Goblin Library - Chapter 39

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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 39

[It’s a virgin ghost.]
At the Shoe Goblin’s words, Yu Tae-poong asked in surprise.
“A virgin ghost?”
[Yes, a virgin ghost.]
The Shoe Goblin answered again. Then the Dung Carrier Goblin quickly stopped him.
“Hey. Don’t tell Yu Tae-poong too much about our world.”
[Huh?]
“He might get scared if he knows.”
At the Dung Carrier Goblin’s words, the Shoe Goblin paused before speaking.
[A virgin ghost… well… he probably won’t have any reason to see one anyway, so there’s nothing to worry about.]
After hearing both goblins speak, Yu Tae-poong paused before saying something.
“So ghosts really do exist, it seems.”
At Yu Tae-poong’s words, the Shoe Goblin laughed.
[You’re talking to a goblin right now and you don’t find that strange?]
He meant that it was odd to find ghosts strange when he was already conversing with a goblin.
“Well… that’s true.”
As Yu Tae-poong answered with embarrassment, the Shoe Goblin laughed and spoke.
[The Dung Carrier Goblin told me not to talk about our world, so I won’t go into detail, but ghosts are nothing special. When a person dies, that’s what a ghost is. It’s a natural thing, so if you just think of them as invisible people… there’s nothing strange or scary about it.]
Yu Tae-poong pondered the Shoe Goblin’s words and looked at the Dung Carrier Goblin.
“But in movies and things, ghosts hurt people, don’t they?”
At Yu Tae-poong’s words, the Dung Carrier Goblin looked at him and smacked his lips.
“Since you’ve heard this much, you know ghosts exist. I should explain it in a way that doesn’t scare you. If you know things halfway, you get frightened, but if you understand properly, it’s fine—that’s how our world works.”
The Dung Carrier Goblin took a breath and continued.
“First, ghosts don’t hurt people. Well, sure, some of them like to play pranks… but even if they do, people can’t see them anyway, so it doesn’t matter. And like the Shoe Goblin said, you can just think of ghosts as dead people—nothing more.”
The Dung Carrier Goblin raised both hands.
“Here are the living people, here are the dead people. Simple, right?”
“But people being dead is what makes it scary.”
At Yu Tae-poong’s words, the Dung Carrier Goblin looked at him and raised his hand.
Whoosh!
A newspaper flew into the Dung Carrier Goblin’s hand.
Snap!
The Dung Carrier Goblin caught the newspaper and laid it on the table, then unfolded it.
Rustle! Rustle!
The Dung Carrier Goblin unfolded the newspaper silently, and when he found what he was looking for, he looked at Yu Tae-poong and pointed to an article.
Yu Tae-poong then looked at where he was pointing.

「Four in the morning…」

The article detailed an incident from early that morning. It was the story of a man who had assaulted a drunk passerby without provocation at 4 AM.
The perpetrator had stolen the victim’s wallet and phone, then abandoned him in an alley and fled.
He had even hidden the victim where few would notice, and as a result, the victim never received timely medical treatment and died.
Once Yu Tae-poong finished reading the news, the Dung Carrier Goblin spoke.
“The living are far more terrifying than the dead. Only humans harm their own kind without reason.”
Yu Tae-poong nodded at the Dung Carrier Goblin’s words.
“Come to think of it, I’ve never seen a news story about a ghost killing someone.”
“Exactly. So there’s no need to be afraid.”
“I understand.”
Yu Tae-poong smiled while reading, and before shelving the book, he spoke.
“Do you happen to have a book recommendation?”
[A recommendation? If you enjoyed my books, you’d enjoy them all.]
“Rather than someone trying to succeed through wrongdoing, I’d like to read about someone like Oh Ja-myeong—someone pursuing good deeds and a righteous path.”
[Then… look at Lee Gang-hun.]
“Lee Gang-hun?”
[It’s a book I’m currently writing, and it should be worthwhile. The protagonist is kind to the weak and sharp with the strong.]
“Sharp?”
[You’ll understand when you read it.]
At the Shoe Goblin’s words, Yu Tae-poong nodded and shelved the book. Then, adjusting his glasses, he concentrated.
“The Shoe Goblin’s book, 【Lee Gang-hun】.”
Whoosh!
An arrow appeared, and Yu Tae-poong moved toward where it pointed.
He found the book the arrow indicated within the shelf and pulled it out.

