Chapter Text
To keep it relatively simple, Beomgyu could see ghosts. He had been able to see ghosts for as long as he could remember. That was why he had been working two jobs at once: a full-time student by day, and a part-time shaman by night.
Make it full-time shaman and part-time student with the way he was never able to stay awake during his classes. He made the grave mistake of resting his chin on his hand, tuning out all the math that was spoken, in which he would have never learnt in the first place.
“Beomgyu!”
Beomgyu shot his head up, mindlessly wiping away the drool that accumulated on his face as he drowsily stared at the culprit who interrupted his dreams. Kai was looking at him with a heavy frown on his face, causing him to sigh as he returned to rest his head on his arm.
“Beomgyu,” Kai repeated, shaking him awake, “Earth to Beomgyu! How many clients did you have last night?”
Beomgyu remained leaning over his desk, his eyes still closed as he murmured, “Didn’t keep count. Everyone needed help.”
There was a sudden chill that caused him to open his eyes, snapping his head backwards as he shoved his arm into his pouch. Kai flinched at his sudden movement, about to ask what had happened until salt was suddenly flying through the air. Beomgyu had his arms on defense mode, hands still throwing piles of salt as he huffed.
“I can’t stand bug ghosts,” he said, voice so low that Kai barely heard him.
“Bug ghosts? There was a ghost?”
“Yes,” Beomgyu deadpanned, creating a salt mountain, “A cockroach that didn’t want to pass on.”
Kai stared at him with an unreadable expression, and only now did he realize how empty the classroom was. He was looking around, ignoring the mess that he made just to gawk at the chalkboard that previously had math expressions written all over it, filled with remnants of chalk dust after cleaning.
“Where is everyone?”
“You slept the whole day,” Kai answered, holding back a grimace. Beomgyu widened his eyes, checking his phone which broke out a gasp from him.
“Why didn’t anyone wake me up?” he exclaimed, putting on his glasses as he flipped through all his notes (blank pages), “How am I supposed to graduate like this!”
“We did try! All of our teachers tried waking you up,” Kai shared, completely flabbergasted, “Just what were you dreaming about for you to be dead and cold. Unresponsive.”
Beomgyu actually pondered, a blush appearing on his face as he remembered what exactly he was dreaming about.
“A boyfriend.”
He had to quickly get up and run away before Kai pounced on him. He was still red from his dream, his faceless partner holding hands with him, going on dates with him, eating with him; he hoped to meet a handsome man soon. Maybe he would find one when he goes to study with Kai at the library. A beautiful and smart man, he needed that.
“These are all the notes from today,” Kai said, sharing his scattered papers, “I also have some from Taehyun. His notes are probably better.”
“They’re illegible.” Beomgyu gawked at all the scribbled words on the notepad, trying his hardest to decipher the words written so quickly.
“Well, you gotta make do. We are studying all of this until you start seeing variables in your sleep.”
Beomgyu gulped. He feared for his study session with Kai. But, it usually didn’t take him long to learn the material though. He was used to memorizing methods and such through his shaman lifestyle. He had been a shaman longer than he had been a student. He didn’t even go to middle school and was still able to catch up on all the material he needed to know in high school.
He stretched his arms, about to start his grinding journey before his cellphone disrupted the peace and quiet of the library. He moved flusteredly, answering the phone as he mentally cursed, but not really, the other person on the phone. It was also on him for not putting his phone on silent mode, but he wanted someone else to blame for all these people, including Kai, staring at him.
“Hello—?”
“Where are you? You have a client coming in 30 minutes!”
“Huh.” Beomgyu stared blankly in front of him, gradually processing his mom’s words before the panic kicked in. He sprang upwards, pulling out his emergency contacts kit and applying his usual makeup.
“Wait, what about our studying—”
“Sorry, Kai! We can study again tomorrow, duty calls!” he rushed out, putting on all his accessories as he ran home.
The moment he passed through the doors, he was stripping off his school uniform, replacing it with his mubok. He put on his face covering that hid the bottom half of his face, finally taking a breather when he settled down in front of the shrine. He prayed to his deity, wishing for assistance as he waited for his client to arrive.
“Your makeup is sloppy,” his spiritual mother said with a nonchalant look on her face. Beomgyu playfully glared at her, pouting his lips underneath his mask as he whined.
