Chapter 2

well I'm not good at writing novel(❍ᴥ❍ʋ)

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The next morning, Min-jae slowly opened his eyes and stared at the ceiling.

"It must've been a dream... (⁠-⁠_⁠-⁠;⁠) Such a weird dream..."Still lying on the bed, he continued staring blankly at the ceiling.

Suddenly...A face popped up right above him.

Min-jae blinked once.His eyes widened."AHHHHHHH!! (⁠☉⁠｡⁠☉⁠)⁠!"

The person immediately covered his ears and frowned.

"Why the heck are you shouting so much? (⁠-⁠_⁠-⁠)" he said with an annoyed expression.

Min-jae stared at him for a few seconds."W-Weren't you supposed to be a dream...? (⁠ʘ⁠言⁠ʘ⁠╬⁠)"

The next second...His eyes rolled back.

"Ugh... (⁠×⁠_⁠×⁠)"

well. (❍ᴥ❍ʋ)

He fainted again.

The mysterious man looked down at him and let out a helpless sigh."...Seriously? (⁠-⁠_⁠-⁠;⁠)"

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About twenty minutes later, Min-jae slowly opened his eyes again.

The moment he opened them, he saw the same person standing in front of him.

Before he could scream again, the mysterious man quickly raised his hand.

"No! Don't shout! (⁠╥⁠﹏⁠╥⁠) And please don't faint again. You've already done it twice."

Min-jae blinked at him.

"Then what am I supposed to do? (⁠☉⁠｡⁠☉⁠) You're a strange man... No, wait... you look transparent. Are... are you a ghost?"

The mysterious man blinked.

"Why are you asking such an obvious question? (⁠-⁠_⁠-⁠)"

Min-jae's face turned pale.

"Oh... my... God... (⁠ʘ⁠言⁠ʘ⁠╬⁠)"

His vision started spinning.

"I... I feel dizzy... (⁠×⁠_⁠×⁠)"

Thud.

He fainted again.

The mysterious ghost stood there in complete silence.

"... (⁠-⁠_⁠-⁠;⁠)"

He was too speechless to say anything.

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About twenty minutes later, Min-jae slowly opened his eyes again.

This time, before Min-jae could react, the ghost quickly spoke.

"Okay, okay! (⁠╥⁠﹏⁠╥⁠) Don't be afraid. I'm not going to eat you, and I'm not going to do anything to you. Just calm down. And please don't faint again. I'm getting too bored! (⁠-⁠_⁠-⁠;⁠)"

Min-jae, who had just woken up, started feeling dizzy again after hearing all that.

He held his head and muttered,

"What time is it...? (⁠ㆁ⁠ω⁠ㆁ⁠)"

He still couldn't believe what was happening.

"This... this has to be a dream."

To make sure, he pinched his arm as hard as he could.

"Ouch! (⁠╥⁠﹏⁠╥⁠)"

His skin immediately turned red.

"I-It's not a dream... (⁠╥⁠﹏⁠╥⁠)"

"Of course it isn't," the ghost replied. "(⁠-⁠_⁠-⁠) Now let me explain everything. You don't have to be afraid."

Although he sounded calm and patient, deep inside he was already getting annoyed.

After all, he didn't want Min-jae to faint for the fourth time.

This time, Min-jae didn't faint.

The ghost let out a sigh of relief.

"Finally... (⁠╥⁠﹏⁠╥⁠) You stayed conscious."

He cleared his throat.

"So... should we introduce ourselves first, or should I explain how I appeared here?"

Min-jae, who was still feeling a little dizzy, held his forehead and replied,

"Just... tell me why you suddenly appeared here. (⁠-⁠_⁠-⁠;⁠)"

"Yeah, good, good." The ghost nodded happily. "(⁠◍⁠•⁠ᴗ⁠•⁠◍⁠)"

"But before that..." he said, raising one finger dramatically.

"Let me tell you my name first. (⁠ㆁ⁠ω⁠ㆁ⁠)"

The ghost cleared his throat proudly.

"My name is Lee Jiwon Aster von Elarion. (⁠ㆁ⁠ω⁠ㆁ⁠)"

Min-jae stared at him for a few seconds before shaking his head.

"Absolutely not. (⁠-⁠_⁠-⁠) I'm calling you Jiwon."

"That's disrespectful. (⁠ಠ⁠_⁠ಠ⁠)" Jiwon replied.

Min-jae rolled his eyes.

"Your name has enough words to fill out a government form. (⁠-⁠_⁠-⁠;⁠)"

Jiwon straightened his posture proudly.

"I am His Royal Highness, the Crown Prince of the Lee Kingdom, Commander of the Silver Legion, Protector of the Northern Kingdom. I also hold the titles of Duke, Lee Jiwon Aster von Elarion, the rightful heir to—"

Before he could finish, Min-jae quickly raised his hand.

"Pause. (⁠☉⁠｡⁠☉⁠) Your name is that long?"

"You may address me by my full name," Jiwon said proudly.

"I'm absolutely not doing that. (⁠-⁠_⁠-⁠)" Min jae said.

"It is proper etiquette. (⁠ㆁ⁠ω⁠ㆁ⁠)"

"It takes longer to say your name than it takes to order food. (⁠-_-)"

"At least try," Jiwon insisted.

Min-jae looked at him with a completely done expression.

"Lee... Jiwon... Aster... von... Potato. (⁠◍⁠•⁠ᴗ⁠•⁠◍⁠)"

Jiwon froze.

"...Potato? (⁠ಠ⁠_⁠ಠ⁠)"

Min-jae smiled innocently.

"You have too many names. (⁠人⁠•͈⁠ᴗ⁠•͈⁠)"

Just then, laughter suddenly echoed through the room.

