Kyungsoo was afraid to open his eyes.

Of course he knew that he was trapped in a grim reality and not a dream, that he would have no choice but eventually follow up on whatever Kai wanted him to do. But that didn't say that he had to acknowledge the fact just yet.

It will go away, it will...

Then he realized that Kai's hand was still gripping his arm tightly, though the searing heat had vanished. And Kai was saying wake up, Kyungsoo. Wake up, fight, and kill.

And he felt his eyes being forced open.

Welcome, said Kai, and Kyungsoo found that the ghost which had been so solid and real in his dark hotel room was now just a breath of cold air in some cloudy shape (that still looked unfairly hot) with a voice that was but a chilling whisper in his mind. It's been nine months since poor Kim Jongin- he spat his name out venomously- died mysteriously in Oh Sehun's little fling. I'll be your guide if you have any questions. His tone was mocking, sarcastic, ugly. Kyungsoo flinched away from his touch, edging towards the sunlight.

Kai drifted towards him. He didn't vanish in the sunlight like a ghost was supposed to, although he did look paler. You can't escape me, Kyungsoo. Don't you know that already?

At least you're not solid this time, Kyungsoo thought, wondering if Kai could hear him.

He could. I could, if I wanted to, Kai hissed. But it takes energy, appearing like that. I think I'll be comfortable just floating around you, Kyungsoo, or speaking into your brain. Just think, won't it be fun to be schizophrenic?

Kyungsoo fought back his dismay, choking on nothing but air. Not even his thoughts would be his own, not if Kai could peer into his brain and read them like a book. I didn't know that being a ghost came with so many powers, he thought. Why don't you take on Sehun yourself if you can do all this ?

Kai didn't answer, but Kyungsoo could feel the cold anger radiating from the wraith that floated next to him. He was see-through now, like a 'real ghost', but his body was not of importance. Not if he could worm his way into Kyungsoo's thoughts and sit there like a ing earworm.

Do you want to rest up? Kai teased. I mean, I'm not sleepy because ghosts don't need sleep after all, but after all you barely caught any z's last night so might feel a little off. Or maybe you should just go see Sehun first. Whatever floats your boat, Kyungsoo. Exercise your gift of decision while you can.

Doing his best to ignore Kai's voice, Kyungsoo started down the street, wondering what he was going to do now that he was stuck in the past. Thankfully he had on his real clothes, the sweater and jeans he'd worn the day before; it would have been ing embarrassing if he'd been caught running around in nothing but his nightshirt and underwear. And he also had his wallet, which was tucked in his pocket; but other than that, he could be called dirt poor. After all, he had no bank account, no job, no home. No existence.

, that was scary. He was existence-less. What was he if he wasn't even born yet?

He shoved the questions to the back of his head. Now was not the time for philosophy.

In front of him was a small town, by which he meant really small - at least, that was the way it seemed to his city-bred eyes. It was mostly a smattering of brick houses with a store or two in between and a school. Kyungsoo supposed that most people were leaving for the cities by now. Personally, he welcomed the quiet. It was a welcome change from the constant noise of the city.

He felt slightly out of place in the quiet, sleepy old town - like an unwelcome streak of youth that came to intrude upon the peaceful rhythm of old women washing clothes and tea workers picking leaves in the fields. He wondered if Kai and Sehun had felt this way once upon a time. No wonder they had been called radicals.

You're right, said Kai suddenly, and Kyungsoo jumped. I wouldn't be surprised if Sehun's living in the city now. Seoul's not far away, you know. All our little friends live there.

Please stop scaring me, Kai, Kyungsoo whispered in his mind. You don't have to-

Hey, it's not my fault I'm a ing ghost.

Kyungsoo didn't waste his mind power to argue.

"Hi," he said quietly, stepping into a general store that looked like nobody had bought anything from it in years. The dust lay thick in the corners and on the shelves, and the only person inside was a small, withered old man smoking a pipe. "I-I'm lost," he said lamely, not knowing what to say. How was he supposed to present himself in this town?

The old man looked at him sharply. "Not many young men like you come to visit our sleepy old town, sir - unless they're looking for Oh Sehun, of course. Are you looking for the city?" His voice was gruff with a heavy accent, and Kyungsoo could hardly make out the words.

