The stranger, Chanyeol thinks, has a cheeky eye smile. Through the light the moon gave off, and the occasional roaring of old broken down cars, Chanyeol cannot catch his face. He walks closer and the figure runs away. 

When he walks back home to his mother’s house, he sees him again. Having just returned home, Chanyeol would much rather sit down, get a drink, and relax. But something stops him.
“You. Who are you?”
The man on the other side is distracted by the small garden in Chanyeol’s front yard.
“Do you like gardening?” He asks.
Chanyeol thinks this guy is creepy, and wonders how the hell he was able to follow him.
“No, my mother used to.”
He smiles again.
“You refer to her very formally.” The stranger begins to fiddle with the flower petals, smelling them once in a while.
Chanyeol can’t answer the stranger. He doesn’t tell most people that is mother is actually dead. Maybe he does it to save himself from the awkwardness of people saying reassuring things, such as “I’m sorry,” or “She’s in a better place now.”
“Why aren’t you answering my question?” Chanyeol blurts.
“Why should I?”
Only later does Chanyeol give him answer, but he still sounds dumb.
“You’ve been following me for a week!” He says defensively.
Even in the dark he can see the stranger’s lips curl up at Chanyeol’s words.
His movements while standing up are soft and graceful, like he’s flying in the air. It’s almost breathtaking how his hands seem to be dancing while he plucks a flower from the garden. It’s a white one. The type Chanyeol asked his mother to grow when he was eight.
He wants to yell at him in protest, but the stranger starts to walk away.
“I’m Baekhyun!” The figure shouts.
Chanyeol opens his mouth to say something, but is interrupted by the obnoxious man who is far away now.
“It’s okay, I know your name.” He tells Chanyeol.
Chanyeol doesn’t respond back. The thing about their one week relationship is that, this is the first day Chanyeol has ever spoken to him.
The rest of the days he's been desperately trying to ignore him.
"Are you going to come back?"
He can no longer see Baekhyun as he trudges off into the foggy darkness.
—
This time the doorbell rings. Chanyeol runs to get it, checking the peep hole which is blocked for some reason. Out of confusion he reluctantly opens the door.
"Happy birthday!" Baekhyun screams in his ear. Baekhyun had blocked the peep hole with his hand.
Chanyeol falls back, his heart pounding too loud.
Even after one week this guy won't stop. Today, despite the warmth the sun gives off, he wears an assortment of winter hats on his head.
"It's not my birthday." Chanyeol responds rather blankly.
"Right. Awesome. I smell something burning."
Chanyeol only groans as he runs back into the kitchen, trying to save the tea kettle that is now steaming and overflowing with milk.
When he comes back Baekhyun is making himself at home on his couch, looking through some of Chanyeol's personal books and magazines.
"You're a musician?" Baekhyun asks sounding quite surprised.
"I was.” Chanyeol corrects him rudely because Baekhyun is looking through some of his prized possessions. A song book he had filled to the last page, and some of his favourite music albums.
Chanyeol doesn't realize he is still holding the tea kettle in his hands.
Baekhyun takes a minute to look at him, head to toe.
"You're not much of a cook are you."
"It's just milk."
"Exactly."
Despite Chanyeol's annoyance, he returns to the kitchen.
He comes back and Baekhyun has already left.
---
The doorbell rings again. Chanyeol was in the process of looking through his old photo albums. He sees many pictures he doesn't recognize. The doctors think he is slowly losing his memory. But Chanyeol thinks otherwise. In fact, the doctors hypothesize lots of things, many of which are not true.
He was given pills. In the end he forgot how many he had to take.
When he opens the door, he is almost hit in the face by a plastic object towards him.
He recognizes the feminine hands that are holding the object.
"Look, look, look, look!"
Baekhyun is acting twice as annoying today.
As Chanyeol leans in to take a closer look, he sees a familiar title beautifully drawn on a piece of paper. It's one of his song titles.
"What is this?"
He doesn't know why he asks this. He knows exactly what it is, but he wants Baekhyun to tell him. Did Baekhyun draw an album cover for him?
"Your song." Baekhyun says with a sly smile. That wasn't the answer Chanyeol was looking for. He wanted to know how. How did Baekhyun know this was his favourite song.
"Will you leave now?” he retorts.
"Not until you play the guitar for me."
---
His fingers, having lost the ability to play the guitar, seem to naturally play the right cords.
But just this song.
"Wow you’re really good at this." Baekhyun smirks. This sends shivers down Chanyeol’s body.
My mom would’ve said the same thing.
Chanyeol’s phone begins to ring. He knows not to pick it up. It’s become a habit.
Baekhyun is constantly looking at the phone and glancing towards him.
"I don't pick it up. I don't even have contacts on my phone.” Chanyeol explains subtly.
"But what if it's important?” Baekhyun suggests.
Although Chanyeol is not looking at him, he senses that Baekhyun is partly worried. He turns his head slightly.
"Nothing is important anymore."
He earns a small laugh from Baekhyun, which in some way surprises him.
