countdown... | Ateez Yunho

7 days remaining..

I watched my body from afar as the late-night shift janitor discovered it in the photo booth. The way he screamed made me feel hideous, but I suppose that's how many people would react to anyone's corpse. Why was I cursed to relive life like this? As a narrator of a story that is no longer mine. What was the purpose of watching my pathetic life become even more pitiful?

I walked over to the photo booth as I heard sirens nearby. Paramedics quickly wheeled my body into the ambulance. Did they know how useless that was? There was no known cure for heartbreak.

I followed them all the way to the hospital where they wired up my body. It was painful to look at. I took a moment to step out and saw Nari rushing into the lobby.

"What room is she in?" she frantically asked. The receptionist begged for her to calm down, and once she did, she was told to sit in the waiting room after explaining what she was looking for. I watched her as she waited for hours. Why were the nurses and doctors trying so hard to save me? Why couldn't they just break the news to her already that I was dead?

I seemed to have spoken too soon as a nurse guided her to my room. Once it was official that I was no longer alive, Nari broke down and sobbed right next to my body. I ran over to hug her, but I couldn't comfort her anymore.

"You can't give up yet!" she screamed.

"There's nothing we can do. She died because she couldn't find her soulmate in time," the nurse said, sternly.

"But, she had love in her life! She should still be here!"

"I'm sorry, but that's just how life is."

I couldn't bare to look at the scene any longer. I didn't realize how much pain Nari would go through once I was gone.

I started walking back home, since it was the only place I wanted to be at in the moment. But, my feet stopped me dead in my tracks when I saw a boy walking down the street.

It couldn't be him.
He's not supposed to be real.
He's just someone who looks slightly like a person I wish I knew.

Even if my eyes weren't deceiving me, I couldn't handle the truth. Was Yunho actually a real person? Had I gone crazy over someone that really existed? A part of me was relieved. But, another part of me felt like a creep. I was fantasizing over a stranger who had no knowledge of me whatsoever. The thought made me feel sick to my stomach.

Should I follow him? No. He must have gone through enough.

I started running back home now, afraid that my mind was playing games on me once again. I stayed up all night, trying to understand how my brain had created a person out of nowhere who actually existed. I had definitely seen him on the street that one day after getting a palm reading. But, why did I repeatedly keep seeing him after that? Why did my brain have to torture me with those thoughts?

The only thing I did know, was that I'll never find the answer.

The next day I went over to Nari's to check up on her. When I got there, her room was a mess. It looked like she had been throwing all her things around. I was about to leave to give her some privacy until her phone started ringing.

"Hello?" she groggily answered.

"Hello, is this Lee Nari?"

"Who is this?"

"My name is Jeong Yunho. I found a bag outside of this photo booth when I was walking by and when I unlocked the phone that was inside the front pocket, your contact popped up in the recent calls."

Jeong Yunho? As in, the boy who I believed was my soulmate?

"Jeong Yunho?" she questioned. She must have recognized the name too.

"Yes, that's my name. If you'd like I can wait for you here so you can come get it. I promise I didn't look at anything else inside too."

"How can I trust you?"

"If it makes you feel better, I can give it to a shop owner and you can get it from them. I just figured since I found the bag that I should give it back to its owner or at least to a person who knows who it belongs to."

"Just stay there. I'm on my way."

I watched as Nari quickly got ready. She was always so beautiful, even though she put in no effort. I was always so envious because of that. But, I guess it didn't matter anymore.

Of course I had to follow her as she met up with Yunho. Even though they couldn't see me, I still hid my shocked expression when I saw him. He was everything I imagined and more. He was...real.

"Here you go." He smiled as he handed my bag to Nari.

"Thank you so much." She smiled back. As they were about to part ways, Yunho turned back around.

"Excuse me."

Nari turned back to face him.

"I know we just met, but do you mind if I get your number? This may seem a little inappropriate but I don't think I'll get another chance to see someone as pretty as you," he shyly said. My jaw nearly dropped when I heard him say it. Every single emotion started to run through my body. I wanted to scream. Hell, I did scream. I screamed so loud, but no one could hear me. Was life so cruel that I couldn't even die in peace?

"Sure," Nari agreed and grabbed his phone out of his hands. I wanted to die for the second time at the moment.

"Great, I'll text you later then?" His voice was excited. Nari nodded then waved goodbye.

Why was my worst nightmare coming true...?