SATURDAY 68

“Child, Inyoung-ah. Look…. Look at what has happened now because you denied your true essence.”

“….”

“The family has been torn to shreds, and your fiancé, who seemed to have finally escaped fate, is now in a situation like a flickering candle in the wind. You, do you really think all of these things are just coincidences?”

Was it a coincidence? My parents are hovering between life and death due to an accident, and Mr. Taeseon suddenly lost contact in a country with poor public safety.

“In the beginning, I thought. Your fiancé, CEO Lee. I thought his spirit was strong enough to suppress your sinister energy. But because you killed Inha, your karma has grown. Because of that, even CEO Lee has finally been swept up in your wretched destiny.”

“…I, I didn’t kill Inha.”

“It’s the same as if you had killed him!”

Shaman shouted out.

“If you didn’t kill him, then what do you call it—that poor child! Inyoung-ah, it seems you’ve forgotten? You’ve shamelessly forgotten. In the first place, the fact that Inha died like that was because you were born by stealing Inha’s golden destiny; how can you say with that mouth that you didn’t kill him!”

“….”

My whole body began to tremble. I had forgotten for a moment. My identity, the reason I was able to be born, what I had done to Inha….

“How shameless, how shameless. Where in the world is there a person who has lived as luckily as you. For a mere spiteful ghost who couldn’t even become a proper spirit to steal a human form and be born, and then live in luxury in a good house—instead of repaying the favor, you’ve brought the family to this state!”

“Inyoung-ah.”

This time, the Professor spoke. As I slowly looked toward the Professor while shivering, he spoke with a gentle, smiling face.

“Actually, at first, I didn’t believe what Shaman said.”

“….”

“I thought it was just common child abuse. But… gradually, I couldn’t help but believe. There was something that couldn’t be explained by science. Especially regarding the misfortune you bring.”

I stared blankly at the Professor.

“You don’t know, do you? How much misfortune you’ve brought until now, and how Shaman blocked it. But this time, because Inha died and Shaman was busy calling for Inha’s soul, the exorcism was neglected.”

“….”

“This is the result.”

The image of my parents seen through the intensive care unit window flashed through my mind. And Inha’s appearance at the time of the accident.

Our home was, on the surface, a fairly harmonious family. But now, one of them is dead, and two are on the boundary between life and death. Because of me. Because of me, the one who brings misfortune.

Even… Mr. Taeseon….

“Wha, what… should I do….”

“First, we must perform an exorcism ritual.”

“Yes….”

“There should be some assets inherited in Inha’s name. Convert some of that into cash and bring it. As I always tell your parents, the ritual fee is not received by me, but by the gods. Do you understand?”

“I, I understand.”

Immediately, I thought of the assets Inha had inherited. There were many things kept from me, but if I searched through a lawyer, a significant fortune would come up. Among the ones I knew was a building in Cheongdam-dong. If I sold that building, it would be enough to satisfy Shaman to some extent….

The ritual fees were originally paid by Mom and Dad. But since they were in that state, I had to do something.

“…It seems someone is coming, Shaman.”

At the Professor’s words, Shaman whipped her head around. I hadn’t perceived it until then, but truly, the sound of thump, thump, fast and heavy footsteps, was echoing from the hallway.

But such things weren’t important to me right now.

“Shaman…. Wha, what about Mr. Taeseon? If I do the exorcism ritual, will Mr. Taeseon be okay too?”

“Tsk, tsk, even in this situation, you don’t think of the family you ruined and have no one but Lee Taeseon on your mind. Is there another child as ungrateful as you in this world.”

“I’m, I’m sorr—”

I tried to apologize without realizing it, but suddenly a thunderous noise rang out. I let out a small shriek and curled inward before slowly lifting my head.

It was the sound of a door being smashed.

And the person who had broken through the door walked in with strides as fast as a run, grabbed the Professor by the collar, and slammed a fist straight into his face.

“Professor…!”

Because that person stepped on the table to get onto the sofa, the teacups fell and shattered into pieces. I fumbled around in confusion from the opposite side, and a terrifyingly vivid thwack, thwack sound echoed in the office. Even though it was hidden by the man’s back, blood splattered from the Professor’s face every time a fist landed.

“Wa, wait a moment, wa, wait, ah, uh….”

