Baekhyun's eyes fluttered open. He blinked a few times before his vision became clearer. The pain in his head had dissipated, leaving only a slight headache. But still it was better. His eyes roamed around, finding himself in the living room, lied on the couch. Shot up, he turned his head to see Areum with her head burried in her arms. It was then he found something absurd.

Shocked, the man stumbled down the couch. Cold sweat ran down his spine. No, he did not sure he would be able to sweat anymore. Because he thought, he did not want to admit, but he thought he had died. What other reason could it be when he could see his own body lay on the couch?! The dreadful thought crossed over his mind again. He was dead. Dead. 

Trembling, he moved closer to his body. Bringing his finger below the nostrils, he tried to sense the existence of air flowing through it but there was none. He fell on his , completely in fazed. Never crossed his mind that his life would end like this. He knew he lived a poor life but he never thought it would end this bad. He did not care less about dying, in fact he wished for it because life was damn hard. But there was someone in this world needed him. His father. Now that he died, who would take care of his father?

His mind was too occupied that he failed to notice Areum who was staring at him. Her eyes filled with disbelief. Baekhyun was not supposed to be sitting here beside her. He supposed to be walking to Quera World to have his life lengthened. Areum was sure it was 13.00 already because she heard the siren rang and Baekhyun's soul had left his body. So why on earth this soul was still here?! Nevertheless, the girl was relieved to see Baekhyun was still fine. That man scared her to death when he suddenly collapsed.

"What are you doing here? You're not supposed to be here anyway" Areum muttered, did not expect that Baekhyun would respond to her, turning his head with his eyes widened.

"You can hear me?!" Areum gasped in shock.

"You can see me?!" Baekhyun, as much as Areum, was surprised. He was supposed not to be seen by human, right?

"Wait a second. I want to check something" Areum moved closer to Baekhyun's body. Baekhyun watched as Areum touched his body. After a few seconds of silence, the girl swirled her head towards him. 

"You're not dead" Areum muttered.

"What? How do you know? You can feel my pulse there?" Baekhyun pointed towards his hand.

"This should not be happening" Areum blinked her eyes a few times in utter bewilderedness. Baekhyun's brows knitted together as he tried to decipher the situation. 

"You're not supposed to be conscious right now and this is not the place you should be at this moment" Areum uttered under her breath.

"Then where should I be?" Baekhyun asked.

"My world"

...

Kyungsoo's car dashed on the road, heading home, as the man stepped on the accelarator. He never thought he would drive this fast but he just did. He guessed he had lost his mind but the moment Areum called, asking for him, he could think of nothing other but being home as fast as he could. 

It had been a while since Areum was home. So when the girl he longed for the most said that she was in front of his house, waiting, he could not wait until he finished his work. Journey home was never been so unnerving but with Areum's sudden appearance, it happened and Kyungsoo could not help but feeling worried.

Millions of thoughts occupied Kyungsoo's mind. The man wished Areum did not bring bad news but when he noticed his bestfriend was not alone when he arrived, the man doubted. Stopping his car right in front of his yard, Kyungsoo then stepped out with hesitation elevating in him. 

"Kyungsoo!" Areum shrieked when she noticed her best friend. Running into his arms, Areum hugged Kyungsoo tight. The man did the same despite the raging curiousity inside him.

"Areum-ah. Are you alright?" Kyungsoo eyed the girl in front of him from top to toe, making sure there was no sign of injury here and there. Areum shook her head, telling the man that she was fine.

"What's the matter? And who--?" Kyungsoo's gaze shifted to unfamiliar man behind Areum. The man had this intimidated look in his eyes. His pupils were shaking, revealing the nervous state the man was placed in. Kyungsoo squinted his eyes as he tried to recognize the man. This guy..I've seen him before

"Baekhyun!" Kyungsoo gasped.

"You know me?" Baekhyun blinked his eyes in bewilderment. He was more than sure that it was his first time coming to this weird place. He was scared enough when he had to pass through a portal which he never knew was existed before and now an unknown man was boring a hole in him, intimidating him even more.

"Areum! What is this human doing here?! And why are you here with him? He shouldn't be--I mean conscious. Wait. What's happening? Did you drag him here? Did you--"

"Kyungsoo, stop! You scared him" Areum clamped her hand over Kyungsoo's mouth.

"Okay. What's going on here?" Kyungsoo asked after Areum had let him go. His eyes still glued on Baekhyun, did not have any intention to put his eyes off him. Kyungsoo's eyes were filled with suspicion and he looked like he would eat Baekhyun alive. Baekhyun swore this guy had this creepy demeanor that made his stomach twisted into a knot.

"Let's go in and we'll talk"

...

