The Popular Guy's Invitation (3)
The Popular Guy's Invitation (3)
"How's it look?"
The man with the buzz cut asked as he tossed a ball above his head. The ball kept falling from up high down low, over and over.
Jang Cho-un called him Jang Woo. Jang Woo loved playing games where he'd smack the ball with a bat, and he was a lively, masculine young guy.
He had a bit of a rude, aggressive side, but that drew in plenty of women too.
"Hmm, there's a guy mixed in. We wrote in the letter that the three of us would be waiting. Why'd you bring four people? Matching the headcount is basic manners. And we said bring friends, but dragging along a dude? Obviously, it should've been three guys and three girls."
Jang Hyo grumbled. Jang Hyo was the cocky type. But his height and build gave him a real intimidating vibe.
"Don't be too harsh. A pure heart's a good thing."
Jang Cho-un smiled and replied softly. Under his pale pink hair peeked striking facial features. He wore long, dangling earrings, and there was a little mole under his eye.
The term "gisaeng pretty boy" wasn't a lie. Even a guy would feel intimidated by that handsome face.
"That's Muk Seo-ah, huh. The one who supposedly ditched in front of everyone. Must've been through hell exorcising."
Jang Cho-un propped his chin, gazing out the window.
"She's pretty? Not bad."
"Hyung Cho-un, if you call dibs, what're we supposed to do?"
Jang Hyo grumbled, and Jang Cho-un flashed a sly grin.
"We shouldn't fight among ourselves. Everyone pick who they want. Or we can rotate if you like."
That was when it happened. The coachman tied to the chair started thrashing.
Jang Woo yanked the gag from his mouth, and the coachman caught his breath before yelling.
"You—Jang Cho-un! Aren't you an exorcist?! How can you do something like this! The other exorcists won't let you get away with it! Those women are exorcists too—aren't you afraid of heaven's wrath!"
Jang Cho-un wagged his finger. That was the signal. Jang Woo tossed the ball high up and pulled a bat from his waistband.
Before the ball could drop, Jang Cho-un said,
"What's that? Women can't beat me anyway."
Kkaang. The ball slammed into the metal bat and rocketed off at high speed. The coachman's head burst with a peok, brains and skull shattering into pieces.
The ball was now embedded right where his head had been.
====================================
The moment Muk Seo-ah stepped into the villa, she sensed two things.
First, this Jang Cho-un guy was filthy rich.
Second, any normal woman would totally fall for him.
Three men sat beyond the elegant table. Anyone could tell the one in the center was Jang Cho-un.
His reputation for good looks was no exaggeration.
"Thanks for coming all this way. I'm Jang Cho-un, head of the family. These are my two younger brothers, Jang Woo and Jang Hyo."
Jang Woo and Jang Hyo bowed politely. They weren't quite on their big brother's level, but their looks were plenty enough to charm any girl.
Muk Seo-ah just didn't have a girl's heart for them, that's all.
'Damn, the kids are hot.'
Muk Seo-ah wrapped up her quick impression and exchanged casual greetings without much thought.
The point of this visit wasn't bonding or whatever. It was to see if they could get help tracking the Yao King—or if not, at least build connections between other exorcists and Jang Cho-un.
Connections weren't a big deal for Muk Seo-ah. Skill brings connections naturally.
But for Osaekja, especially Taeju Doryeong-nim, links to a popular guy like Jang Cho-un would be huge.
The exorcist world was an extremely closed society.
To climb high, you needed top-tier skills or the right pull from connections.
'Jang Cho-un would make a great ladder.'
He might even boost Muk Seo-ah's own value. Not Mukmyeong's—Muk Seo-ah's.
By public standards, she was still mid-to-low tier exorcist right now. She just hadn't taken on enough jobs yet.
The more famous an exorcist got, the bigger the gigs that came in, leading straight to the Yao King.
In that sense, meeting Jang Cho-un was valuable.
"Once the liquor flows, hearts open up too. We've met by fate, so let's raise our glasses and chat about the rest."
The guy named Jang Hyo said. He pulled out a bottle of strong liquor from under the table.
That's when Jang Woo glanced around. He stared straight at Taeju Doryeong-nim, then asked quietly.
"By any chance, are you of drinking age? No, not saying anything—just checking, you know."
Taeju Doryeong-nim had been sitting there silently, uncomfortably, all alone.
At the words that treated him like a kid, Taeju Doryeong-nim forced a polite reply.
"I'm an adult."
"Oh, my bad. Then let's have a drink together."
Jang Woo expertly uncorked the bottle and filled Taeju Doryeong-nim's glass to the brim with the strong stuff.
Filling a glass to the top with high-proof booze. That was code for "drink and drop dead," but the naive Taeju Doryeong-nim had no clue.
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Taeju Doryeong-nim was the first to pass out.
As he wobbled and face-planted onto the table, the slightly buzzed Muk Seo-ah giggled at the sight.
"Taeju Doryeong-nim's totally a kid. Already drunk?"
"Kid...? Such nonsense..."
"Oh dear, this is a problem. This shouldn't knock you out that fast. We'll let him rest in a room for now."
Jang Woo supported Taeju Doryeong-nim and took him to an empty room in the villa. Then he came back and sat down.
Naturally, it turned into a perfect three guys-three girls setup.
Taeju Doryeong-nim woke up groggily in the storage room.
No idea how much time had passed. His head throbbed. Laughter—haha hoho—came from outside the room.
Peeking through the door crack, he saw Muk Seo-ah and Jang Cho-un playing drinking games.
Muk Seo-ah looked totally wasted at a glance.
Swept up in the buzz and vibe, she was having a blast. Her eyes were already glazed over, cheeks flushed red.
