Yui Nakamura was not the kind of girl who believed in fate. She didn't believe in destiny, karmic cycles, or whatever those superstitious old people in Korea believed in when they saw a black cat. She believed in one thing: chaos. And it was her specialty.
Which was why, when a bus came barreling toward her like it had a personal vendetta, Yui didn't blink. She didn't scream. She didn't even flinch.
"Not today, fate," she muttered, dodging at the last second, sending the bus driver into a near heart attack and leaving Yui with nothing more than a tiny scratch on her knee.
Except... she wasn't sure how she'd moved that fast. And the thing in the corner of her vision? The one dressed in an absurdly formal outfit with a glowing scythe that looked like it belonged on a movie set? Yeah, that was new.
The world around her faded into a muffled gray, and the next thing she knew, she was standing in front of a guy with the most unamused expression ever.
"You're late," Yui said dryly, crossing her arms. "I was supposed to die, right?"
The guy—who, now that she was closer, appeared to be... Death?—gave her a look that could only be described as exhausted. He had that face, like he'd seen too much and just... didn't care anymore. Like someone who'd been doing the same thing for hundreds of years and now, every death felt like a paperwork assignment.
"You're supposed to be dead," he said, his voice monotone, almost like he was reading from a script.
"Well, guess I'm not," Yui shrugged, "Nice to meet you, I guess."
The Grim Reaper—she was pretty sure that's what he was, though his name badge said Baek Woo-jin—sighed and adjusted the long, flowing sleeves of his hanbok. He looked so tired, like he'd just stepped out of some high-budget drama about reaping souls and regretting every life decision he made.
"Can you... not ghost me right now?" he asked, holding up a hand as if he was trying to calm an annoyed cat. "You're causing a disruption in the afterlife. You were supposed to die. I have a job to do."
"I was just minding my business when a bus tried to murder me," Yui said, tapping her foot. "You think I can control that?"
Baek Woo-jin rubbed his temples, looking like he wanted to throw his scythe at her. "It's not a matter of you controlling it. You broke the rules of the natural order."
Yui tilted her head. "You mean, like... I should've died, but instead, I didn't? That's a pretty lame reason for me to suddenly end up in ghost purgatory or wherever this is."
"No," Baek said, his voice getting colder. "You didn't just avoid dying. You ghosted me."
Yui blinked. "You're kidding, right?"
He nodded solemnly. "I'm not."
Okay. So, this was happening. She was face-to-face with a Korean Grim Reaper—and he wasn't even remotely intimidating.
"You seem... unbothered," Baek observed, eyes narrowing.
"Yeah, I've got that effect on people," Yui said, flashing him a grin that was way too bright for the situation. "I'm guessing you're the one who was supposed to take me to the afterlife? No offense, but you're not exactly what I expected. I thought you'd be... scarier. Maybe wear a mask. A little less... fashionably late?"
Baek's eyebrow twitched. "I don't have time for this, Yui. You didn't die. You disrupted the balance. Now I have to fix it."
Yui groaned. "Are you seriously telling me I have to die to fix the balance? 'Cause that sounds like the worst customer service ever."
Baek stared at her for a moment, then sighed. "Look, I'm not even supposed to be here today. But if you won't leave, I have a job for you."
Yui tilted her head. "Oh? Like a side hustle?"
He nodded. "You're going to help me catch rogue spirits—evil spirits that have escaped the Underworld because of your mistake."
Yui blinked. "And if I say no?"
"Then," Baek said slowly, "you'll keep causing chaos in the balance of life and death. I'll be forced to… take drastic measures."
Yui's eyes narrowed. "Drastic measures? What, like... kill me again?"
"Precisely."
Yui scratched her chin. "Hmm… you know, I don't really want to die yet. So... let's talk business. Help you, and you help me?"
Baek looked at her, visibly annoyed. "This is not a negotiation."
"It is now," Yui said, grinning. "But, fine, I'll help you. But only if you promise one thing."
"What?"
"Once we're done, you'll let me die on my own terms. No reapers showing up like this," she gestured to him, "to ruin my day."
Baek glared at her. "Fine. But you'd better not make this worse."
"Oh, trust me, I'll make it way worse," Yui said with a wink.
Baek sighed again, the weight of centuries of frustration settling on his shoulders. "This is going to be a nightmare."
"Yeah, and you're stuck with me now." Yui grinned. "Let's get to work."
END OF CHAPTER ONE