He got his luggage bag inside the house and locked the door behind him, stepping inside keeping the shoes on. 

He could see a thick layer of dust on the floor, and the white sheets on the sofa and piano turned a tint of yellow with the settled dirt.

Five years had passed, he had left the house to move to Seoul, what more he could have expected.

He could smell the suffocating air now, making it unbearable to keep standing there comfortably any longer. He needed to clean the place, and hence needed to grab a few things from the store now.

He scanned the space around him once again, he was back here in that house, the house he never thought he would visit again.

He stepped ahead to get a look of the entire house, walking into the kitchen on his right first, to only witness the cabinets and counter all covered in a thicker layer of dirt, as he was worried about cleaning everything now.

He moved, guiding his foot to the door of that small bedroom at the opposite end of the living room, which had a bed and a wooden cupboard, concluding that no matter how tired he was, he should be cleaning the whole space before he could lay his body to rest in the peace of this silence.

He decided to leave the house to get some cleaning essentials immediately.

He had come back to his hometown after five years, but five years must be a really long time, as the whole neighborhood was a changed place, completely different from the town he had grown up to see, the town had grown by people as well as civilization, there were more stores, more schools, more roads. His house was a bit away from the main town before, but now the town was expanding, he could feel the distance was shortened. He could luckily find a convenience store 10 mins drive away from the house now.

He got the domestic essentials as well as the quick-fix he needed for his empty stomach grunting louder by the time.. 

He was very tired that his eyes were burning because of the lack of sleep, but as soon as he stepped back inside the house, he couldn’t resist the urge to get all the dust and dirt away quickly, so that he could drop himself on that cleaned, cozy bed as soon as possible.

He removed the white shirt he was wearing over the white vest inside, putting it on the bag, which was the only clean spot for now, as he picked the bag filled with the cleaning essentials in one hand and the broom and mop he had brought along in his other hand.

He had got the dust off the counters and cabinets and walls with the broom somehow, and ended up straightaway washing the floors instead of mopping because of the greasy dirt stuck to the floor stubbornly.

He was hardly breathing anymore, but the house looked breathable as he was finally done with all the cleaning.

He had to get rid of the stinky sheets from the bed as they were not in condition to be reused again, so he pushed the heap of all the soiled sheets towards the wall with his feet, and threw his body on the bed letting it fall with a hard thump on the clean sheet that smelled fresh and good, and in no time he was pulled into the caverns of that darkness under his eyelids, his eyes were shut tightly, as he lost consciousness slowly, falling into the deep slumber..

—----------

His eyes were opening slowly, as he could see the green bushes on the other side of the window that was open, as the curtain was flowing bringing in the cool breeze of a summer evening, as he was pushed back in the daze by that tingling air brushing his face calming his relaxed mind.

But before he could close his eyes again, he saw a blurred figure standing among the woods, a woman dressed in a white long dress with her long black hair flowing with the wind covering her side of the face.

A familiar face ….. Thought crossed his mind in that latent state, though before he could reassure his judgment, the curtain had meddled his vision once again, pushing him back into that overwhelming trance, as he eyes were shut closed, trapping him back in the embrace of the deep silence.

—----------.

Taemin felt a soft yet cold touch of someone’s fingers sketching the outline of his face.

The touch had traced all along the curve of his forehead to the apple of his cheeks, moving down to his jawline, as he could feel the touch but still wasn't completely awake to open his eyes…he felt paralyzed…unable to open his eyes…

When he finally could wake up, he realized that the feeling was too real for a dream.

He sat up, looking around the whole room, finding it empty as it should be, but he knew that touch, that familiar cold hand, that scent of tulips.

It was her!

He was believing till now that she would not choose to appear before him again, but he couldn’t fight the thought of her, now that he was sure that he wasn’t dreaming all this time.

Didn’t he come back here with that piece of the hope in his heart? 

If she would know he was back in the town….would'nt she come in front of him again?

But they had promised each other to stay away from each other’s sight. Then why would she find him again?

Their evil fate would not end in this lifetime, as he was still a human, and she was not.

But the string between them was always a pull away, he could rfeel that once again, as he was back here and could remember everything that happened five years ago.

“You need to stay alive” he still had the clear memory of her shivering voice in his ears, “You need to stay alive in your world for me to survive in my world” he couldn’t even ask for a choice.

