The Midnight Paradise Effect

The doorbell rang. The apartment door opened to Mi-ri who stood there patiently waiting with two hands behind her back hiding a little gift. “Hi there Bam-mi! Chan-gyu called me about your new name, is it okay if I step inside?” Bam-mi nodded making sound with the bell around her neck skipping out of the apartment to push Mi-ri eagerly inside.

She noticed the small gift behind Mi-ri’s hands and snatched it. “Yah, come back here!” Mi-ri playfully followed her into the kitchen where Chan-gyu wore an apron and was dicing some vegetables while the sweet aroma of Ginseng Chicken Soup spread around the kitchen and living area. “Hmm...is that Samgyetang I smell?” Mi-ri neared her head to the stove.

Chan-gyu smiled. “It is almost summer vacation for you guys so I decided to make Samgyetang as a celebratory meal.” He finished cutting the garlic. “So you came back with a present for Jin I see.” He noticed Bam-mi playing with the box in her hands.

Mi-ri nodded. “Yeah, how is he holding up?” She whispered.

“Well,” Chan-gyu bit his lower lip, “he is trying to wrap his head around the fact about his...eye problem.” He muttered.

“I hope he will accept my solution.” Mi-ri sighed. Bam-mi walked in the kitchen with a dark eye patch on one eye. “Uh, that’s for Jin, Bam-mi.” Chan-gyu noticed and quickly took it off her.

“Stop meddling in other people’s things, haven’t I taught you better?” He scolded while Bam-mi hid behind Mi-ri for protection.

Mi-ri only chuckled. “It’s quite alright. I’m gonna go ahead and meet Jin.” Chan-gyu nodded. Both of them saw her enter Jin’s room.

“I hope it is enough to stop him from moping and actually get out of his freaking room.” Chan-gyu crossed his arms. There has to be a way we could help him with this strange condition, but what or who could probably fix something so rare?

Bam-mi sighed walking towards Chan-gyu who was lost in his thoughts. She sneaked her arms around his waist embracing him pressing her head against his chest purring in happiness. He blinked and noticed her all over him. “No, Bam-mi how many times do I have to tell you to stop doing that?” He pressed his index finger on her forehead pushing her away lightly.

Bam-mi only hopped on the counter with a frown on her face sometimes playing with the little bell around her neck. It was only day one with her in the house since they brought home Jin last night.

Jin laid sadly on his hospital bed staring at the wall while Mi-ri sat near him and the girl was soundly sleeping on the couch. Everyone else was just a few feet outside discussing many things with the Doctor and the nurse.

“Mi-ri,” Jin began startling her away from her own thoughts, “do you think I’m a monster?” He asked without his sad eyes leaving the wall.

Mi-ri nodded her head. “Of course not! Jin I would never ever think that about you.” She reached for his hand and grabbed it, this time he did turn to her. “Jin I care about you very much. It hurts me to see you believe that I would leave your side just because you think you are a monster.” She tightened her grip on his hand. Say it, you have to say it. She urged herself but she only grew more and more nervous the more she forced herself to. “Jin-Jin,” She looked deep in his normal eye and in his symboled one, “Jin I-”

The front door to the room opened. Chan-gyu stepped inside and closed the door behind him. “Jin, we are taking you home tonight.” He put down a bag of clothes he had with him. “Here are some fresh new clothes.”

Jin sat up in his bed. “What-what do you mean I am free to go? What about my eye? What about me? What if I go mad just like the others?!” He rose his voice causing the girl to wake up from her slumber.

“Jin please.” Mi-ri worriedly rubbed a thumb on his hand soothingly.

“I’m becoming one of those things Chan-gyu.” Jin cried. “See, see this!” He pointed to his foggy eye with the symbol faded into his cornea. “This is just the beginning!” He began to sob and Mi-ri quickly sat on the bed pulling Jin into a hug letting him cry on her shoulder while his hold on her shirt tightened.

Chan-gyu looked down at the floor. “You won’t turn into one of those brainless grinning idiots. Only if you take the drug.”

Jin opened his eyes now slightly pink from the tears. “Drug?” He pulled away from Mi-ri’s embrace. “What drug?”

Chan-gyu didn’t want to involve his brother more in this case, but it was already inevitable. Jin was now officially part of the case. “Just get ready to go home.” He headed towards the door.

“Wait,” Chan-gyu turned back to his brother, “what happened that they let you take me home?”

