She met Jungkook at a bus stop.

Her eyes landed on him almost instantly, taking his features in. His hair was slicked back, revealing his dark brown eyes and slightly parted lips. His face was all soft curves and light edges. She wondered if it was as soft as it looked.

He was standing, facing the road with unreadable eyes.

‘Hello…?’ she asked hesitantly.

He whirled around, his shock replaced with a blank expression in a second.

‘Yes?’

‘Um…are you waiting for the bus?’ she wedged her fingers awkwardly, ‘because if you are, we can wait together. I'm not waiting for the bus but my mother will pick me up quite a while from now so…’

He was silent before he replied, ‘I’m not. But, I can wait with you.’

‘What are you waiting for?’ she asked one day.

‘…Nothing. It’s not important,’ Jungkook dismissed her without a glance. If he had looked, he would have seen disappointment flashed in her hazel eyes.

She sat with him on the cold seats. It was a Friday, meaning she wouldn’t be seeing him till Monday. Her mother would pick her up at the end of the road later than usual, what with her busy schedule and their recent moving.

She didn’t mind it at all. After all, she had somebody to wait with.

It had rained for a few days, prompting the temperature to drop a few degrees. She shivered as the freezing wind caressed her body. She wondered why he wasn’t affected at all.

She concluded that Jungkook was probably more resilient to the lack of warmth.

He was still wearing the black jacket that he wore the first time they met. Granted, it flattered his figure but she still couldn’t accept the fact that he was still wearing it.

Not to mention every passing day. She shuddered at the thought.

‘Are you cold?’ he asked, mistaking her shivers for being cold.

‘Oh no…I’m fine, really–‘

He ped his jacket and hung it on her shoulder blades.

She immediately flushed, heat returning to her face. She would swear, her heart literally nosedived in her thorax.

‘Take it. You’re more important,’ he said slowly.

She inhaled the scent of his jacket —his scent— and smiled.

‘Thank you.’

Jungkook waited patiently for her. Sometimes, he was leaning against the pole, looking angelic from the sunset. His eyes caught the light rays from the setting sun, turning it impossibly mesmerizing. And he would smile at her. And the world got brighter all of a sudden.

Other times, he was sitting, his legs crossed at the ankles. His black sneakers squeaked against the surface when he stood up to greet her and gave her enough space to sit. She would, however, edge closer to him, casting a curious glance at his face.

She looked forward to seeing him. Her mind wouldn’t focus during classes; always wandering, exploring and travelling to a faraway place. She should not be like this but she could not help it. Her mind was powerless in controlling her heart.

Her best friend noticed her subtle changes; she would stare at the window, eyes dreamy and hazy, she would stare at her food, lips in a silent smile, she would stare at her friends, face in a lovely shade of red.

Nam decided she needed answers.

‘You’ve found him, didn’t you?’ Nam had asked excitedly while both of them were walking back from school.

When she turned to face her, her dark tresses slapped her cheeks lightly.

‘How…did you know?’

Nam grinned, ‘I’m your best friend. Of course I’ll know. They didn’t notice but I do. So tell me, who’s the lucky guy?’

‘I don’t think “lucky” would fit the situation—Ah, here’s my stop.’

She stopped at a lamp post near the bus stop. The other girl eyed the aforementioned place before voicing out her worries.

‘Are you sure? You’re alone here.’

‘No, he’ll come.’

‘”He”?’

As though it was a magic word, Jungkook appeared from the end of the road. Simultaneously, she turned to look at him.

‘Go, I’ll talk to you later.’

‘But –‘

‘Don’t worry, I’ll be safe. Now, go,’ she pushed her friend lightly, rotating her best friend’s body with her hands.

Nam tried to turn around but her hands were firm on her shoulders.

She grew closer to Jungkook day by day. She felt joy when she saw him. She felt happy when he saw her.

He’s secretive, she thought.

She would admit, despite weeks knowing him, she barely scratched the surface of the mystery that was Jungkook. She knew his quirks; the way his eyebrow twitched when he’s testy, the way his lips pouted when he brood, the way his cheeks reddened when he’s abashed. She knew them all.

