“Jinhee! Baek Jinhee! Don’t say a word!”

I laugh, not listening to the cute girl who runs behind me. But then, I bump into someone. Surprised, I fall on my with a small scream. When I lift up my head, I cross my uncle’s eyes.

“Uncle! Do you know who Rian loves? I know it!” I keep laughing.

“Yes, it’s Mir, right?”

I laugh once again and get back on my feet. Of course Rian’s father would know who she loves! Angry, my cousin grabs my arm and pulls it, whining about how bad I am. Rian is so cute!  

“Were you close to your cousin?” Seungho asks me.

I look through the windshield, not really wanting to answer.

Right now, I’m in Seungho’s car, driving to Cheondung’s house, just outside Seoul. I didn’t see him since so long …

“We grew up together.” I finally answer, tired of the awkward silence. “I guess she was like a sister to me …”

I can see Seungho is shy, not wanting to hurt me by asking too much. It’s nice of him but he is also really curious and always ends up asking for more.

As I keep laughing and sticking my tongue to Rian, her brother passes his arm around my shoulder and start to rub his fist on my hair, making it look like I just got plugged in.

“Cheondung!” I scream. “Get away!”

He does just like I say and sticks his tongue like I always do. I pout and cross my arm while it’s Rian’s turn to laugh. I wish I could have a brother like Cheondung, someone to protect me just like he protects Rian … Unluckily, I’m the only child of my family and now that my mother is single, I probably won’t have a sibling …

“Do you have real sisters or brothers?” Seungho keep asking.

“No. My dad left my mom when I was young so I always lived alone with her.”

“I don’t have siblings too. Just my best friends Byunghee and Joon. They’re really nice!”

Listening to him is actually interesting. I love that fact that Seungho can make everyone at ease just by talking lightly. As a social awkward person, I really like people like him. And when he talks about himself, I don’t have to talk about me what is quite nice too …

The adults start talking about things uninteresting so I rush outside the bright house where Cheondung and Rian are waiting.

“Baek Jinhee, where were you?” Cheondung grumbles.

I grumble back and he leaves me alone. Cheondung is really cute too with his chubby face and his dark hair. We are the same age and even if we grew up together, I really want to date him. Sometimes, I’m really jealous of Rian because she is so close to him! Even if I’m 16 years old like him, he is so much more mature …

“Let’s go see Mir!” Rian proposes.

“Yes, let’s go see your boyfriend!” I add, insisting on the word “boyfriend”.

She blushes and Cheondung sends me a death glare. I pout and just walk first to Mir’s house. When we’re in front of it, a dog welcomes us and we jump over the portal, not minding the dog at all.

Surprised, Cheolong opens the door even he is still in his pajamas. I can’t help but laugh at his cute astonished face and so do Cheondung.

“When I was a child, my parents were always really worried about me!”

“My mother wasn’t. I wasn’t a troublemaker, more like a pretentious kid … You know, I loved to tease my friends …”

“I don’t think you really changed!”

Seungho laughs a little and I look back at the window, hiding a smile. I don’t really have friends anymore. I’m 23 so no more school where I can have classmates. I just live normally with my mom and keep the fortune teller shop when she’s out so I don’t see a lot of people. Well, normal people …

“Who were your friends?”

Mir, Rian, Cheondung and me, we go to the park in our neighborhood. Mir keep doing anything he thinks is funny like chasing the ducks or scaring the old women. Rian is just dying of happiness when he brings her a flower and just before I could make a comment, Cheondung sends me a death glare.

I don’t say a word and just keep enjoying my time on the bench, next to Cheondung. When suddenly, I feel a hand on mine. Chocked, I look at my hand then at its owner : Cheondung. With a red face, he just acts like nothing and keep talking with Rian and Mir. I feel butterflies in my stomach but decide to act just like he does and go back to my staring of the ducks.

“Jinhee …”

“Seungho?” I add, seeing he’s hesitant.

“Is it too much if I ask you how your cousin died?”

I’m 19 years old. Finally, I left high school and enjoyed university! My first day is now finished and I go back home. Thanks to my mother, I’m renting a small flat in the student neighborhood. Once back home, I see the little red button lightning on the phone. I have a message? Probably a member of my family who wants to know how my first day went!

I push the button and listen to the sweet voice. It’s Cheondung! Smiling, I listen to him, stuttering on the other side but then, my smile slowly vanishes …

“Jinhee … it’s, it’s me, Cheondung … Something happened. Something bad … I don’t know how to tell you, Jinhee … It’s … Rian … Rian is in the hospital. Jinhee, she is in a coma … A car ... A car hitted her …”

I start to cry. Cheondung, Rian and their family moved last year so I don’t see them as often as I used to. But learning that … Rian, my cousin is unconscious … Does that mean she could die? But she’s only 17! And Cheondung … his sister is in the hospital!

“… I went there. Cheondung was … well, not in a good state. I tried to comfort him but I was as sad as him. Two weeks later, Rian died …” I achieve the story.

Seungho doesn’t add a word and just stares right in front of him, pretending to be focusing on his drive.

“Would it change something if I say I’m sorry?” He finally asks.

“No.” I simply answer. “But honestly, this is why I help you with this ghost. Now, I want to know why my cousin’s spirit is here and what does she want.”

“Just in case you didn’t know, I’m here.” Seungho smiles. “Maybe I’m just a stranger to you but you’re my savior so I want to do at least a little for you.”