'Shanghai Express' is the closest you can get to actual chinese food in Seoul, well at least within walking distance to his apartment. It's not bad but its not chinese food, its more like a Koreans take on Chinese food but it taste alright and it will fill the hole in his stomach although with Chanyeol about he'll be lucky to get enough to fill a hole in his tooth. The mans a machine with chopsticks.
The walk back is peaceful enough, he avoids the busiest streets just because he cant be bothered having to dodge past drunken woman flinging their handbags like nun chucks and even drunker businessmen slumping up against him and giving him advice for life because 'I was like you once, young with no responsibilities until I married her' or 'You have to make the most of life while your young' and all the nonsense that people over a certain age like to spew when they've hand one to many.
He's walking up an alleyway beside what used to be a hat shop but now he thinks its a restaurant of some sort, its hard to keep track when the shops in Seoul pop up and down like they're made of cardboard.
There's an elderly man halfway up the alley, obviously he's homeless with the way his sparse belongings seem to be spread around him. It's strange, you don't see many homeless people in Seoul at least compared to how many there are in other part of the world. It's a rare enough sight that Kris stops for a moment to dig out a few 1000 won bills from his trouser pocket.
The man is smoking something that looks terribly unhealthy from the noxious, black smoke that's floating around his head. A loud snore lets Kris know that the man is in fact sleeping, it's dangerous as hell to fall asleep while smoking so Kris gives him a light tap on the shoulder
"Sir? Sir? Excuse me" He says while tapping continuously on the elderly mans shoulder until his head snaps up with a groan
"Fuck off" The man slurs, obviously drunk if the clattering of glass bottles when he moves is any indication of the amount he's been drinking, waving a hand around his head
"Sir, you should put your cigarette out, its dangerous to sleep while smoking" Kris tries again
"What fucking cigarette?" The man wavers as he sits up, his hands coming up to grip at his head as if in pain and Kris can see that there is indeed no cigarette between his fingers.
It's dark down the alley but not pitch black and Kris has always had perfect vision. There's light blinking through the darkness from a shop sign adjacent to the mouth of the alley and Kris is certain that, yes, thats definitely smoke wafting around the vagrant.
He looks down into the mans lap, looking for a dropped cigarette butt but all he finds are dirty jeans with a suspicious looking stain in the crotch area.
If it had been cigarette smoke then it should has dissipated by now yet as the man slumps down on his side, the smoke floats down with him, swimming around his head. It's surreal to watch. Kris is completely entranced by the swirls as they dip around the mans neck and sail up into his nose before being breathed out his mouth and continuing on the path.
The tendrils of black drift through the air towards him, skirting along the concrete until they reach his hand. Kris is completely motionless with shock as the seem to flicker around his fingers before recoiling back up into the man so viciously he jolts.
Kris' heart is hammering wildly as he drops the 1000 won bills beside the man, grabs his meals and bolts out of the alley. Kris has to stop watching those late night horror movies with Chanyeol, they're starting to go to his head.
He suddenly doesn't mind being around drunk people so much anymore as he turns towards a street that unusually is busy. He's freaked out to say the least, his body pumping with adrenaline and fear as he walks swiftly down the road comforted a tiny bit by the amount of people there. At least he's not by himself any more.
The brighter the lights and the louder the noise level, the better he feels.
He doesn't even mind that much when a middle aged woman in a dress so tight he can practically make out the shape of her belly button latches onto his arm
"A nice strong, young man like you doesn't mind helping me home, right?" She leers, he bubble gum pink lipstick is smeared up on cheek and her eyeliner has smudged up her temples, she's an attractive woman but ultimately the wrong age and wrong gender for Kris to have any interest in taking her home.
He can't help the small grin that tugs at his lips when he thinks of the apoplectic rage Baekhyun would be in if he saw the state of her makeup. Unfortunately the woman, who'd introduced herself as 'Jee Sun noona', took this as an agreement to her offer and tightened her hold on Kris' arm before he could decline
"I'm sorry, I have to-" is all he gets out before his nose is assaulted with the stickest, most saccharine smell he's ever had the misfortune of encountering
He heaves as the scent swirls in his nostrils, syrupy and cloying. It's as if someone had rubbed is nose in melted sugar but not nearly as pleasant, more offensive and stomach churning, the feeling you get when you smell chocolate after eating it until you're sick. His mouth fills with saliva and he's positive he's about to vomit.
