Who is this?

“Hey, if you keep on calling me for the nth time, I’ll have the police track you down, got that?”

Sungmin angrily slammed the phone down as he rubbed his aching temples with his hands, “Damn stalkers”

“That’s your 36th stalker this week, Sungmin-ah” Ryeowook chided at his best friend who was busy pacing back and forth the living room. “Come on, it’s not your fault you're popular!” Donghae soon chimed in, but was soon muffled by a pillow thrown right at his face.

“Popular my , Donghae. It’s all your fault!” the man pointed an accusing finger towards the grinning male. “If you haven’t flashed that picture at the auditorium then none of this should’ve ever happened!”

“But you look hot in that picture, Min. My mother always said that I should share my blessings!”

“ blessings!” Sungmin fumed and groaned once again when his phone rang. 

“Oh there goes another one!” Ryeowook shifted on his seat and faced Sungmin who was already holding the phone with a death-defying grip.

Sungmin picked the phone up and yelled, “Who the is it this time-”, “One hour. I’ll see you soon my angel” the unknown man laughed and hangs up.

“W-What the?”

“What’s his name Sungminnie?” Ryeowook asked a bewildered Sungmin. “Why are you so pale?”

“I-It’s nothing Wookie. Wrong number” Sungmin swallowed the lump on his throat and placed the phone down with a shaking hand. One hour? See me soon? Normally, his stalkers would shyly say their names and ask him for a date, but this one was different – he even made Sungmin speechless.

Ryeowook brushed the matter off and the television. Since he and Donghae will spend the night on Sungmin’s house, he might as well take the opportunity to learn more about his best friend’s supposed stalkers. “Found anyone interesting yet, Sungminnie?”

Another pillow was thrown right him.

It was 10:00 pm when that particular call made Sungmin nervous, and the clock read 10:15 pm when the phone rang again. “Hello?” Sungmin greeted with a snarl, “It’s nice to hear your voice again my angel. I’ll call you back at 10:30. I will see you soon” the laugh emitted, and then the man hangs up, leaving Sungmin rooted at the spot.

“Who was it?” Ryeowook inquired, but Sungmin shrugged his shoulders and took a seat beside Donghae, “Wrong number”

Rain was pouring heavily outside, and Sungmin sighed a breath of relief, thinking that the unknown man will give up on coming because of the heavy downpour. 10:30 pm. The phone rang, and Ryeowook was the one who managed to pick it up, “Hello?” he greeted happily,

“30 minutes. See you soon” he laughed again, hangs up and left an utterly confused Ryeowook by the table. “30 minutes?” he said, and Sungmin jumped from his seat. “H-He called again didn’t he?”

“Who was that, Sungminnie?” Ryeowook asked with knitted brows as he took a shivering Sungmin to his arms, “I don’t know Wookie. He-He just keeps on saying that he’ll meet me soon,” Sungmin babbled and buried his head to Ryeowook’s chest.

10:45 pm

All three guys were bunched up on the living room, watching the gadget vibrate with its incoming call. “I’ll pick it up” Donghae bravely stood up to reach for the phone, but was stopped by an unsteady Sungmin, “No Hae. I’ll speak with him” he smiled leisurely at the taller male and carefully, took the phone from its case and pressed the first end to his ear,

“Hello?”

“Finally. You picked it up. Do you know how much I missed your voice, my angel? But don’t worry, just 15 minutes more. I’ll see you very soon,”

“Who is this? And why are you doing this to me?” Sungmin suddenly blurted out at the other end to ease his shaking form, but the manic laughter coming from the stranger only made him melt to a puddle of goo, “Any time now my angel. You will see me,” and with another laugh, he hang the phone and made Sungmin crumble down to the floor with unending tears.

“That guy won’t give up,” Donghae snarled as he picked up the phone to dial the operator’s number. The woman instructed for them to wait another 15 minutes in time when the stranger would usually call, and from there, she would try to track the whereabouts of the stranger. Donghae then called for the police after that, asking them to surround Sungmin’s house from any strange occurrences or from any shady individuals.

