Questionable Group of Friends

[strengthinfire]

Title: Questionable Group of Friends
Rating: PG13        
Recipient: ainihaya
Genre: Romance
Length: 14,7k
Side pairing: BFF Kyungsoo/everyone, slight Xiumin/Luhan
Warning: bad jokes, ghosts, mention of causes of death and school bullies
Summary: Kyungsoo see things people can't and don't want to see. Chanyeol is the new transfer student with a hidden agenda. And the school ghosts, well, they simply adore the two.

 

Author’s Note:  It’s for Christmas yet I wrote a fic fits for Ghost Festival - I’m so sorry. I took too much liberty in writing this but I hope you like it <3 Special thanks to my beta bae for all the emotional and grammatical support.

 

- The practice of burning food and stuff for ghosts is a real Chinese tradition.
- Korean high school is 3 years long, starting in March and ending in February of the next year. They have two major vacations, summer and winter. The summer vacation starts after the first semester, mid-July until August. The story starts around May.

 

The classroom is empty, but it's too noisy for Kyungsoo. It's always too noisy for Kyungsoo. No matter what he does, no matter how hard he tries to ignore them, they never shut up. Sometimes they talk in turns, sometimes they talk all at the same time. He hardly replies. But they talk to him anyway. 

Kyungsoo first saw them, on his first day of primary school. This one hyung with pink hair was running around in panic looking for his "baozi". Kyungsoo didn't understand what a baozi was, but judging from the look on this rather girly hyung’s face, Kyungsoo decided it's was a very important thing and wanted to help him out. So the all-too-naive 7 year-old Kyungsoo came up to him, greeted him, and soon it turned out to be one of the two greatest regrets of his life. The other one being how he was so easily persuaded to be introduced to pink haired hyung's, who later introduced himself as Luhan, questionable group of friends.

 

"HE CAN SEE ME HE CAN SEE US!"

 

They fell in love with him almost instantly. Or maybe love is an understatement. They’re obsessed with him, their little Kyungsoo.

 

Unfortunately, as Kyungsoo had learned the hard way, he was (and still is) the only one who could see these hyungs who came to play with him after school while waiting for his own older brother to finish his club activities. Let’s just say that seeing a peer from his class literally walked through Joonmyeon’s body in 3rd grade didn’t sit well with Kyungsoo’s young brain. The teasing died down after a while, but the nickname “Screaming Soo” still stuck. He hasn’t spoken much since then.

 

Kyungsoo never changed schools though. Not that he doesn’t want to, but he simply can't. <i>They</i> keep him there. He did try, several times over the years, but always to no avail. Things always happened when he attempted to move schools. Things like the suddenly soaked Seoul school catalogues Kyungsoo was flipping through until it’s illegible to read at all, to a more hardcore incident like the headmaster suddenly having a heart attack right before signing Kyungsoo’s transfer document. The old man lived, Kyungsoo stayed.

 

He doesn’t talk about it to anyone; he doesn’t talk about them to anyone, even to them themselves. He doesn’t ask. He doesn’t even want to know why or how he can see them. All he knows is that he’s stuck with them, now counting for a damn long 11 years of his school life. But yes, Kyungsoo is graduating next year, and heck yes no one can stop him this time. He even studies extra hard to make sure he will graduate. One more year, just one more year, and he can finally break free. Just thinking about it puts Kyungsoo in an unusually good mood. A smirk creeps up on his face as he finishes a hard question on his Physics homework.

 

“Look at that evil smirk, he’s thinking about leaving us again.” Baekhyun snorts.

“No~ he’s thinking about becoming a teacher here and staying with us forever."

"Yixing, do you think he can be a teacher at all? Like, look at him, he's too short! The students will bully him in no time."

"He can be a kindergarten teacher!"

"Tao, there is no kindergarten in this school."

"How sad. Is that why I haven't seen little ghosts around here?"

"Am I supposed to thank the heavens that after a hundred and three years you've stayed here long enough that you finally realized we don't have a kindergarten in this school?"

"Jongdae~" Tao whines.

"Jongdae <i>hyung</i> for you!"

"But I was born earlier than you!"

"But I died faster, therefore I'm your senior in the after world."

Tao whines even more.

 

After 11 years, Kyungsoo thought, he would be immune to their verbal abuse. But no, even now he still wants to personally strangle them to death. Well, if only they weren’t already dead. Kyungsoo momentarily wonders if ghosts can die twice.

 

Right when Kyungsoo starts working on a new set of questions, Jongin comes tumbling into the classroom. He crashes into Tao and receives a scowl from the Chinese ghost. "Watch your step, Nini!"

 

"Ah sorry, I was just running." Jongin replies groggily, he must have just woken up after falling asleep somewhere. Kyungsoo wonders why he contemplates this.

 

It's stupid, Kyungsoo thinks, ghosts can literally walk through everything except through each other."But that's exactly why I like being a ghost." Luhan once told him years ago, clinging to poor Baozi, which Kyungsoo learned soon after their first meeting, was not a thing, but a person, a ghost name Minseok. Arguably the only sane ghost Kyungsoo has ever encountered. Not that he can see other ghosts beside the nine of them. Curious, but really, he doesn't want to think about it.

 

"Why were you running?" Baekhyun asks, patting the seat beside him. Yes, ghosts sit too.

 

"I saw the mafia dudes at the boy’s toilet. I went there to pee but somehow fell asleep," But no, ghosts do not pee nor sleep, those are just his quirks. "And when I woke up they were there with a new face."

 

With a mention of new face, Kyungsoo's ears tune into their conversation. Mafia dudes are the school delinquents from class 3-2. They’re not mafia gang members as Jongin would always call them, but they're mean and bully fellow students, especially the ones looking weak, or new students.

 

"Yeah, the boy who transferred here this year. Isn't he in Kyungsoo's class?"

 

Oh yes, Park Chanyeol. Kyungsoo remembers him. The lanky guy with funny accent from some rural town in South Jeolla province. He sits near Kyungsoo in class. Kyungsoo glances to the said boy's table, a couple away to his left.

 

"He's part of them already?" Luhan asks, scandalized.

"Nah, they're beating him up."

"Ooh, well then."

 

And it ticks Kyungsoo off. They're always like this. Exactly why he doesn't like the ghosts anymore. They just don't care about other people, about humans. But Kyungsoo is not part of them, he's not like them. He’s human. And as a decent human being, he cannot let another innocent human fall victim to bullying in that school, especially not with Kyungsoo being in the same building.

 

Assuming Park Chanyeol is indeed innocent, that is.

 

"Kyungsoo? What happened?" Joonmyeon asks worriedly when Kyungsoo suddenly stands up, totally abandoning his half-finished homework problem. All eyes follow him as he slowly walks towards the door. "Kyungsoo?" Kyungsoo doesn't answer and instead starts running as soon as he's outside the classroom.

 

"Where is he going?!" Luhan begins to panic and grabs Minseok to run after Kyungsoo. The rest follow them immediately with Jongin whining from far behind, “But I ran just now!”

 

“Kyungsoo, you can’t fight! You’re too small!”

“Kyungsoo, listen to us and come back!”

“Kyungsoo, baby, no!”

“Oh hell, he's 18 already! Why can't we just let him be?!”

“Minseok, no! How if he gets hurt? What if they beat him up!”

“THEY CAN’T HURT KYUNGSOO NOOO!” To no surprise, Yixing actually manages to run faster than Kyungsoo.

 

Everyone stops as Kyungsoo stops in front of the boys toilet. They can hear it clearly from outside, the sound of sneakers meeting hard surfaces with strong blows. They must be kicking Park Chanyeol while he writhes on the floor. Kyungsoo shudders at the thought.

 

“Whatever you’re thinking. Stop. This is not your fight.” Baekhyun tells Kyungsoo straight on the eyes.

 

Kyungsoo weighs his options, but decides that Baekhyun is probably right. In the end he settles to just sit outside the toilet. Waiting for it to end. If he can’t stop it, at least he can help Chanyeol nurse his wounds afterwards. He receives no protests on that from the ghosts.

 

Approximately 10 minutes later, the mafia dudes, consisting of three seniors from Kyungsoo’s grade, come out snickering.

 

“Disgusting. I especially hate these people.” Tao grunts when one of them walks through him. The boy suddenly feels cold, looking around confusedly and almost gets a mini heart attack when he notices Kyungsoo glaring up at him from the floor, wide eyes with judging look. “Damnit Do Kyungsoo.” He curses.

 

“Hey, leave him alone. He’s Screaming Soo. He’ll deafen you. We had enough fun for today, anyway.” The supposed leader of the three throws one last nasty look at Kyungsoo before walking away.

 

Tao groans in frustration. A murmur, “I’ll burn his hair one day,” can somehow be heard coming from Jongdae.

 

After they all leave, Kyungsoo doesn’t waste any more time and marches inside the restroom. He doesn’t say anything upon seeing Park Chanyeol sitting on the floor with bruises and bleeding lips. Kyungsoo carefully places one of Chanyeol's limp arms across his shoulder and supporting Chanyeol’s weight on him as he lifts him up. “But I’m heavy.” Chanyeol whimpers in protest. “We’ll take it easy.” Kyungsoo assures him before they start taking careful steps to the school infirmary.

 

To be honest they’ve never spoken to each other before despite being in the same class for almost two months. Kyungsoo only knows him as the transfer student. And Chanyeol probably only knows Kyungsoo as the-

 

"Screaming Soo? Really?"

 

Kyungsoo's hand stops midair. Muffled chuckles only he can hear fills the otherwise quiet room.

 

"No." Kyungsoo replies in a flat tone, patting a cotton bud soaked in antiseptic with unnecessary extra force on Chanyeol's lips, causing the much taller boy to hiss.

 

"Interesting." Sehun leans in to study Chanyeol's face. "I like this new face dude already."

 

Kyungsoo tries hard not to roll his eyes.

 

"Sorry." Chanyeol offers quickly, before the situation gets more awkward between them. "And thank you for helping me." Kyungsoo only hums in response.

 

After treating Chanyeol's visible wounds on his face and arms, Kyungsoo's eyes travel to his chest and stomach. "Maybe you should have your body checked for broken ribs." He tells Chanyeol.

 

"Ah no, no I'm fine. Trust me! I'm fit as new!"

