See You Soon
Eun Tak looked around the grim reaper’s room with curiosity. Teacups and teapots lay finely polished on the shelves, and the aroma of fresh tea filled the place. She had known that she would come here someday, but Eun Tak hadn’t expected to come here this quickly. However, she didn’t regret her choices. Her death had given life to another. If those children met their 19’s and 29’s it would be because of her, and she was glad for that. Maybe this was how the Goblin felt every time he saved someone.
“Your workplace is pretty, Yeo. It’s nice.”
She was going to accept her destiny, her choice, bravely.
“Can I ask you something?” Eun Tak asked.
The grim reaper nodded.
“Apparently a person has 4 lives, so what life was I living? Aren’t you allowed to tell me now?”
“You were living your first life.”
She smiled.
“That’s a relief. I’ve still got 3 left.”
It was a relief.
There was a loud noise as the Goblin slammed the door open to the grim reaper’s teashop. Tear marks were streaked all over his face. Eun Tak was relieved again. She had been scared they wouldn’t be able to meet before she left. The Goblin had lived for a thousand years and he would live another thousand years and more. She would be able to come see him again 3 times.
Eun Tak walked over to him and embraced him in her arms. She could feel him trembling in sadness. He had miscalculated things. The Goblin had thought they had at least 70 years more. Even the 100 years were short for him, the immortal. But she had died. At a young age of 29. The moments they had spent together flashed by like a second. A second that seemed like forever.
“You can’t leave me like this…”
“I’m sorry. I’m really sorry.”
The Goblin cried with grief. The world outside the teashop started to rain. His sorrow pained her, and so she tried to comfort him.
“Look at me. Show me your face.”
He looked at her with the most pained eyes.
“Remember the three wishes you were supposed to fulfil for me? You only fulfilled two, so I’ll use the third one for something else. Don’t be sad for too long. I will come to see you again, so wait for me. Don’t make it rain too much… The citizens will be uncomfortable.”
“You said one. Why are you saying 3? How am I supposed to live without you?”
His tears fell like the rain outside.
“I’ll only be gone for a while. I promise. I will come this time. I will find you this time. In my next life, I will live a full 100 years with you. I’ll beg the gods when I go up there.”
The grim reaper placed the tea on the table as Eun Tak looked at him.
“Look on him for me when I’m gone.”
He nodded, and pushed the cup towards her.
“This is the tea of oblivion. It will erase your memories of this life.”
She shook her head.
“I won’t drink the tea.” Eun Tak noticed the grim reaper’s more sad face. “Do I have to leave now?”
She stood in front of the door to the other side. There was no turning back. He could forget no death. How pained he would be after this death.
“I’ll come back quickly. I will run up and run back down.”
“You have to come back. Even if it takes a hundred years, two hundred years. I will wait for you.”
She would come back quickly. Eun Tak promised. He wished she would come back tomorrow, maybe even the day after tomorrow, maybe even next month. However, she could be late if she wanted. Maybe in a hundred years, maybe in two hundred years, the Goblin would be able to see his bride again.
Eun Tak opened the door, and heaven’s light filled the room.
“I’ll see you soon.”
The Goblin fell to the ground in despair. He fell to the ground in front of the doorway to heaven. She walked in the Goblin’s tears for eternity. It was a long season of rain.
The lonely and the great god had started his long waiting.
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