When Minjae came in next morning before the opening hour, he entered the back room and found a ghostly figure still typing away on her laptop. He tilted his head to the side and waited in the door frame for her to notice him. Her eyes were half closed and at times it seemed her hands were not even touching the keyboard. He watched her thinking that maybe she had a rough night but if that was the case he would have been called in.559Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6iBF9BMK24
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"What happened to you?" He finally asked.559Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡd0tE3weJDi
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Fei sighed heavily as she turned off the laptop. She placed her hands on her lap and pouted before her head hit the table.559Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡg9Oh96Jcu0
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Minjae frowned and quickly checked if she hit herself hard enough for it to show.559Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡj1wgAbxuMQ
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"I'm so tired," she mumbled loud enough for him to hear.559Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡs3dv4jw4zM
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"But you don't have to sleep, noona. You do it just because you want the time to go faster." He whispered next to her head. She groaned in reply and glared at him from the corner of her eye.559Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJqOSnhX3ai
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"Go open the library." She said wanting nothing but to go upstairs and forget what happened last night. His face was still haunting her and memories that she had pushed in the back of her mind were coming back at incredible speed.559Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeeACg7wJ1X
559Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzNRiQe5LNQ
Minjae puckered his lips annoyed that she was acting as if he didn't help her yesterday.559Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHE8oPFuJjN
559Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBUQzp50lKl
"Come out then. With Hikaru still in the warehouse somebody will have to stay at the counter during the day." He commented knowing she strongly disliked to interact with people.559Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYTafM7u63u
559Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCXFqFbubBq
She groaned again but did get up and followed him into the staff room (or more like the space behind the counter, because it was a small square space). She noticed a list in one of the cabinets and sighed heavily.559Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPSaq0r8MTk
559Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkrUMWjiwfp
"Can you go and bring these books up? We need to make some errands."559Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡl3VKTN5OiA
559Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKxmTQTlzhK
Minjae took the list and nodded. A piercing scream was heard suddenly and both Minjae and Fei sighed.559Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkZk1QXRxDZ
559Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5ru8P05QTX
"Check on Hikaru too. We don't need people to hear him."559Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7n0ZJwQN0N
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Minjae nodded and left for the warehouse. The entry was on the ground floor, in the very back. Most people were not going that way since trending books were in the front part of the library.559Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOacqV08jm1
559Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡn9AAstJc7d
It was an average sized building but once inside, it seemed bigger and wider than on the outside. As a customer, the first thing you could see was the counter and whoever was working at the moment. If you looked towards your left, there was nothing but a wall and a coffee machine free for the people who wanted to study or read there. The first thing you saw when you looked to the right was the long bar table where young people could sit and charge their laptop or phone. It could accommodate about four people on each side plus the two heads. After you passed the table, you came across three sofas arranged around a high table where was the glass case containing an artefact: a very old arrow. Everywhere else were bookshelves. If you were sitting on the sofa parallel to the bar table, you could see directly down the corridor to the warehouse. The stairs were placed parallel to the counter. Upstairs were mostly books and small reading spaces. For the most part, it was a personal and comfortable library where background music was rarely played. They had a computer in the staff space but it was more used for business than anything else. Instead, upstairs there was a gramophone that was admired by everyone who passed it by. It was still working and Fei would every so often put on records for her pleasure. Customers liked it because it made them feel like they were transported back in time. The name of the library was not chosen by Fei or Minjae but by the person who handed them the library.559Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0PlZ2zgFVb
559Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnsc7nmrb20
It was half past ten and Fei just stood there thinking about her life. Hikaru's whimpers were still audible to her sensitive ears but she could also hear others trying to calm him down. He died rather painfully, burned by the sun and then drowned into the cold sea. And yet being alive was more painful than dying.559Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNb1H9ynbrh
559Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5ek0IJAbwS
Fei shuddered at the current of cold air coming from the front door. They had an early customer and she had to get a grip on her mental state. In order to get encourage herself she slapped her cheeks lightly and turned to face her customer.559Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzpQ7dGQyK1
559Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkp8xp6pawr
