The Love That Remains

Reis continues to treat her like she is invisible. Their relationship has been showing no progress. He ignores more after the last incident. It looks like the distance between them is growing wider with time. Bae Ri Na has no patience. She's been chasing him for years and he doesn't even glance at her. He doesn't even wear the collar that she gave him.

She puts down the bottle of Soju. "Soo Han, tell me. Am I not sexy? Why does that cat not seduced yet?"

Sung Soo Han takes a glance at her. Does she forget that she is his sister? Though they don't have blood relation, they are raised together. How could he ever see her as sexy? "No, you aren't sexy. You are nothing compared to my Amy."

She throws the bottle at him in anger. He dodges it with ease. He has his own love problems. His girlfriend broke up with him again. She even tried to exorcise him to hell. Why was she angry at him?

Both lets out a heavy sigh.

"You know what?" Bae Ri Na has a dark grin on her face. "We should do what my uncle did."

Soo Han understands the meaning right away. He thinks about his girlfriend who keeps breaking up with him and then, makes him beg on his knees to take him back. He knows that she loves him. She keeps having second thoughts because of her family who don't want to accept the idea of a semi-demon becoming her husband in the future.

"I am in." He nods furiously. "When are you going?"

"Good deeds must be done right away." Bae Ri Na's drunk eyes are replaced by determined eyes. "I will catch that cat at any cost."

"I will catch that exorcist at any cost," Sung Soo Han shouts with the same determination.

***

"This is what I generally use for humans." The god of marriage pulls the red thread with fingers. "It's good for new ones."

He turns to the second one. "This 1... I use it for the ones who have strong fates. They can't stay together or without each other. They need flexible ones. To pull them together when they are apart and push them apart when they are together."

Bae Ri Na scribbles down the information. She's pretending to be a reporter who is writing an article on the jobs of the gods. This god of marriage is easy to fool. He is excited to show his workshop. From the corner of her eyes, she sees Soo Han sneaking into the workshop.

"Is there any strong one?" She distracts the god before he sees Soo Han. "Gods also get married. What kind of threads do you use for them?"

"There are different ones for those who aren't humans," The god of marriage replies with enthusiasm. This girl asks good questions. "There are different ones for minor gods. The medium rank gods need slightly agile threads."

"What about primordial gods?" Her interest only lies in Reis. "They must need real strong threads."

"Primordial ones can usually break them easily if they don't want the marriage." The god of marriage sighs.

"There isn't any thread that they can't break?" Bae Ri Na prods him. "There must be something."

Seeing her eagerness, the god of marriage is moved. Usually, no one shows much interest in his work.

"Of course, there is." The god of marriage takes her deeper into the workshop. He opens the wooden box lying at the end of the room. "This one is the heavenly treasure. This is a thread that can bind any creature in the world. Even the primordial gods cannot break it once it's tied. It's only one of it's kind."

Bae Ri Na looks at it with greed. It looks nothing out of ordinary. She smiles at the god of marriage as he talks about the other kind of threads. When they leave the workshop, Soo Han steals the heavenly red thread and escapes.

***

Reis finds the quietness too heavy. She hasn't appeared for some days. Has she given up? That's good. Then, he can enjoy his peaceful days again. He rolls his back on the ground. He is having this peaceful moment after such a loooooooong ti -

"Reis!" The girl pops up in front of him. He jumps on his feet and changes into his human form.

"Why are you here?" He asks her with undisguised irritation in his voice.

"Ah... about that... I have realized that I have been bothering you a lot." She looks at him with guilt. "I have decided to give up."

"Really?" A little surprised and unhappy, he eyes the girl. At least, he will get his peaceful days back. "You have finally realized that you stand no chance."

She moves closer inch by inch. "I have no patience. I have no energy left. I keep chasing you, but you don't even look at me. You are still in love with my aunt."

"It's good that you have realized that, Human." He feels slightly disappointed. "Leave. I don't want to see your face."

He turns his back on her.

That's the opportunity! With a swift motion, she ties the other hand of the heavenly red thread around his neck. He can remove collars. He can remove rings. He will never be able to remove this red thread.

"What have you done?" He pulls the thread that has turned into a thick rope around his neck. "What is this, you stupid girl?"

She shows her pinkie finger. The other end of the thread is tied around it. "I don't have the patience to keep waiting for you to accept my marriage proposal. So, I have taken things into my hands. Let's go on the honeymoon."

"Honeymoon." Reis has realized that she has used the heavenly treasure on him. He picks up her with his one hand and tosses her body away. She screams when the portal opens up and swallows her.

Reis pulls the rope around his neck and sighs. He has never met a human who could make him feel so tired.