Chapter 25…
Momo, who had been circling around Daesung-hyung, suddenly dashed toward the landscaping trees and sat down.
“Why….”
Daesung-hyung started to ask in confusion when he saw me staring at Momo, then closed his mouth.
Momo was lying down with drooping ears, staring into the bushes.
Then, she glanced at me once and looked back into the bushes.
As if asking me to look there.
“Ha… damn.”
I frowned and walked toward it.
Man-soo called me when he saw me moving, but I couldn’t see anything else—only Momo.
When I reached her and looked into the thick bushes, Momo crawled inside, whining at a rock under the trees.
“Stop whining.”
I lifted the rock under the landscaping trees.
“Mr. Soo-han, what’s going on?”
I heard Chief Park’s question behind me.
Only then did I turn around.
Everyone was staring at me, half puzzled, half shocked.
“Uh… how should I put this….”
I froze.
How was I supposed to explain this?
Then Chief Park looked under the wide rock I had lifted and his face hardened.
“That’s strange.”
If that rock had really been lying under the tree for a long time, the soil should have been compacted.
But it looked freshly covered.
Daesung-hyung, as if entranced, shoved the rock aside and dug with his bare hands.
The soil was loose, as though it had been dug and covered recently.
Before long, a white clump of fur, dirtied by soil, was revealed.
“Momo….”
Daesung-hyung’s trembling voice broke the silence.
Everyone gazed down at Momo, lying as if asleep.
Kim Daesung gently brushed the dirt off her body.
Carefully, carefully.
“Hoo…”
His eyes were reddened.
He silently brushed the dirt away with a look filled with grief and anger.
“I’ve already contacted the police.”
Chief Park quietly told Daesung.
“Good.”
“When we catch the bastard, let’s smash him.”
Chief Park’s voice was tinged with rage.
We could only stay silent and watch them.
Momo looked at them with restless eyes.
Even though she was the one dead, it was as if she was worrying about her owner.
The police arrived shortly after, inspected the scene, and left.
A vet had already been called to determine the cause of death.
It was strangulation.
The evidence was obvious—the rope used to kill Momo had been buried in the hole with her.
In truth, the police usually didn’t treat such cases too seriously.
Legally, pets were classified as property.
But since the owner was a famous actor, Daesung, and because it had happened in his yard, a more thorough investigation would follow.
It didn’t make sense that someone would scale a high wall just to kill a pet dog.
There had been no prior complaints about barking or nuisance, either.
“Normally, in cases like this, it could be a burglar, but nothing was stolen… and it makes even less sense to kidnap and bury a dog in the yard….”
Chief Park’s expression darkened as he listened to the police.
“Then…?”
“There’s also the possibility of an obsessed fan. We’ve secured the CCTV footage, so we’ll investigate. But even if we catch them, the punishment might not be severe….”
Sensing the heavy atmosphere, the officer carefully explained that even if the culprit were caught, the legal penalties might not be strong.
Of course, charges like trespassing would apply, but still.
That only fueled Daesung and Chief Park’s anger.
But that was reality.
Until the police finished their investigation and left, Woo Soo-han and Park Man-soo just sat awkwardly on the side, unable to leave first because of the heavy mood.
After the police departed, Daesung turned to Soo-han and finally opened his tightly sealed lips.
“An explanation is needed.”
He never once took his eyes off Soo-han—not Man-soo.
I was in trouble.
I turned to look at Momo wagging her tail off to the side.
Why me…?
I should’ve just signaled Man-soo to handle it.
Too late to regret.
“Uh, so Man-soo here…”
I carefully tried to push it onto Man-soo, but the words died.
Daesung-hyung’s gaze was still piercing straight through me.
“Damn it. This is all your fault!”
“Why bring up the past….”
“Shut up! For me, it’s still happening right now!”
“Sorry, but honestly, I’m starting to think you might even be the culprit.”
His heavy words shut me up.
Well… fair.
I had found Momo the moment we entered the house.
I looked at the real troublemaker again.
She wagged her tail like crazy at me.
Happy? You like this?
Even shaking her butt now.
Whatever.
“I first saw her two days ago at the barbecue place.”
“What….”
“Momo.”
Both Daesung-hyung and Chief Park looked bewildered.
Chief Park tilted his head.
“Momo? But she wasn’t with you, and at that time she had already gone missing….”
Then he stopped mid-sentence, glanced at Man-soo and me, and his face paled.
Right. That’s the normal reaction.
So I kindly asked,
“What, first time seeing a ghost?”
“…Of course!”
Man-soo snapped next to me in disbelief.
“What are you talking about?”
