Shin Hye brought Yong Hwa beside the Han River for some serious discussion. The two of them sat among the grasses and watched lovers talk. As Shin Hye began her discussion, Yong Hwa listened intently.

She told him about the existence of different grim reapers, as opposed to a single grim reaper that is painted in the Western world. She also told him what they do, and she also told him how some people persist that they are still alive when in reality, they are no longer of this world. She told him about the pre-Heaven judgment, that is, where people are judged before they are sent to Hell or Purgatory, or Heaven for the very saintly, innocent children, and mentally challenged people. Those who can go to heaven are also the spirit warriors who were given that mission from Heaven to take down phantoms or help people secretly. This will serve as atonement for their sins while on earth.

But Shin Hye intentionally omitted about the part regarding grim reapers falling in love with a spirit warrior.

"What about me?"

"You'll be a spirit warrior," she told him. "And help people in many ways that you can. But your primary mission is to fight off phantoms."

"F... Fight off phantoms?" Yong Hwa asked.

"Ne," she said. "And evil spirits of all sorts. Because this is Korea, you will encounter preternaturals that you think only exists in folklore, such as the gumiho."

Yong Hwa dropped a sweat. He was very scared of gumihos because his mother oftentimes threatened him with it when he misbehaved as a kid. To this day, it still scared him because of news that the gumihos lure men and eat their liver.

"Wh...what about my friends?" Yong Hwa asked. "How did my ex know I exist?"

Shin Hye was flustered. She knew Yong Hwa had an ex-girlfriend, but hearing him say that crushed her heart. She had been in love with him for decades that it still pained her when he looked at other girls. Yet, she had to tell him the truth. And she did. She also apologized for lying earlier about Dasom having vivid dreams. She told Yong Hwa that Junhwan-hyungnim forgot to erase Dasom's memory of Yong Hwa.

"Mworaguyo?" Yong Hwa spat out. "Their memories were wiped out? Waeyo?"

"It's Heaven's will," Shin Hye told him. "So that you can fight off preternaturals without worrying about others worrying about you."

"Did this thing happen all the time?" he asked.

"Anio... But the same thing happened to a Luxembourger a few decades ago," she told him. Sadly.

Yong Hwa was stunned. It was a relief, though, that it was not only him who experienced it.

"And... How can I battle phantoms and poltergeists?" he asked.

"I am sure you know how to light a match, geureohchyo?" she asked, and he nodded.

She instructed him to bring his left palm and right fist together, and rub the first, one-two-three, against the palm to produce his power. But when Yong Hwa tried it out, he was scared out of his wits when his right hand lit up into a fire.

"OMO!!!!!" he screamed. "My hand is burning!"

Shin Hye did not say anything, but Yong Hwa later realized that his hand was not painful, nor was he consumed by fire.

"Eh? What happened?" he asked her.

Shin Hye spelled Yong Hwa's name on air, spelling out "Jung Yong Hwa" in hanja.

"Ne. 'Yong' means dragon," Yong Hwa explained, and it hit him. "So... I am a dragon now?"

"Ne."

Yong Hwa continued practicing with his fire power. As he was about to shoot some fire power, Shin Hye forbade him not to.

"Waeyo?"

"You might set the whole place on fire, and the people might scamper out, thinking where such a fire came from," she warned him. "And the waters of Hangang (Han River) might evaporate."

Yong Hwa looked at the fire in his hand. "Is it that powerful?" To which he got a nod. "Ah... geuraeyo? And how can I extinguish this?"

"Just mind power," Shin Hye told him. "You can extinguish the fire by will."

Yong Hwa tried to concentrate. Indeed, the fire died on its own. He suddenly felt the rush of excitement to use his new power to defeat preternaturals.

"So, how do I call my power?" he asked. "Rei-gun? Anio, that's from 'Yuyu Hakusho.' I can't use 'Kamehameha' because that's from the Dragon Ball francise. So, how do I call my fire?"

"There's no name to it at all," she replied.

Yong Hwa was crestfallen. Just when he thought his power was so cool... That was no fun having no power name to shout it out to the bad guys before defeating them.

"Anyway, it can't be helped. If I've got no power name, then, so be it," he sighed. Then, turning his attention back to Shin Hye, he asked more about the dieties of Death.

"Are you always that pretty?" he asked.

Shin Hye blushed. She shook her head and twiddled with her index fingers. Was Yong Hwa implying that she's pretty?

"Anio, what I mean is that, are all grim reapers pretty girls?" he asked.

Shin Hye, this time, was crestfallen and relieved at the same time. Crestfallen because she had hoped he had taken notice of her, finally. But she's relieved, as she could not blurt out her feelings without the risk of staying young forever as a reaper. And she explained that grim reapers are both male and female from different age groups.

"We all look gracious and heavenly, but we bring souls to rest," she said. "A job that gives fear to people. That's why we are both the beauty and the beast."

And she shifted her gaze back to the waters of Hangang. But, Yong Hwa held her hand, she felt her whole body stiffen, and she felt her cheeks warming up. She gave him a look and removed her hand from his grip.

"W...waeyo?" she asked.

"Mianhande, I just want to feel if grim reapers are cold to touch or not," he told her. "I'm sorry for startling you."

Shin Hye's heart beat so fast that she felt it was going to break. Please no, no. She didn't want to tell him, she could not risk her secret.

"Yong Hwa-ssi is so rude!" she said spitefully at him. "I will throw you to the Hangang if you continue to hold me like that."

"Mianhaeyo..." Yong Hwa apologized again.

Shin Hye stood up and pressed her chima, which had been crumpled. Yong Hwa looked up to her and saw how angelic she looked. Her chima was blowing freely along with the wind, and so was her unbraided hair. He was glad she did not braid her hair like the girls from the days of old. But he shook his head. His was just admiration for her. He was still willing to give Dasom a chance despite their breakup.

"If you are so worried about your friends, we should get to Lee Jong Hyun's house first," Shin Hye suggested.

Yong Hwa stood up and patted his pants to get rid of grass. "How do we get there?"

"Fly," was Shin Hye's laconic answer.

"But I can't," Yong Hwa said.

Shin Hye grabbed his hand and lifted them up the air. Yong Hwa was frightened when he felt himself leaving the ground.

"Ya!" he shouted at her, but his voice was quivering, fright taking over him.

Shin Hye kept her heart in check, knowing she had finally held the hand of the person she had loved. She's not gonna make herself obvious, but she's gonna do her work right.

Right. She's working.

Yong Hwa looked down at the scenery below him while gripping Shin Hye's hand tight. Shin Hye, for her part, felt his grip getting stronger.

"No, no... Please be still, my heart..."

~~~~