Goblin: The Lonely and the Great God - Chapter 3

The Meaning of Buckwheat Flowers

She ate lunch by herself again. 19 was an age where eating alone was the most difficult thing in the world, but Eun Tak was used to it. The Final Exams were coming up soon anyway; she didn't have time to play around with friends. Eun Tak wore earphones and had her hood over her head. It helped her ignore the students that talked behind her back. They always talked about the same things. That she was crazy; that she could see ghosts. Eun Tak wanted to keep the promise she had made with her mum, but the ghosts kept harassing her. To other people, it just looked like she was talking to thin air. That was how the madwoman rumour came about. Things lead to another and Eun Tak became a loner. Through the earphones, a radio was playing. Eun Tak loved listening to the gentle voice of the DJ. 

"Hey!"

An ear-splitting screech drowned out the DJ’s voice. A woman’s voice had called out to Eun Tak. Pretending she hadn’t flinched, Eun Tak kept walking. She distracted herself as she fixed her scarf and put her phone volume on the highest. The song was playing so loudly that people passing by could hear it too. 

“Hey! You’re the Goblin’s Bride, aren’t you?”

Goblin’s Bride.

The ghosts often called Eun Tak that way. The ghosts all called her the Goblin’s Bride. Why they did, she did not know. Maybe it was because she could see ghosts. If she was the ‘Goblin’s Bride,’ it meant that she had a husband. But the thought of marrying a random stranger made Eun Tak feel uneasy; she was only 19. But sometimes she couldn’t help but wait for that random stranger. A husband meant having a family, and she wanted a family… No. That was wrong. Marrying a strange goblin just because it meant that she would have a family was wrong. 

Eun Tak sang along to the radio. Anyone would have thought that Eun Tak was crazy by the way she was acting right now. Walking in the rain without an umbrella and singing loudly in the streets. Even she thought she was a bit crazy. 

“Hey! I know you can see me.”

The Virgin Ghost was really stubborn. Eun Tak changed directions to avoid the ghost.

“Why do you keep pretending you can’t see me?”

She was really, really stubborn. 

“You rotten girl!”

Eun Tak tried to change directions again but flinched back in surprise. The ghost had stuck their face in front of her eyes. 

“Oh, my eyes!”

Eun Tak shut her eyes tightly at the horrifying scene. Eventually, Eun Tak gave up and motioned for the ghost to go away. 

“I knew you could see me.”

What sad life story was this ghost going to tell her now? The only way to stop the ghost from returning was by listening to its story. Eun Tak turned to look at the ghost, but now the ghost looked like she had seen something she shouldn’t have. 

“You… You actually are… I’m sorry. I am terribly sorry.”

The ghost stuttered, and like the shocking appearance, the ghost disappeared into black smoke. Eun Tak felt more uneasy than before. Someone who scared away a ghost. They couldn’t be pleasant. 

While placing the earphone back in her ear, she caught the eye of a passer by. The man under the umbrella was so tall, it was hard not to stare. Students walked past. Strangers walked past. For a moment, it seemed like time was ticking slowly.

His face was familiar, but Eun Tak could not recall any memory of meeting him before. It was just the emotions she remembered. Eun Tak looked away. She needed to get home quickly. 

As soon as Eun Tak came home, she rinsed and cooked the rice. By the time she had finished the laundry, beads of sweat had formed on her forehead. Her aunt and her cousins were watching television on the lounge sofa. They treated Eun Tak like a housemaid. Technically, Eun Tak had grown up by herself, but her aunt was still her lawful guardian. That was the only reason Eun Tak was doing all the housework. 

After cooking the soup, she set up the table. She placed the utensils on the table and then called her aunt and two cousins. Every other day, she imagined what life would have been like if she had grown up by herself. Better than this, she thought. 

“Come up and eat, one man and two women.”

Eun Tak had to shout a bit more before they turned the television off and sat down at the table. 

“Shut the hell up! My head is ringing. Stop making such a fuss over a stupid meal.”

Eun Tak was in charge of being bullied, as well as the housework. When she was younger, she had suspicions about whether her mum and aunt were actual sisters, but by 18, she had no choice but to accept it. Sorrowful tears had dried up by 12. Eun Tak just wanted everything to be over.

