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It’s September, the hot waves of Summer heat and the cooling freshness of juicy watermelons had ended and now, chilly breeze and sunset-colored leaves replaced them as Autumn arrived. Though the air grew colder, it was a new semester for many schools and universities, and so, young freshmen and freshwomen ought to welcome it in high spirits. Among these youngsters was a young man with long, black hair and amber tips, his cor lapis-like eyes were a unique feature only he possessed, but worry not, it’s just a genetic mutation, the doctor said so, and it didn’t hamper his sight in any way.
The new semester would start as of next week, and Zhongli had only a week to unbox all the cardboard boxes filling his rented apartment containing his belongings before the university started. He sat in the middle of the room and smiled as he scanned his surroundings.
The apartment was spacious for just one person, it had a kitchen, a small living room, a bedroom with a queen-sized bed, not to mention a bathroom and it’s completed with the furniture he needed for his daily life as a student. What’s more, the rent was super cheap, which was rather a rare gem to find because: 1) This apartment was located in the city, 2) it had all sorts of public transportations to the heart of the city and to his university, 3) it was surprisingly well-maintained. For a student who basically was poor and relied on scholarships for his education, this apartment was a miracle to Zhongli. He had been thanking the Heavens for their kindness, perhaps all those good karma he did since birth had started to pay off. He still could see his caretaker at the orphanage, Madame Ping, smiling brightly upon knowing that the young kid she raised as her own managed to get accepted in one of the best universities the region had to offer.
Satisfied with his idle reminiscing, Zhongli stood up and opened the nearest cardboard box with a cutter, his smile grew even wider as he saw the frames and album books inside, containing all of his happy memories. He took one of the albums and sat down again, eyeing the photos inside. None of the photos had the face of his biological parents, nonetheless, all of the faces in the frozen time were painted with happiness. Zhongli stared at the pastel-colored ceiling, wondering how his parents were doing now. The young man never bore a grudge against them for discarding him, and actually was thankful that he somehow survived and be the man he was now.
A soft, lively thud echoed throughout the room when he closed it, and he placed the items inside the box onto the shelves, some of the framed photos were put on display in the living room. Zhongli thought it would be appropriate to put them there too, it felt as if the people of the orphanage were always watching him through his struggles and supporting him from afar.
Night soon fell, by the time he took a break, he realized it’s already eight, two hours past his usual dinner time. As Madame Ping said, time flew fast when one did something they truly like from the bottom of their being. Zhongli went for his bag that was on the dining table and pulled out the cold lunch his caretaker made for him. He used the microwave in the kitchen and took it out when the machine beeped, enjoying a hearty meal that appeased his hunger. While his mouth munched the food down to smaller pieces, he took the time to review all that he had done this far. There were still a dozen boxes remained sealed sitting in the living room, three of them were the largest and it contained his favorite books and collections he had amassed before coming here. He recalled how the other caretakers were against him bringing all the items, but Zhongli couldn’t live with them, so they allowed him in defeat. He chuckled, then proceed to finish the rest of his meal.
It was nine when he was done, so the young man decided to leave the rest of the work tomorrow and get a decent sleep. A good sleep was a start of a good day, Madame Ping always said that to him. And Zhongli, being the obedient Zhongli, always listened to her and made sure his day should end before nine. He took a warm bath, brushed his teeth and put on a new set of pajamas he received from the most recent donation to the orphanage. It had a cute design of cartoon dragons, and he liked dragons, so he picked the set. He walked into the bedroom and put on fresh bedcovers on it, laying down on the soft mattress at last.
What a good life, Zhongli thought to himself as he hugged the spare pillow on his chest. His life indeed was not the smoothest, but he was content with what he had until this very moment. He got a loving family in the orphanage, he got a scholarship at the best university and cheap, comfortable rent.
Zhongli took a deep breath, taking in the scent of silk flowers from the shampoo he used. Amber eyes began to close, he was going to drift himself into dreamland when suddenly, his ears caught a noise.
A voice; deep, rumbling, powerful.
“Damn, this brat is hot.”
He merely shrugged it off, probably it was his neighbor talking behind the walls of his bedroom, it was a bit thinner than he expected.
So why did it sounded as if it came from above him?
…
When he woke up the next morning, nothing changed. The albums were still on the shelves, so did the frames, his stationeries, his cutlery, and everything he had taken out so far. Nothing changed, indeed. And he had a good sleep due to the chilly autumn air combined with the good flow of the air conditioner. Maybe he was right about the source of the voice last night, it was his neighbors talking about something only they knew.
