Death's Bow (Golden Child TAG X Female OC)

Ch. 11: The Exposed Expired Soul

The next day, Hyunjin arrives back in the district, filled with worry and concern for his friend and going straight to her family house as a result. One would wonder why he didn't just teleport since it's easier and he can just do that as a Messenger, but perhaps he had just gotten way too used to the life of humans that he forgot he could do that...

Until he runs into another of his kind on the way.

"Strange seeing a Messenger running when he's in a rush instead of just teleporting."

"Gah!" Hyunjin screams as he stops running and faces who had just talked to him. And as he does, he sees a white-eyed Messenger smiling slyly after he had just teleported himself at Hyunjin's side.

Murder hums in his contentment of having successfully scared this certain higher Messenger again. He seems rather happy, even, as he observes his fellow Messenger fumble over and over as he tried to fix himself, before Hyunjin eventually frowns at him.

"Minho... what are you even doing here? I thought you had a shop to watch over?"

"Well, it ends up being boring just sitting and waiting there all day, you know? And besides, I'd rather be out on a walk instead of dealing with Alice if she ever chooses to come unannounced again." Minho gestures ahead of him, inviting Hyunjin to accompany him for his walk. The latter hesitates, and Minho notices before he raises his brow upon realizing the reason why. "Oh, don't worry about that human friend of yours. I can assure you, her 'guardian' is doing a wonderful job protecting her."

Hyunjin's eyes widen at what he was just told, before he looks at Minho amd furrows his brows. "Wait a minute, you know about... Suyeon?"

Minho smiles before he nods carelessly. "I met her for the first time last night. She was close to being captured, but I can bet Alice was much closer to death than that human was."

"... 'Alice'... Wait, you mean Alice Kang?! That hot-tempered reaper?!" Hyunjin's agitation worsens at the news. "Then that means I really have to go because who knows if she'll come back for Suyeon!" He begins to walk away faster, but is ultimately stopped and pulled back when Minho grabs him by the back of his collar. "Ack!"

"I told you," Minho then speaks with a slight hint of malevolence as he pulls Hyunjin close. "Suyeon is safe because Death is watching over her. And besides, Alice has matters of her own to handle so why don't you join me on my walk so we can talk about matters you'll need to know?"

Hyunjin freezes in fear for a moment, before he grimaces upon realizing that he'll really have no escape from this fellow Messenger of his. Eventually, he slowly takes a few steps back until he's standing right beside Minho. And that's when the latter finally lets him go.

"Wonderful! Now, don't you think you need to take a relaxing walk for the meantime, too? Especially seeing how restless you must have been with college and that human with the Expired Soul..."

"I mean, you can just call her Suyeon..." Hyunjin mumbles under his breath as he purses his lips while looking away. Still, it was loud enough for Minho to hear, and he laughs in response, making Hyunjin look back at him.

"Right... If I call Alice and Ricky by their names, I should at least do the same for your friend, no?"

"... Who's Ricky?" Hyunjin then asks with furrowed brows upon hearing a new name.

Minho takes a pause before answering, keeping a calm smile on his face as they take a few steps more as he thinks. And then he speaks with a suspiciously light tone. "That would be Alice's matters as of now..."

Hyunjin opens his mouth to ask another question, but then Minho beats him to it as he mentions Suyeon once again.

"But that wouldn't be what should be bothering you now, no? After all, you have Suyeon to take care of, too. Which is exactly why I came to find you!"