Three
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.
"Imo! Let me help you with that!" Minho hurried the rest of the way down the sidewalk up to their driveway where his aunt was currently carrying way too many full bags of groceries.
"Oh Minho you're home! Yes, thank you" she huffed in relief when Minho relieved her of the heavy bags. Following him inside with the last two bags in her arms they made their way into the kitchen and set the bags down on the table. Glancing to the side he saw his uncle passed out on the couch, along with little Yooguen sleeping on top of his chest.
A pang of guilt took hold in Minho's chest. After deciding to take Minho in, and with another baby already on the way, his uncle decided to get another job. His aunt worked as well, but not as much now that she's got little Yooguen to take care of. Seeing his uncle exhausted like this makes Minho sad.
"Imo, maybe I should get a part time job..."
She was busy putting some boxes of cereal into one of the kitchen cabinets when she smiled at her nephew and said, "lets just take things one step at a time here, ok Minho?"
"But, imo..."
"Honey, I know you're worried about Seung Hyun, but we'll be alright just as we have been this whole time. Your uncle and I both want you to be absolutely ready before you take on too much." during the time she was saying all this, she was busy putting things away.
Minho sighed, he guessed she was right. After all, today was the first day he'd actually gone out to do something productive with his life. Piling it all on so quickly might cause some sort of mental relapse.
"Besides, I want to hear all about your first day!" his aunt said excitedly, causing him to smile, just as she always did.
He pulled out the chair from the dining table and sat down as he began, "Well, it was great actually... I sorta made a friend-"
"You made a friend? Omo that's so great! What's he like? Or she??"
Laughing he held up a hand as if to say 'calm down' "HIS name is Key, well that's a nickname I guess, and he's a bit... eccentric. Dresses his own way, you know? Our first class was together and in my first class-" he stopped short, realizing his rambling and want to tell his aunt all about his first day almost made him slip and tell her about the ghost boy in the window! Minho calm down! What was it about his aunt that made him wanna spill his guts?
"In your first class what??" you could tell the suspense was killing her.
"I uh... we had to take a test and I... did pretty well on it." he lied. His aunt squealed in happiness and he continued to tell her about how Key and him ended up have quite a few classes together and that everything went smoothly.
"This is SO exciting Minho!" his aunt placed her hand on his, now having made her way over to the table and sitting down across from him. Suddenly he saw her begin to tear up, eyes widening Minho placed his other hand on top of hers, sandwiching her small hand in his, "imo?"
She sniffled, "I'm sorry it's just... I don't know, last night it finally hit me that today would be a year since my sister.... well, I just prayed so hard that today would be great for you and..." tears started to roll down her face then.
Minho got up from his chair and walked around, embracing his aunt in a hug who then proceeded to sob softly into his shoulder. They both understood what today meant. It didn't just mean the anniversary of his parent's death. but it marked the day when he finally started to move on with his life. Him and his aunt had both worked very hard for this.
"Thank you imo..." Minho whispered, and the two stayed like that until his aunt was done crying. She pulled away, smiled at him, and said, "go on an change, I'll start dinner now."
Nodding, Minho grabbed the backpack he had set on the floor when they walked into the kitchen, and headed upstairs. After changing into some more comfortable clothes, he took a moment to feel thankful that you customarily didn't ordinarily have homework on the first day of school. Collapsing onto his bed, Minho grabbed the hackey sack that was sitting on the night stand beside the bed, and began throwing it up straight above his face, and then catching it moments before it collided with his nose.
His mind began to wander, thinking about the day.
That was pretty close how I almost told imo about that ghost boy...
Closing his eyes, Minho tried to picture the ghost in his mind. He had worn their school uniform, although his white shirt was untucked, tie loose and no jacket, just the uniform pants and shoes. Minho remembered how his eyes were like beautiful pools of brown, but also how they just looked so, so lost...
Since he was wearing the uniform, I wonder if he might've died in the school..? And perhaps hes tied to it somehow?
Sitting up in his bed Minho shook his head.
Ah Minho, no! You're not going to have ANYTHING to do with ghosts! Not anymore...
