This incredible guy is a year older and we’re not forgetting his birthday.
We hope you enjoy it!
VOCALS
His voice is something that unquestionably made us fall for him. His talent is endless.
ACTING CAREER
This is something else about this multitask boy. He’s an actor, an incredible one...
AWARDS
And there’s the proof:
16th Seoul International Youth Film Festival - Best Young Actor
3rd APAN Star Awards - Best New Actor
11th Max Movie Awards - Rising Star Award
52nd Baeksang Arts Awards - Most Popular Actor (Film)
53rd Baeksang Arts Awards - Most Popular Actor (Film)
Korean Film Shining Star Awards - Newcomer Award (Film)
13th JIMFF Awards - Star Award
38th Blue Dragon Film Awards - Best New Actor
2nd Asia Artist Awards - Popularity Award Actor
2nd International Film Festival & Awards, Macau - Talent Ambassador Award
27th Buil Film Awards - Popular Star Award
2nd The Seoul Awards - Popularity Award, Actor
18th Director's Cut Awards - Best New Actor
3rd Dong-A.com's Pick - Next Generation Noteworthy Actor
HANDSOMENESS
His visuals are underestimated. He’s a handsome guy... Look at that face.
FEATURES
Let’s talk about his big round eyes that are bright af, and those kissable heart-shaped lips.
SMILE
This smile is maybe the purest image you can see. It expresses all the love and gratitude he has bloomed with.
MANLY
His features and his attitude is something that we can relate to the definition of masculinity.
CUTE
Even if he doesn’t believe it, he’s exaggerated cute. He just exists and got us all like uWu.
SEXY
He has that side where he looks like daddy. Sorry Lord for I has sinned.
TINY
This smol bean needs some protection, so please, love him so much.
THANKFUL
He appreciates all the love and support his fans are giving to him, and this is something that says a lot about someone.
SABOR A MÍ
“Tanto tiempo disfrutamos de este amor...”
Sorry, but we wanted to do a highlight for the meaningful stage that blessed our Latin/Hispanic hearts.
PERSISTENT
Have you ever thought about how crazy his schedule may be? He’s a superstar and has lots of responsibilities and keep going on with them all.
SHY BOY
Some people think that he’s rude, but they don’t understand he’s a quiet guy with the purest heart.
SQUISHY
Isn’t that baby face a squishy temptation? It’s a need to squish those cheeks.
GLASSES
He looks like a baby with them because they highlight his pretty big eyes.
SILLY SIDE
He’s not everything about seriousness. He can become a crackhead too.
“AGGRESSIVE”
We have to understand that sometimes it’s necessary. And we’re not lying, that’s his way of showing love.
SPEECHES
His words are no joke. Such an inspirational speech.
FUTURE FARMER
Yes, he dreams for when he becomes older is to turn a farmer because of the calm environment. Such a cutie!
CHEF
He can cook even can cook, and we love food sooooo we’re not letting this fact pass.
HUSBAND MATERIAL
No, we’re not talking about boyfriend material. The way he acts is more about a lovely and responsible hubby.
SATANSOO
His dark side is something that everyone is afraid of. He can turn really savage.
KAISOO
Sorry, but this ship is something that remains superior. The contrast of their personalities makes us soft.
CHANSOO
And this funny ship where we don’t know if he really loves Chanyeol because of the constant threatening. But, anyways, Ksoo still loving to sing with CY’s guitar.
EXO
He’s part of this amazing group that is always blessing us with their incredible talents.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY, KYUNGSOO!
We’re really proud of all your accomplishments that make us be sure that we absolutely stan a legend.
Summary: In the limbo between life and death, you meet a strange man, who appeared too gentle to hold the title of a Grim Reaper, and yet he was the one who helped you come to decide where you would next go in your existence.
Pairing: Do Kyungsoo x reader
Genre: reaper au / supernatural / fluff
Warnings: death, the afterlife, dark content
A/N: So this is actually based off a story I wrote in university that I wanted to revisit. And who better to do so with than Do Kyungsoo. If there was anyone who I could imagine to take on the role in this storyline, it was him and here we are! This is my last Frightful October story, so I do hope you all enjoy it!