Baekhyun then begins to look through one of Chanyeol’s older song books. While Chanyeol plays the guitar, Baekhyun sings along.
"You sing?” He asks as he looks up from his guitar.
"More importantly,” Baekhyun says as he tactfully changes the subject, "how long have you been living here?"
Chanyeol tries to recall. Two years? Five years?
He feels obliged to give an answer, but can’t think of one.
"I don't know."
---
"Will you pick up your phone today?" Baekhyun asks.
Today they sit on the couch, enjoying radio music accompanied by loud bulldozer sounds outside. It always smells musty in the mornings, and Chanyeol's head is constantly aching.
"No." Chanyeol responds.
"You're so stubborn."
The words that come out of his mouth seem so sincere. I almost makes him want to pick up the phone. He's always been stubborn.
Instead of laughing, he is now staring at Baekhyun who is reading another music magazine. Chanyeol notices how his milky skin compliments his cutely slanted eyes.
What the hell Chanyeol.
He finds himself subconsciously inching closer. He feels more and more dizzy the closer he gets.
What the Chanyeol.
He is inches away from Baekhyun’s mouth when the phone rings. He flails back on the sofa, flustered and confused he answers the phone.
Baekhyun's eyes grow wide.
"Hello." Chanyeol breathes.
He hears a loud gasp from the other side.
"Chanyeol?"
"Who are you?"
"I miss you Channie."
"What are y-"
"I'm sorry I got mad. I just wanted to tell you, I'm in a little bit of a tight situation."
Chanyeol can hear loud noises on the other side of the line.
"Don't forget me. I'm always here."
He can hear the man laugh on the phone. It's a nice laugh. One that you could sell to people.
Chanyeol’s not sure what he means by that.
"I don't understand-"
"Hey and don't worry about your-"
And then the line cuts off.
It takes him a while to realize that this wasn't a normal conversation on the phone, but rather a voice recording.
All his life he could have answered it, and it would have been done and over with. After all, he wasn't supposed to talk back, just listen.
Chanyeol rests his head and feels a small breeze cast on his face. He opens his eyes, and Baekhyun is gone.
---
The bell ringing just becomes more frequent. He gets tired of the noise, but never the person who produces it. He never tells Baekhyun that though.
"It was a voice message.” he explains to Baekhyun. The man only nods his head, and for some reason Chanyeol thinks he isn’t interested. But Baekhyun proceeds to ask, "What did it say?"
"Something about missing me, and to not worry about something."
"That person should have been a little more specific."
Baekhyun let out a breathy laugh as he shook his head in disappointment.
"Yeah, but he seemed to be busy."
Baekhyun took that into account.
"So you're not that dumb."
Chanyeol doesn't even take it offensively, and he shrugs.
"Music theory is pretty hard."
Baekhyun gives him a one sided smirk and laughs. A nice good long laugh. Chanyeol feels the need to make him laugh more. But he's not really a funny person.
"Will you ever sing for me?"
"Probably not."
"Why?"
"It'll only make you cry." Baekhyun jokes.
"I don't think so."
"Well I know so."
"Well I know that you know that I know so too."
"Well I know that you know that I know so too, so I know so too."
Their heads are close as they childishly argue over nothing.
Chanyeol finally makes his move by resting his lips hungrily over Baekhyun’s. The only thing Baekhyun can do is follow the rhythm Chanyeol sets.
Baekhyun is an awfully good kisser. And he's not afraid to bite Chanyeol’s lips while glancing up at him through a line of lashes. Chanyeol’s insides are burning because it feels so nice. His mind is racing, and his heart is running a marathon that has no end.
This had been happening for while, almost a week to be exact.
He wants more and more.
But Baekhyun pushes him back.
"That's enough for today."
"I don't understand." Chanyeol is staring at Baekhyun's lips.
"Because I want to take my time with you."
"Is that a good thing?"
He laughs, and it kills Chanyeol. Baekhyun is so… indescribable. He is so distant. Yet every times he comes around, Chanyeol feels right at home.
"Are you going to leave?"
Baekhyun gives him a sad smile, and walks out the door. But this time he looks back. To add on to everything, he smiles, nice and big. A smile that makes his eyes become crescent moons.
Baekhyun is like the moon.
He is Chanyeol's moon.
---
Instead of ignoring the voicemail, Chanyeol finds himself listening to it on repeat. He was never one to solve mysteries. But he wanted to solve this one, he needed to solve this one. He can’t put into words just how he feels when he listens to that voice on the phone.
The doorbell rings, and Chanyeol almost falls because he stands up to fast. When he opens the door, he is surprised to see someone else standing there.
Chanyeol observes him carefully. He seems to be wearing some kind of uniform. A police uniform.
"Hello sir, are you Park Chanyeol?"
Chanyeol nods a confused nod.
The man gives him a weird look and scrunches his nose. Does something smell?
"Are you okay?" He asks.
"Yeah, why wouldn't I be."
"I'm sorry, your eyes seem extremely red and droopy."
