Adriel shrugged, fidgeting with the seatbelt. "I told you I wasn't into women. Remember? When you asked me if I was afraid of missing out on parties and women, I said I wasn't into those things. It's the truth."
The car pulled up to an intersection, the headlights of the vehicles on the opposite side of the road flashing by. Ein stared ahead, waiting for the traffic light to change.
"So you were faking it the whole time?"
"Well, yeah," the ghost mumbled, his fingers restlessly tapping the armrest as if unable to stay still. "The actresses earned a quick buck, my father relaxed, and the gossip sites got another topic to discuss. Everyone was satisfied."
Ein raised an eyebrow, looking at Adriel from the corner of his eye. "Everyone except you."
Neither of them said anything for a few minutes until Ein asked, "Why would you do that? If your family wouldn't accept you as you are, why not leave?"
Adriel let out a deep breath, gazing out of the window. "Because it was easier to stay."
Silence filled the car once again. The ghost watched the streetlights and shops outside pass by.
"Easier to stay?" Ein echoed. "Was it, really? You said you felt like you lived your life in vain. So why did you try so hard to keep it as it was, instead of making a change?"
The corner of Adriel's mouth tightened. "I tried to make a change once. Things only became worse."
"That's what change is like. Sometimes it stirs up a lot of shit. But you have to push through it if you want things to get better."
The atmosphere grew heavy, and Adriel's face turned dark. As the vehicle approached a red light, it came to a halt, creating an even greater pause in the conversation.
"Pushing through it didn't work," the ghost murmured under his breath.
Ein shot him a skeptical glance. "Did it not work, or did you give up before it could?"
"Give up? What else was I supposed to do?" the ghost snapped. "Insist on being true to myself while my father kept locking me in bedrooms with women who could 'correct' me? It wasn't just me—it was a nightmare for everyone else too!"
His voice rose, heated, "And I wished I could be 'fixed' too, you know? I might hate myself, but you know what I hate even more? People I care about looking at me with disgust and disapproval!"
Ein opened his mouth to say something, but Adriel huffed, his voice dropping. "So if I can't be happy, the least I can do is pretend."
Ein's hands gripped the steering wheel, his expression turning grim at the ghost's words. But before he had time to think of a reply, the ghost slipped through the car door and walked away.
"Adriel—" Ein tried calling after him, but a honk interrupted him.
The traffic light had changed to green, and he was forced to resume driving until he could pull over to the side of the road to park his car and go look for the ghost.
Ein threaded through the streets, filled with people going about their business. Relaxed chatter flowed around him as he paced down the sidewalk, peering into the deserted alleys and scanning crowded spaces.
"Damn it. That's not what I meant," Ein muttered under his breath, checking yet another alley. Adriel was unpredictable. There was no telling where he could have gone.
He retraced his steps, circling the same nearby areas, thinking the ghost couldn't gave gone far. His heart ached with some inexplicable feeling.
"Damn me," Ein cursed, running a hand through his hair. If he hadn't pushed Adriel, this wouldn't have happened.
Why did he have to speak harshly without fully knowing Adriel's situation? He should've watched his words.
If the ghost turned into an evil spirit in a fit of rage because of this... The image of Adriel becoming a brooding cursed spirit sent chills down his spine. He was already a handful as a normal spirit. Ein could only imagine the chaos that would erupt if he turned bitter.
A few lamps flickered in the distance, their blinks growing more intense further down the road. It seemed to be caused by paranormal troubles.
People looked around in confusion as Ein quickened his pace, following the flashing lights to a secluded corner.
He spotted a familiar silhouette hunched under a lamp that was flickering like crazy. The lightbulb looked like it might burst any second.
The atmosphere was like one in a horror film. Shadows stretched and distorted over the nearby walls. But with Adriel's shoulders slumped and head hung low, it looked more pitiful than scary.
Like a deflated balloon, the ghost was sitting on the curb with a downcast gaze. Upon seeing Ein's boots in front of him, he mumbled, "I know the way back, just go home."
Ein ignored it and sat down next to him. Since Adriel's face was turned away, he could only see the curve of his cheek and the slight downward slope of his mouth. Pouting.
"And how will you walk back?" Ein asked in an attempt to lighten the air. "Ghosts can't use the crosswalk."
For a moment, they sat side by side without exchanging a word. But Adriel's lips briefly twitched into a slight smile before pursing into a frown.
"You're not funny," Adriel retorted, but the flickering lights around them started to even out.
Ein knew he should've apologized properly, but whenever he tried to say 'sorry,' the word got stuck in his throat. None of this came naturally to him.
With slow moves, he took off his jacket and draped it over the ghost.
Adriel glanced up briefly before looking away, reluctantly pulling the jacket closer. It seemed to help because the streetlamps gradually restored to a steady glow. The amber light highlighted Adriel's delicate features, making him appear almost angelic.
"You..." Ein began before it could get quiet again. He wasn't sure whether to ask or not.
The ghost's eyebrows raised expectantly when he didn't continue. "Me, what?"
Ein cleared his throat and tried again. "You said you were locked in bedrooms?"