Chapter 181

It was nearing eleven o’clock at night when Kang Jin received orders from ghosts gathered at the restaurant and started preparing their meals.

Shhhk! Shhhk!

As he cooked the requested items, Sung Yongsoo spat out curses.

“What the fuck?!”

“What’s wrong?” asked Kang Jin.

Bae Yongsoo pursed his lips.

“That girl you like is coming.”

“Me?” Kang Jin squinted as realization dawned on him. He knew exactly who Bae Yongsoo meant.

“You’re joking, right? I’ll lose my head.”

“I’m serious. Anyway…I’m leaving.”

With that, Bae Yongsoo hastily exited the kitchen, taking the ghosts with him to quickly vacate the premises.

Seeing Bae Yongsoo’s reaction, Kang Jin hastily finished her preparations. If Kim Sohee arrived, the ghosts would likely flee before eating their meals, so it was best to pause for now.

By then, it was already eleven o’clock.

Ding-a-ling! Ding-a-ling!

The familiar sound chimed as the door opened, and Kim Sohee entered. As she walked in, Kang Jin discreetly glanced behind her. Kim Sohee was alone this time. She had arrived with Lee Taewoon earlier but now returned by herself.

The elderly gentleman must have ascended.

Indeed, it was about time. It was said that spirits linger on Earth for three days during the funeral period before ascending to heaven. Consequently, Kang Jin emerged solo.

“You came,” Kang Jin greeted her with a nod.

Kim Sohee sat down and replied softly, “I’d like to have a drink.”

“I’ll prepare it for you.”

“So…” Kim Sohee paused briefly before continuing, “Taewon liked chicken feet and yukgaejang, right?”

Sensing loneliness and melancholy in Kim Sohee’s voice, Kang Jin smiled warmly and responded, “There isn’t enough time to make yukgaejang broth, but I can definitely do chicken feet.”

“Then please just bring out the chicken feet.”

Kang Jin bowed his head at Kim Sohee’s request and headed into the kitchen. Fortunately, since he had prepared spicy chili oil earlier for Lee Gang-hye’s chicken feet dish, making it wouldn’t be difficult.

Kang Jin quickly prepared spicy chicken feet and brought out steamed eggs with rice balls.

Kim Sohee had already poured herself soju and was drinking it leisurely.

“Here’s your food.”

At Kang Jin’s announcement, Kim Sohee glanced at the spicy chicken feet and spoke.

“It seems Taewon taught you well.”

“He patiently explained everything to me before leaving.”

“Sit down.”

As instructed by Kim Sohee, Kang Jin quietly took a seat next to her. Watching Kim Sohee silently sip her soju, Kang Jin cautiously asked:

“So what happened to Hwanggu?”

“A family remains together, whether alive or deceased.”

“He chose to follow the elderly man.”

Seeing Kim Sohee nod slightly, Kang Jin continued,

“No matter how close a friend is, they can’t compare to family.”

“That’s true.”

“I thought you would take Hwanggu with you…”

“I considered it, but it didn’t feel right. Besides, Hwanggu wanted to stay with Taewon. Hmm! Isn’t that obvious? Even though Hwanggu loves me, Taewon is like a father figure to him.”

Kang Jin nodded and took a shot of soju at Kim Sohee’s words.

She’s right. While there are dogs who wait for their deceased masters indefinitely…the happiest place for Hwanggu is undoubtedly by Lee Taewoon’s side.

As Kang Jin silently pondered this, he suddenly turned to Kim Sohee.

“Miss Kim.”

Kim Sohee looked up at his address.

“Do you like dogs?”

“You mean Hwanggu? Yes, I do.” A smile spread across her face as she reminisced about Hwanggu.

Seeing this, Kang Jin asked, “What about other dogs?”

“I do indeed. We had several dogs at home when I was younger.”

As Kang Jin listened to her, he suddenly asked:

“But Hwanggu doesn’t seem afraid of you, Miss Kim.”

“Why would he be scared? He’s been with me since he was young and even sleeps on my lap.”

“Isn’t it true that all ghosts fear the Maiden Ghost?”

Kim Sohee chuckled at Kang Jin’s remark.

“How can you compare human ghosts to animal spirits?”

“So, animal spirits aren’t afraid of you, Miss Kim?”

“Hmm…” After pondering for a moment, Kim Sohee shook her head.

“Some might be cautious around me, but most aren’t. In fact, they often show affection towards me.”

While listening to Kim Sohee, Kang Jin refilled her soju glass and then casually mentioned:

“Do you know about the park nearby?”

“The park…you mean over there?” Kang Jin nodded as Kim Sohee pointed towards it.

“There’s a land-bound spirit about this big.” Kang Jin gestured with his hands to indicate its size.

“A dog spirit?”

“It’s incredibly cute.”

“Is it alone?”

“Yes.”

“When dogs become land-bound spirits, they usually stay near their owner… Is that place significant somehow?”

Kang Jin took a sip of soju before explaining the situation. Upon hearing his story, Kim Sohee sighed.

“What a loyal dog.”

“An overly loyal one,” Kang Jin agreed.

Kim Sohee nodded sympathetically. “Indeed, loyalty can be foolish at times.”

Her voice carried a hint of bitterness.

“I see.”

“If you knew how many have died for the sake of loyalty, you’d be astonished.”

She let out another sigh, reflecting on the countless lives lost.

Kim Sohee sighed during her explanation. “The king wasn’t worth their loyalty, yet seeing them sacrifice their lives for him… I felt both contempt and pity.”

“It sounds like you witnessed several instances.”

“The attendants serving under that foolish king were truly pitiful. Despite being lowly servants, their courage and integrity rivaled that of the Six Divine Generals.”

‘An attendant serving a foolhardy king? Which one from the Joseon Dynasty…?’

