ANTITOXIN Chapter 4

The appreciation for the purpose of analysis continued for quite a while longer. He intended to look until he felt it was enough. For some paintings, looking for just 30 minutes was sufficient, but for others, even two or three hours felt lacking. This time, it was the latter. Even though he had been looking for over an hour, he didn’t feel like it was enough. It was a relief that there was a bench provided so he could at least sit down and watch. Though his butt ached a little because it was made of plastic, which prioritized aesthetic over convenience…

There was one more thing to be relieved about. It was quiet and uncrowded. This judgment wasn’t based on people alone. No spirits caught his eye either. Since there were sometimes spirits that were completely indistinguishable from humans, he couldn’t be absolutely certain there were none, but the energy was clean enough to make him think it would be fine to stay here all day. Perhaps that was why he couldn’t bring himself to leave his seat.

However, not long after that…

“Ugh.”

Suddenly, Seolwon groaned softly and frowned. It was because of a foul odor that hit his nose. It was truly too terrible. It was as if cigarette smoke and a fishy stench were mixed together.

The problem was the identity of this foul odor. In fact, it was a familiar smell to Seolwon. Thus, he was able to recognize it immediately. That the source of this smell was a curse.

Sal (煞).

An ominous and harmful energy, an arrow stained with impurity.

Yes, this was it. It was unmistakable that this was the smell coming from a toxic and harsh energy that harms people.

The foul odor gradually grew stronger. That meant the malevolent curse was drawing near.

Seolwon’s gaze, which had been fixed on the painting as if nailed to it, naturally moved to find the source of the foul odor. The search didn’t take long. The moment he rolled his eyes to the right, it came right into view.

The one who entered his vision was a man. What’s more, he was wearing a shirt so flashy that one couldn’t help but doubt their eyes the moment they saw it. The geometric gold pattern frantically embroidered on a black background was so intense that it made even the presence of the foul odor vanish for a moment. The truly fascinating point was that even though the shirt was that excessive, it didn’t look ridiculous. It was probably because of his physique.

With one hand tucked into his pocket, standing askew and appreciating the painting, the man clearly possessed a tall height that surpassed the average. He even had broad shoulders and long legs… Since his back was turned, his face couldn’t be seen, but one could know without even having to check that he would look extraordinary.

His gaze, which had followed the foul odor, had by now lost its original purpose and moved with pure curiosity. It was when his gaze, which had dropped from the shoulders down to the tips of the toes, moved upward once again.

“…!”

Seolwon flinched. It was because of the man’s eyes that he suddenly encountered. He didn’t know since when, but the man had turned his head and was staring intently at him.

Even while startled, Seolwon could tell that his prediction was correct. The prediction that he would look extraordinary. It was as expected. The man’s appearance was unusual. The expression ‘handsome’ is not enough. It was to the extent that the expression ‘flashy’, just like that shirt, suited him.

Because he lived seeing all sorts of things, Seolwon had become insensitive to the appearance of others, whether they were spirits or humans. Even so, he ended up absentmindedly appreciating the man’s face for a moment. His soul, which had wandered off on its own, finally returned to its place a while later when the man’s head tilted to the side.

Ah.

Seolwon quickly turned his gaze back to the front. It wasn’t intentional, but he had ended up openly staring at a stranger’s face. Since it was a rude act no matter who looked at it, the man might find it unpleasant and pick a fight.

After a moment, footsteps were heard.

Thud, thud, thud…

The sound repeated at intervals that were closer to the expression ‘leisurely’ rather than slow. It couldn’t be an illusion that it seemed to be gradually getting louder. Whether he was approaching or simply passing by was unknown, but it was certain that the distance between him and the man was shrinking. The foul odor also flaunted its presence again. Unlike his gaze, which he had forced away, his consciousness, which was still extended toward the man, sensitively detected the presence.

Soon, it was when the footsteps and the foul odor became clearer than ever. Along with a thudding sound, a heavy presence was felt right next to him. The man who approached had sat down in the seat beside him.

