“I’m home!”

Irene yelled as she reached the front door of her house. She stopped when she saw her Dad’s head through the wall near their living room.

“Did you buy me a newspaper?” he said.

Irene was staring at her father―hands on her hip. “How many times do we have to do this, Dad?”

The man bit his lower lip.

“You’re right, sweetheart. Sorry.” He disappeared as if he was by the wall, and reappeared in no time; standing in front of Irene. With no word, Irene gave him the newspaper as she walked to the kitchen―where her mother was.

Irene sighed when she saw some kitchen sets flew around the kitchen, it did not help when she saw a piece of meat flipped itself on the griller with her mother―stood far away from it, and a recipe book on her hands.

“Oh! Joohyun! Thank God you’re home!” Her mother said, “can you taste the soup over there? Because I usually cook it when I was still alive, and now that I’m dead I can’t taste a thing!”

Irene simply nodded, leaving her mother who was still complaining about her condition as she added a few pinches of salt into the soup.

“I know right, being dead .”

Irene’s dad said; he appeared out of nowhere, walking through Irene to her mother. “Sorry about that, sweetheart.”

“It’s fine, dad. But, can you guys at least be more human? I mean…no walking through things or…me?”

“I’ll keep that in mind.” Her father joked. “Anyway, how’s your day at school?”

“Boring, we were going on a road trip today. Beeford.” Irene said before she brought the steak she cut into . “And that kid couldn’t stop her mischievous actions in the bus.”

Her mother chuckled, “that kid? You mean Kang Seulgi? Our neighbour?”

Irene nodded. “I wonder why they are keeping such a brat in the school, Mom. Why can’t they kick her out?”

“What? That doesn’t make sense, sweetheart? You can’t kick someone out from school just because of a few mistakes.” Her mother said; pouring water into Irene’s glass.

“Mom, I’m sixteen, I can talk to ghost, and I’m living with my dead parents’ ghosts. Does it make sense to you?”

Yes, Irene’s parents are ghosts. She lost her parents when she was fourteen, but apparently, her parents did not actually leave―because a few weeks after the accident that hit their family, her parents came back to their house and they lived like a normal family as before. Irene was indeed sad when her parents dead, but knowing that she could still talk to them made her sigh in relief―that she did not feel lonely.

“Well…yes, it does. In our family at least.” Her mother giggled. “It’s a gift, Irene. Everyone in our family can see ghost. You have to be proud of the Darshade family.

Irene grunted, but she nodded anyway.

Darshade; Her actual family name. Irene did not exactly know what happened back then that her family decided to change their family name to Bae as she was very little, and her parents kept it secret even after their death.

“Oh and by the way, your aunt Jessica is in town.” Her father suddenly said.

Irene gulped. “Aunt J-Jessica?” She let an awkward laugh. “She’s in Lorzhask? I-I thought she’s in Korea, handling some…paparazzi.”

“She’s a famous designer, sweetheart. She travelled all around the world. Right, honey?” her father said, whilst her mother gave him a nod.

Jessica Darshade―or Jessica Jung, which is what they call her now―was Irene’s mother older sister. The only relative that Irene afraid of.

She has this cold aura around her, and the way she does things just sent shiver to Irene’s body. But, on the other side, Irene admired that woman because she is absolutely an independent woman. She lived alone; she did everything on her own until she became a successful designer just like she wanted. She did not want to get married to anyone―though Irene did not know what is the reason on changing her surname. Her mother said that it was her grandmother’s surname. Irene thought it made sense, remembering that her aunt always talked bad about her grandpa Darshade.

“I think I’m going upstairs now. Mom, Dad, see you tomorrow.”

“Okay, good night, sweetheart!” her parents said.

Irene nodded as she walked to her room on the attic. She did her homework first, and opened the window. She found the Grey Lady; she was standing in front of Irene’s house―looked so depressed and said, “Please tell the DeÍktis to find my baby.”

And by that, Irene realized that the Grey Lady ghost who usually carried her baby was standing there with empty hands, no handsome baby boy in her embrace. Irene nodded even though she did not know what the ghost was talking about, she closed the window before she tossed herself on her comfortable bed, wishing that she would receive a very good day tomorrow.

---

Irene mentally cursed everything around her, but she did not forget to curse the girl who was sitting beside her many times.

Seulgi Kang.

Her parents always said to her that she had to be good with the said girl because firstly, their family was also from Korea. Secondly, they are neighbour. Lastly, Irene’s parents always taught her to be good to everyone. But then again, she just couldn’t with this Seulgi girl.

Apparently, Mr. Courtey had to pair them in their chemistry class. And Seulgi was being Seulgi. So, instead of doing what the teacher said, she made a little accident instead; that caused a tiny explosion that drove Mr. Courtey mental.

It was the first time for Irene to get called by the headmaster―she never wanted it either― but it was not the first time for Seulgi. The girl had been there many times that Irene couldn’t even count it anymore. Irene took a glance to the girl who was focusing on the game in her phone as she acted like nothing was matter that moment.

“What are you doing here?”

Irene gasped when she heard a voice beside her; she looked around her before carefully replied the talking figure beside her.

“You’re a ghost.” She whispered.

“I absolutely am.” She answered. “And why are you whispering?”

Irene was staring at her. This kind of situation was the one that Irene wanted to avoid. Though her mother said that everyone in Darshade family could see ghost and it is normal for them, Irene still thought that the kids in her school were thinking that she was weird enough, so she did not want to make another weird impression. She knew, if the other students caught that she was talking to nobody, it would make her school-live more miserable―not to mention there was this -faced girl named Suzan Peter that always talked bad about her and the other kids who she thought as unpopular.

“Hey, look!” The girl said, “tennis. I used to play tennis. Actually, that was why I die.”

“How in the world did you die because of tennis?”

“I just won,” she explained happily. “You know, I always won almost in every match! And that day, I climbed the net up. My leg got stuck. I fell, and then boom!”

Irene widened her eyes.

“My head got