GRR 30

“Uh… I know this place.”

“You do?”

Of course I know. It’s a place I visit every single year for holidays and memorial days. Jion nodded at Kwon Chasa, who asked in surprise, and then quietly pulled his hand away from his grasp.

“…Ah.”

Jion was about to take a step forward, but stopped in his tracks. It was because he suddenly remembered something.

That ghost under the tree that he saw when he came here with his grandfather. That soul he guessed was around his age because she was wearing a school uniform. Jion looked up at Kwon Chasa, who was standing beside him tilting his head, and spoke in a voice full of conviction.

“I think I know who it is. I saw her when I came here the day before yesterday.”

“Why did you come here?”

“To see my mom and my grandma for the holiday.”

After calmly answering Kwon Chasa’s question, Jion hurriedly ran to the memorial hall. Even today, the ghost in the school uniform was still sitting under that same tree.

“The girl sitting over there, right?”

“Right. Park Seolhwa.”

Jion’s prediction was right. It bothered him that they couldn’t even talk when he visited two days ago, but he didn’t think they would meet again like this. In any case, it seemed Park Seolhwa and Jion were destined to meet.

Recalling the story he had heard from Yu Chasa, Jion tried to make his own conjectures. He had been told that Park Seolhwa had died in January of this year, and he hadn’t seen her when he visited here on the last Lunar New Year or on June 2nd, the anniversary of his mother’s death. If so, where had Park Seolhwa been wandering all this time? Why had she only settled in this columbarium now?

As Jion was lost in thought, Kwon Chasa asked.

“Did you talk to her?”

“No. I was with my grandfather back then. He doesn’t like me talking to ghosts, so… um….”

Jion shivered, unable to bring himself to finish his sentence. The air, which had felt just pleasantly cool until moments ago, had instantly turned chilly, and a cold wind pierced deep into his skin. At the same time, Kwon Chasa began walking toward the tree where Park Seolhwa was.

“That ahjussi is really…….”

Judging by the way Kwon Chasa passed right through people, he had transformed into a grim reaper in the meantime. Jion wondered if that was the reason for the cold he had felt earlier. Jion gritted his teeth and hurriedly chased after Kwon Chasa.

“Park Seolhwa.”

Kwon Chasa, who was already standing before Park Seolhwa, called out to her in an emotionless voice. Park Seolhwa slowly raised her head. She didn’t look surprised or scared even upon seeing Kwon Chasa. The latter let out a hollow laugh and knelt down to meet Park Seolhwa’s eye level.

“Student, you should answer when an adult calls you.”

Jion, who had slipped under the tree shade while glancing around, scoffed after hearing Kwon chasa’s words. He was a grim reaper, so what was the point of arguing about such things? Kwon Chasa was like a Confucian scholar with the Three Cardinal Guides and Five Constant Virtues¹ deeply ingrained in his mind, yet also like an old-fashioned jerk who thought age was authority. In short, it meant that they were incompatible.

Park Seolhwa still held her head high, staring only at Kwon Chasa. Only then was Jion able to examine Park Seolhwa properly. Her hair and clothes were soaked, and water droplets were dripping, leaving no trace of what had happened to her. If Park Seolhwa had not been a ghost, deep puddles would have formed wherever she had been.

“Ha….”

Seeing no reaction, Kwon Chasa sighed, perhaps he was getting annoyed. Jion leaned cautiously against the tree and pretended to know nothing while fiddling with his phone as he watched Park Seolhwa. She didn’t look like she would suddenly run away, but you never know what might happen with peo–… with ghosts.

Kwon Chasa sighed again as he rummaged through the inside of his suit jacket, and in the blink of an eye, a fearsome buwol was placed in his hand.

Why did he bring that out again…? Even though Jion couldn’t hide his shocked expression, Kwon Chasa just stared at him. It meant that he should speak to Park Seolhwa immediately.

After confirming that there was no one around, Jion moved to get closer to Park Seolhwa.

“Um… um… Seolhwa, hello…?”

Now that he had said it, it was an incredibly awkward greeting. His ears burned, and Jion, fidgeting listlessly, continued speaking in a small voice.

“Actually, I saw you the day before yesterday, so it’s surprising to see you again today.”

Only when Jion acted as if he knew her did Park Seolhwa turn her gaze to look at him. Jion flinched because the light in Park Seolhwa’s eyes was clearer than expected, and he was surprised by the unusually calm look on her face. Park Seolhwa seemed to be deep in thought, then exclaimed “Ah!”

“I remember. You’re the one who got dragged away by your grandfather, right?”

“Dragged….”

“You were making such a fuss about being in pain.”

