Waiting For Your Reincarnation

“What did you say your name was?” “Kim Yeon-young.”

I answered.

 “Yeon-young. That’s easy to remember.” “I still don’t like you.”

I replied.

 

I insisted that I didn’t like him, but it seemed to fall on deaf ears. 

 

Jaeho pulled a tray from under his desk and placed five empty glasses on it.

 

He gripped the tray with both hands, closed his eyes, and a blue light flickered around him, filling the empty glasses one by one with liquid. Red, blue, clear, yellow, brown.

 

When he opened his eyes, his emerald pupils were filled with excitement.

 “A welcome drink for your first visit to my lab.” “I’m not thirsty.” “Am I asking you?” 

Jaeho’s eyes, which had remained soft since he had seen the soul fragment, became sharp.

 

His breath tightened. I chewed lightly on my inner cheek. The spirits of this world never moved as I expected.

 

Drowning in water or drinking strange beverages?

 

I was at the end of two roads. After a long pause, I came up with a solution.

 “Just one drink. If I drink it, will you let me out of here?” “Okay, let’s see, which one will Kim Yeon-young choose, let’s guess! Ding, dong, dong, dong, dong, dong!” 

Jaeho sang and squealed with excitement at the thought of me having that drink.

 

I had my doubts that it was really a

“welcome”

drink. 

 

He pushed the tray towards me as if he wanted me to choose.

 

I thought about all the atrocities Jaeho had committed up to that point and after much deliberation I chose a glass with a clear liquid.

 “That’s too bad. I was hoping you’d choose blue, but it’s your choice, so I’ll respect it.” 

The comment made me dizzy. 

 

I quickly picked up the clear glass and raised it to my mouth. I wanted to drink it and get out of this lab as soon as possible.

 

Just then I heard a loud bang and all the glass windows in the lab shattered.

 BOOM! 

I heard a series of explosions and the glasses on the tray shattered one by one. 

 

My heart sank as I wondered if an evil spirit named Snarl had entered.

 

Even though we were indoors, the wind was blowing so hard that it was hard for me to steady myself. 

 

I could barely keep my feet on the ground. I swayed and lost my grip on the glass in my hand.

 

That’s when I felt someone wrap their arms around my waist and hold me up to keep me centered.

 

A familiar embrace that smelled like a fresh field where only the tiniest butterflies would fly.

 

Gently, I turned my head, and a voice, now firmly imprinted, spoke in my ear.

 “I just came running, but you didn’t drink that already, did you?” “Mr. Ryu Won…?” “Have you had a drink?” “No, not yet… Then where the hell have you been? I’ve been looking for you.” “You’re looking for me? I should have come back later.” 

It was nice to see a familiar face in this crazy lab.

 

Ryu Won smiled softly the whole time, as if he liked the way I looked.

 

Only now did I realize why the storm had come to the lab.

 

The glasses Jaeho was holding had all fallen to the floor and shattered, and the man who had made the drink had also been thrown backwards by the wind.

 “Ryu Won? How did you get here already?” “You’re the only one who would be stupid enough to set a trap in the area where the chairman”s office is.” “Didn’t you get trapped and fall into the basement?” “Someone was kind enough to leave it on when they connected the basement to the emergency exit on the seventh floor, so I got here faster.” “Damn. I only changed the location portals a day ago, how did you know?” 

‘I’ll never use the emergency exit again.’

That’s what I thought after listening to the conversation between the two men.

 

Suddenly, Ryu Won lifted my hair and touched my neck with his big hand. 

 

I jumped at the sudden contact.

 

All my nerves gets into overdrive when a stranger’s hand touched my vulnerable spot.

 

Ryu Won’s eyes were serious as he played with me.

 

He could grab my neck with one hand and shake me.

 

But the same hand was very careful, as if it would hurt me.

 

I could barely stand the tickle and the hand slowly moved away.

 “Your neck, did someone touch it?” “What?” “Your neck, you’re hurt.” “Oh, it’s that one Jung Jaeho…” 

Feeling a light breeze along with a short groan, Jaeho clutched his chest in pain. A trickle of blood stood on Ryu Won’s temple and then disappeared.

 

Jaeho leaned forward, breathing irregularly. 

 

I thought about reaching out to him, but my body was held tightly in Ryu Won’s arms.

 

With his smile completely gone, Ryu Won’s face was as numb as an ant on the side of the road.

 

Looking at that cold face, I suddenly thought of such a premise.

 

Like accidentally stepping on an ant and killing it. He’s going to kill Jung Jaeho just like that.

 

When my thoughts reached that far, a shiver ran down my spine and the hairs on my body stood on end. 

 

The hand holding my waist grew stronger. At the same time, Jaeho’s complexion was getting worse.