Ryeowook managed to calm Sungmin for a bit, patting his best friend’s back and lulling him to sleep as soon as the flashes of red and blue arrived outside the door. While Donghae was talking with the officers, the clock on the living room struck 11:00 pm, and the phone once again, came to life. Donghae and Ryeowook insisted that they pick up the call, but Sungmin pried them off and told them that this was his problem – that he must solve it without anyone’s help.

“Hello?” he spoke softly.

“It’s 11:00 pm my angel. I can’t wait to get my hands on you,” and just like that, he bellowed his signature laugh and hang the phone. Sungmin collapsed on the cold floor, sobbing; while Donghae instructed for the officers to surround the premises.

Donghae dialed back the operator, and she revealed that the call came from within the house itself, shocking everyone present. Sungmin was cradled inside Ryeowook’s arms as the police searched the entire grounds. He sobbed uncontrollably, with his front facing the flight of stairs that lead straight to a closet door.

The said door opened, giving the slightest and faintest creak. Sungmin stopped from moving, and his eyes landed on the opened door right above him. His sobs became hysterical when a man slowly emerged from the closet, a phone in hand and what seemed to be metal handcuffs stuffed inside the front pocket of his jeans.

The man smiled, and all of the sudden, the electricity of the entire house was cut, leaving the halls and rooms flooded with darkness. Sungmin screamed when he felt a hand pry him away from Ryeowook’s arms; a cloth was placed over his mouth and nose, and he was soon slipping in and out of consciousness as his captor clasped his wrists with the handcuffs. He felt the man’s nose slowly inhaling his scent; from his clothed chest, all the way up to his hair. Sungmin shivered.

He was already far from home. He could tell.

“You’re mine… all mine now” the man whispered over his ear before it slowly. Sungmin tried his best to wake up, but the chemical was blocking all of his senses. And soon, his body became numb and was carried to a flight of stairs and placed on top of a soft bed. He stirred and gasped when the bed dipped from an additional weight, “Who are you?” he weakly asked, lips quivering.

The man just laughed; the same laugh that sent spine-tingling chills up and down Sungmin’s spine. “If I tell you will you remember?” the man asked himself, dipping his head down to bury it on the crook of Sungmin’s neck.

“…”

“It’s Kyuhyun”

Sungmin barely heard the name of his captor as he eventually passed out, but he did not forget the flick on his top most button before his vision darkened.

-

Room for one more

Kyuhyun was a successful businessman travelling around the infamous city of Seoul. His clients had been reporting positive results on his products and advertisements and further, he was a personal favorite of his boss, Park Jungsu.

Privileges and bonuses were always given his way, and Kyuhyun really could not decline an offer of a 3-Day vacation at the grandest hotel in Korea. And so with his bags packed, his work left at the office, he travelled south and was soon serviced by courteous bellboys. 

“Welcome to The Shinhwa Mr. Cho. We have been anticipating your arrival,” the manager bowed to him in respect and ushered for the helpers to carry his luggage. He was assigned to the 50th level, the top most floor in the largest suite available, and Kyuhyun could not help but to spread his arms wide open and collapse on the soft bed.

Hard work pays off.

He spent the rest of his day wandering around the hotel’s premises; trying out different tastes of wine and indulging himself on the fine dining that the hotel was best known for. In the evening, he sat across the hotel’s beautiful expanse of greenery, located at the ground floor, where flowers and bushes of dissimilar kinds littered around and filled the air with its sweet and dainty scent.

And as the night slowly edged deeper, he walked back towards the hotel’s main entrance and was met by a large black hearse parked on the pavement nearby. The door was open, and yet no one came out from the inside. Kyuhyun, confused, turned his head to look at the men guarding the main doors, but they don’t seem to notice the hearse parked right in front of them.

With his gentleman instincts kicking in, he approached the open door and was about to greet the person inside when all of a sudden, a strong foul smell emerged from the rack. Kyuhyun was forced to cover his nose with a handkerchief as he tried to peek inside the hearse.

