I was still quite shocked after Chloe made me realize how much I didn't care about others. No wonder I had no friends. How could anyone be friends with someone who couldn't even understand them? Did I deserve to ask for understanding of my abilities from them if I couldn't understand them?

I needed to change, but I didn't know how. At least with Chloe patiently explaining things to me, I could learn a lot from her, also since she seemed to have many friends.

While I calmed myself, Chloe continued her story about how she first learned about the death aura and the life aura. Her journey to study them seemed challenging because she had to visit various places to find rare documents about them. She even mentioned being fooled a few times or chased by vengeful ghosts during her exploration in the ghost world.

Listening to her story allowed me to understand her and her personal life better. She was now completely independent, something rarely done by teenagers in this era. She worked as a freelancer in various fields, especially those related to the ghost world.

After hearing Chloe's long story, although shortened according to her, at least her story give me enough time to calm down.

Once I had calmed down, I actually wanted to ask her about something that intrigued me after watching her actions in the park earlier —how to enter the ghost world.

However, before I could ask, Chloe suggested we talk about something light before diving into serious matters again. It seemed like she was concerned about my condition, or perhaps she just wanted to enjoy the snacks she had ordered before diving into another serious lesson.

So, in return for Chloe's long story about her adventures, I told her about the incident while waiting for her at Maneuvers coffee shop. Yeah, I talked about the life aura I could sense from the unique teenager.

At least, through my storytelling, I could understand her previous explanation about life aura and death aura more thoroughly. It became clear to me that I sensed the life aura from the unique teenager because our auras resonated.

However, from my story about that, I was reminded of Desmon's experience.

"Desmon told me that he couldn't come to warn me about the ghost's chaos because the life aura was blocking him. Was he wrong? Or perhaps you can explain?" I asked, concluding my story.

Chloe didn't immediately answer my question. Instead, she opened her smartphone and typed something on the screen. I wasn't sure what she was typing.

I stayed silent, waiting for Chloe to respond to my story and question. I didn't want to interrupt her, thinking she might be receiving an important message from someone. I was worried that interrupting her might make her think something bad about me.

"Sorry," Chloe said, placing her smartphone on the table. "I noted down some important things from your story. So, do you want me to explain the ghost chaos or how the life aura blocked Desmon first?"

I found it easy to decide which explanation I wanted to hear first. Since we had been discussing auras, I chose to hear about life aura to keep things in line with our previous conversation. Besides, I wasn't particularly interested in ghost chaos.

"The life aura, first. Can a life aura really block ghosts from approaching?" I asked.

Chloe adjusted her sitting position to get comfortable before starting her explanation. "A strong aura can disturb something with an opposing, weaker aura. For instance, a strong life aura can disturb a ghost with a weak death aura, and vice versa —a strong death aura can disturb a person with a weak life aura."

I nodded, indicating my understanding of Chloe's explanation.

She continued without changing her position. "For example, when you meet a vengeful ghost, which usually has a strong death aura, don't you also feel disturbed?"

It made sense. I could immediately notice the difference and feel fear when facing vengeful ghosts. This was because of the intensity of the death aura they had.

"So, you mean the unique teenager I talked about has a strong life aura, strong enough to make Desmon stay away?" I ask to make sure.

"Exactly. But to my knowledge, ghosts can only be expelled using mantras of protection or specific substances believed to expel them, like salt. I've never heard of life aura repelling ghosts," Chloe replied, seeming like she wanted to continue and express her opinion, but she didn't continue.

"So, do you mean that even though the life aura of the unique teenager is strong, it wasn't his aura that kept Desmon away from me?" I asked to confirm.

"Yes. That's why I noted it on my smartphone to study it further later," Chloe explained while glancing towards her smartphone. "There's one hypothesis I can offer, the person might be using his life aura as a protective mantra."

At first, I didn't believe in anything related to protective mantras until Desmon told me about his search to find Ryan during his time in the ghost world, where he first mentioned and explained protective mantras. Since then, I have believed that protective mantras are indeed real and can repel ghosts. After all, how could I not believe when the ghost itself explained it to me.

However, Desmon never mentioned how the protective mantra works, and the connection between the protective mantra and the life aura. Well, maybe, during his time as a ghost, Desmon spent all his time dealing with his trauma, so he didn't have the chance to learn much.

Since Desmon himself was unreliable about auras, I could only rely on Chloe. Unfortunately, in this case, Chloe also seemed puzzled. she even took notes on her smartphone to study it later.

