The rest of the afternoon passed by in a blur for Ji-eun. She couldn't concentrate on work, not with the anticipation of her upcoming coffee date with Min-jae lingering in her mind. She kept glancing at the clock, waiting for the day to end, but also filled with nerves about what might happen. Would it be awkward? Would she say something weird again? And, most importantly, would Joon-ho keep his word and stay out of it?
Finally, when 6 PM rolled around, Ji-eun grabbed her bag and headed out of the office. She walked down the street toward the café where she had agreed to meet Min-jae, her heart pounding in her chest. Her mind raced with possibilities, imagining every potential scenario, both good and bad.
When she arrived at the café, she spotted Min-jae already sitting at a small table by the window. He smiled and waved as she approached, and Ji-eun felt a flutter of excitement mixed with anxiety. She plastered on a smile and walked over, trying to appear as calm as possible.
"Hey," she greeted him, sliding into the seat across from him.
"Hey," Min-jae replied with a warm smile. "I'm glad you could make it."
Ji-eun's heart skipped a beat. Was it just her imagination, or did Min-jae seem genuinely happy to see her? Maybe this wouldn't be so bad after all. She allowed herself to relax a little as they chatted about work and their colleagues, the conversation flowing easily.
But just as Ji-eun was starting to feel more comfortable, she caught a glimpse of something out of the corner of her eye. Her stomach dropped as she realized what it was—Joon-ho. He was floating outside the café window, making faces at her like an obnoxious child.
Ji-eun froze, trying to keep her expression neutral as panic bubbled up inside her. "Please don't notice him," she thought desperately, forcing a smile and nodding at whatever Min-jae was saying.
But Joon-ho wasn't making it easy. He pressed his face against the glass, mimicking her expressions in a ridiculous fashion. Ji-eun's eye twitched as she fought to ignore him, her palms growing sweaty.
"Are you okay?" Min-jae asked, noticing her sudden tension.
"Oh, yeah! Totally fine," Ji-eun replied quickly, her voice a little too high-pitched. "Just… uh, tired. Long day at work, you know?"
Min-jae smiled sympathetically. "Yeah, I get it. It's been a rough week."
Ji-eun nodded, her eyes darting back to the window for a split second. Thankfully, Joon-ho had floated away from the glass, but she knew he wasn't gone for good. She could still feel his presence hovering nearby, waiting to pounce at the worst possible moment.
They continued their conversation, though Ji-eun was finding it harder and harder to focus with Joon-ho's antics in the back of her mind. Just when she thought she might be able to relax again, she heard his voice in her ear—soft but unmistakable.
"Nice date you've got here," Joon-ho teased, his tone light and playful. "Too bad I'm about to make it a little more interesting."
Ji-eun clenched her jaw, resisting the urge to snap at him. "Not now," she thought furiously. "Please, not now."
But Joon-ho, being the mischievous ghost that he was, clearly had no intention of letting her have a peaceful evening. She felt a cold breeze brush against her arm, and before she could react, her coffee cup tipped over, spilling its contents across the table.
Ji-eun gasped in shock, her eyes widening as she watched the coffee flow toward Min-jae's side of the table. He quickly grabbed some napkins to soak it up, looking more concerned than upset.
"Are you alright?" Min-jae asked, handing Ji-eun a napkin.
"Y-Yeah," Ji-eun stammered, her face burning with embarrassment. "I'm so sorry. I don't know what happened…"
She glanced around, half-expecting to see Joon-ho gloating nearby, but he was nowhere in sight. Still, she could practically feel his smug satisfaction in the air. This was exactly the kind of "fun" he loved to stir up.
Min-jae smiled reassuringly. "It's no big deal. Accidents happen."
Ji-eun returned the smile, though it felt more like a grimace. "This isn't just an accident," she thought. "This is sabotage." "Gosh I'm going to kill him."
Despite the coffee incident, Min-jae seemed unfazed. He kept the conversation light, asking her about her weekend plans and if she had any hobbies outside of work. Ji-eun did her best to engage, though her mind kept wandering to the ghostly troublemaker who had undoubtedly caused the mess.
After what felt like an eternity, the date finally came to an end. Ji-eun was exhausted, both from trying to keep up with the conversation and from the constant anxiety that Joon-ho might pull another stunt.
As they stood outside the café, Min-jae smiled warmly at her. "It was really nice hanging out with you, Ji-eun. We should do this again sometime."
Ji-eun felt a flutter of hope in her chest despite the rocky evening. "Yeah, I'd like that."
Min-jae waved as he walked away, and Ji-eun let out a deep breath. She was relieved that the date hadn't been a total disaster, but she couldn't help feeling frustrated that Joon-ho had once again interfered.
The moment Min-jae was out of sight, Joon-ho reappeared beside her, grinning like a cat who had just caught a mouse. "Well, that was entertaining."
Ji-eun glared at him. "Entertaining? You ruined my date!"
Joon-ho shrugged nonchalantly. "You still seemed to have a good time, despite the little spill."
"That's not the point!" Ji-eun snapped. "I asked you to stay out of it. Why can't you just leave me alone for once?"
Joon-ho floated closer, his expression softening slightly. "Hey, I was just trying to make sure you didn't get bored. I didn't mean to mess things up."
Ji-eun sighed, the anger draining out of her as she realized that arguing with him was pointless. He was a ghost—he didn't play by the same rules as everyone else. Still, she couldn't help feeling a pang of disappointment. It seemed like no matter how hard she tried, she couldn't escape Joon-ho's influence.
"Just… please," Ji-eun said quietly, "let me have some space next time."
Joon-ho looked at her for a moment, then nodded. "Alright, I'll leave you."
Ji-eun gave him a tired smile. "Thank, that's all I ask."
As ji-eun walked back to her apartment , she couldn't help but feel guilty maybe she was too harsh on him should she had really not ask him to leave? He just a ghost right?
"Ahhhhh why.. why..why .. why do I keep thinking of him? Why," she screamed out in frustration caring less about the people around her.
"He is just a ghost right and I'm human, I doubt if he even feels any thing. That's why he troubles me a lot." She began to wonder how her life would have been without him. Would things be simpler? Less chaotic? Or would she miss the strange companionship he provided, despite all the trouble he caused?
She didn't have an answer, but for now she's already at the limit of frustration.