 

Kyungsoo is about to tell Chanyeol that he looks anything but fit as new, except he's too stunned at the moment. Chanyeol's rows of perfectly aligned pearly white teeth greet Kyungsoo as his face breaks into a huge smile, right eye twitching uncontrollably. Kyungsoo wonders if he should tell Chanyeol to have his eye nerves checked too.

 

"Oh my god, new face has a creepy smile!" Baekhyun declares excitedly in an unnecessarily loud voice and the rest of the group roar with laughter. Kyungsoo lets out an audible sigh. Ghosts are easily amused, just like that.

 

“How-?”

 

“What?” The ghosts still haven’t stopped laughing, and clapping and just generally being too noisy for Kyungsoo to hear the rest of Chanyeol’s question at all. He tries throwing them death glare but unfortunately they're too busy to notice him.

 

“How do you-?”

“HA?”

“Eh?”

“SAY IT AGAIN!” Kyungsoo literally shouts while cupping both ears with his palms.

 

Chanyeol looks at him completely baffled. The room is empty save for the two of them, and it’s utterly quiet that even if Kyungsoo were to whisper to him, Chanyeol could surely hear him clearly. But he tries asking again anyway, “HOW DO YOU KNOW I WAS AT THE BOY’S TOILET?”

 

Kyungsoo freezes.

 

The ghosts freeze.

 

“Lie! Lie! Lie to him, Kyungsoo, just lie!” Jongdae urges from the side, “Tell him you were just passing by. Kyungsoo! Just tell him that!” The others nod in agreement.

 

Kyungsoo frowns. "No," he says before getting up and leaving Chanyeol behind, who is now more confused than ever.

 

Not wanting to hear any more questions being rapidly thrown at him by the ghosts as to why he didn't answer Chanyeol, Kyungsoo packs his belonging to go home. They follow him up to the gate.

 

"But you promised you won't leave until 6!" Tao protests.

 

"Not today," Kyungsoo tells him coldly, stepping outside the school area where the ghosts can no longer follow him.

 

"That's, that’s the first sentence he said to us today," Joonmyeon thoughtfully points out as they watch Kyungsoo walking farther and farther away from the school.

 

"Nawh," Luhan coos.

 

"Naaaawh," And they all break into similar cooing.

 

Ghosts are simple, just like that.

 

Or at least the nine of them are.

 

※

 

To Kyungsoo's resentment, Chanyeol spends the next few days gathering information on Kyungsoo, in addition to staring intensely at him in class. And as if Kyungsoo isn't aware enough of the sudden interest Chanyeol has in him, the ghosts just have to rub it on his face by blatantly discussing Chanyeol's escapades in front of him. The transfer student apparently has been hopping from class to class during lunch break to collect information, or gossips, as Kyungsoo calls it. He simply finds Chanyeol rude, while Luhan thinks the new face is fascinating. It’s been years since the last time anyone ever showed any interest in Kyungsoo. The ghosts partially blame themselves for that, being the main cause of almost everyone in that school scared of crossing path with him at all.

 

When Chanyeol finally comes marching up to Kyungsoo after school in the empty classroom exactly a week after the incident in the boys toilet, it isn't totally unexpected. But it’s what he asks Kyungsoo that takes him, and the ghosts, by surprise.

 

“So you see spirits?”

 

A beat.

 

“Do Kyungsoo, so you see spirits?”

 

This is the first time ever anyone asked him about this point blank. And thus Kyungsoo doesn’t actually know how to answer.

 

Kyungsoo’s eyes scan his surroundings. Carefully, and subtly as possible, examining the ghosts’ facial expressions one by one. They’re conflicted, he knows, between wanting Kyungsoo to deny it to save himself from the situation and at the same time wanting him to acknowledge their existence.

 

Kyungsoo sighs, focusing back on his half-done Math homework. “What do you want from me, Park Chanyeol? If you’re looking for more ridiculous stories, sorry I don’t have them. You should find it somewhere else,” he answers apathetically.

 

“I want to know more about the ghosts.” Chanyeol takes a step closer to where Kyungsoo is sitting, trying to claim back his attention.  

 

Kyungsoo looks up at him curiously, “And you’re asking me because?”

“My sister saw them too.”

“You should try asking her instead then.”

“I can’t. She’s left.”

“Then go find her.”

“I can’t. She has left.” Chanyeol repeats.

 

It takes a moment for Kyungsoo to finally realize what Chanyeol means by his sister leaving. “I’m sorry to hear that.” He offers, changing his tone to a more earnest one.

Chanyeol shakes his head with a smile, “Don’t be. She’s been sick for a long time. She’s resting well now.”

Kyungsoo nods.

 

“Do you really see them?” Chanyeol asks again.

“What good does it do for you to know if I can see them or not?”

“So I can ask how it feels?”

“You knew she could see them, she must have told you already. And I’m not your sister. I can’t tell you how it felt for her.”

“I didn’t believe her back then.”

“And you will believe me now?”

“I want to believe her, and you, that the two of you are not crazy like what people say.”

“But I don’t need you to believe me.”

“But I need me to believe her.”

 

Kyungsoo stares at Chanyeol for a long time, trying to decide if this is just a trap, if Chanyeol is just lying about his sister to coax him into telling about the ghosts and use it later to spread more rumors about him. Speaking of the ghosts, Kyungsoo notices they’ve been unusually quiet since Chanyeol came.

 

“I’m sorry I can’t help you. You should leave. I still have homework to do.” Even if Kyungsoo sees the apparent disappointed look on Chanyeol’s face, he decides to wave it off. Kyungsoo picks up where he left off on his homework.

 

The room falls back into silence for a while, until the sound of Chanyeol’s almost quiet footsteps can be heard. He’s leaving. But the boy briefly stops to tell Kyungsoo, “I will wait.” And Kyungsoo is about to reply, <i>please don’t</i>, before realizing Chanyeol has left the classroom.

 

“You know,” Minseok starts, “You can just tell him, or anyone about us. You heard him, he wants to believe you.”

“But I don’t want to.”

Jongdae jumps right away to tease him, “Because you want to keep us just for yourself?”

 

“Please go die. Even if you’re already dead, please die again.” Kyungsoo tells Jongdae with a straight face, making the ghost pout, “You’re a mean human.”

 

“Tell me something I don’t already know.”

 

And with that the ghosts start laughing and resuming whatever they were doing before Chanyeol came.

 

How carefree, Kyungsoo thinks to himself.

 

※

 

Kyungsoo comes to school the next day with everyone staring at him and whispering to each other behind his back. He wonders what has happened for him to receive such treatment. Usually they would just ignore him and his existence. The sudden influx of attention makes him uneasy.

 

“The three mafia dudes got suspended for a week,” an unusually serious Jongin tells Kyungsoo first thing that morning when he reaches his seat. Beside him stands a worried looking Joonmyeon, glancing around warily every now and then.

 

Jongin continues, “The headmaster received a video tape of them beating up new face. And everyone thought it was you, since you are the only one who always stays back after school. And mafia dudes thought it was you too. They practically saw you at the boy’s toilet.” Kyungsoo’s face turns sour upon hearing the news.

 

“They might try to do something funny to you. We don’t want to take the chance. We’ll take turns accompanying you today. Jongin will start first.” Before Kyungsoo can protest, Joonmyeon leaves him with Jongin already sitting cross-legged on the floor beside his seat. He doesn’t think he needs to be protected, but he can’t tell Jongin to go away now. The class is already filled with students and he can’t risk being caught talking to himself again. It’s not worth the effort. Jongin won't give up that easily anyway. Kyungsoo decides to leave him be.

 

After Jongin comes Tao, then Sehun, then Minseok with Luhan during lunch time. Joonmyeon is already there in his class before the next period starts. Then Jongdae and Baekhyun, each taking several short turns after each other because they just can’t sit still during lessons. Yixing is the last one to accompany Kyungsoo to the library after school to return borrowed books.

 

“Nothing happened today though.” Kyungsoo tells Yixing as they walk through the aisles.

“Nothing that you know of, happened today.” Yixing corrects him.

“Things happened?”

“Only things that you don’t need to know.”

“You don’t want to tell me.”

“I don’t need to tell you.”

 

Kyungsoo huffs. But Yixing think it’s for the best. They don’t think Kyungsoo will take it lightly if he knows how many school delinquents had tried to snatch him today when he wasn’t looking. Yixing, however, wonders if he should tell Kyungsoo that Chanyeol was watching him the whole day too today, but in the end decides against telling. They have yet to determine whether new face is a friend or enemy.

 

Feeling suffocated having the ghosts surrounding him at all time, even in the toilet, Kyungsoo wants to leave the school early today, without doing his homework at school like usual. But the ghosts are totally not letting him leave that easily.

 

"Have your brother to pick you up today!"

"My brother is in the army."

"Uh, have the school security to take you home then!"

"I'm not a kid anymore."

"Have the cops escort you home!"

"Don't be ridiculous!"

"Kyungsoo~~"

 

They whine and whine to him all the way to the school gate. "I'll be fine. I'll go home safely. Don't worry." He tries to convince them once again before waving goodbye.

 

But as if fate is playing tricks on him, as soon as Kyungsoo walks a few meters off the school grounds, the three mafia dudes and their friends Kyungsoo recognizes as last year's drop-outs surround him in circle.

 

"We finally got you, Do Kyungsoo." The leader smirks at him.

 

Fear suddenly overwhelms Kyungsoo. His mind goes blank and unresponsive to the panicked screams coming from the ghosts telling him to run away.

 

"Apparently it's hard to have a talk with you. My boys told me you're untouchable inside the school. I wonder why." He slings an arm to put Kyungsoo into a headlock and over and claps the boy’s mouth with his palm. "But don't tell me here, let's talk somewhere private. And don’t you dare scream or else."

 

They’re about to drag Kyungsoo away when a tree inside the school near the gate suddenly bursts into flames before turning into ashes almost too quickly. They all look stunned, but the leader knows better.

 

"So the thing about you and the school ghosts is true huh?" He leans in to whisper, "The more reason to keep you off the school then." His words sent shivers down Kyungsoo’s spine.

 

"Sehun! Where is that fucking school security? Why did you come back without him?! Jongdae stop burning the fucking trees! It’s not helping!! Baekhyun! Tao! Fucking stop trying to break the barrier you're hurting yourselves!"