“Why the seaweed soup? Is it someone’s birthday today?”

“Oh my gosh! I think she made this for herself!”

Eun Tak’s cousins, Kyung Sik and Kyung Mi laughed at the sad scene. Eun Tak ignored them and hurriedly ate the soup she had cooked for herself. The heat of the soup warmed Eun Tak. 

“Are you celebrating the day you killed your mother? What have you learnt all these years at school? When will you learn to be ashamed of yourself?”

Eun Tak’s aunt truly did not know what to be ashamed of. 

“Thanks for wishing me a happy birthday, auntie.”

“That’s why you should never collect and raise black-haired creatures. Consideration is an illness too. I was too considerate back then. Only the dead girl is pitiful. Do you know how hard it was for her to raise you alone?”

“That’s a bit too much, auntie.”

“What do you mean, too much? She might only be your mother, but to me, she was a sister.”

“Exactly. I was closer to her, by heart and blood.”

Eun Tak stood up after clearing her bowl. She had tried to stay calm, but today it was hard. But it was okay to be sorrowful today. Today was a special day. After putting the bowl in the sink, Eun Tak headed towards the front door. She opened the shabby old steel door and looked outside. It was still raining, but there were always only two umbrellas in the stand. Eun Tak could hear Kyung Sik and Kyung Mi threatening to kill her if she took either. 

“Leave the bank book behind if you’re running away.”

“How many times do I have to tell you? I don’t have the bank book…”

Eun Tak screamed. The bowl of rice made a thud as it rolled over on the floor. Rice stuck messily onto the ground, as well as on Eun Tak’s hair. She could feel the tears forming in her eyes, but she couldn’t cry today. Eun Tak turned around to look at her aunt. 

“Then where is that bank book? Where is your mother’s insurance money?”

“How would I know?! You took everything from us!”

She stopped the tears flowing down with difficulty and ran out of the house. It was raining harder than before. Eun Tak thought that maybe the skies were crying for her. But that couldn’t be true. The heavens did not know how she felt. Eun Tak felt the raindrops fall harder than before. 

With all the money she had in her pocket, Eun Tak bought a cake and went to the beach she had always gone to with her mother. She sat down and took the cake out of its box. It was the first time she had lit up a cake after her 9th birthday. She had decided to never do such things again, but today, just for one day, she wanted to wish herself a happy birthday. It was her birthday. If she didn’t congratulate herself, who would? She knew that there weren’t any gods, so she had never made a wish before. But now, she didn’t care about anything. She was just so desperate. 

The pouring rain had stopped for a moment. If it was a good thing, it was, but the cloudy and unpredictable skies reminded Eun Tak of her life. Sorrow filled her again. The wind blew so much, the candles wouldn’t light up. She blocked the wind with her hand and transferred the small flames to each other with difficulty. 

“Please get me a part-time job. Please do something with my aunt’s family. And please get me a boyfriend.”

Please. It was a quick but earnest request. Eun Tak closed her eyes and kept on wishing. She was praying for a less sorrowful life, but the more she requested, the more sorrowful she got. A tear dropped down her cheek. 

"... What am I doing? Who am I saying this to? There's no god."    

The sky was darkening. It looked like it was going to rain again. The waves crashed harder onto the rocks. Today was a very tiring day. Life was a very tiring thing. 

Eun Tak quickly blew the candles out and shouted to the skies where no god existed. 

"It wouldn't start raining here, would it? Will this rain pass by quickly or will it come and go repeatedly? Will this rain ever end?" 

A strong wind blew, tangling Eun Tak's hair. The whole day was a mess, like her hair. 

"There are only two umbrellas! But why do you keep making it rain?!"

The wind was blowing so hard it was hard to keep her eyes open. Eun Tak opened her mouth again to shout more, but the wind suddenly calmed down. Her whole surroundings calmed down. It was quiet. 

Eun Tak lifted her head at the sudden change. A tall man was standing behind her. She had seen him somewhere before. He was so tall, she had to bend her neck back to see his face. A handful of white flowers were in the man's hand.

