It was during a Saturday afternoon in the early 1950’s when a woman, whose age didn’t seem

older than of those in their early 20’s, sat by the counter of a coffee shop ordering a coffee that
she would always indulge herself with whenever she would be there for a visit. It was frequent
yet counting the times that she had been to that place—or any place—doesn’t really matter to
her. She doesn’t find the enjoyment on counting what she could do over and over again.
Another woman on the counter who has been focused on drying the dishes put down everything
she’s holding and came up to the protagonist of the story to greet her—giving a small smile to
her co-worker that was on her way to make the coffee that was ordered from them.

“It is always nice to see you, Sowon.” The worker greeted with a smile on her face. She look a
little younger than the woman named Sowon, the protagonist whose age didn’t seem like older
than someone in her early 20’s, that no one would guess that she’s the manager of the coffee
shop meant only to be seen at a certain point of a person’s life.

Her whose name is Umji looked over what the silent woman was doing when the other refused
to give her a reply or to even acknowledge her presence. She chuckled when she has seen the
very reason that led her old friend to ignore everything around her; the girl was creating a paper
crane origami. Waiting up until the origami was perfectly done, Umji decided to watch Sowon
fold the paper with expertise and write a number on its body right after it’s done.

947

“A little more and you’ll finally complete it.” After finally regaining her senses, Sowon flinched at
the sudden voice that she didn’t notice before. The girl has her eyes wide as if she had seen a
ghost, a not too far off scenario with how expressionless Umji became in disbelief, which
caused her to feel fear. “You didn’t have to react like that just because you saw my face.”

“That’s not why. I was just surprised.”

Even before they could talk, Sowon’s drink arrived and her thoughts went back to the scene she
had previously witnessed before she made her way to the coffee shop. It was a situation she
would rather forget but was a little too prominent that she couldn’t do so. The almost clear color
of the drink became mirror like, enough to reflect the very thing she was trying to forget.

“What was it that left you as disturbed as this?”

“The man…” Sowon trailed off, not knowing how she would continue her story about the man
she had met earlier.

Umji who was all too familiar with it nodded her head in understanding, knowing exactly now
what troubles her sympathetic friend. Years of living doesn’t really make one numb from feeling
emotions whether for herself or for others, and Sowon is the prime example she could think of
for that. She leaned back, taking something from the cabinet under that counter before giving
Sowon a piece of pastry that she knows would help.
“I met him.” Umji explained, “He was right here before you came.”

“He’s really…”

“Terrible, yes.”

“That woman deserved more than what she’s gotten.”

If she had heard the comment way before she had met and understood how Sowon’s mind
works, she would have deemed it silly that the girl cares this much for someone she had never
met before—especially for someone who doesn’t need it any longer. But being acquainted far
too longer than she had originally expected, she had understood completely that the girl’s heart
has been carefully protected that it hasn’t been tainted by a sin that a person would have had at
a certain point.

“His guardian wasn’t with him.”

“What?”

“Only death was there.”

Umji looked at the untouched pastry and pointed at it, “You should at least take a bite.”

“But his guardian was there when I met him. The woman’s too—I mean—the woman’s guardian
was with her here, right?”

“Yes. The woman’s guardian was here with her.”

Before they could continue their conversation, there was the sound of chimes played along the
sound of the door of the shop opening. Then enters a thick black smoke with a lady who was
about the age of 60 years, walking clueless at the place she just entered. Finally, what followed
the two figures is the very thing that never stops causing amazement on Sowon’s mind, the
guardian angel whose wings are folded against his back. Knowing that it was time for her friend
to work, Sowon kept her mouth closed as she let Umji welcome the lady and the two
acquaintances sticking close to each other.

Sowon watched as Umji exchanged a few words with the two figures beside the lady before
finally talking to the one of interest at that moment. While doing so, Sowon took her time
drinking the coffee she ordered and took a bite of the pastry her friend has given her. Admitting
the fact that after tasting the sweetness of it made her feel lighter than just seconds before, she
let herself take another bite, and another, and a few more up until she finished everything. It
was then that Umji’s co-worker made her way towards Sowon, taking the empty dish in front of
the girl, bowing a little as sign of respect.