"Joonmyeon, calm down!”

“You don’t fucking tell me to calm down, Minseok! This fucking Kyungsoo! Why isn't he running away?! You retard! Go run!"

"Hyung! Stop hitting me! The school security is in the toilet dealing with diarrhea. Jongin is trying to get the teachers! Fuck hyung! Stop!”

“Fuck! Sehun fuck! Fuck that ahjussi! Fuck mafia dudes I'm going to kill them!!"

"Joonmyeon shut the fuckup! And let Sehun go! We need to think of something, we need to save Kyungsoo!”

"YOU FUCKING TELL ME HOW!"

 

Just as Joonmyeon is about to launch himself into Yixing, the ghosts feel something strong brushing through them from behind, so quickly that it pulls some of them forward. “New face!” Baekhyun cheers upon seeing it’s Chanyeol. The tall boy is now standing just few meters away from Kyungsoo, out of breath.

 

"Stop!" Chanyeol shouts, almost squeaking. He flinches when all eyes snap to his direction, but planting his feet firm on the ground; he throws his shoulders back in determination.

 

“Right when I thought you’d had enough bruises, Park Chanyeol, I’m impressed.” One of the mafia dudes steps forward, followed by obnoxious snickers from his gang.

 

“Let him go!” Chanyeol shouts again.

 

“And why should I listen to you?”

 

Chanyeol starts fidgeting, not quite sure what to say. It’s a pity Chanyeol can’t hear the loud cheer the ghosts are making for him. “I’m right here!” He argues meekly, “If something happened to Do Kyungsoo they will know it’s you guys! I will tell them! So let him go!”

 

“Oh my, how sweet of you! Are you going to tell on us beating him up just like how he told on us beating you? Is this how your pathetic friendship works with Do Kyungsoo?”

 

“He wasn’t the one who ratted you out! It wasn’t him!”

 

“What? It wasn’t him? Even though we saw him outside the toilet after we beat the crap out of you? Then tell me who recorded the beatings? The school ghost? Do you seriously think I’m that stupid?”

 

“It wasn’t him. It really wasn’t him! Please let him go!”

 

“You’re really getting to my nerves, Park! You want to join the party? Fine! Boys! Get him!”

 

Chanyeol is literally shaking in panic when two of the drop-outs march towards him. But he has come to rescue Kyungsoo, there's no turning back. He must succeed, he tells himself.

 

“Run, Kyungsoo-ssi, RUN!” Chanyeol's scream seems to finally snap Kyungsoo into reality. As Chanyeol launches his giant body towards his attackers to block them, Kyungsoo has collected enough courage to untangle himself from the headlock and tries to run away. The ghosts cheer in victory.

 

Sadly, 2 versus 7 is a no brainer, a dead end for the two.

 

“Useless humans.” Yixing cries out seeing the two boys getting beaten up on the ground. Although somehow, Chanyeol has heroically managed to reach out to Kyungsoo and cover the smaller with his body. He receives most of the blows for the two of them.

 

Jongin appears with teachers running behind him several minutes later, chanting “I’m sorry I’m sorry it’s so hard to get them to see outside the window I’m sorry I’m really sorry.” Minseok pats his back gently to calm the younger ghost, "It's okay, you did well."

 

Upon seeing a group of male teachers running towards them, mafia dudes and the drop-outs quickly abandon their two victims. "I'm not done with you two!" The leader snarls at Kyungsoo and Chanyeol before running away with the rest.

 

"Hey! Are you okay? What happened?!" Despite being beaten badly, Chanyeol can't help but smile in relief hearing the worried question from their P.E. teacher. Kyungsoo looks at him slightly confused. "It’s stopped. We'll be fine now." Chanyeol says before collapsing onto him.

 

Kyungsoo lets out a sigh, "Idiot."

 

Despite being thin, Chanyeol is 185cm tall, and thus especially heavy when unconscious. It takes all four of the middle-aged teachers to carry him. Kyungsoo follows them, walking alone. Although alone is arguable, having nine extremely worried and still panicked ghosts checking on him nonstop all the way to the infirmary.

 

Kyungsoo insists to have Chanyeol checked first by the school's doctor. When they open Chanyeol’s shirt, he cringes seeing new bruises and cuts over the old ones Chanyeol received last week. This idiot, Kyungsoo curses him in his head.

 

"He's probably not as bad as we thought." Luhan says, looking over Chanyeol. Kyungsoo only nods. The wounded boy is still lying unconscious on the bed next to Kyungsoo's, body mostly wrapped in bands. They are left to themselves to rest after the doctor’s done treating their wounds. Kyungsoo asked the teachers not to tell their parents, he doesn't want to create trouble on their last year in school. He put a white lie that Chanyeol wishes for the same too.

 

"What happen to Joonmyeon hyung?" Kyungsoo asks after noticing the said hyung sitting on a corner far away from them, looking all gloomy alone.

 

"Nah, just recovering." Baekhyun supplies.

 

"It was interesting to see him in a state of panic though." Jongdae grins and they all stare at Joonmyeon, "He said the word fuck enough times for the whole year today." The ghosts giggle while Kyungsoo just shoots Joonmyeon an apologetic smile.

 

Almost an hour later, Chanyeol finally wakes up. His first reaction is to abruptly sit up and look for Kyungsoo in panic. "I'm here I'm here I'm fine." Kyungsoo assures him.

"Oh, sorry. I'm just-"

"It's okay. Just lie down. You're still not well."

Kyungsoo helps Chanyeol to slowly settle back on the bed.

 

They didn’t say anything for a while. But Minseok keeps bugging Kyungsoo, "He helped you out, you know what to say." The other ghosts aggressively nod in agreement.

 

"I thought you guys didn't like him."

 

And suddenly the ghosts look at Kyungsoo, all defensively.

 

Jongdae gets into banters with him, "Who says we don't like him! It's <i>you</i> who doesn't like him. But he still saved you! The guy whom <i>you</i> don’t like."

 

"Me?! I never said I didn't like him! Plus I never asked him to save me!"

"Of course! If only you're not smart enough to run away the moment we told you to!"

"I-"

 

"Uh, Kyungsoo-ssi?"

 

Kyungsoo freezes, cut off by Chanyeol’s voice, realizing he has unknowingly said all that out loud. Forgetting the fact that Chanyeol is no longer unconscious despite lying on the bed with his eyes closed just a moment ago. He totally blames Jongdae for that.

 

"Thank you." Kyungsoo quickly says to divert Chanyeol's attention, hoping he's still dizzy enough to comprehend Kyungsoo's slip of tongue with the ghosts earlier.

 

"No, it's okay, don't mention it." Chanyeol responds with a smile. Not all of his smiles are creepy, Kyungsoo notes. The taller even has admittedly cute dimple showing on his right cheek when he smiles normally.

 

"You don't have to do that, you know, taking the kicks for me. Your bruises from last week haven't fully healed yet, and it's only getting worse. I'm sure you have broken ribs now. I swear Park Chanyeol you're an idiot!"

 

Chanyeol pouts at Kyungsoo's scolding. "But that’s not how you thank someone. You were supposed to kiss me and we'll live happily ever after."

 

Kyungsoo actually has to cover his ears in fear of losing his hearing ability from obnoxious laughing fits the ghosts are throwing at him right now. Baekhyun and Jongdae make a point to especially laugh mockingly at his face.

 

"I knew I liked him," Sehun comments, face irritatingly plastered with a proud smile.

 

"I hate you." Kyungsoo grunts, aiming it to everyone visible and invisible in that room.

 

Chanyeol's face breaks into that creepy eye-twitching grin again. Luhan would comment that it's endearing, but really it's just too creepy for Kyungsoo to handle right now.

 

"Sorry." Chanyeol says sheepishly. "It's a habit. I always do that every time I get scolded. You know, to lighten the mood."

 

"You're making it heavier to be honest."

 

Chanyeol only smiles shyly to that.

 

"But thank you, really." Kyungsoo tells him again. "It was the first time anyone ever stood up for me. I'm in debt to you."

 

Chanyeol then takes him time to stare at Kyungsoo thoughtfully before asking, "Will you trust me now? And share with me about the spirits?"

 

The ghosts turn quiet.

 

“Kyungsoo,” Yixing calls out for him and tells him with assuring smile, "It's really okay with us."

 

Kyungsoo sighs in defeat.

 

"They said it's okay with them. So I guess it should be okay too with me."

 

Chanyeol brightens almost instantly and Kyungsoo regrets it already.

 

※

 

In exchange for Kyungsoo’s willingness to share about the ghosts, Chanyeol agrees to have himself checked for broken ribs.

 

“I hate you and I really think you’re stupid,” Kyungsoo tells him deadpan while waiting for Chanyeol’s turn with the doctor.

 

The ghosts have somehow managed to coax him into accompanying Chanyeol to the hospital after school, instead of working on his homework like usual. And thus, a bitter Kyungsoo.

 

“Don’t you have other friends to take you to the hospital? I’m a very busy student if you haven’t noticed. I have a lot of homework to do!”

Chanyeol rubs his neck sheepishly, “Sorry, and thank you. And don’t worry! I can help you with homework. I’ve finished mine already.”

Kyungsoo shoots him an incredulous look, “Even today’s homework?”

“Yeah, I was waiting for you to come back from the headmaster’s office and had nothing to do.”

“But I only left for like 15 minutes? Are you a freaking genius or what?”

“Sort of?”

Kyungsoo suddenly feels the urge to slap the grin away from Chanyeol’s face.

“Nah, I just study a lot.” Chanyeol tells him, leaning back in the hospital chair. “I had a lot of free time while waiting for my sister at the hospital. I had to accompany her most days because our parents were always busy. After she left, it just became a habit of mine. You know, studying.”  

“I never heard anyone ever mention studying as a hobby.”

“Me neither,” Chanyeol laughs to himself.

Kyungsoo snorts.

“So the thing about you sister is true?”

