Are You There - Chapter 16: Chapter 16

i've been really thoft for kihyun lately; like REALLY thoft. i'm a hardcore hoe for everybody they have me SENT with their damn lovable souls, but... like i wanna kith him uwu
Changkyun leans back in his seat, his manager across from him sat behind a hunkering desk that really does not need to be this large.
"Kid, I'm aware of your latest hospital stay," he informs Changkyun gently. His smile, while rough at the edges, reminds the boy of his father's. He takes a moment to wonder if he will ever be ablt to see his father again.
"Oh, I didn't realize anybody had called you."
"Yes, someone called you in and gave me a basic rundown of what had happened." Mr. Koo shuffles through some papers, probably looking for a note he had made himself so he would not look ignorant. There are no cameras directly behind the counter where Changkyun had been attacked, so of course Hyungwon could easily avoid any charges of assault. Changkyun is not sure how the man could clean up a puddle of blood, or erase footage of EMT workers carrying him out, but it must be gone just the same. "You were stabbed on the way home on Wednesday?"
Changkyun nods, making a show of reaching for his side, where his initial wound from Hyungwon had been. "I'm alright now, really. The hospital said I needed some days to rest and let my stitches heal a bit. I can come back to work though, I promise."
Changkyun is rather eager to stop rushing about with the children of the night. The life is not one he is cut out for. He was always a night owl, never one for wandering about and basking in the sunlight, but getting into trouble for the sake of it is not what he considers fun. He would much rather sit in the store all night and catch up on his reading.
"Well the man who called you in told me otherwise," Mr. Koo says slowly. He is still shuffling around the many notes and receipts on his desk, searching for a paper he will surely never find. He does not give up as he speaks, his face going red. "He said something about your mental health and that you now have mood swings."
Changkyun's mouth flops open, his eyebrows creasing together in annoyance. "I'm sorry, Sir, but can I ask you who exactly called for me? Because I think they've been giving you the wrong information."
Letting out a cheer for himself, Mr. Koo holds up a yellow sticky-note triumphantly. "I've got it here," he mutters as he reads over his sloppy script. "Your brother, Hyungwon, called to tell me of your stabbing, and that the pain-killers you were prescribed had some rather negative side-effects on your emotional health."
Changkyun forces his eyes to stay stagnant, the desire to roll in total annoyance so strong it almost hurts. "Sir, I'm not on any pain-killers. My..." Changkyun hesitates, already used to calling Hyungwon Master. "My brother absolutely loves to do anything he can to get me into trouble. He'd tell you I was secretly a Lady of the Night if it meant you'd fire me."
Mr. Koo does not share Changkyun's rather dark sense of humor, and he only forces a smile onto his thin lips at the boy's attempt at a joke. "Well, if you think you're ready to return to work, I'm sure Hyunwoo could use the company today. The opening hours are being adjusted to accommodate the shorter days of the season, so we'll be open at eight and closed at eight now."
Changkyun's stomach falls at the thought, always having worked the late evenings at the comic shop. But spending all day with a grin under the energy-draining sun? "Great idea!" Changkyun shoots his boss a thumbs-up, the largest attempt he has ever made at kissing up to the rather bland man. "That should help accommodate the bills."
Mr. Koo lets a small smile slip onto his lips, clearly proud of his own decision. "I'd like to think so," he says quietly as he sits just a bit straighter in his seat. "Well, Changkyun, if you really trust that you're in well enough shape to come back to work-"
"I really am." Changkyun leans forward eagerly, a polite smile dimpling his cheeks as he bows his head. "Sorry," he adds after realizing he has interrupted his manager.
Mr. Koo lifts a hand, dismissing the apology with another dull smile. "Alright then. There's still an hour 'til open, so you can just take out the fresh deliveries and stock the front shelves for me."
The tanned boy stands, bowing his head politely before exiting his manager's office. He does not particularly want to do his job while off the clock, nor does he want to perform manual labor while the sun is up. That being said, he certainly does not want to lose his job either, so alone he trudges into the stock room where a few sealed boxes sit on a folding table.
Four all sit haphazardly across the length of wood, as if someone had just dropped them in place and rushed to grab the next. Changkyun wonders how many of them he can carry at once. His arms are not particularly long, and just gripping one will be his entire wingspan, but he has the sudden hankering to test his newfound strength. "Come on, Kyun. You ate an hour ago, check it out."
The four day old vampire soon discovers that he can still pull a muscle, despite being in top condition.
[ x ]
Hyunwoo steps down from the bus, aware that a man has followed close behind, but choosing to ignore him. The tall, easygoing man can recognize a face clearly after only one meeting, and Hyunwoo recalls the man that has been tailing him almost immediately. He had been sitting at Hyunwoo's usual bus stop. He had even transferred at the bus depot to Hyunwoo's second bus. Hyunwoo bites his tongue despite the annoyance, figuring the man will speak up eventually.
