He knew her. He knew her very well. When she truly found a joke funny, when she was lying, when she was telling the truth, when she was annoyed, when she was pretending to understand, when she was really mad or just messing around. Lay knew all about her.

He knew when she usually wakes up in the morning. He knew when she usually ate breakfast. He knew when she usually goes out for her daily jog. He knew what time she usually goes to work. He knew what time she usually ate lunch. He knew what time she usually comes back home. He knew what time she usually ate dinner. He knew what time she usually goes for a shower. He knew what time she usually takes out a book to read. He knew all of her and what she does.

It may sound creepy, as if he was a stalker that had been stalking her since forever, but if you knew history, and if you knew their history, you'd understand why he knew and how he knew. If you knew history, and if you knew their history, you'd understand how much he truly loves her.

Lay gazed at her with longing eyes, his heart ached. How things turned out this way, he had no idea.

It just happened one day, several months ago. It happened so suddenly.

He woke up with a smile on his face. He was feeling great, just like everyday. He sent her a good morning text, first thing in the morning, then he washed up and went out to meet her. He went out to meet her at her place. When he arrived, he knocked, then he waited patiently for a response, but response he did not get. He rung the door bell and waited again, but no one answered, and that was when he noticed that the door was unlocked, so he walked in.

Empty.

That's what the house was.

It was just empty. No couch. No TV. No frames. Nothing.

Empty.

That was what Lay had felt for days and for weeks. He searched for her wherever she could be, but no such luck. Then one day. when he left for work, when he was so close to giving up, he saw her. He saw her walking among the street food stands, eating, and he was in dazed, but he didn't approach her. He was too shocked, too hurt, too miserable.

She smiled so beautifully, and her laugh rung so enchantedly. It was so hard for him to even go close to her, afraid that if he did, the image of her would break, that the delusion of seeing her might break, so he watched from a distance.

He followed her the whole day. Where could she have been living this whole time? What was she doing this whole time? Curious, he followed her from day to night, and he came across her new home.

A majestic house. A very beautiful and majestic house.

The next day, he visited there. He knocked on the majestic doors, and it opened. An older woman greeted him, and she asked, "What can I help you with, young man?"

"I'm looking for a young, beautiful lady," Lay spoke softly.

The woman stared at him, then she tilted her head. "There is no young and beautiful lady here, young man. Perhaps you've got the wrong address."

He, who was terribly miserable, shook his head. "No. I saw her come home last night. She came here. Here. To this beautiful place. She is here."

"I'm sorry, young man. You are mistaken. No one came in last night." The elder was stern on her words. "There is no young and beautiful lady here."

And she sent him away.

Sure that the elder must have been lying, he visited the house everyday. In hopes that she would be there, he came every morning, and he asked the same question, and the old lady would reply with the same answer.

There is no young and beautiful lady here.

But he didn't give up and kept coming back.

And one day, when he came back, he saw a fired down bulding, broken down, and he saw many firefighters trying to put out the fire as huge crowds stood by to watch. He was devaststed.

He ran towards the site where the house used to be, and he was stopped by a worker.

"You can't enter here, son." the worker said. "It is dangerous."

Lay's eyes searched the crowd, then he saw an ambulance go, and he followed after it.

At the hospital, he met the old woman, who was laying in bed, weak from the fire. He stayed by her side and waited, hoping that when she wakes up, she would tell him where his beloved was.

So he waited, and when the old woman woke up, a tear escaped her eyes and she cried. She held his warm hands, and she patted them softly as she cried. "I've told you again and again. Why don't you listen to me? There is no beautiful and young lady here, young one."

"I know what I saw," he replied. He didn't understand why she was crying.

The old woman shook her head, and her tears became a river. "No, young man. You saw wrong. There is no one but me. Your beloved young miss isn't here. She never was. You're mistaken, young man. I've told you the truth. Don't live your life alone looking for her." And with her last breath, she said, "You must give up now. Promise me."

"This woman doesn't have any family," a nurse told Lay. "She lived alone. Her husband passed away a year ago. She didn't have any kids, and she was an only child. She was very lonely. I'm glad to see you here by her side."

And though he didn't know the old woman well, he cried forher, and that was when he knew that the elder was right. There was no beautiful and young lady there, and he apologized and apologized to the old woman for accusing her of lying. He apologized and apologized for always coming to her and hurting her with talks about his special someone when she lost hers a year ago. He held her cold hands tightly, and he said, "I promise you."

He went home that night, and he was at lost for words. He went to bed that night, crying.

Bring! Bring! Bring!