"W-well..."

You're obviously looking for Oh Sehun, Kyungsoo, whispered Kai in his ear. Why not just tell the truth? This looks like a nice, unsuspecting old man.

"Cat got your tongue?"

Kyungsoo suddenly realized that though he could see Kai, the ghost was invisible to everyone else. So the old shopowner had only seen him staring into the air, with an intent expression that was focused upon no one. He must have looked like an idiot.

"N-no."

"You sure are nervous, aren't you?" the shopowner shrugged, taking in a sharp drag of smoke. "I thought you were asking for directions, but we could stay here for an hour if you continued stuttering like that."

Kyungsoo ducked his head, his cheeks coloring. He could hear Kai laughing, though it sounded low and distant.

"I want directions to-"

To the Oh's house.

Kai put the words in his mouth. He knew that. He hated the way his mouth yielded without his consent, the way Kai took control from him. The moment Kai had found him alone in his room, he had been his slave, and he hated it. But he didn't know how to fight him, how to conquer his fear that bound him.

The shopowner blew out a ring of smoke and took his pipe out of his mouth. "That's not far. It's a wonder you haven't come 'cross it already, the way it basically looms over this whole town. That family has loved showing off since the dawn of time. I was there when the house was built, you know." Standing up jerkily, the old man walked over to the window, where he pointed at a rooftop that was just a little taller than the majestic trees that surrounded it. "There you go. Follow that path and you're bound to reach it."

"Thanks," Kyungsoo said quietly.

"You're a funny young man, you know?" growled the shopowner good-naturally. "Jittery. I wonder what business you've got with Oh Sehun. Nobody likes that house right now and I wouldn't recommend going there. Murder business."

Kyungsoo didn't bother to ask any further questions, not when Kai was breathing frigid air down his neck and whispering words into his mind. He already knew more than he needed to know. The old man looked disappointed as Kyungsoo left the shop, as though he was dying to retell the tale.

I won't force you to kill Sehun now, said Kai once Kyungsoo had started along the road. Oh no. That would take away the 'revenge' bit. You see, I want Sehun to like you. The ghost giggled maliciously and Kyungsoo shuddered, shying his face away from him. Take your time, take your time, Kyungsoo. I'll be your guide in this strange world. Just promise me one thing.

I don't want to make a promise-

It's not really a promise then, because you won't have a say in the matter. Do Kyungsoo, you will kill Oh Sehun before the anniversary of my death, three months from now. Until that time, you are free.

Kyungsoo didn't want to see Sehun. He didn't want to like him. He didn't want to get to know him at all.

But somehow he found himself trudging up the winding path that led to the huge Oh residence.

He recognized it somewhat from his drive the night before - or rather, the night thirty years into the future - although then it had been covered in snow and sleet and heavy darkness. Now everything was bathed in warm, bright sunlight, with a small hum of dragonflies and a smell of tea. But Kyungsoo hardly noticed it. To him it was still bleak and dark - everything was bleak and dark with a ghost around.

The huge house seemed more intimidating when it was private residence. As a hotel, it was a very small, second-grade affair; but the moment Kyungsoo realized that the three towering stories, thirty front steps, and four Grecian columns all belonged to one family his breath hitched in amazement. The grounds were fresh and well-kept and the paint job was new. Kyungsoo knew that only the very richest owned private homes like this, and he found it crazy that Kim Jongin the country boy had somehow wormed his way into the most elite circles.

He felt intimidated as he rang the doorbell, shuffling his feet and wondering what to say. Most likely a butler would answer the door, though it didn't matter who would as he knew what he was going to say. He was going to ask for directions to Seoul, pretending to be lost (well, he really was rather lost, so he supposed he couldn't call it pretending) and quickly catch a glimpse of the interior.

It wasn't a butler that answered the door, however. It was a smiling, doe-eyed boy that looked perhaps a few years older than himself, his hair in messy bangs that looked as though they had been self-cut without a mirror. Before Kyungsoo could say a word, the boy pounced on him and dragged him in.