"Hahaha! (⁠≧⁠▽⁠≦⁠)"

Min-jae looked around in confusion.

"W-What was that...? (⁠☉⁠｡⁠☉⁠)"

He immediately started getting scared again.

Jiwon frowned and shouted,

"Shut up before I kill you all! (⁠ಠ⁠_⁠ಠ⁠)"

Suddenly, two or three ghosts appeared out of nowhere.

One of them laughed and said,

"Your Highness... we're already dead. (⁠≧⁠▽⁠≦⁠)"

The other ghosts burst into laughter.

"Hahaha! I can't believe what I just heard! (⁠≧⁠▽⁠≦⁠)"

Min-jae's eyes widened.

"W-What...? (⁠ʘ⁠言⁠ʘ⁠╬⁠)"

He began feeling dizzy again.

Jiwon immediately noticed.

"Hey, hey, hey! (⁠╥⁠﹏⁠╥⁠) Don't faint again! Please!"

Min-jae took a deep breath and somehow managed to stay conscious.

Jiwon let out a sigh of relief.

"You've gained the ability to see ghosts now."

"...What? (⁠☉⁠｡⁠☉⁠)"

"Yes. I'll explain everything, but before that..." Jiwon paused.

"Tell me your name."

Min-jae was still feeling dizzy, but he answered,

"My name is... Kang Min-jae. (⁠-⁠_⁠-⁠;⁠)"

Jiwon smiled.

"Oh. That's a nice name. (⁠◍⁠•⁠ᴗ⁠•͈⁠)"

Jiwon took a deep breath.

"So, here's what happened. (⁠-⁠_⁠-⁠)"

"I'm a ghost, and these people are ghosts too."

The other ghosts waved at Min-jae.

"Hi~! (⁠≧⁠▽⁠≦⁠)"

Jiwon ignored them and continued,

"I'm not from this era. I'm from ancient times. My era was completely different."

"After you bought that ring and wore it, you activated the contract."

"My spirit was sealed inside that ring."

"Whoever wears that ring becomes my wife, and I become their husband."

He pointed at Min-jae.

"You're an Omega, and I'm an Alpha."

"So... we're actually husband and wife now. (⁠ㆁ⁠ω⁠ㆁ⁠)"

"And as for how I ended up inside the ring..." Jiwon sighed.

"After I died, a stupid mage sealed my soul inside it."

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Far away...

"Ah-choo! Ah-choo!"

Someone suddenly sneezed twice.

"...Someone must be talking about me."

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Back in Min-jae's room...

"What...? (⁠☉⁠｡⁠☉⁠)" Min-jae asked blankly.

"Yes," Jiwon replied with a nod. "Unfortunately, we're married."

"I didn't want to get married either, but it is what it is."

He clapped twice.

Clap! Clap!

A glowing contract suddenly appeared in front of them.

Jiwon handed it to Min-jae.

"Read it."

Min-jae took the contract with trembling hands.

It read:

Marriage Contract

By wearing the Ring of Destiny, Alpha Lee Jiwon Aster von Elarion and Omega Kang Min-jae are now bound together in marriage.

This marriage has been blessed by the Gods.

Neither party may break this marriage.

 this moment onward, they are husband and wife.

Min-jae's eyes grew wider and wider.

They looked as if they were about to pop out of their sockets.

The three ghosts burst into laughter."Hahaha! (⁠≧⁠▽⁠≦⁠)"

Jiwon immediately glared at them.

"Don't laugh at my wife. (⁠ಠ⁠_⁠ಠ⁠)"

One of the ghosts raised an eyebrow.

"Didn't you say just a few seconds ago that you didn't want to marry him? (⁠☆⁠▽⁠☆⁠)"

"And now you're calling him 'my wife.' Hahaha! (⁠≧⁠▽⁠≦⁠)"

The other ghosts joined in, teasing Jiwon without mercy.

Meanwhile, Min-jae looked at them...

Then at the contract...Then back at them...Then at the contract again.

The contract slowly slipped from his hand.

"...(⁠☉⁠｡⁠☉⁠)"

Thud.

He fainted once again.

The room instantly fell silent.

Jiwon covered his face with one hand.

"...Not again. (⁠-⁠_⁠-⁠;⁠)"

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This time, Min-jae didn't wake up after twenty or thirty minutes.

Instead, he slept until the afternoon.

He was finally awakened by the sound of his phone ringing.

As soon as he opened his eyes, he saw Jiwon standing in front of him as if he were protecting him from something.

Of course, Min-jae knew Jiwon couldn't actually touch anything.

Jiwon turned around and noticed that Min-jae was awake.

He pointed at the phone, which was still ringing.

"This thing has been making such a weird sound. (⁠☉⁠｡⁠☉⁠) What is it? Is it some kind of monster? Or is it magic?"

Min-jae stared at him for a few seconds.

Right... he's from ancient times. Of course he doesn't know what a mobile phone is.

"It's a mobile phone," Min-jae explained. "You can use it to talk to other people."

"Anyone? (⁠ㆁ⁠ω⁠ㆁ⁠)" Jiwon asked in surprise.

"Yes. Well... if the other person also has a mobile phone."

"Mobile... phone..." Jiwon repeated slowly, trying to remember the strange words.

Min-jae picked up the phone and answered the call.

The moment he answered, a loud voice came from the other side.

"Min-jae! My love, my darling, my baby! (⁠╥⁠﹏⁠╥⁠) Why didn't you come to college today? Did something happen? Are you sick? Do you want me to come over?"

Min-jae glanced at Jiwon before replying,

"No, I'm okay. I just slept late last night, so I couldn't wake up."

"I have something to do right now. I'll call you later."

After saying that, he hung up the call.

Then he looked at Jiwon.

"Where are the other ghosts?"

Jiwon answered calmly,

"They're gone."

