The Ninth Life of Min Yoon Gi

16.

"Ji Min. I know you're there."

Ji Min's form became clearer, standing beside Yoon Gi, his arms crossed. The kitchen was filled with the fragrant smell of haemuljeon and the heat from the frying pan. Yoon Gi wiped his hands on the kitchen towel and turned to face the restless spirit. He was relieved that Ji Min had returned. There had been a prickling at the back of his neck and his ears were twitching for a few minutes before he realized it was because he could sense the presence of a spirit.

"Why did you take the teapot?"

"I think there's a way," Yoon Gi ignored Ji Min's question, his eyes pleading. "To bring you back to life." The last word caught in his throat.

"It's not possible." Ji Min replied, frowning. "The dead stay dead."

"It is possible! There's a legend of a tea made from a Resurrection plant in a sacred pot that can make the drinker immortal and can bring spirits back to life. But it's not a legend! Ji Min--it's how I was cursed. Which means it is real. And if it can do this to me, that means it should be able to bring you back!"

Ji Min was shaking his head. He was aware of the curse on Yoon Gi, but not how it was done. "Even so, a teapot could easily be lost or--"

"The pot was at the temple!" Yoon Gi pulled the celadon teapot from the corner of the counter where he had safely stored it.

"Okay. But finding the plant--"

"Your garden." Yoon Gi said smugly. "Jimin identified it the other day. It's the real deal. And I took some of the petals and dried them. I'm going to make the tea, you're going to drink it, and you're coming back."

Ji Min's mouth was hanging open in disbelief. "Why all of a sudden are you trying to bring me back? What if I don't want to come back?"

"Don't want—Ji Min! Don't act like you're happy being Casper."

"I'm just a guide—" Ji Min tried to protest.

"The fuck you are! I remember. Not everything, not yet, but I know you me—" Yoon Gi's words were cut off by a sudden cough brought on by the smoke from his burning dinner.

"Shitu," Ji Min moved through Yoon Gi, who was doubled over from his coughing fit, to turn the stove off and remove the frying pan from the heat. He then went and propped the front door open, attempting to air out the apartment.

Yoon Gi made his way to the open door and gulped fresh air. His lungs were overly sensitive to the smoke and his nose wrinkled at the charred fragrance in the air. He leaned against the doorframe, eyes streaming from coughing, and looked at Ji Min who was anxiously watching him to make sure he was okay.

"If I—" he coughed. "If I make it, will you—"

"I'll drink it." Ji Min nodded.

*

"Are you sure it doesn't need to be blessed or anything?" Yoon Gi sprinkled the dried flowers into the teapot and then poured the boiling water over them. He replaced the lid on the pot and turned to Ji Min.

"All Hoseok would say is that you let it steep for thirteen minutes and six seconds," Ji Min replied as he started the timer.

"Okay... so... what should we do until then?" Yoon Gi nervously shoved his hands in his pockets.

"Umm..." Ji Min looked around the room for inspiration. "Would you play the piano? I used to love listening to you play."

Yoon Gi's ears perked up. He had heard that correctly, right? Because it sounded to him as though he and Ji Min used to spend time together—perhaps in his first life?