NTH 85

He had heard from Gu Minho before that forgetting was sometimes a blessing. After organizing his thoughts for a moment, Jeha answered him.

“If one has experienced something heart-wrenchingly sad or extremely cruel, it is better for one’s future life to forget rather than to remember.”

“The judgment of the one who cast the spell on you may have been the same.”

“Are you suggesting that erasing my memories related to Jin was for my own good?”

At Jeha’s question, the Blue-Robed Boy raised the corners of his mouth slightly without answering. At his reaction, which was close to an affirmation, Jeha fell silent for a moment, lost in thought.

In a very old past life that he could not remember, he and Jin form a special bond. Then, Jeha experiences something terrible related to Jin. For the suffering Jeha, someone casts a spell so that only the memories related to Jin are all erased.

“It is a plausible hypothesis, but there are still many unresolved questions.”

As Jeha spoke, the Blue-Robed Boy asked back in an interested tone.

“For instance?”

“In my past lives, Jin always passed away a few decades earlier than I did. But in the next life, we were always born around the same time, or I was even reincarnated first. It was as if Jin was waiting for me.”

“I see.”

“From my own experience, those who are reincarnated cannot recognize each other’s past lives. Even if two people who had a strong connection in a past life are reincarnated and meet again, there is no way for them to know that they are that person from the past life.”

“So?”

“Therefore, it is truly incomprehensible that a spell was cast to erase all my memories of meeting Jin in the seven lives I remember through dreams. Because there is no way for me to know that Soondeok, Makdong, and Tsubame are all in fact the same soul. It’s unlikely that someone with enough spiritual power to cast a spell that lasts for a thousand years would not have known that fact, so why would they act so persistently…”

Unlike him, who was in a state of confusion, the Blue-Robed Boy was listening to Jeha’s words with a relaxed and peaceful demeanor. Jeha glanced at the Blue-Robed Boy’s face and then continued.

“The strangest thing is that those memories, which were so painstakingly deleted, have recently all been revived through dreams. Has the spell’s effect finally worn off?”

The Blue-Robed Boy, who had been staring at Jeha for a long time, suddenly flopped down on his back. To the startled Jeha at his sudden action, the Blue-Robed Boy spoke leisurely.

“Try using more of your imagination. Time, after all, is as abundant as eternity.”

After arriving at Gangnam Station, Jin went to a pay phone first, before getting on his transfer bus. He made a collect call, slowly dialing Jeha’s number one by one, and waited with an anxious heart. But no matter how many times the signal rang, he could not hear Jeha’s longed-for voice.

Jeha would surely keep his cell phone by his side at all times, not knowing when he, who had been captured by Cheon Sagang, might call. Since he wasn’t picking up like this, it seemed he was either very sick or something had happened to him.

If he could, he wanted to contact Chief Jeong right away, but unfortunately, Jin did not have his phone number memorized. It was because he was a person who was always by his side, just a turn of the head away, so there was never a particular need to call him.

After trying to call a couple more times and failing, Jin listlessly placed the receiver back in its cradle. He trudged back to the bus stop. Now, the only thing left to do was to go to Jeha’s house in person.

Taking a second bus and riding for a while, Jin arrived near Jeha’s apartment. The winter sun had set early, and darkness had already settled deep all around. Jin pulled the hood attached to his outerwear down over his head, put his hands in his pockets, and walked quickly down the familiar street.

Jin passed the apartment’s main gate and arrived at the entrance of the building where Jeha lived. It was when he took his hand out of his pocket to enter the password on the panel attached to the entrance.

“You’re still a slow walker.”

At the low, chilling voice coming from behind him, Jin felt all the hairs on his head stand on end. Someone whispered in the ear of the frozen Jin.

“It’s been a while since you left, so why did you only just arrive? I was waiting for so long in the cold.”

Jin started running toward the security office where the apartment security guards were, without even looking back. However, after a short while, a rough hand grabbed him by the scruff of his neck.