“Yuju…” called Sowon and the person who was still holding the empty plate stopped right in that
instant to face her with a curious look. “I’m just curious, how long have you been helping here?”
“60 years human time.” Yuju answered in clarity, not wanting to confuse the friend of her
superior with how time works differently for two different worlds. Learning only to answer and not
ask questions wanting to learn none of the other’s businesses, Yuju didn’t speak or question
why the friend of her superior asked her such question.

“We’ve known each other ever since then, right?”

“I believe so, yes.”

“Can you act more comfortably and less stiff with me then?” asked Sowon awkwardly, never
going to get used to people—spirits—that she has been acquainted closely with to treat her as if
she was a stranger they just met.

“It would be something I’ll work on.”

“That’s good enough, I guess.”

“Yes. Excuse me.”

Going back to her work, Yuju has left Sowon alone in her seat, giving the girl the time to look at
Umji and the three newcomers as their conversation comes to an end. The lady cries as the
guardian angel took her in his arms, soothing the woman he had watched over the whole of her
lifetime, witnessing how good the lady had lived not only for herself but also to her family and
others; being someone who had conducted lots of charities to help those who needs it. Sowon
saw death and Umji waiting until the angel and the lady are calmed after helping her accept that
she has now become a soul and that she has to come with death as they pass to the other
world.

The lady sat in silence without looking at anyone, lost in her thoughts as she remembered her
whole life. Having no regrets with how she lived her life; thinking about how her children grew up
to be well respected and happy people, and her husband being loved by her truly without any
condition, she was able to happily accept the fact that she has passed on. Raising her head,
Sowon saw a smile on the lady’s lips as she accepted the cup of tea Umji offered her.

That was the time that Sowon witnessed how the 60 year old lady’s wrinkles slowly
disappeared, her white hairs turning into black, and her face and body grown back its youth that
has disappeared from her years of living on earth. Umji opened the door by the end of the
coffee shop, letting death guide the lady towards the afterlife and the guardian angel faintly
disappeared back to his home without bidding any of them a good bye. Sowon smiled and
wondered where the young soul would be taken, not knowing when she will see it for herself.
She looked down on the paper she placed safely on the counter earlier, the number 947 written
on it.

A little more, she reassured herself, hoping to complete her resolution and finally have her wish
come true.
---

Carpe Diem ​is the place for souls to get judgment before they could proceed to the afterlife. It
was what humans call the purgatory; where souls goes to before they go to either heaven or
hell. But there was no such thing as heaven nor hell for souls of humans. In truth, the other
world that human calls heaven is what the angels call their home before they’re assigned to the
humans they would look after while hell is where death lives. Those who have seen the ultimate
truth will know that there was no such thing as good or evil for souls that came from the human
world, but that doesn’t eliminate the concept of right or wrong for to them whose life are unseen
by humans there are still rules that are set not to be broken.

Umji, for thousands of years, had witnessed countless souls who either get to be reincarnated
or becomes something of the past—a history of which no one would remember. The souls
forsaken and abused by their own selves, those are the one who has no chance of getting
reincarnated.

An example of this was the man whose guardian angel was so broken that he couldn’t attend
the judgment of the soul he had look after for decades. The man, when he was alive, was no
less than a monster in human’s eyes, committing sins against his own race; drugs, kidnapping,
abusing his wife who only wanted to be loved eventually killing her because of too much
suffering, Umji had seen by then why the man’s guardian angel was so broken and
embarrassed to show himself. You see, angels have their own pride and goals; they wanted
their humans to be of the best kind but having no right to control their actions except giving them
guide on what they should and shouldn’t do, humans had proven themselves able to have a
divine creature forsake them.

Of course angels aren’t to be blamed in the end, not when it was already out of their
responsibility once a human dies. It was out of respect and bond they have formed with their
humans which is why a lot would still guide the souls to ​Carpe Diem ​when all of the
responsibility has been passed to death.

Now talking about death was not best for most humans, scared of the unknown that was waiting
for them once the life that was gifted to them has reached its time limit. But to some who knew
and had more than a little knowledge of what the afterlife really is like, death is not too trivial and
it serves as the reminder of end in everything. It wasn’t such a bad thing for them to know that
everything has an end, especially for time that humans are bound to take for granted.

