The Ninth Life of Min Yoon Gi

Alternate Ending: 30.

What happened to Ji Min? Had he fucked it up? Had Nam Joon banished Ji Min for abandoning his post? Sent him to... to whatever was next?

Fighting tears, Yoon Gi let his feet take them wherever they wanted. He felt lost. He was human again. Somehow, he must have proved how much he cared about Jimin; enough for Nam Joon to reverse the curse. His heart, however, didn't agree. It was Ji Min he really cared about—who he loved. What is the point of being human—of living—without Ji Min? Yoon Gi clinched his fists, reflecting the feeling inside his chest as the feelings from long ago crashed into him.

The sun's light was fading as the half moon began its ascent into the darkening sky and Yoon Gi found himself approaching the edge of an outcrop overlooking a lush garden.

He was back to where it all started. Where his heart broke, left all alone, with Ji Min gone. Again.

Could he keep on living this way? If Ji Min's spirit was no longer here, what was the point? Maybe he should... just...

Peering over the edge, Yoon Gi could just make out the shadow of the resurrection plant down below. The sight of it made his grief explode in his chest and he stepped back, grabbing his head and letting out an agonizing cry. Tears began streaming down his face and he collapsed to his knees. He had failed Ji Min. He failed to protect him from Ho Seok and he broke his promise to bring him back.

"So what did you wish for this year? Good luck or something else?" A soft voice came from behind Yoon Gi.

A familiar voice.

A voice he thought he'd never hear again.

Yoon Gi practically flew the few feet into Ji Min's arms—his solid, warm, very much alive arms!

"Ji Min!" Yoon Gi managed to sob. His tears kept falling, but they were no longer stemming from a broken heart.

"It's okay," Ji Min soothed, arms wrapped tightly around Yoon Gi's shaking frame. "Shhh, it's all right."

They stood that way, clinging to each other, until Yoon Gi's emotions finally subsided and he could speak again. "You're... you're..." Yoon Gi pulled back and looked into the eyes lovingly staring back at him.

"I am. And so are you!"

"Did you drink the tea?"

"It doesn't matter."

"I need to know," Yoon Gi sniffled, wiping his eyes on the back of his sleeve. "Did it work?"

"It doesn't matter, because we are together now." Ji Min tried to soothe him, rubbing his back. "All I ever wanted was to be with you. I never cared how."

Seeing that Yoon Gi wasn't about to let it go, Ji Min sighed, pulling Yoon Gi to sit with him near the overlook. He wound his small fingers between Yoon Gi's long ones, squeezing gently.

"I didn't drink it. I was about to when Nam Joon suddenly appeared. He told me you had fallen asleep again, which would have made my blood run cold if I had had any. Before I could do anything, he took me with him back to the temple. I thought for sure he was going to send me... on. But he didn't.

"I wish you could have seen the look on his face," Ji Min giggled. "He looked mad at himself and also disappointed; like he swallowed a frog. After rambling for a few minutes about the nature of humans and their ability to love and blah blah blah, he finally got to his point: you impressed him."

"What?"

"Yeah. He said he didn't expect you to go to such lengths, practically killing yourself, to try and bring me back. He admitted you probably would have broken the curse anyway if you hadn't fallen asleep before, but everything you did for me..." Ji Min turned towards Yoon Gi, using his free hand to cup the other's cheek.

Yoon Gi looked at his best friend, his love, his reason for being. "I couldn't bear to live another life without you."

Ji Min smiled. "You won't. We're meant to be, Yoon Gi. In every life."

"So... Nam Joon... he brought you back?"

Ji Min nodded. "He gave us our lives. The life we were supposed to have."

Yoon Gi was surprised, but as the words sank in, happiness welled in his chest. No more curse. No more people standing in their way. They would get to live the life they should have had so many years ago. Ji Min and him.

"I love you, Ji Min," Yoon Gi said and pulled him into a deep kiss.