Night fell too fast.
Too quiet.
And somehow… that made everything worse.
We were inside Seo-yeon's room.
Not out in the open.
Not visible.
Hidden.
Inside the drawer.
Yes.
A drawer.
Barely enough space to sit properly without bumping into each other.
I exhaled slowly, trying not to move too much.
"…This is stupid."
Ara immediately whispered back.
"Shhh!"
I frowned.
"…We are literally hiding in furniture."
From beside me, Niran let out a low laugh.
Soft.
Amused.
"…You two look funny."
I turned my head slightly.
"…This is your plan."
"I told you to dress like spies," he said.
Then glanced at us again.
"…You dressed like princesses."
I groaned under my breath.
"…Ara forced me."
Ara crossed her arms in the tiny space like that was even possible.
"It's aesthetic."
"It's pink pajamas."
"They're silk."
"It's still pink pajamas."
We were both in matching soft sleepwear—pink and white, too clean, too cute for anything remotely normal.
Ara even had us wear a fluffy hairband pushing our hair back and a face mask on like she we were going to skincare war instead of ghost hunting.
I looked like I belonged in a luxury sleep ad.
Not… this.
Niran leaned closer slightly, voice dropping.
"…Anyway. Plan is simple."
I narrowed my eyes.
"…You actually have a plan?"
He nodded.
"…I scare her to death."
Silence.
Ara slowly nodded like that made perfect sense.
"…Okay."
I stared at both of them.
"…No. That's not a plan."
Niran ignored me.
Of course.
"…We wait for the moment she's alone. Then I appear."
"…And?"
"…And she panics."
"…That's it?"
He shrugged.
"…That's enough."
I groaned softly.
"…This is why I don't trust you."
He glanced at me.
"…You'll be fine."
"…That's not comforting."
The light stayed on.
Bright.
Too bright for something this late.
Then—
finally—
it dimmed.
She turned it off.
Silence dropped.
Heavy.
Instant.
I exhaled slowly.
"…She's asleep."
Ara swallowed.
"…Finally."
We waited.
One minute.
Two.
The room stayed still.
No movement.
No sound.
Just darkness and the faint outline of furniture.
Then—
something changed.
The air felt colder.
Not physically at first.
Just… wrong.
Ara shifted beside me.
"…Do you feel that?"
I didn't answer.
Because I did.
The mirror across the room.
It flickered.
Just once.
Like something blinked inside it.
I frowned.
"…Niran?"
No answer.
That's when I realized—
He wasn't in the drawer.
He wasn't with us.
Ara noticed too.
Her voice dropped.
"…Where is he?"
The mirror darkened again.
And then—
Niran appeared.
Not fully.
Not physically.
But inside the reflection.
Standing in Seo-yeon's room like he belonged there.
Right behind where she slept.
My breath caught.
"…He went in there…"
Ara grabbed my sleeve.
"…That wasn't part of the plan."
Inside the mirror—
Niran tilted his head slightly.
Watching her.
Still.
Patient.
Too patient.
Seo-yeon shifted in her sleep.
Unaware at first.
Then—
her eyes opened slightly.
The room felt colder instantly.
She blinked.
Slow.
Confused.
The mirror—
He was there.
Closer now.
Her breath stopped.
"…No…"
She sat up quickly.
Looked around.
Nothing behind her.
Just darkness.
Just her room.
—
She turned back to the mirror.
Niran was closer again.
Her face drained.
"…Stop…"
She scrambled backward off the bed.
Feet hitting the floor too fast.
Knocking something over.
"Stop— stop—" she whispered, voice shaking.
She ran for the door.
Grabbed it.
Pulled.
It didn't open.
She froze.
Tugged again.
Harder.
Still locked.
The room felt smaller.
Like the walls were leaning in.
From inside the mirror—
Niran stepped forward.
Just a little.
Enough.
Seo-yeon turned back—
He was no longer just in the mirror.
He was everywhere the reflection could see.
Watching.
Waiting.
Her voice broke.
"…I'm sorry…"
"…I'm sorry…"
The lights flickered once.
Twice.
The window behind her slammed shut.
Then opened.
Then shut again.
Like something breathing through the house.
Ara whispered beside me, shaking.
"…This is scary…"
I couldn't even answer.
My throat felt tight.
