An Office Worker Is Good At Exorcism - Chapter 56

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

Chapter 55
Part 2. They Recognized Each Other (2)
Click.
“Yes, Uncle.”
(Hyung-seok? How have you been?)
“Quite well, thank you. And you, Uncle?”
I continued the call from the congested highway, as though my uncle were telling me to relax and speak naturally.
(Good. Nothing much going on here either.)
“Your voice sounds different, Uncle.”
(Ha! Look at you, all grown up and working now. Wait—is this one of those spiritual things or something?)
I let out a soft laugh and shook my head.
“That’s not it at all, Uncle.”
(Right, right. Anyway, it’s nothing major, but I wanted to ask you about something.)
“Of course, go ahead.”
(One of our heavy equipment operators seems off lately. Says he’s not feeling well.)
“Then he should see a doctor.”
I gave the obvious answer.
But my uncle’s response was anything but obvious.
(He’s already been to the hospital, naturally. But they couldn’t find anything seriously wrong with him.)
“I see…”
(Since you’re good with these kinds of things, I thought I’d ask just in case.)
I glanced at the navigation display showing remaining time, then at the gridlocked highway ahead, and exhaled through my nose.
Then I drew in a breath through my teeth before speaking.
“Do you know what happened to him?”
It wasn’t the tone of someone asking out of mere concern.
It was the tone of someone trying to diagnose what might have occurred, and my uncle understood this distinction perfectly.
(Exactly! Thanks, Hyung-seok.)
My uncle’s voice continued as I scratched my eyebrow with an awkward expression.
(Apparently, at a construction site a while back, he uprooted a tree.)
“Wouldn’t a heavy equipment operator do that sort of thing regularly?”
(True enough! But this tree was apparently… well, it was a particular kind of tree.)
Damn.
I exhaled through my nose to keep the sound from bleeding into the call, my eyebrows furrowing.
“What kind of tree was it?”
(I’m not sure of the specifics, but apparently it was an old tree.)
I pressed my lips together firmly and took one deep breath through my nose.
It wasn’t so much irritation as it was my thoughts deepening.
“Uncle, is he suffering badly?”
(Just numbness in his limbs and nosebleeds. Even though he doesn’t drink, his eyes sometimes get bloodshot.)
“It could be a spiritual affliction.”
(Dongti? What’s that?)
Kang Hyung-seok continued speaking as he navigated through the gradually loosening traffic flow.
“It’s when misfortune strikes because you’ve done something you shouldn’t have.”
(Is it serious?)
It could be.
But the fact that nothing like that has happened yet suggests it might not be at a severe level.
“Later, could you ask that person if there was a rope or something tied to the tree?”
I said this because I didn’t want my Uncle to worry unnecessarily, but the answer came back immediately.
(Apparently not. He said it was just an old tree.)
Then that’s a relief.
If it had been a tree bound with a sacred rope as Kang Hyung-seok suggested, it would have led to real disaster.
That’s because it was a village guardian tree.
A tree that protects the village—if you uproot such a tree, it wouldn’t be strange if your lineage ended or you lost your life.
“It’s a blessing in disguise, but it could also be a sacred tree or one with a spirit dwelling in it. If a deity is angered, it can be resolved through a ritual offering.”
(A ritual offering? What’s that? If you use technical terms, I won’t understand….)
“Ah, well, um, you just need to visit a Shamanic Temple.”
(Oh? Uh, yeah.)
“But don’t just go to any Shamanic Temple.”
Uncle has no knowledge in this area.
It would be fortunate if he found a decent Shamanic Temple on the first try, but the chances of that happening are as slim as the number of fraudulent temples out there.
“Do you remember the Shamans we visited at the hospital before? I’ll introduce you to the Shamanic Temple they run.”
(Ha! Thanks, Hyung-seok.)
Kang Hyung-seok was about to hang up when something suddenly came to mind, and he opened his mouth.
“Uncle, would it be alright if I asked you for one favor?”
(Of course! Tell me anything. Anything at all.)
“You know what company I work for, right?”
(Of course I do.)
Since I needed to ask for something difficult, Kang Hyung-seok bit his lip once before speaking carefully.
“I’d like to make a connection with a construction company. I was wondering if you could perhaps put in a good word for me.”
(Ah, so that’s it…?)
A hesitant tone.
It wasn’t disappointing since I had anticipated this.
“Please don’t feel pressured. Just keep my request in mind, and whenever an opportunity comes up or if there’s somewhere you think you could introduce me, I’ll ask you then.”
