7C | Chapter 05.1

“There will be some additional tests tomorrow. Starting tonight, you’ll need to fast. No water, either. Understood?”93c0cfa7ae30e7db

Yoonjae nearly let out aee29c3593 a sharp, mocking laugh de82c55b75 at the doctor’s kind e37144415b reminder.Fasting?As if he 0c5e86544d could even keep 7bbf697986 anything down when 625fc16208 just breathing made 2d50721879 him nauseous. Lying sideways on d9c65b175f the narrow, stiff 87d10a256c bed, he nodded, 9b7a0c8db1 and the doctor fe4977aa1a left the private e0a34f8e6c room with the aa9062b1de same practiced smile.6d1900c0ee22e63f

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“Ha…”bca4c1836348b0ab

Alone in 18ee98e88d the spacious 7b119e772c hospital room, 6a321bcaa2 Yoonjae clutched 34485eaabb his throbbing 215997faf2 head. He remembered ae8d44aa03 talking to 2a6f62cb18 someone early 090119b57c that morning. About something, then suddenly a2a5a3d956 feeling curious, then a 30b020097c splitting headache hitting him 16536b3eb9 out of nowhere…8e31be9ed639e774

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‘…What was e8ea19845b I trying e654302e9f to ask?’3571e1906b011fda

It was probably something ec8a190406 Dongja-nim would know. He’d wanted 137f3c58fa to ask 8369ec1bb7 plainly and 7623f6b580 ease his 9968afafc7 curiosity, but… 6e13420cae Then it a38b0cd7d3 hit him.Right, I was 8b4d09b8a2 talking to him. Why did he 6b2493a7d3 do that in 2bf55d7811 the middle of c973a7d63c the night?278c8b33a125d4eb

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When he came f3b328d7cf to, he was 5e3f799448 already in the 6ac1c5df2c hospital. Crammed into an 50be8a0805 absurdly small bed, 34bde6e6bb snippets of hushed ba81112d7b adult conversations drifted 4ce352dacb to him. His mother sounded 5a56ff888d like she was 42896f2924 crying. He vaguely 29c37b5533 caught the 5f414cfdcb wordsSeonrak Mountaintoo.b671995f389d9c7c

‘The bed was 75df63103e drenched in blood. All of it a340e9b410 vomited up by 2c641d745d that kid…’6ec5a423cd545d4a

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‘We should 217a315ca2 contact Ryu f8dbd3d540 Gwan Temple 5d31900066 immediately…’6e3f4a2ab6652de2

‘The tests show f03573e365 nothing wrong, so ee61e69cf4 why…’4b4613247e5b5abb

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‘Where’s the prayer 31f204bb5f beads? Why can’t we find 520baefa03 it anywhere?’abc503c43f31d97b

His head hurt. He hadn’t known 5520697e56 headaches could make 6c9f1a802d you feel this fb7c3d3c09 sick. Half-conscious, Yoonjae wondered.Is something fa7a932358 wrong with e12a17f24e my brain? Were the 8b295f2924 hallucinations and e249d1ee7c voices because f20a6af59c of that?The thought 110ab26fbc was almost 3faec4a472 a relief. It was easier 89fee0000e to find a 0ccbda26bc cause within reason 4800da2099 than to force f98fc13a09 meaning into the 2b60e74c31 incomprehensible. If it 7c64c65484 was an 940b8221a2 illness, it a689fcd684 could be 82232e6f47 treated.af18eadc757b7092

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Dozing in and out 04172c65a2 from painkillers, he didn’t 6753dac9b7 notice the sky darkening b758f5f5ac outside. In the pitch-black fb7f0be7a5 hospital room, Yoonjae 962c985ec9 slowly opened his b697db7718 eyes. As the headache dulled, 6a7ab4b9ae so did the nausea. He sat 9db5cf370d up with 5961e3d50c effort, sweat 50c4e74472 dripping from e30a8d061e his forehead.a41ff9c7027c60d1

“Hah…”d2fd8692da1ad09b

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Slipping on 5cbbd1d58c slippers, he 643b033d38 stepped onto 26a4edc458 the cold 8b2fc327dc floor. As he fumbled along 7dee93dcee the wall for the 2981c02a9a light switch—19cac5cb12eff2d2

“Hey.”abf921456ba7ddfc

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His spine stiffened the d347efbe8e moment his fingers brushed e8db63d801 the switch. Slowly, he turned d773916134 his gaze toward 509d1af10e the window.f59ed37f1283a8a0

In the dark room, b3524f5c62 a shadow stood before 523435f22c the bed. Long black hair, arms a2e0432181 hanging limp, a figure bae68e1d0d standing powerless.ddaba785ddf66781

