𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝟖𝟖

𝘢𝐰𝚎ʙ𝔰𝙩𝐨𝔯𝔦𝔢𝙨.𝚌𝔬𝚖

After spending the day as usual, I met up with Cheong Juhwa on the weekend, and after checking in, we exited the Academy.

“When are you going to meet up with whoever it is you have an appointment with?”

“Probably late tonight. They’re basically a nocturnal person.”

“Then I guess I can stick with you until dinner.”

Looking at Cheong Juhwa walking along with a cheerful expression, I fell into thought as usual.

「. . .𝘾𝙝𝙚𝙤𝙣𝙜 𝙅𝙪𝙝𝙬𝙖’𝙨 𝙝𝙤𝙪𝙨𝙚.」

People might think what they want, but Cheong Juhwa’s grandmother was actually quite a famous figure among users in the exorcism series.

She never appeared directly in the story, but she was mentioned several times in Cheong Juhwa’s flashbacks, and her past advice helped Cheong Juhwa experience her awakening event. She was a character with an extraordinary presence.

That’s why there were occasional jokes in some circles that she was a former special-grade exorcist or that she came from the Cheong family elders.

「𝙎𝙤𝙢𝙚 𝙥𝙚𝙤𝙥𝙡𝙚 𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙣 𝙨𝙖𝙞𝙙 𝙨𝙝𝙚 𝙬𝙖𝙨 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙝𝙞𝙙𝙙𝙚𝙣 𝙨𝙩𝙧𝙤𝙣𝙜𝙚𝙨𝙩 𝙥𝙚𝙧𝙨𝙤𝙣 𝙞𝙣 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙪𝙣𝙞𝙫𝙚𝙧𝙨𝙚.」

So as a player, it was honestly a very exciting situation to have the opportunity to meet the protagonist of such rumors in person.

Broom, broom.

Bwaaaang!

As I was trying hard to calm my excitement, Cheong Juhwa, who had been silently staring at me, suddenly spoke up.

“I heard you’re from the same hometown as Seo-ah.”

“That’s right.”

“So what do you usually do during breaks?”

“I just train at the Academy.”

“. . .Jeez, there’s someone here who’s even more boring than me.”

Cheong Juhwa shook her head in disbelief and then raised her finger as if to make a point, speaking to me again.

“My house is out of the way, but at least it’s nice and spacious. There’s even a place where you can train. You can come over and play whenever you’re bored during breaks.”

“. . .I’ll think about it.”

I was briefly taken aback by her surprisingly forward statement and glanced at Cheong Juhwa.

I had heard that people her age were usually sensitive about their peers, but Cheong Juhwa didn’t seem to care about that at all.

However, when we finally arrived at Cheong Juhwa’s house, I immediately understood why she thought that way.

「. . .𝙈𝙖𝙣, 𝙞𝙩 𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙡𝙡𝙮 𝙞𝙨 𝙝𝙪𝙜𝙚.」

Although the structure itself was old, it was big enough that it wouldn’t have been strange to see an extended family living there.

“Grandma, your granddaughter is here.”

Creak.

As the slightly weathered door opened, a traditional Korean house that looked like it had been transported straight from the past came into view.

For some reason, I felt like the air itself was becoming clearer.

“. . .Grandma? Oh, are you praying?”

As we entered the house, someone must have sensed our presence, because an elderly woman soon appeared from a room in the center.

“I didn’t realize I had guests. My apologies.”

“Were you praying to those damn ancestors again? I told you to stop that.”

“. . .Fine, fine. I’m doing it because I like it, so don’t worry about it.”

Cheong Juhwa let out a small sigh and frowned. Well, considering that the ancestors she was talking about were the Cheong family patriarchs, it probably wasn’t something Cheong Juhwa enjoyed.

“Are you Kang-yoon? It’s nice to meet you. I’ve heard a lot about you from my granddaughter.”

“. . .It’s an honor to meet you.”

As I bowed my head in greeting, Cheong Juhwa’s grandmother spoke softly.

“Juhwa. Grandpa Park from the next town over is looking for you. Go see him before the sun sets.”

“What? But I just got here. And I have a guest with me.”

“Don’t worry about it. He’ll definitely treat you to a meal, so go ahead.”

At that, Cheong Juhwa looked at me with a troubled expression. Then, after seeing me nod, she hesitated for a moment before leaving the house and heading off somewhere.

I immediately used my emotional ability while she was gone.

Ding!

【Cheong Ok-rim】

▶Level: 49

Although her ability scores themselves had aged, it was clear that she was far from an ordinary person.

She might not have been a former elder or the strongest person in the universe like the rumors in the community said, but it was clear that she had been an active exorcist in her youth.

“I apologize for creating an awkward situation as soon as you arrived.”

“No, not at all. Is there something you wanted to talk to me about?”

“Yes, there is. First, come inside.”

After following her and opening the antique sliding door, she opened a cupboard, deftly took out some tools, and handed me a cup of tea.

Then she began the conversation.

“As I said, I’ve heard a lot about you. It seems my granddaughter is quite fond of you.”

“We just happened to cross paths, and she’s been helping me out a lot lately.”

“That makes me very happy. She doesn’t often try to build relationships with others.”

Cheong Juhwa had lost a great deal of trust in people due to her childhood trauma.

She seemed to have improved a little after getting involved with me, but judging from the fact that she still didn’t hang out with Yoo Ha-on’s party as much as she could, it was clear that she was still struggling.

“Furthermore, you have already achieved considerable skill as an exorcist.”