KANG SIAN
"I left a jacket next to the bed just in case the sweatshirt isn't enough." The nice neighbor says as he walks out of my room.
"But he should be fine."
"Thank you so much." I exclaim as I draw a heavy hand over my face. "I was really stuck in a pickle—"
I hear laughter.
When I look up in surprise, the nice neighbor's face is serious as he nods at me to continue.
Did I imagine that?
"So anyways, thanks so much." I conclude forcibly. "I would treat you to something because I'm so grateful, but my bank account has like ten dollars in it, so—"
"It's okay." He laughs, and I recognize that laughter from earlier. I hadn't imagined it after all. "I hope your friend gets better."
As he leaves, I can't help but release a relieved sigh. Thank God that ended so well— I'd actually thought he'd look at me like a psychopath after what I'd said.
When I walk in to check in on Taehyung, or who I believed was him, I find him sitting up confusedly as he inspects the nice neighbor's jacket like it's the most complicated thing ever.
"You're awake."
"Sian!" He calls excitedly, his face slightly blushed as he pushes the blankets off of himself. He's wearing a dark sweatshirt with loose gray sweatpants, and I suddenly put out a hand.
"Okay— pause right there."
"So you're Kim Taehyung? The one I've been texting? How many siblings do I have?"
"None."
"Where's my parents?"
"I—" He hesitates a bit before he looks at me confusedly. "Why are we doing this? I promise—"
"Where's my parents?"
"Dead."
"Correct!" I exclaim, throwing my arms around him as he gives me a wide-eyed stare. "You really are Kim Taehyung! Did you really come all the way from California to come visit me—"
"I came from Mars to see you."
Mars again?
"You can stop joking around." I say, forcibly laughing as I hold up my phone. "No one can live there without dying, you know."
"Hmm? That's weird. I'm perfectly alive, you see—"
Then my eyes go wide as he trips sideways, his face confused when he stumbles back down onto the bed.
"Careful," I say, turning back to see if I had medicine for dizziness. "Are you feeling nauseous?"
"Mmm— is this nauseous?"
When I look back, he looks up at me with blood smeared on his hand and more dripping from the tip of his nose.
"What's this?"
