As the day faded into night, I sat quietly beside the bed where Ashvian lay.
My eyes flicked between his pale, fading form and the lively ghost version of him zipping playfully around the room. He was clearly still riding the high of our kiss—embarrassing me just by thinking about it.
Though he was still slowly fading, Ashvian seemed blissfully unconcerned, caught up in the warmth of that moment.
"Do you think we can do that again?" he suddenly stopped right in front of me, eyes sparkling like fireworks.
"Do what?" I asked, my face burning red.
"That kiss..a proper one this time. Trust me, I feel like if we kiss again, I might actually recover. Your kiss is powerful," he said with a teasing seriousness, barely able to contain his excitement.
I muttered, wanting to hide, "Seriously, what are you saying?"
"You heard me... please," he pleaded, eyes shimmering.
I sighed, unable to admit defeat. "I feel like I'm cheating on you with your ghost while your body's lying here," I nodded toward the bed.
"Who cares? It's me either way," he said, leaning closer until our noses nearly touched.
I found myself lost in his eyes.
"So, can I please?" he asked, like a puppy begging for a toy.
I smiled shyly and nodded.
His eyes lit up with joy. Hesitant but eager, he leaned in slowly, his gaze fixed on my lips. Then, softly—so softly, like the faintest ghostly brush—his lips met mine. He pulled back almost instantly, cheeks flushed, lips parted as if surprised he'd even dared.
He honestly looked so happy, yet shy—his eyes shining with excitement and joy, even though it was clear he hadn't had enough.
Without hesitation, he leaned in again, pressing a brief kiss to my lips. Then a third—small, quick, and unsure—like he was savoring the taste, learning the feel of my lips.
Slowly, his hands reached out, gently taking hold of both my hands. His fingers curled tighter around mine with every kiss, as if afraid to let go. He kissed me again—this time just a little longer. Again. And again.
Each kiss short, shy, but desperate—like he didn't know how to ask for more, so he simply took tiny pieces, one after another.
Finally, I whispered softly, "It's okay.. you can have more."
His eyes sparkled brighter than ever before.
This time, his kiss was longer, deeper—a passionate dance of lips moving in perfect sync. A gentle smile tugged at my lips as I kissed him back, our hands entwined, fingers locked. In that moment, time seemed to stop, my heart pounding wildly as I lost myself completely in him.
When I opened my eyes, confusion hit me like a wave. I was in a quiet resting room, unfamiliar yet oddly comforting. Aiden was sitting nearby, watching me with a gentle, tired expression.
"You're awake, Karl," he muttered softly.
"I found you asleep last night..holding Ashvian's hand."
My cheeks burned as I tried to remember, but my mind was blank. Then a sudden surge of panic flooded me. "Wait—where's Ashvian? Where did he go?" I asked, my voice rising.
Aiden glanced at me, brow furrowed. "You can't see him?"
"No, i don't see him anywhere." My heart raced with worry, my thoughts spiraling.
Was he gone? Had he disappeared?
Before I could spiral further, the doctor appeared, calling us to come along. We exchanged a look—Aiden quick to follow the doctor while I stayed rooted, clutching my chest as a heavy ache settled there.
I felt overwhelmed—this was it. Ashvian was waking up, coming back to the living. It was terrifying and exhilarating all at once. Something inside me told me that everything was about to change. But
I pushed the thought aside and followed quietly.
When we reached the hospital room, my heart nearly stopped.
There he was—Ashvian, sitting on the bed. His forehead was still wrapped in a bandage, hair messy and pushed back, face still pale and fragile. His eyes flickered with confusion, heavy and foggy, like someone just emerging from a long, dark tunnel.
I stared, breath caught in my throat. He was here. Alive. Real. And everything was different now.
The doctor checked Ashvian's vitals carefully, asking him gently if he felt any discomfort or confusion. Aiden, barely holding back his emotions, pulled his brother into a tight hug—relief and love flooding the room. I stepped forward slowly, unsure of what to expect. Ashvian's eyes finally met mine, and for a brief moment, a faint sparkle flickered there—as if recognition hovered on the edge. But it was different, distant.. familiar yet unfamiliar.
"You..why..how are you here?" His voice trembled, deeper but shaky, uncertain.
Aiden glanced at him, eyes searching. "Do you remember him?"
Ashvian's gaze softened slightly as he replied, voice low, shy. "Yes..he's the one I told you about that day...at dorm..."
Aiden frowned, confused. "So you only remember meeting him at the dorm that day?"