Pitch black darkness was what he saw, and yet, he could vaguely decipher that there were stacks of bodies lying within the far end of the coach. Plus, the smell was getting stronger and fouler; it was like a combination of rotting flesh and something copper burning. The stench seeped through the cloth of his handkerchief and Kyuhyun jumped away from the doorway,

“There is room for one more”

A voice, distant and cold suddenly made the hairs on the back of Kyuhyun’s neck stand up from its roots. “What?” he yelped, eyes widening in horror at the hearse master seated in front of the carriage.

There were no eyes on his sockets, and his cheeks were hallow that only his high cheekbones could be seen. He smiled at Kyuhyun and lifted his hat with bony fingers before repeating,

“There is room for one more”

Kyuhyun screamed and immediately sat up to wake himself from his trance. A dream? he thought, and he casually rested his back on the wooden headboard of his bed. His watch read 3:06 am, perfect timing for demonic entities.

His last day at the hotel ended up with him, checking out earlier than the allotted time. The staffs were kind enough to understand; he was a busy man – they thought, and never did question Kyuhyun’s decision. He thanked the concierge and pressed the up button on the wall beside the elevator doors.

Waiting as he did so, the light on the button blinked a bright red, and the doors of the elevator swung open. The ride was full, Kyuhyun observed, and the passengers were all mothers with very young children.

“There is room for one more”

The voice made Kyuhyun shot his head up to the operator on the left, and what he saw made his breath hitch at the back of his throat. It was the same man on his dream the other night. It was the hearse master.

The man lifted a finger and cautioned for Kyuhyun to come in. “There is room for one more” he said.

“I’ll take the next one” Kyuhyun quickly answered and again, pressed the up button on the wall beside him.

“Suit yourself” the man answered with a smile, a smile that Kyuhyun could only describe as creepy.

And as the doors closed, a loud screeching sound of metal rubbing against metal pierced everyone’s ears. Kyuhyun stumbled back in shock, for what he heard next were screams of horror and cries of help – the elevator crashed down to pieces, falling down from the 50th floor, crushing and killing everyone on board.

-

Soul Mate

“Hey, hey, have you heard?”

“What? What is it?”

“People say that once you look into that old pond by the cemetery at night under a full moon, your reflection will show you who your soul mate will be!”

“Really?”

“Yeah really! They also said that it’ll only work when you go there with a pure heart, dressed in your finest garment and holding a candle previously lit from a grave!”

“Pure heart, fine garment and a candle from a grave? That’s crazy, you know…”

“Hmp. But still, isn’t that amazing? You’ll be able to see the face of your destiny!”

“Yeah, yeah. I bet those who’ll try it are the ones desperate to have someone in bed with. Haha!”

“You’re right. Eww. Let’s go play somewhere else,”

As soon as the two children left the place, Sungmin reappeared from the stacks of cement he was currently hiding in; again, listening to that mysterious tale everyone was busy talking about. He had overheard that sometime ago, a beautiful but lonesome girl came to that pond and peered over her reflection under a full moon, holding that candle and was dressed in her most favored dress.

She got married a year after; with the same man her reflection gave the night she went into the pond. But what surprised the others is that the woman died days after she got married; brutally strangled and drowned on the same pond.

Oh, irony.

Handsome as he is, and with a number of suitors tailing him, Sungmin was never satisfied with what he had. And so, he told his friends of his plan on going to that magical pond on the eve of his 20th birthday, the very same night the full moon would rise above the clouds.

“You seriously believe that story?” one of his friends, Donghae inquired. “The story of that girl already scared the guts out of me”

“There’s no harm in trying right?” Sungmin smiled sweetly and pulled out his best ebony suit. He dressed himself quickly and permed his hair to his preferred style before marching out towards the eerie night. And as he passed the cemetery gates, Sungmin hid behind a large tombstone to see whether there are newly lit candles on the plaques. He found graves with newly-lit candles on them and did a quick apology as he plucked out one candle and proceeded towards the darker parts of the graveyard.

