"Stop laughing!" Rona yelled at Minho who was on his back, laughing loudly, totally running out of breath while holding his stomach and kicking the sand.
"I- I can't.. stop laughing." The boy said, trying to control his breath. "You think I'm a dead person? Oh my god, I didn't laugh that much for years."
"I don't think. I know." She stated.
"How do you know?"
"I see ghosts! It's been two years now."
"What? How?" The boy sat upright and looked at her serious face. She wasn't kidding.
"I had an accident and I almost died. Since then, I started seeing ghosts."
"What accident?"
"That-" She paused. "Never mind. Now since you know your name, I guess you know where you really are. I mean your body."
The boy resumed laughing and fell to his back again, kicking the sand, sprinkling it everywhere around. "Jesus, Rona. You are funny. I'm here."
"I met a lot of guys like you, Minho. They didn't know that they were ghosts. You are not supposed to be wandering in this world for too long."
Minho stopped laughing and looked at her concerned eyes. He adjusted himself and rested his body on his probed elbows. "Don't tell me that there is some light I have to walk through or a tunnel to cross to the other life."
"I don't know that much. I just know that being attached to human life isn't good."
"So, you say I'm a ghost." He sat upright. "How did you come up with that conclusion?"
"You just started showing up everywhere around me since you knew I can see you. You pop up at the bus stop, at the campus, near my home -which I never mentioned where it is-. You never go to school. You are always wearing that beanie!" She said, pointing at his head. "Who the hell wears a beanie in that hot weather?"
Again Lee Minho couldn't contain his laughter and fell to his back, holding his stomach. Rona sighed at the boy who was not planning to believe her then she stood up, dusted herself off, and started walking away.
Minho opened his eyes that were tearing up from laughing so hard, got to his feet, and followed the girl. Again, he was walking beside her but backward, tucking his hands in his back pockets. "So, you assumed that I'm a ghost because I wear a beanie?"
"Keep mocking, Lee Minho. You'll regret that later. Just as you'll regret walking backward when you trip and fall down, smashing your beautiful face."
"Why do you care if I smash my face? I'm a ghost, remember?" He said chuckling. Rona rolled her eyes and continued walking. "Listen, stupid. I show up near your house cause I live in that neighborhood just like you. You'll see me near the campus and the bus stop cause I go to your university's hospital for my check-ups. I don't go to school cause I just stopped. I was way too sick to attend so I started dropping. And for the beanie. God! That's ridiculous. I love beani-"
Minho was cut as he stumbled over a stone that he didn't see because he was still walking backward. Rona quickly tried to grab his hand but she ended up falling down with him. Specifically, on top of him.
"I told you, you would trip over." She yelled at the boy who was on his back, securing a hand to her waist, looking at her dark orbs, close enough for his high-pointed nose to touch her small button-like one. Rona felt a strange warm shiver that stiffened her body and mind.
"Rona, by any chance, have you ever touched any of the ghosts you see before?" He asked.
"Of course not."
"Not even lying on top of them?" Minho said with a smirk then winked at her.
Rona's eyes widened as she realized she was on top of him.
How could this be possible?
She could feel his body under her. She could feel his warm hand on her waist. She could feel his hot breath brushing her face.
HOLY SHIT! HE'S A HUMAN!
Rona, in a fraction of seconds, turned into a tomato. She quickly placed her hands at the sides of his head to balance herself to get off of him. Her hand slipped ending in her falling again to his body, which wasn't a romantic scene at all as her knee mistakenly, hit the poor boy's crotch.
Ops.
Minho screamed in pain, placing his hands where it hurt, a lot. Rona finally got to her feet but she turned into a redder tomato. It took her a few minutes to brush the memory off her mind, and for him to stand up and walk properly, almost.
***
Soon they were at the bus station taking the last bus back to Seoul as Minho promised. She kept silent for the whole ride, still embarrassed at what happened earlier. Luckily the boy was tired enough to doze off, so he wouldn't tease her.
That didn't last for too long cause as soon as they arrived at Seoul, the boy woke up from his nap, regained his energy, and started teasing.
"When will you stop laughing?" She asked annoyingly.
"I'm not planning to stop soon." The boy was still giggling.
"Fine, I get it you don't believe in ghosts."
"Who said that I don't believe in ghosts? I do. It's just funny how you thought that I was a ghost."
Minho kept teasing her at how stupid she was to think that he was a ghost. Do ghosts buy chocolate chips for their friends? Cause he did once. Do ghosts get a ticket on the bus? Cause surely he did earlier. She even face palmed herself when she thought of the first time she met him in the neighborhood by the convenience store when he covered her ears and she held his hands. He was always a human!
They kept walking and he kept teasing not noticing where they were. Which was her house's door that she unlocked and they walked in, straight to her room. Rona switched on the light and sat to bed, throwing her bag to the floor. Minho was leaning to her desk, still laughing and teasing.
"You need to check your IQ, seriously." He teased.
"And you need to learn some manners, kiddo." The boy smiled. Both looked at each other for a moment before the realization hits hard! "What the hell are you doing in my room?" Rona yelled-asked, almost panicking with wide confused eyes. They were drowned in their silly conversation that both of them didn't notice what they were doing. Minho's reaction mirrored Rona's before he starts laughing loudly again.
"You didn't allow a ghost to walk you home before, but you allow a man to walk into your bedroom." He giggled. "You really need to be checked, Rona."
"What man? I only see a high school kid." She said smirking at the boy who was easily teased by the word 'kid'.
"I'm not a kid. Being a high school student doesn't mean that I'm a kid. I'm not even a student anymore."
"You are the same age as my little brother which makes you a kid. Because he's a kid."
"High school'kids' are dangerous nowadays, Rona." Minho said as he took a few steps towards her with a devilish smile and dark eyes.
Rona got nervous because of his move and started crawling backward. "H-how dangerous?" She stuttered. Minho stopped where he was and his eyes got rounded innocently again. Does he have a button to switch modes?
"Don't you read fan fiction? They are all about what high school kids do! They even go through forced marriage a lot. Like man, why it has always to be a school kid forced to marry the powerful guy?"
"Is that your source of knowledge? Really, Minho? Fan fiction?"
"They are interesting. Time killers." He shrugged. Rona shook her head in denial and then stood to her feet, grabbing Minho's shoulders and turning him around. She pushed him to the front door. "What? Why? We can hang out for more." The boy pouted.
"No, it's late already and my family will be home soon. They won't be happy to find you in my room."
"Why? you said I'm a kid." Minho smirked.
Rona sighed and opened the door, kicking him outside "Goodnight, kiddo." Then slammed the door.
Rona headed back to her bed. She knew that she won't be able to sleep that night since the memory of the close proximity was haunting her. She was never that close to a male before, even her boyfriend.
UGH, that human Lee Minho!