At First, There Were Cheers
He cheered at first. He thought someone had come to save him. But no.
The one who stopped Bae Seong-hyeon was Do Seon-woo. No different from the middle school bullies who tormented him back then, or the Bae Seong-hyeon slapping his cheek right now. From Oh Byeong-hoon's perspective as the prey, it was just one more predator added to the mix.
"Well, well, if it isn't Do Seon-woo."
Bae Seong-hyeon pretended to be delighted, acting like old pals. Sure enough, Do Seon-woo and Bae Seong-hyeon were buddies. Oh Byeong-hoon sank into even deeper despair. With Do Seon-woo here, there was no escape left. Not that he'd had any intention or strength to run in the first place.
"What the hell are you doing."
"What do you think? Just messing around. Childish and pathetic."
Bae Seong-hyeon shrugged. Mocking tone. Yet Do Seon-woo's face didn't twitch. It stayed eerily expressionless.
"Not childish. Beneath even bugs."
"Bugs, huh. But from what I read in that post, you weren't any saint either. Middle school school violence or something? I've never done school violence, at least."
"Never happened. And you just never got caught."
"Not getting caught is the same as not doing it. Right?"
His cronies nodded at Bae Seong-hyeon's question. Oh Byeong-hoon just listened quietly. The vibe felt off somehow. At the very least, he could tell Do Seon-woo and Bae Seong-hyeon weren't friends.
"Anyway, don't pretend to be a good guy now and whitewash your past. Just hang with us. Nice and easy."
"Saw you throwing punches last time. Looked tough. Let's get along."
"Yeah, and you seem loaded."
The cronies crowded in, slapping Do Seon-woo's shoulders like they were tight. Do Seon-woo shook off their hands, visibly annoyed. His expressionlessness deepened. Drier, eerier than before.
"Want a smoke? School life's a bitch these days, huh? Thanks to that post."
Bae Seong-hyeon pulled out a cigarette and held it to Do Seon-woo's lips.
Thwack.
Do Seon-woo smacked his hand away. The cigarette hit the ground and rolled. Bae Seong-hyeon's face twisted for a split second, then that fake smile returned. Impressive control. Not quite on Do Seon-woo's level, though. He was still stone-faced. Not a flicker.
"If you don't want it, fine. No need to knock it away. What a waste."
"Ooh, Seong-hyeon, can I have it?"
One crony scooped it up excitedly, blowing off the dirt.
"Go ahead."
Bae Seong-hyeon eyed him with pity.
"Whatever. So smokes are a no? Suit yourself. You'll be puffing away soon enough once you hang with us."
"Why would I hang with you?"
"'Cause friends are good, right? Come on, let's chill. I'll even clean up those rumors for you."
"Clean up the rumors? How."
"Ways exist. I've got cash. With Go Jun-min dead, easy to bury it."
Bae Seong-hyeon boasted. A twisted smile suddenly crept onto Do Seon-woo's face. Warped and off-kilter. Lips smiling, but eyes wet like tears could spill any second. Eerily grotesque in a whole new way from his blank stare. Oh Byeong-hoon swallowed hard without thinking.
"What does Go Jun-min's death have to do with the rumors."
"Obviously—oh."
Bae Seong-hyeon caught his slip too late and clammed up. Do Seon-woo was smiling.
"You?"
Do Seon-woo let out sounds that could have been laughter or sobs for a long while. Joy or sorrow? Impossible to tell.
*Memories flashed through my mind like a panorama. The disgust and contempt in the kids' eyes staring at me. Kim Jin-seo breathing raggedly, trembling so hard she could barely walk. Me, slowly dying covered in black rot. Tears poured from reliving trauma at the sight of those flames. All of it Bae Seong-hyeon's scheme. Or the butterfly effect it spawned.
The moment I realized that, my mind grew strangely calm. [Always stay composed. Never lose your reason.] No need to hear Legba's advice this time. I was calmer than ever.*
"Why?"
First things first: probe the mastermind, Bae Seong-hyeon. What the hell was the point? Why go so far out of his way to screw me over?
"Why what? No clue what you're on about."
Bae Seong-hyeon backed away, flustered in tone and face. No wonder.
"You told Go Jun-min to write that post?"
"Hey, hey. What're you saying? I'm not that bad a guy."
Too late to deny. Him saying 'Go Jun-min' meant he was behind it. Maybe not the sole culprit, but deeply involved. He either ordered the post or egged Go Jun-min on. One or the other. Or both. No other reason for the name to slip out. No one else but Kim Jin-seo and me knew Go Jun-min wrote it.
Thud.
Bae Seong-hyeon's back hit the wall as he retreated. Nowhere left to go. Sweat beaded on his forehead. Rare panic. But it didn't last.
"Ah, fuck. Thinking about it pisses me off."
