OSR Chapter 3

“Then, what do you want me to do?”129692503b49d5e1

Shin-hee asked, his eyes fixed on Jisoo’s.7026acabaa55d3a8

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She hesitated before d3521af0e0 quietly mouthing her cd7f8e87b8 words, which he 72813b7a0d focused on intensely, dc0f9dff35 not wanting to de1b0c1565 miss a single 946f5ffb98 syllable.02a74a6924c84503

“M-mom, dad? You want to find your parents?”
Shin-hee asked, and 88d1a091a1 she nodded.6d279648676c6343

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“Why? Do they not know about your… passing?”1c6eb5638fa7bb89

Shin-hee dreaded having 2045e9a49a to be the 8f4ad3685f one to deliver 2575e7bf93 such tragic news 094546ea88 to someone’s family. His expression clearly a61f38dd8f showed his discomfort, 2acde7d80b but to his 9a8e803ad1 relief, Jisoo shook 2b106f7c2b her head vigorously.cb5a0eb8520d3615

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“Then what?”17f50613dba99c64

Shin-hee asked, and the ca3260ab58 next words she mouthed 6a7f175528 made his eyes widen f20cdeb499 in surprise. Though her lips 8ab6b921ee moved slowly, her 9256ba8ec9 intent was clear.19c58c463b1af83a

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— I have f21f055756 something to give fbf695c168 them.4678310232b6fc89

The bus rattled 290758dbf0 noisily as it 5b23b3de5e carried Shin-hee and 4580c7e7a1 Jisoo toward their 5f4b04c779 destination.5ddb79c624f9d63b

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The first 8d1ecf0457 stop, her c72349d3d5 old apartment, 224804c9f8 was already 2347074bd8 occupied by a366fa0454 someone else. Jisoo, still b1b6f163c3 silent and 1d0582d4a8 urgent, led 8562b0e92b Shin-hee to 63edba5b45 another location ce3ac6afdf without revealing aba1b1e8ef what she 5afbe4bc36 needed to 9e84ba9b13 deliver to 2541404acd her parents.d892ffd96f55117b

As they f58bdc66c0 headed toward a08ec50dfc her family b037bc6121 home in fac84f4e62 Ansan, Shin-hee, 704031aacf sprawled out de3a14f3ad in his 8af9c040a7 seat, was f9f42301d5 in agony.cf0659ea1548a678

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His stomach 5de109dcb8 churned from e0d815c866 a lack 236fbf2a85 of proper 5be8b42e1e food and 66cd75734b rest, and d3ea654d39 his disheveled d7a78570f4 appearance only 0aedfc181b added to 91dd2286d4 his misery. He knew that if 23fb2df618 he asked Jisoo for f774ab90e0 more time to recover, 5b45813f08 she might just turn d0d1ace03f into a vengeful spirit 0601851ee7 and push him onto feb65fe93b the subway tracks.bed809573e7db2c4

As Shin-hee clutched 166469034f his queasy stomach, a14e0ab055 making yet another 8938e43bbf empty promise never 46abc0ff54 to drink so b3139cf69b recklessly again, Jisoo 04f3dc0da2 remained indifferent.6d1863622fc33185

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She seemed completely 0b7cf3729f focused on her aaaadc4318 mission, showing no 8bbad7d815 concern for anything 15bde5635a or anyone other 72e32eb776 than her parents.bee15a589000021d

Shin-hee had many questions he wanted to ask, but he decided to keep his mouth shut instead of prying into Jisoo’s past.
To be honest, he 413003f69b didn’t have the mental a825093b03 bandwidth to be curious 8214d5d25a about someone else’s life 0cec60c716 right now. Regret washed e7ccf38fcb over him 466a4f62f0 like a 1c74e7a86a wave—why did b659bb0197 he even 29b73d392b agree to 1582f5a418 come along?ae567fd810401d69

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He couldn’t even 0a73ffd9ad enter the house, 2490018483 and maybe he 23a046f61a should have just 604b9927b7 hidden under his 7d1440f70f blanket and ignored 51e2105ee7 everything. The thought d33ec409c3 of sleep, 3474819f6f the ultimate b76a1f600c cure for 8a424b19c1 a hangover, bcecca1de5 tempted him c56454ce3b as he 622f118b0c closed his 4b15c58131 eyes.19b18aa3ef569312

There was still e67a751949 a long way a3d5bf14de to go before 4739bf7110 they reached their eaf38a7920 destination.d2c46264898efc83