His face burns and he looks down to remove Jee Sun's hand from his arm only to gasp at what he see's. Her finger nails are black and singed, peeling away and spitting up embers. Long, gloopy, streams of what resembles tar drip off her nails onto his shirt.
The viscous liquid oozes up his arm in a gravity defying trail.
He wretches his arm out of her hold, stumbling back a few paces as his breathing increases. He looks up at her face and nearly screams when he sees the malformed creature that sits on top of her face as leers at him from its perch.
It's body drips thick strings of black tar down onto the pavement, bubbling and weeping down onto Jee Sun's pretty dress. It's mouth is wide and gaping, sharp teeth rot in from of his eyes, crumbling only to be replaced seconds later with more that spiral round from its back in a constant loop. A long, lecherous tongue swings from its mouth, flipping and lapping obscenely in Kris' direction. It growls and moans as it tries to reach Kris only for him to jump back again, staring horrified at cross hatched grills that burn white where its eyes should be.
He watches Jee Sun move towards him, arm stretching out
"What's wrong baby?" she croons as the creatures tongue finally hits Kris, curling around his waist. He panics and reaches his hand down grasping at the tongue, the second his hand touches the tongue he hears the beast squeal and quickly retract away from him, taking Jee Sun's hand with it
"Whatever, fucking virgin" she scoffs before trotting away in her stilettos and leaving Kris staring at his hand where a distinct and very recognizable design burns bright for not even a second before fading away.
He's running home in the next heartbeat, eyes facing the ground and legs moving faster than he'd ever thought possible.
He nearly head butts the apartment door when he reaches it, chest heaving from exertion but he manages to get his keys out without dropping them which is surprising given how much his hands are shaking.
Its only when he's through the door of his apartment that his heart starts to calm down. He runs a hand through his hair only to be hit in the face with the bag of Chinese food, he lets out a breathy laugh. Running for your life and still managing to hang onto your food...that's skill.
He kicks off his shoes and walks into the living room, debating whether or not to tell his room mate that he's gone insane when he hears a voice he doesn't quite recognize. It's masculine and familiar but it isn't until he rounds the corner out of the hallway that he sees who it belongs to
"Chanyeol, what the hell is he doing here?"
Luhan looks up at him timidly from behind his fringe. Kris has never been able to place the reason he doesn't like the man apart from his all round creepiness, there's just something about his face that makes Kris feel angry and sad at the same time maybe its because the freak never smiles or shows any kind of emotion, depressing little bastard.
It's Baekhyun who speaks up, of course it is
"He's my friend Kris, I invited him here! Don't be so fucking rude!"
Kris can do nothing but scowl at the crowd in his living room, he's seething and in no mood right now to deal with Luhan or anyone for that matter
"Don't care Baek just get that freak show out of my apartment" Kris spits out, dropping the bag of food on the coffee table and removing his coat.
He catches the longing glance Luhan gives him as he slips out of his coat, it makes him angrier.
Before Baekhyun can get another word out Luhan sighs softly and stands up, he avoid's Kris' eye for what must be the first time ever.
"Look I'll leave ok, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to cause you any more trouble" Luhan says. His voice sound choked slightly, like he's been crying or is about to cry, Kris isn't sure and he doesn't get the chance to ask because before he's even completely finished the sentence Luhan is already at the door, slipping on his shoes and walking out with a "bye" in Baekhyun's direction.
"You're such an asshole" He expected as much from Baekhyun but when the words leave Chanyeol's mouth, dripping with so much venom and anger, he is shocked
"What? So now you're a member of Luhan's fan club as well?" Kris bites back, betrayal stinging deep
Chanyeol just tsk's disgustedly, pulling his fuming boyfriend closer to him on the sofa
"You're your own worst enemy"
"Choke on a spring roll, Judas!" Kris bristles before stomping back to his bedroom and slamming the door shut behind him. Tonight has just not been his night.
He flops down on his bed and trails a pillow over his face. Luhan's voice runs through his mind, that little tremble and hitch replays over and over until his stomach feels