“So,” Ji Yong said, suddenly popping up from nowhere and causally walking along beside him. Seung Hyun made care not to glance his way; after all, a public area was no place to have a conversation with a dead person. Instead, he casually reached for the mint chocolate chip ice-cream and dumped a tub of it in his basket. “Have I told you about my friend Young Bae?”

He carried on down the sparsely occupied aisle, glancing left and right, telling himself ice-cream was enough; he didn’t need any more treats. But it was a tough battle. He very nearly went for some ice lollies, but had the will to pull himself back just in time. “Be strong, Seung Hyun,” he whispered to himself.

“Young Bae is great,” Ji Yong continued, unbothered by the lack of attention. “He’s the type who’d stand in the rain and get soaked just so you could have his umbrella. He once got hit by a car saving a kitten. Five broken bones, cuts and bruises everywhere, and when he woke up in hospital doped up on morphine, the first thing he wanted to know was if the kitten was safe.” Ji Yong causally leaned over into Seung Hyun’s personal space and peered down at the amount of calories in the ice lollies Seung Hyun had been eyeing. He looked vaguely disgusted. “It was so sweet it was almost pathetic.” Seung Hyun resisted the urge to pull a face, catching that double entendre.

Instead he forced himself to leave the aisle, casting one last longing look back at the frozen goodies (which almost caused him to knock into some poor little old woman, “Sorry, ma’am”). And with his ice-cream and his mothers list completed, he headed for the check-out.

“Though, he did then mistake me for a nun and try confessing to me that he’d once accidently seen a girl’s underwear when the wind blew her skirt up,” Ji Yong added thoughtfully. “Drugs, huh? Whacky stuff.”

The teen girl at the till was friendly, greeting him in a chipper manner with a bright smile. Seung Hyun smiled back, telling her my day is fine, thank you, how is yours going? as his items were scanned, packed away, and Ji Yong made whooshing motions at her skirt.

He paid the due amount and said goodbye with a polite smile, thankful she couldn’t see Ji Yong and therefore have Seung Hyun thrown out and banned for Ji Yong’s actions, and then went on his way. There was a chilly January breeze outside, but he had on a warm coat so it was actually rather pleasant, and Seung Hyun absently swung the bags in his hands as he set off down the street at a casual pace.

“But he just seems so lonely these days, you know?” Ji Yong continued, trailing behind. “Of course losing me is the biggest tragedy anyone could possibly face, so his life is understandably dull and grey without my radiant presence lighting it up. But still, I think he needs someone new in his life. And, well, since you’re the only living person I can speak to, you’ll have to do.”

Seung Hyun scowled, his first reaction to the ghost today. ‘Have to do’? So Ji Yong viewed him as just a ty consolation prize? He swatted at the dead young man, pretending he was trying to get rid of a fly for the benefit of anyone who may happen to glance his way. ‘Radiant my fat arse,’ he thought scornfully. ‘Always so damn full of himself.’

Ji Yong didn’t bat an eye as Seung Hyun’s hand passed right through him, and Seung Hyun’s scowl only deepened. Damn ghosts and their inability to be smacked.

“I mean, you are pretty good looking, I’ll give you that,” Ji Yong continued, utterly unconcerned about Seung Hyun’s glare as he marched along looking as content as a fat cat. “Even if you can be rather moody.”

Seung Hyun merely shook his head and proceeded to ignore him.

Thankfully it was a short walk home, and after dropping the shopping off with his mother in the kitchen he quickly darted upstairs, happily shutting his bedroom door in Ji Yong’s face. When he turned back around, however, Ji Yong was right there in front of him looking highly unimpressed. Seung Hyun groaned. He doubly groaned when he realised his room had already been occupied. Dae Sung was laid across his bed playing with The Good King Purr; the little black kitten running about crazily trying to catch Dae Sung’s sleeve, more confused and more determined every time his claws and teeth simply passed straight through his prey. Although most animals could see the dead, the little kitten hadn’t yet realised he couldn’t chew them.

Seung Hyun strode over to his bed and scooped the kitten up. Large, circular green eyes looked up at him, and the adorable squeaky meow that followed had Seung Hyun smiling despite his annoyance at the two ghosts. How could the little furball not melt anyone’s heart?