He's not Sehun, Kyungsoo registered dimly. He didn't know why he knew that, but he was quite certain that the boy with fluffy hair and a girlish face wasn't the one Jongin at two in the morning. He couldn't think much, though, for the boy immediately started talking very quickly.

"Hi! Are you lost? Or are you looking for Sehun? He's not here, I'm sorry." The boy flashed a bright smile. "I'm Luhan, by the way. I'm sorry for taking so much of your time, but there's literally nothing to do and I'm bored to death. I mean, Sehun is in Seoul and- oh god, I must seem so impolite. Sorry."

"I-it's okay." Kyungsoo cursed himself, wishing he didn't get nervous so easily. His hands twisted together and he started to back out again towards the door, deciding not to waste time if Sehun was not even here. But Luhan caught his arm.

"I'm serious, it's okay. Are you looking for directions? You look kinda lost."

His eyes were kind and caring, and Kyungsoo found himself impossibly relaxing. "I'm just looking for... um... directions to Seoul. I suppose it's kind of funny to knock on the door of such a big house to ask such a dumb question-"

"It's really great! I'm going to Seoul too," exclaimed Luhan. "I was planning on driving there tonight because honestly there's nothing to do alone in this house. Sehun's having so much fun over there doing 'business' and I miss him. Do you live there?"

"No, I live in Goyang," said Kyungsoo dumbly, hoping that Luhan would stop the questions there. What was he supposed to say? A normal person would not be out here alone and car-less in this small, out-of-the way town when one could easily take a train from Goyang to Seoul. "I-I don't have a car, though- "

"It's all fine!" Luhan cut in brightly, and Kyungsoo breathed a sigh of relief. "Seriously, come in. I know you probably think I'm crazy for inviting you in, but it's so ing boring out here alone and I haven't seen anyone my age for two weeks. What do you want? Something to drink?"

Kyungsoo did think it awfully odd that Luhan was pulling him inside after just two minutes of meeting him, but he decided not to question the hospitality, especially if he would have such an easy way of getting away from the strange little town. Perhaps that was just part of Luhan's personality - overly friendly and caring. As Luhan chattered, he let his eyes sweep over the house, trying to correlate it with the hotel he'd lodged in last night - or, rather, the night thirty years into the future-

It was so similar and yet so different that he felt dizzy. The architecture and room structure had not changed an inch, but all the furnishings were different. There was no main counter and stoic receptionist, for one; instead there was a leather couch and a coffee table on which the person who must have been the butler was lounging. Kyungsoo wondered why Luhan had come to answer the door and not him, if the butler was just right there. Luhan lead him down the hallway into the dining room, which Kyungsoo had only briefly glimpsed before, and through the side door into the large veranda that overlooked the grounds and a small lake. The only major difference was the absence of the elevator.

Even though Kyungsoo started to lighten a little at Luhan's sunny cheerfulness, he still felt Kai around him, floating, fluttering somewhere. He didn't even see the ghost anymore, but his presence was impossible to ignore. He knew that Kai could suddenly bump into him and intrude his thoughts the moment he wanted to, and that fact was enough to keep him tense and nervous.

"Isn't it a nice place?" asked Luhan, snapping Kyungsoo out of his thoughts. "I would never have believed that I'd ever live here, but Sehunnie's just been so kind - really, I don't deserve him at all. I met him in Seoul, you know, back when he was eighteen and I was, um, twenty-three. Age difference, I know, I know. I was his assistant professor in economics. But I guess we just liked each other - I mean, he helped me when my wallet was kind of in a pinch. And now we're dipping our fingers into business together - kind of crazy how times change, right?"

Kyungsoo remained mute, sipping his tea as an excuse for not talking. He didn't really know what to say to Luhan, who didn't seem at all fazed by his silence.

"Sehun's on a 'business trip' right now. I say that in quotation marks because he's always on one business trip or another until this house has become a more like a monthly duty to visit and his occasional party location. Before he left he I could 'keep house' for him until he got back, which is just his way of saying that I could live here as long as I need. Usually I go with him to Seoul, but this time I decided to take him on his offer for once, see what it would be like to actually live in this  old thing - but I'm regretting it now. It's just so sleepy here, and I can't understand anyone's Korean. I'm pretty good, but accents throw me off."

