Chapter 7
To get to school, you have to go straight. But Sungjae’s feet turned to the left path.
He was walking with a blank look, as if possessed by something, as if drawn by something.
After walking and walking, his steps stopped at the rooftop of a 10-story building where construction had been suspended for a long time.
It was a ghastly place with the rebar exposed.
Sungjae dangerously climbed onto the rooftop railing where no one was around. It was a dizzying height just to look down.
But Sungjae’s eyes were filled with empty emptiness rather than sensing danger.
As a strong wind blew, his body swayed uneasily. He looked precarious, as if he would fall at any moment.
Jang Gi-soo, who had been watching the scene from a few steps behind, wore a cruel smile on his lips.
“You should be thankful to me. Thanks to me, you can meet your mother, whom you miss so much. Heh heh.”
“Who says?”
Jang Gi-soo was startled and turned around at the sudden heavy voice.
Before he could even recognize who it was, the person rushed in and knocked Jang Gi-soo down in an instant.
The person standing with his toe pressing down on his chest was Suho!
“Eeeeeek!”
Jang Gi-soo writhed, making a bizarre sound. Suho’s eyes, looking down at him, twisted cruelly.
“Long time no see, Jang Gi-soo.”
“Y-you, why…”
“Looks like you didn’t know I was watching.”
“You were watching?”
“I couldn’t just let you guys run wild.”
“Weren’t you under disciplinary action? Are you going to disrupt the order of humans again?”
“I’m going to fix it.”
“What?”
Jang Gi-soo was flustered, as Si-woo’s prediction was wrong.
‘Could it be that the disciplinary action has been lifted?’
“That child’s mother already took his life instead. No more.”
“Hmph. Don’t try to trick me!”
Sway!
It was then that Sungjae’s body, standing on the railing, tilted.
Whoosh!
Suho, who ran to the railing at the speed of light, snatched his falling wrist.
It was the moment Suho grabbed his wrist that Sungjae regained his senses.
“Uhhh- Aaaaaah!”
The moment he felt himself floating in the air, a scream burst from Sungjae’s mouth.
“W-what? Why am I here?”
Sungjae, who was struggling not to fall, jerked his head up. When his eyes met the shaggy-haired man holding him.
“Aaaaaaaaaaah!”
Thwack, thwack!
Jang Gi-soo picked up a wooden stick that had been abandoned and struck Suho’s head. Blood flowed from his head and down his face.
Drip, drip.
Blood dripped onto Sungjae’s face.
“Save me! Don’t let go! Don’t let goooo!”
Sungjae screamed and thrashed. Suho’s face turned red.
He was holding onto the rebar with one hand and desperately holding Sungjae with the other.
Because Jang Gi-soo was pushing Suho with all his might to drop him down.
“Ugh-!”
Despite Jang Gi-soo’s interference, Suho pulled Sungjae up to the railing. Sungjae barely grabbed the railing and hung dangling from the end.
“You’ll have to wait a bit, kid.”
“W-what?”
“Hold on tight.”
“D-don’t go. What am I supposed to do if you leave me like this!”
Suho, his face all red with blood, grabbed Jang Gi-soo by the collar and slammed him to the ground.
The glint in his eyes through his long hair was like a beast.
“You’re trying to kill me? You should save Sungjae. He won’t last long, will he?”
Suho strangled Jang Gi-soo’s neck and muttered coldly.
“Go to Cha Si-woo and tell him. It’s his turn next.”
Suho released Jang Gi-soo’s neck, walked over to Sungjae, who was groaning, and grabbed the back of his neck.
Jang Gi-soo, who had been glaring at him as if to kill him, ran away, and Suho pulled Sungjae up in an instant.
Sungjae, exhausted and slumped on the floor, looked up at Suho, who was as tall as a pole.
“You should have pulled me up all the way. I almost died!”
Even with Sungjae’s grumbling, Suho’s face didn’t change even a little. The blood flowing down his face only created a bizarre look.
“Hey, shouldn’t you go to the hospital? You’re bleeding a lot.”
Sungjae, staggering to his feet, suddenly grabbed his nose.
“Ugh, the smell. What kind of person are you? Why did I come here?”
“Eek!”
Everyone was startled when Sungjae, who they thought had gone to school, appeared with a blood-soaked man.
Junmo, who had met him in front of the snack bar before, was even more dumbfounded.
“Flower beggar?”
“Who are you?”
Seungri looked at Suho with wary eyes.
His face was covered in blood and he looked like a beggar. But the impression he gave off was unusual.
