Living Again, I Let My Fiancé and His Childhood Sweetheart Court Death

My boyfriend's childhood sweetheart chirped, Youth has no price tagstraight through to Larkspur on a hard seat!

But barely half an hour into the ride, she was already complaining that she was tired.

She dragged my boyfriend straight to the sleeper car and told him to grab a berth for her.

Together they spotted a middle berth with nothing on it but a single wooden box.

Eyes shining with delight, the childhood sweetheart moved to shove the box aside and lie down.

But the old woman in the lower berth stopped her, tears in her eyes.

"Child, this is my son's spot. Please, let him rest in peace."

Hearing the old woman's words,

I stepped forward at once and stopped my boyfriend, who was about to fly into a rage and berate her.

I forced the two of them to leave.

Out of pure spite, Shelagh stood for more than forty hours straight, and between the severe altitude sickness and the exhaustion, she died before the train ever reached the station.

My boyfriend was perfectly calm.

After he handled her funeral arrangements, he proposed to me sooner than I'd expected.

For the honeymoon, we chose Larkspur.

But on the way there, my boyfriend bought himself a sleeper berth and bought me, in early pregnancy, a standing ticket.

On that same train he simply watched me stand for two days and two nights, until in the end both I and my unborn child were gone...

Staring at my shrinking belly and the blood pooling beneath me,

Melvin laughed, wild and arrogant.

"Cara, if you hadn't run your mouth back then, Shelagh wouldn't have died! You'll pay for it with your lifetake that little demon in your belly down with you!"

When I opened my eyes again, the train had only just pulled out.

Shelagh was rubbing the small of her back and cooing at Melvin.

"Melvin, these hard seats are so awful. Come with me to the sleeper car and see if there's an empty spot, okay?"

I laughed.

They probably had no idea

that the old woman's son was a famous folk hero of the volunteer aid movement,

beloved among the people in life, and even more so in death.

This time around, if the two of you want to die, I won't stand in your way...

"All right, all right, I'll take you right now."

Melvin's doting voice pulled me back from my thoughts.

I glanced at the scenery sliding backward past the window,

and it hit me that I really had been reborn.

In my last life, Melvin had taken Shelagh to the sleeper car without hesitation, exactly like this.

An old woman was sitting in lower berth number 8.

The middle berth was empty

nothing there but a wooden box wrapped in a ceremonial scarf.

Shelagh's eyes lit up, and she jogged over to lie down,

not a trace left of the girl who'd just been clutching her back, moaning about the pain and the exhaustion.

But just as she was about to climb up,

the old woman in the lower berth struggled to her feet and stopped her.

The old woman spoke earnestly, faint traces of tears still visible at the corners of her eyes.

"Young lady, this place... is taken. It's my child's spot..."

In an instant I understood what those words meant.

Inside that square box lay her own flesh and blood.

So I immediately stopped Melvin, who was about to step up and snap at the old woman,

and forced him to take Shelagh back to our car.

The three of us had hard seats together.

Once we were back, I offered to have Melvin and me stand for a while so she could lie down and rest.

But she put on that dying act again,

flat-out refused to sit, and chose to stand the whole way.

The severe altitude sickness, the overexertion, and her refusing to eat

led to disasterbefore we even reached the station, Shelagh died on the train.

After it happened, Melvin didn't blame me the way he had before.

Instead, he proposed to me sooner than I'd expected.

I thought this man had finally grown up, matured, learned to tell right from wrong,

so I accepted his proposal without hesitation and married him as planned.

The honeymoon, too, was set in Larkspur, just as he wanted.

But on the way to Larkspura ride of more than forty hours

he bought himself a sleeper berth,

and bought me a standing ticket.

He watched me coldly, a woman in early pregnancy, as I stood for over forty hours.

When the train arrived in Larkspur, my life reached its end.

Staring at my shrunken belly and the blood pooling beneath me,

Melvin doubled over laughing.

"Cara, you killed Shelagh! I hate you! I've waited a whole year for this day! Today is Shelagh's death anniversary. You and that little demon in your belly can be buried with her!"

The wretched memories of my last life sent a shiver through me.

The finger that suddenly appeared before my eyes snapped me back to the present.

"Cara!"

I looked up and met Melvin's eyes, blazing with rage.

He pointed at me with the hand that wore our matching couple's ring, and growled through gritted teeth,

"I'm telling you, quit sticking your nose in where it doesn't belong!"

"And don't guilt-trip us! Shelagh's worn out, and we can't upgrade the ticketwhat am I supposed to do! That sleeper berth today, whether you agree or not, I'm going to"

"I agree."

I cut Melvin off, ice-cold,

and gave him back an equally cold look.

"Go on. Don't let Shelagh tire herself out."

With that, I turned aside at once, clearing a wide path for Melvin and Shelagh toward the sleeper car.

Watching Melvin and Shelagh walk away,

I let the corners of my mouth curl up slightly.

In my last life, I only found out when we reached the station:

that old woman's son had been a truly great folk hero of the volunteer aid movement,

deeply beloved by the local people in his lifetime.

This time the old woman was bringing his ashes "home,"

and it had stirred the whole country.

