TLWSS 04

Chapter 04

“What is this?”

I muttered to myself.

A baby snake that had just hatched from its egg was staring straight at me.

The moment our eyes met, a name surfaced in my mind.

Up-sin (the Wealth Guardian Spirit)!

No one had to tell me—I just knew.

This snake was clearly an Up-sin, a spirit that brings wealth and protects a household.

But why here?

—Dad?

The baby snake spoke to me.

It wasn’t a sound—it was a voice transmitted directly into my mind.

“Dad? I’m not even married yet. Why would I be your dad?”

—Big brother?

“Why would I be your brother?”

—You woke me up. You helped me come out of the egg. So you’re my big brother.

“Where’s your mom?”

—Mom left. Went far away.

“Then are you going to follow her?”

—No. I’ll stay here. I’ll live with you, big brother.

The golden baby snake flicked its tongue.

Cute little guy!

My heart started pounding.

A restaurant with an Up-sin? If this snake protected the place, there was no doubt the business would thrive.

I pieced things together based on what my mom had said.

The original Up-sin that protected this place must have left for some reason.

After it left, the restaurant stopped doing well.

But it didn’t leave without anything—it had laid an egg.

And now that egg had hatched today, meaning this baby snake had become the new Up-sin guarding the place.

No matter who ran this place, it was destined to be a jackpot.

“Can you live here for a long time?”

—Yeah, I will. Will you play with me, big brother?

“Don’t worry. I’ll take good care of you.”

—Okay!

I walked over to my mom, who was washing and drying rubber gloves.

“Mom.”

“Yeah?”

“Let’s take over this place.”

“Huh? Why all of a sudden?”

She looked surprised.

“I just like it. Let’s take it.”

“But to take it over, we’d have to sell the house…”

“It’s okay. I can share a room with you and Yeonhee.”

“But business hasn’t been that great lately…”

She seemed hesitant.

“I’ll help you. I’ll study hard too. Don’t worry.”

When I pushed strongly, she finally gave in.

She immediately put our apartment up for sale.

But perhaps because rumors spread that someone had died there, it didn’t sell easily.

The restaurant owner said that if we couldn’t secure the money by the end of the month, he would sell the land to someone else.

That person planned to demolish the restaurant and build a small commercial building.

If that happened, the Up-sin might disappear too.

“Hey, Red Eyes!”

I shouted inside my room.

“I know you’re hiding there. Come out already.”

—How did you know?

Red Eyes stepped out awkwardly from inside my school uniform hanging on the rack.

“I can feel your presence wherever you go.”

—If I really try to hide, even most shamans can’t detect me… Wow, Yoo Hyun-jae, your instincts are amazing!

Red Eyes clapped innocently.

“Anyway, aren’t you going up yet?”

—Go where?

“Where else? Where you’re supposed to go!”

I pointed upward with my chin.

—Can’t I just stay here a little longer… please?

Red Eyes cautiously sat beside me.

“Hey!”

I snapped, and he quickly dropped to the floor.

—Just tell me what to do. I’ll do really well… please?

“Fine. Then help sell this house quickly.”

—Whoa, you should’ve said that sooner…

He lightly tapped my shoulder and disappeared.

I flopped onto the bed and smirked.

Maybe because he had only ever studied diligently, Red Eyes wasn’t the scheming type.

Since he wouldn’t go up even when told, I figured I’d just have to wait until he wanted to leave on his own.

Exactly three days later, the house sold.

The buyer was a real estate dealer who bought old houses, renovated them, and resold them at higher prices.

“How on earth did you do that?”

The night before moving, I summoned Red Eyes.

—I just showed up in his dream and showed him this house. But as a house filled with gold bars.

He scratched the back of his head shyly.

“Good job.”

—Told you to leave it to me.

“You’re a ghost, but you’ve got useful skills.”

—That’s not even my specialty.

“Then what is?”

—Aren’t you a high school student? Shouldn’t you be studying?

“Huh?”

I choked in surprise.

“Your specialty is… studying?”

—You didn’t know I was ranked first in school…?

“Fine. I’ll ask for help if I need it.”

—Or how about you just open your book?

“Hey, what’s wrong with you? We’re moving tomorrow!”

—Let’s memorize just 100 English words first.

“No thanks. I’m tired.”

When I tried to ignore him, Red Eyes started screaming loudly—more like shrieking than singing.

There was no way I could sleep.

“Hey! Get over here!”

Whenever I tried to grab him, he ran away. When I gave up, he came close again and started “singing.”

Realizing I wouldn’t get any sleep otherwise, I gave in and memorized the 100 words.

A ghost that forces people to study… seriously.

At this rate, he might actually pass on peacefully.

After moving, my mom’s restaurant started running smoothly.

She poured her heart into the new business.

Perhaps thanks to the Up-sin, the revenue steadily increased.

