Chapter two

It was in the middle of the night where it was freezing cold and almost fully pitch-black. Luckily, the street lights were working and brightened most part of the sidewalk. The street was not that empty as some popular clubs were located at that area. Some drunkards were seen struggling to move around as they were completely affected by the intoxicated drink.

Junhyung did not really care about those trivial things. He hugged himself, rubbing his arm, hoping it would warm up. He did not realize the weather had gone this cold as he was trapped in the studio for days. The last time he was outdoor, the weather was not this windy and frosty. However, there was no sign of snow, not yet.

Junhyung looked over his shoulder and saw Yoseob who looked like he was also affected by the weather. His ears and nose became red while he kept blowing his both palm, rubbing both of them and the action repeated. Then, Yoseob turned to him as they made another eye contact. The elfin guy instantly showed his cheerful smile. Idiot. Junhyung thought.

Junhyung turned forward, ignoring the younger boy who kept following his steps. Junhyung ears alerted to the sound of their similar steps. Junhyung inertly smiled, thinking how Yoseob never changed. That boy intentionally tried his best to follow his steps although at some point he had to rush to him as Junhyung was faster and had longer steps.

“Hyung,” the smaller guy called gently. “Ilhoonie has changed, isn’t he?” Yoseob turned to Junhyung who was still ignoring him. “But it’s not a bad change. He looks manlier especially when he scolds you earlier,” he chuckled. “It seems like he is the older one now,”

Junhyung still ignored the little guy. However, his mind was screaming, wanting to correct Yoseob words that Ilhoon was not scolding him. Ilhoon was just giving his opinion and as a senior, he accepted it kindly. But, he did not know if it was true that Ilhoon had changed. Well, he did not even remember the colour of his hair earlier, was it grey or purple, definitely not green. He was too busy investigating Yoseob changes which there were none.

“If you can hear me, you most probably will deny it,” the younger boy smiled sweetly and Junhyung could see it from the corner of his eyes. “Telling that you are just accepting his suggestion because you are a nice senior,” the elfin guy laughed at his own words.

Junhyung was amazed by Yoseob accuracy as he smirked, thinking how deep Yoseob knew him. The elfin boy must have been observing his actions to know how he would think and react.  

Junhyung abruptly stopped his steps, causing the smaller guy to clumsily stop his steps too.

“Hyung?” Yoseob blankly questioned the sudden action of Junhyung.

 Junhyung nodded down, kept looking at the dark grey pavement, biting his inner cheek. Of course he would know. Yoseob that was standing right beside him now was his own hallucination created by his brain. What was he thinking? Being surprised and happy that Yoseob could still read him. Being contented that Yoseob still knew him inside out.

His brain must have thought that his stress would reduce if Yoseob was here with him now but his brain was absolutely wrong. He felt frustrated, because he could still think logically that the real Yoseob was long gone from the world. He knew that Yoseob that was with him now was just a replacement and Yoseob could not be replaced, ever.

“Hyung, are you okay? Are you crying?” the soft voice asked, looking at Junhyung with his worried looking eyes.

Drop!

A drop of clear liquid fell, creating a dot of darker colour to the grey pavement. Then, another dot created followed by another. Junhyung noticed the fallen liquid as they came from his own eyes. Yoseob was right, he was crying and it was because of stupid matter.

“Hyung, don’t cry,” Yoseob trembling voice was heard, sounded like he was at the edge of tears.

Shut up, crybaby! Junhyung shouted in his mind. Junhyung was shocked with his own thought. He quickly turned to Yoseob, checking his expression, worried if the sensitive boy heard those words.

Yoseob did not seem affected by it. It seemed like he didn’t heard the insult. Maybe he just didn’t. Maybe his brain had created a protected division for Yoseob so he won’t listen to his inner thought. That seemed like good news. At least he had some privacy from his own hallucination.

Junhyung wiped his tears using the edge of his coat’s arm and continued his stroll. He was an idiot himself, panic over unimportant matter. All he had to do was sleep, a quality one so his brain would not think that he was stress and finally made Yoseob disappeared.

Junhyung looked forward, notice the traffic light. This was where he should cross the road. His brain might be stressed but at least he remembered the road to his own house. He was not that crazy to lose his whole world like some crazy guy in the mental ward. He was just crazy enough to have a dead person walking beside him. Well, that did not sound so serious.

