***
(Inside the motel)
Still holding hands, Doyeon and Ha-eun stepped into the motel lobby, shaking a few droplets of rain from their clothes as the glass door closed behind them.
Warm yellow lights filled the small reception area, a stark contrast to the cold storm outside. The distant rumble of thunder still echoed through the walls, and the faint smell of cheap air freshener and laundry detergent lingered in the air.
Doyeon glanced down at Ha-eun.
She was bright red.
Her cheeks were puffed slightly, lips pressed together as if she were trying very hard not to think about something embarrassing. After a moment she slowly raised her head and looked up at him.
"W-why are we here?" Ha-eun asked, clearly flustered. "It's because of… the heavy rain, right? Of course it is… haha…"
Her awkward laugh echoed faintly in the quiet lobby.
Doyeon raised an eyebrow.
"Well… why do you think we're here?" he replied casually. "Obviously we're just staying for the night because of the rain."
As he spoke, his fingers unconsciously tightened around her hand.
"Hmmp!" Ha-eun squeaked in surprise. "W-wait! Why are you gripping my hand tighter?"
Doyeon blinked and looked down.
"Oh— uh… sorry.."
He immediately loosened his grip.
Ha-eun stayed quiet after that, still slightly red as they approached the reception desk together.
Behind it sat a middle-aged woman wearing thin glasses. She looked exhausted, her shoulders slumped as she stared down at a stack of paperwork scattered across the counter. She was muttering something under her breath while scribbling notes on a form.
But the moment she noticed a customer approaching—
Her entire expression flipped instantly.
Her back straightened, the tired look vanished, and a bright, professional smile appeared on her face like someone had flipped a switch.
"Good evening!" she said cheerfully. "Anything you need, sir?"
Doyeon stopped in front of the counter.
"One room for tw—"
He suddenly paused mid-sentence.
His eyes slowly drifted toward Ha-eun.
(Right… She's a ghost.)
The receptionist tilted her head slightly.
"Room for what, sir?"
Doyeon sighed quietly.
"One room, please."
The woman nodded without questioning it further and began typing something into the computer beside her. A few seconds later she pulled out a small key attached to a plastic tag and slid it across the counter.
"Room 23," she said pleasantly. "Second floor."
Doyeon picked up the key.
"Thank you."
He turned around and walked toward the stairway, Ha-eun following close beside him.
***
(2nd floor)
The hallway on the second floor was quiet, the soft buzz of fluorescent lights humming overhead as they walked down the narrow corridor.
Room numbers passed slowly along the wall.
Then—
They stopped in front of the door.
Just as Doyeon reached for the handle—
BOOM.
A loud crack of thunder exploded outside, followed by a flash of lightning that briefly illuminated the hallway windows.
"Ah!"
Ha-eun jumped instinctively and grabbed onto Doyeon, wrapping her arms tightly around him.
For a brief second, they both froze.
Then Ha-eun realized what she had just done.
Her face instantly turned bright red again.
"W-wait!"
She quickly stepped back, covering part of her face with her sleeve as she looked away.
"S-sorry! That thunder just surprised me!"
Doyeon blinked, then smiled faintly.
"…Cute."
The word was supposed to be in his thoughts but it slipped out before he could stop it.
He froze.
"Oh."
A small pause followed.
"That was supposed to stay in my thoughts…" He rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly. "…Well, she probably didn't hear it anyway."
Ha-eun heard it.
Her face somehow became even redder.
She didn't say anything, but her ears were practically steaming.
Doyeon, completely unaware of this, quickly inserted the key into the door and pushed it open.
The lights flicked on automatically as they stepped inside.
Both of them stopped.
The room wasn't large, but it was surprisingly clean. A small kitchenette sat against one wall, with a sink and a tiny electric stove. A narrow bathroom door stood to the side, and a small table with two chairs rested near the window.
And right in the center of the room—
One very large bed.
Doyeon stared at it.
"…Shit."
He scratched his head awkwardly.
"Why is there such a big bed…?"
Ha-eun also looked at it.
Doyeon immediately panicked.
"Wait! Shit!! S-shorry!!!" he said quickly, raising both hands defensively. "I didn't expect it to only have one bed!"
But Ha-eun wasn't listening.
Her eyes had already lit up.
Before Doyeon could react, she suddenly ran forward and jumped onto the bed.
The mattress bounced slightly under her weight as she grabbed one of the pillows and hugged it tightly.
Then she rolled across the bed happily.
Once.
Twice.
She buried her face into the pillow with a satisfied sigh.
"So soft."
For a moment she looked completely carefree— like someone who had forgotten every embarrassing moment from earlier.
Doyeon stood near the door, staring.
Doyeon watched from the doorway as Ha-eun rolled happily across the bed, hugging one of the pillows like she had just discovered the greatest luxury in the world.
"…Why are you so excited?" he asked, a quiet chuckle slipping out before he could stop it.
Ha-eun immediately froze mid-roll.
Slowly, she lifted her head from the pillow and looked toward him with an exaggerated pout.
"Hey!" she protested. "Do you have any idea how hard it is to sleep on a brick?"
She sat up and hugged the pillow against her chest, glaring at him like he had just insulted her personally.
"I've been sleeping on the highway, you know."
Doyeon blinked.
He slowly walked further into the room, taking off his jacket as he passed the foot of the bed before dropping it onto the nearby couch.
After that he sat down, leaning back slightly while looking at her with a puzzled expression.
"What do you mean?"
Ha-eun's playful expression faded a little.
She shifted her position on the bed, sitting cross-legged now while hugging the pillow tighter. For a moment she stared down at the blanket beneath her fingers as if deciding whether she should explain.
"You know how ghosts are supposed to stay near where they died?" she said quietly.
She glanced up briefly before continuing. "I mean… near their corpse."
The words hung in the room for a moment.
Then Ha-eun flopped backward onto the mattress again, burying half her face into the pillow as if trying to escape the conversation she had just started.
"But you know what? Let's not talk about that right now."
Her voice came out muffled through the pillow.
"Let's just relax for a bit."
Doyeon watched her for a second, but didn't press the topic.
Instead, he stood up from the couch briefly and adjusted one of the cushions before lying down across it, resting one arm behind his head as he stared up at the ceiling.
The sound of rain tapping against the window continued softly in the background.
After a few seconds, Ha-eun peeked up from the bed.
She noticed him stretched out on the couch.
A slow grin began forming on her lips.
"Ohho?"
She rolled onto her side and propped her head up with one hand, looking down at him with clear amusement.
"Why are you over there?"
Doyeon didn't even bother turning his head.
"The couch is fine."
Ha-eun's grin grew wider.
"(¬^¬) This bed is big enough for two people, you know."
Doyeon slowly turned his head and gave her a flat look.
She scooted closer to the edge of the bed, leaning forward slightly so her hair fell over one shoulder as she looked at him.
Then she lowered her voice dramatically.
"Come here."
She waved her finger slightly.
"Let's sleep to— gether~"