Baek Seol-hwa (1)
“Aish, seriously.” I was annoyed from the very start of the morning. After getting home yesterday and staying up late digging into one thing after another, I’d ended up seriously late for class. I definitely set an alarm before crashing, so I had no idea why it never went off.
“Why the hell isn’t the bus coming?!” Unlike me, the students who had actually woken up on time were already at school, and the morning rush of office workers had long since disappeared. It was eleven a.m., and at the empty bus stop I stood alone, desperately hoping for a bus that showed no signs of appearing anytime soon.
The ride from my one-room apartment to the university took nearly fifty minutes by bus. If I caught one now, I might just squeak in before class ended and at least manage to get my attendance marked. The subway would be faster, but factoring in the walk to the station, it was basically the same hassle.
…At this rate I was going to miss the whole lecture and blow right past lunch. What now?
“What are you getting so worked up about?”
“…The hell?”
I couldn’t believe my eyes. There was no way. The guy standing in front of me had no business being here right now. He was supposed to be sitting in the very class I was currently missing.
“Wait, are you also…?”
“Kya, we really are in sync, huh?”
“Dude, you’re insane.”
It was my classmate and fellow second-year returnee student, Bae Ju-hyuk. The fact that he was standing here instead of at school meant he was just as late as I was.
“Hahaha, what are we gonna do?”
He was laughing, but the way he kept glancing around told me he wasn’t exactly calm about it. Someone might ask why a college student would be this scared of being late, but the problem was that the class we were missing belonged to one of our major professors. He hated tardiness with a passion. If we showed up now, we’d miss attendance, lose the entire lecture, and get ourselves marked by the professor. And since we were both returnees, we really couldn’t afford to stand out like that.
“…Why are you late?”
“Overslept.”
“Haah, why is it the exact same reason?”
Even in the middle of this mess, the bus was still nowhere in sight. It always seemed to show up right on time only when other people were waiting.
“Ju-hyuk, why isn’t the bus coming?”
“You didn’t know? The bus drivers are on strike today.”
“You’ve got to be kidding me.”
Why did these things only happen at the worst possible moments? I should’ve checked the news. All that time I’d wasted waiting had been for nothing.
“Then why did you come to the bus stop? Why not just take the subway?”
“Either way I’m already late, so what’s the difference?”
…He wasn’t wrong.
“Let’s just give up, grab some food near school, and go to the next class together.”
“…Yeah, I guess we should.”
Vroooom.
At that moment, a loud engine rumble cut through the air. I’d already half given up, so I turned toward the sound without thinking. The second I saw it, my body moved before my brain could catch up.
“Here! Over here!!”
“What are you doing?”
Ju-hyuk stared at my sudden outburst like I’d lost my mind, but I didn’t have time to care. A sleek motorcycle—the source of that engine noise—pulled up right in front of me. Yama… whatever the brand was. Anyway, it was a familiar red bike from a brand I saw often, and the rider was a woman.
She wore a red helmet that matched the motorcycle. When she looked at me, her voice came through the visor.
“…What the? Why are you here?”
It was a slightly sharp, somewhat pouty, yet strangely familiar voice. She sounded like she was in a bad mood, but I didn’t have the luxury of worrying about that right now. When you needed a favor, sometimes you had to be a little shameless.
“I go to school, remember?”
I recognized her because of the pure white hair spilling out from under the helmet and the nine fluffy tails that only I could see. Yes, the woman riding this cool motorcycle was none other than Baek Seol-hwa.
I’d learned yesterday when we parted ways that she lived in the same neighborhood as me. So running into her like this wasn’t that strange.
…Even though I’d never seen her around before.
Baek Seol-hwa tilted her head at my answer.
“That’s why I’m asking why you’re here. It’s already eleven thirty. Don’t you only have afternoon classes?”
“No, I’m late.”
Ju-hyuk kept looking back and forth between me and Baek Seol-hwa on her bike, clearly trying to figure out what was going on. His face screamed that he was dying to know how we knew each other, but that wasn’t my problem right now. My urgent priority was figuring out how to hitch a ride on this motorcycle and get to school.
“Nice bike. You actually know how to ride one? I’ve always thought women who ride motorcycles were cool.”