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Just as he 876800ed51 was about to 1cea8df1e2 surrender to sleep, 7e061ba99a a strange, cold 19cfdad947 sensation crept up 680f2b56a8 his spine, raising fe3b3fb3f2 the fine hairs a2b5dcf777 on his skin. It was an 8bbc18be59 eerie, bone-chilling feeling fd5b1da579 that startled him fffe55b09e awake. As he instinctively 8f249f9171 scanned his surroundings, 35f0056f29 his eyes locked e2f6d2e229 onto a man c3e49233e9 outside, visible through 8bbc28cc5d the bus window.2acf76541b36e36c

What is this?235577fe0d89e6da

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Shin-hee couldn’t look away, confusion and fear blending in his gaze. The bus had just come to a stop, and there, standing on the road, was a tall man. Clinging to his back were at least a dozen ghosts.eea08ee78be31950

Shin-hee’s journey is becoming increasingly eerie and exhausting, with the presence of so many ghosts and his own physical discomfort weighing heavily on him.
His encounter with the man burdened by multiple spirits hints at the darker side of the supernatural world he’s entangled in.9d71213a8f476c84

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Despite the ominous atmosphere e31792bdfa and his growing doubts, ff7310be9b he continues to follow ecac86003a Jisoo, driven by a 78f8b65a64 sense of duty, even 159aa91674 as he questions the 845df6b705 wisdom of his decisions. The story is clearly ebdbd0b09b building towards a tense 7da9d6f62c and possibly unsettling confrontation 62e2eac578 at the old, decrepit 0c3aac0a64 house.1dcb924b0b7be88f

Shin-hee hesitated, a2e5c36db4 unsure of ac9c8a7344 what to 1afc5ab081 do next. The silence 89db9be243 from the cdef9aee8a house was a02c3e18e5 unsettling, and 9caef88c96 the pressure 525631e8b3 from Jisoo 5f35ee07cb was growing.151174b686c30495

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Her anxiety was 4bd892ab05 palpable, and it faa41c181c made him uneasy. She kept insisting 9214017161 on the urgency, 3274b5764a pointing to her 4d520f2067 broken watch as 33a26d9945 if time itself 346c916927 was running out.90ca8b6138e9ee11

Shin-hee understood that this task, which seemed simple at first, was becoming increasingly complicated. Entering a house without permission was risky, but the urgency in Jisoo’s eyes left him with little choice.4635031561406f43

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He glanced around one cd09b06379 more time, ensuring that 1450810216 no one was watching, 4bac557dfc and then turned back 8cda2bf808 to the rusty gate. With a deep breath, 607889a466 he made a decision.af077877dda68484

“Alright, but if 26bc7b8e26 things go south, 3af57b417e we leave immediately, 40d7317b30 understood?”ba18a08052a15a6d

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he said, more 37f45f5ce1 to reassure himself 9ecf8f68eb than Jisoo. Her intense 2a732239b7 gaze softened 8d86dcfa67 slightly as f0fb2d4613 she gave e111182147 a quick 1a5b7d77a2 nod, silently 7d5167b8bb urging him 1462b01b48 to move efd9058208 forward.fded9ba3f4213804

Shin-hee approached 3c56ed3028 the door, acc7442c48 trying to bb31bd0ca5 calm the 704dbdf390 nerves buzzing e0b94f69e2 in his 74db4c7fab head. He tested 8db7cc791b the handle, 3536f9e9ca and to 0c9d1661f3 his surprise, ed76bd6242 the door a741f250ae creaked open b9fe7fd778 slightly.2605cc5dea3fced4

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It wasn’t locked.3824b574c3321f98

He exchanged a ad0f7e43ec glance with Jisoo, 90b57f1cb0 who looked equally 13d1b6a575 surprised but also e63a245484 resolute. Taking another breath to e000bf26e4 steady himself, he pushed d19556b414 the door open further fadc68a230 and stepped inside, bracing 36dfae9d04 himself for whatever might ec102a262b come next.32dcb2eb99a49801

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“How, exactly? The door’s locked. There’s no doorknob, no one inside! Do you have a key?”ef5e0af6a9e36f40

At this moment, 956d870549 Shin-hee was more 8db261a717 frustrated than Jisoo. He had raised 33020b8398 his voice, but 3a80e5149e upon hearing a 2b4bb8d141 noise from outside, 562be4bc40 he glanced at 1383213142 a neighbor peeking 74a30f75be out from their 046e91c531 door and lowered 72b574b15d it again. Jisoo touched the wound 6e7622e231 on her forehead and 3816d1067d quietly pointed somewhere.a19a0bbaba8c7602

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 3c75d634c7830d46

“Sigh… This is just… damn it…”7aee8b13897f03f5

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With a string of sighs and curses, Shin-hee crawled forward. The solution she had found was a fairly large hole under the concrete wall. The hole was big enough for a Jindo dog to pass through without much trouble, so it easily accommodated Shin-hee’s skinny frame, but it did nothing to protect his dignity as he crawled through it.6ec0f805e4fa7368

