Chapter 134

Rustle!

Kang Jin was about to turn away when he heard another rustling sound. Hesitating, he eventually looked back over his shoulder.

They say curiosity killed the cat…

His rational mind told him not to look, but his curiosity won out.

Swoosh!

When Kang Jin turned toward the noise, his face drained of color.

In the dark forest, if one were to exaggerate slightly, it would seem like a pack of wild boars had their eyes trained on him.

Hwah-ack! Hwah-ack!

In the pitch-black night, only the glowing eyes of the wild boar were visible, and Kang Jin desperately tried to keep from gaping.

I can’t scream. I mustn’t scream.

Just as Kang Jin was startled, so too must be the wild boar, which now appeared agitated. Therefore, he couldn’t provoke it; doing so would incite the animal to charge him, leading to an undesirable outcome.

Kang Jin bit his lip hard and stared intently at the boar.

Even if a tiger bites you, just stay calm.

If being chased by a dog, turning back to run increases one’s chances of getting bitten. Instead, standing straight and staring down the pursuer decreases the likelihood of attack—though most likely, one still ends up bitten regardless.

Nevertheless, Kang Jin couldn’t move while glaring at the wild boar. He feared that any sudden movement might trigger a charge, so his feet wouldn’t budge, nor did he have any intention of trying.

Damn… This is fucking ridiculous!

As Kang Jin continued cursing under his breath, he heard someone call out to him.

“Kang Jin!”

He turned toward the voice just as the wild boar charged at him.

Thud!

Tak-tak-tak! Tak-tak!

The sound of the charging beast made Kang Jin scream.

“Ahhhhh!”

Despite knowing that he should immediately dodge away from the noise, his curiosity and reflexes forced him to turn back towards it instead. And there was the wild boar, barreling crazily straight for him.

What’s with those teeth? Is this a movie or something?

As soon as Kang Jin spotted its protruding fangs resembling those of a movie monster, he desperately tried to leap aside.

Fwip!

But that was merely his mind’s desire; his body remained frozen like it had been possessed by some land-bound spirit. As Manbok emerged before him…

“Stop!”

The boar skidded abruptly at Manbok’s command and tumbled over itself.

Bam-bam!

Unable to overcome its momentum, the wild pig crashed and rolled on the ground. Manbok yelled urgently:

“Dodge!”

Hearing this, Kang Jin hastily leaped out of the way just in time. As he did, the boar careened past where he had been standing, narrowly missing him.

Thud!

The wild boar crashed heavily against a tree and stopped. Kang Jin breathed a sigh of relief.

I almost got killed there.

He had narrowly escaped death. Even a young wild boar running full speed could deliver an impact greater than being hit by a small car. Moreover, its tusks were sharp and formidable.

Kang Jin managed to avoid the collision but stumbled as he grabbed a nearby rock. The wild boar shook its head vigorously before getting back on its feet.

Seeing Kang Jin clutching the stone, Manbok chuckled. “Are you gonna fight it with that?”

“I need something at least.”

Manbok laughed again at Kang Jin’s response and approached the wild boar, stroking its head gently.

“He’s not bad, so don’t bother him.”

Oink! Oink! The pig let out some sounds as Manbok patted its head gently.

“It’s okay.” Then, Manbok turned to Kang Jin.

“Come here and greet it properly.”

“Greet who? This wild boar?”

“If you plan on visiting this place often, you should introduce yourself. What if it doesn’t recognize you and attacks?”

Kang Jin flinched at Manbok’s words and looked nervously at the boar. The animal stood calmly without resisting Manbok’s touch, observing Kang Jin intently.

Can the wild boar see ghosts? It must be able to since it stopped charging when Manbok hyung told it to.

With these thoughts, Kang Jin cautiously approached the boar.

“It won’t charge at us, right?”

“I’m here with you.” At Manbok’s reassurance, Kang Jin cautiously waved his hand toward the wild boar.

“Hello.”

Flinch!

As Kang Jin waved, the wild boar lowered its head and took a step forward.

