Fifteen years had passed since his first day here. Saying that he was happy about it was a lie. Saying he was relieved that he hadn't had a breakdown yet, was closer to the truth. He had gotten more used to it by now, but he was still anxious regardless of what soul he was assigned. He remembered every soul he encountered, and he wondered if he was the only one.

Since last week people at work had been bugging him, especially Kisumi, about the fact that he would finally find out about the other storage room.

As much as he wanted to act indifferent about it, he had been dying to know about what happened to all the other souls since he had first heard of it. He arrived early at the office and was surprised when he was met with none other than their boss Nagisa.

The short blonde man had been in their department the longest so it was no surprise that he was in charge of it. Like with Sousuke, Makoto knew very little of the man and had only seen him a few times, since he was usually locked up in his office. The man happily waved at Makoto and urged him to come closer to the locked storage room.

"Good morning Mako-chan." the blond said in a cheerful voice and Makoto was startled a bit. He hadn't expected the other to be so bold when greeting an employee, and for a moment Makoto didn't know how to respond. However, he didn't need to think about it as Nagisa took out a key from his pocket and put it into the lock of the door.

"Are you ready to find out what this room is for?" he prompted and gave a small glance towards Makoto, who found himself nodding. Without any further warning, the key was turned and the handle was pressed down and the door opened.

He should have known that it looked the same as the other storage room, but he was still mildly disappointed when he realised. To think he got worked up over a small thing like this. What was the difference?

Nagisa simply walked a few steps into the room and Makoto found himself following. He realised that there was something different, the air was more calm in here, but he didn't know why. Finally, the blonde man turned around, facing him as the door closed behind them.

"Now, I know what you're thinking, but let me explain this to you. They look the same, these rooms, but they're not. See that shelf over there? Take a closer look." Makoto frowned slightly, but did as he was told and leaned down to examine it. It looked completely ordinary, empty spots for some souls, filled spots with a glowing soul in it, all stacked up neatly. He looked back at his boss in confusion, but the other urged him to continue, so Makoto turned around again. He was just about to get up when he noticed something odd. Rather, two odd things. One was that the etiquettes only had a name. The other thing was-

"There are two names on every spot." on the same note too, he realised. When he turned around he was more than confused, and Nagisa looked happy to fill in on the missing information.

"That's right. You know how we say that we take care of souls until they seize to exist? Well, souls can't do that on their own." Nagisa took a step closer to Makoto and reached for one of the jars, 'Miho' written on it in elegant letters.

"Let me explain. When somebody are born for the first time without reincarnation, a soul is placed in them. However, a soul is too powerful to be held inside an infant and splits in two, on rarer cases more parts, even if it doesn't want to. The other part of the soul finds another infant. It can take days, and it can take years." Nagisa turned the jar around in his hand, as if examining it, before putting it back. He paused for a while, making sure that Makoto was listening, before he continued.

"In most cases, the souls find each other. Are you familiar with the term 'soulmates'?" Nagisa asked but Makoto just looked back at him in confusion. He had never heard of the term here in the office and couldn't remember if he had ever heard it before.

"It's a term that humans came up with a very long time ago. It's a deep connection you have with someone that is hard to explain. Of course it's actually based on fact. At their late teens humans soul tries to find it's other part. When the parts of the soul find each other, they are at peace. However, if they do not find each other the first lifetime, they will try again. More often than not because of our system, the souls aren't synced properly and sometimes both of them are waiting to be reborn at the same time."

"The souls we collect are more likely to want another chance on earth, but those we keep here waits, until the human with the other part of the soul decides to give up. When we let the two parts of the soul out of the jar, they merge and disappear. That's what this room is for." when the short man finished talking, he glanced at Makoto. The taller of them didn't know how to react, since it was a lot to take in.

"How do you know?" he asked after a while, breaking the silence for the first time.

"Which souls belong together you mean?" Nagisa asked and Makoto nodded. The blond man shrugged as he made his way to the door and opened it, letting Makoto pass first before he closed it behind them. He shrugged a bit before he locked it and placed the key in Makoto's hand.

