Long ago there was once an angel of death.  He was favored by the fates for his fair judgment of those whose souls he transitioned into the afterlife. He did his work without complaint, silently taking it one person at a time.

He was sent to a far off town to collect an old man's soul, but on his way there he came across a boy who had it hit his head and fallen into a stream.  He asked the fates what it was that he should do.  They offered him a choice: let the boy die now or he could live but at a price.  As far as the angel could see, the boy had done nothing wrong.  He pulled the boy out of the water, saving his life.  However, the boy had been struck blind.

And so, the angel was on his way once more, continuing to collect the souls of those lost to the world.  

After several years, the angel was sent back to the town.  He came across the boy he saved who had grown into a handsome man.  For the first time in his existence, the angel of death wanted to be with someone.  He was too quick to fall in love with boy.  However, it felt as though the fates were on his side, when the boy declared that he too loved the angel.

The angel stopped his work, allowing for those who were supposed to be gone to freely roam the earth.  The fates were very displeased, so they told the angel that it was time for him to take the soul of the blind man.  The angel quietly accepted the order as his nonexistent heart began to crumble. When the time came for him to bring the blind man across, the angel found that he was unable to do it.

The fates told him that unless he was the one to end his life, he would know the pain of a thousand lives of the man being unable to recognize him.

Hakyeon gripped the curved, plastic handle of the umbrella.  The handle was ridged, but Hakyeon wasn't holding it in such way that the ridges marked the space between his fingers.  It could be considered uncomfortable if he cared enough.  It was a simple fix too, all that he had to do was readjust his hand. He held the umbrella so that it was just above his eye line.

He was one of the many funeral goers that held a black umbrella; a colorful umbrella would ruin the somber ambiance.  Of course, they were burying someone in the ground; it would be inconsiderate of them to be colorful.  The rain even felt symbolic.  The sky mourned, sporting gray colors while the people on the ground wore black. 

Hakyeon had been told that the man being buried was too young to be taken so soon.  A shining star with a bright future that had been extinguished by another person's poor judgment.  Hakyeon, however, believed that loss was part of being human.  There was always something to be taken away from premature death; at least, that's what made it more bearable.  It's probably what kept him from collapsing from grief.

His knuckles were turning white from gripping the umbrella too tightly.  He chose to focus, not on the priest who was giving a touching speech about the happiness that the man had brought to their lives, but he watched as rain drop after rain drop rolled off of the edge the umbrella.  They managed to cling for a moment before gravity forced them to fall to the ground.

It was much like life, in Hakyeon's mind, there was always something pulling a person down into the underworld.  It was an inescapable fact, Hakyeon's only reason to live was to die.

As the dead man's best friend traded places with the priest.  Hakyeon's black turtleneck sweater seemed to tighten around his throat.  The pain and sadness in the air was palpable; the rain amplified that pain instead of muting it.

Before Hakyeon knew it, they were lowering the casket into the ground.  All of the mourners took turns throwing with roses onto the coffin below.  Hakyeon was the last to step up, gently tossing in his flower along with the rest of them.  He offered a simple condolence to the grieving family as he walked away from the cemetery.

He waited until dusk to return.  The ground with still soaked with rain water, plump droplets hanging on thousands of blades.  It made the tops of his shoes wet as the ground squished beneath his feet.  He used his umbrella as a cane as he made his way to the freshly packed soil covering the coffin.

He stopped at the foot of the grave, holding the umbrella's handle in one hand as he pulled out his pocket watch.  He pressed down on the pin, opening the lid to reveal the time.  The soul would be released momentarily.  He snapped the watch shut, putting it back into his pocket.  He placed his hand on top of the other, patiently waiting for the soul to arrive.

The soul appeared in front of his headstone at expected time.  He seemed disorientated, looking around until his gaze finally settled on Hakyeon.

"Am I dead?" He asked, voice shaking with fear and worry.

"Quite." Hakyeon's answer was clipped.  He didn't much like talking to ghosts, since no one else could see to whom he was speaking.

"Are you the grim reaper?" The dead man looked Hakyeon over once.  He still wore his black turtle neck and pants.

"No."  He replied.  He'd been asked that quesiton many times.  "I'm well and alive."

"How can you see me?" This ghost was far from original with his content.

Hakyeon refrained from a long sigh.  "Come along." Hakyeon ordered, walking away from the man's grave.  He made it a few steps before turning around, beckoning the ghost with his hand.  The ghost followed, albeit begrudgingly.

"How can you see me?" The ghost repeated his question.

Hakyeon ignored his question and continued to do so until they arrived at the small pond towards the edge of the cemetery.  Hakyeon never understood why they built a small pond, surely when people visited the cemetery they didn't want to revel in the beauty left in the world.  The pond was half enclosed by a thicket of trees.

"I'm being punished." Hakyeon whispered, staring at the pond's surface.  Small waves, if they could be called that, lapped the edges of the pond.

"What?" The ghost was ripped away from admiring the small little corner of beauty.

