Chapter 13
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 013
Chapter Title: Such Things Happen
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Having wrapped up the judgment on Meow, I leaned back against the sofa.
But my mind was still stuck on what had just happened.
No, seriously.
Does this even make sense?
How the hell did just touching my phone with my fingertip turn it into a brick? Was Meow's hand some kind of industrial rivet gun or what?
Such thoughts led me to sit up.
This won't do.
I couldn't just let it end here, not even out of sheer stubbornness.
The result had been turning it into a brick, sure, but thinking back, Meow had definitely tried to act on my words.
So there had to be some other way. Some clear alternative.
I immediately rummaged through the drawer.
Pulled out a notebook and pen, gripped them firmly, and scooped Meow into my arms.
"Hey, try moving just a little, like you want to."
"Meow?"
"Draw something, say something—anything. I'll write whatever you guide me to with a bit of pressure."
Right. If the phone didn't work, we'd go old-school.
Writing was the oldest tool for conveying intentions, wasn't it?
Even if Meow's paws couldn't hold a pen, that was fine. I'd receive the force and move it for her.
A notebook wouldn't break, so if I controlled the pressure like in bunshin saba, I could definitely communicate with Meow!
......That was what I'd thought.
"......What the hell is this?"
I blinked at the notebook, now a blackened lump.
What lay before my eyes was a notebook—or rather, something that had once been a notebook.
It had been perfectly fine when I'd placed the pen on it. But the moment Meow put her paw on the back of my hand, it turned black.
Perfectly black, just like that orb she'd vomited up before.
This was straight-up the same art style, localized to this spot.
I gritted my teeth.
Quitting here? My male pride wouldn't allow it.
I tried every other method that came to mind.
I filled the bathroom with hot water and told her to move my arm over the steam.
The mirror went on strike, refusing to reflect light like a mad bastard.
I grabbed some random ingredient label and read it out syllable by syllable, telling her to make a sound when I hit the word she wanted.
The moment she meowed, domestic sausage turned into Chinese stuff that didn't want to reveal its ingredients.
Honestly, at this point, I was dumbfounded.
'Does this make any sense?'
No, normally everything was fine, but whenever Meow tried to communicate, this bullshit happened!
For real.
The mirror, the sausage—everything.
There was no issue just from touching Meow.
If she had that kind of power, I'd have noticed right away.
She roamed the house freely all the time.
If everything she touched turned black, my place would've been a coal mine by now, not a home.
But that wasn't the case.
These incidents only happened when I tried to talk to her.
'Is it because she's a Constellation?'
Some incomprehensible force seemed to be blocking her from expressing herself.
That's when I tried saying syllables one by one myself and told her to stop me when I got it right.
Ding-dong.
The bell rang—a sound I'd never heard before. I stopped what I was doing and opened the door.
There stood none other than Ro Boss.
"Oh, Ro Boss? What brings you here?"
"W-Well... it seemed a bit noisy."
What?
Oh.
Oh no!
What the hell had I been doing?
I immediately bowed deeply.
"Sorry for the disturbance!"
Regret crashed over me like a tidal wave.
I'd been messing around with Meow and ended up bothering Ro Boss next door!
If I could, I'd turn back time!
Regret, despair, obsession!
That summed up my life's genre right now!
"N-No! It's not like it was loud or anything."
"I'll stay quiet as the grave!"
"No, really! I-I was just worried something might be wrong, so I came to check..."
But Ro Boss extended a saving grace to me.
Worried!
She was worried!
At that merciful word, I felt my life's genre snap back to normal in an instant.
"You were worried about me?"
"Uh? Y-Yeah... something like that."
An indescribable sense of fulfillment filled my chest.
I wanted to scream in joy right then.
But I held back. Ro Boss always got startled whenever I yelled!
"Heh heh heh heh."
So I lifted my head with my usual kind smile, and Ro Boss asked again.
"S-So... what happened?"
"Oh, that."
I told her exactly what I'd been up to.
About wanting to hear what Meow had to say, trying all sorts of things, but failing every time.
"Ah, I see."
"I was thinking of giving up anyway. Every time I try something, I feel like an idiot."
Of course, to Ro Boss—who could normally see Constellations—it might sound a bit odd, but whatever.
I'd answer any question from her.
I could even laughingly recount getting blocked after a KakaoTalk confession in high school and preserved forever in the class group chat!
But she neither mocked me nor found it weird.
"Well, yeah. Normal people can't really understand what that kid says."
Ah.
Right.
Apparently, communicating with Meow wasn't easy for anyone, not just me.
"Shaaak!"
I looked at the one behind me, tail rigidly raised.
After hearing Ro Boss's words, I felt like I'd tormented her too much today for no reason.
Come to think of it, midway through my attempts, she'd started hissing and shaking her head wildly—must've had a reason.
Uncharacteristically, I spoke to her as she bristled with displeasure.
