One
Disclaimer: SHINee, Jonghyun, Minho, or any of the other ppl I have in this fanfiction do NOT belong to me... -insert very sad expression here- this is simply a story written for fun, and is just what its called: Fiction.
"Dad if you would just talk to him, you'd see-"
"Absolutely not! We've talked about this 1,000 times over already!"
"Dear, maybe we should just hear what the coach has to say... I mean a scholarship is quite a big thing, and we could use the help when it comes time for college-"
"That's enough!"
He winced and looked apologetically at his umma who had just gotten snapped at by his terribly gruff voiced appa. His father then continued to rant on, "If I've said it 1,000 times already then I'll say it for 1,001 times more! No son of mine is going to be a professional soccer player!"
The young teen could feel the anger pooling in his stomach, especially when his father put air quotes around the word 'professional'. "The Choi's have always been, and will always continue to be, business men. And.That.Is.Final."
In this family, if appa said something was final, then it was. No arguments, no retaliations, and no negotiations. The teen crossed his arms across his chest and rested his head against the window, staring at the trees as they passed by while trying to keep his burning eyes from leaking tears down his face. They were in the car on their way home from one of his after school soccer practices.
Just one chance, just one, was all he needed! Then his appa would see just how great of an opportunity this was!
Although he was only a freshman in high school, Choi Minho had already been approached by his soccer coach with a proposition to apply for a full ride scholarship, and a chance to play in front of a few talent scouts. The coach informed him to discuss this with his parents, and then to bring them along when they would meet with the college officials. Minho knew deep down, when given this information, that his father would never approve. But somehow he had a small deep hope that the words "full ride scholarship" would change his mind, or at least make him want more information.
"Isn't it my future? Who the hell in their right mind would want to work at Choi Global any how?" Although this was meant to be an inside thought, it came out as slightly louder than a murmur. Minho realized this instantly when his father began to shout.
"What in the world did you just say!?" The car swerved slightly as his father tried to turn and look at him. As he yelled and carried on about how Minho's great grandfather worked so hard to build Choi Global from the ground up, Minho's mother was yelling for him to calm down and to keep his eyes on the rode.
In that moment just then, everything seemed like it was in slow motion. He could see it all. His appa, red in the face, with a vein or two popping out on his temple, yelling at him. His umma, reaching for the steering wheel while also yelling in both anger and terror. And the car, driving 60 in a 45 zone, and the oncoming car whose lane was invaded by their own. What happened next, must've been so traumatic, that Minho blocked it all out. Because the next thing he remembers, is waking up in the hospital and the Doctors not only telling him that both his parent's didn't survive... but that neither did he.
That's right. For exactly 8 minutes, Choi Minho was dead.
By the miracle of modern medicine today, he was brought back.
Did he care about that though? Of course not. Because there was no room inside Minho to feel lucky, only grief ... and guilt.
When he opened his eyes, the dream of what happened that day swirled around in his head like an angry bee who just wouldn't go away until it stung you. On his alarm clock. one of his favorite songs "Dream Girl" was playing loudly. But not even the up beat song could lift his spirits from the dream he had just had. Taking a deep breath, Minho turned off the alarm and sat up onto the edge of his bed. He didn't even need to look at the calendar before he murmured to himself, "So it's been a year now, huh?" Looking side ways he saw the framed picture of what was once his family, posing at a community BBQ. All smiles. All happy. Now, all gone. He tired to ignore the pain in his chest as he got up and began to get ready for his first day of school.
First day of school meaning, not just of the new school year, but since the accident. Indeed Minho had been pulled from school and left only to grieve and take time to pull together before he tried to start life again. Of course now he was going to be at a completely new school in a completely new city.
After the accident, Minho was sent to live with his umma's sister and her husband. The two were that really nice couple that everyone envy's and wishes they could be more like. Minho was truly grateful to them for when they took him in. Not only were they expecting their own first child when the accident occurred, but now they had jumped quite ahead and adopted themselves a teenager. And Minho hadn't made it any easier on them either. He was full of grief and hated the world for what had happened to him. During those first few months, he was hateful and mood swingy. But they never yelled or got angry, and they never did the annoying overly nice 'it's going to be ok' either. They simply said what they thought was necessary and let him deal with things in his own way. In a word, they were perfect and exactly what Minho needed back during that time.
