There is this house on a hill. It’s your typical stereotypical creepy old house with creaky windows and . I’m not gonna go into great detail and describe it to you. Just Google it or whatever.

 

But this house has been around since…forever, or at least that’s what my best friend Sooyoung tells me. She and Sunny were on the verge of making out in front of me (again) when I asked them about the house.

 

I’m new here. I’m the new kid in college, the new kid in the neighborhood; just your typical new kid trying to be like everyone else. Luckily for me, the people here are pretty nice; I’ve already made a couple of friends. I’ve even joined the school swimming team, and my grades are…pretty well off.

 

You may think that I have everything, but…

 

I’m missing something.

 

Something they call love.

 

It makes me angry and jealous when I see couples walking around school with their arms and lips entangled with each other’s. Not to mention, it makes me a little sick too.

 

My friends are all part of that lovey-dovey couple .

 

Sooyoung, the shikshin and giant of our “group” is ironically going out with the shortest girl at our school: Lee Sunny. Then there’s TaeNy, who basically cannot be separated. We already see them as one person, not two people. The “Tae” part of their name is Taeyeon; she’s taller than Sunny by (maybe) a mere inch or two, but it’s enough to have her boast about it to everyone. Her other half, “Ny” is Tiffany, the eye-smiling “goddess” of our group.  When I first got here, I thought that Tiffany was truly the definition of beauty, and I felt myself…attracted to her beauty. Then, Taeng asked her out and I knew that it was hands off from there.

 

But that’s when I really realized who I am, and who I feel attracted to.

 

That’s why I felt comfortable with my friends dating each other, even if that means me sitting awkwardly alone in the movie theater while they each other’s faces off.

 

Today is March 14^th, also known as “White Day.”

 

Basically, it’s a day where couples show each other how much they love each other through cheesy love notes, chocolates, flowers, etc etc.

 

Sunny received a dozen red roses and a note from Sooyoung asking her to meet her on the rooftop of our school. Speaking of, I haven’t seen the two of them since…

 

Tiffany received loads of gifts, like chocolates and stuffed animals (her favorite) from most, if not all of the guys at our school. She rejected them all and accepted only one.

 

Guess who’s?

 

Yep. The gift that she accepted was from none other than Taeyeon, who asked the teacher to deliver to her a small, fluffy, white teddy bear with a bracelet attached around its neck, saying, “TaeNy Forever.”

 

Tiffany literally ran out of the classroom crying and screaming Taeyeon’s name.

 

I haven’t seen the two of them since then either.

 

So, here I am, sitting under this giant oak tree, wallowing in self-pity. I look up at the cloudless and endless blue sky and can’t help but wonder, “When am I gonna find her? When am I gonna find the one?”

 

I do what everyone who is loveless and lifeless and frustrated does: I sigh. I can’t do anything except sigh.

 

“Hey you!” I lazily open one eye and look up to see Taeng’s friendly face. I slowly sit up and look up at her. Her hair is slightly messy, but a huge smile is plastered on her face. She’s holding Tiffany’s hand, and Fany has some smudges on her neck. Definitely hickeys…

 

“Sup? You guys look happy.”

 

“We are. Fany and I-“

 

“Don’t need the details, Taeng. Don’t need ‘em.” I catch Taeyeon rolling her eyes at me.

 

“We need to get you someone, Yul. I can’t stand seeing you out here all alone. It hurts, ya know?”

 

I eye her wearily. “Uh-huh. Yeah, I can see that you’re hurtin’ really badly.”

 

“Yu-ul! I am concerned, ok?”

 

I wave her off. “Yeah, yeah. I appreciate it, Taeng. But love isn’t something that you can find for me. I gotta find it myself.”

 

I hear loud footsteps coming form behind me. All of a sudden, “OOF!”

 

“Muahaha! Gotcha! Sup, Yul?”

 

As expected, stupid shikshin. She pounces on my back, knocking me face-down onto the ground. She falls on top of me. I groan and wince. I land on my arm, scraping it on a sharp rock.

 

“YAH! SOOYOUNG! WHAT ARE YOU DOING?” Sunny’s loud voice can be heard from across the campus. I don’t even need to look up to know that she’s frantically running over here. Next thing I know, I feel about 10000 times lighter.

 

“Omo~ Yuri, are you ok? Sooyoung, you are so stupid! She’s your friend! Yuri, you ok-Omo~ You’re bleeding! SOOYOUNG! You are in SO much trouble!!!” She starts chastising Sooyoung.

 

I help myself up, brushing off stray pieces of grass and wiping off patches of dirt from my arms. I looked down at my elbows.

 

They’re bleeding.

 

Great.

 

I wince in pain as I stretch my arm out.

 

“Yul! Let’s get you to a hospital before it gets infected!” Taeyeon’s voice carries nothing but worry.

 

“I’m fine. I’m fine. Just need a Band-Aid, that’s all.” I shake off the pain. I’ve had worse.

 

After Taeyeon forces me to visit the school nurse, after we pack up all of our stuff, we all agree to go out for ice-cream.

 

At the ice-cream shop, the five of us sit next to the window, looking out at all of the snuggling couples walking on the street.

 

“You ok, Yul?”

 

“I’m good. Thanks.” They all know how lonely I must feel. I’m very grateful to have friends like them, even though most of the time, all they do is worry about me.

