Chapter 10
It Happened on a Rainy Day Part 1
Inside the dark bedroom, the heavy curtains blocked out all light, and the air conditioner hummed louder than usual, working hard against the scorching heat of the day.
'Click!' The sound of a key press echoed, cutting through the noise of the air conditioner.
"Finally done," I muttered to myself after sending off the group project to my teammates, then closed the laptop with a relieved sigh.
With all my tasks completed, a strange sense of emptiness crept over me, like a person without a clear purpose. Meanwhile, the ghost sitting on the bed behind me was absorbed in a book, completely indifferent to the world outside. Honestly, she'd probably already read more than half the books on my shelf by now.
Sitting for hours left my back aching, so I stood up and stretched until my spine made a satisfying cracking sound.
Once my body felt a bit more relaxed, I dragged myself out to the bedroom balcony to breathe in some fresh air—city air filled with that lovely PM dust, of course.
In the alley by my house, college students walked by, as usual. It never seemed to get quiet here, not even on weekends.
Plop, plop.
"…Huh? Rain on a Sunday? Looks like the sky's trying to stop people from spending money," I joked to myself, watching the tiny raindrops hit the pavement. People who had been strolling around carefree just moments before were now scurrying for shelter or rushing to their destinations before the rain picked up.
"Thank goodness, at least it cools things down a bit. It's been scorching for days now…"
The ghost's voice came from behind me. She walked over to stand beside me on the balcony, her brown eyes soft as she smiled at the sight of the rain.
"Ghosts can feel temperature too?"
"I'm not sure if other ghosts can, but I can."
"Hmm…" I hummed in response, not showing much surprise.
Even if there were more incredible things she could do, I wouldn't be surprised anymore. Her abilities often went far beyond my imagination.
We both stood in silence, watching the tranquil scene in front of us.
"...Oh no!! I left the laundry out!"
And just like that, she bolted downstairs, completely forgetting that she could just float down effortlessly. There was no need for her to waste time running.
On top of that, she tried to gather the laundry with her hands, which made no sense since she couldn't physically touch anything.
The whole scene was so bizarre that I had to shake my head in disbelief.
She fumbled around for a bit, her frantic movements looking so ridiculous that I couldn't help but laugh.
It took her a good while to remember she was, well, a ghost.
She stood there at the laundry rack, doing something I couldn't quite make sense of.
But before long, those same hands that had passed through the clothes moments ago were now able to collect them.
Once she was done, she let out a relieved sigh and smiled.
Everything was done, she looked visibly relieved. On the other hand, I couldn't understand why she didn't just use her telekinesis right from the start. Why go through all that trouble carrying the laundry by hand?
"What on earth are you doing...?" I muttered to myself, half-laughing as I leaned on the balcony, watching her antics.
If she wasn't here, I'd probably be the one running downstairs to grab the laundry…
Huh…
Now it makes sense. The reason I've been feeling so idle is because she's taken over all my chores.
Such a strange ghost...
The slow, steady rain made me feel so relaxed, to the point where I'd forgotten about my aching back.
But then again... Uh-oh. Thinking about it brought the pain right back.
Is this what getting old feels like?
If the rain picks up, that soothing calm will probably turn into unease—especially since I really hate it when it starts storming, with loud cracks of thunder.
She came running back up, wiping her brow dramatically.
"Phew! Lucky! I made it in time!"
"Thanks."
"No problem. It's my job after all," she replied confidently, before plopping back down on the bed like before.
Even ghosts need jobs, huh...
"Hey, why didn't you just float down or use telekinesis to grab the laundry?"
"...Oh, right!!" she exclaimed, looking completely shocked, as if she were Edvard Munch's The Scream come to life.
"Stupid," I teased, before turning back to the balcony and sipping the hot cocoa I'd forgotten about, cocoa I'd forgotten about, which was now as cold as the air outside.
...Come to think of it, nothing scary has happened recently.
The kiss worked better than I expected. Even my health has improved, and the pain in my chest is completely gone.
Best of all, the ghosts have gone back to ignoring me.
I haven't let my guard down about what happened, even though some time has passed. But I still don't understand why it attacked me in the first place...
I have no idea where to start investigating. All I can do for now is let it go.
"Mmm..." she made a cute sound as she stretched, then plopped onto the bed with a thud and resumed reading her book.
"...You're pretty chill, aren't you?"
"There's nothing left to do," she replied, eyes still on the book.
Her words made me feel even more aimless. Normally, when I finished work, I'd watch a movie or read a book like her.
But today, for some reason, I wasn't in the mood for any of that. I found listening to the rain far more enjoyable.
I love it when life is this peaceful...
"You seem to be in a good mood today," she remarked.
"The cool weather helps," I said, taking another sip of cocoa, almost finishing the glass.