She was the one who could’ve taken his life and he won’t deny that his love for her was not stopping him from giving her even his last breath. But she wanted him to live, and the only way was walking away from her. She had asked him to surrender himself to a living death, which he was trying to embrace till now, but he got the chance to come back here once again.

With no other family alive in this world, he was the only one who could take care of that old house right now, which needed to be sold at the time. He was back here for the deal, but was hoping somewhere in the back of his mind that maybe he would be able to see her again. 

If not, he can just go back to his average life, living the days thinking when he’ll forget her face and sleeping to the nights where he could always find her in his dreams as it is.

It was more cruel than death he could have had from her.

Revisiting the memories from the past, he was wondering now if she still wanted to protect him, what if he tried to actually go to the end of their world.

He was lost in his thoughts, as the curtains started fluttering when another strong breeze of air gushed in.

He was focused on thinking, staring blankly at the flowing curtain, but then noticed someone walking through the woods, as he jumped out of the bed now, running closer to the window, but till then the area was cleared, only lonely tall trees standing under the gray sky of nightfall marking the entry of the forest, behind his house.

It was already getting dark, and he could feel his stomach grumbling again, as he closed the window, and walked himself out in the living room, picking the bag filled with convenience store items, walking himself to the kitchen.

He placed the bag on the dinner table, and pulled out one of the cup noodles, placing it on the table, reaching for the cabinet to get the kettle out, taking the water in it to turn it on for boiling the water.

He poured the hot water, and needed to wait now, as he reached the bag again, pulling out the pack of beer, as he moved to the refrigerator, pushing the pack in.

The noodles were ready to eat in the next few minutes, as without any more delay he was ready to dig in.

He had slurped the entire serving in hardly 5-6 bites. 

The growling stomach was finally silenced, making him feel much better now, as he decided to get a can of beer he had stocked in hardly 10 mins ago, but he was fine with at least the moderately cold beer in this burning pain unresolved inside him.

He got the can out from the fridge, putting on his shirt, keeping it ed, as the air was much warmer to put on the buttons.

He strolled out of the house to sit on the porch.

The stars had filled the sky, and were shining brighter as the moon was nowhere to be seen in the wide dark blue sky.

He gulped the beer, staring at the sky silently for a while, till he heard a crashing noise piercing the silence that was interrupted only by the crickets on the trees around till now.

His ears were alert suddenly, trying to find the direction of the sound. 

It had to be from the back of the house. He had removed the rusted old material from the house while cleaning to keep it in the back earlier. The noise source was from there.

He placed the beer-can back on the porch, rising up to walk around the house now.

There again he could find nothing but the dark black shadows of the long trees, standing silently, with only the sound of crickets chirping in the background now.

He walked further, turning on the torch of his phone now, inspecting the areas around the trees, if he may find anything or anyone, but fortunately or unfortunately, there was the cold air of summer night & a few fireflies playing around.

Instead of going back to the house after finding no evidence of the reason behind those sounds, he had started walking further into the woods, step by step, and the quiet was getting deeper as he had crossed the sparse parts and was into the real dense parts of woods now.

Only big trunk trees were around him now, as he was walking further with the help of the torch of his phone. 

The flashbacks of that day came to him, with the familiar path and familiar night.

He was hearing his own footsteps crushing the leaves below his feet, as he kept walking trying to focus on finding the trace of what he was looking for… but ended up coming to the place he probably was still not able to erase from his memory.

He walked himself to the pond he could see in front of him, the pond that must be still holding onto so many sweet memories. 

He got himself a seat on the rock, taking a deep breath, and suddenly the emptiness of his mind was filled with the flashbacks, the flashback of their first kiss here, the flashback of their every kiss here, the flashback of that attack, and the flashback of that promise too. 

He stood up and decided to get going further, like that day he may actually summon her today as well, like that day he can just go far from his boundaries with this desire to see her.

The desire was growing back, getting ahead of his ability to think again, he knew he was walking into danger again, but he recognized that he could actually meet her like this.

“Please, we need to meet once” he whispered to himself, pleading to the emptiness around him.

He didn’t know what he would do by seeing her again, but he needed to see her, not in his dreams, but for real, in person for once.