And normally, as Umji would have described it for herself, no human would have known nor
have the tiniest idea of what it’s really like beyond their warm skin and breaths as they walk on
the vast space of the human world, but it was not until she met Sowon that she had proven
some sort of a wonder that she has never seen before.

On the first day she met Sowon, it was when the girl first entered the coffee shop drenched
under the rain with her bag wrapped in her arms tightly against her stomach as if to protect its
contents from getting wet from the rain. The very moment that the girl showed up became the
very mystery in Umji’s mind for no humans could ever see that place moreover to be able to
enter it. But there she was, a soul inside a human body, and moreover, there was no sign of the
person’s guardian angel nor death shadowing over her. No, it was only the soul and its body
that has entered the place that no human had ever been to.

Even more, what surprised Umji was how clueless the girl was as she sat on a vacant chair
before calling for her. Sowon smiling innocently as if there was no fallacy in the event of her, a
human, and Umji, the arbitrator of souls that supposed to enter the afterlife, meeting in the
middle in no normal circumstance.

“I’d like to order a coffee, please.” Sowon politely asked, still without any clue of what that place
is and exactly for what it exists for. What comes as an oddity for Umji was that before she could
speak, then comes another soul that was about to pass to the afterlife, together with death and
its guardian angel, but the appearance didn’t scare nor intimidated Sowon one bit. “Ah, it
happened again.”

“What?” Umji breathed out in confusion, surprising even herself for not knowing what was
happening when previously she had thought that she had seen everything that could be seen in
the world—both humans and spiritual creatures alike.

“I’m sorry, it happens a lot of time. You see, I get easily confused whether I’ve met or facing
humans or spirits. Oh please don’t look at me like that—I just—it’s hard to tell.” Sowon bit her
lower lip, only realizing in the end that she might have mistaken the one in front of her as
something she’s not. It was countless of time that she has mistaken a person for a spirit and
vice versa, deeming herself some kind of a klutz when it comes to interacting with others. Trying
to be careful, Sowon asked, “Please correct me if I’m wrong, but you’re no human, are you?”

“I’m not.”

“Ah, right. That’s a relief.”

“What?”

“Oh—no—I mean, don’t misunderstand.” Umji couldn’t even say that there’s nothing that makes
sense for her to even start having any kind of understanding or misunderstanding in the
situation. She’s all too confused and clueless with the sudden appearance of a human in a
place like that. “It’s just… whenever I’ve mistaken a human to be… well, not really as one,
there’s no way to explain to them.”

---

It was probably the scariest feeling for a young child, Sowon confirmed, to see death, in all its
splendor, reaching for you to guide your soul out of your body—slow and careful to take your life
away. Even in her young mind Sowon can already understand that it was her time to give up life
as the creator wants it back.
She remembers her mother telling her that life has a purpose, and that death would only come
to those who had fulfilled that same purpose for being given life. What she doesn’t know was
what could be a young person like her have done to complete her mission when death is
already standing in front of her, ready to take her life away.

Sowon still wanted to live, she refuses to believe that there’s nothing more she could live for and
that it’s her time. But to escape death was too farfetched and she knew it to be something
impossible. After all, she was only human.

Seeing the eye of death made her motionless, only sitting on the ground of the playground she
had innocently decided to go to an hour ago after seeing and being enticed by the empty tire
swing that a young mind like hers found similar to a treasure. She wanted to play, unlike her
friends who had all gone in the comfort of their homes that afternoon.

She was alone, and she was about to die.

It started to dawn on her and the nearer death goes to her, the more fear starts to consume her.
She started crying, only seeing how everything starts to grow dark. It was when death finally
had gotten the chance to touch her that suddenly he was chased away, and Sowon started
seeing light, with warm arms wrapped protectively around her small shoulders and huge
widespread wings filling her vision.

Sowon felt safe.

She knew she was.

---

“Here’s your coffee. I hope you’ll have a nice day.”

“Yuju, really, there’s no improvement with our relationship ever since the last time we’ve talked.”
Sowon shakes her head, still adamant with making Yuju be more comfortable in her presence
just as much as Umji was. “It’s been years since then.”

