GRR 35

“Jion, everything okay? See you next week.”

“Ah, yes! Go home safely!”

After giving a quick reply to the greeting from Im Hyejin, who had just come out of the staff room, Jion glanced at Kwon Chasa once again. He briefly looked at Im Hyejin’s retreating figure as she left the convenience store, then walked toward the fresh food aisle. Jion suddenly felt a burning sensation in the wrist that had been held by him.

He said he just came from work, but he’s free? He hates wasting time, so why did he come here?

Kwon Chasa placed a cup of chocolate milk in front of Jion. From banana milk to chocolate milk, he had a palate completely different from his appearance. Jion glanced at him before belatedly scanning the barcode. Kwon Chasa inserted the card into the reader on his own.

“…Aren’t you busy?”

“I’m busy.”

“But why did you come here? Did you come to buy this?”

Upon hearing the slightly agitated question, Kwon Chasa snorted, then immediately grabbed the card and the chocolate milk. He even picked a straw next to the POS machine, before gesturing toward the back with his chin and asking.

“What is this place? Can I sit over there?”

“Ah… it’s a place where you eat things like ramen or lunch boxes….”

But what are you going to do sitting over there…?

Jion was about to ask the next question, but decided against it. This was because Kwon Chasa immediately turned around and headed toward the table at the back. Although he was completely confused by his behavior, Jion had to attend to the customers.

He took advantage of the lull after seeing off the sudden influx of customers to restock the empty shelves. As he retrieved boxes of instant noodles from the staff room to fill the shelves, his gaze was drawn to him because the shelve happened to be close to where Kwon Chasa was sitting. Kwon Chasa leaned back in his chair. Unable to hold back, Jion eventually opened his mouth.

“You said you were busy, so why are you here?”

“To watch if you are doing your work properly.”

“Come on… Why are you doing something that even the store manager doesn’t do?”

As he grumbled at the absurd answer, Kwon Chasa took a sip of chocolate milk and immediately became serious.

“I told you earlier. I have a bad feeling.”

Jion’s hand, which was about to place the cup noodles on the shelf, stopped abruptly. He looked as nonchalant as ever as he repeated what he had said earlier on the school hill.

“Don’t worry about it, just focus on your work.”

He added a remark as if it were no big deal, then held a straw between his lips and took a sip of chocolate milk. Jion had no time to dwell on those words before he had to rush to a customer. After seeing off the customer who had bought cigarettes and beer, Jion stood in front of the cashier, pondering over Kwon Chasa’s words.

Earlier, on the hill near the school, he said he thought a ghost was lurking. He also said it seemed like they were playing a prank. In short, he had a bad feeling, so he dragged his busy self all the way to the convenience store where I work…

“…….”

What… No way, is that guy really worried about me?

Jion shook his head vigorously. It was ridiculous. Worried? He must have just come here to catch this wandering ghost as quickly as possible. Blocking his path with his arm or shielding him with his back earlier… that probably did not matter. He might have just been trying to get rid of him because he was getting in his way…

Jion sighed and closed his eyes and then opened them again. Anyway, the problem was that he had long since developed a habit of trying to think positively about everything. Even after experiencing Kwon Chasa’s nature several times, he almost let it slide again by rationalizing that it was better to just let it go.

Having barely managed to compose himself, Jion hurriedly entered the staff room, grabbed his workbook and writing tools, and came out. He planned to work on the Korean language workbook he had started at school, but he could not concentrate because whenever he looked up, he could see the table where Kwon Chasa was sitting at the far end.

Jion sighed, stopped reading, and glanced up. Kwon Chasa crumpled and unfolded a straw with his fingertips, then suddenly took out his cell phone, placed it on the table, and intermittently tapped the screen with his index finger. Then, as if losing interest, he took his hand away and stared at the empty air.

“…….”

It was driving him crazy. Was it normal to be this self conscious just because Kwon Chasa was in his field of vision? He wasn’t looking at him, let alone having any interest, and he was not even talking to him, so why was he bothering him so much? It got to the point where he thought it would be better if this place were swarming with ghosts instead of Kwon Chasa.

Jion sighed again, and lowered his gaze to the workbook. He was reading, but nothing was entering his mind.

Nothing happened at the convenience store during the four hours Jion worked that day, but his mind was more complicated than ever.

