---

 

 

Awkward.

 

That was the only word Taemin could think of at the moment. He and Jongin had been sitting across from each other on his bedroom floor for almost 30 minutes, but the majority of that time was filled with forced small talk and awkward silence. Although their initial meeting was great, being alone with another ghost was something that Taemin was not used to.

 

Jongin’s not a very talkative person, Taemin gathered from the minimal time they spent together. It was hard for him to understand that because he was the complete opposite. Unlike most people, Taemin enjoyed small talk and getting to know people. He’d been well-known in his past life for being a social butterfly, so Jongin’s limited speech was definitely a bit of a culture shock for him.

 

No matter what Taemin asked, Jongin would only answer in short sentences followed by silence. He could tell that Jongin wasn’t doing it to be rude due to him giving answers with a polite smile. It was just how the guy was —obviously not much of a people person.

 

Regardless, Taemin still wanted to break him in. There’s no way this random guy could live with them and continue to be so antisocial. The only problem was thinking of what they should talk about. He didn’t know anything about Jongin, so it was a struggle to think of an interesting topic that would make him open up and feel more comfortable around him.

 

 

“So, uh.... how’d you die?”

 

The bold question was asked by a curious Taemin as he stared expectantly at Jongin with an eager smile on his face. As awkward as the situation was, Taemin was also intrigued to learn about Jongin – someone he could finally relate to about being a ghost and all.

 

Jongin’s hesitation in answering the question caused Taemin to immediately correct himself. “I’m sorry. Was that rude? I don’t know what’s proper ghost etiquette. I’m still learning.”

 

Jongin shrugged nonchalantly. “It’s ok. It’s not rude, I just never gave my death much thought. I don’t often get asked how I died.”

 

“If it’s too personal-”

 

“It’s not.”

 

Taemin quirked am interested brow. Had he finally found a topic Jongin seemed interested enough in to start a conversation?

 

Jongin sighed before replying, “But since you asked.... I was shot.”

 

Taemin’s eyes widened. “You were what?!”

 

Unbeknownst to Taemin, Jongin found his reaction to be quite entertaining. He smirked before answering, “Yep. Right in the chest. Want to see?” Before Taemin could deny, Jongin ed his shirt to reveal the bloody white t-shirt underneath.

 

Taemin felt sick at the sight. He knew if he were alive, he would’ve thrown up right there. He was such a sheltered kid. He barely went outside, watched scary movies, or played violent video games. The fact that he was sitting across from some guy with a bloody chest was gruesome enough for him.

 

Jongin sighed as he went to rebutton up his shirt, “Sorry. Jinki warned me that you’d be a little freaked out by it-”

 

Taemin quickly shook his head, stopping Jongin’s actions. “No, that’s not it. I’ve just never seen that much blood on a person before. Did it...hurt?”

 

“Getting shot?” Taemin nodded before Jongin continued. “Yeah. I mean, I don’t remember much of the pain because the shock quickly took over. However, I do slightly remember the immediate feeling of being shot. It wasn’t pleasant at all.”

 

“That must’ve been horrible. Did it hurt when you...you know?”

 

“When I died?”

 

Taemin nodded. He didn’t want to boldly ask like he did with his last question, but he was curious. He’d never interacted with another ghost. He wondered how many things they had in common.

 

Jongin continued. “No. I felt numb and weightless.” Taemin was pleased with his answer because he’d felt the exact same way when he died.

 

“And,” Taemin continued, “Do you know who shot you? Was it an accident?”

 

Jongin tilted his head to the side in thought. “It was definitely no accident.”

 

“But....why? Why would someone do that to you?”

 

Jongin was about to explain, but decided to summarize it by saying, “I didn’t live a very nice life, and I didn’t surround myself with very nice people.”

 

Didn’t live a very nice life. Taemin pondered on that for a few seconds. What could he mean by that?

 

Taemin took that as a cue to ask another question. “So...why is your chest still bloody if you’ve already passed?”

 

“Hmm?” Jongin asked. Taemin’s questions were very telling of what little he knew about being a ghost.

 

“I mean... I thought when we cross over into the afterlife, our bodies come without injury. Like a fresh start? Am I making any sense?”

 

Jongin answered slowly, “Kind of, but your theory is wrong. When we die, we cross over as is. So whatever clothes we’re wearing, whatever hairstyle we have, whatever state of mind we’re in, and whatever injury our body sustained before crossing over will remain a part of us.”

 

Taemin gasped, “Really? Hmm. No wonder I’m stuck in these ugly pajamas. I could’ve at least died in something more fashionable.”

 

Jongin chuckled lightly in amusement, not knowing if Taemin was joking or being serious. “Hey, at least you didn’t get stuck with a bloody chest.” He abruptly asked, “What about you? How did you die?”

 

Taemin paused. “I.....don’t know.”

 

That threw Jongin in a for a loop. Every ghost he came across remembered how they died. It’s one of the first memories you regain in the afterlife. It’s definitely bizarre to have no recollection at all.

 

“What do you mean you don’t know? Like you have no idea at all?”

 

“I mean, I assume I died by falling down the stairs. That’s where I awakened. But...I don’t know how I fell. Everything before my awakening is a blur.”

 

“Where’s your wound?”

 

“Huh?”

 

“You said you fell down the stairs. There surely must be some kind of injury if you ended up dying.”

 

“Maybe it’s on the back of my head? I woke up facing the ceiling.” Taemin subconsciously brought a hand to the back of his head, touching his scalp before gasping upon feeling something wet. “Omg, what is that? Is that blood?! Please don’t tell me that’s blood!”

 

He brought his hand back in front of his face and nearly lost it upon seeing his bloody fingertips. However, as soon as he laid eyes on it, the blood slowly faded away and disappeared, leaving his fingertips clean again.

 

Jongin looked on in confusion. “You didn’t know that was back there?”

 

And that’s when Taemin actually lost it.

 

“Well, I can’t see the back of my head! And my hair covers it, so I don’t think Jinki or Minho could see it to tell me. Ugh, I feel so gross!”

