Chapter 37
Chapter 37
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 37
Chapter Title: An Unexpected Daughter
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The day broke.
A refreshing morning.
Today marked Monday,
the start of a new week.
For office workers, it was the hour
when deep sighs accompanied the resumption of labor.
“Master, breakfast is ready.”
“…Thank you.”
Ever since last night, when I gave her the name ‘Soi’
derived from miso soup, her mood had improved dramatically.
“Hmm~ Hmm~♪”
Look at that.
On the other hand, someone like me.
Felt like I could drop dead from exhaustion right this instant.
Seriously.
Before breakfast.
My steps dragged weakly toward the shower room.
In the mirror hanging on the shower room wall,
the reflected state of Park Yeon-jeong’s face was—.
…Who are you?
The figure in the mirror had visuals believable as a ghost story.
A utterly wrecked, sleep-deprived mess,
with dark circles drooping to the cheekbones,
as if proclaiming the desperate struggle from the night before.
If I summed up last night’s brutal ordeal in one simple line.
- Soi’s sleep deprivation torture.
And that result was my current condition.
Through the torture, I realized
she still harbored unresolved anger toward me.
Otherwise….
Her countless actions made no sense.
Last night, when she asked to hold hands and sleep together,
I had politely refused.
But Soi flared up out of nowhere,
insisting we’d made a promise and sounding hurt.
Seeing her assert so strongly that we had an agreement.
Park Yeon-jeong felt shattered puzzle pieces snap together,
a memory suddenly surfacing.
- Holding hands? Just tell me anytime,
and I’ll hold them for you!
I said it.
Yeah, I did.
This damn mouth spouted nonsense again.
Why did these unwanted memories
resurface at such impeccably timed moments.
So, with no choice.
Since it was a promise I’d made,
Park Yeon-jeong couldn’t just pretend it never happened—
he figured he had to honor her request back then.
But….
She’d said it was just holding hands to sleep.
Whoosh.
Slither.
She inched toward my side,
then plastered herself against my body.
From there, her attempt to drag me under the bed began.
‘Master, it’s hot.’
With those words, she flung open her kimono.
How much effort I wasted stopping her.
After that, Soi pulled every trick
to keep me awake.
- Blowing in my ear.
- Suddenly squeezing our interlocked fingers.
- Trying to yank me under the bed.
- Endlessly sniffling in irritating, inexplicable whimpers, and more.
So much crammed into one night
that I couldn’t even recall it all now.
If I hunted ghost stories in this state.
Instant death.
So today, I die.
Cause: Soi sleep deprivation torture.
To cling to sanity, I splashed water on my face
and headed to the kitchen.
Before me spread a mouthwatering eel rice bowl.
“Today, I tried making eel rice bowl.”
“……….”
“Master. You’re drooling.”
Fatigue was fatigue,
but one look at the salivating eel rice bowl
chased away half my exhaustion.
I plopped down and scooped a bite
of Soi’s appetizing eel rice bowl.
……Drip.
Just like the phrase about tears over good food,
my eyes welled up.
“It’s really delicious! Soi!”
“S-Soi…… I’m so glad it tastes good.”
I wolfed down her meal right there,
finished all my work prep shortly after.
Time:
AM.08:55.
Even with leisurely prep, five minutes remained.
To digest and wake up during that time,
as Park Yeon-jeong turned to leave early.
“Have a safe trip, Master.”
“…Yeah, I’ll be back.”
With Soi seeing me off, I stepped out the front door.
*****
AM.09:00
Clack!
The stage lights flicking on—
a sound I hadn’t heard in forever—rang in my ears.
Static followed in bursts.
Zzzt-
[Hello! Employee Park Yeon-jeong!
Your face says a lot happened over that short weekend.]
Yeah, a ton happened.
Never missed you this badly before.
I itched to unload every weekend ordeal on him right then.
But.
If I met Noise, one question came first.
“Uh, Noise.”
[Yes, Employee Park Yeon-jeong.]
“She said she hasn’t become a ghost story yet?”
[Ah,
her.
You two must’ve talked a lot.]
I wanted to ask.
Why she spouted that incomprehensible line
about not being a ghost story yet.
It wasn’t even in the [Ghost Story Archive].
But somehow, Noise would know.
If anyone who’d shown such bizarre behavior before.
Zzzt-
[Instead, Employee Park Yeon-jeong, I’ll ask you.]
[What do you think ghost stories look like?]
Ghost story origins?
Never seriously pondered it.
Just stumbled on the online [Ghost Story Archive]
some anonymous soul cooked up,
happened to read it,
and by pure chance dove into its world.
No lofty ‘fate.’
Plain coincidence.
…Yeah, coincidence.
Like chancing on the [Ghost Story Archive].
Ghost stories probably the same—a vague thought crossed my mind.
I murmured softly.
“Someone stumbles on a ghost story by chance?”
[Yes! Correct! But only half-right.]
“Half?”
