"So, I was right about you," the other one said with a smile on face, all excited. "Thank goodness, I was about to give up."

Baekhyun looked at him confused. "What do you mean by that? Why do you keep following me? Who are you? What are you?" 

"You don't know what I am? You can see me - see us. Am I the first one you talk to?"

"You're not the first one but it's been a while. You didn't answer my questions though. You've been following me, I think I have a right to know why."

"Well, I noticed you on the train and it seemed like you can at least hear us. I was curious, and honestly - very bored. I've never met someone like you. Then again, it's not that long that I've been on this side so I'm not really sure how rare it is."

"What do mean when you say on your side? Are you dead?"

A sad smile appeared on the other's face. "It still feels weird to me thinking about it... but yes, I am."

The confirmation of what he had always suspected made Baekhyun's heart race, quickly followed by a heavy feeling when he realized that the other one in front of him looked so young.

"What happened to you?"

"I was in a car accident last year. I was 18 and had just got my driver's license."

"Why are you here? Why are all of you here? Isn't there something like heaven or - I don't want to even think about it - hell?"

"Honestly, I have no idea whether it's heaven or hell once you pass the gate to the afterlife. The gate appears when you die once your soul leaves your body. You then have to make a decision, whether you move on to whatever is awaiting you or you stay here. Some are scared of what would happen once they cross and would rather exist here with you, the living. Or they want to keep watching over their loved ones. Some have unfinished business, now this is a tricky one. If you decide to stay for that reason, it means that you want to actively influence the living world and it comes with its price, they won't make it that easy for you."

"Who are they?"

"I don't know exactly what they are, they are at the gate to afterlife."

"And what do you mean by tricky?"

"So many questions," the other one laughed.

"Sorry," Baekhyun mumbled.

"It's ok. Told you I was bored and it feels refreshing talking to someone. By tricky I mean is that you lose your memories or at least your reasoning why you want to stay back."

"What about you?"

The other one sighed. "I guess I opted for the unfinished business, I don't remember clearly as I must have told them why I want to stay. So here I am, alone, bored and have no idea why I stayed around. I remember my family, I visit them from time to time, so obviously they are not my reason.

Enough of me for now. Were you always able to see us, do you know anybody else who does?"

"Yes, always. And no, I was searching for a very long time for somebody who doesn't think I'm crazy but I had no luck."

"If I was still alive I'd imagine to be scared of us..." He carefully examined Baekhyun's face. "...but you're not."

"Why should I be? In the beginning I didn't realize that y'all are different. There was this auntie who always played with me when I was younger, she was really nice. Others have also talked to me and it never seemed to be malicious or threatening. You are the first one who kept actually following me around. Yet I wasn't scared - I guess since you look really friendly," he shyly smiled.

"I'll tell you one thing though. Never trust us, good and bad people exist in the living world and the same applies to my side."

"Which means I also shouldn't trust you..."

The other one chuckled. "I mean, of course I should say now that you can trust me but wouldn't a bad guy say that as well?! And just because I look friendly it doesn't mean I am."

Baekhyun thought about it for a minute. "You're right. I'll keep that in mind. But... if you were bad, what could you possibly do to me? Trying to scare me?"

"Worse. But that's not something we should be talking about right now. Just be careful."

"I am. Heck, as you have watched me you probably realized that I hide that I can see the others."

"The others? Is that what you call us?" the other one asked amused.

"Yes, since my childhood actually, not knowing what you possibly could be. In my teenage years I started believing that you are ghosts but I wasn't sure. And I was so used to calling you like that by that time. Do you remember your name?"

"Yes," the other one chuckled. "Park Chanyeol."

"I'm Byun Baekhyun."

"I know," Chanyeol said with a big smile. "Remember, I was kind of stalking you."

Baekhyun started laughing. "Yes. This is so weird. The first time I feel comfortable talking to someone is you and you are dead."

"It's kind of sad actually. Don't you have friends? A girlfriend or a boyfriend?"

"No, never. I got so hurt by people and started withdrawing from all of them a long time ago. Hell, even my family doesn't like me, they think I'm creepy. That's why I left them to live on my own."

"Are you happy like this, Baekhyun, without love or affection in your life?"

"I haven't thought about it lately. I'm just so used to being alone. I might not be the happiest person but I guess there are people who are worse off. I'm ok."

"I admire that about you," Chanyeol smiled softly.

"Why are you alone though? I mean, can't you be friends with the others?"

"I have talked to some, most of what I know about us I  actually learned from - as you would say - the others. But I kind of keep to myself. I'm not too sure if I've always been like that, my memory of my previous life is blurry. It's more of an instinct for me to do so."

"...which means we have something in common - we're both alone."

"Well, right now we aren't, right?" Both boys smiled at each other.

"Have you tried to find out why you decided to stay here?"

"Yes and no... I don't know where to start, what I should be even looking for. A year has passed by so quickly and I haven't moved one inch with my investigation."

"Another thing we have in common. Felt the same when I was trying to find people like me. But maybe I could help you."

"How?"

Baekhyun laughed. "Obviously I don't know. How about we start finding out more about your life? At least that's where I would start. Maybe I'll be able to help with it by seeing things from a different perspective."

Chanyeol's face lit up with a bright smile. "Maybe. Why would you do that though?"

"This is funny, I keep repeating myself, it's yet another thing we have in common - I'm bored and got nothing else to do."

An unusual bond was born between Baekhyun and Chanyeol - two lonely souls only separated by something as insignifant as life itself.