 

Taemin felt like his skin was crawling. He felt so uncomfortable knowing that there was a gash in the back of his head. He already hated the sight of blood, but the fact that he had blood permanently on his body was almost unbearable.

 

Jongin couldn’t help but grin at how squeamish Taemin was. He never had friends like this in his past life. “You shouldn’t freak out about it. It’s a part of you now. It tells your story. It’s not something to be ashamed of.”

 

Taemin scoffed. “Yeah, well what’s the point of it being a part of my story if I don’t even know what my story is.”

 

Jongin placed a comforting hand and Taemin’s shoulder, nearly causing Taemin to jump because he still wasn’t used to having physical contact with people.

 

Jongin spoke, “And I’ll help you figure that out.”

 

“But how?”

 

“We’ll figure it out in due time. But first, let’s start from the basics.”

 

Taemin perked up in excitement, ready to learn how to be a ghost. “Ok, what’s the basics?”

 

“Simple. Teleportation, or manifestation. It’s one of the easiest things a ghost can learn, and it’s one of the very first things spirits can catch onto without even trying.”

 

“Wow, I must really be an idiot then.”

 

“Don’t think like that. Most ghosts I’ve met died in places where there were many spirits walking around already. For example, the hospital. So, when they awakened, there were people around to help them. However, you awakened in your own home without anyone to jumpstart you into the afterlife.”

 

“Yeah, but it still that I can’t even catch on to the simplest thing ghosts can do.”

 

“Well, that’s why I’m here. For some odd reason, your friend, Jinki, trusts me to help you learn what I know, so no matter how hard it may be, I’m not going to give up on you. I gave him my word.”

 

Taemin nearly smiled. It felt nice to have someone be there for him. He knew Jinki and Minho would have his back regardless, and he wasn’t too sure about Jonghyun, but Jongin was someone he could actually count on to physically be there when needed.

 

“Thank you,” Taemin said in a whisper. “Thanks for doing this.”

 

Jongin smiled then decided to stop wasting time. He stood up, and Taemin quickly followed. “Alright, manifestation. Now to do this, you must be able to have an accurate picture of a place in your mind. You have no idea how easy it is to think of one place but end up in another.”

 

“So, you want me to picture a place. Like where?”

 

“Anywhere. Since you’re a beginner, let’s start small. Think of a place in the house. Anywhere you want to go. Take both of us there.”

 

Taemin’s brows raised. “Both of us? I don’t even know if I can take myself. But both of us?”

 

“It’s easy, remember?” Jongin said to give Taemin the confidence. “It’s just like doing it yourself. All you have to do is have some kind of contact with me before doing so. You could grab my shirt, my arm, my foot, whatever.”

 

Taemin snickered at the thought of holding onto his foot. But he quickly whined as another thought came to mind. “But what if I do it wrong and you only come back with one hand or something?”

 

Jongin stuttered, not knowing how to answer a question like that, “What? That’s not going to happen. I know we just met but put a little trust in me.”

 

Taemin took a deep breath, nodding his head deciding that it was time to get on with it. He was so anxious. What if he really was an idiot? What if he was incapable of doing the simplest thing ghosts could do? What if he somehow managed to get lost in time?

 

Jongin sensed Taemin’s worries. Call it ghost intuition or whatever, but it was always something he was capable of doing.

 

Against his better judgement, Jongin reached out a hand and grabbed Taemin’s, holding it tightly as Taemin’s tense body began to relax. “Is that better?”

 

Taemin didn’t know what to say. He was still stuck on the fact that he was actually holding someone’s hand. It wasn’t a dream, but a reality.

 

Jongin brought him out of his thoughts again with his encouraging words. “You can do this. It’s easy.”

 

This stranger believed in him. So maybe he should start believing in himself.

 

He gave a nod before closing his eyes, thinking of the first place that came to mind, being the kitchen. Maybe it was because he wished he could eat again. He missed his mom’s cooking. He missed eating junk food and being yelled at by his dad to eat healthier. He missed the bonding time he and his brother would have while making weird pizzas together. He missed the family gatherings on holidays when his aunts, uncles, cousins, and grandparents would come over to make a feast.

 

Those were the good days.

 

After a few moments, he slowly opened his eyes, letting out a gasp when he looked around at the different scenery. He was no longer in his bedroom. There they both stood in the center of the kitchen, and Taemin couldn’t believe it.

 

He detached his hand from Jongin’s to clap his own hands in excitement, jumping up and down as he shouted, “Holy , I did it! I can’t believe it! I did it! Omg omg omg omg omg! Jinki’s not going to believe this!” And at that moment, another lightbulb in the living room burst. Another casualty of Taemin’s.

 

He cringed at the sound, yet again reminding himself that he didn’t have control over his emotions yet. And poor little Jinki would have to buy yet another lightbulb.

 

“Good job,” said Jongin said as he watched Taemin proudly.

 

“I can’t believe I just did that. Me! Like what?!”

 

“Yep. It was all you. It was easy, right?”

 

“Very! Wow, Jinki should’ve picked you up at the hospital a long time ago.”

 

Jongin smiled slightly before saying, “Now, let’s try again.”

 

“Again?” Taemin asked nervously as he came down from his high. What if his first attempt was just good luck? What if he’s not able to do it again?

 

Jongin nodded. “Practice makes perfect, right?”

 

Throwing his thoughts aside, Taemin nodded and decided to grab Jongin’s wrist this time. He closed his eyes and thought of another place in the house - a place he knew all too well. It was a place where he and his brother spent most of their days playing video games. He opened his eyes to see that they were now in the basement, or what used to be the basement.

 

He unhooked his hand from Jongin’s wrist to gaze around in amazement. “Wow, they really did a lot with the place.”

 

“Where are we?”

 

“In the basement. Well, it’s Minho’s room now, I guess. My brother and I used to have so much fun down here. It’s so weird to see it looking like this.”

 

“There’s a lot of room in here.”

 

Taemin nodded. “We used to play hide and seek for hours down here. Ah, good times. This is weird. Now I feel like I’m invading Minho’s space.”

 

Jongin said as he held out his hand, “Well, let’s try it again. I think you’re getting the hang of this.”

