Violin

Yunho eyed his cell phone with trepidation as it rang for the nth time that day. He knew it was Junsu again. He had been calling today since morning. Yunho answered the first call, concern getting the best of him. He was thinking that Junsu might want to thank him again for the break. But after picking up and without as much as saying ‘hello’, Junsu just started to babble away like some incoherent little child. He spoke fast like someone or something was running after him. What he couldn’t understand the most was that Junsu kept on mentioning a ghost playing a violin in their ancestral house. What could be more absurd than that?  He said so to his friend and he got a very loud lecturing from the other man which was so uncharacteristic of him.

Junsu started saying that Yunho was not showing enough concern about his problem then much to his surprise, even accused him of his supposed plot to get rid of Junsu in the office. Well, he certainly didn’t know what to say to that so he hung up saying that he had a client to attend to. As much as he loved his friend, he just couldn’t deal with his weird fantasies right now. He was also surprised at the change in the man; he didn’t know that Junsu had the capacity and energy to talk like that. He has never witnessed Junsu get over excited about anything.

But there it was again, he could see Junsu’s name flashing on the small LCD screen of his phone. Should he answer it? Sighing in near exasperation, Yunho pushed the answer button reluctantly. He hadn’t even got to say a word and Junsu launched an attack.

“Yah, Jung Yunho! Why didn’t you pick up? I’ve been calling you forever. Did you understand what I said before? Your house is haunted. There’s a ghost in your house! Did you hear me?” The last sentence was practically a shout. Yunho had to hold his phone several inches away from his ear.

“Junsu, I heard what you said-“he tried to start speaking but was once again cut off. Yunho frowned at the phone.

“Then why didn’t you say anything? There’s a ghost I’m telling you! It’s true. I’m not making it up.” Junsu gushed. He gave Mrs. Soo Young, who was beside him on the couch that time, an apologetic look.

“What do you want me to do? Send in the Ghostbusters?” Yunho pinched the bridge of his nose in near exasperation.

“I don’t know. He can appear anytime. He was in my room before…” Junsu finished lamely. He didn’t like how whiny he sounded to Yunho. He just didn’t know who to call or what to do anymore. He didn’t even care if Yunho would find him weird.

Junsu bit his lower lip and nervously looked around. He was in the living area with Mrs. Soo Young. Ever since he saw the ghost, Junsu wanted the older woman to be constantly with him as if her presence would will the ghost away. He didn’t want to see the man again anytime soon. He didn’t want to see him at all!

He heard Yunho sigh at his end and said, “He was in your room before? Well, when you see the ghost, hand him the phone and I’ll tell him to stop bothering you.”

Junsu could feel his cheeks heating up in embarrassment and annoyance. He couldn’t blame Yunho if he wouldn’t believe him but Junsu thought that as a friend Yunho could have at least pretended to believe him. He really needed someone to talk to right now.

“Now you’re mocking me. I’m sorry I kept on pestering you. I will just have the vacation in peace like you expected me to. But I’ll be leaving the house. I’ll call you in three weeks, if I’m still alive by then.” Junsu cringed at the childish threat but he couldn’t help it.

“Junsu wait! I’m not mocking you- “Yunho was suddenly sorry he said that to his friend.

“Yes you were. I don’t blame you. Don’t say sorry. I’m going now.” The voice was clipped and short. With that, Junsu hung up and felt the beginnings of a headache starting to form. Everything was just getting out of hand. He needed to sort things out.

“Junsu listen-“Yunho didn’t finish what he was going to say. The other line had gone dead. Yunho thought of what Junsu said to him just now.

He could hear that the man was seriously upset when he mentioned about the ghost. He also knew without a doubt that Junsu was not a person who would joke around. Yunho has never seen him play any joke on anyone before this so it was highly probable that what Junsu was saying was true. Yet Yunho could not help but feel a bit apprehensive. Who would say, in this day and age, that he was being haunted by a ghost? That in itself was something really out of the ordinary. Without much hesitation now, Yunho started dialing another number.