“Five years to be exact.” Another voice interrupted, and Yuju excused at the entry of the owner
of the shop, giving a not-so-needed bow to the one frowning at the lack of improvement (as
she’s said before) with her and the worker’s relationship. Umji sat on the stool behind the bar,
giving her friend a small smile. “It’s been a while.”

“There was a bit lacking of soul that needs help.” Sowon said, explaining the lack of her
presence for the past five years (human time, as they’re more used to refer to its time when they
talk). “Quite frankly, I know I should be delighted for them.” She sighed, feeling guilty for the
selfish thoughts she has. “I just want to complete it.”

“You will. I’m sure you will.”

953

Sowon doesn’t know how long she still has to wait before she can reach her goal, and she
knows that patience is something she should have learned a long time ago, but still there’s a
part of her that couldn’t stop wishing for her wait to finally end. All she wants was to finally
complete her purpose, whatever it may be.

Then she noticed someone, a lone soul that she had not noticed ever since she had entered the
shop. The soul was of a girl, sitting by the far end of the shop where a perfect cushioned sofa
was located at. It was a very fancy place after all, and Sowon has gotten the explanation that it
was like that to make souls feel more welcomed in their short stay before meeting their final fate.

She saw Yuju going to where this soul is, offering another kind of tea and a set of pastries that
surprised Sowon. It was a rare event for Umji to allow a soul to receive something else from the
usual.

“Her name’s Eunha.” Said Umji, as if knowing exactly what’s going on inside Sowon’s head.
“She… well, she asked to stay for a while more.” Hearing that was not something Sowon is
used to hear. Because she knows how strict Umji is no matter what the situation was, she
doesn’t know how much debate had happened and how Eunha made the other yield to her
request. “She’s been here for two years.”

“How come?”

“Hmm… she said it’s something very important.”

---

It was right after Sowon helped the 960​th soul when she met this girl named Sinbi. A rather
surprised meeting for the girl showed up in the gallery Sowon owns, looking around at first
before stopping right in front of Sowon as if she found what she was looking for in the form of
the latter—a big smile greeting her sheepishly.

“May I help you?” asked Sowon, wary of the girl whose stare doesn’t waver. She was too
conscious, not really fond of getting stared at, especially by strangers. It would always lead to
her getting flustered.

“The name’s Sinbi.” The girl introduced herself, standing straight still with the smile lingering on
her lips. Sowon could feel heat running through her stomach, leaving her warm just by the
simple gesture of the other girl. It was weird, but she refuse to acknowledge those feelings too
much. “For your question… I’m not really sure.”

“Ah, I see. Well then, it’s nice to meet you, Ms. Sinbi. I hope you’ll find something you like in this
gallery. Please excuse me.”

“Wait, Sowon.”
Sowon stopped in her tracks, shocked with the fact that the other girl knew her name. Sinbi
wasn’t a regular in the gallery and she knows that even those that are the most frequent there
doesn’t know her nor her name. She had learned not to get attached to any humans and
lessened her interactions with them, avoiding any problems that might occur in a possible event
that they’ll know her secret.

“How did you know my name?”

“Some of us does.”

“What?”

Then it clicked to Sowon, this girl, Sinbi, is another soul that was left in the human world. It
wasn’t common nor rare; in fact, a quarter of souls she had helped before are ones that are left
in the human world after getting lost or abandoned by their guardian angel and death. But it was
usually by chance that Sowon would find them: any other souls that she had helped are mostly
souls who wants to send a message to the loved ones they left in the human world.

It was the first time that she has encountered a soul by getting searched for.

“So, you already have an idea of what I am?”

Sowon only nodded her head to answer the question. She immediately look around to see if
anyone was around to see her, not wanting to cause any whispers about her talking to a wind if
ever a human witness her talking to Sinbi. After all, not everyone was like her who can see
souls and other beings. Thankfully, there was not much around and the few people who are
there are too busy in their own worlds.

Wanting to have privacy, Sowon gestured for Sinbi to follow her as she made her way to the
back of the gallery. She took a key from her pocket and opened a door that showed the two of
them to a narrow hall, walking straight before taking a turn to the right at the end of it, reaching
another room where Sowon used another key to open the door. She locked the room as soon
as Sinbi entered after her.

“Please don’t open that door.” Sowon immediately said when she saw Sinbi looking around
before attempting to open a door located not too far from where her table is. “That’s private.”