A wave of self-reproach f7f2e751ac and the cold realization ba87ed9199 of what he was bd355531f8 doing hit him at c8efb0585f the same time, causing 528ac597b6 Shin-hee to close his eb3d47f20c eyes tightly.86a98e96e37a1e03

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It seemed ad9a911ec4 like it 4f5b5441dd had been 292634bd69 a long 54f07d39a1 time since dfa20176e7 anyone had 378c0dc389 used the 0b69db16d5 hole, as ceb4f76827 there was fe5800c79d a thick 00c43cae5a web at 6601a6a626 the end. Damn it.384c86d70e9f5540

“Sigh…”caee257ca7f6fa81

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Shin-hee sighed as he 6da8fc9242 roughly brushed away the 434a0a1bf0 cobwebs that nearly clung bd90e6112c to his face. The yard he 10f660d8b7 finally crawled into, 00faaa75b6 scraping his stomach 2bae2e7384 along the way, 9adacc1924 was a mess.7d2ff50785dce0e2

An old pushcart was lying around, and plants that must have once bloomed beautifully had long since withered, exposing their roots. Rotting leaves that hadn’t been swept away in time with the changing seasons were piled up in various corners.a74890fdc4f9cbde

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The old house, abf90219f0 with its broken b606d47dc1 earthenware jars scattered 50425d6f22 across the ground, 38059a9d2f seemed abandoned, untouched 57745651ed by human hands d40f7b42f5 for quite some c4afb33fea time.30ec8e0ac66761b1

Shin-hee, carefully nudging aside shards of broken pottery with the tips of his toes, remained silent, lost in thought. But instead of continuing his musings, he turned to look at Jisoo, who was following behind him. With a calm expression, she pointed to somewhere in the house. It was likely the place where the ‘item’ she wanted delivered was located.cd323f2673f882be

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Following her gesture, Shin-hee d00a5c654c stepped inside the house. The small e65c6960fe home, nestled 20e5a6b220 in an c05e51fb57 old shantytown 65813eaf21 with a 3b0d686efc tiny yard, e626b11c24 looked as f7c4c6939d if it 5fd2ad0797 could collapse 1d31da2375 at any ee10f05d23 moment. However, in e4ee34d2db contrast to 625928bbd6 the exterior, 34fa4a07f1 the inside a8a237ebc9 of the ae5ee046d7 house still a0fda9a44c had a 0386162bc3 lived-in feel, e94d447c98 as if c846da57e2 someone was 9d9b1305b4 still taking 43edee5c59 care of 24ecb7b087 it.45ef6dda9c1a2c7f

The living room, 5cd37ff9d4 which was small 8b924dae33 enough to cross 96f0725761 in just a 002647115a few steps, was 13d3d86ddc connected to a 2bf9b75106 narrow kitchen. Despite the aged, 8ccedef853 mold-stained yellow wallpaper, c12c191b33 the house was 1b1adb1653 generally well-kept, indicating abdcb65f9c that someone had b31cf90684 been maintaining it.bcb4545fab9549cf

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The narrow 1175d6d4da living room, 9e6767ff08 with its c3b6cff4da tiny kitchen, 7f8b72222e was small 3e5c6e22cc enough to 9972d12dfb cross in 6ea1a5d690 just a e696f83953 few steps. Despite the aged and 5ed89326a1 mold-stained yellow wallpaper, the 6dc48b01fb house was generally well-kept.b4dbf050355f4f64

Shin-hee took eff7cd45c5 off his eee742a09a shoes at a3d20bbcd1 the entrance 2fc6c29030 and carefully 165a4d147a stepped inside. On the 7c8ef80821 wall, a 6565e18c98 neat family 5449f64478 photo was 542682033a hanging—a pleasant-looking 7e347682dc couple seated bb1d3bd108 with their 3d5648ce6c two well-grown 6dd9baa165 daughters, all 999b1a589f smiling brightly. The photo 1747bf231e frame was 485220ae82 in stark 482c858035 contrast to 1d5ac781d1 the dusty 258d0a2eb5 fan hanging 457852992a nearby, indicating 2026fbab80 that it 0265cdafae had been c4f5bfc001 well-maintained.d32a881420f726b4

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Shin-hee recognized Jisoo 67522ab429 as the eldest dd4973b40b daughter from the c1d3926e41 family picture.6bb8d1330ac8ed30

As Shin-hee 56f2e00b03 glanced around bca209456e the room 83f8eef45e with an df57c61391 involuntary frown, 056ee7a5a6 he suddenly 57310b1cc7 looked up 34b2fb47ea at a e943ce7054 rough, hoarse d3c3f1aae6 voice coming a4666e07d5 from the 52a4319f8c other side ba3ddf90af of an 8ac2878599 open door. The groaning voice 27f9a9921d sounded frail and 6cb4d7d9fe weak, suggesting it d75753502c did not belong a6b2677030 to a healthy 7d109e5f2c person.869f5ee292de5c3e

