“I’ll have to warn you miss, this place is haunted.”

Seohyun did her best not to scoff out loud. If she did, then the woman selling her the house would most likely be offended. She pressed her lips together tightly and smiled slightly at the older woman.

“Don’t worry Ms. Song,” Seohyun began in the most polite tone she could muster, “I saw from the previous reviews. But I’m not worried at all.”

Ms. Song nodded and clapped her hands together, “Well then, will you be taking this house?”

“Yes.”

Moving day came faster than expected. Seohyun’s parents hugged her tightly after they finished helping her move all her things in. She was their precious only daughter, and having her permanently out of the house was a reality they didn’t want to face so soon.

“I can barely breathe,” she struggled to say, her parents’ death grip almost causing her face to turn blue.

“I’m so sorry Joohyun,” her mother cooed as she her precious daughter’s face.

Her father placed his arm over her mother’s shoulders and pulled his wife close to her, “We did this when she started university, so we can do this again, darling.”

“But it’s different this time!” her mother whined, burying her head into her husband’s shoulder, “We’ll barely see her now.”

Seohyun pulled her parents into one last embrace, rubbing her hands along their backs in a calming motion, “Come on now, you’ll stop missing me after a week I promise.”

Being out of the house didn’t stop Seohyun parents from calling her every night. The girl didn’t mind at all however, for she certainly missed their presence around the house.

But being alone was nice. It was perfect, actually. Seohyun had spent the first week unpacking and setting up her work desk while still going to work. This new house location was convenient for it was only a few blocks away from the book store she worked at. Of course, a book store worker was only a temporary job.

Seohyun had recently graduated at the top of her class with full scholarships. She specialized in English and her dream was to become a famous writer. However, because school was so time consuming, Seohyun only had the time to study and stay on top of every assignment, test and exam. But now that she lived alone and now that school was over with, she had every moment outside of work to start on a new book.

Throughout her studies she had several ideas. She even kept them all in a special ‘idea journal’ that she made out of the first journal she had received in high school from her best childhood friend, Im Yoona. She spent her nights browsing through every page to find an idea that sparked her interest the most.

Unfortunately, even a week later she couldn’t find the inspiration to start any of her ideas. And soon, as days passed she felt lonely.

She checked her phone and wondered to herself if she should perhaps have a house warming party? Her boss had inquired about it a few days ago but Seohyun wasn’t much of a partying type. And besides, a party sounded like it would just end in a mess.

It sounded like a brilliant idea now however. Perhaps she could even let some of her friends sleep over?

“I didn’t expect to be so lonely in this house of mine,” she mumbled outloud. With a sigh, she collapsed onto her bed and picked up her journal again.

She flipped through the pages, seeing countless doodles and scribbles. Should she write about distant, magical lands and knights and royalty? Or should she write a self-biographical type of story and give advice to her readers about how life should be lived? Or perhaps, she should write a collection of short stories and use a variety of her story ideas in one published book?

Seohyun groaned, starting a book was definitely difficult. Perhaps she should ask her coworkers for advice tomorrow?

“Maybe I just need to sleep,” she mumbled out loud again. Her voice almost seemed to echo throughout her room.

She tossed and turned but immediately stopped when she swore that her closet was open. She stared at the door and saw it open slightly, then close.

“Wind?” she asked herself. Strange, her window wasn’t open.

Once again the door opened and the creaking sound bothered Seohyun to no end. Perhaps she didn’t close the damn thing properly?

Getting up, she walked over to the closet and shut the door, pressing her body against it to make sure that it was firmly closed. With a firm nod to herself, she turned around only to be surprised by a figure sitting on her bed.

“Who are you?” Seohyun demanded, her eyes widening at the sudden girl sitting on her bed.

“You can see me?” the girl asked, smiling to herself before plopping herself down comfortably on Seohyun’s bed.

“If I couldn’t see you, then why would I be asking who you are?” Seohyun retorted with a frown. Who does this girl think she is? Suddenly talking to casually to her while making herself comfortable in her bed. How rude.

“Whoa, girly calm down,” the stranger replied, holding her hands up defensively. “Does steam normally come out of your nostrils or did I do that?”

Alarmed and suddenly very self-conscious of herself, Seohyun placed a hand over her nose to cover her nostrils and the apparent steam coming out of them.

“Who are you and how did you get here?” Seohyun asked slowly and firmly, as if making sure the girl could hear and understand her well.

“Name’s Hyoyeon,” the stranger answered with a wide smile, “And I’m the ghost who lives in your house.”