Chapter 61

〈 Chapter 60 〉 Section 3. I’ll Provide Mental Care (5)

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Late at night.

Baek Seulhee lay in bed, pulling the blanket tightly around her.

She was in a pension on Ulleung Island, a new place where she usually didn’t sleep. Lying in a place that shouldn’t be casually revealed to others made her feel incredibly strange.

It felt like a good child doing something adults had forbidden.

It felt like splattering red paint on a pristine white canvas.

It felt like finally opening the door to adulthood after living like a child for 25 years.

Although she summarized it as just a feeling, the events of the previous night had been so intense that Baek Seulhee simply decided to sleep quietly.

Rustle, rustle.

But she couldn’t fall asleep.

Beside her, on a recliner chair next to the bed, Do Jihwan was reading a book in the darkness. She had to think deeply about many things because of his presence.

He had said he liked books because he was a librarian, and indeed, Do Jihwan was reading an e-book even here.

Perhaps he thought she was deeply asleep, so he quietly slipped out of bed and sat on the recliner, reading something on a tablet with the brightness turned down as much as possible.

Is it a book for show?

Or is he really reading it because he wants to?

If I could see the actual book, I might be able to guess, but unfortunately, Do Jihwan was reading the e-book silently.

“What are you reading?”

“...Weren’t you sleeping?”

“I was trying to sleep, but I thought talking a bit more might be better.”

“Hmm... Was I disturbing you?”

“No. It’s kind of like ASMR that you can listen to while sleeping. Not the actual sound of a book, but... I just felt like talking a bit more, I guess...?”

“We talked non-stop until 3 AM, and you want to talk more?”

“Yes.”

“...Sigh.”

Do Jihwan placed the tablet on the bedside table.

“Can I ask what the book is about?”

“It’s one of the collections of Korean folk tales. I’m researching various folk tales that are widespread in Korea.”

“Folk tales?”

“Yes. Although I’m not a superhuman, I’m considering becoming a psychological counselor and superhuman consultant for superhumans in the future.”

“That sounds like a pretty intriguing job. What does it have to do with Korean folk tales?”

“If I can draw motifs from folk tales, people in this country will like it.”

Do Jihwan got up from the recliner and approached Baek Seulhee.

“Like this, turning into a tiger.”

“Are you saying I’ve been caught by a tiger now?”

“Yes.”

“But most tigers are just defeated, right?”

“Tigers can vary depending on the type.”

Do Jihwan smoothed Baek Seulhee’s bangs and moved his hand as if grasping something.

“There are superhumans who wear suits with a tiger motif. Their concept isn’t just a Bengal tiger, but they try to emulate the traditional tigers that lived on the Korean Peninsula... the mountain tigers.”

“Do you think that would help superhumans?”

“At least it would be a good reference for what kind of appearance a superhuman should have. For example, like how Yun Eui-seon uses the concept of a fox, a gumiho, and ghost lights.”

“...Hmph.”

Baek Seulhee twisted her lips.

“What about me?”

“Seulhee, you already have a firmly established ego, so it’s hard for me to say anything specific.”

“That’s okay. Thanks to you, I was able to develop a technique to freeze demons this time.”

“Me?”

“When we met in Busan, I developed a technique based on what we talked about. Like this.”

Baek Seulhee created a small ice crystal and gently threw it toward the window opposite the bed, where the night sea was visible.

Swoosh.

“It freezes like this. The technique was made thanks to you.”

“...Congratulations. You’ve developed a new technique.”

“So I’m thinking of naming it Doji Blizzard.”

“Why would a Korean superhuman use an English name for their technique?”

“Just because?”

“Ha.”

Do Jihwan lightly pressed his hand on Baek Seulhee’s forehead.

“It’s good that you’ve developed a technique, but if it gets too complicated, it might be helpful to look at the abilities of the characters in folk tales. It can help you decide on the direction of your appearance.”

“Like using a tiger as a motif?”

“It’s not just tigers. Other traditional Korean spirits and monsters are also becoming motifs for superhumans in modern times.”

“Like... a goblin?”

“Yes.”

Do Jihwan turned his head toward the TV with a somewhat stiff face.

