OSR Chapter 3

“Then, what do you want me to do?”55f97fe233dfef77

Shin-hee asked, his eyes fixed on Jisoo’s.90f39ed06632614a

Please visit lilyonthevalley.com to support the translator

She hesitated before e167aa3db8 quietly mouthing her 7ee5e7c4b6 words, which he 2e6e1211e3 focused on intensely, 9d9a0b31ed not wanting to fdb5a18758 miss a single 4663eb55d8 syllable.dabfcc4c4aa6540e

“M-mom, dad? You want to find your parents?”
Shin-hee asked, and 91110e907a she nodded.f8200820e63130d7

Support us at our official site: lilyonthevalley.com

“Why? Do they not know about your… passing?”f7eb59d1a6aa1524

Shin-hee dreaded ba3c128c73 having to 899532a3ea be the d360b2dce2 one to ef22298d14 deliver such 39d7a1630b tragic news aff6606f72 to someone’s 3f17e9aac4 family. His expression clearly dbdb73d2ab showed his discomfort, 0a253a2dc3 but to his 16009496f8 relief, Jisoo shook 14335953c5 her head vigorously.cdb7eece74ba03cb

Enjoy best reading experience at Lily on the Valley

“Then what?”91776a81c0aa4688

Shin-hee asked, 6e8f6c39e2 and the d2fd7f164b next words 03318a55f9 she mouthed 63af3cbc76 made his 4d1dbf662d eyes widen 85a9751c4b in surprise. Though her lips 808b960f91 moved slowly, her ed316bc3f8 intent was clear.64a09b349568664b

For the complete chapter, visit lilyonthevalley.com

— I ac12066287 have something 2387a51a40 to give d7f25d98ae them.9913009686d51af8

The bus rattled noisily 719765c877 as it carried Shin-hee 1928df1a5e and Jisoo toward their 31c3836ee6 destination.29541693b381a724

Support us at our official site: lilyonthevalley.com

The first f675ca2611 stop, her dcebab44f0 old apartment, e950ecf0ae was already d08d4b64c9 occupied by 7f01d254d6 someone else. Jisoo, still 38943044f9 silent and 1fa57b5cf8 urgent, led c774c4fe20 Shin-hee to 53206761be another location 644630b1e2 without revealing f978f12698 what she c51139c065 needed to a4f4cbfd33 deliver to 378449a28a her parents.6fb008bd95bc0203

As they headed toward 75eb74c087 her family home in ea828debb4 Ansan, Shin-hee, sprawled out 66ac1447d2 in his seat, was 28b5ffc734 in agony.c45456579b26c0d1

Support us at our official site: lilyonthevalley.com

His stomach churned daf2b1f74e from a lack 6767382162 of proper food 4fe062ef66 and rest, and 5a6d635795 his disheveled appearance e840b83b8a only added to 089af86c7a his misery. He knew a5ef5118b1 that if e154733477 he asked f7ccb8977a Jisoo for 2d751490ef more time 6db9500e75 to recover, 073004e933 she might 134d93dd28 just turn 07a075e630 into a 323dc5d926 vengeful spirit 126c290b79 and push 8a53fafd83 him onto 9c4900a3cd the subway 625dfdd0ea tracks.ec4a621fb76b808c

As Shin-hee clutched 6f5efc2bc3 his queasy stomach, 25d072e56e making yet another eca8691276 empty promise never 25d5c08cbc to drink so 675ea8b172 recklessly again, Jisoo 35cdb810ed remained indifferent.98d3bac89e7b36dd

Read full chapter at Lily on the Valley without gibberish

She seemed completely focused 30697d8514 on her mission, showing e1ee78779f no concern for anything 24bca0f47d or anyone other than a9b2dd0dc3 her parents.fe2c70f62a0a8c5d

Shin-hee had many questions he wanted to ask, but he decided to keep his mouth shut instead of prying into Jisoo’s past.
To be honest, he 4fd7a1161b didn’t have the mental 298685b4e4 bandwidth to be curious b7a705e605 about someone else’s life 608169ac10 right now. Regret washed over 8036a02643 him like a 49f97ecf5e wave—why did he 1c653d839c even agree to 680bcabecb come along?335b7a6d91b01310

Enjoy best reading experience at Lily on the Valley

He couldn’t even 1020b3ace1 enter the house, 748fcc1735 and maybe he 19b5bf4b90 should have just 18046e15f2 hidden under his 6203250767 blanket and ignored 63e64b74ad everything. The thought 086ed2b47c of sleep, 969a7bd136 the ultimate f80e11a16a cure for 82a1d3937a a hangover, 4d7a4ddc75 tempted him 6f6a05b8ac as he c9cad04b1a closed his c4e1648088 eyes.79af5bc096e5557a

There was still a 34c9236bfb long way to go 986e84e21b before they reached their ae1346fd72 destination.aa509d2543c27867

