SATURDAY 94

Jealous? Me? Of that thing?

Nonsense…. Not once in my life have I ever felt that way. There was no need to. I simply hated seeing Yoon Inyoung wearing clothes that didn’t suit his station.

So much so that I wanted to make him commit suicide.

The vision of the ritual house flickering before my eyes was now nothing but a skeleton, completely burnt down. Wooden pillars, turned into glowing charcoal by the flames, were slowly collapsing. Yoon Inha gasped. It was because the doll was lying exactly where that pillar fell.

Lee Taeseon tilted his head.

“Shouldn’t it be all burnt up by now? Why hasn’t he come back?”

“Maybe it hasn’t finished burning… or Shin Myeonghwa has something else.”

“Still?”

Song Sihyeon nodded. Yoon Inha barely managed to lift his throbbing, dizzy head to glare at Lee Taeseon.

“…Let’s go home for now. We don’t know when this will end.”

“What about the hospital?”

“I’ve got people stationed there.”

He had clearly said “provincial hospital” earlier. I didn’t know which provincial hospital in which region, but it was likely near Mount Jiri. Not even a specialized burn center, but a rural provincial hospital that was bound to be outdated. In that moment, a premonition hit me that Jang Sehyeon would die there.

Lee Taeseon stood up and, pretending to support him, grabbed Yoon Inha and pulled him up before leaving the lounge. The staff member standing at the lounge entrance bowed deeply and then cleared the information sign from behind.

Soon, Song Sihyeon followed as well. Walking toward the parking lot, they exchanged light, pointless jokes that didn’t suit the situation. Yoon Inha thought to himself. If I were to scream right now and shout for help….

“Ah, don’t even think about screaming. Everyone stationed in this lobby belongs to our side anyway. No one will believe a word you say. Unlike that time.”

That time. Hearing those words, Yoon Inha suddenly remembered. It was the moment the accident happened. The moment he had said, “I’m Yoon Inyoung.”

There were definitely more than just employees in this lobby. Even if they had bribed the staff, ordinary guests would have listened to him.

Because he was Yoon Inha. How many people in the world wouldn’t know Yoon Inha? If things went well….

“Ack…!”

Yoon Inha let out a small scream in spite of himself at the sudden crushing grip on his arm. Lee Taeseon said with a nonchalant face.

“Shut up if you don’t want to be carried out on my back, Yoon Inha. Understand?”

A voice that seemed kind at a glance, but was filled with hatred and coldness. For the first time in a while, Yoon Inha felt a chill run down his spine. The pheromones subtly emitted by the two Alphas and the atmosphere of someone who had clearly harmed others before were enough to make Yoon Inha defensive.

“Doing this will only leave scars on Yoon Inyoung’s body.”

“I’m controlling it well so it won’t bruise.”

Lee Taeseon spoke with a smile. This was “controlling it”? Yoon Inyoung had delicate skin that bruised even if just tapped with the back of a hand.

“Hitting people without leaving a trace is my specialty.”

“What kind of….”

“I don’t want to hear you speak with Inyoung’s voice anymore. So shut up and follow me.”

“….”

I don’t know why I am obediently listening to Lee Taeseon’s words. But my body moved that way. Perhaps it was because of Yoon Inyoung. Maybe the Yoon Inyoung who had sunk deep into the subconscious was interfering.

In that manner, the three of them came out to the lobby. Lee Taeseon’s car and Song Sihyeon’s car, which had already been brought up from the underground parking lot, were waiting in front of the main entrance.

No chauffeur was in sight; instead, hotel staff came to open the doors. Song Sihyeon waved her hand lightly and said.

“Take care. I’ll be in touch.”

Lee Taeseon nodded and got into the driver’s seat. That was the only moment I was released from Lee Taeseon’s hands, but Yoon Inha could not run away. It was the first time I had ever felt like such a weakling.

It offended Yoon Inha’s mood greatly. Pushed into the passenger seat by Lee Taeseon, Yoon Inha trembled violently. The car started, and the warning chime for an unbuckled seatbelt rang quietly inside.

As they exited the hotel grounds, Lee Taeseon warned in a bored voice.

“Buckle up. It’s noisy.”

“….”

I glared at him without a word, but Lee Taeseon did not react. As the warning chime grew louder, he glanced toward Yoon Inha through the rearview mirror and followed up with just one sentence.

“Well, do as you like. I’m curious what will happen if I crash right into that over there.”

“…!”

Yoon Inha showed agitation for the first time upon seeing the tree Lee Taeseon pointed to with a gesture. The mention of crashing the car touched Yoon Inha’s trauma.