“It’s okay. It’s okay. He’s not bad.” As Manbok soothed it, the wild boar glanced back at Kang Jin.

Snort! Snort!

The boar snorted as if trying to communicate verbally, sounding almost like a horse. Kang Jin slowly picked up a bag from the J.S. Convenience Store lying on the ground. From the bag, he retrieved a sausage, unwrapped it, and gently offered it to the boar.

Sniff, sniff, sniff!

Kang Jin froze as the wild boar sniffed the scent of the sausage and moved closer to take it, its large mouth approaching his hand.

The huge wild boar’s mouth was approaching his hand.

‘Don’t be nervous… It’s just like feeding grass to a rabbit. Just think of it as a slightly bigger rabbit.’

Kang Jin repeated this mantra internally while watching the boar eat the sausage. When its snout finally touched his fingers, he felt chills down his spine but managed to overcome his fear.

After finishing the sausage, the boar sniffed Kang Jin’s hand and then turned toward the bag.

Sniff, sniff, sniff!

Seeing the boar intensely focused on the scent coming from the bag, Manbok asked:

“Did you bring something for us to share?”

“I brought it to enjoy with hyung and the others.”

“Then give me some.”

“You want some?”

“There’s not much food during winter, so these guys are always hungry. We can enjoy eating, but we won’t die without it.”

Manbok looked at the wild boar.

“And this fellow recently had piglets.”

Hearing Manbok’s words, Kang Jin observed the wild boar closely.

“Is it female?”

“Not exactly; its wife gave birth to them.”

“Oh…”

“It ventured out to find food for its family after having kids.”

Kang Jin took out the container with his homemade meal upon hearing Manbok’s explanation.

“But how will it bring this back to its young ones?”

“If you leave it here, it’ll fetch its offspring and feed them.”

Following Manbok’s instructions, Kang Jin placed the container on the ground.

“Take this and feed it to your young.”

Following Manbok’s words, the wild boar sniffed at the scent of food before turning its gaze towards Kang Jin. After observing him briefly, the boar eventually spun around and quickly darted back into the forest.

Kang Jin watched it leave with a small sigh, then looked at Manbok.

“If it wasn’t for you, I’d be dead by now.”

“In the woods, making noise while moving is safer.”

“Noise?”

“When you make noise, animals naturally avoid you. Next time, whistle or hum as you walk.”

“I understand.”

As they continued talking, Kang Jin suddenly turned to Manbok.

“How did you know I was here?”

“I sensed your presence from the village.”

“Can you sense my energy?”

“Not exactly yours but the aura of the Underworld Restaurant. Let’s go.”

As Manbok started walking, Kang Jin grabbed his bag and followed closely behind. Indeed, having Manbok by his side made him feel less fearful of encountering ghosts.

“Oh! Hyung, would you like some sausages?”

“Yes, please.”

Kang Jin smiled at Manbok’s straightforward acceptance and handed over the sausages bought from the JS convenience store. Manbok effortlessly took them, peeling off the plastic wrapping.

“You seem familiar with these?”

“Bokrae often brought them.”

“I’ll bring them frequently too from now on.”

“That sounds good.”

While chatting, they soon arrived at the village entrance where the elderly villagers and the ghost girl were waiting for them.

“Welcome back.”

Kang Jin greeted the welcoming ghosts warmly and distributed the lunch boxes and snacks he bought from the JS convenience store.

“Why did you bring these?” asked the elderly ghost.

Kang Jin smiled at her question. “Next time, I’ll bring some homemade food.”

As Kang Jin spoke, Manbok, who had already unwrapped a candy and popped it into his mouth, chimed in:

“It seems like you brought food before too, but Piggy looked hungry on your way here, so we gave him some.”

“Piggy must be full now, thanks to Kang Jin.”

Confused by their conversation, Kang Jin tilted his head.

“Who’s Piggy?”

“Well, it’s a mix of ‘pig’ and ‘tiger,‘…and he happens to be the strongest creature around here. Hence, they call him Piggy Tiger or simply Piggy.”

