An Office Worker Is Good At Exorcism - Chapter 22

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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 22
Part 7. Please, Kang Hyung-seok! (3)
The longer Ha Jang-seo’s thoughts lingered, the drier his mouth became.
Beneath the table, his clenched fists grew slick with sweat, while Namgoong Min-ah beside him rolled her eyes as though uncomfortable with the awkward silence.
It was then.
“I haven’t actually brought anything new into the house….”
Disappointment colored Ha Jang-seo’s words.
Kang Hyung-seok pressed his lips together firmly, while Namgoong Min-ah watched him silently from beside him.
“I’m sorry. No matter how much I think about it, nothing comes to mind.”
“No, it’s possible what I mentioned isn’t the cause at all.”
Ha Jang-seo smiled apologetically, pulling only at the corners of his mouth.
We were merely business associates, if anything.
Yet I was grateful that Kang Hyung-seok cared about my troubles as though they were his own.
“While you’re here, why don’t we take a look at the field? I’ll make sure the harvest goes smoothly this year, no matter what.”
“That would be nice, but are you sure it’s alright?”
“Do you really think I can’t manage that much? I’m serious, so let’s go take a look.”
Reading the earnestness in Ha Jang-seo’s words, Kang Hyung-seok nodded with a faint smile.
“Oh, by the way, I have two fields. Do you have time?”
“Pardon?”
Kang Hyung-seok unconsciously glanced at Namgoong Min-ah before withdrawing his gaze.
This was the first he’d heard of it, so there was no way Namgoong Min-ah would know.
“Actually, I recently contracted a new field. It was originally just an empty lot, not really worth calling a field, but I’ve already prepared it for farming.”
“Prepared it…?”
So he hadn’t actually started farming yet.
Then it was land purchased recently.
‘Perhaps….’
The cause might be the location itself, not an object.
Kang Hyung-seok tilted his water glass to his lips and spoke.
“You never mentioned that before. When did you contract it?”
“I was planning to tell you once preparations were more complete. Actually, there’s probably nothing special to see anyway. Let’s just look at the original field.”
“No, that’s not it.”
Kang Hyung-seok found himself half-rising from his chair without thinking.
“I really want to see it. I insist.”
This was a side of Kang Hyung-seok rarely seen within the office.
Namgoong Min-ah beside him looked up at him with startled eyes, and Ha Jang-seo was equally taken aback.
“Yes. Well, let’s do that. Let’s go.”
Settling back into his chair, Kang Hyung-seok’s expression showed relief.
***
The field that Ha Jang-seo had recently contracted was only a twenty-minute drive away.
That didn’t mean it was a place one could casually walk to, however.
It sat at the foot of the Mountain, bathed in sunlight, yet possessed an oddly desolate atmosphere.
“There are plenty of trees around, which is why it feels that way. The soil quality is decent, and it’s not bad land at all. Plus, the land price is cheap.”
Walking shoulder to shoulder with Ha Jang-seo, I gazed at the verdant grass that had grown thick enough to reach my ankles.
“This doesn’t look like garlic to me.”
“Soybeans, obviously.”
“Soybeans?”
“I planted them as a trial. I have no intention of harvesting them—later, when I plow them back under, they’ll all become fertilizer.”
Ha Jang-seo lit a cigarette with a melancholic expression.
If his health hadn’t deteriorated, he would have been brimming with plans to cultivate garlic across this expansive field.
“You’re not hiring anyone separately?”
“No need. Since I’m planning to plow it all under anyway, I don’t have to worry about deer or wild boar.”
Ha Jang-seo stared at the soybeans for a moment, then exhaled smoke deeply.
“I really wanted to do this well. It’s a shame.”
I kept my lips pressed together as I surveyed the field.
I wasn’t wearing my backpack.
It seemed odd to carry it here, so I’d left the backpack containing the Shaman’s Bell behind. If I had brought it, would the bell have rung?
‘Probably so.’
That’s what I sensed.
Thud.
With each step, soil clung to my feet, and the surrounding trees wrapped around this field like a barrier.
Despite the abundant sunlight, stagnant energy hung thick enough to evoke that desolate feeling.
This was not good land.
At least, not for people.
“Sir, wasn’t there an Elementary School somewhere around here?”
“Hm?”
