---
"Can you see me?"
She wasn't dead. Then what was this voice? Kim Aera slowly opened her eyes, only able to do so because she couldn't believe what she was seeing. She had no idea how long she stayed frozen like that, but... this was Jackie.
"I need your help."
Aera found her voice at last.
"Y-you... are you dead? How is this even possible?"
She hurriedly searched Jackie's name on her phone. If something had happened to him, it would be all over the news. But all she found were articles about his latest concert.
"Do you know who I am?"
"Who doesn't know you? You're the most famous person in the country—maybe even internationally."
Why was he asking such a strange question?
"How did you die? And why are you here?"
Her first love was standing in her living room, dead. Naturally, she was in shock and had no idea what to ask next.
"I... I don't remember anything. When I opened my eyes, I tried to talk to people, but no one could see me. I wandered the streets until I heard others talking about you. Can you help me?"
She knew spirits often lost their memories over time. Still, this felt different.
"You really don't remember who you are?"
Jackie shook his head.
Then the power came back on. Yet Jackie remained, standing in the middle of her living room. That was even stranger.
"You're not bothered by the lights?"
He glanced around at the flickering bulbs.
"No. Why? Should I be?"
Honestly, there wasn't just one problem—there were many. Aera didn't respond. Her legs couldn't hold her anymore, so she sat on the couch.
"I don't know if I can help you, but I know someone who might."
Her grandmother had always believed in her gift and used to take her to various shamans. Most were frauds, but the last woman they visited couldn't solve Aera's problems, though she had taught her ways to protect herself from spirits. Aera believed she could help Jackie.
"You need to go now. If you come back tomorrow morning, I'll take you to her."
He looked disappointed.
"Where am I supposed to go at this hour? What would happen if I stayed here?"
Stay with a ghost? Absolutely not.
"I can't stay in the same house as a ghost."
He fell silent for a moment. She waited for him to disappear.
"Actually... wouldn't it be safer for you if I stayed?"
"What do you mean?"
"When I arrived, there was something dark in here. It looked like it was going to hurt you."
Just thinking about that dark spirit made her skin crawl.
"When I came in, it vanished. I think I scared it away."
Now that she thought about it, it made sense. He spoke again before she could respond.
"If you help me, I can protect you from the other spirits. Think carefully before saying no."
He was right. Even if he didn't remember her, she remembered him. How much could he have changed since high school? Maybe now she could finally sleep in peace.
But in the end, he was still a spirit. If he didn't leave this world in time, he would start to rot like the others.
"Do you have a better option, idiot?
One just tried to break into your house."
Shut up.
Her inner voices wouldn't stop. She decided she'd take him to her aunt tomorrow and figure it out after. For now... maybe he could stay.
"You can stay. But just for tonight."
The smile he gave her was the same one she'd fallen in love with all those years ago.
"Thank you."
---
The next morning, Aera thought it had all been a dream. Until she saw Jackie standing over her.
She screamed and jumped up, causing Jackie to scream too and stumble backward.
"I'm sorry if I scared you."
Her hand went to her chest.
"So it wasn't a dream..." she mumbled. "If you don't mind, I need to change."
He looked embarrassed.
"Oh! Sorry. I just feel... this tension I can't explain. I'll wait in the living room."
She got ready quickly and they got in the car. The place they needed to go was far, and neither of them spoke for a while. To break the silence, she turned on the radio.
Jackie's most famous song started to play.
"This one... it's my favorite. Maybe it'll help you remember."
He listened carefully.
She tapped her fingers on the steering wheel to the rhythm. The song brought back warm memories. He watched her, which only made her more nervous. She focused on driving.
"You like my music."
She smiled.
"There's no one who doesn't. I'm just another fan."
His smile was soft but tinged with sadness.
"Then why is it that no one knows what happened to me?"
She wondered the same thing. There were no reports. Nothing.
"To find out, you need to remember everything. Someone must be hiding something."
He stared out the window. Aera kept driving, hoping her aunt could help.
But after a while, the car started to slow... and then stopped.
"What happened?" Jackie asked.
"I don't know." She got out and opened the hood. Everything looked normal. She pulled out her phone to call a mechanic—no signal. Of course.
He came to stand beside her.
"Do you know anything about cars?"
"Not much. But it looks fine. Did you check the fuel?"
Aera blinked. She ran to the trunk to check the spare can. Empty.
Jackie raised an eyebrow.
"Don't tell me..."
"No fuel. I don't use the car often. I forgot to check."
He looked around.
"How far is the place we're going?"
"I'm not sure. Maybe an hour's walk."
"Then grab your bag. Let's go."
They started walking. No matter how far they went, it felt like they weren't getting anywhere.
"We should've arrived by now," she murmured, glancing around for anything familiar. Only trees. The sky was darkening.
"It's getting late. This forest could be dangerous."
She turned. Jackie was gone.
"Jackie?"
Had he left her? Could something have happened to him? But he was a ghost—what could happen?
Dark spirits didn't just feed on the living.
Her heart pounded as she called out to him. No response.
Then, a rustle in the bushes.
She jumped back, grabbed a branch from the ground.
"Please don't be a ghost... please don't be a ghost..."
She poked the bush.
A snake slithered out.
She clutched her chest.
A snake. Not a ghost.
A SNAKE?
It flicked its tongue and stared at her.
She screamed, threw the branch, and ran.
"Why does everything always happen to me?! Why can't I have a normal life?!"
She ran until her legs gave out, stopping after what felt like an eternity—but was probably just 10 or 15 minutes. She looked back. Hopefully, it hadn't followed her.
"JACKIE, WHEREVER THE HELL YOU ARE, DON'T YOU DARE COME OUT. I SWEAR I'LL KILL YOU A SECOND TIME."
She yelled into the air.
"I was looking for you in the woods. Why didn't you stay where I left you?"
She turned toward his voice, furious.
"Where the hell were you?!"
"I thought you heard me. I went to check if there was a shortcut."
"You left me in the forest! Alone! A ghost wasn't enough, now a snake tried to kill me. And you're sorry?"
He frowned.
"I'm trying to help. If you're going to yell, I'll leave. Find your own way."
He turned and started walking.
Aera sighed and followed him.
"Slow down, I can't keep up."
He looked back, then kept walking.
She wanted to scream. But she was too tired.
Dreaming of a soft bed, she followed him.
Eventually, they arrived at Syameon Village, where her aunt lived.