*

They had walked past each other in front of the school gates. They had walked past each other on the streets. They had walked past each other in front of a café. If they had just walked past each other, there would have been no problem; he would have thought it was all a coincidence. However, the short-haired girl in the school uniform looked him straight in the eye. It was strange. On the third coincidence, he tried to follow the girl, but the girl had noticed someone behind her and had turned around. She had noticed him. That was more strange. Fortunately, he had hidden before she noticed him.

A light drew the Goblin out of his deep thought. His servant, Chairman Yoo, had put the lights on. The chairman had grown older than the time he had introduced Duk Hwa to the Goblin for the first time. His life was nearly ending. 

“You didn’t even put the lights on.”

“I was deep in thought.”

Time has passed again, the Goblin thought. The people who had always been by his side were leaving him again, but the Goblin lived on without even getting a single wrinkle on his face. He had stayed in South Korea for too long; it was time for him to leave as well. It wouldn't be long before someone noticed the person who never aged. This time, he had decided to go to France, Nice. 

Chairman Yoo put the files he had gotten ready on the table. 

“I told them to get the other things ready. You should be able to leave at the end of this month.”

“Okay.”

“When you leave this time, I won’t live to meet you again, will I?”

Chairman Yoo’s eyes filled with tears. The Goblin had sent away so many, but his heart still hurt every time. 

“Thank you for everything.”

From the time Chairman Yoo’s ancestors came to see his corpse and all the descendants that had served him. He was truly grateful to every one of them.

“But sir, are you leaving alone again?”

"It happened that way. I have not yet met a woman who could see the sword."

The Goblin’s face became sad. He had failed to find his bride again. The life that had been given to him as a reward and a punishment. He wanted to find his bride and end his life once and for all. He could not forget a single death, yet he was still alive. Having lived for such a long period, he came to realise that this life was closer to a punishment than a reward. 

“Truthfully, sir, I am quite relieved. My wish for you, whenever you are tortured by your sword, is that your bride will arrive soon. But whenever I meet you like this, I wish no one would see it. It is just a human’s greed.”

“... I am relieved too.”

The Chairman was not expecting such an answer from the Goblin, who had always been ready to end his life. 

“You are with me, and we have enough alcohol to last the night. Tonight, I think I want to live.”

The Chairman felt relieved as he saw the smile on the Goblin’s face. 

“When you come back, Duk Hwa will serve you.”

The Chairman’s job was going to be handed over to Duk Hwa now. The kid that had worn a cute name tag on his kindergarten uniform had now turned 25. He was still as arrogant as ever but now he was even immature. He was a rich boy who was busy swiping his credit card. Several days ago, the Chairman had taken Duk Hwa's card and he was now asking for it back. The noisy beeps of Duk Hwa pressing the house password could be heard and so the Goblin opened the door to his room. 

The door led to a wide-open buckwheat field. The mansion had disappeared and in its place stood an old cottage. The tall, blue sky and the never-ending horizon was the Goblin’s special place. A voice sounded as he walked across the field holding a handful of buckwheat flowers. The girl’s voice was filled with anger. Her tears suggested that she was very upset. The Goblin stopped walking. The girl’s sadness had moved to the Goblin, and now he was sadder than before. His body was becoming transparent. He was going somewhere. 

The field full of buckwheat flowers turned into an ocean. The Goblin stared at the girl in front of him.

“Is it you?”

“... Me? What about me?”

Eun Tak asked, surprised. The Goblin stared at her coldly. The sound of her wishes had obviously reached him. That was possible. But why? Why was he here? The girl looked like she knew. This girl was the girl that had made him deep in thought. The girl that had made eye contact with him. The girl that had noticed him. 

“Is it you who called me?”

“Me? I didn’t call you.”

After appearing out of nowhere, he was accusing her of calling him. Was he a con artist? Was being tricked by this man her next downfall? But he looked too normal to be a con artist. No, he was too handsome to be one.

“You called me. I’m sure you did. How did you do it? Think carefully? How did you make me come here?”

“... Desperately?”

Eun Tak had called the gods desperately. But why had this man come instead? 

