The sounds of small thuds against a forest floor caused several animals to quickly look up. Yellow-green sunlight shone through the thick canopy of leaves that the tall trees had created, making large, stained-glass-like patches on the dirt. Birds chirped gaily, the wind blowing through bushes, and sweeping up fallen leaves with light breezes. The footsteps grew louder, and a tall figure shifted from behind a tree. 

       A young, six year old Choi Young Jae skipped through the forest, his cheeks pink from running, his eyes sparkling with excitemen, his hair ruffled from the wind, and a large smile on his pretty pink lips. He panted harshly, turning around in circles while looking at everything he could see clearly. Which didn't include the masked figure that quickly moved away from his sight. Young Jae's pants grew quieter, as he started walking. Leaves crinkled sharply under his feet, causing the young boy to giggle. The figure let out a small smile, as he watched from behind a big tree. He fixed his silver hair under his mask, and turned back to see that Young Jae was gone. He grinned, and zoomed off, leaving a small burst of wind behind him. 

       Young Jae laughed as he waddled around a clearing, the sun reflecting off of his dark, shiny eyes and his smooth skin. His hands were spread out as he spun around, his face turned towards the sky. Young Jae wandered off to another area of the clearing, and saw a huge tree. He noticed the rough bark and large branches that stuck out that were perfect for climbing. He grabbed on, and pulled himself up. After about 30 minutes, he'd reached the top of the tree. After looking down, Young Jae didn't really feel like being so high up anymore. He turned backwards, climbing down slowly. Once he was about 20 feet off of the ground, he looked down again. His foot slipped off a branch, and Young Jae was left hanging onto a thin branch with two hands. The figure's jaw tightened, as he looked around for something that could help him save Young Jae. Young Jae's hands were starting to slip, his feet flailing around in the air. He finally let go, going into freefall. The figure rushed up with a cloth covering his hands, letting Young Jae fall safely onto the fabric. The child had tears covering his face, and looked up through watery eyes to see the figure. Well, the figure's mask. A silver, medium-sized mask with markings that resembled a fox covered the man's narrow face.

       "Are you alright? Can you stand?" Young Jae nodded, and shakily did so. The man sighed in relief, and stood back. Young Jae smiled, and hugged the man, causing the taller to stiffen. After a while, the man saw that Young Jae was only touching his clothes. Young Jae stood back, and stared at the man. 

       "What's your name, mister?" The man chuckled a little bit, his deep voice catching Young Jae's interest.

       "My name's JB. You're Young Jae, right?" The young boy gasped and clapped his little hands excitedly.

       "Yeah! How'd you know?" JB smiled.

       "I know a lot of things about you, Young Jae ah..." The child grinned, showing off a set of small, white teeth. The older stood up from his crouch on the ground.

       "Let's be friends, Young Jae!" The younger nodded, jumping up and down. He then realized that he was lost. Big time. The sun was starting to set, with hues of red, orange, and purple filling the sky in thim, wispy streaks. The sun was slowly lowering behind a large tree, its rays shining on the forest floor. JB tapped Young Jae on his sleeve, making sure not to touch his skin. 

       "We should get you home, alright?" Young Jae nodded again. He held onto JB's sleeve, as the taller led him through the forest. His grandparent's house started to come into view, and the younger smiled. He let go of JB, and turned around to say goodbye. He went to hug him again, but was a little shocked to see the older step back.

       "Young Jae ah. In order to be friends, there's one rule. We can never touch. We can play and have fun and do whatever you want, but we can never make contact. Alright?" Young Jae felt disappointed, but nodded anyways. JB smiled.

       "Thank you for understanding." He patted Young Jae on the shoulder playfully, and pointed to his grandparents, who were waiting for him at the front porch.

       "Bye, JB!"

       "Bye Young Jae! Stay safe!" The child smiled, and ran back to the house, leaving JB at the edge of the forest. That night, Young Jae went to sleep dreaming about what JB looked like...

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8 years later...