 

“Ok!” Taemin quickly grabbed Jongin’s wrist again and closed his eyes as he thought of the one place he yearned to go.

 

With this newfound confidence, there should be no problem this time. Third times the charm, as the saying goes.

 

He waited to open his eyes, listening to his surroundings and hoping his mind wouldn’t play tricks on him, but the slight sound of passing cars seemed promising. He smiled cheerfully before opening his eyes, ready to congratulate himself for another job well-done. However, he quickly frowned upon meeting the sight of the closed door in front of him. This wasn’t what he pictured.

 

He breathed heavily as his eyes began to water. He felt like a failure. What was he thinking? Did he really think he could just get out of this house that easily?

 

Jongin glanced over at Taemin, taking in his depleted look. While doing so, he was surprised to see that around them, the wallpaper simultaneously began to peel as Taemin became more upset.

 

Jongin whispered gently, “What’s wrong? Is this not the place you thought of?”

 

“No!” Taemin whined as he wiped away a few escaped tears on his cheeks. “This is not where I wanted to go.”

 

“Where did you want to end up?”

 

He motioned to the door in frustration. “Outside. I pictured the front porch in my mind, but it didn’t work. I’m so stupid. Why did I think it would work-”

 

“You’re not stupid, Taemin. Maybe you just need to try again-”

 

Taemin sniffed before saying, “I’ve been trying ever since I died. It hasn’t worked yet, so why did I think it would work now?”

 

Jongin wasn’t sure what to say or do. Where he’s from, men didn’t show emotions. He was raised to bottle everything inside, putting on a tough exterior to prevent himself from looking weak. However, he couldn’t help but feel bad for Taemin. He wished to help him as soon as possible because no matter how tough he claimed to be, he hated seeing other people cry.

 

Jongin answered, “There has to be an explanation. I guess Jinki was right. Maybe the house is trying to hold you in. You said you can’t remember how you died, right?”

 

Taemin nodded as he sniffed and wiped away a few more tears.

 

Jongin continued, “So maybe that’s the problem.”

 

Taemin sniffed again as he calmed down, thankful that there was now someone there to be with him during his breakdowns. “So, how am I supposed to remember how I died? It happened so long ago. Why does it even ing matter?!” Taemin’s frustration was starting to get the best of him.

 

Jongin sighed. “I don’t think it’s just the fact that you died. Maybe something important happened before you died, or even after. The house is trying to tell you something, and I believe it won’t let you leave until you figure it out.”

 

Taemin groaned. “Well, I’m listening!” He turned to the wall shouting, “Anything you have to say?! I’m right here! Tell me!”

 

Taemin felt like he was going insane. Jongin was the second person to tell him the house was trying to tell him something. He was just so fed up at this point. It’s not like he could hold a conversation with a door or something. How was he supposed to know the message the house was trying to send him?

 

Jongin felt really bad for him. He never knew there were spirits out there struggling like this. He just assumed that everyone had everything pretty much figured out in the afterlife. Taemin was proving that theory to be very wrong.

 

However, he wouldn’t give up on him. He’d learned a lot in the amount of time he’d been a ghost, and he was determined to help Taemin the best way he could.

 

“I think I know something that may help.”

 

Taemin quieted and turned to Jongin. “Something like what?”

 

“Well, I’m not sure it’ll work, but this lady I met once said that if a ghost returns to where they died, there’s a way to remember the events that happened before their death.”

 

Taemin was confused. “What? That doesn’t even make sense. How would that even work?”

 

“In the way she described it, our memories lay dormant in the back of our minds. It only takes one word or an object or even a person to cause us to recall memories that we completely forgot about. So, the theory is, if a ghost returns to the place they died, they’ll be able to recall a few important things that were forgotten.”

 

“So, I may be able to see what led up to me falling down the stairs?”

 

Jongin nodded. “Yes, and more importantly, I’m hoping you’ll be able to get away from this house. Maybe whatever you can’t remember is what’s keeping you tied to this house.”

 

Taemin went quiet as he thought to himself. Would this really work? Would remembering his death really allow him the freedom he desires? What was so important about his death anyway? It was only one way to find out.

 

He turned to Jongin before saying. “Ok. Let’s do it. But tomorrow, please? I don’t know why, but I’m already exhausted.”

 

Jongin nodded, “That’s normal. Especially when it’s your first time gaining control over manifesting. It’ll get less tiring as you continue to do it.”

 

“Ok. Well...what do we do now?”

 

“Um, I don’t know.” Jongin still wasn’t sure how to act in his new home.

 

“Race you upstairs!” And before Jongin could respond, Taemin vanished.

 

Jongin looked on with amusement, satisfied that Taemin was committed and trusted him to help.

 

 

—

 

It was the next day at the hospital, and everything seemed to be normal. There were no surprise visits from vampires, and more importantly, no surprise visits from Keun-Suk.

 

The only thing that seemed out of place was Minho.

 

Jinki sat in the cafeteria at their usual table as he waited for Minho to randomly pop up with that contagious grin of his. However, after about ten minutes of waiting, the lone wolf was nowhere in sight, which was quite unusual.

 

Jinki glanced around the cafeteria in confusion, stopping once he looked out the large window to see the person he was looking for. There, Minho sat on a bench in the courtyard of the hospital looking like he was deep in thought.

 

Jinki let out a sigh before getting up and ordering a sandwich, then making his way out of the cafeteria. He exited the hospital, quickly making his way to the courtyard towards the man. He slowed his footsteps as he walked up behind Minho.

 

“Hey,” he said, causing Minho to jump in surprise, grabbing at his chest as his heart began to race.

 

Jinki smiled kindly as he sat next to Minho. “I brought you a sandwich,” he said as he held out the neatly wrapped sandwich.

 

Minho grabbed it gratefully. “Thanks, Jinki.”

 

When Minho sat there instead of ravaging the sandwich as usual, Jinki knew something was wrong. He wasn’t used to this side of Minho.

 

He gently nudged Minho’s shoulder to get his attention. “Is something wrong?”

 

Minho shrugged and quickly tried to change the subject. “It’s nothing. How’s your shift going so far?”

