Chapter 13.

“I’m going to go to bed now,” Changsun mentioned a little later that evening and I glanced up at him as he stood up from his place on the couch. “Are you too?”

“Uh, yep.” I smiled and turned off the television, before lying down on the couch. I closed my eyes, but soon opened them, Changsun still standing above me with a smile upon his lips. “What?”

“Are you sleeping down here?”

“Well, you don’t exactly have another bed for me to sleep on,” I mentioned, giving a small smile and closing my eyes again.

“What happened to loving the new bed?” he continued and I sighed, sitting back up. It was clear I wouldn’t be able to rest until he was in his bed asleep first.

“I do love it.”

Changsun let out a laugh and folded his arms across his chest. “You are so clueless sometimes Park Yoomi.”

I wanted to tell him the same thing but bit it back, before my sour mood returned. Instead I nodded and pulled a face. Changsun then reached down for my hand, and yanked me behind him up the stairs to the second floor. With his free hand, he pulled back the blankets and then pointed at the spot.

“We’re sharing?” I asked even though I was aware that was what he was insinuating. He let out an exasperated breath and then nodded. Turning out the lights, Changsun went around to the other side of the bed and climbed into it. I remained standing.

“Yoomi, just get in.”

“I don’t know if I should,” I said softly and Changsun coughed back his frustrations at my hesitance. “I mean, I am a girl.”

“Don’t tell me you’re too scared to be next to me all night long,” he asked. I didn’t reply. “Yoomi, it’s not like we’re going to do anything. I don’t want you to freeze, so get in.”

“How can I freeze, I’m dead and cold already,” I muttered but finally got into the bed. I shifted the blankets up to my chin and looked up at the ceiling. For a moment everything was incredibly silent.

“So can we talk?” Changsun suggested loudly and I nodded, relief coursing through me at having something to keep my mind off of sharing a bed with him. “Can I ask you questions?”

“What do you want to know?”

“The truth.” I turned my head to look at him. He was staring out the window so I couldn’t see his face. “I mean, why you’re here. Surely you know why now.”

“I thought you did too,” I pointed out and laughed a little. “I was a bit of a fan of yours.”

“Just a bit?”

I blushed. “Maybe you were someone I thought about everyday then. My parents hated it, but I was a silly girl and didn’t realise just how blind I was being to the entire world.”

I took a deep breath and noticed Changsun was now staring at me.

“I moved to Seoul to be closer to your activities. I saw you in concert; I bought anything to do with you. I was no different than any other A-plus who was addicted to MBLAQ though.” I added the last bit on in hopes it would lessen my ridiculous behaviour. “I discovered by chance a poster of you in a bus stop. I started going there every night after classes, to unwind from my burdens and then go back to my dorm room.”

“Ah, so it was that you saw before you lost your life?” he murmured and I nodded my head.

“I don’t know why I’m here, I just thought of you when it was suggested that I had someone still holding me here on this Earth.” I hadn’t realised I was crying until I stopped talking. Wiping my eyes I let out another weak laugh. “So now this is the part where you tell me I’m crazy and shouldn’t love someone I don’t really know, or follow him everywhere, even in death.”

“Well you are crazy Yoomi,” he told me and I blinked rapidly. I felt his hand touch my cheek and I turned back to gaze at Changsun. “But I like you that way.”

“You.” I couldn’t speak any further, so stunned by his reaction. “What?”

Changsun smiled and inched closer. I resisted the urge to close my eyes this time. I had learnt my lesson from earlier in the day. His thumb rubbed my cheek lightly. “Normally I would run the other way, just so you know now. I don’t like the obsessive behaviour of my fans, but I understand it too, given my nature is much the same when I love someone.”

My mind thought to Jihyun and I couldn’t help but scrunch my face up at the image of the pair together. “Well I guess because I’m not alive, it’s a little harder for you to run from me.”

“You are so stubborn to believe you have something one-sided Yoomi,” he said and I turned my attention back to Changsun. He seemed to wrestle with something inside him. “You intrigue me so much, and I’m unable to understand why.”

I remained silent, though I could feel the tears trying to return.

“Sometimes, I wish you weren’t dead,” he suddenly stated and that was enough for the first tear to roll down my cheek. “Hey, don’t cry.”

“If I wasn’t dead, you’d not even know I exist. For me, I originally thought meeting you now was how fate could give me what I wanted so much when I was alive.”

Changsun frowned. “But now?”

“Now,” I started and looked down at the blankets. “Now I’m wondering when I will be disappearing from your side.”

“I don’t want to think about that,” he told me firmly and looked back at the ceiling. “You’re here for a reason.”

“One day that reason will pass by and I will have to leave,” I reminded him and Changsun moved about irritably.

“What if you’re meant to be here to guide me through my life?”

“Like some guardian angel?” I said, trying not to laugh. I noticed Changsun was being serious. “Don’t you get an angel when you’re born?”

“But maybe because I was having such a hard time, you turned up to show me life isn’t so bad?”

