My phone slides down my lap and lands with a soft thud on my bed as I stand up and head to the bathroom. I know I shouldn't be surprised as a burst of chocolate mint fills my mouth the moment I push the bathroom door open, revealing a figure standing still in front of the toilet bowl.
But instinct kicks in, sending me flying backwards, slashing the air defensively with my towel. The figure stares at me incredulously for a second. Then he throws his head back and laughs out loud.
I roll my eyes as I straighten from my crouch, embarrassed. I clear my throat and glare meaningfully at the figure. He composes himself and tilts his head to the side, regarding me. He wears a plain shirt and jeans. His pale skin glows faintly, his blonde hair like a halo.
"Don't you know how to use the front door? Or even how to knock?" I ask icily, crossing my arms in front of me.
"When you're dead you won't bother using the front door, let alone knock," he snaps.
I snicker. "Now, now. No need to be hasty."
He scowls at me. I grin.
"If you'll excuse me," I continue. "I would like to take a shower first."
He sighs and drifts out of the bathroom. Cold air tickles my skin as he passes me.
"Make yourself at home. Go watch a movie if you please. But don't touch those." I point to my Iron Man collection. "Those are expensive."
He nods. I throw him a warning look before closing the bathroom door.
I turn on the shower, drowning all noises.
****
I am a Guide. Grandmother knew about it as Grandfather was a Guide too. She told me the stories about our kind.
Cleo was my grandfather's great grandfather. And I am a direct descendant of Cleo. He was born in 1609. He was a philosopher and a traveler. His studies led him to wonder about human's death. Why and how humans get old and die eventually. Cleo came across Anubis, the Egyptian god of death, accidentally. Anubis acknowledged Cleo's concern about the dead. He turned Cleo into a Guide and gave him a gift, immortality.
His job was to help the dead with their final wishes, their final requests, before stepping through the boundary. Those who needed help were drawn to him; the dead knew he's a Guide.
Cleo was frozen at age 28, immortal, yes, but he was not capable of stopping death brought by nature or coincidence, disease or accident. He was still human in some ways. And humans, after all, are bound to die.
Cleo died of an infectious disease, age 194. His gift, however, was passed down to his descendants. But his gift comes with a price. Death. Death of a family member.Accidental or not.
As if everybody wants his gift. As if my grandfather and I were given a choice.
Grandfather was the first one, born in 1848. His mother's death caused him to stop aging at 21, Cleo's gift fresh in his blood. Grandfather was a very compassionate man. It was natural for him as a Guide. But fate could be so cruel sometimes, as grandfather fell from a cliff, plummeting to his death, age 122. Grandmother was shaken. It took her a year to recover.
I am the second one, born in 1975. I stop aging at 19, twenty years ago, in 1994. And the price was too high. It almost killed me. My mom and dad's deaths. They were flying home from Germany when a turbulence sent the plane crashing down. And I just don't want to think about it.
Grandmother took care of me. As she knew grandfather's secret, she told me not be afraid as I am a Guide and no harm will come to me. I had asked her why and she'd answered, "You are protected, child. We all are." Grandmother passed away four years after my parents' death.
Now I live alone in a luxurious penthouse in Olympus Heights in Seoul. I'm currently attending my second year in EXO-L University, one of the top universities in Asia. I have no problem when it comes to money as I've been saving up for the last twenty years and I've been running grandfather and my parents' businesses. Plus I have access to all their various bank accounts. Quite a life.
As for my business, I've been managing it pretty well.
****
I find Mr. Snappy sitting on my bed, watching the TV as I step out of the bathroom dressed in black shirt and pajamas.
"You live alone?" Mr. Snappy asks without taking his eyes off the TV.
"Yeah," I reply, crossing the room and snatching my laptop from the study table. I switch it on immediately.
"Name?" I ask as I move to sit on the couch near the bed.
"Wu Yifan," Mr. Snappy tells me, still looking at the TV. "But I prefer Kris."
I quickly type in his name. I am about to ask the follow up questions, but he cuts me off.
"May I ask what you are doing?"
I glance up and find him looking at me. I notice his change of tone.
"Normal procedures," I answer, my voice businesslike. He raises an eyebrow. I sigh, exasperated. "I need a person's identity to make my job a lot easier, obviously. Of course, other information is needed depending on a person's requests. Besides that I need to keep a record, for future reference."
"I see." He nods and turns back to the TV.
"Age?"
"24."
After having him fill up all the necessary details, I reach for the remote and switch off the TV. I turn towards him, slipping my hands inside my pockets.
