Mudoo - Chapter 6

She didn’t know if she’d passed out from sheer terror or just fallen asleep from shaking so long in fear. When she finally opened her eyes, the midday sun was flickering over her face.

“H-Haah…!”

Like someone who’d been holding her breath forever, Seula gasped for air and shot upright. Her pajamas and blankets were drenched in cold sweat. Even after she came to her senses, she just sat there for a while, chest heaving.

The screeching noise that had scraped at her ears all night was gone. The black smoke shapes that had gathered at her feet had vanished too.

Click.

She reached out and pressed the lamp switch—this time, the light turned on.

“…”

Seula pulled her knees to her chest and curled up tight. Her eyes darted around the room. It looked the same as always—same old tiny house—but the air felt heavy, damp, and cold. She suddenly felt like she didn’t even know this place she’d called home.

She spent the whole day curled up under her blanket, shivering like a leaf. By dusk, Seula finally bolted outside—still in her pajamas, just throwing a jacket over them. It was the faint creak of the wooden floor again. She’d heard it, whispering at the edge of her hearing.

Like she’d lost her mind, she slipped her feet into her slippers and just ran. Somewhere—anywhere—with people. She stumbled out of the quiet neighborhood and onto the main road, where people passed her by, all throwing her puzzled glances. But she couldn’t care less about how she looked. She just needed to feel other people’s warmth, to know she wasn’t alone.

She kept wandering, aimlessly, until her bare feet turned red and swollen. Her jacket was pulled tight around her, and her head stayed down, so she kept bumping shoulders with people walking the other way.

“I’m sorry, I’m sorry…”

Half out of her mind, Seula kept mumbling little apologies under her breath when suddenly someone she’d bumped into stepped right in front of her.

“Hey.”

“Y-Yeah?”

Seula flinched and slowly lifted her head.

“…!”

The man’s face was sunken in on one side, and black, rotting bl00d was smeared all over it. He stretched his lips wide into a crooked grin.

“You… can you see me?”

Right then, a foul stench of something rotten hit her nose. Seula slapped her hands over her mouth, backing away in horror. She shook her head over and over, trying to get away, but the bl00d-smeared man kept coming closer, filling up her whole field of vision.

“You… you can see me, can’t you?”

She couldn’t tear her eyes away. Stumbling backward, she tripped over a chunk of loose brick and fell flat on her back. A few people passing by hurried over and looked down at her.

“Are you okay?”

“Are you hurt? Should I call an ambulance?”

“H-Hey, over there…”

Seula managed to lift a shaky hand and point at the man. But when the people turned to look where she was pointing, they just looked confused. If anyone needed an ambulance, it was him—the guy wandering around the street looking like he should’ve died long ago. But no one seemed to see him.

So it’s just me. I’m the only one who can see him.

No—wait. Is that even a person?

The man just stood there, staring down at Seula, mouth split in that eerie grin.

“I don’t believe in things I can’t see. It’s good to doubt everything—it’s a human survival instinct. But now… aren’t you a little curious, Seula?”

“If you could see it with your own eyes… would you finally believe me then, Seula?”

Out of nowhere, Kang Tae-shin’s words replayed in her head. Seula pressed her lips into a thin line and forced her trembling legs to hold her up.

***

Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!

The loud pounding on the front gate jolted Dong-gil awake from his lazy nap after dinner.

“Who the heck bangs on the door like this at this hour? No manners, no manners!”

Bang! Bang! Bang!

Whoever it was clearly had zero patience, hammering the gate with barely a pause. Kang Tae-shin finally emerged from inside the house, looking as unbothered as ever.

“So noisy I can’t stand it. Hurry up and open it, open it!” Dong-gil barked, standing on his hind legs by the gate and urging Tae-shin on. But Tae-shin didn’t even blink—he just strolled over at his own pace.

The moment he unlatched the gate, Seula burst in like a storm, fists clenched so tight her knuckles were white.

“What did you do to me?”

She was a mess. Her long hair was wild and tangled, her bare feet were swollen and scraped all over, only half covered by a pair of flimsy slippers. Kang Tae-shin looked her up and down, showing not even a flicker of pity.

“We didn’t agree to meet today.”

