An Office Worker Is Good At Exorcism - Chapter 8

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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 8
Part 3. What Must Not Be Seen (2)
“Turn right in a moment.”
Kang Hyung-seok turned the steering wheel following the navigation’s guidance.
It was 10 a.m. on a weekday.
There were no major roads, and it was an old residential district where redevelopment plans seemed unlikely to materialize anytime soon.
So to put it harshly, it was shabby; to put it kindly, it was a place that stirred nostalgic memories of childhood.
‘The director’s nephew, huh? It’s more ordinary than I expected.’
Then again, they weren’t even direct relatives.
And given how urgently they’d needed to find a place, there probably weren’t many options to choose from.
“You have arrived at your destination. Navigation complete.”
Kang Hyung-seok turned off the engine and stepped out of the car.
His outfit was lighter than his usual casual business attire.
A black crewneck sweater and jeans.
The backpack was the same as always, but instead of a laptop, I’d packed a screwdriver, work gloves, a hammer, and other tools.
And the Shaman bell I’d carefully placed in a pencil case.
There was no particular reason to bring it, but since it was a precious sacred object, I didn’t want to be separated from it if possible.
Ding dong!
After pressing the doorbell, whose sound itself evoked memories.
Click!
The door swung open as if she’d been waiting, and a young woman thrust her face out abruptly.
“Who are you?”
Startled by Shin Jung-ah’s sudden appearance, Kang Hyung-seok bowed his head slightly and introduced himself.
“I’m Kang Hyung-seok from Daejeong Materials…”
“Oh! Please come in. Thank you for coming all this way.”
Shin Jung-ah, who had been expressionless, smiled with the practiced warmth of a professional and gestured inside.
With his tension eased, Kang Hyung-seok followed cautiously behind her.
‘This is a bit different from what I expected.’
She was beautiful enough to be called a beauty.
Her neat bob cut gave off the impression of a competent office worker.
But with her eyes tilted upward at the corners, she also gave off a cold impression.
“Will you install the shelves and clothing rack in the smaller room first?”
“Yes.”
“I’ll be cleaning, so just let me know when you’re done.”
“You can speak casually with me.”
“I see.”
Man, this person really is cold.
Kang Hyung-seok let out a low sigh and opened his bag in the room Shin Jung-ah had shown him.
Dust had accumulated thickly in the spot where he’d left his luggage—probably from the delivery this morning—but there was no need to worry about that.
Thunk, thunk, thunk.
I was in the middle of wrapping cloth around a hammer and assembling the framework of a shelf.
“Please have some while you work.”
Shin Jung-ah suddenly appeared and set down a canned coffee before leaving without another word.
‘Is that just how she is?’
The impression that it would be difficult to get close to her felt as thick and cloying as the sweetness of the canned coffee.
Thunk, thunk, thunk.
“The shelf assembly is complete!”
“Understood.”
Shin Jung-ah brought boxes and began filling the shelf with items in the same room as Kang Hyung-seok.
An awkward silence hung in the air since neither of them spoke, but it was Kang Hyung-seok who broke it first.
“I heard you were coming in as a manager.”
“You heard about that too?”
“Yes. I hope that wasn’t inappropriate.”
At that moment, Shin Jung-ah’s gaze shifted toward Kang Hyung-seok.
“It seems you asked quite a lot of questions.”
“I happened to overhear it. If I’ve offended you, I apologize.”
“No.”
Yet despite saying so, Shin Jung-ah’s expression looked deeply displeased.
Her eyes seemed to say, ‘How do you even know something like that?’
With his lips pressed firmly together, Kang Hyung-seok organized the hangers he was holding and spoke.
“It seems I’m making you uncomfortable.”
“Pardon?”
Perhaps because of the emotion underlying his voice, Shin Jung-ah’s eyes narrowed.
“I heard you were coming to our department. The director asked me to help, so I came.”
“…Pardon?”