Word count: 6035
You couldn’t feel how cold you were anymore. The water running down your face continued to soak into the crumpled dress that you had spent far too much money on to get this drenched. But it didn’t really matter either. Your dress wouldn’t get to see another night out; it had barely made it out before the accident had happened.
The pain in your chest soon enveloped your thoughts again. You felt otherwise numb, frozen from the pouring rain, unable to focus on anything but the barely shallow breathing that your body could actually muster. Existing was all that you could do and you were so far doing a pathetic job of that too. How did things end up like this? Everything was going well; in fact, you had never been happier.
But that’s about right though for me, isn’t it? Good old Y/N.
Whenever the sun started to shine on your life, something always had to mess it up and make the stormy clouds return. You thought you were out of the eye of the storm though; you really believed this was your time. But who were you to get your hopes up? You had nobody now. Only this godforsaken house and your expensive black dress left around you. No family, no friends, nothing.
That’s what happens when you die. You lose everything. No more sunny days. The storm is overhead. Bring on the thunder; it can drown out your tears.
Your story is the typical kind. You were bought up in a nice respectable house with a good family. Your parents supplied all that you needed and you weren’t restricted with lots of rules, apart from a curfew until aged sixteen. You were a good girl who studied hard, got the grades to make your parents proud and was generally known as the responsible, quiet type.
But you were screaming desperately on the inside. You felt fake, someone who pleased everyone else but yourself. You were miserable and began to hate life. That was until you found your outlet.
You joined a band. It wasn’t mainstream, hell you were all a bunch of misfits in some way. Your parents saw their influence as negative of course, something to interrupt with your studies of getting into the college of their dreams. You constantly heard, “Y/N, don’t forget your dreams!” whenever you started to excitedly speak of what made you passionate these days. You liked the interruption though, singing became everything to you. Your grades slipped to a B average but you couldn’t care less. Soon you were forgoing even applying for college, and school was finished. You had little regard for anything but singing. Writing and performing your own songs was all that made you exist now. It brought the sun through your dark barrier. It made you find love in yourself, in the world, in everything.
It also brought your death. You were heading to an important gig, one where a scout had promised you a contract at their company if you performed well. James, the bassist, was driving and you were sure he’d had a few drinks before getting behind the wheel, but you trusted him, he had always looked out for you. You remembered screeching wheels and bright lights and then nothing. The horrible limbo you were stuck in, sitting out here on the steps of some old house in the constant rain, was all you had now. You assumed you were dead, but you also thought death would be more peaceful than this.
The rain seemed to disappear from your thoughts now. You could still vaguely tell it was there, as heavy and constant as it had been since your arrival. Instead, you seemed to see through the curtain of water into the world around you. It wasn’t as miserable as you believed it to be. It was some sort of estate; there were immaculate gardens all around and once you actually got up from the step you had been residing on for some time, you looked behind yourself. The house was beautiful, even in the rain. With curiosity returning, you climbed up to the wooden porch surrounding the house, walking slowly to the large front door. Twisting the cool handle around, the door creaked open, allowing you to enter the dimly lit hallway. You felt like you had gone back in time somehow, antique furniture and photographs lined the foyer and you soaked in all the belongings as your heels clicked along the wooden floors slowly. As you made your way into the next room you stopped abruptly as you realised you weren’t alone.
“Oh I’m so sorry, I didn’t think there was anyone in here,” you mentioned softly and the man sitting on the sofa shrugged.
“You wouldn’t be the first to arrive here and let yourself in. Took you a while to come inside, mind you.”
You stepped into the parlour cautiously, your eyes never leaving his. “Why didn’t you come and let me in yourself? I mean, it’s pouring down out there!”
“You seemed content.”
“Content?!” you cried, shaking your head furiously. Your wet hair showered the rug under your feet with water drops. “I have no idea where I am, what I’m doing here and how I even came to this ridiculous raining place!”
