Chapter 79
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 79
Chapter Title: Monster Tale Specialist Office: The Invisible Person (14)
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“Hello. Are you Yeongmu sunbae’s father?”
Boyoung racked her brain, wondering how she could make an excuse to slip away without raising suspicion. Meanwhile, Woli pondered whether she could just strike the back of his neck to make him lose his memory for a bit.
So the first one to act, without overthinking it much, was Seol.
“I’m his father… yes.”
The three of them sensed something off in his slightly mumbled response, but the situation didn’t allow them to press him on it.
“So, what brings you here?”
The middle-aged man with a weary face asked. Seol agonized over how to explain this. But no better idea came to mind.
“We found someone, but he refused to talk unless we learned about him first.”
“And?”
The man tilted his head, puzzled about what that had to do with showing up at his house.
“We think it might be Yeongmu sunbae. So we came to check if he really lives here!”
The explanation flew a bit too fast, and the man tilted his head again.
“I’m not sure I follow.”
He said with a slight frown. But Seol stood her ground confidently, while Boyoung muttered to herself from behind that they were doomed. Woli debated whether to just charge in and knock him out right then and there.
“But anyway, come on in for now.”
When the man continued like that, the two felt question marks popping up over their heads.
“Um, don’t we seem suspicious?”
Boyoung couldn’t hold back and asked. Even to them, their actions seemed incredibly shady.
“You do.”
The man didn’t deny it.
“But with Yeongmu… well, I’d like to hear your story. I’ve got some time on my hands right now.”
“Then why didn’t you lock the door?”
At Boyoung’s follow-up question, the man opened his mouth to answer but paused.
“Let’s talk inside. It’s the hallway—if we chat too long, it’ll bother the neighbors.”
With that, he stepped past the three of them, opened the door, and entered the house first. The three hesitated a bit but eventually agreed to go in. Seol went first.
“Thank you for having us.”
Seol bowed politely. The man gave a wry smile.
“I wouldn’t exactly call it an invitation.”
His words had a bite to them, so the three winced a little as they stepped into the man’s home.
The three followed the man’s lead into the house.
“This way. It’s so sudden, I don’t have anything prepared for guests.”
“Oh, no, that’s fine. We’re the ones who showed up out of the blue.”
Seol said to the man.
Things were going better than expected. It was great, but they hadn’t anticipated getting inside so easily, leaving them flustered.
“…Still, it worked out.”
Woli scanned the state of the house, just like she’d learned before. It was tidy. She’d only glanced at the shoe rack, but the shoes were neatly aligned. There was just one pair out—the ones he’d just taken off.
“Only one person lives here?”
Woli murmured so softly the man couldn’t hear. Boyoung replied in a suspicious tone.
“Seems like it. You’ve really done this kind of thing a lot, huh.”
“I haven’t….”
But whispering like this made it hard to talk properly. After that one-sided exchange, Boyoung noticed something.
“Huh, this photo….”
There was a large frame holding an old picture. It showed a young man and a young woman. It looked like the homeowner from his younger days.
“Was this your wife?”
Boyoung asked, looking at the photo. It was in past tense. She knew Yeongmu’s mother had passed away. The man paused, then said with a chilling expression.
“She still is. She’s just not here.”
But his tone was calm and gentle.
“Ah… sorry. I misspoke.”
“No, it’s fine.”
The man’s voice was polite and composed. That only made Boyoung feel worse. The awkward atmosphere led to a moment of silence among the four.
Seol glanced around before speaking up.
“Where should we sit?”
“Oh, right. One moment….”
The man thought for a second, then went to a door in the corner and opened it.
“For now, wait in this room. It’s that kid’s room.”
The three wondered if this was okay, but they went in as instructed. He said he’d bring some tea and stepped away.
“Seol really has some luck.”
If it was just a little good fortune, she’d happily accept it, but this much was downright eerie.
“I heard adults usually look favorably if you greet them honestly!”
“No, this is on another level….”
Boyoung just made a subtle face and said no more. Woli leaned against the door and looked around the room.
“This is that Yeongmu guy’s room, right?”
There was a small bed, an old desk, and a few worn textbooks. No computer, no proper clothes.
If there was a drawer, maybe, but there wasn’t—so what you saw was everything.
The three poked around the room a bit, then one sat on the chair and the other two on the bed.
“There’s a photo of his mom in this room too.”
Seol said offhandedly. Sure enough, there was a small framed picture of a young mother on the desk. It was probably the tidiest thing in the room.
“Sorry to keep you waiting.”
The man came in with a tray holding four paper cups of instant coffee.
“Living alone, I don’t have proper cups, so paper ones it is.”
“Oh, no, that’s fine. We’re not exactly in a position to expect hospitality.”
