Chapter 79

#79 <Ingkum Ingkum (5)>

*

Even though my eyes sunk in from using too much energy, I couldn’t just collapse and rest.

‘Too many mouths to feed.’

So this is what it feels like to be the head of the household. Feeling the weight of responsibility, my shoulders felt heavy, but as always, it was a burden I gladly carried. The fact that I wasn’t alone made Jin-hyeok’s days still feel fresh and happy.

As soon as I got home, I went to get water for Jang Gun-i. Thinking he might be thirsty from all the panting, I wasn’t wrong—Jang Gun-i gulped down the water like crazy. He wasn’t just lapping it up with his tongue; he dunked his snout into the bowl and sucked it up like a cow drinking water.

“Jang Gun-i, you worked hard.”

“Jang Gun-i worked hard, right? Hehe-.”

Yoo Jin, who had just woken up from her nap, half-asleep, petted Jang Gun-i.

Jin-hyeok went inside, washed Yoo Jin, and threw her clothes into the washing machine. He was worried she might have caught some waterborne disease from wild animals. While his little sister played in the living room, Jin-hyeok scrubbed himself clean too. The warm water eased his stiff muscles, and the fragrant soap smell relaxed his mind.

“Oppa, feed Yoo Jin, pleaseee-.”

“Is our baby hungry? Let’s see. What should we eat?”

“Pork.”

Wow, this kid’s determination.

Jin-hyeok, underestimating the baby’s focus, almost lost his balance while opening the fridge.

“Let’s eat pork at night. Oppa will grill it for you.”

“Okay, hehe-.”

Yoo Jin is really well-behaved. She doesn’t throw tantrums or make unreasonable demands. She just accepts whatever her oppa says without conditions, which makes him grateful.

“Our baby, should I make you some egg rice?”

“Okay, hehe-. Egg rice is yummy, right?”

She’s not picky either. Seeing her happily eat the spicy catfish stew that even Jin-hyeok avoids, it’s clear Yoo Jin is better than her oppa.

Jin-hyeok placed a half-fried egg on top of the rice, added a spoonful of sesame oil and half a spoon of soy sauce, and mixed it all up. The savory smell made his mouth water. He didn’t even realize how hungry he was from all the exertion, and he quickly wiped the drool that had unknowingly escaped.

Slurp.

‘Is this hand, foot, and mouth disease?’

But his sister comes first.

He tore some washed kimchi into small pieces and placed them on Yoo Jin’s spoon.

“Our baby, is it yummy?”

“Yes, hehe-.”

She chewed so adorably. How can kids be this lovable? Watching her was so touching it almost brought tears to his eyes. Is she cute because she’s my sister, or are all kids like this? Who knows. Maybe there’s an old man’s soul inside her.

“I’m done, hehe-.”

“Let’s drink some water.”

After feeding Yoo Jin some water, he let her play in the living room for a while.

When he finished the dishes, Yoo Jin was dozing off on the sofa. She must’ve been really tired after the big adventure with her oppa. For a little kid to not even fuss and just fall asleep on her own, where did such a sweetheart come from? Well, from her mom’s belly, of course.

“Sleepy, sleepy-.”

Jin-hyeok, worried she might choke on what she ate or feel uncomfortable, carried her and patted her back while pacing around the living room. He was used to it, having done it often when she was a baby. When he heard a little burp near her ear, he laid her down on the bed in the bedroom.

‘Sleep well, our baby.’

He kissed her cheek and forehead, then quietly opened the front door and stepped out.

Jang Gun-i, who had been wobbling around, was now sprawled out on his back, fast asleep.

‘Is that dog smiling?’

For a moment, Jin-hyeok wondered if he was dead, but seeing his belly and chest slowly rise and fall, it was clear he was still breathing. His long, drooping tongue touched the ground, covered in dirt.

Jin-hyeok carefully picked him up, but Jang Gun-i didn’t budge.

After moving Jang Gun-i to his doghouse, Jin-hyeok stealthily made his way to the rooftop. It was usually a place to relax, overlooking the vast fields, mountains, and the distant sea. He and his dad had decorated the garden and planted small fruit trees for his mom, but it also unexpectedly became a good hiding spot. Whether it was hiding from the terror of tonkatsu or, like now, observing suspicious men.