       Young Jae crept through the forest, a wide grin on his face. He pushed through bushes and tree leaves, and leaped over rocks and small streams. A rustle to his left caught his attention, and a few seconds later, familiar hands came to rest upon his clothes shoulders. He turned to see the same fox mask that he'd been seeing for the past eight years. Now that he was sixteen, he knew when JB was there or not. 

       "Hi JB!"

       "Hello, Young Jae!" As they started to walk together, Young Jae started to talk about everything with JB. Over the past eight years, Young Jae kept visiting his grandparent's house just to get a glimpse of JB, who was always there. But there was still one rule: no touching. Ever. Sometimes, Young Jae wondered why they couldn't touch, but he never pushed JB to answer any personal questions. Their hands almost brushed as they were walking, and JB shrunk back immediately, smiling at Young Jae to show that nothing was wrong. The younger frowned, and kept talking to lighten up the tense atmosphere. 

       "So... I was planning on staying here! Permanently!" JB's eyebrows rose, and he was wide-eyed.

       "Really? What about your parents?" Young Jae grinned.

       "They finally said yes! I'll be attending school here too!" JB laughed softly, his voice slightly muffled by the mask. 

       "That's great! We can hang out a lot more!" Young Jae nodded, and smiled a little. He noticed JB fixing his mask, showing bits of silver hair that he quickly tucked away. The mask only covered the front of his face, with a thin string to keep it on in the back, but Young Jae had never seen JB's face before.

       "Say... I've never seen what you really looked like before, have I?" JB stiffened, pausing in his slow steps. Young Jae gulped.

       "It's fine, you don't have to show me!" JB slowly reached up to untie the string slowly, lowering the mask to reveal dark, shiny eyes with a straight nose, tannish skin, a sharp jawline, and pink lips that curled up once he faced Young Jae. The younger was in a daze.

       "If you wanted to see, you could've just asked. There's no problem with you seeing my face, anyways..." JB's voice rang out clearly, no longer muffled by the mask that he'd been wearing for years.

       "Wow... you're really handsome, hyung!" JB smiled shyly, rubbing the back of his neck.

       "You really think so?" Young Jae nodded.

       "Yeah! You could be an actor or something!" The older laughed, and Young Jae was in a daze once again. After hearing the same, muffled, tinny voice for his whole entire childhood, Young Jae almost couldn't believe how beautiful JB's voice really sounded. He could listen to it for hours, every single day, and...

       "Young Jae? You okay there? You're zoning out..." JB's hand was being waved repeatedly over his face. The younger shook his head a little. 

       "I'm fine..." JB smiled, revealing beautiful, straight white teeth. His eyes curved up into tiny little crescents that made Young Jae's heart skip a beat. 

       "Kay then... let's go back to your house?" Young Jae nodded, and they walked back, eventually reaching his house. JB stood at the edge of the forest.

       "Hey Young Jae?" The younger turned back. JB had put his mask on, causing Young Jae to feel a little disappointed.

       "Yeah?"

       "Will you come with me to the spirit festival tomorrow? It starts at sunset!" Young Jae smiled, and nodded excitedly. A date with JB! 

       "Okay! Should we meet up at around noon?" JB pretended to think about it, and nodded slowly, his dark eyes twinkling through the holes of his mask.

       "Sounds good! See you tomorrow?" The younger nodded again, flashing a smile to JB.

       "Good night, JB!" 

       "Good night, Young Jae ah..." Young Jae turned back and headed into the house. As he went to bed, he stared out the window, looking for any signs of JB in the forest. He sighed, and fell asleep.

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       Young Jae tugged on his shoes, brushing his clothes off as he adjusted the string back around his neck and waist. He looked at himself in the mirror, not noticing a tall figure creeping up behind his window.

       "Boo." Young Jae yelped and jumped backwards. JB was leaning against the window sill of the open window, hsi head stuck into Young Jae's room as he looked around.

       "Nice room." Young Jae gave him a playful glare as he turned back to the mirror.

