A few days had passed, and Ji-ho had reluctantly adjusted to Ye-rin's chaotic lifestyle. On a bright Friday morning, Ye-rin woke up to the sun light streaming through the curtains, stretching lazily in her ducky pyjamas.Her phone buzzed incessantly. Grabbing it with a groggy hand, she answered to hear her mother's firm voice..'' Ye-rin, darling! Don't forget the party for your father and me. Thirty years of marriage-don't you dare miss it, '' said Mrs.Han Mi-ryeong.
Ye-rin sat up, groaning as she processed her mother's words. She winced at the thought of attending. It wasn't the party itself that bothered her, but the inevitability of seeing her younger sister, Han Ji-ah, flaunting her relationship with Lee DO-hyun, her ex. Ye-rin sighed, running a hand through her hair. I'll be there,'' she mumbled in her phone before hanging up.
She flopped back on her double-decked bed, staring at the puzzled looking Grim-reaper. ''This is going to be a nightmare,''she muttered. Across the room, Ji-ho sat on a greyish steel chair, he sat there reading a big book he'd plucked from Han Ye-rin shelf, his eyes fixated on every chapter. Ji-ho was always a book lover, even back in his realm, but never had he read something like this before.
''You seem interested in reading that book, do you even know what it is,'' she said, as she glanced at him again.''What do you even think we are? A primitive race who just kills for the fun of it,''his gaze now diverting from the book.''I'm sorry!'' she said, trying to calm the offended reaper.
Well if you must know, we are quite intelligent people, he grinned his bony mouth structure widening at the sides. ''I happened to have graduated recently, he puffed out his bony chest feeling some sort of pride. A very respected school, I still wondered how I was able to enroll he mumbled to himself. As Ji-ho started thinking, he noticed Ye-rin curious gaze fixated on him. 'Well, what I'm trying to say is we are very much educated and civilized.
''Ye-rin's curious gaze remained fixed on him."You are strange, you know," she snorted. "Believe me, I have been told that a lot of times already," said Ji-ho, trying not to spoil the mood. He tried to smile but he knew it would be fake.''Well I need your help'', Ye-rin said, propping her self up with her elbows. Ji-ho raised an eyebrow. ''I'm a Grim reaper, not a therapist." He said,trying to focus on his book.
''I need…. a date.A tall, handsome guy. Curly hair, six-packs abs,and over six feet tall.''she said drooling over herself. Ji-ho groaned ''sorry to disappoint,I'm not a genie beside, I don't look like that.'' Han Ye-rin pouted dramatically,flopping onto her stomach. '' I'm so screwed''
Ji-ho sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. ''I do have a human-like appearance.'' Her face lit up mischievously, ''Really,then that settles it''. Ji ho eyes darken ''I guess,'' leaning towards Han Ye-rin,'' He wasn't really happy about his appearance. I think i need to educate You a little on our History, You see my dad is the retired chief director of the EDC, ranked as an E3 for a matter of fact, and he Will surely flood You with questions.'' She laughed.
The mood shifted slightly. "E-rank, huh? Is that your country's ranking system?" Seo Ji-ho asked. He had heard of it before from his superior back in his world, Nekronis. His eyes narrowed with curiosity. "I'm all ears."
"Well, sure." Ye-rin adjusted her posture, sitting up properly. "We used to be powerless, or so I've heard. Demons could kill us easily." She leaned forward, idly tracing circles on the wooden table with her finger. "But one day, the gods gave us a gift. Our people call it Ethereal Flow."
Ji-ho listened carefully, his eyes darkening with thought. So we use the same energy… No wonder it felt so natural here. What else are the higher-ups hiding from us? He muttered under his breath. Ye-rin caught his distracted look and tilted her head. "Should I continue?" "Please do," he said, shaking off his thoughts. "During the Age of Technology and Growth, people had to learn how to understand and control Ethereal Flow.
We refined it into what we now call mana." She raised a hand, curling her fingers slowly as if counting. "To measure the exact power of an individual, we created something called Fortitude Percentage, 100% to 0%." Ji-ho leaned in. "And the lower the percentage, the stronger the person?" Ye-rin smiled. "Exactly. Anyone with 40% or lower is considered powerful in our country.
Sitting up straighter, her voice carried an excited edge. "That's where the E-Rank System comes in." She held up six fingers. "E6 to E1. E6s are slightly above normal humans, some superhuman abilities, but nothing crazy. The strongest, E1, falls between 4% to 0%." She said, crossing her arms." Ji-ho chuckled. "Good to know.
That explains a lot." But as he processed her words, a cold realization settled in. Why was I never told this part of the story? He doubted he was the only one kept in the dark. Is this truth… or a carefully crafted lie?
A sudden touch on his shoulder, except it never landed. A hand phased right through him. "Hey, what gives? Why can't I touch you?"
Do you really have to be intangible every time,if u keep on doing this you will remain on the steel chair mister.'' Seo Ji-ho groaned ''You act like its my fault,well since I got here anything I touch becomes intangible,for some reason I can't physically touch a living being in this form.'' he muttered still trying to understand himself.
''Well I'm not going to push it,but u can transform to a human right. At least,we can try to work something out'' she said,trying to assure him. ''Never knew i would be pleased with my appearance for the first time,'' he muttered to himself,''Yeah I can pull it off''.
