The Textbook of a Lover - Chapter 74

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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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74.
“Cha Kyung! Wait just a moment!”
“Mother, what do we do!”
Gyuseon and Jeong-hye hurried up the stairs after Cha Kyung.
The speed at which the elderly and middle-aged women climbed was faster than seemed possible for their years.
But ignoring them, he moved with urgency and threw open the door to his room.
……
Before his eyes lay a sight he had never witnessed in all his life.
The desk where he reviewed documents every morning had been shoved to one side, and in its place stood a Ritual Table in full display.
Rice cakes, fruit, a whole dried pollack laid out whole, and two candles burning on either side.
And before it all stood a Shaman in a colorful jeogori and crimson skirt.
She held a Drum Stick in one hand and a Bell Fan in the other, dancing in abandon toward his bed.
“Chase away the misfortune from Master Yun Cha Kyung—! Call forth blessings to this place—!”
Boom! Jingle-jingle!
“……What exactly are you doing here right now?”
Cha Kyung’s voice came out low and measured.
Subordinate employees trembled at the mere sound of him like that, but the Shaman didn’t so much as blink.
Instead, she paused her dancing and turned to face him, speaking casually.
“Oh, you’re home?”
……
“Don’t just stand there—come in. Shut the door. The wind’s coming in and it’ll blow out the candles.”
Cha Kyung squeezed his eyes shut and opened them again.
He had about a hundred things he wanted to throw at this woman, but had absolutely no idea which one to start with.
“Grandmother. Mother. Get this person out of here immediately.”
“Cha Kyung, listen to me for a moment.”
“Grandmother!”
“You foolish boy.”
The Shaman cut him off sharply mid-sentence.
“……What did you just say?”
“I said you’re foolish. Are your ears plugged up?”
The Shaman snapped the Bell Fan shut and strode forward to stand before him.
“I’m doing all this to chase away your misfortune! There’s the best way to do it, but because of your stubborn head you won’t even listen!”
“I don’t need it, so please leave!”
Smack!
The handle of the Bell Fan struck the crown of Cha Kyung’s head with perfect accuracy. The bells rang out sharply in protest—jingle, jingle.
While Cha Kyung stood there in disbelief, even more absurd words spilled from her mouth.
“Listen well, you fool. When did I ever say that girl was your Misfortune Bearer? Who said that? Me? Your grandmother?”
……
“You did it all by yourself—played the drums, everything, performed the whole Samulnori. You waste that good head of yours on all the wrong things, and look where it’s gotten you.”
The light in the eyes of the woman who had been dancing just moments ago suddenly grew heavy and grave. Silence descended on the room now that the drumming had stopped.
“Listen well.”
The Shaman pressed the Bell Fan against the center of Cha Kyung’s chest.
Jingle.
“You cannot live without that girl—and she cannot live without you either.”
What nonsense is this?
Cha Kyung’s brow darkened harshly.
He couldn’t understand what this woman was saying, but one thing was certain.
There was no reason to listen to her any further.
“How much were you paid? I’ll give you the money, so leave. Don’t come back again.”
“You young punk, ordering your elders around! Do you think I came here for money?”
“Then what is it? If you leave now, I’ll double whatever you were paid. Just get out.”
Jingle-jingle.
The Shaman folded the Bell Fan again, aiming once more for the crown of his head.
But he had no intention of falling for it twice.
When Cha Kyung grabbed the fan firmly, deep horizontal lines creased the Shaman’s forehead.
“You—you insolent brat—! Do you know whose behalf I’m here on!”
“Leave now!”
“Cha Kyung, what are you doing to the Shaman?”
It was the moment Cha Kyung turned his head toward Jeong-hye, who was trying to stop him.
A white sock-clad foot lashed out from beneath the Shaman’s skirt, delivering a kick to his calf like a thunderbolt.
“Ungh……”
He nearly buckled. The middle of the calf was said to be a spot even the strongest man would struggle to endure.
Cha Kyung felt heat pour through him like molten lava.
