Chapter Text
There was nothing wrong with spending a Saturday night in comfy pajamas and watching bad television. It's a fact Hoseok tried to explain to his two roommates but apparently they were raised by wolves or something because according to them it was, quote, the worst thing ever, unquote.
"It's Valentine's Day, hyung!" Taehyung whined, fingers curling around Hoseok's wrist and tugging softly.
"Valentine's Day is tomorrow," he replied, lifting his wrist and removing Taehyung's fingers one-by-one.
"It's Valentine's Eve! Everyone knows that's way more important that Valentine's Day."
"No one ever said that."
"It's true," Jimin piped up from behind Hoseok somewhere in the hallway and making him jump a little, heartrate accelerating.
"Damn it Jimin, you almost killed me," he breathed, placing a hand on his heart.
Jimin hummed dismissively and sidled next to Taehyung, boxing Hoseok between his bed and the door.
Hoseok narrowed his eyes at them. He lifted a finger accusingly at the duo. "Whatever you're thinking, the answer is no."
Jimin pouted. "You don't even know what we're going to say."
"You're going to drag me out clubbing all night again," Hoseok said. "For the third week in a row."
"We just want you to find love, hyung," Taehyung replied, tilting his head cutely. "We've been trying to help you find a date."
"Yeah," Jimin agreed, nodding his head furiously and messing up his perfectly styled orange hair. "We're only thinking about you and your poor excuse for a sexlife."
Hoseok gaped at them, affronted. Okay wow, Park Jimin, harsh. He sneered. "All that happens is you drink more than you can handle and I have to drag your drunk asses back home."
"We promise, not a drop of alcohol tonight!" Taehyung lifted his left hand up and placed his right hand over his heart. "We swear."
Hoseok sighed and flicked his eyes between the two troublemakers, contemplating. He placed his hands on his hips, absorbing the hopeful expressions on their cute little faces. Then his fingers found the button on his jeans and popped it open. "Oh no," he said, wiggling the pants off. "Oh no, I'm not wearing pants, I can't possibly go out now." He stepped out of his pants and placed his hands on his cheeks, gaping at the black denim on the floor. "How tragic, how terrible, oh nooooo."
"Hyung!" they whined together and he almost laughed at their synchronization.
Hoseok closed his eyes and nodded understandingly. "It's okay, you boys go on without me." He placed a hand on each of their shoulders and turned them around to face the door. "I'll just have to stay home in my pantless state. A tragedy but I'll manage somehow."
"This isn't over, hyung!" Jimin said over his shoulder but Hoseok had already slammed the door shut with a satisfied smile.
&&&
Sometime just after midnight, Hoseok's movie marathon started to blend into one giant incomprehensible film about a boy wizard who wanted to go to a ball and fight alien monsters in robots. He blinked at his laptop screen and considered that possibly he should have gone out with the kids. And possibly he could use some help in the love department. And possibly his sexlife was suffering and had been suffering for so long it was bordering on embarrassing now.
He frowned and glanced at his phone on his nightstand. Officially Valentine's Day and he had no new messages, no boyfriend, no date, and no pants. Only one of these facts was acceptable. He sighed and shoved his laptop to the foot of his bed, kicking off his covers in the process. He stretched, felt his bones readjust, and swung his legs over the side of his bed to the floor.
"Hyung we're here to save you!" Taehyung screamed into the once quiet apartment.
"Shit!" Hoseok startled and fell face-first onto the icy cold floor. He clutched his hands on the hardwood and squeezed his eyes shut for a moment, praying he wasn't bruised anywhere.
"Hyung!"
Hoseok scrambled to his feet and yanked his bedroom door open. "We have neighbours you know!" he screamed back just as loudly.
Taehyung grinned when Hoseok appeared in the living room. "Hyung, we got you something."
Jimin bounced on his feet beside Taehyung, his hands hidden behind his back. "You're going to be so grateful, seriously. Who has such devoted and loving dongsaengs like you do?" Jimin turned to Taehyung for affirmation and received vigorous nodding in return.
Hoseok narrowed his eyes and studied them. "What," he started slowly, "did you do?"
"Ah, what did we do, Jiminie?" Taehyung started and slung his arm over Jimin's shoulders.
Jimin shrugged, an exaggerated motion that was anything but natural. He opened his eyes and mouth wide in mock confusion. "I don't know, what could we possibly do for our poor, lonely hyung?"
Taehyung nodded sadly, his lips turning down into a frown. "Our poor hyung who hasn't had a date in months."
"You guys rehearsed this nonsense?" Hoseok exclaimed at their bad acting.
Taehyung held a finger up to silence Hoseok. "If only there was some way we could find true love for Hobi-hyung."
"True love?" Jimin asked innocently and this was just the worst acting Hoseok had ever seen.
"This is honestly embarrassing," he tried but Jimin held up a finger to silence him this time. He scowled at them. Brats.
"True love," Taehyung said, continuing their little charade. "If only there was, like, a magic spell or potion to find Hobi-hyung's true love."
Hoseok pinched his lips together and made his way to the sofa. He might as well be comfortable for their play.
"Oh!" Jimin exclaimed, his eyes growing even wider. "Like, maybe, a magic tea?" He swung his right arm from behind his back and presented a small glass bottle of pinkish liquid.
Taehyung squealed and nodded. "Exactly like that!"
The kids turned to finally face Hoseok, their eyes bright and excited, waiting. Hoseok stared at them, blank. "What?"
"Hyung, magic tea," Jimin said, a little more subdued than before. He brought the bottle closer into Hoseok's view.
Hoseok stared at the bottle, then back to Jimin, to Taehyung, back to the bottle. "What," he enunciated again.
Jimin straightened and sighed. "He doesn't understand, TaeTae."
Taehyung sighed and shook his head. "After all the work we put into the introduction."
"Which explained literally nothing," Hoseok quipped, crossing his legs. He gestured with a hand and nodded. "Start from the beginning, what is that and why am I supposed to be excited about it?"
"We were on the way to the club," Taehyung started.
"But we were both super sad about that you didn't come with us. It's Valentine's Day. The day of love," Jimin continued.
"You're both dateless, you know," Hoseok said but was ignored.
"Then we just started wandering around and found this little shop."
"A shaman shop," Taehyung interjected quickly.
"And this lady was there."
"A shaman lady."
"And we asked about love spells."
