle of the city, far too low to be any celestial body. Upon waking up, you decided it had been the weirdest dream youâve had in a long list of weird dreams.
âOkay.â You donât fight him, or the overwhelming urge to close your burning eyes. âIâll try.â
When you wake, the car is parked, and youâre alone. Seungmin kept the engine running, the music low, and the doors locked, and when he returns several minutes later, youâre already sound asleep again. He gets in as quietly and gently as possible with the bag full of snacks heâs hoping youâll like, but for now, heâs happy to see you sleeping so soundly. And thatâs what he does for a little while longerâhe watches you, listens to you breathing, and wonders if youâre in the middle of a dream. He hopes not. Or if you are, itâs a good one. Neither of you seem to have much luck with that.
You groan and shift, and Seungmin canât help but reach out for you. He swipes his fingertips across your forehead, tucks some hair behind your ear.
âWhere are we?â
âAlmost thereâ
âDid you get me something?â Seungmin digs around in the bag and holds it out for you. âOh a triangle, thank you!â
âMhm, if you eat two you can have your cookiesâ
âDid you get yourself something besides coffee?â
âIâm not very hungryâ
When he eats, he eats well, but sometimes he goes far too long without. âYou didnât eat before we left.â You donât push it, though. The trip might be the reason for his lack of appetite, so the sooner you start heading home, the better. âDo you wanna bite? Just a little one.â Seungmin watches you unwrap it, and when you hold it up to his lips, he opens up and takes a much bigger bite than you expect. âGood boy."
He stops chewing, and a slow smile starts to appear. âHm?â
âOhâŠuhmâ
He covers his mouth as he finishes chewing and swallowing, but as soon as itâs down, he laughs softly behind his hand. âSay it again.â Seungmin leans forward and takes another bite.
âGoodâŠâ you kiss the top of his head, and he laughs despite his mouthful of tuna and rice, âgood boy.â
âThank you,â he washes it down with his coffee and points to the remaining piece, âyour turn, both of them.â
âCan I have a sip of your coffee?â
Seungmin smiles again, pretends to thinkâŠhe never actually says no to you. âYeah, one little sip.â
The road youâre on isnât one you recognize, but the trees and hills are very much what you remember from your December trip. Itâs so much different nowâitâs brighter, and more colorful. The blue sky makes everything look bigger, and much less claustrophobic, and you hope seeing it like this is a little easier on him. Flowers are blooming all over the sides of the roads, and at the edge of the woods you pass; in gardens and open fields. His backyard will at least be dry and warm this time around. The forest is no different. Itâs oppressive and dark. Eerily quiet, except for a few bugs chirping in the darkest corners. You roll down the window and smell the air, and you decide it might be the only nice thing about it.
âWhat was that?â You turn the volume down on the radio and listen again.
âI didnât hear anythingâ
You wonder if he did, and heâs just pretending he didnât. âThatâŠâ An unmistakable rumble, like the echo of a car engine in the distance, but not quite. It cuts out abruptly, and thatâs the last time you hear it. When you look at him again, his face is blank, and maybe a little bit pale, so you drop it.
When you finally, truly arrive, youâre not sure if the car will actually make it up the slight incline to park next to the house. Itâs not dry at all. The surrounding area is still covered in a wet muddy mess, almost as bad as it was in DecemberâŠbut somehow, Seungmin makes it.
âYou okay?â
âHuhâŠoh yeah, Iâm good. Just not wearing the right shoes for this.â
âMost of the area stays pretty nasty until the snowmelt dries, and then it gets muddy again as soon as the rainy season starts.â
His door pops open, âstay there.â He rounds the car and opens yours, âokay,â and kneels down.
âMinnie, I can get a little muddyâ
âI know, but you donât have to. Câmon.â
All you can picture in your head is him slipping, falling, and you going down with him, but then you remember how easily he managed this ground last time. Seungmin isnât clumsy on his feet, only in his head, and only sometimes. He reaches back for you and wiggles his fingers. âOkay, okay. Brace yourself.â
âFor what?â He grunts when you put all of your weight on his back, but he still stands without a problem. âYou should be heavier than this by now, right?â
âIâve gained eight pounds since I moved in with youâ
âDo you gain less with girls, and more with boys?â
âIâm not sure, remind me to google itâ
âThat seems like a silly question when I say it out loudâ
âItâs not. Is that what weâre having?â
âHm?â
Maybe it was a slip-up, or maybe heâs dying to finally tell you. âGirls? Is that what weâre having?â
âI thought you didnât wanna knowâ
Part of you does, especially now that youâve started working on the nurseryâjust another step toward it becoming your new reality. âDo you think the tech was right about it?â
âShe seemed confident, and sheâs been looking at ultrasound babies for a long time.â Seungmin kneels again, and you put your feet down on the concrete walkway outside the greenhouse.
âHave you been thinking about names?â
His little smile answers for you, even though he shakes his head. âNot muchâŠnot really.â
Warm air and the heady scent of a dozen different flowers hits you when the door swings open. Your eyes water from it, but you blink it away as he grabs your hand and pulls you in with him.
âTell me one you likeâ
âA name I likeâŠhm, there is one, but it might be tooâŠmeâ
âThat doesnât sound like a bad thingâ
âHa-neulâ
âHaneulâŠit sounds nice when you say it. What does it mean?â
âSkyâ
âOh, thatâs perfect. I like it, too.â
He stares at the flowers, and his grip on your fingers tightens. âI canât think of another name to compliment it, though. So Iâm not sure.â
âMaybe itâs too early for this partâ
Seungmin pulls you with him toward the purple flowers, and when youâre close enough to be filled with their scent and only their scent, he lowers himself and kneels in the much dryer soil. When you donât immediately follow, he squeezes and tugs a little harder. It still feels like an intrusion into his most personal moments, but he wants you here, so you lower yourself next to him and hold tight to his arm.
Being here now is differentâsheâs there, right below you, beneath the purple bushes whose roots certainly reach as deeply as sheâs buried. Seungminâs mother exists in the flowers in a way you never thought possible, and thatâs why he keeps them close. This is you finally meeting her, you think.
âUmma?â
He waits, and youâre perfectly still and quiet as the moments pass. And then a few more moments. Itâs getting late, so you begin to hear the growing sound of insects crying in their hiding spots, but nothing else. Eventually, too much time and silence passes, so you squeeze his hand and look at him. âSeungmin?â You can see the stain of a tear on his cheek. Heâs biting down hard on his lip to keep some composure, but it isnât working very well. âWhat is it?â
âSheâs not answeringâ
âTry againâŠsay something elseâ
He nods and takes a deep breath. âUmma, nae mal deullyeoyo? Please say something.â The sound of his shaking voice hurts. You know thereâs still no reply, even before he releases you and spreads his palms out over the groundâwhat you donât know is if this is the first time sheâs been silent, and itâs not a good time to ask. If it is, you can only assume itâs because of his Haldol. Seungmin hasnât missed a dose in over a month. Itâs taken hold, and the sound of his motherâs voice is no longer there. This might not be the best side effect. âWhere did you go?â He leans forward until his forehead touches the cold ground, and your hand slides beneath his shirt at the same time. Itâs warm, and itâs soft, and as much as he wants to scream, your touch helps keep him calm. A slow, deep breath, and his lungs fill with the scent of earth and heliotrope. Sheâs still here, he thinks. âI know youâre still here.â
Your hand slides across his back until he rises again, but heâs dizzy, and a sour, nauseous feeling starts to rise in his stomach and throat. He turns and crawls away just in time. Seungmin vomits, coughs, vomits againâŠor tries to. Nothing comes up, but his body keeps telling him to try.
âShe is, Min. Just like last time, and the time before that.â
He isnât sure what youâre saying, but he hears your voice despite the muffled ringing in his ears. It helps. Seungmin isnât sure he could handle the silence alone. âIâm sorry.â A fistful of dirt comes with him as he stands, and he tosses it aimlessly towards the mess. âYou heard it in the woods, right? That sound.â
âThe rumble?â
âYeahâŠthe rumbleâ
âWhat was it?â
âSomething umma told me was just in my headâ
If itâs in yours, too, that still doesnât mean itâs real. Seungmin is giving you more than just his dreams.
âMaybe sheâll talk to youâ
âMe? No. Why would she talk to me?â
Seungmin shrugs, but he has his reasons. âJust hoping, I guess.â He wonders if your strange connection exists in this way, even if he can no longer hear her. Youâre seeing things, and youâre dreaming like himâŠso maybe he hasnât completely lost his connection to his mother.
You turn away and carefully lower yourself to the ground, but youâre not prepared for thisâyou have enough trouble talking to tangible people in front of you. Nothing happens right away. Just the sound of the bugs, and the wind picking up and pushing against the glass panels. The sun is finally setting behind the trees, and the orange glow coming in looks like fire. âSusie, are you there? Your son wants to speak to you.â All you can hear is the sound of Seungmin sniffling and pacing behind you. âI would like to talk to you, tooâ The wind pushes harder against the greenhouse, and the lonely wind chime catches it and starts to sing. It slows down, and you look away for a moment to watch the tops of the trees stop swaying in the distance. âIs that you?â
âDid sheâŠ?â Seungmin asks, but a moment later, another gust hits, and a glass panel cracks from the pressure. âOh no.â He heads for it to inspect the damage, leaving you alone with the flowers as you try with everything you have to hear something. âIt might be okay,â he says, mostly to himself as his finger runs over the superficial crack. The greenhouse has survived the elements for a very long time, and one little crack is not going to bring it down.
âShe loves you very muchâ
His arm slides around your waist, and his hand spreads out across your stomach. Thereâs nothing there to see yet, even with twinsâbut youâre much softer where his fingers knead and squeeze. âYou heard her?â
Did you? You donât remember hearing anything except the windâno voice in your ear, or in your head, just the overwhelming desire to tell him. âIâm not sure, butâŠshe does, Minnie. She loves you, all of you, the good and the bad.â
âI was excited to tell her about the twinsâ
It hadnât occurred to you that part of this trip was to tell her the big newsâŠthat heâs going to be a father. During the first trip here, he was quietly joyous about simply not being alone, and that also just occurred to youâhe was still brand new to you. His happiness is still so lost in him sometimes, buried under too much grief and damage. âTell her...â You grab and pull him so heâs kneeling next to you, but youâre not sure if heâll actually try to speak again. If he thinks it, thatâll be good enough.
Umma? Iâm sorry I canât hear you.
He waits again, just in case thereâs an answer this time.
Iâm going to be a father. Well, I guess I already am, butâŠthey might be born in September, just like me. Weâre havingâoh, I canât say it out loud. Itâs still a secret.
âNo, you can tell us. Iâm ready.â
âAre you sure?â Seungmin whispers, and he smiles when you nod at him. You werenât sure youâd get another one out of him for a while.
Weâre having boysâŠidentical boys, umma. Iâll be the father dad didnât get the chance to be. Iâll make you both proud.
The hanok, for as long as itâs been sitting here uninhabited (âfifteen years,â Seungmin tells you, âit was like everyone but me just forgot it existed.â), is still in surprisingly good shape. The outside is somewhat neglected, but itâs solid, and the insideâŠyou werenât expecting to see the inside, but Seungmin had the key in his never-ending collection of keys...the inside is nice, but dusty and a little damp, and it almost looks like someone still lives here. There are clean dishes sitting on the counter, like they were almost put away in the cupboard above them. The faded curtain is pulled open just enough to see down the pathway that leads to the greenhouse, andâŠtwo pairs of shoes sit neatly by the door you walked through. A pair of sneakers, and next to them, a pair of rain boots.
âSeungmin, are thoseâŠwere those yours?â
He looks to the spot youâre staring at, and nods. âYes, they were mine.â
âCan I see your bedroom?â
The afternoon sun is pouring in through his window, and even with the curtains closed, it filters in and casts a warm glow over everything. His yo, rolled up and covered; a desk still holding a stack of books; the bookshelf, and a chest you can only imagine is full of whatever this little boy liked to play with. Now youâre hit with another realization, even though you knewâŠhe really was just a baby when this nightmare happened to him. Seungmin sat at this desk and practiced his spelling and multiplying, and in the same breath, he had to kill his stepfather to save his own life.
âI saw this in one of my dreamsâ
âWhat did you see?â
âIn the park, when I first told you I was dreaming about youâŠone of them was this, I think. Your window, the bedroom.â Seungmin passes by and pulls at the curtains, and the light is almost too bright as your eyes adjust. âWe were laying in your bed, and the sun was bright just like this, but it must have been summer. There were flowers outside, yellow and purple flowers. That was a nice dream. You kissed me before I woke up.â
âI did?â He leans in quickly and places a kiss on your lips, âlike that?â He tries again when you shake your head, this time right between your eyes. âThere?â
âNope, try againâ
âHm, how aboutâŠâ a soft one against your temple, but he huffs when you shake your head again. âWhere does dream you want a kiss?â His eyes scan every part of you as he thinks, and eventually, he grins and goes for your neck.
âUp a littleâŠperfect.â In your head, youâre doing your best to remember every detail of that dream, but you canât. Itâs long gone. âWhat was that? Thunder?â
The sun is still shining, but on closer inspection he can see the dark clouds in the distance, slowly moving above the trees. âI think so.â Seungmin forgot how oppressive the view is from hereâŠthe darkness of the forest in front of him, even in the daylight, makes him uncomfortable. âIâll check the heat, and the water. We can spend the night ifâŠâ the rain starts almost immediately. âIf thatâs okay.â
âHere? I donât mind, but only if youâre comfortable staying.â
âYeah, itâs fine. Actually, since I met you, up until now has been the longest Iâve gone without visiting, or cleaning up. Itâs hard, and as many bad memories as this place holdsâŠitâs still all I have of her.â
âThen yeah, letâs make ourselves comfortable here and get a good nights sleep.â
Once the heat is on and moving through the floors, the house comes back to life in a whole new wayâitâs warm, and itâs cozy. This, plus the few good memoriesâŠitâs easy to see why he hasnât completely abandoned the house. Seungmin begins to hum as he walks around lighting candles, and once heâs satisfied with his placement, he turns the lights low and joins you on the doubled up mattress in the middle of the floor. âDid you have enough to eat?â
âMhmâ
âDo you need more water?â
âNo, Iâm good. Iâm comfortable.â
He touches your neck and pulls you close for a kiss. âWarm enough?â
More of the dream comes rushing back to you. âPerfect. Iâm with you, I couldnât be better.â
âYeahâŠso you still like me?â
The face you make sends him into a fit of quiet laughter, and it might be the biggest smile youâve seen him crack since he saw the twins two weeks ago. Seungmin has never given you a good full-body laugh. Itâs a beautiful sound, and an unusual one, because itâs so new to you. You can help but laugh with him. âYeah, I think I still like you.â
âGood. If I think too much about us only knowing each other for four months, I start to wonderââ
âDonât wonderâ
âDonât?â
âTrust me when I say Iâve found the one. SoâŠboys?â
He smiles just as wide again, and the sparkle in his eyes tells you everything he wants to say. âBoys.â He nods and whispers. âI hope it makes it more real for you, and youâll be happy with so many boys running around.â
âIt does, and I am. I canât wait for you to meet them.â
Itâs too warm eventually, and when you start to kick off the fluffy blanket, you know something is missing. Your leg slides across the mattress, and your blurry eyes pop open to his empty pillow. âMinnie?â You sit up and realize just how warm the house isâyou rub a hand across your chest and wipe away the sweat starting to gather there. Maybe he got up to turn the heat down, or crack a window. âSeungmin?â You know youâll have to get up at some point, so you just get it over with now. Maybe heâs in the bathroom. Why is your heart starting to race? Nothing is happening, nothing is wrong, so stop panicking. Your feet hit the floor, and the panic gets a little bit worse. Nausea works its way through you.
The bathroom is empty, and his bedroom is, too. The only other bedroom, his motherâs, is also empty, but you werenât expecting him to be in there. Thereâs nowhere else except outside, and itâs still raining. The car is there, you can see it from the kitchen window, and when you finally head for the door, you can see it hasnât been pulled shut far enough to lock. He is outside. You open the door and look out into the dark fog. Why would he come out at this hour?
âSeungmin! Dammit, you better answer me!â
Just the patter of rain on the roof and the windows. Nothing else. You almost go for your shoes, but putting them on seems pointless. All youâll do is ruin them, and walking around in wet, muddy shoes as you search for him sounds much less appealing than doing it in your bare feet. The first step onto the grass is unpleasant, but after a few more, itâs fine, and you walk as quickly as you can toward the greenhouse.
hey
âMinnieâŠMin, was that you?â
You heard it, even through the rain, but heâs not in there. Seungmin is definitely not in there, and you donât want to get any closer than absolutely necessary. The shed looks even worse than it did last time, and just opening the door feels like it could be disastrous. A few loose nails and pieces of rotting wood in the right spots, and the whole thing comes crashing down around you. But maybe that would bring Seungmin out from wherever heâs hiding. âYou in there, Min?â You whisper and close the gap, reach for the chain, and pull. âWhy would you be?â It creaks so painfully loud, and the inside is dark and empty, just like you expected. âGreenhouseâŠgreenhouse.â The door slams shut as you try not to break out into a run, but every hair on your body stands up.
The greenhouse is a welcome reprieve. Itâs warm inside, but just like the shed, it appears to be empty. âFuckâŠSeungmin! Where are you?â Youâre wet and starting to shiver, and the mud has covered you up to your ankles already. âYouâre gonna be mad at me for coming out hereâŠbut, butâŠâ
Sweetie
You spin around, looking for whoever is clearly speaking to you. âWhoâs there? Seungmin why are you doing this?â
my little boy isnât here
âSusie?â
he doesnât know what he does when he comes here, and heâs doing it againâŠmy poor sweet puppy
âWhere is he? Where did he go?â
the forest
âHe went into the woods?â The nausea worsens when you think about him lying in a clearing somewhere, lost in the dark. âWhy would he do that?â
Thereâs no more voice. Susie goes quiet. âOkay, I have to find him.â
How, you have no idea, but before you even attempt to walk further than the greenhouse, you run back to the house and throw open every closet. Most of them are still full of their things, so finding a raincoat is easy, and finding his motherâs rain boots is a relief after the mess you made all the way up to your knees. You clean up before slipping into them, and they fit well enough. The raincoat is a little small, but not enough to keep you from wearing it. The only light you can find is an oil lamp under the kitchen sink, not a single flashlight in any drawerâŠand your phone certainly wonât do any good. But it worksâthe oil is good, and thereâs plenty of wick soaking in it, so it lights easily. âThis might be my only luck tonight." The rain slows a little, and half of the sky clears up enough to see the moon and stars. Itâs enough to orient yourself before they disappear again behind the trees, and a quick look at the compass on your phone is the last thing you do before silence falls around you. The trees hold up the rain, and the dense fog seems to take in everything else.
âMinnie!â Your voice falls flatâno echo. A twist of the knob raises the wick just a little, and the light intensifies.
For a while, you count your steps. Walking in a straight line is impossible, but you follow what looks like a trail the best you can, because you donât want to think about getting lost in here without him. At one hundred steps, you stop and call for him again.
Fifty more, you call again. Everything is still eerily quiet, and if anything was walking around near you (âfuck, donât think about thatâŠdonâtâ), youâd know it. Twigs would snap, and the muddy forest floor would give almost anything away.
Fifty more steps. You set the lamp down and cup your hands around your mouth, and this time an echo moves through the trees. The rumble answers back. âNoâŠnot you.â What the hell was that? âSeungminâŠplease.â You force yourself further in; twentyâŠthirtyâŠforty steps, and then you stop and rest on a stump. These woods are so much like the ones you walked through when you were a kidâthick, and dark, and quiet. But Mothman never got you, and whatever is living in this forest wonât get you, either. You hope. A sudden fear moves through you, though, and calling for Seungmin again seems like an invitation for something else.
Iâll just look for a whileâŠno calling
Whatever lives here would be much deeper anywayâŠright? Iâve barely walked a quarter of a mile in
but Iâve been screaming for the last fifteen minutes, and if Seungminâs in hereâŠwhy IS he in here? Is he looking for something? Is he sleepwalking? No, heâs never done that before
What if this place is more than haunted, and youâre slowly slipping into some other place? What if thereâs no going back after this? Youâre pushed back in time again, to the dirty living room carpet and your bare feet sinking in. Dad is right behind you in his armchair, sound asleep, so you managed to swipe the tv remote from him.
You're moving into a land of both shadow and substance, of things and ideasâŠ
âThereâs a signpost up aheadâŠâ you whisper to yourself in a strange attempt to self-soothe. "Your next stopâ" You had a nightmare after watching that episode, and you remember it well. âGod, maybe I've been dead this whole time.â The warmth of the medallion on your neck is suddenly very apparent, and you rub St. Michael between your fingers.
who are you?
âNo, Iâm not hearing anything else. Shut the fuck up.â
we donât recognize you
âSeungmin!â Youâre up and walking as fast as you can on the uneven ground, but the mud and heavy lamp are weighing you down. And then you see him. Or you see something. It moves across the trees in the shadow of your light. If it is him, he would have heard you and answered. âHello?â Your voice shakes.
hello?
âWhoâs there?â
He appears from behind a tree, and stares at you, silent.
âSeungminâŠoh my god.â He doesnât move when you run to him, and when you drop the lamp and throw your arms around him, heâs warm and still. âMinnie, baby, are you okay?â No answer, but his arms wrap around your shoulders and pull you close. âWhat are you doing out here? I was so scared.â
âDonât be scaredâ
âCan we please go back?â
âBack?â
It takes some effort to free yourself, but you pull away and look at him. The lamplight is casting a strange shadow on his face, and now youâre back in your nightmare at the Jasmine Hotel. âAm I dreaming. Are we having a nightmare?â
âNo, Iâm awakeâ
âCan we go back?â
He takes your hand when you hold it out for him, and he leads the way.
Seungmin is covered in mud. Heâs drenched, and pale from the cold rain, but he doesnât seem to be shivering the way that you are. His hand is warm, like he just woke up from a good sleep, and when he turns his head to look at you, he smiles.
âWhy did youââ
âYou must be cold, Tokki. Iâll run you a warm bath when we get back, and make you some tea.â
The walk back is quick, and he finds his way out easily. The rain passed while you searched for him, and now the sky is clear, so the light of the moon guides you the rest of the way.
Seungmin is quiet in the kitchen, but you can hear him filling the kettle and lighting the stove, the clink of mugs, and his soft voice as he starts to sing. You wash up quickly, drain the muddy bath water and start to refill it as his voice gets closer and closer.
âYouâre supposed to be relaxing in there,â he says it with a lighthearted sternness.
âI feel better. Itâs your turn.â
He doesnât fight you. Seungmin hands you your tea and starts to pull off his damp clothes. You want to question him again, but youâre not sure when to do itâafter he gets comfortable in the tub, or when you get him back into bed? He might fall right to sleep once his head hits the pillow.
âWhat kind of tea?â
His shirt is tossed and hits the floor with a wet thud, followed by his sweatpants, and then his boxers. âRaspberry leaf, with a little bit of sugar. I know it can be bitter."
So he's in there; he remembered the tea he brought, and he remembered that you couldn't stomach it without some sugar. âDid you do that to yourself?â Two long scratches along his collarbone stick out against his pale skin. Another three run across his shoulder blades.
âYou donât have to stay with me. Get back into bed and get warm.â He lowers himself into the hot water, and lets himself sink in up to his chin.
âNoâŠwe need to talk, Seungminâ
âWhat do we need to talk about?â
He looks at you, and thereâs nothing about him that seems defiant. The memory of what just happened might already be fading away. âMin, do you remember waking up and leaving the house? I woke up and you were gone, and I couldnât find you anywhere. I was scared.â
âIâm sorry, sweetie, I didnât mean to scare you.â
Sweetie. It was his mother that told you where he went. âWhat were you doing?â
He shakes his head, âIâm not sure.â
âYouâve done it before.â
âI have? How do you know?â
Pushing him for answers wonât help, because now youâre remembering the whispers in the greenhouse. He doesnât know what he does when he comes here, and heâs doing it againâŠmy poor sweet puppy. His mother spoke to you very clearly. Seungmin wanders into the woods every time he spends the night here, and he doesnât remember doing it. He enters a dissociative fugue, and itâs continuing even with the medication. âHave you been taking your Haldol?â
âI have, I promiseâ
You know he has, because youâre usually with him when he does. And because her voice is gone. âI donât know why I asked that, I know you are.â
âYou shouldnât have been out there in the rain. You couldâve gotten hurt, or lost. Itâs my job to take care of you, and I failed.â Tears start to well in his eyes, and you donât think you can stand to see him cry right now.
âBut Iâm okay, and youâre okay. Weâre gonna get back into bed and sleep all morning, and then weâre going home.â
âHome?â
âHomeâ
/ / /
Another heavy storm passes through, and it keeps you up for a little while longer, but when you wake around noon, Seungmin is fast asleep next to you. Whatever he did when he disappeared into the woods exhausted him, because he never sleeps in this late. Maybe itâs this place, though, and not just his strange wandering. You need to know what happened in there, and what was going on in his head, but you donât expect him to remember much.
âMmmâŠmorning,â he mumbles when you pull the blanket over his bare shoulder. The heat turned itself off while you slept, but youâre too cold to get up and fix it. Seungmin shivers a little, and you know itâs because he was too tired to find something to wear after his bath. âCold.â
âI know, itâs cold in hereâŠcâmere.â He moves closer and lets you wrap yourself around him. âHow are you feeling?â
Seungmin groans and sighs.
âYou can sleep more if you need to, or Iâll make some coffeeâ
âNo, Iâm upâ
âOkayâŠdo you remember last night, Min?â
Seungmin nods, but you have your doubts. Before the two of you even got into bed the first time, you talked. As a matter of fact, you and Seungmin talked more than usual. Not hearing his motherâs voice bothered him more than he lead you to believe at the time, and you think he may have been considering stopping his medication. He didnât say that, but you could feel it.
âI remember, yeah. We had dinner, and we talkedâŠwe talked about names more.â
That part of the baby name conversation actually slipped your mind, but you remember now.
âHa-neul,â he says again, because itâs still on his list. âAndâŠâ
âAnd something with Hwa or Hae, yeah?â
âHae? Ha-neul and HaeâŠsung?â
The unexpected third part of the conversation might be the last one concerning names, at least for a while, because the way heâs looking at you is a very loud please, say yes to these. It almost makes you want to drop the questioning and return to it later.
âWeâll put those in the yes columnâ
But you canât.
âGood. We can still think about it, but they do sound nice together.â
Seungmin seems happy; genuinely happy, despite how strange yesterday really was, and you hate having to ruin it. âYou woke up last nightâŠearly this morning, I guess. Very early.â
âI did?â
âYes. I woke up around two and you werenât in bed. You werenât anywhere in the house, or the greenhouse. Seungmin, I couldnât find youâŠanywhere.â
He looks at you like youâre joking, but his face falls when he realizes youâre being very serious. âI donât understand.â He sits up and looks down at himself, seems to realize heâs naked under the blankets, and wraps them tight around himself. âWas I sleepwalking?â
âIâm not sure, but I guess itâs possibleâ
âI donât think Iâve ever done that beforeâ
He doesnât know what he does when he comes here, and heâs doing it againâŠmy poor sweet puppy
âHow often did you spend the night here? Before me.â
âMaybe⊠maybe once every month or two. Where was I?â
There is no memory of anything behind his eyes. They soften as they search yours for the answer youâre trying to give to him, and you can see the puppy coming out. âIn the woods. I found you about a quarter of a mile in, soaking wet, covered in mud.â
âNo, why would I do that? I donât like going in there when itâs daytime, and last night wasâŠâ
"I know"
âWhy would I do that?â He says it again, more to himself this time. âWhy?â Seungmin rocks a little and takes a deep breath. âAre you sure it wasnât a dream?â
Without another word, you rise from the bed and head for the bathroom.
âWhere are you going?â
You understand his hesitancy in believing you, or believing it wasnât just another strange dream. The whole thing being a nightmare isnât far fetched at all, for either of you, but his muddy clothes are still on the bathroom floor. You hear him following closely behind.
âYou took a bath, and we talked a little.â You show him in the clothes, and he examines them silently. âYou didnât remember anything last night, either. But you seemed fineâŠyou made me tea, andâŠtake that off, look at your neck.â
He pulls it down and examines himself in the mirror. âDid I do that in my sleep?â
âAnd your backâ
The blanket drops to the floor. His scratches arenât as red and angry as they were a few hours ago, but they broke open and bled a little in his sleep. âLooks like claw marksâ
âClaw marks, from what?â From whatever made him go there in the first place. âI think you backed into a tree, MinnieâŠthatâs all you were wearing out there.â You nod to his pile of clothes, and then occurs to you to check his t-shirt. The back of it is dirty, but thatâs allâno rips, no blood. âMaybe.â
/ / /
The rain clouds are returning again, and the overcast sky is making your bad mood so much worse. You werenât expecting the trip to go well, but this was beyond anything you could have imagined. Now you canât help but stare off into the woods as Seungmin starts the ritual of collecting his heliotrope.
âAre you still here?â You whisper. Part of you is wondering if some of last night was a dream, or a hallucination, because the voices you heard are beginning to come back to you. All of them. âPlease say something to him.â When you turn, heâs holding his arms tight against his chest, head down, as if heâs protecting himself from something. âWhatâs the matter, Min?â
âNothingâ
At any moment, he could breakâthatâs what he looks like standing thereâŠlike the last leaf preparing to fall off the tree, or a glass of water halfway off the edge of a table. One little gust of wind could topple him. So why are you hesitating to go to him? âDo you need help with anything?â You take a few slow steps toward him, but he turns away ever so slightly.
âN-no, no. Iâm fine.â He bends and picks up the shears at his feet. âIâm okay.â
You catch his gaze for just a moment. His face is pale and tired, and you wish he would have slept longer. You almost want to stay another night, just not here, so he doesnât have to drive. âSeungmin, talk toââ You grab his elbow and make him look at you. ââŠme.â
âIâm sorryâ
All you see is red, and you can smell it on him. âWhat did you do? Let me see.â The blood is coming from somewhere on his arm, but you canât tell where. All you know is that itâs all over him, soaking the front of his shirt, starting to drip from his elbow.
âI cut too deepâ
That explains his lifeless face. Everything around you is covered in dirt, so you reach into his back pocket. The embroidered handkerchief is there, like it always is. âWhyâd you hurt yourself, love?â Heâs had enough trauma for one trip.
âI didnât mean toâŠmake such a mess...ah," he winces when you push it down against the cut.
The thought of him running those shears along his skin makes you tense up. Whether he meant to cut or not, something in him wanted to put the blade on his arm in the first place. âItâs okay, baby, Iâll take care of it.â You hold as tightly as you can. "But we need to get back to the house.â
Itâs starts to rain again, of course, and some of the blood washes away with it, but it hasnât stopped by the time you get to the kitchen and examine it again. Blood pools in the cleanly cut skin and slowly drips down his forearm. Seungmin watches intently, and very calmly. âI think it slowed down,â he whispers.
âNot enough. You need stitched up.â
âIâm sorry I did that in front of you.â
âIn this case, Iâm glad you did it in front of me so I can at least take care of it. Is there a first aid kit somewhere in the house?â
âUhm, yes, I think itâs still in that top drawer,â he nods toward the kitchen sink. âBut itâs old.â
Better than nothing. You wrap him back up with a clean towel, rifle through a drawer you remember from last night, and you find it all the way in the back. Itâs full of the most basic things, but itâll do for now. You clean itâŠSeungmin holds in a cry and stomps his feet for that, and tears run freely down his cheeks after the burning finally stops. Two rolls of gauze later, you wonder how long the blood will take to soak through completely. âI should take you to an emergency room before we go home.â
âI donât want to do thatâ
âSo weâll go after we get home. Itâs one or the other, Seungmin, because you need stitches.â
âFine, weâll get it over with hereâ
Seungminâs mood starts to match yours, but his injury pulled you up a littleâconcern quickly replaced the confusion and anger, but now heâs confused and angry. You know it was intentional, but you decide to believe he didnât mean to cut as deeply as he did, and by the time you get to a hospital, the gauze is already turning pink.
âThank you for drivingâ
âThank you for navigatingâ
âYou did very well. I remember being here once, when I wasâŠfive or six.â He looks around the waiting room, and everything is so old, you assume it looked the same twenty years ago. âI broke a finger.â Seungmin holds up the ring finger on his right hand.
âYeah, it looks a little crooked. Never noticed that before.â
âKim...Kim Seungmin?â
A tall man holding a clipboard stands in the open doorway, and he looks directly at Seungmin in the crowded room. âYou can follow meâŠboth of you, if youâd like.â
He stands, hand still gripping yours. âOh, he said you can come.â
The hallway leading to the partitioned rooms is just as aged. The colors are drab and depressing, and the smell of disinfectant almost chokes you.
âHave a seat, and Iâll take a look at thisâ
âAre you the doctor?â Seungmin asks, and he looks around nervously, but the man shakes his head. âDo you speak English?â
âNo, Iâm a nurse. And yes, I can speak EnglishâŠwhy? OhâŠâ he looks at you and smiles awkwardly. And he switches easily from Korean to English. âIâm sorry, you donât speak Korean?â
You shake your head and try not to feel like a burden.
Seungmin stretches his arm out as the nurse pulls his gloves on and slowly unwraps the bandage. âI just like her to know whatâs going on.â
âOf course. Does this hurt?â He sees Seungmin wince as he gets closer to the wound. âI guess so. May I ask what happened?â
âGardening accident. Very sharp tools.â
One last loop, and the bloody bandage is finally off of him. âWorking in the greenhouse?â The cut still oozes blood, but much slower than before.
âHuh?â
âYou donât recognize me, do you?â
Seungmin looks at you, as if you have the answer for him, and then back to the nurse. âI thought you looked liked him, but it seemed impossible. You came back, Heecheol?â
The nurse nods, and his smile grows because his friend recognizes him. âYou havenât changed at all, Seungmin. Same face, same sad puppy eyes.â
You have to smile at that. Seungmin was a puppy to the people around himâat least the ones he cared about, and who cared for him in return. Before speaking again, Heecheol examines the cut with gentle hands, and then excuses himself for a moment to get a suture kit.
âYouâre stitching it?â
âYes. Unless you prefer a doctor, but they usually ask me to do them anyway.â
âWhen did you move back to Uljin?â
He re-gloves and opens the package before cleaning from Seungminâs elbow to the middle of his forearm. âAbout a year ago. Living in the states was fine, but I think I needed a change.â
âWhere did you live?â You chime in, and he gives you the same warm smile.
âGreensboro, and then Charlotte for a whileâ
âI can hear some accent in your Englishâ
âI can hear yours, tooâŠIâm guessing you werenât far from thereâ
You nod and smile.
âDo you two live here in Uljin? Are you married? Oh, uhm, Iâm just assuming youâre a couple. Sorry.â He focuses again, grabs the syringe full of lidocaine, and holds tight to Seungminâs forearm. âThis will pinch for a moment, butâŠafter that itâll feel much better.â
Seungmin nods and watches the needle slide in and out at each corner of his cut. The pinch doesnât seem to bother him. âItâs fine. Not married, and we were just visiting. We live in Seoul.â
âIâm sorry to interrupt, Min. IsâŠHeecheol,â you have trouble with this pronunciation, but he doesnât seem to mind, âis he the friend you told me about? The color one?â
âYes, this is himâ
âThe color one?â
âWhatâs your favorite color?â Seungmin says, and he actually smiles. Heâs smiling at him the way he does for you when heâs feeling good. âIs yours still green?â
âYou remember that?â
âI remember everything. Good and bad.â
âRight, Iâm so sorry about your mother, Seungmin. I didnât even know you lost her until my mom told me last year. She moved back here after my dad died, and now Iâm taking care of her. She doesnât have much time leftâŠâ
âShe's sick?â
Heecheol nods solemnly as he checks the feeling of Seungminâs arm. âYes, end stage heart failure.â
âIâm sorry, Cheoliâ
âIâve had time to prepare and come to terms with it, which a lot of people donât get. I am grateful for that.â
âDo you think she would still remember me?â
âMy mom loved you, and she hated pulling us apart. She would, and she would love seeing you againâIâm sorry, Iâll be right back. I need different sutures.â
Seungmin turns to you when he disappears behind the curtain, and he looks like heâs ready to burst. His eyes are wide and watery, and his cheeks are starting to turn pink.
âWhat are the odds weâd run into him?â You run your thumb over the scar beneath his eye and wait for a tear to fall, but nothing comes. "Even in a small town?"
âItâs strange. Today has been very strange.â
After a few moments of silence, he returns, and he looks at both of you as if heâs figuring out how the two of you found each other. And how the two of you found him. âAll ready, sorry.â
âItâs okay, weâre in no rushâ
His mood has changed significantly, and now he has a very big reason to stick around a little longer. This place is not good for him, but you think his friend might be enough to outweigh the bad. The three of you are silent as he very carefully closes the wound, and heâs good at it. Heecheol is focused on his task, but every few seconds, his eyes move up to look at Seungminâthey look him over as if he could disappear at any moment and he doesnât want to forget a single detail. Just as heâs finishing up, he does it again, and this time, Seungmin looks as well.
âI know youâre numb, but does it feel okay? Any pulling?â
âNo, itâs good. Itâs perfect.â
âIâm going to put a second skin bandage on it, over some gauze, and you wonât even have to think about it. Just go easy for a few daysâŠno slidersâŠno fastballs.â
âI havenât thrown a baseball in ten yearsâ
It feels like youâre intruding. You donât need to be here listening to them remember the past, even though you want to know more about the good parts of his childhood.
âHow long will you be in town?â
âWell, we planned on heading home after I got stitched upâ
Thereâs some hesitancy in his voice, and you know Seungmin is changing his mind about going home so quickly. You have no intention of pulling them apart again because the string between them is already reconnecting. It's obvious that the same force that ties you to him ties the two of them together as well.
âMaybe Iâll catch you next time,â he says, and as much as he tries to sound like heâs fine with it, he doesnât.
âWe can stay a little longerâŠif thatâs okay with youâ
Seungmin looks at you with his big wet eyes, as if you would ever say no to him. âOf course we can."
âShift change is inâŠâ Heecheol looks at his watch, âan hour. If you donât mind waiting for me.â
/ / /
The weather finally changes. The rain stops, and the sun comes out, so Seungmin paces just outside the entrance to the hospital as you wait for him to speak. Thereâs a smile twitching on his lips, and you assume heâs thinking about his friend, and their past.
âHow old were you when he moved?â
He stops and takes a seat next to you on the bench, and youâre relieved when he grabs your hand and squeezes. This was the first time since being with him that something truly got his attention more than you, and you have to admit that youâre a little jealous.
âI was eightâŠit was the summer before everything happened. We never even had the chance to say goodbye to each other.â
âIâm glad you found him againâ
The doors slide open, and Heecheol walks out, freshly showered and out of his scrubs. Heâs handsome; a sharp, fox-like face, and a sweet smile. The bounce in his step might not have been there a few hours ago, but it's there now, and it adds to his natural charm.
âThank you for being so patient with meâ
He makes sure to look at both of you as he speaks, but his eyes return to Seungmin and stay there. Had this one stopped and talked to you on the street, he would have caught you, too.
âOf course. Should we pay your mother a visit? Is she expecting us?â
âI called her and let her know. Youâve already made her day.â
Seungmin is nervous, and his legs are heavy as he walks up to the second floor. Memories are flooding back to himâracing up the four flights of stairs, and always losing because Heecheolâs longer legs carried him further. He has the stamina, but was never very fast. Luckily his arm was made for pitching. Was. Now, for the first time since he was fourteen, heâs wondering if he can still do it.
âShe doesnât get out much since the building has no elevatorâŠjust on good days.â
Good days that are few and far between, Seungmin guesses. Her heart wonât pump her blood the way it should anymore, and sheâs slowly suffocating because of it.
âBut we have a nice view of the water, and spring is coming earlyâ
The front door clicks and creaks as he pushes it open, and the inside looks almost the same as he remembers it. After fifteen years and a move across the world, Seungmin expected some change, but heâs relieved that thereâs so little.
âUmma, weâre here,â he calls out softly, and then looks to Seungmin. âDo you want some tea, or coffee?â
âNo, Iâm okayâ
He heads for the kitchen anyway, and whatever heâs doing seems like routine. Electric kettle filled and on, mug from the cupboard, loose leaf tea scooped into a silk bag.
âLook at you, youâve gotten so tallâ
Her weak voice floats to him, and more memories unlock. âEomoni!â It feels like no time has passedâhe feels like a kid again, and he feels safe. Everything was good when he was here with Cheoli and his parents. There was no stepfather around, watching every movement, and judging every word.
âSeungmin-ah, youâve grown into such a handsome young man.â She takes a few more steps toward the kitchen, but decides to take a seat on the couch instead. Seungmin can hear her labored breathing.
âUmma, where is your oxygen?â
âItâs giving me a headacheâ
Heecheol disappears into the bedroom, and he returns with a small pack slung over his shoulder, and a nasal cannula in hand. âYou should have told me this was almost empty.â
âI have plenty, now youâŠcome over here so I can see you better.â Everything about her, from her voice, to her face, to her informal mannerisms, is the same. Sheâs older than Seungminâs mother would be now, but not by much. Itâs the illness thatâs aged her. âYes, come sit with me.â His hand is squeezed between hers, and theyâre cold against his warm skin. âCheoli missed you so much, did he tell you that?â
âUmmaâŠâ
âWhat?â She turns, and Heecheol adjusts the cannula to her nose. âHe tried finding you when he moved back last year, but he had no luck. And here you are!â
âI wasnât sure if you had moved or not, but when I found out aboutâŠwhat happened, I figured you moved away.â Heecheol says.
âI live in Seoul, eomeonim. Iâve been there for five yearsâ
âIn Seoul? All by yourself?â
âWith his girlfriend, ummaâ
âA girlfriend?â She says it as if itâs a shock, and her hands squeeze even tighter.
âUmma! PleaseâŠâ
âHush. How long have you two been together?â
Saying it is going to sound silly, especially considering the seriousness of everything between you. âFour months.â
âFour months?â Heecheol stops what heâs doing to look at Seungmin.
âYes. It feels like weâve known each other much longer, though.â
He nods, âthatâs goodâŠIâm glad you found someone, Min.â
âDo youâŠ?â He shakes his head before Seungmin finishes asking the question. His friend is handsome, but Heecheol has always been very particular about things, and even more introverted than him. He probably hasnât changed much. âItâs a strange feeling to have someone when youâve been alone for so long.â
âYeah, Iâm sureâ
âWhat do you do in Seoul?â His mother interrupts, changes the subject. âFor work?â
âI own the apartment building my fatherâŠmy real father, left to me. So I guessâŠnot much.â
âBut you do well for yourselfâ
âI do, Iâm very lucky in that senseâ
Heecheol heads back to the kitchen to finish the tea he started, and Seungmin sits quietly, his hand still squeezed between hers.
âSoo-ji would be proud to see what a kind young man youâve grown intoâ
âIâm not sure about that. I havenât doneââ
âYou had to grow up without her. You made it through difficult times and youâre here, and youâre making someone else very happy, I assume. She would be very proud.â
Seungmin thinks about you sitting outside in the car, probably sound asleep, and he smiles. You werenât very happy with his actions today, but he knows you are happy.
âYouâre making us happy right now, SeungminâCheoli and IâŠSeungmin?â
âYes, are you okay?â
Her voice falls to a whisper. âHe needs you. As much as he tries to smile, and work hard, and care for his dying motherâŠheâs struggling. Heâs alone, and I can only do so much for him. There has to be a bigger reason for you walking into that hospital and finding him there.â
No part of Seungmin wants to abandon his friend, but he has a hard time envisioning himself as someone elseâs divine providence. Even with you.
âHe wasnât even supposed to be at work today. Cheoli was just covering for another nurse.â
âHere, ummaâŠbe careful, itâs hot.â Heecheol places it on the table in front of her, and then his eyes turn to Seungmin. âAre you sure you donât want anything?â
âIâm sureâ
âOh, I guess we should get going. Weâre going for dinner, and Iâll bring you something good back, okay?â
âYes, goodâŠdonât rush. You two have a lot of catching up to do.â
Heecheol is quiet on the way back to the car, but Seungmin canât help but see the loneliness in his face now, and in his posture. âHow have you been? He stops. They both do, and they face one another at the bottom of the staircase. âAre you alright?â
âAm I alright? Yeah, yeah Iâm okay. I canât really complain.â
âYou can if you want, you can complain to meâ
âNo complaints right now,â he smiles.
/ / /
Seungmin is surprisingly calm in the busy restaurant, but itâs obvious that Heecheol is distracted by something in his own head.
âI didnât expect so many tourists this early,â Seungmin says, and he starts to scratch at the bandage on his arm.
You take his hand in yours and pull it closer to you. âDonât scratch at it, youâll make it sore.â
âIâd rather it be sore then itchyâ
Heecheol doesnât chime in. Heâs staring at your clasped hands, eyes wide and glazed over until you loosen your grip and let go. Maybe heâs not a fan of PDA, which you donât blame him for. Youâre not a fan, either. âAre you and Seungmin the same age?â
âIâm actually a year older, so we didnât get to have classes togetherâ
A tiny smile tugs at Seungminâs lips. âThatâs why we spent almost all of our free time with each other.â
âSo how did you meet?â
âLittle league, we got put on the same teamâ
âSeungmin smiles even bigger now. âThe Bears, I think I still have the team photo somewhere at homeâŠâ He turns to you, âprobably in one of those boxes.â
âIâll find itâ
âPlease find it. I lost so many little things moving around. So how did you two meet?â
You decide to let Seungmin take this question, and you hope he can simplify it and somehow make it sound normal.
âUhm, she walked by me outside of the convenience store by my building, and pretended to be lostâŠso I helped her home.â
âThatâs very cuteâ
âThere was a little bit of chasing, but we figured it out eventually. You said youâre single, right?â
âI am, yeahâŠI never really dated much. Iâve tried, but itâs hard.â
âYou can visit us in Seoul. Maybe youâd feel more comfortable there, being yourself. Itâs easier.â
âEasier? How do you know?â
âIâve spent a lot of time getting a feel for people all over the city. And Iâve taken plenty of them home.â Seungmin cocks his head to the side, and Heecheolâs eyes move between the two of you. âMen, and womenâŠyes. And you would probably do better than I ever have.â
This is the most carefree and comfortable youâve ever seen Seungmin in someone elseâs company. It took what felt like a very long time for him to soften up for you, but this was almost immediate. The moment he realized who he was taking to in that hospital, he started to become lighter; a completely different personâone that didnât wander into the woods in the dark, or feel the unbearable need to slice his arm open from the turmoil rolling around inside of him.
âIs it that obvious? I guess it is." Heecheol laughs.
âWhat, that you prefer men? I've known that since I was eight, and we went to that birthday party at the ice rink. Do you remember?â
âOh my godâŠuhm, Junsoo, our catcher who couldnât catch very well. He was turning nine.â
âRight, his older brother was there, and you stared at him the whole timeâ
âMhm. Jinhwan. He was twelve, and he was already the best hitter for the senior league. And the best forward on the hockey team. Andââ
Seungminâs hand jumps up to cover his mouth, and he laughs with his whole body. A sweet laugh, though, the kind that Heecheol can laugh along with and not feel embarrassed. âYeah, I knewâŠI knew you like I knew myself.â
âAnd you were always a mystery to everyone else, but I understood why. We made a good pair.â
âYou still do. I donât hear him laugh like that very often.â
Heecheol turns to you and smiles. âIâm sorry, I hope you donât feel left out of the conversation.â
âNot at all. I like listening to the two of you talk, and itâs nice to hear him laugh.â
âStill a little mysterious, Mo?â
He rubs at his bandage again. âNot on purpose.â
/ / /
As hard as you try, staying awake on the drive home is nearly impossible, but you shake yourself awake every time you feel yourself slipping. Seungmin has to make this drive, and you know heâs even more exhausted. Finding his friend did perk him up, though, and the music playing on the radio is more upbeat and louder than youâre used to.
âDonât stay up for me, relaxâ
âIâm alright. We have a while to go still, so promise me youâll pull over if you get sleepy.â
âI promiseâ
He gives you a sweet, sleepy smile, and youâre almost positive youâll end up in a hotel somewhere tonight. âI like him.â
âDo you? Seeing him againâŠit felt like no time passed at all, and like nothing bad ever happened.â
âFinding each other again is something special. He loves you, Minnie.â
âWe were kind of isolated to each other, aside from the teamâŠbut even then, it was just us all the time.â
He didnât see the way Heecheol looked at him, and maybe it was just disbelief...maybe he couldnât believe his own eyesâhis best friend, back, right in front of him. But you donât really believe that. Heecheol loves Seungmin the way that you love him; in a way you canât really describe in words. You can feel it.
His mind goes back to eomeonim and her concern for her son; his loneliness, and believing thereâs a reason why they found each other again. But love is a strong word for someone who was there for three years, and then left for the next fifteen. As soon as that thought crosses his mind, he looks at you, nodding off again, and remembers your four months together. Things couldnât get much more serious than they are now. But he needs youâŠhe loves you? Seungmin isnât sure he has much more to give after you and two children.
âHow are you feeling?â
âMy arm feels fine, itâs just a little soreâ
âNot thatâŠeverything elseâ
âYou mean last night?â
âYes, last nightâ
Seungmin thinks. He doesnât know how to answer this, because he still doesnât remember a single thing between going to bed around midnight, and then waking up at noon. The scratches on his back are itchy now that heâs thinking of them, but otherwise, thereâs nothing. Just what you witnessed. âI donât remember any of it, soâŠitâs like it didnât happen.â
âIâm glad you donât remember, but I wish I knew why you did itâ
âDid you see anything else while you were looking for me?â
See? No. Heard? His motherâs voice, whatever is in the woods, and maybe even his stepfatherâs voice outside the shed. That hadnât occurred to you until right this moment. The hey that you thought was Seungmin, it definitely wasnât. âI didnât see anything.â
He looks at you, waiting for more.
âI heard things, butâŠI was tired, and scaredâ
âIâm sorry. Iâm grateful you cared enough to look for me, but Iâm sorry you had to do that.â
âOf course I cared enough, Iâd do it again if I had toâ
âThatâs the last time we spend the night thereâ
The alarm keeps ringing. Why is there an alarm on in the first place? You somehow form that thought and that question in your sleepy, foggy head. The room is still so dark, though, so it canât be morning yet. Where is he?
âWhere are you?â Youâre not even sure it comes out of your mouth. âSeungmin!â
âHeyâŠIâm right here. Iâm sorry.â
The bed moves as he crawls up and grabs his phone, turns off the sound, and the room is finally silent. You turn onto your back and pull yourself up against the pillows, but your head throbs. Opening your eyes feels like it might be a mistake.
âIâm sorry, I forgot to shut off the alarm from last week. Do you need anything? Does your head feel any better?â
âA littleâŠI didnât mean to yell, Iâm sorry. I think I was dreaming.â
âItâs okayâ
âMy head is better than it was.â His half smile is what you see when you open your eyes, and then his dark hair sweeping across his eyebrows. âYour hair is getting so long.â You reach out and brush some of it away from his forehead, and then your eyes fall to your stomach.
"What time is it?â You set your hand on it and breathe deep, and Seungmin sets his hand on top of yours. Then you switch.
âItâs almost ten, you slept for a while. Oh, I felt something!â
âDid you?â
âYes, a little kick I thinkâ
âGood, Iâm sure they know youâre hereâ
His smile grows until you see all of his teeth âyeah?â The other hand finds a new spot and waits, but he pouts a little when nothing happens. You donât feel any kicks or flutters, and he doesnât either. âItâll be nice to see them again.â
âWhat day is it, Min?â
âWow, you must have slept very well, thatâs good. Itâs Monday.â
âMonday?â
âMonday the 19th.â He waits as you think. âYour fancy ultrasound is tomorrow. We get to see them in more detail, right?â
âHow did I forget?â
Seungmin moves his hand again and waits, and when nothing happens, heâs back up and digging through his dresser for a change of clothes. âTheyâre wearing you out, butâŠthatâs why Iâm here.â
Thanks to him and his attentiveness, getting to week twenty-two was easier than you thought it would be, despite your exhaustion. Youâre not sure if this nurturing side of him was always there waiting to come out, or if heâs just been working overtime to be the dad he desperately needed as a child. Whatever it is, heâs doing well.
Seungmin has been okay for the last two monthsâno hallucinations, no urges, and no truly bad days. He still gets quiet and sulks, but not lately. A new tenant moved in a week ago, and itâs kept him busy until today. The distraction has been good for him, and watching him focus on work was a nice change.
âWhat are you smirking at?â
âHm?â His phone is lighting up a smile on his face. It falls a little, but comes back along with a blush on his cheeks as he gets himself under the blankets. âJust talking.â
âTalking?â
âHeecheol sent a message earlier, and I forgot to reply until nowâ
âGood, I wasnât sure if you were keeping in touch. How is he?â
âTired, he said, but he has to work all night so he canât get any sleep. I was thinking of asking him if he wanted to visit, but only if you feel okay.â
âHe can visit whenever he likes, and you two can do whatever you want. Baseball gameâŠnight club? Maybe both. You deserve a nice night out.â
âIâll ask him. Do you think heâd want to stay for a while?â
The idea is nice. âA whileâŠlike a weekend? Or a week?â But the more time spent with Seungmin, the more likely it is that Heecheol will see the other side of him, or be around for one of his bad days. âIf he wants to. Maybe we can start with a day or two, so we donât scare him off.â
Seungmin studies you for a moment, and then nods. âYeah, I guess so."
"I think he would love to spend as much time as possible with you, though"
"Iâve been alright since the whole disappearing into the woods thing, right?â
âYou have. Youâve been present, and happy.â
âIâm trying really hardâ
Thereâs a choke in his voice as he says it, and you go back over everything you just said to him in your mind. âYou are, I knowâŠand youâre the reason why Iâm doing so well right now.â He moves closer until your arms open for him. âYouâve been there for me every single day and night.â
âHave I? Have I been good enough?â
Seungmin still has a hard time believing it, you know that, even as you hold onto him and squeeze him tight.
part seven | umma // serial killer!Kim Seungmin/afab reader
WC: 13.6k
RATING: mature/explicit/mdniâcontains: seungmin's worst memory. death & murder. domestic/child abuse. medical settings, medication usage, hallucinations, & shared delusions. more murder. fluff...& sex.