 

Watching the tense confrontation, I carefully wrapped my hands around Ryu Won’s arm.

 

It was true that Jung Jaeho wanted to kill me, but I didn’t want to witness a murder with my own eyes.

 “Ryu Won.” “The center doesn’t need this piece of trash. Let go of my hand.” “I don’t want to see a crime, I’m scared.” 

At the word

“scared,”

the corners of Ryu Won’s eyes twitched slightly. 

 

His arms, which seemed to hold on forever, also lost some strength. 

 

Coughing, Jaeho cleared his throat and stood up.

 

This looks familiar, so it hasn’t happened more than once or twice.

 “Yeon-young, from now on don’t take whatever Jung Jaeho gives you.” “The trap is really a joke. You said you’d be happy to have their abilities improved.”

Jaeho added suspiciously. 

 

I couldn’t keep my mouth shut in disbelief.

 

Ryu Won pulled back his bangs and frowned. He looked as if he was debating whether to kill him or not.

 “Are you on drugs?” “It’s not a drug like that. It’s an almost finished enhancer, nothing harmful to the body.” “They don’t teach research ethics here, do they?” “It’s just a little tweak to your soul gene, amplifying it. It’s a good amplifier for you.” “No side effects at all?” “Side effects, like what?” 

Jaeho jerked his chin and pointed at Ryu Won who was standing next to me. 

 

Ryu Won hadn’t been part of this conversation from the beginning, his head swiveling as he searched for something.

 “Where did you put Ms. Yeon Young’s soul?” “I don’t know, I’m sure I’ll find out and use it for good, no matter what.” “Ah, that’s what Saeri asked me to tell you. If you want your body back, don’t mess around with soul shards.” “What?” 

Jaeho scratched noisily at the back of his head while he thought about Ryu Won’s words.

 

When he was done thinking, Jaeho opened his palm to the ground and countless water bubbles poured out of his palm.

 

My body stiffened under the pressure.

 

One by one, the droplets swallowed the objects and pieces of glass on the ground and floated in the air. As if they were hands, they cleaned up the lab.

 

Meanwhile, Jaeho went back to his desk and pulled out what looked like a plasma ball from under a drawer.

 

Strangely, I thought it was clear glass on the outside, but it was actually a slimy material between liquid and solid.

 

Jaeho took the vial he had taken from me out of his lab coat pocket. 

 

I took the soul fragment out of the vial, held it in one hand, and carefully placed it into the sphere.

 

There was a slight reaction in the orb, as if a light bulb had been lit. Tiny sparks rose and fell around my soul.

 “Research results until the next meeting. The lab is dirty, so get out of here.” “Ms. Yeon-Young, the air in this room is unpleasant, so I’ll let you go now.” 

As Ryu Won finished speaking, a gust of wind blew the impure glass against the wall. He led me through the door of the broken lab.

 “Who is she and why did she do this?” “She’s the youngest member of our center’s special team.” “The youngest? The newest phantom? Hmmm. Kim Yeon-young, I’ll see you next time, without Ryu Won.” 

With those words, the lab door slammed shut. I didn’t act or react, not really wanting to see Jaeho again.

 “You bastard, dead or alive, you’re getting yourself into too much trouble. Quickly…” “What?” 

Ryu Won’s voice was drowned out by the sound of the elevator arriving.

  ***  

When they stepped into the elevator, Ryu Won was deep in thought. The statue seemed to have a mind of its own.

 

I stole a glance at Ryu Won’s face. He smiled as he collected his thoughts, and the elevator pushed the button for the fifth floor.

 “Where are we going?” “Ms. Yeon-young, I’m curious, do you like home?” 

I frowned at the question, which sounded like an alumni question. It was such a stupid question. 

 

I rolled my eyes and thought for a moment, then looked up at him.

 “I like it.” “I like it too.” 

Ryu Won’s clear eyes closed and slowly opened, a shy smile on his face.

 

He was obviously talking about home, but it felt like he was talking about something else.

 

He took a step towards me, and the momentum was so disconcerting that I took a step back.

 

Before I knew it, my back was against the corner of the elevator. 

 

Ryu Won bent slightly at the waist and leaned closer. 

 

I leaned back as far as I could and looked at him.

 

I wondered if I could have eyes like that if I could only find the sparkle and make it into pupils. 

 

The beautiful, light-filled pupils followed my gaze intently. My breath caught in my throat.

 “Why are you doing this?” “I own a three-story house. I’ll give it to you if you live with me.” Ding! 

My answer was cut off by a cheerful sound. Behind me, the elevator doors slowly opened.

 

Seeing the scenery outside the elevator, my face slowly stiffened. Ryu Won, on the other hand, tightened his arms around me, urging me to answer.

 

Every moment with Ryu Won was dizzying.

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