Chapter 5

　　A crushing weight on her chest forced Muhee’s eyes open. She was met with a pair of red eyes staring down at her, the child ghost’s head craned forward from its perch on her stomach. She squeezed her eyes shut again.

　　"Muhee. Are you awake?"

　　If not for that deceptively gentle, creepy voice, she might have let herself slip back into unconsciousness. When she finally opened her eyes again, the ghost was still there, tilting its head.

　　"Still sleepy?"

　　"…How long was I out?"

　　"I don’t know how to read a clock."

　　As it spoke, it glanced at the clock on the wall, and her gaze followed. Two hours had passed. Muhyeok still hadn’t returned. Two hours. It was the most sleep she’d had in ages, even if it had been plagued by a nightmare she never wanted to relive. She waved a hand, gesturing for it to get off, and the ghost boy, surprisingly, complied.

　　"Were you sitting on me for two whole hours?"

　　"Uh-huh. I protected Muhee."

　　It stared at her with its unblinking red eyes, as if expecting praise. It was deeply unsettling. No wonder she’d felt like she was having sleep paralysis. Or maybe it’s the exact same thing. As Muhee sat up, dazed, the ghost crawled over to sit beside her. She hadn’t heard a single rustle of clothing, hadn’t sensed its presence at all. She pressed her throbbing temples. At this point, curiosity about what this ghost wanted was beginning to eclipse her fear.

　　"Why do I have to ‘accept’ you? Are you telling me to become a shaman or something?" she asked, recalling its words from before she’d fallen asleep. At her question, the child ghost looked up at her. After a moment’s hesitation, she met its red gaze. For a second, she thought she saw a flicker of joy in its eyes, but she dismissed it as a trick of the light.

　　"A shaman? That doesn’t matter. Our only purpose is to be by your side."

　　"To curse me?"

　　"I’m not an evil spirit."

　　Sitting on a sleeping person’s stomach and staring at them from inside a refrigerator seemed like pretty solid evil-spirit behavior to her. But she didn’t have the energy to argue. She just tilted her head, prompting it to continue.

　　"Our purpose is to protect you."

　　"From who?"

　　"From the one who will kill you."

　　A vague answer. Was someone really trying to kill her? Other than the ghosts themselves, no one had ever threatened her life. Although if their goal was to kill her from exhaustion, they were doing a damn fine job.

　　Besides, in my dreams, it’s always other people who die. She thought of the murderer from her dream—Muhyeok’s friend. The victims changed, but the killer was always the same. Maybe he was what the ghosts were warning her about. Of course, she had no idea why they would bother.

　　Don’t trust them. You paid the price for that once already. They were just creatures who fed on human suffering. So, while she nodded along, she didn’t believe a word. It was up to her to decide what was true and what was a lie.

　　"If you’re going to protect me, how far will you go? Because honestly, I wouldn’t be surprised if I dropped dead from fatigue right now."

　　"Why? Is someone bothering Muhee?"

　　Was it genuinely naive, or was it just mocking her? Her head throbbed, likely from lack of sleep. Or hypertension, perhaps. She pressed her temples and sighed.

　　"You guys keep startling me and lurking around, so I can’t sleep. I’m terrified. And some of you try to hurt me directly."

　　Frowning at the memory of being choked, she saw the child ghost’s face scrunch up in response. Its smooth, pale face wrinkled like a steamed bun. Its red eyes seemed to pierce right through her.

　　"I’ll kill them."

　　Kill what? Her?

　　"I’ll kill everything that bothers Muhee. Ghosts and people."

　　"Don’t kill people," she said flatly. "Just get rid of the ghosts."

　　"Okay!"

　　"And don’t answer with such a cheerful smile. It’s creepy."

　　"Okay."

　　"The straight face is creepy, too. Can we just talk without me having to look at you?"

　　"No."

　　Such a stubborn little thing. She didn’t trust it, especially since it looked like a child, but maybe it was worth a test run. What did she have to lose? With a feeling of weary resignation, she flopped back down. The child ghost stared at her for a moment, then slithered closer, its gaze fixed on her stomach.

　　"And don’t climb on my stomach. You’ll crush me."

　　"I’m not heavy."

　　"You’re not light, either." The child ghost pouted, as if it actually thought it was cute. With that ghostly pale face.

　　"Muhee. Give me a name."

　　"No." Naming something was an act of affection. She didn’t trust this ghost, had no plans to, and certainly had no intention of growing attached to it. It seemed displeased by her constant refusals, but it didn’t threaten her. Its expression just shifted from discontent to dejection, a clear play for sympathy.