He smiled to himself when he saw the pond gleaming underneath the majestic glow of the bluish-full moon and he subconsciously walked faster to reach the water’s edge. And when he finally neared the grassy bay, Sungmin knelt down and held the candle high. Ripples were what he saw at first, but then, he saw his mirage on the surface of the crystal clear water, silently gazing back at him as the night wind slowly passed the tranquil place.

Nothing seemed to be happening, and Sungmin eagerly waited for another minute or two for another sign. But then again, nothing.

He sighed weakly to himself and was about to lower his hand when a rough splash was heard above him. He quickly diverted his gaze to the source of the sound and immediately tumbled back when the ripples of the pond continued to grow larger, up to the point that the water jutted and wetted his suit. Sungmin cringed in fear and dropped the candle to the water, and almost immediately, the violent splashes and waves stopped, and the pond was back to its original serene stature.

He blinked profusely, lips quivering as his face drained from color. What just happened?

He shook his head and stood up to brush the dirt away from his pants when a certain silhouette of a young man emerged from the clear waters and stared straight at him. Sungmin gasped and backed away, but the reflection on the water only smiled at him mysteriously; almost lovingly.

“My name is Kyuhyun” the reflection spoke, sending chills up and down Sungmin’s spine. “And I am your soul mate”

Sungmin tilted his head to the side and cautiously approached the glowing man on the water’s surface, “K-Kyuhyun?” he stuttered, blushing faintly when Kyuhyun nodded and gave him a sweet smile.

“You are my…my soul mate?”

“Yes I am”

Kyuhyun reached out his hand to Sungmin from down below, and Sungmin slowly approached the water’s edge as the other’s eyes somewhat invited him. He reached out his own hand, hypnotized at the way Kyuhyun was looking at him with soulful and lonely eyes.

“Take my hand, Sungmin” Kyuhyun instructed with the most beautiful smile Sungmin has ever seen. He neared the water’s edge, where he balanced on his own two feet as he desperately tried to grab Kyuhyun’s hand.

The young man on the water then reached upwards, grabbing Sungmin’s hand and pulled himself out of the surface. The other gasped at the rather tight grip on his palm, but was soon enveloped on strong arms as Kyuhyun suddenly embraced him, “My soul mate” he whispered.

Sungmin responded back by looping his own arms around the tall man’s waist while closing his eyes. But when he moved to pull away, the arms around his back suddenly had a deathly grip, making him succumb at the lack of air, “K-Kyuhyun. I-I can’t breathe”

“That’s the idea” Kyuhyun turned to face him, his gentle smile still eminent on his handsome features. “You are my soul mate aren’t you?”

He laughed lightly and pulled the squirming male to the water with him. “Soul mates aren’t supposed to leave each other you know,” with that said, he slowly began to sink on the water, bringing Sungmin with him. “Let me go!” the former screamed, but the arms around him only constricted further, crushing his rib cage and lungs, “H-Help…”

“My Soul mate~” Kyuhyun sang as the waters slowly covered their limbs, thus submerging their forms once more with the icy water. Sungmin weakly squirmed as he heard his bones snapping from the tight arms holding him, “N-No…”

“Yes” Kyuhyun shushed him with a press of his ghostly lips on Sungmin’s. The latter screamed just in time the water reached their heads, making the shouts of protest fade into bubbles of helpless gargles.

“You are my soul mate. Your soul is mine to take”

-

I saved you a seat

The bus was already full when Kyuhyun climbed in. His face contorted to those of a frown when people started to look at him like he was some villain in a movie. He rolled his eyes at them, and was given back a harsh push, a jab to the side and a stomp to his foot. He winced in pain, but nonetheless continued his way inside the crowded vehicle to settle himself in the far back.

A child was staring up to him in wonder, and he silently stared back at him with piercing eyes that made the kid cry out and spit his chewed gum on his school pants. Kyuhyun backed away in disgust, “Hey these were brand new!” he cussed at his spot and heard giggles and snorts from young mothers and guys that were his age.

He pouted while hissing inwardly. “Uhm, excuse me…” a timid tug to his uniform caught his attention.

