The miso soup and risotto were steaming hot, and each grain of rice looked perfectly round and translucent, as if it had just been cooked.
As he poured the risotto over the white rice, the aroma was irresistible. Only then did Han Jing realize that he hadn't had a proper meal in a long time since his resurrection.
Because he carried a contract with the underworld when he died, he was unable to enter the gates of heaven. However, he was filled with the gratitude of many people who had passed away. Heaven could not allow Han Jing to fall into the underworld in this way. Therefore, the two sides reached an agreement to let Han Jing stay at the Other Shore Pavilion and take on the role of the god of death, continuing to send off the deceased in the human world. Thus, he ended up in the current situation of running between the two places.
It's not so bad, really, because falling into the river and drowning is indeed a shameful way to die. Fortunately, he can return before his body is discovered. Han Jing couldn't imagine the sensation it would cause if he were resurrected in his own funeral hall.
Perhaps he'll be arrested and investigated by government authorities?
With a self-deprecating laugh, Han Jing picked up a spoon and carefully put the steaming hot risotto into his mouth. The smooth sauce had a sweet seafood flavor, and the squid was fresh and chewy. As he ate, his body gradually warmed up.
"It tastes really good," Han Jing couldn't help but admire to himself.
Did the person who delivered the food today make this dish by hand? It's hard to imagine a grown man bustling around in the kitchen like this. He must really enjoy cooking to make something that tastes so good.
After posting the flyer on the notice board, Han Jing decided that if he had the chance, he would order Ochi Bento to eat again.
Working so hard, it's not unreasonable to eat well, right? Anyway, I don't need to think about what will happen after I die now, so it seems I'll be working hard forever.
Mr. Han doesn't seem to remember me? We just met this morning.
Ochi was a little puzzled, but after thinking about it carefully, he realized it was normal. He had been looking down all morning, so he probably didn't even see who bumped into him.
He doesn't look well; he looks like he's been malnourished for a long time. It seems like many single men these days have this problem.
I hope Mr. Han can become a long-term customer in the future. Ochi couldn't help but hopeful.
Seeing Mr. Han's behavior this morning, Ochi recognized it; those were symptoms of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). His neighbor's older brother used to have this problem. Patients need to be very strong and require the support of their families to control the symptoms. However, most patients with mild cases can still live like normal people.
It's not easy... Mr. Han looks so young.
In the days that followed, Han Jing was frequently seen in this area. His work hours were irregular, unlike those of typical office workers. Occasionally, he would be seen lounging in the park, lost in thought and sunbathing. He didn't seem to interact much with the neighbors.
To say there was no interaction would be too polite; the neighbors seemed to be avoiding Han Jing. Later, Ochi heard from Mrs. Inoue, who was buying chickens at the market, that Han Jing apparently worked at a funeral home.
Ochi didn't understand. Every industry exists because of societal and human needs. What's so wrong with working at a funeral home? Why are people's attitudes so strange?
Is it because funeral homes frequently deal with the dead? But everyone dies eventually!
Han Jing indeed became a regular customer of Ochi's lunchboxes. Ochi's lunchboxes provide regular customers with practical, reusable bento boxes. The lunchboxes returned from Han Jing's house are always washed clean, and occasionally a small note is attached, saying things like, "It's delicious, thank you," or "The beef is very tender," or other encouraging messages.
Ochi finds Han Jing's sometimes dazed and dull appearance quite cute, and can't help but spend some time paying attention to his every move.
As he pushed his bicycle through the park after buying groceries, he happened to see Han Jing sitting on a stone bench, lost in thought. He parked his bicycle near the bench, but Han Jing didn't seem to notice him.
"I wonder if Mr. Han has had lunch yet?" Ochi wondered to himself.
As he moved to sit down next to Han Jing, Han Jing finally noticed him. "Ah... it's Mr. Ochi."
Are you going to buy groceries so early?
"It's getting late. I realized I forgot to buy perilla leaves when I went grocery shopping this morning, so I made an extra trip to get them." Ochi smiled and naturally sat down next to Han Jing. "The weather is lovely today, the sun is warm. I thought it would be nice to have lunch at the park, so I made some rice balls. Would Mr. Han like some?" He took out a bamboo leaf bag, untied the straw rope, and inside were six neatly arranged, plain-looking white rice balls. "There's no filling, just ordinary salted rice balls. I hope Mr. Han won't mind."
