Chapter 3

"There was something in her eyes that made me trust her. Maybe it was because they held the same cynicism, the same world-weariness I saw on my own every morning when I looked at myself in the mirror." – Melika Dannese Lux

"Hey, hey" someone whispered, just like a palliating wind. "Wake up"

Huh? The former time I checked my alarm was not an angelic masculine voice.

"HEY!!!"

My eyes shot open before I sat upright on my bed, my mind in a stupor. Squinting my eyes, I saw the silhouette of a man watching me from the foot of my bed. The sun was unswervingly behind him that I couldn't see his face. My nerve lost itself for a second then the realization hit me like a gargantuan tsunami.

My senses adjusted to the figure of the Lee Jimin beaming at me.

"Good Morning, Mia!" he chirped, happily.

What's there to be joyful about?

I simply stared at him. I fathomed whatever happened yesterday was a dream. For a second yesterday, I anticipated that all of this was some imprudent dream of mine, but seeing the said guy in front of me standing like an overly excited kid makes me groan internally. No, this isn't a dream, Mia. This's tangible.

I shrugged at him, throwing the blanket away to get down the bed. My alarm was on my nightstand but...?

"Why were you waking me up instead of my alarm?" I turned to him.

"Uh," he eyed the alarm and looked back at me. "It had been going for about 15 minutes. It's very irksome so I turned it off and decided to wake you up myself" he grinned, guiltily.

"Hmm" I glanced at him again while making my bed. There was a book of mine with a bookmark in his hand. "Did you stay up all night reading?" He had read half of it already!

"Oh, yeah. I can't sleep, remember?" he asked holding out the book.

~Flashback~

"Are these all your books?" he asked, probing my long bookshelf with hundreds of books.

One entire wall of my four-sided bedroom is covered with a huge bookshelf. The idea was my dad's as I always had to go to my father's study to take books where our house library is located. As a bookworm, my life itself orbits around books so my dad premeditated my room like this where I could keep all of my favorite novels, comics, and study materials. It's quite convenient and operative, I must say. Less walking, more reading!

"Yeah..." I was still busy studying for the test.

"Did you read all of these?" I heard him ask.

"Yeah..." I was preoccupied until I looked up at him who had a very flabbergasted guise on his face. "They're all my favorites".

He dipped as I went back to studying.

"Can I take one of these..." he asked after a moment, pointing at a series of Korean books I bought for familiarizing myself with the language."… for reading?".

I stared him straight in the eye. Usually, I don't share my books with anyone no matter what. I hate it when people tear pages, fold paper, or crush the book while reading. I would promptly say 'no' coldly but this ghost guy here has somehow become an omission. Maybe it's because of the way he looked a bit intimidated and petrified just by my glower. He was slowly retreating from the shelf at my silence when I mindlessly nodded and looked away.

I heard him leave out a breath as he noiselessly opened the shelf and took out the said book with affluence. I side-eyed him as he took the book and sat down on my reading sofa contentedly. He glanced at me before opening the book but I instantly averted my gaze back into my notebook, acting oblivious.

Hold on a second.

Hadn't he passed through walls and all? How can he hold a book and sit on a sofa just like that?

"Can you hold that book in your hands?" I turned my attention fully towards him.

"Yeah...I think so," he said, observing the book and gripping it to guarantee me.

"How can you do that if you can pass through the walls? Isn't your body...um you-know-what?" I squinted my eyes.

"Yes, it is. But somehow if I will myself to do so, I can" Mm...beguiling.

"Can you touch humans then?" I was inquisitive about all of this.

"No" he shook his head with a pout. "I've tried but I can't"

"Fascinating" I murmured.