Hakyeon continued staring at his reflection, "Over the years, I've come to the conclusion that I can see the souls of the dead because I'm being punished.  You're going to go somewhere; don't ask because I don't know where."  Hakyeon turned to face the soul.  "I don't know what it will be like, but I'm told that it's nice.  Someday your loved ones will come to meet you."

The ghost took a shaky breath, but not really, he just went through the motions of it.  "Did- did you go to my funeral?"

"Yes."

"Was Mark there?" The ghost looked Hakyeon in the eye, emotion pooling in his eyes.

Hakyeon frowned, "I don't know who Mark is."

The ghost frowned at the grass, kicking it gently with the tip of his shoe.  "How do you know you're being punished?"

Hakyeon wetted his lips with a quick swipe of his tongue, "I just want to die.  All the time, I'm tired." Hakyeon could feel emotions compounding into tears that were threatening to slip down his cheeks, "It feels like my soul has had hundreds of lives with no reprieve.  I did something wrong in a past life, and they won't let me die.  They just keep having me live over and over again."  Angry tears brimmed over, falling down his face.

Hakyeon quickly swiped the salty tears off of his cheeks, "I think there's someone I'm supposed to meet, but I'm never going to meet them.  I'm just going to spend the rest of eternity seeing what no one else can without meeting the person that I'm supposed to."

The ghost walked up to Hakyeon, placing a hand on his shoulder.  Hakyeon felt his skin tingle the way that it did when souls tried to touch him.  "You'll meet your person."

Hakyeon offered a bitter smile, pulling his hand off of his shoulder.  He gestured towards the pond where man in white appeared, standing knee deep in the water.  "Follow him."

The ghost walked towards the man in white.  The man in white had always reminded Hakyeon of a cat, intelligent eyes embedded on an icy face.  He'd never asked for a name; it was unlikely that he would answer.  Sometimes, when Hakyeon was leaving the pond, he'd think that he caught a glimpse of sorrow.  It was always so brief that Hakyeon believed it was a figment of his imagination.

Hakyeon offered a polite bow, turning to walk away.  He'd be back tomorrow anyhow to shepherd a new soul towards something that he feared he would never experience.  How content would his life be if he just didn't see them?  However, if he didn't bring them to the man in white, who would tell them that their world had ended?

Hakyeon never liked leaving the pond.  Maybe because it was something he'd never see.  Something compelled him to stay at the pond for longer than he was welcome.

Hakyeon knocked back another shot glass of soju.  He wiped away the remaining alcohol that lingered on his lips.  His throat rebelled against the prospect of another glass.  His head pounded, an angry hangover would greet him in the morning.

His hand shook as he poured another glass of the clear liquid.  He rose his arm up, clinking his glass with the air.  A shot to remember the soul that moved on that day.  His words of comfort held weight for Hakyeon, though there was no guarantee that it would come to pass.

He brought the glass to his lips once more, pouring the alcohol down his throat.  Hakyeon slumped in his seat, neck hanging at an awkward angle as his hair infringed on his frame of vision.  Someone wrapped an arm around his waist, pulling Hakyeon's arm over their wide shoulder.  Hakyeon's head lolled, landing on the person's chest.

The stranger helped Hakyeon out of his plastic stool.  Hakyeon stumbled along as the stranger steadied his movements.  Deep under the haze of the alcohol, Hakyeon wondered where he was being led.  Hakyeon tried to see their face, but the soju seemed to be blurring their face.

Hakyeon didn't remember the majority of their walk, but he remembered being vaguely surprised when the stranger presented him with the front door of his apartment. Hakyeon patted himself down, finding his keys.  He pulled him out of his jacket pocket, dropping them onto his doormat.  The stranger picked them up, inserting the key into the lock.

The door was pushed open as the stranger encouraged Hakyeon to move forward.  Hakyeon stumbled, ignoring safety concerns, he made his way to the bedroom with minimal bumps and bruises.  He fell onto his bed, completely dressed.

The stranger followed him to the bedroom.  First, they took off his shoes, untying the laces and working them off as gently as possible.  The stranger then moved towards Hakyeon, pulling him up and pressing him close to their chest.  They slowly worked his jacket off one sleeve at a time.

Hakyeon sat there, letting the stranger take his jacket off.  The stranger smelled nice, familiar and comfortable.  It was the smell he'd spent his entire life searching for.  The stranger finally managed to peel off Hakyeon's jacket, gently returning his torso to the bed.

Hakyeon caught a glimpse of the strangers face.  He giggled at how his intoxicated mind decided to give him a face.  The man in white was placing his jacket on his nightstand.  Hakyeon showed a childish smile, "Don't I know you?"  A hiccup punctuated the end of quesiton.

The man in white sat next to Hakyeon, placing a hand on his cheek.  He caressed Hakyeon face with his thumb, "It'll be okay."  His voice was gentle, like the whispers of the wind.

"This is the one thousand and first."  The man in white whispered before pressing a soft kiss onto Hakyeon's forehead.  He got up, pulling down the cover beneath Hakyeon only to pull them over his body.

Hakyeon's eyes fluttered shut, a combination of alcohol, exhaustion, and a soothing voice lulling him into a deep sleep.

a/n:

um... yeah.  it got kind of sweet.

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