ANTITOXIN Chapter 6

He didn’t try to see it, nor did he try to know it. Nevertheless, he had come to know the future that would befall the man. Whether to tell this to the person concerned or not was entirely Seolwon’s choice.

Suddenly, the teachings of his grandmother that he had heard as a child came to mind.

‘Just because you saw it with your eyes, don’t assume that’s what it is. And just because you’ve come to know it, don’t even think about spouting it out of your mouth so easily.’

Divination is by no means absolute. Therefore, one must never be rashly certain, and for that reason, one must never speak of it rashly either. Especially if it wasn’t something told by a divine spiritual deity, but a future glimpsed briefly through shallow divine energy.

Moreover, Seolwon was a person without qualification. Because he was a sinner who had run away because he didn’t want to serve the deities. That was why he suffered from illness as a divine punishment. For such a person to intervene in someone else’s fate? It was highly likely to cause a Dongti7) (divine backlash). Even if one were a proper shaman, the rule was that they must not meddle rashly in the life and death of others.

The problem was, it didn’t seem like it would be easy to shake off the man’s interest with a roughly made-up excuse. Furthermore, it would be one thing if he hadn’t known, but his heart felt utterly uncomfortable to pretend not to know despite having read an unlucky hex. Above all, the accident the man would experience was not a fortune arranged by heaven, but an artificial calamity. One brought in by a malevolent curse that someone must have attached with impure intentions.

While there also exist curses that attach themselves naturally according to natural energies and the flow of life, curses attached to objects were usually artificial. If the identity of that malevolent curse were due to the former, he would have never intervened. However, if it were the latter, the story was different. It is a calamity brought by someone else’s malice. Helping to avoid this did not correspond to an act of defying heaven’s will. Rather, this could be considered an act of bestowing virtue.

Virtue is bound to return by bestowing it.

Seolwon, who reached a conclusion by leaning on the truth he had learned, finally opened his mouth.

“My looking at you earlier was because of the watch. Because a hideous curse is attached to the watch you are wearing.”

The man frowned. His face was an expression of ‘what kind of dogshit is that?’. It was a reaction that did not betray expectations. Because it was exactly as he had already guessed, Seolwon did not feel embarrassed.

Instead, he advised in a blunt voice.

“It would be better for you to watch your step for the time being. Especially watch out for car accidents.”

That sound and smell earlier… from what Seolwon interpreted, they were definitely clues meaning a traffic accident. Since it was the kind of sound likely to be made when tires screech and a car collides, and a smell that seemed to occur as something burned. He wouldn’t dare boldly assert that it was certain. Since it was neither seen through Hwagyeong8) (a divine mirror vision) nor delivered as a Gongsu9) (an oracle from a deity), the accuracy fell even shorter. However, misfortune would strike in some form. That much alone he could guarantee.

Fortunately, it was still a calamity that could be avoided. To do so, the cause had to be removed first.

“Throw that watch away quickly. If you keep holding onto it, trouble will break out eventually. Because it is a malevolent curse that is difficult to shake off with human power, there is no choice but to throw it away.”

While there are curses that can be easily removed with just a few hand gestures, there are curses that are difficult to cast off even if one sets up a shamanic ritual and prays with devotion. The curse attached to the man was the latter. It was so toxic that it made one wonder exactly who had attached it, and for what purpose. It would have been out of the question for an ordinary shaman.

“If possible, melt it in fire so not even its shape remains, and if that doesn’t work, throw it into a deep river or the sea. After throwing it away, scrub your wrist thoroughly with saltwater as well. Wrapping a red cloth or thread around your wrist for a few days will also be helpful.”

“…”

“I know it will sound strange. But it’s neither a joke nor a prank. Frankly, I don’t care even if you don’t believe me. Still, if you do as I say, it will only benefit you; there’s nothing that will do harm.”

“…”

“Then, I have some business to attend to, so I will be on my way. I’ll take the candy you gave me as the divination fee.”

After bowing politely, Seolwon quickly turned his back on the man. And as if afraid of being caught, he walked rapidly toward the exit.

Fortunately, no presence following him was felt. However, the gaze attached to his back alone was incredibly persistent.

In the midst of this, a clear, cackling laughter was heard. It was a sound made by the spirit whose location was unknown. Strangely, that laughter wasn’t entirely unfamiliar either.

