NOT-SO-PRETTY SAVAGES

WHEN AUNT Hayi said that ghouls were ghosts, she thought they would at least resemble humans.

But they didn't.

'Savages.'

Yujin listened to her Aunt Hayi intently earlier.

According to her aunt, the evil ghosts who hunted down 'complete doppelgangers' were called 'Savages.'

Apparently, 'Savages' were ghouls.

Hearing the name already gave her shivers. Hence, when she saw the Savages attack the doppelganger in person, she froze in fear.

[C-Can I really beat those demons?!]

The three ghouls in front of her were like skeletons with just a bit of a flesh in them. They also had unusually long limbs. They were all bald and naked, but they didn't have nether regions.

However, the ghouls had huge eyes that almost popped out of the sockets.

Worse, the ghouls also had fangs and sharp nails that looked like they belonged to a wild animal.

And those vicious ghouls were mauling Sun Geun-wook's doppelganger.

[Why is he not fighting back?!]

Well, she wasn't one to talk.

She found the doppelganger in the park in the neighborhood where she lived. Since it was already late at night, there were no other people there. And she didn't have to worry about the CCTV in the area.

According to her Aunt Hayi, the presence of malevolent beings like the Savages would destroy the CCTVs. And she believed her aunt.

[This is not the right time to think about the CCTVs.]

Yujin gripped the wooden baseball bat in her hands tightly.

Her aunt returned her weapon to her. Plus, her aunt also upgraded the talisman in it. Apparently, it was strong enough to get rid of ghouls.

[They look scary, but I need to save Sun Geun-wook's body.]

Hence, Yujin screamed at the top of her lungs while running towards the three ghouls attacking her childhood friend's bloody body. "Get away from Sun Geun-wook, you not-so-pretty Savages!"

She hit the smallest ghoul (probably around a middle school kid's height) with her bat– sending it flying while screeching.

Then it exploded in the air and turned into ashes.

[Oh, dear. Aunt Hayi's talisman is seriously the real deal.]

After that, the two remaining ghouls turned to her with a shocked look on their faces.

She was a bit startled.

[I didn't know that they can make expressions as if they were humans…]

She didn't have the time to wonder about that.

After all, the two ghouls suddenly came at her while screeching loudly and angrily. She could tell that the Savages wanted revenge for their fallen comrade.

[They have… feelings?]

Again, she couldn't afford to worry about that.

She just gripped her wooden baseball bat as tightly as she could, then she yelled again. This time, she was screaming at the Savages.

"Get up, Sun Geun-wook's doppelganger!" Yujin yelled, then she swung at the ghoul that was just a little taller than her. However, the ghoul avoided her bat smartly. She clicked her tongue, then she aimed for the trunk of the ghoul which was probably around 180cms. Again, she failed since the Savages were smart enough to avoid her bat. "Sun Geun-wook's doppelganger, I'm risking my life here to save you! Can't you get up and give me a hand, huh?"

She knew that the doppelganger was stronger than average humans.

After all, she saw him fight earlier.

Hence, she didn't understand why he let himself get attacked by the Savages without putting up a fight.

[If I can fight the Savages, I'm sure he could, too!]

"I'm not Sun Geun-wook's doppelganger."

She knitted her eyebrows while swinging her bat, again and again, to not give the ghouls the chance to get near her. "What are you–"

"I have a name."

When the two Savages jumped and remained suspended in the air while observing her from there, she had the chance to look at the ghost.

The doppelganger was still lying down on the ground– bleeding all over.

She also noticed that he had cuts and bite marks all over his body. Her chest tightened painfully.

[How dare they do that to Sun Geun-wook's body?]

"I have a name," the doppelganger said in a whining voice. "If you call my name properly, I will help you."

What?!

Was the ghost seriously negotiating with her RIGHT NOW?

She was about to scold him, but her distraction cost her a lot. Before she knew it, the medium-sized suddenly descended and snatched her wooden baseball bat from her.

The Savage screamed as if it was burned.

Then the ghoul threw her wooden baseball bat away.

[Tsk!]

She was about to run after her wooden baseball bat. However, she saw the bigger ghoul descend from above her as if it was going to stomp her to death.

[Oh, no!]

She covered her head with her arms and ducked with her eyes closed.

Then she yelled at the same time the ghouls around her screeched.