"But she said that was too dangerous to make someone fall in love with you."
"We didn't even know who we would try it out on."
"Maybe Yoongi-hyung."
Jimin kicked Taehyung and sent him to the floor. "How many times do I have to tell you, not Yoongi-hyung?"
Taehyung giggled and placed his hands together in a plea of mercy. "Sorry, I forgot you were in love with him."
Jimin's face turned red. "I am not."
"Are too."
Hoseok stood and pulled Jimin back from kicking Taehyung again, wrapping an arm around Jimin's waist. "Okay okay. What happened next?" he asked to get them back on topic and away from any permanent injuries.
Taehyung climbed back to his feet. "Well the shaman lady said that if there's someone out there that you're destined to love, like a soulmate -"
"Or someone you bang for a few months," Jimin supplied helpfully.
"- then you drink this and it brings you together." Taehyung brought his hands together in a big, whooshing gesture. He looked up and smiled at Hoseok.
Hoseok dropped his arm from Jimin's waist and let it fall lifelessly at his side. He opened his mouth, closed his mouth, opened his mouth. "You--" He held a finger up to point at the kids. "You bought a magic love potion and expect me to drink it?"
"Yes!" Jimin grinned at him. "Happy Valentine's Day!"
"Also happy birthday, we kind of used your present money on this," Taehyung added.
"Yeah, it was really expensive," Jimin said seriously. "But worth it for your happiness." He shook the bottle from side to side before shoving it into Hoseok's hands.
Hoseok held the bottle lightly between two fingers and as far away from his body as he could. He frowned at the pinkish liquid again. "How much was it?"
"150,000 won."
Hoseok screamed and flicked his eyes back to the brats. "You spent 150,000 won on a magic potion? What is wrong with you?"
Taehyung grabbed the bottle and popped the cork out of the opening, offering it to Hoseok again. "You're welcome, hyung."
He shook his head vehemently. "I'm not drinking that."
"Hyung, please," Jimin pouted, his cute face scrunching up with the plea. "We just want you to be happy. If it works, great! If it doesn't, then nothing lost. Except 150,000 won." He inched closer. "Just a little sip? What's the worst that could happen?"
"Uh, food poisoning, allergic reaction, choking. Death. Death death death," Hoseok replied, trying to back away from Taehyung's approach.
Taehyung smiled and lifted the bottle to Hoseok's face. "Don't be silly, you won't die."
"Please hyung, for us?"
Hoseok looked between the boys and the bottle, finally weakening under their cute faces and adorable pouts. He had no defensives against the puppies. He was being ridiculous. He wasn't going to die from one little bottle of tea, no matter its questionable origins. He took the bottle and lifted it cautiously to his mouth, sniffing loudly.
Taehyung and Jimin watched him, eyes wide and mouths open in excitement.
"If I die," he said slowly, "I'm going to kill you." He tipped the bottle back and swallowed the liquid in one shot. It was surprisingly fruity and sweet. He wiped his mouth with the back of his hand and examined the now empty bottle. "So, that's it?"
Jimin leaned closer, frowning. "Do you feel different? Are you having flashes of a handsome face?"
"Do you have an impression of a name?" Taehyung asked, tilting his head. "A memory you couldn't possibly have?"
Hoseok scrunched his lips up in disdain. "I feel like I did ten minutes ago, only more annoyed that some brats wasted their money."
Jimin sighed and stepped away, tapping his finger on his chin. "Maybe it takes a couple hours for the effects to set in?"
"What effects?" Hoseok demanded, voice rising to unacceptably loud levels.
Taehyung shrugged. "The shaman lady said you might feel out of it."
"Floaty. She said floaty."
"Do you feel floaty, hyung?"
Hoseok set the bottle down on the coffee table and tsked. "I'm going to bed. Goodnight."
"Happy Valentine's Day, hyung!" Taehyung called before Hoseok slammed the door to his bedroom shut.
Brats.
&&&
Hoseok woke up to the sound of his alarm clock blaring. He scrunched his eyes closed and threw his hand out to hit the snooze button. The annoying blaring continued and Hoseok groaned, reaching out further and straining his fingers to locate the stupid clock. He blinked his eyes open, trying to clear his blurry vision.
He sighed and reached a hand up to rub his eyes. He remembered what Jimin and Taehyung had said the night before and frowned. He did feel kind of floaty. Kind of airy. Light, weightless, like he could drift up and touch the ceiling. The ceiling that was really close. Really, really close.
Hoseok screamed, suddenly awake and alert. He was floating. He was actually floating, that was the ceiling right there.
He looked down and saw his body, on his bed, lying lifeless in the rumbled sheets.
Okay that wasn't good. That was the opposite of good. That was really really bad he was dead, he was dead. His mind raced, trying to piece everything together while panic coursed through his blood. Did he even have blood anymore? His ghost blood, then.
He screamed more, louder, not that anyone could hear him. He flailed his arms and desperately tried to dive back into his body. That's how it worked, right, he could still get back in there. Don't go toward the light, stay away from any light, get back into his body. Maybe it was all a nightmare. Yes right, that sounded more logical. A dream.
Except his alarm was still blaring, annoying shrieks through the small space of his room that he had never, ever slept through. He stared down at his lifeless body and let out a long wail. He was dead because he had stupid friends who convinced him to drink stupid magic potions. He was going to kill Jimin and Taehyung.
He flailed again and the movement of his arms set him spinning gently across the expanse of the room. He shrieked. "No no, how do I stop? I want to stop," he sobbed, face scrunched up and tears pricking at his eyes. "I don't like this, I want off this ride."
"Hyung, your alarm is going."
Hoseok screamed again and for a split second believed this really was all a dream, but no. He stared down at Taehyung as he peeked in the room, a hand rubbing at his eyes.
"Hyung, your alarm," Taehyung said. He sighed and stumbled into the room, flopping to sit on the side of Hoseok's bed. He switched the alarm off and Hoseok was only slightly grateful to his murderer. Taehyung reached a hand out to shake Hoseok's body. "Hyung, wake up."
"Taehyung I am going to kill you," Hoseok yelled, flapping his arms to try to descend. He floated higher toward the ceiling. He screamed and hugged his arms to his chest.
Apparently Taehyung realized that Hoseok was dead because he stood up quickly and ran out of the room. Moments later, he returned, pushing a sleepy Jimin into the room in front of him. Hoseok pouted. They were too cute to be murderers, it was so sad.
