Author's note: Hi, everyone! Sorrrrryyyy for leaving you Kyuwook stans/ Beyond the Cherry Blossoms fans hanging for so long! >.< I'm busy with my new job as cashier as Kin's Farm Market, and I've been trying to save money for my upcoming full-time job in Japan next year. In the meantime, I have outlines of the last five chapters prepared, so I know how this story goes, and I'm excited to share them with you all! ^^ Enjoy the fifteenth chapter! <3 

March 30, 2017

         "You sure you don't want something to eat, Kyu?" I ask while playing mindlessly with his silky soft hair. 

         "You cooked me pasta two hours ago, Wookie." Kyu chuckles while staring lovingly into my eyes. "I'll probably won't eat until dinner time." 

         "If you say so." I smile. We continue looking at each other for I-don't-know-how-long seconds. He leans forward to give me a sweet kiss on my lips before resting his head on my right shoulder. "I wish every day would be like this." he murmurs, "I can't imagine you leaving me." 

I feel my heart got pricked. I try not to think about how short the time I have here in Japan. My flight back to the States is next week. I've finished my one-year transfer at Kansai University, and I know that I'm going to miss everything here, especially...the man I love the most. 

        "Can't you at least stay for the summer?" he looks at me with a pout. 

        "I wish I can, but I've promised the spend the summer with my family before I start my fall term." I sigh. 

       "Well, your family can come here for the summer." 

       "True...but...my parents just came back from their business trip in Hawaii, and now they're kinda broke so..." 

       "But aren't their trips paid by their company or something?" Kyu raises an eyebrow. 

       "No, my parents pay for their flights and all, but they send their work to travel magazines and blogs." 

      "Oh! So freelance?" 

      "Yeah. And so, they may have to wait for their next bunch of paychecks before they can have enough money again." 

      "Maybe I can help..." 

      "No, Kyu, it's okay." 

      "But maybe I can buy flight tickets for them so that they can fly here." 

      "Kyu, that amazingly sweet and thoughtful of you," I smile sadly, "but I don't want to trouble you. I've set my mind up to fly back next week." 

      "Then...when will you come back?" he asks. Hopefulness evaporates from his voice. "If you're gone, we'll be in a long-distance relationship, and that's gonna be hard." 

       I don't say anything, for my eyes suddenly become cloudy. I try not to cry, but I fail when I unconsciously sniff. Kyu notices my teary eyes in an instant and wipes my tears gently with his fingers. "I...to be honest...I don't want to leave here. I don't wanna leave you." I say between sobs. 

     "Then stay, Wookie." Kyu holds my hand. "Stay with me." 

     "But what about my remaining years at university?" 

     "You can finish your studies here with Yesungie and me and the others. That might be possible, right? You can transfer your credits from your university in America to Kansai University." 

     "I...I don't know..." 

BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP!!!!

The fire alarm startles us. We rush downstairs and see smoke hovering around. Further down, I notice fire peeking through the storage door, which is right next to my bedroom. The first thing that comes to my mind is my omamori, which I remember leaving it on my study desk. I dash through the smoke without even realizing its hazardous heat that burns my skin. "WOOKIE! What the heck are you doing?" Kyu yells behind me. I step into the room, and I'm surprised to see everything in my room unharmed. A silver light which is vividly shaped the same size of my room surrounds all of my belongings, furniture, walls, and floor. This magic energy elicits cool soft air that prevents heat from coming in. I see my omamori; the petal inside the pouch activates in a translucent white glow. Kyu approaches behind me and stops when he sees the barrier. 

      "What the..." he exclaims, "How come your room is...like this?" 

      "My omamori." I reply as I point at it, "it must have been protecting my room ever since the fire started." 

Kyu is about to say something when suddenly we hear the front door swings open. A storm of footsteps echoes through the basement. Kyu and I turn our heads back, and my eyes immediately widen. I recognize his face right away. It's no other than the man who haunts me in my dreams. Behind him were a group of firefighters. 

     "Are you two a, right? Is there anyone else here in this house?" he asks. His voice is deep and rough, but surprisingly concern is layered in it. 

     "Y...you!" Kyu glares. He gets in front of me and puts out his hands. The man raises his eyebrow in surprise. "What are you doing here? Are you the one who set this house on fire so that you can kidnap my Wookie?" Kyu growls. 

    "If I were the one who caused this fire, then would I come crashing through the door and check on you two?" he asks. Kyu and I exchange glances. He's the one who looks like he's planning to murder me in my dreams, but I don't know if he's actually going to do it. My thoughts are interrupted by sirens from outside. "Thank goodness! More firefighters have arrived!" he sighs in relief. He then speaks briefly in Japanese to one of the firefighters before he leads Kyu and me out of the house. I notice the stunned look on the firefighters' faces when they see the barrier that protected my room, but I am even more distracted by the surprisingly concerned and gentle gaze on the stranger's face. He doesn't look like a stalker or assassin anymore. He's more of an angel sent from heaven. 

