"Tell me everything."

            Those three words that escaped Minwoo's lips held so much meaning, yet were answered with silence. My dark eyes met the warm brown puddles of my lover, our minds both operating at a rapid pace to decipher the puzzle of our situation. I wanted to explain everything to Minwoo, but at the same time, I had nothing to say.

            "Can you see him?"

            I turned my attention back to my old friend. His aged eyes had grown a wise sadness I had never noticed before. My answering nod made him heave a sigh.

            "You can't?" I asked wearily. It was a stupid thing to ask and perhaps comprised of the worst choice of words. The sorrowful frown on Minwoo's face made my heart drop to my stomach.

            "I can feel him. I know he's here..." His words were just a distressed whisper. Hyesung held his hand firmly as confirmation. Minwoo's fingers wrapped around the other's that were invisible to his eyes. "But I can't even see a strand of his hair..."

            Minwoo sighed again and I wanted nothing more than to rip out an eye of mine out of its socket if that was what it would take to share the joy of seeing Hyesung breathing again.

            "What if... What if his presence is just a part of my imagination--"

            "He's really here," I cut in assertively. I couldn't have Minwoo losing faith now when he was so close to the truth. "I know he is. And you need to believe... for Hyesung's sake."

            The man sighed for the third time and nodded in agreement. "We're both crazy you know," he muttered. The corners of his lips curled into a hint of a grin. "But it's so nice to have him back again."

            His words brightened Hyesung's face, making the beautiful man beam in delight. "Tell him that he's corny as hell," Hyesung told me cheerfully.

            "He says that you're corny as hell," I repeated in obedience.

            Minwoo chuckled, soft wrinkles forming next to his eyes. "That's so Hyesung... I really wish I can see him," he murmured in sadness, staring intently at my lover.

            Well, where I saw Hyesung, I assumed he saw only empty space.

            How terrible... To be able to feel, but unable to see, unable to hear...

            "I wish you can see me, too," I heard Hyesung mumble sorrowfully.

            "He says that he wishes you can see him, too," I said aloud. Minwoo nodded at me, grateful for my act as their communication system.

            "But I'm not sad. Make sure he knows I'm not sad," Minwoo quickly added. "I'm really happy right now, Hyesung!" the man exclaimed exaggeratedly. He brought Hyesung's hand up to his face and pressed it to his cheek.

            Hyesung chuckled softly. "I am, too. I'm really happy right now, Minwoo." His eyes glistened with tears. "I really wish..." he started then shook his head, dismissing his thought.

            But I already knew what he was about to say.

            "I really wish I was alive. I really wish I can turn back time and make things right."

            "He says he's happy, too," I said, feeling a pang of growing heartache.

            We're happy now... But how long are we going to remain happy?

            Because although Hyesung was with us now, it didn't change the fact that he had died five years ago. Whatever miracle that had summoned him back to the present could make him disappear again whenever it wanted. That meant that no matter how much joy we experienced now, Hyesung was not here to stay.

            It meant that he was going to leave. Again.

            "He can't leave."

            My mouth hung open as I gaped at the man who had just spoken. It seemed as if he could read my mind. There was something passionate in his eyes, a sense of hope, desperation...

            And denial.

            Were we--Minwoo and I--in denial?

            "Is that why he's back?" I whispered. The two men stared back at me in confusion.

            "What?" they asked in unison.

            "Minwoo... After Hyesung's death, I lost myself. I fell to my lowest point, I found myself in the darkest place I've ever been in my life. Although logic told me he was no longer alive, I never really let him go. Hell, I held onto him and blamed him for my own downfall." My eyes fell on Hyesung who had a small drop of tear rolling down his cheek. "I never let him go, not even for a second since his death."

            "What are you trying to say, Eric?" Minwoo asked, his voice tense.

            "What if... What if because of that... Hyesung was unable to move on?"

            "Like to the 'spirit world'?" Minwoo snorted in disbelief, surprising me. "Don't spew that bull at me, Eric. This isn't some cheesy movie with ghosts and ."