 

But Jinki wasn’t having it.

 

“Minho, I can tell something’s bothering you. You can talk to me.”

 

Minho was quiet for a while, wondering if he should say what’s on his mind. He was worried because he felt like he’d bothered Jinki enough with his problems. But he’d be lying if he said it didn’t feel good to have a friend to talk to. So, he decided to open up.

 

“I just... I miss my family. When I went back to the camper last night, I saw a picture I forgot to bring with me. It was one of me and my sister when we were kids. I was four and she was still a newborn. She was so cute back then.”

 

Minho smiled at the memory before continuing. “I remember trying so hard to be the best big brother ever. I always protected her. I cooked for her, drove her to school when our parents couldn’t take her to drama practice, I even beat up one of her exes for cheating on her. Oh, those were the days,” he smiled fondly as a hoard of memories rushed into his mind.

 

Jinki smiled as well as he noticed the positive shift in Minho’s mood. His sister always seemed to brighten him up.

 

Jinki replied, “I wish I could meet her. You’re always talking of good things about her. She sounds like a mini you.”

 

Minho chuckled. “She is, although she wouldn’t want to admit that.” He sighed as he continued, “Sorry for the mood. It’s just that when I saw that picture, it just made me spiral into my own thoughts.”

 

“What kind of thoughts?”

 

“Sometimes I regret running away. I’ve always been an impulsive guy. Maybe if I would’ve waited it out and learned how to control the wolf, then maybe I’d still be at home right now. Who knows? Maybe I would be married by now with kids. All of that got thrown away because I got bit.”

 

Jinki nodded as he tried to put himself in Minho’s shoes. He could only imagine the frustrations Minho went through after being bitten.

 

“So, what’s stopping you from going back now? It’s a few weeks until the next full moon, so you wouldn’t hurt them.”

 

“But that’s the problem. I have a really close family and we tell each other everything. Keeping this secret would be the hardest thing for me to do. If I went back now, I would be questioned to no end. They wouldn’t believe me if I told them what I am. Also, I just don’t trust myself around them. Who knows? Maybe one day I’d get so angry that even without the moon, I’d transform into a wolf and kill my whole family.”

 

“I don’t think you’d do that, Minho-”

 

“But how do you know? Anything is possible. I never thought I’d be able to kill an innocent person ever in my life, but I did. I’m trying to stop my family from being my next target, especially my baby sister. So, in that case, I have to stay away from them to keep them safe.”

 

Jinki wanted to argue with him, but he also understood where he was coming from. Although he never had siblings, he did have a family before becoming a vampire. He knew just how easy it was to harm a loved one without trying to.

 

Jinki decided to switch the conversation before any unwanted memories came back to haunt him.

 

“Speaking of the full moon,” he said as he shifted comfortably, “the next one is in approximately three weeks, meaning we need to start focusing on you getting more control over your wolf. Maybe then, you’d eventually be able to see your family without worrying about hurting them.”

 

Minho scoffed. “You make it sound like it’s so easy. If it were that easy, I’d still be with my family right now.”

 

Jinki nodded, “I understand that, but in order to make full moons a bit more pleasant for you, it would be wise to have some sense of what you’re doing. Have you met your wolf yet?”

 

Minho looked at Jinki as if he’d grown two heads. “What? What do you mean by met?”

 

“I mean, every werewolf has their own specific wolf that lives within them. Not just figuratively, but physically and mentally.”

 

“And...how do you know this?”

 

“As I’ve told you before, I made a lot of interesting friends throughout my lifetime. Friends from all walks of life that didn’t mind teaching me about themselves. A few of those friends happened to be werewolves. I know quite a bit.”

 

“And these wolf friends have somehow met their wolves too?”

 

Jinki nodded. “Yes, and as a result, they’re able to shift whenever they’d like. Not just on a full moon.”

 

Minho’s eyes widened. “Really? I thought that only pure bloods were capable of doing so.”

 

“That’s true as well, but if you’ve controlled your wolf for long enough and developed a bond with it, the wolf will become obedient and listen to you. It’s kind of like training a dog. Except the dog you’re training is also a part of you.”

 

“But,” Minho said confused about the whole thing. “How am I supposed to meet him?”

 

“Ah, that’s where we’re getting to. Have you ever heard of wolf meditation?”

 

“Wolf meditation?”

 

Jinki nodded. “Yeah. I’ve seen an old buddy of mine do it multiple times. He said it’s like normal meditation, except when you close your eyes, you dig into your subconscious mind to reach the depths of what usually lies dormant. The more detached you are from your wolf, the further back you’d have to search to find him.”

 

Minho frowned. This was a lot to take in on a Friday afternoon. “I’m still a little confused. So, you’re saying if I meditate, I’ll see my wolf in my mind?”

 

“Not just see him. You’ll be able to interact with him. It was explained to me that it’s the most important part of the meditation process. It’s where you come face to face with your wolf. In your case, it’ll be where you’d finally get acquainted with your wolf.”

 

“So, basically I’m supposed to meet him and then what? Give him a belly rub?”

 

Jinki chuckled. “If you could, that would be nice. But seriously, time is winding down and the more control you have over the change, the less likely you are to lose yourself.”

 

Minho nodded. Although meditating did sound quite odd, if it worked for Jinki’s friend, why not try it out himself?

 

“Ok,” Minho said as he nodded to himself. “I’ll do it, but will you help?”

 

Jinki gave a soft smile. “Of course. That’s what I’m here for. I’m not going to let you go through this process alone.”

 

“Great.”

 

A few moments of comfortable silence passed before Minho spoke up again.

 

“On the next full moon,” Minho started as he stared ahead, “Will you be there?”

 

Jinki raised his brows surprised at the question. He’d been so focused on getting Minho prepared for the full moon, that he hadn’t given much thought to what’s going to happen once the full moon comes. Maybe it would be a good idea to be there for the change, at least to see how Minho handles it.

 

“If you want me to.”

 

Minho turned to face Jinki before asking, “Do you want to?”

 

“I’d love to, but only if you’re comfortable with me being there.”

 

Minho sighed. “I just wouldn’t want to hurt you.”

