𝐆𝐡𝐨𝐬𝐭 • ᵐⁱⁿˢᵘⁿᵍ

The Bridge 14.3

"T-t-then that day..." Minho struggles to speak through his tears. He already knows the answer, but he needs to hear it. "... when you left... it was to see... him?" His voice drifts off at the end as he gets ready to accept the truth.

Chan nods, "I should've broken up with you and left. That way you would never have had to go through all this. I'm sorry."

"What, no!" Minho shakes Chan's hand off, his eyes switching to the reaper standing behind, "It's fate." Minho whispers. It feels weird to say something is going to happen no matter what you do to try and prevent it.

Hyunjin's words from earlier about how Chan would've died if Minho didn't meet him repeat in the human's mind. Minho now understands what it all means—it's Chan's time to go, and Minho's time to let him go. "I love you, Chan Christopher Bang." Minho attempts to smile as he leaves a peck on the other's lip.

Chan leans forwards, eyes closed, as he reaches for more of Minho's touch but Hyunjin keeps him in place. Opening his eyes to plea, Chan's met with Minho's sympathetic eyes. "I love you too, Lee Minho." Chan chokes up. It's now all coming to an end. "In life and in death." He adds, giving Minho's hands one last squeeze.

"Come on now," Hyunjin says, emotionless as he pulls Chan away. "You need to go before I get in any more trouble for failing to capture your soul."

With his head low, Chan walks away with the reaper who granted him the chance to goodbye. He feels a lightness comes across his body as if he could fly away. Chan smiles weakly to himself as he starts to turn transparent, continuing his journey to the Afterlife.

Minho watches with a final tear rolling down his cheek. He's becoming numb from the large use of emotions.

Hyunjin stands a few metres away from Minho, back turned and alone. "We have some things to discuss." He says, his voice deep and hollow.

"Yeah?" Minho wipes the tear away. "I think we do." He tries to scoff but it comes out like a pathetic laugh.

The reaper turns around and makes his way towards the human, cloak flowing behind like the water in a stream. Stopping a few steps before them, Hyunjin lets out a sigh. "I need you to do something for me." Hyunjin knows that what he needs to be done, he can't do himself and must ask Minho for assistance. Well, it's more of an order than asking for help.

"And what do I get out of it? Because lately you only seem to want to cause me pain." Minho mumbles with his gaze on his feet.

"I can bring you peace. I know you're not actually going to let me erase those memories and I will accept your wish. Yet, I also know that those memories are going to eat away at you. They're going to cause you the same pain they caused Chan." Hyunjin places a hand on Minho's shoulder and lowers himself to be at eye level. "So, when you come back to me, begging on your knees for them to be gone, for everything to be gone, I will be there."

Minho meets the reaper's eyes, "What do you need me to do?"

"That's more like it." Hyunjin smirks as his back straightens, "I need you to help the ghost who lives in the house. I need you to discover his past, find the truth and set him free. He's suffered for long enough. I think the price of what I'm asking for is fair when compared to yours."

Contemplating, Minho decides to agree—he doesn't actually have a choice. "Very well then."

"Shall we?" Hyunjin asks, his hand outstretched for him and the human to return to the house.