Chapter 27
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 27
Chapter Title: Precept 3
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Ibi hesitated for a moment and stopped in her tracks. In that instant, the silhouette she had thought was Haewon vanished from sight.
Hesitating, Ibi soon began cautiously scanning the spot where she'd sensed a presence just moments before. There wasn't the slightest trace of anyone having been there. Had she imagined it?
A jumble of thoughts clashed in her mind. She wanted to look around the area a bit more, but the faint dread that had been lingering was now creeping up to her chest.
By her true nature, Ibi was bolder than this, but it hadn't even been a few weeks since she'd barely survived a real ghost. She wasn't about to risk her safety on some uncertain hunch.
"Probably just saw wrong, whatever."
She muttered to herself and resumed walking home. By the time she arrived, it was well past midnight.
It seemed like nothing major had happened, but looking back, it had been a surprisingly complicated day. All those monsters from Nati's journal that she'd buried her nose in were bouncing around her head like the aftermath of watching a horror movie right before bed.
Because of that, even though she was plenty tired, Ibi tossed and turned for a long time before finally falling asleep.
And the next morning when she opened her eyes, she decided she had to go to Precept Temple. It was because of the dream she'd had while sleeping. Ibi wasn't one to dream often, but the ones she did have followed a consistent pattern. They were nightmares.
With Aerin away, Flower Mugwort Tea House was closed for the day. Ibi didn't need to go to work. She rummaged through the fridge and threw together a rough breakfast.
Her cooking skills had improved somewhat since her mother passed, but lately her tastes had gotten pickier, and it just didn't satisfy. It was probably because she'd been eating Aerin's food all the time at work.
Still, people had to eat to live. Ibi polished off her tasteless meal. Then she dug through the cupboard, dissolved some instant coffee in cold water, and plopped down on the sofa.
"How did my life end up like this?"
She'd never imagined living an ordinary life, but she hadn't expected it to get this tangled up either.
Maybe it was the rare leisure that brought on these gloomy thoughts and self-pity. Or perhaps it was the warm early autumn sunlight streaming through the window.
Even after deciding to go to Precept Temple, she couldn't quite get herself to move. Lost in thought, Ibi suddenly remembered something and reached for her phone.
She'd forgotten about it until now. It hadn't occurred to her that she could contact him anytime. But now she felt like she needed to.
Ibi dialed Nati's number, already saved in her phone. It was the one from the business card he'd given her last time.
But all she got was a message saying the number wasn't in service.
"...Tch."
How the hell did this number even work? It had connected fine from inside that wardrobe last time. As capricious as its owner, that number.
It was only after several more dozen minutes that Ibi finally mustered the will to drag herself off the sofa.
It was still bright daylight—surely no ghosts would show up. She pushed aside the nagging unease and headed out. The sunlight, which had looked so pleasant from inside, now stabbed harshly at her eyes.
She set off briskly toward Precept Temple.
She'd already tried calling Haewon a few times earlier that morning, but there'd been no answer. It was possible nothing was wrong at all. But with one unsettling thing after another piling up, pretending it was nothing didn't sit right with her temperament.
That said, going to the temple might not solve anything either.
Suddenly, it occurred to her that instead of just waiting endlessly for Nati to show up, she should have at least consulted Aerin. Of course, with both of them absent now, it was a pointless regret.
She reached the base of the hill. The path to Precept Temple branched off from a popular main walkway that people frequented.
It wasn't a grand temple to begin with, and even locals who had visited at least once didn't go often, so it never really drew crowds.
It had been ages since Ibi last went to Precept Temple herself. Maybe that's why the not-so-long hill path felt farther today.
And when she finally arrived at the temple grounds, it looked very different from what she remembered. The grass hadn't been properly trimmed and had grown wild, overtaking the paths...
"Are they closed?"
Seeing the state it was in, she wondered if the temple had shut down early. It had been so long since she'd paid attention that it was entirely possible.
She was still a ways from the main hall. Right in front of her stood the bell pavilion. She had fond memories of playing around that bell as a kid. Straight ahead led to the temple grounds, while a side path veered off to the cemetery.
