“Aishh….those people, really….” Ji Ah utters as she takes out some food wrappers under a table. “They knew that Hyun is the only room cleaner present today yet they dare leave their mess here? Is it hard for them to throw this to the trash bin? It’s their mess to begin with!” she blabbers.

Yonghwa and Seo Hyun are still under probation for cutting classes.

            “Maybe they just forgot about it.” Seo Hyun tells her.

            “They should have been considerate enough to do that at least. That way, your chore will be easier.” Ji Ah replies.

Seo Hyun continues to sweep the floor.

            “It’s not that hard. Also, you two are helping me out…”

            “Of course we should! We feel sorry knowing that you have to do all of these by yourself.”

            “I wonder what happened to Yonghwa sshi.” From wiping the blackboard, Yumi looks at them. “He had never been absent before….he’s probably really sick.” She adds.

            “Are you sure he didn’t tell you anything?” Ji Ah asks Seo Hyun.

            “Hm.” She simply responds.

            “When you return home, pay him a visit. Seeing the woman he loves beside him, Yonghwa sshi will definitely regain his health!” Ji Ah says.

_________________________________________________________________

After cleaning, the girls prepare to go home.Seo Hyun pays the classroom one last glance. Tomorrow is that day so now is her last day here at school. As they walk, Seo Hyun takes a mental picture of everything they’re passing by. The empty corridor that is often full of students…..the dressing room the girls use when they have to change into gym clothes….the gym where they do P. E. class with Mr. Kim Jongkook…..the library….the cafeteria where she eats with everyone.

They walk by the school ground. Seo Hyun remembers the time where they played dodge ball and Yonghwa and she were the only ones left from their team. She has also seen the spot where the two of them watched the evening program and fireworks on the day of school festival. She secretly smiles….she made a lot of memories here. In the span of three weeks, she had a wonderful time attending school and enjoyed being a student again. Here, she earned experiences she never had during her time. Though three weeks is short, she’s still thankful….in her heart, she consider it as her real school life than her former one.

All of a sudden, the familiar pain strikes again. It made her slow down from walking.

            Please….not here. Her mind begs. It feels like she will pass out any moment now. Hang on a bit longer….Hold it back and don’t let them know—she keeps repeating in her head. She knows exactly what’s happening to her.

            “Time is shredding. The condition of your body is returning to its original state.” Yeong Won says.

She now understands that this is not indigestion only. Her body is returning bit by bit to its real form therefore her illness returns too.

            “The inner body returns first before the outer body. Your appearance will be the last one to change.” Ne adds.

Due to the pain, Seo Hyun couldn’t bring herself to say anything but just listen. With her half closed eyes, she stares at nem.

            “You only have hours left in you…..Your clock is now on a countdown.” Ne honestly states.

Seo Hyun nods and she glides down. Yeong Won immediately crutches down in front of her. Nir eyes shows pity. Even if ne wants to ease the pain she’s feeling, ne doesn’t have the ability to make it go away.

            “This is the limit of my ability……Sorry…” ne says.

Ne stayed there with her until the pain faded. She returned to the classroom as if nothing happened.

            “This is our way….”

Ji Ah and Yumi are taking the subway since they live a bit far from here.

            “Hyunie…..Are you okay?” Yumi asks.

            “Hm….why?”

            “Your face is pale….you lips too.” Worry starts spreading their face as they notice her sudden paleness.

            “Aren’t you feeling well? Do you want us to send you home?” Ji Ah says.

            “No. I’m just fine….Maybe it’s because it’s a bit hot today.” She says.

            “Uh…that’s right but, are you sure you’re okay?” Yumi asks again while scratching the back of her ear.

            “Yes, I’m really okay. Don’t worry, I can go home by myself.” Seo Hyun says. She even smiles to convince them.

            “Oh….o-kay…if you say so….”

Yumi and Ji Ah are about to walk but she stops them.

            “Wait…”

Seo Hyun gives each one of them a hug.

            “I’m happy to find friends like you…..The two of you are definitely the best.”

            “Hyunie…..” Yumi and Ji Ah say in unison. “Is something wrong?” Ji Ah asks.

            “Nothing….I just want to tell you girls that...for as much as I can.”

Yumi smiles.

            “Maybe you’re just feeling blue today because Yonghwa sshi is not around. Go home and visit him….”

            “Hm.”

Yumi and Ji Ah feel a little uneasy. They always part like this everyday after school but today is quite different. They can feel that something is wrong but couldn’t put a name to it. In the end, both chose to think that today is just not a good day and tomorrow everything will be great again.

