On Sunkyu’s birthday, a young gentleman sneaked in her room, grateful that the ward was barely empty save for the other patient at the other end of the aisle. Sunkyu was about to exclaim his name out of surprise but he covered immediately, with the other hand’s index finger over his lips, gesturing her to shush as he gave her a wink. Sunkyu giggled and wondered what he was doing, reprimanding him even but Sungmin reasoned that it was the first hour of her birthday as if it was the most obvious justification.

Sungmin played with her, telling her if only she was well then he’d take her to see the world, get on a ship as she wished she would, set her foot on another land and Sunkyu would ruffle his dark crown telling him his being a child.

“Everything and anything I’ll do for you,” he said affectionately as he gazed at her eyes while he sits on the bed.

Sunkyu reached out to his face and caressed his cheek tenderly coaxing him to leave as it was already dawn and he has been spewing tacky, overly affectionate lines and has been making her queasy in a good way. But Sungmin won the game of the wills and sat beside her bed as he lulled her to sleep.

“And here I thought I won’t be so foolish to give everything up for a mere human, a meal,” Sungmin muttered as he tucked a stray lock of hair to her ear.

*~*~*

  Siwon heaved an exasperated sigh as he massaged his temples with one hand and placed the other on his hip looking at the two – one was lying peacefully quiet and asleep on the bed, making the dull white linens seem noble and the other sitting at the bedside but had also fallen asleep. He was worried, deeply worried. What his dear companion did was undeniably an act worth dying but death, for them, was an easy escape.

He carried the one sitting and placed him on his back, clipping across the back of his knee to keep him secure as he tapped the forehead lightly of the other, whispering, “We’ll come back for you,” and he disappeared.

I woke up again, and I won’t be surprised if I’m soaked in my own sweat, disgusting as it may sound but that isn’t what worries me. Dreams. Dreams and nightmares!?! Playing repeat or shuffle and each night I’d either force myself to get out of it because I’m being chased after by some unknown being or I’m the monster. Either way, it’s both nauseating and painful. I don’t think migraine fits the description.

The figures, shadows, people if they were even human watching at me and probably enjoying me looking sick as hell don’t even scare me as much anymore. Even when their eyes would randomly change from the normal amber or hazel or just dark brown irises to that of bloody, crimson whenever light touches them or was it just my messed up mind making things all the more confusing as it is.

I tried to sit up, and even though none of them had beaten me up, I feel sore all over my body, even though it’s only my mind that has endured some sort of torture I feel like they’ve trampled on me – on my arms, my legs, and have even kicked me on my abdomen countless times because I suddenly have this repulsive urge to gag but I dare not. Not on this floor luxuriously carpeted by who knows how much this faux fur rug costs, they’d probably really kill me. I heard shuffling footsteps moving towards me.

“I thought everything would be alright?” one of them hissed, and I presume it’s a woman’s voice. I tumbled out of the couch and crawled on all fours with my head on the rug.

Visions.

Voices.

Panicked-stricken eyes.

I moaned in agony. If I’m having a ing aneurysm might as well rupture now.

“I’m not good at altering at that moment, he was my guinea pig.” Another voiced responded.

I grunted I think, I don’t know. It was my voice I am sure but the sound, it was more of like an animal’s than a person fighting with unbearable pain.

Hunger.

Lust.

Tears.

I rolled on the floor, hoping it would ease out the pain but it did nothing. I must’ve looked like some ed up lunatic in front of these… whatever they were. Eat me already! Kill me! Drain the blood out of me! Whatever it is you want, I don’t care! I wanted to shout but only wheezes, gasps, moans and my hair done in random were the only actions I could do.

Death can’t even be called punishment, no that’s just an easy escape. Immortality transferred, memories removed, at the right time everything will surge forth and an unbearable pain will be felt before he dies and remain one with the land forever.

It’s a different voice, strong, authoritative, someone from a distant memory. Siwon tried to argue regardless of what could’ve happen to him, he knew, we knew this sort of people were not meant to be trifled with. One of them smiled and simply said, “On her one hundredth day, it’s up to her whether he lives or dies forever, until then watch over him and make sure he’ll continue thinking he’s a human and only that. That’s a good practice for your other friend, right Siwon?”

Siwon’s jaw clenched tightly as he gave a slight bow before taking his leave, carrying me over his shoulder with Donghae following behind us.

*~*~*

Tears. A few drop of tears, a lap as my pillow, I think, and a few tender caresses on my face. Someone embraced my head and I could hear a smile, sweet, loving smile. “Everything will be alright,” she whispered. “I will make the pain go away,” she reassured. No! I don’t want her to make it go away. I want to voice out but my throat, my tongue fails me. I tried to move away from her warmth, I want to be with her, just not this way. I want the pain to disappear but not by her. I don’t know what’s going to happen but I know I’d rather die than this.