Lay's eyes shot open and he stared at his clock on his counter. He snoozed it, then he blinked, and he took a deep breath. He sat up, and he rubbed his eyes, then he looked down at his clothes. He was in his pajamas, then he thought back to yesterday.

He went on a beautiful date with his girlfriend, then they came home, where they had dinner. And then sleep. He let out a breath. "That... That was all a dream? The old woman was all just a dream?" And once that dawned onto him, Lay ran over the room that his girlfriend usually slept in.

He peeked in, and she was sleeping beautifully, and Lay smiled.

But it was that very day that things changed. 

When she woke up, and she didn't recognize him. She thrashed and screamed when he tried to get close to calm her. She cried and she called and yelled for her parents. She didn't know who he was.

Lay was just as alarmed as she was, but what he felt different from her was pain. Horrified of the situation, Lay called fo an ambulance, and she was then taken to the hospital, where the doctors found nothing wrong with her.

The whole day, Lay worried, and she was kept at the hospital.

The following day, Lay hoped and hoped that what had happened the previous day would have been just a dream. He entered the hospital, and there, he saw her staring out the window. He watched her for hours, and all she did was stare out the window. He didn't speak a word and just admired her from afar.

He was afraid, so afraid, that if he spoke, she wouldbe frightened. He was so afraid that if he approached her, she would hate him, so he just waited silently, and he couldn't help but think back to the dream he had. His eyes began to get teary, and th pain in his chest grew as he thought about the old woman.

"I didn't see you come in. Are you my nurse?" Her beautiful voice asked when she turned around and saw him. 

Lay was taken back, and he wiped his eyes. So she really didn't know him. He was confused too. Did she not remember him from yesterday. She was so afraid of him yesterday. Despite his confusion, he offered a smile. "No, I'm not. I'm your boyfriend. Don't you remember?"

"Boyfriend?" She was taken aback also. "That's not right. I don't have a boyfriend."

Her words stabbed him in the chest, but he didn't falter. "I was just kidding... I'm a friend of yours."

The doctor had warned them to becareful with what they say to her. Though they found nothing wrong with her, it seems like her mind is in a fragile state. That was what Lay was told.

She smiled and brigthened. "I knew it! Well, should we go eat? I'm hungry."

So Lay took her to the hospital's cafeteria when he fed her and they spoke for hours. It made up for the pain he felt. Speaking to her as if nothing had happened really felt like she still knew him. And he went home with a smile on his face.

Even though she couldn't remember him, he could always make her fall in love with him again, and they'd be back where they were. Lay was determined to make tht happen.

So he went to sleep that night with a smile on his face.

The next day, Lay woke up early and packed home-made sandwhiches. His home-made sandwiches had always been a favorite of hers. He knew she would love it. 

Lay went to the hospital, and there, he saw her staring out the window again. He only smiled and placed the lunchbox on the counter. He wanted to say hi, but he didn't. He wanted to just admire her like this. She was so beautiful, and admiring her he did. The smile on his face only disappeared more and more as time went on though.

She was still staring out the window. Just like yesterday. It's been hours.

When she finally turned around, he caught her surprised smile.

Lay smiled back, but what she said next scared him like there was no tomorrow.

"I didn't see you come in. Are you my nurse?" 

And Lay's smile faded. His eyes grew wide. "You don't remember me?"

"I'm sorry?"

"I'm... I'm your friend," he spoke in disbelief.

She broke into a wide smile. "I knew it! Well, should we go eat? I'm hungry."

The following day, it was the same.

Hours of staring out the window, and Lay spent hours of being worried.

"I didn't see you come in. Are you my nurse?"

"I'm your friend."

"I knew it! Well, should we go eat? I'm hungry."

And the next day.

"I didn't see you come in. Are you my nurse?"

"I'm your friend."

"I knew it! Well, should we go eat? I'm hungry."

And the next. So many days of repeating the same routine and being scared, Lay wasn't sure what to do anymore. She didn't have parents, and her relatives never cared for her. He didn't know who to turn to to consult with. This was not usual at all, and even her doctor said so herself. 

They couldn't find anything wrong with her, but this definitely wasn't normal, so one day, Lay walked in and tried to mix the routine to get a new response.

Instead of waiting for hours, watching her stare out the window, he greeted her right away.

"Good morning!"

She jumped, then turned around in terror, and she screamed and screamed. For that day, Lay was dragged out where her doctor asked him to give her some space for the day.

The next day, he spoke more softly and he apporached he carefully. "Good morning."

She turned to look at him, then she smiled. "I didn't see you come in. Are you my nurse?"

Lay only sighed and played the usual routine.

Many times he tried to get a different response, but nothing worked. Either she screamed in terror and alarmed the others, or the same lines were spoken, but Lay didn't get tired.