"You're overreacting," Jimin whined, shaking free of Taehyung's grasp.
"He's not waking up," Taehyung said, pointing to Hoseok's lifeless body.
Jimin made a face, a mixture of annoyance and condescension. "He's just sleeping, see." Jimin approached the bed and tried to shake Hoseok awake. "Hyung, seriously, stop playing."
"I'm not playing, you killed me," Hoseok yelled from the ceiling, spinning again as he tried to control his movements. "Why is moving so hard?"
"Hyung?" Jimin tried again before stepping quickly away from the bed. His eyes widened and he gaped. "Tae, he's dead, what do we do?"
Taehyung stared from Jimin to the bed. "It was the potion, we killed him Jiminie."
"We have to, we have to," Jimin rambled, looking around the room frantically. "We have to call an ambulance. No, the police. No! His mom! She's going to be so sad." He paced, running a hand through his hair. "We have to make funeral arrangements, we have to-" Jimin stopped abruptly in front of Taehyung, the panic ebbing from his features and a strange calm replacing it. "We have to hide the body."
"What?" Taehyung yelled.
"What?" Hoseok flailed again and spun around the room. "No, no, what? How do I stop spinning?"
Jimin stepped closer into Taehyung's space and grabbed his arms. "Tae, it was the magic tea. We bought it. We made him drink it. We killed Hoseok-hyung."
Taehyung's eyes widened. "Jiminie."
"We're in this together, right?"
After a moment of hesitation, Taehyung nodded and clasped Jimin in a fierce hug. "Right."
Hoseok gaped at them. "You motherfu-"
His words died in his throat as a sudden force pushed him from the room and outside, passing over the streets at an alarming speed. He tensed and hugged his arms around his chest, his mouth falling open to scream. He hated being dead. Being dead was the worst.
&&&
There were so many things Hoseok hated about being dead. He couldn't teach dance class again, the poor kids were going to be heartbroken. He couldn't control his movements anymore, every flail of his limbs sent him spiralling into an unintended direction. He could pass through walls, which sounded kind of fun in theory but was terrifying in practice. He shivered at the memory and flapped his arms to center himself in the middle of the sidewalk and away from the buildings and their walls.
The unknown force that had expelled him from his apartment had stopped when he reached an unfamiliar neighbourhood. The streets were built on rolling hills with cute shops and coffee houses lining the pavement. In the distance he could see small apartment complexes clustered together, and hidden pathways twisting up the incline.
He spent the better part of the day screaming and trying to get someone's attention. He realized after several hours that he was invisible, unable to move objects, and still had no idea how to control his movements.
He sighed and stared listlessly ahead of him at the empty street. Even the couples holding hands and people bustling in and out of bakeries for last-minute Valentine's needs had disappeared in the late afternoon. His feet hovered a few centimetres above the ground and he let the wind or ghostly forces or whatever float him along.
"Shouldn't there be, like, a light? Or a guide?" He looked up and frowned at the sky. "I'll even take a manual or a pamphlet."
The sky remained impassive and Hoseok scrunched his face up to let out a small whine. He nodded his head back to the street. The ghostly forces gradually weakened until he came to a stop in front of a cute bakery decorated with glittery red hearts and drawings of cupids on the window. He tilted his head and wondered if he would ever taste another cake again. Ghosts don't eat, do they? Or, no, they do if they were offered food. He scratched his head.
"I could really, really use a guide," he repeated again to the higher powers who were ignoring him. He curled his lips in disdain. "I don't want to talk to you either. Just try to send me an animal guide, I won't even pet it."
He would totally pet it.
He jerked back, his spine straightening when the bakery door opened and someone slipped out.
"I'll see you Tuesday," the man called out over his shoulder, slinging a backpack over his left shoulder.
The first thing Hoseok noticed was his hair, a soft caramel that seemed almost golden in the waning light of the late afternoon sun. His gaze trailed down, following the curve of the stranger's fringe to warm rounded eyes, plump cheeks, and full lips. He was really handsome, this Mr. I'll-see-you-Tuesday.
Hoseok sighed. "You're just my type," he said mournfully.
Mr. Tuesday paused and turned his head. His brow furrowed under his fringe and his eyes flicked to Hoseok's direction warily for a moment. He pursed his lips before they melted into a wide smile. He nodded his head at Hoseok. "Thanks," he said, pushing past Hoseok and heading down the street.
Hoseok blinked at the now empty space in front of him, the hearts in the bakery window sparkling at him. He whipped his head around to peer over his shoulder. The handsome stranger adjusted his backpack over his broad shoulders, surrounded by no one. There was no one. There was no one else on the street but Mr. Tuesday and Hoseok and Mr. Tuesday said thanks.
"You can hear me?" he yelled, frantically trying to turn his body around to follow. "Wait, wait," he flapped his arms and managed to spin himself in a tight circle. "Ugh, wait, handsome man who is a medium or pyschic or - how do I stop spinning?"
In his chaotic attempt to control his limbs, Hoseok floated closer to the bakery door. "Oh no, no, no, no nononononoo," he cried out and held his hands up to stop the momentum hurtling him toward the solid surface. "Not again, no please, please."
He shut his eyes tight and collided with the door, slipping through into the bakery. He kept his eyes squeezed shut and shivered, wrapping his arms around his torso. "I need to stop doing that," he sighed heavily, finally opening his eyes.
He frowned, peering around the nearly empty bakery. Well. He was stuck here until someone opened the door again. Yes, stuck, he wasn't slipping through anymore solid surfaces. He floated passively around the room, pursing his lips. He might as well stick around until Tuesday.
&&&
Hoseok found out the next day that the bakery was closed on Mondays. Which was just great, yeah this whole dead thing couldn't get any better for him. What a non-life, wow, the afterlife was just great. The sarcasm helped to relieve some of his misery, at least for a few moments.
Hoseok spent the morning alternating between watching people pass by the window and screaming at them to notice him. He thought at least one of them would be a medium. There was a severe lack of spiritually in tune people in Seoul, it was scary. What about the other poor souls just wandering around without a guide?
He froze, his eyes widened in fear. He turned to quickly look around the dim bakery. "There's not, like, other ghosts around, right?" he asked the empty room. "Please say no, please say no. Wait! Don't say anything!"
