The Night Of The Untraced Chapter 2

“Okay, give me those clothes.”

Whom should I blame? I should blame myself for drinking and blacking out. And most likely, he should curse last night’s Muheun, who probably made the first move. As an adult, he thinks Muheun also bears responsibility, but he couldn’t just judge him blindly since he doesn’t remember what attitude he showed.

Following that path, Seungjoo returned home after eating the ‘delicious food’ Muheun bought. True to his word of offering a ride, Muheun personally escorted Seungjoo to the front gate of his house. Not just dropping him off at the door, but confirming that they went inside together.

“… Hyung, aren’t you busy?”

“I am. I need to take a nap and then head straight to the association.”

“Well… then, please go in. Thank you for the meal.”

Seungjoo, who curtly greeted Muheun, bowed his head. Seeing his straightforward greeting, Muheun’s lips formed a meaningful smile. He looked down at Seungjoo, then spoke in his distinctive soft voice.

“Don’t drink too much today.”

“…”

How did he know there was a drinking appointment today? With that meaning in mind, Muheun shrugged his shoulders.

“You told me yesterday, Seungjoo.”

Seems like even in his drunken state, he had the presence of mind to mention that. No, if he had that much sense, he shouldn’t have made a mistake. Amidst conflicting emotions, Seungjoo made an effort to nonchalantly reply.

“I don’t drink like that all the time.”

Yesterday was an exception due to circumstances; normally, he was good at controlling his drinking. Even if he drank a lot, cases where his memory vanished like yesterday were extremely rare. Plus, if the film gets cut and the contact is lost, his parents, who worry a lot, might end up searching all the pubs.

“Okay then, since you’re really going, I’ll go in.”

Muheun lightly patted Seungjoo’s shoulder with an expression of disbelief. His overly casual touch was nothing more or less than the way one would treat a neighbor’s younger sibling. Yet, that was also oddly peculiar, and Seungjoo opened the door with a stifled heart.

“What’s going on?”

 

However, the moment he opened the door, a subtle sense of discomfort brushed past him. The spacious landscaped courtyard, the traditional Korean house composed of main and annex buildings, and the talismans sticking thickly on the inside of the wall were no different from usual.

“Why?”

“No, it’s nothing…”

Well, it must be because of the mood. Seungjoo thought so, trying to shake off the discomfort. It’s just that he’s covering his face after only one day, that’s why he reasoned like that.

Watching Seungjoo enter, Muheun narrowed his eyes from a step away.

***

The cursed Seo clan of Gwimae. Known for being the prey of demons before they reached the age of twenty, they were famous for it. So much so that if you counted the people who lost their lives, you could probably make a mountain with their graves. The curse that has been descending for generations is too massive and deeply rooted to escape with human power alone.

It’s inevitable for all living beings with life’s dedication. They found various countermeasures, not sparing any means to protect their lives. They accumulated wealth and stability by inheriting the legacy of the prestigious exorcist family.

Seungjoo was the youngest born with the fate to live long in such a family. November 9th of the lunar calendar. The so-called “day without hands.” It was fortunate to be born on a night without traces. Without spiritual energy, he didn’t become a target for demons, and he didn’t even get influenced by the negative energy because of his inherently strong mental strength.

It was only natural for him to be cherished and raised in the household with such a fate. Having already lost two children, they threw themselves into Seungjoo’s affairs without hesitation. If he got even slightly injured, he would undergo thorough examinations at the hospital, and they would celebrate his birthday extravagantly every year.

And within this overprotective environment, what Seungjoo felt was nothing other than intense irritation.

– So?

“It seems like Hyung contacted our parents. They didn’t say anything.”

After returning home escorted by Muheun, Seungjoo recalled his forgotten parents and felt a slight sense of guilt and misfortune. It wouldn’t be strange for the house to be turned upside down since their son, who was supposed to have a gathering, disappeared without a word all night. He could only hope that they didn’t report it to the police, and seeing Seungjoo return, he hoped they wouldn’t burst into tears.

“…Did they go to work?”

However, the housekeeper who was doing the household chores informed Seungjoo, who had returned, of completely unexpected news. It was about his parents, who had gone to bed as usual but left for work early in the morning. It was a surprising turn of events, but Seungjoo had some inkling.

“Well, it’s not unusual for parents to be stubborn for a day or two. Muheun probably explained it well.”

Just in case, when he checked the call history, his mother’s number was indeed dialed in the middle of the night. The call lasted about 5 minutes, and Muheun was probably the recipient. The call with ‘Kim Muryeong’ on top must have been answered by Muheun while he was asleep.

– That’s a relief. I wondered what it was when Hyung answered your call again.

As Seungjoo listened to the voice coming from the phone, he put his hand in his coat pocket. A talisman, which he always carried with him, rustled as it hung from his fingertips. It was a talisman made by Muryeong, who he was currently on the phone with, back in his second year of high school.

