An Office Worker Is Good At Exorcism - Chapter 37

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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 36
Part 4. So You’re a Real Vengeful Spirit (2)
“A-are you alright?”
Gwak Young-ho stammered in confusion, Ma Jin-su watched Kang Hyung-seok with alarmed eyes, and Kang Hyung-seok retrieved a napkin to wipe the spilled coffee from the table.
“I apologize. It seems I asked an inappropriate question.”
“N-no, not at all!”
Ma Jin-su shook his head vigorously and wiped the cold sweat from his face with a clean napkin.
Then he looked at Kang Hyung-seok with a face drained of color, his eyes filled with dread.
“How much do you know?”
“I’d like to hear about the original owner first.”
While Gwak Young-ho watched in bewilderment, Kang Hyung-seok focused intently on Ma Jin-su’s lips.
The tightly sealed lips trembled several times before opening with great effort.
“Yesterday, I received a call from the warehouse’s original owner’s family. They said he had passed away.”
So the Factory Owner was dead.
But yesterday?
Kang Hyung-seok recalled the moment Kim Soon-hee had been guided to the afterlife.
‘They met.’
Whether it was mere coincidence that the timing aligned, or whether heaven itself had waited for that moment, I couldn’t say.
In any case, the Factory Owner appeared to have departed this world.
“From what I hear, the circumstances were grim. It wasn’t a natural death, they said.”
Karma is truly terrifying.
Thinking of the Factory Owner who had borne that karma in full, Kang Hyung-seok furrowed his brow. Then he simply gazed at Ma Jin-su.
“Is your father doing well?”
The confusion in Gwak Young-ho’s eyes deepened further.
Still, Ma Jin-su paid him no mind, his hands trembling as he gripped the coffee cup.
“It seems your father had something to say.”
Ma Jin-su nodded involuntarily, then dropped his head.
“My father appeared last night.”
Gwak Young-ho let out a groan and looked back and forth between Kang Hyung-seok and Ma Jin-su, utterly bewildered by the situation.
Before them, Ma Jin-su continued, wringing out his words.
“It was the first time. He appeared looking at peace.”
“Well, that’s good then. Isn’t it, Kang?”
“Yes.”
It was right after Kang Hyung-seok answered Gwak Young-ho.
“He said he had finally been forgiven.”
Ma Jin-su gazed at Kang Hyung-seok with trembling eyes.
Though Gwak Young-ho cast a puzzled glance, Ma Jin-su continued to stare only at Kang Hyung-seok, fidgeting with his coffee cup.
The emotions in his gaze were unmistakably fear, confusion, and gratitude.
“My father said this: ‘I have one request. So I want to fulfill that request on my part.'”
Rustle.
Ma Jin-su retrieved a brown envelope from the bag he’d been using as a backrest and placed it on the table.
Gwak Young-ho’s gaze dropped to the envelope.
His eyes betrayed that he already knew roughly what it contained.
So the words that followed from Ma Jin-su came as no surprise.
“It’s a contract. Please take a look.”
Normally, such a contract should be drafted through mutual consultation.
Yet the warehouse owner, Ma Jin-su, had unilaterally rewritten it.
Still, given the conversation that had preceded this moment, Gwak Young-ho silently withdrew the contract from the envelope.
“No, this is….”
Bewildered, Gwak Young-ho lifted his head to look at Ma Jin-su, who then glanced toward Kang Hyung-seok before responding.
“Please consider it as my father’s wishes.”
“Still, though. No, this is really….”
Three years of free usage.
After that, usage fees would be charged.
But even those fees were thirty percent lower than the original contract.
Given that the initial price had already been modest, these terms were nothing short of revolutionary.
And the pinnacle was that the Company would decide when the contract ended.
“I heard your original warehouse’s contract ended when the owner changed. With my warehouse, that won’t happen.”
Even if the warehouse were transferred to Ma Jin-su’s son, the Company would be able to use it with complete stability.
As Gwak Young-ho’s mouth fell agape at these absurd terms, Ma Jin-su drew a deep breath and straightened his posture.
Then, looking at Kang Hyung-seok, he spoke.
“There’s also something I’d like to apologize for personally.”
Kang Hyung-seok nodded silently.
Ma Jin-su was an ordinary man.
And so both good and evil dwelled within him.
Though he hadn’t said it aloud, he must have known that the warehouse was called the Haunted House and that something existed within it.
When the contract was first made, Ma Jin-su had remained outside the warehouse.
He likely understood that there was nothing good to be gained by entering such a place.
“…You knew, didn’t you?”
Ma Jin-su asked Kang Hyung-seok, and Gwak Young-ho’s gaze followed suit.
Kang Hyung-seok took one deep breath and nodded.
“Yes.”
“I’m sorry.”
While Gwak Young-ho’s eyes asked ‘What on earth are they talking about?’, Kang Hyung-seok spoke to Ma Jin-su.
