Through slits in the blinds, the sun refuses to hold back its blinding glares as it disturbs Jongdae’s peaceful slumber. After ignoring the first five alarms and hiding under the sheets from the sun’s rays, Jongdae finally forces himself out of bed. His body feels heavy and his head is pulsing as if he was hit by a bus the previous night. Holding himself up to look at his reflection, he looks just absolutely terrible for just having a few beers with some friends. Clenching his eyes, events of the previous night flashes through him. It involved a lot of lights, noises and dancing up until he sent his girlfriend of five years home. Slowly fluttering his eyelids open, Jongdae realizes he can’t remember anything after that. Catching his horrid reflection once more, Jongdae groans and decides to hop into the shower instead of pondering.

In a fresh t-shirt and sweats, he rounds the kitchen island of his bachelor pad with a glass of milk while awaiting for the toaster. His head is still pounding but it’s gotten much better than before.  Staring at the toaster that is seeming to take longer than usual, Jongdae has his brows furrowed and lips pursed while deep in thought. What could he have possibly drank for him to feel so ty and black out?

The ding of his toaster snaps him out of his thoughts and the growling of his stomach takes over. The toast is devoured in seconds so he decides to maybe prepare a real meal instead. Hands on the handle of his fridge, he pauses as his phone catches his eye. Leaving the fridge, he picks ups the expensive phone and searches through his contacts for his beloved.

But, her name isn’t there so he searches it and still, nothing shows up. He assumes he must’ve messed with his phone last night when he out so instead he just dials her number. Balancing the phone on his shoulder he turns back to the fridge in search for some hangover food. Instead of the usual love song that plays as he waits for her to pick up, he’s met with an automatic message stating the phone number doesn’t exist.

He checks over the number again and for sure it’s her number. Did they fight after he dropped her off? He calls once more and again he’s told the same thing. Sighing, Jongdae gives up on food for now and searches for another name in his contacts, Zhang Yixing. Now Jongdae is starting to freak out since he too isn’t in his contacts as well. Calling the first name that appears amongst his close group of friends, Jongdae is relieved when it works.

“Ello?” someone grunts.

“Luhan Hyung,” Jongdae calls in a voice that’s too chirpy for Luhan’s current state.

“Too loud,” Luhan mumbles as he shifts in bed.

“Hyung, what the hell happened last night?” The younger one asks. “I can’t remember anything after sending Liyin home.”

“You didn’t even drink that much,” Luhan says with a hand over his eyes, blocking away the sun. “But who’s Liyin? I don’t remember you picking up a girl.”

Jongdae releases a snicker. “Are you that wasted? But no seriously, I can’t remember anything after dropping her off. When I tried to contact her earlier, her number was deleted and it doesn’t work anymore.”

“What are you talking about?” Luhan mumbles. “Who is this, Lin Ying Yang chick? Go back to sleep Jongdae, you’re still drunk.”

Jongdae stands in silence for a few seconds before another nervous chuckle erupts. “Clearly you’re the one that is still drunk. Whatever, I’ll just head to her place instead. I’ll call you later, Hyung.”

Luhan stares at his phone when he’s met with a click from the other line. His brows are furrowed with his cherry lips pursed in utter confusion. Another glance at the sun and he groans before burying himself in the warmth of his sheets.

Throwing on a jacket, Jongdae hisses when the cold wind slaps him in the face. It adds onto the headache that hasn’t completely ceased yet. Thankfully Liyin’s apartment isn’t far from his own, just a short five minutes. He’s been trying to convince her to move in with him for years now but being brought up in a very traditional family, Liyin never hesitated to decline his tempting offers.

He rounds the corner the moment he steps off the elevator on the 12^th floor. Jongdae can’t wait to just see her and dismiss everything that’s happened earlier. When he reaches her door, he slides the door keypad and it lights up as he punches in the code. It beeps in response and the lights transform from a bright blue to a blaring red. He tries once more and it gives him the same response. Now a gut feeling grows and he begins knocking on the door.

“Liyin! Liyin-ah!” He calls between knocks and bangs. “Liyin!”

After a few minutes of no response, Jongdae begins to panic. He tries every possibility of a possible password, their anniversary, her birthday, his birthday to her parents and even her dog’s but nothing works.

Picking out his phone, he was going to give another friend a call when he recognized a face coming towards him. A young slim girl, probably in middle school with a short bob and dressed in a track suit suddenly becomes alert when she spots Jongdae. He recognizes her as the daughter of Liyin’s neighbor.

“Have you seen this Unnie?” Jongdae asks her, pointing at Liyin’s door.

