This Is the One
"Wh-what is the meaning of this?!"
"It's the jar that held all the insects this centipede killed."
"H-hiiik!!"
Song Seongjae recoiled in horror. I swept the trash into a corner with a few lazy kicks, then set the jar down in the middle of the emergency exit landing.
"The... core of the curse, you said..."
"That's right. Another core of the Mugo. Though I never imagined anyone would disguise it as an ashtray."
I gave a hollow laugh and rapped my knuckles against the jar—knock, knock. Song Seongjae swallowed dryly and glared at it.
"Shouldn't that thing be disposed of as quickly as possible...?"
"First we need to find out who brought this 'ashtray' here, and when."
When I looked at him as if to ask whether he knew anything, Song Seongjae slowly shook his head.
"I couldn't say... when it was put there. I don't handle the maintenance myself—the building management office takes care of that."
"Then I can't help you. How am I supposed to find out who swapped it out, or when they do the swapping?"
I snorted. Did he take me for a private detective? A police inspector? Was I supposed to go poking around everywhere playing sleuth?
"Something this simple—you can have it figured out by end of day, can't you?"
"Ah—yes... well. But shouldn't the jar be disposed of?"
Song Seongjae adjusted his glasses, his voice thick with discomfort.
"Not until we know that. Get rid of it rashly and you'll never even catch the bastard's tail. If you want this jar gone fast, find that out first."
With that, I set the jar back where it belonged.
"Smash this thing to pieces just because it gives you the willies, and you won't like what happens next. Behave and do as I say. The verdict hasn't come down yet, has it?"
"...Yes. Understood."
To my relief, Song Seongjae nodded meekly and got to his feet. He was the timid sort; he wouldn't do anything rash.
"Whoever planned this is a persistent piece of work. We can't let our guard down until the cause is found."
Song Seongjae, silent for a long moment, clenched his fist.
"...I will cooperate. So find the cause—no matter what. As I said before, the compensation will be nothing short of generous."
The cigarette case in his fist crumpled with a crunch.
"And once you catch the culprit? What's the plan then?"
"I intend to torment them. Relentlessly, by every means at my disposal."
So the man had at least a modicum of backbone after all. I snorted despite myself.
"Good. But no curses. Find another way."
Offering that bit of advice, I left Song Seongjae behind and headed for the restroom. The filth from the jar needed washing off first.
Hey.
Muyeong's voice piped up inside my head.
"What?"
If you just smashed the jar and killed the Gu poison while you were at it, couldn't you collect everything you're owed right now?
Muyeong asked as if genuinely curious. Well, it wasn't a stupid question. I could lift the curse in front of me, take the money, and shut my mouth for good. But...
"The curse, though—that's the one thing I can't do that way."
Even if pinning down the ritual site was a stretch, at the very least I had to learn who had commissioned it.
Nothing gnaws away at a person bit by bit the way a curse does—just like CEO Kim Yeongsik's case.
"I hate cowards who do their dirty work from places you can't even see."
Kheheheh. You've got a purer streak than I gave you credit for. Not that it's a bad thing.
"...Shut it."
I replied with a scowl.
Even with the water running and my hands scrubbed raw, the stench wouldn't wash off. Maybe I'd have to raid the soap dispenser.
Flicker.
Then the restroom light blinked.
...
I didn't think anything of it. And then a vile sense of déjà vu closed in on me.
Yes. That bus.
The same feeling as when that bus, packed with countless evil spirits, had come to a halt—
CRASH-!!
The restroom mirror exploded, and pitch-black spirits came bursting out.
Human!!
Muyeong's cry rang out, and in the same instant I thrust my left hand forward.
I had poked at that stagnant curse, so naturally something like this would follow—!
Whiiiing-!
Some of the spirits were drawn into my markings, but there were far too many to finish off in one sweep.
Besides, I hadn't been their target in the first place.
BANG-!
