[CONTENTID1]

Day 65

After 2 months and 5 days, Yunhyeong finally opens his eyes and only one word is left from the doctor’s mouth; miracle. Out of sudden, his brain wave increases within 3 days before he wakes up. His test results show positivity and he requires no specific surgery for the wound over his head. Yunhyeong is truly lucky.

The first person coming inside his room right after he’s transferred to the regular ward is June. Then Jinhwan, Hanbin and Bobby. They are all grateful that the other is awake after sleeping for a long time. Yunhyeong looks much skinnier but at least now he’s responding to their talks.

“This like dreams.” Yunhyeong has said one day, with all his remaining members—including Donghyuk inside his room. He smiles contently, “I—I thought never would I see guys you again.”

“Stop being dramatic, hyung. It doesn’t suit you.” June interjects, pushing an ice cream inside the elder’s mouth. None of them bothered by his messed up words. “You are usually the old man cracking up old jokes. Not a dramatic queen.”

Everybody starts to laugh, teasing poor Yunhyeong though the latter never complains. He loves the attention, missing each one of his best friends.

Especially the missing one, whom currently is not here with them anymore.

“Can you tell me your name one more time?”

Yunhyeong takes a deep breath, glancing to his parents by the side to gain courage before he opens his mouth to speak. “M—My is—” He pauses and starts again, “My n—name ish Sh—Song Yuunnh—Yunhyeo—” He stops, head spinning and breath ragging. Mrs. Song is quick to sit beside her son calming him down, rubbing soothing circles on his back.

Doctor Lee—who’s also in charge of Donghyuk is attending Yunhyeong’s case. He smiles to the man before him, “It’s alright, Song Yunhyeong—shii. Dysphasia doesn’t heal overnight. Since your case is a mild Dysphasia, it will be gone with few therapies and proper time frame. Do not worry.” He said, patting the man encouragingly by his shoulder before leaving the room. Yunhyeong’s family is relieved to hear the news that his speech problems due to the head injury he required months back won’t permanently damaging his talking pattern. He will be alright.

“Do you hear that, Yunhyeongie? You will be fine! You just need a proper rest and go to the therapy.” His mother convinces him and Yunhyeong believes her. He believes in himself to recover quickly.

He can’t wait to sing again with all s.

The first thing Yunhyeong has asked the exact moment he opens his eyes from the deep coma is only one—Chanwoo. He’s been screaming the maknae’s name with those tubes inside his mouth, alarming the doctor and nurses when his monitor alarm goes frantic. They inject him with a tranquilizer and he passes out. When he has woken up again to his mother’s voice calming him down, she has promised to tell him everything if he calms down first. So he listens to her, Yunhyeong is an obedient son after all.

It’s only when June and the rest came that he knows everything—his mother tells him nothing. Yunhyeong cries so badly, with his incoherent and messy speech he keeps asking where is Chanwoo? What is happening to him? How is he not here to see him? So many questions in such a messed up sentences though the rest could understand him just well. Yunhyeong is even heartbroken to see Donghyuk is not there too because he’s currently resting from a tiring day full of physiotherapy sessions.

Yunhyeong’s heart breaks to hear Donghyuk has just underwent a surgery to fix his legs—while Yunhyeong isn’t there to support him. But his heart shatters to pieces hearing how Chanwoo has to die in order for everyone to live in peace.

“Hnng—Okay C—Chanwoo?” He asks one time to s, hoping for their smiles to be sincere. But Yunhyeong knows they are not. They are as scared as him too. It’s Hanbin who reassures him.

“Yes, hyung. He will be okay.” Yunhyeong really hopes so.

He opens his eyes when the light from the blinds hurting his eyes. Rubbing the sleepiness off, he wakes up to sit on the bed. Eyes looking around the room he has been residing for almost 3 months now. He takes in the scent of something alluring coming from downstairs. Walking down his bed, he steps out of his room into the vast hall of the simple house.

There’s a lot of classic paintings in the house, mostly of Korean’s Hangul and few symbols etched on the walls. The open window allows a slight breeze of fresh air inside the house, salty air that is still new yet mesmerizing for him. Living nearby a beach is something quite good in his opinion.

