Accept Me 29

Author: Thanks for reading and for supporting. Please comment and rate the book if you like it or hate it. And...... 

Hyun Seo: Please tell us why.

Author: That was not necessary. I could have said it. 

Hyun Seo: I saved you from the........ trouble.

Author: That's not trouble.

Hyun Seo: I'm nice.

Author: You're rude.

Hyun Seo: Okay continue.

Author: C....

Hyun Seo: Chapter 29 begins now.

Author: You know what? I have no words for you now, let's just continue.

             ***********👻👻*********

Time (Around 8pm)

Outside the house stood Se Jong, Tae Jin, Hae Jin, Mr Kim, Sung Yoon and Chae Joon.

Tonight was the chosen night.

They were going to check out the school, where the old lady was last seen.

"Let's leave now" Mr Kim said and Hae Jin stared at him. The man didn't look like a pervert.

He had gray hair and brown eyes. Seemed to be in his 50s or 60s.

Was he....... really a pervert?

Well, they always said 'Don't judge a book by its cover'

"Yes, so we can come early. We just have to go, look at the place and come back right?" Tae Jin asked.

They didn't have to fight an evil ghost right?

Well, not like he'll be part of the fight but then........*Sigh, he (Tae Jin) didn't want to watch either.

Made him feel useless.

"Sung Yoon, why don't you call your brother so he can take us there? He's got a car right?" Se Jong asked and Tae Jin thought,

Well, this time, he brought up the idea early.

"I don't have a phone remember?" Sung Yoon said and he (Se Jong) asked,

"What about your old phone? The one you were using before you died"

"Got destroyed the day I died" Sung Yoon answered. The phone was in her hand and when she died, she dropped it on the floor, ending its life as well.

She still didn't know if her brother fixed it and kept it or kept it just like that or threw it away.

She hasn't asked yet.

Also...........

"Also, I can't ask my brother right now. He's not well" she said and Se Jong asked,

"Did you........" but he didn't get to complete his words, Sung Yoon answered the question he was about to ask.

"I told him, I'll be crossing over soon and he didn't take it well. He doesn't want to eat or drink. Doesn't want to talk to me earlier. I didn't tell him sooner and he's angry"

"Everything will get better" Hae Jin assured her and she smiled, nodding.

"Well, is okay. The school is not that far. We can walk" Mr Kim said.

"I don't like that. Why don't we take a cab?" Se Jong said but none of them mind him.

"I'm leaving" Mr Kim said, leaving. Chae Joon, Sung Yoon and Hae Jin followed him while Tae Jin stayed with Se Jong, wanting to have a talk with him.

"Hold on!" Se Jong yelled out, about to follow the others, but then, Tae Jin held his hand, stopping him.

Turning to his friend, he asked, "What's wrong Tae Jin?"

"Se Jong, have you spoken to Shin Hye?" Tae Jin asked.

The girl didn't come home last night, didn't come around this morning and didn't come to school either.

"Yes" Se Jong said and he asked,

"Did she go back home?"

"No, she's with Jay" Se Jong answered.

Come to think of it,......he (Tae Jin) didn't see Jay in school either.

He must have stayed home to keep Shin Hye company.

"Are you okay?" Se Jong asked, bringing out a smile, Tae Jin replied,

"I'm fine" but Se Jong didn't believe him.

Even so, he decided not to push him.

"Okay" he (Se Jong) replied and they proceed to join the others.

                   ************👻👻**********

In the living room, Shin Hye sat on the double couch with Jay.

Si-Yeong nowhere to be seen.

She probably went out to look for evil ghosts.

Grade 3 evil ghosts.

That little girl might look........ little, but she was very powerful, strong.

"Aren't you going home?" Jay asked. 

Sure he wanted Shin Hye to stay. 

She can take over the guest room, the very room she stayed in last night.

He didn't mind.

But then,...........Shin Hye still had to fix everything between her and Tae Jin.

They had to talk.

"I called Se Jong earlier. He said he and Tae Jin are going out. They have something to do he said" and she wonder if it had to do with ghosts.

Hold on,.......then,.......Did Se Jong know about Tae Jin?

Or....... could it be he can see ghosts as well?

Or maybe, what they had to do had nothing to do with ghosts.

*Sigh, ever since she found out that ghosts are real, she really can't stop thinking about them.

She has been watching movies about them since morning, trying to learn new things about them and only gave up this evening.

But then,...........*Sigh, and she wonder why she was even watching movies to learn about them.

A ghost expert was right under her nose.

"Then, Hyun Seo is alone? You should keep him company" Jay said and she replied,

"He'll be fine" showing no concern.

Hyun Seo..... really wasn't important.

"Tell me something, are you still angry that Tae Jin didn't love you the same way you did?" Jay asked.

He wanted to be sure if this.

Shin Hye didn't love Tae Jin the same way right?

"Doesn't bother me anymore. It did at first. When I first found out, but.........not anymore. I just........I feel really bad, guilty. I don't know how I can face Tae Jin. I called him a freak. I.......I acted just like the people around him did when they found out he can see ghosts"

*Sigh, she really didn't know what to do that's why she didn't go back last night and this morning.

That's why she skipped school.

"You said before that, the rumors started after the incident with Clara Newton"

"Yes. All our classmates won't even talk to him. And they kept treating him like trash. I did my best to talk to them but they won't listen. Tae Jin didn't go to school for a whole month. And then his mom called, telling him to come back. He immediately agreed to come back. I guess, the harsh treatment was too much for him to handle"

And.....she also guess her grandmother's death was also one of the reasons.