I thought it over. It was plausible. I then looked at the boy in concern. “Was it, really that bad? As a fan I could see you were slowly wearing down, but you haven’t let anyone down.”

“I really can’t get into it, I just want to move forward,” he replied stiffly and then let out a big sigh. He smiled, and I could tell he was trying to forget the direction our conversation had gone. “Yoomi, just for one night I wanted to give you this.”

“Give me what?” I swallowed roughly.

“The ability to let some of your fantasies come to life.” Changsun’s hand slipped under the blanket and found mine, interlacing our fingers together. His hand was warm and I closed my eyes, enjoying the feeling. Changsun scooted closer and I was able to hear his breathing easily, his heart beat racing a little. It soon calmed down to a rhythmic beat and I nestled into his side, smiling to myself.

I was sure I could fall asleep to the sound of his heart.

Constant knocking woke me up and I groaned, lifting my head off my warm pillow. I opened my eyes and looked down, finding that Changsun had shifted and I had been resting across his clothed chest. Gasping at the revelation, I lost my balance and fell out of the bed.

“What just happened?” Changsun mumbled and I pulled myself upright, and listened to the knocking noise again.

“Changsun-ah, someone is at the door.”

“Aish, really.” He threw the blankets back with a groan and stomped down the stairs tiredly to the front door. I followed him down to the first floor and looked to see who was at the front door.

“I almost gave up!”

“Noo-Noona, what uh what are you doing here?” Changsun stumbled over his words, wrapping his arms around his upper body despite having his sleeveless hoodie on.

“I figured that if you forgot to get bedding, there would be no food in the house either.” Jihyun stepped inside and brushed passed Changsun who still remained at the door, confused. The woman walked into the kitchen, opened the refrigerator and let out a laugh as she closed it. “My suspicions were right.”

“I don’t really eat in the morning, you should remember that.” Changsun glanced at me awkwardly and then rubbed his bed hair.

“Well you should, it’s the most important meal of the day. Now it’s only a bagel, I was feeling a little Western this morning.” She pulled the contents out of the paper bag, revealing two bagels and two takeaway cups of coffee.

“I’m kind of not really in the mood for company, Jihyun.”

“Is that any way to thank me for helping you last night?” She gave him a wide smile. “It’s just breakfast then you can get on with your schedule.”

Changsun glanced at me and then went over to the bar stool by the kitchen counter top. He sat down and took his food, setting it out in front of him quietly. As Jihyun continued to talk, I noticed Changsun gesturing for me to sit down beside him.

Out of nowhere I heard his voice, though he hadn’t spoken out loud. Listening again, he repeated himself. “Yoomi, come and eat my duplicate in your world.”

“I’d rather starve,” I replied bitterly, stalking off to the bathroom to shower. 

__________

Author's Notes...

I'm so glad its Friday so I could share more fiction with you all! I actually almost posted last night because I want to progress this story to my new parts I've written haha. But I will learn to be patient, much like you all with waiting for each add :) I love the chapter above. It shows that Changsun and Yoomi are getting quite close and that Changsun is struggling with some sort of feelings for Yoomi. Of course, she's too stuck in that whole "I'm dead and therefore he won't like me" stage. I hope you enjoy how that progresses (or get annoyed with her like I have haha!). And speaking of annoyance, hello Jihyun for ruining a perfectly good morning wakeup. As you all assumed, she's an ex and going to be a bit of an issue! I hope you're all well, it's been snowing here which is very early and unexpected. So I will quickly reply to your messages as I have to rug myself up and head out to my ponies to go feed them :)

Replies...

@Kate; haha yes enter the ex indeed. She's cute all over :P

@Rirakuma; She does seem to have that air about her, doesn't she? I wonder how Changsun will handle it. And you're right, poor Yoomi will feel insignificant. Thanks love!

@E_magine; don't worry, some idols have TOO many different names and its hard to keep up! 

@FlyingHigh; yep, not looking good! Thanks!

@vanaja; Soomin is Jihyun's friend. She's here to cause problems as any other good ex character would!

@Maggie; sorry if this is short, want to get to my ponies before it gets colder again. The other night I wrote four chapters (and that glorious favourite chapter of mine) in one day/night. I was pretty amazed because my chapters are all at least 4 pages long, and all of those ones were a few lines short of 5 pages. Guess I had a lot to deliver haha! Yeah I really liked the previous chapter, it sets Yoomi's feelings up well. And things will get awkward, as you can tell, Yoomi is ditching Changsun when in the company of Jihyun. Yes, as you've seen in the above chapter, Changsun IS going through some sort of attachment and internal struggle. He's kind of making himself a bit obvious, but like I mentioned in my notes, Yoomi won't focus on it. How typical of her :P They are very at ease with one another. I guess it has something to do with he's kind of claimed her as his possession. And once something is yours, you hold onto it and enjoy it. At least that's what I've attempted to deliver through Changsun's character till now. Well, things could get a little dangerous if Yoomi messes with Jihyun. I can't say anything more about that yet!!