“He’s the one who saved me, sis.”
“Saved you? What happened?”
“First, we need to treat him. He got hurt a lot because of me.”
Treatment was important, but it seemed like they had to take care of the smell first.
“Follow me.”
Seungri took Suho to the stairs leading to the second floor. Everyone else followed behind like spectators.
Seungri, who first checked his head, said worriedly.
“Your head is torn. You should go to the hospital.”
“What should we do? It must hurt a lot.”
Yuri looked at Suho with pity.
‘Oh my gosh. This is the first time I’ve seen such a handsome person.’
His intense eyes, which couldn’t be hidden even though his bangs were long and slightly covered his eyes. Those fascinating eyes captivated Yuri’s heart.
Suho’s appearance was a fresh shock to her, who was automatically healed just by seeing handsome men.
It wasn’t just eye purification. A thrilling thrill seemed to flow through her brain nerves and cells throughout her body, making them pop and come alive.
But Suho didn’t care about Yuri, who seemed to have already fallen in love. He only wanted to wash up.
“Shower, please.”
“Water shouldn’t get into the wound.”
“It’s okay.”
Yuri led him to the bathroom and ran to the sofa.
Had her eyes ever shone so brightly as they did then? It was like a puppy wagging its tail off when it met a new owner.
Junmo finally found the commonality between the sisters.
They were both canine types. The older sister was a chic dog, and the younger sister was a cute dog.
Yuri asked, her eyes sparkling as if she had discovered a treasure.
“Detective Pee, do you know him?”
“Yes, I saw him once on the street. It seems like he lives in this neighborhood.”
“Oh my, really? Why haven’t I seen him?”
This time, Seungri urged Sungjae.
“Sungjae, tell me what happened.”
He told them what had happened. Everyone’s faces, who had been listening quietly, hardened seriously.
Seungri asked Sungjae to find out more details.
“Why did you go up there?”
“I don’t know, me neither. I don’t remember.”
Sungjae, who was stroking his chin to try to remember, was also serious. His thoughts were erased as if he had short-term amnesia.
“You don’t remember why you went there?”
“Yeah. I definitely went to school, but when I came to my senses, I was there.”
‘It must be the work of a ghost. But who, and why, Sungjae?’
“How did the flower beggar know and save you?”
Sungjae shrugged at Junmo’s question.
“I told you, I don’t remember anything. You have to ask him.”
After a long time, the bathroom door clicked open.
Suho came out with a large towel covering his lower body and a medium-sized towel around his shoulders.
A part of the black pattern was slightly visible under the towel, but he quickly pulled the end of the towel to completely hide the pattern.
Everyone’s mouths dropped open the moment they saw the flower beggar.
They thought he was just skinny, but he had a beautiful body like a masterpiece created by God. It was a perfect combination of muscles that you couldn’t dream of unless you were born with it, even if you received a lot of special care.
Suho’s flawless, fair skin completely made them forget that he was a homeless person.
‘Wow!’
Yuri stared at him in a daze. This wasn’t enough to be called ‘I found something great’. No, it should be called ‘art’!
‘Hoo~’
Seungri admired him openly. You have to be bold and look at things like this. It’s not a body that you can easily see anywhere.
“I need to find out if there’s a model who got fired.”
“Who fired him?”
Seungri and Yuri joked with each other without a care.
Junmo shook his head at the two women’s boldness, who didn’t even blush.
Then he rubbed his stomach for no reason. As if to say that he had that kind of body too.
Even though there were some scars, he secretly felt competitive, as if his pubic bone was better.
“I’ll bring you some clothes to change into, hyung.”
Sungjae readily went to get his clothes. Suho, who had been standing blankly, approached the three people and sat on the sofa.
“S-should I get you some cold water?”
Yuri showed kindness, anticipating that he would be thirsty since he had just taken a shower.
Nod.
Seungri urged Suho, who only nodded without answering.
“Can you tell me in detail what happened?”
“Coincidence.”
Junmo was endlessly annoyed by the sight of him sitting in someone else’s house, taking off his clothes, and speaking informally.
Nothing had changed from then to now except for his clean appearance.
‘He’s not normal either.’
“Here you go.”
Yuri handed Suho the glass of water she had brought. After drinking the water in one gulp, Sungjae called out loudly from the door with his clothes.
“Come in and change, hyung.”
After Suho got up from the sofa and went to Sungjae’s room, Junmo and Seungri looked at each other without saying a word.
“Something’s weird, isn’t it?”
