Chapter 106
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“How about this one? It’s a model with an automatic winding mechanical movement and a gradient blue dial.”
The well-dressed watch vendor in white gloves placed a new wristwatch on a cushion wrapped in soft fabric.
Though he couldn’t understand more than half of the fancy terminology, Eun-hwi couldn’t take his eyes off the watch the man had presented.
Not only was its shape composed of clean curves without excess, but the blue gems embedded in the watch face and sides reminded him of dokkaebi fire. It seemed like it would match perfectly with the demon-faced ring on Yeo Moon-beom’s middle finger.
Two days ago, Eun-hwi had learned how to read a watch in Dr. Hong’s office. After becoming aware of watches, he couldn’t help but notice that Yeo Moon-beom didn’t have one, unlike Village Chief Jeon Man-sik, his son Jeon Sunam, and other gentlemen including Dr. Hong.
If he could, he would have used a dokkaebi club to create a watch and place it on that empty wrist. But since that was beyond his abilities, he had been worrying about it until he discovered this watch shop as if by fate.
“Hmm… what should I do?”
He had been contemplating for a while, as the other watches recommended by the vendor weren’t bad either. Dr. Hong, who had been examining the watches in the glass case with his nose practically pressed against it, spoke up.
“Young master, I also think this blue dial would suit Director Yeo better than the white dial.”
“Really?”
“Yes, yes. Since Director Yeo often wears dark clothes, wouldn’t it be better to choose a color that’s not too flashy? And the price… well, twelve hundred is reasonable.”
Indeed. Being able to check the exact time without looking at the moon or sun, for the price of twelve pairs of sneakers.
It seemed like a fairly reasonable amount. Eun-hwi looked at the watch with a fully convinced expression.
“Well, since it’s not my money, I’d like to recommend that hundred-million-won diamond dial, but we should cause trouble in moderation.”
“…Huh? Trouble? Why suddenly cause trouble?”
“Never mind. It was just a slip of the tongue, don’t worry about it. Let’s go with this one.”
Dr. Hong pointed to the bluish watch with a smile.
“I’ll take this one!”
Having made up his mind, Eun-hwi took out the credit card from his bag and handed it to the watch vendor. His two white hands holding the edge of the card were extremely polite.
“How many installments would you like?”
“Pay in full, please!”
When he answered as Dr. Hong had taught him, the vendor inserted the card into a small machine.
“Please sign here.”
Eun-hwi took the magic brush that could write without ink and skillfully wrote Yeo Moon-beom’s name.
At the first shop he visited, he had carefully written “Beom-Moon-Yeo” and was told his signature was quite unique, so from then on he wrote in horizontal left-to-right format.
While it was fun carrying around a credit card that was like an inexhaustible spring and looking at things that would suit Yeo Moon-beom, the most exciting part was writing his name like now. With a delighted expression, Eun-hwi put the card back in his bag along with the paper that had his handwriting imprinted on it.
“Hehehe.”
He walked out of the store with paper bags filling both hands. Looking at the bags hanging from his hands like fruit on a tree made him feel satisfied just by the sight.
A hat in a different color from his own, two outfits that would suit Yeo Moon-beom, a glossy leather bag, and a wristwatch resembling dokkaebi fire.
He had felt guilty about being the only one wearing new clothes. How fortunate that he could do this “shopping” thing on behalf of Yeo Moon-beom, who was busy with work. Just thinking about how pleased Yeo Moon-beom would be with the carefully selected items made the corners of his mouth lift naturally and his cheeks round up.
Just as his mind was filled with thoughts of receiving affection, a man with five white tails suddenly appeared right in front of him and then disappeared like the wind.
…What was that?
Since coming to Hanyang, he had seen all kinds of wandering spirits. As many people lived here, many must have died here too. He had assumed they were souls not yet collected by the reapers.
However, he hadn’t seen any ghosts among them. In this city that remained as bright as day even after dark, there were no monsters like Eodukseoni or Mongdalgwi, nor were there tutelary deities typically found at each house site, wealth guardians, livestock guardians, or deities protecting jars and wells.
Five white tails…
Could it be a fox?
He had once heard about fox monsters from Gabi. A fox that accumulated spiritual power would start developing split tails after living for five hundred years, and when it had nine tails, it would become immortal.
Could it be a white fox that had gained spiritual power and transformed into a human, like the black fox he had seen through the Eodukseoni?
He sniffed the air. Only the artificial flower scent created by humans reached his nose; there was no smell of fox fur infused with yin energy anywhere.
‘…Did I see wrong?’
With sunglasses making everything dimmer and not having slept properly all night, he might have been seeing things. Eun-hwi had been afraid that a disguised fox might be following him after smelling a dokkaebi, but now reassured, he headed to the next store. But then…
“I thought you’d died somewhere, but here you are with gifts again? Did you miss me that much, baby?”
“…Huh?”
A flirtatious voice that made the hair on the back of his neck stand up came from somewhere.
