The minute Jimin had made out the words from that chorus of sound, he became frozen as he immediately thought of Seulgi and how scared she must’ve been. When the souls had moved in one direction, he didn’t stop to think and darted off to follow them, keeping his eyes on the translucent forms as he evaded passing vehicles and people. Anger rising up in him as his mind conjured up images of Seulgi crying out for help as she was held hostage by some spiteful ghost.

But then he realized, that would be a good thing. If Seulgi panicked, her soul would possess him. Why is it taking so long? Isn’t she scared yet? Maybe it was the distance. Chaeyoung did say Seulgi couldn’t possess him if she would be too far away to do so.

Is she that far then?

Only when he caught sight of a sign on an intersection did he finally understand where the dead souls had taken Seulgi and regretted taking her there with him. He should’ve told her he would like to go there alone. But of course he had been selfish earlier because the truth of the matter is, he doesn’t want to be alone. For once he wanted to have someone with him.

But now he just put Seulgi in danger.

There are a lot of dead souls in the Columbarium. Souls who had watched Seulgi, another soul, stand next to him and wonder why she can. Souls who had watched him come and go here and would take what opportunity they can find to take control of his body.

And Seulgi is that opportunity.

He looked directly at the empty black eyes of that once amicable face of the woman’s soul he had tried to help years ago. All those evil yearnings turned her rotten and ghastly. She is that one soul who would do anything to feel that temporary high of being human again. That one soul who couldn’t let go of life. And she thought she found the way to him.

 But there is one thing she didn’t know.

And he just needed Seulgi to panic to get her out of there.

Unfortunately, he forgot that Seulgi is a spoiled snotty princess who couldn’t be intimidated and watching her talking back to the ghost as if her life is not on the line reminds him that Seulgi is not your average damsel in distress. Especially now that she had her memories.  And the fact that she had already dealt with nightmares of her own in the form of her Uncle would probably take more than a dead soul to scare her.

But she’s not taking her situation seriously. The dead soul would never let her go. The Grip Of The Dead is what Nam Miso called it. They were spiteful, remorseless entities who would cling onto the light of a living soul until they can no longer go back to their bodies… until their light fades away. He studied it and had the misfortune to witness it. 

“You’re going to regret it if he listened to you, lost soul,” he heard the ghost told her in growl.

But what can he do so Seulgi would panic? Or go into shock? Clearly, talking to a vengeful ghost is not working.

“I will drag you to a place that the light doesn’t touch.”

Should he tell her he was in league with his Uncle? I was the one who tried to kill you? I know where your body is? Your Im Jaebum is inlove with you? His mind whirred fast.

“My uncle already did,” Seulgi had said. “And I’ve seen worse evil than you.”

“Seulgi,” Jimin called out to her, his eyes fixed on her face. Yes, the latter would probably make her ecstatic. Seulgi met her eyes and silence had enveloped between them. That would probably be the best idea. But what if she already knew that? What if Im Jaebum told her that while she was alive? That would lose the shock factor. I know where your body is? That is the best option. But what if she already found out the location of her body during the few hours she was spying on his Uncle?

He opened his mouth when he finally come up with the best resolution he could find.

“I love you.”

I love you.

The words reverberated around her that she felt her heart stopped and started beating again. Warmth spread through her form as she stared open mouthed at Jimin’s serious face.

I love you.

 It was no unexpected that she can only gasp when she was suddenly pitched forward, like somebody had pulled her, her wrist slipping through the grip of the dead soul. She stumbled backward, her eyes spinning and she had to hold her head for her equilibrium to return. When she looked up, she was looking at the surprised face of the dead woman who had held her hostage. Or what surprise she could detect on that ghastly face.

Wait. She looked down at herself and saw the ripped jeans and the white shirt. She scoffed incredulously when she realized she had been fooled. “Wow. Wow! Park Jimin, you little….” She gritted her teeth as she imagined what she had probably looked like when Jimin suddenly declared that out of the blue. She should’ve known he only needed her emotions to spike to get her out of the dead woman’s captivity. It doesn’t matter if he did that to save her. “Wow. I really hate you right now, Park Jimin.” She shook her head ranting to herself. “You can’t think of anything else? You think you can get away with that because I have a crush on you?! This’ll be the last time it’s ever going to happen. You dare to make a fool of me? Aish!” She bared her teeth in complete annoyance

“How can you do that, lost soul?”