        "Kyuhyun-san! Ryeowook-san!" a familiar voice echoes. I spot Leeteuk and his two children standing on the other side of the road. A wave of relief washes over me. I immediately run to hug them. "Thank goodness you're okay!" 

         "Where did the fire come from anyway?" Kyu frowns. 

          "I have no idea." Leeteuk-san shrugs, "I remember turning the stove off before I left the house with my kids a couple of hours ago." 

          "It's from the backyard." a voice behind us makes us jump. We turn our heads to see the anonymous man standing with his hands tucked in the pockets of his pea coat. 

          "Who are you?" Leeteuk-san asks.

          "Guess it's time for me to introduce myself." he replies, "My name's Kangin. I'm one of the love spirits." My mouth gapes open. A loving spirit? All this time, I dreamed of being stalked by a love spirit?

          "A love spirit, huh?" Leeteuk-san raises his eyebrow in suspension. 

           "I know it's hard to believe, but I am." Kangin explains, "I transform myself into a human to watch over Kyuhyun and Ryeowook." 

           "To watch over us?" I murmur. Then, I remember that the love spirits choose Sungmin Sensei and Mr Lau as the messengers. And then, they send us the amulets. And now, one of them comes down to earth to check on us. 

            "You know this man, Ryeowook-san?" Leeteuk-san asks. 

            I gulp. I know that I haven't told him anything about the quest and all. If I tell him, I'm worried that he won't believe me. But he has taken care of me this whole year, and he's one of the people whom I know I can trust. Seeing the concerned look on his face, I know that there's no way out. "Yes," I answer, "but it's a long story," I told him as briefly but clearly as I can, starting from the beginning. He listens without interrupting me nor showing any reaction. When I finish, he slowly smiles and mouthes the word "thank you." "You're not mad? You believe me?" I exclaim. 

           "Of course I believe you, Ryeowook-san!" he replies, "I can clearly see that you are happy with Kyuhyun, and not just because you are carrying on with the mission." 

            "And that's not all." Kangin steps in, "They are going to go for the final judgement today." 

             "Today?" Kyu and I gasp. 

            Just then, a Toyota Corolla skids. Sungmin Sensei and Yesung get off their car. "Oh, good! Everyone's okay!" Sungmin Sensei heaves a sigh of relief. He stops when he spots Kangin. "Who's this?" 

            "He's one of the love spirits," Kyu replies. 

             "He's what?" Sungmin Sensei gasps. He scans at the spirit up and down. "How can he be a spirit if we can see him?" 

             "Sungmin-san!" Kangin's face lit up. "It's you. I've finally got the chance to see you!" 

             "Wait....huh....who...what?" Sungmin Sensei exclaims in disbelief. 

             "I guess making humans believe that I'm a love spirit isn't easy as I thought it would be." Kangin sighs as he ruffles his short dark-brown hair. "Time for plan B." We all stare as he closes his eyes and murmurs words in Japanese that I can't decipher. Out of the blue, sakura petals float all around him. He transforms himself into an old lady holding a cane. All of our eyes nearly pop out of our sockets, including Sungmin Sensei wh,o drops his car keys. 

             Well? Now you believe me?" the spirit speaks in an old lady's voice. 

              "Y....you were...at the park." Sungmin Sensei finds his voice again. 

              "Yes I, was, Sungmin-san!" the old lady smiles, "Time flies, eh,? I knew I could count on you to find the destined couple. I've watched over you, and you did a marvellous job. Thank you so much for working hard." 

               The professor smiles back. Nostalgia and joy are written all over his face. "I thought I never get to see you again. You're the reason why I'm involved in this magical journey. I believe in the magic of the cherry blossoms a lot more now. And magic brings Kyuhyun and Ryeowook together." 

                "Indeed." the old lady nods, "and the time has come. We've to put an end to the of the charm. Tonight's the final judgement, and so Kyuhyun and Ryeowook have to go to the park right now." 

                 "But wait..." I blurt, "what about the fire? We still haven't figured out who caused it." 

                 "Junwo," she says grimly. We all turn to her with widened eyes.

                 "Huh?" 

                  "Junwo's the one who started the fire. I saw him pouring a jar of gasoline on the grass and tossing a lighted match onto it. That's how the fire got spread to the basement."

                 My face turns white. Kyu is holding my hand. His grip tightens. "Then if, you were there, why didn't you stop him?" 

                 "I tried. I called out to him, but he sprinted just right after I was about to chase him."

