“Do we really need to do this?” I pouted and clicked my tongue in dissatisfied.

“Eh? Do what?” Minwoo asked dumbly.

“This.” I said while lifting our intertwined fingers in disgust.

This morning Minwoo granted my wish to meet Hyesung. Since today was Tuesday, he would take me to Hyesung’s school if I want to see him. But the only problem was, I forgot to ask Minwoo the details of his procedure when he would take me there. Turned out, he needed ‘to carry’ me because I couldn’t float like him and as a soul I wasn’t allowed to walk on the ground too. And the method of him ‘carrying’ me was we needed to hold hands. Holding hands, for god’s sake!

It was true that my opinion towards Minwoo was getting better after last night, but wasn’t good enough to feel comfortable holding hands like this.

“You’ll get used to it.” Minwoo answered rather bored but he didn’t bothered to face me when he said that.

“I hope not.” I said without thinking. And I could see that Minwoo rolled his eyes and let out a silent scoff.

I glanced to the houses and roads below us. This was a super weird experience. I didn’t even know how to describe this, we looked like we’re floating but you could also call that we’re flying. I was sure that Minwoo didn’t have any wings, but his movements were smooth and balanced. (And fast if I might add, maybe I should check his feet after this – just in case he had a small rocket on his shoes). Moving steady ten meters above the ground, Minwoo took me straight to the direction of Hyesung’s school.

“Just wait until you see Hyesung, Minwoo.” I grinned widely when I thought about seeing him once again. “All you need to do is see him and you will understand what I’m talking about.” And by that time, you would agree with me. My Hyesungie is so beautiful and so fine.

“I warn you, Minwoo. Don’t falling in love with him.” I pulled his hand firmly. “He’s mine.”

“Don’t you think you’re putting your hope a little too high?” He asked calmly.

“Eh?” I turned my head to face him.

“What do you expect to see in him now?” Minwoo asked in serious tone this time. He then slowed down when I started to see the top of Hyesung’s school building. 

“What do you mean?”

But Minwoo didn’t answer. He only lifted his brow and waited for my answer instead.

“He will be looked sad and brokenhearted, because I was dead six days ago.” The words just slipped from my mouth.

Maybe Minwoo was right when he said that I was stupid. Because only by now, I had the thought of Hyesung’s feeling. I was too happy of the possibility of me seeing Hyesung again, I forgot to think about his condition. Is he still sad? Is he missing me by now? Is he alright at all?

We arrived at his school and I couldn’t help but beamed in anticipation. Finally, I would see him again. And there were only some mere minutes between us.

“Where should we go now?” Minwoo asked when he stopped and now we’re floating above the school gate. This was around the time for the class to begin, so there were only a handful of students around the gate.

“Uh, umm..” No words were actually being said because then I realized that I never knew his class’ location!

“Don’t tell me you don’t know.” Minwoo responded in half-surprised and half-scorned.

“It’s not my school.” I defended myself. “And I never actually got inside.” Only by now I realized that after a year of knowing Hyesung (and six months dating him), I never knew this kind of information about him. During that time we always met at the bus stop or I waited for him in front of the school’s gate, so I didn’t need to know where his class was.

Minwoo sighed then asked, “He’s a senior, right?” I nodded at his question and then a second after, Minwoo leaped and we headed towards one building on the right. “I think this is where the seniors’ classes are.” Minwoo explained when he saw my blank face.

“How do you know?” I asked even though right now I already looked on the right and left to search for a face I longed the most.

“Just keep looking for him.” Minwoo said flatly.

“I’m trying here.” I grunted and I really did my best to find him amidst the many students who were wearing the same uniform. Where was my Hyesungie? Minwoo led me flying left and right when I was busy scanning all the unfamiliar faces of boys and girls who swarmed the hallway.

Until finally, I saw him.

He was standing inside one class and there’s no way I could miss the fact that he was laughing heartily right now. My mouth went dry and I only managed to tug Minwoo’s hand to give him the sign to stop. I couldn’t even open my mouth.

Hyesung was laughing happily as if there’s nothing bothered him.

***

“Eric?” Minwoo called out my name slowly but I had no will to answer. He sighed and after that, the silence began again.