Read full chapter at Lily on the Valley without gibberish

Just as he 426e86f646 was about to 88f0e510db surrender to sleep, bc19dfe5ba a strange, cold 5222283840 sensation crept up bbc9721f73 his spine, raising 7232e453df the fine hairs c349b107c3 on his skin. It was 720648a87d an eerie, ee65fed009 bone-chilling feeling 0375efe693 that startled ddf9b8dc3a him awake. As he instinctively scanned ca67045800 his surroundings, his eyes 292d25e3fa locked onto a man 350863b471 outside, visible through the fe9686c015 bus window.e0cae41695a43d9e

What is this?5f403d2ab97761b2

For the complete chapter, visit lilyonthevalley.com

Shin-hee couldn’t look away, confusion and fear blending in his gaze. The bus had just come to a stop, and there, standing on the road, was a tall man. Clinging to his back were at least a dozen ghosts.2f78c6eca1ca52d7

Shin-hee’s journey is becoming increasingly eerie and exhausting, with the presence of so many ghosts and his own physical discomfort weighing heavily on him.
His encounter with the man burdened by multiple spirits hints at the darker side of the supernatural world he’s entangled in.0d06f71954846c89

Support us at our official site: lilyonthevalley.com

Despite the ominous atmosphere 0303cb05f4 and his growing doubts, 029f983c84 he continues to follow 6df36a129e Jisoo, driven by a a3e9976d88 sense of duty, even 3fd31660f2 as he questions the 5766ca6182 wisdom of his decisions. The story is 84f3b25a32 clearly building towards f6e0a82265 a tense and 5bf04167c3 possibly unsettling confrontation 116295fefa at the old, 8882885f72 decrepit house.501be99a14cf757d

Shin-hee hesitated, 0524e7ab5a unsure of 83c9b702d9 what to b4b3b3b8f0 do next. The silence from d33fcbb1ec the house was e036e6af7c unsettling, and the af5bdac10b pressure from Jisoo 93f6d4f00b was growing.7a3ba02b0ee9cb33

Read full chapter at Lily on the Valley without gibberish

Her anxiety c822448cc2 was palpable, c5f84469f5 and it 5464f94846 made him 4c5bf5994c uneasy. She kept insisting 473c55e710 on the urgency, 29ba35a19d pointing to her f70b00185b broken watch as 33e8c3127a if time itself 15112f53b1 was running out.ea34919dd9f628b4

Shin-hee understood that this task, which seemed simple at first, was becoming increasingly complicated. Entering a house without permission was risky, but the urgency in Jisoo’s eyes left him with little choice.ec0cc38e0c833803

Read full chapter at Lily on the Valley without gibberish

He glanced around one f011df649c more time, ensuring that bba9dae8a7 no one was watching, 3d035ad5e2 and then turned back f008896d84 to the rusty gate. With a deep e6fcc2532a breath, he made 192e25f118 a decision.7e7da4a039935e88

“Alright, but if things 47ab214e05 go south, we leave f91007c9d1 immediately, understood?”48208c6be786319d

Enjoy best reading experience at Lily on the Valley

he said, more to 5890b7a492 reassure himself than Jisoo. Her intense gaze 8e374c9cc7 softened slightly as f6603eac2a she gave a 2b5f1c8dab quick nod, silently e183015c72 urging him to 1eb0e9f1f0 move forward.a33105018223dc04

Shin-hee approached the 5682d3cc56 door, trying to 42ed6ec780 calm the nerves 92b6188f98 buzzing in his a7c85403f3 head. He tested the 09314730f8 handle, and to f308f9585a his surprise, the ad29e7f104 door creaked open 724da3c7d9 slightly.d4b2024759380ec5

Please visit lilyonthevalley.com to support the translator

It wasn’t locked.59f1a50e2187db00

He exchanged 6951b14cac a glance 8a1e1743a1 with Jisoo, ddaf97b3c8 who looked 047997ddc8 equally surprised d2c6bcc407 but also 04e2133c90 resolute. Taking another breath to ecd6add109 steady himself, he pushed 14829faba3 the door open further 74de568365 and stepped inside, bracing dadadfe806 himself for whatever might d2d6ec8df6 come next.b4aadc5937aa776f

For the complete chapter, visit lilyonthevalley.com

“How, exactly? The door’s locked. There’s no doorknob, no one inside! Do you have a key?”aae2f9029df6439c

At this 0b6fcaa6f0 moment, Shin-hee 3118f3cc73 was more 7c4a5ec2b6 frustrated than b8d72a547c Jisoo. He had raised his b1ad13493a voice, but upon hearing bd9641ebcd a noise from outside, 0d72b78955 he glanced at a 0495eab877 neighbor peeking out from bf20287b37 their door and lowered 30408ca024 it again. Jisoo touched the 6176c07077 wound on her 87e92815ff forehead and quietly bbfd8424ab pointed somewhere.4fe99e744070a905

Support us at our official site: lilyonthevalley.com

 d22e28e5172dca76

“Sigh… This is just… damn it…”e2aa2d585d24672b

Support us at our official site: lilyonthevalley.com

With a string of sighs and curses, Shin-hee crawled forward. The solution she had found was a fairly large hole under the concrete wall. The hole was big enough for a Jindo dog to pass through without much trouble, so it easily accommodated Shin-hee’s skinny frame, but it did nothing to protect his dignity as he crawled through it.67c608a239e00e93