"Alright, buddy. I'll give back the confiscated snacks, so cheer up."
As I went to grab a sausage from the fridge, Ro Boss—who'd entered ahead of me—pointed at Meow.
"Tsk!"
"......?"
"You have to be nice to the person taking care of you, right? Keep acting up and you'll get it from me?"
"......Meow."
Surprisingly, Meow's tail drooped instantly, and she nodded.
Whoa.
What was that?
Meow followed me well enough, but she never submitted like that.
'As expected.'
This was the dignity of a landlord!
Even a Constellation like Meow had to bow before 30,000 landlord power!
I was admiring Ro Boss when she bent down, met Meow's eyes, and added one more thing.
"You've been staying here rent-free this whole time, haven't you? Then be a good girl, okay?"
But that follow-up made me doubt my ears for a second.
'Rent?'
What did that mean?
Was Ro Boss seriously trying to collect rent from Meow?
For real?
"Meow."
"Oh, is she giving it?"
Tok.
And why the hell are you actually giving it to her!
I stared in shock at Meow vomiting up the black orb into Ro Boss's hand.
I couldn't believe what I was seeing.
As I gaped at them, Ro Boss glanced back and flinched.
"W-Why that look......"
"......Just realizing anew how special you are, Boss."
The words slipped out naturally.
Yeah.
That wasn't just unusual.
It was special.
Welte Zuroi could collect rent from a cat.
Unbelievable, but I'd seen it with my own eyes!
'Though she doesn't charge me!'
As those thoughts swirled, the hesitant Ro Boss changed the subject.
"A-Anyway. Should I translate for you?"
"Pardon?"
"What that kid said."
"......Didn't you say it was hard to understand?"
"W-Well, yeah, but I can kinda get it."
What!
For real!?
"Please do."
I nodded eagerly to Ro Boss.
She cleared her throat with a hem-hem and spoke.
"She wants more hugs. To be kept warm and comforted by your side."
And I froze solid.
Honestly, it was unexpected.
"......This little shit Meow."
Was that what she'd been thinking?
I was a bit touched.
Yeah, she'd seemed a little affection-starved since day one.
How else would she rub her head against a total stranger like Ro Boss?
I approached and stroked her head.
In response, she added one more meow.
"Meow."
"Oh, and also."
Ro Boss, standing nearby, immediately translated.
"She asks why you're not giving her more of that thing from before."
No, wait, what? That thing?
What thing?
"What do you mean?"
"S-She said round bread or something. That's all I got."
Round bread?
Oh, pizza maybe?
But I'd only eaten one pizza in the apartment.
"......That was pineapple pizza."
Why more, indeed.
That was the punishment pizza I'd been forced to buy and eat after getting dragged to the Pollution Investigation Bureau.
I'd bought it like force-feeding leftover scraps to a cat, US military style.
"Meow."
"She knows."
"Huaaaah!"
I couldn't hold back and screamed.
This evil cat bastard!
Didn't she pity the innocent Italians?
Did they have to unleash that abomination on the world!?
Those thoughts raced through my head, but I just screamed without shoving Meow away.
She'd already filled her daily Kang Han-sik show quota, so best to hold back.
Soon enough, I shut my mouth and stroked her head.
And that's when it happened.
"Can I pet her too?"
"Sure."
I nodded at Ro Boss's question from the side.
Then I felt the usual touch.
Not on Meow, but my hand and head being stroked.
"Uhuhu."
"......"
God knows when I'd correct this.
Ro Boss always did this.
She'd sometimes ask if she could touch me, then stroke various parts of my body.
'I really need to say something about this someday.'
......Whatever.
Feels good, afterglow.
I averted my eyes from the truth and enjoyed the soft touch.
A few days later.
I left the apartment and boarded a bus.
Naturally, to handle the request from So Boss.
No deadline on the documents, but dragging it out wasn't ideal.
One unexpected thing: I wasn't handling this alone.
I recalled my recent talk with So Boss.
'More people?'
'Yeah. You think I'd send you solo into that haunted mansion?'
Honestly, I'd assumed as much.
I'd handled the Hunters request alone before.
Wouldn't it be weirder for multiple people to jump on a 10% payout gig?
'This is normal. Going into a pollution zone solo? Suicide for regular folks.'
'Got it. What about the money?'
'Split evenly usually. Sometimes skew if someone's standout, but rarer than you'd think.'
Apparently.
The pay cut stung a bit, but on second thought, it wasn't bad.
I was a newbie in this biz, strictly speaking.
One prior job didn't mean I could relax.
Whereas today's partners were pros.
'So I can just ride the bus and split the cash?'
Sweet.
As I mused, the bus reached the destination.
Click-clack.
As I stood to get off, the two black orbs on my keychain bumped pleasantly.
Why two? One was the one Ro Boss got.
She'd collected rent from Meow but said she didn't need it and gave it to me.
