I opened my eyes and regretted it right away because then, for a moment I was blinded by the bright light. “Where the hell am I?” I hissed as I hurriedly covered my eyes with my palm. I tried to roll my body almost automatically to prevent the light, but then I found myself rolled the slope surface before fell straight to the ground.

“Holy !” I cursed loudly. I hurriedly looked around and could not be any more surprised. I just fell from the freaking roof!

But the strange thing was, I didn’t feel any pain whatsoever. I observed my hand and feet and my chest – touched and checked them just to make sure. No, I felt okay. Then with my mind was still dazed, suddenly I heard a voice called from above.

“Are you okay?”

I looked up to see a cute face looked down at me with worry. And he was kneeling on the roof with both of his hands gripped the roof edge and supported his body. What was with the people on the roof? I thought.

“Can you climb up?” The cute face asked again, like it was a normal question to ask someone to climb the roof. I looked around again and was startled to see that there was an ahjumma by the window – not far from where I sat. But the strange thing was, even though there’s someone fell from her roof just a moment ago, she seemed completely oblivious at that. She kept washing dishes and humming a song without even bother to look out of the window. I blinked and sat still in perplexed.

“Eric, right?” The cute boy (I didn’t know his age, but I thought he couldn’t be any older than me, at least he looked smaller than me) said again. “Do you need some help to climb up here?”

“Huh?” I still couldn’t process anything. “But how can I climb?” I finally managed to ask even though I knew it sounded so ridiculous.

“You may climb that pipe.” The cute boy pointed a huge rusty pipe on the corner of the wall. I quickly frowned at it. It was impossible I could climb it.

“Why can’t we talk here?” I asked and soon felt stupid after asking that, because I was completely aware that right now I was sitting on my on the wet grass. But I immediately thought that sitting on wet grass was far better option than climbing to someone’s house roof. Someone I didn’t even know, if I might add.

“Uh, I can’t actually follow you there. Duh.” The cute boy rolled his eyes to me, as if he just explained something so clear.

I took back all my words about he’s being cute. No, that crazy boy who sat on the roof was not cute at all!

But then I heard he clicked his tongue in impatient and bossy manner, so despite of my confusion and irritation, I grunted and tried to get up on my feet. I tried to wipe my pants but then I found out that my white pants were clean – even though it had touched wet grass just now, my white pants were strangely clean. I cursed some more when I climbed the rusty pipe. I felt everything was strange, because now my body felt heavier than I remembered it. But what was freaking me out was the fact that I didn’t produce any sounds whatsoever. Climbing a rusty pipe normally would make ugly noises, but even when I stepped roughly on it, nothing could be heard. It alarmed me that something really bad was about to happen.

The boy helped me up by offering his hand to me when I almost reached the roof. I gladly accepted it and soon enough, both of us sat side by side on the roof-tile. I felt very dizzy, because when I tried to remember how I ended up here, my head began to hurt. I couldn’t remember anything. Except of my name, I had nothing stored inside my head.

I gazed around again. I was sitting on top of one story house. A small house with a patch of garden in the backyard. A kind of house belonged to small family, I thought. But I didn’t recognize the place or the neighborhood. It was a normal neighborhood but definitely wasn’t mine. So I tried hard to find the answer of what the hell I was doing over here right now?

“Shall we start?” The boy chirped happily.

“Huh?” I turned my head in confused. And only by then I could look at the boy intently. He wore starched white shirt that was buttoned up until his neck in a very neat way – no single crease was visible. He also wore white pants with white belt. His shoes were also ridiculously white. His hair was combed overly neat and smooth. His face was bright and clean, and his eyes disappeared into thin line when he smiled.

This boy is weird, I took note in my head.

“First of all, let me introduce myself. My name is Minwoo, your angel.” That boy then smiled. But his words made my head hurting even more.

“Come again?” I asked dumbly.

“I’m Minwoo, your angel.” Again, that boy – no, Minwoo – said slowly like he was talking to some retard. “Well, I’m just a junior on that, but I’m an angel nevertheless.” He said proudly. And then I felt the urge to bang my head to the roof. Or Minwoo’s head, whatever.

“I don’t understand.” I mumbled.

“Ah, right. You can’t remember anything!” Minwoo slapped his forehead. “The seniors reminded me about this, but I always forget.” He grinned sheepishly before took out a piece of paper from his pants pocket. He straightened the crumpled paper in conceited way before cleared his throat. “Your name was Eric Mun aka Mun Junghyuk?”

I nodded. Yeah, that was my name. Was? No way! That is my name! I screamed in my head. But before I could open my mouth to protest, Minwoo already talked again.

“Date of birth was Feb 16^th, and you’re seventeen years old?” Minwoo kept reading and seemed oblivious to my confused face. And I couldn’t do anything but nodded stupidly. Just five minutes ago, I had nothing in my head, but as weird as it sounds, I felt his memory comes back with Minwoo’s voice. Yeah, my name is Eric Mun and I’m seventeen years old. And I wondered when he would start to tell me the reason why I was sitting here.

