“You’re joking right?”

Roseanne couldn’t believe her ears. She just wanted to sit down and cry, but the tears weren’t coming out. All she felt was an extreme amount of sadness, that equivalated to breaking down, as she started to realize that she was actually de--. No. She can’t even say it, even if it’s just inside her head.

“I don’t joke about death, Roseanne.” Mark’s face was solemn as he continued looking at her. She felt her knees go weak and she sunk down on her knees next to Lisa, who still ignored her.

How could she be dead when she doesn’t even know how she died?

“Hey. Look at me, Roseanne.” Mark bent down next to her and made her face him. Worry and understanding in his eyes welcomed her and she felt like she needed to pour everything out to him. “You’re not alone, okay? I’ll help you deal with this. Okay?”

Numbly, she nodded. She was processing everything at once that she felt like wanting to shut down. She wasn’t okay, but at least she had Mark while she dealt with all of this.

“Come. Let’s talk about this outside.” He stood up and tugged her arms. She let him pull her up. He held her hand as they passed through the closed door. Roseanne screamed before, thinking that they’ll collide with it, but all she felt was a tingling sensation as they went through the solid object. She bit her lip. Another proof that she’s just a spirit now.

Mark led her to the benches outside the school. On a normal day, she wouldn’t sit on them because it was directly under the heat of the sun, but Roseanne couldn’t feel any warmth even as the sunlight hit her face. It made her even more sad.

“Tell me everything that has happened to you since you woke up.” Mark prompted her. She would never open up to someone she just knew, but something about him was different and she told everything from the very start.

She had woken up in an empty classroom not knowing how she got there. She also told the incident earlier where she opened the door to get out and a student screamed and ran away. She had been so confused because of that, but she decided to let it go. Mark clucked his tongue.

“We can hold physical objects, but they can’t see us so it’ll be really creepy for them to see a door suddenly opening on its own. I can tell you all about the ghostly rules some other time.” She nodded, grateful for his presence and help.

“Then you found me talking to Lisa… and that’s about it I guess.” She sniffed while looking at her hands.

“She was wearing one of those black pins when you’re mourning. I asked her who it was for, I… I didn’t know it was for me…” Her voice was thick with emotion. She thought that by the end of her story, she’d be a crying mess. ‘I guess ghosts can’t generate tears.’ She thought.

“I know. It being able not to cry.” Mark said, wistfulness evident in his voice. Roseanne turned to look at him. He was looking away from her, staring at the students who were walking around having their break.

The sun shone brightly on him, showing his pale skin, but even with that he still looked like he was alive. His lips and cheeks were still tinted with pink and eyes full of emotion. Roseanne took the time to appreciate his features. From his high nose to his sharp jawline, everything about him just screamed handsome. ‘With a pretty face like his, he must’ve been one of the popular ones.’

To her surprise, Mark suddenly smirked and turned to look at her. He stood up and held out his hand. “Come, we have a lot to talk about. I’ll teach you everything you need to know about the afterlife.”

Still dazed, Roseanne took his hand as he guided her around. They were quiet as they walked hand in hand. Mark taught her how to pass through solid objects on her own and told her some rules about being a spirit.

She learned that they can feel, but they can’t generate things such as tears and sweat. This was simply because their spirit is just a shell of their body before. “Our soul is the one who feels everything. Our brain just processes our feelings. Therefore, it’s our brain that tells us to cry and vent out our emotions and stuff.”

They were watching the students have their lunch breaks when she asked him, “I know we can’t eat, but what about sleep?” Roseanne was waving her hand in front of Lisa who was tossing around the food on her plate. She sat with Yugyeom, her close friend and club mate, who was also quiet in front of her. Usually, she’d seat with Bambam, Roseanne’s boyfriend, but the third one in their trio was nowhere to be found. This actually worried the female ghost.

“We don’t.” Mark sat next to Yugyeom and was staring at their food with longing. Roseanne already missed the taste of noodles and kimchi. She knows that Mark misses it a lot more.

“What? Then what will you do here at night?” She thought of Mark all alone in a dark classroom staring at the moon outside that casted shadows all around him. She shivered at the thought. School is such a creepy place at night.

“Time works differently for us. Before we know it, it’s morning already.” He nonchalantly said as if he was used to it, which he probably was. “And what do you mean by ‘what will you do here?’? We’ll be together all night, silly.”

Now, Roseanne was shocked. “W-what? But, I’m going home like Lisa!”

Mark looked at her with sadness. He said in an almost whisper, “Were you happy with your family, Roseanne?”

“Of course I was.” She was confused. Why would he ask that all of a sudden?

Mark closed his eyes and nodded. He looked at her again, this time with pity. “I think I know how you died.”