He held his breath, eyes flicking around the room. He thought he heard a sound coming from the kitchen in the back and brought his hands up to his ears to block the imagined noise. He recognized fearing ghosts as a ghost himself was irrational. He really did recognize it as ridiculous. It didn't make the nervous shaking in his limbs stop, though.
He briefly considered if it was worse to stay in a possibly haunted bakery - okay a one-hundred percent haunted bakery, he was haunting it, but like a possibly-haunted-by-other-scary-vengeful-ghosts-and-not-just-cutie-Jung-Hoseokie-bakery - or experience the terror of passing through walls again. Both were terrible, horrible destinies.
He didn't even know how to propel himself to the door, though, so staying was his only option. He straightened his spine and lowered his arms back to his sides. "You can do this," he told himself, nodding. "Nothing scary here. You're the scariest ghost here."
He peeked back out the window and noted the sun was inching higher up into the sky. Almost lunch. He had more than twelve hours before someone, anyone showed up on Tuesday. He nodded to himself. "Might as well learn how to move," he told himself, stretching his arms above his head and twisting his waist to loosen the muscles.
He stepped forward carefully and veered to the side. He frowned and threw his arms out to slow the momentum. He wiggled his feet, dangling a few inches above the floor. He tilted his head to the side. "Maybe like swimming?"
He lost himself for hours, testing his movements and learning the new physics of his spirit body. When the sun started to dip and the blue sky bled with pink, he finally had a firm handle on movements. He still couldn't pick up anything or move objects, but he could get from one side of the room to the other without spinning uncontrollably. He also figured out how to float higher and lower back down to the floor.
He collapsed into a chair and stared out the window, watching the pink deepen, a happy contentment humming through his limbs. He briefly wondered why the situation was so familiar. A dim empty room, muscles heavy and worn out, a sense of accomplishment and pride tingling under his skin. He leaned his head against the back of his chair and frowned, feeling like he lost something important.
&&&
The thing about bakers that Hoseok didn't know was that they started early. Ridiculously, the sun-hardly-even-set-yet early. So early that when Hoseok heard the jingling of keys at the door, his first instinct was to scream.
"Burglar!" He jumped from his chair and into a pose that was somewhere between running away at full speed, and a terrible imitation of a ninja fighting stance. He wasn't entirely sure whether he was preparing for fight or flight and apparently his limbs didn't know either.
The jingling stopped and the door creaked open slowly. A head poked through the opening cautiously and there was a sharp intake of breath that Hoseok was like eighty-percent sure wasn't from him. "W-who's there?" a soft voice called out, a tremble evident in the words.
"Who're you?" Hoseok countered, feeling strangely protective of the cute bakery he spent two lonely nights in. "I-I'm calling the police," he lied, tilting his head up in a mock display of confidence. Maybe he could call the ghost police. If they existed.
Not that he had a damn guide to tell him how this ghost stuff worked.
The head squawked and its body stepped fully into the bakery, the door slinging shut with a cute jingle behind him. "Go ahead, I'm not the burglar," he said, his words clipped in offense.
Hoseok gaped. "I'm not a burglar! Rude." He scowled and tried to make out the robber's features. The room was still dark, the only light from the dim streetlamps filtering through the windows. They cast a strange glow, highlighting the figure's left side. Hoseok could make out long legs, a trim waist, and broad shoulders in the faint orange light, but his face remained in the shadows.
"Then what are you doing in my closed bakery?"
Hoseok gasped as a thought occurred to him. He was conversing. He was interacting. He was communicating. "Mr. Tuesday!" he exclaimed loudly. "I'm so happy to see you, you have no idea. Well, not really see 'cause it's still the middle of the night and it's dark, do you always start so early, oh there's the light, wow you're more handsome than I remember," Hoseok rambled as Mr. Tuesday hit a switch and the bakery lights flickered on.
Mr. Tuesday blinked at him, wide-eyed and his mouth twisted halfway between confusion and fear. It was adorable. He blinked a couple more times, a hand coming up to tug awkwardly at the neckline of his pink hoodie. "Are you," he finally started softly, "on drugs?"
Hoseok scowled. "No."
"Do you need money?" Mr. Tuesday suggested, tilting his head in confusion.
"No, and I never thought I'd say that in my life."
Mr. Tuesday huffs, frustrated, and sets his bag down on the cute round table by his hip. "Okay you're not on drugs, you're not a burglar, and you don't need money." He counted on his fingers as he talked. "Do you have a pastry emergency that will somehow explain your presence in my closed-and-locked-up bakery?"
Hoseok clapped and grinned. "No, but I do have an emergency. I'm a ghost," he declared proudly.
Mr. Tuesday blinked once before scowling, his lips curling in disdain. "No, you're not."
"I am too!"
"I know I'm very handsome, but I'm not dumb, okay? You're standing right there, talking to me, there's no way you're a ghost." His voice rose higher with each word, frustration evident in his tone.
Hoseok tsked. "I've been a ghost for two entire days, I think I know what I'm talking about."
"Then how come I can see you?"
Hoseok crossed his arms and shrugged. "You tell me, I'm not the medium."
"I'm not a medium!"
"Clairvoyant, then?"
Mr. Tuesday shook his head, his hair ruffling with the movement.
"Prophetic dreams? Visions? The ability to just know when the phone is going to ring?" Hoseok sighed heavily when all Mr. Tuesday did is shake his head. He brought a hand up to pinch at the bridge of his nose. "Look, I don't know how this works, but I'm a ghost, you can see me, and that makes you obligated to help me, I don't know, find my way or something."
He scoffed and crossed his arms, leaning his hip on the table. "You're a burglar who got caught and is trying to trick me."
Hoseok breathed out heavily through his nose. He stomped towards the handsome baker until they were within arms' reach. He held up his hand. "My hand, see?"
Mr. Tuesday quirked an eyebrow but nodded, eyes focusing on Hoseok's hand. "Are you going to hit me?"
"As much as I'd love to, I can't," Hoseok said. He straightened his lips into a line, determined, and reached out. He shut his eyes before he could see his hand slip through Mr. Tuesday's chest, a chill running down both of their spines.
The baker stumbled back in shock, falling flat on his bottom on the hardwood floor. His eyes were wide, his mouth open in shock. "This isn't real. This can't be real." He covered his ears with his hands and looked around the room frantically. "Ghosts aren't real, ghosts aren't real. Wake up, Seokjinnie."