“Speaking of goblins, I’m particularly concerned about a character called Duygshini.”

“...Indeed.”

“The government classifies Duygshini as just a strange villain like a goblin, but I think he’s much more dangerous than the government perceives.”

“What’s your basis for that?”

“There are no normal people who walk around in traditional hanbok.”

“What do you mean by that?”

Baek Seulhee poked Do Jihwan’s side, and he shrugged without avoiding it.

“I was joking. How could I, a Korean, criticize and insult people who wear our traditional clothing?”

“You’re right. You shouldn’t say such things casually. There are many heroes based on traditional hanbok.”

“Traditional hanbok...”

As Do Jihwan rubbed his chin, Baek Seulhee looked at his profile and fell into thought for a moment.

“I don’t particularly like it, though.”

“Are you insulting hanbok now?”

“This kind of assassination attempt is difficult.”

This man.

He seems familiar.

His facial features and shoulders give off a feeling that I’ve seen many times before.

That feeling is—

‘No way, it can’t be.’

Baek Seulhee lightly dismissed the thought that had popped into her head.

After all, the deja vu she felt just now didn’t seem to fit Do Jihwan at all, so she couldn’t easily compare him to that person.

“Would a villain wearing traditional hanbok get less criticism?”

“Pardon?”

“If a goblin like Duygshini wore hanbok instead of a suit, would people criticize him less?”

“...Ha.”

Do Jihwan chuckled in disbelief at Baek Seulhee’s words.

“How much less criticism would a villain get, even if they wore less offensive clothing?”

“At least people wouldn’t misunderstand him as much. There’s a difference between a foreigner committing villainous acts in this country and a Korean doing the same on their own land, right?”

“Are you saying that the law favors the latter?”

“I think it’s a bit more lenient for beings like goblins.”

“Seulhee.”

Do Jihwan shot Baek Seulhee a stern look with a serious face.

“Goblins are villains.”

“I know. They are villains. But they don’t kill people indiscriminately.”

“He’s killed more than a dozen people, and you say it’s not indiscriminate?”

“Not if they’re not heinous criminals who should be permanently isolated from society.”

“...Do you, by any chance, empathize with the goblin’s absurd ideology?”

Do Jihwan tilted his head with a serious expression.

“Do you agree with the idea that all villains should be killed?”

“No, not to the extent of killing everyone. I don’t think I would kill someone just because they’re a villain. It’s more like... a feeling of pity.”

“Pity?”

“Yes.”

Baek Seulhee sat up and leaned against Do Jihwan’s side.

“Seeing the goblin kill notorious villains, I sometimes think, ‘If I don’t do it, who will take the blame?’ I wonder if the goblin thinks the same way.”

“...The goblin?”

“Yes. On the surface, he’s known for killing people without any plan, but having encountered the goblin countless times, I know he doesn’t want to kill people indiscriminately. Instead, he thoroughly kills those who meet his criteria.”

“What kind of people are those?”

“Hmm...”

Baek Seulhee recalled the information about the goblin.

“Regardless of their background, physical condition, or the process of their rampage, he targets people who have committed heinous crimes like murder or rape.”

“...Do you think such people would receive less criticism if they wore traditional hanbok?”

“At least in this country, people who criticize them for not being patriotic would disappear.”

“To please those ‘Confucian Taliban,’ one would have to be forced to wear hanbok, even if they’re not a hero.”

“I think the goblin is a hero. And so do I.”

“...Pardon?”

Do Jihwan’s eyes widened.

“You think the goblin is a hero?”

“Yes. That’s what I think. And if I ever get the chance... I will definitely persuade him to become a hero.”

Baek Seulhee buried her face in Do Jihwan’s shoulder.

“He’s not a bad person. The real bad guys are the corrupt officials who suppress him. I will change them within my power. So...”

Baek Seulhee gently placed her hand on top of Do Jihwan’s hand, which was resting on her thigh.

“I hope you’ll continue to listen to my complaints and comfort me from time to time.”

Do Jihwan nodded silently, and Baek Seulhee felt the knot in her chest ease as she held his hand tightly.

Morning came.

The ice on the wall hadn’t melted and was firmly stuck to the window.

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