Ashvian looked uncertain, confused. "Yes.. isn't that right? Did we meet again?"
My heart dropped. I knew what meeting he meant which I can't remember—but deep down, I knew he didn't remember me—not as the spirit who stayed with me all that time. My mind went blank, my chest tightening. He had truly forgotten all those days and nights spent together.
"You really don't remember spending an entire week with him?" Aiden asked softly.
Ashvian blinked, surprised. "I don't.."
The doctor then explained that after such a long coma, his mind would be foggy and memories fragmented—some lost, some slowly returning. The memories with me, as a spirit, might have simply faded away, just as Ashvian had feared. I didn't know what to feel—hurt, sadness, or relief. Then last night's memory hit me—the dizzying moment when our lips met, the way he hugged me, kissed my forehead, and whispered,
"When I wake up, no matter whether I remember or not...please don't leave my side. Be with me."
I remembered murmuring lazily against his neck, "Okay, I won't leave."
He'd looked at me with such vulnerability, asking softly, "Promise me."
"I promise I won't ever leave you. No matter what happens." I smiled, and he chuckled, a sound so full of hope.
He'd known—he'd sensed the loss might come, so he made me promise.
That clever, stubborn, shameless guy.
At first, Ashvian struggled to get used to walking and moving again. The nurses helped him, and I stayed by his side the entire time. Though it was clear he didn't remember me as his spirit self, it was just as clear that, even without those memories, he still had feelings for me.
We had met before he became a spirit, though I couldn't recall ever meeting him back then. I wanted to know everything.
After the nurse finished her checkup and left, Ashvian changed into casual clothes, the bandage still wrapped around his head. He was slowly adjusting to everything—except meeting my eyes. He was shy and awkward, completely different from his shameless spirit self. But his eyes..when he looked at me, or smiled softly and staring at me, thinking I wasn't watching, they were exactly the same—gentle, tender, and completely focused on me, as if I was the only thing in his world.
I sat beside him on the chair while he sat on the bed, nervously fidgeting with his fingers.
"Ashvian, have we met before?" I asked gently. He nodded slowly. "Yes.. You don't remember me because I was wearing a mask that day..You helped me with some girls. It was the day before transferring to the dorm." His voice was soft and shy.
Suddenly, it all came back to me. I remembered going to college early, wandering around the park and checking out the dorm building while dealing with a few restless ghosts. I recalled bumping into a tall guy wearing a mask—he seemed awkward, almost scared, like he was trying to run away.
He told me some girls were stalking him.
But it wasn't really the girls—it was a pair of ghost girls who had possessed their bodies to follow him.
These ghosts had no business haunting the living, but they seemed drawn to handsome guys. Understanding his trouble, I stepped in and talked to the girls. When they realized I could see them, they got scared. I pretended to be some kind of evil spirit who could harm ghosts, and that scared them even more.
They immediately left the girls' bodies and ran off, leaving him alone.
That guy looked so impressed—he thanked me over and over. I smiled and even helped him walk out of the dorms.
We talked casually, and I asked if he was moving in too. He just nodded.
What I didn't notice then was the way his eyes sparkled under the mask, or how his smile quietly held a nervous excitement as he stared at me, his heart pounding loudly.
"Oh, that was you.." I muttered.
He nodded, his eyes sparkling. "Yeah.. I was so happy. I haven't forgotten that day even now. You were so cool.. At first, I thought you were cute, but after you helped me get rid of those girls, I was even more impressed. I couldn't stop thinking about you and even called my brother Aiden to talk about it while driving. And well.. yeah, that's how I got into that accident." He muttered, stretching his cheek.
I just sat there, my face burning red. I wasn't sure if I should be embarrassed, shy, worried, or mad that he'd gotten into an accident in such a ridiculous way.
I sighed. "Good.. but what you don't remember is that you became a ghost right after the accident. You'd been roaming around since then, and you happened to meet me. You spent the next seven days til yesterday—with me."
He looked surprised and confused expected.
So, I kept explaining, "I can see ghosts, but you were different. You were the only ghost who could.. you know, actually have physical contact with me," I said, suddenly feeling shy for no reason. His ears reddened. "So, we were together all that time"
"Yeah, you annoyed me a lot and never left my side," I said seriously. "You even made me promise to never leave you, even if I didn't remember anything. So... tell me, do you want me to leave or not?" I asked.
He gulped, looking down as his heart beat loudly. "You shouldn't break a promise," he muttered.