The baker, apparently named Seokjinnie, slapped his face and before peering cautiously in Hoseok's direction. When he spotted Hoseok, his hopeful expression crumbled back into panic and he let out a sad whimper. Hoseok sighed and sat on a table. This was not going to be as easy as he had hoped.
&
Hoseok admired Seokjinnie's determination. It took a lot of concentration and a strict control of willpower to ignore him. He was virtually unignorable. Virtually. Not completely, because for the past four hours, Seokjin did nothing to acknowledge Hoseok's presence in the kitchen of the bakery.
"What are you making now? Is that cake? Brownies? You should make tart, I love tarts," Hoseok said, hovering around Seokjin's work station. "Can you make tarts?"
Seokjin cleared his throat and watched the mixer, carefully adding flour in small increments and studiously avoiding Hoseok's gaze.
"Hey. Hey Seokjin. How old are you? How long have you been a baker?" Hoseok peered over his shoulder at the door to the showroom, squinting at the little round window near the top. "You guys don't seem to be too busy, are you sure you know what you're doing?" He turned back to speak directly into Seokjin's ear. "Hey, Seokjin. Seokjinnie. Jin-ah."
Seokjin switched the mixer off with a sharp flick of his wrist. He pushed his lips together into a firm line and stomped across the room. Hoseok tilted his head, trying to figure out what Seokjin was fiddling with. Suddenly the kitchen was drowning in loud pop music and Seokjin looked a little smug and proud of himself.
Hoseok laughed and crossed his arms, raising his voice to cut through the music. "Better men than you have tried that and failed."
Seokjin walked calmly back to his station and switched the mixer back on, humming along to the tune. Hoseok furled his lips and fervently wished he could throw objects.
"You can't ignore me forever," he yelled. His lips twisted into a satisfied smirk when Seokjin jumped, his shoulders flinching quickly at the sudden sound. "Ha! See, see, it would be better just to listen to me. Hey. Hey Jin-ah. Hey."
Seokjin squeezed his eyes tight. "This isn't happening," he muttered. "This isn't happening. You didn't sleep enough last night, Seokjinnie, that's all."
Hoseok rolled his eyes and leaned against the counter to face the door and watch the hustle of the bakery.
Seokjin took a deep breath and released it slowly, repeating the process a couple more times. "Okay," he said to himself, hope laced in his tone. "Okay," he said again with more determination. He opened his eyes and peeked cautiously to his right.
Hoseok smiled and lifted a hand to wave. "I'm still here."
Seokjin's expression crumbled to despair and he leaned his head against the top of the mixer. "Please stop haunting me," he whined, reaching his hands up to hug the mixer in a strange attempt at comfort.
Hoseok frowned and blinked, guilt creeping up his spine. "Hey," he said softly. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to scare you. Really."
Seokjin tilted his head to gaze cautiously at Hoseok, still resting against the mixer. He frowned, his eyebrows furrowed in thought. "How come you're haunting me, then?"
"You're honestly the only person who can hear and see me." Hoseok scratched his neck. "You're sort of my only option."
"I've never been a medium before," Seokjin said weakly. He paused, considering something, before he said slowly, "You promise you're not going to scare me? Or hurt me? Or possess me?"
Hoseok blanched and gaped at him. "I don't even know how to do that." He placed a hand over his heart. "I promise not to do anything to harm you. And when you tell me to leave, I'll go. Okay?"
Seokjin frowned and shifted his gaze around the room. He seemed to come to a decision when the frown faded from his lips and hesaid, "I don't know how to help you."
Hoseok smiled. "I've never been a ghost before, but I still have to do my best. We just have to work hard, right?"
Seokjin laughed, bubbles of breath shaking out of his lungs. He stared at Hoseok, the grin on his lips fading to a small smile. "This is absurd."
"But you'll help me, right?"
Seokjin straightened to his full height and nodded, a light sigh escaping his lips. "Yeah, I'll help."
Hoseok screamed and flailed his arms in victory, spinning around in circles. He did not notice his momentum pushing him closer to the door leading to the store front until it was too late to stop. "No, no, I hate walls," he cried, squeezing his eyes shut at the familiar sensation of slipping through solid wood.
He came to a stop just behind the counter, his arms wrapped tight around his torso, shivers still working down his entire body. "You did this to yourself, Hoseok," he said to himself.
The door opened and Seokjin peeked his head out, bewildered. "Are you okay?"
The cashier, a tall dark-haired boy with large eyes and a cute face, turned from cleaning the counter and looked at Seokjin. "Yeah, hyung, I'm fine. Why?"
Seokjin blinked and straightened, clearing his throat and looking around the shop. "Um, nothing, it's nothing. I was definitely talking to you, yes. Um, good work Jungkook-ah." He cleared his throat again and looked pointedly at Hoseok, shifting his eyes back and forth to the kitchen. "I'm going back to baking now," he said slowly, gesturing with his head for Hoseok to follow him.
"Okay?" the boy, Jungkook, replied, confusion furrowing his brow. "Are you okay, hyung?"
"Great, I'm great, fine," Seokjin replied a little too quickly.
Hoseok walked cautiously back to the kitchen and stopped in front of Seokjin. "Hold the door open," he said, gesturing to the small crack that Seokjin was leaning out of.
"What, no? That'll look weird," Seokjin whispered, a smile plastered on his lips as Jungkook continued to stare at him. "You can walk through walls anyway."
"And you can stub your toe, it doesn't make it a pleasant experience."
Seokjin frowned at him, then flickered his gaze back to Jungkook. He forced another smile onto his lips and lifted a hand to wave at the boy. "Just, going back to baking. By myself. Alone."
He pulled the door open all the way and pretended to inspect it. "Good door, yes, I approve of this construction. Call me if you need me, Kookie," he said as Hoseok rushed back into the kitchen.
When they were both safely in the kitchen, Seokjin leaned heavily against the door frame and let out a heavy sigh.
"Well. That went...well," Hoseok said optimistically.
Seokjin glared at him.
&
Seokjin was reluctant to talk to Hoseok the rest of the day, especially when Jungkook kept popping into the kitchen to ask, "Are you really okay? Really?"
It was kind of cute. Annoying and counter-productive to Hoseok's goals, but kind of cute.
Seokjin finished up his work in the early afternoon, leaving instructions for Jungkook. He tried to signal to Hoseok subtley to follow him, but Jungkook stared with increasing worry furrowing his brow.
