*
"Why do you keep standing there in the corner, mister? You're going to scare people away."
I give the big man a curious look, as I walk over to him. He stands there on the side of my window, his focus steady to the horizon, his curious eyes watching as the sun slowly fades away, giving way for the night sky to take place. I follow where his eyes are focused on, and I witness how the sun is slowly hiding behind that glorious mansion on top of the hill.
I remember when grandma and I took a walk outside the park, and how that mansion caught my attention. From where I'm standing, I can tell that the mansion is old and abandoned, yet it stayed magnificent and formidable, standing the test of time.
The view from my room alone is breathtaking, with tall cedar trees surrounding the land, and wild flowers that continue to grow inside the spacious garden. It peaked my interest, so I asked my grandmother about it. I remember her telling me that she doesn't know much of whom the house belongs to, and that the only person who occupies the house is its landlord.
Apparently, the owner of the mansion never came back. Grandma warned me that I shouldn't wander about the place, because rumors are, the mansion is haunted, yet I always find that place to be rather fascinating.
"Are you scared of me Eunji?" I watch as he turns towards my direction, a sullen look plastered on his face.
I cease breathing momentarily. It's not because of the view outside, and how breathtaking the sky is painted in arrays of orange and red. That view is nothing compared to the sight of his silver eyes, and how the sunset silhouettes his entire physique.
"No, not really." I reply in a soft voice, my fondness of him showing. "But if grandma will see, she'll- "
"If she sees me." He muses. "She can't exactly see me now, can't she?"
My brows furrow at his words.
"How come?"
It was the same question that keeps on lingering inside my head. I know for a fact that I'm the only person who knows about him, and he hardly gave me enough answers. We've been friends for a long while now, the least he can do is keep me out of the dark.
"Because you're a very special little lady." He gives me a gentle smile, something that made my heart beat a little faster.
I pout, trying so hard to keep my feelings at bay. "I'm not little." And then I cross my arms. "And I most definitely am not special."
He only gave me an adoring look, something that made the butterflies in my stomach flutter all the way to my already erratically beating heart. I blush, and I notice how his grey eyes sparkle. He looks so dreamy, and somewhat ethereal, my young heart couldn't take the sight of him.
"You never give me a straight answer." I look away as I stand awkwardly. He is just so beautiful, and I fear that I should not dare look at a sight as beautiful as him.
"In time Eunji, in time."
I saw from the corner of my eyes how he offers me his hands, and I stare at his big hands in wonder.
Years ago, he did not even want me to touch him. It was either he'll disappear, or I'll witness how the fire in his eyes grew, but when I told him the other day how I'm leaving the country, and how he held me for the very first time, it seems like he always wants to be around me, and I was, dare I say, euphoric.
There's just something about the way his body touches mine. It just feels so…right.
"Don't be shy now my dear."
I hear a throaty laugh escaping his mouth, and how my thirteen-year-old self finds his laughter a little enthralling. I take his hand, and he feels so, so cold.
"Can you feel that?" He asks as he stares deeply into my eyes.
I'm so curious to know why he feels almost death-like, but not a second later, I can feel something warm enveloping my hand. He intertwined his hand with mine, his big calloused hands now warm to the touch.
I gasp.
"See?" He gives me a gentle smile. "You are special."
���How? I mean- "
"You mean what Eunji?"
There is a trickle of playfulness dancing inside his silver eyes, and I fail to speak as I feel myself getting enthralled by his beauty.
Sehun gives me a soft smile, then he lifts his hand towards his lips, the same hand that is touching mine, He gives my hand soft little pecks, making me chew on my bottom lip.
"Do you remember our first encounter?" He asks all of a sudden, and I was reminded of my five-year-old self seeing him for the first time lying on the grass, just below the wooden arch.
"I've been asleep for so long, I failed to see how time went by."
I watch him closely as he continues to reminisce about the past. His face is a mask of pure pain, and I might just be imagining this, but he looks downcast. His grey eyes look duller now, and I almost want to cry from seeing him this way.
"Do you see that wooden arch?" He points towards the garden. "Do you ever wonder why those roses bloom all through-out the year?���
"No, because grandma's gardener takes care of the flowers. He takes care of them all the time." I answer back, yet curious to hear more from him. "Does he not?"
I hear him chuckling at my response, and I feel another blush creeping on my cheeks.
"Have you ever asked your grandma about your grandfather?"
I shake my head in reply. "What has that got to do with the roses?"
