episode_0161

Facing something that can harm you always makes your heart pound.

Yesterday, today… and probably in the future as well.

Nevertheless, Eunha asked the monster in front of her for help.

『You’re pretending to smile.』

Time when the night sky deepens.

A chilling chill envelopes the veranda.

『The day we ran into each other at the security office, you said you weren’t scared of me. It didn’t hurt.』

“… … .”

『But, you are shaking today too.』

‘Something’ peeked its head out from the veranda.

The sound in his voice is a resentment that makes me feel sick.

Cheolpukㅡ.

‘Something’ climbed over the veranda railing.

‘That thing’, which fell on the veranda unsightly, moved its arms and approached Eunha.

Cheolpukㅡ.

That thing had no lower body.

The dripping blood spreads across the veranda floor, creating a fishy puddle of blood that crawls coldly.

Beautiful woman. Bloody tears flowing from the eyes.

But soon, such information leaks out of Eunha’s head.

I can’t remember what that thing looks like.

Only refreshment remains.

‘and. Crawl through this?’

Strange. Something outside of the ways of the world.

Clap, clap, clap, the palm of ‘that’ touches the floor and gets closer.

Stop…

Unknowingly, Eunha was about to take a step back due to the goosebumps that came over her, but she slowly calmed her trembling breath…

I made a smiling face and sat down on the floor.

Set eye level.

When we sat down on the floor instead of running away, we were finally at the same eye level.

Cheolpukㅡ.

‘That’ is coming.

I grab Eunha, who is sitting down between the living room and the veranda.

A cold hand grabs Eunha’s soft thighs, spreads Eunha’s legs to the left and right, and pushes her body between them.

Hugging Eunha’s slim waist.

“… This is not what I meant by lending my lower body.”

A monster with no lower body and no memory of its appearance.

Eunha looked at ‘that’ hanging on her waist. The arm strength is so strong that my back feels stiff.

『What is the reason for helping others?』

“Because it’s something only I can do. I have to do it.”

‘Something’ with its face buried in Eunha’s large chest asked.

Eunha answered, adjusting the corners of her mouth as a chill pricked the back of her neck.

The goal is to save Go Young-in.

Get rid of the ‘meaningful things’ that stick to him, and close your eyes to avoid being disturbed.

This is something only she who possesses the [Black Book] can do.

and,

It’s weaker than others, and its only advantage is that it recovers quickly…

It’s a way that only she can, being a little more positive than others.

『… … good. I will help you.』

“Wow. Is it really possible?”

『Make it so I can touch it.』

What did you feel from Eunha’s answer?

‘Something’ hugged Eunha’s waist and let out a cold breath.

A trembling breath settles on my soft chest.

Because it was enough to make a person’s heart soft,

“… … Can I do it too?”

『You can’t do it. It’s a rule.』

Eunha headed to the bedroom with ‘that’ clinging to her waist.

So, the night was deep.

… … .

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

… … How long will this pain repeat?

The hopeless despair eats away at my spirit.

『Third from the right. Go down the stairs and left.』

“… … .”

The day after meeting ‘Rare Hunter’ Eunha.

Go Young-in, head of the Hunter Association, hid at his desk again today, waiting for ‘that thing’ to leave.

Knock knock…

Someone knocking on the general manager’s office. Rain falling on the glass window.

It’s a familiar thing now. Nevertheless, the pouring fear becomes cold and makes his poor shoulders tremble.

『Third from the right. Go down the stairs and left.』

“… … .”

“… … .”

How much must an A-level hunter, respected by others, tremble while hiding behind his desk like a coward?

Soon there is no sound, and the winter-cold air regains the warmth of July.

“… … I survived today too.”

Go Young-in hid for a long time even after the ‘ghost’ left.

He left the cramped desk and relaxed his heavy shoulders.

Squeak…

I lean back weakly on my office chair.

He opens a drawer, takes out white chocolate and a tranquilizer, and lets out a tired laugh.

it’s tough. But today I feel more energetic than usual.