With a sigh he laid back down onto the bed. Closing his eyes, Minho began to remember the last time he had gotten involved with a ghost. Actually, it was the first time... and the last.
"Milk, bread, and...eggs and..." Minho reviewed the list his imo had given him when she asked him to run to the store for her for some last minute dinner items. So concentrated on the list that Minho almost didn't see the girl sitting in the middle of the sidewalk! Fumbling quickly, the once highly athletic boy was able to move around her in time. "Excuse me" he said apologetically before continuing walking on his way to the store.
Something that sounded a bit like rushing wind, was all Minho heard before suddenly the girl who he'd just avoided stepping on was right in his face!
"Who are you!? You can see me? How?How?How??"
Oh my god, she's... floating... she's FLOATING! Minho's brain was having trouble processing, so he didn't answer any of her questions, just stared with wide eyes.
"Ok, so you can see me... but can you HEAR ME!?" she shouted loudly in his face, causing him to wince.
"Yes, yes I can hear you!" the pure joy that spread on her face was immense, Minho faltered but quickly took a step back. The girl only moved forward into his personal space again, however.
"Well if you can hear me then answer my questions!" she shouted impatiently. Minho looked around to see if anyone else saw the floating girl shouting at him. But there was no one around.
"I-I don't know! I don't even know how you're doing that!"
"Doing what?" she floated back away from his face a little.
"THAT! Floating! How in world... a-and what do you mean why can I see you... can't... can't everyone?" Minho suddenly gulped, his face becoming pale. Oh no, it's finally happened, the trauma from dieing and losing his parents had finally made him snap. He's gone bonkers.
The girl rolled her eyes, "relax you're not crazy or anything..." she grumbled as if reading his mind. "I'm a ghost... I've never met anyone who can see me before... but here" She stuck her hand out to him and smiled, "I'm Hyori."
Minho had to lift his hand into the air in order to reach and grasp her hand. "Minho..." he said tentatively, "you're Hyori...a...ghost."
She smiled at their hands and murmured, "holy crap... you can touch me too!" her glee was almost giddy and Minho didn't quite understand what she meant, but before he could ask she continued, "I'm guessing even though you can see me, you've never actually met a ghost before."
He nodded.
"Happy to be the first" Hyori said while giggling.
She must be about 14 or so... Minho thought.
"Listen, I've been sitting in the middle of sidewalks, for WEEKS now, just hoping and PRAYING that someone would notice me! But all anybody had done is walk right through me!"
"Walk through you?"
"Right, until now anybody I've ever touched, they just go right through me, like I'm not solid at all! But just now... you shook my hand! I extended it to test the theory that maybe if you could see and hear me, then you could touch me too!"
"Wow..." Minho's head was spinning, he was just trying to process it all. She's a ghost? What? And I can see, hear, and touch her but no one else can? WHAT???
"Listen, I know someone who can explain everything to you, she's a psychic and knows all about this sort of thing."
Minho nodded eagerly, glad to hear that there was someone out there that could help him understand what the hell was going on!
Completely forgetting about his errand for his aunt, Minho followed the ghost girl. He soon figured out that by talking to her on the way there, earned him a lot of strange looks from other people who clearly could not see Hyori there with him. After a while he remained quiet for the rest of the way.
Their destination was a small candle shop in the middle of downtown. Minho and Hyori entered as the sounds of several tiny bells that were connected to the door rang out, signally someone had arrived.
"Welcome!" a women called as she emerged from the back room. She was wearing probably about 1 million bracelets, earnings, other piercings, rings, and necklaces combined. Minho took notice that she looked at Hyori and then to Minho, ignoring her existence. "Are you looking for something specific sir?"
Before he could say anything, Hyori spoke up, "he's with me, Annie. I told you I'd find my own human who could talk to ghosts!'
The troubled look that flashed across Annie's features bothered Minho a bit as she turned to him smiling. "Well, from one psychic to another... welcome" she spread her arms out as if to refer to the entire shop.
Minho shifted on his feet, "well, I'm not really a psychic..."
"He's a newbie. Didn't even know ghosts existed before he met me!" Hyori said proudly.
