Chapter 5

The unexpected visit from BaekHyun’s brother wasn’t a great experience, while the brothers were arguing over their life/food (me), I took this chance to run to my room and put on some clothes. Making a run for my life as I carried the comforter around me, I barely made it to the hallway when Killer instantly appeared before my eyes and grabbed me by the neck, turning me around to face BaekHyun.

“It looks like I win little brother… again,” Killer smugly stated, looking up at him I noticed his brown eyes glowing a bright red colour as he leaned his face in closer towards mine. Before I could even think of another reason to run away, I stood still, closing my eyes allowing him to my life away.

Suddenly I heard a loud noise of bones cracking, opening my eyes I found Killer on the ground with his neck twisted and BaekHyun was glaring down at me. Probably I should’ve ran away or done something to show him that I didn’t want to die.

“Go put on some clothes. My brother will wake up any minute,” I nodded and followed his order, making my way over to my room down that hallway BaekHyun’s voice stopped me in my tracks, “HyoMi, you promised me 3 months. I hope you’ll do it without dying more than 2 months ahead.” I let out a sigh and closed the door of my room, locking it.

“Be immortal for 3 months. It's not hard, all you have to do is not think about death. Believe that you’re a god, you can’t die, you can’t get hurt. You are immortal, you have power over the mortals,”

“It’s not as easy as you say it is,”

“Come on! I’m not making you become an immortal. I just want to live like one. If you like it I’ll make you immortal,”

“Fine, I’ll try. Just so you know, I’m pretty sure I won’t make it up to 3 months. So I’m going to apologise ahead of time,”

“Don’t apologise unless your 3 months is over. I know you can do it, I’m not going to let you die on me,”

I guess I completely forgot about that conversation, BaekHyun is definitely going to keep torturing me unless I complete my promise for the next 3 months. Somehow, I regret making a promise like that, what was I thinking agreeing to his terms?!

***

“Okay, okay. I’m sorry for trying to eat your ghost, just don’t snap my neck again,” Killer sighed as we finally settled down at the dining table, both BaekHyun and Killer were sitting opposite to me as that smirk on Killer’s lips were causing chills to crawl down my spine, “Though I honestly have to admit that I was hungry.”

“Say that word again and I’ll rip your heart out of your chest,” BaekHyun warned, from his serious expression it was for sure that he wasn’t joking, Killer laughed and gave him an assuring pat on the back, “Mind telling me why you’re here.”

“Nothing special. The last time I didn’t get to personally meet the living ghost. I just thought going for the second time would be more lucky. I guess I was right,” Killer smiled, although he was talking to BaekHyun his eyes were constantly on me, then I noticed as he stared lean in a bit closer, “It’s nice to finally meet you, HyoMi. I’m Killer, the Demon of Greed.”

I nodded with a smile, he didn’t seem that bad, but the part where he grabbed me by the neck was a bit creepy, “If you want a more civilized name, so no one would drag me to the police station. Don’t be afraid to call me SuHo.”

“You know, after living for around 2000 years, your flirting skills are still so awful,” BaekHyun commented, pouring himself a shot glass of vodka, I wonder when I even had alcohol in my apartment. And so openly displayed at the dining table too!

SuHo scoffed grabbing himself a glass and made himself right at home as he pulled the bottle of vodka from BaekHyun’s hands, “Oh little brother, everyone knows you’re a cheat with your ‘lust’ powers. That makes sense since you haven’t gotten yourself a girl, you’re just stalking this ghost. for you.”

I couldn’t help but smile, he was right about that. SuHo laughed even louder seeing my expression and grabbed me a glass. “Drink?” he offered, I could use a bit. I’ve been sleeping like a dead person for around 5 days and got myself fired, I deserve a rewarding time. I was about to grab it but BaekHyun snatched it and chugged it down his throat.

“There’s a law on Earth. Don’t offer kids alcohol,” is he serious?! I’m 22, that’s over the legal age for drinking!

“You’re right. I guess I’m the oldest here so I should be an adult and follow the rules,” SuHo smirked as he glanced over at me, drinking that glass of vodka. Man, he’s annoying just like BaekHyun, maybe even worse.

“What is this? Where in this agreement says that you can control me?” I was pretty pissed, although I was meant to live like an immortal for 3 months, it doesn’t mean he can control me like this. He already stalked me to work and demands to live with me, now he brings along his family to suppress my rights and freedom.

“Little brother you just upset the little girl. Be careful she might kill herself,” SuHo laughed sliding me a glass, while BaekHyun rolled his eyes and remain silent enjoying the taste of alcohol, “Take it as a peace offering for my bad manners in trying to eat you.”

“Don’t you think it’s a bit late,” I rolled my eyes and took the drink, “I’m curious, what do you demons eat? Ghosts?”