“If I’m making you uncomfortable, I’ll leave.”
Not as if he were making empty words, Kang Hyung-seok removed his work gloves. As he then opened his bag and began putting his tools inside, Shin Jung-ah spoke up in confusion.
“You’re… from the company?”
Kang Hyung-seok paused, his hand on the zipper, and looked up at Shin Jung-ah.
“You didn’t know?”
“Oh! Ah!”
Emotion suddenly flooded across Shin Jung-ah’s previously expressionless face, as if this were truly her nature.
“I’m sorry. I need to step out for a moment.”
Shin Jung-ah left the room with an angry expression, phone in hand.
After talking for quite some time, she returned with her gaze and shoulders averted.
“I’m sorry. I thought you were from a staffing agency since my uncle—I mean, the director—said he’d found someone to help.”
Shin Jung-ah looked flustered and apologetic, clearly at a loss for what to do.
“Did you perhaps just speak with the director…?”
“No! With my aunt. Ah.”
Shin Jung-ah squeezed her eyes shut, then irritably scratched her head and bowed deeply to Kang Hyung-seok.
“I’m so sorry. I was completely out of line.”
“Not at all, Manager. I understand perfectly.”
“Ugh, really. It was such an unimaginable situation that I completely lost my composure.”
Shin Jung-ah kept apologizing, her face flushed with embarrassment.
“Let me throw a welcome dinner for you later. I hope you’ll feel better about this.”
“…Yes.”
“I’m truly sorry. Really.”
It was difficult to refuse someone who was apologizing so earnestly that it became awkward.
Still, the initial tension between us had dissipated.
After reintroducing themselves with their ages and names, they continued their conversation in a much more comfortable atmosphere.
“I’m two years older than you.”
“Since you’re my senior, you don’t need to be so formal with me.”
“Well, even so….”
“It’s actually more comfortable for me if you’re casual.”
Shin Jung-ah smiled sheepishly and nodded.
“Alright then. I’ll be casual with you.”
It must have felt like being shown consideration.
Though it was a misunderstanding, she had made someone uncomfortable, yet he responded this way.
In fact, Shin Jung-ah was looking at Kang Hyung-seok with genuine gratitude in her eyes.
“So what about your tasks for today, Hyung-seok?”
“Manager Gwak Young-ho took care of it for me.”
“Oh, I feel terrible about that.”
“He’s the kind of person who understands. He’s a good man.”
“Is that so…?”
“Yes.”
“What about the other team members?”
As I finished installing the system hanger while chatting with her, it happened.
Ding.
The Shaman’s bell inside my bag rang on its own.
I froze, my eyes fixed on the bag at my feet, then slowly shifted my gaze to Shin Jung-ah standing in front of the shelf.
“I asked what the other team members are like.”
“…Did you not hear something just now?”
“What sound?”
She replied that she hadn’t heard anything.
I looked at the bag, shook my head, and answered.
“No, I must have misheard.”
“You must be tired. Sorry about that.”
“It’s fine. I’m not tired at all.”
“Wait, let me order some food. You haven’t eaten lunch, right? Is black bean noodles okay?”
“Yes, thank you.”
“I’ll place the order, so you just rest, Hyung-seok.”
Shin Jung-ah stepped out of the room to take the call, and I opened my bag to verify the Shaman’s bell was secure.
It lay intact inside the pencil case.
So there was no way it could have chimed from colliding with something.
‘…What is this? Why did it ring on its own?’
It was a spiritual artifact.
Not an ordinary Shaman’s bell, but an object imbued with supernatural power.
The fact that such a bell had chimed with a sound only I could hear unsettled me.
I returned the Shaman’s bell to the pencil case and placed it back in my bag, then slowly approached the wall where the clothing rack was mounted.
Ding.
Confirming the bell had chimed again, I stared at the wall behind the rack.
Was something there?
Yet nothing caught my eye.
It was simply a cleanly papered wall in white.