He sighed and gestured to a seat. “They always have so many questions to answer when they get here.”
“They?! Who is they?!”
“Calm yourself Y/N, you’ll get nowhere screaming at me,” he stated coolly and let out a frustrated breath. “Welcome to the waiting house. I’m the Keeper and you’ll be staying here until your fate is decided.”
You gaped at the man for a moment, looking for signs of humour within his face. His umber depths were dull, and his face looked tired. He was rather ordinary, though that could be because the clothes he was dressed in were from a time you had only read of in books. You struggled to understand what he meant and sat quietly, attempting to figure it all out, including how he knew your name. “What am I exactly waiting for?”
“Death, life, your pick really,” he answered with a bored tone, inspecting a finger and then wiping his hand along his pants.
Your eyes widened in shock. “You mean I’m still alive?!”
“Yeah, your parents are keeping you alive.”
“How do you know all this?”
He rolled his eyes. “If I had any other choice I wouldn’t be here either, believe me.”
“You didn’t answer me,” you retorted rudely. “Are you some kind of angel? What is your name? Surely it isn’t Keeper.”
“Do you see any wings?” he asked flatly and shook his head. “I’m not some pansy do-gooder. And my name is not relevant.”
“I’m just trying to get my head around all of this. And I’d prefer to know who I’m staying with, in some way other than by his role.”
“It’s not a resort Y/N, if it were, it wouldn’t be pouring down outside,” he commented dryly and looked around the room.
“So this is hell then?”
“Feels like it half the time.”
You creased up your forehead and tried to make sense of it all. “So are you stuck here too?”
“This is my home.”
“Really?” You smirked. “You don’t seem to be fond of it.”
“Just like you hated your own life. We can’t do much to change things. At least you can have friends that hang around. Here, I just have people come and go.”
“Why don’t you leave then?”
He chuckled. “You know for a clever girl like yourself Y/N; you’re not very smart are you?”
“I beg your pardon?!”
“You know of Heaven and Hell. You know you’re stuck in limbo right now. So who gets the job of deciding your lifespan?” he asked, leaning forward from the sofa and glaring at you. His features took on disturbing appearance briefly before he slumped back against the furniture.
“You’re Death?”
“Bet you were expecting a skeleton and a scythe eh?” He laughed. “It’s best to not frighten people any more than they need to be.”
“You’re... you’re really Death!”
“Yes,” he stated slowly as if he had to be extra delicate with your state of mind right now. “I am the Grim Reaper.”
“But, why you?”
“Oh, so I’m not impressive to you?” The man rolled his eyes. “Sorry to disappoint. It’s not my fault society down below don’t know what they’re talking about.”
“I’m sorry to offend,” you said softly and sighed. “Why are you stuck here though? Can’t you go to places and pick up all the people who are meant to die?”
“It’s a myth. I live here; I oversee all those who don’t choose to leave on their own accord.”
You frowned. “I’m not following you, Grim.”
“Don’t call me that,” he groaned and rubbed at his face in apparent exhaustion. You wondered just how many times in his existence he had to explain himself. At that moment you felt a sense of empathy for the emotionless man. He soon glowered at you. “Don’t pity me either.”
“You’re confusing me,” you admitted and he sighed for the umpteenth time.
“They really teach you badly down there.” He cleared his throat, his eyes penetrating yours a moment later. “There are souls who decide in the scene of disaster that their role on Earth is over. There are those who don’t want to die and fight my influence, so they live. And then there are people like you. Unable to decide whether they belong in one realm or the other. They are the troublesome ones, and it’s my job to make sure you choose the right path.”
“Easy, I want to live,” you answered with a smile and nodded. “Send me back please.”
He laughed loudly and shook his head. “It’s not that easy, Y/N.”
“You just said-”
“Just because you have the drive to be alive, doesn’t mean your body is capable of working properly again. Do you want to be stuck in a vessel where you can’t sing, can’t walk, can’t even talk? Where your parents have to care for you around the clock and worry about you so much that you begin to wreck their marriage?”