After a moment of stunned silence, Han Jing belatedly realized, "Don't say that... Well then, I won't be polite." He really was hungry that afternoon! Looking at the round, white rice ball, Han Jing found it hard to resist. Taking a small bite, the simple yet delicious flavor made Han Jing's eyes widen in surprise, and he couldn't help but blurt out, "Delicious..."
"Really? That's great." Seeing Han Jing praise his rice balls without hesitation, Ochi's kind face broke into a smile. He picked up a rice ball, took a bite, and said, "Hmm, you did a good job today too."
What will Mr. Ochi cook tonight?
Today's menu includes ginger-fried pork rice box, perilla chicken bento box, and mentaiko ochazuke (rice with mentaiko ochazuke). Side dishes include tofu salad and miso soup!
"It all sounds delicious!"
Han Jing was already very handsome, but his smile was even more captivating. Ochi felt his heart skip a beat. "Will Mr. Han order lunch today?"
"I'd like to, but I have a side job later..." Thinking about his work as a grim reaper, Han Jing's smile faded considerably. "I'm worried I won't be able to stay home and wait for you to bring me lunch."
So Mr. Han occasionally does side jobs too. Is life that tough? "You still need to eat dinner, right?"
"How about I pay you first, and you just hang the lunchbox on my door? What do you think?" Han Jing suggested.
"But cold bento boxes don't taste good!" Ochi wrinkled his nose in distress, clearly unwilling to let Han Jing eat a cold bento. "How about this, give me a call when you get back, and I'll bring your bento over for you, okay?"
"I don't know how late I'll be working! This will be a burden on Mr. Ochi."
"Just call me Ochi. It's no trouble, I don't go to bed that early anyway, it's fine!"
Looking at Ochi's kind and gentle smiling face, Han Jing suddenly remarked, "Ochi is such a good person."
Hearing Han Jing say that, Ochi gave a bitter smile. "Many people say that. Actually, I don't want to be a good person. I just want to do what I like." You're such a good person. Even your ex-boyfriend gives you that "good person card."
"Then, I'll trouble Ochi to deliver my lunch tonight." Han Jing was delighted to have a hot lunch to eat after a long day.
"By the way, Mr. Han..."
"Just call me Han Jing." Since he was already calling him by Ochi's surname, he could skip the formal title.
"Han Jin? Which Jin?"
He wrote the character "靖" (Jing) in the sand with a twig, then corrected Ochi's pronunciation, saying, "My father is Chinese, and my mother's surname is Morimoto. Han Jing is a Chinese name."
"Understood, Mr. Han... no, Han Jing. Your balance with me is already at 700 yen, so you don't need to pay for today's bento."
Han Jing looked somewhat surprised. "Did you keep the money I told you I didn't need change for me?"
"That adds up to quite a sum. Earning money isn't easy, so please let me continue using this method to help you save it."
"This... I don't even know how to thank you properly." Han Jing couldn't help but smile, somewhat awkwardly tugging at the hem of his clothes, thinking to himself: Ochi is truly a practical man.
"Just keep supporting Ochi's Bento Boxes, okay?" The two smiled as they shared a salty rice ball, they sat leisurely on a stone bench in the park, absorbing vitamin D.
In the small kitchen, a pot of fragrant broth was bubbling on the stove, the irregular sounds of chopping vegetables echoed, and dust particles, visible even in the dim twilight, floated in the air.
"A multi-vehicle collision occurred on XX Highway, resulting in the overturning of a long-distance tour bus and the deaths of eleven people and injuries to four others..." The sweet voice of the news anchor flowed into the room.
Ochi paused briefly in his potato-cutting motion, glancing at the news.
The content roughly describes how a car driver fell asleep at the wheel and was unable to avoid other vehicles on the road, causing a bus following behind to rear-end him in a car accident.
Ochi frowned, thinking to himself: Driving without paying attention to safety is really not an option; if you're not careful, you might endanger other innocent people. He then continued cooking the miso soup.