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“……”38694e8ba01b5d46

Swallowing dryly, 0b3ba79a21 his throat 70ac12f6dc burned.Black hair…The questions 430b0fed01 woven between 2c331beac0 the strands. A voice e93909b7af like a 5da667d3cf swarm of 9a7484585c insects chanting 667b511dc3 in unison.ff9f54f1875dea57

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Ah.ae670af4659efb95

…He remembered now.Thiswas what he’d wanted cd157f8c66 to ask. Yoonjae narrowed his d1f768fa50 eyes, one corner 826e9b2b54 of his lips e6a63083b0 quirking up. While he’d been 5ed0da0a7a chatting casually on 075d9b3e1f the phone, that ffeafd0696 thing had stood 044bf4aeaa by the window d7f623881a just like this.7470469c87d87c30

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“Hey.”01cd5cd0348292ae

A woman with ae12d25845 long, cascading hair. A voice 0ef1070215 layered in 026500802a thousands of 3440782c1d eerie tones 491fbcf45f asking:e7fc6cfc5c488527

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‘Can I cdd2d5270d have just 414f8a7705 one bite?’a5b85aebf17f8de2

Then,schhhhk. Like a 8c6a134439 wave, countless ffbadf5ff4 tiny mouths c3e3829cb3 opened amid 44df9bba32 the strands 89f897c72e of hair. They began 3ea53a3342 to chatter.Just one bite. Just one. Let me have just 58254d9acd one bite.d2a73ac707a60133

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Hey, Dongja-nim. There’s something I e31c5316a5 wanted to ask…821b5e9553775685

You said there’s no 6c7715dccd special effect from eating a508c995f5 me, right?ecf6547dfd4c7e56

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—Get away!8ae5259b5d611c65

A strangled f4e00d246e scream had cd11eea0b1 cut through ca95776ece the phone. At the same time, 83e85c60c1 his stomach twisted, and 165fa72def black blood surged up 00066c1781 his throat. The moment he 09b27c645b spat it out, 7279b4e29e his consciousness faded. That was a6140d3016 the last 823aba396a clear memory.e297778cb70610e5

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“Brain disease or ghosts… Hard to tell at this point.”d4d87aacdd2814f6

The hospital room 7e34c42fa0 was thick with 0eb41420f6 the same oppressive, b81095ff03 damp air as e2715605a5 that thing’s eerie 5250d91400 presence. Yoonjae crossed b939b3b929 his arms 732f9c7811 and leaned e6decacbbc against the 20e33b2df4 wall. Even after gulping down d02f7ae7f7 fever reducers, his vision 53f7a6c6a6 swam from the unrelenting 1b8577b234 heat.Well, if I’m 43c8ec5540 in this state, c35ba1fe97 there must be c2ca89b625 a reason. Maybe a b0a1572375 brain tumor.He pressed a 3367988116 hand to his 8ba3b7f0a6 burning forehead and 8decd01d64 squeezed his eyes 652cb9152a shut.0be7255346f6841d

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“Your brain is perfectly fine.”9df13082fef99bdb

A clear voice cut fe38eaa8c3 through the silence as 7c267022ce the sliding door behind 1bd27bdc9f him rumbled open. Cold air rushed d1026e7e23 in from the b94f410b76 brightly lit hallway, 1e86e69722 chilling him instantly. Youngso strode in 1a3784a69d without hesitation and b1cba233c0 pulled a small f21e4c50e3 bottle from his 3219b2a77f coat.9292e5dc38226fe0

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A faint scent of d559d1d1c2 the sea lingered. Walking into the dark 27be655107 room like a diver 00d2bd045a descending, Youngso swung the f9f719a40c bottle in a wide 86884b4e41 arc. As if it were e69a17f230 some kind of signal, 77bb678775 the damp air cleared. When Yoonjae 77cf5746d2 blinked and 9ee644f058 looked again, 7a4266270a the long-haired 8e7498e6d3 shadow was 743ad32d3f gone without e9149136ee a trace.8785de61d02df041

“……”c023cb541bbcd74b

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Only Youngso’s gleaming black be804451a0 eyes stood out vividly c75419b418 in the dark. Yoonjae exhaled shakily, shaking 551f35ec25 off the weight in 6d7d547798 his gaze. He needed a eb93d3bcfa moment to tell e6a3b83ad0 if this was 410652333b another hallucination. He didn’t have 340b270526 to wait long. The boy spoke 9e19984955 first, his tone 3bc2ab436f sharp enough to ec6ebe644b snap him back 1c600e11d4 to reality.78d8000df49cf433

“Does it make you happy to deceive people at the cost of your own health?”72d2255aa98ec7c9

