Chapter 3

“Oh my, Mi, you’ve been bringing this guy to work for almost a week now. Is he your boyfriend?” the ahjumma standing beside me making a customer’s drink asked as she watched BaekHyun helping out with wiping down the tables.

“He’s not my boyfriend. I consider myself as his babysitter,” I replied while the ahjumma made a weird face, I ignored it and made my way over to BaekHyun. Taking the cloth from him he looked at me confused, I know he needed to keep a good eye on my death levels but this is completely out of hand.

“I can do this. You don’t have to come every day and help out,” I said pretty bluntly, honestly it makes me feel guilty letting him help although he’s not getting paid for anything.

“I already explained to you a lot of times already,” BaekHyun rolled his eyes grabbing the cleaning cloth from my hands, “This is for the best of us. Although you haven’t decided whether you’ll become an immortal, I still want to keep an eye on you.”

Man, this demon is sure stubborn. He must really want to live that badly, giving up I went out the back to carry in the newly arrived stock and stack them in the storeroom. I can’t help but wonder why those times I’ve attempted suicide it never works. I’ve pierced a knife through my flesh plenty of times but I still managed to live, even without going hospital. Drowning, gas leaks, overdose, poison… the list never seems to never end, but it goes to show that I’m cursed. 

“Do the right thing. It’s best if you die.”

How am I supposed to do that? It’s absurd how I keep dreaming of that voice every night. The deep and warm tone seems as though it had been engraved it into my mind.

“Do you need help?” the deep angelic voice from my dream seems to be getting me on the crazy side, turning around to see who that voice belong to, it was a tall and handsome guy.  He wore a waiter’s uniform with a different logo on his shirt. He’s probably a worker from the newest café that had opened last week right beside this old dump. My boss hasn’t been pleased with the news, he has been coming up with ideas to try and steal their customers.

I pretended not to hear his offer, it was best if I didn’t interact with the café’s competitor, I was on a strike for staying home that long. If Mr. Lee found out he wouldn’t be pleased.

Trying to carry the large box of coffee beans, I found myself struggling to make it to the door, unexpectedly the same guy rushed over and helped me with the large box. “A girl shouldn’t be carrying something so heavy by herself,” he said as he helped me carry it all the way into the storeroom. It has always been my job to carry these things to the storeroom, though I ask help from the delivery guys. I couldn’t ask the others to help me, this café is mostly filled with ahjummas and a few high school girls.

“Err… Thanks for your help,” I smiled at him, he practically carried everything into the storeroom for me, “Sorry if I kept you from your own work.”

“Nah, its fine, don’t worry. If you ever need help again, don’t be afraid to ask any of the guys in the café,” he chuckled modestly gently patting me on the shoulder, “Well I better get back to work.”

I watched as he turned around and headed back to the café, he’s a really generous guy, too bad I’ll probably won’t be going over there and asking for anything. Well I hope, I don’t. Heading back to my duties, I was suddenly stopped in my tracks by a flabbergasted gasp.

“Oh! I almost forgot,” the surprised tone in his voice made me curiously turn around, “I’m Kim JongIn, you can call me Kai.” He winked and continued making his way, I didn’t know what else to say, watching his back slowly distances from my view.

Getting back on task, I decided to do wash the dishes. There wasn’t much because right from the start of work there weren’t many customers. Only those frequent guests who dropped by for their regular cup of coffee. All the girls used this free time to chat with BaekHyun, complimenting his cute face and charming personality, whereas the ahjumma used this time to go shopping for their family dinners. Being the manager of this place is tiring, at this rate I might as well go look for another job.

Sitting at the counter boringly watching BaekHyun enjoying himself, I couldn’t help wonder why he has to go through all of this trouble just to convince me to stay alive. I know our lives are combined together and the Red Thread will never break. Was it decided by fate that I have to meet him? Geez, I’m always questioning the same question when I’ve already have the answers for. There’s just a small confusion I can’t seem to find.

“Well, what is this little depressed girl thinking about? Do you need this oppa to cure you?” he was pulling that flirting act again, my gloom expression has now turned darker, “Okay, I’m sorry. Just tell me what’s on your mind? Although I’ve made sure to explain everything already.”

“No, I’m fine,”

“You know yourself that’s not true, don’t even bother using that excuse on me,”

“Then why do you bother asking?”

“I still care, you know,”

I didn’t say anything else, remaining silent BaekHyun seems to be really bugged by my regular silence. He didn’t head back to the girls, instead he stood in the same spot and examined my expression. “Hey, I know it has been hard on you, deciding about life or death. So why not make it easier for everyone. You asked for more time, so…” he smiled as I looked over at him surprised, I wonder what he had in mind. Although I’ve been struggling to give him the answer, that wasn’t the most important thing in my mind, he must be anxious.

“Why don’t you try living as an immortal for just 3 months?”

“3 months?!”

“That’s nothing! Look at me, I’m 1026. Did you know in the Heaven and Hell Realms, 1 day is 1000 years in the Human Realm? So just think of it as being immortal less than 3 second,”

“Wow, so when is your birthday?”

“Hard to keep count since I’m always wondering around, I tend to estimate. Math isn’t really my thing. So what do you say? 3 months?”

“Do I have a choice?”

“No, not really,”

Again, I chose not to say anything. 3 months being an immortal? How can I be one if I only think about dying? What is this demon planning to do? Why…

“Why don’t you live for me?”   

Urgh! He keeps screwing with my mind! Why is it that he always has this affect on me? His stupid lust powers!

***

It was midnight already, BaekHyun still haven’t come back yet, I wonder what he has been doing. He said he was hungry and went to get something to eat. Now that I think about it, BaekHyun doesn’t really eat much, maybe because I at cooking and he’s just a picky eater. Though I wonder what demons really eat.

Deciding not to wait for him I headed home myself, “At a time like this, a girl shouldn’t be walking alone,” a deep male voice whispered behind my ear, I felt a hand resting on my shoulder. In shock I turned around to realise that it was…

“Kai?!”

“Sorry, I didn’t mean to scare you. I just thought it’ll be best if I offered to walk you home,”

“Thanks for offering, but I’ll be okay,” he is very generous, although I thought it was some creepy man, hopefully he didn’t end up thinking that. But maybe he did since I yelled so loud.

“Are you sure?”

“Yeah, thanks,” I started heading down the road but the angelic voice from my dreams was heard.

“You’re making a mistake. There’s no use extending time. It’ll be over soon. Get it over and done with,”

Turning around in shock, I didn’t see anyone. Not even Kai. Was that a ghost, angel or devil? Slightly freaked from the situation, I didn’t bother walking home, instead I dashed my way through the neighborhood like an idiot. Arriving home, I immediately brushed my teeth and went straight to bed. I guess that if it was a supernatural medium talking to me, then getting my answers through the dream would be the most correct thing to do.

But tossing and turning around the bed, I couldn’t make myself to fall asleep.

“If you want answers, why not ask me directly?”

My chest was aching feeling complete freaked as I slowly sat up and pulled the comforter from my eyes.

“… you-”