The ride back was quiet; everyone else was pretty much spooked by the whole situation and Nayeon was just thinking of what happened earlier. That's Jinyoung she saw; it's definitely him so why couldn't everyone else see him?

"Nayeon," Mark glanced at Nayeon's reflection in the car's front mirror, "Take a rest, you're tired."

"I'm not." Nayeon stubbornly denied. She knew that Mark was saying that because of what happened earlier.

"At least close your eyes, yeah?" He continued but not pushing her as he focused back onto the road.

No one else said anything throughout the rest of the ride. It was an uncomfortable silence but none of them knew how to break the ice on what they had witnessed.

Nayeon had gone straight back into her room when they've arrived at their apartment. Bambam had initially wanted to stop her but the older ones gave him a glance, which he understood as a 'no'.

It would be better for them to observe the situation first.

-

"Nayeon."

She paused for a brief moment, making sure her door was locked before she turned her body around. That night, Jinyoung was right in front of her again. A nervous smile formed on her lips as she slowly stepped forward.

"I thought you disappeared." She muttered quietly, keeping her gaze on her lover.

"You should have kept that thought." Jinyoung said firmly as his eyes stayed in contact with hers, a sad smile obvious on his face.

"Stay." Jinyoung noticed her voice getting a little shaky as she stopped in her tracks and continued. "Don't go away anymore."

There was a brief moment of silence before Jinyoung's sigh broke it.

"Nayeon, I have no idea why I'm still here. But a part of me knows that I couldn't leave with you acting this way."

"Then don't go!"

Jinyoung stepped forward to the crying girl, reaching out for her cheek but his hand simply phased through her. His hand paused midway before he let out a bitter chuckle.

"How could I forget? We are of different worlds." Jinyoung smiled sadly at the girl in front of him. "Can you see it now? This conversation we are having, the conclusion will still be the same as earlier in the day."

"You don't want to go too." Nayeon whispered softly, noticing the tear rolling down Jinyoung's cheek. "You're crying."

Jinyoung didn't reply; she's right, he didn't want to leave. He missed her, he missed her smile; he missed her laughter. How could he leave her alone like this? They were supposed to be in love forever, to grow old together. But the universe seemed to be against that idea and somehow, the both of them had to accept this cruel reality.

Jinyoung stared at the girl in front of him – the girl he loved a lot – and closed his eyes for a brief moment. Maybe, just for a short while, it's okay for him to stay by Nayeon's side until she's ready to finally let him go and maybe, it's also okay for him to create more memories with her before he's gone completely.

Outside the room, Jeongyeon closed her eyes as she held back her tears. She had thought Nayeon was getting better when she started coming out from her room; she had thought that Nayeon was slowly accepting the fact that Jinyoung's gone. However, the situation told her otherwise.

Nayeon didn't get better and from what she heard from outside the room, how Nayeon was speaking to herself, things had probably gotten a lot worse.

-

It didn't take long for Younghyun and Ayeon to notice that something was wrong with Nayeon. Even though no one told them anything, Ayeon had also witnessed or at least heard Nayeon talking to herself in her room.

"Whom are you talking to?" Ayeon stepped into the room with a glass of hot tea in her hand. She took a quick observe around the room and noticed that Nayeon's phone was far away on her study table. It wasn't even on.

Nayeon stood up, shrugging lightly and pointed at her bed as if someone's really sitting there.

"Jinyoung. He's here."

Ayeon raised her brow, not wanting to comment on anything. She had caught Nayeon having a casual conversation with someone; she had also noticed that Nayeon's voice got a little lighter than before. There was life in her tone again.

But right now, she's not sure anymore.

"Ayeon?"

Ayeon blinked, coming back from her thoughts at the voice of Nayeon calling for her. She managed to crack a small smile and held out the glass to Nayeon.

"Here's some hot tea, the weather's getting colder."

