MÂ Â IÂ Â NÂ Â RÂ Â AÂ Â E
"Merry Christmas, Dr. Minrae"
"Oh, merry Christmas to you too, Dr"
It was the holiday eve, the day Jesus was born, Christmas. The entire hospital was lit with lights and decorations with a huge Christmas tree that reached till the peak of the third floor. We had a Santa Clause too, to enlighten the Christmas spirit among the patients.
"Ho, ho ,ho" the fat Santa made his way to my side, laughing in delight.
With the laugh and the way his eyes curved into a smile behind the huge round glasses and heavy beard, I knew it was him.
"Taehyung! You're the Santa?" I asked, pulling the beard down, while he smiled innocently.
"Every year we play a game, in which the looser becomes the Santa for the year. Just know that this time I lost" he said, brushing his long, fake beard.
"Nice" I replied, boxing his huge stomach, which was loaded with tons of cotton maybe?
"Got many more rooms to visit, bye Dr. Minrae, and Merry Christmas"
"Same to you, Dr. Tae" I said, waving at the heavy red ball, walking away with slow steps.
Every year I celebrate Christmas with my family, but this time I couldn't, simply because mom went to Bussan, to visit my grand mom. And the train tickets will be sold out at this time of the year too.
I walked around the hospital; well it's not that bad in here either. All the staffs were here too, only a few left to their homes. Some were busy with the decorations while some were walking in and out of their patient's rooms.
Whatever it is, this feeling is as great as being at home, maybe a little less, but I can deal with that.
"Merry Christmas" a hand tapped on my shoulder to see Harin unnie, behind.
"Same to you"
"No plans?" she asked.
"Nope"
"Haha, that's okay, make sure to come around to the fourth floor today. We have a celebration for staffs during night"
"That's great, sure I'll come"
"See you there then"
It's a great feeling so far, but everyone is busy being happy themselves and spending time with their close friends. And then there is me not knowing where to go or whom to talk to. Taehyung, is the only one I can be free with, but he is busy Santa Clausing around.
Doubtfully and lazily I walked to crease my fingers on the crystal clear window, following the snow that unknowingly sticks on to it.
'The climate is cool, but so relaxing'
I had a small smile forming on my face, before the thought stroke me.
'Snow? climate?'
I rushed to my room, searching for something warm, like maybe a blanket. I surfed through many drawers, but I can't find any. I guess they took them all for dry cleaning yesterday.
That only leaves me with one choice.
'My blanket'
I grabbed my blanket from my bed, folding it into a big square, fur sheet, while I made a run to the nearest elevator. The material was so heavy in my hands. I had to adjust it back again and again from falling.
I reached the ground floor, realizing the elevator won't go further down.
'Great I have to go down the stairs with this'
Hesitantly I looked down the stairs to the Go down, and it's so dark down there. Well, Minrae, you got yourself into this anyway, so here goes nothing.
Carefully I placed each and every step on the stairs, balancing the fabric in my paining hands.
Thankfully I made it without getting hurt, or even tripping. Blowing my ruffled front bangs away in victory, I walked further to spot my destination. Hardly balancing the sheet in my hands again, I read out the cell number in my head, 401, and silently opened the cell with the spare key I stole from the security guard who rushed in last time to help us.
'Guess I'm on the naughty list this year'
I entered inside, locking the door again. I don't like the fact that he always sits in a corner facing the wall. So, either he is in deep thoughts, or just dosing off?
Not thinking too much, I simply walked to his side of the room, encircling the blanket around him, and tugging it between his arms, comfortably. He didn't react to it, and was only staring at the triangular lining in the corner of the wall, where he was facing.
"Isn't it cold down here?" I asked.
No reply.
"Merry Christmas"
No reply.
"Umm-"
"Smells like you" he said, out of the blue.
"What?"
"This thing, smells like you" he said, never facing me and tightening the blanket around him more, trying to feel in the warmth.
'He must have been freezing all this winter'
"Yea, it's my blanket, so I guess it will smell like me"
He closed his eyes, leaning his head on the surface of the fluffy blanket, not giving much attention to my words.
"Wait a minute, how did you even know it smells like me, we barely smelled-I mean, met" I said, face palming myself, embarrassed.
"Haha, you barely even know my abilities" he answered, laughing like the devil.
"Then why don't you try explaining them to me" I tried to talk.
"Why should I, everyone I explained it to, only laughed and mocked me. Five doctors tried to heal me when I'm not even needing treatment, they tried, wasted their time. Out of which two Doctors died in this cell, rotting for months until some people came in to check for them, but all they found was a dead body, lying in a corner opposite to me"
"But-"
"And now you came, the sixth stupid one"
"Hey!!! Watch it"
"Why! Either away you are going to end up like those two" he said, pointing in two different directions behind me, facing me this time while I hesitated to turn back. I'm not supposed to be scared, but the way he speaks and gestures is creeping the shit out of me. His face bore a serious look too, not helping at all.
"What do you mean? How long have you been here for?"
"Long before you were even born, child" he said, giving me a plain yet cunning stare.
"Why is it that you can't say anything directly, why are you using tricks on your words"
"BECAUSE! Because..., because--" he started with a scream that startled my soul, but eventually his voice faded, sad.
I tried to look stern, was burning inside, but I have to figure out something.
"Because you will be scared of me" he continued.
"Park Jimin, would you please stop talking like a Devil" I said, not able to stand his negative attitude anymore.
"But I am, the Devil"
There was a hint of darkness in his eyes which combined with a shade of gold. It was like before, his eyes, changed colors.
'Am I still hallucinating?'
I couldn't make complete sense out of his words, it only keeps confusing me. But that was until he turned his back at me, not willing to look at me anymore. And that was when I noticed the cuts on his black shirt for the very first time.
There were two big cuts on his shirt, near his two shoulder blades to be exact. The cut was only a line; you can only see it clear when he stretches. I noticed it when he rushed both his hands through his hair, frustrated to answer me.
I wanted to ask him, but knew he wouldn't pay much attention to me, so I decided to observe it myself. Unknowingly my fingers traced the line, widening the cut on the shirt to see a small part of his bare back.
'There was a cut mark on it, on both the sides of his shoulder blades there were cut marks'
He felt the sudden skin ship, bouncing away from me and giving me a displeased look before saying the words I still don't understand but wants to believe somehow.
"But apparently, I'm the Devil who lost his wings"
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