Clues
Foggy Rainy Night (6)

“CEO, please pass here. The ground is slippery there.”

Gaon, who stepped on the mossy rock before Ji-Won finished speaking, gently gave his hand to Ji-Won, who reflexively extended his hand. Ji-Won grabs Gaon's slender wrist and pulls him over the rock forcefully. He had to exert great patience to let go of his hand again.

This is why people place hiking on dating courses. He was worried that showing each other sweaty faces would help him maintain the relationship, but this also had a tremendous advantage. As expected, classics cannot be ignored despite being a bit cliche.

"Do you want water?"

"Yes." Yeah."

"Are you not tired?"

"I'm fine so far."

'Really? I thought you were out of breath…. If climbing a mountain of this level makes him tired, it is obviously due to lack of exercise. I need it to build up his basic physical strength. Then problems like low blood pressure and sleep disorders will be much better. What sports can be recommended so that he does not feel burdened? Swimming is great, but if we want to do it together, it's only possible after we're really close, right?'

Ji-Won, who is thinking this and that in her head, takes off a packet of chocolate and holds it out as soon as Gaon takes a bottle of water from her mouth. He wanted to feed her affectionately, but it was too far away.

"It's delicious."

"That's a relief. Eating one or two less sweet chocolates a day is good for low blood pressure.”

“Director Cha knows a lot of things.”

"I didn't know until I went to London."

I'm learning desperately just for you . Sure oes. Gaon, who was used to receiving attention, showed no reaction at all to his hasty pleas. But Ji-Won still maintains a satisfied smile. Yes, he did not say this with high expectations. It was enough for him to be alone with her far away from Seoul. Even if they were to return today, at least they would be guaranteed three hours together.

"CEO, do you know why the dead disappeared here?"

“I have to see the sights to know what is certain…. The most likely case is when a highly spiritual soul settles here. That's what most people call gods…. If a God lives on Yeongsan Mountain, the other spirits cannot set foot on it.”

“Does their energy reach people? But I heard the guide couldn't even access it at all.”

“It rarely happens, but a spirit that has secluded itself for a very long time and developed its power also makes a certain space completely its own territory. Even living humans are affected. Those who have not opened their inner eyes may ignore it and pass it by, but in the eyes of the spiritually sensitive guide, it must be difficult to step in.

There is no big problem as long as spirits or Gods do not directly harm humans. Those who are given the title of Gods are subtle beings who choose to remain in the world in seclusion shortly before entering heaven, so they rarely do evil deeds, and it often benefits living things by increasing mountain energy. But if a spirit goes black by an accident, it is enough to kill everyone somewhere. If the damage caused by it to the extent that the dead were bounced off, it would eventually be found somewhere. Therefore, he only needed to slightly expand the scope of management.

But as they get closer to the goal the guide says, Gaon becomes increasingly unsure of the hypothesis he's making. He felt that subtle techniques were used to restrict the movement of the deceased anywhere on the mountain. And if his intuition was right, it was not done by chance, but someone did it intentionally with a purpose.

Gaon who rushed over while looking around with a sharp gaze, stopped in front of the small waterfall and muttered with a serious face.

“I don't think it's Dewa.”

"Is there anything else you can feel?"

"Yes. No, should I say it's like some kind of trap. Someone set a trap here to trap the dead. Starting with that waterfall, it surrounds the entire area.”

When Ji-Won follows Gaon's finger with her eyes, she sees a slightly bent space. Warm and brilliant sunlight fell on the fresh green forest, but unlike before, he could feel a gloomy energy.

"Who can do this?"

"By good…"

Gaon slowly looked around and tilted his head with a somewhat doubtful expression. Two or three causes came to his mind, but he felt that nothing suited his situation.

“I've heard that shamans who stray towards God sometimes choose places with good spiritual energy to worship new gods and summon powerful spirits…. This seems very inefficient. No sign of sacrifice.”

"Sacrifice?"

“You have to pay the price to summon a strong spirit. Usually, they kill live animals and offer their blood, mostly they use chicken.”

"Well, it's not easy being a shaman."

"…It's not easy."

Gaon's heart became a little stuffy as he recalled the screams of a poor woman he couldn't find anything to avenge. He didn't think he was showing his emotions outside, so he didn't know that the person standing next to him was watching him closely until he was breathing properly.

“It may be an evil spirit with the purpose of hurting humans, as it imitates Archduke Rosenvalov. It was trying to gather dark spirits to make itself strong. Whether it is a person or a ghost, once they are in a group, they become strong.”

