“Changjo-ya!!” Changhyun shrieked as he burst up from the aged, smelly sofa. “Uh, where is this? Oh no. How long…” just before he could finish the question, Changjo strolled in with a bowl of water in his hands. “Don’t worry, we just got here. And you have been asleep for like… yea fifteen mins” The huge bowl was filled with clear, clean and warm water as the demon placed it in front of the smaller. “This… is Keumgang.” Changjo’s fingers froze as he smirked, “Yea, wow you’re pretty quick aren’t you.”

“I know this place. Wait, you carried me here?! Like just within 20 minutes?!!”

“Yea, you did kinda slow me down. You aren’t as light as you seemed, maybe you need lay off some food.” Changjo spoke as he squeezed a brown, blood tainted sponge and handed it to Changhyun, gently swiping off the bloody hair from the smaller’s face with his other hand. “Ahjussi, you should really get a haircut” Changhyun stayed silent, savoring the slight touch the demon was giving him; Changjo used to give so much more, so many warm embraces and sadly this slight graze was all Changhyun could earn now.

“I thought you’re smart though, what you did back there was unnecessary. I didn’t need your saving you know.” He continued, sitting on top of the couch’s hand rest and looking up to the broken ceiling that had a hole so big, the starry night shone right into the abandoned mansion. Dabbing the wet sponge on the deep cut near the temple of his head, the latter hissed in pain as he felt the warm water seep into his flesh. “I guess not, but you’re already in so much trouble. I knew you could beat them, I just won’t let you do it.” the smaller spoke as he looked up to meet Changjo’s blue, shining eyes while the latter groaned in frustration. The taller then, glared down to the young detective and snarled. “IM NOT A KID. You policemen give me nothing but trouble, and why in world would you care about me. I don’t even know who the hell you are.”

“Wrap yourself up and leave.”

“You were warmer, so much warmer before, you know. But now too, you’re still kind Changjo-ya. You’re a good person.”

Changhyun spoke as he held the cotton bandage up his forehead, trying to at least stop the blood from flowing down to his cleaned face. He was already on his feet, with his left hand holding up the white cotton, he packed up his scattered belongings and left a card on the couch for Changjo to see. Seeing it made the latter close his eyes painfully. “Do you know me, Ahjusshi? DO YOU?”

There was an obvious desperation within the demon’s eyes as he grabbed Changhyun’s arm and held the card right in front of the latter’s face. It was a difficult question and given what he had said just before, Changhyun could not think of an answer. –“Don’t you see, you, my dear mortal are nothing but a threat to Changjo. If you think he would remember you and return, then you’re mistaken. The greatest gift you can give my brother is a world without you in it” – the detective stared at his own name, written neatly on the printed card as he exhaled slowly. “No, I don’t.”  Changjo took a step back, broken and disappointed at the latter’s answer as he sat down on the couch again. The card slipped down his fingers as he laid his head back and sighed. “Then what am i?” he asked with his eyes still shut. “You remind me of someone very special, I’m sorry. I must have mistaken you as him sometimes, I can’t help it.” Changhyun lied. It was painful to do so but Choi Jung was partly correct, this young man he was looking at might have a better chance at living without him in it. Changhyun was desperate for the return of his love but he didn’t want to force anything, if Changjo were to return, he wanted it to be fated. As cheesy as it sounds, he wanted a fairytale ending.

“I’ll leave…” 

“No. Stay. It’s too late anyway and there are other demons lurking around, hungry and resentful. They might just slaughter you for fun, so stay.” said the demon as he threw a stack of pillows and comforters on the couch. “I don’t have much since I don’t really need rest.” He continued. 

“No, this… this is more than enough.” Changhyun mumbled as he ran his fingers over them. “Did you uhm… wake up here?” he asked as his eyes trailed Changjo’s back. “Alone.” The demon froze for a moment, sighed and continued taking off his stained clothes. He was peeling them layer by layer off of his toned body, revealing the last piece of white shirt that was drenched with blood all over its collar. “How did you even have the idea that I was unconscious?” he spoke as he slipped out of the white shirt, showing his milky back and how it was flawless from any scars. The huge graze on his upper left shoulder disappeared without any trace. “Well, since this place looked rather abandoned and the fact that you admitted you don’t really know anyone from around, I made a wild guess that you might not realize how you got here.”

