GRR 54

“Yeju’s mother runs a cafe near here. It’s not that big, but…”

“Near here? How close?”

“If you go out the school’s main gate… turn right and go straight, you’ll see a snack shop, and I think it was across from that. I can’t remember the name of the cafe….”

Jion took out his phone and hurriedly typed in Nam Seunghee’s words. Even the smallest clue was precious at this moment.

“Do you happen to know where Yeju lives?”

“Uh… it’s Jeongdam Apartments, not far from here. Building 304 or 305… I think it was one of the two, but I don’t know the exact unit number.”

…Jeongdam Apartments?

Jion tilted his head as he felt a sense of déjà vu, yet he carefully jotted down what Nam Seunghee had told him, lest he forget. However, he didn’t have a suitable excuse to visit home, so he couldn’t just show up without a plan. It was a relief to hear [stolen content]that Yeju’s mother ran a cafe. At least he could visit as a customer.

Jion let out a short sigh and decided to focus on the current situation first.

“…Is there anything else weighing on your mind?”

When Jion asked affectionately, Nam Seunghee turned to look at him in the eyes. She, who had been just gazing at Jion, shook her head after a while.

“It’s okay. Just let me know if Yeju is doing well. That… would be enough.”

Her expression was much softer than before. Taking advantage of this moment, Jion extended his little finger to Nam Seunghee.

“Then promise me now. Once you hear news of Yeju, you’ll follow the grim reaper.”

Nam Seunghee stared at Jion once again, then reached out and ‘hooked’ her pinky around Jion’s. She quickly withdrew her hand, let out a short sigh, and slumped her shoulders. Then, without taking her eyes off Jion, she spoke in a low voice.

“…You’re a really strange person.”

“Huh? Me?”

The hand that was about to take the phone and put it in the pocket stopped awkwardly. It was the first time he had been called ‘strange’ by someone.

Nam Seunghee chuckled as she saw Jion blinking blankly. He still couldn’t understand what was going on, so he just tilted his head.

“I mean. Who does… this kind of thing just to go to heaven?”

“Ah… well, I guess that could be the case….”

The excuse he had improvised earlier seemed to have left an impression on Nam Seunghee. Jion tried to gloss over it again like before, but this time, Yu Chasa stepped in to help.

“Student Jion… is that really because you want to go to heaven?”

“…Is that not allowed?”

“No, it’s not that it’s not allowed…. It’s just a reason I didn’t expect. Come to think of it, I’ve never heard that kind of story from you? I feel like I’ve told you quite a lot about grim reapers.”

Jion smiled shyly as he looked into the eyes of the grim reaper, sparkling with curiosity. He felt embarrassed to explain the reason in detail, and fearing that blabbering about it would only bring bad luck, he had never told anyone. Moreover, since only his grandfather knew he could see ghosts, there was even less reason to mention it.

Jion scratched the back of his neck, realizing that the eyes of both Chasa Yu and Nam Seunghee were fixed on his face. The gazes of non-human entities were extremely burdensome.

“No, really, that’s just all. Besides, I know that staying in this world for too long leads to punishment in the underworld, so it feels a bit awkward to pretend I don’t know. I can even see ghosts and grim reapers, so isn’t it only natural to believe in the afterlife?”

When he shrugged and spoke confidently, Yu Chasa nodded. Nam Seunghee also did not pry or raise objections any further.

To be honest, I started this hoping for my mother’s well-being. But now, I also hope that the number of ghosts like her will not increase.

Jion, who had kept the real reason hidden, could not bear the awkward atmosphere and stood up. Although he was used to listening to others, he couldn’t stand being the center of attention.

Besides, he didn’t have the luxury of doing Read on this. He had to grant Nam Seunghee’s wish as soon as possible.

“Yu Chasa-nim, let’s go to the cafe first.”

***

As Jion and Yu Chasa headed to the cafe, they settled on how to address each other in advance. Although it didn’t matter when they were alone, they decided to call each other “Hyung” and “Jion” because they thought that using titles like “Student Jion” or “Chasa-nim” might sound strange to others.

