Kang Jintae closed his eyes for a moment. His heart constricted with pain. The tragedy of their harmonious family began with his son’s suicide. Even now, when he thinks of his son, it feels like flames rise up from inside his stomach. His son committed suicide, but it was practically murder.
It was when his son was in 9th grade. His son, who had been bright when young, became timid and gloomy from one day on. He had been talkative, but his words decreased to the point where there were days he didn’t say a single word. They had looked at each other and laughed, thinking puberty had arrived, but it wasn’t because of puberty. His son was being bullied at school.
In the fall of 9th grade, on the day he had severely scolded his son who was stubbornly refusing to go to school and forced him to attend, his son came back as a cold corpse. He had slit his wrists on the school rooftop. He had cut his hands repeatedly with a box cutter until the bone was visible. In the message he sent to his family before dying, he mentioned Lee Seonghun, saying he couldn’t live anymore because it was too hard.
Only then did the family learn that their son had suffered terrible bullying, and they despaired. The family, who though not wealthy had cherished each other and been extremely harmonious, fell into hell in an instant. They went to the school to confront them, posted online, reported to journalists, tried everything they could, but Lee Seonghun, who had driven their son to death, received no punishment at all. Watching the matter conclude with just a transfer to another school—you can’t imagine how heartbroken they were.
His wife, who was almost in a state of complete insanity, had gone to Lee Seonghun’s house several times. The law actually sided with Lee Seonghun and issued her a restraining order.
The perpetrator lived shamelessly with a smile, while the victim, their son, was dead. The victim’s bereaved family—his family—still lived in pain that hadn’t healed. In pain that would never heal.
Kang Jintae clenched his fist tight. If only he hadn’t scolded his son and forced him to go to school that day. If only he hadn’t dismissed it lightly as just puberty and had a deep conversation with his son. Regret stabbed his lungs as sharply as a blade. He regretted it countless times. Even in his dreams, he blamed himself and suffered.
Tears welled up in Kang Jintae’s eyes.
“I see. I understand. I apologize for the intrusion.”
Eun Seonmyeong bowed deeply toward Kang Jintae, who kept his head down looking only at the ground, then left the woodcraft shop. Then he walked slowly toward the parking lot.
‘So it was revenge after all.’
At first, he’d wondered if the Hyeon Family was operating in the shadows and had taken on a commission, but that wasn’t it. The moment he learned that the man who committed suicide twelve years ago because of Lee Seonghun was a descendant of the Hyeon Family, the first word that came to his mind was revenge. It seemed that, as expected, Kang Sowon had taken revenge for her family.
“I should withdraw.”
He didn’t know how she fed the goljinchung to Lee Seonghun, but if it was revenge, he didn’t want to interfere. No, even if it wasn’t revenge, now that he’d confirmed it was a goljinchung with no reproductive ability, there was no reason to exorcise it. It didn’t matter whether the goljinchung ate Lee Seonghun or not. Rather, it was something to welcome.
That said, he couldn’t let slip this opportunity to bring Chairman Lee to his knees. Eun Seonmyeong wasn’t the type to let an opportunity that came his way slip away meaninglessly. After watching him kneel and beg to be saved, he should just pretend to exorcise it half-heartedly.
***
“He told me to eat meat together, but he just had to leave anyway!”
Ban Hanseong kept cursing Eun Seonmyeong while stuffing pork belly into his mouth until his cheeks were about to burst. Eun Seonmyeong had immediately refused Ban Hanseong’s request that said, ‘Let’s all eat meat together with a camping vibe!’ and dragged Shim Iyul out.
Dictator. Tyrant. Spiteful bastard. What else was there? As expected, cursing the gaju is best when done together with Fox-nim.
Ban Hanseong, who had been sighing, furrowed his brow when he noticed Han Seolju picking at his food.
“Why are you picking at your food when it doesn’t match your build? Eat heartily. Tough like me.”
“You’re not tough, you’re gluttonous.”
“What are you so displeased about that you’re sulking?”
It was unfamiliar to see Han Seolju with a serious face, seemingly thinking about something, which didn’t suit him. At Ban Hanseong’s question, Han Seolju raised his head.
“Hanseong-ah, about the CEO.”
“What about the gaju?”
“Isn’t it a bit strange?”
“What is?”