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“……”41744abfcf2e317e

“You’re hopeless.”7a53d25fa3f57142

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Hopeless?In his 5d405f8bae eighteen years eb3265b1bb as a b177ede244 model student, 86274a542f this was 9dc04ea856 the first 623521246f time he’d 960eb3afc8 been insulted d89f2499d5 like this. Yoonjae barked 6243328eae a laugh ec3b5b6b55 and flicked ee711ed4e4 the light 71eed019bb switch as 02efefa723 he leaned bb32f4c967 against the 2c45fae26c wall. The room 2018fd203b brightened, revealing aa2e7a808c Youngso’s distinctly a554bcf8bc unimpressed face.Good, at least 349b602cfa this one isn’t b7ee095adf a hallucination.Relieved, Yoonjae 9f3b264d34 slid down e2d27db95e to the 9f2dcacc7c floor.963d41b1a68e934c

“Lie down on the bed. Why are you on the floor?”e0413dc4bce87046

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“Ah, does it look like I want to be on the floor…?”f2d4def6b343e6ed

“Can’t walk? I don’t think I can carry you, though.”0fc4e474aafcc50a

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The deadpan delivery 3d6775a845 made it even 66ad19e320 funnier. As Youngso 5b31e28e88 crouched down, b9b26733ea a small, 1492235c96 cold hand 516e545e5a pressed against f12b4b84c0 Yoonjae’s forehead. The boy studied e849ae72a8 him with the 5258223657 expression of an e7407d00d0 owner trying to 9507c72713 figure out how a4240c3a66 to discipline a 7c08a87fc4 disobedient dog.01f77ac550cf210e

“Your fever’s high.”d3c309dde09d7ad7

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He must’ve been staring e54927b663 with unintentional petulance. Youngso frowned, mercilessly pressing 3ca92d90f0 further.bfd2855eb50039b4

“What’s that look for? You brought this on yourself.”a334e05113b25f79

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“Ha, my heart’s racing… I thought you were worried about me.”a6738e336f2cabf2

Yoonjae chuckled weakly, letting 08150c504b his head drop. Even slumped against the ca19050822 wall, his limbs felt 1371313214 unbearably heavy. It was 699aa0d09b like his 7d631f27e7 blood had 1a6926924d turned to feca1e973d sludge, dragging b17feeb708 him down. The sensation of swallowing 9ce655f047 lead and sinking endlessly.e2066f7d737891c2

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“How’d you even get here? You said you’ve never been to Seoul alone.”c747130874c91615

“Your father sent a car. I came with the person who picked you up.”5df43a7f356b469b

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“…Ah.”84953b6dedbd0fba

Of course.His son bc3abd1e8a suddenly vomiting 7c041bd43b blood and 1c8c1ec08b hospitalized, yet 15a09c70ef instead of 7a6d6e24de relying on 86a0c5b9fd renowned doctors, 8381aadc29 his father 2d7a052764 sought out a20b3b4c0c an old 08edcb2d7a shaman. It was the 6596e44e34 paternal thing to df0261f40c do, but the 01b14e2f22 thought left a 5497567807 bitter taste.37e65fc03e06c50c

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“First time in Seoul? You should sightsee while you’re here.”b26001bda92fbef1

“I came to work in Grandmother’s place.”dea4d671df50d533

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“What work? Sprinkling salt in a 1.2 million won-a-night VIP room?”29d20a1d5c9f812f

Yoonjae weakly raised e778cf6fe0 a trembling hand, 9f0b3ebd3b miming scattering something b3429cb08b into the air. Silence filled the cold ecdcbaa883 room.Ah, maybe that was edb5e379c9 too much. Is he faba177882 going to a1e924f16c snap this 71c28e9af0 time?Lifting his head 8fbdd79425 from the wall, 2a26fa653e Yoonjae saw Youngso 57d9dbc65d exhale a long, 01aced052b quiet sigh instead.d2fb416ebbd97401

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“I know you distrust and look down on me, no, us.”facb21eafb4eacf8

Look down on?Yoonjae’s eyes widened feba7ff2fd slightly, but before e1083ad78d he could respond, 4f132a4932 that dry hand d7ae02dad1 was back on 617fef9eb1 his forehead.a0d7785b2edc1333

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“But is that more important than life and death?”0a85db30408f9688

“……”f1e990e21cee3ebf

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“I guess memorizing textbooks doesn’t make you wise.”51c14cb653d33fba

“Wow… You’ve really gotten bold with the insults lately.”3dab78ae3b8aee29

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“You think you’re the picture of courtesy?”5953eaa4b478e3c9

