Kim Cheonsa POV

Kris and I rushed towards his car; it was cozy and warm but I didn’t feel it that way – I was anxious, worried and of course… I was scared! As I sat on the seat, I dialed someone’s phone number. It was engaged. I tried again and still, it was engaged. I grew more scared.

“Pick up the phone! Pick up the phone!” I said in rush. It was an emergency and how could he not answer his phone? My grip on the phone became tighter.

“Damn it! Pick up the phone, you idiot!” I accidentally cursed. It just slipped out of my tongue and it seriously wasn’t my intention to curse. I was told not to curse by my late parents and I should follow their words. I should’ve…

“Darling, you curse,” said Kris, almost looking mad by my words. He didn’t like it when I cursed. He didn’t and so did I. We hated each other for cursing but still, it wasn’t a good reason for us to break up. Pftt, excuse my sentence. I’d never thought of us breaking up in the future. Never.

“Does he pick up his phone?” Kris asked, bringing me to the reality. Right, I should’ve called him again. I tried calling him again and again. He still didn’t pick up his phone. God, this is frustrating!

“I can’t reach him!” I bit my bottom lip a bit too hard that it bled but I couldn’t care less about it. I tried again and again. Still, he didn’t pick up his damn phone.

“Call him again.” I let out a heavy sigh as I ruffled my air in frustration. Tears fell down my cheeks in anger. I didn’t know how to express my frustration at that moment… Not when my friend was in danger.

“He didn’t answer the phone,” I said, looking tired and worried. I tried calling him again as I took a glance on the side mirror. My face was pale; the redness of my cheeks had gone; my lips dried and were peach in color ad my eyes looked sharp and creepy. I seriously looked like a wicked witch.

“Call his house number.” I searched for his house number and called that number right away. Please pick up the phone. Pick up the phone, please. Don’t you know that you’re in danger?

“Don’t worry. Let’s just pray that he’ll be alright. Maybe he’s taking a bath or something. Let’s think positively, okay?” Kris held my hand and gripped it tightly, trying to reassure me. The phone in my hand was put aside. I leaned against the comfortable seat as I let out a heavy sigh. I looked outside; it was dark and gloomy; the sun didn’t shine like it used to be. Please be safe, I prayed.

“We’re almost there.”  I looked up. We reached his big house. It was starting to rain. We rushed towards the door.

“Damn! It’s locked!” Kris cursed. I couldn’t be mad at him now, not now. I rang the bell endlessly. No answer from him. I couldn’t even hear any sounds from outside. Does he go out to meet the EXO members? I looked at the porch – there was his luxurious car. Is he sleeping? No, he wouldn’t sleep in the evening. I tried calling him again and still, he didn’t pick up the phone.

“Why didn’t he open the freaking door?” Kris kicked the hard wooden door, only to earn pain to his foot. He yelped in pain as he accidentally looked up. He saw something – a big tree right beside the window. If he climbed that tree, he might be able to get into the room. But what if people thought he was a thief? No, scratch that. A thief wouldn’t be so handsome like him.

“Cheonsa, what if I…”

“Don’t tell me you want…”

“You have any idea other than this?” he cut me before I even completed my words. I just remained silent. Why not we give a try, right?

“Be careful, honey.” You said in anxiety.

As Kris climbed the huge tree, I walked around the big house. Well, maybe I could see him through the window. To my disappointment, I didn’t find any sign of him, though, but I did find a transparent window that would lead me to the living room. I found a big rock and I broke the window. Sorry, dude.

I entered the living room carefully. Just when I reached the living room safely, I heard Kris shouting upstairs. As fast as lighting, I rushed upstairs, towards his voice. I believed his voice came from the room over there. I entered the room and to my shock, I saw his body, swinging around the fans.

“Noooo, Layyyy!”

------------- 30 minutes before ------------

“Lay?” I asked for further confirmation. It couldn’t be him, right? It couldn’t be…

“I can feel bad auras on him,” said the ahjussi, only to earn gasps from us.

“Are you sure?”  Kris raised his eyebrows but before the ahjussi could answer him. I asked,

“What can we do in order to stop it?”

“There’s nothing we can do.” I pouted.

“What do you mean by nothing?” Kris said after almost choking on his food. God, couldn’t he be a bit mature when eating?

“Fate is a fate. As I told you before, we can change it but we can’t avoid it!”

“Now you’re telling me that we are all gonna die? It’s Lay’s turn. So, tomorrow, who will be the next? Me?” Kris lost his temper.

“There’s another way to hold this from happen.” My eyes grew bigger. It felt like there was light of hope deep inside my heart.

“Ahjushi, tell me. What is it?”

“Bring him to me.”

“So, that’s the only way? Now you’re telling us you are a shaman? Seriously, that’s silly.”

“I’m not kidding. You bring him to me and I’ll do my best.” 

----------Present----------

Tears fell endlessly down my cheeks. I still couldn’t believe my eyes. Was that Lay? Or was I imagining things? Was it the side effects of the sleeping pills that I took these days? I fell on my knees.

“Cheonsa?” Kris called me for God-knows-how-many-times. I still couldn’t react to him. I… I was so shocked that I couldn’t think right. Everything became so blur. My head was spinning but I managed to get a hold of myself and stood up.

“Expect the unexpected. Life is like a game - sometimes you lose; sometimes you win. But when you lose, you should play harder to win and that’s what makes you a winner,” said Daddy when I was 7 years old.

I looked up to see Kris pulling the rope off Lay’s neck. I covered my face as I couldn’t stand watched him being in that condition. I could see red mark along his neck; it must be painful to die that way- He was tied to the switched-on fans.

Suddenly, I could see a piece of white paper on the desk. I wiped my tears and started reading.

“Dear friends. I’m sorry for being like this. I’m just... I’m just... I’m just afraid. Something was following me. It’s scary, hyung. I... I... I will meet Suho and D.O then. And of course, I will send your regards to them. Till we meet again, hyung. Goodbye.”

“Kris! Come here.” You called Kris name.

“Look at here.” You showed the note to Kris. And, below the note, there’s something stinky written in red mark. It’s blood. There’s another clue there.

0300

“What the hell is this?”

“I think we better ask that ahjushi. He maybe knows something about this. Do you still remember the bloody note when Suho and D.O died?” He nodded.

“But we need to settle Lay first.” Kris added. That’s true! There’s something we need to settle. Lay! We’re sorry for being late. If we were fast, probably you’re still alive.