Jin-kyu woke up to the smell of burning pancake batter.
"Day two. Still cursed," he mumbled to himself as he swung his legs off the couch and accidently disrupted the two furry foot warmers that he seemed to have acquired during the night.
"Jin-kyu!" Sammy exclaimed with far too much enthusiasm for...Jin-kyu checked his watch...7 am in the morning.
Jin-kyu did not do mornings, the aim was to sleep for as long as possible, thereby shortening the day to a more palatable length.
"I don't know what colour these are meant to be," Sammy admitted with a frown, pointing to the burning pancakes. Jin-kyu shuffled over to the kitchen area and stared suspiciously at Sammy through the smoke haze.
"Here's a hint Sammy - not black," Jin-kyu sighed and proceeded to open as many of the windows as possible before the smoke alarm was set off and god only knew how much of a bitch it was to shut that thing up.
Jin-kyu had already endured that lovely experience last year when Sun-hee had brought over some dodgy looking incense sticks that purported to 'promote happiness and wellbeing'. Jin-kyu remembered feeling distinctly unhappy and unwell by the end of the ordeal.
"Oh," Sammy stared mournfully at what was clearly his first attempt at a pancake.
"How did you even know what to do?" Jin-kyu asked as he slumped into one of the barstools and grimaced at the array of mixing bowls and spilled flour over the counter.
"I followed the instructions on the back of the packet," Sammy replied with a strange expression, "I can do things."
"Is that why we're having charcoal for breakfast?" Jin-kyu huffed as Sammy blushed.
"What should I do with it? Is it really not edible?" Sammy asked dejectedly.
"Darain will like it just fine," Jin-kyu replied, nodding towards the sink and noticing that same strange relieved feeling in his chest when Sammy's face lit up again.
"I'll make the rest of them," Jin-kyu added, "you can just clear up this mess."
Eventually, they did get to eat some pancakes, although not before Jin-kyu had spent at least ten minutes picking out all the egg shell from the mixture.
After the dishwasher was stacked and Jin-kyu was done trying to fathom quite where Sammy was putting away that much maple syrup, he beckoned for the younger man to come sit down on the couch with him.
"I've got some questions for you," Jin-kyu stated, fixing Sammy with a determined look.
Sammy nodded as Jin-kyu passed him a wet wipe, because seriously this was not a conversation Jin-kyu was having whilst the younger man sucked all the syrup off his fingers.
"You used to be a sculpture," Jin-kyu began, wincing slightly at the insanity of the statement even as it left his mouth.
"Yup," Sammy replied proudly, popping the 'p'.
"Do you even understand why that's strange?" Jin-kyu frowned.
"Lots of things are strange," Sammy replied quickly. "I've only been awake a day and I've seen plenty of strange things."
Jin-kyu huffed and folded his arms over his chest, "Do you have any memories?"
"Some," Sammy said, cocking his head thoughtfully, "I remember you, talking to me."
Jin-kyu narrowed his eyes at him, "When you were still a sculpture?"
Sammy nodded his head, "You talked about your sister, and people who had died. You thought it would be better if it had been you that..."
"Enough," Jin-kyu blanched, "how can you possibly remember that? You weren't even alive at the time!"
Sammy chewed on his lip with a pensive look, "I think the star gave those memories to me, so I would know who you were and that you made me. I remember being made, I remember feeling your hands sliding over me."
Jin-kyu felt himself heat up around the collar as he shifted his position on the couch, "That's what a sculptor does," he muttered, "you're making it sound like molestation."
Sammy laughed, the sound was high and light and his mouth dropped open wide. Jin-kyu blinked at him before swallowing awkwardly, "Do you...do you know why you're here? Or how long you'll be here?"
Sammy shook his head, still smiling widely, "I just know I want to be with you for Christmas. I feel like it's where I'm meant to be."
Jin-kyu's head jerked up but Sammy was already distracted by the arrival of the cats who had taken an uncharacteristic liking to the peculiar stranger in their home.
There was only one thing for it, Jin-kyu bit the bullet and called Helena.
"Jin-kyu? I think you might have accidentally dialled..."
Jin-kyu rolled his eyes, why did nobody think he'd call them first?
"Hello Helena?" he said, hastily interrupting her.
"Oh! Hello Jin-kyu. Are you calling to cancel your appointment?" she asked.
"Yes. No. I mean maybe," Jin-kyu sighed, this had not started well. "I was actually wondering if I could talk to you quickly about my medication?"
"Oh," Helena sounded surprised, "yes, certainly, you have some questions?"
Jin-kyu could understand her confusion. He had never been interested in knowing anything about his pills before, just snatched the prescription from her with the assurance he wouldn't miss any doses.
"I was wondering about possible side-effects."
"Ah," Helena replied with a knowing tone, "you've got the rash."
"What? No," Jin-kyu frowned, "I was thinking more along the lines of...hallucinations." He whispered the last part whilst glancing over to where Sammy was now curling up on the couch with the cats, copying their feline movements.
"Hallucinations?" Helena asked, her voice suddenly turning serious, "could you be more specific about your symptoms Jin-kyu?"
