The speed of shivers (stray kids)

10. The Seungmin effect✨

(Warning! This chapter includes: Blood (not intense)

Katarzyna's POV

Soft, sweet humming echoes through the room. I feel something stinging on my head as I want to open my eyes. But they feel incredibly heavy and I can't manage to open them. The humming comes closer until it is right next to my ear. A cold shiver passes through me and slowly I regain consciousness. My arms are free but I am too tired to move them. I feel the cold pull up from my back. It feels like someone put an icepack on my back. I guess I am sitting against a tiled wall or something.

The tapping of something bouncing on the ground is followed by a hand gently grasping the underside of my chin. My chin is held up slightly causing my head to tilt up. Then I feel a big sting in my forehead. From shock, I regain consciousness and manage to finesse back. "Oh you're already awake...Hey, hey! Shhhh. It's okay dear...shhhh...It's okay." Says a soft voice as I feel a cloth on my head. "I just need to disinfect it. The pain will be over in no time." I feel someone dabbing my head with the cloth. The tiredness feeling slowly starts to drain out of me. "Whatever you do, keep calm. It's for your own safety." Says the voice again. Hyunjin said the same before, but then it was a lie. Who will it be this time? Finally, I can open my eyes and look straight into 2 brown eyes. A man with a sweet look in his eyes looks at me with a shy smile. "Here we go. Look at that, I'm glad you're awake." For some reason, I am so surprised that I do not know how to give any response back. I can't stop it but for no reason I suddenly start crying. "Awe no, don't cry honey. I know several people have said this to you but you can really trust me. You are I good hands for now. I promise you that."

I don't know if it's because I feel relieved or because I'm just afraid this is another trap. But for some reason, my eyes only start to water more . The man looks at me with concern, not really sure what to do. "Wait... uhm, just stay here for a second okay? I'll just grab something." The man walks away into another room and only now do I look around the room. I am sitting on the floor of a bathroom. Through the reflection of the mirror I can see myself sitting there. For a moment I startle when I see the large wound on my head. What will have happened? I can't remember... Through the reflection of the mirror I see myself sitting against the edge of the bath. Ah...hence the cold against my back. The whole bathroom is white with some soft wood tones and mostly lots of plants. The man soon returns with something in his hand while I am still sobbing on the floor. The man closes the bathroom door behind him and crouches down in front of me again. "Look" he says while holding up a book covered in silver. "I thought I would read to you from my favourite book. Maybe that will calm you down. Once you're relaxed again, I can tell you where I found you." I nod and the man smiles again as he opens the book a little awkwardly. Then he extends his hand to me. "Oh uhm I'm Seungmin by the way." He says with a sweet tone. Automatically, I grab his hand. "Katarzyna" I say. I look at him piercingly for a moment and think. Seungmin... I've heard that name before. Seungmin sits down on his knees and starts reading. It doesn't take long before my tears start to dry. His voice is so calm and sweet. So innocent.

Time skip of 30 minutes

With a clap, Seungmin clapped his book shut. "So...Feeling better now?" He asks cautiously. "Hmh." Say I as I nod. I indeed feel a lot better and safer. Seungmin puts his book on the floor and looks around for a moment. "Do you want me to explain it to you right here or do you prefer to go to my room for a while? It might be a bit warmer in there." The fact that he lets me decide anything feels special. I usually don't have a say in here. "Okay" I reply. Seungmin looks at me a little confused. "Okay what?" ... "uhm okay sir." I quickly continue. "No...that." Seungmin smiles a little uncomfortably. "I mean, do you want to say okay we'll stay here. Or okay we go to my room? And please just call me Seungmin or Seungi whatever." ... "okay" I answer again. Seungmin's defeated laugh makes me realise what I just said. "Oh no...I" I now start giggling myself with the dried tears still on my cheeks. "I meant 'okay' as in, I'll call you Seungmin." I say. Seungmin nods. "I think you are as awkward as I am. Come with me, let's go to my room." I feel my cheeks burning from embarrassment as he reaches his right hand to me. I carefully grab his hand, pulling myself up.