I tried to approach from behind to stop the man, but I stopped right there. I was so shocked that words wouldn’t even come out properly.

“Mr. Taeseon…?”

Mr. Taeseon, momentarily pausing, straightened his body while still holding the Professor’s collar and looked back at me. The Professor was slumped over, appearing to have already fainted. My head felt dizzy.

“Inyoung-ah, go outside. Mr. Chaein will be there when you go out to the hallway.”

“What do you mean… what happened? How is Mr. Taeseon here, no, ah….”

With a ringing in my ears, my head spun, and a headache attacked me. As I staggered, Mr. Taeseon threw the Professor onto the sofa as if discarding him and approached me. The Professor didn’t move. He seemed unconscious.

“I was, worrie—”

I tried to speak, but the voice sounded like it was buzzing, as if it weren’t my own. My throat suddenly constricted, and strength drained from my entire body as if my tension had snapped in an instant.

“Inyoung-ah!”

The last thing I remember is Mr. Taeseon and my uncle calling me simultaneously.

∞ ∞ ∞

I regained consciousness as if waking from a dream. When I opened my eyes, I saw a white ceiling, and Mr. Taeseon’s head suddenly popped into my field of vision. He quietly watched my faintly opened eyes, felt my forehead, and then pressed the nurse call button.

Before long, nurses and a doctor swarmed into the hospital room.

“Mr. Yoon Inyoung, are you conscious?”

“….”

Instead, I looked at Mr. Taeseon in surprise. Mr. Taeseon simply nodded slightly. My uncle, who had approached from somewhere, was also watching me.

The doctor asked me various questions. But strangely, every question was directed toward the ‘deceased’ Yoon Inyoung.

“The patient’s consciousness is clear. Now we just have to wait for recovery.”

“Yes, thank you.”

Mr. Taeseon and my uncle exchanged brief greetings with the medical staff, and they checked my IV once before leaving the room.

“Inyoung-ah, are you awake?”

“Yeah…. Ah, no, what happe—”

“You’ve done nothing but sleep for three days, you.”

I tried to make a sound like ‘What?’, but my throat was locked, so my voice didn’t come out properly. Mr. Taeseon noticed immediately and brought lukewarm water, supporting my body and feeding it to me little by little.

“Th, three days? Three days?”

“You opened your eyes briefly, but you don’t remember, do you?”

I nodded at Mr. Taeseon’s question. To think I slept for three days, and apparently opened my eyes in between, yet I remember nothing.

“Ah, th, then, the doctor and nurse addressed me as….”

“This hospital has handled everything like that for now. There won’t be anyone here calling you Yoon Inha.”

“How is that possible?”

The question burst out of me involuntarily. It was a pure inquiry. Mr. Taeseon and my uncle shared a bitter smile.

“It’s a hospital. That’s how it should be. Inhyun University Hospital was the one that was strange. Because Jang Sehyeon was there.”

“….”

I still tilted my head in confusion as it didn’t immediately make sense, but Mr. Taeseon simply laid me back down. As our bodies drew closer, I felt Mr. Taeseon’s familiar pheromones. He was dressed in an impeccable suit, and there was a faint scent of perfume. He looked exactly as he did when he left Korea.

Maybe….

Maybe he’s a ghost. I reached out my hand and touched Mr. Taeseon’s cheek. It was warm.

“Why, you can even pinch me.”

Mr. Taeseon said that with a playful smile. Only then did a sigh of relief escape me. Mr. Taeseon is alive. He returned without anything happening. Come to think of it, I think I lost consciousness after feeling my tension snap with that very thought before I fainted.

“What happe—”

“It’s a bit of a long story. For now, it’s better for you, Inyoung, to sleep more. Your face is a mess. Your eyes are dazed, too.”

“That’s right, sleep a little more. Both the General Manager and I will be here until you wake up.”

He spoke with a worried face, and my uncle stepped in to help.

“….”

I wanted to whine and say ‘I don’t want to, I still have so many questions,’ but a sleepiness I couldn’t possibly resist washed over me.

As if someone had forcibly turned off the sleep-related switch in my brain, I fell back asleep. The last thing I felt was Mr. Taeseon pulling the blanket up to cover my neck.

The story I heard after sleeping for a long time and waking up was truly astonishing.