GRR 40

The convenience store was unusually crowded with customers today. There wasn’t even a moment to catch his breath, leaving Jion completely disoriented. Thanks to this, there was no room for Kwon Chasa to intrude on Jion’s mind while he was working.

It was only after finishing the handover to the next night shift part timer that Jion was finally able to catch his breath. As he stepped outside into the fairly chilly night air, Jion repeatedly opened and closed his heavy eyes. He had been wearing his summer uniform because it was still a bit warm during the day, but it seemed like he should switch to his spring or autumn uniform now.

He stood at the crosswalk thinking he should hurry home and get some sleep. Goosebumps rose from the sudden chill. He rubbed his palms against his arms while waiting for the light to change, when suddenly a strong wind blew, ruffling his hair into a mess.

Jion covered his eyes with his forearm and closed his eyes. It felt like something was circling around him, too much so to be called a passing breeze. It was similar to the wind he had encountered while walking home from school with Kwon Chasa.

When the wind subsided slightly, Jion lowered the arm covering his vision and gently opened his eyes. Just as he was wondering why there was nothing in front of him, he felt a chilling sensation from behind him that sent shivers down his spine. For a moment, Jion forgot Kwon Chasa’s instructions and turned around quickly.

“Hi.”

At the same time, he heard a greeting that sounded slightly playful. The figure that took a step back the moment their eyes met Jion’s was not human, but a ghost.

A man who appeared to be in his mid 20s was standing there, wearing a blood stained white short sleeved T-shirt and jeans. He was well built and quite tall, so Jion had to raise his head to look up at him.

He is shorter than Kwon Chasa… Jion, who had been comparing them without realizing it, turned pale and bit his lip.

Why are you thinking about that grim reaper here, Chae Jion…? Jion scolded himself as he gnawed the inside of his mouth, only belatedly recalling Kwon Chasa’s words. The man in front of him might be the ominous ghost that Kwon Chasa had spoken of.

However, since their eyes met, he couldn’t pretend not to see or avoid him now. Left with no choice, Jion smiled awkwardly and greeted the man, thinking that he should take the wooden plaque out of his bag if push came to shove.

“…Hello.”

When he came to his senses and looked around, he saw the man’s right elbow was strangely twisted. He carefully raised his gaze and saw that his right eye was sunken, and there were signs of an injury on his head as well.

Jion was speechless at the wretched sight and didn’t know what to do, but the man simply offered a cool smile as if nothing were wrong. Jion knew that he had come to see him for a reason. He recognized him, just like Yoo Kanghyun did.

Jion briefly turned his gaze to look around. Although it was a main road, it was a bit far from the subway station, so late at night, it was deserted, so quiet it was practically silent. However, since he never knew when someone might appear, he thought it would be better to move to a different spot.

“You have something to tell me… right?”

“Yes. Just in case, I picked out a quiet spot beforehand. Shall we go there?”

The man smiled good naturedly and pointed somewhere with his left hand. His movements were unnatural, as if his left arm, not his right, was uncomfortable. Jion speculated that he might have died in an accident and nodded at the man’s suggestion.

Jion followed the man walking ahead, trying to focus on the aura emanating from him. He wasn’t carrying as much of the living world’s energy as he had expected, nor did he feel particularly threatening.

Was Kwon Chasa’s worry unfounded? Feeling slightly relieved, Jion stopped at a dead end alley in a residential area near the convenience store. Even after stopping, the man stared at the alley wall for a long time before finally turning around to face Jion.

Jion could not bear to look at the man’s wretched state, so he slightly lowered his gaze. At that moment, a familiar current of wind enveloped the surroundings once again.

This man certainly was connected to the wind he had encountered on his way home from school. Jion pondered how to address the man and cautiously opened his mouth.

“Hyung, by any chance… have you come looking for me before?”

“Oh, right. I went to see you near the school a while ago. But you were with someone else back then… so I felt [visit our site]a bit hesitant to strike up a conversation.”

As expected, his guess was correct. The ghost that Kwon Chasa had suspected was a subi or geollip commanded by a Seongjusin was none other than this man.

The man appeared to be not a malevolent spirit, but a deceased who had not yet left this world due to attachments, so there was no need to be particularly wary of him. He did not know where the man had heard of him, but he seemed to have come to ask for a favor, just like Yoo Kanghyun.

