Chapter 28
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 28
Chapter Title: Monster Tale Specialist Office: The Centipede's Child (8)
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“The mountain’s really high.”
Woli said, staring off into the distance. Sure enough, the mountain was tall and rugged. At least the weather wasn’t hot.
Having handed the car keys to Sia, the three of them stood there blankly gazing at the mountain, none of them suggesting they get moving first.
Hanseol was the one who spoke up first.
“Um, shall we head up, then?”
She seemed ready to take the lead since she was the only one who knew the way. Her face looked fine now—her motion sickness must have passed.
“Yeah, let’s get going. The sun sets fast in the mountains.”
At Taeju’s words, Woli nodded, and the two followed behind Hanseol.
They’d only taken a few steps when suddenly the rumbling sound of a car engine came from behind.
“Taeju! Come here for a sec!”
Sia backed up, pulled over to the shoulder, rolled down the window, and called out to him. Taeju told Hanseol and Woli to go on ahead, then walked over to Sia.
“What is it? Something you need to say?”
“Yeah, and something to give you.”
Sia said that and pulled a small bell from her pocket, handing it to Taeju. It was a little bell decorated with colorful threads.
Taeju shook it absentmindedly as soon as he took it, but no sound came out. Looking closer, he saw there was no metal clapper inside.
“What’s this? It doesn’t make any noise.”
Taeju turned it this way and that as he asked.
“You won’t hear anything. It only rings for things that aren’t human. Woli won’t hear it either right now—it’s daytime.”
“Why give me this, though…?”
“I don’t know the reason. The Director told me to give it to you, so I am. Though I did hold off on purpose because I had something to tell you.”
Sia paused, as if it was awkward to say, then continued.
“I was planning to tell you back when that girl wasn’t around. But then she tripped, and I didn’t get the chance.”
Sia glanced at Woli and Hanseol, who had walked ahead, and went on.
“I asked around near that mountain about her name.”
“Not great results, huh?”
Sia shifted her gaze from Hanseol to Taeju and nodded.
“I checked everywhere, but no one knew of any sisters named Hanseol and Okbun. I even went to the township office and asked about neighborhoods around here—no village with just two people, obviously. You get what I’m saying?”
Taeju fell silent for a moment after hearing that.
“I’d heard she’d never been to school or anything.”
“Probably true. That boundary hasn’t wavered once since it was created, except for very recently—and that’s obviously this incident.”
“That must’ve been… frustrating.”
“Who knows?”
Sia shrugged slightly at Taeju’s words.
“It might seem that way to us, but she probably thought that life was just normal.”
Taeju nodded at Sia’s words, and Sia shifted gears, apparently done talking. Then, as if remembering something, she added with a “Oh!”
“You guys are in for a real ordeal today.”
“Huh? Why say something so ominous…?”
“That boundary was the size of a whole village. Starting from here and crossing it—I nearly died.”
Taeju closed his eyes at Sia’s words.
“Guess whatever made it doesn’t care about efficiency.”
“Exactly. Means it was made by something powerful, too. And for that girl to break through a boundary like that and get out? Close to a miracle.”
Sia’s face was etched with exhaustion, but her eyes burned fierce. She’d probably had a similar experience herself.
“Go on now. I’ll be waiting. See you here tomorrow.”
Sia shooed Taeju away.
Taeju looked toward their destination. Hanseol and Woli, already quite a ways ahead, had stopped to wait. Woli waved when she saw him looking.
“I’ll be back. Won’t let the worst happen.”
“I’ll believe you on that, at least.”
After Sia drove off, Taeju worked on his expression, twisting his face this way and that. It had been too stiff. He couldn’t let Woli and Hanseol see him like this.
‘Stay calm, Kang Taeju.’
Anxiety is contagious. So is composure. He couldn’t show any nerves. Even if he didn’t feel calm, he had to act like it. That was the duty of someone who made this their job.
Taeju hurried forward.
By now, the tension had vanished from his face.
* * *
“Is this really the right path?”
Woli grumbled. It was her first time on an unmarked mountain trail.
Unfamiliar with mountain hiking despite her stamina, her pace kept slowing.
“Gah! You scared me!”
She nearly slipped on loose dirt and yelped in fright.
Woli kicked off the ground and leaped up from a spot where most people would’ve tumbled down. Seeing it, Hanseol clapped lightly.
“Wow, amazing! You jumped so high!”
It was pure admiration. Embarrassed by the praise, Woli fussed irritably.
“Hey, I didn’t do it for applause. Anyway, how did you even live out here?”
“Huh? Just fetched water, cooked and ate, studied…”
Hanseol trailed off with an awkward smile.
The three had been walking for quite a while now. They’d long passed the signpost and the mist; this was just ordinary mountain now.
