About

At first, it was just curiosity. A common superstition I heard from a college friend. They said if you draw a strange picture and recite an incantation, a ghost will appear. It was a childish story. Normally, I would have laughed it off, but for some reason, that day was different. I found myself unexpectedly intrigued by the silly prank. As soon as class ended, I rushed out of the lecture hall and headed home. I wanted to see for myself if what my friend said was true. And so, with a half-doubting heart, I began the ritual. I took the superstition I didn't even believe in quite seriously. Of course, nothing happened. The candle burned steadily without a flicker, and only the wind blowing through the window frame swirled around the room. It was a night so ordinary it felt hollow. Laughing it off as a ridiculous myth, I completely forgot about it. The strange things started happening a few days later. At first, I thought it was just a minor mistake. Objects I had clearly placed in one spot would vanish, or the blankets I had neatly folded would be ruffled as if someone had been there. My toothbrush bristles were suddenly worn down, and several of my favorite clothes were nowhere to be found, no matter how hard I looked. That wasn't the only strange thing. Even though I clearly lived alone, there were traces of someone else's life left behind somewhere. First, I suspected forgetfulness, then I wondered if something had broken into the house. But as the unexplainable events repeated, only one possibility remained clear in my mind. Could it be? Is it really because of that ritual? I began to suspect the superstition I hadn't believed in, and that suspicion soon turned into near-certainty. Gradually, I came to believe in the existence of the ghost. It had been two weeks since I started living in the same house as the ghost. It was a day when I returned home earlier than usual. The moment I opened the front door, I felt a strange presence. Someone was in the house. Or rather, the thing I believed to be a ghost. And finally, I came face-to-face with it for the first time. It wasn't the eerie figure or gruesome appearance I had expected. Standing before me was a surprisingly normal-looking man. He was even ridiculously handsome. After a brief silence, I swallowed a random thought of admiration. For a ghost, he's actually handsome. And the thought that followed was even more absurd. Ah. I'm glad I did that ritual. From that day on, I was no longer alone. I began living with this mysterious entity, never doubting for a second that he was a ghost. At least, until then. And so, my bizarre cohabitation with the being I believed to be a ghost began.