"Desmon mentioned several times about protective mantras, but he never explained them in detail. So, could you explain them?" I asked, curious about this, as it might be useful for protecting myself from vengeful ghosts.

As usual, Chloe smiled before giving me an explanation. "I've never been interested in protective mantras. In my opinion, there's no mantra that's one hundred percent effective."

"What do you mean?"

"Mantras are usually inherited from cultural traditions. If you believe in them, they'll be ingrained in your mind. Then, when you become a ghost, as I explained before, your memories are still preserved, although distorted. So, when you become a ghost, you still believe in the power of that mantra. And then, you unconsciously fear and avoid anyone reciting that mantra."

As usual, I needed to ask again each time I heard Chloe explain something to make sure I didn't misunderstand. Her explanations tended to be unclear.

"So, you mean only ghosts who believed in a mantra during their lifetime can be repelled by that mantra?" I asked.

"Exactly. But that's for mantras. It's different for substances that can repel ghosts."

"What do you mean?"

"Substances like salt or certain leaves can genuinely repel ghosts because they usually contain elements that are essential or vital for life."

When I heard the word "elements," I felt like I was back in school, finding it dull. Unlike Desmon, I wasn't particularly interested in scientific matters, in fact, I tended to avoid them.

So, before my brain could burn from this lesson, it's better for me to ask for a break for a moment. Or maybe, I could change the conversation to another topic, which I also wasn't interested in but was better than talking about elements.

I leaned back in my chair. "Alright, then. How about ghost's chaos? Have you ever heard of it?"

Chloe changed her position again, not leaning or resting her head on her arms on the table this time. Instead, she stood up.

"Sorry, but I need to go to the restroom first," Chloe said, grabbing her smartphone from the table.

"Oh, sure," I replied, and Chloe walked towards the restroom.

While waiting for Chloe, I just touched the table, searching for a menu for snacks or drinks to order.

While I was enjoying searching the menu, I suddenly realized how many drinks and snacks I had ordered. But it wasn't much when I glanced at the empty glasses and empty plates on the part of the table near where Chloe was sitting —there were more glasses than mine.

No wonder Chloe wanted to go to the restroom, she had drunk more than five glasses during our conversation.

Thinking about how many glasses I had drunk and Chloe headed to the restroom, I suddenly felt the need to use the restroom too. So, without further delay, I followed Chloe to the restroom.

###

The restroom in this restaurant, like restroom facilities in various places in this country, are all unisex. There's no gender discrimination or grouping that leads to the violating someone's rights. I'm grateful that the era I live in understands humans as complete beings.

As I chose and entered the farthest stall, I heard one of the stalls flushing, which I thought was Chloe finishing up.

The restroom was empty at that time, just like the restaurant. Even though I wasn't overhearing, I could still hear every footstep, seemingly heading towards the sink or maybe exiting the restroom.

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Once I finished my business, I quickly left the stall and went to the sink to wash my hands before leaving.

When standing right at the entrance door of the restroom, I accidentally looked towards our table, but I didn't see Chloe sitting there. Curious, I consciously scanned the entire restaurant, searching to find Chloe.

Chloe remained undetected by my sight, completely.

I went back inside with the thought that the person I heard walking out of the restroom might not have been Chloe, maybe a restaurant staff.

I checked the doors of all the stalls, and all were marked 'vacant'. So, where could Chloe be? Where did she go?

I immediately rushed out of the toilet towards one of the waiters near the entrance.

"Excuse me, did you see a girl coming out?" I asked.

The young-looking restaurant waiter only shook his head.

"Are you sure?"

"Your girlfriend hasn't left, I've been here the whole time. She hasn't left the restroom." The waiter said, his expression turning annoyed. Maybe I was bothering him.

"Alright, sorry to bother you."

I went back to our table after the waiter said Chloe hadn't come out of the toilet. Well, even though I didn't fully trust his words, I also didn't want to create more trouble by annoying him more with the next questions.

Chloe might still be inside one of the toilet stalls. Since I didn't check each stall one by one, I only looked the 'vacant' sign on the stall doors. So, Chloe might have forgotten to change that sign while inside.

Besides, I had also ordered a drink, so I couldn't just leave it like that —it would be a waste.

###

For some reason, when I saw Chloe walking out of the restroom, she looked so enchanting. My heart began to beat faster, as if the engine had just been warmed up and was now ready to full speed.

"Why?" Chloe asked, standing beside her chair without me realizing, and then she sat down.

