Aren't We Friends?
"I never expected this from you, of all people! I had no idea you were such a rotten, ungrateful bastard! Were you really that greedy for money? Huh?"
This spirit.
That look in his eyes.
It belonged to someone he knew all too well.
"...S-Sang-won?"
Was it the alcohol?
Even if he was losing his mind, it truly felt as though Sang-won had come back to life right before his eyes.
"I trusted you! You were like my own flesh and blood! But how could you... how could you do this to me?"
Seeing the disappointment in those eyes, Jung-ho's lips trembled. He felt as if he were suffocating.
"Sang-won. Sang... won."
Jung-ho swallowed the words that threatened to burst from his throat.
"Did I ever covet your money? Huh? If you needed money that badly, you should have just told me before I kicked the bucket. Do you really think I wouldn't have given you a measly sum like that? Fuck... How could you do this to me? Even when we lost all the money we worked ourselves to the bone to make on that business, I wasn't this devastated! You were always weaker than me, you bastard... I was worried you'd starve to death if you didn't eat, so I..."
Tears began to choke his voice.
"I... I sold my clothes, my shoes, everything, and lied that I got paid just so I could bring you rice. I never once regretted it..."
Hearing those words pour out, Jung-ho could no longer doubt it. It was a story known only to the two of them.
"How... how do you know so much about Sang-won? Did he tell you all this?"
"Is that what's important right now?"
"Yes, it is! It's incredibly important!"
"This student lent me his body! Satisfied, you bastard?"
"...Possession?"
"Yeah! Haven't you ever watched a movie? Though, what would a rotten bastard like you know?"
"...Ha."
Jung-ho collapsed to the floor as if his legs had given out. He covered his face with his hands and laughed like an idiot. It was just so absurd.
"Of course it's possible, that's why I'm using his body to talk to you!"
"No, but still, this is..."
"I practically begged this kid to let me find you, and what? You won't give it to them?"
Sang-won grabbed a handful of Jung-ho's hair. He felt like pulling every single strand out of this bastard's head to satisfy his anger.
"That money... are you really going to give it to your wife?"
"Yeah! She suffered so much marrying a guy like me, so of course I'm going to take care of her! Why the hell are you throwing a fit?"
Sang-won's grip tightened.
"Damn it! It hasn't even been that long since you died, and your wife is already seeing another man!"
"...What? Was that it?"
Sang-won let out a long sigh, and Jung-ho stood back up with a dumbfounded expression.
Was that it?
Jung-ho grabbed the water bottle left on the chair and took a swig. It was filled with alcohol. He couldn't get through this without a drink.
"Even those kids of yours, the ones you bragged about so much, said it was a good thing you died! So how... how could I just hand your money over to them?"
Jung-ho spat the words out, his entire body trembling. Just thinking about it made his blood boil. He knew he was overstepping, but this was just wrong.
"You... Sang-won, how hard did you work to earn that money... how could I just..."
"...I'm sorry."
At Sang-won's apology, Jung-ho looked up.
"Why are you apologizing?"
"For causing you all this needless worry."
"Hey. Don't... don't talk like that."
"That man is my wife's high school classmate."
"I saw them hugging! You know that's not right, common sense-wise."
"Hey, dummy. I had a huge fight with my wife over him too. But it wasn't like that. He's, uh... cough, he's into guys."
"What...?"
"It's true. Do you think I would've let it slide otherwise? I would've haunted them to the grave. Am I right?"
"Knowing your temper, yeah, you would have."
"And what my kids said, they didn't mean it. I heard them too. Since the funeral home was attached to the hospital, I was able to wander over there. That's where you heard them, right?"
As Sang-won spoke sheepishly, Jung-ho's mouth tightened. That was indeed where he had heard it.
"Those punks take after me—they've got foul mouths. Honestly, I was shocked at first too, but it wasn't out of resentment. They were just so devastated by their father's death that they lashed out. My kids... they were genuinely grieving for me."
"...Ha."
Jung-ho placed a hand on his head, letting out a hollow laugh.
"...Is that so?"
"Yeah. You should've at least asked... Ah, damn it!"
He had just heard that Jung-ho had been treated as a suspect because of him. Sang-won grimaced deeply.
"...Thank goodness. Thank god."
Jung-ho sank to the floor, tears streaming down his face. It was all a misunderstanding. He couldn't describe the sheer relief he felt.
"Look at you, a grown man crying like a baby. Pull yourself together."
"It's male menopause, you crazy bastard!"
"What if... what if your life span got cut short from dragging your feet in and out of the police station?"
"Cut short, my ass. I'm going to live at least another fifty years."
"Why stop at fifty? Make it sixty, then come find me."
"...Are you happy? Happy? You idiot, you shouldn't have been running in the rain! Who dies like that at your age? It's embarrassing!"
