Whisper Chapter 3

Lee Heewoo felt a bit melancholic as her grandmother’s body, light as a feather, climbed up the stone steps. She worried that, like the wind, her grandmother might just drift away. When they reached the porch, her grandmother gently touched the back of her hand.  

 

“There must be a reason. Let’s keep dinner simple, my sweet Woo. You, come over here.”  

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The summer day was long, and the light remained.  

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Cha Gyeol glanced briefly at the figure of the grandmother entering the room, then turned his head to look at Lee Heewoo, rising to his feet. His tall stature seemed almost to brush against the low eaves of the hanok.  

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Lee Heewoo bit her lip and hesitated, unsure if she should prepare a meal for the man. Even though it was still light outside, once the sun set, the mountains would be engulfed in pitch-black darkness.  

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“You’re staring too much at my face, kid.”  

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Though the words reached her ears, Lee Heewoo couldn’t quite understand their meaning, her round eyes blinking in confusion. Her mild expression stirred a peculiar cruelty in him. Something so white made him want to sully it—because it looked so easily corrupted.  

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Damn it, what am I even thinking, dragging a kid into this mess.

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Had he caught something from Jang Pal-yong? Cursing himself, Cha Gyeol strode into the room where the shaman had entered.  

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***

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The shaman, Heo Gwiryeon, watched silently as Cha Gyeol ducked his head to step through the small doorway into the room. In her entire life serving the spirits, she had never encountered someone she couldn’t see—someone shrouded in complete obscurity. She had also never seen anyone enter this room with such indifference and composure. Even though she had anticipated it, she couldn’t help but feel astonished.  

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From the way he entered to the graceful motion of sitting on the floor cushion, there wasn’t a single wasted movement.  

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Even the gaze he locked on her was unyielding. This was someone born to reign over others.  

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His energy…  

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Heo Gwiryeon quietly shook her head. Why did it have to be someone like this? A sigh escaped her lips.  

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“How did you know?”  

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The shaman clearly knew. If no one had told him, how else could he have found this place?  

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“You must know what I do.”  

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Her sarcastic response elicited nothing more than a cold, unblinking stare from Cha Gyeol. The room itself, an old-fashioned hanok, seemed to defy time. Though she had supposedly retired, it was hard to believe—there was no sign of anything resembling a shrine. The only hint, if any, was the faint scent of incense lingering in the air.  

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“Then you must also know why I’ve come.”  

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Should he just knock her unconscious and take her with him? He wanted to get this over with.  

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“Why are you seeking out an old woman on the verge of death?”

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Heo Gwiryeon’s snow-white eyebrows furrowed in displeasure, deepening the wrinkles on her brow. She had declared that she no longer gave divinations, and yet greed always found a way. It was her karma.  

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“Whatever the reason is, I have one condition.”

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At her words, Cha Gyeol ran his tongue over the inside of his cheek. He wondered if he had been acting too much like a person—he could very well destroy this house and drag her out if he wanted.  

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“No matter how detached you are from the world, this isn’t acceptable, elder.”  

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“I don’t intend to explain myself.”  

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You wouldn’t believe it anyway. Her calm voice carried stubborn resolve. Heo Gwiryeon’s gaze bore into Cha Gyeol, who filled the small room with an almost mountainous presence. This was someone she was destined to meet—no matter how many lifetimes she lived, their paths would inevitably cross.  

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“What if I refuse to comply?”  

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“…”  

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As Heo Gwiryeon looked at the white light surrounding Cha Gyeol, she let out another sigh. It didn’t suit him at all—this inexplicable purity. Nothing of this world could cling to him.  

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From birth, Heewoo had been able to see spirits, though fortunately, she wasn’t imbued with divine energy. However, if Heo Gwiryeon were to teach her, she could inherit the lineage of shamans. Just as Heo Gwiryeon’s mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother had.  

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The life of serving spirits was an arduous one. Though born as a human, she could not live like one, and though she owned her body and mind, she couldn’t live as she pleased.  

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She wanted to end this cycle in her generation. To prevent it from being passed down to Heewoo, she had fought fiercely against the raging spirits, suppressing them to the best of her ability. But even that had failed, leaving her to be toyed with by the spirits.  

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“There’s a quicker path—you don’t need to take the long way around. The terms aren’t unfavorable for you, so you’d best accept.”  

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Her body, aged and frail, resembled a withered tree.  

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“Elder.”  

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“Please, I’m requesting you.”

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Cha Gyeol’s lips clamped shut. The shaman’s gaze was definitely not ordinary. He wondered if all shamans were like this, but having never encountered one before, he couldn’t be certain.  

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“What is it?”  

