The First and the Last
The grim reaper received his last death card. It was the ending to his long punishment. After packing all his things away at the house he had lived for a tenth of his life, the grim reaper opened the envelope.
Sun Kim. An unexpected name encountered him. She had told him not to expect any news from her, but she had in the end. The grim reaper left his room with the card in his hands, and he found the Goblin waiting in the lounge for him.
“Get there safely.”
“Stay there safely.”
The grim reaper nodded.
“Stay happy every and any time.”
“I lived peacefully at your house. Thanks for that. Don’t make it rain too much.”
“You don’t need to worry about that. Saying goodbye is one of my best talents.:
The grim reaper had finished his punishment and so the Goblin should have been happy for him, but still his eyes stung. His monarch and his friend. The Goblin wished there was a next time for them.
“Come to the tea shop later. I’m going to break the rules one more time.”
The grim reaper sat at his tea shop, more stiff than ever, when an old woman came into the room. It was Sunny. As soon as her foot stepped into the tea shop, she changed from the old Sun Kim to the young and beautiful Sunny. Yeo looked at her with trembling eyes. It still made him nervous to look at her and talk to her. Sunny smiled lightly.
“You haven’t aged at all. You’re as handsome as ever. Have you been well?”
“You said that I wasn’t going to hear any news from you.”
Sunny smiled again.
“I forgot that the person I had been meeting was a grim reaper.”
There was a pause before the grim reaper opened his mouth again.
“I missed you.”
“I know.”
Sunny had missed the grim reaper too. They had missed each other all their life. From the pocket of his coat, the grim reaper slowly took out the jade ring. Sunny had returned it to him before parting.
“I wanted to place this on you properly. I’m sorry for being so nasty before.”
The ring fit perfectly on Sunny’s hand. She smiled in between tears.
“You are my last spirit. I have finished my punishment.”
“I see. Then what happens to us now? Is this the happy ending we’ve been wishing for?”
She already knew about two of her lives, and she supposed that this was either her third or last life.
The Goblin was watching her from outside the window of the teashop. The siblings' eyes met.
“You still don’t ever think of me, do you?”
Another welcoming face greeted her.
“I’m glad I got to see you before I left.”
“It’s all thanks to my good social skills. I made a good friend, you see.”
Sunny smiled.
“I’m sorry for leaving you first again. Be well, brother. Let’s meet again, someday.”
The Goblin nodded.
“I wish you all the happiness, sister.”
They said their farewells again, and the grim reaper grabbed Sunny’s hand before standing up. They waved goodbye to the Goblin and left up the stairs together. A distant smile was on their face.
The Goblin had already seen their future long ago. They would be happy in their next life. With no sadness or sorrow in their smiles, they would be happy. And so, the Goblin went up to the temple every year and wished for their happiness like before. He was certain his wish would come true. They would have a happy ending.
*
His sister, his friend, and his bride had left the Goblin. Seasons had passed and time had passed quickly. Like before, the Goblin moved homes several times from country to country. With every step, he looked for Eun Tak’s second life. Death and sadness still hurt the Goblin, but he lived on waiting for his bride.
Duk Hwa’s grandson was looking after him now.
“Where are you heading to, sir?”
“I want to take a walk.”
“Avoid walking through the main street, sir. Students have come on a field trip from Korea, and they’re quite noisy.”
The Goblin nodded and walked out the hotel. He liked Paris, England and everywhere else, but he still loved Quebec, Canada the best. The graves had grown more old, and new graves had been placed next to the old ones.
He flipped through a book while leaning against his grave. The gentle breeze tickled his cheek. The Goblin took his eyes off the pages and looked out into the beautiful scenery.
The watch Eun Tak had gifted him ticked more loudly than before; every sense had become stronger than before. Dandelion seeds blew past him. The seeds flew around a shadow like snow.
He turned his head to the source and saw her.
Eun Tak, in uniform, walked towards him without any hesitation. The second life of Eun Tak had begun in the name of So Min Park, but he was still Shin Kim. He stood from his spot.
“How could there be sadness that lasts a thousand years? How could there be a love that lasts a thousand years?”
“I say that there is.”
“Which one? Sadness or love?”
“Sad love?”
A day seemed like a thousand years. He had endured those unbearingly sorrowful times, and Eun Tak had come to him again.
“Shin.”
A tear dropped from his eyes.
“Do you know who I am?”
The Goblin nodded.
“The first and the last Goblin’s bride.”
THE END
(This is a translated version of "Goblin: The Lonely and the Great God." Written by Eun Sook Kim and Soo Yeon Kim.)
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