Eternity [ryeji]

Chapter 17

“Are you ready?” Yeji looks at Yuna who’s sitting next to her.

Yuna nods and takes a deep breath.

“Okay. Here goes.” Yeji presses the green icon and waits until her father picks up.

When they finally see the man’s face, Yeji greets him, waving at the screen. “Hi, Dad.”

“Hey, Princess.”

“Dad!”

“Princess?” quips Ryujin from behind Yeji, looking up from the game she’s playing.

Yeji ignores Ryujin and quickly launches into an introduction, telling her father about Yuna.

“Hello. So you’re Ryujin’s friend?” he looks at the woman sitting next to Yeji who bows to him politely.

“Good morning to you, Sir. I’m sorry to disturb you on a Sunday morning.”

“That’s okay. I have nothing to do today anyway. How can I help you?”

Yeji pushes her chair away to give Yuna more space and stops next to the bed where Ryujin is sitting. The woman has stopped playing her game and is now listening to the ongoing video call.

“Well…” Yuna begins, unlocking her phone. “I got this message early this morning. It’s from someone I’ve never met before and it contains a request to honor our oath in helping our kind when they need to move on from this world.”

Yeji gasps. “Oh my god. Is that a request to…” She can’t even say it.

Ryujin looks at Yeji. “Unfortunately so.”

“Who sent it?” asks Yeji’s father.

Yuna reads the name and he sighs after hearing it, leaning back in his chair.

“I know that family and that name. I used to travel with some of them. That person who sent you the message is the last descendant. She’s from your generation. Last time I saw her, she was still a little girl,” he says, reminiscing. “So it has come to this, huh? And she chose you?”

Yuna nods. “Although I’ve never met her, their family and mine are supposedly old friends back in the homeland so I guess she thought I could help her.”

“Have you ever done this before?”

Yuna shakes her head. “I never want to, if possible. Can you please advise me on what to do, Mr. Hwang?”

“Did you reply to her message?”

“Yes. I told her to wait because I needed to think this through and gave her the option to find someone else if she wanted it done fast.”

“Which option did she choose?”

“She said she’d wait.”

“Where does she live?”

“I’m not sure but the number is a Korean mobile number. I’m hoping she lives in the same city.”

“Well, you can always meet with her and try to talk her out of it but if she wouldn’t change her mind then I’m afraid you have no choice but to fulfill her wish,” says Yeji’s father.

Yuna instantly deflates, cradling her head in her hands. “How am I supposed to do this, Mr. Hwang? I can’t take a life. I don’t want to take a life.”

“I understand. It’s never easy to do, I can assure you that.” He takes a deep breath then checks his phone’s calendar. “I tell you what. Ask her where she’d want to meet and I’ll come with you. If she really wants this and if she allows it, I will take over your task.”