Junhyung turned his sight to the colour of the traffic light and saw the usual red standing figure. It was in the middle of the night, who would use the road, so why would the traffic light showed the red figure. Well, not like the police would send him to the jail if he crossed the road when the traffic light was red.

With that thought, Junhyung crossed the road leisurely.

“Hyung, you should wait for green light,” Junhyung heard Yoseob spoke seriously behind him. It seemed that Yoseob was still waiting for the green light. Pabo Yoseob. He thought as he inertly chuckled.

“Aish,” the younger boy complained, ruffling his own hair. “Hyung, wait!” he shouted as he rushed towards Junhyung.

Junhyung smiled, happy as he heard the running footsteps from his back. As if he had just won a stupid battle with the nerd Yang Yoseob. That geek just broke a rule because of him.

Then, he sensed bright light and fast movement from his side. He quickly turned around and saw a car was speeding towards Yoseob and that elfin was frozen at the middle of road, looking at the fast coming car with his shocked expression.

Junhyung eyes widened. A burden suddenly filled his chest heavily. He could not feel his own breath. He was scared. He was frightened that Yoseob... he did not even dare to think about it.

“Yoseob!” Junhyung shouted heartedly, instantly rushed towards Yoseob.

Junhyung saw that Yoseob quickly turned to him, revealing his stunned facial expression. Junhyung himself was surprise with his reflex response. His body instantaneously tried to save Yoseob without his brain permission.

Thump!

Junhyung fell backward, right on his . He was terrified to see rolling tyres right in front of him as he listened to the shrieking brake sound. Then, the road was dark and empty again. Junhyung instantly inhaled as he just noticed that he had stop breathing because of the terrifying shock.

The car quickly moved away, most probably afraid to bear the penalty of killing a person.

For Junhyung, it took him a few seconds to know what had just happened. Someone had pulled him backward, making him fell on his back, saving him from being rolled flat by the tyres. He knew he should be grateful but somehow he did not. Was he hoping to die?

“What are you thinking?” A recognizable voice was madly shouting at his back. Junhyung did not have to turn around to see the owner of the voice. He knew that voice for years. The voice that used to advice him, scold him, trick him and...

Then, he saw a pair of pale milky-white barefoot approached him. Junhyung slowly looked upward and saw the concerned looking eyes of Yoseob. Stop being a worrywart, idiot. Junhyung thought.

“Hyung, you can see me,” Yoseob softly spoke. There was a mixture of sad and happy in his voice.

“Are you crazy?” the person who had just save him continued with an obvious anger in his tone. Junhyung sighed. It was true. He was crazy. He could see a dead person standing right in front of him, moving like a usual living human being.

Junhyung slowly stood up as he turned to the scolding voice, looking at his expression. He seemed pissed off. Then, he saw another person a step backward, who looked worried and sad.

“Doojoon hyung is angry. I’m sorry, hyung. It’s my fault,” Yoseob voice out his guilty feeling, apologizing.

Junhyung nodded down, ignoring both Yoseob and Doojoon words. He looked up again, checking on Hyunseung, wondering if that guy wanted to say anything. As expected, he was silent, telling everything with his gloomy expression.

Surprisingly, that guy started to talk. “Junhyung,” Hyunseung gently spoke. “Yoseob is dead,”

Junhyung was shocked with the words out from Hyunseung lips. It meant they heard him. They heard him shouted the elfin boy’s name.

“It’s useless, Hyunseung,” Doojoon responded as Junhyung seemed shock to listen to the fact. “He could not accept the fact that the little guy is dead,”

Hyunseung looked at Doojoon sadly. He could sense that Doojoon was avoiding the name, Yoseob.

“That’s not true, hyung. Junnie hyung just want to save me,” Yoseob tried to communicate as he tugged to Doojoon arm.

“I don’t mind if you could not forget that guy but stop burdening others. All of us are working days and nights while you staying in your home, receiving payment every month. If we do not make that promise with that idiotic dwarf, I would have kicked you out of Beast right now,” Doojoon spoke harshly, looking at Junhyung madly as if he could break the used-to-be composer face anytime.

“Doojoon,” Hyunseung gently tapped Doojoon arm, trying to calm him down.

