The Shaman Ghost Who Laughs and Dances (2)

Translator's Note:

I am pleased to present this bonus chapter, which has been made possible thanks to the wonderful review written by CapybarasOKIPULLUP.

Please enjoy this bonus chapter as a small token of my appreciation for CapybarasOKIPULLUP’s contribution to my translation work.

A brawl erupted in an instant.
Somehow, I got hit really hard in the process and even got a nosebleed.
Ah, fuck, it really hurts.

“What are you doing! Beat the shit out of Yang Juhui! I said beat her up! Pummel her!!!”

Yang Juhui was really good at fighting, I’ll admit. No lie, she could easily take on three people by herself. It felt less like she had technique and more like she went completely berserk and gained crazy strength.

“Yaaaaaaaaah!!!”

I seriously wondered if perhaps the Eccentricity [Boiling Blood] removed the limits on the human brain, further enhancing her physical strength.
Did the Eccentricity I thought was only a drawback have that possibility?
If we play our cards right, maybe Yang Juhui could defeat all 5 of them alone!

But in the end, Yang Juhui was overwhelmed and subdued by their numbers.
It was because my strength and Vice President Jeong Seok’s were pathetic, practically nonexistent.

“Let go! Let go of me! You fucking bastards!”

“You bitch! You specifically aimed for my face, huh. Ow… ah… it fucking hurts…. Damn bitch. You’re dead today. Drag this bitch and those guys to where her ’oppa’s are. All of them!”

Bong Jiyeon, her face swollen from Yang Juhui’s punches, seemed furious, and at this rate there was no telling what would happen to Yang Juhui and us.

I didn’t know who these ‘oppas’ Bong Jiyeon mentioned were, but it was clear we wouldn’t have a good time if we went there.
They might seriously strip us down to our underwear and take photos.

“Phew…”

I pondered over various things and finally made a decision.
It was so textbook classic and old-fashioned, but…

“Mr. Police Officer!!!! Over here!!!! Here!!!! They’re fucking fighting right now!!!! Here!!!! In this alley!!!! Aaaah!!!! Fucking save me!!!! Aaaaaah!!!! Aaaaaaah!!!!”

Perhaps thanks to my new trait [Holding Breath], my lung capacity had increased a bit, which made my voice resounding, too.
The police part was a lie, but after making such a commotion, the neighborhood folks will come out, and then this situation has to end!

“…This fucking, is this guy crazy? Do the police come when you call them like that? Why is his voice so loud?”
“No, Dongho. The police car was in front of the school earlier, remember? They might be patrolling nearby.”
“Eh, fuck.”

*Thud thud thud*

Recalling the police car at the school gate, Bong Jiyeon’s gang from Class C ran away. As they fled, Yang Juhui shouted, “You fuckers!” and looked ready to chase after them at any moment.

“Hey! Don’t run away! I said don’t run!”

“Juhui! Stop! Stop!”

I tried to stop Yang Juhui, but it wasn’t easy.
Yang Juhui, her blood boiling, was truly like an enraged bull.
My strength wasn’t enough to stop her, so I had to ask Jeong Seok for help.

“Hey! Jeong Seok! Help me stop her!”

“…O-okay.”

Even with two guys hanging onto each of her arms, Yang Juhui wouldn’t easily calm down.
Jeong Seok and I pulled with all our might, but we were the ones being dragged!

“Let go! Let go of me! I’m going to kill that bitch Bong Jiyeon!”

Yang Juhui, you crazy bitch! You’ve completely lost it!
I heard that to subdue a madman, several adult men need to pile on, and it seemed that was true.

For now, before things get worse, I should cure Yang Juhui’s Eccentricity first. If Yang Juhui loses it due to the Eccentricity and starts hitting me, I’ll really die!

“Status Window.”

Treatment Center ◀ Click to open

Spending 100P to treat Eccentricity.

The Eccentricity [Boiling Blood] has been cured.

About 5 minutes passed?
Yang Juhui sat down on the ground as if exhausted.
Jeong Seok and I also plopped down, hit by a wave of fatigue.

Anyway, one problem solved!

“Hey, Ha Youngwon. Did you really call the police? Are they coming here?”

Vice President Jeong Seok asked me while fixing his disheveled clothes.
He looked more scared about me calling the police than when we were surrounded by the Class C kids.

“That was a lie.”

“……”

Vice President Jeong Seok seemed relieved. Come to think of it, we’re clearly the victims here, so why would calling the police be a problem? I was curious.

“Hey, Jeong Seok. You heard your dad was a prosecutor. Can’t you do something about this level of bullying? I’m sure those Class C bastards will annoyingly retaliate—”

“…Where did you hear that?”

Jeong Seok got serious.
As I was slightly taken aback, he sighed and stood up.

“No, who would you have heard it from besides Jeong Sojin. I have to go to academy now so I’m leaving first. Keep it a secret about who my dad is. Seriously. And wipe your blood.”

Jeong Seok picked up his bag that had fallen on the floor, took out some tissues from inside, handed them to me, and then *whoosh* he left.

