Changhyun’s strong, painful grip on the buttoned loosened as he felt his eyes burn. Sighing, he asked again. “Choi Jong as in Choi Jong Hyun?” the pain inside his chest was growing quickly unbearable as he cupped his right eye, forcing it to stop tearing up. “No. Just Choi Jong. Your idiotic friends unfortunately did a good job on me I guess”

“Yeah unfortunately” Changhyun answered as he stood up and slipped into his leather outer. “Get up. I’m taking you out for a dinner and after that, you can go home okay”

The taller scowled, taken aback by Changhyun’s sudden offer. “I thought I needed a guardian’s approve.” he uttered as he mirrored the latter’s action and got on his feet. “Choi Jung” Changhyun calmly murmured, as his lips pursed at the difficult, stubborn lock. “WHAT?! WHO ARE YOU?” the latter growled as his skin became whiter and a set of fangs appeared between his lush lips while his eyes flickered blue. “I’m her friend. Do you want to kill me now, because I know what you really are? Huh!” Changhyun’s tone was stern and deep, stronger than ever as he flung the metal door open. Hearing it, the latter calmed down and walked out carefully. “What I really am… a monster?” the boy snarled lightly as he passed by the small, still petite detective. 

“Special” Changhyun answered, entirely unfazed and rather, very relaxed. 

So calm that it had manage to silent Changjo, the young, fully grown and hot-blooded gumiho. Not for long, that was. 

“You shouldn’t have called her. She’s nothing related to me, you have misunderstood the situation. I don’t know her, I DON’T KNOW ANYONE”

“Yeah, I can see. Because Changjo, you don’t remember me. Do you?”

“I do.”

“You’re that scrubby, weird dude that creeps along Keumgang sometimes.”

They were walking slowly, alongside Hangang as the cold, old night’s breeze slams into their bones. Changjo was surprisingly obedient, following someone he had called weird and scrubby as he adjusted his pace slower, to match the latter. Changhyun on the other hand was swept away into his own thoughts, silently drowning in questions. –Changjo did notice him, is there hope? - He looked up to the black, rusty night sky and sighed at how they still gleamed beautifully with the presence of the boy behind him. Changjo was still the light of his life; the boy had something Chunji or anything could never own, Changjo had his heart. 

“Hey, Ahjussi where are we going? I thought you’re treating me dinner”

“I am.” The smaller nodded as he stopped just before the trail ended, with his head bobbing around, in search for something. Then at the sight of a small, very humble stall, he smiled and walked ahead. 

“Hi Clara, two soju and soup please. Make it extra hot would ya, dear”

The old, very charming woman smiled at the young man’s words as she poured hot, steaming soup into two, copper bowls and served it to the boys, adding a plate of Pajeon as a service. Then the two bottle of soju clanked between her wrinkled, feminine fingers as she placed them on their table. Without an ounce of hesitations, Changhyun took the green bottle and tipped it, pouring the clear liquid effortlessly into his small shot glass. Right after, he downed them like they were supplements, groaning slightly at the burn as he locked his gaze on Changjo, who apparently looked as if he had never seen such food before. “It’s broiled chicken soup and cold, chewy noodles. Here, you take the rice…”

The two metal bowls collided as the ball of rice fell into the latter’s soup, “And mix it like this while it’s hot. Then you eat it. Tasty, try” he kept his words simple as he earnestly mixed the concoction inside Changjo’s bowl, looking so occupied and passionate that it had brought the latter to a smile. He was unnecessarily caring in Changjo’s eyes. 

“You remind me of a pig. Hahaahhhaha” the taller shrieked as he kept his head low while his shoulders twitched; he was laughing rather hysterically at Changhyun’s amusing little deed.  “Hey, lift up your head Choi Jong.” 