Last night… I confessed my worries to Eunha, who seemed to see the ‘same thing’, because I had a good night’s sleep yesterday without having any nightmares.

“Before we parted ways, it was a good thing I exchanged numbers with Eunha. Should I at least call you sometimes to say hello.”

Go Young-in organized the documents on his desk, smoothing out the ‘pieces of paper’ he had kept in the inside pocket of his suit.

Tick. Tick.

The clock on the wall shows 6 PM.

A time when people who need to get off work leave work and those who have work left are still sitting at their desks.

Of course, Go Young-in is the one sitting at the desk. There are more than one issue that needs to be checked regarding [Cheorwon Gyeokjang] and [Changcheon Geomga].

In addition, the ‘ghosts’ who visit him every day are making it difficult for him to survive.

Although he has given up exercising now, he is somehow holding on with the stamina and stamina of someone who has lived as an A-level hunter.

But that too has its limits.

Two and a half months in time… Not long ago, I was taken to the emergency room due to an acute cerebral hemorrhage and barely survived.

A devastated mind, an invisible solution.

If I hadn’t met the galaxy yesterday, it would have been difficult to get through this month.

‘Maybe it would be better to die…’

A moment of concern.

Go Young-in opened the drawer… and picked up the medicine bottle left next to the chocolate.

Beep, beep.

At that time, the cell phone placed on the desk made a sound.

… … .

‘Who is it at this time… is it Team Leader Banharin?’

He shook his head with a haggard look. The tired brain is shaken and the mind becomes clear.

Go Young-in, who put the medicine bottle in, checked the sender.

Galaxy.

A woman who shares the worries she faced just yesterday and couldn’t tell anyone.

Go Young-in immediately corrected his posture and answered the phone.

Soon, a startlingly beautiful voice tickles my eardrums.

ㅡHello? Is this the cat manager’s cell phone?

“I am Go Young-in. Thank you for calling. Did you get home safely?”

Someone who shares their concerns. A person who sees ‘ghosts’.

Perhaps that was why Go Young-in waited for Eunha to speak as if she were talking to a close friend.

– Yes, thanks… I’m leaving the cafe right now and on my way to the association.

“You mean here?”

Sound coming from the phone.

Eunha’s voice.

Car engine sound.

The sound of pouring rain.

The sound of someone’s cold breathing.

Listen to the voice coming from the other end of the phone.

Go Young-in wiped his goosebump-covered arms.

“… … By any chance, is there anyone next to you?”

ㅡNo. There are no ‘people’.

A familiar creepy feeling.

But it’s different.

It seemed like something murkier and darker was lurking on the other side of the phone.

Go Young-in, who quietly went under the desk… into his safe zone, continued the conversation.

“… … … okay. Then, Miss Eunha… may I ask what you were contacting about? I will help you wherever I can.”

He said, curled up awkwardly at his cramped desk.

Help wherever you can.

These words come from the heart.

It is also an atonement for Eunha, who suffered from the dirty hands of the Association, and a struggle to prevent the relationship with Eunha from worsening any further.

There was no option not to help Eunha.

I plan to uproot at least one of the pillars of the association.

– It’s no different… I have something I want to ask the cat manager.

However, as Eunha continued to say,

Go Young-in’s heart sinks and he hides under his cramped desk.

ㅡ If you could get rid of a ‘ghost’, would you get rid of it?

“… … What?”

ㅡ If you can live without being tormented by ‘ghosts’, is there any price you can pay?

A beautiful voice resembles a rose.

Eunha’s question became a sharp thorn that pierced my eardrums.

Something unknown.

Something that even he who sees the ‘ghost’ can’t fathom… something.

‘What on earth is Ms. Eunha?’

Go Young-in pondered Eunha’s words.

I visited all the famous shamans, churches, and cathedrals.

Although he is a class A hunter, he is a ‘ghost’ who is useless no matter what he does.

Is there a way to get rid of such a monster?

