Seowon Rotary Hit-and-Run

"Is that him?"

I asked, watching a long-limbed man in a long-sleeve shirt, irezumi ink covering his arms, from the opposite diagonal of the intersection.

The vengeful spirit's chat slid up along one edge of my vision.

The vengeful spirits' bottled-up fury came flooding through the chat window.

"How do you want it done? Killing him is the bare minimum, but you must have some shape in mind."

The client was still mulling it over, and the other vengeful spirits were already elbowing each other to pile on advice.

"Everyone, shut it. What matters here is what he wants. When the rest of you meet your own enemies, would you be happy if someone else's opinion got accepted over yours? Would you be able to rest in peace?"

Before the chat could spiral into useless bickering, I switched to admin mode.

"Quiet, all of you. And Seowon Rotary — the faster you tell me, the better it is for both of us. Right?"

I nodded. That was fair enough. Anyone's mind goes blank the moment reality actually lands in front of them, doesn't it?

It's like people singing about everything they'll do the day they win the lottery — and then blowing the winnings on impulse until they go bankrupt.

"Then let's do this."

I glared at the hit-and-run driver who'd killed my client.

"I'll take him somewhere without a soul in sight. Think it over until then."

Killing a man someone holds a grudge against is not difficult. The problem is that not every death soothes the grudge.

Ha. How many lifetimes would it take to put all 108 of them to rest?

Luring out the tattooed thug with the long sleeves and long legs was easy.

"Hello, vehicle 8374? You're the owner, right? Terribly sorry about this — I was backing up and scraped your front bumper. Yes, I'll wait right here."

Through the receiver came a voice thick with irritation. After hanging up, I scanned my surroundings. Time to locate the CCTV.

"We're getting started now, so how about a buff, hm?"

The instant the donation message flickered across my vision, it felt as though something had smeared itself over my face.

Clunk—

The glass door at the entrance of the studio apartment slid open.

"That's you, right? But what's wrong with your face?"

The tattooed thug, squeezed into a tight tee and shorts, evidently felt not an ounce of shame about his tattoos. His body, at least, had clearly been labored over. Maybe that's why he lifted his chin and lounged with an easy arrogance.

"My face?"

"Watch your mouth, punk."

"Yeah, your attitude—"

"What?"

"Changgwi."

【Yes, Big Bro.】

The changgwi emerged with a low, gravelly rasp. Unfixed in form, it fluttered and rippled in green frog-camo military pattern.

Perhaps because I'd been talking into empty air, the tattooed thug just stood there, mouth agape, utterly bewildered.

"Come along quietly."

【Understood, Big Bro.】

Barely had the words left my mouth before the changgwi shot toward the tattooed thug.

"You son of a— what the hell—!"

The changgwi poured itself in through his mouth and nose. The thug's head tilted back a little as it entered, but to any observer it wouldn't have looked remotely strange.

"We just need to get to a garage I know. Let's do that, shall we?"

The tattooed thug nodded. The changgwi had taken complete command of his mind.

"My name is Seo Dong-ho."

"Good. Got it, Dong-ho. Let's hurry."

"Yes, sir."

I got into my car. The changgwi went to Seo Dong-ho's. Two cars pulled out of the narrow studio-apartment alley.

【Big Bro, where to?】

National Route 82, out in Gayang.

【Understood, Big Bro.】

We headed for Gayang's Route 82.

One corner of my vision was buzzing. Glancing at the rapidly scrolling chat, I answered.

"I've got a reason I need to go home."

A quiet stretch of Gayang's National Route 82 — the mountain loop road, where the sun had begun its descent. Sunset was spreading across the sky like a blood-red curtain.

"Will here do, Big Bro?"

"Yeah. This angle will look gorgeous. There's a tripod and a DSLR in my back seat — go grab them."

"Yes, sir."

We agreed to move as fast as possible. According to the map app, traffic here was next to zero — but variables always existed, and keeping my nerves strung tight all day had left me drained.

Ever since I'd crossed over into this parallel world, my baseline stamina had oddly been on the decline. I tired quickly and felt that creeping loss of strength. Even now I was gritting my way through it.

"Park it right there. A hit-and-run against the backdrop of the setting sun."

"Understood."

The changgwi, puppeting the tattooed thug Seo Dong-ho, moved with brisk efficiency. When I checked the framing he'd set up, it was good enough that I didn't need to say a word twice.

Everything was ready.

The chat, which had been holding its breath, came flooding back.

"Changgwi, you're standing right where the light's best."

"Understood, Big Bro."

The changgwi took up the position I'd indicated. Shadow fell across Seo Dong-ho's face, the sun at his back.

"Force him to his knees, keep his body bound, and hand his consciousness over to him alone. Our client has some words for him."

Question marks began crawling up the chat window, starting with Seowon Rotary, the star of today's show.

"Isn't this what you wanted? Either way, he should have to answer for what he did to you before he dies, shouldn't he?"

Seowon Rotary hesitated — and it seemed the other spirits felt exactly the same.

