The Red String of Fate

8. "Mom used to say that"

Ryun-gu and Ryeon found themselves back in the room where they started from. Ryungu had only just made it through, dragging the dazed body of Ryeon with him.

With a tired-out voice from all the running, he turned around to ask if his senior was okay and why she looked so lost the whole time.

"...."

".. sunbae? Are you alright? The whole time, you weren't paying attention and it was like you kept daydreaming about something-"

With a strict tone, Ryeon said "I'm fine. Nothing happened." They both knew that was far from the truth. Ryeon was someone who prioritized her work over everything and this was the first of many times to come where she was "distracted".

"Senior, you don't have to tell me but if it's something that can help save the subject, please act upon it. I trust that you understand my words and my intentions."

Ryeon made a mental note to consider his words, as she was looking past him and to the desk that had the subject's file sitting on top of it, reminding her of why they went through that door in the first place.

Simultaneously, she heard a beep from her back pocket which is where her phone was.

"We have to go ryun-gu. The subject needs us."

Ryun-gu stared at her face for a moment, trying to read between the lines of her lies but he decided not to push any further and focus on the job they needed to do.

"..okay, let's go"

Ryeon immediately turned around and automatically teleported, leaving Ryun-gu alone with his thoughts for a couple of seconds, before he reluctantly followed after her.

They found themselves at Yanghwa Bridge, an eight-lane bridge, spanning the Han river. This was a busy bridge but there was a woman slumped by one of the railings who looked to have been tired and worn out.

Ryeon walked up to her and just stared at her. She kept telling herself not to trip up over her words or let her personal experience mess up what she had to do. But that was the whole point of the job, everything was personal.

"If you want to jump, you can. I'm not going to try and convince you that 'there's more to life' or 'you still have so much ahead of you', that's a fact that we both know has no effect on the life you're living now."

"..."

" You're here because of those 2 people right? If you do jump, will all the situations they've put you through disappear? No. You'll jump, and they'll still have their life to live and that husband of yours will eventually move on but what about you? Will you be given the chance to move on? Huh? Will you ever have the chance to redeem yourself and take your life back into your hands??"

"No. So while you're gone, you'll be leaving everything behind the same way you found it, which makes your d3ath in vain."

Bada sniffled up her mucus as tears continued to flow from her eyes, looking at the gream reaper with confusion and wonder as to why they knew and thought they could comment on her life decision.

"I- who are you?? And why do you think what you say about what I do should matter? And- how do you know-"

"That doesn't matter. I'm here to try and tell you the reality of the choice you're going to make is one you're going to regret living in.

I know how it feels to be trapped in a 3-walled room, where the one who's supposed to protect you isn't doing just that, protecting. But, you won't be able to take responsibility for jumping, so don't do it.

'Cause as an adult, you shouldn't make any decisions or choices you can't take responsibility for. Right? "

"..Mom used to say that"