Kyungsoo had been able to see the supernatural ever since he was a little boy. Because of that, he'd always been called a freak. Going pale randomly while walking near a bush or a tree; jumping back after stepping into a particularly dark shadow; all the kids in his neighborhood stayed away from him. The adults felt sorry for the lonely boy however there was nothing they could do. He got passed around from family to family since his own relatives disowned him. They felt their love for him diminish when he would mumble to himself at the dinner table and take extra food outside for a friend only he could see.

He's not entirely lonely, though. After coming upon an abandoned shrine and disturbing the old shrine god who took the form of a fox, he became acquainted with the former shrine god and, since no one ever visited the shrine anymore, was always followed by him.

"Kyungsoo, I've been meaning to tell you this lately, but you're being possessed. Have you gone anywhere recently that has especially powerful spirits?" the fox voiced his concerns one day.

Taken aback, Kyungsoo thought for a moment and replied, "Well I remember taking a trip to a sunken village last week with some classmates. I thought I saw some shadows moving in the windows of a house and suddenly felt a gust of wind knock me down. Next thing I knew I was home and my caretaker said I'd fainted."

The former shrine god pulled from a pocket in his hanbok a circular mirror embroidered with silver strands weaving in and out of the gold, and held it up. Kyungsoo looked into it and the blood drained from his face. Icy daggers went up and down his spine as he tore his eyes from the mirror. An abnormally pale spirit with long, jet black hair perched on his shoulders.

"Hold still, I'll wack it off," the former shrine god stated firmly, taking formation and smacking the back of Kyungsoo's head with a deadly force.

Stumbling forward, Kyungsoo caught himself and turned to face the god. "You trying to kill me, fox?!"

The fox pointed to the corner of the room. "Look, it's off."

"Stupid fox, you broke my mask and ruined my chances!" a surprisingly sweet voice hissed. The figure rose and walked toward Kyungsoo, revealing another mask that had a smiling face. His real hair turned out to be short and light brown. He got on his knees and bowed formally, beginning to whimper. "Please let me possess you for a few more days! I'll leave after I see him, I swear. I only want to see him. It's fine even if it's from a distance."

"Whoa, whoa. Slow down. Who are you talking about?" Kyungsoo scratched his head and helped the spirit sit up correctly.

"You're really stupid, you know," the former shrine god told Kyungsoo the next day as they were travelling to Kyungsoo's school.

"Shut up," Kyungsoo snapped. "He seemed really pitiful so I just wanted to help. Besides, I can just ask around if anyone's heard of someone named Chanyeol Park."

Baekhyun, the spirit, called from behind them, "It's gonna rain today, Kyungsoo! Did you bring an umbrella?"

Kyungsoo stopped walking and turned to ask how he knew it would rain. "I could tell from the birds," Baekhyun smiled.

"It's fine, I'll just use my bag as cover," Kyungsoo replied and stepped into his school.

He entered his class and set his bag down. He rested his head on his arms while gazing out the window that overlooked the field and fell asleep. When he awoke it was already lunch time and his friends were eating around him.

He sat up, rubbed his eyes, and addressed the other two, asking, "Guys, have you heard of anyone named Chanyeol Park?"

"Oh, yeah, my dad used to talk about some dude with that name. Apparently they went to the same middle school back before that village sank," Kai spoke with his mouth full. "Most of the people who lived in that village moved here. I'll ask my dad about Mr. Park."

Glad that he hardly had to use his energy searching for this Chanyeol guy, Kyungsoo smiled and thanked Kai.

The sound of rain hitting the window startled Kyungsoo and he turned to gape at the falling water.

"Uh, that's called rain," Kai said with a raised eyebrow.

"I know," Kyungsoo mused. "It's just, someone told me it would rain and I didn't believe him."

~

The next day after school Kyungsoo walked toward the address written on the paper he held in his hand. Arriving at the correct street, he was about to start searching for the correct house number when he felt Baekhyun jump from his back and happily shout Chanyeol's name.

"Look, look, it's Chanyeol! Oh, my love, I haven't seen you in so long!" he joyously cried and ran in front of Chanyeol. Chanyeol didn't notice the excited spirit running around him and he kept walking, but Baekhyun didn't seem to mind.

Kyungsoo watched with melancholy filled eyes as Baekhyun walked side-by-side with Chanyeol, chattering about how much he'd missed the taller man. He remembered the story behind Baekhyun's strong desire to see Chanyeol again and he felt his heart clench in his chest.

