An Office Worker Is Good At Exorcism - Chapter 155

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Chapter 154
Part 5. Who Is the Head of the Snake (3)
“Sigh—!”
Four days had passed.
The hour of departure drew near, and the sun that had scorched the air all day long was losing its strength, preparing to set.
“Sigh—!”
Gwak Young-ho placed a paper cup of coffee on the railing and lit a cigarette.
It was then.
The door swung open.
“Oh? You’re here.”
Jo Tae-sik, the department head of the Human Resources Department, approached with a nod.
He took out a cigarette and lit it beside Gwak Young-ho, but his expression was not bright.
Click!
“Sigh! Why are you here instead of preparing to leave?”
“Well, I was just here. But is something the matter?”
Jo Tae-sik exhaled smoke as if he had been waiting for Gwak Young-ho’s response, his face twisted with irritation.
“Don’t even mention it. They say that because Sales Team 1 is doing so well lately, we’re struggling.”
“No, why would the Human Resources Department—”
“There’s talk. Lots of talk.”
“What? From whom?”
“Sigh—!”
Jo Tae-sik irritably waved the cigarette held between his index and middle fingers, then opened his mouth with furrowed brows.
“From everywhere. Why is there so much talk about Manager Kang these days?”
“…What?”
“Is Kang Hyung-seok getting promoted this time? There are more than a few people asking this.”
“Ah.”
Gwak Young-ho laughed as if he understood and took a drag on his cigarette.
His movements were full of composure, and so Jo Tae-sik’s eyes drooped with even greater sorrow.
“I’m not joking. Sales Team 2 puts enormous pressure on our Human Resources Department day in and day out.”
“Come on, Sales Team 2 must be busy too. How much could they really be pushing?”
“They’re not as busy as Sales Team 1, and that’s the problem.”
“Ah…”
Gwak Young-ho laughed awkwardly, and Jo Tae-sik smoked his cigarette heavily.
“It’s about time someone from their team got promoted. Surely Manager Kang isn’t getting promoted again? Even if he is, another promotion seems a bit much. Why should we bear the brunt of it?”
“People at the company always talk a lot anyway.”
“I know that. I do know, but still. Ugh!”
Jo Tae-sik looked absolutely exasperated.
His drooping shoulders and the stress evident in his voice were both pitiful.
“I think it’s worse because he brought in something big this time.”
“An additional contract with Shinjin Construction. It’s well-known.”
Gwak Young-ho took a sip of coffee while Jo Tae-sik nodded in agreement.
He felt a bit sorry toward Jo Tae-sik, but this situation didn’t sit entirely badly with him.
Jealousy was something you could only feel if you had the ability and results to back it up.
“Since Manager Kang has been working so hard, the company’s overall sales have increased significantly this quarter, haven’t they?”
“Exactly!”
“It’s because we don’t think of them as someone from the same company—we get caught up in departmental thinking. That’s just short-sighted of us.”
“Still, I feel more at ease knowing you understand, sir.”
“Whenever you’re having a tough time, let’s get together like this and have a smoke.”
Jo Tae-sik chuckled and nodded, then turned one raised eyebrow toward Gwak Young-ho.
“But anyway, there shouldn’t be anything like that for a while, right?”
“Manager Kang?”
“Yes. After all, he’s already filled his quarterly targets. He’s even exceeded his goals. I shouldn’t be saying this, but I’m worried he might collapse, so I’m mentioning it.”
Gwak Young-ho let out a short laugh, then enjoyed a drag of his cigarette and a sip of coffee before speaking.
“I’m just concerned about Manager Kang. What else would it be?”
“I know, don’t I?”
In truth, it was Gwak Young-ho, the department head, who felt the most pressure from results and who supported his team members from behind so they could work comfortably.
“I noticed how much you care—from the moment Manager Kang had to rush out on that business trip.”
“Oh my, thank you for saying so.”
“Anyway, I think you could take it a bit easier until autumn. I’m not saying this because of what others might think—this is personal advice.”
“I understand.”
Gwak Young-ho flicked his shortened cigarette into an empty paint can and took another sip of coffee.
He glanced at his wristwatch and saw that quitting time was drawing near.
“I do have some things I’m thinking about. But there’s not enough time to accomplish all of it.”
“Oh my, please take care of yourself.”
Jo Tae-sik from Human Resources, who had guessed what that meant, made a playful remark.
Retirement wasn’t far off at his age.
By then, his goal was to ensure that his team members—like family to him—could each do more than their fair share.
A higher position.
More clients.
He wanted to carefully block the arrows coming from outside and build a steel-strong foundation so that even when he was gone someday, everything would be fine.
“Let’s head down soon.”
“Yes, sir.”
“Anyway, I’ll take good care of Manager Kang, so even if it’s difficult now, please keep the company in mind.”
“Well, that’s obvious. But does Manager Kang know? How much our department head cares like this.”
“He knows. If someone in sales doesn’t have that kind of perception, they’re not worth much.”
Jo Tae-sik nodded in understanding and laughed awkwardly.
And with a final “Excuse me first,” Gwak Young-ho began descending the stairs.
“Sigh—!”
Left alone, Jo Tae-sik exhaled a long plume of cigarette smoke while watching the sun tilt toward the west.
***
Vroom.
It was after work hours.
Kang Hyung-seok gripped the steering wheel as he navigated through the congested road.
He let out a long yawn, and since he was alone, he didn’t bother covering his mouth.
‘I’m unusually exhausted today.’
This was always the problem after a business trip.
He had to frantically process work that came flooding in like a challenge—’Come on, try handling this!’
