Chapter 7
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 7
Chapter Title: Monster Tale Specialist Office: Head in the Box (7)
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Jeonghan spoke enthusiastically in response to the question about what kind of person Jeonghwan had been.
“He was an amazing friend in every way. He could befriend anyone right away!”
“Sounds like he was very sociable.”
Jeonghan shook his head at Taeju’s question.
“It wasn’t just a matter of being sociable.”
*No distinction between men and women.*
*Age was utterly meaningless in a positive way around Jeonghwan.*
*He had an innate talent for getting close to people.*
*He had the power to lead others.*
Jeonghan praised him just like that.
“If I hadn’t gotten close to Jeonghwan quickly, I wouldn’t have become friends with the people I know now.”
Jeonghan declared firmly.
“I’m really shy. I’m full of wariness, too. It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say that the only reason I was able to make so many friends is thanks to Jeonghwan.”
“He must have been a truly special friend. Was there any particular trigger that brought you two together?”
Jeonghan nodded at Taeju’s words and replied.
“There was, but it wasn’t anything special. Back in middle school, the guy who sat next to me had a similar name, so that piqued my interest.”
In fact, both the speaker and the listener had to pay close attention to distinguish between Jeonghan and Jeonghwan.
If such a person happened to be nearby, it was only natural to feel some curiosity.
A similar name was a great conversation starter, even with a complete stranger.
“That’s what sparked it. That’s really all there was to it.”
Jeonghan had been extremely passive, so he found outgoing, cheerful types burdensome. Even well-intentioned approaches felt overwhelming in themselves.
But Jeonghwan always stopped just short of making Jeonghan feel burdened, even with someone as extremely passive as him.
“It didn’t seem calculated—just instinctual judgment—but it was spot on.”
If there were a way to quantify and rank people’s ability to make friends, Jeonghwan would definitely be in the top tier, Jeonghan said.
“He was the kind of friend who could do for anyone what he did for me.”
Jeonghan spoke with a touch of bitterness. It was a memory of a friend he could no longer see, after all.
“He sounds like an incredible person.”
“Yeah, the group he created has lasted to this day. Even though he’s no longer around.”
Taeju suddenly realized that Jeonghwan, as described by Jeonghan, seemed to have almost no flaws.
He couldn’t tell if Jeonghan was deliberately omitting them or if there truly weren’t any significant issues.
“I see. So he had no major flaws?”
Jeonghan nodded enthusiastically at Taeju’s question.
“That’s right. He was an incredible friend. The kind who accomplished things I could never even dream of imitating.”
What Jeonghan described was so close to a perfect human being that he added, almost embarrassed,
“If I had to pick something… he liked pranks a little? But he never crossed the line. So that hardly counts as a flaw… And his grades weren’t that high, but even that doesn’t really feel like a flaw. Haha…”
There was no way he had zero flaws, but at least to Jeonghan, none of them stood out.
Taeju decided to stop probing Jeonghan further for now. This was enough.
“I’m glad Jeonghwan seems like a good person.”
“Glad? Why?”
“Because he seems connected to the Dokkaebi. But since nothing came out of the box, I had to ask all these questions.”
If there had been some object in the box, they could have made guesses based on that.
“For example, someone who put in that little booklet of corny jokes would probably love humor. And the one who put in the letter was likely sentimental and serious by nature.”
But no item belonging to Jeonghwan had come out of the box. Guessing through objects was impossible.
“So all I have to understand him by is what you’ve told me.”
Impressions of Jeonghwan might be idealized and inaccurate, but if the memories were that positive, he was probably a good person in reality.
“If the Dokkaebi had been hidden out of malice, that would be the worst case. I figured the odds were low, but it was worth checking.”
“Jeonghwan would never do something like that!”
Jeonghan practically shouted.
“Yes, that seems to be the case. He was a good person.”
Good people could still harbor malice, but given how strongly Jeonghan spoke, it felt like needless worry. Taeju nodded readily.
“Glad to hear it. That he was a good person.”
There were no more options. Unless the Director suddenly dropped from the sky, further speculation in this situation was impossible. Only one path remained.
“Now we’ll have to go talk to the Dokkaebi.”
Jeonghan froze stiff at Taeju’s words. It wasn’t exactly appealing to Taeju either, but there was no alternative. Only the Dokkaebi currently knew exactly what the promise was and why it was there.
“If it wasn’t hidden maliciously, there’s no need to be overly wary. They’re surprisingly reasonable sometimes.”
But that didn’t make Jeonghan’s fear vanish in an instant.
“So it’s come to that after all…?”
