Chapter 62
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 62
Chapter Title: Monster Tale Specialist Office: Stray Cat (11)
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Siwoo opened his mouth as if collapsing. He already knew it was wrong, and he was mentally cornered.
That was why what he was doing now felt like a confession.
“Yes, I locked Grandpa in his room.”
After Grandpa went missing once, Dad seemed uneasy about leaving him alone.
So Siwoo had offered to help Grandpa as much as he could.
It was a naive act of kindness, and to Dad, it was a lifeline.
The problem was that an elderly man with dementia was a burden no child could handle.
Siwoo’s grandpa would often wander the house muttering incomprehensible words.
He’d go from room to room, and if something didn’t sit right with him, he’d start yelling.
“Some days he’d get angry, then suddenly burst into tears. There were days he’d open the closet and pull out all the clothes.”
That behavior was downright frightening. It was something Siwoo couldn’t comprehend at all.
At least he never did anything truly dangerous, so in that sense, he was relatively mild. Siwoo could endure that much.
However, endurance always has its limits.
“So, that’s why you locked him up?”
Siwoo shuddered once before speaking.
“It wasn’t intentional at first, of course.”
One day, an incident occurred. Grandpa got shut in his room and couldn’t get out.
It was just an accident that happened by chance. Siwoo hadn’t even noticed at first. He only realized after some time had passed.
The living room felt too quiet, so Siwoo came out to check.
He heard a faint sound from somewhere in the house. It was Grandpa’s voice. Siwoo followed the noise to Grandpa’s room.
Wondering what was going on inside, Siwoo tried to enter but found he couldn’t open the door. Something was hooked onto the outer doorknob.
It seemed like a gardening tool, but he had no idea why it was there.
“Maybe Grandpa had left it standing outside the door, and it just happened to fall that way. That’s the only explanation, really.”
Siwoo explained.
Siwoo hurriedly opened the door. Inside, Grandpa was sobbing and screaming. He yelled that someone had locked him in and raged. It took nearly an hour to calm him down.
For a brief moment then, Siwoo thought it might have been better not to open it.
“That seems to have been the start.”
Siwoo forgot about it for a while after that. But whenever he felt more exhausted and tired, he’d recall that time Grandpa couldn’t get out of the room.
“So even though I knew I shouldn’t, I did it anyway.”
After much hesitation, Siwoo tried blocking the door once. Timing it wasn’t hard. Grandpa was always going in and out of his room. There was no reason it should be difficult.
At first, feeling guilty, he opened it right away.
Grandpa didn’t seem to remember it had happened and said nothing. It was a relief.
So Siwoo started occasionally blocking the door from the outside so Grandpa couldn’t come out.
At first once a month, then every two weeks, one week, and eventually every few days—Siwoo grew accustomed to the act.
“A perfect crime.”
At Taeju’s words, Siwoo flinched but then nodded.
“...Yes.”
No one knew. His working parents trusted him with Grandpa, and Grandpa couldn’t testify properly.
It might sound bad to say it, but since no one was getting hurt, he even thought maybe it was for the best. Once that thought took hold, any hesitation vanished.
When scratches piled up on the door frame, he panicked a bit. His parents didn’t know now, but they might notice later.
So Siwoo deliberately brought other gardening tools and scratched the walls and floors in various places. Scratches only on the door would look too suspicious. He made them on the hallway and floor too.
All of it became Grandpa’s doing.
Then one day, Grandpa called Siwoo “Seongho.” He said Seongho kept dragging him into the room.
That’s when Siwoo realized what he had done.
“I just... didn’t think of it as locking a person away. But then I knew. Grandpa thought his child was the one locking him in the room.”
By then, Siwoo could finally step back and look at his actions objectively. In a way, it was admirable—he could reflect on himself. But for him personally, it was misfortune. Because he now knew what he’d done.
“I tried to hide what I did.”
What have I done? That thought hit him. He had to stop. This wasn’t right.
But not long after, Grandpa passed away. Before he could reflect or make amends, Grandpa’s health deteriorated rapidly, and he was gone in an instant.
Like Dad had thought, Siwoo had assumed Grandpa would live a few more years, but that wasn’t the case.
In fact, that’s why Siwoo couldn’t stay in the funeral home. Looking at the portrait made his wrongs flash so vividly in his mind.
“So when I first saw the stray, I thought it had come for me at last.”
Siwoo said he thought Grandpa had come to punish him. That’s why he didn’t leave his room. He believed if he suffered the same as he’d inflicted, Grandpa would forgive him.
“So when I heard it wasn’t Grandpa, I felt a bit better.”
Knowing the stray had no connection to Grandpa made Siwoo think he’d be okay.
