The Vanished Baron Samedi
The faint breathing sounds during the call. The sudden disconnection. Everything felt ominous.
I tried to think positively if I could. Baron Samedi had gone off to seduce a woman as usual. Jeong In-ah had accidentally called me, which was why she hadn't said a word. The call cutting off was the same—she'd hung up by mistake, just like she'd dialed wrong.
But once my thoughts tilted toward foreboding premonitions, I couldn't force any positivity anymore. I pictured Baron Samedi casually exhaling cigarette smoke while talking about Jeong In-ah's death. I saw chrysanthemums placed on her desk. I imagined Jeong Yun-ah left all alone.
[Go back.]
Legba's voice snapped me out of it. I was already outside. I was walking aimlessly toward Jeong In-ah's house.
Cold sweat dripped down. It wasn't from the chill, but my teeth were chattering uncontrollably.
The cat came to mind. The cat that had burned up along with the sublet room.
[It's nothing serious. Go back.]
Legba spoke, but I didn't stop walking.
"How do you know."
[She'll take better care of herself than you do. I guarantee it. If she were sick, she'd have gone to the hospital by now.]
"She might be too sick to go."
[Kids your age don't get that sick. And above all, humans don't die that easily.]
"……."
I ignored Legba and kept walking. His words were only half right. Humans could have tenacious vitality beyond common sense, but they could also die with frustrating ease.
[Above all, even if she does die, what's wrong with that?]
"This isn't about right or wrong……."
[Yes, you're afraid right now.]
Legba continued without even pretending to listen.
[What are you afraid of? The death of this girl called Jeong In-ah?]
"……."
[Or are you afraid of losing the chance for atonement?]
I walked on in silence. Legba was right. I wasn't afraid of Jeong In-ah's death itself.
The missionary trip was right around the corner. If things went according to plan, Jeong Yun-ah would return to human form soon. What I feared was Jeong In-ah dying before that. Losing even the chance to atone for my sins.
Maybe, as Legba said, Jeong In-ah was perfectly fine. Maybe I was overreacting over nothing.
But if, just if, something happened to her—and I could have stopped it but didn't—the regret would be unbearable.
[So this is your choice too.]
I nodded. This was a choice. I was just choosing one I wouldn't regret.
[Then at least check the time properly.]
Legba left those words and vanished.
*
I arrived at Jeong In-ah's house and tried calling her once more. As expected, no answer.
I rang the doorbell. No one came.
I knocked, but no response.
I rang again and waited, but still nothing.
"……."
No matter how deeply she was sleeping, a doorbell should wake anyone. She should have woken up when I called earlier. And it wasn't even time for deep sleep—the sun had set, but it wasn't fully dark yet.
I stared quietly at the door lock on her front door.
"Ogoun."
I invoked Ogoun's power. I planned to manipulate the door lock with it.
But it didn't work as I wished. Ogoun wasn't lending me his power.
[You haven't forgotten that what I hate isn't just lies, have you?]
Ogoun's voice was icy cold yet burning hot with rage. Fury seeped through his tone.
He hated lies—and thieves. So I couldn't borrow his power to pick the front door lock.
"Bosu."
Fine, I'd just smash it open with brute force. I called Bosu.
[Insufficient offering. Can't lend power! Strength!]
"I swear I offered one the day before yesterday."
[……Actually, maybe think a bit more. The prophet seems to need rest now.]
"……."
Bosu said. All the Loa were opposing my judgment. It felt like this was happening more lately.
Even when I was locking up Ma Yu-hyeon for interrogation, Kang Ji-a ignored me and left the room. The Loa ignored me too. No, they'd always been like that. They never moved exactly as I wanted.
Had anything ever gone exactly my way? I'd just been swept up in situations, forced to choose the only path to survival.
It was a sudden realization.
In frustration, I grabbed the doorknob. With my other hand, I prepared to shoot divine power. A blessing plus strength should break the knob or the door—either way, open it.
Click.
But before I could fire, the door opened. Before I even turned the knob.
A familiar face appeared in the crack. Jeong In-ah looked up at me wordlessly.
The moment I realized it was her, her face suddenly looked unfamiliar. What I'd thought was familiar was just Jeong Yun-ah's features overlaying hers.
Jeong In-ah's complexion had deteriorated that much.
We stared at each other. In the silence, Jeong In-ah suddenly tried to close the door.
Thud!
I jammed my foot in the gap. She struggled, unable to close or open it fully, then glared at me with furrowed brows.
I stared steadily at her narrowed eyes.
Jeong In-ah sighed, unhooked the safety chain, and opened the door.
"……Why'd you come all of a sudden."
Her voice was terribly soft. Like she didn't have the energy for anything louder.
I pulled out the crumpled report card from my pocket.
"Brought your report card."
*
Truth be told, she looked so ill I planned to cook something simple like jjigae before leaving, like old times. She probably hadn't eaten properly while resting.
But Jeong In-ah refused to let me in.
"Of course not! You coming to my house at this hour is weird enough!"
"What's weird about it?"
"……If it's weird, it's weird."
She dragged me outside, saying that. We went to a nearby park and sat on a bench. The sky had gone fully dark by then.
