33. The youngest grandson of a conglomerate family
The filming was over after the sun had set and it was dark.
Woo Cheong, who had collected all the team members' numbers and created a group chat, handed his smartphone to Neoul.
"Wow, raccoon hyung-nim! I'll take your number! I'll invite you to the group chat!"
"I don't know the number..."
Neoul fiddled around with the smartphone he had received back.
The sea priestess handed it to him and told him that he could call her by pressing the speed dial 0. She said that no matter how far away they were, they would be able to hear each other's voices through it.
However, she didn't tell him what number this smartphone had.
"Huh? You don't know your own number? You should memorize your number!"
Woo Cheong took Neoul's smartphone, put his number, and made a call. Then, Neoul's phone number appeared on Woo Cheong's smartphone. Woo Cheong showed the screen to Neoul.
"Here, this is raccoon hyung-nim's number!"
"Aha."
Neoul squinted his eyes and checked the series of Arabic numerals. Just as he felt like Korean letters looked like pictures, the numbers also felt like pictures to him.
"That's really strange."
Looking at the numbers, Woo Cheong felt a sting and stopped his busy hands.
While saving Neoul's number, Woo Cheong was writing [Raccoon Hyung-nim] in the name field. He stopped writing with a playful expression on his face and asked Neoul's mood.
"Is it weird? If I save it as Raccoon Hyung-nim, will you feel bad?"
"Hmm?"
What is Raccoon Hyung-nim when it's a perfectly good name?
"I don't feel bad about it, whether it's Raccoon or whatever, but I'll say it again, my name is Neoul."
Neoul kindly corrected the name again.
When Neoul didn't show any signs of anger or displeasure, Woo Cheong recovered his playfulness that had subsided for a moment and laughed.
"You can save it as Cheonggu-ri-guri too, hyung!"
"...?"
What does Cheonggu-ri-guri mean?
I know it sounds like a nickname with unknown origins or something funny.
"Ah! I got a call from Dad! I'll go! I'll invite you to the group chat later, so come in, raccoon hyung-nim, bye!"
Woo Cheong lightly jumped and ran away. He didn't know that Neoul's smartphone didn't have the messaging app Ttotok installed and he didn't even have an account.
Neoul looked at Woo Cheong's number on his recent phone records and went outside to look around blankly.
The production team said that the next schedule was a production presentation in a few days, and that all the participants were going home...
Neoul's house was in the sea.
'What should I do now?'
There was no time to go back to the Dragon Palace and come back, and the Sea Priestess was already in the Dragon Palace, so she probably wouldn't be able to answer the phone even if he called.
Neoul raised his head and asked the grim reaper who was floating around with jingling earrings.
"It's dangerous to sleep anywhere in the sea, because you can get bitten or eaten... If I sleep on the ground, will I become prey to land animals?"
[What? You were going to sleep out?]
Baek Namoo, who had come to see if his disciple had finished the stage, hit Neoul on the back of his head in amazement. Baek Namoo's hand passed right through Neoul's body.
[What are you worried about? Go to Baek Yu-ri's house and let him take care of you. He knows your situation.]
Baek Namoo gestured to the entrance of the building.
Baek Yuri was talking to someone on the phone as he came out with Baek Gi-yeom.
"Yes, Mom. Are you almost there? Yes. Baek Gi-yeom is with me. Sorry for being late."
"KeunMother! I beat Baek Yuri!"
[*the wife of your father's married older brother]
Baek Gi-yeom suddenly shouted at Baek Yuri's smartphone while he was on the phone and laughed playfully.
When Baek Yuri threw a kick at Baek Gi-yeom, Baek Gi-yeom dodged it angrily.
Baek Yuri hung up the phone and nagged.
"I told you not to spoil the broadcast. You'll get kicked out if you do that?"
"Haha! I only told my KeunMother! What! We should keep quiet in our house, where we are all tight-lipped~"
"Oh my."
Baek Namoo nodded, telling Neoul to go and ask quickly.
Neoul dragged his carrier and approached Baek Yuri and Baek Giyeom. Baek Giyeom found Neoul and asked.
"Huh? Neoul, why? Can't you catch a taxi? Is someone not coming to pick you up?"
Neoul nodded.
"Would you mind if I go to your house?"
***
Right after Neoul and the Baeks disappeared in Baek Yuri's mother's car.
A black luxury sedan stopped in front of the building. The man in a suit sitting in the back left seat was wearing black sunglasses even though it was night.
He was Won Hashin, the youngest grandson of the chairman of UJ Group, which owns cable broadcasting companies Unet and tvD. He was also the CEO of H.A.D, a famous large agency.
His family was in competition with MN Group, the cable broadcaster PLu, which was filming
Nevertheless, there was only one reason he came here.
"Name: Gal Neoul, height: 192cm. A friend with black, slightly long hair. Bring him."
At Won Hashin's command, the secretary sitting in the driver's seat got out of the car. He quickly scanned the area around the building and went inside to look for Neoul.
