The first job from the Devil king came in a small sleek file on Ji Seon-mi's desk. The case was simple, yet tragic. A young girl had died a few weeks prior, but her spirit, unable to rest, had reanimated her corpse. Now a listless pale zombie, she haunted her family's home, her undying presence tormenting them. The file contained pictures with sad, vacant eyes, forever wearing a torn high school uniform.
Son Oh-gong, sprawled on Seon-mi's couch with a bored look on his face ,sneered at the folder. "A zombie? What a nuisance. Just let me incinerate it and we can be done with this".
He was an ancient powerful being, and now, his new forced devotion to this mere human woman was a constant source of infuriating discomfort.
"No" Seon-mi said, "We're not just going to destroy her. There has to be a reason she's still here.
Oh-gong scoffed. "Demons don't have reasons
They have desires. And their only desire is to cause chaos and consume. Let's go ".
Reluctantly, he followed her to the haunted house. The atmosphere was thick with a palpable sorrow, a deep pervasive grief that clung to the walls and furniture. The zombie girl was in the living room, her movements slow and repetitive. She would stand in front of a mirror, then turn and stare at a picture of her parents with a look of profound longing
Seon-mi watched her, her heart aching with empathy. "She's not being malicious ", she whispered to Oh-gong. "she's just....lost".
Oh-gong, however was impatient. He simply wanted to get this over with. He raised his hand; a small, fiery orb of energy began to form in his palm. The zombie girl's head snapped up, her vacant eyes now filled with fear.
"Stop!" Seon-mi's voice was a sharp command. The Geumganggo on Oh-gong's wrist tightened, and a sharp stinging pain shot through his chest. He gasped, lowering his head with a frustrated growl. The love, a feeling he so desperately hated, was overpowering his desire for a quick resolution.
"Her high school graduation is tomorrow ". Seon-mi said, fixing her gaze on the girl's uniform. "She's worried about her graduating without them. That's why she's still here ".
She turned to Oh-gong. "We have to fulfill her final wish".
Oh-gong just stared at her, his expression a mixture of profound loathing and forced adoration. "You want to throw a party for a zombie? You are even more crazier than I thought ".
But the geumganggo was unyielding. It demanded that he follow her heart, a heart filled with boundless compassion.
Together, they set up a small, impromptu graduation ceremony in the living room. Seon-mi found a spare cap and gown and laid it out on a chair. She then took the zombie girl's hand, her touch passing right through the cold, ethereal form.
"We're here for your graduation ", Seon-mi said, a gentle kind smile on her face. "You don't have to be afraid anyone ".
The zombie girl smiled beautifully. A warm, golden light began to emanate from her form, and slowly her soul began to fade away. She had found her peace.
As the last flicker of light disappeared, deep unbearable ache shot through Oh-gong's chest. The love for Seon-mi, filled by her act of kindness was so strong it was almost paralyzing. His knees became weak and shaky, he clutched his chest with his hand, his face contorted in a mixture of pain and a powerful, undeniable feeling of devotion.
Seon-mi, seeing his agony, rushed to him, her hand gently touching his shoulder. "Are you okay?" she asked in concern.
He looked up at her, his eyes wide with a new, raw vulnerability. The great demon king, the master of all demons, was helpless before the pure unconditional love that the bracelet demanded. "If you really cared, take this curse off my hand", Oh-gong shouted in agony. He was no longer just her protector; he is her slave, bound not by chains, but by the most powerful magic of all: a heart that beat for her and her alone.