“If you don’t leave right now, I’m calling the police.”
“Cha Kyung, aren’t you going to stop?”
The Shaman didn’t even flinch at his threat. Instead, she folded her arms and looked him up and down appraisingly.
“Hmph! Avoiding that young lady—is that not superstition? If you’re going to believe in superstition, at least believe it straight, but instead you twist it in your head however you like and bring calamity on yourself!”
Words he would ordinarily dismiss out of hand somehow clouded his thoughts today.
He bit his lip once. His glare at the Shaman wavered slightly.
“Listen here, you fool. Keep your ears open and listen well. You live because of that girl, but she lives because of you too. A perfect match like that, and you’re trying to throw it away on purpose? It drives me crazy!”
With those words, the Shaman departed. Musicians and her attendants followed, gathering the ritual objects.
Gyuseon and Jeong-hye, drained of energy, left without a word, and household staff came up to clear away the remaining offerings.
“Sigh……”
Cha Kyung pressed his forehead. His calf throbbed, and his mind was even noisier than the pain.
* * *
He’d left the house saying he needed some air, but when he came to his senses, the car had stopped in a familiar Parking Lot. It was Do-ah’s Apartment.
Cha Kyung sat motionless, both hands resting on the steering wheel.
He’d been here two days ago, and again yesterday. This was already the second time today.
“You cannot live without that girl—and she cannot live without you either.”
The Shaman’s words passed through his mind.
What did those words have to do with anything?
After all, he hadn’t ended things with Do-ah because of superstition, but because he’d tried to use her as his Misfortune Bearer.
He’d never believed in superstition from the start. But if it was a misunderstanding, why couldn’t he make a firm decision?
Was he hesitating because of the anxiety that his wretched misfortune might transfer to Do-ah?
If that was the case, then the Shaman was right. He was currently choosing to believe selectively in the very superstition that made him most anxious.
Just then, a light turned on in Do-ah’s apartment window, and shortly after, yellow light seeped through the curtains.
Cha Kyung stared at that light for a long while, then finally turned on the engine.
* * *
Na-hee, sitting in the passenger seat of Kyung-jun’s car, held out a document toward him.
“I signed it. Check it.”
Kyung-jun took the document and scanned it line by line. In the agency representative’s signature column was the name “Na-hee” written clearly in three characters.
“……That works.”
“Money.”
Kyung-jun pulled a black Document Bag from the back seat. When he unlocked it, stacks of 50,000 Won Bills were packed tightly inside.
“Two hundred million, right?”
“Count them.”
“You count. In front of me.”
Kyung-jun had no choice but to comply, confirming each stack of bills in front of her. Twenty stacks made a hundred million; forty stacks made two hundred.
“Take the whole bag.”
Na-hee pulled the bag onto her lap.
The bag full of 50,000 Won Bills was heavier than expected, but thinking about how this weight would give her breathing room for several months to come felt reassuring.
“Kyung-jun. Let me be crystal clear about one thing. If you cause me any trouble over this, I’ll expose everything. From the wedding gift scam to what you did to Do-ah—all of it.”
“Don’t worry. I’ll make sure it never comes out.”
“Just remember that.”
Na-hee didn’t wait for his response before opening the car door. The sound of her heels striking the cement faded away.
“Ha! I do all the risky work alone, and I get two hundred million just for signing one document?”
Kyung-jun’s resentment bubbled up from within. After giving Na-hee two hundred million, all that remained in his hands was just enough to cover his debts.
While he sat tapping the steering wheel idly to cool his anger, his phone vibrated on the console. It was the loan officer.
“Oh, uh, I’ll pay it back within the week. Really.”
— Mr. Kyung-jun, how much longer should we wait?
“I have the money, I’m telling you! Just wait a few more days, just a few more days!”
After hanging up, Kyung-jun tore at his hair before suddenly stopping.
A bright thought had flashed through his mind.
‘A few days.’
Yes, he just needed to buy a few more days.

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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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