“Wha?”  The taller instinctively followed the orders, lifting his head to meet with Changhyun’s eyes, puzzled at the latter’s peculiar request. But he was still laughing; oddly the joke never seemed to get old any sooner. And seeing such expression, made Changhyun busted into giggles too, the alcohol was slowly tainting his senses but really – he just loved the image of Changjo smiling, beautifully wide and careless. He forgotten that look, the way Changjo smiled, how the boy’s eyes squinted adorably, how each moment, his lips were always sealed by his own hands, cupping the lower part of his jaw. How it sounds, the way his deep voice echoed clearly and how they always made eye contact, it was just like always. Choi Jong was exactly the Changjo he knew two years back.

“I missed you.” Those words slipped as they were laughing, bringing down the air and making them both hitch, choke and in the end, silent.

“I’m not Changjo. No, not like what Choi Jung is saying, not like what you’re saying. Ahjussi, stay away from me.” Choi Jong spoke as he tilted the whole soju bottle into his mouth, bearing the stinging burn and looking every else except Changhyun. The latter on the other hand, cursed faintly at his own mistake, biting his lips and earnestly tried to look cool, unfazed. “I know. It was a mistake. I’m sorry” the smaller mumbled as he grabbed the Soju gently away from Choi Jong’s lips, placing it on the table beside and sighed. “You can go. Choi Jong” hearing those words, the taller managed to steal a peak at Changhyun before walking away, and intriguingly flashing the detective a slight, much tensed smirk. 

Changhyun gulped the tonic in a shot, grumbling at his own noisy guts which were enflamed. Still, he managed to pull himself together, sobering up at an inhuman rate and walking straight, completely balanced into the club. Their lingering, sharp gazes were useless as the detective strolled into the fancy, y lit room and took a seat beside a very familiar woman. “You’re late… and already smell like ” Choi Jung hissed at the pungent stench Changhyun had brought along, pinching her nose, she called on the bartender and requested for a cup of coffee to lace over the detective’s scent. “Sniff harder noona, there should be some traces though.” 

She sipped the coffee and glared at Changhyun, her eyes gleamed blue as her face darkens. “Choi Jong…” she whispered as the mug of coffee slipped from her dainty fingers and spilled over the bar top, raining down to her black skirt. The brown liquid was steaming hot on her lap but she never flinched as she felt it seep into her skin and burned her outside. Changhyun immediately took a towel from his bag and rubbed it on her skirt, calmly waiting for her to respond. “Yeah, I met him, noona. It’s okay, I won’t blame you but I was right, was i? He is alive”

Changhyun was still wiping off the coffee from her lap when her fingers grabbed his, firmly but filled with tremors. “Does he know your name?” her voice was low as she snapped the man’s hand away from her lap. The latter however didn’t seem concerned of her rough, cold reply. He had gotten used to her ways, days after days meeting her at the same pub. “What do you mean?” he asked, leaning his head back and stared at the swirling lights above his head; they were beautiful and it made him feel rather calm. “He doesn’t know you Changhyun, right? No, let me guess, he probably said something about not knowing anyone”

“He did”

“Then you have witnessed it for yourself. The death of Choi Jonghyun”

“What?! Did you not understand what I just said, no, can’t you smell him on me?!! I saw him noona, I took him for a dinner, for bloody sake!” The younger retorted, enraged as he grabbed Choi Jung’s shoulder and turned the lady around, making sure that he could see right into her blue, cold eyes. “HE IS DEAD” she hissed, deep into his bones as her cold hands grabbed his collar. “Don’t you understand, that boy you met is nothing but a shell with a new, different soul. Rinsed clear from us and any memories of his human life. Yoo Changhyun, the mortal you loved died during the ritual; that was the mistake.”

“That was our mistake during the resurrection” She explained as her eyes gleamed in a horrifyingly different way, it was as if her eyes were filled with hundreds of glass shards. Tears were b painfully along her full, long lashes. Her fingers trembled off the collar, as she held the table for support.

“My grandmother made a mistake… she failed to restore the original essence of Changjo’s soul, while… your angel needed more power so just like that…”

“Like what?” the detective was already a few steps back from her seat, he was ready to run away, to turn away from the truth but somehow he managed to stay and listen. “BLODDY TELL ME, CHOI JUNG”

“Just like that Changjo’s soul had dissipate into your angel’s body and vanish”