Chapter 13
<Steps to Confessions>
(Make the Sign of the Cross) “In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit,”
“It has been (state the specific amount of days since the last confession here) since my last confession.”
Confess. And then say, “And forgive me of all the sins I have committed unknowingly.”
(After listening to the Father’s advice and words) “Thank you.”
In western Seoul, a man was carefully reading all the steps pasted on top of a confession booth. The man made the sign of the cross as he was told and started his confession.
“In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, this my first confession.” His voice sounded calm. “I have committed an unforgivable sin. I knew God would not grant me forgiveness, yet I have shamelessly made my way here.”
“I have killed ninety-two animals, free of sin, six men, three clergymen, two archbishops, and one cardinal.”
“...My child? You should not lie during your confessions.” Beyond the window, the urgent voice of a priest could be heard. It was a voice that desperately hoped that the confession they had just heard was a lie or even a joke.
The man continued, unfazed.
“And I will soon kill tens of men. Please, forgive me of all the sins that I will commit if you can do so.”
Drrk—!
The priest opened the window and peeked inside in order to see the face of the man who had just committed sacrilege. However, in the spot where the confessor should have been, there was instead a dead rabbit carcass.
“Oh, Lord….” The priest murmured under his breath as he shuddered with fear.
***
“Hey, you got first place, eh? How’d you do that?”
“It just happened.”
On the following day of the demon exterminating training session, Koo Jun-Hyuk approached me while I was studying. I shrugged off the question he had asked about how I got first place. I thought it would take too long to explain the details of the psychological war that I had waged against Sung Ha-Yeon and Kim Ra-Hee and how it ended up with a betrayal.
“Jung In-Ah says that you’re so full of yourself. You want to know why?”
“Why?”
“You got first place during the evaluations because ‘you were lucky,’ and now you got first place during the training session because ‘it just happened.’”
“What can I say? I’m telling the truth.”
“Aha. I can see why Jung In-Ah says you’re full of yourself.”
I was really lucky during the evaluations. If I didn't have Legba’s help, I would not have placed first, let alone obtain an average score. I also just happened to make it to first place during the training session. Everything I said was the truth. Although it might have sounded like I was a bit full of myself to other people, I had my reasons. I just had to make my explanations vague because they were difficult reasons to communicate with others.
“Why do you come out to study every day in the morning? Aren’t you tired?” Koo Jun-Hyuk asked while I had silently gotten back to solving my questions.
“I do it anyway. It’s like how you always come to school at seven-thirty.”
“Hey, I mean, I don’t come early to study.”
Come to think of it, I’ve never seen Koo Jun-Hyuk study.
“Why do you come early if you just come here to chat with others? Why not just take that time to sleep? You sleep during class all the time.”
“No, you don’t get it. My eyes automatically open when the sun comes up, but I get so tired during classes. It’s weird.”
“Ah, I see.” It was an explanation that was not worth my time. I passively listened as I diverted my full attention to studying.
Koo Jun-Hyuk, who would have bugged me on a regular day with his endless chattering, seemed oddly quiet today. Judging by his deep dark eyebags, it seemed like he hadn't gotten much sleep.
When it was a quarter after eight, an unfamiliar face entered the room.
“Hello. I am Yoo Jung-Hak. I’m substituting for your teacher Ha Ye-Jin. We’ll start with announcements.”
Where was Ha Ye-Jin, and why was Yoo Jung-Hak here? Everyone else seemed to share my concern as they looked at Yoo Jung-Hak with the same look of confusion.
“Earlier this morning, a Satanist was reported in western Seoul. Some teachers, including Ha Ye-Jin, have been dispatched to the scene. So, I’m taking her place and running the announcements today. If she takes too long, I might be here tomorrow as well.” Yoo Jung-Hak explained. Only then did the kids in my class nod their heads in understanding.
“Far too many teachers have been dispatched, so we will have reduced class times today. I think that classes will end around eleven thirty. That is all.” Yoo Jung-Hak ended the solemn announcement and walked out of the classroom.
The atmosphere that he set up was very different from that of Ha Ye-Jin. He didn’t add any compliments about the weather, precautions about looking out for the Satanist during the night, warnings about being careful about the kidnappings, or any small talk.