She is a D-class hunter?

“… You sound like an exorcist. Can Eunha get rid of the ‘ghost’?”

ㅡNo. I can’t. But if it’s okay with the cat manager… I can give it a try.

“Try it.”

and,

Without hesitation, Go Young-in said,

“Make me, the ‘ghost’ in the guise of a friend, feel at ease.”

With the feeling of stopping in front of a cliff,

He relayed his conclusion over the phone.

… … .

There is a lot to do.

Time to be tormented by an unidentified monster…

There is no time to die unfairly.

It’s a life where I haven’t done anything yet and have been swayed by it.

Since I was in a position where I had to turn a blind eye to the unnatural death of my friend, I wanted to do as much as I could in this position, even if I were to die soon.

I don’t want to be disturbed by a friend who has become a ghost.

Grumbling…

I opened the drawer. Medicine bottle and chocolate.

Go Young-in took out some sweet chocolate and put it in his mouth.

The melting sweetness awakens his spirit.

‘It feels like I’m dreaming. ‘I’m completely out of my mind.’

can not understand.

What is the identity of the woman named Eunha?

A woman with unprecedented resilience, who recognized at a glance that he was suffering from a ‘ghost’.

And now they say there is a way to get rid of the ‘ghost’.

I can’t understand and I can’t believe it.

But… in the end, it comes down to one conclusion.

no method. Other than believing in galaxies.

There is no way to survive that ‘ghost’.

Over the past two months, Go Young-in’s spirit has been steadily being chipped away.

‘Haha… Now I’m curious about Eunha’s identity. ‘It’s a person, right?’

Director Go Young-in grabbed his cell phone as if he was possessed by a fox.

“There are a lot of things I want to ask, but I won’t ask them now. Because I am in a position to receive help.”

ㅡ It’s okay. When things are done right, you won’t have any questions.

She is a strange woman.

Go Young-in listened to Eunha’s voice while wiping the cold sweat from his forehead like when he faced a ‘ghost’.

– And first of all… can we see the incinerator where the employee died?

“I will guide you. I’ll be waiting at the entrance of the association.”

Go Young-in ate a handful of chocolate and looked out the window.

Same as 20 years ago,

It’s an evening with heavy rain hitting the window.

… … .

… … .

“All the incinerator employees have left work, so don’t worry and take a look around.”

6:30 PM.

Go Young-in took Eunha, who had come to the association, to the [Artifact Incinerator] located on the first basement floor.

“The incinerator CCTV was turned off under the pretext of emergency inspection… If you have any further questions, please let me know.”

“What is this mask?”

Eunha entered the artifact incinerator.

She showed signs of discomfort as she adjusted the ‘white mask’ on her face.

I look up at Go Young-in through eye sockets that are curved like half moons.

“It’s a mask used by the association’s ‘secret department’. They have a difficult mission if their identity is known to others, so they always wear that mask in the association.”

And the artifact incinerator is a restricted area except for administrators.

Therefore, Eunha, an outsider, needs to wear a mask to enter this place.

Of course, due to the body being so specific that it can be established, it would be better if only the face was covered with a mask… but it would be better than walking around with a bare face.

Moreover, since the head of the headquarters is the person who carries him around, is there any need to verify his identity?

Go Young-in secretly raised the corner of his mouth at the sight of Eunha adjusting the unfamiliar mask.

“Haha. Even if it’s a little frustrating, please bear with it… [Third on the right, go down the stairs and left]… The ‘ghost’ always muttered the same thing.”

“Is it a password?”

“I don’t know. I have no guesses, and I think I tried everything I could.”

Rumbling… The black suitcase makes a quiet sound of wheels.

Eunha followed Go Young-in into the ‘Artifact Incinerator’ and looked around, adjusting the mask that fit her face.

Artifact Incinerator.

The room is simpler than expected, with only a few desks facing the wall and a large ‘incinerator’ occupying one section.

There is a ledger for waste management neatly placed on the desk, and next to the desk, an incinerator opens its mouth to cool off after a hard day’s work.