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Was it the place? Or the person he was dealing with? Something about the situation was unsettling. The sudden desire to go home and down a strong drink flared up inside him.  

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Heo Gwiryeon’s gaze darkened. Her eyes, swirling with complex emotions, bore into Cha Gyeol as she let out a deep sigh. Just as he was about to lose the last shred of his patience, her lips finally parted.  

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“…Lee Heewoo. That’s the name of the child outside.”  

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Lee Heewoo. Cha Gyeol repeated the name in his mind, thinking it suited her.  

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“My granddaughter. I want you to take care of her.”  

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Cha Gyeol’s eyebrows shot up. His narrowed eyes, lined with a cold triple sclera, emitted a chilling aura.  

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Had this shaman gone crazy? Otherwise, she wouldn’t be making such outrageous requests as a condition.  

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“Keep her by your side.”  

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“Goddammit, what the hell…”  

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A curse escaped his lips. The shaman’s expression didn’t falter in the slightest as she remained composed, her gaze fixed on Cha Gyeol. For once, he was rendered speechless.  

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“What am I supposed to do with her if I keep her by my side?”  

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Heo Gwiryeon didn’t answer. Instead, she turned, opened the bottom drawer of a small cabinet, and pulled something out.  

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Cha Gyeol’s eyes lowered to the bankbook and the seal inside the plastic pouch that were slid in front of him.  

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He felt the urge to smoke.  

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“She’s a child who’s easy to scam. You should hold on to this.”  

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“And you’re entrusting this ‘easy-to-scam’ child to a complete stranger? Why?”  

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He pulled out his cigarette pack and rolled it between his fingers. Was she not even a little afraid that he might do something bad?  

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“You won’t believe me anyway.”  

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“Whether I believe you or not is my choice. But you should at least explain.”  

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Cutting off her words, Cha Gyeol raised the corners of his lips. If she wasn’t crazy, there had to be a reason for her to make such an absurd request, giving a child and a bankbook together. He was curious what kind of goddamn special reason could justify this.  

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“When I leave this place, I won’t be able to come back.”  

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She didn’t have much time left. While she had no issue with dying, she needed to separate Heewoo from her.  

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The man tied to Heewoo would ultimately protect her, Heo Gwiryeon believed. Though she disliked the idea of entrusting Heewoo to the dangerous man in front of her, she knew there was no other way.  

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“Those who seek me might end up learning about Heewoo.”  

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Whenever guests arrived, she would send Heewoo to a small valley behind the house that the girl loved, ensuring she couldn’t be found nearby.  

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As Heo Gwiryeon stared at the closed window in contemplation, she spoke again.  

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“Do you know what a hereditary shaman is?”  

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Rumble.  

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A sound like distant thunder echoed, followed by the roar of pouring rain. The dimly lit room grew quieter, the only sound now the rain pounding against the roof.  

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***

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The flickering candlelight illuminated the dark room. The downpour outside was loud, and the damp air settled heavily, making even Cha Gyeol’s body feel sluggish.  

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Lying on his back with his arm serving as a pillow, he stared at the blurred ceiling and muttered under his breath, “Goddammit.”  

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The humid scent of rain mixed with the smell of the room’s owner clung to him. As he tried to recall the familiar scent, he realized it was a popular baby product from brand J. Clicking his tongue, he shook his head. He himself had used it until the early years of elementary school, but the idea of a twenty-year-old woman using baby products felt absurd.  

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“Damn it, nothing here is normal.”  

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His low voice, coarse as the damp air, was filled with irritation. What was he doing lying here? The absurdity of it all made him grind his teeth in frustration.  

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A place without even electricity. He recalled Lee Heewoo lighting a thick candle with ease.  

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When she carefully handed him a blanket and pillow, he had stared at her indifferently. Flustered by his gaze, she had stammered, “Uh, I washed it yesterday, so it’s clean, c-clean.” Her eyes darted nervously until they met his directly, at which point she bolted from the room.  

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Cha Gyeol’s gaze wandered slowly across the cramped room. Like the shaman’s room, this one wasn’t much different. Aside from a small cabinet and a table, there wasn’t much. On the table were a few books and half-melted candles. Even a monk’s quarters at a temple might be better equipped than this.  

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Turning his head toward the closed door, Cha Gyeol heard the faint sound of the shaman’s door closing with a small creak.  

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“Do you know what a hereditary shaman is?”  

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From the words alone, he could guess roughly what it meant. Yet Cha Gyeol’s gaze had demanded a more detailed explanation from the shaman.  

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She had muttered something strange about seeing a path, which made him wonder if her supposed spiritual ability was real.  

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“Heewoo doesn’t have any spiritual energy.”  

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Perhaps sensing his thoughts, the shaman had spoken with firm conviction.  

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