So Eun's eyes widened as Jongup used every ounce of his strength to strangle her.

It happened so quickly and unexpectedly that So Eun could hardly get her mind round what had happened. Was Jongup really strangling her?

Daehyun immediately appeared at her side to try pull Jongup away, and soon the rest of the BAP boys were there as well. They pulled at each of Jongup's arms in opposite directions, trying to pry Jongup's hands away from So Eun's neck

However, Jongup's hands seemed to be superglued onto So Eun's neck. There were three people at each of Jongup's arm, trying to pull him away, but they couldn't.

Unbelievable. Jongup was strong but not THAT strong.

So Eun couldn't breathe and she knew if Jongup didn't let go any sooner, she wouldn't be able to make it. She never thought her end would end in Jongup's hands, never Jongup. Never any of the people she loved.

Was this how she was going to die? Hong Yu was really unexpected huh.

So Eun felt herself go giddy and her vision slightly blurring. She would black out sooner or later and her body was already suffering from the temporary lack of oxygen.

"LET HER GO!" Daehyun screamed into Jongup's ear, pulling Jongup madly, trying to get the latter away from So Eun. "YOU'LL KILL HER YOU MORON! LET GO!"

Jongup didn't listen, only tightening his grip on So Eun's neck. So Eun choked, gasping for breath.

Youngjae trembled and bit his lip, perspiring madly. "Jongup, you've got to wake up! Wake up Jongup!" he growled. "Remember who you are!"

Jongup's eyes burned redder and redder until his eyes seemed to be glowing. Haerin's eyes widened when she saw how Jongup had turned into and tears welled up in her eyes. "Jongup please..." she begged. "Please stop it! Can you please?"

Jongup squeezed So Eun's neck tighter.

Daehyun let out a howl of anger and looked around for a weapon. He reached for a vase and growled, deciding not to care how it was his friend Jongup who was strangling his girl. Haerin saw what he was about to do and rushed to stop him. "Don't!" she shrieked. "Don't, Daehyun!"

"What am I to do!" Daehyun frowned when he saw So Eun get redder and redder by the second. She wasn't going to last any longer. "I have to kill Jongup." he hissed.

Haerin rushed to Jongup before Daehyun could get to him and threw her arms around him. "Wake up please, Jongup. You're Moon Jongup, remember? Can you hear me? I'm Lee Haerin, your girlfriend. Resist the force, Jongup, please." Haerin sobbed against him.

Her eyes brushed against his skin and it felt cool against his skin. Jongup's eyes fluttered slightly and his grip loosened just enough for the boys to pull his death grip away.

So Eun immediately collasped onto the ground, gasping for breath while Daehyun rushed to her in worry. "So Eun." he whispered coarsely. "So Eun are you okay?" he shook her.

"Fine." So Eun whispered. was hurting so badly like she had the worst sore throat ever in history.

Jongup too fell onto the ground, dizzy and giddy. He frowned when he saw some of the boys crowd around him and some around So Eun. "What happened?" he winced when he talked. His head hurt so bad.

Youngjae just shook his head. How was he supposed to tell Jongup that he got possessed and nearly killed So Eun?

"You scared me." Haerin whispered fiercely and hugged him, crying. Jongup hugged her back, not knowing why but feeling like she was the reason for his being normal again.

Zelo trembled as he looked around the room. It still looked dark and dreary, and he didn't know if it was his imagination or the room was genuinely turning darker and colder for real.

"If Jongup tried to kill So Eun and failed because of Haerin noona," he whispered. "Does that mean the curse is broken?" he asked hopefully.

"No." Youngjae shook his head, glancing at the clock. "It's only 9:50pm. There's still 2 hours and ten minutes." he answered, earning a groan from Zelo.

"So it means it only just started?" Zelo asked, frowning.

"Yes, it only just started."

Everyone whipped around in surprise to see a man hovering in the air in his shimmering half see through form. He was wearing a general's uniform and looked strict and mean.

Only Daehyun recognized him. "Hong Yu." He spat.

The ghost, apparently called Hong Yu, snickered as he floated nearer. "We meet again, Jung Daehyun. When was the last time, I wonder." he tapped his chin, pretending to think. "Was it a good eighty years ago? Too bad Kim So Eun had to die then, right? Awww, so much blood then."

Daehyun winced. That .

Daehyun moved to put himself in front of So Eun and growled softly as he eyed Hong Yu. The hatred for that guy was so immense and so strong that Daehyun would strangle Hong Yu if that guy was still alive. He understood Hong Yu's reasons for doing all this: revenge for the death of his own son. Yes he understood.

But he still hated that motherer.

Daehyun glanced at the clock. 9:52pm. Few minutes more. If he could pull off this 8 minutes...

"We're here to protect So Eun as well, so if you old toot thinks that you'll be able to get away with this, you're thinking it wrong!" Yongguk frowned up at the ghost bravely. "We're not going to let any harm befall on So Eun."

Hong Yu just laughed. "Remember how Kim So Eun died all those past times, Jung Daehyun?" he asked in an airy voice. "I still remember if you don't. What good memories. Want me to refresh them for you?" he sang.

He waved his hands and instantly, a screen appeared in the middle of the air. Scenes from the past started playing and Daehyun trembled with every reminder of his past failures.

