Several weeks before her classes, Eun Tak visited Kim Shin at his house, their house. They spend three lifetimes together in that house. Eun Tak's heart broke and tears welled up in her eyes whenever she thought about all the times she had to leave Kim Shin and go to heaven without him. Her heart shattered for their daughter, Soo Hyun. Her beautiful child. She wanted to give her the world. She wanted her to be happy and she was until she lost her husband at such a young age.
Instead of letting the devastation and misery set her back in life, she poured all her energy and time into her research on STDs and UNICEF. Throughout the years, due to Soo Hyun's contributions and efforts along with her research team's, they were able to discover newer and more effective therapeutic strategies.
She also contributed to UNICEF whenever she could. They were able to build schools and help with the health care system. She was brave and strong and broken all at once. But it never stopped her from trying to change the world by contributing and sacrificing as much as she could. Her little soldier.
Eun Tak prayed and hoped that she would meet her daughter in her third lifetime, but she came a little too late. Soo Hyun passed away a decade before she came. So in her third lifetime, instead of having more children, Kim Shin and Eun Tak celebrated Soo Hyun. They celebrated her life, her achievements and her courage.
She took out the little locket Soo Hyun gave Eun Tak when she was 5 years old with her picture in it. iSo I'll always be with you Mummy, right beside your heart. /iSoo Hyun said lovingly when she gave her the locket. As she reminisced about Soo Hyun, tears slid down her cheeks, wetting her cheeks. She kissed the picture of her daughter and carefully placed the locket back into the pouch.
Eun Tak wiped her tears and composed herself before ringing the doorbell. A surprised Kim Shin opened the door and welcomed her home. She took a deep breath and walked into the house. It was just as she remembered before she left in her third lifetime. The same ambience, warm, cozy, and serene except the furniture was newer.
Pictures of their family, pictures taken on countless trips they went on were framed and placed all around the house. A specific picture of their family caught her attention, taking a closer look she saw why. It was a picture of Kim Shin, Soo Hyun and Eun Tak in Quebec when Soo Hyun was 8 years old. Lifting the picture, she ran her fingers across the photo, a family trip she fondly remembered. Soo Hyun insisted on staying longer despite her school holidays ending.
Desperate and wanting to do everything their baby girl wanted, Kim Shin tried to open a door and test out if their child had the same teleportation abilities as Eun Tak. Both of them were astonished when she was able to teleport with Kim Shin as just Eun Tak was able to. However, Soo Hyun was unable to summon him as Eun Tak did but she did have teleportation abilities and Kim Shin made sure they took full advantage of it by travelling as much as they could. They would take spontaneous trips all around the world and every moment they spent together was magnificently beautiful.
She chocked back a sob as she placed the frame back onto Kim Shin's nightstand. Kim Shin approached Eun Tak and wrapped his arms around her from behind as he pulled her close. They stayed in each other's embrace for while before Eun Tak turned around to face Kim Shin, she wrapped her arms around his waist as she gazed at him.
"I'm fine, just got a little emotional thinking about our daughter." Eun Tak softly said.
"I miss her too. Not a day goes by that I don't think of Soo Hyun and you." Kim Shin said as he chocked back a sob.
Tears swam in his eyes as he freed one hand from their embrace and cupped her face. He looked at her so tenderly that she almost started crying again. His arms folded around Eun Tak, pulling her against him with all the strength he had left. It took both Eun Tak and Kim Shin a while before they composed themselves. As the clock chimed, indicating it was 11pm, Eun Tak gasped stating she was late.
"Late? Late for what?" Kim Shin asked.
"I have plans. I'm going out. I am an adult now." Eun Tak cheerfully announced.
Kim Shin scoffs "Wah hahaha, how do you have plans this late at night? What are you thinkin-"
"It's with you." Eun Tak cuts him off and responds. Kim Shin immediately jumps up.
"That's why I have been dressed and waiting for you since you called to let me know you were coming over." Kim Shin stated as he adjusted his coat.
"You want to go out? What do you want to do? Whatever it is , I will do anything you ask." Kim Shin added shyly.
