The stillness of the night enveloped room 505. The slightly ajar window let the cool night breeze in. Goeun leaned towards the wall as she stared in shock and horror at this still unknown spectre that hovered over her bed. Her slim hands went up to cover her open mouth.

"Annyeong," it spoke with a human voice. "I've been watching you from outside for quite sometime. Let's be friends..."

Goeun tried to regain her composure but she took a step backwards. She was no stranger to ghost stories during her stays in the hospital. She had heard stories about dismembered ghosts or hauling ghouls that supposedly haunt the deserted corridors late at night. But it's too early for a haunting, eh? she assured herself and took another step backwards.

"Are you a ghost?" she whispered with a trembling note in her voice. Still in shock, she quickly made the sign of the cross before the figure and pointed towards the door. "I-I think you're lost. This is the 5th floor, isn't it the 7th which is haunted?"

Sehun gave a little laugh while the bird went nearer to the edge of the bed. He found her cute and child-like which contrasted her lady-like appearance. He even went closer to her until Goeun could no longer step backwards.

"I'm not a ghost."

"Th-then what are you?" Goeun asked and watched the bird fly all across her small hospital room. "How did you know my name?"

"Err, the nurse called you a whle ago," Sehun answered with a shrug. "She said 'Goeun-ah' so that must be your name, right?"

Up close and at a distance from the moonlight, Goeun could distinguish the facial features of this glowing figure. She squinted her eyes and focused on him. Although the figure was blue and translucent, she could make out his face. He had a mushroom-cut hair that framed his furrowed brows and eyes which stared deeply at her. His nose was sharp and his lips looked soft -- almost like a girl's. The most distinguishable feature was his sharp and defined jawline. 

Goeun gave a little gulp. She has never been in this close proximity of the other before, except for her father. And as she stared at this ghost, she felt her heart beat a little faster than normal.

"Y-you know who I am?" she said in a hushed whisper.

Sehun pursed his lips for a while and cocked his head while he tried to find the right words to say. How else is he going to explain his situation to this girl? The fact that he is now a glowing figure of some sorts was absurd, how much more if he told her how he woke up to find himself transformed into a bird?

"I've watched you from outside," he finally managed to say and pointed one of his long fingers to the window. The bird landed on the windowsill and chirped alone.

Outside? Goeun was confused. She found it hard to believe what was happening in her room. Oh, now I get it, she nodded to herself. I'm probably under anaesthesia and I'm just dreaming. Woah, this is a weird dream though. I've probably read too much books this time.

"You don't mean you're the bird, right?" Goeun asked and managed to run towards her bed. She was afraid that the figure might follow her. But he just stood, or more like floated, on the same exact position while he watched her with his intense stare. 

"I'm dreaming, right?" Goeun asked herself and laughed as if she was starting to get crazy. But no matter how much she looked around, she couldn't deny the fact that she was still in the same, old, familiar hospital room. 

The white, cotton curtains draped over the windows danced with the evening breeze. The pitcher of water at her bedside still had the usual beads of sweat outside. Beside the pitcher was her digital clock which glared its bright red display with the time - 9:02 pm. Her white bedsheets were still the same, crisp with the usual faint smell of hospital disinfectant. And the television across her bed reflected the moonlight outside. She saw her own reflection, huddled and bunched on one side of the bed. She was hugging her knees with her blanket covering her legs. But she couldn't see the reflection of the glowing figure on the television screen.

It was the same hospital room, and not some crazy, absurd dreamland where birds could talk and ghosts wanted to befriend her.

Sehun slowly made his way again closer to Goeun. He didn't want to scare her. Here he was, able to talk to a human being after a long time, and she ended up scared of him. And that was the least he wanted, to scare away the last chance of a friend in his lonely, solitary existence. But perhaps, a thought comes across Sehun's mind, this was really just a dream. 

"I don't know either," he answered her. He reached out, with his long arm, to her. Goeun's small hands were loosely clenched and rested on top of her knees. Just a touch, he thought. He inched his hand and tried to hold her arm.

Goeun's eyes widened and withdrew her hand. She couldn't describe the feeling she got when the ghost touched her. Undescribable, maybe that was the right word. It felt like an icy sensation, just like touching a pile of snow with bare hands for three hours. Except that it was just a mere second that they touched. And the numbing sensation lingered in her hands as she stared at his beady black eyes.

"I just woke up one day and found out that I became a bird," Sehun spoke up once again. He sat on her bed taking precaution not to touch her again. He didn't like seeing her scared of him.

"What is your name?" Goeun asked and hugged her knees closer to her chest.

"Sehun. Oh Sehun." He held out one hand to offer a handshake. Unconsciously, Goeun took his hand and another icy jolt shot through her whole body. She quickly withdrew her hand and their eyes met. It was followed by the sound of their laughters as they realized the silly mistake.

"Ah, I forgot about that, I guess it's just better to bow," she said with a smile. "My name is Nam Goeun," she said and they exchanged bows. Her long hair flowed to her side and the moonlight illuminated her smiling face. Sehun stared at her and marvelled at the beauty in front of him.

"So, we're friends right?"

"I'll be your friend, Sehun!" she quipped with a big grin. Goeun herself wasn't sure what made her say it. Maybe she felt a connection with him. Maybe she was crazy and everything was all in her head. Or maybe, just maybe, she too felt lonely inside her hospital room and having a secret friend meant lessening the darkness that loomed over her own future. But whatever the reason is, Goeun looked at Sehun with the hopes that her last few months wouldn't be as depressing as it seemed.