 

“I have a great idea guys.” Uh-oh. This means trouble. Every one of us knows that when Sooyoung has an idea, good things never follow up.

 

“What.” The rest of us say in unison and turn our heads towards her. is full of mint chocolate chip ice cream. She takes a giant gulp and starts opening her giant mouth to speak again. “How about we make Yuri do a dare? If she wins, we leave her and her lonely life alone. If she loses, we play matchmaker until she agrees to finally date one of her matches.”

 

I expect the rest of them to roll their eyes and shake their heads. Instead, they begin clapping like it was the best thing that they’ve ever heard. “That’s actually a great idea, Soo!”

 

I glare at Taeyeon. Tiffany backs her up with, “I agree with Tae-Tae; Soo, this is like the best idea you’ve ever had!” Sunny just kisses her on the cheek.

 

“Guys. Have we forgotten that I freaking exist? Are you out of your minds? Plus, don’t I get to pick between truth or dare or whatever? Wait, don’t I get a say in this?”

 

They glare at me and simultaneously shake their heads. “If we let you decide, you’d be forever alone.”

 

I open my mouth then close it. I know that it’s true. If given the choice, I’d probably just wait around for the right person to come to me. I would never look for them…

 

On second thought, this plan is harmless. I am the Kwon Yuri. There isn’t a dare that I can’t handle.

 

“Fine. I’ll take your stupid dare, shikshin. But I will win.”

 

She smirks. “We’ll see about that. Let’s meet tomorrow night at 7 under the oak tree. Don’t you dare chicken out, Kwon.”

 

It’s now my turn to smirk. “I won’t.”

 

It’s 7:30. No one is here. The oak tree is intimidating me. I’m freezing from muscle to bone to everything else that can possibly freeze in my body.

 

“Sorry we’re late! Tae-Tae’s mom made us stay to eat some leftover cake from Tae-Tae’s party and-omo~ Sooyoung’s not here?”

 

I leer at her. “What do you think? I’ve been wait-“

 

“Sorry! Sorry! Sorry! Sooyoungie wouldn’t leave until she finished her fifteenth serving of patbingsoo!”

 

Sooyoung looks at me sheepishly. “Sorry Yul. You know I suffer from-“

 

“I don’t care. Let’s just get this stupid dare over with. My is freezing off and I just wanna go home.”

 

“Jeez, jeez, grumpy much? Ok, it took me all day and all night to figure out the perfect dare, and I’ve finally got it.”

 

I signal her to continue talking. “…And? What did that big- head containing that small- brain come up with?”

 

She glares at me but continues. “Since you always brag about how ‘brave’ you are, I’ve decided to come up with a dare that will test your wits.”

 

“Kay.  Let’s hear it then.”

 

“You gotta spend the night in the House on the Hill.”

 

I blink once. Twice. Three times. “No. No. No ing way.”

 

“Fine. Then we get to play matchmaker.”

 

Damn. I’m stuck. I feared that this would happen.

 

“How about this, since overnight is a bit ridiculous, let’s just make her stay in there for like two hours or so?” Taeyeon tries to reason.

 

“Why that house?”

 

“Because, supposedly, it’s ‘haunted.’” Sooyoung makes air quotes with her fingers. “And you said that you don’t fear anything. So I assume that that means that you aren’t afraid of ghosts.”

 

“Your assumption is correct. I don’t believe in ghosts. I don’t believe in anything right now besides the fact that I’m supposed to be in a warm bed right now, sleeping. Now, if you waste anymore of my time, I’m gonna go.” I start walking away, but the rest of them literally drag me away by my arms.

 

“Kwon Yuri, you’re not going anywhere.” Sooyoung and company drag me all the way to the top of the hill and we arrive at our destination: the House. To be honest, it looked more like a hole than it did a “haunted house.”

 

“This is it? This?”

 

“What, does it meet your expectations?” Sooyoung smirks.

 

I shake my head. “It looks like a hole.”

 

“Hah. You would say that.” Sooyoung continues, “Well, this is where we part ways. Yuri, I’ve prepared walkie-talkies for us to communicate with.” She hands me a clunky piece of plastic. I hold it and look at it in disgust. “The ? What is this? And why can’t we use cellphones, like normal people?”

 

“Because, we can’t have you calling your brother or anyone for help, now can we? Hand it over.” Sooyoung holds out her hand. I look at it like it’s a slice of raw and bloody fish.

 

“What?”

 

“Give it.” She motions for my cell phone. I clutch it tightly against my chest. “No.”

 

“Yes.”

 

“No.”

 

“Give it, or I’ll tell the whole school that you peed your pants-“

 

“THAT WAS ONE TIME!!!!”

 

“Exactly. So, give it.”

 

I let out a loud groan and hand my phone over. “What else you wanna take from me besides my patience and dignity?”

 

Sooyoung looks me over. “Nah. We’re good. Okay, so we’re gonna communicate by walkie-talkies, and remember, the deal is, you gotta stay in there for two straight hours.”

 

“What am I possibly gonna do in there for two hours? Is this even legal?”

 

“Here. Take this.” Taeyeon hands me her iPod, the friendliest gesture I’ve encountered all night. I give her a big hug. “Thanks! I can actually call you my friend!” She gives me a weak smile and runs back to huddle with Fany. “Yul Hwaiting!”