Seolwon forced himself to hold back his gaze, which was trying to turn around despite himself. He tried to act as if he wasn’t conscious of it. Hoping that the man wouldn’t pick a fight with him.

Regrettably, his wish was not granted.

Soon, with a tap-tap, the man touched Seolwon’s shoulder with his finger, openly drawing attention. At that moment, the foul odor swelled in size and stimulated Seolwon’s sense of smell. If earlier it was to the extent of brushing against his nose, this time it felt like a strike. There was no way not to react.

Regardless of his will, his head snapped around. What rushed into his altered vision was the face of the man he saw earlier. Seeing it up close, there was a distinctive feature that drew attention on the face that felt even more unrealistic. It was a white stick poking out from between his lips.

It was the moment he thought, ‘Could it be a cigarette?’. Suddenly, something popped into his field of vision.

“Here.”

What… is this?

Seolwon blinked his large eyes. What the man held out was a round-shaped object covered in pink wrapping paper. It took a very short time before he realized what its identity was. It was a lollipop. That stick candy commonly seen when going to a convenience store.

Upon realizing this, he naturally came to know the identity of the white stick the man was holding in his mouth. No wonder it was too thin for a cigarette…

However, whether it was candy or a cigarette wasn’t important. The very next moment, Seolwon’s consciousness extended sharply toward one place. None other than the man’s wrist, precisely to the watch strapped to his wrist. Why, because only that vicinity was charred black. As if it had been burned by fire. In other words, the man’s wristwatch was the very source of this terrible foul odor.

Naturally, his face frowned. The color was dark. It meant it wasn’t an ordinary malevolent curse. It didn’t seem to be caused by Godok (蠱毒)  [An ancient, legendary form of black magic, sorcery, and poison rooted in Chinese folklore and traditional shamanism.], but it was a curse carrying a comparable level of impurity. Then again, there was no way it could be a light matter when the smell was this toxic.

He is carrying this kind of curse… is he okay?

Seolwon scanned the man’s face with a questioning gaze. First of all, no discomfort could be felt from his expression at all. He looked perfectly fine. It was a strange thing. Because when a curse this toxic attaches itself, it is usually difficult to be perfectly fine.

…No, maybe he was wearing those kinds of clothes because of the malevolent curse. A curse is bound to harm the mind before the body. If his mind wasn’t sound and his judgment was clouded, it made sense that he would boldly walk around in those kinds of clothes.

However, it was when he reached the question of where and how on earth this hideous thing had attached itself.

“Want me to unwrap it?”

The man spoke up again. Contrary to his bright face, it was a voice with a low and calm resonance, while at the same time carrying a child’s playfulness and a ruler’s coerciveness—a voice that gave such complex impressions. Is that why? Even though he thoughtlessly used informal language, far from feeling unpleasant, it actually felt natural. It might have been awkward instead if he had used formal language.

The lollipop within Seolwon’s startled vision wobbled up and down. As if urging him to take it quickly. Seolwon accepted and grabbed the candy in a daze. It felt like if he kept refusing to take it, the man would really rip the wrapper open and shove it into his mouth.

“…”

Holding the candy, Seolwon rolled his eyes, not knowing what to do. The man, who was watching Seolwon intently, rolled the candy inside his mouth and sneered as if talking to himself.

“Are you a mute?”

It was an indirect criticism meaning why there was no reaction after accepting it. Seolwon, who noticed this, finally opened his mouth.

“Ah, thank you…”

To be honest, he wasn’t thankful, and it was just perplexing. It was natural since he hadn’t accepted it because he wanted to, but only because the other side made an urgency close to coercion, leaving him no choice but to accept it.

At Seolwon’s greeting, which carried a reluctant energy, the man smirked. Is it because he smirked while holding the candy in his mouth? He looks mischievous like a rascal. However, the look in his eyes was different. Contained within them was a cold chill devoid of emotion, like that of a reptile, which a child could never make.

At the man’s gaze that was blatantly searching him, Seolwon subtly turned his head. Originally, he couldn’t hold eye contact with others for long. It was partly because of his unsociable personality, but it was largely because when he became interested in others, more information than necessary would flow into his head.