Jihoon had been absolutely terrible the next morning.
He had kept tossing and turning the previous night, the events of the previous night playing in his inner vision, now and then, wondering whether running away was the best decision ever. Probably not the greatest act of courage and he knew that.
As a result, Jihoon had naturally overslept. wouldn't usually bother him, except it was Saturday and he was supposed to help in the restaurant.
He shuffled down the hall to look in on Lily. Besides him, she was also affected by the incidents of the previous night. She lay curled in her small bed. With a low whimper, she tried to limp over.
"Oh, you brave girl," Jihoon crooned, giving her a gentle hug. He still wasn't sure if he was mad at the cute little dog or relieved she was okay.
Probably an even mix.
Jihoon had often heard of grim reapers taking the souls of people. Horror stories are camouflaged as fables to teach lessons. But those types of stories were supposed to stay in books, not come to life and almost scare him to death.
He'd tried to convince himself last night had been a vivid hallucination. But he couldn't ignore the bruise on his forehead, which he had bumped against a tree while running away.
After his morning routine, when Jihoon shuffled down the rear staircase, the sound of the bustling restaurant greeted him. Voices drifted up from the back room, but he ignored them until the words murder stopped him in his tracks.
"Thank you for coming to let us know, Officer Roger," Halmeoni said.
"Detective." the officer corrected, bearing an annoyed look. Probably he had been exposed to this type of behavior.
"Sorry, Detective Roger."
"We're letting the neighboring apartments and businesses know so they can be on the lookout. It seemed like the person knew what he was doing, it's a clean cut. What's even more surprising is that it looked like the man's soul had been sucked out of him. His eyes were white, just ghostly white."
Jihoon froze, absorbing the words. Soul?
"We'll let our customers know," Mrs. Park said as the door opened.
"Come by anytime if you're in the mood for a good home-cooked meal."
The door shut, and Jihoon heard his mother make her way to the front kitchen. Jihoon wondered if the animal attack could be connected to that man.
He shouldn't worry about him. After all, no one had seen him that night, so it would be better for him to forget it completely.
As he entered the back room, Minjae swung through the kitchen door, balancing a tray of dirty plates, his hair grabbing everyone's attention. His graphic tee and ripped jeans were covered by the knee-length apron for the family restaurant.
"What are you doing here?" Jihoon blinked owlishly at him. As far as he knew, Minjae had the shift after his.
"You were busy sleeping like a dead body in a coffin. Mum didn't want to wake you, so she called me. It's a madhouse out there. You owe me one, so as payment, you're gonna help me with the evening shift as well."
There was no accusation in his brother's voice, but his shoulders hunched with guilt.
He'd been helping out in the restaurant kitchen since he was little. He used to sit for hours, cutting the tails off soybean sprouts and pinching closed the shells of dumplings. Now he was a glorified waitstaff and delivery boy.
"I was going to speak to you," Jihoon said, tapping a serving spoon against the counter as he considered his next words.
Minjae was always available when he needed a sounding board. And after last night, he definitely did. Minjae was smart enough to be silent and not push it.
He asked, "Did you ever believe in the grim reaper?"
Minjae thought for a moment. She was one to take questions seriously when asked by a friend. And Minjae was his brother after all, even though they were not related by blood.
"Sure, when I was younger. I heard there's an app now that talks to kids in a grim reaper voice to scare them into eating their vegetables."
"Not the grim reaper our parents used to scare us. Real ones."
Minjae laughed—the sound grating on Jihoon's frayed nerves—but sobered at his serious expression. "Jihoon-ah, you know Such things aren't real."
"Of course I do," Jihoon said firmly, trying to convince himself more than him.
"You know you can tell me if you're having problems." Minjae tilted his head in amusement "Or delusions."
"Hey!" Jihoon protested, throwing the spoon at her. Minjae snatched it out of the air. he'd always been the more athletic of the two. Jihoon flopped over in defeat, letting his head fall onto the counter.
What was the point in trying to figure this all out? He'd never see that Handsome boy again.
Jihoon shook his head. What did he say? Handsome?
"I need caffeine."
"Well, you're in luck," Minjae smirked as he pulled a packet of instant coffee out of His apron pocket. Jihoon perked up at the sound of the ripping foil.
"You can't find a way to inject it directly into my veins?" Jihoon asked as he used the emptied packet as a makeshift stirrer. He took the mug gratefully. The coffee burned his tongue, but he didn't care.
"You're an angel," he said with a sigh of satisfaction. "One day they'll build temples to you. Shrines with your likeness."
Minjae chuckled. "Come out front when you're feeling fully human."
When Jihoon walked into the front kitchen, His mother was bickering with their grandmother.
"Mother," she said, "if you add too much fish sauce, then it'll overpower the flavor." She gestured wildly with her wooden ladle, and Minjae snatched it from his mother's hand before it knocked over a pile of pots.
"I've smacked your bottom with that ladle and I can do it again," their grandmother argued.
"Mother, everyone has loved your cooking for years. But even you have to admit you're getting old. When you get old, your taste buds and your vision are the first to go."
Halmeoni tsked. "I don't know why I let you hang around."
Mrs. Park grinned, almost looking as young as the two boys. "Because you love me so much."
"I just grew used to yo in the restaurant," Halmeoni muttered. "You've been running around this place since you were in diapers with Kaori."
Jihoon's heart fell into his stomach. He didn't like to be reminded about how his mother and Minjae's mother grew up together. They'd played together, gone to school together, gotten pregnant together. But Minjae's mother had stayed and he had left. Left him beyond the reach of the human world.
"I like your cooking." Minjae hugged his grandmother "Maybe I'll marry Jihoon-ah, and I'll stay forever and not move out."
Jihoon finally spoke. "Who says I would even marry you, Park Minjae? I know I have a certain liking for men but you? You know I hate it when other people tell me what to do."
"Jihoon-ah!" all three of them said with varying degrees of affection and scolding.
"Oh, look at our Hoonie." Mrs. Park pinched his cheek with a devilish glint in her eyes. He only allowed it because it was her and she knew it. "You're lucky, mother. Saves you money on step ladders with two grandsons who can reach the tall shelves." He held back a laugh.
"Stop teasing them," Halmeoni said.
Their mother let Jihoon go, but he wasn't free for long. Halmeoni turned Jihoon's face to examine him. Her eyes zeroed in on the bruise on his temple. "What happened here?"
"Nothing," Jihoon said too quickly. He could only imagine where his Grandmother's superstitions would take her if she knew about last night.
Grandma stared at him so hard he practically heard her thoughts. She was deciding if she would push the subject or not. She let it go along with his chin. "I had a dream about a pig last night," she said.
Jihoon looked over to Minjae for clarification. He just shrugged, having the same confused look on his face.
"It brings good fortune. So you two should study hard." Grandma swept her ladle between the two boys.
"Yes, Halmeoni." They gave twin bows.
"Eat yeot. It'll make the knowledge stick."
"Yes, grandma."
"Here, take this out to table three." Halmeoni handed him a tray of stews, still boiling in their stone pots.
"Then get back in here. I'm going to finish fixing the seasoning in this next dish for table six," Mrs. Park said before resuming her bickering with their grandma.
MInjae gave Jihoon a smile and an eye roll as he also picked up a tray. Jihoon followed, for once grateful for the chaos that was his life. By the end of the lunch rush, he'd almost completely forgotten about the incident and got busy helping his family at the restaurant.