            I glared at him for his skepticism. "Well, do you have a better reason why Hyesung's back?"

            "I..." he started, then froze, his expression distorted by frustration. "I don't know! But he's not going to leave again! We're going to make sure of it, Eric. Tell me that you're not going to ing let Hyesung disappear again!"

            We all sat in silence as Minwoo took a moment to calm down. "Minwoo yah..." I began carefully, afraid of another emotional explosion. "I know how you feel... But there's no way we can stop it. Whatever force that brought Hyesung back from the dead can take him back just as easily."

            Minwoo closed his eyes with unease. I could see the veins on his temples throbbing as he forced himself to remain cool. "Eric... I think it's best if we get the rest..."

            I raised an eyebrow in question. "The rest?"

            "Yeah," he slowly opened his eyes and his fingers trembled against Hyesung's. "The others. The other three."

            "Yes!" squealed Hyesung in utter delight.

            I couldn't prevent a frown from overtaking my lips. "I... don't think..."

            "That they'll want to see you again after what you did?" finished Minwoo with a disappointed grimace. "They won't, trust me. None of them will want to see you again for leaving them when they needed you most."

            "Way to kick me when I'm down--"

            "But they'll want to see Hyesung. You can't selfishly hog him all to yourself, Eric. As I've said before, we all loved--and still love--Hyesung just as much as you did. And I'm sure Hyesung is dying to see them as well?"

            I couldn't argue with that. My lover's face was practically glowing, his lips set in a cute pout that no one could ever dare say no to.

            "Yeah..." I mumbled in defeat. "I guess you're right..."

            "Of course I'm right," Minwoo replied, giving me a satisfied grin. "Well, then, I have a schedule early in the morning tomorrow so I better go. But I'll spread the news." He faced away from me and turned to Hyesung's direction. "And you. You better not go anywhere, you got it? I'll be right back so you better not be gone, you hear me, Hyesung? Otherwise I'll find you in hell to kill you again--"

            Hyesung interrupted the threat with a tight embrace. Minwoo hugged him back with a soft smile.

            "I love you, Hyesung. I missed you so, so much..."

            "Me, too, Minwoo... Me, too..." Hyesung was crying again as he muttered the words.

            "Well, I really better get going," Minwoo said as he quickly wiped his moist eyes and let go of his invisible friend. "Good night, guys. I'll be back."

            "Yeah. We'll be counting on it," I said, giving him a brief farewell hug.

            "Eric, don't you dare let Hyesung disappear, you understand?" he whispered into my ear.

            "Yes, sir."

            "And you, too..." My heart seemed to constrict at Minwoo's words. "Please... You can't disappear again either..."

            "I promise," I mumbled, choking on stubborn tears. "I won't ever leave..."

            "Well, then." He coughed, clearing his throat. "Good night, guys! I'll be back so make sure you don't move out or anything. Stalking people takes effort and I will make you pay for forcing me to track you down."

            "Okay, okay," I said quickly. "I don't have the money to move out anyway."

            Minwoo shot me a sympathetic look. "Hey, if you ever need money--"

            "It was a joke. Don't you dare think about giving me some pity cash."

            "Hey, but I can always give you--"

            "No. Now get out."

            I had to practically shoo the man away as he stabbed me with a thousand daggers of condolence. My pride was on the brink of crumbling to the floor when I finally got rid of the persistent idiot.

            "Eric, it's not bad to receive help from your friends for once in your life."

            My bottom lip almost dropped to the ground in shock.

            Hyesung put his hands on his hips. "Don't look at me like that. I'm serious. Look at this place! Of course Minwoo is worried about your financial status."

            "Oh, shut up," I snapped and walked closer to him. He started to back away as if on instinct until I grabbed his wrist and pulled him towards me.

            "Ow, Eric! What are you--"

            I wrapped an arm around his waist. I couldn't help smiling at the way his face turned a dangerous shade of red as he desperately tried to wiggle out of my grasp.

