HFTS 5

Chapter 5

Shin Yu-jin was a friend Park Su-ho had grown close to shortly after entering high school.

Although they were in different classes, they had become friends because Yu-jin had approached him first.

They shared a passion for studying, and even though Yu-jin always came in second place in the entire school because Su-ho beat him every time, he never showed any jealousy or resentment. He would only complain about how amazing Su-ho was.

Yu-jin also had a good reputation among the other students, and studying together was helpful, so they often spent time together even though they weren’t in the same class.

“But why would he do that to me…?”

“It must be because of your grades. As long as you’re around, he can’t become the school’s number one. From what I can see, you don’t attend any academies or private tutoring classes. You just watch online lectures at home, right?”

Park Su-ho looked at her as if wondering how she knew that, too.

“That guy gets expensive private tutoring and plenty of support, but he keeps losing his rank to you by just one or two points. He must get nagged a lot at home, and his pride must be hurt, too.”

“You can even figure that out? You don’t know him.”

“Even if I don’t know him, the curse he spat out here is so vicious that I can see it all without even trying.”

Yu Hae-won clicked her tongue and stood up, holding the empty can she had found in the trash can.

“Can you give me a garbage bag?”

“…Wait a second.”

Park Su-ho went into the kitchen and brought her a standard trash bag, almost as if he were under a spell.

Hae-won emptied the can she was holding and the half-full trash can into the bag. Then she looked around the room.

She began picking up various items from Su-ho’s desk and throwing them into the trash bag without hesitation.

Park Su-ho couldn’t even bring himself to stop her.

That was because the things she was throwing away were gifts Shin Yu-jin had given him over time.

“You got something from him today, too, didn’t you? Put that in here as well!”

At her shout, Hae-won continued moving busily around the room. Without saying a word, Su-ho opened his schoolbag.

He took out the pen and chocolate Yu-jin had given him during lunch.

“If you’d taken a test with that pen, you would have done even worse. It’s better to throw it away as soon as possible.”

At Hae-won’s words, Su-ho frowned deeply and tossed both items into the trash bag.

“I’ll burn these separately later, or something. And from now on, it’s best not to accept anything from that friend. Food, money, gifts… Nothing at all. If he asks for your date of birth, don’t tell him that either… Wait, he already knows it, doesn’t he?”

“Friends usually tell each other their birthdays.”

“That’s true.”

“Does that mean the curse worked so well because of that?” she muttered.

Park Su-ho’s expression darkened.

Hae-won patted him on the shoulder.

“It’s not your fault.”

Su-ho’s face twisted with frustration, irritation, and a sense of betrayal by his friend.

“It’s the fault of the person who cursed you, not yours for telling a friend your birthday. And even if you hadn’t told him, he would have found another way to hurt you.”

“Really?”

“Of course! So cheer up! I’m here with you now!”

Park Su-ho gazed at Yu Hae-won as she patted his shoulder.

“Come to think of it, how do you know all this? You’re really like a shaman.”

Hae-won froze for a moment.

In that brief instant, her eyes rolled slightly as countless thoughts flashed through her mind. But in the end, she simply smiled brightly.

“That’s right. I’m a shaman. I’ve received the divine calling.”

“How can a high school student receive a divine calling?”

“You can receive one at any age if the gods come to you. It’s not a good thing to receive it at such a young age, but I had my reasons, so I received it last year.”

“Oh…”

“Actually, I wanted to attend school like a normal student. But when I saw that you’d been cursed, I just couldn’t stand by and do nothing.”

The tips of Hae-won’s fingers trembled slightly. So did the corners of her mouth and even her voice.

Ever since she started revealing her secret, her stomach had been churning, and she had wanted to run out of the room at any moment.

[No matter how frightening the past may be, there’s nothing to gain from rejecting or denying your divine calling! How long will you remain trapped in those memories? Do you think someone who serves such a great deity can hide their identity from the world for the rest of their life?]

But then, her grandmother’s words flashed through her mind like lightning.

Drawing courage from them, Hae-won let out a trembling breath and smiled brightly as if nothing were wrong.

“Ah, looks like I’ll have a hard time keeping a low profile at this school, too.”

Park Su-ho glanced at her trembling shoulders, which contrasted with her playful expression, then spoke slowly.

“I won’t tell anyone.”

“Hm?”

“I won’t tell anyone that you’re a shaman. Some people might not care about that kind of thing, but others might avoid you. You don’t want the other students to find out you’re a shaman, do you?”

Hae-won parted her lips slightly at his words, which seemed to see right through her.

“I’m not so inconsiderate that I’d make trouble for the person who saved me.”

The tension left her shoulders, and the smile she’d forced herself to wear like a mask disappeared. Before she knew it, she was asking him honestly,

“How did you know I didn’t want to tell anyone?”

“Just a feeling. I think it might have something to do with why you were homeschooled, too. And you were trembling a little when I asked if you were a shaman.”

“Was I trembling that much?”

“Not that much. Just a little? It seemed like you were scared but trying hard to act cheerful.”

