His sister—Lara—led the way.
"Come," she said, glancing back at me with a small smile.
Up close, I noticed it.
She looked like him.
Not exactly—but enough.
Same eyes.
Same quiet softness around them.
Just… lighter.
Less tired.
I followed her down the hallway.
Then she opened the door.
"…Here."
—
I stepped in.
And stopped.
The room was small.
Not in a bad way.
Just… enough.
A bed, a desk by the window, shelves filled with things that didn't match but somehow still fit.
It felt warm.
Real.
Not like mine.
Mine was big.
Too big.
Too empty.
"…I like it," I said quietly.
Lara smiled.
"He did too."
—
Niran walked in behind me.
Slower this time.
Quieter.
Like stepping into something he wasn't sure he was allowed to touch anymore.
—
I looked at the walls.
Sketches.
Paintings.
Half-finished ideas.
"…You like art?" I asked.
He nodded.
"Yeah."
I stepped closer to one of the canvases.
"…You're good."
He didn't answer.
—
I moved to the desk.
Opened a drawer.
Then paused.
"…Oh."
There it was.
A bracelet.
Simple.
Beads and yarn.
A little uneven.
But careful.
The word "science" stitched into it.
I picked it up slowly.
"…You kept it."
He looked over.
Quiet.
"I thought you hated it."
"I didn't."
"…You acted like you did."
He shrugged faintly.
"I act like a lot of things."
I huffed softly.
"…That's true."
—
I looked around more.
Notebooks.
Sketchbooks.
I opened one.
Messy sketches.
Faces.
Hands.
Pages that looked like they were started… then abandoned.
Lara stepped closer.
"He liked drawing," she said. "And painting. And… anything creative, really."
I nodded.
"He was good."
She smiled softly.
"He just didn't show people."
A pause.
Then quieter—
"He didn't really ask people to be his friend either."
I stilled slightly.
"…Why?"
She shrugged gently.
"He said it felt forced."
I looked down at the bracelet in my hand.
"…Yeah."
"He stayed alone," she added, "even when people were around him."
—
I sat down on the bed slowly.
The mattress dipped softly under me.
Still holding the bracelet.
—
Niran moved to the window.
Leaning there.
Looking out.
But not really seeing anything.
—
Lara clapped lightly, trying to brighten the air.
"I'll bring you something to eat," she said. "You're our guest."
I nodded.
"…Thank you."
She smiled again.
And left.
—
The door closed.
Silence.
Different now.
Heavier.
—
I looked at him.
"…Niran."
No answer.
He didn't even turn.
I sighed.
Then patted the bed beside me.
"…Come sit."
He didn't move.
For a moment.
Then slowly—
he turned.
Looked at me.
Something in his eyes…
Then he walked over.
And sat.
Close.
—
"…What's wrong?" I asked.
"Nothing."
"…That's a lie."
"It's not."
I tilted my head.
"…Is it because we came here?"
No answer.
"…Or because you saw them?"
That made him look at me.
His brows pulled together slightly.
Not anger.
Just…
something tight.
"…I left them," he said quietly.
My chest tightened.
"…You didn't choose to."
"Still happened."
He looked away.
"…They're still here."
"…Yeah."
"…And I'm not."
—
I didn't rush to speak.
Didn't try to fix it.
Just sat there.
Then—
I reached out.
And placed my hand over his.
Gently.
—
He stilled.
Then his fingers tightened around mine.
Warm.
Too warm.
—
"…You're bad at comforting," he muttered.
I scoffed softly.
"…You're worse at accepting it."
"…True."
—
A small pause.
Then—
"…Your hands are soft."
I blinked.
"…What?"
He glanced at me.
"…I'm just saying."
"That's weird."
"It's a compliment."
"It's a weird compliment."
"You should be grateful."
"I'm not."
—
He smirked faintly.
Then leaned back slightly.
Still holding my hand.
"…At least you came."
I looked at him.
"…Yeah."
A pause.
I glanced around the room again.
At the sketches.
The bracelet.
The quiet.
Then back at him.
"…I can see it, you know."
"…What?"
"…You and her."
He frowned slightly.
"…Who?"
"Lara."
He blinked.
I shrugged a little.
"…You look alike."
A small pause.
"…Same eyes."
He didn't say anything.
But his grip tightened just a little.
—
"…Of course I came," I added softly.
And this time—
he didn't joke about it.
He just stayed there.
Holding on.
For a moment—
it was quiet.
Warm.
My hand still in his.
Then suddenly—
he pulled away.
Just like that.
I blinked.
"…What?"
Niran stood up.
Stepped back.
Like he needed distance.
"…Don't," he said.
I frowned.
"Don't what?"
"Get attached."
I stared at him.
"…I'm not—"
"You are," he cut in, calm. Too calm.
