A Week Before I Die

A Familiar Reaper

I once heard something eerie—something that lingered in my mind like a half-remembered dream. They say the Grim Reaper doesn’t arrive as a faceless shadow draped in black. Instead, they take the form of the person you long for the most, calling your name in the voice you’ve yearned to hear again.

“Jung Heewan.”

That voice. The one I thought was lost to time. A chill ran down my spine.

“You have one week left to live.”

Standing before me was Kim Ramu—the person I had missed more than anyone. But this wasn’t a reunion. He wasn’t here to stay. He had returned as the Grim Reaper, delivering a fate I couldn’t escape.

I had lived without regrets, always prepared for whatever came next. I thought I was ready to meet the end with quiet acceptance. But seeing Ramu again—like this—stirred something deep within me. The man I once loved wasn’t just a memory anymore. He was the one sent to guide me to my final moment.