Inside the mirror—
Niran smiled faintly.
Not kind.
Not warm.
Something empty.
Seo-yeon fell to her knees.
Hands shaking.
"…Please…"
The reflection didn't move.
Didn't blink.
Just watched her panic unravel.
The door handle rattled violently.
Once.
Twice.
Then stopped.
Silence.
Too much silence.
Seo-yeon sobbed quietly now.
Curled in on herself.
"…I didn't mean it…"
The mirror darkened again.
Niran was gone.
Just like that.
No reflection.
No presence.
The room stayed still.
Unnaturally still.
The door slowly unlocked on its own.
Click.
Seo-yeon flinched hard.
Staring at it like it was a trap.
She didn't move.
Not immediately.
Just shaking.
Breathing uneven.
Then—
slowly—
she crawled toward it.
Outside the drawer—
Ara whispered.
"…Is it over?"
I didn't know.
The room stayed dark.
Quiet.
But wrong.
Like something had been there—
and decided it could come back whenever it wanted.
The door finally clicked open.
My legs were stiff from sitting too long in that cramped drawer.
Ara slipped out first, stretching quietly, whispering something like "never again" under her breath.
I followed after her.
Slow.
Careful.
The room was still dark.
Only a faint glow from the hallway leaking in.
Seo-yeon was on the floor.
Curled in on herself.
Shaking
For a second, I just stood there.
Then I stepped forward.
"…Seo-yeon?"
My voice came out calm.
Normal.
Like I had just walked into the room, not like I'd been hiding inside furniture watching her lose her mind.
Her head snapped up instantly.
Her eyes were wide.
Red-rimmed.
"…Min-Jun?"
Before I could even say anything else—
she rushed up.
And hugged me.
Tightly.
Too tightly.
I froze.
"…Hey—"
Her grip shook.
Her voice broke as she spoke into my shoulder.
"…I saw him… I saw him again…"
My hands hovered awkwardly for a second.
Then I gently placed one on her back.
Careful.
Not too close.
Not too fast.
"…Hey," I said softly. "…It's okay."
She shook her head rapidly.
"…No—no, it was him, I swear—he was in the mirror, he was—"
I looked over her shoulder.
At the mirror.
Empty.
Still.
Normal.
"…You're safe," I said again, quieter this time. "…Nothing's here right now."
Her breathing was still uneven.
Panicked.
Behind me, I caught movement.
Ara already slipping away toward the hallway.
Quick.
Silent.
Like she wanted nothing to do with this anymore.
And Niran—
He was there for a second.
Leaning against the wall near the mirror.
Watching.
Expression unreadable.
Then he turned and faded back.
Like he was never there.
I swallowed slightly.
Focus.
I guided Seo-yeon gently toward the bed.
"…Sit down. Okay?"
She hesitated.
Then sat.
Hands still trembling.
I crouched slightly in front of her so I wasn't towering over her.
Keeping my voice steady.
"…Breathe."
She tried.
Failed once.
Then again.
I nodded slowly.
"…Good. Just like that."
A pause.
"…You're safe in your room," I added. "…No one's here."
Her eyes darted around again.
But slower this time.
Less convinced.
More exhausted.
I stayed there.
Waiting.
Not rushing her.
Just letting the silence settle.
Minutes passed.
Her breathing finally slowed.
Her shoulders loosened slightly.
"…I'm sorry," she whispered.
I shook my head.
"…Don't apologize."
She looked at me like she didn't believe that.
So I softened my voice.
"…You didn't do anything wrong."
Another pause.
Her eyes slowly started to close.
Fatigue finally winning over fear.
I stayed crouched there even after she leaned back onto the bed.
Just watching her breathing even out.
"…Sleep," I murmured.
"…I'm here."
Her eyelids fluttered.
Then stayed closed.
A few more seconds.
Just to be sure.
Only when she was fully asleep did I finally move.
Slowly standing up.
Letting out a quiet breath I didn't realize I was holding.
The room was silent again.
I glanced toward the mirror once more.
Still normal.
Still empty.
"…You better not be watching," I muttered under my breath.
No answer.
Behind me, the room felt lighter now.
Not safe.
Just… calmer.
And somewhere far off in that quiet space between reflection and reality—
it felt like something had finally stepped back.