In which Eunbi is a ghost that meets Yerin and ends up following her around until an unexplainable phenomenon takes place

“Yerin! Look out!” Sojung screeched as the basketball flew straight towards Yerin’s face. The latter, who was obviously stunned and didn’t have the fastest reflexes, stood there in shock. But before her hands were in front of her face, the orange projectile seemed to stop right before her hands and the next thing she knew, the ball was already bouncing away from her.

“Are you alright? I’m so sorry, I didn’t know you weren’t looking till I threw it.” Sojung said as she sped walked towards Yerin. She grabbed Yerin’s face and held it between her hands, turning it side to side to make sure there wasn’t any bruise.

“I’m fine, mom.” Yerin rolled her eyes and pulled Sojung’s hand down. She was still in mild shock from what just happened but she could’ve sworn it was like an invisible shield was blocking the ball from hitting her. She definitely didn’t deflect it herself and the ball definitely didn’t touch her either. Sojung seemed completely oblivious as to what had just happened. Could Yerin have been hallucinating?

“Let’s take a break. We’ve been at it for almost an hour. You’re probably dehydrated.” Sojung said as she pulled Yerin along to the bleachers where they left their stuff. They sat down and took a drink from their bottles. Yerin couldn’t help but think back to the mysterious force that just saved her from a broken nose.

You’re probably just imagining things, she chided herself in her head and brushed it off. They packed their stuff and headed to the showers to freshen up.

Yerin was at home today since she decided to skip her lectures. Nothing important was going to be covered anyway so she figured she might as well use the time to do some revision instead. More like slack off and play video games the entire day. Who was she kidding?

She spun around in her swivel chair as she used her phone. She was feeling too lazy to do any work just yet and she didn’t feel like sleeping either. What should she do?

Yerin looked at the time on the status bar of her phone and hummed to herself. It was almost lunch. Maybe she should prepare something to eat. With that, she got up and walked to the kitchen. Opening the cabinets, she pulled out the ingredients to prepare some kimchi fried rice.

As she was slicking the pieces of kimchi into smaller bits, she almost sliced her finger that was holding the kimchi down. Almost. The edge of the knife was already touching her finger and she could feel the cool blade against her index finger. The only thing that was stopping her from pushing the knife down wasn’t her own reflexes but instead, a firm grip on her right forearm. Normally she would have been thankful but in this case, she dropped the knife and jumped away from the cutting board.

“Holy!” Yerin yelped as her eyes darted around the spot that she was once standing at. That was definitely a human hand’s grasp on her forearm but there was no one there. She was also the only one that was home so how could that be possible?

“Yo, I swear to god if that was some sorta prank.” She chuckled nervously in an attempt to laugh it off. “Is there anyone there?”

Silence.

“What was I expecting to get from that anyway? Someone to respond?” Yerin laughed dryly at her own stupidity as she walked back to the board.

“Hi.”

Yerin instantly screamed and dropped the knife, squeezing her eyes shut. Unbeknownst to her, the knife would have impaled her foot if it wasn’t for the same mysterious force that stopped her from cutting herself.

“Hey man, what the heck? Calm down!” Sojung yelled as she walked into the kitchen.

“O-oh. It’s just you.” Yerin exhaled, relief evident in her voice.

“Who did you think I was?”

“I don’t know… Okay, this is about to sound really weird but like… I think there’s a ghost in our dorm.” Yerin said, looking straight into her friend’s eyes. Sojung paused for a second before the corner of her lip tugged upwards. Then the other. And soon she burst into laughter.

“A what now?” the taller girl asked as she tried to catch her breath from laughing so hard. “Yerin, don’t be ridiculous. Why would there be a ghost in here?”

“I told you it was gonna sound ridiculous! I was slicing these earlier and I almost sliced my own finger if it wasn’t for this grip on my arm that completely stopped my arm from moving!” Yerin protested, stomping her foot in annoyance at how her friend didn’t believe her.