‘What are those guys up to?’

Earlier, he noticed that the sedan the men arrived in had a Seoul license plate.

Hong Ki-jun and Yoo Se-ra had left for Hawaii with Jin-hyeok’s parents, and Hong Soo-jung was spending time with her grandfather, so it couldn’t be anyone related to them. If it were, they would’ve driven straight to Jin-hyeok’s house.

‘They’re extraordinary.’

I’m not exactly ordinary either. He muttered quietly to himself, even though no one was listening.

Seeing the two men pointing at his house from a distance sent a chill down his spine. The aura they gave off wasn’t that of ordinary real estate agents or wealthy businessmen.

‘If I can feel it from this far, there’s definitely something going on.’

It’s weird that I can even sense it. Jin-hyeok furrowed his brow.

Was it the ominous feeling he got when they passed by earlier? He couldn’t explain how he could sense the presence of people so far away. But that wasn’t important right now.

‘I need to figure out what’s going on.’

If I don’t know what’s happening around me, I’m worse than Jang Gun-i. That’s what Jin-hyeok thought. He vowed not to live passively anymore.

He had heard stories from the elders in the neighborhood about modern-day grim reapers. Of course, the main storyteller was Jo Il-hun. He said that when two men in black point at a house, someone is going to die. The person marked for death can see the grim reapers even while lying in bed. Rumors had it that such incidents had happened more than once in the neighborhood.

It was just nonsense, something to scare kids into being cautious around strangers, but…

It wasn’t something he could dismiss as mere superstition.

‘Me coming back to the past is even more absurd.’

Jin-hyeok had never taken his existence lightly and didn’t underestimate the world. It was his own way of not living recklessly or blindly.

Anyway, leaving those men alone made him worry about his parents and little sister. Who knows what they might do when he’s not around.

Just then.

“Jin-hyeok-! Are you home?”

The clear, bell-like voice of Choi Mi-kyung, a teenager, echoed from the wide yard.

Was the wild boar already prepared?

Growl-.

Ah, come to think of it, I haven’t eaten yet.

***

“Holy, holy, hooooly- gracious Lord-.”

An old man in a straw hat and rubber shoes, dressed in hemp clothes, hummed a hymn. He had never sung it properly, so the pitch and rhythm were all over the place, but his resonant voice was still worth listening to.

“If you study diligently, you will not be like the Lord- Amen-.”

As a seeker, he was exploring religion. Of course, his reasons were more worldly. He had walked a long way because the church was serving food during the holiday, and he also got a Bible and a hymnbook.

“They’ve come to learn properly. Holy, holy- Sigh-.”

The pastor was polite. He bowed deeply, saying, “Welcome, elder,” and even offered to send a van next time for him to ride.

“I’m not going anymore. You rascal. Sigh-. Holy, holy, hooooly-.”

It was a place where people knelt on the chapel floor to pray. Of course, he had no intention of doing that. As a sage who never bowed his head or knelt to the heavens, it wasn’t in his nature.

“My knees hurt- Holy, holy sigh- hooooly-.”

He kept mimicking the way the churchgoers sang hymns. Whether it was because of difficulty controlling his breath or the saliva pooling in his mouth, he kept making slurping sounds in between, like someone who had eaten something spicy.

Cheon Gil-ryong’s holy steps had unknowingly brought him near Choi Jang-hwan’s house.

“Elder. Where have you been? Have you eaten yet?”

One of the young men chattering noisily in the wide yard called out to Cheon Gil-ryong. It was Jo Il-hun, who got along well with Cheon Gil-ryong.

Cheon Gil-ryong closed the hymnbook he had been holding and hid it behind his back.

“What are you all doing?”

“Jin-ek brought a wild boar-.”

“Our Taeyang did well in business, so we’re having a neighborhood feast, that’s why.”

Jin-ek? Who’s that?

Cheon Gil-ryong lifted his straw hat to see better. On the wide plastic sheet, the majestic figure of a wild boar lay stretched out.

“Hoho-, that boar is quite impressive.”

“Have a piece and go-. Since it’s Chuseok, it’d be nice if you stayed over tonight.”

Choi Jang-hwan knew that Cheon Gil-ryong’s visits had increased lately.

