Chapter 51 …
Fate
Would you look at these lightning-struck fools.
“Spit it out!”
“Are you crazy?”
“We have to film the next scene!”
“Why should I spit food out! You’ll be cursed for that!”
I mean, even if it’s a commercial…
They told me to spit out what I’d already been eating, just because they’d filmed it all.
“If you eat too much, you’ll get sick!”
“For a beggar, that’s a blessing!”
“Are you a beggar right now? You’re an actor!”
“But it’s so delicious!”
See?
Even the ladies who prepared the food over there were watching me with teary eyes, like they were proud of me… Wait, teary-eyed?
“Oh my. They said he used to be a beggar.”
“Looking at how he eats, it’s true. Must’ve gone hungry all his life.”
“……”
Ah, geez.
I thought I was over it since I had enough to eat these days, but sometimes those old habits slip out.
“Ahem, I’ll just finish this bite and only pretend after that, okay?”
“Fine. The drama’s over, but you’ve got variety shows and events lined up. You need to manage your weight.”
“Yes, yes. Of course.”
After being forced to control my weight my whole life, now that I’d been eating well, I had put on a little weight.
Still, I enjoyed my food, so the shoot went smoothly.
But then—an obstacle appeared.
“Hmmm.”
Right now, I was wearing an apron.
And in front of me, dishes were steaming hot on the table.
“The concept is cooking for your lover. Look warmly and lovingly at the food, then glance up toward the camera with a sweet expression!”
“Uh… sure.”
Lover?
Me? Doing that?
My mind went blank.
This was tough…
I’m half method-actor type, so copying what I’d seen as a beggar—snooping, stealing glances at people—that I could pull off well.
But this? This was next-level difficulty.
Cooking for a lover?
That was the kind of scene you’d only see in restaurants.
And as a beggar, I’d barely even been to those.
Even in the drama, filming the breakup with the courtesan had been hell.
At least thanks to Yeonju, my pet ghost, I managed to get through the kiss scene…
Yeonju?
She popped into my mind. Of course, she wasn’t a lover but a ghost, but since we’d practiced lines together, even shared a kiss scene, it was easier to get into character with her in mind.
‘Alright, I’ll go with you!’
I imagined Yeonju.
Jo Yeonju. Cute, pretty…
Her big puppy-dog eyes following me around could almost be called endearing.
Yes.
Today, Yeonju, this meal is for you.
“Perfect!”
I started carefully plating the food, picturing Yeonju.
I laid out the dishes nicely and then…
Uh…
My mind froze.
“Su-han?”
“Uh… yes.”
“Are you… crying?”
Huh.
I really was crying.
When I got home, my pet ghost greeted me.
[You’re back?]
“Yeah. Alone today?”
[Yes. Mr. Gam-dong left early. Must be busy.]
“Busy with what, I wonder.”
I dumped down the food bags I’d lugged back and threw myself onto the sofa.
“Ow ow ow!”
[How was the commercial?]
“Oh, you know, lots of smiling and… weird daydreaming.”
[Weird daydreaming?]
Yeonju suddenly pressed her cheeks with both hands, blushing bright red.
What on earth is she imagining?
“Cheeky ghost.”
[Cheeky?! What do you mean cheeky?!]
“What kind of thoughts are you having? You think all daydreams are about that?”
[Tsk! You made it sound suspicious! Then what was it really?]
“Hmm.”
It wasn’t anything much.
Just smiling brightly for a cosmetics commercial, then trying to pull off a “cool” expression.
Then modeling clothes, wandering around, wrapping up.
Of course, they kept saying I looked shabby… but since they let me keep all the outfits I tried on, I finished fast.
I guess the excitement showed on my face.
That’s what happens when someone who had nothing suddenly gets things.
If I thought of them as “other people’s clothes,” I’d wonder, why am I doing this?
“And then they told me to look at the food and imagine my lover.”
[Did you… imagine me?]
“I imagined Gam-dong.”
[…]
“Like, I thought: if I cooked this, Gam-dong would cry and say ‘wow!’ while eating it.”
What’s with that look…
[Hmph!]
“Are you jealous?”
[I’m not! Hmph!]
Ah… but you are a girl after all.
Even ghosts get jealous.
“No, really. It was you.”
[Hmph! I don’t believe you!]
I couldn’t imagine Gam-dong properly anyway.
Whenever I thought of him eating, all I saw was him bawling and slurping doenjang stew.
So I pictured Yeonju instead… and it made me sad.
Once I set the table, it felt like I was preparing her memorial.
That’s when everything fell apart.
And then it got harder.
Think about it: imagining Yeonju, smiling lovingly at food I’d set out…
That’s basically grinning at a memorial table.
That’s insane.
But I shifted my thinking.
She’s already dead—it doesn’t matter.
And the ghost at home loves food more than anything.
So with that realistic reasoning, I managed to finish the shoot.
Still… I felt guilty.
So I carefully asked her:
“Want me to cook for you?”
[I’m not hungry!]
Seems this ghost was full. Turning down even a memorial spread.
Fine. Suit yourself.
It was seafood today, though.
Sure enough, the moment I fried some jeon, she came crawling out. Figures.
