Jaeha smiled again, trying to dispel the weariness that followed.
"I bet they'll put all my favorite food on the altar. I'm going to eat so much that day."
"…"
The man remained silent.
"Oh, I've been blabbering on," Jaeha said quickly, waving his hands as if swatting away the mood. "You should eat before it gets cold. It wouldn't taste as good otherwise."
And so the man did, finishing his meal while the ghost watched in contentment. They even got takeout before leaving.
When they finally returned to the apartment, Jaeha was surprised to see Sihyun head straight to the kitchen.
Peering from above, he could see that the man was taking the food out of the package and moving to reheat it.
"What? You're going to eat again?" Jaeha exclaimed, shocked by what he was witnessing. "Aren't you full already?"
Sihyun didn't bother to respond, his attention fixed on the phone in hand, busily typing out something.
"Look at you ignoring me again," Jaeha sulked, floating toward the living room. "And here I thought we were already friends."
He flopped dramatically onto the sofa, arms crossed. But the moment he heard footsteps approaching, curiosity got the better of him.
Sneakily glancing over, he raised an eyebrow at the scene ahead.
The man was neatly setting up the table with the steaming food, along with lit incense and candles. His hands came together, offering a silent prayer under his breath.
When he finally opened his eyes, he promptly turned to Jaeha.
"Now you can have your fill."
"For me?" Jaeha asked, wide-eyed.
After a nod of confirmation from the man, he gleefully slid down from the couch to sit in front of the large spread.
Biting into a fritter, his lips naturally bloomed into a satisfied smile.
"Woah, this hits the spot. How did you even know the right way to give offerings?"
He asked between bites.
"I just did a quick search," Sihyun replied flatly, but his eyes followed the pale fingers choosing each bite with care.
"Thank you for the meal!"
Jaeha sang in gratitude, cheerfully stuffing his face as Sihyun quietly watched in intrigue.
Somehow, his birthday ended on a much warmer note than he had expected.
- - - -
Both the man and the ghost continued to share their daily activities, learning more about each other without needing much effort.
Their habits, their personalities, their likes and dislikes.
Everything unravelled.
But they weren't always by each other's side.
Jaeha would disappear from time to time, drifting off to places unknown and always returning by nightfall.
Sihyun didn't bother asking about it, simply accepting their strange flow of life.
Even Mr. Kim had started to notice the change. The cranky actor had been calmer these days, no longer stirring up trouble like before.
The frenzy in the media was also on the verge of collapse, with more support pouring in than negativity.
But Mr. Kim didn't want to relax just yet.
He could only hope this wasn't the calm before an unexpected storm.
One day, after returning from a meeting with Mr. Jeong, the manager passed by the living room and saw Sihyun watching TV.
But judging by the scowl on the handsome face, he was likely critiquing his own acting skills rather than for entertainment.
Jaeha was there too, but being a ghost, he remained invisible to Mr. Kim.
"Sihyun-ah, Mr. Jeong requested that you come by the office next week to discuss new projects."
Mr. Kim relayed the message, and right at that moment, he noticed a deep frown appear on the actor's smooth face.
He barely had time to regret speaking before the low voice came.
"Do the public even want me to return to the scene?" Sihyun scoffed in disbelief. "Ah, I see. So that they can rip me apart again for breathing wrong?"
Mr. Kim tried to mediate before things could escalate.
"Don't think so little of your supporters, Sihyun. Why do you keep speaking so depressingly?"
But it was too late.
"I won't exist just to feed anyone's ego," Sihyun snapped, standing up with a defiant glare. "To hell with their fake affection."
Mr. Kim's features drew tight with worry.
"That's not entirely correct, Sihyun. There are still many people who genuinely love you and believe in you. Those affections are as real as they can get. Just because there are a few haters, don't label everyone the same."
Sihyun let out a bitter laugh, rubbing his face in frustration.
"It's funny to hear that from someone who's only sticking around because of work. Be honest, you don't really care about me, do you? All of this is just for show."
The words landed like a slap.
Mr. Kim's face faltered.
"…Is that what you really think of me?"
"I've been by your side for over ten years…"
He mumbled the words as he turned away, shutting the door firmly behind him.