It was nice that it was concise, but somehow, it didn’t sit right.
“Urgh, what did the teacher say? I fell asleep…” As I took out my books again to study, a tired Jung In-Ah approached me, rubbing her eyes. Like Koo Jun-Hyuk, she also had not gotten a lot of sleep. Her eye bags were dark and vivid.
“We have shortened classes today. Seems like the school’s going to end by eleven thirty.”
“Oh really? That’s good news. I’m so tired today… I guess I’ll head back home and sleep. I feel so busy ever since I enrolled here…” she said weakly, yawning.
Koo Jun-Hyuk had been listening to our conversation from afar, and he came closer. “You didn’t get enough sleep either? I slept at three yesterday. Only got four hours of sleep.”
“I only got three hours in.”
“What? You know that’ll kill you. You need at least four hours.”
I was silently listening to their conversation. Both of them seemed to be boasting of how sleep-deprived they were. Shouldn’t they have gotten at least six hours of sleep? They’re growing students, after all.
However, I was not in a position to say much. I had only gotten four hours of sleep, thanks to insomnia I had developed four years ago. I was no different from them in that I was also sleep-deprived.
“If the classes are shortened, I will head back home and get some sleep… Wait, do you guys want to eat out for lunch?” Koo Jun-Hyuk suddenly shifted the topic of the conversation.
“Eat out?”
“Well, the cafeteria isn’t open today. I need to eat lunch before I get back home.”
“Hmm…” Jung In-Ah started to fidget with her hair. “Sure, do you have any place in mind?”
“There’s a restaurant that just opened in front of the school. It specializes in Western cuisine. Apparently, it’s really good. Plus, I heard it’s cheap.”
“That sounds great! I wanted to go there anyway.”
“You’re coming too, right, Do Sun-Woo?” Koo Jun-Hyuk suddenly clamped shut the book I was reading. Clearly, he was asking me to stop studying and answer the question.
Since I lived alone, I had nothing to do even if I went home early. The only options I had back at my place were to read books or talk with Legba. Eating out seemed to be a good choice compared to my options.
“Sure, let’s do it.”
“Alright, so are we splitting up right after food? Or do you guys want to hang out afterwards?” Koo Jun-Hyuk seemed to be excited from just the thought of it. The tiredness that he was showing moments ago seemed to have washed away. Like most students our age, Koo Jun-Hyuk seemed to enjoy having fun over studying.
However, unlike Koo Jun-Hyuk, Jung In-Ah still seemed extremely tired. She finally spoke after numerous yawns.
“I’m really tired today. Let’s just split after food.”
“See, I told you that you need at least four hours of sleep. Alright, we can split up after lunch.” Koo Jun-Hyuk looked disappointed. We continued talking, and before we knew it, it was time for the first period.
We had no training sessions that day. There were only theory or self-study classes. I used that time to squeeze in as much studying for the test as possible. On the other hand, Koo Jun-Hyuk and Jung In-Ah used that time to sleep.
Soon after, as it was announced, classes came to an end at eleven thirty.
“Classes will probably run normally for tomorrow. Everyone take a break and get some rest today. Don’t be late for tomorrow’s class.”
With the short and half-assed end-of-the-day announcements, all students packed their bags and flooded out of the classroom.
Koo Jun-Hyuk and Jung In-Ah’s tiredness that they had shown all day seemed to vanish right after school ended. They seemed to be rejuvenated. As if they had planned it out together, they started to make their way toward me.
“Do Sun-Woo. Let’s get out and grab food.”
“Sounds good.”
“And stop studying. I’m telling you, Jung In-Ah keeps telling me how full of yourself you are.”
“Hey, when did I ever say that? Do you want to die?”
Koo Jun-Hyuk and Jung In-Ah were jabbing at each other as always. I closed the book I was reading, put it into my bag, and got up from my seat. They continued their conversation as we went from the classroom to the hallway.
“Hey, guys.” It was then that someone behind us stopped us. We turned around in unison. It was Bae Sung-Hyun. He and his gang were laughing and noisily talking with each other.
