Chapter Text
Yoo Joonghyuk has a special ability. He can see ghosts.
Surprising? Not really.
Yoo Joonghyuk had always known that he was odd and his parents proved this statement by neglecting him. If it wasn’t for him trying to show off the friends he had made to them, totally oblivious of the bleeding faces and twisted necks, to his parents who couldn’t see them, maybe his circumstances would be much better.
His parents were terrified of him. They immediately sent him to a temple to baptize him, only to be told that his ability was a gift, not something to be feared by the monk. Obviously, his parents didn’t think the same and promptly lessened their contact with him.
Does it hurt the young him? Terribly so.
Does he care now? No.
But does it still hurt? Hell yes.
And he was sent to study in the temple to control his ability. Apparently, this is so that he would be less creepy by his parents’ standard. Namgung Minyoung is an excellent master. She had patiently taught him how to control his ability. But Yoo Joonghyuk didn’t find it necessary because most of the ghosts are usually curious about him and they tend to find him just because they want to talk.
That was until one day he was attacked by malicious ghosts.
That incident scarred him. His tiny hands were marred with cuts, and even his face didn’t escape the misfortune, bleeding very heavily. Yoo Joonghyuk remembered clinging to Namgung Minyoung’s warm embrace when she saved him.
Hot tears gushed out from his eyes as he cried his heart out. Utter fear overwhelmed him as his master gently stroked his back, trying to calm the shaking small 5 years old boy.
The incident happened because the malicious ghost wanted to possess him so that it could kill the murderer who murdered him before. Yoo Joonghyuk is a perfect medium for it to kill a person so ignoring the fact that the other is just a child, it promptly tortured Yoo Joonghyuk’s spirit so that he could occupy his body.
Of course, it failed and Yoo Joonghyuk was saved by Namgung Minyoung but the incident made the quiet child more… quieter. He was afraid to talk and refused to be away from Namgung Minyoung. Each night, Yoo Joonghyuk ended up having nightmares and Namgung Minyoung had to pat him to sleep. Most of the time he ended up falling asleep in her arms with a teary face after onslaughts of nightmares.
Then Yoo Joonghyuk took his training very seriously. The scars on his hands were a reminder that ghosts should not be trusted.
Nowadays Yoo Joonghyuk is just a normal 17 years old boy. A high-schooler who changed schools frequently due to numerous incidents he went through because of the damned ghosts. Now the problem starts here as soon as he steps into his classroom.
One of his classmates is a ghost.
Yoo Joonghyuk stared at his seat. Stare. Stare. And stare. His brows twitched and he turned his black eyes to other seats. Damn it. That seat is the only empty one. “You can sit there, Student Yoo Joonghyuk.” The said student stiffly nodded, ignoring girls’ giggling and guys’ hushed whispers about his appearance.
Yoo Joonghyuk put his bag down and sat on the chair, sitting on the outer part of the two seats. The seat beside him was empty and the window was wide open, carrying the sultry heat of summer air inside the classroom when the breeze blew by.
Sitting on the railing of the classroom’s window was a boy. Wearing the same uniform as him with a stitched name tag, Kim Dokja . Looking young as he gazed at the scenery with a blank look. If it’s not for the pale lips, ghostly black-blue eyes and the deathly white skin, he could pass off as a regular boy who likes to sit on the railing of the window out of amusement and thrill.
But Yoo Joonghyuk knew what it was. It’s a freaking ghost.
Just his luck.
It hasn’t even been one hour since he came to this school and yet he already had a ghost as his seatmate, ha-ha-ha.
That is sarcasm by the way.
Okay, let’s just ignore it. If I do not see, I do not see.
Yoo Joonghyuk recited his 13-years-old mantra in his head. It wasn’t helpful most of the time but he got used to it.
“Oh, he’s handsome.” A soft voice hummed out near his ears. Black-blue eyes looked at him curiously. The taller boy jolted.
Fuck.
“Hm? You can see me?” The ghost, Kim Dokja, asked in surprise, looking utterly human with how he titled his head in confusion. Yoo Joonghyuk remained silent as he feigned to focus on the teacher’s droning voice.
The silence between them stretched out and the ghost released a disappointed sigh.
“I guess you can’t.” He mumbled, swaying his legs ever so slowly as he tilted his back to the open ground dangerously, looking at the blue sky. Yoo Joonghyuk’s heart lurched, overcome with an overwhelming urge to pull the boy inside, to stop him from hanging off the railing, and stay away from that damned window.
“Ah, Mrs. Kang’s voice is putting students to sleep yet again.” A breathy laughter escaped from Kim Dokja as he straightened his body and drifted closer to Yoo Joonghyuk. A waft of cold air swept across Yoo Joonghyuk which was honestly refreshing especially since it’s the middle of summer right now.
His fingers twitched when the ghost’s hair tickled his temple when he leant down, peering over his broad shoulder to look at Yoo Joonghyuk’s notes. A snicker resounded from the boy which made Yoo Joonghyuk’s brows twitch.
He didn’t know whether it was from irritation or something else.
“Oh, man. What an ugly handwriting. Can’t even write a discerning love letter like this.” The ghost giggled as he swept his slim pale finger over Yoo Joonghyuk’s notes. Annoyance bubbled up inside of the taller man.
His handwriting is not that bad, okay? It’s just that he gets easily distracted and can’t stay still so most of his writings usually become indescribable when his mind wanders off.
“What a shame and with that kind of face too. Well, some flaws are cute too.” Kim Dokja mused and Yoo Joonghyuk’s eyes twitched for the nth time. “Young one, you better fix your handwriting if you want some action in your love life.” The ghost advised him seriously. Yoo Joonghyuk finally couldn’t take it anymore.
“Will you shut up?” Yoo Joonghyuk snapped.
“Ah! So, you can see me!” Kim Dokja exclaimed gleefully.
………
Fucking hell.