Start of Something New~

"There was something in her eyes that made me trust her. Maybe it was because they held the same cynicism, the same world-weariness I saw on my own every morning when I looked at myself in the mirror."

– Melika Dannese Lux

"Hey, hey" someone was whispering softly just like a soothing wind "Wake up"

Huh? The last time I checked my alarm was not an angelic male voice.

"HEY!!!"

My eyes shot open as I sat upright on my bed. My mind was in a daze, squinting my eyes I saw the silhouette of a man watching me from the foot of my bed. The sun was directly behind him that I couldn't see his face. I panicked for a minute then the realization hit me like a gigantic tsunami.

My eyes adjusted to the figure as I saw Park Jimin smiling widely at me.

"Good Morning, Mia!" he chirped happily.

What's there to be happy about?

I merely stared at him. I guessed whatever happened yesterday was not a dream. For a second yesterday, I hoped that all of this was some stupid dream of mine, but seeing the said guy in front of me standing like an overly excited kid makes me groan internally. No, this isn't a dream, Mia. This's freaking real.

I shrugged at him then threw the blanket away getting down from the bed. My alarm was on my nightstand but...?

"Why were you waking me up instead of my alarm?" I turned to him.

"Oh," he eyed the alarm and looked back at me "It had been going for almost 15 minutes. It's very irritating so I turned it off and decided to wake you up myself" he grinned sheepishly.

"Hmm" I eyed him again while making my bed. There was a book of mine with a bookmark in his hand. "Did you stay up all night reading?" He read half of it already!

"Oh, yeah. I can't sleep, remember?" he asked holding out the book.

|| Flashback ||

"Are these all your books?" he asked examining my long bookshelf with hundreds of books.

One whole wall of my four-sided bedroom is covered with a huge bookshelf. The idea's my dad's as I always had to go to my father's study to take books where our house library is located. As a bookworm, my life itself revolves around books so my dad designed my room like this where I could keep all of my favorite novels, comics, and my study materials. It's quite useful and effective I must say. Less walking, more reading!

"Yeah..." I was still busy studying for the test.

"Did you read all of these?" I heard him asking.

"Yeah..." I was in a daze until I looked up at him who had a very surprised look on his face. "They're all my favorites".

He nodded as I went back to studying.

"Can I take one of these..." he asked after a moment pointing to a series of Korean books I bought for familiarizing myself with the language "for reading?".

I eyed him straight in the eyes. Usually, I don't share my books with anyone no matter what. I hate it when people tear pages, fold paper, or crush the book while reading. I would straightaway say 'no' coldly but this ghost guy here has somehow become an exception. Maybe it's because of the way he looked a bit intimidated and scared by my glare. He was slowly retreating from the shelf at my silence when I mindlessly nodded and looked away.

I heard him leave out a breath as he opened the shelf and took out the said book with ease. I was side-eyeing him as he took the book and sat down on my reading sofa comfortably. He looked at me before opening the book as I averted my gaze into my notebook, acting oblivious.

Hold on a second.

Hadn't he passed through walls and all? How can he hold a book and sit on a sofa just like that?

"Can you hold that book in your hands?" I turned my attention fully towards him.

"Yeah...I think so," he said eyeing the book and gripping on it to assure me.

"How can you do that if you can pass through the walls and all? Isn't your body...um you-know-what?" I squinted my eyes.

"Yes, it is. But somehow if I will myself to do so, I can" Mm...interesting.

"Can you touch humans then?" I was curious about all of this.

"No" he shook his head with a pout "I've tried but I can't"

"Fascinating" I murmured.

I really should research these tomorrow. Aish...I'd die out of curiosity.

He was busy reading the book all night as he didn't disturb me at all, just what I wanted! I told him that I was gonna go eat dinner to which he nodded and said that he'd meet my family some other time and he's excited to finish the book with a cheeky smile. An idol immersed in a novel, can't blame him, it's a best-selling one...well they're humans too; maybe not this one...um right at the moment?

"You're not gonna sleep?" I asked him from the bathroom while I was brushing my teeth. It was almost midnight. My sleep time!

"Aah...I don't know...I don't feel like sleeping." he had his eyebrows scrunched "I'm not drowsy at all."

"Is it one of the ghost characters?" I shut the bathroom and sat on the bed. "Not ghost, coz you're not practically dead. Maybe spirit or soul...?"

"I don't know..." he looked down obviously sad. Who wouldn't be if you're known that your body is laying barely alive miles away?

"It's alright," I said trying to reassure him though I don't know why "I'll do some research about all this tomorrow. It's just I'm busy with these tests stuff."

He raised his head and looked at me almost like a vulnerable little child. I really had the urge to go and hug him at that instant. What was I even thinking? "You will?"

"Yup. You know, things happen for a reason." I tried to give a small smile "I really think that whatever has happened, there must be a clearcut reason behind it."

He gave me that genuine smile "Thank you"

"Yeah, yeah." I waved it away "You sure you won't sleep?" he nodded "Do you have night vision or something?"

He chuckled "I guess no".

"Then I suggest you use my study table. You can switch on the lamp. I've to switch off the light or my mom'll bury me alive for letting the light all night."

Still chuckling, he got up and went to my study table, switching the study lamp on.

"Good night, Mia" he smiled.

"Don't stare at me while I'm sleeping like a creep. Or I'll kick you off to South Korea right away" I mumbled with a stern voice. I'd to make sure, you know, he's still a stranger. I was contempt because he can't touch me or anything. It's just the eyes and it's dangerous in its own way!

"I won't" he smiled genuinely. Who knows?

