As Giju Wishes Chapter 6.8

“I said let us just raid Shaman Cheon….”

Choi Geon, who was gazing at the back of Giju who had disappeared without a word, looked around. There were quite a few shops. He felt like he would have to ask at least five times if anyone had seen an old woman wearing a hanbok. Choi Geon, who was slowly walking toward the shop closest to him, observed the few customers with an unknown thought.

“Excuse me, do those people in gray clothes come to Baekyangsa often?”

Choi Geon, who had picked out a couple of fans, asked the owner who was tidying up the display stand.

“They come often, of course. They are Buddhists.”

“That ‘often’ means once a week?”

“That is right. They come every weekend.”

“Oh? How much is this?”

“Twenty thousand won.”

When Choi Geon stared at him with a serious expression due to the unexpectedly expensive price of the fan, the owner hastily pretended to tidy up the display stand. Choi Geon regretted buying the fan, gritted his teeth, and handed over twenty thousand won in cash.

“You are going to be very rich, Mister.”

Even with the sarcastic remark, the owner took the money and immediately went inside the store. Choi Geon, left behind, fanned himself vigorously, as if he was hot. With annoying things happening every moment, his body temperature could not help but rise.

“Phew….”

Sighing like that, he was about to approach the regular customers of Baekyangsa this time, when he saw several round heads in his sight. The cluster of chestnut-burr-like heads was none other than young novice monks.

The novice monks were huddled together in front of the bus, waiting for an adult. Suddenly, Choi Geon realized this was an opportunity. He immediately approached the novice monks. Of course, bribery was included.

“Hello.”

“Hello.”

The novice monk in the very front bowed to Choi Geon, whom he had never seen before. Then, everyone’s gaze turned to Choi Geon. Their eyes were full of curiosity.

“Where is the adult?”

“They went to the restroom!”

“The restroom!”

“The Monk said his stomach hurts.”

The novice monks answered one after another.

“I believe in the Buddha, can I ask you something?”

Choi Geon, who was thoroughly irreligious, said with the kindest possible expression.

“What is it?”

“We will tell you!”

The novice monks actively replied, finding the tall and sturdy Choi Geon fascinating and cool.

“Oh, thank you, kids.”

Choi Geon, who stroked the head of a novice monk clinging to his leg, squatted down right there and asked a rather confidential question.

“You all live at Baekyangsa, right.”

“We usually live at Baekyangsa, but today we went to an amusement park!”

“We ate ice cream too!”

“Look at this!”

After asking one question, it suddenly turned into a bragging time. At that, Choi Geon put his index finger over his lips, telling them to calm down.

“I know, I know. I envy you. First, let this hyung-nim ask a question. That… have you seen an old woman wearing a hanbok at Baekyangsa?”

The novice monks looked at each other’s faces and whispered amongst themselves, as if to confirm.

“The shaman grandmother?”

Then the youngest novice monk asked with bright, clear eyes.

“Uh, uh, the shaman grandmother. The grandmother who looks really tough.”

He asked with a slight personal bias, as he was sure she would look fierce.

“The grandmother left?”

Seeing that she had left, it was clear that the shaman grandmother was Shin Giju’s grandmother.

“When?”

“Hmm, but… who are you?”

The exceptionally clever child suddenly became curious about Choi Geon’s identity. He was purely curious as to who he was to ask about the shaman grandmother.

“Uh, I am her grandson. The child of her child. I will give you this when the question is over.”

Choi Geon, who sold out Giju due to lack of time, took out a candy from his pocket, shook it, and said. Seeing that, the child began to trust Choi Geon unconditionally.

“When did the shaman grandmother leave?”

“Ten nights ago…?”

It was information that did not need to be precise. This was enough.

“Do you know where she went?”

“Uh… I do not know….”

“I know!”

Then the novice monk next to him raised his hand high and said.

“The shaman grandmother said she was going to Manyeonsa and then to the hospital!”

Choi Geon’s eyes widened at the unexpectedly accurate information.

“How did you know, little one?”

“I was being carried by the Monk, and the shaman grandmother came and told him.”

For the first time, Choi Geon thought, This is what good luck is.

“By any chance, do you remember the hospital name?”

“Um… I think she said something with San but I do not know. But San is correct. It is similar to Mudeungsan.”

Manyeonsa and a hospital with the character San in its name. It was more than enough information.

“Hey, kid, thanks to you, your hyung will live to be 2,000 years old. But is Manyeonsa also a temple?”

“Yes, it is on Manyeonsan!”

“Thank you, kid.”

Choi Geon roughly stroked the novice monk’s head and gave all the candy he brought to the children.

“Kids, this is my last request: let us keep this a secret just between us.”

“Why?”

“If the shaman grandmother finds out, your hyung will be in trouble.”

“Hmm… Yes!”

At the words that the cool hyung would be scolded, the novice monks willingly promised to keep the secret.

“Until when is it a secret?”

“Until you become as tall as me.”

“Okay!”

The children, excited by the candy and the confidential story, nodded repeatedly without knowing what they were agreeing to.

“Then, it is a promise?”

“Yes!”

“Kids, let us not be foolish sentient beings who betray trust before the Buddha.”

“Yes!”

Choi Geon muttered anything that Hakdong had said. Nevertheless, the novice monks answered diligently with the sense of responsibility as Buddhists.

“Ask the Monk to keep the secret strictly, and now your hyung is leaving.”

Even during that short meeting, the children were sad, but the candy filled that sadness, so they waved their hands happily.

“Goodbye!”

Choi Geon waved instead of answering and walked away. Then, he confirmed that their attention was quickly taken by the candy in their hands, chuckled, and turned around.

“Manyeonsa, a San hospital….”

Choi Geon, who was walking while muttering the things he heard, stopped for a moment. Unlike a moment ago, his expression was unusual. Before going to Giju, Choi Geon searched the places the novice monk had mentioned on the internet to check their location. The temple’s location was about an hour away by car. And the hospital with San in it was….

[Yeongsan Hospital]

In the first place, there were few general hospitals with San in their name across the country, and there was exactly one hospital nearby with San in its name. Choi Geon, who was staring at the words Yeongsan Hospital as if glaring, searched about Yeongsan Hospital for quite a long time, seeming deep in thought. Then, as if his thoughts were organized, he shoved his cell phone into his pocket and looked for Giju.

Choi Geon, who looked around and confirmed Giju was busy asking for information, approached Giju quietly with an ambiguous expression, even though it was an occasion where self-praise for a triumphant return would not be enough.

“She is a person who wears a hanbok, and she has very good energy and clear eyes, and….”

When he unintentionally eavesdropped briefly from behind, Giju was asking around as if he were preaching for a cult. Choi Geon grabbed Giju, who was deep in conversation, with an absurd expression.

“I have ancestral blessin, huh? Geon. Just a moment, I will come back later!”

Giju, not noticing the store owner’s expression that clearly said do not come back, welcomed Choi Geon.