𝐈𝐧 𝐀𝐧𝐨𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐋𝐢𝐟𝐞 • 𝐋𝐞𝐞 𝐑𝐚𝐧𝐠

» 01

"Hyejin." Lee Yeons voice echoed through his mansion. The young woman who was looking out from the widows at the starry sky turned to see her saviour standing there.

"Master Lee Yeon! What happened?" Hyejin asked with her ever sweet smile.

"I need to tell you something." Lee Yeon said softly and went to sit on the sofa, tapping on the vacant side beside him, indicating her to sit.

"Master Lee Yeon-" she was cut off by Yeon.
"Listen carefully," he heaved a sigh, "don't freak out or start crying. But I've got a plan."

"A plan for what?" She asked with perplexed expressions. Why was her cool saviour suddenly acting like he's here to tell her his will? Her saviour. Yes. Park Hyejin, a gumiho, was saved by none other than the former Mountain God Lee Yeon from being harrassed by human hunters. Since then, she was one of his loyals, like Shin Joo.

"This time, Jiah won't die. I won't let her die. Imoogi and I will end together." Lee Yeon said without an appropriate warning and the colors from Hyejin's face faded in an instant.

"No! Master Lee Yeon! No! There can be another way! You're not going anywhere!" She didn't realise but tears were streaming down her face, she could not even imagine the death of the person who gave her a new life.

"Hyejin. I've calculated everything and that's the only way. And I asked you not to cry, why are you crying?" Lee Yeon wiped her tears and sighed, trying to hide the crack in his own voice. He never thought he will say this to her. He had once promise to protect and be with her always.

"Please. Don't." More tears streamed down her face as she sobbed at the thoughts of living a life without Lee Yeon. "It was all going good. You were happy with Jiah, ShinJoo got Yuri and finally, finally, after hundreds of years, things were getting better between you and Lee Rang-ssi. Don't abandon him once more, he'll not be able to take that shock. It'll eat him up, it'll make him even more vengeful."

"This is why I need you." Yeon wiped the stream of tears on her cheeks. "This is why I need you to be with Rang-ah. I want you to take him out of that darkness. And I know only you can do this. Because I know how much you love him and that you're the only woman who has made his heart beat that fast, the woman he loves so much but is so stupid and oblivious to accept it."

"But-"

"Please ." Yeon gave a smile that only has sadness written on it, "Please take care of my brother after I'm gone. Tell him that it's alright and be with him forever. Make him feel all the love you have for him," Yeon paused and let out a small chuckle, "and make him accept that mint chocolate ice cream is not just chocolate and toothpaste. Get him naengmyeom (cold Korean noddles) when he whines. Will you do that, Hyejin?"

"I hate this. Is that-" Hyejin couldn't complete it and hugged Lee Yeon.

"You're so cruel, Master Lee Yeon."

"Fate is." He corrected. "Such is our fate. It was written the day I fell for a human, there has to be a cost. If history repeats itself, and only one of us can survive, this time it has to be Jiah."

"And you think it's okay? She'd be able to bear this pain, really?"

"Rang always says that humans are short lived. And they can move on, Hyejin, we can't. We're bound of love a mate all our lives, we're bound to pay back every kindness. It's still on me." He showed his right hand's index finger, that shined with the ring of debt. The debt he had been carrying on his back from past six hundred years, he owes his life to his human lover.

"I just wanna be debt free, I hope you understand that." He caressed her back as she sobbed.

_____________________________________