Namgoong Min-ah, who had been silent until now, began to engage Ha Jang-seo in conversation.
“Actually, I’m from Danyang.”
“Oh, really?”
As Ha Jang-seo’s eyes widened with surprise, Namgoong Min-ah smiled with the warmth of someone meeting a hometown elder, her eyes crinkling at the corners.
“There was an Elementary School around here, wasn’t there? I attended it.”
“Ah! Oh, that one! Near the intersection?”
“Yes! That’s the one!”
“Wow, I never would have guessed. I was sure you were a Seoul native through and through.”
“Hehe.”
Watching Namgoong Min-ah converse so naturally, I felt the corners of my mouth lift.
Yes, buy me some time like that.
Thud, thud, thud.
I walked as though surveying the field, my eyes rapidly scanning the surroundings.
Would it have been better if the Earthly Official had accompanied me?
No. It’s meaningless.
I need to read the energy, not the land itself.
The energy that drained Ha Jang-seo’s vitality must be somewhere in this field.
I need to find it, restore Ha Jang-seo, and keep the business relationship intact.
That way, neither Namgoong Min-ah nor I will suffer any disadvantage.
Swish, swish!
As I walked through the field, brushing past the soybeans at my feet, I suddenly stopped in my tracks.
“Director! What are you doing?”
Namgoong Min-ah’s voice came from behind me.
“There’s nothing to see over there. If you’ve seen enough, let’s head back soon.”
Ha Jang-seo spoke as well, but I remained silent, my gaze fixed on what had made me stop.
There was a tree.
The bark was abnormally stripped away with clear scars of healing, and the trunk was riddled with holes as if a woodpecker had ravaged it.
‘…Curse rice.’
The unmistakable mark of someone’s curse work.
It was clearly visible on the tree positioned to overlook this entire field.
“Director?”
Namgoong Min-ah spoke from behind, her tone suggesting something was amiss.
I exhaled deeply and turned to face her, shaking my head.
Then I met Ha Jang-seo’s gaze.
“Sir, would you happen to have time tomorrow?”
“Hmm?”
“The Mountain here looks quite nice. If you’re available tomorrow, I’d like to go hiking, even if it’s just a short trip.”
Namgoong Min-ah’s eyes widened in surprise, while Ha Jang-seo looked flustered but managed to smile.
His gratitude meant everything.
People who help when crops flourish aren’t truly appreciated.
But those who help in times of hardship—they are truly valued.
“No, you don’t need to strain yourself for my sake….”
“I insist, sir. Who knows when I’ll be able to visit again.”
As I spoke with firm resolve, Ha Jang-seo’s gaze fell to the ground.
Then he lifted his head, and nodded deeply with a grateful expression.
“Let’s do it. Let’s definitely go together.”
I smiled in response to Ha Jang-seo’s expression and nodded.
***
(So you’re saying you’ll return tomorrow?)
After parting ways with Ha Jang-seo, in the heart of Danyang.
Kang Hyung-seok sat at an outdoor table at a Convenience Store in the Commercial District, crowded with motels, convenience stores, and bars, alongside Namgoong Min-ah.
The sun had dipped below the horizon, and twilight painted the sky in deepening shadows.
“Yes, sir.”
(Sigh, this is going to be trouble.)
I’d already informed Gwak Young-ho that Ha Jang-seo intended to farm only through this year.
That’s why concern saturated every word in Gwak Young-ho’s voice.
(His health isn’t that bad, is it?)
“From what I observed, it doesn’t seem particularly serious. It appears his spirit has been greatly dampened.”
(Goodness, what a mess!)
Kang Hyung-seok gestured toward Namgoong Min-ah, who sat across from him.
It was a gesture telling her not to worry so much and simply drink the coffee in front of her.
“For now, I’ll do my best to persuade him while we hike together tomorrow.”
(Do you think it’s possible, from what you’ve seen?)
Hope resonated deeply in Gwak Young-ho’s voice.
Only Namgoong Min-ah and I were present at the site.
Of the two of us, Gwak Young-ho had no one else to trust and rely on but me.
(If this deal falls through, it’ll be a real headache. Wait, is Min-ah nearby?)
“You can speak freely, sir.”
It wasn’t on speaker mode, and the surroundings were quiet enough that my voice wouldn’t carry.