"Good morning, I'm here for my book."559Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqOab0WkMI8
559Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQjnE4BuHiA
Fei froze. She stared at him with wide eyes and couldn't believe her bad luck.559Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4I0JjFNcoT
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"Excuse me, but did you hear me?" He asked watching this peculiar woman.559Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDC9odU0ZJB
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"Yes, I did." The answer came immediately, like it was automatic.559Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaPz9oY7nqy
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"Oh, ok, good. I came by last night too, remember? I was the one knocking on the door."559Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzQ0d9iIutR
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"Yes, I remember." She couldn't help but answer even if the question was rhetorical. "What book do you want? You have to give me the title and in case we don't have it or is not for sale, then-"559Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6YxQGjMVqy
559Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHhR0DtXXEy
"You have it, I bought it online. Heroes by Stephen Fry."559Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡw1c8jL0H7o
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Fei closed her eyes for a second, not believing how this guy with the same face like the one that broke her heart was buying a book about Greek mythology.559Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaHOsXVvt10
559Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpjuZwdFimD
"Are you interested in mythology?" She asked making small talk.559Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8KQHe9oLYw
559Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlgNcdBelYN
"Yes, I am and I needed this book last night, it was an emergency." He added attacking her a bit for running from his although he literally begged for her help. "Don't you remember? I told you exactly why I was so desperate."559Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡI7posCRrUc
559Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ56oPk6VEjb
"I don't remember and sincerely I don't care. We were closed." She said coldly while processing his order. "I'll give you the book shortly," she mumbled and turned to the desk of books. It had to be there, somewhere.559Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJWU3wMnhIM
559Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjqoNcNIYek
The young man stood there, waiting for his purchase. He could have had the book sent to his address but he was curious to see the library. Now that he was there and he was taking a better look, it was rather empty and silent.559Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRatc5tIEcb
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"Are you the only worker here?"559Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2bt4GtjmyP
559Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7UfRJBZgVF
"No."559Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5Aegv7z7Z8
559Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIBebUza031
"Why is it so silent?"559Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2DKdzO7Q1V
559Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLTMIGXH0xr
"Because there aren't any clients in."559Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡF2R5kDA3cF
559Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnNjvbMDJos
"What about some music?"559Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7DNG0stwN7
559Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfsxct8uGTO
"Some clients can't concentrate so we decided to stop playing any music. Whoever wants to, can listen to it on their devices."559Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMuONnZkRAH
559Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡESm62ngJs1
"Who is 'we'?" He asked growing wittier. She found his book and brought it to the counter with a poker face.559Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBD8mFl0owG
559Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQjeprsSSCX
"Me and my associate." She replied placing the book in a paper bag and handing it to him. "Any more questions?" She asked sarcastically but he seemed to actually think about it.559Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlwqbq6eba1
559Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOO7O6M5h72
"Are we really the only people in the library right now? It feels so empty."559Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDi0KHYnIZ3
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"No, we are not."559Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡL2on46UdDt
559Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6wcNe5CBzk
"Hmm,"559Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAq1cBUj0tw
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They stood there in awkwardness as he kept looking around the ground floor.559Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡd4pGk9nfja
559Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNCXcOWO7Od
"What's that?" He asked finally noticing the artefact.559Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLK5bShiT0P
559Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4r7JYYZs8p
"An arrow." She answered not even glancing where he pointed at.559Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUNhVaLn3aU
559Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkDx751tt4J
He actually walked towards the glass cover, his eyes wandering everywhere on the way. He gaped at how old and beautiful the ceiling was and how the smell of books made him feel like he was back in his room at his parents' house. His smile was huge and his eyes were sparkling. He was feeling like a curious little kid who found a new playground. When his eyes fell on the arrow, the first thing he saw was the red around the tip.559Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrTolxNNft8
559Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡldIlZtbrbd
"That's blood." A new male voice surprised the customer.