SYNOPSIS: Seungmin floats through life alone, haunted by his memoriesâkeeping himself under control, and quieting his mind the only way he knows howâŠkilling and watching the life leave his victims eyes. When you cross his path on a morning hunt, something new (something forgotten) starts to move inside of him, leading both of you on a path to confront the unspeakable past.
COMMENTS: I reached 600 followers a few days ago, so thank you guys for liking my stuff enough to deal with me âĄ
The rain stopped sometime during the night, but it pelted against the roof and windows, and it kept him awake for hours. Usually, the steady sound lulls him to sleep, but last night was differentâthere was nothing relaxing about that downpour. He does remember waking after his first time dozing off, though, and it was eerily silent with the sound of the rain suddenly gone. But he knows he heard something...it, right outside his window, walking around on the wet, muddy ground.
The first thing he does in the morning is run to his window to open the curtains and let the sun in. The second thing he does is look at the ground in front of the bushes. Deer tracks, he thinks. Heâs not good with the local fauna, but he knows they arenât human footprints. Seungmin doesn't know what lives in those woods, and he doesnât go in anymore to find out.
Seungmin-ah!
âIâm up, Iâm coming!â He quickly rifles through his drawer and pulls out a change of clothes. âIâm coming!â Just as he starts toward the door, he turns and heads back to his bed to throw the covers back up, fluff up his pillow, and grab Daengmo.
âCome get some breakfastâ
The door creaks as he pulls it halfway shut, and he bolts down the long hallway toward the kitchen, slipping a little in his socks. Seungmin stops abruptly when he hears the door to his left swing open, and his stomach drops.
âSlow downâ
He doesnât want to look up at him, but he has to, so he gets it over with quickly. âIâm sorryâŠaââ he stops himself. Even after so much time has passed, calling him appa is still a reflex. Heâs the only father Seungmin can remember. âIâm sorry.â But stepfather doesnât like it coming from Seungminâs mouth anymore.
âBreakfast isnât going anywhere, and neither is your mother.â He passes by him, but not before ripping Daengmo from under his arm, âarenât you too old for this yet?â Daengmo stares blankly at him, and he stares back with a grimace. Seungmin heart starts to race just as the dog is dropped at his feet. âShould have left this stupid thing out there instead.â
Because he would have never found his way home.
âThere you are, my sleepy puppyâ
âThe rain kept me up, ummaâ
She sets a bowl of seaweed soup in front of Seungmin, and then another bowl full of rice. âI scrambled some eggs, too, if youâre hungry enough.â Her hand runs down the side of his head to try and flatten out his bed hair.
âYes, please,â he smiles at her when she returns with a plate.
âAnd some of the strawberries we picked up yesterday.â
âDid you already eat?â
âI did. As soon as youâre ready, weâll go replant some more flowers.â
*
The greenhouse is hot and humid, but he likes it. He loves the warm months when the plants and flowers come to life, and he loves fall, when the chrysanthemums bloom, and the asters and the marigolds hang on a little longer. Itâs always bright and pretty in here, at least until winter creeps in and scares almost everything away.
âCome here, loveâŠhold this for meâ
Seungmin drops to his knees and holds the big mound of dirt in his hands. âWhat are these?â
âJapanese irisâ
âAnd those?â
âCamelliaâ
A crash from outside grabs his attention, and he almost drops his iris bud before the pot is ready.
âHey puppy, look at meâŠdonât worry about himâ
âIâm notâ
She looks at him, a smile on her face, but eyes full of worry. Seungmin worries all the time, and she knows that. He worries more than any nine year old ever should, and all she wishes for is a chance to take him somewhere far away and never look back. No more worry, and no more fear. âItâs just us, okay? Me and you.â
âYeah, just usâ
The rain starts again, first a slow drop here and there, and gradually, it turns into a downpour. Again, he hears a crash, and even over the deafening sound of rain, he hears his stepfather screaming at nothing in his shed.
âThe rain will ruin his day, but not oursâ
âAre we planting more of those?â He points to the bright purple flowers in the corner.
âDo you like those? Theyâre my favorite.â
âThey smell niceâ
âThey do, but they donât like this weather. Heliotrope needs lots of sun and a little less rain.â
Seungmin pouts.
âThat doesnât mean we wonât tryâ
The ultrasound room is freezing, and the blanket they put over you is pulled all the way up to your chin. Itâs not helping, though. Seungmin slides his jacket off and sets it on top, and his warmth still trapped inside finally helps you stop shivering.
âWhatâs taking them so long?â He grumbles.
You shrugâthis is only your second time in a Korean hospital, but youâre kind of used to waiting when you go to an emergency room, or a doctorâs appointment. The two of you decided to drive back home the next morning instead of revisiting the hospital in Daegu, mostly because Seungmin was eager to get you back to the bed youâve gotten used to, and back to where he could access the contents of his bank account. Uljin can wait another week or two, he said. Time to resettle and clean up any messes left behind. And you know he also wanted to find a doctor close to home as soon as possible.
âIt hasnât been that long, itâs okayâ
âLong enough. And itâs too cold in here. Maybe we can look for another doctor.â
âLetâs at least meet her first. It seems nice here."
*
The apartment looked fine, but it was easy to tell things were moved around. Everything was just slightly off.
âI canât believe the missing piece of rug wasnât suspicious.â You look hard at the spot where the kill from that night bled out. Thereâs no reason to think this was cut because of anything more than a bad spill.
âYeah, and the spot where the girl fell.â Seungmin stands there and looks at the bare floor. âIâm really glad you didnât pull that knife out.â
âI used to watch a lot of crime dramas. I still do, just Korean ones."
âThatâs how you knew how to stab?â
âI also watched a lot of Datelineâ
He cocks an eyebrow at you.
âTrue crimeâ
âOh, thatâs meâŠtrue crime. Well, thatâs us now.â
âUs? Thatâs romantic.
*
Thereâs a soft knock on the door, and an older woman, the ultrasound tech, walks in and greets both of you.
âMother speaks only English? I can speak English.â
âThank you.â You slide Seungminâs jacket off and hand it back to him.
âIt should be warmer soon, we turned the heat upâ
Youâre nervous, but you know that Seungmin is even more nervous. From the corner of your eye, you see him hugging his jacket tight as the woman guides your legs up and open, carefully drapes another blankets across your knees, and adjusts the machine on your right.
âI thought you got the little wand on your stomach,â he says, and his eyes move back and forth between you and your wide open legs.
The woman answers first. âNot this one. This gives us a better look, because itâs still early.â
âOhâ. Seungmin watches her every move as she preps, but eventually finds your hands and squeezes it. âAre you warmer?â
You nod, but now all of your attention is on her and the wand in her hand. âYeah, Iâm good.â
âAre you ready? Take a nice deep breath, and relax."
More rain, Seungmin thinks as he pushes himself deeper under his blanket. The slow pings start against his window, and he watches as it beats against the glass, harder and harder. The rain never bothered him much before, and itâs not really the rain thatâs making sleep so difficult. The problem is what seems to be right outside of his window when the rain comes. Seungmin canât see it, he doesnât thinkâŠhe feels it. Sometimes he thinks he sees the outline of something moving just beyond the bushes, and sometimes he thinks he sees the reflection of glowing eyes.
If he mentioned it to umma, and he might, she would probably tell him itâs just a deer. She would say pull the curtains closed, puppyâŠif it eases your mind. And thatâs just what he does. After a few seconds of working up the courage, he jumps from under his cover and runs to the window, pulls the curtains closed, and then runs and jumps back into his warm bed.
âBetter,â he whispers to himself, and just as he closes his eyes, the shatter of glass sends him back up. He sits and stares at his door and waits for another sound.
âYou donât listen!â
Stepfather is screaming, and thatâs nothing new. The soft voice of his mother trickles in as she tells him to please keep his voice down, please donât wake Seungmin.
âHe doesnât listen, either. He can hear this, too. I thought I got rid of these!â
Got rid of what? Seungmin thinks.
âHe picked them out at the bookstore yesterday. Heâs doing so wellâŠheâs so smart.â
âIs he? I donât see it.â
âHeâs a good boyâ
âGive them to me, all of them. And whatever else you spent my money on.â
Seungmin feels tears welling in his eyes, and he tries with everything he has to hold them back. He tries with everything he has to stay put and not run out there and stop him.
âWe only bought groceries, and the booksâŠnothing elseâ
âDonât lie to meâ
He hears a slap, and his mother makes another quiet soundâŠand his tears start to fall. âUmma, weâll leave soonâŠyou and me.â
Itâs not as bad as you anticipated, but you still grip the hand he gave you. A few seconds of nothing, and then something appears on the screen. You donât know what youâre looking at, though, because ultrasound images always confused you. Itâs nothing but static, and a big black blob that you at least know is where something is supposed to be.
âCan you see?â She asks, and looks at you, and then she looks at Seungmin. âThereâŠon the bottom left. I would say seven weeks, almost eight.â She moves the wand again, and you squeeze his hand a little harder. âOhâŠjust a moment. Iâm sorry, dear.â
âWhat is it?â Seungmin moves closer, pushes his glasses up, and squints. He doesnât know what heâs looking at, either.
The woman pushes a button on the machine, and you hear the strange, whooshing sound come through. You know what it is, just not from personal experienceâa wild heartbeat. And the sound of an actual heart beating makes everything feel very real, very quickly.
She smiles at you with a little hesitancy, and then points at a new spot on the right side of the screen. âNumber two is right here. And the first one isâŠhere.â
âTwo?"
âDul?â
âYes,â she nods, âyeâŠdul. You have twins, illanseong ssangdung-i.â
âIdentical?â Seungmin stares, and he starts to crush your fingers until you shake him loose. âSorry.â
âHow do you know theyâre identical? Are you sure there are two?â
âIâm sure, I have seen many many twins on here. We can check again at your next visit, and also let you know sexâŠif you want to know, in another four or five weeks.â
*
After hearing the second round of unexpected news, you get into bed and sleep for hours. It's the first time in a while you can remember having a completely dreamless sleep, but it doesn't seem the time for that. Right now, your head should be too full to stop.
The sun is mostly set when you finally make yourself get up, and the smell of food coming from the kitchen pulls you back out.
âAre you making dinner?â
âHi, yesâŠdid you sleep well?â
âI did. It smells so good in here.â
He lights up and grabs three bowls from the cupboard, âdoes it, really? I havenât tried making kimchi jjigae in a very long time.â Seungmin fills two bowls with stew, and the third he piles high with rice. âI hope it tastes okay.â
The familiar smell of his favorite stew wafts into his bedroom, and heâs on his way down the hall before his mother even calls for him.
âCome here, give me a hug,â she holds her arms open, and Seungmin hugs her tight around the waist. âYouâre getting so tall, youâre not gonna be a little puppy much longer.â
âI can be a tall one,â he looks up and sees the bruise he left on her cheek.
âYouâre right, you canâŠgo sit, Iâll bring us both a bowl.â
âWhere is he?â
Itâs as if Seungmin summons him with his words. A moment later, heâs coming in through the side door, pulling off his wet raincoat, and getting out of his shoes. The worst sound in the world for Seungmin is hearing his stepfather return home. But tonight he doesnât say a word. He walks through the kitchen and looks around blankly, makes himself a bowl of dinner, and disappears into another room. Itâs not unusual for him.
âGood,â she sits down next to him, âjust the two of us.â
The rain finally lets up tonight, and he can fall asleep easilyâno sounds outside, no footsteps or strange feelings. Silence. And Seungmin sleeps perfectly until he opens his eyes to the clock by his bedâŠ12:10 am. He stares at it until it turns to 12:11, and then 12:12. There are footsteps outside. Loud, muddy, and heavy. But not in front of his windowâthese are somewhere in the distance, maybe on the far side of the house. At 12:15, he finds enough courage to get up and peek through the slit in his curtain, but all he can see from here is darkness and the reflection of his pale face; the tops of pine trees against a blue-black sky, finally clear. He thinks he sees a shadow run by in the distance, but itâs just his imagination starting to run. Itâs in my head, umma said itâs in my headâŠthereâs nothing in the woods.
âUmma?â
He thinks he hears her calling him, but as soon as itâs quiet again, heâs convinced that was also in his mind. Still, he heads for the door and pulls it open just a crack to listen. Nobody is ever up this late except for him when he canât sleep. A mumble, barely, reaching him through the thick, humid air.
ââŠyou made me do thisâŠâ
Seungmin recognizes that voice, even from this far away.
ââŠIâll have to do it againâŠthat bratâ
Itâs impossible to get back into bed now. He needs to know whatâs going on. The first thing he does after tiptoeing down the hallway is open their bedroom door, but itâs too dark to see anything. A few more steps in, and he can now tell that the bed is empty, the blankets are a mess.
âUmmaâŠwhere are you?â
Seungmin heads toward the kitchen and looks around, knocks on the bathroom door. He reaches for his coatâŠhe can hear the rain starting again, and pulls on his boots. The few lights on outside help his eyes just enough, and he catches movement in the shed a few yards away. Why is he in the shed so late at night? Umma wouldnât be out here with him, Seungmin knows thatâŠwhere are you? he thinks. He thinks it so loudly, and is body trembles with his unknown fear. Why arenât you in bed? Why are you outside so late in the rain?
The muddy grass gives way to his boots, and he sinks in as he tries to walk...he slips, and a few times, stops to gather himself before moving again. The ground is more solid as he approaches the shed, and he can tell now that the one light shining out is the oil lamp that lives on the windowsill. Itâs so bright coming out through the cracks, and the view looking in is clear. Seungminâs eye finds the perfect spot to peer in and see what his stepfather is doingâŠ
âAre you in here?â He whispers, unsure, but his voice shakes.
His stepfather looks back, and Seungmin freezes, but his breath comes out shallow and ragged and loud. âOut of bed? Of course you are.â The door swings open, and the hand that grabs his shirt collar is wet with mud, and something else.
âUmma!â
Seungmin is thrown hard against the wall, face first, and hits the floor with so much force, he feels a tooth chip. He sees blood on him, and he tastes what pours from his nose and lip, but he doesnât care.
âSeungminâŠrun away from himâ
He crawls to her, and stepfathers presence looms just like the creature in the woods, ready to snatch him back at any moment.
âWe have to go,â Seungmin whispers and touches her hair, âplease we have to go.â
âI love you so much, SeungminâŠyou have to run, you have to get away from himâ
âI canât leave you hereâ
âPlease runâŠmy sweet boyâŠâ
âUmma I canât leave you hereâ
âHeâll kill you, too.â
âWe have to goâ
âPlease remember how much I love you.â
Everything goes black and quiet, and the last thing he sees is her pleading eyes.
But then, the sound of dirt. A shovel, hacking and digging. Seungmin squeezes his fingers just to see if he can, and he fills his fist with dirt and rock. The back of his head throbs, and the warm, itchy sting of blood in his hair and on his neck reminds him of where he is. A gasp for air, a cough, and he almost chokes on it as he turns to his side. Everything is a blur, but he blinks it away and finds something to focus onâa bright blue bucket, and next to it is a small plank of wood, maybe the thing that knocked him out.
The irritated grumbles of his stepfather mix with the shk shk of the shovel as he digs. How could he possibly turn and look at whatâs happening behind him? Seungmin can figure out whats going on, and why heâs digging a hole. He canât come face to face with it. He looks around again, and his eyes land on the assorted tools that have ended up in here over the years: pruners, old rusty garden shears his mother tried to throw out, rolls of chicken wire and razor wire, bags of grass seed and weed killerâthings he and umma have no use for in the greenhouse. The hand tiller, though, that he recognizes, and he remembers holding this very tool in his hands several times before.
Sharp and straight on one end, three pointed claws on the otherâitâs as long as his arm and itâs not very heavy, butâŠitâs heavy enough. As quietly and slowly as possible, he crawls the six or seven feet to where it hangs on a protruding nail, and as he wraps his fingers around the wooden handle, he peeks over his shoulder. His stepfathers back is to him, thankfully, hunched over and pushing dirt with his shovel, so Seungmin grips it and rolls himself to face him. Now, if he can stand without fallingâwithout passing outâŠ
You smile and wait for him to open his eyes again. He has his hands clasped tight in front of him, as if heâs praying. Maybe he is praying. A smile grows as he sits there silently, and he laughs at himself when his eyes pop open.
âIâm sorry, should I have joined in?â
âOh, I was justâŠtalking to myself for a moment. Sending something out.â
âWere you praying?â
âSort ofâŠno, not exactlyâ
âItâs okay, you donât have to explainâ
âThis was the last thing she made for me, the last meal we had together.â
The stew looks very different when you look at it now. Seungmin looks different, because the wave of memories washing over him paralyze him for a moment. âIs this her recipe?â
âYes. I have a few of her recipe cards in the drawer, but I can never make anything quite right.â
âWell, itâs very good, even if itâs not perfect. What was her name?â
âSoo-ji. SujiâŠor Susie. Her English name was Susie.â
âEnglish name? Oh right, she lived in the states. Did she choose that? Do you have an English name?â
âYes, she chose Susie. I have one, but Iâve never used it. Iâve never had to.â
âWhat is it?â
He smiles and drops his gaze to his food. âSky. Iâm not sure why I chose that, butâŠSky.â
âI doâ
Seungmin looks at you again, eyes wide, âyeah?â And his eyes grow even more as he waits. âDo I look like a sky?â
âYou look like a sky. And everything in it.â
âEverything?â
âThe sun, and the moonâŠthe clouds, all the starsâ
âAre you trying to make me blush?â
âThe butterfliesâŠthe beesâ
He cups his cheeks in his hands and laughs.
âCanât grow the flowers without youâ
A hitch in his breath makes your heart thump, and his hands cover the rest of his face. You canât tell if it was another laugh, or something else.
âSeungmin?â He doesnât answer, but you hear a sniffle, and you stand and move to his side of the table. âHeyâŠwhatâs the matter?â Youâre more confident in your actions now, so grabbing his shoulders and pulling him against you happens without a second thought. âDid I say something?â
âNo, sorryâŠI donât know what happenedâ
âWas that too much? Iâm too much sometimes.â
âNo, please donât think thatâ
He squeezes and pushes his face into you, and you feel his tears coming through the fabric of your shirt. Something triggered them, but heâs also long overdue for a lot of good cries. You donât mind getting some out of him.
âUmma always told me that when we worked together in the greenhouseâŠI canât grow the flowers without you, puppy.â
âShe was right. My moonflowers seem pretty happy in the window. And...Puppy?â
Seungmin pulls away and sniffs, but he doesnât look at you yet. He looks at the hanging basket in the kitchen window. Itâs still small, but it grew even while it was left here on its own. âShe loved giving me nicknames, but I was always puppy."
âLook at me,â you pinch his chin and guide his eyes up to yours. âYeah, I saw that photo of you when you were seven, I think. You looked like a puppy then, and you still do.â
âWhat photo?â
âFrom the boxes in your closet. I found them when I was packing our stuff. I saw some baby photos.â
âBabiesâŠâ he whispers to himself. You spoke about it on the way home, and a little before you fell asleep, mostly his concern about you now carrying two instead of one. âWhat exactly makes them identical?â
The tech didnât go into detail, and you canât meet your doctor until Monday, so Seungmin has been left hanging on the finer points of the pregnancy so far.
âIdentical twins are one fertilized egg, split in two. Always the same sex, or usually. They share one placentaâŠthatâs why they werenât separated in there, that's how she knew.â
âSo two boysâŠor two girls. Our fertilized egg split in half? Like yin and yangâŠsort of. Yin is the moon, and Yang is the sun. Still opposite, not identical, I guess.â
âLike us. Youâre the sunâŠjust like what your flowers need, and you seem to have made me the moon.â
âYeah..." He looks at your flowers again. "Tokki.â
âSkyâ
His legs hold him up, and despite his throbbing, blood soaked head, he moves slowly toward the lamp light, the whole in the ground, and the hunched over shape of his stepfather. This is his only chance, and if he misses, or doesnât do it well enough, thatâs itâŠbut it doesnât matter. Seungmin doesnât care if he dies, because sheâs gone, and thereâs nothing left for him. Heâd be better off in the ground.
The hesitation as he grips the handle evaporates when he raises the tiller high above his head. One chance. He puts everything he has, every bit of anger and sadness and despair behind the single blow that finds the nape of his stepfathers neck. The sharp straight edge is even sharper than Seungmin thought, and it sinks in deep. The spatter of blood gets everywhereâin his eyes, his mouth, and he somehow yanks it right back out. Some supernatural strength moves through him, because he has to do this. Another swing, this time to his chest as he turns and falls to the ground.
âY-youâŠâ he sputters and coughs more blood. ââŠyou baâŠbastâŠâ
Seungmin wonders if it's the shock, or if he cut something in his neck that finally shut him up. He canât seem to get his words out. âBastard?â
The tiller goes up, and then down one more time. And he doesnât say another word. The shed is silent now, except for the rain, and the drip drip coming through the cracks in the roof. It takes everything he has in him to shift his eyes to the rightâto the half filled hole right next to him, and when he finally does, the emptiness that washes over him brings him to his knees. What could possibly describe this? He doesnât know. Seungmin doesnât know the words, not in Korean or English. He canât even cry. What he can do is gently step into the shallow grave and place his hands on her again, and heâs relieved to feel her warmth still, and the softness of her pale skin and hair.
âUmma, can you still hear me?â Seungmin knows she canât. His mother is gone, and her last words come right back to him. âHeâs gone nowâŠheâs gone. He wonât hurt us anymore.â
And she canât be here, in this shed, in this disgusting hole he made for her. He wonât let her rest here foreverânot for another minute. Fortunately he didnât get far covering her. Seungmin pushes the dirt away as best as he can, but he doesnât know if heâs strong enough for this. He wraps his arms around her shoulders and hugs her against his chest, pulls again, and rests her limp body against the side as he climbs back out.
Carefully, very carefully, he holds her around the waist, rests her back against him, and lifts until all but her legs are up and out of her would-be grave. No shoes on her feet, and wearing nothing but her nightgownâŠhis stepfather dragged her outside straight from the bed they shared and did this. What filled him with so much rage tonight? Seungmin wonders if it was something he did. But he doesnât stop to wonder long. The empty grave can only be good for one thing now, so Seungmin pushes, and pushes, and it takes so much more strength than it did to lift her out. One more push, and he falls with a thud, and the tiller goes in with him.
He dug this shallow hole, so he can put it to use.
Now he finally stops to catch his breath, but the humid air is hard to suck into his lungs. He slows down, breaths through his nose, holds it inâŠlets it go the way his mother taught him when he started to feel overwhelmed and anxious. It doesnât calm a single nerve in his body tonight, but he at least feels the oxygen move through his blood and into his muscles, and more importantly, into his brain. He finishes this first; shoves the dirt on him, and it feels like hours later when heâs satisfied with the job heâs done. It's not the best, but it's far more than he deserves.
âNow what, umma? I donât know what to do.â
âŠă Ë ă Ë â¶ ËăăăâŠăăă.ă
The greenhouse? he thinks to himself. Did he think it, or did he hear it?
âI can take you to the greenhouse. Would that be alright?â
Yes. Where else but the greenhouse, with the flowers the two of them spent all spring and summer planting and watering and growing? Seungmin reaches for her, and he watches as his hand starts to tremble. It moves up his arm and his shoulders; his chest tightens, and his whole body shivers; his stomach spins, and he turns and crawls away to vomit, but nothing comes out. He dry heaves until his stomach finally settles, but now his head feels like it might explode.
Her nightgown is already covered in dirt, but he refuses to drag her through the mud, so he grabs a blanket from the house to help his trip down the yard. The view almost makes him sick againâthe gentle sway of her feet as he pulls. But the wet ground makes it easier, and faster than he expected.
Everything he needs to dig a grave is right here. Thereâs a plot of loosened dirt right by the heliotrope, because that was tomorrowâs job, and Seungmin looks at it and wonders againâŠwonders if this is where umma is supposed to rest right now. He starts the long process of shoveling away at the dirt, and he has a feeling this will take him the rest of the night.
âWhat are you thinking about, Min?â
He jumps when he hears his name, and looks around like heâs forgotten where he is. âThinking about? Oh, nothingâŠI just had to shut off for a second.â
âI know something is going on in there. You donât have to, but you can tell me.â
Seungminâs face speaks louder than he ever can. Heâs still no good at hiding it.
âJust remembering things. I wish my head would listen to me when I ask it to forget.â
âThat would be nice, yeah. Maybe I can help take your mind off of it.â
A month flew by while you adjusted, both of you, to the news that two babies, not one, will be brought into this strange home. You spent a great deal of it in bedâtired, nauseated, and a mood that didnât know whether to go up or down. Usually up and down multiple times in one day, which Seungmin had a difficult time with. He was used to the balance you brought him, and now itâs been taken away by this pregnancy.
But still, he handled it well by the end of the first week or so, and he eventually turned into what you were for him. He cooked, or he ordered the closest he could find to homemade Korean food. Seungmin made sure you took all of your vitamins, and he let you see him take his medication every day again. The four weeks on his haldol is the longest heâs managed to keep up with it, and he thinks heâs finally gotten used to it. Whether or not itâs helping is still up in the air.
âTake my mind off of it? You must be feeling better.â
âI amâŠbut youâre not getting that. My appointments tomorrow, remember?â
âRight. We get to see them again.â
âWe get to see if there are actually two in thereâ
âAnd if theyâre boys or girlsâ
âDo you wanna know already, if they can tell?â
Seungmin assumed you wanted to know as much as he did, and as soon as possible, âyou donât?â But maybe not. âI guess I do, yeah.â
âIt feels so early. So much can still go wrong.â
His eyes drop to your stomach, and he resists the urge to reach out and set his hand there. âNothing will go wrong, everything will be okay. The first twelve weeks are the hardest, right?â
âYouâve been doing your researchâ
âThereâs a bookstore right by the market I went to this morning. I bought one,â he grabs one of the bags from the counter and digs around inside. âI bought a couple, actually.â He hands you the first oneâŠ
âTaegyo.â You flip through it, but itâs small, and in Korean.
âIâll read that one to youâto the three of you.â
The next one looks like a regular book on pregnancy, the kind youâve seen a million times before on bookstore and library shelves.
âI read some of that one already.â The last one he pulls out is the biggest.
âBaby namesâŠâ
âAnd their meanings. Am I getting ahead of myself? I am, Iâm sorry.â
âNo, youâre not. I know youâve been holding it in, Minnie. You donât have to keep hiding it.â
âHiding what?â
âYour excitement. Your joy. If youâre tiptoeing around it because I told you I didnât want to be pregnant before, I want you to stop.â
Seungmin takes the baby name book and holds it to his chest, and he seems a little lost for words. âOkayâŠâ
âI kind of knew you wanted this from the moment you found out about the first test. And Iâve already read up a little on Taegyo, so donât hold backâŠlet them know, too.â
He nods, and a smile creeps across his face. The hesitation is still there as he reaches his hand out to you, but he does. Nothing is happening in there yet, but his smile grows even wider as his fingers spread out, and his palm slides up, and then back down across your belly button.
âWeâll find out tomorrow, if they can see on the ultrasoundâ
âI should start cleaning out the spare bedroomâ
âWe have a spare bedroom?â
*
Seungmin canât hide his nerves this time. He paces back and forth in the tiny room, stopping every few laps to look at you and sigh. âTwenty minutes?â
âItâs barely been fifteen. Are you alright, did you get any sleep last night?â
He shakes his head and sits, finally. âNot much. My dreams always feel real, but last night wasâŠscary. I couldnât get out. I think I had, uhm, I couldnât move...â
âSleep paralysis?â
âYeah, I havenât had that in a whileâŠat least not that bad. I was stuck, but I could open my eyes, so I saw you sleeping next to me. That helped.â
âYouâve had a lot on your mind. Maybe you should take something tonight.â
A knock on the door interrupts, and itâs the same woman from your first ultrasound. âGood morning,â she smiles sweetly at you, and then to Seungmin, who has kept up the husband act since Daegu.
He took the little silver ring from his music box, the one you can only assume belonged to his mother, and tried it out on you while you were still half asleep. It fit nicely, and even though you told him it seemed too special for you to wear, he said it was just for today, for funâjust to play the part.
So now you spin it absently as you watch her set up her equipment. And Seungmin is nervous again as your shirt is lifted, and the blanket covering your hips is pulled down.
âAre you ready to see your twins?â
The image appears quickly, but takes a moment to look like anything recognizable to either of you. But then it starts making senseâŠ
âThere they are, very cozy togetherâ
âOh, I can see them, they look likeâŠlike babies.â Seungmin leans closer and squints, because he forgot his glasses this morning.
âThey are giving us a good view,â you say, âitâs doesnât look creepy like ultrasounds usually do.â
âAnd I can take a good guess at sex if youâre ready for thatâ
âUh, yes butâŠâ Seungmin looks at you, and you shake your head. âJust me. Can you tell just me?â
âMom isnât ready? No problem, Iâll write it down for you, and weâll keep it between us for now.â
She pulls a notepad out and scribbles onto it, rips it out, folds it, and hands it to him. You wait to see if heâll look now, or later, but he truly canât wait. He unfolds it, still careful not to let you see her messy hangul, and his face lights up as he stares at it. Seungmin hasnât mentioned preferring a son or a daughterâsons or daughtersâbut you imagine his face looking the same regardless of whatâs written on that paper. This is something he needed for it to feel real.
The sun hasnât started rising yet, but somehow, he did what he needed to do. He finished.
The ground here is soft, and itâs fertileâthis dirt has overheard some of the most important talks he had with umma, and itâs heard them both sing. This greenhouse, and the flowers inside have known only love and warmth and happiness.
Seungmin stares into her grave, and then to her.
The second blanket he brought with him is set neatly inside, and with what little strength remains in him, he moves her closer. Gently...a little clumsily, he lays her on top of it.
âSorry umma, Iâm so tired,â he sighs, and feels tears running down his dirt covered cheeks.
Now Seungmin takes his time picking a little bit of everything in bloom. An iris that finally opened. Japanese Kerria, goldenbell, mugunghwa, zinnia. The last flower he places with her is two loose bundles of heliotrope. The blanket corners are pulled across her, tucking the flowers in and keeping them safe as he kneels at the edge and thinks.
âThe sun will start rising soon, and I donât know what Iâll do,â he says to her. âWhat can I do?â
Seungmin waits for an answer, but nothing comes.
âI think I made things worse. Did I?â
no
âhuh...is that you?â
you had to save yourself
âI should have been able to save youâ
you couldnâtâŠyou werenât supposed toâŠbut youâre alive so I am too
âI canât finishâ
this will be the hardest thing you have to do, I promiseâŠjust one step at a time
Seungmin stands on shaky legs and grabs the shovel again. One step at a time, he thinks. âHanaâŠâ he starts, and grabs a pile of soft dirt and drops it carefully. âDulâŠsetâŠâ
aheunnesâŠaheundaseos
He drops to his knees and pushes the rest with his hands, pats it down, smoothes it out. But he leaves a few spots loose, and the freshly potted heliotrope is pulled out and placed there.
âPlease donât leave meâ
I wonât puppyâŠIâll always be next to you
The quarter moon still shines on him over the treetops as he makes his way further down the yard. He keeps goingâbeyond the makeshift trail and into the pine trees, and he walks until his legs canât carry him any longer. The clearing he comes to looks familiar, but itâs not the same one he was left inâthat would take him until sunrise to reach. This one should be fine, though. He finds a spot in the center and sits, and he waits.
âIâve lived here for almost four monthsâŠwhy didnât I know you had a second bedroom?â
âI guess you werenât looking for it.â Seungmin grabs either side of the emptied bookshelf and lifts. âAnd I closed it up after I moved in to keep myself out.â
âYou banned yourself from your spare bedroom?â
Heâs quiet as he turns and sets it against the wall, and again, he pulls out a key. Seungmin has at least a dozen different keys for even more locks, but he doesnât seem to have them organized or markedâhe just knows what goes where. This one is the only skeleton key, though. He slides it in, and opens the door with some cautionâŠand itâs not at all what you expect. The room is filled with light coming in through the sheer curtains, and itâs not a mess of unwanted things. Itâs a neatly organized room of maybe unwanted things.
âYes. More memories. Things I took from the old house and couldnât get rid of. Things that were left to me, things that were already here when I moved in.â
âSo you locked them awayâŠâ
âI finally have a reason to clean it out, I just donât know how easy itâll beâ
Boxes and boxes lined up against one wall. A small bed, a desk with a few things scattered on top. There are more books in here, too, and records and cassettes and cds. You think back to the drive home when you opened the center console of the Supra, and it was lined end to end with cassettes. All of these must have belonged to his dad, too.
âBoth of them are in here?â
âMostly dadâs stuffâŠbut yeah, theyâre both in hereâ
âMaybe we can go through it, and you can decide what you want to hold onto. Unless youâd rather do it aloneâŠâ
âNo, we can do it togetherâ
The first box you go for, the very top one closest to the window, gives off a subtly sweet aroma when you lift the lid. This is very obviously more of his motherâs belongings, and even though he wants you to do this with him, it still feels like an intrusion. But Seungmin probably knows where everything is in here, and when you stop to look at him, he just smiles.
âI can smell it...thereâs perfume in there, half of a bottle,â he says.
âIt smells nice.â Thereâs also a wooden comb and a brush, a hand mirror, and a few silk-looking scarves. All very personal, and all create a very close connection to herâŠbut none of it compares to her scent, and you donât think thatâs something he should part with. âYou should keep this. The perfume, at least.â
âI should, but I donât know where I would keep itâ
âI can clean up the living room closet, thereâs so much space in there. We can make a spot for what you decide to keep.â
âIâll have to put the suitcases and the plastic somewhereâŠthe other disposal stuffâ
âUhm, we seem to have a lot of things and not many places to put them even though the apartment is bigâŠoh, you have empty apartments!â At least you think he does. He mentioned how many were occupied before, but not how many were actually in the building.
âI do. I have thirteen empty apartments.â
Itâs now occurring to you how rarely you see the comings and goings of his tenants, but you donât leave often, and since coming back home, youâve gone out even less. Youâve been sleeping any chance you can get. âAny on this floor?â
âYeah, weâre alone up here. And directly below us is vacant, too.â
You have more space than you could ever need. âThat explains why youâre so loud sometimes.â
He gives you his usual nervous laugh and opens another box. Seungmin still gets shy, and youâre starting to think heâll be that way forever, but he has opened up a little more for the twins. The Taegyo book he gave you came in handy for him, and heâs been doing his best to stay on track with his medication, and to keep his mind somewhere safe. Every night in bed, he lies awake with you and talks to them. He doesnât say much, because you donât think he knows what to say. But you donât expect him to be perfect, and you donât want him to be. You never had any intention of changing him, but if he does it on his own, you wonât stop him.
âNot lately,â he laughs again.
âItâs nice knowing weâre alone up here, though.â You walk over to the box heâs digging in, and this one is full of baseball cards, a glove, and a handful of ticket stubs.
âIt is. Maybe I should lower the rent and fill those other apartments up. Dad probably never had vacancies.â
âWere you born here? I mean, did you live in this apartment when you were a baby?â
âYeah, but we were on the third floor until her and I moved away withâŠhimâ
It seems like a complicated series of events, but you still donât want to pry too much. You donât want to ask why she remarried and moved away, and why they didnât stay here. But Seungmin tells you anyway.
âShe got the property, but he came along, and I assume he charmed and manipulated her, and they got married. She wanted to remarry, I know that muchâŠI guess for my sake. It just happened to be to the worst person imaginable.â
âHe moved you away?â
âYeah, and hoarded all of the money she made from the building. When she died, it became mine, but I was too young. I got everything when I turned eighteenâthe hoarded money, the property, and all of my dadâs things that got locked away in that third floor apartment.â
âAnd youâve been here ever sinceâ
Seungmin closes his eyes and nods, and when he opens them again, you can feel more trying to claw its way out; more secrets, more burdens, more things he hasnât had a chance to say out loud. âYeah, just going through the motions. Trying to get through the days and put them behind me.â
âI wonder where Iâd be if I hadnât run into you that morningâ
âSomewhere safe and happy, I hopeâ
âOr if you hadnât come back to find me, because I had no intention of testing you again even though I really wanted to see you.â
He searches your face as he moves closer to your spot on the floor. âTesting me?â
Youâve made yourself comfortable under the window, knees tucked up and arms pulled into your sweater. This room is much cooler, and the air is probably coming in right above you. âTrying to get you backâŠand being pushed away again."
âYou scared meâ
âMe? I scared you?â
âYes. Everything about youâŠfrom the moment you looked up at me and said yes, thank you.â
âWhy?â
He sits, rests his head on your shoulder and thinks for a moment. âIâm not sure. I knew I had a job to follow through withâŠâ Itâs been a while since either of you have reflected on your first meeting, and his intention to kill you. âAnd I kept thinking about that the whole time you let me keep you company.â
âWhen you left, I was a little upset because I thought you were gonna try somethingâŠbut you were good. And then, naturally, I got nervous and ran from our date. Guess itâs a good thing nothing happened either time."
âIâm not sure I ever had any desire to kill you. I kept telling myself I did, but I didnât do a single thing I typically would to get myself there.â His hold on you tightens, and you start to feel warm again. âI pushed you away because I was afraid of feeling the way I do now.â
âAre you still afraid?â
âSometimes. I donât get to keep things I love for very long.â
âOkayâŠno foreshadowing, I promise. Weâre not going anywhere. Youâre going to have three people to love, and to love you back. And youâll have enough for all of us.â
Seungmin waits, and waits. The moon starts to disappear from the cracks in the trees, and the little bit of light it seemed to scatter through the clouds disappears. Itâs truly dark now, because thereâs no sunrise coming for Seungmin yet. He hopes it never comes. If the sun stays asleep and the moon remains, heâll never have to face a single day without herâheâll never have the face the consequences of his actions. But he suspects heâs not that lucky, so he waits, and he lets out a long, monotone whistle.
A deep breath in, and another long whistle, and then heâs quiet again. A few moments pass, but eventually, he starts to hear the sound of footsteps crunching on the forest floor that managed to stay dry under the trees. Slow, heavy footsteps. Deep, shaking breaths. He canât look, but he knows itâs thereâŠSeungmin has felt it before, and heâs smelled it from his open bedroom window.
A snort makes him jump, and he mistakenly raises his head to look. All thatâs visible is shadow, but it moves easily through trees.
âIâm here,â Seungmin says loudly, but his voice trembles. âYou remember me.â A glimpse of eyes, just an amber colored streak moving and ducking behind a tree. âIâm ready to goâŠplease.â
It answers with another snort, another crunch of slow footsteps, but it doesnât show itself.
âPlease!â
Something else is hereâbehind him, beside him. Itâs steps lightly and quickly, and he sees it, a black cloud bouncing and moving like air. And then he sees anotherâŠa white whisp of a cloud, and this one is more visible as it darts past the trees. The white one gets closer as it circles him, and the black one follows far behind. He opens his mouth to speak, but all that comes out is a whimper. His head swims, and his stomach turns, and before he hits the ground, Seungmin sees a set of blue eyes staring him down.
*
The bed shakes, and youâre out of your sleep immediately. The sour feeling in your stomach hits fast, but you hold it down when you see Seungminâs faceâhis forehead drips with sweat, his jaw and fists are clenched tight enough to break.
âMinnie?â You touch his forehead, and heâs cold. âMinnie, can you hear me?â
He groans, his face relaxes, and he starts to cry.
âSeungmin, pleaseâŠwake upâ
Please take meâŠIâm aloneâŠIâm all alone now
âYouâre not aloneâ
I have nothing left here
âMinnie, I know youâll hear me soon. Youâll hear me over whatever is going on in there.â
Iâm too scared to do it myself
You donât remember him ever speaking so clearly in his sleep before, and you donât like what he seems to be saying. âSeungmin, wake up.â
Finally, heâs out of it, but now he looks like heâs heading straight into a panic attack. He bolts up and struggles to catch his breath, looks around frantically in the dark room. Before you say another word, youâre up and around the bed, clicking the light on, digging in his drawer for his bottle of Xanax.
âMinnie, hey itâs okayâŠtake this.â You hand him his glass of water and hold the pill in front of him. âLook at me.â
He listens. You see his eyes move up and connect with yours, but heâs frozen and shivering as he parts his lips for you.
âEverythingâs okay, youâre safeâ
Seungmin is silent as he sips his water and slowly catches his breath, and he doesnât move when you climb across him and crawl back under the covers. He pulls his sweat-damp shirt over his head and throws it to the floor. âCan I sleep over there?â He asks as he works his way over. âGod, I sweat through everything.â
âCome here. Youâre so cold, get back under the covers.â
âThose dogsâ
âDogs?â
âThey werenât there, in the woods. Iâve never seen them before.â
âIn your dreams?â
Seungmin has had many dreams since youâve been here next to him, and theyâve been bad. Most have been manageable, some have been terrifying, but none have made him wake up like this before. âIt felt so real. Iâm afraid Iâll go back if I fall asleep again.â He sits up and rubs his face. The medicine will relax him soon, and hopefully help him fall into a dreamless sleep for a few more hours.
âDoes that usually happen?â
Everything about his dream, except for the very end, was a memoryâthe thing heâs afraid to tell you. Now doesnât seem the time or the place, but as he lies here and thinks, he wonders if a time and a place for that story will ever exist. âNo, but I donât usually dream about that partâŠand it wasnât off, like the dreams usually are. Everything seemed accurate, right down to the things we said to each other.â
âYou andâŠyour mom?â
âYeah. And the dogs, I donât know where they came from, or if they were helping or coming after me.â
âWas there a big white one?â
âA white one, and a black one. Iâve seen the black one before, just not in my dream.â
âRecently?â
âNo, it was the day I found out about your negative test. It lead me to where the box wasâŠah, how did I forget about that?â He looks at you, expecting the same moment of clarity that heâs having, but you just stare back, a little lost. âI saw the black dog in the living room, and I followed it to the cabinet where the trash was.â
âYou think your hallucination lead you to the test?â
âYou donât?â
âItâs possible, I guess. Itâs not much weirder than us sharing dreams.â
âWhat are they, though?â He says it out loud, but he seems to be asking only himself. âWhere did they come from?â
âDreams can be so strange.â You can feel yourself dozing off, but you donât want to sleep until heâs comfortable and his eyes are closed.
âOur dreams are very strangeâ
*
The body that was tucked up against you is gone. No more arms wrapped tight around your waist, no more warm breath against your chest. You woke up twice to Seungmin sleeping soundly with you, but now, the third time, heâs gone. He hasnât returned to his side of the bed, and the curtain is still pulled halfway closed, just like it was last night. Itâs quietâŠno sounds of him in the shower, or in the kitchen, and thereâs no smell of coffee brewing.
This isnât a great way to wake up.
âSeungmin?â You call out as loudly as your morning voice will allow you, but your head pounds when you do, and the pain makes you nauseous. Still, you manage to get on two feet and head for the door. âSeungmin?â
The kitchen is empty, but the bathroom door is cracked. You decide to give it another minute before calling out for him again, because heâs in there. His keys are on the table, jacket is hanging by the door, and his two regular pairs of shoes are right next to yours.
You start making him coffee, but by the time itâs mostly finished brewing, you start to hate the quiet.
âMinnie, are you in there?â Your fingertips set against the door, but your push is hesitant. The strong herbal smell of his bath salts hit you from here. âIâm gonna come in.â
A soft okay reaches your ears as you push the door open, and you sigh when you see him there, submersed in the tub. The water is all the way up to his chin, and his eyes stay closed as you approach him.
âYouâve been in here for a while,â you kneel down and rest your arms on the bathtub. âYou okay?â
âI think soâ
You take his word for it, but his blank stare tells you heâs probably not completely okay. The nightmare might still be in his mind, or maybe the nightmare pushed even more to the surfaceâsomething his medication canât keep down. âWeâll have some breakfast, and if you wanna talk about anythingâŠâ maybe itâs something else entirely.
âIâm not very hungryâ
âOkay,â you start to reach out for him, but stop yourself. If he reaches back, the pain in your chest might let upâŠyou donât want to go back to his silence right now, but you might have to. Youâll wait for him to push through it. âCoffee? Iâll get you towel.â
âI was okay, Iâm sorryâ
âAnd youâll be okay again, we just have to get through itâ
âIt stayed away for a while. We really kept our minds occupiedâŠthat was nice,â he forces a smile.
âBut it canât stay away forever.â Seungmin looks at you, almost questioningly, as you finally reach out and run a hand across his forehead. âAnd I want you to feel better. Iâll do anything I can to help.â
âAnything?â
âAnythingâ
*
Seungmin holds his pill in the palm of his hand and stares at it. Heâs been so goodâso consistent. Every single morning since finding out the twins were still there and still okay, heâs been even more adamant about doing what he can to be okay for them. Up until today, itâs worked. Last nights dream might be partially to blame, but he knows heâs overdue, and he feels like heâs doing something wrong.
He watches you head toward the bedroom, wrapped up and shivering in two towels. âDo you think I can be fixed?â
âFixed?â You poke your head back out and study him. âDo you feel like you need fixed?â
âIâm not sure. But I wonder sometimes if theyâre doomed to be like me, no matter what.â
The fear you had swirling inside of you before, the feeling that still comes back sometimes, seems to have crept into his thoughts. You were never afraid of having a child that ended up with an illness like him, though, that never once crossed your mindâŠbut now that his need to kill has returned, heâs stuck in that part of his head. And though he hasnât actually said anything about their sex, you're beginning to have a feeling in your gut.
âSeungmin, are weâŠ?â You start, but you still don't think you want to know for sure.
âWhat?â His eyes soften as he searches yours.
âNothing, never mind.â Itâs been two weeks since that doctorâs visit, and he hasnât said a word about it. He hasnât dropped any sort of hint, or let anything slip. During a few talkative nights, you wondered if he would mumble something in his sleep. But he hasnât yet. âTheyâre gonna be as sweet, and as caring, and as thoughtful as you are to me.â
Seungmin slowly shakes his head. âI hope so. Right now, I reallyâŠreally need toââ his eyes drop to your stomach, âI need to clear my head again.â
âShould I leave?â
âNo, I want you to stay. If you want.â
âAre you coming back with them, if you find someone?â You think about how messy it was the first time you were here, and how out of control everything was. But you do want to stay, because your mind is also on the last timeâŠhis knife in your hand, the way he looked at you and touched you after the girl hit the floor. âIâd rather stay, but I canât listenââ
Seungmin takes your face in his hands, and his smile is uncertain. âNo, I donât want you to hear that. I want you to help me, if you wantâŠuhmâŠâ
âHelp?â
âBut I understand if you donât want toâ
Your heart pounds. The look heâs giving you is a strange mix of shy, and a little bit of that Seungmin who made you a drink and carried you into his bedroom. âHelp you kill?â
âOr just watch. I don't need the sex.â
âMinnieâ
âItâs too much, I knowâŠI donât know why Iâm asking. You shouldnât be seeing thatâŠafter what I justâŠafter just telling you Iâm worried about how theyâll end up. Fuck, noâŠIâll go.â
âMinnie, waitâ
âYou can stay if youâre comfortable. Maybe in the bathroom, or the nursery.â The nursery thatâs still just a gutted room with a twin bed. Going through things and cleaning took much longer than anticipated. âTaegyo seems a little pointless now, doesnât it?â
âItâs not, they still need to hear you talk to them every night. They need you to feel better.â
Thereâs still a look of reluctance and confusion on him, and instead of heading for the door, he paces back and forth and thinks. But he stops suddenly and stares off toward the open door of the nursery.
âWhatâs wrong?â
He takes a few slow steps in the direction heâs looking, and then shuts his eyes tight. âItâs thereâŠit came out of the room. The black one.â He starts walking toward whatever heâs seeing and ends up back in the bedroom, and you follow. âIt went under the bed.â
You watch him drop to his knees and look, but if thereâs something black under there, he wonât see much of it. Your curiosity gets the better of you, so you do the same on your side of the bedâdrop to your hands and knees and look. âI donâtâŠâ
âWhat?â
Something glimmers despite the lack of lightâŠsomething silvery blue. You push yourself under and reach toward it, but it moves. âWhat the hell?â It disappears, and then reappears, and you hear it. That growl. The same deep growl from your nightmare. It lunges forward and all you see is a streak of white fur and teeth as you pull yourself back and crawl away. You hold back a cry, but as soon as Seungmin sees your face, heâs on his knees in front of you.
âWhat happened?â His voice shakes. âYou saw it?â
âI dunno,â you pant and try not to catch sight of anymore shining eyes, so you look at him instead. âSeungmin, I think Iâm seeing things.â
Seeing things, hearing them, feeling their strange presence.
Whatever was under there is gone when Seungmin shines a flashlight into the darkness. Itâs empty. No lost clothes or forgotten boxes, nothing that could have picked up and reflected the little bit of light in the room.
âAre you gonna tell me what you saw under there.â Seungmin stands in front of two cups and watches the almond blossoms bloom in the hot water.
âIt was a dog, a white one, and it growled and snapped at meâ
âHave you seen it before?â
âOnly in a dream, but in the dream I thought the dog was youâŠtrying to kill meâ
That dream, he thinks to himselfâthe one you couldnât explain to him that morning, and itâs been forgotten ever since. âThe white dog was me?â The white dog that tried to kill you, that stood over him in his dream last night. The one that tried to bite. But where did the black one disappear to?
âYes, in the woods. And then in the shed, but I woke up in the middle of it attacking me. You woke me up.â
âItâs a big dog, right? Obviously weâre seeing the same one, and I saw them both together, but maybe itâs just one.â
âBig, but skinny and tallâŠlike a greyhound, but not.â You get up and head back to the bedroom, and carefully walk by the bed, making sure to give the edge of it a wide berth. Nothing makes a sound or shows itself, and you return to him, phone in hand. âLong-haired greyhound? I dunno what Iâm searching for, Iâm sure Google can figure it out.â You scroll and click a few times, and then show him the image pulled up on your phone. âIs this your black dog?â
Seungminâs eyes grow as he looks at it, âyes thatâs exactly what he looks likeâŠand they both look exactly the same.â
âThey look so sweet in these photos, but my white one isnât sweet at all.â My? The white one does seem to be yours, because you havenât seen his black dog. At least not yet. âBut dwelling on it isnât gonna help.â
âNo, and Iâm sure Iâll see them againâ
âWe should get back to our earlier conversationâ
He forgot about his request. Seungmin isnât sure why he thinks youâd want to have anything to do with this, but you did intentionally put yourself front and center for his last kill. âCan we forget about it? I didnât know I was gonna ask you that until it came out of my mouth.â
âNo, we donât have to forget. At least let me answer.â
Heâs expecting an explanation for your no, because youâre good at putting your thoughts into words for him. At least he knows youâll be gentle. Seungmin has found out, thanks to you, how terrible he is at accepting criticism and being told what he doesnât want to hear. Youâve been honest with him when it was necessary, and itâs been difficult, but heâs getting betterâŠhe thinks.
âI would love to watch youâ
*
Seungmin heads out, and you stay home. He said he would keep you updated on his timeline if he could, but you decide to just expect him at any moment. And the plan is pretty scarce, but probably enough for him, and this time youâll just have to trust heâs truly back on his game.
âPhoneâŠI wonât forget the phone this time. Or the cameras. Iâll text you when Iâm turning them back on so you know Iâm in the building.â
But youâre terrified. Your heart hasnât stopped racing since he left. He could be an hour, or he could be five hours, so how do you wait and pass the time? How do you prep? Youâve been avoiding going into the bedroom while youâre alone here, but you have to at least go in there and clean up. The sheets are still a mess, and thereâs a pile of dirty laundry in the corner. Thereâs a pile of clean laundry in another cornerâneither of you ever let it get this messy, but youâve been focused on making space for two babies, and now, standing here thinking of thatâŠmaybe itâs too soon. Youâre fourteen weeks in. Almost four months. Okay, maybe itâs not too soon. You were expecting this to drag, but since finding out, time has passed by far more quickly than it ever has.
OkayâŠjust fix the damn sheets, thereâs nothing under there. You walk quietly and start to pull at the spots where itâs the messiestâŠlisten carefully as you tuck, fluff the pillows, set Daengmo right on top. Out of the corner of your eye, you think you see a flash of white, but thereâs nothing there when you scan the room.
Daengmo gives you a look, or he seems to, so you change your mind and take him back to the kitchen with you.
This place is too quiet without him, you think, but Seungmin himself is quiet. It isnât just the soundâŠit feels quiet without him, because his presence alone can be overwhelming. Heâs still so intense and serious sometimes, but he turns it off when he needs toâwhen he keeps you awake a little longer talking to you and the twins, or when he wakes you up with the sounds of his guitar. He finally sang for you a few mornings ago.
*
When you open your eyes to see him, he's turned away, and he avoids looking at you until he finishes his song.
âWhat song was that? Was it yours?
Seungmin spins in his chair and carefully returns the guitar to its stand. âNot mine, no. Itâs called âthrough the nightâ.
âThrough the night,â you say under your breath, making sure to remember the title. âThank you.â
âFor singing?â
âI canât believe youâve been hiding that voice from me all this timeâ
He starts toward you and smiles, and you can still see some diffidence behind it as he slides back under the covers. âSorry,â he gets close, and he closes his eyes as if he plans on going right back to bed. So you do, too.
*
Until this moment, you forgot about the name of the song. âThrough the night,â you say out loud and head for your laptop. But he never said the original artistâit doesnât matter, youâll know it when you hear it. Before you get a chance to type it in the search bar, your phone buzzes. âMinnieâŠthat was fast.â At first you assume itâs something else, not him, because itâs barely been two hours, but it is himâŠ
in the elevator
Your heart jumps to your throat, and you wonder if you can really do this. The want is there, and the need, thereâs no question about that. And this will be easier than last time, you think. Right? Just watching him.
âJust watching,â you reaffirm yourself and shut the laptop, hide anything that looks like someone else lives here, and shut yourself in the nursery. The door on this room is much older, and very lucky for you, thereâs a keyhole to peek out of. You kneel down and focus right as the lock clicks, and in walks Seungmin. âWho did you find?â you whisper against the door as she finally walks in behind him. âOh.â
He speaks, she speaksâyour Korean comprehension is still bad, despite the classes, and despite Seungmin patiently helping every way he can. He only speaks directly to the twins in Korean, but he translates everything for you, so they always get both. Seungmin speaks again, and you canât help but notice him looking around the room. If your presence makes him nervous, he could slip up somehow. But this was your idea, MinnieâŠyouâll be fine.
