Everything happened so quickly and all at once that the boys didn't know what had happened.

Hong Yu disappearing, was it temporary or forever? Why did the blue bubble disappear along with him as well? Why wasn't Daehyun recovering even though it hasn't even passed So Eun's birthday yet?

So Eun rushed to Daehyun who was lying on the ground and gasping for breath. His face was extremely pale and his breaths were short and shallow, as if he couldn't really breathe in anything at all.

She shook him, biting her lips as the tears welled up in her eyes. "Daehyun...Daehyun ah..." She called desperately. "Why aren't you recovering?"

She stared down at his large wound at his back and shoulder blades. If those weren't healed as quickly as possible, death was a sure thing. But Daehyun couldn't die...right?

Youngjae swallowed and glanced at the clock. "It's only 10:01pm, why has Hong Yu disappeared already? What's going on?"

So Eun grabbed the pillow from the couch and shoved it against Daehyun's wound to stop the bleeding. The wounds were too large to be stopped.

"Daehyun.." So Eun cried softly. "Can you hear me? Daehyun why aren't you healing? You told me not to save you because it wasn't near 12am yet, but why is this happening?"

Daehyun shifted slowly, his face contorting as if it took immense effort on his part to move.

"We made it." He whispered softly, his eyes closed as he panted.

So Eun grabbed his hand tightly and willed him to be alright. "Daehyun, I'm sorry to tell you but it's not May 17th yet. Hong Yu might return anytime to kill us all off. You've got to recover quickly, Daehyun, please." She pleaded.

The rest of the boys shifted as they watched the scene. Zelo stuck close to Himchan's side and swallowed. "Hyung, I think something is wrong." He whispered.

Youngjae heard the maknae and nodded. Something was dreadfully wrong.

Why did Daehyun say that they made it when they hadn't? Why wasn't Daehyun healing and why did he look like he was seriously going to die? Why did Hong Yu disappear so quickly? Shouldn't he want to try kill So Eun more times because after all he waited eighty years for the chance to?

Youngjae had a bad feeling about the entire thing and he reached into his pocket to grab his phone. His heart stopped when he saw the time.

"Guys..." He croaked. "It's May 17th. It's 12:02am in the morning."

So Eun's head shot up in shock and she directed her gaze to the living room's clock. "You're lying! It's only 10:02pm! Look," she fished out her phone and showed it to them. "It's 10:02!"

The boys took their phones and devices all at once to check the time and their expressions turned grim. "So Eun, it's really 12:02am.." Haerin whispered.

So Eun snapped her gaze back to Daehyun who had been silent for a long period of time. "Daehyun?" Tears dripped down from her cheeks to his hands. "Daehyun what's going on? You can't leave me like this! I didn't rush in to exchange my life for yours because I thought we had time!"

Daehyun took a few moments to respond. His lips twitched up slightly in a small smile. "I changed the time...on the...clock and your phone." He gasped in short breaths. "Clever huh?"

Realization dawned. No wonder time passed so slowly and no wonder Daehyun kept disappearing off to the living room with So Eun's phone. He had been adjusting the time.

He knew that the other boys would be too caught up in trying to protect So Eun to check their own phones, if not the real time would be revealed.

He knew that Hong Yu would use the same old stupid trick to threaten So Eun, to put Daehyun's life in danger so that So Eun would volunteer in his place.

So he changed the time, to make it seem like he was still immortal when he wasn't any more. To make it seem like they still had a chance at a happy ending when he knew he would die.

He saved So Eun, but not himself.

He really managed to break them out of the curse this time, because he knew that Hong Yu would make him vulnerable and lure So Eun into the trap. He made sure that the fake time would stop So Eun from doing anything stupid and that was how he saved her.

"You babo." So Eun broke down, kneeling beside Daehyun as she grasped his hand. "You tricked me. If I had known that the timing was so crucial and that it was so close to the end of my birthday, I wouldn't have stayed at the side just watching. I would have done something, anything."

"I know." Daehyun opened his eyes in small slits as he gazed up at her.

So Eun trembled and she looked at Yongguk. "Call the ambulance, we don't have time." she urged. "Quickly!"

Yongguk nodded and dialed for the ambulance immediately, not knowing how he was supposed to narrate what had happened to Daehyun. That he was lifted from the ground by some thousand year old ghost and dropped onto some rocks, that's why he was bleeding?