"Oh, I see! Well, dear, I have information I can give you in the back if you'd like to come see." Annie gestured, swinging her arms in the direction of the room she'd just come out of.
Minho nodded and he felt Hyori rush ahead of him, "I'll come along too!"
There it was again, that trouble look that flashed across her features. Minho felt a knot in his stomach start to form.
"Hyori I think it's best you just let me explain things to him in private..."
The ghost girl crossed her arms across her chest, "he's MY human, I found him so I get to say whether he's talked to in private or not. I'm going in!"
"When did I become your human... " Minho murmured under his breath.
Annie smiled sheepishly at her, "alright then, let's all go, dear, after you..." she gestured. Minho smiled and nodded, walking towards the doorway that was decorated with hanging beads, "I'm Minho by the way..."
"It's very nice to meet you Minho" Annie said as she followed him inside.
The room was filled with candles, all kinds of strange decorations, and two crescent shaped couches forming a circle in the center of the room. "Please, have a seat and we'll get started." she said calmly.
Minho sat down and then looked around the room, "where's Hyori?"
Annie frowned as she took a seat on the opposite couch to face him, "this room is specially designed to keep ghosts out. Hyori can't see or hear anything we do in here."
Her serious tone made his skin crawl, "what-"
Annie held up a hand to interrupt him, "all in do time dear, but first, why don't we try to figure out how you can see ghosts, shall we?"
Minho nodded, and things went on like that for the next several minutes. After a while, they had discovered through her Q&A, that Minho could see ghosts because of the death experience he'd had after the accident. The experience must've somehow given him a connection to the other side. Once they'd figured that out, Annie began to tell him about ghosts. How some were trapped to one specific place, cursed to haunt the place until they resolve their issues, and some just wander the world, trying to find a way out to the afterlife.
"But if it's true that I can see ghosts because I died that day... then why haven't I been able to see my parents?" Minho had been itching to ask this question during her ghost 101 speech.
Giving a sympathetic smile, Annie reached out and placed a gentle hand on Minho's knee, "well dear, it's probably because they've already moved on to a better place, and aren't trapped in this world like some of the other ghosts I've been telling you about..."
Minho nodded somberly.
"Now... about Hyori..."
"What about her?" the fact that Annie kept seeming like she didn't want Hyori around was sort of ticking him off. The only reason he'd let it go along with them sitting in this room in which Hyori could not enter, was because he really wanted answers. But now he just wanted to know what gives? On the way over to the candle shop where Minho and Hyori first met, before he realized he probably shouldn't continue talking with her as not to look clinically insane to other people, Minho had gotten to know Hyori a bit more and thought she was a very nice kid.
"Remember when I told you, that ghosts are here because they have unresolved issues?" Minho nodded and Annie continued, "well, the longer a ghost roams the earth... the more dangerous they become."
The teen gave her a confused look, "dangerous?"
"Yes, the longer a ghost continues to search for their unresolved issues and live in a world where no one else can see or hear them, every ghost slowly starts to become more mad... crazy and very angry." Annie said, her tone becoming very serious as if to make sure Minho knew she was not kidding.
"But, even if that's so... you're not saying that Hyori..." Minho began, and when he saw Annie's facial expression he knew that Annie did indeed think that of Hyori. Clenching his fists Minho felt his irritation grow stronger. "Listen, I talked with Hyori on the way over here, really got to know her better you know? She's not like that, at least not yet. Anyways she said she needs my help so-"
"This is what I was afraid of though, Minho, when I saw you come in with her I knew that she had asked something of you and that in return she would take you to me to have all your questions answered. Listen, dear, you mustn't get involved-"
"YOU said that the ghosts have unresolved issues right? So if I help her, then she can move on before she becomes mad!" the teen stood up, not understanding in the least what Annie had against Hyori and his helping her.
"Minho please... sit down, let me explain..."
"Look, I really appreciate you helping me out, but I think I can handle myself from here." With that, Minho left the room, only to find Hyori pouting in the top right corner of the ceiling. "Hyori" he called, and watched as the ghost girl gasped and flew down to him immediately.