       "Thanks..." He grumbled as he tried to fix his hair again. JB stared at him, and they were left in comfortable silence. Once the younger was satisfied with his appearance, he noticed JB's clothes. The taller was wearing a graphic tee with dark skinny jeans, Timberlands, and a leather jacket. He had his mask on over his face, and the mask moved slightly as he smiled at Young Jae's appearance.

       "Ready to go, Jae?" Young Jae nodded. JB held out his hand, the limb glowing slightly. Young Jae warily stared at it, glancing back and forth between the hand, and JB's face. Well, mask. 

       "It's fine. Today, we can hold hands." Young Jae revelled in that statement, and grabbed JB's hand tightly, squeezing it as the taller pulled him through the window. They started walking.

       "Hey, Jae yah... what would you do if I were to leave?" Young Jae looked up.

       "I wouldn't know what to do... I'd probably try to look for you, and if I couldn't, then... I wouldn't be able to live with myself..." JB smiled, ruffling Young Jae's hair. He tightened his grip on Young Jae's hand.

       "I'm glad to hear that..." They reached an area where there were booths and vendors that sold souvenirs and held games and activities. JB spread out his hands, not letting go of Young Jae's.

       "Welcome! This is the spirit festival!" Young Jae giggled at JB, and pulled him forward, going from vendor to vendor. The sun started to set, the sky slowly turning a dark blue. Stars started to light up the sky, illuminating the dark path that Young Jae and JB were walking on after they'd finished having fun. 

       "So did you have a good time?" Young Jae grinned up at JB.

       "Of course I did! Especially since it was with you!" They were still holding hands. JB stopped walking. 

       "What's wrong, JB? Are you okay?" JB looked up.

       "Young Jae... I'm not human. I'm a spirit." Young Jae tilted his head.

       "Are you serious?" JB nodded. 

       "The reason why we couldn't touch was because if I touched a human being, I would disappear. Forever." Young Jae felt tears start to well up in his eyes.

       "Then how are we touching now?" 

       "It's my last day on Earth. I'll be disappearing soon. Really soon." Young Jae sobbed.

       "No, you can't go! I just got to really know you, and I think that I might love you! Please don't leave me, JB!" Young Jae threw himself into JB's arms, the older's arms coming to naturally wrap around his waist.

       "Young Jae, I love you too. But I have to go now." Young Jae pulled away. 

       "Please don't go!" JB smiled, and took his mask off. He dropped it on the ground, and pressed his lips to Young Jae's, cupping the younger's face in his hands. Young Jae's hands fisted themselves into his shirt, as tears ran down his face. Once JB pulled away, light started to surround him. Young Jae grabbed desperately at JB, the other trying to hold back his tears as he started to dissipate. 

       "I love you, Young Jae. Good bye..." And with that, JB was gone. Young Jae grabbed at the mask that was lying in the grass, sobbing and crying as he hugged it to his chest, bending over with heartache. He felt as if someone had just stabbed him in the heart and left him to die. JB was gone. He was really gone. After eight years of an amazing friendship, he was gone. It was almost as if he was never there. The trees rustled with the wind, as it howled around Young Jae. The stars dimmed as Young Jae hugged the mask again, his head hunched over it as his tears started to slowly fill up inside his mask. 

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       "Yah, YOUNG JAE! WAKE UP!" Young Jae jolted awake as his friend Jin Young roughly shook his desk. 

       "What the hell, Jin Young. I was gonna sleep!" Jin Young rolled his eyes, and sat down at the table in front of him. It was the first day of Young Jae's second year of college. As the teached walked in, Young Jae started zoning out. He didn't notice the extra seat next to him, or the familiar figure entering the classroom. He didn't notice the intense gaze that was set upon him, almost as if the person wanted to burn holes into his head. Jin Young kicked his seat harshly.

       "What do you want, Jin Young," Young Jae hissed. The older pointed at the front of the room.

       "Check out the new kid. He's soooooooo hot." Young Jae looked up. A tall man with black hair and dark, twinkly eyes stared at him, winking at him as he walked over to the extra seat next to him. He gasped as the man sat down next to him, lying his head down on the desk next to him. 

       "Hi Young Jae. I'm back."