Is he ashamed of his dad? If my dad were a prosecutor, I’d brag about it.
For some reason, he tries to hide his father’s existence…

Jeong Seok, you’re pretty interesting.
He seemed fit to become a member of the “Ha Youngwon Crew” that I would create.

We have the common point of being harassed by bullies.
Since we have many similarities, maybe we could become friends.

…By the way, why won’t this nosebleed stop.

*Drip drip drip*

My nose was spewing blood like a dam discharge, and seeing this, Yang Juhui said,

“Why did you butt in when you can’t even fight?”

No.
I didn’t butt in, they just beat me up one-sidedly. I was about to get stripped to my underwear, but Yang Juhui showed up at the right time, so I was saved.
Before I could say that, Yang Juhui reached out to me with her hand.

“My house is nearby. Do you want to go for now? I’ll lend you a change of clothes.”

Yang Juhui’s house?
…The one with that lady who came to school?
It is icky to keep wearing this shirt covered in nosebleeds.

On the way to Yang Juhui’s house.
Yang Juhui asked me.

“How did you know Vice President Jeong Seok’s dad was a prosecutor? Do you really talk to Jeong Sojin? That Jeong Sojin is a liar. It’s better not to contact her if possible.”

The conversation felt familiar.
Though she didn’t seem to remember it herself.

Cheonmun-dong near Yeongji High was a backward and remote neighborhood.
Everywhere you went, there were scary alleys with garbage indiscriminately dumped by every utility pole, and most of the buildings were over 30 years old.
The house I lived in was one of them, and so was the apartment Yang Juhui lived in.

“Hwangryong¹ Apartments”

Unlike its shining and splendid name, it was a dilapidated apartment.
In front of each building, old grandmas were drying red peppers, sitting by utility poles with mobility aids, and selling vegetables.

“Uhh… uhh….”
“Jongmin, let’s go now.”

There was also a lady holding the hand of a young man who seemed to have difficulty walking, taking him for a stroll.
Even the dogs out for walks looked miserable.
Just being here made my life feel like it was being dyed a depressing gray.

“What are you doing, Youngwon? Hurry and come up. There’s no elevator.”

Hwangryong Apartments had no elevators.
Yang Juhui said her home was on the 4th floor, but with rusty bicycles tied to every stair railing, it was rather inconvenient to go up and down.

What was more inconvenient was that Yang Juhui’s skirt was so short as she climbed the stairs ahead of me that I felt I could see inside if I tried.

Yang Juhui, you wicked girl.
She must be scheming to make me have a wet dream again by showing me her panties.
Who do you think will look?

“……”

“What are you doing? Not coming up. Are you scared I’ll eat you at my house?”

“No. The stairs are a bit slippery. Phew. Hard to climb up.”

We arrived in front of apartment #402, Yang Juhui’s home.
The metal door without even a digital lock was covered in stickers seemingly put up by all sorts of places from Chinese restaurants to chicken joints.
The sticker that said “Church of Glory” particularly caught my attention.

“Is your mother inside by any chance?”

“No. Mom has Monday service today, so she’ll be back late in the evening.”

“Monday service?”

I thought people usually only went to church on Sundays.

*Click*

Yang Juhui opened the door and went inside.
The inside was so small it seemed barely 65 square meters, and I expected a strange smell… but it smelled nice.

The home of a high school girl.
Not just any high school girl, but the home of Yang Juhui, an SR high school girl.

The boys who used to like Yang Juhui would have fits in many ways if they saw me now.
Feeling a sense of superiority over those faceless boys, I looked around.

There were photos of young Yang Juhui in a taekwondo uniform and family photos with her mom, dad, and a woman who seemed to be her older sister. Yang Juhui had an older sister?

…More importantly, isn’t that the utility knife she took from me? I saw my pencil case, too, and the pen and scissors she borrowed from me.
Yang Juhui, this bitch, furnished her house with my stuff.

“Come over here.”

*Swoosh*

Yang Juhui brought some cotton and stuffed it up my nose.
Her manner seemed quite practiced.

“…Our house isn’t well off, huh.”

Yang Juhui asked as I plopped down on the yellow linoleum floor.
I was a little startled but replied nonchalantly.

“My house is similar, and we have cockroaches too.”

“We have ants, so no cockroaches.”

Really?
I wish my house had ants instead of cockroaches, too.
To think the day would come when I’d envy a house with ants.

But… other than not having cockroaches, there wasn’t much to be envious of.
No computer, no TV. I wondered what Yang Juhui did in her free time.

The clumsily wallpapered walls had sayings like “And this is eternal life, that they know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom thou hast sent,” which was really disturbing.

*Click clack*

Then I heard the sound of the front door latch opening.

“Uh…?”
“Mom…!?”

As I was startled, Yang Juhui was even more so.

“Mom’s here already? Hey! Ha Youngwon! If Mom talks to you, make sure to say you go to church no matter what!”

“Uh… okay….”

*Click clack*

The door opened, and a lady came in.

She was wearing a white dress and had a gentle expression, pretty enough to be called a beauty. Is she the same person who came to school last time?

