“Right? I’m still your friend, right?”

Jooyoung didn’t respond as she stared at his eyes for a long time. Hongbin nodded as he tried to plant the fact in her head, “Am I not?”

He took a step closer to her and she immediately waved her hands in front both of them, “Stop! Don’t take another step!”

“Jooyoung…” he called. Her action somehow sent a miserable feeling to him. He didn’t like what she was doing to him and the way she looked at him. He saw fear in her eyes and he could see that she regret being there with him and… being able to see him.

He didn’t want her to avoid him, throw him away… after what had happened.

“Jooyoung…” he called soft but she immediately closed both her ears with her palms. “Stop! I said stop! Stop calling my name!”

Glaring at him, she didn’t know what to do anymore. She didn’t know if it was right for her to even make a move or to even blink her eyes because he could be next to her in a split of second. He is that terrifying in her mind and the entire wall that she built against fear, crumbled down. She didn’t expect that horrifying thing can be this close to her.

She couldn’t believe that she had sent herself to a monster.

“Listen to me,” he spoke as she kept on glaring at him. He hated the glare but he contained himself. He knew it was him who let this entire thing to happen. It was not her fault.

She shut her eyes shut as she faced the ground, “No, I’m not seeing him. I never did.”

He watched as she mumbled to herself. Even if she was mumbling, almost whispering, he could hear everything, clearly.

“I’m not what you’re thinking I am. Or what you’re hearing about,” he spoke even though he knew she might not listening.

“I understand. I was in shock as well. I couldn’t believe it the first time I figured it out,” he looked at the ground as he let out a heavy sigh.

“But I don’t understand why…”

He looked up as he heard her chanting the word home. “Please, this is just a dream. Please tell me this is a dream. Let me go home. Home. Home.”

Knowing the fact that she wasn’t aware of him anymore, he walked closer and carried her up. She had freeze in her position and her face look as white as a paper. He could see how much she wanted to resist the reality and escape to a dream. If only he could grant her wish…

He could only cover her eyes and bring her away from there.

---

Pulling the blanket up her chin, he took a seat next to her bed as he watched her mumbling in her sleep. Cold sweat had formed on her forehead and he put on courage to bring his hand on her forehead to wipe off the sweat. She must have a terrifying nightmare.

“I’m sorry,” he pulled his knee closer to his chest as he placed his chin on one of his knees. “I didn’t mean to be your worst nightmare…”

“…I should have stopped meeting you.”

“…I should have avoided you.”

“… But I can’t, I still don’t have that reason. The reason that you can see me, hear me… and touch me.”

Her eyes then shot open and she found herself in her room, safely tuck on her bed.

Getting up, her eyes scanned for a familiar figure in the darkness. Turning her head while her remain seated on her bed, she hoped it was just another nightmare. However, the memory of the cold breeze surrounding her still lingered.

The door suddenly opened, stealing her attention immediately. “Jooyoung, have you locked the front door?” Grandma asked as she held on the door’s knob.

Jooyoung eyes glued on her Grandma’s face for a moment before she slowly nodded, “I guess.” She couldn’t recall anytime she had locked a door but she firmly nodded that she did. Trying to recall back after meeting Jaehwan, she couldn’t remember if she returned back into the house.

She did, right?

She did…

Wait.

She didn’t. She didn’t lock it.

“Fine then,” Grandma replied as she closed the door, leaving her no time for her to change her answer but she was too afraid to move away from her bed.

Once again, she was left in the darkness, feeling being watch but she quickly hid under the blanket and shut her eyes tightly. Hoping that tomorrow comes fast and she could see the light again.

Hongbin leaned his back on the wall, outside of her room. He could still smell the fear in her and didn’t know if he would be able to approach her normally as he always did. He wondered if she could let it slide away and be the girl that he always knew, a brave girl and most importantly, not gullible as most villagers.

---

“Jaehwan!” called Jooyoung as soon as he came into her sight. Running towards him, she immediately pulled him by his wrist and brought him away from her house. A curve of smile formed on his face as he saw an enthusiastic girl that morning.

“What dream makes you this aggressive?” he chuckled as he let her determine their destination. Both of them ended at an alley not far from the small retail shop. He only sent her a smile, to question her action.

“Jooyoung, what is it?” Jaehwan asked as he noticed how quick her facial expression change. “Anything going on?”