"You're not Korean, right?" Kyungsoo asked. Might as well pretend to be normal and try to have a little fun.

Luhan shook his head. "Chinese, but I've lived here for six years, ever since I've left college. I've studied Korean for a while, though honestly you guys use so many Chinese words it's ridiculous. I know I have an accent, but it's not that bad, right? Sehun is always teasing Yixing and I don't want him to start on me, too-"

"No, it's not," said Kyungsoo. "You're really good; you don't even have an accent. It took me a while to tell you weren't Korean. And even I  can hardly decipher what people are saying in this town. Everyone's so old."

"Yeah. It's such a change after Seoul. I can get why Sehun hardly even stays here anymore." Luhan leaned back, exhaling heavily. "No noise but cicadas and no smells but tea. I suppose it's nice for old people, but nothing interesting ever happens. Also, I'm going batty after listening to Sehun's parents all day. Sehun doesn't like his parents and neither do I, but I live on a whole separate floor so thankfully I only have to see them at mealtimes. Even that is too much, though."

Kyungsoo nodded. "I guess you're really close with Sehun."

With a laugh, Luhan nodded. "Yeah. A bit too close, you might call it. At least Sehun's parents haven't gotten wind of anything yet, or they'd kick me out for sure. Not that I'd mind too much, though."

Kyungsoo caught his breath. He went on to date another boy. Kai's words rang in his ears, and he thought he could hear him chuckle from somewhere besides him-

"Hey. You good there?" Luhan waved, and Kyungsoo tried to shake his thoughts away. After all, it wasn't Luhan's fault that Sehun killed Jongin; he only happened to be something that happened afterwards. "You're spacing out. You look cute while you do that, though."

Kyungsoo blushed lightly, ducking his head.

"Sorry," Luhan said quickly. "It's just that... I've gotten into such a habit with flirting, really. It just pops out now, even though I try not to for Sehun's sake. Want more tea?"

Shaking his head lightly, Kyungsoo sat back into his chair, letting the cool breeze fan his face and hoping that it would chase away Kai. No such luck. The ghost still lingered around him, suddenly beginning to materialize again; not completely solid, but much more than a cold breeze.

I like Luhan, said Kai quietly. I met him in Seoul, too. He's just so friendly. Sehun introduced me to him, and he kind of wormed his way into our little group of friends; and I don't really mind him dating Sehun; only, he deserves much, much better.

"Earth to... um... this is embarrassing, but I don't know your name yet, sorry..." Luhan called out, laughing.

"Kyungsoo."

"Okay then, Earth to Kyungsoo! Do you want to leave now?" Luhan stood up and stretched, flashing another smile. "Come on, let's start early. Then I'll take you to meet Sehun. I like you, Kyungsoo, don't you know? I know I've been doing most of the talking today, but really, I don't see how anyone could help liking you."

Kyungsoo smiled shyly and followed Luhan back through the dining room and the hallway, thinking about Kai's words. If Kai trusted Luhan, he must be alright; after all, he'd promised to be Kyungsoo's guide and-

Why do you care so much about a ghost's opinion? After all, isn't he asking you to commit the ultimate crime?

Kyungsoo didn't bother answering that question.

The ride took about an hour, and Luhan chattered all the way there. Kyungsoo found himself opening up to the Chinese boy as they drove, although trying to think of glib answers for the personal questions he was asked was tiring.

He managed to eventually turn the conversation on Luhan, although the problem with this was that Sehun would enter the picture more often than not and Kyungsoo didn't really want to hear too much about him. But he sat there, smiling, taking everything in. Luhan didn't seem to be able to see Kai, and he didn't want him to suspect anything.

At least Luhan's friendliness was able to drive some of the blackness of the situation away. Kyungsoo learned way more about him than he ever expected to learn, and sometimes he wondered if Luhan ever ran out of things to talk about; but he kept going, and eventually Kyungsoo found that he didn't have to be the only one answering questions. He supposed Luhan was just naturally charming. No wonder Kai liked him.