BaekHyun placed his glass down and looked over at me, it was although he didn’t want to explain it to me, but he knew that someone else would do the honors, “Demons eat human souls, ghosts is the simplified version of a soul. We-”

“You’re not explaining it properly, little brother,” SuHo sighed interjecting as he finally wanted to step it, probably because we were on the topic of his favorite food, “HyoMi, human souls is like peanuts still in their hard shells. Ghosts are like already salted peanuts sold in a local grocery store.”

“That was the worse example I’ve ever heard. I hate peanuts!” BaekHyun protested, the conversation is heading nowhere.

“I like peanuts… Fine, if you don’t like it then would you like pistachios or chestnuts instead?”

“What about your head?! Because I would like to crack it open to see what this weirdo’s head is made of,”

“Probably the same thing as yours my dear brother,” their childish fights were sure entertaining, but I was still wondering when my question was going to be answered properly, “Come on, you just made the young lady uninterested.”

BaekHyun pouted like a little kid and remain silent drinking his alcohol as his older brother continued with the answer, “Back to where we were, demons tend to be picky with food just like humans. For me personally I like to eat ghosts, since they are so easy to eat and there’s no need for cleaning. Those I do eat human souls, it's a bit messier but I could say my favorite is corrupted souls, those people who would risk anything to accomplish their greediness.”

Wow, it sounds like he’s advertising me to buy some kind of product. But if he puts it like that, doesn’t it mean his powers are used to lure his food. Like those corrupted souls he was talking about, he must have used his greed powers to tempt them.

“And for my dear little brother he likes his souls dark and malicious, though he could use his powers to attract anyone he wants to eat. But the soul that makes us more powerful is those pure souls, I just hate them,”

“Probably greed doesn’t work on them,” I said while SuHo looked as though his pride was down the drain as BaekHyun burst into laughter, “Was that offensive?”

SuHo had a glum expression on his face, “Demons tend to not like others comparing their powers. I don’t mind, though having to hear it from my food is really offensive.” I laughed seeing BaekHyun having a hard time calming himself down, I’ve never seen him laugh so hard before. I guess he enjoy teasing his brother.

***

While BaekHyun was out for that night, I made my way over to SuHo by the sofa. There were lots of questions I needed answered and I’m guessing a demon around the age of 2000 years would do the job just fine. “So what brings you here? Don’t tell me to eat you, I don’t know if I can control myself,” SuHo laughed, though jokingly he sounds really serious.

“I just wanted to know, does all demons have a soul mate attached to them?”

“HyoMi, if I had a soul mate I’ll probably have eaten her alive,” he was still on that half joking, half serious phase again, but suddenly his smile dropped and his eyes fell on me, “No, we don’t. These things only happen to humans since demons and angels don’t have the desire of ‘human love’ to fall in love. If demons or angels fall in love with each other, it’s probably an admiration feeling.”

I kind of didn’t really understand what he was talking about, though a bit of the information did click somewhere, “They say that there is nothing deeper than human love. Because humans are the weakest, but they have the strongest hearts. Demons don’t even have hearts, metaphorically speaking. Whereas angels just have everything, so they just sit there playing their god role like they’re on the top of the world.”

SuHo then looked at me, trying to examine my face if I had understood the long explanation of ‘human love’, I did, but there was something that wasn’t answered, as though he had read my mind, SuHo continued, “If you’re wondering why Death is your soul mate, I don’t know much but I can tell you it was his punishment.”

“Punishment is needed to be bestowed on those who caused it,”

“What did he do to get this punishment?”

“Honestly, HyoMi, I have no idea. Rumors say he went to Heaven and annoyed the crap out of the angels, causing massive fights. But I would like to know, though I haven’t seen my brother in around 500 years. I just heard it from other demons as rumors,”

“But how is being tied to me a punishment?”

SuHo cracked a small smile, “My brother doesn’t tell you a lot of things, right? Well, everyone knows that if you’re attached to the Red Thread of Fate, that's going to mean you’re destined lovers. It’s probably sweet mushy stuff for humans but for demons it’s the worst thing on the planet. Demons…”

I watched the concerned look stating to form in SuHo’s eyes as he paused for a moment, “Demons die if they fall in love with a human. And you HyoMi, are a ghost. But a living ghost is classified as a weaker human if BaekHyun keeps allowing you to borrow his life then you’re no difference to a normal human.”

“There’s no way he’s going to fall in love with me, he thinks I’m too annoying,”

“Well my dear, if Death was confident about not falling for you, I don’t think he was going to force you to become immortal. He’s trying all he could to allow himself to stay alive,”

So this is what it was? He’s making me immortal so he won’t fall for me and he won’t die. It makes perfect sense, but something within me was still confused and questioning whether there was more to the story.