“Alright, alright, I believe you. Here, I’ll wash this for you and we can cook some kimchi fried rice together after I put my stuff down. Okay?” Sojung said as she picked the knife up from the floor and placed it in the sink before heading to her room.

“Okay…” Yerin sighed in defeat knowing that Sojung was only humouring her. “I felt that okay? If that was also you that blocked the basketball yesterday, I’m really thankful but just try not to scare the daylights out of me the next time.” She whispered under her breath then paused. Was she really talking as if there was actually a ghost around?

“Holy , I’m losing my mind.” Yerin exhaled and smacked her forehead. Was she really this sleep deprived?

The following days only got stranger. Whenever Yerin was about to accidentally drop something, she would find that the object would mysteriously be levitated just before it hits the ground. Her phone was the most frequent object that would end up floating back up into her hands.

At first, Yerin was a little spooked. An invisible force following her around making sure she doesn’t drop important things or get hurt definitely isn’t something you’d see every day. It took her a while to get used to the fact that there was now an extra presence with her in her daily life. It also took her one specific incident for her to realize that it was, in fact, a ghost of some sort following her around and not that she had telekinesis of some sort.

Yerin was laying down comfortably on the couch one day when she realized that she left her phone on the kitchen counter. Since she was so used to things floating around, she naturally extended a hand towards her phone. What she wasn’t used to was her phone hitting her in the head.

“OW! JESUS!” she yelped and rubbed the side of her head. “Is that you?” she asked and the light flickered once.

“What was that for geez…” She muttered and the lights went out. “What? Is there really a ghost in here?” she asked and the lights flickered.

“Is that a yes?” she asked carefully and the lights flickered again. Needless to say, she remained on her toes till Sojung came home. The ghost, however, found a better way to communicate rather than flicking the light switches all the time. It left Yerin a post-it note. The girl had initially thought it was Sojung that left it but after the older girl said that she had spent the night at her girlfriend’s house, Yerin soon realized it was the ghost, or Eunbi as stated on one of the notes. As the weeks turned into months, Yerin realized that there was a bond of some sort that formed between them. Eunbi didn’t have to say a word but Yerin could feel what the spirit was feeling and probably doing, almost like a sixth sense.

Eventually, Sojung did find out about Eunbi’s presence around the house. She had walked into the living room one day to see Yerin laughing alone and a pillow being flung at her. Needless to say, Yerin had some explaining to do but all was well considering the older girl didn’t have a violent objection to a spirit cohabiting with them. Sojung’s only condition for Eunbi was that she had to sound out where she was to prevent Sojung from getting a heart attack.

Back to present day, Yerin was lounging on the couch having a Harry Potter marathon – courtesy of Eunbi. Sojung was out dating as usual but Yerin didn’t mind, she could have the whole dorm to herself. Harry Potter wasn’t really Yerin’s thing though. It was a genuinely good series but sometimes, just sometimes, she would get a little bored.

“Can we watch something else?” Yerin asked as she tossed a popcorn into the air and caught it in . She felt a smack on her leg and pouted. “But we’ve been at this for houuursss…” she whined. Eunbi must have given in because the screen went black and flickered back to the home page. Yerin stretched her legs and sighed. She could feel Eunbi look at her in question.

“Will I ever get to see you? Like, as an apparition of some sort maybe?” Yerin asked. There was a pause before the word ‘no’ appeared on the search bar on the TV screen.

“Why not? I mean… okay, it sounds stranger out loud but we’ve been really good friends no? You’re always here making sure I don’t get in trouble and all and listening to all my rants without saying a word… well not like you could physically say anything anyway.” Yerin scratched her chin in afterthought and felt another smack on her knee. “I just want to see you. I mean… You’ve been a true friend to me and I don’t have many close friends… Maybe I just want to see that you’re not a figment of my imagination and that I’m not just starting to create imaginary friends because I’m that lonely.”

There was silence after Yerin finished her rant and Eunbi didn’t type anything more. They stayed like this for a while before the girl got up from the couch.