Changhyun explained as he held his breath and diverted his eyes to the ceiling, looking up to the pouring stars. Changjo snickered as he wiped the blood off his skin with a damp towel, rubbing away the red stains and massaging his stiff, tense muscles. He could hear clearly how the latter was subtly stuttering, making up a conclusion to deceive him. But it didn’t matter; Yoo Changhyun was nothing but a weak, mortal stranger. 

“I woke up looking at those stars you’re staring at, right now. I wasn’t in pain or anything but I was incredibly weak. I could barely lift up a finger. There were other gumiho’s, demons scattered all over this mansion but strangely, they didn’t see me.”

“Calling a name or something. I don’t know. I couldn’t really hear anything back then, it was a complete silence but at the same time, my hearing could reach up to the edge of the mountain where there were falcons cawing.” He explained as he put on a blue, satin shirt and sat on the floor. “It was weird, I could hear my heart beat and yet I can’t make out what they were calling. One demon even passed right beside me and I called him over but it seemed like he couldn’t see me. I thought I was dead.” A smile broke free from Changjo’s blank expression, confusing Changhyun in the most subtle ways. “Then?” the detective curiously asked as he stared at Changjo, hoping and waiting for an answer. 

“Then fortunately after a few days, there were a group of mountain trekkers, here on a getaway. They gave me some food and well, that was when I realized I wasn’t yet.”

“Dead.”

♦

“He was your age.  Tall and big, sturdy with all his muscles. He saved me so many times, I could barely count them and he did it in so many ways. It wasn’t just throwing himself in front of train or catching me when I fell, he patched me up inside.”

“He was a half-blood gumiho and he had eyes just like yours.” Changhyun spoke as his damp eyes closed, letting a tear drizzle down his cheeks. He took a deep breath and pulled his gaze up to the hollowed ceiling, watching the clouds pass by as Changjo crept closer and sat right beside him. “You know, all gumihos have blue eyes.” the taller spoke while he hugged his knees and rested his face on them. “I know.” The stars were covered by the passing clouds after a moment and Changhyun felt the warmth radiating from the boy next to him. He looked at Changjo and smiled, this time fearlessly and boldly as he caressed the taller’s black hair.

The latter didn’t even flinch. “He had black hair just like yours too, but it was covering his eyes sometimes. So I can’t see these blue eyes as clearly like now. But they were always shining and they always looked at me. I was a fool to tear it away.” His cheeks were gradually getting wetter as he kept wiping away the tears. Their eyes were locked on each other and for a few seconds, Changjo didn’t look any different. Changjo looked like Changjo, not Choi Jong, the strong demon he claimed to be.

“You remind me of him in way no one could. Even the way you blink.” His voice was trembling, so immediately he took his eyes away and hid his wailing face from the Changjo. But then, despite all of the pain and longing, he felt Changjo’s hands on his shoulders and it put all his raging agonies to rest. “I hope you find him, that man Ahjussi. I hope…”

“I wished someone would miss me like you missed him. I wished someone is crying over me too, you know. But it won’t happen, so at least… Ahjussi, at least you should find him.” Changjo spoke as he fingers trembled and his voice scattered, somehow he was just as vulnerable. There were no more walls between them, Changjo wanted to be found. 

“Find him Ahjussi and be happy. You’re a good man.”

With those words the latter left, roaming outside in the woods to keep watch of any more demons that might be lurking around the abandoned place. Changhyun could feel his guts sinking; even when there was no trace of him within Changjo’s memories, that boy was still saying the same words. Be happy. It was always Changjo that had asked. 

So... its changjo's birthday and i decided to post an update. Again, idk how many times i have to apologies for the sudden hiatus, i had a massive MASSIVE writer block and to be honest i still have them now. But i'm trying to get over it and i'm writing again so YAY! hopefully i can give you guys the best conclusion on this story, Changhyun and Changjo deserves seriously >.<.