【Lee Gang-hun】
Author: Shoe Goblin.

After reading the title 【Lee Gang-hun】, Yu Tae-poong turned the page.
Rustle!

***

Lee Gang-hun worked as a section chief at the Trade Company.
He was fluent in Japanese and English, and possessed a reasonable command of Chinese as well.
With Korean as his foundation, he was an exceptionally intelligent and talented individual capable of wielding four languages.
Moreover, he had once identified and prevented a critical flaw in a business venture that would have caused the company substantial losses had it proceeded.
Yet precisely because of this, he had fallen out of favor with several superiors and remained stuck at his current rank, unable to advance to director.
Though he had shielded the company from harm, those superiors who had conceived and championed the business proposal felt thoroughly undermined by his intervention.

***

Late in the evening, Lee Gang-hun was on a call with an employee from a United States company, verifying the shipment of goods arriving in Korea.
After ending the call, Lee Gang-hun exhaled wearily and glanced at his watch. It was approaching ten o’clock at night.
While it was ten in the evening in Korea, it was roughly nine in the morning in the United States.
『These Americans always insist on calling at times convenient for them.』
Muttering softly, Lee Gang-hun pulled out his phone and gazed at the home screen.
The background displayed an adorable infant clutching a bottle and smiling. Seeing the child, Lee Gang-hun smiled before sighing.
『Dad will be home soon.』
With a quiet chuckle, Lee Gang-hun gathered his documents and tablet into his bag and left the office.
Scattered lights still illuminated various sections of the office as he looked around.
It appeared other employees were also working overtime. Passing by the lit offices, Lee Gang-hun approached the elevator.
He pressed the button and waited for the elevator to arrive.
Ding!
As the doors opened with a chime, Lee Gang-hun’s steps faltered momentarily before entering.
A middle-aged man stood inside the elevator with his hands clasped behind his back.
After a brief hesitation, Lee Gang-hun lowered his head and stepped inside. The middle-aged man glanced at his wristwatch.
『Leaving rather late, aren’t you?』
『I had to contact a client.』
『Surely that could be handled from home, couldn’t it?』
Despite the seemingly considerate tone, there was an edge to his voice that made Lee Gang-hun lower his gaze.
『I prefer not to bring work home.』
『Be more flexible. It’s not as though you’re doing anything remarkable.』
Lee Gang-hun’s expression stiffened slightly at the man’s words, then he silently fixed his gaze on the floor indicator display.
Observing Lee Gang-hun, the man let out a soft snort and withdrew his wallet.
He extracted a fifty-thousand-won note and extended it.
『Take a taxi home.』
Lee Gang-hun squinted at the offer before accepting the money.
『….』
The man watched Lee Gang-hun accept the money in silence, then exited as the elevator stopped, turning back to look at him.
『Aren’t you getting off?』
『I’m heading to the parking garage.』
『You have a car?』
“When I was an assistant manager, there was none. I don’t take taxis, but I’ll use this for gas.”
“Ah…”
At Lee Gang-hun’s words, the Goblin Man looked at him, then spun around sharply and walked away.
As the elevator doors closed, Lee Gang-hun bit his lip.
“It wasn’t my fault—it was your mistake. Why are you punishing me for it?”
Director Kim, who had just left, had been pushing forward a business venture involving foreign trade and used cars.
But when Lee Gang-hun identified the problems, the deal fell through, and Director Kim still harbored resentment.
At the time, he’d shifted the blame for the failed venture to Lee Gang-hun’s direct superior and survived the fallout himself.
In any case, after that incident, Lee Gang-hun had been reassigned to what could only be called an exile—his current department.
Lee Gang-hun descended to the basement, got into his car, and drove home.