            Hell, no. I ain't letting you go this time.

            "I just remembered. I forgot to tell Minwoo."

            He raised an eyebrow as he attempted to push me away. "Forget what, you --"

            I surprised him with my kiss. As my lips molded with his, his struggling body went limp as my boldness overtook him. His lips were so soft, so delicate, so... kissable.

            Why had I waited so long to kiss him like this?

            The way he smelled, the way he tasted, the way he felt... Everything about him just made me feel so alive. Hyesung was the one who was supposed to be dead. But being here, consumed by the moment, controlled by the true rhythm of my heart, I realized I had been the one dead all along.

            How had I lived my life without him? He was the reason why my heart beat, why every breath was worth to take. Without having him in my arms like this, feeling his warmth against mine, I had never been truly alive.

            "I love you."

            I had been thinking those words, but I hadn't been the one to utter them aloud. I drew back to see him smiling sheepishly, his eyes glued to the ground in embarrassment.

            "I love you, too. That's what I forgot to tell Minwoo."

            He looked up, meeting my brown hues. His cute grin turned mischievous. "He's a if he hasn't figured it out by now."

            I laughed and we kissed again, this time meeting halfway. I felt his fingers dig tenderly through my hair as I softly touched every inch of his back beneath the fabric of his attire. We moved, we danced. We didn't need anything more, we didn't need anything less.

            For the first time in my life, I knew this was what it meant to make love.

            No, it wasn't . But with Hyesung, it didn't have to be.

            "Eric..." he whispered against my lips.

            "Mm?"

            "Is this wrong?"

            I held him closer so our chests thudded against each other. "No."

            "Is this disgusting what we're doing?"

            I sighed lowly and drew away to look into his eyes again. There was pain there, a hint of both sorrow and shame.

            "Nothing has felt more right to me, Hyesung." I wrapped my arms around him in confident embrace. "Does it feel wrong to you?"

            He blinked adorably. "No... But... It's--"

            He interrupted himself with a huge yawn. I chuckled at his cuteness despite the seriousness of the situation.

            "You're tired, aren't you? Let's get some sleep."

            The handsome man shook his head. "No, no, we're having an important conversation--"

            I couldn't stop myself from laughing when he yawned again.

            "Okay, I'm really sleepy," he moaned in defeat, hugging me to rest his head on my shoulder.

            "Let's go sleep on the bed then," I said, picking him up in my arms before he could protest. To my surprise, he didn't fight against me, but just cuddled like a tiny animal against my chest.

            "Damn, you're really tired, aren't you? Why didn't you tell me?" I scolded lightly.

            "Eric... I don't feel very good..."

            The sudden weakness of his voice scared me. Chills ran across every inch of my skin, goose bumps that had nothing to do with the low temperature shot up, dotting my entire body.

            "Hyesung ah..."

            He gave me a faint smile, attempting to reassure me. He had been fine a moment ago, right? Only a second ago, he had been completely okay, right?

            "Don't worry... I'm just a little tired..."

            Did dead people even get tired?

            Before I could try to diagnose his illness, the bell rang, making us both jump.

            "Who the --" I started, my temper rising with the help of fear blooming within me.

            "OPEN THE ING DOOR!"

            I froze, recognizing the voice. Of course, I knew the identity of the voice. But everything seemed like a dream because a part of me never believed I would ever hear it again.

            "OPEN THE GODDAMN DOOR RIGHT NOW, ERIC!"

            A small fraction of me was angry that the intruder was being inconsiderate of my sleeping neighbors; it was really late at night after all.

            "It's him..." Hyesung murmured as he rested in my arms. "Why is he so mad--"

            "I SWEAR, ERIC, I WILL BREAK DOWN THIS DOOR IF YOU DON'T ING--"

            "I'M COMING!" I screamed furiously. I placed Hyesung gently on the couch and ran to answer the strident disturbance.

