Author's words: Pay attention to this chapter because it leads on to the rest of the story. (Btw, there's a subliminal message in here... which has nth to do with the fic.)

Playlist: Floods by Fightstar

"You know we don't have all the time in the world to make the floods seemed still."

Chapter 2

Junhyung ran away from the kind pregnant lady who had wanted to offer him an apple but didn’t get the opportunity to. He then stopped in front of a restaurant and panted heavily. He was physically and mentally tired…but even so, the numbers won’t stop appearing. He knew he was the only one who could see them, but why? Suddenly, he noticed a scene nearby. It was an ambulance and its doors were opened, welcoming a stretcher with a person on it. The paramedics were trying to revive the patient by placing an oxygen mask over her face. The patient was apparently having a seizure and he or she wouldn’t stop moving beneath all the thick blankets.

“She’s having an asthma attack! Hurry get her to the hospital!” The paramedics shouted at no one and quickly placed the stretcher with the patient on it into the ambulance. Junhyung could see it clearly. 5 seconds remaining. He was already at the front of the crowd, gawking at the scene in front of him. 4 seconds. ‘She’ll never make it!’ His mind was screaming franticly but his body remained rooted to the ground. 3 seconds. Her body was already becoming limp. 2 seconds. They were about to close the ambulance doors. 1 second left.

And she was gone.

Junhyung’s legs then ran away as fast as they could and brought him home. He couldn’t believe it. He just couldn’t. Finally he figured out what the numbers meant. It was something so special, yet so deadly. To Junhyung, it was more than just special or deadly or whatever you call it, because to him, this newfound gift he had was nothing but depressing.

“Hey, hyung. How come you’re so breathless? A bunch of crazy fans again?” Yoseob smiled at Junhyung who had burst into their dorm and slammed the door shut, turning his back onto it and sighed in relief.

“Uhh… yeah,” Junhyung glanced at Yoseob, or actually the air above Yoseob’s head, and shook his head, trying to rid the numbers he had seen on top of Yoseob’s head from his brain, and quickly stomped into their room.

“By the way, the others went to watch a…” Yoseob’s sentence was cut off by the sound of Junhyung shutting the door close and locking it, “…movie.”

Junhyung knew this was a room he shared with Beast but he didn’t care. He needed some time alone to think. He should have been dead. He should have died. ‘What the hell happened?’ That car almost hit him. But it didn’t. Someone saved him. ‘BUT WHO?’ And how did the numbers start appearing? Apparently, he was the only one who could see it.

Suddenly, a thought clutched his mind and he went in front of the mirror. What he saw gave him another shock.

Junhyung could see these numbers hovering on top of everyone’s head. Everyone’s head except his. He gazed upon his reflection on the mirror and touched the space above his head… nothing.

‘How can there be nothing?’ He thought to himself in frustration and furrowed his eyebrows. How could he not see his own numbers, the very thing that was timing the remaining of his life and the thing that could very well save himself from death…again.

“Why me…” Junhyung mumbled under his breath and sighed while closing his eyes. He wished he hadn’t acquired this power. It was a burden to him, knowing that all his loved ones will die some day. Sure, he had known death was coming sooner or later but back then, he didn’t know when. Now he knew every hour, every minute and every second of a person’s remaining life. But he didn’t bother to count for the exact date, he didn’t want it to leave a bigger impact on him than it already did.

He opened his eyes and took another look into the mirror before turning his back to it, “This is bullsh*t. I know everyone’s death except mine...”

+++

That night, Beast went out to a restaurant they frequently visited for dinner. Everyone was glad Junhyung was in top shape and they apologized for ditching him to go and watch a horror show.

“It was so cool Hyung, there were like a few people trapped in this mansion and they have to do stuff to prove their innocence. It’s like really scary! There’s even a guy who got barbequed alive in a furnace! Oh mannn…” Dongwoon tried telling the story to Junhyung who was too caught up with the numbers surrounding him.

“Hey hey, speaking of barbeque… let’s EAT! Yummy yummy food in my tummy!” Yoseob his lips and rubbed his empty stomach. He had missed the awesome movie to take care of Junhyung and now it’s his turn to enjoy. Junhyung for once got his attention on how excited Yoseob was, rather than the numbers that keep probing his mind. He smiled at the blonde who was bouncing in his seat, waiting for dinner to be served.

But it only took a millisecond for his mind to divert back to the numbers floating on everyone’s head. He looked at Yoseob’s head and can’t help noticing it was a little shorter than the rest. He shook his mind off it…this wasn’t the time to think about ridiculous things.

Suddenly, Junhyung noticed a little girl peeping up at him. Her fingers were grabbing the edge of their table as her large eyes stared at him bewilderedly. He stared back at her and smiled awkwardly, trying to look away and at the same time take a sneak peak back whether she was still there. She didn’t budge, her eyes getting bigger and bigger, the more he looked back at her.

AJ noticed that Junhyung was acting a little awkward, laughing more than usual at Doojoon’s jokes and always glancing at the edge of the table from time to time. While they were eating, Junhyung noticed the little girl wouldn’t leave him alone, so he whispered at the corner of his mouth, thinking barely enough for anyone but her to hear him, “Go back to your mummy little girl…”

“Hmm, did you say something Hyung?” Yoseob took a break from stuffing food into his mouth. He was a little concerned about Junhyung, especially after a rough night of burning fever. Junhyung was acting weird and Yoseob knew it had something to do with the walk he had just now, but he decide to dismiss it, knowing that Junhyung won’t tell him anything yet. ‘He’ll just tell me when he’s ready… so yeah.’ When Junhyung didn’t answer and instead raised an eyebrow, Yoseob took it as a no and continued on eating.

Of course AJ heard it, clearly. He heard the words that Junhyung had whispered a few seconds ago and he knew not to ask Junhyung anything about it. It would just make him even more freaked out.

The little girl stared at Junhyung a few more seconds and then nodded slowly and grinned. She liked him and she would make him hers one day. She left their table silently and then ran around the restaurant as if it was her playground.

‘Sheesh, parents these days… if I had a kid some day, I won’t ever let my kid bother other people.” Junhyung thought as he chewed on his meat thoughtfully. The food was filling his empty stomach and making all the scary thoughts go away. Food was like a cure for him, always cheering him up when he felt down, and always taking away the annoying thoughts that accumulated in his head. Finally, he could eat in peace without that little girl always staring at him in amazement.


To be continued.