An Office Worker Is Good At Exorcism - Chapter 43

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

Chapter 42
Part 6. You Should Meet My Parents Too (2)
The next day, 9:30 AM.
Vroom.
I steered the car toward Shin Jung-ah’s apartment in casual attire and sneakers.
We were near the main gate of the apartment complex where she lived.
Shin Jung-ah, recognizable even from a distance, waved her hand while dressed similarly to how she appeared at the office.
Click!
The moment I stopped the car, Shin Jung-ah loaded her suitcase into the back seat and climbed into the passenger seat.
“Hey!”
“You came all the way out front.”
“Of course. Did you wake up early, Manager Kang?”
Shin Jung-ah asked lightly while fastening her seatbelt, and I answered as I pulled the car completely onto the quiet shoulder of the road.
“Yes. I had a place to stop by first.”
“At this hour?”
I pulled a convenience store bag from the back seat and retrieved a sandwich and canned coffee, handing them to Shin Jung-ah.
“I needed to visit the Shaman’s House I mentioned before.”
“Ah…?”
Watching Shin Jung-ah’s expression turn serious without even glancing at the sandwich and coffee, I laughed, exhaling deeply.
“It wasn’t because of anything strange. I had some shamanic tools I’d borrowed that I needed to return.”
The tools used when I performed the ritual for the Vengeful Spirit in the warehouse.
The hemp cloth and ritual knife belonged to Chung-geum.
“Oh, okay?”
“Yes.”
“No, I’m sorry. If I’d known, I wouldn’t have insisted on coming along.”
“Don’t worry about it. With the holiday break and unexpected vacation time added on, I have plenty of time.”
Despite what I said, my face betrayed my disappointment as I pulled out a canned coffee from the bag and opened it.
‘I couldn’t meet the teacher again.’
The phrase “of all times” fit the situation perfectly.
Lee Geum-kyung was returning from a long business trip, and it just happened to be today, so the timing didn’t work out.
If she arrived, it would be late afternoon, and then I couldn’t keep my promise with Shin Jung-ah.
“Is there anything inconvenient because of me?”
“No. Really, it’s fine, so don’t worry.”
Since there was nothing urgent I needed to discuss with Lee Geum-kyung, I spoke sincerely.
My sincerity came through, and Shin Jung-ah wiped the apology from her face, beginning to eat her sandwich with ease.
“Oh, that’s right! Thanks for this. I didn’t even think of it.”
“Just eat something light for now. We can grab some udon at a rest stop later.”
“I’ll pay for that!”
I laughed heartily, set a new destination on the navigation system, and began driving.
Was it because of Shin Jung-ah’s outfit?
Or perhaps it was because it was a weekday.
Vrooooom!
Speeding down the highway like this felt exactly like heading out on a business trip.
Still, the feeling did change depending on who was riding alongside me.
Back when Noh Su-chul had a terrible personality, I just wished he’d stop breathing so heavily, Namgoong Min-ah felt like a younger sister, but Shin Jung-ah definitely felt like a workplace superior.
“So you’re visiting the client today?”
“Yeah. Since I took over my predecessor’s clients, I should at least show my face once.”
Shin Jung-ah answered while reviewing documents one by one, keeping them on her lap as she pulled them from her carry-on.
“Will you be alright on your own?”
“I’ll make it work. I’m used to this sort of thing.”
Indeed, Shin Jung-ah was a career professional.
She was brought in to replace Noh Su-chul, who held the rank of deputy manager, and so there was nothing surprising about her being promoted to deputy manager whenever that happened.
Depending on circumstances, perhaps this time or the next?
Vrooooom!
Inside the car rumbling steadily along, I nodded quietly, and while driving down the highway, I stopped at a rest stop and bought a bowl of udon for both breakfast and lunch combined.
There wasn’t as much conversation as I’d expected.
Just a little small talk—the kind we’d share while smoking a cigarette on the Company Rooftop.
In any case, that was how I arrived at my destination in Gangwon Province.
“Drop me off here.”
“I can take you a bit further.”
“I’ll just grab a taxi—it won’t take long, so don’t worry about it.”
