‘How did I end up in this situation?’ Chaewon asked herself as she brisk walk to who knows where. She swiftly turned to an alley hoping to lose her but when she looked back, she was still being tailed.

“Excuse me, please stop running away. I just need your help.” She heard the spirit begs again.

‘No. Don’t mind her, just keep walking until she’s gone. Don’t lose focus Kim Chaewon!’ She slapped her cheeks with her own hands. ‘Remember what the CEO told you. Never entertain spirits unless they’re in the hotel.’

She was doing good avoiding the sobs and begs of the spirit when suddenly it cried out a familiar name.

“Please! I just need one favor! I don’t want to be married to whoever this Jo Yuri is!”

Chaewon stopped dead in her tracks so was the spirit. “What did you say?” She turned to face it with a stern look on her face.

“I am being forced into a Soul Wedding but I don’t want to be married to any stranger and what’s more she still got a long way ahead of her!”

“Who?” She asked again, doubting if she heard her friend’s name right.

“Jo Yuri! I don’t know who it is but I heard the priest saying she was the one who got my necklace and now we’re connected by this.” The spirit raised her hands and on her pinky finger, Chaewon saw a red string tied into it and was extending long enough that she cannot see what’s on the other end.

‘Is she telling the truth? If not, then how does she know Yuri? Aish, this is making me crazy.’ She pulled her hair out of frustration. She looked at the string and the spirit’s face back and forth, she inhaled deeply before saying, “How can I confirm that you’re saying the truth? Let me see whoever it is that you said you were marrying and I will help you.”

Chaewon saw the spirit crossed her arms and rolled her eyes, “I said I don’t know who that girl is and I’m not interested in knowing either.”

Chaewon’s mouth hangs agape, “You know for a spirit crying earlier asking for a favor, you’re unbelievably rude. You’re just like her, why am I always associated with people like you guys.” 

“Dunno what you’re talking about. Can we just get this over with?”

‘This one's testing my patience.’ Chaewon closed her eyes and took another deep breath. “Follow me.” She kept it short and started to head for her friend’s house.

‘Now I have to reason my way out with the CEO again, really Jo Yuri? Why do you have to pick up a necklace when you’re crazy rich!’ She looked behind and saw the spirit happily hopping while following her.

-----

Nearing Yuri’s house, Chaewon’s heart became more unsettled as she sees the red string extending towards it while the spirit behind her was still joyfully humming. She stopped in front of Yuri’s front door.

“Oh! Is this Yuri-ssi’s house? The string’s shorter now, let’s barge in!” Chaewon tried to block the spirit from getting in with her hands but failed.

“Oh wow, this is the first time I hated not being able to touch spirits outside the hotel.” She sprinted her way in to check her friend.

“JO YURI!” She shouted and heard footsteps near her location.

“What’s the shout for? You were just here 15 minutes ago, why are you back so fast? Forgot anything?” 

Her friend appeared, still in her running outfit holding a cup of tea on her left hand the remaining hope that she had all vanished. Her friend’s pinky finger had a red cord tied into it which extended to the spirit behind her whose face, for a moment, had a tint of hesitation.

“N-no, I w-was just wondering i-if you saw an n-necklace.” She stuttered, her gaze still fixed on the spirit who was now wearing a smile that she couldn’t comprehend.

“Oh right! I forgot to tell you, I picked this up when I was taking my morning jog. I was going to report it. Someone may have dropped it and this cost a lot.” Yuri raised a gold necklace with her other hand. “Do you perhaps know the owner? You should return it then.” She held her hand with the necklace for Chaewon to take.

With doubt, Chaewon slowly reached for it but stopped when she heard the spirit’s voice beside her, “As much as I would love your help, this isn’t the way so if I were you I wouldn’t take that.” She withdrew her hand upon hearing the warning.

“On the other hand, I think it’s best if you set that aside first. I’m going to head to work now. Don’t dare do anything with that necklace until I’m back okay?” Yuri nodded though confused, and Chaewon started to head to the hotel with the spirit.

“I heard your boss is picky with her customers but I’m sure she’ll be able to solve this right?”

“I hope, and thanks to you I’m gonna get an earful again. While we head there, tell me your story.”

-----

“Kim Chaewon hasn’t arrived yet?” asked a woman in a red dress patterned with black flowers and is becoming irritated.

“Yes, it seems like she took a detour before coming here. I saw her with-” The other woman immediately covered to prevent spilling more information to her boss.

“Saw her with what, Kang Hyewon?” the CEO slammed her wine glass onto the table while glaring at her. Two others entered the CEO’s room wearing the same uniform as Hyewon.

“Sajangnim, would you like to have another glass of champagne?” A woman with a bob hair asked politely with her head bowed down.

All three staff flinched when the CEO slammed her hands on the table instead. They all looked down, trying to avoid the glare of their pissed boss.

“You’re not going to answer me? Should I get the Grim Reaper and ask him to take you all to the afterlife now?” the CEO furiously remarked.

“That's unnecessary, Manager Kim informed me earlier that she will be bringing in a spirit that was pestering her on her way here.” Hyewon immediately spilled, afraid of being taken by the Reaper. The two other staff elbowed her, and now they’re in even bigger trouble.

