Chapter: 02
“Wow…”
Is that a heart?
Please tell me it’s not some warning that you’re going to split my skull open.
The sudden appearance of such a random figure stirred both confusion and a slight sense of caution.
Why is he here?
Could it be… that he came all the way here to find the ring…?
Knock knock—
A man lightly knocked on the window with a fist balled, almost as if clearing his throat politely.
Hesitant, Saebyeok slowly crept across the floor toward the window.
Pressing her ear carefully against the glass, she faintly caught the cheerful voice of the man.
“What are you doing over there?”
Would he even believe her if she answered…?
“And what are you doing there…?”
“Me? I came to hear your answer.”
“Answer? What answer…? Ah, but you’re in my garden, right? How did you even get in…? Is it okay to just barge into someone’s garden like that?”
“Hehe, don’t be so offended. Why would this be someone else’s house? As the old saying goes, when you marry, husband and wife are one body.”
Crazy…
Saebyeok, staring vaguely at him, suddenly remembered the proposal she had received that night.
“Was that… serious?!”
“Of course it was.”
“Well… don’t you think marrying someone you just met is a bit difficult?”
“Oh, then you should return it. The ring.”
The man mouthed the word “ring” and smiled.
Saebyeok reflexively smiled back.
Wow, I’m really screwed now.
“Uh… I don’t have the ring with me right now. Could I return it to you later?”
“Busy people like us don’t have a ‘later.’ Let’s just solve everything in one go today.”
“Today is… a bit…”
“Why? Because of that scatterbrained Kongkong?”
……
What?
“Hey, Ham Saebyeok. Think carefully.”
The man leaned forward lazily, meeting her gaze through the glass.
“If I save you today, would you even consider marrying me?”
Those dark eyes were unreadable.
Like staring into an abyss, Saebyeok’s resolve wavered slightly.
“Wh-what….”
“I’ll save you. And I’ll continue to save you, forever ensuring your safety.”
“Uh…?”
“Open the window.”
The man subtly gestured toward Saebyeok’s shoulder.
“Kongkong noticed.”
A chill ran down her spine.
Saebyeok grabbed the window handle abruptly.
But it didn’t budge—it just rattled.
“I think it’s broken…! Push it from your side too!”
“Sorry. Can’t reach over there~”
“WHAT?! What do you mean—”
Clang.
So close.
Without realizing it, Saebyeok turned around and began pulling the window frantically.
As panic set in, her careful touch grew rougher. The rattling shook the room loudly.
No matter how hard she bit down her teeth and pulled, the window only opened by a finger or two.
“Why won’t it open! Why…!”
Meanwhile, the man just adjusted the smile on his face as if amused.
“Hmm… Saebyeok, can I take this as your okay sign?”
“No… why…? Y-yes?”
“You should’ve just been honest from the start about wanting to marry me. Even I’m a bit embarrassed by such a passionate confession~”
What is that guy saying now…
Startled by the sound of Kongkong getting closer, Saebyeok snapped back to reality.
No time to listen to nonsense. The window still wouldn’t budge more than a finger or two.
Clang!
“Don’t you have some wedding fantasies? …Huh? Oh, shut up? Hahaha, I knew you didn’t. Me neither, until age made me start imagining things I never did before.”
Clang clang!
“But since now isn’t the time, we’ll save fantasies for later… Let’s just cover the basics. Groom Dongbaek, do you vow to take bride Ham Saebyeok as your wife and fulfill your duties as a husband?”
The man, holding his fist like a microphone, suddenly pulled it solemnly in front of him.
“Is there any doubt?”
Then next.
“Bride Ham Saebyeok… uh, Saebyeok? Focus. Am I marrying alone? …Oh. Don’t understand a word of what you’re saying, but I get the curse words.”
Clang clang clang clang!
“Anyway, it’s still a ceremony… Listen carefully. Bride Ham Saebyeok, do you vow to take groom Dongbaek as your husband and fulfill your duties as a wife?”
“……”
“What did you say? Ah, Kongkong, that guy’s making a ton of noise.”
“…I said I do!”
“Huh? Say it louder!”
“I vow! So can you do something about this window!”
Clang clang clang clang clang-!!
The thunderous noise seemed to swallow the entire space.