You gasped, the brutality of his words shocked you further than you could imagine. You hadn’t expected to be in such a mess. Looking up at him with tears in your eyes, you faltered. “I’m meant to die then?”
“Well, it’s up to you really. Maybe you might have a miracle happen and the doctors are wrong. Stranger things have happened.” He got up to put more wood on a fire you only realised to be going then. You watched his actions and then took a deep breath.
“You’re confusing me again.”
“No, I’m just giving your options to you, like I’m meant to do.”
“If I die, where do I go from here?”
He didn’t turn around from the fireplace, but his body visibly slumped. “I wouldn’t know, I’m stuck here, remember?”
“But you don’t want to be,” you murmured and he glanced over his shoulder at you.
“Would you?”
“I’m not sure.”
“You think you’d want this job, being immortal, being able to have power beyond imagination, but in reality, it’s an eternal damnation, stuck here to serve forever.” He glanced down at the ground and then smiled weakly. “Come on, enough morbid stuff, I’ll show you to your room.”
Sleep came peacefully to you within the house. The rain had been soothing to fall asleep to, the rhythmic pounding relaxing you from an otherwise bewildering experience. When you opened your eyes the following morning the weather was no better, in fact, it seemed worse. You stretched your limbs tiredly and looked around the new surroundings. It was outdated like the rest of the house seemed to be, and yet it was prettier than your old room. A large mirror and marble vanity sat across from the four-poster bed you climbed out of, your bare feet padding across the wooden floor towards the small stool in front of it. Taking a seat, you glanced around the rest of the room, noting a dresser in the corner near the large window. You then turned to your appearance in the mirror, cringing at how wild your hair had gone with all the rain. Glancing at the equipment in front of you, you picked up the brush and began attacking the frizz forcefully, wishing for your straighteners to make taming the disaster much easier. You managed to get it under some control before tying it up, and then moved over to open the curtains. The sky was a dull grey colour and through the water bullets hitting the glass pane you were able to take in more of the property. It seemed to stretch as far as you could see, blending into a dense forest boundary. There were more gardens, namely sculpted shrubs and small flowers taking shelter underneath. You wondered who kept the place so tidy, as you were yet to meet anyone else. You didn’t think Death himself would be a gardener extraordinaire either, and this led you to ponder the idea of his magic.
Giving up on guessing if there was some tiny gardener that sprung up in the night, you left the window and walked to the door. Stepping out into the hallway and looking both ways, you tried to remember the vague directions he had shown you the night previous. He had been brief, as you now expected from the man, and the only room he had taken the time to show you other than your own, was the bathroom. You stared at two doors and then opened one, finding a small porcelain toilet and sink in there. As you did your morning routine, you tried to figure the time period the house had been built in, with the conflicting Victorian styled furniture and the more modern indoor bathroom.
An idea suddenly baffled you just as you splashed warm water onto your face, and you glanced up. Staring at your wet face in the small mirror above the sink, you tilted your head in thought. If you weren’t alive, was there any need to continue out your daily activities? All you had ever known was how to be a living, breathing human. Now that you weren’t, so many thoughts suddenly cropped up about your newly discovered existence. You hurried out of the bathroom and somehow found the staircase, running down them to the first floor. In the sound of your haste, the reaper appeared in the hallway with a curious expression upon his face.
“Please don’t tell me you think this is all a dream and I have to explain everything again, Y/N,” he dreaded as you came to a sudden halt in front of him.
You shook your head. “No, why would I think that?”
“Many people do,” he stated with another of his lazy shrugs and then frowned. “What is the problem then?”
“I have to ask you something.”
“Okay, I’m going to eat breakfast whilst you do so.” He then briskly retreated through an archway that led into the dining room, and then through to the kitchen. You followed along closely, almost banging into him as he stopped suddenly. He went over to a boiling kettle and lifted it off the stove, busying himself with pouring the hot water into two mugs. You sat down and waited for him to join you. He soon did with the drinks and some toast on a metal holder that you had once seen your Grandmother use when you were a kid.