With that, Ye-rin darted to the bathroom,''at least be good looking a little bit,'' she giggled as she ran into the bathroom,shutting the door behind her as her thoughts raced.The icy water from the shower-head hit her skin,making her gasp.She turned the dial to adjust the temperature,letting the warm cascade wash over her.
As the droplets traced every curve of her body, Ye-rin closed her eyes, temporarily losing herself in the smoothing rhythm.She ran her hands through her hair,working shampoo into a thick latter,and sighed.
As she opened the bathroom door,still rubbing her hair with another towel,
She froze mid-step. Sitting at her desk was a young man, seemingly in his early twenties, running his fingers over his face like he wasn't sure it belonged to him." She was about to shout until she remembered Ji-ho was no where to be found.His white hair stood out,reflecting the sun rays dancing on his hair.Perfectly framing a sharp jawline. His eyes,an electric blue, locked onto her with playful glint. Broad shoulders and a chiseled chest led to a lean, sculptured torso, every muscle accentuated as he reclined in his chair.
For a moment, Ye-rin couldn't move. Her gaze dropped lower,and she realized his naked. Her heart skipped a beat as she instinctively clutched her towel tighter. ''what the hell?!'' she shrieked, her voice cracking. The man no Ji-ho, she realized with a mix of horror and awe-raised an eyebrow. I'm I that appalling,even to you humans. ''NO!,you are probably the most handsome man in the country,''she whispered to herself.
''Noo! I'm just surprised, but first of all,put some clothes on, she shouted,her voice chasing the nearby birds,her cheeks red. ''Ohh shit,'' as he stood and grabbed a towel in her wardrobe. ''Well since you are okay with my looks I will go and take a bath now,'' as he walked past Ye-rin who stood there frozen,trying to process what she saw.'' Wait! that's my...'' but Ji-ho was already inside, shutting the door behind him.
She heard the faint sound of water running,and her jaw dropped in disbelief. ''Unbelievable,'' she muttered,flopping onto her bed. ''The Grim reaper is in my shower.'' She buried her face in a pillow,torn between frustration and the lingering image of his body. From behind the bathroom door, Ji-ho voice echoed, ''thank you for not saying I look awful,'' his voice bitter and carry a hint of appreciation. You're welcome I guess, "Han Ye-rin replied.
''Still,who would ridicule You for your looks,now my fear is my sister don't try to steal You too, wait why do I care,I mean I don't want Ji-ah stealing him, ugh,this is annoying.'' she groaned as she buried her face into her pillow.This was going to be a long day.
The bathroom was quiet except for the steady drip of water from the faucet. Ji-ho sat on the edge of the bathtub, his damp hair clinging to his forehead as he stared at the floor. Each droplet hitting the porcelain sink echoed in his ears, merging with the memories that clawed their way into his mind. He shut his eyes, allowing himself to sink into the past.
Ever since he was born, Ji-ho had been different. Grim Reapers were supposed to have a distinct human like appearance, a ghostly aura that set them apart from humans. They bore markings on their hands, as if death itself had carved its signature into their flesh. Their golden eyes gleamed like cursed relics, and their bodies also carried a fragile, skeletal frame, a reminder that they straddled the line between existence and oblivion.But not Ji-ho.
His hair was stark white from the beginning of his existence, something unheard of among the Reapers. His presence was wrong. The elders couldn't detect his emission of Ethereal flow, the very energy that defined their kind. To them, he was an anomaly, an error that should not exist.
"How can he use mana, when he's energy is not visible ? Why does he feel like a blank slate?" they had whispered. "He's not one of us," others sneered. Yet, he wasn't weak. Ji-ho had trained tirelessly, pushing his body beyond its limits. Every day, he wielded his scythe, every night, he honed his abilities in solitude. But no matter how strong he became, it was never enough. His efforts were met with laughter, his progress dismissed as a fluke.
"He'll never be a true Grim Reaper," they said. "He's just pretending." The academy halls were filled with whispers, and the training grounds were no better. Every time he stepped forward to spar, his opponents never held back, not out of respect for his strenght, but a way for them to show superiority. Even when he won, they scoffed. "You just got lucky, You don't belong here."
Ji-ho clenched his fists under the running water, his nails pressing into his palm as he recalled those words. Even when he shifted into his Veilborn Form, his true Grim reaper state, he remained an outlier. He was the only Reaper with hair in that form, an unnatural feature that set him apart even more. It made them resent him. It made him hate himself and yet, there were those who never turned their backs on him.
His guardian, more or less his mother, as he likes to call her. She never looked at him with disappointment, never made him feel like a mistake. To her, he was special, not because of his differences, but because he was her son. She alone reassured him that he had value, that his existence meant something. Then there was Mr. Don Lee-hung, his academy instructor. While other teachers dismissed him, Lee-hung saw something in Ji-ho that no one else did.
"You'll be something someday, Ji-ho," his deep voice echoed in his memories. "They don't see it now, but one day, they will."
At the time, Ji-ho had doubted him.
But now, as he sat here, drenched and exhausted, he wondered, had he finally proven them wrong?
A sharp knock on the door pulled him from his thoughts. "How long are you going to take?" Ye-rin's voice cut through the silence. "We need to get you some clothes." Ji-ho exhaled slowly, running a hand through his wet hair. The past was heavy, but it was just that, the past. He had survived. He had endured. And now, he had a future to step into. With a final glance at his reflection in the fogged-up mirror, he pushed himself up and reached for the towel, it was time to move forward.