"I was still a robin chick when I met him. I'd fallen out of our nest and he happened to be walking past. He picked me up and placed me back in the nest, but since his human smell was on my feathers, my parents abandoned us and never returned. My siblings, who were still young like me, never learned to fly so they died quickly. I was the only one who survived and eventually became a spirit. I always hid under bushes near the path where I fell and I waited for him, but he never returned. It's been twenty-five years since then so he must be in his forties now. I possessed you when you and your friends were walking near the lake where our village sank because it's hard to leave that place when the lake is full and because a spirit who's attached to a place can't leave unless it possesses something, and since there was a drought and the water level was lower, I used you to leave. But after I'm in his presence again, I'll leave you alone and return to my village. I'll finally be able to rest peacefully after seeing his face again." Baekhyun looked into Kyungsoo's eyes and smiled sincerely. "I'm eternally grateful to you."

"How can he be so happy?" Kyungsoo breathed to the former shrine god. "Chanyeol can't even see him. He doesn't even know Baekhyun is right next to him."

He continued to watch the content Baekhyun run around Chanyeol. The sunlight that shone on Baekhyun's smiling mask glistened on the single tear that fell from his face.

~

Everyday Kyungsoo would sit underneath a tree on Chanyeol's street while Baekhyun perched on a branch and played with other robins, waiting for Chanyeol to pass by on his way to work. And everyday that Chanyeol passed by, Baekhyun would suddenly jump up and shout, "Hey! Hey, Chanyeol! Don't overwork yourself, okay?"

Knowing he can't be heard him, he still calls out like that everyday, Kyungsoo thought to himself, concealing his pity when Baekhyun dropped down and smiled beneath his mask in Chanyeol's direction.

With every day that passed, Baekhyun took longer and longer to arrive at Kyungsoo's house to walk to their tree on Chanyeol's street. It was because Baekhyun was a weakening spirit whose only dying wish was to see Chanyeol once again. Seeing him everyday made him very happy, but he still needed to rest in his sunken village to gain strength. When he felt his time had come, he dragged himself to Kyungsoo's house and bowed formally one last time.

"Kyungsoo Do, I truly thank you from the bottom of my heart for allowing a spirit such as myself to enjoy my last days. It's more than I could have ever asked for to be able to see Chanyeol with my own two eyes everyday, but I've been getting weaker and weaker. I won't be able to come anymore, so I'm going to go back to the earth and be with my siblings. I no longer have any lingering regrets, thanks to you. I've found my peace. Thank you again."

His throat beginning to close, Kyungsoo helped Baekhyun sit up. He faced him and said, "It was my pleasure, Baekhyun Byun. Please, take care of yourself on your way off. Before you go, just stay here for the rest of the day."

Nodding, Baekhyun smiled and looked out the window at the birds flying freely through the sky. He watched as they swooped and dipped, circling around one another and chirping playful songs.

Kyungsoo excused himself and stepped outside. He decided to go for a walk in the forest near his house and found himself in front of another spirit, this one wearing an ugly mask.

"Hey, human, how would you like to come to the spirit side of the festival tonight at the sunken village? I was just on my way to get some booze." The spirit spoke mischeivously.

Kyungsoo was skeptical. "A festival? How would I be able to go if the village is underwater except for the tops of some houses?" he questioned.

Grinning, the spirit answered, "That won't be a problem. There's a certain spell that will make you able to breathe underwater. There are a lot of games that you might enjoy, too. One of the prizes for the most famous race is a garment that could make any spirit visible to regular humans just for this one night."

By this point Kyungsoo was extremely attentive. He decided that he would go to win the garment and give it to Baekhyun as his last gift so he could at least allow Chanyeol to see him. "I'll go," he nodded.

The spirit smirked and gestered down the path. "Let's go, then."

As they were walking, a sudden burst of familiar flame came from their sides and the fox was between Kyungsoo and the evil spirit.

"Foolish human!" the former shrine god growled. "Where are you planning to go with this spirit?"

"T-to the sunken village festival," Kyungsoo stuttered, taken aback by the fox's outburst of anger. "I want to win the garment for Baekhyun."

"What good will come from helping that weak spirit?" the fox spat. "Besides, if you go to that festival, the other spirits will eat you. That's what this one was plotting," he bared his teeth to the ugly spirit in front of them.

The spirit defended himself and argued, "What's wrong with eating humans along with some booze at a festival?"