The girl remains silent as her eyes move from Liyin’s door then back to him. She shakes her head before responding. “Nobody lives there.”

“You mean she moved out?” Jongdae exclaims in disbelief.

She shakes her head once more. “No. It’s been empty for a year.”

Jongdae sighs and his head responds with a sharp pain at his temples. He clenches his eyes and jaws to hopefully ease the pain then returns to the child. “Did she tell you to say that to me?” Jongdae continues. “I’m really worried about her, please.”

“I’m being serious, Ahjusshi,” she insists. “Nobody has been living there.”

He takes a good look at her and she lowers her head. Instead of asking her questions and probably scaring her anymore, he thanks her before returning downstairs.

The pain in his head returns and Jongdae grimaces with a hiss. The lady working behind the desk glances up at him and he fixes his posture.

“I’m sorry sir, but that room has been empty for a year,” the mid-age lady says sweetly. “Are you hopefully interested?”

Jongdae shakes his head. “No, what do you mean nobody has been there for a year? I just dropped my girlfriend off there yesterday.”

He lady gives him a weird look and Jongdae sighs before bowing.

On his way back to his car, a shiver suddenly travels up his spine and his senses become fully alert. He turns sharply and finds nobody so instead of stressing about it, he hurries to his car to go find Liyin elsewhere.

During the car ride home, he managed to get a hold of someone else and they too have the same reaction as Luhan. His insides boil and Jongdae is now fed up with this joke. 

Returning to his apartment, he checks around to see if she had come for any of her things. Her cosmetics from his bathroom are gone and so are her clothes that have grown in his closet. Fear sets in and now Jongdae is on the verge of panicking. Everything she had is gone which is just almost impossible. None of this things have been moved nor does it even look like someone had been there.

Just as he was dashing out of his bedroom, someone on his night stand catches his eyes. Slowly stepping towards it, he holds his breath with one shaky hand reaching out for the picture frame. It’s just a picture of him. It’s as if Liyin just magically disappeared from the picture. His brows are deeply furrowed and he glances at the opposite nightstand. She’s gone from the picture as well.

“This can’t be real,” he mutters once realizing she’s gone from all of their pictures. There are no traces of her left. “This can’t be real.”

Without a second thought, Jongdae rushes back outside to his car. There’s only one place she doesn’t have access to and for sure, everything about her will still be there.

Ten minutes away is a recording studio that he and some other friends have invested in following college graduation. Storming into the studio, he flicks on the lights before dashing to the picture frames along the back wall. His heart sinks. In every picture, just like the ones at his home, she’s gone. It’s as if she never took the picture. Now there’s just an awkward vacant spot next to him in every single picture.

The door to the studio opens and in walks in a tall, wide eyed male with a cup of Starbucks in his hand.

“Oh you scared me,” Chanyeol gasps, placing a hand over his heart. “When did you get here?”

“Did you just get here?” Jongdae asks instead, ignoring his question.

Chanyeol takes a moment to look at him before nodding. “Yeah. Why do you look so scared?”

“Chanyeol-ah,” Jongdae breathes as he turns back to the pictures. “Am I just dreaming or is this real?”

Chanyeol yawns with one long finger turning on the system. “What’s wrong dude?”

Jongdae turns to him. “Liyin, I can’t find her. Everything about her has suddenly vanished overnight.”

Chanyeol chokes on his coffee followed by a chuckle. “What are you talking about? Who’s Liyin? Did you pick someone up from the club?”

Jongdae’s expression turns stoic. “My girlfriend. My girlfriend of five years, Zhang Liyin. Remember?”

The taller one chuckles again. “Girlfriend? You haven’t had a girlfriend since high school. What sort of joke is this?”

“No, what sort of joke are you guys playing?!” Jongdae snaps angrily. “Whatever it is, it’s not funny!”

“Dude!” Chanyeol exclaims with his bright eyes turning serious. “You’re sounding a bit crazy right now. I say go back home and rest.”

“No,” Jongdae refutes on his way out. “I’m going to find Liyin.”

Chanyeol quickly follows Jongdae out into the hall and catches him storming away. “He’s insane.”

Once back outside, Jongdae takes a moment to cool down and inhale a cold breath of air. This is all a bad dream and when he wakes up, Liyin will be right by his side. Looking around at the faces of everyone rushing to their destinations, Jongdae finds himself getting consumed. Where does he go now?

How does one suddenly just vanish into thin air? 

Anyeong you! These Chenyin feels literally hit me like a wrecking ball. I think they're perfect. Being a TVXQ fan, she brings back so many old memories of them together. *sigh* The old SMTOWN days were really the best days ever, you guys have no idea.