The Goblin raised an eyebrow at Eun Tak’s answer. After thinking for some time, Eun Tak answered. 

“It wasn’t me who called you. You are just visible to my eyes. I think I accidentally caught your eye on the streets before. You're that man, aren't you?”

    She had concluded that this man was not a person, but a ghost.

"What do you mean, you can see me?"

"You're a ghost, and I can see ghosts."

The Goblin just stared astounded at the girl who had called him a ghost. He wasn't useless like ghosts. He told the girl that he wasn't, but the girl had assured him that everyone thought like that at first. Eun Tak stared at the man. She had never seen such a handsome ghost before. But still, a ghost was a ghost. 

Eun Tak decided to ignore the ghost and started to pack the cake back into its box. The gods had no intention of listening to her wishes anyway. She didn't know if gods existed, but there probably wasn't. It was better to think that there was no god, rather than think that there was a god who had left her in such a difficult state. If 10 years later she was still in the same situation, she was going to try and wish again. 

"What are you? Why can't I see what I'm supposed to see? I can't see anything."

The girl's eyes widened. 

She wanted to ignore the man, but he kept saying strange things. Things that were hard to ignore. The Goblin squinted his eyes. He had known it was weird ever since the girl had looked into his eyes, but the problem was that he couldn't see anything. This girl's future. He couldn't see a future.

"Your twenties; your thirties; your future."

"Maybe I don't have a future."    

Her future must have been so dark that even a ghost couldn't see it. Eun Tak was getting more tired every second. It was a very tiring day.

"Were you a shaman before you died? Or maybe a con artist? Future, my face."

"Con… What?"

First, she thought that he was a con artist, but she was half right. He was a ghost who used to be one. Well, that was her conclusion. 

"Go to a good place. It's not good to be hanging around for too long. Anyway, what's that flower?" 

"Buckwheat flower."

Eun Tak looked at the white flowers in the man's hands. Buckwheat flowers were really beautiful. Eun Tak looked at the Goblin with pleading eyes but the Goblin just stared at her. The flowers were really beautiful and ghosts didn't need flowers. She wanted to receive anything from anyone. It was her birthday. 

The Goblin looked at Eun Tak's shining eyes and saw the cake box in her hands. He gave up and handed the bouquet over to her. Eun Tak quickly took the flowers and smelled them.

"What do you think buckwheat flowers mean?"

"Lovers."

His low voice filled the skies. Lovers. It was a beautiful word. The white petals suited the word lovers. Eun Tak's surroundings shone brightly. When she looked around, the clouds had all cleared. The day was so beautiful, no one would have believed that it had been raining just a few minutes ago. The two looked at each other. 

"Why were you crying? Was it your part-time job, your aunt's family, or your boyfriend?"

Eun Tak was shocked again. How had he known? She was pretty sure she had wished quietly. There was no one there back then. Maybe it was because he was a ghost. 

The Goblin saw the confusement in Eun Tak's face and smiled.

"I sometimes make people's wishes come true."

"You make people's wishes come true? Like that guy, genie? Are you like a guardian spirit?"

Maybe he was a guardian spirit, not a ghost. Eun Tak's eyes sparkled brighter. Was there a god out there? In her life, there had only been stupid lifeless spirits bothering her. As if guardian spirits did not exist in her world. Was this man someone she could trust her wishes with? Did he appear because of my desperation? Eun Tak's heart beat faster in hope. If he wasn't a ghost or a con artist ghost, could he really be her guardian spirit?

"I never said I was your guardian spirit."

"When I was younger, my mum told me that everyone is born with their own dictionary. But when I searched through my dictionary, I couldn't find any words like happiness, luck, and things like that. D'you know what I'm saying?"

The girl was way too pressuring. A few moments ago, she had been crying with sorrow, and now she stared up at him with the most eager eyes. The Goblin regretted telling her about the whole wish thing. But there was nothing he could do. He had already told her. For today, he just needed to be a soft-hearted god. 

"Can't you give me about 5000 dollars…" 

"No. Say goodbye to your aunt's family, you won't be seeing them for a while. Work hard at the chicken shop. You're going to get in."

This was enough. The Goblin nodded his head, pleased with himself. He turned into blue flames and disappeared in a blink of an eye.