"Where in Seoul do you want to go?" asked Luhan as the skyline of Seoul began to appear over the horizon. "I'm going straight to Sehun's apartment, in Jungnang district. Is there a district you want me to drop you off at or-"

"Just drop me off at a metro station and I-"

"Oh, that won't do!" exclaimed Luhan. "If you want a random metro station, then I'll just take you to Jungnang with me and we can meet Sehun together. Unless you don't want that, of course. Do you have relatives in Seoul or something?"

"N-no-" Kyungsoo felt his mind blank, felt his panic rise. "I- I'm just looking for a job."

Luhan looked at him quizzically, no doubt wondering what Kyungsoo had been doing in a random small town if all he was doing was looking for a job in Seoul; but he didn't ask questions. No doubt he'd learned that Kyungsoo would only give him a euphemism anyways. Stupid, stupid! thought Kyungsoo. I'd better make up a good story soon for all these questions.

It wasn't long before Luhan's smile reappeared. "Well then, you're in luck! I'm sure Sehun would love to meet you. He's shy, but he's so cute and I swear I am his personal slave. Come on, find a job near us! All our little friends live together in Jungnang and it's so fun. You should come join us for outings sometimes! There's Junmyeon. He's our mom, even though he's younger than me, and he'll buy you anything as long as you come with us. And there's Yixing, he's just the most precious unicorn ever-"

Kyungsoo listened dumbly as Luhan went off on a happy rant about all his friends. His mission was turning out to be easier than he expected, which was not exactly making him feel more at ease. He knew that he would somehow be forced to kill Sehun no matter how much he didn't want to, and the fact that Luhan was drawing him closer with the boy would only make it harder for himself.

"-and there was also Jongin, he used to be Sehun's boyfriend but then he died. I dunno if you've heard of the murder. Maybe you live too far away. It made quite a big stir, but nobody knew what everyone really felt of it. Sehun was devastated, of course; and I was sad, too, though I had never really been as close to him as Sehun was-"

Tune it out, tune it out.

"I guess there's eight of us in total? I mean, it should be nine, but you know what happened." Luhan's eyes grew soft as he spoke of Jongin, though no tears fell. "But you'll make it nine again! That is, if you decide to stay with us, of course. I don't know your plans."

"I don't really have any plans," said Kyungsoo. "I guess I'm kind of stupid just coming out here alone, but I was just bored of my old life and I wanted to start over. Not the best idea, considering I'm broke and all-"

"I'll lend you money! Or Junmyeon can, perhaps. He's rich, too, and far more generous than little Sehunnie." Luhan giggled. "Come on, live with us. We're still young. You have the opportunity to do crazy things. I'll even help you rent an apartment, as long as you promise to come meet Sehunnie first. I'm really dying to show you my boyf-"

He didn't finish the word, but Kyungsoo understood.

"And I know you're probably thinking I'm off my bat right now, offering all this to you, but I really do like you, Kyungsoo. You don't have to come with us, of course. I bet you have at least some semblance of a plan and this would be just throwing it to the winds. But the offer's always open. Oh, and here we are."

Luhan pulled the car to a stop just outside a very average-looking apartment building - no doubt Sehun was trying to live down-to-earth. Before Kyungsoo could protest or even say that he was intruding upon Luhan's hospitality, he felt himself getting dragged out of the car and inside, just like at the Oh's house.

"Jongdae, Junmyeon and Sehun all live in this building," whispered Luhan. "Yifan and Zitao are buddies; they live in the building next door; and poor Yixing lives alone down the street. But we meet up a lot. C'mon, let's go meet Sehun. He's on the highest floor."

Kyungsoo followed Luhan numbly, the impact of his words suddenly freezing his insides. He was going to meet Sehun. Oh Sehun. Sehunnie. The man who murdered and Kim Jongin and whom he was supposed to kill before three months. With all his heart, Kyungsoo wished that he was a horrible person, someone he could loath with a passion and not feel guilty. It was all happening too fast for him to process. He didn't want to meet Sehun; not now, not ever. But Luhan was taking him up now, and it was too late to stop him; he should have done that earlier. He should never have rang the doorbell to the Oh residence. Hell, he should never have chosen the Three Inns hotel in the first place.

Too late, too late. Luhan was ringing the doorbell-

"Lu!"