“But I’m still pretty, aren’t I? Isn’t that right, Heejin noona?”
Heejin smiled, “That’s right. Shinhye, your son is known as the Shaman Fairy for a reason.”
Beomgyu felt smug, smirking when his mother looked at him with a tsk. It was true that he was known as the shaman of all beauty. His deity, the one that chose him, was a deity known for her fairy-like beauty and love for all. He was a popular shaman, one that had been active for years. His spiritual mother saved him from his biological parents. Although he had been a shaman for years, the early years were painted with complete misery. He was a cash grab. His parents marketed him and used him for money, never once treating him like he was their son.
Beomgyu was happy now. He had a mother who actually cared for him — he couldn’t ask for anything better than that.
Maybe a handsome, strong, and caring boyfriend though.
“I suppose you’re right,” Shinhye said, side eyeing Beomgyu with a subtle proudness on her face. Beomgyu smiled to himself, feeling warm and giddy as he waited for his client to walk in.
He wondered what it was going to be this time. He’s had hundreds of clients, usually on the older side, walking in with ghosts haunting them. He’s had to perform dances and provide handwritten charms, along with singing songs just to help these ghosts pass on. There were instances where some clients were unsalvageable. Whenever someone walked into his shrine and appeared upside down, it always left an empty feeling in his stomach.
They were cursed with severe unluckiness that death was the only fate they had. They were deemed to die young, but Beomgyu always tried everything to save them. It took 21 days for the curse to lift, and all he had to do is protect them during those 21 days. Their unluckiness always attracted violent ghosts, ones that lingered on Earth due to their unresolved hatred. He tried his hardest to save them, but it ended up futile no matter what.
There was a knock on the door, causing him to sit up straight as he waited for the person to enter. Heejin went to open the door while his mother left to go to her own shrine. An old lady entered, which is the typical demographic he helped.
There seemed to be nothing wrong with her though, so he was a little confused as to why she was here.
“You may head over there, ma’am,” Heejin directed, leading her to the pillow in front of Beomgyu’s table. The old lady nodded, but then she jumped, turning around as if she realized something.
“Soobin-ah, come in!” she exclaimed, a light blush on her cheeks as if she was embarrassed. Beomgyu lifted an eyebrow, on guard just in case this ‘Soobin’ happened to be the victim in this case. He assumed that person was the old lady’s husband, considering her delicate calling for him.
“Halmeoni, I told you. This isn’t going to work.”
‘Oh,’ Beomgyu thought, his pupils enlarging so incredibly big. His mouth was agape, and if it weren’t for the cloth covering it, a fly would’ve flown in for sure. He was staring at the very beautiful man, his age, walking into his shrine, tall and extremely his type.
But, but, it was that same dreadful feeling in his stomach haunting him once more.
Why was this handsome boy walking in upside down?
The moment both the grandma and Soobin sat down, he reached over the table, grabbing Soobin’s hands — which were so incredibly soft that it made him tear up a little — and made a strong declaration.
“I will save you,” Beomgyu exclaimed, Heejin looking at him as if he had gone crazy. It slowly dwelled on him that he probably wasn’t making any sense, pulling his arms back as he cleared his throat, “My apologies. How can I help you today?”
The grandma appeared ecstatic, clapping her hands together as she gave him the rundown of the predicament her grandson had been facing for all his life. Beomgyu was a great shaman. He gave his clients his full undivided attention as they explained to him their struggles. That was why he was staring so attentively at the dimpled, soft skin man sitting in front of him.
He might’ve been in love — no, he was totally in love. It was love at first sight. This was the man he’d been dreaming about every time he fell asleep in school.
“Misfortune has always followed Soobin everywhere. We’ve tried to go to many different shamans just to help my poor grandson, but nothing has worked. I heard you were extremely reliable, so we moved to your neighborhood. Please help my Soobin, please,” the grandma pleaded, tears in her eyes as she continued to recount Soobin’s unfortunate life. It made Beomgyu sad, he too teared up at the thought of someone so handsome having to go through such terrible events.
“I’ll help your grandson, halmeoni,” Beomgyu declared, sniffling underneath his mask, “I’ll save him no matter what.”
