HFTS 2

Chapter 2

“Okay, everyone, pay attention.”

Ten minutes before lunch break ended.

The homeroom teacher suddenly showed up and had the students in the classroom take their seats.

Everyone was there because they had been busy talking about the transfer student.

“A new student has transferred into our class today. I was originally planning to introduce her this morning, but something came up, so we’re doing it now. Haewon, come on in!”

The front door opened, and a girl with long, straight hair walked in.

The boys silently screamed with excitement, roughly smacking the friends beside them.

The girls also let out little exclamations of admiration as they looked the transfer student up and down with curious eyes.

With her fair skin, large eyes, delicate features, and pink lips that had only a little lip gloss on them, the transfer student gave off a neat and elegant impression. She wore no makeup.

“Hey, hey. She’s seriously pretty.”

“Damn it, I told you not to touch—”

Among all the students showing interest, Park Su-ho was the only one with his head down. When his friend finally jabbed him in the side with an elbow, he raised his head.

For a moment, Park Su-ho was also stunned by the transfer student’s outstanding beauty. But soon, one thought filled his mind.

‘She looks… really elegant.’

Perhaps it was because she wore her school uniform without altering it and had no makeup on, or because her straight hair fell calmly around her shoulders. Either way, she looked like a refined young lady from a respectable family.

“H-Hi, everyone. Nice to meet you. My name is Yoo Haewon.”

Her voice trembled a little, but it was strong.

“Damn, even her voice is pretty.”

Park Su-ho clicked his tongue inwardly as he watched his friend fall head over heels for the transfer student already.

“I came from Ganghwa Island. I was homeschooled for personal reasons, so this is my first time attending school since elementary school. I hope we get along.”

At the mention of homeschooling, the students began murmuring among themselves.

“How is even her life story so unique?”

“Give me a break.”

Of course, those who already liked her because of her appearance didn’t care.

“You all heard her, right? It’s been a long time since Haewon attended school, so make sure to help her adjust. Where should we seat her…? Su-ho.”

“Yes, ma’am.”

Park Su-ho, who had been sitting rather lazily, lifted his head when the teacher called him.

“The seat behind you happens to be empty. Let’s see… We need someone to bring a desk from the storage room…”

“Teacher, I’ll do it!”

“I’ll go!”

All the boys except Park Su-ho eagerly raised their hands. The homeroom teacher clicked her tongue, clearly seeing through their intentions.

“It’s okay. I can bring it myself.”

Yoo Haewon waved her hand, saying she could bring the desk herself.

In the end, the homeroom teacher chose Park Su-ho to show her to the storage room and sent them both outside.

Park Su-ho walked out awkwardly under the envious gazes of his friends.

“…This way.”

“Okay.”

Park Su-ho quietly led Yoo Haewon toward the storage room.

“Is your name Su-ho?”

Park Su-ho’s shoulders flinched at the gentle voice coming from behind him.

Yoo Haewon was looking straight at him with clear eyes.

With his earlobes turning slightly red, Park Su-ho scratched his cheek and nodded.

“Yeah, I’m Park Su-ho.”

“You must be good at studying.”

“Well… yeah, I guess.”

“Are you first in the entire school?”

Park Su-ho’s eyes widened as if asking how she knew. She smiled sweetly.

“On the way here, our homeroom teacher bragged that there was a student ranked first in the entire school in our class.”

“Oh… Right, I was in the first semester. I’m not sure about this mock exam, though. I wasn’t feeling well, so I messed it up.”

Park Su-ho had entered the school at the top of his class and had never lost his first-place ranking in any exam since. He had also consistently received Grade 1 on mock exams.

However, he had been feeling unwell for the past few days, and he had messed up the mock exam he took last week.

His estimated score had been better than expected, but he was likely to receive a Grade 2 in mathematics. So he thought his ranking would probably drop this time.

“You still don’t look very well.”

“Yeah. I’ve been having sleep paralysis lately, so I keep waking up several times during the night. I can’t really concentrate on studying, either.”

Suddenly, Park Su-ho noticed that his physical condition felt strangely different when he was with Yoo Haewon compared to when he was with his friends.

When his friends had spoken to him like they usually did just a little while ago, he had felt irritated by practically everything.

‘She’s… kind of comforting to be around.’

“Oh, there’s something on your back.”

“Huh?”

“Hold still. I’ll get it for you.”

Park Su-ho was startled when Yoo Haewon suddenly moved closer, but he stayed still, his earlobes turning red.

A faint scent of incense drifted from her. Did she burn incense at home or something?

Jingle—

At that moment, a clear, ringing sound softly reached his ears. The heavy feeling at the back of his neck, which had been causing him headaches, suddenly eased.

“There was a loose thread on you.”

“Thanks.”

Yoo Haewon held up the little loose thread and waved it around. As Park Su-ho stared at her absentmindedly, his gaze caught her wrist, which was visible through her slightly slipped sleeve.

“Is that a string bracelet?”

“Hmm?”