The door burst open as though torn from its frame, and the spirits poured out into the corridor. I scrambled after them in a hurry.
What kind of grudge had they been fed, that mere spirits would have this kind of strength—!
Thunk! Thunk! Thunk!
The corridor lights were going out one by one. I flailed a hand at Song Seongjae, who stood at the far end of the hallway watching me with a stricken face.
"Shut the door!!"
These things wouldn't come for Song Seongjae, the second medium. All he had to do was shut the door, cover his ears, and keep his eyes closed. Without another moment's hesitation, I bolted for the office.
Right now I was in no condition to channel a spirit, and it was too late in the game to rely on my markings either.
Left with no other choice, I decided to take the dokkaebi up on his help.
"Muyeong. Lend me a hand."
I funneled a portion of my strength over to him as I spoke.
Kheheheh. You really do wring me dry whenever it suits you.
Kiiiiing-!!
A sharp metallic ring split the air. Time around me thickened, and my body suddenly felt light as a feather.
—!!
KHAHAHAHA! And you're stunned by a paltry trick like this!
In the blink of an eye I was at the office door, face to face with the spirits that had just oozed through the gap.
"KYAAAAAH!!"
"D-Director!!"
Jeong Hyeonyeong had gone ashen at the sight of the shadows and was stumbling backward, while her secretary barred the path in front of her, every bit as terrified.
Fortunately, I wasn't too late. They seemed merely startled.
A swarm of spirits this dense would register even to ordinary folk with keen senses, after all.
Absorbing them would take too long.
My markings had already gorged themselves on spirits; swallowing all of these would take time. And in that time, Jeong Hyeonyeong could be in danger.
Then blue flames bloomed to life above my markings, and Muyeong's voice followed.
Sweep them away.
Without a second's thought, I flung my left hand out. The blue dokkaebi fire spread in a rush, seizing the spirits and setting them alight.
KIIIIIIIIEEK!!!!
It sounded like insects dying. I could hear wings beating, legs scrabbling.
Not one of the spirits ever touched Jeong Hyeonyeong or her secretary; every last one burned away. The blue flames devoured them whole and left nothing behind but a black scorch mark on the ceiling.
"...Handy."
I gave a hollow laugh, staring up at the ceiling. Apparently a few hundred years as a dokkaebi hadn't been lived in vain.
KHAHAHA! That's all the praise I get?! You could stand to be a little more awed by this elder's power.
"Shut up."
Muyeong preened and bellowed with laughter, while I ignored the voice in my skull and walked over to Jeong Hyeonyeong, who had sunk to the floor.
The secretary looked more or less all right, but Jeong Hyeonyeong, who had taken the spirits' malice head-on, looked far from well.
"Are you both okay? Nothing wrong physically? No nausea, no headaches?"
At my question, the two of them shook their heads in a daze.
"What... just happened? Those flames, those shadows..."
Jeong Hyeonyeong's voice shook; she didn't even try to sound composed.
"This place has drawn quite a crowd of evil spirits. It's no accident that strange things keep happening to your clients."
"...Shouldn't you hold a gut ritual or something, then?"
Jeong Hyeonyeong tried to stand, but her strength gave out and she sank back down. I sighed and held out a hand; after a moment's hesitation, she took it and got to her feet.
"You did tell me I'd be fine."
"Well, you are fine, aren't you? I've simply learned I need to be a little more careful."
I answered, feeling vaguely defensive. Jeong Hyeonyeong studied me for a long moment, then shuffled to the sofa and sat down.
"...Are you saying something else could happen?"
"There's no guarantee it won't. Keep this on you—in your bag, always."
I fished out one of the protective talismans I'd stuffed into my bag in my rush that morning and slipped it into an envelope for her. And as a bonus—no harm in drumming up business—I held out my business card as well.
"If anything strange happens, call this number."
"Gangnim... Doryeong?"