The day after going to the art museum, Seolwon stated his intention to work to Mr. Park Moonhyuk.

“I’ll try doing it.”

Mr. Park Moonhyuk brightened up, saying he knew he would, and immediately held out the contract he had prepared. A commission fee of 20 million won with a 5:5 distribution split. The down payment was 3 million won. It was exactly as discussed in advance. Usually, they tended to split it at a ratio of 7 for the office and 3 for the worker, but this time, it was the result of consideration and thoughtfulness, taking into account that the painting’s difficulty level was substantial and Seolwon’s circumstances were tight.

From the day he received the down payment, he immediately began commuting back and forth to the workshop. The workshop was located in the basement of Mr. Park Moonhyuk’s office in Bundang, and it was divided into a large workshop of about 20 pyeong and two small workshops of about 5 pyeong. Four technicians belonging to the office shared the large workshop, and Seolwon used a small workshop all by himself. This, too, was Mr. Park Moonhyuk’s consideration.

Thanks to that, Seolwon could put up talismans without having to walk on eggshells. Because spirits were highly likely to drift in and out due to the location being a basement where negative energy easily accumulates, he had set up a Bibang (a secret protective remedy).

Thus, it was currently the first week since entering into the work.

“Sigh…”

While standing up, Seolwon let out a sigh as he checked the sketch he had barely managed to finish. It was a complicated sigh mixed with relief that it was finally over and worry that the real problem started from now on.

He had guessed it, but once he actually started, the work was more difficult than expected. It was to the extent that he barely completed the rough sketch today, which usually would have been finished in three or four days. They said drawing without any thought was the original artist’s characteristic, and because the forms were neither consistent nor conventional, catching the frame was exceptionally tricky. For instance, it was a work that was confusion itself, where an ear was where an eye should be, and a toe was where a mouth should be.

He had finally finished the sketch, but the future was more of a problem. Because it seemed that the work of applying color wouldn’t be easy either. The colors and brushstrokes were also just as confusing as the forms. Frankly, the more he looked, the more it reached a point where he couldn’t understand at all why this kind of work was famous enough to be traded in units of hundreds of millions of won.

Still, he had passed one hurdle. Since he had captured the form, it seemed he could complete it somehow. Though it felt like he would have to stay up all night for a few days to equip it with a plausible appearance by the intermediate deadline set for three weeks later…

“I can do it.”

Seolwon wiped down his face and brainwashed himself.

Yes, he could do it. Even if it wasn’t smooth, it was a task he could achieve if he just put in the time. After all, isn’t it a task where he is merely copying what originally exists?

‘A replica painting is a commodity, not an artwork. Sensation? Art style? Message? None of it is necessary. You are a technician. Not an artist. Keep this in mind.’

These were the words Mr. Park Moonhyuk had urged several times at the time he was teaching him the technique. Just as he said, since a replica painting is a commodity, there was no value in containing his own thoughts in the work, no need to put intentions into it, and no reason to care about the public’s evaluation. He only needed to judge how identical it was to the original.

Anyway, Seolwon was someone who had neither a longing for nor knowledge toward art. No matter what painting he looked at, he had never felt a value beyond a means of making money. Perhaps it was a mindset that perfectly fit Mr. Park Moonhyuk’s expression that he was a technician, not an artist.

This work was the same. A commodity leaving a profit of ten million won—it was nothing more, nothing less. There was an impression that it was difficult and arcane, but that was all.

By the way, was it because he had been sitting down for too long? His lower back felt stiff. Seolwon rolled his hands into fists and tapped the aching area. However, the pain would not easily fade. His eyeballs also felt a bit sore, so it seemed he ought to do it after resting a bit.

Deciding to catch some shut-eye for a moment, Seolwon went and lay down on the sofa positioned in the corner. Because it was a three-seater sofa, his legs stuck out, but it wasn’t to an uncomfortable degree, so it wasn’t bad to use for a nap.

Closing his eyes and placing his hand over his forehead, he exhaled an even breath. His mind, which had been clear, gradually drifted below sleep. Because he lived carrying fatigue due to always sleeping shallowly, drowsiness would rush in as if it had been waiting the moment he just closed his eyes.

It was just when he was about to completely surrender his consciousness to the drowsiness creeping in.

Bzzz—