“Did I tell you Young Bae has a dog? You’d better keep King Purr away from him.”

Seung Hyun sighed. Why could he never be rid of Ji Yong? Why did he have to be cursed with this ability to see the dead? They were nothing but an utter annoyance. Who’d have thought the dead would have so much to gossip about…

“Oh, what’s this?” Dae Sung asked, sitting up and looking interested. “Has our cute little living friend finally decided to meet Young Bae?”

“No!” Seung Hyun finally snapped, because he’s been putting up with this for weeks and he’d damn well had enough. “Stop talking about Young Bae! It’s all you do now! Young Bae this, Young Bae that – ‘oh, have I told you about Young Bae?’ YES! About a thousand times!”

“Well jeez, no need to snap,” Ji Yong scoffed, idly inspecting his perfect nails (and isn’t it funny that even in the afterlife his nails still looked filed to perfection), completely indifferent to Seung Hyun’s grievance. “Temper tantrums aren’t the way to go about getting yourself a boyfriend. It’s very unappealing and not at all y.”

“Arrgh!” Seung Hyun shouted, about ready to rip his hair out. Why couldn’t these damn ghosts just get it into their heads? Did their brains not travel with them into death? “I don’t WANT a boyfriend! Just stop it!”

“I have it on good authority that isn’t true,” Dae Sung giggled – giggled like a damn pre-teen girl talking boys at a slumber party with her friends. For God’s sake the man had been dead for 54 years. “Last time I spoke to Seungri he told me all about you getting flushed and tongue tied when your neighbour started flirting with you.”

Seung Hyun blushed, and he knew his was blushing, so he ducked his face into the kitten’s black fur and tried to disappear. “Shut up,” he mumbled, causing The Good King Purr to wiggle about and fill his mouth with a hundred little hairs. Seung Hyun spluttered, pulling away from the cat and trying to spit them out.

“What? Who?!” Ji Yong demanded, ignoring Seung Hyun’s scrunched up face as he wiped at his tongue furiously. “Which neighbour is trying to steal my best friend’s future boyfriend?!”

“Nam Tae Hyun,” Dae Sung replied, a little startled at Ji Yong’s strong reaction.

“Oh.” Ji Yong immediately relaxed. “What is he, like eight or something?”

“Erm… more like eighteen or something,” Dae Sung said. “I don’t know; it’s hard to tell the age of living people. They all look the same.”

“Yes,” Ji Yong nodded, paying the other ghost no attention. “I thought he was about eight. Seung Hyun – oh for goodness sake Seung Hyun, stop playing with your tongue, you look ridiculous!”

Seung Hyun paused, turning to look at the dead teen, whose hands were on his hips, and slowly brought his tongue back into his mouth. “Huh?”

Ji Yong gave a put upon sigh. “Honestly, you’re dead for five minutes and suddenly all the living have turned stupid.” He gave an irritated cluck of his tongue and pointed a finger at him. “You, Choi Seung Hyun, are going to meet Dong Young Bae today.”

“Why?” Seung Hyun was back to scowling. “No I’m not.”

“Yes you are,” the ghost replied threateningly. “Because if you don’t, I will never let this go. I will literally haunt you for the rest of your lonely and miserable life.”

Seung Hyun looked at him, horrified. He knew Ji Yong wasn’t joking. He had hopped Ji Yong would never be that cruel, but alas, it appeared he was.

“I need some ice-cream,” he mumbled, sitting down heavily onto the bed, his kitten clutched tightly to his chest. Seung Hyun looked down to him mournfully. “But downstairs is too far.”

“I’ll go get Seungri,” Ji Yong said, going back to ignoring everyone who wasn’t himself. He was very talented at concentrating on himself. “We’ll never let you escape if three of us are watching you.”

Then, just like that he was gone. There was no ‘poof’ or dramatic flair (though Seung Hyun was sure Ji Yong would love one), he was just there, and then not there.

Falling flat on his back, Seung Hyun turned his head to Dae Sung with pleading eyes. “Dae, you love me, right? You won’t make me go will you?”

Dae Sung gave him a sympathetic smile and tried to pat him on his head, but his hand passed right through it. “Sorry Seung Hyun, but I actually agree with Ji Yong this time. He’s taken me to see this guy and he seems really nice. Besides, I think it would be good for you to get out more and socialise. The dead can’t be your only friends.”

