I was sitting on my bed in my pyjamas. I was playing with the buttons on my shirt and watching the man trapped inside of my mirror. A pretty usual thing to do on Friday night, don´t you think? The time crept unknowingly over midnight while I was still deep in thoughts.

“I think you should go to sleep, Hyukjae,” the young man in my mirror said all of a sudden.

“I wouldn´t be able to fall asleep anyway so why bother trying,” I explained tiredly. “But I have a few questions on you.” I added hopefully that I would get the answers right away.

“Shoot,” Donghae agreed and comfortably seated himself on the parquets, their reflection of course.

“You said you were born in sixties, right?” I started with counting years.

“1966 to be precise,” Donghae quickly added. He also puffed the air with his pouting lips to get rid of a few strands of hair in his face.

“But then you should be like fifty years old and don´t take it as a compliment, you look pretty young,” I reasoned. There´s no way this baby face could be already that old. I would guess him twenty-five the most.

“How old are you, Hyukjae?” Donghae asked me instead catching me off guard.

“I´m an 86´er,” I answered obediently before sighing at my stupidity. This is not what we should be talking about.

“Then we´re the same age,” the raven head laughed. No way! He can´t be the same age when he look so young, and I´m even trying to forget the strange fact that he´s a man in the mirror. “I stopped growing old in 1994 so it means I am your age still.” Donghae explained while I started taking in the information provided.

“So you were born in 1966 and died in 1994,” I put the pieces together but apparently wrongly.

“No!” Donghae was up on his legs again with his palms against the glass. He looked more trapped than ever. “I´m not dead, I´m only closed here!” He yelled with tears in the corners of his eyes.

“How did you get there then?” I asked straight. If I knew how he got in, I could maybe get him out. Or out of my life at least. I don´t like strangers ogling me every time I change clothes or drool on my pillow. I blushed realising these things.

“I´m not sure,” Donghae spoke up again and dejectedly returned to his previous sitting position. “I lived here before in 90´s. The place belonged to my parents, thy inherited it after my grandparents so I could stay here without having to pay the rent. But one day suddenly while touching the mirror, I ended up locked there. I couldn´t get out and stopped growing old. But I´m one hundred percent sure I had been alive when it happened,” the raven haired boy told me.

“There must have been a reason for you to end up there. Or the mirror is cursed!” I suddenly thought and shifted a little further from him.

“Don´t, please! Don´t leave me. I´ve been trying to speak with somebody for the past twenty years but they would either ignore me or move out. Hyukjae, you are my only chance, please. I don´t want to be trapped here anymore,” Donghae started crying desperately which was something I absolutely wasn´t prepared for. Plump tears were heavily sliding down from his round cheeks and he was wiping them with his long sleeves. Now that I think of it, these shirts were really popular in 90´s.

“Fine,” I sighed, “I´m not going to throw the mirror away but I´m not sure how to help you either, Donghae,” I told him because indeed I was weak against those crocodile tears.

“Thanks, Hyukjae!” Donghae jumped up and I´m sure if he could, he would run to me and hug me.

“I think I´m going to sleep after all. You be quiet and don´t look or else I´ll paint the mirror black,” I warned the boy only to make his happy mood go down. He started promising and begging again and I could only chuckle at his moody and childish behaviour. Don´t tell me this person lived twenty years longer than me. What a kid.

I snuggled into the pillow and curled under my blanket still a little paranoid that the silly man in the mirror would watch me sleep. I thought it would take me forever tonight but before I knew it I was already in my dreamland.

The sun peeked through the curtains unfortunately falling straight on my eyes. I whined for myself for a little bit and tried to cover my head but before I could do it, somebody stole the fluffy cover away from me. I grumbled and opened my eyes ready to sprout a couple of profanities probably. But I stopped abruptly and yelped from surprise.

“Hey, Hyukjae, you totally changed my flat! It looks awesome!” Donghae exclaimed excited.

I sat up and rubbed my eyes to ensure myself I wasn´t still dreaming. It didn´t help much so I tried one more time and then again. In the end I was awake enough to think about the situation at the moment and finally I could start swearing.

“What the are you doing out of the ing mirror you dimwit?!”

“Isn´t it great?” Donghae grinned and now I started thinking about slapping him too. But I decided to ignore the stupid face instead and got up from the bed. I knew what was going on and I felt cheated too but I wouldn´t do anything unitl I get a good shower and breakfast.I walked out of the bedroom hearing Donghae skipping behind me. I went across the living room with Donghae still in tow. I entered the bathroom and slammed the door harshly in front of Donghae´s face.

“Don´t you dare follow me here!” I yelled from behind the door.

“Oh, sorry,” I heard the bean like brain chuckle from the other side. I sighed. This will be a hella long day.

I washed myself up and brushed my teeth. I decided to act cool and overcome all this, I´m good at keeping calm. Then I went to the kitchen where I found Donghae ogling the electronics. I even chuckled seeing his confused face when he continued walking around the touch screen stove.

“Oh, I wanted to make you a breakfast but I can´t figure out where is the stove. There just this strange black parcel,” Donghae pouted.

“Forget it,” I said, “I don´t want to cook. I´ll take Choco for a walk and buy something on my way. You wait here and don´t touch anything,” I told him and went to change my clothes.

When I was ready I pulled out the leash and Choco hearing the familiar rustling came running to me. I put on my coat and released the doggy out on the hallway. One more time I warned Donghae to not move and finally left.

We strode in the park for some time and then I brought my little princess to my favourite café. I bought two hot chocolates and sandwiches. I asked them to pack the stuff for me. Smiling at the bartender I tugged on the leash and went out again. We both rushed back to my apartment because somehow I felt a little nervous when leaving the childish raven head to roam freely in the place.

And unfortunately my intuition was right. When I was nearing my door I could already hear a loud noise. What the hell? I quickly unlocked the door and Choco started barking only to add to the sounds in the flat. My stereo was blasting and Donghae was leaping around with his ears covered unable to switch it off.

“Mr. Lee?” I turned quickly around seeing and old lady behind me. “I called the police on you.”

Hold me madam or else they won´t take me for disturbing the neighbourhood but for a murder.

Hi! I have a really really really bad day today. But I´m glad you liked the story so it cheered me up a little bit. :) It´s cold (here at least) so take care. Thank youfor reading and SUJU jjang! - PandaHero