Still, Gwak Young-ho had lent his strength, and Lee Jin-pyung had also taken some of the workload off his shoulders, so by today all the urgent matters had been cleared away.
Tap, tap, tap.
But why was traffic so backed up today?
Wondering if there had been a collision, Kang Hyung-seok found himself thinking more than usual as the cars moved sluggishly.
Then he noticed the rightmost lane, which was unusually clear.
It was a road leading to a different area.
‘Maybe I should pay them a visit.’
Lee Geum-kyung and Chung-geum.
It had been quite a while since he’d seen the two of them.
Kang Hyung-seok glanced at his wristwatch and turned the steering wheel sharply to the right.
Vroom!
As he drove along the open road, he set the navigation destination to Lee Geum-kyung’s Shrine.
He also cracked the window open slightly.
Though not particularly cool, the refreshing breeze felt pleasant as he drove along the outer lane.
Vroom.
As he entered Yongin, Gyeonggi Province, the road became even more desolate.
The heavy traffic he’d endured getting here had certainly contributed to that.
In any case, Kang Hyung-seok slowly entered the entrance to the mountain where Lee Geum-kyung resided and carefully drove along the concrete-paved mountain road.
Thud.
Upon arriving at Lee Geum-kyung’s Shrine, Kang Hyung-seok encountered Chung-geum sweeping the courtyard.
“Oh? But how did you come without calling ahead?”
“My apologies. I suddenly had some free time, so I thought I’d stop by to say hello.”
Fortunately, it seemed she wasn’t busy.
The outfit Chung-geum wore, holding a large broom with a green-tipped bristles, was the training suit he had bought for her before.
“Are you perhaps busy….”
“No, no! Not at all. Busy, you say?”
Whoosh! Whoosh!
Chung-geum hastily swept the fallen leaves she had piled to one side far away and hurried back with empty hands.
“In fact, the teacher has been speaking of you often lately. You’ve come at just the right time.”
Kang Hyung-seok nodded with an embarrassed expression and headed toward Lee Geum-kyung’s quarters with Chung-geum.
Knock, knock.
Chung-geum, tapping on the paper-covered door, announced Kang Hyung-seok’s arrival with her head bowed.
“Come in.”
Lee Geum-kyung’s voice drifted from within the room.
Creak.
Chung-geum opened the door, and Lee Geum-kyung, dressed impeccably as though she had anticipated the visit, regarded Kang Hyung-seok from within the sealed room.
“Come in.”
“It has been a long time, Teacher.”
Kang Hyung-seok bowed respectfully and stepped inside.
Chung-geum excused herself to prepare tea, while Kang Hyung-seok and Lee Geum-kyung continued their conversation, facing one another.
“I trust you have been well.”
“Worry about yourself. Who worries about whom?”
“I am relieved to see you in good health.”
A gentle smile played at the corners of Kang Hyung-seok’s mouth.
Chung-geum returned and set down a teapot and cups on a small wooden tray, pouring tea into each cup and placing them before them both.
Kang Hyung-seok bowed in gratitude and spoke.
“Thank you for the tea.”
The fragrance of tea diffused gently through the air.
As the aroma seemed to dissolve even the day’s fatigue, Lee Geum-kyung opened her mouth to speak.
“So, what brings you here?”
“There is no particular reason. I simply thought of this place by chance on my way home from work.”
Smiles appeared on both Chung-geum’s and Lee Geum-kyung’s faces.
Yet Lee Geum-kyung soon let her smile fade and spoke.
“There is no such thing as coincidence in this world.”
Meeting Kang Hyung-seok’s gaze, Lee Geum-kyung set down her teacup.
“Especially not for people like us. You have something to say, and there is a reason you needed to come here—so you have come.”
What could that be?
Receiving Lee Geum-kyung’s gaze, Kang Hyung-seok brought the teacup to his lips.
Then, sipping the tea slowly as fragrant steam rose from it, he gathered his thoughts.
It did not take long.
“There was an incident recently.”
Indeed, Lee Geum-kyung had been right.
My unconscious mind had guided me here.
“I received a revelation recently and helped guide a woman who had become a yokai to her ascension.”
Lee Geum-kyung nodded gravely.
Chung-geum, by contrast, looked at Kang Hyung-seok in surprise, but could not bring herself to speak. The air had grown so heavy that such an atmosphere did not permit it.
“What was the revelation like?”
Kang Hyung-seok’s lips curled silently upward at Lee Geum-kyung’s concern for the revelation rather than the yokai itself.
‘As I thought, she knows something.’
Then the conversation would move quickly.
Kang Hyung-seok took a quiet sip of tea before meeting Lee Geum-kyung’s gaze.
“The revelation mentioned the head and tail of a serpent, but the tail has been resolved.”
Kim Ki-ok, who had been under the Japanese Onmyoji’s command.
Over the past three days, I had pondered deeply, yet the tail of the serpent that the Guardian Spirit had mentioned was unmistakably Kim Ki-ok.
“I wish to speak with you about the head of the serpent.”
“Mm.”
Lee Geum-kyung closed her eyes in thought for a moment, then opened both her mouth and eyes simultaneously.
“It seems you have already arrived at your own answer.”
“Yes. The head of the serpent—the one the Guardian Spirit warned me of….”
I bit my lower lip, then continued as though exhaling a sigh.
“I suspect it must be Hong Kyung-soo, the Shaman.”
The Shaman who had once retrieved the jar with me at Anmok Reservoir.
The one clad in black shamanic robes, versed in Japanese sorcery, who made his living hurling curses upon people.
And the child who stood beside the Japanese Onmyoji.
He was the head of the serpent.
The existence that threatened me.
Having spoken thus, I waited quietly for Lee Geum-kyung’s response.

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