"Get some sleep," he called after his hyung. "Call me if you're not feeling better."
Seokjin grinned at the younger boy and ruffled his hair. "Ah, so cute."
Hoseok followed Seokjin through narrow streets and twisting walkways deeper into the neighbourhood. He stared in awe along the way, admiring the pretty artwork littering the sides of buildings and cute flower arrangements overhanging on balconies.
Seokjin glanced behind him periodically, a small smile tugging at his lips. "Pretty, right?" He let out a happy sigh, still trudging uphill, a hand wrapped around his shoulder-bag strap to keep it in place. "It's not super busy, and I've been told I could probably make more money if I moved my bakery closer to downtown. But it's really sweet here." He pointed at a mural of pink and blue flowers ahead of them. "That's my favorite one."
Hoseok tilted his head. "Why?"
Seokjin smirked and raised his chin. "It's the prettiest one, and I'm the most handsome guy. We suit each other."
Hoseok made a face. "Where do you get that confidence?"
"I own a mirror." Seokjin skipped up to the mural and turned to face Hoseok, flashing a peace sign at him. "Looks good, right?"
Hoseok laughed and nodded. "Looks good," he agreed.
&
Seokjin's apartment was on the second floor of a narrow building, nestled between two other apartment complexes. It was small but clean, everything organized and accessible in a simple layout.
Seokjin gestured to the couch. "Have a seat, I'll make us some tea."
Hoseok made his way to the living room. "I hate to remind you, but I'm a ghost. I can't drink anything." He frowned and sat on the couch. "Or pick anything up for that matter."
Seokjin came wandered into the living room, taking a seat opposite the couch to face Hoseok. He smiled sheepishly. "Sorry, I wasn't thinking."
Hoseok grinned and waved a hand. "We're both new at this ghost thing, it's okay."
Seokjin nodded and stared at his hands clasped on his lap. He pursed his lips and peeked up at Hoseok. "Shouldn't there be, like, a light? That you're supposed to go towards?"
Hoseok snapped his fingers and pointed at Seokjin, his face brightening. "Right? I'm not wrong, then! Let me tell you, there is no light. No guide. No nothing."
Seokjin hummed and nodded. "Okay. So maybe we should start with the basics, then? You're probably lingering because you have unresolved business or something?"
Hoseok straightened and said excitedly, "I was murdered!" He hit his hands on his chest to emphasize his words. "Betrayed by my closest friends."
Seokjin brightened. "That's great! I mean, not great that you were murdered, but we have something to work with." He pulled a notebook across the coffee table and flipped it open to the first blank page, slipping a pen out of the side. "Who murdered you?" he asked, pen poised above the paper.
"My cute dongsaengs."
"And their names were?" Seokjin prompted.
Hoseok open his mouth to answer but he couldn't find the words. He melted back into couch, his expression dimming. "Their names. Their names." His eyes widened and he gaped. "I don't remember!"
He stood up quickly and began to pace the room. "I don't remember, this is terrible, I'm fading into oblivion." He ran a hand through his hair, ruffling the strands into disarray. "I don't even remember my mom's name." He gasped. "Who am I?"
He spun around to stare at Seokjin and yelled. "Jung Hoseok! I know my name! Jung Hoseok."
Seokjin stared at him, eyes wide.
Hoseok pointed at him frantically. "Write it down, write it down in case we forget. Jung. Hoseok." Seokjin continued to stare at him and he let out a frustrated scream. "Write it down, now, now."
"Okay, calm down," Seokjin said.
"I've forgotten my entire life, I am not calm," Hoseok replied, dragging his hands down his face and deforming his lips when he paused midway. "I'm going to kill those brats."
"What brats?"
"The brats that killed me!"
Seokjin straightened in his chair. "Ah, see, you're remembering some things. Your murderers are younger than you. That's a clue!" He smiled. "How old are you?"
"I don't know," Hoseok whined, dragging out the last word over several seconds as a look of horror slipped over his face.
It took two hours, but Seokjin finally managed to calm Hoseok down a little and extract some information from his panicking mind. Jung Hoseok, age unknown. Died on Valentine's Day, causes also unknown. Murdered by two roommates, who were apparently very cute. Something about orange hair and the letter v that neither Seokjin nor Hoseok could make any sense out of, but Seokjin dutifully wrote it down in his notebook.
They searched through obituaries on Seokjin's phone, but there were no results for a Jung Hoseok.
Seokjin scratched his head and glanced at his notebook again. "I guess we'll visit some funeral homes tomorrow."
Hoseok nodded, a hiccup escaping his lips as he stared forlornly at the coffee table.
"Hey," Seokjin said softly, bending his head to catch Hoseok's gaze. He smiled. "It's going to be okay."
Hoseok hiccupped and stared at Seokjin, at his soft eyes and wide smile and the way Hoseok could almost, almost see the glow of a halo at the back of his head. A comforting feeling of assurance washed over Hoseok and he felt an answering smile bloom over his lips.
If he had to be dead, if he absolutely had to be a ghost, he was kind of glad Seokjin was the one who could see him and hear him.
He clapped his hands together in excitement. "Okay! We're going to do this!"
&
"Hey, do you need me to set up the couch for you?" Seokjin asked as he came out of the bathroom, patting his face dry with a fluffy hand towel.
Hoseok turned in his spot by the window, quirking his head to the side. "Huh?"
Seokjin slung the towel around his neck. "To sleep. Do you need a blanket, or..." He trailed off, unsure.
"Ah!" Hoseok smiled and waved his hand dismissively. "I can't sleep so don't bother."
Seokjin frowned. After a moment, he asked, "So what do you do all night?"
Hoseok shrugged. "Wander around. Practice not spinning around uncontrollably."
Seokjin's frown deepened. "Don't you get bored?"
He shrugged again. "Nothing that can really be done about it."
Seokjin makes a low sound of disapproval and grabs the remote from the coffee table, turning the television on. "What kind of movies do you like? I'll set up a queue for you."
Hoseok blinked, his mouth falling open. A pleasant warmth spread from his chest to his toes, and for a moment he remembered what it was like to be alive. It was the same kind of warmth he felt when his mother used to thread her fingers through his hair, singing him to sleep. The same kind of warmth he felt when V used to snuggle against his thigh on movie nights. The same warmth he felt when he told a funny joke and a baby face with a shock of orange hair burst into laughter, bringing a hand up to cover his explosive smile.