Seula stood there in just a thin pajama under a hastily thrown-on jacket, her eyes red and brimming with tears, rage making her whole face tremble. In just a day, she looked like a completely different person.

“What did you do to me?!”

Seula looked like she might grab Kang Tae-shin by the collar any second. But before she could get close, Dong-gil stepped in front of her on all fours, blocking her with a paw.

“Hey, human lady, calm down, calm down.”

“Waaah!”

Seula stumbled back in shock. “The dog— the dog talks…!”

She was staring straight at Dong-gil like she’d just seen a ghost. Well, technically, seeing a talking dog was probably just as bad for a normal person. Even though she’d heard his voice yesterday when her spirit sight opened up, she must’ve convinced herself she’d imagined it. To a spiritual creature like Dong-gil, it was a bit insulting to be treated like an ordinary mutt, but looking at Seula’s state, he didn’t have the heart to snap at her.

Her eyes wide and trembling, Seula’s legs finally gave out, and she just dropped to the ground. She buried her face in her hands and started to sob.

“Why… why is this happening to me…” Her voice cracked between hiccupped sobs. “Why does this keep happening to me… I don’t understand…”

Kang Tae-shin only stood there with his arms crossed, looking down at the crumpled Seula. He didn’t say a single comforting word. His expression stayed cold and unmoved. Dong-gil shot him a desperate look, silently begging him to do something. Tae-shin, of course, ignored him just like always.

“I keep seeing things I shouldn’t— hic— things I’m not supposed to see. On the way here, I saw a man with half his head smashed in, someone missing a leg, people covered in bl00d— I saw so many of them, I—”

Kang Tae-shin just raised an eyebrow and said calmly, “It’s fine. They can’t hurt you.”

Seula still couldn’t lift her head. Her voice came out muffled but sharp.

“I don’t want to see them.”

“That sight of yours—it’s something you’ll need if you’re going to work with me anyway.”

“No. I don’t want to. I don’t want to work with you.”

“Let’s not do this out here. Come inside first. You won’t see any nasty spirits in here.”

It was Seula’s first time actually stepping all the way inside. She climbed up the wooden porch, slid open the door, and found herself in a cozy living room. Kang Tae-shin guided her to a rocking chair placed right in front of a crackling fireplace. Somewhere along the way, he found a thick blanket and draped it over her knees. Then he disappeared again, saying he’d bring her something warm to drink.

Seula sat stiffly, eyes flicking to Dong-gil, who’d followed her in and was now sitting politely on the carpet. She stared at him with wide, trembling eyes. Dong-gil awkwardly looked away, pretending to be very interested in a spot on the floor.

“You… you really can talk, can’t you?”

Seula’s whisper cracked the quiet. Her voice was small and shaky, like she still couldn’t believe any of this. Dong-gil thought for a moment—then decided to just pretend to be an ordinary dog who totally didn’t understand human speech.

“Woof? Woof?”

“Ah…!”

Failed. Seula sucked in a sharp breath like she’d just been dropped into a horror movie. She squeezed her eyes shut tight. Seriously—why ask if she didn’t want the answer? Feeling awkward, Dong-gil licked his nose and grumbled under his breath.

“First time seeing a talking dog, huh? First time, huh?”

“O-of course it’s my first time! How can a d-dog talk like a h-human…”

Even though Seula was trembling all over with fear, she still managed to force out a reply, as if trying her best to stay sane in this mess.

“Of course. I’m not a dog… I’m not a dog, so…”

Donggil huffed. “Anyone can see I’m a dog…”

“I’m not just a dog! I’m a super clever, super mystical spirit beast, okay? A spirit beast!”

He puffed out his chest proudly, showing off his fluffy fur like he was the star of the show. That was exactly when Kang Tae-shin came back into the living room.

“It’s cocoa.”

He handed Seula a steaming mug. She took it quietly, though she shot him a wary look as she accepted it.

“Thanks. I’ll… drink it well.”

She didn’t look thankful at all, but Kang Tae-shin didn’t seem to care. He sat down on the single-seater sofa across from her, legs crossed.

“This is already the third time you’ve come looking for me, Seula.”

Seula let out a small sigh, eyes fixed on the cocoa that was still letting off steam.

“Yeah. I guess it is.”

All three times she’d come to him, she’d ended up caught in some weird situation—but she didn’t bother pointing that out.