I confirmed Shin Jung-ah was still on the call, then ran my palm across the wall’s surface.
‘It wouldn’t have rung for no reason. There has to be something.’
I was raising my fingernails to probe beneath the wallpaper when—
“Want some sweet and sour pork?”
Shin Jung-ah had returned and interrupted me.
I withdrew my hand from the wall and shook my head.
“That’s fine. Jjajangmyeon will do.”
“Got it, boss. No set meal then. We’ll go with the original order. One jjajangmyeon and one jjamppong.”
As Shin Jung-ah finished placing the order, I caught a sidelong glance at the wall where the rack was mounted.
To all appearances, it was an unremarkable wall.
Ding, ding, ding.
Yet the Shaman’s bell continued its gentle chiming.
It was fanning the flames of an ominous unease.
***
“You’ve worked hard. I’ll handle the rest on my own.”
It was three o’clock in the afternoon.
Even though the organizing wasn’t finished, Shin Jung-ah had already suggested that I leave first.
“No, ma’am. Let’s finish organizing together.”
“It’s fine. I have some personal things to sort through. I’d rather do it alone.”
Kang Hyung-seok nodded slightly as he surveyed the floor scattered with empty boxes and unopened belongings.
All the heavy lifting was already done.
The rest was just minor organizing, so it didn’t seem like Kang Hyung-seok’s presence was necessary.
“Understood. Then I’ll just—”
It was right after Kang Hyung-seok’s gaze shifted toward the small room.
Buzz, buzz, buzz!
His phone rang insistently, and upon checking the caller, he furrowed his brow.
It was Director Shin Chang-yong.
“My apologies. I’ll take this call and be right back.”
“Sure, go ahead.”
Passing by Shin Jung-ah, I stepped outside and brought the phone to my ear after pressing the answer button.
(Manager Kang!)
Shin Chang-yong’s gruff voice came through loud and sharp.
“Yes, Director.”
(Sorry about this.)
“Sir?”
(How much of the organizing is done?)
“The major items are finished. Only minor boxes remain.”
(Good work. Tell her to handle the rest herself, and get back to the office right now. Hurry.)
“Understood.”
The call ended immediately.
From the tone of the conversation, it seemed like a personal summons, but the urgency in his voice made me wonder if something had happened at the company.
“Was that the Director?”
“Yes. He’s asking me to come to the office right now.”
“The office? Is it urgent?”
“I’m not sure. He did sound urgent about it.”
Besides, Shin Jung-ah had already told me to leave anyway.
I pocketed my phone, removed my gloves, and retrieved my bag from inside.
But something about leaving for the office right then felt off.
It was because of the small room where the Shaman’s bell had rung.
“By the way, ma’am.”
Kang Hyung-seok gestured toward the small room visible beyond the entrance and continued.
“That room there—will you be sleeping in it, perhaps?”
“No, I’m going to use it as a storage room.”
Good.
There was something off about that room.
Though I lacked the time and authority to investigate further, I felt a strong sense that it was a room where one shouldn’t sleep.
“Understood. In that case, please sleep in the master bedroom tonight. It would be best to keep that door closed and leave the windows open.”
Shin Jung-ah looked at the smaller room with confusion, then met Kang Hyung-seok’s gaze.
“Why?”
“The remodeling was done recently, and there’s still quite a bit of paint smell. It doesn’t seem good for your health.”
Shin Jung-ah’s eyes widened.
Then she made a small humming sound through her nose and nodded.
“Got it. Thank you for looking out for me.”
“Not at all. I’ll see you at the office then.”
“Yes. And Hyung-seok, thank you for today.”
Kang Hyung-seok gave a slight bow toward Shin Jung-ah and walked toward his car.
As I turned the car toward the office, I watched her house receding in the rearview mirror.
For some reason, that house kept nagging at me.
Like I had just witnessed a home where something that shouldn’t exist was present.

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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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