The Youngest Master wants to be exorcised! chapter 46

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“Did you have a nice walk?”

“…Jaehee?”

Upon returning to the dorm, Hyunsoo handed the roasted sweet potatoes to Jiwon and locked himself in his room. Ignoring the greeting, he vanished into the room with a pale face.

Watching him, Minchan and Yoon asked Jiwon.

“Did something happen outside?”

“Why’s he acting like that all of a sudden?”

“…I’m not sure of all the details, but it seems like Jaehee saw a ghost.”

“What do you mean?”

Startled, the two pressed for more details.

Jiwon ruffled his hair as he explained what happened earlier.

“He said there was a boy in short sleeves in this weather, but when I looked, no one was there in the empty lot… He even described the boy’s appearance in detail, but I couldn’t see anything.”

Minchan and Yoon exchanged glances as they listened.

“We probably shouldn’t leave Jaehee alone right now.”

“Yoon, stay here with Jiwon. I’ll go check on him.”

Yoon nodded, staying with the seemingly out-of-it Jiwon.

Meanwhile, Minchan knocked on Hyunsoo’s door, announcing his intention to enter.

Though there was no response, he resolutely opened the door.

“Jaehee.”

“Don’t call me by that name. I’m a bit confused right now.”

“…Then what should I call you?”

“My name. Just call me by my real name.”

Seeing how disoriented Hyunsoo was, Minchan slowly approached him.

He gently stroked Hyunsoo, who was curled up on the bed.

“Hyunsoo.”

“Seriously. I told you to call me by my name, not to drop the formalities!”

Hyunsoo, who had buried his face in the bed, glared up at Minchan.

His gaze was so fierce that Minchan quickly looked away.

“I thought it was fine since you asked me to call you by your name. Anyway, I heard roughly what happened from Jiwon. Are you feeling okay?”

“Not at all. Why am I suddenly seeing ghosts? Is this some kind of punishment for pretending to be Lee Jaehee? What if I’ve seen ghosts before and just mistook them for people?”

“Calm down and try to breathe slowly.”

Minchan gently patted Hyunsoo’s back, who was frantically pouring out his anxieties.

“Do I look like I can calm down? I’m suddenly seeing ghosts, and you want me to stay calm?”

Hyunsoo punched the bed repeatedly, shouting.

He wasn’t usually the type to lose control of his emotions, so he must have been pretty shocked.

“Let’s think about this rationally. Hyung, have you ever seen a ghost before in your life?”

Hyunsoo recalled as he listened to Minchan’s soft-spoken questions while continuing to pat his back. It wasn’t that he’d never seen a ghost before.

If anything, he himself was a ghost and had encountered various ghosts at funerals.

“I have seen them before.”

“Then did the ghost you saw in the empty lot do anything to you?”

“No… It was just sitting there, but when I made eye contact with it, it stood up.”

“Then what’s the problem? That ghost you said was Lee Jaehee turned out to be a ghost too, right? Why are you acting like you’ve never seen a ghost before?”

“That’s different. That ghost was possessing a human body, so everyone could see it. But this time, I saw a ghost that Jiwon couldn’t even see.”

“Sometimes, people with low spiritual energy experience sleep paralysis and see ghosts. Maybe you’re just tired and saw it for a moment.”

Minchan was just as confused, but he knew that if he panicked too, it would only make things worse. Someone had to stay grounded.

Minchan gently stroked Hyunsoo’s flushed cheeks with the back of his hand, trying to calm him down.

His large stature was quite useful at times like this, providing a reassuring presence.

After a few more pats, Hyunsoo finally mumbled in a slightly calmer voice.

“…Maybe you’re right. Maybe it’s because I’m tired.”

When he thought about it, there had indeed been a lot of shocking events recently.

Plus, dealing with the ghost that impersonated Lee Jaehee and the harsh words from his family, who were under its influence, had been tough.

“And so what if you see a ghost? It’s not like it’s done anything wrong. As long as it doesn’t harm anyone, what’s the big deal?”