 

“You don’t have to worry about me. I’m a big boy-”

 

“Also,” Minho cut him off as a thought came to mind, “It’ll be embarrassing for me. You see, when I change, I have to get -”

 

Jinki nearly choked, not knowing how to respond, before he quickly spewed, “Ah, don’t worry. I won’t be there for that part. I’ll just be nearby if you need any help. I can hear really well from long distances. Very long distances. I won’t have to be anywhere near you.”

 

Minho found Jinki’s reaction to be quite entertaining. The elder always seemed to be able to hold himself together, so to see him get all flustered over was hilarious. Despite the age difference, Minho could tell there was an heir of innocence when it came to Jinki.

 

“Anyway,” said Jinki as he got himself together, trying not to think of a Minho. “I’ll explain more about wolf meditation when we get back home. Since we’re both off of work tomorrow, I thought it would be a good time to start. The sooner we get you comfortable with your wolf, the better your odds are at controlling it.”

 

Minho nodded. “Whatever you think will help, I’ll do it.”

 

“Ok, good. Now, eat your sandwich before it gets soggy,” Jinki chuckled before walking off to head back inside the hospital.

 

Minho looked on fondly as Jinki walked off, thankful that someone like him existed in his life now.

 

—

 

“You’re being quiet again.” Kibum’s voice brought Jonghyun back to reality.

 

Without fail, Jonghyun found himself back at the bar again thinking about last night’s events. Keun-Suk was proving to be a problem that Jonghyun would not be able to avoid — at least not easily. It was only a matter of time before he would strike again, and Jonghyun surely hoped he’d be prepared for it.

 

He was also mulling over Jinki’s words to him last night. He wants Jonghyun to lighten up on Minho and, especially, Taemin. Jonghyun had no idea what that would entail.

 

First of all, he’d only let Minho in passing. He knew absolutely nothing about the lone wolf, so that already made him weary. However, Jinki vouched for him, so Jonghyun knew that eventually he would have to make an attempt to be cordial with Minho, no matter how much his instincts told him not to trust wolves.

 

Second of all, Taemin was impossible to get along with, at least according to Jonghyun. He viewed Taemin as a moody, bratty, pest of a being. Maybe it was Jonghyun’s own fault that Taemin was so angsty towards him, but he still couldn’t find it in him to believe that Taemin was actually the sweet person Jinki led him to believe. The boy as 20, but easily acted like he was 15, thought Jonghyun.

 

Not to mention, there’s also another ghost in the house now —Jongin. What was Jinki turning their house into, he wondered.

 

But despite his feelings, he knew the only way for his relationship with Jinki to get better was for him to put his pride aside and ‘play nice’ with the ghosts and werewolf. He just had no idea where to start.

 

“Sorry,” said Jonghyun as he forced a polite smile on his face. “I was just-”

 

“Thinking?” Kibum finished his sentence and Jonghyun nodded. “Yeah, you seem to always have something on your mind. Is it something you want to talk about?”

 

Jonghyun quickly shook his head no. “It’s not anything serious. Just a little tired.”

 

Kibum shook his head in fake disappointment as he let out a tsk. “If I remember correctly, I do believe we’re friends now, and friends do tell each other everything, Jonghyun.”

 

Jonghyun smirked before leaning forward to place a hand on the back of Kibum’s hand —which was wiping down the bar top with a wet rag — halting his motion. “I’m fine, Kibum. If it were serious, I would tell you, ok?” And with that, he let go of his hand and sat back in his seat.

 

Kibum awkwardly cleared his throat and nodded as he continued to wipe down the bar top in circular motions. He still wasn’t convinced by Jonghyun’s words, but he didn’t want to push him to tell him something if he wasn’t comfortable. And with him finally confirming that they’re friends, he didn’t want to push the man away so soon.

 

“What about you,” asked Jonghyun, trying to change the subject. “Did you survive your parents last night?”

 

Kibum rolled his eyes at the thought, throwing the rag in a laundry bin under the bar. “Yeah. I always do. My dad just yelled a bit, told me I’m disrespectful, and that I should be lucky I’m not out on the streets. Nothing new.”

 

Jonghyun grimaced. “Sounds horrible.”

 

“It is. But at this point, I’ve zoned out my family’s bull. I’m just ready to move out because I don’t know how much longer I’ll be able to handle it.”

 

“Mmm,” Jonghyun said as he nodded. He wasn’t sure what to say about Kibum’s situation. He just knew it was something that seemed to bother the younger man immensely.

 

He understood though. As soon as he hit 18, he was out of his parents’ house. Hundreds of years later, and he still hated his family, the one he had years before turning into a vampire — an abusive father and a gold digger of a mom. So, he could empathize with Kibum.

 

“What’s your family like,” Kibum asked absentmindedly.

 

For a normal person, answering this question would be no problem. However, Jonghyun wasn’t normal. His answer to this question changed every time depending on who was asking.

 

But this was Kibum — a man with a problematic family of his own, a man with obvious abandonment issues due to past relationships. Should Jonghyun be somewhat truthful and talk about his horrible home life? At least they could relate a little in that case.

 

Or should he give him a fairytale version of some made-up family he used to daydream about? Would that give Kibum hope or make him feel worse about his own situation?

 

Jonghyun decided to do neither and just give a generic answer. “They’re ok. We don’t talk much these days. We’re all busy with our own lives.”

 

This seemed to interest Kibum more than Jonghyun hoped. “You don’t keep in contact with them?”

 

“Here and there. Once every blue moon, I guess.”

 

Kibum frowned, “You don’t miss them?”

 

“We’re not that close.”

 

Kibum nodded, getting the hint that Jonghyun didn’t want to talk about his family. “I see. I wish I could say the same about mine. Talking to them once every blue moon would be a dream. But for now, I’m stuck with them.”

 

“Last night was fun though,” Jonghyun said abruptly in an attempt to change the conversation.

 

He succeeded once Kibum gave a stunned look before smiling. “You really think so?” He surely hoped he didn’t bore Jonghyun so much that he didn’t want to hang out with him again.

 

Jonghyun gave a soft smile back in return before nodding. “I don’t usually go out. I hate crowded places, but I enjoyed your company.”