It was a warmth that meant care and appreciation and affection, freely given and freely received.
"Hoseok?" Seokjin called, tilting his head in worry.
Hoseok snapped to attention and cleared his throat. "Ah yeah, I'm good. That's, I mean I like pretty much everything. Maybe a nice variety?"
Seokjin hummed in understanding. "Come help me pick."
When they had more than enough movies to last the night, Seokjin started the first one and placed the remote gently back onto the coffee table. "I guess I'll go to bed," he said, treading softly to his room. "I'll leave the door open. In case you need anything. Since you can't knock."
Hoseok grinned. "Thank you. I really appreciate it." He gestured vaguely with his hands. "All of it."
Seokjin nodded. "You're welcome." He turned to head into the bedroom.
Hoseok hesitated for a moment before he called out, "Hey, I don't think I caught your full name."
Seokjin glanced over his shoulder. "It's Kim Seokjin. Goodnight." He slipped into the room, tilting the door so it was halfway open.
Hoseok sat on the couch and stared blankly at the movie playing. "Kim Seokjin," he repeated to himself, testing the name on his tongue. The warmth spread from his chest again until he felt tingles at the ends of his fingertips.
&
Seokjin woke up at four in the morning halfway through Inception, shuffling sleepily to the bathroom. His hair was messy and a yawn stretched his mouth wide. His eyes were closed behind round glasses and Hoseok sighed because that was too adorable for four in the morning.
"Good morning!" he called, waving a hand in greeting, a large smile on his lips. "I didn't know you wore glasses."
Seokjin jumped and slammed into the wall behind him, a hand coming up to his heart. He blinked rapidly at Hoseok before he squeezed his eyes shut again and let out a deep sigh.
"Oh, sorry, too loud?" Hoseok asked, his smile turning apologetic.
Seokjin nodded and opened his eyes. "Yeah, I'm not used to having a ghost room with me. Or anyone, actually." A small smile spread over his lips. "Good morning." He pointed to the bathroom. "I'll just be a minute."
Hoseok waves him away. "Yeah, I'll be here."
Seokjin emerged twenty minutes later, hair styled and glasses no where to be found.
Hoseok pouted. "Where'd the glasses go?"
Seokjin raised an eyebrow but continued on his path to the kitchen, grabbing an apple and washing it quickly. "I don't wear those outside unless I'm sick. Or exhausted." He scrunched his face up. "I don't like the way they look. They hide my handsome face."
Hoseok scowled, judgement evident on his face. "I kind of hate you."
Seokjin shrugged and took a large bite of his apple. "So, after work we'll go to a few funeral homes," he changed the subject, munching continuously on his apple. "I think the ones in the area are a good bet. You can't have traveled too far from home."
Hoseok shuddered as he remembered being propelled through the air. "Let's not think about that too much."
"Hm. I also have a friend who's grandmother is a shaman, maybe he can help. I'll give him a call at lunch."
Hoseok nodded and turned back to the television when Seokjin disappeared into his room again.
"I'll be ready to go in, like, ten minutes," Seokjin continued, voice slightly muffled. "I guess you don't have to change your clothes, though. Or brush your teeth. I'll stop talking now."
Hoseok sat up straight and twisted his head to peer at the bedroom. "Wait, I'm coming with you to work?"
There was a moment of silence before Seokjin peeked around the door frame, his hair slightly messed from changing and a frown on his lips. "You'll be bored if you stay here all day."
Hoseok grinned and clapped his hands together, happy sounds escaping his lips.
Seokjin laughed and shook his head, disappearing back into his room.
&
They spent the day talking, Hoseok watching Seokjin as he mixed and kneaded and rolled and sprinkled. There was something ethereal about the way Seokjin looked when he was concentrated on his work. There was something ethereal about Seokjin period, and Hoseok thought that was unfair because he was the otherworldly creature here.
When he voiced his complaint out loud, Seokjin laughed and said it was okay, because Hoseok's smile was as bright as summer sunlight. If Hoseok could blush, he would have a permanently red face.
It was nice to talk to Seokjin. It was comforting, and Hoseok wasn't sure if it was the gentle tone of his voice or the soft crinkle of his eyes when he said something funny, or the way he listened, really listened and cared about everything Hoseok said. Hoseok could feel his anxiety ebb as the day wore on. All the turbulent worries and doubts, the fear that he would be stuck like this forever, the regret that he couldn't remember his past life, it dulled. They didn't go away completely, still a voice in the back of his mind. But they were quieter now, less concentrated. He wasn't so afraid anymore.
At lunch, Seokjin failed to reach his friend, leaving a voicemail and a text. It wasn't unusual, he'd said. Yoongi didn't really pick up his phone. Like ever. It was annoying. Really, really annoying, but Seokjin's frustrated face was adorable so Hoseok couldn't find it in himself to care too much.
They reached a similar fate after Seokjin's shift finished and they visited the nearest funeral homes. None of them had a ceremony for Jung Hoseok, or any male in his early twenties. The trend continued as they spread out further from Seokjin's neighbourhood and closer to downtown Seoul. Hoseok finally insisted they head back to Seokjin's apartment long after the sun set and Seokjin's nose had turned red from the cold wind.
"I'm sorry," Seokjin sighed, collapsing onto the couch when they returned, throwing an arm over his eyes.
"It was only the first day." He smiled down at Seokjin and wished he could shake him playfully. "We did great, we've eliminated so many. Hey."
Seokjin made a small sound and let his arm drop to his side. "Are you always so optimistic?"
"Always," he replied and yelled happily.
Seokjin chuckled. "Are you always so loud?" he asked, but Hoseok could hear the mirth in his voice.
Hoseok sobered momentarily and scowled. "I thought you would have figured that out by now."
Seokjin's smile lingered on his lips. He stood up and stumbled into the kitchen. "I should make dinner," he said, pulling ingredients from the fridge and arranging them on the counter. "Where should we go tomorrow?" he asked. "Seoul proper, or a suburb?" He washed a bowl of rice, swirling the grains. "If you died on Valentine's Day, then today would be the third day. Tomorrow's the eighteenth, I think we missed your ceremony, wherever it was."
Hoseok frowned, a thought flashing suddenly through his mind.
"Hoseok?"