"Hey, but honestly, it was a little funny, wasn't it?"
As Sang-won grinned, Jung-ho choked back his tears and laughed.
"A little funny? I'm going to tease you about this for the rest of my life."
"Still, cut back on the drinking. You've got sixty more years to live."
Jung-ho bit his lip hard, trying to keep his face from crumpling.
"And make sure to pay this student generously."
"Me?"
"Yeah, you. Can't you even do that much for me?"
"You crazy bastard."
"You're the crazy one."
The two laughed together once more. Then, Jung-ho asked hesitantly,
"...Sang-won. Was that weighing on you so heavily that you couldn't move on to a better place?"
"Well, there were a few things. You were one of them."
Sang-won could feel it instinctively. His time was up.
"Stop drinking so damn much and take care of yourself, you bastard," Sang-won said, his voice cracking with emotion.
"I will. You just wait for me in a good place, you bastard."
The two chuckled at each other. Slowly, Sang-won closed his eyes. When he opened them again, the atmosphere shifted instantly. A grown man was standing there, sobbing his heart out.
"...Did your friend leave?"
"Yes. He left with peace of mind."
Noel watched Sang-won fade away. He hadn't expected the man to let go of his lingering regrets so quickly.
"Though, I was expecting payment upfront."
Pfft.
Jung-ho burst into laughter at the remark. When Noel looked at him, Jung-ho was laughing through his tears. Noel could afford to wait a little before collecting his fee.
"...Thank you."
Noel unbuckled his seatbelt. He had expected Jung-ho to hail him a cab, but instead, the man had called a designated driver and hopped in with him.
Jung-ho fumbled around in his pockets and handed him a business card. When Noel looked up, Jung-ho smiled, his eyes swollen from crying.
"If you ever need any help, please don't hesitate to call."
"I will."
Noel smiled brightly. The man seemed to have more money than he let on. Two million won. It was a very generous payment.
"And, um... could I get your number as well?"
"Why do you need my number?"
"You're incredibly gifted. I'd like to consult you personally in the future."
"I'm not very good at telling fortunes. Are you sure you're okay with that?"
"That's fine. I know now that you're the real deal."
Noel raised an eyebrow at Jung-ho's words. Well, if he said so.
"Replace your right car tire today."
Noel offered a piece of advice to his future client, who had just handed him two million won.
-What's wrong with the tire? Was there a problem?
Yeonghyeon asked, but Noel got out of the car without answering.
Before getting in earlier, he had spotted claw marks on the tire. It could have just been parked in the path of a passing evil spirit, but anything touched by an evil spirit brought misfortune. It was best to replace it.
"Well then, get home safely," Noel said as politely as possible.
"...Thank you."
Jung-ho looked a bit bewildered, but now that Noel had warned him, it was up to him to act on it.
Walking toward the apartment building, Noel stretched his arms high above his head. I feel pretty good.
Back at the apartment, Noel glanced around. With so many people gathered, there was a crowd of ghosts lingering about as well. To avoid drawing unwanted attention, he kept his mouth shut, stared at the ground, and headed straight inside.
-...Noel, Yeonghyeon called out as Noel was typing in the door lock passcode.
"What? You're already dead. Don't get all emotional on me."
-Well, it's true I'm feeling a bit down, but... was possession really possible?
"Do you want to try it too?"
-Am I allowed to?
"If you pay me handsomely, I'll let you borrow it for a bit."
Noel chuckled. Possession wasn't that difficult. He opened the door.
-Thanks! I've never seen anything like this before. How is it possible? Is there some kind of principle behind it?
Yeonghyeon looked at him, brimming with curiosity.
"A principle? There's no such thing. It's just something I've been able to do naturally since birth, like breathing."
-Since birth? Were you some kind of genius?
"I don't know. I've never thought of it as a power."
He had spent his life wondering if it was a curse rather than a gift, so he couldn't quite relate to Yeonghyeon's awe.
-It's still amazing.
Noel took off his shoes and naturally headed to the bathroom. I find this place much more amazing.
You didn't have to fetch water; you just lifted a lever, and it flowed. You didn't have to kindle a flame; you just pressed a button, and the lights came on. It was truly marvelous.
-By the way, Noel.
"What?"
-How old are you, anyway?
"About a year away from becoming an adult?"
-Then I'm your hyung!
"Why? Do you want me to call you hyung?"
-I'd love that! I was the youngest in my family, so I always wanted a younger brother.
Yeonghyeon smiled happily, floating around Noel. When Noel looked in the mirror to wash his hands, Yeonghyeon's reflection wasn't there. Instead, a living person who looked exactly like Yeonghyeon stood in his place. It still feels strange.
The face, still marred by healing wounds, was slightly swollen.
-I have so much to teach you before I go see my family.