There were multiple incompetent kings labeled as fools throughout the history of the Joseon Dynasty. If she had mentioned a mad king, it might’ve reminded Kang Jin of Kim Chuseon’s time with Yeon-san-gun, but…Yeon-san-gun was not considered a fool, so it couldn’t be about Kim Chuseon.

As he pondered, Kim Sohee silently started drinking soju.

Gulp!

Without much conversation, Kim Sohee picked up some chicken feet to eat. She alternated between sipping soju and consuming snacks.

Yeon-san-gun wasn’t foolish, and neither was Kim Choosun.

Kang Jin observed Kim Sohee eating and drinking for quite some time, growing increasingly concerned.

She’s consuming more than usual.

Normally, Kim Sohee would sip one bottle of soju over an hour and leave her seat by midnight to allow other ghosts to enjoy food and drinks. However, today was different. There were already three empty bottles on the table, with a fourth being opened. As a result, her face had turned flushed from the alcohol.

Is she going to pass out like this?

Once before, when he tried stopping her from drinking, she unexpectedly downed several bottles and collapsed.

How many did she have that day?

It happened months ago, but he vaguely recalled it being around three bottles at that time as well.

Of course, this time she was taking her time instead of hastily chugging it…but still, she had consumed quite a lot.

Should I tell her to stop drinking?

Kang Jin pursed his lips as he debated with himself.

I guess hangovers aren’t an issue since ghosts seem to return to normal once they leave.

Even if ghosts got drunk, by morning, they would be completely sober when departing at around 1 AM. Once their physical form dissipated, any intoxication vanished along with it. It’s obvious, considering ghosts don’t have tangible bodies.

No matter how much she drinks, there won’t be any mishaps later.

As Kang Jin pondered this thought, the door opened.

Ding-a-ling! Ding-a-ling!

Hearing the sound, Kang Jin turned and saw Hwang Minsung entering.

“Welcome back.”

“It seems quiet today?”

Usually, this place would be bustling with ghosts at this hour, but now there was only Kim Sohee present.

“I didn’t expect this day to come. What would you like for dinner?”

“Ramen and…sausages.”

“As you wish.” Kang Jin complied with Hwang Minsung’s request without hesitation. He knew that Minsung wasn’t fond of Korean-style side dishes since he had mentioned it before, but Kang Jin understood why Minsung ordered them now.

Even if Hyung dislikes them, they remind him of his mother’s cooking.

Hwang Minsung’s mother used to run a restaurant specializing in such dishes. Consequently, their home was filled with similar side dishes, and those were likely staples at every meal. It must have grown tiresome over time. Regardless of whether they tasted good or not, these dishes still evoked memories of his mother’s cooking.

Kang Jin quietly mused as he turned on the stove and started boiling eggs. Knowing Hwang Minsung preferred soft-boiled eggs, he cooked several accordingly. Then, he heated water for both the ramen and sausages.

I should make extra servings for Miss Kim too. With this thought, Kang Jin began preparing the meal.

With these thoughts on his mind, Kang Jin started cooking.

Hwang Minsung sat at the table, took out some chopsticks, and grabbed a beer from the refrigerator before returning to his seat.

“Kang Jinah.”

“Yes?” She turned toward him as he held up the beer bottle.

“Give me something to eat with this.”

“One moment, please.” At Hwang Minsung’s request, Kang Jin retrieved dried anchovies from the fridge and handed them over. “Here you go.”

“Thanks.” Hwang Minsung opened the anchovy container, poured himself a glass of beer, and took a refreshing sip.

Gulp! Gulp!

As Hwang Minsung wiped his mouth after drinking, he met Kim Sohee’s gaze. He gave her a slight nod, but she stared back blankly for a moment before opening her mouth.

“Oh, poor soul.” Kim Sohee’s words made Hwang Minsung glance around at those nearby, but it was just him and her.

“Are you talking to me?”

“You can never rest easy or feel full no matter how much you eat, and even if you find someone, they won’t be yours… How truly pitiful.”

“What?” Confused, Hwang Minsung stared at her.

Kim Sohee sighed and shook her head. “Don’t overexert yourself or grieve too deeply. Although countless thorns may pierce your mother’s heart because of you, each time she finds joy and comfort through you, one by one, those thorns will fall away.”

Hwang Minsung looked at her blankly.

“You… What do you mean by that?”

“I’ll continue to live diligently. That will lessen your mother’s tears.”

Hwang Minsung’s face hardened as he stared at Kim Sohee, wondering what she was talking about.

“What right do you have to talk about our mo—”

Wham!

As if triggered by the mention of his mother’s tears, Hwang Minsung abruptly stood up and yelled at her, but confusion quickly took over his expression when the woman who had been speaking so oddly slammed her head on the table.

At the same time, Kang Jin rushed back into the dining room after hearing their exchange. She had no idea what they were discussing, but Hwang Minsung’s outburst prompted her swift return. Yet there sat Kim Sohee, quietly resting her forehead against the tabletop.

“Oh dear!”

Although ghosts cannot die twice, Kang Jin anxiously called out to her. She had slammed her head quite hard on the table. As he reached for her shoulder to check if she was okay, his eyes narrowed.

Is it appropriate to touch her like this?

He worried that touching Kim Sohee might provoke her to slice off his hand with her sword. After all, as a lady from the Joseon Dynasty era, her views on propriety were likely strict and traditional.

Kang Jin cautiously retrieved a spoon and gently nudged her shoulder with it.

Swoosh! Swoosh!

As he pushed at Kim Sohee’s shoulder with the spoon, Kang Jin asked, “Miss Kim, are you alright?”

Hwang Minsung frowned at Kang Jin using the spoon to prod Kim Sohee.

”…What are you doing?”