"When you see the other part of the soul, you just know." he said before he walked away towards his office, leaving a distressed Makoto behind.


"It wasn't what you expected, right?" Kisumi asked him calmly from across the table. They were currently sitting in the break room. The day had been unusually calm for both of them, whilst others were running around in the other room and seemed more stressed than usual. While neither he or Kisumi had any work to do yet, the other's seemed to be buried in it.

"Not really. I didn't realise that such a thing existed." Makoto managed to say while looking at the key in his hand. Everyone had their own apparently, so they could easier access the room.

"It's really amazing you know, to see when the soul becomes whole again." Kisumi said with a small smile, even though he knew Makoto would never think that any part of his job was amazing. Kisumi didn't even wait for an answer before he started talking again.

"That's right, it's soon time for a new employee." he said and Makoto looked up at him with furrowed eyebrows.

"Since you are the 'newest', you probably don't know. Every fifteen years or so, we get a new employee, to keep up our numbers." he explained to him and Makoto wondered what he meant. If they needed to keep up their numbers, did that mean that grim reapers could leave their jobs?

"Who?" he managed to ask after a while and Kisumi blinked at him in confusion.

"Who...? Oh, you mean if I know? Not really, since everyone does not accept it as easily as you and me. But we have a pattern at least." he took a sip of his coffee which must have been ice-cold by now, but his expression remained as cheerful as usual.

"Pattern?" Makoto asked again, feeling the need to concentrate on Kisumi's answer. If he knew why, then maybe he would find out why he was picked. Maybe even remember his life before this. The other man seemed to take his time and just as he was about to answer a man patted Makoto's shoulder and handed him some papers.

"Well, I guess that can wait. You should get some work done." Kisumi said as he stood up and put their mugs in the sink before he walked out of the small room with a wave. Before Makoto could stop him he was out of sight and the man, Seijurou he quickly noted, gave him a smile.

"Read the papers carefully, you have the honour of recruiting these people." he said and left too. There were more than ten different documents and all of them were under 25 years old and his usual anxiety increased.

If Makoto didn't know better he would call this hell.


The six first ones had promptly said no and Makoto had almost relieved collected the souls and placed them in the one-of-two room, as he'd learned all of the others had nicknamed it. Just as he came back to his desk to take care of the seventh one, he noticed that the name sounded familiar. He quickly made his way to the scene and almost froze right on place.

The man was crying on the floor, in a small room with only a bed and desk. In the dark Makoto couldn't quite make out his form, but his papers said that he had taken pills not too long ago and Makoto noticed after a while how the man's movement stilled. A couple of minutes passed before the room turned into a garden, the ground and trees covered in snow. The cold was not real but Makoto still found himself shivering slightly as the man suddenly turned around, as if just realising he was not alone and Makoto let out a pained gasp when he saw him.

The man's hair was a unique shade of red as was his eyes and there was no mistake that it was the same boy he had seen when he took care of Haruka's soul. The name had sounded familiar, because he had heard it before from the boys lips.

"You're Rin." Makoto let out in surprise and immediately wanted to punch himself for saying that out loud when he saw the man's reaction. He took a step back and his eyes widened in surprise.

"Who the fuck are you?" he yelled out before he seemed to remember something as he looked around them. He had no time to answer the rude question before Rin knelt down on with his hands gripping each side of his head and stared at the ground in front of him. Makoto knew that the other had fully realised what happened earlier as the red-headed started to swear to himself and Makoto wondered what Rin was thinking.

A few minutes passed like that. Makoto's arms had fallen to his sides when he had remembered that it wasn't cold and he silently waited for swearing man to calm down. Eventually, the red eyes focused on Makoto's feet and his gaze turned upwards to the taller brunettes face.

"I really did kill myself, didn't I." it wasn't a question, it was a statement but regardless of which Makoto nodded at him. He wondered what was going through the other's mind at the moment. Was he regretting it?