“Just forget it, I’m probably asking too much from you considering all you’ve done for me.” She said as she switched the TV off and got up to wash the empty bowl. She could feel Eunbi watching her with what seemed to be guilt but she pushed the feeling aside and rinsed the bowl, placing it on the drying rack before leaving the kitchen.

“Good night Eunbi,” Yerin said before she closed her room door.

Yerin woke the next morning feeling more drained than usual which was strange since she had an early night. She stifled a yawn and rubbed the sleep out of her eyes as she crawled out of bed to freshen up.

“Morning, are you alright?” Sojung asked when Yerin emerged from her room.

“Yeah, just feeling really tired,” Yerin replied as she walked into the bathroom.

“Had a late night?” the older girl asked when Yerin reappeared.

“Quite the opposite really.” She replied flatly as she plopped down on the couch beside Sojung.

“Did you have a fight with your girlfriend?”

“What girlfriend? You know I don’t have any. Unlike you guys who are blissfully dating every day, I have no one.” Yerin said, wincing slightly at how she sounded more bitter than in her head.

“Woah there, I was just being concerned.” Sojung raised her hands to show that she didn’t have any ill intentions.

“I know… I’m sorry…” Yerin sighed and rubbed her face. There was something bothering her but she just couldn’t pinpoint what. “Maybe I should go take a walk around campus, get some fresh air.”

“Want me to go with you?”

“It’s alright, I just need some time alone I guess. I’ll be back,” Yerin gave her friend a small smile before going to get changed.

It was a Sunday and so the campus was pretty much void of its usual crowd. Yerin stuffed her hands in her coat pocket as she shuffled along. The silence allowed her to listen to the gravel and dried leaves crunch beneath her shoes as walked along and for a moment there, allowed her to be at peace. She arrived at a bench and sat down. This was one of her favourite spots around the school because it overlooked the courtyard and the big pond.

She exhaled and watched the vapour cloud drift and fade away. Looking around, she saw that she was alone. Then the realization hit her almost instantly; she was alone. Yerin was never alone after meeting Eunbi. She would always be able to feel Eunbi’s presence even if she was in an empty room. Eunbi’s presence was warm and comforting but Yerin couldn’t feel anything.

“B?” Yerin said aloud and looked around. “Eunbi?” she called out again as panic started to build within her. It had only been a couple of months but Yerin had grown attached to Eunbi, maybe a little too attached that she felt as if she couldn’t function without the latter.

“B, it’s not funny anymore. Where are you?” Yerin said and stood up. “For real, where are you?”

Silence. Cold. Empty.

That was all Yerin could hear and feel. She hurriedly pulled her phone out of her pocket and held it by the edge.

“I’m going to drop this.” She said aloud as her eyes darted around, looking for any sign of movement. She released the phone from her grasp and watched it fall lifelessly to the ground. Yerin stared at the phone for a moment and clenched her jaw. She snatched it up and turned back towards the dorms, breaking into a run. The cold air whipped against her face as she ran but she didn’t care. She could feel her nose begin to run and tears pricked her eyes. was closing in and it made breathing hard.

She slammed the door open and the sudden bang made Sojung jerk in her seat as she stared at Yerin who was standing by the doorway.

“What the hell happened to you?” Sojung asked, staring at Yerin. The girl’s eyes were red-rimmed and her hair was a mess from the wind. Her cheeks were flushed as she tried to regulate her breathing and her clothes were dishevelled. “My god you…” she said as she got up from the couch and walked over to Yerin, pulling the girl into her arms and wrapping her in a tight hug.

As soon as Yerin’s head touched Sojung’s shoulders, she began to sob. She fisted Sojung’s shirt in her hands as she bawled her eyes out. Her knees buckled and Sojung held on to her as they sunk fo the floor.

“It’s okay… it’s okay…” Sojung whispered as she combed through Yerin’s hair. She had no idea what got the girl so distressed. She just presumed something happened during her walk and that was all she needed to know for now. Questions can come later.

