152 – Mom in the Shade of the Island #2
“Auntie. Aun-tie.”
He looked about five years old. No name, he said. We decided to call him Boy A.
Boy A actually followed Hedone pretty well.
“Hey, kid, it’s not auntie—it’s big sis!”
“Kekeke, Miss Hedone. Kids are honest. Honestly, hoping this child calls you big sis—doesn’t that prick your conscience a bit?”
“Ughhh, mo, monster….”
And Boy A was terrified of Crowzer.
Crowzer gaped his mouth and bellowed.
“How am I a monster, you cheeky little liar?!”
…Honestly, Crowzer did look pretty scary. Like some cosmic entity devouring kids’ fears.
But that wasn’t the important part right now.
“So, you don’t remember who you are either?”
I scrutinized the little guy from every angle. His features looked familiar—probably from my neck of the woods. Spotting someone from back home in this Soul Society was a very, very rare occurrence.
People from my region usually ended up at the “Eastern Underworld Company” or, depending on their faith, “Heaven Company.”
Hedone tapped at her terminal.
“No entry inspection records, and doesn’t seem like he came on Charon’s ferry either. Maybe he stumbled through a Miracle Rift? They do open to the surface sometimes.”
Miracle Rift. A passage linking to the surface. The fishing spot where Manager Bones worked security for the Chairman was exactly that sort of thing.
One such rift had punched through to the surface, and this kid tumbled in? It made sense.
That’s when I noticed the kid’s feet were blurry at the edges.
This kid’s a departed soul.
Clearly, a child whose life had ended.
“Mo-mmy.”
The kid started sniffling again. What a headache. Didn’t even know his own name. Seemed clueless he was even in the underworld….
Mom was the only thing he remembered, apparently. Kids this age were like that, I guess.
Scritch-scratch—Crowzer rubbed his nasal cavity.
“Come to think of it, this has happened before now and then. Kids slipping into Soul Society. Not a good sign.”
“Why’s that?”
I asked. Crowzer put on a rare serious face.
“Soul Society’s sensitive to uninvited guests like this. The policy was to kill them on sight and turn ’em into proper visitors.”
Ah, yeah, I’d heard that. When Moros’s pet squirrel had “illegal immigrant” status, it caused all sorts of chaos.
But this was simpler, at least—the kid was already a departed soul, not alive. Entry procedures should be quick.
“But with him remembering nothing, he’ll turn into a ghost in no time. Truly pitiful. A flower wilting before it can bloom—truly pitiful.”
Preeeep—. Crowzer blew a melancholy harmonica.
Sudden irritation surged through me.
“Crowzer, are you doing this on purpose?”
“Doing what?”
Damn. Just like Crowzer said, this kid would end up a cute, fluffy ghost. Already couldn’t remember his name or anything.
End of story.
But the ticket in my pocket felt unusually sharp.
What if I used it to invite this kid’s mom to Soul Society? She might jog his memories. Keep him from ghostifying.
The kid would be thrilled to see his precious mom.
And me? I lose out.
So, think selfishly.
###
“Joey, calling me here on this cruise? Reckless. If anyone finds out we’re secretly dating, you’ll be in a world of trouble.”
Lady Melinoë appeared on the cruise like a ghost.
Boy A peeked at her, then whoosh—hid behind me.
“Eek! G-ghost!”
He was foaming at the mouth. Was Lady Melinoë that scary? Like he’d seen a real specter.
Technically, not wrong. She was the goddess of ghosts, spirits, and vengeful wraiths. Terrifying existence—that’s her.
“Lady Melinoë, about this ticket. Any chance for one more?”
“…Even I’d struggle with that. Inviting a surface-dweller down here—it’s a massive shake-up for Soul Society. Pre-Business Renewal, unthinkable.”
True enough. No helping it.
I handed her the ticket.
“Looks like I’ll have to decline inviting my mom. Instead, could you find this boy’s mother and bring her here?”
“Yielding my favor to another?”
Her eyebrow arched slyly.
Boy A freaked even more, ducking behind my calf.
“Hieeek!”
Scary, right? Lady Melinoë mad over rejected favor—even I feared that.
That was my exact aim.
Jo Iseo. Snap out of it. Satisfied seeing Mom for just one day down here? You’re aiming for the surface.
Rejecting her favor might earn her dislike. Her dislike could get me sent topside.
Sacrificing a cow for the herd. One step back for ten forward.
She narrowed her eyes at me.
“Joey, I don’t like kids much. Needing parents screams imperfection—far from the perfection I pursue. Especially whiny ones crying for Mommy….”