"What can I do for you then?" I ask, staring at him intently.
"I have only one request," Kris mutters. He pauses for a minute. I wait patiently. "I didn't have the chance to say goodbye to my girlfriend, Victoria Song."
"You had a cancer," I note. "Didn't she know?"
"No," he whispers, his face contorting in pain. "I couldn't tell her. It would be too much for her."
I stay silent for a moment. "What do you want me to do?"
"I was able to make a...farewell letter for her in my email," he mumbles. "I just want you to give it to her personally, to make sure that she reads it."
"Anything more?" I ask. Hmm. Mr. Snappy isn't snappy after all.
"Just tell her that I asked you to give it to her." His voice breaks a little at the end.
"I will," I promise.
"Thank you," he says and stands up. He holds his hand out to me.
I shake it gently, oblivious to his cold skin as I've shaken hundreds of dead hands already.
"You are welcome. I'm Kai by the way," I say, offering him a small smile.
Kris nods and releases my hand. He drifts towards the small balcony and slips easily through the glass doors. He pauses outside and turns to look at me for the last time.
"Don't get lost," I tell him.
"I won't," Kris assures me.
****
Victoria Song, Kris's girlfriend, is a senior in EXO-L University, fortunately. Well, it's a small world after all.
I park my silver Mustang carefully between a Subaru and Mazda, making them look like rubbish next to my car. I snicker inwardly. The moment Ford announced that they're releasing the 2014 Mustang, within 15 seconds, I've already preordered. Other than that, I still have an Audi R8 and a Mercedes Benz SLS AMG back at Olympus.
I glance around and notice a group of freshmen gawking at my car. One of them is already taking pictures. I shake my head as I move to open my door.
I walk across a hallway, my backpack dangling from one shoulder, a piece of paper in my hand. I round a corner, walk a few more and stop in front of a classroom. I poke my head inside, looking for someone.
Just then, a tall girl passes me by the door. I recognize her immediately.
"Victoria Song?" I call out as I catch up to her in the hallway.
Victoria stops and turns to look at me. She frowns. "Yes?"
"I'm Kai, a friend of Kris," I mutter, watching her expression carefully.
She flinches slightly at his name. "I rather not talk about it."
Her fists clench at her sides. I give her an apologetic look.
"I know," I say softly. "This is for you."
I hold out the piece of paper. "It's from Kris."
Her hands tremble as she takes the letter from me, tears threatening to spill.
"He could've given it to me by himself," she whispers hoarsely. "He could've told me everything."
I stay silent as I know nothing I say will make her feel better. I've gone through enough that I know exactly what she feels.
I am about to leave, but Victoria holds me in place.
"Stay here please, just for a moment," she pleads. I nod, understanding.
Victoria opens the letter slowly. I glance around, grateful that nobody's passing this hallway. It takes her a few minutes to read the letter.
I feel my irises changing color. I look away hastily. I catch my reflection on a glass door across from me, my irises brilliant blue. A sign. A sign that Kris has crossed the boundary. The color fades within seconds.
I glance back at Victoria. She bites her lip, trying hard not to cry, afraid that she might lose it. I can see her fighting herself.
"Just let it all out," I whisper. "It will make you feel better."
She does. I pull her awkwardly to my arms. Victoria cries softly in my shoulder. I don't know how long we stayed like that, but as I hear footsteps around the corner I push her gently away.
"Now, now." I stare right into her eyes, passing her a silent message. She nods and composes herself.
"I'm sorry about that," Victoria tells me. I offer her my handkerchief and she takes it gratefully.
"You have nothing to apologize for," I whisper.
"Thank you." She shakes my hand. I smile at her.
****
"Where the hell have you been?" Chen demands as I sit behind him in Calculus, next to Suho. "We're supposed to have pizza before class remember?"
"Sorry," I mumble. "I was on an errand for someone."
"Someone?" Lay, sitting beside Chen, muses.
"Business," I explain nonchalantly.
"Been busy?" Suho asks, his icy blonde hair pointing to all directions.
"Not really," I answer.
Chen narrows his eyes at me. I just smile at him. Xiumin, who's sitting on the desk beside Chen's, rolls his eyes and turns to ignore us.
Class starts and we fall into silence. I pay no attention to the professor as I've taken Calculus thrice already. And it's still a pain in the ass. Time seems to pass swiftly. Before I know it, students are already leaving the room.
"I'm surprise my brain is still capable of understanding," Chen remarks, shaking his head.
