Friend {SoonHoon}

twenty-one

It was two in the morning when Jihoon drove to Wonwoo's. He found himself crying as he sped down the roads of Seoul. He even had to pull over a couple of times due to the tears blurring his vision. He couldn't believe Soonyoung was actually gone. He was glad that the spirit had finally got to cross over, but he couldn't ignore the emptiness he felt in his absence. In just a short time, Soonyoung had become someone important to him. He realized Soonyoung brought him to life, a sense of irony he would laugh at if wasn't so distressed,

Jihoon used to hide away in his apartment for days on end because he was afraid of going out into the world. His ability made him feel alienated and he found it hard to connect with people, but when Soonyoung entered his life, that all changed. Without knowing it, Soonyoung had slowly pushed him out of his comfort zone. He was talking to people more and was leaving his apartment more. Not to mention, he unintentionally made Jihoon embrace his ability. He wasn't so ashamed of it anymore. It was a part of him. Soonyoung brought out the best in him.

He made it to Wonwoo's at a minute past three in the morning. He sat in the parking lot, trying to calm his breathing. The entire ordeal had been mentally and emotionally draining and the last thing he wanted to do was show up at Wonwoo's door looking like the ghosts he worked with. He didn't have the energy to explain everything to him. Once he was sure that he was calm and composed, he got out of the car and made his way to Wonwoo's apartment. He hesitated when he arrived at the door. He knew Wonwoo was an early riser, but he highly doubted he was up this early, or anyone else for that matter. Regardless, he knew that Wonwoo would need his car back before working in a few hours. It would be better to get it over with so Wonwoo could get more rest afterward. Before he could talk himself out of it, he knocked on the door. It took a bit but Wonwoo finally opened the door looking sleepy and confused. His hair was sticking up and his glasses had clumsily been put on. If Jihoon hadn't been so emotionally drained, he would have found the sight to be cute.

"Jihoon, I wasn't expecting to see you this early."

Jihoon blushed, feeling embarrassed. "Sorry, I just wanted to return your keys to you." He said holding them up.

Wonwoo smiled. "No worries. I'm glad both you and the car are safe."

He took the keys from him and put them back on the hook before looking at Jihoon again.

"You don't look so good." He observed. "Did something happen?"

Not having the energy to lie, he answered, "Something like that."

"Would you like to come inside?"

Jihoon frowned. "Don't you want to, I don't know, go back to bed?"

Wonwoo instantly shook his head. "You're more important."

Jihoon felt himself blush again but stood firm, not wanting to inconvenience him.

"It's just been a long day." He tried. It wasn't a lie. In fact, it had been a series of long days, this one just happened to be the longest.

"You're clearly not doing well. I'm not letting you go home alone like this. Get inside." Wonwoo softly ordered as he pulled Jihoon inside.

He firmly closed the door and led the other to the sofa where he gently pushed him down to sit.

"Normally, I'd make coffee, but you don't need caffeine. So, I'm going to make tea. Black or green?" Wonwoo asked.

Jihoon pondered his choices for a second. "Green."

"Green it is."

As Wonwoo disappeared into the kitchen to make the tea, Jihoon looked around, taking in his surroundings. To his left, sat a photo frame of a picture from Wonwoo's youth. In it, Little Wonwoo was brightly smiling with a couple of missing teeth, posing with another younger child, most likely his little brother. Jihoon found himself smiling at the photo before noticing the large collection of manga and anime on the shelf behind him. He laughed to himself. He'd never been in Wonwoo's house before nor did he know much about him. It was weird but interesting to see him in a new light. He felt close to him, but his heart still ached for Soonyoung. He had left a permanent hole in Jihoon's heart that no one could fill. That much, he was sure of.

Wonwoo returned with the tea and handed Jihoon his first. Jihoon graciously accepted it and cautiously sipped on it, not wanting to burn himself. Wonwoo attentively watched him but shifted his eyes away, not wanting to embarrass Jihoon.

