“Didn’t Hae-hee say she wanted to stay single?”
Unable to stand it any longer, the father cut in.
“Still, with a face like that, don’t you think she’d want to get married?”
“…Maybe. Should we just ask her?”
He gave in instantly.
“What the hell are you two talking about?!”
Hae-hyun flew into a rage. The sitting room descended into chaos in a heartbeat, and Jae-ha only rolled his eyes. …Doesn’t really seem like they hate me, right?
“I don’t have any plans for marriage yet.”
“Really?”
His mother smacked her lips, sounding a bit regretful, though she clearly wasn’t the type to force the issue. Even so, Hae-hyun refused to let his guard down. He looked as if he were staring down a horde of villains. Honestly, it made sense. If Jae-ha really became this family’s son-in-law, it would be absurd.
“Mom, why are you saying weird stuff? Is it because sunbae’s a Cheonrok?”
Still bristling, Hae-hyun blurted out the one line that cut deepest. Jae-ha hadn’t even done anything, yet somehow he was under attack. He swallowed bitterly.
“Cheonrok? You mean Jae-ha himself? No way. He’s not a spiritual beast—he’s human.”
The father widened his eyes, looking Jae-ha over from head to toe, then tilted his head in puzzlement. Hae-hyun’s sharp retort followed.
“He’s a descendant.”
“Ahh… right. They say Cheonrok’s descendants have faint energy. Must be true, then. Can’t really tell just by looking.”
“Exactly. A Cheonrok, huh… makes me like him even more.”
At their mother’s comment, the slight easing in Hae-hyun’s frown tightened again. Clearly, none of this was sitting well with him.
“I’m going home.”
“This is your home.”
His father pointed it out matter-of-factly, earning a brazen glare. Hae-hyun opened his mouth as if to argue but said nothing in the end.
Just then, a phone vibrated. Their mother pulled it out, glanced at the screen, and frowned.
“Again?”
Her voice dripped with the irritation of an overworked employee. She jabbed the call button with obvious annoyance.
“Yes. …I already took care of it. Hae-ryeong’s father is practically bedridden. Do you really want a petition on the government site accusing exorcists of abuse? …Just me? Hah, unbelievable….”
She hung up, sighing heavily.
“Sorry, but I’ve been summoned. Not great timing with guests here, but I’ll be quick.”
“You’re going alone? That’s going to take a while. I’ll come with you.”
“You’ve practically burned through all your energy, and you want to come? Stay home and rest.”
“Still… ah, Hae-hyun, why don’t you go with her?”
The father’s expression brightened, thinking it a good compromise. But the unfilial son, Ju Hae-hyun, shut it down instantly.
“No. It’s dangerous for sunbae at night too.”
“What’s dangerous about being here? Hae-ryeong’s off today, I’m here too. Hae-hee… might not be much help, but she’s still around.”
“I said no. Take noona instead.”
Hae-hyun stood his ground, but his father didn’t give in either. Gone was his earlier composure—he was now tugging on his son’s clothes desperately, looking every bit as childish as Hae-hyun himself.
Then, from his inner pocket, he pulled something out and tried to force it into Hae-hyun’s hands. He pressed it down hard, but Hae-hyun twisted his palm with such resistance that it slipped and dropped. With a clatter, a small object rolled across the floor.
“Oh.”
Jae-ha blinked as his eyes followed it instinctively. A wooden plaque etched with Hanja, bound with a yellow knot.
It looked just like the one he’d seen in his grandmother’s chest.
“What’s this?”
He bent down, picked up the norigae, and asked. The bickering pair paused mid-scuffle and turned toward him.
“Ah, that. It’s called a Guardian Talisman. It opens doors to other worlds. Normally, if a human leaves the mortal realm, body and soul separate. But with that, the body can travel with the soul.”
It was one of the Guardian Agency’s divine relics, a treasure reserved for only the highest-ranking exorcists.