Shin Jung-ah spoke briskly and got out of the car.
I followed her out and watched with concerned eyes as she pulled her carry-on from the back seat without a care in the world.
“I’ll text you when work’s done. Call me if anything comes up!”
“Understood.”
I answered with an apologetic smile, and Shin Jung-ah let out a short laugh.
“Don’t forget to pick me up on the way back, got it?”
“I know. I won’t forget.”
“Then give my regards to your parents!”
“Yes. Thank you.”
I watched Shin Jung-ah sit down on a bus stop bench one last time before getting back in the car.
As I drove again and glanced in the side mirror, she was focused on her phone, apparently calling for a taxi.
‘Nothing should go wrong.’
She wasn’t the type to panic or bungle things even if something did happen.
At least, that was the Shin Jung-ah I knew.
With only meeting my parents for the first time in a while left to do, I drove on with a somewhat nervous expression.
***
“Damn it.”
My mother, Park Jung-im, greeted me with those words the moment we met at the entrance.
Thwack!
She struck my chest with a fist full of resentment, then immediately pulled me into a tight embrace.
“Why are you only coming now? You should have at least called ahead.”
“If I’d called, you would have prepared all sorts of things. I didn’t want to trouble you.”
“And all this time without calling—that wasn’t troubling me?”
I found myself laughing just like Gwak Young-ho would have.
Then I held my mother tightly in return, nestled in her embrace.
“I’m sorry. I’m truly sorry.”
“Oh my! Have you eaten?”
“I grabbed something at a rest stop. How about Father?”
Park Jung-im stepped back from my arms and pressed the back of her hand firmly against her moist eyes.
“He went fishing with your uncle. He should be back soon.”
I nodded in understanding.
My parents, who lived in Gyeonggi Province, had moved all the way down to Gangwon Province largely because of my uncle’s influence.
My father, Kang Doo-seok, and my uncle, Park Ji-hoon, were both fishing enthusiasts, so there was nothing surprising about it.
“You’re not leaving right away, are you?”
“No. I’ll stay for a few days.”
“Then go wash up and change into comfortable clothes. I’ll go shopping, so use the inner room!”
“Let me go with you in my car.”
“No. There’s a food mart right in front of here. They deliver too, so you don’t need to worry about anything.”
Was she really that happy her son had come home?
Park Jung-im left the house with a perpetually beaming face, her phone in its case that doubled as a wallet in hand.
Left alone, I surveyed the house I’d returned to after so long with a warm expression.
In truth, I had no real memories of this place.
I’d only been here once when my parents moved in.
‘So this is where my parents live.’
A three-room apartment with two bathrooms.
The largest room was my parents’ bedroom, while the other rooms served as a storage closet and study respectively.
The place felt so unfamiliar that if not for the scent of my parents embedded throughout the house, it would have felt like a complete stranger’s home.
I should have visited more often if I’d known it would be like this.
With a hint of regret, I showered and changed into comfortable clothes.
Beep beep beep, buzz!
The door opened, and Park Jung-im rushed back in with a flushed face, as if worried I might have already left.
“Son! I bought so much of the things our son loves. Mom will prepare everything right away.”
“But you said you’d have it delivered?”
“The heavy stuff I had delivered. Just sit down.”
That was easier said than done.
I helped Park Jung-im prepare dinner in the kitchen.
Tap, tap, tap, tap.
Park Jung-im watched with astonishment as I deftly sliced the zucchini into crescent shapes.
“Your knife skills have improved quite a bit. Do you cook often?”
“Yes, quite regularly. These days, you can find recipes for everything online, so I just follow along. It’s convenient.”
“Still, our son is really talented at this. At this rate, you’re ready to get married. Tell me, is there no one special in your life?”
Her eyes gleamed with hopeful anticipation, but I could only offer an awkward smile and shake my head apologetically.
“No one, Mother.”
“All the women in this world must be blind. Our son is this wonderful.”
Every mother in the world must feel the same way.
I smiled while slicing the zucchini, but gradually the smile faded from my face.
‘This isn’t easy. I need to tell them I’ve been called.’