(Right, that’s easy then. No, of course I should. You’ve helped me so much.)
A faint smile crossed Kang Hyung-seok’s lips.
(No, wait. Hyung-seok.)
“Yes, Uncle.”
(Once I go to work tomorrow, I’ll actively look into it. If I just bring it up with the person in charge, it could be helpful for you.)
Uncle shifted his attitude and came forward more actively.
“Are you sure that’s alright?”
(If I weren’t you, would I be able to talk so comfortably like this?)
“Uncle….”
(You’re not the type to just claim you’re my nephew and leave it at that. Since you’ve helped me as if it were your own matter, I’ll think of it the same way. Understand?)
“Thank you so much.”
(Thanks for last night. Are you heading home from work?)
“Yes. I’m on my way home now.”
(Get there safely! I’ll call you again tomorrow.)
After hanging up, Kang Hyung-seok stared straight ahead, his eyes inexplicably clearing.
It seemed like a situation where I could afford to hold onto hope.
***
I’d expected the call to come around lunchtime, but it didn’t arrive until after 2 PM.
To be honest, I couldn’t say I wasn’t disappointed.
“Cheer up, Manager Kang.”
Shin Jung-ah approached with an amused smile, as if the title “manager” struck her as funny.
In the Rooftop Break Room, where the dreary sky was fully visible, matching Kang Hyung-seok’s mood perfectly.
“Ah, no, it’s nothing.”
“Nothing? Your disappointment is written all over your face.”
“I thought at least they’d contact me if things didn’t work out.”
Seeing how dejected Kang Hyung-seok looked, Shin Jung-ah suppressed her smile and patted his back.
“Come on, buck up. Cheer up. Sales positions aren’t supposed to rely on family anyway.”
“This is my first time experiencing something like this.”
“Didn’t I mention it before? I had a friend who tried insurance sales for a bit.”
Since this was the first time hearing this story, Kang Hyung-seok listened attentively.
“She’s incredibly gentle-natured. So naturally, insurance sales wasn’t easy for her. She ended up asking her relatives if they’d at least consider a consultation. So what do you think happened?”
“What happened?”
“They said they’d gladly consult with her, but later completely changed their tune. ‘It doesn’t work out today for this reason. Tomorrow it won’t work for that reason.’ And so on.”
Understanding how my friend must have felt, Kang Hyung-seok laughed bitterly.
“Eventually she quit the insurance company, saying she couldn’t take it anymore. Then, like magic, they started calling her back. Even relatives you’ve known since childhood are like that.”
Kang Hyung-seok sipped his coffee with a wry expression and nodded.
I understood.
Both my friend’s feelings and the relatives’ avoidance.
Whether it was desperation or burden, unwelcome emotions felt the same either way.
“Still, yesterday’s conversation ended well, so I had some hope.”
“Lighten up. Don’t feel too hurt about your uncle.”
“I’m not thinking that way.”
“Sure you’re not. Your expression is gloomy.”
Shin Jung-ah lit a cigarette and looked up at the sky.
Dark clouds filled it completely—rain could come at any moment.
“Want to grab the director and have a company dinner today? It looks like it might rain anyway. How about the Pajeon Restaurant?”
“A company dinner?”
“That’s perfect. Pajeon on a rainy day. You tear it up like this and wash it down with makgeolli—thwack!”
Shin Jung-ah mimed eating the pajeon with exaggerated motions.
I understood perfectly well that she was trying to lift my spirits.
I smiled wryly and gave a short nod, and Shin Jung-ah gave my shoulder a light tap.
That was when it happened.
Crash!
The door swung open and Gwak Young-ho appeared with a pale, stricken face.
“Manager Kang! Ah, no, Director Kang! Hey!”
“Yes, sir!”
Whatever was happening clearly demanded urgency, so I answered quickly.
“What did you do? Someone called looking for you!”
His words made no sense, and when I turned to Shin Jung-ah in confusion, Gwak Young-ho rubbed his forehead and tried again.
“Ah, damn it. That! No, wait.”
“Director, please calm down,” Shin Jung-ah interjected.
Gwak Young-ho pulled out a cigarette, lit it, and took a long drag.
When he spoke again, his voice was steadier.
“Phew! Director Kang, is that place you mentioned yesterday Shinjin Construction?”
“Pardon?”
“That place you told me about yesterday. You said you’d try to do something about it. Is that Shinjin Construction?”
Shinjin Construction was one of the most prestigious construction companies in the industry.