　　"Go back in the fridge and sleep."

　　"That’s not my bedroom. I like being next to Muhee."

　　"I can’t sleep when you’re here. Now go. And make sure that weird, hulking ghost doesn’t show up, either."

　　"Then will you give me a name?"

　　"I’ll see how you do."

　　Never make promises with a ghost. Absolutely not. Not wanting to look at it anymore, she turned to face the wall. She heard the refrigerator door open, then close gently. The thought that Muhyeok might come home and have a heart attack finding a ghost in his fridge briefly crossed her mind, but she dismissed it. She was always the only one who could see them.

　　She tried to drift off again, but a vibration from the table jolted her awake. Muhee scowled and tried to ignore it, but sighed when she remembered how few people would actually call her. Dragging her feet, she slowly made her way over. Her friend’s name was on the screen.

　　—"What?" she answered flatly.

　　—"‘What?’ That’s how you answer? I was calling to see if you got home okay," Yeondo said, her cheerful voice a stark contrast to Muhee’s mood.

　　—"Shouldn’t you have done that yesterday?"

　　She heard a laugh from the other end of the line.

　　—"Honestly? I forgot to."

　　Some friend. Muhee managed a small chuckle, picturing Yeondo, who had stayed up drinking with her, listening to her problems and keeping her company until dawn so she wouldn’t be alone. Even if the night had ended with an encounter with her hulking ghost chauffeur.

　　—"Were you okay after you got home? I figured you’d be fine, since you drank so much you probably passed out."

　　—"I ran into him on the way back. In the cab."

　　—"Are you for real? What about the driver?!"

　　—"He ran for it."

　　—"So you drove? You haven’t driven in years!"

　　—"The big guy did it."

　　—"For real?!" Yeondo breathed her catchphrase.

　　Muhee pulled out a chair and sat down, propping her legs on the one next to it and leaning back. The refrigerator door creaked open, and a pair of red eyes met hers. She shot it a glare, and the door clicked shut.

　　—"It’s real. I can’t help it if you don’t believe me."

　　—"No, no, I believe you."

　　It might have sounded dismissive, but Muhee knew her friend. Yeondo didn’t doubt people. The story was absurd, but she was trying to empathize with Muhee’s fear, and that alone was a solace. After her father’s death, when everyone else had gossiped and blamed her, Yeondo was the only one who had stood by her side. An image of her friend, with her bright smile and long, straight hair, came to mind.

　　Muhee tapped her fingers on the table, pondering. I always wanted to give off positive vibes like Yeondo, too. She wondered if that day would ever come.

　　—"Are you alone? I can come over if you want. Or you can come to my place."

　　—"No, it’s fine. Your parents are there; I don’t want to impose."

　　—"They wouldn’t mind… Just don’t push yourself too hard. Call me if you need anything."

　　—"Yeah. Thanks."

　　The kind words brought a small, genuine smile to Muhee’s face. Instantly, the refrigerator door opened again. Her smiling face, reflected in the ghost’s red eyes, looked completely different. The dark circles were still there, but the smile had unearthed her natural charm. The little ghost stared, as if memorizing the sight. The moment their eyes met, however, her smile vanished, and the door quietly closed.

　　She had just hung up when the phone vibrated again. Thinking it was Yeondo, she glanced at the screen and frowned. It was Muhyeok.

　　—"Yeah, Muhyeok?"

　　—"Hey. Did you eat yet?"

　　—"Not yet. I was napping. Why?"

　　—"Want to grab dinner with me? I’m heading to that bean sprout soup place nearby."

　　Come to think of it, the fridge had been empty. Muhee paused. Am I hungry? The exhaustion lingered, but the short nap must have helped, because she suddenly felt hunger gnawing. Besides, it was thoughtful of her brother to ask, and she didn’t want to refuse.

　　As soon as she agreed, Muhyeok said he’d text her the address and hung up, as if he’d been waiting for her answer. She ran a hand through her messy hair and glanced at the refrigerator before heading out.

　　"Don’t follow me."

　　"…But I have to protect Muhee."

　　The little red-eyed ghost peeked its head around the side of the refrigerator door, its voice laced with a pathetic whine. It was a clear attempt at manipulation, but its face was as creepy as ever. At Muhee’s sharp glare, the ghost ducked its head and retreated, though it kept sneaking glances at her. Of course, that didn’t change her mind.