“The way he was looking at the Fire Fox was a bit…”
Should he say gentle? Should he say heated? Anyway, that was the feeling he got. The conversations they exchanged and their touches also seemed somehow affectionate and full of playfulness. So today’s Eun Seonmyeong looked like a stranger to Han Seolju. He was someone he’d served by his side for 28 years, yet he felt unfamiliar.
“What about his gaze?”
“…Never mind.”
It must be an unnecessary thought. Han Seolju shook his head to shake off the unnecessary thought and picked up plenty of meat with his chopsticks. A third of the meat on the plate disappeared in one go.
“Hey! Eat one piece at a time!”
“Look at my physique. Will my stomach be full eating one piece at a time?”
“Then grill your own food separately!”
“Too bothersome.”
“This… bastard who’s only gentle to the gaju!!”
Ban Hanseong got worked up and protested, but Han Seolju picked up and ate meat with an expression that said ‘Is some dog barking somewhere?’ Of the 4kg of meat he’d bought thinking they’d all eat together with a camping vibe, about 2.5kg disappeared into Han Seolju’s stomach. Ban Hanseong, not wanting to lose, ate combatively too, ending up eating more than his usual amount.
Ban Hanseong, who had overeaten, rubbed his full belly and placed several tangerines on top of the stove.
“Seolju-ya.”
“Why?”
“When the gaju leaves… what will you do?”
Ban Hanseong asked with a rarely serious face. Han Seolju, whose expression instantly hardened, picked up a tangerine that had warmed up nicely on the stove.
“I don’t know.”
It wasn’t that he hadn’t thought about it, he really didn’t know. Han Seolju had been a bongshin of the Eun Family from the moment he was born, and had always lived with a sense of duty to protect Eun Seonmyeong by his side. He couldn’t even imagine himself as anything other than a bongshin of the Eun Family. If Eun Seonmyeong at least had a child, he could live while raising them, but there was no heir. His father was living with the single-minded determination to lift the current gaju Eun Seonmyeong’s curse after the previous gaju passed away, but what should he do?
Han Seolju’s wish was for Eun Seonmyeong to marry and leave an heir even now, but he didn’t seem to have any such intention at all. Because he understood the heart that didn’t want to pass down the curse to another generation, he couldn’t even entreat him.
“When the gaju leaves, you should at least get married. You need to continue the lineage.”
“What lineage?”
The Han family had been bongshin for generations, so like the Eun Family, they had also married early and had children, but since Eun Seonmyeong was unmarried, Han Seolju also had no desire to marry. Since there was no gaju to serve, there was no reason to leave an heir.
“Seolju-ya.”
“Why?”
“Any news from ahjussi?”
The ahjussi Ban Hanseong was referring to was Han Seolju’s father. Han Seolju’s father, Han Myeongsu, had left for China after Eun Seonmyeong became the official gaju. It was because he’d heard that a thousand years ago in China, an imugi became a dragon and ascended to heaven, and wondered if he might be able to obtain information about the yeouiju. Once every few years, when the mood struck him, he would send a message with no sincerity that just said [I’m alive.], and the last contact was four years ago.
“Nothing.”
Han Seolju answered bluntly. Ban Hanseong also picked up a tangerine.
“Our gaju… I wish Seonmyeong-hyung could live a long life. It would be really good if he lived until he was old enough to smear shit on walls. Ah fuck, why is the tangerine so hot?”
“…”
“Seonmyeong-hyung… I wish he’d lose his virginity and live indulgently while having lots of sex.”
Han Seolju sighed.
“You do that kind of thing yourself.”
“No way. I hate sex. Having to press bodies together with someone, just thinking about it is horrifying. But still, anyone watching would think this is a place for ascetic training. All three humans are virgins. Is the energy of this place not good? Seolju-ya, if not the gaju, at least you should live indulge—”
“Just eat your tangerine.”
Han Seolju, who had shoved a tangerine into the mouth of the strange bastard Ban Hanseong who said he hated sex himself but forced it on others, stood up. Ban Hanseong chewed the tangerine saying, “It’s really sweet.”
***
In Samcheong-dong, there were many cafes and many people.
‘Why are there so many people?’
Since there were many people, there were also many eyes watching, and his mood bubbled up like boiling water. Shim Iyul himself, perhaps accustomed to or enjoying the watching eyes, held his head up high.
“Is he a model?”
“He’s totally handsome. Both of them.”
“I prefer the red-haired one. He looks totally sexy. Really sexy.”
