An Office Worker Is Good At Exorcism - Chapter 255

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

Chapter 255
Part 2. What Must Be Confronted (3)
The lobby where Shin Yoseph arrived bore a markedly different impression from the daytime.
The densely arranged chairs held many empty seats, and the staff assisting with storage and reception were far from numerous.
Yoon Sang was there with a woman in a hospital gown seated in a wheelchair.
Swish.
Shin Yoseph purchased a mask from the convenience store, fitted it over his face, and approached them.
“Oh, hyung!”
Yoon Sang rose immediately from his chair, and Shin Yoseph’s gaze turned toward the woman in the wheelchair.
Long hair, youthful features.
Eyes that seemed to harbor considerable dissatisfaction with the world.
Slurp.
The woman, appearing to be in her early to mid-twenties, sat in the wheelchair sipping a beverage through a straw.
“Allow me to introduce her. This is the person I mentioned earlier.”
“It’s a pleasure to meet you.”
Shin Yoseph, taking the seat Yoon Sang offered, exchanged a polite nod with the woman in the wheelchair.
An awkward atmosphere was inevitable given that they were meeting for the first time.
“I understand you have some knowledge of this matter.”
With other patients and medical staff scattered about nearby, he could hardly use the word “ghost” aloud.
Still, thanks to Yoon Sang’s prior explanation, the woman nodded as if she understood.
“Where should I begin?”
“From the very beginning.”
Shin Yoseph spoke with courtesy, and the woman set her beverage on her lap, her eyes darting back and forth.
“If we’re talking about the very beginning, it goes back to when that person was still alive.”
“When he was alive?”
“Yes. Isn’t that what you mean—the one who appears in black clothes?”
The conversation was progressing far more rapidly than Shin Yoseph had anticipated; he moved his lips as though his throat had gone dry.
“There was a major accident back then. It was absolute chaos.”
Since she was recounting the story of a complete stranger, the woman’s voice remained detached.
Yet her furrowed brow suggested she felt at least some measure of pity.
“Have you ever spoken with him directly?”
“No. How could I? He wasn’t in a state to speak when he arrived.”
The woman leaned her upper body toward the door and pointed with her finger to a specific location.
Shin Yoseph knew the place well.
The Emergency Room.
“It was a drizzly night. I was outside with an umbrella, trying to smoke a cigarette, when an ambulance came wailing in.”
Somehow, the woman’s words seemed to brush against Shin Yoseph’s memories.
“…And then?”
“A man was brought down on a stretcher. But even then, it looked like he’d already stopped breathing.”
Emotion reveals itself easily through the eyes.
Though her face was hidden behind a mask, her eyes were exposed, and Yoon Sang sent her a worried glance.
However, he didn’t interject into the conversation and simply listened in silence as the woman continued speaking.
“I heard later that it was an accident that happened at an elementary school nearby.”
“What kind of accident?”
“They said he had a motorcycle accident on his own.”
The woman answered as if to say why would you even ask such a thing, and Shin Yoseph took a deep breath that made his chest expand.
‘Could the black clothing have been protective gear?’
It didn’t make sense.
No matter how much it had rained, it was hard to believe he’d lost his life in such a severe accident in front of an elementary school.
And she said he’d had the accident alone.
So why would lingering attachment keep him wandering the hospital?
“Anyway, about three days after that. From then on, people who were admitted together started saying they’d seen a ghost.”
I could tell from the woman’s expression.
This woman had never seen a ghost herself.
Still, since she’d come out at the request of Yoon Sang’s viewer friend, she was answering faithfully.
“I understand.”
Sensing there was no more information to be gained, Shin Yoseph pulled his wallet from his pocket.
Then he withdrew a crisp bill from the wallet and handed it to the woman.
“Thank you for the information. This is a token of my appreciation.”
“Excuse me?”
I hoped the gossip wouldn’t spread unnecessarily.
But the woman looked down at Shin Yoseph with eyes that had seen all manner of strange people.
“No thanks. Why would you give me money for that?”
The woman pushed away Shin Yoseph’s hand and lifted the beverage with a straw already inserted.
“If you’re grateful, just buy me one of these instead.”
Caught off guard by her response, Shin Yoseph stared blankly at the woman before bursting into laughter.
Then he went back to the convenience store where he’d bought the mask and brought back three identical beverages.
“Please have some. I bought this many because of the 2+1 promotion.”
The woman took only one beverage from Shin Yoseph’s hand and transferred the straw to it.
“This is enough for me.”
Slurp.
After drinking, the woman pointed alternately at Shin Yoseph and Yoon Sang.
It was a sign that the remaining beverages were for the two of them to share.
“Understood. Thank you.”
“Then we’re all done here, right? I’m going. It’s time for my medicine.”
The woman pushed her wheelchair and moved away.
Shin Yoseph watched until she pressed the elevator button, then shifted his gaze to Yoon Sang.
Then he tilted his head toward the hospital exit, and soon he and Yoon Sang left the lobby.
***
Vroom.
Inside the car rumbling down the road, Yoon Sang and Shin Yoseph sat side by side, sipping their drinks through straws.
“It’s more remote than I expected.”
“Land prices are steep around here. They probably moved it to the outskirts.”
Even if the number of children had decreased, the school’s physical size wouldn’t shrink accordingly.