She touches him, and your stomach starts to turn sour. A hand runs up his side and pulls at his shirt, and that peak of his skin already has you seeing red, but you breathe deep and remember that youâre his other half in this. Seungmin belongs to you, and this is the last thing this girl will ever do.
But what happens next? He told you there would be no sex, but he still has to set things up the way heâs accustomed to, or at least close to it. How far will he have to go to get her where he wants her?
Her hand cups his dick, and her face falls. When she speaks again, you know what she says without understanding a wordânot hard for me? No. No cock growing in his jeans for her. Seungmin is still soft, and heâll probably stay that way. And he plays it off well, feigning shyness, smiling and hiding his face. It still makes you jealous, act or no act, because he's so good at this. She takes Seungmin by the hand and looks around, but she starts toward your door first, and you move your eye from the keyhole until you hear her being redirected. As soon as you look again, you catch his gaze lingering right where you are.
The bedroom door opens, and then shuts, but you hear the doorknob turn lightly and the latch click free. Now you can easily slide in without making a sound, lock the door, and watch.
The girl is too distracted by Seungmin's shirt being pulled over his head; slipping into the bedroom and carefully closing the door goes completely unheard, and the slide of the key does, too. Had she been facing you, things might be hectic right now, but you trusted him to keep her where you both needed her. The room is perfectly dark, lit up only by the string lights you put around the bookcase. It's just enough, and when your eyes start to adjust, you can see much more of him outlined by it, and you see his eyes move to you and smile sweetly. Somehow, she doesn't notice him looking at something other than her.
Her hands go for the button of his jeans, but he stops her. You can see the gears turning in his head as he wonders what his next move is going to be. She speaks, and you can see that he's annoyed.
"Turn around..." Seungmin grabs her wrists and holds them tight as she spins to face you.
"Huh...quit messing arouâ"
The air catches in your throat when she sees you, but you do everything in your power to keep your composure. Looking nervous will do nothing to help him right now.
"What's going on, what is this? I didn't come here for a threesome."
"Shut up." Seungmin switches to English, and to your surprise, she does, too.
"Let go of me, I'm over this...get your hands off of me you psycho"
You assumed you'd be out of her view the entire time or at least most of it, but that's not the case. And then his hands start to loosen, she pulls away from him and heads for the door...now you wonder what exactly he has planned. Just as you open your mouth to get his attention, she pulls on the doorknob and screams...
"Open this fucking door!"
Seungmin walks toward her, and she runs to the far side of the room, away from him and away from you, and when she backs herself against the bookcase, everything starts moving in slow motionâher hands grope along the shelf for something...anything. The first thing she grabs is the glass vase of withered heliotrope, and she smashes it hard against the floor. The sound is unbelievably loud, but there's still a piece of glass large enough for her to use as a makeshift weapon.
"Let me out of this room," she holds it nervously, and her free hand goes back to the shelf. "Unlock the door."
Despite the drama, your mind goes back to you. Your night here with him, and how you ran to the door and fell to your knees in defeat, but you come back quickly when her hand finds the music box.
"Stop," Seungmin throws his hands up, "enough."
This is not going well, but he can still turn things around. Not soon enough, though. She drops the shard of glass, takes the music box in both hands, and uses all of her strength to smash it against the wet floor. You can't see anything from where you stand, but you hear itâthe painful splinter of wood, and the sweet, lonely melody of it's insides filling the room.
Seungmin lunges for her so quickly and so quietly. He's terrifying. His hands close around her throat and drag her back toward the bed with little effort, and when he throws her on it, she stays there.
"I'm sorry...I'm sorry, please"
He straddles her hips, and she's frozen in terror as his hands close around her throat again, and then he looks at you. A few steps toward the bed bring a smile to his face, so you take a few more, and the desire to touch him makes your whole body tremble. The muscles of his back move as he breathes, and veins start to pop in his arms as his grip tightens. You hardly notice her, even as she gasps for air and scratches at his arms, because Seungmin is all you ever see.
"Are you okay?" He asks, and you can see sadness behind his smile. Maybe a lament for his music box.
"Only if you are." You walk behind him and give in to your urges. One hands runs across the small of his back and up his spine, and you hear him groan as he squeezes tighter.
"I am"
From here you have the perfect view of both of them, so you watch quietly and keep your hands off as he continues...as he squeezes, and you hear her last desperate gasps...as he finishes. There's no more movement from her, and you can see it in her eyes, just like the one you took the life fromâemptiness. His hands loosen, fingers flex, and he straightens his back as he starts to rise. You're silent as he watches the body for a few more moments, and then he turns to you.
Seungmin is looking through you again, inside of you and outside of you; reading your mind, and looking for an answer to the same question he asked before.
âIâm goodâ
The state of the roomâthe broken glass, the splintered music box, the dead bodyâitâs all pushed away with his soft touch and the scent of his adrenaline filled sweat. His arms slide around your shoulders and pull you tight against his bare chest.
âIâm sorry, that was a messâ
âNo,â you push back and look at him. âSome things didnât go how we wanted them to," you look to the body, and then toward the mess on the floor, "butâŠno, baby.â Seungmin lets you pull him to the door, and he doesnât say a word as you unlock it and put the dead girl out of sight.
âI was never this clumsy before, I really wasnât. I fucked up sometimes, but thisâŠâ
The sun is just starting to set outside, and the light hits just right on the couch where youâre leading him. Even as you set him down and look at him, he looks up at you with so much defeat in his eyes. Seungmin is supposed to feel better after a kill, and maybe he will soon, but right now heâs nowhere near okay.
âThis was also your first time with someone watching you. Please, be a little easier on yourself.â
He sighs and falls back against the couch. âNo, I donâtâ" he looks to his right and sees Daengmo slumped against the pillow, âI canât.â
This might take him a little longer to get through. You kneel in front of him and place a kiss on his knee. âYouâll get there, but in the meantime, Iâll do it for you.â
Even as your hand moves up his thigh, Seungminâs face remains the same, but he lets you touch him. He lets you unbutton and pull gently until you can see his bare thighs, and now when you look at him, a smile is trying its best to break through. It doesnât quite make it, but as you climb up and straddle him, he doesnât hesitate to lift your dress and pull your panties down and out of his way.
âYou did so wellâ
He shakes his head as you take his slowly growing cock in your hand.
âDonât shake your head. Look at me, right now.â
Thereâs a bit of surprise in his hm?, but still no smile. He does, however, look at you.
âIt was fast, and cleanâŠnot a drop of bloodâ
âJust flowers, and glass, andââ
You shush and kiss him, and the soft stroke of your fingertips get him there quickly . âWeâll clean it, weâll fix everything.â
Something relaxes in him. Seungminâs head falls back, and the movement in his neck is hypnotizing. âHow can we fix it?â His mouth falls open as you slide down and fill yourself with him, and his hands jump to your hips. A stuttery how gets caught in his chest, but you canât tell what heâs feeling because heâs no longer looking at you. His face is hidden, and his breathing starts to become shallow.
âMinnie?â His shoulders tense up until you hold him tight against you, and your thighs shake as you lower yourself completely on his lap. âLook at me so I can tell you properly.â
It takes a few more seconds and a few more sniffles before he peeks up at you.
âWhat are these tears for? Just upset about how everything went, or is it the music box?â
âI canât do anything right. And itâs a miracle I havenât been caught yet.â Seungminâs hands squeeze as if heâs trying to get you to move on him, but youâre still as you rub his shoulders.
âWell, I disagree. I was the one watching, and I hope this isn't the last time we do that.â Another squeeze of his fingers makes your thigh jump, but you donât move. âYou did a very good job.â
âIâll be better for youâ
âI love you just like thisâ
He shakes his head as you kiss him again, but stops when your hands move up. The look on his face changesâhe relaxes again as you comb your fingers through his hair. âOkayâŠâ
âOkay?â
The shake turns to a nod, and he squeezes again as you start to move slowly, up and down, and the sound of his moans match your pace.
SYNOPSIS: Seungmin floats through life alone, haunted by his memoriesâkeeping himself under control, and quieting his mind the only way he knows howâŠkilling and watching the life leave his victims eyes. When you cross his path on a morning hunt, something new (something forgotten) starts to move inside of him, leading both of you on a path to confront the unspeakable past.
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The full moon shines down at you from the balcony window, and the light bounces perfectly off of the soft pink walls of the room. Seungmin is busy making the bed, moving the blankets and pillows from one yo to the other, and then stacking them. Youâre supposed to be unpacking things, but you got distracted by the light coming in.
âAre you sure this is okay? I donât mind requesting a room with a regular bed.â He sits gently to test it out, and runs his hands over the blanket to smooth it.
âIf we donât like it, we can switch tomorrowâŠbut Iâve never slept on a yo, I should probably try it. Besides, you doubled everything up.â
âYes, it should be comfortable. I slept on one when I was a kid. We only had yoâs at the Uljin house.â
Seungmin sneaks up next to you, and his touch sends a chill up your arms. Itâs gotten softer, sweeter, and more frequent, the little touches he gives you. âIs it completely full? I should put my glasses on, itâs a little blurry.â He slides away and heads for the table where you set his things. You packed all three pairs he had in his drawer, and tonight he chooses the thick black frames.
âI like those with your short hair, you look cuteâ
He adjusts them and drapes himself over your shoulders. âYeah?â Seungmin still feels a twing in his stomachâa little bit of awkwardness at the way you look at him and call him sweet things. He has plenty of confidence in his looks, but hearing you say it feels different. You looking him in the eyes and telling him anything feels different. It feels real.
âYeah, itâs fullâŠgood timingâ
âCan you see the rabbit?â
You look hard, and Seungmin laughs when you tilt your head. âRabbitâŠoh yeah, I think I know this story.â
âYou do?â
Maybe not. Youâre suddenly drawing a blank, which is good, because now he can tell you why there is a rabbit on the moon. âI know that a story existsâŠI guess I donât know much else about it.â
The moon disappears as he spins and guides you toward the bed. It seems perfectâthe squishy doubled up mattress, the multiple pillows, and Seungminâs body all surrounding you as you sleep. It canât get much better. You pull down his neatly placed blanket and watch him pull his clothes off, piece by piece.
âIs it story time, or are you trying to start something?â
He laughs. His laughs have changed, too. Theyâre louder, and less hesitant every time you get a new one. âIâm always ready to start somethingâŠbut the floors are heated and it makes me sweat. I donât wanna sweat all over you.â
âCan we turn them down?â
âYeahâŠâ he slides under the blanket and pulls you closer, âbut I donât want you to get cold.â
Seungmin is now bearing some of the weight of your biggest secret, but the way he looks at you hasnât changed. Everything is as it was before, or better; his touch, his laugh, his smile.
âStory time?â
âYes, let me rememberâŠâ Seungmin flops into his back and closes his eyes, but his hand finds yours and squeezes. âA long time ago, in ancient times, there was a foxâŠyeou, a little monkeyâŠwonsung-i, and...â He pauses, and turns his head to look at you, but your eyes are closed as you listen. âA rabbit, tokki. One day, Jeseokcheon, a king of the gods, decided to test the animals. He pretended to be a sick elderly man, and he approached the animals saying that he was very hungry. The fox, the monkey, and the rabbit decided to help him and went to look for food. The fox caught a fish and gave it to the old man. The monkey found and gave him berries. But the rabbit couldnât find any food, and the grass he ate, it didnât seem fit for the hungry old man to eat. He wanted something better for him. So, tokki made a bonfire and jumped into it, offering himself as food to save the old man. After seeing the sacrifice that tokki had made, the man revealed his true identity as Jeseokcheon and decided to send the selfless rabbit to the moon and make him its guardian, so that every living being could admire his sacrifice and good heart. Daltokki.â
âTokki was willing to give up his life to help someone he didnât even know?â
Seungmin nods. âAnd now heâs up there making tteok all the time.â
âIs this the rabbit on your music box?â
He nods again, and a smile pulls at one side of his face. âUmma loved daltokki.â
âI like him, too. And Iâm sure Iâd like your mom.â It might be too muchâyou keep giving him too much. You donât know why. The time youâve spent with him feels like years, not weeks, and everything that comes to mind ends up flying right out of your mouth. âDo you think she would like me, if she met me?â
âMy mom would like you very much. Sheâs the reason I speak English so well. Imagine if we couldnât speak to each otherâŠâ
âI would find a wayâ
âAnd sheâs the reason I have any good in me at all, if I doâ
âYou do, Minâ
âSometimes Iâm afraid she wouldnât love me, or even like me anymoreâthe way I turned out, the way I get through my days, the awful things in my head.â
Itâs not true, what heâs thinking, but you donât know how to make him see himself the way you see him. You know what he does, but seeing him behind closed doors in his most private momentsâŠheâs not a bad person. Heâs just him, doing the bad things his brain tells him to do. Seungmin is hurting; heâs afraid, and heâs lonelyâŠless lonely now. Heâs doing terrible things, but heâs not the nightmare he claims to be.
The real nightmare is whatever happened to himâthe bad dreams that plague him and make his urges worse.
âThatâs not true, I donât believe that. She would love you more than anything.â You remember the photo of the two of them, and the one of his smiling face that she probably took. âYou still feel it all around you, and in your flowersâŠthatâs how strong it is. I know you were talking to her.â
Tears are threatening to fall. You see them brimming and shining as he stares quietly at the ceiling. âDid he hurt you?â
You pause for a moment and think. The memories still come back, but youâve gotten very good at shoving them right back down. âSometimes. He liked to hit, but he preferred his hands over everything elseâŠso I guess it could have been worse. My sister got my motherâs love, but she got all of his attention, too. He hurt her more.â
âIs that why you killed him, to protect her?â
âI couldnât take it anymore. I couldnât take another night listening to him.â
Thereâs some reluctance in his face, but you wait for him to get there. âHow? You were fourteen. Youâre small now, you must have been tiny then. How did you kill him?â
âI gave him too many heart pills. He trusted me to cook for him and feed him, so Iââ you watch Seungminâs eyes grow. âI crushed them up in his food.â
âYou poisoned himâ
âYeah, I guess you could call it that. It took a few hours, but it worked.â
âDid things get better after that?â
âIt was manageable. We had to moveâwe lived in my aunts basement until I turned 18, and then I finally left.â
Seungmin moves closer, and wraps you up in his arms. The smell and warmth of his bare skin calms you, and makes you feel homesick all at once. Homesick for what, though, the apartment? Leaving Seoul and running from something that might happen has been the best thing that has happened, in a weird way. What if you could always be like thisâjust the two of you, alone, surrounded by the quiet mountains?
And what if you nudged him for more of himself right now? Maybe you could get itâŠjust some even exchange. You need to know everything about him, but youâll take whatever little piece you can get.
âWas Daltokki one of your bedtime stories?â
âItâs a Chuseok story, but yesâŠsometimes she would tell it to me at bedtime when the moon was full.â
The twinge of jealousy at his normal childhood disappears as soon as you remember how brief it was, and probably not that normal. Seungmin lived in Uljin with his mother who loved him, and his stepfather who didnât, until he was nine, but you donât know much else. âDid she always have a story, every night?â
âAlmost every night. She read me stories in English to help me learn, but she couldnât speak it around me much otherwiseâŠat least not if my stepfather was home.â
âHe didnât like you?â
âHe despised me from the moment he saw me. I was two when my dad died, and three when my mom married him, and he tortured me for six long yearsâignored me, or disciplined me whether I deserved it or not. Eventually he took any opportunity he could toâŠscare me, I guess...break me."
You werenât expecting Seungmin to open up, but he may be evening out the trauma with what you gave him. Maybe enough time has passed, and his comfort with you has grown. The joint killing had to have helped that.
âHe would send me to bed without dinner all the time, but he was also good at making up new punishments without mom even knowing he was doing it.â
âOh, Minnie.â The torture he put himself through sitting on the balcony makes more sense now. It seems like the type of discipline his stepfather would come up with, and unfortunately, it stuck to Seungmin. âIâm so sorry you had to go through that.â
The blank look on his face, and the slow, thoughtful blinks, âhe would lock me in that shed all night. I remember him sitting on the porch and smoking, making sure my mom didnât wake up and see what he was doing. Not that she could stop himâŠâ
So far, heâs said much more than you expected, and youâre not sure if heâs drained, or if talking about this has made him feel a little lighter.
âI just remembered something. I dreamt about it last night, but it may have been a memory.â
âTell meâ
Seungmin lets you place a hand on his cheek, and he closes his eyes and waits as you run your thumb across his lips.
âHe drove me into the woods, the same pine forest we drove throughâŠIâm not sure how far we went, but in my mind, as a kid, it felt like forever. Yeah, I remember sitting in the backseat and fogging up the window with my breath. I drew something in it.â He stops and sets his hand on yours. âIt was cold out, it was far into winter. Just like now. We got out and walked right off the road to a clearing, and he told me run out and grab some of the nice pieces of wood to burn when we got home.â
You sigh, because you feel like you know where this is going.
The color drains from his face as he settles more into the bed. Itâs as if heâs trying to find more warmth from the chill of his memory. âI listened, because I always obeyed him. I grabbed an armful of sticks, just the best ones, and I ran back to the roadâŠand he was gone. I screamed for him, and cried for umma until I lost my voice.â
There is no stopping his tears, and finally, for the first time, Seungmin is letting you see him cry. He needs it, but you pull him close and knead your hand into his neck, so tense until your fingertips find just the right spot. You donât interruptâeverything is quiet around his shallow, gasping breaths. As soon as you pull back to look at him, he grabs your neck and kisses, and itâs messyâŠwet and salty from his tears, but you kiss right back until he finally exhausts himself.
The silence carries on, and you watch him as he wipes at his cheeks and nose. You want him to keep going, but you also know when too much is too much. Are you the first person Seungmin has really unloaded his memories on, or did he have someone else to confide in at some point in the last fifteen years? Itâs a long time to keep quiet.
âSorry,â he covers his face and mumbles through his hands. âI didnât mean toâŠâ and takes in a deep, shaky breath. â
âDidnât mean to what? You can tell me anything, and you can cry all over me if you need to.â
âThe kiss,â he grabs a corner of the sheet and wipes at the mess he left on your face, âso messy.â
Thereâs a hint of a smile on his face, at leastâa little sparkle in his eyes, and again, for the umpteenth time, you wonder how you ended up where you are, in a strange hotel in the mountains, with him. The seriousness of the situation youâre in was almost forgotten until right this moment, but you donât see the point in bringing it back to the front of his mind right now. What will checking the security cameras do, except ruin the mood? Or really ruin the mood, if he sees something this time.
No, youâll do what you can to stay right here with him.
âIn my dream, I was standing in that clearing again. Me, as I am right now. But there was something there with me. I couldnât see it, but I could hear it walking around me and scratching at bark on the trees. And something was burning, it was snowingâŠbut not snow, it was um, from the fireâŠâ
âThe cindersâŠembers were falling?â
âYes, embers. They looked like snow.â
âScratching?" Now you start to remember. "And then?â
âI woke up, and then fell back asleep. When I woke up again, you were dreaming, so I woke you up.â
âThatâs right, I was dreamingâŠand, what the fuck?â Everything starts falling into place. You thought about this yesterday, but the pain in your stomach pushed it out of your mind. The scratches, his dream, your dream, âyou woke me up, because you heard the scratches on the door, right? And you left, andââ
âI didn't hear anything. Was this your dream? Hey, donât cryâŠâ
The tears come out of nowhere and without your permission, just like his did. The air you try to pull in gets stuck in your chest, and Seungminâs hands on you makes you cry even harder. He backs off for a moment. âWhat is happening? WhyâŠgod, I feel crazy.â You sit up and wipe at your face. âI think Iâm hearing things.â
Seungmin sighs, and you hear it through the muffled pump of blood in your ears. Heâs looking at you, but heâs not looking at youâŠheâs thinking, and his eyes dart around when he notices you staring at him. âMinnie,â you move closerâalmost sit in his lap, and put your arms around him.
âItâs scary sometimesâ
âIâm sorryâ
âItâs gone away, mostly. I think the medicine is helping that. But I canât hear her anymoreâŠI havenât heard her lately, at least.â
The voices in the greenhouse, Seungminâs auditory hallucinations. So heâs fully aware her voice isnât actually there, or anywhere. That doesnât matter to him, though, because he misses hearing it. âMaybe sheâll come back when we get to Uljin, when we get some flowers.â
âThat would be niceâ
You get back under the blankets and make yourself comfortable, âget in here.â He smiles like the heavy conversation didnât even happen, and folds himself around you. Seungmin can keep you plenty warm without help from the heated floor. âItâs late, are you tired?â
âA little.â Despite the soft, sleepiness of his voice, his hands end up beneath your shirt and slowly work their way up your back. Itâs an innocent touch, thoughâjust a need for contact. âHow is your stomach? No pain tonight, I hope.â
Fortunately, the horrible, stabbing pain eased up and hasnât returned again. The dizziness comes and goes, but itâs not bad enough to send you to the floor. Itâs nowhere near bad enough to mention and worry him again, and to let the idea of a hospital visit re-enter his mind. âNo, everything feels okay.â
He replies with a kiss, a hand moving back down and squeezing your ass, then your thigh, tight enough to make you jump. Seungmin pulls your leg until you wrap it around his hip, and now you can feel what he needs. Heâs not quite there, but he wants to be, and youâll make sure it happens. A roll of your hips into his makes contact, and just enough friction to get a groan out of him. Itâs nice like this, and easyâŠface to face, close enough to kiss and touch him.
The last few days without him, with the thought of his last fuck being with that girl, has been torture, but it felt like the wrong time when you laid in bed with him. Worrying, wondering, and sick. Youâre finally here. You free him from his shorts and feel his cock grow in your hand, and lose yourself in the noises he makes as he kisses. He pulls you again, grips the back of your thigh and slides his fingers over you, but your clothes are still in his way. He grabs the thin fabric and pulls it to the side, and two fingers tease, slide between your lips, and slowly push inside of you.
âAre you comfortable like this?â
âVery comfortableâ
His fingers push in and out, waiting patiently. He knows how much work it takes to get in, and Seungmin wants you wet in this new position.
âCan your leg stretchâŠâ he grabs behind your knee and pulls it high, and he seems satisfied with how much he can spread you open. âGood,â he whispers and moans against your lips when he feels you guiding him into you. He pushes in gently, just a few inches, and then he gives you everything.
âGood,â you whine and hold tight to him as he pumps into you. âOhâŠmmm, MinnieâŠâ
âIâve missed how you feelâ
âYeah?â
âYeah,â he grips your waist and pulls you close, âso good.â Seungmin pants into your mouth, âso soft,â and nibbles at your lips as he finds a perfect rhythm. âFuckâŠah, jagi,â he whimpers, and mutters something in Korean, over and over as he fucks you.
If only you could understand him. All you have to go off of is how he sounds as he says it, and that feels good. But jagi, you know what that means.
âNae jag-eun tokkiâŠâ
You watch his mouth form each word as he says it.
"NaeâŠsalangâŠâ he laughs, and you can feel him working up the courage to continue. But heâs done this already, so why the hesitancy?
You say it back to him, ânae salangâ, bite gently at his lips.
He closes his eyes, and he keeps them closed even after you pull back. âSalanghae,â and he hides himself away in your neck.
âNado salanghaeâ
Seungmin comes right back after your words hit his ears. You hope they hit him even harder in his own language. Youâre not sure how to tell him in a way that expresses how it feels swirling around inside of you, but you made sure to learn how to tell him properly. The words in your head donât seem big enough, and at the same time, your head is making you feel silly for feeling the way you do, and as much as you do.
Seungmin feels it, too, and he canât look you in the eyes when he tells you. Itâs still too much for him.
Itâs too much for you, too. The tightness in your chest, the pounding of your heart. Your body feels like itâs somewhere else, but you feel his soft, strong hands on your back and ass, keeping you closeâŠhis lips on yours, on your cheek and neck. His hips rolling, and his cock gripped tight around you, stretching, pushing deeper and hitting right where you need it. You canât hold yourself together, and you donât care how thin the walls might be. Seungmin doesnât care, eitherâhe smiles even wider as you moan and cry his name.
âDonât slow down,â you whine.
Seungmin holds your hips as you try to push him on his back and fuck him yourself. He resists, but lets you move on him, and he slows you down. âNot yet.â
âYou feel so goodâ
âIâm gonna make you feel even betterâ
He pulls out and pushes your hips until youâre on your back, and gets you out of your panties. Seungmin is careful, but he still handles you like heâs desperate to get back inside of you. He turns you until youâre facing the window, your leg is up, held tight, and heâs in again. It does feel better like this, even at his paceâthe slow push in against your g-spot numbs everything except the orgasm building.
Seungmin lets go of your leg and his fingers are on your clit, rubbing lightly, listening to you whine for him as it gets even closer. âFasterâŠslower?â He whispers and runs his teeth along your shoulder.
âFastâ
His fingers and his hips move faster, and he bites down.
âFuckâŠfuck, Iâm gonna comeâ
Seungmin laughs like heâs tipsy. Heâs drunk on you, and his mind is numb to everything but thisâŠfucking you just like you want itâ
You feel yourself gush everywhere as your body shakes.
He slides out and feels it hit his thighs, and it keeps coming as he rubs your clitâwarm, and wet, and messy. You soak the sheets, but Seungmin is still rubbing more out, and your orgasm takes its time running through you.
Seungmin breaths hard in your ear, but heâs speechless as he looks down at you, down at his fingers stroking. Another soft bite on your shoulder, and he stifles a laugh. âWow,â he whispers as he finally slows down. But he doesnât stop. He slides his cock into your dripping entrance. âCome for me again. Please.â
âAgain?â
âPlease.â He holds your leg and gives your clit a break as he works himself back to where he was. âI didnât think you could get any more wet.â
The tone of his voice deepens, and thatâs all it takes to get you going. His head hits that same spotâthat perfect spot. You can feel every inch and every curve as his short, fast strokes slip in and out. Your swollen, sensitive clit throbs, and you need him to touch you, but you wait until you know heâs close. You waitâŠand wait, until his breath catches in his throatâuntil he makes the desperate noises youâre more familiar with now.
âTouch meâ
As soon as his hand makes contact, yours hits, and he groans as he fills you up. You drip and squirt through his fingers as he keeps your orgasm going, and his cum mixes and runs out with yours, onto your thighs, and hisâŠall over the sheets. He doesnât stop until you do, and you feel another gush as he slides out. It feels too good. Whatever he did is still moving through every nerve as you hit the bed, but Seungmin canât help but touch and slide his fingers into the mess escaping.
âOh my god,â you pant, and try to keep your heart from exploding.
Seungmin laughs againâhis tipsy laugh, like heâs not quite sure whatâs going on, he just knows he feels good. âI didnât know you could do that.â He pulls you until youâre facing him again and looks you overâŠeyes watering, cheeks pink, your tshirt, somehow still on, but working its way up your back, and your messy, trembling thighs.
âNeither did Iâ
âThat was your first time?â
You nod, and collapse into his chest, âsorry, what a mess.â
âBut did it feel good?â Heâs smiling and giving you doe eyes when you look at him. Seungmin doesnât need your approval, he heard you screamingâŠbut he still wants more.
âGood?â
âMhm. Iâve never made anyone do that before, how does it feel?â
Itâs hard to describe, and it was a little embarrassing in hindsight, but⊠âfelt like you were fucking every nerve in my body all at the same time, and every bit of tension disappeared. Probably how you feel when you come inside of me, maybe better.â
âSounds betterâ
âIt was intenseâ
âIt was hot.â He slowly gets to his feet and stretches, and when he seems satisfied with how his legs feel, he heads for the closet. âHopefully I can get you there again.â
One set of fresh sheets sits on the top shelf, fortunately, so you work on getting up and pulling off the wrecked ones. Also fortunately, it didnât soak through both sheets to the mattress cover. But as soon as you kneel and start gathering them, another gush of cum trickles out, and you have to stop and wait for it to pass.
âI can change these, why donât you go run a bath?â
âSeungmin, youâre very thoughtfulâŠhas anyone ever told you that?â
He thinks, but not for long. âNo, I donât think so.â
âWell, you areâŠyouâre more thoughtful than most of the people Iâve encounteredâ
âIâm also a little selfish, because Iâm getting in, tooâ
The water is as hot as you can stand it, and every time it cools down, you top it off and heat it back up.
âHow did you get out of the woods?â
âHm?â
He sounds so much more tired, and he should be.
âWhen you were left thereâ
âOh, right. It took a few hours, but my mom finally found me. She said she drove up and down all the roads, got out and yelled for me every mile or so. Her voice carried pretty well through the trees, thankfully.â
âDid she know he left you there?â
âHe told her I wandered off, but she knew better. And she also knew not to question him.â
âThat had to have messed with your head, being left out thereâ
âIt did. For a while, I couldnât sleep through the night. I still have a letter she wrote to me not long after that, in the music box.â
The butterflyâyou remember peeking and wondering about it. You almost poked around too much and read it. âThe origami butterfly?â
âYeah. And she made me wear her medallion, too. I never got to give it back.â
Now youâre much more curious about that letter. âI havenât worn my necklace in years, I donât know why I still carry it around with me.â A little piece of your past you canât let go of.
âAre you catholic?â
âNo, but I briefly considered confessing my sins. I never did, I was too full of attrition. It seemed pointless. Are you? Or were you?â
âNo, but my mom had a lot of catholic friends when she lived in the states. I think some of it rubbed off on her, and she liked the archangels.â
You stand carefully and reach for a towel. The heat is actually starting to get to you, and the dizziness is fighting its way back. Seungmin waits for you step out, and then he follows close behind.
âDo you want the heat on?â
The room is a little chilly, especially against your damp skin, but a cool room and warm blankets might be the best idea. âNo, but if you doâŠâ You watch his towel fall away as he starts to dry his arms and shoulders, and you shouldnât be lusting after him already, but he makes it difficult without even trying.
âWe should check the cameras againâ
Thatâs enough to get you back down to earth. You nod at him, and dig out your laptop. Itâs long overdue, and should have been checked again a few hours ago, but the two of you got far too distracted when the secrets and stories started coming out.
He gets back into the fresh sheets and pulls up the footage, and this time he starts with the live feed.
âFront entrance looks okay, side entrance, too. Back doorâŠoh, why is it propped open?â
âItâs open?â
He widens the angle, but the night vision isnât giving much. âYeah, itâs a fire exit. Itâs supposed to stay closed.â
Seungminâs voice changes. He doesnât like what heâs seeing, regardless of how small and insignificant it seemsâjust a door left open. You can feel the tension on him, and it scares you a little. He starts the feed on the back door from where he left off earlier, and he speeds through it.
âCan you get my phone?â
He has to power it up again, and it feels like it takes forever, but the footage keeps him occupied until he can refresh the news sites from earlier. And heâs quiet as he scrolls.
âSeungminâŠslow down the footageâ
He stops it, goes back a few minutes, and then starts it again. âThatâŠâ he points at the top right corner, âis a police car.â
Itâs the smallest corner of a headlight and front bumper.
âAre you sure?â
âYeah, brand new SonataâŠwhite, and only police cars have that blue stripe over the hood.â
Just as he finishes, two men walk into view; a cop, and another man that you can only assume is an inspector. That one goes for the door, unlocks it, and opens it exactly how it was open on the live camera.
âIf itâs still open, theyâre still in there.â Back to the live feed, the wide angleâŠand everything is suddenly lit up by a pair of headlights parking exactly where the car was before. Seungmin is quiet as he watches, but you have to assume his heart is pounding like yours is. âYeah, they are.â Two cops walk into the shot and disappear through the open door, but this time, it closes behind them.
âDo you want me to be practical again?â
âYes, if you donât mindâ
âThey have to check. Maybe there was just enough for a judge to issue a warrant.â
Seungmin looks at you, purses his lips.
âActually, I donât know if it works the same here. Maybe Iâm not helping.â
âNo, youâre rightâŠif I wasnât there to grant permission, they could get a warrant. Iâm assuming they did.â
âAnd they have to search everywhere. Knock on every door. Ask questions. You keep turning your phone off, so you may have missed some calls asking for permission. Especially with the spotty service where weâve been staying.â
âIf they search the apartment, theyâll figure out who I am, what kind of car Iâm driving, where Iâm from. My background is clean, butâŠif they can find usâŠand if they find something weirdâŠâ
The defeat in his eyes is surprising. You know heâs stronger than this, and smarter, but he might need time to process whatâs actually happening.
âIâm sorry, Minnie. None of this would have happened if I had just left when I was supposed to.â
Now he looks truly defeated. His big, watery eyes burn right through you, but you know itâs true. You distracted him, you helped him stay on his medication, and then you continued to distract him. Seungmin had been doing very well, so you think. He was smart about his kills, and about his habits, and he probably didnât draw attention to himself in public.
âThen Iâm glad it happenedâ
As much as you want to slap him and tell him you were never worth all of this, itâs far too late. There is no point in dwelling on the damage youâve caused if you canât go back and change itâyouâll have to fix it in real time. Seungmin clearly sees something in you that you might never find, but you see in him what he overlooks, as well. If you try hard enough, maybe you can understand his growing devotion. Itâs there for you, tooâŠyouâre pretty certain you would die for him.
Both of you somehow fell asleep without the help of tea or medicine, youâll happily assume because of the comfort of each other, and the idea that youâre jumping to the next place sooner than Seungmin had planned. He doesnât seem to mind, though. He seems like he does have a plan. He has to, because heâs had a long figure out how to protect himself in case the worse happened.
You only sleep about three hours, though, and when you wake, Seungmin isnât under the covers next to you. Heâs in the corner repacking what you unpacked not long ago.
âSorry, did I wake you?â
âNo...should I get up and get dressed?â
âUnless youâre still tired. The sun isnât quite up yet, we have some time.â
True, but if you fall asleep again, you might wake up much more tired. And the adrenaline is already starting when you remember everything that happened. âNo, Iâm okay.â
Ten minutes into the drive, which will apparently be a long one, Seungmin explains his planâwhich he admits isnât completely solidâŠand very disjointed, but itâs all he has. âI was a little cocky. I never thought Iâd actually have to worry about this.â He glances at you, âdonât look at me like that.â
âLike what?â
âLike you still think this is your faultâ
âCan we at least agree that we are both at fault in some way?â
âIf the guilt makes you happyâ
âThank you. Where are we headed?â
âDaegu, itâs a bit of a drive, and itâs out of the wayâŠbut it might be a good idea to switch carsâ
A second car shouldnât surprise you, but it wasnât something that crossed your mind. âUnregistered, Iâm assuming?â
âOf courseâ
You actually started getting used to the backroads and small towns, and after another two hours, youâre still in them. Seungmin knows his way around without any sort of direction, and no map pulled up on his phone (off again), and it makes him even more attractive to you. He may not have a solid plan, and he might be much more nervous beneath the surface, but Seungmin is capable of handling things when he has to, and all he wants you to do is sit back and watch.
âWhat is it?â He glances at you briefly, and merges into the far left lane that leads to Seokjeon-ri.
âHm? Nothingâ
The car slows as he turns and then youâre on a new, smaller stretch of road.
âI feel you staring at meâ
âThatâs because Iâm staring at youâ
âBecause Iâm so handsome?â
You watch a reluctant smile appear, and eventually, it turns into a laugh.
âYeah, thatâs exactly whyâ
âThis isnât even my good sideâ
âYou have a bad side?â
He laughs again. Youâre glad you can still make him laugh. âWhen I look in the mirror I do, yeahâ
âI like both sidesâ
The car slows, and you force your eyes away from him to look at your surroundings. Another small town, but not quite as small as the previous two. Seungmin drives down a narrow road, barely big enough for two way traffic, and after a mile or so, he pulls into a maze of storage units. The car turns left, and right, and right again, and you eventually stop paying attention as you weave in and out of the identical rows.
âAlmost there,â he glances down at his watch, and then gives you a smile. âOh, here it is.â
It feels good to get out and stretch your legsâSeungmin does, tooâŠhe lifts his arms and stretches his back and rubs his neck as he pulls a set of keys from his pocket. Unit 3047 is the one he leads you to, and it takes him some time to get the locks, both of them, to unlock and unstick from their rusted latches. You watch as he bends and grabs the handle, pulls, and it slides up easily. The car is inside, very well covered, and this rundown looking storage unit is surprisingly nice on the inside.
âDo you want some help?â
âYeah, come grab this sideâ
You walk inside, and youâre right about it being nice. Itâs not cold in hereâitâs well insulated, itâs finished, and the vent on the ceiling seems to be doing its job. He grabs a corner, and you follow. The first layer comes off, just a loose tarp, and now you can see the shape of the car beneath its cover. Seungmin does this one himself, pulling one side loose, and then the other. You grab a piece and pull, carefully lifting it over the side mirror. The front end is a pristine, shiny dark blue, and as you walk the cover offâŠ
âI assumed weâd be detracting from ourselves, butââ
âBut you like it, right?â
The cover falls to the ground as he starts to gather it up, and you look at it from every angle, starting at the back. Turbo on the left side, Toyota Supra on the right. âOf course I like it. And itâs my favorite color.â Youâre starting to think Seungmin has a secret need for your praise and approval, which is fine. Youâll give him that all day. âItâs almost as pretty as you.â
âItâs the same age as youâ
âOhâŠthanks. No more compliments for you today.â
He knew it sounded wrong as soon as it left his mouth, but it was too late. âMaybe several days. Sorry, just a stupid observation.â
âItâs okay, youâre still young and awkward when youâre not being cool and charismatic.â You wait for him to unlock the doors, and then slide in. âDid you pick this out yourself?â
âNo, this belonged to my dadâmy real dad. He left it to me when he died.â Heâs silent as he starts it, almost as if thereâs some fear of the engine not turning over, but it does, and it sounds good. âAm I awkward?â
âSometimes, but itâs cute. I meanâŠyouâre not cute, I take that back.â
The first time taking it out of storage since last May, and he still managed to keep control on the one long, straight empty stretch of highway before getting close to Daegu. He hit 155 kilometers per hour, but just for a few seconds. He knows better than to get pulled over in this car. Itâs not unregistered, like he told you, but it is registered under a different name, and the license should still be in the glove box. He didnât double check.
âFeel better?â You say, and Seungmin looks at you stretched out in the passenger seat. âGetting a little bit of speed?â
âYeah, sorry. Itâs easy to do in this.â He slows and finds his exit, and looks at you again when he can take his eyes off the road. âWhatâs wrong?â Maybe nothing, but you suddenly look very uncomfortable sitting up, unbuckled, gripping the edge of the seat.
âCan you stop the car?â
He pulls off and onto the shoulder as you swing the door open, and you make it out just in time to throw up the coffee and cream bread you had an hour ago. Seungmin is out and next to you as it happens a second time, and a third, and then your face disappears in your folded arms.
âYou okay?â He knows youâre probably not, and he feels a little guilty for speeding and causing this, but thereâs not much else to say. And thereâs not much else to do aside from rubbing his palm across your back and hoping it somehow soothes you. He hears your muffled mhm and sees the slight nod of your head, but you donât move back to your seat. âIâll find us a nice room and get you something for your stomach. Weâre almost there.â
âI think Iâm okay nowâ
But youâre colorless when you look at him, and your eyes are red and watery.
âLet me know if you need me to stop againâ
The hotel is nicer this time, and while he is a little concerned about his now limited money, he decides heâd rather have you staying somewhere that feels more like the apartment, plus all the amenities. And now that youâre in the city, somewhere closer to a hospitalâhe doesnât mention that, though.
âHow long?â
âFor now I booked a weekâ
âA week? You think weâll stay that long this time?â
âItâs big enough here, and pretty crowded. Nobody will notice us much. How is your stomach? I can find you some dakjuk if youâre hungry.â
âDak juk?â
âChicken and rice porridge. It would be easy on your stomach. Or maybe just some tea if you have no appetite.â He doesnât want to keep hovering when you donât feel well, but at the same time, he does. Youâve already done the same for him. âOr maybe sleep is what you need.â
âWe both need sleepâ
âOkay, weâll sleepâŠand we can worry about dinner laterâ
But when you say sleep, you mean getting into bed and holding him. You are tired after the last few days, especially last night, but touching and hanging on him is the necessary part of getting into bed and falling asleep. You wouldnât even deny him if he was in the mood, because youâve been feeling feral over the sight and the thought of him since last night. Your lust is outweighing the sour feeling in your stomach.
And thatâs what you doâget him into bed with you and make him your little spoon. You kiss his neck and shoulders, touch him softly, run the tips of your fingers over his side. It only helps him relax, and he seems to quiet and fall to sleep with no trouble. Probably for the best, because you start to fall into your sleep immediately after.
Seungmin feels your hands on him, but he knows heâs still stuck in his sleep. Heâs dreaming, and youâre in this one, finally. The problem is, thereâs something wrong, and he canât figure out what it is. The dream version of you is looking to him for an answer because you just want to feel okay again, but he doesnât know what to do.
âHmm?â Seungmin rolls over in his half-sleep, and he starts to wake up. Itâs taking so much effort to pull himself out of it, though. âTokki?â
âMinnie, Iâm right hereâ
His arms fold you into a sleepy embrace. âI donât know what to do.â
âDreaming?â You rub circles over his back, âwhat are you dreaming about, love?â
Finally, his eyes open and he sees just beyond your shoulder. He sees the window, curtain halfway open, covered in night sky. âIâm awake.â But he doesnât let go. âIâll fix everything.â
âThereâs nothing to fix right now. All weâre gonna worry about is what to eat for dinner.â
/ / /
Ten daysâŠthatâs how long youâve been in this hotel suite in the middle of Daegu. Seungmin was right about not being noticed, of course. Itâs not as busy as Seoul, but itâs busy enough for people to not care about you as you go about your business. It feels normal again, like being back at the apartment and occasionally leaving to stretch your legs, or get the necessities. No more shopping trips and no more splurgingâitâs a good thing you didnât have time to get used to that sort of lifestyle, because it might not be there in the future.
You come home with the only foods youâve had any luck keeping down: ingredients for dal juk, because Seungmin makes it surprisingly well, eggs, tunaâŠand your favorite, which Seungmin hatesâleftover rice and bananas in milk.
âI can find you some good rice pudding somewhereâ is his comment every time you make it.
âYou can, and then Iâll just eat bothâ
So now he walks the four blocks to get it every time you mention it to him.
The security cameras have given nothing significant in all of this time away, and Seungmin seems much more relaxed because of it. Neither of you have let the idea of complete safety get too far into your minds, though. You still donât know if they found anything significant, but if they have, it was small enough to be taken out discreetly.
âWe did get rid of everything suspicious, right?â Heâs asked that two separate times while you reviewed footage. Both times you assured him you did.
Tonight, over dinner, you check the live feed briefly before he decides to put on the news, but thereâs nothing mentioned about a missing girl, a murder, the apartment buildingâŠnothing.
âI feel like we dreamed this whole thing,â Seungmin leans back on the couch and sighs, âhow can there be nothing?"
He looks inviting sitting there, even though heâs a little frustrated, âmaybe we just missed it, and they looked and found nothing and started searching somewhere else,â so you climb on the couch and onto him, sit in his lap, and start the process of getting him out of his clothes. âAnd we can just go home soon, and this will have been a really nice bonding trip for us.â
âBonding trip?â He jumps when you grab his sides, âyeah, I guess we did get to know each other better.â Heâs told you more than he ever imagined speaking out loud. Someone sticking around and comforting him after telling his stories seems like a weird dream, too.
âAnd I love you even more than I thought I couldâ
The flutter in his stomach comes out in a nervous laugh, because it still feels so strange hearing, and it feels strange coming from him when he can get it out. But he knows you mean it, because he feels it all. âYeah?â
Seungmin groans when you take his soft cock in your hand and stroke, and you get a mhm out after he pulls you in for a kiss. âYeah. I love you, and your warm hands, and your sweet mouthâŠâ
âYou need me againâŠalready?â He teases as he leans back and watches your hands on him. âLast night wasnât enough?â
âI can never get enough of youâ
Heâs already getting hard, and his hips move to match the steady up and down of your hand. Youâve been all over him, needy and horny, since the night you spent at the moon dream hotel. Tired, but not tired enough. Every night, youâve initiated, and every time, Seungmin has happily accepted your advances.
âI have plenty to giveâ
He watches you move to the floor and get between his knees, and your eyes move between him and his growing cock. A long, slow lick from the base to the tip of his head, and a shiver runs over himâSeungmin can feel a wave of goosebumps on his thighs, his arms, and up his neck.
Itâs a lot of work, but you enjoy the act of touching and licking and getting as much of him in your mouth as you can, and youâve gotten more and more in over the last several weeks. Seungmin loves watching your progress, and he likes watching you just like thisâon your knees, taking your time, worshipping every inch of him.
Another wet lick up his length and you suck his head into your mouth, tongue him slowly as you work him in and out, a little deeper each time.
âThatâs good,â he whispers and runs his knuckles across your cheek until you look at him.
Seungmin feels you gag on himâhe feels the quick squeeze of your throat before you pull back, and then you do it again, and again. Both hands grip him and stroke, twist, and suddenly heâs squirming under your touch. Your tongue comes out for another taste, over his head, around it, sucking it back in while you keep stroking and slowly working his orgasm out of him. The sounds he lets slip out are less subdued each time, and Seungmin no longer cares how vulnerable you make him. The way you look at him and smile at those sounds makes him come so much harder. But by now, you usually switch up and climb on him to finish. This time you keep goingâdevouring as much of him as you can and stroking the rest, and itâs perfect, the rhythm and speed. Youâve gotten used to taking his cock anywhere he wants to put it, and now you want to finish right here.
âGonna make me comeâŠis that what you want?â
You look up and smile as you lick him.
âYeah, you do. You hungry for it?â
âI want itâ
Seungminâs thighs tremble and his stomach tightens. His head swims, and he wants to tell you how much he loves you right now but instead he just screams it in his head. He loves you, and he loves watching you taking him like itâs the only thing keeping you going, and swallowing his cum will wash away all of your sins. It makes him feel powerful again, despite being so weak for you. Youâre weak for him. Together, you could destroy each otherâŠ
Seungmin releases with no warning, but youâre still on him, pumping everything you can into your eager mouth, letting it trickle down your chin, not stopping until you're sure he's given you everything.
âLet me see,â he grips the back of your neck and so he can look at you and your mouth, overflowing with him. âSwallow.â The cum escaping is swiped up, and you close your mouth around his thumb as he pushes it in. âGood,â he coos and leans in for a kiss.
âYeah? Was it good?â
He kisses harder, tastes himself on your lips. âIt was perfect.â Seungmin smiles against yours, âwas I good?â
âMhm, veryâŠI should do this more oftenâ
A phone buzzes on the kitchen table, and it makes both of you jump. The post-orgasm bliss is cut short, but despite it, he still pulls you close for another kiss before rising from the couch.
âIs your phone on?â
âYeah, I decided to leave it on for a few hours.â The curiosity got the better of himâwondering if someone would call, whether it was someone asking about the building, or his doctor. This call is not from his doctor, and the screen says unknown caller.
He picks it up and starts the conversation. You listen carefully though you canât catch any of Seungminâs quick words. Itâs a short phone call, less than a minute, and when he hangs up, he looks at you and smiles.
âWho was it?â
âSenior Inspector Byeon.â He says it very casually, smiling.
âA cop? What did they say?â
âHe said theyâve been trying to reach me, and I told him Iâve been in Daegu visiting familyâŠand I asked what the problem was.â He pauses.
âAnd?â
âAnd he wanted to apologize for the intrusion on my buildingâŠand in my apartment, because of a false police report. They were tipped off and couldnât find any evidence of the girl anywhere. Nothing on the security footage. Nothing from my tenants. They didnât want me coming back to a surprise.â
âThey didnât find anything?â
âBut if something changed, or evidence was found that linked to the building, heâd be in touch.â
âDid it sound like they were expecting to find something?â
âNo, he didnât think soâ
âSo we can go home?â
âDo you wanna go home?â
You think, look around the hotel room youâve broken in, and think about how good everything has been between the two of you. âWe should stay here a little longer.â
âOkay, letâs get cleaned up and go get ourselves a treatâ
âAre we going to eat all of this?â You laugh, but immediately pick up a fork and take a bite of the cake.
Seungmin does the same, and then tries strudel. âWeâre gonna try, you havenât been eating enough.â
âI know. I have been feeling a little better recently, but I donât like testing it.â
âWeâll have our leftovers for breakfast,â he says, but heâs distracted by a loud group walking into the cafe, all men, and probably younger than Seungmin. He knows better than to look and attract their attention, but he turns away a moment too late.
One of them speaks, but he ignores it and takes a sip of his coffee.
âWhat does he want?â You ask quietly.
âNothing, just donât look at them.â
He speaks again, to Seungmin, and then he seems to say something directed toward you. His friends donât join in, but they donât seem bothered by anything happening.
âPlease, give it a rest,â he says softly.
A flashback to Seungminâs temper, the bartenders bloody, broken nose, and the crack in the plaster wall. That canât happen again, not nowâŠnot after finally being able to relax. Again, youâre in the dark listening to their fast-paced Koreanâfirst the stranger, then Seungmin again. You can hear his anger growing.
âHey,â your hand closes over his, âmaybe we should just go.â
âNot yetâ
The stranger speaks again.
âWhat is he saying?â
âHeâs just being an assâ
Your heart jumps when Seungmin stands, and heâs at least a few inches taller than all of them. More than anything, he has a way of looking intimidating without much effort. But heâs one, and theyâre three.
The cafe owner finally notices and yells at them to leave, but they ignore her.
âMin?â He doesnât hear you, or he acts like he doesnât. You wish he would look at you, because everything is starting to turn sideways. âMinnie?â
The anger in him is ready to spill over. Nothing would feel better than his hands around this boys neck, squeezing, crunching, destroying his windpipe and watching him writhe and gasp for air on the floor. Watching the light leave his eyes as he wondered if the things he said about you was worth his life.
The owner yells something, points over his shoulder, and all he sees is you, slowly falling from the chair and landing on the hard floor. He runs to you, and his anger disappears as if it never existed at all.
âJagiyaâŠwhatâs wrong? Open your eyesâ
He hears the woman say sheâs calling an ambulance, but he doesnât want to believe thatâs necessary. You just fainted because you said you get dizzy when youâre anxious. The vertigo hit when you were worried he would do something stupid, and he almost did. Seungmin could feel and see his fist meeting the boys jawâhe could hear the crack.
âPlease open your eyes.â Your skin is hot. He places a kiss on your forehead, and then moves to your mouth. Seungmin can feel your slow breaths against his lips.
âMinnie, please be good,â you say, and groan in pain.
âI amâŠI was goodâ
Heâs there when your eyes open. Confused, still dizzy, and now a throbbing pain in your shoulder. Seungmin looks just as confused. âWhat happened?â
âYou passed outâ
You feel stupid sitting here in a hospital bedâlike a burden, like youâre wasting everyoneâs time, and like youâre just causing more worry. But you canât blame Seungmin for being concerned.
âHowâs your shoulder?â He moves your gown out of the way and gently touches the red mark left by the floor.
âItâs not badâ
âI know you donât wanna be here, Iâm sorryâ
âNo, I just donât think theyâll have an answerâŠthatâs all. Theyâll tell me itâs stress, or that itâs in my head and that itâll go away. And I want my chocolate cake.â
âThey did take blood, so maybe that will tell us something.â Seungmin readjusts your gown as two nurses return.
One speaks to Seungmin first, leaving you clueless, and she doesnât give him a chance to translate. He holds his hand up and turns to you, âshe said they did a few tests, but the others will take a few more hours.â
âYou only speak English?â The other nurse looks at you.
âYesâ
âAre you her husband?â
âYes,â he replies without hesitation.
âWe do have some results from your blood, and you are feeling unwell because you are pregnant. Probably around six weeks, based on the information you gave us.â
âIâm what?â
âPregnant?â Seungmin asks, and the look on his face is a mixture of confusion, and what looks like reliefâŠmaybe more than that.
âYes, we suspected that and the bloodwork confirmed it. But itâs still very early. The morning sickness is normal at this stage, and the tiredness. All of this was making your stress worse, but knowing why should help.â
âCan we go home?â
âWhatâs wrong?â He pulls you against him and feels you tense up, âitâs okayâŠeverything will be okay.â
âProbably not tonight. Weâre going to give you IV fluids and vitamins since you havenât been able to eat much lately, but youâll be taken to the maternity floor.â
Seungmin can feel the anxiety radiating from you. He isnât quite sure which direction his brain wants to go in right now, but of course he doesnât want to leave you here alone for the entire night. âHow long will the IV take?â
âMaybe an hour or twoâ
âCan we go home after that? And weâll come back to see the doctor tomorrow.â
The nurse looks at you for a long moment, and then to him. âAlright, two hours in bed, and if youâre feeling okay, Iâll see if the doctor will release you. But I canât promise heâll agree.â
/ / /
Silence falls over the hotel room when you finally return three hours later, but you can tell that Seungmin wants to talkâwants to, but doesnât know what to say. Both tests you took almost two weeks ago were wrong, but it must have been too early, and the idea of being pregnant almost left your mind with those negative results. Now you sit, wrapped in your damp towel with the knowledge of something growing inside of you. That thought is wearing you out, and so is remembering him trying to hide his true feelings when he found the discarded box. You love Seungmin, and you should be happy youâre having the baby he obviously wants, but your fear and uncertainty outweighs everything right now.
Seungmin sets a stack of clean clothes next to you, and he stands there for a moment, because the words on the tip of his tongue refuse to come out. He can sense your doubt and your worry.
âHow do you feelâŠafter the IV? I shouldâve made sure you were eating enough, and staying hydrated.â
âI feel better.â You do, but youâre stuck with this uneasy stomach whether itâs from the baby or your nerves. âYou didnât know why I was sick, Minnie.â
âNo, but I should have been taking better care of you anyway.â He turns and heads for the door when you both hear a soft knock. âIâve been too distracted by everything going on.â
You hear him greet and thank whoever is there, and then heâs heading back to you with something in his hand. Itâs a piece of chocolate cakeânot like the one you had earlier, but it still looks good. Seungmin drops to his knees in front of you and wraps his arms around your waist, and you pull him into a hug.
âHopefully this one is good, tooâ
âIâm sure it is.â A kiss on his forehead brings a smile to his face, finally. âThank you.â
âCan we talk about it?â His voice shakes a little.