Boyoung said hurriedly. The three were practically attempted trespassers, so being treated like this felt like a warm welcome.
“So, you met Yeongmu.”
The man said calmly.
“Before that, just one question. You really are Yeongmu sunbae’s father, right?”
At Boyoung’s question, the man tilted his head.
“Is that important?”
“A bit… It’s hard to share with someone who’s not family.”
The man nodded as if he understood.
“Yes, I am. Though you could say I’m not, in a way.”
He said flatly. No regret, no apology in his tone.
“I wasn’t a great father. That’s probably why he left and never came back. He’s an adult now, so I didn’t file a missing person report or anything.”
But he felt obligated to at least hear them out, he added.
“Sounds like he got caught up in something weird.”
But his tone was a little off.
Like he was forcing himself to care about something he didn’t.
Seol got chills. She didn’t know exactly why yet, but this situation was undeniably strange.
“…Can I ask one thing?”
“Sure. What?”
“How long has it been since Yeongmu sunbae stopped coming home?”
At Seol’s question, the man rubbed his chin.
“Let’s see. I don’t know the exact date. But he was gone before graduation, I think.”
It wasn’t a satisfying answer. Unsure, Seol pressed.
“You don’t know?”
The man shrugged it off like it was nothing.
“Well, I always came home late, and so did he. We’d pass each other without seeing faces, sleep separately, and leave on our own. That was our routine.”
He said.
“It’s all so long ago now.”
“How could you not know…?”
“It’s a bit embarrassing, but we were pretty distant, my son and I.”
The man’s expression remained mild.
He’d leave a month’s allowance on the table, and the kid would take it on his own, so he didn’t worry, he explained.
“…That’s way too hands-off.”
Boyoung muttered without thinking, and the man’s attitude hadn’t wavered.
“I think I did my part.”
The three were at a loss for how to respond. Seeing their reactions, the man added as if resigned.
“He told you to learn about him, right?”
“Yes, he’s hiding away tight. Is there anything else you can tell us?”
At Seol’s words, the man furrowed his brow like he still didn’t get it. But he smoothed his expression and spoke.
“To be honest, my wife died because of him.”
“What?”
Seol blurted in shock at the sudden bombshell. The man gave a wry smile.
“Ah, not that he killed her or anything. But she weakened after giving birth to him and died, so it’s not entirely wrong.”
He gazed wistfully at the photo on the desk.
“If it weren’t for him….”
To the man, the child was less a blessing and more a curse. A monster that devoured his beloved wife.
“The kid knew too. That I didn’t like him. That’s why he left.”
The only father figure knew how he felt about him.
“One day, he asked why I was different from other dads.”
The man said he hadn’t answered.
“That’s too much!”
Seol said outright, face scrunched. But the man seemed unfazed.
“Well? You can’t force yourself to like what you don’t.”
Boyoung grimaced. The only time the man had faltered was talking about his wife’s death.
It was so horrific it was scary.
“So, there’s not much else to tell. Anything specific you’re curious about? I might not know much….”
Even as he spoke, he remained mild. Just like when they first met.
Seol realized it wasn’t composure. It was empty. No emotions at all.
Like an empty shell.
“Hm, we came to hear what kind of person sunbae was.”
For the first time, Seol felt fear toward a person. She’d never imagined feeling this from someone who couldn’t possibly harm her. Woli, seeing Seol’s hands tremble slightly, spoke for her.
“We’ve heard enough.”
They’d learned what they wanted.
Why the invisible man’s personality was so servile, and why home wasn’t a refuge. That was sufficient.
“Thank you for your cooperation.”
Boyoung felt uneasy too. But she was in better shape than Seol, so she thanked him instead.
“I hope whatever you’re dealing with works out.”
The man said plainly to the end. He didn’t ask how he was doing or what he was up to. He spoke as if it were someone else’s story.
Seol couldn’t stand it.
“That’s it?”
“Yes. I don’t have much more to say. If you’re curious, I’ll tell what I know.”
“…You really have no thoughts about your son?”
Seol asked without thinking. She knew it was unnecessary provocation, but she couldn’t hold back.
“No matter what happens to him?”
The man smiled wryly.
“Nothing more to say.”
His expression was unreadable, but his voice carried bitterness.
“If… your wife hadn’t passed….”
It could’ve been a happy home. Seol swallowed the rest.
“Pointless what-if.”
The man said.
“Oh, suddenly curious—why didn’t you lock the door?”
Boyoung asked as if it just occurred to her. A hint of expectation in it.
“Ah, the door? In case he comes back. Plus, even if a thief breaks in, there’s nothing worth stealing.”
He said matter-of-factly.
With an unpleasant feeling lingering, the conversation ended.