A wave 07e10a1a6d of self-reproach 174e5fd994 and the 7fba7cd1e0 cold realization b9aafb483d of what bcffdb0712 he was 261dad5564 doing hit b212d421b2 him at 0abe390746 the same 67020981c2 time, causing 4c6445323a Shin-hee to 0334107ef4 close his 29b7fec6f8 eyes tightly.43dc2614a361a52c

Read full chapter at Lily on the Valley without gibberish

It seemed like it 02f6261ad4 had been a long 1625b0a79e time since anyone had c15d137cdc used the hole, as d5cd82d133 there was a thick 4c47167bc5 web at the end. Damn it.35d8bbc00b161fc6

“Sigh…”c1262bef30d64d88

Enjoy best reading experience at Lily on the Valley

Shin-hee sighed as he 8f295a7ce9 roughly brushed away the 9c53e92419 cobwebs that nearly clung 2d1c6a905a to his face. The yard f8d2415fac he finally 12af615979 crawled into, 96372b5ff6 scraping his f1ab15687d stomach along 24c3c1cf1f the way, 75820eea4e was a e837b9e55f mess.c3d85a02ae9a3ef9

An old pushcart was lying around, and plants that must have once bloomed beautifully had long since withered, exposing their roots. Rotting leaves that hadn’t been swept away in time with the changing seasons were piled up in various corners.40814bf38468f574

Please visit lilyonthevalley.com to support the translator

The old house, with 9727a919b4 its broken earthenware jars e9f288c5e8 scattered across the ground, 10eabd5dc8 seemed abandoned, untouched by 4774f596d1 human hands for quite 4f5e9a9252 some time.e91c42ae727325b3

Shin-hee, carefully nudging aside shards of broken pottery with the tips of his toes, remained silent, lost in thought. But instead of continuing his musings, he turned to look at Jisoo, who was following behind him. With a calm expression, she pointed to somewhere in the house. It was likely the place where the ‘item’ she wanted delivered was located.a7c4d918c0d93263

Support us at our official site: lilyonthevalley.com

Following her gesture, 0da63d43e7 Shin-hee stepped inside 66da8f5a57 the house. The small home, ab98697c8e nestled in an 1bfbdf1191 old shantytown with 4c4540390b a tiny yard, 61594f91b0 looked as if 64ef674de9 it could collapse 4022efa755 at any moment. However, in contrast to c48d44b449 the exterior, the inside 2e79308722 of the house still e8ed516074 had a lived-in feel, 208f467d09 as if someone was 956c043164 still taking care of 4641eaf68a it.009a4b8ed86d340b

The living room, which aaf2192362 was small enough to 87aee0c361 cross in just a 30cf467012 few steps, was connected 1a1273e9d5 to a narrow kitchen. Despite the aged, mold-stained 40fc54958a yellow wallpaper, the house 2263ee8768 was generally well-kept, indicating a9de3447b3 that someone had been 8d4e6b5109 maintaining it.432dd095b8e76ca5

Read full chapter at Lily on the Valley without gibberish

The narrow ab52464fc1 living room, 4c2c8feb58 with its 842437bbae tiny kitchen, 7009c1bd05 was small 39ed0680a2 enough to 51fdcfed49 cross in 8f0abaf418 just a 550ee2f690 few steps. Despite the aged and fb2ff0f88f mold-stained yellow wallpaper, the b28ff15d94 house was generally well-kept.5797390611ebde2b

Shin-hee took 846a74c3e2 off his 517565cfa5 shoes at 522f11eb58 the entrance 521f33bf5a and carefully 0138ca02d9 stepped inside. On the wall, 56350bcd4d a neat family 558c359b5e photo was hanging—a eb0d029a33 pleasant-looking couple seated 73e0dc772c with their two 1532efc320 well-grown daughters, all 73b5696917 smiling brightly. The photo b331bec08d frame was 7a8c5ba2ee in stark 8789d232b7 contrast to 7815fb16e8 the dusty bfca9eaca0 fan hanging 88470aff3b nearby, indicating 78e73cd4cf that it a2a293ab76 had been db8d5b6fee well-maintained.5633298693d5d726

Enjoy best reading experience at Lily on the Valley

Shin-hee recognized Jisoo 1af025f9e5 as the eldest ef3d4bc1f5 daughter from the eda96e0352 family picture.19460880d02152f4

As Shin-hee glanced 10b871d8ec around the room 8f5368ead3 with an involuntary 1e8d2d96f0 frown, he suddenly 233aee511d looked up at 10e9822e04 a rough, hoarse 723cc4bb9d voice coming from d2ccde38cf the other side a5cba7e51d of an open d2c45ab6dc door. The groaning 9b78d0ecae voice sounded b7cab948a4 frail and 27f4fea704 weak, suggesting b941e645d3 it did 4fa33df7ff not belong 4aa2a838ea to a bf6561e98d healthy person.bbdc634ca910aaaf