A far larger outfit than the one our company had previously tried to break into.
At the news that they had contacted me, my eyebrows shot up.
“I do know someone who works there, but why do you ask?”
“Because they called!”
“What?”
“Start preparing for a business trip! Now! They want to see you!”
“What?”
“I said start preparing! Hurry!”
I moved toward Gwak Young-ho, who was gesturing frantically.
Thump!
Shin Jung-ah pushed me from behind and gave a thumbs up.
Nothing was certain yet, but it seemed like a situation worth holding onto hope for.
Before I could even turn back to her, Gwak Young-ho grabbed my wrist.
He practically dragged me down the stairs, then released my wrist as his breathing grew ragged.
“Huff, huff! Director Kang, opportunities like this don’t come often, so do well and come back safely!”
“Yes, sir!”
As I rushed off, Gwak Young-ho gave me a double thumbs up, then bent over with his hands on his knees, breathing heavily.
Ding!
After hastily preparing for the business trip, I opened my phone and pulled up the text message Gwak Young-ho had sent.
It contained the address I needed to go to, which I immediately entered into my navigation system.
Vroom!
As I started the engine and began driving, my expression betrayed complete bewilderment at the situation.
‘Shinjin Construction is looking for me?’
Upon entering the road, I immediately called my Uncle.
“Uncle!”
(“Huh? Oh! Hyung-seok.”)
“I’m heading to Shinjin Construction Headquarters right now. Did you arrange this?”
(“Huh? What?”)
Why was my Uncle reacting so strangely?
“You said you’d mention it yesterday. Who exactly did you tell?”
(“Oh, no. I only told the site manager, a few team leaders, and a few people from headquarters.”)
He certainly had been diligent in spreading the word.
Yet this hardly seemed reason enough for Shinjin Construction to contact me.
“No, headquarters called me. You really don’t know anything about this?”
(“Well, uh, wait a moment. Let me think about this!”)
“Okay.”
My Uncle fell silent until I entered the expressway, as if genuinely wrestling with the question.
In the meantime, the sound of a radio crackling and the heavy rumble of industrial vehicles came through.
(“Ah, could it be that?”)
“What happened?”
(“Well, actually, you know that incident with the homemade liquor?”)
“Yes.”
(“Because of that, headquarters staff came down and conducted an investigation.”)
“…An investigation?”
(“Well, someone ended up hospitalized, right? They held training sessions and issued notices telling everyone not to share food like homemade liquor with each other.”)
I narrowed my eyes and ran my tongue over my canine tooth thoughtfully.
The pieces seemed to be falling into place.
Shinjin Construction was a major company—they wouldn’t believe in Shamanism.
Did the hospital call in a Shaman?
If anything, they’d blame it rather than credit it as helpful.
‘They wouldn’t have called to make an issue of it. If they had, the manager wouldn’t have reacted that way.’
It must have been something I heard through the grapevine.
There was room for misunderstanding, but someone like Gwak Young-ho wouldn’t easily fall into such a misunderstanding.
“Was it Kim? The person who was in the container?”
(“That’s right. Kim, yes.”)
“They might have called because of helping that person.”
(“Ah!”)
My Uncle exclaimed, as if he hadn’t considered this possibility.
It was I who drove my Uncle and father to the container housing to help Kim, who had lost consciousness after consuming the homemade liquor.
I was the one who broke the window and entered, then opened the door from inside.
If Gwak Young-ho had summoned him to say something favorable about this, his reaction was at least somewhat explained.
“In any case, the opportunity has been created. I’ll handle the rest myself. Thank you, Uncle.”
(Thank him for what? What did I even do?)
“You asked around for me in various places.”
Kang Hyung-seok spoke with genuine gratitude.
However, his uncle’s response suggested the sentiment hadn’t quite landed as intended.
(No, I just probed here and there, that’s all.)
“It’s nothing. I’m driving right now, you see.”
(Ah yes, yes! Drive safely!)
“Right. I’ll get going now.”
Beep.
After ending the call, Kang Hyung-seok tapped the steering wheel with his index finger and drew a deep breath.
‘Let’s do this well.’
In any case, I’d established a connection with Shinjin Construction.
I needed to seize this opportunity properly.
If things went well, it would surely be a tremendous help to both the company and myself.
“Phoooooh!”
It was as I was taking a deep breath to ease the tension.
Tap, tap-tap, tap-tap-tap!
The sky, heavy with dark clouds, finally began to pour down thick sheets of rain.

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