Chanyeol tilts his head sideways to look at Kyungsoo, “You thought I was lying?”
“You’re not the first one. People lied to me about a lot of things just to get me to talk, so they can prove that I’m indeed a lunatic,” Kyungsoo lets out a long sigh.
“About the spirits?”
“The ghosts.”
“What’s the difference?”
“Because spirits are cool, unlike, ... them.”
“They’re not? Do they bother you?”
“Bother is an understatement.”
“So, they harm you?”
Kyungsoo shakes his head, as much as he hates to admit it, “They.. protect me.”
“They do?! Are they here? Right now? With us?”
“The school ghosts? No. There’s a reason why they’re called the school ghosts. They stay there. They can’t leave. Not even outside the gate.”
“Did you ask why?”
“Nope.”
“Aren’t you curious?”
Kyungsoo frowns at Chanyeol, “Why are you interrogating me?!” Chanyeol immediately frowns back, “But you agreed to tell me about the ghosts!”
“Oh! Yeah! I forgot. Sorry about that." Kyungsoo pinches the bridge of his nose; he’s an airhead just like that sometimes.

Chanyeol beams at him nevertheless, “You’re so cute!” but quickly cowers into regret as Kyungsoo shoots him a death glare. “I’m not cute so take it back or I will break your neck.”
Chanyeol nods timidly.

As it turns out, despite being badly beaten, not a single bone on Chanyeol’s body is broken. “I told you I’m good as new!” Chanyeol chirps energetically as they walk out of the doctor’s office. “Good for you.” Kyungsoo responds in flat tone.
“So?”
“So?”
“My bones are intact! So when are you going to tell me more about the ghosts? And maybe introduce them to me?” Receiving no answer, Chanyeol tugs Kyungsoo’s shirt to get his attention, but the smaller boy continues to walk anyway.

 

“But you promised me.”

 

Only after he hears the sad pout in Chanyeol’s voice does Kyungsoo finally give in.

 

“Tomorrow. After school. Bring your homework.”

Chanyeol contently throws him a huge grin, “I will.”

 

Kyungsoo nods in acknowledgement.

The sky is already dark by the time they leave the hospital. Chanyeol offers to walk Kyungsoo home but is promptly turned down even before finishing his sentence. No amount of whining can change Kyungsoo’s decision this time, so Chanyeol has to sadly bid him goodbye at the bus stop.

Kyungsoo can’t help but wonder why his human acquaintance has to be as clingy as his ghost ones.

※

The school has decided to extend the suspension period to two weeks for the three school bullies who attacked Kyungsoo and Chanyeol, in addition to giving them a warning notice that if they get caught beating the two again, or any students at all, they will be expelled from the school without further consideration. The news makes Kyungsoo both happy and wary. They still haven’t found out who recorded the beatings on Chanyeol so it means Kyungsoo is still their main person of interest. Which also means the bullies might go after him again, in places no one can see or save him.

 

For the first time in his life Kyungsoo realizes the disadvantages of not having human friends, at all.

<i>‘At least your dull high school life is getting interesting now’</i>, His older brother writes him back from his military post in Jeju Island. After getting a huge injury on his left foot while playing soccer for the South Korean national team, he was pardoned from active soldier duty, and is currently serving as a public officer in charge of tourism in Jeju Island. It’s almost as if he’s having a two-year long vacation there. And unlike normal soldiers, he gets to send electronic mails instead of the paper ones, so Kyungsoo’s email is always replied almost instantly. It’s his job to send out emails after all. Kyungsoo named him ‘Lucky Bastard’ in his phone contacts.

 

After the unnecessarily long story about how two celebrities got caught having an affair in one of the resorts there last week, the email from his brother ends with a note, <i>‘Send my regards to your giant friend. Tell him, unlike you, I don’t think he’s an idiot or useless at all.’</i>

 

Kyungsoo sighs to that, “He’s not my friend though.”

“How about trying to make him your friend then?” Minseok peers at Kyungsoo’s phone from behind, positioning his chin on the boy’s narrow shoulder without actually placing it there.

“It’s not necessary.” Kyungsoo replies apathetically while locking his phone.
“We both know that’s not right.”
“Maybe next time.”
“And when is that exactly? When you get beaten up again?”

Kyungsoo doesn’t answer.

“I don’t think you will get someone else readily willing to get themselves beaten in your place anymore.” Minseok tells him again.
“Then isn’t that exactly why I shouldn’t befriend him? I don’t want to see someone else die because of me.”
“You know he won’t die so easily if his time hasn’t come yet. And despite putting up a tough front, we all know how soft and weak you are on the inside.”

Kyungsoo frowns at Minseok, face inches away from the known wisest ghost among the nine.

“You should consider it. You’re leaving soon anyway and we can’t stop you this time. Which also means we can’t protect you anymore.”
“I don’t need protection!”
“But you can’t live by yourself forever.”
“For one, I’m not, I have my family. And, aren’t you contradicting yourself now? Wasn’t it you guys who kept me from making human friends all these years?”
“You’re right, it’s partially our fault. We were selfish, it hurts to admit. But it hurts more to see you getting beaten while we could only watch helplessly.”
“You sound too human for a ghost.”

Minseok smiles, “I was a human too once, a long time ago.”

Kyungsoo has no reply to that, and is sort of glad Minseok seems to understand and doesn’t push Kyungsoo further on the topic.

It’s been half an hour and Kyungsoo is still waiting for Chanyeol to come, having only Minseok to accompany him. Chanyeol had disappeared right after the last bell rang without telling him anything, and now Kyungsoo has started to wonder if that weird classmate of his is bailing on him. Thinking about it puts Kyungsoo almost instantly in a bad mood. This whole thing about wanting to know about the ghosts is Chanyeol’s request in the first place, yet he makes Kyungsoo wait for him instead. Rude.

Kyungsoo is also wondering where the rest of the ghosts are. It’s really atypical for Luhan to leave Minseok alone, considering the pink haired ghost is especially clingy to the later. Kyungsoo contemplates asking Minseok but decides against it, in fear of giving him the opportunity to revive their previous talk. Kyungsoo prefers not to.

The clock strikes 5 p.m. in the afternoon. It's been almost an hour and Kyungsoo can’t wait anymore. He starts packing his stuff, “Maybe not today. Maybe never.” Kyungsoo murmurs infuriatedly to himself. Kyungsoo can feel Minseok mentally patting him on the back.

As fate would have it however, Kyungsoo bumps into Chanyeol right at the classroom door. Noisy and excited Luhan, Tao, Yixing, and Baekhyun can be seen following right behind him, with a soccer ball. Without acknowledging Kyungsoo, the ghosts walk directly towards Minseok.

"And of course you have to come now." Kyungsoo snaps at Chanyeol sarcastically.

"Sorry. It took longer than I thought. I'm really sorry." Chanyeol does look like he's really sorry; Kyungsoo almost doesn't have the heart to stay mad.

 

Kyungsoo takes a deep breath, trying not to let his anger overtake him. "So where have you been? And you better have a good answer because you made me wait for an hour here."

Chanyeol rubs his hands together nervously. Kyungsoo catches a trace of dark ashes there.

Before Chanyeol can answer, an overly excited Jongdae comes bouncing towards and through them.

 

"Kyungsoo, Kyungsoo! Kyungsoo, new face is so cute! He burned food and stuff for us!”

 

Equally excited Joonmyeon, Sehun, and Jongin can be seen walking behind Jongdae, with tteokbokki in their hands.

 

Which is really curious, now that Kyungsoo realizes it. Because as far Kyungsoo knows, ghosts can't touch, let alone carry anything in their hands. And yet Luhan was totally holding a soccer ball just now.

 

Kyungsoo is even more confused when Sehun briefly stops beside Chanyeol and looks up at him with the most adoring expression Kyungsoo has ever seen coming from the usually emotionless ghost.

"Seriously, tell me what did you do?" Kyungsoo turns his attention back to Chanyeol, looking more curious than pissed now.  

"Uh, I read that you ought to make peace offerings to the spirits, I mean ghosts, before attempting any communication so I, uh, burnt some food while praying for them, and there's this Chinese article about sending the ghosts stuff by making it from papers and burning it. So I thought, well, I could make some stuff for them. Does it, uh, work?"

Kyungsoo turns his back to look at the ghosts. Joonmyeon shoots him a thumbs up with tteokbokki sauce all over his grinning face, Baekhyun and Jongdae immediately join him with equally pleased smiles. Even the usually calm Minseok looks jumpy and excited when Luhan hands him the soccer ball.

 

Kyungsoo facepalms.

"Uh, Kyungsoo-ssi?" Chanyeol asks nervously.

Kyungsoo turns back to Chanyeol, sighing before letting him know, "They love it, a lot. Now sit down so we can get this over quickly."

Chanyeol lightens up in a beat.

***

"Before we do this, you are fully aware that it’s possible I'm just a plain mad person who tricks you into believing that I can actually see ghosts, right?" Kyungsoo asks as he stares intensely at Chanyeol from across the desk.

Chanyeol nods.

"And that everything I'm going to tell you about the ghosts could just be my imagination."

Chanyeol nods again.

"And that everything that might happen or be said today will stay only between us. And you will carry it to your death-bed."

Chanyeol slowly nods, slightly frightened, eyes wide.

"You're scaring him!" scolds Baekhyun.
"But this is important! Who knows what he might do with the information he obtains today!"
"You are being paranoid!"
"Shut up, Baek!"

Baekhyun clings to Jongdae, whimpering, "He's really mean."

"Are you, hmn, talking to them?" Chanyeol looks around curiously. Unknown to him the ghosts are standing just an arm’s reach away from him and Kyungsoo.

"Yeah. So, what do you want to know?" Kyungsoo asks expectantly.

Chanyeol nervously takes out a piece of paper from his pocket, "I thought about it last night," and starts reading it to himself. "Well, maybe, let’s start with the basics. Are they transparent? You know, like, on tv showsn.”

 

Kyungsoo tries not to laugh, “No, they look normal to me, like normal human being. Just, they can walk through everything, even through you and me.”

 

Chanyeol eyes widen on that. Kyungsoo quickly waves him off, “But no don’t worry as far as I know they don’t like walking through people. The nonexistent contact apparently makes them anxious.” Chanyeol vaguely feels reliefed.

 

“How about when you first start seeing them? Was it just out of the blue?"

Without hesitation Kyungsoo answers him, "Yeah, I think so. I remember seeing Luhan first, then the rest of them soon after that. By the way Luhan is a Chinese ghost with a pink hair." Kyungsoo points up at Luhan, Chanyeol looks in the general location Kyungsoo’s pointing towards.

 

Luhan waves at Chanyeol excitedly.

