Chapter 5

31.

Seulgi saw her wrist and she sighed in disappointment. Too many days wasted and yet she made no progress on finding Irene a suitable partner to raise Seo-Woo with. Seulgi’s mind was in haze. She’s sure that despite the failed blind dates, some guy would come and could make a great father figure for Seo-Woo and yet why was her heart filled with doubts? Or was it pain? Seulgi wasn’t sure what to do next.

“For Seo-Woo…” she uttered as she was walking hand by hand with little Seo-Woo on her way to the little one’s school.

Seo-Woo looked at Seulgi with a smile. When they reached the school’s gate, Seulgi kneeled down and gave little Seo-Woo her bag.

“You seem happy, are you excited to go to class?” Seulgi asked and Seo-Woo nodded her head excitedly.

“Seems like teacher Son is treating you well.” she smiled and gave the latter a pat on the head.

“Friends…” Seo-Woo brokenly said with her goofy smile as she pointed at the two kids playing at the playground. The kid in green was wearing a jumper filled with paint stains. Her hair was bob and she was scrunching her face like a baby tiger towards another kid in a blue neat jumper who was crouching while retrieving fallen candies on the floor.

“Oh my, my little Seo-Woo has friends?” Seulgi exclaimed excitedly, 

The kid in blue looked up and noticed Seo-Woo’s presence.

“Seo-Woo!” she greeted and lazily waddled like a penguin to greet her.

“Mina, walk fast!” The kid in the green jumper said as she held the kid named Mina’s hand and dragged her towards Seo-Woo. 

“MiChaeng!” Seo-Woo waved.

“Chaeyoung, so annoying. Mina’s tired.” Kid Mina huffed.

“Mina is lazy!” The kid Chaeyoung teased with a smile, showing her deep dimple. 

“Okay, kids. Don’t fight.” Seulgi smiled and gave each of them a piece of chocolate, “Here, something sweet to start your day.”

“Waaah… Chocolate!” they beamed in happiness and teacher Son friendly approached them and called their attention, “Hey kids, our class will start in ten minutes. Come inside.” she said

“Okay, teacher,” they said as the three of them walked hand by hand.

“See you later, Seo-Woo!” Seulgi waved the kid goodbye, “Good morning, Wendy.” She greeted teacher Son.

“Oh, Seulbi! Good morning… You seem to come alone this time?” 

“Yeah, Joy has some errands to do, Irene has to work at home and I have to go somewhere today.” Seulgi awkwardly said.

“Seems like Chaeyoung had a busy morning,” Seulgi commented. 

“She spilt the paint on the art room with Sana. Sana needed to change her clothes and wash because of Chaeyoung’s paint. My niece is a troublesome kid.” Wendy sighed.

“Seo-Woo and Mina like her though.”

“Well, cuteness runs on our blood!”

“I’m sure Joy thinks the same thing.” Wendy blushed and cleared , “Oh, look at the time! Will you come later to pick Seo-Woo?” Wendy asked.

“Yes, please take care of Seo-Woo!” 

“If I had known better, you’ll pass as Seo-Woo’s mom on the way you treat her like your own child. You even look like her.”

“O-Oh? Ah...I just love kids.” Seulgi awkwardly said, scratching her not so itchy nape. 

“Then, I’ll see you later Seulbi!” 

After dropping Seo-Woo to school...

“Now, everyone seems to be busy and I got all the time for myself… What should I do today?” Seulgi was walking around until she felt the sudden coldness in the air.

She faced on her left, she saw a woman wearing some cool shades, a turban on her head and ripped jeans leaning at the tree looking at her intensely.

‘A ghost.’ she thought. 

“Hey little lady, where have you been all my life?” the ghost casually asked her.

“Nowhere, we’ve met at the columbarium. Ashy and dusty.” Seulgi remarked and continued her walks.

“Hey, wait!” The ghost removed her shades and her face sparkled under the sunshine.

“Taeyeon-unnie, I don’t know if you are a ghost or Edward Cullen but you’re sparkling and it hurts my eyes. Can you wear those shades again please?” Seulgi sighed and squinted her eyes at the grinning ghost.

"Tsk." Taeyeon snarled and noticed a sweat forming on Seulgi's forehead. 

A sign of life. 

Taeyeon, the ghost tried to touch her but her hands passed through Seulgi. She looked at Seulgi incredulously, “Whoa, daebak! The rumours are true, you don’t go to the columbarium anymore because you are really a human being again!”

“Where did you hear that?” Seulgi asked curiously

“Tzuyu, she came back to the columbarium whining after you threw those red beans at her at the daycare centre. Like ‘Aren’t we friends before? She knows that scaring kids is my hobby!’ her words, I quote.” Taeyeon made those finger signs and shrugged

“Well, apologies to Tzuyu. But the daycare centre isn't a day-scare centre.”

“You’re just saying that because your kid is there.”

She felt another coldness in the air, this time it has a creepy vibe. She heard loud steps and inaudible voices on her ears, she immediately knew who was it. A girl with long hair, wearing a white dress and red stilettos that looked so wrong for her outfit.

“Tzuyu, get out of my head!” Seulgi protested loudly and the passersby gave her a weird look.

The ghost, Tzuyu suddenly appeared on her side and said, “Aren’t you a weird one?” 

"Yeah, say that to your shoes." 

"This ain't shoes, this is stilettos!" 

"Whatever."

"You lack appreciation for high fashion." 

“Yeah, a weird girl with no fashion sense walking with two ghosts on her side,” Seulgi stated

"It's amazing how Tzuyu can be heard by humans, no matter how loud I scream, my voice can't be heard!" Taeyeon sighed

"You should collect human energies." 

"By scaring them? No way, I care not scare!" 

"Such a pity for a pretty voice not to be heard." 

“Oh, I thought you are going to look for a new place to scare today?” Taeyeon asked Tzuyu.

“I already found one but you guys summoned me by calling my name,” Tzuyu monotonously said, “I want my dessert.” Tzuyu glared at Seulgi.

“Tzuyu, did you turn into a hungry ghost or something?” Seulgi asked

“Maybe,” she answered

“You’re not stopping me this time, are you?”

“Just make sure it’s not someone I know.” Seulgi shrugged.

Tzuyu entered an empty ice cream parlour and Taeyeon and Seulgi looked at her through the glass in amusement. These days, Tzuyu has been busy keeping people away at the ice cream store and tormenting the pale girl at the cashier. Saying that her coolness was good for the well being of the ice cream confined on the store’s fridge. The girl at the cashier was new to her job and seemed to be innocent.

“A perfect victim to