‘Manager Kim, where the hell are you. I promise I’ll be good to you from now on, just please save us here.’ Hyewon silently prayed to herself while biting her lips.

As if her prayers have been heard, the door of the office bursts open. They directed their attention to it and saw Chaewon entered like it was no mistake to bring a spirit herself. The spirit was grinning widely behind her looking everywhere to observe the hotel’s surroundings.

The three looked the most relieved than ever as they glance back and forth to the CEO and Manager. “I thought I was going to die there,” Hyewon whispered to the other two. She got elbowed in return.

“Idiot, you’re already dead.”

“The three of you get out.” Knowing they were the ones the CEO was referring to. They all raced out the office like their lives depended on it, although, like previously mentioned, they’re already dead.

“Getting brave, aren’t we? Bringing in a spirit yourself and what’s more. Heading straight here with it. I’m amused with that confidence of yours.” The outraged CEO said as she eyed the spirit from head to toe. “Have you forgotten you aren’t allowed to bring spirits yourself?!” she yelled.

“Thank you for reminding me but I didn’t forget.” Chaewon bowed sarcastically before grabbing the spirit’s hand and pulling it to sit with her on the sofa in front of the CEO’s desk. “Now I can finally hold you back.”

“Yah! Kim Chaewon stop ignoring me!” she cried out. “Since you came here, all you gave me was headaches! You can’t even follow the rules properly!”

“Not that we can do anything about that now.” Chaewon shrugged.

“Ah really, I’m so annoyed I can hurry up and go to the afterlife this instance.”

“That’s not a good joke Sajangnim. You still have some business you have to attend to.” 

“How about you do that!”

“I’m still human, remember?”

The CEO went speechless, she just stared blankly at the Manager who was smiling like she did nothing wrong. She plopped down on her chair, grabbed her glass of wine and gulped down the remaining wine.

“Now that you have calmed down, I’ll explain.”

“That’s your definition of calm down?!”

“Shh, just let me talk okay,” Chaewon smirked when her boss rolled her eyes in annoyance. ‘Kim Chaewon escapes the nagging challenge: success’ She continued, “I have brought this spirit right here.” She signaled to her side but the spirit wasn’t there anymore.

“Make it short and go leash that idiot of a spirit. Who does she think she is.”

“Roger, so basically that spirit told me she was being forced into a Soul Wedding. Under normal circumstances, I wouldn’t care of course but the one who she will be marrying is my friend, Yuri and so I expect you to help me.”

“Oh, Yuri-ssi! Too bad but a Soul Wedding huh? Haven’t had one in centuries. The spirit’s watch and shoes are from an expensive brand.” A smile suddenly appeared on the CEO’s face. “We’re going to have some fun today!” She raised a brow at Chaewon and left the office.

“She’s after the money again.” She sighed and immediately followed, yelling “Kim Minjoo sajangnim!” but was ignored.

------

Kim Minjoo headed towards the wedding hall with a satisfied smile. “It’s been ages since we used this.” She opened the door and scanned the place. She faced two of her staff, “Sakura, prepare all the necessary stuff, we will be hosting a wedding and inform all the staff to not tell Kim Chaewon what a Soul Wedding is.” The staff nodded and left. “And you Kang Hyewon, I heard you can play the piano, go and practice.”

“CEO Kim, if you don’t mind. Can I ask who will be getting married and what exactly is a Soul Wedding?.” Hyewon excitedly asked.

“A Soul Wedding is intended for the soul of the human who has little time left. Once they kiss, there will be an exchange. The human will die and the soul that is nearing death will have the human's span of life. The greater the span of life the better. The spirit whom Chaewon brought here is one of those who cannot take the trial.” Minjoo said as she struts down the aisle heading towards the door leaving Hyewon confused.

“I couldn’t quite comprehend that.” she shrugs, “Either way, I bet there will be food from the living realm this time.”

 

-----

“Where did she go?” Chaewon complained, looking to her left and right for the spirit who suddenly disappeared. “I need to stop this wedding as soon as possible.” She entered the bar of the hotel and approached the bartender. 

“Eunbi sunbaenim, what’s a Soul Wedding?” she asked. “Please give me a drink you can recommend please.” Eunbi obeyed and started making a drink for the troubled Manager.

“It’s as simple as it says, a wedding for a soul.” 

“That’s it? No twists or whatever?” Eunbi shakes her head. “Oh okay, but can you help me otherwise? The one that spirit will be marrying is my friend Yuri and I don’t want her to be associated with my job or anything close to this, she’ll faint on the spot.”

Eunbi leaned in and lowered her voice, “I will help you but the CEO will not know any of this. The thing that constrained the living to the red string of the wedding. You should get that if you want to save your friend from all this.”

“But if I get it myself, then I’ll be the one getting the red cord tied to me instead.”

Eunbi zipped close, “This is where I stop, I can’t risk getting myself in an early flight to the afterlife you know.”

"How about severing the string?"

Eunbi shakes in objection, Chaewon sighed and thanked the bartender, she left the bar to search for the spirit. She started heading to where the spirit’s human body was, the hospital. She went straight to the room which the spirit told her about.  Before sliding the door open, she took a glance at the nameplate.

Room #35

Jang Wonyoung