“Thank you,” you said as he handed you a mug and sat down.
“So, what is so important that brought you down here without being dressed?” he inquired, raising an eyebrow as your face flushed with colour. Looking down at the long shirt you had found in your bedroom, you then eyed the exit with a sudden urge to depart his company. You wondered if you should rush off and change. He smirked lightly as he picked up a piece of toast and began to spread it with jam. “It’s okay; normally people don’t feel that comfortable here. You’ve caught me off guard.”
“Really?”
He seemed annoyed with himself for speaking his honest thoughts. Imploring you with a cold gaze to mask his own mistake, he tilted his head. “What is troubling you?”
“Well, I don’t know how to say it.”
“I’m not a mind reader, so you’re going to have to tell me so I can understand,” he pointed out as he took a sip of his tea. You mirrored his action, smiling as the honey infused drink made you feel instantly better. You then stopped drinking and frowned at his statement.
“How do you know so much about me then?” you asked curiously and he rolled his eyes. “You surely have some special talents or you wouldn’t be Death.”
“Wanna see some?” You pulled a face at his returned bitterness. “I’m not a good guy Y/N. I don’t have the ability to make the flowers grow or whatever else you think I can do in some romantic vision you have of me.”
“Well that half answers my earlier thoughts,” you murmured to yourself before smiling at the dark-haired man. He sighed and dropped the piece of toast in his hand.
“With my responsibility, I am given the facts I need to know. It depends on how much you need to tell me. I know who you are, your age, what you’re life was like. But I do not know your every thought, especially the ones you have in this house.”
You nodded, clearing your throat. “The question I have is a weird one.”
“Look around you; I don’t think you see this as something normal.” He finally ate a chunk of his toast, and you watched him avidly. Was it necessary for you to eat, or was it out of comfort and habit? You nodded with the need to press on for answers.
“What we’re doing right now, is it really necessary for us to?”
“Eating?” he asked and you nodded. “Well, you could go hungry if you like.”
“No, I mean, do the dead have to do what we used to when we were alive? Is there a need to sleep, eat, drink, and all the other daily tasks we did before dying?”
You hadn’t realised you had leaned over the small kitchen table until he moved towards you too. Shuffling back awkwardly, you waited for his response. “Did I say either of us is dead?”
“No, but we’re not alive.”
“Thank you for pointing that out, Captain Obvious,” he proclaimed and you folded your arms across your chest in a huff.
“You are really rude sometimes, you know that? You’re as cold as the rain. I was just asking a simple question.”
He sighed heavily. “Since we are neither living nor dead, doesn’t it make sense to do what is second nature to us? This world still changes, take a look outside if you don’t believe me. The flowers die and then come back alive. The rain eases and then grows heavier. So why should we stop when everything else hasn’t?”
“Good point,” you said thoughtfully and vaguely heard Grim get up.
“Where are you going?” you asked as you blinked out of your reverie and he stopped moving, looking at you intently for a moment. His dark depths clouded over before he broke his gaze.
“Out.”
He left the kitchen. You listened to hear the front door open and shut. Bounding out after him, you opened the door and was taken back by the freezing air that smacked you hard. Squinting through the weather, you saw his dark figure ahead and watched him disappear into the tree line. You then shut the door, looking around the first level and wondering how long it would take until he came back.
The reaper returned late that evening. You had spent most of the day exploring the rooms and even managed to cook dinner for you both without burning it. You didn’t touch it, however, waiting in the parlour and watched outside. When you spotted him approaching, you leapt up off the couch and raced to the front door, flinging it open and shielded your face from the rain that shot inside uninvited. He eventually made it to the porch and was surprised to see you standing there.
“What are you doing, you’re getting all wet!” he cried unexpectedly and ushered you inside, shutting out the din of the weather with the bang of the door. He hurried you into the parlour where you had attempted to keep the fire going. You blushed, noting it was barely alight. “And you killed my fire.”