I really should research these tomorrow. Aish...I'd die out of curiosity.

~~~

He was busy reading the book all night, so he didn't disturb me at all, just what I wanted! I’d reminded him that I was gonna go eat dinner to which he nodded and said that he'd meet my family some other time and he's thrilled to finish the book with a saccharine smile. An idol immersed in a novel, can't blame him, it's a best selling one...well they're humans too; maybe not this one...um right at the moment?

"You're not gonna sleep?" I asked him from the bathroom while I was brushing my teeth. It was almost midnight. My sleep time!

"Aah...I don't know...I don't feel like sleeping," he had his eyebrows scrunched. "I'm not drowsy at all."

"Is it one of the ghost characters?" I shut the bathroom door and sat on the bed. "Not ghost, ‘cause you're not practically dead. Maybe spirit or soul...?"

"I don't know..." he looked down obviously sad and conflicted. Who wouldn't if you know that your body is scarcely alive miles away?

"It's alright," I said, trying to reassure him though I don't know why. "I'll do some research about all this tomorrow. It's just I'm busy with these tests stuff."

He raised his head and looked at me almost like a susceptible little child. I had an abrupt urge to go and hug him at that instant. Wait right there! What am I even thinking? "You will?"

"Yup. You know, things happen for a reason," I tried to give a small smile. "I think whatever has happened there must be a precise reason behind it."

He offered me that genuine smile "Thank you".

"Yeah, yeah." I waved it away. "You sure you won't sleep?" he nodded. "Do you have night vision or something?"

He chuckled "I guess no".

"Then I advocate you use my study table. You can switch on the lamp. I've to switch off the light or my mom will bury me alive for leasing the light all night."

Still sniggering, he got up and went to my study table, switching the study lamp on.

"Good night, Mia" he smiled, a single dimple on display for me to poster.

"Don't stare at me while I'm sleeping like a creep. Or I'll kick you off to South Korea right away" I mumbled with a stern voice. I'd to make sure, you know, he's still a stranger. I was mitigated that he can't touch me or anything. It's just the eyes still it's dangerous in its own way!

"I won't" he smiled, honestly. Who knows?

I plopped down on my bed again and switched the lights off. While getting under the blanket and laying down I took some moment to venerate the heavenly beauty that was sitting on my table under the hazy light. He propped his head up with a hand under his chin, putting the book on the table. The light illumined his face which had the tiniest bit of smile on it. I could stare at the depiction forever like complimenting an art. Like in some majestic painting, one side of his face was lit by the moonbeam which hurried through the window panes while the other by the lamp. Just wow! I had the robust urge to take out my drawing book and sketch his figure right then and there.

Look who's staring like a skulk!

Slowly my eyelids got hefty and I drifted off.

End of Flashback

The recollection of me ogling at him struck me rigid. What the hell, Mia?! What was that?! Did I just gape at him till I fell asleep? It's true he's exceedingly handsome but you can't just stare at someone like that. I mentally rebuked myself. I'd never fancied handsome guys. Never. I just pity them. The way they'd to endure all those stares and talks. This guy here can't change me. Nope!

It’s just my testosterone-famished mind coming into play.

I glanced at him and he was indeed staring at me.

"What?" I asked. Did he see me staring at him by any chance? Oh my god!

"Are you okay?" he's concerned? "You look like you just had a mental debate"

I immediately expunged all sentiments from my face. One of my treasurable talents; Incomprehensible Face. I can put on a blank face at the speed of light. This would even cloud the person whom I'm talking to. Sometimes they'd be confused as hell that they'd leave with helms still revolving in their head. 

"Thinking about the test," I said, shortly. "Perks of being a 12th Grader, dude"

"Oh, Good luck with the test!" he gave me thumbs up.

"I'd need that" I walked to the closet to take my already ironed uniform.

"Mia" I turned around. "Can I follow you to your school?" he scratched his neck, sending out edgy waves.

"Why would you want to come to my school?" I stared at him.

"Well, I have nothing to do anyway. Besides, I only have you to talk to. I don't want to be lonely." he whispered the last part which I heard perfectly. Seems like this Jimin guy is a chinwagger.

