I tried to sit up properly.
Winced.
"…Fine-ish."
Jea-Hyun stumbled back into his seat, hand pressed over his nose.
Blood.
Not dramatic, but enough.
I frowned instantly.
"…Hey."
He waved me off.
"I'm good."
"You're not good."
"I said I'm fine."
"You're bleeding."
"So?"
I stared at him.
"…So you need tissue."
He rolled his eyes but didn't argue.
That's when I stood up properly, ignoring the pain in my back, and went to him.
"Hold still."
He blinked.
"…What are you doing?"
"Helping you."
I reached into my bag quickly, pulling out tissues.
Seo-Yeon watched quietly from behind me.
I carefully tilted his chin slightly.
"Don't move."
"Stop acting like a nurse," he muttered.
"Then stop getting hit like a main character in a bad drama."
He snorted.
But stayed still.
I gently pressed the tissue to his nose.
"…Breathe through your mouth."
"I know how to breathe."
"You clearly didn't five minutes ago."
He tried not to laugh, then winced.
"Careful."
"I am careful."
I was still half crouched beside Jea-Hyun, tissue pressed carefully to his nose.
"Hold it," I reminded him softly.
"I am holding it," he snapped back through the tissue.
"Then stop talking through it."
"I'm not—"
He stopped mid-sentence, wincing.
Yeah. Not his best moment.
Behind us, Seo-Yeon stood a little stiffly, like she didn't know whether to sit, help, or pretend she wasn't part of this entire situation.
Lalita? Still in her seat.
Headphones on.
Calm.
Like the room wasn't slowly becoming a courtroom.
Then—
Footsteps.
Closer.
People started circling.
"Is that blood?"
"Did he get punched?"
"Who started it?"
I sighed under my breath.
"…Of course everyone woke up today."
Jea-Hyun lifted his eyes slightly.
"Don't start."
"I didn't start anything. You did."
"I defended you."
"You got hit."
"Still counts."
Before I could respond, someone bumped my shoulder.
Then another.
And suddenly there were too many voices.
Too many questions.
Too close.
I shifted back slightly, trying to keep space around Jea-Hyun's face so he could breathe properly.
"Move a bit," I told him quietly. "I need to—"
"I can breathe fine," he muttered.
"You're bleeding. You're not fine."
"I said I'm—"
He stopped again, glaring at the tissue like it personally offended him.
That's when the crowd got louder.
Someone laughed.
Someone else pointed.
And I felt it—the pressure building in the room.
Not danger.
Just people being people.
Too much of it.
Jea-Hyun finally stood up, a bit shaky, still holding the tissue.
"I'm going to the nurse."
"Good idea," I said immediately.
He glanced at me.
"You coming or are you going to babysit the audience?"
I looked around.
"…I think I'm also going to the nurse."
That earned a short exhale from him.
"Yeah. You look like you're one push away from joining me there anyway."
"Thanks."
"You're welcome."
We started walking.
And of course—
the crowd parted slowly like it was a scene.
Whispers followed.
Lalita didn't move.
Just turned a page in her book.
Still calm.
Still annoying in how unbothered she was.
I didn't look too long.
I shouldn't have.
But I did anyway.
Then I felt it.
Light tug at my sleeve.
Seo-Yeon.
"I'll come too," she said quietly.
I nodded.
"Yeah. You probably should."
We made it out of the classroom.
The nurse's office was finally quiet in that almost-too-soft way.
Too soft for a day like this.
I lay flat on the bed, staring at the ceiling like it had personally betrayed me three times today.
My back still ached.
Not dramatically.
Just enough to remind me that gravity had a personal grudge against Min-Jun Kim.
Between my bed and Jea-Hyun's, a curtain hung slightly open.
Not enough privacy to feel alone.
Just enough to pretend we were.
From his side came a tired voice.
"…You okay?"
I turned my head a little.
"Yeah," I said. "Just hungry."
A pause.
Then—
"I'll go buy you chocolate before lunch."
I blinked.
"…You don't have to do that."
"Don't tell me what to do."
I sighed quietly.
"That's literally all you do when you're being nice."
"I know."
I could hear him shifting like he was already getting up.
Before I could argue again, footsteps.
And he left.
Just like that.
I stared at the curtain for a moment.
"…He really wastes energy on weird things," I muttered.
On the other bed, Seo-Yeon moved slightly.
"He takes care of you a lot," she said.
I glanced toward her side of the curtain.
"…Yeah," I answered slowly. "He does."
She was quiet for a second.
Then she said, softer,
"I wish I had someone like that."
"What do you mean?"
"I have no friends."
That made me pause.
I frowned slightly, thinking.
"…Someone once told me I'm the type of friend people would want to take care of."