The Seungmin in front of you and the one you met almost two months ago are the same, but so different. Heâs allowed himself to become soft around you, and for youânot just sometimes, and not all of the timeâŠbut most of the time. This part of him has always been in there somewhere, waiting to be coaxed out, but youâre mostly surprised because you know he stopped taking his medication after you arrived in Daegu.
âOf course we can. I wanna know everything youâre feeling right now, and everything going on in your head.â
âEverything?â He laughs. âOkay. I know I acted strange when you took your test before, and that was because I never thought Iâd have a chance to experience the things that weâve done together, and feltâthe feeling of having someone so special that you could happily make a baby together. And I know I shouldnât be, I know I shouldnât feel thatââ
âYes you should, Seungminâ
âWe arenât really parent materialâŠor you think youâre not, at least. I know Iâm not. But maybe together, weâre different. Maybe we just need each other.â
âI need you, baby or no babyâ
âTell me whatâs going on in your headâ
That look he gives you makes everything feel better, and youâre starting to believe you can do anything as long as you have him. âIâm worriedâŠIâm scared.â
âWhat are you afraid of? Giving birthâŠor caring for the baby? Iâll be there for you, for everything. I promise.â
âYes, but Iâm more worried I wonât be able to handle it. Iâve already been so sick, and I know thatâs normal, but what if it gets worse? What if my body canât do this right?â
âIâll take care of you, whether youâre sick or not. Whether you can handle it, or you canât. You come first.â
part five | the tower // serial killer!Kim Seungmin/afab reader
WC: 11k
RATING: mature/explicit/mdniâcontains: angst, sex, murder, medication usage, hallucinations, sa mention
SYNOPSIS: Seungmin floats through life alone, haunted by his memoriesâkeeping himself under control, and quieting his mind the only way he knows howâŠkilling and watching the life leave his victims eyes. When you cross his path on a morning hunt, something new (something forgotten) starts to move inside of him, leading both of you on a path to confront the unspeakable past.
comments: I wasn't sure how many parts I would need to get to the end, but this isnât it, haâweâre not done yet! Thank you for sticking with me!
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You canât tell yet, because Seungmin hasnât spoken more than ten words to you in the last three days. The feeling deep down in your gut was right, but despite your heartache, your sleepless nights, and your lonely daysâŠthis still feels normal. He heard the words, panicked(?), put a new wall up, and now youâre left with this painful, awkward silence.
But itâs not fair. He started this.
He said it first, and you donât think he would say those words lightlyâit didnât take all these weeks to figure that out. You knew the night he came looking for you and finally managed to tell you he didnât want you to leave. It took a lot out of him. Taking you in and caring for you has taken a lot out of him, even though it does seem to be the other way around most of the time. That came naturally, though. Being responsible for the people around you is your normal; taking the blame when things go wrong, or donât work outâŠthatâs all yours. Damage control is your specialty, but you havenât done a great job of it lately.
Seungmin looks at you from his spot in the living room. Heâs sitting up, but hugging his pillow and resting his head on the arm of the couch. This has been his typical afternoon for the last few days after taking his medicine, and youâre worried heâs adjusting poorlyâŠhallucinating, and just not telling you.
âDid you eat last night?â
He closes his eyes.
âIâll take that as a no. So, nothing since yesterday morning.â
Maybe if you go over there and beg him to say something; get down on your knees and plead, youâll get a word. You want to tell him about your nightmare last night. If you were thrashing around and talking in your sleep, he didnât hear youâhe didnât wake you and comfort you. You woke on your own, gasping for breath and clenching the sheets, and Seungminâs eyes were shut tight. Trying to get any sleep after that was useless, so you gathered your pillow, a blanket, and Daengmo (he was looking at you, at least) and left him there.
Daengmo is still here on the opposite end of the couch, like a strange mirrored image of his owner.
âI can try to make you somethingâ
Nothing.
âOr I can order it. I havenât exactly mastered Korean cooking yet.â But not for lack of trying. Youâve consumed nothing but news, dramas, and cooking shows lately to help with learning the language. And to make sure you donât hear anything else about Seungminâs last kill. So far itâs been quiet, but itâs only been three days.
âIâll just go grab something.â You throw your sweatshirt on and head for the door, âyou can eat it if you wantâŠâ tighten your shoelaces, grab your keys. A mumble comes from him as you reach for the doorknob, and you almost ignore it. âDid you say something?â
âI said Iâll come with youâ
It takes him a few more moments to sit himself up, but once he gets that far, he seems to wake up. You wait patiently by the door as he changes, and he makes a point to duck into the bathroom and fix his hair. Another thing you did in complete silence; dyed his hair, and you noticed him staring at the trashcan where the he threw the negative test. Seungmin comes back out looking almost exactly like he did the day you met him; the black and white windbreaker, the calm, somewhat confident look in his eyes. Youâre not sure where that came from. He even grabs the pack of cigarettes on the coffee table on his way to you.
âWhat are you in the mood for?â You tread lightly, not wanting to disrupt whatever jumped into him so suddenly. It was silly to think you got through his worst, but you hoped for just a moment that the closeness and the consistency would helpâŠand the medicine. You still have a long way to go.
âI like your cookingâ
Youâre not sure where it came from, but you think you see a smile around his cigarette.
âThank you for cooking for me. And everything else.â
Seungmin watched, or stared absently at you folding laundry this morning. It was then you wondered if it was on its way backâhis itch. It has to return eventually, but you hoped you both had more time. The cocky look on his face makes you think otherwise.
âI like doing it.â For him you donât mind it, and itâs because he doesnât expect it of you, or demand it.
âRight hereâ
He opens the door, and you can feel the heat. The smell should help perk him up if his appetite has returned.
âWhat are we getting?â
âGalbijjimâ
Itâs small and crowded inside, so when Seungmin finds you an empty table to sit at, you hesitate. âYou donât wanna take it home?â Youâve already gotten a few looks, and youâre not sure if itâs just directed toward you, or the two of you together. It doesnât bother you much, but you remember how Seungmin felt on the crowded train. âItâs pretty busy in here.â
âNo, Iâm fine if you areâ
But you do notice his eyes wandering around, taking in each person, letting them linger for far too long.
âHow are you feeling, still sleepy?â
âHm?â He doesnât look at you.
You try to find exactly what heâs looking at, and you do. Itâs obvious. Seungmin is staring at one of the girls waiting for an order. His eyes are pitch black, all pupil, when he finally shakes himself free to look at you.
âI said,â your voice shakes, so you shut up and try to calm the wild heartbeat in your throat. âHow are you feelingâŠwith the medicine?â
Still he doesnât answer, but heâs looking right at you.
âAre you sure you donât wanna go back home? Weâd be more comfortable on the couchâŠwe could watch a movie, maybe.â
âIâm good, the medicine isâŠâ he drops his gaze to his hands, and you follow. Seungmin starts to fidget; pick and scratch at the table, stop himself and wring his hands together. âThe medicine is fine.â
The medicine might be doing its job, but fine isnât the word you would use, and Seungmin is not with you right now. Heâs somewhere between his own head and the girl ten feet awayâŠthe one that is now staring at him. Now youâre hoping his feeling has returned, because the only alternative would be pure attraction, which she clearly shares. He wouldnât do that to you after everything, though. Your jealousy is just winning over logic.
âGood. You seem less tired.â
Ignoring it is difficult, but you have to. What else are you supposed to do; confront him, ask if this is his next target, and just wonder why? What is it about her that appeals to him, and in what wayâŠmurder? Sex and murder? Just sex? You need to knowâŠthat will happen again. You remember him telling you that last time. But you remember everything else, too. There is no denying or hiding your jealousy.
âYouâre right, maybe we should take our food home.â
/ / /
The two of you start walking, food in hand, but it takes about ten seconds to realize why he changed his mind about stayingâheâs following her. Why is he doing this while youâre with him?
âSeungmin, where are we going?â
âI need you to do me a favor.â His tone is flat, uninterested. Heâs not asking you a favor, heâs giving you an orderâŠcalmly. âTake the food and go home, and then leave for a while.â
âWhat? Leave and go where?â
âAnywhereâŠcoffee shop, the university library to studyâŠshopping.â
Heâs getting rid of you to seduce her. Kill her, yeah, but first heâll have sex with her in the bed youâve been sharing. You have to do what he says, though, because you knew what Seungmin was when you decided to return to him, and you knew heâd return to this, eventually. Getting upset about it now might make him upset, and his medicine, combined with the itch, and then you on top of it all being jealous and difficult...it wonât help. You decide you should be grateful for the last few weeks youâve had him all to yourself.
âOkay, Iâll goâ
âLet me know when you leave the apartmentâ
âI will, Iâll text youâ
âIf for some reason it falls through, Iâll pick you up wherever you areâ
You doubt itâll fall through, not with the way she was looking at him. Heâll have another kill under his belt by the time the sun goes down.
Seungmin continues straight, and you take a left on the next block, but you watch him for as long as you can before he disappears. The university library is a good idea, but youâd only sit there and wonder what Seungmin was up to the whole time. Youâd go through his possible actions, step by step, thinking of the two of them initiating. Touching, kissing, undressing. Her hands on Seungminâs hips, pulling at his sweatpants to get to what you now believe is yours. Will it just be a blowjob, like the last time? Will he lay her on the bed and eat her out? That feels too intimate for him, but thatâs because heâs so intimate with you when he does it. There is no reason for him to be careful and gentle and attentive to anyone else, especially if they die at the end.
Maybe shopping will keep your mind more occupied.
You unlock the door and look around the deserted apartment. The two of you have barely left before today and since the trip to Uljin, so it makes everything feel even more strange. The bedroom is cold, and youâre glad. Hopefully it stays that way for his guest, and it moves things along quickly.
You look around for yourself in the roomâŠyour clothesâyou left the shirt you wore last night on the floor, but itâs technically his and isnât out of place. Your bedside table is mostly bare, save for the end of your phone charger and a single necklace you havenât worn in weeks. You open the drawer and drop it inside. There isnât much of you in here, and it took until now for you to notice.
Next, you check his drawer. Everything is neat and exactly where it should be.
Seungmin feels out of practice. Heâs gone this long without plenty of times, but he at least had most of the voices pushing him forward during his lull. Everything was silent this time; the spaces in his head were filled with your voice, and filled with thoughts about you if he let it wander long enough. They were filled with sexâgood sex, the kind of sex he doesnât get from his victims, and the butterflies you give him when you look at him as he wakes up every morning. But he canât think about that right now. He needs to focus. He canât think about the way you make love to him when he needs it. The way you actually love him.
âAre you following me?â The girl turns and asks, but thereâs obvious flirtation in her voice. One hand, the one not holding her bag of food, lands on her hip.
His focus came a few steps late. âFollowing you? No. What makes you think that?â Seungmin licks his lips and puts on his best charming smirk. âJust headed in the same direction.â
âWhereâs the food you got? And the girlâŠthat definitely wasnât your sister.â
âIt doesnât matter. Are you in a hurry?â
âWell, I do have a bagful of food, but if you let me drop it off to my coworkersâŠI can slow down for you.â
âIâd like thatâ
/ / /
He was a little worried you would put up a fight about returning home without him just to leave again, but the apartment is empty when he brings his guest inside.
âThis is your apartment? Youâre here all alone?â She takes off her coat, and Seungmin grabs it, taking a moment to get closer. He catches her eye, and then the scent of something sickeningly sweetâŠtoo much perfume. âNo girlfriend?â
âJust usâ
âGood, letâs get you out of jacket so I can get a good look at youâ
Seungmin obliges and pulls at the zipper, and heâs thankful when he finally feels the blood moving to his dick. As soon as itâs over his head, her hands are on him, sliding across his stomach as his tshirt is pulled up, and he has to shut his eyes as she pulls him closer.
âWhere should we take this?â
The touch is overwhelming. Itâs like static as her hands slide up his bare chest. Itâs off of him, and they close around his neck as she leans inâtall enough to get to him without Seungmin accommodating, and she puts her mouth on his. More static, and the taste of something sour.
âNo,â he pushes her back, âdonât kiss me.â
âDamnâŠsorryâ
âEverything else is fineâ
âAre you sure?â
He wipes his lips, âyes,â and runs a hand down his dick, because he can feel himself losing momentum. âTake your clothes off.â
âYouâre not gonna take em off for me?â She takes a step closer and touches his chest, his stomach, and her hand slides under his waistband. âYou wanted this. Donât you wanna touch me? OhâŠâ
âYeah,â Seungmin grabs her arm, but she keeps her hand closed around him.
âNervous?â
No, he doesnât get nervous. Whatever heâs feeling is something else. Something he hasnât dealt with before, at least not to this extent. Heâs distracted, just like the day he met you and tried to make up for it with a quick killâwhen you sent him that text thanking him for his kindness. âTake your clothes off.â He closes his eyes, moans it as her hand moves up and down his length, over and over, and he feels his dick growing again.
âI will,â she pulls Seungmin closer. âI want this. You gonna give it to me?â
Eyes still closed, he lets himself enjoy the slow, firm movements of her hand. âYeah, Iâm gonnaâŠâ
âWhereâs the bedroom?â
âThe bedroom?â
âTake me to your bed and fuck me. Isnât that why Iâm here?â
His legs shake as she frees him, and then sheâs goneâŠlooking for the bedroom herself, maybe. The first door she tries isnât itâshe flicks the bathroom light off and on a few times before slamming the door shut. Seungmin follows as she heads for the right one.
âWow, this is cozyâ
It is, Seungmin thinks, because you made it that way. The lamp on his side of the bed is clicked on, and the one on his dresser is as well. The lights around the bookcase are casting a warm glow on everything; the books and records, the music box, the flowers. The pillows are fluffed up and arranged in a way Seungmin never did itâa little chaotic, but still neat. And the bedspread is pulled down and out of the way. It wasnât like that before the two of you left this morning.
âMake yourself comfortable,â he says, and heâs relieved when she finally starts stripping off her clothes. But then she heads toward the far side of the bed. âOver here.â
âOther side? PickyâŠâ her pants drop to the floor and she sits, not so patiently waiting for him to come closer.
Time to stop fucking around and get things moving. He doesnât want to leave you waiting somewhere longer than he has toâSeungmin didnât want to do it at all, but there was no other choice. âI am picky. Take those off.â He heads to his drawer, and from the corner of his eye he sees her move up the bed and toss her panties to the floor. Right next to your tshirt. He bends to pick it and sets in neatly on the table as he slides it open.
âWhereâŠwhat the hell?â He mumbles.
âWhatâs wrong? Please donât tell me youâre out of condoms.â
Thereâs one left, and he quickly closes the drawer after grabbing it and the lube. âNo, Iâm not.â
âGood, get over here and let me look at you.â By you, she means his dick, still trapped in his sweatpants.
He slides them down his hips, just enough to pull himself out and stroke to get back to one hundred percent. No matter where he lets his mind wander, he canât keep himself hard, and itâs beginning to piss him off. If he canât use his anger right here, right now, then whatâs the point? Maybe he canât do this right anymore, either. Instead of letting his mind wander, he tries to shut it down to nothing; darkness, blackâŠno, the white noise of an old television set. The fuzzy hum fills his ears as he goes for her, crawls on the bed, and pulls her thighs apart.
âThatâs much better,â she says in her best seductive voice.
Shut up, he screams in his head. The relief of pushing his dick in makes him lose control immediately. He slides in without a single tease, and without much effort. Her cries of surprise and pleasure wipe out the static and he hears nothing but her. He hates it. He slams in harder, getting himself close as quickly as he can manage, but he canât seem to get anything in return.
His hand works his way up, resting on her stomach as he fucks her, then to her chest where he can feel the shake of her screams and moans. Finally, it lands on her neck and it wraps around it with no protest from her. He squeezes, but not enough to scare her, because he hasnât decided yet how long he wants to work to reach his orgasmâŠbut thereâs nothing. He forces a moan when their eyes connect, but itâs all he can force himself to do.
Tighter. Still, she reaches out only to touch him; his stomach, his hips as they roll back and forth. His arms. One hand grips his wrist, and the other holds onto the forearm flexing as his fingers squeeze even more.
âOkayâŠlet go,â she croaks and smacks his arm.
Seungmin doesnât let go, but his mind goes to tv static again.
âLet go!â She pushes her nails in, and it stings, but still he continuesâŠand then something hits hard against his hip, and it burns and almost knocks him backward. Her kick somehow lands perfectly.
Fuck, his mind turns back on. He sees her scrambling to her feet and off the bed as he drops to all fours. âFuckâŠâ
Just as he turns and gets to his feet, she reaches for the doorknob and the door swings open. Again, he forgot to lock it. If he didnât lock the front doorâŠheâs close behind, but not close enough. Her hand is on the knob, it turns freelyâand then youâre there.
You stand blank-faced at the threshold, and the girl stops in her tracks when she realizes sheâs trapped. But Seungmin feels his heart drop at the thought of you being in the line of fire.
âWhat the fuck, both of you?â
She takes a few steps back. Seungmin canât figure out why, because youâre smaller, and probably not much of a challenge to get through. Itâs then that he sees the glint of his missing knife, gripped tightly in your fist.
âOkay,â Seungmin says softly. Now what? This is not where he expected the day to go, and his mind is racing as he tries to picture where itâs going to end. The girl is frozen, terrified at which way to turn; Seungminâs hands, or your knife; his knife, his hilt digging into your soft, innocent fingers. He steps to the right and finds your eyes, but you donât look at him. And he canât tell you to drop it, because if you do, sheâll run, and she might make it out if this building with a story.
âPlease,â the girl begs.
Seungmin wonders if sheâs thinking of taking her chances and pushing through.
âNo.â Your voice is so soft, but he hears it.
âNae salangâŠâ do you even know what that means? Seungmin isnât sure, but he saw your notebook full of Hangul practice; his name written over and over, pages full of êčìčëŻŒ, ìë íìžì, ìŹëíŽì, your name, his name and your name together like a lovesick teenager. He didnât know how to feel when he saw it because it seemed so private, but you werenât hiding it from him. Thinking back to it now gives him that familiar feeling in his stomach.
You look at him for just a moment before your eyes move back to the girl, and you take a step over the threshold. She moves back, too, and Seungmin takes a cautious step to the side.
âPlease donât.â Now Seungmin begsâhe begs you not to do what he sees happening in your eyes. âClose the door, and give me the knife.â
You shake your head, and Seungmin sees the tears brimming in your eyes.
âPlease donât unlock that part of youâŠitâs too much. It only feels good for a moment.â
âMinnieâŠâ
âYes, love?â He watches your knuckles stretch and your forearm flex. His heart pounds, but his stomach swirls and his cock fills with blood again no matter how hard he tries to calm himself. The sight of you standing there wielding his knifeâitâs the same feeling he gets when itâs in his hands.
âIt's too late for thatâ
His body shakes. His mind goes back and forth between the static and his clear view of you, the tears running freely down your cheeks. Have you really been here before? Is that why you came back to him?
Seungmin sees you move, and he hears the familiar sound of knife against flesh. The blade disappears into the girls chest, right between her ribs, and she falls to her knees as she gasps for air. You finally let go and take a step back to watch the aftermath of what youâve done.
The gasps slow down and quiet as she lets herself collapse to the floor. Blood trickles onto the hardwood, but not muchâŠyou left the blade in place, and thatâs slowing things down. Seungmin watches you watching the body, and heâs getting dizzy from his pulsing erection.
âSeungmin?â
He almost falls to his knees when you look at him, but he forces himself to moveâone step, another step around the almost lifeless body. He slams the door shut and grabs your throat, guides your blank stare upward. Your eyes soften when they meet his.
âWhat have you done?â He whispers and kisses the corner of your lips. âHm?â
âIâm sorryâ
âNo.â He kisses you fully, and brings you close enough to feel every aching inch. The grip on your neck tightens, he canât help it. âHave you been here the whole time?â
âYesâ
âYou heard everything?â
âYes, but I couldnât take hearing you in the bedroomâŠso I went out in the hallwayâŠâ
Seungmin is patient as you begin to sob quietly, and he frees you to hide against his chest. He has to be grateful that you didnât leave, and that you were exactly where he needed you right outside the front door. âWhy did you have my knife?â With his knife in hand, no less. Otherwise, you wouldnât have been much of a challenge. Right? Maybe heâs underestimating you. âWere you planning something else?â
You take a deep, shakey breath and he pulls you away from him. âIâm not sure."
âYou wanted to kill herâŠeven if she hadnât almost escaped, you still would have done it.â
âI would have tried â
âYou succeeded,â he looks at the now lifeless body at their feet, and his hand finds your neck again. âAnd you have a lot of explaining to do,â Seungmin kisses again, working his tongue to the back of your throat as his free hand starts undressing you, âbut not right now.â
You both nearly trip on your way to the bedroom, first coming through the door, and then again on the discarded jeans of your victim. The yelp down Seungminâs throat doesnât deter him from his kissing, but you pull away and look at what you stepped on.
âWeâll take care of it afterwardâŠI will.â Seungmin is not worried about the disposal right now, even as blood slowly drips onto the living room floor, and text after text pops up on the dead girls phone. âI need you, now.â
Youâre flat on your back, eyes on the ceiling, and Seungminâs hands work quickly. His mouth works slowly, and his tongue moves just how he knows you like it. He takes his time with you, slowing down even more when your hands reach for him, and your fingers comb through his hair and pull. Seungmin takes your hand and gives you what you were stupidly afraid the dead girl would getâhis hunger, and his overwhelming need for you. Seungmin doesnât let go until you come, and you wait for more, because he always wants more, but this time he works his way up until he can kiss you on the lips.
âSo,â he mumbles against your cheek, leaving little kisses as he goes. Itâs not something youâre used to getting from him. âAre you okay?â
âIâm okay, Minnieâ
âYou can tell meâ
âTell youâŠâ
âAnything you think I should know.â One more kiss and heâs up, heading for the door. âYou canât just be okay after this.â
Maybe heâs right. No, he is right, but you still donât know how to start, or where to start. What you do know is that this is now partially your responsibilityâthe clean up, and getting rid of the evidence. Seungmin said he would do it, but he probably wouldnât have made this much of a mess if you had listened to him. You snatch up her clothes, the panties and the jeans, and her phone slips from the back pocket and onto the floor. The phoneâŠhow does Seungmin get rid of the phones, and does he not worry about them getting tracked? He hasnât been caught, so he must be doing something about it.
Thereâs a long string of notifications on the screen, mostly text messages, and all from the same person.
âSeungmin?â
Heâs busy laying out a piece of thick plastic drop cloth, but he smiles sweetly when he looks up at you. âYeah?â
âWhat do you do about the phones?â
He reaches for it, and as soon as his eyes scan over the messages, his face changes for just a moment. He scrolls through, and to his surprise, thereâs no passcode. A few moments later⊠âI need another favor, a very big favor.â
âYeah?â
âPack a bag, bring whatever you might needâŠbut not much. Start one for me, too.â
At first, you just nod. His voice is so calm, and nothing about his body language suggests you should be questioning his request. âYeah, okayâŠâ
Seungmin didnât say to hurry, but you do anyway. And take what you might need? It depends on where youâre headedâŠhis medicine, clothes, obviously. Oh, the clothes. You take the girls clothes to Seungmin, because the gears are starting to turn in your brain, finally. After that massive surge of adrenaline, and then coming down from your orgasm, your mind is in a strange, untrustworthy placeâŠbut youâre getting there. Every piece of damning evidence needs to be collected and destroyed, now, and there may not be that much time. What was it he read on the phone notifications?
You start packing faster, and start another bag for him. Eventually, you stop and scan the room, knowing youâre forgetting something.
âOh, we need youâŠâ you head for the bookshelf and scoop up the music box, opening it and swiping a few loose petals before you wrap it and shove it in your own bag. His drawerâit canât stay, but is he bringing it along? You donât bother him with the question, you just find a small box to throw everything in and add it to the growing pile.
Does Seungmin have anything else in the room? As far as you know, the drawer is where everything goes, but the minute you stop and think, you start to hear your heart pounding in your chest and throat and ears. Itâs so loud. But you feel calm, despite it, because Seungmin is calm. You grab more clothes from the closet, and scan every corner while youâre in there. If Seungmin wasnât so organized, you wouldnât even bother, but the neat stack of shoe boxes catches your attention. There really isnât time for this, but a quick peak wonât hurt.
The one on the very top has something scribbled out, but underneath in black marker thereâs more writing: 00-03. Inside are photographs, not organized in anyway aside from the years written on the box. The first one you pick out and look at is baby Seungmin in the arms of his mother, and on the back is Hangul you canât read except for his name. You wonder if his father took the photo. The next one is him again, a little older, sitting in a manâs lapâhis father, you can only assume. You leave them out and open the next box: 06-08. This one is much lighter. Inside is, again, Seungmin and mom. You add that to the others. The next one is a family portrait; Seungmin, his mother, and his stepfather. Nobody looks very happy. You decide to try one more, and you finally find one of just himâŠa close-up of his young face, seven years old according to the year written on the back. Same chubby cheeks, same big brown eyes, same sideways smirk. You keep that one, too, and put everything else back in its place.
The shuffle and drag of something against the living room floor makes you move faster. Seungmin is probably working as quickly as he can, so you need to be ready when he is. The last stop is the bathroom, and you watch him work for a moment as you walk by; heâs zipping up a suitcase identical to the one from before, and he glances at you before you look away.
âAre we ready?â He looks at the bag you packed for him, and only adds a few more things.
âI think so. Where are we going?â
âWeâll figure that out after we get rid of the bodyâ
Seungmin is quiet and focused as he drives, and right now, youâre not headed in the direction you expected; east, toward Uljin. Youâve been driving north for half an hour, and you still havenât spoken up and asked him exactly what happened, or if he figured out a destination.
He looks at you, though, because eventually, he feels you watching.
âHey,â you say as softly as possible. Youâre turned toward him, knees hugged to your chest, âMinnie?â
âYou should put your seatbelt onâŠyouâre making me nervous.â His hand reaches out, and his fingers slide from your ankle all the way to your toes.
âIs that whatâs making you nervous?â
Thereâs nothing nervous about him, actually. Seungmin bit down on his lip once since youâve been watching, sighed twice, and mumbled to himself twice, at least that you caught. Very normal for him. If he is, heâs keeping it together for your sake, and you hate that.
âYeah, a little.â He smiles at you and licks his lips. âWeâre almost there.â
âAnd then youâll tell me whatâs going on?â
âYes. And youâll tell meâŠwhatever I need to know, I hope.â
The seatbelt clicks, âI will, I promise.â
âDid you bring my music box?â It just hit him. He grabbed a few things, and he even checked his drawer. You assumed he saw the empty spot on the bookshelf, but he may have forgotten. Just as you suspected, he looks calm, but he isnât. His mind is moving much faster than heâs letting on.
âYeah, itâs in my bagâ
âThank youâ
âWeâre not going back, are we?â
Seungmin doesnât answer right away, because he comes to an intersection and turns, and then turns again into an almost empty parking lot. âIâm not sure.â
âThe JasmineâŠweâre staying here tonight?â It's nothing special, and it's not very big, but the vacancy sign is lit up in the office window. Seungmin got here without directions, so he must be familiar with it.
He looks at the building, sees the sign already glowing in the early twilight, and then his face falls. âI forgot your flowers.â
âMy flowers? The forget-me-nots? Thatâs alright.â
âNo, I got you something else, and I was waiting until I felt better to give it to youâ
âWhat was it, what kind of flowers?â
âMoonflowers. Iâll find you more somewhere. Letâs get inside.â
/ / /
Thirty-five miles away from home isnât very far, but the small town you ended up in feels safe enough for the night. The man that checked you in hardly looked up from his book as Seungmin counted out enough money for two nights, just in case.
He withdrew a significant amount of cash before leaving Seoul, and brought even more that he had hidden even further back in his closet. Seeing such a large amount in one place was surreal, and sitting in the passenger seat putting the two separate amounts together for him was even more bizarre. You did your best counting it, writing it down, adding it upâŠ
âTwenty-six million wonâŠhow much is that in American money?â
âIâm not sure,â he laughs and watches as you carefully sort the last few paper-clipped bundles. âAround twenty thousand maybe.â Seungmin smiles and laughs so easily, and it doesnât seem the time for it.
âDefinitely more than Iâve ever had at one time...maybe everâ
âWell now you have it, itâs all yoursâ
The room is small, about the size of Seungminâs bedroom, but itâs clean and warm, and you donât really care where you are as long as itâs with him.
âYou packed a lotâ
âDid I? It didnât seem like much at the timeâŠsorryâ
âItâs alright. Maybe we just have a lot of important things.â
You unzip the biggest bag first and dig around, âthat must be it,â pull out Daengmo, and toss him to Seungmin. He was almost left behind, but luckily he caught your eye as you were headed out the door.
âI thought we forgot youâ
The way he holds him and looks at him reminds you of the little boy in the photographâhappy for the moment, comforted by his friend, and maybe a few good memoriesâŠbut he can never quite hide the sadness in his eyes.
âMinnie?â
His mouth squishes to the side, and he looks even more like his seven year old self. Even the haircut matches. âYeah?â The words get stuck in your throat when he looks from Daengmo to you. âI know, we have a lot to talk aboutââ
âNo. I mean, yeah I know. I just wanted to tell you again, that I love you.â
âStill?â He smirks. âYou sure?â
âIâm sure.â If he says it back, youâll feel better, lighter. You just want to hear it again.
Seungmin doesnât speak right away. He falls back on the bed, and you can hear him sigh. âI donât want you to get hurt if something happens. Itâs not fair. None of this is your fault.â
What is he talking about? You were the one holding the knife when it pierced the girls heart, not him, and thatâs exactly how you wanted things to play out. He picked her, yeah, and he fully intended to do what you did, but something happened, and you got your chance.
He sits up again. âIâve never had to protect anyone but myself.â
âI know Iâm safe with you, Minnieâ
You watch as he hears the words, takes them in, understands them. Maybe itâs like saying I love you to him againâŠmaybe better.
He joins you on the floor and crawls closer, âI hope so.â
âI amâ
He sets his lips against your shoulder, âI love you, too.â Itâs just a mumbleâbarely enough to make out, but you hear it.
Seungmin waits a few moments, feels your lips on the top of his head. He knows itâs time to explain the situation to you, and then you have to explain yourself to him.
âYou should eat before we talkâ
The forgotten galbijjim is replaced, and Seungmin smiles sweetly as he watches you take your first spoonful of rice. âThis looks better than the place we bought from earlier." It gives you butterflies, his still hesitant smile. "Are we sharing? Did you just get one bowl?"
"I'm not hungry"
You stare at him and wait for more of an explanation, but he just sits silently. Not having an appetite makes sense, and you can't really blame him. You shouldn't have much of one either, but you do, and you plan on feeding it.
"You haven't eaten in a while, Minnie. I'd feel better if you had some."
He just shakes his head and changes the subject. âThe phone. The notifications. They read like a friend checking in on her, and then worrying when there was no reply, which is bad enough, because I usually manage to get rid of the phone before we get anywhere near the apartment. Not every time, though, and if I do and they notice itâs missing, they freak out and leave to look for it.â
He pauses and seems to gather more of his thoughts, and maybe give you a chance to say something.
âSo you forgot to take her phone?â
Seungmin nods and takes a drink of his coffee. âI fucked up the whole thing before I even got started. My head was not in the right place to do this, but I thought it was what I needed. I was stupid and selfish."
The two of you stare at each other, and it feels like heâs trying to tell you more without opening his mouthâsomething he doesnât want to say out loud, but his acknowledgment that it was a mistake from the start is a relief. He seems to be out of that fog that had him gripped so tight for days.
âShe was sharing her location the whole timeâŠto the same friend who was texting her. So the phone is gone and burned up with everything else, but the damage was done as soon as I let her in.â
âSeungmin, this is badâ
He sets his mug down, âIâm sorry. Iâm so sorryâŠI may have ruined everything. The girl will be reported missing, and the friend will have some information about the guy who took her back to his apartment. Iâm sure theyâll find some evidence I left behind, and if weâre luckyââ
âMinnieâŠâ
âIf weâre lucky, weâll have a little more time together before my face is all over the news.â
âAnd if that doesnât happen? If they donât find evidence, or a bodyâŠor find you, if they even manage to come to that conclusion? The location she was sharing wonât be the apartment, it will be the buildingâŠand itâs a big building.â
âI like how practical you are, even nowâŠyes, there are sixty-two occupied apartments in the building.â
âHow the hell do you know that?â
Seungmin laughs and picks up his coffee again. âI own the building. I guess I never mentioned that.â
Youâre surprised he still has any sense of humor, considering how worried he revealed himself to be. âNo, you didnât. That explains a few things, and might complicate them, too.â
âI know. Theyâll look for me because I have everyoneâs information, and I wonât be there, which might be suspicious.â
âMaybe, maybe not. Going out of town isnât evidence for murder. I tried to clear out anything that would be suspiciousâthe drawer, the ten boxes of hair dye. You may have had other things I wasnât aware of, though.â
âNo, the drawer was the worst of itâŠthat was everythingâ
The memory of finding your ear cuff in his drawer pops into your head. You probably threw it in the box with everything else without realizing. âYou donât keep trophies?â
âNo, I donât. If anything gets left behind,â he thinks back to the silver hoop earring dropped on the floor, âitâs because I messed up. I have no desire to remember them after they served their purposeâwhat?â
Youâre grinning at him, and you donât even realize it. Seungmin charms you, if you can call it charm, with little effort, and without even realizing it. âI like your brain. And learning more about you every day.
âYou like my damaged brain?â
âI love your damaged brainâ
âThatâs a firstâ
âI'm sure another one of your victims was hoping for a second date before the first one ended abruptly"
"Like you?"
"Yeah, exactly like me"
Seungmin has to think. How many people does he have to think backward through; two dozen? More?"
âI have taken people out on real dates beforeâŠbefore taking them back. Sometimes it seemed like they were genuinely interested in me, but I never got the impression that those feelings stuck around.â
âWhy not?â
âMm, there was a girl I brought back to the apartment a few years ago. She was nice, even though I assumed the whole time we were both working toward one thing. But she seemed kind, and when we got to the apartment, she told me how badly she wanted to meet someone and develop something real, and that she was tired of being alone. Tired of dating apps and first dates, that's exactly what she said, and I don't know why I still remember that."
âSo what happened?â
He returns to his silence, but you know thereâs more to his story. The memory is returning to him slowly. âWe got to the bedroom, and everything seemed to be going well, but then she saw Daengmo,â he turns and looks at him sitting on the bed, âand she laughedâŠasked me why I had that on my bed.â He sighs deeply, âshe made me feel stupid.â
You remember the first time Seungmin took you to his room, and how out of place his little dog looked. The mood of almost everything in his apartment is grown-up and dark, except for a few thingsâDaengmo being one of them. But asking him about it was the furthest thing from your mind, especially the second time you ended up in his room.
âWe didnât get any further than thatâ
âYou let her go?â
Seungmin shakes his head, âIâve never let anyone go,â then smiles at you. âDid I seem weird? My apartment, and meâŠyou left in such a hurry the first time. You must have thought something was off. Or thought I was off.â
Sort of, you think to yourself.
âOh, you did call me weird. I remember now.â
Should you tell him what went through your mind on your first visit? âNo, not youâŠyour patience with me is what was weird.â Something tells you he can handle it, at least if itâs coming from you. âThe expensive apartment was a little odd, only because I could tell you were young. But yeah, I did always assume something was off about youâthe way you looked at me and touched me when we sat on the couch, I wondered if I was over-looking something. I wanted youâI wanted your attention, and your touch. Thatâs why I ran.â
âBecause I was giving you attention?â
You nod.
âYou seem to think so little of yourselfâŠwhy?â
Itâs hard to put into words, and itâs so much to dive into. Seungmin is going to want to know moreâheâll have questions, certainly more tonight than he had this morning. But you believe heâll understand what you have to say more than anyone else youâve ever spoken to, and thatâs a comfort youâve never imagined. âI was tolerated by everyone my entire life.â
âTolerated?â He rolls the word around in his mouth and his head. His English is almost perfect, but some words are just not in his vocabulary.
âI was cared for, but nobody really cared about me.â You speak as simply as possible, but youâre sure heâll understand. âI was fed, sent to school, had somewhere to sleep, but there was nothing else. No bedtime stories, and no help with my homework. No advice or comfort when I came home with a black eye from a playground fight.â
âNobody loved you?"
âThey may have, sometimes. It could be that Iâm just forgettingâŠbut when I think I remember something, it was because my sister was there with me.â
âShe took it all?â
Spilling everything to him is easy. Every time you think you should stop for fear of scaring him off, you catch him looking at you with a warmth he probably doesnât realize he has in him. âIt wasnât her fault. It was given to her. If they gave it to me, I would have taken it all, too.â And you remember exactly who he is, and how far away you are from scaring him.
âIâm worried I wonât always have enough in meâ
"Enough?"
âLove. Iâll give you all I have, I promise.â
/ / /
Seungmin watches as you slowly dig through your bag. Heâs grateful for how much you actually managed to pack so quickly and so well, because he already misses being home. You pull out one of his old t-shirts and hold it to your chest, and then find another small bag holding the contents of your important nighttime ritual.
âShower? That will help you feel better.â He feels your kiss hit the top of his head, and a wave of pleasure travels all the way through him.
âMuch better if you join meâ
âIâll grab my stuffâŠIâll be inâ
Now itâs his turn to dig around his bag, except he has no idea what you packed and where you put it. He pulls out his pill bottles and sets them somewhere he wonât forget them. Whether heâs adjusting to them or not is still a mystery, but if today is any indicationâŠprobably not. Heâs been in a fog most of his time awake since restarting them. He's been seeing things far more frequently, and his dreams are still as intense as they've ever been.
The bathroom door is cracked and Seungmin can see the steam already starting to swirl out. You arenât in the shower yet, though. Youâre partially undressed, crouched down, back against the wall across from the sink.
âWhatâs wrong?â Seungminâs drops to your level and his hands cup your face, but he doesnât move you. He watches your eyes squeeze shut and then relax, over and over until he says your name. And they finally open. âWhat happened?â
âJust dizzy. Iâm okay now, I think.â
âDo you feel sick?â
âI get vertigo when Iâm anxious, and sick in the stomach from both. Itâll go away.â
He turns the hot water down, and youâre already attempting to stand before he can get to you again. âPlease let me help youâhold onto me.â
âYou gonna hold me in the shower, too?â You smile and squeeze your arms around him, but the dizzy feeling has mostly passed.
âYes, if you need me to. Iâm sorry you donât feel well. Iâm going to fix this, and Iâll get us back home."
somewhere in the middle of the forest, pine trees on every side, and upâŠhe can hardly see the sky through the mist and crowded treetops. he doesnât know where he is, this scene is new. if it wasnât so unsettling, itâd be beautiful. but seungmin doesnât get scared so easilyâŠno, Heâs not around this time to scare him. but someone is getting closer. footsteps crunch across the thick, cold forest floor. someTHING, maybe. the steps are off and far too light to be a person.
a black cloud bounces in the corner of his eye. and then again on the opposite side
crunch crunch
but itâs so loud. snowflakes start dancing in front of him. no, not snowflakesâŠwhat is this? the dead remnants of a distant fire.
scratch scratch
fingersâŠclaws, digging into the bark
His eyes open, slowly and calmly. No pounding heart; no tears; no sweat rolling from his neck and forehead. Itâs quiet for a moment and the only thing he hears is the tick of the old alarm clock. Seungmin wonders how you fell asleep with that sound in your ears.
scratch scratch
The door moves ever so slightly. The loose doorknob shakes. Two scratches, and then three. Over and over. He thinks he hears a whimper. Maybe heâs still asleep. Seungmin reaches back and squeezes your hip. Heâs relieved to feel you shift and turn and wrap around him.
âI thought you were asleep,â you whisper and settle against his curled up body. âBad dream?â
âDid you hear that?â
You stay quiet for a few seconds and listen. âNo, whatââ
scratch scratch
âThatâ
âI donât hear anythingâ
Seungmin sits up, and your hands fall away from him. âYou donât hear it?â But heâs going for the door before you can answer him. âThat scratching?â
Again, you listen and hold your breath, but nothing happensâno sounds, no scratching anywhere in the room. Seungmin is hearing something that isnât there. You watch as he listens carefully, inches from the door, hand flat against it. The muscles in his neck and back tense as he goes for the lock, and then the knob, and he turns it so slowly.
There's nothing, but your heart still pounds like crazy because Seungmin is so sure something will be on the other side. He stops and releases it, turns to look at you, and he seems confused; tired, sad, and very confused.
âI think itâs gone, whatever it wasâ
Before you can respond, his hand grabs the knob and swings the door open. And nothing is there. Seungmin is standing alone in the empty doorway, and he steps out into the dark until you canât see him.
âMinnie?â You really donât want to get up and go after him, but you will. âSeungmin, please come back to bed.â Just as you throw the blankets off, you hear the creak of his footsteps in the hallway, and itâs hard to tell if theyâre getting closer, or further away. He doesnât reappear, though.
âSeungmin?â Itâs so dark. Itâs impossibly dark, even though itâs nearly dawn, and you donât even feel his presence out here. Where could he have gone? He wouldnât leave you by yourself with the door wide open and unlocked. âPlease, Minââ the floor creaks again, as if someone is putting their weight down gently. Now you feel him there, and the outline of him slowly comes into view. âHey, youâre scaring meâŠsay something.â
He reaches out and grabs you, or someone does. It looks like his hand, but everything feels wrong. It squeezes your wrist and pulls you, and youâre face to face with something elseâsomething that isnât quite Seungmin. This isnât who you just woke up next to. Two angry eyes stare you down, and lips pull back from its teeth before you manage to pull your arm free, but you lose your balance and fall backwards.
âIâm here, open your eyes...look at meâŠthatâs betterâ
Everything is a blur, but you keep your eyes open and blink until heâs finally there. Itâs really himâŠ
âHey, good morningâ
Itâs his brown eyes, big and full of worry, his pretty smile, and his messy morning hair. That horrible face wonât go away, though. Itâs burned into your mind.
âMorning?â
Seungmin nods and comes down to kiss your forehead. âYeah, we made it through the night. Bad dream?â
âYeah. Strange one. Did you wake me up last night?â
He tucks you back under the blankets and curls up next to you, âno, I slept through the night for a change. I had a dream, but it wasnât my usual one.â
âSo you didnât hear anything last night?" It's the second thing you remember after that face; Seungmin, if he were truly a monster. "Scratching?â Youâre floating, suddenlyâŠthe room warms, or you do. Yeah, itâs you. A cold sweat starts as you force yourself up, and now your stomach spins. âI have toââ
âWhat? You have to what?â His hand touches your cheek. âYouâre cold.â
Both feet touch the ground, but your legs wonât hold you up. He makes it to you quickly, and his arms wrap around you as you sit there doubled over in pain. All Seungmin can do is wait and listen to you quietly cryâthere arenât many people in the hotel, but itâs not empty. You canât risk the attention.
"What can I do?"
"It's okay...it'll pass"
"I can get you to a hospital. Last night, and now your stomach."
âWe canât go to hospital, we donât even know if theyâre looking for youâ
Seungmin knows youâre right, but heâs avoided checking any sort of news because he doesnât want his world to truly come crashing down on him yet. âCan you look at me? At least let me get you back into bed.â
You sit up slowly, and heâs right there steadying you, hands on your shoulders. He doesnât want to tell you how worried he really is. Seungmin thinks heâs done a great job so far of keeping himself and you calm, but he knows this isnât going to go away so easily. âWhere does it hurt?"
Everywhere, you think. You take his hand and spread it out right above your belly button. And then you slide it down below it. He pushes a little and the whimper catches in your throat.
âLet me know if it gets worse, or better.â His hand moves to your forehead, cold and covered in sweat. âI think itâs time we checked the news.â
/ / /
Thereâs not much you can do aside from observe until the pain eases up, and it doesnât feel like itâs going anywhere. It gives you time to dwell on the dream, and the dream within the dream. Were you inside of his? âWhere are you checking?â
Seungmin finds and turns on his phone for the first time since you left yesterday. âA few local news sites, social media. Looking on Twitter would be easier if I had gotten a name.â
âIs there anyone in your building you trust enough to talk to and ask if anything strange happened?â
Something hits himâsome clarity, the sudden realization that his mind has been moving so fast itâs made him overlook the most obvious solution. âThe security cameras.â
âYou have cameras up?â
âIâm required to have them at every entrance and exit, but I turn them off as needed. Thatâs the only thing I didnât fuck up yesterday.â Heâs back on his phone, typing, and then watching silently. âDid you bring your laptop?â
Now you can clearly see what he seesâthe screen is split into four separate camera feeds, and the quality is surprisingly good. Seungmin turned the cameras off when he escorted the girl into the building, but he forgot to turn them off again after that. At 50x speed, he watches the main entrance, the side and back exit, and the elevator starting around the time the two of you snuck out the back.
Twenty hours of footage...tenants coming and going, and you assume Seungmin recognizes the faces that are supposed to be in and out. His eyes donât leave the screen, and you keep quiet and let him watch. Three hours of footage later, he pauses it to rest his eyes.
âNothing strange yet?â
âNo, not that I can tellâ
âYou should eat somethingâ
He shakes his head. âMaybe last nights food got you sick.â
âI didnât eat very muchâ
Seungmin starts the footage again. Another three hours of almost nothing. âThis doesnât make sense. Did her friend not report her missing?â
âMaybe the police didn't believe her. At least not six hours after.â
Another three hours. Nothing. âHow is the pain?â
You flip onto your back and let his hand wander over your chest and stomach. âA little better.â
âGoodâ
Three more hours. Seungmin picks up the speed between midnight and sunrise, and then slows it down againâ9 am, 10, 11âŠnothing out of the ordinary. He switches to the live feed, and still nothing.
âSo the apartment is safe for nowâ
âFor now. Weâre not going back yet, unless you start feeling worse.â
âAre we staying here?â
scratch scratch
Despite the pain, you push yourself up and look at the door. Did you actually hear that? Seungmin doesnât move, so he obviously didnât. You definitely heard it, and it sounds just like it did in your dream.
âWe can stay another night, or we can find a new place on the way to Uljinâ
The live feed still has his attention when you turn and set your feet on the carpet, and this time, your legs hold you up. Pain shoots from your belly button to your chest, and then back down, but you try to breathe through it.
âWhere are you going? Get back in bedâ
âYou didnât hear that?â You reach the door and open it, and the hallway is emptyâŠjust like your dream. âLetâs stay somewhere else.â
Now you head east, and you drive much longer this time. Seungminâs gaze falls on you every few minutes for the entire first hour, but he stays silent until you get to the new destination. Wherever you are, surrounded by mountainsâŠitâs nice.
âWhere are we now?â
âHongcheonâ
âDalâŠâ
Seungmin looks at you, and waits patiently as you attempt to read the Hangul on the motel sign.
âOh, double kâŠg. Dalkkum?â
âVery good...Dalkkum.â He says it properly, and it sounds pretty coming from his mouth.
âDal means moon, right?â
âIâm not surprised you remember that, yes. Dalkkum means moon dream.â
âThatâs nice. We should stay here for a while, I like it.â
He turns the engine off and sighs, but itâs a good sigh; one of relief, and a little bit of satisfaction. The lack of activity at the apartment may have put his mind at ease, but you both know it's still too early to truly relax. âYeah, we can stay more than one night if you wantâ
The pain in your stomach is mostly gone, so maybe you can convince Seungmin to go on a walk around town. Itâs cold, but the fresh air might be good for both of you. âCan we get kimbap?â
âYeah, whatever you wantâ
âCheesy kimbap?â
âYes, I will eat if we get cheese kimbapâ
/ / /
The sun is warm, and Seungmin doesnât mind the walk, but he eventually drags you and the food to a nearby bench. He checks the bag, and you can tell heâs taking in the smell. âAre you comfortable here, or should we head back to the motel?â
âWe should eat it now, while itâs freshâ
âAnd can we talk?â
âTalk?â
He clears his throat, fidgets a little. Seungmin actually seems a little nervous now, but he unbags all of the food and separates it before continuing. âYesâŠabout what happened, and what you said.â
âOh, rightâ
Seungmin jumps in before you can change the subject. âYou said I already have. What exactly did you meanâŠthat you were ready to do it, or that youâve done it before?â
This is what youâve been ruminating on for weeksâfrom the moment you came back in his bed, and tried to escape. When he let you go, and when you couldnât stop thinking about him even though he should have been far behind you, and quickly getting further and further away. Seungmin kept catching you in your own thoughts, and in your dreams. You went looking for him, and it workedâhe still wanted you just the same as you wanted him. Heâs been wondering why, you assume...wondering why you want to be close to him, but heâs stopped pushing the question. Thatâs good, because you still donât have an answer.
âItâs hard to talk about. Iâve never spoken about it to anyone, ever, and I never expected to. I had planned on taking this to my grave.â
âI understand. Youâve kind of answered my question, so if it's too difficult, you donât have to."
âNo, I do. This is something I need to say, and itâs something I need to give to you."
âIt must be too heavy to carry around all by yourselfâ
You nod as Seungmin lifts a bite of food up to your mouth, and you canât help but smile when he does. It seems like his way of putting you at ease. âYeah, but alsoâŠâ you let him feed you, and then he takes his own bite. Itâs a relief to see him eating, finally, after three days. âItâs something you deserve to know.â
âWho did you kill?â
The question, asked so bluntly, throws you back in time. You stand in your living room, bare feet on the dirty floor, tv on and blaring in the corner. Heâs sitting in front of you where he always does every single night, and you know in a few hours, heâll do the same sick shit he does every Thursday night while your mother is at work.
âMy dadâ
âYour dad? You killed your father?â He sets his chopsticks down and stares at the food, and you wonder if this was too personal. Seungmin doesnât know his victims, and you already know he was very close to his mother. His stepfather, noâŠbut killing a parent is personal. Maybe youâre actually worse than he is. âWhen?â Heâs looking at you again, but heâs looking at you the way he always looks at you when heâs not in a fog, or having a bad dayâlike he wants to kiss you.
âI was fourteen, soâŠalmost twenty years agoâ
âFourteen? You were so youngâ
âI had toâ
âI donât doubt thatâŠand we donât have to get into it, unless talking about it will helpâ
âIt is heavy to carry around, and sometimes the guilt catches up to me. But he was a very bad person.â
Seungmin finds your hand and squeezes it between his. âWe are strangely similar, despite being a world away from each other our entire lives.â
âYou donât think Iâm terrible for killing my father?â
âAre you forgetting who youâre talking to?
âNoâŠbut, it seems different. It's worse than killing a stranger.â
His stare goes straight through you, and you're so exposed again. Whatever is going on behind his eyes is locked up, though. You need to know what he's thinking about. âLetâs go back to the room and finish this. Youâre getting cold.â
SYNOPSIS: Seungmin floats through life alone, haunted by his memoriesâkeeping himself under control, and quieting his mind the only way he knows howâŠkilling and watching the life leave his victims eyes. When you cross his path on a morning hunt, something new (something forgotten) starts to move inside of him, leading both of you on a path to confront the unspeakable past.
[ ML â DEITY MASTERLIST ]
seungmin-ah! mo! hahaâŠcome here, you know youâre in trouble!
whyyy? I didnât do anything umma
are you sure? letâs go look at what you didnât doâŠletâs go look at that empty plate, sweetheart
I didnât eat those cakes
oh? did daengmo eat them? I know he has a sweet tooth, just like youâŠ
His eyes open slowly. Everything is a blur as Seungmin tries to look around him, but itâs so dark. He blinks, and a tear runs to the corner of his eye. The first thing he latches onto, the closest thing, is your arm. His fingers close gently around your wrist as he finds himself.
Min?
He lets go and pulls at the collar of his shirt in an attempt to wipe his face dry.
âSeungminâŠitâs okay.â You grab his hand and wait for him to look at you. Eyes still wet with tears, he lays back down and stares at the ceiling. âJust a nightmare, youâre okay now.â
âNot a nightmare.â Seungmin breathes deep, and his eyes dart back and forth in the dark as he remembers. âJust a memory, I think.â
The bedroom is cold. Outside, itâs abnormally cold. You feel a shiver move through him as you run your hand up and down his forearmâthereâs another blanket in the chest, but first, you have to brave the icy floor to get it. âBe right back.â You slide out from under the covers and wince when your feet hit the hardwood and tiptoe the rest of the way there.
âWhat are you doing out there?â
You swing the creaky lid open and dig around for the heaviest one you can find. âI want that flannel blanketâŠoh, this one.â The lid comes down faster and heavier than you intend, and the sound feels unimaginably loud cutting through the middle-of-the-night silence. âSorryâŠâ The music box lets a note free, and then another. You look up at it, and the lid is propped open. Seungmin must have been in there, you think. There are a few dried flowers scattered inside and around it when you gently close it.
âItâs okay,â Seungmin says, and you can see his smile as your eyes adjust to the darkness. When you jump back in, he holds the covers open to show you exactly where he wants you. His body is warm, but the goosebumps are still all over his arms.
âJanuary is awfulâ
âYou told me you liked winterâ
âI like this,â you squeeze him and push your face into his chest. âTell me about your dream.â
The soft sounds of a guitar wake you. G chord, C, G, Dâwhatever it is, itâs simpleâŠand itâs nice. You wait and listen for a few minutes as the music builds, hoping you might finally hear him sing. Seungmin keeps you on edge, though. He stops, so you roll over and look at him.
âFinally,â he sets the guitar back on its stand.
âFinally what?â
âYou looked so comfortable over there, I was getting jealousâ
âOh, you couldnât get back to sleep?â
Seungmin stands and stretches. His sweatpants hang low on his hips, and his sweatshirt is pulled up just enough for you to catch his belly button, until he tugs at the hem, âI did for a little while.â
You pull the covers down, âso get back in.â
âItâs noonâ
âThen sing something for me, donât you think Iâve suffered enough?â
A month living under his roof, and making him laugh is still a treat. Itâs not quite as rare as it used to be, but Seungmin still has his days, his nights, and his moments of uneasiness and agitation in your shared space.
~
âHow long have you lived in this big apartment all by yourself?â You asked him a few weeks ago. There never seems to be a good time for most of these little questions, so you force them in whenever you can, and whenever you remember. Whenever you think he might answer them.
