Donghae

I gasp, my eyes forced open as I feel air suddenly rushing into my lungs. It feels like I’ve been underwater all this time as I try to catch my breath. Confused, I scan around and find that I’m suddenly not at the apartment. I’m not in my room. I don’t know where I am.

It’s all unfamiliar to me. I’m in a dimly-lit house with yellow walls, wooden cabinets and marbled tiles. I look around, nervous and afraid. I don’t know how I got here and I want to get out. I need to get back to the apartment, to Eunhyuk and the others. Taking small unsure steps, I move further into the house.

I freeze however when I hear loud voices arguing in Korean language. I blink, confused if I’m already back in Korea. Following the noises, I find myself heading towards a small kitchen. There’s a young couple in the kitchen, the long-haired girl looks like she’s crying. The man has his back towards me. I don’t know what to do or if I should interrupt them. Before I can decide what to do however, my breath hitches as the man turns around and faces me.

It’s him.

Fear and recognition crosses my face. It’s the man from earlier. My eyes widen as he starts walking towards me with dangerous eyes. I want to move but I’m frozen, my body still in complete shock. The man however walks straight through me and another gasp leaves my mouth. He walked right through me! What the is going on?!

“I told you, I didn’t cheat on you!” The girl shouts, her voice cracking as she cries out, “He was just a colleague from work that offered me a drive home!”

The man snarls as he spins around. His lips are in a thin line as he glares at the girl. He looks unstable and I step back when I smell the alcohol from his breath. He’s drunk and angry and I have the urge to tell the girl to run away or stop talking. There’s an unsettling feeling in my heart as I watch the man’s expression hardens.

“And you accepted it like the you are!” The man growls back. Both the girl and I flinch from the level of his voice, “I bet you liked it, didn’t you? Getting his attention. I bet you asked for it, you asked for him to you good, didn’t you Kim Eun Ji?!”

Eun Ji….

There’s something familiar about the name. The girl, Eun Ji, sobs while she shakes her head. She takes a tentative step towards the man and reaches out to touch his arm. The man however shoves her away violently and Eun Ji lands against the marble counter of the kitchen, her back hitting roughly against the marble counter of the kitchen. Eun Ji winces and I quickly run next to her. I want to help her but before I’m able to do so, the man shouts again. He growls in frustration.

“I knew I shouldn’t have married you, you dirty !” The man curses, spitting onto the floor.

“I didn’t cheat on you!” Eun Ji desperately yells, her face tear-strain, “I’m telling you the truth!”

The man has none of that and this time, raises his hand. I quickly stand in front of her, wanting to protect her from the slap that’s coming her way. But once again, the man’s hand goes right through me and lands on Eun Ji’s cheeks. My body tenses as I realize that there is absolutely nothing I can do to help and my eyes water as I stand aside and watch with a heavy heart. The man drags Eun Ji by her shirt and slaps her once, twice and then once again before he shoves her back. Eun Ji’s lips are bleeding now and she falls onto the floor as the man delivers one final slap.

My heart is breaking as Eun Ji cries, sobbing her heart out as she continues repeating to the man that she didn’t cheat on him and that she loves him and only him. The man turns around, covers his ears and shouts again, kicking a counter violently.

“Shut the up!” He screams.

Eun Ji doesn’t stop crying and then, it happens in a blink of an eye. The man spins around, glares at Eun Ji and loses it. He grabs a knife from the sink and goes right towards Eun Ji.

“NOOOOOOOO!”

I jump in front of Eun Ji but there’s nothing I can do as the knife goes through me and pierces Eun Ji’s abdomen.

“No, no, no, no, no.”

I’m sobbing now, as I drop onto my knees next to Eun Ji. I don’t even know who these people are but this isn’t supposed to happen. It’s unfair for Eun Ji and someone needs to save her. Knowing that I’m the only person witnessing this and not being able to help hurts me. It makes me feel worthless. The kitchen floors are covered with thick maroon liquid. Eun Ji’s gasping in pain, hands clutching onto the knife buried deep inside her.

“I’m sorry,” I sob, my hands trying to grab the knife from her body. But I can’t do it and it makes me feel even more terrible, “I’m so sorry.”

Her lips are starting to lose their colour and her eyes are slowly closing. I squeeze my eyes shut, sobbing as I bury my head against Eun Ji’s neck. There’s nothing I can do to save her. My throat suddenly feels dry and it feels as though I’m underwater as I can’t breathe. I grasp onto my chest, heaving. When I open my eyes however, I realize that I’m not in the house anymore. I don’t know where I am but it’s raining and I’m outside. There’s tall trees all around me and I look around, confused. That isn’t until I spot that man, walking towards a spot between the trees with a lifeless Eun Ji in his arms. His face is void of any emotions, not even looking the slightest bit guilty that he just killed someone.

He drops her onto the ground and then pulls out a shovel from the duffel bag he brought along. He starts digging, grunting every now and then and then once the hole in the ground is big enough, he heartlessly throws Eun ji’s body in. He covers her body with the soil and although it’s raining and it’s not an easy task, he manages it. He doesn’t spare one last look as he turns around, grabs his shovel and leaves.

I shake my head in disbelief. How can someone be that heartless? It isn’t until there’s flashes around me and once again, I feel like I’ve been transported because my view is suddenly of Ryeowook.

I’m at the same place but