"What about my boyfriend?"

Eun Tak shouted too late. She was alone again on the beach. It was more lonely than before. She had been lonely for a very long time, but she had learnt today that she had a guardian spirit. The buckwheat flowers were still in her hand. Lovers… Eun Tak stood there for a long time. The calm sea splashed gently against the rocks.

    

*

Unlike the straight face, the Goblin wasn't in a bad mood. He was just a bit frustrated. Why had the skies cleared? The lively high-school student's wish would roughly come true. 

Still, in deep thought, the Goblin walked into his house and saw an uninvited guest. A man wearing all black was standing in his lounge. It was a familiar grim reaper. The grim reaper had noticed someone coming in and had turned around. The grim reaper hadn't expected a goblin either. He asked in surprise.

"Do you live here?"

The Goblin was looking at the grim reaper like he was the stupidest thing on earth. What in the world was a grim reaper doing at his house? Just in time, Duk Hwa walked into the lounge with a tray of coffee.

"Explain."

"U...Uncle! When'd you come home?"

The grim reaper looked at the Goblin and then Duk Hwa. Had his house owner just called a Goblin 'Uncle'? What was going on? 

"You... you see, uncle. It started off as a very innocent curiosity. When you leave, the house is going to be empty for about 20 years… And I was just curious how much rent I would get for 20 years…"

So, the arrogant fake nephew had put his house on rent. The Goblin's house. On rent. To a grim reaper. The Goblin laughed, more dumbfounded than ever. 

"D'you even know what that thing is? A contract with this thing will…!"

"Uncle! You can't call our new tenant a thing! He runs a tea shop. Sorry. Our uncle is a bit slow when it comes to social interaction."

A tea shop… The grim reapers tea shop was the place dead people went for the last time. Grim reapers gave tea to the people who lived a good life, so they could forget their past sorrows and live a better life next time. 

The Goblin's eyes looked murderous. Duk Hwa saw his uncle's face and flinched back, scared. There was nothing he could do. The contract had already been done. It was their fault for taking his credit card, anyway. The Goblin got more annoyed as Duk Hwa started to become more arrogant. 

The grim reaper was starting to say that this house was his. But no one could kick out the Goblin from its place. That was how mighty the Goblin was. However, the grim reaper had a contract. There were no winners or losers in this meaningless fight. The house was big and he was going to leave soon. The grim reaper could have one of those rooms. Like that, the housing problem was over. 

The Goblin went back into his room and Duk Hwa started sugaring up to the grim reaper. He didn't want to call the grim reaper 'Tenant,' because it was too cold. The grim reaper seemed close to his uncle, and he was going to move into the end room. Duk Hwa decided to call the new tenant 'End-Room Uncle.' The Goblin's nephew was unnecessarily kind to weird people. 

"I'll tell you straight-forwardly, End Room Uncle. Please save me once. If an old man comes into this house and asks who you are, can you tell him that you're just visiting? If that man knows that I rented the house out, I'm dead."

The grim reaper had paid for this house with the money he had saved for 300 years. Being a public official for the gods was hard, the money was very precious to him. But the house he had bought with the precious money, turned out to be the Goblin's house. The grim reaper had already signed the contract, and the house was too good to give up. He decided to do what Duk Hwa had asked him. 

"Who's that old man?" 

"My grandfather."

Was this contract really okay?

    

*

He had said that she was going to get a part-time job and that her aunt's family's problem was going to get solved. Eun Tak was now absolutely sure that he was not a guardian spirit but a fraud ghost. She had been stupid to think that someone like her could even have a guardian spirit. The tired footsteps of Eun Tak showed her disappointment. She had been to so many shops these past few days. Not one of them wanted her. 

A man walking in front of her threw a cigarette stub onto the sidewalk. The leftover heat burned a hole in a piece of paper and lit up in flames. Eun Tak saw the fire and ran over quickly. She stepped on the flames quickly and blew on it with her mouth. The flames went off. 

"It is you."

A man stood in front of her. Eun Tak was less surprised than last time. This man had a weird hobby of appearing at random times.

"Why do you keep following me!"

