Money Loving CEO's Detective Lover

Chapter 414: Goodbye Boo

AUTHOR'S NOTE:

DOCTOR DEMON IS OUT NOW

LINK: /book/doctor-demon_20493883605820405

........

Junho pulled up in front of a small one storey house which Jina had directed him to. She sat next to him with Yumi in the backseat.

"This is it," he sighed. "Are you sure you want to do this?"

His question was directed at Yumi who was nervous. She whispered something in Jina's ears.

"She's saying that she wants to do this," Jina interpreted. "If she doesn't do it today, she'll never be able to do it."

Junho pursed his lips. "Fine," he finally said. "Let's go."

All of them got out of the car and slowly walked towards the suburban house in front of them. Junho knocked on the door.

A thin woman in her late forties opened the door. She had the same wavy hair and dark eyes as Yumi albeit they were wrinkled with age.

"Yes?" she asked. "How may I help you?"

"Are you Wang Sunmi?" Junho asked in a kind tone.

"Yes," Sunmi replied, feeling suspicious of the old man and girl who had showed up at her doorstep. "Who are you?"

"We want to talk about your daughter, Yumi," Junho said. Sunmi's face contorted into that of grief and pain.

"My daughter Yumi passed away a few months ago-" she began but Jina interrupted her.

"We know," she said. "My mother, Jeon Gayoon, was the detective of the case."

"Jeon Gayoon" Sunmi recalled. "She did stop by to talk to me. But why are you two here? What's wrong? Her killer was caught, right?"

Sunmi was now panicking. She had divorced Yumi's father a long time ago and even though she lost contact with him, she had always worried about Yumi. But her ex-husband and former in-laws would not let her meet her daughter. The court also barred her from meeting Yumi because at that time, Sunmi had drinking problems. She became completely sober but by that time, it was too late.

"Yumi" Jina began. "Yumi is with us right now."

The woman frowned. "What nonsense!" she snapped. "What do you mean by that?"

"I can see Yumi's ghost!" Jina claimed. "In fact, she's with us right now! And she wants to talk to you-"

"What the hell is this kid yapping?" Sunmi barked at Junho. "Is she right in the head?"

"We know it sounds absurd but please listen to us," Junho said in a calm tone.

"I lost my daughter!" Sunmi exclaimed. "And now, you two con artists are trying to feed on my grief? I can't let that happen-"

"You should look behind you," Jina said, pointing at a wall behind Sunmi. The latter spu around and yelped in shock. Written on the wall with black ink was a message.

"Hello mom. This is Yumi."

Sunmi stared at the message in shock. How was this possible? Yumi was dead! Did the two strangers fake the message? But there was no one else in the house. How could they have written this?

Before she could say anything, another message was beginning to appear on the wall as if someone invisible was writing it.

"Mom, I want to meet you and Lily," Yumi wrote. She was standing in front of the wall with tears in her eyes as she wrote the message. Her mother, her beloved mother, was standing next to her and she could not help shedding her tears. As if in a daze, Sunmi stepped forward to touch the wall, still unable to believe what she had just witnessed.

"I know it's hard to believe," Junho said. "But Yumi really is here with us. And she wants to be freed so that she could move on to the Afterlife. Her last wish is to meet you and Lily just once."

"I" Sunmi trailed off. She was conflicted. Was she hallucinating? Or was it really her daughter? What if it was some kind of trick?

She felt a tiny hand touching her palm. "Auntie," Jina began. "Yumi misses you a lot. She sometimes comes here to see you and your family. Seeing Lily really makes her happy but she couldn't come any closer because she felt really guilty for hating you all these years. Yumi told me about a memory she had of you."

"You were wearing a red t-shirt and green pants," Jina interpreted on behalf of Yumi. "And sang a lullaby for her. It was something like 'sleep little birdie'. Whenever she heard it, she used to fall asleep."

"Sleep little birdie, see the dreams of stars," Sunmi sang in a thick tone. "Mommy will love you all the...time"

She choked up her own tears. 

"Mom!" Yumi cried and hugged her mother. Sunmi felt a cold yet familiar sensation engulfing her which made her heart ache more. 

"Is she really here?" Sunmi sobbed. "My Yumi...is she here?"

"She's hugging you," Jina said with a sad smile. Sunmi was unsure how to react to that but she stood there, letting the cold air hold her. She thought she heard someone quietly crying. Maybe it was her mother's instinct but she wanted to comfort that person, hold her and say that it was going to be okay.

"Mommy, I'm so...so happy" Yumi cried. 

"Is she happy?" Sunmi asked Jina. The little girl nodded, making Sunmi completely break down into tears. Junho and Jina watched as Yumi had an emotional reunion with her mother. 

Sunmi asked many questions via Jina about Yumi and how she lived her life. 

"Did she do well in school?" Sunmi asked. "And did she have friends? Was she polite with others?"

