The Love That Remains

[Eight Years Ago]

He met Park In Ha when he was five. His parents wanted him to get a playmate around his age. Ever since they met, Park In Ha followed him around like a pet. When they grew older, she became the leader of the annoying girls who kept calling him cute. Then, she formed a squad with them and kept them in control. After they turned thirteen, she confessed to him. However, Sung Jun rejected her.

To the people around them, they were meant to be together. Park In Ha is not a bad girl. She is quite talented. She is tall and slender. Her dark hair is long and silky. She looks like a doll with her creamy porcelain skin and doe eyes. Her legs are long. She dresses like a girl. She acts like a girl. Feminine. Cute. Soft. She has good foundations. She will be a beautiful woman in the future.

On the contrary, Fang Aisa was short. Her hair was dyed pink. She wasn't pretty like Park In Ha. She talked roughly and loudly. She knew exactly how to tick his buttons. She knew his real side and yet, she confronted him repetitively. She even tricked him into saying things that ruined his reputation and tore open his facade to the world. She opposed him in everything. She never needed him. She always stood up for herself. She was strong headed and stubborn.

Despite everything, she made him feel like he belonged to her. Like she was his home. Even after she rejected him, there was no one else who could make him feel the way she did. After he met her, he realized what it was like to love someone.

He can't feel the same for Park In Ha.

Still, her image can't replace Fang Aisa in his heart. Sung Jun might have been with Fang Aisa for a short time, but he loves her. Still. He wants to see her there again. He wants to see those lively eyes again. That smile again. He wants to hold her again.

Without her, his life is not a life anymore. It has to be love if it hurts this much after she is gone.

He comforts Park In Ha silently. His silence makes her sob harder. Bae Jaemin watches them thoughtfully and sighs. He looks up at the sky and wonders if Fang Aisa is watching them currently and regretting her decision.

The next few months also passes like this. Park In Ha has already left. Wang Mei visits them sometimes. She is covered in cuts and bruises each time she visits. Sometimes, she stays for dinner. With time, she is coming to terms with Fang Aisa's suicide. He can't say the same about Sung Jun.

During those times, Bae Jaemin and Wang Mei get close. Wang Mei doesn't know how it happened. Bae Jaemin is too different from her. They didn't even talk the same language. He would usually ask Sung Jun or Ms Sung to translate or he would speak in funny broken Chinese. His selfless love and care for Sung Jun is the first thing she notices about him. He is kind and pure-hearted. He makes her laugh all the times. It just happens like this. She doesn't understand what love is. But she likes hearing him even when he is talking about computers because he likes computers...though, she doesn't understand computers much.

One day, Bae Jaemin is too tired. He slaps Sung Jun's head and says, "What do you want, Jun? You can't slowly die because of her. She wanted you to live an ordinary life. You don't even go to school. How do you want to fulfil her last wish?"

Sung Jun stares at him. His expression is blank. There are dark circles around his eyes. "Jae, I don't know..."

"What about us? What about me or Ms Sung?" He punches him. Sung Jun doesn't resist and falls on his butt. His head is hung low.

"Are we not your family? Is she your only family? Did you think about us for a second? Do you want to leave us just like her? How will we live without you? Tell me, is there anyone who didn't lose a loved one? Aunty only has you. Think about her at least."

Sung Jun looks up at him. "I won't die. I will live...Jaemin, I will live."

"I hope you keep your words." Bae Jaemin sighs.

Sung Jun doesn't enrol for school. Instead, he focuses on learning the shaman arts. He keeps himself busy to not think about her. He lives normally as much as he can. Bae Jaemin and his mother are relieved to see him properly eating again.

One day, Park In Ha sends him a text. To this date, Sung Jun doesn't know why she would do this.

[There is a rumor that the god of marriage lives at this address.] She attached an address along with the text.

After a week, he speaks to Bae Jaemin.

"You still want the ghost marriage?" Bae Jaemin is exasperated when he hears Sung Jun's intention.

"Yes."

"I will come with you then."