Translator: Wan ED/PR: Personal Ghost
⟨Chapter 20⟩
“No, well, more than anything, it’s just that…”
Yu Dan mumbled as he wrote down a mathematical formula.
“You can sometimes imagine, right? How it would be if she was here. But anyhow, I don’t remember her very well. Ah, why did you ask about such complicated things? Aren’t all mothers roughly like this? If they are here, it’s very annoying, but if they aren’t, everything seems to be going wrong because there’s no mom around…”
Baek Ran tilted his head.
“You can’t understand? Even you can’t understand everything?”
“Don’t You think the Person explaining isn’t very good at it?”
“Don’t you have a mother?”
“Not to my memory.”
“Siblings? Friends?”
“Why are You asking about that?”
“Can’t I ask?”
“So confident when You’re interrogating, eh? What if I had, what if I hadn’t? If they stay, they stay, if they leave, they leave, right? Anyhow, doesn’t everyone leave?”
“Okay? Having no attachments truly sounds great.”
While absentmindedly writing down numbers, he glanced at the fox yokai.
Even so, you try to save them, right? Even though there is no lingering feelings, you stretch out your hand, right?
“Can I ask about one more thing?”
“…”
“What was written on the bamboo blind before? That eight letter word that started with ‘Cheon’ for heaven.”
“A title. Received from Heaven.”
“… I’m thankful for that time.”
“I only did what I had to do.”
“Was the ‘Cheon-ho’ originally an animal without feelings?”
Only then there was a reaction. Even though it was faint, the fox’s hand moved slightly.
“How could there be no feelings?”
“Okay? I’m sorry I misunderstood, but I really don’t see them. How much of them are there…”
“How much of an insincere apology You can put in the words saying ‘I’m sorry’?”
Baek Ran turned a page.
“How could it be the same? Since the distant past that I don’t even remember now I repeatably felt everything that others felt numerous times… to expect that it would be the same even after this… isn’t it also strange?”
“Is that so? So you became numb?”
Yu Dan replied and then flinched. Because Beak Ran raised his head and stared at him with suspicious eyes.
Ack….
He realized a moment late. The words Baek Ran spoke right now were said not with the voice coming from his mouth, but with his mental voice. The fox’s pupils narrowed.
“My apologies. I guess I made a noise because I was ‘thinking’ in ‘my head’ too loudly. However, even in such a case, if someone was to eavesdrop, wouldn’t I feel murderous intent towards them?”
“Murderous intent? Are you skipping annoyance and anger and going straight to murderous intent?”
“Because it’s economical.”
“Wait a moment! You know I was like this from the beginning! Even if I don’t want to see, I see! And even if don’t want to hear, I hear! I should be careful… No, even though I apologize, you’re trying to kill me by smacking me with a book? What am I, a fly?”
“Yes?”
Baek Ran looked down. As he discovered a thick old book secretly about to smack Yu Dan down, he was a bit surprised.
“It’s not me.”
“Is there anyone else between the two of us here? The book is moving at its own?”
“It seems so.”
“You don’t say!”
Yu Dan tried to push the book away. However, it didn’t budge.
“What? What kind of book is it?”
“Hold on, Algebra Book? A magic book, which can make anyone into a calculation genius…?”
He leaned his ears to the fox’s mumbled words.
Make anyone into calculation genius? Was it perhaps a reward for all the running around and hardships he went through today?
“Give it to me!”
He opened it, but it was in Classical Chinese.
When he was about to be disappointed, his vision blurred, and he started to comprehend it by himself. But, a dark shadow was cast on him.
Yu Dan raised his head.
There stood a general, wearing armor and long beard. He had broad shoulders and iron-like arm muscles.
“… Who is this uncle?”
“Ah, I remember now.”
Baek Ran’s voice became bright.
“That’s 『Book of Great Enlightening Calculations』. It’s a similar old algebra book to 『The Nine Chapters on the Mathematical Art』 or 『Basic Algebra Teachings』. But stuck to this book is said to be a ghost of the author. He dedicated his entire life to writing this book, but when people only searched for and read novels, and didn’t give the algebra book a glance, he vomited blood and died. From then, it started. The people who held this book in their hands disappeared one after one…”
“What?”
