Goblin: The Lonely and the Great God - Chapter 26

Reasons to Live

    The peaceful days were numbered. Eun Tak’s name was on the death list again. In 2 weeks, she would fall from a high place and die. This was already the girl’s second death card; before one of them gave up more and more death cards would arrive in the name of Eun Tak. But nothing had changed. More harsh deaths would head towards Eun Tak more frequently, but he was going to stop every one of them. 

    He was scared, of course. What if he couldn’t save Eun Tak? What if there came a time where he was too late? What if he lost the tool to end this immortal life? He would live in hell. 

Someone’s death would be someone’s life. But he didn’t want that to happen; it wasn’t going to happen.

The Goblin called Eun Tak into the dining room. It was late at night, and the Goblin looked very serious. A white card was on the dining table. Eun Tak asked what the card was, and the Goblin answered that it was a death card. Someone was going to die soon; Eun Tak glanced at the Goblin in worry. 

“Listen to me carefully. I know we promised to not have any more secrets, but I have another secret I didn’t tell you. I think it’s time I told you.”

Eun Tak looked at the Goblin with fearful eyes. 

“If you don’t pull out my sword, you’ll die. That’s your destiny. You were born as the Goblin’s bride, so you have to do what the role was supposed to do. If you don’t, death will keep finding you.”

“... Am I going to die? Is death going to keep finding me until I… die?”

The Goblin nodded slowly. He wanted her to live; she needed to know the truth. But as he told her the truth, the Goblin felt so sorry. Everything would be over if he just went back to nothing. This was all his greed, but he wanted the next hundred years so much.

“Then were all those accidents…”

“When you were kidnapped, when you fainted at the ski resort, the accident that was supposed to happen when you were going to your interview… and when I nearly killed you.”

The accidents played in her head again. It was hard not to cry; the Goblin was looking at her with the most pained eyes. 

“The gods are too harsh on you and me…”

Eun Tak seemed a bit crazy after hearing that she was destined to die soon. One day, she rushed into the Goblin’s room and said that she was just going to die. That it was better that day; she could just reincarnate and meet the Goblin again. Another day, she barged into the Goblin’s room and said that she would pull out his sword for him. He had lived a hard tiring life; if she died, no one would be there to end it anymore. 

The Goblin knew that Eun Tak was scared, and he felt more sorry because he knew that it was all because of him. He answered ‘should we?’ to all of Eun Tak’s ideas; he was going to follow Eun Tak’s decisions. 

Eun Tak stomped into his room again. 

“Shin, let’s just die together. I think that would be best, so that no one gets left behind. So that no one gets heartbroken.”

“Eun Tak, look at me.”

The Goblin shut his book and held her shoulders tightly.

“You’re not going to die. I’m not going to let you die. I’ll be there to save you. I’ll be there to save you every time.”

He was someone who could; Eun Tak knew that. But this thing called destiny was so strong, that it would never let them go. The tears that she had been enduring came rolling down her face and she weeped sorrowfully in his arms. Eun Tak was still so small, he could embrace her with one arm. The Goblin’s buckwheat flower, the Goblin’s lover, cried in sadness.

“I’m sorry for making you a part of this destiny, but this is something we need to get through together. I don’t know what door we’ll be opening, but I won’t let go of your hand. I promise. Trust me. I’m a greater person than you think.”

The sun rose again, and the rain had stopped falling. Eun Tak was smiling brightly as if she had never cried the day before. She was getting ready to leave for her part-time work, and the Goblin was looking at her anxiously. 

“I can’t keep staying inside like this; this isn’t living. Even if I die tomorrow, I need to live today. I need to go to work and I need to get ready for university. I’ll only walk on the streets I usually walk on, and I will come back home as usual.”

She was back to normal again.

“That’s what life is. Save me with all you got. I’ll stay alive with all I’ve got. I trust you.”

She was so bright and positive, it was hard to keep his eyes off her.

“Do you know what my mum went through to have me? Do you know what I went through to get into university? I’ve got so many reasons to live, and you’re one of the biggest reasons.”

“Alright, fine. Just summon me when you think you’re in danger, and don’t go anywhere high.”

“Oh, yeah. My cause of death was a fall wasn’t it? Don’t worry. See you later.”

All day, the Goblin was summoned several times. He had told her to summon him when she was in danger, but every time he came, it was for a very silly reason.

The street lamp flashing seemed dangerous; handsome men were dangerous; pretty clothes were dangerous to her bank account; and she missed him so much, it was hard to breathe. Those were her silly reasons for blowing the match, but the Goblin didn’t even mind. 

Forgetting the position they were in, the peach trees that were covered in snow, started to bloom pretty, pink flowers. Colour filled the town that winter day.

*

 Eun Tak texted the Goblin about everything she did. Her fingers were fast and happy across the screen as she wrote about what she had just done. She was about to hit send, when the ghosts surrounded her. 

