The Demon Next Door

31

Kyungsoo came home to find Mr. Do waiting for him on the couch.

His father rose slowly, setting aside this morning's newspaper, and approached his son with a diligent gait. Kyungsoo methodically took a step back towards the door, on the verge of fleeing the scene.

Father and son watched each other carefully, waiting for the other to make a move of any sort that would spark conversation, or at least some sort of insult. Kyungsoo bit his lip as uncomfortable silence reigned supreme in the atmosphere.

Mr. Do's hands slid into his pockets. "You're late. I thought I told you to come back home right after school. Where were you?"

"I walked slow," Kyungsoo mumbled. "Sorry."

"Kyungsoo, where were you?"

"I told you."

"Kyungsoo."

"I just told you!"

"Do Kyungsoo!"

"I was fucking Jongin in his front yard! There! Are you happy?!" Kyungsoo flung his backpack down to the floor. "Stay out of my life! I've always done everything you wanted me to do! I'm still your perfect, brainwashed son! You have no business in my personal life! Fuck off!"

Mr. Do slowly raised his cigarette to his mouth, visibly shocked. It took him a moment to regain his composure, eyes never leaving his steaming son, amazed at the sudden outburst.

"Go to your room."

"I don't want to go to my room," Kyungsoo spat, grabbing his backpack and going up the stairs.

"Where are you going then?"

"To...my room."

Kyungsoo slammed the door behind himself. Everybody out. He didn't want to see anyone. Not his father. Not his mother. Not Chanyeol or Baekhyun or Tao or even Jongin.

He threw himself onto his bed and hid his face in his pillow. He could smell the pungent fragrance of lilac detergent. Mrs. Do had obviously done the laundry today. Kyungsoo scowled. Jongin's smell was gone off his sheets now.

Sighing, he rolled onto his back, hugging the pillow to his chest as he stared up at the ceiling. He didn't understand why the universe was punishing him now, after he'd strived so much to change himself back into a good person.

Why couldn't Mr. Do just let him and Jongin be? Why were so many people still against their relationship when Jongin was so much better than he was before? He'd given himself a complete makeover for Kyungsoo's sake. It wasn't fair!

But life wasn't fair, now was it? It wasn't fair that their relationship had been classified as forbidden. It wasn't fair that they weren't permitted to see each other anymore. It wasn't fair that people were taking away the precious time he and Jongin were meant to have when Jongin's life was slowly ticking away.

Kyungsoo's eyes brimmed with tears when he had the sudden thought that he'd be locked away somewhere by his family, unable to go to Jongin in the most desperate of times. What if Kyungsoo couldn't be there when Jongin was on his deathbed?

He shook at the thought. Kyungsoo couldn't even imagine what would go through Jongin's mind if he wasn't there. He never loved me. Everything I did for him, and he couldn't even be here in my last moments.

"No," Kyungsoo whispered. "I'll be there. I'll always be there."

He rolled off his bed and scurried to the window, moving aside the curtains. He cursed at the metal bars and grabbed them tight, trying with all of his strength to break them to pieces, twist them apart, do something harmful to them.