Whisper Chapter 8

It wasn’t just unpleasant—it was completely unbearable. Outside the mountain, ghosts were more visible. It was a little better when she was with her grandmother since they couldn’t come too close, but being alone was exhausting as she had so much to keep an eye on.

 

Those times when she went to school alone were not fond memories for Heewoo.

 

“Do you like the city that much?”

 

“M-Me?”

 

Heewoo had experienced so little that she didn’t know what she liked or disliked. Secluded from the world, she had resigned herself to it and simply adapted.

 

“Yeah, you do, little miss.”

 

Though she wasn’t aware of it, Lee Heewoo, who had come down from the mountain, seemed like she was floating about a hand’s breadth off the ground. She sparkled all day long, taking in the world without rest. Surprisingly, she wasn’t shy and could easily strike up conversations with strangers. 

 

Cha Gyeol’s brows furrowed slightly as he suddenly recalled her having a similar conversation with Jang Pal-yong.  

 

Jang Pal-yong was not an easy person to talk to. No matter how much he dressed up, he couldn’t shake off his gangster aura.

 

Bold in strange ways, huh, damn.

 

“Aren’t you hungry? Around this time, you usually eat, right?”

 

Distracted by other things, she hadn’t noticed, but as soon as he mentioned it, she felt hungry. Since it was summer and the days were long, it didn’t feel like evening. On the mountain, it got dark quickly, but here, even with the brightness, everything was lit up.

 

“We should hurry back and make dinner, sir.”

 

“Do you expect me to make you cook?”

 

“…Do you know how to cook?”

 

Her body was turned toward the door, but her head was tilted toward Cha Gyeol, which was amusing. Her porcelain doll-like appearance and soft personality made her oddly endearing. Were all kids like this?

 

“How old do you think I am to not know how to cook?”

 

“How old… are you?”

 

Her body, which had been angled toward the door, turned halfway back toward him.

 

“Are you curious?”

 

“Yes.”

 

Just when he thought she was moving, they stopped at a red light. Cha Gyeol turned his head, annoyed at the signal change, only to see her staring at him intently, her eyes red around the edges. She seemed tired.

 

“Is it because you’re a kid that there’s nothing you’re not curious about? I’m thirty-one.”

 

Her lips puckered at the word “kid,” but her eyes widened and her double eyelids deepened at the mention of thirty-one. Her long lashes fluttered rapidly.

 

“Thirty-one… Really, really?”

 

“Really, really. Did I look older?”

 

“N-No!”

 

Heewoo’s body turned fully toward Cha Gyeol. Her large, round eyes fixed on his face. 

 

Of course, she had assumed he was in his twenties.

 

She thought it strange for someone to call her “kid,” but she hadn’t expected such a big age gap. Unconsciously, she bit her lip. At this rate, she couldn’t even bring up anything about how he addressed her.

 

Suddenly, she remembered how a husband, who was three years older than his wife, treated her like a clueless younger sister until the day he passed away. Every evening, he would pick her up from the shrine when it was time to go home, teasing her about whether she could find her way back. His wife would grumble, saying she wasn’t marrying the neighborhood friend’s older brother for such treatment.

 

“Is my age so shocking that you’re sighing over it?”

 

Cha Gyeol glanced at Heewoo, who was sighing with unfocused eyes, lost in thought.

 

“It’s not that… it’s just the age difference… ha.”

 

She couldn’t finish her sentence and sighed again.

 

Was the age difference really that shocking? Cha Gyeol thought about shoving all the cars in front of him out of the way but stopped short of reaching for a cigarette.

 

“Why does the age difference matter, kiddo? It’s not like we’re going to do anything.”

 

Before he could finish, Heewoo suddenly straightened her posture as if she had remembered something.

 

“Sir, are you married?”

 

Normally, people would ask if someone was dating or had a partner.

 

Cha Gyeol, looking at Heewoo staring at him seriously, let the corners of his lips curl up. It was refreshing how her presence didn’t irritate or bother him in the least.

 

Married? Forget that—I haven’t even dated.

 

“No.”

 

“Oh, I see.”

 

Heewoo let out a sigh of relief without realizing it, then tilted her head, finding it strange.

 

Why did she feel relieved? Her eyes followed his large hands gripping the steering wheel. If he held her wrist with those hands, warmth would spread through her whole body. Heewoo, whose body temperature was lower than average, often had cold hands and feet year-round. Though temporary, no effort seemed to keep the warmth for long.

 

But when she touched Cha Gyeol, warmth lingered for several minutes. That feeling, spreading all the way to her chest, was so comforting that she wanted to keep touching him.

 

And then…

 

“Wait, are you relieved? Kiddo, are you interested in me?”

 

“…Would it be wrong if I was?”