I am about to state a fact when chocolate floods my mouth. There is no trace of mint. Just chocolate. Too sweet, cloying even, for my taste.
Not now.
I sigh heavily.
"What is it?" Xiumin asks, noticing my discomfort.
"You guys go ahead," I tell them. "I have to make an important call."
Chen narrows his eyes at me again, but makes no comment. Suho ushers them outside. I remain in my place, making sure no one will overhear.
Cold breeze caresses my neck.
"Business hours are 10PM to 2AM only," I say as I turn around slowly, my voice disapproving.
I stop. All I can do is stare.
A boy sits across from me, on the far end of the room. Soft blue light radiates from his body, emitting an eerie glow around him. His shoulders, even in his casual clothing, are noticeably narrow, almost in proportional to his small build. His dark hair is disheveled, striking, in contrast with his pale skin. His heart-shaped lips twitch as he stands up, his form rippling. His startling golden eyes are alight, amused.
A god? Anubis? But something tells me he's not. For once I find no words.
I've just found the courage to ask who he is when the school bell rings. I blink, looking away. I quickly snatch a piece of paper from my backpack and write my address, almost hoping my handwriting isn't that bad.
I stare back at Mr. Blue, holding out my address.
"Go to this place and wait for me there," I instruct, my voice low, almost seductive. Ugh. So much for being formal. I flinch inwardly.
Mr. Blue nods. He crosses the distance between us slowly. It surprises me to see him walking rather than drifting, though his footsteps make no sound. He takes the paper from me and looks at it briefly.
His eyes flash back to mine, disarming me. He inclines his head to the side, waiting for me to say something. I clear my throat.
"I'll be back at six," I tell him as I back towards the door. He nods again. His silence frustrates me. He could have at least answer a simple yes.
"Do what you please," I continue, stopping by the door. "Just don't make a mess and don't dare touch my Iron Man Collection. Those are priceless."
Mr. Blue frowns at that, but nonetheless nods at me for the third time. I shake my head, turn, and catch up to my friends, wondering all along who Mr. Blue is.
****
"We're planning to head down to Night Market later. Kai, you're in?" Chen asks, popping a potato chip on his mouth.
"Love to, but I can't," I say, forming an excuse in my head. "My cousin just arrived this afternoon."
"Cousin?" Lay raises an eyebrow. "I thought you said you have nothing to do more with your relatives."
"I thought so too. But my cousin called me, told me he needed a place to crash, and I couldn't turn him down. That would be rude of me," I lie effortlessly.
Xiumin just shrugs, resting an arm over Suho's shoulders.
"So it'll just be the four of us for now," Suho mumbles.
"Just for now," I point out, patting Suho's arm. I look sideways at Chen, and see him frowning, not buying it. But I'm pleased he doesn't push the subject.
****
The elevator opens with a soft ping. Tao, looking like he needs a good night's sleep - the lawyer who lives next door - strides out from the elevator, dressed formally. His eyes widen a little when he sees me.
"What's wrong, Tao-ssi?" I ask, frowning.
"Did you just get here?"
"Yes," I answer, raising an eyebrow. "What is it?"
"Well someone just went inside your unit," Tao tells me, his eyes widen a bit more. "Should I call security?"
I pause. Someone?
"Wait." I stop him as he is about to call for security. "Did you see who is it?"
"No," he mumbles. "The door was already closing."
Mr. Blue must've gone out. But, he could've just slip easily through the door or the wall for that matter, couldn't he have? Strange. If he's not a god, then what is he?
Tao clears his throat. I shake my head, turning back to him.
"I just remembered. My cousin called this afternoon," I start. "That would be him."
"Oh." Tao shrugs. "I guess I'll see you later then."
I nod and step inside the elevator. I reach my floor and walk towards my unit. I pause in front of the door. Who the hell is he? I sigh and enter my passkey. I push open the door as I hear a silent beep. It's dark inside, except for the soft blue light coming from the corner. Chocolate explodes in my mouth, that sweet, strong taste, making me thirsty. I head towards my living room, flipping on the lights on my way.
I find Mr. Blue sitting on the love seat, his hands clasp in front of him, his legs crossed, like a father waiting for his prodigal son to come home.
"Hello."
His voice startles me. Not what I have expected. It matches him well. Soft. Music to my ears.
He stands up, his movements flawless, graceful. It takes me a long time to respond.
"Who are you?" I ask, tilting my head to the side. Hmm. This strange creature is too perfect to be human.
Mr. Blue looks down. His hands twitch in his side.
"That's the problem. I don't know who I am."