Taemin has vague memories of his life being happy. His parents were loving. His mother spoiled him openly, while his father spoiled him only when no one was watching. They cared for him; their only child. Their sweet bundle of joy. 

The last memory he has of his parents was going to the zoo for his ninth birthday. He had been begging to see the giraffes for almost a year now. And finally, his parents surprised him and took him to see them. He remembered it being hot. He remember walking through the zoo, with sweat dripping down his face and reddened cheeks from the sun. But he didn't care. Because he was with his parents. And he got to see the giraffes. 

He remembers feeding them big leaves with his father as his mother snapped pictures. He remembers falling asleep hours later in the car ride home. 

Taemin also remembers hearing the news of his parents' death. 

He was at a friend's house for a playdate after school. His friend's mom had picked them both up, and they had walked to his house together. He was supposed to be sleeping over because his parents had to drive into the city for a family friends' engagement party. Taemin wasn't allowed to go because it was too late, he was too young, and there was school the next morning. 

His friend's mom woke him up in the middle of the night and brought him downstairs .

He was groggy and confused. He thought his parents had come to pick him up early. There was slight disappointment in his little nine year old mind. 

At the door, two police men stood with their hats off and hanging by their fingertips. 

When they saw him, they bent down in front of him and told him the news. 

Taemin didn't know how to react. His little nine year old mind couldn't comprehend both his parents being gone. So he didn't react at all. 

He didn't cry. 

He didn't yell. 

He didn't even speak. 

Not until the funeral rolled around, and he saw both of his parents laying cold and still in caskets that were placed side by side. 

And then he did cry. 

He did yell. 

He begged them to wake up and go back to the zoo. 

But of course, they never did. 

Family and friends had to pull Taemin away from the caskets and out of the room to calm him down. But he never did. 

"Welcome to hell, kid."  

At those words, Taemin couldn't see how that could possibly be true. No... Because the life he had been living - that had been hell. So he couldn't see how this place he was in, wherever or whatever it may be, could be hell. 

"Hell? I don't... understand.. I should be dead. I... I jumped, didn't I?" 

Taemin sat up from where he had been laying and ran his fingers through his hair, trying his best to recall what he remembered. 

He knew he had jumped. He remembered falling. He remembered closing his eyes and saying goodbye. 

So then.. where was he ? 

"Uhm... How do I put this?" The one who had previously spoken looked up at the other three for help. Taemin wasn't sure for what, though. What was so hard about a simple explanation ? 

One of them rolled his eyes and pushed him aside, taking his place beside Taemin. 

"Sweetie... This is hell. Literal, actual hell. Underworld type hell. Where people pray they don't go when they meet the afterworld. You.. You did die. You jumped and you're physical body is soulless. But well... this over here dragged you down here with him." 

This ? 

Taemin looked over to the man who had been mentioned. The one who had previously spoken. 

"And who... who is he?" 

"That's Lucifer in the flesh.... You know. Satan. The Devil. But we all just call him Jonghyun." 

Taemin stared blankly at the man. His hair was a soft blonde - almost white. His skin lightly tanned. His jaw strong and his eyes filled with a lonliness he recognized well. 

That and... well, he was rather short. 

Taemin pouted and looked back over the other three who were surrounding him. None of them looked like demons, which is what they had to be if this was "hell" as they were claiming it was. They all looked so gentle. Like they would rather take care of him than hurt him or make him suffer in this eternal damnation. It just wasn't adding up. 

"But. He doesn't look evil. Neither do any of you. None of you look like you would ever hurt anyone." 

At that, there was a slightly uncomfortable exchange of glances between all of them. Taemin noticed one of the four had even lowered his eyes to the ground. 

"If you're going to play tricks on me you're going to have to do better than that," he told them challengingly. 

The one who had been previously speaking sighed and threw his hands up. "You see, Jjong! This is why we don't just bring people here! If they die, they die! They get judged and they have full understanding of where they're going! Of course the kid's confused since you just decided to drag him here!" 

SatanLuciferJonghyun cringed and rubbed the back of his neck. "Okay! I get it! Shut up... You're so ing loud all the time." 

"Because I'm the only one with any ing sense! Unlike some people who can't even follow rules that he had part in ing creating!" 

"Exactly! If I made them, I should be allowed to break them!" 

"That doesn't make any ing sense! You're so stupid!" 

"You're stupid!" 

Taemin really couldn't help the laughter that bubbled inside of him from coming out. Expecting him to keep it down was an impossible request. A chuckle came from his lips and that's all it took for him to burst out into complete hysterics. He covered his mouth to try to keep the laughter down, but there was no going back. His eyes watered and his sides ached. 

"What's so funny?" the one he had labeled sassy pants asked. 

"YOU!" was all Taemin could gasp out. 

"See? Even the kid thinks you're an idiot." SatanLuciferJonghyun said. 

"YOU TOO!" 

"Who's the idiot now, idiot?" Sassy pants retorted. 

Taemin took a breath and finally caught his breath, wiping the tears from the corners of his eyes. "You guys are just... funny. You're supposed to be Satan and you're arguing with him like a five year old. Some King of the Underworld." 

Sassy pants chuckled softly and nudged Jonghyun. "Hear that? You're growing soft, apparently." 

"Yea. I have to crack out the whip again, I guess." SatanLuciferJonghyun responded with a smile. 

It was calm in that moment. As if they had all been friends for a while and this was all normal behaviour. Which Taemin was sure it was for them. But then his reality came back to him. He still didn't know where he was. And he still needed to find out. 

"Okay, but seriously. Where am I?" Taemin tried again, hoping for an honest answer this time around. 

SatanLuciferJonghyun sighed softly. He hoped that indicated a long explanation of the truth. SatanLuciferJonghyun nodded for Taemin to follow and wordlessly started to walk away. Taemin hesitated for a moment to look up at the remaining three. When they all motioned him to follow, he pushed himself off the bed and went after the blonde. 

They arrived to a what looked like a mirror to Taemin. But there was a shimmer - something that wasn't quite realistic to him. One second he was looking at his face, the next he was looking at a crime scene. 

There were bystanders at a bridge. Kids in uniforms, adults in business suits. Cellphones out and cameras recording. Police and paramedics were on the other side of the yellow tape. One stood from his position on the ground and shook his head. At that simple motion, they all stopped their word. The paramedics stood as well, removing equipment from the body on the ground. One came pack with a black bag. A body bag. They worked together to maneuver the body into the bag. And right before they zipped it up, Taemin caught a glimpse of it's face. 

"That's..... That's me.." he mumbled softly. 

Jonghyun nodded beside him. "Yea." 

"So. I really am dead. I really did jump." 

"Yea.." 

His life flashed by in his head. His childhood. His prepubescent years. He thought he had always been a good person. He had never been mean to anyone in his life. Everyone else on the other hand. He wasn't perfect. He knew that. But hell? He never thought he lived that horrible of a life to end up in hell for the rest of eternity. 

"I... Was I bad? Did I live a bad life? Is being gay really a sin, then?" Taemin asked, his breath suddenly shallow. If this was were he truly belonged, he shouldn't be complaining. He did it to himself. He was the one that ended his own life. There was no time for regrets now. 

"No! No. Kid, listen. You weren't bad. Your soul was pure. More pure than a lot of people's nowadays." Jonghyun told him sincerely. 

"Then why am I here...?" 

Jonghyun hesitated for a moment, seeming to think of how to respond.

He finally gave him a soft, sad smile and said, "You said you wanted a friend."