“You look absolutely dashing.”

Baekhyun glanced up slightly from the magazine in his hands, his eyes lighting up at the sight of the girl whose laughter made him fall in love with her. Yet they soon glowered at her and Geena put her hands up in surrender, mumbling an apology.

He got up and traipsed over to the washroom. Dozens of eyes followed his movement yet a single, loud fart from him dispersed the attention. Jongdae dodged away from his same-aged friend as he approached, hiding behind Minseok who was chortling at his younger member’s exaggerating reaction.

Ducking into a cubicle, Baekhyun sighed but not before his eyes flashed when a phantom floated into the small space.

“Where have you been!? Don’t you know it’s not nice to not inform a person that you’d be disappearing for a week!” He hissed, and Geena could visualise steam rising from atop his head. “Where did you go, huh? Had some things to take care of in the spirit world!?”

“You’ve been watching too much Avatar…” She mumbled, thumbs twiddling as she cowered under the murderous glare of her favourite boy. “And I already apologised…”

“Just because you apologised doesn’t make this all better.”

Her head shot up, eyes b with hot tears. “It doesn’t! I know that! But you don’t know how hard it was for me to be away from you! Even for a second! That’s why I’m training myself, to not be by your side!” Tears rained down her face, and Baekhyun was too flabbergasted to do anything but stare. “But you don’t even understa–”

“Are you leaving.”

The hardness in his tone shocked her as his unreadable face appeared in her view.

“I asked if you’re going away, going somewhere.”

Yet she could see the fear, the unhappiness, the grief of losing her seeping into his orbs.

“I–”

“Oh yeah.” Baekhyun tore his eyes away from hers, a forced smile on his face. “The light. Your light that would bring you over to the other side.”

“Baekhyun, I–”

“I’m guessing I should thank you then. For having the foresight to prepare for your departure; it would make things much easier for you and for me when you’re gone.”

He refused to meet her eyes, and after a few seconds of contemplation, he went out of the cubicle. Fortunately, no one had entered the washroom and Baekhyun could have the short time alone to compose himself, to tell and will himself to not break down there and then, for the next moment the door swung open and Joonmyeon came in to push the quiet boy out for the group’s pep talk.  

Geena remained inside, her face buried in her hands, her shoulders shaking vehemently. Her head pounded, her still heart hurting as she would feel if she was alive. Her threshold of pain had been greatly surpassed, yet she held on, steadying herself with sheer will, for her consciousness had been fed to the dogs the moment Baekhyun left.

She didn’t know how long she had stayed in the washroom, as her ears picked up loud sounds coming from above. The rehearsal has started. Wiping away her tears, she headed out, straightened herself in the mirror, and floated upwards. She found herself backstage, where numerous staff members were bustling about, the language of Korean being hollered all around endlessly. She caught sight of him, but quickly hid behind one of the massive mirrors as his eyes seemed to glance her way.

Geena watched him, as he made his way to his position to the centre of the stadium, and she knew what song they were rehearsing next. The pain in her chest strengthened, challenging her perseverance to remain upright, to not crumple onto the floor with her hands clutching her chest, perspiration dotting her forehead, her face depicting the expression of death.

She made her way towards the bottom of the stage, passing through the staff members that lined the walkway where security guards would be standing at. Staying a distance away, she gazed at his back, the spotlight shining down on him and in that moment, he seemed so far, so out of reach. Her heart ached, a feeling she hadn't felt in quite some time.

"Have fun at the fan signing!"

The phantom straightened the human's collar, as he rolled his long sleeves up to his forearm.

"I will."

She beamed, her fingers deftly arranging his loosened tie. A soft twinkle on his neck caught her attention and she gently pried his collar away.

"Why are you wearing your own ring?"

"Mm?" He had finished rolling his sleeves up, and he looked up at her. “Oh? This?”

