Chapter 21
“Didn’t I tell you to save me!!!!”
A scream, neither wholly male nor female—nor even quite human—rang through my head.
“Aaagh!”
The sword was still stuck in the keyring doll.
I grabbed my head, tormented by the voice echoing inside my skull.
It hurts!
The screaming wasn’t all anymore—now there were curses mixed in too.
I’ll kill you no matter what.
I’ll curse your descendants.
Your parents will resent you and die soon.
Everything you care about will be struck by misfortune!
Stop it, please stop!
I felt nauseated, my stomach churning, tears streaming down uncontrollably.
When would this end?
Would it stop if I pulled the sword out of the doll?
Just as that thought crossed my mind, someone pulled me into a tight embrace.
“……!”
A vivid warmth surrounded me.
In this room, there was only one person other than me with real body heat.
Dan Seo-hyuk.
Can you hear it too?
I didn’t even have the mind to ask. Instinctively, I burrowed deeper into his arms.
Just feeling someone’s warmth eased the terror a little.
Thump, thump.
I didn’t know whose heartbeat it was, but focusing on that sound made the ghost’s voice fade.
It’s okay.
I wasn’t alone.
Even if he was unlucky or gruff, I knew Dan Seo-hyuk would never abandon me, no matter what happened.
He hadn’t before—back at Eden Villa, and even now.
Maybe that trust came from all the insane situations we’d gone through together.
I’ll come back to kill you…
The awful metallic voice was receding.
I’ll come back again.
By the time my mind finally went quiet—eerily quiet—
“Hey.”
Seo-hyuk’s voice reached me.
“Peanut.”
My eyes, sticky from tears, blinked slowly. Then my chin was caught and lifted.
He forced my head up, and suddenly his face was right in front of mine—way too close.
“If you’re okay, report that you’re okay.”
“You’re not my boss. Why would I report to you?”
He frowned seriously, his brows drawing together.
“If you’re worried, couldn’t you say it a little more kindly?”
“Worried?”
Talking like this, our faces were so close I could feel his breath. I pushed at his chest. Unfortunately, the one who actually moved back was me.
He let go of my chin.
“I wasn’t worried about you. I was worried about the mess you’d cause.”
“How do you even know what I was gonna do?”
“You were going to pull the sword out again because of the voices in your head, weren’t you?”
“……”
Damn it, why is he always right?
“You don’t know what that sword is, but one thing’s obvious—you shouldn’t pull it out.”
He was probably right.
I turned my head away sharply, only to feel that firm hand catch my chin again.
Ugh, why does he keep doing that? What am I, a disobedient puppy he’s trying to train?
“Answer.”
“I couldn’t help it…”
“Answer.”
“…Sorry. But seriously, I didn’t mean to.”
If he hadn’t grabbed me, I probably would have done it—
but that was too embarrassing to admit out loud.
“I know. Good job.”
He released my chin and lightly tapped my head.
Now he was definitely treating me like a dog.
Feeling ridiculous and embarrassed, I swatted his hand away.
“What, you just wanted to hear me admit I was wrong?”
“Not exactly. But you should break that habit of making excuses.”
“What are you, my dad?”
Seo-hyuk detached the keyring from his bag, inspecting the inside carefully.
I grimaced.
Did this guy have no fear? What if the ghost popped out again and strangled him—
“Ah!”
“What now?”
“Your neck! Is your neck okay?!”
I rushed toward him just as he was pulling the sword free from the keyring. Surprised, he hid the blade behind his back.
“I’m fine. Back off.”
“How are you fine? That ghost was choking you so hard before!”
He happened to be bent over from removing the keyring, thankfully—
if not, I’d have had to crane my neck just to check, the tall idiot.
I grabbed his shoulder and turned him toward me.
The veins along his neck stood out, and faint handprints remained, but there were no bruises.
I exhaled in relief—
And then a low voice whispered right beside me.
“Happy now?”
Whoa, when did he get that close?
We were practically cheek-to-cheek. Seo-hyuk didn’t even seem to notice, just staring straight at me.
Between his long lashes, those dark eyes.
And those slightly parted, reddish lips—
What the hell!
Why was I staring at my friend like that?!
