He sighed. He hated the darkness, for it felt so eerie, and it scared him. 

 

"Jonghyun!" the voice called out again, however, this time it was far closer to him than it had been previously. His door opened, behind it, a young face that belonged to the staff worker. 

 

"Jonghyun?"

 

This time, it wasn't the voice of the sweet lady who was here to turn his light off. No, this voice belonged to a male, who wore a gentle smile. It belonged to the man that only he could see. 

 

"Jonghyun! What's wrong?" This time, the female again. 

 

He stood up in anger, glaring at the staff worker with nothing but hatred in his eyes. "Jonghyun, Jonghyun, Jonghyun! Is that all you people know how to say? What the hell do I need my light off for anyway?! It's not even 9 'o clock! " 

 

She took a deep breath, calming herself. "Jonghyun," she started, making him cringe. "This is a facility. We have very strict rules. You know very well the lights are to be off by eight, and you've been very lucky-" 

 

"Just shut up already! I get it, I'll turn off the damn light!" 

 

He shot a quick glance to the other side of the room. The boy he'd seen only a handful of times was still there. He looked back to the woman. "You can leave now. "

 

She quietly closed the door without uttering a single word. He knew she was like him, that she hated these rules. He knew if it was up to her, they wouldn't exist, because it's too stressful on her to deal with people like him. But rules are rules, which they both had to follow. 

 

He quickly went to turn the light switch downward, staring at the male figure while doing so. The second he flipped it off, he the small lamp next to his bed. It wasn't nearly as strong as the regular light, for all it let out was a pitiful glow, but he was thankful they were allowed to keep it on at least.

 

He sighed in relief after turning the lamp on. The boy was still there. As strange as it sounds, he gets excited whenever he sees him. The thought that only he could see him, made him even happier. It made him feel like he was his, and only his. It was the only special person he had, it was the only person who made him feel special himself. 

 

He sat down on his bed, swinging his legs like a little kid while staring at the floor which was covered in darkness. The boy smiled and sat next to him. "Jonghyun-ah." 

 

"Yes, Byunghun?" he replies. That was the name of the boy who had gentle features. He had told him so the last time he visited, along with many other things. Like how amazing it was in the parallel universe, how good it felt to just be free. 

 

The ghost-like boy rubbed his hand on the the real boy's leg, in a soothing manner. Had it been anyone else, Jonghyun would have slapped the hand. But this was different, it didn't feel uncomfortable. Instead, it felt calming.

 

"Have you thought about what I said last time we talked?" 

 

He looked up into the ghost-boy's eyes. They were mesmerizing, and so seemingly real. He couldn't help but to get lost into them, every time he appeared. This boy looked so innocent, so pure-hearted.

 

He nodded his head slightly. He had thought about it all right. It had kept him up for several nights in a row, rattling his brain. It made him go even crazier than he already was.

 

 "Yes. I've thought about it." 

 

The ghost-like boy's eyes light up, smiling, and he grabbed Jonghyun's hands in his own. "And?" 

 

It was at that moment, Jonghyun decided, to trust this figure. His hands, they felt real. They felt so soft, and so warm. It felt right, it felt peaceful. But, even so... could he really throw away everything, for this one boy, whom he wasn't even sure was real? 

 

At the silence, the ghost-like boy's smile faded. "This is what is best for you, Jonggie. Trust me.  The light will give you everything. It will make you happy. I will make you happy. "

 

Jonghyun tensed. He felt pressured, and he didn't know how to cope. "Can't I...just stay here, with you? Isn't there anything you can give me?"

 

He felt the young boy's grip loosen on his hands. "No. No more than what the light can give you, at least, sweetie." 

 

Sweetie. A word no one had ever called him before. No one like Byunghun had ever been so caring to him in his life. 

 

Byunghun picked up Jonghyun's hand and kissed it gently, then gave him a reassuring smile. "So what do you say?" 

 

His heart began beating at an incredibly fast pace. He was scared, and he knew it.

 

A tear fell from his eye, and he nodded slowly. "Yes, I'll come with you."

 

He didn't know what was waiting ahead. He didn't know if the figure in front of him was real or not, if it was a ghost, a fragment of his imagination, or something more than that, but he didn't care. He wanted to be with him, stay with him forever - even if all that lie ahead was the eerie darkness that he feared so much.