Chan-gyu sighed. “We hushed the doctor and the nurse. Now get dressed.” He slammed the door behind him.

Jin looked down at his hands fidgeting with them a bit. “It’s funny, what money can do to people.” He stood up and walked towards the bag. “Would you ladies mind giving me some privacy?” He chuckled at Mi-ri.

She blushed hard. “Oh-oh right, sorry.” She quickly stood up and grabbed the girl. “We-we’ll be waiting outside with the others.” As soon as Mi-ri closed the door behind them Jin’s smile disappeared; he began to unbutton the patient robe off.

Jin noticed the large gauze around his skinny frame with stains of blood. By instinct he began to pull it off revealing where the claws dug deep in his skin. “Whoa!” Jin was startled to see his wounds and bruises begin to fade from dark purple to his natural skin tone. “What is happening to me?”

The front door of the apartment unlocked and the girl quickly ran inside sniffing around and curiously touching and observing their things. “Be careful you don’t break anything!” Chan-gyu warned.

Jin closed the door, it made a beeping noise and he quickly took of his converse and exchanged them for house slippers walking straight towards his room with a dull expression on his face. “Don’t you at least want something to eat?” Chan-gyu called out to him.

“I’m only tired.” Jin answered closing the door behind him. The girl sniffed at his door tapping her fingers on it curiously wanting to go inside.

“Leave him alone.” Chan-gyu scolded while he brought out a pillow from his room and a blanket. “Here I settled something for you to nap on. You can sleep on the rug or on the couch. It’s entirely your choic-” He noticed she wasn’t in the living room anymore. Chan-gyu headed towards his room to see her already on his bed, he groaned. “Whatever.”

The sound of a small bell caught his attention. He noticed her playing around with a small bell collar while on his bed. “Yah!” He quickly snatched it from her. “Don’t mess with it. It belonged to Bam-mi!” He was about to put it up but she quickly snatched it from him again hopping on his bed trying to put it on her neck. “What the hell are you doing? It’s not for humans! It’s not a necklace!” He tried to catch her while she ran from corner to corner trying to put it on her neck. Chan-gyu finally grabbed her from behind and snatched the collar away. “You are not a cat. You are not Bam-mi so you’ll never wear it!”

The girl looked hurt and just plopped her bottom onto his now messy bed. Chan-gyu sighed trying to relieve his anger and just defeatedly went up to his drawer doing something while the girl kicked her feet on the clean carpet with a frown on her lips. “Here.” Before she could fully look up at him Chan-gyu wrapped something around her neck. The small little bell rang each time she shifted her neck. “I used one of my silver necklaces and put the bell in it. Take care of it alright.” She nodded with a smile excited to have an new object in her care. He got in a crouched position and looked up at her ocean like eyes. “Your eyes remind me a lot of Bam-mi.” He began. “Her eyes were like the ocean too. She always followed me everywhere, kind of like you.” He chuckled awkwardly. “You make me...miss her sometimes.” He brought up his hand to her hair and ruffled it a bit while a smile formed on his lips. “Bam-mi.” She perked up as if Chan-gyu was calling her name. “Bam-mi, you like it?” She nodded with a sincere smile while they intently look into each other’s eyes for a moment.

“Choi Bam-mi, it has a nice ring to it.” They both chuckled. “Bam-mi it is then.”

Chan-gyu’s eyes fluttered open to the sound of birds chirping outside and the sunlight beaming in from the windows in the living room, he slept on the couch last night since Bam-mi took his room. He wanted to stretch but felt something weigh on him. Chan-gyu looked down to see Bam-mi’s head on his chest and the rest of her body on top of him. “Ugh!” He groaned. “For the last time you are not a cat!” He pushed her off of him making her body thump on the floor. “What time is it?” Chan-gyu eyed the alarm clock near the television set, 11:22 a.m. “I should at least make lunch.” He groaned rubbing his tired eyes. “Bam-mi help me get started.” He ordered as her ears perked up to the sound of her new name. “Get vegetables and chicken out of the fridge, we are making Samgyetang.” She nodded and ran towards the fridge while Chan-gyu headed towards the restroom to freshen up. I hope Jin is well enough to eat this time.