 

Kibum snickered. “You hate crowded places, but you come here every day.”

 

“But is it crowded now,” Jonghyun asked as he gestured around the near-empty room.

 

“I stand corrected,” said Kibum as he grinned. He continued, “But did you really enjoy our night out?”

 

“You’ve gotta stop doing that,” Jonghyun said with sincerity.

 

“Doing what?”

 

“Being unsure of yourself.”

 

Kibum nearly scoffed. “What makes you think I’m so unsure of myself?”

 

“I’ve just noticed it quite a few times. You’re not boring to be around, Kibum. Actually, you’re quite the opposite. I want you to be able to see that for yourself as well. When I told you we were friends, I meant it.”

 

And Jonghyun really did mean it. They hadn’t known each other for that long, but it was hard not to notice how self-deprecating Kibum was of himself. For whatever odd reason, Jonghyun had an interest in him. So of course, he thought Kibum was the furthest thing from boring. He could see that he was a sweet guy under all of that sass.

 

“Sorry,” said Kibum as he glanced down to avoid eye contact. “I guess I’m still trying to get used to having a friend. I know it probably sounds so childish but going from being alone for most of the time to having a friend again is something I’m not quite used to yet. And I guess it’s just hard for me to believe that anyone would want to be my friend now, especially after everything that happened with my ex.”

 

Here goes this ex again, Jonghyun thought. Whoever this ex was seemed to really make a lasting negative impact on Kibum.

 

He sighed as he leaned on the counter before continuing. “I didn’t used to be this way. I was so confident in myself, and I gave zero s about what anyone had to say about me. Well, I guess I am still like that in some respects. But...I don’t know.... I guess after everything that happened with my ex, my self-esteem took a hit. I....sorry I’m unloading all of this on you so early in the day.”

 

Jonghyun quickly shook his head. “It’s ok. You don’t have to be sorry. You can talk to me about whatever’s bothering you.”

 

Kibum smiled, “Thanks. And the same goes for you, Mr. Mysterious.”

 

Jonghyun rolled his eyes, playfully of course. He knew the conversation would somehow swing right back to himself. It’s not that he didn’t want to tell Kibum about his problems. It’s just that a lot of his problems involved the paranormal, and it would be so easy for him to slip up and say something he didn’t want to be said. He didn’t want to put Kibum in danger.

 

But he also couldn’t refuse the idea of having someone to confide in. That person used to be Jinki, and Jonghyun is still trying to mend that relationship, but sometimes Jinki wasn’t enough. However, he wasn’t ready to open up, at least not now.

 

—

 

“So where exactly did you die again?” Jongin asked a nervous Taemin sitting on his bedroom floor.

 

As promised, Jongin was up bright and early to help Taemin remember his death. Taemin wanted to do this with no one else in the house because he didn’t want to be distracted. He also didn’t want to have anyone there if — and when — he failed, especially Jinki. The older vampire had done so much for him so Taemin just wanted to make him proud.

 

Taemin shrugged as he desperately tried to remember. “I’m guessing it would have to be at the bottom of the stairs. I mean, that’s where I woke up anyway.”

 

Jongin nodded before softly smiling. “Ok. Take us there.”

 

Taemin froze but quickly got up with excitement. He’d been getting more comfortable lately with manifestation, and he owed that to Jongin. Even though he’d failed severely at leaving the house, he wasn’t going to give up. Not with so many people cheering him on. Jinki, Minho, and now Jongin.

 

It felt nice.

 

Taemin walked to Jongin, grabbing his wrist upon meeting him. Jongin said, “Are you ready? Do you still feel tired from yesterday?”

 

Yesterday’s activities surely did take a toll on Taemin. He felt so drained, which Jongin said was normal for a spirit’s first time manifesting. But now, Taemin was more ready than ever.

 

“I’m fine,” he answered before another thought came to mind. “Well, on second thought, I am a little nervous.”

 

“What are you nervous about?”

 

Taemin detached his hand from Jongin’s wrist as he sighed. “Well, you said whatever we’re doing today could reveal things about my death that I didn’t know. What if something’s revealed that I was better off not knowing?”

 

“Ah, so you’re having doubts.” Taemin nodded and Jongin continued. “Whatever you may see, as exciting or disappointing as it may be, it’s what will get you one step closer to leaving this place. It’s whatever this house may be trying to tell you. There’s no way of being 100% certain about anything. I can’t even be sure that this will work, but we’ve got to at least try, right?”

 

Taemin looked down at his hands nervously and nodded again. Jongin was right. He had to at least try. Being doubtful wasn’t going to help anything.

 

“Ok. I’m ready. But....what if it doesn’t work? Where do we go from there?”

 

Jongin hoped Taemin didn’t ask that question because, to be honest, he wasn’t sure where to go from there if it didn’t work. Yes, it was true that he knew a lot more than Taemin about being a ghost. However, he still felt that his own knowledge was very limited. He didn’t know everything. He wasn’t as wise as Jinki — one of the reasons why he was hesitant to say yes to this task in the first place.

 

However, looking at Taemin’s innocent face made Jongin want to help him as best as he could, even if things didn’t always work out. Taemin was beginning to trust him, even if he didn’t trust himself. And that was enough for Jongin to commit to helping Taemin figure himself out.

 

So instead of voicing his insecurities, Jongin said confidently, “If it doesn’t work, we’ll find another way. I don’t give up easily, Taemin, and neither should you.”

 

Satisfied in his answer, Taemin grabbed Jongin’s wrist again, this time feeling a little better about what they’re about to do.

 

Almost effortlessly, Taemin teleported the two of them to the bottom of the staircase.

 

Taemin opened his eyes before smiling. “Damn, I’m getting good at this!”

 

Jongin chuckled, “Yes, you are. I told you it’s easy.”

 

“Yeah, we’ll it’ll be easier if I could go anywhere outside of this house.”

 

“It would, but that’s what we’re going to hopefully get figured out today — with this very spot.”

 

They both looked down at the bottom of the staircase. It was blind to the eye, but when looking at it further, it wasn’t hard to miss the apparent crack in the floor.

