Running. That's all Sooyoung can do. What she always does. 

Is this how she’s going to go? She doesn’t want to think about it. Not now. She covers with her hand, desperate to not let any sound escape. Tears stream down her cheeks. Damn. She promised she wasn’t going to cry. She had hardened her resolve and now what? Empty promises, an overflowing mind. An influx of feelings. 

Joohyun. Glassy eyes, smiling like she had it all in the world, without a hint of anger or grief. Aware of Sooyoung’s sin, aware of the blade in her body, yet Joohyun smiled and welcomed her farewell with dignity. She shouldn’t have done it. 

But it should be nothing to her. It’s just a lump of flesh, just like any other kill. Just like every night. Wasn’t it? 

Emotions are cruel, feelings are worthless. When she had received the order, she should’ve known better than to play with her food. Instead, she had opted for a grand reveal, to unmask her target while plunging in her dagger. It made sense at the time; her target was the most elusive, the hardest to catch. A whole month had gone by, marked with failed attempts. Games of constant pursuits, near captures, and repeated escapes. 

Sooyoung wonders now, wonders whether Joohyun always knew. That one night, everything would fall into the cracks, swallowing them whole. The girl willingly lived on borrowed time, approaching her assassin. Conscious of the danger.   

The thought of Joohyun knowing. That’s what sickens her the most. 

Joy should take Irene’s human memories immediately, but she wants to hear about the girl’s life above. To hear more than just short pleasantries and curt deflections. 

There they are, sitting on the floor, side by side. She understands Irene is waiting for her to do something. Irene has closed her eyes, breathing in an even rhythm. Joy wants to wait a little longer. 

“Tell me more about yourself,” says Joy. Irene stirs, opening her eyes. Joy finally shuffles away from the girl, setting space in between them. Irene softly groans at the loss of contact. 

“I was a doctor. Same old story I’ve told you before.” 

“Tell me about where you lived.” A pause. A moment to collect her thoughts. 

“I grew up in a city of vice. Crime was everywhere, you couldn’t escape, no matter how hard you tried. Everything was corrupted. Tainted,” says Irene. Those last words spark memories, human memories. They’re not simply relatable, Joy thinks they could be used to describe her own human life. 

Irene looks at her, eyes piercing into her own pair. Examining, scanning for judgement. Joy tries to appear sympathetic. As much as she can be. 

“I wanted to leave the city so I became a doctor. To earn enough money. Just enough to get away, but let’s say… my unsavoury business practices were catching up to me. Pushing me further, molding me to be just like them,” adds Irene. 

“Just like who?” 

“In the end, I was no different from the criminal scum of the city. I became one of them.” Irene stands, reaching for the bottles on the shelf. Joy doesn’t move. She lets her grab one, allows her to uncork it. Watches her drink. 

“How did you die?” Joy asks. Irene laughs, putting down the bottle. Wholeheartedly chuckling at her question. 

“I made enough enemies so a rat was sent to kill me. He did it while I was asleep,” replies Irene. 

“An assasination.”

“Yes. An assasination.” Irene finishes the rest of the bottle and throws it into the sink. The shattering of glass. Joy’s curiosity dies with the broken bottle. She’s a bit irritated, irked. Those bottles are expensive. She sees Irene reaching for another unopened bottle. 

“Stop.” Irene freezes in place, then the balls of her feet lower back to the ground.

“Once I take away your human memories, you will never be reincarnated. Are you willing to accept that?” mutters Joy. She feels Irene beside her again. No space separates them. 

“Yes.” Her voice doesn’t waver. 

“You will spend an eternity here with me, greeting the dead before they go to Hell,” says Joy. 

“I’m fine with that,” comes the quick reply. Joy pulls the girl down, forcing her to lie on her lap. Bearing her weight. She gently presses her thumbs to Irene’s forehead.  

“Close your eyes, it will be painless.”

“Sooyoung! Look at that, it’s an eclipse!” 

“Mm, yes. A solar eclipse. Very impressive.” 

“Could you not fake your enthusiasm for once?” Sooyoung exaggerates her frown, looking quite comical. Eyebrows knit for further effect. Only to stop when she is pushed to the ground, face first lying in the dirt. She turns around, sitting up. 

“Hey!” Irene hums in response. Hums the same old melody. Rising and falling in tones. Lulling Sooyoung, hushing her. Sooyoung doesn’t retaliate, she only listens. 

When Joohyun finishes, Sooyoung senses the girl has something to say. Something serious because Joohyun is tugging at the grass, looking away from her. Eyes staring at the glowing ridges surrounding the moon. 

“What do you think happens when we die?” asks Joohyun. 

“Heaven. A life of eternity. Haven’t you been listening to the priest?” 

“And what if I haven’t?” 

“You’ll go to hell while I’ll go to heaven,” says Sooyoung.

“Please.” Joohyun’s gaze is directed at her. Eyes pleading. Sooyoung recognizes it’s time to stop, but she can’t resist a final remark.  

“I will see you before you go to hell. I promise.”

AN: Happy holidays everyone, this continuation of the Joyrene oneshot is my gift to you. 

There we have it, I actually finished this and it’s the true end to what was supposed to be a oneshot. Ough. This one kind of wrote itself, flowing, and I didn’t have to think much about it. It just seemed fitting to end it like this. 

I originally didn’t believe I would be able to flesh out the story even more, but here we are. Some things to the story are still left unexplained and I think it’s better that way. Joy will never know for sure whether Irene is Joohyun’s reincarnation. Their full backstory will never be explored.

As for the ending, after Irene’s human memories are gone, I’d like to imagine Joy and Irene are just sipping drinks and bartending in a Death Parade kind of bar. Living their best lives. 

Thank you for reading, it has been a pleasure to write for you all this year.