"I figured that out," I smiled. No matter whether he remembered or not, he still didn't want me to leave. This idiot was way too into me.
"Fine, then get better soon," I said, patting his hair. He hesitated, then finally asked, "These days we were together.. were we close?"
"Yeah," I replied deadpan, hiding how embarrassed I was.
"How close?" he pressed.
"Very close," I said.
He just nodded, acting cool, but I could tell he was way too happy.
Days passed like that, and after getting better, Ashvian fully joined us for classes and dorm life—his name was already on the list.
As he looked around the dorm, he muttered, "This does feel familiar."
"Of course it does," I said, crossing my arms. "You've been roaming around here with me, sleeping in my bed and embarrassing me, annoying me every chance you get."
Ashvian's face flushed with embarrassment.
Aiden laughed, "So all this time you were acting weird and talking to yourself, you were actually talking to him? His spirit?"
I nodded.
Later that night, I found him sitting on my bunk bed again. "Why are you here?" I asked.
"I don't know.. being here just feels better," he said quietly. The more days passed, the more he got used to being near me—always close, always present—and the personality he had as a spirit started to show again.
"Let's sleep together," he said.
"Shameless as always," I sighed.
"You call me that—did I do something wrong?" he asked.
"Yes, you kissed me until my lips went numb," I said without thinking, then immediately blushed and glanced at him.
His eyes went wide and ears reddened. "Oh, so we did that too? Damn, ghost me was fast," he muttered. Then he frowned, "Wait.. you kissed the ghost me, but what about the human me? Should I be jealous?"
Gosh, help me with this guy. I chuckled. "Fine, then come here."
I leaned in gently and kissed him softly on the lips.
"Feeling better now?" I asked. His eyes stayed wide, unblinking, cheeks flushed and shy, but he still looked like he wanted more. "Can we do that again? Maybe it'll help me remember things too," he said.
"You said the same thing before—said my kisses are powerful," I chuckled.
"Maybe they are. Let's test it," he said, leaning closer, his hand cradling my cheek as he intertwined our lips in a deep, passionate kiss. His other hand locked fingers with mine as we kissed, our lips moving in perfect rhythm.
The way he kissed, tasting my lips, was like he was trying to bring back memories. At first, it felt a little different, but half a second later, his kiss ignited into a fiery passion—as if something inside him had blossomed—making him more desperate than before, just like that night.
I was completely surprised.
Breaking the kiss, leaving me breathless, Ashvian's lips curved into that unmistakable smug smile—the same one he had as a spirit. His eyes gleamed with that familiar spark.
"See? I was right. Your kiss is powerful."
"You.. you remember?" I asked, eyes wide, suddenly fighting back tears.
He nodded, pressing a gentle kiss on my closed eyelids.
I hadn't expected him to remember everything, but knowing that his love for me remained just as deep and pure—that his touch, words, and feelings were the same even if memories were lost—filled me with a joy unlike any other.
"What took you so long?" I muttered, nestling closer into his arms.
"Sorry, baby. But thank you for not breaking the promise," he whispered, hugging me tighter and kissing my hair.
"How could I.. when my heart's already tangled up with your shamelessness too?" I murmured, rubbing my eyes.
He chuckled. "Good. Keep your heart tangled with mine forever—'cause my shamelessness isn't going anywhere. If anything, it's only getting worse."
He smirked, sliding his hand slowly under my shirt. "Hey! Who said you could touch me?" I exclaimed, face flushing, my skin prickling with goosebumps from his touch.
"I love you," he muttered against my lips. I smiled and wrapped my arms around his neck, pulling him into a kiss.
"I guess I love you too," I whispered between kisses.
"You guess?" His voice was teasingly serious. I laughed softly. "Fine, fine. I love you for real," I said with a shy smile.
He chuckled, then kissed me more fiercely, like he was trying to make up for lost time.
Our kiss broke when we suddenly heard clapping. We both looked up, and to my surprise, the ghosts were all gathered like an audience—sitting and clapping for us.
"Wait, you can see them?" I asked, eyes wide in shock.
Ashvian looked just as surprised but nodded. "Yeah, I can." he grinned, teasing, "Maybe your saliva passed on half your little secret, making it ours now—just our little secret."
I giggled softly, and I couldn't help but laugh along with him in disbelief.
No matter how it happened, it was us—together until now—that truly mattered. I've never been this happy in my life. I don't want to ever be apart from Ashvian. And I'm sure he won't ever let go of me either, keeping me tangled forever in his world.