Feeling uncomfortable for not being able to locate Luhan, Chanyeol decides to just continue with his list of questions, "Do you, see any other ghosts, I mean outside the school?"
"No."
"No? Oh." Chanyeol seems to remember something and falls into his own thought.
"Why? What happened?"
"Ah, yeah, sorry. I was just thinking if it’s the same for everyone. You see, my sister, she was just like you. She only saw ghosts at the hospital, that one hospital she went to when she was younger."
Kyungsoo nods in understanding, "It must have been a scary experience for her."
"She told me it was. Was it scary for you?

Kyungsoo looks at the ghosts, they smile sheepishly at him.

"They caused me to be called Screaming Soo, didn't they."

Chanyeol breaks into a quick laugh but doesn't comment on that remark.

 

"Did you, tell anyone about this? Like, to your family?" Chanyeol continues.

 

"I think my older brother is vaguely aware of it, but no. I never told anyone until you. But really, do you think they would believe me if I told them? Things about me talking to myself are already spreading anyway. I’m an established weirdo. Didn’t you tell me your sister told you too? You didn’t believe her back then, did you?”

"Oh. Hmn, yeah. I still feel really bad about it now when I think about it."

"You don’t have to feel bad. It's just the same, I think. Telling or not telling. The moment we see something we don't choose to see, it only gets worse from then onwards. I told you before, right, it doesn't matter if you believe me or not. It won't change anything."

"But at least you'll have someone to confide in!" Chanyeol finds himself arguing.

"Why are we talking about me?" Kyungsoo protests. "You’re here to know about the ghosts! Stop asking things about me!"

Chanyeol shrugs in defeat, "Sorry. I just thought I wanted to know about your experience first. You know, to compare it with what my sister had told me."

"Chanyeol-ssi. If she really told you she could see them, you should believe her. It's not easy to open up to someone, especially people close like family members. You should at least give her credit for that."

Chanyeol nods meekly, trying to focus back ot the list he had written down. "I read that only spirits with unsettled matters linger in this world. Can you, ask the ghosts about that?"

Yixing supplies the answer to that, "I'm not sure with other ghosts out there but we're not like that. Like me and Tao, we came here more than a hundred years ago from China as child slaves. It wasn't fancy but our master actually treated us really well. He even sent us to this school to study. It was a pity that we both died from a bad flu. But we don't have any resentment towards the world." And Kyungsoo tells Chanyeol exactly that, although not word for word.

"Every one of them?"
Kyungsoo looks around, the ghosts nods, "Yeah, pretty much."
"More than a hundred years, really?" Chanyeol is having a hard time believing it.
"Apparently yes."

"Even though being the youngest, Sehun died the first among us though." Jongdae helpfully points out, receiving a yelp of protest from the said ghost. "He died in, hmn, 1847? Yeah, that long ago. He sailed to Europe when he was young and somehow got a hair perm there from some maniac scientist. It ruined his hair instead." Sehun has now run to Jongdae and starts choking him while the others laugh. "That explains his disastrous noodle hair." Kyungsoo nods. Sehun lets out a frustrated cry. The table nearby trembles, shocking Chanyeol. "What? What happened? What hair?" He asks, scared.

"Don't tell him about my hair!!" Sehun screams in panic.
"I won't. Don't worry. I’ll keep that and use it later for blackmail."
"You evil human!!"

Kyungsoo smiles wickedly, then turns to Chanyeol, "The oldest has been a ghost since 1847, but was actually the one to die the youngest among them. His name is Sehun and he actually really likes you."
Sehun wails in embarrassment.
Chanyeol is unsure whether to be happy or not having a ghost like him.
Kyungsoo just takes joy in their pain.

"Wait! Speaking of hair, didn’t you mention one of the ghosts has pink hair? But they’ve been ghosts for more than a hundred years, right? Wasn’t bleach basically nonexistent back then?"

Kyungsoo raises an eyebrow, he’d never thought about it until Chanyeol asked. It’s indeed curious. He looks up at Luhan inquiringly.

"He’s so random!” Luhan groans. “Do we really need to discuss this right now?!"

"If you must know, young master Luhan tried to dye his hair blue but unknowingly dipped his head in the pink bleach at his family’s fabric factory here in Seoul instead when he came to visit. And while at it, lost his balance and drowned." Jongdae states matter of factly.

"They all look the same!" Luhan cries in protest.

"I think we’re more concerned of the fact that you actually tried to bleach your hair <i>and</i> drowned in it." Tao pats Luhan on the back. Receiving another loud cry of "leave me alone!", from Luhan.

Nice, Kyungsoo mentally cheers. More materials for blackmailing. He’ll have thank Chanyeol later for bringing it up.

When Kyungsoo looks back at the said boy, however, he hasn't even been paying attention to Kyungsoo at all, seemingly deep into his own thought instead.

"So, ghosts can stay for that long. Even the ones who don't have unsettled matters." Chanyeol talks to himself. "But how about the ones with unsettled matter?” He turns to Kyungsoo, “Will they stick to one place like the ghosts in this school? And why can't they leave the school? Was this their last place?"

 

Kyungsoo waits for an answer from the ghosts. But they’re only looking at Minseok, who has been studying Chanyeol carefully. Kyungsoo wonders what happened.

"Most of us didn't even die here,” Minseok starts. “You’ve heard about Luhan, right? But we’re just sort of drawn back to this place that holds most of our fond memories. I'm not sure why we can't leave the school either. There's a barrier we can't cross. And we really don't know much about other ghosts since we don't get to see them that often. Even if we did, we never asked."

 

Kyungsoo lets Chanyeol know what Minseok has told him. But the ghost isn’t finished speaking yet. He turns to Chanyeol, "But I think I know what new face is really trying to find out." Kyungsoo stares at him all confused.

"What is it? Did they say something else to you?" Chanyeol asks when Kyungsoo doesn’t say anything afterwards.

"Uh, one of them, Minseok-hyung, said, that, uh, what you were trying to figure out was if your sister lingered in this world too... as a ghost."
Chanyeol turns pale.
"I'm sorry if it's none of my business. But that's what he told me."

Chanyeol doesn’t say anything for a long time, fiddling with the hem of his untucked shirt. After stealing nervous glances at Kyungsoo a few times, he musters up the courage to ask him, “Will you keep it a secret?”
“Why shouldn’t I?”
Chanyeol smiles appreciatively, “Thank you.”

 

“So, that’s the real reason behind all this?”

Chanyeol nods, “She first told me when we were small, after she came back from that hospital. She said she saw kids like her, but no one could see them like she did. To be honest it freaked me out, but my sister insisted. So I went to the hospital on her next visit. But of course I couldn’t see anything. She also told our parents, but they couldn’t see them either. They then moved her to a different hospital. We… we thought she was crazy.”

Kyungsoo stays quiet. The ghosts eye him worriedly over the implication of Chanyeol’s words.

“Before she left last year she told me, that she wanted to go back at least once to that hospital to see them again. I was really sad and angry. We were the one who took care of her but it’s them that she would miss. We fought right before she passed away.”
“I don’t think that’s what she meant. I’m sure she missed you too.”
“I know. But I didn’t have the chance to say I’m sorry. And now, I miss her. I miss her a lot.”

“Hey, hey, don’t cry!”

Chanyeol blinks rapidly, “I’m not crying! Something got in my eyes!”

Kyungsoo is about to snort at his lame excuse, except he realized Jongdae is standing right beside Chanyeol and blowing air into his eyes.

 

Kyungsoo mouths, what the heck are you doing?, to which Jongdae excitedly answers, “His eyes are so big and cute I want to see them glisten!”

This is so anticlimactic, Kyungsoo mentally facepalms.

“Sorry.” Chanyeol says after he finishes rubbing his eyes, “I swear I wasn’t crying.”
“It’s okay, don’t worry about it.”
“I don’t even cry talking about my sister, I’m the worst right.” Chanyeol laughs bitterly.
“I don’t think so, though. I don’t cry talking about my brother either.”
They both laugh lightly on that.

“Do you think,” a pause, “Do you think my sister is still in this world? Do you think she will go back to that hospital and lingers there?”

Kyungsoo shakes his head slowly, “I'm sorry, I don’t know.”

“Do you think, your ghost friends will know?”

On cue, the nine of them shakes their heads. Kyungsoo sends Chanyeol an apologetic smile, the later sinks down to his seat.

“Maybe you should let her go?” Kyungsoo suggests and Chanyeol perks up with a frown.

 

Kyungsoo tries to explain further, “I mean, you said she had left peacefully. I think you should leave it at that. I’m sure she knows you didn’t mean to fight with her and has forgiven you even before she left.”

“How would you know? And why should I listen to you?” Suddenly Chanyeol becomes defensive, and it takes Kyungsoo by surprise.

“But you’re the one who came to me for advice!”

“But you’re not the one who lost a sibling!” Chanyeol argues back, now standing on his feet. He gets offended easily, Kyungsoo notes. But so is he.

 

Kyungsoo slowly stands up, feeling all riled up. “Yes. But I’m also not the one who thought my sibling was crazy.”

The ghosts stand with mouths agape at that. They watch as Chanyeol packs his stuff and storms out of the classroom. Kyungsoo still stands on his feet stubbornly.

“You really don’t know how to make friends, we are very concerned.” Joonmyeon shakes his head dramatically.

 

Kyungsoo tries to ignore them.

※

 

Judging from the disappointed look the ghosts had displayed after Chanyeol left, Kyungsoo would have thought they were going to leave him alone to drown in a pool of regret or something. But no, of course not, they just have to do the opposite. Sehun and Joonmyeon have especially made it their mission to annoy the hell out of Kyungsoo by following him around and criticising everything he does. It doesn’t help that every time Kyungsoo sees Chanyeol in class, the taller student makes a point to pout childishly at him.

“But I was being nice!” Kyungsoo groans frustratedly.
“Yes, by mentioning that he thought his sister was crazy.” Joonmyeon helpfully supplies.
“I was nice <i>before</i> that. But hey! At least I tried to be nice!”
“Of course, you <i>tried</i>”
“Is Joonmyeon-hyung always this annoying?” Kyungsoo turns to Jongin.
“Only when you’re annoying too.”
Kyungsoo gasps, “Jongin!! I thought at least you’re still on my side!”
When Jongin doesn’t reply Kyungsoo mentally demotes him from his list of favorites.

