His spirit || Seungjin/Hyunmin

Chapter 31

"H-Hyunjin...? Is that really you?"

The guy with the pointy chin asked. Seungmin watched as the last traces of scepticism vanished from everyone's eyes. Another cool breeze rustled the leaves around their feet, creating an atmosphere charged with energy.

Hyunjin couldn't help but smile sadly, exhaling a dry sigh.

"Hey, Changbin hyung... it's been a while, hasn't it?"

Changbin's eyes widened in shock as he covered his mouth with his hand. How could this be? He had initially thought that the weird, skinny guy on the bench next to Hyunjin was going crazy. He would have never guessed that he was actually telling the truth.

But this also meant that Hyunjin was currently passing away. The realization hit Changbin like a truck, and tears welled up in his eyes. What was happening? What had Hyunjin gotten himself into?

The blonde, curly-haired guy took hesitant steps toward the spirit boy, trembling with anticipation. He came to a halt just centimeters in front of Hyunjin, and the air between them grew cold. Slowly, he extended his hand towards Hyunjin's shoulder, just as Minho had done. But, like before, his hand passed through the spirit's body. Hyunjin's bittersweet smile waned a bit.

"Hey, Chan hyung..."

The blonde simply stared at Hyunjin, and the moment hung tense. Chan's hand trembled inches away from Hyunjin's shoulder, where he had attempted to touch the spirit.

Chan and Changbin had always been very close to Hyunjin, along with Minho. They were the ones who had helped Hyunjin get over Mingi.

Minho sighed and gently placed his hand on Chan's shoulder. He knew how much the group meant to Chan. News like this was not easy for anyone present, but for Chan, it must be especially hard. He could even feel the tremors in Chan's body under his hand.

"Hyung... I know it's hard. But he isn't dead just yet. We can still help."

Felix, who had been intently watching the spirit next to Seungmin, turned his gaze toward Chan. He might not have known these Changbin and Chan guys well, but he empathized with their anguish.

'If Jisung or Seungmin were in this situation, I think I would react the same way...'

Jisung, however, didn't seem as surprised as the others. Shocked, yes, but with everything that had happened in the bathroom earlier, he wasn't entirely taken aback. His thoughts raced with the information Seungmin and Jeongin had shared just moments ago. Finally, he directed his gaze at Seungmin, who still sat beside Hyunjin and Felix. Now, he understood why Seungmin had lost so much weight and sleep.

"Seungmin!"

Jisung's voice broke the emotional atmosphere, causing the leaves to rustle in the occasional breeze. Seungmin's tired eyes met Jisung's warm, brown ones.

"Was the piece of paper you were holding yesterday the letter from the person you mentioned?"

Seungmin nodded slightly, curious about what the older boy wanted to know.

"Do you still have it?"

Seungmin nodded once more. From the corner of his eye, he saw Jeongin packing his belongings back into his bag.

"Yeah... it's at home..."

Felix shivered slightly at the sound of Seungmin's hoarse voice, which seemed even weaker than just minutes ago. He couldn't fathom how much Seungmin had invested in trying to save Hyunjin. However, before he could ponder further, the faint voice next to Seungmin chimed in.

"In the letter, Seungmin was basically threatened to stop investigating what happened to me. We assume that whoever wrote that letter has installed cameras and microphones in Seungmin's apartment. This person also has access to his apartment. So, we've been trying to avoid Seungmin's home today."