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After Min-jae had fainted, the other ghosts were still laughing.

Jiwon had looked at them and said,

"Leave."

Then he chanted a short spell.

In the next second, all three ghosts disappeared.

"I've placed a barrier around this house," Jiwon explained. "No ghost can enter this place without my permission."

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Back in the present...

"They won't be coming back," Jiwon said.

Min-jae nodded.

"Okay... (⁠-⁠_⁠-⁠)"

Min-jae looked at Jiwon, who was standing in front of him, and let out a small sigh.

"I've already calmed down... (⁠-⁠_⁠-⁠;⁠) So, can you explain everything again?"

Jiwon thought for a moment.

I guess it's difficult for humans to believe in ghosts... (⁠ㆁ⁠ω⁠ㆁ⁠)

He took a deep breath.

"So... I'm a ghost. My name is Lee Jiwon Aster von Elarion— (⁠✧⁠ω⁠✧⁠)"

"Pause. (⁠ಠ⁠_⁠ಠ⁠)" Min-jae interrupted.

"I already know your name. Just tell me about this marriage contract."

Jiwon's shoulders dropped.

"...(⁠╥⁠﹏⁠╥⁠)"

He felt a little disappointed. He had been interrupted before he could even finish introducing himself.

Still, he cleared his throat and continued.

"After my death, a stupid mage sealed my soul inside this ring. (⁠-⁠_⁠-⁠)"

"This ring happened to be a marriage ring."

"Whoever wears it enters a marriage contract with me."

"And you're the first... and only person who has ever worn it."

"So after all these years, I was finally able to return to this world. Before this, I was trapped in the Spirit World."

He looked at Min-jae.

"So now we're married.You're an Omega, and I'm an Alpha.I'm your husband. (⁠ㆁ⁠ω⁠ㆁ⁠)Well... before anything else, there's something I want to say."

"I also want to say something. (⁠ಠ⁠_⁠ಠ⁠)" Min-jae spoke at the same time.

The two of them looked at each other.

"You go first. (⁠◍⁠•⁠ᴗ⁠•⁠◍⁠)" Jiwon said politely.

"No, you go first. (⁠-⁠_⁠-⁠)" min jea

"No, you." jiwon

"I said you." min jae

"No, you." jiwon

"I said you means you! (⁠ಠ⁠益⁠ಠ⁠)" min jae

"And I said you! (⁠ಠ⁠_⁠ಠ⁠)" jiwon

Min-jae's eyebrow twitched."I SAID YOU!! Don't make me repeat myself! (⁠╬⁠ಠ⁠益⁠ಠ⁠)"

Jiwon blinked."...(⁠☉⁠｡⁠☉⁠)"

For the first time since meeting Min-jae...

The mighty Crown Prince looked a little scared.

[Author's Note : Bottom power 💪ᕦ(͡°͜ʖ͡°)ᕤ]

Back to the story...

Jiwon coughed awkwardly."...Why don't we both say it together? (⁠-⁠_⁠-⁠;⁠)"

Min-jae sighed helplessly."...Fine. (⁠ㆁ⁠ω⁠ㆁ⁠)"

They took a deep breath.

"One..."

"Two..."

"Three..."

Then both of them shouted at the exact same time—

"I WANT A DIVORCE!!! (⁠ノ⁠ಠ⁠益⁠ಠ⁠)⁠ノ⁠彡⁠┻⁠━⁠┻"

The room fell completely silent.

"... (⁠☉⁠｡⁠☉⁠)"

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The two of them looked at each other.

Jiwon crossed his arms and frowned.

"...Why do you want a divorce? (⁠ಠ⁠_⁠ಠ⁠)"

He looked at himself proudly.

"I'm so handsome! (⁠ㆁ⁠ω⁠ㆁ⁠) Look at my face, my beautiful eyes, my handsome body... and my six-pack!"

He was about to unbutton his shirt.

"Stop! Stop! Stop! (⁠☉⁠｡⁠☉⁠)⁠💦" Min-jae quickly stopped him.

"And what do you mean by that? (⁠ಠ⁠益⁠ಠ⁠)I can ask you the same question, okay?I'm a beautiful Omega(⁠✧⁠ω⁠✧⁠)So many people have confessed to me!Then why are you asking for a divorce?"

Both of them looked disappointed.

How could someone want to divorce someone as amazing as me? They both thought at the same time.

Jiwon let out a sigh."So... we both want a divorce. (⁠-⁠_⁠-⁠)"

Min-jae nodded."Yeah."

"...Then how are we supposed to get divorced? (⁠ㆁ⁠ω⁠ㆁ⁠)" Min jae ask

Jiwon scratched his head."I don't know. (⁠-⁠_⁠-⁠;⁠)"

"I'll have to search for a way."

"So... what do we do now?" Min-jae asked.

Jiwon shrugged helplessly."We can't do anything for now.I'll search in the Spirit Library."

Min-jae blinked."There's a Spirit World... and even a Spirit Library? (⁠☉⁠｡⁠☉⁠)"

Jiwon nodded proudly."Of course.And I think you've gained the ability to see ghosts now.So you might even be able to enter the Spirit Library because your husband is a ghost. (⁠ㆁ⁠ω⁠ㆁ⁠)"

Min-jae ignored the word husband.

His eyes sparkled with excitement."Really? (⁠☆⁠▽⁠☆⁠)"

Things like this only happen in novels... and now it's happening to me!

"When can we go?" Min jae

"I still need permission from the Gods first. (⁠-⁠_⁠-⁠)" jiwon

Min-jae looked confused."Didn't you say you're a prince?"

Jiwon looked at him with a done expression."I was the Crown Prince during my time on Earth. (⁠ಠ⁠_⁠ಠ⁠)"

"Not in the Spirit World, okay?"