 

I walk up the gravel pathway to the house and stand on the porch, in front of the weathered door. “Uh…what do I do?” I scratch my head and turn around, making a sign with my arms that (hopefully) said, “What the eff do I do now?”

 

Sooyoung motions to the walkie-talkie. I slap myself on the forehead. Right.

 

“*Khhhht (sound of walkie-talkie static)*…Soo, you there? Over.”

 

“*Khhhht* Yeah. What’s up? Uh…over.”

 

“*Khhhht* How do I get in? Over.”

 

“*Khhhht* Ring the door bell…? Over…”

 

I look around the lame excuse of a door. “*Khhhht* No door-bell. Damn, this house is super old. And nasty too…Over.”

 

“*Khhhht* Break the door down, I don’t know…over.”

 

“*Khhhht* That’s breaking and entering, buddy. I’mma try to knock. Over and out.” I put the walkie-talkie into the back pocket of my jeans and knock on the antique door. “Ow. !” I pull out a splinter from my knuckles. A small dot of blood dots the spot where the wood had previously penetrated my skin. I groan in frustration and kicked the door. Magically (not to mention creepily), it creaks open.

 

The scene before me is dark, like pitch-black, hole-in-the-ground dark. Literally, I cannot see a goddamned thing. Luckily, I have Taeng’s iPod with me. I turn on the device, and HALLELUJAH! There is light!

 

I shine the thing around the room. “Hello? Anyone-slash-anything in here?” Once I step across the doorframe, it shuts. *BANG*

 

I sigh. “Great. Ju------st great.” Using the iPod’s brightness on full blast, I shine it around the room. Dusty portraits and mirrors are scattered throughout on the walls. The rug is raggedy, as if ten or so rabid dogs had gotten to it and ripped it apart with their teeth. With each step I take, the wooden floors underneath the mutilated rug creak and moan, as if in pain. There is a long, winding staircase that links the bottom floor to the floor above it, and it’s located in the center of the house.

 

The foyer leads into (what I assume) is the dining room. There is a long table, with four seats placed perfectly apart on either side of the table, and two “head” seats at situated at the ends of the table. The table settings are perfect; forks and knives sit at their respective places on either side of the plate. The napkin is perched perfectly on top of the dusty plate. Wine glasses and water glasses are placed near the rest of the settings, as if waiting to be used. As perfect as everything is, it’s all coated with fine layers of dust, a sign of their long-term abandonment and neglect. Hanging on the high ceiling above the table, right at the very center, is a crystal chandelier. How unfortunate it would be if it fell during a dinner.

 

I move on with exploring. I move into the kitchen, and the first thing I notice is that the stove uses gas. Who still uses gas? The sink is situated right next to the stove. I turn one of the knobs, labeled “COLD.” Nothing. Moving along, I notice that there is no refrigerator. Only a wine cooler. I look inside. Empty. O----f course.

 

The kitchen has nothing interesting to offer at all, so I move on. I decide to walk up the stairs. I start on the bottom step. *Creeeeaaaak* I test the first step, putting most of my weight on my back leg. Hell, I don’t wanna fall through. I then shift my weight a little to the front. I test it standing on one foot. It gives another loud creak, but holds my weight. I move on to the next step. I repeat this process over and over until I finally reach the top. Thank the Lord.

 

I shine the light from Taeyeon’s iPod down the long and narrow hallway. Unfortunately for me, the light from the iPod isn’t bright enough to show me anything. I decide to slowly walk down the hallway, and the floorboards are squeaking with each step I take. I finally stop and look to my right. Is something following me? I immediately jump back at the sight in front of me. Something very bright suddenly pierces my eyes. “The -?”

 

It’s me. Or rather, my reflection. I check myself out in the mirror. Is it really me? I eye myself wearily. Something doesn’t seem right. Before I can continue to silently suspect myself, I start shivering. Why-Did it get freakishly cold all of a sudden? I shiver again and wrap my arms around myself. I then proceed to drop Taeyeon’s iPod. It bounces away from my and I roll my eyes. I’m kneel to go and pick up the damn thing when I see something pick it up for me.

 

I look up. A girl is standing before me. I literally jump up. “Who the hell are you?”

 

Silence. She just stares at me.

 

“Hello? Can you speak?” I wave my hand in front of her face. She doesn’t blink, doesn’t speak. She just stands there and stares at me, with a blank expression on her face. To be honest, she’s creeping me out. Not a little. A lot.

 

She’s holding something in her right hand, and I’m praying and hoping that it’s not something like a butcher knife or a gun. I lean over a little to get a better look at the menacing hand. She’s holding Taeng’s iPod.

 

“Hey. That’s mine.” She blinks at me. She makes no move to give it back, nor does she move to run away from me. I reach over to take the iPod from her hand. I know it sounds rude, but I need it back. I touch her hand and immediately yank my hand away.  Her hand is cold. Not like normal people cold, but like icy cold.

 

I look at her from head to toe. No wonder her hand is freezing; she’s wearing nothing but a flimsy, white nightgown and she was barefoot. I’m wearing three jackets and three layers of pants and I’m still freezing.

 

“Aren’t you cold?”

 

She blinks again. This girl has got to be the weirdest human being I have ever met. If she is human, that is. Maybe she’s one of those “ghosts” that Sooyoung keeps mentioning. I shake my head. That just sounds super stupid. The girl is still staring at me, and the atmosphere is getting colder and colder. “So, what’s your name?”

