Chapter 54 …
Although his tone was fairly gentle, Haje sensed the calculation hidden beneath it.
He must have planned this from the very beginning. To make a deal with him.
Even though he was a shaman, and so was the other, this wasn’t the sort of transaction that involved divinations or talismans.
“What do you want?”
Haje asked as calmly as he could. He thought he had collected his emotions, steadying his voice—but he couldn’t stop Jiheon’s lips from curling into a slight smile.
“I just want to borrow your time for one day. Follow the schedule I set and do the things you’ve wanted to do with me.”
“…The things I’ve wanted to do?”
“Yes. Things I’ve wanted to do since coming back to Korea.”
What could he want to do?
It was difficult to answer easily. But what mattered was the true nature of this talisman. And the words “just one day” made Haje steady his thoughts once more.
He couldn’t know what Jiheon intended to include. The time wasn’t too long or too short, but likely, the information about the talisman was just bait. After all, the condition seemed overly personal for what he was asking in return.
“…Is that the only condition?”
“Yes, that’s the only condition.”
Even though he had confirmation, Haje couldn’t shake the unease in a corner of his mind.
He fiddled with Jiheon’s hand without saying a word.
The certainty he couldn’t bring himself to give likely stemmed from an indescribable unease. Watching him closely, Jiheon finally laughed and spoke.
“You’re being cautious. Right, Kwon Haje?”
“…….”
“It’s written all over your face. That questioning look—‘Is this right? Is this real?’”
Was it really written on his face?
Haje couldn’t smile and rubbed at his own face.
He closed his eyes to adjust his expression, and when he opened them, Do-hyeon’s face flashed through his mind.
The candlelight that illuminated their relationship, his uncle’s lingering spirit who saw Do-hyeon’s other side. The conversations that had passed between them, heavy though unresolved.
“So… I need your help. But not yet. After everything about Cheonggyegol is resolved. Then, will you let me go?”
That was the request his uncle’s spirit had left him.
If it was for that, perhaps enduring the emotional strain of one day wouldn’t be so bad.
Moreover, if this could bring him closer to Cheonggyegol, he had no choice but to cooperate—for now.
“Then, would it be okay if I also set conditions?”
But he didn’t want to just accept. He needed a clear clue to consider this proposal.
“It wouldn’t be fun if you knew in advance, you know?”
Jiheon raised his eyebrows slightly as he spoke, and Haje shook his head, taking a deep breath.
“No. I need to hear it. At least so I know whether spending an entire day is worth it or not.”
Haje’s firm words made Jiheon’s expression subtlely shift.
For a moment, Jiheon looked at him with curiosity. Then, tapping his chest lightly with his fingertips, he continued.
“This is a talisman that was used in Cheonggyegol in the past. I believe… Kwon Haje, you’ve seen it before.”
Then, as if handling a talisman that wasn’t physically present, Jiheon traced his chest slowly with his fingertips.
“I saw it too. The forgotten Jinsajae, the broken traditions, and…”
He swallowed briefly. A clear, crisp tap as his fingers struck his chest.
Haje clenched the hands that had been resting on his knees.
“Even the things that had to be hidden carefully.”
His breath caught.
The scenes he had seen beyond the divination screen unfolded before him again, and he had to close his eyes tightly, then reopen them.
“…Then where did you get this talisman? How did you even have it in the first place?”
Jiheon stared at him intently for a moment, as if considering his words. The slight smile on his lips hardened into seriousness.
“It was among my mother’s belongings. Originally, it was a talisman used in the Cheonggyegol rituals, and it belonged to your family, Haje.”
Haje’s eyes narrowed.
The fact that he knew it was a talisman from his family… could it be that he had taken it from Cheonggyegol?
“How do you have it?”
“It was one of the heirlooms I received when I returned to Korea and found my family. I came across it by chance while sorting things out.”
“……”
“Accepting your condition stops here. The rest of the story, I’d like to tell you after you accept and fulfill my condition. I can explain why and the context behind the talisman. That might even be where our entanglement began.”
With that, Jiheon quietly watched Haje, as if testing him once again.
“…Alright. But just one day. No more.”
“Yes, of course.”
Seeing Haje respond firmly, Jiheon smiled brightly once more and nodded.
“When do you think would be good?”
He didn’t have any major plans or rituals coming up, but he wanted to appear as if he were setting aside time.
“Tomorrow.”
Yet Jiheon’s next words were completely unexpected.
“…Tomorrow?”
“Yes. Since we’ve talked about it, I thought we should do it before your mind changes.”
Having already agreed in principle, Haje couldn’t refuse now.
“Alright. Tomorrow, I don’t have anything scheduled anyway.”
“Then I’ll pick you up tomorrow morning. Like a date.”
Haje frowned at Jiheon’s last remark. He knew it was a joke, but it still didn’t sit well with him.
Was this really okay, this deal? A sudden unease crept up from his feet.
“Then, I’ll leave for today.”
“Already? You should at least have a meal before you go.”
“…I have plans.”
In truth, he had none. But he quickly averted his eyes, worried Jiheon might read his thoughts. After all, Jiheon was also someone who could see divinations, so caution was necessary.
“With Gong Do-hyeon?”
For a moment, his throat prickled. He didn’t know why, but Jiheon seemed to emphasize Do-hyeon’s name slightly.
Still, it wasn’t a lie. They had agreed to contact each other afterward, and if the timing matched, they could meet outside.
Thinking this vaguely, Haje turned to face Jiheon.
“Yes. With Do-hyeon.”
A silence followed. Jiheon’s gaze was subtle, and neither spoke further.
“Alright. Then be ready by 11 a.m. tomorrow. You’ll do your morning prayers too.”
“…Yes. I understand.”
With that, Haje stood up.
Even leaving the shrine, his mind was in turmoil. Ryu Jiheon had become increasingly unfathomable. His polite tone and calm expressions revealed nothing of what he truly felt.
The shrine was unusually neat and sophisticated, the fragments of memory he shared, and the attitude that came from them—all discomfortingly unexplained.
“…Why do I feel like he’s holding me, shaking me?”
This kind of intuition had never been wrong.
A mix of believing he was sincere and feeling a calculated move created an uneasy tension, but there was still no answer.
Perhaps there was an even bigger secret beyond it.
As he exited the shrine and reached the front door, Jiheon’s voice came from behind.
“Then, see you tomorrow morning, Haje.”
“Yes. See you tomorrow.”
The woman who had brought him here stepped forward to escort him, but he declined politely. He didn’t want to leave with a heavy heart.
Sliding his feet into his shoes and opening the door, Jiheon’s clear voice followed.
“Oh, bring a coat tomorrow. Not too thick. We’ll also be going to the beach.”
Haje glanced back.
Sunlight poured through the large window in the living room. Jiheon’s face, still smiling brightly, appeared.
As if he knew everything, his eyes glimmered with an unreadable intention.
“It’ll be fine. It’s warm.”
Haje added the remark only to avoid being drawn in further.
Exiting the door and stepping into the yard, he let out a deep sigh. And at that moment, only one person came to mind: Gong Do-hyeon.
For some reason, he missed Do-hyeon terribly.
