Definite Traces
Breakwater fishing, where the pier juts out from the land, was an easy spot for beginners to tackle just based on accessibility alone. Of course, it required the same safety precautions as any fishing ground—and especially, the tetrapods installed on the outer harbor were places you absolutely shouldn't go near.
Some anglers had a tendency to overestimate their sense of balance, armed with baseless confidence that nothing bad would ever happen to them.
Despite warning signs about entry restrictions due to risks of death from high waves and slips, and constant news stories of people sliding between tetrapods and getting seriously injured or killed, they treated it like someone else's problem.
Convinced it wouldn't happen to them, and believing the real prizes—fat fish—didn't bite inside the pier, they figured you had to stand near those outer tetrapods for a proper fight. So, plenty hopped right across the gaps between them to claim a spot.
And naturally, for Kang Seol-bin, the tetrapods weren't even worth considering.
Back in the day, viewers had nagged during streams about how fishing from the tetrapods got bigger fish and better catches, offering persistent advice.
But after she said, "What if something happens and I can't face Mom...?", they stopped. New viewers might not get it, but those who knew her brother's situation had no choice but to zip it.
'Nice moderate crowd.'
Kang Seol-bin passed the other anglers already settled and fishing intently, setting her gear down in a somewhat secluded spot. With more and more YouTubers and streamers doing fishing broadcasts, clashes sometimes erupted—shouting matches over broadcasting interference.
Hotspots hyped online for good bites or big fish were obvious. Show up to stream, bump into others, and suddenly it was overlapping audio, tangled lines, "That's my spot," "Why should I move?"... Fights escalated to swinging rods like weapons or even fists, to the point some places put up "No YouTubers Allowed" signs.
'No broadcasters here yet.'
This pier wasn't known for monster hauls anyway, so it didn't draw huge crowds. Mostly folks after horse mackerel or slightly bigger fish to cook at home.
'Alright. Let's get to it today too!'
Kang Seol-bin set up her streaming gear with a sigh of relief, unfolded her folding fishing chair, sat down, and hit start.
"Hey everyone! It's Coronodon here, aiming for chill, fun streams you can always enjoy!"
As worries about her puffy eyes flooded the chat, Kang Seol-bin grinned wide despite the soreness.
"Can't hide these eyes anyway. Yep, big news. Great news!"
"Yes! A miracle happened! My brother—he woke up!"
The chat exploded the instant she spilled it without teasing.
"Thank you! TunaLoin!"
Kang Seol-bin jumped up, threw her hands in the air, and did a shoulder dance.
"Mom said I have to keep promises to viewers, and bro told me to stream today too."
"Thanks! ConstipatedWhale!"
Kang Seol-bin danced around, clapped lightly, and continued. "I'd love to talk bro all day, but fishing's the main event today. I'll sprinkle in updates when I can. Never had much to say about him before... but now he's awake! You regulars know, but I only mentioned the vegetative state thing accidentally."
"Yep, horse mackerel today. Search 'horse mackerel rod' online—tons come up. This one's mine. Ask your local tackle shop if unsure. Mine helped a ton; freaked out at my first rig."
"Nah, said it looked like toy bait. Haha. Blamed rising angler numbers on scam gear sellers."
"Ah, yeah. Gift from my tackle shop regular. 'Just in case,' he said. Can even hook tuna!"
She pointed to the big-game rod.
"Not expecting tuna, but young yellowtail would be nice. That strike when they smash lures? Unforgettable, he says. Horse mackerel first, then this."
"Haha, yeah. Grill if no sashimi. Quick horse mackerel rundown: perfect beginner fish. Easy bites, easy catches—fill your keep net! Small ones grow into big horse mackerel—delicious, but often need a boat. Now... with bro awake, boat fishing next."
Kang Seol-bin swung the lure rod hard, sending it flying far before it plopped and sank on the sinker's weight.
"Float vs. lure difference? Told ya last time?"
"All right. Jerking's retrieve—lure's main action, makes fake bait look alive. Floats or lures work here; your pick. Oh! Feeling it now?"
Reeling through retrieves, she sensed a hit and went to reel—
'—Ngh?!'
A stabbing pain pierced her shoulder.
'Ow ow ow!'