"Well, fuck." he mumbled to himself and a small sniffle escaped. Makoto was used to people crying but it was always heartbreaking to hear it. As he stood on a distance and waited for the other to calm down, not allowed to go near unless the other had made the decision, Rin started talking with a strained voice.

"My best friend died when we where kids, he drowned when I challenged him to a race. I didn't even know he was until I turned around and didn't see him any more." he took a deep breath and Makoto found himself do the same thing, not wanting to hear it again. It was bad enough that he had seen it himself seven years ago. Every death he saw caused him pain. However, he wasn't allowed to interrupt him and silently watched him with pained eyes as he continued.

"He was already dead when I got to him. I dragged him to the beach and nearly drowned myself, but he was not breathing. My dad died at sea too. My mom had said that it wasn't my fault, but who else's could it be?"

Makoto wanted to tune it out. He really did, just stop listening and then carry out his job like he was supposed to, but he couldn't. Something screamed at him to stand still and listen to the man and he reluctantly did.

"I started working as a lifeguard when I graduated. I didn't see any other profession that I wanted. It went fine for a while until a week ago." he took a shuddering breath, trying to calm himself but Makoto wouldn't blame him if he couldn't. "A kid drowned, I didn't notice until it was too late. He couldn't have been more than eight or nine years old. Fuck. He even looked like Haru, my friend. I tried to not think of it, but of course it was the only thing that I did." he paused yet again, but made no move to talk again.

Taking it as his cue to finally say something, Makoto opened his mouth.

"I'm really sorry, Rin. I took care of Haruka's soul and I don't think he blamed you at all." as soon as he had finished the sentence he had realized his mistake and Rin snapped his attention back to him and rose to his feet.

"'Took care of'? Is he here? I want to see him, no, I need to see him." the red-headed took a few steps towards him with a look of desperation.

"That's not possible." Makoto managed to say between Rin's questions while avoiding eye-contact, not wanting to see his nearly accusing eyes. "He will reincarnate in a matter of days, and we can't leave this place until you have chosen one of two options." he continued, but Rin looked at him stubbornly.

"What is that supposed to mean, 'two options', just take me to him. Please, I need to see him." Rin said frantically and took another step closer, making Makoto take a step back.

"I can't. None of your options is reincarnation. You have to choose between becoming a grim reaper or stop existing." Makoto realized how it sounded the moment the word left his lips.

"Why can't I choose reincarnation? What, I have to be what you are or just be erased? If I choose to be a grim reaper, then what? Can I see Haru then?" the red-headed glared at him fiercely.

He didn't know how to answer him, because truthfully he had never considered it. The only other time Makoto met people who weren't grim reapers where when their time was up. He knew that Rin wouldn't want to meet Haruka like that. Then again, he wouldn't remember who Haruka even was, would he? But even though the thought circled his head, he couldn't bring himself to lie to the other.

He was about to tell him that he couldn't change anything about it, so he wouldn't make the choice based on lies, but a flutter of the man's soul stopped his words before they reached his tongue. An ache in his chest that felt all too familiar appeared and something seemed to click into place as his boss's words echoed inside his head.

"When you see the other part of the soul, you just know."

The reason why Rin kept talking about Haruka was because they were soulmates. The other man didn't know it himself obviously, but his soul was more than aware of it. Makoto didn't even realize that Rin had gone quiet and was staring at him in confusion whilst he stared at the orb of light, but Makoto was now facing a whole new dilemma he hadn't ever considered.

What happened to the souls of grim reapers?

"Hey, are you okay?" Rin suddenly said in what sounded like concern, successfully making Makoto snap back to reality, or at least to the reality he knew of. His throat clogged up and if he had actually needed to breath he would have found himself unable to.

He realized with dread that he couldn't do it. He didn't wish anyone the job of a grim reaper and Rin wouldn't choose to disappear even if Makoto pleaded and the thought of Rin and Haruka's souls never being whole saddened him more than he even thought was possible.

