The "49th Day Rite" — a Buddhist funeral ritual where memorial services are held every seven days for a total of 49 days after someone dies.
But why does that matter now?
"The 49 days after death is like being held under investigation in the afterlife. In earthly terms, you've been arrested, but the trial's not over yet. That's basically what it means."
"I understand."
"You might not be technically 'deceased' yet, but if this isn't resolved within 49 days, things get... complicated, to say the least."
That was the gist of the grim reaper's explanation — if they stayed hidden for 49 days, everything could be reversed. Clearly, they just didn't want word of their screw-up reaching their higher-ups, but what choice was there? Live first, complain later.
But where exactly do they hide? An abandoned house? Some haunted building?
"To prevent your bodies from decomposing, we have no choice but to rewind time. Exactly 49 days."
Holy crap! Dormammu* was real.
"We normally can't do this… but I feel so bad about what happened, so I'll offer you a little perk. Is there some small regret? A minor mistake you want to undo?"
Before the grim reaper even finished, a chilling realization sent shivers down Hae-won's spine. Of course there was regret! Of course there was a mistake she wanted to take back!
Her first kiss with Yoon Jae-ha.
If it weren't for that, her life wouldn't be the mess it was now.
Their relationship would've been fine too — they would've still been inseparable friends. Dreaming of being "more than friends" wouldn't even have crossed her mind.
But wasting such a golden opportunity on something like that? Ridiculous.
Should she retake her college entrance exams? Win the lottery? Damn, what should she do? What would change her life for the better? Maybe go back to when she got hired at Pocket Studio?
Her life as a TV writer — three years of work, countless missed big breaks flashing before her eyes.
"You can't alter major events. You're only allowed to undo small, insignificant mistakes."
The grim reaper, seemingly reading her thoughts, shot down her ambitions before they fully bloomed.
Of course. Hae-won's face fell like someone who accidentally tossed a winning lottery ticket into the washing machine. If not that… then her first kiss was all she had left to fix.
"Looks like the two of you are on the same page. This level of change is acceptable. It shouldn't have any major consequences."
The grim reaper's words left a bitter aftertaste.
Same page? That meant Yoon Jae-ha regretted that moment too. Somehow… that made her feel even worse.
"After the 49 days, when exactly do we return?"
Suppressing the tangled mess of feelings inside her, Hae-won asked.
"You'll return to this exact moment. Now, let's get going — we don't have much time."
The grim reaper pointed at his wrist, mimicking tapping a watch. Seems even in the afterlife, deadlines haunt workers everywhere.
Hae-won's hand, noticeably smaller than his, was engulfed by Jae-ha's larger hand. The moment they decided to correct their mistakes, some sense of unity had returned.
"Hae-won."
'I love you, Hae-won.'
Huh? Overlapping with Jae-ha calling her name was the faint echo of his confession.
What was that?
Hae-won's head snapped up, staring at him.
Countless emotions flickered across Yoon Jae-ha's eyes — she couldn't begin to name them all.
"Let's go see, Hae-won."
A faint, almost melancholic yet hopeful smile spread across his face.
Seeing him like that, the uncertain echo faded, and the resentment that had festered for seven years quietly unraveled.
Yeah… if they could really fix that mistake, maybe things would change. Maybe their strained relationship could finally heal.
Like the good old days, when they were always together.
"Let's do it, Yoon Jae-ha."
Clap!
Suddenly, a sharp clap echoed through the air. Both of them instinctively turned toward the grim reaper.
"Well, enough chatter. Have a nice trip."
Clap!
The reaper clapped again, and instantly, Hae-won's body grew heavy, as if soaked in water. Her eyelids drooped with unbearable weight.
She tried blinking away the haze, but the world dimmed around her.
"See you... in 49... days…"
The reaper's voice slowed and distorted, as if she were underwater.
Snap!
The young boy — the rookie reaper — snapped his fingers, startling the older reaper, who yelled as the boy yanked at his collar.
"You little brat!"
What the hell? It looked more ridiculous than anything she'd ever scripted for TV.
The boy, grinning cheekily, gave Hae-won a thumbs-up — like telling her to stay safe, promising they'd meet again.
Even as the world darkened, the absurdity of it made her laugh faintly.
Her vision sank beneath the surface, everything swallowed by blackness.
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"Gah!"
A blood-curdling scream pierced the air. Hae-won shot upright, panting, sweat pouring down her forehead.
"What… a dream? How can a dream feel so real?"
Wiping her damp palms on her chest, she tried to recall the dream. She'd died. With Yoon Jae-ha. What utter nonsense...
Hae-won didn't believe in ghosts. Too many rotten people lived consequence-free for that.
Sigh.
Flopping back down, her bed creaked in protest.
She covered her face with a hand, staring at the ceiling. Maybe the vivid dream was messing with her sleep.
…Wait.
The ceiling was the wrong color.
Her apartment ceiling was ivory — this one was gray.
What?
She bolted upright, neck stiff as she turned her head. No… freaking… way.
In the dimly lit room, everything looked familiar — too familiar.
Her heart pounded like a war drum as she slapped her hand over her mouth, squeezing her eyes shut.
One… two… three…
There had to be some mistake — nothing else made sense.
Nine… ten…
Peeking cautiously, she scanned the room.
Crap. It was still the same room — one she knew far too well.
Yoon Jae-ha's bedroom from high school.
"What… is happening…?"
Lowering her trembling hand, she finally noticed something was seriously wrong.
Holy crap — those weren't her hands.
Large, veiny, masculine hands shook as she pulled back the blanket.
Long legs? Thick, muscled thighs? Boat-sized feet?
"Ha… ha ha… Right, Hae-won, you're just not fully awake… just… sleep…"
She flopped back down, pulling the blanket over her head, patting her chest like a baby.
"Rock-a-bye, Hae-won… Sleep tight… Where the hell are my boobs!?"
Gone. Her one pride and joy — her chest — completely flat.
Once soft and curvy, now hard and empty beneath her palm.
The absurdity of it all made her laugh.
She stumbled to the wall mirror.
"This… isn't… a dream."
Yoon Jae-ha's reflection stared back.
She glanced around again — the worn desk, high school textbooks, unread science magazines, weights littering the floor.
Of course. From the moment the grim reapers messed up, she should've known this wasn't over.
So… she had to live as Yoon Jae-ha for 49 days?
"Damn those grim reaper bastards!"
Shaking her fists at the ceiling, she cursed.
Even her furious scream came out in Jae-ha's deep voice, shocking her.
As despair overwhelmed her, the door creaked open, and a sharp, cold voice cut through the air.
"Yoon Jae-ha."
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Glossary:
• Dormammu* : A marvel villain, appears in Doctor Strange, reference used for his time-bending ability.
[A/N: To put it simply, because their souls are kept hostage/arrested for 49 days in the underworld... The grim reapers can't arrest their souls as their death was a mistake and their higher ups will know if they did. So they need to hide them for 49 days. That's why they sent them back in time and they can return after 49 days] Enjoy!