Chapter 59

[Certificate of Responsibility for Drunk Driving Fatality]

As Kang Jin read the title on the document from afar, Go Youngwoo gathered all the papers and placed them on the table. Kang Doochi nodded approvingly at this gesture.

“First, let me explain these documents to you.”

“I want an attorney present.”

“I’d like to accommodate your request, but…I don’t have one available right now.”

“If there’s no attorney, I won’t say a word.”

“Hmm…” Go Youngwoo considered Kang Doochi’s response before nodding.

“Do as you please, but I must warn you.” He then turned to Kang Jin. “Could you please bring him another glass of water?”

“If you vomit again, I’ll press assault charges,” Go Youngwoo warned Kang Doochi.

Kang Doochi glanced at Kang Jin and pleaded, “Please help.”

Kang Jin nodded and brought over a pitcher of cold water. Kang Doochi poured it into a glass and handed it to Go Youngwoo.

“Let’s start by sobering up,” Kang Doochi suggested.

With cautious eyes, Go Youngwoo drank from the glass as Kang Jin quietly asked Lee Hye-sun while sitting beside her:

“So, can ghosts get drunk?”

“A newly deceased ghost reflects their appearance at the time of death. If they were intoxicated before dying, the ghost would also be drunk.”

“Does that mean they stay drunk indefinitely?”

“No, once they realize they’re dead, the intoxication eventually wears off.”

Lee Hye-sun glanced at Go Youngwoo after her explanation. Kang Jin also turned to observe him.

Meanwhile, Go Youngwoo was listening intently to Kang Doochi’s account.

“Since you’re not fully coherent yet, sir, it seems like you don’t understand what the JS immigration officer is saying.”

“JS immigration officer? You mean that guy in black who came with you earlier?”

“Yes, Mr. Go Youngwoo… Since it’s past midnight now, technically yesterday, you passed away at 11:37 PM due to a car accident caused by drunk driving.”

“Passed away?” Confused, Go Youngwoo stared at Kang Doochi and exclaimed in shock, “I’m dead?”

“That’s correct,” replied Kang Doochi.

Go Youngwoo looked incredulous, then burst out laughing.

“Is this some kind of hidden camera prank? Who’s doing this?! Who’s playing these jokes on me? Wo Cheongshik, is it you?!”

As Go Youngwoo scanned his surroundings for any cameras, Kang Jin’s phone rang.

Bling-bling!

Kang Jin answered at the sound of the chime.

“I’m here with the delivery, but I can’t find your restaurant.”

“Where are you?”

“I followed the address, but…I don’t see One Meal Restaurant anywhere.”

“Just give me a moment.”

While still on the call, Kang Jin opened the door and stepped outside. He spotted someone talking on their phone while sitting on a motorcycle parked down the street.

“Excuse me, could you please raise your hand?” When the person complied, Kang Jin hung up the phone and approached them.

“You’re here for delivery, right?”

“One Meal Restaurant?”

“Yes.”

Kang Jin’s response prompted the delivery person to scan the area.

“I can’t seem to find the restaurant.”

“It’s right there.” Kang Jin pointed directly ahead at One Meal Restaurant. The delivery person finally spotted it and smiled sheepishly.

“I didn’t notice it even though it was right in front of me.”

“It’s not very conspicuous, I guess.”

There had been a reason why few people visited during the ghost infestation. Humans instinctively avoided One Meal Restaurant due to the presence of ghosts. Even if they stumbled upon it like the delivery person, they often overlooked it and moved on. Consequently, unless someone knew about the place beforehand, living customers rarely ventured inside.

After paying for the food, Kang Jin carried the sushi back into the restaurant.

Kang Jin placed the sashimi on Lee Hye-sun’s table and then looked at Lee Jiseon’s group.

“Would you like some sashimi?”

“We’re good; we had plenty of it on Jeju Island,” replied Lee Jiseon.

Nodding, Kang Jin removed the plastic wrap while observing Kang Doochi. Go Youngwoo still appeared angry and bewildered, unable to believe he was dead.