"...Although I still hold a very high position there." He puffed out his chest proudly. (⁠ㆁ⁠ω⁠ㆁ⁠)

Min-jae looked at him with a completely unconvinced face.

"...Sure. (⁠-⁠_⁠-⁠)"

"I'm telling the truth! (⁠ಠ⁠益⁠ಠ⁠)" Jiwon protested.

Before Min-jae could reply, his stomach suddenly growled.

"Grrr..."

He quickly held his stomach."Ah... I'm hungry. (⁠╥⁠﹏⁠╥⁠)"

He stood up and hurried toward the bathroom.

Before entering, he turned around and pointed at Jiwon.

"I know you can pass through walls and go anywhere, but don't come into the bathroom! (⁠ಠ⁠_⁠ಠ⁠)"

Jiwon rolled his eyes."I'm not that kind of man, okay? (⁠-⁠_⁠-⁠)And I'm not interested in you at all."

Min-jae froze.

"...(⁠ʘ⁠言⁠ʘ⁠╬⁠)"

What did he just say...?

So many people like me...

And this ghost... this idiot... this handsome ghost... actually said he's not interested in me?! (⁠ಠ⁠益⁠ಠ⁠)

Min-jae made a face that clearly said, How can you even say that to me...? (⁠ʘ⁠言⁠ʘ⁠╬⁠)

But he didn't argue anymore.

"Hmph! (⁠ಠ⁠_⁠ಠ⁠)"

He turned around and went straight into the bathroom.

After freshening up, he came out and walked toward the kitchen.

Since he usually ate breakfast outside, there wasn't much food at home.

So, he decided to make instant noodles.

While Min-jae was cooking, Jiwon stood nearby, watching everything with curiosity.

After a while, he pointed at the microwave.

"How does this thing work? (⁠☉⁠｡⁠☉⁠)"

"What kind of object is this?"

Min-jae looked at him.

"The microwave?"

Jiwon nodded.

"There's no fire... so how is the food getting cooked? (⁠ㆁ⁠ω⁠ㆁ⁠)"

He stared at the microwave with wide eyes."...This is magic. (⁠✧⁠ω⁠✧⁠)"

Of course, that night, Min-jae tried to take the ring off.

He pulled it again and again.

But it wouldn't come off.

Jiwon looked at him and said,

"I already told you. (⁠-⁠_⁠-⁠) You can't remove that ring."

The ring fit perfectly on Min-jae's ring finger.

It didn't fit on any of his other fingers.

Coincidentally... or perhaps not...

It fit perfectly on the ring finger, just like a wedding ring.

Min-jae noticed that Jiwon also had the same ring on his own ring finger.

"...(⁠-⁠_⁠-⁠;⁠)"

The next morning, Min-jae got ready for college.

He grabbed his bag and was about to lock the door.

Just as he turned around...

He saw four ghosts standing there, staring at him.

"(⁠☉⁠｡⁠☉⁠)⁠!"

Min-jae almost screamed.

But this time, he managed to calm himself down.

Taking a deep breath, he muttered,

"...I'm getting used to this. (⁠-⁠_⁠-⁠;⁠)"

Just then, Jiwon walked straight through the closed door.

"What the hell are you all doing here? (⁠ಠ⁠_⁠ಠ⁠)"

The other ghosts burst into laughter.

"Hahaha! (⁠≧⁠▽⁠≦⁠)" ghosts

One of them stepped forward.

"Crown Prince, can your wifey do ghost services? (⁠☆⁠▽⁠☆⁠)" ghost 1

"If he can, then please, please, please let him help us! (⁠人⁠•͈⁠ᴗ⁠•͈⁠)" 2

Min-jae was completely speechless."...(⁠☉⁠｡⁠☉⁠)"

Jiwon was equally speechless."...(⁠-⁠_⁠-⁠;⁠)"

Of course, Jiwon chased the other ghosts away.

After that, Min-jae left for college.

As he was walking, he suddenly noticed Jiwon following him from behind.

He turned around irritably.

"What the hell? (⁠ಠ⁠_⁠ಠ⁠) Why are you following me?"

Jiwon rolled his eyes.

"It's not like I want to follow you. (⁠-⁠_⁠-⁠)I can only move about three meters away from you because you're wearing my ring.So I have no choice."He said it with an equally irritated expression.

Just then, five or six people passing by stopped and looked at Min-jae strangely.

After all...

From their point of view...

Min-jae had suddenly turned around and started talking to thin air.

One student whispered,

"Isn't that Kang Min-jae?"

Another replied,

"...Has he lost his mind? (⁠☉⁠｡⁠☉⁠)"

Only then did Min-jae realize what everyone was seeing.

"...Oh no. (⁠╥⁠﹏⁠╥⁠)"

His face instantly turned red with embarrassment.

Without saying another word, he turned around and hurried away as fast as he could.

Jiwon simply floated after him."I told you. (⁠≧⁠▽⁠≦⁠)Only you can see me and the other ghosts.So you'd better stop talking to me outside.Otherwise, everyone will think you're crazy. (⁠◍⁠•⁠ᴗ⁠•⁠◍⁠)"

He finished with a teasing smile.

Min-jae clenched his fists.

"...Shut up. (⁠ಠ⁠益⁠ಠ⁠)"

With an irritated mind, Min-jae entered his classroom.

His two friends, Lee eun and Yuna, waved at him happily.

"Good morning! (⁠◍⁠•⁠ᴗ⁠•⁠◍⁠)"

Min-jae walked over to them.

"Morning. (⁠-⁠_⁠-⁠)"

He sat down in his usual seat.

It was obvious from his face that he wasn't in the mood to talk.

Lee-eun and Yuna exchanged a glance.

They had known Min-jae for years, so they immediately understood.

