“So Jiminie, meet Minjeong, my classmate and also currently my history project’s group-mate. She’s a year younger than us actually but skipped class one time because of how smart she is. And Minjeongie, meet Jimin, my roommate and also bestest friend.” Aeri enthusiastically said as she looked back and forth between Jimin and Minjeong with a wide grin on her face and glee in her eyes. She’s so excited to finally introduce the two. 

 

“Uhm hi?” Jimin offered an awkward smile.

 

“H-Hi.” Minjeong tried her best to give Jimin her own smile in return, but she can’t help herself from stuttering. 

 

Why? Because she didn’t prepare to meet this super gorgeous-model-like roommate slash best-friend of Uchinaga Aeri. And she kinda having a gay panic right now which is normal. 

 

Well, who wouldn’t if they meet the descendant of Aphrodite herself? Not to mention that low-alluring-y voice of Jimin. Minjeong almost kneel in front of her and worship the goddess. Almost. Luckily she still have some self-control left.

 

The two almost-painfully, shared a rather awkward greeting. With an even more awkward attempt of handshaking.

 

Aeri can only looked at her two friends in amusement as she hides her smile. 

 

Jimin and Minjeong are both a shy-timid-introvert, unlike Aeri who’s a true extrovert, a social butterfly. So honestly speaking, she kinda expected this kind of awkward interaction.

 

(Oh Aeri, if only you know the real reason why Minjeong acted this way.)

 

Aeri clapped her hands twice, and at the same time (without she knowing) helped Minjeong to wake up from her daydream…about Jimin. 

 

“Okay! So done with the introduction. Let’s start with our group project, Minjeong-ah. Here, this side is mine.” Aeri leads the way toward her table.

 

They are currently inside Jimin and Aeri’s shared room in the student dormitory. 

 

“Okay.” Minjeong nodded. “Uhm, s-see you later, Jimin-ssi.” Minjeong quickly added, bowing her head slightly out of politeness and also because she’s still shy to be around Jimin. 

 

But it’s obvious for Jimin that Minjeong can’t really look into her eyes as she speaks to her. Because when Jimin looked up, Minjeong already ducked her head down and scurried away with her tiny steps. 

 

It’s weird, Jimin thought. Because Minjeong was doing just fine with having an eye contact with Aeri. Talking relaxedly without stuttering. But not with Jimin?

 

Jimin lightly chuckled. She found the sight is somehow cute and endearing to witness. Minjeong is looking like a shy-timid puppy in front of her. 

 

“Yeah. See you later, Minjeong. And please drop the formality.” Jimin softly added. And when Minjeong looked up to see her, Jimin readily flashed her a big smile, hoping it will somehow make Minjeong more at ease around her. 

 

“Oh. O-okay, Jimin unnie.”

 

Jimin can’t help but to smile wider. She likes the sound of it. “That’s better. Much better.”

 

***

 

Shortly after that, Aeri and Minjeong comfortably took their seats and start typing on their laptops. 

 

“Oh! By the way! Uhm..” Aeri suddenly looked restless as she bites how lower lip. 

 

“What is it, Aeri unnie?” Minjeong frowned. She disliked the troubled look on her friend’s face. 

 

“Uhm.. Wait a sec.” Aeri said to Minjeong, lifting her index finger, before she half-yelled at her roommate who’s currently laying on her bed with her phone in hand.

 

“YAH YU JIMIN!”

 

“H-huh?” Jimin tore her gaze away from her phone’s screen to look at her roommate questioningly. 

 

“Wear your headphones and turn on some loud music.” Aeri told her roommate. 

 

“W-what? Why?” Jimin confusedly blinked her eyes. 

 

“Just do it. Please. For your own good, roomie.” Aeri sheepishly smiled. 

 

“Uh.. ‘mkay.” Jimin shrugged and put her headphones on. 

 

She starts to look for some loud music in her Sportify like what her roommate instructed her to. 

 

Though the request is abrupt and unclear, pretty much out of the blue, but after being Aeri’s friend and roommate for 2 years now, she knows she can trust her. Aeri is a good person, and they always take care of each other like sisters. So she complied without much asking. 

 

If Aeri said it’s for her own good, it means it is for her own good. 

 

But unfortunately Aeri’s voice is just too loud to be unheard. And not to mention, she already impatiently threw out the question before Jimin can hit the play button on her phone. 

 

“So! Is that true that you can see ghost, Minjeong-ah?”

 

“Uhm..”

 

“If that’s true, do you see something here? There must be something in here. Right?? I know it!”

 

“Uhm..”

