The Ashen-Haired Girl

The girl with ash-gray hair, often called the Ashen Girl, was always happy.

One morning, as soon as she woke up, a thought occurred to her.

She truly felt happy.

The warm scent of toast filling the morning, and the gentle sunlight streaming through her window.

Looking out, she could see the greenery of the trees surrounding the apartment complex and smell the distinctive fragrance of the trees.

At the end of the path lined with green trees, she could see the school nestled in the middle of the apartment complex.

“Hurry up, breakfast is ready! You have to go to school!”

Hearing the voice calling her, the girl responded, “Yes, I’m coming!” and made her way to the dining table.

Her parents, older sister, and older brother were waiting there.

They didn’t have much, but the girl always felt her family was happy.

Her parents, sister, and brother always showered her with love.

Hehe.

Feeling strangely giddy, the girl let out a small laugh.

As she picked up a large water bottle, almost too big for one hand, and poured water into her cup, the water suddenly turned a deep red, thick like blood.

“!!!”

Shocked, the girl dropped the cup, spilling its contents, but the liquid on the floor was clear water.

“Are you alright?”

Her family looked at her with concerned faces.

The girl rubbed her eyes, as if trying to erase the strange vision, and looked down at the spilled water.

Clear, transparent water.

It was just ordinary water.

‘Something feels off.’

Seeing that strange vision left her feeling a little uneasy.

After finishing breakfast, she headed off to school.

The Ashen Girl walked along the neat sidewalk.

“No Mini Reaper today either.”

One of the reasons she’d been most excited when her family decided to move to Songpa was because of the Mini Reapers.

Songpa District, known for being home to many Mini Reapers!

Her parents, of course, had other reasons for their excitement.

“A new apartment by the Han River in the safest area of Songpa.”

It was a place that was usually very expensive, but they had gotten it for a reasonable price, and her parents had been thrilled.

Unlike her parents, the girl’s excitement came from the thought of easily seeing Mini Reapers.

But, despite moving to Songpa, where Mini Reapers were supposed to be plentiful, she hadn’t seen any.

Strangely, no Mini Reapers ever appeared around the Ashen Girl.

Not near the apartment complex, not at school—nowhere.

‘Why is that?’

Just a short walk away from the apartment complex, she’d see Mini Reapers wandering around, but none appeared in the apartment grounds.

At first, this made her a bit sad, but she’d come to accept it.

‘Because I have the Yellow Reaper!’

A hideout known to no one else.

Her own special Mini Reaper friend.

Hehe, the thought of meeting it after school lifted her spirits.

Sehee Research Institute Courtyard, Under the Warm Sun

I had left the Steel Tower and returned to Sehee Research Institute.

After lounging in front of the tower all day, nothing had changed.

Being in that dark, empty forest all day had driven me to irritation; I couldn’t stand it any longer.

I distinctly remember spending quite a long time in Seoul Forest right after being reborn as an object, but now I couldn’t endure even a single day there.

I tried everything to speed up the destruction of the Steel Tower.

Gnawing at it in frustration.

Attempting a Gray Reaper dropkick.

Even a “Kyuuk” smash.

I’d tried every method to hasten its collapse, but nothing worked.

So, I left two sulking Golden Reapers behind as the “Steel Tower watch” and returned to Sehee Research Institute.

Hehe.

Even though it was the same sunlight, it felt completely different from the sunlight in Seoul Forest.

Basking in the sun, I stretched my limbs out in a big stretch, enjoying the warmth.

As I stretched and soaked in the sunshine, the sound of a TV in the courtyard started to catch my attention.

“In Songpa, known as the safest and most expensive area in Seoul, a unique apartment complex has recently been built.”

“This apartment has attracted attention with its affordable rental prices.”

“However, a dark history is tied to the apartment’s past.”

“Tragic accidents repeatedly occurred among officials and personnel involved in approving the apartment’s construction, leading to ongoing controversy.”

“From the construction company’s CEO down to minor executives, the series of deaths suggested a link to a powerful object, though no connection was found in the investigations.”

“As a result, this property eventually transferred to the government and has now been offered at a low price for public welfare….”

