Maya's tears spilled freely in front of Lay. Only now did the full weight of everything hit her. The past few days hadn't felt like this. “Wait, I'm confused. Why does Junho trust you so much? You two really did meet at the hospital, right?”
Maya began firing off the questions that had been lodged in her chest. How could she not have known about something this serious? Did her husband trust Lay more than he trusted her?
“No, Doctor, it's not like that. Junho and I are good friends. I trust him, and he trusts me too—”
“Yeah, but why did it have to be you, Doctor? We work in the same office, the same institution! How am I supposed to deal with all of this?”
A deep rumble rolled across the sky. It looked like rain was coming. “Enough! There's no point. I should be angry at him, not you. I'm sorry!” Maya wiped away her tears, then left Lay standing there, stunned and helpless.
Even Junho couldn't believe how close their friendship was. Even now that he was no longer a resident of Earth.
“Lay! Go after Maya, Lay! Go after her!”
Lay turned toward the source of the voice. He saw Junho crying with his own eyes. It seemed the regret was finally beginning to sink in.
“Go after her? Where?” Lay's question sounded stupid. The rumble of rain came thundering down. Maya had just walked out of the apartment.
Lay hurried after Maya. After thinking hard, he knew what he had to do.
And sure enough, Maya needed to be stopped. She had left her car behind and was walking alone toward the main road. She didn't care about the rain or being by herself.
Lay quickened his pace, letting his umbrella shield Maya. The woman stopped and looked at the figure behind her with a cold expression.
Maya let out a quick sigh. “Go back. I don't need your umbrella.”
“No, Doctor. Someone can't just let you fall apart like this. There are plenty of eyes watching. Come with me to the car. I'll drive you home.”
Lay's words sounded surprisingly manly. If not for Junho, it would never have occurred to him to do something like this.
“I said no. You go back.” Maya stubbornly refused and continued walking.
Lay tried to be patient with her, but if he returned empty-handed, the ghost inside would only become more agitated. Without thinking twice, Lay grabbed Maya's hand and brought her back into the apartment.
The umbrella continued to shield Maya, even as Lay's own body grew soaked because he kept tilting it toward her.
“Let go, Lay! Let—”
Lay strode forward, bringing Maya back with him. His grip was too strong for her to do anything but obey.
Once they reached Lay's apartment, he finally let go of Maya's hand. Both of them were drenched. Without a word, Lay brought over two towels and handed one to Maya. “Dry off first. If you want to go home now, I'll take you.” Maya tried to hold back her anger. She had gotten enough satisfaction from challenging the rain earlier, hoping it would wash away the weight in her mind.
“Did he tell you to be nice to me too? Don't care about him or obey him so much,” she said flatly. “The truth is, he left behind not only grief but wounds too.”
“Doctor, believe me. Help me prove that Junho isn't guilty. Then you'll have the right to say that,” Lay pleaded, speaking to Junho.
“Calm down first, Doctor. I'll help solve this problem,” Lay said earnestly.
“Thank you again.”
After the rain stopped, Lay drove Maya home. The woman had left her car at Lay's apartment. Worried that she might lose control on the way, Junho asked Lay to protect Maya until she reached home.
The atmosphere froze throughout the drive, and Lay felt awkward too. When they finally arrived, Lay felt like he could breathe again.
“Are you going straight home?”
“Y-yes, Doctor.”
“Thanks.” Maya opened the car door, then closed it again. She walked away from the car without looking back. Her heart seemed frozen, crushed by disappointment. Lay tried to think calmly about where this problem would lead.
“Visit Mr. Anton again after this.” The voice suddenly came from behind him.
Lay jumped in surprise once more. “Good grief! Junho! Could you not show up so suddenly like that? Are you trying to make me join you right away, huh?” Lay grumbled at the invisible figure.
“Sorry.”
Lay's car slowly pulled away from Maya's home. He knew exactly where he was headed. But speaking of the drive, Lay kept yawning the entire way. He had forgotten that he hadn't rested at all since returning from the hospital.
“Hang in there a little longer, Lay. Hold on!”
Lay glanced to the side. Junho's ghost was no longer behind him but beside him. “Do I need to become a ghost first if I want to be stronger?” he asked in protest.