⊱Ce rêve se termine⊰

This dream is ending

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I asked my father to make a pinky promise with me that he would never ever break. His pinky curled around mine and a tear escaped his tired eyes.

"Please promise me dad. You won't let greed overtake you. You'll do what's right." I smiled, wiping his tear. "Promise me that you'll still be the good person you are and be charitable for others."

"I promise, my baby sparrow," he choked out and cried more. "You won't leave this old man, will you?"

It was already said that I didn't have much time left to live. He already knew that but he didn't want to accept that. He stormed the hospital for days and I had to stop him every time. Then, after the anger dissipated, he would cry. Alone.

"A daughter shouldn't leave this world before her father..." He clutched my hand. "Sae, you should be growing older than me. I should be watching you find your place in this world, create your own family and be married to the person you love. You can't leave this soon..."

"Dad..." I sobbed and tried to use my powers to placate him. "I'm sorry, dad."

"It's not your fault, my poor baby. It's the damned illness," he cursed, crying even more. "I can't... It's cruel. I can't lose you, too."

I lifted myself up to sit on the bed despite his protests and wrapped my arms around him for a hug in hopes of soothing him. His whole body was trembling. He was careful not to hurt me but I hugged him tighter, whispering, "I'll always be with you even if you can't see me. You have to continue living. You're strong, dad. And I'll be living with you. I promise."

We stayed like that until he calmed down. The last time I had seen him cry like that was when my mother passed. He kept whispering and chanting that he loved me and I answered the same. I couldn't look at his broken form and hopeless expression again in this life. It made me all the more guilty for leaving him so soon.

When he went to the bathroom to wash his tear stained face, Jimin walked into the room while greeting him. He had a bouquet of red and pink tulips in hand and placed them on the table beside the bed.

"Your dad looks terrible," he said in a sad tone and I nodded with a sigh. Even if Jimin had a grudge against him, seeing him like that must had been awful. "It's hard to see you like this... Is today the day?"

I nodded again. "It won't be long now."

"I see." He drew patterns on the covers, hanging his head low. "You died earlier than me."

"Yeah. I saw you sometimes when I was at this hospital. It was hard seeing you like that, too. How times have changed... It's so good seeing you healthy and well."

"Back then, I had no reason to continue living after losing the only reason. My ability to dance after my spine injury. But now, I have two reasons to continue on. Just... I'm losing one of them now." He gulped. "If only you were with me now, healthy and well, too. Isn't this too early? I don't even know what it's like to live with someone I love..."

"I'm sorry," was all I could say.

"It's not your fault, Sae. I just..." He paused for a while to form his words but his body shook and shallow breaths left him, making me look at him closely.

"Why are you crying, Jimin?"

His shook his head and a tear dropped on his shirt sleeve. "I don't know."

I reached out my hand to gently wipe his tears. "It'll be okay. We'll be okay. We'll be back at our respective places in our world. Things aren't ending like this."

"But they are ending," he said hoarsely. "The life I want to live, it's ending. The trial is ending. This dream is ending... I don't want to wake up."

I was thinking the same. Instead of trying to reassure him, I agreed. "I don't want to wake up, either."

He finally looked up at me and his expression broke my heart. His eyes trailed up to my head. "You're still wearing that snowflake headband in the hospital bed?"

I smiled and placed my head on his shoulder, hugging him. "It's cute."

"Like you." His arms wrapped around my body, enveloping me in his warmth. "...I love you."

"I love you, too."

•───────────⋅⚜️⋅───────────•

"Congratulations, Charity. You fulfilled your duty wonderfully. Jung Hawoon's trial has been successfully completed and now, he will be reborn as a human again."

With my breaths caught in my throat, I bowed deeply to God. "Thank you! Thank you so much!"

"Thank yourself, my dear. You were able to do this." He walked off and I held my face with exploding euphoria.

"I... I did it... I really did it!"

"Saejin!"

I whirled around only to be squished by screeching Virtues. Diligence was doing most of the screeching while Patience barked at him to stop. How much I missed them.

"You did it, Saejin! Oh goodness, you did it!" Temperance exclaimed with wide eyes and sheer happiness.

"Yes, thank you everyone," I chuckled, realizing that I wouldn't die from a hug now. "I'm so relieved. I can't believe I did it."

"How did it happen though? The Sin of Greed must had been trying his hardest to sabotage it," Temperance said, making my breath hitch. "Did you put him in his place?"

I cringed. "I, uh... I... I don't really remember...?"

"Huh?"

"I barely remember...?" I lied and I realized that I was risking it since I was a Heavenly Virtue again who shouldn't lie. "I mean... he did try. But... he... I don't know how to explain it."

"What do you mean?" Patience asked, confused. "What happened?"

"I-"

"They caught feelings."

We all turned to the source of the voice and saw Humility walking towards us. He had no expression as he stared at me dead in the eyes. I swallowed thickly. He knew.

"They were in love- Or rather, they are in love with each other," he said, stopping before me. "Aren't you, Saejin?"

My hands and legs started shaking. I couldn't utter anything while the others watched us in horror.

"They started dating and they were even physical with each other," Humility said, making one of the Virtues gasp, making me feel smaller. "Greed stopped interfering for some reason. He's the reason the person in trial was sent to hell in the first place. Charity really did turn the tides but Greed acted like a support at some point. Very shocking. He could be punished for it now."

I froze. "P-Punished? Jimin?"

"You see?" He turned to the others. "She's in love with her enemy. A relationship between a Virtue and a Sin is forbidden."

He turned back to me with a concerned look. "What do you think will happen to you two now?"

I bit my trembling lips. "Nothing. Because we aren't in any relationship now."

He shook his head. "You can't deceive yourselves for long."

I furrowed my eyebrows. Humility stepped closer to me and patted my shoulder before whispering something that made my knees give out, and walking away.

"One of you, or worse, both of you will have to be erased."

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