ORV Fanfiction [UNNAMED] (Hiatus)

Chapter 8: To Listen (2)

A/N: So uh...I forgot to update for one day, and then yesterday I didn't have a chance to update, so here's a double update. I'll also post another chapter later today.

[You have gained the achievement, "The dead one's listener"!]

[Sorrowful Heart of Silver is impressed by your deed.]

As I listened to the strange sounding achievement and the unknown constellation, I soon arrived back where I started, where Na Bori and Lee Jihye had been anxiously pacing the area.

"Where were you?" Lee Jihye flew to me and grabbed my arm in worry.

"It's been over an hour and you still haven't shown up. I was beginning to agree to search for you if you didn't appear soon." Na Bori added.

I felt guilty at making them worry without telling them what I was doing.

"Sorry, I didn't come back here in time." I paused, wondering if my companions would accept what I was going to say next or think I was a crazy freak. So instead, I took a different approach.

"Hey, Na Bori, Lee Jihye, what do you think of the ghosts?" I tried to fix my expression and tone to that of a casual question, despite feeling unease.

Na Bori looked taken aback by the question, "Ghosts? Obviously they're the scary people that died and want to kill everyone in the horror movies!"

On the other hand, Lee Jihye raised a brow and replied, "I met one trying to attack me using a chair, but I cut it down so I think they aren't so scary."

I absorbed this information and then proceeded with another question.

"What if the ghost was someone you know? Like, another friend but they passed away and came back as a ghost." I wasn't quite sure how to organize my words.

"Huh? Why are you asking such a thing?" Lee Jihye looked at me weirdly, but then thought seriously about the question, "...Then I guess I would hear them out. I would want to know...why they came to me."

Na Bori fell silent, conflicting emotions across her face, "Like Lee Jihye, I think I would-would hear them out as well. Yeah. Maybe. I mean, what if it's a ghost using the appearance of my friend to try and bait me? But if it really was my friend..."

"Regardless, I just wanted you to think about this the next time another ghost appears. They're...not what you think they are. No who you think they are." I struggled to get out these words as I searched my companion's expressions for any inkling of denial.

Could they trust me?

Their faces were not of denial. Not yet.

"Why did you ask?" Lee Jihye asked again, the look on her face truthfully one of curiosity.

Na Bori also looked at me with the same pair of curious eyes.

"Because I..." My story was going to be too ridiculous. No one would listen. No one wanted to.

So I stared back, my mouth parted to speak but my vocal cords were silent.

Could I...trust that they trusted me?

[Sorrowful Heart of Silver is encouraging you.] (Do they know something about the situation?)

So I took a coward's way out, omitting parts of the truth.

"Well, you know, it has something to do with why I was gone for so long. I met a ghost, a boy, and he wasn't so bad. So I played with him and his friends and I learned about their story. They were just like us, just that they died with regrets."

However, despite saying this as an answer, the two pairs of eyes continued to pay attention to my next words, like I was going to say more.

Nervously, I cut off the prolonged attention, "Okaayy, that's why I asked you about ghosts. We don't really have time to stand around so let's get going."