fireflies

jinchan – oneshot – g – 1613 w

Jinyoung handed the books he had chosen to the cashier. She took the books with a smile on her face. As she was scanning the items, she recited sentences she had memorized about discount, promotion and stuff. But Jinyoung did not listen. Jinyoung knew he would seem rude, but he fished out his cell phone from his jeans pocket to check if there was any new message.

None.

Damn it, where the bloody hell is this kid?

The sharp eyed guy then typed a message, saying that he had been waiting for almost thirty minutes—he even got the time to buy some books—and he still hadn’t heard anything from ‘this kid’; that he is so ing hungry already and if you don’t show up in ten, I’ll be leaving. Irritated, he hit the send button.

Jinyoung and his best friend, Sunwoo, had a plan to try a new Thai restaurant at a mall that day. As usual, Jinyoung arrived first. He had waited for Sunwoo for too long, but the younger male hadn’t even replied to his texts. Getting bored, Jinyoung decided to go to a book store in the mall. But even after all the looking around and shopping in the book store, there was still no sign of Sunwoo.

“It’s 32,000 won,” the cashier said.

Jinyoung handed her the money, accepted a bag containing the items he just bought—plus the change and receipt, muttered a small thank you, then left the shop. There was a bench in front of the book store, and Jinyoung was heading to the bench to wait for Sunwoo.

At the end of the bench, was sitting a young guy. Jinyoung took a seat at the other end. Usually, Jinyoung would not pay much attention, but this guy was different. In a mall, where most people dress up, put on make ups and style their hair to look good; this stranger was wearing a pajama shirt, a pair of pajama trousers and a pair of what looks like hotel slippers. All white from top to toe. His face was pale, very contrast with his black hair—which was a bit disheveled. The stranger turned his face to Jinyoung. Ashamed that he was caught staring, Jinyoung quickly looked away.

Jinyoung felt the phone in his pocket buzzed.

Finally! He thought as he took out his mobile.

From: Sunwoo

Message:

Man, I’m so sorry! I forgot where I placed my phone and it was on silent! Give me fifteen? I can’t wake Junghwan up.

Jinyoung frowned at the message. He then typed a reply.

From: Jinyoung

Message:

What the?? You didn’t tell me you’re tagging Junghwan along!

Jinyoung tsk-ed. He honestly had lost his appetite for Thai food—or for anything else, actually. Sunwoo had made him wait for too long. And then he was taking Junghwan with him. And Junghwan was still sleeping—despite that it was one in the afternoon. And it meant he had to wait for even longer because Junghwan needed quite long to get ready. Jinyoung let out a long sigh. He sometimes wondered why Sunwoo and he were still friends.

“Hello.”

Jinyoung was startled. The stranger sitting next to him greeted him out of the blue. But what made Jinyoung more surprised was the stranger’s voice. It was so innocent that almost childlike.

“Hi,” Jinyoung replied.

The stranger looked at the plastic bag from the book store sitting next to Jinyoung, between the two of them. He then said, “You like books.”

“Oh yes, I do,” Jinyoung answered. Isn’t that so obvious? Don’t tell me things I already know, he added in his mind. Jinyoung didn’t really want to talk to anyone that time. He just wanted Sunwoo to come there quick—or not at all so he could go home and read the books he just bought.

“I like books, too,” the stranger said.

Jinyoung didn’t know what to do with the information, so he said nothing.

“Why are you alone?” he asked.

“I’m not,” Jinyoung slightly frowned. He didn’t like the word ‘alone’, especially if it was addressed to him. It reminded him that he had been single since…forever. (He would never admit that he was jealous of Sunwoo, who already had Junghwan, though.) “My friends are going to come soon. It’s you who is alone.”

“I am,” the stranger smiled. “I came here because there are a lot of people where I live.”

“There are a lot of people too here,” Jinyoung stated.

“It’s different,” the stranger said. “People here will just let me be. Where I live, people ask questions,” the stranger suddenly sounded mad. “They ask questions I don’t want to answer. They also force me to do things. They say that it’s for my own good. But how can it be good, answering questions and doing things I don’t want?”

Jinyoung took the stranger’s words as rhetorical, so he said nothing.  There was some good seconds of silence. Jinyoung thought of leaving and sit somewhere else, but then the stranger said,

“I’m Chansik,” he didn’t sound mad anymore. He was smiling to Jinyoung. “What’s your name?”

“Jinyoung,” he answered. “Call me Jinyoung.”

Before the stranger—Chansik—got the chance to say anything else, Jinyoung fished out his phone again and found a message from Sunwoo.

From: Sunwoo

Message:

I can’t leave him. I promise he won’t take long.

Jinyoung rolled his eyes.

