With each passing day, Chinsun was reminded of the approaching Ghost Month and the looming danger that accompanied the arrival of the Ghost Festival. Jongin and Heechul had managed to reach an understanding after hours of negotiations and finally, it was agreed that Heechul would lead the ritual with Boa’s assistance while Jongin and Chinsun would stay alert and be on guard in case there were outside attacks. Nonetheless, as Jongdae busied himself with the administrative work related to the Ghost Festival and Heechul familiarised himself with the ritual again, the growing unrest and unease clouded everyone like a heavy fog that refused to dissipate.

Chinsun had just brought a cup of coffee to Heechul who had integrated himself with the books inside the archive. Closing the door of the archive, Chinsun tried to push away the image of the dark eye circles stamped under Heechul’s eyes. Sighing to herself, Chinsun was certain that those eye circles were growing visibly darker and larger every time she checked on the older male.

Granny Im like always was seated on the bench with a cup of freshly brewed tea placed next to her, enjoying the rays of sunshine that streamed through the wide windows. The elegant lilac hanbok that she wore served as a reminder of the spring that had left all too soon. Giving Granny Im a casual smile that did not quite reach her eyes, Chinsun returned to her position behind the counter.

Baekhyun had remained home to work on his manuscript with Sehun fulfilling the role of babysitter while Mark had disappeared off with Boa. Granny Im had opted to remaining quiet and savour her tea without disturbing Chinsun in an attempt to give the young girl some much needed quiet and peace. However, left to her own devices and with no particular role to fulfil, this lack of direction only fed into Chinsun’s restlessness.

The familiar sound of a lone motorbike zooming past Naesae and coming to a stop tickled Chinsun’s ears and she jolted out of her seat, taking Granny Im by surprise.

“I’ll be right back,” Chinsun muttered in a distracted matter as she dashed out of the bookshop, leaving Granny Im blinking slowly as a knowing grin stretched out on her elderly face.

Jogging past the funeral home and round the corner into the alleyway where Jongin parked his bike, Chinsun arrived just as the said male was removing his helmet. Pebbles and stray twigs crackled under Chinaun’s feet as she approached the bike, grabbing Jongin’s attention. Snapping around in high alert, Jongin swung his arm out ready to punch the intruder harshly against the wall but froze when his eyes landed on Chinsun’s wide and clear eyes.

“I come in peace,” Chinsun joked as she raised her arms.

Letting out the breath that he was holding, Jongin loosened his muscles and relaxed his shoulders, allowing the tension to leave his body. Leaning against the wall, Jongin patted the seat of his bike right next to him. Taking his hint, Chinsun easily climbed onto the bike with the Jongin’s help and settled down comfortably with her legs dangling in the air, her fingers drawing invisible circles on the leather seat of the bike.

“So…” Chinsun’s voice trailed. “I take it that you’re not angry with me anymore?”

Jongin swallowed loudly as his eyes darted around as if to make sure that no one was going to invade their rare moment of privacy. his dry lips, Jongin carelessly ruffled his hair before twisting his body so that he was fully facing Chinsun. His eyes were cast downwards, committed to following the movement of her fingers.

“I wasn’t angry with you,” Jongin uttered in a low voice.

Chinsun raised her eyebrows in disbelief and was ready to fire away a protest of disagreement when Jongin did the unexpected. He pinched Chinsun’s lips shut with his fingers, causing Chinsun’s mouth to protrude like a duck’s beak.

“I was angry with myself. I was angry at my inability to protect those that I care about. I was angry that I was not there with you.”

Finally confessing what had been plaguing him all this time, Jongin lifted his head, locking eyes with Chinsun. Chinsun inhaled sharply, finding herself lost in the chocolate orbs that stared right through her. With their eyes locked together, Chinsun was overcome with a sense of lost familiarity and nostalgia, as though she finally knew where she was after having wandered by herself in a dark path that led to nowhere. In that moment, fully absorbed by Jongin’s eyes — the window to his soul — the only thought that crossed through Chinsun’s mind was: I’m home.

As if attracted by a magnet, Chinsun lifted her hands to cup Jongin’s. Upon the touch of Chinsun’s warm hands, Jongin loosened his hold on her lips as he allowed Chinsun to fully envelop his hands. Without breaking eye contact, Chinsun gingerly and tenderly grazed her thumb over Jongin’s calloused knuckles, almost like she was transferring her energy into him to give him strength and encouragement.

“Stop bottling everything up,” Chinsun whispered softly though Jongin was so focused on her voice that her wo