I stood at the doorway.
Arms crossed.
Watching.
Min-Jun was crying into her shoulder.
Quiet.
Trying to hide it—like always.
…Bad at it.
I exhaled slowly.
"So this is what hurts him…"
A pause.
"…and I didn't even notice."
My jaw tightened slightly.
Not at him.
Not at her.
At—
Everything.
This situation.
This stupid, unfair… existence.
I looked at him again.
Small.
Shaking.
Holding onto her like she was the only thing keeping him together.
…Good.
I told myself that.
Good.
"Let him go to her."
"That's better."
"…safer."
Because I'm not.
I know how this ends.
I leave.
I disappear.
And if he gets used to me—
…that's worse.
So I stayed where I was.
Didn't move.
Didn't speak.
"I could go to him…"
I looked at my hand.
Then back at him.
"…but I won't."
Because I'm the one who's going to disappear.
Silence settled again.
Then—
I moved anyway.
Slow.
Careful.
I stepped closer.
Not enough to interrupt.
Just enough.
I reached out—
And placed my hand lightly on his head.
He didn't pull away.
Of course he didn't.
He knows it's me.
Even without looking.
Ara shifted slightly—closer, protective.
Her arms tightened around him.
Her focus?
On him.
Only him.
I looked at her for a second.
Then back at him.
A quiet thought slipped in—uninvited.
"…If I was alive…"
A pause.
"…would he come to me first?"
Silence.
No answer.
Of course not.
I let my hand rest there for a second longer.
Then stilled.
Not pulling away.
Not claiming anything either.
Just—
There.
--------------
Ara left.
The door clicked.
And just like that—
Everything went quiet again.
I didn't move.
Face down.
Buried into my pillow like I was trying to disappear into it.
Maybe if I stayed like this long enough…
I'd dissolve.
Peacefully.
Dramatically.
Respectfully.
"…Wow."
Niran's voice.
Right above me.
"Is this your final form?"
I didn't answer.
"I'm serious," he continued, circling the bed. "You look like a defeated shrimp."
"…Go away."
"No."
"Please."
"Denied."
I groaned into the pillow.
Then—
The mattress dipped.
I froze.
Slowly lifted my head.
"…Excuse me?"
Niran had sat on my bed.
Casually.
Like he paid rent here.
One leg crossed over the other.
Arms folded.
Looking completely at home.
I blinked.
"…Get up."
"No."
"That's my bed."
"I died," he replied flatly. "I deserve comfort."
I pushed myself up slightly, staring at him.
"I cried."
He paused.
"…That's not the same."
"It is," I snapped. "Emotional damage."
"Skill issue."
"Oh my—get up!"
I grabbed a pillow and threw it at him.
It went through him.
Of course it did.
He looked down at it, unimpressed.
"…Violence. Nice."
"You're sitting on my bed!"
"And you're lying on it like roadkill."
"That's because I'm tired!"
"Then sleep on the floor."
I stared at him.
"You sleep on the floor."
"I'm a ghost."
"Exactly. Go haunt the floor."
He narrowed his eyes.
I narrowed mine back.
Silence.
Then—
He flopped back dramatically on the bed.
Arms spread.
"Too late. I claimed it."
"You—"
I lunged forward and tried to shove him.
This time—
My hand hit.
Solid.
He moved.
We both froze.
"…You just pushed me," he said slowly.
"…You let me," I shot back.
A beat.
Then—
We both shoved each other at the same time.
"Get off!"
"You get off!"
"This is my house!"
"This is my afterlife!"
We kept pushing—badly.
Half-effective.
Half-stupid.
At one point I slipped—
He grabbed my sleeve—
We both nearly fell—
Then somehow—
We just…
Collapsed.
On the bed.
Messy.
Uncoordinated.
Unplanned.
I ended up face down again.
Of course.
My favorite position apparently.
Niran?
Flat on his back beside me.
Arms crossed like he was attending his own funeral.
Silence.
Heavy breathing.
Then—
"…I still get the bed," I mumbled into the pillow.
"No," he replied calmly. "We're sharing it."
"I didn't agree."
"Too bad."
I exhaled slowly.
Didn't argue.
Didn't move.
My cheek pressed into the mattress.
Eyes half closed.
"…You're selfish," I muttered.
"You're dramatic," he replied.
"…I was crying."
"…I know."
A pause.
Then quieter—
"…still dramatic."
I let out a small, tired breath.
Not quite a laugh.
But close.
The room settled.
Still.
Warm.
Annoyingly… not lonely.
And just like that—
We fell asleep.
Me—face flat into the bed.
Him—beside me, arms crossed like he refused to admit he stayed.
----
I woke up slowly.
Warm.
…Warm?
That was my first mistake.
I blinked, still half asleep, staring at the ceiling. Something felt—wrong.
Or right.
Too right.
I shifted slightly—
And froze.
My arm was wrapped around something.
No.
Someone.
I turned my head slowly.
Niran.
Right there.
Still asleep.
Flat on his back like yesterday—arms crossed, expression calm, annoyingly peaceful.
And me?
Half draped over him like I lost a fight with gravity.
"…What."
I blinked again.
He was warm.
Actually warm.
Not ghost-cold.
Not creepy.
Just—
Warm.
Like a real person.
"…You're literally dead," I whispered. "Why are you warm?"
No answer.
Of course.
He was asleep.
Sleeping.
Ghosts. Don't. Sleep.
I stared at him for a second longer—then suddenly realized my position.
My arm.
My leg.
My entire dignity.
Gone.
I immediately pulled back—fast.
Too fast.
Nearly fell off the bed.
"Great," I muttered under my breath, fixing my shirt. "Amazing. Beautiful. I slept with a ghost. Fantastic story to tell no one."
Behind me, Niran shifted slightly.
Still asleep.
Of course he is.
Coward.
Then—
Knock knock.
I froze.
"…Min-Jun?"
Ara's voice.
Soft.
I turned toward the door quickly.
"Come in," I said, trying to sound normal.
The door opened gently.
And there she was.
Ara stepped in carefully, holding a tray.
She was dressed simply—an oversized cream sweater slipping slightly off one shoulder, paired with soft grey shorts.
Her hair was tied up in a loose ponytail with a pale blue ribbon, a few strands falling around her face.
She looked… soft.
Calm.
Like morning itself.
"I brought you breakfast," she said with a small smile.
I nodded.
"…Thanks."
She walked closer—
Closer—
Closer—
Straight to the bed.
I panicked internally.
Because Niran?
Still there.
Still very much existing.
Still very much on the bed.
She leaned forward—
And placed the tray down.
Right where—
Niran was.
Except—
It didn't touch the bed.
It hovered.
Mid-air.
Perfectly placed.
Floating.
We all froze.
Ara blinked once.
Twice.
"…Min-Jun."
Her voice was calm.
Too calm.
"…What is this?"
I swallowed.
"I can explain—"
She slowly turned her head toward me.
Eyes steady.
Sharp.
Not scared.
Just… certain.
"You're not alone, right?"
Silence.