KTC | Chapter 29

Choi Seonwoo stretched lazily before calling out loudly to Kim Youngchan, who was waiting outside. Kim Youngchan’s eyes widened as he saw Seo Jihan, curled up like a pill bug and slapping his head repeatedly.

“Don’t worry, he’ll be alright soon. Could you fetch some ice water? It could help soothe the headache.”

“Ah, yes!”

“The ice is in the refrigerator in the kitchen on the first floor.”

Kim Youngchan hurried down the stairs. Choi Seonwoo watched Seo Jihan groan, then sharply narrowed his eyes and lightly smacked him on the head.

“Dare you try to infect a priest with carnal desires?”

Even if Seo Jihan was half out of his mind, it was still quite offensive. After administering a minor punishment, Choi Seonwoo fell deep into thought.

“What to do about this going forward…”

Being half out of his mind meant he was half sane. That meant the seeds of such desires were already present in the depths of Seo Jihan’s psyche.

If he keeps acting like he’s infatuated with me, it’s going to be trouble. Can I change his heart without resorting to beating him?

Violence is not a part of a priest’s life.

Choi Seonwoo felt a profound crisis in his clerical life.

As the stormy day passed, night fell. Struggling with severe headache aftereffects, Seo Jihan finally came to around 10 p.m. It had been broad daylight when he received the shopping bag from Nam Sangkyung at the pier, and now it was completely dark outside, which was initially quite confusing.

Time hadn’t evaporated, of course. The next moment, it felt like a bomb had dropped in his mind.

Fragments of memories situated between consciousness and unconsciousness exploded, filling his mind like shrapnel on a battlefield.

Oh… what is this…

Initially, he was angry at himself, thinking he had been briefly possessed by a mere evil spirit, as Choi Seonwoo had said.

No, I can’t even remember the good parts properly.

Then, he felt unjust that he could only recall the moments he had touched Choi Seonwoo, without any of the sensations. He had wanted desperately to press against that dry skin with something moist and dank.

Having never even kissed someone due to his deeply ingrained mistrust of people, watching that provocative panorama as a bystander felt like another punishment.

Realizing that he viewed Choi Seonwoo in ‘that way’ didn’t seem that significant. After all, it didn’t seem so strange to want someone who fluttered around with such a pretty face.

Even if that someone was a man and a priest sworn to lifelong chastity.

As these thoughts quietly continued, Seo Jihan suddenly noticed a crumpled shopping bag under the bed.

Ah… right, the gift.

He reached under the bed for the neatly wrapped box in the shopping bag and hesitated before leaving the room. Normally, Choi Seonwoo went to bed around 11 p.m. He should still be awake, so just handing over the gift should suffice.

Seo Jihan tiptoed up to the second floor and was about to knock politely when Angela, appearing from nowhere, stared at him from beneath and then smoothly entered through the pet door.

Feeling twisted about knocking while even animals roamed freely, but bearing the guilt of his actions earlier, Seo Jihan dutifully knocked. A voice from inside said, “Come in.” He slowly pushed the door open, starting with his head.

Choi Seonwoo was sitting at his desk, not in his priestly attire but in a T-shirt and shorts. Seo Jihan sneaked a glance at his bare calves and then lowered his eyes before speaking.

“Can I come in?”

“Yes. Come in.”

Choi Seonwoo said, turning his chair as he sat. Seo Jihan entered hesitantly and quickly handed over the box to avoid reminding him of the day’s events.

“This is a birthday gift for you, Father.”

One of Choi Seonwoo’s eyebrows slightly rose—a movement that Seo Jihan noted down without even realizing his own actions.

“Open it.”

Choi Seonwoo nonchalantly unwrapped the package. Despite having experienced such an event earlier, he showed no signs of concern, which somewhat irked Seo Jihan, who couldn’t stay still.

“Wow…”

Choi Seonwoo lifted a necklace from the unwrapped case and let out an incredulous exclamation. The gift was impressive enough to include a certificate.

“Is this diamond?”

“Yeah. Pure gold and diamonds.”

“If I accept this, I’d probably be expelled from the diocese right away. Brother, did you bring this hoping for that?”

Seo Jihan hadn’t expected him to accept it right away. After all, this was the man who had promptly refused an immense compensation offered by his grandfather. Seo Jihan snatched the necklace back from Choi Seonwoo’s hand and spun his chair around.

“Think of the person who bought this and at least try it on.”

Without permission, Seo Jihan hung the necklace around Choi Seonwoo’s neck and turned his chair back. The cross necklace hung over a bright blue T-shirt, glittering under the desk light.

“It looks nice.”

Seo Jihan expressed his admiration purely, his fingers gently caressing the cross for a moment. The gesture seemed to carry a subtly ambiguous meaning like earlier in the day, making Choi Seonwoo’s eyes narrow suspiciously.

“It really suits you, Father, but you won’t accept it, right?”

However, Seo Jihan’s voice only contained a hint of disappointment, unaware of his own implications. Choi Seonwoo looked up at him quietly and smiled faintly.

“Yes. Of course, I can’t accept this.”

Choi Seonwoo unclasped the necklace and handed it back. Seo Jihan accepted it with a half-smile, as if resigned. He had expected this outcome and had already prepared another tactic.

Suddenly, he leaped onto the desk like a sleek animal. Angela, who had been thumping her tail in disapproval beside him, jumped down in surprise.

Not bothered by the disgruntled cat, Seo Jihan took the necklace and hung it where Choi Seonwoo’s graduation photo with Father Miller used to be.

“Just leave it hanging here. I gave it as a gift, but you didn’t accept it. Consider it just something I left here.”

With that settled, he turned with a bright smile. Choi Seonwoo couldn’t help but chuckle.

Leaving it be seemed alright since he’d never take it as his own anyway.

Choi Seonwoo nodded. Seo Jihan’s face brightened even more.

“Okay, then, I’ve delivered the gift, so I’ll take my leave.”

Seo Jihan left the room as if fleeing.

Choi Seonwoo watched the closed door for a moment, then shook his head. Indeed, aside from today’s little incident, it was worth having him in the priory.

Choi Seonwoo set the frame Seo Jihan had left aside on a corner of the desk and opened his laptop. After entering his password, the email he had been viewing before Seo Jihan’s arrival filled the screen again.

The email contained three photos of the eyes of three corpses. Choi Seonwoo carefully examined them.

If he were to trace back the start of such advisory roles, it would lead to his time as an assistant priest in the United States. Back then, Choi Seonwoo had accompanied Father Miller in exorcism rituals, and, unusually, there was an official request for help from the FBI involving a suspect who had massacred a family and was arrested at the scene.

The suspect had consistently claimed to be possessed by an evil spirit and showed signs of severe mental disorder while being hospitalized. The phenomena observed seemed like an evil spirit wreaking havoc, complicating the investigation, which led Father Miller to be consulted.

Despite internal controversies, the suspect turned out to be truly possessed by an evil spirit. The exorcism proceeded. Witnesses included Natasha, the FBI senior agent handling the possessed person’s case, and her partner Jacob.

However, the possessing evil spirit was stronger and craftier than expected. The words it deliberately spewed created small cracks in Father Miller’s otherwise impenetrable faith, and it took the opportunity to possess him.

Choi Seonwoo had to continue the ritual. A demon possessing a priest’s body always tries to corrupt and kill, so there was no time to think otherwise.

He must be killed right here.

That was the only thought in his mind.

None at the scene knew the mere formality of his chanted prayers, nor did they understand the meaning of the black smoke disintegrating into ashes—it simply seemed to the average eye that a strong Holy Spirit had driven out the evil spirit.