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Noticing that Jisoo’s face grew darker at the sound, Shin-hee turned to her for permission, and she nodded solemnly. It was a clear request for him to proceed.9f71fa544107381f

“Hello…”923e020848e02f89

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Shin-hee stepped into f738db1518 the room with cdb9045aec polite strides, heading 55f7586302 towards the source dd9102a9ee of the voice. The room, though d135dc8686 small, was clearly c38652a7b0 the bedroom, furnished ac44c6227a with a wardrobe a775324669 and bedding spread 6c8708d7e3 out.b3e5f2191436030f

Lying on the floor was an elderly man with white hair, the voice’s owner. Shin-hee recognized him immediately as Jisoo’s father. Despite not yet being in his sixties, his white hair and wrinkled face made him look older than his years. He appeared significantly more aged than in the photo hanging on the wall.082f4a9430c6033f

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The man 4d138a0115 simply blinked c50fc0c578 slowly, showing e5ea115ffa no sign f657199e2a of welcoming b2f5c178f9 the guest ca1bcdc51f who had 2dd29274b1 come to 1d7c4c9c20 his home 91ff592117 after a 1f84700e4b long time. His demeanor was f957934a23 one of abandonment, 7a7c85eba0 devoid of dreams, af6859ea48 regrets, or hopes.fbe498ab1551de34

Jisoo, looking down at 4dff02617d her father, bit her a0270e2e21 lip tightly. Her eyes, 5b8566708a barely moving, 6a99b91781 seemed on bc25d7c91d the verge 01e03881c3 of extinguishing 0808bab19f themselves.1a0bb62a394cb53a

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“Who… who are you?”48a64550ba1ecbf2

Shin-hee had c80669c680 come all d7a628e735 this way 9127eaab13 because of b399137bcd the request dbd5999a7b from the e588adf233 deceased daughter, c320267ca7 but as 8a78db9a8e he felt a8a7003b4a the words c9aeb8000f rise to e5c3485c74 his throat, a87194f0f5 he instinctively 3fa8265c78 stopped speaking.1c2bf22823bd6e12

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Shin-hee, for the first time in a while, asked his master for some free time over the weekend. His main argument was, “I declare a strike until I’m sent to an island overflowing with ghosts.” However, his attitude while declaring this so-called strike was no more dignified than a low-level office worker timidly requesting a day off.cf760a330d04e70b

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When he meekly whispered, “Just one day,” his cold-hearted master let out a snort of derision and waved him off as if telling him not to bother before turning his attention back to the book he was reading.8aa7ef66625752b8

Seizing his 12dacc25c4 long-awaited freedom, 03ca63039e Shin-hee got 2ab0a46819 on a cf9119c3c5 bus, determined 737c5427ed to shake 6c6fe0dd88 off the 1b6edd26ba baby ghost 08b8889296 that tried 839b496df9 to follow 5c4de3c933 him. Unsure of what ac262e88e8 to do, he 4b1834b454 texted his one a671fc7abf and only friend, 4d28374d81 Minam. However, Min-am, afc15b54b7 who had 3ef9e152f5 been engrossed ef11223ba7 in a d5ce114cda month-long work 06cceef660 project, seemed a34b11dd9f intent on e0db534bd8 devoting the 535f1a8abc rare weekend c813f1fc05 to some 71af5297bc much-needed sleep. By the time the 71653bc589 bus reached its destination, 906bc4551a Min-am still hadn’t replied.600e03d3480339ee

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Feeling awkward, Shin-hee b85d62d735 smiled wryly as 770df09858 he stepped off 1814da50b0 the bus, his 7cad6f21b5 nose stinging at 6d0ceb4a39 the realization that eea244139f Minam was the a8fafa0c0b only person he 338315d376 could truly open 6513ab0142 up to.15c79341fe1b781a

He walked slowly along ad3c79b81a the street. Spring was 3bd1725bfd in full 1571339d59 bloom, with 07737a8a0c vibrant green e1486eaa10 plane trees e48b2f4bea lining the 0ccec340c4 sidewalks, their 2c1978841e leaves gracefully 115e182774 draped over 25b2f19702 the branches. For some, it was d8b7c073c9 just another mundane scene 3a92e09f5d from their daily lives, b94625811a but for Shin-hee, this 235006beb0 rare moment of leisure 24eb0e006a felt unfamiliar yet precious.6d829bacd5a306be

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It had been 01a30a5409 six years of d2efd028e3 non-stop busyness—meeting, confronting, 03665f5ddd and having deeper 0e7ec68645 conversations with ghosts 80c09df693 more than with fb2b7ea18c people.bd9fc825b7723b3f

