hospital stay the nurses had become strict with him and forced him home at the end of visiting hours.
So he found himself restlessly wandering his neighborhood. He’d felt claustrophobic cooped up in his small apartment, where everything reminded him of Halmeoni.
He rubbed a hand over his neck. It itched like sharp pins were pricking at his skin. Glancing up, he took in the full moon and sighed. Of course that was the cause of his discomfort. A regular reminder of his past mistakes.
And Jihoon realized he’d stopped right next to the entrance of the neighborhood playground. Like he’d been brought there so he could be haunted by old memories. He should go back home. He knew it was ridiculous, but just the sight of the moon made his heart ache.
Instead, he found himself turning into the playground, running his hands over the roundabout until it spun in squeaky circles. He remembered riding that merry-go-round as a kid, spinning and spinning until he felt like he was going to puke.
Funny, he’d forgotten that once he’d loved this place. Because now it only represented her and how much he’d cared about her before she broke his heart. Sitting on one of the swings, he pushed off, leaning back so all he could see were stars and sky.
Then his heart clenched. His breath shortened. And a face, pale as the moon, appeared above him. He let out a shout and fell from the swing. Dirt and gravel dug into his palms as he scurried to his feet.
He glanced up, half expecting to see a ghost. But what stood there was much worse. Miyoung.
She was as beautiful as he remembered. The moonlight hugged her with its bright embrace. Her skin glowed. Her eyes sparked. Dark hair blew around her pale cheeks in the winter breeze. And behind her was the ghost of her tails. He had a moment to worry that someone would walk by and see, but the clouds shifted and covered the moon and she was just a girl again. But not just a girl. She was never just a girl to him.
“Are you real?” he breathed, not quite trusting his mind. It had often played tricks on him in the past two months.
“Jihoon-ah.”
He held up a hand to stop her. Her voice sounded clear and smooth, as beautiful as he remembered. It made it hard for him to think.
“It’s been a while,” he finally managed.
She nodded.
“I don’t know why you left and I don’t need to know,” Jihoon said, determined to stay calm. “But I need your help. My halmeoni is sick.” He watched her face carefully. It betrayed nothing of her inner thoughts. “The doctors don’t know why she’s been in a coma this long. Her brain waves are strong. She has a good heart. I brought in a shaman and she said that there is dark energy in Halmeoni, like she’s been cursed.”
Miyoung shook her head. “It’s not a curse.”
“Then what is it?” Jihoon yelled. The act of raising his voice made him light-headed. “If Yena did something to her, I need to know.”
Miyoung moved forward.
“Stop!” A heat rose in his chest, like a ball of fire that wanted to break free.
Miyoung halted mid-step.
Jihoon pressed his hands against his temples as dots of light danced in his vision. This was not the moment to get sick. He’d waited over two months for this. He would get an answer to his questions before she disappeared again.
His legs wobbled, and before they dropped out from beneath him he sat on the swing again, trying to regulate his breathing. Sweat beaded along his skin despite the winter chill. He counted to ten, then back again.
“Are you sick?” Miyoung asked, still standing a meter away like she was afraid to approach.
“I’m fine,” he murmured.
“Jihoon-ah,” she said, and it hurt to hear her say his name in such a familiar way.
“What are you even doing here? Shouldn’t you go hunt?” he spat out. “Or are you thinking you have the perfect victim right in front of you?”
Miyoung kept her face blank and it should have worried him. He was prodding her when he knew better, but she wouldn’t physically hurt him. Even now he still believed that.
“I’m not—” she began, then squeezed her lips so tight they paled from the pressure.
Jihoon considered pushing the subject, but knew it wasn’t worth it. Miyoung had always done exactly what she wanted. If she was going to hunt or not wasn’t his concern. He rubbed his fingers