The watcher smiled with acknowledgement, pleased with Chanyeol's answer.
"What happened to them?" The watcher asked.
"They..." Chanyeol recalled, "they went missing. Everyone thought it was some elaborate prank by the other school; salty that they lost the nationals. I wanted them to stay missing, I'll admit, but now that I think about it... their disappearances were the start of all the others. All the other evil that were taken. The school became a kinder place, but they were only kind because of... fear."
Numb, Chanyeol continued to stare at the plaid blankets. The right side of his lips twitched. He looked up. Ribbons of blonde draped into his eyes, desperately trying to hide the boy from the dangerous man, who was taking a step up onto the windowsill. Grey snow decorated the tip of his shoe, contrasting heavily with the black, and melting into the fabric.
The watcher stared down at it.
"I know you agree with my views, Chanyeol. Bad people are glorified in today's society and the world needs something to force those few back into purity. I know it's wrong, and yet, have you noticed how the innocents on the streets are so happy? If you'll give me just one chance, I want to bring you on one of my escapades, I'll show you how corrupt this world really is." He croaked, looking through the side of his eye to observe how Chanyeol's expression changed into a sideways, tight-lipped smile.
"I'll come... I think." He answered, nodding.
There was a brief silence, before the killer lifted his other foot up onto the windowsill.
With one last question surfacing, Chanyeol crawled to the end of the bed, where he was sitting moments before.
"I need to ask you something." He said.
The watcher glanced over, trying to suppress his smile. He raised in eyebrow.
"Are you going to kill me?"
The watcher shook his head in amusement. "don't flatter yourself, Chanyeol. You still have to figure out who I am, you know." He whispered, looking down at him.
The watcher observed how Chanyeol's smile seemed to angle downwards, like heavy weights were attached to the corners.
"You look disappointed..." the killer noted, leaning closer in interest.
"I... I have nothing to live for." The blonde whispered.
Unsurprised, as if he already knew, the watcher looked back out of the window and Chanyeol looked back to his lap.
"We are quite alike." The killer hummed.
"I'll give you something to live for, Park." He said, pushing his legs out of the window, now being suspended by his arm strength only; the snow tainting his chest, stomach and eyelashes.
Chanyeol didn't look up. "what is it?" He laughed, focusing on his large fingers.
"Me."
Chanyeol snapped his head up in surprise, and yet, he was faced by an empty window. The watcher was gone. The window was pure, as it was before the man had even arrived, like he wasn't even there.
He groaned, gripping the sides of his face.
The blonde leaned back into the turbulent bedsheets, closing his eyes in desperation, and being instantly submitted into a dreamless sleep.
The next morning was groggy, and for a moment, Chanyeol almost thought the events from last night was just a dream. Reassuringly, there was still dirty footprints on his carpet, and rustled blankets along the end of the bed.
Breathing out, he decided that he was going to find out that boy's name whatever it took.
Think, think, think!
Who would know the identity of a boy from the year above? They'd need to be someone of stature, like being in a student club, where they got to know many year groups. Realising who he was thinking about, Chanyeol's face bent into a knowing grin. There was only one man he knew who was in a club like that, and it was no other than Do Kyungsoo himself.
He swung his legs off of the bed, setting his destination for the home of his two friends; Jongin and Kyungsoo.
The streets were colder, and yet more busy than usual. Many families were exploring the bustling markets, dusted with a thick layer of white snow. When he looked at it, he couldn't help but to think back to how the flakes had settled on the tip of the unknown watcher's shoe. He couldn't get the mystery man out of his head.
Chanyeol wrapped his coat tighter around himself. The shop windows had blaring signs of warning, the billboards displayed precautions and the drowned-out speakers sung of their bleak future. There was no escaping the killer's impact. It made Chanyeol cringe. Through affiliation, he could be held responsible for the mayhem, but he didn't mind. Like the watcher had said before; they were quite alike. They had both been put through many things and their empathy and mercy had moulded into something unrecognisable... and yet, it appeared that Chanyeol was yet to snap. That was why he had agreed to go with him on his murderous travels. He just didn't care.
Putting on a smile, Chanyeol was faced with the rust coloured curtains he had gazed upon a few days ago. He lifted up his arm and rapped upon it, hoping that someone was downstairs to hear it. Relievingly, the door swung open with a clack, reminding Chanyeol of how Lisa had been so cautious, contrasting heavily with Jongin's heavy hands.
Chanyeol's breath pillowed out in-front of him, fusing with the frozen fog that he was letting into the warm cafe.
"Chanyeol! It's so good to see you, man." Jongin greeted, pulling back and allowing the taller into the space. "You're lucky; I just came downstairs to check the lock on the door, Kyungsoo's still asleep."
Chanyeol frowned at Jongin's back as he walked away. The brunette approached a door labelled 'private' and opened it.
They started to ascend the stairs when Chanyeol spoke up.
"You said you came down to 'check the lock'?" He questioned, gripping onto the stair banister with white knuckles.
"Y-yeah, you know.. it's just... we can never be too safe, am I right? I don't know what I'd do if something happened to Soo." The man stuttered, approaching the top of the staircase.
Jongin shifted in the silence as he opened their apartment door.
Fully open, the pair walked in. The apartment was rather open planned, spanning across the room and linking a small kitchen with a busy living room. Along the far wall were three doors, one leading to a shared bathroom, and the other two were Jongin and Kyungsoo's rooms. On both doors wrote their respective names, comfortable and domestic.
Jongin sighed, brandishing towards a coat hanger, where Chanyeol thankfully removed his jacket, the stuffy weight being lifted off of his shoulders.
"So what's you're mission, big guy?" Jongin queried, smiling up at him from his perch on the couch arm.
Chanyeol shook his head with a smile.
"I can't visit my friends?" He mused with a slightly scary smirk.
Oblivious, Jongin laughed.
"Alright, alright. I remembered this person, back from school, and I can't seem to put my finger on their name." Chanyeol informed, being enthusiastically cut off.
"Ahh! Kyungsoo hyung would definitely know! He was the student president for two years running! I never understood what he got out of talking to all the year groups and sorting out their problems. He wasn't even that outgoing! Well, not like you and me." Jongin reminisced, lightly blushing to himself as he looked, dreamily, off into the distance.
Chanyeol scoffed.
An// *purposely doesn't go into Chanyeol's backstory* ha! -🔪