“Once in a young lifetime one should be allowed to have as much sweetness as one can possibly have,” she said as she lowers her face to mine, “In this lifetime, that’s long past due, I believe I’ve too much and I hate that I stole them from you.” I tip my face to the left, away from her lips.

“Don’t…” I whispered helplessly. She smiled and softly tips my head back.

“With your gift, we’ll meet again surely. If you die now we’ll never see each other again.” And she close the gap between our lips.

Familiarity.

Warmth.

Stillness.

*~*~*

She lay on top of me. But the pain is gone. She doesn’t breathe. So why is my face still wet? Maybe it’s raining? Hah! Lee Sungmin, raining inside a house, you must be really ed up! Must be the house pipes leaking. Yes. The house pipes are leaking and they only run on your face. It’s tears, goddamn it, not hers, yours!

 I reached out for her, that face that has always been so soft and warm but the minute my fingers touched her, she cracked! What?! But the line goes up – up – up! Stop! No! No, not her face, not her hands, not her! Cracking skin happens in photoshopped pictures only, on sculptures by careless sculptors’ hands, not her, not my Sunny!

I sat up immediately I wanted to stop the ever increasing crack! I asked for Donghae and Siwon’s help, yes, it was them, I did say one of them was Donghae, but neither of them move or say anything. Donghae nipped at his thumb while he looks anywhere but at me, at Sunny and I. Siwon just lowers his head as he looms in front of me.

She’s gone. In a matter of two minutes, she’s… nothing.

Everything was still until Donghae started, “Vince – Sungmin… this isn’t really the end… you know?”

I chuckled lightly. This is probably the only time if not the first that Donghae sounds less confident and less himself. I stood up quietly and wiped the tears with the back of my hand. I snorted when I see the string knotted intricately on my middle finger. “Yeah,” I breathed, “I seem to forget that I’m not the only one suffering. Sorry.”

Donghae shrugged, “Well, I think I messed up with your head this past hundred years?” he looked at Siwon.

“More or less,” Siwon dully said. Donghae smirked, “so we’re even.” And he shows off that toothy grin.

I dared not look at anything that would show my reflection. I could not see it, but a new, no; a familiar feeling filled my entirety, bringing life to every vein, and every nerve in my body. I tucked my hand with the sickening blue string inside my pocket. Ironic how the said color usually meant peace and love and all those bull because for us, it’s one of God’s little tricks, apparently. A twisted sort of paradox to keep the balance of things living and those you think as myth. What was I thinking in the first place? Enslave her to Eternity? Hah! What a blinded love struck fool must have I been countless years ago.

Sungmin liked his life, average as it may, although he wished he was a few inches taller than ‘just above average’ height. Sungmin was partly a home-buddy. Sungmin’s hobbies are sleeping and reading novels. But Sungmin was anything but ordinary and he remembers that now.

Sungmin had lived years and years on and he will continue to live, waiting because he knows that he may feel stupid and hurt now but ten, twenty… fifty or even a hundred years later in some place, in a crowd of people they will meet at the right time.

“Aiden!” Sungmin called out from the counter and screamed in a fast even pace without pausing or removing his sight from the paper. “Got that?” he ended cheekily, smirking. Donghae rolled his eyes and whipped the apron around his waist in a quick professional conduct that made a few female customers squeal and giggle. Donghae wondered and punished himself mentally for even suggesting this sort of occupation. He was just kidding when he said they should open up a café and he whined, why can’t Siwon come with them, why does he have to stay and play mafia lord or something? He puffed his cheeks indignantly.

Donghae disappeared from view as he went into the kitchen and minutes later he was back out with the orders. “And stop calling me Aiden,” he retorted. Sungmin raised a mocking eyebrow as he picked up the tray.

“Why not? I thought you liked that name.”

 “I look more of a ‘Donghae’, hurry up with those orders and maybe we should start hiring more people.”

“Yes sir,” Sungmin rolled his eyes as he went to the table but as he walked, however; a ball of blond hair brushed pass him and if he wasn’t nimble he would’ve dropped everything.

“Je suis vraiment désolée! Really, really sorry.” the blond apologized and had herself smacked at the shoulder by her friends for being clumsy and late. She explained that there was an emergency in the office. Sungmin was taken aback but he regained his poise right away, before anyone else could notice. 

We’ll meet again surely, Sungmin remembered her words as if it was just spoken yesterday.

One of the customers asked him to wait, their friend was going to order. “Hey, hurry up and order, Vincent is a busy man.” The blonde scowled at her then looked up at Sungmin then back at her friends. “Vincent?” she asked hiding a hint of sarcasm. Her friends scowled. “Sunny Lee! You talk as if you aren’t Asian yourself, are you being a racist?” she got reprimanded. Sunny pouted and muttered her order. Sungmin took the menu from her hands and smiled professionally.

It’s been a long while, Sungmin thought but he kept everything professional. “You can call me Sungmin,” he took his bow and retreated back to the counter. 

What are the odds of that?