60 Days Chapter 8

Sungmin was walking alone by himself.

He had left the hospital.

His mind was in a whirl. He lost two friends within two days. His tumour was getting bigger and pressing against his nerves. He started to see weird images. He was told about his impending death. Angels existed. And his angel was the one who escorted his dead friends.  

What did he feel?

Sadness, traumatised, shock, or was it disbelief? Sungmin was unsure of his feelings.

The sky was overcast and Sungmin started to feel little droplets on his soft milky skin. But seconds later there was none. Kyuhyun was walking next to Sungmin and sheltering the shorter boy with an umbrella.

“You left without me,” Kyuhyun said.

“You were busy. I was tired. So I decided to leave first.”

“You’re upset.”

“I am. My friend just died. And I called out to you to stop. But you didn’t. You ignored me.”

“I heard you. But I can’t do anything. Her time was up.”

“It , do you know that? To see two of your friends die, but you can’t do anything about it.”

Kyuhyun kept silent. He just walked next to Sungmin and continued sheltering Sungmin all the way to the bus stop.

They boarded the bus together where they sat next to each other in silence.

Kyuhyun followed Sungmin off the bus and continued to shelter him with the umbrella as their shoes splashed through the puddles when they finally arrived at a sprawling mansion.

“Well, now that you’re safely home, I should get going,” Kyuhyun said.

“Don’t go. It’s still raining and it’s cold outside. Have a hot cup of tea inside and wait for the rain to stop.”

“I can just vanish into nothingness.”

“Please accept my invitation. It’s just my way of thanking you,” Sungmin said.   

“It’s …”

Before Kyuhyun could finish his sentence, Sungmin grabbed Kyuhyun’s hand and dragged him past the gate.

There was something foreboding about the mansion, Kyuhyun thought to himself.

Maybe I shouldn’t go in?

Kyuhyun very much wanted to disappear, but he did not want to disappoint or upset Sungmin so he just followed up the sloped driveway towards the mansion.    

It was more than just a mansion, but an estate with its landscaped garden and a fountain. There was a small pool which seem quite out of place with the surroundings

Kyuhyun was not surprised. He knew that Sungmin came from an affluent family.

The mansion was soon in sight. There was nothing remarkable about its exterior. It looked kind of old and dull. It was probably built in the seventies and had been given various coats of paint throughout the years.

“Hyung!” a bright voice cried out as Sungmin stepped into his home as Kyuhyun followed behind him.

The voice belonged to a tall lanky boy – a teenager rather – as the teenager sprung forward to give Sungmin a bear hug.

Sungmin ruffled the teenager’s hair. “Were you a good boy today Yeollie?”

The other boy nodded.

“How was school today?”

“It was fun, hyung,” the younger boy replied, still clinging on his hyung.

“Yeollie, this is my classmate Kyuhyun,” as Sungmin slowly broke away their embrace. “Say hello to him.”

Sungyeol took a quick glance at Kyuhyun and shook his head. He stepped backwards.

“I don’t want to. He seems weird.”

“Yeollie, don’t be rude. He’s my guest. Say hello to him,” Sungmin chided gently.

“Sungmin-ah, it’s okay,” Kyuhyun interjected.

“Yeollie, I’m going upstairs to the room with Kyuhyun…”

“I don’t allow you to!” Yeollie shouted a reply.

“Why not?”

Pointing at Kyuhyun, Sungyeol shouted, “He’s weird! I don’t like him!”

“Yeollie, you’re being very rude! Apologise to Kyuhyun now!”

Sungyeol shook his head and stomped his foot. “No!”

Sungmin looked apologetically at Kyuhyun as Kyuhyun nodded his head. This brought some relief to Sungmin.

Kyuhyun should know. After all he’s an angel. He should know everything. Yeollie isn’t wrong about Kyuhyun. Kyuhyun doesn’t belong here anyway, Sungmin thought to himself.

Sungmin patted Sungyeol on his back and spoke gently to Sungyeol, “Yeollie, be good. Kyuhyun is my classmate. I need to discuss a project with him. He won’t be here for too long. Yeollie loves Sungmin hyung right? So be a good boy and finish your homework. I’ll play with you later okay?”

“But this Kyuhyun seems evil and dangerous,” Sungyeol protested. “He might harm you.”

“He won’t. He’s my friend and angel.”

“Really?” Sungyeol asked in disbelief. His pupils were wide-open. “Kyuhyun is an angel?”

Sungmin nodded.

“Hyung isn’t lying to me?” Sungyeol asked, while taking a quick peek at Kyuhyun.

“I’m not. Kyuhyun will take care of me in the same way hyung watches over you.”

Sungyeol took another peek at Kyuhyun. He paused to think for a while before saying, “Okay.”

Sungmin smiled at Sungyeol and ruffled the younger boy’s hair. The beckoning Kyuhyun, both of them ascended the stairs.

“This place is familiar. I haven’t been here, have I?” Kyuhyun thought to himself as he held on to the wooden handrail.

He had scanned the surroundings earlier. The place was tastefully decorated. There was a fireplace in the living area. Chandeliers hung from the ceiling while golden criss-crossed drapes hung from the windows. Paintings and antiques adorned the room.

The mansion looked classy but there was a certain chill that made even an angel like Kyuhyun shudder.

The feeling seemed all familiar and distant to Kyuhyun and it left him confused.

“How am I related to Sungmin?” he wondered as he took a quick glance at the boy next to him.

