Joonjae put fresh flowers at the shrine and cleaned the dust off it. After tidying it up, he headed back upstairs.
Upon entering the room, he saw Chaerin was happily gobbling up the rice and beef stew he offered at her shrine. The food materialised in front of her when he prayed.
"Happy?" he asked.
"Very!" she said with her mouthful.
Despite his slight annoyance, he was amused at her antics. She was totally engrossed in her food, not paying attention to the small smile on his face.
"So what are we doing today?" she asked. "Catch more bad guys?"
"Dunno," he said as he sat down beside her.
"Aren't you going to work?" she questioned. "You didn't go yesterday!"
"I'll go today," he said, brushing off a rice grain from her cheek. "There's an important business I need to take care of."
"I'm gonna be so bored," Chaerin sighed. "Maybe I'll use my Facebook to contact some of my friends."
"They'll be frightened if they get messages from a dead person," Joonjae voiced out.
"Good!" Chaerin snickered. "I'd love to scare some of my old bullies. That'll teach them not to harm others!"
Joonjae shook his head. His wife was a handful.
"As long as it doesn't attract any attention to my mission," he said, getting off the bed. "I'm fine with whatever you do."
He picked out his shirt and suit from the walk in closet. Chaerin apparated beside him.
"When are we doing the deed?" she asked bluntly. Joonjae frowned.
"I thought we had a deal," he said coolly. "After I complete my mission, I'll fulfill your request."
"Yeah," she said. "When? I'm on a time limit, you know."
"We still have time," he rolled his eyes.
"We agreed to three years," she tapped her foot. "One and a half years have already passed! You're not even close to fulfilling your mission."
"You're not helping either," he said warily. "You're supposed to ask your ghost friends about that night."
"I tried," she groaned. "They don't know anything useful. We can still do it, you know."
There was a mischievous gleam in her eyes. She leaned in closer to him.
"Find him first," he said sharply, poking her forehead. He was the only one who could feel her. Other people would walk through her as if she was air.
"I'm trying!" she complained. "But he is so elusive."
"Then try harder," Joonjae replied as he pulled off his shirt. Chaerin blushed at the sight of his torso. She turned around in embarrassment.
"F-fine," she said, feeling flustered. "I'll look for him! After we find him, you better keep your end of the bargain and take my virginity. Otherwise, I'll turn into a demon and turn you insane."
"Yeah yeah," Joonjae scoffed. Even if they had that deal, it was difficult to imagine her turning into a demon. At most, she would probably turn into a pet mouse.
Chaerin puffed her cheeks. I'm gonna bed you, hubby! She vowed.
Joonjae could guess her thoughts. A perverted was plastered on her face.
"Stop fantasizing and get to work!" he scolded her playfully.
"Yes hubby!" she obeyed and posed into an army salute.
Joonjae changed into his suit. Chaerin turned around and catcalled.
"I have to admit, you sure are a fine looking man!" she admired him. "Although, I prefer you without clothes but-"
Her next words were blocked by a sharp flick to her forehead. "Focus on your work, you pervy ghost!" he said in annoyance.
Chaerin rubbed her head. Even though she cannot feel others, she felt his touches as if she was a living person. Since, he was her husband by ritual, she was bound to him. She even feels the bodily pleasures he occasionally teases her with.
But the guy was too sly. He would not do the full deed until she completes her end of the bargain.
"I'll ask Undie again," she groaned. "The guy has wandered off to some foreign country. It will take me the whole day to find him."
"Then go and find him," Joonjae said as he packed his files. "It's not like you work at home. Might as well get some tan from abroad."
"Pft, fine!" she exclaimed. "I'm gonna go abroad today and hook up with some hot ghost who would take my virginity and set me free!"
Joonjae laughed. "My dear wife," he said with a sarcastically sweet tone. "You're forgetting that according to our contract, adultery isn't allowed. Do that and you'll be sent right into purgatory."
He pulled her cheek a little hard.
"Ow!" she cried out. "I can let a foreign ghost amuse me at least!"
"Try it, wifey," he said pulling her cheek harder. "In that case I'll confiscate your social media profiles and not give you any beef for the next one year."
"No!" she whined. "You wouldn't."
She gave him a pitiful look which would melt anyone's heart. But the devil smiled down at her.
"I will," he threatened with a smile.
He let go of her cheek.
"If I turn into a demon, I'll haunt you so badly that you will not be able to sleep!" she warned him.
"Sure," Joonjae shrugged. "Living beings are scarier than demons, anyway. I may even like your demon form better."
