jeongguk: soyouuuuu

jeongguk: please don't tell me you passed out

jeongguk: oh my god i knew it. you were so drunk when i texted you last night

jeongguk: wake up wake up wake upppp

...

soyou: jeongguk

soyou: can we meet up?

jeongguk: woah you're finally awake

jeongguk: ok sure. where??

soyou: outside the library near soyou's house

jeongguk: ok no prob

jeongguk: wait what?!

jeongguk: YOU'RE STILL DRUNK AREN'T YOU

//

seeing no soyou in sight, jeongguk frowned and gave her a call. picking up the call almost immediately, she definitely sounded sober. just... a little weirder than usual? her lively tone was replaced by something close to monotonous, in fact.

"soyou, where are you?" jeongguk asked as soon as she answered.

"at the entrance..." she trailed off. "...jeonggukkie."

he stopped. dead in his tracks. only one person called him that. scanning the area intently, jeongguk spotted the familiar figure with her back facing him. as if sensing his stare, she turned around. the phone against her ear.

"jeonggukkie." she repeated, her mouth clearly forming the words. 

jeongguk was shook. he took a deep breath, the overwhelming emotions coming in waves. "why did you come back? thought you left for good."

even from afar, he could see the hurt that flashed across her face. her eyebrows that creased. it's disturbing, really, for she never frowned in that manner. 

"i would never leave you, jeongguk. never." she said firmly. "i don't have time to explain — i can only stay in this body for so long before i'm forced to stay forever. but you're in danger, and you have to be careful of the guy jung hoseok."

"... soyou's ceo?"

she nodded. "he... had something to do with my death. or more specifically, his dad. i can't go into details but i'm here to warn you. stay away from him."

"... okay." he paused. "... okay."

then there was just silence. a blanket of hurt, longing, and guilt that fell over them as a fair distance stretched between them. neither of them were willing to break it. it was soyou's body and soyou's voice, but for some reason, just some reason, jeongguk could hear his brother. felt his presence. felt the tightening of his chest.

felt sad. worried.

he started walking — slow, soft footsteps became hurried ones that soon escalated into a slow jog. all the while, the phone was still held tightly against his ear, and the same went for soyou. he was scared ; worried that she—he—would hang up. a few feet away, her gaze changed to vacant and the phone slipped from her hands before jeongguk caught her falling form. 

he checked her pulse and noted with relief that she was fine. just sleeping. it was no doubt that his presence forcefully caused his brother to leave her body. 

adjusting her sleeping form, jeongguk crouched and carefully placed her on his back before standing up.  he knew he didn't have the ability to see ghosts, but he cast a glance at his surroundings nonetheless. hoped to see him at least once.

there was no such luck.