MOM, I'M A GHOST

"Do you think it is possible to fall in love with a fan?"

"Yes of course. It does not matter." YJ answered with a half suppressed laugh to young women's question at his fan sign event.

"You look great on your new hairstyle. I like it."

One of his fan commented.

"Thank you! you look great too." YJ responded.

"Oh my god! I can't believe my eyes. I've been waiting for this moment for a long time." Another fan got misty eyed when the moment she held YJ's gaze.

"Have you watched my recent movie?" YJ fell into conversation.

"Yeah! it's the best.I love the scene when you

appeared on girl's wedding day and proposed to her. I would have a heart attack if it had a sad ending. I'm serious. That movie was so good." YJ's head nodded up and down in time with her oscillating hand.

"Tell me about your upcoming movie." She requested.

"I'm afraid I can't." YJ giggled.

"May I pinch your cheek?"

YJ let her do as she wished.

"This is for you." A girl gifted YJ a memento, a collection of his randomly snapped pictures when he was performing on stage.

"It is beautiful. Did you craft this frame by yourself? Thank you." YJ expressed his appreciation for what she had done.

YJ stared at his wrist watch again and again. The queue shuffled slowly what was like an eternity. Each person craned their necks impatiently to see what was happening in the head of the line.

"Do you remember me? We met last month. I gave you a sketch of yourself. You posted it on your social media account." This time it was a fanboy.

"I do. How are you? Nice to see you again." YJ conversed grinning from ear to ear.

YJ was keeping himself busy all day to avoid overthinking but inside he was feeling like a cat on a hot tin roof.

YJ could not erase from his mind, how he ran into his mom and how she was weeping at the hospital. Both of them seemed to draw a veil over what then happened when YJ drove his mom home.

YJ steeled himself before ringing the doorbell.

He wished he could clear up all the misunderstandings with his mom at that point in time. He had no choice but to just drop her off at the gate owing to his hectic schedule.

Mom was preparing the dinner when he got back home. She welcomed her son as if nothing happened.

"Mom, why did you go there? You should have talked with me first." He was slightly angry.

"I just wanted to visit her. I left cause I thought it was unnecessary." Mom replied.

"Is that why you asked about her previous day? you you... I told you not to lay a finger on anything, but you have read, haven't you?"

YJ banged his head against the wall.

"Enough is enough! If you can't do this, then quit." She turned away from him, not wanting to  cry  up ahead of him. She was at a loss to ward off the tears that were coursing down her cheeks.

"I can't." YJ swallowed his pride, broke down and wept bitterly.

"What about her? How did she end up there?" She hoped that the thing she was thinking was not what exactly happened.

YJ bit his quivering lip.

"You mustn't be so reckless? She has nothing to do with your issues. What have you done? Even you lied your way out. This is not how I raised you." Mom was deeply saddened.

"Mom, I never wanted all these to happen. Nothing is going my way. Nothing! Everything makes me feel trapped. I'm feeling like a ghost. I'm so done with living like this."

"Do not say that. You bottled up everything for too long. My poor baby! I'm always here for you. You are not alone. You have still got your time. Find out what you really wanna do." Mom calmed her low spirited son with a warm hug entwining her arms around him.

"First, I wanna get out this mess. Not anything is coming to my mind other than that." YJ was blubbering like a child, clinging to his mother.

"Remember, mom loves you. Promise?"

"I'm sorry, I will not do that again. I promise." YJ replied.

"Your nose is runny. Let me wipe it. Now go wash your face." Mom placed her palm on his cheeks then stroked lovingly.

"Come in." Sasha's mother bade welcome to Sam, who was getting cold feet at the last minute, standing at the door.

"Did YJ send you here?" Sasha's mother asked Sam.

"No, he didn't. I'm here because I feel terrible. I spoke ill of your daughter. I had no idea. I'm sorry." Sam expressed his regret.

"And how about him? What has he been doing lately?"

"He worries a lot. I know it's rude to say forgive him. He will do anything he could for your daughter. I'm pretty sure he wants to see her so bad, but he doesn't want to distress you." Sam spoke on behalf of YJ.

"I wanna see my daughter wake up soon. That's all I'm asking." Sasha's mother let a despairing sigh  escape from her lips.

Sasha heard the entire conversation.

"Wow, his face! He is so handsome. Are you two friends?"

"I met him just once." YJ found it hard to tolerate Sasha riveted her eyes on another celebrity.

"He seems friendly and kind hearted as I heard." Sasha commented.

"He is just an ordinary person like you and me." YJ sounded unhappy.

Sasha scowled at him defiantly folding her arms.

"He is a nominee too. Who would you root for? Me or him?"

At the moment YJ awaited a straight answer, he realized that Sasha had faded away.

YJ did not hear calling out his name. He trudged ahead along with rapturous applause.

When he appeared on the stage, he was running his eyes around, looking for Sasha.

YJ wondered why would she disappear out of the blue. Sasha was extremely pleased and excited when YJ gave his word that he will take her to a star studded event.

"Are you up?"

"What's the matter?" YJ was a little bent out of shape about Sam's phone call that woke him up on his day off.

"She came out of her coma. She's totally fine."

Sam told him over the phone.

YJ rose to his feet. He could not believe his ears.

YJ made his way to the hospital once he heard about Sasha was finally starting to feel like herself again.

When he got there, he just hugged Sasha.

"You have no idea how much I frightened. You just left without a word. Anyway I'm glad you made it." He was weeping tears of joy.

"WHO ARE YOU?" Sasha tried to pull away him.

YJ moved himself backward instantly, away from her. He was staggered. Then he clasped his hands behind his back awkwardly and took his leave.