A/N: Going on hiatus. Will be back soon. Don't know when... but soon!

Chapter 8

Changmin get off the bus and walked the two blocks towards his house. He replayed the earlier conversation he had with Yoochun and wondered if he went crazy or the whole thing was real after all. It was so surreal, kind of creepy actually, but his whole life hadn’t been normal anyway.

So can I trust Yoochun?

Changmin passed some people on his way, and he could see the creepy creatures clinging on their backs, baring their teeths and waving their claws at Changmin. Changmin swallowed and hurried past, wondering why the monsters noticed him more than usual. Could it be because of Yoochun?

It would be kinda nice to have the power to make those monsters go away, Changmin thought.

Changmin stopped at the traffic light and watched cars passed by, thinking it might not be such a bad idea to work with Yoochun. Monster slayer, huh? Changmin smirked, Cool!

The light changed to red and the road cleared up, thus Changmin stepped off the sidewalk and crossed the road.

He did not see the bus coming his way.

Screams were heard and ambulance was called. Yoochun watched from the shadow as the paramedics lifted the blood-bathed boy into the ambulance. He felt Changmin’s pulse faded slowly into nonexistence.

He smiled.

***

Changmin woke up abruptly from a nightmare, sweating and hyperventilating.

Or so he thought, until he looked around and realized he was in a hospital room. It wasn’t a nightmare that he died on an accident. His mother was sleeping on the chair by his bed, head on his lap. The smell of disinfectant made his head spin, and when he reached his hand to touch his head, it was bandaged.

“You’re awake?”

Changmin turned to find his father walking into the room, coffee in hand. He figured Yunho went to the hospital canteen to get coffee so he could stay awake watching over Changmin. Changmin nodded, “What happened?” he asked in low voice, afraid of waking up Jaejoong.

“You got into traffic accident,” Yunho sighed. “What happened, Changmin? It was so unlike you to be careless, especially in something so simple as crossing the road. You almost gave your mother heart attack, you know?”

“I’m sorry.” Changmin sighed, and Yunho waved it off. “I didn’t know what happened. I already looked both ways. The road was empty.”

“Doesn’t matter.” Yunho pecked his forehead and continues, “At least you’re healthy and there was no damage to your brain... or so the CT Scan said. Now go back to sleep, you need to recover soon.”

Changmin nodded and lied back to bed, closing his eyes and drifted to sleep.

***

The next day, Changmin was healthy enough to walk around the hospital. It amazed the doctor he could even get out of bed, let alone walking. Changmin felt very healthy and nothing was wrong except the scar on his forehead that was still bandaged. However, he felt a burning sensation in his right shoulder. The doctor inspected it, but there was nothing wrong with it, so Changmin shrugged it off.

He walked into the bathroom to shower when he accidentally looked at the mirror while pulling his shirt off. He thought he would see monsters on his reflection but it was clear. Changmin stared wide-eyed as, in place of creepy parasites clinging to his back, he found black ornaments curling on his shoulder. He touched the mark and it burned, like a newly made tattoo, but as he inspected the rest of his body, nothing was different.

He ended up staring at his own reflection in awe for too long.

Junsu, Hyukjae, and Donghae visited him at the hospital later that day. They bought flowers and Changmin’s favorite food, telling him how concerned they were but Junsu was more quiet than usual. Hyukjae bought him copies of his notes on the lessons Changmin missed and Donghae, regretting that he is not as smart as his boyfriend, offered to help picking Changmin up from home and drive him to school when he was discharged from the hospital. Changmin laughed and told him he was fine, but Donghae looked very concerned about his well-being that he couldn’t refuse the offer. When the two left earlier than Junsu, they told him to get well soon and come back to school ASAP.

Junsu didn’t say anything.

Changmin could see a black monster sitting on his best friend’s shoulder, although the size was still relatively small, and wondered what was bothering him. “Junsu, are you okay?”

Junsu stared at Changmin for a while, before tears started dripping from his eyes. He pulled Changmin into a tight hug, startling the taller boy. “Don’t scare me like that!” Junsu sobbed. “I was so scared something really bad happened to you, and you will leave me. Don’t you dare leave me, Changmin! You’re my bestest friend!”

Changmin hugged his best friend back. “I’m sorry, Su. I promise I’d be more careful next time. Stop crying, okay?”

Junsu nodded and wiped his tears, but the monster didn’t disappear. “I was mad at you yesterday because Professor Park seemed to favor you over me. I was about to talk to you today, but you just had to get into an accident. I felt really worried, you know!”

Oh, of course that’s what bothering him, Changmin thought. “Junsu, Yoo- I mean, Professor Park is kind of strange, but I don’t think it has anything to do with favoring me. If anything, I would think he hates me for always making me run errands for him.”

“You don’t like him, do you, Changmin?” Junsu stared at Changmin with round, wet, pleading eyes.

Changmin sighed. “He is kind of cute, but he’s not my type, you know that. I like guys like Kyuhyun type more. Really, I have no feelings for Professor Park, okay?”

Junsu nodded. “Promise?”
 

“Promise, Suie.” Changmin smiled.

Junsu smiled and hugged Changmin, the monster on his shoulder reducing in size until it was only a thumb big.

Changmin sighed, things I do for my best friends.