"I'm not following you. You keep calling me." 

Why would she call him? Anyway, she wanted to ask about the wishes that weren't coming true. She was going to get his phone number this time. 

"Why would I call you? Are you actually a guardian spirit? What type are you? Dispirit?!"

The Goblin was astounded that his body had suddenly come here again, and now this girl was asking him if he really was a guardian spirit. The girl must have been annoyed that her wishes weren't coming true already. But that wasn't the problem. How had this girl called her? Who was this girl? The Goblin needed to know.

"You made me hope that my wishes would come true!"

"Do you know what you've done to me…"

"I didn't call you."

"You did. I know you did. It is you! This has never happened before!" 

Eun Tak thought for a moment. Oh, maybe it was that. 

"Tell me everything you can see on me."

"You're wearing a uniform."

"And?"

"You've got short hair."

"Is that all? Can't you see any wings? I think I'm a fairy. Tinkerbell!"

The Goblin had been expecting something better. He looked at Eun Tak annoyed and vanished into blue flames. 

The flames vanished in front of Eun Tak's eyes. He appeared and left so quickly that she forgot to ask him for his phone number. The wishes that weren't coming true and the man that kept appearing in front of her. Everything confused Eun Tak. She headed to the church. She wanted to grab any god. 

During the mass, she thought about the similarities between the first and the second meeting. She realised how she had called him.

Everyone had left the hall and Eun Tak was sitting on the seats alone. She stood up and walked to the front of the stage. Candles were lit brightly in rows. She blew on them.

The sound of footsteps could be heard in the quiet church. Eun Tak looked around quickly and the Goblin was walking into the church. 

"I figured it out! I know how to call you now!"

It was already the third time. The Goblin took a deep breath. It was lucky he had changed quickly. If she had called him any earlier, he would have arrived in a humiliating state. The Goblin walked over to Eun Tak with large steps.

"Still, isn't it a bit wrong to call me here?"

"Why? Are you scared? They are really good."

"Stop pretending. You said there was no such thing as gods. Why'd you call me?"

"'Cause I felt like it."

Felt like it? The Goblin glared at Eun Tak and walked out the doors. It was a bit pressuring to vanish in front of the god’s eyes, so he went out through the door.

Eun Tak quickly walked with him just in case she missed him. She started to ask the man about her wishes. She was feeling good because she had learnt that someone would come if she called.

"They're going to come true soon. You're going to get your job soon."

"No, not those. My boyfriend."

"You should make an effort on that too!"

The Goblin shouted at her annoyed and then vanished. 

"Why does he keep leaving like that?"

But this time she wasn't worried. She knew how to call him.

School had ended and Eun Tak was studying at the library. She knew that he would come if she called but would this work? Eun Tak downloaded the candle app on her phone and blew the flame off. The moment the flame went off on her phone, a man appeared in front of her. The Goblin was wearing a black suit.

"Woah, it actually works." 

The Goblin stared angrily at Eun Tak. He knew he had been called for stupid useless things again. He turned around and tried to vanish into flames again but Eun Tak grabbed him.

"Did you just grab me?"

"Wait, a second!"

"Am I not allowed to go if you grab me? What are you, really?"

The blue flames around his body were burning her hand, so Eun Tak let go. The Goblin stared at her in astonishment that he forgot that he was trying to leave. 

"I don't care about the guardian angel thing anymore. Can you just give 5000 dollars and get it over with?" 

Even useless ghosts knew that this girl's story was sad. But that didn't mean he was going to listen to it. If she was just a bit more patient, her wishes would all come true. But she was impatient. How had she lived all these years this impatient? Why did she keep calling him? She had her reasons, the Goblin knew. But he had his reasons too. Today was a very important day. 

"I've got something going on today. Goodbye."

"Where are you going? Oh, your clothes are a bit formal."

"Tomorrow's a close friend's death day."

"But why are you going today? Is it in the country?" 

"In that place, today is tomorrow."

There was a door close by. If she grabbed him when he tried to disappear, he wouldn't be able to leave. He walked towards the door, but the girl kept following him. 

"I wanted to ask you something."