Jin-kyu groaned, "I don't know...is it a hallucination if other people can see it?" He thought of Camille the previous day and the grocery store cashier.
"No, Jin-kyu. Only you would be able to see your hallucinations. Maybe you should come to see..."
"No," Jin-kyu replied quickly, "I just...I'm just having a bad day. Look I'm sorry to have bothered you."
"It's no bother Jin-kyu, this is what I'm here for, but I really recommend that you don't stay alone today, call your sister or someone."
"I'm not alone," Jin-kyu answered, frowning at the huddled mass of grey sweats and fur on the couch.
He hung up a few moments later after some more attempts at assuring Helena that he was not actually at some kind of emotional crisis point. He then immediately dialed Camille's number.
"This is twice you've called me now in two days Jin-kyu, I'm assuming the friendship bracelet is in the post?"
"Camille," Jin-kyu replied, "did you come round yesterday?"
There was a pause and Jin-kyu could hear some background noise over the line.
"Jin-kyu are you drunk? Because seriously, it's ten am and I know all artists have their vices but..."
"I'm not drunk," Jin-kyu huffed, "so you really were here?" He sighed as he glanced back over to Sammy who had now located the T.V. remote and was currently watching the cartoon network.
"Yes Jin-kyu, you asked me to look after Sammy...oh shit."
"Camille?" Jin-kyu frowned as he listened to slightly louder background noise. "Camille?"
"Um, yeah Jin-kyu, I've got someone here who would like to speak to you."
Oh fucketypissflaps. Camille and Sun-hee's coffee morning
"Jin-kyu?!"
"Hello Sun-hee," Jin-kyu replied with the weary voice of a man condemned.
"Are you okay baby bro?"
Jin-kyu smiled softly at the gentleness of her tone.
"Ask what you want to know Sun-hee," he sighed.
"Who's Sammy?" she garbled quickly.
"Would you believe me if I said I got a new cat?" Jin-kyu winced hopefully.
"You always were a shitty liar," Sun-hee laughed, "Camille says you've got a kid living with you?"
"He's not a kid," Jin-kyu replied, immediately regretting how defensive that made him sound. "Look, he's..." Jin-kyu narrowed his eyes as Sammy stood up and stretched, the sweats pulling up over his narrow frame.
"He's my life model," Jin-kyu finished.
"Your life model?" Sun-hee exclaimed, sounding surprised.
"Yup," Jin-kyu nodded, "most sculptors work from life-models. You know that."
"Okay...I guess that makes sense," Sun-hee said slowly, "but why is he at your apartment?"
"He's new to the city, needed a place to stay," Jin-kyu replied.
"And you offered yours?" Sun-hee asked suspiciously. Jin-kyu guessed her confusion was somewhat justified. It wasn’t like he had exactly been the most sociable person over the last year.
"You and Helena are always telling me to challenge myself," Jin-kyu replied with a sigh as Sammy sat back down on the couch, evidently landing on the remote and upping the volume of the T.V. to maximum.
Jin-kyu rushed forwards, covering his ears with his hands before managing to lower it.
"Jin-kyu?...Jin-kyu?"
He picked up his cell phone again whilst glaring at a contrite looking Sammy, "Yeah, sorry Sun-hee."
"So you'll bring him then?"
"Wait, what?" Jin-kyu stammers, confused as to what he had missed.
"To dinner tomorrow night, you'll bring Sammy? It starts at eight okay?" Sun-hee continued, blissfully unaware that Jin-kyu's heart had just stopped in its tracks.
"Wait, what?"
"We'll see you there, got to go bro - love you!"
"Wait, Sun-hee - " Jin-kyu began frantically, but she had already hung up.
"Jin-kyu?"
Jin-kyu jerked his head up to see Sammy staring at him thoughtfully.
"What?"
"Are you okay? You look a little strange, I think your eye's twitching," Sammy frowned.
Jin-kyu barked out an involuntary grim laugh, making both him and Sammy jump.
"We're going to dinner at my sister's tomorrow," he announced disbelievingly.
Sammy's nervous frown was replaced by a wide grin, "She invited me?"
"Yes," Jin-kyu stared hard at Sammy before sighing, it wasn’t like he could leave Sammy on his own in the apartment anyway, and if he didn't show up for dinner Sun-hee would never get off his case.
"Here's what we're going to do," Jin-kyu announced suddenly, "clearly you are not going to be turning back anytime soon, and the only person who might know how to fix this is currently in Brazil. Patricia gets back after Christmas so we're just going to have to deal until then. The situation is already insane enough as it is so I need for you to do everything I say okay?"
Sammy nodded wide-eyed at Jin-kyu.
"Right," Jin-kyu took a deep breath, "first off - go shower, then we need to go buy you something to wear tomorrow that doesn't belong to me. Sun-hee will start getting the wrong idea if she sees you wearing my clothes."
"Are we going back to the store?" Sammy asked excitedly as he jumped up.
"Yes, I mean no," Jin-kyu shook his head frustratedly. "We're going to a store, but one that sells clothes rather than food. Just go shower."
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