PHANTOM | ATEEZ

05.

Yunho was slumped beside you on the couch when you'd finally come to. Based on his level of exhaustion, you assumed the exorcism to be a success. You were glad he managed to catch some sleep despite how much pain he must have been in. His breathing was shallow, eyes shut. The swelling around his eye and cheek had gone down, purplish blues replacing it. Considering how much he'd taken last night, you were surprised he didn't look worse. You wondered how long you'd been asleep. Despite the remaining ache diminishing your mood, you felt yourself smile. Yunho was an anomaly, but he worked hard and was willing to protect you even if it meant making a few sacrifices. Perhaps your partnership would work out after all. If he wasn't desperate to get rid of you, that is.

Mrs. Choi was seated on a mat on the floor, a woven basket before her, a book in her hands. She shifted her attention to you upon hearing you stirring.

Her lips curled into a grin when the two of you made eye contact, her own eyes twinkling with delight. "Hello dear," she said, setting her book to the side. "Would you like a cup of tea?"

Your energy hadn't returned enough for you to speak, so you settled with a nod. Mrs. Choi in turn produced a stack of cups and a thermos from the woven basket before her. After pouring a cup of the hot beverage from the thermos, she handed the cup to you.

"I can't thank you enough for your help, Y/N," Mrs. Choi said, pouring a cup of tea for herself. "I felt like I was losing everything with that ghost lurking around." She said "ghost" like it was a swear word.

Even though the older woman was shivering at the thought of the phantom, you could tell how much her demeanor had changed. Her spirits were lifted and she no longer trembled. Instead, Mrs. Choi held her head high, as if she had no fears, as if she had all the power in the world.

Is this even the same woman from before? You found yourself wondering. You managed to rediscover the power of speech after your first sip of tea.

"I can't say I helped much, ma'am," you said, crawling down onto the floor to sit on the same level as your senior. "Yunho did all of the heavy lifting."

As if on cue, a little snore sounded behind you, sending both you and Mrs. Choi into a fit of giggles.

"You did a lot more than you think, Y/N," the older woman said, watching the patterns of steam rising from her cup. "He's beaten up, yes, but you saved him from another trip to the emergency room."

"Emergency room?" You muttered, turning back to face the young man.

"You can't tell by looking at him normally, but he's always been a reckless one. He'd do anything to help someone in need."

After what he did for you, you didn't doubt it. "Have you known him for long then?" You asked, turning back to Mrs. Choi.

She nodded. "Ever since he was a little boy. He used to be close with my grandson, right up until he passed and then some."

You felt a pang in your heart when Mrs. Choi mentioned her grandson. What a terrible thing for the both of them to go through...

"I'm so sorry for your loss," you whispered, unsure of what else to say.

"Thank you, dear. It's been a little over a year now. Yunho's the one who helped my poor San find peace."

You kept yourself from wincing, hoping Mrs. Choi was unaware of Yunho's methods for handling the dead. The last thing you wanted was for her to know how painful an exorcism would have been, especially for a ghost so young.

The two of you remained silent, sipping your respective cups of tea until Yunho came to, Mrs. Choi greeted him with a smile as he climbed down onto the mat to join you both. He grimaced every time he moved too quickly, but otherwise ignored the bruises littering his body.