She checked the areas surrounding them before she gestured him to get closer. He did what she asked and she whispered to his ear, “I want to ask something but I can’t ask here, or at my house. Can you bring me to a place that no one will hear us?”

He moved away as he shot her a teasing smile, “What?”

“I really need your help,” she wore a serious look making Jaehwan feeling uneasy to continue playing a joke. “What is it that bothering you?” he asked, genuinely concern.

“Can you name a place we can go?”

He looked at her for a period of time before he nodded, “We can go to this place.”

She pulled an appreciative smile but the smile couldn’t stay long when she knew where he was going. The lake…

“It’s a lake, I bet you don’t even know this lake exist, right?” he spoke proudly.

Getting off of his bicycle, she just walked to the lake with a tight lip. She had been there, more than he thought. She didn’t want to embarrass him by saying that she had been there, especially the part where she usually sneaked out secretly to come and see the lake and stars at night.

He took off his jacket and laid it on the ground. “Sit here,” he patted the empty space beside him on his jacket. “What is it that you want to know? Is it something like top secret or government’s secret that you want to share?”

Taking a seat beside him, she shook her head as a reply. She couldn’t even smile on his joke at that moment. Her mind had been distracted and controlled by last night incident. Averting her eyes on one of high areas behind the lake, she then inhaled deeply, trying to find the calmness in her.

Realising that he couldn’t see her smile as much that day, he began to feel uneasy. Has something bad happened to her? Is she going home? Is he not going to see her anymore? Lots of unanswered questions thrown in his head making him feel anxious for unknown reason.

“Remember the time when I said that I’m different from the most villagers?”

He turned to face her as he nodded, “Yes.”

A heavy sigh escaped her lips and he could see the gloominess in her eyes even though their eyes not meeting. He thought it was the day for him to stop making unnecessary jokes and be a serious listener.

“Can you forget what I said?”

His eyebrows narrowed in puzzled. “What do you mean?”

“Since you’re a son of this village, you must have been heard all sorts of story regarding the… you know what I mean.”

She found it was hard to be explained as she turned frustrated with herself so quickly. He saw that and didn’t want to add the pain. “I promise I’ll tell you as much as I know but let me know first what had happen.”

Making an eye contact, she bit her bottom lips nervously.

“Have anyone ever…actually meet a restless soul?”

He became speechless all of sudden. His silent caused her anxiety level to shoot upward to the sky. “I didn’t say that I have met one! But I… I had that kind of dream.”

“That was what had been bothering you?”

She slowly nodded while waiting for his response.

He didn’t give an immediate response but he could be seen thinking by himself as he stared at the ground momentarily before he made an eye contact once again.

He then got up and pulled out his hand to her. He didn’t say anything and she assumed that he wanted her to get up. Accepting his hand, he pulled her closer to the lake and she followed without hesitation. As they were getting closer to the lake, she leaned forward, copying his action, to see her reflection on the calm water… only to see the person beside him didn’t have a reflection.

“What do you see?” asked Jaehwan.

Panic triggered in her mind as she looked back at him. He was expressionless before he let go of her hand and push her toward the lake. Losing her stability, she fell down the water. She screamed for help as she struggle to stay afloat but no matter how much she tried to kick upward, she felt as if the lake trying to her in.

“Jaehwan! Help!”

Jaehwan just watched as she struggled for her life. Without a hand of help, he turned around leaving her drowning.

“Jaehwan!”

“Jooyoung? Hello?” Jaehwan shook the life out of her. She shot him a shock look, earning a smile from him. “Did you… Did you just daydream? In front of me?”

“Er…” she turned speechless.

“Jaehwan, will you push me to an open water if you had the chance?” she asked innocently earning an immediate doubtful look.

He looked at her for a moment before he slowly shook his head, “Let’s see…”

“I’ll make sure I pull you along with me,” she spoke, feeling annoyed before she froze as her eyes met with the monster she saw last night. He stood still at the end of the alley and Jaehwan was unaware of her sudden change. He was carried away by his laugh and everything surrounding her suddenly felt and sounded empty.

“I still owe you explanation,” Hongbin mouthed but strangely enough Jooyoung could hear his voice clearly in her ears.

“Don’t avoid me Jooyoung, please,” he added, causing the hair on her skin to stand up. Her lips stuck together and she could only watch him turning around and faded into the end of the alley.

“Now, he looks like an actual ghost,” she thought as her eyes still looking at the last place Hongbin stood.

A/N; Subscribe and Comment ^_^