Mudoo - Chapter 17

Kang Tae-shin stepped out of the study with Seula on his back.

Out in the yard, Gangnim was strolling around with his hands tucked behind his back, wearing a faded robe and a black hat that looked older than he did.

“Well, well. Looks like I’m a bit late.”

A strong whiff of liquor clung to him. Tae-shin didn’t need to ask — he’d clearly been off enjoying himself at Wind and Moon Pavilion again.

“Is the human woman okay? Is she okay?”

Dong-gil, tongue lolling and panting hard after sprinting back with Gangnim, asked anxiously. Tae-shin reached down and scratched Dong-gil’s chin.

“Good work. I’ll lay her down in the guest room — keep this one entertained for me in the meantime.”

Dong-gil let out a soft whine and turned to eye Gangnim, who only looked even more leisurely in contrast.

Tae-shin carried Seula inside, changed her out of the sweat-soaked pajamas, and gently wiped the bl00d from her neck and chin with a damp cloth. When he checked her forehead, the burning fever had subsided. Her temperature was back to normal — by morning, she’d be fully conscious again.

After pulling the blanket up to her chin, he turned to leave — but paused when he saw the small scratch on her neck. The mark left behind by his own blade.

He let out a long sigh.

There was no way he could just ignore it.

He fetched the first-aid kit, dabbed a bit of ointment onto his fingertip, and carefully patted it over the thin cut. Seula’s brow twitched faintly in her sleep.

“Don’t be such a baby. It barely hurts,” he murmured, though he made sure to move so gently she wouldn’t stir. He pressed a small bandage over the wound and let out a quiet breath.

“Get some real rest now.”

His steps felt heavier than ever as he left the guest room, leaving Seula asleep inside.

***

Outside, Gangnim was perched on the porch steps, waiting. As soon as he saw Tae-shin, he spun around with an expectant grin.

“Got any drink?”

Tae-shin tightened the knot on his bathrobe sash and sat down across from him.

“Still living like a wastrel, I see.”

“A wastrel! Now, now. Call it what it is — a life chasing romance and good company.”

“Is that romance something you can’t feel unless you’re drunk off your ass?”

Gangnim cleared his throat dramatically and looked up at the night sky like he hadn’t heard. Tae-shin clicked his tongue.

“No wonder you’ll never crawl out of that grim reaper rank for a thousand years.”

“Now hold on — isn’t that a bit harsh?”

Tae-shin could only grit his teeth. Even in an emergency with a rogue wraith, Gangnim was the only one he could call on short notice. Just thinking about it made his insides burn.

“It says a lot about the state of the underworld.”

Gangnim’s shoulders drooped as if he’d been scolded by his teacher. He pouted and kicked the stone step with the tip of his shoe.

Dong-gil lay by Tae-shin’s feet, chin resting on his paws, and silence settled thick around them. It was Gangnim who broke it first.

“The girl — is she alright?”

“For now. She wasn’t, just a moment ago.”

“That’s a relief, then.”

Tae-shin let out a short, humorless laugh.

“A relief? You call that relief?”

“Hey now, don’t get so worked up. I came running the moment I heard, didn’t I?”

“Right — showed up reeking of booze like it was nothing. Sure shows how seriously you took it.”

“Hey! Language! Anyway, the wraith’s out of her now, so it’s all fine, isn’t it?”

But Tae-shin knew better than to relax.

“Feels like we’ll meet again soon, doesn’t it? What do you think?”

The wraith would be back. It had found the perfect vessel, so it would wait for its chance to slip in again.

“For now, stay sober and be ready. We don’t know when it’ll try again.”

At Tae-shin’s cutting tone, Gangnim visibly flinched.

“Calm down, now. Humans aren’t so weak. Even a wraith is just a dead soul — you know it can’t hurt her so easily.”

“Back something into a corner — person or ghost — and there’s nothing it won’t try.”

“In the mortal world, it’s still the living you ought to fear most.”

“Whatever you fear is none of my business.”

He couldn’t let go of the fact that Gangnim had bungled this so badly. Every word came out edged with barbs. Gangnim, sensing this, tried to keep his head low.

“I’ll report it to the higher-ups. So don’t worry too much.”

Gangnim pushed himself up — only to sway unsteadily, nearly losing his balance. Tae-shin pinched the bridge of his nose at the pathetic sight.