He walks into the kitchen, to see Haneul preparing a light tea or something. His expression is light, he seems relaxed even wearing a simple grey T-shirt unlike the usual buttoned-up shirt or sweaters he keeps on wearing outside. This is the first time he’s wearing something so casual, letting the short sleeves revealing the long gash of scars over his arm.

The scar that Chanwoo swears he will never pry on ever; because the last time he asks Haneul is visibly upset for almost 1 week and Chanwoo hates to see his mentor being sad. The man is quite cheerful and Chanwoo likes him a lot.

“Pastry?” He said trying to catch Haneul’s attention. The older man smiles brightly watching him entering the kitchen. He nods with a smile. “Yes it is. And look what the bakery ahjussi just gave me.” Haneul points to a box on top of the table, with ribbon on top. Chanwoo doesn’t even need to open them to know what’s inside.

“Is there any special occasion? Why is he giving us cake?” Chanwoo inquires half-joking.

“Nah, I bet he has fallen all over the heels for you. The ahjumma from the bath house keeps asking about you too whenever I came to her shop. It seems like you have your own elderly’s fanclub in Mokpo.” Chanwoo bursts out into a hyena-like laughter hearing Haneul’s joke. He can’t believe what the older just said.

“Well what can I do? I’m charming.” He winks playfully, earning a roll of Haneul’s eyes to his antics. “Yeah, charming my . I bet those elderly needs to change their glasses.” Both of them laugh along to each other’s silly jokes, sitting down for tea and chatting along. The sea breeze of Mokpo calming their nerves for tonight.

Chanwoo will try it tonight one more time.

The air is eerily cold and as much as he wants to stop; he couldn’t. Haneul has said that he needs to preserve, to stay calm and rational. Think of only positive things, about how strong he is and they are not. Then they won’t scare him off anymore.

“Open your eyes, Chanwoo.” Haneul’s assuring him and as soon as he cracks an eyelid opens, Chanwoo regrets it. He’s seeing too much, too many dead faces staring at him. Cold sweats profusely gathering over his forehead. This is not what he is supposed to be. He is supposed to be brave.

But how could he when there’s almost dozens of dead spirits watching over him with their eerie faces?

“Are you scared?” Haneul asks him, the older is sitting right beside him on the hard mat. One lantern by the side, though it is enough to light up half the graveyard area. Chanwoo nods frantically with clenching fingers. “Y—Ye—Yes!”

Haneul softly utters. “Why would you? They were once just like us; humans. They eat, talk, sleep, walk like us. So why are you so afraid?” He sounds judging, but calm like a teacher coolly explaining things to his students. Haneul’s each words dripped with patience and reserved. It calms Chanwoo down all the time.

“T—They look scary.” Chanwoo mutters, his hairs standing as he hears some distinct cries of woman somewhere around them. “A—And they’re dead.”

“We all will die one day.” Haneul points out. “Rather than be scared of them, you should pity them. They can’t move on from this world. This right here, is their purgatory. An endless one until they will find peace.” His voice slowly lulls Chanwoo to a serenity. His face muscles relaxed, fear dissipates slowly out of his system. Haneul’s rough and big palm rested on his shoulder. “Will you try it one more time? This time, don’t be scared. You need to accept this fear and overcome it for you to get stronger. So that if anything happens in the future, and there’s nobody to lend you a hand you are ready to fight.”

And Chanwoo opens his eyes, eventually calming down while taking all the dead faces staring owlishly at him. Haneul is right though, he can’t be scared anymore. He needs to be stronger; for himself and the people he loves.

In the next few weeks they are isolating themselves in the island of Mokpo, Chanwoo learns so much from the psychic. How to control his ability, ways to avoid from seeing the ghosts; chase them away when it’s necessary, how to react when some are talking to him or disturbing him. He also learns to be stronger, few tricks here and there to help himself and the others. It’s all boosting up his confidence, and with times he is slowly getting used seeing those things in a different way than before he’s attacked that night.

If months ago Chanwoo sees them as something that is out of this world—which is indeed true, cold creature he needs to stay away from as mu