The Love That Remains

We have cut the cake. What's up with these masks anyway? Sung Jun, his father, Ms. Sung and I are the only one not wearing the mask. Then, Sung Jun's ex-fiance isn't wearing one either.

I have no idea what we are celebrating. Is it our arrival or is it belated wedding celebration? We didn't even have a wedding. I am overthinking. I want to sleep.

Sung Jun is whisked away by people. His sunshine personality is switched on. He is talking and greeting people like they are his closest friends. Everyone seems to want to talk to him about something. He is the sun who belong to the sky. I don't know what to feel about myself.

"Hello, Ms. Sung." The ghost has been tailing me around. He even sits next to me.

"Tell me, does pretending to sit like this hurt you?" I ignore the smell of rotting eggs. There have been perks of living with Reis. Not smelling dead things takes the top position on the list.

The ghost is wearing traditional black clothes. His skin is white and blanched. His eyes and lips are completely black. He looks worse than the lady ghost I have met at the Fang main house. He gazes at me woodenly and replies, "If I act like a ghost, it might scare people."

"So, you attend a shaman's party and follow etiquette?" I am rather curious. Sung Jun's father is a shaman and the president of the council. Why would a ghost come?

The ghost sighs. "I have been dead for a long time. I have seen my children and grandchildren die. They passed on while I couldn't. A shaman can free the dead from the world of the living. President Sung understands that well."

"I see. Why don't you find a different shaman? Sung Jun can help you." I glance Sung Jun. He is talking to Ms. Sung about something. She appears to be anxious. I wonder what's going on.

The ghost doesn't answer my question.

"Can you really touch the dead?"

"Yes." I know that I cannot hide this. He only needs to touch me to confirm.

"You are special, child."

"I agree." Currently, I am the only one in the world who has this ability. I am not happy about it.

"Your mother wants to see you."

The words hit me like a thunderbolt. The ghost has simply vanished. I look around to find him, but I cannot see him anymore. The smell of the dead is also gone. Why would a ghost come to a shaman's party? Dabria must have sent him to confirm. Sung Jun's father must have allowed the ghost to come as her messenger. I don't know what he wants to prove.

I didn't have any good feeling for Dabria. If Reis hasn't shown me what kind of person she is, I might have wanted to see her as my mother. After I was born, she did everything that she could to wake my ability. When she failed because of the Fang seal, she wanted to sacrifice me to obtain youth, beauty, and longevity. She performed the sacrificial rituals to the god of death. At the last moment, she changed her mind and sent me to my father. She thought that I might rouse my curse later in life. She also wanted to use me to control him in the future. When she saw that Fang Qi had no interest in me, she also lost interest.

"Aisa?" I open my eyes. It's Ms. Sung. She takes the seat next to me. She hasn't changed at all.

"You have grown to be a beautiful woman." She takes my hand.

"You are the most beautiful one, Ms Sung," I tell her genuinely.

She chuckles and pinches my cheek. I finally find out where Sung Jun got his pinching habit from.

"I heard you calling him father. Why are you not calling me mother?" She sounds unhappy. "Am I not good enough?"

"I was trying to irritate him." I blurt out. I bite my tongue. She grins. The hurt expressions are gone. "Ki-Woong is stubborn as an old bull."

I don't know whether to laugh or not. He is her ex-husband, but she didn't change her surname after the divorce. I don't know whether she still likes him or not. I can't tell her that I agree with her.

"I am leaving for H City tomorrow." She is looking at Sung Jun with concerned eyes. She is upset about something.

"What's wrong, Mother?" I ask.

"Aisa, Sung Jun loves you with his whole heart...After you were gone, I have seen him fall into the abyss. I thought that I lost him. For the last eight years, I didn't see him happy once. I know that you had reasons for what you did...but I am afraid..." She shifts her eyes uneasily.

I understand what she is trying to say. Sung Jun's father will never accept me. She is probably worried that Sung Jun will get hurt.

"You are wise, Fang Aisa. You should be wary of Ki-Woong. Remember that you took his responsibility when you were in school." She looks at me strictly. "He is sold to you, isn't?"

"....Sold?" Her personality changes like the wind. She was just looking aggrieved a moment ago. Now, she is looking at me like I am someone who is going back on my words.

Are you kidding me? That's so random I open my mouth to say something, but no words come out.

"My son has refused to marry someone else or give me grandchildren because of you." She narrows her eyes at me and commands me. "Aisa, deal with Ki-Woong and give me grandchildren within a year."

"Mother, you...I...what?" She doesn't wait anymore. Her charming facade is back. She gives me a hug and tells me, "Aisa, remember that he is your gigolo. You cannot abandon him again. If you do, you are breaking the terms. If you do it again, my son and I will find you and lock you in the house."

"..." Now, I know where Sung Jun inherited his devilish personality from. Ms. Sung is scary.