CH 49
The Wraith Among Wraiths?
The phrasing sounds just like "the boss among bosses," doesn't it?
As Jeonghwan frowned disapprovingly, Cha Seung-pyo tilted his head and asked:
"You can return the magistrate's badge and quit even now."
"Is that allowed?"
"Yes. But you must also return the ten Daegil (大吉) tokens bestowed by King Yeomra."
"But that..."
"His Majesty understands better than anyone how grueling an undercover inspector's duties are."
"......"
"I cautiously suspect they were granted to encourage enduring hardships."
I can't just take favors and keep silent...
Above all, those ten Daegil tokens from King Yeomra.
'I've already used them all.'
An irreversible predicament.
Jeonghwan pressed his forehead with his right hand:
"Then... when must I begin?"
"Orders will descend from above."
"Must I act immediately regardless of the hour?"
"Between your shift hours - 11 PM to 3 AM. Resolve matters within that window. We won't intrude beyond those times."
"What becomes of Yongsan-gu's Café of Souls in my absence?"
"Assistant Manager Cha Ye-won will cover."
So my business trips become customer complaint days?
Jeonghwan clicked his tongue:
"Are Yongsan and Seongdong-gu lacking in evil spirits?"
"Yongsan and Seongdong-gu?"
"You and the assistant manager seem frequently absent."
"Yongsan and Jongno originally teemed with vengeful spirits. Neighborhoods rife with wrongful deaths and incidents."
Has cleanup made things easier?
When Jeonghwan scratched his sideburns, Cha Seung-pyo elaborated:
"Team 1 simply has more personnel than others. Creates an illusion of leisure."
"No offense intended. My apologies if I displeased you."
"None taken. Carry on with your duties."
"Wait. When orders arrive, will you relay them?"
"Nahan will notify you first."
Nodding, Cha Seung-pyo drained his coffee and bowed.
Mirroring the gesture, he exited after promising to return.
Undercover inspectors use their badges to reach Cafés of Souls, aiding trapped spirits or eliminating their tormentors.
Though bearing a dokkaebi insignia, could Jeonghwan withstand real combat?
'Does this badge have offensive capabilities?'
Should've asked Seung-pyo earlier.
Next meeting then.
As the wall clock neared 11 PM, Jeonghwan dispelled distractions to focus on preparations.
At the eleventh hour, spectral patrons filed in.
"Welcome to the Café of Souls."
"Proprietor, has fortune smiled upon you?"
"Is it apparent?"
"Your complexion shines brighter today."
Regulars discerned changes from his expression alone.
He simply mentioned familial good news without details.
"Family fortune? Are you marrying, Jeonghwan-ssi?"
"Haha! Nothing of the sort."
"What celebration then?"
"My younger sibling passed S University Medical School's entrance exam."
"What?! Congratulations! Truly auspicious!"
Though not his own achievement, patrons cheered.
Embarrassed, Jeonghwan rubbed his nape. A balding man in his fifties beckoned another customer:
"Dr. Han! This man's brother entered S U's pre-med program!"
"Indeed?"
The last entrant approached the counter, face brightening.
The fiftysomething man boomed:
"You recognize Dr. Han here?"
"Of course. How could I forget our daily patron?"
"Dr. Han was an S U Hospital physician! Full alumnus!"
"Truly?"
Under Jeonghwan's astonished gaze, "Dr. Han" smiled ruefully:
"Ancient history. Quite embarrassing."
He massaged his neck awkwardly.
Jeonghwan hurriedly took orders before gossip delayed service. After distributing drinks, he served the two men:
"Americano and café mocha, gentlemen."
They settled at the bar.
"Jeonghwan-ssi, Dr. Han here treated me."
"Were you unwell?"
"I donated part of my liver to my son."
Liver donation?
Jeonghwan scratched his philtrum in bewilderment. The man smacked his forehead:
"Ah! Forgot introductions! I'm Kim Seok-hyun. How rude of me!"
"Not at all."
As Jeonghwan smiled, Kim pointed at his companion:
"Dr. Han's real name is Han Kang-hyuk. Quite masculine, no?"
"Indeed. A pleasure, Dr. Han Kang-hyuk. I'm Jeonghwan."
Though memorizing their regular orders for months, their names remained unknown until now.
Kim Seok-hyuk, finding something amusing, kept smiling and talking to Han Kang-hyuk.
"I always feel sorry and grateful to Dr. Han."
"No, please don't say that."
"Oh, you finished the surgery well and saved my son. Of course, I'm thankful."
"My job is to save lives. It's only natural."
"Still, I feel sorry because I haven't done anything for you."
"No, it's fine."
The two of them shared personal stories in front of Jeong Jik-han. Since this was his first time in such a situation, Jeong Jik-han focused on their conversation instead of asking questions. Kim Seok-hyuk stared intently at Dr. Han’s face, then clicked his tongue and said,
"Dr. Han shouldn’t have left like this… Tsk. Heaven is so indifferent."
"Is there an order to leaving?"
"Wasn’t it Dr. Han who delayed that order? A talent of Korea! A renowned doctor of Korea!"
"No, I have many shortcomings. I guess I’m paying for those sins now."
"If that’s a sin, I should go to heaven and slap the Jade Emperor’s face."