Lately, chills came with nagging shoulder aches, but this was worse.
'Owww. Hurts bad?!'
Streaming kept her face neutral; at home, she'd scream.
'Gotta see university hospital... huh...?'
Forgetting the pain, Kang Seol-bin stared blankly at the sea.
Churning blue water. Endless water. Deep, deep water. So clear, so cool. Tempting to dive in, swim deep, never resurface...
'Ah... just... dip my feet...?'
Hand frozen on the reel, she gazed entranced. Viewers noticed.
Even donation alerts didn't snap her out. Head nodding, torso swaying forward.
As viewers buzzed—
Others had been waiting.
「Seen. It.」
「Plan. As.」
The refined spirits, poised for the evil spirit to manifest.
Finally spotting the one glued to Kang Seol-bin's shoulder. The evil spirit gripping tight, scrambling her mind, set to drag her into the sea for death.
「Definitely.」
「Kill. It!」
They shot forward like arrows.
<—!! -!!! -->
The cackling evil spirit, moments from dunking her, flinched at their ferocious charge—but before reacting, Gwang-jeong seized it hard.
「Got. It!」
The panicked evil spirit rolled its eyes, flapped its jaws yelling—but gibberish to the spirits, who didn't care.
「Rip. Off! Crush. It!」
Su-jeong snapped the fingers clutching her shoulder. Like dry twigs into shards. Mud oozed from breaks, but Su-jeong sealed it.
「Burn. It.」
「Grind. Grind.」
While Gwang-jeong held and Su-jeong tore/crushed, Hwa-jeong and Pung-jeong handled pieces—torching or shredding to prevent reattachment.
Not mere disassembly. Leaving a definite trace.
Gwang-jeong could've burst it—but no trace left, against master's orders.
<—!! !!! !!!>
The quartet's teamwork was flawless. The evil spirit wailed and thrashed in agony.
Those wails: the definite trace.
Any future reckless evil spirit approaching would see it. A promise of worst torment.
<—!! ----! !!!>
Shattered body. Shattered face. Shattered screams.
Once reduced to a formless, screaming mass, Gwang-jeong yelled.
「Up!」
「Quick. High. High!」
「Fast. Fast!」
「High!」
Hwa-jeong and Pung-jeong boosted, Su-jeong checked remnants, skyward they soared—past clouds, into blinding sun.
「Huaaaaah!」
Gwang-jeong swelled, absorbing rays.
Then—silent, grand explosion.
「Whoa!」
「Cool.」
「Success.」
The three cheered, awed. First explosion witnessed as refined spirits, first evil spirit slain. Achievement and spectacle left them dazed—Su-jeong recovered first.
「We. Find. Leftovers.」
「Ah. Right!」
「Hunt. Them. Give. Master.」
Hwa-jeong spotted.
「Something. There!」
* * *
"Aigoo, what's with her. Zoning out like that."
"Cried so much yesterday, barely slept?"
"Probably. Poor thing."
Good Mom and Lee Pil-nyeo couldn't see what I did...
Confirmed spirits visible via phone screen too. Perfect. Can watch the world this way awhile.
The evil spirit, shredded by refined spirits and smeared with screams on Bin-i, dragged skyward. Her face normalized, shoulder marks vanished. Properly handled.
She jolted "Hot?!" shook her head, set aside horse mackerel rod for big-game, cast lure.
Soon, room's nature spirits stirred. They're incoming. Triumphant.
「Did. It!」
「Evil. Slain. We. Success!」
As expected, Gwang-jeong and Hwa-jeong buzzed in excited.
Hm. Celebrating evil spirit kill—means they can handle worse ahead.
「Master. Said. Just. Like. Brought.」
「No. Forbidden. Deeds.」
Oho. Knew it. Nice one.
Gwang-jeong offered carefully. A walnut-sized shrunken head, twisted in agony: the evil spirit's Delusion Pouch.
Obsession-forged core, unpurgeable delusion fueling the evil spirit.
Good. Got this... but where Su-jeong, Pung-jeong?
[Su-jeong and Pung-jeong? Not together?]
「Just. In. Case. Watch. Till. Fishing. Ends.」
「Safe. Master. Sister. Return. Here.」
Hm... plotting something.