[the prompt]: 

Mins_grass

Chapter 5: Ooh author-nim, I loved your story so much ! ;-;
I keep reading and re-reading it :')

This world needs more Jundong, and if you dont mind, I'd like to submit a kinda sad plot.
Junhoe and Donghyuk used to be a couple, really fond of each others. One day, Junhoe is supposed to pick up Dongie to celebrate something, but he never came. Donghyuk tried to reach for him but no answers were given. Only months or year later, Junhoe comes back, as a ghost. He got involved in an accident on that day, never able to meet with Dongie. They've got 24h to say their last goodbye before Junhoe definitively quits this world.

Well, you can change the plot and make something happy out of this, it's up to you author-nim ! I'm not expecting you to force yourselft on this story line if you don't want to. Please, write it only if you have the inspiration :D
Thank you !
Please take care before the festivities and rest well, enjoy your time !

Eurydice was the wife of Orpheus; one day, she stepped on a viper, was bitten, and died. Distraught, Orpheus sang so mournfully that he travelled to the Underworld to retrieve her. Touched by his devotion, Hades and Persephone allowed Eurydice to return to the land of the living under the condition that Orpheus walk ahead of her and not look back until both of them had crossed the threshold. As he began walking back up to the world, he started to doubt Hades’ promise; only a few steps from the portal, he turned around and gazed upon Eurydice’s face. As she had not yet re-entered the living world, she vanished back to the Underworld.

    The rain poured heavily over Seoul, leaving the city in a dark gray gloom as night fell. Donghyuk stared down at his wet shoes, grimacing at the feeling of soaked socks and cold wind whipping against him. He shuffled under the bus shelter for some sort of protection against the heavy torrent of rain, huddling close for warmth as cars drove down the Seoul streets in a hurry.

    “I’ll pick you up.”

    “It’s raining. I’ll just take the bus.”

    “You’ll catch a cold in this weather. Just wait right there and I’ll be there in like fifteen minutes.”

    He shook the thoughts away, teeth chattering loudly as he saw his bus round the corner, slowly making its way through traffic.

    “Fine. Just drive safe.”

    “I’ll be there soon, okay?”

    “Yeah, yeah.”

---

    He gave the door a harsh shove and a quick tug on the handle to finally get it to budge.

    “We need to move. The door keeps getting jammed.”

    “I’ll fix it.”

    “You say that every time, Jun-”

    “I’ll fix it I said.”

    “Did you just kiss me?”

    “Got you to stop talking about the stupid door, didn’t it?”

    He tossed his keys on the kitchen counter, dumping his wet clothes in the hamper in the corner of the bathroom as he hopped into the shower, relishing in the hot water.

    Wrapping a towel around his waist, he ruffled his hair dry as he strolled into the living room; he grabbed the remote control and the TV, half-heartedly listening before grabbing a beer from the fridge.

    “--one of the heaviest downpours Seoul has seen in a year. The rain is expected to continue throughout the night but don’t worry too much, we can expect to see sunny days for the rest of the week.”

    Donghyuk slipped into an old pair of sweatpants, reaching blindly for a familiar T-shirt before flopping down on the couch. He watched with a bored expression as the standardly attractive weather woman discussed the country’s expected forecast for the next ten days. Yawning quietly, he flipped through the channels, cutting her off before she could announce the highs and lows for the next three days.

    “--Running Man!”

    “--the wild salmon swim upstream--”

    “--Orpheus’s devotion to his wife was legendary. His song was said to have made Hades, himself, weep. The story goes that Hades and his wife, Persephone, were so moved by the devotion Orpheus showed for his wife that they allowed Orpheus to take his wife back to the living world under one condition.”

    The history channel’s narrator’s voice was smooth, lulling Donghyuk into a deep slumber.

---

    “One day. One whole day.”

    “I understand.”

    “And then after that--”

    “I understand.”

    “I know this sounds like a good idea, kid, but it only makes it harder for you to move on.”

    “One day, Hanbin hyung, you promised. One day and then I will do whatever you want. I’ll be a death eater or whatever.”

    “We’re grim reapers. We ferry souls to the after life. We’re not followers of Voldermort.”

    “You guys read Harry Potter?”

    “We’re dead, not dumb.”

    “Could’ve fooled me.”

    “Why you little--”

    “Hanbin.”

    “Oh, Jinhwan hyung!”

    “Hey hyung.”

    “Do you remember all your conditions?”

    “Yes.”

    “Okay then, off you go.”

---

    He woke up to early morning rays stretching across his face; he groaned, muffling his voice in the pillow as he kept his eyes shut. Stretching his limbs out, awaiting the uncomfortable soreness of falling asleep on the couch, he reeled back when he felt another mass beside him. Donghyuk shot up when he realized he wasn’t on the couch but in bed, surrounded by his worn sheets and fluffy pillows before looking down to see a familiar face sleeping peacefully.

    Shock overcame his body, freezing the space around him before he reached out slowly and carefully, afraid that if he touched the other figure, he would disappear under his fingertips. When he felt solid being under his touch, he launched his entire body on him, hips straddling the other’s waist as he brought his face close, observing and studying each detail down to the individual eyelash.

