To My Beloved (2)
"Like a fool... I fell right into their trap."
Ah. And here I was wondering what it was.
He had thought she was just embarrassed to be seen like this.
And honestly, shouldn't she be?
Even in the world of the living, the dead were supposed to enter and exit through proper doorways.
That was an absolute rule.
Getting stuck between the floor and the ceiling like this was, in a way, a rather embarrassing blunder—the result of getting caught trying to bypass the absolute rules.
"Why didn't you ask for help?" Noel asked.
"I did, but no one could hear me. Even the other ghosts avoided me. So, I just stayed like this. Am I... going to fade away now?"
"No. But a Grim Reaper should have come for you by now?"
"One did. He came, but... I couldn't leave."
"Why?"
"Because I was scammed by the owner of this building... and I hanged myself here."
"A... scam?" Yeonghyeon, who had been listening quietly, gasped in shock. He stared at her with a devastated expression.
"Yes. Just a typical scam. The kind where they lure you in, promising to sell it to you especially cheap."
The woman let out a self-deprecating chuckle. "I was the fool for falling for it."
"That's not true. The one who did the scamming is the one at fault." When Noel spoke so decisively, the woman looked up at him, slightly startled.
"That 'you're the fool' nonsense is just what typical perpetrators and pathetic losers say when they want to trample on others."
"Do you... really think so?" The woman's lower lip trembled, and her eyes softened.
"Of course."
"You don't think I was stupid?"
"Your life and your death belong entirely to you. No one has the right to judge. Either path requires an immense amount of courage." Hearing Noel's calm words, Yeonghyeon stared at him. He felt deeply grateful to Noel for saying that.
"So, what happened next?"
"After I died, the injustice of it all kept me bound here."
"Did you lay a curse?"
"Oh, no! Nothing like that! I just knocked some things over a few times. It was satisfying to see the landlord tremble in fear. But then that bastard brought in a shaman... and I was tricked into this."
The more she spoke, the lower her head sank. Her voice was heavy with sorrow and resentment.
"So, do you still want to stay here? Just so you know, my uncle bought this place with a bank loan, so it'll be troublesome if you keep doing what you just mentioned."
"I won't do it anymore! None of it matters now anyway. I just... want to see my parents' faces. The Grim Reaper said he couldn't undo what the living had done. That's why..."
The ghost trailed off and fell silent, waiting quietly as if leaving the choice to him. Noel looked at Asin.
"It is fine. Release her."
It meant she was telling the truth. Having a Guardian Deity who could discern truth from falsehood was incredibly convenient.
Noel focused on the source of the binding power. It's in the wall. Having located it, he drew upon his power. Black smoke gathered in his palm, shaping itself into a sword. He plunged it straight into the wall.
"Ah...?"
The reaction was instantaneous.
"Come out," Noel said.
As the ghost moved at his command, she slipped free effortlessly. She looked at Noel, then collapsed to the floor, sobbing.
"I... I thought I'd be trapped there forever! Thank... thank you! Thank you so much!"
She was finally free. The sheer relief of it overwhelmed her with gratitude.
"But how on earth did you avoid turning into an Evil Spirit?" Noel wondered. She must have been trapped for quite some time, yet she had managed to remain pure. Given that she had committed suicide after being scammed, she had more than enough motive to become corrupted.
"I... listened to so many stories here. I realized that I wasn't the only one struggling."
This place had been a counseling office. All kinds of people had come and gone, sharing their lives. She had listened to them cry, laugh, and rage. Miraculously, her own resentment had faded away in the process.
"I want to go to a good place too. That way, my parents won't have to grieve forever."
"A wise choice. If you have a message for them, would you like me to deliver it?"
"Really?"
"If their house is nearby."
"It is close. I promise. I wanted to teach art here."
She had simply wanted to be an art teacher. That was her only dream. The woman wiped away her tears and looked at Noel. She had nothing to offer him, but it was only right to repay a kindness.
"There's... a problem with this building. Could you tell your uncle that the landlord deceived him? He definitely wouldn't have disclosed that someone committed suicide here. Legally, you're supposed to disclose any major defects in a property, right?"
At her words, Noel withdrew his power and leaned in. "Could you tell me a bit more about that?"
This was highly valuable information.
"Uncle." Noel called out to Shin Hyeon, who was waiting outside. Unlike before, the hallway was now quiet. He wondered what Shin Hyeon had said to his employees.
"Are you done?"
"Yes. But Uncle..."
"What is it...?"
Shin Hyeon looked somewhat anxious. Noel didn't know what was bothering him, but he immediately presented the information he had just gathered.
"Apparently, this building has a major defect. Someone died here, and they even held an exorcism. Did you hear anything about that?"
"...What?"
"I guess you didn't."
At Noel's words, Shin Hyeon's face stiffened.
"Is that... really true?"
"Yes. I just heard it directly from her. Her name is Park Yejin. She was scammed by the landlord and committed suicide here."
"..."
"I'm planning to meet her family. I have a message to deliver. Do you want to come with me?"
"Hold on. Just give me a moment."