So Eun choked when she saw her past selves die again and again in different manners.

Daehyun was right, she had tried to save him every single time when she thought something would happen to him. She could feel the connection with the past So Euns: they all loved Daehyun very very much.

So Eun glanced at the clock again. It was 9:56pm. She still had time.

"Why are you replaying these for us, Hong Yu?" So Eun spoke up courageously. "This isn't going to happen again today. Today, Daehyun and I will walk out of this unscathed."

"Hmm~" Hong Yu hummed, laughing. "You can think what you like. But you know, strangling has been up my favorites this past few years. I mean, guns and weaponry...no one ever kills the old traditional way of strangling anymore don't they?" he laughed. "How annoying."

Himchan glanced at Jongup. So it was Hong Yu's play right then.

"Just wondering, Jung Daehyun." Hong Yu tapped his chin. "Would Kim So Eun try to come save you if I strangle you right now?"

Daehyun snapped his gaze towards So Eun and glared. "Don't you dare do anything." he hissed. "Stay where you are behind the other boys and don't even move an inch."

So Eun frowned at him. "But Daehyun-"

"Ah sweet," Hong Yu clicked his tongue. "But we won't know the answer until we see it for real right?"

He waved his hand once and immediately Daehyun was pulled over to his side by an invisible force. So Eun tried to clutch at Daehyun's shirt but he was pulled away from her abruptly, collapsing onto his knees in front of Hong Yu.

The ghost laughed.

"I know you can't die, Daehyun." Hong Yu murmured. "But just wondering, do you still feel hurt even if you don't die from the injuries?"

Daehyun didn't have a chance to snap an answer back before Hong Yu waved his hands once again. This time, Daehyun was lifted from the ground as he leviated in the air as if he was a ghost like Hong Yu. Daehyun's jaw dropped and he looked around in surprise, meeting So Eun's eyes.

All of a sudden, he was dropped from his point of almost reaching the ceiling and ended up crashing onto the ground. Daehyun groaned loudly at the impact and choked as all the air was knocked out of his lungs.

, it hurt so bad.

"Make it more interesting, shall we?" Hong Yu waved his hands again.

Daehyun was lifted into the air before he had a chance to sit right up and the rest could only stand and watch without anything they could do. Even the giant baby Zelo tried to reach for Daehyun but couldn't.

Hong Yu seemed to have cast a bubble of blue force around him and Daehyun such that no one could enter to save Daehyun. Yongguk punched the blue bubble and his fist hurt madly. Daehyun was trapped in the blue bubble with Hong Yu.

Before Daehyun could curse at Hong Yu again, he was promptly dropped to the ground once more.

Except this time Hong Yu added a few extra ingredients on the ground Daehyun was to land on: A few sharp stones.

Daehyun howled so loudly in pain that So Eun was sure the entire neighborhood had heard. His cry was so full of suffering that she started crying as she neared the blue bubble, pounding her fists on the bubble and demanding Hong Yu to stop.

Daehyun laid limp on the ground, breathing in short gasps. His white shirt was promptly stained red from the back where his skin was torn by the sharp rocks. He had severe injuries on his thigh and shoulder blade as well and his body looked deformed.

"DAEHYUN!" So Eun screamed.

Hong Yu ignored the ruckus and waved his hands up again. This time, Daehyun was lifted off the ground and brought nearer to the ghost himself. Hong Yu smirked and rubbed his hands together happily, his eyes full of excitement.

"It's time for the best part, Jung Daehyun. The part where the girl you love sacrifices for you and you spend the next 80 years regretting." Hong Yu met So Eun's eyes. "From this moment onwards, only you can enter this bubble. If you want to save your loved one, come on in. I'll let him go right away."

Daehyun twisted around in the air, his blood dripping down onto the ground with his smallest actions. "Don't you dare." he hissed at So Eun.

So Eun opened to answer but just then, Hong Yu closed his hands about Daehyun's neck. Daehyun's face immediately turned redder and redder and he choked and spluttered for air.

So Eun let out a shriek and the boys roared in anger, their fists pounding on the bubble. "LET HIM GO!"

So Eun touched the bubble and her fingers went through the bubble wall immediately. Her gaze shot up to Daehyun as her heart gave a leap.

Hong Yu was right. She had the power to save him.

"Time, So Eun. TIME!" Daehyun choked, his face turning bright red. His eyes were closing involuntarily. and he couldn't think clearly. All he could think of right then was oxygen.

He NEEDED oxygen.

So Eun's gaze snapped towards the clock. 9:59pm. There were two more hours, more than enough time for Daehyun to recover if he was badly hurt. Right?

Himchan held So Eun back. "He's right." he whispered. "It's not even 11 yet, there's still two hours of your birthday to go."

So Eun nodded and forced herself to stay still in her spot. It was difficult to do so.

Daehyun was positively dying in front of her eyes and she had to tell herself over and over again that Daehyun was immortal. Daehyun wouldn't die. Daehyun couldn't die.

Then, a few things happened at once and So Eun couldn't put her mind round it.

The clock chimed 10pm.

Hong Yu let go of Daehyun and disappeared.

Daehyun fell to the ground....

....and he never got back up.