SATURDAY 96

Me? No, I wasn’t that shocked. I was merely confused. However, Mr. Taeseon looked at me with a flustered expression.

“….”

“I… I’m okay.”

At that same moment, the Shaman burst into laughter.

“Director Lee, I don’t know why a man who calls himself a businessman is being so foolish. You shouldn’t reveal your weaknesses so blatantly. Hmm?”

For some reason, I didn’t feel very good. I tugged at Mr. Taeseon’s sleeve to calm him down and spoke toward the Shaman.

“Mr. Taeseon won’t be shaken by something like that….”

The Shaman’s eyes were indescribably cold. Even when she scolded me most severely, I had never seen such a look in her eyes. I felt intimidated, but I endured it.

“I won’t be victimized like a fool anymore either.”

It took considerable courage to say these words. I still hadn’t completely escaped the Shaman’s influence. However, after listening quietly to my words, the Shaman gave a snort and soon laughed out loud.

“Ha… Inyoung. Our Inyoung. Just because a person resolves not to be victimized, does that make it come true? Ah, I suppose you wouldn’t know, since you’ve never even had such a thought.”

The Shaman took a step toward me. Mr. Taeseon extended his arm in front of me as if to protect me. The Shaman was tall and had a certain amount of bulk, but it wasn’t as if Mr. Taeseon couldn’t stop her if she tried anything foolish.

“Inyoung, humans are powerless in the face of sudden accidents. Do you think that just because you don’t listen to me, you can avoid the disasters that will befall you?”

“I am….”

“Even if it’s not you, I’m talking about the misfortune that will visit those around you. The Shaman told you, didn’t she? That you are a ghost. A particularly spiteful and venomous evil spirit at that.”

“Shin Myeonghwa.”

Unable to watch any longer, Mr. Taeseon cut in. Thanks to him, I was able to suppress my trembling and open my mouth.

“…I won’t be fooled by the Shaman’s words anymore.”

“Fooled or not, this is the truth; what can you possibly do? Fate is fate because it cannot be defied. Meeting Director Lee was also your fate, so can you still ignore my words?”

The word “fate” suddenly rested on my shoulders like a massive boulder.

It would be a lie to say my heart didn’t waver for a moment. I grew up watching everything happen exactly as the Shaman said.

But… the countless accidents, bad luck, and misfortunes that occurred in my household. All of it was actually something someone had caused intentionally.

Behind those events that drove me into utter misery were two people who coveted our family’s wealth.

Now, I knew that fact.

“I can ignore them.”

“…What?”

The Shaman’s eyes sharpened as if this were an unexpected reaction.

“I already know everything—that the Shaman and the Professor are fraudsters.”

“What did you just say?”

“Fraudsters. It’s a fraud you’ve been staging since the moment I was born. I am….”

“….”

“I am not an evil spirit. I am a human being.”

The Shaman made a dumbfounded expression and then even began to laugh out loud. The high-pitched laughter rang out sharply in the quiet lounge. It sounded just like the bells the Shaman used to summon ghosts.

“Being honest was your one virtue, but I guess that’s gone now. Where you learned to act like this… is obvious.”

The Shaman paused and looked at Mr. Taeseon. Mr. Taeseon spoke.

“If Inyoung is lying, his teacher would naturally be you. Though Inyoung doesn’t lie to begin with.”

“Then, is what he’s saying now just nonsense?”

Mr. Taeseon tilted his head slightly as if to say, what nonsense? His piercing gaze remained fixed on the Shaman. If I were the target of such a gaze, I felt like I would collapse on the spot, but the Shaman remained composed.

Mr. Taeseon continued.

“Why don’t you go change your clothes? And get some treatment if you’re hurt. I’ve finished the arrangements so that even you can receive treatment.”

Perhaps reminded of the accident that happened today by his words, the Shaman let out a long breath as if trying to calm down.

“A person almost died because of you. If things had gone wrong, and if I hadn’t made it out in time….”

“Ah….”

At the Shaman’s words, Mr. Taeseon rested his hand on his chin and laughed quietly.

“Why do you think I would be shaken by those words? I’m currently in a bad mood because things aren’t going according to plan.”

At those words, not only I but even the Shaman flinched. The expression on Mr. Taeseon’s face as he spoke was indescribably chilly despite his smile, and the content was….

It sounded as if he had originally planned something even more terrifying.

“You… you fellow who will receive divine punishment.”