"Anyone who wants to get permabanned from my room, feel free to keep ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠talking."

"Hey, Seowon Rotary."

"If you've got nothing to say, I'll just carry out the sentence."

I nodded. We were talking through chat, but his scream came through loud and clear.

"Changgwi."

"Yes, Big Bro."

The changgwi handed control back over to the tattooed thug.

"Puhah! What the— fucking hell! What is this!"

Seo Dong-ho shook his face wildly, but his body ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠stayed on its knees, unmoving, not so much as a twitch.

"You're too loud. Stop the screaming."

"You! You bastard! What did you do to me!?"

"Why did you go threaten the victim's parents after the hit-and-run?"

"Huh?"

At my question, Seo Dong-ho's face went slack and stupid.

"That's the reason?"

"If not that, then what other reason could there possibly be?"

"Ha, fuck… my lawyer told me to do it! I did nothing wrong! If the victim's parents file a petition for leniency, I can get off with probation. You don't skip a chance like that, do you, fuck?!"

"Then you could have asked them politely. Why did you send your friends to their place of business to raise hell?"

"Raise hell?"

Seo Dong-ho scrunched his face and tilted his head.

"You do know what 'raising hell' means, right?"

"What hell did we raise! All we did was take some friends to the victim's dad's shop!"

Seo Dong-ho roared, veins standing out on his neck. Watching him, all I could manage was a sigh. No matter how it was put to him, he didn't look like he'd repent so much as a mote of it.

"Fine, apparently you don't know the word, so I'll teach you — pay attention. Sitting a shop down with your tattoos on full display counts as obstruction of business and intimidation. That's what raising hell means: you, parked there with that canvas of tattoos you and your moron friends drew on yourselves."

"Ugh, fuck, why do you have to live so rigid! Did I run him down because I was weak? The guy I rear-ended was the weak one — driving that Wrangler. Not me!"

"They say it was drunk driving."

"That was barely half a bottle of soju! I can drink five bottles, me!"

"Right. Very impressive."

"What?!"

"Seowon Rotary. At this point I think we can just kill him."

"What kind of garbage are you squawking?"

Ignoring Seo Dong-ho, I studied the chat window.

"Of course. If it means you can rest in peace, there's nothing I wouldn't do."

I shrugged, then fetched a refill fuel pouch for a zippo lighter from the car and came back.

"Hey, Seo Dong-ho."

"……"

"The victim of the Seowon Rotary hit-and-run was named Kim Yu-won. Not that you ever cared to know."

"You fucking— what is this?! Smells like fuel? Are you insane?! What are you doing right now!"

"Originally I was only planning to have you run someone down in your own car and go off a cliff — but watching you now, I don't think that alone will satisfy the client."

"Huh?!"

The zippo lighter fluid, poured from the crown of his head and trickling down, reached Seo Dong-ho's knees.

"I don't know if a piece of trash like you even has parents, but if you kept any ties with them, they'll spend the rest of their lives hunting for you until they die."

"What?! You motherf— shut up!"

Click—

I lit a disposable lighter, then drew a goehwangji talisman from my pocket — a talisman bearing the address of the underworld. On it was written, in brush strokes: Kim Yu-won.

I'd made it before starting the job. So that, before the grudge was settled, the flame of the departed could take his own revenge.

"It's a long road from here. Take it slow."

Whoosh—

The moment I lit the talisman, it flared and began shrinking to ash. I let go of it. The scrap bearing the departed's name, already feather-light, grew lighter still as it burned — and rode the wind toward Seo Dong-ho.

Carried on the ash, Kim Yu-won's ember settled onto the crown of Seo Dong-ho's head.

"Aaagh!"

With Seo Dong-ho's single shriek as the opening note, the flame blooming from the top of his skull began creeping downward.

Seo Dong-ho flailed the only part of him still free — his head — shaking it like a madman and shrieking abuse.

"You can unbind him now."

【Yes, Big Bro.】

A Maillard browning rose across Seo Dong-ho's face. But apparently the rest of his body hadn't burned through yet, because his limbs still thrashed and writhed like an octopus freshly hacked apart on a sizzling platter.

"Changgwi. Shove the car he brought over the edge."

【Yes, Big Bro.】

The changgwi, rippling beside me, possessed Seo Dong-ho's vehicle. It drove noisily, no skid marks, nothing theatrical. It simply, naturally, eased the car forward until its owner tipped gently over the ledge — along with a section of guardrail — and down the cliff.

BOOM!

An explosion echoed up from below.

In place of Seowon Rotary Hit-and-Run — no longer in the chat window — the other vengeful spirits poured their impressions into the feed.

Then a translucent message window bloomed before my eyes.

It meant that Kim Yu-won had passed on — and it was also the reason I did this work at all.

"Whew…"

I let out a short breath. Killing a person is an easy thing. Killing someone while also leaving the client satisfied — that's the hard part. And besides, I still have…

"That's all for today. I'm a little tired."

The air of this place still hadn't agreed with me.