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Title: Rouge
Series: 내일 / Tomorrow
Characters: Park Joonggil, Gu Ryeon
Summary: Even as the thread of fate between them has been severed, there's still something that ties them together.
--------------------------
"Are you sure that you will not regret this choice you are making?"
To be fair, up until that point when the Jade Empress asked her that question, there was no hint of regret existing inside of her heart. Because there was nothing else left for her to regret about. Rather than wandering aimlessly with nothing but her past sins to carry along in her endless journey, this would be a better choice. Even if there was nothing that she could do to erase the sins she had committed in the past, at least now she could do something to prevent more people from meeting the same fate as she did.
That's what she thought. That's what she strongly believed. Until that moment when that person appeared in front of her.
"Your new superior officer has experienced as much pain as you have. His all-too-upright character can sometimes feel suffocating but I believe he will be a good leader of the Escort team."
"Will you serve him faithfully?"
If her knees had grown weak the moment she was in close proximity to the man, Ryeon didn't allow it to show. This person was no longer her husband, she told herself. The man in front of her had lived two more lives ever since the last time they'd seen each other. The name and face may remain the same, but without the memories of the past that they've once shared the man might as well be a complete stranger to her.
So it should be fine for her to be by his side. This time, she would no longer become a burden to him or cause him any more pain.
There shouldn't be any problem for her to serve under Park Joonggil faithfully as a grim reaper.
×××
Even then, just because she told herself that Park Joonggil was just her superior officer and not her husband... doesn't mean that it was easy for her to see him as nothing else other than her superior officer. Especially when most of the grim reapers in Jumadeung had been wary of her presence. Even more when Park Joonggil had been one of the few reapers who treated her very kindly.
Then again, Senior Officer Park wasn't really like most of the other reapers in Jumadeung. As Jade Empress once told her before, because of his very upright character... some of the other reapers may not be comfortable working together with him for so long.
But for her, it didn't feel too uncomfortable to work together with Senior Officer Park. The man may be quite rigid in his own beliefs at times, but Ryeon could tell that Senior Park was still a kind person.
It wasn't just because he used to be her husband, but even during the time they first met... she could tell that he was the same man as the one she used to know.
"The Escort team is the closest to life and death. One needs the strength of mind to last here."
"Then from now on, apprehend and escorts the souls of criminals. They have committed great sins in the Land of the Living so they were bound to be sent to Hell."
"You were once from there yourself, weren't you? So it shouldn't be hard for you to deal with them."
At first glance, it may have appeared that Senior Officer Park had given her the task of escorting the souls of criminals purely because she was from Hell. Since she used to be a criminal herself, so it was 'right' for her to deal with other 'filthy', sinned criminals. That's what some of the other reapers had thought as well, especially the ones who looked down on her whenever she was in their presence. But then, after a while, once she has gotten used to her task of escorting souls from the Land of the Living... it dawned on her. On the true reason Senior Park had assigned her to escort criminals.
It was because escorting souls after they've died wasn't always an easy task. Especially for souls who may still be attached to the Land of the Living and were reluctant to leave their loved ones behind. Convincing those souls to leave everything behind and follow them to the afterlife may not always be easy. Trying to force those souls that their ends were already written, may make you feel as if you're the villain instead. Compare to escorting criminal souls who have done many evils when they used to be alive, the latter task might be easier for her to do.
To think that Senior Park could be so thoughtful for her, was more than what she would've expected from him.
×××
"Would you like to take a walk with me?"
Ryeon glanced down towards the proffered hand as the fist opened up to reveal a small porcelain container. She glanced up towards Park Joonggil as the man gave her an amused look.
"Go on... take it."
Ryeon blinked again at him, confused, before she took the small ceramic container from him and opened the lid to see what was inside. She let out a gasp as she found out that the ceramic container was actually a small pot containing some rouge powder of a very familiar shade of red.
How could this be possible? , she almost wanted to gasp aloud as she continued to stare at it.
"W-why—? Why are you giving this to me?"
Park Joonggil just shrugged at her.
"I've grown tired of hearing the complaints of the other reapers about you. They kept talking about how undignified your appearance was and how it couldn't be helped given where you came from. So I decided to gift this to you."
"Oh..." Ryeon gasped softly. So THAT was the reason. She turned her eyes back towards the small pot of rouge in her hands.
Without warning, a slender finger poked into the pot and Ryeon felt the same finger brushing over one of her eyelids. She glanced up to see Park Joonggil smiling at her in amusement, much to her surprise.
"Senior Park! What are you doi—!"
Before she could protest again, Park Joonggil run his finger on her other eyelid as well. The man kept grinning at her as if enjoying her flustered look.
"Now you looked very lovely. If the other reapers still think that you looked unsightly to them, they'll be hearing something from me soon."
Ryeon hastily looked away from the man as she could feel her cheeks growing warm. How could the man still make her heart flutter like a butterfly after hundreds of years?
"What's wrong? Don't you like it? I'm sorry if doing this has offended you..." Joonggil's face immediately changed into a look of alarm as Ryeon hastily shook her head at him.
"No! It's not that..." she started to exclaim before smiling shyly at him. "...t-thank you. I'll treasure this gift a lot."
Park Joonggil cocked his head towards her again. "So did you like my gift?" he asked her again as Ryeon started nodding her head rapidly to him, holding the small ceramic pot against her chest.
"Yes, I liked it a lot."
