Chapter 101

As it neared quitting time, Kang Jin discreetly glanced around before standing up.

“Good work today.”

The staff casually waved at her as she got up.

“See you tomorrow.”

Kang Jin nodded politely to those bidding her farewell and waved goodbye to Choi Donghae before leaving the government office.

Once outside, Kang Jin murmured under her breath:

“Choi Hocheol, Choi Hocheol, Choi Hocheol.”

After repeating his name three times, she looked around but couldn’t spot him anywhere.

‘I’m starting to get worried.’

Throughout the day, Kang Jin had occasionally called out Choi Hocheol’s name, yet he never appeared.

She took out her wallet and retrieved a business card belonging to Kang Doochi from JS Finance.

Assistant Manager Kang Doochi, Business Management Department

It was fascinating that even while dealing with ghosts, they still exchanged business cards with phone numbers.

Kang Jin’s business card read ‘Lee Kang-jin of One Meal Restaurant.’ Seeing Kang Doochi’s contact information on his JS Finance business card, Kang Jin made a call.

“Hello, and thank you for calling. This is Kang Doochi from JS Finance.”

“This is Lee Kang-jin from One Meal Restaurant.”

“Oh, I know who you are. How may I assist you?”

“Do you happen to have any information about Choi Hocheol, the ghost?”

“Mr. Choi Hocheol?”

“I knew him when he was alive, but since he hasn’t been visiting the restaurant lately, I’m quite worried.”

There was a brief silence before Kang Doochi responded.

[Ghosts’ personal information is protected by privacy laws. Therefore, it’s difficult for me to discuss anything about Mr. Choi Hocheol with you.]

“Does this law apply even to ghosts?”

[It merely depends on whether they’re dead or alive; there’s no fundamental difference between living humans and ghosts.]

“I see.”

[I apologize for not being able to help you.]

In response to Kang Doochi’s words, Kang Jin asked:

“Then can you tell me if they ascended to heaven or not?”

Kang Doochi paused briefly before responding.

[I can… Wait just a moment please.]

Tap-tap-tap! Tap!

The sound of typing echoed through the phone line.

[They did not ascend to heaven.]

“I see.”

[I apologize for not being able to help you further.]

“It’s alright.”

[Ah! If you have time, would you like to visit our bank?]

“You mean JS Finance?”

[Since you’ve entered this world, visiting us could be beneficial.]

In response to Kang Doochi’s words, Kang Jin looked at his business card. It had Kang Doochi’s name and number but no specific address.

“There’s no address listed here.”

[Our company doesn’t operate from a fixed location.]

“How do I find you then?”

[Is there a basement level where you currently are?]

“Yes.”

[Grab the door leading underground and place my card on it.]

Kang Jin expected further explanation but when Kang Doochi remained silent, he asked:

“That’s it?”

[That’s all you need to do.]

“It’s simple yet… feels somewhat magical.”

[Living with a ghost, did you not believe in magic?]

“Does that mean magic exists?” Surprised by his question, Kang Doochi chuckled.

[Hahaha! Just as humans have their science, this afterlife has its equivalent.]

Nodding at Kang Doochi’s response, Kang Jin entered the elevator and said,

“So, will you meet me there?”

[Understood.]

After ending the call, Kang Jin glanced at the business card before putting it back in his pocket. A moment later, he stepped out of the elevator on the first floor and headed toward the emergency staircase. Kang Jin descended to the basement level via the stairs, reached for Kang Doochi’s card, and held it up against the door leading underground.

“I’ve entered such a strange world,” Kang Jin murmured softly as he opened the door.

Click!

He was greeted by a vast white space. The walls, ceiling, and everything else were uniformly white. This definitely wasn’t the underground parking lot connected to the company’s first floor. Moreover, there were numerous people present.

As Kang Jin looked around in surprise, he heard the sound of a door closing behind him.

Click!

Kang Jin turned around, puzzled and astonished. Apart from the door he had entered through, there were countless other doors behind him.

“Wow…”

The sight of tens—no, hundreds—of doors lined up was quite unnerving.

Click! Click!

With each opening door, more people entered one by one, dressed in everything from sharp suits to casual attire…

“How do you feel?”

Kang Jin turned at the voice beside him and saw Kang Doochi, clad in a sleek black suit, observing him closely.

“It’s astonishing.”

“Most newcomers are taken aback.”

Kang Jin followed Kang Doochi’s gaze toward the door.

“The doors are quite peculiar, aren’t they?”

“Yes, somewhat.”

“Everyone who sees these doors, like you, Sir, is taken aback.” Smiling, Kang Doochi gestured inside with his hand. “Please come in.”

As Kang Jin stepped forward, he observed the people milling around him.

“But can living humans enter this place?”

“Certainly! At JS Finance, we cater to both humans and ghosts alike.”

“So, are there any living humans here now?”

Kang Jin scanned the area. Despite numerous individuals moving about, none appeared human. Although JS Finance claimed to serve both humans and ghosts, their primary clientele were indeed ghosts.

“Living people do visit occasionally, but not often. So right now, it’s just you.”

“Then…” Kang Jin cautiously scanned his surroundings again. Everyone around him was…

“Are they all ghosts?”

“Not everyone here is a ghost. There are our employees and some JS Finance administrators as well… Yes, that’s correct.”

“So, Mr. Kang, are you not a ghost either?”

“As a ghost…”

Kang Doochi stroked his chin thoughtfully before smiling at Kang Jin’s question.

“I’m certainly not human.”

“Then what are you?”

Kang Doochi shook his head slightly. “I can’t say for sure, but I suppose you could consider me half-angel and half-demon.”

“Half-angel and half-demon?”

“To VIPs, he appears as an angel, but to those heavily indebted, he takes on the form of a demon.”