 

Taemin absentmindedly touched the back of his head while looking at it. “This must be where it happened. , I must’ve really hit my head hard if I cracked the floor like that.”

 

Just looking at that spot was a little overwhelming for Taemin. This is where it all ended — or began depending on how you look at it. His life ended, but his days living as a spirit began at the very spot they were standing.

 

Jongin brought Taemin out of his thoughts by asking, “Are you ready?”

 

Taemin shrugged. “I don’t know, but I guess we should stop wasting time. What do I need to do?”

 

“Well, there are various ways for this to work. You could place your hands on the spot, and your memories should come rushing back to you. You could also lay in the spot you died. I’ve seen people regain their memories that way as well. Lastly, you could reenact your death.”

 

Taemin raised his brows. “Reenact?”

 

Jongin nodded. “Yeah. Like if you were to trip down the stairs again-”

 

“No,” said Taemin abruptly. “I don’t want to do that. Just...no.”

 

As strong as he wanted to be, there was no way he would be able to put himself through that. Dying really the first time. He didn’t want to do it again, even if it was just ‘re-enacting’ it.

 

Jongin quickly said, “It’s ok. You don’t have to. Um, how about we just start easy first — your hands. Place both of your hands on the crack.”

 

Hesitantly, Taemin kneeled down placing both of his hands on the spot. “Ok. Now what?”

 

“We wait.”

 

“Wait? And how long should it take?”

 

“It doesn’t usually take that long, but you have to concentrate, Taemin. Close your eyes and concentrate. Try your best to remember.”

 

Taemin nodded as he closed his eyes. He was still very much confused on what they were doing, but he had to trust the process.

 

The two ghosts stayed in silence for what felt like an eternity. All Taemin saw was the darkness underneath his eyes. No memories came rushing in and he didn’t feel anything beneath his hands. But he didn’t want to voice his concerns. He wanted to try his best.

 

After what seemed like forever, Jongin broke the silence saying, “Do you see anything?”

 

Taemin shook his head no. “Nothing.”

 

Jongin sighed. “I had a feeling this house wasn’t going to make this easy for us.”

 

Taemin finally opened his eyes before sinking his shoulders in defeat. “Just forget it. I’ll just be stuck in this house-”

 

“We’re not done. There’s still another thing you can do that I think will work. You’ll have to lie down on the spot you died. Exactly how you died,”

 

“Exactly?”

 

“Yeah. Wherever your gash is on the back of your head, that’s where you’ll have to place your head on the crack. It’s a bit more personal than just placing your hands on there.”

 

“And you think this will really work,” asked Taemin in an insecure voice.

 

Jongin nodded. He too wasn’t sure, but he had more faith in this than Taemin doing it with his hands. “Now, lay down slowly.”

 

Taemin felt for the gash in his head, cringing when he felt the liquid. “I think I’ll need a little help. I don’t know if I’ll be able lower myself exactly on the spot.”

 

“I’ll help you.” Jongin kneeled in front of Taemin, gently placing his hand on both of his shoulders. “Are you ready?”

 

Taemin nodded, trying his best to ignore how close they were.

 

“Ok. Close your eyes and keep them closed. This may hurt a little. I’m sorry in advance.”

 

“Wait what-”

 

And before Taemin could finish his sentence, Jongin quickly slammed Taemin’s back down into the floor, making sure his head hit the crack in the floor upon impact.

 

He knew if he told Taemin this was part of the process, the young ghost would’ve said no. The soft and delicate approach wasn’t working, so Taemin’s body needed something to kickstart the process. Jongin only hoped he was right.

 

Taemin was frightened. However, right as he expected to feel the impact of the concrete floor onto the back of his head, nothing came. Instead, he opened his eyes and found himself standing in his bathroom— except it wasn’t how it looks now. It looked like how he remembered it when he was alive. Bright and colorful, the way his mom decorated it because she said Taemin and his brother had poor taste.

 

Taemin smiled a little at the memory before a question came to mind.

 

Why am I here?

 

Where was Jongin? Why was he in the bathroom? Did he time travel? Is he still a ghost or a human?

 

To test the theory, Taemin tried to pick up a toothbrush that was sitting on top of the sink, but it sadly went through his hand. So still a ghost.

 

He was still confused on what this all meant. Jongin hadn’t exactly explained the process well enough.

 

As he still tried to figure things out, he heard a voice and quickly turned toward the bathroom door. He wasn’t sure if he was supposed to hide or say anything, but those thoughts flew out the window once he saw who came into the bathroom.

 

It was himself — dressed in the exact same pajamas, too. He had earphones blasting loud rock music as he began to brush his teeth.

 

“What the hell,” said Taemin as he watched. Was this the past? It seemed like this was the night he died, so maybe this is the memory he was searching for.

 

Taemin looked at himself dancing wildly while brushing his teeth without a care in the world. He became emotional as he saw the joy and light in his former self’s eyes. That’s how he used to be. He was always happy and carefree, something he lacked nowadays.

 

“Hey, brat!”

 

Taemin heard the familiar voice say from the hallway. It was obviously his brother. Oh, how much he missed his brother calling him names, as weird as it sounds.

 

His older brother rushed into the bathroom before ripping the earphones out of Taemin’s ears.

 

“Hey!” Shouted Taemin, mouth full of toothpaste before spitting it out and turning to his brother. “What the hell?!”

 

“You stole my earphones again you little ! How many times do I need to tell you to leave my stuff alone!”

 

Taemin rolled his eyes. “Jeez, calm down. It’s not even that serious. We borrow each other’s things all the time.”

 

“No, you steal things from me all the time-”

 

“I didn’t steal anything! I asked you earlier if I could borrow your earphones and you said yes. Maybe you would remember it if you weren’t stoned out your mind half the time.”

 

It was all starting to come back now. He remembered this fight with his brother the more the scene played out. They always fought over little stupid things, so Taemin didn’t think it was serious. However, it must have been important enough to be stored in his memory before his death. As for why this situation has anything to do with his death, Taemin didn’t know.