Better not disturb him... unless we want to die by Min-jae's hands. (⁠-⁠_⁠-⁠;⁠)

The two of them wisely stayed silent.

After a while, the professor entered the classroom and began the lecture.

Meanwhile...

Jiwon was standing right behind Min-jae, watching him write in his notebook.

"So this is your academy...? (⁠ㆁ⁠ω⁠ㆁ⁠)"

"It looks similar to the place where people studied during my era."

The lecture continued.

Min-jae listened while taking notes.

Sometimes he couldn't understand what the professor was explaining.

Jiwon clicked his tongue.

"You can't even understand something this simple? (⁠ಠ⁠_⁠ಠ⁠)"

Min-jae ignored him.

A few minutes later...

"Seriously? You still don't get it?" Jiwon whispered.

"You really have a dumb brain. (⁠-⁠_⁠-⁠)"

Min-jae gritted his teeth.

Ignore him... Ignore him...

"You call yourself a college student? (⁠ㆁ⁠ω⁠ㆁ⁠)"

Suddenly, the professor asked a question.

The entire classroom fell silent.

No one raised their hand.

At that exact moment—

"EXCUSE ME!! (⁠ಠ⁠益⁠ಠ⁠)"

Min-jae suddenly stood up and shouted.

The whole class turned to look at him.

Even the professor smiled.

"Excellent, Min-jae." (⁠◍⁠•⁠ᴗ⁠•⁠◍⁠)

"Please answer the question."

Min-jae froze.

He slowly looked at the professor...

Then at the question on the board...

Then at Jiwon...

Jiwon immediately looked away, pretending he had nothing to do with it.

"...(⁠≧⁠▽⁠≦⁠)"

A second later, he burst into laughter.

"Hahaha! (⁠≧⁠▽⁠≦⁠)"

Of course, nobody else could see or hear him.

Only Min-jae could.

Min-jae forced an awkward smile.

"Professor... (⁠-⁠_⁠-⁠;⁠)"

"May I go to the washroom?"

For a second...

The classroom was completely silent.

Then—

"Pfft!"

"Hahaha!"

Everyone burst into laughter.

The way Min-jae had stood up made it seem like he was confidently about to answer the question.

Instead...

He had only asked to go to the washroom.

The professor rubbed his forehead helplessly.

"...Yes. You may go. (⁠-⁠_⁠-⁠)"

"Thank you, Professor."

Min-jae quickly walked out of the classroom.

A few minutes later...

He entered the washroom.

Since everyone was still in class, the washroom was empty.

Naturally, Jiwon floated inside as well.

The moment Min-jae saw him, he turned around angrily.

"Can you please keep your mouth shut?! (⁠ಠ⁠益⁠ಠ⁠)You're so annoying!Don't disturb me during class!"

Jiwon crossed his arms."I wasn't disturbing you. (⁠ಠ⁠_⁠ಠ⁠)You just couldn't focus.Don't blame me."

Min-jae sighed helplessly."...Fine. (⁠-⁠_⁠-⁠;⁠)It was my fault.So please...Don't disturb me during class anymore.You said you can stay three meters away from me, right?Then stay outside the classroom! (⁠ಠ⁠_⁠ಠ⁠)"

Jiwon simply shrugged."...I'll think about it. (⁠ㆁ⁠ω⁠ㆁ⁠)"

After calming down, Min-jae and Jiwon returned to the classroom.

This time, Jiwon didn't stand behind Min-jae.

Instead, he wandered around the classroom, curiously looking at what the other students were doing.

Some students were secretly using their mobile phones under the desk.

Jiwon watched in amazement.

"So... people can actually move inside this little box? (⁠☉⁠｡⁠☉⁠)"

He stared at the screen with great interest.

How strange...

"I'll ask Min-jae about it tonight. (⁠ㆁ⁠ω⁠ㆁ⁠)"

Soon, the next lecture began.

The professor continued teaching as usual.

At first, Jiwon stayed quiet.

But after a few minutes...

He couldn't help himself.

He floated back to Min-jae.

"You still don't understand? (⁠-⁠_⁠-⁠)"

"You really are slow."

Min-jae clenched his pen tightly.

Ignore him...

"You even write slowly. (⁠ಠ⁠_⁠ಠ⁠)"

Ignore him...

"I've seen turtles learn faster than you. (⁠≧⁠▽⁠≦⁠)"

Min-jae's eye twitched.

Just then, the professor asked,

"Can anyone define this term?"

At that exact moment, Jiwon whispered again,

"Go on. You don't even know the answer. (⁠ㆁ⁠ω⁠ㆁ⁠)"

Min-jae finally lost his patience.

"CAN YOU SHUT UP FOR FIVE MINUTES?! (⁠ಠ⁠益⁠ಠ⁠)"

The entire classroom fell silent.

"..."

Every single student slowly turned to look at Min-jae.

Even the professor was speechless.

Only then did Min-jae realize...

He hadn't whispered.

He had shouted it out loud.

"...(⁠☉⁠｡⁠☉⁠)"

He slowly stood up.

"Professor... (⁠╥⁠﹏⁠╥⁠)"

"I-I wasn't talking to you..."

The professor narrowed his eyes.

"Really? (⁠ಠ⁠_⁠ಠ⁠)"

"Then who exactly were you talking to?"

Min-jae opened his mouth...

"..."

Then quietly closed it again.

He couldn't exactly say,

"A ghost has been annoying me since morning."

The professor let out a deep sigh.

"Min-jae."

"Stand outside the classroom until the lecture is over."

"...Yes, Professor. (⁠╥⁠﹏⁠╥⁠)"

With his head lowered in embarrassment, Min-jae picked up his notebook and slowly walked out of the classroom.

Behind him...

Jiwon tried his best not to laugh.

"...Pfft."

