GRR 71

“Okay, just wait here for a moment! You absolutely must not come in until I tell you it’s okay!”

Jion had been feeling perfectly fine all the way home, but the moment he stepped into the entryway, he realized he had made a mistake. He had no way of knowing what state the house was in.

He quickly kicked off his shoes and ran inside to check the living room. Thankfully, his grandfather had tidied it up, so it was spotless. But since he didn’t know when grandfather would arrive, staying in the living room was a bit risky. To hide Kwon Chasa, it was better to stay in his room with him.

The problem was that his room was a complete mess.

Jion hurried into his room, smoothed out the crumpled blanket, and straightened the askew pillow. He also shoved the clothes scattered on the floor into a drawer.

Only after roughly tidying up the desk did he run out, but Kwon Chasa had already come inside and was looking around the living room. He had clearly told him not to come in until he said so.

“Did you clean your room?”

Kwon Chasa smiled, he already knew exactly what Jion had done without even looking. Come to think of it, Kwon Chasa seemed to have a strange knack for quickly picking up on the very things Jion was embarrassed to show. Jion cleared his throat and then opened the door.

“…Come in.”

He led Kwon Chasa into his room, which couldn’t exactly be called perfectly tidy. He pulled out the chair in front of his desk and offered it to Kwon Chasa, while he sat on the bed.

Kwon Chasa stood with his arms crossed. He silently scrutinized the ​stolen content​room with his eyes. For some reason, Jion felt as if every detail was being laid bare, and the back of his neck grew hot.

“…Would you like something to drink?”

Thinking he should at least offer his guest something, Jion asked, but Kwon Chasa shook his head. Then he looked around the room once more. If he had known this would happen, he should’ve tidied up the room beforehand. Mulling over his belated regret, he clutched the innocent blanket.

Kwon Chasa was completely absorbed in looking at the room, regardless of what Jion was doing, but he suddenly stood up to his feet. Just as Jion wondered what he was up to, he opened the closed window and looked outside. Jion hesitated for a moment before asking,

“…Is it Baek Kitae?”

“I can’t see him, but he seems to be nearby.”

He closed the window again, returned to his seat, and remained silent. It was a rare chance for the two of them to be alone, and Jion felt it would be a shame to just let the moment slip away. Wouldn’t it be better to talk about something? But he had no idea what topic to bring up.

Should he ask what his ideal type was? Does he prefer someone younger, older, or the same age… Should he ask something like that? After pondering it carefully, Jion shook his head. He dismissed all the options that had come to mind. He could already picture the expression Kwon Chasa would make if he heard those questions. It was obvious he’d look at him with eyes full of pity, as if to say, “Why are you asking such a silly thing?”

Kwon Chasa finally spoke up.

“When did you start seeing ghosts?”

It was a question he hadn’t expected. But his surprise was overshadowed by joy. It seemed that just as he was curious about Kwon Chasa, he was curious about him as well.

Jion tried hard not to smile as he searched his memory. When [unauthorized copy]did he start seeing ghosts? The very first ghost he saw…

“I’m not exactly sure when I started seeing them… but the first time I realized they were ghosts was when I was seven. I saw my mom after she passed away. And for a whole year after that, she was with me the whole time.”

It was possible he had started seeing them when he was younger but didn’t remember, but in any case, his earliest memory was seeing his mom when he was seven.

Jion’s mother’s health deteriorated after giving birth to him, and she was diagnosed with blood cancer the year he turned five. Contrary to the doctor’s prognosis that she had less than six months to live, she lived for a full two more years before passing away in the hospital. Jion began seeing his mother about a week after that.

When Jion said his mother had come back to life and was right beside him, his maternal grandmother, who was still alive at the time, hugged him and wept, while his maternal grandfather simply stood there with a frozen expression. He was too young back then to understand the meaning behind his grandfather’s expression, but looking back now, it was despair.

Perhaps it was because he felt conflicted and guilty that his grandson had inherited his ability to see ghosts.

“I found out later that the reason Mom couldn’t go to the afterlife was because of me. She said she couldn’t go because I was still young and she was worried about me. Grandpa told her not to worry, but I guess she still couldn’t put her mind at ease.”