            "YOU!" he screamed as soon as I opened the door, hurting my ear drums.

            "You," I whispered lifelessly.

            It was him, a man whom I had not seen for half a decade, standing in front of me with destructive fire in his eyes. Minwoo stood beside him, cowering and afraid that the fuming flames would his flesh. Behind me, I heard the lightest footsteps, the sound of my lover drawing near out of curiosity.

            "Dongwan!" Hyesung's voice was soft yet still inundating with excitement.

            "Dongwan," I echoed, lacking enthusiasm. "What brings you here--"

            "HOW DARE YOU, ERIC!" he shouted over me, stomping his way inside my dwelling. Every step he took closer to me seemed to mark my death. "HOW ING DARE YOU."

            "Hey, hey," I cried, backing away with my hands raised in defense. "Calm down a second."

            "DO YOU EVEN ING KNOW WHAT YOU DID?! DO YOU EVEN KNOW WHAT HAPPENED?!"

            I swallowed nervously. I had expected this, hadn't I? "Yeah... Hyesung--"

            Dongwan lashed out and grabbed me firmly by the collar of my shirt. "HYESUNG?! ING HYESUNG DIED FIVE YEARS AGO!"

            "Uh, yeah." I saw Hyesung stiffen in place from the corner of my eye. "Wait, this isn't about Hyesung?"

            I watched in horror as he raised his fist to strike. Dongwan and I had always gotten into fights during our younger days. We had fought over the stupidest things, traded blows for the most trivial matters. But never in my life had I seen him this angry, this upset, this... betrayed.

            "This is for Choongjae," he hissed, his venomous words almost silent. My eyes widened in confusion and my mouth went dry as I tried to comprehend the words of my old friend.

            Choongjae... Park Choongjae...

            Jinnie...

            Dongwan's eyes were darker than the midnight sky. Their usual gentle glow was long gone, replaced by intimidating rage and irreversible resentment.

            "This is for Choongjae who took his life because you weren't there for him."

            ... Took his life?

            ... Jinnie... Jinnie did... What?

            Nothing made sense. The air surrounding me seemed to grow heavier until my world was set ablaze. I couldn't understand it, I refused to understand.

            Jinnie... Gone?

            Slowly, my body was possessed with a pain so horrifying that it began to numb every single nerve within my system. I couldn't move, I couldn't cry out, I couldn't think.

             The growing terror seizing me made me turn to my lover. I saw the surprise on his face, the distortion of fear and disbelief. Our eyes met and for the first time since he had returned to life, his eyes held no passion for me.

            Everything felt cold. Everything felt unreal.

            Then I watched him fall in his fragile state as if he was an injured dove falling from the sky, plummeting to its death. Time slowed as I tried to reach out to him, tried to save him from his downfall. I needed to get to him because no one else could help him except me.

            But life was never so fair. Despite the screaming of my desperate heart, my angel continued to descend until he hit the cold wooden floor.

            I watched, knowing I had failed to save him before.

            And I had failed to save him yet again.

            "I hope you die, Eric."

            Dongwan's words were meant to hurt me, but I felt nothing. Even as my friend's fist collided against my face, I felt no pain because my insides were already hollowed out, like an aged, useless log. My vision blurred until the lights flickered off, and while I should have seen nothing, my mind cruelly played an endless repeat of Hyesung falling lifelessly beside me until I wished death upon myself to stop the torment.

[A/N]: I'm finally back! I'm so sorry for the terrible chapter though... I just wanted to get something out there to let the story keep going :) Hopefully you guys enjoyed it at least a little~ I also wrote this in a rush since I'm packing for Korea right now... So please pardon the mistakes! (Maybe I'll even re-write the chapter T_T) Thank you so much for faithfully waiting for me guys. Your support means soooo much to me! And HAPPY NEW YEAR'S EVE! Hope you guys have a splendid holidays~ Please comment and upvote, it means the world to me~ Thank you again, and love you <3 <3 <3