Chaerin pursed her lips in anger. Joonjae was enjoying their banter. Her expressions were a source of entertainment for him. He felt the anger emanating from her.
"I'm still gonna fool around with another ghost and make you jealou-"
Her words were interrupted by his lips crashing on hers. Widening her eyes for a moment, Chaerin felt her lips being devoured.
Taking advantage of her momentary distraction, Joonjae deepened the kiss, prying her mouth open. Her lips tasted delicious to him as he pulled her closer. Chaerin let out a soft moan, reciprocating his kiss ferociously.
For the next few minutes, they engaged in a battle of tongues, savoring each other thoroughly before Joonjae let go.
"I wonder if your ghost friends can beat that," he winked at her.
Chaerin gaped at him as he strode off with a proud smile on his face. The damn guy got to her!
But she did not mind. She liked his teasing and light hearted side. It made her happy to see him act so casual and happy.
Seeing his retreating back, sometimes it was hard to imagine the chilled and mischievous man was the head of the country's deadliest Mafia gang.
The room was devoid of any light. The pungent smell of urine and feces was so overwhelming that it would make anyone feel nauseous. It was locked from the outside and there was no other way to exit the room. It was sealed shut; not even a fly can escape.In the corner was a bed for one person. It was unmade and unkempt, stained with blood and food. The walls were drawn with random scribbles of different colors. A new doodle was being designed on it by a man in his fifties.He was rigorously coloring the wall. His appearance was daunting. His beard was almost white and reached till his stomach. Strands of grey hair hung on his head as if they were being ripped every now and then. The eyes were bloodshot red, as if he had not slept for days."One plus one is two," he mumbled. "One plus one is two."He kept on repeating his gibberish as he drew on the wall. Suddenly, his pencil broke. He let out an ear
Chaerin was getting impatient and tapped her foot in annoyance as the long, white haired freak in front of her sat in a seance. She was in Country A and searched the country all day to find the guy. Finally, after she managed to track him and beat the crap out of him, she was let into his new place.She had been waiting for over an hour but the weirdo would not budge. Her patience was stretching thin and she wanted to strangle the man. Clearly, he was doing it deliberately."Hey you!" she voiced out. "Hurry it up! It's time for my drama!""Shh…" the man silenced her. He was in his fifties. His white hair reached up to his waist and he wore an outdated poncho with beads on it. His jeans were ripped and his hat was covering his eyes as well."Oh you harbinger of darkness," he mumbled. "Show yourself!"He shouted out the last words, startling Chaerin. He was looking so intent
Joonjae stopped in front of an old, rundown factory building. The building was quite ancient. The wall paint was peeling off and the once white building was now a dirty brown color. There were no workers around and the windows were boarded up.There was a broken door at the front and there was not a soul in sight. Small insects and animals scurried here and there, building their homes in the corners of the abandoned place.Stepping forward, Joonjae checked his watch. It was almost 1 PM in the afternoon. He took out his phone and checked the text again."1:30 PM," it said. He was half an hour early. Leaning against the car door, he waited patiently for someone to turn up.Finally, he saw a black minivan pulling up in front of the building. A short, stumpy man in his sixties stepped out. The old man walked towards Joonjae, carrying an envelope."Long time no see," the old man comme
After meeting with Sheng, Joonjae placed another call. Someone picked it up on the third ring."Meet me at the hideout," he ordered without saying any greeting."Ehhh? But I just fell asleep, boss!" a slow voice came from the receiver."Meet me there in half an hour," Joonjae said, ignoring the whining from the other end."So cruel, boss," the voice complained. "I demand a pay rise!""Just get there!" Joonjae snapped and hung up the phone. He was not keen on hiring this person but he was the best candidate for the job. No one else came close to the skills this person possessed.Joonjae sighed and revved up the engine. He pulled up and sped off.….Half an hour later, he parked the car in front of a modest apartment building. From the outside, it looked like an ordinary apartment building of six floors. An old,
(WARNING: THIS CHAPTER CONTAINS GRAPHIC VIOLENCE AND SOME DISTURBING ELEMENTS. PLEASE READ AT YOUR OWN RISK)After an hour, Joonjae and Yoseob pulled up in front of The Institute of Mental Rehabilitation."Is this the place?" Joonjae asked."That's what the article mentioned," Yoseob replied. They were standing in front of a large, white building. The entrance was locked with a heavily padded iron gate and electric barb wires were placed all throughout the wall's perimeter."Let's talk to the guard," Joonjae pointed towards the gate. He walked forward, with Yoseob in tow.A pompous guard stood at the gate. He had a smug look on his face and he stared arrogantly at the approaching guests."We want to meet a patient here," Joonjae informed the heavily armed guard. It struck odd to him that a mental institution would arm guards with live rifles and