"Ajusshi, alcohol. Alcohol. Buy me alcohol. A tent bar. Soju. Chicken gizzard. Filled with romance." Eun Tak excitedly requests.
Kim Shin laughs heartily, shaking his head in amusement, as he thought about Eun Tak's similar request in her first lifetime. "You did not change at all."
Despite drinking several times with her parents and her friends, every shot of soju tasted bitter to Eun Tak. After every shot, she remarked how bitter it was which caused Kim Shin to laugh as he continued pouring soju for her.
"Even though it is our fourth lifetime together, is drinking at a tent bar still romantic to you?" Kim Shin asked, still smiling at Eun Tak.
Eun Tak nods. "Even more than before. A dimly lit bar. Simple foods. Bitter soju. If there was just one more thing, it would be perfect."
Eun Tak approaches Kim Shin just like she did in their first lifetime and just like before, Kim Shin freezes time to give himself a moment.
Eun Tak laughs and sets her chair down. "Did you forget I'm the Goblin's bride? It doesn't work on me. In other words you can never avoid it. Even if it's our fourth lifetime together."
"I wasn't avoiding it. I've been having such a difficult time trying to hold myself back." Kim Shin said, his voice low with desire.
Eun Tak locked gazes with Kim Shin and saw his love for her shining in his eyes. He cradled her face gently and swooped in to kiss her. A soft and sweet kiss. Eun Tak steals another kiss and states it was perfect. They smiled at each other, dizzy and excited due to the kiss.
Start of Year 1
A few weeks after their orientation, class started. Eun Tak and Kyung Hye were relieved that they were taking similar modules for the semester. Despite attending the orientation camps, Eun Tak was surprised to see unfamiliar faces in their class. Their first few days of class went smoothly, Kyung Hye wanted to befriend a few people from their class but their timetable was so packed and hectic, they barely had time to go to the canteen and have meals.
Eun Tak however, did not bother much about her classmates, she pulled Kyung Hye to the front row the lecture rooms for every lesson. As they were waiting for their Criminal Law for Forensic Scientists I professor, Eun Tak overheard a group of her classmates gushing about the Professor.
"Omo, I heard from our seniors that he's really handsome." A girl in pink dress excitedly said.
"Me too, me too! They said he has pale skin and red lips and he looks extremely pretty for a man." Another student added.
"Ottokae! I don't think I'll be able to control my expressions around him."
"I saw him on campus. He's seriously handsome but what to do, he probably won't look at any of the girls in our class. Everyone has such bad fashion sense and none of them are decent looking." A tall, lean girl in a white fur coat and jeans stated in a condescending tone.
Eun Tak looked over to glare at the girl's rude comments, Kyung Hye smacked Eun Tak. "That's Han Joo Hee I heard about her during my volleyball tryouts. She is a year older than us but she failed Year 1 so she has to retake all the modules. Just cause she's a year older, she thinks she owns the college or something." Kyung Hye rolled her eyes.
"Shouldn't she be a little more understanding and warm towards us instead of looking down on us like that?" Eun Tak asked.
"You know all the dramas and movies we watched where there's always this snobbish clique when you enter college, well we all know who is gonna be playing that role." Kyung Hye smirked.
Eun Tak and Kyung Hye looked at each other and burst out laughing. Just as Eun Tak was about to respond, a man in casual formal wears walked into the lecture room. His hair was styled neatly and his face was gaunt and pale. Eun Tak gasped and dropped the pen in her hands.
"Why…why is he here? How can it be?" Eun Tak muttered.
Kyung Hye's eyes widened, "Why why? Do you know him? Please tell me you do…. daebak how can a professor be so handsome? It's a CRIME I tell you a crime." Kyung Hye sighed in awe at how handsome their Professor was.
"Good afternoon class, I am Professor Park Min Joon. I'll be teaching you Criminal Law for Forensic Scientists for the entire year and I might be teaching some you in Year 2 as well. I look forward to working with you all." Park Min Joon announced.
Eun Tak was aware that she was gawking at their Professor, that pale face, those red lips and his tall stature. It wasn't just anyone standing in front of her, it was Wang Yeo or as she addressed him in her first lifetime, Grim Reaper Ajusshi.