Only when Kihyun keeps hot on Hyunwoo's heels for the final walk of two blocks to work does the taller man turn in annoyance. "Excuse me!"
Kihyun stops in his place, his eyes going wide as he takes a small step back. His red hair makes his cheeks seem a far deeper crimson as he blushes in embarrassment. "Sorry," he blurts. Though he is not as weak as most seem to believe, Kihyun is quite fearful of what the large man could do to him in a fit of anger.
"Why're you following me?" Hyunwoo takes a long step forward, knocking the back of his hand against Kihyun's shoulder. The smaller man is not expecting it, and stumbles back in fright.
"I'm sorry!" He repeats, drawing his hands up to his cheeks to hide the flesh that burns there. The natural lisp that slips out when he grows nervous is on full display when he next speaks. "I wanted to tell you that I found Jooheon, and I don't need to talk to Changkyun anymore. So uh, just don't bother texting me."
Hyunwoo straightens, staring down his nose at Kihyun. The tall man had been running late while preparing for his shift, so he had abandoned his contact lenses at home and grabbed his thick glasses before rushing for the public bus. Kihyun smirks at the sight of the man's eyes as they try to focus around a rather large smudge on his left lens.
Reaching up tentatively, Kihyun looks at Hyunwoo questioningly. "Can I clean them?"
Hyunwoo dodges the smaller man's reach for a moment, but gives in when Kihyun lets out a small whine. "I wasn't going to text you, by the way." Kihyun scoffs as he takes Hyunwoo's glasses from his nose, breathing onto the lenses with a cheeky grin.
He takes the edge of his sweater, a soft enough material to replicate a proper cloth, and swipes across the glasses with care. "I think you would have. Just so you could see me again."
Taking Hyunwoo's wrist in his small hand, Kihyun passes the man's glasses back gently. Hyunwoo glares down at the small man, scrutinizing his perfect smile before rolling his eyes. "Seeing you again right now is more than enough for me," the tall man mutters.
He turns on his heel, and much to Kihyun's dismay, begins to walk away. "Wait!" The small man's feet tumble over one another as he rushes after Hyunwoo. "You haven't accepted my apology!" Though the taller is quite frightening, Kihyun feels as if something is left to be said here.
"For stalking me?" Hyunwoo glances over at Kihyun, once again following him along like a lost child. "Yeah, I don't accept." Stopping again when Hyunwoo realizes that just around the corner lies the comic shop, he turns to face Kihyun with a grim expression. "Listen bud. I don't care what your motives are with my coworker, or his friends, but I'd really appreciate it if you left me out of it. 'Kay?"
Kihyun lets his mouth flop open, prepared to say something, but the tall man only pats his head like a dog and walks away once again. Tugging in one long breath, Kihyun slaps his fists against his thighs and lets out a shrill shriek. Passerby flinch at the sudden sound that hangs in the air for several seconds, Hyunwoo himself freezing and turning back to rush towards the red-head.
"Shut up!" He hisses at Kihyun, shoving a hand against the small man's mouth to silence him. Kihyun continues hollering into the man's palm, his anger obvious to everyone staring. "Stop!" Hyunwoo shouts, his voice booming with enough power to demand obedience. Kihyun's voice dies and fizzles out in his throat, his eyes wide as he stares up at the tanned man.
Dragging Kihyun away from the middle of the sidewalk, Hyunwoo keeps his voice at a deadly whisper as he addresses the small man directly. "I don't know what the hell you want from me, honest. But you're not getting it, okay?"
The darker man realizes he is still gripping Kihyun's shoulder in a vice, releasing it as if the smaller man has just caught fire. Kihyun's small hand comes up to grip his right arm, his lower lip poking out in a pout. "I really did just wanna tell you not to bother texting me."
Hyunwoo folds his arms over his chest, knowing that his muscles grow more threatening when he does so. Though he is not a man of violence, he knows how to scare someone if need be. "You followed me through two bus rides, sat in silence for thirty minutes, just to tell me not to text you?"
Kihyun shrugs, knowing that it is an ignorant excuse. But he does not want to admit the truth. Hyunwoo fixes the smaller with a new glare, quirking an eyebrow as he waits for the actual explanation. "Okay- So you live in my neighborhood, okay? I saw you get home yesterday, and I thought maybe I could talk to you, but I got nervous."
Not satisfied with the answer, but aware that Kihyun has at least begun speaking honestly, Hyunwoo stands at ease. He drops his hands and tucks them into the front pouch of his sweatshirt, his lips still turned down in a frown. "And the texting thing? Is that all you need to say to me? Because you're wasting my precious time here."
