An Office Worker Is Good At Exorcism - Chapter 29

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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 28
Part 1. Lay Down Some Foundation (3)
It was still some time before lunch.
Kang Hyung-seok was diligently tapping away at his keyboard, filling in document templates.
Ding!
「Kang! Did you have your morning coffee? Want to grab a cup?」
At the message that popped up in the lower right corner of his monitor, Kang Hyung-seok looked up.
Shin Jung-ah had risen from her desk and was heading toward the Break Room when their eyes met.
“Heh.”
Kang Hyung-seok let out a short laugh, then stood from his chair only after Shin Jung-ah had completely left the Office.
It wouldn’t look good if the two of them moved at the same time during work hours.
Creak.
As he opened the Rooftop door and stepped out, the first thing he saw was Shin Jung-ah lighting a cigarette.
“Is there something you wanted to tell me?”
“The weather’s nice, isn’t it? Days like this are necessary.”
Weather, my foot.
It was plainly evident through her eyes that she had something to say.
“Perfect timing. I actually had something to tell you, Manager.”
At Kang Hyung-seok’s words, Shin Jung-ah’s eyes widened.
Rustle.
“Here. Take this.”
“What is this?”
After seeing the paper Shin Jung-ah had received, she raised one eyebrow.
“It’s the address of a Shamanic Temple. If you ever need help, go visit.”
“A Shamanic Temple?”
Shin Jung-ah’s face, which had been wearing a faint smile until just now, stiffened.
The Shamanic Temple she had trusted turned out to be a charlatan, and it was only recently that she had been deceived by that charlatan.
“No, it’s fine. I’m planning to cut ties with Shamanic Temples for a while.”
“Take it anyway.”
Kang Hyung-seok continued without even glancing at the paper Shin Jung-ah was offering.
“It’s the Shamanic Temple where the person I call my teacher works.”
Shin Jung-ah wouldn’t know.
What kind of shaman Lee Geum-kyung was.
And how great a benefit it was for Kang Hyung-seok to introduce a Shamanic Temple.
“…Is she a skilled shaman?”
“Very much so.”
Since Shin Jung-ah seemed to have no sense of it, Kang Hyung-seok smiled, pulling up the corners of his mouth.
“She’s the most famous in this area. People come from all over the country to see her, so it’s even hard to make an appointment.”
“Huh? What?”
“If you mention my name, you should be able to see her without an appointment. I’ve already spoken to her disciple about it.”
Only now did Shin Jung-ah seem to realize that I had gone out of my way for her.
Her wide eyes and the confusion that had clouded them moments before had vanished without a trace.
“Oh… I never even thought of that. Thank you.”
“If you mention my introduction, she might give you a discount.”
When I added the remark in jest, Shin Jung-ah laughed as well.
“But who exactly is she, specifically?”
“Well, whatever you’re imagining right now is probably accurate.”
Shin Jung-ah pondered my words, then laughed awkwardly with an expression caught between admiration and bewilderment.
It was an understandable reaction.
Having visited the Shamanic Temple before, she could grasp the standing of a skilled Shaman.
A skilled Shaman is sought after by many.
Those with wealth.
Those with power.
Or those who pursue both wealth and power.
Such people swarmed like schools of carp discovering bait.
“So politicians visit as well?”
I drew a bitter expression across my face.
“No. She doesn’t accept them.”
“Why?”
“Inquiries come frequently, but she refuses them.”
Lee Geum-kyung was that kind of person.
She took great pride in being a Shaman and held firm convictions, so she drew a sharp line between what she would and wouldn’t do.
There were two types of clients she would never accept.
One was performing curses or accepting bribes, and the other was becoming entangled with politicians.
“She believes a Shaman must remain a true Shaman. So if you happen to visit, just avoid making any mistakes.”
“Oh… okay.”
Shin Jung-ah answered somewhat sheepishly, and I added with a smile.
“It just means don’t bring gift baskets or things like that.”
“Hey! I know that much!”
The moment Shin Jung-ah raised her voice in mock indignation, clearly understanding it was a joke, she was laughing.
“What’s so funny?”
Gwak Young-ho entered through the door with a startled expression.
“Director, no, it’s nothing.”
“You startled me. Is something wrong?”
“Not at all!”
Shin Jung-ah hid the paper I had handed her and stuffed it into her back pocket.
Gwak Young-ho saw it too, but apparently thought it was nothing worth inquiring about.
“You’re here too, Deputy Manager Kang? Nothing urgent?”
“There are things to handle, but nothing pressing.”
“Is that so?”
Gwak Young-ho spoke as if things were going well, then pulled out a cigarette and lit it. He turned his gaze toward Shin Jung-ah.
“Manager Shin didn’t mention anything separately?”
“No, sir. Please go ahead.”
Shin Jung-ah’s response suggested that what she’d been about to say was also related to Gwak Young-ho.
“Is there something you wanted to say?”
“Nothing major. Phew! So there’s nothing urgent that needs to be handled separately, right?”
Gwak Young-ho asked the question with a slight smile, cigarette held between his fingers.
I suddenly felt the need to answer carefully.
Shin Jung-ah, watching me from beside him, sent a look that confirmed this was the right instinct.
“Whatever you decide, sir.”
“Hmm?”
Gwak Young-ho’s expression shifted to one of pleasant surprise.