***

Junsu saw Mrs. Soo Young look up when he stood up after finishing the call. Junsu smiled at the woman reassuringly and said with much energy he could muster, “I’ll go to bed now Soo Young-sshi. I don’t feel so good.” He walked towards the direction of his bedroom. He didn’t see the concerned eyes of the old woman follow him. She couldn’t help but be worried for the young man. She has kind of gotten fond of him especially since he commented on her food and munched on it as if he really loved it.

It was only yesterday morning that the incident happened. Mrs. Soo Young was just about to start with her morning chores when she heard someone singing. She smiled to herself, ‘The boy has talent.’ Then she went on to the kitchen to start with her routine. She has just reached the kitchen when she heard Junsu scream. Running up the stairs as fast as her aging legs could, she managed to get to the boy’s quarters just in time to see him slump and slide on the wall. What happened next was a flurry of events. She hurriedly asked some neighbors to help her move the unconscious young man. Then of course after some explanation and a request for some reviving salts, they left. Junsu was unconscious for the most part of the morning.

After waking up, Junsu was still very much shaken. She asked him what happened and he just looked at her. It was a really disturbing memory for her. Junsu seemed to be transfixed with shock. His face was still ashen. Then he mentioned something about seeing a ghost in his room. A ghost that played a violin. Mrs. Soo Young was at a loss. She didn’t believe in any of those unexplainable things. And she found it hard to believe that some entity like that existed in the house. She has never seen any of the sort in all her years as a caretaker in the house. So she suggested that Junsu call Yunho. But from what she had seen, the conversation didn’t end up that well. A frown formed on her forehead as she thought of some way to help out the young man with the sweetest smile she has ever seen.

***

Feeling his heart begin to race, he pushed open the wooden door slowly and stepped inside. He was expecting that any moment the ghost would appear in front of him. As much as he hated to admit, he was really scared. He didn’t know how to deal with these things. That was why he would leave first thing tomorrow. He didn’t want to stay at a place where he felt very disturbed.

Junsu gingerly approached his bed and nervously looked around the room. Grabbing his bag under the bed, he immediately shoved some of his personal things inside. He was like some fugitive running away. That was how he was feeling. But he didn’t dare look around anymore for fear that the unwanted apparition would again show himself. Junsu went to the door and flung it open hurriedly but a piece of paper fell down and landed on his feet. He eyed the paper suspiciously. He didn’t see where it fell from. The prickling sensation returned as he stared at the paper. Then his heart started to thump wildly. ‘No, not again!’ His mind screamed. He really didn’t want to pick it up but something compelled him to do it. With unsteady hands, he picked up the piece of paper from the floor and read:

‘Time is not enough

To fill the vastness of my soul.

It cannot make me forget

My lost love, my only life.

His smile I long to see,

His glance I want to have,

His love I yearn to own.

Junsu felt his cheeks heating up after he read the note. He knew that the note was for him and it came only from one person. He couldn’t understand why the ghost seemed to be fixated on him. What was more embarrassing was that the ghost seemed to be courting him. Last time he checked, he was very much a man with very manly appetites. He liked girls and he knew he didn’t swing that way. Whatever reason the ghost had for liking him, he didn’t want to know. Anger swelled in his chest, he didn’t know what he did to get this kind of attention. But it was an attention he didn’t want to have. And he wanted it to stop. Now.

He went inside the room and decided to talk to the ghost.

“Come out! I will not tolerate this. If you have something to say to me, say it now!” He shouted once he went inside his room again.

The crumpled note lay on the floor unnoticed as Junsu waited impatiently for the man to appear. Minutes ticked by but the man concerned seemed to decide not to show up; Junsu let out an irritated sigh and grabbed his bag again. He wasn’t able to lift it though because it was tugged by another person. Junsu looked down at where their hands met and he froze. The young man was there and was giving his bag a hard tug.

