After the notification's ringtone, my arms began to feel weak and my legs started to get jelly that I dropped the journal at the ground. I quickly scrouched down to get the journal, heart's still beating in a fast pace. My mouth started to get dry and I closed my eyes, in attempt to calm myself down.
What a nice way to start the day.
My skin began to get the unfamiliar chills that resulted to goosebumps when I read the notification earlier after touching the journal. I massaged my temples as I tried to remember where I got this notebook, or a journal to be exact. Also, I began to feel a cool gush of wind even if my windows were closed. Goosebumps traveled again onto my body.
If you feel unusual things like this, does it mean a ghost's nearby?
As the coward that I am, I screamed at the top of my lungs and covered my self with my pink blanket again.
I felt that weird sensation of emotions for the third time because no one has ever sent me an email to my personal account. All of which were sent to my business-related email, like business proposals or endorsement files. Some only know my personal email, my parents plus Naomi-unnie, and some important friends of mine.
Without thinking about it twice, I unlocked my phone and opened the email. With my heart beating fast, here goes nothing.
From: unknown123
"Email one.
Greetings, annyeonghaseyo.
I suppose that you're the first one, who's a stranger, who had laid hands on my journal. My precious everyday life accounts. Make sure to keep it safe in your hands because no one has ever touched it other than close ones or kept it as long as you do until now and I guess you're lucky. You're lucky to be one of those people to have that article of personality of mine. Oops, don't open it yet because the best is yet to come.
I checked the journal, while my other hand held onto my phone. It doesn't have a name on it, though. I didn't have the guts yet to open it. I sighed again as I continued to read the email.
To make the story short, the owner of that journal you're holding right now and the one who sent this is basically the same person. Maybe in some terms they might still be the same but yeah. And that person's dead now. DEAD. Yep, you're just casually talking to a ghost.
With a pulse rate of a thousand and in shock, I lost grip on my phone and it fell straight to the ground. I'm talking to a ghost right now?!
I grabbed a pillow and pressed my face onto it, screaming my whole self out of terror and frustration. If I'll night use a pillow, I'm sure that my voice will reach the Han River in no time. "Ahh!! What did I even do to have these kind of things?! Where did I even go wrong?!"
After a few minutes of building up courage again, my shaky hands reached for my phone that was under my bed. Succesfully getting it, I continued reading the email.
Some people may believe that I'm already dead but some don't. But believe me, I'm not trolling around just to scare the hell out of you for the rest of the days of you being alone in your house. Nevertheless, all of this will just going to be up to you. No strings attached.
If you keep the journal and continue this adventure, at the end, you will know the person behind this email and behind that journal you're holding.
If you will not do so, just remember that I've got my eyes on you. All the time.
Isn't it kind of crazy that someone would hand the journal over you? Maybe you're one hell of a trustworthy person and an amazing person. Don't you think handling the journal until the end would be worth the wait and time?
I stopped reading as conscience went up to my senses. I began to stand up with a strong heart and a clear mind.
I began to ask myself, why me?
I took a long and steamy shower to think through all of these things and to process it. I'm thinking of returning the journal back to the bar and say that maybe I was mistaken for someone.
But, why's the email sent to me, though? This is too hard to process! Oh my God.
After changing into something nice and casual, I called my friends, Olivia, Charlotte, and Ava for us to hangout. It's been awhile too since we last hungout for they were busy with their tours and comebacks and all.
To my luck, they were on their dayoff today and they were just being lazy on their dorm. I told them to meet me at that local bar and they agreed.
----
"Tari Kim in your area!" Charlotte greeted me as I spotted them at a good place at the bar.
The feeling's extra good everytime you meetup with your bestfriends after such long time. It feels like a puzzle piece has been brought in to make a good picture of friendship.
"Annyeong, everyone!" I greeted them in return and hugged them one by one.
"So, how's our model doing?" Ava-chan asked me as she sipped onto her red tea drink. She was sitting on my left side and Charlotte and Olivia across us. It's just 3 in the afternoon and we're not in the mood for drinking heavy alcohol for now.
"Doing great, lately. Thanks for asking." I mocked her and we all laughed together. "How about my lovebirds here?"
The two were busy bickering at each other and just felt our presence when we looked at them. They were arguing about how many ice should it take for a drink to be good for drinking. These kids. "Wae? Waeyo?"
"I was just asking if how are you two, lovebirds?" I teased them and Charlotte reached for me at the other side of the table just to hit my shoulder. "Yah!"
"Lovebirds? I'd just rather turn into an eagle and make her my prey." Olivia said and smirked at Charlotte.
The other girl rolled her eyes. "Do bunnies even turn as an eagle's prey? As if I would let you be my predator though."
The two went on physically hitting each other again and again. They're like this all the time, leaving Ava and I in this atmosphere everytime we hangout.
"That's just basically the same thing." Ava answered and rolled her eyes too. "You're just going to eat each other either way."
The three of us almost spit our drinks our because of Ava's words. Damn, this girl.
We spent moments together, took pictures, but that didn't distracted me from my ghost friend. We just met earlier and I'm already calling it my friend, what the hell.
"Yah," I called their attention. "Would you guys accept an offer that you're being hesitant to do so because you're doubting its' trust to you?"
"What kind of question is that, Nef?" Olivia said and turned to Charlotte who just shrugged.
Ava nodded. "I would accept the offer."
"Waeyo?" I asked her again.
"Because there may be reasons why things happen. Maybe it's giving you an offer for it is giving you a chance. Go for it. Wait, is this about your career?" Ava said and arched an eyebrow at me. I nodded, which is truly and simply a lie.
I just let them talk with each other when I excused myself to go to the bathroom but I was actually going to the bar.
"Ah, ahjussi?" I asked the personnel of the bar. I was expecting it to be the bartender last night but it was another person instead.
"What can I help you?" The good-looking guy said while smiling. "Tari Kim? The supermodel? Can I take a picture with you?"
I granted his request and then he asked what's mine.
"Uhm, is the bartender last night here? I just want to talk to him about some important matter." I said and he furrowed his eyebrows.
"Harvey?" He said. The name's kind of familiar though. "I heard that he resigned last night because he found another job."
"Oh," That was all I can say. Maybe this is the sign of me keeping the journal. "Kamsamnida."
I went to the bathroom, closed the cubicle behind me and read the email again.
If you managed to make up your mind, then you've accepted the journey. Welcome by the way, in this journey we'll have rules.
Rule 1: Remember that I'm always looking at you. No matter where you are, I'll always be looking at you.
Rule 2: Always do the objectives of each email. This isn't going to be the only email that you're going to receive, there will be plenty more.
Rule 3: No backing out. Yes is a yes.
Rule 4: Don't be scared to do the objectives. You'll get the puzzle pieces, piece by piece, email by email.
Rule 5: Just enjoy.
That's all for the first email. Best of luck and peace out."