 

“Look, I’m not that scared of ghost, meh. But in the past few days I kept having the same nightmare and it made me become sleep-deprived. Rather than scared, I’m more into annoyed at this rate! I need my beauty sleep! Why they just can’t leave me alone and go haunting other people?!” Aeri loudly ranted. 

 

“Uh…” Poor Minjeong. She had a rather hard time in keeping up with Aeri’s inhumanly fast-rapid speaking that sound more like a rap in Minjeong’s ears. 

 

Looking how lost Minjeong looked like, Aeri finally stop spitting her fire rap. 

 

“Oh sorry! I spoke too fast, didn’t I? Let me repeat it then.”

 

“Oh no need. I actually heard you the first time. J-just let me answer your question one by one. Give me time to arrange my words too so you won’t get the wrong idea.” Minjeong carefully said. 

 

“Oh okay okay, sure.” Aeri gave Minjeong an apologetic smile. 

 

“Okay so uhm.. First of all, yes, I can see ghost.”

 

Aeri let out a loud-dramatical gasp. 

 

“And yes, I see something in this room.”

 

There goes the second gasp, even louder and more dramatic than the first one. Aeri’s eyes widened almost comically as she put her both palms over her wide-opened mouth.

 

“Yeah. I’m sorry, for telling you this. But I think you want nothing but the truth from me. But don’t worry. This one looks harmless, I think.

 

And I don’t think she did it on purpose. I mean bringing you the eerie nightmares. And maybe she just wanted to stay for awhile before she wanders again. Not all ghost like to stay at one place for a long time. And I can try to talk with her if you want. Kindly ask her to leave this room.” Minjeong offered. 

 

She spoke so easily, so simple, as if she was just talking about the weather. 

 

“Uh.. Y-Yeah. That would be nice if you can ask them to l-leave.” Aeri started to involuntarily stutter. She was just bluffing earlier when she said she wasn’t scared. She’s a big coward when it comes to horror-scary stuff. 

 

“Okay. Wait. I’ll—whoops.. Aeri unnie, I think you need to turn around and uhm.. maybe hug your roommate to calm her down or something?” Minjeong worriedly said as she looked at somewhere behind Aeri. 

 

Aeri whipped her head so fast to check on her said roommate, just to found Jimin with her abnormally pale face, paler than white-blank paper, looking like she would faint anytime soon, as she clutched hard on her blanket. Her body is trembling too. 

 

Jimin still had her headphone covering her both ears but it’s obvious that she’s listening. She has been listening to their supposedly secretive conversation. It showed in Jimin’s eyes about how shaken she is. 

 

This is bad. Aeri thought. Really bad. 

 

Because if Aeri herself is a coward when it comes to horror stuff, Jimin is two times worse. Or maybe three times? Four?

 

The black-haired girl can’t even watch any horror movie. Even if it’s in the daylight, with many people around her. 

 

She can’t sleep with no light on. She can’t go to the restroom at night without someone accompanying her. Even smallest noise can startle her. 

 

So now how can Jimin continue to live here?

 

Aeri afraid Jimin will ask to have a break from her uni life because of this revelation and maybe go back to her hometown to find the inner peace she needs. 

 

“Jimin!“ Aeri immediately stood up and rushed to engulfed her roommate in a hug. Even with how tight Aeri holds her, Aeri still can feel how Jimin’s slender body tremble in her hold. 

 

“Oh God.. Oh God! I told you to put your headphones on and listen to some loud music, didn’t I?“ 

 

“Y-yeah.” Jimin hoarsely squeaked out. 

 

“Then why you didn’t do that?!”

 

“I—I.. I’m s-sorry—I”

 

“Haish. Look, it’s fine. Okay? It’s alright. Minjeong said the ghost is harmless.” Aeri tried to reassured her friend. 

 

“No. She said she thinks the ghost looks harmless.” Jimin corrected. And Aeri get tongue-tied. Because Jimin was right. That’s exactly what Minjeong said. 

 

Aeri sighed. She looked at Minjeong helplessly. Wordlessly asking for a help or any kind of support that the short-haired girl can provide in this kind of urgent situation. 

 

Minjeong nodded her head. Fully understanding the silent plea. 

 

“Look Jimin unnie, I will talk to this ghost and make her leave this room. I’ll make sure of that. I promise, I’ll make her leave.” Minjeong firmly said with such determination.

 

“You will?” Jimin timidly asked with her tiny voice. Minjeong feels bad for the older. She looks so small and vulnerable like this. 

 

“Yes. Please trust me on this. I’ve been helping people in this kind of similar situation since I was 13. There’s nothing I can’t handle at this rate. Everything will be alright.” Minjeong confidently said. 

 

She took big strides to stand beside Jimin’s bed, beside the older. She knows with more people near her, Jimin would feel less scare