[Operation On - Anna Jang, 32 years old]
"We start the operation, operation time is 3 hours and 30 minutes. Here we go. Mess!"
Lying weakly with your mouth covered with oxygen hoses. Anna was already in her subconscious after being dosed by an anesthetic nurse. The operation was initiated to stop bleeding from occurring inside Anna's brain due to a severe impact. A primary doctor, an assistant doctor, and three nurses began dissecting Anna's head.
Howl was silent in front of the O.R. entrance. It's a strange feeling that's been bothering him a little after seeing Anna covered in blood after falling from a 25-story building. It was like being in the middle of a forest fire — surrounded by flames and hot ash along with black smoke but he couldn't feel what the heat was like and what it was like to breathe. It's empty.
"He won't die,"
A word that instantly made Howl wake up from his dream. Looking ahead, it turns out he's just Jeoseungsaja.
"If she's not dead, why are you here?" Howl asked.
"Ah! No no, I came because of business." Just answer Jeoseung.
They were silent in the silence of the long hall. Until it rained so hard. A white flash lit up along with a loud roar, as if the sky were showing its fury.
"So, what are you going to do now and then? Lucifer may come back to kill Anna," Jeoseungsaja said.
"What exactly is him thinking right now?"
"What? Who do you mean?"
Jeoseung is confused by Howl's question.
Howl only pointed his index finger upward.
Jeoseungsaja's eyes only followed Howl's finger, silent for two seconds to process what Howl was doing. He is pointing to God who is above the heavens. Jeoseungsaja only tries to think about what Howl is thinking about what God is doing.
"It's very complicated. I don't understand either." said Jeoseung, taking a long breath.
"I think there's something strange about me," Howl said.
What's weird?
"It's just… It's like … like …"Howl only sniffed resentment, because he couldn't explain what he was feeling.
"Why? Why are you acting so weird?"
Howl can only stand still with his twisted mind.
Until suddenly there appeared a female spirit wearing a school uniform running with doubts. Jeoseungsaja was the only one who noticed the arrival of the woman's spirit standing about 20 steps from their distance.
"Someone wants to see you," said Jeoseungsaja.
Howl immediately turned to his right. Quiet for a while—looking at the girl who seems to hold back her tears staring at Howl.
Slowly the girl's face becomes clear as she begins to beat closer to Howl.
"You … haven't left yet?" Howl asked, then turned to Jeoseung when he realized the reason why he suddenly appeared at the hospital. "So this is why you're here?" Howl asked Jeoseungsaja who only shrugged his shoulders simultaneously.
"I've heard about the man who hit me." said the girl who kept playing with her nails.
"No need to thank you, I'm just doing my job and you're doing your job well." Howl replied.
The girl smiles smalley at Howl's words that sound full of care.
"May I ask you a favor?"
"That's why I'm getting lazy with people. Once given good will he asks for it again." Howl murmured.
"I'm sorry. But there's something I haven't done in this world."
"So that's why you keep running away from me?" asked Jeoseungsaja—giving a cynical look at the girl who has been struggling for days.
Because he was assigned to deliver the girl's spirit to Gurēzōn's realm. The place where the spirits gather before the resurrection and the trial. All the dead human spirits in the world will gather together called vast plains with orange skies mixed with purple. So many stars adorn the sky. There's neither day nor night.
"That day was actually the day I found a sick cat near my school. It seems the cat has been poisoned. But when I wanted to take the cat to the veterinary clinic, I died. So did the cat. I've heard that you're the cat guardian deity who will deliver the cat spirit to Rēkaineko's place. So.. Can't I meet that cat. I have to apologize for not being able to help her." said the girl, holding back tears of guilt—depressing in shame to show her face.
Howl breathed a long sigh after hearing the confession of an 18-year-old girl named Nana Lee. A high school student, in her second year. She's an orphan living in a cramped underground kosher and a worker in an abandoned cat shelter. She's a girl with a good heart, and moreover she's very empathetic to cats. Nana has been cared for by a priest since she was 10.
"You don't have to worry. They're waiting for you. And not only are the cats waiting for you, but the cats you saved your life, are indebted to you." Howl said.
Nana's tears slowly shed—she cries happily because Nana never suspects that she is being waited for by the animals she has saved. The animals that she always cared for with kindness and sincerity, the pain of having to part with death now that Nana can return to meet her cats.
"So … You better get going. Your work in the world is done. You've done a lot of good things. I'm sure you can live with them again …" Howl said.
"Really? Is what you're saying true? "Can I meet them?" Nana asked.
"Yes."
"Thank you, thank you …" said Nana while repeatedly bending her body to 80 degrees, because she was so happy to hear the words from the gods.
"You don't have to thank me. But to yourself, you've done good in the world and you'll get multiple rewards. You don't have to worry about the shelter, someone will come to your place." Howl said so quietly.
"Come on, we have to leave immediately before the big man changes his mind!" Jeoseungsaja said while opening a portal door, where Gurēzōn' is located.
The sky looks like the world's sunset orange sky but it's much more dense in color. The clouds are gathering like lilac cotton candy. There will be countless stars. The green grass bed with various flowers is so wide that it stretches. Those who first saw it will assume that the world is nothing.
"Welcome to Gurēzōn' …!"