The Killer

Black Plumerias

Kyungsoo is walking down the nice little garden behind Baekhyun’s house when he finds a pretty plumeria. Kyungsoo reaches towards it to caress the soft flower. The moment he touches it, the white flower suddenly disappears and instead, he finds Su-Ah, the girl who died last night, kneeling in place of the flower in front of him. She’s in the same clothes and wears the same bruises. She stares at Kyungsoo and slowly looks down, making Kyungsoo follow her gaze to her stomach.

 

Kyungsoo lets out a cry and drops his extended arm. A bloodied knife falls from his hand.

 

“Why?” the girl stares at him with betrayal written all over her face. “Why?”

Kyungsoo shuts his eyes, shaking his head in shock. When he opens his eyes again, he finds the plumeria in his hand with no sight of the young girl anywhere.

The flower in his hand is now stained in blood, his hands filled with the red substance.

He feels something sharp on his cheek, and the next thing he knows, he’s gasping for air. A hand reaches to his back and rubs to calm him down.

“Thanks, Jongd-,“ he stops and blinks as he looks at the person who helped him.

“Bae-baekhyun,” Kyungsoo manages to say in slight surprise.

The reaper looks away, “You interrupted my sleep.”

“I see. I’m sorry, I didn’t realize the walls were so thin. I’ll be careful,” Kyungsoo says airily, after managing to calm himself down, realizing it was all just a dream.

Baekhyun doesn’t say anything for a few seconds, which was painfully awkward, considering the time and place.

“Did you dream about the girl from yesterday?”

Kyungsoo looks up in surprise yet again. “How’d you know?”

The reaper shrugs, “You were calling her name in your sleep.”

After silence from Kyungsoo, he continues, “It’s not weird to have dreams in the afterlife. Especially after seeing something… intense. So, don’t go thinking you’re special.”

The indignant look on Baekhyun now just looks like he’s trying too hard not to reveal himself. If this is the reaper’s way of consoling him, Kyungsoo thinks he should play along so he just nods.

“What did you dream about anyway?” Baekhyun asks as he turns to switch the light on.

Kyungsoo recalls the dream as shortly as possible, still a little unnerved by it. Baekhyun listens thoughtfully as he takes a seat in the chair beside Kyungsoo’s bed, much to Kyungsoo’s surprise. He didn’t think the reaper would care about a silly little dream so much.

“The plumerias’ signify new life. So, it’s fitting. The bloodied plumerias’ probably only iterate the violent nature of this new life. There’s not much into it,” he gets up to leave before turning back just before touching the door, “There is nothing you could have done to save the girl’s life.”

There weren’t any other dreams when Kyungsoo went back to sleep, so he could get some well-deserved rest. The next morning, Jongdae brings him coffee, excited for Kyungsoo to try it.

“It’s the first time I made coffee! I hope you like it!” he beams as he hands Kyungsoo the cup.

The angel’s excitement is kinda infectious, even for Kyungsoo. He lets out a lopsided smile as he takes the cup and sips from it. It’s really sweet. The coffee. 
Jongdae looks at him expectantly. “Well?”

Kyungsoo likes his coffee a little more bitter than sweet. But he doesn’t know if he wants to see the angel lose his smile over something so irrelevant. So, he smiles back. “It’s perfect.”

Jongdae beams and takes a sit opposite Kyungsoo. “How’d you sleep last night after Baekhyun left?”

Kyungsoo looks up at him from his coffee in surprise. Jongdae chuckles, “I heard you in your sleep. But Baekhyun was already on his way to your room, so I let it be. You both need some time together.”

Kyungsoo nods, knowing that whether they can be friends or not, Baekhyun and he must learn to get along if they want to work together. He replays last night’s events to Jongdae, including everything Baekhyun said to him.

“Dreams are foretelling. Especially when you’re not human. Baekhyun was probably trying to analyze if there’s any important information,” Jongdae explains after Kyungsoo finishes his story.

No wonder Baekhyun paid so much attention, Kyungsoo muses. He doesn’t know if he’s disappointed learning that Baekhyun only cared about the dream and not himself.

“He doesn’t want you to blame yourself. I didn’t realize he cares about you already,” Jongdae says, looking towards Baekhyun’s room. Kyungsoo follows his gaze thoughtfully.

There is nothing you could have done to save the girl’s life.

Baekhyun wasn’t trying to insult him. He was trying to reassure him.

Maybe the reaper did care after all.

But why does Kyungsoo care whether the reaper does? He doesn’t like him. Maybe the human in him is craving affection from the only two people in his life.

It’s weird how you only crave something when you lose it. He didn’t care when his family and friends showed much more affection. He couldn’t bring himself to. He took it for granted without meaning to.