However, he couldn't find Neoul and returned after hearing that the participants had already gone home.
"No?"
The secretary lowered his head at Won Hashin's embarrassed question.
"No, where did the fish go when it had nowhere to go? Let's get back in."
Won Hashin took off his sunglasses, took out his smartphone, and turned on the location tracking app. The location of Neoul's smartphone, which was moving somewhere, appeared on the screen.
Having Neoul's ID card made for the sea priestess and opening a smartphone account for Neoul were all done by Won Hashin's family.
In order to smoothly carry out the work that the sea priestess had instructed, Won Hashin installed the location tracking app on Neoul's smartphone in advance.
However, after a while, a notification appeared saying that the location could not be determined.
"Oh no. His phone must be dead."
Won Hashin touched his forehead as if he was in trouble, then instructed them to drive to the last confirmed location.
However, the location they arrived at 5 minutes later was in the middle of an 8-lane road, and there was no way to know where Neoul had gone.
"This is a big problem. I'm going to get a big scolding from the priestess.... I hope he wasn't kidnapped somewhere. Should I just run away in the middle of the night?"
The secretary asked cautiously at the muttering sound.
"CEO. With the chairman too, why can't you do anything to her? Is she really that great?"
Secretary Song, who had recently transferred from another company to become Won Hashin's secretary, didn't know much about the sea priestess.
Her name was Jo Geum-yeong, three letters.
Despite her age according to her resident registration, she looked like she was in her 20s and young and beautiful.
Her eyes were deep, as if they contained many years, despite her youthful appearance.
The chairman and vice chairman of the UJ Group, as well as Won Hashin, the boss he served, treated her with respect and called her 'Priestess'.
That was all Secretary Song knew.
The boss and his family called her Priestess, but he had never seen her do anything like shaking a bell to tell fortunes, writing talismans, or performing rituals.
Who would think she was a priestess when they saw her occasionally appearing in elegant and sophisticated attire like an actress going to an award ceremony, giving orders and receiving reports?
A strange woman who gave off such a dangerous and alluring vibe.
Secretary Song was a quiet and hard-working secretary, but he couldn't resist his curiosity about her.
Won Ha-shin turned away from the secretary's suspicious gaze.
"I don't know the details."
"....."
"My grandfather told me to serve her with respect, so I have no choice but to serve her."
It was a lie.
Secretary Song, who realized his boss's blatant lie, carefully opened his mouth.
"For that reason, it seems like the CEO is afraid of the Priestess."
"Tha, that's not true?! Hey! Look in front of you! In front of you! Why do you keep making eye contact with the rearview mirror while driving? It's dangerous!"
Won Ha-shin got angry for no reason and shouted loudly.
"Huh! What's so scary about that sinister Ajumma (aunt)!"
"Ajumm? She's not that much older than the CEO. If she's four years older, isn't she your older sister?"
"There's something you don't know! Don't be curious! If you find out, I'll kill you!"
"Understood."
When Won Ha-shin didn't seem to want to tell about her, Secretary Song kept his mouth shut.
He had no intention of digging deeper into something he had told him not to be curious about. He couldn't ask anymore.
He had recently become the secretary of the person he wanted to be, but as someone who had worked as a secretary for quite some time at another company, he had that much sense.
"....."
"....."
As Secretary Song focused on driving, Won Ha-shin felt embarrassed and coughed in vain, putting on his sunglasses.
'If you asked me one more time, I would have told you a little bit… .'
Unlike the bosses that Secretary Song had previously served, Won Ha-shin was not that strict. Rather, he was sloppy and uninterested. He was the type that easily got over it if you teased him in a humorous way.
However, Secretary Song was far from humorous and was rather serious and blunt, so Won Ha-shin and his conversations often ended in a stalemate.
Won Ha-shin regretted speaking up for no reason and looked at Secretary Song's expression.
'Secretary Song will eventually learn about the priestess if he works next to me anyway. Did I go too far?'
Won Ha-shin thought back to when he first heard stories about her when he was young, sitting on his grandfather's lap.
At that time, he vaguely imagined the sea priestess as a kind guardian deity.
—ᴛʜᴇ ᴘʀɪᴇꜱᴛᴇꜱꜱ ɪꜱ ꜱᴀɪᴅ ᴛᴏ ʙᴇ ᴀ ᴠᴇʀʏ ᴡᴏɴᴅᴇʀꜰᴜʟ ᴘᴇʀꜱᴏɴ. ꜱʜᴇ ꜱᴏʟᴅ ʜᴇʀ ᴊᴇᴡᴇʟꜱ ᴀɴᴅ ᴛᴏᴏᴋ ɪɴ ᴏʀᴘʜᴀɴꜱ ᴅᴜʀɪɴɢ ᴛʜᴇ ᴋᴏʀᴇᴀɴ ᴡᴀʀ, ꜰᴇᴅ ᴛʜᴇᴍ, ᴄʟᴏᴛʜᴇᴅ ᴛʜᴇᴍ, ