Chapter 002: A Perfect Coincidence

“Everything’s locked?” the girl with a long blond hair asks her. She nods in respond, tossing the pile of keys to the girl.

“Thank you Boram!” the girl grins as she wraps a hand over Boram’s shoulder.

Boram replies her grin with a smile. She’s too tired to cope up with Jiyeon’s hyper side. They both have been working all night long at the cafe, a part time job that they both had agreed to do to collect extra money.

They met each other five months ago, Jiyeon was the first to get hired and Boram came a week later. They don’t hang out with each other much, but the times spent at the cafe, doing almost everything they are assigned to, makes them both grew closer to each other.

“Are you going to go back by bus again tonight?” Jiyeon asks the obvious question. They are the last two workers that night, it’s their turn to close the shop and lock everything before they head home.

“Yes, the usual routine Jiyeon. Don’t ask like you don’t know.” she giggles as she heard her friend’s replies.

“I know, it just my courtesy to ask.” she replies, giggling again.

“You should be careful tonight,” she adds, “people say ghosts are flinging around at times like this.” she covers her face with her long hair, letting it falls across her shoulder as she sways it slowly.

Boram raises a brow as she looks at Jiyeon’s attempt to scare her. “You know I’m not afraid of them.” she claimed.

 “I figured that,” Jiyeon stops whatever she is doing and pouts.

“I don’t know why you’re not afraid of them.” she stated, throwing her long hair to her back.

“Well, probably because I find them interesting. I think my life would be pretty exciting if I could meet at least one of them.” she grins and winks at Jiyeon as she replies.

“Whoa... Stop right there girl!” Jiyeon shrieked. “You’re giving me goose bump here, jeez...”

Boram laughs as she saw Jiyeon rubs her arm continuously, probably trying to chase the creepy feeling that she feels. They heard a sound of motorcycle stops by the road, and both of them look at that particular direction. Jiyeon raises her hand and waves when she realizes who the rider is.

“I got to go, Jinwoo is here.” she told her with a big grin on her lips.

“Okay then, I’ll see you tomorrow.”

“Sure thing, and you, be careful okay.” they bid goodbyes like usual, and Boram let out a sigh as she looks at the empty street ahead of her. She’s not afraid of being alone; it’s more likely she hates feeling lonely.

Boram is just like any other normal girl you could find in town, doing a part time job at night, and attends her classes at Dongguk University at days. She finds her life rather boring though, nothing interesting to keeps her excitement for the new day to come. She’s just a simple girl, who loves adventure and excitement fills up her adrenaline every seconds and now, but things don’t always goes the way she wants it to be.

Her dream is to see a ghost, which is impossible to achieve, because where on earth will she be able to see one? Even their existences are still doubtful. Nevertheless, She thinks it’ll be fun if she can see one. Unfortunately, she doesn’t possess any kind of special ability that will let her see ‘them’.

She still remembers her grandmother’s words.

A ghost is a lost soul that still has unfinished business in this world. They might be looking for the one they have been longing for so much before they closed their eyes for good.

Well, she still wonders if it’s true or not. She figures that she wouldn’t know about it, since nobody would be longing for her that much till they have to see her, even though they are dead.

She arrives at the bus stop, (after seven minutes walk) and takes a sit on the bench. It’s quite cold that night, and she finds her hands tugging deeper into her coat’s pocket. Well, this is her daily routine, waiting for a bus exactly at 10.00pm, on her working days, without fail.

She keeps her eyes on the road, counting the times that seem to move a bit too slow tonight. She sees a bridge that connects each side of the road, black street lamps line up along the road; lit up the now empty street.

She keeps on studying everything that she could see from across the road until she sees him, a tall guy with a dark blonde hair. He’s sitting on the bus stop too; in fact, they are sitting at the same position across each other. She can see that the stranger did not have a good day, judging by the way he slumps his shoulder lazily, and his hands cupping his face.

There is something about him that catches her attention, but she can’t point it out. A bus comes in a moment later, blocking her view from him. She’s expecting him to get on the bus, although she’s also partly hoping he doesn’t. Reason? Nothing much but she just feels like it, she finds him interesting to look at and it kills her boredom.

The bus moves and she is surprised by the sight of the guy, still sitting on the same spot but his head is not covered with his hands anymore. She studies his face this time; something that she thinks is rather interesting.