For Melvin and Shelagh to act like this was no different from courting death.

Since you're both so set on dying, then I'll help you get there...

"Melvin, quick, look! There's no one in the middle sleeper berth of number 8!"

Standing at the junction between the cars, I saw Shelagh jump up on the spot.

Right now she was exactly the same as she'd been in my past life.

Just a second ago she'd needed Melvin to hold her up because her back hurt.

The moment she spotted a seat, the back pain vanished...

But Melvin, that idiot, wouldn't notice any of it.

His gaze followed the direction Shelagh was pointing.

Then, his eyes full of delight, he pulled Shelagh into his arms.

"It's true! Shelagh, I told youyou're the kindest girl in the world, so you'll have the best luck in the world!"

"What are you standing there for? I'll take you over right now!"

Melvin took Shelagh's hand as if it were the most natural thing in the world.

They headed straight for berth number 8.

Watching them walk off with their fingers laced together, I felt a wave of nausea rise in my stomach.

In my past life, Melvin always told me he thought of Shelagh as his own little sister.

He even got me to be good to Shelagh along with him.

But it wasn't until the moment I died in that train car that I understood.

The truth was he and Shelagh had been deeply in love all along.

He was with me only because I could make money and came from a good family

because my parents could throw their full weight behind his career.

Thinking about it, a wave of cold revulsion ran through me.

Living this life over, I would never do anything stupid again.

"Hey, what's your problem, old lady?!"

Shelagh's shrill voice pulled me back from my thoughts.

I looked toward the sleeper car.

It turned out the old woman had already stopped Shelagh from climbing up onto the middle berth.

"Young lady, like I just said, this berth is takenit's my son... you can't sit here."

Shelagh rolled her eyes.

"Old lady, one box taking up a whole berthyou think this is your house?! I bet you just don't want to give it up and you're making up lies on purpose!"

Melvin immediately stepped in to back her up.

"Exactly! We'll even pay you, all right?! Just put the box on the luggage rackproblem solved. Taking up a whole berth is a pure waste of space, isn't it?!"

As he spoke, Melvin moved forward to grab the box and toss it onto the luggage rack.

The old woman used almost every last bit of her strength.

She shuffled quickly to stand in front of that small, square little box.

She clamped a hand down on Melvin.

"Child, even if I have to beg you..."

The old woman's eyes reddened in an instant.

"My son suffered his whole life. He walked this road countless times, but this is the first time he's ever ridden a train..."

"I only want to let him sleep in comfort. I'm begging you, please, don't disturb him, all right?"

The old woman caressed it as though it were a priceless treasure.

Gently, inch by inch, she stroked the little box.

Her eyes were full of tenderness and heartache.

My own heart tightened.

The old woman's son had given nearly his whole life to this land beneath our feet.

The locals grieved for him no less than the old woman did.

In my past life, after I heard the story of what he'd done, I wept and couldn't settle my heart for a long time.

"What son, what son?!"

Shelagh cut the old woman off sharply, her voice shrill and cutting.

"I think you're just putting on a show!"

Melvin and Shelagh, those two heartless beasts, didn't take the old woman's words to heart in the slightest.

In unison they stepped forward, paying no mind to the old woman before them, her hair already white, her eyes red-rimmed.

They reached out with grim resolve.

Without a word, faces full of impatience, they shoved the old woman.

And they lunged forward to snatch the little box from her arms...

The old woman clutched the box tightly.

Her body was terribly frail, yet in that moment she seemed to summon some tremendous strength.

Somehow, Melvin and Shelagh could not wrench the box from her hands.

But the old woman was shoved and staggered.

Melvin turned toward me, beside himself, and shouted at the top of his voice.

"Cara, are you blind?! Get over here and help, now!"

I crossed my arms and coldly watched Melvin, whose face was flushed red, then spoke in a level voice.

"Melvin, don't take this too far. That's someone's son lying in there..."

"Bullshit!"

Melvin cut me off sharply.

"Cara, what's that supposed to mean?! So you're siding with outsiders too?! What son! I say it's just a junky old box! She's hogging the seat on purpose!"

"I'm telling you, if you won't help, fine, but don't make trouble for me!"

Melvin jabbed his finger at me, the fury in his eyes flaring hotter.

"Shelagh has a herniated disc. If she stands too long and something happens, are you going to answer for it?!"

I curled my lips into a faint, cold smile.

I took my earphones out of my bag, put them in my ears, and turned my back.

But Melvin's voice had woken the passengers nearby.

Voices urging her to relent rose from all sides.

"Ma'am, just let it go. Young people have it hard these days; work wears them out!"

"One box taking up a whole berth really doesn't sit right, ma'am, don't be stubborn about it."

"We're all this old now, what can't we let go of? Be a little more generous..."

Hearing everyone around take their side,

Melvin and Shelagh grew even more brazen.

They stepped forward again at once,

meaning to snatch the box out of the old woman's arms.

The old woman held the box tightly,

and looking at the crowd pressing in around her, the tears finally spilled down beyond her control.

With great tenderness, she untied the ceremonial scarf.

As the scarf slowly slid away,

a plain wooden box appeared before everyone's eyes.

