Those Who Are Dead | KTH 🔞

45 | Merry

He shakes his head, expression serious as he takes another bite of soft dough.

"No, I'm leaving as soon as I'm done eating."

"Why?" I whine, "Christmas would be much more fun if you stay around."

"Your dad wasn't exactly thrilled to have me here even for a night, you think he would agree to keep me around to celebrate the one time of the year that's supposed to be for the people you love?"

"He doesn't not like you..." I say unconvincingly.

"Sage, your dad wouldn't mind if I died in my sleep."

"You're exaggerating."

"Barely."

"I'll go talk to him."

"Don't, honestly. I'm just fine. I was going to spend Christmas with my sisters anyway."

Memories rise to my mind of a younger Taehyung with a bruised cheekbone and a cut lip, black eye contrasting with the gold of his skin tone. This was a few years ago when coming back to school from the Christmas break. He had confidently strolled around the corridors of Chapelgate Academy with his face all messed up for over two weeks, telling everyone he had been in a bar fight...

"No, you can stay here for the break," I decisively say.

"Sage..." he calls, threatening, but I'm already gone, running to the basement.

"Dad!" I yell as I go down the stairs as fast as I can while Taehyung chases after me, I then erupt into the basement, opening the ajar morgue door, "Is it true you told Taehyung he had to leave today?"

My dad stands in the middle of the room, a tray of bloody tools at his side and a corpse open before him, completely covered in a turquoise drape except for a rectangle over its stomach which is open on entangled organs. The room slightly reeks of blood and alcohol, the sudden sterile and brisk atmosphere not cooling down my determination in the least.

Taehyung, running after me, collides with my back and I almost fall forward. He catches my arm at the last second to keep me standing. I immediately rip my wrist away from his fingers, trying to stay focused on my dad instead of his presence behind me, which is hard when I can feel the warmth of his tall frame as he stays right in my trail, an inch away from my shoulder blades.

"What is this?" my father asks, eyes suspicious, "He shouldn't be down here," he says, pointing towards Taehyung with a dirty scalpel.

With his mask on, I can't really read his expression, but he must be frowning.

"I was just wondering why you're kicking him out today! It's Christmas! Have a little compassion and don't let him freeze in the snow!"

He sends me angry glares over his glasses, clearly unhappy to have this conversation while Taehyung is listening.

"Christmas is for family," he mumbles, going back to his task over the dead body, "and nobody is going to freeze in the snow."

"Dad, please, if it were me that was all alone in the world for Christmas, you would want some nice strangers to take me in too..."

Taehyung coughs in my ear and whispers something about me being dramatic, but I'm not listening. My dad sighs, shaking his head.

"I can't take in all of your stray friends; it will start with Taehyung and then the entire neighbourhood is going to be knocking at our door."

I approach slowly, trying to meet his gaze while he keeps his head down to his work. I know this isn't about the rest of my friends because if I asked if Paris or Crystal could stay here for the entire month, I know he wouldn't hesitate a second to say yes. This is about Taehyung and his 'bad attitude' and 'bad influence' and all the rumours about him being a violent, murderous kid. This is about him being poor and from a trashy neighbourhood with even trashier parents.