Half Brother

Shane stared out the bus window.

The air felt close with a coming storm. His stomach churned as the bus bumped over a pothole. He shouldn't have done Loralie's work. After being seen, he never felt the same sense of security he had felt these hundred years.

'I am never gonna do Loralie's job again,' he reminded himself.

He had to ask someone for help and that someone could not be Loralie. If Loralie ever found out, it was to say goodbye to the crown of hell. No, Loralie had to remain ignorant.

An hour later, he exited the bus. The streets were crowded and a salaryman bumped his shoulder as he hurried past. Usually Shane would ignore it, but at his touch nausea rose up in him. He frowned as his mouth watered. What was this? This was a base human weakness, completely unacceptable.

If the road that day had been an alley, this one was a goddamn gutter, only wide enough to move single file. The close proximity of the buildings squeezed out the sun's rays, so the alley sat in constant shadows.

Shane stopped at a wide door made of rusted metal and knocked. There was no answer for so long, Miyoung assumed no one was home. Then it opened a crack and an eye peeked out at them.

"Can I help you?" The voice was male and suspicious, but also smooth and cultured. Not that of someone people would expect to live in such a run-down area.

Shane took out a card from his pocket and read it carefully.

"I'm here to see Faust; child of Death and Fate."

"He's busy, come back later."

Shane's reflexes were quick enough to stop the door from slamming in his face. he met with surprisingly strong resistance before she pushed the door open and revealed the boy in all his glory.

Miyoung had thought him a man before but now saw he was barely older than himself, perhaps nineteen or twenty. He stood in a school uniform, same as that of Shane's. Shane raised a brow. It was already dusk. She studied the rest of him. He was gorgeous, straight nose, warm brown irises, high cheekbones, and tall like Shane. Shane had seen this boy in school.

Yet, despite his beauty, he felt an aversion to him, like they were two magnets of the same pole, pushing away from each other.

"I don't like seeing people this early in the day—"

"It's dinnertime,"

"Your point?" The boy sighed and shuffled away .

It felt like stepping through a portal to another world. Shane had expected a shabby room with stained concrete walls and dirt-covered floors like outside. Instead, they stood in a gleaming entryway. The walls were a shining white, made out of a material as smooth as glass. Marble floors were warm beneath their feet as they removed their shoes. Pristine-white guest slippers were lined up neatly, and Shane slipped into a pair.

They walked toward the sound of clanging into a kitchen made of granite and steel. The boy held a bag of coffee beans, glaring at a cappuccino machine so new he doubted it had ever been used.

"I am here to speak to Faust. Do you know when he'll be back?" Shane asked, taking the beans from the boy and pouring them into the grinder attached to the machine. He was very much sure, the new coffee maker would just be destroyed had the boy tried to operate it.

The boy scowled but deigned to hold out his cup to let Shane make him his espresso.

"What do you want from him?" He leaned against the counter in a pose that seemed styled for the pages of a magazine.

"I need to speak to him to help me find someone."

The boy feigned hurt. "You're gonna use Faust as GPS?"

"Can you tell us where Faust is or not?" Shane asked, his annoyance was beginning to get the better of himself.

The boy accepted the espresso with a nod of thanks before downing it all.

"Well, now that he's had his espresso, he's right here." The boy set the cup down and gave Shane a wink. Shane was beginning to like him all the less.

"You're Faust?" he looked incredulous as she gave the boy a onceover.

"Surprised?" He smiled warmly, Shane had decided he was going to dislike this boy.

"I just didn't think you'd look like this,"

The boy chucked warmly.

"Yes, this is my disguise indeed, people know me as Park Minjae in the human world, as you may have seen this morning in school today, by the way, you are surprisingly strong. Also, I will need to go soon so do it fast. Jihoon doesn't know I have vanished."

"You're the child of Death and Fate."

"At your service," Minjae said, giving a deep bow. Despite the ninety degree angle, it felt more mocking than polite.

"You seriously don't look like you're a child of Death."

Minjae raised his eyes in mock amusement.

"Is it because of the fact that I don't have red eyes right now?" Minjae closed his eyes and took in a deep breath. When he opened his eyes, they were greyish red as well, just like Shane's had been that night.

Shane gritted his teeth and let out a growl, his green eyes changed into a flash of greyish red before returning to green again. Minjae was getting on his nerves and he knew it very well. One more minute and he would take his soul. Minjae raised his hands in surrender.

"Chill, half brother, don't have to be so angry." he chuckled.

"So you know who I am?"

Minjae rolled his eyes, chuckling.

"Half brother," Minjae spoke, his voice so soothing Shane's defense instincts acted up automatically, "You're one of the smartest men in hell, but you're probably the dumbest person I have seen. I just called you half brother, that means I must know who you are. I don't go around calling people half brother for no reason."

Shane considered his words for a moment, Minjae was indeed right.

Minjae continued speaking.

"You wanna know who that guy the other night was, right?"

Minjae raised a brow but then thought that he made his business to know everyone.

"Yeah," SHane replied, nodding his head, "I wanna know who that guy was."

"And so you have come to me for help?"

"Yep"

Minjae smiled cockily.

"To be honest, I am surprised that the great child of Death and Time has come to seek help from the child of Death and Fate, well I guess, I guess I must do my task."

"Yeah, that's what I am here for. I don't have the time to search the whole city of Seoul to look for one man. I just want to erase any eye witnesses."

Minjae put his hand on his chin as if pretending to think.

"Fine, I will do it."

"Great, what's your price."

"Nothing," Minjae shrugged, "I know why you're here. You're here for my so-called 'brother' Jihoon. I don't want to see your face ever again after you're done with your fucking work."

"That can be arranged."

"Great. Now get out, I need to be back at the cyber cafe before anyone notices I'm gone."