THE RELUCTANT TOUCH [tomorrow]

what happened after

𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐏𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝐅𝐎𝐔𝐑𝐓𝐄𝐄𝐍:

"you have changed"

"Listen, about what happened the other day-"

"We don't have to talk about it."

"I mean what happened earlier that day. About the argument-"

"We don't have to talk about it now."

Chae-Yeong let out a breath through her nose. She looked up from where she was sitting behind Joong-Gil's desk while the owner was walking back and forth before it. She didn't quite know how she found herself in this situation, but the woman felt the need to talk some things out.

"I can clearly see that something's been bothering you." She leaned forward, placing her elbows on the desk. "I sensed it that day, and I sense it now."

Joong-Gil stopped the slow pacing and looked at the woman. She saw his worried expression and instantly knew what he's going to say.

"How are you feeling?"

Chae-Yeong let out a frustrated sigh and leaned back in the chair while shaking her head.

"You're unbelievable." She mumbled.

They both were acting as if nothing had happened. As if, they hadn't had a huge ass argument in the middle of the entrance hall and later Joong-Gil hadn't witnessed Chae-Yeong's breakdown, all that in the spawn of few hours.

But that is why Chae-Yeong was here, in his office. To talk it out. Starting with the reason why Joong-Gil ditched her the other night.

Just when Chae-Yeong was opening her mouth to talk, a knock disturbed the quietness of the office, following by someone entering it. The woman raised an eyebrow and rolled the chair to the side, so the computer on the desk would shield her figure from the visitor.

She wasn't ready to explain why the Director's assistant was sitting comfortably in Team Manager Park's office chair.

While Joong-Gil was talking to the reaper, Chae-Yeong slightly peeked around the computer to better see the woman he was talking to. The moment, Chae-Yeong's eyes fell on the bright hair, she instantly recognized the reaper.

It was Jeon Bo-Yun. Chae-Yeong briefly remembered the woman when she was just a child, going through the trainings to become the reaper. Chae-Yeong didn't yet work in Jumadeong when the girl was brought here, but she remembered her from the trainings that the assistant was forced to monitor from time to time. Bo-Yun just like Chae-Yeong had decided to present herself a little older than she was when she died. For Bo-Yun was because sometimes souls get uncomfortable when they've been escorted by a child.

But for Chae-Yeong it was a completely different reason. She decided to appear a little bit older because whenever she looked into the mirror, she couldn't help but feel guilty. Chae-Yeong wasn't able to stare at the youthful features that stared back at her. Whenever she did, she felt as if she had betrayed that lively and always smiling girl by dying. By not being able to keep living as she wanted.