“You can take a seat beside me if you want” a young and pale boy spoke from his side, and Kyuhyun’s mind wandered on how on earth he didn’t notice that rather unnoticeable space. He thanked the young lad and gladly took his seat, surprised at how cold and low it was.

“So…what’s your name?” Kyuhyun asked the man beside him and smiled at the stranger’s rather cute features. “I-It’s Sungmin” the man answered, lowering his head as if he had done something wrong.

“Hey, no need to be shy. I’m Kyuhyun” Kyuhyun greeted with one of his biggest smiles. “And thanks for giving me some space to sit on. Really, I had no idea that there’s still a seat available at the farthest back. Not to mention that I’m not alert enough to notice there’s still another extra chair here…” he trailed off and didn’t notice Sungmin’s empty stare.

“By the way, what school do you go into? Judging from that uniform…it isn’t anywhere from here”

Sungmin just turned mute and chose not to answer. Kyuhyun looked at him confused, but shrugged it off and soon focused his attention on the street signs they were currently passing. And as soon as he reached his street, Kyuhyun stood up from his seat to get off the bus, but was stopped by a cold hand around his wrist, “Wait”

Kyuhuyn turned to look at Sungmin’s weary eyes, “Will…Will you come back tomorrow?” he asked, grip on Kyuhuyn’s hand not wavering.

“Oh of course I will. This is the only bus I ride whenever I go to school” Kyuhyun answered with a smile and noticed that Sungmin’s bow lips formed a little smile. “Hey, I have to go now okay? The driver will be mad at me again,”

“Oh okay…” Sungmin sadly lets go of Kyuhyun’s hand and resumed back to his former, silent self. Kyuhyun, noticing the sudden change in expression clapped his hands to cheer the other up, “But I’ll be taking a seat with you again tomorrow! So, wait for me alright?”

Sungmin lifted his head and beamed, “I will!” he exclaimed, “I’ll save you this seat”

Kyuhyun then bid goodbye and entered his school’s premises. Classes went on as usual, boring and uninteresting; but when the time of their University’s history came into topic, Kyuhyun’s ears perked up and his attention was caught by something oddly familiar.

He asked his professor to let him view the University’s past clothing; the one worn possibly a hundred years ago; and his heart skipped a beat when he saw that familiar top – the one Sungmin was wearing earlier. The date traced back to the late 1800’s - the same color, patch and fold of the pants; he wasn’t mistaken, Sungmin was a student at this very University.

Ignoring his palpitating heartbeat, Kyuhyun decided to stroll that afternoon inside the library to cool himself. He passed the yearbooks section, and stopped abruptly when he felt the sudden urge to flip through some old photos. He fished out a thick yearbook dated 1900, and began to leaf through every page of sepia-colored photos of past students.

He opened the next page and was greeted by a list of students with surnames beginning with “L”. He ignored the first 10, and was soon bored that he began to sleep and tarnish the paper with his sweat, “Lee” he huffed, and scanned the pictures of both girls and boys with that particular surname. And as soon as he was about to turn to the next page, a certain portrait and name made him stand up from his seat and scream,

Lee Sungmin

Born: January 1, 1877

Ambition: To be a well-known Musician

Kyuhyun shivered as fear slowly crept up to him. Was this coincidence? Maybe it was. But the picture stood for itself; portraying a young and handsome man with feminine features smiling lightly at the camera, his perfect bow-shaped lips twitching upwards. “N-No…t-this couldn’t be” Kyuhyun hushed to himself as he quickly grabbed his bag and ran towards the exit.

