Jihoon stood the pristine white door for a good while ten minutes before he gathered the courage to ring the bell.
No one answered.
He glanced up. It was just as beautiful and haunting as the last time he was here, to deliver food to Shane.
And he wouldn't be here now except Shane had been absent from school since the last full moon. It had been a long week of thinking of him. Of worrying about her. Of remembering that night in the rain. That night, by the side of the road, drenched, he'd been tempted to kiss Shane. He'd wanted to see if he'd taste like rain. He suspected it was more likely he'd taste like lightning.
He knocked again to no answer. He had started back to his scooter when the door opened.
Shane looked gaunt like she'd lost ten pounds in the last seven days. His eyes were covered with oversized sunglasses, and her hair was longer and messier that didn't hide the fact that it was tangled with knots.
"Shane?" Jihoon reached for her.
Shane jerked away, her breath coming in short, quick gasps.
"Are you real?" she whispered.
"What?" Jihoon asked, moving closer. Now he could see his shoulders shook.
Shane cleared his throat, and his voice came out stronger this time. "Jihoon." he took a deep breath as his name had anchored him.
"What are you doing here?"
"I was worried?" he said it like a question, knowing that Shane Wouldn't like it.
"I'm fine. I actually have somewhere to be." Shane moved past him, but he blocked his path.
Shane was shaking so hard, Jihoon was surprised Shane's teeth didn't rattle with the movement.
"What's going on?" Jihoon tried to walk towards him
Shane hissed out a breath and tried to shove his hands away.
Surprisingly, he failed. What had happened to his strength?
"I don't need you to worry for me," Shane insisted.
"Tell me how I can help you."
"No one can help me," Shane whispered. "I'm cursed."
"What does that mean?" Jihoon asked, but a taxi rolled up the drive and Shane jogged to it.
"Go home, Jihoon. Nothing I do is your concern." he slammed the door closed, and the taxi took off, spraying pebbles in its wake.