"This one's mine," the former shrine god stated firmly.

Bringing the attention back to himself, Kyungsoo put a hand on the fox's neck and said, "I just want to do this one last deed for Baekhyun. He's fading, fox."

Sighing, the fox complied. He slit a paw and dripped blood onto a talisman and mixed it with soil, tying it around Kyungsoo's neck. "This will allow you to breathe under the water and the spirits won't be able to recognize that you're human. If, however, it somehow comes off, the spirits will detect your presence as a human and will most certainly devour you," the former shrine god warned. "Be careful. And don't forget to wear this mask so it truly looks like you're a spirit."

Nodding, Kyungsoo walked into the lake and met the other spirits in the center of the village for the festival. Upon starting the race, the one who told him about the festival stayed behind with the fox and spoke to him: "You have a stupid human. How does he expect to win?"

The fox watched as Kyungsoo pushed himself to run faster and replied, "I know, but it's his stupid perseverance that will allow him to win."

Just as he said that, Kyungsoo's talisman got torn from his neck and immediately all the spirits forgot about their racing and advanced toward Kyungsoo with drooling mouths. Groaning, the former shrine god bounded swiftly to catch up and blinded them with his bright flames.

Seizing the opportunity, Kyungsoo dashed forward and snatched the orange garment, jumping onto the fox's back and swimming up to the surface.

Utterly exhausted, it was all Kyungsoo could do to hand the garment to Baekhyun and say, "I won this for you at the spirit festival down in the sunken village. Now you can go to Chanyeol. I'm sorry I can't accompany you, I've really lost all my strength from the race."

Baekhyun gasped and held the garment as if it were a delicate object that would disintegrate if handled incorrectly. "This. . . . Thank you so much, Kyungsoo. Even though Chanyeol won't be able to hear me because I'm so weak a spirit, I'll still go."

He changed quickly and Kyungsoo stood at the door to send him off.

"Thanks again for everything," Baekhyun spoke from beneath his mask. "It's gonna rain tonight, by the way. Okay, I'm leaving now!" he waved and turned to run down the street to the festival, mustering the last of his energy for the sake of Chanyeol seeing him.

"Take care!" Kyungsoo called back. He watched as Baekhyun's figure disappeared from his sight and turned to go back inside.

That night and for the next three days it rained, just as Baekhyun had predicted, and he never returned. Kyungsoo walked out with the former shrine god to the tree he always sat under with Baekhyun, and waited for Chanyeol one last time. As he walked by, Kyungsoo rose and approached him.

"Excuse me, did you see a boy at the festival wearing an orange garment the color of the sunset?"

"Ah, yes," Chanyeol replied. "He was a lost mute boy. We took a photo together. Here, I just got it developed earlier." He held out a photograph.

Kyungsoo took it and felt his throat tighten. The photo showed a strong, middle-aged yet handsome Chanyeol standing next to a frail, smiling Baekhyun without his mask. His eyes formed the shape of crescent moons and his smile was bright yet somewhat faltering, but nonetheless he looked utterly happy.

Returning the photo to Chanyeol, he forced his lips to curve upward, thanking him for his time. As he was turning to leave, Chanyeol asked if he was alright.

"I'm fine, just glad he got to meet you. His name was Baekhyun, by the way," Kyungsoo said hoarsely, biting back his tears.

" 'Was,' you said?" Chanyeol furrowed his brows and gave Kyungsoo a puzzled look. Upon reading Kyungsoo's expression, the look in Chanyeol's eyes softened. "I'm sorry," he gave his condolences.

Kyungsoo's voice came out in a whisper. "It had to happen at some point, eh? Sorry, I have to go now." He slowly turned and walked away, heading with the fox to the bridge above the sunken village.

He leaned on the railing and looked down into the village that was now completely submerged. Baekhyun's voice surfaced in his head from before and Kyungsoo couldn't help but sigh as he cursed himself for getting too attached to the spirit.

"A spirit who's attached to a place can't leave unless it possesses something, and I used you to leave my sunken village. I'll finally be able to rest peacefully after seeing the face of the one I love again. I no longer have any lingering regrets, thanks to you."

I hope you found your eternal peace, Baekhyun, Kyungsoo thought.

 

On his way home, Chanyeol encountered many distraughtly singing robins that fluttered around him. One robin in particular landed on his shoulder and softly gave five chirps, a message Baekhyun had given it before laying himself down to rest one final time.

 

"Thank you. I love you."