A Helpful Turn of Events
"It... must be expensive?"
Interior design costs weren't pocket change, after all.
Noel rubbed the back of his neck.
Is this really worth going that far?
"It's because I have nothing but money."
Is he bragging?
One of Noel's eyebrows arched slightly.
"Other people always seem to hate it when I offer to help. I suppose it's because I'm in... the private lending business?"
As Jang-yul trailed off, seemingly trying to elicit sympathy, Noel stared at him flatly.
Why is he trying so hard to be a willing pushover?
It was hard to understand.
Is there still something left for him to squeeze out of me?
Or did he realize my spiritual power is even greater than he thought because of what just happened with his car?
For now, he had to remain cautious.
"You're not going to use this as an excuse to demand something else from me later, are you?"
"If I ever require anything else from you, Teacher, I will compensate you handsomely for it. I prefer to keep my financial transactions crystal clear."
The corners of Jang-yul's mouth curved upward.
He's not wrong. Jang-yul has always paid me far more than what I asked for.
Noel approached the matter carefully.
He knew the man was trying to win his trust, but the most crucial part—the 'why'—was always missing.
Hadn't he already been fully compensated for the previous job?
Goodwill was as fleeting and sweet as spring.
Human hearts changed dozens of times a day; the nicer someone was, the more on guard one should be.
But is there any reason to reject this favor right now?
None at all.
-It is fine, Noel. You need not be so guarded.
Asin smiled gently.
She had said something similar before.
~Fate is but one great, flowing river. That man has now entered the stream of your destiny. For now, you may rest easy.
Recalling her words, Noel spoke up.
"Why do you keep being so kind to me?"
Rather than being put off by the blatant suspicion in Noel's eyes, Jang-yul offered a bright smile.
"You need to succeed, Teacher, so that tenants will actually want to move into that building."
"...Ah, right. That place was a famous haunted spot, wasn't it?"
He had forgotten.
He wondered if the ghost Asin had branded was guarding the place well, like a loyal dog.
"Yes. It is incredibly difficult to change a reputation once it's been established. But you, Teacher, have given us the starting point to change that image. Why wouldn't I help you?"
Noel nodded, finding the reasoning quite sound.
This seemed like a perfectly valid reason to help.
"I don't know if my prayers will reach the heavens, but I am praying for your absolute success in everything. Only then will I succeed as well, correct?"
This sounds like he's calling himself a pushover again. There's definitely something more to this.
Noel deduced one certain fact from those words.
"You have some troublesome business going on, don't you? Be honest."
"As expected... I cannot hide anything from your keen insight, Teacher. But I will contact you if things get any more difficult. Now, shall we discuss the interior design?"
Jang-yul seemed more excited than usual.
"Sure."
Noel spoke without hesitation.
Since the man was offering to foot the bill, he might as well ask for everything he wanted.
At the very least, Jang-yul wasn't the type to go back on his word.
He had spoken with Asin yesterday.
Asin had expressed a desire for a space different from traditional shrines or sanctuaries.
Since it was essentially her room, it was only right that her preferences came first.
She wanted swords, but she also wanted cute little trinkets.
At the same time, it had to maintain a sense of dignity.
Let's connect the first and second floors with an indoor staircase.
Hehe.
Noel looked at Jang-yul as if eyeing a delicious prey and began listing off everything he wanted to do.
Perhaps because they had discussed the interior design beforehand, communication with the contractors went smoothly and incredibly fast.
Having established several businesses already, Jang-yul's meticulousness was no joke.
From the wallpaper to the stairs, he seemed to have a complete blueprint in his head of what materials to use for every single detail.
What Noel liked most was that the final decision was always left to him.
Jang-yul not only explained why a certain material should be used but also offered various alternatives, broadening his options.
...He's really something else.
Noel couldn't help but feel impressed as he listened.
He could clearly see why successful people were successful.
To put it simply, Jang-yul was a natural-born genius.
He's certainly someone I'd want on my side. But as an enemy... yikes.
Why did Jang-yul's family attack him so relentlessly?
Noel realized the reason for that as well.
He was simply too outstanding.
Once he held their leash, they would be completely at his mercy, so they struggled desperately whenever an opportunity arose.
But those desperate struggles are always the most troublesome.
Noel stepped outside the shop, stretching as he lost himself in thought.
Quite a bit of time had already passed.
"I was very thorough in selecting the contractors. They will strictly adhere to the construction schedule, their skills are top-notch, and they provide honest, flawless after-sales service."
Which is why they are incredibly expensive, of course.
Jang-yul omitted that part and smiled at Noel.
