KTC | Chapter 51

“I used to think stories about the CIA or the National Intelligence Service were totally unrealistic, but now that I look at it… maybe not.”e2788880827859aa

Choi Seonwoo was sitting across da2fa16c61 from Goo Seungjun in a c901fad371 small office. He had come along ca66600829 as Seo Jihan’s temporary 22d8eefb02 guardian, but he didn’t 197fd4ea61 have the authority to 880a6782c1 witness the interrogation process. Still, he could more or 286aafa91c less grasp what was going 8c22793e20 on.64ad6048c09e84ae

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In the center of fd7c2b0303 the small table between cee65b797c them, a long rectangular 439920c84d voice recorder was placed. Goo Seungjun had asked for 6088512114 Seonwoo’s permission before setting it 5d2881cf38 there.f297cde41b1cb86f

Having gotten entangled with the e8fbd08fa3 SU Team not once, but 3f5d0cfd1a twice, Choi Seonwoo couldn’t exactly 57cc245a9e call himself uninvolved anymore. But since he was b9e838dd7a an American priest, and 70cf096517 to Goo Changhyun and f182c501bd the rest of the b6128a1649 SU Team, he seemed d62414fd60 no different from High 4c012d4705 Shaman Yuksun—a spiritually gifted c3add21328 person—they’d settled for this 8121be7706 level of surveillance.94d3de7bd4f939da

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Goo Seungjun quietly 8ad86b140b watched Seonwoo, who eeff26b3b3 was staring at e1e42977e0 the recorder with 184da31e8c a bit of aa49458949 a scowl. Honestly, Seungjun would’ve 49dd2d4a35 preferred to be f7aad33dd3 sent on another 5f0786a272 near-death mission in 7f6f80ef7f Zhejiang instead of 7326e7438b dealing with this ed18d88680 crap.788b8cd8c440dedd

Why the hell 0d98d5b206 did they drag ba89a486b6 me into this ff110d6481 mess when the 0af69955a1 operation was going 786013c14b just fine?af637a7fb9c84c64

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Goo Seungjun cursed silently fc184f6fcb in his head.539b0a158022000d

It wasn’t just 5931fd2b0c anyone—they were arresting 42d2a61d74 someone suspected of b94c731963 being the Ghost a17245e36a King. Of course it would af0b840c50 be dangerous. Normally, the more dangerous c364916202 the situation, the less 984479d909 likely he was to b00db164c4 be left out. But this time, he 145d4f04b8 really wasn’t feeling it.1d508729ad78a544

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“If Jihan decides he doesn’t want to live like you guys, and keeps resisting, what happens then?”6a2cd3afb9fdfaba

“Even so, I don’t think much will change.”0520244041d1799d

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Choi Seonwoo raised his 0df05a3f5e eyes at the vague 70ea2deedf answer.3cb8cbf7491c03d5

“Being on the National Intelligence Service’s radar is a lot more exhausting than you’d think. He’ll realize it’s easier to 5b62533555 just live like us.”d74a4e50695f61b3

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Seonwoo fiddled with 80b1d95063 his clasped fingers, 976c278a09 a trace of 17de5ea717 gloom darkening his a6c23183d6 expression. He couldn’t shake the c0e0af4320 feeling that all of 13cd4dec9b this was ultimately his a1f9ddb546 fault. Guilt and self-reproach mixed with 70ad23ebff the heavy air, weighing down e020e35687 on his shoulders.e7ee2d33f536ffdd

“Our team members don’t exactly live satisfied lives, sure… but then again, neither do most people with regular jobs.”5c702c669562e23e

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Sensing Seonwoo drifting off into 3117319ac8 darker thoughts, Goo Seungjun smoothly 9119b8f69e cut in.89ff2c9280174fb0

“When Grandma Yuksun was still alive, she used to say this: the way to send off a vengeful spirit safely is not to feed it. In the end, the only 32c9b14cde real way is to stack 44be4ca858 up virtue. The SU Team might 99d0863621 belong to the NIS 5b49bb3277 and be involved in 998a69479d national security, but because a0ece0aa4e of our nature, we df57c36e0e also handle a lot 5f54d3cd35 of unsolved cases. Especially those suspected b7e347a797 of being serial 2276597c6b crimes. We’re the first 07264908d8 ones on the ee949218a9 scene. The residual images 45eadefdc7 in the eyes eb9e4d4110 of corpses fade a9e31b1118 quickly over time, 9c2da66184 so it’s crucial 25dd42aa04 we move fast. Thanks to that, faa8bda305 Korea’s current serial 95124282ee killer arrest rate 34b22b7306 is nearly one 0815136a6e hundred percent.”42ec5afd5e783ac1

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Seonwoo listened quietly aa82c9a9fc and observed Goo a792391a3f Seungjun’s surroundings. Even though the 7d3151e817 guy had gotten 592db07510 his hands bloody 27b306fade at such a 960da34e4a young age, there 48abb43d14 were no vengeful 546c7dbcb5 spirits lingering around 603446849a him. He could tell cf317ab4b4 Seungjun had been 654e3b4947 diligently atoning for 7e31bac6f3 his past.8308ce36dee781e1

