"Kids,- ops!" Grandma appeared in front of them. Her steps stopped at the sight of the two. "Looks like I disturb you at a wrong time. Sorry"

Jihoon quickly pulled his hand. "Sorry" he whispered and scratched the back of his neck. "I'm going inside" he gave a small smile to Grandma and headed inside.

"I'm sorry for disturbing you two" Grandma turned to Yubin. "I'm such a spoiler"

"No, Grandma. We just… nothing" Yubin voiced. "We cleaned the stable" she changed the subject. 

"Thank you. You know, this old fellow can't clean this place anymore. I just can do a bit" "Don’t worry, Grandma. Jihoon and me can take care of this place while we're here. I'll help take care of Zeus and Lyra" "You shouldn't do so much work, Yubin. I don't want you to fall sick anymore" "I didn’t get sick anymore, Grandma. Well, sometimes I did" "If you need anything, just ask Jihoon some help" "Okay"

 

 

Jihoon closed the door behind him.

*What did I just do?!* the image of him and Yubin locking eyes for a few moments came into his mind. *Jihoon! You're weird!* he took his towel and took a shower.

Yubin entered the room to find Jihoon was standing in front of the mirror with his hand about to wear his cap.

"Hi" she greeted. Jihoon nodded in acknowledgement and wore his cap with the brim on the back. "I'll be downstairs if you want anything" Jihoon tried to get out from the awkward situation. The visual of them being so close just now appeared in his mind again.

"Sure" she answered but did not make any eye contact with him. He headed downstairs.

*Where's Grandma?* he entered the kitchen but there was no sight of Grandma. Jihoon entered the living room. *Not here too?* He walked out of the house.

"Jihoon" Grandma called from a wooden swing at the house veranda. He turned to her in surprise. "There you are, Grandma. I searched for you in the house" he approached her. "Sitting in the house all the time makes me sick" she put her cross stitch kit aside. "May I have a word with you?" she patted the empty seat on the swing beside her.

"What is it, Grandma? Did I do something wrong?" he asked as he sat beside her. "Nothing wrong. I want talk about you and Yubin. You two aren't really close right?" Jihoon was silent and Grandma continued. "I guess I'm right. I think you're trying to decrease the gap between you two. But Yubin keep on running away. I didn’t saw the look of couple love in Yubin’s eyes when she looks at you"

"Well, you're right. Actually, I don’t know what's with me" "Tell me, dear. Do you really agree with this arranged marriage?" Jihoon heaved a sigh.

"I'm trying to accept it. It's for my parents’ happiness. I don’t want to hurt them" "So you just agree with this marriage?" "Yes. Besides…” "Besides?” “I have a crush on Yubin since we were little” “Omo! Really?!” Grandma was excited. “I don’t really see the problem in your future marriage”

“Well not quite” “Is it Yubin?” “Yes” “I don’t think she’ll ever love me. I'm afraid she would never accept me. What am I going to do?" "Yubin wouldn’t accept you? She didn’t hate you, right? Why would she never accept you?" "Well, as you guess, we aren’t really close. I always prank her since we're in kindergarten. I think she grew annoy with me" "Annoyed? That's great!" At her words, Jihoon looked at Grandma with furrowed eyebrows.

"What do you mean ‘great’?" "Ever hear a saying that if you hate a person, you'll end up love that person. So I thought Yubin will love you although it will take a long time to happen. Just be patient, Jihoon" "I will. Thank you, Grandma"

"Jihoon, since you mention about prank. Do you mind telling me how those happen? I'm interested to know about it because it sounds fun" Grandma chuckled. "I suddenly remembered my youth. Yubin's late grandfather always put a prank on me. Even to this very day"

"Grandma, that sounds scary" "Hahahaha don't worry. Her late grandfather comes here often just to visit me. I feel less alone thanks to him. Although he's isn't here with me, but I can still feel his love here" the old lady hand was on her chest with her eyes to the wide field before them. A smile formed on Grandma's lips. The moment passed like that for a while as Grandma recalled her memories with her late husband before turned to Jihoon.

"So what's your story?" she asked. "Oh about that. I used to prank and disturb Yubin since we're in kindergarten" "What type of prank did you put?" "Many types but I always put some insects toy in her locker and bags" "Really? You should have put the real cockroach. Yubin is really afraid of that insect. Last time, she even cried a lot when the cockroach ran to her. I laughed a lot at that time" Grandma told between her laughter. At the word 'Yubin cried', Jihoon laughed so hard that he held to his stomach.

"At the thought of the incident always makes me laugh" Grandma wiped the tears caused by her laughing too much.

"What are you two laughing about?" Yubin came out from the door after washed. A thick covered book was in her grip.

"Jihoon told me about you two likes to prank each other" Grandma continued to laugh. "You what?!" Yubin eyes were rounded at Jihoon. Jihoon smiled sheepishly at her. "I told him that he should have given you real cockroach" Grandma stated. "Grandma!" Yubin pouted. "Calm down. I only tell him something he doesn't know about you. Where are you going anyway?" Grandma eyes ran to the book in Yubin's hand.

