While Siwon and Leeteuk went out to collect information, Kyuhyun decided to take a walk along with Donghae. “Come on hyung”, Kyuhyun urged. “You have stayed indoors for who knows how long. Let’s take a walk. The fresh air will help cheer up your mood”.

“Yeah”, Donghae replied yet stayed leaning against the kitchen table, gaze fixed at something, spacing out. He was thinking about how he was going to deal with this issue and what exactly was he supposed to do. Find something that the spirit wants, but what? He wasn’t particularly successful the last time he went to the forest.

“Here”, his thoughts were interrupted when Kyuhyun handed him his jacket. “It’s starting to get cold”, he simply replied. Donghae put on the jacket with a weak smile, “Thanks. Let’s go.”

Out in the park, Kyuhyun kept on talking about random things, trying to entertain Donghae, trying to keep him from stressing. But it was all in vain, as Donghae’s mind couldn’t help but go back to the issue, the spirit.

As they were walking, Donghae realized something, “You know this was the place where it talked to me with your face on” he shuddered. Kyuhyun recalled the day when Donghae was scared of him and had accused him.

They had stopped walking and were standing at that exact spot. Donghae turned to face Kyuhyun, when he flinched upon seeing his eyes.

“What makes you think it is any different now?” Hearing those words from the person in front of him, he took a couple of steps back, eyes widening in horror. “Why can’t you remember me? Then I wouldn’t have to scare you like this.” Donghae stumbled and fell down in panic.

“Hyung, hyung. What’s wrong?” Kyuhyun knelt next to him. Donghae recoiled back when Kyuhyun tried to help him up. “It’s me. It’s me, Kyuhyun”, Kyuhyun said in a soft voice. The eyes that Donghae saw were back to its normal soft brown gaze. It really is Kyuhyun he realized. “I want to go home”.

Kyuhyun helped him up and they went back to their apartment. “Hyung, can we go to my room. I’ve some stuff to do”. Donghae agreed. What he saw surprised him, “Kyu…”

“I didn’t have time”, Kyuhyun made an excuse. “You can take a seat. Watch TV if you want. I’ll clean up.” He started picking up the dishes he had left on the table, putting them in the dishwasher.

Donghae also picked up the clothes that were strewed on the sofa, scrunching his nose as an unpleasant smell wafted in the air. “Let it be hyung. I’ll take care of it.”

Donghae continued picking up the clothes that were discarded around the place, “Don’t make me feel useless” he said wondering how the neat freak Kyuhyun let his apartment be turned into such a mess.

“Hyung, don’t be like that. You need rest.” Kyuhyun urged.

“I’m fine. Doing small chores won’t hurt”.

Kyuhyun didn’t argue any further. If it meant taking his attention away from their problem, then let him be, he thought. In a couple of hours the apartment was back to its original state.

“Now it looks habitable”, Kyuhyun declared as they both slumped on the sofa, Donghae resting his head on the backrest. “Smells good to”, Donghae added, at which both chuckled.

After resting for a while Kyuhyun took his phone, “Should I order something. I am not in the mood to cook”. Donghae nodded in response, also picking up his phone. He dialed a number but it was out of network, so he dialed it again. Kyuhyun noticed him calling while placing the order through an app, “They’ll be back. Don’t worry.”

Kyuhyun turned the TV on as they waited for their food. He flicked through a couple of movies, before deciding to play songs. He kept stealing glances at Donghae, “Want to talk about what happened before?"

Donghae had his eyes closed when Kyuhyun asked him, his forehead creased in concern. “The usual”, he replied.

“I don’t understand”, Kyuhyun was confused. “You haven’t seen that spirit again, have you?”

Donghae chuckled, “No. But I keep hearing its voice.” Kyuhyun startled upright, “What?”

“I’m going crazy, right?” Donghae chuckled again, his eyes still closed.

‘Hyung you should have shared it with us’, Kyuhyun thought of scolding his hyung, but the sight of Donghae looking miserable made it hard for him to say anything.

Minutes passed by in silence, the songs long ago muted, when Donghae spoke up. “Remember. It says I have to remember. Then I’ll be able to see its face”.

Kyuhyun didn’t interrupt him, just listened as his hyung finally revealed. “Even in my nightmares I can’t see its face. It’s always in front of that old tree muttering words about finding something.” Donghae's eyes were still shut, “Sometimes I’m alone, just me in that forest. But I always wake up in pain”, his hand went to his chest on instinct, clutching the shirt he wore.

Donghae finally opened his eyes to find Kyuhyun staring at him, “Tell me I’m not going insane”. Kyuhyun pulled him in his embrace, “No. You are not going insane. We’ll get through this.”

Donghae tightened his hold on Kyuhyun when he felt a phantom pain in his chest making him gasp, few tears escaping his eyes. ‘I hope’, he thought.

The doorbell ringing jolted them out of their embrace. Embarrassed, Kyuhyun skipped to get the food delivery. They had an early dinner that night, spent in silence. Donghae again insisted to wash the dishes, but Kyuhyun didn’t let him. “Do you have to take your medicines?” he asked Donghae instead.

“No, I don’t need them”, Donghae replied while pouring water in a glass for himself. The prescribed medicines were for a week anyway.

“I mean for-for your chest pains”, Kyuhyun asked warily. Donghae took a sip of water, “I don’t think they’d work even if I had any for it”. Kyuhyun realized maybe he is losing his brain cells if he thinks meds could help relieve that kind of pain.

Kyuhyun was chiding himself internally when Donghae yelped in pain. The glass of water in his hand slipped, breaking into pieces. He dropped down on the floor, one hand grasping at his chest and another bracing his fall on the floor. The broken pieces of glass pierced his hand, but the ache i