Remember Me

A suitcase gets rolled into the flat by a tired kick and stumbles over a doorway. A backpack gets dropped on the floor and only a laptop bag gets carefully placed against the wall. Changbin shakes off his sneakers while massaging stiff shoulders and then starts looking around curiously. He was swamped with assignments so badly that they just did not let him break out from a vicious circle “dorm – university - dorm”. He enters his apartment for the first time seeing it in person and not on pictures. His parents dealt with the realtor and checked out some options and he himself only swung down to the real estate agency to sign the contract. Dust particles are shining in the evening light pouring through the window. A square room is filled with boxes, a sofa that is gonna be his bed stands in the middle of the living room and the kitchen is separated from that zone by a narrow table. In general, this small studio apartment is kinda nice. There is enough space for him alone and once the place is decorated with his stuff the atmosphere will get much more comfortable. Most important thing is the fact that there are no roommates anymore, only silence and peace. “So who is it this time?” When Changbin proceeds from the hallway to the living room a young guy, probably his peer, walks out of the kitchen brushing back his honey-colored hair in a business-like manner and gives him an estimating look. “This dude’s gonna watch porn and wail to stupid songs when drunk too, huh. At least, he’s got kind of a pretty face. Seems nice to look at.” “Thanks? And no, I’m not gonna do any of that stuff.” A pause. “You… you hear me?” the guy freezes, eyes widened in shock. “Even more than that – I can see you.” Seo Changbin has one little special trait – he can see ghosts. And they in their turn absolutely love hassling him once they know about that little trait because throughout the years of silence they have piled up words beyond any measure. “Please, say that you’re from another apartment,” Changbin looks at him almost pleadingly. “You’re not tied to this place, are you?” The ghost that has been in shock comes to his senses realizing his new reality rather quickly. He crosses his arms over his chest and lifts his chin challengingly. “Why? You wanna kick me out from my own territory?” “Well, technically it’s my territory.” “You’re a guest here,” he checks with a contract on the table. “Seo Changbin. My name is Hwang Hyunjin and this is my house.” The dreams about a peaceful life slip out of his hands just like sand pours down from a sack full of holes. Their relations grew tense from the very beginning. An appearance of a conversationalist excited the ghost and not in a very good way. He busily looked in the opened boxes when Changbin started unpacking his stuff and commented on everything he saw. “How old’s that t-shirt? It’s all stretched and faded it belongs to the trash.” “Place your sneakers properly why you just throw them into the wardrobe? At least wipe them don’t be a pig.” “What the fuck do you need so many pens for? Did you rob a stationary shop?” “All notebooks are so crumpled as if you’ve taken them outta your ass.” At first, Changbin tries to be understanding about it and hopes that they will get used to each other soon. Come to think of it, a roommate is not a bad thing especially when he is not really alive. He does not waste water, he does not need a separate place, he does not steal food from the fridge, he does not ask to open or to close the window and he does not leave a mess behind. Changbin keeps telling himself about it while showering in a barely warm water and blankly staring at the grey tile. Solitude that he was craving and that he was ready to pay for has cracked into pieces. What solitude can you have in an apartment with a person who can walk through doors? There is no solitude even outside the apartment because Hyunjin follows him everywhere. He talks about everything he sees and actually Changbin even laughs a few times while they are walking around a grocery store. He puts on earphones to make it seem like he is not talking to himself. “I think this dude has an interesting plan for the evening,” Hyunjin stands next to a man in a leather jacket and examines his basket. “One cucumber, one carrot and a whole ass box of Vaseline. That other guy over there had a tab with porn opened in his phone maybe we should suggest them to cooperate or something?” “Mind your own business.” “Come on, you can tell right away that they’re both perverts.” However, there is nothing to be distracted by at home so he picks at Changbin. Changbin turns on movies for him, opens e-books with an auto scroll