The wine glass tipped and it fell down to the floor like a rain of diamonds, shattered and glistening red from the liquor.

≈♦≈

I was standing beside your Ljoe, looking at his face and praying that we would find that alternative soon. You were getting further away and given that the boy had pulled you so far, desperation had buried itself deep into my mind. I needed an answer.

Then around 7PM Hyunseung called me, he told me to pack everything that we needed for the ritual, he said… it was time for the return. I couldn’t believe it at first, my hand, my eyes, everything was shaking. This was it, I whispered lightly. Our Ljoe was about to be resurrected and so, starting with the charm the witch gave me, I stuffed everything that I thought was important into bag, my eyes never leaving your Ljoe. Every second that passed, I would steal peeks at him and tears were just dampening my skin as I thought of all the possibility.

The thought of us, being happy again helped my trembling hand to work properly and in fact, it gave me strength to pick him up and lay him in the car.

But then, when I arrived, a pack of Gumihos standing guard, were the ones who welcomed my arrival instead of Hyunseung. I guess from the tingle behind back, I kind of had a clue what was happening and while I struggled to put away the worries, I walked into a room and instinctively my eyes stopped at one person in particular.

Changjo.

He was sitting down, head low and tears dripping down his cheeks. I saw two women beside him; one looked rather cold while the other looked nothing less than concerned. I guessed it was his relatives, but guessing who’s who was the least of my concern. I stared at the boy, as I called his name again and again while I waited for a response. He looked up to me and walked outside.

“Hi. I know… this is rather surprising but… it’s for the best I guess. For Changhyun, this..”

“is the best.”

“Take care of him… Ricky… would you? Treat… him better.”

“please”

He was short of breath and every word that came out sounded broken, I wanted to ask why but I was scared I might change his mind. I was a coward indeed; I didn’t want this opportunity to slip away so I kept quiet. “Thank you.”

He nodded and just like he went back into the room leaving me alone with my own thoughts, it felt wrong Changhyun-ah, it did. Then a woman came in, she didn’t even looked at me as she spoke. “This is a trade, angel. I made a deal with your sly little friend so that we all could gain from this. My great grandson a fully grown, true blood Gumiho with no contact from you filthy bounty hunters and you little adopted kid. None. But as an exchange, your little lover gain a life and happily ever after.”

“Keep yourself and your family away, which is your end of the deal. Follow it and I’ll allow this to happen”

“I’m taking my grandson back”

She was enchancting the room, loud and restless. There was something wrong, I saw it in her eyes as the white ink on the half blood started to light up. “Hold the angel’s hands now! We have to make the bond right away, Jonghyun!!” Changjo was glowing, rather blinding even to my eyes, but I managed to follow his apparition. His hands were trembling, but he held Ljoe and after a few seconds, an explosion of light had white out the whole room leaving us all blinded for a moment.

When we finally could see, Changjo… was not there.

“Where is he? Where is my grandson?!!!” She screamed and, that instant, every single demon that was standing guard had left the house. They were searching for him…

But he was nowhere and Ljoe was breathing.

≈♦≈

Changhyun sprinkled the shards of glass into the dustbin as he stared at his crimson stained fingers, the blood was everywhere. Some of the shards were even buried inside his skin and as he stared at the bleeding cuts, a crestfallen smile broke from his emotionless face.

“Just let me wrap that up Ricky….. you’re bleeding”

“You can go afterwards”

Tears fell into his palms as he endured his torn up heart, everything was agonizing. How the latter’s voice had echoed crystal clear in his mind even after so long, how his finger flinched back then when Changjo were there to cure his pains, everything was like jolts of overwhelming electricity running through his veins. He was alive, stronger and yet, such small injuries felt unbearable.

He stopped sobbing while ago but the way the air had thinned out on him was something he could never get used to. That story Chunji told had ripped him apart, again and again and again. The sound of his silent wails was gently echoing inside the big, hollow kitchen and as his jaws clammed tight, it was another lonely, devastating night for the brunette.

“Changjo ya… I miss you… jebal”

⇔

“OOI!! Man… your eyes Changhyunnie… damn you look like a bloody tofu” Niel scooted away as he allowed the shorter to pass through the small hallway, still holding in his own laughter. “Damn Ahn, you’re hilarious” the shorter replied as he fixed his dark, brown hair away from his eyes. Then, as Changhyun sighed, Jiyoon walked into the room and stole a peek at the youngest. “Gosh Changhyun, I’d say you look y with those leather jackets but you smell like alcohol. Take a shower, okay?!” she nagged as a towel flew out of her hands and landed on the latter’s head.

“It’s been more than a few years since you worked here; I know it’s hard without… “

“Noona, I’m doing double shifts tonight cause I have things to do tomorrow, so..” the younger retorted, as he threw the towel into his locker. It smashed into the metal walls rather harsh and Jiyoon could see the annoyance written all over the boy’s face. “You changed Changgie ya, that’s all” she sighed and as she made her way out, Changhyun looked up to the ceiling and grunted; he didn’t mean to hurt anyone.

“Here, it’s a ticket I got from that girl over there. I think she’s interested” CAP whispered as he handed out a washed out, pink ticket. The boy smiled as he took the tickets and flipped it back to back, it was for a place he knew and once loved. “Guess he found out about this place, like this too, huh” He mumbled, leaving it on the counter top and rubbing the elder’s shoulder as he walked away, telling Cap that he was waiting for an invite from someone else.

Cap stared at the boy sympathetically, because he too was waiting for the same person. His best friend.