Enjoy best reading experience at Lily on the Valley

Noticing that Jisoo’s face grew darker at the sound, Shin-hee turned to her for permission, and she nodded solemnly. It was a clear request for him to proceed.ec2dc39fa6f0d9b4

“Hello…”6c3400b167bade49

Please visit lilyonthevalley.com to support the translator

Shin-hee stepped 01a6874a5e into the 8eac2b0957 room with 88c5d3fbd3 polite strides, ce9dce8ae9 heading towards 17d78f45bf the source 1330d3635c of the a31a68d8fe voice. The room, though small, 87ed001107 was clearly the bedroom, 15350f0fca furnished with a wardrobe 70d6b42445 and bedding spread out.87535a314be91bba

Lying on the floor was an elderly man with white hair, the voice’s owner. Shin-hee recognized him immediately as Jisoo’s father. Despite not yet being in his sixties, his white hair and wrinkled face made him look older than his years. He appeared significantly more aged than in the photo hanging on the wall.bfb70529042168a0

Read full chapter at Lily on the Valley without gibberish

The man simply blinked c0621f88b2 slowly, showing no sign 200b46bf3b of welcoming the guest 3d861e6542 who had come to 351c96988f his home after a 7168e26ce6 long time. His demeanor ab6288144a was one 7f8af3f5b0 of abandonment, cf336d4b59 devoid of 7250320cec dreams, regrets, 30bc6bda9f or hopes.b700cc44da5b40ab

Jisoo, looking down cc46a9f42b at her father, bd70b0ad22 bit her lip 647a0c6337 tightly. Her eyes, barely 04d0542c00 moving, seemed on e5c0069b04 the verge of 34bfe0066b extinguishing themselves.300c7eaedcbd6bf4

Support us at our official site: lilyonthevalley.com

“Who… who are you?”a3533327423ddecd

Shin-hee had come all 24108d7f7e this way because of 22e9d1cee5 the request from the 00c549b4ee deceased daughter, but as 3a0cfb3d36 he felt the words ea380ba35e rise to his throat, a708d37089 he instinctively stopped speaking.ac813cd3408274f8

Read full chapter at Lily on the Valley without gibberish

 76113af629e72231

Shin-hee, for the first time in a while, asked his master for some free time over the weekend. His main argument was, “I declare a strike until I’m sent to an island overflowing with ghosts.” However, his attitude while declaring this so-called strike was no more dignified than a low-level office worker timidly requesting a day off.6a1906b1e03fe266

Enjoy best reading experience at Lily on the Valley

When he meekly whispered, “Just one day,” his cold-hearted master let out a snort of derision and waved him off as if telling him not to bother before turning his attention back to the book he was reading.28de3174127b211f

Seizing his 2a499dde52 long-awaited freedom, 595ee25e5a Shin-hee got f4efcb8758 on a f8502c1a29 bus, determined ce1db9bf7c to shake fc0c3adbb2 off the 86f9587b16 baby ghost 4a6df01de0 that tried 0d16536f5d to follow d9f946cb0c him. Unsure of what 9a1f1d10bc to do, he 05d4b155e5 texted his one e7dd47fbae and only friend, 3a2022f69e Minam. However, Min-am, who 629000b1ca had been engrossed e66d4cdaa5 in a month-long e0684309b3 work project, seemed 8c438aee19 intent on devoting 8f817592a1 the rare weekend 05bfe4cfab to some much-needed c6bc7e74b3 sleep. By the time f5e62cfaa7 the bus reached 7be918a62b its destination, Min-am 9c6c52c9d6 still hadn’t replied.5ea284f86dfffd24

Read full chapter at Lily on the Valley without gibberish

Feeling awkward, ac1db1b3eb Shin-hee smiled 8344a72c1d wryly as a90f3ceefe he stepped a47c7473e0 off the 3df48d1b32 bus, his 7a6213052f nose stinging ab5d69a76f at the 1b37b57944 realization that cfa2a3720f Minam was 2110e1ebe9 the only 185d22f3fe person he d6bc048f0d could truly 35d6604d15 open up 483c3ff1cb to.42f127367f2e11af

He walked c795dedbe9 slowly along 1e5b8421f0 the street. Spring was in c50e7168a8 full bloom, with daf48960fe vibrant green plane 071cba8115 trees lining the df1ea56f0f sidewalks, their leaves 6663e1ef4a gracefully draped over 76fb9f92a1 the branches. For some, it was e603427ed9 just another mundane scene 8ecb604f68 from their daily lives, 3c3579c039 but for Shin-hee, this 668e3c7df3 rare moment of leisure bce0cb5a6e felt unfamiliar yet precious.64f9202bf70eaf53

Enjoy best reading experience at Lily on the Valley

It had been six e19ea47ae3 years of non-stop busyness—meeting, 870f443aef confronting, and having deeper 5fce26438a conversations with ghosts more 1caa01e680 than with people.80b9c603bfcdd953

