“What I’m going to tell him now? He already knows I saw someone that looked exactly like you.”

“You can tell him the truth. Or you can lie. It’s up to you.”

“You won’t get mad if I tell him the truth?”

“I’m just a ghost. What matter if I get mad anyways?”

“Well, you were a good ghost friend.”

She smiled. “Thank you. Probably we couldn’t have been friends if I was alive. I’m glad to have met you as a ghost.” She grimaced.

She was right. If she was alive, you would have never met Onew. He would be deeply in love with her and probably married to her. He wouldn’t have to travel to the Maldives to forget her. He probably would have traveled to the Maldives for their honeymoon. And he would have never been your best friend. That idea depressed you. You couldn’t imagine your life without Onew.

“Are you sure you can’t read my mind?”

“Is that bad what you are thinking now?”

You shook your head. “I’m just having honest thoughts.”

“Don’t worry. I won’t read your mind if you don’t want to.”

That was good to hear. Suddenly, you felt like you had to say goodbye to an old good friend. Excepting that you had to say goodbye to a ghost.

“I trust you, Selene. I trust that whatever decision you take, it will benefit Onew. I know you don’t want to hurt him.”

“I’m not sure about that. I’m sorry, but I can’t promise I won’t hurt him. Whatever decision I make, it will be for his sake, but that won’t guarantee it won’t hurt him.”

She gave you and understanding smile. “I trust you.”

Those were her last words before disappearing in front of your eyes. You didn’t have the opportunity to say good bye. She just left. Forever.

Then you found yourself sitting alone, at a vegetarian restaurant, with a salad plate that you didn’t touch. The waitress asked you if you didn’t like the salad. You didn’t want to be rude, so you kind of told her the truth.

“I received some bad news and I lost the appetite.”

“I’m sorry.”

You smiled and left the place after paying.

As soon as you came out, you faced another problem: you didn’t know where you were. Surprisingly, you didn’t care. You didn’t want to go home anyways. Whatever bus will work. You thought. You went to the bus stop and took the first bus that stopped by. After long twenty five minutes you could finally recognize the streets. You weren’t a lost child anymore. It was dark when you arrived at home. Then you remembered Jjong. Oh, he must be worried. You thought.

Jjong was talking with the guard when you entered the lobby of the apartment. He saw you and ran towards you and gave you a hug.

“I knew you were fine. Where did you go? Why you didn’t answer my calls? You ran away from Onew’s apartment so sudden.”

“Where’s Onew?”

“He’s outside the door of your dorm, waiting for you. He has been looking for you all day.”

“I can’t talk to him…”

“What are you saying?”

“No, I have to be brave. She said she trusted in me. I have to talk to him now.”

“What are you talking about? Hey, I have no idea what’s going on with you and Onew but I have a feel that Maia has something to do with this. Am I right?”

“I’m sorry, Jjong. I can’t tell you now. I’ll explain you everything later.”

You went upstairs, to the eighth floor. Your heart wouldn’t beat at a normal speed; it kept beating so fast. Maybe it was anticipating the event that was about to happen. You heart was smart (not really) and knew that something big will happen. It all depended on you.

What if Soojung was wrong? What if you weren’t the key to Onew’s happiness nor misery? Where you a person that had such influence on Onew? Since when? You had been friends with him for several months and nothing has happened –nothing romantic to be specific. But many memories came to your mind, the song; the kiss; the awkward moment in his dorm, and the way his eyes look at you. They didn't fit in the definition of nothing romantic.

You were scared. That was it. You were scared to death. To face him. To tell him the truth. To not knowing what will happen.

You heard the ding sound of the elevator when it reached the eighth floor. Onew was in front of the door of your apartment playing with his phone. When your phone rang, you realized he was actually calling you. You noticed just now that you had more than ten calls.

“Onew?” Your voice sounded quieter than you expected.

“Selene! Are you okay? I called you like… whatever. What happened to you this afternoon?”

“Want to come in first?” Your voice sounded so quiet. Weren't you nervous as hell? Why your voice wasn't shaking?

He nodded.

“Did you eat?”

“Did you?”

I asked first. You would joke like that. But it wasn’t the moment to joke.

“I ate a salad before coming home,” you lied.

“A plate of salad is not enough.” He scolded.

“I don’t want to talk about food now. Onew, I met Soojung.” It was better to tell him everything at once, without hesitation, so there will be less suffering.

“You mean the woman that looks like her?”

“No, it was her. You can call her an angel or imagination. Whether you choose, you have to know that she’s not mad at you. She doesn’t blame you for killing her. She wanted me to tell you that.”

“A ghost? Your imagination?”

“It’s crazy, I know. It’s hard to believe, but it’s the truth. Maybe the destiny wanted me to meet her so I could give you the message and you can forgive yourself.”