He turned to Soobin, grabbing his hands once more as the latter flinched, “You. If you were to see a stranger crying on the street, what would you do?”
He was already determined to save such a beautiful face, but it would make it even better if there was a gentle personality that went well with it. Soobin awkwardly looked at his grandma, who encouraged Soobin to answer.
“I wouldn’t do anything,” Soobin mumbled, his answer disappointing Beomgyu a bit. He was still going to help Soobin, but he really thought a kind soul would be attached to someone so handsome.
“But,” Soobin continued, his eyes looking down at Beomgyu’s hands holding his, “I would stay with them until they stopped crying. I wouldn’t know what to say, but I feel like being there for someone will help even if it’s just a little bit.”
Jackpot. Beomgyu hit the jackpot. He was extremely elated, turning back to the grandmother with such a determined look in his eyes.
“I’ll do it for free. You don’t have to worry about any payment.” Heejin looked at him like he’d gone mad again, but Beomgyu gave her a glare that made her sigh.
“Thank you so much, Shaman Fairy.” the grandmother was extremely grateful, making Beomgyu so warm on the inside.
“Is this fun for you?”
Huh.
Beomgyu turned to Soobin, his head tilted as he processed Soobin’s question.
“What?”
Soobin dryly laughed, his eyes devoid of any emotion but pure hatred. “Toying with people’s feelings, giving them false hope, scamming people. Is that all fun for you?”
“Excuse me?” Beomgyu was in so much disbelief, not believing a single thing he heard.
“Soobin! You can’t say that!” the grandmother scolded, also appearing taken aback as she tried to stop her grandson from continuing.
“Halmeoni, please, just stop. This one won’t help us either. He’s obviously a con artist.” Soobin glared at him one more time before standing up and storming off. The grandmother deeply apologized before following after her grandson, concern laced in her words as she tried to get him to apologize too, but they were both long gone before Beomgyu knew it.
”Are you still going to help that hopeless boy?” Heejin asked, crossing her arms as she stared at the opened doors with a grimace.
Beomgyu blinked, everything happening so fast that he was given no time to defend himself. Was he offended? It was obvious that he was. Anyone would feel hurt by such strong insults. But, he couldn’t help but feel bad. His heart broke at such thoughts, whipping his head up towards Heejin as he nodded, an even more fierce look on his face.
“I will protect him for 21 days. I have to save him,” Beomgyu repeated, standing up to work on creating handwritten charms.
“But he seems to hate shamans,” Heejin worriedly voiced, watching him flutter around.
Beomgyu stilled, a smile creeping on his lips as he clasped his hands together.
“And? I like them fierce.”
♪
“Did you have a lot of clients again?”
Beomgyu was nodding off. His head that was going to make a loud smack against the wooden desk was quickly saved by Kai’s hand. It shocked him awake a bit, blinking away the sleepiness that weighed his eyelids down.
“Mm, not really,” he mumbled, suddenly smiling remembering Soobin and his perfect face, “Have you ever seen such a beautiful person, Kai-yah?”
“Yes. Me,” Kai boasted, posing as if he was being captured at this very moment in time. That woke up Beomgyu completely, his smile wiped from his face as he stared emotionlessly at Kai.
“Can I not have some confidence in myself?” Kai was flabbergasted, not appreciating the look Beomgyu was giving him, “Was your client the next top model or what? What’s with that question?”
Beomgyu nodded, a little too eager to tell Kai about Soobin. “His face is exactly my type.” Beomgyu daydreamed, fluttering his eyelashes as he held his hands close to his chest. “Can you believe his life is cursed with so much misfortune? I have to save him. I can’t let my future boyfriend die!”
“Doesn’t this go against some sort of shaman code?” Kai pondered, not supporting Beomgyu’s delusions, “A shaman dating their client.”
“I shouldn’t have told you about my job,” Beomgyu whined, pouting his lips as he let out an exasperated huff.
It was a joke. He was glad that he was able to have someone who knew everything about him and never went to judge him. Kai was the only one in the school that knew about him being a shaman. It was not really something he went telling other people because who would believe that Choi Beomgyu from Class 1-C could see ghosts?
