After watching the vengeful spirit stagger into the alley, they parked the car at a suitable spot.
“Looks like she was studying for the civil service exam when she was alive. Hey, aren’t you getting out? If you’re staying, guard the car properly.”
Kkiwooong!
Kkiwoong, who had been clinging to the Dragon Horse’s navigation screen and crying its heart out, scrambled after them the moment the two got out. It was so timid that it absolutely had to stick close to at least one of them at all times.
—I diiieeed there…….
As they entered the alley, they saw the long-haired vengeful spirit hanging beneath a sign that read [Blue Dream One-Roomtel]. Three or four other vengeful spirits were also loitering nearby. Dojin frowned.
“You said the Podo Office branch is here. What are they doing, letting all these things run around?”
“In Noryangjin, they won’t get involved unless it’s an Evil God. Vengeful spirits are just too common here.”
“So vengeful spirits in Noryangjin are like smoking in an entertainment district… Then what about grim reapers? They just leave them alone too?”
“I hear they come periodically to retrieve them. Look closely—those other spirits are only one or two years old. You don’t see any old ones.”
“Oh, you’re right. They look different from this one.”
Spirits are fundamentally earthbound entities, so unless they evolve beyond minor ghosts or fall into special cases, they can’t stray far from where they died. Seo Jeong-won, having crossed beyond the level of a mere minor ghost, was able to move to other areas—and because of that, she seemed to have been excluded from the regular purges.
The other vengeful spirits had shorter hair and wore more modern clothing. By contrast, this one’s black hair reached all the way to her ankles, and her clothes were—
“Aren’t those pajamas?”
Dojin narrowed his eyes. At first, it looked like she was wearing a dress, but on closer inspection, it seemed more like loose pajamas.
“Hey, those are pajamas, right? Did you die in your sleep?”
—I don’t know……. Why did I even die……. Why…. It’s unfair……. It’s unjust. This time I was sure… sure I passed…….
“That’s why we’re saying we’ll analyze your cause of death together. They are pajamas, right?”
—Ahh, it’s unfair……. I’m so wronged that I can’t even rest in peace…….
“Are you listening to me? Hey.”
While Dojin fumed helplessly, unable to punch a ghost, nearby spirits—wandering souls, minor ghosts, petty gods, and vengeful spirits—began to gather around them.
—Look over there, it’s Immortal Iri….
—It really is Immortal Iri….
—My goodness, to think I’d see Immortal Iri.
—Immortal Iri. I was wronged…….
In order: wandering souls, minor ghosts, petty gods, and vengeful spirits. Vengeful spirits were usually like this—beings that only spewed their own grievances and were incapable of conversation.
“Hello. Does anyone here know someone named Seo Jeong-won?”
Iri asked the three types who could still communicate, excluding the vengeful spirits. Fortunately, there were no passersby, so he didn’t look like a lunatic talking to empty air.
—Well, I might’ve seen her in passing while alive, but I don’t remember now…….
—That one looks like she’s been dead for over ten years.
—In this neighborhood, within three years you’re guaranteed to be caught by constables or grim reapers. There’s probably no one here who knows her.
After death, a person’s memories of their living days grow faint. Unless it was family, a close friend, or a lover, there was no reason to remember someone you’d had no real connection with.
“Was there an accident at this goshiwon about ten years ago? Probably at night.”
—A nighttime accident…….
—There are countless goshiwons like that.
—Now that I think about it, I also died when a goshiwon burned down at night. Ah… unfair. The more I think about it, the more unfair it is.
He’d accidentally rekindled resentment in a minor ghost. Iri quickly smiled and waved his hand at the spirits.
“Thanks, everyone. Now go back to what you were doing.”
—But we have nothing to do…. Can’t we watch?
“…Watching from far away is fine.”
Some stayed behind to watch, while others went off to do their ‘work’—which amounted to following humans around and spreading yin energy.
Dojin whispered,
“Master, you’re not saying anything about exorcising or retrieving all of them?”
“Grim reapers come every three years to clean things up. If I interfere and the Underworld notices a sudden drop in the number of spirits, they might find it suspicious. Besides, this place is saturated with yin energy to begin with, so people here naturally have some resistance. It’ll be fine.”
“Yin-energy immunity. That’s a pretty decent trait.”
Kkiwooong…….
As the ghosts dispersed, Kkiwoong poked its head out of the lower pocket of Iri’s vest. But when it realized the long-haired vengeful spirit was still there, it immediately ducked back inside.
“Why is this thing so scared all the time?”
Dojin teased it, poking it with his finger.
“Don’t bully the kid. Let’s go inside the building. That might jog her memory.”
They were about to enter the dark, rundown building—questionable whether it was even still operating—when they turned around. Seo Jeong-won’s vengeful spirit was plastered to the sign, refusing to move.