After I saw him laughing with his friends this morning, I had what they called a mental breakdown. My head began to hurt again and I couldn’t think of anything. So I begged Minwoo to take me back to my roof immediately. I couldn’t take the sight any longer. I couldn’t take the sound of his happy chuckles any longer. I needed to get out of that place. And here we were, once again sitting side by side in silence on the roof since I refused to talk all day.

Was it really Hyesung? Was he really laughing with no trace of sadness whatsoever this morning? Was it really happening?

If the situation was reversed – if it was Hyesung who died six days ago – I didn’t think I could live at all. I was sure I would lock myself inside my bedroom and refused to eat or to do anything in general. Maybe I would snuggle under the blanket and sleep all day because I knew I couldn’t stay awake without crying.  Hugging his photo, I would call his name continuously and bawling over my sadness. I would wish the time to go back and begged him not to leave me. I would be missing him too much.

One thing for sure, I wouldn’t have a heart to go to school and to laugh with my friends as if nothing happened.

“You knew it would turn out like this, didn’t you?” I accused Minwoo when the night slowly fell.

“Things like this aren’t really new, so I wasn’t that surprised.” He said apologetically.

“Are you sure I died six days ago? Not six years ago?” I asked miserably. I didn’t expect any answer from Minwoo though. I let out a heavy sigh before said bitterly, “Hyesung had me forgotten pretty fast.”

“It’s not like that.” Minwoo quickly said. He was about to open his mouth again, but I cut him.

“I’m the one who died here, but why it was me who is missing him?”

***

Being dead is !

I couldn’t be seen, I couldn’t be heard. I was invisible. I couldn’t sleep thus I couldn’t rest (let alone rest in peace, haha). I was stuck in this roof and wasn’t allowed to walk the ground. I had to remember the moment I died and had this headache from time to time. And now I learned that my boyfriend already forgot me.

But the most resentful thing about being dead was the fact that I still had full of my emotion and feeling. Like now, I’m continuously missing Hyesung. I was sad and also angry after seeing him laughing without me and looked like he didn’t miss me whatsoever. But even though I was angry with him, I missed him as bad as before. I knew I felt lonely all the time, no matter how hard Minwoo’s effort to accompany me. Really, when you dead, nothing’s good happened to you.

But wait, maybe being dead wasn’t that bad. Maybe I could make use of my current condition. Better ask Minwoo to make sure.

“Minwoo, did you say that I could go anywhere?” I questioned him when I thought it was around midnight. He quickly sat up and faced me.

“Kind of.” Minwoo answered with both of his eyes were squinted. Perhaps he was just too startled that I suddenly initiated a conversation after my complete sullenness these past hours.

“Can we go to see Pyramid tomorrow?” I asked seriously. I thought I deserved a vacation. Or I just needed to get away from here. Anything to divert me from whatever I saw this morning.

“Pyramid as in Egypt?” Minwoo asked back and a bit stuttered. As if he was too startled by my sudden request. I nodded. “I’m afraid we can’t.” He was surely still taken aback even when he managed to answer.

“Hmm, how about the Antarctic? I want to see the penguins.” He shook his head. “Can you take me to see the aurora?” Shook his head. “Komodo Island?” Shook his head again. “The Great Wall of China?” Shook his head. “Machu Picchu?” Shook his head yet again.

I gave up.

“This is not a vacation, Eric.” Minwoo said amusedly. “And the scope of my is limited only to the places related to your concern.” His expression was a mix of amused and disbelief.

I delightfully scoffed at him. “How boring.”

“Welcome to my life.” Minwoo shrugged his shoulders and at the same time smiled bitterly.

“, I’m too young to die.” I sighed morosely. “I hadn’t traveled anywhere when I was alive.” The seventeen years of my life were spent only in this small town.

“I never traveled anywhere also.” Minwoo murmured softly.

“Eh? Do you mean you’re always here all the time? But you can fly! You can go anywhere without paying any expenses!” I mean, how great that is! If I had the ability to fly like Minwoo, there’s no way I would stay in one place. I would definitely visit as many places as possible. I’ll move to one place to another every day.

“I have jobs to do.” He said shortly.

“Ah, right.” So being an angel had no day off? I thought. How sad.

“The places you mentioned just now, do you want to go there?” Minwoo asked slowly.

“I just wanted to travel somewhere.” I answered while staring at the sky. “Machu Picchu.” I whispered softly. Yeah, that place.

“Machu Picchu? What is that?” Minwoo asked interested. “Is the place beautiful?”