His skin is pale, and the black clothes he has on him makes it more obvious, at one point she swears she saw his skin glowing. His eyes are round and big, bigger than hers or any other Korean she has met before. She continues to look at him in details until she realizes something; he is looking straight at her now.

She holds her breath and looks away almost too immediately. She curses her own boldness, she just gets caught staring at a guy and to make things worse, he is the one who caught her.

She looks back though, after a few seconds but he is nowhere to be seen. She frowns but shrugged it off later; it’s not really a big deal though.  She feels a movement beside her, and she curses for the second time. She jump and steps backward in a hurry, she feels like her breath is taken away from her the moment she looks beside her.

 “What-?” she cries, “How did you get here so fast?!” she blurt out.

The strange guy, who she is watching at a moment ago, is now sitting on the same bus stop as her. He blinks a few times as he looks at her, his head is tilted a bit, as if he is thinking about something. Boram doesn’t know what to think right now, she is probably imagining things and that guy is probably judging her because of her weird attitude. Well at least, that is what she thinks.

That guy disappears from the bench and a second later, he is standing right in front of her, leaning his face to hers.

“You can see me?” Boram’s eyes widen, her jaw drops, and she quickly take a few steps back.

“What the- how did- Ergh! Just what the heck are you?!” she shouts in panicked.

Ops! Did she just ask him ‘What the heck is he?’ instead of ‘who’?

Crap.

Nice move Boram.

He tilts his head again and bits his lower lips, he looks a bit hesitate at first but he opens his mouth slowly, preparing the answer she wants to hear.

 “Erm... Will it be okay if I tell you that I am a ghost?” He asks her quietly.

For a brief moment, he feels kind of stupid to say the word ‘ghost’. That is the only term he can comes out with, after spending his whole day figuring out what exactly had happened to him.

Kwangsu is completely lost in that big city; he has nowhere to go and nothing to do either. The fact that everyone is ignoring him (well that’s because they can’t see him and he figures that out already) is driving him insane.

He wait for her respond but nothing happens, so he continues looking at her, mouth pouting a bit as he thinks that she takes way too long to at least say a word to him, but then he realizes something.

Boram, on the other hand, has stop moving for awhile, she stands still as she continues staring at him, eyes not blinking for a bit.

Is it true what she just heard?

He said he is a ghost right?

Or did she hear it wrongly because of her fantasy about ghost again?

“Hey, did you just ask me ‘what I am?’?” he frowns as the question slip through his small lips.

“Yah, even though I’m a ghost or whatever I could be now, that is kind of rude, you know? I still look as human as I can be.” he debated.

 Again, there is no reply from her. She stands there, unmoving like she’s one of the street lamps.

 “Hello miss... are you there?” he asks.

“Are you, seriously, going to stay like that forever?” he questions again, and waving his hand right in front of her face.

He groans.

This is perfect.

“Ahh... great, I finally found someone that can actually see me, but she is now frozen like a statue once I said I’m a ghost...” he said to himself, and moves his hands dramatically.

By the time he stops acting so dramatic, he turns around and found her standing right in front of his face. She is looking at him with her big and round eyes, which somehow remind him of a puppy.

“Whoa!” he cries in surprised.

 “You mean- you are seriously- you are saying that- did I hear it right?? You-you are...” She says continuously without even finishing her first, her second and her third questions.

He looks at her, confused.

Err... He didn’t found another ghost or a mental patient right?

“Take a breath girl... yes, I’m a ghost.” He clarifies, still finding the word odd.

 “Happy to hear that?” he says, smiling like an idiot to her.

“Prove it...” She demands with her serious tone.

He raises a brow at her sudden changes, but then he turns to the left and start walking through the advertisement board beside the bus stop, before he appears back in front of her.

Oh well, let just say, he discovers that ability somewhere in the middle of his braincracking that whole day.

“Oh my goodness, I’m not dreaming right?!” she gasps.

“This is real right?” she asks again, confirming it one more time. “I mean you are real, oh my god! I can see a ghost!!” she exclaims, shouting happily like this is the best thing has ever happen in her life.

 Kwangsu’s jaw drops as he watches her.

Err... Isn’t she supposes to be scared of him?

