6 Senior year trip

"Why are you packing your clothes?" asked Il Hwa as she was wandering in Jaeho's room watching Jaeho packing his clothes into a backpack.

"It's a senior year trip… we're going a hiking at this one hill and stay at the glamping resort for two days and one night…" answered Jaeho as he came back from the bathroom taking his toiletries to put inside the backpack.

"That sounds fun! Can I come with you too?" asked Il Hwa. "I will be bored if I stay here alone… I don't have any ghost friends…" pouted Il Hwa. Jaeho was about to ask to stay and watch over the house. But when Il Hwa mentions that she would be alone, he agreed to let her follow him.

"Alright, you can." Said Jaeho. Right after he said it, Il Hwa jumped with glee. "ASSA!" cheered Il Hwa. "I promise I won't be a burden to you and disturb your friends." Said Il Hwa and Jaeho nodded. He knows that Il Hwa was not the type of ghost that would disturb people. The only person that she always follow was with him only.

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On the next day, both Il Hwa and Jaeho were already in the campus getting ready to get on the bus. Il Hwa was standing next to Jaeho while looking at her new sport shoes. Even though Il Hwa told Jaeho that she can wear the shoes that he bought the other day, Jaeho still insists that she should get a sport shoes scared if Il Hwa might slip on the ground if she did not put on a proper shoes; forgetting that she's a ghost and she can even travel without walking. But in the end, he still bought her a sports shoe yesterday while they were buying the tteokkbokki that Il Hwa liked the other day.

Jaeho noticed that Il Hwa kept on staring at the shoes with a smile plastered on her face. He doesn't know why, but somehow, whenever she's happy, he would literally smiled and felt happy too.

As soon as they get on the bus, both of them were sitting next to each other. Il Hwa seems so excited and happy as it was her first time going for a trip ever since she became a ghost. All this while, the only place she used to go are their house, Jaeho's class and walking in the town buying food with Jaeho. Once both of them are seated, a girl just came near them wanting to sit next to Jaeho.

Well, because they can't see Il Hwa was sitting there. Therefore, they thought it was an empty seat. "Jaeho-ah, can I sit next to you?" asked the girl. Il Hwa was watching that girl while crossing her arms. *I know she can't see me, but this girl looks like she had a crush on Jaeho.* thought Il Hwa as she rolled her eyes. But then, she got surprised by what Jaeho told the girl.

"Sorry Sooyoung, I have motion sickness. So I might throw up a lot whenever I ride a bus." Said Jaeho rejecting the girl to sit next to him. Plus, he rather sit next to Il Hwa than Sooyoung. He found her annoying. Then, as he turned his face to his right, he saw Il Hwa was looking at him with a playful smile.

"What?" asked Jaeho.

"Are you sure you have motion sickness? I thought we took the bus every time you go and got back from class~" said Il Hwa.

"Or, you wanted to give me this seat? Am I right?" asked Il Hwa as she nudged his arms with her elbows, but Jaeho refused to answer as he put on his earphone to listen some music. Before he played the music, he heard Il Hwa said something.

"Thank you, Jaeho." Said Il Hwa and gave him her beautiful familiar smile to him. She was so grateful that Jaeho has been treating her so nice and never thought of her as a ghost. Then, he put the song to play, close his eyes and the bus drives away from the campus.

While they were on their way, Jaeho who fell asleep while he was listening to music, he had a dream. In the dream, he was holding a girl in his arms. The girl's head was bleeding non stop and he noticed he was surrounded by lots of people.

"Baby come on, open your eyes. Please!" said Jaeho. He was crying while hugging the girl.

"Call the ambulance, now! Please, anyone!" shouted Jaeho while hugging the girl in his arms.

"Don't leave me, please…" cried Jaeho while hugging the girl tightly.

Right after the dream ended, Jaeho straight away opened his eyes. The dream felt so real. *what was that dream about?* thought Jaeho. Then, he noticed that most of the students on the bus are asleep, while some of them are listening to music, and eating some snack. Suddenly, he felt a little bit heavy on the right side of his shoulders and saw Il Hwa was leaning her head on his shoulder. She was sleeping.

