There wasn't a happy end

Chapter 5: Finally goodbye

The date was the 23rd of December, the time was around eleven and a half o'clock at night and Mihae was sitting on the sofa waiting for something to happen and it did. Out of nowhere, the Goddess appeared startling her.

"I am not allowed to do that but come with me."

Mihae took her hand and together they passed through the portal. It was dark and cold, a forest filled with snow, with only the moon shining down at them. Yet, something felt strangely familiar. She made to ask but then she saw their grave.

"What are we doing here?"

"Hak is due to arrive. I could not just sit by and see you waste your last opportunity to see him." And with that she disappeared.

The forest was quiet and still as if holding its breath and waited for something to happen. Then the sound of footsteps crushing the freshly fallen snow met her ears. Mihae instantly knew that he was coming and when their eyes met they both froze. Tears escaped from both silver and black eyes. He did not expect to see her this close ever again. Since the night he left he had come back a few times to see her from a distance and every time he told himself that she was happy. Now her eyes told a different story, a sad one filled with longing.

He let her run to him, opening his arms to welcome her. When their bodies met each other warmth filled him and hugged her tightly putting all his love into it. Then he looked down at her meeting her gaze, oh how much he loved her. Letting her go, he softly placed his hands on her cheeks and slowly leaned to give her one last kiss.

Mihae understood that this was farewell so she held back her tears and let herself drown into their kiss. When they stopped she saw him crying. It was the second time she had seen him like that, both times before their parting.

Time was ticking and this was the last time for her to say the things she had been holding on to for a lifetime, so she controlled her breathing, pushed back tears and spoke, grabbing this last chance.

"A long time ago, when I first saw you in "Hanamichi" I knew I was going to love you so much that it hurt. I realized that our future would be dark but hoped I would get a chance of loving you. " She stopped to wipe a tear off his beautiful face." The night after the hot springs and all the nights we spent together taught me what love is. Every time we touched I felt alive as if I needed you to make me breathe." She smiled. "Even now, even though I know what awaits, I do not regret loving you. I know that we are meant to find each other again and I will spend my time waiting for our next chance to come." She had done it, she had spoken all that she wanted to say, she felt free.

Hak felt her words entering him as if a spear penetrating the skin and burying itself deep into one's body. She had always chosen to see the better ending even if the sad ending had come. She was strong and he was a fool to not see it before. She did not need him to protect her only to stand by her as he had done a lifetime ago. And yet again he failed her, but now it was not time for this. He had to tell her everything, all of the things he couldn't tell before.

"Mihae, you always come into my life when I need you the most and give me more than I need. That night in the mountains I felt truly alive. Remember that I did not believe in love?" She nodded, smiling "Well, only one night with you made me realize that I was wrong. I longed for you all these months and I know you did too but I wanted you to learn to live without me because I will shortly be gone. I am aware of my selfishness but I could not let you feel the same pain as I felt that night. But again I am wrong. Yet you always manage to do what you wanted." He winked at her. "For 99 years and 28 before that, I was searching for you. In both instances, my life began by meeting and loving you. You put meaning into the word love and love for me equals you." He took both of her hands. "I hate the way I treated you, I know you deserved better yet both times I was selfish enough to ignore it. But I promise you this, the next time our lives will get entangled together I will not be like I was. I will give you what you deserve and I will make you happy. I am going to believe in love and wait passionately for you. I am going to be what you deserve."

He placed a small kiss on her forehead, then on her nose and lastly on her lips, holding her tightly in his arms. Mihae wrapped her arms behind his neck and kissed him as if it was their last, which in a sense it was.

After some time she felt as if he became lighter and lighter. Scared she pulled away seeing in horror that he was slowly becoming transparent. Terror overcame her. With shaking hands she grabbed him by the shoulders trying to hold him, wanting to stop it. She was sobbing now saying No as if it was some kind of mantra. He raised his hands to wipe her tears and she barely felt them.

"I love you," she wailed and saw his reflection slowly becoming one with the background.

"Me too but don't be scared. We'll meet again, remember?" He smiled and she was sobbing uncontrollably for he was almost transparent.

Then just as he was almost completely gone he said three words that acted as a driving force for Mihae in the 99 years to come.

"I love you."

And he was gone. Mihae fell into the ground letting the most heartbreaking sound any mortal and immortal had ever heard. It was so powerful that even Fate was shaken, just a bit, from it. She stayed in the cold snowy ground curled into a ball crying until the sun was almost at midday. Then, with the help of the Goddess's portal, she went home and cried anew while holding Hak's clothes.

The week that followed found Mihae at home crying and the Goddess explaining what had happened to the others.

Like always Time did what it does best, it passed, sometimes slowly and sometimes fast. The years after Hak passed like water taking with them Soli. After her, with a bit more than a decade later Peter bid them farewell by saying "Let's all meet again". Next was Jeho, 15 years after Peter, who after remembering his life didn't cry after Taemin. Just before his passing, Mihae asked him why he had not proceeded in making his and Ed's relationship something more, to which he answered " Even if he felt the same I didn't want him to be with me because he wanted to make things right. He was not ready but I hope you will help him forgive himself."

After Jeho's departure, Mihae and Ed stayed by each other's side for many years and they even moved in together, to a big house which welcomed the new Grim Reapers. It seemed that Jeho's wish slowly became true. After decades of self-hatred and guilt, Ed started to forgive himself little by little so when his time came he had no hatred left for himself and was ready to meet with Jeho smiling and fall in love with him all over again.

The 28 years after Ed's sent off were spent by Mihae helping the new Grim Reapers, doing her job and talking with the Goddess of hearts. So when the night came the Goddess was the one who bid her goodbye with her galaxy-like eyes smiling.