Anyone watching would think I liked him!
Like him? Him?! Me?!
The thought made my expression twist in disgust.
“Ugh, my eyes!!”
“…You’re unbelievable.”
I shoved him away dramatically, covering my face, and heard him snort in amusement.
“Here.”
He held the sword out, handle first.
“We’ll talk about this sword later.”
Of course he’d realized there was something off about it.
Did he not see the blonde ghost?
Since he didn’t bring it up, maybe not.
I sheathed the blade, and Seo-hyuk slipped the keyring into his pocket.
“Hey! Why are you keeping that thing?!”
“It seems fine now.”
“It’s still creepy, though!”
“So you’d rather leave the creepy thing in your friend’s house?”
Well—no, but still!
Why does he make even my concern sound annoying?
I shut my mouth, having no comeback. He gave me a look that said let’s talk outside, and I nodded.
Yeah, standing around after breaking into someone’s house wasn’t exactly relaxing.
We both stood up at the same time—
“Breaking in?”
“KYAAAA!!!”
A third voice cut in, making me scream in shock. Seo-hyuk clutched his chest like I had scared him.
“Cha—Chaesong!”
Standing in the doorway was none other than Yoo Chaesong.
“Sorry, guys…”
Next to her, Tak Yeon-ho peeked out nervously from behind.
“Chaesong suddenly started nosebleeding and staggering, said she had to come home right away—”
“And you just followed her?” Seo-hyuk demanded.
“She was freakishly strong, like possessed or something!” Yeon-ho protested.
Our gazes both drifted to their arms.
I’d known Chaesong worked out to help her study stamina, but…
Was it just me, or did she look stronger than Yeon-ho?
Okay, fine—he was a bit skinny for his age. Let’s leave it at that, for his dignity’s sake.
“Chaeyeon, you entered the code and came in yourself?”
Chaesong’s upper lip still showed traces of hastily wiped blood, but her eyes were clear—not dazed or possessed.
Was she trying to stop us before I stabbed the doll?
The blonde ghost did say that a human under its influence could interfere.
If Chaesong had interrupted us, we might never have gotten rid of the spirit.
If she’d grabbed me while the ghost grabbed Seo-hyuk… just imagining it gave me chills.
“Chaeyeon.”
Oh right—she’d called my name, and I hadn’t answered.
I quickly clasped my hands together, looking apologetic.
“I’m sorry, Chaesong. I know it was basically trespassing, but I couldn’t just leave you alone.”
“……”
“You probably realized it yourself, but that keyring you had—it was cursed. The reason Hyun-woo got hurt was because of it.”
“I told you not to worry about it.”
“How could I not?!”
I burst out before I could stop myself. Chaesong blinked at me, startled.
“You knew it was dangerous! I was terrified something would happen to you!”
“Ma Choyeon.”
“Call it meddling if you want, but I couldn’t just watch. If something happened to you too—!”
Jang Hyun-woo had been injured because of that ghost. Ma Cho-hae had likely gone missing for the same reason.
If Chaesong had gotten hurt too…
I held back the lump in my throat, voice trembling.
Then, a sigh.
Was she going to yell at me—or call the cops, tired of all this?
“…Thank you.”
“What?”
“I knew it was dangerous too. But I guess I lost my mind because of Hyun-woo’s sudden improvement.”
Her expression was calm.
“I need to succeed, to make money—and studying was my only option.”
Her gaze swept around the shabby room.
“I did feel like something was off, like I was under a spell… but I didn’t feel the need to resist. That was the real problem.”
“Chaesong…”
“To be honest, I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t disappointed it’s over.”
She looked at me.
“But I shouldn’t have depended on it. I didn’t even think about how worried you must’ve been. I was selfish.”
She was accepting the impossible far too easily—like she’d half-expected it all along.
“I’m sorry. And… thank you, for not giving up on me, Choyeon.”
Her quiet honesty made my nose sting.
All that reckless effort I’d poured out—it hadn’t been for nothing.
“I’m the one who should thank you.”
“Why do you always look like you’re about to cry?”
Chaesong gave a faint, tired smile and patted my back.
Thank goodness.
That gentle warmth—it was proof that my friend, the real Yoo Chaesong, was back.