Her eyes were covered with heavy bandages. No doubt she really cooked them in a pot before killing her husband. Yet, it felt like she was watching them.Her dress was bloodied especially the lower area and it looked like she had not bathed in days. Her body had scars from self mutilation, some of which looked very fresh and picked on repeatedly. She looked anorexic and her appearance was gaunt, devoid of any life in it.She tore another one of the limbs from the bloody pulp in her hands and chewed on it."You know my name," Joonjae stated coolly.The woman let out a wheezing giggle, flashing her teeth which were marred with blood. She smacked her lips hungrily."You are Hwang Joonjae," she sneered. "Son of Hwang Jisun and Kim Jisoo. Twenty eight years old. Head of the country's most dangerous Mafia syndicate.""Things which you could read in any newspaper," J
It was a breezy night. A lone girl stood in the living room with her back to him. She looked ethereal. Her pearly skin was giving a soft glow in the dark, as if the moon descended on earth. He looked at her with love filled eyes but conflict in his heart. Slowly, he approached her."I'm home," he said softly. She turned to look at him with sorrowful eyes. She looked so unearthly yet in pain."Welcome back," she smiled sadly."Your eyes do not match your smile," he commented. "Something is troubling you.""Everything troubles me," she said in melancholy. She held his hand. "Are we doing the right thing?""What do you mean?""We...we should not be together," she said. "We belong to different worlds. Our lives should not be intertwined. Yet, here we are, married to each other. We shouldn't be together."He felt his heartstrings being pulled.
The morning sun shone brightly through the window. Joonjae stirred as the rays fell on him. He opened his eyes only to be met with a pair of amber ones.Happiness fluttered within him. She was there with him. She was not gone."Good morning," he greeted in a raspy voice."Good morning," Chaerin smiled. "Wake up, hubby. You gotta go to work.""Five more minutes," he said drowsily, clutching her close. He held her tightly all night long, refusing to let go. If Chaerin had been alive, she would have suffocated under his strong embrace."Wake up!" she tried to tickle him but he caught her hand. Suddenly, he hoisted himself over her. His eyes were full of passion for her."Joonjae, I-"Her words got stuck in her throat as his lips came crashing down on hers. She reacted to his fiery kiss with equal fervour as he bit her lips, prying his tongue
Joonjae drove aimlessly. The ring was still in his pocket. Even though the Undertaker had insisted to have it examined, Joonjae refused to part from it. After many years, he was convinced that whatever happened that night to his parents was not an accident.His mother was labeled as a mentally ill woman by the media. She was accused of killing her husband and attempted murder on her son. Even though people pointed fingers at her, Joonjae knew she was not at fault. He still remembered the kind and caring mother he had…"Joonjae!" Jisoo called out. "Joonjae, where are you?"She was looking everywhere for her son at their mansion. Where could he be hiding? She wondered.Jisoo looked in the attic, but he was not there. She searched for him at his playhouse, but he was not there either. Panic began to creep into her heart."Joonjae!" she cried out. She began to dread that somet
Joonjae and the others walked up to the reception."Hello," he greeted the nurse at the reception desk. "I am here to meet a patient.""Please state the name, sir," she replied."His name is Kim Hyun Bin," Joonjae informed her. "He has been living in the burn unit for the past twenty years. His wife, Lee Shinah was the perpetrator.""Kindly wait a minute, sir," the nurse said, checking the records. "He is in room 220 on level two.""Thank you," Joonjae said. He turned to his companions. "Let's go."They walked up the stairs to reach level two."Should be somewhere here," Yoseob commented. "Aha!"He pointed at a door in front of them. "There it is," he said."Wait," Undertaker stopped them. "What if this one is a false lead as well? I heard the last time you guys went to a mental asylum in search o
Yoseob was snoring loudly. He had been up all night playing online games. His gaming pseudonym was killeroppa101.It was quite a popular name in the gaming world. People dreaded his presence because it meant the end of all opponents. After all, he was the youngest gamer to have reached the final level in League of Assassins, the most complicated game of the present time.After staying up all night to take down the main villain, Yoseob was slumped over his keyboard. He was drooling on his keyboard when Joonjae came in.Seeing his geek of an assistant sleeping so peacefully at this time of the day annoyed Joonjae. The guy had specifically asked him to arrive early at the office because he found something important. Joonjae even cut his time short with Chaerin for this important work. But Yoseob had the audacity to sleep this late!Joonjae quietly went towards a washroom. He picked up a mug and filled i
