IN PARADISE

Michael walks to his Father, like he was blown by air to him. “Father.” He called Him.

He looked at Michael with a calm smile.

“Aren’t you going to take him back here?”

He just smiled calmly.

“The humans don’t know what they did.” Michael sounded a little furious.

“Dennis should learn his lesson too.” He said.

===
The guy stayed kneeling in front of Raffie until she felt her tears have run dry. Her eyes were all swollen when she looked up at him.

“What are you doing?” She asked him.

He’s just staring back at her.

“Don’t you know that this is trespassing?” She pouted.

“I would never be jailed for doing that.”

She suddenly remembered that he gave his jacket to her. Her forehead wrinkled and slowly looked at the jacket on her shoulder. It was firmly wrapped around her. Her eyes widened.

“You…you can…you can touch…things?” She asked stuttering.

“I guess I do.” He smiled showing his small dimples.

Why I am not scared now? Am I used to seeing him? Or I’m just getting crazy? Do I need to see a psychiatrist? She asked herself.

She smiled at him awfully. “You can go now.” She said and took of his jacket.

He stayed still.

Raffie handed his jacket. “Here, I don’t need to send you out right? You can pass any walls you like.”

The guy smiled at her. “I don’t have anywhere to go.”

What he said made her chortle. “You’re funny. Ghosts can stay anywhere.”

He shook his head. “Hah, I’m hungry.” He tapped his stomach and stood up.

“Huh?” Her eyes followed him. “You can’t stay here.”

He slowly turned to her. The light coming from his back and Raffie felt like she’s watching a horror film.

“Help me please?”

“I can’t.”

“You’re the only one who can see me; you’re the only one who can help me.”

“I don’t want to.”

“I’m not bad, I won’t hurt you.”

“Whatever! You’re still dead.” She wants him to understand their situation.

“Just please help me, I need to know who I am.” He lowered his head. “Where I came from?”

Raffie suddenly felt pity towards him. “Are you…murdered?”

He shook his head and shrugged.

“You don’t know how you died?”

He nodded, still lowering his head.

“Do you remember your name?”

He shook his head again.

“Take your clothes off.” She ordered.

He blinked and he was about to take his clothes off.

Her eyes blinked. “I…I mean, you might have tattoos, birthmark or whatever you got there. That would help you.” She nodded.

“Mm, I don’t know but I have these…” He pulled out a tag from his shirt.

Raffie puffed her cheeks. “Read what’s in there.”

“Leeteuk.”

She crossed her arms. “Maybe that’s your name.”

He innocently looked at her. She knows she’ll feel guilty if she just sent him away and didn’t help him.

She tapped her forehead. “Aish! You’re driving me nuts.”

“I’m sorry.”

She sighed and sat on the couch; she took out her phone and dialed. The person in the other line answered her call after a few ring.

“Yeh.” She smiled at herself. “Can I set an appointment to Dr. Jaden? Yes. Yes. For counseling…mmm.”

Leeteuk walked toward her and sat across her.

Raffie took a pen and a piece of paper, she wrote down the address. “64 Hangang-ro, Yong San-Gu? Ah, ne, kamsahamnidda.”

“What’s that?” He asked after she put her phone down.

“I needed a psychiatrist because of you.” She said and stood up to walk to her room. She touched the knob but then looked back at Leeteuk.

He stood up and rubbed his nape.

“Staying here is not for free. Since you can touch things, you’ll do the cleaning, the laundry, the dishes, and…” She stopped remembering she can’t ask him to buy stuffs for her. “That’s all.”

She woke up too early the next morning. She let out a long sigh before she went out of her room. Leeteuk was standing near the couch, looking at her with his bright smile.

“Good morning!” He greeted her.

She just sneered at him and walked to the restroom. Raffie did all her morning routine and walked to the kitchen to look for something to eat. Her stomach was seriously grumbling. She forgot to eat last night that’s why. So she took two cup noodles and the kettle. She heated water and sat at the chair in front of the middle counter waiting for it to get boiled.

“What are you doing?” Leeteuk suddenly stood beside her.

She dropped the magazine she’s holding in shock. “Oh you scared me! Don’t do that!” She glared.

He pouted and sat across her. “What’s that?” He asked her looking at the cup of noodles.

She sighed from her nose and lifted the cup in front of him.

