CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN | HIS HUMAN

I've been hiding it
I tell you something
Just to leave it buried

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"Hey, freak! It's been weeks since Jaemin was gone," Woong quipped, abruptly slamming his palm onto Dallia's desk to surprise her, however, she saw it coming and instead shot her head up to look at him, making him flinch. "Goddammit! Forgot you looked like a fucking corpse." He murmured lowly, not expecting her to look up at him like that.

"What do you want."

Woong shuddered at her hushed voice. It reminded him of like a ghost whispering into his ear, only it wasn't. He licked his lips, gulping down the fear that crawled up his throat, preventing him from talking. "So," he started, jabbing his thumb towards Jaemin's empty seat, "where'd you hide Jaemin's body?"

"Did you bury him in your backyard like those pets you had? Or, or! You fucking stitched him up like what you did to your brother!?" Woong raised his voice louder, glowering down at the girl who stared into silence.

Dallia had no intention of responding nor entertaining the boy, so she stood up from her seat, striding towards the doorway and that was when she stumbled back as Woong yanked her back by her hair. Gasps filled the air, eyes shifted towards the scene upon Woong's bold actions.

"Yah, I'm not yet done talking to you, bitch."

"Come on, tell me! Tell me about how much of a freak you are. Stitching corpses, pretending to be dead! I hope you die—"

"Leave her alone, Woong." In a split second, more gasps had resonated, whispers broke through when they all saw a familiar blue-haired, well, now white-haired Jaemin, standing by the doorframe. He had his arms akimbo, staring dead straight into Woong's eyes.

The latter had his eyes gouging out of his sockets, his heightened grip loosened and he let go of the fistful of hair. Jaw clenching, he took a step back, waving his hands in front of him as a gesture, "J-Jaemin! I- didn't see you there!" He nervously said.

Jaemin hissed, "Drop that act, Woong. I heard and saw everything." He sent a sympathetic gaze towards the girl, sighing softly before grabbing her arm gently as if she was a porcelain doll that would easily shatter into pieces if held in a wrong way. "Dallia, let's go home."

"Last time I know, you stuck to me because you were trying to drain the life out of me- as if you'd be able to." Dallia snapped once they were outside. Jaemin sighed again, rubbing his nape softly. "Look, Dallia... I'm sorry... you don't understand—"

"I? I don't understand? Are you hearing yourself right now? For almost three years! You followed me, wanting to be my friend and I'm glad." She scoffs, "Glad that I didn't trust you to be my friend."

Jaemin felt his world crashing then and there, he blinked a couple of times, trying to distract himself away from the echoing tone that sharply criticized his every being. Mouth empty of words, he couldn't bring himself to tell her. The endless reasons he had for her got washed away by the huge wave of guilt.

Why did he follow Dallia?

Why was he so into being her friend? Was that he all wanted? To be her friend and drain the life out of her?

No. Jaemin had his own story to tell. Deep within his angelic figure and bright smile was a broken boy, torn away from his happiness, suffered from his tragic loss. The girl the stood in front of him right now...used to be his. In another world, in another life.

Soul Reapers had two choices whenever judging the person's soul. Whether the person was worthy of reincarnation or be lost forever in the depths of the underworld.

Dallia...happened to go into the brighter side. Being reborn and welcomed into the light of life. The light that flickered and was slowly fading. And once faded? He'd lose her again.

What exactly was his goal? Performing an unauthorized job on her, was being punished worth it just for her?

It was, would what Jaemin respond with. Because all he wanted was to be her guardian angel, even if he was the ruined angel – the fallen one. The bad one. He just wanted to protect her, away from all the life reapers that sought to take her soul away. Because for all he knows, Dallia doesn't deserve pain. She doesn't deserve it even if she begs for it.

"Dallia... I bring no harm. I swear- I never whispered a lie to you. I never manipulated you, I swear my whole life to Papa." Jaemin managed to say out loud despite the shakiness of his voice, Dallia listened.

She took a deep breath before bringing her eyes up to his, seeing the tear tracks on his cheeks. Somehow, even if she didn't like him, she felt bad for him. "Then... why?"

"Because..." he took a long pause, averting his gaze away from her, and looked behind her, seeing Seirus standing far besides a large tree, his ghastly physique seemed like he was fading away, but that was normal. The old man had an eerie smile plastered on his face and Jaemin got the signal. His consequences. "...because I really wanted to be your friend. I- wanted to help you, to make you feel alive again." He smiles sadly, "But I guess I'm not the one who'll succeed in that."

"What do you mean?" Dallia furrowed her eyebrows together, a bit confused.

"Mark. Mark will be able to help you. I know he's a bit of a hard-headed prick sometimes but he's good, he's just- broken."

"Mark wants to kill me," Dallia said softly making Jaemin snort.

He rolled his eyes, "I doubt that." Jaemin watches as a smile slowly crept up her face and that was enough for him to be assured. "I have to go now..."

Dallia hesitated for a quick second, a hand reaching to Jaemin as he turned his back on her, about to leave. "Wait!" He glances back, confused. Dallia grabbed his hand and he flinched at the sudden contact, he didn't expect that, after all, Dallia was rather dubious around him. She cups his hands into hers and he could feel the warmth from her body, something he missed feeling. He looked down, seeing scars of past stitches, but what surprised him was the lack of presence of the red threads.

Jaemin instantly shot his head up in disbelief with his lips slightly agape, "You're- your hands! Dallia-"

Dallia's jaw clenched and she squeezed his hands. "I know..." she trailed off, "...no more stitches."

Jaemin could say he was overjoyed and very proud of Dallia. He had been trying to help her ages ago, and here he was, seeing her slowly getting better. Though the image of Dallia fully recovered was still equivocal, he was happy to see that she was trying. Maybe her beliefs would never stray away from her as it is now apart of what she has become, still, she tried.

"You're a good...friend, Jaemin." She said slowly, "Even if you are a life reaper, which I heard from Mark are terrible beings, there still could be good in you."

"Dallia..."

The said girl looked up at him, sending him a soft smile, "I hope we meet again soon."

Jaemin chuckled shortly, "You won't even remember me. But just know, that there will always be an angel named Jaemin looking out for you. I may be a fake, but my intentions are pure." He said before pulling away from her grasp, the warmth he felt declining.

"Goodbye." And that was the last thing she heard from him.

Dallia wasn't sure but something felt off about his goodbye. She recalled him saying how he hated saying goodbye to people before and that was because 'goodbye' sounded like forever, it sounded like the end. Instead, he preferred saying 'see you later' or something similar to that. Now that brought her to pondering, maybe she did treat him like a friend at some point.

She walked back home, thrilled to see the death reaper and her friends once again. But what she didn't know, was Jaemin walking back to his place with his heart heavy and Papa waiting for him with his consequence.

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