Gasps and murmurs from her classmates caused Eun Tak to snap back to reality. She had so many questions, concerns and all she wanted to do was call and inform Kim Shin. However, before she could step out of the lecture room, Professor Min Joon started lecturing. She texted Kim Shin, asking him to pick her up after her class as she had something very important to tell him. It was the longest 2 hours of her life, she could not stop fidgeting nor was she able to focus.
"Kyung Hye-ah I'm sorry I can't have lunch with you guys. I have to meet Ajusshi. I'm so sorry." Eun Tak whispered.
As soon as the class ended, Eun Tak packed her bag and rushed out of the lecture room. Shocked by her actions, Kyung Hye tried to follow Eun Tak but she was out of the room before Kyung Hye finished packing. Eun Tak ran to the pickup point and upon noticing Kim Shin's car, she got in. Just as they were driving out of the university, Kyung Hye called.
"Kyung Hye-ah I'm sorry I had something important to discuss with Kim Shin-shii so I left. I'm so sorry I'll make it up to you." Eun Tak tried to catch her breath.
"No no it's okay. You're treating us next time. But I called to tell you that you left your notebook in class I'll keep it for you." Kyung Hye said.
After ordering their drinks at the café, Eun Tak informs Kim Shin about her Professor.
"I was so shocked. I mean I wasn't expecting him to be my Professor at all. I don't know what to say…. do you think? Maybe…." Eun Tak trailed off.
"Grim Reaper wasn't sure how many lifetimes he lived so this might be his third or last lifetime. I don't know Eun Tak…Sun already lived her last life…." Kim Shin stated, a hint of hope evident on his face.
"So will Jeoseung Saja Ajusshi be single this lifetime? He MUST remain single! He can only be with our Sajangnim." Eun Tak demanded which made Kim Shin chuckle.
"Despite knowing my Sun lived her last life, I prayed everyday that she will be with Jeoseung Saja. We never know, maybe the deities will take pity on them and us and fulfill our wishes? After all, I'm not really a typical 도깨비 anymore. I might still have powers but I'm aging with you as well." Kim Shin took Eun Tak's hands in his and kissed them.
"I'm glad in my second lifetime you met them before we got married. Thanks to your stalking skills we were able to enroll in the same Lamaze classes with them and befriend them." Eun Tak broke into a grin thinking about Kim Sun and Wang Yeo.
In her second lifetime, Kim Shin witnessed both Grim Reaper who came as Lee Hyuk and Kim Sun at a filming set. They wanted to be involved in their lives but Kim Shin told her to give them space since they had no recollection of their previous lives. However, Eun Tak made Kim Shin check on them regularly. After dating for 5 years Lee Hyuk and Kim Sun got married. Eun Tak and Kim Shin got married 3 years later, imagine their surprise when Eun Tak got pregnant 2 months after Kim Sun got pregnant.
Taking this as a sign from the heavens, Eun Tak convinced Kim Shin to enroll in the same Lamaze class as Kim Sun and Lee Hyuk. Just like their previous lifetime, they immediately connected and became close friends. Even after having two sons, Lee Dong Wook and Lee Jun Su, Kim Sun and Eun Tak remained really good friends. Their children were really good friends as well so they had play dates often and they grew up together.
Both Dong Wook and Jun Su and their respective wives were extremely supportive when Soo Hyun's husband was diagnosed with cancer. It was a bond they passed on to their children and they thanked the deities everyday. They were like family to each other.
In her third lifetime, despite desperately trying to find Grim Reaper and Kim Sun, they did not find them. It took Eun Tak a while to accept that maybe in this lifetime she will not be able to meet them.
However in her last lifetime, just when she was least expecting it, she met Grim Reaper. He was her Professor, even though she was ecstatic that she met him, she felt a twinge of sadness when she thought about not being able to meet Kim Sun in this lifetime. Her last lifetime.
"That's a workable idea." She said as a matter of factly.
She was brave and strong and broken all at once." - Anna Funder, Stasiland
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