It was about a newly built apartment complex.

The Mini Reapers used to occasionally check it out, but recently there hadn’t been any news about it.

As I pondered over this suspicious apartment, the Mini Reapers began making a ruckus.

“A new sibling!”

“The youngest has arrived!”

Looking over, I saw the woman from the space station and the Green Reaper entering the courtyard.

Hmm.

When I’d seen miniature animals wandering around the courtyard, I’d wondered where they’d come from. Apparently, the Green Reaper had created them.

In fact, the moment I arrived in the courtyard, I was intrigued by these tiny animals.

And as soon as I spotted the mini rabbits, I envisioned a “brilliant snack,” but the intense protests from the Mini Reapers prevented me from making it.

The “brilliant snack” idea was to grab a handful of thumb-sized rabbits and skewer them for a barbecue.

Sigh.

I’d wanted to try a skewer with five mini rabbits per stick…

But the Mini Reapers stared at me like I was a dangerous object, so I couldn’t bring myself to attempt it.

Maybe they saw this as different from a white Agwi skewer.

The main differences were the pain and whether or not they could be resurrected.

Now, the Green Reaper, responding to the Mini Reapers’ requests, was creating tiny elephants, hippos, and rhinos, no bigger than fingernails.

Since there was only one Green Reaper, it seemed unaffected by creating these animals.

“Ah!”

In that moment, I realized the most important thing in the world.

I had to ask it to make a Tyrannosaurus!

Hehe.

The combination of James’s Golden-Mecha-Tyranno Armor and a detailed Tyrannosaurus from the Green Reaper!

Just imagining it made my heart pound with excitement.

Even though I don’t actually have a heart!

Deep in the Mini Reaper Garden

In the artificial valley between the Marshmallow Plains and the Candy Mountains.

A place the Mini Reapers called “The White Agwi’s Wail.”

It was filled with Red Reapers.

The blonde girl was running here and there, watching a slightly smaller Red Reaper leading the others.

The most cheerful Red Reaper was now a head smaller than the others.

‘It wasn’t like this before….’

At first, they’d been about the same size. After some time, it had become slightly smaller, and now the difference was even more pronounced.

The first Red Reaper always liked to think of itself as the eldest sister, but its behavior made it seem the opposite.

It looked like a cherished youngest sibling bossing around its sisters, who laughed and indulged it.

“Revolution!”

“Revolution!”

Whenever the Red Reaper shouted “Revolution!” her sisters echoed the cry.

Kyuheehee.

The Red Reaper roasted White Agwi, and the sisters joined in.

It reminded me of our childhood, as if I was watching a piece of our past.

Back when our parents were still alive, and Grandfather hadn’t changed—our happy days.

The blonde girl turned her head, brushing Red Reaper sisters off the black agent beside her, a small smile on her face.

As if to say, this was our happy ending.

In that moment, the small Red Reaper soared into the air, radiating determination.

“Expedition!”

It was an announcement to set off on an expedition to Seoul Forest, where many objects gathered, without any particular reason.

‘….’

It was a happy ending, right?

The Most Luxurious Apartment Complex in Songpa

The Ashen Girl, on her way home from school, had slipped away to meet the Yellow Reaper.

Lost in a sea of students.

As she went, she heard some frightened voices.

“It’s a Golden Reaper.”

“It’s scary.”

Turning toward the voices, she saw a Golden Reaper perched on a bollard, blocking vehicles from entering the sidewalk.

Its face expressionless, it stared blankly.

The Golden Reaper gazed at the passing children with a look devoid of emotion.

‘It’s definitely strange.’

She’d heard that Golden Reapers were supposed to smile cheerfully at humans, but every Golden Reaper she’d seen had this empty look.

Eyes as clear as if staring at a pebble on the ground.

There was no emotion in those eyes, but perhaps because of that, they seemed even more dangerous.

The internet really couldn’t be trusted.

All those stories about Golden Reapers had been lies.

At least the Ashen Girl had the Yellow Reaper.

“A friend who smiles and plays with me, unlike the Golden Reapers.”

Thinking of seeing her friend today made her smile blossom naturally.