It took a while for Yerin to calm down. Her breath still hitched as she sniffled but she eventually stopped crying. Pulling away, she wiped her eyes with the sleeve of her coat as Sojung her head.

“Sorry,” Yerin said and pointed at the girl’s sleeve that had a patch of tears.

“It’s alright, as long as you feel better. Here, I’ll take this and you go sit over there, I’ll be right back. Mm?” Sojung said softly as she pulled Yerin’s coat off and helped the girl up onto her feet. She watched as Yerin dragged herself to the couch and sat down. Sojung quickly returned with a warm cup of tea and set it down on the coffee table.

Yerin twiddled with her thumbs knowing that Sojung was probably waiting for her to explain why she had a meltdown when all she did was go out for a walk.

“You’re going to think I’m crazy but the ghost is gone,” Yerin said and Sojung pursed her lips.

“For good?” Sojung asked without a hint of relief in her voice. Instead, she sounded curious and disappointed.

“I don’t know. She was here last night. We watched a movie and I told her how I felt. How she was always such a good friend even though she can’t talk to me directly and how she was always here. I asked if I could ever see her because I was lonely and I only have a small circle of friends I could truly trust and I just wanted some assurance she wasn’t some imaginary friend I created in my head but I think… I think that was too much to ask and I was sensitive so I went to bed early and probably closed the door on her.” Yerin looked up at Sojung with teary eyes and the latter felt her heart wrench at the sight of how upset her friend was. “She was guilty for not being able to show herself to me Sojung. I could feel it. She shouldn’t have to feel guilty after all she did for me. I was wrong but it’s too late… She’s gone.”

“Maybe… She needed a break? Like how you always distance yourself whenever you’re going through a hard time. Maybe both of you just need some time to cool off.” Sojung said trying to pacify her friend but it didn’t seem to have much effect on Yerin who just sighed.

“I became overly attached again…” Yerin whispered under her breath and Sojung rubbed the former’s shoulder.

“She’ll be back. Just give it some time.” She said and Yerin nodded.

But Eunbi never did.

It’s been almost 3 months and Eunbi seemed to have vanished off the face of the earth. Yerin never did feel her presence anywhere she went and although her friends were always around, it always felt like something was missing.

The sky was overcast and it looked ready to rain any second. Yerin’s classes had ended later than usual. Shouldering her bag, she began walking back to the dorms. Just as she stepped out into the open, it began to drizzle. Yerin increased her pace but alas, the clouds caught up and turned the drizzle into a shower. Yerin had no choice but to take cover in a building just a few meters away from the dorm. So close yet so far, she thought as she looked towards the dorm. She thought of calling Sojung down to get her with an umbrella but she didn’t want to trouble her friend and get her drenched so she decided to sit in the lobby and wait.

Yerin watched as the raindrops splattered on the ground and pooled into a little puddle by the side of the kerb at the pickup point. Just then, she sensed someone approaching her. Whoever it was probably wasn’t expecting Yerin to turn around and look considering the rain was too loud for any footsteps to be heard.

“Sorry, I didn’t mean to startle you or anything. Just wanted to sit here while waiting for the rain to lighten. Do you mind?” the girl asked and Yerin shook her head. The latter watched as the girl made herself comfortable on the other end of the bench. There was something about the girl that Yerin couldn’t place her finger on. Did she see her somewhere before? Yerin has seen a lot of pretty girls around but this one seemed a little… Different.

“Do you go here?” Yerin asked, trying to make some small talk. Might as well make an acquaintance since the rain didn’t seem like it would stop anytime soon and sitting on the same bench in silence seemed a little too unfriendly.

“Ah not really.”

“Just visiting someone?” Yerin tilted her head.

“You could say that.”

“What’s your name?”

“You’re really asking me that?” The girl asked with a smirk. Huh?

“Do I know you?” Yerin narrowed her eyes, looking at the girl’s features.

