Chapter 37: Young-chul's Love For Seo-ah.
Ji-woo entered into her bedroom, her heart skipping a beat when she saw Eun-kyung on the floor, clutching her chest. Concern flooded Ji-woo's face as she immediately went to Eun-kyung's side.
"What happened?" Ji-woo asked anxiously.
"I-I tried to make U-jin see me," Eun-kyung gasped, her breath rapid.
"And?"
"He saw me, but not fully," Eun-kyung replied, her voice shaky.
"Why are you lying on the ground like this, then?"
"I think using that power exhausted me," Eun-kyung explained, slowly standing up and making her way towards the bed. "I just need some rest," she said, closing her eyes.
Ji-woo looked at Eun-kyung in concern before she left the room. She hadn't seen her mum or aunt since she returned earlier that morning, avoiding meal times when her mum was around. Heading to the kitchen to fetch a glass of water, she found Ga-ram, rummaging through the shelves, clearly searching for something.
"Ga-ram, what are you looking for? You could have just asked the staff," Ji-woo offered kindly.
"I think I saw a rat," Ga-ram replied, not bothering to turn around.
"A rat?! In my house?" she exclaimed in surprise.
"Or was it a snake?" Ga-ram continued her search, unaware of Ji-woo's distress.
Ji-woo shivered at the mention of a snake. "I'm leaving," she said quickly, stepping out of the kitchen. She rushed outside to inform the gardener, concerned that Ga-ram might hurt herself if she encountered the creature. Luckily, the gardener was nearby, and she quickly informed him. He assured her that he would come after gathering the necessary tools to catch the animal.
As Ji-woo turned to re-enter the house, she noticed her aunt arriving in her car. Chae-young stepped out with a clearly annoyed expression. Ji-woo approached her, worriedly asking, "Aunt, is something wrong?"
"Not at all," Chae-young replied curtly, quickly making her way inside.
The gardener made a surprising discovery in the kitchen: a guinea pig! It turns out that his daughter had accidentally left it behind during her last visit. Ji-woo felt relieved that it would be returned to its rightful owner, but to everyone's surprise, the gardener revealed that he had actually bought three more guinea pigs for his daughter so that if one were to get missing, the daughter will still have two. As a result, he kindly offered Ji-woo to keep this one since he couldn't afford to care for another pet.
Ga-ram shook her head, feeling uncertain about taking care of animals, so Ji-woo gladly accepted the responsibility. The guinea pig seemed to take an immediate liking to her, as it snuggled against her palm affectionately when she held it.
She quickly phoned her brother to purchase a guinea pig cage and some food. Ji-woo brought the little creature up to her room, gently placing it on her bed while she stroked its soft fur. As she stepped out of the room for a moment, she returned to a surprising sight. Eun-kyung stood on the table, peeking at the bed with fear in her eyes.
Ji-woo chuckled. "What on earth are you doing up there?"
"Why did you bring that demon in here?" Eun-kyung exclaimed, clearly frightened.
"What demon?" Ji-woo replied, playfully scanning the room.
"The guinea pig!"
"Are you afraid of it?"
"I'm not afraid, animals just don't seem to like me," Eun-kyung confessed.
"Why is that?" Ji-woo asked, genuinely curious.
"How should I know? It jumped on my face when I was on the bed."
"Hold on a moment, that means animals can see you!" Ji-woo exclaimed, intrigued by this realization.
"Probably. Now please get it out!" Eun-kyung pleaded. Just as she finished speaking, Si-woo abruptly entered the room and attempted to place the guinea pig's cage on the table. This startled Eun-kyung and she came down from the table. Meanwhile, the guinea pig scurried off the bed and ran towards Eun-kyung who vanished immediately to an unknown location.
Ji-woo couldn't help but burst into laughter. Si-woo, puzzled by the situation, looked at her quizzically. "I think my guinea pig likes Eun-kyung."
Ji-woo couldn't contain her laughter, causing Si-woo to look at her with confusion written all over his face. "I think my guinea pig likes Eun-kyung!" she exclaimed.
Si-woo glanced around the room, then suddenly remembered that Eun-kyung was in her spirit form and invisible to him. He looked down at the guinea pig and asked, "So, what are you going to name it?"
"Hmmm... Cookie," Ji-woo promptly replied, a smile forming on her lips.
Si-woo chuckled in amusement and gave a nod of approval. He carefully placed Cookie in the cage, making sure it had enough food and water to be comfortable.
"It's your responsibility now," he said, signaling that he had fulfilled his duty as the helpful assistant, before leaving Ji-woo to enjoy her newfound pet.
Meanwhile, U-jin and his family were gathered around the dinner table, but U-jin seemed distracted and lost in thought. Diego, noticing his brother's preoccupation, inquired about what was bothering him. U-jin simply stated that he would reveal the reason after they finished their meal.
Once alone in his room, U-jin finally confided in Diego. He revealed that he had been able to see Eun-kyung in her spirit form. Diego, who had initially dismissed the idea as a joke when his girlfriend mentioned it earlier in the week, was now taken aback by U-jin's assertion.
