A doctor clad in white sighed tiredly. He had finished checking on his latest patient, a girl in her teens now in a coma. She had been found unconscious at the park. At first, the circumstances dictated that she had been robbed since there was no sign of her purse anywhere but the reason for her coma was still unknown. It puzzled the doctor. There was no indication of a heart failure, asphyxiation, poisoning, nothing. It was a bizarre accident as if she had her soul got taken out of her body or something.

While he was immersed deep in his thoughts, his shoulder accidently bumped into a passerby. Insitnctively he was about to apologise but the stranger beat him to it. A quick glance showed that the stranger was a young man dressed in black ebony suit with a streak of crimson red on his chest and collar. The youth shot him an amiable smile and politely apologised. The doctor nodded and they separated ways. He did not remembered what his latest thoughts but the stranger reminded him of his estranged son. The doctor gripped the phone in his pocket. Maybe this was time for forgiveness, he randomly thought as he dialled his son’s number. It was time for him to accept his son home.

Hyuk continued walking through the whitewashed corridor and entered the room where the doctor had previously exited. Lee Hara was in a coma but he knew better. Her soul was now in his possesion. He sighed and teleported himself to another room on a different floor but in the same hospital. He peeked inside the room and saw Kim Wonsik or Ravi laughing boisterously at a joke his sister had shared with him. The sight caused his lips to curve slightly upwards. At the very least, Ravi’s soul was still pure and Hyuk was actually glad that he would continue living to bring happiness to the people around him. He had a bright future unlike his sister.

Hyuk waited until Ravi began to show signs of sleepiness. He kissed his sister on the cheeks and waved her a goodbye. The said girl stepped out, beaming until she spotted Hyuk. She froze, realization dawned in her eyes. She slowly closed the door with a fearful gulp. Hyuk did not made any move, just kept staring at her with a contemplative look.

“Remember our deal?” he finally asked, after a long period of silence. She soundlessly nodded.

“Listen, knowledge is double-edged weapon and yours are dangerous. Will you give it up or not?”

Hyuk could clearly see her inner thoughts. A part of her did not care about the knowledge as long as she had her brother but another part of her, a tiny part that had manifested months ago whispered that it would be better if she kept it for future use. Thoughts were thoughts. Hyuk was waiting for her real answer.

“No, I will keep it. I sell my soul for this and I will not giving it up,” she defiantly raised her chin and Hyuk noticed a shadow of Hara on her.

“If you just give it up, I could have return your soul.”  

He sighed again, this time from frustration. Her answer sealed her fate and years later, he visioned a dead woman, dying in a pool of her own blood as a figure towered above her, a grim expression on his face. She utilised her knowledge to bring back her daughter back to life by murdering her own niece. Hyuk frowned, dislliking the darkness that hounded Ravi’s family. At the very least, Ravi was strong, he hoped. In conclusion, the woman crossed the line and a certain someone was sent to deal with her.

“Be careful and remember, I will have your soul sooner or later,” he warned. It was hard when he could not prevent any more tragedies but the choice was up to her and the humans who used his service.

 

Hyuk was in a bad mood as he stood by the street corner under the dim light of the light pole. The chilly winter only elevated his irritation.

“Hey, Hyukkie!!! What is with the long face?” Ken hollered as he casually circled his arms around his shoulder. Hongbin was behind him with a dimpled smile and fond eyes.

Hyuk grinned. “What long face? The gopchang you are bringing make me smile. Are you going to tell me your wish?”

Ken and Hongbin shared a look and shook their heads. “This gopchang is for you. We want nothing in return.” Hongbin calmly said.

Hyuk frowned. Ever since he appeared on this particular street corner, this two had always dropped by as if they were friends. That was impossible. He could not remember anything of his past or his relation with the duo.  He could not read them which was weird. He could read everyone who is human and both of them were really 100% human. They were times where they would gaze at him with sorrowful eyes when they thought he was not looking. He had no clue what it was about.

Besides that, Hyuk enjoyed their company. They were fun and he enjoyed listening about their rather ‘creative’ business.

Once they left after hours of funny conversation, Hyuk felt a weird pull in the air. He groaned as he turned around to meet his sort of supervisor.

The latter was shorter than him but among mortals, he was tall. He was wearing a white loose cloth with simple black pants underneath. The simple attire portrayed a harmless figure except Hyuk himself knew what he was capable of. In fact, he would murder one of his clients that had crossed the line, a woman in her own pool of blood.

“How is your business, Hyukkie?” his supervisor asked with a gentle smile on his face. Hyuk refused to let his guard down even when his given nickname by Ken and Hongbin slipped out of his supervisor’s mouth.

“It’s fine and I promise  I will return Lee Hara’s soul to the world at the right time.”

“Good. Anything else?”

Hyuk hesitated and that was his mistake. Hakyeon was a better reader than him.

“I know what you are thinking and I admit it is hard when you know something that could change the future for the better but you cannot reveal it. That must be balance in this world and this is why you and I and people like us exists.”

Hyuk just nodded but he could not stop himself from clenching his fists. Hakyeon saw it and he sighed.

“At least, you can escape from this duty eventually so just keep doing what you are doing until you are not needed to do it anymore.”

“When will that be? I pretty much sure that it will be a long time because you are here first and I cannot entertain the idea of being in peace as long as you are not finished with your own duties. Am I being punished? Is that it? I am sick and tired already with all this. I never ask to be like this.”

That was it. Hyuk had crossed a line. Something bad was going to  happen as Hakyeon set a stern gaze upon him.

“You do ask but the important part is your situation is not a punishment. It is mercy, a wish. One day, you would understand that.”

Suddenly, he laughed. “Also, I am sure you will be leaving earlier than me. I am stuck here because you know why? I am a greedy and cowardly person. I choose to stay. I am forced to stay until people like you stop appearing. Anyway, I have to leave now. See you later.”

On that word, Hakyeon faded under the shining moonlight.

 

Taekwoon was tempted to switch off the television. News these days, more like people these days. What kind of person would kill her own niece? It was also weird that she was murdered shortly afterwards. He had heard many things thoughout his service as a barista of the well known cafe from murderous prank calls to a boy died saving his two friends from an out- of- control car at a now infamous street corner.

The sound of the door opened alerted him of a new customer which was another weird thing because it was really late.

He was also befuddled to see a customer with a simple outfit consists of a white shirt and black pants ordering a frappucino. As he was waiting for his drink, Taekwoon observed the sad and brooding look on his customer’s face as he watched the news of the murder.

“I had a tough day at work. I have to do something I don’t like but it needed to be done. A friend of mine, more like my mentee has retired early. I hope Ken and Hongbin have enough time to accept his leave.”

The barista kept silent at the sudden attempt of conversation but the stranger just kept on talking.

“Thank you, Taekwoon. I hope you have a great life and I am sure your best friend wish happiness for you even after all he had done to you,” the tanned man muttered before leaving.

Taekwoon was weirded out by that statement but then he realised something important.

Sunggyu’s friends informed him that they would prank call Sunggyu for his birthday tomorrow. Taekwoon had to tell them that it was a really bad idea. He also had a sudden impulse to visit a long-avoided grave with a faded headstone on it. It held his forgotten best friend’s name. If he remembered correctly, it ended with a N.

“Nevermind. I will see him tomorrow. Maybe it is the time for forgiveness.”