Hyunwoo makes a show of tugging his phone from his pocket to check the time. Kihyun glances as well, growing nervous all over again as he realizes that Hyunwoo's shift must begin soon. "I just wanna be friends," he blurts. His cheeks flare a shocking red once again, almost painful as he ducks his head to hide his embarrassment. Hyunwoo barely reacts however, rather unfazed by the smaller man's words. While a teenager, Hyunwoo had always been quite popular. Not for his looks, or his intellect; for his ability to listen.
It is not a shocking revelation to have Kihyun 'want to talk' or anything of the sort. The taller man had been cursed with the ability to remain silent and thoughtful while others let out their stories. Kihyun's visit the day before, filled with rants and raw emotion, must have been enough for the small man to latch onto Hyunwoo. Much to the larger's dismay. While Kihyun is admittedly gorgeous, Hyunwoo is not eager to have someone else to sympathize with. He can barely handle his own inner turmoil half the time, and he knows that he will be able to handle much more of other troubles for much longer. He will blow soon.
"Friends don't follow each other around," Hyunwoo informs Kihyun calmly. "If you're looking for someone to talk to, there are twenty-four hour hotlines. I don't have enough space in my head for you."
Kihyun does not want to compel Hyunwoo, or use his abilities to sway the larger man, but without Jooheon beside him, Kihyun is essentially alone. His kind are not a species created to mingle. Even if he wanted to seek out others like him, they would openly avoid him. Seeping off humans is all he and his kind are good for, but Kihyun is not as rough as others of his kind are.
He cannot simply hop from life to life, draining his lovers and moving along. He feeds off those real connections; his fear of loneliness will surely be his downfall.
"Please?" Kihyun reaches out a hand, tugging Hyunwoo's hand free of his sweatshirt pocket so their fingers connect. Drawing the tall man's gaze to his, Kihyun mentally pleads with Hyunwoo. "Let's be friends," he says slowly.
Hyunwoo, with a mind that has yet to be tampered with in his life, is easy to break through for Kihyun. Toying with the slight intrigue Hyunwoo already has for Kihyun, the small man blows up that interest until Hyunwoo cannot get his own thoughts beyond the red-head.
It is not anything like what a fae, or telepath can do. They can influence thoughts, and read memories back like story books. The unfortunate darkness that are the incubi can read and develop emotions; their best weapon is their ability to twist a feeling in their favor and lead their prey on for as long as they please.
"I don't wanna be friends," Hyunwoo mutters, Kihyun's concentration broken just before he can convince Hyunwoo fully.
Kihyun's dark eyes are following the blonde that rushes past him, sighing when he realizes that it is not Jooheon, and he's just lost his connection with Hyunwoo. He moves to grasp onto Hyunwoo's hand once more, but the tall man is already turning on his heel and fleeing the scene. The back of his mind is flooded with thoughts of Kihyun, remnants of the draw the red-head had put on him. The tall man would be lying if he said he was not exponentially more interested in what Kihyun was all about, and why he had had to stumble into his life out of everyone's. But Hyunwoo is not nearly interested enough to be dragged into Kihyun's mess.
So he only lifts a hand in parting and rushes away, eager to arrive at the comic shop and rid himself of the spiteful red-head. He even gets a giddy smile plastered across his face when he spots Changkyun sat behind the counter waiting for him. Changkyun does not smile back, only groaning when a shadow follows after Hyunwoo. "What the hell are you doing here?" Changkyun shouts from across the shop, Hyunwoo stopping in his tracks.
"Dude- We've worked together for like a year-"
"Not you, Hyung!" Changkyun hops up from his stool, glaring at the small head that peeks out behind Hyunwoo, eyes wide as he watches Changkyun right back. "You've got a parasite attached to you," Changkyun informs the oldest of the bunch, Kihyun a rather sore sight so early in the morning.
"Good to see you too, half-blood."
Hyunwoo, turning sharply in fright, glares down at Kihyun. "Hey, don't make fun of him because he's foreign!"
Kihyun sputters out an obnoxious laugh, Changkyun rolling his dark eyes at Hyunwoo's ignorance. Changkyun is not sure how Kihyun knows about him, but it only makes him dislike the small man even more. "Kihyun, Jooheon isn't here, and he won't be coming in here anytime soon." Lifting a hand, Changkyun waves the older man along. "Get lost."
Sighing, Kihyun grabs for Hyunwoo's hand, smiling when he can still feel his last round of compulsion strong in the tall man's mind. "But Hyunwoo and I just became friends! He said I could hang out for a little bit!"
Changkyun, clearly disgusted, looks from his friend to his plague. He does not know what to do. So, lifting his hands in the air, he decides to just give up. "Whatever. Just don't touch me, don't talk to me, and don't look at me." With that, he takes his book from the counter and hides himself away in the break room, eager to avoid proper duties for as long as he can. With Kihyun so near, he cannot help but feel on edge.
He can only hope that his usual escape of words on a page can be his savior again today.