I sat down on my bed and switched the light off. While getting under the blanket and laying down I took some moments to admire the heavenly beauty that was sitting at my table under dim light. He leaned towards the light with a hand under his chin, putting the book on the table. The light illuminated his face which had the tiniest bit of smile on it. I could stare at that forever like admiring an art. Like in some grand paintings, one side of his face was lit by the moonlight which rushed through the windows while the other by the lamp. Just wow! I had the strong urge to take out my drawing book and sketch his figure right then and there.

Look who's staring like a creep!

Slowly my eyelids got heavy and I drifted off.

|| End of Flashback ||

The memory of me staring at him struck me hard. What the hell, Mia? What was that? Did you just stare at him until you sleep? It's true he's overly handsome but you can't just stare at someone like that. I mentally scolded myself. I'd never fancied handsome guys. Never. I just pity them. The way they'd to withstand all those stares and talks. This guy here can't change me. Nope!

I looked at him and he indeed was staring at me.

"What?" I asked. Did he see me staring at him by any chance? Oh my god!

"Are you okay?" he's concerned? "You looked like you'd a mental debate"

I immediately erased all my emotions from my face. One of my treasurable talents; Unreadable Face. I can put on a blank face at the speed of light. This would even confuse the person whom I'm talking to. Sometimes they'd be confused as hell that they'd leave with wheels still turning in their head.

"Thinking about the test," I said shortly"Perks of being a 12th Grader, buddy"

"Oh, Good luck with the test" he gave me thumbs up.

"I'd need that" I walked to take my uniform from my closet.

"Mia" I turned "Can I follow you to your school?" he scratched his neck.

"Why would you want to come to my school?" I stared at him.

"Well, I've nothing to do or anything. Besides I've only you to talk to. I don't want to be lonely." he whispered the last which I heard perfectly. This Jimin guy is a chatterbox.

"You know I can't talk to you during classes." I was not gonna talk to him anyway at school, people would think I'm crazy or something; talking to thin air. And who cares?

"I won't disturb you during classes or anything" he shook his head vigorously "I just wanna know about this place. It's a new country and I like traveling."

"You can travel. From what I know you can teleport. Go on." I started oiling my long hair.

"Teleport?" he stood at the doorway of the bathroom.

"Yeah" I parted my hair in half for better access "The time when you puffed into my room within minutes."

"Aah...yeah. I guess I can. But..." he stopped to look at me "I won't have company"

"Find some other spirits or ghosts or whatever" I closed the lid of the bottle after oiling.

"I don't want to. I'm..." he trailed off.

"Scared?" I asked him, who nodded innocently. I feel like a mom who is pursuing her son to go play. I sighed turning to him "Look Jimin, I can't take you anywhere other than my school and home. Those two are the only places I go and come."

"Okay," he pouted "Take me to your school please."

"Fine. It's not like I can stop you anyway" I got out my towel and hung it on my shoulder.

He jumped excitedly and bumped his fist in the air. He chuckled and walked away.

Seriously?!

"Hey Jimin."I called him leaning on the door "I thought you have just turned 23. But you actually act like a kid."

He turned around and blinked at me. His expression turned into a very intimidating smirk and he brushed his chocolate hair. Split Personality?!

"Do you want me to act like a man?" he asked folding his arms over his chest.

"What?"

"I asked..." he paused dramatically, walking towards me with calculating slow steps and stopping right where I was leaning on the door, towering over me. Well, there isn't much of a height difference between us; maybe 5cm? He stared deep into my eyes with the same smirk playing over his lips."...whether you want me to act like a man?"

Aha...really?Is he trying to intimidate me? The Queen of Intimidation? Besides, he can't even touch me. Why should I be scared of this ghost guy? Nope, never. Whatever his members said about him is true. A true flirt!

I was not even blinking while looking straight into his soul. I hadn't moved an inch even when he slammed his hands on the door trapping me in between his arms. With the distance between us, I can sense his cold breathe on my face. Do spirits have to breathe? I should search for that too.

He didn't do anything after that. We just stared at each other. I still had my blank expression on and a calm demeanor too which he was trying to break apart, so hard, by his close proximity.

Mm...how to teach him a lesson?

A bulb went on in my head.

I smirked. His smirk diminished a little, I guess he hadn't expected that. I straightened my posture holding my head high, I lazily trailed my gaze from his eyes to his plump pink lips. Then down his neck, slightly exposed collarbone, his chest, torso, and down. Though he had a sweater on I could clearly make out his well-defined abs under his white T-shirt, I've read that he's famous for it. I then pulled my gaze upward the same way, slowly. When my gaze came back to his eyes, all his smirk had gone and he was really intimidated, may I say self-conscious. When I saw from the corner of my eyes his adam's apple bobbing up and down and him fluttering his eyes nervously, I widened my smirk even more.

"You've to raise your standards to become a man, Park Flirting Jimin." I whispered and scoffed "Typical Libra"

He instantly withdrew, standing away from me. I saw him nervously looking around the room, too intimidated to look at me. And his cheeks were a crimson shade. Oh, he should be!

I smiled in victory clapping my hands. I've never tried that before, that was tiring a little. He still refused to look at me as he walked away towards my door.

"I'll uh...I'll uh w-wait outside." he had his head down "T-Take your time".

With that, I saw him going through the door. I chuckled at his reaction and I fist-bumped with my door for my boldness. Way to go, Mia! Did you just flirt with a global popstar? Wow, really appreciable. But he bought it, man...he looked cute and so damn flustered. I can do that with this ugly face? Okay, okay...back to my morning routine which definitely was not making the ghost guy flustered. Bruh...gotta go take a test fellas!