Around Yoo Haewon’s pale, slender wrist was a bracelet made of red thread tied into knots. A bell that looked old and worn was attached to it.

“I think girls used to make wish bracelets or something like that.”

“Well, something like that. You could say it’s like a talisman to me. Do you… think it looks strange?”

Park Su-ho tilted his head at her strangely cautious attitude, as though she were checking his reaction.

“No? What’s strange about it? Everyone wears accessories these days. My friend would probably want to buy one just like it if he saw yours.”

That guy has probably fallen for Yoo Haewon at first sight, after all.

“Ah, ahahaha! I made this myself, so you can’t buy one like it anywhere.”

Her smile looked a little exaggerated, but before Park Su-ho could wonder about it, Yoo Haewon hurriedly ran ahead, asking if that was the storage room.

Park Su-ho followed her and suddenly remembered something strange.

‘Didn’t that bell make a sound just now?’

Then why wasn’t it making any sound now, even though she was moving around like that?

Something about it seemed very strange, but Park Su-ho simply shrugged his now-lighter shoulders and carried the desk for Yoo Haewon when he saw her struggling with it.

“Ah… Thank you.”

She seemed a little surprised at first, but soon gave him a bright smile.

Apparently, she wasn’t used to receiving kindness.

Come to think of it, she had stammered a little when introducing herself earlier, too.

Park Su-ho figured she was probably nervous because it was her first day at a new school and didn’t think much more about it.

“Haewon, aren’t you going to an academy?”

“No, I haven’t been here long enough to find one yet.”

“Really? If you decide to go to one later, come to mine!”

“Yeah! My academy is great!”

“Hehe. I’ll think about it. See you all tomorrow!”

“Okay, bye!”

It was Yoo Haewon’s first day at her new school.

She had already made several friends. After walking home together, they parted ways at the intersection in front of the school.

While everyone else headed off to academies or private tutoring sessions to continue studying after school, Yoo Haewon stopped by a nearby supermarket to buy a few groceries.

Afterward, she played around with some stray cats before heading to her small rented apartment.

As soon as she arrived home, she let the smile that had made her cheeks ache relax and slowly sank to the floor.

“Haa… Did I do okay today?”

It was her first time spending time with friends her own age since the second grade of elementary school.

She had felt so nervous at the thought of returning to school that her stomach had been churning for the past week.

She had practiced smiling dozens of times for this day and had even prayed that she would be able to get along well with her classmates.

“Thankfully, no one seems to think I’m strange, right?”

Yoo Haewon buried her face in her hands and squirmed around as she remembered how her classmates had approached her and even walked home with her.

It was a dance of joy.

“Oh, I shouldn’t be doing this. I need to offer my prayers.”

She had been sprawled on the floor near the entrance for a moment, but she suddenly got up and headed for the living room.

The apartment was tidy and modest, almost like the home of a minimalist.

However, there was one thing that seemed out of place: a painting hanging on the wall.

It was an old-fashioned painting, much like a Buddhist temple mural. It was clearly very old, worn in several places, with the paint peeling off in a few spots.

Even so, the kind smile on the face of the woman who looked like a princess was warm enough to drive away every bit of misfortune in the household.

Yoo Haewon stood in front of the painting, pressed her palms together, and prayed.

She felt the nervousness she had experienced at school gently melt away.

Brrring, brrring—!

Just then, her phone rang.

The screen displayed the word Grandma. Yoo Haewon answered with a bright smile.

“Grandma! I was just about to call you!”

“That’s my good girl. How was your first day at school?”

“It went well! I was really nervous, but my friends approached me first. I even made some friends!”

Her voice was much higher than it had been at school as she chattered away about every little thing that had happened that day.

“Oh, and… I saw someone who had been struck by a curse. At first, I thought he had been struck by a Ju-dang-sal or that a spirit had attached itself to him. But it seemed like someone had deliberately attached it to him.”

“A spirit?”

“Yes. He’s a really smart student, so I think someone became jealous of him.”

Yoo Haewon thought of Park Su-ho, who sat in front of her.

When she had first entered the classroom, she had noticed several spirits. But among them, the ones clinging particularly tightly to Park Su-ho’s shoulders and neck had caught her attention.

Park Su-ho was gradually having his vitality drained by the spirits. When she came into contact with him earlier, she realized that the spirits had been attached to him deliberately.

“So, what did you do?”

“I drove them away for now, but… It’s been quite a while since he was cursed. I think his condition will get worse unless we perform a ritual to counteract the curse or carry out an exorcism. What should I do?”

“Why are you asking me? You’ve already learned everything from me, and if someone needs help, you should be willing to help them.”

“But would it really be okay for me to…?”

“Our duty is to relieve the suffering of people in both body and mind. And since you serve a great deity, you must live your life helping as many people as possible. Besides, this happened because of someone’s malice. Are you holding back because you’re afraid of what happened when you were young? If that’s the case, then come straight back to Ganghwa Island! I’ll have to teach you everything all over again from the beginning!”