I try to make conversation with her. She blinks. “My name is Kwon Yuri.” I peel off my glove and stick out my now shaking hand.

 

She makes no move to shake it. I pull back. “Okaaaay…I guess you’re not much of a talker huh?” To be honest, I really am not expecting an answer from this girl.

 

“Can I please at least have the thing in your right hand back? It’s not mine; it’s my friend’s. She was nice enough to let me borrow it.” I held my hand out again so that she can place the iPod into my hands. She doesn’t move. Of course. I sigh and take her deathly cold hand and pry it open, taking out the iPod. “Thanks.” I give her a little wave and walk past her, continuing down the hallway.

 

“Wait…” Is that…is that her voice? She actually has a voice?

 

I turn around, surprised. “Me?”

 

She gives me a brief, two second nod. “What was your name again?”

 

Her voice is musical, each word that she speaks flows through my ears like a lovely melody. “K-Kwon. Yuri. Kwon Yuri.”

 

She finally smiles. Her smile is breathtakingly beautiful, but with a small hint of sadness behind it. “Nice to meet you, Kwon Yuri. My name is Jessica Jung.”

 

Jessica…her name is foreign, exotic. Definitely not Korean. Her name reminds me of Tiffany’s. Fany was from America, so her name is different from the rest of ours. “J-Je-sshi-ka?”

 

She giggles, her laugh sends shivers down my spine. It’s like listening to a music box, a soothing, gentle music box. “No. It’s Je-SSI-Ca.”

 

Curse me and my English. I take a deep breath. “Can’t I just call you Sica?”

 

“…Sica…I like it, Kwon Yuri!”

 

I grin sheepishly. “Just Yuri is fine. So, aren’t you cold?”

 

Not even waiting for her answer, I take off my top layer and drape it over her shoulders. Our faces are close together now, and she looks up at me, her eyes sparkling in the moonlight. Something within me stirs. What is this feeling? I realize that my arms are still around her, and I immediately blush and take them away. “Sorry.”

 

She gives me a little smile, one that could break a heart. She’s beautiful, like angelic beautiful. Everything about her is perfect, from her eyes to her little, crooked smile. She is truly an angel.

 

“*Khhhht* YAH! Kwon Yuri! You still alive? Over.” I jump about a mile in the air while Sica giggles at me. I reach around to my back pocket and pull out the walkie-talkie, glaring at it. “*Khhhht* Stupid Shikshin! Of course I’m alive! What? You don’t want me to be? Over.”

 

“*Khhhht* Just concerned. Didja find anything interesting? Over.”

 

I look over at Jessica, who has a worried expression on her face. I turn back to the walkie-talkie. “*Khhhht* Nah. Just a couple of dusty books and stuff. Over.”

 

“*Khhhht* Oh. That’s boring. Over.”

 

“*Khhhht* How much longer do I have? Over.”

 

“*Khhhht* Not telling. Over and out.” I can hear the shikshin’s shrieking, high-pitched laughter.

 

“*Khhhht* Shikshin? Yah. Sooyoung. YAH! CHOI SOOYOUNG!!!!” I practically throw the damn device across the room.

 

“Nice friends you have there.” I almost forgot about my angel. I smile at her. “Yeah, well, they did help me through a lot of tough times, so…”

 

“I see…well, do you want to see the rest of the house?” She moves her arm in a giant, circular motion.

 

I nod. “Yeah. Sure.”

 

For some weird and undefined reason, I decide not to ask her why she knew this house so well. I follow her into the darkness, with her lovely voice as my only guide.

 

Along the way, I’m bumping into everything; tables, dressers, heck, I even walked into a giant spiderweb. I’m covered with bruises and cuts, but I try not to make a sound, because I don’t want Sica to worry about me. Just as this thought leaves my mind, I walk into a table leg, its sharp corner cutting into my thigh. “MOTHER OF G-“ I clasp my hands over my mouth.

 

“Yuri? Are you ok?” I feel her cold hand touch mine, and my heart flutters. “F-Fine…” My teeth are gritted together from the piercing pain shooting through my leg. “Yuri…?” I closed my eyes in pain, as what felt like sharp needles started shooting up and down my right calf. I can’t hold it in any longer and let out a painful groan.

 

“Yuri! Yuri! Yu-“ Her angelic face and voice are the last things I see and hear before my world fades to black.

 

I wake up to see Sica’s beautiful face hovering over mine, with worry written all over her face. “Yuri? Yuri? Are you ok?”

 

I feel something move from underneath my head and I realize that Sica’s hand has been rubbing the back of my head the entire time. Oh, and I’m sleeping on her lap.

 

“Wh-What happened?”

 

“You hit your knee and out…Yuri, you should’ve told me that you were bumping into everything…Yuri, you’re hurt…”

 

I clench my teeth as I try getting up, but Sica places her hands on my shoulders and gently pushes me back down. “Don’t. You need your rest.”

 

“But-“

 

“No buts, Kwon Yuri. I’m going to get you some ice for your scratches and I’ll be right back. Don’t. Move.”

 

Her stare is icy, and I can feel the iciness snake down and wrap around my spine like a cobra. I salute her. “Yes, ma’am.”

 

She flashes her signature smile. “Choding.” She laughs her musical little laugh and walks away. I lay on what I assume is her bed and can’t help but smile whenever I think of her. My heart flutters at the very thought of her smile, her laugh...