On the way into his apartment complex, Lee Gang-hun stopped his car. He’d spotted an electric rotisserie roasted chicken truck parked at the entrance.
Normally he would have just driven past, but today he felt like buying roasted chicken and bringing it inside.
Lee Gang-hun parked behind the truck and approached the vendor.
“Hello. How much are they?”
The vendor smiled and answered.
“Eight thousand won for one, fifteen thousand for two.”
“Then give me two.”
“You got it.”
The vendor pulled two chickens from the rotating electric oven, placed them in a paper bag, and spoke.
“The radish for the roasted chicken is five hundred won each—would you like some?”
“Give me two of those as well.”
As Lee Gang-hun spoke, the vendor placed two radishes in the bag, then hesitated for a moment before smiling and pulling a bottle of soju from an ice box on the side of the truck.
“This one’s on the house.”
“Soju?”
Usually, when places like this offered something free, it would be radish or seasoning sauce—but soju?
Seeing Lee Gang-hun’s puzzled expression, the vendor smiled and spoke.
“Today, fathers have been buying roasted chicken like crazy… but you look like you need soju the most. Watch your kids eat the chicken, have a drink, and get some good rest.”
At the vendor’s words, Lee Gang-hun looked at him and let out a soft laugh.
“Thank you.”
The vendor placed the soju in the bag and handed it over.
“That’ll be sixteen thousand won.”
Lee Gang-hun was about to pull out two ten-thousand-won bills when he instead pulled out a fifty-thousand-won note and handed it over.
“When I left work today, my boss gave me something like a tip. I didn’t want to take it—it felt dirty—but I figured if I didn’t, I’d only be losing out. So I took it coolly.”
The vendor nodded.
“That’s right. Money itself has no sin. What matters is how you spend it.”
The vendor smiled and spoke, and Lee Gang-hun held out the fifty-thousand-won note.
“I’m not bragging about money. I just want to spend this money on something good and feel good about it. Keep the change.”
The vendor looked at the fifty-thousand-won note with a puzzled expression, then smiled at Lee Gang-hun’s words and spoke.
“Well, I sure gave you a good bottle of soju, didn’t I?”
“It’s not soju…”
Lee Gang-hun smiled and held up the envelope.
“I received some consolation.”
Lee Gang-hun bowed his head and climbed into the car with the roasted chicken.
Starting the engine, Lee Gang-hun gave a small bow to the Roasted Chicken Vendor watching him, then drove the car into the Apartment Complex.
Entering his home, Lee Gang-hun moved carefully into the living room.
“You’re back?”
At his wife’s voice, Lee Gang-hun looked at her. She lay half-reclined on the sofa, watching him with a tired expression.
“You worked hard today too.”
At his words, his wife laughed softly.
“You worked hard today as well.”
“Where’s Seung-woo?”
“He just fell asleep.”
Then his wife noticed the envelope Lee Gang-hun was holding.
“Did you buy roasted chicken?”
“There was a place selling electric-roasted chicken out front.”
“Good thinking. I wanted some too.”
His wife laughed and took the envelope, bringing it to the dining table as she spoke softly.
“Should you wash up? Or eat first?”
“I’ll just wash my hands and be right back.”
As Lee Gang-hun spoke, his wife opened the envelope and asked.
“There’s soju here?”
Lee Gang-hun laughed and answered.
“The Roasted Chicken Vendor gave me a bottle when I bought the chicken.”
At those words, his wife looked at her husband intently. The vendor wouldn’t have given soju without reason.
“Is work difficult for you?”
At his wife’s words, Lee Gang-hun hesitated for a moment, then laughed and shook his head.
“How many people find their jobs easy? Everyone just endures their own hardships and lives on.”
Then Lee Gang-hun looked at his wife.
“And am I the only one struggling? You’re the one who has it harder, staying home alone watching the baby while I’m always coming back late.”
Lee Gang-hun took his wife’s hand.
“Should I… change companies?”
“Is it that difficult?”
“The baby’s only one now, and with overtime every day, you’re struggling alone at home.”
At Lee Gang-hun’s words, his wife looked at him and laughed.
“If that’s the reason, you can change.”
“Really?”
His wife added in a firm voice.
“But if it’s not that reason—if it’s for some other reason—don’t quit.”
“Some other reason?”
“That boss who’s been giving you such a hard time… if you want to quit because of him, I can’t allow that.”
His wife met Lee Gang-hun’s eyes directly as she continued.
“I’ve always loved how confident and self-assured you are. So you have to overcome this.”
Lee Gang-hun gazed at her with a contemplative expression for a moment, then nodded.

***

Yu Tae-poong smiled as he read the book.
“They made a good marriage.”
Reading through the pages, I could see how much his wife struggled managing childcare alone. On his days off, Lee Gang-hun would try to handle everything—the cleaning, the accumulated laundry, caring for the baby—yet he was always apologetic toward his wife.
But his wife supported him instead. She told him he could pursue other work if he wished, but running away from the company people wasn’t acceptable.
They were both good husbands and good wives to each other.

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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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