She thinks her eyes are playing tricks on her due to the tremendous stress she’s been getting from school lately. She gently rubs her eyes. As he draws closer, she knows she can’t be wrong but she hesitantly calls out his name anyway. He does look up for a brief moment from his distraught state. She opens , her brain already working out a small talk topic. Before the word could even come out, her Dongwoo sunbae passes her, right in the place where her irregular beating heart is. She feels a chill run through her body.

“Eh!?” She lets out a cry and the passersby stop to look at her. She immediately apologises and bows her head. She musters her courage to take just a tiny peek and when she opens one eye, she meets Dongwoo’s wide-eyed stare with his face full of snort.

“Kim Haneul,” he begins. “You can see me?”

She cautiously moves away fumbling for the nearest wall and rests her entire body weight on it. She must definitely be under too much stress. That’s the only plausible and sound explanation. When she sees the other humans casually walking past Dongwoo’s body, Haneul swears she is going to faint right there and then. Her eyes roll to the back of her head and her legs give way as she slumps against the wall.

“Kim Haneul!” That is the last thing she hears before she passes out.

She doesn’t know how long she’s been out for but she hears frantic calls of her name that seem so far away at first. She knits her brows tightly together and refuses to open her eyes but wait. She feels a pair of strong arms around her shoulders, lightly shaking her. Ghosts can’t touch humans, can they? She meekly opens her eyes and sees a very concerned Nam Woohyun in front of her.

“Yah Kim Haneul,” he says. “Are you ok?”

She’s about to answer when she sees an extremely nosy Dongwoo hovering over Woohyun’s shoulders and poking his nose through literally.

“God, I think I’m going to pass out again.”

Woohyun places an arm around her shoulders as he steadies her and leads her into the nearby fast food chain for the air-conditioning. He sits her down and bombards her with a string of questions.

“Are you feeling better now?” Woohyun asks. “Do you need me to get you some food?” She’s merely nodding and shaking her head, still feeling overwhelmed from earlier. Dongwoo watches as Woohyun leaves to buy her food. He immediately scoots beside her. Haneul is chanting some prayer and her eyes are staring off into blank. He wants to laugh at how absurd this is.

“Haneulie,” Dongwoo says in his most serious tone. “I know you can see me.”

“No, I can’t.” Haneul replies. “And don’t call me that.”

Woohyun returns shortly later with a burger set meal and a nuggets meal and Dongwoo stops buzzing around.

“I got you nuggets because I figured you won’t have much of an appetite,” Woohyun says as he sets the tray in front of her. “But if you really want to have my bulgogi burger, I guess I can spare you a tiny bite.”

“Thanks, Woohyun.”

“I bought both milo and cola because I don’t know which you’ll prefer. I usually like to drink cola after my game but milo is an energy drink so…”

Haneul gives him a weak smile. “I’ll take cola.” She’s still looking out of sorts, jabbing the straw multiple times.

Woohyun sighs. “I warned you about the heat.” He nags.

“Yes, yes.”

“What did I say about going out?” he asks in his authoritative voice.

“That I have to stay in the shade and keep myself hydrated,” Haneul replies, instantly feeling like a guilty 10-year-old kid who has done wrong. “You’re starting to sound more and more like my mother.” She finally lets out a quiet laugh and Woohyun laughs along.

“What would you do if I didn’t find you there in your glorious state?” Woohyun asks, the sarcasm definitely hard to go unnoticed.

“Well,” Haneul thinks. “Someone else probably would have found me.” She manages to steal a glance at Dongwoo who has been continuously looking intently at Woohyun. Woohyun sinks slightly into his chair.

“I swear I’ve seen him somewhere before.” Dongwoo mumbles quickly to himself. “But where?” He holds his chin thoughtfully.

“I’ll walk you to the subway station when you’re done.” Woohyun says, not looking up from his food. Haneul pretends to pick at the fries as Dongwoo repeatedly perks up then deflates again.