The curious customer looked up and saw a handsome man whose dark eyes reminded him of two olives. He was dressed in all black and seemed to have struggled somewhere with a lot of dust because the particles reached the customer's nose.559Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqH8zIbfnLP
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"Oh...fascinating." The customer whispered almost gluing his face to the glass.559Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡshwCQFDPIp
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Minjae stared at him, watched every little movement and expression on his face and finally spoke.559Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVz36ZNlA5n
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"I believe we have already met once before."559Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡc8zn0OZgVc
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The customer raised his head and carefully analysed his face. His eyes widened when he remembered the same olive eyes glaring at him less than a day ago.559Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1bOwA18Cwf
559Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIGJVqq1Mbk
"Right! Wow, what a small world! You're the guy from yesterday at the wedding hall."559Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFn9HrH4Aiq
559Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1kMwHejLPh
"Kim Minjae," he introduced himself with a bow. "I am one of the associates here at Ethos."559Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡscv8gJbA6E
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Minjae waited for a bit but nothing else followed. He saw that the customer kept returning his attention to the arrow and he had to cough twice to regain his attention.559Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5JGyXGByRh
559Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡONvRuFgACi
"And you are?"559Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQQqjCyjAhq
559Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEPiJxaPQbA
"Dohyun. Lee Dohyun. What was this arrow used for if those are traces of blood?"559Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHFWiliE4rN
559Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjvGbcxE67Z
"It-" Minjae stopped and looked at Fei. She was standing in front of the coffee machine, watching them. Her focus was mainly on Dohyun. Those clear eyes of hers were so sad no matter how hard she was trying to hide it. From afar she looked hopeless. "It was used to break someone's heart. It pierced right through it, killing her." Minjae explained, his eyes locked on Fei.559Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtuv32kFrcX
559Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡq2zyihzAZN
"That's tragic," Dohyun replied feeling a bit bad for asking now that he found out. His phone vibrated making him pick up. "Oh hyung, I'm on my way. Yes, yes, I got it. I'm coming." He said before he hung up. "Thanks. I'll come back another time for the full story." He said and quickly left. He smiled at Fei as he passed her and it was better that he didn't see her reaction.559Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoWFWnWCHNW
559Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡB8JahXfhOK
But Minjae did. He placed the books he brought on the high table and came next to her.559Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlpVGpSAooI
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"I hate that expression. You used to wear it a lot in the past and I hoped you won't once you forgot about him." He started in a firm voice.559Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡblmhU1OKFE
559Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbh6HAMob1R
"How can I ever forget him? He is the only man I've ever loved."559Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjahgabprpz
559Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbinDcowjv2
"And he killed you, remember? He watched as you gave your last breath and then threw you into the woods to animals." Minjae continued growing more serious and loud. "You should hate him then pity him and eventually forget him."559Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2rvU0hgsYL
559Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsjXal1aWuP
She looked into his eyes and saw herself in the reflection. She could still feel the pain as the arrow pierced deep into her heart.559Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqemd8jffp5
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"Morniiiing! Am I interrupting something?"559Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnYBL2RlAII
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The raven stepped back and Fei lowered her gaze.559Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9PTcx1x61Y
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"Even if you were you wouldn't care so what is it?" Fei asked the newcomer.559Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvq9AmZr6NG
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"There is this little problem I have with a reaper. He went rogue." Death himself informed the two.559Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbdVX9MhIXz
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Well, Death was too much said. He wasn't death, he couldn't be a state, but he was the head of the death department.559Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdhM0iuqYLv
559Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZi2keWCNhv
"I sent you her ID so take a good look at her face. I mainly want you to find her and I'll take care of the rest."559Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjWkMckOMdP
559Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjw5IX9rNeF
Both Fei's and Minjae's phones beeped at the same time. Seeing the female reaper on the screen with her number and status made Minjae cringe. It wasn't every day that supernatural beings had the will or courage to desert their post. The Underworld was losing power now that the youth believed in different beings and ideas.559Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡemCbU9OBFK
559Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4t2IH8ipOq
"Why did she go rogue?" Minjae asked looking at the Head of the Department.559Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTe3IdhkCtN
559Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4SAWeNCYmI
"For a man." He answered before he scoffed loudly. "She has been part of my team for centuries and never once did she make a mistake. And now, after all this time, she chose to...fall in love. Ha!" He exclaimed surprising the two librarians. "Love is not a word for us. We're dead! We exist in order to be a bridge between the dead and the living and we can't be seen by humans. That's just like going against your country! That rascal..."559Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNxbMU89zXc
559Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGfR5vOpzYN
Fei stared at the picture, the poker face of a pretty girl reminding her of how she used to be. She couldn't help chuckle at all the bad things she did and said when she was young and had the energy to fight.559Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvnZsltVzPK
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"What will happen to her after she is caught?" She asked placing her phone in her back pocket of her jeans and going to grab her trench coat.559Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4aHjTZONMl
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Death rubbed his cheek as he thought about it.559Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXVMeDs3zXJ
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"She will be erased from existence, of course. All data about her even working for us will be deleted and her workload will be split between other reapers." He answered with nonchalance.
