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Choi Junwoong has a really nice life.
He has a stable job, good coworkers, a decent amount of friends, his mom and sister are the best family he could've asked for, but somehow he always felt like there was something missing. There's a longing in him for something he can't quite name or point out. Something that always seems to be on his mind but he can't quite remember clearly.
Junwoong tries to go about his life normally, but this sensation never really goes away. He catches himself looking at crowds sometimes, as if searching for someone, but he can never answer who he's looking for. It's a weird, funny sensation, and doesn't matter how much he mulls over it, he can never figure it out.
(He swears that he also feels like someone is watching him sometimes, although whenever he looks around, there's no one. But weirdly enough, it doesn't really scare him or gives him the creeps, it's kind of a good sensation, actually, like being looked after)
Even after years pass, Choi Junwoong still feels that longing, like his life isn't complete, like something, someone , is missing. He kind of just got used to it with time, but it still puzzles him. His family says maybe he just wants someone to share his life with, and although it doesn't feel like they're entirely wrong, he doesn't think that's what he's looking for, either; his relationships always steer towards friendship rather naturally, even when he meet and ended up getting close to Ryu Chohui, a famous artist he had been (honestly, he still is) a fan for a long time.
But life goes on, and on Junwoong went. The years keep passing and things keep happening.
His sister finished college, married and has children. His mother keeps running her business because she refuses to "do nothing" as she says, but Junwoong makes sure she has a comfortable life and never needs to overwork herself. He loves spending time with his nieces and nephew, just as much as the little kids love playing with their uncle, dressing him up, doing his hair and painting his nails, and also cooking and playing video games with him.
His life is good, comfortable, and he doesn't really have any regrets. Before he notices, almost fifty years have passed.
More specifically, forty-nine years and two months.
Choi Junwoong can feel that his time in the Realm of the Living is coming to an end, but he doesn't feel afraid. He's able to say goodbye to all the important people in his life, and he's surprisingly at ease when death finally comes. It's not painful, it almost doesn't feel like anything.
The only difference is that he can see through himself for a moment, after his soul leaves his old body, and he can see his family crying, but he knows they'll be fine. This sensation though, of being a soul, pokes at something on his mind, a feeling almost like deja-vu.
"Mr. Choi" a male voice speaks from behind him, and when he turns, he sees a handsome man in a pristine suit.
There's a pink haired woman by his side, and a young man, the most beautiful person Junwoong has ever seen, next to her.
"Hello, half and half" she says, snapping her fingers, and suddenly he remembers . "It's been a long time"
Jumadeung. Mr. Park. Ms. Koo. And…
Mr. Lim .
"Though you're not a half and half anymore" Koo Ryeon comments with a smile, and Junwoong starts crying. His soul now looks just like he did when he was younger, during those six months he spent with them.
"You still cry as easily as you did back then" Lim Ryunggu says, his tone soft. He walks closer to Junwoong, standing in front of him. "You really didn't change, hm?"
"Mr. Lim" Junwoong's tears just keep falling. "I missed you" he then hugs Ryunggu, not caring if the other man would complain or not. But to his surprise, Ryunggu just reciprocates, hugging him back.
"Mr. Choi, it's time to go" Park Joongil interrupts their moment, but he sounds nicer, softer than Junwoong remembered (although he'll admit he never really spent much time with the man to know him well enough, it just feels odd).
Ryunggu breaks the hug, but stays close to Junwoong. "Come on, let's go. I'll tell you everything that happened while you were away"
Junwoong nods, walking with them. He's surprised to see a few other grim reapers there. He recognizes Jeon Boyun and some other members of the Escort team, and even the Director herself.
"You complained about not having a farewell party when we sent you back, so we thought about giving you a little something now." Ryeon explains, and Junwoong can't begin to put in words how much he had missed her, missed all of them.
He had a good life, a happy life, but something has always been missing. Now, reunited with the people he considers his found family, he finally knows what he needed to feel complete.
Junwoong looks at Ryunggu, walking by his side as they follow Mr. Park, and he's as beautiful as ever, the suit he's wearing accentuating his body.
"I really missed you so much" he tells him, and Ryunggu gives him a small smile.
Junwoong wants to spend the next decade, the next century , looking at his smile.
"I know. I've been keeping an eye on you" Lim says a bit offhandedly. Then, after a moment, he adds "I missed you too"
"Mr. Lim, have you gotten nicer since I last saw you?" Junwoong jokes, and Lim just rolls his eyes.
"Idiot" he huffs, more playful than annoyed "You just came back and are already trying to get on my nerves. I can actually turn you into a full-time reaper now, you know?"
"I was already planning on becoming one, so that works fine for me" Junwoong shrugs, smiling.
He just died, yes, but he feels more alive than ever, back in their comfortable banter.
Still, it's not until much later, when he's officially a full-time reaper and employee of Jumadeung, back in the RM team and up-to-date with everything that happened during the last fifty years (they're now a permanent team with a nice and modern office, but still short on staff) that he talks about it.
"You know, Mr. Lim" he says on a considerable quiet day (not that any of them voices this thought out loud, as they're aware it'd totally jinx it) "Ever since I woke up after leaving here, I wondered why I always felt like I was looking for something, or for someone. Why I never really felt whole"
Ryunggu stares at him, the look on his face showing that he's listening, even if he's quiet. So Junwoong keeps talking.