“No! You’re wrong, hyung. Junnie hyung is trying hard too. He tries hard to write and compose until he has headache,” Yoseob tried his best to interact with Doojoon. His eyes were teary again.

Junhyung closed his eyes, tired to see the tears from Yoseob eyes. He did not care much about Doojoon’s words. They were true. He was an all these years, spending money that he did not deserve.

“You are selfish!” Doojoon paused, biting his lower lips, feeling angrier as Junhyung was ignoring him.

“I regret helping you to debut as Beast!” Doojoon yelled his heart out, almost hysterically.

Junhyung instantly opened his eyes, shocked with those sharp painful words, looking at Doojoon disbelief expression.

Both Hyunseung and Yoseob gasped, looking at Doojoon in disbelieved.

Doojoon was shocked with what he had just said. He turned to Junhyung as they made eye contact. Those moist eyes were shaken, most probably upset. Doojoon parted his lips, trying to say a word but he just could not find a proper one.

Junhyung quickly took steps forward, unintentionally collided his shoulder with Doojoon’s. He ignored it and fastened his speed, walking away from the situation.

“I’m disappointed with you, hyung,” Yoseob said sullenly to Doojoon as he rushed towards Junhyung, chasing the older guy.

“Hyung, wait for me,” Yoseob half-shouted as Junhyung was quite far away from him.

Junhyung kept walking as he kept thinking about Doojoon words.

“I regret helping you to debut as Beast!”

 The words harshly echoed in his mind. That’s right! He should not become one of Beast. He was supposed to be rejected again. Then, he was suddenly accepted. Papa Hong suddenly called him. That was when he knew that it was Yoseob’s idea and Doojoon was helping him. Placing a folder of him practicing in Papa Hong personal computer, it sounded like a childish idea but it worked. He was debuted as Beast together with other members.

“Hyung, I’m sure Doojoon hyung doesn't mean to say those words,” Yoseob voice out, trying to comfort the taller guy.

“Shut up, it’s your fault,” Junhyung involuntarily responded. But the words seemed right. It was that little guy fault. If only he did not appear to him, he would not do stupid thing such as saving a hallucination from being hit by a car.

Yoseob kept silent, knowing it was his fault. “I’m sorry,” he managed to utter.

Junhyung finally arrived at his condominium. Although, he wanted Yoseob to disappear, he did let the little guy to enter his house. Well, it didn’t make any different. Yoseob was his hallucination. He would appear even if he locked the elfin guy out of the house.

Yoseob was about to step more when Junhyung stopped him.

“Wear this,” Junhyung said, releasing a pair of house slipper.

Being a neat-freak, Junhyung did not care if Yoseob was a hallucination. Everyone that entered this house must not bring any dirt including a hallucination.

Yoseob laughed loudly, showing his upper white teeth. “Hyung never change,” Yoseob spoke between his laugh.

“Yeah, whatever,” Junhyung replied, left the area as he walked to his room.

Yoseob noticed that Junhyung walked away. He quickly wore the slippers and rushed to Junhyung who was entering his bedroom. “Hyung, what are you going to do?” Yoseob curiously asked, keeping himself close to Junhyung.

“Taking a shower,” Junhyung answered in monotone, hoping he could ignore the little boy. He took the new towel in his drawer and walked into the bathroom which was also in his room.

“Okay, I will wait at your bed,” Yoseob answered as he sat on the king size bed bouncily.

When Junhyung done his shower and stepped out from his bathroom, he saw Yoseob was sleeping on his bed with his usual position where he curled like a foetus while his both hands were placed between his thighs.

Junhyung walked closer to the little boy, squatting to make his eyes closer to the Yoseob’s face. Everything was so detailed just like what he remembered. Junhyung smirked. He did have a good memory. Well, whether it was just a memory or a hallucination, Junhyung used this opportunity to take a good look at Yoseob since he would disappear tomorrow. That night, he spent most of his time staring at Yoseob instead of sleeping.

Author’s note:

Depressing? Or just fine?
I don’t know, something about this chapter makes me dissatisfied.

I hope you would tell me your thoughts about this story.

I have an assignment to be submitted tomorrow but I’m writing this instead.
Thanks for subscribing and comments. Also, thanks for the upvote although I don’t know if it worth one.