a/n: Yes, a lot of gang mentions bc Johnny Suh and his story is coming soon T_T

Kyungsoo was different.

He was a man who walked with his eyes on the front, his school uniform buttoned up despite the heat and his necklace with a cross on it fell right where everyone saw it. It seemed like he was a loner and I didn’t have to guess why, Do Kyungsoo moving towards where I told him the classroom was.

Everyone else was still handling the booth, both Kyungsoo and I entering the classroom that was already prepared for new members. He looked around the room, his eyes running over the gray walls of the club room when he turned to me.

“I have been keeping my eye on you and your brother,” he said, honestly. “When I heard the rumors, I wondered if it was just people exaggerating.”

I remained silent, letting him talk. Kyungsoo spoke slowly and steadily; like he had a lot of things in mind and he had so much to say, he preferred to be careful with his words. He stood with his back straight and arms behind his back.

Very prim, very proper.

“Until I see that you changed a bunch of gang members and turned them into one of your people.”

His words made me frown.

“Gang members?” I asked, raising an eyebrow, still not understanding what he was talking about.

“Oh, Byun Bora. You know so little of your members, it’s concerning,” he said softly and I blinked.

“I’ve known them barely a month,” I told him, Kyungsoo nodding as if he understood. I made a mental note to ask the others later what ‘gang members’ meant, Kyungsoo heaving a sigh when there was a sound and Matthew flew in, his airy body flipping in the air.

“Bora! Bora!” he chortled when I saw Kyungsoo pause, his eyes on the spirit. “Oh, we have a visitor.”

Matthew zoomed up to Kyungsoo’s face, the male giving out a grunt as Kyungsoo spoke.

“Boo,” he said simply, Matthew letting out a dramatic gasp. My jaw dropped open when I realized that Kyungsoo could see spirits, Kyungsoo taking a step closer to Matthew as my ghost friend took two steps backwards like he was scared of Kyungsoo. “Now, now. Do not be afraid. What are you?”

“W-What—” Matthew stuttered, still processing the fact that Kyungsoo could see him freely. “What are you?”

“A counter,” Kyungsoo quipped, a hand going to grab his cross. “A special kind. Now tell me, what are you doing here? Should I obliviate you?”

“O-Obliviate—” Matthew’s eyes widened and before I knew it, he had made his way to me, hiding behind my back. Kyungsoo whipped his head around, his eyes falling onto me and Matthew who was using me as a shield when I decided to speak up.

“He’s a friend,” I said, Kyungsoo relaxing slightly.

“A companion ghost?” He asked, Matthew shaking his head from behind me. “You’re not attached to her?”

“No, not at all,” Matthew said, still afraid of the power Kyungsoo may hold.

“Are you attached to an item?” Kyungsoo demanded and I wondered why he was being so aggressive.

“Not that I know of—”

“How about a place? Any memories that bind you to a place?”

“No? I don’t have any memories and I just woke up and grew up as a ghost—Why are you looking at me like that?!” Matthew wailed, Kyungsoo taking quick steps towards Matthew and I as Matthew rushed to the ceiling and floated there to put space between him and Kyungsoo.

“No memories? None at all?” Kyungsoo sounded irked, his eyes furrowing when Matthew nodded, telling him he had no idea at all how he came to be. He had no wishes to fulfill because he had no memory before he had died and his first memory was of him as a ghost child. “There is only one explanation for that.”

Kyungsoo’s words made Matthew’s eyes widen, the ghost finally coming back to the ground and walking to Kyungsoo to demand an answer.

“And what is that?” Matthew asked, curiousity flitting throughout his eyes. My stomach twisted and I knew I didn’t want Kyungsoo to confirm whatever I had also been thinking since the start, Matthew waiting for Kyungsoo’s answer.

“That you’re a miscarrai—”

“Matthew!” I found myself yelling out, Matthew and Kyungsoo jumping at the sudden sound of my voice. “C-Can you call Baekhyun for me? I think I lost my flip phone.”

Matthew’s lack of attention span served as a good purpose, the ghost telling me that it was just a flip phone and that it’s about time I begin to use smartphones like everyone else. It’s not like you’re poor, Matthew grumbled to himself, flying out of the room when Kyungsoo let out a breath.