"I think tomorrow," he started, his brow furrowing, "is my birthday."
Seokjin's eyes widened and he placed the bowl of rice on the counter. "You remember?"
Hoseok jerked his head to the right as if to shake the thought, but it remained firm. "I'm pretty sure, February eighteenth."
Seokjin nodded, wiping his hands on a towel. "Okay." He opened the refrigerator and sighed before shutting it firmly. He walked back into the living room and grabbed his coat from where he laid it on the side of the couch.
"What are you doing?"
He shrugged into his jacket, glancing around to find his wallet. "We have to go to the supermarket."
Hoseok glanced at the clock on the wall and made a face. "Don't they close in, like, half an hour?"
"Ah!" Seokjin said when he found his wallet, slipping it into his back pocket. "We should hurry then."
"Wait, wh - don't let the door close!" Hoseok rushed after Seokjin, slipping through the door just before it shut.
&
The supermarket was more fun than Hoseok anticipated. He had not realized how much he missed the mundane things about everyday living, and he wondered if he had a regular grocery store, if he went every Wednesday night after work. Or used to, before he died. He quirked his lips to the side and tried to push away the gloom that poked at his heart.
"What did you need to buy so urgently?" he asked Seokjin to keep his mind off his depressing thoughts.
Seokjin balanced a basket on his arm and strolled through the aisles. "Meat."
"Ah. You had to have meat at ten-thirty at night. I see."
Seokjin narrowed his eyes and pointed a finger at Hoseok. "My dear friend, you must never ignore the need for meat. Meat is life."
Hoseok laughed. "Uh-huh."
Seokjin scowled. "I'm imparting valuable life lessons here."
Hoseok grinned at him. "And I'm taking them all to heart."
Seokjin laughed and turned his attention to the beef in the displays as they reached the meat section.
Hoseok sighed and wandered around in boredom, waiting for Seokjin to choose. His expression brightened when he caught the beginning of Sistar's Touch My Body over the speakers. He laughed in excitement and danced along to the song, exaggerating the movements.
Seokjin stared at him for a moment before bursting into laughter, loud and squeaky. "What are you doing?"
"I love this song!" he answered, opening his mouth wide in delight.
Seokjin couldn't seem to catch his breath, even when a clerk strolled down the aisle, her eyes wide and a cautious expression on her face.
"Are you okay, sir?" she asked from a distance.
Seokjin's face was red and he doubled over to brace his hands on his knees, shaking his head. "I'm fine," he managed, trying to hold in his laughter. "I'm fine, just thought of something funny." He tired to glare at Hoseok but the expression was ruined by his smile.
Hoseok grinned and continued his antics, exaggerating his movements even more.
The clerk did not seem convinced but she nodded and left, a brow still raised.
"Yah, Hoseok, stop," Seokjin begged, catching his breath. "People think I'm crazy."
Hoseok lowered his arms and grinned, still shimmying his hips. "Your face is really red," he laughed.
Seokjin straightened. "Shut up, I'm still handsome," he said with a smile.
Hoseok laughed. "Still handsome," he agreed.
When they returned home, Hoseok expected Seokjin to fry up the meat for a midnight snack. He did not expect Seokjin to place it carefully in the refrigerator and head to the living room, scooping up the remote from the coffee table.
"Aren't you going to eat?" he asked, furrowing his brow in confusion.
Seokjin shook his head and yawned, starting Hoseok's movie queue. "I have to sleep. 'Night." He shuffled into his bedroom and Hoseok stared after him with a frown.
&
Just after two in the morning, Seokjin stumbled out of his room and into the bathroom. Hoseok shrugged and turned his attention back to The Little Mermaid, expecting Seokjin to shuffle back into his room momentarily. He raised both his eyebrows when Seokjin emerged from the bathroom and head straight to the kitchen, his round glasses perched cutely on his nose.
Seokjin yawned and waved a hand in greeting as he opened the refrigerator and pulled out several items.
"Seokjin?" Hoseok called, shuffling around on the couch so he could face the kitchen, resting his arms on the back of the couch.
"Hmm?"
"What are you doing?"
Seokjin pulled a pot out of a cabinet. "Cooking."
"I can see that. Why are you cooking at two in the morning?"
Seokjin turned slightly so he could meet Hoseok's gaze. "It's your birthday. Everyone should have seaweed soup on their birthday."
Hoseok blinked and gaped at him. "You're...making me seaweed soup."
Seokjin nodded, soaking the seaweed in water.
Hoseok blinked again as a heavy pressure settled in his chest. "But I can't eat it."
Seokjin yawned again and shrugged. "Still, it's your birthday. Someone should make it for you."
"Won't you be too tired? You hardly slept."
Seokjin hummed noncommittally. "It's worth it." He looked at Hoseok and frowned, concern widening his eyes. "Are you crying?"
"No," Hoseok replied, voice thick and cheeks wet from the tears that slipped down. He sniffled and wiped his eyes with the heel of his hand. "I'm not."
Seokjin hurried over to him, bending to meet his gaze. "I'm sorry, don't cry." He reached a hand out as if to touch Hoseok but pulled back, curling his fingers into a fist. "Sorry, don't cry on your birthday."
Hoseok shook his head and sniffled. "I'm okay." He took a deep breath and nodded. "It's just, that's really nice and thoughtful. I'm fine. Thank you."
Seokjin did not look convinced so Hoseok forced a smile to his lips and shooed him back to the kitchen. "Finish my soup, hyung."
Seokjin scoffed but shuffled back to the kitchen. "I'm hyung now?"
Hoseok sniffed loudly. "Yeah."
&
Seokjin's disrupted sleeping schedule caught up to him at lunch. He rested his head on the table, blinking heavily even as he tried to swallow his last spoonful of rice. "I'm just gonna close my eyes for a second," he said, the spoon in his hand falling with a light ting to the floor as he fell asleep.
Hoseok leaned his elbow on the table, resting his chin in his hand as he watched Seokjin sleep. He smiled, a quirk of his lips to the left. "He's really cute when he sleeps," he said softly, watching Seokjin's bangs fall over his glasses. He reached his hand out and stretched his fingers to hover over Seokjin's hair, as close to touching as he could get. He moved his fingers back and forth, mimicking a comforting petting motion as that familiar warmth spread from his chest.
He thought for the first time that maybe death wasn't so bad, if it meant he could still have moments like this.