"I'm fine, what do you want?"
"I'm going to need you to come down to the station."
"Why? What did I do?"
“Nothing sir. It’s just that we have finally found the missing bodies of your loved ones. A women in her fifties, and a twenty year-old man from train crash last week."
Chanyeol’s mind goes blank as he reminded of his mother’s death. He didn't realize it was that long ago. He must have forgotten. But he doesn't understand one thing.
"Loved ones?" He repeats.
"Your mother, and your boyfriend I believe."
The police officer is now ushering him towards a car.
Boyfriend?
Boyfriend .
---
The drive is too long. Chanyeol hurts. The same word echoes through his head a million times.
Boyfriend.
They tell him they will take him to the morgue because he has the right to see them. Of course Chanyeol wants to see his mom. But he is afraid to see his "boyfriend." He still thinks they're lying
They have to be messing with him.
The things the doctors told him, about his memory, was it that bad? How could he forget his own boyfriend? How would he explain this to Baekhyun?
The car finally stops, and Chanyeol can feel his own heart stop.
Getting out of the car is so hard because there is so much commotion outside.
The scene before him is quite terrifying. He is not the only one there. Many families are gathered to see their loved ones. Many are crying, holding their faces in their hands.
On the way over, the police officer explained what had happened a week ago. Chanyeol didn’t remember. Apparently, a train holding over a hundred passengers went off the rails, and into a lake. It was a malfunction. There was nothing anybody could have done to prevent it. Accidents happen. All passengers of the train drowned in the lake. No one got out. No one survived. It took a week to locate and gather the remains of many passengers. Other remains weren’t salvageable, the animals in the lake got to them first.
Chanyeol is rigid with fear, standing alone in a group of suffering strangers.
He waits.
He says nothing. He walks forth as he is lead inside the morgue, towards nothing.
No, something.
The closer Chanyeol gets, the more his vision tunnels. Everything becomes blurry.
He sees his mom.
He wants to cry.
He wants to breaks down.
She’s barely recognizable.
"Mom." Chanyeol quietly whispers. He feels like he is choking. His eyes hurt so much.
.
Don't ing cry you .
What really gets him, is behind his mom.
A frail limp body. Chanyeol inches closer.
He looks at the face. He stares for a long time.
The thing about this face is that when he looks at it, he knows who it is.
This is his boyfriend.
You ing idiot.
"He really was an idiot."
He is surprised to hear a voice behind him.
He swallowed his saliva, slowly trying to catch some kind of breath.
You ing idiot.
He turns and knows exactly who is talking to him, just as he knows exactly who lays before him. Before him, he sees the dead body of his boyfriend. Behind him, Baekhyun is talking. It’s Baekhyun. His dead boyfriend is Baekhyun.
Chanyeol’s mouth tastes dry. It tastes like he had just closed the world’s supply of envelopes. Starchy and weird.
"He really should have been more specific." Baekhyun says from behind.
I hate you.
"Am I crazy?” Chanyeol asks.
Baekhyun looks longingly into his eyes. Despite his eyes being small, you can see a special twinkle in there. And Chanyeol doesn't know what to feel.
"I missed you Channie."
He repeats the voicemail.
Baekhyun is smiling, but only for Chanyeol’s sake.
"I'm sorry I got mad."
Because we fought before you went on the train.
"I just wanted to tell you, I'm in a little bit of a tight situation."
Because the ing train is going to crash into a lake.
"Just don't forget. I'm always here."
I ing forgot okay.
Then Baekhyun completes the last part. The part Chanyeol wasn't able to hear in the voicemail.
“Hey, and don't worry about your birthday present. I made you your very own album cover."
Idiot.
Chanyeol earns wary looks from others around him. They whisper with one another.
"Is that guy crazy?"
“Yeah, why's he talking to himself?"
"Let's leave the poor guy alone."
Chanyeol ignores them.
He can't feel his body. Chanyeol feels like he's floating in the air.
"Are you real?"
"I was."
"I don't understand."
"I just wanted to take my time with you."
Chanyeol glances at his dead mother, then at dead Baekhyun, and finally back at ghost Baekhyun.
Chanyeol can feel something on his face. When it enters his mouth it tastes salty.
"You're leaving."
Baekhyun doesn't answer.
"Why don't I remember anything?"
Chanyeol can feel his insides burn, this time not of love, but pain. He feels like he might throw up. A fire spreads through his body, and he can barely stay upright.
"You medicine Chanyeol, you’ve overdosed."
" me! Why don't you answer any of my questions? Why do you always leave me? Why does everyone always leave me?"
Why us?
Chanyeol is a mess. He is holding his stomach in pain. He collapses. He sees police officers walking towards him.
Baekhyun looks at them, then at Chanyeol.
"I'll be here. I'm waiting for you Channie. Waiting."
Chanyeol can't see anything anymore.
He only sees Baekhyun.
Baekhyun is walking away.
He's a ghost, but he looks like an angel.

-see epilogue-