Without he realized, Jaeho smiled seeing her and caressed her hair gently. As he caressed her hair gently, he remembered the dream again. He was calling the girl as 'angel' instead of calling her name. Suddenly, without he noticed while he was staring at her sleeping's face, his eyes turned watery and tears were pooling in her eyes. He wanted to cry.

*But why? Why I'm crying?* thought Jaeho. He just can't stop the tears as it keeps coming out from his eyes. Luckily, most of the students are asleep in the bus, if not, probably they're gonna ask him.

"Alright, we're almost there~ wake up guys~" said Yuna one of the committee members who's in charge with the activity. Jaeho hurriedly wipe his tears using his hands when he noticed that Il Hwa has woken up due to the announcement.

"Have we arrived?" asked Il Hwa with groggy eyes.

"Not yet, but hey, I think I dislocated my shoulders because your head is so heavy." Teased Jaeho while massaging his right shoulder.

"Yah, my heads are not heavy!" said Il Hwa as she hit his arms. Jaeho was chuckling seeing how she behaved. He was so glad that she didn't notice that he cried just now.

***

All of the students started their hiking as soon as they got off from the bus. Luckily, the hiking are not that long as the guide told them it will only take about half an hour. While Jaeho, Saeron, Hyukjin and other students are struggling with their hiking, Il Hwa happily went up and down teasing Jaeho. As she doesn't need to walk nor hike using her feet, when she can actually vanished and popped out herself anywhere that she can.

"Jaeho-ah, are you tired?" asked Il Hwa while giggling as she suddenly disappeared in front of him when suddenly, she was already at the top waving at him.

"Hurry up!" called Il Hwa while giggling. She was having so much fun teasing Jaeho.

"That girl..." muttered Jaeho alone when suddenly feeling so regret buying her new shoes and feeling worried about her yesterday. "Yah, Jaeho" called Saeron while panting. "What did you say? I can't hear it…" said Saeron as he was having a difficulty in breathing feeling so tired. "Yah, yah, let's take a break. My legs are giving away man…" said Hyukjin as he stops for a while drink his water.

"Come on guys, we can't stop or we'll be left behind… I can see the camping site… we're almost reaching there~" said Jaeho while looking at Il Hwa who was sitting on a big rock at the top waiting for him. "Aishh I feel so regret joining this trip." Said Hyukjin and the three of them continue to hike again.

A few minutes later, finally they've reached the camping site. Most of the students shouted in joy as they can finally have a rest after half an hour of hiking. "Finally you've reached the camping site!" said Il Hwa, who suddenly popped out of nowhere. "Let me take a sit and drink first… it was tiring…" said Jaeho.

"Yah, Jaeho!" called someone. Both Il Hwa and Jaeho turned their back and saw Hyukjin who was calling for him. "Yah, why did you leave us?!" shouted Saeron as both of them walked near them. "You left your friends?" asked Il Hwa. "You guys are just too slow…" answered Jaeho as he drink his water. "But still, friends always stick together." Said Saeron as she took a sit too, while Hyukjin are drinking his water while standing.

At the mention of 'friends', it made Il Hwa a bit down. How she wished she could remember her friends. But somehow, whenever she followed Jaeho to hang out with them, both Saeron and Hyukjin seems so familiar. Like all of them have known each other before. "Yah, I gotta choose a tent now. See ya!" said Saeron as she left the two guys and Il Hwa there.

"I need to refill my water." Said Hyukjin as he walked away asking for water. Jaeho who noticed that Il Hwa, who was feeling overjoyed just now, was quiet. "What's wrong? Are you alright?" asked Jaeho. "yeah I'm fine.." answered Il Hwa "it's just that I'm really happy… even though Saeron and Hyukjin can't see me, but I feel like I've known them before… seeing you have friends makes me wanna remember who my friend was…" said Il Hwa.

"That's okay… you'll remember them soon, I promise." Said Jaeho "But for the time being, I'm your friend… I won't let you be alone…" said Jaeho.