The night hung heavy over the traditional Korean house, storm clouds gathering in an indigo sky. Dark-tiled roofs of the hanok stood silhouetted against the darkness, latticed windows casting long shadows across the courtyard.
Inside, Shinmyung sat cross-legged in a rich, dark robe, pouring amber liquid from a dark bottle into a glass. The rhythmic sound was almost meditative.
He placed the bottle down on the low table.
"A deal between me and Charles Choi has been made," he stated, his voice a low rumble. He paused, his gaze darkening as he picked up the glass. "However, I'm worried about one thing."
He took a slow sip. "It's the two monsters living on the hill. If I leave them be, they might become variables later in our plan. My Yakshas have been defeated by them."
He looked up, a slight smile touching his lips as he addressed the three men seated across from him. "Which is why I've called you three skilled gentlemen over."
On the far left sat Beolgu Lee of Generation 0, a former member of Gapryong Kim's Fist Gang. His contrasting black and white hair was striking, and two women flanked him, one leaning close. He didn't hesitate. "You can stop now. We get what you're asking for. You want us to fight the King of Cheonliang and The Ogre? Isn't that right?"
Next to him sat Gwang Yu, another Generation 0 veteran of the Fist Gang, his brow furrowed in quiet intensity. He took a drink, bitterness crossing his face. "The Gapryong Kim's Fist Gang has truly fallen to the bottom. We even have to take down Generation 1 brats for money now. If only Head Gapryong hadn't set foot into the political world..."
The third man, Jaesu Noh—yet another Generation 0 veteran—wore a casual Adidas baseball cap over wild, curly hair. He grinned as he sipped his drink, cutting straight to the chase. "You'll be amply compensating us for this job, won't you? You see, we're older than we look. We have to slowly start preparing our retirement funds."
Shinmyung leaned forward slightly, his eyes cold. "I promise you won't be disappointed with the monetary compensation for this job." His voice lowered in warning. "However, I can tell you now that it won't be as easy as you three think."
His smile turned predatory. "Seongji Yuk and Baki Hanma aren't normal. I'm telling you that you three might lose against them."
The three former kings bristled.
Beolgu Lee rose slightly, his gaze dropping to the floor with casual confidence before fixing on the older man. His sleek black loafers moved with effortless grace. "You're saying we could lose? How interesting." His voice was low and challenging. He took a deliberate step forward. "Let's end our ill-fated relationship here."
Jaesu Noh, still sporting his bright cap, and the stoic Gwang Yu stood ready behind him. Jaesu offered a smirk. "We're in our prime, if you didn't know."
---
Vin Jin's face was contorted with overwhelming grief, tears and what looked like blood staining his features as he stared blankly forward.
In the next moment, he was gripping Sujin's arm, his knuckles white against the fabric. His voice was ragged. "Tell me! Tell me!"
His face was wet with tears, his mouth wide in a silent scream of agony. "I'm begging you to tell me already!"
The girl's eyes were wide with a mixture of fear and profound sorrow, trapped in his grasp. His voice broke. "HOW DID MOM DIE?! WHY DID MOM HAVE TO DIE?!"
He squeezed her arm harder, his plea growing more frantic. "WHY WON'T YOU TELL ME ALREADY?! I'M PLEADING WITH YOU!"
A single tear rolled down the girl's cheek, her breath catching in a choked sob.
Seeing her distress, Vin Jin immediately recoiled, his raw anguish replaced by panic. He dropped to his knees a short distance away, clutching a cup of water.
"I-I'M SORRY! I DIDN'T MEAN TO SCARE YOU!" he stammered, his voice high with genuine remorse. He gestured around the small room. "I was all worked up out of nowhere! Should I get you some water?! HERE, HERE'S SOME WATER!"
He held out the cup, his hands trembling. "...I'M BEGGING YOU," he whispered. "CAN YOU PLEASE TELL ME?"
His face shifted to one of deep, enduring pain. "I've lived all my life hating my mother. I've always cursed the mom who left me and died." His voice was heavy with a lifetime of resentment and longing.
"If you know anything about Mom, tell me," he begged, leaning forward. "I must hear the missing story that Mom had."
His desperation grew. "IF YOU DON'T... IF YOU DON'T..!"