“Fuss….”

Jion couldn’t deny Park Seolhwa’s words. He only mumbled foolishly the words that pricked his heart. Park Seolhwa covered her mouth and chuckled, then stood up. The amount of water dripping onto the floor was unusual. It was likely visible only to Jion and Kwon Chasa.

“I think someone is watching here. Shall we go somewhere else?”

As if she hadn’t exactly been seeking consent, Park Seolhwa soared into the air and fled the place the moment she finished speaking. Almost simultaneously, Kwon Chasa jumped into the air and hurriedly chased after the flying Park Seolhwa. Jion let out a heavy, troubled sigh and began running to catch up with them.

Jion had to look up at the sky and down at the ground, so he was completely disoriented the entire time he was running. As he followed the path away from the station, he came to a quiet alley lined with country houses. However, Park Seolhwa seemed unable to find a suitable spot and flew even further away.

“Haa…haa….”

Jion gasped for air. Before he knew it, he found himself in a desolate place where a weed-covered field plastic greenhouse stood all alone. Although Jion had seen Park Seolhwa and Kwon Chasa enter the greenhouse, his legs were trembling so much that he could not hurry his steps.

When he finally managed to get inside, it was much more desolate than it appeared from the outside. Not to mention the condition of the plastic bags, there was also a lot of discarded waste materials and trash. However, Jion paid no attention to it and clutched his chest as he slumped onto the ground. Kwon Chasa clicked his tongue as he watched Jion.

“Student, why don’t you exercise? Aren’t you in your prime? Why is your stamina in such a state?”

“No, haa… If you fly that fast, how am I, ha… supposed to catch up….”

Jion couldn’t even properly refute Kwon Chasa, who started nagging him as if he had been waiting for the opportunity. His breath was still ragged. Park Seolhwa silently looked at Jion and Kwon Chasa alternately, then approached Jion and asked softly.

“What’s your name?”

“I… haa… Chae Jion.”

Park Seolhwa nodded and this time stared at Kwon Chasa.

“You came to pick me up?”

“You know it well.”

“Men dressed like that came to find me several times, saying I had to go to the underworld.”

So the grim reapers weren’t just sitting around doing nothing. However, since they still hadn’t been able to take Park Seolhwa to the underworld, Jion could understand why Yu Chasa had been sulking about having so much work.

“Then why don’t you stop sinning and just leave? Staying here won’t help you.”

Kwon Chasa muttered coldy and thrust the blade of the buwol at Park Seolhwa. Jion didn’t know if it was really a weapon that could harm a ghost, but in any case, it looked threatening, so Jion reflexively intervened.

Jion tugged at Kwon Chasa’s clothes to separate the two, but he was startled. It felt as if his fingertips had gone numb from the temperature, which was colder than ice. As he quickly shook his tingling hands and looked up at Kwon Chasa, the latter sighed and gestured towards Park Seolhwa with his chin.

“Explain it clearly so the student can understand.”

Park Seolhwa did not blink an eye even until Kwon Chasa, having withdrawn his buwol, nervously ran his hand through his hair. Jion breathed a sigh of relief and stood before Park Seolhwa.

“…Seolhwa, is there a reason you can’t leave this place? I heard you’ve been in the mortal world for quite a while. But if you stay here any longer, it might become difficult to reincarnate. That’s why this ahjussi … no, the grim reaper, keeps insisting that you leave.”

As Jion spoke calmly, he felt a stinging sensation on the back of his head for some reason. Jion glanced back and saw Kwon Chasa tapping his foot. Jion cleared his throat and continued speaking.

“By any chance… if there is a reason, could you tell me?”

“…….”

“If it’s something I can handle for you, I’ll take care of it.”

Her indifferent expression evoked a feeling similar to Jeon Bomi, whom Jion met last summer. For some reason, Jion had a hunch that if Park Seolhwa were just granted her wish, she would leave this world without any attachment.

Park Seolhwa was lost in thought, and only after a long while did she meet Jion’s eyes. As expected, the piercing light in her gaze was ominous, causing Jion to flinch slightly.

“Then will you grant my request?”

“Uh… uh! I will try my best.”

It might have sounded like empty words to some, but Jion was always sincere. Although Park Seolhwa didn’t outwardly distrust him, it seemed she couldn’t fully believe him. Jion immediately held out his pinky.

1. The Three Cardinal Guides—namely “a monarch guides his subjects, a father guides his children, and a husband guides his wife”—emphasized the absolute superiority and authority of those who guided over those who were guided. The Five Constant Virtues referred to benevolence, righteousness, propriety, wisdom, and fidelity. ↩︎