Or maybe not...

“This is the best day of my life!” she remarks, lips smiling widely.

This time, it’s his turn to stand still. He finds himself stunned by Boram’s wide but sweet smile. He looks at her closely this time. She is small, well, he should her petite instead. Her brownish hair is short, nearly touches her shoulder. She is adorable, that is his definition of her. He shrugs his shoulder as he straightens his body.

“Okay, if you are finished with your celebration, I need your help.” He mutters.

Borm raised her eyebrows and tilts her head. “Help you with what?” she asks.

“I’m lost.” Kwangsu sounds hopeless, and sadness fills his eyes.

“Huh?” That is the only word that she replies to him.

“Then how can I help you??” she asks him. A smile appears on her lips.

She is indeed, very happy to see him. It feels like her wish has comes true, but honestly, she doesn’t know how to help him.

 “I don’t know,” he mumbles, “it’s just that you are the only person who can see me right now, and I don’t have anyone else who can help me either. So please...” he begs, pleading to her like his life depends on it.

“Okay....” she says, walking a few steps beside her and takes a sit in front of him. She knows that his eyes never leave her, but she has to be honest, her mind is blank. How the heck is she going to help a lost ghost?

He takes a sit beside her, and stares on the road. Silence greets them for what seems like eternity. Kwangsu sighs, breaking the awkward silence.

“This is awkward.” He mutters.

“Where did you live before you die?” she asks him without answering his last question.

“Erm... that is the problem,” he answers, “I couldn’t remember it. I just knew that I lived here, in Seoul.”

She her eyebrow. “Okay, that’s so random. Seoul is huge, how can we find your house here?” she says. Her mind starts puzzling about any possibilities that they have.

“Do you remember anything else?”

“I know my name?” it is a question, but he doesn’t sounds like he’s asking her.

“That’s all?” she asks him again, and she hears him sigh, which she takes as answer to her question.

“I’m really lost am I...?” He looks as if he is losing hope.

She feels guilty for not being able to help him, at least not now.

“Hey, that’s my bus coming!” she remarks as she quickly gets on her feet. She turns around and saw him still seating on the bench, not intending to move or gets up.

“Aren’t you coming with me?” He looks at her like he doesn’t understand her question.

“You said you need my help right?” she asks, “So, come home with me. We’ll figure out something later.” Her smile catches him off guard again.

“Are you sure about this?” He asks her back.

“Yes!” she replies as she hops in the bus and pay her ticket.

“Who are you talking to just now miss?” The bus driver asks her. He looks at her and her back, one at a time.

“Oh, nobody,” she simply says that before she takes a sit beside the window.

“That is the weirdest girl I’ve ever met...” she hears that bus driver mumbles to himself.

Kwangsu get in the bus right after Boram, and he sits quietly beside her.

 “Hey, I forgot to ask your name.” she tilts her head to him and asks, forgetting the fact that there are other people in the bus.

“My name is Kim Kwangsu, but you can call me Kwangsu.” He says, flashing his sincere smiles to her.

She didn’t realize how good looking he is before; his small lips look perfect with his big and round eyes. She smiles back as she realizes that.

“I’m Boram.” She introduces herself, the smile never leaving her lips.

“Hello Boram,” he wishpers, “I think you should stop talking to me for awhile.”

“Why?” she asks, confused by his sudden words.

“Err... because peoples are staring at you.”

“Only you can see me right now, remember?” he reminds her. She looks around and saw people looking at her like she is some sort of crazy.

“Thanks for reminding me about that,” she smiles foolishly, “anyway, it’s nice to meet you.” she whispers slowly before she looks outside of the window, a smile creep slowly to her lips.

Kwangsu sits quietly, fingers nibbling each other. He thought, in the darkness he had found himself in, he has seen light.

She has hope, and he is lost. How perfect can this be?

>>Author note: heol~ this comes out longer than the original chapter. hahaha. I added Jiyeon because well, I just realize that Boram didn't even had a friend in the original one. I must have mislooked it. haha. anyway guys, I want to say thank you so so much for all your lovely comments. Seriously, I didn't know someone is actually waiting for me to finish this story. otl. forgive me. Keep the comments coming, will you? cuz I'll love you even more and I'll update this story often because your comments keep me going. <3