“Let go of me!”

Cheon Sagang, who had wrapped his arms around the struggling Jin’s body from behind, spoke in a mocking voice.

“You did a very cute little thing in the basement. Was using your beauty as a trap on a naked body effective?”

“Let go! Let go of me right now! I’m going to scream!”

“Where have you been that you’re so late? I’ve been waiting for a long time, even after coming back from skinning the belly of that Carrot bastard your body touched.”

Jin’s body, which had been struggling to get out of Cheon Sagang’s arms, stiffened like a rock. Jin, doubting his ears, opened his mouth and stammered.

“Y-you’re joking, right? Surely you wouldn’t go that far…”

“If that bastard had even fucked your hole, I was going to cut off his dick altogether, but I heard he passed out pathetically before that could happen. So I went easy on him by cutting out his tongue, searing his lips, and flaying his skin.”

He was saying that he had torn off every part of his body that had come into contact with Jin. Jin pushed Cheon Sagang away with all his might. Jin’s eyes, glaring straight at him, were bloodshot.

“You’re a devil. How can a person do something like that unless they’re insane?”

“A devil. Not bad, but I can’t be called a devil for something as minor as that.”

“Don’t make me laugh, you crazy bastard! You’re a lunatic! A psycho!”

“Don’t get too excited already. I’m saving the most spectacular event I can perform for Kwon Jeha.”

“What did you say…?”

Seeing Jin, whose pale face was drained of color and whose eyes were wide as if they would pop out, Cheon Sagang smirked and cracked his neck from side to side.

“That professor bastard had his disgusting smell smeared all over every corner of your body.”

“…Don’t touch Jeha.”

“The stench of that bastard vibrated from deep inside your ass, it felt like my nose was going to rot.”

“If you lay even a single finger on Jeha, I’ll shove a knife down your throat.”

Watching Jin, who was clenching his fists and glaring at him, Cheon Sagang let out a dry breath with a cold face.

“If you want to keep that professor bastard breathing, follow me quietly.”

“No.”

“No matter when I see you, you’re always stupid and shortsighted. Did you think you could avoid me by running away? I’m asking if you thought that bastard would be cooped up at home waiting for you.”

“What are you talking about? Are you saying Jeha’s not home? How do you know that!”

“It seems you’ve already forgotten what that bastard looked like when I took you.”

Remembering the last image of Jeha being surrounded and beaten by the gangsters, Jin bit his lip hard. Cheon Sagang, with a pathetic expression, let out a lukewarm breath.

“Kwon Jeha has been imprisoned ever since then. My associates are watching him. To add kindly, I’m saying that because of one of your rash actions right now, that guy’s fingers could be cut off one by one.”

“Son of a bitch…”

“I’m done talking. Go ahead and act as you please. If you want to go in there, you can do that.”

He pointed with his chin at the apartment’s communal entrance that Jin had been trying to enter. Overcome with misery, Jin’s shoulders drooped, and he muttered helplessly.

“Let Jeha go.”

Tears streamed down from his downcast eyes. Jin continued with difficulty.

“…I’ll do anything, whatever you tell me to.”

Jeha sat blankly for a while beside the Blue-Robed Boy, who was sleeping soundly, even snoring slightly. He had no way of knowing at what speed time in the outside world was passing.

The thought that Jin might be suffering terrible humiliation at the hands of Cheon Sagang while he was trapped in the Giant-Mouthed Spirit’s body, unable to do anything, made his heart burn from deep within.

Jeha could vaguely guess the reason why the Blue-Robed Boy, who probably already had all the answers, was mischievously dragging his feet.

For him, it would be difficult to meet a human who was not afraid of this huge and bizarre spirit and walked deep into its body even once in a few hundred years. So, instead of giving a clear answer and sending him out quickly, he would want to keep him for as long as possible and enjoy the conversation.

