What Do You Think of My Face? (2)
"Who else could you be? My one and only nephew."
Shin Hyeon ruffled Noel's hair.
"Not that."
Frowning, Noel smoothed his hair back down, expecting a different answer.
Shin Hyeon slid into the driver's seat.
"A magnificent shaman. Now, buckle up."
Satisfied with that response, Noel buckled his seatbelt.
"You said you saw it on your way out, Uncle?"
"Min-ah's performance has been great lately, so I called her in to praise her. Apparently, someone overheard. That's when it all started."
"Is that... really why they're bullying her?"
Noel found it hard to believe.
Honestly, wasn't that incredibly childish?
They were grown adults, for heaven's sake.
"The ones doing the bullying are the people who were with me when I first started the firm, whereas Min-ah is a mid-career hire. From their perspective, they probably see her as an interloper pushing out the old guard."
"...Seriously? Just because of that?"
Noel was dumbfounded.
Why on earth would they do something so petty?
Was seniority really that important to them?
...Well, I suppose once the life-or-death problems are solved, people start acting up like this. They'd only realize how warm and well-fed they are now if they were chased out into the cold.
Noel wanted to tut.
Bullying someone just because they had nothing better to do.
"So, Uncle. How do you handle something like this? Do you have to coax and coddle them?"
"You handle it with regulations and the law. No matter how long we've worked together, unacceptable behavior cannot be tolerated."
"What if they retaliate against you?"
"Then I'll mobilize every connection I have."
"Tell me too. I can ask some people I know for a favor."
Noel pointed to himself.
Sometimes in life, you needed people who operated in the gray zone.
"How reassuring."
Shin Hyeon looked at him proudly.
Just hearing those words made his heart swell.
"Alright, so where are we going? You said you'd buy me something delicious. Man, I've really made it. My nephew is buying me dinner."
"Search for 'Jeongseong Beef Restaurant'."
"Beef...?"
"I made 250,000 won today. That's plenty, right?"
"...Are you sure? You're not going to cry when your wallet gets cleaned out, are you? You know your uncle eats a lot."
"You underestimate me. Just go."
Noel pointed forward and spoke with grand confidence.
...Sigh.
This was the reply he got after bragging to the Mountain God about eating beef.
Telling him to eat a cute tiger!
Noel sent the text in a fit of rage, and a reply came back instantly.
Noel put his phone down the moment he saw the reply.
He had learned how to use a smartphone well enough, but he had no idea why his texts looked like that. It seemed there was a reason people said you couldn't hide your age.
"What's wrong? Is it spam?"
Shin Hyeon asked, placing some grilled meat onto Noel's plate.
"No, it's nothing."
Noel clicked his tongue and popped a piece of beef into his mouth. Instantly, his eyes sparkled.
"But Uncle, isn't this place seriously delicious?"
—It's so yummy! It's totally different from the ones Noel grills!
Kkamang-i's eyes were spinning in sheer ecstasy.
This little bean-sized brat!
And here he was, always eating so well normally.
Noel glared at Kkamang-i while keeping his chopsticks moving. Even wasting time to speak felt like a loss.
"Eat slowly. You'll get indigestion."
Shin Hyeon laughed heartily as he grilled more meat.
Beef was always good, but this place was truly exceptional. His only concern was his nephew's hard-earned money.
"Uncle, give me the tongs. You haven't been able to eat because you're too busy grilling."
"Yeong-hyeon."
"Yes?"
"I'm sorry, but I cannot give you the tongs."
"Why?"
"You were never good at grilling meat, but now... it feels like your skills have regressed even further."
"……."
Noel shut his mouth tight.
How could he possibly explain that it was because he had barely ever eaten meat in his past life?
—It matters not if thou cannot grill meat. Meat these days seems to be of excellent quality regardless.
That's... supposed to be comforting, right?
Noel glanced at Asin as he chewed his meat. Her eyes were always so warm that her words never sounded like a joke.
"It's not like you'll die just because you can't grill meat. You're good at plenty of other things. Thanks to you, I'm having a feast today."
Shin Hyeon joked lightly to cheer up the slightly sulking Noel.
"That's true. I'm good at everything else, so having one flaw makes me seem more human, right? But seriously, this place is amazing. I heard they have a lot of franchises, but how is it this good?"
"...Thank you for the compliment."
Hearing a familiar voice, Noel whipped his head around. His eyes widened. He swallowed hard before speaking.
"……Why are you here?"
Jang Yul was standing there, looking rather awkward.
"I was just as surprised. I hesitated quite a bit over whether to greet you or not, but after hearing your praise, I couldn't just pass by."
As Jang Yul smiled sheepishly, Shin Hyeon gave Noel a questioning look, asking with his eyes who this was.
"Ah, excuse me."
Jang Yul adjusted his suit jacket as he looked at Shin Hyeon and bowed politely.