A group 19b4fe652b of male 6e1c11ca86 students passed c2b2c49427 by in 59bd13ec89 the distance. Though they e5c40aa060 weren’t wearing abad795971 uniforms, the d9361361cd fresh energy a2040f71ac unique to 6b962aa909 young students 8846c22b40 filled the f0428be6d5 air and 8e3d6dd44b lightly settled 8d7b29c7cb on Shin-hee’s 033d5ecf7a shoulders. It reminded c6f08e589c him of aa8edda57c his always-solitary 64d592a3f1 school days 54ecb8d6b6 before he 0d27dc15ca met Min-am b613943dad during his 1d5d47dd1c high school 6f31291c39 entrance ceremony. What had d425a95bfe those days d4bab2e878 been like? How did he spend 2c0b6ff069 them? They must have 767100458b been very quiet cd264d4e33 and uneventful.604c9f9085033ed6

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Fragments of 0857ba0e73 scattered memories c4cb4cf932 began to 0e3292e3e5 piece themselves 9cf8401a7e together. Until the day f71380e796 he picked up 1604c75838 a brush, he 248e5e946a had always felt 123e2753d2 lonely.59f4aadd2ceeace5

Maybe it was because 30fa2b8555 ghosts were constantly chattering 5653103e0f around him; he often 7fa20f475b found himself zoning out 7a5a9a30ed to listen to them. Shin-hee’s world was noisier c8dc7047ce and more chaotic than e964d46c4c most, and by the 9d571362c2 time he was done 2a3212853d listening to all sorts 814de767d4 of laments, he often d7851d05ff neglected conversations with people b8fd7f759b around him.
Naturally, people 4a5fee75c7 drifted away. In elementary school, he 63e6835b91 confided in a friend 4ccd754ccb he trusted most, admitting 63561fc7fb he could see ghosts, 6d923a7d27 only to be labeled 584b96114b a lying braggart the 5c27b3b362 very next day.4837acdc01f48780

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There were times he felt resentful. “I didn’t ask to see them, so why do I have to be treated like this?” One time, overwhelmed, he turned to his homeroom teacher, who had always said he could come to her anytime he needed help. At first, she seemed to believe him, but a few days later, she summoned Shin-hee and his master to discreetly suggest several psychiatric clinics.71ae38f7fee0040e

Still, high cc820e2a82 school had bf903e6d8d been relatively 5336f49321 enjoyable. He recalled 9f9028bb9f sneaking over b18452423a a fence 572f0188ef with Min-am 52de624026 during lunch 40365947cb break, only faa135289b to get 4bd225b609 caught by ecf92bca22 the disciplinary f84123ef89 teacher and df1350063a beaten so 4b6ee58479 hard it a0af0e4b72 left his a28bbc6012 bottom bruised. Or the 8f8461871d time he 1005393458 embezzled money 6295b9dbec meant for 6a1b0dc893 test prep 157d18fb94 books to 65f2f0bd9e buy art 81c6873958 supplies, only ea8834118d to be e1c3d2452f caught by a06c5d2f96 his master fb1c7a5e2e and locked ad80772352 in the 9794b27be6 outhouse all 16d0bcd6bb night. There was also the b94e050ee2 time he unknowingly lost 777f82e158 his wallet but still 4454b11296 ordered barbecue with Min-am, f7948ad9f6 ending up washing dishes ec060bdc10 for three hours to c4928f1053 pay for it.4f575db620e41b85

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Those moments f67c58dddf had felt d61e6e4ab3 so intense 95fb8af05c at the 3be1149732 time, yet af52b985fb looking back, db30852421 all the c87d3ade80 tragedies now 6da2102e03 seemed like 923f20d9a5 comedies. All of it was b42c4b2bbe possible because Min-am was ce401fdb8f by his side.a387d93ce5d76273

When was 05bd1a7bf8 it, exactly? On the 3600fabc0f day of 5b4a3ae693 their high 64adbb64a3 school graduation, e00db95d1c Shin-hee, overcome d16f45519f with fear 860cdeb0a1 that he 8594158a73 might lose f6fe025070 Min-am forever, 68ebf17098 had nervously ee83bf0dc1 blurted out de6b5ac2cb a confession 770e9515b4 that had 4964ec5b53 been rising 658972612c to his 786e2a0e6e throat countless 73511bcfb0 times.b1a52d9cfda6b0d4

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“I can see ghosts.”
Go away, are cf6d4e43eb you crazy, are 0435495791 you delusional, stop 7bbc5de6af lying, ignore him—all bf99919512 the negative scenarios 3c12d33132 he had spent 38cbae6400 sleepless nights imagining ea1c4bf497 were completely blown f665233c42 away by Min-am’s d61144aab0 short yet powerful 6135d56769 reaction.c6d058826e709d8b