She looked up at the sky, down at the ground, or occasionally turned to me. But she only looked—no words.
I gazed at her steadily and spoke.
"How sick were you? Bad enough to miss a whole week of school."
"……Not that sick."
Jeong In-ah looked down and continued.
"Just……didn't feel like going, so I faked it."
"Yeah?"
She looked sick to anyone. Thinner than before—worrying she'd fade away if she got any skinnier. But she was pretending to be fine. Wanting to seem okay.
So I didn't press. I had my moments too.
"Why didn't you wanna go?"
"……It wasn't like that. I'll go back next week. After resting a week, I kinda miss it now."
Jeong In-ah grinned. But the smile looked awkward. Forced smiles always do.
She was still bad at lying. Good thing.
"Why didn't you wanna go."
"No……it wasn't that I didn't wanna. Just kinda……."
Jeong In-ah trailed off, eyes dropping to the ground. She looked like she was pondering what to say.
I waited for her to continue, but she just worked her lips silently.
Wind rustled in the quiet. The air it carried felt heavy.
I nodded at her sealed lips.
"You don't have to say."
"……What?"
"You don't wanna talk now, right?"
She probably had things she didn't want to voice yet—worries that talking wouldn't fix. I had plenty I hadn't told her, couldn't tell her.
Truthfully, I wasn't that curious about what was troubling her. Confirming she was still alive was enough. I didn't want to pry into what she couldn't say yet.
"It's not that I don't wanna say."
She shook her head slowly.
"Then what."
"Just……it's no big deal, but I hate thinking it's no big deal, so I've been wondering how to say it."
"Just say it. Don't think it's no big deal."
"Aish, wait. Don't rush me. I'm gonna say it anyway."
Jeong In-ah glared. She sat quietly, gathering her thoughts, then took a deep breath. Exhaling, she smiled—far more natural than before.
"Mom and Dad were supposed to come this week……no, last week. But their schedule got pushed, so now it's in two weeks."
"Yeah."
"Got my hopes up, then disappointed, and it kept happening, so I got kinda down. Still not used to being home alone. And……."
She glanced at me mid-sentence. I listened quietly. She went on.
"……Oh, right, just mentioning it. I saw you with Seong Ha-yeon that weekend a while back."
"That weekend……."
Seeing me with Seong Ha-yeon—probably the day I met Seong Yu-da.
"Yeah, I was with her. Had to meet."
"Oh, really? Time to meet her but not to contact me?"
"Didn't I contact you then?"
"See, you don't even remember."
Jeong In-ah pouted. I wondered if it was worth getting mad over and opened my mouth.
"That made you that upset? Enough to skip school?"
"Of course……no, I didn't skip because of that! What did I say earlier? I'm just mentioning it."
"If it's just mentioning, no need to say it now."
"……Fine, yeah, I was a little upset. So what, can't I?"
Jeong In-ah admitted curtly and continued.
"You and Seong Ha-yeon were close before?"
"Not before, not now."
"What? Then why were you together?"
"Not Seong Ha-yeon. I went to see Seong Yu-da……former Cardinal."
I almost said just Seong Yu-da but hastily added the title. Jeong In-ah stared with wide eyes. She blinked, met my gaze, and looked away—foolish, a bit cute.
She ducked her head, laughing.
"What, then it was a misunderstanding."
"Pretty much. Why make a fuss alone?"
"……What? Why say it like that? Wanna get hit?"
Jeong In-ah glared. Then dropped it, smiling.
"Anyway, glad it was a misunderstanding."
"So that's why you skipped school, huh."
"No, dummy! Do I look that petty? If anything, more than that……."
She huffed, then trailed off. Her expression darkened suddenly.
Jeong In-ah looked up somewhere. I followed her gaze. A bird's nest in the tree.
"More than that……."
She murmured, staring at the nest. I spoke, looking at her.
"More than that, what?"
"……Oh, yeah! Must've gotten sick from being upset over you. Your fault, all of it."
"How's it my fault?"
"Well, if you made me sick, it's your fault."
"Huh……."
I played along, feigning disbelief. There seemed another reason for her haggard state, but she didn't want to say.
Jeong In-ah pressed her temples, eyes squeezed shut. Headache, probably.
"Head hurt?"
"A bit……but I'm fine. Shall we head back?"
She stood, smiling—a bit awkward this time. It bugged me, but I nodded silently and followed.
I planned to walk her home, but she refused. When I insisted, she sighed, pointing to a distant streetlamp.
"Then just to there. Not home. Feels like I'm wasting your time."
"Not gonna collapse on the way like last time?"
"What, I'm not that sick. You worry about everything."
Jeong In-ah smiled. Somehow lonely.
I walked her to the streetlamp. As we said goodbye, she stared at me from under it. Like she had something to say. I waited.
She worked her lips, then looked straight up, resolved.
"……That missionary trip. When is it?"
"Day after tomorrow, if on schedule."
"How long?"
"Three days two nights, or four days three nights……probably three days two nights."
"Aha……."
Jeong In-ah smiled faintly, head down. Streetlamp light cast long shadows from her lashes.
She looked up again. No smile left.
"……That, maybe you can't go?"
She tugged my collar.
(To be continued in the next chapter)