"Oh" Yubin put the book on the coffee table there. "I want to play with Zeus first then only I read this book. I borrow it from Grandpa's"

"Oh okay. Go on then" Grandma replied. "Jihoon, you're in big trouble when we're alone" Yubin narrowed her eyes at Jihoon. "Tsk. Like I'm afraid of you" Jihoon jeered back. With that, Yubin stomped off to the field.

"That kid will never change" Grandma shook her head with smile and took the cross stitch kit again and continued to sew.

*Oh! I almost forgot to ask about that!* Jihoon faced Grandma. "Grandma, I want to ask you something" "What is it, Jihoon?" "Who's Choi Jinri?" At the mention of that name, Grandma eyes widened a tad at Jihoon. She stopped sewing.

"Where did you hear that name?" "Yubin and I had gone to a cemetery before we head here yesterday. Yubin cried when she visited that cemetery. I'm sorry for being so nosy" "No it's okay. You'll be my family too in future. In fact, this secret can't be kept from you forever"

"Choi Jinri" Grandma started. "She was a friend of Yubin. I don’t want you to think Yubin is a freak okay? I'm just telling the truth. Jinri was dead years ago. Before you two ever exist. I think Jinri dead when I was young, I don’t know. Well, the thing is" she paused. "Yubin was capable to see her walking around when Yubin was 2. She can see her unlike other people"

"Grandma, I don’t get it. Does that mean-"

"Yubin can see Jinri, the lost soul. Or to be exact, ghost"

Jihoon was shocked and his mouth formed an 'O'. "But how can that be?"

"I don’t know. Nobody knows how Yubin can only see Jinri. Yubin can't see other ghost. We were so worried about her. We, in the first place didn’t know Yubin can see Jinri. We thought 'kids are like that. Always laugh alone'. But we saw her talking to someone. As if someone was beside her when Yubin was playing. Yubin's father once took a picture of Yubin while she was playing alone. Wait! Let me take the picture" Grandma stood and went inside. She got back out with a piece of photo in her grip. She sat back beside Jihoon.

"Just don’t be scared, okay?" Grandma advised Jihoon before handing the picture to him. Jihoon scanned the picture and his eyebrow furrowed.

"This" Grandma pointed to the image of a faded visual of a girl with long hair beside Yubin. "Is Jinri"

Cold shiver ran down Jihoon's spine. He was speechless.

"Anyway, we got help and slowly, Yubin unable to see her. We assume that Jinri already left her. I think Yubin can see her because Jinri was lonely and she wanted to be friend with Yubin"

"Yubin said Jinri was part of her" "Yubin always says that she wanted to play with her best friend named Jinri" “Those two must have been close" "Yes. But Jihoon, you don’t have to be afraid. I think Yubin can't see those things anymore" "Yes I think so too"

Yubin came to the veranda and leaned against a nearby pole. She heaved a sigh.

"I'm going to read" she took the book and about to step out from the veranda when Grandma called.

"Going there again?"

"Hm?" Yubin turned to Grandma. "Oh yeah. I miss that place"

"Why don’t you bring Jihoon along? He can accompany you there" "Jihoon?" she looked at Jihoon. "Okay. Let's go then"

Yubin stepped away from the veranda. Jihoon looked at Grandma and Yubin after one another. 

"Go on, follow her. Hurry" Grandma nodded to Yubin. "Oh alright" Jihoon stood and paced to Yubin.

"Young love is so beautiful" Grandma spoke alone.

"Yubin, wait for me!" Jihoon called as they walked across the wide open green field toward a small hill near the cottage. Yubin glanced back and stopped. She waited until Jihoon was beside her and they walked on the same pace up the hill.

 

 

"Here" Yubin voiced and stopped under a shady tree on top of the hill. "Wow!" Jihoon mouth gapped at the beautiful scenery of town before them. The whole small town can be seen from top of the hill. "I like it here because of the scenery and no one visit this spot. So naturally, I claim this place all to myself" a small smile formed on her lips.

"Sea?" Jihoon questioned as he saw a wide spread sea beside the town. "Yeah. I plan to take you there later" "Take me there?" Jihoon turned to her. "Yes. I promised that I'll make you enjoy staying here. Besides, I feel guilty to you. Because of me, you're here" she sat under the tree.

"Don't be. I just came here to accompany you " Jihoon sat and leaned against the tree. He was facing the town. Then, they were silent as Yubin read the book.

"Yubin, what book are you reading?" Jihoon disturbed her. "Sherlock Holmes. My Grandpa used to like these. He’s the one who made me likes the series" "Oh" Jihoon turned to the town back. He can't stay still when he was bored.

*I'm bored to the max now!* Jihoon lay under the shady tree. He took a deep breath of the fresh air at the suburban area. He examined the tree.

"Wouldn't it be nice if there is a swing here?" he pointed to a strong branch above them. "Swing?" she looked at the direction he pointed.

"That's a great suggestion. We should ask Grandma's permission first" she said and went back to her book. Jihoon continued to stare at the branch that slowly he fell asleep.

 

 

Yubin straighten her legs and leaned back against the tree trunk. She heaved a sigh.

*That's weird. He is silent* she glanced at Jihoon. *Asleep? He must be tired from helping me earlier* Yubin went back to her book.