The words simply wouldn’t come.
That I’ve been called by the spirits, that I’ve walked onto the path of Shamanism.
Just thinking about confessing that I’ve become a Shaman made my voice heavy.
Beep, beep! Screech!
“Honey, I’m home!”
“Dear! Come here quickly, hurry.”
“What? Who’s here? I see shoes I don’t recognize.”
I set the knife on the cutting board, washed my hands at the sink, and turned my head.
“Oh my! Who is this!”
“Father.”
“You should have called ahead! You rascal!”
My father, Kang Doo-seok, tossed his fishing bag aside and welcomed me warmly.
“This boy, you look even bigger. Are you exercising?”
“Just the basics, Father. And you’re not having any health issues?”
“Of course not, you fool! Who should be worried about whom?”
Kang Doo-seok certainly looked the part.
His arms and legs were thick enough to suggest he was still active military, and though he was shorter than me, his entire frame appeared solid and sturdy.
His skin, darkened from frequent fishing trips, made him look far healthier than his years.
“Have a seat at the table. By the way, where’s Ji-hoon?”
“My brother-in-law went home.”
“Home?”
“He said he got some rare liquor and went to fetch it.”
“He’ll be back late?”
“He’ll eat and come back. Prepare some side dishes for us later.”
Kang Doo-seok glanced at Park Jung-im’s expression.
Whenever alcohol was mentioned, this always happened, and Park Jung-im, who usually reacted sensitively, let it pass without comment this time, perhaps because I was present.
Soon, rice, stew, kimchi, and an abundance of side dishes were laid out on the table.
Though it was home-cooked food after a long time, I couldn’t easily pick up the spoon.
“What’s wrong? Do you have something to say?”
Park Jung-im, reading the worry etched across Kang Hyung-seok’s face, spoke to him with concern, and Kang Doo-seok, who had been holding his spoon, also turned his gaze forward with his brows drawn together.
It was time to speak.
Before my uncle Park Ji-hoon arrived, it was right to lay everything bare while we were alone as a family.
“Sigh.”
Kang Hyung-seok exhaled softly, then opened his mouth while looking at his parents.
“I’ve received the calling.”
Then he observed their reactions.
Just as I expected.
The harmonious atmosphere that had filled the room moments before fled through the window like a caught thief, replaced by an awkward and heavy silence.
Kang Hyung-seok closed his lips, then opened them again at the sight of his parents’ hardened faces.
“Apparently, I don’t have to open a Shamanic Temple.”
“Who told you that?”
“Lee Geum-kyung.”
Kang Doo-seok, who had spoken sharply in that instant, crossed his arms and let out a heavy sigh.
The atmosphere remained awkward, but it was less heavy than before.
It seemed that learning their son had received the calling but didn’t have to live as a shaman provided some comfort.
That’s how shamanism is.
There’s the matter of perception, and there are no shortage of people who view shamans through prejudiced eyes from the start.
There are many who have moved abroad to avoid receiving the calling, or who spend tens of millions of won delaying the initiation ceremony.
“So you’re not becoming a shaman?”
“Halfway. She said I should become a shaman within people.”
Kang Doo-seok’s complexion darkened, and Park Jung-im, flustered, alternated her gaze between her son and husband.
“What about your job?”
“I’m continuing as before.”
“You’re not doing anything dangerous?”
“There hasn’t been anything dangerous.”
“You’re not seeing ghosts or suffering in any way?”
“No.”
A rather long silence fell.
As the silence stretched, Park Jung-im grew noticeably anxious, while Kang Hyung-seok waited for his parents’ response with a composed expression.
And Kang Doo-seok, who had kept his mouth firmly shut until now, uncrossed his arms and met Kang Hyung-seok’s gaze.
“Then that’s fine.”
As if refusing to turn away from his son’s difficult confession, Kang Doo-seok continued speaking.
“If you’re okay with it, then I’m okay with it.”
His eyes held no light of hollow comfort or falsehood.
Kang Hyung-seok silently lifted the corners of his mouth in a smile, then bowed his head with gratitude.

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