Death Cast

01.25 | Grecia Bella Theatre

The statement made Jaerim jolt. He wanted to ask who was it but Barron had already taken a step back. The smile on the grim reaper meant that he knows the suspect but he won't be saying it. He mouthed, grim reapers could not interfere. It made Jaerim more flabbergasted. What is the use of warning if the grim reaper won't tell him who it is?

The shock of this truth had overridden the feeling of dread from the dance.

Noel noticed Jaerim’s face change color from his normal complexion to pale blue. He assumed that Jaerim must have been overwhelmed by the difficulty of the dance. He lent his support by patting Jaerim’s shoulder to show sympathy. After all, they are together with this one. 

“You don’t have to worry about it,” Noel said, his voice solemn. “We should try our best to cope up with this one.”

Jaerim turned his head to look at Noel. The maple mark of this guy is stamped right just through his eyebrows. It is quite larger compared to his mark that covered at least a third of his forehead. He subconsciously touched his mark that had been covered by the plaster matching his skin tone.

Noel raised his brow by Jaerim’s sudden scrutiny. 

“You okay?” He asked. 

Jaerim shook his head. No, he is not okay. Who would be okay after knowing that someone is after his life? Jaerim would have not believed it but the one who said it is a grim reaper and he knows Barron is not the type to joke around like this. 

Noel did not expect Jaerim to answer honestly so he stuck closer to Jaerim and whispered, “Want to go to the infirmary?”

Jaerim gave Noel a weird look. Such a place existed? But it is reasonable since the theatre has complete facilities. It’s no question they have it here. Noel was not aware of Jaerim’s thinking so he continued asking. 

“So, you want to go?”

“No, I’m fine.”

“But you don’t look like one.”

Seeing that Jaerim didn’t want to go, Noel no longer insisted. They focused on the dance. They have been dancing the last part of the routine that has all the six benches resting atop each other. Makisig pulled up Marikit so they could stand together on the top. Noel held his heart as he watched the narrow benches shook from their movement.

Fortunately, there are people anchoring on the benches, if not it should have surely fallen. The couple made another skit of showing their romance before the jumping across the benches started. The third layer of benches is different from the second level. Before, Marikit only have to touch the first bench, jump up to the second bench, then go back touch the first bench while Makisig is supporting him by holding her arms. This time, Marikit have to jump all of this level.

The distance is not a joke. The s*x benches forming a pyramid altogether is as tall as Marikit. She have to jump high while Makisig will add force by pulling her due to momentum to cross the obstacle. It might sound easy but the execution is quite difficult. In addition, there is a part in the dance where Marikit have to jump across the second levels by skipping the third level.

The whole idea of the dance is to show the couple's tenacity.

"Oh, interesting," Jaerim heard Barron give a sigh of amazement beside him. He raised his head to see Barron staring on the dance with a smile on his lips. In this dance, it would Barron carrying him around. Seeing their body differences, Jaerim is not the least worried.

Somehow, he is selfishly happy to be partnered by a grim reaper. He doesn't really care that he have to act as a female in order to do that.

He returned his eyes to the dance and asked the grim reaper, "What is interesting?"

"You humans does something refreshing all the time," Barron answered. "A dance that could give you answer - a life living forever or a quick death."

Jaerim could not understand. "What do you mean?"

Barron pointed at the benches. "The moment you fail to properly execute the moments is also the moment of your death. Successfully finishing the dance means leaving a long life. If that is not a play of life and death, then what is?"

The main idea of the dance is to showcase the couple's love to each other. It also held another meaning and that is being together in a long time if they could cross the difficult obstacle or end their relationship if they fell. It is quite a happy and cheerful dance despite the hidden meaning if ever the couple could not finish the dance properly.

"It's like a ritual," Barron shrugged his shoulders. "It might not be a serious one but it could give you two different results. You humans always think the good things, unable to understand what it could have represented."

It's not easy.

Jaerim pondered over the grim reaper's words. What he said is the truth. This dance that looks and sounds joyful could mean happy things but under the condition that they would be able to finish it without any problems. It also have the same concept as tinikling. That dance literally means treading over the traps, not just simply crossing bamboo poles because it is fun.