“I…I’m dead?”

“Please look at your hand.”

Following Kang Doochi’s words, Gou Young examined his own hand.

“Huh? What’s wrong with my hand?”

Gou Young’s body had a translucent, hazy appearance. As he had been deceased for only three days, he existed in a state between life and death, making him partially visible within the restaurant.

“It’s because you’re dead.”

“But I just had a conversation with those women… As you said, how could I talk to them if I’m dead… Oh! That woman hit me on the head with a bottle!” When Gou Young looked at Lee Hye-sun, she grinned and raised her hand.

“If you want another round of fun, let me know. There are plenty of empty bottles here.”

Gou Young flinched at Lee Hye-sun’s words and avoided eye contact before turning to Kang Doochi.

“That woman can see me. If I’m a ghost… Wait, then why can you also see me and speak with me?”

“Well, as a JS Finance employee dealing with deceased individuals, it makes sense for me. And these people over there… They’re all like you—dead souls.”

“Dead? Ah! Then…a-a-are you ghosts?” Startled, Gou Young abruptly stood up and recoiled backward.

Gou Young jumped up and recoiled at Lee Hye-sun’s sudden transformation. She stuck out her tongue far upward, rolling her eyes back into her head.

“Aiee!”

“A-ahhh… A ghost!” Gou Young shrieked in surprise, attempting to flee from the shop.

Kang Doochi sighed heavily and grabbed him by the collar.

Thwack!

“Ouch!”

With his client firmly seated again, Kang Doochi explained, “Sir, you’re also a ghost.”

“But…I’m a ghost?”

“Shh!” Kang Doochi shushed him as if urging calmness before checking his watch. “Since I have other customers to attend to, let me quickly explain things and wrap this up.”

He then held up some documents. “Firstly, these papers are loan agreements regarding your death due to drunk driving.”

“A fatal accident?”

“You may not remember this, but while driving under the influence, your car veered into oncoming traffic and collided with another vehicle, resulting in the driver’s death.”

“Death? He died?”

“Yes. Therefore, you need to pay compensation to the deceased’s family.” Kang Doochi slid the document closer as he spoke.

“Certificate of Liability for Drunk Driving Fatality?”

“If you read through it and sign here…”

Go Youngwoo looked at Kang Doochi incredulously.

“You’re saying I killed someone?”

“That’s correct.”

“But if I’m dead, what compensation? Isn’t death supposed to be the end?”

Kang Doochi regarded Go Youngwoo before pouring him a glass of cold water.

Glug, glug!

As Kang Doochi poured water, he continued, “Actually, people have it wrong… Birth is merely a pause, and death marks the beginning.”

“What?”

“If we consider the time spent between this life and the afterlife as represented by the amount of water in this glass… The duration you spend as a human…”

Kang Doochi dipped a spoon slightly into the glass and then lifted it out to show the small droplets clinging to it.

“It’s only this much. And the remaining time corresponds to…”

He pointed at the glass.

“…the volume of water still left here, which you’ll spend in the afterlife.”

“That means…an entire lifetime?”

“In other words, that’s why we need your cooperation.”

“Why is that?”

“Because someone who shouldn’t have died yet perished due to you, and this compensation is for their lost time.”

“What if I don’t cooperate?”

“We’ll reach an agreement one way or another. This is just a formality.” Kang Doochi smiled and pointed at the document again. “Please read it over and sign. As mentioned earlier, I’m also quite busy.”

Upon hearing Kang Doochi’s words, Go Youngwoo unfolded the papers and began reading them. Meanwhile, Kang Doochi sighed, stood up, and approached Lee Hye-sun’s desk. He pulled out a chair next to her and glanced at Kang Jin.

“I’ve heard rumors that business has been booming lately.”

“Did word spread through JS Finance?”

“Well then…” Kang Doochi glanced at Lee Hye-sun as he spoke. “Pour me a drink too.”

“You can drink on the job?”

“I need a sip to cope with wasting my time on that guy.” With a wave of his hand, Kang Doochi signaled for her to finish off what remained in her glass before refilling it for him. He downed it in one gulp and placed a piece of sushi on his chopsticks, popping it into his mouth.