“Did you just realize that now? You can tell just by looking at the way he dresses. He’s crazy.”
“Why do you always jump to conclusions so quickly? He saved Sungjae. He’s a benefactor to us.”
Unlike Yuri, who was a positive person, Seungri had a bad feeling.
“I have a bad feeling.”
Fortunately, Sungjae’s clothes fit, and the flower beggar was completely transformed into a flower boy.
This is why the environment is important to people. His already great visuals are even better!
“Consider the clothes as payment for saving me.”
Suho said bluntly to Sungjae and walked to the front door.
“Hyung, what about your head? Aren’t you going to get treatment? You’re still bleeding.”
Sure enough, the blood that had flowed from his head had flowed down his neck and soaked his clothes.
Suho, who had stopped in his tracks, touched his head with his hand. His fingertips were sticky with blood.
He wiped the blood-stained fingertips on his pants and moved on as if it were nothing.
Suho, who put on Sungjae’s sneakers instead of his shabby shoes in the hallway, left the hallway without looking back.
Junmo, who had been watching in a daze, hurriedly followed him.
“Wait!”
He called out to Suho, who was going down the stairs. Then he grabbed his arm without hesitation.
“What’s wrong?”
“Just follow me without saying a word. Do you want to die from excessive bleeding?”
Suho, who he thought would stubbornly shake him off and leave, obediently followed Junmo to the hospital for some reason.
Junmo realized when he was paying that the reason he didn’t want to go to the hospital was because he didn’t have any money.
He was really a penniless beggar.
There was another reason why he couldn’t just let him go. He was a suspicious guy.
“What’s your name?”
“Suho.”
“What’s your last name?”
“I don’t have one.”
“How old are you?”
“I don’t have that kind of thing.”
“Don’t you know what year you were born in?”
“I don’t know.”
“What about your family?”
“I don’t have one.”
“Are you an orphan?”
“Stop if you’re going to interrogate me.”
“I’m just asking.”
“Don’t ask.”
“You’re so prickly. Just one more question. What’s the problem?”
“You won’t believe me even if I tell you.”
“Whether I believe you or not, I can help you.”
Suho gave a twisted smile at Junmo’s words.
“No. You can’t do anything for me.”
“I’m a police officer, you idiot. I have a duty to protect citizens…”
Even Junmo himself realized that he shouldn’t be saying that as a serious criminal who had caused a major accident that almost killed a citizen while trying to catch a criminal.
Suho looked at him with contempt as he realized his mistake and became discouraged.
“Do you know what the biggest mistake of humans is?”
“What is it?”
“Not knowing themselves. Like you.”
“I don’t know myself?”
Suho looked at Junmo with pity and said.
“The trap is that you pry into other people’s problems with a wide range of meddling, but you don’t know what your own problem is. You’re also living in that trap, creating countless errors.”
It was probably the longest Suho had ever said, who rarely said more than two words.
It was that serious, and it was also a word that was engraved in Junmo’s heart.
‘Who is this guy? What’s his deal?’
Junmo felt an inexplicable awe towards Suho, who hit the nail on the head with every word he spoke.
They say people who are too smart go crazy; he wondered if this guy was one of those cases.
“You…”
Junmo was about to speak again, but Suho abruptly stood up and walked towards the exit without a word of goodbye.
He watched Suho go, not bothering to stop him, with a strong feeling that they would meet again.
The construction site where Sungjae’s accident occurred.
Seungri was there alone.
She was there to figure out the ghost’s identity.
If she just left it alone, there was no telling when it would cause more trouble.
Ghosts tend to reside in deserted, gloomy places.
This long-abandoned construction site was no exception.
This was also the place where a student from the same school as Sungjae had committed suicide.
“Who is it? Who messed with my brother?”
Seungri’s cynical voice echoed in the empty air.
Silence-.
As soon as Seungri appeared, the ghosts hid their presence and remained still.
But Seungri could sense their presence just from the eerie atmosphere.
“I’ll ask again. Whose doing is this? …Answer me!”
Thump!
A ghost attached to the ceiling fell to the floor.
The ghost screamed a bizarre, “Kkueaaack!” and tried to run away.
Seungri, who had approached in the blink of an eye, grabbed the ghost by the collar and slammed it to the ground.
“Was it you?”
The suicide ghost trembled as it looked at the necklace around her neck.
“N-No, no, I didn’t do it. I didn’t do it!”
“It’s no use lying. You did it to that student, and my brother too…”
“I didn’t do anything to Sungjae. Really!”
This was the first time a ghost had confessed so quickly. For a murderous ghost to confess so readily meant there was more to it.