He had felt the sharp movement behind him in that second of his focused mind, as his feet had stopped instantly, making him take a breath before he could turn his eyes around to confirm his doubt..

He stayed still, fear creeping in, knowing she would play the trick and he was in no position to fight her as always. 

He was an ordinary human after all with just loads of unnecessary passion in his heart..

All he wanted was to see her once, those almond eyes staring back into his, which would pour all the unsaid love she would deny with her lips every time.

“Let’s see each other once” he was letting his words out in that empty air again, hoping he was right…he would be right & she could be the one behind those noises, as he had thought, “I promise I won’t ask you anything more” “Just once!”

As expected, there was no response, just the silence and him, all alone and empty in the dark of that scary night again.

No fear could win that emptiness. 

He was more thirsty for her, and the appearance of an oasis was never-ending. 

He looked around once again, finding those empty shadows making fun of him now.

He was tired of searching for the path he could never see with his human eyes, but he still wanted to walk some more, hoping she would take pity on him and just let him in for once.

His greed was winning over his fatigue.

He stepped up to walk further, but as soon as he lifted his feet, he felt his body sweeping off the ground, and before he could see anything else, he had lost his consciousness….

—--------------

When he was awake again, he could feel his bed where he was lying on his side, his eyes still closed...

He was confused if he was sleeping all the while here, feeling like he was somewhere else a while ago, but couldn’t trace anywhere further from him having the beer on the porch. 

He opened his eyes, to find her in front of him, as he closed them again, “Naeun!” his slow breath was mixed with that low whisper, “When will I stop seeing you in my dreams?” he added in the soft whisper, 

He still wasn’t completely conscious, but seeing her face felt like an urgency, as he had opened his eyes again, blinking slowly trying to stay awake, to continue watching her beautiful face through the heavy eyelids dropping to shut back again & again.

He could feel the pain creeping in his chest again, with the thought of how he would feel when he would wake up to the empty bed in the morning again.

It won’t be the first time.. She won’t be there again, and his pillow would be drenched with his tears again, regretting how he should have seen her longer than yesterday.

That was the only single place he was able to see her, this place between his mind and his soul, his subconscious. 

The only place where he could keep her safe to not escape away from him.

He would see her all night lying in front of him, as slowly the fear would grow with his unsatisfied heart getting aware of that limiting time between them, every night.

“Say something” he was looking into her softened gaze, “Let me hear your voice for once!” the shiver in his voice, and his trembling gaze was asking her to stay forever, as a drop was formed at the corner of his eyes today, getting no response from her as usual.

As every other night, she was silently staring at him, as she stayed on the bed before him.

He kept watching her, and she still didn't say a word. 

He felt crazy now, when he could see her so clearly like she was a real person, but what if she was not, breaking the fantasy would break his heart once again.

His heart was aching to hear her voice again, “Please!” the tear came out, as his perseverance was breaking down now.

She was there right in front of him like ever before, and he could still feel his every emotion like ever before, but he was all alone here. 

The illusion he has been protecting for five years was giving him a hard time now.

He had that hurt in his eyes, as he felt her hand on his cheeks, the cold hand with the scent of tulips….

He lifted his hand to hold hers on his cheek, as his overwhelmed heart had raised a sea in his eyes, when tears started strolling down his cheek, as his trembling hand approached her face in front of him, as he felt her cold skin under his palm.

He was holding the side of her face in his palms, caressing her cold cheeks, as reality started kicking in, “You’re here…. For real”

She blinked, holding his face, as she came forward letting her lips touch his forehead, as his startled hand had found her shoulder, holding it tight to push her back on the bed, as he raised himself to sit up in the quick awareness, trapping her under him with his knees on her either side, making sure to confirm till the end that this wasn’t a dream at all.

She dropped her head back in amazement, taken aback to say much, but a soft smile crept up her lips, as he was staring at her still not able to believe, this wasn’t his dream.

He looked around the room to confirm, as his conscious-struck gaze was back on her, “You broke the promise” 

She pushed him to sit back, so that she could raise herself, to sit in front of him, “You should be the one keeping your promise” “Don’t enter the woods again” she warned with her usual stern tone, but he was distracted by her voice he was hearing after five years again, as he had the smile on his face, making her blink in confusion by his reaction.