Kyungsoo massaged the bridge of his nose. The situation was far-fetched to believe but it was really happening. Not a single voice could be heard in Kyungsoo's living room despite there were three still-alive creatures. No one was speaking. Only the sound of papers filled the air as Kyungsoo flipped through the pages of his books.

"So you're saying that, after Baekhyun knocked out, he suddenly became conscious despite it was 13.00 am. Since you can feel his pulse, you assume that he is still alive. And this happened right after Baekhyun your bleeding finger?" Kyungsoo looked up at Areum. The girl nodded, agreeing with the statement.

"This is hard to believe but, your blood, that runs in Baekhyun, made the drug planted in him, malfunction. It states here that the drug that we create has a weakness which is, yeah, our own blood" Kyungsoo showed Areum the book which explained the whole weird situation. Areum snatched the book hastily. Her eyes skimmed through the page.

"It doesn't make sense" Areum muttered with her eyes still on the book.

"So now, what are you going to do?" Kyungsoo crossed his arm.

"I don't know..." Areum sighed.

"Kyungsoo, should we bring Baekhyun to the headquarter and ask them to plant the drug in him again?" An idea popped out from Areum mind.

"No we can't do that anymore Areum. Your blood is running in his body. The drug cannot function in him. And we can never bring him to the headquarter. He will be killed if they know he is a human! No Quera wants their secret to be reveal" Kyungsoo persisted.

Baekhyun just kept his mouth shut and watched as the two Quera argued. The human was actually still in surprise. The shock he got when he saw his own body was not fully recovered and now with Areum was not a human and he was here in another side of the world, Baekhyun was impressed that he was still breathing.

"Then what should I do.." Areum rubbed her own face in despair, totally hopeless on the situation.

"We can do nothing but he can" Kyungsoo averted his gaze to Baekhyun who sat silently beside Areum. A lump  formed on the human's throat, causing him to gulp. Baekhyun was not sure it was because of the dim light of the living room or Kyungsoo was originally a frightening Quera.

"You have to pretend like the rest of your human race. Make sure at 13.00am you'll come here and go straight to Skyte to have your Drowte crash. Never show an emotion. As if for tonight, I'll handle it" Kyungsoo affirmed.

"But the Quera in charge for Baekhyun tonight must have realize that a human has gone missing" Areum could not help but feeling worried.
 

"I said I'll handle it, alright?!" Kyungsoo's voice raised a tone. Areum's concern towards Baekhyun somehow annoyed him. As much as Baekhyun, Areum was startled as well. Realized the morphed expression on his best friend's face, Kyungsoo regretted.

"I'm sorry Areum. I didn't mean to yell at you. I'm just-"

"No. I'm sorry for dragging you into my trouble. It's not like I don't know how stressful are you but there's nobody I can seek help from other than you. I only have you" Areum lowered her voice, almost close to a whisper. 

Kyungsoo did not respond. Instead he gazed deep into Areum's eyes. Both Quera locked their eyes together, realizing how much they longed for each other. They drowned too deep in their sea of emotion that they forgot the existence of a human, witnessing them and Baekhyun hated what his eyes saw that night. That look Kyungsoo had for Areum, he hated it. Baekhyun guessed he found a competitor.

...

The next whole week was a complete mess for Baekhyun. He lived his life as if he was a newborn baby. Everything was new for him even though Kyungsoo said he had done the whole thing for his entire life. At 13.00 am as if his body was scheduled to wake up, he would find himself walking to the Quera World. 

There, Kyungsoo would be waiting for him and brought him to the largest building he had ever seen. Kyungsoo called it Skyte. Human, could be find there, at that building to lengthen their life. Baekhyun still had a tough time to swallow the fact about this Qweit thing in human and how it could influence human's life. The thing Baekhyun found the most frustrating was that, his own Drowte.

"Good. I guess you can handle it by yourself after this" Kyungsoo's voice echoed in the cell, as Baekhyun had channeled all is Qweit to the Drowte. The Quera then keyed in the data to be sent to the headquarter. Acknowledgement to his hacking skill, Kyungsoo made himself in charge for Baekhyun for the whole week, to make sure that Baekhyun could survive consciously in Quera World without getting caught.

"Come, let's go" Kyungsoo beckoned the human to follow him home. 

"Mr Byun?" Kyungsoo turned his head towards Baekhyun to found that the man still had his feet stucked to the ground. Baekhyun shifted his gaze from his partially filled Drowte to Kyungsoo. Silently, he released a sigh and followed Kyungsoo's trail, heading out.

"Let's go"

...

