ANTITOXIN Chapter 12

The word, which seemed more appropriate for a puppy’s name than a person’s, brought confusion to Seolwon. That was not all. There was one more thing, albeit faint, that could be felt from the business card. It contained the pungent energy of burnt paper and sulfur… It was a strange kind of smell that he had never snuffed before.

Seolwon tilted his head and for a moment immersed his mind in the identity of the smell. Before long, something flashed through his mind. It was precisely gunpowder.

“I smell gunpowder from this person. Could there be some connection by any chance?”

At Seolwon’s question, President Kim showed a unusual reaction, saying, “Oh my, fuck?”

“How did you know? That’s right, he’s a bastard who procures weapons and sells them off here and there, that guy. That, what do they call it?”

In an instant, a strange word popped into his mind. Seolwon inadvertently spat it out of his mouth.

“A broker.”

Hearing this, President Kim’s mouth fell wide open.

“Aha! That’s right, a weapons broker!”

President Kim showed a look of sincere admiration at the fact that he had guessed the occupation just by looking at the photo and the business card. Seolwon felt that his expectations toward him had heightened even further.

“Dubai, or Russia… Well, I heard he was active over there and came in here a short while ago. I don’t know if he just came for a vacation or came to do business, but because of this bastard, our South Joseon gun-sellers are in an uproar. On top of the bastards who want to team up with him this time, there are even guys who consider him an eyesore because he’s touching their livelihood. That squiggly writing on the business card, whether it’s Happy or his mother, is that bastard’s name.”

Seolwon nodded his head while fiddling with the business card.

In truth, while listening to President Kim’s story, a warning light rang inside his head. He didn’t know if the man was a lunatic, but it seemed certain that he was a dangerous category of person.

“Is there nothing else?”

President Kim, whose expectations had risen to the brim, openly badgered for other information.

Seolwon concentrated his attention on the name inside the business card once more. However, regrettably, it was of little use. His intuition, as well as his spiritual energy, was just completely quiet. But from a certain moment, he felt a sensation of heat permeating through the tips of his fingers that were caressing the business card. The heat soon spread throughout his entire body. To Seolwon, whose Saju itself was cold because he was born in winter, it was a pleasantly felt fire energy.

Intoxicated by the fire energy of unknown origin, Seolwon’s eyelids drooped halfway. After he remained dazed for a long while after that, President Kim, unable to wait any longer, addressed him.

“Mister Shaman. Hey! Hey?”

Startled back to his senses by President Kim’s voice, Seolwon’s eyes grew large again.

“Ah, I am sorry.”

“Sorry for what. But why are you like that? Do you see something else by any chance?”

He didn’t see anything more. Nothing else came to mind either. Only the warm fire energy could be felt. However, he couldn’t know what this fire energy signified. He guessed it might probably be the energy possessed by the protagonist inside this business card, but… A vague assumption of this degree would not become meaningful information to President Kim.

Even though he knew a bitter remark would return, Seolwon told the truth.

“No. I am sorry, but I see nothing more.”

“Eeh?”

President Kim’s face, which had been full of anticipation, crumpled at once. It was perhaps a natural reaction.

“No, what am I supposed to do if that’s all? There should be something more? Like his age, or where he lives, or what his personality is like.”

President Kim argued while showing his displeasure. Even so, he could not say he knew what he didn’t know. Because clumsy lies were easy to invite trouble later on.

Honestly, Seolwon also had something to say. Wasn’t the information too, far too lacking? To ask to look into a divination regarding an opponent whose face, let alone name, he didn’t even know? It was something that even genuine shamans would find absurd. If he was going to be like this, President Kim should have looked for a psychic, not a shaman.

“I am sorry.”

Seolwon placed an apology into his mouth with a blunt expression.

“…”

An unsatisfactory gaze flew over from President Kim. President Kim’s impression, having hardened his expression, was endlessly fierce. The jovial feeling had disappeared without a trace, and a foulness that would only arise from a back-alley thug was exposed nakedly.

Seolwon did not get frightened and took President Kim’s gaze calmly. Originally, he didn’t have much fear. It was thanks to the courage formed by all kinds of hardships he had encountered in life. He agreed with the truth that humans are scarier than ghosts, but his was a life where he saw too many things more toxic than President Kim.

