I'll Prove It to You
Noel stared at the man in silence.
The longer he gazed into those pitch-black eyes, the more clearly the shadow of death came into focus.
Everything about him—from his scent to his aura—was deeply unpleasant.
Even Noel's own power seemed to bristle, reacting like a cat hissing at a threat.
Is he the one I saw at the hospital? Or someone else?
—A-Are you going to be okay?
Yeonghyeon trembled the moment he saw the Grim Reaper, yet he managed to stand his ground instead of running away.
Right now, the Grim Reaper was radiating an incredibly terrifying aura in all directions, enough to send shivers down any ghost's spine.
Noel couldn't tell if Yeonghyeon was being brave or just foolish.
"Do you have a moment?"
The man asked with a polite expression and a refined posture, but Noel merely offered a cold smile.
"No."
He rejected him flatly.
Since ancient times, necromancers had never gotten along with his kind.
And it was only natural. Grim Reapers held the authority to guide the dead, so they couldn't help but despise necromancers—mere humans who possessed a fraction of that very same power.
This world was likely no different.
"Well then."
Noel gave a curt nod and tried to step past him.
But the moment he took a step forward, a heavy, viscous sensation washed over him.
Time slowed to a crawl, and the scenery around him began to warp. Despite it being morning, the sky bled into a dark, bruised red.
Noel turned his head back.
He avoided these guides of death because they were a nuisance, not because he was afraid of a fight. If the Reaper was going to push his luck, Noel had no intention of backing down.
"F-five minutes is all I need! Just a moment, please!"
The Grim Reaper pleaded, his tone bordering on pathetic. Noel slowly lowered his hand.
...What is he doing?
"Uh, so, this isn't a scam. I'm not asking if you 'know the Way,' and I'm certainly not proselytizing. Also..."
As the man babbled, Noel pulled out his phone to check the time. Since he had left the house early, he could spare about five minutes.
"Promise me you won't threaten me. Otherwise, I'll be highly tempted to wring your neck."
"I promise."
At the Grim Reaper's quick reply, Noel looked back at Yeonghyeon.
"Stay here, Hyung."
There was no point in having him tag along just to get terrified.
—But that man... he's strange. I'm scared. He's dangerous.
"That's because he's a Grim Reaper. Do you still want to come closer?"
—...No.
Yeonghyeon shook his head vigorously.
He wanted absolutely nothing to do with him.
"...You're too cruel."
The Grim Reaper looked at Yeonghyeon with mock hurt in his eyes, but Yeonghyeon only ducked his head in a panic.
His fear was too overwhelming for him to appreciate any jokes.
Of course, the living weren't as susceptible to a Reaper's aura as the dead, but that didn't mean they were entirely immune to its pressure.
What a fascinating human, the Grim Reaper thought lightly as he snapped his fingers.
Snap.
With that sound, the flow of time snapped back to normal.
"Your five minutes have started."
"T-this way, please!"
The Grim Reaper hurriedly led the way.
"I am Oh Jinhon, a Grim Reaper and the Team Leader of Team 32, Department 4 of the Underworld."
Having introduced himself, the Grim Reaper offered a bright, business-like smile.
Noel had no intention of falling for his tricks.
"Two minutes have already passed. Can you explain in three? Actually, I'm sure you can."
He expected the Reaper to smile, tell him to get lost, and leave. If so, three minutes was more than enough.
"Sir, please. Could you show a little more mercy?"
"Why are you being so humble? I'd think you'd find me an eyesore."
"Not at all. In fact, I came to ask for your cooperation."
Jinhon widened his eyes, trying to emphasize his sincerity.
"...?"
Noel stared at him in silence.
To be precise, his face practically screamed, Is this guy out of his mind?
"You lot usually hate it when the living interfere with the dead. What's your angle?"
Even if the Reaper didn't know Noel was a necromancer, he clearly knew Noel possessed the power to interact with spirits. That was why he had sought him out in the first place.
But instead of a warning, he was offering a negotiation.
"It's absolutely not an angle. That would be disastrous. May I explain first to clear up this misunderstanding?"
"Go ahead."
"As you can see from the Register of the Dead, Do Yeonghyeon is already deceased."
Jinhon pulled out his smartphone and proudly displayed the screen.
When Noel's expression remained unchanged, Jinhon asked hesitantly,
"...Ah, do you not like modern things? I rushed here straight from work, so I couldn't bring the paper register. I'll make sure to bring it next time. It does look a bit more dignified."
Whether it was modern or traditional didn't matter to Noel.
He had never experienced such a submissive attitude from a Reaper in his entire life. It felt incredibly bizarre.
In his past life, the guides of death had always looked down on him as if he were less than an insect, constantly spitting curses at him.