Zhongli stretched on the bed like a cat, turning to look at the scenery outside the window. Of course, he saw some trees and the housings surrounding his apartment; after all, it’s just a two-story building with the third floor being used for laundry. Still, the sight was new to him, the orphanage he lived in was surrounded by more trees and lesser buildings as it was located in a village outside the city. He drank in the view like it’s the finest wine, yawning, and got up from bed, ready to face the new day. Zhongli made a plan of what he should do today; opening more boxes, go outside and get to know the environment better, stocking the fridge, and of course, familiarized himself with his neighbors so they could...lent him a hand when he was in need and also he wouldn’t be lonely. It would be awkward for him to if they were to view him as some anti-social shut-in.
Speaking of greeting neighbors, Zhongli wondered what should be gifted to them as an ‘introduction offering’, as stated by Guizhong, a friend of his who went to another university the year before. She told him that he could give them anything as long as it was acceptable, Zhongli was thinking of making some bamboo shoot stew, but it took too long and he didn’t have bamboo shoots with him. He could buy some things from the convenience store but it would be rude to present those instant things to his new friends. He decided that he should meditate under the shower’s sprinkle, and he did so.
Zhongli stood still in front of the mirror, his pajama was dropped unceremoniously onto the floor.
There was a scratch mark on his right chest, he instinctively touched the area. Perhaps he accidentally scratched it when a mosquito tried to bite and suck his blood, with that in mind, he went for a shower.
He left the bathroom with no inspiration, but at least he got out with a new set of casual clothing on. He frowned at the boxes, his brows knotted so hard that it began to hurt him. Three knocks on the door saved him from hurting himself, Zhongli headed for the front door and opened it, revealing a pair of sisters waiting outside. They were stunned, frozen in their place, face slightly red, and Zhongli thought that they might have caught a cold from the chilly breeze.
“Ah, good morning. Your faces are a bit red, do you catch a cold? Wait here, I will get you the medicine-”
“O-oh! No, no!” one of the girls was unpetrified when he was about to leave. “W-we’re here to give you this!” she handed out a brown plastic container. “We heard that there’s a new neighbor, so w-we wanted to introduce ourselves to you!”
And so they exchanged their names and addresses before he was left alone. Through the interaction, he discovered that the neighbors living behind his bedroom wall were these two young ladies.
That didn’t explain to whom the deep, rumbling, manly voice belonged. Had it not for the fact that the third floor was only for laundry, he might have thought that it was the tenant upstairs.
Maybe the two ladies just now were watching some movies, that must be the source of the voice.
Zhongli went back inside, opened the container, and was delighted to see it containing some sachima inside. It was one of his favorite snacks. He left the treats on the table and went outside after locking the front door, musing what he should buy to stock in his fridge.
The young man came home with two bags of groceries; one containing fresh vegetables and the other some meat and poultry products. This time, he managed to make something for his neighbors, homemade Jade Parcels, and presented them to his eight neighbors. They were all happy to receive the food. Zhongli made good friends today.
He noticed the sachima was lesser than the last time he saw it. He didn’t eat them, right? The landlord did mention that this apartment area was free from mice and alike, so probably, he absentmindedly put one in his mouth and he just forgot about it.
When night fell and he closed his eyes, he heard the same voice speaking again.
“I’ll just take my time… It’ll be a waste to enjoy a feast so quickly, won’t it?”
This time, the voice was speaking directly into his ear. He could feel cold air licking his earlobe.
He woke up with several more red scratch-like marks.
His heart screaming something wasn’t right with this place. He didn’t know what, and it’s not like he could move out. Just like the day before, Zhongli discarded the thought to the back of his head, trying his damnest not to recall the deep voice last night as he unboxed the last of his items and placed them onto where they belonged.
From then on, things got...worse. From the increasing number of scratch marks and numbers of spoken lines, he barely registered his blanket being pulled down in the haze of his sleep, something touching his exposed belly, sensation like fingers gliding under his pajama shirt and teasing his nipples. Zhongli woke up in the middle of the dead night after a moan, face flamed from the surge of blood rush in his veins. He was drenched in a cold sweat, but his whole body was hot. And to make things worse, he was...let’s say that his pants suddenly grew tight and he tried to sleep it off.
Sure as hell, he was struggling.
Zhongli woke up in fatigue, there was a wet spot on his pants.
It was embarrassing. He felt like he needed to plunge his head into a hole right now.