Jae-ha studied it again, now knowing what it was. Something like this… why had his grandmother owned one? Had she been with the Guardian Agency? From what his mother had said, she’d never had a job. Could she have… stolen it? He couldn’t rule it out. Mu-yeon rarely spoke of her mother, so Jae-ha barely knew anything.
“What’s wrong?”
Maybe his expression gave him away, because Hae-hyun’s mother, who’d been getting ready to leave, walked over. Jae-ha let out an awkward hum.
“My grandmother was also a descendant of Cheonrok, and among her belongings, there was one of these.”
At that, the three of them froze and exchanged glances. What? Jae-ha tilted his head, confused by the odd mood.
“Your grandmother had one? Are you sure?”
“Yes. …Is that a problem?”
Had she really stolen it? The thought made him ask, and Hae-hyun’s mother explained while staring at the talisman in his hand with a complicated look.
“The Guardian Talismans were created by the Agency. Only Agency members are allowed to use them.”
“But I’ve never seen any record of a Cheonrok descendant in the Agency….”
Hae-hyun’s father muttered, face grim. …So it really was stolen? Jae-ha’s suspicion deepened.
“Could we see it?”
“Ah, it’s at home.”
If he’d known this would happen, he would’ve brought it. Not that he could’ve guessed.
“Hmm. Then you’d better come with us to the Guardian Agency.”
“…Sorry?”
“If what your grandmother had really is a Guardian Talisman, there’ll be a record. Best to check.”
Hae-hyun’s parents spoke as though it were obvious Jae-ha would join them. But he found the idea unsettling. After all, it was suspicious.
How could someone with no ties to the Agency end up with their relic? No matter how he thought about it, it looked bad. He’d just barely shaken off the “bad influence corrupting their son” label—he didn’t need “grandson of a relic thief” pinned on him next.
Did he really need to dig into this truth? Maybe not. Even if he knew, nothing would change. Some truths are better buried forever. Ignorance is bliss, right? While Jae-ha hesitated with that cowardly thought, Hae-hyun’s father eagerly pulled out his phone.
“Alright, I’ll call the Commissioner.”
“Th—the Commissioner?”
That was a higher rank than he’d expected. Were they planning to report him directly? Did they already think he was a thief? Alarmed, Jae-ha spoke quickly.
“Wait, no, hold on. I’m not… prepared for this….”
“It’s fine, sunbae. You’ve got me.”
Hae-hyun answered far too confidently, his bright smile suggesting he’d even give Jae-ha a tour of the Agency.
And so, with little choice, Jae-ha found himself in the Ju family’s car.
The Guardian Agency wasn’t far. They parked in the basement of a plain modern building and took the elevator up.
The odd part was that the elevator panel had far more buttons than the building’s exterior suggested. Catching Jae-ha’s glance at the crowded panel, Hae-hyun offered kindly,
“The basement goes pretty deep. The Agency’s been around a while, and a lot’s piled up down there.”
That at least made sense. Though Jae-ha doubted the Ministry of Land and Transport had ever approved it.
The elevator finally stopped on the 8th floor. The doors opened to reveal an office interior no different from any other corporate building. It was a far cry from the old-fashioned image the name Guardian Agency suggested. If a normal person wandered in by mistake, they’d never guess this was headquarters for exorcists descended from spiritual beasts.
“This way.”
Following Hae-hyun’s parents down a long corridor, they arrived at the Commissioner’s Office. Glancing at the engraved plaque reading Commissioner’s Office, Jae-ha’s expression turned uneasy. He felt like a criminal walking into court, knowing full well the evidence existed.
Knock knock. A polite rap, and a voice from inside called them in. Hae-hyun’s mother turned the knob.
“Commissioner.”
The spacious office looked almost like a principal’s room: a desk with a computer, rows of orchids by the window, square-backed brown leather sofas. Only the crystal nameplate reading Guardian Commissioner Yang Ji-ho gave off a sense of authority.
“Ah, welcome.”
Or so Jae-ha thought—until he saw the Commissioner himself. Then he realized he was wrong. The most out-of-place thing in this room wasn’t the orchids or the nameplate.
It was the Commissioner himself.