“Please stay at ease. They didn’t die. They were just found with their whole bodies covered in bruises, so much a soul would live, and endlessly mumbling ‘I hate numbers, I hate calculations’. In addition, they started to shake the moment they saw anything resembling an iron rod…”
“What did you say?”
Yu Dan’s face turned pale.
“It’s not a magic book! It’s a book to trap people! Why did you lie?”
“I didn’t lie. Anyone who solves all of it to the end will become a calculation genius. The ghost will be released, and Your exam grades will get better. How good is it?”
Baek Ran comfortably leaned with his back against the chair.
“As I thought, yokai is a yokai. Making humans’ eyes turn dark with their own greed and dig their graves with their own hands is very enjoyable.”
He smirked as he said that.
Ah, that’s right…
For that fox yokai it was the same as bursting into loud laughter. It was difficult to know by just looking from outside. It was like the words ‘I want to let go’, when it means that he in fact absolutely won’t let go.
He seemed to be able to understand him a bit.
When he was thinking it.
“Have fun.”
The fox seemed to be saying that to a ghost.
Yu Dan was pissed.
“To hell with understanding! It’s like I thought before! If World War IV erupts, it will be a war between humans and yokai!”
“Terrifying. World War III happened without my knowledge.”
“Heuk! It should be III?”
“It’s really bad if You can’t tell apart III and IV.”
As if saying ‘it really is’, the ghost pressed his shoulder with an iron rod.
What kind of mathematician was this? Are you studying math with your body instead of your head? How many times do you have to hit a person to make them faint? Under what angle the rod is the most effective?
“Keuk….”
He was forced to stare at the book.
“Nine-tail fox has one head and nine tails, and Blue Bird[1] has nine heads and one tail. Put in one barn, they together have seventy-two heads and eighty-eight tails. If so, how many nine-tail foxes and blue birds are inside… Just count them!”
The mathematician ghost swung his rod. The wind brushed the rims of his ears.
Yu Dan couldn’t help but to start to make a formula.
Did he really have to solve all those numerous problems? It seemed he would die before that. Won’t someone save him, please?
At that moment, a loud voice rang out.
“Ah, I really enjoyed it!”
At the booming cry of dokkaebi, the ghost suddenly disappeared. Yu Dan abruptly stood up. He never expected there would come a day when he was happy to hear the middle-aged dokkaebi’s voice.
They were back. This strange night at last came to an end.
“This old man was worrying too much. I almost ended up with a regret of my life if I didn’t go on that feast.”
“Well said. Especially the dishes were quite outstanding, older brother. Wasn’t that Sinseollo[2] made on the broth from the bonghwang[3] meat? There was nothing which tasted bad.”
“Even so, if the bowls were too basic, you wouldn’t be able to feel any fun, right? Didn’t he take out the bowls he received as gifts on the spot and poured liquor? That old man indeed knows his kind. I didn’t think there would come a day in my life where I would drink from such a marvelous celadon cup.”
“No, what did You stroke just now? Older brother! What are You hiding in Your sleeve? No way…”
“No! No! Those are just chopsticks! It seemed there were to many chopsticks compared to the number of quests, so I secretly took one pair…”
“What are You saying! Are You out of Your mind? It’ll turn into war the moment it gets out!”
“Wait a moment! Those aren’t chopsticks but rotten branches! You’re truly drunk, uncle. And why are You giggling so often, noona?”
“I was just thinking about the fan dancers we saw there. They were truly the best. Can you believe the fans can dance so well?”
“What fans dancing? What the hell did you see? Noona also had too much to drink, huh? Why won’t you just accept and drink a little?[4] Even if everyone offered, You drank without refusal, until it became so late. We said we would come back before the Rat Hour, but it’s already an Ox Hour[5]. How are we going to apologize to young master-nim?”