“You guys are grabbing food, right? Let’s eat together.”
“Huh? Us and you guys? Why should we?” Jung In-Ah asked as if she sincerely did not understand why. Her words were more straightforward than usual. It seemed like her tiredness brought out her true feelings.
Bae Sung-Hyun scowled briefly, but he later smiled as he said, “Remember what I said before? I just want to be friends.”
“Hm. Honestly, I don’t want to go with you unless you’re offering to pay for the food.” Jung In-Ah said, grimacing.
“Of course I’ll pay for it. Something good happened to me recently anyway.” Bae Sung-Hyun laughed as if she had just stated the obvious.
“...Yeah?”
“Hey, what’s there to think about? If he’s buying it, then it’s a no-brainer. Alright, let’s go and get some food.”
Jung In-Ah still seemed unsure as she tilted her head to the side. However, Koo Jun-Hyuk smiled at Bae Sung-Hyun with twinkling eyes, pressing him. Bae Sung-Hyun smiled, satisfied. He walked past us with his gang to lead the way.
Regardless of what Bae Sung-Hyun was like regularly, there was no reason to turn him down on a free meal. Even if we had no intentions of getting closer to him, we could just eat the food and split up right after. Whatever choice we made, it was a win for us. I thought about this as we followed Bae-Sung-Hyun and his gang.
“I’m going to choose some really expensive place.” Meanwhile, Koo Jun-Hyuk muttered under his breath.
“Don’t they get embarrassed herding around like that?” Jung In-Ah stared daggers at Bae Sung-Hyun and his gang.
***
Finally, with Bae Sung-Hyun’s guidance, we arrived at a restaurant. Jung In-Ah and Koo Jun-Hyuk looked at the menu with stern faces as soon as they sat down. Their faces started to harden more as they examined the menu.
“Is there a glitch in the system? There seems to be an extra zero behind the prices,” Koo Jun-Hyuk said, stunned at the price of the food. Jung In-Ah just stared in shock with her jaw dropped. She seemed so surprised that she had forgotten how to speak.
Bae Sung-Hyun had taken us to a fine dining restaurant located a bit far from F.A. The restaurant served Italian cuisine. The prices for one person started at two hundred thousand won and went over four hundred thousand won[1]. It was not a place for students. We were only here because Bae Sung-Hyun was the son of the dBP chairman.
“It seems it’s your first time at a place like this. I’ll order for you guys if you find it hard.”
“Oh, sure.” Koo Jun-Hyuk and Jung In-Ah ended up relinquishing the choice of their menu to Bae Sung-Hyun, as they could not choose what they wanted. Bae Sung-Hyun called the waiter and skillfully placed the order. It was obvious that this wasn't his first time here.
“Oh, Do Sun-Woo, I ordered your food as well. That’s okay, right?”
“I don’t mind.”
“Right? You won’t even know what to order anyway,” Bae Sung-Hyun said with a wide smile.
‘You won’t even know anyway.’ It was apparent what he meant. I was unfazed. Even if he looked down on me, Bae Sung-Hyun would be paying the bill in the end. On top of that, I didn’t know what to order.
Soon, the dishes start to come out onto the table, one by one. The entrée, soup, fish, and the main menu were all terrific, not just in their taste, but they were also beautifully plated.
Jung In-Ah and Koo Jun-Hyuk dejectedly picked at their food. Looking at them alone was enough to make me nauseous.
“That’s not how you’re supposed to eat it.” Bae Sung-Hyun pointed his knife at me during dessert.
“Huh? What do you mean?”
“You’re supposed to eat it with the syrup, not mix it all. An Italian would slap you if they saw you right now.”
“Aha. Thanks.”
Bae Sung-Hyun had pointed out my lack of table manners. I smiled in response. So this was the reason why he had invited us over for food. He wanted to show off his wealth and feel superior by teaching us table manners. It was indeed a thought that would have come from Bae Sung-Hyun.
I did as Bae Sung-Hyun instructed and ate the dessert with the syrup. It tasted the same either way.