Her eyes closed. Remembering something?
“Joey, you’ve indebted me again. Inviting your mom was reckless for me too—could look like executive privilege abuse.”
Snatch—she took the ticket from my hand.
“Joey, I bent rules for you. And you hesitate not at all to part from family for my sake. I accept your resolve.”
Her gaze on me sparkled like jewels. Even spooked Boy A crept closer.
“Big… sis.”
What? Calling her big sis before even Hedone?
Lady Melinoë took his hand and whoosh—vanished.
A few days later, Soul Society aired a new program.
“Single mom Eun-hye, raising her son alone, came home one day to hear he hadn’t returned from kindergarten.”
“‘They said they put him on the bus to bring him home…’”
“A missing person report filed, but the golden hour passed, and a year slipped away.”
“Now, the Entertainment Department reaches to the surface to reunite mother and son—.”
“Can’t watch anymore.”
Click. I turned off the TV to escape the melodrama.
Crowzer and Hedone beside me in the cruise theater bawled their eyes out.
“Right? I know it’s true, but it hits hard every time.”
“This Crowzer parted from family and reunited once—knows that feeling! Krhehung!”
Snot and tears everywhere.
I recalled the boy and mom embracing in Soul Society.
—Mommy!
—Yeon-woo!
Them sobbing in each other’s arms made my nose tingle too.
“Mom’ll lose memories the moment she surfaces, right?”
“Aye. Can’t live normally topside with underworld memories, so we borrow a bit of Goddess Lethe’s power. But she’ll vaguely recall meeting her son—like a dream.”
Flutter—Crowzer handed over papers.
“Still, this project was a smashing success. See? The mom signed to become a Soul Society resident after her passing someday.”
Eun-hye (signature), Thank you, Director Joey, for finding my son.
Once I return topside, I’ll be able to retrieve my boy from the river.
Someday, together again here….
“……”
Flip. I turned it over so the signature faced down.
Whatever—Hedone and Crowzer were busy popping champagne.
“Our separated families reunion program! Ratings near 70 percent!”
“Entertainment Department strikes again!”
Sheesh. Why watch a mom and son bawl their eyes out?
I reached for champagne in a huff—then grabbed water instead.
Mid-festival-not-festival, drunk Hedone piped up.
“But sad we couldn’t invite Director Joey’s mom. Such a prime scoring chance! With the mother-in-law harmony secrets my mom Psyche taught me!”
Maybe for the best. Good Mom didn’t see this circus.
That thought carried me topside.
Whoosh—. Lady Melinoë ghosted in.
“Joey, your plan nailed sky-high ratings again. Looks like it’ll go regular.”
No mom, merits piled up. My plan totally backfired.
She landed beside me. We gazed at distant stars together.
“This stirred memories of a kid I knew. Tiny thing—like a little nymph.”
“Someone you knew?”
“Every spring and summer, had to part from Mom. So come spring, she’d sob ‘hing hing,’ hating it.”
I pictured a girl bawling, hating to leave Mom. Face like someone I knew. Pointy ears like a nymph, maybe.
Blasphemous thought—shook it off quick.
“She never knew why she had to part yearly. Wanted to follow Mom, but couldn’t. Fragile body couldn’t last long topside.”
“…What happened to her?”
“Who knows—.”
She unzipped her bag. Fancy handbag yielded a paper crane.
“After years of effort, she could briefly chase Mom topside. Might pick up this and that.”
Paper crane? Curious, I unfolded it slowly.
Joey, my son, look here.
Mom’s doing great, thanks to you.
You’re thriving in Argenbyjan too, right?
No phone signal or cell service there, huh.
P.S. – The girl delivering this letter seems so kind and pretty. Dating with marriage in mind? Foreign bride! Our family’s globalizing!
“……!”
“Joey, your mom’s a gem. Gave me kimchi and bibimbap.”
Flit—. Off she flew, sparrow-like.
What the hell did she chat about with Mom? Dating with marriage in mind? And why take kimchi and bibimbap?
That night, needless anxiety kept me sleepless. Weird nightmares maybe.
Stargazing on deck, a crow flapped in—porruk.
Scroll in its beak.
—Caw!
Unrolled: Another letter?
Our Tartarus legion commanders unanimously support Director Joey’s CEO ascension.
Joey, you must now join the succession race.
No veto rights.
Splash—!
“Ah! Someone fell overboard!”
“Man in the river! Stop the ship!”
“That’s Director Joey…!?”
—Miiirrr…!
“Gasp—Director Joey grabbed the river monster!”
“He dove in for the legendary big catch, Mirdos!”