“Anyway, you’re going to live here. Only go to that house when you’re sulking at me later or when you have something to think about alone.”
“Then wouldn’t there be no need for it to be that nice…?”
“Seodam’s making a fuss saying he’s going to make a good house after a long time. If you don’t like it, stop Seodam.”
How could I stop someone who’s already gone? Besides, it meant that in order to receive that house, I would eventually have to resolve the matter with Aunt. My head became complicated in a different sense….
“Sol.”
“Yes?”
“Can we clean up your current house?”
“My current house… ah, the studio apartment?”
“Right.”
Mm, the studio apartment. I had no attachment to that place anyway. Should I clean it up as he said? It’s a waste to keep paying monthly rent anyway… if I’m going to keep staying here, it would be right to clean it up. This place is too warm to refuse. Above all, I hated the thought of becoming alone again terribly. I nodded toward him who was asking carefully, unlike other matters.
“Things you absolutely must bring?”
“Clothes or laptop… I should bring everything.”
“No, things you absolutely can’t do without, precious things that money can’t buy.”
“…Family photos and a USB with my mom’s recipes written on it, that’s about it….”
“Okay, I won’t stop you from using other things again, but… everything in that house has been cursed.”
Then I have no choice but to throw everything away…. Perhaps seeing me with serious eyes, Bihyeon carefully stroked my head as if telling me not to worry.
“I’ll purify those two things for you.”
“Please do. That’s the only family photo left….”
The recipe was something I’d already seen so much that I could recite it with my eyes closed, but it was too precious to throw away. If you ask why I chose this path that costs a lot of money, it was because I wanted to continue the work my mom loved, that path.
I don’t remember well since I was very young, but my mom definitely ran a small dessert cafe. Because of a sudden accident, I still don’t know where that cafe is or what happened to it. I only heard that Aunt took care of everything. So shouldn’t I at least protect that? The valuable and precious recipe that enabled me to go to that cafe.
“Yes, I promise I’ll definitely bring those two things to you.”
Bihyeon held out his pinky finger to me. When we hooked both hands tightly, my heart became a little more at ease.
“Since we’re talking about it, what do you want to do about school?”
“School is….”
I thought what school could I be greedy for in this situation… but he definitely said he’d let me do what I wanted to do. So I decided not to refuse unnecessarily and speak honestly.
“I want to attend. I want to keep learning….”
And I thought of that friend who kept talking to me consistently.
“There’s a friend whose connection I don’t want to lose.”
“Do that.”
Bihyeon, who had been looking elsewhere going “hmm,” laughed softly.
“As expected, human connections also go round and round again….”
“Do you know who that friend is?”
When I asked with puzzled eyes, Bihyeon looked at me with a still-smiling face. His eyes that shone complexly yet affectionately looked truly mysterious. After thinking about something, he slowly raised his hand and placed it on top of my heart.
“You’ll know when you see. You’ll now be able to see things that aren’t human too.”
“…Will I see ghosts?”
No way… really…? When I spoke while firmly pressing down the feeling of disbelief, no, the feeling of not wanting to believe, Bihyeon smiled brightly without saying anything. When I shook my head trying to deny reality, he still had that refreshing smile.
“There won’t be any beings that would dare approach you though.”
“Either way, it means I’ll see them, right…?”
“I can’t make you not see them. That’s my power, after all.”
“Mmm… then I’ll just overcome it.”
After pondering for a while, I eventually looked at Bihyeon with determined eyes. It’s the Cintamani he gave me after even tearing his heart to save me. Moreover, with the Golden Dragon and Creator God behind me, what would there be to fear? …Actually, I’m scared to death. It means scary-looking things like you’d see in movies will be going back and forth in front of my eyes.
“By any chance, can I physically hit ghosts…?”
“You can hit them, but they’ll be more scared of you.”
He smiled with playful eyes and pointed at my heart. I can hit them? Then even if something foolishly charges at me not knowing Bihyeon-nim is scary, there’d be nothing to fear. When I clenched my fist tightly and raised my eyes with determination, Bihyeon smiled brightly without saying anything while looking at me with slightly chilling eyes.
“…I don’t really mean I’ll actually hit them.”
“Hitting isn’t the problem. The problem is you stepping forward with your fists raised to dangerous things.”
Honestly, I was really going to hit them…. I slightly avoided his gaze and lay down on the blanket. I was getting sleepy because of the medicine too. When I lay down, Bihyeon covered me with the blanket without complaint and turned his head to look toward the door.
“Bihyeon-nim… if you’re bored, go take a walk.”
“Me, leaving you behind?”
As expected, I knew he wouldn’t listen today either. He’s planning to endlessly guard my side again. I wanted to tell him not to do that and get some fresh air outside, but sleep came. I blinked my eyes and closed them. Once my body heals, I should hurry and suggest we take a walk together.