"But I thought Ji-woo was just joking about being the only one who can see Eun-kyung," Diego expressed his confusion.
"No she wasn't. I caught a glimpse of her, albeit in a hazy form. I could tell it was her," U-jin explained earnestly.
"Isn't that dangerous for her?" Diego questioned with concern.
"What do you mean?" U-jin wondered.
"In my reading adventures, I came across a book that mentioned a spirit in the spirit world. This particular spirit would frequently connect with the real world, but every time it did, it grew weary. Eventually, it disappeared from both the spirit world and the human world, never to be seen again," Diego recounted.
"So, you're suggesting..." U-jin trailed off, realizing the potentially grave consequences.
"Tell Eun-kyung not to attempt revealing herself to you. Who knows what could happen," Diego instructed, his voice laced with concern. U-jin felt utterly helpless about the whole situation. Nevertheless, he nodded in agreement, understanding the gravity of the situation.
As the week came to an end, the mid-term break arrived, but Seo-jun remained missing. Seo-ah had regained consciousness, yet her spirit was dampened, refusing to communicate with anyone, not even her parents.
Noticing her desolation, Young-chul made a heartfelt decision. He orchestrated a plan with the help of his fellow Grade 12 classmates to lift Seo-ah's spirits.
After the whole preparations, he approached Seo-ah's hospital room, only to find her avoiding eye contact as he entered. "Why aren't you looking at me?" he gently questioned, determined to break through her emotional barrier.
Seo-ah, not lifting her gaze, responded, "You should hate me now that I'm a murderer's sister."
Young-chul tenderly placed his hand on her face, urging her to face him directly. "Why should I?" he countered, genuine care evident in his eyes.
With tears in her eyes, Seo-ah admitted, "Seo-jun tried to shift the blame to you, claiming that you were the one who pushed me."
Comfortingly, Young-chul reassured her, "But everything turned out fine."
Doubt lingered in Seo-ah's voice as she voiced her fears, "What if it didn't? What if U-jin and Mun-hee hadn't installed the camera? What if I had died, and no one could defend you from being wrongfully accused? Then, you would have been right about me trying to destroy your life."
Intently, Young-chul urged her not to dwell on those thoughts. "No, don't say that. I was a jerk for even thinking that. Come with me, I need to show you something," he declared, getting up and walking towards the IV stand. Gently, he helped Seo-ah to her feet, carefully pushing the IV stand along with them.
Guiding her towards the rooftop of the hospital, they finally reached the edge where a breathtaking sight awaited them. Students from all grades had gathered in front of the hospital, their hands adorned with large, meticulously decorated pieces of paper conveying heartfelt messages. Some bore words of encouragement, while others offered solace. A few cheeky ones even suggested the option to kiss or hug the person beside her, eliciting a joyful laugh from Seo-ah.
Suddenly, the sound of a helicopter filled the air, and Seo-ah's gaze shifted upward. Above her, Ji-woo, Ga-ram, Mun-hee, and Si-woo were showering the building with a cascade of rose petals while U-jin and Eun-woo were piloting the helicopter. In the midst of the spectacle, Diego descended from the helicopter, roped down to the ground with finesse.
Seo-ah couldn't help but burst into laughter as Diego appeared dressed as a cupid, his adorable appearance captivating her instantly. He approached them, extending a small box to Young-chul.
Seo-ah's surprise was palpable as Young-chul knelt before her, opening the box to reveal a heart-shaped silver locket attached to a delicate silver necklace. She took it eagerly, unlocking the locket to find a picture of the two of them taken in grade 10, when she had playfully coerced Young-chul into capturing a moment on his phone. The other photo was captured during a grade 11 excursion in a photo booth, where she had seized the opportunity to peck him on the cheek mid-shot. At that time, he had claimed he would burn the picture, but unbeknownst to her, he had kept it all along. Seo-ah's heart soared, realizing that he hadn't harbored any resentment toward her.
"Will you be my girlfriend?" Young-chul asked, prompting Seo-ah's tears of happiness as she nodded fervently.
Overwhelmed with emotion, she embraced him tightly. In a hushed whisper, Seo-ah warned, "If I discover that you orchestrated all of this solely to lift me out of my depression, I might just tear you to shreds." The weight of her words left both Young-chul and Diego trembling.
As their embrace ended, Young-chul gently fastened the locket around Seo-ah's neck. With her gaze fixed on him, Seo-ah gracefully tiptoed, planting a tender kiss on his lips. However, that fleeting sensation left Young-chul yearning for more, as he pulled her closer, engaging in a passionate kiss filled with longing and profound happiness.
As they eventually broke apart, a resounding cheer erupted from the surrounding crowd. In that moment, their own unique love story had officially begun, celebrated by all who witnessed their heartfelt connection.
CREATORS' THOUGHTS 
CelesteVega
CelesteVega Finally another couple has been added. Young-chul display of his love for Seo-ah was so wonderful. Who coerced Diego to be their ring bearer hehehe.
Thanks for reading.
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