As Giju Wishes Chapter 6.2

“Not yet, it’s not a problem yet. He’s okay.”

Giju always checked Choi Geon’s condition whenever they met. That’s why he could be certain.

“Hmm, right… But when you meet your grandmother. Could you keep it a secret that I told you to go…?”

For a request, his eyes were quite desperate.

“Don’t worry. I’ll just say I came because I wanted to see her.”

Giju granted Shaman Cheon’s request without asking any questions.

“I’ll really be going now!”

With those words, he ran out of the shrine and saw Choi Geon standing there with a displeased look on his face.

“Did you get ripped off?”

“No, no. I was just asking about something.”

Giju, who had put on his sneakers, grabbed the arm of the suspicious-looking Choi Geon and pulled him along. Bickering, the two of them exited the main gate and walked for a bit to plan their next steps.

“So when…”

“Are you okay?”

“With what?”

“Going to see your grandmother.”

Choi Geon knew that Giju felt as much pressure as he felt a desire to see his grandmother. That must have been why he had been hiding his true feelings about wanting to see her.

“Yeah. I’m okay.”

Giju answered that he was really okay. He wasn’t a folding screen, so going to find her himself rather than just waiting wasn’t a bad idea.

“When should we go?”

“What do you mean, when? We have to wait for winter break.”

“Winter break…?”

At the words “winter break,” Giju’s steps faltered.

“The weekend is out of the question, from what I can see. Just go during break when you have more time.”

As he said, it wasn’t a task that would only take a couple of days. But even though it clearly wasn’t urgent, for some reason, he felt that would be too late.

“Winter break is still a long way off.”

It had only been about a month since school started, so they would have to wait quite a while for winter break to come. On top of that, by then, they would be busy preparing for college entrance exams.

“So what?”

As if it were no big deal, Choi Geon didn’t seem very anxious. He felt that little anxiety. He wanted to catch the ghost, but not in a rush. In the meantime, it wouldn’t be so bad to wander around here and there with Shin Giju. He heard there was a good jajangmyeon place in the next town over.

“By the way, are you not doing any college entrance exam prep or anything?”

Giju, who had been pondering, asked in a roundabout way instead of saying it would be too late. Of course, he was also curious. The third year of high school was an important time for all students.

“Suddenly?”

“It’s just… something I’ve been curious about for a while. Since we’re third-years…”

Choi Geon, with a bland expression, opened his mouth.

“I don’t need that crap. Even if I graduate, there are a million ways for me to make a living.”

Then he answered as if it were obvious. It made sense, as after Lee Seonju died, Old Man Choi had been obsessed with education for a time. In response, Choi Geon had willingly followed his father’s wishes, getting all sorts of private tutoring and even studying abroad.

Choi Geon, who had uncharacteristically pretended to be a model student until he was 16, quit the act right away once Old Man Choi’s mind gradually became sound again. After that, no one forced Choi Geon to study, and Choi Geon himself lost interest in it. Even now as a third-year high school student, he felt no sense of crisis whatsoever. It was just a passing part of life.

The fiery-tempered Choi Geon could learn anything quickly if he just wanted to. Right now, he was just playing because he wanted to play. But if he found something he wanted, Choi Geon had the ability to obtain it, whether by learning, taking, or studying until he got it. That was why he wasn’t afraid of anything.

“I see…”

Giju didn’t ask further and simply accepted his words at face value.

“Are you not doing it?”

This time, Choi Geon asked. Now that he asked, he suddenly became curious too.

“I’m more interested in the principles of life than what they teach in school. I haven’t even finished all the books in my grandmother’s room yet…?”

Giju, who still had a mountain of things to study, couldn’t focus on his schoolwork. It was an answer that required no further questions, and Choi Geon nodded his head as if to say, That figures.

“That’s a fucking Giju-like reason…”

Choi Geon muttered with a sour expression, then continued.

“So it’s settled that we’re going during winter break.”

At those words, Giju stared intently at Choi Geon.

“Geon.”

“What.”

“I think we need to go sooner.”

“Why.”

“Because I want to solve this quickly and hang out with you.”

At Giju’s very serious words, Choi Geon suddenly scratched his head vigorously as if the back of it was itchy. The words were so unexpected that he couldn’t even come up with a joke. Of course, he also agreed with the part about wanting to hang out.

“Do you want to go soon?”

“Yeah.”

“Are you sure?”

“Yeah.”

“Your school… Never mind.”

At the answer given without any hesitation, Choi Geon, who was about to ask if it was really okay to miss school, cut himself off. The kids were crappy, so he figured the classes would be crappy too. Besides, Shin Giju didn’t seem to have much attachment to school.

Choi Geon, who had planned to goof off for a few months before embarking on the surefire path to hellish hardship that was finding his grandmother, smacked his lips with a mix of reluctance and disappointment. It hadn’t been long since his last hellish hardship, and now he had to go through another one right away. His gut told him it would be an immense, hellish hardship for sure.

“Alright, let’s just get it over with quickly.”

Despite that, Choi Geon willingly wanted to go along with Giju’s words.

“We just have to apply for an extracurricular field trip.”

Giju, hearing the term for the first time in his life, stared intently at Choi Geon.

“What’s that?”

“A way to legally skip school.”

“Something like that exists…?”

The surprised Giju’s eyes widened. The idea of being able to skip school.

“How long can we be absent?”

“Up to 30 days.”

“H-how do you apply for it?”

Choi Geon looked down at the amazed Giju as if finding him pathetic. You had to submit paperwork and get the principal’s permission, but Giju, whose reason was “to meet my grandmother,” would never get permission in a million years.

“Shin Giju. It’s impossible for you, but it’s possible for me.”

“I can’t…?”

At Giju’s instantly crestfallen face, Choi Geon’s expression became even more triumphant.

“But the one who can make the impossible possible is also me. You owe me big time, got it?”

Just as he said, the family of Choi Geon, a big shot in the neighborhood, could make the impossible possible. It would all be over if they threw a donation at the school in Choi Myunggil’s name. Besides, the school principals were all people they knew through a connection or two, so it was no obstacle at all. The problem lay elsewhere. That demon-like aunt of his, who might not give her permission, loomed like an obstacle.

“But are you even allowed to sleep over? It took a long time just for Dobongsan. Your aunt will probably be pissed if you say you’re going again.”

Giju, lost in thought for a moment, soon shook his head. It might have been different in the past, but now, she would allow it without much trouble as long as there was a valid reason. Shaman Cheon’s testimony that he had gone to Dobongsan for a farming experience had played a big part. It seemed like there would be no problem this time either if he coordinated his story well with Shaman Cheon.

“It’s fine as long as I state the purpose. It’s not like it’s going to take a whole month anyway. Plus, Mr. Shaman Cheon is here…”

Though it was a relief to hear, Choi Geon’s expression was still dubious as he listened. It was truly a family he would never understand. Before, they punished him for sleeping over for one night to the point of not letting him go to school, but now it was neglect. Did Shaman Cheon’s words really have that much influence?

“Well, you handle that yourself.”

“As long as I take the Buddhist paintings and the memorial tablet like last time, there won’t be a problem.”

Which meant he intended to eat his memorial meals dutifully even while he was away.