In sudden panic, he let go of the bag and just stared stupidly at the person in front of him. He saw the man smile at him and seemed to be enjoying his state of confusion. That made him annoyed; he momentarily forgot that he was supposed to be afraid of him.

“Hello my love! Going on a trip?” said the man, his voice lilting. Amusement was clearly written on his face.

“You!” Junsu shouted when he later found his voice. The man chuckled and dropped the bag at his feet. He faced Junsu and smiled at him.

Junsu noticed that the man had a dimple on his right cheek. He mentally shook his head. ‘What the heck! Why did I notice that? And why NOW, for god’s sake!’ Junsu’s head screamed.

“Yes, it is me.” Yoochun continued,  “But I am hurt; you don’t seem to remember my name, my love.” The man stepped forward and Junsu took a step back. He was even more real this time than the last time he saw him. Junsu could even see the man’s gleaming black hair. He could see every detail; from his black dress suit to his polished leather shoes. The ghost looked like he would be modeling for some magazine. And he was not unpleasing to the eyes.

“You’re doing it again Junsu! Stop admiring his looks. What’s wrong with you?” He felt embarrassed that he was behaving this way, he was not gay right? Junsu kept on stepping backward until he felt his calf hit the foot of the bed. He didn’t have an explanation why he thinks like this. He was supposed to be freaking out!

He struggled to remember what the man said. What did the ghost say? That he must know his name? How can he possibly know that? What was his name? No sooner had he asked himself the question, the name sprang from his mind.

“Y-Yoochun?” Junsu said, trying the sound of the name on his lips. “How did I know your name? It’s not possible.” He asked incredulously and stared at the man he now knows as Yoochun. He saw Yoochun smile and his head to the right.

“You really don’t remember?” Yoochun asked; at Junsu’s negative answer, his smile slowly vanished. It was replaced by a look of sadness that somehow made Junsu feel the same way, if that made any sense. “I didn’t expect that you would forget that easily. I will make you remember me. I will make you remember our love.” The determination was evident in Yoochun’s voice.

With those words, Junsu saw that Yoochun deliberately took a step forward. Before he could even react, he felt a strong grip on his wrist, another grip on his waist. His body started to feel lighter. Eyelids fluttering close, Junsu felt like he was floating. What came next was a swirling sensation in his head. The last thing he saw was Yoochun’s face leaning closer towards him.

***

Yunho listened to Mrs. Soo Young as she narrated what happened exactly to Junsu yesterday. In between her occasional sniffs and broken pleas to help his employee, Yunho had an idea about what she was speaking of. After Junsu’s call, he spoke to his mom to ask about the said ghost in the house. His mother seemed reluctant to say anything about it at first. What she knew was what she just heard from Yunho’s grandfather. But after much prodding, she relented to tell the story behind the young violinist. Suffice it to say that the information relayed to him made him go to La Luna right away to fetch Junsu. His conscience was eating him; why did he ever suggest that Junsu spend his vacation here? He knew that he wasn’t to blame too, how could he possibly have known? But he still felt responsible. He turned to his two companions expectantly after reassuring Mrs. Soo Young that they would help Junsu.

“What have you seen? Is he here?” Yunho asked the taller of the two men. The other man was busy meditating in one corner.

The tall guy, Changmin, spoke. “He’s here. His presence is really strong Yunho-sshi. I think he never really left the place even after he died.” Changmin continued to look around the house. They were in the living room then.

Yunho was not surprised; his mother had warned him of this. “So what should we do? How do we get rid of this ghost?” he asked to the both of them, his voice was firm. His face was set with determination.

If Junsu could see him now, he would laugh his face off. Junsu knew that he didn’t believe in things like ghosts. Yunho immediately regretted what he said about the Ghostbusters when Junsu called him earlier. The two guys he had with him were his version of the Ghostbusters. They were what they call spirit questors; at least that was what he heard them call themselves.

