NOVEL NEXT Chapter 151: We still exist in this world
"Miran!" He screams once before being completely sucked into the cube in less than the split second. The cube pulsates on the Keeper's pale palm like a living heart. The Keeper puts it inside his sleeve before walking to Kyuri and Si An. He touches the wall and it disintegrates into nothing. Kyuri is holding Kang Si An with her eyes closed.
"It's over." The Keeper smiles at them. "Yoon Miran is saved."
***
Si An can barely move. Even if it's the dream realm, it hurts like each bone has been broken. Kyuri lets him lean on her. "Who told you to play the hero?"
"The hero is him." Kang Si An glares at the Keeper. "If you had something like that, why didn't you give it to us?"
"Because it was Kyuri's task to separate Hong Yi Hwan and Yoon Miran. I could interfere only after they were separated. Those were the rules." The Keeper is cleansing the miasma from the room - the last of Hong Yi Hwan. "Yoon Miran's soul is weak, but she will live. I have already sent it back to her body."
"Stupid rules." Kang Si An can't even straighten his back. "Why does it hurt so much?"
"Your soul is strong. Otherwise, you would have been dead by now." The Keeper crosses his arms and looks at them. "I am leaving for now. I will return when there's a new task. Both of you should be prepared for that time."
"Wait!" Kyuri jumps on her feet. "There will be more?"
"I told you that Yoon Miran was the first one." The Keeper raises his brow. "Do you ever listen carefully? You don't have good control in the dream realm either. You better train before I come back. It might be more difficult next time."
"I take that both of you will miss me." The Keeper chuckles when he sees their pale expressions. "Goodbye until then. I hope that both of you will appreciate life and peace until I come back."
The Keeper doesn't let them complain. He sends them back to their bodies. He sighs and mumbles to himself, "I will ask the higher up to give me a human life next time when she's reborn again."
Kang Si An might have won this time. But the Keeper will meet her in her next life as a human being.
When Kang Si An opens his eyes, he finds himself next to Kyuri at Kim Taeho's house. He checks on Kyuri who slowly opens her eyes. She's tired after using her ability. The dream realm exhausts a lot of energy.
"Are you feeling okay?" Kang Si An notices how pale she is. "Let's go to the hospital."
"I am fine. We need to check on Yoon Miran first."
Kim Taeho is in Yoon Miran's room. It seems that she's awake too. Kyuri and Si An walk to her room. Yoon Miran is blankly looking at Kim Taeho, drained of colour.
"Miran, Miran..." Kim Taeho calls her name, but she's not responding. He looks at Kyuri with fear in his eyes.
"She's in shock. Hong Yi Hwan is gone. Her soul is weak, but she won't die," Kyuri says after checking Miran's body. "She needs you the most right now."
Yoon Miran blinks at her after hearing Hong Yi Hwan's name. A tear rolls down on. She is crying silently. She's feeling light as if a huge boulder is gone.
"Yoon Miran, I know that you think you loved Hong Yi Hwan and he loved you. But, you should carefully check if it was truly love." Kyuri believes that she doesn't need to say more. Kim Taeho is there to teach Yoon Miran what love is. She grabs Kang Si An wrists and walks out of their house. It's already morning.
"We are still alive." Kyuri exhales tiredly. "We still exist in this world."
"Little Hae still has us." Kang Si An looks up at the sky. "We should head home before she wakes up."
"Si An, I want to drink Soju mixed with beer." Kyuri gets into the car with Kang Si An. "I want to drink until I pass out."
"I want to do the same, but we have to head home. Little Hae will be scared if she doesn't see us." Kang Si An's body is hurting. Though he's physically fine, he is feeling pangs of pain throughout his body as if someone has thrown him in the washing machine and washed him until his body turned gooey.
"Being a parent is difficult." She drives toward her house. "Want to sneak out tonight after she sleeps?"
"Sure." Kang Si An leans back and closes his eyes. "Let's see who can drink more."
If he's been in his right mind, he would not have said that.
Kyuri smiles. She won't let him back out at all.
*******************
Kyuri stares up in the sky dumbly. Each balloon is tied to a flower. The entire sky is full of colourful balloons. On each balloon, there's a question.
'Will you marry me, Kyuri?'
The entire city can see the countless balloon floating in the sky.
"It's really harmful to the environment." 6 years old Hae shakes her head. "Daddy, this is crazy."
"Wait for a moment." Kang Si An grins at this daughter. For the past year, he's been proposing to Kyuri who is taking all the time to say yes. He doesn't mind. She will say yes in the end.
He was famous for failed attempts at suicides and brushes with death. Now, he tops the list of failed proposals by celebrities.
After that day, they started dating like a normal couple, cherishing each day with Little Hae. A year ago, Kim Taeho came back from the military. Yoon Miran and Kim Taeho registered their marriage half a year ago. They are quite close to Kyuri and Si An. It goes without saying that their children are inseparable.
Suddenly, it starts raining rose petals from the sky. Kyuri laughs at the cheesy idea and says, "You make my head hurt."