Chapter 5

Accident

 It was 11.31 am when Jay was walking to go to his office, his eyes were busy reading at the papers in his hand. The sun was already shinning above him which made this day a little bit hot. He looked away from his paper, wagging his shirt on the chest to lessen the hot in his body. Suddenly, Jay was startled by a flash of light aimed in his direction. He then stopped his step, looking around him. He saw some reporters were shooting him with their cameras.

"Look! It's him. He is Yoona's new boyfriend!" One of the reporters said.

"Yeah. I ever saw Yoona go with him yesterday..." The other said.

Jay looked away quickly, hiding his face with his papers. "Damn. I hate to be exposed." Jay muttered. "I only went with Yoona once and I got this? I have to go." He said before ran away, escaping from the reporters who wanted to interrogate him.

"Hey! Wait! We have some questions for you!" The reporter shouted as she began running after Jay.

Jay kept running, ignoring the calling from reporters who wanted him to stop. "Geez. I usually ran for the news. Now, I become the man who is chased by reporters... So troublesome! It's because of Yoona! It's why I don’t want to be an artist or have a relation with a famous artist."

Darting through the crowd, Jay was making his way between the people on the sidewalk, ignoring the stares from people who were wondering about why he was running in the daylight. He thought it was the best way for him to lose his trace from the reporters. He looked back to find that he had been far away from them. He was so sure that they would not  Fortunately, his office had been near and could be seen from where he was standing right now. He sighed in relief before he continued running again to get in his office, his best place to hide.

“... Be a sprinter is so tiring.” Jay muttered as he erased the dots of sweat on his face. He stopped his step in front of the long chair in the main hall of KBC office before decided to seat on it. He straightened his legs, resting it for a while. He then glanced at his hand, playing the ring around his finger with his other hand. His head thought about something. Some people walked around him to go to their destinations, but he just ignored them and kept staring at his hand.

“Seohyun didn’t show up since yesterday. Is she really mad at me?” Jay asked to himself. His lips then formed a small smile. “I must be happy if she stops following me... But, why do I feel lonely now?” He shook his head at his own thought before he grabbed the papers on the seat beside him. Getting up from his seat, Jay blew a deep breath, preparing his mind to do his job today. Shoving one hand in his pants pocket, he started walking away, taking the papers of news he got to the main office.

۩  ۩ ۩

Looking at the reflection in the mirror, Victoria combed her long hair carefully. Wagging its tail, Her black cat was watching her action from the red carpet next to where she was standing.

“I’ve waited for so long. I’m afraid that I have no time left.” Victoria said to herself as she stopped combing. She stepped away from the giant mirror before her and walked toward the window. Putting one hand on the window she stared at the large yard outside her house. “I’m so lonely…”

Her cat walked in her direction and stood beside her legs, staring at the scenery outside the window.

“I can’t wait Seohyun to kill that man. Look likes, I must do it by myself. Am I right, Jinho?” Her lips formed a smirk as she bent down and caressed her cat’s head gently.

۩  ۩ ۩

Folding arms on the chest, Seohyun stared blankly at the lake before her. She was sitting on the bench while her mind was thinking of something. She was mad at Jay when he decided to follow her mother arrangement. Throwing the pebble into the lake, she didn’t notice that someone was standing beside her, looking at her bored face.

“Hi, Seohyun?” He greeted her. “Don’t you feel tired sitting here for hours?”

Seohyun looked up to see who said it. “What do you want?” He said without interest.

“Is it a good answer for my greeting?” The man sat next to her.

She looked away and kept silent, ignoring his statement.

“Do you want to ignore me forever?”

She didn’t answer.

“Huh… Okay. If I say that it’s about Victoria’s secret and the man you desired?”

Seohyun turned her head to see him. “What did you mean?”

“Yaa… Finally, you notice me. My name is Jinho, by the way.” He showed her his wide grin.

Ignoring his introduction, Seohyun said, “Tell me. Tell me what you want to tell me.”

He sighed. “Okay. I think there is only Jay in your head.”

“You know about Jay? Please, say to the point!” Her voice was high which sounded like a snarl.

The man was blinking his eyes. He knew, Seohyun was not in the condition to joke. She was like a bear who had been awaken from her sleep. “Okay, I know. But, you don’t have to me mad at me.” He blew a deep breath before he said, “Actually, Victoria is just using you as her will.”

“…..??” Seohyun didn’t understand.

“Don’t you know? She used your ring as a bait to get man’s spirit. She would marry him and the man would die. She knew that you would forever wait for your man to come and marry you. So, she made a curse on your ring and tied the man who used it till he died. She made it looked like the man would be your bridegroom, but actually he would not. He would be Victoria’s man.”

Seohyun stayed silent as she kept listening to his story.

“She had killed your fiance in your wedding day, your butler was dead too in 1983. Last, she will kill Jay. She knew that you won’t be able to kill him, so she has planned to make it true.”

“Why did she do that?” She asked.

“Victoria was a queen of this world because she was the oldest spirit here. She has a power to make an immortal life and reborn a death spirit. Her husband had died hundreds years ago and she found a way to make him alive again from the book of the death. It stated that a ghost could be born again when she could find five male human’s spirits as the return. She had gotten two. So, she just needs three spirits again.  But, Jay has a special spirit who will complete the three spirits she needs as her ritual. She had cursed that ring from the beginning. Actually, she lied to you when she would help you to get Jay. ”

Seohyun was thinking of his words before she said, “W-wait... She ever told me about Jay’s spirit too. What makes Jay has the special spirit?”

“Jay was a reincarnation of your late fiance. That’s why he has the same face and figure with your late fiance. Reincarnation of human spirit is a rare and sacred thing. It’s what makes him special.”