…
Guizhong came over to his new apartment a week later, his friend brought him some traditional snacks that she knew Zhongli was very fond of. To her surprise, she found her dear friend was in a state of drained, he looked a bit pale and tired like there was something that sucked the life out of his body. Zhongli brushed her worries off, telling her that he couldn’t sleep well these days around and didn’t divulge more as the details were embarrassing. No way he would tell her that he was haunted by a husky voice and he suffered hard-on from night to night because he felt some invisible hands were touching his body the way he liked it. But he did tell about his suspicions that the apartment was haunted, to which he earned a lively laugh from his childhood friend. Zhongli wasn’t very pleased with her reaction, honestly speaking.
“Oh my, Zhongli…” Guizhong wiped her tears away. “You’re as naive and innocent as ever, stay cute that way, and I’m sure girls will flock around you soon.”
Well, they did; the girls at the university had been flocking around him like he was a loaf of bread in the middle of a group of pigeons.
“You see… This apartment is nice and all, I won’t lie, but to be rented at such a cheap price? It means that something has happened here before you came, and usually, according to what I read in the net and the magazines, these kinds of properties were...stigmatized.”
He did understand what it meant. Simply to put it, his apartment was haunted and he was right. Haunted by a perverted ghost who molested him every night.
“Well! You don’t have to move out. You can simply clean this place up with the help of the monk from the temple nearby! They said their talismans were effective. You should try them.”
It was a nice idea, but why did he hear laughter from behind? Did this perverted ghost dare to mock him? Then, that ghost better saved it for when it managed to defeat these talismans Guizhong told him about!
The two friends went to the temple and they placed the talismans as instructed by the monk. Seeing the sacred papers on the walls of his room, it brought him a wave of security that tonight, he would be able to sleep like a baby again and tomorrow would be another bright day for him. Guizhong left him since the last train would depart soon, telling Zhongli that should anything happen, he should dial her number and have her come over. Zhongli accepted the offer of course, but in his mind he willed himself not to bother the second year with his troubles further.
The young man retreated back to his bedroom, laying flat on the bed with a wide smile. Begone, you debauched ghost, he spoke in his mind and closed his eyes. Today was a tiring day, an early sleep would be the better choice to take.
For hours, nothing happened.
Until midnight struck, that is.
Cold fingers glided on his body, waking him up from his peaceful slumber. Zhongli closed his eyes tighter, so did his lips, trying to contain the unwanted moan his mouth almost spilled out. Why? Didn’t he stick the talismans on the walls just like the monk said? Then why was this sensation-
“That girl was right, about you being naive and innocent, Zhongli…”
It was that voice again, Zhongli opened his eyes, hoping he could catch the face of the suspect of this molestation instead of the usual empty air.
He did find the culprit.
Said culprit was grinning above him. It was a man way older than him, with his muscular build he easily overpowered Zhongli’s resistance and pinned him down on the bed with his weight, making the young man yelp in alertness.
“W-who are you?!” Of course, this man was the perverted ghost, wasn’t he?
“Me?” the man asked back. “Well, I was the original tenant of this room, you see… You can say I’m the host, and you’re my guest, actually.”
Zhongli felt his throat dry, his heart was beating so fast against his ribcage it threatened to burst out at any moment. The mocking grin on the man above him widened at the sight of his inferiority, their faces were close now that he leaned down to Zhongli.
“And as the host, I gotta please my guest, right?” He ran his hand on the freshman’s body, pinching his hard nipple covered by the thin fabric, eliciting a moan out of the young man who arched his back. “And as my guest...you gotta please me real good so I’ll let you stay.”
“D-don’t-” a gasp broke his sentence when the man flipped him. It didn’t stop there as the man brought his ass up to the air and pulled down his pants, Zhongli whimpered in shame upon being exposed to the hungry eyes behind him. “P-please-! S-stop…”
“And you thought you’re clever by bringing these weakass papers into my home,” his assaulter had both hands on his buttocks, squeezing them. Zhongli bit down his pillow in an attempt to muffle another moan. “You want to purify me that bad, huh, Zhongli?” the young man could see his grin even without batting his eyes at him. “Well, why don’t we do it my way, human?”
The sound of birds chirping woke him up from his deep sleep. He was tired, and the room felt hot. When his hand brushed against his hips, he realized that he was all naked, his thighs felt sticky and his hips hurt.
