Double Junk - 167

Ajin listened silently, then gasped for breath. Seven years old—that was when he was presumed to have been kidnapped in his past life. And ten years old—that was when a car accident left him limping.

It’s me. Even in this body, it’s still me.

So, is reincarnation real? Could this be the reincarnation people only talk about in stories? Are the memories I have now of my past life?

Ajin’s pupils trembled violently. Seonhwa, noticing his unease, gently stroked the back of his hand before continuing the conversation.

“Anyway, that’s why I started believing in fortunes and fates and all that. They said you have a lot of peach blossom spirits. But they’re not the good kind that make people like you; they’re the kind that attract bad things, evil spirits, and ghosts.”

“……”

“They also said your fate is full of love and gold, which makes evil spirits stick to you. And it’s true. You used to struggle to sleep, couldn’t focus on studying, got sick all the time, constantly got into fights with random kids at school, and if you weren’t paying attention for even a second, you’d trip, get hurt, burned, or cut. It was exhausting.”

“……”

“You also have a hard time being alone, don’t you? Unlike your brother and sister, I couldn’t send you abroad to study because you’d get depressed without people around.”

“……”

“And then, when you were in high school, Seokju came to tutor you.”

“A tutor?”

“Yes. He came to teach you Korean, English, and math. Without him, you wouldn’t have even gotten into college. You were hopeless, really.”

“……”

“But as soon as Seokju arrived, it was strange. You started sleeping well, stopped fighting with friends, and came home without injuries. You even studied hard, doing exactly what Seokju told you to do.”

“……”

“So I looked into it. Turns out, Seokju supposedly had a lot of karmic debt from his past life. Not from eating a lot of meat or anything like that—he carried a heavy burden from consuming souls and bl00d. Maybe he was a general in his past life or something. Anyway, that karma carried over to this life, making him a hungry tiger—a starving predator in terms of his fate. And that’s why he’s able to consume all the bad spirits attached to your peach blossom curse.”

“……”

“They said that if Seokju were alone, he’d eventually devour everyone around him, and later, even destroy himself. But when he’s with you, he’s too busy eating up the evil spirits drawn to you to harm anyone else.”

“……”

“Basically, you two are fated to be together. It’s destiny.”

Seonhwa patted Ajin’s knee and then softly stroked it. Her gaze softened as if she were reminiscing about her first meeting with Seokju.

“That’s why, as soon as Seokju graduated from college, I scouted him and put him in our company. I gave him a huge salary and even paid off his student loans, saying it was like a scholarship. I mean, he’s protecting you by eating all those evil spirits. There’s nothing I wouldn’t do for him. I treat him like a saint, really.”

“……”

Ajin silently pressed his fingers against his eyelids.

Fate, karma, destiny, evil spirits, saints—none of it fit into this modern world full of advanced technology and intricate characters. But the connection between him and Seokju was undeniable, so intertwined that it was impossible not to believe.

Ajin clenched his teeth tightly.

Oh, Dragon King. This isn’t right! This shouldn’t be happening!

He felt like screaming. He appreciated being reborn as the precious youngest son of a noble family, but why did the Dragon King have to tangle him up with Seokju like this?

Ajin swallowed hard, refraining from cursing in front of Seonhwa. She reached out and gently stroked the back of his head, her expression worried.

“But this is the first time you’ve been sick since meeting Seokju. It makes me anxious. I’m wondering if we should visit a shaman again.”

Ajin shook his head. This wasn’t an illness—it was the result of the Dragon King’s poor judgment. He needed to uncover the reason why he was brought here after dying in his past life and why he was so entwined with Seokju.

“…I’ll be fine. This is just temporary. My head’s just a little messed up for now. I’m not hurt, and my memory will come back soon.”

“…That’s a relief, then.”

Seonhwa gazed at Ajin quietly. Then she stroked his cheek, touched the rim of his ear, and rubbed his chin before reluctantly pulling her hand away. She gathered the photo albums and put them in a drawer, and Ajin quickly helped her.

Rising from her seat, Seonhwa gave him a light nod.

“I’d better get to work. Call me if anything happens.”

“Okay. I’ll wait for you.”

“…But don’t grow up while you’re waiting.”

“…Okay.”

“And… could you stop speaking so formally? It breaks my heart. It feels like you’re drifting away from me.”

Her careful words made Ajin open and close his mouth a few times. Then he gave her a faint smile and nodded.

“Alright.”