It needed a playground, and all the buildings had to remain, so far more land was required than one might think.
Perhaps for that reason, the Elementary School they were heading toward was tucked away in a corner, despite being relatively close by distance.
Rumble.
Shin Yoseph parked near the Villa District surrounding the school and stepped out of the car with Yoon Sang.
Cool air, darkened streets, and a Mountain that abruptly blocked the view.
The surroundings were so dim that it was hard to believe the lights of the Commercial District could be so vivid just by turning one’s head.
Perhaps it was because the darkened Elementary School was right nearby.
Crunch, crunch.
Shin Yoseph and Yoon Sang made their way toward the Elementary School.
“This place is accident-prone.”
“…Yes.”
Shin Yoseph looked at Yoon Sang with eyes that seemed to ask, ‘Why is someone who does Horror Broadcast so frightened?’ before shifting his gaze to the Road.
Had they deliberately designed it this way?
The curvature of the road was severe enough to suggest intentional design.
Click.
When Shin Yoseph illuminated the ground with his phone, tire marks that still hadn’t faded remained like a snake’s trail across the asphalt.
At the end of those marks stood an old street tree.
The peeled bark and deep gouges revealed just how violent the accident had been.
“Hyung, shouldn’t we at least ask Hyung-seok for advice?”
“He needs rest.”
“Still, some advice would—”
Shin Yoseph signaled him to be quiet and moved toward the street tree.
Crunch, crunch.
‘The deceased cannot leave this world.’
I think I understand why.
It wasn’t just from the experience I’d accumulated with Kang Hyung-seok.
For some reason, the dead spirit and I felt similar.
‘Is this what it means to be stubborn?’
Tap, tap.
As Shin Yoseph drew closer to the street tree, he examined the tire marks.
Then he began reconstructing the scene in his mind.
After mentally mapping out the collision angle and position, he let his gaze drift further from the tree.
There was something like a hiking trail leading to the Mountain, and the area nearby was thick with vegetation.
“There must be a reason this spirit cannot leave this land.”
As he murmured to himself, Yoon Sang’s gaze followed, and Shin Yoseph continued speaking as he tucked his phone into his pocket.
“Once that’s resolved, we’ll be able to leave.”
“What could that be?”
“We’ll have to find out.”
Shin Yoseph spoke as though the answer were his own burden to bear, and without hesitation, he stepped into the undergrowth.
Yoon Sang, who had been watching from behind with a wry expression, exhaled through his nose and soon bent low, beginning to examine the ground.
***
“Is there anything uncomfortable?”
Kang Hyung-seok offered an awkward smile as the Nurse entered the Hospital Room.
“Nothing uncomfortable. My body has improved considerably.”
“Still, you mustn’t overexert yourself. Your body is in a state of accumulated fatigue, so rest is paramount.”
The Nurse meticulously checked the intravenous fluid hanging from the stand.
She then adjusted the IV regulator to control the infusion rate, and Kang Hyung-seok hesitated before speaking.
“There’s one thing I’m curious about.”
“Oh, yes! Please go ahead.”
“How much longer will I need the IV?”
“It’s quite inconvenient, isn’t it?”
The Nurse answered with understanding, her brow furrowing slightly.
“To be honest, yes. It’s cumbersome even when bathing.”
“Hmm, just a moment.”
The Nurse checked the medical chart and smiled gently.
“It looks like we can remove it. Shall I do that for you?”
Those were welcome words to hear.
“Yes, please.”
“There’ll be a small pinch.”
The Nurse withdrew the needle from Kang Hyung-seok’s arm.
As the needle that had been embedded for days came free, a sensation both sore and relieving flooded through him.
“Don’t overdo it just because movement is easier. And don’t wander too far on your walks.”
“Yes, thank you.”
The Nurse covered the puncture site with gauze and tape, then departed.
Click.
As the door closed, Kang Hyung-seok flexed and extended his sore arm, moving toward the window.
Rustle.
Drawing back the curtain revealed the dark night scenery beyond.
Unlike the Hospital Room, which remained silent and still despite being bright as day, the world outside was alive with vitality even in darkness.
Kang Hyung-seok followed the vehicles with their headlights on, racing along the Road, before shifting his gaze to the distant outskirts shrouded in shadow.
Then he spoke softly to himself.
“What should I hope for?”
His condition had recovered significantly, and he’d freed himself from the shackle that was the IV.
Kang Hyung-seok continued as though addressing Shin Yoseph, who by now was surely wandering through the darkness trying to resolve everything alone.
“It’s not a Demon. It’s a Malevolent Spirit.”
Even while confined to the Hospital Room, I had conducted the investigation alone, staring into the darkness.
A Wandering Spirit is one who died not in their home.
A soul that could not pass in the embrace of family—a deep resentment.
To perform the ascension ritual, I would need to address that resentment, though I harbored no doubt that Shin Yoseph would fail.
“You’ll do better than I would.”
That Wandering Spirit and Shin Yoseph shared something in common.
That was precisely what troubled me.
Bearing a resentment so easily resonant would not be simple.
Yet it had to be done.
Only then could the spirit depart this world in peace, and the living find solace.
“You unravel the resentment. I’ll perform the ascension.”
Watching the darkness that offered no reply even when I spoke, I clenched my teeth firmly.

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