“What has happened has happened, and what has been resolved has been resolved. I’m glad your father found peace.”
“Do you think he truly found peace?”
“He said so in the dream, didn’t he? That he was forgiven. Your father must have gone to a good place.”
“…I hope that’s the case.”
“Being forgiven is not an easy thing. Just as forgiving someone else is never easy.”
Ma Jin-su lifted his head, revealing eyes glistening with moisture.
“Your father must have lived his entire life burdened by self-reproach. Yet through that suffering, he earned his redemption. He is forgiven now.”
Gwak Young-ho found Kang Hyung-seok unfamiliar.
It was as though he had become someone entirely different—his demeanor, his tone of voice, all transformed.
It reminded him of the sensation he’d felt when the Shaman had blessed him at the Shamanic Temple, the day his wife had dragged him there.
He glanced nervously at Ma Jin-su, worried the man might take offense, but Ma Jin-su remained wholly absorbed in Kang Hyung-seok’s words.
“Are you saying my father has truly been forgiven?”
“Do not seek to know what he has been forgiven for.”
Ma Jin-su flinched, then nodded slowly. Kang Hyung-seok’s voice grew firmer as he continued.
“It is finished. Your father’s karmic debt has been resolved, and he shall ascend the wheel of rebirth. But your karmic debt remains unsettled.”
“Hey, Kang—”
Gwak Young-ho tried urgently to cut him off.
But Ma Jin-su raised his hand, silently pleading with him to stop, and Gwak Young-ho had no choice but to fall silent.
“What must I do?”
Knowingly renting out the Warehouse despite understanding it was a Haunted House.
Profiting from the Haunted House’s dark reputation.
Providing the circumstances that led to Lee Jin-pyung’s death.
These were Ma Jin-su’s karmic debts.
“Live through service and charity. Donations would serve you well. Through these acts, you may cleanse your karma.”
“Is that… all?”
“It depends on the sincerity of your heart.”
As Kang Hyung-seok answered with such clarity, Ma Jin-su’s head bowed deeply.
“Thank you. Thank you so much. Truly, from the depths of my heart, thank you, sir.”
Ma Jin-su’s expression had grown lighter, as though a long-held resentment had finally been released.
And so Gwak Young-ho sensed that something was profoundly amiss in this moment, yet he found himself unable to speak.
***
Vroom.
Inside the car heading back to the Company, Gwak Young-ho lit a cigarette.
Kang Hyung-seok sat in the passenger seat, his usual bag resting on his lap.
Click.
“Exhale.”
“Are you alright?”
“What do you mean?”
“Your expression looks troubled.”
Gwak Young-ho looked at Kang Hyung-seok with amusement, then lifted the corners of his lips while keeping the cigarette between his teeth.
But the smile faded quickly.
“What was that back there?”
“Are you referring to my conversation with the Warehouse manager?”
Gwak Young-ho’s eyes widened briefly before he nodded in response.
The car glided smoothly along the highway’s dedicated lane, a quiet stretch of road where the cruise control kept everything running seamlessly.
This allowed Gwak Young-ho to focus on the conversation while driving.
“In all my years, I’ve never seen anything like this. First, he suddenly agrees to a contract that puts him at a disadvantage, then he hands it over while saying thank you.”
Kang Hyung-seok closed his mouth, swallowing a groan.
‘Did I overdo it?’
There had been a way to simply thank him for the new contract and slip away gracefully.
But that hadn’t felt like the right approach.
Through the words Kang Hyung-seok had offered, Ma Jin-su had found peace.
He’d even learned how to wash away his past sins.
What remained was Gwak Young-ho’s gaze, and smoothing things over seemed essential to avoid complications at the Company.
Kang Hyung-seok rolled down the window and opened his mouth.
“I was simply matching his expectations. He seemed to be looking for that kind of response.”
Kang Hyung-seok gauged Gwak Young-ho’s reaction as the older man took a deep drag and spoke.
“You majored in folklore studies, didn’t you?”
“Yes? Yes.”
Gwak Young-ho gripped the steering wheel with the cigarette between his fingers, tilting his head slightly.
“Since I know nothing about folklore, I’m curious—do they teach you things like that in school?”
“What exactly are you asking about?”
“The way you speak like a Shaman.”
Kang Hyung-seok rubbed his forehead.
His head felt warm, but he sensed he could navigate this situation smoothly if he played it right.
“Well, to be honest, it wasn’t something I formally learned.”
“Really?”
Gwak Young-ho’s surprise was so genuine that he even turned his head, which startled Kang Hyung-seok in return.
Still, modern cruise control really is remarkable.
The car didn’t waver even in a situation like this.
“I conducted research for a project and ended up speaking with Shamans frequently. Through those conversations, I picked it up as a side skill, it seems.”
“Is that so…?”
“Yes.”
Since it wasn’t a complete lie, Kang Hyung-seok could answer with a clear conscience.