They hadn’t reached the area Hanseol knew yet, so what she was doing was less guiding and more retracing the path she’d fled in a blind panic. They were wandering a bit as they went.
“Ha, it’s huge. Sun’ll set in a few hours—we’re in trouble.”
Taeju panted.
Adding in the car ride, it had to be over five hours already.
His stamina was decent, but seeing perfectly fine Woli, Taeju felt the injustice.
Just then, Hanseol seemed to recognize the path and whipped her head around.
“Ah, I think it’s this way!”
She said and hurried forward.
Worried about getting lost, Woli broke off branches to mark the way as they went.
Taeju said to her,
“Usually there’s at least some animal trail, but nothing here.”
“Yeah, no bug sounds since that boundary!”
If even Woli couldn’t hear any, there really was nothing. Never encountering animals in a mountain was odd, so Taeju asked,
“Ever seen animals around here?”
“Not sure. Meat, yeah. Oh, birds sometimes!”
Taeju regretted there weren’t even those—might’ve made a rough path.
Now that it was a path she knew, Hanseol strode ahead confidently.
Perhaps pitying Taeju’s heavy breathing, Hanseol encouraged him.
“We’re almost there!”
A few more minutes up, and Hanseol suddenly stopped.
“What’s wrong?”
Woli noticed first. Hanseol’s face, bright until now, had gone stiff.
“Sis… she’s okay, right?”
“Probably.”
Woli tossed aside the branch she’d snapped and patted Hanseol’s shoulder.
“Like I said earlier! The centipede missed you, right? Means it missed Sis too—no way it killed her!”
Full of holes as logic, but it soothed Hanseol.
She smiled, a bit relieved.
“Anyway, calling you Hanseol every time feels awkward. How’d your sis call you?”
Seeing Hanseol relax, Woli started walking again and changed the subject to lighten the mood.
“Huh? Just Hanseol.”
“Hmm, bit of a mouthful—”
Woli muttered “Hanseol” to herself, seeking an easier version.
“How about just Seol?”
“Uh… if that’s easier…”
“And we’re about the same age, so drop the formal speech. I always go casual with friends anyway.”
Woli declared it without asking, already using casual after bathing together and deeming them friends.
“Friends?! Okay!”
Hanseol beamed at the word, then rolled her eyes sneakily and whispered to Woli.
“B-but… how do you do friends? I’ve only read about it…”
Never having had one, the question was natural.
“Huh? Well, friends are just… friends…”
Woli fumbled, caught off guard, pondering what friends even do.
“Just do everything together! If being together for little things is fun, you’re friends.”
Taeju, listening quietly behind, smiled faintly. Cute, but nailed the essence.
“Really? Just do stuff together?”
“Yeah, pretty much? We’re friends now, so casual! Formal’s weird between friends.”
Despite that, Hanseol hesitated. Woli wondered why, but the answer was beyond her guess.
“I’ve… never used casual speech.”
“What, really?! You’ve had such a restricted life!”
To Woli, who went casual fast with anyone close, it was unthinkable. She felt a mission to help Hanseol learn.
“Then start today! Practice on me.”
“Practice?”
“Yeah. Drop the ‘yo’.”
Hanseol still wavered.
“Come on! Quick!”
“B-but… won’t it bother you?”
Worried about messing up, Hanseol fretted. Woli burst out laughing.
“W-why laugh?”
“It’s funny. Worrying over that.”
“It’s a big deal to me.”
“Friends can annoy a little. Make it up later.”
Hanseol went quiet.
“We’re already friends?”
“Don’t like it? Don’t.”
“No, no! I like it!”
“Then fix that formal first.”
“Uh… I’ll… try… slowly…”
Woli grinned, pleased at Hanseol’s halting casual.
“No formal with me from now on. Got it?!”
“Y-yeah… Got… it.”
As Hanseol eased into casual, Taeju cut in.
“Enough of that. Looks like a real path ahead finally.”
As he said, a human trail appeared in the distance.
New to Taeju, but welcome anyway.
“Ah! I definitely know from here…”
Hanseol trailed off, and Woli and Taeju looked at her.
Hanseol stared one spot, beaming. At the end of her gaze, a woman walked toward them.
“Sis!”
She wore a clean hanbok, hair in a shrine maiden style. The plain single-color outfit suited her neatly. Shortish, but with a mysterious air not overly young.
“Two days, huh.”
Her “sis” spoke flatly, like nothing happened. Hanseol’s eyes welled up. Joy and worry crashed together.
“Sis, where were you?”
“Guests first.”
The woman turned to the two and bowed slightly in greeting.
“Pleased to meet you. I’m Hanseol’s sister. Name’s Okbun.”
Her eyes showed no welcome as Okbun eyed them.
“You’ve come to such a humble place.”