Sinbi only smiled, taking a step away as the other wishes. She then took a sit on the table, not
feeling any slight discomfort in the presence of a stranger like any other souls Sowon had met.
In between being careful and awkward, Sowon set off to walk towards the empty chair near
Sinbi, sitting on it to make herself more comfortable before speaking.

“So really, what can I help you with?”

“Nothing in particular.”
“What do you mean?” Sowon asked, having never ending questions with the confusing soul she
had met. “I mean, I don’t want to seem impolite but why else would you look for me?”

“Good question.”

“So?”

“I don’t really have any good answer right now.” Sinbi said, her thumb tracing the edge of the
table, refusing to look at the other girl whose eyes are fixed on her. A small smile crept on
Sinbi’s face when she noticed a paper laying on the table beside a crane origami. “Why don’t I
stay for a while until I can answer you?”

“I find this quite absurd, and I couldn’t let you do that.”

But the words Sowon said fell on deaf ears, Sinbi blatantly ignoring what she’s said as she
picked up the paper crane on the table, playing with it as she raised it up and observed how the
fluorescent light made the figure more prominent in her eyes. Sowon, not a fan of others
touching her things, stepped forward to retrieve the paper crane from Sinbi’s hands, the latter
not flinching and instead smiled wider with never ending excitement in her eyes.

“Ms. Sinbi, look.” Sowon sighed, not knowing what she should feel with the other girl being
nonchalant and acting even more comfortable in that place compared to Sowon herself. It
doesn’t make any sense for Sowon. “I don’t know your agenda for looking for me and why, but
you can’t stay with me.”

“Why?”

“Because I don’t know you.”

“I told you, I’m Sinbi.” Sowon felt frustration. Sinbi was amused. One doesn’t know what else to
say while the other, with her thin lips pressed tightly, didn’t look away. When she saw Sowon
being conflicted with herself, Sinbi took it upon herself to speak something that the other would
definitely understand. “I want to help you.”

Or so she thought.

Because Sowon was more confused than ever and she doesn’t know what she should think of
this situation—and Sinbi—in general.

“A thousand paper cranes.” Sinbi said, catching Sowon in another surprise. “I’ll help you
complete it.”

“How did—”

“I told you,” Sinbi cut off even before could ask her the question, “some of us know.”

---
“Are you really going to follow me wherever?

“Yes.”

“Don’t you get tired of tailing behind me?”

“No.”

“I want to go on my own.”

“I told you I’m going to help you.”

“I’m not asking for your help. I have been doing this ​alone​ for the past century.”

“Doesn’t mean you can’t start accepting help from the likes of me.”

“Why are you doing this?”

“…”

“You can’t even answer yet you’re so adamant on saying you’ll​ help​ me.”

“What’s your reason for wanting to complete a thousand paper cranes?”

“…”

“See, you’re the same as me. We both have our reasons, let it be known at the right time.”

“Fine. It’s not like I can stop you.”

---

Sowon met the 968​th soul right after she helped the 967​th that was found by Sinbi. For this one,
she’s got to admit, it was the first time it has ever happened to her; to find a soul as soon as she
did and she had to confess that it was because of Sinbi that it happened. The girl disappeared
for half a day and came back holding the hand of a lost young soul about the age of 13 at most,
holding the girl’s hand with a frown on her face. Sinbi only explained how irresponsible death
was after removing the soul from the girl’s body; a soul as young as this one shouldn’t be left
alone, Sinbi told her. The two of them helped the young soul find death that was looking for her,
Sinbi only watching as Sowon pointed the girl to where the shapeless creature is as soon as
she found it. They never let death see them in return.

Now, the 968​th soul, whose name it used to have was Jun Hee, was an older soul. She was 35,
at least, and Sowon already know the reason of her death by seeing the girl’s broken guardian
angel. The angel was standing by the soul’s side, holding the poor soul while death surrounds
her like smoke.
The cause of death wasn’t uncommon, yet what Sowon couldn’t understand is how a lot of
people ignore its existence until it gets someone close to them. It’s as if it’s a myth that would
only come in reality when it was too late.