Kai turned around in his chair when their homeroom teacher walked in, Beomgyu sticking out his tongue before he turned to mock him. The teacher looked as defeated as ever, but today he appeared even more defeated. Beomgyu’s eyes trailed over to a dark figure looming right by his teacher, flinching in alarm once he realized what type of ghost it is.
A faceless student. One that sucked out the energy of mortal beings to earn a face they have long lost. He needed to help that ghost pass on fast.
He raised his hand, “Mr. Kim—”
“Alright. Quiet down, you guys,” Mr. Kim announced, slamming down his folder to catch the attention of everyone in the room, “Is there an empty seat anywhere?”
He looked to his left to see Yeonjun, one of the well liked students in the school, pointing at the empty seat next to Kai. Mr. Kim thanked Yeonjun, glancing out the classroom door.
“You may come in now, Soobin.”
Nothing could have prepared Beomgyu to see who was walking through the classroom door. Before he could even catch himself, he sprung up from his desk, yelling as he pointed at Soobin, the same Soobin from the night before, adorning the same school uniform as him.
“Has Choi Beomgyu gone crazy?”
“What is he doing? Is he not embarrassed?”
“I’m shocked to see a handsome face too, but I would never scream like that.”
It gradually settled in through the taunts of his classmates that he was being mocked. He awkwardly laughed, sitting back down, “Haha, I must’ve—”
“Beomgyu? Ah, I see that you’re doing well,” Soobin said, sending him a small smile, “Hello everyone. My name is Choi Soobin. Please take care of me.”
Beomgyu’s gaze followed Soobin as he bowed and walked to the empty seat next to Kai. He was confused. Did Soobin recognize who he was? That wasn’t possible because he was wearing a mask and no glasses. There was no way anyone could recognize him through just his eyes alone.
When the bell chimed, he followed Soobin out the door, ignoring Kai’s calls to walk to lunch together as he grabbed Soobin’s arm.
“You know me?” he asked, analyzing Soobin’s face to see any sign of recognition. Soobin appeared clueless, pulling back his arm as he stared back.
“Ah.. No?” Soobin admitted as he backed away slightly, “It just seemed like you needed help.”
The sounds of a lottery machine filled Beomgyu’s ears. He couldn’t believe his heart could beat faster than before, but here he was. He truly found the one for him. He needed this boy so badly.
“Oh, it wasn’t that big of a problem. They always say those things,” Beomgyu explained, his smile once again awkward.
“You shouldn’t do that.”
“Do what?”
Soobin sighed, “Let them say those things about you. You shouldn’t laugh when they taunt you.”
Beomgyu was lost. He thought it was normal for him to laugh whenever people mocked him. Was it not normal? He thought it was better than doing nothing and letting their words visibly affect him. He shrugged, linking his arm around Soobin's, which surprised the taller man.
“I like you. Let’s be friends,” he declared, turning around to signal Kai to come over, “We have a new friend!”
Kai, who was trailing behind, rushed over like an excited puppy, linking his arm around Beomgyu’s other one. The look on Soobin’s face was pure astonishment, but he seemed to quickly snap out of it as he pulled his arm away once more.
“I,” Soobin started, his eyebrows furrowed and his voice strained, “I can’t have friends. Sorry.”
Soobin left both Beomgyu and Kai standing there, the two watching as his back got smaller and smaller. What they saw was different between the two of them though. All Kai saw was Soobin walking farther away from them, but what Beomgyu saw was completely daunting.
The faceless ghost that was lingering around Mr. Kim was now clinging onto Soobin. It made sense. Although Mr. Kim was a good host for the ghost to feed on, Soobin was absolutely perfect. His misfortune was practically radiating off him, which was a perfect feast for such fatal spirits.
“We have to help him, Kai-yah,” he said, rushing forward to reach Soobin.
“Okay,” Kai replied, slowly processing what Beomgyu said before following him, “Wait, we?”
Beomgyu whistled as he fiddled with his food while Kai sent him glares across from him. Soobin was also looking at him, his spoon frozen in the air as his eyes went back and forth from Kai and Beomgyu.
“Why are you guys sitting here?” Soobin questioned, putting down his spoon as he scooted farther away from Beomgyu. Beomgyu smiled, scooting over as well as he fondly looked at Soobin while subtly sending threats to the faceless ghost.