 

“…”

 

For once, Cha Gyeol seemed at a loss for words, covering his jaw with the hand not holding the wheel. Having had almost no human relationships, Heewoo occasionally did or said something completely unexpected.

 

“Well, you’re the first person I’ve met like this, and I like being with you. My grandmother isn’t here now, and this isn’t home. When I’m with you, I feel safe and, um, like I’m being protected.”

 

Lee Heewoo muttered to herself, speaking softly as the thoughts came to her, when she heard a faint chuckle.

 

“Why does it hurt my pride when you say you feel reassured and protected, little miss?”

 

The smile on his face was cold. Lee Heewoo hesitated, not understanding what he meant, and cautiously glanced out the window.

 

***

 

After parking in the underground lot of the mansion, he turned to see Lee Heewoo had fallen asleep in the meantime. Clutching the seatbelt with both hands, her sleeping face looked like a doll with its eyes closed. Cha Gyeol, uncharacteristically, paused to observe her. Her flawless, snow-white skin looked as soft as cotton.

 

Cha Gyeol reached for a cigarette out of habit and put it in his mouth. With the cigarette crooked between his lips, he leaned his upper body against the steering wheel, letting his eyes wander over Lee Heewoo’s face.

 

She was a rare beauty. 

 

Young and beautiful, innocent, and with a story to tell.

 

She had all the qualities that made her prone to being taken advantage of. If Cha Gyeol decided to have malicious intentions, she would be an easy target.

 

“Such a kid.”

 

Despite saying she felt reassured, she slept so defenselessly. Had no shaman ever taught her that men were no different than dogs in heat?

 

Her plump lips parted slightly, leaving a small gap.

 

At the same time the thought crossed his mind—that it would be satisfying to force his manhood into her mouth—heat surged down below.

 

“Shit.”

 

Cursing under his breath, he roughly swept back the hair that had fallen into his face.

 

What the hell was he thinking about someone so childlike? Even the most skillful oral service hadn’t been enough to stir any excitement in him, yet here he was, helplessly aroused just by looking at her.

 

Cha Gyeol abruptly opened the car door and stepped out.

 

***

 

‘She’s really pretty, but who could she be?’  

‘A lover?’  

‘No way. That guy’s never brought anyone home before. And you wouldn’t leave a lover to sleep alone like this.’  

‘Is she dead?’  

‘…’  

‘What are you scared for? We saw her move earlier.’  

‘What does that guy even do?’  

‘I don’t know. He went inside earlier and hasn’t come out since.’  

‘He’s such a pain. Really a weird guy.’

 

“Ugh… Can you keep it down?”

 

As the figure stirred in her sleep and mumbled, the three crouched nearby startled and fell back onto their rears simultaneously.

 

‘…Did you hear that just now?’  

‘Was she talking to us?’  

‘It must’ve been sleep-talking, right?’

 

The three huddled together again and stared intently at her sleeping face.

 

‘It had to be sleep-talking.’  

‘Of course.’  

‘That scared the hell out of me. Almost gave me a heart attack.’  

‘Do you even have a heart to lose?’  

‘You just have to be contrary about everything. It’s just an expression.’

 

“Please… quiet down.”

 

‘…’  

‘…’  

‘…’

 

Her eyelashes fluttered, then her eyelids moved slightly. A moment later, her eyes opened and locked with the trio’s before closing again.

 

‘Oh my god! Did you see that? She looked at me!’  

‘Me too!’  

‘Praise the Lord!’

 

Lee Heewoo briefly opened her eyes again, rolled them around to take in her surroundings, and then shut them tightly once more. Though the darkened room was dimly lit, Lee Heewoo, who had spent her life in the mountains, could see everything clearly.

 

The unfamiliar room, the unfamiliar smell, and—more than anything—the unfamiliar yet somehow familiar presences.

 

She had definitely been in a car. Had she fallen asleep?

 

The bed beneath her was soft, and the blanket was luxurious. She had never experienced such an indulgent place to sleep before.

 

‘Miss!’  

‘Is she really a miss? Or a kid?’  

‘Miss or kiddo, can you open your eyes?’

 

Where was the guest who brought her to his house? Lee Heewoo tried hard to block out the whispering voices and distract herself with other thoughts.

 

She had felt safe when she was with the guest. But now, lying here, her face twisted in distress. Though this was the kind of life she’d endured for so long, just one—or maybe two—days of this new life had been so overwhelming that it shook her entire spirit.

 

If she hadn’t known, it might’ve been fine. But now she knew. She knew what it felt like to be by Cha Gyeol’s side.

 

Suddenly, Lee Heewoo sat upright, her eyes scanning the room for the door. The moment she spotted it, she sprang toward it as if in a rush.

 

Note : Conversation marked with -‘’ are being said by ghosts.