âAlmost five years, I was nineteen when I moved inâ
âThat answers another burning question.â Do you tell him now that youâre older than him, or wait until he asks? You doubt heâll care. âAll alone, no other roommates?â
He gives you a look and raises an eyebrow. âIs that what you are? My roommate?â
âIâm not not your roommateâ
âDo I make you feel like my roommate?â
Itâs a sweet, introspective question for him. Seungmin doesnât talk very much, but when you get him going, heâs good at keeping up. Sometimes, you do feel like his roommate, because some nights he falls asleep on the couch, and sometimes you do the same, depending on where his head has been that day. There have been days when Seungmin hasnât spoken a single word to you.
~
âIs that a no?â His face says a lot, but it doesnât answer your question, âno song for me?â
The bottom of his sweatshirt is suddenly very interesting. He pulls it more and squeezes the fabric in his fist as he tries to avoid your gaze. âUhmâŠIâve never sung for anyone before. I wouldnât know what to sing anyway. I donât know what youâd want to hear.â
The shyness might be an act, but itâs cute, and you like it. âYou can sing me the alphabet, I donât care. A nursery rhyme. Your favorite song.â Seungminâs face turns so red, that you almost change the subject completely. Pushing him has gotten easier, but youâre still careful. You resist the urge to ask if his mother sang him anything as a child, considering last night's dream, and the tears he tried to hide.
âIâll think about it, my favoriteâŠand maybe I will tonightâ
âReally?â
He nods, and his phone starts to vibrate somewhere on the bed. You can feel it, and just as you shove your hand beneath his pillow, Seungminâs slips under, too, and he gets there first.
Annyeonghaseyo, he says quietly and walks toward the balcony window.
Youâve continued your language classes because you have no job and nothing else to fill your time. Any reason to get out of the house and give him his space is welcome, even if it is only three days a week. Youâre no good yet, but the point is, you notice he answered formally, and very unlike how he typically sounds, and youâre curious. He very rarely speaks to anyone on the phone.
When he hangs up, he keeps his gaze down toward his phone and types something, and then he sighs one of his sighsâa little exaggerated, and very him. You love his sighs because itâs one of the few signals he gives you when something is bothering him.
âDid you eat breakfast, are you hungry?â Seungmin never asks anything of you; he likes to cook, and he seems to be naturally tidy. He never makes messesâŠwell, usually. âI can make us somethingâŠAmerican.â You head toward his keyboard and run a finger over it. Itâs off, so you press one of the keys.
âAmerican? Steak and eggs and potatoes?â Heâs still distracted by something on his phone, but he must be hungry. He knows what he wants.
âYeah, I just need to go get some steakâ
âCan you? I have toâŠuh,â he scratches his head. âI have something I need to do.â He sees your face change. âNot that, something else.â
âYeah, of course.â Something to do with his phone call, and whatever heâs been doing on the phone, you assume. You'll find out later, hopefully.
The bus is crowded, but he braves it. Sometimes he likes to be a little more anonymous, and this is the best way to do that. The office building is only a dozen or so blocks away from his building, but itâs too cold for a long walk.
âDo you have an appointment?â The woman behind the desk doesnât pay much attention to Seungmin until his soft yes, I do hits her ears. The look she gives him turns bashful and flirtatious, but it doesnât do much for him. âYour name?â
âKim Seung Minâ
âDate of birth?â
âSeptember twenty-secondâŠtwo-thousandâ
âOh here you are, it was just addedâŠDrâŠoh, Dr. Munâ
Thereâs only one doctor in this building who specializes in what Seungmin needs, and the receptionist has no tact when she realizes it. She avoids his gaze as she finishes typing and granting him access. âNinthââ
âI know where it isâ
/ / /
âSeungmin, how have you been?â Her heels click as she walks across the dark wood floor, and itâs a little hypnotizing. âCan I still call you Seungmin, or should we go back to formal? Itâs been quite a while.â
The click click stops when she sits, but returns with the slightly more annoying sound of the pen. Itâs weird being back in this room, but it feels familiar stillâthe smell, the lights, the colors. âSeungmin is fine. I donât like being spoken to formally.â
âYes, I do remember that now. Please, tell me how things have been. I know Iâm not your usual therapist, but you havenât gone to a session with him in over a year, soâŠâ
âIt wasnât helpingâ
âI know you feel-â
âIt wasnât. Every session made me feel worse, and he had no sympathy for anything I managed to dig up.â
âOkay. Have you been back home lately?â
His heart races, and itâs too warm in here. Seungmin slides out of his jacket and pulls at the sleeves of his sweatshirt. âLast month.â
âHow was it, did youâŠwant to talk about any of that? Was she there for you still?â
He manages a nod. Sheâs always there. Sheâs everywhere, but thereâŠthatâs where she truly is.
âNot to switch subjects so quickly, butâŠâ she says as her eyes travel over him, âwhat happened here?â Dr. Mun taps her pen to her neck, âI only ask because it looks very painful.â
The bruise you gave him two nights ago; the one he begged you for, even as you squeezed to the point of him nearly passing out. Itâs probably at its worst right now. Youâre stronger than you look. He sets his hand over it, pushes a little, and savors the pain still there.
âAnd because I know youâve hurt yourself in the past. Is that was this is?â
It might be easier to lie and tell her he did it to himself, because talking about you wasnât supposed to be part of this today. Heâs only here because she threatened to hold the medication he actually uses. Seungmin shakes his head, though.
âSomeone else did it?â
He nods.
âBecause you asked them to, I assume? Do you trust this person?â
Does he trust you? He must. You share a bed, and youâre feet away from his knife. He took you home with him and let you listen in as he spoke to someone you couldnât see, and you havenât questioned him about it. Seungmin begs you to bite and cut and choke him, which you do, and all of your time in between is spent waiting and longing for something more. He knows that.
âYes, I doâ
âAs long as Iâve been your doctor, three years, youâve been by yourselfâŠsingle. Is that no longer the case?â She tries to read his facial cues and his fidgeting hands. âMaybe itâs nothing serious, hm? Just casual? Thatâs also good, because youâre letting someone in, even in some small way. You trust someone besides yourself. Thatâs great, considering you havenât been keeping up with your medication.â
âSo I donât need itâ
âOne good step doesnât make everything better. Iâm glad you came and saw me at such short notice, and I know you want the lorazepam to help you sleep, but I would also like your word that youâll try the Haldol. Iâll write your new prescription, but pleaseâŠjust give it some time.
Hopefully, the smell of a very late breakfast brightens him up, because Seungmin didnât seem happy when he left earlier. One thing he seems to respond to when nothing else works is food.
He walks in wordlessly, takes off his jacket, and tosses it on the couch. Thereâs no change in his facial expression. Itâs as if he left, and then walked right back in. But he doesnât look more upset, thankfully; just blank. Heâs feeling nothing, or trying his best to look like heâs feeling nothing.
âHeyâŠMin.â You look at the paper bag clutched in his hand, and itâs easy to figure out what could be inside. You came back a little bit ago with the same one. âFoods all ready.â
The smile isnât forced, âokay,â but itâs not easy, either. âIâll be right back out.â
Seungmin doesnât close the door, so you try to peek in from where you stand. All you can see is the bed, but you do hear the rustle of his bag, and the subtle sound of full pill bottles as he sets them on his table. So if you have any deduction skills at allâthe phone call was from his doctor, or his therapist, or something along those lines. The hour and a half he was gone was spent with one of them, and then he stopped at the pharmacy a block down the street for his prescriptions. Easy enough. You hope heâll feel comfortable enough to tell you all of this on his own.
Before he comes out, you hear the pop of a lid, and the shake of one of the bottles against his hand. When he comes back out, he takes the coffee you hold out for him and swallows one, or both, of his pills.
âIt smells good,â he says, and he stays there. Seungmin stares at you.
âGood. Are you alright?â You try not to stare back, but each time you look up, heâs still looking. âDid you do what you had to do?â
âI didâ
âDid I do that?â The bruise on the side of his neck pops out at you. Itâs big and dark against the white of his shirt collar. Seungmin doesnât move when you reach out and touch it. âDoes it still hurt?â
âYes, and yes.â He sets his hand over yours and rubs it against the spot. âIt feels good.â
âSeungmin?â
He stops but keeps his hand on yours. The doctorâs words are ringing through his head as he watches your eyes dart back and forth between his. How much does he actually trust you? How far has he let you in, and how much has he given of himself? Too much? Enough to keep you here? âYeah?â You donât ask him a lot of personal questions.
What if you did ask him about his appointment? Would it be that bad? If he took his medication like you assume he just did a moment ago, broaching the subject should be even easier. Thatâs not the only subject you need to broach with him, though.
âDid you have a doctorâs appointment?
His eyes answer you before you hear the soft mhm.
âHow did it go?â At any moment you expect him to let go of your hand and retreat, but he doesnât.
âIt was okay. UhmâŠthat medicine makes me very tired, so if I fall asleep, Iâm sorry.â
âOh, you can sleep all day if you need to. But eat something first.â
/ / /
The space between wakefulness and sleep is much too big. Seungmin is stuck in itâhe knows that...he feels it. Like twilight in the backyard after a hot summer day. You turned the heat up a little, but you also laid the blanket over him and pulled it up past his bruised neck.
It feels good; the soft warmth of the couch, and the silky pillow under his head. And he can see you from here, moving back and forth in his vision, disappearing and reappearing as youâŠwell, heâs not sure what youâre doing. He likes watching you, though.
âHey, youâve been out for a whileâ
Your voice floats to him, and it takes an extra moment before he grasps what you say. Seungmin nods.
âThereâs some water here if you need itâ
He opens his eyes fully and looks at your smiling face. Why are you so happy? No, not happy. Smiling, yes, but your eyes give you away. âThank you.â Seungmin feels your lips on his temple, then on his cheek. Why? Thereâs nothing here worth loving. Heâs just an empty shell. âThank you.â
âYouâll feel better soon. Close your eyes and sleep a little more.â
Thankfully, he does.
Itâs completely dark when he wakes again, and so quiet that it puts him into a sudden panic. Heâs still asleep, and heâs back in his nightmare. His heart races, and he can practically smell the dirtâŠuntil he realizes heâs not alone. Seungmin moves his leg, and his foot slides over your thigh. Youâre hereâŠasleep, curled up in the small space he left at the end of the couch. He moves his foot over you again, hoping to wake you, and it works.
You close your hand around his ankle, âhey sleepyheadâŠâ
âWhat time is it?â
âGood question,â you tap your phone screen and squint at it. âJust after midnight.â
âFuck, I slept all day?â
He did, and while he slept, you checked to see if he was still on the same medication, the same dosage. Haldol and Xanax. Seungmin took one of each earlier, and his body never stood a chance against it. You also took care of your own problems while he was out, and finally getting it out of the way calmed you a little.
âYou just have to adjust, thatâs allâŠyeah?â
Seungmin still feels like heâs floating. He sits up more, and looks at you. It's too dark, and he can't see you very well, so he moves closer. âIt wonât fix me.â
âNo, youâre not broken." You don't know if Seungmin knows you know exactly what he's taking, but he's smart enough to realize you're going to look around any chance you get, because he did it to you with your backpack. Both of you, quiet, tiptoeing around each other to find answers instead of asking.
"No?" He moves closer still, and practically puts himself in your lap.
/ / /
Something sweetâŠyou said, walking to each corner of the kitchen and collecting things. He needs something sweet to eat, that will make him feel better. The smell of cinnamon and apples made it to him as he showered, and that alone did make him feel a little better.
âIt hasnât been back lately, butâŠâ he looks at the perfect baked apple in front of him and cuts it in half.
âWhat hasnât?â
âThe noise, the itch. Itâs been a while.â
âIs that bad?â You noticed, of course, that he hasnât left the house lately with the urge to find someone. He hasnât come home with anyone. The idea that you somehow changed something in him hasnât crossed your mind, because itâs sillyâwhat you have done, maybe, is filled up those spaces in his mind that were once left to their own devices. Seungmin has already told you heâs been here, alone, for years, and that the company heâs kept has never lasted beyond the hour they arrived. "Or is that good?"
âIâm worried itâll come back, and be worseâ
âHas that happened before? Has it gone away, and built up to something bigger?â
Seungmin takes a big bite of his apple, and the taste hitting his tongue makes him smile. Yes, it has happened, but he was a teenager then, and he lacked self-control. Itâs not something he wants to think about, or talk about right now. But he nods. âThis is very good, thank you.â
âWeâll deal with it when the time comes, if it doesâ
Will you? It seemed sincere, the way you said it, and the way you looked at him.
weâll deal with it
we
we?
Too much sleep is weighing on him now. Seungmin felt so tired as he ate the dessert you made for dinner, and while he struggled to brush his teeth. Now the sleep eludes himâbut heâs comfortable, at least. You bought new flannel sheets, and new pillows, so the bed hasnât felt this soft and warm in a long time. And you, youâre sound asleep a few inches away, content. Seungmin likes to stare, discreetly if he can manage, and so often heâs spent far too long watching you. He doesnât do it while you sleep. This morning, he got right up and went about his day, not concerning himself with how late you stayed in bed. Not until he got bored. Youâre usually up before him, so he missed a perfect opportunity to look at you without worrying about getting caught and making you uncomfortable.
The first time he saw you on the street, he did think you were pretty. He doesnât typically interact with foreigners, or tourists, despite speaking English fluently, but seeing you changed that. Seungmin still canât figure out why. Maybe if he bothered to ask a single thing about you, he could figure something out. Where are you from, and why are you still here after weeks of sometimes being paid attention to? Today, despite him sleeping for nearly all of it, was probably good for you.
Seungmin drops his gaze when you shift. Your hand slides up the sheet and stops just short of his. He watches it for a momentâŠand his pinky twitches. You never have trouble sleeping next to him, even though he nearly killed you. That night still lives at the front of his memory, and it replays over and over sometimes. Itâs replaying for him right now, because you looked just like thisâlike you were sleeping.
He moves a little closer, and his hand slides over yours. You groan, but your eyes remain closed. Seungmin says your name, softly, because he isnât sure he wants you to hear, butâŠhe wants you awake with him. One more whisper, and he sees your lashes shift as your eyes start to move.
âSeungmin?â Before you even look around, you call for him. âDid you say my name?â
âMaybeâ
âMaybe?â
Your sleepy laugh makes his stomach flutter, and he almost turns away. He has to force himself to stay put.
âWhatâs wrong? Is everything okay?â
The warmth of your hand on his cheek sets his stomach in motion again, and he doesnât like the feeling. Itâs too much. Seungmin closes his eyes when you donât take yours off of him. Touching comes easy for you, but you donât do it oftenâSeungmin wonders if that's his fault...if his distance keeps you away. You mean it when you do touch him, though, like right now. Like when you wake up tangled together, as if your unconscious bodies canât stay separated.
âCanât sleep? That makes sense. What time is it?â
âFour oâclockâ
âWe could go for a walkâ
âItâs freezing outâ
âWe could⊠go to that all-night cafe and try all the cakesâ
âThatâs tempting, butâŠâ the flutter in his stomach turns to butterflies as he reaches out for you. âThe bed is nice and warm,â he moves closer, close enough to tuck himself against you and fill himself up with your scent. You still smell the same as you did before; that deep, dark floral scentâflowers that only bloom when the sun goes down. Moonflowers, and night phlox. He wants to tell you that. Seungmin wants to tell you he gave you the wrong flowers, and that he needs to find you the right ones.
âWe can stay up. Iâll stay awake with you.â
âYou will?â
âIâll try my bestâ
Seungmin looks up at you, and his eyes make you feel like youâre melting. He pulls back just enough to still share your pillow. âDo you really not want to go back home?â He knows itâs a heavy question, but how else can he start?
âDo you want me to?â
He watches as the color drains from your face. âNoâŠdid I word that wrong? No, I donât want that.â
âThen no, I donât want to go back home. I promise you, I don't.â
âWhere is home? WasâŠwhere was home?â
âA town called Point Pleasantâ
âPleasant?â He smiles. âPoint Pleasant.â
âYeah, Uljin reminded me of it, a little. The woods, and the feeling it gave me.â
âWhy did you leave? I know you told me before, when we had lunchâŠis that the only reason?â You close your eyes and think, and Seungmin watches every tiny movement of your face. âMaybe it is, Iâm sorry.â
âNo, it wasnâtâ
âWe donât have to talk about itâ
âThere was no ex, but I was trying to get away from...uhm, everyone else. I lied to you."
âWhy did you lie?â Seungmin whispers, because he can feel something change in the way you speak. You sound on the brink of tears, but youâre also hiding from him. "You can tell me, it's okay."
âI lied about my job, and about needing help getting home. I lied about how long I've been in Seoul. I wanted to seem more interesting, more helpless than I was. You seemed hard to impress, and I didnât know why someone as good-looking as you was even talking to me. I still donât.â
âYou donât?â
You shake your head.
âI should be the only one wondering that.â He canât bring himself to ask why you had to run from everyone, and why running to him turned into your solution. He doesn't care about your lies, though. His whole life is built on lying to himself and to everyone else. âClose your eyes. Sleep."
âNo, Iâll stay upâ
âClose your eyes, Iâll be right behind you.â
/ / /
he is right behind you. and heâs fast, so much faster. the unbearable sound of mud underfoot as you slip and try desperately to gain some purchase, but you donât know this ground like he doesâŠand itâs dark but itâs midday, you think. you donât dare look behind you, though, because heâll be there when you do. free of the pine trees, at least, and thereâs some light trying desperately to get through the clouds. the only thing standing is the shed. barely standing. itâs quiet. he stopped. maybe he turned back. but you have to hide. the shed is the only place.
the inside is somehow worse. everything is visible through the cracks in the wooden slats, so you watch the woods. the mud grabs your boots, and youâre pulled in even more as you try to move. a twig snaps, a cloud of warm breath sneaks past your ear. you can smell it.
seungmin? your voice is shaky. he likes how scared you are.
another breath tickles your ear, so you decide to look. you should at least face him when he jumps, right?
you turn, slowly, and move your eyes up a long white snout until you find themâŠtwo black eyes, shiny and sad, ready to swallow you up. a growl from his chest, and then every sharp tooth is out.
no, you promised
âHeyâŠhey, relaxâ
The voice comes from the big white dog, or seems to.
âPlease, itâs meâŠopen your eyesâ
Something wet on your neck, your throat. Breath? No, warm lips. Why hasnât he ripped you apart, what is he waiting for?
âI know, youâre stuckâŠitâs okayâ
Finally, something shifts and you finally open your eyes. Two big black ones stare back at you, unblinking.
âNo! Donât touch me!â
Seungmin releases his grip on your wrist and backs away. âIâm sorryâŠIâm sorry. Youâre okay now. You were dreaming.â
You pull yourself up against the pillows, bringing the blankets with you as you fold yourself up. The collar of your shirt is soaked through with sweat, and you swear you can smell the fear coming off of you. Seungmin keeps his distance, but his eyes never leave youâthey take in every movement as you fidget and pull yourself even tighter together.
ââŠjust a bad dream. Really bad. You were, uhââ
âI was what?â You look around the room, and try to gauge the time by the amount of light coming in. Itâs still early in the morning, you think. A few hours ago you were awake and talking with him.
âYou said my name, and you were crying. Did I hurt you?â
âNo.â But he was going to. âIâm not sure.â
âMaybe you can tell me about it later, when it doesnât feel so real anymoreâ
âYeahâ
Seungmin wants to assure you that he wonât hurt you, but heâs not certain how to tell you again. He doesnât blame you for being afraid, though, even after everything. âYou saidâŠno, you promised. Were you saying that to me?â
You donât answer.
âIâll go make coffeeâ
He pulls the door closed and leaves you alone with your thoughts, but you donât want this quiet, either. Maybe heâll come back if you call for him. No, heâll absolutely come back if you call for him.
But you donât. You look around the sun-filled room like youâre searching for a clue. Everything is the same as itâs been for weeks, and heâs the same, so why is your head suddenly betraying you? You stand on sore, shaky legs and feel yourself floating toward the door. Seungminâs back is to you at the kitchen counter, white tshirt hanging loosely on his shoulders. The sun is bright in here, too, and you can practically see through him as he moves around like water. He stretches and rolls his neck, lifts his shirt, and youâre hypnotized by the sight of his back, the paleness of his winter skin as he pulls it over his head. Seungmin shakes the hair from his face as he turns, and he catches you there, peeking from the open doorway.
âHi.â He holds his shirt against his torso as you examine him, as if he has something to hide. His faded orange bangs fall right back in his face. The dark roots have grown out significantly in such a short time, but he hasnât been out much, and he hasnât had a reason to change anything.
âI can trim your hair for you, if youâd likeâ
/ / /
Itâs a little awkward at first, setting him down and running your fingers through his damp hair, both of you staring at each other in the bathroom mirror. You insisted on the conditioning treatment, mostly so you could wet him down in the bathtub, run it through his hair, and touch him a little more than you have lately. He smirked the entire time, probably feeling overwhelmed by the intimacy.
âAre you feeling better?â He asks the mirrored version of you. âI know how dreams can mess with your head.â
âA little.â You snip a few times, comb through it, snip again. âIâll be okay.â
âHave you done this before?â
âI used to cut my own, and my sisters. Itâs been a while, though.â
âWhy did you do your own hair?â
âHaircuts were expensiveâ
He nods, not needing any more explanation than that, and he lets you continue cutting. âIt was me, in your dream?â
âI think so. I mean, my dream self thought it was you.â Seungmin is confused, you can see that. âIâm sorry, I donât know how to explain it.â
âThatâs okay, I doubt I could explain mine either.â He watches his hair fall on the white tile, piece by piece. âEven though theyâre always the same.â
âMine are never quite the same, except for theâŠexcept for the shed. And the mud. The smell.â
Seungmin looks up at you before your next cut. âThe what?â
You think as you tousle his hair, and find a few more spots to trim in the back.
âThe smell. Do you smell things in your dreams? Itâs always wet and gross, like decay. Sometimes it stays stuck in my nose even after I wake up.â
âShed?â
âYeah, yeahâŠI think so. It was this time, for sure. Iâm usually already inside when the dream starts, looking out. This time I ran inside to hide.â
âFrom me?â
âSort ofâ
âSort of? Either it was me or it wasnât.â
His words come out sharp, and it goes right through you. It reminds you of the big, impatient voice he used on his last victim.
âIâm finishedâ
You toss the scissors in the sink and leave him there. Seungmin doesnât speak up again before you gently close the door, and he doesnât come out right away. Cleaning up, you assume, and then you hear him in the shower. He takes his time.
The television isnât typically on, but this morning, you need the noise to drown out the leftover scenes playing in your head. Itâs still too vivid. You turn on the news, and pretend you can understand what theyâre saying. The isolated feeling doesnât always bother youâsometimes it creeps up, and you remember everything here is foreign except for a few of your classmates, and Seungmin. If you think about it too muchâŠ
The story on the news changes, and you focus on it. Korean or not, you can figure out whatâs going on; what theyâre talking about, and what the footage appears to be showing. Itâs a crime scene. A body was found.
Seungmin finally emerges from the bathroom, and when you glance up at him, he looks a little dejected. He combs his fingers through his damp hair, and his bangs hit just above his eyebrows. Maybe you cut it a little too short.
He opens his mouth to speak, but nothing comes out.
âIs that your body?â
âMy what?â
âOn the news. Is that where you dumped it?â
Seungmin turns and looks at the screen, but you canât tell by his reaction if itâs a yes or a no. He just stares quietly, listening to every word. Eventually, he looks at you. âItâs fine. This has happened before.â
Your stomach drops. âIt has? What if someone saw you?â
âNobody saw me. You donât have to worry, I promise.â
But you will worry. "I should dye your hair back to black." What if something happens, and you lose him? After all youâve been through in the last few weeksâŠhow much closer youâve managed to getâwhich isn't very close, you admit. You canât. âAnd I will worry. Iâm not losing you.â
âLose me?â
âI canâtâ
He plays with his hair again, messes it up, and then takes a few steps toward the couch. It feels short, but it looked nice in the mirror. Heâs not really worried about it. He still hasnât felt any urges to go out and find someone, so he has no reason to look good for anyone, anywayâjust you. The subject on the news changes, and you seem to relax. You look up at him and force a smile.
Seungmin sits, leaving some space between you, and he keeps his hands tucked between his thighs. âI didn't mean to snap at you.â
âWhy did you? We were only talking about my dream.â
Because Iâm an asshole he thinks. An impatient, insensitive prick who doesnât deserve your kindness. Because I have has one true setting, and itâs self-sabotage. âTheyâre the same as mine.â He shuts his mind up and says. âParts of them, at least. Weâre dreaming of the same place, I think.â
âThe shed?â
âYes, the shed. The one next to the greenhouse.â
How did you fail to notice that? How did you not put that together? You saw it with your own eyes after seeing it several times in your head. You ran to it this morning, and looked out through the cracks in the wood. The smell. The mud you sunk into. That was the first time you were thereâwhen you were dead on Seungminâs bed.
âThe nightmares you always have, itâs the shed?â
âSometimes. Depends on which part of the nightmare Iâm on. It replays in my mind like a movie; Iâll get some pieces one night, and then another piece the next, or a few nights later.â
âItâs always the same?â
âLittle details change. And itâs not always in order, because my memory isnât perfect, I guess.â
You see his fingers twitch, and you donât resist the urge to reach for his hand. Seungmin squeezes yours back.
âYouâre reliving a memory?â
âYes, over and over. The worst memory. It always feels new in my head.â Saying it loud feels like a dream in itself. Having someone actually listen, and seem concerned. Having someone share in the dread that place gives him.
Do you just not remember him telling you about the shed before? Heâs mentioned his nightmares, but you donât remember him giving out any details, and when he talks in his sleep, you donât understand him. Try as you might, you canât actually read Seungminâs mind.
âBut it never comes togetherâ
Do you change the subject, or assume he wants to talk about it? He looks on the verge of tearsâangry ones, and you donât want him walking through his nightmare while heâs awake. "Can I have a kiss?â
Itâs been a while. Seungmin isnât a goodnight or good morning kisser. He doesnât sneak up behind you and peck your cheek (though sometimes, he does it when he thinks you're asleep). You have to wait for sex to get his needy, vehement mouth. That, or you have to take them yourself. Youâve only done that twice, and the first time, you had a knife to his throat.
He leans in and stops short, licks his lipsâŠhis eyes still shine with what heâs holding backâŠand gives you one long kiss before pulling back enough to look at you. âJust one?â
You take the second one, and Seungmin touches you. He pulls you closer, leans back against the couch, and gives you space to straddle his thighs. A kiss will almost always turn into this if you let it. Usually you do, because you want it, but not making another move right now is taking all of your energy. Still, you touch his stomach and side until his muscles twitch and tighten.
âWhatâs wrong?â He whispers.
âWrong? NothingâŠnothing is wrong.â
Seungmin holds you steady as he sits up again, and he places another soft kiss on your lips. âI should go take my pill.â
/ / /
The Haldol hits him again, and just like yesterday, heâs stuck and wandering around his head. Youâll adjust, you told him. He hopes youâre right because heâs never done this more than two days in a row. This isnât how he wants to feel. But youâre here now, leaning against his shoulder, talking softly about something. What if he just told you how much having you with him right now means to him? It would get stuck in his throat, no doubt, but he could at least try.
He stops thinking for a moment, and listens.
Is there a dog in your dreams? Was there ever?
No he thinks he says⊠no, there was never a dog
A big white dog
No, noâŠhe wouldnât let me have a dog
Something runs across the room, but he only catches it in his peripheral vision. Just a shadow, bouncing on four legsâŠ
What was that? he tries to stand, but he only makes it to the edge of the couch. Seungmin looks down at his bare feet against the gray carpetâŠscrunches his toes, and moves his feet against the soft fibers.
What is it? Do you want me to get you somethingâŠsweetheart
Sweetheart? Me? He sees it again. It moves slowly across the room, stops, and looks at him down its long black nose. Where did you come from?
Who? Who are you talking to? SeungminâŠ
He follows it around the kitchen counter, but thereâs nothing there. Nothing beneath the bar. Seungmin opens the counter and looks inside, pulls out the trash can and sends it to floor.
âSeungmin, whatâs wrong?â
âNothing.â He presses his palm to his forehead and sighs, âI donât know.â He turns and looks at the mess he made, and kneels to clean it.
âI can clean that up, go sit downâ
âIâm fine, Iâmââ You hear him sigh again. âWhat is this?â He reaches for something you canât see, and then slowly gets back to his feet.
âWhat?â Your heart beats wildly as he turns, and you can see what he has in his hand. It was stupid of you to not tell him about it before, and you know thatâyou tried to wait for a good time, and the time never came. âI was going to talk to you about itâŠI should have told you.â
âAre you?â He looks at you, then back down to the little pink box in his hands. "Are you pregnant?"
âNo, it was negative. I would have told you right away if it came back positive.â
âNegative? Why did you think you were?â
âI felt off." Tired, sick, sad...even when you open your eyes and see him in front of you. "I didnât know what else it could have been.â
âDo you still feelâŠoff?â
You do, but you donât want him to have that on his mind. Realizing youâve been sharing dreams, one of his bodies being found, and now Seungmin seeing things in the kitchen is already too much for one day. âIâm alright...just tired.â
Heâs still staring at the crumpled box in his hands, and you can tell heâs thinking, wondering, forming a question. His face gives him awayâanother one of his few tells. âWhen did you take it?â
âYesterday, while you were asleepâ
âMaybe you should take another, just to be sureâ
The second test is negative. You knew it would be, because youâre starting to realize the off feeling started when you went home with him, driving through the woods, stepping foot on the ground where the shed and the greenhouse sit. You canât explain why, and it doesnât make logical sense, but itâs all you have for now. And the shared dreams. Youâre starting to wonder exactly what happens in Seungminâs dream. His worst memory.
Heâs been standing just inside the bathroom door, watching you sit on the edge of the bathtub. You hope he doesnât think youâre lying to him about the first result, but why else would he hover like this? Seungmin doesnât seem the type to wait breathlessly for a different outcome. Nothing about him makes you think he wants to be a father.
But you donât know, and you canât assume there isnât something inside of him that wants that. You doubt yourself more than anything. Not just doubt, you know you have no business being a mother.
You walk to the edge of the sink, but he gets there first.
âItâs negative?â
âYes, this one is negative, too.â
He picks it up and looks at the little window, and the single pink vertical line inside.
âAre you upset? You seemâŠdown.â
Seungmin stares for another few moments, then shakes his head. âUpset? No. We should be more careful.â He drops it into the trash can, and heâs gone before you can speak again.
âCan you please tell me what youâre feeling?â He has no business keeping quiet about something that would affect you both so massively. âOr thinking about, at least.â
âIâm not thinking about anythingâ
âYou donât have to hide everything from me. I know Iâm still new here, but I think I deserve a little bit more of you.â
âYou do...you think that?"
The silence is horrible. His stare is empty, you hope itâs just him trying to get out of this conversation, or maybe his medicine still hanging over him.
âYesâ
âYou get so much of me, donât you see that? More than I've given anyone, ever. And more than youâve given me.â
âI wasnât sure if you cared about what I had to give.â Your voice shakes, your throat collapses, and your attempt at a deep breath comes out as a pathetic whimper. The tears are already starting, so trying to hide them seems pointless. "But I'll tell you anything you wanna know. I'll give you anything you want."
Still, he stares, but his face changes when he sees the tears falling, and hears the tightness in your chest.
âPlease, donât cry,â he says, and it sounds so exasperated, so over everything.
Your mind reaches desperately for something good: the kiss he gave you; waking you from your nightmare; the questions he did ask last night as he cuddled up next you.
âPleaseâŠâ Seungmin moves toward you, and this time, he treads a little more cautiously. âDonât cry, please.â His hands land gently on your shoulders, and he pulls you closer. âI donât like seeing you cry.â
You push your face into his chest, mostly to hide yourself from him, but his arms close around you.
âIâm used to hiding, and pushing back. Itâs a hard habit to break.â
âIâm sorryâ
âNo, donât apologize to me." He pulls you even closer. âYou do deserve more.â Cereusâthat sweet honey smell. That's the scent he's getting now. Tomorrow, he thinks, he'll find the flowers he needs for you.
âI was so scared to take that test, and now Iâm confused. You seemed upset that it was negative, were you?â
His grip on you loosens, and he makes you look at him. âI donât have a good answer to give you.â Or he canât put it into words properly. Something inside of Seungmin stirred when he saw that box, and then again when you told him it was a false alarm. Whatever moves inside of him when he takes a life, it moved a little bit for this, just in the opposite direction. âDid you want it to be negative? When I saw the box, I figured the result was your reason for staying. Like you were trapped here now.â
âI wanted it to be negative because I donât think Iâd make a very good mother. And because I was afraid youâd be angry."
âAngry? No. Do I still scare you?â He pulls his shirt up and wipes at your cheeks, and he cups your face in his hands. âDonât ever let me push you around, or treat you like youâre less. If I do, leaveâgo home, and leave me to rot here by myself, like I deserve.â
âSeungminâ
âI canât turn into that person. I wonât.â
You look at him questioningly, and he notices. He sees you wanting more. After this conversation, Seungmin knows he canât always walk away from the memories he keeps digging up. He certainly canât do it right now, not today.
âWho treated you like that? Who pushed you around?â
A memory jumps to the front of his mind; stopping at the top of the porch steps to fix his coat zipper, yelling to his friend to wait up. Seungmin felt a hand press against his shoulder, and it pushed. He remembers the pain in his wrists from almost catching himself, and tasting blood from his busted lipâŠbut not why he did it. Maybe Seungmin was being too loud, or just standing in his way.
âMy stepfather. He was, wellâŠhe didnât like me.â
Seungmin squeezes when you grab for him again, and he keeps you close as he tries to stop the sting of tears.
âHe hurt you?â
His chest aches from remembering. More memories pop into his head, and he needs to stop them. A pill, maybe. No, if he does that, either heâll sleep the rest of the day, or heâll have to watch the strange black dog slink around the apartment again.
âIâm sorry, we donât have to talk about it...unless you need toâ
âWhatâs your favorite color?â
âMy what?â You wipe your cheeks with the back of your hand.
âYour favorite color. I had a friend when I was a kid, my only friendâŠhe always asked everyone what their favorite color was. It seemed important.â
âBlueâŠdark blue. Like the color of your old bedspread.â
âThat fits you"
âI would guess yours is purple, unless thatâs too obvious.â
âNo, youâre right. Is that a good start?â
âIt is, Iâll take it. Where is your old friend? Still in Uljin?â
âNo, he moved away before things got really bad. Iâm not sure where he ended up.â
Since Seungmin is giving, maybe you should, too. âI do know what itâs like.â Even though it's hard. âIt stays forever. The mean wordsâŠthe screaming, and the beating, and all the locks on all the doors. It doesnât go away.â
âNo, it doesnâtâ
/ / /
Who hurt you? Seungmin wonders as he watches you hunt for all of the white puzzle pieces. His mind is numb from half of a Xanax he took, so heâs not participating. He really is enjoying watching you, thoughâheâs catching some of your subtle habits, and hoping he still remembers them tomorrow. You squint your eyes when you think, and absently rub your hands along different parts of your body; your forearms, your neck, when youâre still for too long. Seungmin has seen you do it before, during the long car ride, but not this much. And his favorite; your finger slowly tracing the outline of your lips, pulling and picking at them. If you keep it up, youâll make them bleed, and he might come down there in his daze and start kissing them clean.
âHmm?â
Your eyes flit up to him. Why, what now?
âYouâre sighing so loudly up there. Get down here on the floor with me.â
âIâll get in your way.â Of course, Youâre always wanting, Seungmin thinks. Always itching for closeness.
âI want you in my wayâ
Itching for touch. Who put that tenderness back after it was beat out of you? He watches your hand as it leaves your mouth and pushes a stray puzzle piece back in its place. Where does your patience come from?
ââŠget down here and help me find the green piecesâ
He laughs at that, and it must be loud enough for you to hear. Your head turns his way, and you scowl at him, but you canât keep up an actâŠit turns into a smile as you look away.
Those things make a good mother, right? Seungmin remembers that, sometimes. The patience, and the tenderness. Soft words. Soft hands. Why wouldnât you?
âWhy wouldnât I what?â
Oh he said that part out loud. âNothing. Iâm coming.â He slides from the couch and onto his knees, drops to all fours, and starts toward you.
âCuteâŠoh, youâre not gonna help at allâ
Seungmin climbs into your lap and goes straight for your neck. He kisses once, stops, and inhales deeply.
âAre you smelling me?â
His mhm comes deep from his chest, full of your sweet scent. He kisses again, coaxing you to your back as your shirt is lifted from you. âOh, this is nice.â
The air is cold against your bare skin, but you relax when his warm hands graze over your nipples, hard and pushing against the mesh of your bra.
âIs this new?â He puts his mouth around one and bites until you make a sound for him. âA matching set?â He pulls the waistband of your leggings down, âit is,â and brings them down the rest of the way. âCute.â
âCute?â
You can hear his soft laugh as he disappears between your thighs. He touches, squeezes, bites when his mouth gets to work. âAre you cold? We can get into bed.â
âYeah, take me to bedâ
/ / /
Itâs warm under the sheets, but your teeth chatter anyway. In anticipation of him, maybe. Should you ask him to use a condom? Will he, if you ask? He would. Do you want him to? You canât imagine yourself as a mother; or pregnant, for that matter. What a strange home to bring a child into.
He heads for his drawer, and reaches for the knob, but stops himself. Seungmin turns and heads for his dresser, where he slides one of the top drawers open. As far as you know, from your innocent snooping a few weeks ago, thereâs nothing in there except his jewelry, watches, extra glasses. He put something new in there. He comes back with a condom between his fingers, and a questioning look in his eyes.
You give him the same look right back.
He points to the bedside table, ânot ours.â And then to the drawer he just came from, âours.â
âThatâs sweetâ
âIs it? I just thought it made sense.â
âYeah, itâs sweet to meâ
The room warms. You swear you can feel the cold get pushed away as he crawls to youâŠonto youâŠpulls the covers back up as you disappear beneath him. Seungmin touches and kisses everywhere he can get toâdown your body, where he tugs at the matching panties he seemed to like so much, and back up to focus elsewhere. He opens the clasp of your bra and lets you fall out, and his smile as he watches is sickly sweet. You feel a blush move up your neck and face, and your reflexes force your arms around you. Thereâs no reason to be shy, but heâs making you feel seen again. Too seen. Seungmin looks at you, and into you in a way nobody else has before.
He gently grabs your wrists and pushes them onto the bed, âyouâre mineâŠno hiding.â
âIâm yoursâ
âAll mineâŠyou wonât leave meâ
Itâs just a mumble against your skin, but you hear every word. He told you to leave if he did something to deserve it, but despite the dream, you're starting to believe he's incapable of scaring you away. He might think he is, but he doesnât see all of himself. Seungmin isn't the nightmare that looks back at him in the mirror.
You still remember every word he said in the greenhouse; okay, I guess...sometimes itâs tough to tell from the inside. You didnât hear the question, but you assume it was âhow are you?â
He talked about you; I know, Iâm not alone this time, isnât that strange? It feels so strange.
Iâm trying really hard, I promise
Trying to what, exactly? To get better? To keep you around? If only you had heard what he heard, and knew both sides of the conversation. But you know who it was now, and it took too long to figure out. Seungmin was catching up with his mother, telling her he is okay, and that he is no longer alone, and that he's trying so hard to...well, you're not sure exactly whatâkeep everything from falling apart, maybe. The dream that had him in tears, and unable to get back to sleep, was her.
âNo, I won't leave you aloneâ
His teeth sink into your neck as he works his way in. Itâs easy, and so smooth, and so satisfyingâSeungmin knows his way around your body now. He pushes his cock inside of you, pulls out slowly, slides back in. Warming you up, making you comfortable, and maybe testing out how this feels. Seungmin feels good, he always doesâŠand this, you could do this with him all night, but itâs not quite right. Youâre used to nothing between you and him, so what youâre thinking is irresponsible and stupid.
The slow, steady strokes are him; the painful stretch, and the careful movements are all him. But itâs not the same. Your hands slide up his back and you pull him closer, and he bites again, softlyâheâs become gentle with you in every way when you fuckâŠhe doesnât leave you with the same marks he begs for.
âMin,â you whisper, and run your hands across the scratches you left. Healed, but still rough against the rest of his soft skin. He moans quietly, and you hate to say his name again and stop him, but, âhey.â
âWhatâs wrong?â He slows his thrusts and looks at you, âit hurts?â
âNo, it doesnât hurtâ
He kisses sweetly, and you can feel him crack a smile before he pulls away.
âWhat are you smiling about?â
This time he laughs as he goes for another kiss. âWhat is it, whyâd you stop me?â and another.
âIâŠuhmânothing, I'm fineâ
âNothing?â He stops completely and stares. Trying to read your mind, probably. Seungmin moves again, slowly.
âPleaseâŠbaby.â Why did you say that? Your face heats up, and you know he sees it. Thatâs the second time you've done that today.
âJagi?â The grin wonât drop from his face, so you wonder what has him feeling so relaxed, and so at ease. It canât just be the pill he took. âSweetheart?â
âDonât tease me"
"No...I'm not, I like it. You can call me sweet little nicknames."
"Take the condom offâ
Seungminâs eyes grow, âoh, is that the problem?â He kisses more, and you can feel him reach between you and remove it. âAnything for you.â
"Anything?"
"Mhm...tell me what else you want"
"Don't be so gentle this time"
He grips your wrists again, puts all of his weight down, and fucks you slowly, gently. "Are you sure? You want it a little rough?"
"Yes, Min...please"
"Call me Minnie"
"Minnie," You can't help but smirk at that. It's almost too cute for him, "can we switch positions?'
Seungmin mhm's and slides his hands from your wrists, and groans as his cock is released from your tight squeeze again. "How would you like toâ" he laughs under his breath as you turn your body, get on your knees, and lay your head on the pillow, "...be fucked?"
His eyes eat you up, and his hands follow. Seungmin wonders why you havenât switched things up before now, but he knows why he never doesâhe likes looking at you, and kissing you and he likes watching you on top of him (and pulling you down). Seungmin never realized how much he liked to kiss until he kissed your breathless lips, and again when he had a knife to his throat. That isnât the type of treatment his victims get unless it seems absolutely necessary. Seungmin only wants to kiss you.
Considering how shy you were before, heâs surprised at what heâs getting now. Ass up, thighs spread. He resists the urge to use his mouth, only because his cock is aching for you again. He moves his head between your lips, gathering up your warm arousal, mixing it with his pre-cum. The thought of filling you up again makes him ache even more, and he pushes in without warning.
But you said you wanted it rough. You gasp and flinch, and your shaky breath actually makes him pause for a moment. No, you said you want it rough, and heâs giving it to you.
âStop me if you need to.â Seungmin runs a hand up your back and squeezes your shoulder as he starts to move. In and out, deep and slow at first. âOkay?â He thinks he sees you nod, so he lets go, and the sound as your body meets his is so sweet; the grip on his cock, how much deeper he hits. And he knows heâs hurting you, despite your persistence. Face down in the pillow, fist clenching the sheetsâyour free hand reaches for his, and Seungmin thinks you want to hold it, but instead you wrap his fingers around your neck.
âAre you sure?â He can barely get it out before you push back into him. âOh fuckâŠokay.â Seungmin squeezes, gently, and it seems to satisfy you for now, but he doesnât want to tighten his grip. He canât do that, because he hasnât done this to anyone unless he was ending it. The control might not be there. Maybe it will be, for you, but he doesnât know for sure, and heâs not willing to risk it.
âMoreâ
âNo.â It slips out. He was only thinking it, but he says it again. âNo, I canât.â
âMinnieâŠâ
âI might hurt you.â He leans forward and places a kiss on your back, and keeps moving up, âI canât,â wraps his arms around you and holds you tight against his chest. âI love you, I canât.â And he hopes youâll turn your head and look at himâŠ
You do. âWhat did you say?â
Seungmin kisses you sweetly and fucks you as gently as possible, because he wants this to last a little longer, but heâs so close. The kissingâthe confessionâŠhe told you he feels too much sometimes, and he knows you remember.
A little bit of regret swirls in his head, only because you donât say it right back, but he pushes it away when you twist yourself to kiss him even deeper. Seungmin comes, and his satisfied moan fills your ears and mouth and chest. You feel him shaking as he slows himself and pulls out, and then heâs up, and you need him back, but itâs only for a moment as he helps you roll back to face him.
Now what? Heâs staring at you, silent, eyes full of all of those feelings he holds onto so tightly. You could answer himâyou could say it right back to cut through this quiet, but you want him to say it again. Instead, he touches. His warm hand closes over your cunt, and his fingers slide up and over your still-sensitive clit. He gives you exactly what you need, and when his mouth start exploring you again, your orgasm already starts to rise.
âKiss meâ
He jumps up to your chest, and your neck, and finally lands on your lips as you come for him.
/ / /
Not getting a positive result on either test was a strange surprise, you have to admit. Every time youâve had sex, save the first time, itâs ended the same way; you laying here, staring at him, filled with him. Right now, youâre comfortable and curled up in his arms, and you can feel the slow trickle of cum on your thigh. You like it.
âIâll start birth control, so we wonât have to worryâ
Youâre not sure heâs still awake until he moves his hand up your back, and laughs under his breath. âIâm not worried. But you donât want a baby, so we will be careful.â
You donât want one, not we. Every time he talks on the subject, you move closer to the conclusion that a very big part of him wants a child. You have to find out for sure, and you need to know why, if that is the case. This is a strange home to bring a baby into, you think again. Two damaged parents canât make a happy, well-adjusted child, can they? No. It doesn't even matter how you feel, or how he feels, because neither of you are there yet. You might never be.
"Minnie?" Not smiling when you say it seems impossible, Minnie. It's cute, and it doesn't seem to match him, or it didn't when you first met...it does now. You see a Minnie in there; sweet, loving, overflowing with heartache and nowhere to put it.
âHmm?â Of course he expects you to bring it up, his three stupid little words he couldnât keep to himself; his sudden outpouring of emotions, because he finally boiled over in the moment. Seungmin wonders if thatâs how it usually feelsâlike youâre going to explode from the pain. Thatâs how it feels when heâs kneeling in the dirt with his flowers, and thatâs how he feels when he remembers too much all at once. But this was a different type of pain.
âMinnie,â you say it again, whisper it, feel it leave your mouth and reach his ears. His eyes grow, and you can see them reflect every little light in the room. Why didnât you tell him first, and what if Seungmin is wondering that, too? You feel it, and you have felt it far too long in your short time knowing him. He knows that. He knows youâre the one bursting with love for him, he has to know that. âI should have told you.â
Thereâs so much he doesnât know, and now youâre going to tell him something that will change whatever this is. âTold me what?â
You hope it changes things for the better. âHow I feel." It could always complicate things, or scare him, even though he opened his mouth first.
"Told me how you feel?"
"How I feel when I look at you. How much I love you."
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part three | unearth // serial killer!Kim Seungmin/afab reader
WC: 14.4k
RATING: mature/explicit/mdniâcontains: angst, murder, blood, very brief m/m, bodily penance/self-harm, medication, sex, more blood
SYNOPSIS: Seungmin floats through life alone, haunted by his memoriesâkeeping himself under control, and quieting his mind the only way he knows howâŠkilling and watching the life leave his victims eyes. When you cross his path on a morning hunt, something new (something forgotten) starts to move inside of him, leading both of you on a path to confront the unspeakable past.
[ ML â DEITY MASTERLIST ]
After the second cup of coffee, you start to pay more attention to the time. It feels like an hour has passed, at least, but you canât be sure, because you have no idea what time it was when the two of you woke up this morning. Itâs even colder now, and the draft continues to blow inâthatâs how you know heâs still out there. Doing what, though? Being alone, yesâŠmeditating? Punishing himself?
You fill a third cup of coffee and decide to let fifteen more minutes pass before checking on him. You could just get up and go now, but it doesn't feel like your place to question his actions. This is really none of your business. Should you make it your business?
His back is straight, his head is downâŠyou can see the steady puffs of condensation leave his nose. The blanket you pulled from the couch is rolled up under your arm when you push the curtain aside and walk out onto the balcony. Itâs even colder than you imagined, now that the walls of his bedroom are gone.
How could he have been out here for so long? Seungmin isnât made of much; heâs thin. Tall and broad, yes, but thin. And though his body has been warm and comfortable when youâve been close to him, he canât possibly keep that warmth in him right now. He doesnât seem to hear you approach, or kneel at his side. You unfold the flannel blanket, the same one he gave you before, and carefully wrap it around his shoulders, up to his neck. Now he moves a little, and when you rub your hand over his back and shoulders, he opens his eyes and looks at you.
âWhy are you out here?â
âWhy are you?â
âCome back inside, pleaseâ
âAre you sure?â He grabs the blanket and pulls it around him.
âYes, of course Iâm sureâ
He nods, but he doesnât move yet. Maybe he needs to find some energy firstâthereâs no way he has any left now. His legs look lifeless and pale, but they still work when he gets his feet flat on the ground. You follow him as he rises, hold his arm, and youâre surprised that he lets you guide him back inside.
He starts toward the door.
âNo, you should get back into bedâ
âI need some coffee.â His voice is so small, and weak.
âIâll bring you someâ
Seungmin stops, and stands there for a few seconds.
âPleaseâ
When you return, heâs halfway under his covers with the blanket still wrapped around him.
âIf you still want to be alone, I wonât stay in hereâ
âYou can stayâ
âOkayâŠâ you climb onto the bed, find a spot in the middle, close to him, but not too close, and watch him as he quietly shivers. His cheeks and ears are red and chapped from the wind, and his usually pouty pink lips are pale and barely there against his colorless face. âGet all the way under the covers.â You reach a hand out to touch his neck, and he jumps.
âIâm sorry if I hurt you beforeâ
âIâm fine, you didnât hurt meâ
âI didnât?â He reaches out and lifts your shirt, and the marks look even more apparent. A few bruises are already starting to bloom where his fingers pressed. âI did.â
âLie down, youâre still shivering.â His hand is like ice when you grab it, but he shakes free and sets it flat across the bruises. It feels so good, but you try not to make your content sigh too obvious. âOkay, okayâŠlie down.â
Seungmin listens this time, and you decide to take a chance and move closer. You still donât know why he was out there, or why he was torturing himself, but maybe heâll allow you to wrap an arm around him and pull him even closer. His body is so cold, youâre not sure you have enough heat in you to help, but youâre going to try. Youâre not sure why, but you know he would do the same for you.
/ / /
Seungminâs long limbs are all over you, holding tightly. The look on his sleeping face, at least what you can see squeezed against him, is the most content youâve ever seen it. Heâs sleeping like a puppy curled up in a heated blanket. And thatâs exactly how you feelâwarm, damp with sweat. Too warm. Seungminâs heat returned, and then some. His cheek feels like a radiator when you touch it.
âIâm so tired,â he mumbles, moves around a little, then settles again. âWhy am I so tired?â
âBecause you sat outside for hours and itâs -2 degreesâ
His eyes pop open like heâs wondering why someone is in his bed, answering him. He lets go, pushes himself back, and examines you.
âWhy did you do that?â
âDo what?â
Well, maybe heâs not all there yet. It doesnât matter. Something about being in bed with him like this again blurs everything. Youâre comfortable and warm here, and this is all that matters. You should probably check your messages, your email, your bank accountâŠsomethingâyour family might actually be worried enough to send money. It doesnât matter, though. You donât plan on going anywhere right now.
âI need to shower, and go outâŠwhat time is it?â
âGo out? Why do you have to go out?â
âI have to findâŠâ Seungmin stops and looks at you again. âSomeone.â
âAlready?â
âYesâ
When did he do this last? Did he do it recently? The last time you asked him, it was in the park, and he told you he killed someone the day you met. After you met, because he didnât kill you. You canât even remember how long ago that was, so you close your eyes and thinkâŠtwo weeks, andâ
âItâs been two days,â he says.
Oh, it was recent. You find yourself looking around the room as if you missed some clue about his recent activities. Is that why the bedding is all new? Did he do it right here on this bed? âTwo days?â
He rises slowly. The arm thatâs still draped over your hip slides away, and he stumbles a little as he gets to his feet. âYeah, on Friday. After I thought you left.â And heâs gone without another word.
You hear him in the showerâheâs in there for a very long time, and when he finally comes out, a cloud of steam follows him. Heâs still dripping wet, and his hair is slicked back so tight, he almost looks like a different person. And heâs completely naked. No towel wrapped around his waist, no shorts, just wet skin glowing in the sunlight. Seungmin makes himself more coffee, an iced one this time, and doesnât say a word as he sips and looks absently at his phone.
He takes his coffee to the bedroom, and he comes back out a few minutes later, partially dressed. All you can do is watch, nervously, as he approaches where you sit at the corner of the couch. Why are you so nervous? Seungmin isnât even looking at youâ heâs staring at the floor, and then at whatever small thing he has in his hand. He holds it out and waits for you to take it before speaking.
âGet whatever you need, or whatever you wantâŠboth,â he says softlyâpractically whispers it. âMax it out, I donât care.â
If you didnât assume he planned on doing this since last night, youâd think it was his indirect way of apologizing. Seungmin clearly has money to throw at things to make them go away, or to bring them closer to him. Youâre not sure which of those he wants from you right now.
This was your first time shopping in Seoul, and it was overwhelming being on your own in the crowds, but you have to admit it had its moments of calm, and even a few moments of joyâparticularly when you found a dress very similar to one that you lost, and especially when you stumbled upon something that reminded you of Seungmin. It seemed silly to get, but it seemed silly to pass up, too, and you havenât decided yet if youâll give it to him. But you have it just in case. Maybe heâll be in a better mood after a few more hours of solitude. Maybe he wonât be as bad as you think heâll be at accepting gifts.
The apartment is dark, and very quiet when you return. Seungmin gave you a copy of both keys, and the code to the final lockâbeing trusted with that did feel good, and it made your morning a little better after his standoffish attitude. It does make it feel like last night's comments probably werenât the truth, but you still have to wonder about everything else. You set the bags down and look around; the kitchen light is on, and you can see some soft light coming from the crack beneath his bedroom door. There is sound, but itâs very quiet and you canât catch any type of conversation.
The closer you get, the more confusing it becomes, until it finally hits youâyou think you know what youâre hearing, and it throws your heart into your throat, and you feel a little sick. Seungmin is moaning, over and over, but itâs not quite how he sounds when heâs with you. Itâs a steady rhythm, and then he stopsâŠstarts again, stops. It almost sounds forced, but heâs the only sound you can hear. Maybe heâs getting himself off; maybe last night wasnât enough. You donât want to interrupt him if that is whatâs going on, but when you hear another voice, you really start to feel sick.
