Chapter 31
Chapter 31
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Translator: uly
Chapter: 31
Chapter Title: Cats Distinguish Between Gratitude and Grudges (7)
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Su-yong answered his sister's question in a listless tone.
"So I said, 'Who are you looking for?' And she goes, 'I'll rip your damn mouth off too!' So I started begging, 'Please spare me,' but she tried to tear into my mouth without mercy..."
"If you get scissors, you can't speak in your dreams."
Once again, their father scolded Su-yong.
Unemployment is a pitiful thing.
"Dad, come on! Let him finish the story."
Na-rae shushed her father and urged him to continue.
"Right when my face was about to get wrecked, cats came flying in through the window and latched onto those women. Dozens of them, meowing and attacking like crazy. After that, the scissors wore off, so I went back to sleep. I was exhausted."
Na-rae felt those women resembled the ones she had encountered last night.
Their mother brought over the stew and set it on the table, nagging as she did.
"Why were you kids making such a racket all night? And I told you not to bring cats into the house—who let them in? Their yowling kept me up at dawn. Get them out right now!"
At their mother's words, Na-rae and Su-yong exchanged glances.
* * *
Today, too, Na-rae was sorting articles in the empty office.
For days now, she'd been drained from organizing the Chowing Garden and Chungnam lodge stories.
"What the hell am I supposed to cut? Ugh! Should I just quit? I have to include what we actually reported on. What am I even doing? Ugh!"
Byung-su and Dong-jin were out on assignment again, no doubt bringing back another absurd story.
She had no idea how many more late nights it would take to polish those into the factual pieces Editor Cho-seon wanted.
"It's already 9. Let me review the content one more time and wrap up."
The meticulous Na-rae muttered to herself as she stared at her laptop.
She'd been sitting there all evening without dinner, and her stomach felt off, so she stood up.
I haven't eaten anything, but my gut's bubbling anyway. Gotta hit the bathroom.
Na-rae pulled her eyes from the laptop and left the office.
She walked the quiet hallway to the restroom.
Passing the long corridor, she entered the women's restroom at the end and closed the door, checking the stalls.
Creak—
The old restroom door made an eerie sound as it shut.
Six stalls, all doors open.
No one from outside Religion and Science used this floor's bathroom.
Besides, a closed stall at this hour would be the weird part.
Figuring she'd just been tense for nothing, she entered the fourth stall and locked the door.
She pulled down her pants and focused, but it wasn't easy.
After struggling, as something big finally rumbled out, cold sweat beaded on her forehead.
A window must have opened—the cool breeze from above cooled her sweat.
Knock! Knock!
Someone in the fifth stall knocked on the wall toward her.
Without thinking, she knocked back toward the fifth stall.
After her knock, the fifth stall knocked again: knock, knock.
Responding to that, she knocked back: knock, knock.
Knock! Knock!
This time, the third stall knocked on her wall.
She started to knock back on the third stall's wall on reflex but stopped short.
What? When I came in, all doors were open, and I closed the main door... This is weird.
No sound of the restroom door opening, no footsteps in the third or fifth stalls.
No footsteps at all.
She pressed her ear to the third stall's wall and focused.
The restroom made it hard to sense spiritual energy.
Knock! Knock!
Now the fifth stall knocked on her wall again.
"What? Need TP?"
She asked toward the fifth stall.
Scraaape—
In response to her question, instead of answering, something scraped her stall's wall.
Like fingernails.
The creepy sound gave her chills.
"Stop scratching the wall. It's distracting—I can't go."
Even at her request, the scraping didn't stop.
Knock! Knock!
Now the third stall knocked.
Bam! Bam!
Irritated, Na-rae pounded on the third stall with her fist.
Knock! Knock!
But the third stall kept knocking.
Something felt off—fear crept in. Na-rae quietly finished up and pulled up her pants as silently as she could.
Flushing might tip them off, so she didn't. She stood carefully.
One, two, three!
Counting in her head, she flung the door open and bolted.
As she ran for the restroom door, she heard the third and fifth stall doors fly open.
Bam! Bam!
Something burst out aggressively, chasing her.
Creak—
The eerie restroom door swung open. She slipped out fast and slammed it shut.
In that brief moment as it closed...
Four pale hands shot through the gap, blocking it.
Unable to shut it, Na-rae backed away and turned.
Now she could clearly sense the spiritual energy.
Stronger than anything she'd felt before.
Ugh! If they grab me, I'm dead. Should've flushed. Ugh!
She whipped toward the office. At the hall's end, she spotted a silhouette—a man with grotesque arms.
His arms, like crocodile forelegs, rose, revealing sharp claws and unnaturally long fingers splayed wide.
Bam!
The restroom door flew open with a roar. Startled, Na-rae collapsed to the floor.
The man with extended fingers lunged at her.
His sharp claws scraped the wall, sparking.
Overwhelmed by the sight, Na-rae just sat there staring.
The things bursting from the restroom used their hands like feet, charging on all fours to overwhelm her.