"Don't bother." Daehyun rasped. "I know this is it."

"This can't be it!" So Eun insisted, tightening her grip on his hand. She prayed that his weak grip on her hand wouldn't weaken any more. "You haven't even asked that question you said you'd ask, Daehyun." she whispered tearfully. "What about the question? You haven't heard my answer."

Daehyun smiled, letting out a series of coughs and a trickle of blood trailed down from the side of his mouth. So Eun's hands shook as she cradled his head on her lap, his hair. "I really...want to ask." Daehyun closed his eyes again, his voice much softer and he talked much slower now. "But I don't want you...to...be a widow.."

"I'm not going to be a widow, Daehyun. You'll live." So Eun insisted.

The BAP boys looked at each other in surprise. Widow? That meant...the question that Daehyun was going to ask...

"I'll ask the question in our...next life..." Daehyun's breathing became shallower. "Wait for me?" he whispered.

So Eun clutched his hand. "Don't leave me, Daehyun. Please?" she hugged him tightly, his blood staining her shirt. "Please don't leave me like this."

"Sor..ry."

And then Daehyun's eyes fell close and he laid limply in So Eun's arms. So Eun sobbed madly, slumping in defeat. The BAP boys looked away, wiping tears in their eyes. 

So Eun had never experienced grief so intense ever in her life. She had been relatively sheltered and was brought up with love and care. She experienced some grief and regret when she heard the stories of those homeless youths that her parent's charity organisation was helping.

But that sort of grief could not be compared to how she was feeling as Daehyun's body slumped lifelessly against her. She felt as if she lost all hope, the world was pulled out from under her feet. She had been too involved in trying not to die herself that she never once considered it was Daehyun that would be hurt.

The thought that she had a whole life ahead of her, but with no Daehyun, made it unbearable.

She couldn't.

"Daehyun." So Eun whispered and kissed his forehead. "I love you. I'll wait for you."

Daehyun's body slowly disappeared into dust, being blown out of the window by some unknown source. So Eun's eyes widened as she watched Daehyun disappear from in front of her. She tried to grab the dust but they slipped out of her fingers, heading out into the night sky.

The BAP boys watched in awe and regret as all of Daehyun that was left was a single necklace left on the floor.

Zelo picked up the necklace and handed it to So Eun. So Eun clutched the ring attached to the necklace and held it to her heart.

And then she cried.

-----

"What in the world happened?" Mr Kim shook his head. "Would it be weird if I said that I had no recollection of going outside? I was so stunned when I woke up to see that I was out there! Strange!"

"I agree." Mrs Kim nodded. "It's so weird that happened to me too. Maybe we went for a walk, fell asleep on a bench and forgot?"

"Maybe." Mr Kim shrugged. He looked at the rest of the boys that were usually quiet. Jongup wasn't around because he had gone to send Haerin home. "Why are you boys still around? It's 1 in the morning, go home to sleep already. You youngsters party so hard."

He yawned and made a move to go back to his room. He stopped when he saw So Eun sitting on the ground, hugging two rings and looking like she lost all motivation to live. He frowned and crouched down beside her. "So Eun?" he patted her head. "Is something wrong?"

So Eun choked and looked at her father. "Appa...." she sank against her father and let him hug her. "Daehyun's gone." she whispered. "He's gone."

"Daehyun?" Mr Kim looked over at his wife for help. Mrs Kim came over and she rubbed So Eun's back soothingly. "Can you explain it to us, So Eun? Who's Daehyun? Where did he go?"

So Eun's eyes rounded and she gaped at her parents. "What are you talking about? Daehyun! Jung Daehyun!" she shrieked. "Don't you remember? He's living upstairs with us! Ask the boys, they know!"

The BAP boys nodded in confusion. Why didn't her parents remember Daehyun?

"Don't be silly, So Eun." Mr Kim frowned. "That room's been empty for three months. A new homeless girl is moving in next monday don't you remember? You were so excited about it for the entire week!"

So Eun choked. "What are you talking about? Daehyun! Jung Daehyun!" she reached for her phone and turned it on to her wallpaper. She stopped short when she noticed what her wallpaper had turned into.

It was the same selca of Daehyun and her, posing intimately while he hugged her from behind. The picture was exactly the same, except Daehyun wasn't there anymore.

And that was when So Eun knew Daehyun really really wasn't coming back.