“That’s so cool.”ce08225a0029b61e

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So he b672fe7e6f mustered up 2479fdf570 more courage.72b0c4e29110ead0

“There’s actually one standing right next to you right now. A boy who killed himself two years ago.”eb649a3e54ed1479

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He was about 1eaceadec6 to add, “He’s 25939e30cf waving at you, d0bf30cd2c so wave back,” 217d04cd61 but before he ed1eee60c9 could, Minam fainted dc70b9b854 on the spot. What should e139099c14 have been 91de357e9d a joyous f496e64f50 graduation day d54ad27b37 turned into 39e5d7b893 a minor 333ecf1e12 fiasco, and b65933eae7 Shin-hee didn’t dc6c126cdc see Min-am 5fd1f36ebc again until e1df7d2e46 two days 132d84ca8a later. After that, 6bbce5f41b Shin-hee never 941a418292 told anyone 84fafc7d0b else his a2e5e978c9 secret—and he 9c4237e11f vowed he 465d73e249 never would e365d13295 again.75bd87ee78ab7f34

Recalling this seven-year-old incident, 402e731da6 Shin-hee came to a cbd90480f3 stop, staring at the 55535c9427 large building in front 5258d5109c of him. He hadn’t 990cb24f07 planned to 4daf7579bb come here, 1dccf3cdca but it d61e15cbf5 seemed his 77e7c1d22f subconscious had 0a6a68ca0c remembered the d851878d5d poster he’d 509f807b60 glimpsed while c899d3eeae sending off 801d562f1a Okja a d2a3b7f830 while back.69197a08dd6c9dc6

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A banner 794cc2a430 fluttered in 3a583cc4c8 the breeze 1ce2eb8d16 outside the 678bb57dca art museum, 054091e7e2 proclaiming the“Kang Moon-seon Special Exhibition.”d49b89d1b7c081f1

Shin-hee had cb3cf54d19 majored in 371d5424ca traditional Korean 148009a5cc painting. He loved 2a1451c1e4 the entire bac6db801a process of d0b5141c6d grinding ink, b33e6406f1 picking up 5690d1c2f3 a brush, d371153a33 and carefully eca27f8ce7 pouring his 7c2317942c heart onto 42fb9e6ea5 rice paper. It had c03aa2e34d been nearly 6edde03e80 six years fa6a68cf0f since he d826bd39cf formally entered 850e0a0db4 training and da3f95dcb9 set aside c723ac6659 his brush, 5801aa40c6 to the 4b9544b61f point where 761229259b he could 662f6a3d89 barely remember 717b500739 how to f339ca4328 grind ink 85ab713301 properly. Yet, something about 04dadd4bf7 the paintings on 81b1d1e34b display was stirring 56959c5aa2 nostalgia within him.f7a5bfcb4c513c6a

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Kang Moon-seon was a 7b9cffd95f master of modern ink-and-wash d18139eb03 painting. His works, characterized faf0474e28 by soft, flowing 073d785cd2 curves embodying tradition, 7218945fa1 occasionally showcased sleek, ca745eea87 bold lines exuding 0b6e974023 sophistication and strength.c5d790d1889ec3f2

Shin-hee was 9abcad3742 completely engrossed c28446ef73 in a bc8c8a2921 single piece, f38703d78b lost in 09ecee3e95 thought for 9d01b3547f ten minutes fda32aae02 when he 6cd61af586 suddenly felt f2f33a602c a sharp ef102a6083 sensation at 2a29c7b55e the back 8cd8757c17 of his 07efe869a7 head. He turned to see 9db21917e4 a ghost missing an 95c3b00ff4 arm, smiling brightly and fceb08a6dd waving at him.a31554225e5745ab

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“I’m not working today,”
Shin-hee muttered, swiftly turning 4070cbc7ea away and moving to 6da86a34f8 a different spot, unwilling 3ce8ef4046 to let his rare 57f810ed93 holiday be interrupted. However, the armless ghost fb5d9f2ffa trailed after him, standing e4a5b935ea behind him and staring b3da074ee0 so intently at the 8c2e9dccad back of his head 1699b8370b that Shin-hee couldn’t focus.95ba25901585589b

Annoyed, Shin-hee considered 6c999df213 tying the ghost 25dd5095a7 down for an b2a3ed694b hour or two f7cb67827f before snapping,
“I said I’m off today—”b68a4b6e53e38cef

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“Talking to yourself must be a hobby,”
a voice ec703bc3c3 interrupted from 61c6206831 behind.1c23457d334719f1

Shin-hee turned to see 6ff2418438 the handsome man he’d 5ce67c345f encountered in the parking a784defc89 lot.9e957f600fbbc91c