“He sounds terrifying.”

“Most people involved with money dealings can be frightening.”

As Kang Doochi continued walking, Kang Jin noticed a long line of people - or rather, ghosts - forming on one side of the street. This reminded Kang Jin of what Sung Yongsoo had said fearfully:

-“We have to wait in line.”

“The ghosts dread standing in line,” Kang Jin remarked.

Kang Doochi smiled at his observation. “I see you’ve heard about it.”

“Yes, sir.”

“We can’t assign tasks directly to these ghosts, so we make them pass time by queuing like this.”

“You mean to pass time?”

“Yes, time is money.”

As Kang Doochi spoke, he led the way and opened a door on one side of the room.

“This is my office.”

Upon entering, Kang Jin noticed a small desk with a chair and a notebook inside the office.

“It’s quite cozy.”

“More like cramped,” Kang Doochi chuckled as he entered, retrieving two canned coffees from a nearby shelf.

“Please enjoy these.”

Kang Jin accepted the cans but looked puzzled at the unusual design printed on them. One side depicted a large pot with flames boiling underneath.

Great Purgatory Coffee

Below the image, written in elegant calligraphy with Chinese characters, was “Great Purgatory Coffee.”

“It’s a popular coffee brand these days among souls.”

“JS? So it’s afterlife coffee?”

“As its name suggests, this brand is made in Great Purgatory Hell. Perhaps due to their exceptional heat source, the roasted coffee tastes…”

Kang Doochi paused and opened his can of coffee.

Fsssh!

With that sound, he took a sip and smiled.

“You can’t find this flavor anywhere else in life.”

Upon hearing Kang Doochi’s words, Kang Jin also opened her can.

Fsssh!

She listened to the refreshing sound before taking a sip.

Sip!

Kang Jin grimaced after taking just one sip. The coffee tasted unbearably bitter to him. Kang Doochi noticed his reaction and asked curiously:

“Does it not suit your taste?”

“It’s too bitter…and I can also detect a hint of carbonation.”

Kang Doochi chuckled at Kang Jin’s comment.

“That’s how coffee is meant to be enjoyed.” He took another sip with a smile. “Isn’t it delightful?”

Following Kang Doochi’s suggestion, Kang Jin tried another sip but once again grimaced and gently set down the can.

“I guess it’s just not my cup of tea.”

Kang Doochi laughed sympathetically.

“It happens.” With that, he brought over a different can from the side.

“If you dislike bitterness, this might suit your taste better.”

Kang Jin smiled as he examined the can Kang Doochi handed him.

“The design on the can is quite vibrant.”

The can featured a picture of a flower field, evoking warmth and cheerfulness beneath its brand name:

‘Secheon Nectar’

“It’s a beverage made from honey harvested at Secheon Flower Field. It’s excellent for alleviating hangovers. Please give it a try.”

“Secheon Flower Field?”

“You can think of it as a garden in the afterlife.”

Nodding at Kang Doochi’s explanation, Kang Jin opened the can and took a sip.

“Mm… This tastes really good.”

“Isn’t it?”

“It has a pleasant sweetness, not too overpowering, just right.”

Agreeing with Kang Jin, Kang Doochi placed his laptop in front of them.

“Since you’re here, would you like to check your account balance?”

“Is that possible?”

“Of course, it’s your account after all. Would you like to see it?”

Kang Jin glanced at Kang Doochi’s laptop but shook his head.

“I think not knowing is better.”

“You don’t want to look?”

“If I had much money, even living poorly wouldn’t bother me too much. But if there’s none, I’d worry about what happens after my death.”

Kang Doochi smiled and closed the laptop at Kang Jin’s words.

“You’ve thought this through well.”

He then subtly raised his head towards the door before addressing Kang Jin again.

“As I manage your affairs, I decided to investigate Mr. Choi Ho-cheol for you.”

“Oh really?”

“Naturally, due to privacy laws, I…”

Kang Doochi tapped on his laptop and said, “I cannot disclose any information obtained through JS Finance.”

“Then?”

“I’ve asked around some ghosts here. Since this info isn’t from Choi Hocheol’s contract with JS Finance, I believe it should be fine to share. It’s just eyewitness accounts anyway.”

“You’re quite resourceful.”

“Do you think everything in life follows established rules?” Kang Doochi smiled before continuing, “Based on my inquiries, a ghost spotted Choi Hocheol two days ago near Nowon.”

“In Nowon?”

“There’s no need to worry too much. After all, how could he die unexpectedly?”

Kang Jin nodded as Kang Doochi spoke with a smile and joking tone.

I hope everything is alright.

As per Kang Doochi’s words, there was no reason for a ghost to die.

“Thank you.”

“He’s doing good deeds, so it’s only right we assist him.” Kang Doochi then stood up. “I believe that covers all important matters… So, how about some shopping?”

“Shopping?”

“Our customers withdraw money here before heading to the afterlife. They use this cash for shopping or dining out. Since our president enjoys fine cuisine at restaurants, why not visit one of our convenience stores?”

“A convenience store?”

“Our JS Finance operates a convenience store called JS Mart with many great items.”

“You run a convenience store too?”

“We sell basic necessities before customers depart to the afterlife.”

“A convenience store for the afterlife… I’m intrigued.”

“Then let’s go.”

As Kang Doochi rose from his seat, Kang Jin finished drinking and examined the can.

[Heavenly Honey Dew]

If it’s from JS Mart…does that mean all their products are made in the afterlife?

With this thought, Kang Jin followed Kang Doochi out of the office.

I wonder what kind of items they sell.

Having worked numerous part-time jobs at various convenience stores, Kang Jin was naturally curious about the merchandise offered at JS Mart.