Work Text:
Happy Birthday Agent Choi ♡
This fic is based on twitter RP acc, with his headcannon as Dreamwalker
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Choi sat by the wall, watching the unconscious form of Ryu Jaekwan and Kim Soleum. The blue orbs filled with emptiness, dark circles formed from sleepless nights, his shoulders and joints ached from the fatigue of the endless ritual he performed to find the whereabouts of their strayed souls.
‘Where are you?’
Choi gritted his teeth.
‘Come back…’
His fist clenched, one that was already scarred, added with fresh bruises around his knuckles. How many times he punched the wall to channel his frustration. At this point, only a miracle is holding him together, keeping him alive despite his miserable state.
‘Come back to me, please’
‘Pleasepleaseplease-’
[Hello, anyone's there?]
His gaze startled, when a familiar voice was heard from the cave opening. Choi needed a moment to blink and let his rage cool down.
[Hello, Sunbae? Jaekwan-sshi?]
Is that who I think it is?! He tried to get up, only to realize how weak his state was. No, he knew, he just ignored it before. The pain, the heartbreak, the fury that was fueled inside him, forced him to endure.
[Choi-Sunbae?]
“Grapes…” His voice came out rasps, his throat was dry. When was the last time he took care of himself, only ate and drank to keep living. To hear that voice calling his name in such… nostalgic melody, the light of life was back in his gaze, his eyes widened, gaze wildly searching for the source like a madman.
Maybe he really turned insane, to see a ghost lingering at the entrance, in fucking pajamas and slippers. “Grapes-ie…” he stretched his hand and tried to reach, but to see the semi-transparent body, his joy dimmed again.
Are you one of his illusions?
Are you here to torment me, to blame me, to tell me not to save you? to just let go of you?
Are you here to tell me to give up?
He stared at the entity in desperation, silently begged it to stop portraying Kim Soleum and tormented him. Yes, he knew, many against his method, many concerned with his health but Choi didn’t give a fuck about that. He only wanted to be here and waited. For goddamned sake, all he could do is wait now, at least, let him wait in peace!
[There, there]
Instead speaking the harsh truth and judgment on his action, the ghost reached up to pat his hair and softly whispered to him. The touch was solid but the skin was cold, it caught him off the guard. But the appearance, the posture, even this form has no veins to check, he knew who it was.
It was the real Kim Soleum, but also not his Soleum.
Choi felt slightly annoyed now. “What are you doing here?” His voice was cold and distant, but he let the ghost pat his head, playing with hair strands, as if they were this familiar before. “Are you not going back to your body? It’s right there.” He pointed, a bit sulkily.
[My body?]
Kim Soleum paused, glancing at the ritual chamber, slightly noticed his sleeping face, and then he shook his head. [No, no, I’m not going in there]
“Why not?” Choi grumbled.
The ghost stopped touching him to think for a bit, as if considering what to say but in a more expressive way. It was understandable, without a physical body as facade, it was hard for a wandering soul to lie.
[Hmm, because I don’t want to!]
The answer was so silly that Choi held an urge to drag the ghost and forced it to enter the sleeping body. But he was tired and hungry… while also relieved. If this one wasn’t one of his illusions, it meant there was still a chance for Kim Soleum to return. He will just need to wait, even though it could take forever.
“If you don’t want to go into your body, why are you lingering here?” He asked again, his mood was lightened, but he kept his expression flat and firm.
[Because I wanna check on you?] The ghost pouted. [And my guess is right, you look terrible. Did you eat properly?]
No.
It is also not a concern for a ghost entity, even though it was Kim Soleum too.
[You should eat properly. Take a relaxing bath and rest well ] The voice was a little distant but the tone reminded him of a dreamy situation where the three of them could be together as a team, and continued to be part of Hyunmoo 1. They would go on dispatch, then write reports about it, clocked out in the evening and had hot pot together. An ideal future he always wanted.
“Shut up.” He growled, his voice laced with unresolved emotions. “Fuck, if a hoobae like you keep talking back to their sunbae, and didn’t want to return to your body, just leave me alone.”
The ghost entity watched him with more concern. [You want me to leave? Fine then-]
He was the one who told the ghost to leave, but he also grabbed the cold wrist and held it tightly. “Fuck stop, I mean, aigoo…” He tucked his head down, speechless. Silently scolding himself for being easy to give in.
“Don’t go.” He muttered weakly.
The ghost stayed.
And somehow a lunch box materialized in front of them. It had a heater function too, which put Choi in quite a shock. Where and how can this entity pull this trick? He released the hand he was holding as if he was on fire, but the ghost only smiled at him and offered the box,
[I bring you a lunch box. I made it myself] Kim Soleum said as if he had just made it fresh in the kitchen and in the next minute, appeared here to give the warm food to Choi. It took hours for Choi to hike to this cave, how come this insolent ghost… and this… food with a nice smell…
His stomach growled. Choi never wanted to punch his gut this bad in his life before. He was a bit flustered now, to see the ghost giggled cutely, [I know you must be hungry, please eat it well, Sunbae~]
Just before he said anything, he could hear a bell ringing in the air.
[Ah, my time is up. See you later]
“Wait-” Don’t leave. Just as the presence vanished in front of him, Choi felt even lonelier. His hand suspended in the air, his heart felt like it was collapsing. Or whatever remains of it. It really felt like an illusion, but the lunch box was there filled with assorted homemade meals and banchan, still warm and mouth-watering.
“Shit.” Tears dropped on his palm, and he tucked his head down, taking a spoon with a trembling hand, before he began stuffing his mouth, let his empty stomach fill again through his silent sobs, and his life source recharged. “You better come back to me, Kim Soleum.”