"She was a dud in studies but loved idols," Jina said. "She had many friends and even though she wasn't always polite, she had a good heart. Yumi helped my family a lot and was there for me whenever I needed her. She was like an elder sister to me and missed Lily a lot."

Yumi pouted at Jina but Sunmi only chuckled. "Yumi was always a stubborn yet kind child," she sniffed. "That sounds like her. Would she like to meet Lily? I think she's awake now."

"I do!" Yumi said. "I want to meet her so much!"

"She does," Jina confirmed. 

"Follow me," Sunmi said. Jina, Junho and Yumi obeyed her, following her upstairs to the nursery. Sunmi led them to a cot where a baby was resting. She had just woken up and was blinking as she observed everything around her. 

"This is Lily," Sunmi said. The baby was curiously looking at the new entrants. Particularly at the pale looking teenager who was teary eyed. Lily blinked several times before reaching out a chubby palm to point at Yumi.

"Boo boo!" she exclaimed with a wide smile. "Boo!"

She was still pointing and smiling at Yumi. 

"I think she can see Yumi!" Jina gasped.

"Babies less than three years old have a natural ability to see ghosts," Junho explained. "They are sharper and more sensitive than adults. Unlike Seers like yourself, they eventually lose this ability. Which is why Lily can see Yumi. Her instincts are telling her that Yumi is not dangerous which is why she's smiling." 

"She can see me?" Yumi whispered. She reached out a pale hand and stroked her sister's cheek. Lily happily clapped and cooed at her elder sister.

"Boo!" she exclaimed. "Boo!"

"I think she's calling Yumi as Boo," Jina guessed. 

"I showed her some pictures of Yumi after my ex-husband agreed to share some albums with me," Sunmi revealed. "And she addresses Yumi as Boo. I think she recognized her"

Yumi was overwhelmed with emotions. She was not only able to meet her sister but the latter also recognized her! 

"Yes, Lilly!" she said. "I'm your Boo!"

"Boo!" Lily said happily. Junho and Jina stepped back, letting Yumi have her moment with her family. The usually cheeky ghost was completely overwhelmed by the emotional reunion with her mother and sister.

Jina felt a hollow feeling in her heart. Now that Yumi's wish was fulfilled, she was going to leave as well. The little girl clasped her grandfather's hand who patted her palm.

"She's happy," he said. "Let her have her moment."

Jina nodded, her eyes still on the happy family who had reunited under such strange circumstances. 

That day, Jina finally learnt something about herself. Sometimes, the powers she possessed were too much to handle. She attracted spirits of all kinds whether good or bad. They sought her out, begging her to help them. It was tiresome and scary.

But she would never stop helping them. No matter how good or bad the spirits were, she would try to help them move on so that they could get a chance at redemption. The peace and happiness each soul brought to her was irreplaceable.

.

It was quite late by the time they left Sunmi's house. The latter offered them to stay the night but Junho politely declined. Yumi left her mother's house with a heavy heart but also content. She bid an emotional goodbye to Sunmi and Lily, unable to stay there any longer. Junho was in the car, preferring to give all of them some time alone with Yumi.

"Can you tell mom to make chicken dumpling soup every year on my birthday?" Yumi asked Jina. "I'd love that."

Jina interpreted her request to Sunmi who smiled and said, "Silly girl! I've been preparing that every year on your birthday. You really think I'll stop making it?"

Yumi happily nodded. Lily was in her mother's arms, still smiling at her sister.

"I guess, it's time to say goodbye," Yumi whispered. 

"Yumi" Jina choked on her own tears. "Yumi is going to move on now. She'll go to the place where all spirits go. She's thankful to you for loving her"

Sunmi was now crying hard, aggrieved over the short time she spent with her daughter.

"Stay," she begged. "Stay with us!"

"No," Yumi said. "I'll have to go. It's hard but it's the right thing to do. As long as you remember me, I'll be with you."

Jina interpreted her words with great difficulty, trying not to cry but the damn tears betrayed her. Lily, as if sensing that something was wrong, began to cry as well.

"Boo!" she cried. "Boo!"

"Sorry Lily," Yumi whispered. "Boo has to leave. But always remember, that I love you the most. So be good, okay?"

"Boo!" Lily yelled, still crying. Yumi tore her eyes away from her sister and turned to Jina.

"Aish, are you trying to be strong?" she teased. "You know that you're a crybaby!"

"I'm not a crybaby!" Jina protested but she really was crying like a baby. 

Yumi hugged her. "I'll miss you," Jina sobbed.

"Me too," Yumi breathed. "Don't fall into trouble, okay? Become a kickass detective and make criminals cry!"

Jina nodded, hugging Yumi even more tightly. 

A white light began to glow from within Yumi, engulfing her. Tiny orbs floated in the air as Yumi's pale figure began to slowly disappear. Sunmi was crying while Lily called for her sister, crying wildly. Jina felt Yumi's cold body vanishing but she kept on hugging her until there was nothing but air left.

Yumi was gone. Forever.