Nayeon smiled, taking the mug from her as she mouthed a quiet 'thank you'. It was a smile Ayeon thought she hadn't been seeing it for a while. If it weren't for the situation, Ayeon would be really glad to see Nayeon's smile again. However, right at that moment, she thought that maybe it's better if Nayeon's smile didn't come back this soon.

She watched Nayeon for a short moment before quietly leaving the room, making a mental note to update Younghyun about what's happening.

Back in the room, Nayeon settled back down on her bed beside Jinyoung. Her hands wrapped around the mug as she blew gently against the cup.

"You should really stop telling people that I'm here."

"Why not?"

"You do know that no one else can see me right?"

"Honestly," Nayeon turned her head slightly to face him and smiled. "I don't really care, you're here and that's what matters most."

Knowing that there's no point arguing back, Jinyoung simply gave the girl a small smile.

For the next few days, the situation remained the same. All of them had witnessed Nayeon speaking to "Jinyoung" whom none of them could see. They were hoping that things would get better as the days went by. They had thought that maybe it was that overwhelming sadness of hers when she went visiting Jinyoung.

But nothing changed even after two weeks and Younghyun had finally reached his limit one night.

"Nayeon, let's talk." That was a clean statement and Ayeon could hear the seriousness in his tone. Things would most likely get bad if Nayeon insisted on the presence of Jinyoung.

Which she did.

"Jinyoung isn't here, Nayeon." Younghyun sighed exasperatedly and Ayeon could hear that irritated tone in his words. "Stop lying to yourself."

"I am not!" Nayeon wouldn't back down either, "He is here! He's standing right beside me now."

She turned to her side as she said that, her eyes meeting with Jinyoung's who shook his head at her, telling her to not continue anymore. But the stubborn her refused and turned her attention back to her brother.

"Stop lying to yourself!" Younghyun repeated, his voice raising slightly this time. "Stop living in your own world! Wake up, Nayeon."

"It's okay if you don't believe me." Nayeon calmed herself down, her voice turning cold before she stood up. "But Jinyoung, he's really here."

With that said, she headed back to her room.

Ayeon took a glance at the closed door behind her then back at Younghyun who had his face in his hands. She sat down beside him on the couch, not saying anything as she patted him gently on his lap. It was her way of telling him that it's okay.

"What am I supposed to do now?" Younghyun muttered weakly then sighed. "I really have no idea what to do with that girl anymore."

Ayeon took another glance at Nayeon's room, a sigh escaping from between her lips before she wrapped her arms around his fiancé's body.

"She will be okay."

-

Younghyun wasn't the only one who tried talking to Nayeon. After hearing about the fight from Ayeon, Jeongyeon had decided that it's time that she had a talk with her best friend. The other three boys had decided that they should too; maybe Nayeon would listen if all four of them tried talking to her.

However, things didn't go as planned.

"You're my best friend, you are supposed to believe me!"

"It's not that I don't, Nayeon ah." Jeongyeon stepped slightly forward, keeping her cool as Nayeon got agitated. "You know that he's dead."

"Shut up!" Nayeon cried, giving her three friends a glance each before her tone got cold, "None of you believe me, don't you?"

Jaebum and Bambam said nothing.

"Nayeon..." Mark started, "Calm down first."

"Get out." Nayeon whispered as she fixed her gaze on the floor.

"Nayeon." Jeongyeon tried again, this time her tone getting a lot gentler than before.

"I say, get out!"

There was a deafening silence after Nayeon's outburst. No one said anything until Jeongyeon ran out of the room.

"Jeongyeon!" Mark was the first to react. However, before he went after Jeongyeon, he paused in his tracks and looked back at the quiet Nayeon with a worried look on his face. As if he understood what Mark was thinking, Jaebum shook his head and gave Mark an assuring smile.

Mark gave him a slight nod, understanding that Jaebum would be able to talk to Nayeon. He then left the room with Bambam following after him.