I watch as he heaves a number of sighs, his eyes still glued on the red sky. Uncertainty is evident in his eyes. I waited for him to speak, and when he did, I was almost conflicted to know such details.
"Thirteenth of April, 13 years ago, your grandfather had cultivated this land, and he planted with careful hands what you're seeing today." He looked down, watching how the red roses looked beautiful in contrast with the wooden arch. "He embedded the seeds that grew into those beautiful flowers."
"April 13th?" I knit my brows together. "That was the day I was born."
"Exactly, Eunji." Sehun gives me an unsympathetic smile.
"And on that very day, your grandfather passed away."
I frown, finding the jagged pieces of the past.
I remember the small details about my youth. It was odd how my family only celebrates my birthday every 14th of April. I don't know why they always do, and the first time I realized this was when I turned six. I was sad, heartbroken even. The thought of my parents forgetting my birthday, although can be depressing, is bearable for me, but when grandma didn't even wish me a happy birthday, that's when I started to resent the dreaded day. It never really occurred to me why my father wanted things the way it is, how he made it a point to not be around the same day every year, and how he only allowed us to celebrate my date of birth the next day, or even after the week of it passing. I thought that he just hated me, and I believe that he really does hate me when l found out the reason behind it. The fact that his beloved father died on the same day I was born, brought to light his indifference towards me.
"How…do you know these things?" I asked, feeling so confused right this moment.
"Because Eunji," Sehun turns to me, his silver eyes boarding mine. "It's how things are meant to happen."
"I-" I hitch a breath. "-don't understand."
"Just like the first day we met, it was meant to happen." Sehun cups my face, worry and confusion evident in my eyes."
"I woke up for the first time in centuries and saw you." He gives me a smile so tender, that my heart almost started to melt. "And you were so beautiful."
I feel red heat creeping on my cheeks as the man in front of me stares right into my very soul.
"So very beautiful Eunji."
It felt incredible, being held like this by him, and the way he looks at me, makes me feel all sorts of jittery. I watch how a spark of red dances with his silver eyes, and I can only stand there and watch in awe.
"Sehu- "
"Don't say my name." He places a finger on my lips, stopping me from speaking his name.
"Please." He added, looking like he's in utter pain.
"I'm sorry." I look away, inwardly cursing at myself for being so callous.
"Don't be." This time, he takes both my hands, and places it on the left side of his chest.
"Do you feel that Eunji?" He asks, and I burrow my brows in reply.
He is warm to the touch, yet I can't feel any movement against his chest. It is like his chest holds no heart, which makes me curious about him all the more. But with every passing second, with every minute that took place, I feel something beating against his chest.
"Oh!"
My eyes blinked repeatedly, surprised by the small beating of his heart.
"Do you understand now Eunji?"
Sehun places his hands on top of mine, while he speaks every word like a lullaby.
"I belong to you, sweetheart." He gave me a small smile. "Just as you belong to me."
I was almost teary-eyed with what he said. My young mind cannot simply comprehend every single word that he spoke, yet I understand him with all of my heart, and as I feel his arms wrapping around me, I feel a sense of comfort, and it almost feel like I do belong here, right inside his arms.
"You're the only one who can save me."
He whispered against my ear, and when the last rays of the sun disappeared, he too was gone, and I was left in the darkness, all alone, aching to feel his presence.
*
All the memories suddenly came to me like waves.
Maybe it's because I am finally seeing his face for the very first time after such a long while.
Maybe if I had been courageous enough to know, then I would've remembered everything before all this mess happened, but I wasn't, and I regret the fact that I had been so weak.
As I stare into his once familiar face, I feel my cheeks wet from unshed tears.
"W-what happened to you?" I ask in a shaky voice.
Here he is in front of me, his strong hands grasping my shoulders, his fingers gripping my skin like a vice.
I am unhappy with how things came to be. I didn't like what happened between us, but it doesn't mean I regret it. I just wish that things didn't have to be this way, because no matter how much time was wasted, I will never break my promise to him. I will always want to be with him.
That chilling shadow of a smile never left Sehun's face, and as I watched as his smile turned into something sinister, I stopped breathing for a while.
He is no longer the man I knew. This Sehun is different, and I blame myself for leaving him, for forgetting my promise. I failed to save him, and I just wish that there's a trickle of hope left for us.
"Why don't you let me show you instead?" He asked, his sharp eyes menacing and brooding.
It was the last thing I heard, before I felt him pushing me towards the window, my body slowly falling into the abyss.