—O living one who wields the power of death, your suffering shall be eternal even in the afterlife.
And Noel, in turn, had cursed them back just as fiercely.
He had never asked for this power. Who would willingly want a power that constantly dragged them into misfortune?
"And?"
At Noel's prompt, Jinhon held the phone a little closer.
Do Yeonghyeon ( )
The space inside the parentheses was completely blank, as if it had been erased.
"There's supposed to be a date of death written there. But it vanished, and this empty space appeared next to his name instead."
"What does that mean?"
"I thought it was a system error, so I restarted Register Version 26.1 and contacted headquarters. The response was simple."
Jinhon tapped his screen and showed Noel the message.
It was written in formal language, but the summary was simple: This isn't our job, so go bother another department.
Noel looked at Jinhon's face. The Reaper was clearly fuming.
"That's what they sent me. So, I contacted the Register Management Department. Do you know what they said?"
"No clue."
"They're telling you to handle it yourself?"
"Precisely."
Jinhon nodded with a deeply displeased expression.
"So, what's the conclusion?"
"A moment ago, I saw a soul that appeared to be Do Yeonghyeon. However, Do Yeonghyeon is currently not dead. To resolve this paradox, we concluded that both souls are required."
"Then you'll just have to wait, won't you? Even if you can guide the dead, you can't touch the living."
That was an absolute law for the guides of death. No matter what Noel did, Jinhon could not lay a finger on him.
"You are correct, sir. Currently, everything has been suspended. That is our first conclusion."
"And the second?"
"After observing you, sir, you seem to possess an incredibly outstanding talent for guiding souls. Truly magnificent, in fact."
As the flattery poured out smoothly, Noel let out a soft chuckle.
In the end, the Grim Reaper's conclusion was that he wanted to borrow Noel's strength.
"What exactly do you want me to help you with?"
Noel asked with an innocent expression. He needed to know exactly what the Reaper wanted.
Jinhon slipped his phone back into his pocket.
"Well... times have changed, and people aren't afraid of us anymore. Some even try to make us dance... or sing. *Sigh*, time is a cruel thing."
Jinhon shook his head, his voice laced with sorrow.
"Could you get to the point? It's my graduation day, and I don't want to be late."
"In the old days, we could just grab them by the hair and drag them to the underworld. But nowadays, with the new underworld system and the updated supplies provided to souls, doing that triggers a flood of civil complaints once they arrive. I could get my pay cut or even stripped of my rank..."
"So, you want me to help ghosts move on to the afterlife?"
"Exactly! Once a soul has found peace, we can guide them safely. I've already witnessed you successfully helping two souls move on."
Jinhon clasped his hands together, pleading desperately.
Noel knew the Reaper was exaggerating to gain his sympathy. The fact that there wasn't a single ghost anywhere near Jinhon right now proved it.
Their influence might have waned compared to the past, but their fundamental power remained the same.
Is he trying to use this request as an excuse to keep an eye on me?
Noel pondered for a moment, staring intently at the Reaper.
Whatever his angle was, there had to be a reason he was acting so submissive. This was likely just a surface-level excuse, and his true intentions remained hidden.
If so, Noel would have to pry it out of him.
"For free?"
"Of course not. I'm not that heartless of a Grim Reaper."
"Then what?"
"Guiding souls is a noble and sacred duty. Therefore, when your time eventually comes to cross over, we will provide you with VIP treatment. For instance, when you cross the River Sanzu, we will prepare a luxury cruise ship instead of a regular ferry. Furthermore, the underworld's top defense attorney will be on standby for you. Our department will cover all legal fees, so you won't have to worry about a thing. And there's much more."
Jinhon looked at Noel, waiting for his reaction.
Death was what the living feared most. This was his answer to what lay beyond.
Surely, the promise of VIP treatment in the afterlife would melt even the coldest heart.
"Is that it?"
"...Pardon?"
Jinhon's face froze slightly.
Is that it?
The reaction was far too lukewarm. It wasn't what he had expected at all.
"Go back and think about it some more. By the way, where's my graduation present?"
Noel demanded boldly.
At least for now, Jinhon was the one who needed something from him.
"It's... illegal for me to give anything to a living person, sir."
"You could at least congratulate me."
After a brief moment of fluster, Jinhon smiled warmly.
"Happy graduation."
"Thanks. See ya."
Noel smiled back and turned on his heel.
Jinhon watched him walk away without a single backward glance, his eyes blank with daze.
He wanted to grab him, but he only ended up rubbing the back of his neck.
...Our young master is quite wary.
***
Strangely enough, Noel's body seemed to find the classroom on its own.
—I asked what happened!
Ignoring Yeonghyeon's persistent questions, Noel navigated through the desks until he found his own. It was buried under a massive pile of flower bouquets.