The walk to the station is filled with silence which is a rather strange phenomenon with Woohyun. Dongwoo trails behind the couple like a lost puppy. Haneul finally decides to end the awkward atmosphere. “You’re being awfully quiet, Nam Woohyun.”

Woohyun breaks into a small smile. “Ever our highly perceptive Kim Haneul.”

Haneul nudges him playfully. “So what are you brooding about?”

“I was thinking,” Woohyun begins. “Do you want to watch my match this Saturday?”

“Oh come on,” she replies. “You know that I don’t like sports and soccer is my least favourite out of them.”

“But you have never supported me, not even once before.” Woohyun pouted.

“Woohyun,” Haneul starts. “I’ve always given you unconditional … moral support.”

“Eureka!” Dongwoo’s sudden outburst startles her and she jumps a little. “I remember now!”

“What’s wrong?” Woohyun asks, his hold gentle on her shoulders. “Are you not feeling well again?”

“No, I just …” Haneul looks to Dongwoo who’s all excited.

“He used to play soccer in my neighbourhood! We played together a few times before! I wonder if he still remembers me.”

“It’s nothing really.” She says.

“Are you sure?” Woohyun asks skeptically. “Do you need me to send you home?” Haneul shakes her head. “If you say so then.”

“Ask him if he remembers me, Haneulie.”

“Thanks for today!” Haneul says. “See you.”

“Text me when you’re home!” Woohyun says and only leaves when Haneul disappears into the crowd until she’s a speck.

“Why didn’t you ask him?” Dongwoo asks as soon as Woohyun is out of earshot although he surely can’t hear him anyway.

Haneul digs around in her bag for her phone and types in. Dongwoo looks away, giving her the little privacy that she at least deserves. She clears in an obnoxious fashion when she realises Dongwoo isn’t reading his intended message. He finally snaps his head around.

“Me?” he asks, pointing to himself. Haneul gives a subtle nod and signals her phone.

When are you going to stop following me?

“I don’t know. You’re the only one who can see me.”

Haneul feels a strange tingling in her heart because maybe to her Dongwoo sunbae, she is special. She erases the previous message and types in a new one.

Mind if I ask how did you die?

“It was a road accident. I wanted to avoid the dog.”

Was the dog saved?

“Yea, it was.”

Then that’s good enough.

Because Haneul knows that the kind Dongwoo would do it all over again in a heartbeat to save the dog and he definitely wouldn’t regret it.

“Do you want to drop by?” Haneul tilts her head in confusion. “It’s my first day as a ghost.”

So Haneul buys her first bouquet of flowers in her life – a bouquet of white chrysanthemums.

“Wow, my very first gift from Haneul hoobae.” Dongwoo muses. “And it isn’t even my favourite flowers.” Haneul wishes she could laugh but this honestly isn’t even moderately funny. “Doesn’t it feel unnerving? I’m bringing you to meet my gorgeous beautiful family! I’m somehow trembling inside.”

When the Jangs extend the same hospitality towards Haneul (despite their grief), just like the very day she met Dongwoo, she doesn’t have to question where her sunbae got his warm and bright personality from. She watches fondly at their family and quietly takes her leave.

“Are you going already?” Dongwoo asks, chasing after her.

“Yea.” She turns her head, perplexed at Dongwoo still closely behind her. “It’s ok, sunbae. I can get home by myself.”

“I’m following you home tonight.” Dongwoo casually says.

“What?!” Haneul exclaims, halting her footsteps. Dongwoo merely shrugs and walks along.

“You’re the only one who can see me. What do I do if you chicken out and I can’t find you tomorrow?”

“Chicken out from what? We don’t have an agreement.”

“You can’t talk to your sunbae like this.”

Haneul clenches her fists and grits her teeth. “I am a girl!”

Dongwoo stops and turns around. He narrows his eyes then gives a knowing smirk like he has something up his sleeve. Dongwoo stretches both his hands out and inches closer, leaving Haneul stunned. His hands reach for her bosom and they just pass right through. He immediately retracts his hands and hums. “Don’t worry. I’m a friendly ... ghost.” He sends her a wink and Haneul screams, her face flushing with anger and embarrassment.