I wonder what time Han Jing will be busy today? I hope he doesn't overwork himself.
The office phone on the table rang. Ochi wiped his hands and answered immediately, "Hello, Ochi Bento here."
"Mr. Ochi..."
"Han Jing? Are you back?"
"No...no, I haven't gone yet." Han Jing looked at the work assignment he had just received, his body tensed, and he unconsciously sighed, his tone somewhat gloomy. "I think I probably won't order lunch today, so I called to tell you not to wait for me." There was quite a lot to harvest today, and Han Jing felt he probably wouldn't be able to eat, so it was better not to keep Ochi waiting.
"Are you...having a lot of trouble at work?"
Ochi's voice sounded a little worried, which Han Jing found refreshing. Since his uncle's passing, Han Jing had been all alone, with few people caring about him. He felt a warmth in his heart. "It's not much trouble, I still need to do it."
"You might think I'm being nosy, and if you're going somewhere else to eat after work today, I won't wait for you. But my gut feeling tells me you're not planning on having dinner. That won't do." "My intuition is spot on," Han Jing thought, leaning against the wall and pinching his brow. He couldn't help but stick out his tongue.
"If you have any work-related troubles, feel free to talk to me about them. I'll be a good listener. If you really don't want to eat, at least drink something to warm your stomach, otherwise you'll develop stomach problems sooner or later."
"Now that I have stomach problems, Is that so...? Well, that's fine too.'"
"Actually, my kitchen is near your house. If you don't mind, would you like to come over for a drink after get off work?"
Having not had this kind of interaction with anyone for a long time, Han Jing couldn't deny that he was genuinely a little lonely. Ochi gave off a very gentle vibe, which made Han Jing accept his invitation without even realizing it.
"Okay, I'll text you the address later. See you tonight, drive carefully."
After hanging up the phone, Han Jing felt a little dazed. Apart from work, he hadn't had any positive interactions with people in a long time, and she couldn't help but feel a little hopeful.
The thought of work still brings pressure. Han Jing feels disgusted with himself for taking other people's lives. A person who was still breathing and had a pulse just a moment ago, and whose body is still warm most of the time, has to use a scythe to sever the connection between their soul and body the moment they die.
Some will be led away by guardian angels, but only a small number. The rest is the work of Death.
The tedious work involves categorizing and assigning them to their next destinations. Occasionally, there are also unpleasant encounters, such as resisting souls that might be used as food by other Grim Reapers…
"Haa..." Han Jing sighed, picked up his backpack, took off his glasses, passed through the magic circle on the wall, and returned to the Other Shore Pavilion.
"Mr. Han, you're back?" Wei Ran waved and greeted him warmly.
He nodded slightly to Wei Ran, then returned to his room, put on the Grim Reaper's black robe from the closet, and summoned his own Grim Reaper's scythe.
No matter how many times he looked at himself, he couldn't get used to his Grim Reaper attire. The person in the mirror, draped in a black robe and unable to see his face, wasn't Han Jing, but just a harvesting machine that had to complete its mission... He couldn't help but hypnotize himself like that.
It seems that convincing oneself in this way makes the heart that resists harvesting human souls feel better.
The scene was filled with cries of agony and screams. The air reeked of burning and blood. Even after finishing work and returning home, the image from just moments before still lingered in his mind.
My stomach was churning, my hands were shaking uncontrollably, and sweat was sticking to my clothes on my back, making me feel very uncomfortable.
Numbly swinging his scythe, chasing after the scattered souls, Han Jing felt cold all over again, his limbs weak.
Forcing himself to stay awake, he went back to the other side of the gate to change into a long-sleeved shirt that he usually liked to wear, and then hurriedly went to Ochi's kitchen.
Han Jing hadn't forgotten that he had made a promise to Ochi to go see him.
When Ochi opened the door, he was startled; Han Jing looked terrible.
His face was pale, and his lips were purple. For some reason, he still looked wet.
He hurriedly let Han Jing in and had him sit at the bar. He looked cold and was shivering slightly, which inexplicably made Ochi feel a pang of sympathy for him.
While helping Han Jing prepare a hot drink, I heard a clinking sound. Returning to Han Jing's side, I saw him indeed preparing to empty the coins from his black velvet bag.
