“Within a few hours, you will be on your way to cross to the other side…..Maybe you still have things you want to do before that…” ne says but Seo Hyun only stares back at nem.

            “Nothing….There’s nothing left for me to do here….I’m ready to go.” she says after.

            “Are you certain about that?” ne asks her but she knows exactly why ne is asking her that. “Don’t you want to see him for one last time?” ne follows up.

She just shook her head a bit.

            “You’re doing it again.”

Seo Hyun looks at nem with questioning eyes.

            “You’re making another decision that will give you something to regret later.” Ne secretly sighs. Seo Hyun made a lot of decisions in the past that gave her regrets and she’s bound to do it again.

                “I’m a spirit and I would never be able to feel what you humans feel but I know this for sure. I walked the earth for a very long time and I’ve seen billions and billions of people and this is one of the things I learned from watching human’s lives. Once a person’s time is up…all he got in his hand is regret….different kinds of regret.” Yeong Won looks her in the eyes. “Not everyone has given the same chance as what you have now. Seo Hyun, save yourself from having even the smallest regret….”

Loneliness spreads her.

            “I wasn’t able to protect his heart….instead, I was the one who broke it.  That’s why, even if I’m dying to see his face at this very moment….even if my heart feels like it’s going to explode and the sadness is driving me crazy…..I won’t dare show my face to him again.  I’ll disappear quickly so he won’t be hurt anymore….” She says with pain in her voice.

Seo Hyun bites her lip because she’s feeling pain again in her stomach. Being aware of it, Yeong Won offers a hand.

            “Hold my hand.” Ne says. Seo Hyun does what ne says thinking that Yeong Won is offering her a support but suddenly the place surrounding them shifted. Seo Hyun looks around and realized that they’re now in Yonghwa’s house.

            “What did you do? Let’s go back! I told you, I can’t do this!” she grabs nir arm.

            “You want to see him before you leave but he can’t see you….this is it.” Yeong Won tries to distract her from pain.

            “W-what do you mean?”

            “Don’t worry….no mortal can see you at this very moment.” Ne answers.

Yeong Won focuses nir eyes to something and Seo Hyun follows it.

            “Yong…” she utters.

Yonghwa is lying on the couch while empty beer cans are scattered on the floor. It looks like he had drunk himself to sleep.  Seo Hyun slowly walks towards Yonghwa. She sits on her knees and look at him. He obviously had it rough recently because of her revelation. Seo Hyun could keep herself from his face with her hand. Her heart is aching seeing him like this. She spent some time staring quietly at him.

            “I know you think he’s not for me…so do I.” she utters afterwards to Yeong Won. “But even if we’re not meant to be….still, whenever I look in his eyes, I feel like…we are right for each other. Like he’s that thing I’ve been waiting for all along……..When I’m with him, being happy is as easy as breathing.” Tears roll down her pale face.

Yeong Won remains quiet. There are things that even spirits like him cannot control.

Not long after, Yonghwa opens his eyes. He stares straight to her eyes making Seo Hyun worried.

            “Don’t worry….he’s not seeing you.” Yeong Won says.

Seo Hyun sees torment in his eyes and it feels like something clutches her heart.

            “Once I leave….make sure to wipe out everything from his thoughts….please…” she pleads Yeong Won. The only console she has is the fact that Yonghwa will forget everything after this.

Yeong Won nods and puts his hand on her shoulder. In a blink of an eye, they returned to her house.

Yonghwa’s eyes clouds with tears.

Why didn’t you come today Hyunie?

                                Are you sick?

Hyunie Please reply.

Ji Ah and Yumi sent her text messages wondering about her absence. Seo Hyun catches her breath. Her breathing became difficult since two hours ago.

Seo Hyun looks at the photos in her phone. The one she took with Yumi and Ji Ah yesterday, photos from school festival, funny snapshots of their teachers, and lastly, Yonghwa. Her pale lips curve into a smile. She can clearly remember the happy memories she had from each photos.

She presses the delete button and erases them one by one. The last photo makes her tears fall…..Yonghwa is playing the guitar while she’s singing. They’re staring at each other….she’s feeling awkwardly nervous about singing while Yonghwa is smiling at her, giving her encouragement.

She swallows hard and erases it too.

It’s over….she has reached the farthest she can go. Separation with Yonghwa still stings her hearts but she already accepted her fate. She’s thankful of the chance given to her and she will leave with a smile in her face.

Seo Hyun put the phone inside an envelope and seals it. She writes his name on it although she’s not sure if this will be returned to Yonghwa. After placing it inside her drawer, Seo Hyun glances at her reflection in the mirror. Her face and lips are so pale. A lump of strands from the front side of hair turned white too. Her body feels weak and she knows it….Any moment now, the spirit of death will appear to get her. She closes her eyes and pray to God. She thank Him for the life He had given her and ask for forgiveness for the sins she had done.

