"Okay," Minju declared as she spun lazily above Haru's bunk, her long hair flowing around her. "Let's pretend I'm completely fine and not freaking out about possibly not being the person I thought I was."
Haru, busy brushing his teeth, glanced at her through the mirror."You're not doing a great job of pretending," he mumbled, trying to keep a straight face.
Minju crossed her arms and took a deep breath."I'm channeling my inner peace," she insisted, trying to sound serious.
Haru raised an eyebrow, looking skeptical."You're chewing on the strings of your ghost hoodie," he pointed out, trying to hide his amusement.
Minju shrugged and smiled slightly."Inner peace comes in flavors, you know?"
She twirled a strand of her hair and glanced around the room, trying to find something to distract herself.The truth was—she was feeling more confused than ever. And pretending to be calm was harder than she thought.
By the middle of the week, Minju was really having a tough time.
She forgot the lyrics to the songs she used to sing loudly in Haru's ear with excitement.
One day, she wandered into the wrong practice room and—out of nowhere—got hit in the face by a foam yoga block that someone had tossed aside.
Another time, she unintentionally knocked over Haru's bowl of ramen when she got a little too carried away while expressing her feelings—almost like a ghostly gust of wind.
Haru didn't say a single word about it.
But he was paying attention.He noticed everything that was happening with her.
Meanwhile, the dorm was growing more and more suspicious.The atmosphere felt heavy with curiosity and concern as the other roommates began to notice some strange behaviors.
"Why do you keep talking to corners?" Minhee asked one night after observing Haru chatting away to what looked like an empty space.
"I'm just doing some breathing exercises," Haru replied—way too quickly—trying to brush off his question.
"Who breathes in Korean syllables?" Minhee shot back, raising an eyebrow in disbelief.
Riki, who was leaning over from his bunk, added, "Also, you smile at walls. And remember last night? You saluted the microwave like it was some kind of officer."
"It beeped encouragingly," Haru defended himself, trying to justify his actions.
Jae, who had been quietly listening, muttered, "He's haunted. Definitely haunted."
"No judgment here," Minhee said, trying to lighten the mood. "Just please don't float around at night. I really need my sleep."
Minju, who had been giggling in the corner, cackled loudly."They know!" she exclaimed, clearly enjoying the hilarity of the situation.
"They suspect something," Haru whispered, feeling a bit anxious now. "And can you please stop hovering above my head during bathroom breaks?"
"It's where I do my best thinking!" Minju replied with a grin, clearly not planning to change her ways anytime soon.
As the night went on, the laughter and teasing continued—but deep down, Haru felt the weight of their suspicions hanging in the air, making him wonder if he should really keep his quirky habits a secret after all.
Word spread quickly among the trainees.
Haru's nickname changed from "#13" to "Phantom Boi."
Someone even edited a funny photo of him and added ghost emojis all around it.Another person created a fake horror movie trailer using clips of him dancing.
Haru tried to take it all in stride and not let it bother him.Mostly, he just laughed it off.
Minju, however, was thrilled about all the attention.
"I'm famous!" she squealed with excitement. "Well, kind of famous."
Haru rolled his eyes and replied, "No one knows it's you."
"Yet," she said with a mischievous grin, clearly enjoying the spotlight.
Back in the dusty archives, Haru kept searching through old papers and forgotten files.
He found no more mentions of Minju.
There were no clues about the ghost in the mirror to be discovered.
All he faced were dead ends and unanswered questions.
Until one fateful night…
Minju suddenly froze in the dimly lit hallway.
Her eyes went wide with shock.
She pointed toward the dorm wall—specifically, an old bulletin board located near the stairs.
"What is it?" Haru asked, curiosity tightening his voice.
Minju floated closer, her expression drawn tight with urgency.
There, scribbled faintly beneath layers of tape and dust, were the haunting words:
"Minju. I'm sorry. I should have waited."
Haru felt his breath catch in his throat."What is that?" he asked, eyes narrowing.
"I didn't write it," Minju replied, her voice trembling slightly.
"Then who—?" Haru began, but Minju's glow started to dim.
"I think… someone died with me," she whispered, her tone heavy with sadness.
The air around them thickened with mystery, and Haru's heart raced as she tried to understand what this could mean.Who was this person?And what happened to them?
The chilling thought of someone being trapped alongside Minju sent shivers down Haru's spine.
They stood there, staring at the old bulletin board, both feeling the weight of the past pressing down on them.
That night, she didn't float up near the ceiling like she usually did.Instead, she curled up at the foot of Haru's bed, remaining quiet and still.
"I thought I was alone," she whispered softly, her voice barely above a breath.
"You're not," he replied gently, wanting to comfort her.
"I might have dragged someone with me," she said, her words heavy with worry.
He didn't answer her right away.Instead, he let the silence hang in the air between them, feeling like another ghost that had joined them in the room.
It was a strange kind of silence—one filled with unspoken thoughts and feelings,as they both tried to understand the weight of her words.