The Ninth Life of Min Yoon Gi

28.

At last, the time had come. Yoon Gi had spent the better part of the afternoon wandering around the town, trying to find a clock to watch. Since the little old lady at the corner open market didn't seem to mind him hanging around, Yoon Gi hopped up on the counter to have a good view of the television that was tuned to the news channel with a clock in the lower right hand corner. The frequent bits of chicken that the old lady kept feeding him was an added bonus.

When he looked at the clock again, Yoon Gi was startled to see it was already five minutes to six. He had let himself get distracted by chicken! Yoon Gi hurriedly jumped down from the counter and took off for the garden.

"Is it time?" Ji Min called out to the streak of black fur that zoomed past his spot under the garden's pavilion.

Ji Min appeared beside Yoon Gi, who was hurriedly gnawing his way through a branch of the resurrection plant.

Late, was all that Yoon Gi could manage.

"I can't believe this is happening," Ji Min allowed a bit of hope and excitement to fill his voice, a smile tugging at the side of his mouth.

"What is happening?"

Yoon Gi froze as the branch broke free in his mouth, the countdown starting. A shiver ran up his spine, his instincts recognizing the voice before his memory did. Ji Min whipped around, stepping to block the source of the voice from the view of Yoon Gi.

"Uh..." Ji Min wracked his brain for an answer that would make sense, but nothing came to mind. "That the garden is growing so well?" His response was more of a question than an answer.

"Ji Min..."

It was then that Yoon Gi saw the figure peak around Ji Min, making his stomach—and the branch—drop. Nam Joon.

"It's not what—" Ji Min tried to begin.

"I told you! You're not allowed to meddle in this human's affairs. Do not make me remove you." Nam Joon snapped his fingers and Ji Min suddenly vanished.

Yoon Gi's ears flattened against his head, a low growl growing in his chest.

"And you! Mortal," Nam Joon glared down at the hissing cat. "This. Is. Your. Last."

With those ominous words, the spirit vanished, leaving Yoon Gi alone in the garden.

Fuck!

Yoon Gi shook himself and scooped the branch into his mouth; he had wasted precious minutes. He didn't have time to break off a new branch if he was going to make it back in time to swap it for the banana tea. On top of that, he would have to find Ji Min again—this was going to be cutting it close. He could only hope that if Ji Min wasn't in the garden, he would be at the temple.

Readjusting his grip on the branch, he darted to the lake, drug the leaves through its water to wash them per Tae's instructions, and then set off back into town.

*

Okay, this is okay. I lost a little time dealing with that asshole spirit, but I'm still good. This is going to work.

He already felt like he was drawing on every last drop of energy he had in his body, but the adrenaline of pure hope kept Yoon Gi moving. He wasn't able to maintain his speed non-stop and found himself dropping into a trot more and more. A cat was not meant to stay awake this long!

If the townspeople thought it was weird to see a cat carrying a branch, they didn't say anything, though he was sure he caught some weird glances as he passed those on their way home from work.

Based on Yoon Gi's calculations, he wasn't going to make it to Jimin's in time. Not without taking a shortcut.

I have to risk it, Yoon Gi thought before turning down a side street.