“This sushi is delicious. Is this sea bass?” As Kang Doochi inspected the sushi, Kang Jin shook his head while also observing it closely.

“I’m not sure either. I ordered assorted sashimi.”

The assortment included various types of fish in different colors, but since Kang Jin rarely ate sushi, he couldn’t identify them all.

Kang Jin glanced at Go Youngwoo engrossed in paperwork before asking Kang Doochi:

“Did he die from drunk driving?”

Kang Doochi nodded and took another shot of soju. “Yes.”

“What was he thinking, drinking and driving…”

Given how much attention drunk driving had been receiving as a social issue lately, it seemed particularly foolish to engage in such behavior.

Kang Doochi shook his head at Kang Jin’s remark. “It doesn’t matter what time or era; one should never drink and drive.”

“That’s…true.” Kang Jin agreed.

Kang Doochi continued, “In this life, unless someone is injured or killed due to drunk driving, the punishment isn’t severe. Typically, there might be fines and suspension or revocation of their driver’s license, but…it’s different in the afterlife. Regardless of whether an accident occurs, simply engaging in drunk driving requires passing through multiple hells.”

As Kang Doochi spoke, Kang Jin subtly poured soju to refill his empty glass.

“What kind of hell will I end up in?”

Since he would eventually die and go to the afterlife, it seemed wise to learn about its laws beforehand.

“Firstly, worrying your parents violates filial piety law. It’s judged in the Cold Hell…and let me tell you, it’s incredibly freezing there. Just walking through is enough to make flesh fall off due to the extreme cold. Wealthy people can wear long padded jackets, gloves, and insulated shoes, but those without…

“Hmm…” Kang Doochi paused, then came up with an analogy. “It’s like having to walk 100 kilometers wearing only underwear in Antarctica.”

“Just walking around sounds torturous.”

“It’s like that in all hells of the afterlife. Without money, every place becomes unbearable.” Kang Doochi continued, “Plus, he threatened others, so he’ll also be punished in Venom Hell. And since he lied about not driving under the influence, he’ll face Exposure and Sea Hells as well. These four will likely hit him the hardest… Considering he killed someone while drunk driving and is over twenty billion won in debt with no assets… Each day for him will truly be hell.”

“That’s quite harsh.”

“We have no choice but to be firm. After all, this is reality now.” When Kang Doochi glanced at Go Youngwoo, Kang Jin nodded in agreement.

“He killed himself and others…” Kang Jin sighed. “We really can’t go easy on him.”

Kang Doochi took another swig of soju as Kang Jin’s words reminded him of a slogan from anti-drunk driving campaigns. He then approached Go Youngwoo, who had risen to his feet.

“Have you finished reading the documents?”

“The settlement amount is 200 million won… Is that all it takes?” Although still dazed, Go Youngwoo sounded more composed, indicating he had grasped the situation to some extent.

“I’m not sure what you mean by ‘all it takes,’ but…it’s different from what you might think.”

“How so?”

“You’ll see for yourself when we get there. Look for my name and give it a thumbs-up.” Go Youngwoo hesitated momentarily before asking:

“So…what happens to me now?”

“You must wait here until the third day ceremony concludes. Then, on the fourth day, the manager overseeing your entry into the afterlife will arrive to escort you.”

“Then after that…”

Kang Doochi’s expression turned cold at Go Youngwoo’s question.

“The sins committed by your words, money, body, and mind will suffocate you as people shed tears due to your actions. The pain inflicted on others will tear apart your entire being.”

The chilling words drained the color from Go Youngwoo’s face. Kang Doochi smirked at his reaction.

“Well…don’t worry too much; it’ll unfold gradually over time. After all…you’re already dead, so can you die again? Ha-ha-ha!”

With a genuinely joyful laugh, Kang Doochi stood up.

“Okay, let’s go.”

“Where?”

“As the host, I can’t be outside while my guests are inside. I’m going to Go Youngwoo’s funeral.”