 

The best part about being dead, if you ask Kyungsoo, is the time. One could argue it’s the worst part, but maybe it’s because Kyungsoo hasn’t been dead for long yet, he thinks it’s the one thing he likes the most.

He’s not growing older anymore. He’s not in a never-ending race not knowing where it finishes anymore. And it doesn’t suffocate him anymore.

The more he lived, the more he felt as if the air around him turned into water. It was heavy, always pulling him down with the very many insignificant respects of life.

And now, it feels like the water has finally let him go. Stopped dragging him down and the air is rushing back into his every aspect.

And it may sound silly. Just the fact that he doesn’t grow old anymore can give him such freedom. But it’s like when you know the ending to a book you are reading. Even if you know the read would be good, you just can’t give your heart and soul into it. Or maybe it’s just him. No one else seems to have the same issue.

Or so he thought until he sees the subject of Baekhyun’s next soul collection.

It was a man around mid-40’s. He seemed fairly harmless in the beginning. With his unassuming clothes and an average face, he seemed like just any other delivery man. Kyungsoo first thought the subject to be the victim. The 20 something-year-old man, dressed like he was unemployed and lived in an area he was sure would never pass the minimum standards of living.

But it soon became evident that the subject is the delivery man. The young man turned out to be a police officer undercover to catch the serial killer delivery man. The conversation between the officer and the killer had been an interesting one.

“Why do you kill these people?” the police asks now, holding a gun towards the killer.

The killer scoffs, “Kill? I’m freeing them! I’m giving them freedom from their pathetic life! So that they don’t have to keep suffering!”

The police tighten his grip on the gun as he whispers into his earpiece, “He’s agitated, requesting backup immediately.” He concentrates back on the killer again, “That’s the reason you killed them? All these innocent people?”

“I only freed the ones struggling in life. They deserve a better life, away from this horrible world which treats them so bad,” the man answers, a knife still in his hand. “And you know what? I do too.”

He proceeds to slit his own throat just as the police screams in protest.

Through the whole ordeal, Kyungsoo finds himself unable to move again. And this time, it's not because of the violent nature of the scene, but because of the subject himself.

The last part of the conversation and the one before from the moment they arrived… it was too personal.

Kyungsoo doesn’t understand how someone can think so alike him yet at the same time think so differently.

What Kyungsoo has felt towards his life, the killer had felt towards his victims’ lives.

Kyungsoo watches silently as his soul wakes up and rejects watching his funeral. This time though, his soul doesn’t shine bright blue after drinking the liquid. It turns red.

“That means he doesn’t directly go to his next life. He has a punishment awaiting,” Jongdae explains like he’s already guessed Kyungsoo’s questioning look.

Kyungsoo nods in appreciation as Baekhyun approaches them.

“Well well well, isn’t that an interesting event!” Baekhyun exclaims in mock surprise and turns towards Kyungsoo, “How does it feel to see another human who has zero regards to life?”

Jongdae makes a disapproving sound as he looks at Baekhyun. “Baekhyun, please don’t.”

Baekhyun shrugs innocently. “Hey, I’m just curious.”

Kyungsoo stares at the ground as the trio walks back. “I may think that life is overrated but I’d never try to take something from someone which isn’t mine.”

“We know, Kyungsoo,” Jongdae smiles at him softly. Kyungsoo finds a hand on his back, patting lightly and he appreciates the kind gesture from the angel a lot more than he would have imagined.

It wasn’t sad. It should have been. Watching another human die, even if it was a psychotic murderer, should be sad. But it wasn’t for him. And it scares Kyungsoo. 
Isn’t it normal to be sad for someone dying? Even the girl from before – he was sad that she suffered as she was dying. Not that she died itself.

Truth be told, it had always scared Kyungsoo. And he thought he would stop feeling scared for not feeling anything after he died. But seems like that’s not the case. 
Baekhyun and Jongdae left him alone after that. Even after reaching home, they left him alone to think and for that, he is grateful to the angel because he’s sure it’s Jongdae who had stopped Baekhyun from saying anything else.

He doesn’t know how the angel makes the reaper listen but he’s glad that he does. Kyungsoo really needs some sleep now.

Like this story? Give it an Upvote!
Thank you!
Jasni16
I have just started this story and it will also be published on AO3.
Any comments or suggestions are welcome.
If you want to talk to me or know about the updates, please follow me on twitter @jasni1606

Comments

You must be logged in to comment
maryam411 #1
Chapter 8: please update..i'll be waiting,the story is so good.
asdfghjkl_asdfghjkl_ #2
Chapter 5: Really liked this update!! Hope Baekhyun come to like kyungsoo and Chen soon!!
Nasyami
#3
Chapter 2: This story sure interesting! can't wait to read more thoughhhh