“No,” you stated stubbornly with your arms crossed, “I’m not going.”

You were riding in the car with Eunhyuk, after agreeing to go shopping with him. Though Eunhyuk didn’t say it, he thought going shopping with him would be a great opportunity to get your mind of Donghae for just a bit; so you wouldn’t be a depressed and silent mess for the counseling next week…if he could get you to go.

Eunhyuk sighed at the fact that you could be so stubborn, even when you needed help.

“Why, _______? It could do you some good!” he flipped the switch on his steering wheel to let the other cars know that he was about to make a turn.

“Because…I don’t need it. It’s perfectly normal for me to be upset about our best friend’s death.” You faced the window, staring at the passing cars with your arms still crossed.

Eunhyuk drove into the immense parking lot. You looked out of the window at the number of cars packed in the parking spaces, slightly laughing to yourself, wondering how Hyuk was gonna find a spot.

Once he pulled into a parking space, he put the car in park and unbuckled his seat belt. You on the other hand, did nothing. While opening his door, he looked at you, and huffed.

“Planning on getting out anytime soon?” He said in a playful, sarcastic tone. You sighed and unbuckled your seatbelt, really not wanting to get out.

“I wanna go home,” you tell him in a mixture of annoyance and sadness. He glared at you in confusion. “I thought you said you wanted to come? Now that we’re here, you wanna leave? You’re being a bit capricious, aren’t you? That’s a bit out of character for you.”

You sighed again.”Okay, okay, never mind, let’s just go in.” You walk ahead of him into the grocery store not even slowing down for him to catch up.

You finally stopped and looked behind you to see if Eunhyuk had caught up with you yet. When he does, you wait for him to walk in front of you before you trail behind him, since you’re not sure where he wants to go exactly.

Eunhyuk was walking rather slowly, scanning all of the fruit that you all walked past in the fruit section of the grocery store. Bored and upset, you glanced around the store, making your own judgments about everything around you.

The store was barely filled with people, despite the fact that there were numerous cars parked outside in the parking lot. Maybe everyone’s at the surrounding malls, you thought. It seems more fun than this.

You looked over at Eunhyuk, who was sniffing melons. He glanced over at you. Sensing your boredom, he handed you a melon. “Does this smell ripe to you?” he asked, holding it near your nose. “I don’t know,” you told him, aggravation attacking your voice.

Eunhyuk sighed, putting the melon back where he got if from, then turning to you. “Listen ______, if you didn’t want to come with me today, you should have just said so. Stop treating me like you’re angry at me! I only invited you to make you feel better! But, if you keep holding onto your anger and sadness, you won’t feel any better. It’s not healthy, _____.” Eunhyuk’s eyes held yours in an attempt to make you understand him. You didn’t respond; instead, you avoided his gaze, twisting your hair and biting your lips.

Donghae’s POV

At first, I have no idea where I am. Then, when I see a few signs and cars, everything hits me. I’m near, Eunhyuk’s favorite grocery store, where he goes to shop for everything and anything. When the road clears up, I walk across the street and over to the doors, stopping when the automatic doors don’t open. It took me a few seconds to realize, that I’m dead now, and that doors will not open for me. I walk through the glass without a problem. As soon as I get in, I see a few people inside of the store along with their guardian angels, following their every move. A blonde-haired boy and his female friend were walking along a vegetable aisle, both of their guardian angels following them. I move in on them to see if they are who I think they are. The young female turns around and stares at the batches of lettuce beside her. Omigosh. It’s ______.

“______!” I called out carelessly. Every angel in the store’s head turned towards me. I blushed regretting the noise I made. “Sorry,” I told them, bowing.

“You know she can’t hear you.”

I whipped my head around upon hearing a random voice. None of the angels were facing me.

“Who’s there?” I ask, in a bit of fear.

I have no idea who or what I’m about to deal with.

“Ha ha ha…it’s just me.”

A tall, dark-haired man stepped out of the “employees only” room. He walked with such prestige; his shoulders arched back and his spine, in perfect alignment.

“Who are you?” I asked.

“I’m Choi; Choi Seung-hyun. Who are you?”

I hesitated at first. “I’m Donghae.”

“Hello Donghae.”

“Hello.”

“So,” he said, strutted towards me, “what happened to you? How did you die?” he put his hands on his hips, giving off a look of interest.

“A car accident.”

“Really? Wow sad,” he looked at his feet, kicking them around with his hands in his pockets. “I died in a shoot out. I was an innocent bystander when all of a sudden a bunch of guys came in demanding money from one of the cashiers. Instead of just giving it to them, she declined, threatening to call the police. That’s when they shot her, and all of the witnesses, which included myself. I was the last one out of all the people shot - which were 6 - to die. No friends, no family, no one to tell ‘I love you’ to for the last time. Just a dark sky and a cold hard ground. Now, my soul cannot rest.”