Series: 내일 / Tomorrow
Characters: Park Joonggil, Gu Ryeon
Summary: Even as the thread of fate between them has been severed, there's still something that ties them together.
--------------------------
"Are you sure that you will not regret this choice you are making?"
To be fair, up until that point when the Jade Empress asked her that question, there was no hint of regret existing inside of her heart. Because there was nothing else left for her to regret about. Rather than wandering aimlessly with nothing but her past sins to carry along in her endless journey, this would be a better choice. Even if there was nothing that she could do to erase the sins she had committed in the past, at least now she could do something to prevent more people from meeting the same fate as she did.
That's what she thought. That's what she strongly believed. Until that moment when that person appeared in front of her.
"Your new superior officer has experienced as much pain as you have. His all-too-upright character can sometimes feel suffocating but I believe he will be a good leader of the Escort team."
"Will you serve him faithfully?"
If her knees had grown weak the moment she was in close proximity to the man, Ryeon didn't allow it to show. This person was no longer her husband, she told herself. The man in front of her had lived two more lives ever since the last time they'd seen each other. The name and face may remain the same, but without the memories of the past that they've once shared the man might as well be a complete stranger to her.
So it should be fine for her to be by his side. This time, she would no longer become a burden to him or cause him any more pain.
There shouldn't be any problem for her to serve under Park Joonggil faithfully as a grim reaper.
×××
Even then, just because she told herself that Park Joonggil was just her superior officer and not her husband... doesn't mean that it was easy for her to see him as nothing else other than her superior officer. Especially when most of the grim reapers in Jumadeung had been wary of her presence. Even more when Park Joonggil had been one of the few reapers who treated her very kindly.
Then again, Senior Officer Park wasn't really like most of the other reapers in Jumadeung. As Jade Empress once told her before, because of his very upright character... some of the other reapers may not be comfortable working together with him for so long.
But for her, it didn't feel too uncomfortable to work together with Senior Officer Park. The man may be quite rigid in his own beliefs at times, but Ryeon could tell that Senior Park was still a kind person.
It wasn't just because he used to be her husband, but even during the time they first met... she could tell that he was the same man as the one she used to know.
"The Escort team is the closest to life and death. One needs the strength of mind to last here."
"Then from now on, apprehend and escorts the souls of criminals. They have committed great sins in the Land of the Living so they were bound to be sent to Hell."
"You were once from there yourself, weren't you? So it shouldn't be hard for you to deal with them."
At first glance, it may have appeared that Senior Officer Park had given her the task of escorting the souls of criminals purely because she was from Hell. Since she used to be a criminal herself, so it was 'right' for her to deal with other 'filthy', sinned criminals. That's what some of the other reapers had thought as well, especially the ones who looked down on her whenever she was in their presence. But then, after a while, once she has gotten used to her task of escorting souls from the Land of the Living... it dawned on her. On the true reason Senior Park had assigned her to escort criminals.
It was because escorting souls after they've died wasn't always an easy task. Especially for souls who may still be attached to the Land of the Living and were reluctant to leave their loved ones behind. Convincing those souls to leave everything behind and follow them to the afterlife may not always be easy. Trying to force those souls that their ends were already written, may make you feel as if you're the villain instead. Compare to escorting criminal souls who have done many evils when they used to be alive, the latter task might be easier for her to do.
To think that Senior Park could be so thoughtful for her, was more than what she would've expected from him.
×××
"Would you like to take a walk with me?"
Ryeon glanced down towards the proffered hand as the fist opened up to reveal a small porcelain container. She glanced up towards Park Joonggil as the man gave her an amused look.
"Go on... take it."
Ryeon blinked again at him, confused, before she took the small ceramic container from him and opened the lid to see what was inside. She let out a gasp as she found out that the ceramic container was actually a small pot containing some rouge powder of a very familiar shade of red.
How could this be possible? , she almost wanted to gasp aloud as she continued to stare at it.
"W-why—? Why are you giving this to me?"
Park Joonggil just shrugged at her.
"I've grown tired of hearing the complaints of the other reapers about you. They kept talking about how undignified your appearance was and how it couldn't be helped given where you came from. So I decided to gift this to you."
"Oh..." Ryeon gasped softly. So THAT was the reason. She turned her eyes back towards the small pot of rouge in her hands.
Without warning, a slender finger poked into the pot and Ryeon felt the same finger brushing over one of her eyelids. She glanced up to see Park Joonggil smiling at her in amusement, much to her surprise.
"Senior Park! What are you doi—!"
Before she could protest again, Park Joonggil run his finger on her other eyelid as well. The man kept grinning at her as if enjoying her flustered look.
"Now you looked very lovely. If the other reapers still think that you looked unsightly to them, they'll be hearing something from me soon."
Ryeon hastily looked away from the man as she could feel her cheeks growing warm. How could the man still make her heart flutter like a butterfly after hundreds of years?
"What's wrong? Don't you like it? I'm sorry if doing this has offended you..." Joonggil's face immediately changed into a look of alarm as Ryeon hastily shook her head at him.
"No! It's not that..." she started to exclaim before smiling shyly at him. "...t-thank you. I'll treasure this gift a lot."
Park Joonggil cocked his head towards her again. "So did you like my gift?" he asked her again as Ryeon started nodding her head rapidly to him, holding the small ceramic pot against her chest.
"Yes, I liked it a lot."
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