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“Timjangnim, will Minji-ah be okay?” Jun Woong asked as he walked behind his boss.
“For now, yes,” Ryeon replied, looking at the establishments along the way, “We’ll know if anything goes wrong, don’t worry.”
Ryeon sighed, observing everything around her as she continued walking. It was a mild night, there were few people on the streets and there was none of the deafening noise that was characteristic of the city. It was a perfect night.
“I think it’s going to rain,” Jun Woong commented after a while, and Ryeon wanted to laugh, after all, he couldn’t stay silent for long.
“You can go now, Jun Woong-ssi,” Ryeon warned, stopping and looking at the boy, “Our work for today is over.”
“But what about you, timjangnim?” Jun Woong asked, clearly confused.
“I like walking,” Ryeon gave a small smile, “It’s a habit.”
“Then can I accompany you a little longer until I get sleepy?” The half-half looked like a lost puppy and Ryeon rolled her eyes, but nodded.
Resuming her walk in silence, Ryeon sighed. Memories filled her mind and, without being able to stop it, she remembered him.
Ryeon still couldn't explain how that habit of walking with him had come about, but when she realized, the walks after work were already routine.
For many nights, they were silent. The world back then was more peaceful under Ryeon's gaze, so they were quiet nights. The cool breeze caressing her cheeks, the sound of their footsteps in sync, Ryeon's heart beating so hard that she feared Joong Gil might hear it.
On other nights, they would talk about the cases they had had throughout the day. Joong Gil was the more talkative of the two, expressing his good and bad thoughts about each person he escorted to the afterlife. Ryeon would chime in here and there, preferring to listen to his calming voice.
Perhaps he adored her because she remained silent most of the time, giving him the opportunity to say everything that came to his mind that other subordinates would not care to hear. Ryeon loved his company, even if he did not remember her, even if it hurt her every time she looked at him and did not find the one she so wanted to see.
Ryeon didn't think about Joong Gil often. Her mind was filled with the people she had to save, the punishments she would inflict on those who deserved them, and how she would end this time when she finally saved the person the Jade Emperor had spoken of.
But on midnights like that, silent and peaceful, when the sky was clear, when the weather was nice, when the sound of her boots was loud, it was on those midnights that Ryeon thought of him.