Where was the hole he needed to bury himself into? He just...l-let a ghost haunting his apartment to f-f-fu-
Zhongli covered his face with sticky and sweaty palms, screaming his lungs out to them.
He wished it stopped, but the ghost heeded not his pleadings. The same thing continued for days and Zhongli was too powerless to retaliate, drowning in the shameless pleasure the ghost was giving him, moaning and panting on his sheets, his bed creaking loudly in protest as his hands gripped the headboard so hard. The ghost became more and more demanding, he was even active in broad daylight and teased the poor freshman when Guizhong was visiting. Zhongli had to excuse himself to the toilet and let the ghost do as it pleased, all the while doing his best to not let his dear friend hear the sinful sound he was making.
He wanted to deny the pleasure, yet the ghost always knew how to make him see the stars and made his entire being rapture in that white ecstasy. His body was willing to be degraded so low so long he could feel like he was in Heaven.
A month later, Zhongli stood in front of the opened door, mouth wide agape.
There, in his living room, was a man with long black hair and ocean blue streaks sitting comfortably on the sofa, wearing HIS pullover and pants, watching a goddamn show from HIS television. Of course, of course, he knew who this stranger was. Oh dear Heavens, it looked like a poltergeist at this rate!
“Oh? You have a roommate now, Zhongli?” Guizhong asked curiously, peeking from his shoulder. “Wow. He’s quite the looker, just like you.”
“Uh- w-well he-”
Wait. Guizhong could see the ghost now?!
“Oh, you’re the lady who told him about these stupid talismans,” the man merely turned his head to them, grinning wide and pointing the nearby talisman with his thumb, “I tell you this, lady, these things were useless against me. And they ruined the aesthetic pretty boy over there created.”
“Well, of course, it won’t work on you,” Guizhong frowned. “I mean, you’re a human. These are for ghosts.”
Okay. What? What in the nine Heavens was-
“G-Guizhong, I suddenly remembered that I have something important to be discussed with my… roommate. I’m sorry, but I’d like you to...leave us alone for today.”
“Huh? Sure,” Guizhong nodded, Zhongli was very grateful that his dear friend was very understanding. “Oh, right. My name is Guizhong. Please take care of Zhongli, okay? He can be a blockhead sometimes, so I’ll rely on you!”
“Yeah, yeah. Leave him to me,” the man had that usual, punchable smug grin on his face. And damn he did look hot with that on. “My name’s Osial. See ya.”
Zhongli closed and locked the door behind, walking into the living room.
“Explain, Osial.” Finally, he knew this perverted ghost’s name, he felt like he wanted to abuse it.
“Oh, right, explain,” Osial turned off the television and threw the remote onto the couch. “You see, Zhongli, I was once one of the powerful kings of Hell. Then, shit happened, these little gremlins rebelled against me, and here I am.”
Zhongli went to the kitchen and brewed some tea. He needed some tea to calm himself down because what the hell? His...roommate, as Guizhong put it, was a Hell King and not just a mere perverted ghost who molested him? He needed his winter break sooner.
“At first, my power was so weak that all I could do was let you mortals hear my voice,” Zhongli picked up his cup and drank his tea. “But, the more I fuck that pretty, tight ass of yours, my powers somewhat came back and now I can materialize a human body.”
Zhongli choked on his drink, a painful sensation burning his throat and his nasal canal. He stared wide eyes at Osial in disbelief and pure shock. “...You’re saying that… you regained your powers… by copulating with me…?”
“Damn straight, baobei,” Osial had the actual nerve to laugh. “Now I have a human dick to fuck you with, no longer invisible one. Obviously warmer and larger.”
Zhongli swore he wanted to bite his tongue off so as not to die from embarrassment. But as if Osial was able to read his mind, his jaw was gripped by a strong, muscular hand. The other kissed him opened mouthed, and Zhongli melted into the sensation as their tongue rolled against each other, the inside of his mouth was being explored to every nook and cranny. When Osial pulled back, he was reduced to a red, panting mess, chest heaving frantically.
“That’s more like it. You got better at this, Zhongli.”
A shudder ran down straight to his spine, his whole being trembled as a hot breath touched his earlobes, and Osial spoke.
“Say, I needed to test this new body of mine. I hope you won’t mind.”
The young man circled his arms around the other’s neck, pulling him closer.
“You’d better pay half of the rent, Osial. Or, I’ll have to kick you out.”
Osial roared out a burst of laughter and flopped him onto the sofa. “Yeah, yeah. I’ll pay half of the bill.”
- The End