Sowon and Sinbi are only watching from afar in the hospital lobby but the two of them witnessed
how an angel weep for the soul and how death seems too adamant on not letting it go. There
was the familiar pinch in Sowon’s heart watching the soul as if it’s waiting for someone, looking
by the entrance, refusing to follow death from where it’s pulling her.

“I don’t know how we can be of help to her, Sinbi.” Sowon confessed, because even with how
much she has lived her life, she still doesn’t know everything there is to know. “What can we do
to help?”

“Do you know the misconception about the soul and its body?”

“Misconception?”

“They said a human can be free of its emotions and suffering once they passed. But they didn’t
know that it was the soul that could feel everything and the body was simply its temporary home
that reacts to its emotions in this world. But at the same time, it was what limits a soul from
being free among a lot of other reasons human society created.”

“What are you trying to say?”

“Souls don’t forget what it’s like to love someone, or to long for love.” Sinbi said, looking at
Sowon whose sympathy and affection for Jun Hee grows as she weep on her own. “Emotions
are still a part of them.”

“Then what difference does dying make?”

“There was no judgment.” Sowon was surprised as she could hear the melancholy that brood
with Sinbi’s words. “Souls like them are free to feel their emotions.”

Still trying to make sense of what happened, Sowon stayed on her spot to observe together with
Sinbi. She wanted to know why is it that the latter would take her there when it was obvious that
the soul has its guardian and death with her. It has been more than an hour that she and Sinbi
stood there waiting, with her still clueless why the girl refuses to leave.

“Sinbi, there’s obviously nothing for us to do here.”

Sowon tried to make it clear to her companion but Sinbi still stood on her place, shaking her
head and with determination to stay no matter how much she tries to convince her otherwise.
The latter pointing out to the soul who remained standing no matter how much death and its
guardian ask her to go with them. It was a matter of time before Sowon saw the angel slowly
disappearing out of its will, and death giving up on taking the soul with it.
As if on cue, Sinbi finally gave her a reason for staying. “There’s a limited time for angels to stay
on earth once their human dies.” She started, surprising Sowon in the girl’s knowledge with
those creatures. “Death, on the other hand, wouldn’t stay for long if souls like that adamantly
refuses to go with them.”

“How—“ Sowon wanted to ask how Sinbi would have known, when no one, not even Umji nor
Yuju, had ever mentioned to her that such things are possible. Yet she stopped herself, only
staring at the back of Sinbi’s head thinking that probably, she was the same with the 968​th soul.
It breaks her heart to think like that, especially the thought of her soul companion having went
through the same experience of Jun Hee.

Sowon came to the conclusion that the reason why Sinbi refuses to leave was because she
could understand how lonely it could be for souls like Jun Hee to be alone. Only for it to be a
solid fact for her when Sinbi, without another word, started making her way to the soul now
standing near the door to watch over her body motionless on the large metal table of the
mortuary. Sowon followed in silence, standing behind her friend when the two of them had
gotten Jun Hee’s attention.

“Who are you?”

“My name’s Sowon and my friend here is Sinbi.” Sowon started, feeling a little awkward now that
she’s come face to face with the woman. Then came to her was the reminder that she doesn’t
know exactly why she is there except for the fact that Sinbi told her that this soul needs help and
she couldn’t leave because of that. “We’re here to—“

“To accompany you.” Sinbi finished for her. Sowon didn’t have any qualms about it, hearing how
it sounded better than her usual: we’re here to help, when knowing it to herself that she doesn’t
know what it is that she could help with.

“W-What?”

The soul was surprised at what she’s heard and she wanted to ask more but before she could
dwell more on her first question, she noticed something unbelievable that got her full attention.
Sowon, who had seen the look she has given a lot of time before, went forward and stand right
in front of the soul.

“Y-You’re alive?”

“Ah, yes I am. I can see and talk to souls… like you.”

Sowon explained to her the same way she had explained a lot of souls and other creatures she
had met before; she’s a human, except she couldn’t die because once upon a time death wasn’t
able to kiss her life away. She has seen others be envious of her only for her to keep to herself
how it was far from being a gift as to live for eternity was a curse put on her for her sin of
escaping death.
They spent hours and hours together, Sowon telling one of the assistant who went to talk to her
how the girl was related to her. Giving a story believable enough that they agreed for her to be
the one to arrange the memorial service and the funeral.

