My happiness dimmed the moment I realized the number I'd received actually belonged to Soojin. Why would that woman lie and claim Jia had given it to me? No matter how many times I thought about it, I couldn't find an answer.
A short ringtone drew my attention back to my phone. I found myself added to a group called Naughty Kids. I had zero interest in joining some weird clique. Was this why Soojin had given me her number, just to put me in this group? Why would she think I wanted to join?
A floating notification appeared on the screen. I opened the message.
[Naughty Kids group chat]
Jia: Soojin is here! Welcome, new Naughty Kids!
Me: You tricked me?
Jia: Hahaha! Did you really think I'm Jia?
Me: I even saved your number under her name. So… why am I here?
I let out a long sigh, calming myself before changing Soojin's contact name in my phone. Then, I reopened the chat room.
[Naughty Kids group chat]
Soojin: Just so I can keep an eye on you! Jia wants to talk to you. Hey Jia, come out!
Me: Jia's in this group too?
Soojin: Didn't you check the group info? Jia is also a member.
Me: I'm not a naughty kid, but since Jia's here, I'll learn to be naughty.
Soojin: Who says you're not? Wasn't the bathroom incident earlier today part of your naughtiness?
Soojin's words immediately reminded me of that moment. Jia had looked so scared, and worry for her now crept into my mind.
[Naughty Kids group chat]
~Jilly-Jia: Sorry for joining late. I just finished washing my hair hehe. Don't bring up that incident again. I'm embarrassed hiks…
Hello, Ian!
Soojin: Ah, here they come! You two be honest with me. Did you really just talk in the bathroom? Nothing else happened?
Me: That…
~Jilly-Jia: Iaaan, don't tell Manager Soo. It's a secret!
Me: Ahaha, alright, Jilly-Jia.
Yet my worry vanished instantly once Jia joined the chat. She seemed fine, cheerful as always. Seeing her like that restored my calm.
[Naughty Kids group chat]
Soojin: You two are impossible!
~Jilly-Jia: Oh, that's just the name I use on the website.
Soojin: Fine then, carry on. Use this group to talk, not the bathroom!
As I typed a message, my phone suddenly rang—Jilly-Jia was calling. Panic surged, I grabbed the phone with trembling hands, nervous to hear her voice. Taking a deep breath, I finally answered.
"Ian, did I surprise you?"
"I… yeah, a bit. Wasn't Soojin supposed to make us keep talking in the group so she could monitor us?"
"What matters now is that we already have each other's numbers, right?" Then her voice carried a slightly somber tone, "Manager Soo won't let us be alone together."
My heart pounded harder than ever. Did she just say that? "Y-you want to be alone with me…?"
"I-I mean, just to talk! Nothing else!" Her voice sounded flustered.
I nodded slowly, trying to understand. "Maybe Soojin just wants to protect you."
A heavy sigh came from the other side. "Exactly. She's a very protective manager. I can't blame her, that's her job."
"Jia, there's something I want to ask you."
"What is it?"
"Soojin said you need Minjae for your career, but on the other hand, you don't like him. Am I wrong to think you're trapped in a situation you don't actually want?"
"Manager Soo told you that?"
"Eh? Is that something I shouldn't know?"
"Not really."
"Then… what's the answer?"
Jia paused for a moment before continuing, "I think we need to talk about this more. Are you free this weekend? I want to take you somewhere."
My heartbeat quickened at her invitation. Was Jia asking me on a date?
"This isn't a date!" she quickly added, as if reading my thoughts.
I took a slow breath, trying to steady myself from drifting off into daydreams. "What about Minjae?" I asked, recalling the man who constantly watched her.
"Don't worry. Every weekend, Minjae is busy studying his family business. That gives me enough freedom."
Even though her tone sounded cheerful, I could sense the exhaustion behind her words. She seemed so constrained around Minjae, which only strengthened my feeling that Jia didn't want to be in that situation.
"Alright. Let's go on a date this weekend," I said eagerly.
"Ian! It's not a date!"
I jumped, embarrassed at my words that had unintentionally suggested that. "O-of course. I mean, we'll just go out this weekend, not on a date."
Her small laugh was sweet on the other end. "Okay, see you this weekend, Ian."
The call ended, and I couldn't contain myself. Heart racing, I leapt for joy. If this were a dream, it was too perfect to be real.
But beneath that happiness, a realization began creeping in—I had to protect Jia. If something bad happened while we were together, I wanted to be the only one who could keep her safe.
I jumped again, this time more forcefully, letting excitement fill my entire body. But the joy didn't last long. The quiet that had filled the room was suddenly broken by a soft, piercing sound of crying.
I froze, feeling my hair stand on end. Slowly, I walked to the bedroom door and opened it. The sound swelled, as if someone's sadness was filling every corner, freezing the joy I had just felt.
It was only Mina and me in Grandma's house. Mina had gone on her date, so it couldn't be her. Then… who was crying on the lower floor?
A chill ran down my neck, but I had to be brave. Holding my breath, I descended the stairs, swallowing hard each time a step creaked beneath me. In the corner of the room, I grabbed a broom. My fingers gripped the handle tightly, sweating despite the cold air.
The crying grew clearer, each sob tearing through the silence of the house. I stopped in front of Mina's bedroom door. The sound came from inside, making my skin crawl further. I swallowed my panic and opened the door with trembling hands.
As the door swung open, I immediately caught my breath. Inside, a figure sat in the corner, sobbing uncontrollably. The broom slipped from my hands, crashing loudly to the floor. The figure turned slowly, revealing deep, black tears streaming from her eyes. Her hair was messy, her skin pale like a corpse, and her gaze empty, filled with nothingness.
"H-help...! Ghost!!!" I screamed, immediately spinning around and running as fast as I could.