 

Could this be…?

 

“Yuri!”

 

My heart starts pounding like crazy when I see her angelic face. “H-Hey…”

 

“Are you ok? You seem a little pale. Are you sick?” She reaches out to touch my forehead, but I grab her by the wrist, sending sparks flying from my fingertips to the palm of my hand. I immediately let go.

 

“I-I-I’m fine. Thanks.”

 

“O-Okay…” She takes the bags of ice that she had just gotten and begins to treat my wounds, icing them first, then wrapping them up in bandages. I swear I looked exactly like a mummy. If that stupid shikshin were here, she’d probably start laughing at me.

 

Wait…speaking of shikshin, I should probably…I take my walkie-talkie from out of my pocket and radio in. I notice that Sica is staring at me with a weird expression on her face.

 

“*Khhhht* Yo. Yo. YO! Anyone there? Over.”

 

Silence.

 

“*Khhhht* Idiot! It’s Yuri! Are you falling asleep while monitoring me on the bet that you gave me? Over.”

 

Silence.

 

I throw the walkie-talkie down on to the bed. Sica giggles. “Angry much?”

 

I give her a crooked smile. “My friends kinda piss me off sometimes-“

 

“*Khhhht* How the eff do you work this damn thing…? Yul? Over?” It was Taeng!

 

“*Khhhht* Yah! Taeng! Bud! Why didn’t you say anything when I radioed over like 5 seconds ago? Over.”

 

Sica pushes the walkie-talkie away from me. “Who’s Taeng?”

 

I smirk at her. “One of my besties. Why? You jealous?”

 

She immediately blushes a quite visible red color. She turns away. “N-N-No. Just curious is all.”

 

I shoot her another smirk and go back to the walkie-talkie. “*Khhhht* Taeng? Over.”

 

“*Khhhht* Sorry. Watching a scary movie with Fany. She’s like freaking out over everything…Over.”

 

“*Khhhht* Where’s the dumb shikshin? Over.”

 

“*Khhhht* YAH! YOU DARE CALL ME DUMB? YOU ROTTEN, DARK-SKINNED FREAK OF NATURE!!!! Over.”

 

I hold the walkie-talkie away from my ear and Sica starts laughing.

 

 “*Khhhht* YAH! KWON YURI!!!!! Are you laughing? Who’s laughing? Over.”

 

I immediately clap a hand over Sica’s mouth to suppress her laughter. “*Khhhht* Yeah. I was laughing at you, you fatty-face. Got a problem with that? Over.”

 

“*Khhhht* Psssshhhht. I can kick your tanned anyday! Over.”

 

I grin at Sica. “*Khhhht* How do you know that my is tanned? Over.”

 

“*Khhhht* Ugh. Yuri, you’re such a byun. Even more so than Taeyeon. Over.”

 

“*Khhhht* Hey Sunny! Do you mind telling me how much more time I have? Over.”

 

“*Khhhht* HAHAHAHAHAHAHA Why? You scared? Over.”

 

“*Khhhht* You IDIOT!!!! I was asking your girlfriend, not you! Over.”

 

I hear some mumbling in the background and some shuffling. Then, gone.

 

“Great…” I mumble. Sica touches my hand and I suddenly remember that she’s here with me.

 

…And that’s all that matters right now.

 

“Hey. You ok?”

 

I give her a little smile. “Never better. Weren’t you gonna show me the rest of your house?”

 

Her facial expression becomes contorted with concern, her luscious, brown locks tumble down her shoulders and onto her face. She makes no move to brush them away. “But you’re hurt…I don’t want to hurt you again…”

 

Seeing her this concerned about me makes me really happy…and sad at the same time.

 

I want to see her beautiful smile again. “Then, why don’t we stay here and just talk? Get to know each other some more!”

 

She smiles again, and my heart starts pounding really fast. “Ok! How about you start?”

 

I start to get a little suspicious of her. It seems as if she’s hiding something from me, as if her house holds some sort of large secret that I should never, ever find out about. I brush that though aside and begin my introduction. “My name is Kwon Yuri. I am 20 years old, and I study acting and dance at Dongguk University. I have four best friends: Taeyeon, Tiffany, Sunny, and that fatty-shikshin-buttface Sooyoung. My passions are dancing, singing, acting, and most of all, swimming. Actually, my friends and I all take the same classes. I just chose to major in both acting and dance. Um…I recently moved to this neighborhood by myself, because both my parents went overseas for military reasons. I am currently single-“ I stop myself and mentally whack myself in the head. What the ? What am I thinking, revealing my most painful secret to such a beautiful girl? Now, she must think that I’m the biggest loser in the entire freaking world…

 

“You don’t have a boyfriend?” Sica stares at me in curiosity.

 

“Sica…how do I put it…? ….I’m not…into…guys…” I blush furiously and refuse to make eye contact with her.

 

“………Me neither.”

 

Did I hear correctly, or are my ears losing their purpose? “Excuse me?”

 

“I’m not into guys either.” Sica smiles at me and she places her hand on top of mine again, but somehow, I feel like this time, her reason for putting her hand on mine is…different. She interlaces her fingers with mine.

 

My hand feels numb, but, a…good type of numb. My hand immediately reacts and it feels…

 

Right.

