Chapter 20 - Ghostbuster (4)

Minjun cautiously studied Yohan sitting across from him.

A friend of someone who knew a friend of his girlfriend’s friend had worked as a housekeeper at a famous painter’s mansion. She’d said she’d met an incredible exorcist, so he’d asked for the man’s contact details and called him out here, but...

Black hair, a calm demeanor, but a rather ordinary appearance for an exorcist.

And that ridiculous business card saying “Ghostbuster,” like some childish joke.

'... Is he for real?'

He was also worried because, when Yohan had said he needed to hear everything that had happened to offer the right help, Minjun had been so anxious that he’d even admitted to taking drugs.

Seeing Minjun’s uneasy gaze, I spoke calmly.

“Don’t worry. Naturally, any information I learn about a client on the job stays confidential.”

I threw in a little joke.

“Besides, getting mixed up with the police would be awkward for me too.”

After doing a few exorcism jobs, I’d realized how important it was to look like a professional who wasn’t fazed by this sort of thing. In the end, this was a service business, a little like counseling, so I needed to put the client at ease.

And frankly, I didn’t care whether Minjun did drugs or whatever else. Drug investigations were the police’s job, not mine.

My job was—

Minjun spoke hesitantly.

“Um... well... you said you were a Ghostbuster.”

“You can just call me an exorcist. The work is the same.”

—exorcism, after all.

“Then, from an exorcist’s perspective... I’m in danger right now, aren’t I?”

Did he even need to ask?

It wasn’t as if he hadn’t known. He’d heard all the warnings.

He’d gone tap-dancing in a minefield, and now he was asking, “I’m fucked, aren’t I?”...

First, I checked something important.

“After the strange phenomena started at home, did you destroy the altar or throw it away?”

“... No. I was too scared, so I left it as it was.”

“That’s a relief. You did the right thing.”

Good. Then this wasn’t the worst-case scenario.

He’d done everything he’d been told not to do. Judging by the fact that Minjun was still alive, she really did seem to be a merciful loa.

I studied him quietly. Nor did I sense any unsettling, unpleasant energy from him.

Minjun himself hadn’t been cursed by Erzulie Freda.

“Could you tell me more about what’s happened since that day?”

“Well, furniture moves on its own, I feel someone watching me, I have nightmares... Things I try to do keep going wrong, and it feels like bad things keep happening.”

I had a rough idea now. This wasn’t something I should get involved in.

“Please don’t misunderstand what I’m about to say. There’s nothing I can do to help you.”

“What? Um! If it’s money, I’ll pay whatever you want!”

I laughed inwardly at Minjun’s horrified response.

Whatever I wanted, huh...

That was a classic line from people who changed their tune as soon as their urgent need was taken care of.

I wasn’t taking the job anyway, so it didn’t really matter. It was only natural that people couldn’t put an appropriate price on incidents involving the uncanny, but they should still state what they could afford, however little or much. That way, we could negotiate it up or down before starting work.

“It’s not about money. This isn’t something an exorcist or a shaman can solve.”

I looked at Minjun as I spoke.

“You’re the only person who can resolve this, Minjun.”

“What? Me?”

“If an evil spirit had latched onto you, I could drive it out. If you’d made an unholy bargain with a demon, I could help by breaking that bargain.”

But this wasn’t that sort of injustice.

If anything, it was a fair contract... No, even calling it a contract wasn’t quite right. Yes, it was patronage.

That was why I couldn’t interfere.

I explained Minjun’s situation to him.

By analogy, Minjun was a streamer selling the illusion of romance, and Erzulie Freda was a viewer.

To put it more grandly, she was a constellation patron from one of those constellation web novels.

It was easy to think of it as a deal where offerings of dresses, jewelry, or desserts bought good luck, but that wasn’t what this was.

He gave his girlfriend gifts—offerings—and the goddess happily looked after her lover.

Wasn’t it natural for lovers to look after each other?

There was no contract or anything of the sort.

“You and Erzulie Freda are lovers, even if it’s a kind of simulated romance.”

That was precisely why stepping in from the sidelines was something I absolutely must not do.

“What Erzulie Freda is doing now isn’t a curse. She’s venting her anger at a lover who insulted her by openly cheating on her.”