She remembered that she was going to leave without letting him know about her keeping an eye on him all this time, and that’s why she had erased his memory earlier. Only if she had not fallen for his tears, she wouldn’t be here exposing her to him, and now having a whole conversation here.

“Sorry! What did you say?” she heard him, 

“Aren’t you going back to the city?” she asked, as she saw his face changing to a tense, serious one, “I will…in few more days” 

She pulled herself up to climb out of the bed, nodding to herself, “Then keep your promise and stay away from the woods till you’re here” “I came here to remind you about that” she realized, she could just warn him & leave now, without mentioning what he can’t remember again ever... Afterall she had started that chase, and if she’s not involved, he won’t get involved too.

She should be leaving now, before someone from her family starts searching for her, as she has been here for a really long time now for them to start noticing her prolonged absence. She needed to get back home soon before dawn.

She stepped ahead to walk, but he had stepped down from the bed first, standing before her, “You were watching me all this while?” he enquired, taking her panicked gaze, “Even if I was…..” she took a deep breath, looking in his eyes, holding his excited gaze, as she felt her heart melting seeing the life in his eyes.

She shouldn’t be getting weak now, she had no time for that, “I need to go” she stepped up to walk towards the window, as she was about to jump out, when felt his hand on her arm, holding her back, as she looked at him, “I really don’t have much time” 

“I know” he muttered, holding her arm in his tight grip, as he moved forward, “But this is the last time!” he reached for her other arm, moving closer, as she could feel the pain she thought she had taken care of, rising back, the last time, she repeated the word again in her head, feeling the heaviness encroaching her chest in that short span of seconds.

Even Naeun had not expected to see him like this once again, but noticing the movement in the house after five years, she couldn’t stop herself from staying back till he almost noticed her, and then when she was actually convinced to leave finally she had bumped her feet onto the metal rod lying on the ground that got him entering the woods, so then she had to follow him as he continued to go further, before he could go further and any of her clan members could notice his presence, she had to do stop him.

That’s how she had ended up here, and still standing in front of him now, speechless hearing that unexpected word from him,

“This is the last time, you’re coming around this house in hope to find me here” he had a firm voice, as she looked away, embarrassed of getting caught that easily, “I’m not coming back after this” he added, making her nod,

“So for the last time…” she heard him ahead, turning her curious eyes back to him, “for the last time?”

He took in that moment of her widened eyes looking back into his, as his hands had raised to hold her face, when he leaned in taking her lips soon. 

She had closed her eyes, expecting something similar after reading the intensity in his eyes, as her hands had found the hem of his shirt for support, stepping closer then, kissing back.

He had got her waist, lifting her to make her sit on the windowsill behind, as her arms were wrapped around his neck, pulling him closer.

His arms were wrapped around her waist, and he was just more scared now if he could just never forget her.

His lips were speaking for him, trying to give her back every memory he had of her in that moment, as his cheeks were wet again.

She could sense his frustration, and all she knew to do in return right now was calm it down. She had wronged him, falling in love shouldn’t have been part of her life, but she ended up hurting him for her desire to experience something that was never for her.

He kept pulling her as close as he could, kissing her till he could breathe no more, as a tear dropped off the corner of her eyes, this should actually be the last time, she thought.

He pulled back, resting his head on her shoulder to catch his breath, but her hand in his hair had pulled him back to face her, “You need to live a happy life”

“It’s always on your terms” his gaze wasn’t soft anymore, as she blinked in realization, “I’m sorry”

He shook his head, smiling suddenly, watching her, “I will be happy to think that you’re happy” she had no words for a reply as she looked down, as she sensed the heaviness in her chest converting into more tears now, “I should go now” she whispered, seeing him step back from her, as she had turned herself to jump down the window, disappearing from his sight in seconds. 

He closed the window & turned back, dropping down on the floor there, resting back on the wall, exhausted and empty.

A/N:

I tried writing this one with hint of folklore aesthetic, and a touch of fantasy.

It was Press It anniversary on 22 feb, and Mystery Lover had been on my list  since a while now,  so i decided to post it this week.

The song is really powerful & crazy and writing it's emotion was just more crazy. But I thoroughly enjoyed writing it with this kind of vibe.

I hope I did fine and you all enjoyed this story as well.

 I have a fun story coming ahead, so please stay tuned !!

Thank you for reading again !! Hope you have a good time here!!