In the very center of the box was a black-and-white photograph.

The man in the photo had a deeply lined face, but he smiled openly.

"The one sleeping in here really is my son..."

the old woman said, her voice choked.

"He was only thirty-two when he passed. He was saving two coworkers trapped in a cave-in. The coworkers lived, but he never opened his eyes again..."

"He always said he wanted to ride this train once, to come home and see his old mother. Now I'm taking him back. I bought him a sleeper berth, so he could lie down and rest a while..."

As the old woman forced out the words one by one,

the whole big carriage fell into a deathly silence.

The very onlookers who had just been urging her to give in reddened at the eyes.

Anyone with even a little heart

could understand this mother's aching devotion,

could grasp the bitterness and hardship behind it.

Before my eyes rose the scene from my last life: the locals' reverence for this fallen hero, and their boundless respect for this old woman.

How I wanted to step forward and help her,

but the wretched memories of my last life forced the impulse back down.

I slowly turned, looking at the frail old woman,

and in the very instant my gaze came around,

a scoffing laugh broke through the carriage that had just fallen silent.

Shelagh pointed at the box in the old woman's arms, her laughter growing louder and louder.

"Make it up! Keep making it up!"

"Hero, my foot. He's dead and still hogging a seat! No class at all!"

Seeing this, Melvin immediately stepped up to back her.

"Old woman, quit putting on a show for me! Let me tell you, this seat's going to my friend today, that's final!"

With that, Melvin lunged forward,

and while the old woman was wiping her tears, he snatched the urn out of her arms and thrust it high above his head.

"Let's see just what kind of treasure is inside!"

The old woman screamed and lunged forward to grab it.

"No! Please don't!"

Melvin stared at the old woman in front of him and curled his lips into a wicked smile.

Then he let go...

"No!"

I couldn't hold back any longer and rushed straight toward Melvin.

But it was already too late...

"Crash!"

After one sharp, heart-piercing sound,

that square wooden urn slammed hard against the floor.

The lid burst open instantly.

White ashes mixed with fragments scattered all across the floor...

Time seemed to stand still...

The old woman let out a piercing wail and threw herself at the pool of white ashes.

She stumbled,

then dropped to her knees with a thud.

Trembling all over, she scooped up the ashes scattered on the floor, tears falling into her palms,

mixing with the ashes into a thick smear of white mud in her hands...

"My son, I'm so sorry... I couldn't protect even this last little bit of you..."

Her hands ran through the fragments and were cut by them, blood trickling down between her fingers like a little stream,

but she didn't notice at all.

Bit by bit, she just gathered up the ashes scattered on the floor with her hands and put them back into that already broken little box.

They scattered, and she gathered them again; she gathered them, and they slipped away again.

Her sobbing went from heart-rending to gradually silent,

but her body shook harder and harder.

I couldn't stand there any longer. I stepped forward quickly, bent down, spread the ceremonial scarf flat on the floor, and began helping the old woman collect the ashes left on the floor.

The onlookers turned their faces away,

one after another shedding tears of sympathy.

Shelagh was stunned by the sight before her, but she quickly went back to her usual awful self.

"What are you crying about?!"

"It's just a little ash! I'll pay you for it, all right?! What terrible luck!"

As she spoke, Shelagh pulled a hundred-dollar bill out of her pocket,

and it landed square in the ashes on the floor.

The ashes the old woman had just gathered up were scattered by her once again.

Seeing this, Melvin stepped forward and tugged at Shelagh's sleeve.

"Forget it, Shelagh, let's go. Don't stoop to this old wretch's level!"

Melvin had probably sensed that something was off, and he tried to pull Shelagh away.

But before Shelagh could even turn around,

I grabbed her by the ankle.

Shelagh was caught off guard.

Taking advantage of the moment, I slowly stood up, met Shelagh's filthy eyes head-on, and spoke through gritted teeth.

"You'll regret this. You'll pay the price for what you did today."

"What's there to regret?!"

Shelagh stared at me, a disdainful sneer curling at the corner of her mouth.

"Cara, I think this old hag has brainwashed you! Turning on your own like this todayjust wait until we get back and see how Melvin deals with you!"

Melvin immediately jumped in.

"Cara, let me tell you, don't try to scare me here. Forget some hero's asheseven if it were that hero's own mother, if she really crossed me, I'd deal with her however I please!"

He got more and more worked up as he spoke,

and he shoved Shelagh down to sit on the old woman's lower bunk.

"Shelagh, we're not leaving today after all! You sit right here, and lie down when you get tired! I'd like to see just what this old hag and that pile of mud can do to me!"

The moment Melvin finished speaking,

the train's announcement slowly came on.

"Attention passengers, our next stop is Larkspur Station. Passengers disembarking, please prepare..."

As the train slowly pulled into the station,

everyone in the carriage froze.

A long red carpet was laid out on the platform, and thousands upon thousands of ordinary people stood there holding ceremonial scarves.

A well-equipped honor guard stood on both sides, with a leader-like figure at the very front.

Every one of them wore a solemn expression as they slowly walked toward our carriage to the strains of funeral music...