“You don’t want him to know,” Kyungsoo said mildly and I let out a breath of relief. “You care for the ghost.”

“I grew up in a superstitious family, Kyungsoo. Miscarriages are believed to be a curse from god,” I told him, taking a seat just to find out that my legs have been trembling. “That the gods didn’t want you born.”

“The gods don’t care, Bora.”

“How do you know?”

“I just do,” He told me. “How much do you know of the spiritual world?”

His question struck me and I told him I didn’t know how to measure it, that I was born with this gift but I wasn’t very well versed on the topic. I based all my knowledge on the experience of seeing ghosts and I had helped a few of them ascend but beyond that, there wasn’t much I knew.

“Mhm, you do know you’re a counter?” Kyungsoo asked.

“Matthew mentioned that term before.” I answered back. “He said that it was a term that shaman’s use. ‘Counters’ for those with special gifts, the left side of the spectrum and then ‘Buffers’. Buffers don’t see anything at all and ghosts do not affect them.”

“Not necessarily a term shaman’s use, but a term for the whole system.” Kyungsoo stated. I felt uncomfortable at how he didn’t look away but then I guessed that it was the way he was used in speaking. I felt like Kyungsoo was looking straight into my soul. “But you got that right, Byun Bora. A counter is anyone blessed with the ability to see, or hear, or sense a ghost. Some may say it’s a curse. Tomay-to, tomah-to. Most counters have only one sense, depending on how sensitive they are. Very few are like you and me.”

“Those who are able to both see, hear and sense?” I asked, Kyungsoo nodding. “And how do you know all this?”

Kyungsoo gave me a small smile, raising a hand in the air as if to tell me that we were getting there.

“While people can be counters, not all of them can be mediums or handlers.”

Kyungsoo must have seen my frown, the male standing up to pace around the room as he continued to speak. “Mediums and Handlers are those who are Counters that help the spiritual realm.”

“So, Counters that use their abilities for good?” I asked, Kyungsoo nodding. “What’s the difference between a Medium and Handler?”

“Medium’s, Byun Bora, are people like you. Ghost therapists, we call them. They speak to ghosts and they help them ascend. You have been doing a medium’s job for the longest time, you just didn’t know it. They help ghosts fulfill their last wishes in order to move into the afterlife.” He lowered his head, his hand rubbing the cross. “And every medium usually has a handler friend.”

He let go of the cross, lifting his head up to stare at me.

“A handler comes in when mediums aren’t able to do their job. A handler comes in as the last resort. Handlers handle demons, bad ghosts and ghosts who refuse to ascend and terrorize the living. Handlers are the first connection to the Grim Reapers. Both mediums and handlers are human counters—”

“Grim Reapers? Those exist?” I made a face, Kyungsoo waving a hand in the air to tell me that it wasn’t something I had to know about. “What are you?”

“A handler in training,” he said, pressing his lips together. “While mediums help ghosts ascend, I obliviate them. That’s why ghosts are scared of us.”

Obliviate?

He sniffled, shrugging.

“There is simply no need to obliviate ghosts, Kyungsoo,” I found myself saying. “All ghosts were once humans; all they need is to be directed towards the right path.”

“Oh, you mediums. All so soft hearted,” he mused, taking a step towards me and tilting his head. “Have you ever seen a ghoul, Bora? Do you know the pain they can inflict on the living?”

His smile was strained on my face and as much as I found it creepy, I couldn’t look away.

“I thought so,” Kyungsoo said softly. “So, are you up for it?”

I blinked, not understanding what he was talking about when he clarified the question.

“Are you up for it, Byun Bora?” He asked again. “Are you up to be the medium to my handler?”

“What if I want to be a handler instead?” I asked, Kyungsoo’s eyes sparking up at my words.

“Better not think about being a handler, Byun Bora.” He chuckled, the glint in his eyes still very prominent. “I don’t need that kind of competition.”

We both smiled.

I liked Do Kyungsoo.

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Park Chanyeol had a lot of things in his mind, the male sitting by the swimming pool. The swim meet was over and he lifted his goggles up and placed them on his head. He finally moved up towards his backpack, sitting on the benches when he reached out for an energy drink.

