GRR 27

The only regrettable thing was that the moments captured in these photos were not vivid in his memory. He felt that unless he looked at the photos periodically, he wouldn’t even be able to properly remember what his mother looked like in the future.

Eleven years have already passed; has Mom found some peace in the meantime? Had all the hard work of helping the deceased benefited her? Jion clasped his hands together in prayer. He hoped that his mother would also have a chance to be reincarnated as a human.

I have signed a contract with grim reapers and resolved to help them, so I sincerely hope that the high-ranking officials in the underworld will take pity on Mom, if only for the sake of someone like me. Jion muttered to himself with his clasped hands pressed to his forehead, then quietly lifted his gaze.

Should he use his wishes later to get news of his mother? Could the grim reapers find out something like that? Although he hadn’t started this expecting a reward, since they had stepped forward to grant two wishes, it wasn’t necessary to refuse. Jion pondered seriously for a moment.

“Jion-ah, let’s go now.”

“…Yes.”

Grandfather seemed to have conveyed everything he wanted to say to his grandmother and mom. Looking at his grandfather as he stepped out first with his hands behind his back, Jion said his final goodbyes to his mother and hurriedly followed him.

“Uh….”

Jion, who had been gazing at the retreating figure of his grandfather walking while looking around, sensed something and gasped. It was because he had discovered a dim figure leaning against a big tree planted near the memorial hall. It was definitely not a human, but a ghost.

Seeing ghosts in the columbarium was so common that it was no longer surprising. After all, whenever he visited the columbarium four times a year, for Lunar New Year, Chuseok, and the anniversaries of his mother’s and grandmother’s deaths, he would inevitably see a soul wandering the place at least once out of every four times.

He watched, unable to take his eyes off the figure, and saw that she was wearing a school uniform with a name tag on the chest. Thinking the figure was around his age, Jion was about to move a little closer when…

“Ah!”

“Stop looking before your eyes meet.”

Jion felt a stinging pain in his forearm. He turned his head around and saw that grandfather, who had clearly been walking far ahead, had suddenly come right up beside him. As Jion pouted, grandfather shook his head with a stern expression. It seemed grandfather, too, had realized that there was someone with an ominous aura under the tree.

“It hurts, Grandpa….”

“Hurry up and follow me.”

“Ah, ah! Okay, I’ll follow you!”

Jion wanted to at least hear her story, but he had no choice but to turn away because grandfather was pulling on his ear. It was only after they had completely left the memorial hall that he let go of Jion’s ear and let out a long sigh.

“I wonder when my grandson will finally listen to his grandpa.”

“Aren’t I considered very obedient?”

Jion rubbed his burning ears and retorted in a slightly loud voice. Honestly, it was closer to him just raising his voice because he felt guilty. When he noticed his grandfather’s furrowed brow, he immediately grinned and stuck close to his grandfather’s side. Knowing that this was simply a way to be seen as cute, grandfather just laughed.

“Grandpa, shall we have lunch outside before going back?”

“…….”

“You know that place Grandpa said was good before? The tofu shop. Let’s go there.”

“…Alright.”

Having succeeded in changing the subject, Jion linked arms with his grandfather and walked at his slow pace, thinking to himself: If he reacted so strongly just because I was interested in a ghost, he might actually collapse if he found out I had made a contract with grim reapers.

I absolutely must not tell Grandpa, nor let him find out, until everything is resolved… Jion made a vow to himself.

***

Although it was Chuseok, counting only by the day of the week, it was a weekday, so Jion had to come out to work his part-time job again today. Perhaps because everyone had left Seoul, there were fewer customers at the convenience store than usual. Jion attended to the occasional customer who came by and solved practice problems during the rest of the time. Then, feeling suddenly tired, he checked the time and realized that it was already close to the end of his shift.

He didn’t manage to finish the amount he had targeted, but he stretched out for now. Should I go home and finish solving the rest…? He had a feeling he’d be super tired after showering. After even yawning, all motivation to study vanished.

After finishing the handover to the next shift worker who had just arrived, Jion hurriedly left the convenience store. I’ll wash up and go to bed early as soon as I get back. He stood in front of the crosswalk, making this resolution to himself.

“Student Jion!”

Jion turned his head at the sudden voice calling his name, and saw Yu Chasa jogging towards him. This was the first time he had seen him since the day they signed the contract. Jion checked that the signal had changed, but instead of moving, he smiled at Yu Chasa.

“It’s been a while! How have you been?”