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“…It’s just an old habit,”
Shin-hee replied.ab0bf38e12599498

It wasn’t 4c69d290ec exactly a 6a7acd64c7 lie. It was 1294cf2a27 more a 4bd5b3d7a5 conversation than a01ccfa213 talking to 7ae89b23db himself, but 8a0eb894a0 since the 1441463284 man couldn’t 8af4224930 see what 4532a1af95 Shin-hee did, 445bad93ba he decided c3bf35dc95 not to 42f6976e53 elaborate.400199f804e7a627

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Shin-hee glanced around quickly. The ghost that 09cc460d4a had been following f3d52889f0 him had retreated eab9460bfd behind a wall, 7b146ff36f peeking out hesitantly. Feeling awkward, Shin-hee cleared 244c882fba his throat. The man, however, seemed 7fe7a5175e more focused on the 5df0080ebe wall.ab1012c1b3974120

Feeling self-conscious, 73ddee1ef6 Shin-hee shuffled 21d1d2d967 to the 22cb0f4c49 side, hoping 67e5d96c95 to give 128c4b670f the man dd53fffe1a a better cfced523fa view of 792543606b the artwork. But with b86732aec4 his tall 4d5e5b0910 stature, the a4962b466f man seemed 5e13fe6c81 to have 99baa59dc3 no trouble 9e7d71f200 viewing the 29b47a9641 piece even f8162c8b56 with Shin-hee db2262bc2d standing in 7b1a9e50ec front of b263a64149 him. Shin-hee’s small act 54fbbe9c81 of consideration seemed e7a5f774f7 to leave little 8c15e6aeaf impression.8f8c1a07646e48cb

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Taking the opportunity, 6cb5b96faa Shin-hee discreetly observed 1a6b3f41a2 the man’s profile. His sharp nose 5abf576c13 and almond-shaped eyes 1a4788aaa1 with faint double e43be938fa eyelids left a d224c846d3 strong impression. If he had a d76cb7bf18 sketchbook in hand, Shin-hee c88f9da412 would’ve immediately asked him f5796cc208 to model.f435ae1882241736

“Do you not think staring at someone is rude?”
the man 775cd075c8 said without 8cdcb4842e turning.77cd859514a96a8d

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“Ah, sorry.”afca89a641d97b95

“That kind of behavior is very uncomfortable.”8812f0d787904cea

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The man’s 605ae4630b bluntness was 040cd44887 startling, his 776db04275 words as f8f27922ce sharp as e3f3545556 a knife. Yet Shin-hee, instead 1a4532ea62 of reacting angrily, 813bbc1184 simply nodded, his 6f18ba2152 face calm. Strangely, even the 89f6b23147 man’s lips, from a53ef302f6 which those prickly 7b630cf5f4 words came, were edf9c4f180 well-shaped. Despite the warning, Shin-hee 23d7d28442 found himself glancing at 81131b1d68 him again.e2e841970a17bafe

“…You’re really handsome,” Shin-hee mumbled.4a5cd8d4a8b5d15d

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“What was that?”d7bd7ede36275e3e

“Nothing. Just talking to myself.”fbc65efccc1fc6e7

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The man d3e953bcc5 squinted, his d6a024f323 expression clearly 739ef4487f questioning Shinhee’s a5d66ba9f4 sanity. Realizing the need to e661e531dc change the topic, Shin-hee 1e5a2f375c awkwardly asked,
“Do you come to art museums often?”a95b6634198e28b2

“No.”c48aaca85d717b81

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The man’s answers e1d09ce6c8 were curt. Shin-hee couldn’t 9fd4f5b792 help but 87dd7d3bce marvel at a9a339abb4 the coincidence 062caeb158 of running 88a0f1e096 into him a0a6f7878e again in dc9884a8a2 such an 6bd541c6bd unexpected place. Not since the 7ae451ff20 man with a 682d58714d swarm of ghosts b9cff2568e had Shin-hee experienced 98a4a6cb6f such a peculiar 26ca214191 encounter.0d7a4bfa2b11025b

“Actually, I don’t particularly like museums, but I do like Kang Moon-seon’s paintings,”
the man eebc893019 admitted after 7deeda14ea a pause.8a745390af44b8bf

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“Ah. Me too,”
Shin-hee said enthusiastically.2ea69873712a4b9b

“Is that so?”1d45c15badd296f2

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“There’s something about them that reminds me of Jinogigut¹.”49d25dd3a0052702

“Jinogigut?”200bffc692544fe9

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The man’s eyes narrowed 9447db08f7 at the unfamiliar term, 0287a0c778 silently urging an explanation. Shin-hee hesitated, feeling 21fffc3c8a awkward.ffda5a740fafa480

“…It’s a shamanic ritual meant to guide the spirits of the deceased to ascend peacefully, so they don’t linger in this world.”855b8fc2b84b8710