Seulgi turned her glaring eyes at the dead soul from where she had held her earlier.

“How can you bypass that protection? What power do you have?” The dead soul conitnued sounding mystified.

Seulgi stared the soul down, her brows furrowing at this stupid soul who tried to kidnap her. Then she mad a soft gasp when she felt it. She lifted the bracelet Jimin was wearing and stared at it. She could feel it pulsing around her wrist. Or Jimin’s wrist. Like, pulsing and sending little electric currents or something. Is this what Jimin is feeling everytime souls are around him? Is this some kind of a signal the charm bracelet is giving? Because she doesn’t recall feeling it during the times she had possessed him. Or maybe because it had been too subtle then that she didn’t notice since she doesn’t think she had encountered that many ghosts when she was in Jimin’s body before. And it’s pulsing now because there are a lot of them. Woah. The supernatural is really unbelievable.

“Answer me, lost soul!” The dead soul demanded.

Seulgi lifted an eyebrow at the dead woman really wanting to kick her into oblivion before an idea popped into her head. She composed her face into a deadpan expression. “You want me to answer you, dead soul?” Her soul was low and grave, imitating the cold tone of Wednesday Addams, the character that she had loved since she was a teenager. “I am the highest power who studied witchcraft and wizardry. Park Jimin is now draped with a blood covenant tying his life to mine where he is cursed to forever belong to me and me alone as my soul leave my body.” She lifted both her hands like she was casting a spell. Wednesday-Addams-tone is not really as menacing as she thought it was so she turned her Maleficent one. “Listen well, all of you. You would have the freedom to roam the earth as you most well pleased for the rest of your miserable… death. But if anyone dared to touch this mortal, you will fall to the depths of hell where death and suffering will be your sole existence. An existence which you will never escape!” She looked around her and felt satisfied when the souls seems to be backing away from her. I’m such a great actress. Her eyes turned to the woman who took her hostage and unblinkingly let out the next line in a rising tone. “This curse will last till the end of time! No power on Earth can change it!” She lifted her arms up and craned her neck imagining green smoke emanating out of her hands when in reality, she probably looked completely mental reciting a bad impression of a movie with improvised lines.

But who cares? They would see Park Jimin, not her. That little jerk.

Seulgi gave it enough time for suspense to sink in before dropping her hands to the side and smirked at the dead soul.

“What did you do?” she practically growled.

“I cursed you all, duh.” She put a hand on her waist. “My family is a coven of poweful witches. Why do you think I can get inside Jimin without difficulty? It’s not because I’m alive and you’re dead. It’s power.  Power, dead soul. That’s the difference between you and me.”

She flipped her hair before she realized that Jimin doesn’t have long hair.  Okay, fine. She just pivoted and walked out of the columbarium with her head held high trying not to snicker.

Glaring at a hole in Jimin’s wall inside his apartment, Seulgi sat with her arms crossed over her chest with her legs crossed as she sat on his couch waiting for him to kick her out of his body. She had been seething in annoyance as she rode the way to Jimin’s apartment at the way she had fell for that… that. It was too obvious that he only said that to save her, to be honest, and why she didn’t see that is a big mystery to her. She wasn’t gullible at the least. In fact, she borders on cynicism. So why, why, why?! She wanted to kick herself just imagining the look on her face when Jimin said that.

Did he believe that she believed that? What expression does she have when he said that? And he knew she was rattled which is why she had possesed him so did he knew saying that would rattle her? Make her flustered?

Ugh! I’m really gonna kill you, Park Jimin! She squinched her eyes shut as she blew out a breath over her exasperation. Okay, she needs to be calm. Calm enough for Park Jimin to kick her out.  There’s no use ranting if the supposed receiving end isn’t going to hear about it. She opened her eyes to glare at the peeling paint of the wall again.

And remembered that solemn look on Jimin’s face when he said that.

I love you.

“Oh my god, Kang Seulgi! Stop stop stop!” She plopped down on the couch with both her hands on her head. Why did you had to have a crush on Park Jimin? Why?! You don’t know anything about him. Aside from the fact that can see ghosts. And he’s totally wrong for you! Jaebum is the only guy for you. You had drawn hearts all over your name back in high school remember? And when he started dating that who’s-that-face, you cried all night! Seulgi sat up with a resolved expression. This is just temporary. Of course! Jimin has been the only per