                 "Don't you have spiritual powers to desroy that criminal or something?" 

                 "As a love spirit, I can't possibly kill a human." Kangin replies, "but I know that if the charm is willing to free itself, then it'll judge Junwo as well. Since Junwo is the previous chosen one, together with his late boyfriend, Hwabin, the charm is probably after him as well." 

                  Sungmin's jaw tightens. He looks at Kyu and me nervously. "Junwo and who?" I ask. 

                  "You haven't told them yet?" Kangin frowns. 

                  "It's something I've been holding back from telling them." Sungmin Sensei confesses. 

                  "What is it, Sensei?" Kyu questions. 

                  The professor sighs. "Before you two were chosen, Junwo and Hwabin were chosen to unlock the charm. Just like you, they were madly in love.  They thought they could prove the charm that their relationship will cure the world of the of love. Unfortunately, Hwabin was killed in a car crash just before the final judgement happened. Junwo was changed into a bad man because of Hwabin's death. He blamed the world and the heavens for not giving Hwabin a long life to live and love. And that's when he started to hate all couples, especially gay couples. The reason why he targets gay couples as victims is he thinks gay love is merely an illusion. He believes that the spirits purposely unlock the charm as a punishment for the chosen lovers to suffer. But what he doesn't know is the charm is way too powerful that it's on its own. It's a living being. It has eyes to see whether couples are compatible or not." 

                   Kangin transforms back into his male form. He looks at Sungmin before he chips in, "The love spirits and I have tried our uttermost to protect the earth. We're devastated to see Junwo's mission discontinued, and we couldn't bear to see another cycle repeating. That's why, in this century, we've come up with new ways to watch over Kyuhyun and Ryeowook so that they are ready to face the charm's judgement. If they successfully convince the charm to release itself, then the cycle of the mission will be over for good. However, if it refuses just like before, then catastrophe will happen an,d the cycle will repeat once again with us fo, racing ourselves to search for a new pair. Of course, we don't want this to happen, as many chosen ones have lost their lives an,d Japan has been destroyed many times. This time, we are hopeful and certained that KyuWook will change history." 

                   I can't find words to comment, because my brain is trying to absorb all the new information. Out in the distance, the firefighters cheer for victoriously putting out the fire. All I am thinking right at this moment is the way I see Junwo all this time. Everyone sees him as the most wanted criminal in the city, but they only define him based on what they see from the media. All of his wrongdoings are just the surface of him. If only I can get a chance to talk to him, even if it's just one minute, I'll get to see what's in his heart. He has indeed been working his off to hunt for Kyu and me so that he can kill us both, but I'm not afraid of him anymore. I want to help him. I want him to get back to his senses. I want him to know that revenge against innocence is never the answer to comfort him for his loss. 

                  "Wookie?" Kyu's voice wakes me up from my thoughts. 

                  "Hmm?" 

                   "Something is glowing in your pocket." he points out. I remember that I've slipped my omamori in it. When I pull it out, it is as warm as a mother's touch. The wish paper strip in the pouch glows in an opal light. Kyu takes his out from his coat pocket; his omamori gives the same response. 

                    "They worked! What a relief!" Kangin beams. 

                    "What?" I ask.

                    "I was the one who make those omamoris." 

                    I stare at him in surprise. "So you spied us all along just to make sure that we got these?" 

                     "That's one of my reasons." he replies, "But my main reason of coming here as a human is to watch over the cherry blossoms for the full bloom, which is a sign that the charm is about to conduct the final judgement for the destined couple to be put to the test. I'm sure that the messengers, Sungmin and Jason Lau, have told you everything you need to know about your mission. The love spirits and I are certained that, this time, that the destined couple in the 21st century will convince the charm to free itself and to save the world from its hidden curse that has blinded people from the universal value of love. You may notice that Junwo is one of those who..." his sentence is cut off by a sudden tremor that shakes the whole earth. Kyu catches me just as I am about to trip over. Donghae and Eunhyuk scream in horror; Leeteuk-san shields them with his arms like a mother hen. Yesung and Sungmin Sensei clutches to each other. Kangin, on the other hand, remains calm. His eyes wander around the shaking earth as if he's sensing something. He shakes his head just as the earthquake halts. "I don't think it's nature itself who causes this earthquake. It's the charm." he predicts, "It's awakening." 

                     "So that means..." I pause. 

                     Kangin nods like he's reading my mind, "It's time." 

                                                         *.                                                *.                                                 *

Sungmin Sensei drives us to the sakura river. Leeteuk has to stay back to call his insurance lawyer about the damages of the storage room. 