 

“Shut the up. Drugs have nothing to do with this. It’s the fact that you’re a damn liar! I never gave you permission to touch my -”

 

“Yes, you did! You know what? Whatever. Here, have your stupid earphones,” he said as he threw them at his brother. “They anyway.”

 

He shoved passed his brother and walked into the hallway.

 

Taemin quickly exited the bathroom as he followed his past self and his brother.

 

Taesun shouted after Taemin. “Yeah, just walk away like the baby you are! You’re probably going to go snitch on me to mom and dad, aren’t you?”

 

Taemin paused walking once he’d reached the staircase. He turned to his brother saying, “No, I’m not. And I’m not a baby! Just leave me alone.”

 

“Just leave me alone,” his brother mocked. “Hey, why don’t you cry for milk while you’re at it. I’m sure mom and dad will bring it to you on a silver platter.”

 

“Dude,” said Taemin getting fed up. He was tired and he needed to wake up early for dance rehearsals in the morning. “Just drop it. You got back the ing earphones, now leave me alone. You sound jealous.”

 

That seemed the tick his brother off. “Jealous?! I’m the farthest from that, lil bro. I just can’t stand mom and dad favoring you over me. You get to do everything you want. You get to choose dancing while I’m being forced to be dad’s handyman.”

 

Taemin scoffed. “Bro, no one’s forcing you to do anything! You just don’t have enough of a backbone to stand up to mom and dad. They tried to convince me to change my major so many times. You know this. But unlike you, I didn’t give in-”

 

“Because it’s easy for you! You’re not the firstborn. I have so much to live up to while you get to skate by and-”

 

Taemin was not able to hear the rest of the sentence because his vision blurred, and everything suddenly faded to black. The next thing he knew, he was back at the bottom of the stairs with Jongin looking over him. He quickly sat up in a panic, unsure on what just happened.

 

Jongin wasted no time calming Taemin down. “Hey, hey, it’s ok. You’re fine. Calm down. Everything’s ok.”

 

Taemin struggled to speak, still shaken up at what had just happened. “W-What was that?”

 

“Your memories. What did you see?”

 

Taemin didn’t even know where to start. “Me....and my brother. We were arguing.”

 

“About what?”

 

“About me stealing his earphones? I don’t know. Things kind of took a turn.”

 

“Were you able to see how you died?”

 

Taemin shook his head slowly as tears pricked his eyes. That was the one reason he even went through all of this, but he was still at square one. Nothing in his memories hinted at his death.

 

“Such a waste of time.”

 

Jongin sat there awkwardly again. Taemin sure did cry a lot. He still wasn’t used to it, but no matter how often he cried, Jongin still couldn’t help feeling bad for the guy. Some type of obstacle seemed to always get in Taemin’s way.

 

“Hey,” said Jongin, “It’s ok.”

 

“No, it’s not,” whined Taemin. “We went through all of that and I still don’t know anything. It’s such a waste-”

 

“But it wasn’t. You said in your memories that it was you and your brother, right?”

 

Taemin nodded, breathing deeply to prevent himself from crying.

 

“And no one else was in the memory?” Taemin shook his head no and Jongin continued. “So maybe your biggest clue is your brother?”

 

Taemin lifted his head, looking at Jongin in confusion. “What are you trying to say?”

 

Jongin quickly defended. “I’m not trying to say anything. I’m just saying that if your memories only focused on you and your brother, maybe he could have the answers to your death. I’m not pointing the finger at anyone. I’m just saying that maybe he’s the key you need to understand what’s going on.”

 

What would Taesun have to do with his death, thought Taemin. Although they fought a lot, Taemin knew Taesun loved him and would never do anything to hurt him.

 

He commented, “Maybe my death is connected to someone Taesun knows. He did have a lot of friends.”

 

“Do you really think that could be the case?”

 

Taemin sighed and shrugged. “I don’t know. It could be anything at this point. I’m too tired to think right now.”

 

Jongin nodded. “Yeah, this is a tiring process. I’m thinking that’s why you were unable to finish seeing your memory. We can try again another time to see if you’re better able to remember more details.”

 

Taemin nodded before saying, “I’m hoping Jinki agrees to invite my brother over. I’ve been trying to convince him, but he’s too worried about something going wrong. But maybe if Taesun’s here in person, it’ll trigger my memories. What do you think?”

 

Jongin shrugged. “It’s worth a try. Do you really think Jinki will agree to it?”

 

“I don’t know,” said Taemin as he stared off into space. “So, does this mean I’m still stuck in this house?”

 

Jongin really didn’t know the answer to that. It’s his first time teaching someone how to be a ghost, so some things are a mystery to him as well. However, wanted to remain hopeful, at least for Taemin. The broken look on his face really bothered Jongin. It made him not want to give up.

 

Jongin replied, “You’ll be free of this place soon. Think of it this way. You got a bit of your memory back. It may not seem like a big deal now, but this is a step in the right direction.”

 

Taemin looked down sniffing before mumbling, “I hope so.”

 

 

—

Flash Forward: 7:56 PM

 

Jinki was walking out of a patient’s room when he heard the commotion.

 

“Hurry! Quickly! He’s unconscious and losing a lot of blood!”

 

“Get, Dr. Lee! Now!”

 

Upon hearing his name, Jinki quickly made his way towards the noise, seeing a patient laid out on a stretcher being rolled his way towards the emergency room.

 

“Dr. Lee!” said one of the nurses wheeling the patient his way. “This patient was just brought in. He seems to have been stabbed and is losing a lot of blood.”

 

As the nurse got closer to him, Jinki was able to get a good look at the man laying on the stretcher.

 

He froze.

 

It was Jonghyun.

 

---

I know. It's been 5ever since I've posted! Trust me when I say I have a notes folder FULL of ideas and plots for this story. Life is just a little hectic right now. But I also don't want to leave this story hanging, so I'm still updating! Something else I also wanted to address. Jinri (or Sulli) gets mentioned in this story a lot later on. She was written into the story before her unfortunate passing. I completely understand if it is uncomfortable for any of you to continue reading due to that. 

For those of you sticking with me, thanks so much! I really hope you enjoyed this chapter. Please leave comments ^.^