For some reason, Jion felt wronged remembering how Kwon Chasa had sarcastically said he must enjoy being famous. Since he had enabled him to send another soul to the afterlife, he thought he deserved to be praised.

“You’re Chae Jion, right? My name is Baek Kitae. I’m twenty six.”

The man glanced at Jion’s name tag for a moment, then introduced himself in a warm voice. Jion smiled and nodded, and Baek Kitae responded by raising the corners of his mouth. Judging by Baek Kitae’s demeanor, it seemed they would get along well. Jion immediately asked a question.

“But how did you know about me and come find me?”

“Ah, I happened to see you at the columbarium. You were talking to a girl.”

Columbarium and a girl. Jion could recall something that wasn’t that long ago. The girl Baek Kitae mentioned was probably Park Seolhwa.

‘It feels like someone is watching us. Shall we go somewhere else?’

Suddenly, he remembered what Park Seolhwa had said. At the time, he was so preoccupied chasing after Park Seolhwa and Kwon Chasa that he couldn’t feel anything, but it seemed the owner of that gaze Park Seolhwa felt was Baek Kitae.

He must have been watching him talk with Park Seolhwa from somewhere. Since Kwon Chasa was also there, he might have been scared by the sight of the grim reaper and hidden himself.

“Did you stay at that columbarium too, hyung?”

“No. I just happened to go there while wandering around.”

Baek Kitae continued speaking in a warm voice with a kind smile.

“I didn’t mean to eavesdrop, but I ended up hearing it. You granted that girl’s request and helped her go to the underworld, right? I can’t see her anymore.”

“Ah… yes, that’s right.”

“Then, could you grant my request too? I think I could also… let go of all attachments and move on.”

Baek Kitae finished speaking and took a deep breath as he trembled, his eyes sparkled with earnestness even in the darkness. He looked so desperate that Jion felt compelled to grant his request no matter what, even if it was beyond his capabilities. However, since he didn’t know what might happen if he accepted blindly, he needed to listen to his story first.

“I’d like to say that I can grant all your requests… but realistically, there are many things that are difficult for me to do.”

“…….”

“So… could you tell me first?”

Even Jion was not pleased with having to add such conditions. Many restrictions would disappear once he turned twenty in a few months and shed his status as a high school student, but for now, it couldn’t be helped. Jion gave Baek Kitae an awkward, apologetic smile.

Baek Kitae smiled as he looked at Jion. He wore a confident expression, as if there were absolutely no problem.

“It’s not that difficult. It might be a little… bothersome, though.”

Baek Kitae pulled the corners of his mouth all the way up into a smile. At the same time, his eyes crinkled.

“Actually, I… am not very good at expressing myself, so I rarely spoke directly to the people I am grateful to and sorry to while I was alive. That is why I want to give them a gift now to convey those feelings.”

After listening to the story, it didn’t sound particularly difficult. After all, his reason for remaining in this world wasn’t due to negative emotions like revenge or hatred.

A gift… Should he just hope it isn’t an expensive one? The thought of his financial situation made him feel a bit gloomy, but Jion smiled, pretending nothing was wrong.

“Hyung, I don’t think I can afford a gift that’s too expensive… It’s not something like a luxury brand, right…?”

When he deliberately spoke with a slight hint of humor, Baek Kitae burst into laughter. The sound of his laughter was cheerful, but the way his expression contorted, perhaps due to his injured face, was scary.

“It’s not like that. It’s just… I think a single flower would be enough.”

“Ah… then that’s a relief.”

He felt a little embarrassed, wondering if he looked too materialistic for thinking about his financial situation first. As Jion stroked the back of his neck and smiled slightly, Baek Kitae asked again.

“That’s something you can do, right?”

“Yes. I think that much will be fine.”

Jion readily nodded at Baek Kitae’s words and immediately held out his little finger. Baek Kitae silently gazed down at Jion’s hand for a moment. Thinking ​visit our site​that he must not have understood the meaning, Jion explained.

“But once I grant all your requests, you must come to terms with your feelings before you go to the underworld. Understood?”

“…Hmm.”

Baek Kitae nodded and linked fingers with Jion as a promise. The moment his finger awkwardly passed through Jion’s pinky, he smirked.