So even though she’d tried to hide it, he’d seen right through her…

Just as he had said, Hae-won didn’t want people to know she was a shaman, and that feeling was connected to why she hadn’t attended school all these years.

She had been hurt emotionally when she was in the lower grades of elementary school.

Although the people who visited her spiritual mother’s shrine had always shown her kindness, this was the first time someone her own age had treated her warmly, especially someone who knew her true identity.

With a smile on her face, Hae-won held Park Su-ho’s hand tightly.

“Thank you, Su-ho. You’re such a kind person.”

Park Su-ho’s cheeks turned red, and he subtly pulled his hand away.

“Ahem! S-so, is everything over now? That curse or whatever you called it?”

“No, not yet. This is just a way to protect yourself. Now we need to get rid of the ghost attached to you.”

“…A ghost?”

“Yeah. I told you that earlier, didn’t I?”

Park Su-ho’s face turned deathly pale in an instant.

She had told him that a ghost was attached to him, but at the time, he hadn’t believed her.

However, after witnessing Hae-won’s mysterious abilities, he realized that her claim about the ghost might also be true.

“T-there’s no such thing as ghosts! Don’t say such ridiculous things!”

Knowing he was only saying that because he was scared, Yu Hae-won chuckled.

“Don’t worry. It’s not here right now.”

“Phew… Then where is it?”

“Who knows? It’s been hiding ever since I came here. Think about it. When you’re at home, you feel fine, but when you go outside, your neck and shoulders hurt, and your whole body feels heavy and sluggish, right?”

That was exactly what had been happening.

Park Su-ho usually studied at the library or other places outside the house, but since he hadn’t been feeling well whenever he left home, he’d recently started studying at home instead.

“I’ll teach you a protective ritual today. If you follow the instructions and go to sleep, I’ll find a way to get that ghost off you tonight.”

“Okay…”

“Now, first of all…”

As if she’d known this would happen in advance, Yu Hae-won took various items out of her bag and explained the protective ritual to him.

Park Su-ho wondered whether any of this would actually work.

“Don’t worry too much.”

Noticing his concern, Yu Hae-won took his hand.

“The two people who love you most in this world are always protecting you. If you can’t believe me, then try believing in those two.”

“Who are you talking about?”

“Um… your guardian spirits?”

Park Su-ho’s face grew even more bewildered, but Yu Hae-won only smiled brightly.

Ring-ring—

Park Su-ho answered the phone without even looking at the screen.

“Hello?”

“Su-ho! Oh, man, I’m so sorry. I can’t come home today…”

“Can’t you come home again today?”

“That’s right! How did you know?”

“If you’re calling at this hour, what else could it be?”

“Ahaha! I guess you’re right. Sorry, Su-ho.”

“What are you sorry for? I’m not a little kid anymore. Besides, you’re the one who’s more tired. You haven’t been home for four days. Don’t you need a change of clothes?”

“I’m fine. I can come home tomorrow. Since it’s the weekend, I’ll buy you something delicious to eat!”

“I’ll see. Work hard.”

“Okay! Make sure to lock the doors properly, and call me right away if anything happens. Got it?”

“Yeah, yeah. Got it.”

Park Su-ho gave a casual answer and hung up.

His recent call history appeared on the screen, showing a number saved under the name Yu Hae-won just below his older brother’s number.

[If the protective ritual doesn’t work, or if something frightening happens, you have to call me. Okay?]

It was the phone number she’d given him before they parted ways.

Suddenly, he remembered how Kang Yu-chan had been desperate to get Hae-won’s number.

He felt a strange sense of superiority knowing that he’d gotten her number before that guy had.

“…This isn’t the time for that. She told me to go to bed early tonight.”

It was currently 11 p.m.

He usually studied until the early hours of the morning before going to sleep, but tonight, he intended to follow Hae-won’s advice and go to bed before midnight if possible.

“Let’s see… What do I need to do?”

First, he had to sprinkle salt around his sleeping area, making sure the line formed a complete, unbroken circle.

Second, he had to burn the incense Hae-won had given him.

Sniff. “It doesn’t smell as strong as I expected.”

He realized that this was the same incense scent he’d noticed on her before.

Now for the final step. Outside the salt barrier, he had to place a knife above his pillow, near his head.

He had the knife she’d given him.

It came with a sheath. Both the handle and the sheath seemed to have been carved from wood, giving them a slightly antique appearance and a faint, pleasant woody scent.

A red thread was tied around the wooden handle. Hae-won had repeatedly warned him never to touch it.

After completing all the preparations, Park Su-ho immediately lay down on his bedding.

But is there really such a thing as a ghost?

He had never been one to believe much in folk beliefs such as shamans, fortune-telling, or destiny readings.

Will anything dramatic really happen?

He had barely finished thinking that when his eyelids began to droop. In less than five minutes after lying down, he had fallen into a deep sleep.

Time passed, and when it was one in the morning—

Creeeak…

The door Park Su-ho had closed opened by itself.

Then the ghost of the student who had tried to cause a traffic accident involving Park Su-ho earlier that day approached him, its long hair hanging loosely down its back.