 

I’m too shy to look at her, even out of the corner of my eye. Sica gently turns my head towards her and we make eye contact. I look away, but her grip on my chin is really tight. “Yuri…”

 

Her eyes are glossy, beautiful, and hypnotizing. I can’t look away anymore; I’m lost in her eyes. I close my own eyes and I feel her breath on my face; she’s breathing faster, and so am I. Her grip on my hand tightens, I feel her moving closer, and closer, until…

 

“*Khhhht* KWOOOOOOON!!!! Over.”

 

. My. Life. “,” I swear under my breath and look up at Sica. “Sorry…”

 

“*Khhhht* What do you want, ? Over.”

 

“*Khhhht* Damn, girl! How’re you holdin’ up? Any ghosts or creepies up in there? Over.”

 

“*Khhhht* The scariest sound I’ve heard all night is your voice. Over.”

 

“*Khhhht* Ouch. Burn…Over.”

 

“*Khhhht* But seriously though, do you have something important to tell me? I’m kinda…busy…” I look over at Sica who gives me a small, but hypnotic smile. I’m melting again.

 

“*Khhhht* Yo! Busy? Busy doing what? Over.”

 

I snap out of it and go back to reality. “*Khhhht* Uh….busy…uh….finding a way to get back at you for making me suffer. Over.”  

 

“*Khhhht* You’re such an , Kwon. Over.”

 

Sica takes my hand, the one holding the walkie-talkie, and throws the device away. I watch silently, as it skids across the floor. Sica turns back to me and gives me a small smile. “Now, where were we?”

 

All I can do is stutter like a fool. We move closer, and closer; it feels somewhat like déjà vu. The moment, the very second before our lips touch, Sica pulls away. “I-I-I’m sorry, Yuri. We can’t do this.”

 

She gets up, but I pull her back down. “Why? Why can’t we do this? Are you seeing someone else?” Great. Now I sound like some desperate fool. But I really didn’t want to lose her, not when I’ve just found her.

 

“No. Yuri. You don’t understand. You need to let me you. You, me, us…this won’t work. I’m sorry. You belong with them. Not me.” She twists her hand away, but I tighten my grip. “Sica. What’s going on? I thought we had something. Sica. Sica, look at me, please. Why are you doing this?”

 

She refuses to look into my eyes. She knows that her eyes will give everything away. “I’m sorry. I’m sorry,” she says. That’s all she says. Her tears fall and she finally pulls away from my grasp and runs. I chase after her, but I lose her. I end up in a dark room, all alone. “…Sica? You there?”

 

Silence.

 

I look around the room.  Lined up on the desk are various small pictures, all of equally beautiful women. I stop at the last picture. The woman in the photo looks eerily like Sica. No, she looks exactly like Sica. I look at the caption underneath the photo.

 

Jung Sooyeon. “Jessica.” April 28, 1859. Our pride and joy. Happy 20^th Birthday, Jessica! Photo taken by Jung Yoo-Jang.

 

I rub my eyes. Once. Twice.

 

1859? What? “That’s not possible…”

 

“Yes, it is.” I turn around at the sound of her voice. “Sica…”

 

Her head is hung; she refuses to look at me, yet again. “…I didn’t know how to tell you, Yuri. I didn’t know how to tell you without breaking your heart.”

 

I walk over to her and take her petite and fragile body into my arms. “Sica…you hurt me more when you don’t tell me. “

 

I feel my shoulder dampening and I realize that she’s crying. “Sica, don’t cry!”

 

“Don’t you see, Yuri? We can never be! You and I…it will never happen!”

 

That’s when it really hits me, like a rock to the head. A dead, hard stone. Sica was… “So, are you…dead?”

 

She still refuses to look up at me, as if she finds the floor underneath us more interesting than me. “I was cursed. Cursed to wander this earth until I found true love.” She finally looks up at me, teary-eyed. She gives me a sad, heart-breaking little smile. “Until I found you. Yuri, you’re the one. You’re the reason as to why my spirit can finally rest in peace.” She brushes her tears away. “Yuri, thank you. I wish that we had more time, but…”

 

I feel my own tears starting to fall, and a lump forms in my throat, making it hard for me to talk. “…But what?” I finally manage to choke out.

 

“But, I have to go. My time has finally come.” Sica starts glowing, like an actual angel.

 

I shake my head and hold on to her. “No. Sica. Stay with me. Stay. You belong with me. We belong together. Like this, as one. You can’t leave me. Not now.” I’m full-on bawling right now, my tears are falling like waterfalls. “Sica, don’t. Don’t leave me, please.”

 

“I’m sorry, Yuri, but it’s not up to me. If I had a choice, of course I would stay with you. But, I don’t, Yuri, don’t you see? You’ve set me free; I’m no longer a tortured and confined spiri-“

 

I cut her words short by slamming my mouth onto hers when I still have the chance to. I feel her shudder, but she makes no move to pull away, Instead, her lips move in sync with mine. Her lips are soft, moist, but cold. I kiss her with hunger, with a burning passion for more. She kisses me back with equal intensity, with equal yearning.