"Isn't time money for you too, Mr. Shin Jang-yul?"
"Yes, it is."
"Are you not busy right now?"
"If a company cannot run without me, it's nothing more than a mom-and-pop shop."
"Mr. Shin Jang-yul."
"Yes, Teacher?"
Jang-yul replied with a pleased expression.
"People are naturally envious of those who are outstanding. Even if things like today happen, just shrug it off and think, 'It's all because I'm too good.' After all, the struggle is always most violent right before death."
Noel thought the man might find the sudden remark odd, but Jang-yul stopped in his tracks and stared at him.
He looked dazed, like someone who had never received a single word of comfort in his life.
"Have you never been comforted before...?"
Noel cracked a joke.
There was no better way to ease the tension than with a light joke.
"No. Never."
"..."
Noel's lips twitched.
Sensing a strange gaze, he looked over to see Asin and Kkamang-i watching him with peculiar expressions.
It's not what you think!
Noel panicked internally.
"W-Why?"
"Because... I'm outstanding?"
Pfft.
Noel desperately covered his mouth, but he couldn't stop a chuckle from escaping.
"Ah, no. That's really not what I meant..."
Jang-yul chuckled at Noel's flustered state.
"After my stepfather came into the picture, I was homeschooled, so I never really got to attend a proper school. They called it homeschooling, but it was hell for me. It was essentially abuse disguised as education. I had to keep lying to my mother, telling her that the tutor my stepfather hired was wonderful and that studying was fun."
"Why?"
Noel narrowed his eyes.
"After losing my biological father, my mother made an extreme choice. I witnessed it. Ever since then, it has remained a massive trauma for me."
Jang-yul wore a faint smile.
It was a wound, and at the same time, a weakness.
Yet, strangely, he felt fine sharing it.
He even felt a sense of relief after letting it out.
"This might be overstepping, but that's not healthy. Your mother is your mother, and you are you, Mr. Shin Jang-yul. You're no longer a young child who needs a mother, are you? Stop clinging to the past and live your own life."
Noel sighed as he spoke.
One of the most common regrets ghosts had was 'not living my own life properly.'
They would weep so sorrowfully every single time that he had grown utterly sick of it.
"Thank you for the comfort, Teacher."
"I'm glad if you took it as comfort. And I apologize if I offended you."
"Please do not apologize. There is no need."
He truly meant it.
Jang-yul ran a hand through his hair.
He had never considered himself a poor speaker, but today he felt incredibly tongue-tied.
How lonely and desolate had he been when he was tormented by that evil spirit?
Just as he was about to give up, believing there was no one in this world to help him, Teacher had appeared.
He was his savior.
He wanted to say so much more to him, but the words caught in his throat and refused to come out.
"Ah, as for swords, I know a very good place."
"How do you know so much about everything, Mr. Shin?"
At Noel's slightly cynical question, Jang-yul laughed heartily.
"In my line of work, you have to know everything. After getting stabbed—or getting a 'knife bread' as they call it—I naturally developed an interest."
"So you could hunt them down and beat them to a pulp?"
One corner of Noel's mouth smirked.
"Yes, exactly. Though I always abide by the law."
"Getting stabbed hurts like hell. Is the law really enough? You should catch them and..."
Noel suddenly caught himself and shut his mouth.
He had gotten a bit excited finding someone he could relate to, but at least in this body, such a thing had never happened.
-Did Noel get stabbed too?
Kkamang-i poured oil on the fire with an innocent face.
-By whose hand... were you struck with a blade?
Asin asked in a low, dangerous voice.
It felt as if a raging inferno had suddenly erupted.
"No..."
"Who was it?"
Jang-yul was smiling.
But only his mouth was smiling.
The inferno wasn't coming from just one source.
The gazes directed at him were dangerously intense.
"No, it's not like that... It was a joke, just a joke."
Noel waved his hand frantically.
The bastard who did it was already long gone, possessing neither body nor soul, so what could he even do?
"We... were going to eat bread, right? Shall we go?"
"Ah, speaking of the interior, something just crossed my mind."
Jang-yul maintained a faint smile, but his eyes remained cold.
But Noel was just glad for the distraction.
He immediately took the bait.
"What is it?"
"The bakery's interior. I was thinking we could model it after a bakery I used to love."
"Was it good?"
"It was absolutely delicious. It was the highlight of my day. I even suspected they might have laced the bread with something addictive."
"Then shall we go there?"
"Unfortunately, the shop has closed down."
"Why...? I thought you said it was famous."
At Noel's question, Jang-yul hesitated for a moment before speaking.
