Mudoo - Chapter 39

It was one of those rare days when she got out of Cheonghae-dong on her own. The street was full of wandering spirits, but Seula wasn’t scared anymore. Tae-shin had said she’d get used to it soon, and turns out, he hadn’t been wrong. A small smile tugged at her lips.

Her bank account had also been filling up nicely. Every time she checked the balance, she still couldn’t quite believe it—she’d never seen that much money in her life. It didn’t feel real. It felt more like a string of numbers in some video game wallet.

Seula walked into the tteokbokki place where they’d agreed to meet. Shin Haejun was already there, waving at her from his seat. She sat across from him, immediately noticing how rough he looked.

“What’s up with your face? You look like you aged ten years in a week.”

“Tsk. That’s the first thing you say to me?”

He looked like he’d had a hell of a time lately. His face was drawn and heavy with fatigue. He was trying to rub some life into it like a man doing a half-hearted dry wash, but he just looked pitiful.

Wanting to get some food into him right away, Seula skimmed the menu and said, “How about two servings of tteok and add some ramen noodles? My treats.”

“Forget it. You’re job-hunting, how could you afford to pay?”

“Well… that’s true…”

Caught off guard, Seula trailed off awkwardly. While she was fumbling for a reply, he called over a staff member and placed the order.

“So, how long have you been seeing this Kang Tae-shin guy?”

He poured himself a glass of cold water and slid another cup over to her.

“How do you even know him?”

There was suspicion all over Haejun’s face. Was it time to lie again? Making stuff up was exhausting. Her head started to throb.

“Just met him in a pretty normal way.”

“What kind of answer is that? Is he from your old job? Or did someone introduce you?”

“I was introduced… through someone from my old workplace.”

The more she talked, the more his eyes narrowed in doubt.

“You? Going on blind dates?”

“Job seekers get lonely too, you know. We’re allowed to date just like everyone else.”

She snapped, and Haejun leaned back, startled by her sudden burst of emotion.

“Jeez, anyone listening would think I was trash-talking unemployed people.”

“Well, it did kinda sound like that.”

“That’s just your insecurity talking.”

Right then, their order arrived—a wide, shallow pot filled with rice cakes, sauce, ingredients, and ramen noodles. The server turned on the gas burner and left with a reminder that pickled radish was self-serve.

Haejun got up and came back with a heap of pickled radish, plopping the bowl down with a sigh.

“I know you’re not the type to listen just because someone tells you to, but still—be careful with guys.”

“You’re a guy too.”

“I mean, strange guys with no background.”

He was clearly talking about Kang Tae-shin. Seula pretended not to hear and stirred the tteokbokki with the ladle. “Smells good,” she murmured as she licked her lips. Haejun clicked his tongue, frowning.

“You’re not in some cult, right? These days, there are cults that use handsome guys to recruit women.”

“You’ve always been like that. The better-looking someone is, the more suspicious you get.”

“Well, can’t hurt to be cautious. Doesn’t cost anything.”

“That’s a side effect of your job.”

“Maybe I’m just very dedicated.” Haejun let out a big sigh and ran his hand down his face.

“What about you? Are you sure you’re okay?”

They’d known each other for a long time—long enough that a single look could give away how the other was really doing. Seula tilted her head, eyes wide.

“Every case I take on these days feels off,” he muttered, spooning out some cooked ramen noodles onto his plate.

“Like that incident at Munseong Girls’ High. And this new one too…”

She was about to ask about the new case, but suddenly, a chill ran down her spine. Something told her she shouldn’t dig. So she stayed quiet, while Haejun shook his head slightly, like he was trying to get rid of his work thoughts.

“Did you know even shamans have an association now?”

She didn’t have the heart to tell him she’d even attended one of their official events.

“…Really? But why bring up shamans all of a sudden?”

“The victim in my latest case was a shaman. And get this—all the surrounding CCTV cameras were off when it happened. All of them. How does that make sense? And when we question other shamans in the area, all we get is mumbo jumbo.”

“…”

Seula instinctively reached up to rub the back of her neck, where she still remembered the suffocating grip of Geumhwa’s hand.

“So what was the cause of death?”

“They did an autopsy and found severe calcification in the coronary artery. It was heart disease. Scary stuff. You’ve got insurance, right?”

“Yeah, of course. I’ve got basic coverage… and some critical illness stuff.”

A detective who relied solely on hard evidence, and a shaman who placed their faith in the unseen—it was two extremes. Seula could understand why Haejun dismissed the shamans’ testimonies. Before she met Tae-shin, she would’ve been on his side too.

***

Hobun’s house had finally returned to its former self. It took days of hard work—replacing everything that had been trashed and cleaning up thoroughly—but it was finally done.

“I think I won’t need to keep relying on Mr. Kang Tae-shin anymore.”

Hobun wiped the sweat from his forehead, his voice tinged with pride. The warm lighting gave the room a cozy feel.

“I’m kinda sad, actually. I had fun staying here with you.”

“Same here. But we can still visit each other, even if things aren’t like before.”

Seula grinned and nodded.

“True. But what if they show up again when you’re alone?”

“I doubt that’ll happen.”

“Why not?”

“Because they’ve probably lost interest in me now.”

A bitter smile touched Hobun’s lips. Seula blinked, not understanding.

“…Why?”

Hobun chuckled behind his fist.

“People’s hearts are like that. They flare up fast… and burn out just as quickly. People who crave that kind of fiery love can’t stand a steady warmth. They’ll be off chasing the next flame.”

“But still, they came all this way to raise hell over you…”

“They were that intense. So I don’t think they’ll have any regrets. Maybe they’ll struggle with the breakup for a while, but emotions fade with time.”

“…”

“You’re human too, Seula. I’m sure you know how people’s hearts work.”

Seula tilted her head slightly.

Not really. She still didn’t get it—the kind of love Hobun was talking about, or how it supposedly left no regret. But she did understand one thing that time blurs emotions. Back when she got let go due to company restructuring, she’d hated her bosses. But now? She could understand their side too.

***

“I’m home.”

Seula returned to a peaceful, quiet house. Dong-gil was sprawled out on the living room carpet, fast asleep. She figured Tae-shin was in the bathroom.

She headed into the guest bathroom and took a nice, hot shower. When she changed into her pajamas, she realized she smelled just like him. She pulled up her collar and buried her nose in it, smiling dreamily at the scent. Just then—

Slide—the door to the guest room opened, and there stood Kang Tae-shin.

“…”

He looked at her, confused. She was crouched on the bedding, sniffing her pajamas.

“What are you doing? You look like some kind of perv.”

Busted mid-scent-inhalation, Seula looked up, wide-eyed.

“You can’t just barge in like that! At least knock!”

“Well, excuse me. But you do realize how suspicious you look right now?”

“I was just… it smelled nice, and I thought it smelled like you… What fabric softener do you use?”

As she babbled, Tae-shin casually stepped into the room and closed the door behind him. He lifted up the covers and sat down on the bedding like it was the most natural thing in the world. Seula could only stare.

“Aren’t you scared to sleep alone?”

The sudden question made her blink.

Tae-shin bit his lower lip, then released it, unsure how to start.

“I am. I hate sleeping alone.”

Coming from someone who punches ghosts for a living, that sounded ridiculous. Seula chuckled and looked at him in disbelief.

“Right now, I think you’re scarier than any ghost.”

“I won’t do anything weird.”

“…”

“I’ll just hold your hand and sleep.”