The restaurant became a local favorite with many regulars rather than just passersby.

Though small, my mom had to hire two helpers.

Our living space was cramped. Even after redoing the wallpaper and flooring, not everything fit, so we had to throw away most of our belongings during the move.

With just a wardrobe and a low desk in the corner, the room was full once the three of us laid out bedding.

To study, I started going to a study room.

“Let me brief today’s study goals. Today: memorize 100 English words, 100 idioms, five pages of math, five pages of social studies, five pages of chemistry…”

Every morning, Red Eyes would “brief” me on the day’s goals.

Of course, they had nothing to do with my will, but if I didn’t complete them, he would torment me all night—so I always finished them.

He wouldn’t go to the afterlife, yet he forced me to study to feel satisfied through me.

Still, it was useful—he knew everything.

Whenever I got stuck, he would teach me, no matter the subject.

“Were you really ranked first in school?”

—First in school? Please… I’ve ranked first nationwide too.

He puffed up proudly.

My grades rose faster than expected.

Having Red Eyes was like having a top private tutor 24/7.

As my grades improved, studying became fun.

The results were better than my effort—about 1.5 times better.

—Yes! This is it!

He was happier about my report card than I was.

Getting satisfaction through someone else’s grades… what a strange ghost.

Once my mom’s restaurant became stable, I signed up for a boxing gym.

What I regretted most when fighting Kang Sung-min’s group was my lack of physical ability.

Even when I saw their weaknesses, I couldn’t attack with confidence.

If I could control my body better, I’d have a much better chance.

I started with jump rope, then gradually learned techniques.

After school, I went to the gym, trained for two hours, then studied at the study room before returning late at night to sleep in the back of the restaurant.

For once, I was living each day without major worries.

Until I ran into Kang Sung-min again, months later.

A stinging sensation on my skin made me turn around.

He was glaring at me.

I only realized much later that the sensation was killing intent.

Even though he received a lighter punishment than his group, Kang Sung-min kept tracking me down and staring.

Every time I felt that chill and turned my head, our eyes met.

He smirked and drew a line across his neck with his finger.

A death threat.

My mouth went dry, but I pretended not to notice.

I had only just started boxing—I wasn’t ready to face someone like him, notorious since elementary school.

“Hey! Yoo Hyun-jae!”

Someone called me in an alley on my way home.

I instinctively turned—and felt a flash explode in my head.

Crack!

—Hyun-jae, get a hold of yourself.

Red Eyes’ urgent voice snapped me back.

My head throbbed as if it would split.

When I opened my eyes, I was in a wooded area.

It was dark all around—though it might still be early since it was winter.

My body felt wrong.

My hands were tied behind my back.

I didn’t know how long I’d been bound, but my wrists stung as if they were bleeding.

“You dared to report me?”

Kang Sung-min’s voice.

I twisted my body to look toward the sound.

He sat on a rock, holding a wooden baseball bat.

An empty green soju bottle lay in front of him.

He must have been drinking while waiting for me to wake up.

Red Eyes hovered anxiously around me.

“Kang Sung-min… what are you doing?”

Even to me, my voice sounded hoarse.

“Do you know what’s buried under here?”

He tapped the ground with the bat and chuckled.

A small black shadow leaped out behind him—it looked like a large dog.

“I’ll bury you here today. You won’t be lonely. There’s already someone here to keep you company on the road to the afterlife.”

He walked toward me step by step.

The dog beside him began growling.

What is that?

—It’s the spirit of a dead dog.

Red Eyes answered.

“Kang Sung-min… did you kill a dog?”

He flinched.

“What? How did you know? Yoo Hyun-jae, you’ve gotten really weird. Well, you’re going to die soon anyway…”

“Why did you kill it?”

“It was just a stray. Kept following me around, hoping for food… So I gave it some sausage—and then slit its throat.”

He laughed like a devil.

Red Eyes grew furious.

—That bastard… completely insane. What did the dog ever do?

What should I do?

I asked silently.

—I can only use a little physical force right now. Not even as much as that dog filled with resentment.

He stomped his feet anxiously.

I spoke to the dog’s spirit in my mind.

Do you want revenge?

It answered yes.

But it hesitated—it had never attacked a human before.

The communication was direct, beyond language.

Kang Sung-min crouched in front of me and pulled something from his back pocket.

A sharp military knife slid out of a black leather sheath.

“You know… watching that mutt bleed out, gasping for breath… it was strangely fun.”

He sheathed the knife again and tucked it away.

“Hey, Yoo Hyun-jae. I’ll blow off some steam first, then let you taste the blade.”

He spat on his hands and raised the bat high.

Bite his left ankle! Now!

I shouted to the dog spirit.

The growling spirit lunged and bit down hard on Kang Sung-min’s left ankle.

“Huh?”

Suddenly, his ankle twisted, and he staggered.