The Devil's Carnation | An ATEEZ Short Crime Novel

Chapter One - The Florist

It was already past noon and Yunho hadn't left his bed. The trip, the evening and the emotions had exhausted him. Everyday life had already resumed in the Jeong family's modest apartment, however. The father was doing the dishes from last night and Mingi was going in circles. He couldn't wait for Yunho to wake up so he could make up for those 10 years apart in just 6 hours. Spending the day with him, he had indeed planned a few things. The old man interrupted Mingi in his walk.

"Mingi, I know you are impatient but I think it would be better if you let him rest today, you will go tomorrow!" He told him while washing a glass.

Mingi looked at him, he groaned in hesitation. He finally released the tension he was holding in his shoulders.

"You're right Joonseo ..." He sighed.

Author's note: I know that in Korea he should use specific honorifics, but I didn't want to use them in English since I think it would sound weird ...

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Mingi gently knocked on the bedroom door and entered with a glass of water in his hand. He put the glass on the bedside table and took the boxes of medicine that were next to it. He took out the right pills and placed them next to the glass of water. Yunho had to take regular medication for his back and Mingi knew full well that this fool never take care of himself. He felt like some kind of responsibility, but what he felt the most was gratitude.

He always been the left out kid at school, no one hung out with him and he couldn't go and play with others in the playground. Things remained that way during all of his elementary and middle school. Until high school where he met this child who thinked too much and who had sat down next to him at the cafeteria. That child was Yunho, and since that day they always hung out together, Yunho loved to take him throughout the school and they often got into trouble without being the source of it. But Mingi had finally met someone who made him feel like all other children, someone who never reminded him of his difference as something strange and abnormal.

Yunho and Mingi always had a great sense of justice, they loved to help people. From helping a poor granny crossing the street to helping a classmate with their homework. They were the type of students who loved to start debates in Geo-Political History class. They both shared the same dream, but Mingi never felt able to realize it because of his condition. He was always told he would never walk again. And because of that, he never showed any assurance in the first place. It was by starting from this that he found in Yunho a source of motivation that inspired him, so he fought for himself. For several years he went to a P.R.M physician accompanied by Yunho. There was little chance that he would regain all of his physical abilities, but he did not give up and the miracle happened. Thanks to a lot of meditation, work and trust, he has proved that the impossible was actually possible and here he is today, standing on his own two feet. People could never guess that before, he depended on crutches and wheelchairs.

Mingi came back to reality when he heard a rubbing sound coming from the bed sheets against the mattress. Yunho had turned around. His eyes still half closed, he tried to recognize his surroundings.

"Good-evening Mr Jeong, you can sleep, I was just letting a glass of water at your disposal." Mingi said calmly.

Yunho let out a hoarse moan in response. He stretched and straightened up to sit on the edge of the bed. Mingi then sat down next to him and handed him the glass and the pills, Yunho took them and swallowed them.