The fact that Minjun wasn’t dead yet was proof enough. She was simply making it clear that she was angry.

Only, she was doing it in a loa’s way, not a human’s.

“And when a girlfriend is angry because her boyfriend cheated, what he should do isn’t bring in some strange man...”

I shrugged.

“...to tell her, ‘I’m done with you, so get the fuck out, you bitch,’ on his behalf.”

“...”

After hearing that, Minjun laced his fingers together and sat in silence before speaking in a trembling voice.

“... Then what am I supposed to do?”

“You said earlier that you could pay any amount. I won’t tell you to sell your home. Use every last bit of money in your bank account to buy designer bags, clothes, perfume, whatever, offer them at Erzulie Freda’s altar, and beg her forgiveness.”

“A-all of it?!”

Minjun’s eyes darted about in shock, but I spoke calmly.

“I’m not saying you didn’t work to earn that money. I’m sure you worked hard. But...”

I reasoned with him gently.

“Isn’t the fact that you also had such unbelievable luck precisely why you’re so frightened now?”

“... That’s!”

Minjun started to say something, then closed his mouth. After a moment, he asked cautiously,

“If I do that, will things go back to how they were?”

“No. Of course they can’t go back to how they were.”

Erzulie Freda had already seen Minjun’s human girlfriend.

Come on, was a lover who’d cheated the same as one who hadn’t...?

I told him bluntly.

“If she forgives you, you’ll have two choices.

“One: if you want to keep your relationship with Erzulie Freda, break up with your girlfriend.

“Two: if you want to keep your girlfriend, tell Erzulie Freda, ‘I’m not worthy of you,’ and end the relationship.”

Minjun fell silent again, and I had nothing more to say.

When I stood up, he came to his senses and spoke.

“Oh... what about your fee...?”

“Forget it. I haven’t done anything. Let’s call the coffee my consultation fee.”

This wouldn’t even cover my transportation. What a wasted trip.

... Still, even if it was only the price of a coffee, I decided to earn what I’d been paid.

I gave Minjun one final warning.

“One last thing. Do not let another exorcist or shaman into your home under any circumstances.”

* * *

At a motel, Minjun lay in bed with his pretty model girlfriend. Looking into his face, she asked,

“Honey, what are you thinking about?”

“Oh... well... I met the exorcist I told you about.”

After hesitating for a moment, Minjun told her about his conversation with Yohan.

“He says I have to spend everything I have to appease the spirit.”

His girlfriend replied in disbelief.

“What? Isn’t he a fraud? Did he come over and check whether there was a spirit?”

“... No.”

“He said that without even looking? If that’s all it takes, I could say the same thing.”

She scrolled through her phone for a moment, checking her contacts, then said,

“Honey, instead of doing that, one of my mom’s friends knows a really gifted shaman. Let’s ask that person to take a look.”

Minjun briefly recalled his conversation with Yohan, then looked at his pretty model girlfriend’s naked body.

... Yes, whatever the circumstances, telling him to give up all his money and break up with his girlfriend was going too far.

Maybe the man really was a fraud, making plausible excuses to hide the fact that he was a fake.

No, he had to be a fraud.

‧

‧

‧

Yohan’s small studio apartment.

As Yohan sat at his desk reading a grimoire,

BZZZ!

His phone vibrated with an incoming call. He checked the number. It was Minjun.

“Hello, Kim Yohan speaking.”

When I answered, Minjun’s voice rang out amid bizarre noises.

“Aaagh! Aaaaah—q-quick, to my house! Wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong, I was! Stop! Please—aaaaaaaah!”

I had a pretty good idea what had happened.

'Haah... You really do everything you’re told not to. This is just natural causes at this point. Drop dead.'

—I didn’t bother saying anything that nasty aloud.

Why say something cruel to someone I’d never see again anyway?

Well, I understood.

People had always loved stories where a clever human tricked a less intelligent devil and kept both their soul and the gold.

I liked those stories too.

But if you failed... you had to deal with it yourself.

I quietly hung up.

There was no second call.

When I put down the phone, Grizzly rose from where it had been curled up, came over, and rubbed its head against my hand.

“Kyaaah~.”

It wanted a snack.

I smiled faintly and stroked Grizzly’s head.

“Want a snack?”

“Kyaa~!”

Grizzly cried out happily.