She was quite stubborn. The goblin gave up a little and turned around. 

"I know this might sound a little weird so don't misunderstand anything.

"What?"

"At first, I thought you were a grim reaper. But if you were, you would have taken me straight away. And then I thought you were a ghost. But you have a shadow."

The two looked at the ground. Two shadows were slightly covering each other. Eun Tak had been thinking a lot too. The Goblin wasn't the only one who had been wondering who the other person was. Someone who would come if she called. Someone who called himself a guardian spirit. 

"Are you the Goblin?"

Goblin. Did she just ask if he was a goblin? The girl could see ghosts and had a sad story, but to the Goblin, she was just an ordinary high-school student. This girl wearing a uniform and red scarf looked at him, called him, and grabbed him.

"What… are you?"

"I know it sounds a bit weird. But I'm… The Goblin's Bride."

"What?"

"You know I can see ghosts right? Well ever since I was born, I've had this thing on my neck. This is probably why the ghosts all called me that. The Goblin's Bride."

Eun Tak undid her scarf and showed the back of her neck to the Goblin. A blue mark. The Goblin's mark was branded on her neck. He remembered from long ago the mother he had saved. The woman had begged with everything she had, so he had saved her. But he still couldn't understand this girl. 

The Goblin's Bride. It was the person he had been waiting for the whole time. Because she was the only one who could pull out his sword. How he had wished his bride would appear. 

"Prove it."

"How? Do I fly? Or do I change into a broomstick?"

"Try."

"I'm serious, right now."

"Me too. Tell me everything you see on me." 

It seemed like a joke. Eun Tak had said the same things as a joke before. But the man's face was icy and cold. What was she supposed to see? Eun Tak looked at the man up and down.

"You seem tall."

"And?"

"Your clothes look expensive."

"And?"

"You look like you're in your mid-thirties. Is the answer you want something like, 'you look handsome'?"

The Goblin’s hardened face loosened a little.

"You should have had the answer I wanted. If that's all you see on me, you're not the Goblin's Bride."

Was she actually supposed to say everything she saw on him? Eun Tak blinked. The Goblin sighed. What was he expecting from this girl? He was getting a bit annoyed now.

"You've got no use for the Goblin. I know it's hard seeing ghosts and stuff, but live your bonus life gratefully. You're just a side-effect for being involved in the life and death of a human."

As soon as the Goblin figured out that she wasn't the Goblin's Bride, mean words started to come out. A bonus life? He was going too far. Even though her life was a mess, treating it like a mere side-effect was just plain rude. She never wanted to live like this. Eun Tak bit her lip.

"What if I don't want to be grateful?" 

"You can just die. That was how it was meant to be, anyway."

Tears filled Eun Tak's eyes. She was trying not to cry, but the man's face did not have a single trace of care in it. The first time she had seen him, he was just a handsome man. It was a strange feeling. His face was always like the cloudy skies. But whenever he laughed, the sun seemed to shine brightly on her. His smile made her warm inside. But today this man's face was cold as ice. 

"How could you say things like… Okay, I get it. I'll ask you again. Are you the goblin?"

"No."

"You're not? Then who are you? Who are you to decide whether I am useful or not?"

"I'm someone who cares about your mess of a life."

She had just lost the single ray of hope. She had wanted a family. Someone who would love her. Someone who would stay with her. But she wasn't the Goblin's Bride. She didn't have any use for the Goblin. Nothing made sense. Did he care for her? The only thing that was a relief was that the man wasn't the Goblin. If the real goblin appeared she would have to ask again. Whether she was the bride or not.

The Goblin looked at the tearful eyes of the girl and loosened his face. He shouldn't have been angry at the girl. It wasn't her fault she wasn't the bride.

 "Live in reality. Not the rumours. You're not the Goblin's Bride."

The Goblin turned around and grabbed the door handle. He opened the door and went out to another world. The Goblin's door always opened to where he wanted it to go.

"I haven't finished talking… yet."

Eun Tak followed the Goblin through the door. The place behind the door was weird. It was a place she had never seen before.

(This is a translated version of "Goblin: The Lonely and The Great God" written by Eun Sook Kim and Soo Yeon Kim)