Damn it. Seeing it now, the card was a bit loud. Slightly embarrassing to hand out to people from old-money families.
"Do shamans normally go around shooting fire?"
"I'm a little special. Hardly anyone else can do this kind of thing."
Jeong Hyeonyeong stared at the card for a moment, then let out a feeble little laugh and nodded. Before long, she had tucked both the card and the talisman deep into her bag, handling them like treasures.
"...I'll trust you."
"Muyeong, you're staying close to that woman for a while. Keep watch, and if anything strange happens, you block it. Something strange will happen—I'd bet on it—so tracking it down is on you too."
Leaving a measure of Muyeong's power with her should cover it. It wasn't as if I could personally shadow this woman twenty-four hours a day.
What?! Why must I, this elder—
"You don't want to? Well, if you'd rather not..."
Fine!! Fine, damn it, you insolent brat!
With a half-threat, I stationed Muyeong at Jeong Hyeonyeong's side. Now, even if something really did happen, I could rest easy.
I was still checking on Jeong Hyeonyeong and her secretary when my phone buzzed.
Ah, right—I'd forgotten. I texted back that it was over, and before long the door opened with exaggerated caution and Song Seongjae reappeared.
"...Why does the ceiling suddenly look like that?"
"Your fault. Whose else?"
In that case, I'd be billing him for the talisman and the spirit extermination too. I glared at Song Seongjae as I made the resolution.
"Ah, and I contacted the security office and secured the CCTV footage. We should know soon enough who brought that jar in."
So he hadn't just been dawdling by the emergency exit. Song Seongjae's head was already full of ways to hunt down the source of the curse and crush it.
"I will catch them. Without fail."
His eyes gleamed. Well, he was a legal professional, after all—this part I could leave to him.
"Good. Keep that fire and bring them in. Once your revenge succeeds, I'll see you're paid handsomely for it."
"Is there any doubt? Before the verdict comes down, you will know everything."
About a week left, was it? I could afford to wait.
And three days later, I learned that this coward of a lawyer's abilities ran far deeper than I'd given him credit for.
Was there anything to think about? I fired back a reply on the spot.
Song Seongjae's office.
"You want me to... take the consultation for a new client?"
"That's right. A VIP acquaintance of mine. He'll be here shortly, so get ready."
Lee Seokmin, a fifth-year associate, nodded along in a daze.
Song Seongjae—the man so fastidious he handled every client consultation personally, no matter what—was delegating this to him?
Had everything he'd been through lately finally brought about a change of heart?
Lee Seokmin stole a careful glance at his boss. Just who was this VIP acquaintance? Perhaps a heavyweight beyond anything an ordinary person could imagine.
Even with that mountain of cases behind him, new retainers never stopped coming in—seeing it made him realize, once again, just how exalted Song Seongjae's standing truly was.
But if this latest 'job' succeeded as well, Song Seongjae's downfall would be all but certain.
Lee Seokmin clenched his fist tight and quieted his pounding heart.
And then, a short while later—
Tap. Tap.
The sound of someone walking down the corridor toward the office.
Lee Seokmin rose from his seat to receive the client, but—
Whirr.
The automatic door slid open, and in walked a tall young man.
That man is the client...? He hardly looks the part.
Then Song Seongjae, standing beside Lee Seokmin, bowed his head.
"You've arrived, Doryeong-nim."
Lee Seokmin's eyes darted back and forth between Song Seongjae and the client, inwardly aghast.
This man was bowing his head? Song Seongjae, who traded easy greetings with the CEOs of major corporations?!
And what did he just call that man...? "Young Master"? "Doryeong-nim"?
The corner of the young man's mouth curled up as he took in Lee Seokmin's dumbstruck face.
"This is the one?"
And the corner of Song Seongjae's mouth curled up to match.
"Yes. This is the one."
Lee Seokmin simply stood there, frozen solid, unable to grasp a word of their exchange.