âIs that good?â the voice says. It sounds masculine, but still, itâs hard to tell for sure. You canât understand it, anyway. You donât hear Seungminâs response, but the other person laughs, and you feel your entire body start to heat up. It could be from anger, or embarrassment, or sadness...all of the above. You feel stupid standing there, but itâs not like Seungmin is your boyfriend. Heâs not yours, and you guess youâre not his, either. No, he just took in a stray and gave it unlimited money to shop, absolutely no big deal. Nothing serious.
âYeah, you areâŠâ Still the nameless, faceless voice. Definitely masculine. âCome back, donât be a tease.â
You take a few steps back. The language barrier means you canât say for sure whatâs happening behind that door, but it feels obvious. The deep, sensual whispers and the moans can only equal one thing.
âYeah, keep goingâ
Itâs Seungminâs voice that time. And then everything goes quiet. A few seconds later, he comes, loudly. And then itâs quiet again.
You take a few more steps back until you hit the side of the kitchen counter, and itâs then that you hear a loud thud. Very loud, like something heaving hitting the ground.
âFuckâŠwhat are you doing?â This time, the voice soundsâŠangry? No, surprised, confused. Itâs hard to tell even as you listen as carefully as possible. Your head is swimming with every strange thought, though. âNoâŠstop, please.â
âWhat the fuck?â You say out loud to nobody. Your legs are trembling. Another loud thud makes you jump, and then you hear Seungmin. It almost doesnât sound like him, but you know itâs him. Itâs big, and deep, and unlike any version of him youâve heardâŠ
âFuckingâŠhold still. Fuck, give me a break.â
The door shakes, the doorknob turns, and as soon as it swings open, all you see is the stranger's terrified face. Heâs half-dressed, jeans still mostly zipped, but he slips a little as he makes a run for the door. Seungmin is right behind him, and you just barely see the shine of his knife as he runs by.
Your legs tremble more, and you donât know how youâre still standing. The feeling of needing to vomit now hits, but nothing happens when you lean forwardâjust a dry heave, and then your throat tightens right back up. He doesnât see youâŠhe has one thing in his sights, and itâs almost at the door youâre pretty sure you left unlocked.
The man stumbles again, and Seungmin grabs him by the back of the neck as he falls forward onto the carpet. But he screams, and itâs so loud. You see the glint again as he pulls back and plunges it into the side of his neck. The soundâŠyou think you actually hear the metal as it slides through his skin and tendons and cartilage. Did you really hear it all the way over here? You did hear Seungminâs angry growl, and you can still hear his heavy, uneven pulls of breath. Finally, you fall to your knees and take one deep breath. The light-headedness outweighs the feeling of vomiting, but you manage to keep it together.
âSon of a bitch,â he says, in English this time, and you definitely hear the blade being pulled out and thrown to the side. It bounces and makes a mess everywhere it hits, and it lands right next to one of the bags you brought home.
Seungmin sighs and runs his fingers through his messy hair, âanother fucking mess.â He says it in a sing-songy voice as he turns his head and looks for his knife.
You can see his face now, and it changes immediately when he notices the bags. His eyes grow, and his tongue pokes out a little between his lips. First he looks at his work again, and the mess of blood slowly pouring onto the carpet. Then he looks at the door, which you know he can see is unlocked. If the stranger would have beat him to itâŠwell, youâd rather not think about that. Finally, he turns his head. His eyes seem to soften as they land on you, and something about his face looks guilty.
âHey,â he says, and very carefully stands up. Seungmin towers over the body, examines it again, and then adjusts his shorts. Itâs the only thing heâs wearing, except for two silver necklaces, and a little bit of blood on his stabbing hand. âHeyâŠI thought youâd be out longer,â he quickly closes the space between you and kneels a few feet away. "Donât move, Iâll be right back.â
You stay in your spot and watch him as he heads for the sink to wash his handsâŠonce, and then a second time.
âYou okay?â He kneels again, much closer this time, and places his hand on your knee. âHm?â Seungmin keeps his face relaxed, and his eyes heavy, as if heâs trying his best not to make this seem as serious as it really is. To him, it is nothing, you think, and he may be lacking a bit in empathy, but heâs smart enough to know that what you just witnessed was a lot. âDo you wanna stand with me?â
No, you donât, but you nod anyway and give him your hands.
He stares at you for a long time, silent, wondering what to say next. âWhy donât you go take a long, hot shower? Iâll set some clothes in there for you.â
âWhy?â
âBecause when you come out, youâll feel a little better, and everything will be back to normal.â
âNormal?â
âYeah, mostly. Please, just give meâŠ30 minutes.â
âHow are you going to fix this in a half an hour?â
Thatâs a very good question. Seungmin can clean up in that span of time, but he certainly canât dispose of this body, as well. Luckily, he usually has a backup plan floating around in his head. âYouâll have to believe me.â He relaxes the vice grip he has on your wrists and slides his hands up your arms. âTry to.â
/ / /
He digs out the hard shell suitcase from the living room closet, and thanks himself for choosing a smaller kill this time. This is not how he likes doing things, and the knife is also not his favorite, but what he really doesnât like is having an audience. This is a first. At least he didnât know until after the fact.
As soon as the body, his shoes, his shirt, and whatever else he took off, is out of his sight, he focuses on the carpet. He rolls the rug up neatly, cuts it off as cleanly as possible, and wraps it as tightly as he can in several layers of garbage bags. Luckily, nothing made it down to the hardwood floor. Only a few little spots from the knife need to be cleaned. And the knife, of course. The biggest problem now is how heâs getting this down 26 floors to the basement, two separate times before he has a chance to get to the bedroom.
Seungmin tries his best, and he underestimates how good he really is. He locks everything away in his basement storage, for now, and gets back to the apartment with time to spare. Maybe youâll give him a few extra minutes. Or maybe youâll stay in there until he comes to get you.
The bedroom isnât bad, but you know what was going on in here. He pulls off the bedspread and replaces it with a heavy blanket, just big enough to cover the king-size bed. The clothes on the floor get tossed in the hamper. Everything is thrown back in his drawer, neatly, or in the trash. Heâs never worked so fast, because heâs never had to, and he really hopes he never has to speed run this again.
Last, he looks down at himself. Heâs sweating, and out of breath, but luckily, he canât find a splatter of blood on him. He rips off the tshirt and sweatpants, and replaces them with fresh ones.
You still havenât made a sound, thirty-seven minutes later, so Seungmin knocks⊠âHey, do you need anything?â
âCan I come out?â
He smiles at your small, timid voice. âYes, you can come out.â
Seungmin looks around with you, a little paranoid he forgot something in his rush, but everything looks normal. Everything except the missing piece of carpet. He follows as you walk over to inspect the area, and when you seem satisfied, he follows into the bedroom.
âWhere is it, the body?â You look around carefully. This is the first time you really explore his bedroom, and Seungmin doesnât seem to mind when you end up at one of his bookshelves.
âNot here, not in the apartment.â He watches your hand reach for the music box, but you donât open it. Your finger slides over the lid, and then you move on to the withering vase of flowers.
âYou need some fresh heliotrope. We can change the water, thoughâŠthey might perk up for another day.â
âYeah, we can do that.â Seungminâs heart starts to race, and he doesnât know why. It picks up even more when you return to the music box, gently pop the latch, and open it. He holds his breath, but luckily, he didnât wind it. Itâs quiet.
âOh, thisâŠâ a dainty silver chain is pinched between your fingers, but you examine it closely before you continue, âno, itâs almost the same.â You hold it up so the St. Michael medallion hangs and sways like a pendulum. âIs this yours?â
âIt belonged to my mother. So did the music box.â Seungmin reaches out and grabs the charm between his thumb and forefinger. âYeah, I guess itâs mine.â How did we get from there, to here? he thinks to himself. You donât ask him anything elseâyou carefully set the necklace back inside, close it, and pick up the vase of flowers.
âWhere did you get these? Is there a greenhouse nearby?
It takes so much of his energy not to tell you exact truths right now, and he doesnât know why. Seungmin canât help but want you to ask him what happened; what did you walk into? Why arenât you more shaken by this? You did have time to think in the shower, but thinking is one thing, and demanding more information is another. He was actually ready to explain himself. âYeah, sort of.â
âCan we go get more?â Your voice fades as you head for the kitchen, to the sink, where you carefully replace the water in the vase.
No, Seungmin doesnât think he can handle that right now. Heâs never quite sure when he can, and he usually has to force himself. That might be the case soon. He does need to replace these.
âYou gonna dry these, too?â
ââŠare you okay?â
He assumes by the long silence and the way youâre staring at the flowersâŠprobably not. It was a good act, but you still donât say anything when you walk back to the bedroom and set the vase back in its spot.
âI didnât think youâd be back so soon.â Again, you leave the room. Seungmin is beginning to dislike not getting a proper response from you. âDammitâŠwill you please just answer me?â
Youâve been trying to think of a way to answer himâyou really have. This entire day, aside from your alone time shopping, has been strange, and so uncomfortable. He canât possibly expect you to just be okay, thoughâŠSeungmin isnât stupid. He just wants something, anything besides you changing the subject again. But how are you supposed to tell him the kill wasnât the worst part? Or that you werenât even completely sure he was telling you the truth about his killing? You actually thought for a moment that he made the whole thing up, or exaggerated. You donât have to wonder about that anymore. He did it, and it wasnât his first time. âIâm okay, it was just,â you think, stall for another few seconds, âhearing you in there with someone else caught me off-guard.â
âOh, thatâs all? I thought I scared you...set off another panic attack, maybe.â The look you give him makes him revisit his response. âIt was just a blowjob, I barely touched him, but that will happen again.â
âI knowâ
âYou're jealous?â Seungmin smirks and takes a step toward you. âIs that it?â
âNo, Iâm not jealous,â you lie. What a stupid lie. âI just wasnât expecting it.â
âNobody else lives in my house, or spends my money.â Another step. âRight?â
âYesâ
Close enough to kiss, but no. He reaches out, touches your neck, and leans forward as he does, ânobody else sleeps in my bed.â You can see yourself in his unblinking eyes, until heâs even closer. His lips ghost over your forehead, moving slowly over your temple, and to the spot just above your ear. He kisses once. âJust you.â
A moment of courage comes over youâheâs so close, and he smells so good, and you need to touch him. His hips feel good in your hands, and when he makes a sound, you move them slowly up his sides. You havenât forgotten, heâs sensitive here.
Seungmin moves down until his breath tickles your ear, âbut nobody touches you,â he kisses again, âor Iâll kill them.â
âI donât want anyone elseâ
âGood. NowâŠare you gonna show me what you bought?â
/ / /
âI can try some, right?â He leans back on the couch, yawns, and stretches. Everything suddenly feels very normal. He feels like himself right now, and you suspect itâs his post-kill high.
The way his eyes follow you all over the room is suffocating, though. For some reason, it's making you feel shy, and way too seen. You canât figure out what it is he sees in you, and what he wants from you, and from all of this. What are you giving that somebody else couldnât? If you knew what he looked for in his victims, maybe itâd be easier to figure out, but you donât know. You donât know why he talked to you that morning.
âYeah, you bought itâ
One of the things you bought, something you definitely didnât need, was 70,000 won almond blossom tea. You only wandered into the shop to escape the crowd, but the owner let you try a sample, and it was impossible to pass up after tasting it. The scent, and the flavor took you back to the warmth of him wrapped around you this morning. It felt good.
Seungmin sneaks up behind you, and when his hand squeezes your waist, the hot water almost ends up on the counter. âItâs prettyâŠit smells nice,â heâs so close, you can almost feel his lips on you. âHow long?â
âTwo minutes.â You didnât think brewing tea would make him so touchy and sweet, but youâve started expecting pretty much anything from him. âMaybe a little less.â
âShow me something you boughtâ
âPick somethingâ
He slides away and heads for the three large bags at the end of the couch, and then he peeks in each one. âOkay, letâs try this one.â He reaches in and pulls out a smaller bag from inside the large one.
âOh, maybe not that oneâŠâ
âWhy not?â
âPick something elseâ
âOkay, Iâll try again.â He reaches into another large bag, and again, pulls out a small one. âThis one, you canât say no.â
You nod and hand him his tea, âI wonât say no,â and take a sip. He does, too, and you watch him. âDo you like it?â
Before he answers, he takes one more slow sip, and a smile appears. His cheeks round out, and you see the shine of his teeth behind his lips. âI doâŠitâs nice and sweet.â
âGood,â you peek in the small bag and pull out a flat white box.
Seungmin watches the little golden movements as he swirls his cup, closes his eyes, and drinks again. Memories pop up in his mind: the kitchen, and the sun coming in through the window above the sink. His favorite chairâit faced the stove where he watched her cook every morning, every afternoon. Bundles of dried flowers hanging by the doorway, and the sweet smell of yakgwa if he behaved all week. Sometimes even if he didnât.
He doesnât realize how quickly he drains his cup, and he hopes youâll make him another one.
âHeyâŠyou there?â
âHm? Yes, Iâm hereâŠsorryâ
âI wasnât sure about getting them, or about getting anything for you. So I hope itâs okay.â
âYou bought something for me?" His eyes grow as he looks at the box, "this was supposed to be your shopping trip.â
Still soft, and you hope with everything you have that he stays like this for a little longer. Tonight, in the morning, and maybe through tomorrow. You think it, scream it in your head. Maybe heâll pick up on it just enough. Maybe itâs the tea. You should make him more.
âI know, butâŠâ
âLet me see," he moves the tissue paper out of the way and looks, touches the soft fabric first, and then carefully picks it up.
âItâs corny, Iâm sorryâ
âCorny? No, they're beautiful.â He reaches in and picks up the second silky handkerchief, and runs his thumb over the embroidered purple flowers, every petal, âand these won't die." Seungmin keeps one and hands the other back to you. You don't know, of course, but this is the first gift he's been given in years.
âOh, they came as a pairâŠyou donât want both?â
âNo, you keep one. It doesnât look like you bought much for yourself.â
Heâs right, you didnât get as much as you should have, and that explains why you got back early and interrupted his work. You should have made a list.
âWe can go again tomorrow. Maybe you just need company.â
âCompany? Youâre gonna go shopping with me?â
âYes, we can do that. We can get lunch somewhere nice, and maybe we can go get more flowers...what? Is that okay?â
Whatever confused look youâre giving him, he caught it. This is the Seungmin from last night, just happier, and more euphoric. âYeah, we should do that. How about we have more tea, and then we get some sleep? Itâs been a long day.â
âIt has, but I need to bleach my hairâ
âRight now?â
âYeah, I almost forgot. There were a lot of people around earlier, when IâŠyou know, picked him.â
âI can help if youâd like. And make you some more tea.â
/ / /
The orangey-blonde head of hair sticking out from the covers confuses you in your half-sleep. Itâs early, and you set an alarm, but you canât remember why. Last night hasnât come back to you quite yet. The puppy plush is in the gap between you, and you really donât remember putting him there last night. But heâs there, sitting up, almost like he just walked up and took a seat. Heâs still a mystery, just like his owner.
The bleach job didnât work as well as heâd hoped last night, because he forgot he just tried to darken it a few days before. Itâs still soft and pretty, and even in his sleep, his bangs frame his face perfectly. Lucky for him, heâs handsome enough to pull anything off.
Seungmin squirms, rolls onto his other side, and settles again. Now, looking at his face, you remember why you set that alarm. How could you forget? You have the day planned out with him, and youâre counting on a smile when he finally wakes up. Something put him in a better mood, a mood good enough for a date, and you suspect it was two kills in three days. He moves again, but you donât want to wake him yet. He looks happy, or at least comfortable. If heâs dreaming, itâs not strong enough to show, so maybe he got a good night of sleep. Again, you think, hope, plead for the same man to be there when he wakes.
His eyelashes flutter a few times, and open slowly. Close again, open. He looks at the dog, blinks, and then he finds you. Your stomach swirls with butterflies as he stares, and finally, after really waking up, a smile pulls on his lipsâa sweet, sleepy smile.
âJal jat-ssuh?â
âNe,â he laughs. âThat sounded good. Did you?â
âI didâ
âIs my hair still orange?â He sits himself up and pulls on a piece to check.
Hopefully it doesnât discourage him from todayâs plans. Hopefully he remembers todayâs plans. âIt is, it looks good on you, though. A very handsome tangerine.â
âTangerine? Do you like tangerines?â
âI love themâ
âWeâll get some todayâ
He didnât forget, and heâs still okay. Seungminâs head falls back to the pillow, eyes close again, but his smile stays on his lips. And then he starts to hum. If this mood lasts long enough, maybe you can finally hear him sing. You let him go for a little while longer, until he starts to quiet, probably dozing off againâŠ
Seungmin is cute when heâs focused, and heâs very focused on the grill between you; poking and flipping the meat, plating it carefully. His mouth is squished to one side, and the dimple on his cheek is especially noticeable.
âYouâre good at thisâ
âHm? Oh, sorry, Iâm so used to eating alone. I didnât mean to ignore you.â
âI am, too, itâs okay.â You take the plate from him, and he hands you a few of the things he hoarded on his side of the table. âHow are you feeling?â
âHow am I feeling?â He takes a very big bite of zucchini, and it takes a few moments for him to get it down. âI feelâŠpretty good. Better now that weâre eating. I donât like being hungry.â
âGood. The mall was pretty crowded, so it was nice not being alone. Still, itâs a little overwhelming.â
âWe shouldnât have to do it again for a while. I think we replaced everything you lost, plus extra.â
âToo much extraâ
âNo, not if it makes you happyâ
Happy Seungmin is still here, and now he has a full stomach...even better. You canât get attached to this feeling, but youâve become much more attached to him than you thought was possible it such a short amount of timeâall of him, good and badâŠand the bad still seems to outweigh the good by a lot. It doesnât seem believable, looking at him right now, but this was him the day you met, you think. Maybe not completely, because he was obviously on the hunt when you showed up, but this Seungmin was there, a little bit. You could feel itâhe felt right. He still does.
âSitting here with you makes me happyâ
He stops stirring his broth and looks at you. Was that too much? It was too much, you might as well have just told him you love him. What if you trigger something, and whatever is going on in his head changes completely? You need to get a hold on whatever is going on in your own head. Heâs staring, and you can feel it, even with your eyes fixed on your plate.
âWhy?â He whispers. You barely hear it, and itâs as if heâs speaking to himself. Asking himself. âI havenât done anything to make you feel that way.â
âYes you haveâ
âTell meâ
The server interrupts with more banchan, more water, more tea. It gives you a whole ten seconds to think, and not sound like an idiot when you answer. Does he really want to know, or is he just putting you on the spot?
âYou came back for me, and you took care of meâŠdo you remember what you said to me last night?â
âI tend to forget what I say, apparentlyâ
Thereâs some attitude in his voice, and you immediately regret saying it. He obviously remembers you asking him the same thing yesterday morning.
âI remember. Depends, though, I said a lot of things.â He moves his eyes around as he thinks, and youâre relieved to see a smirk pop up. âBut I assume youâre referring toâŠkilling anyone who touches you.â
He did say a lot of things last night, but yeahâŠyou nod at him.
âYou liked that.â No more attitude. He whispers, almost growls under his breath. âDidnât you?â His eyes are so heavy, and dark. Heâs still smiling, but itâs different. Itâs so different. âYou did.â
âMaybeâ
âSpeaking of that..someone in here has been staring at you since we walked inâ
âI doubt thatâ
His eyes move slowly to the left, and stay there. You look in the same direction as discreetly as possible, and you see who heâs talking aboutâitâs the bartender, and Seungmin is right. He wipes down the bar and smiles at you, but looks away almost immediately after. Maybe the timing was just a coincidence, though.
âHeâs just looking. He barely looked.â
âI donât really like that, eitherâ
âSeungminâ
A shiver runs over you when he says your nameâŠwhispers it. âWhy donât you get up and head to the bathroom. Leave the door unlocked.â He cocks his head to the side when you donât move, or respond. âPlease.â
He smiles when you push your chair back, and shows you all of his teeth when you stand. Still happy. If this keeps him that way, he doesnât have to ask againâas if you'd deny him. Your legs already shake at the thought of him touching you. The bartender's eyes are on you as you walk by, and you feel them linger as you disappear down the short hallway toward the (luckily) private bathroom. You close the door, lean against it, and look around. Itâs nice, at least.
Thirty or so seconds pass between you closing the door, and his soft knock. You donât know why your heart races. It could be that youâve never done this before, and it doesnât help that the bartender saw both of you come back here, and he knows exactly whatâs going on. If youâre nervous enough, you wonât be able to do this, and heâll be very disappointed.
The doorknob turns, and he comes in slowly. Itâs just Seungmin, thereâs no reason to be nervous, and itâs just public sexâŠvery public for youâŠbut your stomach drops when you see someone elseâŠnot him, not even close. You only see the face for a split second before he disappearsâpulled backward so fast, and with so much force, the door slams shut again. A thud on the other side of the wall echoes through you, through the bathroom, and you have to assume through the entire restaurant. And then, right before you pull the door open, you hear it again. The manâthe bartender, is on the floor, flat on his back with one hand covering his bloody face, and thereâs a crack in the plaster wall. Seungmin is standing over him, still seeing red, but showing some restraint by not touching him again.
âWh-what happened?â
He grabs your arm and pulls you closer. âNaleul bwa...â He nudges the man with his foot until he removes his hand and looks up. âCreep.â
A small crowd gathers at the end of the narrow hallway, but he pushes through, still holding you close. Nobody says a word or stops you as you grab your bags and head for the door, and as soon as you get outside, youâre both lost in the crowd.
âStop, stopâŠSeungmin!â
âYeah, what is it?â He slows down, but he doesnât stop. âYou okay?â
âWhat the hell happened?â
He doesnât answer. Heâs walking you as far away as possible, as calmly as possible. The look on his face is familiar, but differentâŠnervous, worried, excited maybe. You can tell his adrenaline is sky high, and you donât know why, but you assume this is unusual for himâthis somewhat random act of violence. Almost everything youâve witnessed from him has been disjointed and clumsy, but he hasnât been caught yet, so you know heâs been careful up until this point. Youâre messing him up.
Finally, he stops and lets you catch your breath.
âWeâll head back, drop your things offâŠâ
âSeungminâ
âIâll drive us to Uljin, if you still want to get flowersâ
âUljin?â
âYeah, letâs go before we miss the trainâ
The train is crowded, of courseâstanding room only, and Seungminâs fingers grip your wrist the entire time. Heâs clearly overwhelmed and soothing himself; thereâs nothing romantic or possessive about it, heâs just suddenly very nervous about something. Either the crowd, or what just happened. You change the subject for now, not wanting to move his mind around the incident anymore than necessary. âUljin is far.â
âI know. I can get us there in three hours, and if youâre tired we can wait until morning to drive back.â
You close the space still left between you, until your face grazes his sweatshirt, âwhy so far for flowers?â The small corner of the silk handkercheif just pokes out from his back pocket. You didn't notice it before, or catch him putting it there before you left this morning.
âTheyâre the best ones. And theyâre always there for me.â
The ride wasnât as long and awkward as you feared it would be. Both of you were silent most of the way, but Seungmin kept his music low the entire time, not once deviating from whatever playlist he initially put on. It feels like heâs made this drive more than a few times, and he has a set routine. As you moved closer and closer to the end of the drive, everything became greener, and darker. Lush and beautiful in some spots, but desolate and almost forgotten in others. It all seemed to reflect him.
Youâre not sure how far out you are from the destination when he makes the second and final stop, but itâs been three hours, almost exactly, so you wonder why he made another stop at all.
He doesnât go inside the gas station, but you do. For no reason, really. You check yourself in the bathroom mirror, grab some water, and then watch him for a moment before leaving. Maybe he just needed to stretch his legsâheâs walking slowly toward the edge of the pumps, and then across toward where a small section of woods start. It zig-zags upward and into a much larger section that you canât see the end of. Seungmin is staring through those trees, hands in his coat pockets, and he doesnât move when you exit and jingle the bell above the door.
âHere, you havenât had anything since we left.â He looks at the bottled water in your hands, sighs, and takes it.
âAbout twenty minutesâŠwe should be thereâ
âWhere exactly is there?â Seungmin downs half of his water before stopping and taking a breath. Itâs cold out, but sweat is beading on his forehead and around his temples. You reach up and touch his cheek with the back of your hand, and he turns his head away. âSorry. Youâre very warm. Do you feel okay?â
He nods and takes another long drink, âthere is the house I grew up in.â
âOh.â Theyâre the best ones, and theyâre always there for me makes much more sense now. Itâs sentimental. The flowers here are specialâŠspecial enough for a six-hour roundtrip drive.
The remainder of the trip takes you further into the woods. The road narrows, and the pine trees get closer and closer until, every mile or so, thereâs a break in the woods, a clearing, and you can see the sky as it slowly darkens. You know when you arrive, because thereâs one lonely hanok in the distance. Seungmin sighs again. He never turned the music back on, so you can hear every sound, and every breath. The snap of twigs under the tires, the chirp of bugs, and the chatter of a few magpies fills most of the silence.
âYou grew up here?â
He doesnât answer until you turn and look at him.
âYeah, until I was nine. And thenâŠâ he can stop there. He doesnât have to tell you every single thing. Youâre just making conversation, not setting him down for therapy. âI got passed around to different family members.â
âWere they good to you?â
Somebody certainly wasnât, and Seungmin knows you know that. He can feel you looking through him, gathering up his thoughts, and his feelings, and figuring things out on your own. âYes, my grandparents did the best they could, and my auntsâŠthey did, too.â
His answers just make more questions, considering his life now, but youâll save them for another time.
The car comes to a slow stop. The house is dark and overgrown, but still somewhat looked after, you assume because of him. To your left is a large garden shed, not as well kept. Once, it was probably nice, but time was not kind to it. A little further down is a large greenhouse, also starting to show its age, but itâs iron and glass, and itâs standing strong without much help.
âGoodâ
âI wasnâtâŠuh,â he stops himself this time, and reconsiders. Instead of finishing his thought, he opens the door and steps out.
You do the same, and as soon as you stand and close the door, something hits you. It hits your chest, and works its way down to your stomach until you canât stay on your feet. You kneel, trying not to fall onto the cold, damp ground, but your hands spread out in front of you as you lean forward and empty the contents of your stomach onto the grass.
âFuckâŠwhat happened? Are you okay?â
âUh, yeah I think so. Maybe.â
âDo you get car sick?â
His hand on your shoulders takes you back two nights, and the memory makes you feel a little bit better. Opening your eyes and staring into the distance makes it worse again. âNo.â
âYouâre warm, tooâ
âMaybe we should do this tomorrow, if weâre staying the night." After the long drive, Seungmin might want to do it now, so why are even asking? But you also know he doesn't feel well. The fever heat between the two of you could bloom more flowers. "We should."
âWe can," he says, secretly a little grateful, âIâll find a room somewhereâ
He pulls you to your feet, and it feels awful, but once youâre up and leaning against him, the dizziness is gone. âWeâre not staying here?â
âNo, we wouldnât be very comfortable in thereâ
/ / /
The sick feeling passes eventually, and the room Seungmin finds at the last minute is not far. Itâs small, and itâs comfortable. Heâs working on the instant tteokbokki a few feet away, very focused, just like he was at the restaurant.
âIt smells goodâ
âFeeling better? We have frozen bungeoppang, too. The hosts are very generous, we got lucky.â
âLucky, even with one tiny bed?â
âYeah, even with one tiny bed,â he laughs, and looks at the twin-size bed tucked away in the corner. Heâs reminded of the one in your apartment that he never got to try, and heâs surprised his mind can even go there right now. The memory of his last trip home is mostly a blur, even though it wasnât more than a day or two before you showed up. âLetâs eat, and get into bed.â
Still happy. So why are you suddenly feeling so empty? âI donât wanna go to sleep yet.â You pick at and stir your food, and watch him devour his. âHeyâŠâ
âYes?â
âWhat happened earlier, at the restaurant?â
He was hoping you forgot about that. Seungmin isnât typically violent unless he plans on seeing it to the end, so today was unusual. He keeps himself out of sight, and out of peopleâs memories, because he canât afford to be noticed that much. He doesnât regret what he did, though, and he has no problem admitting to himself that it felt good. âBefore I got up, he started following you. He watched you walk by, and maybe you looked at him and he thought it was an invitationâŠor heâs just a piece of shit taking advantage of the opportunity.â
âI donât think I looked at himâ
âI caught up, just in timeâ
âAnd smashed his face into the wallâ
âI didnât know what I was going to do, but yeah, it seemed like the best choice at the timeâ
âIt was effectiveâ
âStill ruined our moment.â Seungminâs eyes are tired, but heâs obviously nudging you into bed for more than just sleep. He wants to make up for whatever lust was building inside of him earlier, and you havenât told him no a single time yet. Why would he expect you to tell him no tonight? But youâre feeling offâmuch more than just tired. It may have been the adrenaline rush earlier, combined with the very long car ride. It could just be the new setting, because the new setting reminds you a little bit of home, right down to the claustrophobic woods and this 300 square feet of living space.
âMaybe we should go to sleep.â You say, staring hard at your food as you eat. âItâs been a long day.â
/ / /
The twin bed is perfect, at least for you. Seungmin backed himself against the wall and kept his hands to himself after you crawled in beside him, and luckily, there was nothing but sleep for both of you almost immediately. A sharp pinging sound wakes you, and you open your eyes to him at the tiny kitchen counter. The sound you hear is sleet falling against the window, and the realization makes you shiver under the coversâŠbut the smell of brewing coffee brings you right back.
The icy rainfall picks up as you force yourself into a sitting position, but staying up is still hard, regardless of his soft good morning, and his eyes peeking over his mug.
âMorning.â The headache has been there for a while, but youâre conscious now, and really feeling it. âWhat time is it?â
âItâs almost eleven, we slept a lotâ
You count to three and force your feet onto the cold floor, âdoesnât sound like good driving weather out there,â and make it to the other stool, where now you see an empty mug and a plate of warm bungeoppang. Without a word, you reach a hand up and set it on his forehead. âHow did you sleep?â
Seungmin doesnât shake it away, but he gives you a confused look, and he shrugs. âI slept.â
âDid you have any dreams? Nightmares?â
âThe usual. Why?â
âJust wondering.â Because you had one, too. âYou had a fever yesterday. Itâs gone.â
âI think you took it from me, you look miserableâ
âDo I?â Miserable is a strong word, but the headache, and the slightly off feeling is definitely close. Maybe youâre allergic to something up here. You make a mental note to take something for that, and for the headache, just in case.
âAs soon as the rain stops, weâll get what we came for, and then head back. Eat something.â
/ / /
The drive through the narrow forest road is even crunchier this time. Tiny icicles hang off tree branches, and no bugs chirp this timeâŠno birds sing. Itâs somehow darker this afternoon than it was yesterday at dusk, and the low mist hanging over the property makes you wish you would have just gotten this over with yesterday. Something strange is definitely living in these woods Itâs beautiful, though, in its own lonely way. Itâs still very alive here and it breathes easily through the cracks in the wood.
Seungmin is quiet, and you expect that. Whatever youâre feeling right now, he must be feeling it threefold. This is his homeâor it was, at least, at a very important time in his life. The memory of why he had to leave is still lingering here.
Greenhouse is all he says as he steps out. You follow, and this time, you feel okay when your feet hit the ground. The headache is still there, but not so bad that you canât fight through it, so you catch up with him and try not to lose your footing in the soft, muddy ground.
âTake your time, itâs uneven down hereâ
You watch each step as you take it, and weave around the stones and spots where the grass is drowning from the melted snow and ice. Some spots are still slick, so you wonder how anything could possibly be hanging on mid-DecemberâŠespecially what he came for. Even inside the greenhouse. You catch a shine of light from the corner of your eye and stop, even as he bolts ahead of you. Something in the ruins of the shed catches what little bit of sunlight makes it through the clouds.
"Come on..."
The boots you wore could have been better; could have been worse. Seungminâs Redwings are splattered and caked with mud, old and new, because he knew what he was getting into up here. These are specifically the boots he wears here, you think. No hunting, no murder, no body disposal. Every job has its own equipment.
Itâs even prettier up close, and inside, through the condensation rising up every perfect panel of glass, you see green and yellow. Purple, and blue. He opens the door to the anteroom, and the sweet smell of flowers fills you up. When he opens the main door, the warmth still trapped inside almost knocks you on your back.
âDoes someone tend to this all year, orâŠâ
âNo.â He heads to a workspace in the corner and picks up a pair of gardening shears, a little rusty, but probably still very sharp. âNobody comes here but me.â
âI like it, itâs niceâ
âYeah?â
You catch up to him and nod, âmhm, I donât like it outside, but this is better.â
Seungmin leads you to the spot filled with purple flowers. Some of them fill big decorative pots, and some are elevated on homemade wooden shelves, but the largest ones are in the ground. Itâs a little bit chaotic, but something about it feels organized at the same time. Itâs everywhere, but itâs everywhere exactly where somebody wanted it.
âI see why you came all this way. Itâs yours.â
He doesnât answer. Seungmin lowers himself to the ground and kneels, and you watch as he does nothing for a very long time. The sounds of the greenhouse take over; the creak of the panels as the wind outside hits, and the cries of the bugs. Whatever insects managed to make a home for themselves here are very happy. And it isn't until now that you notice the sound of a single windchime. You find a spot to sit and wait, but you keep your eyes on him. Eventually, after more of his silence passes, it feels as if youâre intruding on something very personal, so you stand, quietly turn away, and focus your attention on a different spot; on different flowers.
What heâs doing over there is more cathartic and necessary than you can imagine.
Seungmin is always careful about how much he cuts and where he cuts from. Some blossoms seem brighter than others, and those are the ones he knows he can take. But before he does anythingâŠ
âhow have you been?â
Itâs exceptionally quiet, and his voice, so soft and light, carries in the small space. At first, you assume heâs speaking to you, because heâs speaking English. But heâs not. You canât block out his words, so you walk as far from him as you can in an attempt to give him some privacy, butâŠhe knows youâre here. He invited you inside knowing what he was going to do.
âOkay, I guessâŠsometimes itâs tough to tell from the insideâ
Silence. He waits a few moments before speaking againâŠ
âI am, I promiseâ
ËăăăăâŠăăă.ăăă
âI know, Iâm not alone this time, isnât that strange? It feels so strangeâ
â . â ăăËăă ăă*ăăă
âYes, itâs a good thing, I knowâ
ăâŠăË ăËâ¶
âIâm trying really hard, I promiseâ
The silence is much longer this time. You think he might be finished, but he speaks one more timeâŠ
âSaranghaeyoâŠI love you, tooâ
You finally turn and look at him through a cluster of forget-me-nots, and heâs bowing so low you can hardly see him. The sound of the shears opening and closing finally comes, and you see him very carefully trimming what he needs. Two bundles. He takes both to the workspace, ties them with string, and wraps them gently in dark brown paper. The amount of care he takes is impressive, and he doesnât rush through it. You take the opportunity to move closer to the blooms of heliotrope, but not too close. Just enough to admire them. They look like they just saw a warm, summer day, not the cold, icy morning you woke to. You almost forget itâs December as you stare at them.
âIâm ready, if you are.â His voice, still gentle, makes you jump.
âYes, Iâm readyâ
âOh, hold on.â Seungmin walks to the corner where you hid, looks around for something, and after a few minutes of him moving things around, digging, pulling, and digging again, he returns with dirt-covered hands and a small pot filled with the little blue flowers. âWeâll take these, too.â
He hands it over, and you hold it close as you start toward the cold again. The rain begins to fall as you carefully make your way back to the car, but itâs just a fine mist this time, no more ice. The bundles of heliotrope are placed in the backseat, but you hold tight to your flowers. Seungmin never implied they were yours, but you know they are. The forget-me-nots are for you.
The closer you get to Seoul, the more withdrawn you feel him becoming. There was some conversation this time, very minimal, and very light, but you said nothing of Uljin, or the greenhouse, or the conversation he had with the flowers. It slowly dwindled until it became a painful silence; no music, not even a contemplative sigh from him. You held your flowers and stared out of your window until the countryside slowly turned to small town, to city, to busy highways, and finallyâŠhome. Home?
âIâll be gone for a few hoursâ
He tended to his flowers first. One bundle in the vase, the other tied and hung on the side of the window nearest the kitchen.
âGone? Youâre leaving?â
âHavenât we seen enough of each other over the last two days?â
âUhmâŠâ Yeah, you guess so. âSure.â
âI have to get rid of that body, and the carpet. It might take a while.â
The body. You completely forgot about two nights ago. How could you forget about watching him kill someone right in front of you? Luckily, Seungmin didnât. He may have kept it at the front of his mind this entire time.
A quick change of clothes, and heâs gone without another word or glance in your direction.
The last two days and the night before was more than you expected from himâbut enough? How could it possibly be enough? Whoever you were with today in the greenhouse, and in bed with yesterday morning; thereâs so much of him you havenât seen yet. Youâve barely met him. This was nowhere near enough.
So you shower and sort your things from your two shopping trips in an attempt to keep your mind occupied. But where to put them? Not in his drawer, because you need permission for that, and not in his neat, organized (full) closet. Eventually, you decide on folding and setting most of it on the chest near his bookshelves. The vase of flowers sit brand new and bright and fragrant exactly where the previous ones did, and now you have a chance to really look at them; you touch the delicate little petals and lean forward to take in more of the scent, and you wonder what exactly all of this means to him, because itâs something very special. Some of it you think you can figure out on your own, but you know thereâs much more.
The flowers send your thoughts back to the music box. Your fingers itch to touch it againâto pick it up and turn the key, so you do. Seungmin isnât here, and he might not be back for hours, and maybe he wouldnât mind you looking at everything more closely. He didnât seem to mind the first time. You pick it up and examine it in the low light. On top, there's a design burned and stained into the wood: a cloud-covered full moon shining down on a leaping rabbit. You turn the key three times, and hold it as it plays a sweet, sad melody that you donât recognize. Inside you see the necklace, the one that looks almost exactly like yours, a silver bracelet, and a ring that could only be a wedding band. Thereâs a small piece of worn paper tucked into the corner, folded into the shape of a butterfly, and you leave that alone. You can see little bits of Hangul written on it, so clearly, itâs some sort of note. Even if you could read itâŠwell, you could always use your phone and translate itâno, itâs none of your business.
The drawer could be your business, though. Youâve already seen it, and you canât imagine itâs much different now than it was that night, but just thinking about it gets your heart racing.
You click his lamp on first, and look at everything sitting on the table. These are things you havenât done yet, and there are so many little details about him still to learn. His glasses sit in their open case; a pair of thick black-rimmed ones, not the ones youâve seen him in. His other ones, the ones that suited him so well, were round metal frames, and theyâre not here. His silver Chanel necklace is here, and two prescription bottles that you never noticed before. KIM SEUNGMIN is written on the side of bothâlorazepam (the little white pill he offered during your panic attack) and haloperidol. The haloperidol doesnât look like itâs been touched, but the other is nearly empty. So, he has been diagnosed with something, and medicated for it, he just hasnât followed through with his treatment. Maybe heâs tried, and it didnât workâor it didnât work the way he wanted it to. Finally, the drawer. Itâs a little messier than you remember, but not bad. He probably hasnât touched it since he killed two nights ago because the knife isnât back in its spot. The sheath is there, and the cuffs, the gag. You carefully pick up one of the syringes and examine it, turn it so you can see the liquid inside move around like a tiny lava lamp. Still three of them. Further back, you feel something else. Something small. Itâs an earring, just a tiny gold cuff, and it looks familiar. You reach and touch the top of your left ear, and you realize itâs yours. It must have fallen off while you slept, and he found it, and threw it in his drawerâŠbut why didnât he just return it?
Just as you put it back and turn off the lamp, you hear the click of the lock. Youâd like to stay up and greet him, but if heâs still in the mood he was when he left, it might not be worth it. Instead, you climb under the covers and turn off the lamp on your side. He doesnât come in right away. You can hear him go straight to the shower, and you stay awake and listen the whole twenty minutes he spends in there. Next, you hear him in the kitchen, and the thought makes your stomach growl. You havenât eaten since midway through the ride home earlier, and thatâs hardly worth mentioning. Maybe you should get up and see him, eat with him, if thatâs what heâs doing. But you canât move. You look at your phone: 9 pm. Itâs not late at all, but the dark and the cold makes it feel so much later.
As soon as you smell coffee brewing, you decide to get up and check on him.
Seungmin is sitting in the kitchen, elbows on the counter, head down, face completely hidden in his hands. You canât actually go out there and face himâno, youâre going to be a coward, because the possibility of his anger, no matter how small, is already making you tear up. But his little movements, the shake of his shoulders, make you think thatâs what heâs already doing. You push the door up and slink back to bed and under the covers, and this time you somehow fall asleep.
/ / /
The cold air and smell of cigarette smoke wake you, hardly half an hour later, and as soon as you open your eyes, Seungmin slides the balcony door closed. You briefly shut them again when he walks up your side of the bed, and heads to his bookshelf. He looks at the flowers but does nothing else, and because he turned his lamp back on, you can see his face, and you can tell he was crying. He lifts his arm and wipes his cheeks with the sleeve of his sweatshirt, so you have to assume he just managed to stop while he smoked.
He stretches his neck, pulls his sweatshirt off, and heads for his side of the bed. You feel the blankets shift, and the movement as he sits and slides himself underneath. Then you hear the rattle of a pill bottleâŠthe full one, but you donât hear him remove the lid. He shakes it again, as if heâs looking at it and thinking, but places it back on the table, unopened. Youâre relieved when he finally settles onto his pillow. You can relax again, maybe even turn and face him in your pretend sleep, but you donât get a chance; Seungmin moves closer, and closer. You try not to jump when his hand slides hesitantly up your arm, over your shoulder, and then back down. He moves once more, until his chest can press against your back.
Youâre positive he can feel your racing heart, your erratic breathing. His steady breath is traveling down your neck, under the collar of his tshirt youâre still wearing. Should you say something, let him know youâre awake and here with him? Itâs possible the thought of you sleeping while he does this makes it easier, and you donât want to ruin that, so you wait. His hand is on you again, but the touch is still hesitant and stuttery. Seungmin is thinking about his next move. Heâs unsure.
After a few more moments, it slides between your arm and your waist, wraps around your stomach, and gently squeezes. Heâs pulling you tight against him, finally, all of him. His forehead rests against the nape of your neck; his hips, his thighs, all curve and surround you. Skin on skin, warm under the blankets. You wait until you feel him relax, then set your hand over hisâŠ
âOh, did I wake you?â
âNo, you didnât.â You feel him pull his hand back, but you hold tight and lace your fingers with his. âYou didnât.â
âHow long have you been up?â
âNot long, I heard you coming in from the balcony.â Seungmin isnât as relaxed now. You can feel his body tense, and his breathing change. âI felt you climb into bed.â
He pulls away again, and this time, he escapes your grasp. Seungmin pushes himself back, and when you turn to look, heâs already facing away, readjusting himself back into his spot.
âSeungmin?â Does he think you saw him crying? He must, and heâs right. Should you tell him heâs allowed to do that? âCan I come over there?â You whisper. âPlease.â
âIf you want toâ
âI do,â you crawl to him and get back under the blankets, but instead of wrapping an arm around his waist, you grab his hip and pull until heâs flat on his back. âIfâŠyou want me to,â you really hope your smile will spread to him, but he just looks exhausted. His eyes are red and swollen, and his face is pale.
âSay it again,â he mumbles.
âSay what?"
Seungmin lets you push the hair away from his forehead and out of his eyes. âMy name."
âYour name?â
He nods and closes his eyes, so your gaze drops to his lipsâyou havenât kissed them in a long time, and now seems like the perfect opportunity. âSeungmin.â
âMm, I like the way it sounds when you say itâ
âHave I been saying it okay? Is my accent messing it up?â
âNoâŠitâs perfectâ
You take a chance while his eyes are still closed, first at the corner of mouth, and then a little closer. He doesnât move, so you press your lips firmly against his. He returns it, and his breath deepens. You think he might stop at any moment, so you enjoy itâthe way he tastes, the coffee and the leftover minty sweetness of his cigarette. He stays, though. He touches you. Seungminâs hand moves to your waist and pulls you closer, and you think, maybe the night will be okay nowâŠbut it doesnât last very long. Itâs gone, and he turns his head until you stop kissing. Your lips land on his neck, and they stay there.
âSeungminâ you say again, whispering it slowly and carefully.
âI haven't been feeling very goodâ
âYou haven't? What is it?â
He sniffles, and moves his legs against yours under the blankets. Seungmin is warm, but not fever-warm, and something tells you he doesnât mean physically. Maybe heâll open up this door, though. Telling you he isnât feeling well is already a lock unlocked.
But he doesnât say another word. What he does do is let you touchâhe relaxes again as your palm slides over his chest, down his stomach. You press your lips to his collarbone and make a path across his shoulder. âTell me whatâs hurting.â
âEverythingâ
âEverything?â
âAlmost everythingâ
"Your body?"
He slowly shakes his head.
"Something up here?"
Seungmin's eyes dart toward you as your fingers run through his hair. He thinks for a long moment before answering. "A little."
"Alright, one more...here?"
His hand closes over yours on his chest, but he doesn't give you a yes or no answer. If it's a yes, which you suspect it is, he's probably not going to give you anything else. You leave it at that.
âTell me what feels okay, maybe itâll help a little,â you follow the path you made, returning to his collarbone, and working your way up his neck. This time heâs more receptive to it, and his cheek turns to press against yours. âWhat feels good?â
Seungmin sets his hand on the small of your back and brings you closer. âGood?â
âMhmâŠand how can I make it even better? Let me make you feel good.â
âBiteâ
âBite?â
âRight there, pleaseâ
You donât bite yet, but you kiss him again, lick, and graze your teeth across his skin. âRight here?â
The sound he makes is small, and desperate, like heâs afraid you might not do it. âPlease.â
Very cautiously, you suck the skin again, and bite until he makes another sound. It feels like a lot of pressure, but itâs not enough for him. You try again.
âYeahâŠlike that,â he moans, and squirms beneath you, âdonât be shy.â
The spot you sunk your teeth into starts to turn red, and the marks are thereâŠbut you didnât break the skin. You kiss it, and then kiss a new spot just below it and nibble. When he squirms again, you bite down hard, and this time he sounds satisfied. He grabs your hand and guides it under his waistband, and you bite again when your fingers move over his head, down the length of his cock. You stroke him, and watch him watch you work.
âDonât stop,â he brings you down to his chest, and when your tongue finds his nipple, âharder pleaseââŠyou bite, and his hips push into your touch. âFuck.â
You donât hold back this time, and you feel the skin break between your teeth. The coppery taste of blood hits your tongue when you lick the spot, and Seungmin makes a sound like heâs never made for you before, and he moans your nameâŠ
âSeungminâ
âMmmâŠyeah?â He sighs and grips your arm as you stroke, âyeah?â and he smiles as his head hits the pillow. Blood starts to bead from the mark on his chest, and it slowly drips down toward his stomach.
You watch it, then look at him, and the urge to clean it off is too strong to ignore. This is new for you. Is it new for him? Before you get the chance to try, he sits up. âOh, you gonna bite me?â
Seungmin smiles, shakes his head, âno,â and gets himself out of his shorts, âno, sit backâŠâ he touches you, and slides his hands up your outer thighs, but instead of undressing, they come back down, caressing, squeezing, as if heâs taking a moment to admire you. It gives you a knot in your stomach, the thought of it, and the look on his face. The next time they move up, he grabs your underwear and pulls.
The knot grows; the nervous feeling in your stomach wonât go away, and you donât know why, because youâve been here already. Youâve been with him, no panic attack. Again, he touchesâvery softly runs his fingertips over the top of your thigh and to your knee.
âGive me your arms, hold onto me.â He throws more pillows behind you, and rearranges them while he holds you against him. It feels so sweet and so personal, how heâs tending to the spot where he wants you. âComfortable?â
âOhâŠyeah,â you grip the back of his neck, and the other hand digs into his side. âThis is nice.â
âMm, your nails are sharpâ
âAre they? Sorry,â you adjust your hold on him, but he shakes his head as you do.
âNoâŠdo your worst. Or your best, I guess.â
The thin line of blood running down his chest is beginning to dry, and the marks you made all over him are darkening. He wants more, though, and you can do that. You gently rake your fingers up his backâŠjust enough to tickle, and then back down with a little more pressure. At the same time, his fingers tease you, ghosting up and down so perfectly and carefully.
You spread your legs in anticipation of more. âHey,â you whisper. His eyes are wide open, but focused elsewhere, just away from you. Heâs thinking hard, or spacing outâŠyou canât tell. âLook at me.â
A little smile tugs at his lips when he looks up, âhm?â And his eyes are big and shining inches from yours, ready to swallow you up. He pushes his hair away from his forehead and comes in for a kiss, and youâre not prepared. At all. Itâs just like the elevator kissâso deep and eager like he canât get close enough. You fall back on your spot and pull him with you, and he keeps going, slips his tongue in, and moans softly into your mouth. You scratch across his back, not enough to mark, and he does it again.
Each time, you give him more. A little more pressure, a little slower.
He slides in, and with each push, hits deeper and stretches more. His lips keep kissing, though, like heâs trying to distract from the pain he might be causing as he pushes every inch into you. But with every twinge of pain, you dig deeper, pull so slowly, and feel your nails get close to breaking skin.
When you open your eyes to check, his upper back is so much more red and angry than you anticipated.
âDonât stop,â he whines as he finally pulls away from the kiss.
âIt looks so soreâŠSeungmin, I dunno if I canâŠâ from here you see old scratches mixed in with the new ones, much older, scarred overâthey look like more than scratches. How did you never notice them before? Youâve never seen him like this, in this light.
âYou can,â he pants, âplease.â
The skin is hot when you touch it, and you wince just thinking about how it must feel, but Seungmin doesnât make a sound when you graze over it. He does, however, let you know that he likes it when you push your nails in again. One more swipe and you see blood.
You stop, and he doesnât ask you to do it againâinstead, he pushes in fully and stays there, kisses and sucks at your neck, nibbles a little, but nothing like what you did to him.
âGood,â he sighs and pushes your thighs upward, and he starts to move in and out, slow at first, but he canât help himself. His breath catches as he speeds up, and loses himself in the moment, but still, he stays in your neck, moaning against your skin, and breathing down your backâŠinto your ear where he whispers a fuckâŠfuck, as if he could come any second.
âSlow,â you knead your fingers into his hip, hold him off a little bit, âslow down, relax.â
Seungmin listens and does his best, but it feels too good.
âWe have all night...all nightâ
But this is what he needs. He wants it now. This will make him feel better. All of this. The sting of his back, the gentle throb from each little bite mark, you squeezing so tight around him.
You place a hand on his shoulder. âIâm not going anywhereâŠSeungmin?â Then move it to the nape of his neck, being careful not to touch the scratches.
This time, he slows much more, almost stops. You worry for a moment and wonder if the words didnât fall quite right on his ears, but you meant want you saidâyouâre not leaving.
âI do want youâŠall night,â Seungmin smiles, and he lets out a laugh tinged with nerves, as if heâs embarrassed about admitting exactly what he wants, or what he needs.
âGood. Did thisâŠâ you touch the spot on his chest, and smear the almost dried blood. Then you touch another. âDid this help?â
âA littleâ
âSit up,â you hook your arm around his neck as he rises, and now you can slide onto his lap. âHold onto me.â
Seungmin holds you where you are, hands on your hips, eyes on the space between you. You lift yourself, and you donât have to tell him what to doâyouâre more than ready for him again, and his cock slides in smoothly as you come down.
âOh, thatâs good.â Seungmin is smiling again, and his satisfied laugh is much less anxious. He grabs the back of your shirt and pulls so he can see everything as you move up and down on himâŠâneomu johdaâ he mumbles under his breath, ânice and slow,â lifts your shirt over your head, and both arms wrap around you.
âMuch better, yeah?â
His presses his cheek against your chest, and you can feel his nod.
âI donât mind working for itâ
Seungmin laughs again, and turns his face to kiss wherever he can get to; your shoulders, your throat, down your chest to the soft skin of your breast. Heâs surprisingly gentle when he gets there, and even more so when he runs his tongue around your nipple. He stares up at you, eyes wide and shining, as if heâs waiting for somethingâŠyour reaction, your approval. Itâs not a side of him youâve seenâyou didnât think he even had a side like this.
You run the pad of your thumb just under his eye, where a faint scar shines in the light, and he smiles again. His face disappears against you, so all you see is the top of his peachy-colored head. Seungmin squeezes you close before letting go, and he falls back to rest on his palms.
âCuteâ
His eyes open even wider, âwhat?â And he very slowly lowers himself as you push him flat on his back. âMe?â
âMaybeâ
âMaybe?â
âYou know what would be really cute?â You ask.
âWhatâs that?â
âYouâŠcoming for meâ
Seungmin smirks when you laugh, and slowly rolls his hips, âso I can come now?â Your laugh turns to a moan. He does it again, and takes your hands in his. âHowâs that feel?â He asks, already knowing the answer.
âDonât stopâ
He doesnât. Seungmin rolls his hips, sliding in and out so smoothly, but the stretch, the painâthis pain feels so good, just like his pain, your bites and your scratches. And the pressure as you finally get all of him in, when your body finally slams into his hips, Seungmin moves faster and faster, pulling you down close enough to kiss as he fucks you. He bites softly at your lip, slides his tongue against yours. The kiss throws you over the edge, and your orgasm hits so fast, and so hard, you scream right down his throat. His cum runs warm out of you as he slows, and stops, but you keep kissing, and Seungmin returns it.
âOkay,â you donât want to, but you pull away to breathe, and Seungmin pulls you back for one more, âokay.â You lay down on him and try to catch your breath, listen as he catches his, and close your eyes to the feel of his chest rising and falling. One hand slides across your shoulders and the other sets at his side, fingers fidgeting and picking at the blanket, and everything feels good, it feels normal.
The rumble in his chest as he groans and sighs brings you back a little, but youâre not ready to be back quite yet. Itâs too nice, laying here on his chest and listening to the wild beat of his heart. But you give in and look up at himâSeungmin is just as relaxed, maybe more. You slowly lift yourself off of him, and pull at the blankets, but youâre the wrong way around, and covering up isnât easy.
âSeungmin?â
His eyes open slowly, and then immediately shut again.