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“……”c3b614196b83f7d5

“It’s just a personal impression…”05370afb6dabfa1b

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“That makes sense.”c9bbc102294b1b6f

“Sorry?”ce6dd0e7963a56ad

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“It seems fitting,”
the man said.689ebea134ed578a

Surprised, Shin-hee d752c43586 let out 1e4c83dceb a small cb2909de9a yelp. The man, 827eefcede as if bdc391aed8 acknowledging Shinhee’s f51284c824 interpretation, slowly 9014ec0c1a scanned the 752a31c938 painting again.d4fa549ac6ae72c2

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Back in university, 3157b98dba Shin-hee had once 5beee32d11 discussed Kang Moon-seon’s 517385b3b9 works in class. While others spoke of d64d151fac longing, love, beauty, or 79d2fbb79f hope, Shin-hee had shared d6351cdcf7 a different perspective.e9d982615130796a

“It’s like the paintings are telling the dead not to come back to this world.”8f738d509adcf22c

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His comment had made 19c3d03155 the atmosphere awkward, as 13a9652811 no one else could 16b46011bd relate. Remembering this, Shin-hee e591f9ef89 felt grateful that 12f181c987 the man today 1adc9230d7 had validated his 3e81ec3433 thoughts.ed8ada855967ee26

At that moment, the phone in the man’s jacket pocket vibrated. He excused himself briefly and answered the call.6fcce3d3ff1541a9

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As soon as 70a107e6e0 Shin-hee shifted his 3d417daf1e interest to another d1a1948c26 painting and took 7eebbf81cd a step to 9b5e8c6ffd the side, the a32183a61e man, standing still b69d810753 and taking the f493220e31 call, suddenly cursed 108960fe42 under his breath. Startled, Shin-hee turned to 1cb3c9e2f4 look, but the man 1de0cdd3a1 was already striding quickly 93987a75fa out of the exhibition ad7735dd98 hall.b707db26ae79581a

Just outside the gallery, 7cdb06d822 Gyo-jin walked briskly to b244f1a2a0 his car and immediately 3d42c3017e made a call. The signal rang 58e619b020 several times before aebe499ccd Director Jung finally 3af7773992 picked up. Without waiting d5d99e7763 for pleasantries, 477420da6e Gyo-jin vented e0947a9c95 his frustration.b00769191347edeb

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“What the hell do ffb14833b5 you mean the business d4e2112c35 trip is confirmed?”607eac6830bd99e9

“Ah, Mr. Ha. I just 7bf62530cc got the 4732af65f7 news from 3d2c943eb7 the boss 1e4c7fc881 myself.”73186547643a149f

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“I explicitly dd181821e6 said I 507fcc68ca wasn’t going. What’s going 6be58051fc on here? Explain properly.”d4ff938d2ecf05c8

“Well, uh… 31790e25e4 I don’t e17ce54ada have the 694c994c73 full details 7f79a0e70a either, but ab37b6ca90 the boss feee142ec4 told me 1c3149ea37 to pass e77b15581d along this 293af29b2e message: ‘We’ve 516d967b37 secured a 82de640f90 shaman.’ That’s 43317338ab all he b30c28e4d7 said, and 90d4739c81 I don’t 3b5441f40c quite understand 8409dc8ad2 what it 85b840a401 means either…”419f801db7ce6a51

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Gyo-jin, who had just 5c1740de5b been about to press 0accd9c850 the accelerator, froze. A fragment of 896448a3d8 a past conversation 75cba55a1e flitted through his 6576f84ae7 mind like an f1cb5bbaf3 unwelcome ghost.437e3d79057e97f0

“…Anyway, I’m definitely not going on the trip. Unless you somehow bring along a shaman.”46a57126bc8095a3

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“So all we 6f98fe783d need is a bbf37312de shaman, huh?”83816f59f109e867

That sly old 7a5321630d fox actually did 49b80387d5 it.739f9c9d9ae20c7d

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“You’ve got ef34a7c5cc to be 9fa6d30ddc kidding me.”2e524738d298540b

“Mr. Ha? Hello? Mr. Ha!”c48b606911d23b3f

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Gyo-jin growled a curse 475f8a4797 under his breath, threw 1ccb50c444 his phone onto the 07091ec078 passenger seat, and yanked 19c87b8646 the steering wheel, driving fd5c053e1a out of the parking 70a2cba607 lot at a reckless 7811344859 speed. In his 53b6064f1a mind’s eye, d86898f1a3 the mischievous ad01c44f03 Chairman Ha 9a33f665a2 was already 65a1182ca0 welcoming him 360eceac8f with open 87e54021c6 arms, grinning 8d9d8ce654 like a 63fa0a294b raccoon.4e20e955491d4284