Dating The Dead [Jjk Completed]

1

Chapter 1: Screaming Into My Coffee Mug

The last box landed with a thud on the floor, joining its companions in the small, cluttered living room. Min Yeon stood in the middle of the apartment, hands on her hips, surveying the chaos. Her new home. She'd finally done it. Packed up her life and ditched the toxic mess of her past—literally and figuratively.

"Freedom," she muttered to herself, her voice barely louder than the hum of the fridge. "The smell of dust, cardboard, and overpriced rent. Perfect."

She wasn’t about to let a few cracks in the walls and a slightly musty odor ruin the moment. The apartment was small—cozy, even—but it was hers. Her sanctuary. The place where she would live on her own terms. No more toxic exes. No more... ghosts.

She smiled a little at the thought of that last one. She had moved on, after all. At least, that’s what she told herself as she kicked off her sneakers, letting them hit the floor with a satisfying thud.

The dim light from the ceiling flickered once, twice. Min Yeon froze. She looked up at the bulb, trying to ignore the unsettling creak that followed. It wasn’t the first time a light had flickered in the building. "Old wiring," she muttered, mentally checking off the things she would fix later.

She moved into the kitchen, pulling out her favorite coffee mug—oversized and chipped in just the right places. It was the only thing that survived the great breakup purge. Well, that and a few mismatched spoons, but she didn’t think they’d make for good emotional support objects.

“I need this,” she said to no one in particular as she filled the mug with hot water, hoping the caffeine would kick in before her stress did.

As the kettle whistled, she let her gaze wander around the room. The walls, stained by age and questionable paint choices, seemed to close in on her. But no matter how hard she stared, the room didn’t feel right. It felt too quiet. Too empty.

She shook it off. It was just nerves. She'd been through enough chaos with her last few exes—especially Hyun-woo, who had a bad habit of lingering even after the breakup. But she was done with all that. Ghosts, both literal and figurative, weren’t going to chase her in this new chapter.

The kettle screeched to a halt, and she poured the hot water into her mug, watching the steam rise. The smell of freshly brewed coffee filled the air, and for a moment, Min Yeon allowed herself to breathe deeply. A moment of calm.

That lasted all of five seconds.

Thud.

Min Yeon’s heart leapt into her throat. She dropped the spoon she was holding as the noise echoed from the bedroom. Something heavy had fallen. She didn’t need to investigate; the sound was familiar—too familiar.

"Okay, no. Not today," she whispered to herself, trying to convince her own heart to stop racing. "It's just stress. You're fine."

Her feet took her to the bedroom anyway, her eyes scanning the room. The closet door was slightly ajar, the bed neatly made despite her half-hearted attempt to unpack earlier. The window was closed. No signs of disturbance.

And yet, there it was.

A black hoodie, draped neatly across the bed.

Her stomach churned. The hoodie belonged to Hyun-woo. She knew it. He left it here after their last argument—a parting gift of sorts. One of those things that lingered long after the person was gone.

No. No, no, no. She'd made sure to return everything—everything—he’d left behind when they broke up. That hoodie wasn’t supposed to be here. It wasn’t supposed to be here.

"Maybe I’m just losing it," she muttered, forcing herself to laugh as she grabbed the hoodie by the sleeve. She yanked it off the bed and held it at arm’s length, as if it might suddenly bite her.

"Ugh, I don’t need this," she groaned, tossing it into the closet. "I’m fine. Everything’s fine. Just... stress."

She turned back to leave the room when something caught her eye in the mirror. Her reflection was blurry, like a haze of shadows clinging to her image. It was gone in a blink, but for a moment, she was sure it hadn’t just been her imagination.

She shook her head. "I need sleep. I’m exhausted."

As she turned back into the living room, her coffee mug sat innocently on the counter. It was the last thing she wanted to deal with, but she was a woman of routine. And right now, her routine called for caffeine.

She reached for it.

That was when it happened.

The mug flew out of her hand, shooting through the air like a missile, spinning end over end before crashing against the far wall. The ceramic shattered with a deafening crack, sending a brown spray of liquid across the white paint.

Min Yeon screamed, stumbling backward into the kitchen counter. Her chest heaved as she stared at the wreckage, frozen in shock.

"I... I didn’t do that," she whispered, heart racing.

Something was wrong. Really wrong.

Before she could process it further, a voice—low, familiar, and unmistakable—whispered in the air behind her.

"Hey, babe."

Min Yeon froze, her blood running cold. She didn’t need to turn around to know where that voice came from. She’d heard it too many times in her life—too many times.

It was Hyun-woo. But how? How was he—

The air seemed to grow colder, the room feeling less like her own and more like... something else. She felt an unshakable unease settle deep in her bones.

"Okay, no," she said aloud, her voice shaking. "Not today."

But the apartment didn’t answer.

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