"Hahaha! (⁠≧⁠▽⁠≦⁠)

at luncht

As the three of them sat down in the cafeteria, Yuna and Lee Eun looked at Min-jae with worried expressions.

"What happened to you? (⁠ㆁ⁠ω⁠ㆁ⁠)" Yuna asked.

"You've been acting so strangely since this morning."

Lee Eun nodded.

"Yesterday you were happily showing off your new ring, and today you're in such a bad mood. (⁠-⁠_⁠-⁠;⁠)"

Yuna suddenly grabbed Min-jae's hand.

"Let me see the ring."

She tried to pull it off.

But no matter how hard she tried...The ring wouldn't move.

"Huh...? (⁠☉⁠｡⁠☉⁠)"She pulled again.

Still nothing.

Min-jae quickly smiled awkwardly."Oh... it got stuck on my finger. (⁠-⁠_⁠-⁠;⁠)Oh my God!" Lee Eun exclaimed.

"Come on! I know a way to take it off!"

"Let's go after class!" Yuna agreed excitedly.

Min-jae and Jiwon exchanged a glance.

Both of them already knew...

The ring wasn't coming off.

"It's okay." Min-jae laughed awkwardly.

"I'll deal with it when I get home."

"Don't worry about it."

"Let's just eat."

The two of them finally dropped the topic.

After lunch, the remaining classes passed by quickly.

Soon, it was evening.

Min-jae packed his bag and headed home.

This time, instead of taking the stairs, he entered the elevator.

Naturally...

Jiwon followed him inside.

The elevator doors closed.

A few seconds later, it started moving.

Jiwon's eyes widened.

"W-What is this?! (⁠☉⁠｡⁠☉⁠)"

"This room is moving!"

He looked around in shock.

"Did we just teleport somewhere?! (⁠✧⁠ω⁠✧⁠)"

"This era is incredible!"

He looked at Min-jae with sparkling eyes.

"Tell me! Tell me! (⁠≧⁠▽⁠≦⁠)"

"What kind of magic is this?"

"What academy did you study at?"

Min-jae looked at him with a completely exhausted expression.

"...(⁠-⁠_⁠-⁠)"

"It's called an elevator."

"It helps people go up and down buildings."

"It doesn't teleport anyone."

"It's technology."

"Humans created it."

"There isn't any magic involved."

His tone was flat.

Jiwon blinked.

"...Oh. (⁠ㆁ⁠ω⁠ㆁ⁠)"

He immediately understood that Min-jae wasn't in the mood to talk.

Even though he still had countless questions...

He quietly kept them to himself.

The rest of the elevator ride passed in silence. (⁠-⁠_⁠-⁠)

Min-jae and Jiwon entered the apartment.

The room was completely silent.

Min-jae was too tired to argue with anyone.

Jiwon noticed the exhausted look on his face.

...This isn't the right time to tease him. (⁠-⁠_⁠-⁠)

Let me be a good husband for once.

For the rest of the evening, he didn't say a single word.

After freshening up, Min-jae made a simple dinner.

He ate quietly, finished washing the dishes, and went straight to bed.

He was so tired that he fell asleep almost immediately.

Jiwon, on the other hand, had nothing to do.

He crossed his arms and thought for a moment.

I should go to the Spirit World and look for information about divorce. (⁠ㆁ⁠ω⁠ㆁ⁠)

With that thought, he clapped twice.

Clap! Clap!

A golden magic circle appeared beneath his feet.

In the next second, he disappeared.

...

The Spirit World.

Jiwon arrived in a magnificent place filled with floating buildings and glowing lights.

He walked toward the Spirit Library, where countless books were neatly arranged on endless shelves.

A ghost librarian was organizing books behind the counter.

Jiwon walked over.

"I have a question."

The librarian looked up.

"Go ahead."

"Can a ghost and a human who are married get divorced?"

The librarian froze.

"...(⁠☉⁠｡⁠☉⁠)"

He stared at Jiwon for a long moment.

"Are you... serious?"

"Of course I am."

"It's a long story."

The librarian rubbed his forehead.

"I've heard of ghosts marrying ghosts..."

"But a ghost marrying a human?"

"...That's a first."

He thought for a while before answering.

"I honestly don't know."

"If your spouse were another ghost, you could apply to the Spirit Court."

"But since your spouse is a human..."

He shook his head.

"I've never seen a case like this."

"You can still submit an application to the Spirit Court and ask for their judgment."

"As for the answer..."

He pointed toward the countless bookshelves.

"You'll have to search the library yourself."

Jiwon nodded.

"I understand."

Just as he was about to leave, he stopped.

"One more question."

The librarian looked at him again.

"Can I bring my human wife into the Spirit World?"

The librarian almost dropped the book in his hands.

"...You literally have a human wife?! (⁠☉⁠｡⁠☉⁠)"

Jiwon coughed awkwardly.

"...It's a long story."

"So... is it possible?"

The librarian thought for a moment.

"...Well..."

"If she's legally bound to you by a Spirit Marriage Contract..."

"Then yes."

"She should be able to enter the Spirit World with you."

The librarian took out a scroll and began writing.

He carefully wrote:

Lee Jiwon Aster von Elarion is granted permission to bring his human spouse into the Spirit World.

He stamped the document and handed it to Jiwon.

"Show this at the Spirit Gate."

"There won't be any problems."

Jiwon accepted the permission letter.

"Thank you."

With another wave of magic, he returned to the apartment.

By the time he arrived...

It was already morning.

Time flowed differently in the Spirit World than it did in the human world. (⁠ㆁ⁠ω⁠ㆁ⁠)

Jiwon was sitting on the sofa in the bedroom when Min-jae slowly woke up.

The moment Jiwon saw him, he became excited.

"I have something important to tell you! (⁠☆⁠▽⁠☆⁠)"

Min-jae simply raised one hand.