            “Take care.” Seo Hyun says.

            “You too.” Says Yumi.

They start walking away.

            “Thank you again for helping me.” Seo Hyun yells out.

            “See you tomorrow!” Ji Ah says.

            “Hm.” Seo Hyun nods and waves to them with a smile.

She just wants to send them away with a smile.  Seo Hyun wants to bid goodbye to them like the same manner she does everyday because she doesn’t want them to know that it’s the last time. The day after tomorrow, they won’t remember a thing about her…..by then, the person named Seo Hyun will be forgotten…as if her existence never happened.

Anyway, she’s still thankful for the friendship. She can only hope that Yumi and Ji Ah will have happy lives in the future. Now, she can die without being pathetically alone….she was able to make friends. She will absolutely miss them in the afterlife.

Her eyes tear up…..She won’t be coming to school again contrary to what they’re thinking.

            “I’m sorry….” She whispers while waving to them.

Once the two disappears, Seo Hyun quickly clutches her aching stomach. Her forehead is filled with tiny beads of sweat and her head is in vertigo. She shook her head hard.

            “No….I shouldn’t lose consciousness….not until I reach home…” she says to herself.

She steps forward to get a cab but Yeong Won appears and hails a taxi for her.

Seo Hyun opens her eyes and seen the familiar view of her room. Sitting next to her bed is Yeong Won.

            “You’re awake…” Yeong Won let out a sigh of relief.

            “You brought me home……Thank you.” she utters.

            “Eyyy…..C’mon, that’s nothing.” Ne smiles.

            “You disguise as a human too?” she sits up.

Yeong Won nods.

            “Once in a while……it’s cool…except for the look on the driver’s face when I searched through your things to find your wallet.” ne pouts.

Seo Hyun couldn’t help but smile. Even a powerful creature like nem is having money problem too.

            “Aishhh….All I got is time, I simply don’t have money because a spirit like me doesn’t need it.” Yeong Won reads her mind and reasons out making her chuckle.

Her gaze caught the clock. It’s now morning…..It’s the last day of her borrowed time which is also her death day. Yeong Won follows her gaze and their happy atmosphere turns into a serious one.

            “I slept quite long then…..I see…”

            “Your body needed rest after that pain attacked.” Ne says.

Seo Hyun nods.

            “Indeed……It’s just I’m a bit regretful that some of my remaining hours are spent on sleeping.”

Yeong Won listens to her.

            “When I was young, I never pay attention to time. I always feel bored and mostly wished for it to just pass by. And now that I’m at this point…..it feels like every second is important and shouldn’t be missed.”

A short silence reigns between them.

            “How about my clock’s countdown?” Seo Hyun breaks that silence.

Yeong Won glances at the numbers on top of her head that only nem can see.

            “There aren’t much numbers left.” Ne answers.

            “When the last number disappears…..will Death come to get me?”

            “Yes…..” that spirit has never been late before. Next to Yeong Won, Death is the second most accurate when it comes to schedule.

            “Will it be painful?”

            “Are you afraid?” ne returns the question to her.

            “No….The truth is, I no longer fear death.In order for a new life to begin, another life must end….because that’s the circle of life.” She turns to nem. “In the span of three weeks, the time you lent to me….I was enlightened and now I finally understand it.”

            “With the chance you gave me, I gained things beyond what I could ask for….I get to experience life once more…do things I never did before….discover secrets I could have never known…but most of all, I learned more about myself.” Seo Hyun breathes in “I spent years asking the heaven why my life has turned like that….putting the blame to others for feeling miserable inside. Being suffocated and helpless….I learned that the problem was me. I don’t have to blame others because I did that to myself. I let myself be eaten by fear and that fear served as the bars of the cage I made for myself. I believed that I cannot do anything that’s why I never had the courage to push that door and step out to the world. Now, looking back….I can say that I’ve been a huge fool….but it’s too late now to be sad about it.”

            “Humans are imperfect….that’s why they are called humans. But, having the will, heart, and mind to draw their own paths in life…..That makes them an exceptional being.” Yeong Won comments.

            “Thank you.” Seo Hyun stares nem in the eyes. “Thank you for your gift….” Her heart is filled with gratitude.

Yeong Won smiles a bit.

            “It won’t hurt.” Ne says after that short silence.

            “Hm?”

            “It will be quick and easy as sleeping.” Ne tells her pertaining to her question earlier if her death will be painful.

Seo Hyun nods with a slight smile.

            “It seems like a good way to go..” she utters.