The Businessman's Gambit
"What did you say...?" Watching Fernandez, who looked somewhat dumbfounded, Yoon-gi wore an expression that suggested the answer was obvious. "If you don't want to be tormented by ghosts anymore, you have to be by my side. But I can't stay in the United States, and Fernandez, you don't want to come to Korea. Isn't it obvious? You have no choice but to live in this log cabin for the rest of your life."
Fernandez’s expression became more pronounced. "Are you mocking me right now?"
"I'm not mocking you; I'm talking about business, through and through. Is there something else you want from me?"
"That’s obviously..."
"I’ll say it again: I told you that exorcism is impossible."
"Don't lie!"
Yoon-gi, on the contrary, looked puzzled. "You said you were once obsessed with religious groups, didn't you? If so, haven't you visited every religion, including Catholicism and Protestantism? Just to fix your mind?"
"That is..."
"Wouldn't it be even stranger to believe that I could exorcise a ghost that even those people couldn't?"
"Ugh..."
Because it was a logical argument, Fernandez couldn't say anything more and clenched his fists, trembling. 'Damn it, damn it, damn it!' He wanted to work. He wanted to return to Gensler. Living in this log cabin any longer made him want to vomit, and he was terrified that the moment the boy in front of him left, he would suffer from nightmares and hallucinations again. However, more than that, he hated the idea of following this boy to Korea. Even if the situation was dire, he didn't want to throw his life away in a country he had never even heard of.
"Do you think I'll give in to words like that? I've found the cause, so there must be someone who can fix it!"
"I wish you luck."
Yoon-gi made a mini-salute with his index and middle fingers and opened the door to the log cabin.
"You were here."
Seeing the corporal who had been waiting in front of the door put his pistol in his pocket and give an awkward smile, Yoon-gi said to the sergeant, "Let's head back."
"Yes? At this hour?"
"I don't think I'm very welcome here."
As Yoon-gi started walking along the forest path, the soldiers were surprised but immediately covered Yoon-gi from behind. "I didn't hear the details, but why exactly were you trying to meet that man?"
"Ah, I'm planning to operate a department store for American soldiers in Korea, and I need an interior design expert for it."
"A department store for American soldiers?"
"Yes. The U.S. troops stationed in Korea have money, but nowhere to spend it. Even the 'kijichon' (base villages) don't have any decent shops. Since that's the case, I'm going to create a place where they can enjoy things the American way."
"Hoho... actually, I'm likely to be transferred to Korea as a U.S. soldier soon, so that’s good news."
At the sergeant's words, the corporal also nodded. "Oh, I'm also getting transferred to Korea soon. I guess that's why the higher-ups assigned us to today's task."
"That's true. It won't be that boring even if I go to Korea. By the way, both he and I have had a drink, is it okay to drive? It's common on the battlefield anyway, so it doesn't matter, but since we're not the only ones here..."
Yoon-gi pointed to the radio hanging on the sergeant's waist. "The distance might be a bit far, but wouldn't there be a U.S. military base around here? Let's call someone from there to take us to the base."
"Is your schedule all finished?"
Yoon-gi shook his head. "No, before long, he will be bowing to me, begging to be hired."
Yoon-gi wore a mischievous smile, but the soldiers had no idea what that smile meant.
"Aaaaaaah!" Fernandez jumped up from his wooden bed, his body drenched in sweat. The morning sun streamed through the window. But even that sunlight couldn't clear Fernandez's mind.
'Damn it!' Ever since the boy named Yoon visited yesterday, the hallucinations had become even worse.
When he asked the landlord if the building was shaking, seeing the plate that had clearly shattered become perfectly whole again left Fernandez with absolutely nothing to say. No matter how much he hallucinated, such things never actually happened in reality. It was just the evil spirit making Fernandez see things; it couldn't exert power in the real world. But this alone was enough for Fernandez to suffer. The ghost that had been beaten up by Choi Deok-bae yesterday seemed to be taking its anger out on him, bringing even more intense pain to Fernandez, and thanks to that, both of Fernandez's eyes were bloodshot.
'I, I have to do something.' Fernandez packed his bags, took his bicycle out of the shed, rattled through the forest, and began to run along the roads of Nevada. After boarding a plane, he immediately sought out the religious groups he had once turned to, and visited hospitals. But none of them believed him. The religious groups demanded money, saying he needed new prayers to exorcise the ghost, and the psychiatrists suggested intensive drug treatment and hospitalization, saying his hallucinations seemed to have worsened.
