NOVEL NEXT – Chapter 36
The late afternoon sunlight cast shadows on the wooden floor inside the old teahouse.
“Like I said on the forum, Japanese ghosts are different.”
Hyun Ji-min spun the teacup on the table with one hand as she spoke. Her white school uniform shirt reflected the fluorescent light, glowing faintly. Though her neat uniform remained the same, her voice carried the weight of someone who had lived for a long time, oddly similar to Narae.
A brief silence followed. I broke it.
“Come to think of it, you’re like a gumiho…”
“Don’t ask me how old I am. It’s rude to ask a woman her age.”
Hyun Ji-min playfully rolled her eyes.
“No, that’s not what I meant…”
“I know, I’m joking. But I’m different from monsters. I’m a real shaman.”
She looked down at her reflection in the teacup.
“Since you’re here, there’s something you should know.”
The sounds of other customers’ conversations occasionally drifted over from nearby tables. Laughter, the clinking of spoons against teacups, and the hum of the coffee machine filled the background.
“For example, Korean ghosts can be appeased by resolving their grudges or resentment. Holding a memorial service or performing a ritual might take time, but eventually, they can find peace. But Japanese ghosts…”
“They don’t find peace?”
Hyun Ji-min chuckled briefly. It was a different, somewhat lonely laugh compared to before.
“They can’t, even if they wanted to. The concept itself doesn’t exist for them.”
She paused and looked up at the ceiling. Her dark eyes flickered as if recalling something. The sunlight streaming through the window illuminated her face before passing by.
“Have you seen Japanese horror movies?”
“Ju-on? The Ring?”
“Yeah, those. You’ve seen the ghosts in them, right? They died from curses, but they have no intention of resolving their grudges. Their only goal is to transfer their suffering to others. That’s exactly…”
“Pure calamity.”
Literally, a spirit consumed by malice. That’s what you could call a Japanese evil spirit.
“Exactly. It’s malice itself. That’s why it’s impossible to appease them and send them off.”
The scent of black tea wafted up from the teacup.
“What about exorcism?”
“That won’t work either.”
Hyun Ji-min set the teacup down. The cold porcelain made a clear sound as it touched the table.
“In movies or comics, it looks cool, right? Exorcising evil spirits, sealing them… But reality is very different.”
Her voice lowered a tone.
“To eliminate a centuries-old evil spirit, you’d need several real shamans like me… But most are just nisemono who worship minor spirits. And besides…”
She gave a bitter smile. Her bangs swayed slightly, and her eyes looked lonely. The playful expression from earlier was gone.
“Few people are willing to risk their lives for something so dangerous.”
“Couldn’t a shaman like you, who serves King Yeomra, handle it alone?”
“Even I can’t do it alone. The really scary part is…”
Hyun Ji-min glanced around and lowered her voice.
“These evil spirits remember attempts to exorcise them. If you fail, they’ll slaughter not just you but your entire family.”
I swallowed hard. Cold air traveled down my throat. If what she said was true, the situation was far more serious than I thought. Breaking through the heavy silence, I spoke.
“Then how…”
“We need to approach it by combining Catholic exorcism rituals with a shamanic ritual.”
“Combining exorcism and a ritual?”
“What, is that weird? I like mixing things up.”
Hyun Ji-min spoke playfully, but the fluorescent light reflected in her dark eyes made it seem like something was burning within them.
“We trick the evil spirit into moving to a more attractive host, then eliminate that host. That way, the evil spirit can’t return to its original body.”
Hyun Ji-min nodded. Her neatly cut bangs swayed gently.
“Hmm, to put it in terms you’d understand, it’s like moving a virus-infected file to another computer, physically destroying that computer, and then cutting off the original computer’s internet.”
Her explanation was surprisingly easy to understand. But one question lingered. The sounds of conversation in the teahouse gradually faded, and the surroundings grew quiet.
“But who will be the new host…”
Hyun Ji-min’s finger tapped the rim of the teacup. The sound echoed in the silent space.
“You.”
“…What?”
For a moment, I doubted my ears. Hyun Ji-min’s finger stopped tapping. Now it was truly quiet.
“The original host is the younger sibling of the person you mentioned, and you’ll be the new body the evil spirit moves into.”
I was momentarily speechless. My mind went blank from the sudden proposal.
I barely managed to recall the information Hyun Ji-min had posted on the forum about shamanic rituals and asked.
“Usually… don’t shamanic rituals involve killing a pig or calf?”
“That’s for Korean spirits.”
Hyun Ji-min lifted the teacup again. The cold porcelain reflected the light, faintly illuminating her face.