“And you died four days ago.” Minwoo said almost apologetically when he closed his piece of paper.

The next thing happened was I jumped on the poor boy and attacks his neck with my hands. I was never being a violent person, but right now, it seemed like a right thing to do. Minwoo shrieked in surprise and was pushed to lie on his back because of the force. I lost my balance and predictably both of us were rolled down the roof, straight to the wet grass. But as I fell on my back – yet again to the wet grass below, but with no pain whatsoever, I noticed – Minwoo was just floating on the edge of the roof. Okay, maybe I was just imagining things. There’s no way he floated in the air. Maybe I was just too dizzy.

He looked down frightened at me with his hands clutched tightly on to the roof’s edge. “What did you do that for?” Minwoo shouted in anger.

“Stop messing with me!” I shouted back even harder and with much frustration in my voice. I can’t be dead.

“You’re crazy!” Minwoo yelled again before lifted himself to the roof rather easily. He stood up and stared disgustingly at me before took a deep breath. “Now, would you please to come up here so we can talk?” He asked nicely.

“I don’t want to!”

“It’s uncomfortable, you know. Shouting is tiring.” Minwoo said patiently.

“I need to get out from here.” I tried to stand up, but my legs were extremely weak. I fell on my again because of that. I tried again, now with more effort, but then I fell again.

“When I said tiring, it applies to you.” Minwoo commented flatly. And I never hated a person I just met so much as I felt to him now.

“Shut up!” I hissed.

“Tell me when you’re done.” Minwoo shrugged his shoulders as he watched me struggled with my stiff hands and heavy body. I could hear Minwoo sighed to see the pathetic scene in front of him. I panted and cursed but I couldn’t get up. “The more you deny it, you’ll weight more.” He said patiently.

“What the hell that you did to me?” I shouted desperately before fell on my back this time. I panted and breathed heavily as I felt extremely exhausted.

On the other hand, that weird Minwoo seemed like he already waited for this to happen. He suddenly jumped from the roof and floating down slowly. Even though he was floating down very smoothly, I couldn’t think of anything other than frightened. That boy could fly! Am I dealing with a ghost here?

When he was just inches from me, he stretched his hand to me, offering me some help to get up. I was furious and frightened, but my hand was moving by itself, and before I realized it I already took his hand. And soon after our hand touched, I felt my body being lifted up just like a feather being blown. So light. So soft movement. This was a bizarre dream, I thought.

Minwoo took me back to the roof and I found myself too tired to complain. I lied on my back and covered my eyes with both of my hands. My head began to hurt again when I tried to find my memories. Why couldn’t I remember anything? How I ended up here and stuck with this weird boy?

“Don’t force yourself. I think it’s like experience jet lag. You just moved from one place to another and you need some time to adjust.” Minwoo said slowly but his voice sounded like from afar. It was either he moved further away or it was me who was losing my consciousness.

“I’ll let you rest for now. I’ll come again tomorrow.” His voice sounded so soft like a leaves’ brisk and I felt myself suddenly too sleepy to open my eyes.

***

I felt a soft breeze brushed my hair when my senses were getting sharp again. Then I opened my eyes slowly and my heart sunk when once again, the bright sun shine welcomed me. Why this weird dream wasn’t over yet? I thought bitterly. And I had to grit my teeth when a second after, a happy voice greeted me.

“Good morning, Eric.”

I groaned and tried to sit. I felt heavy all over my body. As if I was running hundred miles of marathon the day before and today my body screamed from the pain. But no, it was not pain or hurt. It was heavy. And I mentally noted, I never felt this kind of sensation before. I felt that strangely my body was being pulled by the gravity stronger than before. So even the smallest motion like lifting my head would be extra tiring for me. And my mind was heavy too – I had an odd urge to do something else than this or to be in somewhere else, but something I couldn’t quite point a finger to, kept me in place.

Without waiting, I tried to roll and got down this stupid roof. I needed to get out of here and get away from him! But for my horror, I couldn’t even move. The more I tried, the more heavy I felt. I glared the person (no way I’m going to believe that he is a real angel, right?) beside me and automatically blamed him for this. I knew he was the one who made me couldn’t move like this. I believed he was the one who made my head hurt so much. And it frustrated me much when I couldn’t recall why I was sleeping on the roof since yesterday.

“Do you want to sit?” He asked. I was too angry to answer so I only nodded. And suddenly I felt my body a little bit lighter so I could try to sit. I succeeded this time. I told you he was the one who made me couldn’t move.

“Okay, explain to me slowly.” I said reluctantly and suddenly I was terrified of the possibility. This guy – Minwoo, if I remembered it correctly – said that I was died. What would he say this time? But I had to accept that Minwoo could be my only source of information. I had no other option though, not when I was stuck in this roof. He sat calmly while bending his knees and clasped his hands on it. He then smiled apologetically.

“I don’t know how to say this less harsh to you, but you died five days ago.” Minwoo said slowly but for me it sounded like a hundred hammer pounding on my head. What a great way to start a conversation with a rubbish, I thought.

