3 years and 5 months later, life had become constant.

If Kai thought his life was frustratingly monotonous as a waiter, he clearly did not count his blessings. At least he had learnt new things everyday. At least he had people to keep him up. At least his emotional balance had swayed back and forth so he could experience feelings of high and low.

Now his life was just the same shade of grey as the London skies. If he could even call this a life. No one sees him, no matter how much of a desperate attempt he tries to make. He had gone to the extent of yelling in someone’s ear or even swatting them on the head, to no avail. His hand just ghosted through everytime. This had rapidly upset his emotional balance, and he felt so low. If it were physically possible to see auras, his would be the colour of dark smoke in a sea of blues, purples and reds.

Of course, he wondered what had happened. At first, he had thought that he had lost his mind and that he was crazy. But after a while of waking up to the same reality day after day, he could not put this to madness. For the next 4 months, he was so panicked that he couldn't even think beyond desperately getting back to his body, if it were even possible.

His actual body, as far as he knew, was lying in a hospital and had been pronounced in a coma. He had tried visiting his body and seeing if he could merge himself back to the almost lifeless vessel. Sleep near it and hope he'd wake up and realise it had all been a bad dream. By logic, if he woke up like this for no reason, shouldn't the reverse also happen? But logic bypassed everything and he had woken up next to his physical mirror, still stuck in the same position as the previous night.

The winter cold bit at Kai's fingers on the bitter night of January 7th. The streets of London were covered in ice. Tinsel and holly hung from every door and window. The crowd roamed in twos or in families, clad in thick jumpers and coats, laughing every now and then. Two folks dressed like elves were merrily singing carols like it was nobody’s business. Kai was slumped on a bench facing the London Eye, dejectedly staring around at the cheery crowd, knowing this was the 4th New Year he spent like this. He rubbed at his eyes slightly, thinking of a place he could curl up in for the night where no one would step on him. Not like it mattered, but Kai didn't appreciate it all the same.

Kai stood up and sighed, wincing a little at the cold air rushing around his face. Guess I'll just plop myself on a bench in Regents Park again he muttered to himself, keeping his eyes low. He forced his frozen feet to take a step forward, and another, and another. He had sometimes had thoughts of ending it for himself, no more roaming around without a purpose. But he shook those thoughts away and continued maintaining a measured pace to the Waterloo Station. He figured taking a train would be easier so he wouldn't have to travel in the dratted weather.

Sometimes he also wondered if there was a reason he was like this. If there was a bigger picture that he was missing. If there was something bigger behind this, pulling on some strings. If there was something supernatural he had stumbled onto without realisation. If there-

Kai's shoulder suddenly thumped into something. His eyes widened. He felt a fleeting moment of panic and shock before turning around. The first time in 3 years and 5 months of feeling something solid and he turned around to face a boy, roughly around his age, slightly shorter with wide eyes, wider with evident shock, pink, heart shaped lips and raven hair which fell over his forehead.

Kai stuttered then suddenly darted a hand out towards a woman who passed by the scene. Kai gasped as the woman walked straight through his hand. Kai was now confused, scared, shocked, curious and somehow relieved at the same time. Confused because this was a special case which made no sense. Scared because he genuinely thought he was mad after all. Shocked because he thought he was probably doomed to invisibility forever. Curious because he could suddenly feel him and this boy could see him. And somehow relieved because now he could get the boy to convince him that he hadn't lost his mind.

Kai slowly turned back to face the boy again, who seemed frozen to the spot. The boy shakily brought his hand up to reach for Kai's forearm. Kai flinched but allowed the boy to brush his forearm with his fingertips.

"Are you really there? Can you see me?" he asked in a desperate tone. His voice was warm, like hot chocolate on a night like this, but laced with severe doubt.

And then it clicked. This boy was not unlike himself. He also could not be spotted, or heard, or felt by anyone. But himself.

Kai nodded slowly. “No one can see you either right?”

“Yes,” he sighed. Both of them just stood there, not knowing what to do with this new information and definitely not knowing what to do with each other. It was clear that they couldn’t walk separate ways now, not after Kai had been begging all these years to high heavens to be seen by someone, anyone.

The boy seemed to regain his composure a lot faster than Kai did. His expression smoothened out a bit and a small smile took over his face. “I’m sorry I didn’t get the chance to introduce myself. I’m Kyungsoo. And you are?” he inquired, half out of courteousness and half out of curiosity.

“Kai,” he mumbled. The boy, Kyungsoo, nodded. There was another awkward silence before-

“I’m sorry, but I’m really confused right now, and probably a little in shock too, but do you know what’s happening now? What happened to you? What happened to me? Why are we like this? How long are we going to be stuck like this?” Kai let loose from his lips.

“I wish I could tell you,” Kyungsoo sighed. Then he looked at Kai in the face and said, “We really should find a place before it gets colder. Do you have a place?” he asked gently.

Kai shook his head and said, “Not really, but I’ll make do somewhere.” Kyungsoo took his hand gently and led him out of the station. “I have a place. I can share with you for at least tonight” he told Kai, and Kai let himself be led out by the stranger boy, who he found was the only one he could trust.