“Wow, can we not sit here? It’s a public cafeteria, is it not?” Kai shook his head, “Sorry, Soobin, but once Beomgyu’s eyes locked in on a target, he will never give up. So, do me a favor and just be our friend, alright?”
Soobin appeared to be completely gobsmacked, flabbergasted at least. He was about to pick up his tray and leave before freezing in his spot when Beomgyu spilled salt all over him.
“Oh gosh, I’m so sorry,” Beomgyu exclaimed, putting down the shaker as he rubbed his hands all over Soobin, “I have a heavy hand when it comes to seasoning.”
The ghost was clinging onto Soobin, he had to get salt on it somehow.
Beomgyu glanced back at the ghost and sighed in relief when he saw that the entity was significantly farther away. It was only a temporary fix. He had to completely separate the ghost from Soobin in order for him to help the ghost alleviate their grievances and keep Soobin safe. It made his heart clench at the thought of someone his age dying so early on. It was so pitiful to be bound to the school building. This poor student ghost couldn’t even escape math through death.
Soobin appeared speechless, looking down at his now overly salted food with a small frown on his face. Beomgyu noticed the change, pushing his own tray towards Soobin as he took the salted meal.
“I like salty foods a lot, you can have mine,” Beomgyu offered — more so concluded, shoving a spoonful of pure salt rice into his mouth. He nearly gagged, but he continued to chew with a smile on his face.
“Wouldn’t your food be salty since you were seasoning it?” Soobin questioned even though he relented and began to eat Beomgyu’s gifted tray of food. It was perfectly fine, not a single speck of extra salt present on the dish. “How’d you miss your tray completely…”
Beomgyu awkwardly laughed, opening his mouth to respond until Kai interrupted him.
“His hand-eye coordination is so bad that it’s dangerous,” Kai announced, “Do you know how insufferable it is to be put into the same team with him whenever we have gym class? You now understand my suffering. Eat well, my partner.”
Beomgyu was offended. His hand-eye coordination was spectacular. It was Kai whose coordination was so bad that everyone had to remain ten feet away from him during the basketball unit at all times. He was wronged, but he didn’t defend himself. The words got caught in his throat when Kai’s words received a small chuckle from Soobin, his eyebrows raising by tenfold as he secretly gave Kai a thumbs up.
Soobin’s lightened mood had made the ghost back away further and further, floating away to find another target. Beomgyu moved to stand, quickly throwing away his barely eaten meal that was nearly inedible. “I forgot I have to clean the school shed during lunch break. I’ll see you two later!”
“They’re making you clean?” Soobin asked, gradually growing more comfortable with talking. Beomgyu sheepishly grinned, rubbing his head as he answered.
“It’s my punishment for falling asleep too much…”
“This wouldn’t be happening if you actually slept at night,” Kai mumbled, silently huffing as he took a spoonful of rice. Soobin appeared concerned, but all Beomgyu did was stick his tongue out at Kai before rushing off.
It wasn’t true. He did not have to clean anything. His main purpose and priority was to follow the lingering ghost and send it away peacefully. Luckily for him, he was able to catch up to the entity immediately, leading it outside until he reached the shed.
Ghosts loved to cling onto people with negative thoughts, so it was easy for him to lure such ghosts anywhere. It didn’t take long for him to remember certain things — even if he wanted to completely forget about them.
A faceless ghost. He loudly sighed, tugging at his hair strands in distress. Of course the first day of saving Soobin would be antagonized by one of the most difficult ghosts to convince. They were faceless, lacking identity and any form of memory.
How could he help a ghost with grudges on Earth pass on when said ghost didn’t even remember who they were?
“No matter how lost you are, I will help you pass on,” Beomgyu declared, blocking the exit as he pulled out his emergency supplies. There were multiple ways to get rid of faceless ghosts. This included purging them completely, which Beomgyu hated. He wasn’t too fond of the idea of killing someone twice. Ghosts were people, they still had the ability to feel emotions.
One of the methods he knew, which did not involve any weaponry, was to give them some of his power until any form of facial feature appeared. That would give him enough signs for information about the ghost to flow into his mind. The only downside of it though was the fact that it left him groggy the whole day. Migraines would attack him at full force and not even pain medication can relieve it.