"Bathroom first. (⁠-⁠_⁠-⁠)"

Without waiting for another word, he walked into the bathroom.

Jiwon blinked.

"...Right."

"That's natural. (⁠-⁠_⁠-⁠;⁠)"

He quietly sat back on the sofa and waited.

About thirty minutes later, after taking a long shower and getting ready, the bathroom door opened slightly.

Only Min-jae's head popped out.

"Can you please leave the bedroom? (⁠ಠ⁠_⁠ಠ⁠)"

"I need to change my clothes."

Jiwon suddenly had a dangerous thought.

So... he's not wearing any clothes right now...? (⁠ㆁ⁠ω⁠ㆁ⁠)

Before he could think any further—

"Hey! Don't have any weird thoughts! (⁠ಠ⁠益⁠ಠ⁠)"

"Get out!"

Jiwon coughed awkwardly.

"Ahem... okay. (⁠-⁠_⁠-⁠;⁠)"

We're getting divorced anyway...

There's no reason to think about things like that.

With that, he quietly left the bedroom.

A few minutes later, Min-jae came out fully dressed and walked into the kitchen.

He started making breakfast.

Jiwon looked at him.

"You're not going to college today?"

Min-jae shook his head.

"When I woke up and didn't see you, I called and asked for leave."

"I'm really not feeling well."

"So many things happened yesterday."

"I still can't believe I'm married..."

"...And my husband is a ghost. (⁠-⁠_⁠-⁠;⁠)"

Jiwon nodded sympathetically.

"Yeah."

"I understand."

"Anyone would be shocked."

"By the way..."

"I went to the Spirit World last night."

Min-jae looked surprised.

"Wait."

"You said you can't go more than three meters away from me."

Jiwon nodded.

"That's true in the Human World."

"But I can freely travel to the Spirit World."

"I met the librarian."

"He gave me permission to bring you there."

"We'll have to search the Spirit Library for information about marriages between ghosts and humans."

"I've also submitted an application to the Spirit Court."

Min-jae's gloomy expression instantly disappeared.

"Really?! (⁠☆⁠▽⁠☆⁠)"

"I can go to the Spirit World?"

"Yep."

"When are we going?"

Jiwon smiled.

"Not now."

"Eat your breakfast first."

"Before we go, I need to explain the rules."

"There are good ghosts..."

"And there are evil ghosts."

"So you have to be careful."

Min-jae nodded seriously.

"I understand."

Jiwon continued,

"I know you're my wife."

"If others find out you're connected to me, most of them won't dare touch you."

"...But I also have enemies in the Spirit World."

"The people I killed during my lifetime still hold grudges against me."

Min-jae blinked.

"Then just beat them up again."

Jiwon sighed.

"I wish I could."

"But things don't work like that anymore."

"I'm no longer the Crown Prince there."

After breakfast was ready, Min-jae carried it to the living room.

He sat on the couch, turned on the TV, and started eating.

Jiwon sat beside him.

The moment the TV turned on, his eyes became as big as plates.

"W-What is this?! (⁠☉⁠｡⁠☉⁠)"

"There are people inside that box!"

He immediately pointed at Min-jae.

"You're a witch! (⁠ʘ⁠言⁠ʘ⁠╬⁠)"

"You trapped them in there!"

"How evil!"

For the first time...

Jiwon was actually scared of Min-jae.

Min-jae looked at him with a completely done expression.

"...I'm not a witch."

"It's called a TV."

"The people aren't actually inside it."

"It's just like a moving picture."

"You know portraits?"

Jiwon slowly nodded.

"...So it's something like that? (⁠ㆁ⁠ω⁠ㆁ⁠)"

"Exactly."

Although he still didn't completely understand...

He decided to believe Min-jae.

The movie continued playing.

Ironically...

Jiwon enjoyed it much more than Min-jae.

It was a comedy movie.

Jiwon laughed so loudly that the entire living room echoed.

"Hahaha! (⁠≧⁠▽⁠≦⁠)"

Min-jae simply ate his breakfast in silence.

He's enjoying it more than I am... (⁠-⁠_⁠-⁠)

After finishing breakfast and the movie, Min-jae stood up.

"Let's go."

"I need to buy some things."

Jiwon nodded.

"Alright."

The two of them left the apartment.

The moment they stepped outside...

Four or five ghosts suddenly surrounded them.

One ghost raised his hand.

"Brother! (⁠╥⁠﹏⁠╥⁠)"

"My husband is getting remarried!"

"Please tell his new wife he can't cook at all!"

Another ghost hurried over.

"Big Brother! Please! (⁠人⁠•͈⁠ᴗ⁠•͈⁠)"

"Can you delete my Chrome history from my phone?"

[ I feel you bro 😭]

A third ghost said,

"Please tell my grandson not to drink tea from my favorite cup!"

Min-jae stood there in complete silence.

"..."

"Cooking... Chrome history... teacups...?"

He slowly looked at Jiwon.

Jiwon also looked speechless.

Then he rubbed his forehead and sighed.

"Ignore them."

He looked at the ghosts.Jiwon let out a helpless sigh.He looked at the ghosts.

"No."

"My wife doesn't provide ghost services. (⁠ಠ⁠_⁠ಠ⁠)" jiwon said

"We have important work to do."

After saying that, he simply floated forward.

Min-jae glanced at the disappointed ghosts before quietly following behind him.

The ghosts could only watch the two of them leave.

"...Aw... (⁠╥⁠﹏⁠╥⁠)"

..

.

.

Days passed.

One day became a week.

One week became two.

And before they even realized it...

A whole month had passed.

During that month, Jiwon had been busy getting permission from the higher spirits and completing the necessary procedures so that a human could officially enter the Spirit World.

It wasn't easy.