“What do you want me to do then?” Kyungsoo asks them in defeat.
“Make up with Chanyeol.”
“But we’re not friends in the first place.”
“You’re only saying that to avoid taking responsibility!”
“What responsibility?!”
“That you’ve hurt his feelings!”
“I’m not responsible for his feelings! I’m not his boyfriend, we’re not even close!”
“He took beatings for you yet you’re still saying he’s not your boyfriend!”
“What? Wait! Wait! Hold on!”
“No!” Jongdae screams at him and the rest of the ghosts are now throwing cold looks at Kyungsoo.

“I’m not having this conversation. I’m going home.”

Kyungsoo packs his belongings and unfinished homework. The ghosts doesn’t stop him like they usually would and he strangely feels sad.

 

※

It’s been proven again and again that fate is indeed harsh on him, Kyungsoo notes when the teacher pairs him with Chanyeol for their global warming discussion the next day in class. Sitting face to face with a boy who makes a sullen expression at him is hard enough, let alone discussing such an out of fashion topic.

“Global warming is an important topic.” Chanyeol sulks quietly, but not quiet enough that Kyungsoo can’t hear him from across their shared table. “The ice is melting. Polar bears are suffering.”
“Are you Al Gore or what?”
“You can say nicer things than that, you know.”
It stings, but Chanyeol is right. “I’m sorry.” Kyungsoo apologizes.

Not being able to handle the silence any longer, Kyungsoo randomly says, “Polar bears are cute.” Which unexpectedly receives an excited reply from Chanyeol, “You think so too?” Kyungsoo nods. No, he doesn’t think so, but whatever makes Chanyeol happy, Kyungsoo tells himself.

Chanyeol picks up the conversation and continues, “They’re losing their homes and it’s getting harder to find food. I feel so bad for them.”
“How do we help them though? Reducing carbon dioxide emissions will never be enough anyway.”  
“One day, young one, one day we’ll find a way.” Chanyeol says wistfully, eyes looking far out the window.
Kyungsoo decides not to comment on being called <i>young one</i> by an equally young peer.

“The Inuits hunt and eat polar bears on a daily basis, by the way.”

Chanyeol’s eyes bulge out hearing what Kyungsoo has just said. But being oblivious to it, Kyungsoo continues, “You know if the ice area is getting smaller, maybe we should take more of the polar bears. You know, rather than letting them die from drowning, it’s better to make them into something more useful for humanity.”

Chanyeol furiously stands up and everyone including Kyungsoo looks up at him curiously.

 

“I told you, you can say nicer things than that!” He snaps before storming out of the classroom, ignoring the teacher’s shout of, “Park Chanyeol where are you going? The class hasn’t ended yet!”

Kyungsoo shrugs into his seat. Did he say something wrong? Again? Why does he always seem to upset Chanyeol while all he wanted to do was to share his point of view with him. “I give up.” Kyungsoo closes his textbook, thankful that his failed discussion on global warming with Chanyeol won’t cost him any deduced marks for this class.

※

“What is that?” Kyungsoo asks when he finds Sehun and Tao crouching at a corner in the library that noon.
“A smartphone.” Tao answers without looking up from the thing in his hand, apparently an iPhone, 5s model even.
“And how did you get it?”
“New face gave it to us.” Sehun says happily before shooting a sharp glance at Kyungsoo, “Don’t you dare tell Jongdae or Baekhyun. We found it first!”
Kyungsoo nods, more interested in why in the first place Chanyeol burned more stuff for the ghosts. Is he attempting to make contact again? Without Kyungsoo? That’s ridiculous!

“Kyungsoo! Kyungsoo!” Before Kyungsoo could inquire further about the supposed peace offering from Chanyeol, Jongin comes running towards him. Tao and Sehun look at him, alerted. The usually calm Jongin is in panic, something bad must have happened.
“Jongin, what’s wrong?”
“Kyungsoo! New face! Mafia dudes!”
“Jongin calm down!”
“Kyungsoo, this is not a time to calm down! Mafia dudes are taking new face to the old building!”

Within a second Kyungsoo starts running towards the old school building. It’s been left abandoned after they moved to the current new building last year. The school decided not to abolish it for memory’s sake. Kyungsoo is rather sure the ghosts had something to do with it.

The old building is located quite far from the new one. No one goes there anymore and on most days it’s locked except when the janitors go to clean it every other month. If the three school delinquents took Chanyeol there, no one would have heard him even if he screamed for help. And how did they manage to get him anyway? Since when are they back in school? Damnit, Kyungsoo curses, two weeks flew by so fast.

The news about Chanyeol being taken and Kyungsoo going after him gets to the rest of the ghosts soon after Kyungsoo leaves. Most of them are already anxious to run for them to help, and this time they can since it’s still inside the school area. But Minseok and Joonmyeon seem to think otherwise.

 

“We always do everything we can to keep Kyungsoo save. But at the same time we also keep him away from having a normal life.” Minseok tells the group.

Joonmyeon continues, “Kyungsoo being able to see us doesn’t mean we automatically have the right over his life. It’s 11 years late to realize this but, I guess it’s better late than not at all.”

“Is it because of new face? Because there’s new face now?” Luhan asks disappointedly.

Minseok pats Luhan on the back, “Because there’s new face that now we can start letting Kyungsoo go, don’t you think?”

No one says anything afterwards, silently acknowledging with a heavy heart that what Minseok and Joonmyeon have said is true.  For once they decide to let Kyungsoo handle the situation by himself.

 

※

Although being small has its own disadvantages, like taking a longer time to reach the old building, Kyungsoo finds it convenient when he has to slip through glasses-less wooden windows to get inside since the main entrance is locked. Carefully sweeping the dusty classes one by one, he finally finds the one that has Chanyeol and the delinquents inside.

 

Kyungsoo finds himself standing just outside the door, vaguely feeling deja vu.

 

When he heard the sound of the punches they’re flying at Chanyeol, Kyungsoo is about to launch himself inside. But he abruptly stops when he realizes the possible outcome of what he’s about to do, for one, getting broken ribs. And this time, there’s none of his ghost friends to convince him out of it.

 

Chanyeol had come to his aid once before, Kyungsoo rationalizes to himself. But Kyungsoo has paid him back for it. Right? By telling him about the ghosts. Except it ended rather badly. Or, Kyungsoo can take Chanyeol’s heroic attempt as a returned favor for helping to nurse Chanyeol’s wounds... Except it’s actually nothing compared to what Kyungsoo could have accomplished if instead of just waiting outside, he had tried to stop it, or at least trying to find help.

 

Kyungsoo realizes just how many times he had actually failed Chanyeol.

Another loud kick could be heard and Kyungsoo takes it as a cue for him to act on whatever his decision is. And he decides that he’s not about to fail Chanyeol yet again. Pushing aside all of his common sense, Kyungsoo opens the door and screams with all his might, “STOP!”

 

※

 

“I used to make paper balls and try to hit the ceiling while lying down on the floor like this.”
“You were really bored I can see.”
“I was, most of the time. Despite having the ghosts accompany me all the time they couldn’t play the games I had wanted to. You know, like tag.”
“Poor you.”
“Yeah, somehow yeah.”
“Have you tried making friends? I mean human friends.”
“They’re all too afraid of me. I’m that weird kid in class you don’t want to be associated with.”
“That’s too bad. I bet you were really cute.”
“You-”
“Please, please don’t hurt me.” Chanyeol immediately squirms.
“I couldn’t even if I wanted to. I can’t even move my body now.”
“Thank God.”
“You’re an idiot. I hate you.” and yet Kyungsoo’s laugh that follows says otherwise.

Chanyeol and Kyungsoo decided to just skip the rest of the class today. They certainly do not want to be seen in this condition - they got beaten up pretty badly.

“We should go to the hospital to check for bone fractures.” Kyungsoo suggests.
“What is it with you and bone checking?”
“I want to live until old age, it’s important to have strong bones.”
“Is it because you’re afraid to know what will happen to you after you die? That maybe you’ll join your ghost friends?”
“Hey! Who says you can read my mind?”
Chanyeol bursts into a loud laugh. So loud that it makes Kyungsoo turn his face away from Chanyeol. Both of them are still lying next to each other in the abandoned classroom.
“Hey. Hey, I’m sorry.” Chanyeol pokes his arm but Kyungsoo doesn’t budge.

“Sorry.” The apology comes from Kyungsoo this time, still facing away from Chanyeol.
“For what? You don’t have to.”
“No, I do. I should apologize. For the things I said about your sister, and about the polar bears.”
“You were mean to the polar bear.”
“Yeah, I admit that.”
They laugh together this time.

“I have something to apologize to you for, too.”
Kyungsoo rolls back towards Chanyeol again. “For bribing my ghosts friends? I saw Tao and Sehun holding an iPhone today.”
“Oh! Do they like it?”
“They love it. But why would you do that?”
“No particular reason, my phone just broke so I just burned it for them instead of throwing it away.”
“What? It’s a real phone? Not from paper?”
“.. no?”
“Are you fucking rich or what?”
“I have an allowance.”
“I have an allowance too but I’m not going to burn it for the ghosts!”

Chanyeol only grins in reply. They both stay quiet for a while.

“How-” Chanyeol pauses, hesitating over what he’s about to ask.
“What?”
“How did you know they took me here?”
“The ghost, Jongin, he told me.”
Chanyeol lips form an o shape, “Was he, the one who told you about me too before?”
“Curiously, yeah, actually he was.”
“I should burn something for him later in gratitude.”
“Burn a pillow, he’ll appreciate that.”
“I’ll take note.”
Kyungsoo will make Jongin thank him later for even asking for that from Chanyeol.

“Is that why you couldn’t answer when I asked you at that time? About how you knew I was at the boy’s toilet?”
Kyungsoo quietly nods.
“You were afraid that I would find out about the ghosts?”
“I was.”
“Then why didn’t you lie to me? You could easily lie and say you were just walking by, you know. I would’ve believed that.”
“The ghosts told me the same thing too. But I simply don’t want to lie anymore. It bothers me just how much I had to lie all these years, trying to make myself appear normal. And it’s ridiculous, to pretend that the gossip about me and the ghosts don’t exist while pretty much everyone talks about it behind my back. I just don’t want to lie anymore. I’d rather not answer your questions than lie again.”
“Thank you though, for not lying to me back then. It actually made me curious enough to find out about you.”
“Trust me if I could turn back time, I would lie to you just to get you off my back.”
Chanyeol laughs and hits Kyungsoo’s shoulder lightly. But his face drops when his eyes catch the visible bruises on Kyungsoo’s arm. A pang of guilt hits him hard.

