"What do you want for dinner, Sihyun?"
The manager inquired as usual, expecting to be waved off.
But to his surprise, Sihyun actually responded.
"I'll think about it."
Mr. Kim wondered if the sky was about to fall. He never thought he'd live to hear such a normal answer.
"All right, you can tell me when you decide."
With that, the manager walked away, whistling a happy tune.
Now left alone, Sihyun turned toward the figure beside him.
"What do you want to have?" he asked gently.
"I want to eat something savoury and spicy," Jaeha chirped. "What about you?"
Sihyun simply shrugged.
He was fine with eating anything since he didn't have a particular preference. But he still pulled out his phone and started scrolling through the apps, letting Jaeha choose the menu over his shoulder.
There were a lot of options across several places, and the choice was made after heavy contemplation.
"We can try the other dishes next time," Sihyun said, resting his chin on his hand. "There are still plenty of days ahead."
At that, Jaeha's smile faltered for a brief second before returning to its usual brightness.
"Yeah," he nodded.
Sihyun passed the selected list to his manager, who stared at it like it was written in another language.
"Did a ghost possess him or what?"
Mr. Kim muttered under his breath, scratching his head at the sudden change in nature.
*
Sihyun kept staring at the wall clock as he raised his dumbbells to exercise, tiny droplets forming on his temple.
It had been a while since Jaeha disappeared again.
Normally, he'd return by evening, drifting back in with a smile or a sarcastic quip. But today, he was unusually late.
The man began pacing around the room with no clear objective, his mind in disarray.
He caught sight of a stack of unopened scripts on the table and decided he'd distract himself by reading a few to select his next work.
Reading indeed helped. It occupied the static noise in his head. But as the hours dragged on and the last script was placed back down, there was still no sign of Jaeha.
It was late into the night when the ghost finally returned, floating in as if nothing had happened.
"Where were you?"
The words came low and quick, startling Jaeha.
Sihyun's gruff tone immediately softened the moment he registered the troubled look in Jaeha's eyes.
"What happened?" he asked again, quieter now.
Instead of answering, Jaeha looked around, forcing a grin.
"Woah… are these all scripts for your upcoming work?" he said, floating over.
But the excitement faded into a helpless smile. "Too bad I'll have to leave before then."
Sihyun stood silent, unable to grasp the meaning behind those words.
"…What do you mean?" he finally muttered, arching his brow in confusion.
Jaeha didn't avert his gaze like he usually did. This time, he stared directly with determination.
"I mean… I'll have to leave eventually," he muttered, his voice taut with restraint. "Thank you for giving me so many good memories to carry on. I hope I was able to do the same for you."
The words landed heavily, like a storm crashing over calm waters.
With his heart drumming loudly in his chest, Sihyun could only scoff.
"Don't give me that nonsense. Where exactly are you planning to go?"
Jaeha slowly raised his pale hand.
"Up there. In the sky… that's where we all have to go," he replied softly, pausing before adding, "But not right away. I just wanted to tell you ahead of time… so it won't catch you off guard when it happens."
Sihyun let out a bitter laugh, dragging a hand across his face.
"Oh, how thoughtful of you," he said, voice dripping with sarcasm, his eyes narrowing with a simmering glow. "You barge into my life uninvited, and now you want to leave just as easily?"
"…"
Jaeha wore a look of quiet contemplation.
It was the first time he had seen the man look so angry and hurt… but he stood firm on his words.
"I'm sorry for everything," Jaeha heaved, sincerity and sorrow tangled in his words. "But like I said, it's not happening right away. We still have time—"
"Why wait?" Sihyun cut in. "You've already made up your mind. If you're going to disappear, just do it now. Save us both the drama."
"Please… Sihyun-ah…" Jaeha murmured softly. "I know you must be upset by the news. But do know that I really like being here… with you."
"Yeah, right." The man let out a derisive laugh.
Jaeha lingered for a moment, unsure of what more he could say. He knew they wouldn't be able to talk this through now, not with emotions running high and raw.
"…Let's talk again later," he whispered, before turning and slowly drifting out through the door.