Chapter 37
“Maybe, in a way, this contract is a bit of a deviation for you, Director… or something like that. I’m not sure…”
Last night, Cindy the shaman had come to do an after-service because of the ghost incident in the room.
Cindy placed diffusers filled with salt and red beans in every corner of the room.
“She says that if you marry in a year, you’ll be faithful to that person only. There won’t be any extramarital relationships in your lifetime…”
“How would she even know that! You can’t see even a step ahead in life. Yet here she is, claiming to capture every evil spirit, every demon, down to the last detail…”
Cindy murmured a prayer as she rewrote a talisman.
“In the remaining year, serious dating might feel a bit burdensome. If feelings develop, both parties might end up hurt…”
Sul-ah pursed her plump lips and continued.
“But this honeymoon contract isn’t really a formal relationship, and it ends in 33 days. That’s such a short period that no one would develop real feelings…”
She held the corner of the paper for easier talisman writing and asked,
“And you, sir? Are you confident you won’t develop feelings?”
“Me? For the Director?”
Sul-ah jumped.
“Oh, what a ridiculous, impossible idea!”
“You’re young, healthy… feelings can happen, so why be so averse?”
“Because you haven’t seen my partner at work. He wouldn’t even bleed if you poked him; he’d break the needle instead. Just when you think you might get attached, he splashes cold water on your face.”
Looking at the stack of research data in front of her, she felt her blood boil.
She hadn’t been able to finish all of it and had to bring it home.
Even asking for a slight extension of the deadline was treated like an act of terrorism.
The cold words he had used—saying there would be no negotiation—came to mind.
“Even the craziest people have limits. But he crosses them. Just crosses them. Casually. Lightly. Huh? Limits? What limits?”
Sul-ah was visibly excited, even mimicking jumping over an imaginary line.
“A rookie who defeated the star-studded seniors of the crazy league! No, the craziest of this century!”
Cindy, the shaman, realizing that Sul-ah had reached the breaking point from stress, didn’t dare laugh or intervene.
“You’re so different day and night! It’s an honor to work with a top-tier lunatic. But I can’t handle this honor anymore… it’s too overwhelming. Please help me.”
Watching Sul-ah clutch her head, Cindy, unusually serious, spoke in the casual tone of a twenty-something:
“Sorry, sis. I don’t do relationship counseling.”
“Eh? No, I’m not talking about that, I mean… at work…”
Cindy interrupted as she packed up.
“If it’s to the point where someone’s life is at stake, I’ll say something. But does a deity need to intervene in romantic matters?”
Cindy smiled enigmatically, slinging her bag over her shoulder.
“No, really, that’s not what I mean…”
“Exactly. Conflicts at work should be resolved by the people involved. Talk it out, work together. Better if you can laugh while doing it.”
“Partner!”
Just as Cindy opened Sul-ah’s gate to leave, Su-hyeok, returning from work, came face-to-face with her.
“Oh! Groom oppa?”
Oh… oppa…!
Su-hyeok widened the distance, clearly wary.
“You heard the ghost groped Sul-ah, right? Groom oppa, you’ll need to step up. Do well.”
Cindy tapped Su-hyeok’s shoulder to encourage him.
Su-hyeok’s expression suggested he expected that even the original grandmother deity would have been rude.
Cindy was holding a wrapped food bundle too.
“Oh, this? Sul-ah packed it.”
Ignoring the news from the restaurant lady about the extra side dishes, Su-hyeok entered through the gate.
“Then…”
“Oppa?”
At that, goosebumps rose on Su-hyeok, who clenched his fists.
“Oppa, what’s your scheme?”
Su-hyeok’s brows furrowed at Cindy’s words.
“You’re not the only one carrying such a complicated, heavy story.”
“…!”
Su-hyeok straightened his face.
“Whatever you plan, letting go is also an option.”
Su-hyeok seemed to understand Cindy’s cryptic words perfectly.
“I just… wanted to say it.”
Su-hyeok locked eyes with Cindy, his face cold.
“And if anyone hurts Sul-ah… they’re dead.”
Su-hyeok sighed at the absurdity.
“Oh my! That wasn’t me just now. Don’t worry too much about my grandmother. See you later, Groom oppa!”
Watching Cindy pedal away on her electric bike, Su-hyeok’s eyes were icy.
Inside the house, Su-hyeok froze.
The eerie atmosphere felt different from usual.
Sul-ah was nowhere in sight; an unpleasant silence filled the space.
A bad feeling.
Carefully stepping inside, he heard a rustling sound.
‘Rustle—rustle—’
It wasn’t the natural sound of wind.
At the end of the noise crouched a dark shadow.
In the dim corner of the house at sunset, he finally confronted an unknown presence.
Su-hyeok felt his heart pounding as he turned on the light.
“…!”
Sul-ah, crawling on all fours over a spread of documents, looked up in a haggard state.
“Didn’t I tell you to work while working, rest while resting? Why is your hair such a mess…”
“You’re here…?”
“What are you doing without the lights on!”
“I… didn’t realize the sun had set…”
Su-hyeok, feeling a mix of shock and disappointment, removed his suit jacket.
“Bringing work home—how can you do this? You won’t be able to focus properly tomorrow.”
Sul-ah, counting tiny numbers with a magnifying glass, closed her eyes and calmed herself, then smiled.
“Yes… but what could I do? I don’t have toads, sparrows, or fairy friends to help me. So I had to bring it all home myself…”
Despite Sul-ah’s sarcastic tone, Su-hyeok looked almost amused.
“Is rebellion the concept today?”
“Powerless Kongjwi rebelling? That’s impossible, my lord…”
Still crawling and sifting through the papers, Sul-ah replied weakly.
Leaning on the table and undoing his cufflinks, Su-hyeok twitched a smile.
“You said you left some for me, but it seems you gave it all to the shaman. If that’s not rebellion, what is?”
‘Snap!’
Finally putting down the magnifying glass, Sul-ah stood up.
“You said I didn’t have to make side dishes. That means you wouldn’t eat them!”
Like an angry meerkat, she clenched her fists in protest.
“Oh, so that’s why you ignored me and gave everything away?”
“Yes! Every single bean! All of it! Why? Because I’m a magpie repaying a favor!”
Sul-ah slammed the door, then opened it again.
“It was the wind! Not that entity!”
‘Bang—!’
“Yes, that was me!”
‘Bang—!’
Su-hyeok, splashing his face with water, couldn’t help but smile.
Seeing the triviality of the angry “meerkat,” he opened the door.
As expected, she hadn’t even locked it.
“What business does a magpie who can’t even take care of her bowl have with me?”
Sul-ah didn’t bother to look at him.
“Not eating dinner?”
“There’s nothing at home, so go outside and eat some grass roots if you want!”
Suppressing a laugh, Su-hyeok asked,
“If I order chicken, will you eat?”
“Do you think I’d eat chicken in this mood? …Half-and-half.”
Hiding his expression behind his phone, Su-hyeok opened the delivery app.
“Can we add tteokbokki?”
Sul-ah, still asking for extra items with a cold tone, made Su-hyeok rub his forehead.
“Will this be enough?”
“No, braised chicken. Small size.”
Though embarrassed, Sul-ah confidently revealed her true feelings.
“For a woman, the default is large.”
“…Order placed. Delivery in 40 minutes.”
Thinking of food calmed Sul-ah’s anger. She timidly met Su-hyeok’s eyes.
“Was it that hard? Then try to be a little smarter from now on. You’re comparing each page one by one…”
“If there’s a woman, you could’ve just told me.”
Su-hyeok said nothing, simply watching her.