“I do have some work, but it’s not urgent and can be finished by late morning. If you have any pressing tasks, I’ll adjust my afternoon schedule to accommodate them.”
Gwak Young-ho’s eyes showed genuine appreciation.
“Well then, you and Lee Jin-pyung go check out Gaseong-dong once.”
“Gaseong-dong? Isn’t that where the logistics warehouse is located?”
“The contract just ended recently. We were planning to renew it, but you know it didn’t work out, right?”
“Yes.”
The problem was that the building owner had changed.
The original owner had passed away from old age, and his young son inherited the property.
The son then had the audacity to demand higher usage fees, which ultimately led to the contract renewal falling through.
“You need to secure a new warehouse building. Go with Lee Jin-pyung.”
“With Lee Jin-pyung, you mean…”
“What? You don’t like it?”
“No, sir. Of course not.”
Gwak Young-ho chuckled as if he understood completely.
“He’s a bit blunt, but he’s not a bad person. Guide him well.”
Lee Jin-pyung wasn’t someone with a good reputation—so much so that even a non-superior like me was being asked to help manage him.
It all came down to his excessive taciturnity.
To put it kindly, he was introverted; to put it harshly, he was frustratingly inscrutable. That was Lee Jin-pyung.
“Think of it as getting some fresh air and have a good trip. Lee Jin-pyung has already prepared the company vehicle, so there’s nothing else to worry about. Understood?”
“Yes, understood.”
I bowed my head and descended the stairs first.
I could faintly hear Shin Jung-ah and Gwak Young-ho whispering quietly, but it didn’t sound like gossip, so I decided not to pay attention.
***
As always, I resolved lunch at the Company Cafeteria.
Unlike a major corporation, there was no choice between Western and Korean cuisine, but it was still far better than the school cafeteria meals from my student days.
Though I had to purchase meal tickets, the cost was negligible—so much so that I sometimes missed this cafeteria even on days off.
After finishing my meal, I grabbed my bag and headed out to the Parking Lot.
I’d brought my bag because I was leaving early from the office.
For a Friday afternoon, nothing could be better than this.
“Manager Lee!”
Even though I’d left five minutes early, Lee Jin-pyung was waiting for me in the Parking Lot.
“Why are you standing out here instead of waiting in the car?”
“I was worried you might not find it.”
His voice was low and mumbled.
Yes, this was Lee Jin-pyung all right.
I managed a thin smile and let my gaze drift downward toward his feet.
‘Still the same as always.’
There it was—a presence visible only to those with spiritual sight.
A white Spitz that Lee Jin-pyung had raised long ago.
Its tail tilted to one side, and unlike its owner, it seemed remarkably sociable.
The moment our eyes met, the dog bounded toward me, tail wagging furiously, showering me with affection.
Had Lee Jin-pyung not been present, I might have reached down to pet its head.
“I’ll drive.”
“Huh? Oh, yes.”
The taciturn Lee Jin-pyung settled naturally into the driver’s seat while I climbed into the passenger side.
The dog?
It had initially climbed into the passenger seat with me, but now it hopped onto Lee Jin-pyung’s lap.
Its face radiated pure happiness, yet each time I witnessed such a sight, I felt a pang of pity.
The person who would most want to see that brilliant smile was its owner, yet he could never see it.
‘You must know, and yet you still smile.’
Watching the Spitz settle onto its owner’s lap and nuzzle its head against Lee Jin-pyung’s stomach, I swallowed down the bittersweet emotion rising within me.
Vroooom!
The engine of the shared company vehicle sputtered to life with a labored sound.
Gaseong-dong lay between Pyeongtaek and Yongin.
We had to break away from Osan toward the outskirts, driving for quite some time along a sparse road lined with dump trucks and low-rise buildings.
I sipped the coffee I’d grabbed from the Break Room, making occasional conversation with Lee Jin-pyung.
“I hear the warehouse we’re heading to is in decent condition?”
“I don’t know.”
Lee Jin-pyung answered curtly.
Still, I showed no sign of displeasure.
I knew this was simply how Lee Jin-pyung was, and I understood there was no ill intent behind it.
“I heard the previous warehouse owner is demanding the goods be removed quickly. I hope things work out smoothly—otherwise, we’ll have to make the rounds again.”
“Yes.”
Kang Hyung-seok found himself talking far more than usual.
Even when Lee Jin-pyung responded in his characteristically blunt manner, there was no sign of displeasure from him.
“By the way, I heard you quoted an incredibly low rent? The warehouse must be quite old.”
“This is my first time going there too….”
“Is that so? Then this would be the Company’s first visit as well.”
Kang Hyung-seok entered the destination address into his phone’s map application.
He was thinking of checking the street view when the cries of crows drifting through the window captured his attention.
Caw, caw, caw.
An overwhelming multitude of crows filled the sky, so dense they obscured his vision.
“I’ve heard there are a lot of crows around Osan….”
Since it was merely muttered under his breath, Lee Jin-pyung offered no response.
Kang Hyung-seok rested his phone on his lap and gazed up at the flock of crows with narrowed eyes.
‘What is this? Why do I feel….’
Uneasy.
Was it because I’d witnessed so many crows?
The sensation of a powerful déjà vu—as though I’d experienced something like this before—prompted me to shift my gaze toward the bag at my feet.
It was at that very moment.
Whirrrrrrrrrrrring!
The Shaman’s Bell inside the bag signaled danger.

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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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