“Don’t worry. Looking at how quiet it is, he should be in the dream lan—.”
Heuk-yo was startled when the doors she tried to open opened by themselves. She saw Yu Dan standing just in front of them and opened her eyes wide.
“No, why is this punk making such a stupefied expression? What happened?!”
As she looked over his shoulder, she was astonished.
“Why did You come down! Aaa, there was an incident. Something happened, huh? Something big happened.”
“No.”
The fox yokai shook his head.
“I just came down for a moment to watch. Wasn’t he working very diligently?”
And he smirked.
“Perhaps he worked even too diligently.”
The yokai looked around the shop.
“No, what is this!? Why are there flower petals scattered on the floor? This is a silver plum blossom?! Isn’t it extremely precious?”
As if Do-ssi’s collector instinct was stimulated he made a noise saying ‘let’s gather, let’s gather’ and took out a broom.
“Look at this!”
Chaeseol discovered the flower pot in the corner and quickly ran to it.
“It’s a small tree I didn’t see here before! But it’s dead!”
“Don’t you smell a dog somewhere?”
Chaeu examined the front of Yu Dan’s school uniform, while tilting his head.
“Is that dog fur? Has a dog came to a shop perhaps? Did that dog go somewhere, leaving only fur behind?”
On the other side, Heuk-yo looked at the floor and frowned.
“What is it again? Why are all menus on the floor!? What the hell happened here?”
The four turned to each other and whispered.
“However, that’s it?”
“Yes. That’s it. The shop seems safe.”
“If so, then we…”
“We might have really found an employee worthy of trust!”
Their whispers seemed to be setting up a conspiracy.
Yu Dan’s face turned pale.
“No! I was wrong! Please forgive me! Looking after the shop was never easy! I was too arrogant!”
Everyone ‘pfft’ed and burst out laughing. Even Heuk-yo couldn’t endure laughter and hastily turned her head away.
“Please don’t worry. Everyone is just joking. All of us played well for one night and are satisfied. Young master-nim, You worked hard. Hey, I’ll clean here.”
“Okay. Let’s clean. I’ll take good care of it.
Chaeseol quickly hugged the plum blossom flower pot. And slightly touched it with her cheek.
“It’s amazing. Even though it’s dead, it’s smiling widely.”
After locking eyes with Yu Dan, the girl smiled covertly as her eyes turned up.
“I guess she was really happy in her last moments.”
***
A moldy smell wafted from an old book. Was it because of the people’s tears and sweat dripping down when they stared down at this book? Many places were frontiers of war.
Yu Dan rubbed his eyes again.
“The wall is five chi[6] thick, two rats burrow into the wall from each side. The big rat burrows one chi a day, and a small rat also burrows one chi a day. The big rat’s figure increased two times each day, the small rat’s figure decreased by half each day. How many days will it take for the big rat and small rat to meet each other, and how much into the wall each of them burrowed… Who knows?! Why don’t you use rat poison!?”
He complained each time he read, but even so, the fact that he had to solve all those problems didn’t change. He measured the thickness of the remaining part and flopped on the ground, sighing. His head hurt too much.
Should he rest?
No. He had to solve one more problem. At least he would be able to escape that number hell one second faster.
When he gripped the pen.
Creak.
The door to the shop opened and someone entered. But even after a moment passed, it was quiet, with not even a whisper. Thinking it was strange, he raised his head.
An elder wearing a fedora was looking around the antiques. However, no one ran out to receive him. Looking around, there was no one here. But everyone was here just a moment ago.
Shame. He certainly said he wasn’t looking after the shop.
No idea. Let’s pretend he doesn’t know anything.
Groaning again, he started to make an equation. But he felt the elder’s quiet gaze.
“Excuse me, has the owner changed perhaps?”
Yu Dan kept solving the problem, while he replied.
“No… sir.”
As he replied, even though it wasn’t very sociable, the elder seemed just thankful for that.
“Ah, is that so? Good. Don’t mind me and do your thing. I’m not here to buy anything, I’m here just for the fun.”