Seohyun nodded and started believing his words, recalling her first meeting with Victoria.

Flashback

Letting her black dress sweep the floor, Victoria walked toward Seohyun who was sitting desperately on the staircase of her house. She had committed suicide a week ago and she became a ghost this time, she was feeling so lonely as she didn't know what to do.

“Why are you here, new ghost?” Victoria greeted Seohyun.

“I killed myself to follow my late fiance, but I can’t meet or see him when I’ve died.” Seohyun answered.

Victoria smiled. “Do you want to see him again?”

“Of course! Do you have a suggestion for me? Do you know where he is?” Seohyun was eager to find out.

“Use your ring as your way to find the right man. It will choose the best man for you.”

“But, I just wanted my late fiancé to be with me. I don’t want to love another.”

“Okay… But, someday the ring will get the real owner and I believe it would be the same with your late fiancé. Just wait, he will come to you by himself.” Victoria explained, looking at Seohyun who seemed interested by her offer.

“…Really?”

Victoria smirked that looked like hiding her evil plan. “It’s up to you to believe me or not.” She said as she walked away, leaving Seohyun alone.

Suddenly, Seohyun stood upright, calling Victoria. “Okay! I’ll wait here till the real owner of the ring come. I don’t care if it takes many years.. I’ll wait for him.”

Victoria smiled. “That’s good.” She answered without looking back as she continued walking again.

End Of Flashback

“I know now. She had known that a man would come to me.. So, she wanted me to wait. Jay really has the same face with my late fiance. She was right about the ring. I admitted that the ring had found the owner, but he’s not mine. He would be Victoria’s husband.” Seohyun said as she clutched her fists tightly. “I won’t let it happen indefinitely. Jinho... How did you know about this matter?” She asked to the man beside him.

“Look at me.” The man told her.

Seohyun did as what he told. She saw him changed his body into a jet black cat. The cat who was always with Victoria. She widened her eyes, feeling surprised. “Y-you are cat? Why... why did you tell me about this? You must be in Victoria’s side. Why did you leak her secret to me?”

“Because I love her. I don’t want her to kill human again. Although she loves another man, but I still love her.. I don’t want to see her be an evil ghost who has an obsession to wake her late husband.” The cat confessed his feeling.

“Now, what will I do?” Seohyun asked.

“Go back to the human world.. Save your fiance, before she kills him. Tell him to be careful. I have a thought that she will kill him today.”

“W-what? Today?!” She was surprised to hear it.

“Yes. Now, go! Before it’s too late.” The black cat told her.

Seohyun was worried to death. Jay would die and she could not let it happen. She got up from her seat and ran away, running for her love’s life. She was sure now, she would not be able to see the death of the man she loved twice.

۩  ۩ ۩

After reading the writing from Jay, the man said to Jay on the hall way of KBC office. “You have to add another information to make your qualified news. If you just use this info, we won’t set a great record when we air it. You can get the supporting information in the documents room. I think you’ve known where it is.” The man told Jay as he handed the papers back to Jay. He was not satisfied with Jay’s report today.

“I know. Okay. I’ll redo it.” Jay said in disappointment after got the rejection from his editor.

“Rewrite it once again. I’m waiting.” His editor said before walked away, leaving Jay alone.

Jay rubbed his temple in despairing. “Hah.. So troublesome..” He grumbled as he stepped away, taking his failed report with him.

Jay stopped his feet when he reached the documents room. He pushed the door open, looking at the shelves of documents that full filled the room. This room was arranged well like a library, each shelf was well described with its tag name. Jay continued walking as his eyes looked for the right shelf.

“Am I alone here?” Jay asked, looking around him. Yes, no one was there and he had to find the data by himself, without someone’s help.

Suddenly, the lamp on the ceiling was flickering which looked like going to go out. Jay turned around quickly when he felt a shadow watching him from behind. But, he saw no one.

“Who is it?” Jay called and he got no answer. The room was so silent and it made Jay feeling the goosebump. Slowly, he walked again and stopped in sudden to see a silhouette moved fast before it vanished in the air. Setting his eyes in alert, Jay watched in every direction, preparing for the sudden event.

“Seohyun?” Jay called. “Is it you?” He really hoped that it was only her. But, he just heard the ticking clock in the silence instead of her answer.

“If it’s you. Please, stop playing and answer me. It’s not funny.” He said.

Once again, he got no answer.

Jay looked above him to find the lamp didn’t stop flickering. Tightening his grip on his papers, Jay paused and waited for the lamp to be normal. Then, the lamp finally went out, making the room dark. Suddenly, the lamp was again, enlightening the room.

“Why do I have a bad feeling?” Jay asked to himself as he decided to finish his job as fast as possible. He felt there was something wrong in this room, but he wanted to ignore it.

Jay was looking at the document in his hand, reading where the information was saved. He pointed the column with his finger when he found the right one. “I got it!” He said as he looked carefully at the name tag of the shelf before him. He found the name at the first shelf, in the highest part of the shelf which was almost touched the ceiling.

“Why is it so high?” Jay asked to himself. “I need a stepladder to get there.” He said. He looked around him and found a stepladder in the corner of the room. He quickly walked toward it, taking it from its place.

Jay then placed a stepladder on the floor, setting it to make a safe support for him to climb up.   When he was sure that the stepladder was placed well. His foot began stepping on it. One by one, he stepped up on it. He didn’t notice that the stepladder he used was broken. Suddenly, a black shadow jumped in his direction, distracting him on purpose. Jay was startled, his hands unconsciously held off the ladder. His foot tripped on the broken stepladder, making him lose his balance. His body fell backward as he widened his eyes in horror. Jay was falling from the high. The back of his head hit hard on the shelf before he finally settled on the floor unconscious. The blood started dripping from behind his head, reddening the white floor.