GRR 60

The news that he wouldn’t be coming for the time being came as a bolt from the blue. That meant he wouldn’t be able to see Kwon Chasa. He never imagined that the butterfly effect Baek Kitae would unleash would be this terrible.

“There is still an unpleasant ghostly smell coming from you. If I take you around, it would be just like keeping the smell of ghosts on you”

Jion swallowed dryly. He couldn’t refute anything because everything he said was right.

“Is that part-time job or whatever it is really necessary? The time you go home happens to be the time when ghosts are strongest. Since you’re wandering around at that hour, aren’t ghosts just flocking to you?”

His tone was curt. However, to Jion’s ears, Kwon Chasa’s words sounded warm, because it felt like he was concerned about him.

From telling him to stay out of from Baek Kitae’s affairs and to keep his distance, to even saying he would not accept help for the time being, everything boiled down to Kwon Chasa’s worries and concerns.

Then why is Kwon Chasa worrying about me? He is a grim reaper without blood or tears, one who made ghosts tremble in fear.

Is it because I’m a living human? That doesn’t make sense, he didn’t seem very interested in other humans. The more Jion thought about it, the more he found himself unable to control his growing expectations.

The thought that perhaps Kwon Chasa might also perceive him as a special being made his heart pound.

“…Chasa-nim.”

“What?”

He called him out of impulse. Because he wanted to know his true feelings. Because he wanted to hear an answer, any answer. He was so restless he couldn’t bear it.

“Are you… doing this because you’re worried about me?”

No one worries about someone they have no connection to or interest in. It is because someone is on their mind, keeps coming to mind, and they become anxious if they don’t think of them that they cannot erase them from their thoughts. Every single word spoken by Kwon Chasa seemed to harbor those complex and subtle emotions, making Jion cling to hope

Just as he thought of Kwon Chasa from time to time, he wished he did the same. No, perhaps he already was.

He spoke as if he cared especially about him, looked after him, and told him to stay out of dangerous situations; how could he not attach meaning to it? How could he not fall into the delusion that he might have become a somewhat special person to Kwon Chasa?

Jion stared at him, unable to do anything due to nervousness. Kwon Chasa did not avoid Jion’s gaze.

“Do I look like I’m worried about you?”

It was as if he had absolutely no idea the intention behind the question. Jion sensed that something was wrong, but he didn’t give up and continued speaking softly.

“You’ve been… doing that all along. From taking me home, [visit our site]to telling me to ignore the ghosts because you felt something was wrong, to telling me to stay out of this because it was dangerous, and even saying you originally planned to keep me from meeting Nam Seunghee…”

The more he listed them one by one, the hotter his face felt.

“That’s why… I misunderstood….”

Jion described it as a misunderstanding, but in truth, he hoped it wasn’t. That said, he didn’t hope they felt exactly the same way either. Because that would have been greedy.

He thought that if there was anyone who mattered to Kwon Chasa the most right now, he hoped it was him.

“A misunderstanding? What misunderstanding?”

“Uh… um, so…….”

Just as he came to like him, he thought that he might have become a little special to Kwon Chasa as well.

He hid the words that might sound like a confession. He didn’t want to confess so abruptly and unstylishly, nor was it the right time to bring up such cheesy words. More importantly, he hadn’t heard Kwon Chasa’s answer yet.

Jion fidgeted, not knowing what to say to cover up the mistake instead of confessing. Now that he had already done it all, he started regretting. His mouth was truly a loose tongue.

Jion, who had been hesitating for a while, bit his lip. He thought it would be better to just gloss stolen content over the conversation if Kwon Chasa asked one more time.

However, Kwon Chasa did not let Jion get away with it.

“Worried… well, I suppose you could think that way. I do keep worrying that something bad might happen to you. Like walking around with that foul odor on you.”

Jion clenched his fist tightly. Though there was nothing in his hand, it pulsated as if something were sprouting. He started harboring expectations.