“What’s wrong?”
“Didn’t you hear something?”
“I didn’t hear anything. What’s wrong, young master?”
Though it was clearly an auditory hallucination, it felt eerily sinister. The startled half-dokkaebi unconsciously let go of the handles he was holding. The paper bags, slipping from his pale fingertips, fell straight down.
“Young master, are you alright?”
“I-I’m fine. It’s nothing.”
It was like having a dream while standing perfectly still. Eun-hwi stared blankly into the air at the voice that had disappeared without a trace yet still echoed in his mind.
“You must be tired from shopping. Let me carry these for you.”
Dr. Hong, with a concerned expression, gathered the fallen bags from the floor. Then, pointing his chin toward the moving stairs, he asked:
“I checked where the personal shopping room is while you were browsing. Shall we finish shopping and go see Eun-young?”
“Umm… okay.”
“I’ve tipped off the staff that you’re coming, so we can go right in and rest. Come on, let’s go up.”
Eun-hwi followed Dr. Hong onto the moving stairs. Though it was fascinating how they moved on their own, the chill that had permeated his body made just standing difficult, so he could only hold onto the handrail.
“You look pale. Are you sure you’re alright?”
“…Yeah. I guess it’s because I couldn’t sleep.”
“Let’s hurry upstairs. You’ll feel better after a nap. We have to go buy candy later.”
Dr. Hong quickened his pace. After getting off the moving stairs and passing the white wall they had seen before, Choi Eun-young was waiting to greet them with a bright expression.
“Welcome, Eun-hwi.”
“Hello.”
“Where’s Moon-beom? Why just the two of you?”
“He had something to do…”
“You look completely drained. Are you feeling unwell?”
To Choi Eun-young’s question, Dr. Hong quickly replied:
“I think he’s tired from traveling fatigue.”
“Oh my. I see. Go inside and lie down. I’ll have them bring you a blanket.”
After entering the room and sitting, almost lying, on the long chair, Choi Eun-young covered him up to his neck with a thick blanket handed over by a staff member.
Why is this happening…?
He hadn’t carelessly entered a ghost’s territory, yet his whole body tingled with a murderous chill. Just like when he was captured by the Eodukseoni and lost consciousness, he felt his strength draining away and as if he was being sucked into the ground.
“Ugh…”
The chocolate milk and mango tart that Choi Eun-young had prepared for him were right in front of him. Eun-hwi blinked his heavy eyelids with difficulty, unable to move a finger.
“Young master, should I get you some ssanghwatang?”
“…”
“…Young master?”
He simply couldn’t regain his senses. His vision repeatedly blurred and cleared with intermittent flashes.
Soon, the white ceiling disappeared. Eun-hwi, with only his consciousness intact, was pulled somewhere.
Soon, the white fox with five tails, which he had thought was just a vision, appeared again before the half-dokkaebi’s eyes. Unlike before when it quickly vanished, the image now etched like a tattoo disturbed his retinas.
The voice that gave him goosebumps just by hearing it rang in his ears.
“Wow. The fact that my mark remains on such a handsome face like yours is thrilling. Can I kill you and stuff you?”
The white fox, speaking while looking somewhere other than at Eun-hwi, licked his long claws with a blood-covered tongue. He was shorter and looked younger than Yeo Moon-beom, but possessed an enchanting appearance that could bewitch people. Just like the jesters who sang and danced on TV.
Am I dreaming again?
In the dreams he had every night, only humans appeared. Just as he was wondering why a ghost he had never seen before, neither on Mount Baekdu nor Wolhwa Island, had appeared in his dream—
‘A dull-witted beast cub who loses its prey still puts on airs.’
Yeo Moon-beom’s voice, tinged with a sneer, came from somewhere. Simultaneously, wearing gloves with metal blades embedded in the back of his hand, he threw a punch at the white fox. The bluish energy swirling around him became a large flame that engulfed the white fox.
“Argh!”
The white fox, hastily plucking out one of his tail hairs to block Yeo Moon-beom’s attack with magic, asked with a shocked face:
“Wh-what is this power? Weren’t you human?”
‘I am. Human. Why, surprised because it doesn’t seem that way?’
Yeo Moon-beom showed a confident smile, then rushed forward at a speed invisible to the eye and threw another punch. With a thud, the white fox’s face was struck, leaving a river-shaped (川) mark. Thick reddish-green blood dripped down his chin.
“My face… this perfect face that was about to debut, what have you done…!”
‘Debut? That’s not your life. Don’t spout bullshit while wearing someone else’s skin. It’s creepy.’
Yeo Moon-beom replied, shaking off the blood on his gloves. Having his identity exposed, the playfulness that had been in the white fox’s eyes until moments ago disappeared.
I’m scared…
It was too vivid to be a dream—those eyes glaring with red, the whites bloodshot from burst capillaries.
Eun-hwi trembled. The murderous intent rising without any hesitation was choking him.
Author: Hyacinthus B
Hyacinthus