" I can't talk to you during classes." I was not going to talk to him anyway at school, people would think I'm crazy or something; talking to thin air though no one would actually overhaul.

"I won't disturb you during classes, I swear," he shook his head vigorously. "I just want to know about this place. It's a new country and I happen to fancy traveling."

"You can travel. From what I know you can teleport. Go on." I started oiling my long hair, watching my bloated morning face in the mirror.

"Teleport?" he stood at the doorway of the bathroom.

"Yeah," I parted my hair in half for better access. "The time when you puffed into my room within minutes."

"Aah...yeah. I guess I can. But..." he stopped to look at me. "I won't have company"

"Find some other spirits or ghosts or whatever" I closed the lid of the bottle after oiling, not really caring about the ambiguous guy at my bathroom door.

"I don't want to. I'm..." he trailed off, lips poised to form yet another pout.

"Scared?" I completed for him, who nodded innocently. I feel like a mom who is tracking her son to go play. I sighed turning to him "Look Jimin, I can't take you anywhere other than my school and home. Those two are the only places I go and come."

"Okay," he mumbled out. "Take me to your school please."

"Fine. It's not like I can stop you anyway" I got out my towel and hung it on my shoulder.

He hopped enthusiastically and jounced his fist in the air, walking away with a chuckle.

Seriously?!

"Hey Jimin," I called, leaning on the door. "I thought you just turned 23. But you actually act like a kid." 

He turned around and blinked at me. His expression morphed into a very intimidating smirk and he brushed his russet hair. Split Personality?!

"Do you want me to act like a man?" he asked in a deep voice, folding his arms over his chest.

"What?" 

"I asked..." he paused dramatically, walking towards me with calculating leisure steps and stopping right where I was leaning on the door, towering over me. Well, there isn't much of a height difference between us; maybe 5cm? He stared deep into my eyes with the same smirk soaring over his lips."...whether you want me to act like a man?"

Oh...really? Was he trying to intimidate me? The Queen of Intimidation? Besides, he can't even touch me. Why should I be scared of this ghost guy? Nope, never. Whatever his members said about him is accurate. A true philander!

I didn’t bat an eyelid while looking straight into his soul. I didn’t even move an inch when he slammed his hands on the door, trapping me in between his sturdy arms. With the distance between us, I could sense his cold breathe on my face. Do spirits breathe? I should g****e up that too.

He didn't do anything after that- we just stared at each other. I still had my blank expression on and a tranquil demeanor which he was trying to break apart, so hard, by his close propinquity.

Mm... how to teach him a lesson?

A bulb went on in my head.

I smirked. His smirk contracted a little, I guess he hadn't expected that. I straightened my stance holding my head high, I lazily trailed my gaze from his hazel grey eyes to his plump rosy lips. Then down his neckline, slightly exposed collarbone, his chest, torso, and further down. Though he had a sweater on, I could clearly make out his well-defined abs under his white T-shirt, I've read that he's famous for it. Then pulling my gaze upward the same way, sluggishly and sultrily. By the time my penetrating regard came back to his eyes, all his smirk had departed and he was really overwhelmed, may I say self-conscious. When I caught his Adam’s apple bobbing up and down from the corner of my eyes, and him flapping his eyes nervously, I amplified my smirk even more.

"You've to raise your standards to become a man, Lee Flirting Jimin," I whispered and derided. "Typical Libra"

He promptly withdrew, upended away from me. I saw him fretfully looking around the room, too intimidated to look at me; his cheeks a cerise shade. Oh, he should be!

I smiled in triumph clapping my hands. I've never tried that before, that was strenuous. He still snubbed to look at me as he walked away towards my door.

"I'll uh...I'll uh w-wait outside," he had his head down, fingers twiddling rapidly. "T-Take your time".

With that, he went through the door. I chuckled at his reaction, fist-bumping with my door for my boldness. Way to go, Mia! Did you just flirt with a global popstar? Wow, really appreciable. But he subscribed, man...he looked cute and so damn flustered. I can do that with this ugly face? Okay, okay...back to my morning routine which definitely was not making the ghost guy flustered. Bruh...gotta go take a test fella!