No matter how they spun it, the Dokkaebi was still an object of terror to Jeonghan.
“But what if that makes things more dangerous? We’ve been pretending not to know so far, but once we talk, they can’t hide it anymore, right?”
“But Woli will be there, so it’ll be fine. And we plan to keep you in a safe spot while we talk anyway.”
Of course, they intended to negotiate, but they had a basic plan.
“The Dokkaebi is like a bomb right now. One that won’t go off immediately, of course.”
Jeonghan’s face went pale at the word “bomb.” But there was no need to be that scared.
“When there’s a bomb, the priority is to move it to a safe location where an explosion won’t matter, or make the location explosion-proof.”
Either way, the standard was to evacuate everyone except the minimum personnel needed to confront the “bomb” directly.
“I don’t think we’ll fail, but even if we do, you won’t be harmed.”
Jeonghan still looked frightened as he asked,
“If you fail… won’t you all get hurt…?”
“Yeah, that could happen.”
Taeju smiled, thinking how kind-hearted she must be at her core to worry about them.
“But there’s someone who can walk out unscathed even if it blows.”
Taeju said that while glancing at Woli. Woli turned her head away with a surly what-are-you-looking-at expression.
“Plus, it’s still daytime.”
“Daytime makes it okay?”
“Dokkaebi usually only move at night. Most of them, anyway. Just like people sleep at night, Dokkaebi sleep during the day.”
There were exceptions, but given the noises only at night, this probably wasn’t one. And there was another reason for doing it this way. Taeju emphasized,
“Besides, don’t we need to get that Dokkaebi out soon? You can’t keep wandering outside, switching lodgings day by day forever.”
It was a pretty tempting point. She was still a bit scared, it was true, but evicting the Dokkaebi from her home was equally appealing.
“A-alright. Then… what’s the detailed plan? You said you’d bring it out? That won’t be easy, will it?”
Taeju grinned at Jeonghan’s question.
“Of course not, just like that. That’s why we’ve made one preparation.”
“What preparation?”
“Didn’t you go home yesterday and put on an act?”
“Yes, I did. Thanks to that, I fooled the Dokkaebi and safely spent the night outside.”
Jeonghan spoke a bit embarrassed as he recalled it. It had been acting cringeworthy enough that Taeju refrained from commenting on the performance itself.
“That was partly the role I explained at first, but also preparation to lure the Dokkaebi out.”
Considering Taeju’s goal of “delivering the necessary message,” Jeonghan’s poor, straightforward acting had actually been better than something too natural.
“You performed that role splendidly.”
Taeju explained the meaning behind the action.
“It wasn’t just to avoid looking like you were fleeing from the Dokkaebi—it also indirectly conveyed that you wouldn’t be coming home for a few days.”
The phone call had said she’d return in two days.
“The Dokkaebi, believing the lie about your relative passing, is probably sleeping soundly now. Knowing no one else will come home, it’s naturally sleeping deeper than usual.”
They could control the Dokkaebi smoothly right now. While it was completely off-guard and asleep, they held a solid advantage.
“So now’s our chance. If we prepare in advance, we could move it somewhere else entirely, or at least turn the place into a safe zone for a comfortable talk.”
“But what if the Dokkaebi wakes up midway? If it wakes and goes berserk… you said it’s much stronger than humans, right?”
Jeonghan stammered a bit. It was a valid concern, so Taeju nodded.
“That could happen, sure. But during the day, it’d be manageable.”
“So no major issues time-wise right now.”
“Yes. Even if it wakes, you know how you are right after waking up, don’t you?”
Jeonghan nodded. Definitely not fully coherent then. Even a Dokkaebi must be the same. Jeonghan thought absently.
“We’ve also prepared other countermeasures for the worst case. Like Woli over there, watching ants.”
As the talk turned serious, Woli had quietly slipped away again.
“Come to think of it, you said to hide behind her if something happens. But is she really okay? She doesn’t look that strong…”
Taeju answered Jeonghan’s cautious question with a serious expression.
“She may not look it, but she can handle even the worst scenario I’ve considered. If my role is planning to avoid surprises as much as possible, hers is dealing with them once they happen.”
With that assurance, Jeonghan had no choice but to nod.
“Still… I hope we move it without any hitches.”
The phrase “worst case” left him uneasy, his voice trembling slightly.
Even if his head understood it was safe, his heart felt differently.
“Of course that’s ideal.”
Jeonghan swallowed hard. Taeju knew he was tense but didn’t try to ease it.
A little tension might even be better.
“Then, shall we go take a look at the Dokkaebi?”