He had been drowning himself in energy drinks for a very long time. He was running on three hours of sleep and a lot of caffeine from the drink. He could feel his heart beat in his ears and Chanyeol chewed on his bottom lip, opening his palms to stare at them while they shook.

But no, he had to train. He had a scholarship to work for.

That was the only way for him to get out of the house without asking for money from his deadbeat father. His family was going through a financial crisis and as much as his father tried to hide the dying business from him, Chanyeol knew very well the amount of debt his family owed to the banks.

It was a matter of time until the law caught up to them.

He wouldn’t be surprised if his father would end up in jail.

Chanyeol moved the liquid in his mouth when his swim team mates told him that it was 5 pm and that it was time for them to leave. He didn’t know why the rule was put up, but it seemed to have been running for a while since the previous swim captain of four batches removed quit.

But Chanyeol was rebellious by nature and he knew that the breaking of the rules wasn’t going to do him much harm, the male finishing the can of energy drink when he reached for another when he found his bag empty.

He frowned.

He was sure he had bought a couple spare, he thought. But then again, he was out of it the couple of days. Chanyeol raised a hand to call over one of his team mates.

“Choi Minho!” He said and Minho looked at him, throwing the towel over his shoulder.

“It’s Minho Sunbae to you,” he said to Chanyeol and both of them smiled at each other. “What do you need, boy?”

“You mind going out to the vending machine to get me another energy drink?” Chanyeol asked, handing Minho his wallet. “I can’t be bothered.”

“Sure. But you sure you want another one? You finished three in one seating,” Minho pointed out and Chanyeol looked to the side to see three empty cans. So, that was where the cans were at, he thought. Why was it that he couldn’t remember?

“Yeah, I need to practice a little bit more. My time isn’t good enough.”

“The scholarship competition is in two months, Chanyeol. Don’t you think you’re pushing yourself too hard?”

“What choice do I have?” Chanyeol asked back, Minho not knowing what to reply to that. The older male grabbed Chanyeol’s wallet and went off to buy him another energy drink. Chanyeol leaned against the wall, closing his eyes as he felt exhaustion wash over him for a second when he could hear a rustle from where the vending machine was that.

“Why are your coins so hard to get?” Minho could be heard grumbling and there was a soft rip—Chanyeol feeling another wave of exhaustion rush through him when a sudden pain cut through his head and he howled, Chanyeol grabbing his temples.

The pain was searing and Chanyeol fell onto the ground, squeezing his eyes shut when suddenly the pain was gone as fast as it had arrived and he fell backwards onto the ground.

“Chanyeol? Dude, what the —Are you okay?” Minho asked and he saw Minho holding his wallet, Chanyeol pushing himself off the ground and getting back to the seat. “What happened?”

“N-Nothing…” He said softly, grabbing the energy drink. “I just felt a sudden headache, that’s all. Nothing to worry about.”

“Didn’t seem like nothing.” Minho sighed. “Anyway, sorry, man. I accidentally ripped this paper thing while trying to take out the coins. But it was battered already so…”

Chanyeol looked at the said material to see that it was a yellow paper that his grandma had given to him when he was young. He reached out to inspect it, Minho looking like he would apologize once again but Chanyeol stopped him.

“Nah, bro. It’s normal. I had this on me for thirteen years, it’s about time,” he told Minho. Minho let out a sigh of relief. “You should go, I’ll see you tomorrow.”

“Alright, stay safe. Don’t let them catch you here,” Minho said, waving at him. Chanyeol nodded absentmindedly, his fingers smoothing over the yellow paper. It had his name on it and a Chinese symbol was painted in red traditional ink. The rip was big enough for it to pull it into two pieces and that was what he did, the male finally having two pieces of the same material when another searing pain could be felt.

Ugh, the energy drinks, he thought when he gripped the yellow material in his hand. The memory of his grandmother flashed through his mind.

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He had been sick for awhile and all Chanyeol could remember from that time was that he was bed ridden and couldn’t sleep. He had nightmares and he could see people everywhere—imaginary friends, he would call them.

Until one day his grandmother came up to him and told him to keep it with him. A bright yellow material with his name on it.

