Whisper Chapter 21

Lee Heewoo also said that it couldn’t be possible. She had never been allowed to run into the clients, so even she found it strange. Cha Gyeol lowered his gaze and pointed to the melting ice cream with his chin.  

 

Taking it as a sign to eat, Lee Heewoo moved her hand holding the spoon again. Seeing her lips curl up at the taste of the ice cream, despite being sunken in thoughts about her grandmother, made Cha Gyeol smirk.  

 

Even as he did so, his mind continued to work.  

 

The usual Cha Gyeol would have taken the two thousand and handed her over, whether it was strange or not. He wasn’t someone who spared even a fraction of attention to matters unrelated to him, and there was no easier way to make money than giving up someone he had already found.  

 

“Does your grandma perform exorcisms or rituals?”  

 

  

 

– ‘Who’s the client?’  

 

– ‘Oh, come on, President Cha, you know better than anyone that confidentiality is fundamental. Why are you asking?’  

 

  

 

Bullshit. That so-called confidentiality was the first thing to leak from Chief Kim’s mouth, and it leaked often. Chief Kim, who mainly handled cleaning up after celebrities, frequently used the Io Errand Center whenever he had a difficult task.  

 

“No, Grandma doesn’t do exorcisms or anything like that.”  

 

Lee Heewoo stared blankly at the edge of the table, as if lost in thought. She had heard from the aunty that her grandmother didn’t deal with exorcisms or talismans. But her grandmother did write something from time to time.  

 

She had seen inkstones, ink, brushes, and stacks of paper. Occasionally, her grandmother would dress neatly and pray from dawn, and on those days, she absolutely had to stay out of the house. Since she often had to stay outside alone until evening, sometimes the aunty would take her in, but Heewoo found it more comfortable to spend time alone in the mountains.  

 

When she returned home in the evening, her grandmother would be collapsed, nearly unconscious, with bandages on her hands.  

 

“There’s something I don’t know about, isn’t there?”  

 

At the sharp snap of fingers, Cha Gyeol’s murmuring broke through, bringing focus back to Lee Heewoo’s gaze. Cha Gyeol, who had made the snapping sound right in front of her, lifted his sharp gaze as if piercing through her.  

 

– ‘Someone looking for me might also come to know about Heewoo.’  

 

Heo Gwiryeon’s words resurfaced in his mind. That meant that person had already learned about Lee Heewoo. Lee Heewoo clamped her lips together, blinking her large eyes. Her heart pounded rapidly for a different reason.  

 

Lee Heewoo, who had lived an overly simple life, had one and only secret. If Cha Gyeol found out about it…A dark shadow fell over Lee Heewoo’s face. She didn’t want to be treated like a monster by this man. Just the thought of receiving such a gaze from him made her heart tighten painfully.  

 

“They say shamanic abilities are usually passed down. The same seems to be true for your grandmother.”   

 

His voice was low and quiet, yet it struck her ears intensely. With her pale, porcelain-like skin, Lee Heewoo looked like a ceramic doll crafted with the utmost care by an artisan.  

 

“The one thing that’s certain is that your grandma has no intention of passing anything down to you.”    

 

Cha Gyeol looked at her with a gaze that seemed to ask, Isn’t that right?  

 

If he was just going to hand her over, he would have done so already. The fact that he was talking this much meant that he had no intention of letting Lee Heewoo go. And now, he was aware of how much his desire was directed toward her.  

 

Even now, as they sat facing each other, the urge to continue what they had been doing earlier shook him.  

 

The heat pooled deep in his abdomen refused to dissipate. That didn’t mean he had made up his mind to devour her completely, either.  

 

Looking at her face alone was enough to make his non-existent conscience surface, creating an internal conflict he had never experienced before. It was fucking irritating.  

 

Cha Gyeol had never struggled with dilemmas like this.  

 

He had always sought women around his age—those who were plain yet possessed an elegant beauty, women skilled in bed, those who could handle his rough and wild nature without complaint.  

 

“…Why are you suddenly asking about this…?”  

 

“Because I’m curious.”  

 

“…”  

 

“We’ve already shared the same bed and even tangled our tongues, haven’t we?”  

 

A sharp and piercing gaze now carried a heat to it. The contrast between cold and warmth made Lee Heewoo’s pale cheeks flush pink. Her slightly parted lips moved soundlessly, unable to find the words to respond. Cha Gyeol’s long, three-whites eyes curved seductively.  

 

“So, they say you don’t have any spiritual powers. Then what do you have?”  

 

As Lee Heewoo stared at the perfectly shaped lips forming that sly arc, she gasped sharply, inhaling a sudden breath.  

 

***

 

When Jang Pal-yong pushed open the glass door with “Indoor Food Cart” written in red letters, the man sitting alone inside raised his hand. Jang Pal-yong frowned as if displeased with the shabby interior and barely settled onto a plastic chair. The place was half-filled with customers, and their chatter was lively.  

