Another Tale Of A Nine Tailed

Chapter 18: Seven Days

"How do I know you don't trick me..."

"We'll both sign a contract. I found you before, but you didn't want to take the deal. You didn't want to be reborn as anything. Still.. here you are. What you need to be reborn as a Gumiho, you have it in you. I'll make it happen. It's a one time deal. I can do it only once. If I break the contract, I will die immediately.
Song Woo Bin... You have to decide now. You must have a purpose in this world. That's why you're still here."

"How many years do I have left? Do you know?"

The fairy touched his arm lightly, closed her eyes and breathed in deeply.

"48." she said and he frowned.
"Wait... I won't even reach 80? 48 years... Yi Jeong is supposed to live hundreds of years... not 48 more..."

"You already made your decision haven't you?"

Woo Bin saw glowing lines appearing in the air, swirling around in front of his eyes until they ended up in the shape of a paper. The letters appeared the same way, whirling around like a little tornado, then they rested on the paper.

Song Woo Bin is agreeing to trade his remaining years for being reborn as a Gumiho in the current time. Misery is assuring his wish will be granted right after she received his full life-span, or she will die on the spot.

Misery signed first, just with her fingertip.

Woo Bin nodded. "Please don't trick me... I'm just trying to save someone who is loved by many from committing suicide because of me."

A single tear ran down his cheek while he signed the contract the same way Misery did before.
"If I'm not coming back... forgive me, babe..." he mumbled and watched his name appearing on the paper before the contract suddenly puffed out, leaving a tiny purple cloud in the air that slowly vanished.

Misery offered him her hands and he took them, trying not to think anything at all.
He closed his eyes and pictured Yi Jeong's face. His smile was the last thing he wanted to see.
The fairy's hands were warm and felt good, almost comforting. He didn't feel like dying while she soaked up the years he had left to live.

Suddenly, Misery ripped her hands out of his and screamed so high pitched that Woo Bin had to cover his ears. Even the sound waves seemed to attack him physically.
When he blinked to look at what was happening, Misery was high up in the air.
She wasn't an old turtle anymore, she had regained her youth and full beauty already, but something felt very wrong.

"LIAR!" Misery screamed and Woo Bin flinched.
She dashed through the air, grabbed him by his throat and pinned him against the closest tree.
Woo Bin coughed and tried to free himself from her grip, but she was too strong.

"You pathetic little shit.." she hissed. "Who set you up to kill me?"

"I don't understand... please.. What's happening?" he asked hoarsely, his eyes full of fear and confusion.
His legs were kicking the air while he tried to wind himself out of her grip and she slowly lowered him to the ground and released him.
Woo Bin dropped on his knees, held his throat and coughed while trying to breathe.

"You had no idea.." she whispered and he looked up with pure terror in his eyes.
"What are you talking about? I saw myself as Gumiho in my past life... you said I have all I needed in me, I trusted you! You know my past me better than I do! At least that's the impression you gave me..."

"You're missing something.. something essential. Even if you're human now, you should have been reborn with a fox bead.. You haven't."

"A fox bead?" Woo Bin remembered it from Yi Jeong's past life. Rang had traded his life-span to get Yeon's fox bead back. They needed that thing to bring him back. And now she needed Woo Bin to have his to bring him back as Gumiho.