GONE TOO SOON

[RUN, MOON Yujin– run!]

That was Yujin's first thought while her eyes were focused on Geun-wook.

Her childhood friend still held Mr. Nightmare in a tight "bear hug" from behind while the two were being sucked in by the strange door.

[Should I destroy the door?]

Just where did she drop her wooden baseball bat…?

"Don't come after me, Moon Yujin!"

She flinched when Geun-wook yelled those words at her, then she panicked when she realized that Geun-wook's back was almost touching the door behind him.

Mr. Nightmare, who also realized that, cursed under his breath.

But she just ignored the Grim Reaper who was struggling to get away from Geun-wook, and she also ignored the small voice in her head asking how Geun-wook could physically restrain a Grim Reaper like that.

"I'm going to save you, Sun Geun-wook!" Yujin insisted, yelling back at him. "Whether you like it or not!"

However, as much as she was firm about running after her childhood friend, her body couldn't keep up with her determination. Her steps slowed down a lot, and the blood gushing out of her stomach turned worse.

This time, she could also feel her own heart failing her.

[Duck this weak body of mine!]

Soon, she slowed down until she could only walk. But even walking proved to be difficult. Hence, when she was only a few steps away from Geun-wook, her legs stopped moving. Her body felt so heavy that she couldn't take another step forward.

[Duck!]

"Moon Yujin, if your condition gets any more critical than it already is, the door will take you instead of your doppelganger," Geun-wook explained desperately. "So, for my sanity's sake, please stay still. Your doppelganger has to be more hurt than you if you want to survive tonight!"

"How did you know all of that, Sun Geun-wook?" she asked, confused. "I thought you didn't know about doppelgangers all this time…"

But then again, Geun-wook never asked her anything before she saw his doppelganger for the first time.

[Did he not ask me anything because he already knows…?]

"Should I tell her, Wook Sun?" Mr. Nightmare asked, smirking. "If you don't let me go, my mouth may come loose."

She knitted her eyebrows.

[Why does Mr. Nightmare speak like he already knows Geun from the start?]

"Who are you trying to fool?" Geun-wook snapped at Mr. Nightmare. "Shut up, I'm dragging you to hell with me."

What?

Hell?

Was that a figure of speech or not?!

"Sun Geun-wook, stop talking about things that I can't understand," Yujin scolded him. She couldn't take another step anymore because her legs had given up on her already. Hence, she could only extend her hand to him. "Come here while I'm still asking nicely, you mustard!"

"Honey, it's cute how you still can't cuss me out properly even in this situation," Geun-wook said, laughing. But his laugh was shallow. He probably realized that too, since he stopped and turned serious. "This is probably the last time I get to say this, so please listen to me carefully."

"No!" she said stubbornly. Raising her voice made the blood dripping from her stomach gush out even more, but she ignored it and covered her ears with her hands. "I don't want to hear it!"

Because she didn't want it to be the LAST time that he'd get to talk to her.

"Yujinie…"

She closed her eyes tight. "I said no!"

"Then I just have to yell it into oblivion," Geun-wook declared, then he really raised his voice. "Moon Yujin, I like you! If I get another chance, I'd live a decent life and ask you to be my girlfriend properly!"

She had to swallow the sob that threatened to come out of her mouth. And, just like that, her stubbornness crumbled.

But when she opened her eyes, she realized that it was already too late.

She didn't see Geun-wook anymore since he was already swallowed by the darkness coming out of the open door behind him. The only thing she saw was her childhood friend's arms that were still wrapped around Mr. Nightmare's waist.

Her heart was torn into pieces right then and there.

[Sun Geun-wook...]

"Yujin Moon, don't make the mistake of thinking this night is already over," Mr. Nightmare threatened her while he was getting pushed inside the door. Then the Grim Reaper pulled the bracelet around his wrist and threw it at her. "Sandboy, get them!"

She ignored the bracelet that fell to the ground.

After gathering the remaining strength left in her body, she ran towards the door that swallowed Mr. Nightmare.

[No!]

However, much to her shock, the door suddenly burst open again.

She was determined to jump inside and follow Geun-wook.

But a warm arm was suddenly wrapped around her waist as if stopping her from her plan. When she looked over her shoulder, she was surprised to see Geun-wook's doppelganger.

"You…!" Yujin exclaimed, upset. She didn't want to break down emotionally in front of the doppelganger, so she turned her heartbreak into anger and lashed out at him. "Let go–"

"No," the doppelganger said indifferently, cutting her off. He was talking to her, but he was staring at the door in front of them. "Only one of you should be gone."

Huh?

Her confusion was soon cleared up when something passed them by like a tornado.

Oh.

It was her (screaming) doppelganger– and it got swallowed by the door.

She left out a gasp when she realized what had just happened.

After the door swallowed her doppelganger, it shut itself tight.

Then, the tree where the door was attached slowly vanished. First, it turned semi-transparent. After that, the tree got engulfed by a thick cloud of smoke. And finally, it completely disappeared without leaving a single trace.

Well, except for the cracks along the ceiling, the floor, and the walls.

[Geun-wook… he's really gone…]

"No," Yujin whispered to herself weakly. The tears that she was trying to hold back finally blurred her eyes. "Geun-wook…"

She failed.

She failed to save her precious childhood friend.

"This is all your fault," Yujin said bitterly between sobs, then she glared at Geun-wook's doppelganger and pushed him away from her. "Why did you have to steal Geun-wook's life?!"

The doppelganger, who let go of her and stepped back willingly, looked at her as if he was hurt.

She didn't want to say this, but he looked pitiful.

[Like a puppy abandoned by its owner.]

Her conscience kicked in, but she reminded herself that the doppelganger only looked pitiful because he had Geun-wook's face.

[I shouldn't empathize with the ghost who killed my friend.]

Her messy thoughts got interrupted when, out of nowhere, she heard a dog growl.

Huh?

[A dog?]

When she turned around, she really saw a black dog. However, it was too big to be considered normal. In fact, it was bigger than an average wolf. Moreover, the dog in question had glowing red eyes and HORNS.

What kind of dog had two horns on the forehead?!

[Obviously, this one.]

Then she noticed the silver collar around the dog's neck.

[Ah, it looks similar to the bracelet that Mr. Nightmare threw earlier!]

She remembered what the Grim Reaper said when he threw the bracelet in her direction.

<"Sandboy, get them!">

She gulped when the realization hit her.

[THAT is 'Sandboy?']

She normally liked dogs, but not THAT one.

"Run," Geun-wook's doppelganger said, then he stood in front of her protectively. "I'll stop the Hellhound."

Her eyes went wide. "Hellhound?!"

The dogs that were supposed to be "guardians" of the "underworld?!"

[No wonder the dog looks scary!]

Her train of thoughts was once again interrupted when the Hellhound growled and came at them.

But then– THUD.

The loud sound of the golf ball– that came out of nowhere– hitting the Hellhound in the body echoed in the room.

Then it was followed by the Hellhound's whimper as it fell to the ground.

[Wait– that golf ball...!]

"I'm sorry for being late, Yujin-ah."

Red wavy hair, chocolate brown eyes, pale yet pretty face.

The woman wearing a white visor, a black long-sleeved turtleneck tucked into a pair of white trousers, and white golf shoes emerged from the darkness in the room's corner.

Yujin let out a sigh of relief. "Aunt Hayi."

"You worked hard, Yujin-ah," Aunt Hayi, who was holding the golf club in her gloved hand (the left and the less dominant one), said while smiling sympathetically at her. "Now leave everything to this auntie of yours."

***

Please add SPOOKY SOULMATE to your library~