“Kyuhyun-ah, I’m sorry about Yeollie,” Sungmin said.

This broke Kyuhyun’s thoughts for a while.

Kyuhyun laughed. “It’s okay. I know that he’s autistic and has problems interacting with people.”

“Thanks for understanding.”

Kyuhyun nodded.

“Fortunately Yeollie has no learning disability.”

Kyuhyun nodded again. “Both of you seem close.”

“We are. I love this dongsaeng very much. And because he’s special and doesn’t have many friends, I’m really all that he has.”

Sungmin let out a sigh. “I wonder what will happen or how he would cope after my death. I hope he will be able to have more friends. Mum is already gone. Dad tries to spend time with him, but he very often than not, he is occupied by the family’s business…”

Kyuhyun put his arm around Sungmin’s shoulder.

“Don’t worry too much. Everything will take care of itself.”

Sungmin smiled. “Thanks Kyuhyun. I know it would too much of a stretch if I ask you to watch over Yeollie for me right?”

“That is even more difficult than asking me to participate in the musical.”

“I was just joking.”

“You can be his guardian angel from heaven Sungmin.”

“Thanks again, Kyuhyun. Thank you for your kind words. Here’s my room.”

Sungmin turned the knob and opened the door.

Pink?

Kyuhyun’s eyes widened when he stepped into the room and scanned its surroundings.

The walls were painted pastel pink. The curtains were pink. The bed sheet and pillow cases were pink. The comforter was also pink.

This room is so different from the rest of the house, Kyuhyun thought.

“Do you feel disgusted that I like pink?” Sungmin asked nervously. “I know it’s a girly colour but I can’t help it. I really like this colour.”

Kyuhyun grinned at Sungmin and pinched the latter’s left cheek. “No. It’s okay. It kind of matches your personality.”

“You think so?” Sungmin exploded happily. “Actually this room belonged to by uncle. The walls were already pink long before this became my room. He’s another pink lover.”

“Your uncle? Why doesn’t he use this room then? He doesn’t live with your family?”

“He has passed away even before I was born. He was only 20 years old. He died in an accident overseas.”

Kyuhyun felt a sudden inexplicable tightness in his chest.

“Kyuhyun, are you alright?”

Sungmin noticed Kyuhyun’s agonised look.

“I’m fine. Something just came over me. Maybe it’s the cold from the wind earlier,” Kyuhyun quickly came up with a flimsy excuse.

“Oh! Make yourself comfortable in my room. I’ll go get some hot tea and snacks. I’ll be back in five minutes.”

“Thank you.”

Kyuhyun took a seat at the desk. There were many photographs of Sungmin and Sungyeol together as well as a family picture of the Lees in happier times.

There was a fresh and sweet scent in this room that is very unlike that of a boy’s.

Pink walls. Where have I seen that before?

This scent. It’s so familiar.

Think Cho Kyuhyun! Think! Try to remember!

But his mind came to a blank.

“Ugh!” he let out in frustration. “I can’t remember anything.

Being an intelligent person, he came to the conclusion.

Perhaps this has something to do with my erased memories. Only one way to find out.

He took out his hand held tablet from his bag and pressed a few buttons.

“The user is unavailable now. Please try again later. Thank you.”

Just then the door to the room opened. Sungmin entered carrying a tray with a pot of barley tea, cups and saucers, and some rice cakes.   

He put the tray on the desk.

Suddenly, Sungmin’s legs felt a little wobbly. Kyuhyun could see that Sungmin was a little unstable.

“Sungmin, are you okay? Is the pain acting up again? You need to do something about it. It’s getting frequent.”

But Sungmin could not hear Kyuhyun.

Sungmin was having another vision.

“You’re all drenched,” the first boy said. “I’ll get you a towel.”

The boy walked to the cupboard and took out a pink towel.

“You sure do like pink, don’t you,” the second boy was all wide-eyed as he chuckled. Your room’s all pink.

The first boy blushed. “Do you think it is disgusting for a guy to like pink this much? I know pink is a girly colour. Oh gosh! Did you freaked out? Your impression of me must have changed. You must think that I’m disgusting and girly!”

“Not at all,” the voice was all gentle and warm. “On the contrary, I think that pink is cute, and it suits you. But I must say that pink is definitely not my colour.”

The second boy continued to towel dry his hair. His uniform shirt was soaking wet.

“I better get you a top to change.”

“Don’t tell me it’s pink?”

“Hey! You’re mean.”

“Sorry, I was just teasing.”

“I know. Let me find something that isn’t pink.”

After going through the cupboard, the first boy produced a blue and black checked shirt. “Here’s something that isn’t pink.”

“Gomawo. … Is it okay if I change in here?”

“Sure,” the first boy then turned his head away. “I won’t look.”

“You don’t have to turn your head away. We’re both guys and I’m just going topless for a while that’s all.”

“But…” the first boy began to blush.

The second boy had already taken off his wet shirt and drying himself. The first boy was staring at the other boy’s lean and toned body.

Sungmin felt something warm on his lips. He opened his eyes and saw that his lips were on Kyuhyun.

Kyuhyun was leaning backwards against the chair, while Sungmin was leaning forward. Kyuhyun’s hands were wrapped round Sungmin’s neck.

“Kyuhyun-ah, what happened?”

“We kissed for the second time.”

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Sorry for taking so long to update.

Had gone on another vacation during the Chinese New Year holiday. 

Hope you guys enjoy this chapter and do leave me your comments. 

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I will try to update with a short chapter by Monday morning (I hope).