Shin Hyeon excused himself, pulled out his phone, and stepped away. Watching his uncle make a tense, serious phone call, Noel turned his gaze back to Yejin.
"Are you... getting revenge for me?"
"Well, something like that."
Noel didn't know how much Shin Hyeon would gain from this information, but at the very least, his uncle shouldn't suffer a loss. Noel looked at Yeonghyeon, who was already clenching his fists tightly.
"We have to get revenge. Absolutely. We must protect the bank account at all costs."
Ding-dong. Shin Hyeon pressed the doorbell.
"Who is it?" a voice called out from inside.
Shin Hyeon calmly introduced himself. "Hello. My name is Do Sinhyeon. I'm an attorney."
At the word 'attorney,' the door swung open in a hurry.
"W-what is this about?"
The middle-aged woman looked startled. Shin Hyeon handed her his business card first. She took it, but her eyes shook with anxiety.
"Excuse me, but is this the residence of the late Park Yejin?"
"Go away!"
The moment the name was mentioned, the woman's eyes flared with hostility.
"Leave this instant! It's painful enough that my daughter is dead, but do you really have to keep tormenting us even after she's gone to be satisfied? Do you people have no conscience at all?!"
"Please calm down, ma'am. We are..."
"We came because Park Yejin has a message she wants to deliver to you," Noel intervened.
His words seemed to strike a nerve. The middle-aged woman glared at Noel with murderous fury and lunged at him.
"Are you here to insult my daughter again?! Don't you dare insult her! Stop insulting my daughter...!"
She grabbed Noel by the collar, prompting Shin Hyeon to quickly step in and pull her away.
"Mom, no! It's not like that. Calm down, please, please calm down!"
"Instead of trying to explain, you should tell her something only the two of you would know," Noel calmly instructed Yejin.
Yejin clenched her hands tightly, tears streaming down her face.
"I promised Mom... that we'd go on a staycation at the Shin-Nabi Hotel. We were going to eat delicious food, swim, and have fun. Tell her I'm so sorry I couldn't keep that promise."
"She says she's sorry she couldn't keep her promise to go on a staycation with you at the Shin-Nabi Hotel."
At Noel's words, the woman, who had been screaming in rage, suddenly fell dead silent.
"And the pink hairpin Mom bought me... Tell her I'm sorry I lost it. The landlord took it. I don't know where he threw it away."
"She also says she's sorry for losing the pink hairpin you bought her."
"H-how..."
Her grip on Noel's collar loosened, and her hands slipped away.
"We promised that once I made a lot of money, we'd build a house overlooking the ocean and live together... I'm so sorry."
"She says she's sorry she couldn't build that house overlooking the ocean with you once she made a lot of money..."
"Yejin... Is my Yejin really there?"
The woman collapsed to her knees. Tears were already streaming down her face.
"Yes. She's standing right next to me."
"I prayed... I prayed every single day. But my beautiful baby couldn't even cross over to a good place and is still... stuck there?"
Her breath hitched, her words punctuated by ragged, desperate gasps.
"Take a deep breath," Noel said calmly.
Asin gently placed a hand on the woman's shoulder.
Gasp. Wheeze.
Only then did the woman manage to draw a proper breath. She looked up at Noel, her face desperate for answers.
"May we come inside first?" Noel suggested. This wasn't a conversation to be had on the doorstep.
"And that is what happened."
Noel explained to the woman how they had ended up there, and that Yejin had wanted to see her parents one last time before departing, which was why they came to deliver her message.
"Is my daughter really... here?" the woman asked, her voice trembling with disbelief.
"She is right next to you."
"Where? Where is she?"
"Right beside you, ma'am."
"Here? She's right here?"
Even though she couldn't touch her, the mother reached out her hand. Yejin, knowing she couldn't be felt, reached out as well. Their fingertips met. Whether she could actually feel it or not, the mother's expression instantly shifted.
"Yes... she is right here."
"Yejin... Mom is so sorry. If only I hadn't gotten angry back then, you wouldn't have..."
"It's not Mom's fault, so please don't say that. Don't do that. If you do, I won't be able to leave."
"She's asking you not to blame yourself. She says she won't be able to move on if you do."
"I won't! I won't blame myself! I promise I won't! Really, Yejin. I promise," the mother frantically corrected herself, looking terrified that her daughter might be held back.
"Please take this."
Noel handed her two sheets of paper. The woman flinched slightly. Perhaps she had received too many threatening documents in similar envelopes.
"...What is this?"
"Park Yejin said she couldn't express everything in words, so she wanted to write a letter."
Hearing that it was a letter from Yejin, she snatched it immediately.
The moment she saw the words written on the paper, she broke down.
To my beloved mom,
She sobbed uncontrollably, her fingers gently tracing the handwriting. It was undeniably her daughter's. How could a mother ever fail to recognize her own child's writing?
"Did Yejin... write this before she died?"
"No. She wrote it herself today. Of course, she had to borrow my hand to do it."
Noel had briefly allowed her to possess his body. She had cried so much during the writing that his own eyelids still felt heavy.
"You can read that after we leave. For now, I will deliver her spoken words."