"The owner passed away suddenly. They said the cause of death was a heart attack, but he had no family. He supposedly had disciples, but he never specified who would inherit the business. Since there were no relatives either, the shop went under. The disciples, who had clung to him hoping to inherit a franchise, ended up fighting among themselves, and the whole thing blew up."
"...Uh, is that kind of thing common?"
"It can be common or uncommon depending on how you look at it. The important thing is that a delicious bakery was lost. It's a great shame."
Jang-yul showed genuine disappointment.
If it were that place, Teacher would have definitely loved it.
"Let me take you to another bakery first, and then we can go look at the baking equipment."
Noel nodded at Jang-yul's suggestion.
Everywhere Jang-yul took him was delicious, so his mouth was already watering.
"This is the place that sells both used and brand-new baking equipment. Would you like to look at the decorations for the second floor first?"
Jang-yul asked as he introduced the shop.
It would be difficult for him to free up time other than today for a while.
"Ah, I plan to look for those while browsing the markets."
As the saying goes, some items were blessed with good fortune.
He needed to pack the place with items that would exert a spiritual pressure even if other shamans visited.
Kkamang-i had brought back information that there were plenty of such items in the antique markets.
Noel glanced sideways at Kkamang-i.
The little spirit was already running around in excitement, and Asin slipped inside behind someone else to keep an eye on it.
"Is that so?"
Jang-yul expressed a hint of disappointment.
"Yes, yes. They do proper installations here, right?"
Noel double-checked just in case.
"Yes. I understand they inspect the site, check the electricity and plumbing, and even provide blueprints."
"There are some things we don't necessarily need to buy brand new, but either way, it would be great if they offer overhauling."
He had heard that overhauling involved completely dismantling the machines down to their individual parts, cleaning them, and reassembling them to restore their performance to like-new condition.
He himself had no idea what that meant.
This was Do Yeong-hyeon's knowledge.
"This place does exactly that."
Jang-yul replied, marveling at Noel's meticulousness.
Many people jumped into business thinking it was a joke, but Teacher was different.
It was clear he had studied, even though it was an unfamiliar field.
"Then that's perfect."
Noel stepped inside the store.
There were various ovens, coffee machines commonly seen in cafes, refrigerators, and dough proofers.
A quick glance revealed that many of the prices easily ran into the thousands of dollars.
He hesitated for a moment.
...Even the used ones are expensive.
Seeing such large numbers made his chest ache.
And there were so many things he needed.
Eating a piece of bread was easy, but making it required so much equipment.
But since I'm doing this, I want to do it right.
Since his monthly rent was only ten thousand won, he wanted to invest the money he saved into the bakery.
As for his shamanic work, it was just him, and since his only source of income there was handling curses or major spiritual matters, there wasn't really anything to invest in even if he wanted to.
So, I have to choose carefully.
Noel stared intently at an oven.
Once again, his own knowledge and Yeong-hyeon's knowledge were clashing in his head.
The sensation of knowing something he didn't actually know was still difficult to fully get used to.
-Ah, that oven on the left is much better than this one. The parts for this deck oven are going to be discontinued soon. It'll be hard to find replacements, you know?
"Ah, really?"
Noel blinked as he stared at the oven.
The only face reflected on the metallic surface of the machine was his own.
"...Is there something here?"
At Jang-yul's question, Noel let out a long sigh.
...Oh, boy.
He had thought it was an employee of the shop.
To think a spirit would approach him the moment Asin was away.
Did Asin and Kkamang-i go up to the second floor?
-Excuse me, can you hear my voice?
When Noel turned his head, a middle-aged woman's spirit approached him excitedly the moment their eyes met.
-You can hear me, right?
Noel naturally smiled at Jang-yul.
"I have a habit of talking to myself."
-Please help me!
The ghost immediately blurted out the words he hated hearing most.
Thanks to Asin, he hadn't had to deal with this as much lately, but hearing it now made him instantly weary.
Why on earth should he help them for free?
They were truly shameless.
-I have disciples, but they've fallen into a terrible slump since I passed away!
Noel immediately turned his back.
What did he care if they were in a slump or not?
-They can't be like this... They've prepared for this competition for so long. It's only held once every four years!
"Excuse me."
Noel glared at the annoying ghost.
He had no idea why she was rambling so much.
-The Baking World Cup! You know, the world championship for baking!
"Pardon...?"
Noel's eyes widened.
The Baking World Cup?
-Please help my disciples. I'll do absolutely anything I can for you in return!
The ghost clasped her hands together, pleading desperately.