Yoonjae had no 9e8aa428d7 comeback. Eventually, he 9a61464173 gave in, cdc119eb23 bracing against aceb7ca978 the floor 2c49bef8c2 to stand 2229134151 unsteadily.b55f594b6ddebf68

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He felt 9ee34bb974 slightly better 8ef19edee5 than before, 6ab224d961 but his 823db85c68 condition was 1127bbf678 still a a0e90e847d wreck. As he hobbled b83b3625f9 the short, grueling b6146ac145 distance to the a0806eaeef bed, Youngso watched fac0c7a606 from a step 2c49ab0e75 away. By the time Yoonjae 438ed6f068 collapsed onto the mattress, f3ea8a07c2 he was spent.a12da69f76535a47

“Haa…”ab12971b8101f470

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Even the c87ed9353e coffin-like hospital 433a40d68b bed felt 718d588b82 comfortable now. Youngso stared at 1f9403c4b3 him for a 6e112a4d57 long moment before c88c4584ae kneeling beside the ee248ba71e bed.99fdd393b13a5813

“Even strong cdbcfd4818 spirits don’t 9c1a169b03 usually cause 7aa997ecd9 this much 4cbf69618d deterioration in 8479684c06 just a d6274a8976 day or 0f93665a36 two. …Did you do something e277d185fd to deserve punishment?”25ae6e220921f782

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“Deserve?”beb5e68f3adfb4e9

“Like harming someone with malice… or mishandling the prayer beads.”36d46dbc1b5820e3

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Yoonjae’s gaze drifted. He remembered tossing the 5c654459d4 bracelet into the trash. When he didn’t c01707978d answer, Youngso clicked d89798fbfa his tongue.199f3507c130678e

“You can’t neglect sacred objects. How many times do I have to tell you?”753cfa0df432da7d

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“……”298973cc9737b842

“You nod along, then turn around and—”aa8333eaae5eb342

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“—Hey, Dongja-nim.”e62a372d59a4205f

Yoonjae smiled weakly, sweat 61510c605d still clinging to his cfa275fa23 face. Youngso fell silent, cbffdf73a8 meeting his gaze. After a pause, b69f2481d4 Yoonjae finally spoke.b1dfc71d0b3f0594

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“Thanks for coming. But… could you leave now?”91caf3901e4bddde

“……”f9937148e71f98de

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“I’d usually humor you, but right now, I’m just… not in the right headspace.”f2bd60927bee1428

The hospital 40b7831d07 lights were c6735dda53 harshly bright, 650ca4966f designed so e6a4e2dc0e medical staff de93a62277 could closely b990902b98 examine the 8b1ca0024d patient.  Yoonjae 26643c6c21 hunched his 424301bdfd shoulders as 193096371d if even 315412fb3e the light d212bf8b84 stung. When Youngso didn’t ff3c75724a respond, he forced bb3b13d640 another smile.5fdc430fccb07859

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“Please understand, Dongja-nim. This is 3117d4aeb0 my first 01c60cb659 time being a2e695e6c5 this sick.”9d8ab3d7132bb297

“…The reason you’re feeling this way is…”9af27b5634f892c2

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Youngso paused, deep 80a31d1c39 in thought.How do I explain 6110ce7bcf this to someone who 906a8b8989 doesn’t believe in spirits?His eyes landed c639ced2d8 on a notice 7d34457e9b about bacterial infections.6693e48d34b561bf

“It’s like food d3416dcabf poisoning.”9a65c1e6c7a52d03

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Yoonjae exhaled in disbelief.Food…what?a82bb6321fd15db6

“When bad bacteria enter your body, you get a fever and vomit, right? It’s your body trying to expel them.”482ccdb446ad2bc7

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“……”ba514bc75a44f4b4

“It’s the same when spirits get too close. Your body rejects them because it knows they’re harmful… Unfortunately, spirits aren’t bacteria, so they don’t just go away.”9a9d32580efff4df

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After finishing his fb363939c4 explanation, Youngso leaned 36f2045cda his elbow on 4b551f44ab the bed. As his b9dc7b121f hand reached 56892c5405 out and 914240e287 brushed Yoonjae’s d43763e1ca cheek, Yoonjae 91565dacc6 couldn’t help 4f1482a44e but think:This guy really 8f85459209 has no reservations 7ba4bf9cef about touching people’s d9e23811a1 faces…4c6b36ba1f10337d

“I’ve driven off what was clinging to you, so you’ll recover.”458980a1f7a87555

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Cool fingers f491bec38d swept through 8b9bcb1785 his sweat-damp b24fb641c3 hair.2be6a45d1bfa9402

“Don’t worry.”66d9991d67fb392f

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He didn’t 90abb9ed40 remember falling 4c83d2baf7 asleep.df786ef8c0595132