He had died in a horrific state in a head-on collision with an oncoming car. It felt as if he could hear the sound of rain.

Yoon Inha began to tremble while biting his fingernails, then pulled the seatbelt and buckled it as if possessed. Lee Taeseon let out a low sneer upon seeing that.

Not long after, they arrived at the house. Yoon Inha was still trembling violently, and Lee Taeseon had no mercy to offer a helping hand to such a person. Lee Taeseon turned off the engine, got out, and tapped on the passenger window.

“Heave…. Heave….”

When Yoon Inha lifted his head and looked at him, Lee Taeseon spoke loud enough to be heard inside the car.

“Get out, I have to lock the car doors.”

Having become helplessly obedient, Yoon Inha stepped out of the car. Lee Taeseon walked ahead, leaving him alone. Looking at that cold back, Yoon Inha felt his heart sink for a moment, and soon realized that it was Yoon Inyoung’s feeling. Seeing Lee Taeseon treat him so coldly, he had recalled the time when he had treated me—the real me, Yoon Inha—previously.

The trembling vanished and a smile formed on his lips.

“It seems Inyoung is in a bad mood.”

At those words, Lee Taeseon, who was walking ahead, glanced back.

“He’s anxious, fidgety, scared…. He’s absolutely terrified. I think it’s because of you, Mr. Taeseon.”

My heart pounded loudly. My head began to feel dizzy. Yoon Inyoung was struggling to take over the body. To translate it, it was something like “Don’t say useless things to Mr. Taeseon.”

Feeling his physical condition worsen, Yoon Inha giggled as he walked behind Lee Taeseon. The two of them went straight into the house. As soon as they entered the living room, Lee Taeseon flopped down on the sofa. Then, he looked at Yoon Inha with an expressionless face that seemed devoid of any emotion.

“You’ll be disappearing soon anyway.”

“On what basis do you say that? Because of what happened today? Hmm…. Even though that doll burned completely, I’m still remaining here just fine. Though Yoon Inyoung is trying his best to come out from the inside.”

“That doll wouldn’t be the only thing Shin Myeonghwa prepared. Right…. I’m glad it wasn’t Shin Myeonghwa who died.”

“Murderer.”

“Look who’s talking. Well, don’t you have ill feelings toward Jang Sehyeon and Shin Myeonghwa yourself?”

The moment Yoon Inha tried to reply, his head spun. And the surrounding sounds gradually grew distant as if he had fallen underwater. The owner of the body was….

“A fire… in the Mount Jiri ritual house?”

As I was about to sit on the bed after washing up, I asked in surprise at Mr. Taeseon’s words. If it was the Mount Jiri ritual house, it was a place the Shaman visited quite often for prayers or rituals, almost like a second home. To think a fire broke out there. Furthermore….

“Jang Sehyeon is critically injured. It will likely be difficult for him to recover. He suffered third-degree burns over 70% of his body.”

“The Professor….”

It was such sudden news that I didn’t know how to react. When I returned after having my body taken by Inha—as had happened several times before—I was told the Mount Jiri ritual house was completely destroyed and the Professor was in critical condition, near death.

Mr. Taeseon had only engaged in pleasant conversation while I was washing, and only after my hair was completely dry did he say this.

“He won’t last long. It’ll probably be three months at most. He’ll die in hellish pain.”

“….”

“Are you sad that Jang Sehyeon ended up like that?”

I blinked. Setting aside emotions like sadness, I was simply stunned and felt strange. Even if I had cut all ties with the Professor and learned all the wrongs he committed against me, this was a different matter.

For such a thing to happen to the Professor so suddenly.

Suddenly…?

I gazed at Mr. Taeseon fixedly. It was strange for a fire to break out so suddenly, especially when the Professor was rarely at the ritual house. It was too convenient to be a mere coincidence.

Receiving my gaze, Mr. Taeseon smiled quietly.

“Do you want to hear the details?”

I tightly shut my mouth, which had been hanging open involuntarily. Those words… were practically an admission. That Mr. Taeseon was behind the fire incident. That Mr. Taeseon had intentionally tried to harm the Shaman and the Professor.

“Other….”

“Hmm?”

“Other people might have been hurt, that’s a bit….”

“Don’t worry. There was a way for everything.”

“….”

Mr. Taeseon lightly touched my hair and then stepped back to stand in front of the dressing room.

“I’ll be out for a bit. Go to sleep. I’ll be back in the morning.”

If he was going out at this hour, he was undoubtedly going to the hospital where the Professor was. At Mr. Taeseon’s words, I shook my head without realizing it.

“No.”

“Hmm?”

“I want to, go along too.”