“Hey, but the one next to him also has a body…”
The women whispered to each other, and the men also glanced over as if they’d drool. Tsk, clicking his tongue, Eun Seonmyeong stopped walking in front of a truck. It was a place selling accessories, gloves, mufflers, and such.
“What are you buying?”
“Give me that.”
Eun Seonmyeong pushed Shim Iyul’s forehead with his index finger as he rested his chin on his shoulder asking, “You’re buying a muffler?” Then he finished paying and received the muffler. It was a black muffler with no particular features, just long. He wrapped it around and around Shim Iyul’s neck. After wrapping it three times, it covered up to his nose, which looked quite good.
“…What?”
Wrinkles formed on Shim Iyul’s brow.
“Cover up a bit when you go around.”
“It’s stuffy.”
When Shim Iyul pulled down the muffler irritably, Eun Seonmyeong pulled it back up.
“Cover it.”
“Why?!”
“It bothers me that people are staring at you.”
“…”
“Why, what.”
“They’re not only looking at me. There were quite a few eyes looking at you too.”
He’d felt it while walking side by side—if there were ten eyes looking this way, about two or three of them were directed at Eun Seonmyeong. So he’d been slightly annoyed. He didn’t know why, but he didn’t like women blushing while looking at Eun Seonmyeong.
They should look at me, why are they glancing at a mere hunter? I’m several times more handsome and pretty. Of course, the hunter is decent enough for a human.
Shim Iyul glanced at Eun Seonmyeong. Was it because his eyes had gotten used to him, or because of the affection mixed with physical intimacy that had been going back and forth? He does look especially good today.
“You do it too!”
Shim Iyul bought the same one and wrapped it around and around and around Eun Seonmyeong’s neck so only his eyes showed. Then he said, “You look much better with your face covered,” and hummed a tune. The wind was cold, but perhaps because the air was clear, his mood wasn’t bad. It almost felt like being on a date… Shim Iyul abruptly stopped walking and waved his right hand in front of his face.
‘I’m crazy! What feeling? Da… what?’
“What are you doing?”
He waved his hand at Eun Seonmyeong, who was asking in bewilderment, muttering, “Evil spirit, be gone!” Then Eun Seonmyeong furrowed his brow saying, “Who are you treating as an evil spirit?” and flicked Shim Iyul’s forehead with his hand. To dare treat a hunter who catches ghosts as an evil spirit—what a ridiculous fox.
“Violent hunter.”
Shim Iyul rubbed his forehead as if it hurt terribly.
“You’re pretending it hurts when I didn’t use any strength at all.”
In fact, it had been close to just a light touch, so there was no way it could hurt. Eun Seonmyeong brushed away Shim Iyul’s hand as he snorted, saying, “If I say it hurts, it hurts.” Then he gently rubbed Shim Iyul’s forehead with his index finger. He even blew on it lightly.
“Better now?”
“Gi-giving the disease and then the cure?”
It was when Shim Iyul, who had felt his heart surge the moment the breath touched his forehead, deliberately responded more gruffly. Eun Seonmyeong’s phone rang. Shim Iyul turned his back on Eun Seonmyeong, who was checking the caller and answering the phone irritably, and caught his breath for a moment. While doing so, he pressed down on his chest with his palm.
‘Go back in. Don’t come out, hurry up and go back in.’
Wow shit, I thought my heart was going to jump out.
“What? Lee Seonghun that bastard is having a seizure, so what do you want me to do about it? …His arm? I understand.”
When Shim Iyul, who had pushed back in his heart that had almost jumped out, turned around again, he saw Eun Seonmyeong with an unusual expression.
“What’s wrong?”
“That bastard Lee Seonghun seems to have gotten not just his remaining leg eaten, but one arm too.”
“…? Until this morning, his right leg was being eaten?”
To eat up the right leg would take about a week. At minimum, three or four days. But to have one arm eaten in less than a day? It was puzzling.
“I need to go see.”
To know exactly what the situation was, he needed to go and see with his own eyes. What was certain was that unlike this morning, Lee Seonghun didn’t seem to have much time left. At this suddenly accelerated speed, it wouldn’t be strange if he stopped breathing within a few days.
Eun Seonmyeong and Shim Iyul hurried toward the parking lot. He didn’t forget to call Han Seolju either.
“Seolju? Drag that Hanseong bastard and come to Chairman Lee’s house. Even if he doesn’t want to, drag him by force! I’ll send you the address.”