“I have living friends!” Seung Hyun defended. “There’s Bom, and… and Bom…”

Dae Sung raised an eyebrow as Seung Hyun trailed off and deflated, unable to come up with even a second name. “Get out and socialise, Seung Hyun.”

“Filthy traitor,” Seung Hyun pouted. What was wrong with only having one (living) friend? He didn’t need anyone else. He raised The Good King Purr up over his chest, causing the little black furball to meow. “You would never make me do this would you, King Purr? No, cause you’re a good kitty, and that guy has a big scary dog.”

The kitten meowed again, and tried to swipe at his wrist, claws out, but was too little to reach. Seung Hyun sighed.

“Just try meeting him,” Dae Sung said softly, and he sounded like a damn therapist as he lay down beside him. “If you don’t get along, I promise I’ll try my best to dissuade Ji Yong from ever trying to set you up again.”

Seung Hyun grumbled, relenting, and rested his kitten back on his chest. “Fine. But only this one time to get you all off my back. And, when it goes horribly, I get to blame the three of you forever – even in my own afterlife.”

Dae Sung chuckled and nodded, “Agreed.”

The Good King Purr suddenly jumped, trying to attack Dae Sung’s nose, and yowled when he fell right through his face.

~*~

“That’s him,” Ji Yong whispered conspiratorially, pointing to a window wherein many patrons sat sipping at coffees. Seung Hyun followed his finger, gazing into the little café, but wasn’t sure which guy he was meant to be looking at.

“Which one?” He asked, hoping against all hope he didn’t mean that huge scary looking man covered in tattoos. He wouldn’t really put it past Ji Yong.

“In the white shirt, black vest combo,” Ji Yong supplied, and Seung Hyun immediately relaxed. Well, thank Heavens for small mercies.

He looked over the one in question, and had to admit that, from what he could make out from a distance, aesthetically he was attractive; noticeably muscular under his shirt but with a kind looking face.

“Go on, go on, go on,” Seungri cheered, looking the most excited amongst them.

“Do I really have to do this?” Seung Hyun mumbled, hoping he didn’t draw any attention to himself for talking to ‘thin air’.

“Yes,” Ji Yong said firmly. Dae Sung gave him an encouraging nod.

“What do I say to him?” He asked, still eyeing Young Bae through the window. Seung Hyun had never been too confident when it came to socialising, and he hated being the one to initiate a conversation because he, to put it quite simply, at it.

“Tell him he’s totally hot and you want in his pants. A direct approach will always work. Young Bae’s a ‘wham, bam, thank you man’ kind of guy.”

Seung Hyun looked to Ji Yong, horrified. At this point he didn’t care who may look over thinking he’s crazy. “What?!”

Ji Yong looked at him, face serious, and Seung Hyun looked back unblinking. Then, Ji Yong’s face cracked and he was laughing. “Christ! Your face, Seung Hyun! Haha, you are such a damn prude!”

He could feel his cheeks redden, and he turned away from Ji Yong, embarrassed. “I don’t want to do this, I’m going home.”

He his heel, ready to stalk off when Ji Yong stepped into his path, arms crossed and a warning look on his young face. “I told you, Seung Hyun, you don’t do this and I will haunt you,” he leaned in close, so they were almost nose to nose, “for the rest of your sad, miserable, lonely life.”

Seung Hyun despaired, looking to the other two, hoping for some help, but it seemed they were both sided with Ji Yong. Traitorous bastards.

And so Ji Yong’s threat worked and, reluctantly, Seung Hyun gave up. “Fine,” he growled. “Fine. I’ll go, and I’m going to make a complete arse of myself and be embarrassed for the next five years at least.”

He marched off to the café, trying to look determined, but with each step the desire to run home grew stronger. Reminding himself that he was now a grown-up and could no longer justifiably go running to his mother every time something went wrong or he had anxieties, he pushed onwards.

As he slowly, rather wearily, opened the door and stepped into the crowd, the three ghosts trailing him, his eyes automatically sought out Young Bae. He was occupying a little table for two by himself near to but not next to the window, sipping at his drink while scrolling through his phone.