“Yes, I’m fine… I heard you were busy, Yu Chasa.”

“Oh my… don’t even get me started. It was the first time I’ve ever taken a ghost to see Jingwang alone, and it was incredibly difficult…. I wonder how Kwon Chasa has managed to do this for so long…”

Jion’s eyebrows drooped slightly upon seeing his sullen, dejected, and pitiful face. It seemed their work was much more arduous than expected, and they faced considerable hardships that were difficult to speak of. Jion forced an awkward smile toward Yu Chasa, who was smiling bitterly at him, and checked the signal one more time. Before he knew it, the light had turned red again.

“…Do you happen to have something to tell me?”

There was no way the busy grim reaper would have come to see him just to ask how he was doing. When Jion asked indirectly, Yu Chasa nodded.

“Yes, it’s a bit awkward to talk about this here… shall we go to that house?”

The ‘house’ he was referring to was likely the hanok where the grim reapers resided. As Jion nodded, Yu Chasa glanced around and pointed somewhere with his fingertips. Jion followed him as he hurried his steps.

Yu Chasa entered a deserted path and placed his palm on the ground, just as Kwon Chasa had done. As he pulled the doorknob to open the door, took the hand Jion cautiously extended, and stepped inside, a hanok appeared. It was a sight now familiar even to Jion’s eyes. It was in the middle of the night, but the time had shifted to broad daylight, and he could not help but frown due to the glaring light.

As he crossed the yard, Jion suddenly felt curious. This was the first time Yu Chasa had brought him here alone. Although Kwon Chasa had left the task of bringing him here to Yu Chasa a few times before.

“Where is Kwon Chasa?”

“King Yeomra was looking for him, so he went to Yeomra Palace for a moment. He said he would be back soon, but I’m not sure exactly when.”

After hearing his answer, another question arose. Aren’t grim reapers supposed to live in the underworld? Then why do they stay in a house with an addresse in the living world? Jion slowly opened his mouth, hoping that Yu Chasa, unlike Kwon Chasa, might kindly answer his question.

“Yu Chasa, don’t grim reapers usually live in the underworld?”

“Yes, that’s right. We each have our own offices in the underground of the Yeomra Palace, so we stay there.”

“Then why are you two here? I asked Kwon Chasa before, and he said that this house does exist in the living world.”

“Hmm, come to think of it, I really haven’t explained it properly. Then again, it’s unlikely that Kwon Chasa told you everything… For now, please take a seat.”

After guiding Jion to the sofa, Yu Chasa hurriedly ran to the kitchen. Jion, who had been watching his retreating figure for a moment, gaped upon discovering the stack of registers on the table. As if speaking volumes about their overwhelming workload, the registers piled high numbered substantial.

“Please have this. Kwon Chasa asked me to prepare this for you. I tried mixing it with orange juice today… If you don’t like it, I’ll just mix it with honey tea next time.”

Jion accepted the glass cup offered by Yu Chasa, who had returned to the living room. Judging by the way he said he “mixed” it, he must have added the water said to purify the energy of the underworld. It felt a little strange that Kwon Chasa had asked him to prepare the water even amidst his busy schedule.

Jion, who already knew how bitter the spring water was, frowned before even bringing the cup to his lips. After taking a deep breath and closing his eyes to drink the orange juice, Jion frowned at the sensation of his tongue going numb.

Wouldn’t it have to be some harmful poison to taste like this? Jion barely managed to suppress the urge to vomit. He put down the cup and shivered. Orange juice wasn’t a good idea. It felt like the sourness was only amplifying the bitterness.

“…Yu Chasa-nim.”

“Yes?”

“I’m sorry, but… could you please mix it with banana milk next time…?”

Banana milk, honey tea, and even orange juice. If he had to choose one of the three, the banana milk that Kwon Chasa gave him first was the best. The honey tea wasn’t bad either, but because of its sticky texture, the bitter taste lingered on the tip of his tongue for a long time.

“Oh, yes! I will. Student Jion, do you like banana milk?”

“Hmm… well, rather than that… Kwon Chasa-nim gave me water mixed with banana milk before, and I think that’s the best.”

“Kwon Chasa-nim?”

Jion, who was at a loss for what to do because of the bitter taste still lingering in his mouth, tilted his head at Yu Chasa’s question.

“You mean Kwon Chasa personally mixed it with banana milk for you…?”

“yes….”

“That’s strange… He’s not the type to be considerate of others….”