The morning sun shone brightly through the window. Joonjae stirred as the rays fell on him. He opened his eyes only to be met with a pair of amber ones.Happiness fluttered within him. She was there with him. She was not gone."Good morning," he greeted in a raspy voice."Good morning," Chaerin smiled. "Wake up, hubby. You gotta go to work.""Five more minutes," he said drowsily, clutching her close. He held her tightly all night long, refusing to let go. If Chaerin had been alive, she would have suffocated under his strong embrace."Wake up!" she tried to tickle him but he caught her hand. Suddenly, he hoisted himself over her. His eyes were full of passion for her."Joonjae, I-"Her words got stuck in her throat as his lips came crashing down on hers. She reacted to his fiery kiss with equal fervour as he bit her lips, prying his tongue
It was a breezy night. A lone girl stood in the living room with her back to him. She looked ethereal. Her pearly skin was giving a soft glow in the dark, as if the moon descended on earth. He looked at her with love filled eyes but conflict in his heart. Slowly, he approached her."I'm home," he said softly. She turned to look at him with sorrowful eyes. She looked so unearthly yet in pain."Welcome back," she smiled sadly."Your eyes do not match your smile," he commented. "Something is troubling you.""Everything troubles me," she said in melancholy. She held his hand. "Are we doing the right thing?""What do you mean?""We...we should not be together," she said. "We belong to different worlds. Our lives should not be intertwined. Yet, here we are, married to each other. We shouldn't be together."He felt his heartstrings being pulled.
Her eyes were covered with heavy bandages. No doubt she really cooked them in a pot before killing her husband. Yet, it felt like she was watching them.Her dress was bloodied especially the lower area and it looked like she had not bathed in days. Her body had scars from self mutilation, some of which looked very fresh and picked on repeatedly. She looked anorexic and her appearance was gaunt, devoid of any life in it.She tore another one of the limbs from the bloody pulp in her hands and chewed on it."You know my name," Joonjae stated coolly.The woman let out a wheezing giggle, flashing her teeth which were marred with blood. She smacked her lips hungrily."You are Hwang Joonjae," she sneered. "Son of Hwang Jisun and Kim Jisoo. Twenty eight years old. Head of the country's most dangerous Mafia syndicate.""Things which you could read in any newspaper," J
(WARNING: THIS CHAPTER CONTAINS GRAPHIC VIOLENCE AND SOME DISTURBING ELEMENTS. PLEASE READ AT YOUR OWN RISK)After an hour, Joonjae and Yoseob pulled up in front of The Institute of Mental Rehabilitation."Is this the place?" Joonjae asked."That's what the article mentioned," Yoseob replied. They were standing in front of a large, white building. The entrance was locked with a heavily padded iron gate and electric barb wires were placed all throughout the wall's perimeter."Let's talk to the guard," Joonjae pointed towards the gate. He walked forward, with Yoseob in tow.A pompous guard stood at the gate. He had a smug look on his face and he stared arrogantly at the approaching guests."We want to meet a patient here," Joonjae informed the heavily armed guard. It struck odd to him that a mental institution would arm guards with live rifles and
After meeting with Sheng, Joonjae placed another call. Someone picked it up on the third ring."Meet me at the hideout," he ordered without saying any greeting."Ehhh? But I just fell asleep, boss!" a slow voice came from the receiver."Meet me there in half an hour," Joonjae said, ignoring the whining from the other end."So cruel, boss," the voice complained. "I demand a pay rise!""Just get there!" Joonjae snapped and hung up the phone. He was not keen on hiring this person but he was the best candidate for the job. No one else came close to the skills this person possessed.Joonjae sighed and revved up the engine. He pulled up and sped off.….Half an hour later, he parked the car in front of a modest apartment building. From the outside, it looked like an ordinary apartment building of six floors. An old,
Joonjae stopped in front of an old, rundown factory building. The building was quite ancient. The wall paint was peeling off and the once white building was now a dirty brown color. There were no workers around and the windows were boarded up.There was a broken door at the front and there was not a soul in sight. Small insects and animals scurried here and there, building their homes in the corners of the abandoned place.Stepping forward, Joonjae checked his watch. It was almost 1 PM in the afternoon. He took out his phone and checked the text again."1:30 PM," it said. He was half an hour early. Leaning against the car door, he waited patiently for someone to turn up.Finally, he saw a black minivan pulling up in front of the building. A short, stumpy man in his sixties stepped out. The old man walked towards Joonjae, carrying an envelope."Long time no see," the old man comme