—I…… don’t want to go inside.
“Are you kidding me? Hey, if you don’t go in, how are you supposed to remember anything or find even a single clue?”
—Ahh, it’s unfair……. I don’t know why I died, and that’s why it’s unfair…….
“That’s exactly why we’re going in—to figure out the reason you died.”
—Ahh, I didn’t want to die, and I felt so good back then…. Why did I open my eyes and find myself dead? Why…….
“Master.”
Giving up on the one-sided conversation, Dojin spoke seriously.
“Let’s just banish her.”
“Calm down…. Let’s go in ourselves first. If we ask the goshiwon owner or someone living here about Seo Jeong-won, we’ll get a lead.”
“And why should we go that far for that thing? I’d rather leave it to the grim reapers.”
“She’s been a spirit for over ten years. Since we’ve seen her, we might as well handle it….”
Dojin was irritated, but in the end, he couldn’t defy Iri.
Just as he was about to open the door, he hesitated. After waiting a moment, the door swung open wide and someone came out. At first, he thought it was a human—but it wasn’t.
“Waaah! This isn’t it either. This is bad. What am I supposed to do?”
A Wia with a turtle’s face and a cat’s body wiped streaming tears with its short arms. Then it spotted Iri and gasped.
“Immortal Iri!”
“What the— It’s a Bokbaebari.”
Dojin crossed his arms.
Even if Wia were rare in Noryangjin, species like Bokbaebari—who settled down within human society—were bound to exist.
The Bokbaebari flinched at the sight of the large, imposing human, then circled around Dojin and approached Iri instead.
“Immortal Iri! Are you really Immortal Iri? Perfect timing! I think I’ve lost my way. Please find my home for me!”
“Ah, fuck.”
Dojin cursed under his breath from behind.
They hadn’t even dealt with the vengeful spirit yet, and this bastard was pulling this now?
His face twisted dangerously, but fortunately, the Bokbaebari didn’t see his Yaksha-like expression.
Iri smiled kindly and asked,
“Do you live around here?”
“I do. I’ve lived in this neighborhood for thirty years.”
“Then how the hell did you get lost—”
Iri shot Dojin a look, silently ordering him to shut up. No actual magic was used, but Dojin obediently closed his mouth.
“What’s your name? Why did you go into this building?”
“I am Adeung. This building looked similar to my home, so I went in—but it wasn’t my home. I was worried I’d become a Mi-baebari forever, but meeting Immortal Iri is such a relief. Now, take me back to my home!”
The Bokbaebari planted its short arms on its hips and made a bold demand. Dojin felt his Hwabyeong acting up, so he pulled out the poor Kkiwoong and trapped it between his palms, shaking it like dice. Seo Jeong-won leaned forward, neck stretched long, watching with interest.
Kkiwoong, kkiwooong.
Letting out a desperate cry, Kkiwoong wriggled between Dojin’s fingers—then locked eyes with the vengeful spirit and promptly fainted with a gurgle.
“Alright. I’ll retrieve that vengeful spirit’s soul first, then I’ll find your home.”
“That long-haired vengeful spirit? Looks like she’s been dead a long time.”
“Have you seen her before?”
“Hmm.”
The Bokbaebari squinted and examined Seo Jeong-won’s face. Bloodshot eyes, pale skin, rough purple lips, a neck rotting away……
“Eugh, scary. I can’t look closely. We Bokbaebari dislike ghosts.”
Iri changed tactics.
“Do you know about a death that occurred around here at night, twelve years ago?”
“Noryangjin always has many deaths. But since Immortal Iri asks, I’ll try to remember.”
The Bokbaebari folded its arms and sank into thought. Since its arms were so short, it only managed to cover the backs of its hands.
“Ah! Twelve years ago, right here at Blue Dream One-Roomtel, there was a death due to leaked ‘ilsan-hatamso’.”
“You mean carbon monoxide.”
Iri searched his phone using the date, location, and ‘carbon monoxide death’ as keywords. Several articles popped up. The deceased was a twenty-eight-year-old woman. The cause was a heater running in a cramped room.
“Seo Jeong-won. Come here and read this article.”
Iri called her over and showed her the article. As Seo Jeong-won read it with her long hair hanging down, she twisted her body, letting out strange sounds—kkuu, kkeu, uuugh.
—Ahh, it’s unfair……. Unfair……. So unfair…….
Seo Jeong-won clutched her head and collapsed.
—Why did I have to die like that……. It’s unjust…. I worked so hard sending my parents allowance for three years, but I died without ever letting them live comfortably even once…. I was an only child—my parents had no one but me…. Ahh, it’s unfair…. My grades were better last year than the year before, so they had high hopes…. What happened to all my effort? If I was going to die this pointlessly, why did I have to suffer for twenty-eight years?…… It’s so unfair. This shouldn’t be happening…….