“It’s funny. We are meant to be. I think destiny wanted us to meet. And not exactly for Soojung.”

Why he suddenly said that? We, meant to be?

“You still like her, don’t you? It’s hard to forgive our first love, especially when you thought she was the right person to get married. But the truth is, she’s dead. You have to get over it, just like I had to get over Minho. But above all, you have to forgive yourself. Stop blaming yourself, because you didn’t kill her.

“I already know that. Actually it was you who made me see the truth. I stopped thinking about Soojung since that day I told you everything about her. I didn’t mean to forget her but I guess the reason she still was in my mind was because I’ve never talked about her with anyone. You are the first. And it made me feel so good after telling you.”

“I don’t want to replace her.”

Why suddenly you felt like you stole the boyfriend of a friend?

“It’s not about replacing. Don’t you see it? We are meant to be. We both went to a far and lonely place to have time alone and cure our wounds but we ended up meeting. Among all the people, I met you. We are lucky.”

“Lucky? This is rotten luck! Among all the people I could have met, I had to meet you, someone who is as pity as me, someone who was betrayed by his own lover. This of course is bad luck.”

>>Don’t you see that if Soojung hadn’t died, we would have never known each other?

“That has nothing to do with us. Soojung died in a car accident. happens. I know, she’s dead. But I don’t think like you. I don’t think that in order to meet you, she had to die. I love you, Selene. I loved you since the first time we met. Actually, the first time I saw you, when you glared at me.”

>>I love you, and I don’t love you because Soojung is dead. I love you because this is part of the life.

“We can’t be together anyway. At least, not yet. I think we need to take a break. I need time alone to think about this.”

“Why? You don’t love me? You are not sure about your feelings?”

“I’m not sure about anything. I mean, I’ve been friend with a ghost, and not any ghost, she was your ex-girlfriend! Now, you say you have been in love with me since we met. I thought you didn’t want to be in a relationship.”

“That’s because you didn’t want a relationship. I didn’t want to scare you. I'd rather stay as your friend than losing you because I wanted more. And now it’s happening.”

“I… I don’t know, sorry, I don’t know what to do, what to say. I’m so confused right now.”

“Why, Selene? It’s so simple. I like you. I want you.”

He caressed your cheeks with his knuckles. You couldn’t help but closed the eyes and felt the soft touches. He then grabbed your waist and approached your body towards his. You didn’t show resistance. Surprisingly, your body already recognized his touches. You blushed just by realizing that fact. He placed his forehead on yours, so your lips were almost touching.

“I want you, Selene.”

He was about to kiss you when you pushed him away.

“Stop it. You won’t take me to your bed to , if that’s what you want.” Oops, those words came from your mouth without your knowing. It was an old phrase that you used before to an old ex-boyfriend.

He grabbed your hand and you could almost see smoke coming out from his nostrils. He was angry. You have never seen him angry.

“Of course I want to! But that’s not the reason I want to be with you. God damn, Selene. I’m not being nice to take you to my bed and . I would never do that. We would make love. Yes, you are beautiful, funny, y, and I like you. Of course I want you, but I didn’t approach you to . I don’t know what your ex did to you to have such a bad impression about men.”

“Men are men.”

“I guess you really doesn’t know me well if that’s how you think about me. I think a break will help us. I'll grant your wish, Miss Bird.”

Angry, he left your apartment without saying goodbye. Nothing. .

How the conversation ended up like this, talking about , or make love like he said? (You blushed just by thinking about that, you couldn't believe he said out loud that he wanted to make love to you). You just wanted to ask him to take a short break to think clearly and set your mind, a break of only one or maybe two days. You have gone through a lot and with him was all smiles and love, but was his love real and sincere? Or was he only trying to forget Soojung? A deep part of your subconscious said that Onew was with you to forget her, and that made you feel like a replacement. He said he forgot her though, but he still had pictures with her framed on his living room. And he was living in the house that he bought to live with her as a married couple. He had planned his future with another woman. But the future did a twist.

On the other hand, you were deeply in love with him. But you weren’t sure if you could make him happy. You felt like you were replacing Soojung. You couldn’t stop comparing yourself with her. Will you be as good as her? Will Onew want to marry you one day? Will he compare you with her? Will he love you sincerely? Will you live like this the rest of your life, comparing yourself with her and feeling like a replacement?

Time. You only needed that. Some time to think. Travel, yes, you wanted to travel. Alone. Like you used to do before. But now you were alone, and it didn’t feel good.

Isn't this want you wanted, Selene? You wanted to be alone. And you are.

The next chapter will be the last one and I'll probably write a epilogue ><

Thanks for all the comments ^^