STAY WITH ME ; ni-ki

CHAPTER 16

It's Sunday.

And thank goodness Heeseung wasn't out of the city today or else the ravenette wouldn't be in the cushion, sitting next to the spirit with a coffee in hand.

Just chilling and enjoying each other's presence.

A random song was being played with the ravenette's phone as the two of them sat in a comfortable silence.

No one's talking as they listen to the song. Though after the countless of songs that Riki likes, a frown appears on his face when the next song started playing.

He immediately reached for his phone on the coffee table and skipped it. Amber looked at him with confused gaze.

"I like the beat of the song. "

Riki glanced at her while setting his phone on it's previous spot on the table. Spring Day by his favorite boy band, BTS, is playing.

"Hmm I like this song too. " he agrees, nodding his head.

"No not that, I mean the one you skipped. "

Riki let out an 'oh' then shakes his head. There is no way he'll play that song in front of her.

It's not he doesn't want her to hear that music. It's just that the music has a big trigger to him and.... And she's a spirit. She's dead and it might make her sad if she hears the song.

"I want to hear it. " Amber started again when the other did nothing but to shake his head. Though upon seeing his odd reaction, Amber mmediately dropped it.

"But it's fine if you don't want to play it. It must be a bad song. " she added, laughing at her last sentence to lighten the sudden heavy atmosphere.

Riki chuckled, smiling as he took a sip on his mug and looked at her. "It's not that it's bad. It's just.. " a heavy sigh left his lips. "It always made me think of my parents. "

This time, it was the spirit's turn to let out an 'oh' sound as her lips formed in an O shape.

"I'd love to meet them, they must be lovely. " Amber giggled, imaging an old man and woman looking like the other. It would be lovely.

The ravenette faint a smile, sadness evident in his eyes that didn't go unnoticed by the spirit.

"Hey what's wrong? "

Again, he just smiled. "I think you can meet and talk to them. "

Amber's eyes widened. "They can see and talk to spirits too?! "

The ravenette shakes his head. "They're spirits too, I guess. I mean, if you die then you'll become a spirit, right? "

And just like that, Amber's smile faltered as she felt her heart clenched upon hearing what the other had said. She shrugged her shoulders, a pout appearing on her lips.

"I'm sorry to hear that. " she whispered, reaching out to the other and caressed his cheek in a tender way. Riki leaned at her touch, closing his eyes as he mumbles 'it's fine'.

"Actually, I'm not sure about that. " Amber spoke after a long silence causing Riki to open his eyes and look at the spirit with confused gaze. "I mean, being a spirit for three years, I have never encountered such a spirit except for one that I became friends with, though she left me after a month. But other than her, none. If people dies and they'll become a spirit, why did I only encounter one out of people being dead and dying everyday? "

"Makes sense. But what happened to her? To your friend? "

"I don't know. We became friends after a month of my death, though after a couple of weeks, she... Just vanished? Like I've never seen her again, I always go to our meeting place but she never came. "

Remembering that time, Amber can still remember her. Remember her friend's face and her voice. Of course, she's her last friend. She can still remember her name.

Yuna.

She's wonderful and friendly, she can be annoying at times but she's tolerable and funny.

Amber can still remember how the girl share her story of how she died. Apparently, her best friend killed her, lured her to drink something then she suddenly woke up being a mere spirit, watching her own funeral.

The last time they have talk was when the other says and suddenly defended her friend who killed her, that she has a valid reason and have no choice and that she forgives her and still love her. And then they parted ways after that then voila, Amber never saw her again.

"Maybe she had her reasons? "

The spirit was snapped back to reality. She hummed. "I don't hate her though for leaving me all of a sudden. "

"What about you? " Riki suddenly asked, making the spirit confused.

"Me? "

"I mean, if you're comfortable enough, you can tell me how you... " Riki paused, didn't know how to address it by not making the other uncomfortable. He didn't know if spirits gets uncomfortable by asking how they die but Riki didn't like to put her on that seat. He didn't want her to be hurt. "You know, like..... Nevermind. "

"You mean how I died? " Amber asked so casually, like it's nothing serious nor important.

Riki coughed, nodding his head nonetheless.

"Honestly, I don't remember much. I just remember going out of this house, going somewhere I'm not sure where and then I suddenly woke up and saw myself dead on the pavement. That's it, everything's blur apart from that. "

"You don't deserve to be just this, you know. " Riki put down the mug as he fully faced the spirit. Lifting his hand and brushing her hair and tucked it behind her ears. "You deserve to be alive, to be taken care of, to be loved. You deserve every happiness in this world and you deserve so much more than being just this. Just a spirit. "

He leaned forward and kissed the crown of her head causing the spirit to still, almost like a statue from the sudden affection. Though after a few seconds, she broke into a smile.

"And you deserve so much more, too. Much much more than me. You deserve to be with someone who's alive and not get stuck with a spirit who can't do anything apart from touching you. "

The ravenette chuckled, leaning forward again to place a kiss on her temple.

And let's say the spirit is loving the affection.

"First of all, I'm not stuck with you, I chose to be with you. In my freewill. Second, I don't want it. Third, you're capable of many things. Sure you're not alive anymore and can't touch anything apart from me, but you complete my world. You make me laugh and smile, you're the main reason why I'm happy right now and also the reason why I'm always looking forward for an another day. You're my moon and you gave me light whenever I'm at my darkest. And... And you're capable of making me feel again. "

Riki smiled.

'When I thought I'll be numb forever. '

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Thank you for reading!