Was it always this cold? While thinking that, Muryeong, unlike his mischievous voice, calmly and gently admonished Seungjoo.

– What will you do if you keep drinking until you black out? You should drink in moderation.

“…”

He’s saying the same thing as our parents.

Having received nagging even from Kim Muryeong, until high school, that was supposed to be his role. He must have taken care of Muryeong so meticulously that his friends used to call him ‘Kim Muryeong’s dad’.

– Why did you drink so much even though you can’t handle alcohol?

Normally, I would have countered that it’s not because I’m weak but because you’re strong, but with the mistake I made, it wasn’t even easy to do that. In the end, Seungjoo made the same dubious excuse to Muryeong as he did to Muheun earlier.

“I don’t drink like that all the time.”

– Is that so?

It wasn’t a tone that suggested he believed Seungjoo. It was more like a feeling of “whatever” but anyway.

– So, you won’t be able to come to our house today?

Muryeong, born into a promising exorcist family, began his career as an exorcist independently while still living with his family. Although he was still an apprentice, it was clear that his days were busy without a moment to spare. It was a chance to see him after a long time (well, it hadn’t been more than two weeks anyway), but unfortunately, Seungjoo had evening plans.

“Oh, I’m on my way to meet the kids. I might be a bit late.”

– Sulgi will be disappointed.

“Baek Sulgi has a point.”

Thinking of a fluffy, large dog, Seungjoo softened his lips. Sulgi was a cute fourteen-year-old fluffy dog ​​raised at Muryeong’s family home. It’s a bit big for a dog, a slightly creamy white color.

– But how did he know and go to pick you up?

“Well, I don’t know either…”

– Huh? You didn’t ask?

“No.”

– Why?

“Why ask? As long as he came back safely, that’s enough.”

Of course, he didn’t ask. No, he ‘couldn’t’ ask. If he asked that, he would have to ask about last night too.

– Did you happen to run into each other?

Muryeong, who couldn’t possibly know the truth, replied calmly. He knew that Seungjoo stayed at Muheun’s house because he drank too much at the welcoming party. There was no need to mention how I woke up, let alone discuss it.

“Maybe. Hey, I’ll hang up now.”

With that said, Seungjoo hung up without hesitation. It wasn’t a time to worry about phone etiquette, and he felt that if he delayed a little longer, Kim Muryeong, who was quick-witted, might feel something strange. No, maybe he felt strange but pretended not to notice.

“It’s fortunate that he doesn’t pry.”

That was a good point about their family members. They didn’t bring up topics that someone was uncomfortable with. Positively, it could be seen as consideration, but negatively, it could be seen as indifference to others. The difference might be that Kim Muryeong was the former while Kim Muheun was the latter.

“As long as I don’t say anything anyway…”

Perhaps Muheun wouldn’t mention what happened yesterday until Seungjoo asked. The events of that day would be buried deep in the back of his memory, but anyway, it was a secret to be taken to the grave. Not just to my friend Muryeong, but even to Muheun and me, the parties involved.

“Forget it.”

He was more confident than anyone in pretending not to know. Seungjoo decided not to dwell on memories that didn’t come to mind. Just like back then when he decided to let go of his feelings for Muheun a long time ago, he could bury the memories of that night without a trace.

“Phew.”

Finally, Seungjoo breathed out with a clear mind. With confidence in his mind control, thinking of forgetting made his heart feel at ease as well.

The path to the promised barbecue restaurant was light and carefree, just like his steps.

***

“Forgetting is a bitch…”

The bustling interior of the barbecue restaurant was filled with various noisy sounds. The sizzling sound of pork belly cooking, the laughter of drunken men at the next table, the clinking of soju glasses, and even the worried voice coming from across.

“Why are you like this, huh?”

To Jinwoo, who asked so, Seungjoo responded with a sigh instead of an answer. He had words he wanted to say, but it wasn’t the time to say them to Jinwoo, whom he had only known for a few weeks. No, even if the other person had been Muryeong for a lifetime, he couldn’t say it.

“It’s nothing.”

“It’s nothing? Do you even know how many times you’ve sighed since you came out?”

Jinwoo seemed quite frustrated with Seungjoo’s behavior. It’s understandable, given that he had come out with the pretext of drinking but hadn’t even touched the alcohol, just fiddling with the edge of the paper cup. The table they sat at alone became awkward because Seo-hyun, who they were supposed to meet together, was a little late.

“What’s the matter? You have to speak up for me to know.”

“…”

Seungjoo’s lips twitched. The tricky thing about people is that even though they know they shouldn’t speak, they still want to spill everything. Despite the noise, the events of this morning kept coming to mind. Waking up this morning with someone he knows, bare naked, or rather half-naked.