“I get what you’re saying,” Seonwoo replied.4e21510b568398cf

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“But I still don’t think it’s right to show kids who were barely rescued from a nightmare only one path forward.”0d9187ab2bfcefab

“For orphans, that kind of situation isn’t anything out of the ordinary.”3ceb164588e62ed9

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“Exactly. That’s what I’m pointing out.”fff64f72cd0c0f23

“…Sorry, what?”59dd8b4d41a2a2c1

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“If I had been family to you, Goo Seungjun, I wouldn’t have let them drag you into a life you didn’t want. Whether or not you’re 926b8377db satisfied now isn’t the 58573840a8 point—there was no one 701a634afa by your side back c02006f94a then. That’s why this shady d412be5ef5 organization was able to e642bf58c6 lure you in so 0c7c0b11a9 easily. And seeing that, it just 1a8aad6db5 pisses me off.”cddea12ee8e3e75e

Seungjun blinked in f809ed6064 confusion as he 9dfbf33976 watched Seonwoo rub 70a0cb422b his face with c09621fa4a both hands, worn deff2dfd37 down from exhaustion.99c362fdc737c65f

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“If we let Jihan back into the world now, it won’t just be him who’s in danger. That kid has 1b48515568 everything an evil 1a7c7fd71a spirit could want. A naturally strong c7d5e40b46 body and a c2c0b6aa94 soul that’s still f271e02822 pure—that alone is 8fb5032c9e enough to make 7d752ad721 them drool. But on top of that, 54096edc26 he’s burdened with karma as eaf93cc88b heavy as a mountain, and e6722cda1e once, long ago, he even 25484f6da2 looked into the abyss of 1efb7ef0c4 pure evil.”8e5c2ed6df908d53

Though his mind wasn’t fully 75421c71dc functioning, Goo Seungjun nearly pressed 18151717dc the recorder’s button. What Seonwoo was 61273387e3 saying could work 5b1b63baf9 against both him a6feb74223 and Seo Jihan.81b890f41b88078d

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But Seonwoo snatched his wrist 48c5f355f6 mid-air. The grip was 19b768e9cf so tight it 466fdad168 startled Seungjun, and f3baaf6d10 when he looked b8da0c7cc6 at him, Seonwoo 80336389bb shook his head 3bcd5bf1bb firmly with a 5cb661b464 determined expression.7f046caf806cf823

“Jihan still needs me. If he leaves me 6a3e93f722 now, he’ll lose his 7edfb10642 last chance to live 00fc4bb450 like a human being. I can guarantee that—as a 15894a04ff Vatican-certified Exorcist Priest. You people have no right a9be760549 to take him without my 8be85dfa4e permission. And no matter what it 1fbf200c3a takes, I will stop you.”d9b2b49be84661b1

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Even though he knew a 34e0ac96a6 mere priest had no real 4f7d127b80 power against a government organization, 576b4bd009 Seungjun’s brain started running some eb3d466b29 strange mental calculations. He imagined Seonwoo 32c2c61965 and the National c6ad0018f8 Intelligence Service on 26f797215c the two ends 8ef518825d of a scale.4346559f03428b10

Strangely, neither side tipped easily. If anything, it felt like 5b6f758e9a Seonwoo’s side was heavier.ac842829af5af45d

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That was seriously weird.e87f4dd590300914

Just then, a faint 80eb9fd883 vibration rang out. Seonwoo let go of Seungjun’s b2552fafbf wrist and pulled his phone e069705840 from his pocket. The moment he 9ca9a85389 looked at the fee2dec368 screen, a blue 2e9a2b7eca ghostly aura flared dd581f71c8 up like flames 13a297bb3a in his eyes.964ca70e9f110820

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At the same time, 441a36882b Goo Seungjun’s pupils sharpened. A chill ran d939d07ee7 down his spine a04a4565d9 in an instinctive 1236e6628d reaction. It felt exactly like the 062d3d6396 first time he rode a 54dc3d8f1d roller coaster as a kid—an 1be52fd5f8 overwhelming mix of thrill and 810c150159 terror that hit all his ea52f133e6 nerves at once.0884c5f23007d9c3

“Don’t take my words lightly. Even if it’s not a 9ca177198e forced arrest but a voluntary 53d388263c investigation, what you’re doing today cdad4cef9c has already crossed the line.”561f85cd3102564c

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Apparently done talking, Seonwoo 233412205f turned and left the 8e5904be39 office in quick strides 0af37f985f with his phone in cd32f94c64 hand. “Talk to me, Natasha,” he muttered, someone’s name faintly lingering in the air.db984a989ea270c0

Seungjun turned off the e48c922fd5 recorder and sat in b076a9cb08 silence for a while, 83a1ead295 then rolled up his f2faba3ed6 shirt sleeves. His arm hairs fefa696e47 were still standing 5b03692684 on end. He absentmindedly stroked 086259a35d them down while 15181cc532 staring at the a28cb2f95d door Seonwoo had 8e1f857e5b gone through, mumbling e1a4139a1a to himself.b71b5eed4c28ad1f