* * *
One day, two days, one week. A time that was both short and long passed. Clink. I lifted the glass bottle and checked the medicine. Since I ate it consistently day by day, now less than half remained. I couldn’t gauge how much I’d healed since I couldn’t feel pain, but seeing how the sheep’s expression examining my body had brightened considerably, it seemed I’d recovered quite a bit. And another week. A good sign came. The bracelet the Twelve Zodiac Deities’ sheep gave me finally broke. Fortunately, my recovery was faster than expected. As I thought, the best thing for people is not receiving stress.
“I think we should stop for today.”
What started as soon as the bracelet broke was walking in the room. It was a slightly strange feeling. Clearly there was no place that hurt or was uncomfortable, but every time I took a step holding Bihyeon’s hand, my body kept collapsing and falling. It was a strange feeling, like forcibly borrowing someone else’s body.
‘Not having pain sensation isn’t only a good thing.’
I sat down with a thud because I was a bit out of breath.
“Still, your recovery is faster than expected.”
It must be fast, right…? They said the stab wound from the knife has almost completely healed now. Perhaps seeing me make a gloomy expression, Bihyeon sat down matching my height and made a gentle smile.
“There’s no need to hurry, so why?”
“I need to get better quickly. I have to start part-time work again too….”
When I mumbled my words without deliberately mentioning anything about Aunt, Bihyeon went “hmm” and looked straight into my eyes. He had a smiling face no different from usual, but now I definitely felt emotion. It was eyes saying something was not to his liking.
“What for, the part-time job?”
“I want to continue working part-time at Boss Ppik’s cafe.”
Money aside, in many ways I didn’t want to quit that place. Because it’s where the connection with Bihyeon-nim was reconnected and where there are affectionate beings who treat me preciously. It was also quite enjoyable to see those who ate the snacks I made there deliciously. That’s why I wanted to go back. Bihyeon, who had been looking at my smiling face, said.
“I was going to oppose if you said you’d pay me back or something.”
“I will pay you back… but I’m trying not to overdo it.”
Because if I get sick again from overdoing it, everyone suffers, not just me. So for a while, I was planning to trust Bihyeon and follow what he wanted to do.
“Are you really doing it because you want to?”
The sparkling golden eyes doubted me. It seemed he thought I was doing it for others again, not for myself. Though it is partly to pay back Boss Ppik….
“Yes. I met Bihyeon-nim and the others there. Of course it suits my aptitude well too.”
“I told you there are scary beings there.”
“I’m a human with a Cintamani now, you know?”
I stroked his frowning eyebrows and smiled brightly. He, who had been looking at me with worried eyes, shook his head as if he couldn’t win against me.
“Only that cafe. Other part-time jobs aren’t allowed.”
“I will.”
“Then now….”
Normally, since we ate dinner, he’d tell me to take medicine and go straight to sleep. Bihyeon, who glanced outside the door, smiled with mysterious eyes. A bit of playfulness, and worry. But without telling me anything, he held my hand and pulled with a bit of strength to lift me up. Is he trying to help me practice walking again?
He walked backward as he was, opened the door, and took me out. The moment we went out, he wrapped his durumagi around me and now looked at me with eyes containing only complete worry. Why? If you’re going to worry like this, why suddenly outside…. I blinked my eyes and my gaze naturally went to the full moon floating clearly in the sky along with countless stars.
“Wow….”
There’s a full moon tonight. Stars and moon sparkling as if they would pour down. And Bihyeon beneath them. That sight was like a picture someone had drawn.
“After hundreds of years, a new soul has come to those children.”
“Those children?”
– Kking!
– Kkuung!
It was a familiar sound if anything. At the sound that rang out clearly, I opened my eyes wide and whipped my head toward the door. The two Haechis that had just been paintings sparkled receiving the moonlight and gradually filled with color. While holding Bihyeon’s hand, I hurriedly moved in that direction. Thump, thump, thump…. Strangely, my heart beat loudly. Bihyeon, who held me firmly so I wouldn’t go too fast and wouldn’t fall, kept checking on me, but I didn’t have the leisure to say I was okay. It was strange. As if I was going to see someone I missed….
– Kkuuuung!
The Haechis with fluffy fur like clouds that popped out from the door fell to the floor. When I reached out my hand and caught one of them, Bihyeon caught the other one for me. White Haechis with teardrop-shaped earrings on one ear.
Thump thump thump….
I made eye contact with one of the Haechis that was tilting its head and looking around here and there.
At that moment, I could tell. This is a soul I know. This is….
“…Mom?”
My hands trembled little by little. With Bihyeon’s help, I bent down and sat, putting the Haechi down on the floor. When I held my hand awkwardly, unable to touch it, the Haechi suddenly stood up and leaned its head against my hand. I stared blankly at Bihyeon. He, whose eyes met mine, frowned as if he knew this would happen and reached out his hand to stroke around my eyes. I lowered my gaze and looked at the other Haechi he was holding.