The lady saw me and Yang Juhui and stopped.

“Juhui. Who’s this?”

“Oh. He’s my friend. I brought him because he got a nosebleed.”

“Really? Juhui brought a friend home. It’s been a while. I came in because I had something to take care of for a bit. What’s your friend’s name?”

“Hello, ma’am. My name is Ha Youngwon.”

“Ha Youngwon. Oh my, lots of circles in your name. By the way, do you go to church? You need to have faith in your heart to receive blessings. Go to church, be saved, and go to heaven. Want to hear the Word a bit?”

Aha!
This is why Yang Juhui told me to say, “I go to church!” earlier.
She was worried the conversation would get long.

Glancing at Yang Juhui’s face, she looked anxious and fidgety, as if she were feeling very embarrassed.
When you’re in your sensitive early teens, it would be… pretty embarrassing to have your mom evangelize to your friends.

I said to Yang Juhui’s mother,

“Oh, don’t worry. I go to church.”

“Really? Then do you know who wrote The First Epistle of Peter?”

What?
A test all of a sudden?

“Since it’s The First Epistle of Peter… umm… it’s Peter, right.”

“Hoho, was that too easy. Then recite John 3:16. If you go to church, there’s no way you wouldn’t know this verse, honestly.”

“……”

Coming at me like this so abruptly?
I got nervous.
I noticed that although Yang Juhui’s mother’s mouth was smiling, her eyes were not. Yang Juhui’s sharp eyes must have been passed down from her mother.

“Uh… since it’s John… John must have written it…”

“No. Never mind who wrote it. I’m asking you to say John 3:16. This is easy, but you don’t know? Anyone who goes to church should know this.”

Soon, Yang Juhui stepped in.

“Mom, that’s, he’s….”

“Yang Juhui. You stay put. Did I ask you right now?”

The atmosphere is ruined.
A difficult situation in many ways.
What will happen if I can’t answer here?

Will the lady suddenly go crazy, grab my head, and yell, “How dare you lie to an adult!!!!”?

What to do.
Should I make up some lie?

Suddenly, what Teacher Kang Haneul said came to mind.
She said adults can see through children’s lies.

*Tick-tock*

The sound of the clock in the living room felt particularly loud, and I closed my eyes tightly and then opened them.
I should just tell the truth, or it will get bothersome.
Let’s be honest.

“John 3:16 - For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. Right? Deaconess. You’re a deaconess, right?”

“Oh my! You know it! Our Juhui finally made a believing friend! That’s right! I’m Deaconess Kim Yeook from the Church of Glory. My, you’re good-looking too. So smartly built! Born into faith?”

“Yes. My father led a church in Seoul.”

“Really? What church? What’s the name of the church? I know most of the big churches in Seoul. Juhui, why didn’t you tell me you became friends with a pastor’s son!”

The way the deaconess looked at me changed.
Should I have just lied?
The conversation will get longer and more annoying.

“If you have time, come to our Church of Glory this Sunday! Our senior pastor’s sermons are so blessed. Have you heard of Pastor Cheon Aesu? He’s a very famous person in our country for his healing gifts!”

“Oh… healing gifts? Like laying hands and praying to cure illnesses?”

Those who talk about healing gifts are usually all cults…

“He casts out demons too. Originally Juhui and I were from generations of shamans so we had to become shamans. We got the spirit sickness, but Pastor Aesu completely drove out the ancestral ghosts possessing us. Completely! Now if only we find Dohee…”

“Mom. Stop.”

Yang Juhui cut in as if to stop the deaconess from talking.
But the deaconess was obstinate.

“We can find your sister, Yang Dohee! Pastor Aesu said it! He said filthy ancestral ghosts took Yang Dohee! The enemy devil satan demons took her! Aaaaahhh!!!! Aaaaahhh!!!!”

Oh, shit…!
The state of the deaconess who was once my prospective mother-in-law is quite serious!

*Crash!*

Then, the glass of the family picture frame that had been still on the wall fell and shattered.
I was really startled, but the deaconess looked truly aghast, as if she would stop breathing.

“An-ancestral ghost! It’s an ancestral ghost! A shaman ghost has come! Shaman ghost! The shaman ghost of the head shaman house shrine is coming! Hiiieee! Get back, you fiend! The blood of Aesu! The blood of Aesu! Get back! Get back!”

*Thud*

Yang Juhui sank to the floor.
And then began to cry like she was truly miserable.

“There’s no such thing as ghosts! Please stop doing this! Please! It’s just an old nail that fell out! I really can’t stand the embarrassment because of you, Mom!”

……
……
No, Juhui. Your mother may be right.

The reason I couldn’t say that was-
Because a woman wearing a shaman’s clothes with disheveled jet-black hair
-was hanging upside down from the ceiling, glaring at me with those shattered glass eyes and laughing.

“!eiddnauoyssessoptnodohwtsohgybdetpurroc!niatpucSliveDymenednadoGrotsaP”

“Aaargh, fuck! Oh fuck! Kyaaaaaa! Kyaaaaaaa!”