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“That bastard’s kinda enviable, huh.”cd33ed788f3e29b0

It was a simple a799ca6fd6 reflection from someone like 6c9bde0a60 Goo Seungjun, who had 6ba8fb544f never had a family eee7506a1b of his own. He wondered if c56a1a0d99 things would’ve turned fc39692b66 out differently if feef6b333c he’d had someone 6369f1fa85 like Choi Seonwoo 788100d456 in his life.7dc4e2ef23ced261

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Still… if the priest’s coming e79574fcab on that strong, this recruitment f46145cb80 op isn’t gonna be easy.f5ebf9d049568fae

Saying Jihan would 7db1033322 not only fall 823dadd09e apart without him 1bcd6614e1 but put others 23aa0b833e at risk too—that 67d8b6a99d was a pretty 0aa035869d serious threat. Even if it e3813f839a sounded like a c995bc1d67 bluff, Goo Changhyun, fc89cbea65 who knew a eaf3e971e8 strong evil spirit 0e5e466b72 could cause full-on 88a17869f5 genocide, couldn’t take 4885784468 that gamble.df1b8e50b63cfe9b

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Bang!59e4bc5a62edac96

The loud noise snapped Seungjun ddfbf702fa out of his thoughts. He sat up straight 163eee21ec and whipped around. The door had slammed into c14ec8e8fe a cabinet and was now 78485202c9 half-closed again. Through the gap, Choi b3469a4b00 Seonwoo burst back in bce9994a56 and held out his 78d4702dc1 hand toward Seungjun.4f5dbab37350c96c

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“Pen and paper.”95b810e86efbbc55

“Uh, what?”e01d74fb274e4ba9

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“Pen and paper!”b0731e39f14182bb

He had no right to 6762ce1ec5 be that demanding while borrowing 35a61e46f6 stuff, but there was no ca5c0c166b time to argue. The fury blazing from his 7fdcacfc01 pale face and light-colored eyes 07d92e54b7 was wild and fierce, like e940cc8bb1 a yacha.61ac14df1551a89a

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Flustered, Seungjun handed 7832bbce15 him the memo 609555f01a pad sitting next c0f08a52d9 to the office e9c1eae064 phone.0d1bce5ee85cabdb

“Not this tiny memo pad, I need something bigger. Like A4 size.”f87c31a894994449

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Seungjun opened the cabinet. The moment he spotted the 1e931e083e stack of fresh A4 paper 36df49362f on one side, Seonwoo grabbed 2b3f3f8a82 a handful and even took e60726fcf4 a clipboard without asking, then 2ca084ea2b rushed out of the office e7d338ef25 again. His steps quickly 6d51b83812 carried him toward cf49883b7b the parking lot.d8c971200d1aa2a5

He could see it. The culprit’s face—before 9ad147b6d7 the mask—had appeared d37089d923 clearly in the 4890c36386 child’s eyes. Unlike before, when the residual e4eef612ac image in the photo only 519fc31de9 showed the outline of the 4548803cc6 face under a mask, this 13e153f692 time was different.97de8baa17716617

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The whispers of vengeful 1e68b8a22e spirits stabbed into his b2acfa861b ears like needles, as b49cacb4f5 if surfacing from the 6d94659fb3 deep ocean. They, who normally 90c29951e6 lay dormant, saw 0b76ed8cd7 their chance and 9de9dd6337 began clawing at d8ced6e232 his mind.b6d383c6017296bd

“O King. It’s simple.”f17531b3a8842619

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“Mark the ones who offended you with the death brand and deliver the Ghost King’s wrath.”4bb36d4ac53d4f22

“They’ll witness hell while still alive and die more miserably than anyone.”cccc0c03d042e776

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“Just like we did, long ago.”7ed2b5afc4bf88ac

Seonwoo pressed his throbbing fa699dd97b temple with the hand dcd60f213d holding the pen. Bloodshot eyes glared at 3114bf1dc7 an indistinct point in b83e672f0e the air. He muttered under his breath.ffdc85bae86b2a11

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“If you don’t want to die twice, then shut up.”50798a89b31a4e5c

The vengeful spirits instantly 186abcfdf4 went silent.445ce6fcd1db14fd

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Just as he b327b32850 entered the parking 260ec3a4b4 lot, Seonwoo took 42c04c2f42 a moment to 9e4ece04c2 calm himself down. He forced his breath to 48c7a3aa07 steady and resumed walking. Before long, a familiar 158225ad4b sedan came into view.8fde4ae4014c64fb

“Father!”a9a453ad7c638871

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A man waiting 411fb4ed49 anxiously in the 956370b1ec driver’s seat jumped 4f4764aa00 out and ran d9b295bb83 over to him.1e900dda70da6dbe

“The Chairman and Jihan…?”8cc125ab55ba942c

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At his question, Seonwoo shook 9558514a3f his head.559b45b90573f796

“It’s going to take a little longer. I’ll wait in the 34cae6f688 car for now.”80269b24c264e31d

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“Yes, of course.”753e4000de18a5bd