(Even if this isn’t anyone’s fault, it doesn’t look good. An intern goes on her first business trip, and if a long-standing client suddenly cuts ties…)
“That’s true.”
Corporate life is ultimately a battle of image.
Even when something goes wrong through no fault of my own, a negative impression can stick all too easily.
Once such an image takes root, it clings like a label for years to come.
(Kang, if needed, you can stay an extra day or two—can you turn Ha Jang-seo’s mind around?)
“He mentioned health concerns.”
Kang Hyung-seok reached out and grasped the coffee sitting before him.
A convenience store coffee, made by pouring coffee from a vinyl packet into a cup of ice.
“However, he does have the will to continue farming. With the right persuasion, I believe we can make this work.”
(If you need anything, contact me right away. I haven’t reported this upstairs yet, but anything I can handle on my end, I’ll figure it out.)
It was likely because the call was dragging on.
Namgoong Min-ah fidgeted uncomfortably with her fingers, and I lifted the corners of my mouth and shook my head.
It wasn’t that I was particularly concerned about her.
“I’m grateful for your words alone, sir.”
(Contact me immediately if anything unusual comes up.)
“Yes.”
(And I’ll cover all the expenses, so get some proper rest in a comfortable place! Enjoy some good food too!)
I nodded in response even though he wasn’t beside me.
“Understood.”
(Please, Kang Hyung-seok!)
The call ended.
Kang Hyung-seok set down his phone and tilted his head back, gazing up at the darkening sky.
The city was the city, after all.
Whether due to the light or pollution, the large moon was visible, but the stars were not.
“Deputy Manager, what did the director say…?”
“Don’t worry about it.”
“Come on, that’s not true.”
Kang Hyung-seok lifted his coffee with a bitter smile and met Namgoong Min-ah’s gaze.
“It’s nothing for Namgoong Min-ah to worry about.”
This wasn’t something an intern needed to be concerned with.
Kang Hyung-seok drained the last of his coffee and turned his attention toward a suitable motel nearby.
“Let’s secure lodging first. You must be exhausted.”
“Ah, yes.”
Namgoong Min-ah hurriedly lowered her gaze, fidgeting with her feet.
I hadn’t noticed because I wasn’t looking, but her feet were tired—she’d already removed her shoes.
“Excuse me.”
At the motel counter, Kang Hyung-seok stated his requirements swiftly before the staff could even speak.
Lodging, two rooms.
If the counter staff happened to ask whether it was a short-term stay, the situation would become terribly awkward.
Click.
Taking the key cards, Kang Hyung-seok kept one for himself and handed the other to Namgoong Min-ah.
“Get some proper rest, and we’ll meet up tomorrow morning. If you need anything, there’s a convenience store right in front, so feel free to go.”
Namgoong Min-ah blinked, holding the key card and looking at Kang Hyung-seok.
She’d naturally assumed they would go up together.
But Kang Hyung-seok’s feet were firmly planted, his body angled toward the door.
“Deputy Manager, where are you going?”
“I’ll just step out for a bit.”
“What? I’ll come with you.”
“No. Min-ah, just rest comfortably. Call me if anything comes up. Or I can call you.”
Namgoong Min-ah rolled her eyes, trying to guess where Kang Hyung-seok was headed.
But unable to fathom his intentions, she laughed awkwardly and merely nodded.
“Yes! Please be careful!”
“Ah, just in case—you can drink, but don’t overdo it.”
“Got it!”
Watching Namgoong Min-ah respond so spiritedly, Kang Hyung-seok turned around.
As I moved toward the door, a voice from behind stopped me in my tracks.
“Wait, aren’t you taking your bag?”
Kang Hyung-seok glanced back at Namgoong Min-ah, offered a simple nod with a smile, then erased the expression from my face and stepped outside.
The street had fallen completely into the embrace of night.
‘I need to visit the Field.’
Kang Hyung-seok melted into the crowd and stepped out onto the street, his pace quickening.
Ha Jang-seo’s health.
A contract that must not be severed.
Namgoong Min-ah’s conversion to permanent employment.
The soybean field, the nail-scarred wood.
And the lamb feed.
With each step forward, countless thoughts filled my mind.
Ding.
As if urging me onward, the Shaman’s Bell in my bag chimed softly once.

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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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