“It’s going to help you live a normal life,” His grandmother said and Chanyeol wondered what that meant, but the kid listened to her anyway. “Humor your old grandmother.”

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But she passed away a few years back and Chanyeol forgot all about the little yellow name tag he had. It was always in his wallet and he always brought it with him.

Chanyeol stared at the ripped material, shaking his head.

As much as it held sentimental value, it was battered beyond repair. Chanyeol crumpled it up and threw it in the trash can, popping his goggles back on before jumping into the swimming pool. He could smell the familiar smell of chlorine and he began to time it in his head.

He was so used of timing it himself, Chanyeol already knowing the beats between each second. His heart hammered against his chest, the male kicking the side of the swimming to push himself forward when he heard a voice.

“Stop!”

Chanyeol emerged from the water, surprised by the voice. The male raised his goggles to run his eyes over the area to see that there was no one and he wondered if it was just his imagination. He put back the goggles, and began to swim once more, his heart twisting in his chest from the help of the energy drink and the intense exercise when a voice yelled out once more.

“STOP!”

Chanyeol gasped; this time, he ripped his goggles off just to be greeted by the same surroundings. The place was empty and he was alone. Was he hallucinating? Was it the lack of sleep? Chanyeol shook his head, a pounding headache beginning to make itself known when there was a flicker of movement and Chanyeol looked up.

A man, sitting on the diving board, staring at him.

“STOP!” The man said and Chanyeol blinked rapidly.

Who was he? Why was he sitting there?

“What—Who are you?” Chanyeol demanded from the bottom of the diving board when suddenly he saw the man lean forward, asking a question as his face lifted up in a very creepy smile.

“You can see me?” The man asked, slowly standing up. “Oh, he can see me….”

And much to Chanyeol’s surprise, the man swooped down, his face rushing towards Chanyeol. Chanyeol could see how white his body was and the swimmer let out a yell, closing his eyes. He felt like he was plunged into cold water.

Silence.

Chanyeol froze, the male slowly opening his eyes just to see that there was no man. But was it even a person? People did not fly down like that. Chanyeol saw that his goggles were floating away and he tried to calm his racing heart, the male finally moving towards it to grab his goggles when he turned to see the man staring at him.

“Get out of the pool!”

The man’s voice echoed through the swimming pool and Chanyeol gasped—this time in fear. He found himself swimming straight for the steps at the side of the pool. The man followed him, Chanyeol running through the side of the pool, ignoring the “Do not run” sign.

“W-Who… Who are you?” Chanyeol managed to yell when the male suddenly appeared in front of him, right where his bag was. Chanyeol skidded to a stop, slipping on the wet floor as he rolled on the ground. His vision blurred and his heart began to race and he found it hard to breathe, Chanyeol clutching the left side of his chest.

The man stood in front of him, this time unsmiling when Chanyeol convulsed.

“It's what happened to me!” The man said and Chanyeol lost consciousness, his world turning black.

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Chanyeol woke up in the hospital, his body on the tough hospital bed as the white walls greeted him. He hated how it smelled and he struggled to remember what happened, the male shooting up just as a person grabbed his shoulder and pressed him back down.

“Chanyeol…” Suho’s voice trailed and Chanyeol reached out to touch Suho’s hand to feel how warm it was, the head of the student council telling him to lay back down. That it was okay. “Park Chanyeol, you almost went into shock. It was the energy drinks—”

“Hyung,” Chanyeol said, gripping Suho’s hand. “There was a guy in the swimming pool. He was there and he jumped down from the diving board and…”

“Chanyeol, you were alone when we found you,” Suho said, his eyebrows knitted into a frown. He was worried for Chanyeol. “There was no one there.”

Chanyeol closed his eyes and leaned back, swallowing his saliva when his eyes flew open at the realization.

“Please don’t call my parents,” he said to Suho, the older male giving out a sigh. “My father can’t know or he’ll make me stop swimming. Promise me you won’t tell my father.”

“Don’t worry. I got you,” Suho said, telling him to rest. “Stay here, I’ll just got a call.”

Suho seemed to be busy and Chanyeol knew it was because he was graduating next year. Chanyeo laid back onto the bed, closing his eyes softly when there was a movement and his eyes opened up to see a doctor staring at him.

