1440 - Chapter 19

—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————

Chapter 19
“It’s me, Baek Yeon-su.”
At that, a knock sounded from inside—tap-tap, tap-tap—exactly like the one Yeon-su had made. For a moment she nearly laughed at the endearing response, but she caught herself with a quick, “Ahem,” and asked instead.
“May I open the door for a moment?”
Without hesitation, the sliding door glided open.
Through the widening gap, a man appeared. He remained seated, looking up at her. Yeon-su crouched down before him, meeting his eyes.
“Did you enjoy your lunch?”
He nodded.
“And you fed the cats?”
Another nod from the pale face. Yeon-su broke into a broad smile, as though congratulating him for doing everything right. Though he was clearly much older than her in years, she couldn’t help but smile with that look of approval—as if he were someone precious to her.
Then, worried that he might take offense at her smile, she quickly covered her mouth with the back of her hand and simply settled down onto the floor beside him. Now the two sat facing each other across the threshold.
“I’ll be going out far today and won’t return until dawn. I’m afraid I won’t be able to tuck you in for the night.”
At this, the man nodded reassuringly. For over a hundred years, no one had concerned themselves with his bedtime. He was accustomed both to being served and to managing on his own.
He reached out and stroked the thick blanket Yeon-su had prepared for him, as if to say he would manage just fine. At that, Yeon-su laughed again.
The man found it strange—the way she kept smiling at him. As he gazed at her lovely smile, the dimples deepening at the corners, his eyes drifted toward the back door standing open behind her.
“When you sleep later, lock the back door too. Keep yourself warm and rest.”
Then, as if reluctant to leave, she traced her fingers along the door frame. Her hand lingered there, trembling slightly—as though she wanted to step inside but was holding herself back. His gaze followed her touching movements, and for a moment it seemed his large hand might reach through and pull her in. But just as quickly, as if catching himself in that weakness, he withdrew it.
“Sleep well and dream only good dreams while I’m away.”
As she rose to leave, the man reached out his hand. It was the gentlest touch—his fingertips barely grazing the tips of her fingers as she drew her hand back from the frame.
Even that slight contact made Yeon-su catch her breath. The warmth flowing from his fingertips was gentle. It was impossible to believe such tenderness could come from a man of black and white, colorless and hollow.
Fragile, but all the more precious—Yeon-su closed her fist gently around that warmth he had given her.
“I’ll be back soon.”
***
Yeon-su and Du-hui first headed to the Hospital, where Jin-hyeong lay. He remained unconscious, confined to the ICU.
Visiting hours had ended, so she couldn’t enter to check on him directly. But unmistakably, the energy of Accidental Misfortune clung to the air. Through the gap in the hospital room door, something like dark ash was spreading outward. It was Resentment—invisible to ordinary eyes.
Yeon-su watched it ooze slowly along the wall for a moment, then turned away. Du-hui followed in confusion.
“You’re leaving? Just like this?”
“Yes. We came to check, that’s all. And there’s nothing we can do here right now.”
“Ah…….”
Du-hui, who had expected Yeon-su to perform a ritual right there for Jin-hyeong, hung her head in disappointment. She’d seen it in dramas and movies—shamans sneaking in and performing ceremonies in secret. Why wasn’t that possible?
Rather than explain the situation to a visibly deflated Du-hui, Yeon-su sent a message to Jin-hyeong’s parents using their number, which she had obtained beforehand. It was a note saying she would like to meet them briefly during visiting hours tomorrow.
Jin-hyeong’s parents, already aware that Du-hui had sought out a shaman, replied immediately with confirmation and visiting hour information.
There was much ground to cover. There were four victims, each in different locations. The incident had occurred in a Provincial Area far from here. Time was of the essence.
Yeon-su’s next stop was to visit Su-gyun, a friend of Jin-hyeong’s who had fallen ill after the accident. He lived not far from Du-hui’s Studio Apartment.
He hadn’t even been able to attend school, and indeed, a dark shadow hung behind his gaunt face. Yet it wasn’t as severe as what Du-hui and Jin-hyeong were experiencing.
“This is someone who can help us,” Du-hui introduced briefly.
Su-gyun merely bowed his head weakly in response. Even learning that this young man, who appeared to be his age, was a great shaman who could help them stirred no suspicion in him. It seemed less like he had been struck by a Vengeful Spirit than afflicted by psychological distress.
Yeon-su offered Su-gyun a proper greeting and then strode directly into his apartment.
The place was shrouded in darkness, every blackout curtain drawn shut. If he closed the entrance door as well, not even an inch ahead would be visible. Yeon-su opened the door to let in air and asked.
“Why are all the windows covered?”
At her question, Su-gyun wrapped his thin arms in his sleeves and shrank back. Trembling slightly as if seized by chills, he answered.
“Something keeps watching me from beyond the window. I can’t see it clearly, but I feel dark cloud-like things constantly peering inside. It’s like being stared at. As if it’s looking for me.”
Su-gyun shuddered, recalling that black mass from the photograph.
Yeon-su observed him for a moment, then abruptly threw open the curtains.
With a sweeping sound, the curtains fell away to reveal a large window. Clean glass let sunlight pour in abundantly. The apartment must have had excellent exposure, for the afternoon light stretched deep into the small studio, reaching all the way to the far end.
Su-gyun startled at the sudden opening and shrank back to hide himself. Yeon-su paid him no mind and swept through the room.
Then, pressing down firmly with each step, she walked the perimeter of the space, treading deliberately into every corner. As she did, the clotted Negative Energy crumbled and dispersed beneath her feet, and the darkened room grew brighter still.
Even Su-gyun and Du-hui, ordinary people though they were, could feel the change.
“How……how did you……?”
Yeon-su settled the bewildered Su-gyun on the bed and brought him a glass of clean water.
“Drink it slowly, all of it.”
Su-gyun hesitated for a moment before accepting the cup. Now that he thought about it, he couldn’t remember the last time he’d properly drunk water. His lips were parched, and when he ran his tongue across them, sudden thirst flooded through him. He wanted to gulp it down, but he restrained himself, swallowing slowly, one small mouthful at a time.
Su-gyun’s complexion improved noticeably just from drinking the water. As his trembling subsided, Yeon-su began her questioning.
“Have you been having nightmares, or frequent injuries? Or are you hearing voices?”
Su-gyun shook his head.
“No. Just the feeling of being watched. ……Now that I think about it, that seems to be all.”
He had only grown more terrified by the persistent stare from beyond the window, the feeling of being studied so intently. Living in that sealed space, cut off from light and fresh air, his body had no chance to recover.
On top of that, the shock of learning that Jin-hyeong had been in an accident left him with no strength to tend to himself at all.
Su-gyun’s head suddenly lifted. Hope flickered in his eyes.
She truly was someone who could help. Ever since this woman arrived, his home no longer felt frightening. He could look directly at his own condition now. If that was the case, then perhaps……
19
“Is it possible—could Jin-hyeong wake up too?”
As she asked, her grip on Baek Yeon-su’s sleeve tightened until her hand trembled with the force of it. Yeon-su watched that quivering hand for a moment before answering in a carefully measured tone.
“This appears to be the work of a Vengeful Spirit—one harboring tremendous resentment. If the grudge that clings to it were to transfer to someone else, then yes, it might be possible.”
As she spoke, she looked down at Su-gyun directly. His face drained of color at her words. He understood exactly what Yeon-su was asking.
‘Can you take the Accidental Misfortune meant for her?’
At that question, Su-gyun’s mouth clamped shut.

—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————