Cornered, Bae Seong-hyeon showed his true colors. No trace of fluster. He glared down at me shamelessly and spat.
Ptoo.
Yellow phlegm stuck to my shoe.
"Yeah, I told Go Jun-min to snipe you. Now what? Gonna grovel and apologize?"
"Why?"
"Why what again? This fucker only knows one word."
"Why'd you do it."
Bae Seong-hyeon tilted his head, pretending to ponder my repeated question.
"Dunno."
He grinned coldly. Grades, money, looks, talent—he lacked nothing growing up. So why? Abused by parents? Some childhood trauma? Like a family trip car crash killing someone?
[That doesn't justify it.]
No justification intended. I just wanted a reason. Something halfway understandable for tormenting me so viciously.
"You and Kim Jin-seo rubbed me wrong. Seemed fun. That enough?"
Nothing clicked. Just for kicks. That was it. Almost a relief. Bae Seong-hyeon chuckled.
"Didn't know Go Jun-min was demon spawn, though. For real. Made it even more fun."
I glanced around. No CCTV. No dashcams.
"Kim Jin-seo nearly died because of it."
Me too.
"Yeah? But she didn't. Even got an award."
"Not sorry?"
"Why should I be? She oughta thank me. Got her award."
Bae Seong-hyeon showed zero self-awareness. Absurd. I let out a hollow laugh.
"We think totally different. Parenting issue?"
"Hey."
One crony cut in with a growl.
"This prick's got no filter. What makes you so cocky?"
"Shut it. I'm talking."
"What? Ha, this guy's nuts."
The cronies snickered, circling me. Cracking knuckles, loosening up. Not intimidating. Pure empty posturing.
"Fuck like you. Unbeliev—"
They swung curses and fists. But the punches never landed.
Thud.
In an instant, the cronies collapsed unconscious. Eyes wide, foaming at the mouth, twitching.
"Better."
I murmured approval, scanning around. Cronies down, plus the huddled kid and Oh Byeong-hoon—out cold too. No foam on those two. Only Bae Seong-hyeon and me conscious.
"Huh? What the—"
Bae Seong-hyeon gaped at the scene, disbelieving. No surprise. First time facing Voodoo spells head-on.
Mid-level hallucination: faint. High-level hallucination: nightmare. Combined. Victims pass out, plunged into unimaginable horrors. Even after waking, sanity's shot for a while. Nightmares ravage their brains, refusing to let them recover. Of course, just faint for the kid and Oh Byeong-hoon. To eliminate witnesses.
Putting them under was for Bae Seong-hyeon's finale: that spell.
Bae Seong-hyeon stared blankly into space for ages. Then, trembling voice:
"What... what did you do? That's not divine power—!"
"Voodoo. You won't remember anyway."
"Voodoo? You... you bastard, don't tell me!"
Bae Seong-hyeon frantically drew a blessing circle in the air. Mid-level strength enhancement blessing. Plus assorted body buffs. Even Mighty Strength Blessing. Right now, he could crush a normal person with one punch.
Nothing changed.
"Voodoo cult? Ha, figures why you always pissed me off. Cult freak. Ha, ha. Kill you, and I'll get an award like Kim Jin-seo? Huh?"
Bae Seong-hyeon laughed sporadically mid-sentence. Fake, to mask fear.
"Not an award—a medal from the state. I'm not small fry. I'm the cult leader."
My smile now? Pure truth.
"What? What the fu—"
Clang—!
A harsh, metallic crash echoed through the alley.
"Uh...?"
A strangled scream, and Bae Seong-hyeon crumpled. Spell. Mid-level hallucination: pain. High-level hallucination: contagion. Top-level hallucination: memory crush.
"Agh, fu— what the hell is th—!"
Bae Seong-hyeon clawed his hair, rolling on the ground. Pain starts in the head. Skull-splitting migraine. Soon spreads via contagion—whole body. Gut first. Then arms, legs, fingertips, toes. No spot spared.
Memories shatter. Pain felt and forgotten instantly. Then it returns. No chance to adapt—fresh agony every second. Memories of pain splinter, grind to dust. Not a fragment left.
[He'll forget this moment, but the pulverized memory dust seeps into his blood, etched as terror. Every time he sees you, it'll revive.]
Legba whispered eerily.
Even post-spell, normal life? Tough. Nightly nightmares replaying this. Mornings leave only vague pain and dread. He'll suffer eternally, never recalling I'm the cause.
"Aaaah... grrr... aaack...!"
His screamed-out throat rasped like metal. Tremble, forget, scream anew—endlessly. Blood tears from rolled-back eyes, foam from slack jaws.
I casually placed something on his head and left the alley.
[Thorough when it counts.]
Legba murmured softly. Bae Seong-hyeon's screams lingered in my ears as I walked out. But this was just the prelude. Real nightmare starts tomorrow. Or he'd wish it was.
(To be continued)