Chapter 6
Iseo safely entered her studio apartment with the help of the employee who had come to pick up Taeheon Gyeon.
The hospital also had quite a few angry and resentful spirits, so she had wanted to accompany him because he might be in danger while he was weakened.
However, when the employee said that they would call his attending physician and quietly treat him at home, Iseo felt relieved and returned to her own place.
Only after entering the familiar space did her tension finally disappear, and her body became limp.
She had not realized it before, but there was not a single place that did not hurt. Her scraped back, her neck and hands that had been stiff with tension, everything was aching.
“Ugh. As expected… humans are the scariest. I should have known from the moment I saw that creepy look in his eyes.”
Iseo took off her heavily wrinkled shirt and looked at her back in the bathroom mirror.
Fortunately, perhaps because her clothes had been quite thick, she had not suffered any serious injuries.
Still, her whole body was sore, so she decided to take a half-body bath for the first time in a while and filled the bathtub with hot water.
It seemed like the perfect time to use the bath bomb Daeun had given her recently, telling her to try it because it was good.
“Ha…”
Thanks to the pink bath bomb, the whole bathroom filled with a sweet scent.
When she stepped into the hot water that had turned a pretty pink color, her trembling body finally began to calm down.
For Iseo, who was not even afraid of ghosts, what happened today had been quite shocking.
She had never imagined that someone would follow her all the way home and try to hurt her just because she had rejected him.
The rough hands and the face with eyes that seemed almost crazed were horrifying even when she thought about them again.
If it had not been for Taeheon…
Iseo instinctively squeezed her eyes shut because even imagining what might have happened was terrifying.
“Grandma… I was so scared.”
Whenever she felt lonely or had a difficult time, she naturally thought of her grandmother.
Only then, after thinking of her grandmother, did tears gather in the corners of her eyes from the sadness.
I shouldn’t tell her about what happened today.
She’ll only worry about me from far away.
Bzzzz.
“…Gasp!”
At the sudden ringing of her phone, Iseo looked at the screen and sucked in a breath.
Thump, thump, thump.
Her heart beat out of rhythm.
She had called right after saying her name.
The surprise made her tears disappear instantly.
As expected, her grandmother was scarier than any ghost.
Iseo cleared her throat, forced her lips into a smile, and pressed the call button.
“Yes, Grandma. Did you call because you missed me?”
—Iseo, are you all right? You aren’t hurt anywhere?
“G-Grandma.”
Her grandmother’s angry voice urgently came through the phone.
No matter how much she tried to act strong, it was useless in front of her grandmother.
It was not because her grandmother was a shaman recognized as an Intangible Cultural Heritage holder and known as a manshin, a great shaman who knew everything.
It was because she was Iseo’s only blood relative and the family member she loved most.
“I was scared, Grandma… Sob, that bastard, he… sob…”
Her determination not to tell her about it became meaningless. The moment she heard her grandmother’s firm voice, tears poured down from her eyes.
As Iseo sobbed like a child and could only cry, her grandmother’s breathing, which had been quiet as she listened, became rough.
—This year, your fortune has strong Pyeongwan and Dohwa influences, so I had a bad feeling and made several protective talismans for you… Are you hurt or in pain anywhere?
“Sniff, n-no. I’m okay.”
—Haah.
A deep sigh of relief came from her grandmother.
—Yes. The General told me you’d be fine, but I was still so worried that I called to check on you. Come visit me when your exams are over and you’re not busy. Those talismans have used up their power now, so I’ll make new ones for you.
“Okay… I’ll come right after my exams. I was already planning to visit because I missed you, Grandma.”
—Good. Everything will be all right now, so don’t lose sleep over it. Call me anytime if you’re scared.
“Yes. Hearing that the General said I’ll be okay makes me feel relieved. Grandma, don’t worry about me and get some good sleep too.”
Iseo held back the tears that were about to spill again and finished saying goodbye.
Her grandmother’s words had never been wrong even once, so surely everything would be fine this time too.
“…Ah! Taeheon Gyeon!”
She had meant to tell her grandmother about the ghost attached to Taeheon, but she had completely forgotten because she had been crying.
If she told her that he was the person who had helped her, perhaps even her grandmother, who had always told her never to pretend not to see ghosts, would tell her to help him.