“Oh…”

Kang Jin nodded at Manbok’s explanation and then asked curiously, “Can animals see ghosts?”

“Not all of them, but some can indeed.”

“I see,” Kang Jin replied, noticing adults nearby holding lunchboxes. He quickly added, “Please have your meal first. Although I didn’t make it myself, these are from the reputable JS convenience store, so they should be quite tasty.”

“We’ll enjoy our food, thank you.” In response to the elderly ghost’s words, Kang Jin gathered dry branches nearby and started a fire. It wasn’t cold, but lighting a fire provided warmth amidst the darkness.

“Kang Jin, wake up.”

The next morning, Kang Jin opened his eyes as someone gently roused him. Upon waking, he saw Manbok looking down at him.

”…What is it?”

“We should go home.”

“Oh…”

Kang Jin looked around at Manbok’s words. He found himself lying in a small room. Around him, ghosts had gathered in front of the television, watching morning dramas.

“Egoistic bitch! I’d kill her if I could…”

“Poor thing, what can we do?”

Jin wasn’t sure which drama they were watching, but the ghosts either cursed or sympathized with the characters on screen.

‘Both human and ghost ajummas seem to enjoy dramas.’

Muttering to himself, Kang Jin sat up.

Crack!

“Ouch!”

Although he didn’t feel cold due to sleeping in his underwear, his back protested painfully from lying directly on the hard floor.

‘Do convenience stores sell sleeping bags? Or maybe I should buy a tent?’

Sleeping outside wasn’t ideal, so he ended up sleeping in the room where ghosts watched TV… In truth, it was quite cramped. Hence, Kang Jin considered bringing a tent and sleeping bag for future stays at this location.

With these thoughts, Kang Jin stretched his sore back carefully before exiting the room.

The chilly yet crisp air made him shiver momentarily as he took a deep breath.

“Ahhhhh!” His body crackled like bones breaking with each twist and turn, giving him a refreshing feeling. He then rotated his neck to loosen up further.

Crack!

Finally, after hearing one last satisfying pop, Kang Jin turned around only to freeze.

Something crouching beneath a half-collapsed thatched hut was watching him.

A wild boar?

It indeed was a wild boar huddled under the hut. In broad daylight, it appeared even larger and more formidable than before. Its protruding tusks were particularly intimidating.

Gulp!

Why is this happening to me first thing in the morning?

As Kang Jin stared at the boar with trepidation, it heaved its massive body upright. Then, holding a piece of wood in its mouth, it approached him slowly.

S-s-step back!

Kang Jin hesitated to retreat when Piggy set down the wooden log, stepped away, and observed him.

“Look, it brought you some food.”

Hearing Manbok’s voice from beside him, Kang Jin kept his eyes fixed on the boar while responding.

Kang Jin kept her eyes fixed on Piggy as she asked,

“Huh?”

“It seems like it brought this for you to eat.”

“For me? From Piggy?”

“Show some appreciation and have at it,” Manbok urged.

Following his advice, Kang Jin cautiously picked up the piece of wood. However, upon lifting it, she realized it was actually a thick yucca root. She pursed her lips, inspecting the yucca, then glanced back at Piggy.

Piggy stared blankly at her.

Its facial expressions seem different from humans… I can’t tell what it’s thinking.

After observing Piggy for a moment, Kang Jin decided to take a bite out of the yucca root. Surprisingly, it broke off more easily than she expected.

Kang Jin chewed on the piece he had torn with his hands.

It tastes like dirt.

The unique sweetness and bitterness of the plant were masked by the taste of soil. After all, Piggy hadn’t bothered to wash it before bringing it over.

As Kang Jin continued munching, Piggy turned around and disappeared into the mountains.

“Phew!” Manbok squinted at Kang Jin’s nervous demeanor.

“You’ve got dirt between your teeth.”

At Manbok’s comment, Kang Jin grimaced. The strong earthy flavor combined with gritty particles swirling in his mouth made for an unpleasant sensation.

I heard tigers or magpies repay their debts by bringing valuable items…