Hopeless Shadow

Chapter 7 - Advantages

"I can't help you with anything except suggesting that you try to figure it out by yourself."

Ahjussi's words kept echoing in Soobin's mind. Finding out who he was. The reason he died. Who was the person who had not yet accepted his death. All these things made his head feel like it was about to explode.

Soobin hadn't really decided whether he would leave this world and go to the afterlife—he didn't even know how to do that. But for now, Soobin still wanted to stay close to Park Yerin, to make sure she was okay and stop hurting herself.

It turned out that being a ghost had its advantages. He could now watch Yerin more closely. He could freely follow her anywhere without the fear of being seen or making her uncomfortable. However, that didn't mean he would follow Yerin into the toilet. Even though he couldn't remember anything, Soobin still knew about etiquette and people's privacy—he wasn't a pervert. So, even though he sometimes worried that Yerin might do something strange in there, he still let her be alone.

Last night, he followed her to the library again. Yerin read so many books that Soobin was amazed. She didn't just read one, she even took dozens of thick books to the corner table.

Soobin could never read that many books, he just wanted to keep her company, sitting next to her. Usually, he would hide during moments like these, but this time, Soobin could freely sit close to Yerin. It made him happy.

He kept watching her until time flew by. Soon it was dark, but Yerin still didn't want to leave her seat.

"Hey. It's already late. You should go home," Soobin spoke softly, gently brushing her hair behind her ear, trying to move the strands that were covering her face. Of course, his actions didn't produce any effect.

Yerin stood up, walked to the bookshelf again, and started putting away the books she had finished. Afterward, she glanced around briefly before standing on her tiptoes to grab a book from the top shelf. She opened it while standing, and suddenly, the lights in the library went out.

As if she were used to this situation, Yerin quickly dug into her training pants pocket to find her phone. It was already 10 o'clock. She hadn't realized how late it had gotten. The library doors must be locked by now, and she wouldn't be able to leave.

Yerin sighed. Well, looks like she had to spend another night in this dark place. She walked back to her previous spot, her phone's light illuminating her path, with one hand holding a book.

This time, Yerin didn't sit at the table; she decided to stretch out on the floor. The weather was still hot, and the cool floor could at least relieve some of the heat in her body. She continued reading, her phone light guiding her way. And Soobin would always be there beside her, faithfully accompanying her.

"What are you reading this time?" asked the young man. He sat next to Yerin, leaning in to see what she was reading.

"Oh. A fantasy novel again? You really like that stuff, huh?" He chuckled, amused by her habit.

Time passed again. Yerin leaned against the bookshelf behind her, her eyes heavy—she was beginning to feel tired, and within minutes, her eyes closed. The light from her phone also dimmed due to the battery running out. There she was, alone—together with Soobin's shadow, sitting in the middle of the darkness, only lit by the moonlight streaming through the windows.

Yerin's sleeping position seemed uncomfortable, but Soobin couldn't do anything to change it. He had tried many times—touching her head, gently shifting her to a more comfortable position—but his efforts always failed. He was frustrated. In the end, he gave up. He sighed and leaned back against the bookshelf.

Then, at that moment, Yerin's position suddenly shifted. Her head naturally leaned toward Soobin, right on his shoulder. If only his presence wasn't just a shadow, her head would have rested on his shoulder instead of between the bookshelf gaps. But even this was enough to make Soobin feel like he couldn't breathe. He had never been this close to his beloved girl.

In the darkness of the night, Soobin could still see Yerin's face clearly. Despite her awkward sleeping position, she looked so peaceful, her small face bathed in the moonlight—looking incredibly beautiful. Soobin had always liked Yerin, but he hadn't known she could look this enchanting.

Unconsciously, driven by some unknown impulse, Soobin tilted his head closer to hers, slowly moving toward her. At a slow pace, he quietly kissed her sweet lips.

***

Morning arrived. The bright sunlight pierced through and forced Yerin to open her eyes. As if hit by reality, she touched her aching head. Ah, right, she had stayed overnight in the library again.

Once she regained her full awareness, Yerin stood up and put the book she hadn't finished reading back on the shelf. She jumped slightly when she saw there was only one person sitting at the book loan desk.

A bespectacled student looked at Yerin strangely. "You stayed over again, huh?"

Apparently, the student knew about Yerin's habit, but Yerin just ignored him and quickly ran off to the toilet to clean herself up.

Soobin had to wait outside for her. This was her usual routine after staying at school overnight. She would go to the toilet to freshen up and then return to class to study. Of course, Yerin didn't do this every day. However, seeing her often in the library so early with a tired face from sleeping, the student in the library club had figured out that Yerin often spent the night there.

School had ended, and Yerin walked slowly home. She didn't need any transport since her house was close to the school. Today's lessons had been exhausting, and she looked very tired, wanting nothing more than to throw herself onto her bed.

In the late afternoon, the streets were filled with people. From students to office workers finishing their jobs. As Yerin was about to turn into her housing complex, she was suddenly stopped by an old woman.

The old woman looked shabby, wearing clothes as worn-out as herself. "I've warned you, young lady," she said, her eyes darting nervously around.

Yerin didn't respond, only remaining silent as the old woman continued, "I've warned you to be careful. The frightening spirit is still following you."[]