Where Are You…

A pair of eyes focused on a line of names on the piece of designed hard paper that was placed on the glass table close to the color pens and a bottle of water. Slowly, he drew one letter to letter to match up the name on the table of invited guests, feeling caution and afraid of one mistake, hoping to not start over.

Jungkook lifted to look at the guide at front and hoped to see how Sohyun writes the guests’ names on every invitation cards so perfect. And she glanced back at him and giggled to see the anxious young teenager striving to do well.

“It doesn’t have to match,” she said, calmly. Then, she picked up the name stickers and one-by-one she pasted on the essential guests’ invitations. Jungkook continued his work after leaving a sigh. With the hot air of the summer day and only the fan working, sweat crossed under his chin falling off onto the carpet he sat on as Minji observed closely thinking how y the young sweaty man looked – she then blushed. She shook and shakes that thought away while Jungkook looked at her with a ‘one-second’ curious look, then a ‘who-cares’ after. They have been doing the same thing for two days now and finally, there was only a few more left of letters to be addressed. Jungkook have also been wondering, gazing towards the sky to his confusion about the life he is having – living with a ghost and a Taker. And now he realized that he has feelings towards the ghost making him more confused than ever. His fingers glided upon the sticker, sticking it perfectly on the beautiful yet simple invitation card when suddenly he flabbergasted to see Hyemi’s name on it.

He gasped aloud surprising the two girls in the same room as him. “What is it?” Sohyun asked, curious. She moved closer to see, suspecting the invitation card in Jungkook’s hands. Her eyes widen seeing her friend’s name and slowly, she gently picked the card up, sighing. Her fingers crawled and glided on the printed letters feeling shattered. Minji and Jungkook observed the young sad woman as her face shows a clear lost to someone whom she dears. “This...,” she paused and let loose another sigh. “I think we should throw this.”

She smiled and stood, holding tightly the card in her hand, leaving the two pitying her.

“You know, I keep wondering to what kind of relationship Hyemi had with them,” Jungkook started and looked straight at the girl who was nervous. Minji couldn’t think through and had her pointer rose, pointing at herself, gesturing to make sure if Jungkook was talking to her. Jungkook couldn’t hold this one, he had hyphens as eyes and had this straight face as he spoke sarcastically, “Oh, no, no… I’m talking with that wall over there.” Minji realized it and pouted angrily.

“It’s a long story. But story short, they’ve been friends ever since middle school. Only that Ahra, Minnie and Hyemi met before that,” Minji clarified. After that, silence conquered the room while Sohyun at the kitchen couldn’t help but cry as she held the card. She couldn’t throw it. She couldn’t. How she hoped to be able to give that card to Hyemi and see her there at the ceremony. Her heart was as if shattered and it hurts.

She thought of how Minrin feel about Hyemi’s death – the girl who promised that she will be there at the wedding. She thought of how Himchan feel about the woman he loves. Slowly, her legs weakened that she fell on the floor holding the card upon her chest. Suddenly, her body got weaker and weaker that she fainted and made a clang sound as the phone and frying pan that was located above her fell onto her head as her hand swept through the corner counters, passing through them. This made a shocked and uncomfortable feeling that crossed into Minji’s and Jungkook’s minds.

They quickly ran towards the kitchen and panic.

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A ‘dub’ sound crossed Hyemi’s heart as she jumps in front of V. She stopped moving as she clenched her fist having it on her chest – trying to make sure what that sound was. Her dark part of eyes, her pupils, widened throughout the white spaces at the corners. Pale, she stumbled and nearly fell but V caught her by the waist and had his brows rose. He asked her if she was alright and when he looked through her large, cold eyes, he knew what condition she was in.

“You’re empty,” he emphasized. Her large pupils returned to the way it actually is and Hyemi shook, trying to close the case that she couldn’t comprehend to what it was as she stares at the bug-eyed Taker beside her. “What happened?” she asked to the Taker-in-shock.

V hesitated but decided to tell her for it was for her own sake, “A great force just ena