“Go on,” Seungri urged, and Seung Hyun knew the ghost would have given him a shove if only he were able to.

“What should I say?” Seung Hyun whispered frantically, pretending to scratch his nose so he could cover his mouth from a few people giving the newest customer a curious once over, his eyes still on Ji Yong’s oblivious friend. “How do I approach him without seeming like a creep?”

“Just say hello, ask if you can sit with him,” Dae Sung said reasonably. Seung Hyun felt a flare of annoyance at that. Why did Dae Sung always have to be reasonable? Why couldn’t he just declare that this little adventure was clearly doomed due to seating arrangements and Seung Hyun should just go home and give it up as a bad job?

“The café is full; there aren’t any empty tables so it’s perfectly reasonable,” Dae Sung continued in that same reasonable way. Damn it all.

“No, no! Just sit down - an air of mystery! Play the mysterious handsome stranger who somehow seems to know all about the innocent, unsuspecting boy just sat drinking his coffee,” Ji Yong argued passionately. Seung Hyun was about to tell him this wasn’t some teen romance novel they were living in when Seungri spoke up to show his hand.

“Sit on his lap, let him know right off the bat what you’re after,” the youngest looking amongst them grinned, a gleam in his eyes Seung Hyun most defiantly did not like. “Make sure to angle your arse so-”

“Shut up!” Seung Hyun squeaked (it was a very manly squeak), blushing red. “Don’t you dare finish that sentence!”

“Maybe call him Daddy,” Seungri continued, teasing amusement glittering in his eyes, sending them a maniacal black that was actually rather scary. Not for the first time Seung Hyun wondered if this ghost may actually be a poltergeist – or at least on his way to becoming one. “Hey, Ji, the guy is your friend – do you think he’d prefer Seungie to be the innocent schoolboy or the naughty teacher?” He winked at Seung Hyun, and Seung Hyun really whished he wouldn’t. “Either way I could give you tips, big boy.”

Seung Hyun wanted to disappear. Why couldn’t the ground just open up and swallow him? Oh God, he could not now go over to Young Bae with those images in his head.

As the three ghosts began to bicker about Seung Hyun and Young Bae’s hypothetical life (again, why did it have to be Seung Hyun? What had he done in life to deserve this?), Seung Hyun decided he needed a bit of time to beat back his intense embarrassment before piling even more on himself when he attempted to start up a conversation with Ji Yong’s friend. So he his heel and joined the end of the queue to get himself a coffee. For the first time in his life, Seung Hyun found himself thankful to be stuck at the back of a long, slow moving line.

However, all good things must end and all that. He had a coffee in his hand, the ghosts had finished deciding who’d play what role in multiple ual role-playing scenarios between himself and Young Bae, and Seung Hyun no longer had an excuse to linger.

Taking a deep breath, and doing his best to ignore the three sets of dead eyes on him, he made the long walk to Young Bae.

The younger man hadn’t noticed him yet, and Seung Hyun took the opportunity to glance around and make sure all the tables were still occupied. If any were empty, he didn’t have his excuse, provided by Dae Sung, to sit with him. Thankfully (or not, depending on which situation he looked at this from), they were still full.

Now presented another problem; how should he get Young Bae’s attention? Should he cough? Tap him on the shoulder? Would that be rude? He cast a quick glance back to the ghosts. Ji Yong looked extremely eager, his eyes wide and fixed on his friend, and Seung Hyun knew that he’d be holding his breath if only his lungs were working. Seungri looked eager too, though Seung Hyun suspected for entirely different reasons from Ji Yong. Damn ert. Dae Sung simply gave him an encouraging smile and nodded his head towards Young Bae, silently telling him to just go for it.

“I, um, ex- er, excuse me,” Seung Hyun stumbled out, feeling like an utter prat already. Young Bae paused from his phone, which he had still been scrolling through, and looked up, an expression of polite curiosity on his face.

“Yes?” He asked, and Seung Hyun startled a little at his voice for no good reason. “Can I help you?”

‘You could kill me now and prevent a disaster,’ Seung Hyun thought, but outwardly he gave a small smile that he hoped didn’t look as jittery as he felt. “Um, do you, I mean,” he coughed, mentally berating himself. Now he was up close, it was even harder not to sound like a total moron, and damn it all to Hell because this guy was actually very attractive. He entirely blamed Ji Yong.