I closed my eyes and shook my head slightly, "It's nothing, I thought you had left."

"Of course not, how could I leave you? I will stay with you." She replied, smiling sweetly at me.

After Chloe sat down, she finished her remaining drink before starting to explain to me about the ghost's chaos. "So, about the ghost chaos earlier, right?"

"Yeah. How about it? Do you know anything about ghost's chaos?"

"Hmm... I've read about ghost chaos but never experienced it because this case is very rare-"

I sat up straight because I was getting curious. The thing is, neither I, Desmon, nor Chloe has ever experienced it, and Chloe herself said this is a very rare case. So, can I be considered lucky or unlucky for having experienced ghost's chaos?

"-As far as I know, and my knowledge, ghost chaos only happens if there's disorder in the death aura found in every ghost-"

Why does Chloe always use such difficult language?

"In simple terms, every ghost is consciously aware that they are ghosts and can also recognize other ghosts. However, there's a moment when the ghosts don't realize all of this, creating a situation where one ghost tries to scare or possess another ghost."

Still, Chloe uses language that's too hard to understand. "What do you mean?"

"You surely know that many ghosts often scare humans or enter the bodies of humans to take control, right?"

I smiled and almost laughed, "Of course, isn't that what ghosts do?"

"Exactly. But usually, ghosts can recognize who is human and who is a ghost. However, when there's disorder in the death aura, the ghost can't see the difference between humans and ghosts. So, instead of scaring humans, the ghost wants to scare and enter the body of another ghost. If that happens, what do you think occurs?"$

I took a breath, exhaled it, trying to think about that, but my brain was too foolish. "I don't know, is it even possible?"

"Of course not. That's why the ghost that is trying to scare or take over another ghost will rebel, leading to chaos among the ghosts, and ghost chaos begins."

I think I understand. At least, I understand ghost's chaos is similar to human chaos, which is conflicts among ghosts, only the cause of the conflict is different. I have never heard of ghosts having conflicts among themselves. Apparently, the only thing that can make them fight is the disorder in their own death aura.

Chloe leaned back in her chair, "Actually, humans can also experience it."

"What do you mean? Human chaos?"

"No, but disorder in the life aura."

Growing more curious, my body leaned toward Chloe. "What do you mean?"

"Yes, you must have heard of the term sleepwalking, right?"

"Sleepwalking, the term for someone who walks while asleep?" I asked back. The term is not unfamiliar to me, not because I've experienced it, but because it's often mentioned in movies I've watched.

"Yup. Do you know its cause?"

"I don't know, maybe lack of sleep, stress, lack of vitamins, or something else. I haven't studied it, just know it from movies." I replied.

"All the things you mentioned could be true, but even so, sleepwalking is still considered a disease..." Chloe raised the index and middle fingers on both hands, emphasizing the word 'disease' when it came out of her mouth, "...that occurs randomly. Do you know the cause?"

I shook my head, "No."

"Because they misunderstood it. It's not a disease but disorder in the life aura. A condition where someone doesn't realize whether they are in the world of the living or the dead."

"But they don't die, I mean, sleepwalkers don't die."

Chloe back to her original position, "Hmm... maybe you haven't learned it, but when the body is asleep, we are actually in a brief state of death."

"What do you mean?"

"Medically, some parts of the body will rest when we sleep, and our body temperature will also drop. At that moment, we are actually entering the ghost world, or in other words, we are in a brief state of death."

I smiled and almost laughed again. This time Chloe's explanation sounded a bit weird and made-up. "You're joking, right? It's impossible for us to die while sleeping."

Chloe's expression didn't change, she wasn't joking. "Seriously, you must have heard of someone dreaming of meeting a dead person. How could that happen if the person isn't entering the ghost world and meeting a ghost from those who have died?"

I pulled back my word, Chloe is right. The incident of someone dreaming of meeting another person who has died, especially their relatives, is something I've often heard. But I've never been able to explain it, even though I can see ghosts myself. Turns out, that's the explanation.

I asked another question, "So, you mean when sleepwalking happens, the person is actually dead?"

"You could say the person is in the ghost world, but they also control their body in the human world because they themselves can't see the difference between the ghost world and the human world due to the disorder in their life aura."

"But how does the aura become disorderly? Is there something causing it, or does it happen randomly?"

Chloe smiled and instead asked me, "Aren't you realizing?"

"Of what?" I was confused by Chloe. Since earlier I looked so foolish, but why does she keep asking back my questions instead of answering them?

