[discontinued] 100% self indulgent wattpad-esque fic.
DO HANEUL had always seen these weirdly solemn men and women clad in black suits, staring fixedly as the world continued to revolve cluelessly. As the only one who could see them, she had been co...
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°°°
When Haneul opened her eyes, she was standing in a huge atrium next to the suit-man from the hospital. She wasn't sure she could consider him a figment anymore after he had grabbed her wrist without phasing through her.
But she supposed she could've dreamed of it all—was still dreaming of it all.
"We're meeting the Jade Emperor. Come," he spoke firmly, not letting any place for discussion.
But Haneul was Haneul, and so she planted her feet to the ground and looked him in the eyes. "No, take me back."
He seemed annoyed and Haneul could see the way he had clenched his jaw tight.
"Look, man, this is all part of my mind, and in my mind? I call the shots."
He still looked annoyed, but his jaw had loosened. "This isn't your mind, it's Jumadeung."
Now she was the one looking at him annoyed. "So what? You're telling me this is all real?" she sarcastically asked before quickly adding, "Don't you Dumbledore-bullshit-me by saying 'of course it's in your head, but why wouldn't it be real?'!"
"What even is Dumbledore?" he asked uninterestingly.
"Are you telling me my own imagination doesn't know about Harry Potter? Wow, that's low. I bet the tablet-girl with the bangs at least knows about it."
"Jang Jaehee?"
"Is that her name—I didn't know you had names, to be quite honest," Haneul mumbled, starting to feel like she was loosing grip on reality. "What's your name?"
"Park Joong-il," he spoke, raising his hand for a handshake.
Haneul raised a brow, but still grabbed his hand and answered, "Do Haneul—".
And she was whisked away again.
°°°
"So what if she sees reaper's in disguises, Mr. Park," the Jade Emperor sighed, tiredly. "A few shamans do too."
"Shamans see souls as well, she doesn't," Joongil spoke seriously. "Jumadeung's policy article 312 part 2 states that any threat to Jumadeung's safety shall be apprehended and judged."
"You know she isn't a threat, Joongil. She's simply a girl."
"She's a threat simply by her knowledge of our existence! And it's not just for me—for us," he finally uttered his determining argument, "it's also for her. Seeing reapers everywhere when there shouldn't be is taking a toll on her mind. She believes this is all inside her head."
"And technically it is, seeing as though her soul is etched inside the fabric of Jumadeung, as is every other living thing."
"You know, that isn't what I mean! What happens when she dies, huh? She won't follow our protocols and rules thinking it's all in her mind. Besides, how about her paranoia? " he quickly added, as if just now thinking about it. He turned towards Haneul. "What have you associated seeing us with?"
"Death," she replied, dumbfounded. She honestly didn't understand half of their argument and simply chose to stay silent, avoiding Joongil's scary gaze.
"Exactly. Seeing us means witnessing people's death. She'll automatically search for us when trying to protect her family or friends and she'll consistently turn anxious when seeing us as well. We'll have to continuously look out for her and she'll have to try so hard just to fit in."
"Alright, I'll see what should be done," the Jade Emperor finally finished, voice definitive and the conversation ended.
That's how Haneul ended up here, in this decaying office, sitting on one of the uncomfortable plastic chairs, waiting for someone—anyone—to come and talk to her.
Was that what the reapers felt like?
Stuck in eternity as the world continue to flow past, them?
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A/N : Joongil is really, really, bad at arguing with the Jade Emperor, it's so funny. After centuries working under her, you'd think he'd get better xD
Also, I'm making Joongil very Slytherin-esque. He's very cunning (he doesn't lie, but rather twists the truth, and takes detours) and vengeful. He cares a lot about Jumadeung ("jumadeung will take care of itself") and what it represents, but isn't very ambitious (doesn't try to gain power or take over the after-life even if he has quite a reputation).
However, his vengefulness makes him brash and sometimes he doesn't think much before acting. His definition of right from wrong is very clear, but he often chooses to follow protocols instead of acting from his own volition (key word being "often").