“Then who did it to my brother?”
“I, I can’t say. If I say, I’m done for.”
Who could be scarier than the necklace? Who could it be that it was so afraid of?
“A killer ghost, then. Right?”
“I told you, I can’t say! Absolutely, absolutely can’t say. Please, just leave me alone!”
“If you won’t talk, then I have no choice.”
The moment Seungri touched the necklace, the ghost let out a piercing scream and was sucked into the red gem.
Sasa-sak! (Whoosh!)
As if rats were scattering, a strange sound was heard, and the eerie energy disappeared all at once. The ghosts had gotten scared and ran away.
Seungri straightened up. Messing with a close associate of an exorcist was a clear challenge. It was clear that this wouldn’t be the end of it.
“I’ll find out who it is, just you wait.”
Si-woo’s office.
Jang Gi-soo, who had rushed in, immediately gave his report. Si-woo, who had been listening quietly, showed a displeased look on his expressionless face.
“You failed?”
“I’m sorry.”
“What’s the reason?”
His voice, like a knife cutting skin, sent chills down his spine. Jang Gi-soo, frightened and hesitant, glanced at Si-woo.
“That guy appeared again.”
“That guy? …Suho?”
“Yes.”
“He’s finally revealed himself.”
Si-woo’s pupils turned coldly, his insides twisting at the mere mention of Suho’s name.
“He’s been around Sungjae all this time? Has his punishment been lifted?”
“He said he’s going to set things right.”
“Set things right? Hah. What can a guy like him do? Everything’s messed up because of him. Is a dead person going to come back to life or something?”
The dead Han Mi-jeong couldn’t come back to life, but he was still an obstacle to Si-woo, then and now.
“It seems difficult to approach Sungjae for the time being.”
“Did Sungjae see your face?”
“No. Judging from the fact that he didn’t report it, it seems he’s just going to let it go.”
Just like Si-woo before he became human, Suho was a grim reaper who hunted down grim reapers who broke the rules of heaven.
Even a ghost possessed by Jang Gi-soo was no match for him.
Even if he was human, a grim reaper was a scary and overwhelming presence for Jang Gi-soo.
Grim reapers each had different roles.
Grim reapers who worked in heaven. For example, they guided people who came to heaven.
Grim reapers with special missions. They were a small elite group who borrowed human bodies to contribute to humanity.
Those who were assigned top-secret missions, even fellow grim reapers couldn’t know who was who.
Unlike ordinary grim reapers, they lived human lives, so the same biological changes occurred, and they could only return to being grim reapers after death.
The old man who delivered or collected necklaces to exorcists or contacted other grim reapers belonged to this group.
Besides them, everyone had different roles, but the scariest and most dangerous of them all was a grim reaper like Suho.
In the human world, he was like a police officer.
Grim reaper police Suho.
‘That guy is back!’
A strong murderous intent flashed in Si-woo’s brown eyes.
“Where have you been?”
Junmo, who had returned from the hospital and was waiting at the cafe, greeted Seungri as she walked in. He had been worried because she had left without a word.
“To the construction site where Sungjae’s accident happened.”
“Why there?”
“I was trying to find out who did it.”
“Alone?”
“Yeah.”
‘She didn’t even report it. This woman really has no fear.’
Junmo’s brow furrowed at her nonchalant answer.
“Why did you go there alone, so dangerously?”
‘Is that something to get angry about?’
Seungri was used to doing this, so she found it strange that he was getting angry.
“Why are you angry? It’s none of your business whether I go alone or not.”
“What if you get hurt again…”
Her heart thumped. She could read in his eyes that he was genuinely worried about Seungri herself.
“It’s okay. It’s what I always do.”
She tried to make excuses, but her face flushed under his hot gaze, and she swallowed hard, feeling her mouth suddenly dry.
‘Ugh, this guy turns everything into flirting.’
Her cheeks flushed, and she turned away.
If she met his gaze any longer, she felt like she would be completely drawn into his pace.
Junmo placed a large hand on her head and playfully ruffled her hair.
“Please don’t worry me so much. Don’t go to strange places alone without saying anything. Got it?”
“Yeah, got it…”
She answered without thinking, but after she did, the atmosphere felt even stranger.
Feeling awkward, she quickly ran away from her spot, and Junmo chuckled and followed her.
“Why are you running away?”
“Who’s running away? I’m working, working.”
He found her cute as she pretended to wipe the cups without even making eye contact.
‘I saw you get your heart stolen just now.’