“…Even if you suddenly start complimenting me, I’m not giving you anything. And if you’re going to compliment someone, at least do it properly. That sounded like you were reading from a textbook.”
I couldn’t see her face clearly because of the helmet, but I had a feeling Baek Seol-hwa’s expression had gone completely sour. She let that irritation bleed into her voice.
“Get to the point.”
“I still need to get attendance for class. Could you please give me a ride?”
“Your attitude when asking for favors isn’t exactly winning me over.”
“Please give me a ride, Noona.”
The moment I added “Noona,” Baek Seol-hwa finally seemed satisfied. I imagined she was wearing a victorious little smirk inside that helmet. She let out a small snort and pointed to the seat behind her.
“Fine. I guess I’ll give you a ride. Where do you go?”
“Busan University.”
“What? That place is always crowded and complicated…”
The street in front of our school was indeed chaotic. Being a university area, there were lots of people, developed shopping districts, and visitors from other neighborhoods. It wasn’t quite as packed as Seomyeon, Busan’s actual downtown, but the narrower roads made it feel even more congested.
But that wasn’t a good enough reason for her to refuse to take me. I needed to get my attendance.
A car could make the trip in twenty minutes, so a motorcycle would be even faster. Time to create a situation where she had no choice but to take me.
“Ah, is it too dangerous? You must still be inexperienced. Then I guess it can’t be helped.”
“…What? Who’s inexperienced?”
As expected, it was easy. The moment I poked her pride, she took the bait without hesitation.
“Get on. I’ll get you there quickly.”
“Oh, really? Then I’d really appreciate it.”
Too easy. There was a reason people said nice people fell for scams. Not that I was actually scamming her. I walked over to Baek Seol-hwa with light steps.
As I moved to climb onto the back seat, Ju-hyuk spoke up.
“Hey, Yoo Se-hwan. You’re not seriously going to leave me here…”
“…Ju-hyuk.”
I gave him a little wave.
“Even I need to survive somehow.”
“You traitorous bastard…!”
“Let’s go, Noona.”
With a cheerful engine roar, the motorcycle vibrated beneath us. Baek Seol-hwa glanced briefly at the abandoned Ju-hyuk, then spoke in a slightly apologetic tone.
“Sorry. It’s only a two-seater.”
With those final words, the bike shot forward. See you in the afternoon class, Bae Ju-hyuk.
“Still, it’s surprising you know how to ride a motorcycle. Why did you take the subway last time then?”
“How was I supposed to know we’d be wandering around together? Why would I bring a motorcycle?”
“Ah, that makes sense.”
The motorcycle was definitely fast. Worried I might fall off, I kept both arms wrapped tightly around Baek Seol-hwa’s waist. Even though I was holding her slender waist, surprisingly, I felt absolutely nothing. I’m not lying. On the outside she was beautiful enough to rival any celebrity, but what I saw was a thousand-year-old gumiho. So instead of a beautiful woman, all I could see wrapped in my arms were thick, fluffy tails.
After that short exchange, we fell silent for a while. I didn’t have anything in particular to say, so I stayed quiet. Then Baek Seol-hwa, who had been focused on the road ahead, suddenly spoke to me.
“You didn’t forget about today, right?”
“Of course not. I made a promise. The reason I overslept was because I stayed up late preparing for that.”
The reason I’d overslept was exactly the promise I’d made with her. After what happened yesterday, I’d agreed to help Baek Seol-hwa gather spiritual energy. Even if she couldn’t use the Ghost Gallery, if I—who could see spirits and even exorcise them—helped her, she’d be able to collect spiritual energy much more easily.
“…Ah, but.”
“What?”
“I need to know something. If you can’t absorb spiritual energy starting now, how long can you last?”
“…At most three days, I guess.”
“That’s cutting it pretty close.”
“It’s spiritual energy from spirits that don’t even have physical bodies, so of course the amount is small. There’s a limit to how long I can hold out.”
“But last time on the gallery you said your stomach was full…”
“That was just talk!”
…So it was a lie?
It would be best if she could absorb spiritual energy properly before then, but if that didn’t happen, we’d have no choice but to use the last resort. After all, I was the one who had blocked the route she used to obtain spiritual energy in the first place.