“Well you never asked me to look after it,” you pointed out matter-of-factly. He chuckled and bent over the hearth, holding out his hands. You couldn’t see exactly what he was doing, but when he stood upright again, the fire was glowing, and he was completely dry. He turned to face you with a smile. You shook your head, trying not to laugh. “Powers that are only bad, huh?”
“Do I smell food?” he asked, ignoring your observation.
“Are you part dog now too, or just have a really good sense of smell?” you wondered, following him into the kitchen where you had laid out the meal. It wasn’t much; you had never been exactly adept at cooking, but you had tried your best to make something somewhat presentable. You were pretty impressed with your efforts admittedly, and with a survey of his expression, you had clearly impressed him too.
“No one has ever cooked for me.”
“Well that’s rude, especially after all your hospitality,” you teased and he turned to you, smiling again. His face looked much brighter when he wasn’t scowling, and you noticed he had a softness to his features after all. His plump lips even looked like an outstretched heart which made you beam back at him, before ushering him to the table. He sat down and you watched his expression ardently to see if you had done alright. You were anxious and at first, he was expressionless. You felt your good deed weaken. Then he scooped more into his mouth. You let out the breath you were unaware you were holding in and started eating as well. You could tell you had broken through the first obstructive layer to the death dealer and hoped he’d show you more of the kind side to him during your stay.
According to rough estimation, you had been living in the manor for four days with the Grim Reaper now, and each day you became more content. His standoffish attitude was bearable the further he conversed with you, and you could tell that secretly he enjoyed your company, although he had quickly taken over the cooking again. For some reason, you weren’t hurt by this, mostly because his food was divine. A part of you pitied him being stuck here without any permanent occupants though. You had asked him why he was alone and he had merely shrugged, saying emotional attachment to subjects never worked as they always wanted more than the rain.
You didn’t seem to mind the downpour any more and had smiled brightly at him, his dark gaze faltering a little. You could tell he wanted more than what his words implicated. And so it surprised you last night when you were sitting in front of the fire together that he had told you his real name – Kyungsoo. He seemed embarrassed from admitting it to you as soon it fell from his lips and headed off to his own room without another word. You, however, felt incredibly warm, and no longer because of the heat of the fireplace. He was opening up to you, and you felt like his name was something only you had been privy to out of anyone else who had visited the waiting house so far.
You felt foolishly special.
Bounding down the stairs happily and heading into the parlour the next morning, you were still feeling the buzz of the connection from last night. You found your host staring out the large bay window intently. “Good morning, Kyungsoo!”
He blinked in your direction several times, attempting to settle whatever emotion that flashed within his gaze on you. His hardness quickly returned, and you gave him an indignant scowl.
“We have a new friend.” He gestured outside and you walked over to his side, peering out of the window. “He’s been sitting there for half the night.”
“Shouldn’t we invite him in?” you asked brightly and he rolled his eyes.
“Your happiness is going to be the death of me.”
“You’re already the undead,” you commented with a smirk and he chuckled lightly. “I’m going to bring him in.”
“Go on then, do-gooder.”
Opening up the door, you were overwhelmed with the crashing sounds of the rain hitting everything in sight. You had forgotten how loud it was and needed a moment to adjust before darting over to the dark haired man. Your approach was muted due to the rain and when you poked his shoulder, he jumped in fright and spun around.
“COME INSIDE!”
“WHAT?!” he yelled over the noise and you pointed at the open door. Getting to his feet, he followed you inside hastily, the door shutting the rain out. It was eerily silent inside compared to the weather out, and you shook yourself off a little before leading the way to the parlour.
“Hello, Jongin.”
The man recoiled at the sound of his name. “H-how do you-”
“This job never gets any better,” Kyungsoo stated, and you went over to the fireplace, alive with curiosity over the newcomer. “Welcome to the waiting house. I’m the Keeper and you’ll be staying here until your fate is decided.”
“And I’m Y/N,” you added, as the reaper shot you a smirk. Jongin walked into the room slowly and took a seat, clearly deep in thought.