“But isn’t that obvious? I made a contract with you, and I have a responsibility to minimize the harm you might suffer from contracting with a grim reaper.”

His heart, which had been beating so fiercely it made his body tremble, skipped a beat.

Responsibility. That word got stuck in his chest; it neither went down nor came out.

“Most people who get involved with ghosts don’t have a good ending. That isn’t always the case, but I’ve seen far more instances of that.”

“…….”

“Even so, Yu Chasa and I signed a contract with you. Then, at the very least, we should take responsibility to ensure nothing happens to you. That is our duty.”

Duty, and responsibility.

So, what Kwon Chasa meant was this: worrying about him, taking care of him, and even making him misunderstand… it was all because of that responsibility and duty.

They were actions completely devoid of any personal motive from Kwon Chasa. Because it was his duty and he had to take responsibility, for Kwon Chasa, it was nothing more and nothing less than a duty.

In an instant, all the tension drained away. It felt as if his heart, which had been swelling with emotion, had exploded and shattered into pieces.

He knew that their hearts and minds could never be exactly the same, and he wasn’t even certain that Kwon Chasa liked him… but he couldn’t help being disappointed.

To think that everything he said about him as if he were special, and every time he treated him kindly just as he said, was all because of that responsibility and duty.

The more Jion thought about Kwon Chasa’s words, the harder it became to maintain his calm. He knew he should pretend nothing was wrong, but he couldn’t. Jion looked Kwon Chasa in the eyes, then bowed his head.

Kwon Chasa was momentarily stunned when he saw Jion’s downcast expression.

“…I think I need to go home now. It’s… too late.”

It would be best to get out of there quickly. He didn’t want to show Kwon Chasa his face anymore, which had been filled with hope only to be ruined by disappointment. Jion hurriedly got up from his seat and walked to the entrance.

Kwon Chasa quickly caught up with Jion, who was hurrying more than usual, and ​stolen content​tilted his head slightly.

Jion picked up the shoes he had taken off and put them on, before hurriedly crossing the garden to stand in front of the gate. Before Kwon Chasa could open the door, he silently reached out, and Kwon Chasa took his hand without a word.

Jion wondered why he felt so warm today. The moment he gritted his teeth, his body was sucked into the gate. When he opened his tightly closed eyes, he saw the entrance to the building.

Jion adjusted the straps of his bag with both hands, bowed his head, and then raised it slightly.

“…Goodbye.”

He quickly disappeared from Kwon Chasa’s sight. Even though Jion was nowhere to be seen, Kwon Chasa stared at the glass door for a moment.

Not long after, he took his eyes off the door and leaned against a nearby streetlamp. As he observed the building Jion had entered, the light in a pitch-black room turned on. That was likely Jion’s room.

An eerie atmosphere filled the area around Jion’s house and every nook and cranny of the nearby alleys. This meant that a ghost had been lingering around him for a very long time. Or the energy belonged to a particularly strong spirit.

Judging by the scent, which was similar to the ghostly scent he had felt on Jion, the owner of this ghostly energy seemed to be the Baek Kitae that Jion had mentioned. However, there were no ghosts in this vicinity. Perhaps they had all hidden themselves to avoid the grim reaper.

“…….”

Tsk. Kwon Chasa clicked visit our site his tongue. He couldn’t forget Jion’s dejected expression after hearing his words.

He had been chattering away just moments ago, so why the sudden change?

It was difficult to understand Jion’s reaction, even though he had kindly answered his question. However, on the other hand, he became curious about the reason.

He wondered why he suddenly looked so dejected. Why he left as if he were running away from something. Was his answer not satisfactory? Or did something happen while he was gone?

Unaware that unfamiliar feelings were slowly sprouting within him, Kwon Chasa fixed his gaze solely on Jion’s lit room. As he stared without even blinking, the light went out not long after.

Even though the autumn dawn wind was growing stronger, he stayed under the streetlamp for a while.