on the tablet, skips videos, shows comment sections to him. Because Hyunjin gets insolent when he is bored. After a week of such a “heart-warming” life Changbin is barely holding on and does his best not to lash out. “Turn on a movie.” “Let me finish the book first.” “I’m bored.” “I can’t read when it’s noisy.” “Is that my problem?” “And is it my problem that you’re bored?” “Yes. Turn on my movie and go read in the toilet.” “I’m not gonna stay in the toilet because of you. Wait half an hour.” “Movie.” Hyunjin stretches out his hand and blocks pages. It is a bit transparent but the text is not visible anyway. “Fuck off,” Changbin sighs heavily and turns away to the edge of the sofa. It does not stop Hyunjin at all. He leans forward and blocks the view with his hand again. “Put it away.” “Turn on my movie.” In addition to page blocking the ghost starts singing loudly right into his ear. At that very moment Changbin loses it. “I’m so fucking sick of your bullshit!” the book flies right through the phantom chest, hits the sofa and lands on the floor with a clapping sound. “Why are you being such an asshole?” “I’m dead, Changbin,” Hyunjin spreads his arms with a mocking expression. “What else do you think I can do? You think I’ve got a lot of options?” “Yeah, not being an asshole for example. Does it feel so nice to give me all that shit? I’m trying to help you use the world of the living best I can and you only get cockier. I’m already on the verge of looking for a new apartment.” “I can go after you.” “Not if I rush into the taxi and take the fuck off. Then you’ll be left alone on the street again where nobody sees nor hears you.” Seems like Changbin’s words broke through the weak spot in a spiky armor. Because Hyunjin almost opens his mouth to say back something rude, but he just freezes. He closes his mouth, lowers his eyes and turns back sitting straight and looking somewhere at the floor. Arms cross over his chest, a ghost lock of hair falls down on his face. He looks half-offended half-brooding and only speaks after almost a minute. “It’s hard when no one notices you. No one can answer. I haven’t talked to anyone for a year and… I missed emotions. I just like seeing them, getting a reaction and it doesn’t matter what kind of a reaction it is. It at least shows that I exist. Even if in this pathetic form.” “You can get a reaction from me without driving me mad. I always respond to you. Your behavior only evokes negativity. Emotions don’t have to be negative to be strong. We either communicate normally or we don’t communicate at all.” Hyunjin throws his head back and lets out a noisy sigh. Learning cooperation again after such a long period of total loneliness is hard, but he understands what he is being asked of. “Communicating is difficult.” “Try it. Conversations are better than arguments.” “I’ve always been that way. I guess.” “You remember your past?” “No,” Hyunjin’s distant gaze is fixed on the ceiling. “I just feel like that.” “You don’t remember anything at all then?” “I remember my name. For some reason I remember movies, books and other useless shit but that’s it.” “You don’t remember your death either?” “No. I opened my eyes and found myself on some street, nothing but name in my head. Quickly realized that nobody sees me. I was wandering around, then followed people. Figured out that I can’t go outside a certain area by myself, so I started to stick to some dudes and just followed them around. When I was done roaming I decided to settle down in this apartment,” a pause, “So I would at least have some certainty.” Surprisingly, Changbin notices sadness in his face. It is probably scary to wake up without any memories and realize that you are just a spirit that does not have neither his own place nor an objective. You cannot ask anyone for help, you do not know what to do. So he had nothing to do but create something like home in order to stop wandering around the streets days and nights. “I’ve met spirits who move around with their hosts, but none of them had a memory loss. That’s weird.” “Maybe,” Hyunjin shrugs. “At least I don’t have anyone to miss. One problem less.” “I’m sorry that it happened to you. But see? We can talk normally.” “It’s not as fun as seeing your pissed off face.” Changbin gives him a snarky look and draws back his lips with a distinct disapproval. “Yeah, that face. I’d say you’re intimidating if I didn’t know how stupidly you laugh at videos with stupid animals.” “I’d say you’re pretty if I didn’t know how much of a dickhead you can be sometimes.” Hyunjin raises his finger and has the urge to say something, but stops for a second and then nods a few times. “Fair enough.”