âTurn over so I can look at your back.â He listens, but this time, he winces in pain when the skin moves and stretches. âDonât move, Iâll be right back.â
Before you get up, you have to give your legs a stretch, and before you can walk, you stand for a moment and adjust. As soon as your shirt is back over your head, you carefully head to the bathroom, trying not to trip in the dark. The hand towels are in the very last drawer you check, but the water comes out ice cold, just like you need it.
You lost yourself with him. Pushing him on his back was stupid, and a few of the scratches broke open even more.
âHow does it feel?â You ask, and very slowly drape the cold towel across his shoulders. He winches again, but itâs quickly followed by a sigh of relief. âIt hurts now that the moment is over, doesnât it?â
âYeah, but itâs not as bad as it looks. I promise.â
Even if you do believe him, you can still see the pink of his blood coming through the opposite side of the thin towel. It spreads out and connects and starts to look like angel wingsâŠbutterfly wings. You think of the old note in his music box.
âAre there lots of butterflies in the greenhouse in spring?â
âHm?â Seungmin lifts his head and tries to look at you, but youâre too far back. âButterflies?â
âYeah,â maybe you shouldnât be mentioning the greenhouse right now, or bringing the trip back to his mind, butâŠhe was happy for it. âThe heliotrope and the asters, butterflies love them.â
âYeah, youâre rightâŠthatâs whyââ he stops himself and lays his head back down on the bed, âthatâs why theyâre in there. Why do you ask?â
âUhm, no reasonâŠit just came to mindâ
âWeâll see in a few months, I guessâ
In a few months. In the future. Thatâs a nice thought. Will you both still be here? You look down at him and wonder as you gently lift the towel to inspect. âDo you have any antibiotic ointment?â
âYou donât have to do all thatâ
âBathroom?â
Seungmin nods.
/ / /
He stares at you from his spot on the bed, right side up this time. Seungmin is on his stomach still, with one pillow fluffed up under his head and chest. You canât tell for sure, but he might be a little annoyed at you for covering him in cream and making him stay still.
âAre you going to sleep?â He asks in a small voice. âAre you tired?â
âNo, Iâm not anymoreâŠbut you look tiredâ
âIâm always tired,â he turns away and pushes his face into the pillow, âor I always look tired.â
âNo, you donât. Just very pensive, and sad, and handsome.â
âHandsome? You said I was cute.â His face is still mostly hidden, but you can see one eye peeking at you.
âYeah, youâre cute when you think really hard, or when youâre worriedâ
âSo, all the time?â
âAll the timeâ
The quiet that falls over the room is niceâitâs not awkward, or filled with questions. Thereâs no tension. Seungmin just lies there, eyes closed, comfortable and content, and he doesnât move when you lay down next to him. You could fall asleep if you allowed yourself, but you could also lay here and look at him for a little while longer. You pull the blankets higher, grab a second pillow, and something familiar catches your eye. The little yellow puppy rolls and falls between the bed frame and the wall, but you catch him just before he disappears. âDo you walk around on your own?â His big black eyes stare silently, and they remind you of someone.
âDo I look sad all the time?â
There they areâŠthey open so wide, and he seems to focus on a spot somewhere behind youâsomewhere in the dark where the light doesnât reach.
âNo, you donât look sad right nowâ
Seungmin reaches out and takes his friend by the paw, squeezes it. Now he looks sad, as if something suddenly started weighing on his mind. You glance to the table where his pills sit, and wonder, stupidly, if you should ask about themâask very gently if heâs given them a chance. Not tonight, though. âDoes he have a name?â
âHm? OhâŠhim, yeah he does. His name is Daengmo.â Seungmin smiles as he says it, but it matches the rest of him; sad. âDaengmo,â he whispers.
âDoes it mean anything?â
âYes, daengdaengie is for puppy, mo isâŠuhm,â he stops and thinks. Or hesitates. âMo, for a nickname I had when I was little.â
âMo? Your nickname was Mo?â
âMo, or Seungmo. My mom called me that when I didnât listenâŠwhen I misbehaved.â
âMaybe I should be calling you Moâ
The sad look fades a little, âbecause Iâm bad?â Seungmin lifts himself up on his elbows and turns on his side.
âYou are, objectively, sometimes. ButâŠâ Seungmin does bad things, and youâve witnessed some of it. Heâs lied, and heâs manipulated. He might still be lying, for all you know. But heâs also told you truths. Youâre choosing to trust him right now, just like youâve been since he brought you home, because he has shown you a surprising amount of kindness even though it was clearly difficult for him. âNo, I donât think youâre bad," ...because you think you might be in love with him.
âIâm glad you think that. I am, though. Iâm a nightmare."
SYNOPSIS: Seungmin floats through life alone, haunted by his memoriesâkeeping himself under control, and quieting his mind the only way he knows howâŠkilling and watching the life leave his victims eyes. When you cross his path on a morning hunt, something new (something forgotten) starts to move inside of him, leading both of you on a path to confront the unspeakable past.
ËËË⥠Thank you for the comments and likes and reblogs on part one
⟠New and revised on Wattpad â.Ë
[ ML â DEITY MASTERLIST ]
Seungminâs world goes quiet, calmâŠbut it's only been a few hours, and he hasnât yet left the cold emptiness of his bed. He hasnât even attempted to crawl out of the hollow feeling he created for himself. The silence of the apartment feels different this time.
Inside of his head is a different storyâyouâve upended him in more ways than one, and it may take a while to get himself back on two steady feet.
Nearly dying in his bed, coming back, being held, for hours, against your willâŠtwo out of three are new for him. And the sheer terror when he realized what he did, looking at your lifeless bodyâhe hasnât felt fear like that since he was a kid. There was no sense of relief, and there was certainly no quiet afterward. Right now, like last night, his mind is screaming at him, just not in the usual sense; he canât figure out what youâve done, because youâve done nothingâyou kept yourself at a distance, you enticed him (teased might be too unkind a word for you, he decides), and you didnât deserve what little death you did have in his bed. Somehow, youâve made yourself as much of a mystery as heâs tried to make himself, but heâs not as much of a mystery anymore...he gave too much of himself, and now he's going to pay for it.
You left your phone behind when you ran from him, not surprisingly, and later that afternoon, he somehow found the energy to leave the apartment. He walked to your building and left it with a note right outside your door. Whether or not youâre still there is unknown to him, but he wouldnât be surprised if you were gone alreadyâcompletely gone, on your way home, never to be seen by him again.
Seungmin knows the voice in charge will be returning soon, and heâll fail if he doesnât find some focus. Heâll really, truly fuck things up, and as much as he doesnât want to blame you, it is you. He canât think about you anymore; not today, not tonight.
/ / /
Showered and wrapped up tight in a blanket, you sit at your desk and stare at a blank computer screen. The email you started and stopped four times is sitting at a whole ten words, because you know you need to quitâyou have to back out of this job and get back home. Thereâs no question about that. Nobody will believe what happened to you last night, so calling the police seems silly, and telling anyone else about it feels impossible right now. There is no proof of anything except that you went home with him, willingly. And you definitely canât tell anyone you died, or at least stopped breathing, and came back during rough sex, because itâs stupid. Itâs not believable. Youâre still not entirely sure if it even happened. All you really know for certain is that you were outside yourself before finally taking that breath and seeing his face. You heard voices, but not his. You were in the dark, except for a few pinpricks of light. You felt your lungs fill up, onceâŠtwiceâŠthree times. And then you were back. You guess thatâs what drowning feels like; the burning in your chest, the weightlessness, your brain misfiring and sending all the wrong signals to your eyes and ears and nerves.
It isnât until later, after shutting your brain off and staring at the tv for hours, that you finally remember that you need to eat. You discover your phone right outside your door (should you be worried that he knows exactly where you live?). You knew that you left it on his bar, but you had no desire to try and retrieve it. It felt, and it still feels, like the least important thing in the world, but youâre relieved to have it back. Seungmin left a note taped to it, and you feel a little twinge of excitement (which youâre still trying to chalk up as leftover adrenaline...a little bit of curiosity) at what he could possibly have to say. Thatâs easy now, in the relative safety of your own apartment, so as soon as you can sit down with your dinner and a very strong drink, you rip it open and read.
You donât get very far before something small and purple slips out onto your lap. It looks like a pressed flower. It is, and you know itâs heliotrope because itâs everywhere around your motherâs garden. The unmistakable fragrance is still a little obvious, even in its dried state. The addition might seem corny, but you donât hate itâitâs an interesting choice of flower on his part. There are more inside the folded paper, and you let them fall onto you as you readâŠ
Thank you for not throwing this in the trash.
I know I won't get to see you again, and typically, I wouldn't care or think much about my passing moments with strangers. Everyone is forgettable, and I can't figure out why you are not. I'm still very confused as I write out this letter âbut I don't think I've been very forgettable for you, either. I ruined that last night.
Heâs cocky, and he knows heâs absolutely right about him not being forgettable.
You donât have to see me again, but maybe we can talk, and I can explain myself a little better. You saw a piece of me that you shouldnât have, in my bedroomâŠin my drawer, and I know it seems impossible to explain, and thatâs because it is. But if youâll let me, Iâll try.
The letter is signed with a cute, loopy S.
The dried flowers are scooped up and placed next to your untouched plate. Eating, you decide, should come first. After that, you can dwell unnecessarily on the words of your would-be killer. What else could you possibly do? You know how your brain works, and you know how you are when you're alone, and lonely.
However, you do read back through the few texts you exchanged. You also check yourself in the mirrorâthereâs a bruise beginning to bloom on your shoulder, and two scratches next to your mouth where he held. The soreness in your thighs brings the memory of him to the front of your mind, over and over, and it works backwards from thereâSeungmin holding you, touching you; the look in his eyes from the other side of the bar. There was nothing outwardly threatening about him, just strange. Strange, quiet, a little bit awkward. How easily could your mind gloss over something much weirder when a man that beautiful gives you that kind of undivided attention?
Now your mind goes forward to his touch; his hand caressing your aching chest, his soft voice, like if he's not careful, his words might finish killing you. He spoke far too gently, and he kissed much too deeply and eagerly for you to forget. And you haven't exactly forgotten that he never hurt you, at least not after your little journey. Maybe he messed up his original plan, and then had to do damage control...but that makes no sense. Seungmin could've finished the job easily, anytime he wanted to. If he wanted to suffocate you, he'd have done it. If Seungmin wanted to kill you, you wouldn't be here right now.
More memories return to you, very slowly. Slow down? Iâm hurting you? He was attentive during sex, initially, even if he was rough...so what happened? He did slow down, tried to make you more comfortable, and he succeeded. You begged him not to stop. You were loud. Seungmin was right there when you woke up, holding onto you. Stay awake...I'm sorry. The frazzled girl looking back at you in the mirror is almost unrecognizable right now. You can't get his face out of your mind; his voice, his kiss, his big black eyes that could swallow you whole. Please don't cry.
Was he convincing enough for a text? Should you call him? Are you really this fucked up right now? You know you're being stupid and irrational, so you decide to be a little bit smart and sleep on it; wait and see how you feel in the morning.
It doesn't help much. You dream about him; his eyes staring into you, through you, eating away at you again...just like when he had you beneath him. You reach out and sweep the hair from of his eyes, and your fingertips pick up the cold, clammy sweat from his forehead. He speaks, but you don't understand a word he says. He holds a dirt-streaked hand out to you, and with no hesitation, you take it, and then you're back in the warm, wet darkness. No voices this time, just muddy, squishy footfalls getting closer and closer.
When you wake, you're damp with sweat, and you've never felt so cold.
It's risky, but he forgoes the tea tonight, and his little white anxiety pill as well. He's almost out anyway, so he should try and save them until he can get more. It's a mistake, and he suspected that as he finally drifted off; there's been far too much on his mind in the last 24 hours to expect a dreamless sleep...
"appa?"
he hushes him. seungmin can feel a hand close softly around his mouth.
"where isâ"
"quiet...get back inside, now"
he trips and falls as he runs, and his knee lands in the muddy ground. the effort it takes to get back up is too much, but a hand grabs the straps of his overalls and pulls...and then pushes, and he's in the mud again. rain starts to fall before he can make it to the porch, but as soon as he reaches the steps...
Out of breath, burning chest. The face of his stepfather, and the wet hand covering his mouth, is still there. He can still feel it. The first thing he does is reach for a pill. But as soon as he swallows it, his mind wanders back to you. Are you still in Seoul? You've had plenty of time to book a flight, repack, and leave. Seungmin wonders if you ever opened your door and found the note, if you even bothered to read it if you did, if you got the dried flowers he took from his music box just for youâthe flowers he'll have to return home to get more of. A stupid addition, you probably thought. A desperate attempt at romance.
The phone buzzes under his pillow, and he knows itâs just his usual alarms and reminders. Today he has to get up, get dressed, and work. He has to get his mind back on trackâhe has to, there is no other way for him. There is nothing else, aside from prison, or ending things on his own. He pulls it out and looks at it with one eye open, flips on his back, and stares. Part of him hoped it would be more than his alarms, and he'd be staring at a new text message from you...an apathetic "okay, I guess we can talk". Seungmin is severely underestimating how much he scared you, though. You were convinced, and you're probably still pretty sure you were going to die in that room. Whether or not he's going to pursue this further is still a big question mark, but he doesn't usually deal in question marks. Everything is either black or white for Seungmin.
If he can't have you, he might just have to kill you.
/ / /
Repacking your things as fast as possible; booking a flight you can afford (work refused to comp you, once you quit with no notice); explaining, or making up a convincing enough story for you mother and sister about the change of plans, has been exhausting, so falling asleep is easy once your head hits the pillow.
seungmin's hand lays softly on your chest, just under your throat. you can feel your slow heartbeat bouncing off of him, you can smell the sweet scent of his room, but that's not where you are. you look up, and then around you...and you see the bedroom of a child, a little boy. there's sunlight coming in through the sheer curtained window, and you can see bushes of yellow and purple flowers poking up into view. he moves closer to you, and speaks quietly...
"i have to go...i have to go take care of things"
"what things?
"you know"
"don't go, please"
you look to him, and he forces a smile. his hand slides up and closes around your throat, but he doesn't squeeze. he moves closer and places a kiss beneath your ear...
This time you wake up slowly, and comfortably. Your hand jumps up to your throat as you work hard to remember every detail, every touch, every word. The dreams you have aren't usually this vivid, and now you've had them two nights in a rowâtwo very different ones; a bad one...well, it could have been worse. You still remember how he looked at you, and the feeling of him under your fingertips; but it was cold and dark. This second one practically gave you butterflies. This dream version of you was in love.
Why is your mind torturing you like this? You come dangerously close to texting him, but all you end up doing is rereading the messages already sent between you.
Seungmin sits and watches right across the street from your building for hours. He didn't know he had this much patience in him. If he would have done this yesterday morning, he may have had a chance to catch you and follow, but he decided to stay in bed. Still, he has trouble moving.
A few minutes later, it finally pays off. There you are, looking up and down the busy narrow street, arms folded tight over your chest. Seungmin isn't that far from you in this bakery, and if he walks out now, you'll see him, so he waits until you decide what to do. Seeing you right now is actually giving him a nervous stomach, and he hates it...you look uncomfortable, and tired, and sweet; it's difficult keeping his mind where it needs to be. It doesn't help that he hasn't thought of a plan beyond waiting for you to leave your apartment. Should he just follow you, and hope you don't see him and run? That won't work. If he can figure out where you're heading, he can get there first, and run into you like it was just a coincidence.
Before he can finish his plan, you're headed east, and you're walking fast. He just decides to follow as discreetly as possible, which is easy at this time of day, and it only takes ten or so minutes for him to figure out where you might be going. But there's no possible way you're going to his apartment building. You pass by the GS25 where you met each other, and keep going, but you don't make the left turn that would lead to his building. You keep straight, and eventually, Seungmin does figure it out. It's the park he mentioned frequenting, that's where you're going. This is perfect. Even if you're not here to look for him, you're going to find him, but that has to be why you're here. Texting or calling might have felt like too much. Accidently running into him...well, it was an accident. Maybe you won't feel like you're seeking out the man who almost killed you, or purposely bringing him back into your life.
You find an empty bench and sit, look at your phone, look up and around, back to your phone. Still uncomfortable, nervous, tired. Cold, maybe. You didn't dress as warmly as you probably should have. Seungmin tests his patience some more and waits, but you don't move. In fact, you're starting to remind him of himself, sitting and watching, waiting for his next kill. He takes his eyes off of you for a few minutes to get a coffee, and then he prepares to approach. But he's nervous again. He's not used to this feeling. He takes his time walking down the pathway, and when he knows you can see his legs in your downward gaze, he stops.
You look up and keep your face as emotionless as possible, but it's not enough. Seungmin can see your surprise, a little bit of fear, and maybe something else.
"Hi." He keeps his face as neutral as possible, too. "You look cold."
"I'm fine"
"What are you doing here all by yourself?"
"Uhm, I don't have any friends. And isn't this what you do? Sit here alone waiting to pick people off?" You cross your arms over your chest again, and scoot a little further away. "I mean...I'm assuming that's why you come here, if I put the pieces together properly."
"Yes, you're pretty perceptive. But why are you here?"
"Because I couldn't hit send"
"What couldn't you send?" He was right.
Seungmin hears you take in a deep breath and hold it, then slowly let it out in a big cloud of condensation. "I keep having dreams about you."
But he wasn't expecting that.
"Good ones I hope." So you haven't left his mind at all, even in your sleep. You don't reply. "I've been having the same old nightmares. A dream about you would be a nice change."
"One was pretty nice, yeah"
"Is it alright if I sit next to you?"
You nod, but Seungmin still takes his time taking those last few steps and sitting. Once he does, he offers you the hot coffee he's been holding onto, and to his surprise, you take it and sip it carefully. The letter he wrote promised some sort of explanation for what happened that night, and for the things you saw, but he wasn't expecting to have a chance at doing that. He hasn't thought of a single way to explain his drawer, or almost killing you.
âWhatâs in the syringes, the ones in your murder drawer?â
Murder drawer. Are you reading his mind, or is he just projecting onto you? He looks around, but nobody is close enough to hear the conversation. âA sedative, a light oneâŠfor emergencies. That's all.â
âYou didnât use one on meâ
âWell, I hadâŠâ he stops, and thinks. What he almost says is I had control of the situation, but that doesnât sound like what you want to hear. Itâs also a very obvious lie. âThe drug is not fun to come out of, andâŠwhat I put you through was bad enough.â
âSo who do you use them on? And the knife?â
Seungmin doesnât know how to answer this. He canât explain how he picks his victims, because he doesnât always understand his reasoning. âThe ones I canât control any other way. And I donât use the knife very often.â
âItâs kind of obvious now that Iâm talking to you, but thinking about it yesterday, and the night beforeâŠwondering if I was just over-reacting...â
âYouâre not, you know what you saw, and you had every reason to be afraid of meâ
âSo you areâŠâ you canât finish the question. "This is what you do?"
âYesâ
âWhy?â
âItâs hard to explainâ
âWhy didnât you kill me?
âI havenât figured that out yetâ
âBut you would, if you got another chanceâŠif you had me alone right now, with no witnessesâ
âNo.â You look around, and Seungmin thinks youâre a little more relaxed nowâas relaxed as someone could be in this situation. âI donât think so.â
âYou wanted to before, though. Thatâs why you spoke to me, and helped me get home.â
âYeah, that was my original planâ
âIâm assuming youâve done this beforeâ
âKilled? Yes. Accidentally killed someone and brought them back in a panic? That one is new for me.â
âWhenâs the last time you did itâŠkilled someone?â
It feels like a regular conversation now, regardless of the subject. Most of the tension is gone from your voice, and you stopped fidgeting with the coffee cup. You still look cold, though.
âThe day we metâ
Everything goes silent after that. Even the people around you become strangely quiet, as if everyone decided to listen in. Seungmin can see your mind working behind your eyes, but youâre not rushing to speak again. He slides out of his jacket and sets it over your shoulders, and you leave it there.
âBefore, or after?â
âAfterâ
âTo make up for me?â You fold your legs up onto the bench and disappear into his jacket a little more, and Seungmin smirks.
âSort of. That's why I was out that morning, things just didnât go exactly as planned. Iâm still glad you showed up, though.â
âAre you saying that because you think itâs what I wanna hear, or because itâs true? I donât wanna turn you into a cliche, but are you capable of that muchâŠwell, liking someone enough to not kill them. I guess you are.â
âI like things. And I feel a lot, maybe too much sometimes.â
"Things?"
"Not people, typically"
"Sorry.â Why are you apologizing to him? Your assumption was a little bit hasty, and rude, but being a murderer is pretty rude, too. The look on his face is just that, thoughâŠfull of emotion, full of sadness, and confusion. This is exactly how he looked at you that night before you both fell asleep, he just doesnât know how to express it properly. Maybe he's just mimicking. âUhm, did I actually die? What happened?â
âIâm not sure, but you werenât breathing. I talked to you, slapped youâŠlightly, and panicked a little. After I panicked, IâŠâ he sets his fingers on his lips, and tries to remember what itâs called in English. ââŠI blew air into your lungs.â
âThree times?â
Seungmin thinks for a second. âYeah, three breathsâŠI kissed you after the third time.â Why did he tell you that?
âYou kissed me? Why did you kiss me?â
Youâre nothing but questions, and Seungmin is not used to getting interrogated like this. He wants to tell the truth, but he also needs to be careful and not scare you off, or be too truthful. Itâs a little exhausting.
âI thought that might be my last chance while you were still warm.â
Thereâs another long silence. Too long. Maybe Seungmin said the wrong thing, even though it is the truth. He wonders if he should get up and leave you alone for a few minutes. But what if he comes back and youâre gone? Was the kiss that strange? Why is he assuming it was the kiss thatâs making this awkward? Everything about this is strange for you.
âI think I felt your breath filling my lungs, but I was still somewhere else. Somewhere really dark, and wet. I could feelâŠoutside air around me, it was so heavy."
âCompletely dark, like the bedroom?â
âNo, there was some light, like little streams of light coming in through holes punched into the walls, between the slats of wood. It was weird, and I remember it very vividly now that Iâm talking about it.â
Seungmin doesnât mention it feeling like his nightmares, but it does. And it canât be, obviously. Just a coincidence. It was probably the darkness of his bedroom, and your eyes trying desperately to find something. âIâm sorryâ
âThank you for bringing me backâ
âIâm glad I could. And I hope you donât leave Seoul because of me.â
"There's nothing for me here." You quit your job, and you can't take that back. You booked a flight, and you packed up most of your things.
"When are you leaving?"
"Thursday"
âDo you have plans today?â
âAre asking me out?â
âYou can tell me no, I wonât be surprisedâ
âNo, I donât have plans today"
âI just figured Iâd take a shot while we were still here. I donât expect a second chance. You really shouldnât be involved with someone like me, and I shouldnât be pulling someone into my fucked up life. But this is all new for me.â
âWhat is? A relationship? Friendship? An acquaintance?â
Seungmin nods, âall of those, and speaking openlyânot lying about everything. Thatâs new, too.â
âDoes that make me special?â Youâre not sure if youâre being facetious, or if something inside of you wants to be the thing he needs to keep alive. A bad romance novel come to life. Thatâs why youâre here right now, obviously, because of every little gesture Seungmin has extended to youâeverything aside from his complete loss of control. Being a murderer doesnât mean heâs incapable of the truth, or sincerity. Right?
Seungmin smirks at the question, âMaybe.â He moves his hand closer to yours, but stops when you pull it away. "So why did you kiss me?"
Why did you kiss him? Because you needed toâbecause he's beautiful, and he was right there, sleepy face inches from yours. Because you've read too many bad romance novels. Because clearly, you're messed up, too, since you're even sitting here right now. And because, like him, you were sure it was your last chance. "I figured it made a good distraction."
"Oh...yeah, I guess it did"
"And I wanted to. I wanted to as soon as I saw you, but I forced myself to keep some distance. So maybe there was some fear of regret mixed with my fear of being murdered. How stupid is that?" You watch his mouth twitch as he tries to hold his smirk back. âI feel that a lot. Regret.â
âI donât typically feel it...the regret, the remorse, and the empathy most people are used to. I guess that does make me a, uhm...what was that word?"
"Cliche?"
"Yeah. Sometimes I wish I could feel the regret, or a little bit of empathy. But lately, I think I have felt it a little."
âYou feel regret? About what?â
"Fucking up what was very close to a good night. I didnât even get to make you come."
Seungmin loves the blush slowly rising up your neck, and now, being out in public, he likes it even more. He meant it, the regret about not getting you off when he was eating you out, but itâs your blush, not the memory, that makes his cock twitch in his jeans.
âNo, I guess you didnât.â You close your palms over your warm cheeks for a moment, and stifle a laugh. He's actually making you laugh. Something about him really is messing you up.
"Let me make it up to you"
The dark blue of the room is calming. Everything is soft, and unusually warm. The smell is the same as you remember. It doesnât feel strange being here again, like it should. Not uneasy, and not scary. Maybe thereâs something wrong with you, too.
âAre you alright? I thought you left me.â Seungmin hangs onto the door jamb and clicks on another lamp. You can hear the relief in his voice.
/ / /
This new view of him is niceâon his knees, head down, lips marking your stocking covered thighs. Heâs gentle, and probably nervous that heâs not being gentle enough. âSeungmin.â
He looks up, cheek still resting on your thighs, and youâre struck by how innocent he appears, how sweet and puppy-like his eyes are. You smile, and he gets back to work. His hands slide up and underneath your skirt, and down come the stockings, very slowly. Now he kisses your bare skin, and his warm, wet lips send a shiver through you. You can feel how soaked through your panties are as they pull away from your body. He seems to stop and admire them, just like last time, before tossing them to the side.
âAre you comfortable?â Seungmin pulls until youâre at the very edge of the cushion, sending the hem of your skirt up and out of his way. He doesnât wait for an answer.
The entire ride back to his apartment, you were ready for him. The memory of last time, how good he felt, is still very real. It was excruciating, having him so close and not touchingâkeeping your cool, not letting him know just how badly you wanted him. But the elevator doors closed, and he backed you into the corner, held you softly by the neck, and kissed you. The entire ride up, 25 floors and luckily no interruptions, he kissed, pulling back occasionally to let you breathe.
You fall back against the couch, and let him know how good it feels to have him there. âYes,â you sigh, whine his name, and he likes that. He gives a deep, satisfied groan as he sucks you between his lips, and he stays there, savoring the taste as it pours out. But he canât keep himself from teasing, and he slows down when your moans become erratic, focuses on your entrance, spreads your lips apart and licks, a little selfishly. But it feels so good, and you taste so good. Seungmin canât get enough, and as badly as he wants to make you come, he isnât ready to stop yet. He needs as much as you can give, and has to hope youâll stay with him and keep your legs open all night.
âSeungmin, pleaseâŠI need itâ
He looks up and runs his tongue slowly over every part of you before stopping at your clitâso sensitive, his warm breath is enough to set your hips in motion.
âI know,â he kisses, âIâm being greedy.â He kisses again, sucks hard, and his thumb slides gently over the rest of you, making your hips jump against his mouth. He does it again, gathering some arousal, and slowly circling your entrance before sliding it in.
You close your eyes and relax, let it wash over you. He doesnât stop this time. Itâs intense, slowly pulsing through every single nerve his lips are working onââohâŠgodâŠfuck,â you roll your hips up, needing more, needing him. Every muscle relaxes, and you sink into the couch, but the waves of pleasure keep coming. You watch him work, softly flicking his tongue between your lips, so swollen and so hungry for himâhis mouth, his hands. You need it again, his cock stretching you to your limit. Barely down from this high, and you canât wait for the next one. After a few more slow, selfish licks, Seungmin gives his mouth a break, and breathes.
âThank you,â you laugh, feeling a little delirious. The room spins above you, but you feel his hands push your knees together. This is definitely the first time youâve thanked someone for making you come, but it seemed appropriate. âIs it my turn?â There are still memories from that night trickling in, and you get another when the question leaves your lipsâthe cocktail, and Seungminâs comment that put everything in motion.
âYour turn?â
No, you donât always go down easyâŠ
âOh,â smiling wide, eyes shining, dick threatening to escape his tight briefs as he rises. âBut you donât have to, ifâŠâ he looks down, then back at you, âif itâs uncomfortable.â
Itâs intimidating to look at, but finally touching him, realizing how much of a handful he really is, âI donât mind trying,â you pull the fabric until his head appears, and immediately close your mouth around his pre-cum soaked tip. âOr justâŠâ you lick slowly, letting your tongue slide up and onto his stomach before going back to do it again.
âTake your timeâ
âSitâ
Seungmin listens, and frees himself a little more before hitting the couch. He knows what you want, and he watches as your mouth patiently explores himâyou kiss and lick every inch as your hands stroke softly. You desperately want to make him feel goodâreturn a little bit of what he just gave you. And Seungmin does let you know what he likes: everytime your tongue slides over his head, the deep moan from his chest soaks you again. âI want you.â Your heart races at the thought of it. It beats so hard you think you might pass outâŠagain, this time on your own.
He rolls his hips and pushes himself in a little further, âI know you do, get downâŠon your back.â
You release him, a little reluctantly, but you let yourself fall backwards until youâre flat on the soft carpet. He follows, hovers, and eyes every inch of you before unzipping and discarding your skirt. âAre you alright?â The perceptiveness shouldnât be that surprising to you, but the concern takes you back to that night. His voice feels far away, but itâs because of your heart pounding in your ears, you think. Itâs not until now that you feel outside of yourself again. Why does he keep doing this to you? Youâre weightless again, floating, watching everything happen in slow motionâslipping away.
âHey, look at me,â he sets his palm just beneath your throat, but he quickly moves it down. âCan you hear me? Your heart feels like itâs about to explode.â
The sound of him pulling a blanket from the couch, and the feeling of it draping over your half naked body brings you back, just enough to open your eyes and find his worried face. âI can hear you.â A moment later, heâs gone. âDonât go.â
âIâll be backâ
You sit up and look around, but vertigo hits and you shove your face into the blanket. The feeling of passing out is still threatening you, and it takes everything to keep it at bay.
âHere, drink some water. And if youâd likeâŠâ in his open palm is one tiny white pill, âbut you donât have to. They help with my panic attacks. And my nightmares.â Seungmin just stares softly, still worried.
âIâm okay.â An obvious lieâyouâre still on the edge of a cliff, dizzy, and very much on the verge of throwing up. âWater is good.â
âYou should lie down on the couch,â Seungmin doesnât move, and he doesnât touch you. Not yet. He assumes his touch is the reason why youâre fighting for your breath on his floor right now.
âWhereâs your bathroom?â
âRight behind youâ
/ / /
âAre you alright? I thought you left me.â Seungmin hangs onto the door jamb and clicks on another lamp. You can hear the relief in his voice, and you could hear the nervousness in it when he called out your name the first time.
âYeah, Iâm okay. Just wanted to see the room again.â But you did check the front door, and found it unlocked. He also didn't hover when you shut yourself in the bathroom for ten minutes, because you managed to sneak into his bedroom when you finally emerged. It put you a little more at ease after the panic attack.
âWe can stay in here, if you want. I can bring our drinks in.â
âNo, just youâ
âJust me?â He takes a few steps toward the bed. âAre you sure?â
âIâm sorry, I don't know what happened.â
Seungmin stops just short of where youâre sitting, âI do.â He looks nervousâhe is nervous. âThis is probably a bad idea."
âI should leave?â
âNo, no, I want you to stay, but I'm aware that I set off your panic attack. That was my fault."
It seems like heâs more empathetic than he realizes. Or maybe heâs faking. He is a killer, after all; a psychopathâone that gets his way by being handsome and charming, and right now might not be any different than his other seductions. Maybe heâs taking the long way around to get you where he wants you, and youâre stupid and blind enough to fall for it. âWe could just enjoy each otherâs company.â Itâs a silly suggestion, and you realize that as itâs coming out of your mouth. âFor now. If thatâs not too much.â
He smirks. âEnjoy each otherâs company?" He isn't exactly sure what you mean, but he wants to find out.
âStupid idea?â
"Depends on what you mean by it. I don't typically enjoy anyone's company. I hate it, actually."
You know he's not trying to be funny, but something about him is accidentally humerous, and you assume it's because you're here with him right now...because he wanted you here, keeping him company. "That doesn't seem completely true."
The look on his face speaks volumes. You can tell he feels a little bit exposed, and a little bit confused. Seungmin turns to hide, his arms fold over his chest, and he takes a few steps toward the balcony. "I like sex. I have to deal with someones company if I'm going to get it."
"Is that why I'm here? You need to finish properly?"
"No"
"No? You made me come, but you haven't, have you? Did you finish when I was passed out?"
Seungmin doesn't answer.
"You've been far too patient with me, and it's weird"
"Weird?" Now he turns back to you, "...isanghan?" And takes a step toward you again. âConsidering what sex tends to do to me, and considering I like it so much, you should be grateful for my patience."
âWhat exactly does it do to you?â One more step. Now you can reach out and touch him if you want. You don't.
âMm, thatâs when I do it, usuallyâŠafter sex. At least when things go to plan.â
âAre you trying to scare me off again?â
Seungminâs face doesn't change. âNo, just trying my hand at more honesty, I guess.â
âWhen is the last time you had sex without killing the person afterward? Aside from me.â
The silence as he thinks stretches out far too long, and he sits at the edge of the bed, keeping some distance between you, âI donât remember.â
You rise from your spot, and Seungmin probably assumes you need more distance from him, but thatâs not the case. âWe donât have to talk about it.â He watches as you round the bed, pull at his pile of covers, and climb in.
/ / /
Seungmin just stares, tucked tightly under the covers, for most of the evening. He only moves closer when you reach out and brush the hair away from his forehead, run your fingers through it. He seems to relax under your touch. This kind of interaction with another person is definitely unusual for him, and with the attitude he gave earlier, you're surprised he's still sharing the space with you. Sleep comes easily, though, and hours later, you wake up. Itâs not quite morning yet, but you can see sunlight trying to break through the curtain. Seungminâs breath bounces steadily off of your neck, warm and pleasant. His leg is pushed between your thighs, moving a little in his sleep, and his arms are pulled tight against him, almost as if heâs hugging himself. Keeping your hands to yourself is a challenge, and itâs made even more difficult when he stirs a littleâa soft, sleepy groan escapes him, and when your fingertips slide across his cheek, he sighs deeply, and settles again. In his sleep, he looks a little different; his face looks younger and softer, his brow isnât furrowed, like it seems to be almost constantly, and his lips form into a perfect heart shaped pout. The real him, maybe.
As soon as you close your eyes, youâre gone, but it feels like only moments pass when you hear his faint moans, and a string of slurred words. Heâs flat on his back, chin up, head pushed hard into the pillow, and the look on his face is his usual worried one. Your graze your knuckles against his cheek, but he doesnât feel it. Whatever has him in his sleep is holding tightly.
"Seungmin?â
no, I won't help you
His words are clear now, but in Korean, so you donât know what heâs saying.
please look at me
A tear is squeezed from the corner of his eye, and it trickles slowly across his temple. You wipe at it, and this time his eyes open. He catches his breath before looking around and remembering where he is, and why heâs not alone bed.
You reach for him again, but he turns away and stares absently at the wall. âNightmares?â
Seungmin is quiet, but he nods.
âYou were sleeping well when I woke up earlier, I hope it was enough.â
He remains still, head down, hands clenching and unclenching as he thinks, or clears his mind, or maybe heâs putting his nightmare back together in his head. Maybe he needs one of his pills. Would it be strange to treat him the way he treated youâŠgently, like you might shatter at the smallest touch? âCan I get you anything?â You whisper.
Silent still, but he shakes his head.
âShould I go?â
This time he turns and looks at you with sharp, sad eyesâa look brimming with the unspoken emotions trapped inside of his head. And he isnât sure how to answer. Yes, you should probably leave, is Seungminâs first thought, because he knows where this is going; the noises in his head are slowly returning, and getting to this point was difficult enough when his mind was quiet. âItâs coming back.â
âWhat is?â
Aside from the noise, the voicesâŠthe itch that doesnât stop until itâs done, Seungmin doesnât know how to put it into words. Heâs never had to put it into words, now that heâs thinking about it, because why would he ever tell anyone? This is all heâs ever known, and sometimes he still forgets that most people (you, he assumes) can make up their own minds, and follow their own train of thought every single day. He doesnât have that option. âNothing, never mind. I justâŠneed to wake up, I thinkâ
Going out of his way to get to you again, and to see you, was a stupid mistake. Seungmin thinks the only option is you leaving and saving yourself from him. Why did he disrupt his perfectly comfortable, routine existence? Comfortable might be stretching it, but whatever he managed to create was working. There is nowhere that you fit into this, and he knows that. He hasn't forgotten...black or white. Youâre here now, yes, but you havenât seen the worst of himânowhere near it. If you leave now and go back home, youâll be spared the real Seungmin, and a possibly death by his hands. He needs that, because he still doesnât want to hurt you.
âI need to find someone, and I need to do things right this time.â Seungmin forces himself to look at you, âso I can have some peace for a while.â
âOh, okay...I think I understandâ
âI need to be aloneâ
âSo I wonât see you again,â youâre up out of the bed, adjusting your clothes, and heading toward the door.
âThatâs probably for the best. You should pack up and go home.â
âI willâ
âIâm sorry I fucked everything up, but if you leave, youâll be happier, and saferâ
âSafer from you?â Once again, youâre stuck in this room, only this time, itâs your own fault. The door is wide open, but you canât move.
âMaybeâ
âSo you lied to get me here. Why didnât you just kill me when you had the chance? You had severalâŠyou still have one more, Iâm right here.â
âI donât want to kill you, I want you to leave and never have to look at me againâ
The step back is easier now, but the empty feeling creeping up your stomach and chest is making you sick. Your heart is pounding wildly again, but you donât know if itâs panic, or anger, or something else. It seems like only a few hours ago you were struggling with the idea of communicating with him, and now heâs pushing you out. âGood luck with yourââ you stop and look at him. He isnât looking back, âyour work.â
The blank face staring up at him; the dead eyes, and blue-tinted lips, feels like a reflection of himself. His fingers remain laced around her neck, tangled in the shoulder-length hair and delicate silver necklaces. It was too muchâthe force he used this time; the crack, and the crunch of her trachea as it collapsed under his hands was unusual for him. It felt good, though, and it was exactly what he needed. But now he's more exhausted than he can ever remember feeling. Seungmin is careful as he loosens his grip, because the necklaces cut right into his skin as he squeezed. The imprints of his hands are still there, red and angry, and a slow trickle of blood starts to drip from her nose.
There won't be any sleep tonight. He has to dispose of this body now, and he has to do it well, because his perfect handprints, and the DNA all over her jewelry won't do him any favors if she's found.
He looks down at her and sees you for the briefest moment. There is no resemblance, at all, and that he did on purpose. Still, you continue to invade his every thought.
Thursday arrived and passed quietly. No message. Expecting one more goodbye from you was a little bit stupid. Seungmin started things, fucked them up, started them again, and then ripped the rug from beneath you...any normal person wouldn't want to deal with his shit anymore, even if he wasn't what he is. You should truly want nothing to do with him, and youâre now out of his reach. Youâre safe. You found his gray area.
"Maybe I should burn you," he says out loud. Also not his usual MO, but he's done it before. Not sticking to the same kill, same demographic, same dumping ground, is one of the reasons he hasn't been caught. At least that's what he assumes. "Or maybe I should just leave you in the hallway so they can find me."
Seungmiiin
He jumps, but he knows he's hearing things. That doesn't keep him from listening.
Minnie...please be careful, you know how clumsy you are sometimes
It's not really there, but he knows where it's coming from. If he follows it, it'll lead to the same spot it always does.
I love you so much, and I want you to be happy
"Stop it." Seungmin shakes his head, as if that will wake him up and quiet things again. "Stop, I know...I will be careful. I promise."
You're so clever, and talented, and full of love...nobody can take that from you, not even him
"Okay..." Seungmin flexes his sore hands, and carefully removes himself from the body. He'll burn everything on this bed, too, he decides. The sheets, the blankets, the bedspread...maybe the pillows. "Did you hear that, too?" He looks to Daengmo, sitting perfectly on the bedside table, watchful as ever. "I know you did."
/ / /
Fourteen hours; that's how long he sleeps. When he wakes up, he has no idea where he is, or what day it is. He hardly remembers what happened in the last 24 hours, or that he spent longer than he ever has disposing of a body. Seungmin is in pain, thoughâhis hands, his shoulders, back...hips. The moment he flips onto his back and stares up at the ceiling, he starts to recall what he did, and why he's so sore, but he immediately starts to doze again. Fourteen hours wasn't enough.
He forces his eyes back open and picks up his phone; almost 9:30. "Did you really leave?" He says, and pulls up Thursday's flights from Seoul back to North America. Seungmin has no idea where you're from, or where you were headed, but he looks anyway.
"Air Canada...to Toronto, cancelled. Korean Air, to New York, arrived on time, to Chicago...delayed four hours.â
Why is he dwelling on this? His mind is finally clear for nothing but his own thoughts, and his own thoughts go right to you.
Thatâs a stupid idea, he thinks, and looks around, "isnât it?" His eyes fall to his stuffed dog, still sitting quietly on the table. "Is it? Sheâs either there, or sheâs not." Eyes back to the ceiling, "you liked her, didnât you?"
The streets are still busy and loud, even at this hour, in this cold, but Seungmin feels good. Black coffee and a few painkillers perked him up, and the sharpness of his mind is doing wonders for his mood. It wasnât until he finally crawled out of bed that it hit him; the last few weeks have actually been a nightmare, mentally. It was the worst rut heâs been in for a long time. He hasnât quite been himself.
But heâs out of it now, finally. For a while.
He stands in front of your apartment building, and waits. It takes a few minutes before the crowd dwindles enough, but as soon as it does, he goes for the door, and itâs open. No buzz-in needed. Three floors up, he remembers (but there are only four floors anyway), three doors down, on the right. The hallway is deserted, and so quiet that it actually unnerves him a littleâit almost makes him turn around. Seungmin stands there, and waits, listens. Still quiet. Your apartment isnât your apartment anymore, he knows that, but he rings the doorbell anyway. He can hear it echo through your deserted living room.
Nothing. Seungmin knew you were gone. He digs in his coat pocket and pulls out the lock picking set he wasnât sure he would even need, and he still doesnât know why heâs using it. Maybe you left something behind. He works on the deadbolt for a few seconds, but even taking his time, and working quietly, he hears the click. The doorknob is next, and that one is even easier. Inside, the scent of your perfume, or shampooâŠwhatever it was, still lingersâa sweet, deep floral scent Seungmin canât quite place. He shuts the door behind him, and breaths deep. Itâs empty inside, and dark. No boxes, or clothes; just the couch, the armchair, the coffee maker. All the things that were here before you. Still, he walks around and looks, doing his best to keep quiet, and doing his best to adjust to the dark. His eyes donât do well with no light, even with his glasses.
A creak stops him in his tracks and puts him on edgeâŠgets his heart pumping, and he stays there frozen, ears perked. He likes this type of adrenaline rush.
âSeungmââ
Itâs only a whisper, but he knows itâs behind him. The faint outline is human, but thatâs all he can make out. As soon as his hand finds something to grab, it grabs, and pushes, hard, and their back finds the wall. The sound is so loud in the silence, and the neck heâs gripping is so small and softâŠ
âSsâŠstopâ
His eyes adjust, and he can see more clearly as he stares into your terrified face. They drop to his hand still wrapped tight around your neck. Seungminâs body goes numb.
âItâs me, pleaseâ
âFuckâŠIâmââ his grip finally relaxes and frees you, but he grabs your arms as your knees give out, âI thought you left,â he whispers to himself, and holds you up. âYouâre still here.â
âYeah, Iâm hereâ
"Are you okay?â
âLet go,â you push him away, and finish falling to your knees. âDonât touch me.â A panic attack is forcing its way in, and you canât get enough air. This canât be happening againâthis shitty astral projection. Every time heâs around you, something bad happens. Why didn't you just stay at the airport?
Seungminâs hand runs slowly across your back, âyou scared me."
âWhy are you here?â You shake his hand away from you again, but he doesn't take it off.
âI could ask you the same thing. I rang the doorbell before I broke in.â
âI figured it was a drunk neighborâ
âLook at me, let me see your neckâ
You lift your head for him, but he doesnât look at your neck. One hand cups your cheek, and the other moves the loose hair from your eyes. He looks at you, stares so hard it makes your stomach hurt, but you can't look away. "You didn't leave."
"No"
"Why didn't you leave?"
"My flight got cancelled, three times. I got tired and begged my landlord for a few more days." It's catching up to you; the exhaustion, and the stress, and you start to feel tears brimming. You really don't want to cry right now, though. Your brain always chooses the worst times to do it. "They lost my luggage, or someone stole it, I don't know...I don't have anything."
"Nothing?"
"Just what I have in my bag"
Something he can fix, that's the only thing running through his mind now. Seungmin is useless, and he knows thatâthe world wouldnât change at all if he was suddenly gone. He takes and takes, and he never gives. He doesnât fix things.
âWhy are you here, Seungmin?â
Why is he here? He thinks you probably know why heâs here, because youâve proven yourself to be very perceptive. But youâre also upset. Youâve been here with nothing, Seungmin assumes, since at least Thursday; two nights, three if you count tonight.
âI, uhm,â he can answer two different ways, or he can lie. âI thought you might have left something behind, so I didnât think it would hurt to check.â
âLeft something behindâŠlike what?â
Maybe a letter, like he wrote for you. An article of clothing, or a piece of jewelry. Something tangible he could hold onto. âI needed to know if you really leftâ
âKeep telling me the truthâ
Seungminâs heart thumps in his chest, and in his head, âokay.â
âDo you want me leave?â
âNoâ
âWhy?â
âI donât knowâŠâ he watches as you stand and head toward the bedroom, âwait, wait.â
âIâm tiredâ
âCome back with meâ
Finally, he gets it out. His heart still thumps, and it shakes his whole body, but he did it, he spit the words out. He isnât ready for the let down.
âYou sent me away, didnât want me to look at you again.â He stares blankly, avoiding you completely. âYou told me Iâd be safer away from you.â
âAnd it might still be true.â Seungmin shakes his head, like heâs trying to clear more voices out of it. "But..."
âOkayâ
The only possession you have left, your backpackânot even completely full, hangs on Seungminâs shoulder as he works on his locks. Four of them, two different keys, plus one digital lock; youâd think he had something to hide in here. âSorry, this one always sticks.â He gives you a half smile. His demeanor changed drastically after your okay.
âItâs alrightâ
âYou can shower, if youâd like. Are you hungry?â
Yes, youâre starving. You still have money, but you were preparing for a hotel bill come tomorrow morning. Canceling is an option now, you suppose, but youâre hesitant to do it. âI am.â
âWhat are you in the mood for? Unless youâd rather sleep first, maybe youâre more tired than hungry. A bath might be nice, though. Maybeââ
âHow about I shower while youâŠmake something, or order it?â
âI can cookâ
/ / /
The last time you used this bathroom, you were mid-panic attack. Now youâre comfortable in the tub Seungmin insisted you soak in, and youâre very glad he did. You watched him pick out his favorite bath salts so you could try themâhe filled the tub, poured them in, and made sure you approved before leaving youâŠâtake your time.â He gave you his full smile this time, but it was a little hesitant.
This is the most relaxed youâve been in weeks, and you hate thinking it now, but Seungmin has given you nothing but terror, anxiety, anger, and overwhelming emptiness. Itâs been a struggle finding anything positive in your short time in Korea, and itâs because of him. Leaving was supposed to fix this, but you couldnât do it. A cancelled flight was nothing, but a second cancelled flight felt like a sign. After the third one, you gave up on rebooking, but you had no clue what your plan was from there.
Ten minutes into your bath, he knocks softly before cracking the door, âIâm sorry, I didnât want to make anything too spicy unless I askedâ
âNo spiceâ
The door closes softly, and you canât hold back a stupid grin. Heâs out of his element right now, again, and you wonder if heâs ever cooked for anyone before; a date, if thatâs what you can still call yourself; a friend, an acquaintance. No, you know he hasn't; Seungmin doesn't like company. Youâre messing him up, just like heâs messing you up.
/ / /
Seungmin can cook, heâs just not very good at it. Heâs hoping youâre hungry enough not to care. Focusing on the food in front of him is difficult, though, when your half-unzipped backpack is right there on the couch. There isnât much in it, but there is something in there; your most important things, probablyâthe only things you felt the need to keep with you for the long trip home. He canât help it, he has to look. Itâs not even close to the worst heâs done to you already.
A phone charger, earbuds, a jewelry case. Seungmin opens that, but thereâs not much inside: two small silver rings, a necklace with a medallion hanging from it. He recognizes it right away, because his mother had the same one in her jewelry box; St. Michael, vanquishing the devil.
He digs a little further. A pill case, a sweatshirtâŠhe pushes that aside and wraps his fingers around a tightly folded piece of paper, and he recognizes it as soon as he pulls it out. He barely unfolds it before a familiar dried flower slips out and onto the floor, and then another.
âBe careful with thoseâ
Seungmin jumps, but doesnât drop anymore, âsorry,â and he bends to pick them up.
âSo youâre a murderer, and a snoopâ
âSnoop? Like the little dog?â
âYeah, like the beagle. Did you find anything good?â
âI thought you wouldâve thrown this away.â He gently opens one side and slides the flowers back inside. âI mean, Iâm not usually thisââ
âNosy?â
âI was going to say rudeâ
âNowhere near the worst thing youâve done, itâs okayâ
Right. Not even close. âOh, let me get you something to wear,â he says, but he takes an extra few moments to scan over every part of you, tightly wrapped in his towel. âA shirt, and maybe something else of mine will fit.â
You follow him into the bedroom, and his curtain is pulled back as far as it goes. The view is nicer now than it was when you stood there during the day, and much nicer than it was when you ran out in a panic, looking for an exit. Seungmin is on his knees, rifling through the bottom dresser drawer, and heâs a nicer view, too. You still think you should hate him, and you do, a little bit, but the longer youâre near him, the easier it becomes.
âHere, try this,â he holds up a black t-shirt, a little faded, and definitely big, even for him. âItâs comfortable.â
âDid you dye your hair?â The way the light hits it in here, it looks darker.
He hands you the shirt, and watches carefully as you pull it over your head. âI did, it just didnât take very well.â The towel doesnât shake loose until the hem falls below your hips, and he's a little disappointed. Still, he looks for whatever shape he can find under all the fabric. His eyes move down your legs, and back up slowly, stopping when he gets to your thighs.
âThe glasses suit you, I like themâ
âYou do?â He lights up a little at the compliment, and smiles when you nod. âMy shirt suits you.â
Seungmin hopes, he really hopesâŠheâs not sure where youâre at right now, as far as trusting him, and feeling comfortableâŠbut he hopes you wonât take a step back when he takes one toward you, or when he reaches his hand out to touch your shirt sleeve. And then, very cautiously, your arm. Goosebumps jump up on your skin when he runs his thumb down to your elbow, but you donât shy away. âYouâre hungryâŠwe should eat.â
âWe should,â you move forward, and pull him down until you can almost reach his lips. âWhat did you make?â
Are you teasing him on purpose? âSpam fried riceâŠand eggs. I'm sure I have something sweet, if youâre in the mood.â
âThat sounds good, yeah.â Heâs pulled a little closer, but your lips land on the apple of his warm cheek, âsex is supposed to be better after you eat.â
/ / /
âDid we enjoy each otherâs company?â Seungmin smiles to himself as he pours you more tea.
âYou certainly did, considering how wrapped up in me you were that morningâ
His face drops a little, âI was?â
Wrapped up is a little exaggerated, but you do tell him exactly how you woke up to him, and he blushes. âI can be a little noisy in my sleep, sorry.â
âAnd I was on your side of the bed, so maybe you were just migrating back to itâ
He laughs, and getting that out of him feels like an accomplishment you didnât know you needed. This version of Seungmin looks, and feels, different than any other youâve met, but there are bits and pieces of each one still hanging on. The worry still sits in his eyes, but itâs subtleâevery time he looks into yours, you can hear him wondering when youâll leave again. Heâs still nervous, just a little on edge, as if whatever heâs doing is wrong, or just not completely correct. When he asked how the food was, you told him the truth; it was perfect, and exactly what you needed, but you also told him, jokingly, that his onion chopping needed some work. He seemed to take it to heart, so it took some convincing to get his mind off of it. And whatever feelings come back when itâs timeâthe thing that sits on his shoulder, always seems to be there in some small way. Maybe itâs just the memory of it.
But heâs different. Seungmin did what he needed to do to feel normal for a while, and you see it. He looks at you easily, with much less intensity, and laughs a little bit louder. This must be the real Seungmin.
âIâm much more comfortable here,â Seungmin sits and hands you a mug, âand warmer.â Because you asked him to turn up the heat, and he apologized several times for not doing it sooner. âThank you for having me again. Donât make me regret it.â
He tilts his head to the side, and raises his eyebrows. You think you see a smile trying to tug at his lips, but he keeps it to himself, âno, I donât want to do that. But I have a question.â
âGo aheadâ
âDo you think being on top would make you more comfortable?â
âOn top?â You stare at him blankly for a few beats, sip your tea. âOh, on top. Of you. Maybe.â You keep your face neutral. He looks a little dejected, but when your eyes wander down, you can see how fast heâs getting hard, and a wave of pleasure runs all the way through you. âWonât hurt to try.â
Thatâs all he needs to hear. Seungmin goes right for your waist and pulls you to your feet, âif you need me to stopâŠâ he waits for your nod before leading you back to the bedroom.
âYou changed your bedspread, you changed everythingâŠwell, almost everything.â Seungmin sees your gaze land on Daengmo. âTell me about him later?â
He nods, sits comfortably and unbuttons his jeans, unzips them carefully, and groans when he can get them away from his erection. His sweatshirt is next, and when he gets it over his head and tosses it aside, youâre half kneeling on the bed, hem of your tshirt clenched in your fist. Seungmin laughs, and then pats his bare thigh, âright here.â
You listen, and carefully straddle him. âOh,â you jump when his dick, still confined to his briefs, rubs against your aching clit. âDonât tease,â you reach down and pull at the fabric.
âNot tonight,â he finishes freeing himself and rubs his head over your wet, silky entrance. âNo teasing.â The groan he makes comes out so deep, and so needy, âare you ready? You feel ready.â
Two fingers slide down and up, disappearing deep inside of you, and the pressure he gives makes you whine. His free hand gently squeezes your hip, holds you stillâthe other slides out, âmm, yeahâŠso wet for me.â Before he does anything else, he brings his fingers to his mouth and sucks them clean, âIâm all yoursâŠâ and lies back on the pillow.