“Send, I love you. Heart, heart. Oh, that’s romantic.”

“I miss you. Colon and opening bracket.”

Eun Tak sighed. These ghosts were never going away.

“I had those days too. Those lovely spring days. But going around the world as a ghost; everyday is a cold wintery day.”

She gave up on sending the message and started walking.

“Could you just meet that guy once for me? I have something to ask him.”

“What? Did you truly love me? Something like that? Oh, that’s romantic.”

They weren’t going away until she solved their problem for them. 

“Fine, let’s end those cold-wintery days once and for all. Let’s get revenge. What should I do for you?”

The place they came to was the ghost’s ex-husband. The office was empty, and the man was working overtime by himself. 

“Hello, is there something you need?”

“Oh, hello. I just came to tell you something about your wife who has passed away.”

The man’s face started to crease.

“Mrs. Jung Hwa Lee. Do you have time?”

They headed towards the rooftop smoking area. 

“May I ask what relationship you were with my wife?”

“Oh, I’ll just get straight to the point. She requested me to tell you something.”

The ghost whispered into her ear, and Eun Tak told the man what she was saying.

‘How were you? Everything seems nice between Hee Jin and you.’

“She says, How were you? Everything seems nice between Hee Jin and you.”

The man’s face started to grow pale; the revenge ghost and the virgin ghost were glaring at him, arms-crossed. 

“Who, who did?”

“Your wife.”

“How, how do you know about Hee Jin?”

“You brought her to our house on your 200th day anniversary. The handbag you gave her was pretty. Did you use the insurance money?”

“He did? I’m really sensitive to insurance money topics.”

 The girl who was talking to herself was strange, but the words the girl was saying scared him more. A cold wind blew and the man’s hand was shaking. 

“Is that why you pushed me off the roofto…”

Eun Tak stopped talking. This wasn’t what she had expected. It was way more serious than she had ever imagined. This revenge wasn’t about affairs or stealing money; it was about murder. She asked the revenge ghost impatiently why they had made her do this, but the man had already lost his mind.

“... Who are you?”

‘The recording of you planning the murder with Hee Jin on the phone is in the shoe closet in front of the front door.’

“If you hid the recording in the shoe closet, you should have made me take that to the police, not tell him that we have the recording!”

The girl was talking to herself again.

“How did you know about… Who are you talking to right now?!”

The man started screaming at Eun Tak, and now she saw it, he was closer to the devil than a person.

“How could you be so reckless? If we keep going on like this, we’re all going to die!”

‘But I’m already dead.’

“Jung Hwa! Why are you so selfish? What about me? What about me!”

“Are you insane?! Who are you talking to?”

“Your wife! Your wife! The one you killed!”

“You crazy b*tch! What the hell are you saying!”

He walked towards the girl with a murderous face. Eun Tak stepped back in fright.

“Young girls these days, aren’t they fearless? Coming up to high places like this, don’t you think?”

  Today wasn’t the day she was destined to die, but her destiny seemed to have changed. Eun Tak quickly grabbed out the lighter from her pocket and blew it out with her warm breath.

Blue fire flashed behind the man and he screamed in agony. Blood spurted out of his back; it was the place the water sword had sliced through. 

With the sword in hand, the Goblin grabbed the man’s collar and looked at Eun Tak. There were two ghosts standing next to her. 

“...I’m sorry.”

He always worried about her so much, all she could do now was apologise.

After a good telling off from the Goblin, the man ran off the police station to confess his wrong-doings. It would be better if the law punished him; if he did, that man would surely be dead by now. The revenge ghost apologised over and over again; she had been so angry and pained, she had wanted to ask someone to save her. She just had had so many things to say. The revenge ghost thanked Eun Tak for the last time and disappeared. 

Eun Tak understood the ghost and knew how she felt, but the Goblin didn’t. His face was very angry. They had come home together again, but Eun Tak was still looking at the Goblin nervously. 

“Are you still angry? You must be angry. You’re probably going to be angry.”

The Goblin turned around furiously, and hugged Eun Tak, who had flinched back, tightly. 

“I’m not angry. I was just worried.”

Eun Tak blinked guiltily in his arms. 

“But why do I feel like you are? My heart is all… painful.”

“Not as much as me. You probably don’t know how much times I went through hell this one hour.”

“We’re really unlucky, aren’t we.”

“No.”

“Then are we just unhappy?”

“No.”

“Then are you done telling me off?”

“No.”

“When I’m a university student, I’m going to go on a lot of meetings and wear lots of short skirts.”

“No!”

Eun Tak smiled as she heard the Goblin shout. They weren’t unlucky; they weren’t unhappy. They were just destined to love each other a bit more.

She hugged the Goblin more tightly. 

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