“Could I sit here?” He spat out, going for the speedy option; it gave him fewer opportunities to mess up.

Young Bae blinked, looking surprised. Then he glanced around and his eyes widened when he realised how busy the little café was. He must be the daydreaming sort, Seung Hyun decided with an inkling of fondness, not noticing the world go by around him.

“I – sure, sure, take a seat,” he was quick to reply once he took in the amount of customers. He gestured to the chair opposite him, and Seung Hyun took it with a smile of thanks.

“I’m Young Bae, by the way,” Young Bae said, and Seung Hyun nodded, already knowing this. “Dong Young Bae.”

“Choi Seung Hyun,” he replied, and karma must be smiling at him right now because he hadn’t done anything dumb or socially awkward for over five seconds. It was likely a record.

He cast another glance to the ghosts as he set his cup down on the table. They were beginning to crowd around; Dae Sung and Seungri to each side of him and Ji Yong choosing to stand by Young Bae. There was an odd look in Ji Yong’s eyes as he gazed at his friend, but Seung Hyun didn’t linger on what it could be. It felt too… personal. Instead, he turned his full attention on his new acquaintance.

“Sorry for interrupting,” he said.

“Its fine,” Young Bae waved him off. “I probably needed a distraction anyway; otherwise I might have sat here all night.”

Seung Hyun gave back a slightly hesitant smile in return, and silence settled between them. Or at least it did for Young Bae, because it wasn’t even a full 10 seconds until Seungri could no longer keep his mouth shut.

“Seung Hyun, this guy is hot. You seriously need to get a piece of that.”

Seung Hyun stared into his coffee, pretending he could hear no more than the man opposite him could.

“I’m serious, man,” Seungri continued, not at all put off by Seung Hyun ignoring him. “Please? For me? Just sleep with him for me.”

Seung Hyun shot him a look from the corner of his eye, hoping he’d get the message to shut the Hell up. What was he even on with anyway? He was not going to have with someone so Seungri could get off to some weird voyeur kink.

“Come on,” Seungri urged, poking a finger right through his arm. “I can’t feel carnal pleasures anymore, so you need to do it for me. I need to live through you. Shag him for me, Seung Hyun!”

“So what is it that you do?” Young Bae asked, taking a sip of his coffee as Seungri continued to try to touch Seung Hyun – he was now trying to push him out of his seat, and having Seungri half in his body was rather disturbing, and not just because he was dead. It was more about him being a massive ert.

But at Young Bae’s voice Seung Hyun blinked, eyes snapping up to him. It had been a while since he’d had to deal with ghosts and a living person at the same time. It was a little confusing that he was being spoken to (and violated), when the guy right across from him didn’t even realise it.

The trio, who although not the only ghosts he knows but are the ones who always stick around, had learnt to keep quiet, or even just stay away, when Seung Hyun was with his family. As a child Seung Hyun could chat with ghosts openly, and his parents would just think he had an imaginary friend, but as he got older they began to worry. His ‘imaginary friend’ never left, and he’d heard them talking one night when he was supposed to be in bed; they were discussing if he possibly needed to see a psychiatrist. After that he learnt to be more careful, and his parents seemed happy. They’d decided it must have been a normal childish imaginary friend after all, who’d just stuck around because Seung Hyun wasn’t the most social kid around and lacked real friends.

There had been one incident, however. When he was seventeen he’d had a hopeless crush on the school’s cool guy, but Seung Hyun had ended up making a complete and utter fool of himself in front of him and spent the night his embarrassment into his pillow while Seungri cackled at him madly. Dae Sung had been sympathetic, but Seungri was a total and Seung Hyun had ended up yelling at him. His startled mother had walked in on him shouting at thin air - at least as she saw it - and it took him days to convince her he was just letting off steam, that no, mum, I’m not a crazy person. I promise, mum, I don’t need to visit the doctor. Yes, mum, I promise to stop shouting at walls.  Seungri had still continued to laugh at him through it all…

Young Bae was still waiting for a reply, Seung Hyun realised after Dae Sung gave a pointed cough. Right. Young Bae. He couldn’t daze off around the living.

“Well, I-” he began, just as Seungri, giving up on trying to move him, and leaned over his shoulder instead.