Once he was all showered and ready to go, all dressed up in his new school uniform with a black backpack swung over his shoulder, Minho headed down stairs in the kitchen where his aunt was giving breakfast to their now almost one year old son, Yooguen. Her smile seemed to light up the room when she spotted him. Clapping her hands together in front of she gasped delightfully and hurried over toward the teen.
"You look so handsome Minho!"
"Thank you, imo" Minho blushed slightly, feeling a bit embarrassed at her gushing over him, but it also made him feel much better then he had when he first woke up. His aunt could make anyone happy, even him.
Her face suddenly turned serious and she cupped her nephew's face in her hands, "if you don't want to go, then just say so Minho... no one will blame you for wanting to stay out a little longer."
Minho smiled and guided her hands away from his face before holding them in his own. "It's time for me to get back into the world... I'm ok now imo... thank you." She smiled and wiped a tear away from her eye that had escaped. It evaded no one that today was the anniversary, Minho knew. Giving his imo a kiss he went over to give Yooguen a big squeeze before grabbing some toast and waving goodbye to his aunt.
He stepped outside and took in a deep breath of fresh air. Luckily it was an incredibly nice day today. Somehow, Minho felt as if his parents were making the clear sky and warm sun just to let him know that they were alright even a year later. As he started walking to school, whistling the song "Dream Girl" which had gotten stuck in his head after hearing it on his alarm clock his morning, he started to sense something... no, someone behind him. Stopping, the teen turned around quickly, coming face to face with an older gentleman.
"Please, you must tell her that I am sorry!" The older man persisted, leaning forward and making the teen take a step back.
With sad eyes Minho shook his head, "I can't help you sir..."
"So it's true! You CAN see me! If so then you must! Please!"
Minho reached into his pocket, giving the older man an apologetic look as he started to pull out the item that laid inside. "I'm sorry, but like I said..." he pulled out an amulet with ancient writing on it and held it up in front of the older man's face, "I can't help you."
At first the older man looked confused, staring at the amulet the teen had pulled out of his pocket. But after only a moment, his eyes widened and he started to shout the word "No" before he suddenly seemed to dissolve into many smaller pieces before he was just gone.
The teen sighed and placed the amulet back into his pocket. "I was hoping to at least make it to school in peace..." he mumbled under his breath before turning back around and continuing walking.
Remember how Minho died for 8 minutes the night of the accident? Well, ever since then, Minho has been able to see spirits. At first they just looked like ordinary people, walking the streets just like every body else. Until one day, while running an errand for his aunt to the store, Minho walked around a young girl sitting in the middle of the street, casually saying "excuse me" in the process. The young girl seemed to stare at him in marvel before she sprung up and was in his face asking a million questions about who he was and why he could see her.... and she was floating.
He never mentioned the incident to his aunt or uncle, and Minho went and sought out a psychic who then gave him the amulet. The amulet is basically a "ghost repellent" for when a ghost is bothering you. After the incident with the young ghost girl, word got around about Minho being able to see them. Pretty soon, the teen found himself being hounded by ghosts on the street begging him to deliver messages for them or do something for them. It all came to be too much, which is when he sought out the psychic. The amulet doesn't hurt the ghosts, it only sends them away to another location, somewhere very far from where Minho was. After word got around that Minho was using the amulet to send away any ghost who approached him, they slowly stopped coming. Still, once in a while he gets the occasional ghost crying in his face for him to help them. It's not that he doesn't want to help them, its just that there are SO many, and if he helps one, then he's going to have to help all of them. And the thing about ghosts, is that the longer they "circle the drain" the more they start to become mad. Ghosts can be very dangerous. Which is why Minho chooses just to not have anything to do with them.
And so, with the older ghost gone, Minho made the rest of his way to school in peace.
'I wonder what else today will have in store for me.'
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