He stayed in silence until Raffie heard the kettle whistling. It was a sign that it’s already boiling so she stood up to get pot holder and wrapped it around the handle. She carried it to the counter and poured it inside the two cups. She placed the kettle in the sink and covered her noodles.

“Can I have one too?” Leeteuk asked her.

Raffie burst out laughing.

“Why?” His eyes blinked innocently.

“Oh.” She covered and shook her head. “You want to eat too?”

He nodded eagerly. “I told you I’m hungry last night.”

Her eyes blinked and handed him the other cup. “Here.”

He sweetly smiled at her and took it with the chopsticks.

Her jaw dropped when she saw that he can actually eat. She blinked her eyes. It was too clear that he’s still like a human. Her brows rose and she diverted her attention to her breakfast.

Does that mean he needs clothes too? She thought tilting her head.

AT DR. JADENS CLINIC

Raphael sat comfortably at couch in front of her therapist.

“You said you had a complete test and they didn’t find anything wrong about you.” The Dr. told her.

She nodded. “Mm, yes.”

“I see. So, can you tell me why you’re here?”

She leaned a bit. “I can see dead people.”

“Uhum.” The doctor nodded. “Are they telling you something?”

“He’s actually following me around and what’s crazy about this. He can eat noodles.” She chuckled with what she said.

The doctor smiled at her, nodding.

“And another thing, he can touch things.”

“He can touch you too?”

She shrugged. “I don’t know.”

“Raffie!” She suddenly heard Leeteuk’s voice echoed in the room. She turned and saw him at the door.

“See? He’s here.” Raffie told the doctor.

“Really?” The doctor raises her brow. “Then can you describe me how he looks like?”

Leeteuk walked near the doctor. “Why did you follow me here?”

“I’m done with all the household chores.” He explained.

The doctor frowned a bit. She sees how Raffie talk to herself.

“I told you to stay at home!” She nagged.

“Uhm, Miss Lee.” The doctor called her.

“Yes?” She turned her gaze to her therapist.

“Can you describe how he looks like?”

Leeteuk sat beside her. His face was inches away from her. He smiled again at her. She was mesmerized with what she’s seeing.

“He’s sitting beside me. He has a blonde hair, his eyes were sparkling like the stars, a perfect nose, and his lips were thin like it was owned by a girl.”

Leeteuk smiled brightly how Raffie sees him.

“What is he doing now?”

She felt like she’s floating when she stared at his calm face. “He’s looking at me.” She softly said while her eyes were still focused in him.

Is she telling me what she likes in a guy? The doctor let out a soft chuckle at that thought.

Dr. Jaden listed some medicines in prescription pad for Raphael. Raffie came back to her senses when Leeteuk walked beside the doctor and looked at what’s written on the paper.

“You need Antidepressant.” He told Raffie.

“Antidepressant?” She raised her brows.

Her therapist suddenly looked up at her. “What?”

“It was written here.” Leeteuk told Raffie.

“He said you wrote it down there.”

“Get out of my office!” Dr. Jaden suddenly ordered with a hard jaw.

===

“Don’t ever follow me again!!” Raffie glared at him while she’s walking to the parking lot.

Some people they passed by looked at her with a weird expression in their faces. She noticed it and just shut .

She took out her key and pressed the button.

CLICK CLICK

The doors were unlocked. She faced Leeteuk. “Stop following me around!” She hopped in and shut her door close.

Raphael accidentally drove to the street and passed by the old bar that she and Kangin were always hanging out. The traffic lights turned red, she stepped on her break softly. She lowered her head while things kept flashing in her head.

Their happy moments spent together, whenever they talked non-sense things over the night. How they spent Kangin’s 21^st birthday there.

The lights turned green as a sign that cars can go but she turned her wheels back.

After seven years, she’s back on that place. The bar was a restaurant now. The interiors changed but she can still recall how it was designed.

“Good evening Miss.” She was greeted by the waiter.

She smiled a little.

“Are you alone?” She asked and she nodded. “Please sit here.” The waiter guided her to a corner and pointed the table for two.

She bowed a little to thank him. He handed the menu list to her and waited.

Raffie scanned it but she really can’t understand a thing. She finally looked up at him. “I’ll order later.” She said so he could leave and attend to others.

