They are strolling back house. The surrounding is rather dark as the only source of light is from the flashlight on her brother’s hand. The insects are chirping in the bushes around yet suddenly there is a loud and abnormal sound from nearby. Then, a suspicious silhouette jumps over the fence into the bushy corner of the backyard. Min silently signals her brother to call for help from the maids while she sprints along the fence to follow that silhouette. But she loses track at the back of the house. Min stops and looks around.

Then she hears a ‘Thump !’ sound. She hurriedly turns around…

…and see a man in black outfit squirm painfully on the ground, his two hands on his neck. Min’s astonished. She has nearly been attacked from behind. Luckily, someone has refraining that man in black from approaching her and it is no other than L who is wrestling with that man. He tries to push and hold that man in black on the ground and yells at Min.

‘Run, Min ! Run !’

But fear has frozen her, making her stand still to watch L without moving an inch. Right then, a voice raises and another shadow flexibly lands next to Min.

‘Stop it, Kim Myungsoo ! He’s my teammate.’

That voice sounds extremely familiar. Min’s sure that she has heard it before but she just can’t fin dit in her puzzling mind. But then, it’s L that gives her the name she’s looking for.

‘Gina noona ?’

The female voice comes nearer and under the dim moonlight, she takes off her mask. Min is stupefied. It is Gina. The English teacher.

But why is she here ? In an appearance which resembles a ninja more than a teacher ? And how can she see L and even know his real name ? Is she a mediator at a higher level ?

‘It’s me.’ – Gina looks at L sitting on the body of her teammate. –‘You can let him go now.’

L stands up and the other guy clumsily crawls up to his knees. Wiping away the dust on his outfit, he also takes off his mask. Once again, Min is stupefied to see the Manner Supervisor teacher there. Gina is enough but there’s also Seulong. What are they truly doing here ?

L walks towards Min and gently throws his arm across her neck, whispering.

‘Are you ok?’

‘I’m fine.’ – Min replies but her eyes still linger on Gina and Seulong. –‘But why are you…and they… and…’

‘I told you’ – Gina calmly says. –‘not to appear in Ulsan but why are you here, L-ssi?’

L glances at Min and with his toughest voice that she’s ever heard, he looks up to say.

‘I’m worried about this girl. If I’m not in time, he’ –He his head towards Seulong. –‘would attack her.’

A frown appears on Gina’s face and she kicks the Manner Supervisor teacher on the leg. Real hard. Seulong –well, Min shouldn’t call him teacher at this moment, shall she? – moans in pain.

‘How could I know this girl was L’s bridge if you didn’t tell me?’

‘You are really…’- Gina grouches and then turning to Min, she pulls a sweet smile. –‘Sorry baby. He’s the new guy so he might be a bit dumb.’

‘But I…’ – Min shivers in L’s embrace and looks at them with doubt. –‘I don’t understand all of these things. Teacher…and even you, sunbae…Why are you…’

‘Hey’ – Gina flips her hair backward. –‘Don’t call me teacher here. Just call me unnie. I’m only 5 years older than L-ssi. And this guy,’ – She nudges her elbow towards Seulong. –‘You can call him an ahjussi.’

At that moment, Min hears dog barking from the front yard. It seems like her brother has called for reinforcement. Gina and Seulong flexibly jump on the fence and leave without a word, just like the way they appear, leaving Min and L there.

Her brother arrives with some of the suspicious maids. He asks as he reaches her place – of course he can’t see L.

‘Anything doubtful, unnie?’

‘Ah nope.’ – Min baffles. –‘Let’s go back.’

She pushes her brother and signals the maids to go back to the house. But she still has enough time to turn around, slight her head towards the second floor where her room is to imply that she wants to meet L there. And L replies her with a nod, plus a look full of worry.

•  

Min has been waiting for nearly half an hour but L hasn’t yet appeared in her room. She has even called his name lots of times yet that familiar glow and coldness is no where to be sensed. She stands up and then sits down, walks back and forth continuously in the room, wondering. ‘Didn’t he get my message?’

Right then, she hears someone calling her from outside the window. She takes a glance to realize L sitting on the tree branch opposite to her and he is trying to wave his hand to catch her attention. She hurries to stick her head out of the window.

‘What took you so long? I’ve been waiting for hours!’

‘I couldn’t go in’ – L replies. –‘It seems like your house is under a spell to refrain spirits.’