“Stripper; tell him you’re a stripper.” He stage whispered right into his ear, and Seung Hyun flushed again. He quickly took a drink of his coffee, hoping Young Bae would just pass it off as the heat getting to him. “Offer him a discount. 50% off for hotties you meet in coffee shops.”

He placed his cup back down and mentally wished vehemently that there was a place ghosts move onto so these ghosts will finally move to it, and Seungri can go to his rightful place; Hell. Outwardly, however, Seung Hyun smiled at his living companion as naturally as he could. Hopefully it didn’t come across as too strained.

“I’m at college, studying interior design” he explained with absolutely no shame. There was defiantly a stereotype about men in interior design, but he didn’t care – mostly because in his case at least it was true. He likes interior design and he’s gay, and he wasn’t about to be embarrassed about either of those things.

It seemed Young Bae didn’t mind either, because he was still smiling in the most charming way, and if he didn’t quit it within the next ten seconds The Good King Purr would be booted off the number one spot on the Universes Cutest Things List to be replaced by Dong Young Bae. Either that or Seung Hyun’s heart would flutter so much he goes into cardiac arrest. It would defiantly be bad form to die right in the middle of a conversation.

He took another drink. “So, erm, how about you?”

“I’m a dance instructor,” Young Bae said, and Seung Hyun thought that sounded a little gay too. Though then again, he probably taught street dance or something rather than the tango. Seung Hyun wouldn’t mind doing the horizontal tango with him…

When he realised what he’d just thought, Seung Hyun resisted hitting his head on the table. God damn it, it was like Seungri had crawled into his brain. Maybe leaning through him had left a wisp of him behind. Dear God, that was a disturbing thought.

Once again trying to fight down his embarrassment (how many times could a person flush red in half an hour?), he made himself focus of the words still coming out of the other man’s lips. They were nice lips…

“-about it, you know?” Young Bae was saying, and Seung Hyun realised that no, he didn’t know. He had no idea what he was talking about. “But I’m not so sure college is for me. I mean, I’ve never been the studious type.”

Right, okay, that gave Seung Hyun something to work with. He nodded his agreement, hoping he was about to give the correct reply. “Right, well, college isn’t for everyone.” And, just in case that wasn’t the reply Young Bae was aiming for, he added on a hasty, “But I’m sure you could try later, if that’s what you wanted. It’s never too late and all that, huh?”

“I guess you’re right,” Young Bae agreed, and Seung Hyun smiled back, glad he’d got it right. “It’s not like I’m too old to change my mind.”

Seung Hyun nodded, wondering what it was Young Bae was considering going to college for.

“Nice save, dummy,” Seungri remarked sarcastically, but Seung Hyun paid him no mind. He was just prissy because Seung Hyun wasn’t throwing off his clothes and getting it on with Young Bae right there on the table.

“He could do it,” Ji Yong spoke up, eyes fixed on his friend, and he sounded determined as if it were his own life goal rather than someone else’s. “Young Bae can do anything.”

Seung Hyun blinked. He hadn’t realised until now just how quite Ji Yong had been since taking his place by Young Bae’s side. But it made sense; Young Bae was his best friend, a friend who couldn’t see him stood right there, within touching distance.

A sense of guilt ran though him. Here he was chatting away with Ji Yong’s best friend, while Ji Yong himself could do nothing but stand back and watch silently.

He thought about asking Ji Yong if there was anything he wanted Seung Hyun to say for him, any message to pass on. He’d seen that type of stuff in movies, but he’d never before attempted it himself. Real life didn’t have a script, and in this real life he’d be branded insane rather than believed.

How would Young Bae react if Seung Hyun just causally threw out there that his dead best friend was standing just to his right, watching this whole interaction? Probably either upset or angry. Or both, if Seung Hyun was unlucky.

He looked away from Ji Yong and back down into his coffee cup.

Sometimes he wondered himself if he was really just crazy. If these ghosts were figments of his imagination.  But they couldn’t be, because they knew things, things Seung Hyun couldn’t know. Young Bae, for example – how could Seung Hyun have known him? Still, sometimes he felt crazy.

“Seung Hyun, say something,” Dae Sung said, motioning towards Young Bae. “The conversation is dying, and you know if you stop now you’ll have a hard time speaking up again.”