The scene before me wasn't beautiful at all. It was actually an eyesore, with tangled power lines everywhere and the house across the street abandoned because the owner's children had moved away and never bothered to renovate.
But even though it wasn't pretty, I felt strangely at ease.
Maybe it was because this was my home.
'When are we getting to your place?! My shirt's soaked!'
'Stop complaining! Just keep running!'
"... " I watched two students run through the rain, bickering as they went, and felt a pang of envy.
Even though running in the rain like that would feel terrible, I envied them for having someone to share that experience with.
If I couldn't see ghosts, and if I had a friend...
Maybe I could have moments like that too.
"...Why are you hugging me, you perverted ghost?" I asked, feeling her arms wrap around me from behind, her face buried in my neck.
"..."
"Hello? No answer... What's going on with you?"
Silence... What's with her? She was just lying there smiling and reading a minute ago. Possessed?
But she's a ghost already...
"..."
"You're not answering... What's wrong?"
What's going on with her? Just a moment ago, she was lying there smiling while reading. Or did a ghost possess her? But she's already a ghost...
When I didn't get a response, I gently pried her hands off my waist and turned around to face her. She just stood there quietly.
"What's wrong? Why do you look so down?"
"When I saw your sad face, the next thing I knew... I wanted to hug you."
What is that embarrassing statement...
"My face, sad? Are you sure you're not just looking for an excuse to hug me?"
"No, not at all. This time, my intention is pure." She said it with such a serious look that I almost believed her.
Has she been watching me the whole time? But she didn't look like she was lying. Actually, she looked kinda cute...
Wait a minute...
There it is again... This feeling!
Ever since we kissed that day, this feeling has only been growing stronger and stronger, to the point where it's giving me headaches. I'll admit it, she's really cute, but the more she cares about me, the more it shakes me up...
But no matter what, I just can't understand why she worries about me so much.
We didn't even know each other before this...
I'm... not sure how much longer I can take this.
"Owwww!! What are you doing, Khun Ran?" She yelped, frowning at me after I pinched both of her cheeks.
I couldn't help it... Her cheeks were just begging to be teased.
"Owww, why are you doing this, Khun Ran?" she groaned as I kept playing with her cheeks out of sheer mischief.
"You're so annoying... And why are you staring at me? Are you some kind of creep?"
"It hurts!! Let go of me!"
Her face looked like a squishy little bun now. It was so funny that I couldn't help but burst out laughing, even though I usually tried not to show any emotion in front of her.
"Khun Ran... You can laugh?"
I quickly let go of her cheeks when she pointed that out. Her eyes sparkled, and I had to force my face back to normal.
"What? I'm human, aren't I? Laughing is normal."
"Hmm... If it's so normal, why do you always keep such a straight face?" She tilted her head curiously, flashing a sly little smile.
Cute...
Oh no, I can't even look at her now, embarrassed by the fact that I let my laughter slip in front of her.
Noticing me trying to avoid her, she started peeking from side to side, trying to catch my gaze as my face grew hotter. Her face lit up with amusement, clearly enjoying my reaction.
"Why are you avoiding me?"
I forced my expression to stay neutral again and turned to look at the scenery instead of her.
"Just leave me alone."
"Heh heh," she giggled, clearly satisfied after teasing me.
Among the people passing by in the alley, I couldn't tell who was human or ghost unless there was something obvious about them.
But no matter who they were, everyone was moving along their own path.
Just like me...
Even as I stood there watching them, I was still walking my own path, observing everything around me.
"It looks like it's going to rain for a while."
She reached out her hand to catch the rain, even though it passed right through her body.
As for this ghost... Someday, she'll have to follow her own path too. But for now, she's walking alongside me. In the end, though, one day she'll have to move on to the afterlife.
Just thinking about that sent a strange pain deep inside me.
And I couldn't help but wonder... How does she feel about all of this?
"Hey... What if one day I suddenly couldn't see you anymore?"
She turned to look at me after I asked. That smile still lingered on her face, but her eyes immediately filled with sadness.
"I guess... I'd feel lonely. But if it meant you were happy, Khun Ran, I'd be content just watching over you from the other world..."
"...Is that so."
"..." She didn't say anything else, but her smile slowly faded away.
If that really happens, she'd be left alone, lonely again...
Just like me...
"You're not like any ghost I've ever met. You're... special."
"Oh? Are you proposing to me?" Her sad expression turned into a playful grin, followed by a light chuckle.
"Who on earth would marry a ghost?"
Plop. Plop. Whooshhh!
"Ah! What the heck!? It's pouring all of a sudden!" I took several steps back as the wind blew big drops of rain onto me.
"Looks like a storm... Let's head inside."
I nodded and moved back into the bedroom. "Phew, that startled me."
Luckily, only a few raindrops hit me, so my shirt didn't get too wet...