He searched for his professor, a known veteran of the University and slammed the door open of the teacher’s lounge to see him sitting casually on his swivel chair. “Mr. Park!” Kyuhyun lunged and flew right in front of the man’s desk, “I know it doesn’t have anything to do with me, but please, please! Tell me everything you know about Lee Sungmin”

The baffled man straightened out his knitted brows before sighing, “Have a seat, Kyuhyun” he instructed for the student to take a seat on the available chair. Kyuhyun complied quickly and had his attention focused on the old man’s words,

“Lee Sungmin…was one of the best students in his year.” The man nodded slowly as the afternoon sun cascaded down the curtains,

“He was a bright kid with a bright smile. Always happy and makes sure that his words were carefully chosen. His professors favored him, the staff gave him special treatment and his classmates practically adored him. However, his growing popularity reached the ears of rival Universities… and his musical talents proved a threat to our rivals…”

The old man bit back a sob as his hand fisted, “What happened to him, sir?” Kyuhyun inquired with cold sweat dripping from his forehead,

“He…He was one day when he was walking home from school. Three men repeatedly abused him, and they left him dying alongside the road. The poor boy crawled back home after that, but it seemed that luck wasn’t on his side. He was hit and ran over by a passenger bus – causing him his death,”

“My God…” Kyuhyun was left speechless and profusely sweating on his seat. “He was a great loss to all of us, Kyuhyun…and such a waste of talent,”

“I-I have heard enough sir. Thank you so much” Kyuhyun stood up and bowed a full 90 degrees before rushing out of the door. The revelation came as a shock and the truth about Sungmin’s death petrified the guts out of him.

He made sure that he didn’t catch the earliest bus the next morning.

He came in late for his first class, but he didn’t mind the scolding he got from his professor. All he kept thinking about was Sungmin’s brutal death, and all the possibilities on why would he stay. The day ended earlier, much to Kyuhyun’s dismay; and the next thing he knew, he was walking past the University gates and was waiting for the same passenger bus that brings him to school every morning.

The vehicle was surprisingly empty; much more different from the usual bone-crushing and face-changing experiences Kyuhyun usually had during rush hours. He took a seat on the first empty couch and rested his head at the cool glass, using the soft hums of the bus’ engines as a lullaby to rock himself to sleep.

He woke up an hour later, and wasn’t even deterred to see that the driver has chosen the long route all the way back home and that he was the remaining passenger on the bus. He slumped back to his seat and was about to doze off again when a light tug to his uniform interrupted him. He ignored it and pretended to be asleep, but the constant tugs to his clothes kept on coming and Kyuhyun could not help but to swat the hand away and scold the intruding person,

“Can’t you see I’m sleepi-Sungmin!”

Kyuhyun froze in shock and fear when the familiar face came right in front of him. “Hi” Sungmin greeted, pale hands giving a slight wave. The other whitened out when the man took a seat beside him and laid his head on his shoulder,

“You know, I’m disappointed with you right now…” the man pouted and faced Kyuhyun, “You said you’d come and sit with me this morning”

“O-Oh…I-I’m sorry. I woke up late this morning,”

“Liar!” Sungmin screeched and stood up, his frail yet slim form towering over Kyuhyun’s cowering one, “I saved you a seat!”

“I…I know! I’m sorry” Kyuhyun apologized and bit back his sob of fear when Sungmin’s eyes began to pierce daggers right to his own. “Don’t lie to me Kyuhyun! You’re actually scared of me, aren’t you?” the other shot back as Kyuhyun started to rise from his seat to back away from him.

“I waited for you!” Sungmin yelled, now beginning to show Kyuhyun his real form. The tall male gasped at the sight of blood and a deep cut at Sungmin’s forehead, “I saved you a seat!”

“I’m sorry!” Kyuhyun defended and gulped when Sungmin slumped on the floor, arms stretching out as he crawled to him, “I saved you a seat, Kyuhyun” the lad repeated, tears flowing from his sunken eyes.

Kyuhyun could only watch in horror as his instinctively called for the driver’s attention, “Stop, please!” he yelled, but the driver ignored his plead and continued to drive down the road. “Stop. I beg of you please stop!”

“You lied to me, Kyuhyun” Sungmin dryly whispered when he reached Kyuhyun’s bent form on the seats at the back. He wrapped his bloody arms around Kyuhyun’s neck and neared his face, “You’re getting punished from lying to me…”

Kyuhyun then screamed, unlatched the bloody arms away from him and approached the driver on the front, “I’ll get off here quick!” he muttered and scurried down the steps once the bus had come to a full stop near a an abandon shed’s stop sign. Kyuhyun clutched at his chest and checked his watch,

“8:30 pm” he said and took a step forwards to walk back home. He managed to take 3 small steps when, “Where are you going?” came a slurred and muffled voice from behind him.