Finally, tears streamed down his face, the confession of a boy who felt abandoned.
"I MIGHT LIVE MY WHOLE LIFE HATING MY MOM..!"
Sujin took a slow breath and began to speak, her gaze drifting into the past.
"...Seven years ago."
She pictured herself as a child, small and wide-eyed. "It was when I was seven years old." She remembered standing among a crowd of adults. "Is everyone here?"
It was the day a new woman arrived. "A new ahjumma joined the Shaman's House." She was introduced by the others, a small girl standing between the legs of two tall figures. "This person will be serving the Shaman from here on out. Starting now, she'll be working with us. Let's greet our newcomer."
The woman stepped forward, her face warm and kind. She wore the somber robes of the house. "...Hello, everyone."
Sujin recalled her clearly. "She was a pretty auntie." The woman had a gentle smile. "...I'm from Seoul, and now I happen to live in Cheonliang."
Sujin remembered how hardworking the woman was. "The pretty auntie always worked hard." She saw the woman diligently carrying a box, a man beside her asking, "Why do you work so hard, auntie?"
The woman paused, a subtle hope in her eyes. "The Shaman promised me something, you see..." Sujin remembered that the auntie was fiercely dedicated. "I'm not sure why, but she gave it her all on whatever was tasked to her."
A man spoke to the new woman: "Auntie, you should go and meet the Shaman. He's been looking for you for some time now."
Sujin pieced together the fragments. "It seemed like she had a promise made with the Shaman about her child." And for that child, the pretty auntie never stopped trying. "For her son, the pretty auntie always tried her best."
The pretty auntie outstretched her hand, offering a brightly colored lollipop. "To myself, who didn't have a mom,"
The pretty auntie had smiled, her expression full of gentle warmth. "You're around my son's age."
The girl concluded her memory. "The pretty auntie became a mom to me."
Sujin's eyes softened as she remembered the sweet kindness that had replaced her own mother.
The "pretty auntie" had offered her the lollipop, smiling wide. "CANDY..! THIS PRECIOUS THING..!" Sujin had thought, overwhelmed. The auntie's voice was gentle. "It's fine, so eat up! When you finish that, auntie will get you another one."
To the orphaned child, she felt like a divine presence. "To me, she was like an angel." She'd smile and say, "If you have anything else you want to eat, you can tell auntie, alright?"
Lost in the memory, Sujin clutched her clothes. She looked up at the woman. "Should I bite the candy, or melt it in my mouth?"
The auntie, however, was distracted by a man calling to her. "Ahjumma, you were over here." She gave a nervous "Sorry?"
The man's instructions were direct. "You should head over to the gym."
"Why the gym?" she asked, bewildered.
The man merely pointed past her to the dark interior of the Shaman's House, where a wooden plaque hung with the ominous characters: 人愛天殺. The man's voice was cold. "THE SHAMAN IS LOOKING FOR YOU."
The pretty auntie's expression settled into quiet resignation. "...Understood." She turned, her ponytail with its blue tie swinging behind her.
"I was curious," Sujin narrated, watching the lollipop in her own hand.
The little girl looked up questioningly. "...Make sure not to bite it," the auntie cautioned. "Auntie will get going now."
Sujin watched her go, puzzled. She wondered, "Why the Shaman was always looking for the pretty auntie. What the Shaman was telling the pretty auntie."
She watched the woman walk down the long, narrow wooden corridor. "Is she eating something tasty on her own?" she wondered innocently, not understanding the gravity.
"And that day..."
Sujin, seven years old, peeked around the heavy wooden door, her eyes wide with fear and shock.
"...was the last day I saw the pretty auntie."
The narration cut back to the present, the girl sitting before the distraught young man, who was now huddled over, seemingly broken by this revelation.
"...I don't know what the two of them talked about." The girl's eyes were distant and cold. "But I'm sure of this."
"Oppa's mom, the pretty auntie," she stated, her words dropping like stones.
She watched him from her seated position, the image of his mother's last moments imprinted on her mind. She finished the terrible, necessary sentence:
"Passed away because of the shaman."
The truth struck Vin Jin like a physical blow. His face, already wet with tears, contorted in a silent, agonizing scream. His mouth was wide, tears streaming from his eyes as the raw, overwhelming realization of his mother's fate finally hit him.