Seo-Yeon tilted her head a little.
"That sounds nice."
I let out a small breath.
"…Yeah. It sounded nice."
Then I added, almost absent-mindedly,
"I think it was Niran. Before he passed away."
Seo-Yeon didn't respond immediately.
I stared at the ceiling again.
"…He said it like it was obvious," I continued. "Like I was just… someone you look after."
I scoffed lightly.
"I thought he was just being stupid. Because you know he was a menace."
Seo-Yeon hummed softly.
"He's not."
I didn't answer that.
Because I didn't know what part of that bothered me more.
The fact it stuck.
Or the fact I missed hearing it from him.
A moment passed.
Then she shifted again.
"I'm going back to class."
"Yeah," I said quietly. "Go ahead."
A pause.
Before she left, she added lightly,
"Don't get hurt again."
I let out a tired breath.
"I'll try not to disappoint the universe."
A small sound—almost a laugh—and then footsteps faded.
Door closed.
Silence again.
I exhaled slowly, sinking back into the pillow.
"…Weird day," I muttered.
And somehow—
the room felt even emptier without knowing who had actually said that thing to me.
I turned my head slowly.
Expecting nothing again.
But of course—
black.
Sitting right there like he owned the silence.
"…Niran," I said flatly. "What are you doing here?"
He looked at me like I asked the dumbest question in history.
"I sensed you were in trouble."
I squinted.
"…You can't 'sense' things. You're not Wi-Fi."
"I can."
"That's not how existence works."
He ignored me completely and leaned a little closer.
"You're injured."
"I'm lying down. That's what injured people do."
"And still dramatic."
"I'm not dramatic."
He blinked.
"…You are."
I groaned into my pillow.
"…You came all the way here just to insult me?"
"No."
I paused.
"…Then what?"
He said calmly,
"To check your back."
I immediately sat up slightly.
"My what?"
"Your back."
"…Why are you so interested in my back?"
"It's injured."
"That is not a normal level of concern."
He tilted his head.
"Do you want a massage?"
"No."
"Why?"
"Because you're a ghost."
"I said I'll be gentle."
"That's exactly what a suspicious person says."
He sighed like I was difficult.
"…It'll help."
I narrowed my eyes.
"…If I die, I'm haunting you back."
"That's fine."
"That was too fast."
He stepped closer anyway.
I tensed immediately.
"…Don't just—wait—"
"Relax."
"I don't trust you."
"You trust Jea-Hyun."
"That's different."
"How."
"He's loud. I can predict him."
He paused.
"…Fair."
Then without waiting, he lightly placed his hands on my lower back.
I flinched instantly.
"HEY—!"
"It's tight," he said calmly.
"It's my spine, not a guitar."
He pressed again slightly.
I sucked in a breath.
"Ow—okay—stop—"
"You're soft."
I snapped my head back.
"…EXCUSE ME?"
He didn't even look offended.
"Your muscles."
"…That sounded worse."
He hummed.
"Pretty back though."
I froze.
"…Did you just call my back pretty?"
"Yes."
"That's weird."
"It's true."
I narrowed my eyes.
"…You're weird."
He pressed again lightly.
I hissed.
"Okay—okay—too much—ghost hands off—"
He paused.
"…Sensitive."
"I am NOT sensitive."
"You just flinched like five times."
"Because you're pressing like you're trying to erase me."
He tilted his head.
"…Soft human."
I groaned loudly into the pillow.
"…Stop talking."
"No."
"You're enjoying this."
"I am observing."
"That's worse."
He continued, completely calm.
"…Smooth skin."
I froze again.
"…You need help."
"It's normal."
"No it's NOT."
He pressed one last time gently.
I immediately slapped his hand away.
"STOP COMPLIMENTING ME LIKE THAT WHILE HURTING ME."
He blinked.
"…So don't hurt you?"
"Yes."
"Noted."
I exhaled sharply, face burning a little for no reason I wanted to admit.
"…You're unbelievable."
"Yes."
I stared at the ceiling again.
"…Are all ghosts like this or did I get the defective one?"
He thought for a second.
"I think you got the worst one."
"That's the first honest thing you've said today."
Then he leaned back slightly.
"You should rest."
I narrowed my eyes.
"…You're leaving now?"
"Yes."
"Of course you are."
He tilted his head.
"…You want me to stay?"
I immediately sat up too fast.
"No."
"Liar."
"I said NO."
He nodded like he won.
"Rest."
Then added casually,
"…Don't miss me."
I grabbed my pillow.
"…I will throw this at your face."
He disappeared before it hit the air.
And I just sat there.
"…Worst ghost ever," I muttered.
Then quietly added,
"…Pretty back my foot."