From: Jinyoung

Message:

Come quick. A weird bloke keeps talking to me.

Jinyoung put his phone back to his pocket. He glanced at Chansik. The other male was staring at the floor below where they were at, swinging his legs back and forth like a little kid. He’s quite good looking, Jinyoung mentally admit.

“I like fireflies,” Chansik suddenly said.

Jinyoung frowned at the sudden random topic.

“Do you like fireflies too?”

“They are pretty, but,” Jinyoung shrugged. “Not really.”

“I like fireflies so much,” Chansik stared at the empty space in front of him. His gaze was far away, dreamy and longing—as if he was not entirely there. “They shine brightly and they can guide lost people. But they can also make those who are already on track become lost.”

“That’s…” Jinyoung didn’t really know what to say. Chansik’s eyes had somehow sent shivers down his spine. “Cool.”

“I know right?” Chansik looked at Jinyoung and smiled. “Have you ever heard the myth about fireflies?”

Jinyoung wanted to say yes so Chansik wouldn’t tell him a story he didn’t want to hear, but he knew nothing about fireflies. So just to play safe, he shook his head.

“Ancient people say that fireflies are the nails of dead people,” Chansik said. “After people die, their souls become tiny fireflies.”

“Oh,” this was news for Jinyoung. “That’s kind of creepy.”

“What creepy? That’s awesome!” Chansik exclaimed.

Jinyoung forced out a smile. He then felt a vibration from his jeans pocket. He took his phone out, seeing a new message.

From: Sunwoo

Message:

Just ignore him. I’ll be there fast. Junghwan’s awake, taking a shower now.

Quickly, Jinyoung sent him a reply.

From: Jinyoung

Message:

I hate you.

A reply was delivered to Jinyoung’s phone in mere two seconds.

From: Sunwoo.

Message:

I love you too.

Then another message from the same person popped up.

But I love Junghwan more lol.

Jinyoung only rolled his eyes. He decided not to reply to the text and just wait while hoping that the two would not take too long. He hadn’t eaten anything that day—they were going out to eat, after all. He could die of starvation in any seconds then.

“My mother died two years ago,” Chansik’d once again made Jinyoung startled.

“What?”

Chansik turned his head to look at Jinyoung, and repeated, “My mother. She died two years ago.”

“Oh,” Jinyoung said softly. “I’m sorry.”

Chansik chuckled. “It’s okay, it’s not your fault.”

Jinyoung gave Chansik a weird look. He wasn’t apologizing, after all.

“It’s mine,” Chansik said.

The fox like guy frowned. “Your what?”

“My fault. My mother died because of me.”

Jinyoung blinked in confusion. His mind was trying to find a rational reason why a stranger told him this kind of information—and failed.

Jinyoung had to admit, he was goose-bumpy. This odd guy, dressed in pajama in the middle of a mall, told him a myth about fireflies and the soul of dead people, and the death of his mother. And the thing that scared him the most was that Chansik didn’t seem like he was sad, guilty or something like that. It was the smile on Chansik’s lips that scared Jinyoung the most. Like, why? Who was this guy? Why did he tell this? Why to him? Why did he seem happy when he was telling about his mother’s death?

“What do you mean?” Jinyoung couldn’t hold himself back not to ask.

Chansik’s smile grew wider. “I like fireflies. From one person’s death, there will be twenty tiny fireflies. Isn’t that cool?”

Jinyoung froze on his spot. Now everything made sense to him. It was clearer then.

“My little brother almost died because of me too,” Chansik added. “Too bad my father found out just in time.”

Jinyoung didn’t want to listen about it any further. None of these was his business. He grabbed his bag of books and stood up. “I have to go now. My friend is coming.”

“Oh, leaving already?”

Jinyoung didn’t miss the slight disappointment in Chansik’s voice.

“Yeah,” Jinyoung said. “Sorry.”

Chansik sighed. “It’s alright. People always leave,” he smiled a little. “Bye.”

“Bye.”

Jinyoung was glad he could finally leave. But, just when he started walking, Chansik called his name, “Jinyoung.”

Jinyoung turned his head. He saw a smile grew on Chansik lips. The smile was sweet yet somehow disturbing. Then, in his innocent voice, Chansik said,

“Thank you for chatting with me. It’s nice to be able to talk to someone outside the asylum.”

/

i’m high.

i don’t know why i like creepy chansik so much.

i’m sorry i took so long to update.

i was, uh,

distracted?

the myth about fireflies told in this fic

is a myth i heard when i was a kid.

i was afraid of fireflies because

they reminded me of death.

but they are very pretty—

why should i be afraid of pretty things?

well, thank you for reading (:

i’d love to hear your comments ((: