Yui stared at the text on her phone.
"EMERGENCY. GIRLS' BATHROOM. MIRROR ACTING WEIRD AGAIN. BRING YOUR SPIRIT TAGS. — Obaa-chan"
"Why is my own grandmother texting me like the school janitor of the underworld?" she muttered, throwing on a hoodie. Baek Woo-jin, sitting on the window sill like a moody crow, sipped his spirit coffee and didn't even flinch.
"We should check it," he said simply.
"Of course we should," Yui groaned. "Because why wouldn't a mirror in the girl's bathroom start acting cursed the night before midterms?"
"Maybe the spirit failed math," Jae-min offered, appearing from the hallway clutching a pillow and a bag of ghost snacks. "Or maybe it's Red Ribbon Girl again?"
Yui gave him a side-eye. "Why are you here? This is a girl's bathroom ghost hunt."
He held up his bag. "Supportive emotional snacks?"
Baek nodded. "Let him come. If he dies, less paperwork."
Mr. Lee appeared in a sudden puff of ink-smelling smoke. "Incorrect. Dead civilians require extra paperwork. Please ensure he survives."
"Gee. Comforting," Jae-min muttered.
[Scene: The Girl's Bathroom, Midnight]
Yui slowly pushed open the door to the bathroom. It creaked loudly like every horror movie bathroom door ever.
"See?" she whispered. "Why can't ghosts ever haunt nice places? Like bakeries. Or bubble tea shops?"
In the center of the bathroom was the haunted mirror — rippling softly like water. And taped to the glass was a Post-It note.
"Your skin is dry. Moisturize."
Yui froze. "WHAT?!"
"Savage ghost," Jae-min whispered.
The mirror flickered again. A pale face appeared — Red Ribbon Girl — but this time she wasn't angry.
She looked… tired.
"I just want a new moisturizer," she said in a flat, ghostly voice. "Someone used my face to test hair bleach in 2006. I've never recovered."
Baek stared. "This spirit has skincare trauma."
Obaa-chan suddenly appeared behind them like a sneaky ninja grandma. "Told you! She just wants proper treatment. This is why ghosts linger — unfinished beauty routines."
Jae-min dug into his bag. "I have a face mask! Aloe vera?"
The ghost blinked from inside the mirror.
"Really?" she whispered.
"Limited edition," Jae-min said, holding it up. "Imported from Jeju Island."
The ghost reached a pale, misty hand through the mirror, took the mask… and slowly smiled.
For the first time ever.
"You have freed me," she whispered. "I can rest knowing my pores will finally heal."
She faded into mist with a blissful sigh.
The mirror shimmered once — then went completely still.
Yui stared at Jae-min.
"You just exorcised a ghost with skincare," she said flatly.
Obaa-chan grinned. "Korean beauty saves lives. And deaths."
Baek gave Jae-min a rare nod. "Not bad, human."
Mr. Lee groaned, flipping through his endless papers. "Great. Now I have to fill out a cosmetic-based spirit release form. These are so rare…"
Jae-min grinned. "Guess I'm part of the team now, huh?"
Yui sighed, leaning against the sink. "Fantastic. My life is officially weirder than an idol dating scandal."
Ghost Dog suddenly slid into the room… wearing a tiny face mask.
"Okay," Yui said. "Now I've seen everything."
End of Chapter 12