Eternal life

Chapter 24

'What happened?' Young Saeng whispered quietly, as he didn't want to interrupt her. He wanted to keep listening to her voice.

'Oh... Well, I remember the roof... But the next memory of mine is from funeral house... I just... Stayed here.'

'Just... stayed? Say it all.'

'Umm... You see, firstly I was wandering around and couldn't understand what happened, why no one hears me. I didn't feel anything. I couldn't even sit without falling down. Being able to do that costs me a lot of focus. Also when I want to go somewhere, be somewhere, I have to stick to thinking about existing... Otherwise I wander off, don't know where, but the time is not present there... But still I'm coming back to this world, not somewhere else... So in the begging I was stunned, crying for help, felt as everything around was so cold, every one of you I saw, ignored me. I came back to the funeral house and finally faced someone! She was a shaman and sometimes wandered around places like that to look for... lost souls like mine. So thankfully se explained what am I.'

'And... you're a ghost...'

'Yes. Pretty weak one, you see. It means that I was assumedly supposed to go further, but something keeps me here. Ms. Shaman told me, that it probably is some unfinished business. When it's done, I can go.'

'What it is? This thing.'

'Well, I gave it a thought and only thing, that came to my mind was giving my brother money I saved for him. And for that I need help.'

'So this shaman will help you?'

'What? I mean, yeah, she said she'll, but I have to wait, because I'm not the one and only ghost she's helping. She just told that I could wander around. So I did and watched everyone... It was harsh, after the accident, wasn't it?'

Young Saeng looked at his hand, then around, at all the trash that piled up. 'Harsh... it's not enough...'

'Umm, so yeah... I saw it. But now you can see me, right? So you can help me, I don't have to wait for her!' Aeri regained her enthusiasm and pointed at him with hope in her voice.

He avoided looking at her, but finally did it. His expression what full of sadness but also relief. 'I don't know how to do any rituals...'

'No! It's not a ritual. You just have to pass something that I simply can't. That's all.' He looked at her puzzled. 'Ok, so, right after I took you here, Jisoo talked with me and scared me, that you're going to steal my stuff. I believed her.'

Young Saeng opened his mouth to protest, but Aeri continued. 'Well, she can be really convincing. As I didn't have here almost anything I would value as precious, I only focused on one thing. I was saving money for Yejun's studies, on separate back account. The book for it, you see, I hid it. And, as I didn't expect to die like that, well, I didn't tell anyone about the account itself or where I hid it. You just have to take it and pass to him. Please.'

'And after that...?'

She took a deep breath. 'I will rest in peace.'

Young Saeng nodded. Then he remembered one more thing, that kept bugging him all the time. 'Why you're not mad at me?'

'What? Why would I?'

'You left everyone because of me!'

'Young Saeng, calm down. Umm... My emotions right now are almost absent. I don't especially feel neither sadness or anger. I just... think. And I'm sure, that nothing of this misery happened because of you. I've trusted you, and I still am doing that. I was killed by mad man, not by you.'

'But all those things he said about me...'

'Well, isn't it what madness is about?'

He hid his face in his palms, as again a wave of sadness rushed through his mind. 'I hurt you... I hurt your significant ones...'

'Young Saeng, please, don't torture yourself. What's done is done. It's hard right now, but it'll get better. All people I know are strong, they will overcome it. And it was not you, I'll repeat that! If I would resent you, would I be here looking at you having nightmares and worrying all over? I would curse you, not try to console you.'

'Why me?'

'I don't know. Weird things happened, you know that. Let's just use it as a help for me.'

He kept letting those dark thoughts wander around. 'Your brother needs you so much.'

'I wish I could talk with him, but this much must be enough. Maybe it's even better. He might not be in ability to let me go.'

'I'm not either.'

She smiled. Aeri was looking at him as the time she was already dead passed and she was surprised how much this man got used to her. She had to comfort him. 'Your life just begun, your heart is going to be lighter after that. Will you help me?'

He nodded. 'If it's for your good then always.'

'It's only for good. Now, let's go.' She stood up and flew a bit into the air, what shocked Young Saeng. Then she calmed down and started to walk normally. 'Sorry, I still can't control it fully.'

He shook his head, stood up and headed to exit. Aeri shouted after him. 'Wait, where are you going?'

He indicated the door. 'To help you, you just asked.'

'But looking like that?!' She pointed at him. He took few steps back and looked into the mirror. His face was still in blood, now dried, his nose swollen as well his eyes. He didn't shave for those two weeks, so the blood was also stuck in the beard.

He snapped his fingers at his appearance. 'But it's for your good...'

'I've waited until now, I can wait a little bit more. Now go on, take care of yourself. Didn't Jisoo told you today you stink?'

'You've been here that time?'

'I followed her yesterday, but after seeing you, I stayed here. Tell me, why don't you sleep on my bed? I much more comfortable.'

This time he was looking as he was offended. 'It's your room! Your private place!'

'As if I would ever use it again. Later call Jisoo to take my stuff, if that's you're worried about and then move onto the bed. I see as you suffer on the couch.'

He again hung his head low. 'I don't suffer because of the couch...'

But she wanted to change the subject. 'Ah, yeah, the hand. I will tell you how to handle that after you shower.'

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