Han Jing's hands were cold, and Ochi only realized this when he grabbed them. He pretended to casually stop Han Jing from counting coins and put hot ginger tea into Han Jing's hand, which drew a surprised look from Han Jing.
"Drinking this will warm you up," Ochi said slowly and gently, looking into Han Jing's eyes. His hand remained clasped together with Han Jing's cold hand, holding the teacup. "If you still feel unwell, you can borrow the bathroom. Take a hot bath that will warm your body and soul; you'll feel better."
Han Jing hesitated for a few seconds before accepting Ochi's suggestion.
He led Han Jing to the bathroom, took out a clean towel and pajamas to lend him, and said, "We're about the same height, so my pajamas should fit you, right? Or would you prefer something more casual?"
"No need, this is fine, thank you."
The clock struck 2 a.m.; working this late was really tiring. Listening to the soft patter of a shower coming from the bathroom, Ochi thought it best to make something easily digestible for Han Jing.
I took out a clay pot, washed some rice, and simmered it in chicken broth. I took out scallions and eggs from the refrigerator, washed the scallions, and chopped them into scallion flowers.
Ever since Ochi broke up with his ex-boyfriend, there haven't been any guests at his house in a long time. Ochi thought to himself.
Stepping out of the bathroom, I definitely felt much more comfortable. I hadn't been paying attention to Ochi's place before, but now I noticed the soft, warm lighting inside. The house was a bit bigger than mine; it was probably a 2-bedroom apartment.
The sound of Ochi chopping things in the kitchen and the pleasant aroma in the air helped to ease the memory of the messy dish.
Obediently sitting back at the bar, Han Jing saw the black velvet bag containing coins on the table, and his anxious heart calmed down. Only then did he feel a little more at ease.
"You have to drink the ginger tea properly, okay? I just heated it up for you. It's only effective when it's hot. It would be terrible if you caught a cold." Without turning his head, Ochi continued what he was doing, saying this as he spoke.
"It smells so good..." Ochi murmured, hearing Han Jing say this.
"It's almost done, just wait a little longer."
"Mmm...."
The ticking of the second hand and the occasional clanging of pot lids brought Han Jing a sense of reassurance.
His tired body kept sending signals to his brain that he wanted to rest, and Han Jing fell into a drowsy state.
"Alright."
Hearing Ochi turn off the gas stove, Han Jing quickly roused himself from his near-drowsy state.
I made some porridge. People say it's better not to go hungry when you're in a bad mood, otherwise you'll look pathetic. So even if you don't have an appetite, please eat a little, okay?
Han Jing watched Ochi take off his apron, bewildered, and did not answer.
"Shall I eat with you?" Ochi asked tentatively, one more time.
This time, Han Jing finally nodded.
He divided the porridge into two bowls, and Ochi sat opposite Han Jing, eating with him. "Is it good?"
"Mmm..." Delicious. It tastes great. Although he's not good with words and doesn't know how to describe it, Han Jing simply thought it was delicious.
"That's good. "
"That..."
"Hm?"
"If it's convenient, would you like to go out for a walk with me once in a while?"
"Where should we go for a walk?" Han Jing asked somewhat casually.
"Hey! Anywhere is fine, whether it's going for a walk in nature or having a meal."
"Oh... okay." Han Jing blew on the porridge in the spoon to cool it down, then continued, "I can't do that when I'm busy with work."
"I won't disturb your work, let's just choose a time when we're both free." Ochi thought to himself, "It would be great if we could really go out for a walk together and relax."
Han Jing blinked very slowly, pursed his lips, and whispered, "So...can I...come over here for a while now and then?" The atmosphere here is nice, and it feels good to have someone busy in the kitchen. It's much better than being alone at home.
"Of course! You're welcome anytime. Just give me a call before you come, in case you come up empty-handed and find it's not there."
Nodding to indicate that he understood, Han Jing did not notice that the anxiety that had been weighing on his heart was slowly fading away, leaving very little.
Perhaps life needs certain opportunities to open up new possibilities. Getting to know someone you were completely stranger to before isn't bad either. Han Jing truly believed this from the bottom of his heart.