After many discussions and approvals...

Everything was finally accepted.

During that month, Min-jae and Jiwon also became much closer.

Not in a romantic way.

They simply got used to each other's presence.

They argued almost every day, teased each other, and sometimes even watched movies together.

It had become their normal routine.

...

One month later.

Min-jae and Jiwon stood facing each other in the living room.

"Are you ready?" Min-jae asked. (⁠ㆁ⁠ω⁠ㆁ⁠)

Jiwon smiled.

"Of course. (⁠☆⁠▽⁠☆⁠)"

The next second...

Golden light surrounded both of them.

Min-jae instinctively closed his eyes because of the bright light.

When he opened them again...

His surroundings had completely changed.

"...(⁠☉⁠｡⁠☉⁠)"

He wasn't in his apartment anymore.

Instead, he was floating in the air.

"H-How am I floating?! (⁠☉⁠｡⁠☉⁠)"

Jiwon smiled proudly.

"There's no ground here."

"Everyone moves by floating."

"And you're floating because I used magic."

"Magic only works properly for me in the Spirit World."

Min-jae's eyes sparkled.

"Whoa... (⁠☆⁠▽⁠☆⁠)"

"That's so cool."

Jiwon proudly folded his arms.

"Of course."

"I told you I was amazing. (⁠╹⁠▽⁠╹⁠)"

Min-jae rolled his eyes.

"Yeah, yeah."

"Let's go."

As they floated through the Spirit World, countless ghosts stopped what they were doing.

Every pair of eyes landed on Min-jae.

"...A human?"

"A living human is here?"

"How is that possible?"

Whispers spread everywhere.

Ignoring everyone's shocked expressions, Jiwon took Min-jae straight to the Spirit Court.

Inside the grand hall, a judge sat behind a large desk.

The judge looked at Min-jae.

"What is your name?"

"My name is Kang Min-jae."

The judge shook his head.

"No."

"Your name after marriage."

"You must state your name using your husband's family name."

Min-jae slowly turned to look at Jiwon.

Jiwon looked far too pleased with himself.

Min-jae made a completely done face.

"..."

Then, in a small and unwilling voice, he answered,

"...Lee Min-jae. (⁠-⁠_⁠-⁠)"

Jiwon's smile immediately became even brighter. (⁠≧⁠▽⁠≦⁠)

Min-jae looked at him with an annoyed expression.

"Don't smile. (⁠ಠ⁠_⁠ಠ⁠)"

Whatever the situation was...

The moment Min-jae unwillingly said,

"...Lee Min-jae. (⁠-⁠_⁠-⁠)"

Jiwon froze for a second.

A small smile slowly appeared on his face.

For some reason...

Hearing "Lee Min-jae" sounded... nice.

It felt strangely pleasant.

He couldn't explain why.

Maybe it was because, after so many years...

Someone finally carried his family name again.

Or maybe...

It was because, for the first time in a very long time, he truly had someone he could call his family.

He quietly looked at Min-jae.

"...Lee Min-jae." (⁠◍⁠•⁠ᴗ⁠•⁠◍⁠)

He softly repeated the name to himself.

Min-jae immediately noticed.

"Why are you smiling like that? (⁠ಠ⁠_⁠ಠ⁠)"

Jiwon quickly coughed and looked away.

"...Nothing."

"I was just thinking..."

"It suits you."

Min-jae rolled his eyes.

"Don't get any weird ideas."

"We're still getting divorced. (⁠-⁠_⁠-⁠)"

Jiwon shrugged.

"I know."

"But..."

He smiled again.

"I still like hearing 'Lee Min-jae.' (⁠◍⁠•⁠ᴗ⁠•⁠◍⁠)"

Min-jae clicked his tongue and turned his face away, pretending not to care.

"...Idiot." (⁠-⁠_⁠-⁠)

But for some reason...

The corners of his lips twitched ever so slightly.

After leaving the Spirit Court with no answer, Min-jae and Jiwon headed to the Spirit Library.

They searched for hours.

Shelf after shelf.

Book after book.

The entire day passed like that.

Finally...

Jiwon's eyes landed on an old, dusty book.

"I found one. (⁠ㆁ⁠ω⁠ㆁ⁠)"

The two of them quickly opened it.

After flipping through many pages, they reached Page 365.

Jiwon began reading aloud.

[If a human and a ghost are bound together through a spiritual object, such as a ring, necklace, bracelet, or any other contract item...]

[...and they wish to dissolve their marriage...]

[...the contract object must be destroyed.]

Both of them silently looked at the ring on Min-jae's finger.

Jiwon continued reading.

[The moment the contract object is destroyed...]

[...the ghost bound to it shall completely disappear.]

[...Its existence will be erased forever.]

[...It shall belong neither to the Human World...]

[...nor to the Spirit World...]

[...nor to Heaven...]

[...nor to Hell.]

[..Its soul shall cease to exist.]

Silence.

The library became deathly quiet.

Neither of them spoke.

Jiwon slowly lowered the book.

His expression had turned unusually serious.

Before he could continue reading the next paragraph...

Min-jae suddenly closed the book.

"...Let's go home. (⁠-⁠_⁠-⁠)"

Jiwon looked at him.

"There might be more written here."

Min-jae shook his head.

"...Not today."

He didn't know why.

But hearing those words...

His heart suddenly felt heavy.

A strange pain spread through his chest.

He didn't want to hear anything else.

Jiwon remained silent.

Deep inside...

He wasn't feeling any better.

Disappear... forever...?

Not even the Spirit World...

Not Heaven...

Not Hell...

There would be nothing left of him.

For the first time...

The thought of divorce no longer felt simple.

Neither of them said another word.

They quietly left the library together.

.

.

.

.

.

.

chapter two 😭😭😭finish now going to write three.

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