“Hey, Donghae, I’m going to go back to Heaven for a while. There are some things I need to take care of. Don’t go anywhere while I’m gone okay?” Hyukjae told the soul, who still looked as sad as he did a few hours ago. Hyukjae kinda wished he never told Donghae that feeling he got about his girlfriend. Even though he knew he was right, the truth always hurts.

“Okay, I’ll just sit down here and do nothing,” Donghae nodded and played with his shoelaces again. Hyukjae felt kinda bad for leaving him alone, but he needed to report back to the authority at least once a day, and he wanted to change out of the ridiculous hoodie.

“I’ll be quick,” Hyukjae promised.

“It’s okay, take your time,” Donghae replied.

Hyukjae sighed and disintergrated into thin air, leaving Donghae alone.

Once the Soulcatcher was gone, Donghae got up from his seated position. He decided he should probably take another look at his room before all his things were cleared away. He could only look, not touch, even though he badly wanted to.

All his clothing were already packed into two boxes, waiting to be sealed up and probably donated to charity. All his photo frames were inside another box, along with some random trinkets and souvenirs he got here and there. He found his eyes zoomed in on a cute pink teddy he got for his girlfriend when he went to a funfair a few months ago. Somehow, she had always forgotten to bring it back to her own home, instead choosing to put it on his mantel.

And he let himself think, were they already having problems by then? Was he the only one who was pursuing for a future together?

He let himself curl up in his couch, which he found out he could sit on only after he mindlessly sat down in habit. He was lucky the couch accepted him, because he badly needed comfort now. Now that he thought about it, he was probably blind. The signs were always there but he just chose to ignore it.

Having dating Yunhye for a long time, he had made her a habit in his life. They dated like couples do, they spent customary time with each other every week. He had felt comfortable with that sort of life before he died, so why did it sound so mundane now?

It was perfectly normal to think that Yunhye would fall out of love with him. It wasn’t completely impossible. There was a possibility. He just didn’t want to think about it. He wished it was fake. He wished Hyukjae never told him.

A tear fell again, even though he promised the Soulcatcher he wouldn’t cry again.

**

Hyukjae was in the middle of changing when an unsettling feeling overcame him. He quickly pulled on his tank top and a white button up as a jacket before he waltzed away. He had already registered himself to the Centre earlier and reported the situation with Donghae so he was free to go.

In less than three seconds, he was back at Donghae’s apartment. He found the adult man on the couch, crying madly.

“Hey,” he cooed, thinking how ugly the other looked with his face wet with tears and snot, “What did you promise me about crying?”

“I’m sorry,” Donghae replied quietly and let Hyukjae wipe his face with his hankerchief. He did not say anything, merely waiting for Donghae to calm himself down. Surely, he had started crying again after seeing some of those personal stuff in the boxes.

“I just got information, your funeral is today. Do you want to go?” he asked softly when he was sure Donghae was not sobbing anymore.

Donghae waited a while before replying with a hesitant nod. He wanted to see all his friends and relatives for one last time, before he goes to the other side.

“Are you sure you can take it? Can you promise me not to cry?” Hyukjae asked with a soft smile.

“Can I not promise that?” Donghae asked hopefully, eyes blinking slowly.

Hyukjae cleared his throat and moved further away. He did notice that Donghae was quite handsome, but somehow, now that he had the chance to really take a look at the soul’s face, he just realised that he had really beautiful eyes. It’s even prettier than…

Hyukjae stopped himself for going there.

No, not that one.

Donghae got up lazily from the couch and played with the hem of his shirt. “Um, how do we get there?” he asked, still a little out of breath and tired with all the crying.

“Hold my hand and I’ll take you there,” Hyukjae replied and held out his right palm. Duties come first, he told himself repeatedly.

**

When they arrived there, the funeral was halfway through. Hyukjae glanced at the massive crowd of black and he was slightly awed. Donghae had to be a well-like