    “Wha--” There was a disoriented voice but Donghyuk didn’t care, mapping out each flaw and imperfection in his mind, too scared he’d lose them again. “Donghyuk!”

    “You’re here. You’re really here. I’m half-afraid I’ve gone completely insane but you’re here. And that’s all that really matters right now.”

    There was a soft smile; rare like all his other smiles before he pulls him in close, running a hand up and down his spine in a reassuring manner. “I’m sorry. I’m sorry I left you.”

    “It’s okay. You’re here now and that’s all that matters.” Donghyuk could feel the tears running down his cheeks but he didn’t care. “Junhwe, you’re really here, right? This is real, right?”

    His eyes were warm but glassy before nodding. “Yes I’m here.”

    “I love you. I didn’t say it enough. I love you. I love you. I love you.” He peppered each word with a kiss, bringing their faces close as he whispered the phrase like it was a sacred secret between them.

    “I love you too.” He moved a strand of hair back. “You dyed your hair black again.”

    He nodded, memorizing every detail in the way Junhwe moved, in the way he talked. “You liked it when it was black.”

    “I did.”

    There was a lull in conversation; both of them just studying each other, appreciating each other for a long moment.

    “Aren’t you going to ask me how I came back?”

    Donghyuk paused, mulling over the question before shaking his head. “No. As long as you’re back, I don’t care.”

    Junhwe grinned, rolling them over with a bark of a laugh, hovering over Donghyuk. “I love you, you know.”

    “I love you too.”

-----

    They spent the entire day recreating each memory that they had missed; beginning in the park for a lovely stroll before moving to a favorite cafe for brunch. They headed to the art museum afterwards because Donghyuk liked to admire the paintings and Junhwe liked to admire Donghyuk (his words); they took a road trip just an hour outside of the bustling metropolis of Seoul where they found a tiny restaurant tucked between a kitschy gift shop and antique book shop. They sat in the car when the sun set, pulled over the side of the highway as the sky was painted in rich pinks and dark oranges.

-----

    Donghyuk refused to let go of his hand the whole day, locking their fingers together as they walked into the apartment.

    “You never fixed the door.”

    “I didn’t.” Junhwe agreed, watching the other man struggle to shut the front door before slamming it closed.

    “But you will, right?”

    His eyes faltered, swallowing the inevitable lump in his throat. “Let’s sit down.” Junhwe pulled Donghyuk into his lap, shifting to find a comfortable spot on the couch. The silence filled every corner of the room, suffocating them.

    “You have to go, don’t you?” Donghyuk’s voice was soft, barely above a whisper as he averted his gaze, instead focusing on the collar of his shirt.

    “Yes.” His voice cracked, gently touching the other’s face to look at him again. “I’m sorry I have to leave you again.”

    “I knew it was too good to be true.”

    “You didn’t ask how I came back.”

    Donghyuk had tears in his eyes, pooling in large drops. “H-how did you come back?” His voice was watery, cracked in a heart wrenching way.

    Junhwe moved to compare their hands, sizing them up with a small smile before lacing their fingers again. “Because I love you.”

    Donghyuk’s tears spill over, breaking the dam of emotion.

    “Because I couldn’t move on without telling you that one last time.” He lets the smaller male wrap himself around him, tightening his hold on his waist as he continues talking. “I needed to tell you that one last time before you forget.”

    “F-forget?” Donghyuk’s voice is cracked and muffled from where he hides his face, choking back sobs.

    “My conditions are simple. One, you will only have one whole day with him. Two, you will return and accept your duties as a grim reaper. And third, all of his memories of you will be erased. It will be like you never existed. Do you accept these terms?”

    “I do.”

    “I love you. And I’m so selfish that I hope you won’t forget that.”

-----

    “--it has been one of the worst storms in the history of Seoul. Although, many had originally predicted sunny, clear skies, Seoul has received over ten centimeters of rain in the last twenty-four hours and the streets have begun to flood.”

-----

    “Sir, if you don’t mind me asking, why did you let Junhwe return to the living world?”

    The other being hums. “Jinhwan, have you ever heard of the story of Eurydice and Orpheus?”

    “No, sir.”

    “Orpheus loved Eurydice so much he travelled to our underworld to retrieve her.”

    “Did he succeed?”

    “He sang so beautifully and so mournfully that I allowed him to take her back to the living world on the condition he never look back, trusting that she would be right behind him.”

    “And did he look back?” Jinhwan asked curiously.

    “They said the day he returned to the land of the living was one of the worst storms just like today.” The being sighed. “The angels wept so heavily at the loss of their love that the streets were flooded with rain.”

    “He looked back then.”

    “He did.”

    “But that still doesn’t answer my question, sir.”

    “They reminded me of Orpheus and Eurydice. Their devotion and love. It was so beautiful and so mournful, I was touched.”

    “And now Junhwe will be a grim reaper…”

    “He will be until the last soul he ferries is ready to cross to the underworld.”

    “His last soul, sir?”

-----

    “I love you.”

    “I know. I didn’t forget.”

[commentary]:

I hope you liked it! I was really inspired for this one; it was very interesting plot and I wasn't sure how to bring Junhwe back from the dead but I remembered all these Greek mythology that I felt it might be a good fit. 

Also I'm so happy that everyone seems to be enjoying these short fics! Thank you again for reading!