Iseo wondered if she should call her again, but eventually put her phone down.
I’m going home next week anyway.
I’ll tell her then and get some talismans too!
After finishing her bath, Iseo put on soft pajamas and hugged the cat-shaped stuffed toy that was on her bed tightly.
She also mixed some sweet hot chocolate with milk and drank it. Only then did her settled emotions finally become a little calmer.
“…I wonder if Taeheon Gyeon is okay.”
She considered calling him, but he was probably sleeping after getting an IV. She did not want to wake him for no reason, so she simply stared at her phone.
Just then, a long message arrived.
Hello, this is Attorney Yoo Jeong-gu from Seojin Law Firm.
He was the lawyer who had taken Iseo’s number, saying there might be things to discuss regarding the victim, Iseo, and the perpetrator.
Since it was late at night, he said he was sending the information by message and briefly explained what he had found out.
Park Youngseong had maintained a close relationship with one of the academic affairs office employees and had obtained Iseo’s personal information.
After finding out her home address, he had not only wandered around her home several times, but had also hidden near her villa, figured out the password to the building’s main entrance, and entered inside.
He had even secretly taken photographs of the inside of Iseo’s home from outside the window.
Illegal acquisition of personal information, trespassing and stalking, illegal filming, and attempted rape. With this many concurrent crimes, even if a settlement is reached, there is a high possibility of a prison sentence of at least three to seven years or more. You can also file a civil lawsuit and separately seek compensation for mental damages.
Attorney Yoo Jeong-gu said he would obtain the highest possible settlement and compensation for mental damages.
There was CCTV footage, testimony from people around them, and even the video Taeheon had taken today showing Park Youngseong’s crime, so he said the matter would be resolved quickly.
He also added that he would take care of everything related to the trial, so Iseo would not need to appear in court or do anything herself.
Iseo immediately typed a message to Attorney Yoo.
Thank you for looking into everything. But, how much should I expect the cost to be? And is Taeheon Sunbae doing okay? What he did was self-defense, so there won’t be any separate problems for him, right?
What Taeheon did was obviously self-defense. I heard his fever went down completely after receiving one IV treatment. He is currently sleeping deeply at his family’s home. Don’t worry about the legal fees. We’ll discuss the details directly after Taeheon wakes up tomorrow.
That was where the message ended.
Iseo had never hired a lawyer before, but she knew that legal fees could be quite expensive.
But he told me not to worry about it.
Being a victim did not mean that things ended after suffering the direct harm.
She would normally have to file a lawsuit herself, appear in court and testify, negotiate with the perpetrator, and deal with many other things.
But thanks to Taeheon, she did not have to do anything.
“Seojin Law Firm… Isn’t that the firm with the most expensive legal fees in the country…?”
Iseo searched the internet for the cost and her mouth fell open.
It was far more expensive than she had expected.
“Even if I can get some of it back after winning the case… This isn’t an amount that can be covered that way.”
She had received far too great a favor.
She was merely a junior whom he had seen twice because of an assignment.
Even though he must have been in pain enough to die, he had not given up until the end and had come to save her.
“…Even when I clearly saw that he was having a hard time, I pretended not to notice.”
Iseo looked miserable, tormented by her guilty conscience.
Then she suddenly stood up as if she had made up her mind.
“Yes! Grandma, this can’t be helped. It’s not that I’m breaking my promise. I’m just doing what a person should do. You always tell your clients that, too.”
Remembering something her grandmother often said, Iseo recited it out loud.
“A favor you’ve received should not simply be passed by. Both the gods and people see what you do. When someone has shown you kindness, you must keep it in your heart and repay it someday. Only then will your path open and your blessings continue.”
Iseo clenched her fist and nodded.
“He saved my life. How can I just accept his help and pretend I don’t know him? I’ll engrave his kindness in my heart and repay him! Right now!”
Having made that decision, Iseo began searching for the talismans she had.
She took out the ones she had placed or stuck all around her home, inside her bags, and among her clothes.
Before long, a large pile of yellow talismans had accumulated.
She also brought out a container she carried around, filled with carefully roasted salt and red beans.
After piling everything together, she realized there was one problem.
“Hmm… How am I supposed to give all this to him?”