“One minute I was, and then I heard a gunshot,” he murmured, reaching towards his chest for evidence. He found none. “Am I dead?”
“Not yet, you are undecided.”
“Like me,” you mentioned and Jongin glanced at you weakly.
“Y/N, you’re not helping.”
“Sorry, I’m just trying to make the information come across easier than what you did with me.”
Kyungsoo glared. “I apologise for my lack of social skills.”
“Well if you acted like you cared a little more when telling us who you are, then it wouldn’t be so bad,” you exclaimed with annoyance and Jongin interrupted our argument.
“Who are you?” he directed at the other man and the Death-dealer sighed heavily. “Some kind of angel?”
Kyungsoo placed his palm across his face and shook his head. “I can tell this is going to be a long day.”
You thought having Jongin in the house was going to be exciting. He didn’t embrace the large manor in the same way you had, merely using grunting noises when you spoke to him. You couldn’t understand why he didn’t like it here; for you, it was getting better by the day. You figured half of that had to do with how you spent your time, living with Kyungsoo as if you were alive like he had suggested upon your arrival. Jongin just sat in the parlour during the day, staring miserably out into the rain, making you feel as if the weather had stepped inside as well.
On his third day in the manor, you approached the sullen man in the parlour, taking a seat across from him. He smiled weakly in your direction and you returned it. “How are you today, Jongin?”
“How else can I be? I’m waiting to die.”
“Not necessarily,” you interjected and smiled encouragingly. “There is always the chance you’ll keep living.”
Jongin glanced at you, his dark eyes penetrating yours. He was generally a gentle looking person, but the glare made you sit back in your chair in fright. “How can you be so cheerful and full of hope? Your situation is worse than mine.”
“I haven’t really been thinking about it,” you admitted honestly and frowned. It only hit you then that you had forgotten the reason you were here. The memory of the accident seemed so distant now. You looked at Jongin, who was gaping at your statement. “What?”
“You want to die?”
“No one wants to die Jongin, we’re all scared to.”
He shook his head as if your words made no sense to him. “This place is Hell. All it does is rain, and nothing is of comfort. It’s all old and even smells like death.”
“There is beauty, even in the rain,” you defended instantly. “Look at all the flowers, how they withstand the rain and are strong enough to do so! And there is the feeling of intrigue here too. Don’t you find it fascinating that this house has so much history, of the people who have come and gone?”
Jongin got up and then stopped abruptly, causing you to look to see why. Kyungsoo was in the doorway, and you wondered how much he had heard of your conversation. He stepped aside to allow Jongin his escape and then came in to throw a piece of wood on the fire.
“It’s like I’ve told you before Y/N, people don’t like this place. You shouldn’t either; you still have to make your decision too.” He then left as silently as he had arrived and you sat there contemplating why you felt a sense of belonging here.
You were happy when Jongin left two days later. It was an odd experience to find him smiling that morning, his brown eyes twinkling with pure happiness. He had finally come to a decision and was going back to his body. Kyungsoo told you later that day that Jongin’s time wasn’t up anyway and that’s what helped him get back down to himself.
“When am I going to decide?” you asked suddenly, both of you were in the parlour the next day. His eyes met with yours briefly, widening at your question, before they fell back to the ground and his shoulders shrugged.
“You know it’s up to you, Y/N.”
You frowned and placed the book you had been reading down on the sofa beside you. “But how do I know? I’ve been here so long now, and Jongin wasn’t here long at all.”
“I told you no one ever stays here happily for long.” He got to his feet. He then glared at you. “You will leave here when you god damn decide to. Personally, I hope it’s soon. If you’ll excuse me, I’m going for a walk.”
He stormed across to the foyer and left you reeling from his outburst. Before you understood what you were doing, you hurried after the disappearing man, shuddering as the rain pounded down on your body. You couldn’t spot him anywhere and let out a disgruntled cry, before trying the path to the left. It wound around to the back of the house and you gasped, seeing a large field of wildflowers, confidently coming out from the soaked earth and boldly withstanding the water bullets. Your amazement was short lived as you remembered why you had come outside, and you darted along the path into the flowers, weaving through some that looked as if they had recently been disturbed. You made it to the dense canopy of forest bordering the field and let out a deep breath, the loud rain barely drizzling in here.