Even without Choi Jang-hwan’s friendly smile, Cheon Gil-ryong had been considering it. After retiring from playing the guardian spirit, he decided to enjoy life.

‘This is the house where Lee Bok-su used to live.’

A woman who had the fate of the three gods, she fell for the tricks of his older brother, Choi Ki-ryong, and worked as a midwife from a young age.

The brothers couldn’t leave the village often because they had to suppress the yin energy of the land. Even when they did, Lee Bok-su was often away taking care of children from other places. So they couldn’t even thank her for her hard work before she passed away.

‘I should offer a drink on the ancestral table.’

He felt a sense of debt.

With that in mind, Cheon Gil-ryong nodded at Choi Jang-hwan.

“I’ll be back after a short trip up there.”

“Sure. Please come back. We have plenty of rooms-.”

“Alright, alright.”

Cheon Gil-ryong smiled contentedly and walked away.

He had some business with the guys he had noticed on his way to church. Nuisances.

***

Choi Mi-kyung felt like her chest was about to burst.

Her parents were on a trip, so she came to deliver songpyeon and Chuseok food to Jin-hyeok, who was taking care of his little sister alone. Jin-hyeok had his hand on Mi-kyung’s shoulder as they walked to her house together.

‘What if he asks to kiss? I should probably reject him at least once…?’

She knew everything. Girls her age were precocious, and their curiosity was as strong as boys’. Dreaming of romance and imagining scenarios with someone they liked was no different. While Mi-kyung was debating whether to send her second daughter to Jongno Academy or Daesung Academy in town, Jin-hyeok spoke up.

“You brought food, so I should thank you.”

Mi-kyung’s red lips pressed tightly together. The fantasies, excitement, and fears of a teenage girl flew away with the autumn breeze in an instant. In Jin-hyeok’s hand was the bowl Mi-kyung had brought, filled with fruits like apples that he had taken from the fridge.

‘Sigh-.’

Mi-kyung sighed inwardly. Son Jin-hyeok had been mature since he was a kid. No, more like an old man than mature.

Even when kids played pranks, he never got angry, just laughed like an older brother or, sometimes, like a real uncle. Maybe that’s why she couldn’t get closer than just being friendly. Other kids would tease and flirt with each other, but Jin-hyeok acted cautiously, like he was worried someone might get hurt. She couldn’t quite explain it, but there was a wall, a safe distance he kept.

‘Even if I make a move, he’d reject me.’

What?

Anyway, that’s how Mi-kyung saw Jin-hyeok, the closest friend she had.

Like an old man.

‘Is there something wrong with that? Being like an old man?’

What?

Don’t even put your hand on my shoulder. You bad boy.

Not even that. The whole neighborhood knows.

Jin-hyeok’s attention, which had been tense, briefly turned to Mi-kyung.

Of course, those guys were probably watching. He was just putting on a natural act, but a cold wind blew from Mi-kyung.

Jin-hyeok just scratched his cheek, thinking Mi-kyung must be in a bad mood. His clueless nature was more reliable than any armor in times like this.

In Mi-kyung’s yard, the wild boar was being prepared. Thick plastic sheets used for kimchi-making were spread out, and Jo Il-hun and Choi Jang-hwan were working on it. Despite the sight of the bloody meat, Jin-hyeok felt surprisingly calm, in contrast to Mi-kyung, who couldn’t bear to look and went inside.

There were also uncles wandering around with soju glasses, chewing on something. Surely they weren’t chewing raw wild boar meat? Eating wild animals raw is dangerous-! Jin-hyeok looked worried, but in their hands were jerky.

“Mom, thank you for the food.”

“Oh my-, you kids didn’t have to bring anything-.”

Mi-kyung’s mother smiled brightly at Jin-hyeok’s gesture. He was quiet but had manners unlike other kids. She wished he were her own son. It was something she and her husband, Choi Jang-hwan, often talked about. ‘I wish he were our son too.’

After paying his respects at Mi-kyung’s house, Jin-hyeok didn’t go home. He chose a different path and headed towards where the men were. The path where they had brought the wild boar. Even without deliberately crouching, the hilly bean fields hid him well.

‘Yoo Jin sleeps for more than three hours once she’s out.’

I need to check.

Why those guys are in this quiet countryside, watching our house all day.