The doctor, however, seemed to be wearing an old tattered coat and Chanyeol gave out a grunt of annoyance.

“If you’re going to stand there and stare at me, wouldn’t it be best to just discharge me? I’m fine,” Chanyeol snapped at the man, turning away from him. There was a rustle and the doctor whispered from beside him.

“You see me?”

The whisper was so soft, Chanyeol turning back towards the source of the sound to yell at the doctor once more but there was no one. He quickly sat up; his eyebrows furrowed when he finally scanned the room. No, there was definitely someone there and he didn’t hear the door slam shut.

There was a sound of a little girl and Chanyeol watched as a female walked in, holding a teddy bear. One of her eyes were covered and Chanyeol tilted his head at her when she froze, her eyes going onto him. The teddy bear in her arms were squeezed by her when she slowly walked towards him, her voice echoing throughout the room.

“Hi....” she said sweetly, Chanyeol feeling the air go cold. He refused to answer when she beamed at him. “Oh, he’s one of the special ones.”

And as she said that, she turned to run out the door and what he saw made him gasp.

She had a gunshot at the back of the head and he could clearly see the insides of her brain, Chanyeol reaching out to rub his eyes when once again, he was alone in the room.

Or was he?

“You have to take care of yourself, child,” a voice said, Chanyeol whipping his head towards the voice to see an old man sitting on the chair Suho was sitting. He had a white bushy mustache and his clothes were definitely not from their time. “I feel the pent-up energy from you.”

“Who are you?” Chanyeol demanded when the door opened and Suho walked in, pocketing his phone.

“Who are you talking to?” Suho asked, Chanyeol blinking rapidly when he realized that the man had disappeared. Was he going crazy? What was happening? “I have to bring you home. I filled out your insurance details but if you stay the night, it might not be covered. Let’s go, Chanyeol.”

Chanyeol didn’t need to be told twice, the male jumping off the bed and running out of the room. Suho followed him, Chanyeol feeling the searing headache as Suho asked for a wheelchair. Chanyeol kept his eyes on the ground, Suho finally bringing him to the car and driving him home.

Chanyeol wasn’t one to believe in such things and he believed that it may have been the energy drinks. He sat in Suho’s car, scrolling through his phone as he searched up if too much caffeine can lead to hallucination. Apparently, it could… If you took too much. Chanyeol felt himself relax, telling himself that it was definitely the energy drinks.

Or it could be the lack of sleep.

“I want you to go home and get some rest, Chanyeol. I know the scholarship competition means a lot to you but you have to understand that you won’t be able to compete if you aren’t fit to do so,” Suho was saying, Chanyeol giving out mometary grunts when Suho stopped the car in front of his house. “Stay home if you have to. School is ending this week so I don’t think you have to come to school.”

“Sure,” Chanyeol said, exiting the car. He had his eyes strained on the screen of his phone when he finally found an article saying that the lack of sleep could lead to our minds over working. “That’s right. No wonder.”

He went through the gate of his house, Chanyeol shaking his head when he saw a man walking past his courtyard. Chanyeol frowned when he saw the unfamiliar man. It wasn’t his gardener and it definitely wasn’t one of his servants. The man was wearing what seemed like a knee length dress, his elbows bloody and his face sullen. Chanyeol squinted and much to his surprise, he could hear the clanging of metal.

When he looked onto the ground, he saw that the man had chains on his ankles.

Chanyeol couldn’t tear his eyes away, the man walking straight through a tree.

And that was when Chanyeol ran, his long legs bringing him into his mansion. He could see his father on the phone, yelling out to the people they owed debt to. It would normally bother him, but all Chanyeol wanted was to find some place safe to be.

His bedroom.

He would go to his bedroom and he would go to sleep and when he woke up, it’d be fine.

Chanyeol rushed up the staircase, skidding to a stop in front of his bedroom before loosening his tie. He let out a breath. Finally. Finally, he could rest. He opened the door to his bedroom, the male freezing by the door when he saw a woman on his bed.

He had no idea who she was, but for some reason, she was a little bit too calm.

She sang a song and Chanyeol gulped, the woman turning to him