[Author's Current Condition]

I need some drama recommendation. Something that has a plot like Signal. Can someone please recommend me?

[Author's Note]

Hi, this is the final chapter. It's a short fanfiction. And I know this is still lacking, especially the exposition of the era I used, because this is the first time, I'm writing something about past eras, so some of you might find it disappointing that I didn't develop a proper idea for this story line. Please do pardon me. Happy reading.

The next morning, JinYoung came to see JaeBum again. Like the day before, he brought a loaf of bread. This time, the monkey wansn’t in sight. JaeBum had eased up on him, telling him about his routines.

“I’ve been putting up literally the same performance for years. The ringmaster kept nagging how I should make something new on daily basis, to keep the crowds coming,” JaeBum explained.

JinYoung’s eyes go wide. “Make things new? On daily basis?”

“Well no,” JaeBum said quickly. “I mean, that’s what he told me to do, but if I do a routine that I did two days ago, no one would notice.” He munched on the bread carefully.

JinYoung stared at JaeBum. “And how long have you been here?” he asked.”

“Since I was ten,” JaeBum glanced up thoughtfully. “I’m twenty one now.”

“But.. why?” JinYoung asked, frowning as he leaned against the cage.

JaeBum opened his mouth for a moment, and then closed it. Then he glared at JinYoung. “You’re doing it again.”

“Doing what?” JinYoung’s eyes were wide, as he had no clue what JaeBum was referring to.

“This. This whole talking thing. And you making me tell you my entire life,” JaeBum said. “You’ve been doing this for the past two days, and you’re doing it again.”

“Well,” JinYoung chuckled and shrugged his shoulders. “I’m pretty good with words, and I’m quite friendly.”

JaeBum nodded, and he stared at JinYoung for a few moments.

JinYoung just looked right back at him. “So are you going to tell me why you’re here?”

JinYoung didn’t expect any answer. And he didn’t get one. JaeBum had turned away, refusing to meet eyes with him.

They kept having small meetings in the mornings over the next few days, until it’s noon and the ringmaster came, and JinYoung left promptly. JaeBum still refused to tell JinYoung why he was here in the first place, but he started telling JinYoung about his adventures in the circus.

“And one time,” JaeBum explained, “when I was eleven at practice, the tiger was so starving that he almost ate the monkey!”

“Did he?” JinYoung asked eagerly.

JaeBum scoffed. “You saw the monkey was still alive a few days ago, didn’t you?” he said. “But he was just so hungry and whining that the ringmaster had to go out for a little and buy raw meat for him before he tore us all to shreds!”

JinYoung chuckled and gazed through the bar doors, his eyes fixated on JaeBum as JaeBum stared back. Then JinYoung asked, wondering.

“Do you have any siblings?”

JaeBum looked uncomfortable at the question at first, but then he’d decided he had opened up to JinYoung enough already, he answered. “Yeah. A sister. Her name’s NaYeon.”

“Why…” JinYoung started, but then realized JaeBum probably wouldn’t be comfortable about such question.

However, JaeBum interrupted him. “Why isn’t she here?” he finished. “She’s always been a favorite of my dad’s. And I’m not. That’s why.”

JinYoung was tempted to ask JaeBum again why he was here. But after three tries, he had given up. So they just stayed there in silence.

JinYoung considered busting JaeBum out, but decided against it. Of course, he wanted to—but he didn’t know what to do with JaeBum after that, and he liked to have a full plan before doing so. Plus, he didn’t even know if JaeBum would want to come out—obviously, JaeBum wasn’t in the best condition, but he seemed content.

He watched the next day as JaeBum ate his soup, he used his power to lift the spoon and help himself being fed. While JaeBum hadn’t done it the first times JinYoung was here, he started a while ago and JinYoung didn’t say anything. But now he did.

“How do you do that?” JinYoung questioned, looking at the floating spoon that just slipped out of his mouth. “How do you make it float?”

“Oh.” JaeBum grabbed the floating spoon and placed it on the cage floor, his head lowered, avoiding JinYoung’s eyes. “I was born like this.”

“I… Born like this?” JinYoung frowned a little. “What do you mean?”

“With this thing I have. I’ve always had power to control things.” JaeBum fiddled his finger, and the bowl floated up. “Before, I couldn’t really manage it, but now I have better control.”

“Is that why you’re here?” From behind the cage, JinYoung cocked his head to indicate the tent. “In the circus?”

JaeBum pointed his finger down, and the bowl was placed again smoothly onto the cage floor. He didn’t catch that JinYoung was staring at him from behind his bars, again. “Yeah,” he answered, gaze fixed on the ground. “I was thrown out of my house by my father.”

“Why?” JinYoung couldn’t help pressing.

He noticed that JaeBum’s eyes cloud with shame as he responded. “He thinks I’m a freak. He found out that I could control things around me when I was four.”

“He called me a monster.” JaeBum chuckled cynically. “And he sent me here. And I know he doesn’t want me, he doesn’t consider me as his child.”

JinYoung remained quiet for a moment, and remembered the first day he had been inside the tent. “Do you want to come out?” he asked.

“Only so I don’t have to do this anymore. My father runs this town, and he gets nearly all the money the circus earns. I don’t want to give him the money.” JaeBum looked at him. “I don’t want to work under my father, JinYoung.”

JinYoung stared back at JaeBum, and he saw tears in JaeBum’s charcoal eyes.

“Can’t you just use your power to bend this metal bars and get out of here?” JinYoung asked JaeBum.

JaeBum shook his head and shrugged. “I can, but I don’t know where I’d go after I escape. If I wait for my father to get me out, I can go back to my old house, and I can get things to help me leave.”

“Oh.” JinYoung played with one of the brass bars. “Can I come in with you?”

JaeBum seemed chary, but when he looks at JinYoung again, he couldn’t help but give in. He nodded, and JinYoung watched in astonishment while JaeBum put his hands on the cage bars. As he furrowed his brows, the bars bends to the sides, creating space big enough for a person to get through.

JinYoung climbed in and sat next to JaeBum. Then he looked around. “This is nice,” he stated. “I mean, it’s not terrible.”

“Yeah? Try living in here,” JaeBum scoffed, but he didn’t seem too offended by JinYoung’s words. He picked up a piece of hay from the cage floor and threw it in the air, and made them float.

JinYoung watched. “Do you ever wish you didn’t have this… ability?”

“Are you kidding, of course I do!” JaeBum shot a look at JinYoung, who was playing with the hay as well. “If I didn’t have it, I wouldn’t be here! I wouldn’t be shunned from my family! My father would love me!”

JinYoung looked at JaeBum for a moment. Then he turned away, words pushing at the tip of his tongue.

JinYoung found that every time JaeBum looked at him, JinYoung feelt like he was being set on fire— of course not, but heat rushed to his cheeks and ran down his body. He found that every time JaeBum touched him or caught his eye, he was enflamed; he tried to push it away, but it was there.

JiMin questioned why they were still in town for so long, but JinYoung told her that they were here for a long vacation. He just wanted to stay with JaeBum, as long as he can, he didn’t want to leave him.

“Your father sounds like a great man,” JaeBum told JinYoung enviously after JinYoung told him about his family.

JinYoung beamed with pride and bowed his head down. “He is,” he agreed. “I want to grow up t