That’s why Gwak Young-ho’s face grew even more contemplative.
“What’s wrong, sir?”
“Hmm, it’s nothing.”
“Please tell me. It’s been bothering me.”
Gwak Young-ho glanced at Kang Hyung-seok and lifted one corner of his mouth.
Then he smoked his cigarette in silence, and only after flicking the butt into an empty cup with melted ice that he’d brought from the Cafe did he open his mouth.
“Actually, my wife visits the Shamanic Temple.”
“The Shamanic Temple?”
“I’m not sure what it is, but she’s been acting strange all weekend. Like she’s done something wrong to me or something.”
“Ah…”
“And remember what you said about your energy being off before signing the contract? So I went early in the morning to get a talisman, and do you know what they told me there?”
“What did they say?”
Gwak Young-ho looked at Kang Hyung-seok with a rather enigmatic smile.
“They said I didn’t need a talisman. And they said a noble person has attached themselves to me, so I should cherish them and hold onto them.”
“Shamans tend to say pleasing things like that anyway.”
Gwak Young-ho is not someone who believes in Shamanism.
So he couldn’t openly admit that he was the one who had guided the Vengeful Spirit to the afterlife, and instead deflected appropriately.
“I said the same thing back then too.”
Gwak Young-ho glanced briefly at the navigation and continued speaking with that same enigmatic expression.
“When the Warehouse owner brought up the contract renewal, I wondered if maybe. But then when I saw how you were talking with the Warehouse owner, I thought that Shaman might have been right.”
“So am I the noble person?”
“Puhaha!”
Though I’d meant it as a joke, Gwak Young-ho responded with hearty laughter.
“I wish that were true. But to me, Kang, a noble person is a subordinate who works well and is beneficial to the Company.”
“Yes.”
“In that sense, you were a noble person today. It seems your stake in this contract renewal was quite significant.”
Is that how he resolved it?
Did Gwak Young-ho organize his thoughts this way?
Kang Hyung-seok looked at Gwak Young-ho’s profile and hugged his bag closer.
The handle of the Shaman’s Bell wrapped in cloth pricked sharply against my chest.
“Anyway, I need to report this to the Company, but this is going to be a headache.”
Gwak Young-ho muttered as if to himself, and his eyes sparkled as he changed lanes, struck by a good idea.
“Kang, let’s mix this up a bit when we report it.”
“Pardon?”
“If we report it as is, we won’t hear anything good. So let’s blend the facts a little and present it appropriately.”
He wasn’t talking about bibimbap.
When Kang Hyung-seok sent a questioning look about how exactly they would frame the situation, Gwak Young-ho unconsciously picked up the cup with the cigarette butt in it, then set it down in alarm.
“Let’s say you impressed the Warehouse Owner, negotiated well, and secured favorable contract terms. How does that sound?”
“Wait, just a moment. What about you, sir?”
He would become nothing more than a supporting player.
They had gone on the business trip together, but if only Kang Hyung-seok looked good and got promoted, how would his superiors view Gwak Young-ho?
That was what worried me, yet Gwak Young-ho’s expression suggested he didn’t care.
“If we lie about something like this and the story gets twisted later, that’s far more fatal, you know.”
“Sir.”
“Let’s just go with it. And hey, I’m a department head too—you think I’d do this without a plan?”
He would secure his own share at an appropriate level.
That was what he meant.
The best approach would be for Kang Hyung-seok to handle all the major and critical work, while Gwak Young-ho would be credited with planning and laying the groundwork.
“Originally, I was going to push you forward, you know.”
Gwak Young-ho had muttered so quietly that Kang Hyung-seok didn’t hear him.
“Pardon?”
“Huh? No, it’s nothing.”
Though Gwak Young-ho tried to brush it off, his expression made his meaning clear enough.
Kang Hyung-seok smiled, his lips curling upward, and opened his mouth.
“I hope everything works out well.”
“Of course it will! We landed a great contract—how could it not? You, my friend, were truly a noble person this time.”
Gwak Young-ho seemed to like the word “noble” so much that he muttered it several more times afterward.
He didn’t seem to dwell on Kang Hyung-seok’s strange behavior at the Cafe.
Kang Hyung-seok rolled up the window in the car, now completely free of cigarette smoke.
The interior of the automobile fell silent.
As if to say he would no longer concern himself with this matter.
This was a good ending.
The grudge had been resolved, and the case was solved.
Knowing what came after, there were no lingering regrets.
It was as he relaxed, tension draining away, during the drive back to the Company.
Tap, tap.
A single Raven perched on a tree branch, watching the car carrying Kang Hyung-seok, clicked its beak together.
Then it soared high into the air, and other Ravens hidden nearby flew up in pursuit.
Caw! Caw! Caaaw! Caw!
An abnormally large flock of Ravens circled the sky once, then flew westward as if fleeing the sun.

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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
—————