Youâre not sure you can get him in like this, but you take him in your hand and spread yourself open, slide your knees further and further apart so thereâs nowhere else to go but in. The pressure is intense, but you know how wet you are, and how wet heâs still making you as you look at his calm, smirking face.
âYeah, thatâs good,â his hips jump, but he keeps himself under control. He wants you doing all the work right now. âA little more, I know you can take it all,â he moans when you stop and pull yourself up, and then slowly slide back down, âfuck.â
Back down, little by little, and the stretch hurts until you start to move up and down, gently, working your thighs to the point of burning. But you want to take him all. Youâre still all here, no panic, no overwhelming memory of what happened before. Seungmin is so content just lying there watching you, and you want this now. All of it. You slow down and relax before setting both palms against his stomach. He flexes, and you feel every muscle hold you steady; you feel his hips twitch as you take another inchâŠand then another. And one more, all of him, stretching you to your limit.
âGood?â
âGood,â you roll your hips and stretch yourself even more, âso good.â
Seungmin wets his thumb on his tongue and finds your clit, teases it as you start to bounce again, âfuck,â his free hand slides over yours, âfuck, I might get there firstâŠyou feel so good,â he whines and moves faster, rubbing in tight little circles as you lose yourself and start to fuck him harder.
It hurts, in the best wayâyou canât stop, and you canât slow down until you come His heavy eyes and parted lips, tongue just barely poking out of the corner of his mouthâŠslowly licking across his teeth, is getting you there fast. His smile grows as you stare, and he moans again, just for you, âyou feel so fucking good,â he whispers, and his exaggerated whine sends you over the edge. It starts building, fast, and you need to touch more of him. Your palm slides up to his chest, over his hard nipple, and back down his side. It tickles him, you can tell, but he doesnât miss a beat rubbing your orgasm out of you.
You move faster, fuck him harder, and let the feeling overtake you. Seungmin keeps going, and his hips start moving now, thrusting up into you with enough force to knock the air out of your lungs, but it doesnât phase you this time.
Seungmin is loud when he comes. The bed shakes, and your body screams at you. He grips you tight, fingernails digging deep into your hips. The mess of cum starts running down your thighs and onto him. When he finally slows down, itâs because heâs out of breath, but his hips continue to move, softly, in and out.
/ / /
It was fast, but youâre exhausted. Racing heart, burning hips, and mess working its way out between your legsâyou lay yourself onto the pillow and look to him. Heâs still flat on his back, hands splayed across him, fingers moving against his tight stomach. His mouth is slightly parted as he catches his breath, and his eyes are closed. You take a second and try to read his mind.
But you canât figure it out. You canât begin to guessâŠyou only hope heâs having good thoughts.
âHm?â Seungmin looks at you, eyes mostly open, âdid you say my name?â
âNo, just looking at youâ
Again, his eyes close, and you hear a quiet, exasperated what? come from him.
âWhatâs wrong? Seungmin?â
His hands move to cover his face, and he keeps them there as he mumbles a little to himself. You catch a word here and there, but you can't make anything of it until he finally uncovers his mouth...
"You shouldn't be here...you shouldn't be here right now"
Not again. He can't be doing this to you again, not after the trouble he just went through getting you here. "What do you mean?" Your heart is still pounding from the sex, and now it's mixing with the sick feeling in your stomach. "Seungmin?"
"What?" He sounds irritated. He looks irritated.
"You want me to...no, you don't, do you?" You sit up and pull the blankets up to your chin. The slow, uncomfortable feeling of his cum dripping out of you is making this so much worse. "No, you can't." The last part you whisper, because you don't know if you want him to hear. Your throat tightens, and your eyes water, and you think you feel him staring, but when you check, he's not.
Seungmin's eyes are closed, and his jaw is clenched tight. "Please, just leave me alone right now."
It was stupid to expect him to just be okay, but he was okay. He was himself when he brought you back, and when he made you a bath. When he cooked for you. It also seemed stupid to expect yourself to be okay, but you were, and still are. Sort of. You decide to just stop talking, tuck yourself deep into the covers, and wait for whatever this is to pass. Leaving isn't really an option for you anymore. You don't want to leave.
/ / /
A hard kick straight to your shin wakes you from your sleep. You were in deep, dreaming like before, only this time Seungmin wasnât there. The darkness, the cold wet ground, the sound of footsteps in the mudâŠthat was all still thereâloud, desperate cries from a child, barely audible, but that sound sticks with you even after waking up. It rings in your head as the spot just below your knee throbs in pain.
âSeungmin," a gentle shake of his shoulder brings him out of his sleep, and his face relaxes almost immediately when he realizes heâs in his bed. âYou didn't wanna be in that dream anymore, did you?â
He takes a few deep breaths before sitting up and rubbing at his cheeks, âwas I talking?â And then he moves his hands to just below his eyes, as if he's feeling for tears, âorââ
âNo, you kicked me. And you looked very unhappy.â
âKicked you?â Seungmin folds his legs up to his chest, and he looks like a kid. A very tired, very confused kid. âHard?â
âHard enough, but Iâm fineâ
âIâm sorryâ
Reading him is difficult, maybe because youâre still tired. Last night feels like it couldnât have happenedâall of it; Seungmin coming to find you, bringing you home with himâŠwhat that came after. Everything feels like a fever dream youâve been floating through, half awake. âNo, itâs okay. I was in the middle of a dream, too. Being awake is better.â
âWere you comfortable, did you sleep well?" Heâs looking at your legs as they move around under the blankets, âlet me see.â
âIâm okay, I promise." He clearly doesn't remember.
Seungmin nods, but pulls at the blankets anyway. He keeps pulling and reaching until you finally give in and show him your leg. âThank you,â he touches the red spot, and the slightly broken skin.
âDo you remember last night?â You ask, and he doesnât move, but his gaze does. âAfter, I mean.â
Yes, he remembers laying next to you, and trying not to doze off too fastâstill so tired after so much sleep. He lost that battle, though. âYeah, I fell asleep. I should have stayed awake with you.â
âYou donât remember talking to me before that?â
He shakes his head, and sets his warm hand over the sore spot. If he doesn't remember it, then maybe it doesn't matter. "What did I say?"
You watch his face as you speak, "uhm, you told me I shouldn't be here. And you asked me to leave you alone."
There is no change in his face, so you suspect he isn't very surprised by what he said. His hand slides down your shin, to your ankle, and then back up...very slowly. It's gentle and sweet, but something about it is unnerving at the same time. That doesn't stop a chill from running up your body, and goosebumps to run up your arms. His warm hands feel good, and when he squeezes your thigh, you have to stifle a moan.
"Don't believe everything I say"
The softness of his voice, and another squeeze of his hand almost distracts you from what he tells you. "How do I know what to believe?" You pull yourself back a little, but Seungmin's grip on your thigh tightens. "How do I know when you're telling me the truth?"
"I didn't mean that last night"
"You sounded like you meant it"
"I didn't, I promise." He pulls you closer, "look at me." He waits until you do, but whatever he's trying to say hasn't come together in his head yet. Seungmin is feeling very overwhelmed, very suddenly, and he wants to scream. He wants to squeeze your thigh until his nails dig in deep enough to break the skin. "I don't know how to make you believe me."
"Please, let go"
He looks down at the hold he has on you, and it's too much, just not quite enough to make you bleed. His grip loosens, and the mark left behind is red and angry.
"I need to go clean up"
/ / /
The strong smell of coffee comes through the bathroom door, so you know he's up, and probably out there waiting. You check the marks on your thigh. It stings, and you can see the perfect crescent shaped indentations he left behind. It could be much worseâthe cool washcloth takes away most of the pain. You rinse it under warm water and clean up the mess you should've taken care of last night; the mess you really shouldn't have made at all. But you try not to think about it. You try not to think about what he just outright told you about himself. And this hold he has on youâit's not the best idea, but you shove that down for now, too.
You crack the door and peek out, take in the smell of the coffee, and head for the kitchen. Sitting on the counter is a mug, already filled, two pieces of warm toast, and a jar of plum jam.
But Seungmin isnât here.
Cold air hits you where youâre standing, and you follow it back to his bedroomâto the slowly moving curtains covering the sliding door of the balcony. The bed is empty and made, and thereâs a fresh tshirt and pair of sweatpants sitting at the corner. Youâll have to assume theyâre for you, and you're thankful for them. It's freezing in here again. You change before returning to the curtains, and very carefully, very quietly, pull them aside just enough to look out.
Seungmin is sitting cross-legged on the ground, hands neatly in his lap. Heâs leaning a little, so his head is resting on the wall closest to him. You know he must be cold, because heâs only in the tshirt and shorts he wore to bed, and you also know heâs out there because he wants, or needs to be alone. So you leave him alone. You return to your coffee and the breakfast he made, and you wait.
SYNOPSIS: Seungmin floats through life alone, haunted by his memoriesâkeeping himself under control, and quieting his mind the only way he knows howâŠkilling and watching the life leave his victims eyes. When you cross his path on a morning hunt, something new (something forgotten) starts to move inside of him, leading both of you on a path to confront the unspeakable past.
[ MLâ DEITY MASTERLIST ]
The smell of smoke reaches his nose, and the craving comes on so suddenly, and so strongâŠhe hates this, not being able to control something so small. He doesn't have much control at all, if he thinks about it. He hasn't had any real control in yearsâjust the illusion of it. The first chance Seungmin gets, he disappears into a convenience store, and he walks back out with a pack of cigarettes clenched in one hand. He bites down on a fresh book of matches as he bounces it against the heel of his palm, eyes still carefully scanning the streets as he unwraps the plastic and pops one between his lips.
The sound of the match against the striker strip is enough to calm his nerves, but the first slow drag quiets his mind and numbs the itch in his limbs. The part of his brain that doesn't shut up when it's time likes to smoke lately, it seems, so he listens. More of his illusion.
Just as he pulls in another lungful, you breeze past him, head down, eyes glued to your phone. Seungmin can see exactly what you're doingâlooking at a map as you walk, probably a little lost, and youâre mumbling quietly. Scolding yourself, maybe, but taking your time and obviously trying to keep it together. He wonders just how lost you are, but he doesn't move right awayâŠheâs smarter than that. That itch returns very quickly, despite the cigarette, and his legs shake a little with the anticipation of following behind. Lucky for him, you stop and duck under the awning for some shade, and probably to get your bearings.
He likes the way you look.
You feign confidence, and you really are doing a great job of fitting in and acting like you know where you areâwhere you need to go. If anyone else was nearby, they wouldn't even suspect you needed help. And youâre pretty. Seungmin thinks you probably donât know that, not here, so out of your element. You are, though.
Just as he moves to approach you, you lift your gaze, and your eyes find his. Seungmin freezes for a moment, then slowly takes the cigarette from his lips. âHello,â he smiles and turns away a little to blow out his smoke. âIâm sorry, I canâŠâ he discards it, then turns back, hoping your eyes are still on himâŠ
He was a little rushed this morning, his hair dryer broke, and he spilled an entire iced coffee on his way out the door. Going out today didnât seem like the best idea, but he figured he would at least make the attempt, and try again tomorrow if he had to. Seungmin is very glad he tried today. You still look up at him with keen, hopeful eyes when he turns to face you again.
ââŠput this out.â He tries Englishâitâs the only western language he knows. âDo you need help reading your map?â
Still, you stareâŠsilent. If you donât speak English or Korean, heâs out of luck, and heâll have to drag himself back home, alone, and crawl into bed until tomorrow.
âYesâŠthank youâ
He sighs internally, and smiles softly at you. Once again, his looks (and his fluent English) get him what he wants. Seungmin doubts you would have taken the help if that first look didn't get something moving in you. He could see it in your eyes. âWhere are you headed? I might be more useful than that map.â
Still, you hesitate for a brief moment, â...my apartment. I took the bus, and I missed it coming back. But I think Iâm almost there. Iâm just a little anxious, and Iâm being stupidâŠâ
âNo, youâre not. Have you been here long? In Seoul?â
âAbout a weekâ
âNo, not stupid. Whatâs the address?â
/ / /
âStay close, we can probably get the whole way across.â He looks back at you, and slows enough for you to catch up to his long strides. âNo, maybe not,â he takes your wrist in his hand, and itâs unnecessary, because you stop with him. Itâs a good startâŠthe first touch. âSorry.â
âItâs okay,â you glance at him, and then to his hand wrapped around you, âI think I know where Iâm at now.â
âYou think?â
âI thinkâ
âIâll take you to your building. You donât have to invite me upâŠpromise.â
Itâs another two blocks before you finally see it, and the sight of it is a relief. Seungmin can almost feel the tension leave your body as you approach it, but thereâs a long moment of silence between you when you finally get there.
Eventually, you unfreeze yourself and speak,âthank you for your helpâŠuh, what should I call you?â
âThank you for letting me help. You can call me Seungmin.â He smiles shyly when he says his name.
âSeungmin, is it okay if do?â
âDo what?â He already knows what youâre getting at, but he cocks his head and bites his lip.
âInvite you up. Iâm sure you have better things to do, though.â
Seungmin loves the flush in your cheeks when you ask. The nervous energy that left you returns, and it gets his blood pumping everywhere it needs toâhis heartbeat jumps, and he hopes his cheeks pink up a little bit, too. âNo, thatâs been my best offer all day.â He knows he canât do anything here, but this is also an unusual feelingâvisiting the home of a potential victim. It's not necessary, and it's very personal...and it's a little bit awkward.
âThis is cute.â Seungmin stands in one spot, and examines the tiny apartment. Itâs simple, and still a little plain, but youâve barely had time to settle. He can picture the twin size bed youâre sleeping on, and how the two of you would barely fit; the commotion youâd makeâŠthe mess. The thought sends a jolt of pleasure through him, and he feels himself getting hard as he watches you stare so intensely.
âWhat?â He smirks. You smile back, so Seungmin lets his grow a little wider.
âDo you want some coffee? You look like a coffee person.â
âI am, I would love someâ
/ / /
âYouâre a long way from home,â Seungmin says over the rim of his mug, casually scanning every part of you as he doesâyour bare feet shuffling on the area rug; your legs, easy to admire in the tight leggings youâre wearing; body sinking comfortably into the squishy couch. He sits up and turns himself toward you a little more. âMay I ask why?â
âWork. But I think Iâm very under-qualified for the positionâŠI took it to get away from my old life, and my ex.â
âIâm sorry to hear that. Bad breakup?â
âBad enoughâŠIâm sure things couldâve been worseâ
If he can find out when the break-up happened, Seungmin can figure out just how vulnerable you still are. âIf it was worth coming this far, Iâm sure it was bad.â Reaching out right now and grabbing your throat would be so, so easy. It would be nothing; his hands would wrap perfectly around your delicate neck. He can almost feel the snap of your hyoid, your pulse as it speeds up; slows down; stops completely. Vulnerable, but still guardedâsoft, sad eyes, and nervous fingers tapping against the mug, turned slightly away from him.
Still, when you look at him again, you light up a little. âMy turnâŠwhat were you doing smoking outside a GS25 all alone this morning? Iâm very glad you were thereâŠjust curious.â
âOhâŠâ Seungmin actually laughs at thatâa genuine laugh. He wasnât prepared for such a blunt question. âPeople watching, I guess. I like to observe.â He notices your eyes wondering over him, the same as he did to you, only youâre a lot less subtle about it. âWhat is it?â
âWhat do you do for a living?â
A living. What does he do for a living? He doesnât do anything except survive day to day within his careful, tedious routine. Heâs a trust-fund baby, thank god. Seungmin canât imagine having to work a day job, deal with the public, wear a mask every moment of the day just to get by.
âI make musicâŠwrite, produce. Independently. Nothing major, but it pays the bills.â Itâs not his usual lie, but it seems fitting for you. Itâs not even a lie, because Seungmin does make musicâmusic that has ever seen the light of day.
âYou sing?â
Seungmin nods, puts on another shy smile for you. âYeah, I do. Mostly for myself, though.â Heâs not used to fielding so many personal questions so quickly, because by now, someone has their mouth on something. Or something in it. The thought gives him another twinge in his groin, and he almost whines along with his sigh.
Now is probably a good time to get more information, but his dick continues to distract him. âUhm, what was your promotion? What do you do?â Not this information, but he has to start somewhere.
âNothing very exciting. Customer relations for a cosmetics company. I donât like it very much, but it pays well enough, and Iâm here now.â
âIs that where you went this morning?â Itâs almost too nosy, but he goes with it. âSorry, thatâs not really my business.â
âNo, itâs okay. I was coming back from Dongguk University. Iâm taking language classes."
He takes the opportunity to switch to Korean, âgoodâŠso you donât speak any Korean?â
And all you can do is stare back, clueless. âI think I caught a word,â you laugh when he grins at you.
âIâm going to have so much fun with youâ
An exchange of phone numbers, the promise of dinner, and Seungmin is on his way back home. Empty handed, yes, but he already has a plan unfolding in his mind. A few times before, heâs deliberately taken his timeâdid the cat and mouse thing, or more appropriately for him, a dog with a bone. Itâs usually not by choice, though. He may have to find another in the meantime; something quick and easy to hold him over. Rushing things with you won't satisfy him.
âWow, this isâŠgreat,â the girl turns and gives Seungmin a heavy, confident look. She only has one thing on her mind, but heâs alright with getting straight to the point. âHow about the bedroom?â So why does the eagerness almost turn him off? Itâs a stark contrast to what you just gave him, and to what anyone else ever gives him. The dates he picks up donât want coffee and conversation.
There is no foreplayânot a single touch until his pants are undone and on the floor, but she goes for his shirt, and Seungmin grabs for her wandering hands.
âWhatâs wrongâŠself-conscious?â She slips one under and runs her fingertips across his ribs.
He has to tilt his head to the side to avoid her lips. âNo, Iâm not.â
âYou are a little skinny, but thatâs okayâ
The gasp the girl makes when he grabs the side of her neck, the little bit of fear in her eyes, is what finally gets him completely hard. He squeezes, just enough to not be threatening, and she relaxes for a moment.
âSorryâŠsorry, just teasing,â she smiles a little, and her eyes dart from the window, and then back to him.
âGet on your kneesâ
She does so without hesitation, but Seungmin turns and walks away before she has a chance to touch again. There wasnât much prep for this, so he has to be careful, and he has to be quiet, so he stares absently into the drawer of his bedside table for a few long moments. Handcuffs could be helpful, but the gag might be even better. He opts for the handcuffs, and when the girl sees them dangling from his finger, she smiles. âOkay, I like kinkyâŠare those for me?â
Seungmin nods, and very gently secures one of her wrists. The other end snaps around the bedpost. Now she reaches her free hand toward him and gets a handful of dick, and he lets her touch.
âAre you gonna be a tease now? Take these off.â
A hand comes down fast, and again she gasps as he tightens his grip around her throat. She grabs for him and claws at his skin, but it does nothing. His grip still tightens, even as her nails cut and a thin line of blood starts to form. Seungmin relaxes, and then lets go.
âWhat the fuck is wrong with you?â She coughs and pulls at the cuff, but it's not going anywhere. âGet this off of me. Now."
None of this is new for him, and most of the time, his jobs aren't easy. Last time, he was lucky. "No," Seungmin laughs and pulls his shirt over his head, but just as he's about to return to his drawer for something new, he hears his phone buzz in the pocket of his discarded jeans.
"Take these offâŠplease"
"Not yet, relax"
"But you will? What are you gonna do? I'm sorry I teased youâŠplease, you can do whatever you want, butâ"
"But? I can do whatever I want, but what?"
The fear in her eyes is enough of an answer, but another buzz of his phone distracts her for the briefest moment. "Please let me go. We can just pretend this never happened.â
Seungmin goes for his phone this time, "no, I donât do that," and stares at the number for a few seconds before recognizing it, because he didn't add you to his contacts. He's not even sure he should.
Hi! I just wanted to thank you again for being so kind. I haven't had any really nice interactions with anyone until I met you today.
And there is a place a block way from me that I've been wanting to try since I got here, if you're still interested.
Seungmin doesn't catch himself grinning, but his guest does. "Good news?" She asks. "Look, this was just a date gone bad. I'm not into whatever kinky shit you're into.â
He's bored. To be honest, he's been bored since he got this girl back to the apartment, so this may not do the job as well as he was expectingâheâs already starting to get soft. But letting someone go? Seungmin doesn't do that. The phone gets tossed onto the bed as he makes his way back to his drawer, and this time, he knows what he needs. The girl gasps and screams as soon as she sees the glint of the blade against the lamplightâthe gag definitly would have helped, but it's too late now. The neighbors are mosty likely at work, at least.
The rattle of the cuffs against the bedpost is annoying, and Seungmin thinks for a moment that it might actually break. "You need to relax, and you need to be quiet. ThisâŠ" he gestures to her antics, "this is not helping either of us."
"Fuck you, you're gonna burn in hell"
That's the last thing she says. There is one more reach, and one more scratch of her nails (right across his cheek), but she gives in as soon as the knife slides neatly between her ribs. One last hitch in her throat, one last exhale, and the light fades from her eyes. Exactly what he needed.
"I know"
I am still interested. I wonder if we're thinking of the same place.
He sends that off and thinks, but the first text is more of a challenge to acknowledge.
I'm glad I could be your first.
It doesn't sound quite right to him, but maybe that's a good thing. He sends that, too.
Now he looks to the lifeless body on his floor. The blood has soaked through her clothes, and onto the area rug where she was kneeling. Seungmin suddenly remembers why he hates doing things this way. Okay, no blood for a while, he thinks as he begins to conceal the body. He has a long day ahead of him now.
The week passes slowly, and Seungmin spends it hidden away in his bedroom. He wrote a little, and he forced himself to sing last night, but aside from that, he's just existed beneath the warmth of his blankets. One more text came from you a few days ago, but he hasn't bothered looking at it yet. Ignoring his phone has been a test for himself, and he has done pretty well at not thinking about what you said.
That can't last forever, though. Seungmin doesn't think you're going to lose interest that easily. He knows you won't. And besides, he's hungry. It's time to get out of bed.
I'm free all day on Thursday
Fuck, today is Thursday. Seungmin sits up in bed and stares at the screen, thinksâŠwonders if chasing you will be worth it in the end. What if he spends all of this time on you, and it doesnât fill the need heâs expecting it to? What if itâs just like the last one? He starts to type.
I am free today. I'm sorry I took so long to reply. I understand if you made other plans.
No, it canât be as bad as that one.
Lunch. Maybe a walk, if it's not to cold for you. Back to the apartment. It's not time, though. The feeling hasn't quite returned yet, and it won't feel right if he does this now. Maybe today isn't the day.
I'm still free. Let me know when!
But lunch wouldn't hurt. Seungmin needs you here, in this apartment, if he's going to do this right. He needs you comfortable with him.
I can get dressed and head to your building. Half an hour? Meet me outside.
/ / /
You dressed up for him. He's still a half a block away, and youâre turned in the opposite direction, but he can tell that you put some thought and effort into your outfit. Seungmin looks the same as he typically does; black jeans, black sneakers, a Carhartt jacket over a loose fitting t-shirt. Not much effort, really, butâŠ
"Hi!" You examine him, not so subtly, starting from his dark parted hair, all the way down his long, slender legs. The smile on your face grows when you meet his eyes again. "How was your walk?"
Now it's beginning to feel like a date, and itâs very obvious that youâre attracted to him. Thereâs no doubt you wouldâve looked at him the same had he arrived in the sweatpants he had on in bed this morning. "Very nice. How was the trip from your apartment?"
Seungmin gets a genuine laugh out of you. âIt was great, I was very excited to get down here and see you.â
Excited to see him. Okay. Seungmin is used to the attention, but he isnât as used to the cute, innocent flirting. He sees your cheeks blush before you drop your gaze.
âYou lead the wayâ
He nods, and brushes by you very gently.
Lunch is perfectly normal; a real date. Seungmin learns a little more about you, and you learn a few more exaggerated, somewhat true things about him. The breakup between you and your ex was recentâonly six weeks ago. The move was actually the catalyst for ending things. You confessed to him that youâre still unsure if it was the right thing to do, but you are beginning to like living in Seoul already. Maybe because of him. You thanked him again for his help, so Seungmin starts to wonder if simple kindness isnât something youâre used to. Getting it from him seems a little ironic.
âWould you like to take a walk?â The second part of his plan already seems to be in motion, because you walked right by your building without even realizing. âThereâs a nice park I like to visit about a half a mile that way, and a cafe a little closer, actually.â
âEither sounds good"
âOr, my apartment is closer than both. And I have a very nice coffee bar. And a regular bar, if you prefer.â
He hears your soft laugh, and he can picture you blushing again. A no wouldnât surprise him, thoughâgoing straight to his apartment was beginning to feel like a stretch, but he has to ask. After all, you did invite him up fifteen minutes into knowing him.
"Are you gonna make me a homeade latte?"
"Whatever you desire"
/ / /
Seungmin waits for you to give him a surprised look as soon as he leads you through his front door, just like everyone else does, but you donât. Youâre quiet as you take your shoes off and look around, and you donât make a sound until he speaks up.
âMake yourself comfortable. Iâll get the espresso machine going.â
âYou must do good workâ
âI wouldnât say that. My dad left me a lot when he died, so I canât take any credit for it.â Why did he say that? He had no reason to tell the truth, and yet, it slipped right out.
Now you do give him a lookâa sad, apologetic one. âWell, Iâm sure you still do good work.â
Seungmin keeps his mouth shut as he flips a switch and grinds the coffee beans. You donât say anything else, but he watches you watching him carefully from the corner of his eye as he works. He makes one for himself, too, and as he walks to join you, a reflection on the hardwood makes him stop in his tracks. A small, silver earring is shining up at him, and he silently scolds himself for his sloppy cleanup. How did he miss that all week? He did stay in bed for most of that time, but he has never, not once, left something behind. It looks clean, at least...no blood.
âWhatâs wrong?â You look to where heâs looking, and you see whatever has him frozen. A small silver hoop earring.
âUh, nothingâŠâ he sets both coffees down on the table and tries to ignore it, but he canât. Besides, youâve seen it, and he canât just leave it there. Seungmin wonders if he left something even more damning in the apartment as he bends to pick it up.
âOne of your dates lost something?â You say it casuallyâŠjust an observation, âI assume you have a lot of them coming and going.â But Seungmin looks ready to defend himself.
âNoâŠno, I donât. Not that often, really.â He slips it into his pocket. âHow is your drink. I can make another if itâs not quite right.â
âIt looks good,â you pick it up and hold it under your nose, âsmells good,â and take a slow, careful sip. Itâs hot, but just the right amount of hot. âItâs very good, thank you.â
He sits down, and his knee grazes against yours. You hold still and watch his hand run down his thigh, follow his arm up to his shoulderâto his neck, where his loose t-shirt reveals some collarbone, soft and tan. Seungmin is staring right through you, and he doesn't seem to realize it. The movement of his eyes is hypnotizing, and they're so big and dark, you feel like they could swallow you whole.
Just when you think he's going to reach for his coffee, his hand lifts toward you, and everything moves in slow motionâSeungmin's tongue pokes out to wet his lips, he bites down on it a littleâŠand his fingertips just barely graze the far side of your neck.
You shake free of your trance and move back.
"Sorry"
"It's alright," you take another long sip of your coffee and avoid his gaze, but you can feel him staring at you. Hard. You look around his big, well decorated apartment and suddenly wonder how you ended up here with a man you hardly know, inches from him, his eyes eating away at you.
He's not sure why he went for that touch. Curiousity, maybe. Your skin looks soft, it is soft, and though he has no overwhelming urges at the moment, he still wants to to know how your skin feels squeezed against his palms, and pinched between his fingers. The image gives him a pleasant twinge in his stomach, and he doesn't even think about the possibility of his dick growing in his jeans right here and now. Today, nothing will happen, and if he scares you off now, heâll never get you here alone again. Itâs not a risk worth taking.
âI amâŠplease forgive me. I donât know why I did that. I donât want you to feel uncomfortable.â
âI donât.â Itâs a little bit of a lie, but he seems sincere. Itâs easier to relax and take a deep breath now that heâs up and making a little bit of distance between you. Still, you admire him from this angleâhis long, slender legs, perfect in proportion to the rest of him. Broad shoulders, and a strong looking back that you can see when the light hits his white t-shirt just right.
His face is soft, his jaw is strong, and his skin pretty, but not quite perfect. Seungmin looks like a piece of art come to life, and heâs here with to you. Talking to you. Staring at you. Reaching out to touch you.
There has to be something wrong with him.
âAre you okay?â
âHm? Yes, Iâm okayâ
âI asked if you wanted to see the balconyâ
There is no doubt he caught you admiring him. The grin on his face warms your cheeksâŠit warms your entire body. âYeah, sureâ
The balcony is in his bedroom.
Very cautiously, you walk through the doorway, but youâre not sure why youâre still on edge. So far, Seungmin has been sweet and thoughtfulâŠmaybe a little odd, but not so odd that it should concern you. Regardless of how handsome he is, maybe he really doesnât go on many dates, or even get out of this apartment very oftenâŠhis room is dark and moody, maybe more of a reflection of his mind than anything else in the apartment. Everything looks expensiveâthe high windows, the lighting, the music equipment in the corner. His bed is oversized and covered in soft pillows, and an old stuffed dog sits right in the middle. It looks like itâs seen better days. Seungmin doesnât stop to show you around, though. He heads straight for the balcony.
âYouâre not afraid of heights?â
You shake your head.
âGood. Itâs a nice view.â
It is a nice view, because heâs almost at the very top. The wind gusts a few times as you stand there, and the air is chilly, but Seungmin stands to your side and blocks most of it. His eyes burn into you again, and youâre starting to like it.
âI should probably go.â Another lie. There is no reason to leave, and you donât want to, but if you do stay, something will certainly happen.
âOh, of courseâŠI can call a ride for youâ
And you want something to happen. Being in his room, within falling distance of his bed, is driving you a little bit crazy. His big, soft eyes are driving you crazy. But you barely know him, and youâve barely settled into your new life. Feeling vulnerable isnât new, but youâre extra vulnerable right now, and you know what can happen when you feel that way.
/ / /
Someone else will come along, and heâll be fine. Eventually, heâll come across another perfect one, and when he does, he wonât drag his feet and fuck things up. You were right here, inches from himâŠmore than within reach, and Seungmin is not used to failing at getting his way. Maybe he missed something. Seungmin isnât completely aloof when it comes to emotions and reading them on people, but he doesnât typically bother with it, and he isnât the best at it.
Fortunately, he doesn't have to dwell on it too long. You send him a text right before he begins to doze off that night...
Thank you for lunch today, and the walkâŠand coffee. Sorry I ended everything so quickly, it was nothing personal. I would like to see you again.
Okay, everything is fine. Just a little overreaction on his part. He justâŠscared you off? Came on a little too strong with the neck touch, more than likely. It didn't seem like much, but you're obviously a little reticent.
I would like to see you again
No reply to that, but a heart pops up next to his message after it sends.
He drags himself to the other end of the street, but he's tired. Sleep hasn't come easily the past few days, and the nightmares that come and go have returnedâŠthe same onesâthe old shed, the soft, rain soaked ground, and the earth covering his father's hands when he reaches out for Seungmin. There's more, so much more, but it always comes in pieces. Maybe tonight he'll get another piece.
For now he focuses on the woman entering the bar, and he's certain he's going to lose her in there on a busy Saturday night. The urges have returned, and the sleepless nights haven't made things any easier, so he has to do something, and this half-hearted chase helps a litte bit. You haven't said a word since Thursday, and if you don't by tomorrow morning, he might just come and find you himself. If that's the case, he doesn't even need to pursue this oneâhe can go back home, take a hot shower, make a strong drink, and finish his nightmare.
âSeungmin?â
His heart jumps into his throat.
âIâm sorry, I didnât mean to sneak up on youâ
Itâs you. Itâs your soft, lilting voice, and your pleasant accent. He turns and your eyes connect, but his heart still continues to pound. âHi, what are doing so far from home?â Very far. He ventured a little further out of his comfort zone this time around. Running into you this far away can't be a coincidence, even if Seungmin doesn't believe in things like that.
âYou firstâ
âOh, uhâŠtrying to be social, I guessâ
âItâs alright, you donât have to tell me the truth.â You smile at his smirk. âA few of my classmates dragged me along, but Iâm over it already. I donât usually stay up this late.â
âI can ride home with you, if youâd like. Unless I can convince you to have a drink with me first.â
You think about it, but not for very long. Part of you wants to make up for last time, and for struggling to text him back. âYes to both. Can we try a different bar?â The other part wants to remain strong.
âOf course, anything you wantâ
âYour bar?â
But the former part is bigger.
It's a quiet ride back to his place, but it's not an awkward quiet. Seungmin is relaxed, body turned sightly toward you, and you can tell he's watching every subtle movement you make; the fidgeting of your fingers, and the bounce of your knee, the occasional shift to adjust yourself and pull at your sweater. You can't quite figure out what he seems to see in you, and maybe that's part of your hesitationâbeing a clueless foreigner with a native drinking up every little thing, emphasis on little, that you have to you offer.
He walks ahead of you as you head for the elevator, and it's another opportunity to look at him in the harsh light. The leather jacket he's wearing is a bit big, but it doesn't hide the broadness of his shoulders. Just as you move your eyes down, he begins to take it off and reveal even more. His muscles move delicately beneath the black t-shirt as it slides down his arms, this time a more form-fitting one, tucked loosely into his black jeans. Tiny waist, narrow hips, but just enough ass to grab.
The elevator opens and he turns to you, "don't worry, I wonât keep you up too late."
When you arrived, he did all of the things guy's don't actually do on your dates: pay for the ride, open the door, hold a hand out for you. It was a little bit cheesy, but you're not going to complain about his good manners.
"Do you mind if I change? I can smell the smoke on me."
You shake your head at him, make yourself comfortable on the couch, and listen carefully as he moves around in his bedroomâŠthe slide of a drawer, a door softly opening and closing. He's not in there long, and when he comes out, he looks like a different person.
Seungminâs face is so striking, and itâs like that no matter what he does to his hair, but he definitely combed everything back with his fingers while he changed. Itâs parted just off to the side and pushed away from his eyes, save for a few lose strands, and his eyes are so pretty and intense. The outfit is completely differentâa loose fitting t-shirt, a thin white one this time, and sweatpants. It looks so out of place, because the three times youâve seen him, he was dressed a little more than casual.
A silver Chanel necklace still hangs around his neck, and you wonder if he just forgot about it. âBetter?â You stand and take a step toward him, he moves a little closer, but heads toward his small, but elaborate bar.
âYeah,â he smiles and beckons you. âWhat do you like to drink?â
âWhat do you think I like?â
âOhâŠgood question, let me think,â he very patiently scans over his selectionâŠ
Ice in the shaker, cherry soju, coconut vodkaâhe gives it a shake, never breaking eye contact until he has to grab a glass and poursâhe stops and looks around, thinks, then grabs another bottle from under the bar. As soon as he twists the cap off, the sweet smell hits you. Seungmin tops it off with cream soda, and drops in a cherry before sliding it toward you. Then he pours some for himself, minus the soda.
âIs this me as a cocktail?â
He sips his, and you can hear a little laugh from behind the glass. âFirst impression? Yeah. Is it good?â
âItâs good, itâs sweetâŠgoes down easyâ
âOh, I hope soâ
The whole room warms. You feel like youâre on fire. You know youâre blushing, and you might even be grinning like an idiot, but you canât pull yourself away from his stare. Seungmin bites down on his bottom lip and a smirk slowly tugs at his mouth, and itâs now that you notice how plump and red his lips are.
All you can do is clear your throat and shift in the bar stool, but thankfully, Seungmin still has the reigns. He finishes his drink in one swift movement, and you take one more sip as he rounds the bar. The warmth of his hand on your thigh, you do feel that, but everything else is either numb or pulsing with nervous excitement. He spins you to face him, but his hand doesnât moveâit squeezes as he leans in and whispers in your ear.
âStop fighting against itâŠjustâŠâ he sighs, and it turns to a soft moan. You feel like you could melt right out of this stool and onto the floor. âDonât make me beg.â
Fuck, your mind went from nothing to everything you want him to do to you, and everything youâve been wanting to do to him. But you havenât done anything yet, and you donât have to. Seungmin hasnât come off as that type, but godâŠthe way heâs looking at you and gripping your leg. He gently pushes your thighs apart until he can put himself between them, and your eyes drop to the growing bulge in his sweatpants.
âSeungminâŠuh, fuckâŠumâ
âWhat? Look at me. Eyes up here.â
The ease at which he makes you listen is surprising. He has you now. The smoke-tinged smell of his skin, the vanilla of his cologne, and the sweet smell of booze on his lips. His eyes soften, and you canât even begin to imagine resisting that lookâfrom here you can see the little bit of black eyeliner starting to smudge. You donât even feel yourself reach up and wipe your thumb at the corner of his eye, not until he smiles and wraps his fingers around your wrist.
âIâll take care of you. Iâll give you what you need.â
No answer will come out, so you squeeze your thighs and hope he can read the look in your eyes. He does. Seungmin grabs your hips and pulls your body into his, lifts you, and doesnât hesitate once he has you in his arms. He turns and takes you right into the bedroom, and the feeling of being outside of your body is intense. You can feel your legs wrapped tight around his hips, and your arms clinging to his shouldersâŠyou can hear his soft grunts as he keeps you steady against him. He pulls you close right before he drops you, and you get a taste of his skin before you hit the bed.
âKeep your eyes on meâ
He pulls his shirt over his head, and you study every inch of him while you can. A long, lean torsoâhis muscles underneath flex with every shallow breath; his bare shouldersâyou count every freckle as your eyes move down his arms; his hands grab his waistband and pull, and his cock bounces out, bigger than anything youâve taken before, and youâre not even sure heâs fully hard yet.
Seungmin laughs at your reaction. âIâm usually a little more subtleâŠbut,â he stops and looks you over, and his voice turns so sweet, âtake something off for me. Please.â Heâs never this needy, and he doesnât usually move so fast, but heâs aching for it. Nine days of teasing him was far too long. âYeah?,â he purrs as you sit up and slide out of your oversized sweatshirt. âMuch betterâŠ.â He strokes himself as he climbs onto the bed.
As soon as your tank top makes it over your head, and your breasts bounce free, you feel your nipples harden even more. Seungmin groans like a horny teenager. âGoodâŠlie back for me.â
The steadiness of his hands is what you expect from him, though. You know heâs experienced, and you know he wants all the control. He unbuttons your skirt and pulls, leaving you in nothing but your pantiesâyou wore cute ones, the lacy ones, just because. Of course you werenât expecting to get anything tonight, but youâre so glad you did when you see Seungmin smiling at themâŠbut then he snaps out of his trance.
Fuck, he mumbles and moves back. You watch him hop off the bed, and take another chance to admire his naked body, but he doesn't take long getting into his drawer, grabbing something, and returning to you. The condom is out and on him before you even realize what he was doing, and your panties are gripped and pulled down.
"Open up for me," he coaxes your shy legs apart until he has an eyeful of your throbbing, swollen cuntâgoodâand his tongue slides hungrily into you, making you gasp. "Soaking wet for me already?" Seungmin looks at you for an answer.
You nod and cautiously run your fingers through his hair, and he leans into it before getting back to work, but he just teases you. Licking and sucking just enough to make your hips move against him for more. You relax and enjoy it while you look around the dark room. The curtains are pulled shut, but you can see a little slice of city through the balcony's sliding door. The built-in shelves in the corner are over flowing with books, records, little trinkets you can't quite make out. Thereâs a bouquet of fresh purple flowers poking out just enough to see. You reach up and slide your hand across a silky pillow, and your fngers close around it.
"OhâŠright there," you whine and take another fistful of hair. "Seungmin, god."
He laughs again, takes your words to heart, and doesn't hold back.
Your eyes squeeze shut, and you try hard to keep your body relaxed as he works, but all you want to do is thrust into him, make more fictionâŠfinishâŠcome hard. Seungmin moans and the vibration runs through you.
"Fuckâ
He stops, and lifts his mouth off of you completelyâŠ
"NoâŠplease"
âŠand he laughs. "Not yet, not yet."
"So mean," you whimper, "whyâŠ"
You force your legs closed, but Seungmin doesn't like that. He grabs each knee and spreads you open again, and he slides himself between your thighs until his cock grazes your sensitive clit.
âRelaxâŠâ he comes down and bites the skin on your hip.
âI am,â you lie back and look to your left this time; at the desk, the instruments, everything he uses for work. The bedside table is bare except for a lamp, a pair of glasses youâve never seen him in, and a silver braceletâŠit matches the necklace you feel tickling you as he moves his lips up your body. âI am.â Your fingers tangle in his hair as he gets closer and closer to your throat, your neck. He bites down gently, and the pressure as he pushes himself in is so much more than you prepared for. He doesnât teaseâbut he does at least take his time. After a few patient movements, he pushes in, and you whine in pain as he moans in pleasure, pulls out, laughs softly as he pushes in. Again and again.
âFuck, you feel goodâ
âSlowerâŠslow down,â your own voice echoes in your head, and you donât feel like youâre all there. But you watched him make your drink, and he didnât put anything in it. Itâs stupid, but maybe itâs just him, and this room.
âSlow down? Oh, Iâm hurting you.â He pushes in and stops, âI donât wanna hurt you, but...you look so good stretched around my cock,â and pulls out carefully, âso wet.â
âYouâre not hurting meâŠâ
âI amâ
It takes so much restraint, but Seungmin listens to you, and heâs patient as he pumps in and out. Every few strokes, he moves a little faster, and he knows he finally finds a good pace when you whine for him and squeeze his arms.
âYeah, you like that?â He whispers and you nod, âyou take it so well, fuck.â
His gentle affirmations keep you wet, and the sound you make together, the mess of arousal dripping out of you as he worksâSeungmin pushes your thighs apart and takes in every little detail.
It does hurt, and it feels so good at the same time. âPleaseâŠâ
The soft movements of your breasts distract him, and he takes them in his hands and squeezes. The look on his face is dazed, so full of pleasure. So lost.
ââŠdonât stop.â
"No." Heâs not stopping anytime soon, not when it feels this good. âNo, Iâm not,â Seungmin speeds up, "I'm gonna break you in two," and slams hard into you, and no, he doesnât stop, even when you cry out in pain. One hand falls down on your mouth, and the other pushes your shoulder into the bed, making you scream out again, but itâs muffled by his palm.
Your hands jump up and squeezes his forearm, and the other scratches at the hand covering your mouth. You can still breathe through your nose, but just barely. Seungmin doesnât relax, and he doesnât let up when you grab his side and dig in. Everything goes numb, but your skin prickles with goosebumps. Youâre outside of your body again, looking down at the struggle, and the ceaseless pounding of his hips against yours. Every move he makes knocks even more air out of your lungs. Maybe if he comes, heâll stop, or at least loosen his hand and let more air into your lungs. Time slows down, and lights pop up in your vision. Youâre getting dizzy, and your heart was threatening to explode before he attempted to stifle your moans. Your chest starts to burn as you exhaust yourself.
Thereâs nothing you can do. Seungmin is stronger than he looks. Fingers squeeze into his arms one last time before the feeling disappears, and you think he finishes just as you let the rest of your body relax. Sleeping, thatâs what this feels like. Falling asleepâŠfeeling so tired you canât possibly keep your eyes open any longer. Something in you needs to say his name one last time when the pressure of his hand is finally gone, but so are you.
/ / /
Seungmin can barely hold his body up, because he canât remember the last time sex felt that good; the last time he came so hard. It takes a moment for enough blood to return to his brain, and for the post-orgasm bliss to subside enough that he can speak, but when he does, he finally realizes how silent you are.
âHey, sweetheartâŠlook at me,â he runs a soft thumb across your brow, and wipes away a stray tear running down your temple. Seungmin freezes, and the air catches in his throat. âOpen your eyes,â he whispers, taps your pink cheek, and caresses it with a softness he isnât used to giving out. Nothing happens. He pulls at your chin until your lips part to listen for the movement of air. Still nothing. âFuck.â The shakiness of his voice surprises him. He climbs off of you and collapses onto his pillows, but his eyes donât leave your still body. âI didnât. You fucking idiot, you didnâtâŠâ heâs up again and walking on unsteady legs, still weak from the exertion. Back in his sweatpants, Seungmin climbs onto the bed again and straddles your waist. Your cheeks are still flushed, and your lips, also still very alive looking, stay ever so slightly parted. Still, no air passes through them. He knows his own strength, and he prides himself on his control, but sometimes he does lose himself in the moment. But he kept his hands away from your neck. He very specifically forced that on himself, because this wasnât the plan tonight.
âHey,â he moves a piece of hair away from your damp forehead, places his lips against yours for the very first time, and he fills your lungs with air. OnceâŠtwice. Nothing. He tries one more time, and after, kisses you softly before returning to his spot on his pillows. The puppy plush falls onto his lap, and he grabs it, âyou see that, Daengmo?â he says, and points its face toward you, âI still canât do anything right.â
The first gasp for air feels like nothingâa useless, struggling breath like youâre still trapped underwater, but your eyes somehow open and see nothing but a blue tinted darkness. Hands clench something soft and slickâŠsilky. Still corporeal after death, thatâs the only thought you can create. The second breath fills your lungs and you cough it out, hard. So hard you sit up, and heâs there, holding your face, whispering your name. You try to push back, but you donât think you actually move. Seungminâs grip tightens on your shoulder, and he lets you fall back on the bed.
âStay awake for me,â he says.
âNoâŠno, stopâ
âIâm not going to hurt youâŠI promiseâ
âSeungââ you feel yourself slipping again, and then his hand is on your bare chest, sliding up and down your sternum. It feels good, and you finally feel like you might be alive. âSeungmin?â
âIâm sorryâ
And then youâre truly awake. The memory hits you suddenlyâthe hand caressing you is the same one that was clamped across your mouth. The other pinned you down onto the bed, and you can feel the sore spot where it's going to bruise. You somehow find the strength to move your arms and pull yourself away, but the burning of your thighs, and the leftover pain from the sex makes you shake and collapse.
Seungmin watches quietly as you scramble back up and gather your discarded clothes.
âYou need to lay down. Please, get under the covers and get warm.â He finds your sweater, and holds it hostage. âI know I scared you, I'mâ"
âScared me?â Somehow, you manage to find and slip back into your underwear and tank top, but your skirt is nowhere. Why are you even looking for your clothes? You should have been up and running for the door, but your mind is nothing but static.
âNoâŠI mean, what just happened is not what I intended. I lost myself.â
Finally, you go for the door, clothes or no clothes but itâs, unsurprisingly, locked. Thatâs an unbreakable habit of Seungminâs. âPlease let me goâŠplease.â As much as you want to cry, nothing happensâbut your throat tightens and itâs hard to breathe again, so you do the only thing you have left in youâcollapse onto the floor and wait. "This can't be happening, not to me...no, everything felt right," you say to yourself, to the door. âDidnât it?â
âI can't let you leave, I'm sorry.â He hears himself speak so softly, and it sounds as if it's coming from someone else, from somewhere elseâŠnot him. âYou shouldnât even be here right now. Whatâs wrong with me?â He mumbles the last part to himself, but it comes out louder than he intends.
You stare wide-eyed at nothing, forehead against the door, breathing deeply as you do everything you can to not have a full-blown panic attack. The adrenaline is quickly running out. But you hear the rustle of blankets and sheets, and then you sense him getting closer. His fingers close around your shoulders, very cautiously, and he pulls you against his chest.
âIâm going to pick you up, okay? And then Iâm going to take you to the bed. That's all."
If thereâs something you can do to save yourself, you canât seem to think of it, so you give in and let him put his arms around you. And he does exactly what he saysâplaces you gently in the spot he prepared a moment ago, and then pulls the blankets over you. He moves back a little bit, and stares. The strong, sweet scent of him is all around you now, but you manage to keep your eyes closed and off of him.
âIâll be right back, Iâll get you some waterâ
They remain closed until you hear the lock, the door, and then him locking it again from the outside. He wonât be gone long. Youâre up and scanning the floor again, trying to remember if you had your phone in your pocket. NoâŠyou left it on the bar, right next to your empty glass. The balconyâŠyou have no clue what you expect to find out here, but you go out and look left, and then right. And then 25 stories down. The closet. It's spacious and neat; tshirts, jackets, shoes. The black and white windbreaker he was wearing when you first met him briefly catches your eye, but you close it quietly and head for his bedside table. You heard him slide the drawer open and shut right before he walked out. Maybe there's something in there.
âOhâŠâ The inside of it is neat and organized, just like everything else, so you get to see exactly whatâs in there with one quick glance: a small knife, concealed in a black sheath, a few small syringes pre-filled with a milky liquid, handcuffs, nylon rope, a gagâŠ"what the fuck"âŠlubrication, and several more condoms. âThis canât be happening.â A moment later, the lock clicks again, and without thinking, you grab the knife, quietly close the drawer, and climb back under the covers.
There's a bottle of water under his arm, and a mug in his hand. "I am going to drink some of this so you know I didn't put anything in itâŠand then I would like you to finish it," He takes a long sip before handing it to you, "The water bottle is unopened, don't worry."
Something is different about him. As soon as you woke up, something felt not quite the same. Even his voice, which was so serious, and a little bit solemn before, seems lighter and higher. You stare into the mug and take a deep breath, smelling the chamomile, the spearmint, and the orange. Seungmin finished nearly half of it.
"I'll take another drink," he holds his hand out for it.
"NoâŠ" you sip it very cautiously, and then take a longer drink. The taste and the warmth does help, and you finally take a full, deep breath. Seungmin rounds the bed as you sip, and you watch him carefully. If he opens that drawer again, he'll know you have the knifeâŠand unlucky for you, that's exactly what he does. Maybe he heard you. Maybe he can just read it on you.
But he's quiet as he looks, and his expression doesn't change. He just closes it again and sits at the edge of the bed, naked back facing you. You find yourself admiring him againâŠhis neck, his shouldersâŠstupid. He slides back and relaxes against the pillows, but he keeps a good distance. The bed is big enough for that.
"You have my knife?"
The way he asks isn't accusing. It isn't threatening. It isn't even rude. He asks as if it's just the next part of the conversation. When you don't answer, you see him nod his head from the corner of your eye.
"If it makes you feel safer, you can hold onto it. If you want to use it, I probably won't try to stop you."
"How long are you going to keep me locked in here?"
"I'm not going to let you go home alone in your state, not this late. You can leave in the morning."
"You're lying"
Seungmin sighs and turns on his side, and he looks at youâyou look at him directly for the first time since coming back, but you're both silent. Just like his voice, his gaze is softer, and less intense. Itâs also full of confusion, like he doesnât know what to make of you; as if heâs wondering why youâre in his bed right now. His eyes start to close. At the same time, your eyes grow heavy, and it feels just like before. It feels like you can't possibly win against the sleep, and your thoughts wander as you drift; now you'll die, no more waking up.
The sun coming in through the balcony window warms the room. The light slices the bed right in half, and when you open your eyes, the first thing you see is his sleep tangled bodyâthe legs of his sweatpants are pushed up almost to his knees, and his skin glows in the sunlight. He's sound asleep on his stomach for a few more moments, but then he mumbles something that you can't quite make out. A groan, but it's not a good groan. It isn't until right this second that you remember the situation you somehow ended up in. Locked in with himâŠwhatever he isâŠa murderer? The drawer screams experience, and that experience screams serial killer, but last night didn't seem like an experienced killer. You suppose not every time can be perfect.
What are you even thinking? You pull the covers away and move to sit up, and it's then that you feel the knife, still tucked safely beneath the pillow. So Seungmin didn't sneak over as you slept to retrieve it, because you assume he actually did put something in your teaâsomething he himself also drank. Both of you fell asleep together, and now you have to wait for him to wake, and hope he meant what he said a few hours ago. No, you idiot. Where did he put the key? It's probably in the pocket of his sweatpants, so you move closer to him as carefully and as quietly as possible.
He doesn't stir. You stare down at his sleeping face as you slip your fingers into his pocket, and again, you admire himâthe lips you never got to kiss, soft and pouty. His cheeks, his nose, all perfect and screaming to be touched. Seungmin must hear your thoughts, because his eyes open to you, and his hand clamps down on your wrist. Ice runs through your veins and your stomach drops, but instead of pulling away and retreating to the other side of the bed, you lean forward and press your lips to his, becauseâŠyou don't know why. But Seungmin kisses back, and he means itâevery nibble and lick, every soft moan coming from deep in his chest. You return the intensity, and something about his kiss feels good, but stillâŠ
âOhâŠright,â Seungmin licks his lip and keeps his chin high, because he knows exactly how sharp his knife is. It grazes his throat, and your shaking hand doesnât do much to relax him. âHow could I forget?â
âWhereâs the key?â
âI told you Iâd let you leave, I meant itâ
âGive me the key.â Now, of course, you can cry. Tears stream down your cheeks, and your hand shakes even more.
âOkayâŠokay,â he digs in the pocket you were going for, pulls out a leather keychain, and one gold key hangs from it. âPlease donât cry.â
You snatch it, but keep the knife against him until youâre too far away to reach. He doesnât get up when you do. He doesnât move when you grab the clothes you finally find on the floor, try the key, and sigh with relief when it works. Itâs possible that he finally moves when the door shuts behind you, but youâre dressed and gone before you have a chance to find out.
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tokki đ it's been a while, have you been well? I saw your post that you were going to the fan meet đ so excited for you, have fun!!
Hi! Iâve been alright, thank you đ„č itâs been a hectic month! Sorry Iâve been so mia. I leave for Seoul in about ten hours, so Iâve been prepping and packing, and hopefully Iâll get a little sleep soon! Iâll have so much time on my flight, Iâm hoping to finally relax and write a little bit
Iâll be there on Saturday and Sunday! I feel extremely fortunate to get to experience an actual fanmeet in SK, and it doesnât seem real yet.
Iâm gonna try to keep up with posting on my instagram (Seungbluesky) so follow me there for stories and posts! (Iâll try to post here as well)
Hi everyone. Sorry for the delay in updates. Hopefully Iâll have something to post soon.
Iâm popping on to mention that Iâll be attending this yearâs fanmeet! Iâll be going to D3 on April 4th. Iâm wondering if anyone here is also attending that weekend, that day, or to see if anyone will be in Seoul during that time!