Saebyeok, pulling the window frantically, suddenly glanced back at the blinding, lightning-like explosion.
The door had been torn off.
From the dark abyss, a shadow shot forward with claws outstretched.
Saebyeok could do little, calling on God, Buddha, Allah, Shiva—any deity she knew—and pulled the window with all her strength.
Even the small gap her hands made was enough for the man.
“……!!”
Suddenly, light surged, dispelling the darkness.
The man slipped his hand through the window, sparks flying wildly, and whispered:
“Well done, Saebyeok.”
The man’s cheerful voice, the roar of furious monsters—none of it reached her.
Only the spectacle of exploding sparks and the ominously trembling net of light captured her gaze.
Om Amokabasas Scapulis suis Abara 麽自稱名obumbrabit tibi et 디하다 뎨리로케야 五虎吽二合虎吽 비사야 라 사라 사마 subpennis eius 二合六泮吒吒 sperabis 半音七……
Unbelievably, Korean, Chinese characters, and unrecognizable alphabets intertwined chaotically in the air.
Even curves, straight lines, and countless lines formed intricate, strange symbols.
Glowing blue lines and letters twisted around the torn window.
The man’s hand, pushing in forcefully, shattered it all.
Kkiaaaaaak!
The piercing light drove the darkness away.
Chased-away monsters left behind ghostly screams; Saebyeok shut her eyes tightly, unable to bear it.
A powerful shockwave exploded.
Saebyeok, swept off her feet, rubbed her stinging elbows and raised her head.
The room was utterly destroyed, as if a typhoon had passed.
Amid the chaos, the man stepped inside, walking on the shattered window.
“Ah… crazy old man. This hurts so much, really.”
A beam of moonlight illuminated him thoroughly.
Messy hair, charred sleeves, blackened hands…
Clicking his tongue at the ruined sleeves, he suddenly met Saebyeok’s eyes.
“Ah, Saebyeok.”
His previously cold expression immediately brightened.
“You okay? Ah, it’s usually hard to get in here. A bit messy now, but we can charge the repairs to the estate later…”
“……”
“Saebyeok?”
“My hand…”
Saebyeok, sitting dazed, pointed to her pale, injured hand.
“We need to go to the hospital… the hospital first…”
“Oh, this.”
The man casually hid her hand behind his back and helped her up with his intact hand.
“It’s not injured, so don’t worry too much.”
“But you said it hurt! How is it not injured?”
“Oh, such keen hearing. Young people are great, huh?”
Pushing Saebyeok forward, he glanced around the corridor.
“I’ll deal with Kongkong. That little brat’s so ill-mannered. A guard dog should never bite its master.”
“……”
“Saebyeok…”
Leaping lightly over the threshold, he looked back and smiled clearly.
“Just follow that.”
A green emergency exit sign lit up in the previously dark corridor.
“I had to come in a bit aggressively. That way, the house would stop mutating and reveal the emergency exit.”
So if I just follow that sign, I can get out.
Having endured so much in such a short time, Saebyeok finally felt a bit clear-headed.
I can get out. I can finally escape this den!
“Then you should come with me. Let’s go get your hand treated—”
But when she turned back, no one was there.
Silence. Silence again.
Left alone, Saebyeok stared at the empty space where he had been.
Since childhood, Saebyeok had been known as a girl who could see ghosts. She had no friends.
As she grew older, she had people to interact with, so she wasn’t lonely.
Still, she never invited anyone home. This was the first time she was waiting for anyone other than her grandmother.
“Ah… cold.”
It was already dark.
Her phone was broken, so she didn’t know the exact time, but the quiet suggested quite a bit had passed.
Huddling in her fleece jumper, she sniffled.
She didn’t know much, but that man didn’t seem ordinary.
Half of her hoped he’d handle things on his own, half worried about his injuries.
Whatever happened, she survived thanks to him and owed him an unpayable debt.
‘I need to make sure he’s safe and thank him properly.’
As she organized her thoughts against the chilly wind, the old front door creaked open.
The man walked out casually, not much different from the last time she saw him.
Relieved, Saebyeok ran toward him, and the man, brushing dust off his shoulder, widened his eyes.
“Oh? You’re still here?”