“If it really comes down to it, you can take mine.”
Screeeeech!
Baek Seol-hwa suddenly slammed on the brakes, slowing the bike sharply before pulling over onto the shoulder. Then she whipped around to stare at me.
“H-have you lost your mind!? Why would I do something like that with you!?”
“What?”
“I will never, ever consume your spiritual energy!!”
“Doesn’t healthy people have a lot of spiritual energy? I’ve lived pretty healthily. I don’t smoke, I exercise regularly… I do drink, but not that often.”
“That’s not the problem…!”
I didn’t understand why she was reacting so violently. Hadn’t she said herself that she could absorb spiritual energy with just a little physical contact?
“…Didn’t you say it was at the level where just holding hands would work? What’s the issue?”
“…Ah.”
“Ah?”
Her reaction was strangely ambiguous. When I lightly touched my chin, Baek Seol-hwa quickly turned her head away.
“Y-you said you were late, right? Let’s hurry and go.”
“Did you just imagine something weird?”
“Shut up, you pervert!! It’s because you did weird things yesterday!”
“…I did say I was sorry about that.”
After shouting for a while, she seemed to calm down. She steered the bike back onto the road.
“Now that I think about it, wouldn’t it be possible right now?”
“What?”
“I’m holding your waist right now.”
“…You pervert, stop imagining weird things.”
“I’m not imagining anything. I’m just saying we’re already in contact, so wouldn’t it work…?”
“I’m going to help a spirit cross over this afternoon and absorb from that, so it’s not necessary!”
“Ah… I see.”
I went out of my way to think of a solution and this is the thanks I get. Unlike buses or subways that stopped at every station, the motorcycle didn’t have to stop anywhere and could even cut through alleys, so we arrived at school very quickly.
The serious uphill road leading to the main gate began, and with so many people around, the bike slowed down considerably as it climbed carefully. I always thought this, but didn’t the road to our school consist of nothing but uphill stretches?
“Walking might be faster from here.”
“Then get off.”
“I was joking.”
Even if it was a little slower, it was more comfortable to ride up. Who would get off here?
“Hey.”
“What?”
“You said you can see all spirits, right?”
“Yeah. That’s why I offered to help you.”
“Then… were you okay earlier on the road?”
“Huh? Ah.”
I thought I understood what she meant. She was asking in a roundabout way whether I was fine even though she was used to it. There was only one reason she would say something like that now.
“There must have been quite a few spirits on the road.”
“Of course. Roads are one of the places where humans die most often in modern society. That’s why I asked if you were okay.”
“Yeah, I’m fine. I can’t see them right now.”
“……?”
Baek Seol-hwa started to turn her head but stopped and faced forward again. What a responsible yokai, keeping her eyes on the road.
“Are you messing with me right now?”
“Why would I mess with you?”
“Then what are you talking about?”
“The truth is, my eyes have a special power that lets me choose whether to see spirits or not.”
“Stop saying unfunny nonsense.”
“…Well, half of it is true.”
It was true that I had a special power that let me distinguish between spirits and yokai. And it was also true that I could choose not to see them.
“These eyes constantly show me spirits, so honestly, an ordinary human wouldn’t be able to endure it.”
“Then how do you endure it?”
“I told you. I can choose not to see them. There’s an object that hides them according to my will. It’s been passed down through my family for generations.”
“So it’s something only an exorcist clan would have.”
“Pretty much.”
It was the small silver necklace hanging around my neck. After listening to my kind explanation, Baek Seol-hwa nodded as if she’d understood something on her own.
“No wonder you seemed completely unfazed.”
“Why?”
“Earlier, an evil spirit kept trying to grab you and follow you. It was an earthbound spirit so it couldn’t leave the road and fell behind, though.”
…Did you really have to tell me that?
I was feeling a bit sour when Baek Seol-hwa seemed to notice and let out a light laugh. Seeing that mischievous side that enjoyed teasing people, I thought, yep, you really are a yokai.
“Ah, you can drop me off here.”
We had already reached the school entrance. Of course, I’d still have to walk a bit to get to the engineering building from here, but that was fine. It would be rude to ask her to take me all the way there when I was the one getting a free ride. I wasn’t that shameless.