He continued to stick to the role of a friend and watched her every day as she looked through the window. When she asked him if he was her nurse, he'd reply, then they'd go out to eat for lunch, and she'd ask him the same questions, and he'd reply with odd responses. It would, somehow, always go back to the same questions, but Lay didn't mind.

He was patient and he answered to the best of his abilities as if everday was a whole new day.

But enough was enough.

Lay was devastated and frustasted and hurt. He missed her so much. The old her. The new one wasn't bad, but it was scary, and it didn't feel right.

So for the first time, he didn't go to the hosptial. He stayed home and watched his cieling all day, deep in thought.

No matter what he tried doing, his mind continued to track back to his dream and tears strolled down his cheeks.

Was this what his dream had tried to tell him? Something like this?

There is no beautiful and young lady here.

No beautiful and young lady. 

Here.

Before he knew it, Lay was bawling, and the growing pain in his chest stabbed him all over. So this was it. A promise that must be kept.

The next day, Lay went to the hospital. Unlike other days, he wasn't smiling.

He walked into the room, and there, he saw her looking out the window peacefully.

Lay gazed at her with longing eyes, his heart ached. How things turned out this way, he had no idea.

It just hurt so much, and he held back his tears.

When she turned around, her brows raised. "I didn't see you come in. Are you my nurse?"

"I'm your frined," he replied, choking back a tear, masking on a smile.

"I knew it! Well, let's go eat. I'm hungry."

And the routine continued.

When night came, Lay stared at her as she slept, and he cried softly. "The you who was smiling isn't you anymore. If your heart can no longer give me that kind of love, I will still remember those memories... Thank you. I'm sorry. I love you."

And the next day, he didn't go back.

The day after that, he stayed home.

And the days after that day, he refused to go to the hospital. 

When he passed it on his way to work, he didn't go. He went his own way.

It was that one day, as he was passing by it, there was smoke in the air and a huge crowd gathered. Lay stared at the hospital in shock. Firemen were evacuating patients, and people were being shoved away. Once it dawned onto him what was happening, Lay ran towards the hospital. Many had tried to stop him, but he passed them by anyways.

There was one person he didn't see, and he was worried sick.

He ran and ran, through the fire, through the tough smoke, and he saw her sitting on her bed in fright. She screamed and screamed for help. He had thought she was screaming for her parents, but when he ran to embrace her, he realized whose name she was really shouting.

"Lay! Lay!" She shouted as he hugged her tightly. "Lay help me!"

Lay cried as he helped her up.

*I'm sorry. I couldn't keep your promise. I couldn't leave her. I couldn't give up. I'm sorry.* They headed towards the door when fire blocked their path immensely, and they were forced to stay in the room that was beginning to burn. Lay closed his eyes as she cried. *If this is my punishment for not keeping my promise, then I'll take it.*

"I love you," he whispered as he tightened his hug, his eyes filled with tears, and even though he knew she was frightened, he didn't try to calm her. He only held her tightly, and before he knew it, his world darkened.

Author's Note:
I don't know if I scared you guys, but this is a oneshot I've written because I've been quite upset lately with lots of things, and when EXO released their repackaged album, I took a listen to Promise, and that just tempted me to write this. I just have to say, I've never really said this. I love Lay so much. So So So much. So much. Saying it can't even make up even 1% of how much I love him. I just cherish him so much. This song, not only helped me to write this one shot, but as a song itself from EXO to the fans, it just hurt me. I don't think I have to explain why, because many of us know what I'm talking about. My love for EXO is immense, and you know what people say. When the people you love is hurt, so are you.  
Anyways, this story isn't just some story I thought of and suddenly wanted to write it. It came from a very deep place in my heart, and it's a storys I hold very dear to heart. It's crazy to say and think, but I used to always think bizarre things like this. If you guys don't know, I'm someone who really loves the people around me even though I may not show it. The perks of loving so much is being so afraid that they'll leave you one day, and you never know when that day will be. I've always been afraid of losing someone precious, but it wasn't until last year that I really got to expierience that pain. These days, I think of odd and scary things that may happen to my loved ones, and it just gets me so shaken up. I guess you can say this short oneshot generated from my insecure and concern thoughts for my loved ones. Listening to Promsie and thinking of this story as I wrote it, there were many timeswhen I had to pause to just contain my feelings and calm down. I've written stories and one shots before, and those stories will always be my babies, but this one is different. This one is a piece of my heart. If I made you guys cry or made you guys feel soething unplreasant, I'm sorry, but I also hope you guys took something from this one shot and I hope you guys enjoyed it. Thank you.