My chest tightened slightly.
"…And if I am?"
He looked at me.
Something sharp behind his eyes now.
"I'm a ghost, Min-Jun."
Silence.
"…Not a person."
That landed.
Harder than I expected.
I didn't argue.
Didn't joke.
Just…
looked down.
"…Okay."
—
The room felt different now.
Colder.
Even though nothing changed.
—
Then—
I noticed it.
On the desk.
"…Wait."
I stood up and walked over.
A phone.
Old model.
Slightly scratched.
But kept.
"…Your phone?" I said, picking it up.
He glanced at it.
"…Yeah."
He stepped closer, trying to take it—
but his hand just passed through.
He clicked his tongue.
"…Annoying."
I held it up.
"Let me help."
He hesitated.
Then—
"…Password."
I looked at him.
"Really?"
He sighed.
"…It's my birthday."
"Predictable."
"Shut up."
I typed it in.
Unlocked.
—
I scrolled a little.
Contacts.
Messages.
Then—
I froze.
"…Oh."
He looked at me.
"What?"
I turned the screen slightly.
"…You were right."
A small smile crept onto my face.
"The last person you talked to was seo-yeon."
He blinked.
"…What?"
I nodded.
"Call log."
I pointed.
"Two minutes. Around… 4:52 PM."
Silence.
Then—
his expression shifted.
"…Right."
His voice was quieter now.
"She called me."
I looked at him.
"…What did she say?"
He frowned slightly.
"…She wanted to meet."
"Where?"
"…Rooftop."
My smile widened.
"…That's it."
He looked at me.
"…What?"
"Evidence," I said, a little too excited. "Proof."
I turned to him fully now.
"One step closer."
He stared at me.
I actually bounced a little on my feet.
"…We're getting somewhere."
—
The door opened.
I froze.
Lara walked in.
I immediately straightened.
Coughed lightly.
Ran a hand through my hair like I wasn't just celebrating a ghost investigation.
"…Hi."
She smiled.
"I brought food."
She set it down.
The smell hit immediately.
"…Jjangmyeon?"
She nodded.
"It's his favorite."
I smiled.
"…Mine too."
That wasn't even a lie.
—
I sat down and started eating.
Trying to act normal.
Very normal.
Extremely normal.
—
Lara sat nearby.
And started talking.
Little stories.
"…He used to stay up late drawing…"
"…He'd pretend he wasn't tired the next day…"
"…He never told us much about school…"
I listened.
Quietly.
Eating slower now.
—
Beside me—
Niran sat again.
Closer this time.
Quiet.
His hand rested lightly on my shoulder.
Not heavy.
Just…
there.
He leaned in slightly.
Listening to his sister.
Every word.
—
I didn't look at him.
But I felt it.
That quiet.
That closeness.
Even after he said—
don't get attached.
—
I took another bite.
"…He sounds annoying," I muttered.
Lara laughed softly.
"He was."
I smiled a little.
"…Yeah."
Beside me—
I felt the faintest shift.
Like he almost smiled too.
We didn't stay long after that.
It felt… wrong to stay too long.
Like I was stepping into something that wasn't mine—but they still let me in anyway.
—
When I stood up to leave, they all stood too.
Too quickly.
Too warmly.
His aunt smiled and thanked me again.
His father gave a small nod—quiet, but respectful.
Lara walked me to the door, still talking softly like she didn't want the moment to end.
"…Come again, okay?" she said.
I nodded.
"…I will."
—
Then—
his mother stepped closer.
She looked at me for a long second.
Like she was trying to remember my face.
Or maybe…
hold onto it.
She reached out and gently held my hand.
Warm.
"…Thank you for coming," she said softly.
My chest tightened.
"…It's nothing."
But she shook her head.
"It's not nothing."
A pause.
Then—
her voice dropped just a little.
"If you… ever see Niran…"
I froze.
Just slightly.
Behind me, I felt him go still too.
"…Tell him…"
Her fingers tightened around mine.
"…we miss him."
Silence.
Heavy.
Real.
The kind that doesn't go away quickly.
—
I swallowed.
"…Okay."
My voice came out softer than I expected.
"…I will."
She smiled.
Not fully.
But enough.
—
I stepped back.
Bowed my head slightly.
"…Thank you for having me."
Then I turned.
Walked out.
—
The air outside felt colder.
Quieter.
I didn't look at him.
Didn't say anything.
Because I knew—
if I did—
something would break.
—
I got into the car.
Closed the door.
And leaned back.
"…Let's go," I said.
Min-hyuk glanced at me through the mirror.
"…Home?"
"…Yeah."
He nodded.
And started driving.
—
Beside me—
Niran sat quietly.
For once—
he didn't say anything.
And neither did I.