“Thank you for coming for me today. Sorry about your bruises.”
“You did the same for me. I’m just returning the favor.”
“Kyungsoo-ssi,”
“You can call me Kyungsoo, it’s okay, we’re the same age.”
“Kyungsoo, promise me you won’t kill me for what I’m about to tell you now?”
“I don’t know. Try me.”
“No, you have to promise first!”
“Okay, I promise not to kill you.”

Chanyeol hesitates for a while but tells him anyway, “I was the one who recorded the beatings at the boys toilet and gave it to the headmaster.”
Kyungsoo lets out a long groan. “Is that why they’re going after you now?”
“Yes.”
“You’re lucky you had me promise to not kill you.”
“I know, I’m sorry. But I swear I didn’t record it on purpose! I planted it there because some students told me there seemed to be suspicious snoring coming from an empty cubicle at the boy’s toilet so I just wanted to find out if it’s a ghost.”

 

Jongin. Sigh.

 

“You know ghosts don’t appear on camera, right?” Kyungsoo asks, trying not to sound too pissed.
“Yeah, I figured. All I got is just boys peeing and making stupid jokes about each other’s little dudes. I swear, it really creeps me out. So I went there that day to take the camera out.”
“But then they saw you?”
“Yeah, right before I could do it.”
“But why did you give it to the headmaster? You’re only getting yourself into trouble!”
“I wanted revenge, you know, for them beating me. It was the first time I ever got into trouble with other students, moreover getting beaten up. I was angry.”
“You’re an idiot.”
“I’m sorry it got you into trouble too.”
“You can’t accomplish anything by taking revenge. It won’t end. For example, if we reported to the school what’s happened today, the mafia dudes would get expelled.”
“Mafia dudes?”
“Please ignore it for now, it’s what the ghosts call those nasty guys. Focus! So, if the mafia dudes got expelled because of us, they would go after us again. Then what? Report them to the police? Throw them into jail? For only how many months? Then they will get released, then go after us again. Then? Do you really want to live in that constant cycle of hell?”

Chanyeol is pouting hard by now, “You’re scaring me, please stop. I promise I won’t report them or do anything stupid. Please don’t scold me anymore.”

“Park Chanyeol, you’re an idiot.”

“I know, I’m sorry. I love you. Please forgive me.”

Kyungsoo slaps his palm to his forehead so hard it makes a sound in the otherwise quiet room, “Please die or something.”

“Kyungsoo, that’s not a nice thing to say to a friend.” Chanyeol whines.

“I hate you. I really do.”

※

Kyungsoo doesn’t say anything when he finds no one in the empty classroom after school the next day. He walks around the school in a few loops just to make sure. It’s too quiet for him to consider it as normal. When he returns to the classroom to take his bag, Joonmyeon is already there on his seat. A wave of relief washes over Kyungsoo.

“Where are the others?” Kyungsoo asks when he comes face to face with Joonmyeon.
“Detoxing.” The ghost answers with a smile.
“Detoxing?”
“From you.”

Kyungsoo especially doesn’t like the kind of smile on Joonmyeon’s face right now. The apologetic one that he makes when he’s about to drop some unpleasant news. Kyungsoo grows anxious.

“Am I that toxic?” Kyungsoo tries to humor him.
“You’re addicting. We love you too much.”
“So, after all these years you guys tried to keep me, now you decided to leave me?”
“New face, Park Chanyeol, we like him. He’s nice. And he protects you.”
“That’s not even a valid reason.”
“You have always wanted to leave anyway.”
“But not like this!” Kyungsoo slams the table in front of him with both palms, frustrated.
“After almost a hundred years of only having each other, we were really ecstatic when you came. I wouldn’t have expected it to actually take 11 years to learn to let you go.”
“Stop it! You sound like Minseok hyung, it creeps me out!”
“Keep him. Keep Park Chanyeol with you.”
“If I can keep him, why can’t I keep you guys?”
“Because we’ll be here no matter what. You don’t have to keep us.”

Joonmyeon walks out of the room and for the first time Kyungsoo actually cries because of the ghosts.

※

Chanyeol sticks to Kyungsoo like glue ever since. And not even the good kind of glue. He sticks around and creeps the hell out of Kyungsoo at the same time with his signature eye twitching grin and blinding rows of white teeth. But like what Joonmyeon had asked, Kyungsoo doesn’t push Chanyeol away. He keeps the giant with him. He didn’t tell Chanyeol that he cannot, does not, see the ghosts anymore, and Chanyeol doesn’t ask anyway. Kyungsoo doesn’t stay at the classroom alone after school anymore. Chanyeol accompanies him to the library to do homework and takes him home every day afterwards instead.

Sometimes, Chanyeol will buy tteokbokki from the street vendor and take Kyungsoo to the old building. Taking out the big metal bowl and a lighter from the cupboard he had previously stored, Chanyeol cleans the bowl and puts nine servings of tteokbokki on it. Kyungsoo only watches from the side. Clasping his palms together, Chanyeol says to himself, “It’s a bit spicy today but I hope you like it.”. He then burns the tteokbokki with the lighter then waits until the food is thoroughly consumed by fire.

Other times Chanyeol will bring other stuff like the promised pillow for Jongin, or another soccer ball after Kyungsoo accidentally told him Minseok and Luhan especially loved it.

“You should burn something for them too you know.” Chanyeol told him one day.

Kyungsoo snorts at that, “I’m not going to burn my money for them. You spoil them too much!”

But some other day, unknown to Chanyeol, Kyungsoo would sneak in there and burn several servings of jjajangmyeon. “In case you’re bored of tteokbokki.” He says quietly. “I can’t make him change from tteokbokki. He insists on burning that everytime. Sorry.”

Chanyeol is stubborn when it comes to what he believes, Kyungsoo learns later on. Chanyeol believes they should pay respect to the ghosts by visiting them even during Summer. And so Kyungsoo finds himself being dragged to the school almost everyday during their 2 months long summer vacation.

“I don’t understand why I’m even friends with you! You idiot!” He screams at Chanyeol one day after Chanyeol had dragged him off from the pool just to go to school. When Chanyeol squeals instead, “You finally admitted we are friends!” under the hot weather of summer, it takes three pool lifeguards to stop Kyungsoo from beating Chanyeol right then right there at the public pool.

 

At the management office, Chanyeol lies that Kyungsoo is angry because he had forgotten their pool date and came late. “What a violent boyfriend.” is the only thing they got told before being released without any charge for public disturbance pressed against them.

But Chanyeol isn’t always annoying; sometimes he can be really sweet too. When the weather starts getting windy during autumn, without saying anything Chanyeol will automatically stand on the side where the cold wind comes from. His tall build blocks the wind from hitting Kyungsoo too much, and thus prevents the smaller boy from getting the flu as bad as Kyungsoo would usually get in autumn. For that Kyungsoo is really grateful that Chanyeol is around, although he doesn’t mention it to the giant.

Kyungsoo mostly ignores the emails from his older brother, in which he would usually write <i>‘When are you going to take your boyfriend to Jeju? I can get the honeymoon discount for you two to stay at a resort here, you know.’</i> But Kyungsoo does tell him about Chanyeol and the things they do together. Chanyeol apparently is a very skilled guitar player and Kyungsoo is learning from him. Chanyeol can also knit and sew and cook, not that Kyungsoo would like to try but can’t help but mentioning them in the email.  

 

Needless to say Chanyeol is Kyungsoo’s very first human friend so he gets really excited about it despite always acting the opposite in front of Chanyeol.

When December comes, Chanyeol insists for them to exchange gifts and spend Christmas Eve together. Kyungsoo protests that Christmas should be spent with loved ones. Chanyeol nods at him all dramatically, “Exactly.”

 

In the end Kyungsoo actually prepared 3 different gifts because he doesn’t know what Chanyeol would like. Chanyeol, on the other hand, gives him a guitar, his favorite guitar his father gave him when he was 12.

 

“My father loves you. He knows I’m giving it to you. Don’t worry about it.” and since Chanyeol doesn’t take no as an answer, Kyungsoo receives the gift, almost bashfully.

They spend Christmas Eve at Chanyeol’s mom restaurant. The middle-aged lady serves them kimchi pasta, Kyungsoo’s favorite.

“I should learn to make this one day. This is really delicious” Kyungsoo mutters to himself.
“You’re the cutest friend Chanyeollie has ever brought here!” Chanyeol’s mom beams at him upon hearing it.
Kyungsoo deadpans at Chanyeol, “Seriously, please make another friend and bring them here.”

“But I only need you!” Chanyeol whines in reply.

 

Kyungsoo ignores him.

After celebrating New Year’s, yet again together, Kyungsoo accompanies Chanyeol to the old hospital Chanyeol’s sister went to. As expected Kyungsoo cannot see any ghosts there, but at least it puts Chanyeol’s curiosity to rest. “She had left peacefully so I hope she’s in a better place now.” Kyungsoo nods and quietly holds Chanyeol’s hand as they walk side by side under the cold snow of January.

Chanyeol is a good friend, Kyungsoo decides. If not for Chanyeol, Kyungsoo doesn’t think he would’ve ever managed to get grades as good as the ones he’s looking at right now on his exam result paper. He’s even graduating as one of the top 10 students, with Chanyeol undoubtedly occupying the first position. The giant with a creepy grin and childish pouts possess many hidden skills that surprise Kyungsoo to no end, and he’s indeed a genius when it comes to academics. So Kyungsoo really can’t understand when Chanyeol decided to put Kyungsoo’s choice of university, not even among the top in Seoul, also as his own choice. Moreover also deciding to major in teaching, with second degree in music, while Kyungsoo takes business management as his second degree. Chanyeol is a good but annoying kind of friend, Kyungsoo corrects himself.

“Why are you taking teaching too?” Kyungsoo demands, frustratedly.
“Why are you taking teaching then?”
“I don’t need to tell you!”
“Because I know why already! And so do you!”
“I like teaching!”
“Says the one who is still socially awkward.”

