Chapter Thirty-One
Angel Vessel
"I-I can't do this Sunggyu." I finally found my voice. Sunggyu sighed. "Yes you can" He grabbed my face to make me meet his eyes. "No, you are not Eunji. But you are a strong woman, a smart detective and more than capable of making it through this ordeal."
"What....am I doing to do without him?" I asked in a daze. "Forget about him." A voice interrupted. I turned to see Myungsoo standing. His face was pale but he was okay. I ran and hugged him. "Thank you." I said burying my face in his shoulder. Part of me was relieved that he didn't push me away like Woohyun did. I would be truly alone at that point. "Shouldn't...I be saying that to you?" He asked softly. "Thank you for being alive. Thank you for being alive." I repeated to him.
He held me tight. "Do you think its possible to get an explanation?" He asked softly. I nodded.
"Minji." Sunggyu called my name. "Don't forget what I said. I'll come by later." And he disappeared as well.
Myungsoo handled everything else after that. I sat on the ground hugging my knees as the force came and wrapped up the scene. Now that they had his face, we would be able to dig up footage of him meeting with the victims. Myungsoo gave the recorded confession to Sungyeol.
"I want a report on my desk by Monday." Sungyeol said as he left along with the coroners and other officers. Myungsoo helped me up and we went back to my apartment.
He wet a towel and crouched down in front of me and started wiping my face and hands. He got me a change of clothes and talked me through getting changed. I couldn't seem to focus or think, my body just moved because it needed to.
Myungsoo made tea and set down two piping hot cups on the coffee table.
He slumped down on the couch and leaned back with a sigh, exhausted.
I had just watched him as he went about trying to make me comfortable, while nagging guilt pulled at my heart. I didn't deserve him. I didn't deserve anything close to him. I was a monster. All I felt was relief for the Reaper's death. I did think that I could solve everything. But in the end, with the power of angels behind me, other people had fought my battles.
I took a sip of hot tea and scalded my tongue. In a way I welcomed the numbing pain. I looked at Myungsoo. His eyes were still closed but his breathing was even. "I'll start from the beginning..." I started and his eyes opened slowly. He gave me a gentle smile. "I'd like that."
I spent the next three hours telling him about my first meeting with Woohyun until the ordeal at warehouse.
"I can't believe I let him control me like that. I'm sorry Minji." Myungsoo said and I grabbed his face so he could look at me. "Don't you dare apologize. Anything that happened to you was my fault, Myungsoo. You got controlled like a zombie because of me, you got shot because of me. All your pain is my fault."
Myungsoo shook his head and I let go of his face, but he grabbed my hands. "You missed some details, I'm a good detective too. You love him too. You love me, but you love him too." He said and my eyes widened.
"I would show you how much you mean to me." He said. "But I think that he might get a slight right of precedence to working out problems with you."
"Its...not like that Myungsoo. He doesn't want anything to do with me anymore. He's probably long gone by now." I said softly. "I'm no good for anyone."
"Isn't that really up for me to decide?" He asked. "I suppose." I shrugged, not really understanding how I should feel anymore. He sighed. "I'm going to stop by my apartment and get changed and come back. Half an hour tops. Don't go anywhere." And Myungsoo kissed the top of my head before leaving.
It was then I finally let my tears fall. I hugged my knees to my chest and sobbed. I cried for the abuse I endured from the Reaper. I cried because Woohyun hated me. I cried for my own selfishness. I didn't know how long I cried for but my phone rang. I didn't want to speak to anyone, but it was Sunggyu. So I answered.
"Hello?" My voice cracked. But Sunggyu wasn't on the other line. After a few seconds I heard the scraping of chairs and clinking of glasses followed by arguing.
"You really had to say those things to her?" Sunggyu asked.
"What would you have me do?" Woohyun's voice came over the line.
My heart clenched like someone was squeezing it in their fist.
"The deed is done. I've protected her. I will always need to protect her." Woohyun said agitated.
"You asked me to keep her down so she wouldn't see you take his immortality away. So she wouldn't see you do something forbidden. I did that for you." Sunggyu said. "And I'm grateful for that, but you have no right to lecture me. You went rogue. You killed innocent people Sunggyu. You killed your charge. But I guess that more forgivable than what I did." Woohyun scoffed and I heard the scrape of glass.
"Stop drinking, you idiot." Sunggyu said, annoyed. "You promised her you would be her guardian angel forever, just like you promised Eunji, you would protect her."
"Low blow." Woohyun said sounding angry. "Look, moping around at Inspirit and getting drunk until the time comes isn't what you really want to do. You want to spend it with her. I saw it. I saw how important she is."
"Why are you acting like a saint now?" Woohyun grilled. I held the phone close and grabbed my car keys and ran out of my apartment. I needed to see him. "Wait, Minji where are you going?" Myungsoo yelled when I ran past him in the lobby. "I'll explain later!" I yelled back and floored it after getting to my car.
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