"I know why now, I just didn't know before because I forgot about here"
"So it was because you missed Jumadeung? You missed the work?"
"Not exactly. I mean, I also missed the work, being able to help people, but I meant you" he confesses, and Lim Ryunggu, for all of his smartness, gets a little dumbfounded.
"Me?"
"Yes, you. You were what was missing in my life, the person I was always searching for but couldn't find" Junwoong smiles, because while confessing his feelings is scary, it also just feels so natural that he's not as nervous as he anticipated. "I realized the moment I saw you again that what I feel, what I felt even back then, wasn't simple friendship or administration. I really like you"
"Oh" the older reaper says, after a few seconds of silence.
"Oh? Mr. Lim! I've just confessed I like you, you can't just answer me with a 'oh'" Junwoong all but whines, the same way he did when he didn't agree with something and wanted to go a different way.
"I wasn't expecting you to say that" Ryunggu defends himself, which makes Junwoong pout. He doesn't even care that he's technically probably too old for that, age isn't a concern for him anymore.
"I know you were looking after me after I was sent back, I could feel it, Mr. Lim" he says, averting looking at Ryunggu "So just tell me if I was reading too much into it and you don't feel the same, then we forget this and I try to move on" he's almost mumbling at the end, starting to feel a little self conscious with Ryunggu's lack of response.
Since he's not looking at Ryunggu, he doesn't see the older man coming closer to him until they're almost touching, being only a hair's breadth apart. Ryunggu's touch is gentle and soft when he touches Junwoong's face, caressing his cheek and then brushing his finger on his lips, touch featherlike.
"I like you too, I've liked you for a long time, but you were here only temporarily before and I didn't want things to be harder, for both of us" Ryunggu confesses in a whisper "I didn't know if you'd find someone you loved when you went back, someone tied to you by fate, and didn't know if you'd want to stay here again"
Junwoong is surprised, not expecting Ryunggu to speak so honestly about how he feels, but recovers after a few seconds, holding the older man's free hand in his.
"I was scared you wouldn’t reciprocate my feelings, too" Ryunggu admits lastly "I wasn't expecting you confess, so I got surprised when you did. But I like you, Junwoong, more than you would imagine"
Unsurprisingly, Junwoong cries after listening to such a sincere confession from the man he's in love with, which makes Ryunggu smile.
"Cry baby" he teases, wiping the tears away "Stop crying or I won't kiss you" Ryunggu teases again, but Junwoong actually tries to control his tears.
"I'm not crying," Junwoong says, sniffing a little. Ryunggu laughs, and it's the most beautiful sound Junwoong has ever heard; he wants to listen to it forever .
"Sure, you're not," Ryunggu humors him, a smile still on his face, making him look even prettier. "So I guess you're getting your kiss"
They kiss slowly, softly, almost languidly, taking their time to feel each other. It feels magical, perfect, better than what any of them has dared to imagine before. Their lips feel right on each other's, and they savor each moment of it.
Ryunggu breaks the kiss so both of them can breathe, but it's barely a second before Junwoong chases his lips again, eager to make up for all the time they spent separated.
"I see you two have finally sorted things" Koo Ryeon's voice startles Junwoong so much he ends up biting Ryunggu's mouth, causing him to yelp and then hiss in pain, touching his lip.
"Ouch!" he complains, right as Junwoong squeals.
"Mr. Koo!" the youngest manages to say, face flushing deep red and his eyes wide.
"No need to be shy" she continues, casually "I'm glad you two will stop pining now"
"Mr. Koo!!" Junwoong whines again, even more embarrassed.
"What? It's true" Ryeon says simply "Just please don't be handsy in the office, or at least not while I'm here. I'd rather not walk in on that"
Junwoong might have permanently changed color with how red his face has become; this is probably the most embarrassing conversation of his life, even more than when his mother gave him The Talk.
"You don't have to worry about that" Ryunggu replies, saving Junwoong from having to speak; he doesn't feel like he can manage coherent words right now.
Ryunggu looks at him, and the happy, genuine smile is still there. Junwoong wants to kiss him and make him smile forever. It's enough to make him forget the sheer mortification he was feeling a minute ago.
It feels amazing. Ryunggu is looking at him and he sees the same adoration he has for the man reflected on his eyes. Junwoong knows he might be teased for that later, but at the moment he doesn't care, so he just gets closer to Ryunggu and takes his hand, interviewing their fingers.
(Ryeon smiles fondly at them, happy that two people so dear to her have found love and happiness. She decides to leave the couple, not wanting to interrupt their moment. They barely notice her leaving.)
"So" Junwoong starts, sounding a bit silly, a bit dorky, absolutely adorable in Ryunggu's opinion "Are you my boyfriend now?"
"I thought it was clear after my confession" Ryunggu rolls his eyes, but his voice sounds soft "There's only you for me"
"So we're boyfriends?"
"Yeah, we are"
"We're boyfriends!! You're my boyfriend!! Ah, is this real?" Junwoong says, absolutely happy. Ryunggu gives him another fond eye roll.
Choi Junwoong had a really nice life, and he's sure his post life will be even better, finally having the man he loves with him.