I decided to pretend that I didn’t hear it. Instead, I wanted to attack.

“Who you said you are?” I asked accusingly.

“Minwoo.” He smiled. “Your angel.” He added proudly.

“Angel is bull.” I hissed.

“Hey! What’s your problem?” Minwoo retorted annoyed.

“You! You are my problem!” I pointed at his face when I shouted desperately. “Why the hell am I here?” And suddenly my head began to hurt again.

“Don’t shout. You’ll faint again.” He said again but now I noticed he lowered his voice. His face was furrowed in a worry expression. He was about to reach his hand to touch me but I wriggled back to avoid him.

“If I already dead, why the hell I can faint? Answer that, Genius!” I shouted crazily now. But then I felt my gaze started to blur when I spurted the words out. Oh , I will faint, I thought. I hurriedly lied down on my back again while Minwoo only watched me patiently. He didn’t dare to come nearer though, maybe because of my rejection just now.

“I can’t be dead.” I mumbled miserably.

Minwoo didn’t say anything to respond. But somehow it frightened me so much, I even began to shiver all over my body. The sun was shine brightly but I was shivering like I was caught in cold. I can’t be dead. Dead people can’t shiver, I thought. But even when I had that thought, something flashed on my mind quite randomly. I thought I could see some flashes of shiny parquet floor which quickly shifted to a picture of a sidewalk. And one face I longed the most.

Then black.

I couldn’t understand why I had that random thought, but I was frightened even more now. I was so afraid I thought I would puke.

“Why I was in this roof?” I asked weakly when I tried to recall the face I saw just now. But no matter I tried, I couldn’t remember that particular face. It was like trying to grab a hold of water with your hand. The more you tried to hold, the more you slip away. And now, that unformed face was vanished completely from my mind.

“Well, when people say that after you die you go to somewhere above, it’s partly true.” Minwoo said carefully. “But for some cases – like your case – you need to do something first. And until you finish that concern, the highest point you could ever reach is the roof.”

Okay, I don’t understand. I muttered all of the cursing I knew silently. I didn’t even understand a tiny booger bit of the things Minwoo just said. I ordered myself to think harder. And with much difficulty, I could come to one silly idea. Better to try it anyway.

“Perhaps, I’m in comatose state right now? Perhaps, I’m lying unconscious in the hospital right now? And if I could go back to my body, I’ll come back alive again!” I asked expectantly. I ever saw something like that on a movie. At that time, I scoffed at it and thought it was ridiculous. But now, that ridiculous probability was my only hope.

“You were buried yesterday. The exact moment when you opened your eyes in this roof.”

And with the low voice of Minwoo, the tiny strings of my last hope, snapped cut.

But different from before, this time I didn’t feel enraged. Instead, I felt some strange sensation. When Minwoo said that I was already buried, rather than felt empty, I actually found it makes sense. It was like finally I found one small puzzle piece of memories I had lost. It didn’t make me feel better though. On the contrary, I felt my nausea was getting worse. I noticed that despite my frightened and nervous state right now, I didn’t sweat or sensed some increasing of my heartbeat whatsoever.

And once again I got even more frightened. Actually I never ever had been this frightened before. I blinked then stared straight to the bright blue and limitless sky above me. I felt so small and weak and more than anything, lonely.

“That’s why you’re here, right?” I murmured slowly to Minwoo. He didn’t need any further explanation about my question. He just nodded once and I sighed lowly.

Minwoo was here so I had someone to talk to and be focus on. Then I realized that aside from him, no one could see or hear me. Even though I could hear some noise from inside the house or from the road below, nobody seemed to be aware of some skinny guy sitting on the roof.

I was alone.

And probably dead.

I noticed that my headache was getting better as the times gone by with me accepting the probability of me being dead by now. Still hammering but felt better than before anyway.

Then I began to panic. Because finally I realized that it wasn’t just a dream.

________________________________________

A/N

Thank you so much for the massive subscription I received.. Thank you.. Thank you so much..

I hope I didn’t disappoint you too much like I did before..

All of you are too kind that makes it more difficult for me to do this..

I’m sorry but I think I need to take some hiatus from now on.. I know it’s so selfish on my part taking hiatus after posting the first chapter.. And I’m really really sorry for that.. I never intended to take a long break until yesterday, but something happened.. And I just can’t..

I already promised someone to post the first chapter, so I think I should keep that one promise before I go..

I realized that I lack a lot and I think I’m too much carried away with your compliments – recently I only gave you not-so-good stories.. So I don’t blame you for getting tired of me.. I learned my lesson and I’m sorry.. Now all I want to do is to bring back the excitements of writing I had on my first days writing Ricsyung.. I was so happy and free back then.. Unlike now, when I’m being greedy and only worry about the numbers..

I’m really really sorry for all my subscribers.. For saying that I’ll come back soon but can’t keep it.. I’m sorry for not fulfilling your expectation.. I’m sorry for being weak..

Gosh, I think I should stop talking now..