Well, that was true. He didn’t like starting conversations, and liked starting them even less after one had already ended. How was he supposed to known if the other person wanted to speak again? After all, if the conversation had ended, maybe that meant they wanted quite. Or what if they’d said all they wanted to and so didn’t wish to speak about anything Seung Hyun might think to bring up?

‘I really need to work on my social skills,’ he thought to himself dispassionately.

Dae Sung, bless him, picked up on his emotions very easily and stepped in to save the day yet again. “Get to know him more. Ask if he’s local, what hobbies he has, stuff like that.”

Seung Hyun nodded. That was easy, he could do that. “So, erm,” he began, only to realise that Young Bae’s attention had drifted. He glanced over to Dae Sung.

“Try again.”

“Do, er, do you live around here?” Seung Hyun did try again, a little louder, and Young Bae’s head swung back around.

“Huh? Sorry, I got a little distracted,” he said, and he had that smile again that all fluffy kittens should be jealous of. ‘Kiss goodbye to your number one spot, King Purr’, Seung Hyun thought. “What did you say?”

Seung Hyun swallowed, hoping for a bust of confidence to magically hit him. “I was just wondering if you lived in this area. I mean, not for any bad reason! I’m not a stalker or anything. I don’t want to… erm… stalk you…” He trailed off weakly as Young Bae looked at him oddly and Dae Sung face palmed.

“Smooth, bro. Smooth,” Seungri clapped sarcastically.

“You’re kind of…” Young Bae paused, searching for the right word. Seung Hyun lowered his head in shame. God, he’s such an idiot. “Cute.”

Seung Hyun’s head shot back up in surprise. Cute? Not weird, or strange, or a bit of a freak. Cute. Young Bae just called him cute.

Normally, he’d feel the slightest bit peeved at being called cute, because come on, he’s a man, not a baby animal. (Though admittedly only a slight bit because he’d also take a complement where he can get it.) But right now, he was too surprised to think too much on it.

“Oh,” was all he could come up with.

“Called it!” Seungri piped up gleefully. “Our Seung Hyunnie’s defiantly the one who’ll be on his back.”

Seung Hyun chocked on nothing, and slid down in his seat. Did that mean what he thought it meant? Did Seungri seriously…

Oh God, were they betting on his…

He covered his face with his hands, wishing he’d just die on the spot.

And suddenly he realised Young Bae must think he’s crazy. He’d slid half off his seat, covering his face while making odd noises, for no apparent reason at all. Perhaps Seung Hyun ought to be the one face palming…

“I want to die,” he muttered into his palms instead.

“Err…”  Seung Hyun peeked through his hands at Young Bae, who seemed like he wasn’t sure if he was meant to be amused or concerned. “I don’t find the coffee to be that bad.”

“It’s not because of the coffee,” Seung Hyun sighed, lowering his hands and straightening back up. Perhaps he could save some face, even if his dignity had just taken a swan dive.

“Bad day?” Young Bae asked sympathetically, and Seung Hyun should probably be very grateful he hadn’t left by now.

Seung Hyun cast a quick glance to Seungri, who replied with a grin and double thumbs up. “Something like that.”

Dae Sung moved as if to smack Seungri about the head, but instead just swiped in front of his nose. It was odd that ghosts couldn’t touch each other, Seung Hyun thought. He’d first asked about touch years ago, after he’d first gotten to know a dead girl named Min Ji when he was a kid. She could sit on chairs and pick up objects, but couldn’t touch him. When he asked her why she could touch some things but not others, she’d reached for a plant but her hand went straight through it. Then she reached instead for the plant’s pot and easily picked it up. “I can’t touch anything living,” she’d told him. “I guess it’s the rule of being not-living.”

It was strange, sure, but it also sort of made sense, and he’d dropped the subject. But being dead, he’d always assumed one ghost could touch another, and it wasn’t until he’d met Dae Sung he realised they couldn’t.

Dae Sung didn’t know why, and neither did any other ghost he asked, though one suggested that it was punishment. Seung Hyun tried to forget about that. That particular ghost believed that Earth was Hell, and people only realised this after they died. That wasn’t a thought Seung Hyun was comfortable with. Suddenly, death had seemed far, far lonelier than he’d previously thought.