Yejin had said there was something she wanted to say directly, rather than in writing. Yejin cradled her mother's face in her hands, gazing at her with profound affection.
"Mom. My mom, whom I love more than anyone in the world." Noel delivered the words.
"I'm going to a good place now, so please live a healthy and happy life before you come to meet me later."
The mother's eyes brimmed with fresh tears.
"I love you. I love you so much."
Tears dripped onto the floor.
"I love you too, Yejin."
Yejin stood right where her mother was looking. Though they could not truly see each other, their eyes met.
"I love you so, so much. More than anything in the world."
The moment the mother finished speaking, Noel snapped his fingers. Yejin's form materialized into physical reality. Shin Hyeon, Asin, and Yeonghyeon gasped in shock. What kind of power was this?
But the mother didn't care about the magic. She simply reached out with both hands toward her beloved child and pulled her into a tight embrace. There was no warmth, but she could touch her. She held the child she had missed so terribly in her arms.
"Yejin!" She cupped her daughter's face, weeping as she called her name.
"Yes, Mom." But Yejin's voice could not be heard.
"I'll be going now. Take care."
Even so, the mother understood. She watched with a bright smile as Yejin began to fade away. It was a moment more radiant and beautiful than any other. Only after watching her completely disappear did the mother finally break down, weeping.
Noel let out a long breath as he caught Yejin's faint, whispered "Thank you" echoing in the air.
"What manner of power is this?" Asin asked, her voice filled with awe.
Noel merely offered a quiet smile. He didn't want to explain. He had used his power of Materialization simply because she had reminded him of his own mother. That was the sole reason.
Noel looked at Yeonghyeon. The boy looked as if he wanted to say something. Perhaps he wanted to ask if Noel could do the same for him. But Yeonghyeon kept his mouth shut.
You don't have to hold back like that. Noel kept the thought to himself. For now, he simply waited for the mother's crying to subside.
"Ma'am. If you don't mind, may I ask you one thing?" Shin Hyeon, who had been waiting quietly like Noel, handed her a tissue and asked. The woman looked up at him. "By any chance, were you threatened when you went to claim her body?"
"They... offered to cover the funeral expenses if I agreed to keep quiet about the whole thing. And..." She paused, biting her lip hard. Her eyes darkened with resentment. "They said my daughter was also at fault. They claimed her actions practically amounted to business obstruction. When I refused to settle, they kept coming back, trying to buy me off with money while insulting my daughter! They dared to claim that the money my daughter had earned honestly was dirty, and that they could make it look that way...!"
"If you are willing, would you let me help you?"
"...An attorney like you?"
"Yes. In return, I only need you to testify to one thing."
"Please, tell me."
"That Park Yejin made an unfortunate choice inside that building."
This was a battle worth fighting. For his own sake, and for the sake of a parent who had lost her child.
A familiar case played over the car radio. A faint smile played on Noel's lips.
"Oh? Isn't that about him?" Yeonghyeon recognized the story instantly. Noel nodded. They successfully caught the culprit.
"What are you speaking of?" when Asin asked, Yeonghyeon answered for him.
"Noel helped catch the culprit they're talking about on the radio. A daughter had died, but they couldn't even find her body."
"You have done a truly noble deed." Asin let out a hearty, pleased laugh. Once again, he had reunited a parent and child. She found him incredibly admirable.
"Yeonghyeon."
"Yes?"
"Is that what they look like? Ghosts, I mean."
"Yes. You saw her too, right, Uncle?"
"It felt... really strange."
"Did I look strange to you?"
"No! No!" Shin Hyeon vehemently denied it. "Not at all! In fact, it felt warm."
"...Warm?" Noel doubted his ears. What was he talking about?
"I don't really understand those things, but it almost made me cry." When Noel looked at Shin Hyeon, his uncle's eyes were indeed slightly red.
"Is... is that why you asked where the accident site was?"
"Yes."
At Noel's reply, Shin Hyeon let out a long sigh. He had agonized over it, but in the end, there was only one answer.
"I'll take you there on my day off."
"Then let's ride a hot air balloon while we're there."
"Ah, you did say you wanted to ride one."
"Did I?"
"You did. Let's go ride that too!" Shin Hyeon said cheerfully.
"By the way, Uncle."
"Yeah?"
"Are buildings usually cheaper if someone died in them?"
"Usually, yeah, because people find it unsettling. The worse the rumors, the cheaper it gets. Of course, even if there's a ghost, real estate prices eventually win out."
"Is that so?" Noel smiled broadly, prompting Shin Hyeon to ask cautiously, "Are you... looking to buy a place like that?"
"Why not? I should look around."
The next day, Noel walked into a real estate agency near his house. He had already visited several places. Since they had all flatly denied having any such properties, he didn't have high expectations this time either.
"Welcome."
"Hello."
At Noel's greeting, the agent glanced at him and smiled warmly. "Are you looking for a place to live?"
"No, I'm looking to open a shop. Do you happen to have any buildings with... defects?"
"...Excuse me?"
"You know, buildings rumored to be haunted." Noel offered a gentle smile.