I don’t wait around for her to tell me I’m right, that I’ve one the round, that I’ve saved my school. I don’t wait for the auditorium to erupt in cheers and for the Prefects to hug me and clap me on the back. I simply walk off the stage as the winner is announced, into the wings, past, and find myself a dark little janitor’s cupboard where nobody will find me.

Because it finally sinks in. I’ve got lung cancer. I could die of lung cancer. It’s back. My lung cancer is back. Stage two, this time. I’ve got lung cancer, I’ve got cancer, I’ve got cancer.

I pull my knees up and bury my face in my lap. I’m a silent crier, thank God, and twice in one week is overwhelming, but I feel like I might just be entitled. Just this once.

I know how, but I don’t have the strength to remember, so it seems to come out of nowhere, but he finds me. He practically rips the door off its hinges in his attempt to get at me, since I locked the door. He walks inside and, instead of asking any questions or making any remarks, he pulled my face up and examined me.

It takes me a few minutes to realize it’s him. There’s not enough light coming from the open doorway. It’s still dark.

His eyes glow red for a moment.

And then I’m hitting him, screaming and hitting him with both fists as tears roll down my cheeks. “You!” I scream at him. “You! Where were you?! Where have you been?! I needed you! You were gone! You were gone and I needed you!”

“I’m sorry.”

“Where were you?! That you couldn’t be here! I needed you! And you weren’t here!”

He curls his arms around my body and the anger that was raging through my veins a few seconds ago is all gone. I’m limp and cold and weak. So weak. I end up leaning my head against his bony shoulder, tears still streaming down my face. “Why?” I whisper. “Why weren’t you here?”

“I’m here now,” he says, and for some reason, it makes the pain in my heart a little duller. Not gone, just not as sharp as it was. “I’m here now, you’re not alone anymore.”

“Jeonghan,” I whisper, staring at nothing as cold tears tickle my chin. “Jeonghan, I’m going to die of lung cancer.”

“…I know,” he whispers back. “It’s getting late. It’s time boys like you were curled up in bed.”

My mother always told me I have a deep sense of responsibility and a very strong will to excel, and that’s why I’m like this, but that doesn’t help. Something stirs inside me. I have a duty to perform. I shake my head, even though I know I’m in a bad state. “I promised to patrol the sleepover-”

“We’ll get somebody to fill in.”

“N-no, I-”

His whisper is warm, and it’s comforting. It’s so damn comforting. “Let yourself sleep,” he tells me. “You deserve it.”

So I just close my eyes and let the darkness have me.

By the time I’m sure he’s asleep, I already know everybody is outside. No more than two people fit into this rabbit hutch of a closet anyway. I scoop him up in my arms, bridal style, and bring him out.

Those damn Prefects. That weird- angel that already confessed to Joshua. The smiley one with the gums who is looking glummer than I’ve ever seen him. The freak witch and his booty call of a boyfriend. And Jun. The demon.

“What’s wrong with him?”

“He’s overexerted himself, that’s all. What he needs right now is rest, and plenty of it. I’ll be taking him home now.”

Jun bars my way. “Why are you taking him?”

DK growls at him. “Even I’ll admit a Concordat will take care of him better than anybody else.”

I give the demon the look of the death. “You wouldn’t like trying to take him away from me.” And with that, I simply disappear, and reappear in Joshua’s bedroom. I take off his blazer and belt, but I let him sleep in his clothes. He’ll be upset with me in the morning, but that’s not important.

What’s important is that Joshua might be dying a lot sooner than I expected, and what I expected even less than that, is that I don’t know how I feel about it.

I don’t get the chance to believe that I’m alone. His eyes glow red in the dark. They’re chocolate brown in daylight, but in the night time they’re a ghoulish, neon red. It’s usually very off-putting, but I’ve slowly grown used to it, and right now for the first time ever, it’s comforting.

Jeonghan’s presence is comforting, however sick that may be.

He blinks slowly at me. “Hello,” he whispers.

I don’t know what to answer, and upon closer inspection, I don’t think I can anyway. My throat hurts, more with each passing moment. I just nod at him pitifully.

“It’s almost dawn. When your mother leaves for work, I’ll make you breakfast.”

Make me breakfast? That one’s new. I slowly turn to my clock. 5:58. He’s right. It is nearly dawn. If mom leaves at eight… I wonder if I’ll make it to the awards ceremony in time. I clamber for my phone, and open the Prefect group chat.

It’s eerily silent. The last sent message was a fighting! from Seungcheol.

Joshua: Don’t worry, I’m alright. I just wasn’t feeling well. I’ll have a large breakfast before I show up today, so please don’t worry about me.

Jihoon: Is the demon still with you?

Joshua: Of all people, how are you awake?

Jihoon: Seungcheol has a fantastic .
Jihoon: HE TOOK MY PHONE AWAY AND WROTE THAT. I worked your night shift at the sleepover, that’s why I’m still awake.

Joshua: Aaaaaalright-y then, moving along as fast as possible… is everybody alright? I’m sure it must have been hard last night. Thank you.

Wonwoo: We were very worried about you. What’s going on?

Joshua: Don’t worry, just a slight fever. You’ll all see me later. For now I’m going to eat well. Alright?

DK: Take care of yourself. Don’t show up with a frown on yo