 Jaejoong, the shorter of the two guys with a very mysterious aura spoke for the first time. “Yoochun doesn’t want to leave without Junsu. He is very determined to take your friend with him.”

Yunho shot him a look. “That’s his name? Yoochun? Well, he can’t do that. That’s why we’re here. You guys will help me get rid of this Yoochun character.”

Jaejoong shook his head, “You don’t understand; we are late. At this moment, Yoochun has already started to convince Junsu to come with him. If Junsu gets convinced, he won’t be coming back.”

“Junsu is not going anywhere. We will stop this nonsense now!”

“Yunho-sshi, have you been in love before?” Changmin softly asked. Yunho turned and looked at him as if he had grown two heads.

Yunho chuckled dryly, “That is one of the cheesiest questions I’ve heard in a long time. What has that got to do with Junsu?” He was running out of patience with all this talk.

Jaejoong explained, “The ghost we’re dealing with was in love with Junsu before he died. I think he’s still in love with him. He also felt hurt because of some betrayal he experienced. These feelings are not to be taken lightly. It is what makes ghosts or other entities really strong. We have to be careful.” Jaejoong spared one look at Yunho.

Yunho was incredulous, “How can a ghost love my friend? He doesn’t even know Junsu before he came here!”

“Perhaps we can ask him himself.” Changmin offered. His tone smug.

“No! You have to do something-!” Yunho looked at the both of them desperately. The two men seemed to be indecisive. The decision making was torn away from their grip however as the air around them grew noticeably cold. All of them heard a faint sound at first, and then it grew louder. It was the sound of the violin playing. Yunho looked around but found no one who would be playing the instrument. Now he knew what Junsu was talking about. Jaejoong was the first to speak and break from the trance.

“Look! There they are!” Everyone’s eyes followed where Jaejoong pointed and saw an apparition of sorts. Mrs. Soo Young screamed and clung to Yunho desperately. There in the middle of room emerged figures. They were kind of hazy but they were moving as if they belong to the present time. The whole house was shrouded with heavy air. The present form of the house seemed to have disappeared, in its place; another structure of the house was instead seen. Then the figures became clearer and clearer and they knew that what they were seeing was a glimpse of the past.

***

Junsu saw the figures slowly emerge from the haze. He struggled to keep still through the pounding of his heart. He tried to move but he couldn’t. His body felt heavy. Yoochun was there beside him but he was not looking at him. They were just standing there; eyes trained on the apparition before them. Junsu didn’t have any choice but to watch. It was like watching himself on video. Only, this video went missing and somehow he forgot that he ever made this.

He saw ‘himself’ approach Yoochun slowly who was then hunched over a desk. Yoochun seemed to be writing something. From what he could see, he was writing on a music sheet. ‘Junsu’ went to Yoochun and to his utter surprise, leaned down and gave the musician a kiss on the lips.

Yoochun turned to Junsu to look at his reaction. Junsu just stared at him in shock, his eyes round like saucers. Did he just kiss Yoochun? The violinist’s eyes challenged him to dispute it. Junsu opened his mouth to speak but closed it again when he could think of nothing to say. What really shocked him more was how he felt when he saw ‘himself’ kiss Yoochun. He felt the man’s lips! It was as if he kissed Yoochun at that moment too. ‘Did Yoochun perform magic on me?’ Junsu asked himself.

Flustered, Junsu could only gape at Yoochun. He knew his cheeks were very red now with embarrassment, but Yoochun seemed oblivious to his discomfort.

“I will show you what we had, Junsu. Or what we can still have. You have to watch carefully.” Yoochun’s voice reached Junsu’s ears without speaking. “After this, we will be together again. Forever.” He made a move as if to touch him but stopped. Yoochun let his hand drop to his side.

Junsu shook his head to say no, but his heart was starting to feel differently. He somehow knew that this man was telling the truth. Forcing his eyes away from Yoochun, Junsu watched his past. He knew that it was a past love his heart is clearly beginning to acknowledge.