"How has your hiatus been?" Wonwoo asked suddenly.

Jihoon stopped sipping his tea feeling confused. Hiatus? Right. He took a hiatus to take care of Soonyoung's case. That felt like a lifetime ago. Jihoon merely shrugged.

"It's been alright, I guess."

"It must be nice to have some time for yourself," Wonwoo noted.

Jihoon resisted the urge to scoff. Him? Have time to himself? That was a laughable thought. His time belonged to the dead. However, he just hummed in reply. There was no way he could explain all that to Wonwoo. The other noticed Jihoon's melancholy mood and monotone replies. He reached forward and grabbed the remote lying on the coffee table. Jihoon didn't pay much attention to what Wonwoo was doing, assuming he had made everything awkward and Wonwoo wanted a distraction. However, he lifted his head when heard familiar voices coming from the television. He was surprised to see the same ghost-hunting show he had shown Wonwoo before. Wonwoo noticed his surprise and sheepishly shrugged.

"Once you showed me this show, I couldn't stop watching it. It's my new favorite. I put it on so you could feel more at ease." He explained.

At any other time, Jihoon would have felt honored and touched by such a notion, but the show only served as a painful reminder of what he just lost. He kept thinking about Soonyoung and wondered if he made it across the other side. Were he and Seokmin reunited, or was he alone? Jihoon couldn't bear the thought of Soonyoung being alone in the afterlife. He was too vibrant, too much of a bright spirit. It wouldn't be right. Jihoon finished his tea to try and calm his thoughts and breathing as the episode finished. Wonwoo turned the television off and offered to take Jihoon home which he gratefully accepted. The ride home was quiet right up until Wonwoo turned down Jihoon's street.

"You should write about it," Wonwoo said suddenly.

"About what?" Jihoon had been so lost and absorbed in his thoughts that he could hardly think about anything else.

"Whatever is going on." Wonwoo clarified. "It really seems to be affecting you. In my opinion, the best thing you could do is write it down."

Jihoon considered it for a second. So much had happened and his brain felt scrambled. He wasn't sure if he could write any of it down nor could he emotionally handle it. However, Jihoon had always found writing to be therapeutic whether it was songs or novels. He struggled with voicing his emotions and writing helped him say what he wanted to. As a quiet introvert, his thoughts were loud at times, defeating even, but writing always quieted them. It was the main reason he took to writing in the first place. Before he could reply, the car stopped in front of Jihoon's apartment building and Wonwoo looked over at him.

"I know we're still getting to know each other, but I really care about you. If this event that happened is too much to deal with alone, I'm here anytime you need to talk. After all, that's what friends are for."

Jihoon blinked a couple of times. Friends...Wonwoo was his friend. He always referred to him as such for lack of a better word, but the more he thought about it, the more he realized that Wonwoo truly was his friend. He had become an important friend in the past few weeks, but Jihoon had been too busy to notice. He managed a smile.

"You're right. That's what friends are for." He confirmed. "I promise to keep in contact." He promised as he left the car.

He watched Wonwoo drive away and then he made his way to his apartment. He hesitated to enter. Soonyoung spent a lot of time there. Jihoon hadn't appreciated those moments when he had them and he was beating himself for it now. He sighed and unlocked the door, greeted by darkness. He had been in such a rush that he forgot to leave any lights on. He flipped the switch nearest to the door and the entryway lit up. Jihoon's eyes fell on the talismans and on one in particular, the upside one. He chuckled to himself and he was reminded of when Soonyoung first pointed it out. At the time, Jihoon was pissed, but now he stared at it fondly. He considered turning it right-side-up, but he left it, just in case.

He strolled over to his desk and his hand lingered over his laptop. He mulled over Wonwoo's advice. He stood there in front of his desk contemplating for another second before sitting and opening his laptop. He made a new document and titled it: 'My Strange Friend'. He began to write of the bittersweet memory of his strangest friend.