"Move your butt, Wookie!" Yujin screamed, swallowing her pride. "Take care of these Savages!"

To be honest, she didn't expect the doppelganger to help her.

So, she just prepared herself to get stomped to death for her carelessness. In her defense, it was her first time fighting something else aside from her doppelganger. Moreover, she thought Savages were out of her league.

[Aunt Hayi, why didn't you come with me?!]

Her Aunt Hayi said she had something else to take care of in the meantime.

[I'm scared, Aunt…]

She trailed off when she realized that it had been a while since the ghoul that was supposed to stomp her to death descended. And yet, nothing happened to her. Not a strand of her hair was out of place.

Moreover, she belatedly realized that it was quiet.

[Don't tell me…]

She opened her eyes and looked up.

Then she let out a gasp.

The doppelganger was standing in front of her while being surrounded by ashes that were dancing with the wind.

[Ashes…?]

Oh.

The doppelganger killed the ghouls so quickly and so quietly.

[I shouldn't have closed my eyes.]

The doppelganger leaned down to pick up the wooden baseball bat that rolled down his feet. Then he approached her carefully.

"Here," the doppelganger said, smiling. Then he stopped when he was just a few feet away from her. Moreover, he held her wooden baseball bat with both of his hands as if he was offering her a sacred item. "Yujinie, call me by my name again."

It was such an earnest request that she didn't have the heart to get angry at him.

Or maybe she had softened up because her Aunt Hayi had already assured her that Sun Geun-wook was still alive. As long as they took care of the doppelganger, then her childhood friend could still return to them.

Her conscience pricked her heart.

[I feel bad, but Sun Geun-wook is more important to me than his doppelganger.]

Hence, she decided to be good to the doppelganger in the meantime in order to make it up to him a little bit.

Perhaps it was to ease her guilt, too.

[Humans are indeed selfish.]

"Wookie."

'Wookie,' the doppelganger, smiled brightly at her. "Yes, Yujinie?"

Yujin ignored the pang in her chest, then she extended her hand to the doppelganger. "Let's go home, Wookie."

The day that the doppelganger grabbed her hand was the day that changed everything.

***

"ARE YOU okay?" Yujin asked when she calmed down. Then she immediately shook her head. "No, of course, you can't be okay. You were almost mauled to death." She knitted her eyebrows, then she glared at the doppelganger who was bleeding from head to toe. "Why did you let them attack you when you can kill them easily?"

"Because Yujinie is mad at me."

"What?"

"Yujinie told me to get out of your life," Wookie said while looking at her with innocent eyes. "I don't want to stay here anymore if Yujinie doesn't play with me."

Aigoo.

The doppelganger could already speak coherently.

And yet, he still spoke like a child even with Sun Geun-wook's memories.

[Sun Geun-wook's image will take a hit once the doppelganger takes over his life temporarily. For once, 'Wookie' sounds too childish.]

She had to protect Sun Geun-wook's dignity as much as she could.

Yujin cleared her throat. "Wook."

The doppelganger tilted his head to one side, confused. "My name is 'Wookie.'"

"I'll call you 'Wookie' in private," she explained. "But if there are other people around us, I'll call you 'Wook.' Once we return to school, you should also tell your friends to call you 'Wook' instead of 'Geun' or 'Geun-wook.'"

After all, the one who owned the name 'Geun' or 'Geun-wook' was her childhood friend.

[They are two different individuals, so let's start by giving the doppelganger a different name.]

It wasn't really 'new' since Sun Geun-wook's original name was 'Wook.'

But her childhood friend preferred the name 'Geun,' anyway. So she was sure he wouldn't mind if she called the doppelganger 'Wook' or 'Wookie.'

"Wookie, do you understand what I'm saying?"

"I don't, but I will listen to Yujinie."

It was a relief that the doppelganger was friendly to her.

"Good," she said. "Let's go and treat your wounds…"

She trailed off, then her eyes went wide when she saw that Wook's wounds disappeared. He still looked dirty because of the dried blood all over his skin and clothes.

But the wounds disappeared like magic!

Yujin gently poked his cheek. "It's really gone."

Wook, who seemed to realize what she was talking about, smiled bitterly at her. "I heal really fast, Yujinie."

[What does it mean?]

***

Please add SPOOKY SOULMATE to your library~