"Rin." Makoto said sternly and straightened his back, feeling more determined than he could remember he'd ever been. "You want to be reincarnated, like Haruka?" he didn't need to ask the question because he knew that Rin would nod before he even saw it.

"I'll fix it. Choose between disappearing or being reborn, and I'll take care of all the consequences." he had no idea what kind of consequences he would face, but right now he saw a chance. A chance to stop Rin from making a decision he would regret every day.

Rin stood speechless for a second before his face lightened up in pure relief. He took a final step forward and wrapped his arms around Makoto who stiffened in place before he relaxed at the touch.

"Thank you, thank you." Rin nearly cried out as he hugged the taller one tighter. The hug lasted nearly a minute before Makoto gently pushed him away.

"You need to say it out loud, so the deal is sealed." he smiled at him and the other nodded as he repeated his wish. He carefully leaned to the other's forehead and pressed his lips against it , and when his body faded away and left only the glowing soul behind, Makoto could almost say that he felt at ease for once. The weight in his chest was still present but it didn't seem as heavy as before.

He had just reached the reincarnation room and placed Rin's jar on the spot where his name was written, when a hand grabbed his shoulder and roughly turned him around. An involuntary yelp escaped from his lips in surprise and he almost lost his footing but managed to stay upright. The action itself had shocked him but not as much as the angry face of Sousuke he was met by.

"What were you thinking?" Sousuke growled at him and Makoto didn't even dare to pretend that he didn't know what the taller man was talking about.

"I did what I felt was right." he tried to say calmly but his voice wavered as the answer seemed to enrage Sousuke even more.

"You're supposed to do your job! You don't question the decisions made by the higher-ups and you don't give people other choices! Do you have any idea what you've done?!" he yelled now and Makoto couldn't back up any more, already pressed against the shelf with his furious coworker in front of him. Of course he knew that the rules were made for a reason and he had no right to change anything. He had known that and still did it.

However, he couldn't find any words that could justify his decision and could only weakly shake his head at the question, suddenly feeling way too small in the other's presence. After a few seconds of silence, Sousuke seemed to realise something and suddenly backed off, still with an angry scowl but more composed than before. However, Makoto didn't dare to open his mouth yet and the taller man let out a frustrated huff.

"I'll show you instead." Sousuke eventually said and walked towards the door and Makoto found himself following, too stirred up to even protest. As soon as he walked out the door, he nearly bumped into someone.

"Sorry! I didn't see you there!" a female voice said and Makoto looked down just in time to see a young girl with vibrant red hair being led by Seijurou, who looked at him with a frown before disappearing behind a wall. Makoto had no memory of ever seeing her before and before he could turn to ask Sousuke the older had already beaten him to it.

"That's our newest employee. Her name's Gou and she was seventeen." Makoto turned to look at Sousuke in confusion, because her name hadn't been in any of his papers, but the other avoided his eyes. "She was supposed to live to be 94 years old, but because you changed Rin's options, the higher-ups set her up in a car crash. Quick, effective. Thanks to you, she didn't get any choice and was immediately assigned as a reaper. She was also Rin's sister, not that it matters now, because she doesn't know any of this." finally Sousuke's eyes met his, but the relief he had felt earlier this day had been consumed by a new-found guilt, and the judging teal-blue eyes only worsened it.

"Rin's time was out, her time was far from it. Remember every time you look at that girl, that this was entirely your fault. Every other soul's choices is something you can't control, but this one is all on your conscience." he muttered in a dark voice and started to walk away from Makoto without a second glance.

Makoto had had a gnawing feeling in the back of his head as he had promised Rin that he would take care of the consequences, but he now knew that this was something he hadn't been prepared for.

For the first time in fifteen years, Makoto felt more than empty. As the others words sunk in like sharp daggers, he felt a tiny tear escape his eye, then another one, and another one.

For the first time in his fifteen years of being a grim reaper, in the middle of the empty corridor, Makoto finally broke down and cried.