Ghost Boy stared, "Wait, so like Jongho's mom the queen of faerie land or something?"

"Something like that," Ara implied. "I don't really know much about fairy court politics but I'm pretty sure Jongho's mom is one of those higher ups or something? What lady of some court?"

"High Lady of the Rose Court..." he muttered.

♦ ♦ ♦

"Why am I wearing this again?"

Mingi adjusted his collar uncomfortably, the suit his mother had the staff prepare for him mildly irked him. The intricate black velvet fabric must have been her recent brain child, not so much the stiff white dress shirt underneath. He barely had time to rest when they arrived at the hotel suite, staff were in waiting and scrambled to have him change into formal wear for the night as if he was in the midst of concert wardrobe switch. It wasn't far off either, Mingi himself was considered somewhat of a celebrity.

A few paparazzi followed them from the airport to the hotel, cameras flashing into his face and made him dizzy. They were most definitely there for his mother, the notorious Chairlady Yejin Song, CEO of a world reknowned fashion brand Bellamy and Co., and was back in the city where the HQ was located. A lot had changed in eight years, the company expanded and his mother was busier - all while he was somewhere else in the world, dealing with his own problems.

"It's one of our new designs, I thought they'd look nice on you," she chirped, looking pleased at her son. "I only saw you in pictorials most of the time, but you look so very handsome in this. Yes, very nice," she marveled.

Mingi waved her off, "Does anything not look like a good investment to you, mom?"

"You are my greatest investment, dear,"

"Mom," he shot her an annoyed glare. "We've been through this, I am not inheriting this company of yours. Give it to someone who actually wants it."

"But then what would you-" she stopped at that and shook her head. "Fine, as you wish. Go and fulfill your soul-searching pilgrimage or whatever you call it, just so you know my offer of handing you an entire company still stands," and someone called her, prompting her to answer it. Mingi listened in silence inside their car.

"Yes we're on the way Sofia," he heard her say as she chuckled. "Why yes, he's very excited to see you all. The catalogue? I'll have you a look after dinner..." and soon Mingi had completely lost interest.

He looked out the rain stained windows, a slight drizzle had hapened not too long ago and he picked at his own fingertips - a habit developed whenever he was staring into a distance. With each passing skyscraper, the car was closing in to the luxury residences; his own old home before everything went down. The city, as he recalled, was structured differently where majority of the place was compacted into a metropolis (divided into uptown and downtown) - then far out near the quay was where the luxury residences were built equiped with 5-star facilities.

The driver drove them into the lines of multiple-storey houses, and parked at the very one that brought back memories. "Phew," Mingi whistled. "I don't remember having private yachts, or the dock next to our old house," he was referring to the beeline of boats parked nearby, a few men were waxing some of them as well.

"A lot has changed, I find it rather impractical living here as a working lady," Charilady Song commented. "The suite we have is more my taste. Ah I see our escourts!" she switched to her bright smile as the chaffeur approached them, the smile whenever there were business deals. Maybe they're just investments to you too, Mingi thought meekly.

"Oh Sofia it's been so long!" his mother embraced Mrs Jeong the moment they entered the house, with Mingi trailing from behind. From a distance he had recognized Sofia Jeong, Chairman Jeong's second wife and Yunho's stepmother. Now all grown up, Mingi still could not deny her stand-out beauty. As if she hadn't aged, perfect dark hair cascading down her back, startling amber eyes and not a wrinkle on her skin. From what Yunho had told him long ago she and his father had a rather large , but surely she would look older by now. Right?

"Mingi," he felt his mother tug at his sleeve.

"Y-yes?" he blurted out loud. "O-oh right, good evening Mrs. Jeong," he greeted, almost robotically. He felt her hands wind around his body, the sequin dress against his velvet tux - he felt his insides twist. No matter how hard he tried to push the thought away, Yunho's words still rang. 'Something's off about her'

"It's so nice to see you again, Mingi," Sofia Jeong greeted, flashing her brilliant smile at him. It was those negative thoughts that stopped him from getting distracted by it. "My my, you're so tall now! And so handsome!" she chuckled. "Clearly you got that from your mother,"

Chairlady Song was pleased, "Stop it, Sofia. You flatter me. Now, where is Chairman Jeong?" she looked around. "I thought he was joining us tonight?"

"Yes, he's getting ready upstairs-"

"'Fia, I can't seem to find my glasses," Chairman Jeong appeared at the staircase, coming down hastily. Much to Mingi's surprise, the Chairman was more than unprepared - he might have forgotten about the dinner. His greying hair was dishevelled as if he had just woken from bed, ruffled in his wrinkled clothes. Mingi glanced to the side, his mother was just as taken aback as he was.

"Oh honey!" Sofia rushed towards him. "I thought I told you to get ready,"

"I can't seem to find my glasses..." the Chairman repeated.

"I was sure I left them on the nightstand for you, Letitia and Abel will help you find them," she beckoned the maid and butler next to her, and quickly they guided him away. "You have dinner with Chairlady Song, remember?"

