…It’s not every day you’d start a story with a prayer but here it is...

“May our merciful God intercede for their souls, Amen.”

Hands tightly clasped and eye closed, the man wearing a white coat finished his short whisper. It is one man’s hopeful wish for the loved and the unloved, the blessed and the damned, and the pious and the sinful; from him who’s living within the black and white colored world. Slowly he approached the three corpses in front of him. He gave each one a final discerning look, and one by one, pulled their respective white sheets over their head.

‘Death somehow pardons all of their sins while the Living trudges thru life lamenting on memories left behind.’

If there exists a textbook standard morgue then, Park Jungsoo Hospital’s morgue would probably be one of them. Bright intruding lights, columns and rows of shelved corpses, ample space for unclaimed and recently wheeled-in bodies and bone-chillingly cold; it is the eeriest place within the whole building, even if it was decked out with angry luminous led bulbs.

Three hospital beds were lined up in front of a lean and unmoving man. The man who prayed over the dead wasn’t the priest but he could have been mistaken as one; a tall and lean man’s black hair, black button-up and trousers stood out—a modern-day shinigami. The only difference he had with the fictional character was that one: he’s a real live person, and two: he’s the resident coroner for PJS Hospital.

At the age of 33, Choi Siwon, became the hospital’s only resident coroner; the youngest amongst his peers. One may think he has a special privilege from the top or that he used his model-like features to charm his way to the ranks but no; every staff who’s heard of him would laugh as if you just made the best joke of the century. This was the fastest nurse-gossip debunked by none other than the man himself.

Swift, efficient and emotionally detached, Choi Siwon was the perfect person to be a coroner; having been exposed to the field during his childhood days. His father taught him what he needed to know, explained to him methodically how his mother passed on and in turn watched forlornly how his only mentor and hero followed. Siwon was living with the Reaper on his side; ironically, that proverbial harbinger of Death became the constant friend in his life. He decided to pursue an ominous profession just because he couldn’t find any interest in anything aside from it.

Whether out of guilt or fear; every day, without fail, Siwon would offer up a prayer for the corpses he’d attend to. Sometimes, on rare days when he was watching the first blossoms of spring, he’d think of who would pray for him in return? But before he could dig deeper into his insecurities, he backs off from such thoughts and let the flowers bloom by Mother Nature’s will. Aside from that, he having been borne into a religious family made it easier for him to let things fall into a serene ritual of prayer and paper works.

Don’t get him wrong, he wasn’t lonely. He liked the silence, the distinction and the assurance of the inevitable end of one’s life. People might be wary from his dedication but in reality, if a lot of people would try to understand his fascination to the undead, they would realize how honest death is compared to the living. That’s a really big IF he knows no one would think of but he just chose to kill expectations to avoid disappointments.

So that is how he locked away his emotions and sentiments. More often than not, the living had always disappointed him, hurt him and betrayed him. One day, Siwon decided to rid of his care, attachments and sentiments to memories and feelings. How? I can’t honestly describe it. Whether be gradual or instantaneous, Siwon was already a different boy. He became estranged to society, and never made friends. He didn’t need them; the living has no use for him and of him.

Although God always made rare exemptions; a pediatrician who befriended him two years ago, but they’re still a work in progress. ‘I might get my prayer if I’m lucky.’

Sigh.

 Lee Cheongdo

Male, age 43/fisherman, died from drowning during a huge thunderstorm. Scars from harpoons and fish hook injuries littered his arms and hands. Even devoid of blood, he had darker skin and ungroomed facial hair. This was a man who conquered all—both land and sea; an admirable man Siwon would have wanted to meet in all his glory.

Naoki Rika

Female, age 16/student, died from bloodloss due to multiple stab wounds and mutilated extremities. Siwon gripped his pen so tight it might have cracked if it wasn’t made of metal. He didn’t need to see the report to know how this happened. Rika was obviously during her 3-day trip in Korea. These instance were the only times Siwon allowed himself to show raw emotions; mostly grief and anger.

An emotionless coroner like him wasn’t heartless; he knows the v