Kyungsoo jabs Chanyeol in the stomach. Chanyeol crouches to cough but tries to return the jabs anyway. Kyungsoo quickly brings him down on a headlock.

“You’re sticking too much to me!”
“My thirst for you is real.”
“You’re damn annoying!”
“If the ghost hyungs had 11 years with you, I demand at least the same amount of time! Plus now that you decided to take teaching, you’ll come back here to teach, right? You ain’t fooling anyone Do Kyungsoo!”
“Still doesn’t mean you can stick your fat ass around me even in uni!”
“What are you talking about! My ass is not fat! You’ve seen it!”
“You’re gross! It was an accident! Stop bringing it up! Why am I even friends with you!”
“Because you know I love you the most! Beside the ghost hyungs.”
“They don’t love me anymore you know that!”
“You’re upsetting them, stop!”

Kyungsoo lets Chanyeol out of the headlock and starts pouting at him. Kyungsoo doesn’t pout often but he knows exactly what it does to Chanyeol.

“I’m sorry I’m sorry, please don’t be sad. I’m really sorry.” Chanyeol quickly pleads while massaging Kyungsoo's shoulders from behind. "But maybe you should call for them, you know, maybe they will appear again."

"Over my dead body." Kyungsoo walks away.

"Kyungsoo!" Chanyeol whines and runs after him.

※

Kyungsoo has been dreaming about this daysince that fateful first day in primary school. Today is the day Kyungsoo finally graduates from school. He had always imagined that the ghosts would be wailing beside him while he shoves his high school diploma in their faces, but none of it is happening now. They're still nowhere to be seen.

Since it's their last day in school, Chanyeol has been bugging him nonstop to try to find the ghosts again. Kyungsoo doesn't say anything but he knows this is probably the right time to see them again after almost nine months of not being in contact.

Kyungsoo sits on his usual seat, with the all too familiar after school ambience. The quiet empty class, the descending afternoon sunlight, the smell of chalk from the freshly cleaned blackboard. It feels like it was just yesterday when he sat here working on his homework with the ghosts accompanying him, albeit noisily.

 

The graduation ceremony has ended hours ago. His parents have gone somewhere with their newly made friends, Chanyeol's parents. Chanyeol himself has disappeared somewhere without telling him. He's probably at the old building burning things again. Kyungsoo could only hope the clumsy giant doesn't accidentally burn the whole building instead.

But Kyungsoo can't be bothered to worry about Chanyeol right now. Because he's waiting. Kyungsoo is waiting.

Kyungsoo waits for quite a long time. He taps his watch in the same rhythm with the seconds. He will wait, patiently, he promises himself.

It's half past six in the afternoon. Kyungsoo has been waiting for nearly two hours. He's getting worried.

 

"Is this how it will end?" He starts talking, hoping any of the ghosts will hear him.

"Did I not wait patiently for you guys to detox from me? Is nine months still not enough? Or are you going to hide forever from me? Didn't I do what you ask me, Joonmyeon hyung? I did keep Chanyeol with me. I even made him my friend like you told me to, Minseok hyung. And I told him a lot about you guys, Yixing hyung. But I didn't tell him how you got your pink hair, Luhan hyung, I protected your image! Am I not good enough? Jongdae? Baekhyun? Tao? Jongin? Sehun? Are you all mad at me without telling me? Why do you keep avoiding me? Am I not your friends anymore? Minseok hyung said you all knew I was soft and weak inside. But why are you being cruel like this to me?" Kyungsoo's eyes are filled with tears by now.

"I'm sorry. I'm sorry for every mean word I ever said to you. I'm never good at expressing love, you know that, right. I'm sorry for taking your love for granted. I missed you."

As if on cue, Chanyeol storms into the room right then. "Kyungsoo! Kyungsoo, what happened to you?" and envelopes the still crying boy into a hug, awkwardly bending down from where he stands beside Kyungsoo.

"What are you doing here? Go away!" Kyungsoo struggles to release himself from the hug.
"My Kyungsoo-is-sad radar was beeping hard, so I came running to find you."
"You're an idiot if you think I will believe that."
"At least it's more romantic than just telling you I was just walking by here, right?"
"I don't need you to be romantic, you’re gross!"
"How nice of you to accept me for all I am! This is so great, I don't even have to try to please you anymore!"
Kyungsoo sighs, not even having the energy to argue with Chanyeol. Plus he's right anyway. At this point there's actually nothing Kyungsoo hopes Chanyeol would change. Maybe he does like being clinged to.

"They're not here yet?" Chanyeol asks softly while patting Kyungsoo's back. They sit side by side now that Chanyeol has pulled a chair next to Kyungsoo.
"No."
"I'm sorry."
"It's okay."
"No, it's not! It makes you sad, so it's not okay."
"You Park Cheeseball."
"Am I getting a pet name now? This is yet another huge progress!"
"Don't make me roll my eyes on you."
"Learn to accept my love then."
"One day, <i>young one</i>, one day I'll find a way."
Chanyeol looks at him incredulously, "Are you using my sentence on me?"
"I totally did." Kyungsoo grins.
"Your sassy ass is back I can see. In a better mood now? Can you promise me no more crying?"

Kyungsoo's lips starts quivering instead, as if he's going to cry again. Chanyeol becomes panicked, "Kyungsoo-yah! Kyungsoo! Kyungsoo!"

"Chanting my name won't make me stop crying," Kyungsoo points out, but breaks into a big smile anyway, "It was cute to see you panicking because of me though."

"You little piece of-!!"
"Piece of what? Ha? What?"
"Piece of my love, of course! Mwah mwah." Chanyeol makes a kissy face at him.

Kyungsoo jabs into Chanyeol's gut with one strong fist.

"It's a punch of love" Chanyeol says with a pained voice.

"Whatever you say, Chanyeol, whatever you say."

Kyungsoo is still enjoying looking at whining Chanyeol when he heard something that makes him jolt from his chair. It's <i>that</i> again. That cries again.

"Baaaaaooooziiii where are you? Baozi are you there? Baozi why are you hiding from me, what did I do wrong? Baozi? Baozi? Honey?"

Kyungsoo almost doesn't know whether to laugh or cry for being able to hear it again.

"Kyungsoo what's wrong?" Chanyeol looks at him all confused.

The second time Kyungsoo heard <i>baozi</i> being called out again, Kyungsoo bolts out of the room to follow the source of the voice. Chanyeol runs after him.

"Luhan! Luhan hyung!" Kyungsoo starts calling out when he couldn't find the said ghost. "Luhan hyung!"

Kyungsoo runs and runs and sweeps the whole floor. Some students who are still staying behind look at him bewildered but he can't care any less.

Fate is a funny thing, Kyungsoo notes. For the second time after 12 years, Kyungsoo finds Luhan at one of the corridors. Panic is written all over the pink haired ghost's face. "Kyungsoo! Baozi is gone!" He cries to Kyungsoo when he spots him.

"I'll help you to find him." Kyungsoo says with a tender smile, walking slowly towards Luhan.
"You will?"
Kyungsoo nods. "New face will help you too." Pointing at Chanyeol beside him. Chanyeol looks at Kyungsoo confused.
"New face!" Luhan beams at him.
"Luhan hyung, the pink haired one, is standing right before us." Kyungsoo tells Chanyeol.
"Ooh, sorry I can't-"

If it had been another way, Chanyeol wouldn't be lying unconscious right now on the floor. But Luhan had literally materialized in front of him and apparently the boy cannot handle shock very well.

"I will call him Fainting Yeol from now on." Kyungsoo nods contently.

"Well this is really random. Does it mean new face can see us too now?" Yixing asks, appearing out of nowhere.

"We would have to wait for him to wake up to know that." Minseok replies. "And Luhan, stop calling me Baozi and crying for me like a lunatic! I was only away with Yixing to the old building to pick up the food Chanyeol delivered for us. You're being over dramatic!" Which gets a weep of “sorry” from the scolded ghost.

But it doesn’t stop there, as an exasperated Baekhyun appears to join in the complaints almost immediately, "Luhan hyung! Why! Seriously why! You're totally ruining our grand entrance! I told you we would march inside the class after Kyungsoo and new face finally kiss. But you just had to ruin it! Nine bloody months of Joonmyeon hyung’s nonsense detoxing idea he convinced us into is wasted for nothing!"

Kyungsoo is totally not following. “Wait, wait! Baekhyun wait! Hold on! People, hold on!"

"We're not people." Sehun corrects him, appearing with a sleepy looking Jongin.

"Not now, Sehun! Guys, what the fuck are you talking about? What kiss, what?"

"Joonmyeon hyung," Tao points at the said ghost, "convinced us that if we avoided you until graduation, we could see you and new face kiss. I said it's a long time to wait for just a kiss but he said you both were slow just like that."

Joonmyeon slowly hides himself behind Minseok. Oblivious to the murderous vibe coming from Kyungsoo, the ghosts have now started to argue amongst themselves just how long would it take for Chanyeol and Kyungsoo to kiss. Jongdae suggests placing bets.

 

Kyungsoo facepalms, what a reunion.

 

"We miss you too, so just you know." Jongin leans in to Kyungsoo from the side with a smile. Kyungsoo returns his smile appreciatively. “And we miss him too.” Jongin points at Chanyeol. The giant is still awkwardly sprawling on the floor.

Kyungsoo sighs and squats down beside Chanyeol, poking him on the face, "Sometimes I wonder how uneventful my last year here would be if I hadn't run to the boy's toilet that day for you, Park Chanyeol."
And right when Kyungsoo places his palms to cup Chanyeol’s face to shake him awake, an excited Luhan shrieks at him, "Oh my, oh my! Look at that! Kyungsoo, are you going to kiss him? Like right now? Is new face your Snow White princess?"

 

Kyungsoo wonders what’s wrong with that one hyung.

"Too fast, <I>young one</I>, too fast for a kiss." Kyungsoo slaps Chanyeol lightly on the cheek. "We still have at least ten years together. Still a long way to go."

The ghosts cry dramatically at the back, "Do we really have to wait another ten years to see you two kiss?!"

 

Kyungsoo rolls his eyes, with a smile evident on his face.

 

 

Such a questionable group of friends, albeit an endearing one.