                     "The function of the omamoris is to connect the two lovers' hearts, and when that happens, they will protect whatever is dear to the two lovers." Kangin explains, "So I think the reason why Ryeowook's room is protected, is because Ryeowook's omamori must have detected that his belongings are important, including the ones that resonate with Kyuhyun. Thus, it activates its magic right away before the fire gets into his room." I smile at the thought of my amulet protecting all of my gifts I've received from Kyu as well as all of the memories I've saved through photos and memorabilia, including the giraffe and penguin origami. "The love spirits and I have tried every incantation possible to create the omamoris, so it's a huge relief that the omamoris worked." 

                     "Did you make omamoris for the previous couple?" Kyu asks. 

                     "No, unfortunately," Kangin sighs, "We should have thought about that before we even realise what the charm is planning. We notice that the cycle of failure is repeating for decades, even several centuries. Therefore, this time, we've decided to take a step ahead by helping the currently defined couple in whatever way we can think of."

                     Kyu holds my hand with a soft smile. "Guess we're lucky then." I smile in agreement. 

                     "You two are indeed a perfect match. I bet your incompatibility will smite the charm." Kangin winks. 

                     "How can you be so sure?" I ask 

                     "Because I have a feeling that we can change things this time," he answers confidently. 

                     "By the way," Kyu says, "since you're a love spirit, why can't you teleport us to the Sakura park instead of following us in Sungmin Sensei's car?" 

                     Kangin chuckles before he responds, "I may be a love spirit, kid, but I don't know all kinds of spells. Teleportation is not my forte." 

                     "Bummer." Kyu pouts, "Then maybe you should brush your magic up a little bit." 

                     Kangin rolls his eyes. "You don't seem to understand the identity and traits of a love spirit, eh?" 

                     My boyfriend shrugs, "I don't, but you should know how to teleport if you are a magical being. Like what all magicians or wizards would do. Besides, all you do is spying on my Wookie and haunting in his dreams." 

                     Kangin frowns in annoyance, "You talk too much, kid. You should be at least grateful that I protect you, Ryeowook, and his host family from that fire, otherwise I wouldn't have saved you all and told you that the final judgement is right at this day." 

                     Kyu smirks, "Yeah, and you're doing a terrible job."

                     Kangin raises his voice, "I did my best!" 

                     "Whatever you say." Kyu snorts. Kangin looks at the window while puffing his cheeks. I bit my lip from laughing. Kangin sure is an easy target to be teased by Kyu, just like me. When we arrive at our destination, Kyu squeezes my hand and says, "Are you ready?" 

                     I look into his eyes. They are filled with anticipation and nervousness, just like how I'm feeling. "I...I think so." 

                    Kyu gave me a reassuring smile ."We'll pass the final judgement, don't worry. I love you so much, Wookie." 

                     I smile back. My heart triples in resonance to his confession. "I love you too, Kyu." 

                     "Good luck, boys!"  Sungmin Sensei said from the wheel, "If you need anything, I'll be right here." 

                     "So am I!" Yesung adds. 

                     "Arigatou, Sungmin Sensei and Yesung." I smile. 

Kangin leads us to the river. The spring wind is oddly cold as if winter is still creeping by. Not even my cardigan can warm up my petite body up. No one is strolling on the pathways, and the cherry blossoms are rustling against one another. A bunch of them starts to part themselves away from the tree branches. The sky also seems to be darker than usual, as if the night itself decides to appear earlier than usual. 

                     As we reach the near end of the river (where the bridge is located), Kangin turns back to us. "You know the drill?" We both nod in reply. "Okay, then it's time for you to go to your positions. Once your eyes are fixed at the same time and your feelings resonated, the cherry blossoms will combine into a whirlwind, and the charm will reveal itself. Got it?" 

                    "Got it." Kyu and I reply. Kangin smiles and walks up the bridge. He stands at the centre and watches the wind picking up its pace. Kyu holds me close and pecks me on my lips. "We'll make it through. I know we will." 

                     I smile and pull him closer for a longer kiss. I don't know whether we'll pass the judgement or not, but whatever it is, I don't want anyone or anything to take my Kyu away from me. Our kiss becomes needy. Kyu's lips are just heavenly soft, and I didn't care if mine has become swollen. I want to feel his beautiful lips on mine for the rest of my life. And as his tongue explores my whole mouth, I can't help but immerse into ecstasy. Unfortunately, we are brought back to reality when Kangin clears his throat. Surprisingly, we can hear his cough audibly despite the roaring wind. "Save the lovey dovey moments later, will you? We got a world to save!" he scolds. 

We both chuckle and reluctantly let go of our hands. I watch Kyu sprinting up the bridge and to the other side of the river. Our eyes locked, and I can feel my heart thundering agaisnt my chest. Everything is about to change at this very minute. 

Ryeowook (リョウク)