The Mannequin - Minsung

fifty-three

In the middle of the night...

Minho's awoken. By rattling sounds.

The door of his bedroom's wide open.

The locks he placed are scattered on the floor.

He dashes to the front door. Only to see Jisung trying to open the locks. Then he hears him murmuring. Asking about them.

But Minho can't get much out of him. What and who is it that he's talking about? Where does he need to go?

"Jisung, you have to go to sleep. Please. Go back."

"Why?" He says. Still attempting to open the front door.

But Minho stops him. He won't let him go anywhere.

He tugs him away. Jisung can't even resist. He starts crying quietly.

Minho lifts him. Takes him to the bedroom. Closes the door. Locks it.

He holds Jisung's tearful face. Looks into his eyes.

"Jisung..." He says. "No one's here now. They can't come because they're sleeping, okay? You have to sleep too..."

This is all he's been saying to him. He doesn't know what else to say.

"Why did they put me here?" Jisung says. His eyes wander. Around the room. Then to the door. "I... I have to see... are they okay? Did something happen to them? Is that why they're not coming...?"

"Everything is fine, Jisung," Minho says. Smiles. "They're all asleep. You can see them in the morning, okay?"

JIsung's tears keep falling. He sniffs. "B-But... it's been a very long time... why are they still sleeping?"

Minho doesn't know what to say to that.

Jisung's eyes move around again.

"A-Are they okay? Did they put me here?" He asks again.

Minho's about to cry himself now.

"N-No one put you here. You're here because... you want to be here."

Minho feels like he's lying to him. Well, he is. He is lying.

Jisung's eyes become wider. "Oh... Because I'm a cursed child?"

"What?" Minho says. Holds his cheeks. "Jisung? No—" He can't handle this anymore. "Everything's okay. You're okay. You're here because you want to be with me. I want you here with me. You must sleep now. Tomorrow, everything will be better."

Yes. Jisung will wake up again tomorrow. He won't remember this. He'll know Minho again. Listen to him. Understand him.

"Okay?" Minho says. He pushes Jisung carefully. Back under the covers. He closes the lights. "Sleep now. Everything's okay. I...love you..."

It's quiet for a while. Then Jisung whispers a question. "You love me?"

Minho raises himself. Places a kiss on his forehead. "I love you."

"You'll... stay with me? You won't leave me?"

Minho doesn't know if Jisung's back to himself.

But he answers truthfully. 

"Yes. For as long as you want me to."

He hears Jisung sigh. Then hears just his breathing.

- - -

- - - - - -

The next day. Hyunjin brings Grandma Hwang over. She wanted to see Jisung. Because he's still afraid to go anywhere.

So Minho asked if they could come to see him instead.

"What if... you let him go out for a while?" Hyunjin says. Quietly. His eyes are on his grandmother and Jisung.

"Let him?" Minho's heart is heavy. He's wondered this too. "W-What if... he doesn't come back? What if he gets hurt?"

"He's come back here the past few times."

"Your mom found him the second time, Hyunjin..."

"But on her way here, though."

Minho checks the two. They're both busy with a jigsaw puzzle.

He turns back to Hyunjin. "He said something last night... He still asked about they. Where they are and... why they put him here and why they're not coming... then he said it's because he's a cursed child..."

Hyunjin's frowning. He scratches his head. "Do you think... that has something to do with him being... a mannequin?"

Minho looks over at Jisung again. "I don't know..." He feels his heart squeeze. Jisung's smiling. He's giving Grandma Hwang puzzle pieces.

"I love him..." Minho tells Hyunjin.

"I know. He loves you too. Everyone can see that."

"I want everything to stay like this..." Minho murmurs. His eyes fill up.

"Why don't you tell him? The things he says... when he's sleepwalking?"

"No... no. I can't... I'm worried it will..."

"Reawaken more of his memories and old self?"

Minho doesn't say anything. He just looks away.

"How about this?" Hyunjin says. "When he's up again... talking like that and trying to get out... open the doors for him, but follow him. Call me and let me know too. Just see where he goes and what else he says."

"Maybe it can help us find out what happened to him. If he gets answers about whatever's making him this way, then he'll finally know who he is... what he needs to do... and where he wants to be. Right?"

Minho bites his lip. He... doesn't like this idea.

"Minho... I know what you're scared of. He truly loves you. And if he's been a mannequin for years... all the people he knew would be dead."

Hyunjin speaks more quietly. "He doesn't have anyone but you and us, anyway. How could he not come back to you?"

That breaks Minho's heart even more.

To be continued...