 

“Yuri…” She starts pulling away from me, but I hold onto her, and our lips find each other again. “Yuri…stop…we can’t…I want to, but we can’t…”

 

I hold her by the waist and stare into her eyes; they’re filled with sadness, but she manages to smile up at me. She gently my face, her touch cold, but somehow, barely there. I grasp her hand, but her touch is almost…

 

“Sica…” I start my pathetic crying again. I look at her, her tears are streaming down readily, as she continues to my face. “Yuri…move on. I know that you’ll find someone better than me; someone who can give you more that I can give you. You’ll find her, Yuri. You’ll find the one in your heart-“

 

“You’re the one in my heart, Sica! Only you! You’re the only one for me! Sica-“

 

She gives me her sad, little smile again. “Yuri, how do I love thee? Let me count the ways. I love thee to the depth and breadth and height my soul can reach… thank you for giving me this hope; this opportunity to love again. Kwon Yuri, I love you. Always.”

 

Then, she’s gone. My muse, my poet…gone.

 

Forever.

 

“Sica? Sica? SICAAAAAAAAA!!!!! JUNG SOOYEON!!!!!!!!!!!!” I run around her house, bursting through every single room, as if expecting her to be hiding in one of them. I finally collapse back in her room, on her bed. Her scent still lingers, but it’s only a mere memory of the wonderful person she once was. “Sica…Sica…SICAAAA!!!!” I scream, and cry until all of my tears are gone. I pound my fists on her bed and I punch the wall, leaving trails of blood on the pale, yellow paint. “No…No…NO NO NO NO!!!!!” I continue pounding, ignoring my now bloodied knuckles, ignoring the pain. The pain growing in my heart is far worse than…anything. I look at my knuckles and realize that I may destroy her home if I continue staying here. I run back to the room with all of the pictures and take one of the photos with me.

 

Her photo. The one taken of her on her birthday. Her smile, her eyes, they’re all there. They’re not the same, but they’re there.

 

I take it and run. I run out of the house, down the hill, and burst through the doors of my home.

 

“Well, well, well…lookie here!” Sooyoung makes a big show of looking at her watch. “Kwon Yuri, you still have 45 minutes left ticking…YOU LOSE!!! HAHAHAHA!!!!”

 

Her words...before tonight, I may have just socked them back into . But tonight, I was too tired, too heart-broken to do anything except just pathetically stand there and listen to them drop from like flies.

 

“Soo…stop.” Taeyeon embraces me and I cry into her shoulder. “Yuri?” I feel her jump a little and she inspects me. “Yul…why the tears-OMO! Your hands…they’re-they’re bleeding!!!”

 

I shake my head. “It’s nothing. Good night, guys. I’m going to bed.” I silently slink upstairs, and I hear the four of them talking. I know that they must be talking about me. But I don’t care. I fall onto my bed, still fully dressed and I pull out the black and white photo of…

 

“Sica…”

 

I fall asleep dreaming of her, being with her…

 

Loving her.

 

“She’s perfect.”

 

“No.”

 

“Why? Look at her! She’s beautiful!”

 

“Well, if she’s so damn beautiful, then why don’t you date her, Soo?”

 

Sooyoung stutters and looks at Sunny, who throws her a death stare. “Heh heh…I could never. Not when I have my bunny next to me.” She pulls Sunny close to her and Sunny sticks out her tongue.

 

I roll my eyes and look at the picture in front of me. “Han Sunhwa…” She’s a girl from the other school, and my 15^th “date.” Because I lost the dare, Sooyoung, Sunny, Taeyeon, and Tiffany have been hopping around like bunnies, finding me dates here and there.

 

The girl, Sunhwa, is pretty, prettier than all of the other ones, I have to admit. She looks innocent, her skin a milky white, and her smile is pretty too. But she’s not…

 

“I’m sorry, Soo. I can’t.”

 

“We made a deal, Kwon! You can’t just back out like this! You already rejected the last 15 girls we’ve found you too!”

 

“I know we did, but I can’t…There’s only one girl in my heart and Sunhwa is not her.”

 

“How do you know if you haven’t even met the girl?!”

 

“I just-I just do, ok? I just know that Sunhwa is not who I am looking for.”

 

“Then what about Goo Hara? She was nice! Or Hyuna? She had an awesome body! Or, or-“

 

“No more, Soo. I know who I’m looking for, and none of the girls that you guys have found for me are her.”

 

“A dare is a dare, Yuri.” Taeng speaks up. I look at her; she’s gnawing on an ice-cream cone bought for her by hers truly. “I know, Taeng. But-“

 

“But what? What exactly happened in that house, Kwon Yuri? You went in there with no clue as to who you’re looking for, and now, you say that you have the one reserved in a special place in your heart? That’s BS, Yul. So, tell me-tell us what exactly happened in that house.”

 

What am I to tell them? That I fell in love with a ghost? That my heart yearns for a dead girl? They have a word for that: necrophilia. I don’t want to sound like some creepy, ghoul loving girl! But I kind of am…

 

“I can’t tell you.”

 

“Why?” Taeng stares at me.

 

“What happened in the house stays in the house.” I stare back. Her eyes are searching for the truth in mine. I wrench my hands underneath the table and wince. My knuckles are still raw; still not healed.

 

“Look, Yul. You came out of that house crying, not to mention, also bleeding. It’s been like a week already. You need to tell us what happened. We’re your besties. And besties don’t keep secrets from one another.”

 

I’m about to retort back with, “Well, besties don’t force each other onto the stupid- blind dates either,” when my words are cut short by someone who just walked into the bakery.

