The Mannequin - Minsung

forty-six

Minho's brought him to bed. Changed his clothes. Laid him properly.

Jisung's breathing. His pulse seems fine. But he doesn't respond.

"Sung?" Minho says again. Brushes his hair. Touches his cheeks.

He hasn't turned into a mannequin. Yet. But what if something's wrong with his body? Minho's checked his temperature. It's normal.

Jisung's a mannequin though. Minho doesn't know what's fine. What's normal for him. So he feels scared.

Minho decides. He calls Hyunjin. He has to tell someone.

"Minho, I'm sorry, Mom didn't—"

"Jisung just passed out a-and I don't know what to do! H-He fainted," Minho says. Tries not to sob. "I don't know what's wrong with him..."

"What?! Minho, wait. I'll be right there."

Minho's grateful. He wipes his face. Hangs up. Breathes in to calm himself. Looks at Jisung still lying on the bed.

He quickly leans down. Kisses his lips. He hopes it would do something. They started with kisses. It has to do something.

But... why isn't it doing anything? Because Jisung hasn't turned mannequin? His heart's beating. So... he should wake up. Complain. About Minho moving him around. Kissing him when he's sleepy. He should say no. Should tell Minho he wants to sleep...

Minho kisses his forehead. Stands again. He prays Jisung just needs to sleep. That he is sleeping. That it's nothing serious. That he'll wake up.

He's about to exit the room... but he stops. He leaves the light on. Comes back to sit on the floor. Beside the bed.

What if Jisung turns into a mannequin? If he's left alone?

He can't let that happen. Ever.

"Jisung, I'm right here, okay?" He says. Holds his hand.

It's been an hour. Minho and Hyunjin can't do anything. Jisung won't wake up. They can't take him to a hospital. He has no identification. Neither can think of someone who could come. To check on him.

"Minho..." Hyunjin says. Squeezes his shoulder. "If he didn't get hurt in any way and seemed fine all day today... I can't think of what could've caused it... he might just be sleeping..."

Minho sniffs. He's been watching Jisung's face. Hearing his breathing. That's been comforting. But Jisung's so... still.

"I asked him how he knew his age..." Minho says. "H-He didn't even know his name when I first met him... and if he's a mannequin, how does he suddenly know his age?"

"I... I shouldn't have asked... That's what made him get... weird. He said something about dreams... things from before. And then he just collapsed." Minho looks at Hyunjin. "What does that mean?"

"I-I don't know..." Hyunjin sighs. "Dreams from before?"

"A few days ago...  I woke up and he was sitting on the bed. He said there's something in his head and he can't remember it."

"But not like his memories, it was like... something he knew was there but he couldn't get to it. So I thought he probably had a dream..."

"We don't always remember much from dreams..." Hyunjin says. Quietly. "Has he told you anything else?"

Minho stops. Thinks. "He... said something that one time... about when he turned mannequin... with other people. Before me. Before your grandma and dad. But he said... his time with them was very short. They were all scared of him. Or tried to hurt him."

Minho looks back at Jisung. His heart squeezes. He's so innocent and harmless. Minho hates it. Hates anything ever hurting him.

"Do you think..." Hyunjin says. Carefully. "He remembered one of those moments? Maybe it was too much for him? A-And maybe he dreamt of his life... before he was a mannequin?"

Minho looks up. Stares.

Hyunjin shrugs. "But I'm not sure."

What if Jisung was turned into a mannequin? He wasn't... created? Did he dream of... his own past life? Before he was a mannequin?

Did he... just suddenly notice pieces of his dreams were of a true past? Where he was a person?

What was there in Jisung's past?

Who or what made him like this? Why?

Minho's afraid. What if it's something more painful? Than what happened to Hyunjin's father?

He tears up. Instantly. Jisung suffered from remembering that. What else does he have to face now? Can he handle it?

"It's weird, you know. How he is," Hyunjin says. "What he is. There has to be more to it. Gaining life through love. That sounds like a curse from a children's fairytale." He chuckles lightly. Sees Minho's eyes. Stops. Sighs.

"But Minho, you might need to just let him get out of this on his own. I don't think it's... normal, whatever he's dealing with."

Hyunjin stands. "Go to sleep, Minho... you know he won't be happy knowing he caused you so much worry."

Minho nods. Sniffs. Hyunjin's right.

"I've left Kkami at home. I have to get back to him. I'll come tomorrow morning, okay? Just let him rest for now."

"Yeah... thank you so much, Hyunjin..."

To be continued...

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