“Listen. If I see you again reeking of alcohol—”

“Hey, hey! Don’t fret. I’ll keep my wits about me, alright?” Gangnim cut him off, waving his hand in protest, eyes wide.

Tae-shin didn’t believe him for a second. But he didn’t have a better option, and his neck was already stiff with tension.

“Fine. Get going. If something happens, I’ll send for you.”

With a sloppy sweep of his robe, Gangnim turned and shuffled out the gate, mumbling to himself about next time.

***

Tae-shin barely slept through the long night. More than once, he got up to peek into the guest room to make sure Seula was still sleeping soundly. By the time the sun was streaming down so brightly that sleep was no longer possible, he dragged a dry hand down his tired face and stepped outside.

Out on the porch, Seula sat with a blanket draped around her small shoulders. In the yard, Dong-gil was having the time of his life, bouncing after his rubber ball.

“How are you feeling?”

He meant it to come out casually, the way he always asked — but his voice was still rough and low from lack of sleep. Tae-shin leaned back against a porch pillar, his eyes fixed on Seula’s profile, color finally back in her cheeks.

Seula didn’t take her eyes off Dong-gil as he ran circles around the yard. Her voice came out quiet but steady.

“Tae-shin.”

“…”

“When I’m really tired, or run-down, I always get a stye in my eye.”

The random comment made Tae-shin lift an eyebrow as he looked at her.

“Or I get mouth ulcers. But if I rest for a few days, they go away fast.”

“…”

“Since I became an adult, I’ve never had a high fever. Not even the usual colds. I’ve never caught the flu, either — I’m always the lucky one who avoids it all.”

He couldn’t quite figure out where she was going with this. Then Seula finally turned her head and met his eyes — the look in hers was clear and unwavering.

“So if I ever get this sick again, you better know something’s really wrong.”

“…”

“If I say I’m sick, I mean it’s really, really bad.”

Seeing the fire back in her voice, Tae-shin let out a quiet, almost amused huff.

“Did it hurt that much?”

Seula clenched her fist tight around the blanket and gave him a hard nod.

“…I thought I was going to die.”

“People don’t die that easily.”

His gaze fell to the small bandage on her neck — the one he’d stuck there himself the night before. Before he realized it, he was reaching out, gently wrapping his hand around her neck, brushing his thumb over the bandage.

“We should change this.”

Her eyes flickered, and then she grabbed his wrist in both hands, staring up at him with a look so frightened he almost flinched.

“I was… possessed, wasn’t I?”

“Unfortunately, yeah. You were.”

The moment he answered, Seula’s shoulders dropped, her brows trembling like she might cry — but instead, a helpless, crooked smile kept tugging at her lips.

“At least it doesn’t hurt now.”

“What do you mean, ‘at least’? You almost died!”

Seula’s voice cracked with the same spark of energy she always had when she was annoyed, and Tae-shin gently brushed her hair behind her ear.

“I dragged you into this, so I’ll take responsibility.”

“Oh yeah? How exactly?”

“Good question. Maybe I should stick around and wait on you hand and foot for the rest of my life.”

“That’s just the bare minimum.”

Looking into her eyes for that long, something soft bloomed in his chest. It felt foolishly tender — he didn’t want her to ever get sick again, wanted to feed her good food, see her smile every day. Even the cold winter wind felt warm on his skin just then.

“I’ve been thinking…”

“Hmm?”

Seula’s voice turned resolute, and Tae-shin tilted his head, waiting for her to go on.

“I don’t think I can just stay here like this.”

“…”

“I want to go outside.”

It hadn’t been that long since her fever had broken — and she’d been terrified of seeing spirits not even a day ago. But the look in her eyes was so sure he couldn’t bring himself to tell her no.

“I can’t keep being scared of what some ghost might do to me. I need to toughen up.”

She wasn’t wrong. Fear never did anyone any favors. Tae-shin looked up at the sky, watching the clouds drift. It was a good day to step out for a while.

“Go get ready, then.”

He hated crowded places — but if it helped lift her spirits, he’d put up with it gladly.

“Let’s go find something delicious to eat.”

At that, Seula pressed her lips together in a thin line, then slowly got to her feet.

“Take me too! Take me too!”

Dong-gil dropped his rubber ball at their feet, tail wagging, completely oblivious as usual.