He let out a heavy breath, closing his eyes as he determined which strategy he wanted to use. Cotton filled his ears as time seemed to tick away agonizingly slow. He opened his eyes, noticing the formation of arched eyebrows and a nose on the ghost’s face. He silently cursed when his fingers grew numb. He didn’t mean to form two defining features. It was going to take a toll on him as a result.
“Minju,” he whispered, despite the pounding of his head. He smiled, glad that the ghost showed a reaction to their name. “You weren’t forgotten.”
Minju, the ghost, gradually morphed into a smaller and less intimidating form, their real self showcased as a young high school girl who had barely graduated junior high. He felt his heart pang as tears welled up in his eyes.
“There’s a memorial stone in your name in front of the school gates. A group of girls come by every day just to clean and leave the most gorgeous bouquet of flowers,” Beomgyu continues, reaching out to hold the young girl’s hand, “The school always lets them in. They talk about you, keeping your memory alive by raising awareness about the things you’ve been through.”
A lump formed in his throat, sniffling as Minju began to cry. This young girl that wasn’t much younger than him had so many regrets that her soul lingered. All the regret and self loathing had made her forget who she was, and what had happened to her that led to such drastic decisions.
“Your classmates remember who you are, even if tens of years have passed,” he shared, hugging the student, “You may have lost sight of who you were, but everyone in your life never did. You’re loved, Minju — even if the last thoughts you had told you otherwise.”
He felt extremely lighter as Minju began to fade away, a smile prominent on her face as her streams of tears began to dry up. He wiped his own eyes, packing away his belongings as the girl finally passed on, leaving behind no regrets. He stood up, knees wobbly as he did his best to alleviate the pain in his head.
Despite the discomfort, he was overjoyed. He succeeded in helping a faceless ghost remember their identity. He couldn’t wait to tell his mother about this, making his way back to the classroom as it soon clocked in that their lunch period was reaching an end.
“Did you finish cleaning?” Kai asked, knowing fairly well that Beomgyu was not cleaning in the way everyone would think. He excitedly nodded, looking over at Soobin‘s back as he dreamily sighed.
“It’s safe for today,” Beomgyu murmured, his eyes beginning to droop.
“You can’t sleep during math again — Beomgyu, your nose!”
Beomgyu flinched, reaching upward to cup his nose as the warm liquid seeped into his fingers. Kai’s yelling made Soobin turn around as well, his eyes widening like saucers as he automatically moved to put a handkerchief over Beomgyu’s hand.
“It’s bleeding too much,” Soobin exclaimed, tipping Beomgyu’s head forward, “Where’s the nurse’s office?”
“It’s okay, I’m fine—” Beomgyu tried to reassure the both of them that this was something he experienced commonly, but as he had been through before, a sharp pain erupted in his temple, causing him to squeeze his eyes shut as he clutched his head.
“This cannot do! We have to go to the nurse’s office,” Kai said, forcing Beomgyu to stand up. Soobin stood up as well, continuing to pinch the bridge of his nose.
There are people staring. His classmates are very much whispering away, and normally, he would have laughed it off and pushed both Kai and Soobin away because he would be fine. But, the moment he stood up, a very terrible feeling filled his stomach. He felt extremely weak, the handkerchief Soobin gave him entirely soaked as he leaned on his desk for support.
“I don’t,” he choked out, blinking away the nausea that was trying to creep up on him, “I don’t think I can walk.”
His legs were shaking. He could see the panic on Kai’s face, but his head hurts too much for him to care.
“Okay, Soobin, you hold his right arm, and I hold his—”
Before Kai could even finish, Soobin moved fast. There were gasps coming from everyone watching and even the evil migraine entity froze a bit as Beomgyu yelped the moment Soobin lifted him up with ease. He held onto Soobin’s shirt, face reddening as he looked at how close Soobin has gotten.
“Which way do I go?” Beomgyu snapped out of it, heart pounding in his chest as he pointed toward the direction of the clinic. He felt Soobin hold him tighter before zooming into the direction that was shared.
Beomgyu put a hand on his cheek, feeling how hot his skin had gotten. He didn’t know if it was because of the fever that would terrorize him or if it was the fact that he was being held bridal-style by Soobin.
Either way, he knew he was falling in love. And it was with Soobin:
The boy who hates shamans.