“……”

“Grandpa kept telling Mom to go, worried she’d be punished in the underworld.”

Feeling like the mood had grown heavy because of his story, Jion scrunched up his nose slightly and gave an awkward smile.

“That’s why I started helping ghosts. They say the underworld watches to see if the families and friends of the deceased have done good deeds or not. So I thought if I sent the ghosts to the underworld, maybe my mother wouldn’t have to suffer as much punishment….”

He was sure he was saying it casually, but the atmosphere grew heavier by the moment. He hadn’t brought him [unauthorized copy]home to talk about this. Jion quickly forced a smile and changed the subject.

“Right, Chasa-nim. Have you thought about it?”

“About what?”

“Trying on clothes other than what you’re wearing right now.”

Jion quickly pulled out his phone and, just like that morning, searched for “Male College Student Outfits” again. Since he didn’t look like a 300-year-old ancestor, he figured clothes suited for that age group would look good on Kwon Chasa too.

“Hmm… I think something like this would look good on you too…”

He zoomed in on a photo of a model wearing a white shirt layered over a navy knit sweater, then held his phone out toward Kwon Chasa. Realizing they were a bit far apart, he shifted his hips forward to close the distance, and at the same moment, Kwon Chasa moved his chair to meet him.

In an instant, they were so close that there was barely any space between them. So close that he could count every single one of Kwon Chasa’s eyelashes.

Jion froze, unable to even breathe. He couldn’t pull back, nor could he move any closer. Somehow, it felt as though Kwon Chasa’s gaze was fixed not on the phone screen, but on his face.

What should he do? If he moved just a little closer, their lips might actually touch. No sooner had he thought that than Kwon Chasa moved a little closer. Jion closed his eyes, and anxiously waited.

“Give me your hand.”

He heard a low voice. At the same time, Kwon Chasa’s body moved slightly away.

“W-why do you suddenly want my hand…?”

Even as he asked why, Jion obediently held out his hand to him. Though the distance between them had increased, the tension that had stiffened his body remained. Kwon Chasa grabbed his forearm firmly, pulled him toward him, and pressed his lips against the inside of his wrist. It was the action he had claimed was meant to smear the scent that ghosts detest.

A tingling sensation spread from his wrist throughout his entire body. The touch was soft and warm, making his body want to twist and writhe. As he watched him, Kwon Chasa glanced up. Their eyes met immediately.

His heartbeat grew stronger, and the dizzying whirlpool in his mind grew larger. Why was it that grim reapers had no desires? If Kwon Chasa could feel desires like an ordinary human, he would have known that kissing his wrist might hold a special meaning for him.

Just as tangled thoughts were about to make his head spin, Kwon Chasa pulled his lips away and released his wrist. Longing for the warmth that had faded, Jion pursed his lips.

“Why is your face so red? You were like that this morning, too.”

“…It’s nothing.”

Of course, how could he not be flushed? The person he liked had kissed his wrist.

Strictly speaking, he wasn’t exactly a “person”…

Jion averted his gaze to avoid Kwon Chasa’s eyes. He wanted to confront him, say it was all his fault, ask why he kept toying with his heart, and demand to know why he treated him with such care despite his seemingly indifferent facade.

However, Kwon Chasa was completely oblivious to Jion’s inner thoughts. He suddenly stood up stolen contentand began searching the surroundings with a piercing gaze.

As a breeze blew around Kwon Chasa, the warmth he had been radiating instantly turned into a chill so biting it made his bones ache. He had returned to being a grim reaper.

“Yu Chasa will be here soon. Just stay right here.”

“…Is that Baek Kitae? He’s back?”

When he asked cautiously, Kwon Chasa nodded slightly. Jion swallowed hard. They say words become reality, who would have thought that Baek Kitae, who had vanished for so long, would reappear on a day like today, of all days, when he was spending time with Kwon Chasa.

Jion suddenly shivered as a chill ran through his body. Just a moment ago, his face had been flushed and he had felt hot, but now he could only feel an eerie coldness.

“Uh, Chasa-nim…!”

Kwon Chasa passed through the window and vanished outside in an instant. Flustered, Jion scrambled over to open the window and peered outside. But Kwon Chasa was nowhere to be seen, and the street, now shrouded in darkness, was completely silent.