'Damn bastards!' In the end, what Fernandez found was Liana in Cambridge. 'She said Liana introduced me, right?' Since there was no way to know the boy's contact information, his only remaining hope was Liana. And for the week until he met Liana, Fernandez had to endure even more severe mental anguish.
"My god, Fernandez, what happened to your face?"
Fernandez, who had been sweating so much and couldn't sleep properly, looked no different from a U.S. soldier suffering from severe PTSD, and in some cases, he could easily be mistaken for a drug addict.
"Wh, who on earth is that guy named Yoon?"
Seeing Fernandez, who had come looking for him with bloodshot eyes, Liana felt a bit of fear and told the truth. "He's a Korean kid who's sponsoring our scholarships. He's also a businessman."
"What? A businessman? A kid like that?"
"Yeah. He said he was going to meet you last time, did the conversation not go well?"
Liana thought they had already met, based on the fact that Fernandez perceived Yoon as a 'kid'.
"Tell me in detail. Who on earth is that guy?"
"Just like I said. He's a businessman who's sponsoring our scholarships."
"Why on earth is he sponsoring them?"
"He says he wants talent to work under him when he becomes an adult."
"So, does everyone have to go to Korea unconditionally in exchange for the scholarship?"
Liana shook her head. "No, he just asks us to apply to his company once. He says he'll offer conditions that we can't refuse."
"Do you believe that...? Korea is a place I've never even heard of."
Liana looked as if she didn't care. "What's the problem when I'm definitely getting the money? It's not just me; the number of people receiving scholarships is well over ten."
"...?"
"Besides, when we all gathered and looked into the country called Korea, it wasn't such a bad place to work. And if you get paid properly, it doesn't matter where you work, right? In this recession. Ah, you worked at Gensler, so you might not feel the recession..."
With an expression mixed with jealousy and envy for a friend who had already succeeded, Fernandez couldn't help but think that he had somehow missed his chance. "Damn it, I didn't even know where Korea was."
"Did you refuse Yoon's offer? That's a shame. Yoon isn't the kind of kid to make an offer that would make someone regret it..."
"Offer or not, I didn't even get to hear it."
"Huh? Why?"
Fernandez had nothing to say to Liana, who looked puzzled. He could have at least listened to the offer, but it was strictly himself who had made it impossible to create such an atmosphere. "No... it's nothing. Do you happen to have Yoon's contact information? He didn't leave his contact info with me."
"What on earth was your reaction to Yoon?"
"Shut up! Just give me the contact info!"
"You're still sick, aren't you..."
"Can't you tell by looking? So just give it to me!"
Liana, thinking of Fernandez, who had lost his reason and even fired a gun, advised him to go to Andrew's office and disappeared, saying she had business to attend to.
"Damn it, damn it..."
Fernandez moved quickly to catch the car that had already left.
"So you mean not all ghosts exist in this vicinity?"
At Yoon-gi's question, Choi Deok-bae nodded. "Ooh, that's terrible just to imagine."
"Then, where do the ghosts disappear to?"
"Then, is that why stories about seeing real ghosts sometimes pop up because of those guys?"
"Hmm... I have to admit that. Then what about the time you said you were teased? Are those ghosts abnormal too?"
Choi Deok-bae looked strangely nostalgic. "It's a bit bitter."
"I'm having a blast right now."
At Yoon-gi's exaggerated reaction, Choi Deok-bae burst into laughter. "Well, that's true."
"Time to get up."
Yoon-gi had come to Cambridge last night after receiving Fernandez's request for a meeting. The current time was 11:00 AM. Since they were supposed to meet at a cafe near the hotel at 11:30, it was time to start getting ready.
11:15 AM. Through the cafe window, he could see Fernandez looking around here and there. 'Of course he would. The ghost that got beaten up properly must have been venting its anger.''So I think I'll be able to have a very comfortable conversation.'
As Yoon-gi entered the cafe, Fernandez stood up from his seat without realizing it, then sat back down immediately. And his expression changed to imply that he had no particular feelings, but it didn't work on Yoon-gi, who had already seen Fernandez's expression from outside the window.
"What did you want to see me for?"
Thanks to saying he would hear the business when they met, Yoon-gi 'ostensibly' didn't know why Fernandez wanted to meet.
"Ah, it's nothing else, just that I think I could 'work' for you in Korea."
At Fernandez's words, which sounded like he was doing him a favor, Yoon-gi tilted his head. "I don't need you anymore."