As they clinked glasses and played, Jang Cho-un's hand subtly wrapped around Muk Seo-ah's waist.
Muk Seo-ah shivered slightly at the touch on her waist.
Osaekja had Jang Hyo sitting right next to her too. As Jang Hyo chattered compliments about her looks and all sorts of stuff, Osaekja blushed and smiled shyly.
They already seemed buddy-buddy, getting along great in a cozy atmosphere.
Finally, Yu Bok-hyang had Jang Woo openly stroking the inside of her thigh, but she wasn't resisting.
Squeeze.
Taeju Doryeong-nim clenched his fist without realizing.
The three pairs looked perfect together.
He had no place to squeeze into that. Outwardly, they were all tall, attractive, charming.
Unlike short, scrawny Taeju Doryeong-nim, they all had great builds and proportions.
They seemed like hotshot youths who knew how to enjoy life's pleasures.
Especially Muk Seo-ah and Jang Cho-un—they made a picture-perfect couple. Taeju Doryeong-nim thought it without meaning to.
That woman deserves a cool guy like that.
Exorcists can't let emotions sway them. Unless it's a yokai, they don't exterminate.
That was Taeju Doryeong-nim's idea of justice. No matter how pissed, you don't solve it with force.
But right now, he was boiling with the urge to smack those three guys' faces.
He knew it was wrong, but the frustration wouldn't settle.
'What right do I have to butt in? It's their choice.'
There was no sign of reluctance from the three women. Maybe it was natural.
The Jang brothers were all handsome and dashing, with manly personalities. They had smooth talk and knew how to have fun with women.
They drank well, partied hard, and above all, they were tall and bold. Total opposites of Taeju Doryeong-nim.
Faced with guys who seemed born superior, Taeju Doryeong-nim shrank back without realizing.
The three pairs partied outside the room until Muk Seo-ah passed out from the booze first.
Jang Cho-un supported her and headed upstairs. It happened so naturally, in a flash.
"Shall we head up too?"
Jang Hyo looked down at Osaekja with his towering height and said. He draped his thick arm over her shoulder.
Osaekja, face red from the alcohol, smiled sweetly and pushed his arm away.
"I saw you pouring extra for Taeju Doryeong-nim earlier. Can't stand guys who tease people."
"What? Is he your boyfriend?"
"Not exactly, but..."
"Then no big deal, right? Let's go to a room and chill quietly."
"Ah, I have a boyfriend..."
"Huh? I just said chill. What's with the dirty mind? So cute."
"That's not— Ah..."
Jang Hyo teased her with his huge build and deep voice, pressuring her forcefully. Osaekja couldn't respond properly and got swept along, flustered.
Jang Hyo threw his arm over Osaekja's shoulder again and headed to an upstairs room.
Osaekja pushed his arm away once more and whispered,
"...Just resting, okay."
Muk Seo-ah and Osaekja headed upstairs with the other guys.
That left only Yu Bok-hyang at the drinking table. As she got too wasted to stand straight, Jang Woo supported her.
"Whoa, you're really smashed."
"I-I can walk alone..."
"Nah. Don't push yourself. You've been fighting yokai without even being an exorcist—must be exhausting. Rest up proper tonight at least."
"...Had to be done."
"If the load's heavy, take a break before you go. I'm the weakest of us three brothers, so I get that feeling. Being weak sucks."
"..."
"It's all good."
Jang Woo patted Yu Bok-hyang's back soothingly. She leaned into him like she was relying on him.
Jang Woo supported her upstairs. Yu Bok-hyang didn't resist.
That was when Taeju Doryeong-nim slipped out of the room.
"Bok-hyang-ah, it's late. Let's go."
He could say that to Yu Bok-hyang. He had the grounds.
Right now, Taeju Doryeong-nim was in the position of teaching her. He valued her revenge drive and grit, so he'd been showing her how to deal with yokai.
A teacher had the right to say at least that much.
'Please.'
"Let's go home, Bok-hyang-ah."
That's when Jang Woo wrapped his hand around Yu Bok-hyang's waist.
Jang Woo answered for her.
"Sorry, but my friend's super drunk. Just crash here tonight."
"No, we're leaving now."
"This is awkward."
Jang Woo stroked Yu Bok-hyang's lower back. His eyes scanned Taeju Doryeong-nim. Taeju Doryeong-nim's tiny fist was clenched tight, trembling.
That's when Yu Bok-hyang spoke.
"...I'm beat. I'll rest one night and go. You can head back first."
Jang Woo took Yu Bok-hyang upstairs like nothing happened.
The two disappeared to the second floor. Left alone on the first, Taeju Doryeong-nim collapsed to the floor.
Taeju Doryeong-nim stared blankly up the stairs.
'How'd it end up like this?'
Muk Seo-ah, Osaekja, Yu Bok-hyang.
The three women he'd come with had each gone off with different guys—but it was their choice, so he had to respect it.
But Taeju Doryeong-nim's heart wasn't having it. His head said respect, but his guts were twisting.
'Would it have been different if I'd held my liquor?'
He chased pointless what-ifs now.
Why me no, them yes. He replayed the differences between the Jang brothers and himself.
No need to look hard. Everything was fundamentally different.
*'If I'd had game.'
*'If I'd been bolder.'
*'If I'd been gutsier.'
'Or... even if I'd just been taller.'
- Jealous over something that trivial?
That's when Taeju-gwi whispered from the side.
- But you've got big bro here instead.
Taeju-gwi pointed to a room.
- Open that one.
Taeju Doryeong-nim, out of it, did as told. Turning the knob, dust puffed from the door crack.
The musty room was pitch black.
Inside lay Jang Cho-un, collapsed with blood trickling from his head. The blood had flowed from his head and hardened on the floor.
- Now you know what to do.