 

It’s….It’s…

 

“….Sica….”

 

“Hmmmm? Did you say something, Yuri?” I completely ignore Tiffany and as if in a trance, my eyes follow the girl.

 

She looks lost, like she’s looking for something, or someone. Her head turns from side to side, slowly, and her eyes are constantly searching.

 

She’s wearing this pale blue dress that stops just above her knees. She matches the dress with a pair of plain, white ballet flats. Her hair flows down like silk, past her shoulders. It looks soft…

 

She finally looks in my direction and we lock eyes. My breath hitches and my body tenses up. My heart beats like a hummingbird’s, my mouth immediately becomes dry, and my hands begin to get clammy. I feel like a lovesick puppy.

 

The rest of the world fades away, and all I see is her. She her head to the side, as if deep in thought. Then, she looks away and walks out the door.

 

My heart drops, plummets, down into the deepest trenches of my stomach. Was it really not her? Was it just my overly realistic imagination getting to me?

 

“Yuri? Earth to Yul…” Soo waves a hand in front of my face. I see her hand, but I don’t really see it. All I see is her, or what was her.

 

“Noona! Noona! A note for you!” A cute, little boy with a mushroom haircut comes over to me and waves what seems like a piece of paper in my face. I take it from him and give him a smile before reading the note.

 

Kwon Yuri,

How do I love thee? Let me count the ways; I love thee to the depth and breadth and height My soul can reach, when feeling out of sight For the ends of Being and ideal Grace. I love thee to the level of everyday’s Most quiet need, by sun and candle-light. I love thee freely, as men strove for Right; I love thee purely, as they turn from Praise. I love thee with the passion put to use In my old griefs,  and with my childhood’s faith. I love thee with a love I seemed to lose With my lost saints,--- I love with the breath, Smiles, tears, of all my life!---and, if God choose, I shall but love thee better after death.

-JSY

 

I stare at that note in awe. The love poem; our love poem. JSY. Jung SooYeon. My jaw drops. “Hey, kid, who gave you this note? Do you remember?”

 

He his chubby and sticky fingers and points out the door. “A noona wearing blue gave it to me. She left, though. She said something about having you find her…I don’t remembe-“

 

I run out the door before the kid can finish his sentence.

 

“Yuri! KWON YURI! WHERE ARE YOU GOING?!?!?!” I make no move to answer my friends. There’s only one thing, one person on my mind. I continue running, and I see her, her blue dress swaying in the wind as she walks. Although my legs are giving way and my lungs are about to burst, I’m not going to give up. “SICA!!!” I finally catch up to her and grab her by her petite wrist.

 

Warm.

 

The girl in front of me hesitates and doesn’t turn around. My heart thuds. What if it really isn’t her? What if that was just some cruel joke played on me by my own imagination? “…Sica...How do I love thee? Let me count the ways…I can’t do it, Sica. I need you to finish it for me.” My grip tightens.

 

Silence. The world fades away, and we’re left alone.

 

“I love thee to the depth and breadth and height my soul can reach.”

 

My breath, my soul, my life returns to me. I pull her in, hugging her back. “Sica…”

 

That’s all it takes. She turns around and buries her face into my shoulder. I nuzzle my face into her hair, her soft, soft hair. “Sica…Sica…Sica…Sica…” My tears begin to fall.

 

“Yuri…Yuri…Yuri…Yuri….”

 

Time stops for the both of us. I never want to let her go. I kiss her, her ever-so-familiar lips. Her taste is…intoxicating. I want her. I want more.

 

“Yuri…” She’s breathless, and she stares into my eyes. Her eyes are so familiar. I hold her hands and intertwine our fingers. “Sica…”

 

“Yuri, you’re hurt…because of me again…” She my knuckles softly and places tender, loving kisses on them. I hold her hands again. “…Sica…”

 

“Yuri…”

 

“Sica…”

 

“Yuri…”

 

“But how…?”

 

“It’s because of you. Because of your undying love for me. Because of your trust in love…in our love. Our connection, our bond is too strong to break. Yuri…I’m here now. I’ll be by your side. Always.”

 

I hold her in my arms again and say the things I’ve never said before. “…I love you. I love you, Jung SooYeon. I love you. I love you.”

 

“I love you too, Kwon Yuri. I-“

 

“YURI-AH! SUNHWA IS HE-Holy-who is that?” My friends are standing there, with shocked expressions on their faces. “…Yuri…? Care to explain a little?” Taeyeon steps out.

 

I wrap an arm around Sica’s shoulders. “Guys. This is her. The girl who has stolen my heart and everything that goes along with that. This is my special someone; this is Jessica Jung.”

 

Sica curtsies a little. “Nice to meet you all.”

 

The four of them stand there with their jaws dropped. Taeyeon, as usual, is the first to recover from the shock. “Since when did you-wha-how-EXPLAIN!!!”

 

Sica and I look at each other with sheepish smiles on our faces.

 

“…This…could take…a while…” I choke out. Sica squeezes my hand and gives me a reassuring smile. I turn back to the my friends.“…Well, it all started in the house on the hill…”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

.

 

 

Gaaaahhhhhh!~ Long time no update...I was in China and had no internet for like 80000000000 years... :(

But this one-shot was 22 pgs in Word...and it still needs work....bleh...

Anyhoo, please Comment and Subscribe!

Saranghae~~~!!!