Once she opens her eyes, she coughs hard. Then she sees the blood in her palm. She stands up and tries to walk but her knees fail her and she falls to the floor. The next thing she know is that two strong arms are supporting her upper body and when she looks up her eyes widen…..it’s Yonghwa.

Their stares lock and Seo Hyun sees affection in his eyes. She then realizes her appearance. With her weak voice she speaks.

            “You shouldn’t be here…..I don’t want you to see me like this..”

She knows that seeing her in this condition will be another dagger that she’d stake in his heart. Seo Hyun tries to push him but her hands lack energy.

            “No…I don’t want to.” He replies in a persistent tone. “I won’t forgive myself if you leave without hearing what I have to say.”

Yonghwa breathe in first before continuing.

            “My mind can’t still comprehend with the possibility and reality of what you told me. It’s frustrating and I feel like I’m going to go crazy………but I don’t want to think any longer.I just don’t care about logic anymore.” His eyes hint tears that he’s holding back. “Your identity is no longer important because this…” he places her hand on top of his chest. “knows you completely.”

Seo Hyun’s eyes become teary.

            “No matter what happen, you’d always be the same person to me. The same Seo Hyun who smiles brightly at me…The same Seo Hyun I shared those memories with….The same Seo Hyun in my heart.”

She feels a big lump in . She swallows hard because of the overwhelming emotion she’s feeling.

Yonghwa scoops her and bring her to the bed. He carefully puts her down then he sits in the bed with her. Yonghwa places his left arm around her while his right hand wipes away the blood stain on the side of her lips with his sleeve.

            “Happy birthday….” He says.

            “Thanks….It’s actually my sixty eighth birthday today.”

            “So I’m really dating an older woman after all…..” he comments with a teasing tone.

Seo Hyun smiles and so as he. Yonghwa holds her tighter.

            “Are you cold?” he asks her after.

Seo Hyun shook her head a bit.

            “No….because my heart is feeling warm now.” She answers with a mild smile. She rests her head on his shoulder and Yonghwa holds her hand. They smiling look at their entwined fingers.

            “This is like the perfect dream.” She says.

            “No, Seo Hyun…It’s not a dream but a perfect reality.” He says.

Seo Hyun looks up to him.

            “Even if we’re both from different times still, we met. It’s the most absolute reality. The times we shared together and our feelings for each other are the confirmation of that reality.” He cups her face. “Your face…your voice…your laugh….your scent…even your mannerism….I won’t forget all of them. When tomorrow comes and my brain can’t recall, my heart will remember all of them for me. My head might be wiped out but not my heart because I already engraved you in it.”

Her tears fall. Yonghwa said that he won’t forget her.

Yonghwa crosses the small distance between their faces while Seo Hyun closes her eyes. Their lips touch. His kiss tells her that his feelings for her is greater than the awful truth about her.

            “I love you, Seo Joohyun.” He whispers within his breath.

Seo Hyun feels like she’s already in heaven with what he said.

            “I love you too Yonghwa.” She replies.

They both smile. Yonghwa wraps his arms around her.

Suddenly, a tall man in black clothes appears behind Yonghwa. Ne got long black hair tied in a half up half down ponytail and a white translucent skin. No word needed for her to realize who this spirit is.Next to Death, Yeong Won appears. Seo Hyun and Yeong Won’s eyes meet. Ne nods at her. Her time is up. She smiles at nem and mouthed ‘thank you’.

Seo Hyun gives all her remaining strength to embrace Yonghwa back.

            “Yong, I’m going to sleep now.” She whispers to him.

Yonghwa instantly realize what those words mean.

            “Really? Alright….sleep well.” His voice cracks.

            “Don’t cry….” She tells him in a faint voice.

Yonghwa looks at her face and does his best to hold back his emotion. He wants to send her off with a smile on his face so that she won’t be worried.

            “Hm.” He says while smiling a bit.

Seo Hyun sees Death raising nir head. Nir handsome face is expressionless. Ne stares at her with those black and cold-looking eyes. That’s it….ne’s going to take her.

Yonghwa cups both of her cheeks and gives her a kiss on her forehead.

Farewell, my beloved—her mind says.

Seo Hyun’s arms holding on to his arms loosen their grips before finally falling to the sides. Yonghwa’s tears roll down his face as he remains in that position for a moment. He swallows hard. Seo Hyun is gone.

He then embraces her. Yonghwa cries hard while holding Seo Hyun’s lifeless body tightly. Her appearance slowly returns to its original self.

            “Seo Hyun!!!!!” he cries.

_____________________________________________________________________________________________

[Author's Note]:

It is one of those scenes that I imagined in my head even before I started writing it....After I read it myself....believe me, I'm sad too....but I do feel that this is how it should be. Comments please....