Invisible String

Goodbye

Si-eun took a deep breath and looked down at the bag she was holding.

After Joong-Gil had disappeared, she had called Ryung-gu, just as he had asked her to.

And in the end, when everyone had returned to Jumadeung, Si-eun had found out why he had disappeared.

Joong-Gil had taken the blame for everything that had happened and had received his punishment.

He had done it all...for Koo Ryeon. She was sure of it.

It seemed that every time she started to think that Joong-Gil loved her, something happened to prove her wrong.

And maybe she should just give up.

If he really loved Koo Ryeon, the right thing would be to give up. To walk away. Never to see him again. To forget everything.

And yet, there she was, her heart beating anxiously at the thought of seeing him. To know that he was all right.

Love was something that made humans foolish, she realized. For no matter how many times he disappointed her, or how many times she felt doubtful about his feelings for her, Si-eun always came back to him.

She took a few steps forward, but stopped when she saw Koo Ryeon.

They both stared at each other for a moment, and Si-eun noticed that the reaper was crying.

Koo Ryeon looked away and started walking, past her and away.

Si-eun stood still. Maybe going that far had been a mistake.

She could feel the insecurity in her.

- Si-eun? Are you all right?

She looked at Joong-Gil, and her gaze softened at the sight of him. Moving closer to him, she knelt down so that they were the same height.

- I was worried. Are you... Are you all right?

She looked at the cuts across his face, worried.

- Don't worry.

Si-eun nodded slightly.

- I brought some things to clean your bruises.

Joong-Gil smiled minimally.

- You don't have to worry about that. They're just minor cuts.

She nodded again, looking away.

- Is something bothering you?

Si-eun was surprised to hear him ask this. Was she so transparent that he could tell how she felt?

-Yes, there is. - She stared at him. - Do you... do you have feelings for Koo Ryeon?

He frowned.

- Why do you think so?

Si-eun took a deep breath.

- Because your actions make me confused.

- I confessed my feelings.

- Yes, but that was before you saw your past with her. - she sighed in frustration. - And your actions since then have confused me. First you show up to help us, to help her. And then you call me your wife! - She felt heat spread across her cheeks. - But then you disappear and I find out that you took the blame for everything that happened. How do you expect me not to be insecure?

Only when she finished speaking did she realize that she was panting. She had spoken so quickly that she was afraid he hadn't understood a single word.

She looked at him anxiously, waiting for an answer, while at the same time fearing what she was about to hear.