 

The noise was amplified by an old air conditioner and a wall-mounted fan whirring loudly.  

 

He had planned to go home and watch a drama, but since he had been called out, of course, it had to be to a place like this.    

 

“What do you even do with the money you make? Your regular hangouts are always places like this.”  

 

At Jang Pal-yong’s scolding, Chief Kim, who had been drinking alone, chuckled.  

 

“These kinds of places have the best food. It’s got a real ambiance, you know.”  

 

“What nonsense.”   

 

Chief Kim placed a fresh glass in front of Jang Pal-yong and poured him a full shot of soju.   

 

“Director Jang, you look like you’d fit right in here, but for some reason, you hate these places.”  

 

“Damn it. I’ve been to places like this way too much back when I was doing gangster work.”   

 

Jang Pal-yong downed his first shot, thinking he was glad he had left his luxury pouch and suit jacket in the car. Perhaps Chief Kim had already placed an order, as a middle-aged woman brought over a large pot, lit the burner, and placed the pot on top of it.  

 

As soon as the woman turned away, Jang Pal-yong muttered a curse.  

 

“It’s already hot as hell, and look at this goddamn sense. Did you do this on purpose?”  

 

The kimchi stew, packed with chunks of boiled pork, bubbled vigorously. Just looking at the steaming dish made Jang Pal-yong scowl.    

 

“You say that, but you’ll end up eating it all.”    

 

At Chief Kim’s remark, Jang Pal-yong couldn’t bring himself to deny it. He simply clicked his tongue and refilled his shot glass.  

 

“Did you talk to President Cha?”  

 

“Talk about what?”  

 

“I made a request earlier.”    

 

Chief Kim scooped a generous portion of kimchi stew onto a white plastic plate and placed it in front of Jang Pal-yong. Watching him closely, Jang Pal-yong picked up his glass. Normally, Chief Kim made requests through him.    

 

“You know, that shaman.”  

 

“The shaman?”  

 

“The one you guys couldn’t find.”  

 

“And?”  

 

After downing three shots in a row, Jang Pal-yong finally picked up his chopsticks.  

 

“They say she has a granddaughter.”  

 

As Chief Kim took another sip of soju, Jang Pal-yong stared at him in silence. Then, the image of Lee Heewoo, who had come with Cha Gyeol, surfaced in his mind.  

 

“There’s another request. They want us to bring the granddaughter in.”  

 

“You want me to go there again? Is that why you called President Cha?”  

 

Jang Pal-yong responded nonchalantly. He had a good idea why Chief Kim had contacted Cha Gyeol directly, but he seemed to have something else on his mind.  

 

“How much?”  

 

“Two thousand.”  

 

“Two thousand? Ask for more. Just thinking about that damn mountain still pisses me off, goddammit.”  

 

“But, Director Jang—”  

 

“What?” Jang Pal-yong lifted his eyes in response while clearing the empty soju bottles and opening a fresh one.  

 

Having spent a long time cleaning up after others, Chief Kim was naturally quick-witted and nimble. He was a bit of a snake—talkative, slippery—but he had his own sense of loyalty.  

 

“President Cha seemed…”  

 

Chief Kim trailed off, tilting his head slightly.  

 

“Seemed what? Speak clearly.”  

 

“You know I have a good sense about these things, right?”  

 

“Everyone here does.”  

 

“No, I mean, he asked who the client was. Is that like him? He’s the kind of guy who doesn’t even care who he’s burying as long as the job’s done.”  

 

As Chief Kim’s voice lowered, perhaps wary of his surroundings, Jang Pal-yong nodded in agreement. Yeah, that guy was eerily indifferent and cold.  

 

“That’s all he asked?”  

 

“He also asked why they were looking for her.”  

 

Damn it, he’s making it too obvious. Swallowing words he couldn’t say out loud, Jang Pal-yong downed another shot.   

 

“Yeah? So, who’s the client?”  

 

“Im— No, damn it! Director Jang, that’s not the point!”   

 

Momentarily losing his focus due to the alcohol, Chief Kim jumped up in frustration.  

 

“What? I can ask, can’t I? You’ve never been to that mountain? President Cha must’ve gone through hell too. Of course, he’d be grinding his teeth over it. Wouldn’t you be curious about the client?”  

 

Chief Kim stared at Jang Pal-yong, dumbfounded by his seemingly thoughtless demeanor.  

 

***  

 

“You’re not going in?”  

 

As Jang Pal-yong stood motionless in front of the door, Park Sae-min asked in confusion. Instead of answering, Jang Pal-yong placed a finger over his lips, motioning for silence, then pulled Park Sae-min away from the door to a more secluded spot.