"Ah yes...I remember," he finally said as he walked upstairs. And just like that, he left the people on the ground floor wordless.

What the hell?

Sofia turned back to the guests, "I'm terribly sorry for this inconvenience, Kang Hoon hasn't been...well lately,"

"Nono it's fine Sofia," Mingi's mother assured. "But mind if I ask, have thing's been alright here? You told me differently over the phone,"

Mrs Jeong pursed her lips before deciding to answer, "Yejin, mind if I have a word with you?" and she pulled Mingi's mom by the arm to talk.

Miraculously, everyone had seemed to forget that Mingi was even there. Quickly he took out his phone and held it near his ear, "Uh yes? Oh hold on," he spoke out loud and walked in the opposite direction - acting as if he was answering a call and wandered down the corridor he remembered from the last time he was there.

The one that felt like a fever dream.

"So you've been amnesiac for how long now?" Jongho asked, pretty nonchalantly while he chewed on the grilled chicken. In the crowded little eatery 'The Cauldron' where customers of vampires and nixies devoured their portions of exotically cooked dishes, a few out-of-place tourists getting served normal human consumed food - were the trio of normal looking teens huddled at the very far corner of the place, next to the mini bar.

"We told you already," Ara said with full, the two boys looked at her as if she was some kind of otherkin. She rolled her eyes, "And quit looking at me like that, I'm hungry ok?" 

Ghost Boy laughed nervously and beckoned the water towards her, "Just don't choke while you're at it..."

"It was a figure of speech," Jongho replied and faced Ghost Boy. "You're telling me, for the last six or seven years - you haven't the slightest idea of where you came from or who you even were before you died?" 

Ghost Boy shook his head, "Nothing,"

"Damn," Jongho whistled. "I guess that explains why you haven't moved on to the afterlife yet, probably some sort of unfinished business you don't even remember. Funny how this whole thing works," he remarked. 

"And that," Ara finished the last of her broth, pushed the bowl across the table in front of Ghost Boy (where he stared down at it, and how cleanly she ate it all). "-is why you can help with this."

"M-me?" Jongho sputtered. "What am I supposed to do? Do some hocus pocus to make him remember?"

"No dummy," Ara rolled her eyes. "You know the people around here better, and they definitely know about all this magic stuff better than we do,"

"You think Ghost Boy is like this is because of magic?" Jongho frowned. "It could just be a normal case of long term memory loss, Ara."

"Well he must have a past right? So he obviously has family too. I'm sure any one of the seers here can do a thing or two about this, track down his relatives - we find out what sort of unfinished business is it that Ghost Boy has, clear that out the way and he moves on to the afterlife. End of story." she answered.

Jongho was about to say something when Ghost Boy actually spoke up. "Um guys, you do realize I'm still here right?"

"Of course." the two answered simultaneously. 

"Yeah like I really appreciate your help, but is it...I don't know..." he hesitated to continue, rubbing the back of his neck awkwardly. 

"That is if you want help with this, buddy," Ara shrugged and sipped on her water. "Don't you want to move on to the afterlife, or whatever it is that awaits you? I mean...staying a ghost isn't a solution is it?"

Ghost Boy pursed his lips, Ara wondered what else was there for him to think about. She might have sounded intrusive, now she wondered if he thought of her being too pushy. Unless...

"I'll think about it, but thanks in advance," he finally answered. 

Jongho nodded, "Yeah give it some time, no rushing here,"

"But enough about me," Ghost Boy swiftly adjusted himself in seat. "So Ara here told me you're half-faerie?"

Ara let out a dramatic gasp, "Ghost Boy, you can't just go around asking people why they're half-faerie!" she winced as Jongho punched her shoulder. "Ow, watch where you throw a punch dude. I can't keep reminding you about not being entirely human..."

Jongho sighed, "And you just have to tell the entire world about this? And my Gramps somehow thinks being friends with you will give me a more 'normal' life,"

Ara shrugged, "I respect your grandparents, but I have to disagree with them at times,"

Ghost Boy frowned, "About?" he asked dubiously.

"That him being half-faerie is fricking cool!" she exclaimed, and Jongho groaned in return. She let out an exasperated chuckle, "You can beat anyone in an arm wrestle with two fingers and you could've easily made it to the sports team in school,"

"That's cheating," Jongho replied.

"You have all those faerie genes that make people fall madly in love with you,"

"You're exagerrating this,"

"You're mom is literally the queen-"

"SHH!" immediately he clasped his hand around before she could say anything else. But with all the chaos happening in the eatery, no one even paid them any attention. "I don't need unwanted attention, Ara."

She swatted him away, "And what if they listen? What are they gonna do? Kidnap you?" 

Ghost Boy stared, "Wait, so like Jongho's mom the queen of faerie land or something?"

"Something like that," Ara implied. "I don't really know much about fairy court politics but I'm pretty sure Jongho's mom is one of those higher ups or something? What lady of some court?"

"High Lady of the Rose Court..." he muttered. 

"Yeah you can explain that to Ghost Boy, while I go get us a refill," and as she took the jug from their table and headed off to the bar.