Ever since Minchan found out that Hyunsoo had woken up in Lee Jaehee’s body, he had become much more accepting of ghosts.

His perception of ghosts was now the complete opposite of the negative stereotypes most people have, likely because Hyunsoo fell into that category.

“No… It’s just that it’s hard to tell people and ghosts apart. It would be problematic if this happened outside. People would think I’m crazy.”

“There’s no guarantee that you’ll keep seeing them, so why don’t you just rest today and think about it tomorrow?”

As Minchan gently soothed him, Hyunsoo calmed down and nodded.

“But have you been confused by the names?”

“How would you feel if you were called by a different name all of a sudden after being called Minchan your whole life?”

“But you were the one who told us to call you that.”

“That was because I was worried you guys would end up in a mental hospital if you kept looking for Park Hyunsoo!”

“Not being able to call Park Hyunsoo by his real name… This is almost like Hong Gil-dong.”

“At least Hong Gil-dong’s father had his own body. His situation was due to the social status system, but is this the same? Ah, whatever. What am I even saying right now…?”

As they exchanged nonsensical banter, Hyunsoo’s fear began to subside.

He felt a bit embarrassed about the panic he had been in earlier, but he didn’t let it show.

“So what should I call you from now on?”

“Of course, you should keep calling me Lee Jaehee. Do you all want to end up in a mental hospital?”

Minchan laughed brightly at Hyunsoo’s response.

Despite his confusion over the name, Hyunsoo was clearly more concerned about the Espers’ mental state than his own.

It was clear that, no matter what, Park Hyunsoo was the only one who truly cared about them.

“Right. Is Jiwon still outside?”

Having regained his composure, Hyunsoo quickly corrected the name.

He was determined not to let any rumors spread about him projecting Park Hyunsoo onto Lee Jaehee.

“He’s probably still sitting there, not even touching the roasted sweet potatoes.”

Hyunsoo suddenly remembered that he had left Jiwon behind.

He couldn’t shake the image of Jiwon, whose eyes had sparkled at the thought of eating the sweet potatoes, suddenly turning pale.

Hyunsoo rubbed his face with his hands, then immediately headed to the living room.

Just as Minchan had predicted, the snack-loving Song Jiwon was sitting there, staring blankly at the untouched roasted sweet potatoes.

Yoon, who was sitting next to Jiwon, saw Hyunsoo come out of the room and seemed like he wanted to say something but remained silent.

When Hyunsoo approached, Jiwon, sensing his presence, lifted his head.

“Are you okay?”

Despite his own pale complexion, Jiwon was the first to ask about Hyunsoo’s condition.

“I’m fine. I must have scared you earlier, huh?”

“No…”

Despite being clearly unsettled, Jiwon answered firmly.

“Where are the roasted sweet potatoes?”

“Oh? Uh… there.”

The roasted sweet potatoes that Hyunsoo had been holding were quietly resting on the living room table.

The bag was slightly crumpled, but the sweet potatoes seemed fine to eat.

“Let’s eat before they get cold.”

Jiwon wanted to ask if the sweet potatoes were really important right now, but seeing Hyunsoo act so nonchalant made it hard to overreact.

Suppressing his own unease, Jiwon began peeling the sweet potatoes.

“It’s kind of funny when you think about it— a ghost getting scared by another ghost.”

Even Hyunsoo found it absurd as he laughed while taking a bite of the sweet potato.

“By the way, where did you get these roasted sweet potatoes?”

“The street vendor in front of the apartment.”

“Hmm. It’d be a problem if they compete for customers.”

Minchan looked serious as he held a roasted sweet potato, turning it over in his hand.

Hyunsoo suddenly recalled the time when Minchan had jokingly mentioned quitting his job at the center to become a roasted sweet potato vendor.

“Are you really going to sell sweet potatoes? They won’t sell well in the summer because it’s too hot.”

“Roasted sweet potatoes are a seasonal business. You’ve got to make the most of it in winter.”

“Is that so?”

Their lighthearted banter gradually eased the tense atmosphere.

Jiwon also started to chuckle, and the mood became more relaxed, but there was one person who didn’t quite fit in.