“Japanese spirits are too cunning to consider anything other than a human as a host. Besides…”
She turned to me. The white collar of her uniform glowed faintly under the fluorescent light.
“You’re outstanding in both appearance and talent, so you’re perfect as a host. The only problem…”
“The only problem?”
“Is that your spiritual energy isn’t strong enough for the spirit to possess you. But I can temporarily open the spirit gate with a talisman.”
Cold sweat dripped from my forehead. The teacup reflecting the fluorescent light seemed oddly sharp. The shadows around me seemed to grow darker.
“So, I’ll die from the curse? Or get possessed and go crazy…”
“Don’t worry. You have the Golden Branch Brooch.”
Hyun Ji-min spoke as if it were obvious. The small bell hanging from her uniform button swayed faintly.
“Plus, I’ll write protective charms all over your body except your left arm to ensure the spirit only affects your arm.”
So that’s why she asked if I could sacrifice my arm earlier. I suddenly felt a chill.
“But if my arm is cut off, aside from the shock from the pain, I could die from excessive bleeding…”
Hyun Ji-min shrugged. Her short bangs swayed slightly.
“You can just buy painkillers and healing items from the Dalant Shop, right?”
…That’s true. I was too stunned to speak.
“Hey, losing an arm is a big deal. How can you say that so casually?”
“What? Don’t like the arm? Should we use a leg instead?”
Hyun Ji-min laughed playfully. But that laugh sent chills down my spine.
“No, that’s not it… Isn’t it too dangerous?”
“If you follow my instructions, there’s no danger.”
Hyun Ji-min swirled the teacup as she continued.
“Actually, this is my first time doing something like this… I wonder if what I learned from my master will help.”
“Your master…?”
“Ah, slip of the tongue. Forget it.”
She quickly averted her gaze. She often dropped hints about her identity like this but never answered when asked.
“So, when will the ritual be?”
“Tomorrow.”
Tomorrow?
Is it okay to set the ritual date so suddenly?
“So suddenly?”
“Tomorrow is a good day. Plus…”
Hyun Ji-min answered nonchalantly. She rolled up her uniform sleeve and checked her watch, looking oddly businesslike.
“I have school on weekdays.”
Her very MZ-like answer left me speechless. In the end, we decided to perform the ritual tomorrow, on April 20th.
***
The next morning, I headed to Park Chan-ho’s house with Hyun Ji-min. The early morning air was cold. The streetlights lining the road cast faint light, pushing back the darkness.
The sound of our footsteps echoed in the quiet street. Occasionally, the sound of a delivery truck passing in the distance could be heard, but it quickly faded. Unlike yesterday, Hyun Ji-min didn’t say a word. A foreboding feeling crept up my spine.
Thanks to the prior arrangement, Park Chan-ho welcomed us naturally. His face still looked tired, but there was a glimmer of hope somewhere.
“Alright, take off your clothes.”
“Huh…?”
“I need to write the charms.”
Hyun Ji-min took out a brush and ink from her bag. The brush in her small hand glowed faintly in the darkness. I awkwardly smiled and took off my top and pants. The morning air touched my bare skin, giving me goosebumps.
“Nice body. Do you work out?”
My face flushed.
She began writing charms all over my body except my left arm. The cold sensation of ink touching my skin continued. Occasionally, her breath brushed against my skin, making it itch. It felt like each charm was seeping into my skin.
Once the preparations were complete, Hyun Ji-min put on a mysterious mask that seemed to glow both blue and red. It was the exact depiction of King Yeomra from legends. The face of the young girl disappeared, replaced by the King of the Underworld.
She wore a golden crown and a red robe embroidered with golden dragons. In one hand, she held a white staff adorned with skulls, and in the other, a glowing, multicolored rope. Her small frame looked awkward in the heavy attire, but the aura she exuded was anything but light. It felt as if the real King Yeomra had descended.
“Let’s begin.”
She placed a talisman on my forehead to open the spirit gate. The moment the paper touched my skin, a strange chill enveloped my body.
“Don’t be surprised by anything you see in the room.”
The sound of shamanic music began to play from a cassette player. As the rhythm started, the air grew heavy. The sound of gongs and drums echoed, cutting through the darkness.
When we opened the door, ‘it’ was sitting next to Park Chan-ho.
It was about 160 cm tall.
Its disheveled hair reached down to its waist.
A white talisman was stuck to its face.
It wore the white clothes of the dead, swaying slightly from side to side.
For a moment, my body froze. Only the shamanic music broke the silence.