“Joseong-hamnida…”

Chanyeol strained to hear. Who was that?

“Jungmal, jungmal joseong-haeyo…”

Who are you? Chanyeol wanted to scream, needing to grab the hand that was holding his but realizing that he could not move at all. Why are you sorry?

Then something fell on his hand. It was… wet.

Water?

It was warm and it continued to stream.

Tears…

Why are you crying? He wanted to ask.

He could actually hear the person weeping, right next to him.

Please.

Don’t cry…

He thought to reach out but found himself completely unable to.

How come?

It was as if moments had only passed when he felt the hand holding his slowly letting go.

Andwae! (No!) Chanyeol was desperate to protest. Don’t leave!

He felt some shuffling around him, strange people crowding on him…

Aniya, aniya! He wailed in his head, his heart pounding. Come back! Come back, juseyo!

“Heartbeat is accelerating,” someone was saying nervously.

He felt heavy palms weighing down on his chest.

His eyes flew open.

“Young man?” Someone asked him in bewilderment, speaking heavily-accented English.

Chanyeol saw… nothing.

Was he dreaming? He racked his brain for any recollection of the last thing he could remember.

Just then the memories came back so fast that he felt like getting into an uncontainable cyclone.

A black cap... A short, young man was wearing one... and then... Chanyeol just...

He lunged in front of a cab without thinking...

He tried to feel some sort of pain, but there was none.

“M-Mister?  Can you hear me?” Someone called him again.

His lids fluttered shut and then he opened them once more.

Still he saw nothing.

Everything was strangely white.