"My name is Shin Jang-yul. I am someone who received profound help from the Master."
...Shin Jang-yul?
The name sounded incredibly familiar to Shin Hyeon.
"Is this place yours, Mr. Jang-yul?"
Noel lowered his voice, gesturing to the seat next to him.
Jang Yul sat down carefully beside him and nodded.
"Yes. It is one of the businesses I operate."
At those words, Shin Hyeon's eyes widened as he grilled the meat.
...What? The Shin Jang-yul? The big hand of the private loan industry?
As Shin Hyeon's gaze shifted, Jang Yul looked back with an air of familiarity. Under normal circumstances, he might have reacted, but he couldn't do that now. This was the Master's uncle, after all.
"Uncle, Mr. Shin Jang-yul is a good person."
Noel subtly took Jang Yul's side.
He had indeed received a lot of help from him. With the bakery currently under construction, there was no need to make an enemy of him. Above all, Jang Yul might prove useful to Shin Hyeon in the future.
"Is that so? ...My apologies."
Shin Hyeon immediately apologized to Jang Yul.
Jang Yul was caught off guard. He hadn't expected an actual apology.
"...No, it is quite alright."
"The food here is delicious. The interior is nice too."
Shin Hyeon offered a bright smile.
"I will... have some complimentary dishes sent over."
"That would be wonderful."
Shin Hyeon gladly accepted.
Before Jang Yul stood up, Noel asked in a low voice.
"Have you been doing well lately?"
It seemed he had been looking for someone. Had he found them? If not, he could have just asked Noel.
"Yes, I am doing well. Please do not worry. Enjoy your meal."
Jang Yul tactfully took his leave.
How should he put it? They were good people. It brought a faint smile to his face.
Once Jang Yul was out of sight, Shin Hyeon whispered softly.
"...The rumors about him are quite terrifying, but seeing him in person, he doesn't seem that scary."
"Oh, he is scary."
"……Huh?"
"I'm joking, of course."
Noel chuckled.
Jang Yul was indeed a terrifying man, but that was only when he was an enemy.
"I hope the complimentary meat is 1++ grade beef."
Noel muttered his wish under his breath, wondering if Jang Yul might overhear.
"Aren't you asking for a bit too much?"
"I suppose so."
Noel rubbed the bridge of his nose.
Yawn.
Noel opened the refrigerator to get some breakfast. The side dishes were completely gone.
...My precious side dishes.
Yesterday, Jang Yul had sent over what he called "complimentary dishes," which in reality was a mountain of free 1++ grade beef. Having pampered his palate so thoroughly, waking up to this was a harsh reality check. He felt instantly impoverished.
I guess I'll just have egg rice.
As Noel pulled out two eggs, Asin glanced at him.
—Have thy side dishes depleted already?
"I guess I ate them too eagerly. I'll have to go buy some today. Asin, would you... well, would you like to come along?"
He had tried buying side dishes from supermarkets and other shops, but none compared to Sumi's Side Dishes, where he had first met Asin. After tasting other places' food, he immediately understood why people lined up there. It was on a completely different level.
—...Ah. Art thou heading to that place?
"That place is... the most delicious, after all."
Noel gave her a slightly apologetic look.
—I... cannot go there yet.
"I'll be back quickly. I won't get distracted by anything else either."
—...Thou, Noel?
Asin tilted her head.
Didn't he attract trouble every time he took a step? Knowing he often did so on purpose, his promise was hard to trust.
"Tam-rang is coming with me too."
The moment Noel dragged Tam-rang into the conversation, a heavy sigh rang out.
—...Must we venture out again? Can we not simply remain at home?
—Then come with me!
Kkamang-i spun around in circles before coming to a halt right at Noel's feet.
"Kkamang-i, aren't you busy today? Didn't you say you were going to meet that ghost friend of yours?"
Whether they had met near the hospital where Shin-hoo was admitted or on the way there, Noel wasn't sure, but they seemed to have become close.
—Oh, right!
"And today is the day we visit Shin-hoo. You said his discharge date is coming up soon. I'll go with you on the day he gets discharged."
—You remembered all of that?
Kkamang-i looked up, placing its front paws on Noel's leg.
"Of course. Whose business is it anyway?"
—Kkamang-i's business!
"Should I leave the window open for you today?"
—Mm-hmm!
"Alright. Think about it before I leave. And when you bring back news, please make sure to find out exactly who it is. Got it?"
Whenever Kkamang-i returned from its outings, it was great at relaying gossip about what had happened, but it always left out the most crucial detail: who it had happened to. That made the information practically useless.
—Okay. I'll find out for sure this time.
"Good. That's the spirit."
Noel turned and headed toward the stove.
—...Yet, why didst thou not consult my opinion?
Tam-rang asked, sounding thoroughly dumbfounded now that the conversation had wrapped up.
"Oh, don't sweat the small stuff."