The waiter politely bowed at her. She turned her head and looked at the restroom area. It was open before. That’s the place where Kangin was almost beaten to death.

FLASHBACK

“STOP ITTT PLEAASSEE!!” Raffie pleaded to the guys.

But the oldest bartender grabbed Kangin’s collar and gave him another punch on his face. He was already showering with his own blood but Raffie couldn’t do a thing since she was weak and two guys were holding her by her arms.

“OPPPPAAA!!” She screamed out to Kangin.

“Do you think we’ll let you go just like that? HUH?!” Another guy hit his face and gave a hard kick on his stomach.

Kangin couldn’t move anymore. He was dead tired and in pain. They were all rattled when they heard police sirens coming to the place. That’s the only time the bartenders left the two. Raffie rushed to Kangin, crying out loud. She tried to lift the languid Kangin on her lap.

Soon the ambulance came and helped Kangin. Her hands were shaking while she was waiting outside the Emergency room then Kangin’s mother arrived.

“Where’s my son?” Mrs. Kim asked her, she was trembling but her tone were in rage.

“In-in…” She stuttered. It’s the first time she got afraid of many things. “He’s still…in the E.R.”

SLAP

Raffie received a hard slap on her face. Her eyes widened, now her whole body shake in fears.

“I know this is your fault!!”

Her tears rolled down her cheeks, she shook her head but unable to defend herself.

“NOW TELL ME THAT YOU’RE GOOD ENOUGH FOR MY SON!!!”

A lot of people were watching them. Raffie lowered her head.

Mrs. Kim pushed her hard that made Raffie fell on the chair. “Mrs. Kim…I’m so sorry.”

Raffie’s father came and saw her daughter being pushed.

“DON’T EVER COME NEAR HIM AGAIN!” She angrily told Raphael.

“RAPHAEL!” Her dad called her.

She looked up at him. “Dad.”

Raffie received another slap on her face but it’s now from her own father. “When will you stop giving this family a problem?” He shouted at her.

“It’s not what you think…” She tried to explain shaking her head.

“Go home and pack your things!!! You’ll live with your mother!”

END OF FLASHBACK

She lowered her head as she remembered what happened before. When she looked up her eyes went wide.

“Raffie?” Kangin called her.

She saw him stood right in front of her. He was with a girl, their arms linked together and the girl was sweetly smiling at him. It was enough to make her understand their relationship.

She looked away and headed out of the restaurant.

“Raffie!” Kangin called her out a little louder this time.

She drove back home and sat in her couch. She didn’t bother to turn every light on like what she used to do. The scene of Kangin and the girl didn’t leave her mind.

How could he say he still loves me when he has a girlfriend?

JERK!

Then she felt soft hands touched her chin. He slowly lifted Raffie to look up at him. He flashed her sweet smile.

“I love it whenever you smile.” Leeteuk told her.

She looked away and spanks his hands softly.

“You’re always crying whenever I see you here.”

She frowned. “Don’t talk like you know something.”

He shook his head. “Then can you tell me why?”

“Are we close?” She glared at him and crossed her arms.

“I’d love to.”

She smirked. “That will never happen.” Raffie stood up and started to walk in her room.

“I’d love to see you smile.”

She stopped when she heard him said that.

“You’re the loveliest person I’ve seen.”

Raffie was touched at what he said but she ignored him. She dropped herself on the bed and stared at the ceiling. Kangin was still in her mind until she decided to get something to eat. She walked to the kitchen and scanned her drawers. There’s nothing but cups of noodles.

Raphael let out a sigh. “I should study culinary.” She told herself.

She took her sketchpad at the counter. She played My Chemical Romance playlist. That band was her favorite and she felt sad that they got disbanded. Then again tried to calm herself down with the music playing all over the house.

Her nostrils moved when she smelled something strange. She looked around and found Leeteuk. He smiled at her.

“Is that you?” She asked.

“Me?” He innocently asked.

Is it possible for him to smell like human who didn’t take a bath?

She shook her head. It’s impossible.

She was debating in her head and Leeteuk walked close to her. “What’s wrong?’

The air got worse. Raffie leaned at him, smelling his shirt. Leeteuk leaned back.

“YAH! How could you sit on my couch without taking a bath??” She shouted.

Updated! Is anyone here a hardcore fan of Kangin? ^^