“A ghost. She’s wagging her tail like crazy right now, even her butt’s in on it.”
…Guess that contract is gone for good.
Damn, life’s tough.
At times like this—
“You bastard!”
Whack!
“Gah! Why me all of a sudden!”
“Because of you!”
I decided to vent my frustration on Man-soo.
Well… he’s always been the scapegoat anyway.
While shaman Park Man-soo was crying in a corner,
Kim Daesung looked at Woo Soo-han, torn between disbelief and suspicion.
Honestly, believing in ghosts was harder than believing Soo-han was the culprit.
Or maybe he and Man-soo were staging some scam.
“Hyung, you don’t believe me, do you?”
Daesung flinched at Soo-han’s words, but couldn’t say he did believe.
“To be honest, it’s unbelievable.”
Instead, he spoke his true feelings.
“I get it. Damn it… but then why were you scratching the drawer!”
Suddenly Soo-han yelled at thin air.
Daesung reflexively looked toward the drawer, his face hardening.
That drawer held Momo’s nose-work toys and treats.
With a stiff face, Daesung asked cautiously:
“This is a request… can you explain—or prove it—in a way I can believe?”
“…What?”
“Please.”
Even though he knew how absurd it sounded, Daesung pleaded.
How the hell?
The atmosphere was already against me—it wouldn’t be strange if they accused me as the killer.
But if I thought that, I wouldn’t even be talking here.
I’m not stupid. If I wanted, I could just nod along and say: “Officer, this guy’s acting weird!”
Then the cops would swoop in and maybe even buy me soup.
Damn. I’m distracted again.
Anyway, he wasn’t suspicious so much as desperate.
“Man-soo, don’t you have a talisman to let people see ghosts?”
“What?”
“You know, like in movies.”
“Would I give it to you if I had one? I’d use it myself!”
“…Damn.”
Even with our back-and-forth, Daesung-hyung and Chief Park just kept staring silently.
The pressure was heavy.
Sensing the shift, even Momo sat down demurely, watching me.
Feeling guilty now? Then convince your owner.
Or remind him of some private memory… damn it.
How can I even talk with a dog’s ghost?
[Well, this is troublesome.]
“Old man, you got an idea?”
[Even if you ask… should you really be saying this out loud?]
“Huh?”
Ah, shit.
I turned to Daesung-hyung and Chief Park.
They had already stepped back two meters, staring at me like I was a monster.
What? You said ghosts were unbelievable!
“Look, let me make this clear. He’s not chatting with a random ghost—he’s talking to one of his guardian spirits. So don’t worry too much.”
Oh, Man-soo, bless you.
Defending me for once.
But… no use.
The two still wouldn’t come closer.
“This is… I can’t even possess someone like before.”
Damn, so frustrating.
Wag wag.
Stop wagging your tail. Why again?
Momo happily trotted closer, wagging away.
Just earlier you sat quietly, and now this?
“What, you want to possess me?”
[Woof!]
Huh? Wait! Why are you jumping in—
Moments later, I was on top of Daesung-hyung, licking his face.
Damn it!
“You crazy bastard!”
Park Man-soo screamed at Woo Soo-han, who was on top of Daesung, licking his face.
That wasn’t acting.
“You lunatic! Why possess a dog!”
Even while licking, he shook his hips side to side like mad.
If he had a tail, it would’ve been wagging like crazy.
“W-wait! What the hell are you doing!”
“Hah… hahahaha!”
“Stooop ittttt!”
Chief Park screamed when he ran to rescue Daesung—only for Soo-han to pounce on him instead.
“…Momo must’ve been male.”
Man-soo muttered blankly as he watched Chief Park suffer.
“You psycho! Get off!”
But he stayed back, terrified that if he tried to intervene, Soo-han—clinging to Chief Park’s leg—might jump to him next.
“Is he in heat….”
Man-soo muttered, backing away.
“Huff huff!”
Then Momo—no, Soo-han—panted, bolted on all fours, and slammed the door open.
The rest of us, still in shock, chased after him.
Kim Daesung couldn’t think straight.
He had filmed romantic scenes before, even bed scenes in melodramas years ago.
But never had another man slobbered all over his face like this.
The cultural shock was too big—he couldn’t react before it was over.
Then Soo-han had run at Chief Park, mounting his leg, before bolting out into the yard.
Daesung didn’t even wipe his face, just followed him out.
In the yard, he saw Soo-han digging frantically.
“…Ah.”
Soon, Soo-han came up, dirt in his mouth, holding something.
It was the long-lost, dirt-covered remote control.
Daesung dazedly took it.
Then, suddenly, Soo-han collapsed backward.
“Gyaaaaaaah!”