Noel brushed it off lightly.
Since they were bound together anyway, Tam-rang had no choice but to follow. Noel didn't understand why the star deity insisted on overcomplicating things.
"This is the first time just the two of us are going out," Noel said excitedly as he stepped out of the taxi. Tam-rang merely watched him with an anxious gaze.
"I'm really not going to do anything today. It's just... well, I feel a bit guilty toward the owner of that shop, so I want you to take a quick look at things."
—What is this guilt thou speakest of?
"Asin was originally the guardian deity of Sumi's Side Dishes, the place we're going to."
—……
The moment Tam-rang heard those words, he looked at Noel as if he were the absolute scum of the earth.
"Even I can get hurt if you look at me like that."
—Dost thou hear the words coming out of thy mouth?!
Tam-rang shouted, his fingers trembling with indignation.
"Well, they are words, so yes."
—Dost thou comprehend the gravity of thy actions?! She is a guardian deity! Whether it be a family, a person, an object, or a nation itself, thou hast severed the sacred duty of a god bound by a solemn vow of protection! Such an act could burden a deity with a terrifying, unbearable weight of karma!
Noel leaned back slightly. He hadn't expected the star deity to yell like this. It was incredibly loud. Although the urge to cover Tam-rang's mouth rose to his throat, he held it back, knowing he was technically in the wrong.
"Are you done?"
—Why didst thou force Asin to bear such karma? What did she ever do to deserve this from thee? As I have said before, Asin is a magnificent deity. It is exceedingly rare for a god to remain so steadfast.
"...There's been a misunderstanding. Are you ready to listen?"
—Speak.
"At the time, Asin had turned into an evil spirit."
—……What?
"She had guarded that family for a very long time, but they ended up throwing away the sacred sword she received from her master. She was consumed by grief because her devotion went unrequited. I believed her connection with that family had reached its end, so I asked her to become my deity. As for the karma, I took care of it."
—H-Hold on a moment.
Tam-rang looked thoroughly bewildered. He didn't even know where to begin. He already knew Noel didn't draw upon Asin's power but used his own unique abilities. After all, their powers were fundamentally different.
—...Thou stoppedst the rampage of a god all by thyself?
"That's right. I was the one who purified you too, wasn't I?"
—Just what... what manner of being art thou?
Tam-rang could not help but ask that question once more.
"Why do you keep asking? I'm just an ordinary human."
Tam-rang could not deny those words. It was an undeniable fact that Noel was human.
"Now that the misunderstanding is cleared up, shall we go?"
At Noel's prompting, Tam-rang could only nod. No matter how much he pondered, it made no sense. Noel was indeed a mere human, but how could a mere human stop the rampage of a god turned evil spirit? There was something more. Something he was entirely unaware of.
"Oh my, oh my! Master!"
The owner recognized Noel the moment he stepped inside.
"Hello," Noel greeted her. He had intentionally visited during a slow hour, so there wasn't much of a line.
"I came to buy some side dishes today. They were incredibly delicious."
"Master, please come this way for a moment."
The owner gestured to him. Noel glanced at the other customers before reluctantly following her. Having connections really was the best.
"...Thank you so, so much for last time."
The owner grasped Noel's hands, her eyes welling with tears.
"My daughter has gotten so healthy. Even healthier than before. She doesn't have nightmares anymore, and she's even going outside!"
"That's wonderful news. Is business still going well?"
"We've had a slight dip in customers, but that's just a temporary thing because a new side dish shop opened across the street. Even so, I couldn't be happier these days."
Hearing that her business had slowed down filled Noel with guilt. It was likely due to Asin's absence. Anticipating this, hadn't he brought Tam-rang along for this very reason?
"Oh, right! Master, please sit here. I'll go pack up only the best things for you."
"By the way, ma'am."
"Yes?"
"By any chance, did you have a military officer among your ancestors?"
Setting Asin aside, Noel was curious if she knew anything about Asin's master. Though the chances were slim, he thought Asin would be pleased if her master was remembered.
"No, of course not."
"You don't...?"
Noel was caught off guard by her absolute certainty.
"Yes. Why, do you see something?"
"Well, yes, but are you absolutely sure there isn't one?"
"Since I was a child, I've heard it until my ears bled that we are a family of merchants. My parents were in business, my grandparents were too, and so were the generations before them. That's why my cooking is so good."
The owner pointed to her hands and laughed heartily.
"Then what was the deal with the sword you kept here?"
It was another shaman who had instructed the owner's daughter to throw it away. Noel hadn't pressed further since Asin had already received divine punishment.
"...Exactly. If it were truly something precious to begin with, would we have kept it in such a rusty state?"
Faced with a question that practically demanded a "No, of course not," Noel fell silent.
"Well, I'll go get the food."
The owner bustled off excitedly, leaving Noel with a deeply unsettling feeling.