‘Oh?’ – She rolls her eyes. If the house has been casted a spell on, it’s reasonable that she can’t feel any spirit as they are all blocked. –‘But you don’t need to…’

Saying so, she climbs out of the room and flexibly jumps on the branch. She looks at him as she settle down opposite to him.

‘What about you that I’ve yet to known, sunbae?’

‘This line sounds familiar, ain’t it?’

‘You did ask me that once.’ – She shrugs. –‘But tell me. What’s the relationship between you and teach…er…Gina unnie and Seulong ahjussi? How can they dress up and act that mysteriously being teachers of our school? And why did they stalk on my house? And why did Gina unnie said that you mustn’t appear here in Ulsan? And you too, who are you? I just can’t understand it all… And…

Min spits out all the questions on her mind so far. Honestly, there has been a great deal of weirdness in this trip to Ulsan of her, so much that she can’t find a proper explanation. L holds up his hands in an ‘enough’ gesture. He frowns.

‘How can I answer all that many questions from you?’

‘But things are just so bizzare. I just can sit still and watch.’

‘I know.’ – L puts down his hands and lowers his voice. –‘You are screwed up. But I think…you should not know too much because I…’

Suddenly L hesitates, something she has not seen very often in this ghost. Actually, everytime he is about to say important and honest things, his mischief is replaced by that hesitation. Therefore, she doesn’t cut him off but waits for him to continue what he has left. A while later, L shots a look through the dark sky which a few minutes ago was still moonlit. He gulps.

‘I think…If I tell you all, it’ll be so dangerous for you.’

‘Dangerous?’- She asks right back. –‘Are you worrying about me or this?’

As she asks, she pulls out her necklace which is his Inseparable. L gently grabs her wrist and leans closer.

‘Of course it’s about you… Once you’re in danger, I’m endangered.’

‘That’s obvious!’ She tells herself. She is wearing his Inseparable anyway. If something bad happens to her, surey his spirit will be affected negatively. But he doesn’t seem to think that simply as he goes on while his hand still holds on her wrist.

‘Don’t ever be foolish to put yourself in danger like what you just did. I’m not always by your side so don’t drive me crazy for worrying about you!’

•  

And it’s been over half a week since that moment that L is missing. Min didn’t get it. The hundreds of questions about him, Gina or Seulong. And of course, that ‘don’t drive me crazy’ thing from him.

Min has asked Minzy what a guy meant if he told a girl not to drive him crazy for worrying about her. But what she gets from Minzy doesn’t satify her.

‘Maybe that guy likes the girl.’

‘That sounds absurd.’

Min grimaces. Of course there is no possibility that L – the guy standing out of all other guys in terms of looks and brain – likes her. But if he did, even a little bit, he has to acknowledge that a ghost shouldn’t fall for a mediator and vice versa.

But Minzy doesn’t think the same way as Min doesn’t clarify that the question is about her and L. Minzy argues.

‘If he doesn’t like her, there’s no point for him to be crazy for his crush’s being in danger, right?’

'Er...But...'

‘But why are you asking me? Is it about you?’

The unexpected question from Minzy puzzles Min. She indeed doesn’t want Minzy to know what has happened lately between her and L. It is way too sensitive to be revealed to other people.

She her eyebrows and replies.

‘It’s nothing. I’m just asking.’

And therefore, everything ambiguous to her still remains ambiguous.

23.  

However, Min doesn’t feel much upset not having L around her lately. Actually, she does feel a little bit empty at night when he isn’t there singing for her before bedtime. Yet, she has other things to care about even though it’s not about herself.

As usual in the afternoon, after the tutoring lesson with Myungsoo, Min goes to the library for an extra session with the Math team. Only four weeks left til the first round of the competition so the team is making harder progress. Shrugging in regret with Minzy, Min comes to sit down with the group of student digging their heads into piles of Math books. As she puts down her own books, Minseok – the team leader drags another one towards her and asks.

‘Have you got this one? I heard that most of the problems in previous competition are from this.’

‘Nobody told me about that.’ – Min widens her eyes.

‘Go look in the library. There might be some left.’

Min leaves her place and walks towards Math bookshelves for the book Minseok mentions. But while she is skimming each book on the shelves, she bumps into something blocking her way. It turns out to be Lee Sungjong – the second year student she met as Manner Supervisor before. He rubs his back in pain as she sits down next to him, comforting.

‘Are you ok? But why are you here? Ah…’

Then Min recognizes something interesting.