I wonder if it is okay for a facility called an incinerator to be placed underground, but it seems to be okay because it is a specially manufactured object for the purpose of incinerating ‘artifacts’.

After looking around the incinerator, Eunha smoothed the handle of the suitcase.

“Dead employee… How did you say he died?”

“I jumped into an operating incinerator.”

“What about your friend?”

“After everyone left work, he was found frozen inside the incinerator, which had stopped working.”

The eyes revealed through the mask look towards the large incinerator.

As she approaches the still-heated incinerator, Go Young-in, guessing what she was thinking, continues her explanation.

“I looked inside the incinerator. It was just leftover residue.”

“… … .”

“It is an object to incinerate ‘artifacts’ in the first place, so there is no way there is anything intact inside.”

An obvious fact.

Nevertheless, Eunha stuck her head out and looked inside the incinerator.

Go Young-in looked down at Eun-ha, who was trying to find something, with the eyes of a cute younger sister.

People who see the same thing. Eunha must have had a lot of trouble, too.

So, isn’t he doing this with the intention of helping Go Young-in, who is in the same situation?

‘Even if I can’t get rid of the ghost, I’ll definitely have to say thank you.’

The creepiness I felt during the phone call was no longer there.

With sleepy eyes twitching, he wandered around until the search for the galactic incinerator was finished.

“… … Is it only visible to me?”

“What?”

“It’s something like a jigsaw or a flute.”

And then. Eunha frowned at the scorching heat of the incinerator.

Suddenly, she picked up the long tongs lying next to the incinerator and stabbed them into the still hot incinerator.

Cheap…!

The sound of dust sticking to the tongs burning off.

Soon after, Eunha rummaged around inside the incinerator a few times…

I took out a pure white necklace.

A cool necklace with a cat pendant sitting on its side.

‘In an incinerator? No, more than that…’

This is ridiculous.

It is out of the way of the world.

Go Young-in, eyes wide open, approached Eunha.

“I guess that’s why the piece of paper had the words ‘tell someone you know’.”

“That’s…! How!?”

“What necklace is it?”

“… … … It’s a friend’s necklace. I gave it as a gift.”

“Hey, you’re not my friend.”

Eunha held out the necklace.

Director Ko Young-in accepted the necklace with a dreamy expression.

Someone’s necklace, taken out of an incinerator where the heat had not cooled down,

It was so cold that it was freezing.

“It seems like there is something I want to say about the vague things, although I don’t have any major grudges… But what is the necklace? It’s really mediocre.”

“Intermediate things?… No, Eunha. What the hell are you…”

“I’ll explain what you need to do.”

Galaxy.

She covered her face with a pure white mask.

I pat the suitcase I always carry,

I looked up at the haggard-looking man.

The eye holes of the mask are curved like a half moon.

A languid eye smile visible inside.

Is that woman really a person?

Go Young-in, clutching the necklace, straightened up her devastated spirit.

“From now on, don’t separate from someone you don’t know anything about… For example, don’t separate from your secretary and just leave work. It’s safe if you stay with her as much as possible and stay next to her until she goes to bed.”

“… … .”

“So I go home, immediately lie down on the bed and close my eyes. It’s good to fall asleep.”

What is being explained is a consciousness.

A spell recited by a beautiful witch.

“And this is the most important… Before going to bed, make sure to lock the veranda door. If you do that, you will no longer be bothered by ‘ghosts’.”

“… … .”

“I will explain everything in detail tomorrow.”

Go Young-in.

He is the head of the Hunter Association and a class A hunter with a lot of experience.

Become a child who doesn’t know anything,

I just held on tightly to the necklace the witch gave me.

‘I see. That woman… is not someone who can see ‘things’ like me…’

I can’t ask anything,

You shouldn’t know anything,

That kind of story.

“… … I’ll have to explain in detail tomorrow morning.”

“Of course.”

The pure white mask covering the woman’s face smiled.