Making a certain relieved expression, he sunk on the chair with a groan.
“My legs hurt. I walked too much.”
Yu Dan’s hand which was about to erase the number he wrote paused.
He turned his head and looked at the elder.
Why didn’t he notice before?
With him wearing a fedora and durumagi[7], and holding a smoking pipe. He looked like someone who popped out from an old black and white photo. Faint tinnitus rang in his ears and at last he realized.
“I guess You came from a distant place?”
“How did you know? From a distant place, right. A very distant place. Because I wanted to see it. Even though everything changed, this place is exactly the same. Will it be sixty years soon…?”
Sixty years. Something flashed in his head like lightning.
Was it perhaps that sixty years regular customer, Heuk-yo and Chaeu were talking about?
He abruptly stood up to call them. However, the instant he looked around, his thoughts changed.
What was that fuss for?
At the time Huek-yo clearly said that she prepared everything in the second shelf in the cupboard. If he had eyes and hands, there was nothing he couldn’t do.
He turned around and opened the cupboard.
There was indeed a small package there. Opening it, there were tea leaves wrapped in thin paper and tiny snacks. Green tea and honey cookies.
But what should he do now?
Unable to make heads or tails out of it, he stood for a while, and then discovered a tea set on the drying rack. After opening the lid, he put a tea sieve inside. Mimicking what Chaeu did before, he put tea leaves inside and looked where to boil water again, that was in the tea kettle. He found a tray in the pile of dishes and put honey cookies and a tea cup on it.
He was overwhelmed with joy at its plausible appearance.
Yu Dan grabbed the tray and placed it in front of the elder.
The elder let out a happy ‘oh’. As he sipped the tea and munched on the honey cookies, he showed awe straight away.
“Yes, this taste. This is the amazing taste of the tea and honey cookies made by young lady here. And this is the pottery the manager of this place put his heart and soul into choosing and cleaning. The atmosphere of this place. How much I liked this shop. I couldn’t forget it at all. So I came back now and then like this. However…”
He squinted his eyes and his expression, which was happy, turned a bit dark.
“Will I be able to come again? It’s such a long way. I don’t know if I will be able to come next time. So I wanted to give last goodbyes, but…”
The elder let out a ‘keung’ sound and stood up again.
“If everyone is busy, it can’t be helped. I should be going. I enjoyed the tea.”
The tea which didn’t decrease even a bit splashed lightly.
The elder looked around the shop again for the last time. It seemed he tried to put to memory every nook and cranny. And after slowly standing up, he headed to the door.
It seemed like his dim silhouette would vanish in the instant in too bright sunlight. He thought he had to say something before that. So…
“Everyone was waiting!”
Yu Dan shouted at that arched back.
“They prepared tea and refreshments and were waiting. So the next time…”
But because the words ‘come the next time’ were somewhat embarrassing, he just swallowed them.
The elder seemed to understand.
The face that slowly turned around looked a bit surprised. The face in backlight had a soft light.
“Thank you.”
That smile was brighter than the afternoon’s sunlight.
*~*~*
[1] Blue Bird — appears to refer to Queen Mother of the West’s messengers, 청조 (靑鳥). But it’s the first time I heard they have nine heads???
[2] Sinseollo — a royal hot pot. A dish made up from variety of vegetables, meat and nuts.
[3] bonghwang — a mythological bird with five color feathers. It’s often synonyms with phoenix in English translations.
[4] What fans dancing? What the hell did you see? Noona also had too much to drink, huh? Why won’t you just accept and drink a little? — it appears that Chaeu was so in dismay that he dropped the polite tone here.
[5] Rat Hour and Ox Hour — Rat Hour is from 11 pm to 1 am, while Ox Hour is from 1 am to 3 am.
[6] chi — about 1/3 meter.
[7] durumagi — an overcoat of hanbok.
Translator’s note: Sorry, I’m busy solving math problems, but please feel free to enjoy the cookies and tea *scribble scribble*.
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