He's got the whole world in his hands | Jeongin

Chapter forty

"And you're sure that's what you saw?" Felix asked softly. It's not that he didn't believe Jeongin, it's more like he didn't want to believe it. Jeongin was pretty serious about a lot of things, including his faith. The idea that he may have seen something demonic in the church, it chilled him to the bone.

"I'm positive. There's no other way to explain it. One moment I was looking out at the crowd and the next, flies were entirely covering Minsi's face and hair. I don't understand it and I wish I did."

"You can't be fucking serious," Seungmin chimed in. "Are you two hearing yourselves? You want me to believe that Minsi is really possessed? Jeongin, are you sure you're just not mentally unwell? You can't admit that this doesn't sound psychotic."

"Seungmin!"

As Felix came to his defense, Jeongin frowned. He hated to admit it, but it did sound unbelievable. It was horrifying to think that something so demonic could sit in the house of God. How could it even stand to be there?

The church was always used for prayers. Weddings had been thrown and so had funerals. A wide variety of events with faith intertwined had been hosted within the stained glass. From dedicating children to God and baptizing people, the building was holy in a variety of ways.

The walls were soaked with prayers. God's murmurs and blessing secreted the sanctuary. To think that something evil disguised itself and wiggled through, it was unnatural. If it could warp and hide itself in a church, it had to be powerful.

Crosses were hung in multiple places, including the main one behind the pulpit. Prayers were uttered just this morning. The gospel was sung and sure, Minsi hadn't been there for that part, but she still had to walk through the entrance. She had to walk past the religious imagery and decorations. How did she get in if a demon was using her as a host?

"You're being such a jerk!"

"How is it being a jerk if I'm being realistic? Life isn't all golden blessings and God. If you want to pretend and believe in sky daddy, fine. I'm looking at the logical side of things. That's not normal! What if he has a neurological problem that you're overlooking due to religion?"

Felix scoffed and shook his head. "Maybe you'd understand if you accepted my invites to the church. I've offered for you to co-"

"I don't want to go sit in the pews and play pretend. You want me to sit there and put my hard-earned money in the offering plate? Fuck that."

"That money goes to help the church."

"I don't give a shit."

"Because you're selfish."

"If picking and choosing faith in myself rather than some old ass man that I can't see is selfish then so be it."

The bickering was going back and forth again. A pendulum constantly swinging and it'd never stop until someone changed the conversation. Felix and Seungmin were nearly toe-to-toe and neither one was budging.

"Guys, come on," Jeongin muttered. "You're not helping with the situation. The point is that I'm here now and I don't think it's going to happen again. I just need to figure out how to help Minsi."

"Not helping?" Felix spun around to face him. A frown sat on his freckled face. "We have no idea what kind of demon you're dealing with. You should stay away from her until you can talk to the bishop. She needs help right away and we can't keep screwing around and let Satan keep his claws in her."

"Have you even asked what Minsi wants? What if she wants both of you to fuck off and leave her the fuck alone? Have you ever considered that? Have you considered that maybe you're peer pressuring her and warping her into some twisted kind of victim of something that doesn't exist?"

Jeongin's stomach churned at the mention of Minsi being a victim. The conversation from the other day came back to him. Out of everything he thought they might talk about, Minsi's confession of the assault she experienced wasn't at the top of the list. The hurt laced her voice and it was clear that she still suffered emotionally from it. It had been a few years, but she still grieved.

"Excuse my cursing," Felix's arms crossed over his chest. He spun around on his foot to face Seungmin's face. "You're such a fucking asshole!"

"Really putting that religion of yours to good use, huh? Better put those hands together and pray those words don't get you sent to hell. You wouldn't want to burn beside me and suffer for an eternity."

The words started to go in one of Jeongin's ears and out the other. He stopped paying attention as he pushed himself from the worn couch. The two were still going at it when he began to head towards the front door.

Yeah, they were at his apartment, but it was beginning to feel too suffocating. He needed fresh air and a chance to breathe. The fighting and bickering was only adding to the buzz of his anxiety. The door creaked open, but the guys were still bucking heads like bulls.

He left without a word and sucked in a mouthful of the fresh air. The single maple tree off to the side of his yard was beginning to change. Autumn was coming and the leaves proved that. Every now and then, a bright green leaf began to crumple in on itself and fall off. It'd drift to the ground where it'd remain until it blew away.

He put one foot in front of the other and began to walk. He needed fresh air and a walk was the perfect way to do it. Left foot, right foot, left foot, and right again. One and then the next, he began to stroll up the sidewalk cutting through the yard.

Providence was a small town, but the people really did take care of the place. The sidewalks were free of cracks and overgrown tree roots. It seemed incredibly rare, most places didn't seem to care, but Providence did.

Providence planted flowers along the edges of barren sidewalks. A single road swept through the main strip. The rest was full of winding side roads, dead ends, and four way stops. There were only two main street lights and the rest were stop signs.

Jeongin hadn't been here a year yet, but he still loved Providence. He loved Providence and Providence seemed to love him right back. People welcomed him with open arms when he began to preach here. The last priest began to struggle with health issues. Standing for so long and preaching, it was tiring for him.

Silent questions swarmed Jeongin upon his arrival. Would he be good at what he did? Would he be boring? Was he too young for the job? Out of everything, he did his best to tackle the reigns he was handed. He had been nervous, but people said he did an excellent job.

He walked and walked and walked until a loud crack snapped him out of his haze. He finally glanced down and picked up his foot. Beneath the dress shoe, a thin twig had been snapped in two. He frowned and took a few steps back along the fresh cut grass.

A flash of gray caught his attention. He glanced up to find a gravestone and he blinked. When he looked up, multiple gravestones stood silently in front of him. His head jerked around over his shoulder. It was there that he found the catholic church sitting where it always had been.

Confusion began to flood him. How had he walked this far without realizing it? The church was, at least, about a mile from his apartment. It was a good thing he had his phone. Surely, Felix and Seungmin were probably looking for him.

A soft sigh fell from his mouth and he began to dig in his pocket for the cellular device. His fingers curled around it when they froze. He didn't have time to pull it out. The words etched into the gravestone sent his heart plummeting to his feet.

Ji-ho Park. His eyes scanned the rest of the information. The more he read, the more he hated it. Fear began to creep up in his system, just like it did earlier in the day. Too aware that he was now alone and vulnerable, he took a step back.

If he had to take a guess, he just met Nari Park's husband, also known as Minsi's deceased father.