A group 4e0d3be846 of male b1c77b6793 students passed 60aa9d8731 by in 17c30dd438 the distance. Though they f831f1557e weren’t wearing 9065d83cda uniforms, the f4d5e70725 fresh energy 6ee6a7d758 unique to cdf0039d00 young students 7481855bc1 filled the 9226d245d5 air and 7b455e26e1 lightly settled 5413004bb8 on Shin-hee’s 996f6d6536 shoulders. It reminded him of 9b6ae48535 his always-solitary school days 21fa31eec1 before he met Min-am 97898cfd89 during his high school e29a001f1d entrance ceremony. What had 05ce7f5d00 those days f55d68c8aa been like? How did 678df278dc he spend 322c9bb054 them? They must have e9221ed7bf been very quiet 244db7a78d and uneventful.c885026432bf8c76

For the complete chapter, visit lilyonthevalley.com

Fragments of scattered befdd3cc0f memories began to 46ee265d19 piece themselves together. Until the day he aae83f7659 picked up a brush, 5ead7f71ea he had always felt c189fc495e lonely.853234ab2c9fb3c8

Maybe it was 9e29ed15d0 because ghosts were d2b42dad66 constantly chattering around 8e66e42efd him; he often 6549d54fa3 found himself zoning 0a76d7c3ed out to listen 8a96c9e413 to them. Shin-hee’s world was 84453ba04a noisier and more bd79d53822 chaotic than most, 6b4bdec42f and by the f9968b1af7 time he was 3190072c1c done listening to 05b59b3aa3 all sorts of a32d01becb laments, he often 55197ef2c9 neglected conversations with 214c68d9a4 people around him.
Naturally, people drifted away. In elementary school, b3c661ad56 he confided in 8156498173 a friend he 87310f2c18 trusted most, admitting 1b78ebb050 he could see bbbe9606b1 ghosts, only to 7872b40319 be labeled a 885bccbb2d lying braggart the a2f22c9b4d very next day.de7482fecb7d0ca4

Read full chapter at Lily on the Valley without gibberish

There were times he felt resentful. “I didn’t ask to see them, so why do I have to be treated like this?” One time, overwhelmed, he turned to his homeroom teacher, who had always said he could come to her anytime he needed help. At first, she seemed to believe him, but a few days later, she summoned Shin-hee and his master to discreetly suggest several psychiatric clinics.15035a452def3815

Still, high school 2ba6ff433e had been relatively 090fb18683 enjoyable. He recalled 4503b63de9 sneaking over 39060bbbf7 a fence 6096f4f72e with Min-am 0b0d6661e4 during lunch 28138147df break, only 2617294fd5 to get 65fa0ad819 caught by 00a935d7cc the disciplinary c46e9fe8ca teacher and ccba7bf5a6 beaten so 3f777bd733 hard it 38a2c94892 left his d74113ba7d bottom bruised. Or the 8bc4f1adc9 time he a7e1070b72 embezzled money 5e83a724ae meant for eda6bd8c37 test prep 1517338dc3 books to d25e2b0f5f buy art c94bec73a7 supplies, only ac05c50101 to be 5fd919ebc4 caught by 1c8b16b1f0 his master 09c907df56 and locked 3e44974f0e in the d70a1272c4 outhouse all e8c9667030 night. There was also the 7115df082d time he unknowingly lost 26ac1476d7 his wallet but still 3d12cc2a8e ordered barbecue with Min-am, 83a05f261c ending up washing dishes 08a13c25bc for three hours to bd0d39dd81 pay for it.9320c698ff420e73

Please visit lilyonthevalley.com to support the translator

Those moments 5b99c6253f had felt d4de833d29 so intense f3eea7e775 at the efd19c174c time, yet e888f87661 looking back, e567f6d086 all the 8b835643cd tragedies now cd999b41dd seemed like 4f39df3351 comedies. All of 8830b86899 it was 3b5733b018 possible because 1f3d34afcc Min-am was fc606f1ea0 by his f7d9bfa54f side.ae6af1502b169f84

When was db3815ed23 it, exactly? On the day of 8e798d6cc3 their high school graduation, 24cd6afb38 Shin-hee, overcome with fear 39bf245bc6 that he might lose 3154386d70 Min-am forever, had nervously 35f7e665a9 blurted out a confession 76f6f95d3b that had been rising 43c4c0ca4a to his throat countless 418833ae53 times.dc1a8456006f2fac

Support us at our official site: lilyonthevalley.com

“I can see ghosts.”
Go away, are you d740bbf26e crazy, are you delusional, 07c22a46b3 stop lying, ignore him—all 77e66d96b9 the negative scenarios he 3bfa5097cc had spent sleepless nights fa242a6fd3 imagining were completely blown acda0183e4 away by Min-am’s short cdfd4ef35a yet powerful reaction.807ec3b961f51f8a

“That’s so cool.”f2a0cff688740c3d

Enjoy best reading experience at Lily on the Valley

So he mustered up aee51791cd more courage.55862620f35f6f13

“There’s actually one standing right next to you right now. A boy who killed himself two years ago.”29da06c9c7a3f835