But the bell pavilion had collapsed.
The massive iron bell itself was intact, of course, unharmed. But the structure holding it had completely caved in.
The roof's center beam, which had borne the bell's weight, had given way. The remaining rafters jutted outward, barely clinging to the pillars.
The wooden striker for ringing the bell lay scattered about, its rope snapped.
Ibi stood there for a moment, feeling like her childhood memories had been sullied. What the hell? It had been a while since she'd been here, sure. But had it really fallen into this much disrepair in the meantime?
Wearing a dubious expression, Ibi thought that since she was already here, she should at least check the main hall before leaving. It was right there anyway, so she took another step forward.
But the moment she did, she flinched and froze.
...Dong.
She thought she heard the sound of a bell tolling.
No, it was a bit different. Unlike the clear, resonant peal of a proper bell, this was dull, muffled as if something were blocking it...
Ibi turned back around.
The bell was still there in its ruined state. No one was touching it.
"......"
Feeling an inexplicable unease, Ibi moved away from the bell.
As she headed toward the main hall, she saw signs that the grass had at least been somewhat tended to, giving the impression of minimal upkeep. Of course, it was far from normal maintenance—just barely noticeable human touch.
But there were no people around. Not a single visitor, not even a monk.
"Um... hello?"
Ibi poked around the temple buildings. There were still Buddha statues inside the halls, and incense that looked freshly lit...
"Is anyone here?"
"Who are you?"
"Whoa!"
Ibi jumped in place at the sudden voice. It was ridiculous—she'd been the one calling out first, yet she startled at the response.
She quickly schooled her expression to hide her embarrassment and looked up. The woman who appeared had an odd appearance.
She was about Ibi's height. Long hair flowed down her back, but her face was covered. She wore a white cloth like a veil draped over it, reaching down to her nose. Only the lower part of her face was visible. From her voice and mouth, she seemed around Ibi's age.
"Uh......"
"Ah, my appearance is a bit strange, right? I was in a bad accident five years ago. Sorry about that."
"N-no, it's fine."
Ibi hurriedly apologized, worried she'd stared too rudely for a first meeting.
That said, she'd never encountered anyone covering their face like that, so it felt weird. Cautiously, she asked,
"Are you a nun, by any chance?"
"No. I just got permission from the city to help maintain the temple a little."
Come to think of it, her hair was too long for a nun.
The woman glanced around slightly. The cloth over her face shifted a bit.
"It's not easy doing it alone, though."
"Yeah... I haven't been here in ages. It wasn't like this even two or three years ago. Did the temple close down?"
"Not yet. But it probably will soon..."
The woman continued in a soft, measured tone.
"The head monk passed away from illness two years ago. It was always a small temple, so not many monks wanted to stay. The few who remained gradually drifted away, and that's how it ended up like this."
"Oh, I see."
It felt bittersweet, like one of her childhood memories was slipping away.
"Must be tough managing it alone."
"Just trimming the grass a bit here and there."
With that, the woman let out a giggle.
"Would you like to pray before you go?"
"No, I'm not Buddhist... I was just stopping by."
"I see. Still, you must be tired from the climb. Sit for a bit. I'll get you something to drink."
Before Ibi could say she was fine, the woman turned and hurried off somewhere. Caught off guard, Ibi blinked in place for a moment.
But she seemed to be the only one here Ibi could ask anything. Resigned, Ibi sat on the veranda and waited.
Soon, the woman returned with a tray holding a glass of cool-looking drink. Ibi pretended to sip it while casually bringing up,
"Um, were you at the temple last night too? Around midnight, did you see a guy coming up this way? About my age, pretty built."
"Hmm. I don't usually come up after early evening."
Fair enough—she probably wouldn't stick around this creepy temple grounds that late. Ibi moved on to her next question.
"Then... do you know what 'Taebaek Spirit' means?"
She could see the veiled face slowly tilt to the side in curiosity. It looked somehow eerie.
"Taebaek Spirit."
Then the woman's sharp lips curved into a sly crescent moon smile.