But surprisingly, without me even asking, Baek Seol-hwa gestured as if it was no big deal.
“I’ll take you there since I’m already going. Your class is further in anyway, right?”
“Oh, how did someone who doesn’t even go to college know that?”
“I’ve seen and heard enough to know at least that much.”
There was no need to refuse kindness when it was offered first. I nodded and asked her for directions.
“Then keep going along the outer road. There’s a fork in the middle. Turn left there.”
“Got it.”
It was a road I walked every day, but riding a motorcycle through the campus felt strangely new. Maybe because a motorcycle on campus was unusual; passersby kept staring at us.
“…?”
…Why are they staring?
When I thought about it, something felt off. There weren’t many people who rode motorcycles to school, but there were a few. It wasn’t something to stare at so intensely. Eventually, I realized the cause.
“……Ah.”
“What is it this time?”
“No… it’s nothing.”
Everyone was staring because of Baek Seol-hwa. Since she was a yokai, I hadn’t been conscious of it, but to people who didn’t know, she currently looked like an incredibly attractive female rider. With her rider jacket and tight jeans that emphasized her figure, she drew attention no matter who looked. Even with the helmet on, she had an aura that couldn’t be hidden.
Most people had probably already noticed she was a beauty. A stunning woman no one had seen around campus before had appeared carrying a plain returnee student A on her bike. It wasn’t strange that people were curious.
“…I didn’t think about that at all.”
Still, I couldn’t blame Baek Seol-hwa. It wasn’t her fault. If there was any sin, it was mine for wanting to get here comfortably.
I’d rather the people in my department didn’t get any weird misunderstandings.
Riding all the way to the engineering building seemed impossible now. I quickly tapped her on the shoulder.
“I just remembered, I have something to do at the main building.”
“Main building? Where?”
“We just passed it. So just drop me off here.”
“…You should’ve said that sooner.”
Baek Seol-hwa stopped the bike and pulled over. After I got off, she spoke again as if to confirm.
“Come out to the main gate as soon as class ends.”
“You’re going to wait nearby?”
“I don’t have anything else to do anyway.”
The life of the unemployed really was enviable. Even if the other party was a yokai, envy was envy.
“Then since my class ends at four, make sure you’re there by then.”
“Okay, got it.”
Baek Seol-hwa quickly checked the time on her phone, then got back on the bike.
“Oh, right. Is it not allowed for outsiders to enter?”
“Not really, unless it’s places like lecture halls or dorms. Universities are usually open to the public.”
“Then I guess I’ll look around before I go.”
“Huh?”
Look around?
“You’re going to tour the school?”
“Yeah.”
I looked at Baek Seol-hwa for a moment, then shook my head. I spoke more seriously than I ever had before.
“Absolutely not.”
“What? Why not?”
“Do you have any idea how many beasts there are in a university? The place is full of guys who try to take girls back to their one-rooms at the slightest opportunity.”
“What does that have to do with me?”
I wanted to tell her it was because she was so ridiculously naive that I was worried something might happen. But if I said that, she’d probably get mad about being called an idiot again, so I went in a different direction.
“And what if someone like me notices you’re a yokai? Just wait outside quietly and we’ll meet at the main gate, okay?”
“……I guess that makes sense.”
“Good, now that you understand, hurry up and go. I need to get going too.”
“Okay.”
Baek Seol-hwa started the engine again and rode off with a roar. I watched her back for a moment, then headed toward the engineering building once she was out of sight.
“Wait a second.”
Seol-hwa was about to leave the school but tilted her head. If there were other people like Yoo Se-hwan who could distinguish yokai, wouldn’t the streets actually be more dangerous than the school?
“Ha, he lied to me again.”
Once that thought occurred to her, she realized everything Se-hwan had said was just an excuse. Seol-hwa felt slightly annoyed at having been fooled again.
“…For some reason, he seemed really against me being on campus, didn’t he?”
It looked like Seol-hwa had caught on. She now had a way to properly get back at him for messing with her.
“Right. Why should I listen to him anyway?”
With that, Seol-hwa turned her motorcycle around.