“Why is he making such a big deal out of something irrelevant? You eat it how you want to eat it. I’m lost for words. Did he bring us here to flex his wealth….” Jung In-Ah mumbled next to me. Her voice was so quiet that it did not reach Bae Sung-Hyun. It seemed like she wanted to say something but resorted to whispering it because she did not have the guts to say it to his face.
After everyone left the table, Jung In-Ah and Koo Jun-Hyuk’s expressions seemed dark.
“I feel worse than I did before.”
“Me too. At least the food was good,” Koo Jun-Hyuk replied with a satisfied face. Jung In-Ah glanced at him as if she found him unbelievable.
Bae Sung-Hyun was paying at the register, and his gang was next to him, noisily messing around. Some employees gave them unpleasant looks, but the gang did not care. Right then, Bae Sung-Hyun’s face, filled with much confidence when he handed out his card, suddenly turned to stone.
“...My card has been declined?”
“Yes. Would you like to pay with another card?” the employee said with a professional smile. Bae Sung-Hyun hurriedly rummaged through his wallet. However, the only thing left in his wallet was a little cash and his student ID. There were no extra cards in sight.
“G-Give me a second.” Bae Sung-Hyun started calling someone. Although I hadn’t seen the name of the person he had dialed, I could tell who was on the other side of the line. It must be Bae Jung-Hwan.
“Father, my card’s been declined. What? I had shortened classes and wanted to celebrate Mother waking up by buying lunch. No, I wasn’t spending recklessly. Just, no, I’m not trying to talk back to you. Ha… Oh no, I didn’t sigh. I was just catching my breath…” Although he had held his head up high in front of us, he was a mere child to his father. After trying very hard, Bae Sung-Hyun finally ended the call with a devastated face. It seemed as if Bae Jung-Hwan had abruptly ended the call.
“Ah.” Bae Sung-Hyung let out a sigh, his head hanging low. The atmosphere turned dark. Even the employee’s smile turned into a cold glare toward us. It seemed that we would be escorted to the police as thieves who had eaten food and refused to pay.
“Can I pay with this card, please?” There was nothing I could do but hand out my card. To be precise, it was someone else’s card.
The employee took my card, read it on the register, and her eyes lit up with surprise. “Ah! We have successfully received the payment. Do you need a parking ticket?”
“Huh? No, thank you.” I didn’t have a car, let alone a license. There was no need for a parking ticket.
“Alright. Thank you for visiting, as always. We hope you have a safe trip back.” The employee bowed her head bluntly. On the other hand, the other kids stared at me as if they could not believe their eyes. No one dared to move.
“What are you guys doing? Let’s get out of here,” I said to the frozen group. Everyone started to move, glancing at me as if something didn’t sit right with them.
As we left the restaurant, Jung In-Ah walked toward my side. She lowered her voice and had a worried look on her face. “Hey, are you alright? The food was really expensive.”
“It should be fine.”
“What do you mean it should be? A-are you sure that you’re okay?”
Of course, I was fine. It wasn’t my money anyway. I had simply used the card that Bae Jung-Hwan had given to me. Come to think of it, essentially, it would have been the same as Bae Sung-Hyun paying for the meal himself.
“Sung-Hyun, what’s the magic word we should say to Do Sun-Woo?”
“...” Bae Sung-Hyun was walking helplessly with his head hanging down, and Koo Jun-Hyuk was making fun of him. It seemed that Bae Sung-Hyun would lash out at any moment, but he was surprisingly quiet. He seemed so shocked that his card had been declined that he couldn’t muster the power to swing at Koo Jun-Hyuk.
Come to think about it, I might have been the reason why Bae Sung-Hyun’s card got declined. I felt a little bad for him. Just a little bit.
***
Returning to the dorms after class was dismissed early, Sung Ha-Yeon looked back at what happened during the demon extermination training session yesterday. Group 100 placed first with a high lead, and group 32 placed nineteenth. It was not a bad score, but it was not good enough.
The original plan was to betray group 100 and get first place. However, Do Sun-Woo had not lost consciousness inside the demonic mist, thwarting their plans. Instead, Sung Ha-Yeon fainted due to being shocked senseless by Do Sun-Woo emerging from the mist.