"If you have that much to tell me, spit it out before you move on."
-I should, right? First, um... I should probably tell you about my relationships.
"Why do I need to know that?" Noel asked, drying his hands on a towel.
-...Huh? What do you mean, why?
"They have nothing to do with me now. I'll keep in touch with your uncle, just as you wanted. Since we're technically family now, I can do that much."
His body moved on instinct toward the room Yeonghyeon used to sleep in. As he lay down on the bed, he saw the smile fade from Yeonghyeon's face.
-Right. That was greedy of me.
"Exactly."
-But still, do you want to at least hear about my social circle?
"Why?"
-...Well, because you still have to go to my high school graduation.
Noel blinked at Yeonghyeon's words, then let out an understanding "Ah." A memory surfaced—the accident had occurred during a family trip over winter break.
-It's not far off. If it's okay with you, can we go see my family after the graduation?
"I don't mind that much."
-Thank you, Noel.
Yeonghyeon smiled again.
-And you don't have to go to college. That was my dream, not yours. You should do whatever you want to do.
Yeonghyeon lay back, clasping his hands behind his head and wiggling his toes. His life was over. Accepting that brought a sense of peace, but also a hollow, lingering emptiness.
"Do you regret it?"
-No. No matter how many times you ask, my answer will be the same. ...I wouldn't have been able to endure it. Honestly, if you weren't here, I wouldn't even have been able to step foot back into this house.
Now that he was dead, the overwhelming emotions he had felt back then were fading, which was a relief. So, he had no regrets.
-Oh, the money is in here. The passcode is 47783.
Yeonghyeon floated over and pointed to the closet, where a small safe was kept. At the mention of money, Noel sat up, opened the closet, and looked at the safe.
-Use all the money inside to live your life. You deserve it.
"I will. I'm going to spend it exactly how I want."
-But no gambling, drugs, or, you know, bad stuff like that, okay?
Noel stared at him, utterly dumbfounded.
"Why would I do any of that? I've only just found paradise."
At those words, Yeonghyeon floated down and crouched, watching Noel look through the bankbook. He calls this place paradise. I wonder what kind of life he lived before. Yeonghyeon's gaze softened as he watched Noel.
-Noel.
"What?"
-If you don't mind, could you tell me your story?
"No."
-We've only known each other a short time, but you know me, don't you? I'm not a gossip.
"I don't, actually."
-Then will you tell me before I move on?
Noel, who had been checking the balance, turned to look at Yeonghyeon. Yeonghyeon chuckled softly at Noel's disgruntled expression.
"What are you so curious about anyway?" Having confirmed the amount, Noel's voice and expression had softened considerably.
-I threw my own life away, but I feel like you're going to make good use of my body. I just want to know who you are.
"I'll tell you right before you move on. Since this will probably turn into another lingering regret otherwise."
-How did you know?
"I can just tell. But are you sure I can really use this?" Noel waved the bankbook. It was the payout from his family's deaths. The scale of the amount was on a completely different level from any shamanic fee he had ever received.
-I heard my uncle is going to get compensation from the other driver's insurance too. With everything combined, it should be a pretty decent amount for someone to make a fresh start, don't you think?
"It seems like a lot. It's in the hundreds of millions of won."
-Like I said, just don't use it on bad things like gambling or drugs. I'm dead anyway, so I couldn't use it even if I wanted to. It's only right that you use it.
Unless he was a fool, Noel knew what that look in Yeonghyeon's eyes meant. It was goodwill. A very unfamiliar kind of goodwill.
"What did you want to do if you were still alive, hyung?"
At being called "hyung," Yeonghyeon grinned like a fool before clearing his throat to compose himself.
-I wanted to ride a hot air balloon.
"That does sound fun."
-Right? Will you take me on one before I move on?
"I'll have to. Since that's become a regret too."
Yeonghyeon beamed at his words. Noel's tone was blunt, but he was a remarkably kind kid.
Noel stepped foot into a school, a place he had never been before. It was completely unfamiliar, yet a strange sense of familiarity lingered due to Yeonghyeon's memories.
I always wanted to go to school too. So this is what it feels like. Noel walked slowly, taking in the sight of the school.
Memories began to seep in. Friends. Classrooms. Teachers. As various recollections swirled in his head, a strange sensation washed over him. It felt as though he were drowning in the illusion of having attended this school, even though he never had.
-This feels so strange. I used to hate going to school, but today, I'm weirdly excited, Yeonghyeon said, his voice bright.
"Student Do Yeonghyeon."
When someone called his name from behind, Noel turned around.
Yeonghyeon's expression stiffened, while Noel's lips curled upward. A neatly tailored suit, cold eyes, and a pale complexion. A Grim Reaper, a civil servant of the underworld, had arrived.
They got here pretty fast.