"What happened? I couldn't go inside!"
"Let's just go Hyori, you said you needed help with something, so now its time for me to return the favor." Hyori looked almost relieved for a second there before she hugged Minho tightly and then grabbed his hand, pulling him along out of the store.
"So, where are we going?" he inquired as she pulled in along down the street.
"To the hospital, my sister is there... she's real sick, but I need you to deliver a message for me."
When they arrived at the hospital, Minho followed Hyori to the room she said her sister was staying in. But when they got there, no one was inside. So they went to the front desk, and Hyori gave him the name of her sister to ask the nurse where they had moved her to.
"May I ask who's inquiring?" the nurse said, looking up at him with tired eyes.
"I'm a friend from school and I just wanted to check in on her." Hyori was peaking over his shoulder, glaring at the nurse.
"I'm terribly sorry... but she died a little over a month ago."
"What, no that CAN'T be right, tell her to check again!" Hyori demanded, and Minho bit his lower lip as he asked the nurse Hyori's request.
"I don't need to, sir, I was that girl's nurse for a long, long time, and I was the one who called the death. Again, I'm really sorry. If you like I can give you her grave information."
"Yes that'd be great, thanks."
As the nurse typed away Hyori began flying around in circles crying out, "she's lying! This was always mean to my noona! And she's being mean even now!"
"Let's just go to the grave site and see for ourselves if she's lieing or not..." Minho whispered, trying to calm the ghost down.
"Did you say something?" the nurse asked and after Minho laughed nervously and told her no, the women handed him a piece of paper. He thanked her and then hurried after Hyori who was already flying for the exit.
When they arrived at the local cemetery, Minho looked at the paper the nurse had given him for the plot and headstone number. "It should be right around..."
"Here." Hyori finished for him, already standing in front of the grave. Minho hurried to her side and looked down at the gravestone. Written on there was the name Hyori had given him at the hospital.
"Oh, Hyori... I'm so sorry..." he started to say, but stopped when the wind started to blow really hard. Looking around Minho felt chills and saw the sky start to darken. Only then did he turn to look at Hyori who seemed to have a black smokey aura surrounding her. The teen took a few steps away from her, "H-Hyori...?"
"This can't be true... it's NOT true... this... this is YOUR FAULT!" the ghost suddenly shouted, turning to face Minho. Rocks, dirt, and leaves were swirling around everywhere as the ghost started to approach him. Minho kept walking backwards completely frightened and shocked that he didn't know what else to do. He turned to run, but as soon as he turned around Hyori was there directly in front of him. She reached out and grabbed his neck, her eyes completely black, the pupils, the whites, everything, two black orbs. And it scared Minho. It scared him a lot.
"Hyori!" someone shouted, and both the teen and ghost turned to look at the source. Annie stood there holding a large blue amulet, she held it up high over her head and suddenly began to chant a language that Minho had never heard before. He felt the ghost's hands release his neck, and when he turned to look at her, Hyori was holding her head and crying "No!" she screamed before suddenly... she was gone. In and instant, the sky became clear, the wind stopped blowing, and Hyori was completely and totally... gone.
The teen fell to his knees in complete shock. Annie rushed to his side and placed gentle hands on his shoulders, "are you alright Minho?" He nodded, barely, and he heard Annie sigh with relief.
"I'm sorry hon, but I followed you, somehow I knew something like this would happen." Minho lifted his head to look at the area where Hyori had just been.
"What did you do?"
"I did a spell, I cast her away... I don't know where they go when I do that... I just now they don't come back here to our world."
After that, Annie gave Minho a ride back home, stopping off at the store when he suddenly remembered that he was technically out running and errand right now. The sky was already dark and he thanked Annie a million times over before they reached his house.
The days that followed the incident, Minho was hounded by ghosts wanting his help. And after another visit to Annie, he received an amulet that looked similar to the one she had used against Hyori, except it was golden and much smaller.
"Minho! Dinner!"
Minho opened his eyes, he must've fallen asleep remembering the day he swore he would never get involved with ghosts ever again. That's right, so no matter how much or how curious he was about the boy in the window, he mustn't get involved.
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