He understood. However, Jeha’s situation was not leisurely enough to play along with him forever. He paced around the vast interior of the Giant-Mouthed Spirit’s mouth, waiting for the Blue-Robed Boy to wake up.

How much time had passed? Finally, when the Blue-Robed Boy rubbed his eyes and sat up, Jeha quickly closed the distance between them.

“Please show me the past life that I do not remember.”

“Are you referring to the time when you, my lord, were a third-class soul?”

“Whether it’s third-class or second-class, I want to see the past life where I first met Jin. I have a feeling that all the clues to solving my and Jin’s problems will be there.”

“How can a mere human attempt to see the events of a life from a thousand years ago?”

“Is it impossible, then?”

The Blue-Robed Boy, who had been carefully observing Jeha’s face full of worry and anxiety, shrugged his shoulders.

“It is not impossible. One just has to go back in time to see it.”

“What must I do for that?”

“There is nothing for you to do. A human cannot do such a thing, so you just have to follow my lead quietly.”

“In that case, are you willing to help me, my Lord Boy?”

“No. Why would I.”

The Blue-Robed Boy yawned nonchalantly, with a genuinely uninterested expression. Barely suppressing the urge to bring his fist down on the top of his head, Jeha pleaded in an earnest tone.

“Please, I beg you. If you want something in return, I will do anything.”

“Hmm. Anything?”

“That is correct. Anything that I can do.”

A strange look passed over the Blue-Robed Boy’s face. Jeha was inwardly flustered to see the Blue-Robed Boy with an expression full of greed and ambition, something he had never shown since Jeha had met him.

“Actually, there is something I have wished for for a very long time.”

At the Blue-Robed Boy’s words, Jeha looked at him with clear eyes.

“Please tell me.”

“If you grant it for me, not only will I show you your past life, but I will also tell you how to extinguish the parasitic soul.”

“May I dare to ask what it is that you wish for?”

“What if you get scared after hearing it and take back your promise? I am hesitant to say it so readily.”

“As long as it does not involve Jin’s life or well-being as collateral, I will do anything.”

“If you do not keep a promise made with a spirit, you may be afflicted by a fearsome curse. Are you prepared for that?”

There was no other way. The Blue-Robed Boy was the last rope Jeha could cling to. Jeha nodded his head without hesitation.

“I am.”

“Very well. Then lie down here.”

Jeha lay down straight on his back on the floor. The Blue-Robed Boy placed three large incense candles at Jeha’s head and lit them one by one.

“Close your eyes and breathe comfortably. When you feel the scent, inhale it naturally.”

A unique smell, like the scent of incense from a temple and also like the fragrance of flowers, flowed into Jeha’s body with his breath. The Blue-Robed Boy spoke in a languid voice.

“I have placed three candles at your head. They symbolize the times when you were a first-class, second-class, and third-class soul, respectively. I will now forcibly extinguish the candles one by one, starting from the first-class one. Each time a candle is extinguished, you will go back one step to the time when you were a lower-class soul.”

“Yes.”

“And after you have seen all the scenes you wanted, I will light the candles again one by one. When all three are lit, you will return to your current life. Do you understand?”

“Yes. But how can I let you know that I am finished with my business, my Lord Boy?”

“The candles will tell me. Before the wick of the third-class soul’s candle burns out completely, the candle of the second-class soul must be lit again. If that does not happen and all three are extinguished, your soul will be trapped in the cracks of time and will be unable to come or go forever.”

He was saying that if the wick of the third-class soul’s candle burned out completely while the Blue-Robed Boy’s eyes were turned away, Jeha would never be able to return to his present life. As if sensing the chill that ran down Jeha’s spine, the Blue-Robed Boy spoke in a voice mixed with laughter.

“You don’t have to worry about the candles at all. Since you promised to grant my long-held wish, I will make sure you return to your present life, if only for the reward.”

“I will trust you and go.”

“I hope you find the answers you are looking for. Now, let us begin.”