From where Sungjong is sitting, the clearest thing he can see in the library is nowhere but Minzy’s place. And clearly from this place, he can see her face. Yet, is this boy stalking over the girl as she suspects?

Sungjong scowls.

‘I’m fine but…you kicked me hard…Aww…’

‘But why are you here?’ – Min rests her arms on her knees. –‘Don’t tell me that you’re stalking over Minzy!’

It seems like she has touched the point. Sungjong blushes as he says shyly.

‘Sunbaenim…please…don’t tell her.’

‘Oh so am I right?’ – Min smiles, silently praising herself for getting it corrent at other people’s feeling. – ‘But why do you have to stalk her? Why don’t you tell her?’

‘I’m afraid.’ – The way Sungjong rubs his head in embarrassment reminds Min of Myungsoo and his gesture everytime she makes fun of him and Jiyeon. –‘She doesn’t like me…’

Yeah. True. Minzy has confirmed it to Min once. But she thinks differently. Although Sungjong might not be like a man on the outside but who knows, he might be very matured inside? Thinking so, she snorts.

‘You gotta be confident. You’re a guy anyway.’ – And she stands up, looking down at the boy. –‘Follow me.’

•  

Sungjong stands up in bewilderment and he is pulled to in front of Minzy. Without a word, Min let go out his wrist and turn back to dash towards the Math team. She wants Sungjong to face Minzy and ask the girl out actively instead of looking at her secretly from afar.

At least, her action helps motivate Sungjong as she receives a message from Minzy when she’s about to leave the lirary.

‘Sunbaenim, Sungjong invited me to cinema this Saturday. What should I do now? I told him that I didn’t want to but he insisted on waiting for me.’

Min feels satisfied with the information from the message even though as she implies from the words, Minzy is not feeling comfortable at all. But it’s good, isn’t it? Sungjong has finally made a move. A bold one.

She smiles and texts back.

‘Nobody would be killed if you go with him. But I think he’s fine. Aren’t your Dongwoon and Myungsoo sunbaenim the same style?’

‘They are different!!!!! I don’t know!!!!!!’

Min shrugs, decides not to reply Minzy again. Just ignore her, she can do whatever she wants. Min doesn’t think that she should interfere deeper into their stuff even though she’s not sure whether there is a so-called ‘special feeling’ between Sungjong and Minzy. She has decided to help Myungsoo with confessing to Jiyeon. She also wants to help Soyeon regarding Doojoon. And she’s just stuck her nose into the relationship between Sungjong and Minzy. Well, isn’t she a little bit excessive and overestimate her ability? Isn’t she supposed to be a little bit ignorant and selfish? Actually, no matter how much she wants to, she just can’t as she always aims to be a good friend and good sister to people around her. How complicated!

Another considerable thing also happening during days-without-that-handsome-ghost is about Dongwoon. After many times declining, Min has to meet him for the researching contest. See, it’s truly overestimating herself! She has two contests to take care of at the same time, not to mention the tutoring session with Myungsoo.

Honestly speaking, the time being with Dongwoon is the lengthiest and most boring period of time that she’s been through so far. Just imagine, they are in a spacious room, which is about three times larger than her own rental room, focus on taking note and reading books in silence for hours. They only take short breaks to share about some interesting pieces of information they come across. Totally boring!

Min stands up and asks him.

‘Dongwoon, where’s the kitchen? I want to have some water.’

Dongwoon looks up and her and replies.

‘Just sit there. I’ll tell the maid to bring some here.’

‘No need to.’ – Min snorts. –‘I want to exercise a bit also. I’ve been sitting for so long.’

‘Okay. If so, just go downstairs and turn left.’

She leaves her seat and follows his direction, going down the conical stairs. While walking, she makes a mental note that if she were to build a house, she wouldn’t build one as large as this or else she would drain herself as she gets from one room to another.

She reaches the kitchen and as she opens the big refridgerator, she is amazed with tons of food and fruits piled up inside. Well, she’s not kind of snatcher but the maid would bring these to her later on. So, why not take some here as she’s also hungry then?

Min rolls her eyes and pick a banana then hide herself at a corner before eating. As she reaches half of the banana, she hears someone going towards the kitchen. Min quickly decides to throw the undone banana into a nearby trashbin – oh how wonderful the spot she chooses! – and stands up, grabs the water glass, pretending to drink.

The voice and footstep get nearer and Min can be sure that it’s from Dongwoon’s father as she has heard that voice a few times, not to the extent of being bored of but easy to guess. Yet what matters is the topic is talking about on the phone.