It was Kim Yoon, who had been harshly scolded a few hours ago after teasing Hyunsoo for being a young know-it-all.

“…I think I’ll head in first.”

“Tired?”

Hyunsoo asked casually, and Yoon hesitated before nodding.

When Hyunsoo told him to rest, Yoon disappeared into his room without much energy.

Hyunsoo watched him go, puzzled, and then asked in confusion.

“Does anyone know what’s suddenly up with him?”

“That’s just Kim Yoon being his usual dramatic self. Ignore him. He’s doing it to get your attention.”

Jiwon replied sharply, peeling the roasted sweet potato and handing it to Hyunsoo.

As Hyunsoo silently accepted the sweet potato, he glanced around the living room and suddenly froze.

“What’s wrong?”

Minchan looked at Hyunsoo with concern, noticing his sudden alarm.

“Oh my god… Why is he here?”

“Who? What are you talking about?”

Standing in the corner of the living room was the young boy they had seen at the vacant lot earlier.

When Jiwon followed Hyunsoo’s gaze and saw what he was staring at, his eyes widened in realization.

“That kid you saw earlier? The one in short sleeves?”

“Yeah… He’s standing right over there. Wait, what? How did you get in here?”

Hyunsoo was utterly flustered, as the boy was slowly approaching him.

“Hyung.”

The boy’s voice was clear.

He looked about five years old, a well-raised child with a bright smile, who spoke to Hyunsoo.

“Hyung, can you help me find my mom?”

“Your mom?”

Hyunsoo instinctively asked, while Minchan and Jiwon silently watched him, muttering to himself as he gazed into the empty space.

“My mom said she’d be back soon, but she never came. I waited and waited, but she didn’t come. I miss her.”

The boy fidgeted, twisting his body nervously. Hyunsoo carefully chose his words. It was hard to tell if this was a dream or reality.

From Minchan and Jiwon’s reactions, it was clear they couldn’t see the boy, but Hyunsoo couldn’t understand why he could.

“What’s your name?”

“My name?”

“Yeah.”

“I’m Hwang Yoomin from the Yulmae class at Big Tree Kindergarten.”

The boy answered clearly and confidently.

“Alright, Yoomin. Do you know your mom’s phone number?”

“What’s a phone?”

The boy tilted his head as if he was hearing the word “phone” for the first time.

“Can someone get their phone out?”

“Huh? Just a sec.”

Minchan handed over his phone from his pocket.

Hyunsoo showed the phone to Yoomin, trying to explain, but the boy acted as if he had never seen such a device before.

He didn’t seem to be lying.

“Don’t all kids have phones these days?”

“…They do, right?”

“Is it possible he doesn’t know what a phone is?”

Jiwon asked in response to Hyunsoo’s question.

“Is it possible that this ghost kid doesn’t recognize a phone?”

Hyunsoo nodded, and then Jiwon’s eyes widened as if realizing something.

“Could it be… that he’s a kid who died before phones existed?”

Kids who didn’t know about phones were rare in this day and age.

Unless they were raised in some remote mountain village, even young children had them.

“Ask him his birthday. If he tells you the year he was born, you’ll have your answer.”

It made sense. Hyunsoo nodded and asked Yoomin.

“Do you know what year you were born?”

“I don’t know. I’m just five years old.”

The boy replied with a sulky expression. Hyunsoo decided to change his approach.

“Is there a cartoon you like to watch these days?”

“…Dreamland Warrior Popo.”

“Search if there’s a cartoon called Dreamland Warrior Popo.”

Without taking his eyes off the boy, Hyunsoo spoke.

Minchan unlocked his phone and typed the words into the search bar.

As he scanned the search results, his eyes narrowed.

‘It’s not like this cartoon doesn’t exist, right? Am I just hallucinating instead of seeing a ghost?’

All sorts of thoughts raced through his mind in that brief moment.

“What’s wrong? Is that cartoon not real?”

Hyunsoo asked anxiously, and Minchan showed him the search results on his phone.

“No. It’s just… this is an anime from almost 30 years ago.”

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