A Petal On The Wind

Chapter 2

 Kim Shin POV

   Moonlight trickles through the window, resurfacing the memories I always longed to forget. The moon always makes me sentimental but recently the sensation has grown; perhaps I am starting to get too old.  It always takes me back to that mystical night when I opened my eyes from the brink of death to start this punishment. Normally I would allow myself to bask in those tired memories but not tonight.

   There is a Grim Reaper in my house. 

   I stare at him who has intruded on my property. My attempts to convince him to leave were unsuccessful although I feel like I handled the negotiations very well. Tomorrow I'll have to go and visit Chairman Lee to tell him about what his grandson has done. I'll omit the actual details but hopefully, with just a brief outline, Deok Hwa will realise that he shouldn't do anything behind my back again. Maybe this time it will actually have the desired effect.

   The Reaper is moving things into his temporary bedroom when I see something fall to the ground. "What's that?" I ask pointing at the document on the ground.

   "None of your business," the Reaper mutters, reaching down to pick it up. 

   I quickly appear next to him, picking it up before he gets the chance. I find myself chuckling slightly as I read it. "Miscellaneously omitted person? If you're going to be a grim reaper for your punishment at least do it well." The Reaper looks annoyed as I pass the document back to him.

   "I do a good job actually in case you don't know-"

   "Hey, I  bet your hat is part of your punishment too," I interrupt, a smile appearing on my face as an image of that revolting hat floats back into my mind.

   "What have you got against my hat?"

   "I think the actual question is what haven't I got against that hat."

   The Reaper picks up his hat and waves it at me as though I wasn't aware of the thing I was talking about. "This hat is one of the most important things to a Grim Reaper! It allows the ordinary humans not to see us."

    "Yes," I say in a prolonged matter before dissolving into the seat near me. "Tomorrow I'm going to go to that estate agent and find that contract."

   "Why did you put your house up for rent if you're not moving out?"

      I sigh, "I am moving out, just not yet and the problem is that Deok Hwa did it without my permission and gave it to a Grim Reaper of all things."

   "Why are you moving?" I shift slightly in my seat, uncomfortable by the sudden personal question.

   "I don't see why I need to tell you; it's not like we're going to be friends or anything," I spit at him, instantly regretting the venomous tone in my voice. 

   The Reaper's face instantly shifts to a blank slate and he nods his head in apology. "Sorry, it seems like I've overstepped. I should go and do my work." He leaves the room to my delight, the peace and tranquillity slowing ebbing back into the room. 

   Annoyingly, a part of me sticks to the Reaper's question of why I'm moving. It has become habitual that as soon as I become accustomed to one place, I have to move on again. For once it would be nice to just stay in one place. That will only happen when the Goblin's Bride appears and my hope for that occurring is slipping further and further away. I've already completed nine hundred years of this punishment; how many more will I have to suffer through? 

   Countless times I've begged God to end my punishment but like always he is not listening. A part of me has concluded that the Goblin's Bride was just an idea created to worsen my suffering: hoping for an end that will never come. No matter how much my mind tries, I don't allow myself to dwell on the thought for long. One day my bride will come but how much longer will I have to wait?