The Shaman, who had been pretending to be composed and smiling until a moment ago, muttered lowly while trembling violently. I had seen the Shaman for over twenty years, but I had never seen her like this. In addition to being genuinely angry, a faint trace of fear was visible.

Just then, a nurse’s voice calling “General Manager” was heard from a distance. Mr. Taeseon relaxed his expression and looked at me with a much softer face, wrapping his arm around my shoulder.

“Why has your body become so cold all of a sudden?”

“…It’s a bit cold, and….”

I intentionally didn’t say I was nervous. Mr. Taeseon seemed to notice, but without a word, he kept his arm around me and headed toward where the nurse was standing.

As he did, we passed to the left of the Shaman, and in that moment, Mr. Taeseon leaned down and whispered something to the Shaman in a voice so low I couldn’t hear it.

I couldn’t hear the content of the words, but the sound of the Shaman gasping for air reached my ears clearly. I looked back slightly. There stood the Shaman, still looking like a mess, standing still with her shoulders shaking.

Then, when I looked back once more as we almost reached the nurse, I locked eyes with the Shaman, who was turning her head.

A chill ran down my spine. Her wide-open eyes gleamed with an eerie light and were filled with violent emotions. It’s a bit much to say this, but… I felt like a murderer might have eyes like that the moment they decided to kill.

The targets she wanted to kill were likely me and Mr. Taeseon.

The Shaman was watching us with eyes that were that terrifying.

I could feel her gaze on the back of my head, but I didn’t have the courage to look back again. Mr. Taeseon must have noticed as well, but he didn’t even flinch. Thanks to him being so unshaken, I was able to calm down too.

“You can come this way.”

Following the nurse’s guidance, we entered a hospital room located at the very end of the hallway. I could see an IV stand at the foot of the curtained bed and a life support system on the other side.

The mechanical sound, beep-beeping regularly with the heartbeat, was on the faster side. A doctor came out from behind the curtain and pulled the fabric open with a swish.

Beyond that, the moment I saw what was on the bed, I covered my mouth with one hand and grabbed Mr. Taeseon’s cuff with the other. I was that shocked.

On the bed was a person in a wretched state, wrapped in bandages from head to toe. There was no way to tell if they were female or male, or even how old they were.

The only parts exposed were the area below the nose wearing an oxygen mask, swollen lips, the back of the left hand, below the left knee and foot, and the right foot. They seemed to be unconscious.

Unable to believe it, I asked Mr. Taeseon again.

“Is this… really the Professor?”

Mr. Taeseon looked at me silently. It was a sign of affirmation. My lips quivered involuntarily. I had many things I wanted to ask Mr. Taeseon, but I couldn’t speak because I was conscious of the gazes of the doctor and nurses.

However, Mr. Taeseon answered nonchalantly as if he had read my mind.

“If he hadn’t crawled all the way to Mount Jiri to perform that ritual, an accident like this wouldn’t have happened.”

Mr. Taeseon emphasized the word “accident.” It sounded like he was saying, “That’s right, I did this intentionally.” But he clearly said it—that if the Professor hadn’t gone to the ritual house for the ritual, this wouldn’t have happened to him.

I stared blankly at the Professor and then asked Mr. Taeseon.

“The Professor… what happens to him now?”

“I wonder. Doctor?”

“Yes, General Manager.”

“How much longer do you think he will live?”

The relatively young doctor rolled his eyes nervously before answering. Everything the doctor said brushed past my ears for a moment and then shattered. It was difficult to accept.

No matter how much I had come to hate the Professor, I truly didn’t want him to end up like this.

What percentage of the skin was lost, how the heat had reached the internal organs, and it was uncertain how much reconstruction would even be possible with skin graft surgery. Those were the details I fumbled through, as if reciting the words I heard from the doctor.

“Skin graft surgery, I see….”

Mr. Taeseon narrowed his eyes and spoke while fixing his gaze on the unconscious Professor.

“I don’t think that will be necessary.”

“Pardon? But still….”

“You just need to provide burn treatment as he is. I’ve already discussed everything with the hospital director.”

“Yes…. Then, we will proceed with the treatment in that direction. And only I and two nurses will be entering and exiting this room.”

It meant the silencing was also complete. I tugged lightly on Mr. Taeseon’s sleeve to make him look at me and asked.

“Why aren’t you doing the skin graft surgery?”

“Well.”

Mr. Taeseon smiled faintly and looked at the Professor.

“It’s because I’m afraid he might actually survive.”