No matter what kind of flowers they were, this was a gesture usually reserved for the dead.
Is this bullying?
Noel scanned the room.
At his icy gaze, the students who met his eyes flinched.
—Noel? Maybe... should we smile first?
Yeonghyeon watched anxiously. Noel's eyes were incredibly fierce.
"Who put these flowers here?"
How unpleasant. Noel swallowed the words and spoke aloud.
At that moment, several students stood up at once and looked at him.
"We did! The teacher told us you were sick!"
"Yeah. Why didn't you say anything? We wanted to visit you in the hospital."
Ah. They must be the friends Yeonghyeon mentioned.
He had heard about them, but looking at them now, he felt absolutely no connection. It seemed the teacher had made up a plausible excuse for his absence.
—...What the? Why are there two of him?
Instead, the voice of a ghost lingering in the classroom drifted into his ears.
It wasn't surprising. Why wouldn't a school have ghosts?
But Noel hadn't expected the nasty spirit he had glimpsed in passing to follow him all the way here. Was there something in this classroom drawing it in?
Let's ignore it. It doesn't make any money anyway.
Before Noel could sit down, he saw the spirit reaching its hand toward Yeonghyeon. Noel glared at it.
The spirit flinched.
It was a warning.
—...What's up with this guy?
The spirit backed away, glaring, but Yeonghyeon spoke up with newfound confidence.
—You'll be in big trouble if you do that. I'm warning you for real.
"Yeonghyeon? Do Yeonghyeon?"
At the sound of his name, Noel turned his head. He could see the expectation in their eyes, but he had no desire to meet it.
"My phone was smashed in the accident, and I lost my memory from a head injury. Sorry."
With a polite apology, he drew a clear line between them.
He had replaced his phone, but his number remained the same. During the time he was learning to survive in this world with Yeonghyeon, only one friend had actually reached out.
Seo Sihun—the one with the nasty spirit clinging to him.
—There's this guy named Seo Sihun. We became friends when we ended up in the same class senior year. But how should I put it... we're not that close. It gets really awkward when it's just the two of us. He's basically my most awkward friend.
What did it mean when the only person who contacted him was his most awkward friend?
Noel looked at the classmates' faces.
They were just casual acquaintances.
Such relationships were bound to fade once they left this classroom anyway. And the one who accepted this truth first was none other than Yeonghyeon himself.
He's gone quiet.
Noel sat down and lightly traced the surface of the desk.
This was a school, and he was sitting at a desk. He simply liked that fact.
***
"Happy graduation, my nephew."
Shin Hyeon, who had been waiting outside the school, approached with a bright smile. He handed Noel a bouquet of flowers.
Glancing to the side, Noel saw Yeonghyeon beaming with joy.
Was it really that wonderful?
Noel accepted the flowers on Yeonghyeon's behalf and smiled.
"Thank you, Uncle."
"Are you having lunch with your friends?"
Shin Hyeon pulled out his wallet.
"No."
"Oh...?"
"I thought I'd be fine despite the head injury, but I don't remember any of my friends. I can't even recall their names."
"......"
Shin Hyeon's face stiffened.
Just as he was about to say they should head to the hospital, he noticed a student approaching from behind Noel.
"Y-Yeonghyeon."
Noel turned around and saw Sihun standing there, looking incredibly hesitant.
"Yes?"
"...My name is Seo Sihun."
At the self-introduction, which sounded as if they were meeting for the first time, Noel looked at Yeonghyeon. The ghost was delighted.
So he did have a real friend.
Noel's gaze drifted to the space above Sihun's head.
Even though he has a glowing cross clearly floating above his head.
He was a man of faith.
"If it's okay... can I keep in touch?"
A devout believer was a bit burdensome, but Noel couldn't bring himself to reject such earnest courage.
"Of course."
Noel offered a warm smile. He took a step closer and lowered his voice.
"This might sound unpleasant, but please don't take it the wrong way."
"Huh...?"
Sihun blinked, utterly confused.
"You have a nasty ghost clinging to you. I don't know why, and you might not either. Anyway, if anything strange happens, call me."
Noel whispered softly, then rolled his thumb and index finger into a circle.
"And make sure you have this ready. Got it?"
"...Is it because of your head injury?"
Noel stared at him for a moment. The boy was surprisingly accepting.
"Must be. I can see ghosts now."
Though it was a whisper, Shin Hyeon heard it loud and clear.
"...Yeonghyeon? What do you mean by that?"
"It means I'm going to become a shaman."
At Noel's confident declaration, Sihun's eyes widened in sheer shock. He looked back and forth between Yeonghyeon and Shin Hyeon with a trembling gaze.
...Oh, Lord.