Kyungsoo stole a glance at Baekhyun while making hot chocolate. The man who was sitting on the couch with his legs folded had his eyes roaming outside of Kyungsoo's house. Sometimes Kyungsoo could not help but feeling pity towards that man. No matter how much he hated Baekhyun but it did not mean he did not care for him. Baekhyun made Areum happy after all.

"Hot chocolate?" Kyungsoo offered. With a sligt nod, Baekhyun took the mug from Kyungsoo. There was still 15 minutes left before he could return to Human World. 

"Kyungsoo-ssi. Is there still thing called hope for me?" Baekhyun muttered almost incoherent. Kyungsoo turned his head towards Baekhyun.

"Sorry?" Kyungsoo furrowed.

"Can I crash my Drowte? Can I lengthen my life?" Baekhyun continued to ramble. Did not give any respond, Kyungsoo stayed silent. 

"My life span is shortening. I don't have so much time left. Am I right?" Baekhyun swirled his head, meeting his eyes with Kyungsoo's. Avoiding Baekhyun's gaze, Kyungsoo looked away and sipped his hot chocolate.

"So it's true. Well, you must like it don't you? You hate me anyway. When I'm gone, you can get your Areum back and both of you can live happily ever after" Baekhyun let out a fake laugh. Those words were hurtful but he could not deny the truth. He knew Kyungsoo loved Areum and he could give Areum more than he could.

"Since you've mentioning it, it's not a bad idea after all" Kyungsoo crossed his arms. Baekhyun smirked to Kyungsoo's words.

"But-" Kyungsoo paused and looked at Baekhyun in his eyes.

"Don't. Don't die. Stay alive" Serious tone could be traced in Kyungsoo's voice. 

"Don't give up. Don't make Areum's effort in vain. She tries very hard to grant you happiness in life that you thought you would never get. She put you before herself. She even leave her family for you. How would she feel when she know you want to give up and just die. Areum, for once in her life she feels useful to someone. Everytime your Qweit rises when nobody even aware of it, she is the happiest person" Kyungsoo took a lungful of air before he continued.

"Areum is not the same with other Quera. She is different. She can't make Drowte. She can't work at Skyte like anyone else. That's why she feels useless. She ran away and that was when she met you, a man with dark past. When you go around thinking you are hated by heaven, she is the only person who think you deserve all the happiness and bless in this world. So do you think by giving up will make things right? How do you think Areum would feel?" Kyungsoo tried to shook some sanity out of Baekhyun.

"But how? I guess I just forget how to be truly happy" Baekhyun sighed.

"Learn to let things go Byun-ssi. Once you let go, your heart will be at peace. Look forward. Don't keep looking back or you'll trip" Kyungsoo's piece of advice somehow struck Baekhyun. The edge if Baekhyun's lips slowly curled upwards, forming a smile.

"I'll keep that in mind"

...

Baekhyun entered his apartment to found Areum was still wide awake, waiting for him. Noticing his presence, Areum got on her feet. A smile adorned her face. It had been a week Areum stayed over, just to make sure he was fine without the drug. Kyungsoo's voice rang in his head as he paced closer to Areum. 

When you go around thinking you are hated by heaven, she is the only person who think you deserve all the happiness and bless in this world.

"How's today? Is it bett-" Areum came to a pause when her body was pulled into Baekhyun's arms. It felt so warm she could not mutter a word.
"Areum. I promise to you, I'll get my life lengthen, live a long life and--" Baekhyun let Areum go and held her by the shoulder instead. 

"And I'll share that happiness with you for the rest of my life. Please, stay and watch me. I'll show you how I live my life to the fullest" Baekhyun looked deep into Areum's eyes, telling her that he meant every words he uttered out. Seeing the sincerity in Baekhyun's eyes, Areum creased a smile.

"I know you will Baekhyun. I know you will" Keeping her smile, Areum then reached for a bag beside the couch. In seconds, the bag was already in Baekhyun's hand.

"What is this?" Baekhyun peeked into the content.

"A gift" after keeping the present for a while, Areum finally was able to give it to Baekhyun. The surprised man took out the content to find a decent light-blue long sleeve shirt and a white jumper. It was not fancy but it felt so nice.

"Areum. You don't have to--"

"I'll be very happy if you accept this gift" Areum cut him off. Baekhyun did not have any other option other than accepting Areum's present. If that made Areum happy, so would he. Baekhyun then paced closer to Areum until there was almost no space between them. Before Areum's mind could decipher what was happening, Areum felt Baekhyun's tender lips pressed against her forehead, taking her breath away. 

"Thank you so much Areum"

I'm back !!! Finally I've gotten time to write. it took me long right? But rest assured because I'm 100% ready to finish this aff! Thank you for reading =))