nightfall || minsung

Chapter 8

It was midnight — crickets singing, moon out. All I could hear were the notes, all I could see was the black and white. Music pushed the air out of the room. He walks, step by step, my life the sum of two feet. My fingers prowled over the keys, foot working the soft pedal.

"CHAAANNIE!"

Felix was screaming in the middle of the room. I had learned to tune him out a long time ago.

Chan came careening downstairs and took Felix by the shoulders.

"What did you see? Is Aro attacking? Does someone have eyes on Changbin?!"

"Nah, nah, there's a phone call for you."

The phone rang a second later.

"Oh." Chan dropped his arms. "Alrighty, then. Thanks, kiddo."

"Anytime, big bro."

Felix strutted off, and Chan answered the phone.

"This is Dr. Chan Bang, I'll fix ya up in a bang, how can I help you on this fine — sweet Jesus — very early morning?"

As he spoke with his patient, half his mind was listening to me. He eyed me from the landline. Once he hung up, he came over and leaned on the piano's lid.

So, Mr. Campbell got ranch dressing in his eye and thinks he's going blind. How urgent do you think that is?

I shrugged. "It wouldn't be blinding, but the conjunctiva could get infected. Why, you got something else to do?"

Yeah. One of my pups is working on something and I'd like to join him.

I smiled a little. "Much more important."

A new one, eh? Have a name for it?

"Not yet."

Emotional. Mellow. Goodness, very emotional.

"Uh-huh."

Lyrics?

"Haven't gotten to it." Lie.

Want some help?

"Um. I dunno. It's kinda personal."

Personal how?

I sighed and eased into the bridge. "Can't you hear?"

I assumed. You gonna show him?

"No. That'd be creepy, right? 'I've known you for two days — here's a ballad I wrote for you while I don't sleep because I'm a vampire.'"

He'd think it's cute.

"Why?"

Because you're courting. Or, that's what Hyunjin told me.

"We're not courting." My fingers plonked awkwardly off the keys. "But I'm in love with him."

Chan's eyebrows popped up. Strong words, boyo.

"It's true."

I believe you. It's a love song, then?

"Not really. It's too pathetic to be a love song."

Love is never pathetic.

I rolled my eyes.

How dare you roll your eyes at me! Scoot, problem child. He bumped me over with his butt and sat.

I laughed. "What about your patient?"

He can wait. Ranch isn't spicy. Er, right?

I shrugged.