Seung Hyun shivered, remembering the conviction in that ghost’s eyes. The thought of living in Hell, and not even knowing it, freaked him out more than he cared to admit.

He needed a minute to himself. He did not want to wig out now when this meeting was going (relatively) well.

“Excuse me a moment,” Seung Hyun said with a forced smile to Young Bae, then he stood and rushed to the toilet. After checking to make sure it was empty, he rounded on the ghosts who’d shamelessly followed him without a thought to his privacy. “Can you stop it?! Do you have any idea how difficult this is when you all keep talking into my ears?”

“Awww,” Seungri fake pouted, looking very happy with himself. “We were just trying to help out, give you a few friendly pointers.”

“Well don’t,” Seung Hyun snapped. “You are the ones who wanted me to meet this guy, so let me meet him. I can’t concentrate on talking with him when I have three other people talking at me!”

Perhaps he was being a bit harsh, after all it wasn’t really them that had upset him – and they weren’t even really noisy or distractions (with the exception of Seungri). But he didn’t want to tell them what the real problem was. He never had, because although he didn’t actually believe that they were all in Hell, a small part of him, the basic human need for answers, whatever he could grasp, doubted. Sometimes, in the dead of night, laying in bed unable to sleep, he’d think of articles in newspapers, or segments he’d caught on TV of all the latest violent crimes just that week; the murderers, the terrorists, the rapists, the bombs going off, the school children massacred… and he’d wonder if perhaps that guy had been right…

Jeez, this is probably why he sometimes wondered if he’s crazy. He had to stop thinking such morbid things. He shook his head, as if to physically remove all unpleasant thoughts, and looked back to the assembled ghosts.

“Look, could you just give me a bit of time to speak with him alone? Dae, you’ve been helpful, but it’s also pretty distracting when nobody else has any idea you’re there. I don’t want to end up accidently replying to any of you, because trying to explain it away wouldn’t be fun.”

“I understand,” Dae Sung said, but he looked a bit regretful that he’d have to go.

“Nooo,” Seungri whined. “I need to see how this plays out!”

“Seungri,” Dae Sung said, an edge of warning in his voice.

Seungri sighed, but relented. “Fine,” he moodily pouted. “But Seung Hyun, you have to promise to call me before the two of you do the dirty.”

“No!” Seung Hyun said, rather disgusted. “You keep the Hell away from me, you creepy dead .”

“I am not creepy!” Seungri defended, looking personally insulted. “erted, yes, but never creepy. Man, the ladies and gents loved me when I was alive – they couldn’t keep their hands off me! Say,” he said, a reminiscing look clouding his features, “have I ever told you about how I died?

“Far, far too many times,” Dae Sung replied with a grimace Seung Hyun and Ji Yong shared. “And please, for the sake of us all, never repeat it again.”

“It just confuses me how someone can actually die from-”

“Ah!” Dae Sung interrupted Sung Hyun loudly, holding up his hand for emphasis, and Seung Hyun wisely shut up. “Please, for the love of sanity, do not finish that sentence.”

“Oh man,” Seungri said fondly, thinking back to his greatest memory, “I certainly didn’t plan to die, but what a way to go! People were still talking about it years later.  Let me tell you, ping pong balls and s are a lethal combination. God bless that woman and her amazing-”

“Please stop,” Dae Sung said weakly, and he’d be paler than paper right now if only he weren’t a ghost. “Just stop before I find some way to die again - or kill you again.”

“You guys are no fun,” Seungri huffed, and then he disappeared on the spot. Seung Hyun sighed in relief, and Dae Sung’s shoulders relaxed into a droop.

“Small mercies,” he said, then turned to Seung Hyun. “Good luck! Seung Hyun fighting!” And then he was gone too.

Seung Hyun turned to Ji Yong, the only one left, who gave him a playful salute. Seung Hyun playfully stuck his tongue out in return, pretending he didn’t see any sadness in the eternal teens eyes.

“I’d glad you decided to meet him, hyung,” Ji Yong said. “Treat him well, or you’ll have me to deal with.”

Seung Hyun nodded, but Ji Yong was already gone. Left alone in the empty bathroom, Seung Hyun took a deep breath, and then headed back out.