***

The next day, Yu Chasa came to the convenience store where Jion was working part time. He asked Jion if anything unusual had happened today and if he had felt anything strange, and then added the following:

‘I came here for business in the area, and Kwon Chasa asked me to check on you to see if you’re fine and to take you home once you are done. He mentioned early this morning that he would not be able to return to the living world today.’

Jion had just managed to sort out his cluttered mind when a single remark from Yu Chasa shook him once again. Since he had thought that what had happened on the hill to the school yesterday was no big deal, the fact that Kwon Chasa had even gone so far as to ask Yu Chasa was excessive.

Was it really that serious? Serious enough for Kwon Chasa to look after him?

Throughout the workday, Yu Chasa’s words continued ringing in his ears, causing him to make several mistakes he would not normally make. Yu Chasa waited until Jion finished his part time job and took him home, and that night, Jion could not sleep because the wrist Kwon Chasa had grabbed on the hill was pulsing.

It was a good thing the next day was Saturday; if it had been a weekday, he would have been late.

[Hour of the sheep (1:00 PM to 3:00 PM). Stay on standby.]

Jion did not check the text message that arrived around five in the morning until nearly ten. It was that time because he had barely managed to wake up around eight, had breakfast with his grandfather, done the dishes, and tidied up his room for the first time in a while.

What time is it again…? Jion let out a sigh of relief as he counted on his fingers. It was one o’clock in the afternoon, so there was still plenty of time.

Telling me to stand by makes me feel just like a subordinate. Jion pouted, then sat on the bed and quietly looked down at the screen. Kwon Chasa, unaware that he had made him feel so conflicted, was likely filled only with thoughts of work. Jion couldn’t make sense of it.

[Yes]

Jion sent a brief reply. Since Kwon Chasa now had a cell phone, it was unlikely that he would appear unexpectedly and startle him.

Seeing that he suggested meeting today, he must have gone through all the procedures mentioned back then. If so, were they going to meet Jo Yunkyung instead of Park Seolhwa? Jion tried to guess while sprawled on the bed. Then, thinking it might be better to just ask, he began typing a text message.

[Are we going to meet Seolhwa’s mother today?]

After sending a text message, he was rolling around waiting for a reply when he suddenly heard a knock. As soon as Jion stood up, the door opened cautiously. The person who appeared through the gap was none other than his grandfather.

“Are you planning to stay home today?”

“Ah… yes. I’m planning to go to the library later.”

I’m sorry, Grandpa… Jion told the lie with a heavy heart and smiled awkwardly. Although he was sending the deceased to the underworld to help them reincarnate, he wondered if he might actually end up in hell because he told so many lies during his life.

“Why are you looking at me like that…?”

His grandfather, who would normally have nodded silently, stared at Jion today for some reason. Unable to bear the pressure, Jion licked his lips and smiled. His grandfather’s gaze was piercing, as if it could see right through him.

“Wherever you go, whatever you do, always be careful.”

“…….”

“If anything happens, tell me immediately. Understand, Jion?”

“Yes…….”

His grandfather left the room after leaving behind some cryptic words. Only then did Jion let out a long, heavy sigh. He was unable to bear the exhaustion any longer, and laid down. Not long after, he heard the front door open and close, signaling that his grandfather had left.

Had he sensed something? Or was he just speaking out of concern? Just like with Kwon Chasa, there was no way to know what was going on inside his grandfather’s head. Just as he was racking his brain, Jion’s cell phone buzzed. The name ‘Kwon Chasa-Ahjussi’ appeared on the screen.

The timing was unbelievable. How was it that the call came the moment his grandfather left? Jion rolled over and answered the phone while lying on his side.

“Hello?”

–Student, why are you asking so many questions? It is hard enough just writing.

He started grumbling as soon he answered. At that single remark, Jion realized how useless the thoughts that had been tormenting him intermittently for the past few days had been.

There was no way someone with this kind of personality would worry about or care for him. It seemed that seeing a different side of him, even for just a brief moment, was just a trivial incident. Jion pouted and replied.

“I can ask because I am curious.”

–You are going to find out soon enough.

He really had nothing to say if he put it that way… Jion just bit his lip because Kwon Chasa had completely shut him down.