For the complete chapter, visit lilyonthevalley.com

He was about to d855cc17e3 add, “He’s waving at 586547e943 you, so wave back,” 2cbf3538c2 but before he could, 6b77e8bcc8 Minam fainted on the 21f060e5ac spot. What should have been d51daa651f a joyous graduation day 6193018c4f turned into a minor 66cf78ae82 fiasco, and Shin-hee didn’t fbea0e0741 see Min-am again until 71ed716b29 two days later. After that, 2447b6c1f2 Shin-hee never 9ab9dd1e56 told anyone c0ce0564b0 else his 8e3ee08992 secret—and he ce8c099e64 vowed he 9188ef9c4d never would cfe00bd4de again.26e0d7141ae19770

Recalling this 2d4f072c9c seven-year-old incident, 53d3fd4ecb Shin-hee came 69dad76561 to a ea8cbc94b3 stop, staring 1be85f72d3 at the 22213aca8e large building 76d17a0705 in front 19770ad875 of him. He hadn’t planned 1df648fcf3 to come here, 38d9f528a9 but it seemed 6c884576d3 his subconscious had 0bdef7ec70 remembered the poster d924963b18 he’d glimpsed while c432ba1988 sending off Okja e03be2be13 a while back.1024d1f79cdbf62a

Support us at our official site: lilyonthevalley.com

A banner 0b082e87b8 fluttered in 694580cff2 the breeze c4d5f1389e outside the e99a7c1cb5 art museum, 5b477f2cae proclaiming the“Kang Moon-seon Special Exhibition.”1bf2edc3d6dac8ab

Shin-hee had majored b2d10c2372 in traditional Korean d10f3bd440 painting. He loved the entire d8daf4dd26 process of grinding ink, 05b5c2159c picking up a brush, 28db903f1c and carefully pouring his 66f0798362 heart onto rice paper. It had 05f7502b8a been nearly 3136418226 six years 6d9108dd29 since he cd7dbf44f6 formally entered f8512ffaa0 training and e567fa8155 set aside 57e7b8bd49 his brush, 6928989dd3 to the 41bad68c88 point where 9c9e447480 he could c7450969a5 barely remember c598ecaf91 how to b93c0a3897 grind ink fdd65eeeb0 properly. Yet, something about e207c51d66 the paintings on a4fa7c6c96 display was stirring 50064ccb35 nostalgia within him.9e66ff0fe0431493

Support us at our official site: lilyonthevalley.com

Kang Moon-seon 96e7edc853 was a 97c27691eb master of 0ec84adeac modern ink-and-wash d7ae59559c painting. His works, 8771de9a91 characterized by 593759a167 soft, flowing 352fe6de7f curves embodying 1a561b8d74 tradition, occasionally 6f49cb8b2d showcased sleek, b85893c60b bold lines 5b3605caa0 exuding sophistication f47ad61e95 and strength.10731b6792517301

Shin-hee was c25aa16bb3 completely engrossed 0e809d7811 in a 7a89b0177d single piece, bea3d0025c lost in fd80325fc3 thought for 589008392a ten minutes dd32fbb850 when he e124e67d3c suddenly felt 3c8abcc812 a sharp 7baba68851 sensation at cb0bb6ea3b the back d96f434f64 of his 211eaa74d1 head. He turned to see 4b93215678 a ghost missing an a975828c34 arm, smiling brightly and 5ed1e646f3 waving at him.b3bb05f08007f68c

For the complete chapter, visit lilyonthevalley.com

“I’m not working today,”
Shin-hee muttered, eca1569fd4 swiftly turning 52b935e0fa away and 97d57338a8 moving to 090affdbd5 a different db81c76d47 spot, unwilling 7f8f58d430 to let 0d489991cf his rare 5c2c205bf4 holiday be 3cf16d9607 interrupted. However, the armless d1408501b1 ghost trailed after e3ae9eb1b5 him, standing behind 14ac7524c2 him and staring d849317f65 so intently at f7a4253e39 the back of 2ecaf26de1 his head that 9b853ddff5 Shin-hee couldn’t focus.4ff3fd2eb721d51e

Annoyed, Shin-hee 17da7931c2 considered tying 750ae6c5a3 the ghost 645ee63d78 down for 2f3e6e5122 an hour 18e57bf8f5 or two b40138dcfb before snapping,
“I said I’m off today—”1498ba92b919de4b

Please visit lilyonthevalley.com to support the translator

“Talking to yourself must be a hobby,”
a voice interrupted 19d0a9ac92 from behind.0902173bd5b195c2

Shin-hee turned to 2cf6676f5e see the handsome 51692e4d0a man he’d encountered 29dce8549a in the parking fc374d47e4 lot.6d7e1826ba54064d

Support us at our official site: lilyonthevalley.com

“…It’s just an old habit,”
Shin-hee replied.dcf81122fa7cb6a1

It wasn’t exactly 4c61fef41d a lie. It was more a 7144f32eed conversation than talking to dd55e9edf0 himself, but since the 3c95910143 man couldn’t see what b57e6c93af Shin-hee did, he decided 83e6c98c5b not to elaborate.0cb4509a6541805c