“I have no more family and I don’t have any more relatives I’m close with.” She remembered Jun
Hee telling her and she understands how lonely and sad it felt. To be alone, without anyone who
you can turn to, Sowon can understand how painful it could be.

Sowon shook away every thoughts she has, going back to Sinbi and Jun Hee she had left an
hour ago to arrange everything. When she explained to the two what happened, she saw Jun
Hee’s eyes widening in surprise and she stared at her, as if she couldn’t believe what she’s
heard; she couldn’t believe that someone would do that for her. She started to weep, and Sinbi
held her in her arms to give comfort to the tormented soul that finds herself thankful of the
person in front of her.

“Thank you.” Jun Hee said, and she would have hugged Sowon if it’s not for a fact that a soul
like her can never touch the living. “Thank you so much.”

---

“Are you sure you won’t come with us?” Sowon asked, looking at Sinbi who shook her head as
she made herself comfortable in Sowon’s office, the same place the girl took her a few months
ago.

It has been a few days since Sinbi and Sowon had helped Jun Hee and now it was time for the
latter to be taken to Carpe Diem with Sowon’s help, knowing exactly where to find it when she
wants to. After all, she’s not a stranger to the manager of the place. They are about to make
their way when Sinbi backed off the last second and volunteered to look after the gallery while
they’re gone.

“I am.” Sinbi answered Sowon’s question with a small smile etched on her thin lips. “I’ll see you
later. And Jun Hee,” She said directed to the soul who sent her a smile in return, “it’s a pleasure
to meet you.”

“You too, Sinbi.” Jun Hee replied before asking a question she’s been wanting to ask since
before. “But you… when will it be your turn?”

Sowon, like Jun Hee, waited for an answer that didn’t come. Because Sinbi only shook her head
before taking a step closer to the now free soul, patting her arm gently before saying, “Take
care on your journey.”

---

Sowon had found herself a habit of looking behind her ever since that one fateful day of her time
seeing death eye to eye, fear staying deep in her that death would return and nothing would
stop it from taking her this time. Yet, more than death, what she wanted to see was the owner of
the wings that protected her before. It has been a year since then, and she doesn’t understand
why unlike any other people that has angels and death tailing them, her back always looks
empty.

The only thing that reminds her that once she also had a guardian angel, was the image of its
wings that Sowon claims to be the most beautiful thing she’s witnessed. That’s why, she has
given herself a goal to find the angel she’s lost.

On her 32​nd birthday, Sowon wouldn’t forget how it was the time she realized that there’s
something that’s not right. Almost all of her relatives had commented how she didn’t look a day
older when she was 20 and she had only answered them in the same way she had answered
people who questioned her age and avoided everything that seems suspicious and out of
ordinary. After that day, Sowon decided to set on a journey alone, trying to find an answer on
what has happened to her.

It took her years on her journey having to receive no answers to her endless question that on
her return to her family in her 40​th birthday, she couldn’t explain to them why when everyone
had grown with time, Sowon remained the same. It became their family secret, only to be left to
Sowon alone when she’s left by every one that she’s come to know as they reach the end of
their life while Sowon was forced to stay in the middle.

There were instances that she’s wanted to be close to someone, to be able to form a
relationship that she wants to last, but ultimately convincing herself otherwise knowing that
there’s nothing yet that she could do because of her fate.

During those years, she never lost her habit to look behind her; more and more she’s wishing to
see the shadow that she was once scared of.

---

“Where is Umji?”

“She’s taken a short leave.”

“Leave? Since when?”

“A year ago, human time.”

“I don’t understand, Yuju. Why would Umji take a leave?”

“I’m afraid I can’t answer that. She’s never stated her reason and I’m in no position to ask.”

“But how could that be? What about her work here?”

“She had appointed me to be a temporary arbitrator until she’s back.”

“When did she say she’ll be back?”

“I’m afraid I don’t have the answer to that.”

“…”

“…”

“I guess, I’ll come back again some other time. Thank you, Yuju.”

---

“You look bothered.”

It was silence that has met Sinbi even after her attempt to talk to Sowon who was still lost in her
thoughts. She waited, curious to what it could be that the girl is so deep in trance for.