𝖬osiac || 𝖲𝖵𝖳 𝖠𝖴

Chapter 33

     Crystal-like droplets fell onto the floor with a "bloop".

   Without knowing, the minutes had flown by rather quickly, this a fact that could be proven with the wrinkles on his fingertips. However, all Chan had done was stare into space and wander around in his fantasy. Soon enough, his regret beginning to eat him whole for spending what felt like hours asking himself questions with unreachable answers. 

   And yet. 

   The question he had asked himself a moment ago still lingered in the back of his head, sobered him up, and kept him lost in thought. But sitting in the stool as the cold air around him brushed against his skin wouldn’t help him find those so desired answers. Instead, it would trap him in yet another long lasting reverie and tire him out quickly. 

   So with steady steps, he stood up and tried to dry himself to the best of his abilities. His back arching as the cold air brought shivers down his back. 

   Since when had the temperature dropped this much? 

   Chan couldn’t help asking himself as he placed a red hoodie over his head and lowered it onto his chest. All going about calmly until he heard a loud scream come from the hallway. 

   Startled, he dropped everything and opened the door, rushing onto the living room a few seconds after. But once he had gotten there a sigh escaped his lips, and with crossed arms, Chan glared holes into them. 

For better imagery, play "Inuyasha OST 2 - The swordsmith Toutosai"

   “What the hell are you doing?” 

   Slowly, two heads turned to look back at him as another hid under a blanket. Both stuffed and dripping with snacks.

   “Watching a movie, you?” 

   “At this time of the day??” 

   “Oh c’mon Chan! Everyone watches movies in the morning as well!” Jeonghan said as he grabbed a fistful of popcorn and placed it into his mouth. “What’s the big deal?!” 

   “No no, I understand that. It's just...why a horror movie???” 

   “Cause Shua wanted to watch it,” Cheol said as he came out of the kitchen holding two trays of food. 

   “Ok…? But why Jun too? He seems to be..violently shaking" He pointed at the lump under the blanket that stood by the corner. The shape of a person completely unnoticeable and instead, similar to an egg. Seemingly confused, Chan sighed and covered his face with a hand. “You know what? Nevermind. Are you all ready?” 

   “Yup, just waiting on you”  Said Joshua as he stood up and stretched. “I’ll go get the van ready. Cheol, can you give Chan our little gift?”

   “Gift?” He dried his hair. “What gift? Didn’t you give it to me last night?” 

   “Those were the clothes you are wearing right now. This one is a little more..special. Cheol will explain it to you more once you get it, ok?” 

   “Ok..” 

   “Great!” Seungcheol said as he stepped forward. His coat flowing everywhere everytime he would take a step. “I’m sure you’ll love it!” 

   As the older turned around and guided Chan to another hallway, the burnette couldn’t help but smile to himself as he remembered the sight he had just witnessed. But that curve on his brim began to disappear little by little. If he hadn’t been told they were Yokai, then he would've mistook them for ordinary humans. Ordinary, simple humans. 

   “Say, you’ve been really thinkative lately, haven’t you?” Seungcheol smiled. "As much as I stare, I can’t seem to know what you’re thinking.”

   Chan chuckled at his remark. “I guess so. I’ve been told that by grandma too. She says I remind her of grandpa a lot because of it” 

   “I see..” Was everything Seungcheol said. That was enough to end the conversation and to be surrounded by a tortuous silence. 

   However, this didn’t shock Chan at all. He had expected for this to happen at least once with the others too, since, apart from his friends, his teacher and Joshua, Chan hadn’t talked with them at all. And once he had realized this, a groan came out of his mouth. This had now become another obstacle in finding out who they were. 

   As they turned around the corner, Cheol brought a key out of his pocket and stuck it into a door. With two turns to the right and one to the left, the door opened, revealing a room decorated with various bookshelves as well as westernized furniture. 

   “What’s this place?” Chan said as he stepped in, marveled by the sight.

   “The library of the house.” Cheol headed to the desk and began to bring boxes out of it. “Small, right?” 

   “Not..really. For a traditional japanese home, it's quite big. I didn’t expect it..” He stroked the white couch. “Especially these kinds of designs” 

   “Well, this house was constructed during the Meiji Period (*). The owner was obsessed with western designs and furniture that he decided to make a small library in the middle of the house while still keeping its traditional tones to it. Quite nice, isn’t it?” 

   “Truly” 

   Suddenly, Chan stopped and bit his lip. Now was a good time to ask him more about himself, to take a step and to learn more about these creatures he knew so little about. Chan wanted to know about them. Most importantly, him. 

   “You really know a lot about this house, don’t you?” 

   “Well, I did meet Jeonghan here.” He grinned. “He let me do as I pleased in exchange for help. Truth be told, I had a great meal” 

   “Really...” Chan sat down. “So you guys must know each other for a long time now, huh.” 

   “Not much, just a couple decades, perhaps even the century.” He chuckled. “Now that I think about it, for you, that’s a really long time right” 

   “It really is” He said as he laid back, his eyes slowly narrowing as he himself began to reminisce in the old days. “Say, hyung, you’re a gashadokuro, right?” 

   “Yup” 

   “Are all gashadokuro different sizes?” 

   “Not that I know of. Why do you ask?” 

   “I remember when I was little, I had this weird meeting with a skeleton. At the time, I didn’t know what it was, so I wasn’t scared at all. But now that I know, I feel as if little me was really brave.” He chuckled. “Although, I doubt the gashadokuro I encountered was hostile at all. It had tried to console me since I was crying heavily. But of course, it had failed miserably.” 

   Chan stood up and headed over to the desk. “Sorry bout all that blabbering. Your story made me remember mine so I couldn’t help but to share it” 

   However, Seungcheol didn’t answer and remained quiet. It seemed as if time had stopped for him, for he stayed as still as a rock. 

   Thinking he had said something weird, Chan began to feel his head racing, trying his best to come up with a topic to speak next. But right as he was about to open his mouth, Cheol had beat him to it. 

   “Don’t tell me....” 

   Chan arched an eyebrow. "What..?" 

   “Are you...sunset boy?” 

[ (*) Meiji period: when the government began implementing a series of reforms to both strengthen and unify Japan. In other words, when Japan began to become modernized. ]