****
A couple days later, Choi was gathering water at the stream nearby the mountain trail, when the ghost Soleum appeared again.
[Sunbae, I’m back]
“How the fuck you can find me?!” Choi spat at the entity, but this time, it was more of irritation than rejection. They were in the middle of a dense forest. There could be highly dangerous entities lurking around and wild animals. The ghost glanced at his Jakdu, but only smiled sweetly, thinking Choi would drop the topic and let go.
Tch.
He decided to take the water container and walked away, although he kept eyes on the ghost who was merrily following him behind, still in pajamas and slippers.
[Sunbae, did you finish your meal before?] Soleum chattered lightly [I’m sorry for only showing up today, but I hope you also eat well yesterday too]
He grumbled. “I did. I made ramen yesterday.”
He planned to make ramen again today, but now with this entity's presence, he slightly hoped to taste another homemade lunchbox. “Why are you here again?” He held onto a leaning branch so Kim Soleum could avoid hitting face-first to it, and felt a little idiotic because a ghost can just go through, right?
The entity bowed a bit and murmured a melodic [thanks~] to him. and then walked in front of him. [Ah, are we still far away from the cave?]
Ignorant brat.
“Just ten minutes more. Are you tired?” He was thinking of carrying Kim Soleum on his back, but then he remembered, he was supposed to keep his guard up. This ghost could be a manifestation of disaster or part of Soleum’s contamination that leaked out from the body. How it could cook well was a mystery, though, and the food tasted so real and divine, he couldn’t stop longing for more.
[Nope] Soleum shook his head [What’s the water for?]
“For the ritual.” He grumbled, “It needed fresh and clean water right from the mountain stream.”
[Hmm, I see] The ghost strolled on the steepy track like he was strolling on the flat surface. So effortless, like a deer hopping around in light steps. [Do you need help carrying the water?]
“No need, just watch your step. I was used to this.” He said defiantly. Soleum said nothing else and then continued to lead in front of him in silence, until they finally arrived in front of the cave opening. Choi let out a loud sigh.
[Are you alright, Sunbae?]
He was about to retort ‘mind your own business~’ but then he clenched his jaw and murmured softly, “I’m alright, aigoo…” he stretched his back, feeling the fatigue again and strangely, it couldn’t be ignored like before.
“I will take a breather here. You just… why don’t you check on yourself and Jaekwan-ie? See if the seal is still intact or…” He didn’t continue. Why don’t you try to jump into your body and just wake up? So I know it’s really you, Kim Soleum.
Choi took a seat on a flat rock, watching the vast nature around him, “Aigoo, I wish I was still smoking…” He sighed loudly.
[They are still sleeping, and nothing unusual with the seal.]
The ghost casually reported back, just like how Agent Grapes reported back to him from dispatch. Choi's fingers twitched, because he used to share affectionate gestures to this man, and he just had an itch for touch. He clenched his palm instead.
[Oh, you stop smoking? Why?]
“Why are you listening in to my self-talk?”
[You said it out loud.]
A small quirk formed in his face, but he held it, because this presence was just temporary. They wouldn’t accompany him forever and when they were gone, he would feel a hundred times worse than before. “I just… stop.” He said vaguely. He couldn’t tell the exact reason either.
[That’s good to hear] Soleum nodded. [Can you tell me where exactly we are?]
Choi glanced around, telling the entity about the area while pointing directions, before he heard rustle of something and this time, another lunchbox was placed on his lap. Soleum held a tumbler in one hand and a spoon in another.
[Ehe, you must be hungry, right? I bought pork cutlet and rice, along with banchan and desserts. Also, coffee!]
Then the ghost passed the spoon to Choi, and continued to introduce each part of the lunch box today. There was even soup in a special container. [Please continue the story after you ate, Sunbae]
“You won’t just disappear this time?” He asked with a hint of bitterness in his tone.
[Um… this time I got permission, and uh, a warning~]
What? Choi became alerted again. Is it Cheong Dallae? Was this ghost really a wandering soul of Kim Soleum but somehow, couldn’t return because another contract was made?
If it was the truth, Choi should never let him leave, he had to perform sealing ritual on-
[Sunbae! Calm down!]
He almost flipped the precious lunchbox, if not for Soleum holding it for him.
[I’m not in danger, but you know I’m not a fully human, right? At least in this form. To come here, I have to obey rules and get permission from the one who become my ‘Anchor’]
Soleum carefully placed the lunchbox away.
“Permission? Why do you need their permission? Are they from daydream too? Tell me, Kim Soleum!” Choi reached at the entity, tried to hold the shoulders, just as a pair of scarred arms materialized from behind Soleum, followed by a familiar face.
It was himself, only a little bit older yet… healthier? Happier?
“Ey, I can’t stand watching this from the side anymore, ya? How dare he treated my Grapes-ie like that.” Another Choi, who was also semi transparent, now nuzzled the ghost Soleum neck while glaring at him, “so ungrateful, even after Grapes-ie cooked for him and visited him, he still treated you badly. Deal’s broken, babe, he found out.”
“But Hyung~”
“I warned you.” The other Choi chuckled lightly, still possessively holding Soleum, before glaring sharply at him, “This one is mine, but rest assured, yours will wake up soon. Farewell.”
And with that, both entities disappeared.
Leaving Choi awestruck.
Yet, with a lighter heart.
“Are they… from the future?” He asked himself, and while the ghost might not return, the last word gave him hope. He reached for the lunchbox and this time, enjoying it with a smile.
‘They will awake.’
‘It’s alright.’
‘I can wait, I'm used to it, as long as they’ll wake up.’
-end-