Jeongyeon ran out of the house after Nayeon chased everyone out. It was too hard for Jeongyeon to watch her best friend acting that way. The warmth and the sunshine in Nayeon, it seemed like they've died along with Jinyoung.

And now, she's saying things that weren't even realistic.

She stopped at the playground near their place, breathing heavily as if she's trying to calm herself down. But, what Nayeon did earlier was the final straw. Jeongyeon finally broke down as she cried her heart out, letting out all the built up sadness and stress in her for the first time ever since the death of Jinyoung.

When Mark and Bambam finally caught up with her, they could only sigh while they both kept their distance, giving Jeongyeon her own space at that moment.

-

Back in Nayeon's room, Jaebum stood by a side waiting for Nayeon to calm down. She had broken down into tears after Mark and Bambam went out of the room. It took her a while but eventually, she calmed down.

"Are you calm now?" Jaebum asked quietly, sitting down beside her on the floor. However, Nayeon didn't say anything in return.

"You know, Jinyoung wouldn't want to see you acting like this."

Again, Nayeon kept silent but Jaebum knew that she's listening to him.

"Especially since you claimed that Jinyoung's right here," Jaebum continued, "Does he look happy, seeing you like this? Do you think he will be happy?"

Still, Nayeon didn't say anything; instead she looked up, her gaze meeting with Jinyoung's sad ones. Her eyes got teary again as she turned to look at Jaebum who didn't know the presence of Jinyoung's soul.

"He's sad." Nayeon mumbled quietly.

"Then why, Nayeon?" He sighed sadly, "Jinyoung wouldn't be able to find peace like this. I know because you've always been placed first to him. I know, because he's my best friend. I'm pretty sure both you and Mark know that too."

Nayeon kept quiet; her tears flowing again as she shifted her eyes back to Jinyoung's and then to his tear stained cheeks.

He's crying too.

-

The three friends sat side by side on a long bench; no one said anything yet. Jeongyeon had calmed down just a while ago; Mark and Bambam were both just sitting on her sides, waiting for her to speak up first.

"Why aren't you two saying anything?"

The two boys glanced at her, a relieved look formed on their faces.

"How are you feeling?"

"Like ." She cursed as a reply to Bambam's question. "But better than earlier."

Silence took over the three friends once again before Jeongyeon broke it.

"What should we do about Nayeon?" Jeongyeon sighed, a tinge of sadness obvious in her tone as she continued. "Tell me, what should I do to help her?"

"I don't know." Bambam replied again then looked at Mark. He hadn't spoken up at all and had just been listening to them. This time, silence was still the only reply he gave to Jeongyeon's question.

"Can't we do anything?" Jeongyeon muttered in defeat. "Do we have to watch her like this?"

"Don't you trust her?" Mark finally spoke up; his question got the attention of both of them. "I know her, that look in her eyes, it's real."

Jeongyeon and Bambam stared at Mark, taking some time to absorb what he just said. Did Mark really believe Nayeon? They understood that Jinyoung, Nayeon and himself had a special bond; even Bambam who had played with them understood that it's something between the three of them. But to believe Nayeon completely, did Mark really mean what he said?

"I trust her." Mark stated firmly, answering their silent question.

"Well," Bambam shrugged and stretched his legs slightly. "When we were younger, she always made me laugh when I cried. It's my turn now, isn't it? Even though I don't believe her that firmly, I'm still on her side."

Jeongyeon looked at the two boys and smiled a little.

"Guess, the only thing we can do now is to stay by her side until she's better?"

---------

Here's a late update! I've been busy the past few weeks but things are getting better now so, I guess the constant updates will be back? The story is heading towards its main content, how do you feel? Or rather, what do you think? Any favourite character? Or, any character whom you think is a little bland or boring? What about the plot, too slow? Too fast? Feel free to tell me or ask me anything! Nevertheless, I hope you enjoyed this chapter! <3

signing off, ddeokbxkkii.

p.s. follow my writing ig account!  (http://www.instagram.com/ddeokbxkki)