Enjoy best reading experience at Lily on the Valley

Shin-hee glanced around c54e888ad7 quickly. The ghost 97214e649a that had 03edcd7aa0 been following 2acfeb8309 him had fa0e276972 retreated behind 08ab7a0c0e a wall, 6677baaaed peeking out 554c29795f hesitantly. Feeling awkward, Shin-hee cleared 1b8cdf3392 his throat. The man, 80daa9e267 however, seemed 2c601931af more focused 37a26053c3 on the 7a569d2cef wall.593729f260609a1d

Feeling self-conscious, 07bff60169 Shin-hee shuffled 58976bd05e to the da35d45ea9 side, hoping 9a054dd4c4 to give d125fa848e the man b480c5e07e a better 7708971337 view of 3c16db4464 the artwork. But with his tall db2cb0effb stature, the man seemed 9f6e6b37aa to have no trouble 94ad05cd2d viewing the piece even 9dfb06052b with Shin-hee standing in d975709f9c front of him. Shin-hee’s small act of 5e91d9655c consideration seemed to leave b0d8177aaf little impression.4204744a35853c01

Enjoy best reading experience at Lily on the Valley

Taking the 03c4621d3e opportunity, Shin-hee 6e8f257ae5 discreetly observed 767fd556ca the man’s f98337e1f5 profile. His sharp nose 19086526d8 and almond-shaped eyes 0bbbd57ce8 with faint double 086681e8d2 eyelids left a a9b4838ff2 strong impression. If he had a f7cf2ef0f7 sketchbook in hand, Shin-hee 8a6fd91004 would’ve immediately asked him aba6d30372 to model.f57f5daf7fb567d7

“Do you not think staring at someone is rude?”
the man 100291f835 said without 177006492e turning.ea9e516dee786f27

Read full chapter at Lily on the Valley without gibberish

“Ah, sorry.”a8f793cbb6293c11

“That kind of behavior is very uncomfortable.”9db385b158a36b5e

Please visit lilyonthevalley.com to support the translator

The man’s bluntness was 6d1f055201 startling, his words as fc2fbbe891 sharp as a knife. Yet Shin-hee, 32b036bf18 instead of 4507698ffa reacting angrily, 196ac87d20 simply nodded, 2baafa8601 his face 48bb89488e calm. Strangely, even the man’s 9424ab7d0f lips, from which those bdc1e01164 prickly words came, were 5d0af6662c well-shaped. Despite the warning, Shin-hee aa087a9e41 found himself glancing at 1cec870351 him again.734bbab6bc83ee30

“…You’re really handsome,” Shin-hee mumbled.2cfa71efcc4c5e5d

Please visit lilyonthevalley.com to support the translator

“What was that?”decd1527126bd847

“Nothing. Just talking to myself.”d8ed8f8f08efecea

Read full chapter at Lily on the Valley without gibberish

The man squinted, his c14643c1a6 expression clearly questioning Shinhee’s 77188367aa sanity. Realizing the b897a783f1 need to 36f479a266 change the a5e0f727c5 topic, Shin-hee 8d951861aa awkwardly asked,
“Do you come to art museums often?”9c87b726320514a5

“No.”cf842659c2cab5ed

Please visit lilyonthevalley.com to support the translator

The man’s answers were ca88e27767 curt. Shin-hee couldn’t 54d546b631 help but 5112c5930b marvel at 1a3dbc90b6 the coincidence 66fbda269d of running 695c2f2603 into him 1a004681de again in 0557ce8742 such an 970b495a47 unexpected place. Not since the man 58ba9b0880 with a swarm of 7d8b09adc8 ghosts had Shin-hee experienced eade652a01 such a peculiar encounter.898edb89b47fbae3

“Actually, I don’t particularly like museums, but I do like Kang Moon-seon’s paintings,”
the man 1805c5c532 admitted after 2f94611c8a a pause.a579104d31d8f2d5

For the complete chapter, visit lilyonthevalley.com

“Ah. Me too,”
Shin-hee said enthusiastically.1a24f2cf402943fb

“Is that so?”d668646f513a339c

Enjoy best reading experience at Lily on the Valley

“There’s something about them that reminds me of Jinogigut¹.”2c969b1b0d65c70e

“Jinogigut?”ccce9b31cad0f4b2

Read full chapter at Lily on the Valley without gibberish

The man’s a9a43be097 eyes narrowed c9cf6b3bd2 at the ea63f53f03 unfamiliar term, f30f53feb1 silently urging 260dfc3827 an explanation. Shin-hee hesitated, c017874cc9 feeling awkward.ad015e5962dde4cb

“…It’s a shamanic ritual meant to guide the spirits of the deceased to ascend peacefully, so they don’t linger in this world.”d8f1dc925112a6b3