Whether his energy was deflated by Seolwon’s indifferent appearance, President Kim soon muttered as if dumbfounded, saying, “Well, really.” Leaning his body against the backrest, he opened a drawer and pulled out a cigarette.

“Ah, fuck it. It’s giving me a hell of a hard time.”

President Kim kept tapping the cigarette pack against his palm, grumbling so he could hear. Following that, he pulled out a single cigarette, put it in his mouth, lit it with a lighter, and then inhaled the smoke deeply to the point where his cheeks became hollow. It was a sign that he was dying of frustration.

During that time, Seolwon quietly fiddled with the business card. What was felt was still only the smooth texture of the paper, and nothing else came to mind regarding the owner of the business card.

Exhaling the cigarette smoke he held in his mouth outward, President Kim glanced at Seolwon. Before long, with a face that hadn’t abandoned his lingering attachment, he stealthily addressed him.

“But do you really not see anything? I heard you’re spiritually powerful. If you’re a shaman, what do they call it? The elder? That kind of ghost… No, won’t the master be by your side. If you ask that master, wouldn’t they let you know? Looking elsewhere, they shake and rattle things like bells like this, saying, ‘The grandmother says to do this~ the grandfather says to do that~’ they do that, you know?”

The elder was not by his side. However, he was by President Kim’s side. Although he was a ghost, not a spirit.

Wait.

Come to think of it, that ghost was a spirit that had been killed while following the man inside the business card around. If so, there was a possibility that he might know something.

At the hypothesis that suddenly came to mind, Seolwon carefully moved his gaze. Toward the ghost that was still dripping tears of blood while looking only at President Kim.

Should I ask?

Seolwon pondered.

He could attempt a spirit possession. Instead of delivering the words he wanted to say to President Kim, he could try to coax him to give information. However, to do that, he had to take a bit of a risk. Although the ghost didn’t perceive his existence until now, the story would become different from the moment he spoke to him.

Connecting with a ghost while in the state of an empty vessel was an act no different from advertising for them to enter his own body. That ghost would not be different either. From the moment he perceived Seolwon, there was a high possibility that he would try to cling to or enter him.

Seolwon, who had been tempted for a moment, ultimately gave up on the spirit possession. He needed money, but he didn’t want to take a risk unnecessarily. In a situation where he didn’t know when his shamanic illness would flare up anyway, if he even got possessed… To speak bluntly, while trying to earn a bit of money, he could go straight to the grave. No. Rather, it would be a relief if he went straight to the grave. He might not be able to escape the possession and become a state where he was neither alive nor dead, creating literally the worst situation.

“Can you really not do it? Huh?”

To President Kim, who was urging him repeatedly, there was only one answer Seolwon could give.

“With my ability, it seems this is the limit.”

At the firm answer, President Kim clicked his tongue, saying, Tsk.

“Right, well… If your ability isn’t up to it, it can’t be helped. My expectations were high. Too high.”

It was a tone that subtly blamed the other person. Seolwon, whose heart became uncomfortable at the current that had grown heavy despite it not being his fault, knitted his brows.

“Whew…”

As if he had finally given up, President Kim, who let out a deep sigh, pulled out his wallet. Packing a few banknotes from inside, he extended them to Seolwon, saying, “Here.” He said he was a person who would pack at least the car fare even if it didn’t go well, and it was exactly according to those words.

“Thank you.”

Receiving the money, Seolwon bowed his head and expressed his gratitude. Since he hadn’t provided meaningful help, there was a somewhat embarrassing feeling, but he was not in a circumstance to look after things like his conscience or pride.

“Right, go on.”

President Kim waved his hand around as if shooing away a troublesome fly.

Seolwon hesitated for a moment. There was no reason to guard his seat further, but it was because the six 50,000-won banknotes held in his two hands felt heavy for no reason.

Therefore.

“President.”

He ended up opening his mouth.

“About that person earlier.”

“What? That person?”

“Yes. The one who you said had his head greatly injured in a traffic accident…”

“Ah, him? …But why that guy?”

As if it was out of the blue, President Kim revealed his question while wrinkling the space between his brows. After glancing at the ghost attached to President Kim, Seolwon informed him suggestively.