As they practiced a few times to reduce the awkwardness, Jion thought of Kwon Chasa, who didn’t like the title ‘Ahjussi’. If he had called him Hyung instead of Ahjussi back then, would Kwon Chasa have allowed it? Just as he was thinking of calling Kwon Chasa ‘Hyung’ when he got the chance later, he saw a place presumed to be the cafe run by Lee Yeju’s mother.

“I think that’s it.”

He had worried it might be closed, but fortunately, he could see people inside. Jion and Yu Chasa crossed the crosswalk toward the cafe on the opposite side. When they carefully opened the door and entered, they saw a cozy interior. There were only a few tables, and a notice was posted saying there was a discount for takeout.

As Yu Chasa stepped fully into the cafe, someone at the counter turned around.

“Welcome.”

The person who offered a warm greeting was a middle-aged woman presumed to be Lee Yeju’s mother. She smiled warmly at Jion as he approached.

It was best to grab a seat in the cafe to try and get some clues. Jion scanned the menu in front of the POS machine and decided on a lemonade. He glanced to his side and saw Yu Chasa staring at the menu board.

“Hyung, I’m going to drink this, do you want to have it too?”

“Huh? Uh… y-yeah!”

When Jion chose a menu item for him, since he wouldn’t be familiar with the human world, he responded with a vigorous nod. Then, he hurriedly took a card out of his jacket’s inner pocket and handed it to Jion. It was a black card identical to the one Kwon Chasa had.

This must be a card given by the Jade Emperor too. Jion flipped the card back and forth to inspect it, then ordered two lemonades and paid the price. After bowing slightly to the woman who handed him the card and receipt, Jion and Yu Chasa sat in the seat furthest from the counter.

What would it have been like if the person sitting across from me right now was Kwon Chasa instead of Yu Chasa? Would it have felt like a date?

Jion was taken aback by his own thought and shook his head vigorously. Yu Chasa, who had been looking around the interior of the cafe, tilted his head.

“Student Ji… no, Jion, what’s wrong?”

“Ah… it’s nothing. Haha…”

After the short, awkward conversation ended with Jion’s laughter, Yu Chasa leaned forward slightly and lowered his voice.

“That living person must be Student Lee Yeju’s mother, right?”

“Um… yes, I think so.”

Jion stared at the back of the woman whose hands were busy making the lemonades. Considering her age, she was likely Lee Yeju’s mother, but he had no idea how to strike up a conversation and lead it along. What happened that day must have had a huge impact not just on Lee Yeju, but on her family as well.

One fortunate thing was that no despair or worry could be seen on her face. He could also assume that Lee Yeju was doing well.

However, he couldn’t just relay a rough guess to Nam Seunghee. While he was contemplating if there was a way to find out naturally, two glasses of lemonade were placed on the table. She had brought them over herself.

“Enjoy. These are on the house. They’re cookies I baked this morning, please give them a try.”

“Ah… thank you.”

A plastic bag containing cookies about half the size of a palm, studded with chocolate chips, was placed in front of each of them. When Jion bowed his head in thanks, she looked at him with a pleased expression before leaving. Thinking that his mom would have been a similar age if she were alive, Jion stirred the lemonade vigorously with his straw. Now was not the time to get lost in daydreams.

As he took a sip, a sweet and sour taste that was cold enough to make his hair stand on end spread in his mouth. Yu Chasa, who had been watching Jion, also took a sip of lemonade. He shivered and opened his eyes wide.

“Oh… so this is what it tastes like?”

This time, Yu Chasa put the cup to his mouth and gulped it down. Kwon Chasa was always indifferent no matter what he ate, it was fascinating and amusing that Yu Chasa’s reaction was different. He even finished the cookie and nodded in satisfaction.

After taking a few more sips of lemonade, Jion glanced toward the counter. He couldn’t just waste time, but he couldn’t think of a suitable solution. After all, what Lee Yeju had gone through must have had a significant impact on her family as well.

He gnawed on the tip of a straw, lost in thought. As [stolen content]soon as the shop door opened, Jion felt a presence.