“Then, didn't you definitely feel the presence of the deceased? Did you not know right away when you entered Rosenvalov Castle? I don't feel there's anything dangerous around here at the moment.”

“Maybe the solar energy is too strong here to feel the spirit.”

It could hide his presence well. Then it's a little dangerous…. Gaon, who judges that there is no need to make Ji-Won worry in vain, swallows the words too late. After all, now that he was sure there was something here, he only needed to properly inspect it. But to do that, he had to wait until it was dark. Gaon's face, looking back at Ji-Won, was filled with apologies.

"What should I do? We can't go to an art museum today. We have to come back here at night.”

"It's okay."

“There are so many people around me right now that I can't use my powers properly. I don't want anyone involved and hurt. Maybe if I don't do my best, we'll both be in danger.

“Don't worry, I'm fine, so you don't have to worry about small things like that. Don't overdo it.”

Huh huh? Didn't you say it was an exhibition you really wanted to see? As Gaon gazes at the face that does not feel the slightest bit of regret, Ji-Won smiles brightly, making gentle eye contact with Gaon. Gaon could not guess why he suddenly felt better, but subconsciously slightly raised the corner of his mouth at a fresh smile that even made the audience feel better.

“Then let's quickly go eat first. If it's late, we have to wait a long time.”

****

Fortunately, the two, who arrived at the restaurant just before lunchtime began, were able to be directly guided to their seats without waiting. The well-prepared side dishes increased expectations of the main course completely, and the savory Kalguksu, boiled roughly without any garnish, reached the peak of satisfaction.

When they bite down on a crispy potato pancake that is almost fried browned, Ji-Won thinks that Gaon's expression may not be forgotten for the rest of his life. It was then that he felt appreciated for sitting up late at night and reading hundreds of reviews carefully.

“It's good to come all the way here from Seoul. I will remember it for a long time.”

"I'm glad you like it."

“Whatever Director Cha recommends is delicious. Come to think of it, it was also the first time I had only eaten good food in London. Usually, at least one really bad food should be on my plate.”

"Oh yeah. This city is very difficult for food lovers. I stayed in London for a year after my master's degree, and I had trouble finding a restaurant to suit my taste.”

Ji-Won, who watched Gaon eat two potato pancakes the size of a palm, tucked the rest of the potato pancake plate in front of him, making an excuse that he doesn't want greasy food today.

He wanted to take her for coffee at Taebaek's most famous place, but Gaon said he wanted to get into a small cafe right from the restaurant. Two hours of intense contemplation over the last three candidates became meaningless, but Ji-Won still nodded without hesitation. As she lives her life with aesthetics, she doesn't even get into cafes with rustic interiors, but now he feels he can enter a coffee shop that serves as a local senior citizen center with Gaon if he wants to.

“The coffee I drank yesterday must have been better.”

“It's also delicious. It's very savory. I have loved this smell ever since I got out of the car.

"really?"

"Yes. The one I drank yesterday smelled very good, but it tasted like undercooked fruit. I like fruits that are ripe to almost tasteless. It tastes like peanuts. Well, I think it tastes a bit like chocolate, too. It tastes like chocolate cake…. I like it because it is soft and not bitter. It's very tasty.”

Seeing Gaon sipping coffee happily, Ji-Won is surprised. His mouth opens automatically at unexpected sharp criticism. No, Mrs Kwon. Why don't you say anything about him who has such a keen sense of taste? You said he didn't have any favorite food. But this guy can distinguish the taste of mixed nuts? Surprisingly, he thought he was picky, but he didn't know this much.

“I heard from Mrs. Kwon that CEO doesn't like certain foods.”

"Ha ha's. I can't tell Mrs. Kwon. She works hard on nutrition for every meal. If he wanted to be careful with my taste, it would be too difficult. The vegetables on my table are organically grown by Mrs. Kwon in the garden. How can you complain to such a person who says that I personally like salty and sweet? I just have to eat as I was told.

Unable to think of anything to say back, Ji-Won sips coffee without saying anything. He could not cover the fire with water. How can I make him fall in love with me? He felt a little annoyed, but it was not something he could tell the people involved.

It was pretty good the more I kept drinking it. What Ji-Won usually enjoys is a clean coffee with a little acidity and a refreshing fruity flavor, but when she hears Gaon's words, the heavy flavor mixed with various flavors is not bad.

'As I thought yesterday, falling in love is really scary. See, it can even make someone change his taste.'

Most importantly, the serious thing was that he had no desire to let go. Ji-Won looks at Gaon with complicated eyes, but immediately folds her eyes and smiles. He thought things were going very slowly, but he couldn't find a reason to change it.