He turned his head and screamed in horror when he saw Sungmin’s bloody face perched on his right shoulder. His legs didn’t move and his body became heavier once he saw that Sungmin was clinging on his back.

His vision swam and he collapsed on the pavement, unconscious.

--

“Heard what happened to Cho Kyuhyun?”

“That tall guy from the Literature Department? What happened to him?”

“No one really knows but others say that he collapsed on the road and was run over by a passing bus,”

“You don’t say? What a waste of talent!”

“I know…I also heard that he was asking something about that Lee Sungmin guy days ago”

“You mean that dead guy rumored to haunt the very same bus that killed him? He must’ve been the one that took him! Poor guy,”

“That’s what I know too. Such a loss”

-

Black suits you best

A beautiful young man with the name of Lee Sungmin was once courted by a fine, fresh aristocrat by the name of Cho Kyuhyun. The couple then, became the talk of the town; on how such wealthy and high-standard man came to love the son of a poor and helpless carpenter. But all odds soon turned into mannered admiration as soon as they saw the love on the young couple’s eyes.

Kyuhyun loved Sungmin dearly; often bringing him expensive gifts, sumptuous meals and golden finery to wear. And Sungmin lovingly accepted them, and was one day, rewarded with the most beautiful gift he has ever received; a golden band.

He willingly accepted Kyuhyun’s offer in marriage and was greeted by hands of congratulations from his family and neighboring friends. But one day, Kyuhyun had asked permission to leave for a trip; a merchant’s assembly to the farthest end of town. Sungmin could not do anything but to give his lover his blessing; and with a final embrace and a chaste kiss; he bid his lover goodbye by his bedroom window.

Days had gone by, followed soon by months, and Sungmin was left crying at his bedroom post, waiting for Kyuhyun to return. The seasons soon changed, with the leaves burning from a feat of green to those of rust; autumn was nearing.

And winter came with its devastating results.

It was a dim night in late spring when a desperate knock came from the wooden door. Sungmin opened it with a heavy heart, and his eyes could not believe at the sight he just saw, for in front of him stood Kyuhyun, looking awfully pale and thinner than before. He had the same clothes on the day he left, except that there were small rips and stains on the cloth now.

“I’ve missed you” Kyuhyun’s deep voice made Sungmin dizzy, and the former quickly grasped his lover’s hand to pull him into his arms. “You’re cold!” Sungmin exclaimed and took his lover inside his home to warm himself.

“I’ve missed you” Kyuhyun repeated once more, his eyes looking lifeless as his gaze penetrated Sungmin’s form. “I’ve missed you too” Sungmin answered, reaching out to cup Kyuhyun’s cold cheek.

“Let me make it up to you then” Kyuhyun suddenly grabbed his lover’s hand away from his cheek and gave it a deathly squeeze, “The town will hold its annual dance this coming Friday. I want you to come with me,” he said, making Sungmin uneasy on how Kyuhyun’s eyes never left his.

He smiled, and took Kyuhyun’s other hand to hold, “I will,” he replied, and took another step closer to envelop the other inside his arms.

But alas, being the son of a carpenter, Sungmin could not afford any suit he could wear for the dance. “Maybe I can rent you one” his mother suggested and soon treaded off to pawnshops that lingered on the streets. But then again, all the suits for rent were too expensive.

A knock came on the door again, one dim night. Sungmin opened it and was surprised to see Kyuhyun standing in front of him, with a dusty white box on hand. “What is this?” Sungmin asked, but accepted the parcel anyway. “Your suit for the dance” Kyuhyun simply replied, a small smile ghosting over his pale lips.