“Actually, Machu Picchu is an abandoned estate situated on a mountain ridge.” I explained rather easily, and one piece of my memory popped up in my head. And without I even realized it, I began to smile.

“Why do you want to go to a place that already abandoned?” Minwoo’s confused face was funny, let me tell you.

“I don’t know. Someone ever told me about the place. That’s why I want to go there.”

***

“Machu Picchu? What is that?” I asked. And where the hell is that place?

“You never heard of the place?” Hyesung asked with his eyes were widened in disbelief. I simply shook my head. He then scoffed insultingly before fished out his phone from his pocket. For a moment, he concentrated on his phone and typed something on it before started to speak again.

“Listen,” he then read something from his phone, “Machu Picchu is a 15th-century Inca site located 2,430 meters above sea level. It is situated on a mountain ridge and most archeologists believe that Machu Picchu was built as an estate for the Inca emperor Pachacuti (1438–1472). Often referred to as the "Lost City of the Incas", it is perhaps the most familiar icon of Inca civilization. The Incas built the estate around 1450, but abandoned it a century later at the time of the Spanish Conquest.” He recited the information happily and completely immersed at it as we walked home together.

He then let me to see his phone screen which showed an enormous stone structure located on top of a mountain. The complex was surrounded by high mountains and I had to agree that the place was quite impressive. Hyesung then chuckled in satisfied when he saw my awe expression.

“Where do you know about that place?” I couldn’t help but grinned after heard his chuckles.

“It’s one of new seven wonders in the world, you know. And also a famous tourist’s attraction. How could you don’t know about the place?” Hyesung again shrieked in disbelief. He even ignored how some people turned their head because of his loud voice.

I only shrugged my shoulders. Well, I really didn’t know about the place. Maybe I should start reading more books from now on. “What is so good about the place? It’s an abandoned city!”

“I like its name.” Hyesung smiled sheepishly then put his phone back to his pocket.

“Machu Picchu?” Where’s the cute part? I thought.

“Isn’t the name cute? Machu Picchu. Machu Picchu.” He chuckled amusingly every time he said ‘Machu Picchu’ a couple more times after that.

“To see your pouting lips is cuter, Hyesung-ah.” I commented. Hyesung has these small lips that would naturally pout whenever he talks. And saying this foreign name got his lips pouted even more. Uwaah, my boyfriend is so adorable I just want to bear hug him every time.

“Shut up!” He hissed annoyed. Well, he might be adorable, but he wasn’t too welcoming.

“Let’s go there!” I suggested immediately.

“It’s in Peru!” Hyesung reminded me but I already saw the excitement on his eyes.

“So?”

“It would be really expensive!” He stated the clear fact that was hard to argue.

But I got my defense anyway. “I’m not saying we will go there tomorrow.” I nudged his shoulder playfully. “Just say that you want to go there with me.”

Hyesung only chuckled and covered his mouth with his hand. I smiled and mentally dancing to see him like this. Hyesung in a complete good mood was a very rare occasion, and I sent thousands thankfulness whenever he chuckled happily like this.

“I’ll look for part time job and start saving the money if you say yes.” I nudged his shoulder again. “And I promise to work hard so I can take you there as soon as possible.”

“Should I look for a part time job too?” He teased me.

“So you want to go with me?” I stopped walking and held his hand.

He turned to face me. “It’s not a bad idea.” He said while smiling widely.

“I promise I will take you there, Hyesung-ah.”

“You better keep your promise.” Hyesung said firmly but with a delightful sparks on his eyes. “I won’t let you get away until you take me there.”

“Don’t worry about that.” I tapped my chest once. “Machu Picchu, wait for us!” I shouted spontaneously. At first Hyesung was startled to see me shouting abruptly like that while we’re walking in this rather busy sidewalk. But then he chuckled and for my surprised, he also shouted.

“Machu Picchu, wait for us!”

***

“That’s right.” I mumbled slowly. I lied down on the roof then placed my hands under the back of my head, I stared straight to the dark sky above me.

“What?”

“No wonder he forgets me quite easily. I’m the person who can’t keep my promise to him anyway.”

_______________________________________

A/N

This chapter is finished faster than I thought, yayy!! ^^

Maybe because during the writing, I was in a very good mood.. I continously imagining Hyesung saying 'Machu Picchu, Machu Picchu, Machu Picchu' endlessly, kekekeke... How cute it would be.. XD