‘How can a person look like that?’ Sung Ha-Yeon visualized Do Sun-Woo’s face that she had seen right before she lost consciousness. He was expressionless and had stared at her with his empty dark eyes. It was not the face of a human being, but that of a demon.
“Urgh.” The more she thought about it, the more uneasy she felt. Sung Ha-Yeon decided to focus on her hobbies to forget what had happened the day before.
She reached into the third drawer shelf in the corner of her room and exposed the hidden compartment, revealing a book. The book she had hidden using the hidden compartment was no other than a rom-com manga.
“Wow,” Sung Ha-Yeon said in amazement as the male and female characters in the novel shared a secretive rendezvous. The male character was perfect, from his looks to his personality. The same could be said for the female character. Their love story was nothing but beautiful and fantastic. The difference between reality and the novel brought dissonance to her.
Slam! Sung Ha-Yeon slammed the book shut and threw herself onto the bed. She buried her face in the blankets.
‘Why does it have to be him?’
Sung Ha-Yeon felt the strength leave her body. She was a member of the family of purification, and every child from the family was born with the blood of purification. Over generations, the family had served the Pope as prelates and accumulated heavenly wealth and fame.
Some people bad-mouthed her family members, saying they were privileged and lived a good life all thanks to their family. However, the price of being a family member was not low.
“...” Sung Ha-Yeon opened the notebook that she always carried around with her. It was from her father. The title of the notebook read: The Definitions and Responsibilities of the Family of Purification
Every member of the family of purification that holds the last name Sung is born with the blood of purification. These members are called ‘clan members.’
Anyone who possesses the blood of purification is immune to any immaculate force. Some examples of these forces include but are not limited to magic power, curses, and voodoo magic.
Very rarely, there are people born outside the family of purification who possess the blood of purification. These people are called ‘destined ones.’
The only people who can be chosen as possible suitors for marrying into the family are the destined ones. All others are exempt from ever being considered as possible suitors.
When a baby is born, they have to have the following last name: Sung.
The following clauses are constructed to prevent the clan members, who have long protected the Pope, from tainting and mingling their blood with the vulgar blood of another.
“Ha…” Sung Ha-Yeon let out a sigh after reading over the information written in the notebook. To summarize, Sung Ha-Yeon could not choose her spouse and could only date or marry a ‘destined one.’ She could not be with someone that she longed for, and her only choices were people she hadn’t met in real life yet. The thought gave her the chills.
However, the biggest concern that Sung Ha-Yeon had was that it seemed like Do Sun-Woo was a ’destined one’ with the blood of purification. This made her despair.
Do Sun-Woo had not fallen victim to Kim Ra-Hee’s blessing during the demon extermination training session, nor had he lost consciousness after breathing in the fumes of the mist imbued with demonic energy. These feats were not possible unless he possessed the blood of purification.
“Why, oh why.” Sung Ha-Yeon couldn’t help but let out her bubbling anger.
She was the only clan member of her generation and was to be married to a destined one to continue her lineage. And now, Do Sun-Woo happened to be a destined one. She had not expected a perfect man like a manga protagonist, but she had hoped for someone close.
In Sung Ha-Yeon’s eyes, Do Sun-Woo was way under her cutline. He was neither handsome nor did he have a great personality.
“Tsk.” Sung Ha-Yeon angrily threw her notebook to the ground. She had thought about giving it all up and living a single life, but she was afraid she would fall victim to persecution by her elders and relatives.
‘Wait, but that doesn’t mean I must meet him now, right?’ An idea lit up in Sung Ha-Yeon’s head. She didn’t have to date or get married at the moment. She would have to eventually, but that moment didn’t have to be now.
She had nothing to lose regarding her looks and personality, so she could probably get with anyone she wanted to at any moment. She could always meet with Do Sun-Woo if she felt really lonely or wanted a loyal servant. There was no way Do Sun-Woo could resist a perfect woman like her.
Anyway, she had no intentions of marriage, let alone dating at the moment. She decided to postpone going out with Do Sun-Woo.
“Ha.”
Just thinking about it dampened her mood. Sung Ha-Yeon opened her book back up and drifted off to her ideal and fantastical world.
1. Think of 1,000 won as roughly $1US
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