Tae Jin didn't want to come back because he didn't want to face his father.

But after everything that happened, her grandmother's death and Clara, he agreed to come back.

Or....... maybe there was more reasons that she didn't know.

Tae Jin didn't like to share.

He said he only wanted to come back because his mom called.

But then, even she knew, there was more to it.

"Who's Clara? And what happened between them?" Jay asked, curious to know what happened between Clara and Tae Jin.

"Clara was Tae Jin's friend. They met in elementary school. In fact, I, Tae Jin and her,... we went to the same school. High school as well, but we were never in the same class............. Actually, Clara followed him. She followed him to our former high school"

Okay, it looked like this Clara liked Tae Jin a lot.

Jay thought.

"He never admit it to me but I saw them. They used to hang out together and........ getting to know her, Tae Jin started smiling more. Getting more involved. Accepting his new life more" Shin Hye said before letting out a sigh,

"You know, I was kind of jealous whenever I saw them together but I never said a word. I was waiting for Tae Jin to tell me they were friends. Just friends but he never did" 

Tae Jin always kept everything to himself.

Shin Hye thought, before continuing,

"I was really jealous because no matter what I did, he never smiled"

"When you first got to the states?"

"Yes" Shin Hye answered and he nodded,

"I don't know what happened between him and Clara. But after the rumors about him spread throughout the school, I never saw them together and Tae Jin shut himself up. He became cold again, just like he was when we first got there. And I guess is also because of the death of my grandma. Tae Jin was really close to her"

"The incident with Clara and the rumors about him,......all this happened in high school, right?" Jay asked.

He was getting confuse.

"Yes, it did" Shin Hye answered.

"Sigh, Jay sighed,......this wasn't the time but then......he really had to say this.

"Shin Hye, I know this isn't the right time. I know that, but......... listen, after everything you just found out about me............ I mean, now you know what I am. My real self.........., do you still want me in your life?" Jay asked.

Seeing how anxious and terrified he was waiting for her answer, Shin Hye hurriedly replied,

"I won't trade you for anything else Jay" smiling.

Okay, this was one thing.

Another,

"Can you accept me just the way I am?" Jay asked and she answered with no hesitation,

"I already did"

"Then........will you be by my side?" Jay asked and she laughed,

"Are you asking me to be your girlfriend?"

"Yes" Jay answered in all seriousness.

"Well, even if I say no, my heart won't let me rest" Shin Hye said, smiling while Jay stared at him, surprised.

What was she trying to tell him?

"Listen Jay, you didn' let me finish that time and every time we talk"

Yea......well, that was because he was scared of getting rejected.

And every time Shin Hye said she loved Tae Jin......he kind of figured out what was coming next.

Rejection.

"I do love Tae Jin"

Okay, but now, only as a friend right? She said so before.

"The first time we met face to face, my feelings began to change" 

What? The first time? That meant........Jay thought, eyes widened in shock.

"And the more I got to know you,......the more the feelings grew. When Tae Jin left, I called him. And I asked him to tell me that he loved me. I wanted to know if the feelings I had for him was still there........"

"And?" Jay asked, taking Shin Hye's hands.

"I felt nothing. I was always happy every time I heard him say it but then......this was different. I was happy to hear it but......it was different. It was at that moment that I finally accepted the truth my heart was telling me,......I longer felt the same for Tae Jin" Shin Hye said and Jay smiled.

Happy to hear this.

But then,.......Shin Hye still hasn't said anything about being in love with him, right?

"Listen Jay,....... spending time with you is always good,....the best. Having you by my side, talking to you, laughing with you, smiling with you.....is always one of my best moments. I miss you like crazy when I don't see you. I always want to be close to you, near you, by your side. I can't stand it when you avoid me, ignore me. I really hate it when you do that" Shin Hye said the last sentence, a frown on her beautiful face.

Smiling, Jay thought she looked cute.

"Anyways,.......I really really like you Jay. The feelings I have for you........."

And suddenly, Shin Hye remembered something.

Something that cut her off her words.

Nancy, the fortune teller, her words played in mind.

'The one for you will be the best thing that has ever happened to you' this was Nancy's words and she understood now.

She was seeing it with her own two eyes, feeling it with her heart.

She understood now.

Tae Jin was never meant for her.

Jay was.

Nancy knew this but didn't say a word. Maybe she didn't want to hurt her because she saw how much she loved Tae Jin that time.

In any case,.......she found her true love and she'll never let him go.

She thought, smiling before continuing,

"The feelings I have for you is so much more than what I felt for Tae Jin. So......will you......" And before Shin Hye could complete her words, Jay asked the exact question she was about to ask him,

"Will you be my girlfriend?" Surprising her.

Holding her hands tight, Jay said, "I promise to treat you right. I'll take care of you. I'll work hard and if you want, I'll marry you after college"

"What?" Shin Hye asked, amused. The smile on her face never left.

"Or you want to get married when we enter college?" Jay asked in all seriousness and she burst out laughing.

Was he that nervous?

Well, he looked so cute.....so sweet.

"In any case, you're the only woman I want in this lifetime Shin Hye. The only one"

Well, she also wanted him alone.

"What do you say? Do you accept? Will you be my girlfriend?" Jay asked, nervous, anxious while waiting for her answer.

And she.......Shin Hye couldn't say 'Yes'

Why? Why won't the word 'Yes' come out?

She was even going to propose to him.

And he did.....but then,......she couldn't bring herself to say,

'Yes'

Oh, yes!

She finally figured it out.

She knew why she couldn't say 'Yes'