Honestly, I didn't need it either, but since it was from Meow and Ro Boss, I treated it like a good-luck charm on my keychain.
Anyway, after walking a bit from the bus stop, I reached the meeting spot.
Some arrived early, some after me.
End result: five of us, me included.
A burly guy with Park Ho-cheol vibes and rippling muscles.
A grandma carrying a crystal ball, fortune-teller style.
And a fairly ordinary-looking brother-sister pair, from what I overheard.
"Everyone here?"
At the appointed time, the musclehead spoke up.
I figured greetings first, but he scowled and clicked his tongue.
"Senile old hag, two green kids with no blood in their heads. And what's this punk?"
Just like that, the goodwill from his "pro" status shattered.
What the hell's his problem, picking fights out the gate?
Like a support threatening to run mid if no ward at first beacon.
He stared at me longest out of the group, which I couldn't fathom.
"Hah, is that what you wear into a pollution zone?"
Why?
What about me?
Coupang 60k triple baton, Coupang 120k stab-proof vest, plus Ro Boss's charm!
Perfection itself!
But I didn't bother responding.
Obvious troll desperate for reactions—engaging just hurts my mouth.
Best to mute chat, ping ban, emote block, and do my thing.
The others did the same.
We all united in ignoring the meathead until another man appeared.
"Welcome, we've been waiting."
A neat-looking middle-aged guy.
"I'm Jang Jin-su, the lodge caretaker."
Jang Jin-su, lodge caretaker.
The client's proxy, precisely.
"Five of you, as briefed. Follow me, please?"
He checked us over and led the way.
I followed.
The mountain lodge in scenic hills lived up to it—the autumn foliage grew more vibrant with each step, a stunning vista.
As I admired it, Jang Jin-su spoke up.
"I assume you've all heard the details."
He dove into the story from the file So Boss gave me.
"But since you're here, I'll recap. Ahem. We made a bad contract. With a seductive fox spirit of eternal allure. We thought she'd boost our business once, but in hindsight, meeting her was a horrific mistake."
Common tale these days.
Jang Jin-su was more emotional, but summary: Businessman A struggling.
A catches eye of special-ability Constellation, signs contract.
Business booms with her help, piles up wealth.
At peak ripeness, Constellation speaks.
I used my power for you, now pay up.
"That Constellation—a wicked vampire—demanded virgin blood. Not just any, but the chairman's granddaughter."
In this case, the price was A's family.
"We refused, of course. No matter the fortune, how many would give up blood kin? But..."
Disaster struck.
Cheated Constellation raged, vowed punishment, tried taking the offering herself.
A rushed his granddaughter to this lodge, took measures against the vampire.
But the vampire scoffed, cursed the area to spawn pollution.
"......Some spell—she can't leave the mansion anymore."
A's granddaughter got eternally mansion-bound curse.
I recalled So Boss's file.
Try to leave, and you're back inside somehow.
Like an infinite game loop—fascinating how.
"Not the end. Those monsters swarm the mansion at night, hunting the lady. The barrier against the vampire holds—they can't reach her room—but hearing them every night eats at the soul."
"That's rough."
The musclehead grunted agreement; Jang Jin-su sighed and nodded.
"Her health tanked...... That beautiful face, half-ruined. At least the Constellation lost interest after cursing us. Thinks we're beneath notice. Sigh."
He paused, sighed, then continued.
"But the curse lingers. Please, take as long as needed—free the lady."
He bowed before the arrived mansion.
An antique Western-style mansion, hidden deep in these mountains—not obvious.
Having heard it all there, honestly, one thought dominated.
'......For a successful businessman, the payout's awfully low, no?'
No, really.
He's rich, right?
Granddaughter's freedom on line—can't splash some real cash?
Cool 100 mil, 200 mil bounty easy.
Split even, still plenty left.
Hmm.
Who knows.
Maybe newbie bias.
'Fair. Doesn't sound super dangerous.'
Monsters swarm, but only nights.
Pollution affects just the lady, not others.
Jang Jin-su's the caretaker, out and about fine.
'Goal's mansion purge or destroy.'
Bluntly, smash it open and extract her—hence 2 mil?
Rates match risk; crane demo'd cost about that.
Thud!
As we entered thinking that, the gate slammed shut with a boom.
Jang Jin-su stepped forward naturally.
"Please wait a moment. I'll fetch the lady."
Screech.
He dashed inside, soon returning wheeling a chair.
"Allow me to introduce: Lady Eun Ha-eun."
There sat the story's protagonist.
Eun Ha-eun.
Fragile beauty princess trapped in mountain lodge.
Except.
Her complexion was healthier than described.
And her outfit: bat-wing black cloak over bare skin.
"Hello. I'm Eun Ha-eun."
Watching her greet calmly, I gritted my teeth.
What the fuck!
Monster mansion, right!?
Exposure mansion!?)