Wandering slowly and deeper into the woods, you hoped that your footsteps would remain for a safe return out. You had noticed over your time with Kyungsoo that although he appeared to walk, he never left a sound or mark upon the ground of where his feet had stepped, and so you were praying you had made the right choice coming into the forest to find him. You rounded a large oak tree to find yourself in a small clearing, with more of the wildflowers growing there. The rain didn’t make its way into the unusual spot at all, and you laughed happily, feeling your mood lightening as you danced around the dry area. After your third spin however you found a pair of eyes watching you from under the trees and you stopped, breathing heavily as he stepped towards you.
“What are you doing out here?”
“I followed you,” you replied and smiled lightly. “I don’t hate the rain as you seem to think I do.”
His eyes were suddenly cautious. “Everyone does. It brings their mood down and it’s depressing.”
“To you maybe, but I’ve felt happy being here,” you admitted and Kyungsoo stared at you for a moment.
“You want to leave though.”
“I did,” you stated with a nod. You bent down to pick a purple flower and inhaled its scent before continuing. “I couldn’t understand why I was having so much trouble deciding.”
“But you have,” he mentioned slowly, his dark eyes filling with confusion. “I don’t understand your decision. You choose to die, but you don’t choose for another realm.”
You stepped closer to the man, handing him your flower. Kyungsoo took it and examined your gift. “Guess I don’t really want to know what’s out there either.”
“No, don’t do this.” His eyes darkened. “I can’t bear the idea of-”
“Me getting sick of the rain?” you interjected with a smile. “I figure if you’re here, the rain isn’t so bad. You’ve been honest with me, blunt even, since I arrived. This lifestyle of loneliness isn’t doing well for you and I think you want me here.”
“You know I do,” he said instantly, tucking the flower behind your ear. You smiled lightly and watched as a glimmer of hope got squashed by doubt in his expression. Kyungsoo shook his head sadly. “You don’t know what you’re saying. You have to decide something else.”
“I don’t want anything else. I’m happy here, I love the house and this magical place right here is amazing.”
“A brief escape from reality,” he agreed as he looked around you both, smiling lightly. “Y/N, you know if you choose this place, you have the opportunity to move on to another realm if you start hating it, right?”
“Why would I do that?” You smiled and raised your index finger. “I realised the difference between me and Jongin.”
“Apart from your apparent gender factor?”
You rolled your eyes. “The reason I’m happy here has nothing to do with the house really. It has to do with the company. I really like you, and I want to help you with your job if you’ll let me.”
Kyungsoo was surprised, his gaze stuck on yours for some time. You wondered if he would actually accept your offer.
“Well if you’ve made your mind up,” he said slowly, gazing down at you and then tenderly taking your hand. You were surprised at how warm his touch was compared to his usual cold demeanour. “I guess I can’t change it.”
“It’s a done deal,” you announced and squeezed the death dealer’s hand. His grin was unrestrained, and you found that the air around you both was no longer as thick as it had once felt. As you walked back towards the house silently, you realised that the atmosphere was indeed changing.
“The rain has become lighter,” he observed, as you stepped out of the trees together. You glanced at him and smiled. “You know, this is a really weird day. You decide to stay, I finally feel happy, and the rain slows down.”
“Maybe you control this world more than you think,” you offered and he frowned.
“Maybe.”
“After all,” you said, letting go of his hand and grinning at him. “Stranger things have happened.”
You laughed together and took off towards the house, which was no longer your place of waiting between life and death, but your new home.
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Welcome to Frightful October, a collab between myself and @this-song-thats-only-for-you … this week’s theme is Hallow’s Eve! To follow more of the stories check out the links below:
Other stories in Hallow’s Eve: Wolfed Out | Grim Decisions | Dress Up
Frightful October Masterlist | Main Masterlist | Request Guidelines