The room was completely dark. Dark curtains covered the window preventing light from the sun getting inside. The alarm clock revealed 12:10 p.m. Jin’s door opened. “Hey.” Mi-ri’s voice made Jin shift from under his covers so she knew he wasn’t asleep. “How are you holding up?” She closed the door and took a seat on his office chair nearby. She put the gift box on the desk accidentally moving the mouse of the computer revealing a page Jin has left open on the screen, Mi-ri gasped noticing the forum and its several users speaking about the “brainless” users of the Midnight Paradise drug. “Jin have you been seeing this all night?” She scrolled through the page in awe at the images of brainless users and even the videos people captured of them going insane.

Jin’s hand roughly pressed down on her’s and the mouse exiting out of the page. “Leave it alone.” He snapped at her cruelly sitting back down on his bed.

Mi-ri noticed the bags under his eyes. “Jin, I know you want to find a cure for this but you really need some rest before you get ill. Your health is very important.” He scoffed.

“Yeah I know whatever.” Jin hid back under his covers.

Mi-ri was startled by his sudden rude actions but furrowed her brows hopping off of the chair pulling roughly on his covers. “Jin don’t start this shit with me!” Jin stared at her wide eyed. “We are going to find a way to fix that damn thing you have in your eye, but at least be glad it isn’t hurting you in any kind of way for now.” She pulled on his curtains inviting the sun rays in the room.

Jin gasped and made a strange hissing noise falling off the bed into a shaded corner. “That fucking stings Mi-ri!” He peeked his head out with a hand over his symboled eye.

She raised a brow. “What? Your eye stings?” He nodded. “So, your eye is repulsed by light?”

“Intense light!” He hissed.

Mi-ri let out a big sigh and grabbed the gift box and sat on the edge of the bed near Jin’s body. “Here, I’m sure this will help.” Jin snatched it from her hand and began to open it while he kept that one eye closed.

“An eye patch?” She nodded. Jin put it on and over his symboled eye.

“Better?”

He nodded with a smile. “Yeah, it doesn’t hurt. Thanks Mi-ri!” In an instant he turned back to his normal self, his nostrils sniffed the air. “Is Chan-gyu hyung cooking Samgyetang? I’m starving!” Jin opened the door and ran out before Mi-ri could ever utter another word.

Everyone sat at the table eating Samgyetang except for Chan-gyu who gave up his plate for Mi-ri. “You really didn’t have to do that Chan-gyu.” She blushed.

“No,” He waved, “it’s fine I can always find something else.” He wandered through the fridge.

Jin was eating absolutely everything from his bowl, the soup, the chicken, even munching on the bones. Mi-ri couldn’t help but stare at him strangely. “Jin,” she cleared her throat, “I think it would be best to ease up on the food.”

“Done!” Both Mi-ri and Bam-mi leaned in closer to his bowl to see not a thing was left behind, not even a bone.

“That was fast…” Chan-gyu eyed the bowl just as surprised as the girls were.

“Well,” Jin stood up, “dinner was excellent but I have to get back to my research okay.” He closed his room’s door behind him. Everyone just kept their eyes on his door amazed.

Mi-ri frowned dropping her spoon on the table furiously. “He gave me a half assed ‘thank you’
for the gift and now he just leaves me out here worrying for him?! He is acting better even though he is not! I know you aren’t better, I can see through the facade more than anyone else Jin! You are not that hard for me to read you know that!” She stood up and stormed towards the entrance putting her shoes back on and slamming the door behind her as she left.

Chan-gyu noticed Mi-ri hasn’t ate a single thing from her bowl. “She didn’t even start eating.” He frowned.

Bam-mi quickly stood up excitedly pushing on Chan-gyu’s back to take a seat where Mi-ri previously sat. She brought her bowl closer so she can sit next to him. Bam-mi put the spoon in his hand urging him to eat with her. Chan-gyu sighed obliging to her request. I don’t know how I put up with those two and especially with this one as well. He eyed Bam-mi with a distasteful frown while she only smiled digging in her chicken happily.

Jin typed away on his computer focused until he finally paused with satisfying information. He quickly dug through one of the desk drawers for a pen and post-it, he began to frantically write down an address. He bit his lip, “It’s in Mapo-gu District.” He turned back to the computer screen and clicked on a bottle with that reoccurring symbol on it with the title, Midnight Paradise on it.
Order Now.
Click!
Order Process Successful. Item to be picked up at 12:00 p.m. Friday. Please print the following ticket.
The small ticket was printed, Jin rolled it up along with the post-it hiding it in his school uniform blazer. “Tomorrow is the day.” Jin sighed sitting on the edge of his bed. It might seem stupid but I need to find out who is behind this even if it kills me.

Notes