“But... when it called Dad’s name in Grandpa’s voice, clear as day, I couldn’t bear it. How could it not be Grandpa?”
“That’s why you couldn’t hold out.”
Taeju felt a pang of pity. But regardless, he had to do what needed doing. Siwoo sensed that attitude and asked.
“...Are you going to tell my dad?”
Siwoo said it with half-resigned expression. He still seemed worried about that. He acted mature, but he was still just a kid.
“No. I don’t particularly want to.”
Taeju still hadn’t given Siwoo’s dad the full story. What he’d told him was just that his son had seen the stray, what the stray was, and how they’d handle it.
“Besides, that’s not for us to tell.”
“Then who will?”
“He has to do it himself.”
It couldn’t be relayed by proxy. If he did it, it was a confession; from someone else, it was just an accusation.
“And that has nothing to do with the stray. Our job is to make sure the stray never appears to you again, not to ease your guilt.”
Taeju spoke not coldly, but firmly.
“What we can do stops at catching the stray. Easing your heart is beyond us. You already know how to overcome your guilt.”
Siwoo felt deflated at the words that he already knew the way. He’d hoped for an answer handed to him.
“The way?”
Siwoo let out a hollow laugh.
“There isn’t one.”
The way to untie this knot in his heart was simple: receive forgiveness. But there was no one to forgive him, and even if Grandpa were alive, it was doubtful he’d get it.
“How could I be forgiven for what I did?”
Taeju could understand Siwoo’s feelings. But he couldn’t agree there was no way.
“Forgiveness isn’t the only thing you need to do. Isn’t there still someone you need to tell the truth to?”
It was obvious who he meant.
“Tell my dad, you mean.”
But that was terrifying. For a middle schooler like Siwoo, it was impossible.
To a child, parents are the world, everything. Preparing to be hated by them was enormous for a kid.
“I can’t.”
“Really?”
That was all Taeju said to Siwoo. No pressure, no advice. He just said it and looked at him for a moment.
Siwoo knew it too. That it was something he’d have to do someday. But he wasn’t ready yet.
“I’ll do it someday.”
Siwoo said. He meant it.
“No. ‘Someday’ means you won’t. Tomorrow, the day after, a month from now—those you can do. But ‘someday’ never happens.”
It was one of the truths Taeju could assert.
“But I mean it.”
“Secrets get heavier with time. You might mean it now, but pulling out a heavier secret later will be much harder. ‘Someday’ just keeps postponing the burden.”
Siwoo was at a loss for words.
“How much time has passed since Grandpa died?”
“That’s...”
“It’s been about a week now. Has your guilt gotten lighter? Or heavier?”
Siwoo couldn’t answer. Sia spoke up in his defense.
“He’s still young. It’s scary. It’s okay to feel that way.”
Sia said from the side. It protected Siwoo but also meant she expected nothing from him.
It was the comfort he wanted to hear, but in a way, crueler than Taeju’s words.
You’re a kid, so I expect nothing. It was a form of dismissal.
“It’s gotten heavier. No, scarier.”
“Then you need to get it off your chest before it gets worse.”
But Sia said only that. Siwoo let out an involuntary groan.
“We’re not forcing you. Whatever you choose, we won’t interfere.”
Taeju said. He knew how it would sound to Siwoo. They didn’t want to threaten. They hoped he’d overcome it himself.
“We’ll catch the stray no matter what. Our actions won’t change based on your choice.”
“Then why push me to make that choice?”
Siwoo asked, sounding quite dejected. But at his question, Taeju smiled faintly.
“Does it feel like we’re forcing you?”
“Isn’t it?”
“No. But if it sounds that way, and you feel it’s something you must do, maybe deep down you know it’s what you should do.”
“Ah...”
Siwoo wasn’t sure. But it rang somewhat true.
“You’re not an adult yet, but to become one, you need to face those feelings. I’m no great adult myself, but I can’t just watch someone make an obviously problematic choice.”
Taeju said, scratching his head.
“...I’ll think about it.”
That’s all Siwoo could say in the end.
“Take your time. You don’t have to decide everything today.”
Taeju checked his watch as he spoke.
“The stray will be caught for sure tonight. Your dad will probably come then too.”
“Dad will?”
“Yes. We have a solid plan this time, so I talked to him this morning.”
“I see.”
Surprisingly, Siwoo didn’t protest or say no. Looking at him, Taeju said.
“I think the best is to tell your dad right after we drive out the stray.”
“Yeah... probably.”
Siwoo seemed to agree, his face set with resolve.
Leaving Siwoo to his deep thoughts for a moment, the two began their own tasks. They’d be busy today.