I frowned at his story. “I’m so sorry that happedened to you. How long have you been unable to rest?”

He snickered, shaking his head as if he had no clue. “About 34 years,” he said with a sigh. “But I’m not so sure. After a certain amount of time, you lose track, knowing that you’ll never be fully able to rest.”

“Oh.”

“What about you,” he asked me, “how long have you been dead?”

“Just a few weeks…I think.”

“You think? Interesting…” he notices me looking over at my friends. “Who are they? Family?”

“…friends,” I say calmly.

“They loved you?”

“More than anyone I know.”

“Hmmm…” he smirked. “Wish I had people like that…so you want their attention?”

I spun towards him. “Yes, please help me!”

“Alright…follow me.”

End of Donghae POV

“Do you have everything you need yet?” You asked Eunhyuk impatiently. He forcefully tossed the grapefruit into the shopping cart. “There. That’s the last thing. Now, I can pay for it and go. Would you like that?” he gave you a scornful look before turning around and heading towards he cashier with you following behind him.

There’s awkward silence on the way to the car. Eunhyuk opens his side of the car door and puts the bags in, getting in shortly after. After he gets in, you get in.

Nothing but the sound of the radio accompanies you both. Determined to break your silence, you speak up.

“You know, you didn’t have to yell at me back there.”

FAIL. The words came out really bitter and angry instead of sad and hurt, which is what you were aiming for.

Eunhyuk growled. “Then don’t act like that.”

You scrunched your eyebrows. Act like what!?

“What you mean ‘act like that?’” you asked him angrily.

“Simple. Every time I try to make a nice gesture you turn me down, don’t wanna try, or ignore me!”

You balled your fists. “I DO NOT!” you yelled.

“YOU SURE DO!” he yelled back. “It’s like you’ve changed ever since Donghae died. You’re sad a lot more, you get angry easily, you cry a lot, and it’s been only 2 months!”

Your anger built inside of you.

“SO!? DO you expect me to get over Donghae’s death so quickly!? He was my friend! My BEST friend! Just because you didn’t love him as much as I did doesn’t mean I don’t have a right to be upset!”

“______, don’t you ever say that! I did love Donghae!”

“Then why don’t you act like it!?”

“I DO act like it! IS IT MY FAULT YOU HAVE SO MANY FEELS!? YOU CRY OVER EVERYHTING!”

“No I don’t! JUST SHUT-UP EUNHYUK!” The tears came like waterfalls from your eyes. “You never act like you love me or Donghae! THAT IS EXACTLY WHY SOMETIMES, I WISH THAT IT WAS YOU INSTEAD OF HIM!”

Eunhyuk stopped the car, his eyes widened. You were breathing hard and crying, but a that very moment, you wished you could take all of what you said back.

“Eunhyuk…Hyukkie, I’m sorry….”

Eunhyuk pulled into your driveway which took you by surprise, because you had no idea he was near your house. He put the car in park, sitting there string off into space.

“Hyuk…Hyukkie, speak to me…”

You put your hand on his arm and shook him softly, but he didn’t move. That’s the worse reaction you can receive from someone you love. You say something that is so upsetting, that you get no reaction from them.

After about a minute of trying to get his attention, you give up. “Okay Hyukkie,” you tell him while unstrapping your seatbelt, “I’m getting out now. Just call me whenever so we can talk about this whole mess.” You opened the car door.

“______...”

When Eunhyuk says our name, you nearly scream. You turn to him, anxious about what he might say to you.

He looks over at you, his eyes holding hurt and regret. He takes out a pamphlet from his pocket and slowly hands it to you, not taking his eyes off of you for one moment. “Think about it.” He whispered before putting his car in drive.

Before he pulls away, you could see tears forming in his eyes. All it does is kill you.

When Eunhyuk is far away enough, you grab tightly onto your hair and scream at the top of your lungs, angry at yourself for everything. You drop to your knees and let out another scream, this time turning into cries of ache and pain. You don’t know where the extra hurt is coming from, but wherever it’s coming from, you’re happy to get it out now. You take both your thumbs and fore-fingers and grab onto the pamphlet about grief counseling Eunhyuk had given you in an effort to tear it. But as soon as you do so, an immense amount of wind rushed past you, carrying leaves and cascading around dust. The breeze was warm, and it gave you a sense of comfort, love and hope. Distracted by the leaves flying around you, the pamphlet flies open, and the pages continue to flip until the wind stops abruptly, also halting at a certain page in the small booklet.  You turn your attention the page it stopped on and gasp.

There is a telephone number, an address, and the hours of operation. You smile softly, taking into consideration of what Eunhyuk said before he drove off.

Getting up off of your driveway, you take out your cell phone and dial the number while walking into your house.

“Hello?” said the employee on the line.

“Hello ma’am, this is ______, a friend of Eunhyuk. I’m calling to confirm my appointment.”