“I’m hurt Jung Yerin.” The girl said with a teasing disappointed look.

“Okay, who exactly are you because I’m pretty sure I’ve never seen you around before,” Yerin said and frowned.

“You haven’t seen me but you have talked to me.” She said and Yerin froze. “You wanted to see me once but at that point it was… impossible for certain reasons.”

“No.” Yerin gasped.

“I’m really sorry but I’m here now. I’m here to stay and I’ll never leave again.” She said and reached out for Yerin. Her slender fingers wrapped around Yerin’s wrist and the latter could recognize that touch anywhere.

In an instant, Yerin flung the girl’s hand off and stood up angrily. Tears began to well up in her eyes as she stared at the girl.

“ you Eunbi. You left me.” She seethed through her teeth and balled her fists.

“I know, I’m really sorry. I didn’t mean to hurt you…” Eunbi said softly and tried to reach out for Yerin but the girl took a step back.

“Do you know how alone I felt when you just left like that? I don’t know what you thought leaving would do to help me but it didn’t help anything! It just made me feel like I really did imagine you were real. It drove me crazy Eunbi. You drove me crazy.” Yerin said as her fists began to tremble. “So how do I know you’re not just some apparition now. You could just be something that I’m hallucinating again.”

“I… Don’t really know how to prove that I’m not a ghost anymore. I know it seems ridiculous for a ghost to suddenly turn into a human but it’s… let’s just say, the world is a strange place and sometimes there’s no explanation for things that happen.” Eunbi tried to reason and stood up to walk closer to Yerin who thankfully remained in her spot. “I know you have trust issues with me now but hey, if you can see me and talk to me and touch me now, don’t you think I’m real? If you’re still sceptical, we can go back and ask Sojung what she thinks.” She said and slipped her hand into Yerin’s, interlocking their fingers.

“I hate you.”

“I know you do.” Eunbi chuckled. “Are you still mad?”

“Always.”

The girl simply giggled and took off her jacket. Yerin couldn’t help but stare at Eunbi who somehow managed to look stunning in just a white shirt and black ripped jeans.

“Come here,” Eunbi said and Yerin realized that the girl was already carrying her bag and holding her jacket over her head. “We’ll make a run for it.”

Yerin looked at Eunbi for a second and a grin spread across her lips. She walked up to Eunbi who shifted the jacket to cover both their heads. With a hand around Eunbi’s waist, they made a run for the dorms. They managed to get inside without getting drenched and Eunbi shook the water off her jacket before entering the lift with Yerin.

“Oh, you’re back. I was considering going to fetch you since you didn’t bring your umbrella but it seems you had someone to save you.” Sojung smiled as the pair entered the dorm.

“Well yeah. So you can see her?” Yerin asked and Sojung raised an eyebrow.

“Am I not supposed to see her?”

“No, no. You are.” Yerin exhaled as she nodded her head. She turned to look at Eunbi who had an I-told-you-so look on her face. She cupped Eunbi’s face and pinched her cheeks, making the latter squirm.

“Is that your new girlfriend?” Sojung asked and Eunbi scoffed.

“Fortunately or unfortunately not,” Eunbi said. “It’s good to see you again Sojung.”

“Excuse me?” Sojung blinked.

“It’s Eunbi, Sojung-ah. I know it’s crazy and I don’t know what happened but hey, she’s really here and that’s all I need to know.” Yerin smiled.

“Well, run along then. Spare me your sappy talk. Go on your date, I don’t know.” Sojung laughed and waved them away.

“I should say that to you instead. We’re not dating.” Yerin huffed.

“Yet,” Eunbi said and laughed when Yerin looked at her incredulously. “Jokes. Come on, I think we have a lot of catching up to do.” She said and dragged Yerin to her room.

“Use protection!” Sojung yelled and Eunbi raised her fist with barred teeth before shutting the door.

[A/N] Honestly this one-shot has strayed a lot from the original prompt I was writing with and I ended up going by feel, haha but hopefully you'll like it regardless :P