One windy day, she was walking to the bus stop. Her feet trudged the pavement lightly, her eyes searching for his figure.

He wasn’t there.

Feeling quite foolish for hoping, she went back on her own, refusing to wait there alone. She stopped at her favourite spot: the bench beside the ice-cream parlour.

She only sat down for a while when Nam came to her, running and panting.

Her best friend was shouting frantically.

She looked up sharply.

‘Nam? What’s wrong?’

She reached her with her heart racing. Hands on her knees, she tried to even her erratic breathing.

‘Nam…?’

As if on cue, she grabbed both her hands, her hazel eyes huge and wild. Her hands were shaking, sweaty and clammy in her hold.

‘I knew it.’

‘Knew…what exactly?’

‘Do you…’ she closed her eyes for a second, ‘do you know the history of that bus stop?’

‘The bus stop? No.’

‘No, you wouldn’t know that myth,’ Nam mumbled to herself, forgetting her presence in front of her.

‘Just…’ Nam looked at her dead on.

‘Just stay away from now on.’

She refused in a heartbeat.

‘You don’t understand…that bus stop…it’s not there.’

The next day, her steps were purposeful. The girl sat on one of the seats, waiting judgement on her conflicting thoughts. Kairi was wearing his jacket.

He came all too soon.

She looked up into his eyes and just knew that this day would be different for both of them. She took in a deep breath and began shakily, ‘I know everything, you know.’

Jungkook stood motionless near the pole.

‘About this place: a cursed place in another dimension meant to ensnare girls… No wonder Nam couldn’t see it, she wasn’t trapped here.’

He was still silent.

‘You’re dead, aren’t you? You’re a spirit that’s shortening lives in exchange for prolonging yours…’

He moved a little towards her.

‘So tell me, Jungkook,’ she choked a little, ‘why didn’t you tell me?’

Jungkook sat beside her before holding out his hand, helping her to her feet.

She gasped out, ‘I would have died happily for you, if you would have just told me,’ her hands went to cover her eyes.

He moved to remove her hands before crushing her body to his.

He held her, one hand on her back while the other on the back of her head. If she focused, she could hear his heartbeats.

But she couldn’t. Because he didn’t have one.

‘I…wanted to tell you. I was waiting and suddenly, you came. I was so, so delighted because finally, finally, an innocent, dumb, little girl walked right into my trap.’

She felt tears in her eyes.

‘At first, I was just toying with you,’ he told her guiltily, ‘you were so easy to trick that I almost lost my composure. But…’

Jungkook’s voice was thick with emotions, ‘I realized I was enjoying my time with you. Your smile strengthen me, your laugh freed me and your love—’ he stopped for a breath.

‘Your love saved me.’

She was crying by now. Light sobs and wet cheeks.

Even his eyes were glistening.

‘And I…I couldn’t kill you. And I… I couldn’t bear the thought of you dying. And I swear, I would die over and over for you.’

He hugged her closer.

‘Because you make me feel alive, even if death is my reality.’

Jungkook pushed her at arm’s length and smiled wanly.

‘In another life, you would have been mine.’

She gasped when he started to become translucent.

‘But I am yours,’ she told him, ‘please. Don’t go.’

She was becoming desperate. The girl tried to grasp him but her hands grabbed air, passing through him easily. He chuckled dryly at her.

‘I’ve run out of time.’

From the corner of her eye, the bus stop disintegrated into shards and pieces, falling apart like fragile glass. She shut her eyes tightly. When she opened them, he was standing a few inches away from her. He moved forward and deliberately planted a kiss on her forehead. She couldn’t feel it but the kiss was beautiful.

A goodbye kiss, wrapped in unspoken love and remorse.

He was almost gone by then, his body barely outlined and blurry. She could see the road through him. Involuntarily, she steeled her resolve.

She stared into his dark brown eyes.

He stared into her light brown eyes.

‘Promise me, you’ll stay with me.’

‘Always.’

She grinned, ‘Thank you.’

She couldn’t see him and the bus stop anymore but she was sure he heard her. And when she looked down, her tears escaped once again.

Because in her hands were Jungkook’s black jacket, forgotten and cold in her pale limbs.