The two exchanged words, mixing compliments as they talked. Jeong Jik-han listened intently to their conversation and then asked Kim Seok-hyuk,
"Mr. Kim Seok-hyuk?"
"Oh my, look at me rambling in front of the boss."
"It’s fine. By the way, you mentioned donating your liver to your son—was his health that bad?"
"My son was an alcoholic. No matter how much I told him to quit drinking, he wouldn’t listen, and he ended up in the emergency room."
Kim Seok-hyuk clicked his tongue in frustration. Han Kang-hyuk then spoke up.
"There’s a score that determines the order for liver transplants. It’s called the MELD score. Your son had a high MELD score—38 points."
"What does that mean? Is that high?"
"If the score goes up just a bit more, he could receive a liver from a brain-dead donor. The threshold is 40 points."
"That means he was in really bad shape."
As Han Kang-hyuk was about to respond, Kim Seok-hyuk furrowed his brow and said,
"Don’t even mention it! His face turned completely dark… Even up close, I couldn’t tell if it was my son or someone else."
"It was that bad?"
"Of course! I thought my son wouldn’t make it through the day."
"But it seems the surgery went well."
"Of course. Thanks to Dr. Han here, my son survived, and so did I."
Jeong Jik-han felt something strange as he listened to their conversation.
‘There doesn’t seem to be any unresolved regrets.’
The surgery went well, and there were no issues—so why couldn’t they move on? Usually, listening to guests’ stories gave some clue about their regrets, but this time it was impossible to tell.
‘Could it be…?’
Jeong Jik-han looked at Han Kang-hyuk with unease. Sensing his gaze, Han Kang-hyuk smiled bitterly and said,
"It’s not what you’re thinking."
"Huh?"
"It wasn’t a medical accident. It hurts when you look at me like that."
How much suspicion do doctors face that they can tell just from a glance? If Han Kang-hyuk were that kind of person, he wouldn’t have been invited to the Cafe of the Deceased. Even if there had been a medical accident, he would’ve had to sincerely apologize and be forgiven by the patient’s family to earn an invitation here. Just looking at the relationship between Kim Seok-hyuk and Han Kang-hyuk made it clear there was no medical accident involved.
Then what could it be?
Jeong Jik-han asked Kim Seok-hyuk,
"Mr. Kim Seok-hyuk, do you remember your last moments?"
"Of course I do! It was pouring rain like crazy that day. I slipped on some stairs in the rain… When I opened my eyes again, I’d left this world behind! Haha!"
Jeong Jik-han was speechless. As he stood there dumbfounded, Kim Seok-hyuk laughed heartily and said:
"You can laugh too! I have no regrets."
"If you have no regrets, why are you still here…?"
"My son is alive and well—what regrets could I possibly have?"
He was such an optimistic person. What lingering resentment could keep him from moving on? For now… setting Kim Seok-hyuk aside, Jeong Jik-han turned to Han Kang-hyuk:
"Mr. Han Kang-hyuk, do you remember your last moments?"
"Death from overwork."
A simple answer requiring no further explanation. There seemed no connection between their deaths except… the liver surgery. Feeling confused, Jeong Jik-han scratched his head, trying to figure out any missed details or causal relationships. But no matter how much he thought, he couldn’t find any link.
Meanwhile, Kim Seok-hyuk continued happily:
"Isn’t it amazing? I arrived here and saw Dr. Han drinking coffee."
"I also found it amazing. On my first day at the Cafe of the Deceased, I couldn’t believe my eyes. Then you walked in, and I thought I was dreaming."
"Does our teacher dream too?"
"Your paternal love left a deep impression. It was the first time I’d seen someone grab a collar in a hospital hallway, shouting to hurry with the surgery."
"Hahaha! My liver was a perfect match, so I had to save my son, right? Had to remove it and give it to him quickly. I’m really sorry for grabbing your collar back then, Teacher."
"Haha! No problem. I understand completely."
Both laughed heartily, reminiscing about past events. Jeong Jik-han pressed his temples, feeling troubled.
"So… neither of you knows what unresolved regret keeps you here?"
"Don’t know."
Kim Seok-hyuk shrugged and answered without hesitation, but Han Kang-hyuk hesitated. He adjusted his glasses, narrowing his eyes before speaking vaguely:
"There is one thing that bothers me, though…"
"Could you tell us what it is?"
"There’s a patient under my care. The surgery was successful, but I never saw them discharged. Then I ended up here instead."
The likelihood of Han Kang-hyuk’s regret being tied to this patient increased. Despite the question’s potential rudeness, Jeong Jik-han pressed further, alternating his gaze between them:
"Mr. Kim Seok-hyuk, Mr. Han Kang-hyuk—it seems you both passed away around the same date. How long has it been?"
"About… a year? The weather was cold. I remember freezing rain pouring down, making everything miserable."
Han Kang-hyuk nodded beside him.
"Right before this year’s Lunar New Year holiday. Almost a year now."
Hearing this, Jeong Jik-han immediately grabbed his phone. If less than a year had passed, hospital records might still be available. While Kim Seok-hyuk’s regret remained unclear, Han Kang-hyuk’s seemed to offer a clue. Perhaps digging deeper would reveal the answer.