[Nothing beats squid jeon!]
In the end, I barely got a taste of the seafood pancake.
Is she really a ghost… or a pig?
Still, she had been helpful today.
“Do you always eat this much?”
[Nooo. When I was alive, I had to diet, so I couldn’t.]
“……”
[But now, it’s not like I gain weight!]
She stuck out her tongue playfully.
Made me want to flick her chin.
Ugh… should I just help her move on?
Jo Yeonju was happy now.
Funny, isn’t it? To be happiest after dying.
At first, she couldn’t believe it. Then came the loneliness.
Other wandering ghosts terrified her, even though she was one herself.
Then one day, when Woo Su-han moved in, everything changed.
She remembered that first day clearly.
Their eyes met, and she had tossed out a meaningless greeting:
[Hello.]
“Yeah, hi.”
Only after he shut the door did she realize—he’d actually answered her.
[He can… see me?]
Ridiculous, she thought.
But her heart pounded.
Maybe… maybe someone could ease her loneliness.
So she followed him in.
She saw him wrestling a scary-looking man by the collar.
Timidly, she asked:
[Um… did you just move in?]
“Yes! I just—huh?”
“…H-hyung. You’re joking, right? Right?”
And so their connection began.
It was strange.
Don’t people usually fear ghosts?
Even she feared other ghosts.
But Su-han was different.
He wasn’t scared. He treated her naturally.
Ding-dong!
Whenever the bell rang, he’d glance at her.
“Delivery? Unless it’s one of those ‘Do you believe in the Way?’ guys.”
[It’s chicken!]
“Nice!”
So casual.
One day, frowning out the window, he said:
“Hmm, can’t tell if it’s raining. Yeonju, check outside.”
[Okay!]
Little by little, her loneliness vanished.
Even Mr. Gam-dong, who used to be afraid, got used to her presence.
And more than that—
“Read this for me.”
[I can’t hold books, I’m a ghost.]
“No, I mean this line. Just practice with me.”
[Huh?]
It turned out Su-han was an actor, and she began practicing scenes with him.
It brought back memories of her own acting practice, back before she’d been training to debut as an idol.
Her heart fluttered again.
And then—
“Help me practice this kiss scene.”
[Do you love me?]
“What kind of ghost nonsense is that? Just help! Argh! It’s not like I’ve ever actually dated anyone!”
It stung a bit, but… her heart had raced.
From then on, she realized—this was happiness.
She even tried possession, once in a while.
Just to taste food.
Like now.
“Alright. I’m full, let’s watch TV.”
[Sounds good!]
They turned it on. “Music World” was playing.
Her heart thumped.
Idols.
The dream she never reached.
[So jealous…]
“You used to be an idol trainee, right.”
[Yeah.]
That was as far back as she remembered.
If she tried to think further, her chest tightened.
She’d died of a heart attack, they’d said… and whenever she thought about it, her chest seized up again.
So maybe that really was it.
Either way, Su-han never asked beyond that.
Not why she died. Not why she lingered.
And she was grateful.
It was painful.
Not asking was kindness.
[I want to go too.]
“Where?”
[To the broadcast station.]
“Hmm…”
He glanced at the TV, then nodded.
“Sure. If the chance comes, I’ll take you.”
[Really?]
“Yeah.”
[Thank you!]
Yeonju was overjoyed.
But she steadied herself.
[Careful. Careful.]
“What?”
[N-nothing.]
She reminded herself not to get carried away.
If she became too happy, she might move on, and lose it all.
“How do I look?”
[Cool!]
“And me? Ask how I look too!”
[Wow! You look cool too, Gam-dong oppa!]
“She says you’re ugly.”
“What?!”
[I didn’t! I didn’t say that!!]
Heh.
If I tell Gam-dong exactly what she says, he’ll think too highly of himself.
So I decided to correct the record a little.
What’s he gonna do? I’m the only one who hears her.
“Damn it! At least I look manly, right?”
[Yes! Very manly!]
“She says just ‘manly,’ nothing more.”
[Stop twisting my words!!]
We checked our outfits: floral shirts, flashy sunglasses.
Why the ridiculous getup?
Because today, we were heading to Bali.
The holy reward vacation.
“Gam-dong, look at my eyes.”
“Yes?”
“Where does it look like I’m looking?”
“Your sunglasses are too dark, I can’t tell.”
“Perfect!”
Yes! That’s it!
I clenched my fist in triumph.
[Why? Shouldn’t your eyes show?]
“Of course not. We’re going to Bali. My dream’s on the line.”
[What dream?]
“Lying on a sunbed, peeking at girls in bikinis.”
[Ugh! Pervert!!]
“What if you get in trouble for that?!”
“That’s why I’m wearing the gear!”
[Do you… like bikinis that much? What style?]
“Hmm… the less fabric, the better?”
[Kyaa! Pervert!!]
This brat.
Why ask me, then call me a pervert for answering honestly?
“Hey, you asked my preference! Why get mad?!”
“Man, if you cause trouble, you’ll crash and burn!”
“Doesn’t matter. I was living at rock bottom anyway.”
This conversation… was making me dizzy.