“Try it on. I got them at your size,”

And Sungmin whole-heartedly smiled as he tried on the suit. He came out from his room to show the magnificent clothing to Kyuhyun’s unmoving form. The latter smiled, circled his petite lover and stopped right at the back, bending a little so that his lips were close to Sungmin’s ear,

“It looks good on you. Black suits you best”

The compliment made Sungmin blush and he fidgeted under Kyuhyun’s cold hands which were holding him quite roughly at the spot. He turned and cupped Kyuhyun’s familiar ice-cold cheeks, “Thank you” he said, “And I love you”

At the evening of the dance, the townspeople were dancing around the large bonfire in the middle of the street. Children were laughing as their colorful skirts glinted at the flame’s orange fumes. Young men and women were chatting their night away, holding wine glasses as some uninvited crowds crept to the direction of the food.

All seemed to stop when a jet-black hearse arrived, and out came a man dressed in a white suit, followed by a smaller man, clad in a silk black ensemble. The crowd cheered on both men, and Sungmin could only cling tightly around Kyuhyun’s arm, “Let’s dance, Kyuhyun-ah” he whispered ever so softly at his lover, and the man dressed in white nodded before swiftly taking Sungmin at the center of the crowd.

Sungmin danced again and again and had a wonderful time. But then, he began to feel dizzy and slumped against Kyuhyun’s chest, “I’m tired…” he said, before succumbing to the lack of air and eventually passed out. “He danced too much,” Kyuhyun calmly stated as he carried his lover in his arms and brought him inside his carriage to bring him home.

Sungmin’s parents were too bothered to tuck him into bed and did not even change his clothing, instead, they wrapped him with the sheets and bid him goodnight.

They found him lifeless the next morning.

The doctors were too baffled by the sudden death, and they ordered a coroner to do an autopsy on the body. The coroner soon found out that Sungmin had been poisoned by embalming fluid. It had stopped his blood from flowing throughout his system, and that there were traces of that fluid on the suit he was wearing. He concluded that the fluid entered his skin when he perspired while dancing.

The police were soon called for an investigation, and was led to a pawnbroker living at the far-end of town. The man was hysterical as he explained, saying that the dead has risen from its grave to avail one of the suits he had brought from an undertaker’s help. The suit was to be used for another young man’s funeral, but the undertaker had stolen it right before the ceremony began.

The man soon cringed as he described the customer’s appearance, and traces soon lead to none other than Cho Kyuhyun; Sungmin’s supposed lover. With the funeral done and Sungmin’s parents coming along with the investigation, they had stopped and surrounded Kyuhyun’s residence with guns in hand. They searched the whole place, shocked to see that the premises were covered by piles of dust and cobwebs.

A flicker of light from a nearby room caught their attention, and the police soon broke down the door in which Sungmin’s mother screamed at the gruesome sight that met her unsuspecting eyes. Kyuhyun sat there, on his blood-soaked bed, his body littered with shots, holding what seemed to be Sungmin’s freshly dug corpse, skin turning purplish as it began to rot.

“He looks beautiful as ever, am I right?” Kyuhyun’s deep voice echoed, sending ice-cold chills down the spectators’ spine.

“Why did you do this?!” came the shaking voice of Sungmin’s mother.

Kyuhyun looked up to her and frowned, “I promised him marriage, did I not?” he raised his voice that blood ushered out from the corner of his eyes, “And what did I get in return? I was killed by a band of ruthless bandits and they left me dead at the night I was supposed to come back,”

He hugged Sungmin’s corpse close to his chest and caressed his pale, yet disintegrating cheek, “None of that matters now…” he laughed melodiously as more blood oozed out from his wounds.

“He’s mine. From this day forward, for better, for worse…” his lips twitched upwards to a sinister smirk.

“For richer, for poorer…” his deep voice continued to rumble as his own body began to crumble to fragments.

“In sickness and in health…to love and to cherish” he tilted Sungmin’s head to place a kiss on his lips before his and Sungmin’s body depreciated to nothing more but a pile of gray ashes.

And in the smoldering and horrifying ruins, a faint but clear whisper was heard,

“’till death we shall not part”