Women in ragged clothes with long hair—their forms were grotesque.
Definitely the women who had chased her down the alley.
"Reporter Eun, get back!"
The long-fingered man shouted at her, then leaped over her head.
"Eek!"
Na-rae screamed, clutching her head in terror.
"Reporter Eun, get up! Stay behind me!"
The familiar voice made Na-rae look up.
"Team Leader!"
It was the first time Na-rae had seen Byung-su's imoogi forepaw today.
Still shaken, she scrambled up and retreated behind him.
One woman ran up the right wall like flat ground, lunging at Na-rae.
Byung-su guarded Na-rae and shouted.
"Not a finger on Reporter Eun!"
Na-rae felt his fierce resolve to protect her in his dignified, resolute tone.
The wall-running woman hooked her hands like claws toward Na-rae's face.
Byung-su thrust out his left hand, snatching her nape and hurling her back the way she came.
Easily blocking the attack, Byung-su stepped forward and extended his left hand.
The motion wasn't fast, but it whipped up a strong gust, shoving another woman away.
Her body slammed into the wall, flying to the restroom entrance and crashing through the open door.
Leaping over the tumbling woman, another charged at Byung-su.
His long fingers whipped the wall, striking at her.
His attack was menacing, but her evasion was uncanny—no hit landed.
Like a cat, she dodged fluidly and resiliently, then scaled the wall to attack his right side.
She grabbed his face, pulling to bite with her teeth.
Face seized, Byung-su swung his left hand, stabbing her throat with sharp, long nails and shoving his fingers in.
Kyaak.
The woman screamed, tumbling to the floor.
An inhuman shriek.
Clearly, she couldn't speak.
Then, the woman who had flown to the restroom side charged on all fours, mouth open for his face.
Byung-su's hook-like fingers were faster.
He seized the head of the lunging woman.
Caught by Byung-su, her body floated in the air, thrashing.
His long, sharp nails dug into her skull as if to crush it.
Byung-su said to Na-rae behind him.
"Reporter Eun, don't leave my side until I deal with these. Stay calm and focus!"
Preparing for any stray attacks.
The throat-pierced woman on the floor rose, growling.
Facing two while guarding Na-rae was tough. Byung-su tensed his left hand.
Take out one quick to even the odds.
His sharp nails burrowed into her skull.
The throat-slashed woman hurled herself to save the other.
One-armed against her, Byung-su slammed his captive down and thrust his arm out.
The charging woman's throat was caught in his left grip.
Byung-su gathered energy in his hand, squeezing tighter.
Her body dangled in the air, flailing.
"You're first."
Then, an urgent shout.
"Kim! Hold on a sec! Don't kill them!"
Byung-su turned. It was the dokkaebi elder coming to find Dong-jin.
Panting as he ran up, the elder grabbed Byung-su and pleaded.
"These are pitiful things if you get to know them. Please forgive them just this once. I'll take them down and make sure they never cause trouble again. Have mercy!"
The elder bowed repeatedly, begging.
"Elder, you're the dokkaebi, right? I've met your son already. Taking them to the lodge? How'd you know about this place?"
The elder nodded at Byung-su's question.
"Felt the sword's energy here, so I came. Forgive them. They sensed the sword's energy too—trying to guard their master's blade. I'll keep them in check so they can't do wrong again. Please show pity and grant this favor."
Byung-su, who had help from the son dokkaebi before, looked troubled. Na-rae nodded with an awkward smile.
Only then did Byung-su's expression brighten as he handed the women over.
The elder gripped each by the nape in one hand, bowing deeply to Byung-su and Na-rae.
"Thank you. I'll come up soon to properly thank you."
"Elder, what about the sword? Shouldn't you take it?"
"It's inscribed with a talisman that burns spiritual energy. I can't touch it. Probably you or the young lady can't either. Nor these. Leave it with Park or give it to a skilled Taoist."
Na-rae nodded, recalling the burning pain when she gripped it at the lodge.
"Young lady, you have great energy but can't use it. Come to the old tree—I'll help you wield it. Kim, you too—I'll help channel energy just to your imoogi paw so your body overcomes the talismans' resistance. Come see me. Thanks. Definitely come."
Thanking them profusely with bows, the elder strode down the hall and vanished.
"Reporter Eun, you okay? Hurt anywhere?"
"Lucky no. Ugh!"
Drained, Na-rae collapsed and burst into tears.
"That's what matters. The dokkaebi took them, so no worries now. Late nights are dangerous, huh. Let's head out. I'll wash up quick."
Byung-su glanced at his bloody left arm and headed to the restroom.
"No!"
Na-rae urgently stopped him.
"Reporter Eun, what's up?"
"That's the women's room! Men's is over there!"
Remembering she hadn't flushed, Na-rae was desperate.
"Heh, right. Slipped my mind."
Byung-su chuckled sheepishly. His suit was shredded on the left arm again today.
The dokkaebi-enhanced imoogi paw's power was useful, but the clothing costs were mounting.