‘Is that kid important? He’s gone so just forget him. You should do it yourself. I just need everything to be carried out smoothly.’

Then he reaches the threshold and seems to startle a bit to see Min there.

‘Oh Min? What are you doing here?’

‘Hello sir,’ – Min politely bows. –‘I’m here for the research contest with Dongwoon. You seem to be busy lately.’

‘Yup.’- He smiles, tiredness is clear on his face. –‘There’s so many things to take care of with the company. By the way, do you want to have dinner with us tonight?’

‘Oh I’m sorry.’ – says Min. –‘I have session with Math team later so maybe next time. Please take care of yourself. I’m going up now.’

Saying so, she quickly sprints out of the kitchen and sighs with relief as no one saw her snatch food from the fridge. But compared to when he paid a visit to Soyeon’s house, Dongwoon’s father looks exhausted and worn out. What kind of business would drain people’s health that much?

24.  

Time passes by. The Seoul autumn with yellow leaves covering the front yard is gone and replaced by the harsh winter which also marks the training camp for grade 3.

Within 3 days and 2 nights, all grade 3 students are free from classes and gathered up at a remote army camp which is too the north of Seoul. At first, Min is excited about going far from Seoul but as she has to share room with nine other girls in a tiny room with bunk-beds, that excitement halves. Not to mention the lack of internet or the fact that it takes 15 minutes by car to reach the nearest town!

However, the highlight of this camp doesn’t lie in the below average living condition, not even the harsh physical training session in the cold weather. It lies in the confession from Myungsoo to Jiyeon.

Right on the first night, Myungsoo comes to Min’s room to meet her. Of course, there is nothing call dating like what she’s heard from the rumour spread among her roommates.

Myungsoo discovers a nice spot in that poor training camp. An abandoned thatch shelter near the common hall and it’s hard to see the two of them as they hide themselves behind the huge heap of straw. Actually, if someone sees them, they would think Min is on a date with Myungsoo because if not for that reason, there are only idiots to meet up at that place. But once again, Min only talks with him about the confession to Jiyeon, which means about a third person and nothing about them two.

‘Which style do you prefer? Straightforward or flowery and romantic?’

Min goes straight to the topic as they settle down on the heap of straw. She breathes out smoke since the weather is cold. Myungsoo blows into his two hands and rubs them together to reduce the coldness.

‘What do you think?’

‘Er?’ – Min curves her lips. –‘It’s your confession, not mine. But in my opinion, just go straightforward. She might be used to romantic so straightforwardness might make the difference.’

Don’t ask where she gets that confidence to tell him so. Well, thanks to his brother. Jiyeon used to be L’s girlfriend and according to what she has experienced with that ghost so far, he is extremely romantic and tends to ‘attack’ emotionally. Therefore,as Jiyeon has been struck by his romance and get acquainted to those greasy words, Myungsoo should do it simple.

Min sneezes and goes on.

‘Just meet her, tell her that you like her and ask for a chance. Maybe you can’t be compared to your brother or the other guys at this or that point but your feeling for her is true. What’s important is that you shouldn’t overestimate yourself or praise her too much, say what you want to say. About your feeling so far, about what you want in this relationship with her. Show her something different. Girls are usually impressed with new things and I bet Jiyeon is also like that.’

‘You seem to know a lot, huh?’ – Myungsoo hisses. –‘But what if she said no? You should consider all possibilities, shalln’t you?’

‘It’s up to your begging ability then.’ – Min shrugs.

‘Why does that sound awful?’

‘Fine.’ – Min wrinkles her nose, trying to hold back her sneezing. –‘Let’s go inside. Just do what you want and see how far it goes.’

Saying so, Min stands up and dashes into the hall. Myungsoo, after a second, also leaves his spot and catches up with her. He throws his arm across her neck to pull her back, grumbles.

‘Don’t you dare deny your responsibility?’

‘Ya’ – Min, being pulled back at her neck, shrieks. –‘What the hell are you doing? Let me go!’

‘You two, stop there!’

A powerful command raises, making the two – one grimacing and one laughing crazily – startle. Min turns around to see the coach behind them with a strict expression on his face. She glances at her watch and it dawns on her that it’s 9pm then. Curfew is set to be fifteen minutes before that. It’s not strange that the coach is disappointed with these two rule breakers. And what matters more, one guy and one girl. Embracing each other neck.