Payback AU: Magic Cherry

IT'S WORTH A TRY!!

The following days are a pitiful replay of Yoohan's life prior to Jay. If he didn't know, he now understands how life was before him.

The same as it was a month ago, he gets up with the first rays of light, goes to work on the lonely train, makes his way home slowly, and collapses into bed with a groan of exhaustion. The only variation in this routine is that, just before falling asleep, he muses over how everything went wrong and drives away the uncertainty and regret represented by Yoon Jay and his tragic look.

And in most times, he does a bad job at it. Because somehow, in ways unknown, Jay manages to seep into his mind and starts burrowing in it, a visitor that will leave on his own time–which, Yoohan exasperatedly assumes, is far, far into the distant future.

Jay's ghostly figure flits about at the most odd and ordinary moments. The actual Jay, however, is careful to never even cast a shadow or a trace of himself in Yoohan's field of vision. He brushes past him like they've done a million of times, before everything went into shambles, and they'd greet each other only for mornings and ends of their shifts.

Exactly the way it was before, just like Jay promised.

In fact, Yoohan can't think of a single instance in which Jay has broken a promise. Yoohan is sure he won't be an exception either, whether it's to his superiors, his coworkers, or his new interns.

⁃⁃⁃

"Don't move," Yoohan feels something sharp press against the small of his back.

His prayers to heaven asking for a once-in-a-while unique experience for him have been granted. Only in the shape of a thief with a sharp blade.

The man murmurs, "Wallet," adding, "Now."

Yoohan slowly reaches inside his back pocket after taking an audible gulp. His back is further pressed against the edge, sending a numbing wave of fear down his legs and forcing the rest of his body to shudder. Although he firmly places his feet on the ground, his heart rate continues to increase. As his shaking hands pulled out his wallet, he was able to hear his own pulse in his ears.

Yoohan mumbled, "I don't have much, though I have to say I am kind of flattered."

The man yelled, "Shut it." Yoohan recoils. The moment the man was about to grab the wallet and flee, a powerful punch was abruptly thrown their way from the side.

The man falls to the side with a loud boom, crashing against the trash cans in the alley on the way down, and he is unable to get back up. The street lamp highlights the fresh bruise that is developing on the mugger's cheek as a man approaches and presses his oxford shoe against the mugger's chest.

Yoohan gasps in shock, "Jay".

⁃⁃⁃                                                                                             

Yoohan should have known that stumbling around aimlessly like a fool would get him into trouble, in retrospect. But Jay is partially to blame as well, so it's not all his fault.

He had occupied every nook and cranny of his mind until Yoohan had found himself somewhere in a dark alley, a knife to his back and his life in the hands of a dangerous burglar.

In the adrenaline of it all, Yoohan had welcomed Jay to his place to treat his wounds, not realizing how fortunate he is to have him. His mind refused to stay still and watch him leave for the second time.

So there they were, sharing a first aid kit while seated on Yoohan's bed. Yoohan awkwardly and silently rolls the gauze over Jay's purple knuckle one last time while holding his breath out of nervousness.