He got to my room first.
Of course he did.
I got there half a second later, slightly out of breath, slightly regretting all my life choices.
Niran stood in the middle of my room, looking around slowly.
"…Wow," he said.
I waited. Suspicious already.
Then he gagged.
Like—actually gagged.
I stared at him. "Did you just try to vomit?"
He covered his mouth dramatically. "Why is your room like this?"
"…Like what?"
He gestured wildly. "Like a princess lives here."
I blinked. "Excuse me?"
Okay—listen.
My room is not that bad.
It's just… neat. Soft colors. Clean white sheets, a light blue blanket, books stacked nicely, a small lamp with warm lighting, maybe a plant in the corner that I definitely remember to water sometimes.
And okay—maybe the curtains are a little too nice.
But still.
"It's called having taste," I said.
"It's called living in a dollhouse," he shot back.
"I like my room."
"Your room likes you too much."
"…What does that even mean?"
He ignored me completely and walked over to my bed, then casually sat on it like he paid rent.
"I'll be staying here from now on."
I froze.
"…What?"
He leaned back on his hands. "Yeah."
"No. No, you can't."
"Why not?"
I stepped forward, pointing at him. "Because—first of all—I have parents."
"Barely," he muttered.
"Not the point!"
I continued, counting on my fingers, "Second, there are people in this house. Staff. Humans. With eyes."
"Tragic."
"Third—what if someone sees you?!"
He sighed loudly, like I was the problem. Then suddenly—
"Who was the last person I saw?"
I paused. Rolled my eyes.
"…Me."
He nodded once.
"Exactly."
I frowned. "Exactly what?"
"That means you're the only one who can see me."
I blinked.
"…What?"
"And," he added casually, "the only one who can touch me."
I took a step back.
"…Touch you?"
He smirked slightly and leaned closer. "Go on. Try."
I immediately shook my head. "No."
"Try."
"No."
"Min-Jun."
"…Fine."
I reached out slowly, like I was about to regret everything—
And poked his cheek.
I froze.
Then immediately jumped back.
"What—?!" I pointed at him in horror. "Why is your cheek so soft?!"
Niran blinked. "What kind of reaction is that?"
"You feel like a person!"
"Because I am."
"YOU'RE DEAD!"
He pointed right back at me.
"To other people. Not to you."
I stopped.
"…What?"
He tilted his head slightly, expression shifting—less joking now.
"You were the last person who saw me before I died," he said.
My chest tightened.
"So now," he continued, "you're my person."
"…Your what?"
"My anchor. My connection."
I stared at him.
He stood up, stepping closer—but this time, slower.
"For me, my death wasn't… normal," he said. "It wasn't fair. So until things are settled…"
He tapped my shoulder lightly.
"I'll be using you."
My brain stopped working.
"…Using me?"
"Your body. Sometimes."
I blinked rapidly.
"…Sometimes?"
"To fulfill my wishes."
Silence.
My eyes widened.
"HOLD ON—" I pointed at him again. "Wishes?! What the heck do you mean wishes?!"
Then Niran added, way too casually—
"Oh, and it's not just me."
I blinked. "…Not just you?"
He nodded. "You can see other ghosts too."
I took a step back.
"Wait—wait—WAIT." I pointed at him. "So let me get this straight… no one else can see you—"
"Yes."
"But I can see other ghosts?"
"Yes."
"…Why?"
He shrugged. "Because you're special."
I stared at him.
"…I don't want to be special."
"Too bad."
I dragged a hand down my face. "So—this doesn't happen to everyone, right? Like, I'm not part of some… ghost subscription plan?"
He shook his head. "No. You're the first."
I froze.
"…The first?"
"Yeah."
My voice cracked. "WHY ME?!"
He winced slightly. "Why are you yelling?"
"BECAUSE THIS IS NOT NORMAL, NIRAN!"
He rolled his eyes, arms crossing. "I need my wishes fulfilled, and you're here complaining. You're so selfish."
I stared at him like he just insulted my entire existence.
"Selfish?!" I repeated. "You literally broke into my life—after dying—and now you're telling me I'm selfish?!"
He tilted his head. "Technically, I didn't break in. You saw me last."
"That is NOT better!"
I pointed at him again. "You're still the same Niran I know!"
He smirked slightly. "And you're still the same Min-Jun I know."
I frowned.
"Stubborn," he continued, "but kind."
I huffed. "I am not kind."
He raised a brow.
"…Okay, I am," I admitted, "but not for you."
He closed his eyes like he was already tired of me.
"You have to be."
"No, I don't."
"I'll teach you."
"…Teach me what?"
"How to say no."
I blinked.
"…That makes no sense."
"Exactly."
Then he suddenly clapped his hands once, loud and sharp.
"Anyway."
I flinched.
"Bedtime."
I stared at him. "…Bedtime?"
He looked around. "Yeah. Where do I sleep?"
I blinked again.
"Sleep? You're a ghost."
"Ghosts don't sleep," he agreed, then immediately walked over and flopped onto my bed. "But I do."
I watched him sink perfectly into the mattress.
"…Wait."
I stepped closer, squinting. "How are you not passing through the bed?"
He turned his head lazily toward me.
"Because I'm not fully gone," he said. "I still have weight here. I exist… halfway."
"…Halfway?"
"Enough to touch. Enough to stay. Not enough to leave."
I stared at him.
"…That's creepy."
"Thank you."
I sighed. Long. Tired.
Then grabbed a pillow and dropped it on the floor.
"If you're taking the bed, I'm sleeping here."
"Wow," he said, already getting comfortable. "Such a great host."
"You invited yourself."
"Still counts."
I ignored him and lay down on the floor, staring at the ceiling.
Silence filled the room again.
Except this time…
I wasn't alone.
"…Min-Jun," he said suddenly.
I didn't look at him. "What?"
"Don't die."
I paused.
"…I wasn't planning to."
"Good."
A beat.
"…Because that would be inconvenient for me."
I closed my eyes.
"Wow," I muttered. "So comforting."
Wow.
Awesome.
Perfect.
Exactly how I imagined my life going.
I'm living with a ghost.
Not just any ghost—
a ghost that can sleep, lie down, talk back, and apparently has better bed privileges than me.
I stared at the ceiling.
Is this my life now?
Because… I don't remember signing up for this.
How am I supposed to hide him?
Sure—people can't see him. Great. Amazing. Love that.
But my parents—and the staff—are not stupid.
If plates start floating? Suspicious.
If doors open by themselves? Suspicious.
If the air starts acting weird? Very suspicious.
And knowing Niran?
All of the above is about to happen.
I slowly turned my head and looked at the bed.
There he was.
Niran.
Lying there like he belonged.
Glowing.
Actually glowing.
Like someone turned his brightness up to illegal.
I squinted.
"…Do you come with a dimmer switch?"
No response.
Of course not.
He was already asleep.
Of course the ghost sleeps before the human.
I scoffed quietly and turned back to the ceiling.
"What a weird life," I muttered.
Silence.
But not the empty kind.
Not the kind I was used to.
I exhaled slowly.
Because somehow—
I wasn't just lonely anymore.
…Which was honestly just as confusing.