Zzzt-
Noise seized the conversational baton and explained.
[Humans describe ghost stories like this.]
- Ghost stories have always existed around us.
[Sure, some twisted them for murder, kidnapping,
whatever suited their taste.]
[Ghost stories were seen as pre-existing,
for all sorts of reasons.]
[That’s your half-answer, Employee Park Yeon-jeong.]
So.
“What’s the other half?”
[As expected, such scholarly zeal!]
[Then, rewarding this student’s passion,
Professor Noise reveals the hidden half.]
Noise’s voice brimmed with excitement.
As I focused on his next words.
Snap!
!!!
In an instant, white librarians swarmed
around Park Yeon-jeong, fingers jabbing at him.
[The truth? Humans—you—birthed ghost stories.]
“……Huh?”
Teacher, way too fast.
No, skipping straight to the answer…?
Noise deflated at the tepid response,
unlike expected.
Whoosh.
The librarians’ index fingers at Park Yeon-jeong vanished.
Clack!
Nearby, under bright lights,
a desk and chair materialized.
[Sit there for now.]
[I’ll explain step-by-step, at your level,
Employee Park Yeon-jeong.]
From eager pupil to remedial slacker—in a flash,
Park Yeon-jeong.
Thus began.
Remedial class.
Subject: [Ghost Story Genesis Theory.]
Professor Noise’s masterclass kicked off.
[I’ll hit the core, for your grasp,
Employee Park Yeon-jeong.]
[Ghost stories aren’t ‘discovered’ by humans like you.]
[It starts with the delusion humans discovered them.]
“……….”
[…Simpler: humans’ delusions.]
Something was there!
Didn’t something pass behind?!
A shadow by the door!
[These delusions piled up, birthing us ghost stories.]
Park Yeon-jeong’s stalled neurons fired again, perhaps.
He voiced his dawning grasp.
“…If born from human delusions,
humans could erase them too?”
Zzzt-
[Not… wrong.]
Zzzzt-
[But Employee Park Yeon-jeong.]
[Can you just forget memories you want gone?]
“……Huh?”
Zzzzzzt-
Noise’s static worsened.
[Strong impressions carve deep into human brains.
Erasing those? Never easy.]
[Always craving shared vibes with others.]
ㄴ. Wasn’t my eyes!
ㄴ. You check it too!
ㄴ. ㄹㅇ wild stuff.
ㄴ. What’s this?
[Thus ghost stories born—from curiosity,
fear of the weird. Tiny attentions feed illusions,
they bulk up.]
[So ghost stories crave attention,
sometimes lure humans in for fear-energy snacks.]
“…….”
My silence prompted Noise’s amused tone
to steer onward.
[You asked how to wipe us out.]
[I’ll tell you. Erasing ghost stories.]
!!
A ghost story spilling potential weakness? I.
Didn’t buy it.
Couldn’t.
Blabbing self-sabotage? Absurd.
Zzzzzzzzzzt-
Ear-grating static peaked,
a shredding voice blasted through the speaker.
[Kill every human in existence!!]
[No thoughts possible! Back to primal goo!
Kids to elders! All sentient beings—dead!]
[Stab! Smash! Slash! Crush!]
[Want it? I’ll help! Employee Park Yeon-jeong!]
[You’ll be humanity’s savior-hero!]
[Hero!]
[Saint!]
[Redeemer!]
“……….”
Crackle-
Sparks flew somewhere.
[…Oops, got carried away.]
Noise’s frenzy halted cold.
[So, Employee Park Yeon-jeong. Satisfied?]
“…….”
Park Yeon-jeong might’ve forgotten, briefly.
The nature of his short-time companion.
After scant chats, deluded full understanding.
He’d foolishly disarmed trust against a worthless thing.
Subconsciously relied, perhaps.
No—had relied.
He’s unlike other ghost stories?
Idiotic notion.
Zzzt-
[That covers your first question, somewhat.]
[The her you’ve chatted with, shared time.]
[Her fierce clinginess to you.]
[Why she popped up in my gifted house.]
!!
[Employee Park Yeon-jeong. I gave one comfy rest spot.]
Park Yeon-jeong’s first thought entering that house:
-
Something’s inside for sure.
-
Noise’s gift. Empty? Weird.
-
Bizarre space sans ghost story? Impossible!
That instant.
A paper fluttered down.
『Eat.』
Subconsciously, I’d thought:
-
Knew it!
Ghostless here? That’d be off.
So I believed.
Thus, in Noise’s crafted space,
Park Yeon-jeong birthed ‘Soi.’
Zzzt-
[That space? My power-warped異界.
Ghost-story factory, beyond normal spots.]
“……I made her?”
[Yes. Congrats.]
[You birthed her, Employee Park Yeon-jeong.
She’s your ‘daughter.’]
……‘Daughter’?
Into Park Yeon-jeong’s life—
no proper romance ever.
An unexpected daughter arrived.