VIII

“I have good news, and I have bad news, and I have normal news which will affect you in a way I don’t care. Pick!”

“Good news, please.”

“Very well then,” Doojoon said. “You are now an immortal. You’ll live for as long as I say so, and you’re in charge of love, which used to be my job.”

“Love?”

“Yeah. Have you ever heard of the red string of fate?”

“I think so,” Hana said slowly. “Doesn’t it connect soulmates, or something?”

“Exactly. You can see the string between soulmates, but no one else can. Only you.”

“Oh, that’s cool.”

“So your job, for the rest of whatever I feel like, is to bring those two people together. You can influence them mentally and emotionally, and if you want, you can assume a human form and actually physically bring them together.”

“I get to be human again?” Hana frowned.

“Only if you want.” He shrugged. “You can’t – as in, physically can’t – tell anyone about what you are or what you do.”

“Fair enough.”

“What do you want to hear next?”

“Normal news?”

“Ok then. You know the whole red-fate-string-equals-soulmates? You and Kikwang had it. Sure, it had a few knots and complications, but you had it. You had true love, right there in front of you, and you gave it up.” He gave her an icy, judgemental look.

Hana swallowed, tears rising in her eyes.

“And just to make you feel bad, you’ll never see Lee Kikwang again as long as you live. Exist. Whatever.”

“Wait. Never?” Hana blurted. “I can’t go visit his soul-spirit wherever he is? Where is he?”

“Don’t know, don’t care.” Doojoon shrugged again. “You can’t even apologise for what you did, or tell him that you love him one last time.” He glared maliciously. “So in a way, this is your punishment – you bring people together, you see how happy they are together and you will know that you will never experience that kind of happiness of love again.”

“And the bad news?”

“You know how you’re like the Angel of Love, or whatever? Well, you can’t fall in love yourself. You can be friends, you can like them, but you will never, ever have romantic feelings for anyone ever again. ual desires, have fun with them. No problem there. But no love.”

She gaped at him, lost for words. But then she found her voice. “Are you kidding me?  Who the hell are you, messing with me like this?” Hana screamed. “Why would you do this?”

Doojoon simply smiled, his eyes still retaining a cruelty that had been honed over many years, and a look she had a feeling she’d become familiar with.