"Hmm... a very intense life aura will disturb the death aura, and vice versa. Do you still remember the incident at Maneuvers coffee shop that you said?"

Maybe I've said this many times, but I am indeed foolish. No wonder Chloe keeps asking back.

"So, the life aura given off by that unique teenager is what caused the ghost's chaos?"

"Yes, you could say that."

After satisfyingly listening to Chloe's long explanation, we chatted for a while longer until I finished the drinks and snacks I ordered. After I paid for all our orders, we went home.

###

I couldn't estimate how long we had been chatting in the restaurant, but the sky was already dark.

When I glanced at my smartphone while waiting for Chloe, who was making a call, I was really surprised. The time displayed on my phone indicated it was almost midnight.

Shit.

I never go out at night, and now I was still outside even after the day had turned. I couldn't imagine how angry my mom would be, I'd surely be scolded for days because of this.

Desmon also seemed to be worried about my condition, he might be wandering around looking for me. Or maybe not, considering he seemed to want me to date Chloe. How would I know? Because he always teased me. Isn't it usually like that? You get teased, so that the teasing becomes true.

But more important than all that was how about Chloe. I mean, there are many teenage girls roaming around late at night, but I wasn't sure if Chloe was one of them or not. I might be able to ignore Chloe's parents or grandparents since they're no longer there to advise her, so I can say Chloe is free. My only concern was whether Chloe minded staying out late.

Usually, in movies, if someone stays out late after hanging out with friends, they would be offered to stay at their friend's house because it's dangerous to be on the streets late at night. But I was confused about whether to offer Chloe to stay at my house or not.

Firstly, if I did offer, where would Chloe sleep? In my mom's room? That seems unlikely because it would bother my mom, who's already asleep. In my room? I was a bit hesitant, but I could go along with it. But what about Desmon? Would he understand the situation or not? Or in the living room? This was the most silly option, as it would seem rude and disrespectful to the guest.

Secondly, I was unsure about how to offer Chloe to stay at my house. Should I directly offer, or should I use small talk? If I must use small talk, then what kind of small talk should I use?

At least, I had fifteen minutes to think before we reached my house.

Or maybe Chloe's house is nearby? If her house is around here, maybe I can drop her off first, and after that, I'll run as fast as I can to my house.

Yeah, honestly, I'm afraid of being alone on the streets at midnight.

"Sorry for taking so long," Chloe said, after her call ended. "My friend called to ask where I am."

"It's okay. In fact, I should apologize because I really enjoyed chatting, and I didn't realize it was already late at night. Are you okay with that?" I replied while walking with Chloe toward my house.

"Nope, no problem at all. But I'm just confused about how I can get home because my house is quite far from here. If you don't mind, can I stay at your house?"

One of my concerns was resolved. I didn't need to think about how to offer Chloe to stay at my house, she had already asked.

Before I could answer, Chloe stopped for a moment, turned her whole body toward me, and said, "If you're worried about getting scolded because your mom won't agree, I promise I'll leave right away."

I couldn't hold back my laughter. Chloe seemed desperate, and it also seemed like she really had a problem being on the streets this late, but she didn't want to worry me, even though she was worried herself.

Seeing me laugh, Chloe also laughed, a desperate kind of laughter.

"No, my mom won't be mad. Don't worry, I'm sure about that. So, you can stay at my house," I answered after controlling my laughter. "But the problem is, my house only has two rooms."

"Oh, don't worry about that. I can sleep anywhere, even in the bathroom," Chloe said playfully.

Hearing that, both of us burst into laughter.

"Right, alright. So, you in the bathroom," I replied, also jokingly.

Chloe's cheerful face immediately turned drastically serious. "Are you serious?"

I wasn't very good at holding back laughter, so I burst into laughter as soon as I saw Chloe's face. In the end, Chloe laughed along with me.

After laughing for a while, now that I had controlled myself, I give a more serious answer. "I don't actually mind if you sleep in my room, but there's Desmon in my room, and I don't know if he minds or not. So, sorry in advance. If Desmon minds, you might have to sleep in the living room."

Chloe give back her smile, even sweeter now. "No problem. Thank you."

"I'm the one who should thank you for being my friend and with me all night," I replied with words that seemed to flow out of nowhere from my mouth.

Chloe just nodded and continued walking.

I followed her from the back.

During the trip home, we took the opportunity to chat about our own school lives, not about friendships at school but rather about studying. I didn't expect Chloe to be a student who, in my opinion, is smart.

####