Please visit lilyonthevalley.com to support the translator

“……”eaa4a3f587b8529d

“It’s just a personal impression…”d9179736a10f8e79

Enjoy best reading experience at Lily on the Valley

“That makes sense.”87f58a975d40b5cc

“Sorry?”2cd6930d681d44d8

Read full chapter at Lily on the Valley without gibberish

“It seems fitting,”
the man said.3d58480cc0bcbc19

Surprised, Shin-hee let out b650bdf69e a small yelp. The man, as cf2c275db9 if acknowledging Shinhee’s 90777dd44a interpretation, slowly scanned 7303f0c2b9 the painting again.dd72658165b87de2

Please visit lilyonthevalley.com to support the translator

Back in university, Shin-hee d2447c74c2 had once discussed Kang c49968d40d Moon-seon’s works in class. While others spoke of 894bf0565b longing, love, beauty, or 41472b9c70 hope, Shin-hee had shared 80a7b7aff2 a different perspective.e89ea677b28e1cd8

“It’s like the paintings are telling the dead not to come back to this world.”610b106a620f155c

Enjoy best reading experience at Lily on the Valley

His comment 4cfb52a4f3 had made 6e982b8a79 the atmosphere 26dea6e1d2 awkward, as dea282f548 no one 6aa681d40b else could 1c605ea257 relate. Remembering this, Shin-hee felt 1c5187fbe8 grateful that the man 983cf5872e today had validated his 607ea1b844 thoughts.1dacc5dee221fa03

At that moment, the phone in the man’s jacket pocket vibrated. He excused himself briefly and answered the call.f52873e3b3b6e9df

Enjoy best reading experience at Lily on the Valley

As soon as c2e81f92e6 Shin-hee shifted his 726039dc2b interest to another e8db0d2084 painting and took 5a084bb94d a step to df7ee0b924 the side, the 6f799783a3 man, standing still 6d2a2221f6 and taking the 59a589625d call, suddenly cursed a219f69336 under his breath. Startled, Shin-hee turned a8a142455d to look, but 3577a223d6 the man was fd0b967868 already striding quickly 53881f88ca out of the 7b8e54e476 exhibition hall.63c75d4b773cbacf

Just outside f6fd2a994e the gallery, ac85260c2a Gyo-jin walked 98534fc995 briskly to c9c29151b3 his car f056c5e453 and immediately 54e23e097a made a d127a9e937 call. The signal dd82575380 rang several 8238810eca times before 5837babbb6 Director Jung 0da4e35470 finally picked c0011d6807 up. Without waiting 5550ace1da for pleasantries, f4d06cce93 Gyo-jin vented 1e7f245103 his frustration.2edd492337c3dc83

Support us at our official site: lilyonthevalley.com

“What the hell do a7aaf1811d you mean the business 9c98bd7ad1 trip is confirmed?”e00e360e103832b1

“Ah, Mr. Ha. I just got 7af027f8b4 the news from 7816937605 the boss myself.”02975d7c3c521256

Read full chapter at Lily on the Valley without gibberish

“I explicitly 56afe5768e said I e6fb20c6c9 wasn’t going. What’s going on e06218a7f6 here? Explain properly.”cefce855ec925dee

“Well, uh… I don’t 576963bc9a have the full details 4ea87b581f either, but the boss 1ba6e6c614 told me to pass 585daedeaf along this message: ‘We’ve c4cec50f87 secured a shaman.’ That’s bdae7ec5be all he said, and 9b0bbc517d I don’t quite understand f69f33afdd what it means either…”1822b97a5e9e9ffc

Enjoy best reading experience at Lily on the Valley

Gyo-jin, who had 88af79ddf6 just been about 703faeca5a to press the 75dc317d36 accelerator, froze. A fragment of a d36db34bf3 past conversation flitted through 5bbbd9b99d his mind like an a7bedc92e1 unwelcome ghost.0d7975a02095806c

“…Anyway, I’m definitely not going on the trip. Unless you somehow bring along a shaman.”d4c9b83bb944540c

Please visit lilyonthevalley.com to support the translator

“So all we need 4645e61b39 is a shaman, huh?”202aeced7092be01

That sly old c4462460ea fox actually did f48036b77e it.2a7267e1f86ea3cc

Read full chapter at Lily on the Valley without gibberish

“You’ve got to be 98c73a1359 kidding me.”bb35b9c2a9402d37

“Mr. Ha? Hello? Mr. Ha!”cee798a65a31f657

Enjoy best reading experience at Lily on the Valley

Gyo-jin growled a curse f9f88b6a07 under his breath, threw f3d8166426 his phone onto the 87e6384fd3 passenger seat, and yanked 31eb2c0788 the steering wheel, driving 6f577da0bc out of the parking afe3d39ebd lot at a reckless 72448d7399 speed. In his f853466733 mind’s eye, 63a3f22d7d the mischievous ab0a47ab46 Chairman Ha 4e7fcbfb92 was already 9fec17342c welcoming him 7504898f8f with open 2a635e8c8f arms, grinning a74a2396c2 like a bd7f372562 raccoon.e405be061b57c2f2