His svelte digits reached up to the silver ring, attached to a black string, that rested in the middle of his collarbones. A fond smile appeared on his face and Geena wondered what caused the boy to have such a loving expression.

"Did a fan... give that ring to you, Baekhyun-sshi?" She tried to mask the jealousy in her tone, but Baekhyun could tell it from the glower that betrayed her feeling.

"Mm." He pointedly avoided her eyes, his mind recalling the particular moment where Geena's mother handed him her deceased daughter's prized possession. "Something like that."

"Fine. Be that way." The phantom snapped, fingers leaving the boy's collar. "Wear a living fan's gift. I think I'll just throw my own necklace into the ocea–"

Her fingers shot up to her own neck, blindly groping for the said necklace.

"It's not here."

Colour drained from her face as she threw herself in front of Kai's face mirror. Her eyes widened when they registered her bare neck. Colour drained from her face and she could feel the back of her eyeballs burning as warm tears welled.

"It's... not here. It's not here. It's not on me!" She clawed at her neck, creating red streaks on her skin. Baekhyun rushed over to her immediately, for the dead girl had begun to break down at the loss of her beloved necklace.

The necklace that was around Baekhyun's neck.

"Gee!" He whispered to her, arms wrapping around her and he pulled the sobbing girl into his embrace. "Geena Lee! Listen to me."

She whimpered, but stopped shaking as Baekhyun placed his forehead on hers, capturing her eyes with his own.

"You didn't lose it. You didn't lose your necklace." A playful smile crept onto his face as his fingers held the silver ring. "It's right here, sweetheart. Your mother gave it to me at your wake."

"Oh." Her eyes dropped to the object in his fingertips, and relief flooded her. "That's great to hear."

"So don't cry anymore," His thumbs came up to her eyes, gently wiping away the remnants of her tears. "Alright?"

"Baekhyun! Time to go! The hell are you doing in the room for so long!?"

She pulled away from him, pushing him towards the door with a smile. "Go on, Chanyeol's calling for you."

He nodded, and with a peck on her cheek, he left the room.

Geena heard the front door click shut, after minutes of loud thrashing and hollering from the boys as they supposedly put on their shoes, and she crumpled down onto the floor.

She inhaled deeply and exhaled, willing the tears that threatened to overwhelm her again to not surface. An unexplainable ache surged within her, and it was only when her mind visualised scenes of Baekhyun sitting behind a long table, marker in his hand, face full of smiles, and awaiting the seemingly never ending line of fangirls, did she realise the reason for her uncontrollable sobbing.

She might be here for him now, but she’s not like the fangirls attending the fan sign.

For she will never be able to stay with him forever.

Her eyes swept across the grand stadium that the concert was being held in, her mind visualising the thousands of fans of both genders that would be screaming their heads off and lungs out for the twelve boys.

Thousands of living fans.

A strangled sob escaped her lips as her eyes returned to her favourite member, watching him step onto the circular platform while the rest of the boys were still a short distance away. Aside from Kyungsoo, the remaining boys had chairs in their hands; the stage props confirmed Geena’s suspicion of the song being rehearsed — her favourite song, the song she sang to him.

Moonlight.

He stood in position, his back facing Geena, hands grasping firmly onto the microphone. She stared at his back; her still-heart aching, her stomach wrenching, her fingertips tingling. They reached out to him, seemingly grazing his back from where she stood. Overwhelmed with emotions, Geena was about to drop to the floor when her eyes caught the spotlight on him swaying, as if the person in the control room was playing with the positioning.

Dread washed over her at the same moment her heart contracted. It was the same stabbing pain from the other time at the supermarket, when it happened.

, something is about to happ–

An ominous snapping sound shocked the phantom as her eyes looked up just in time to witness a cable falling from the ceiling of the stadium and the row of spotlights hanging dangerously with only another cable holding it up.

“Baekhyun! Get out of there!” Her ears heard Jongdae yell but her eyes were transfixed on the swinging machinery and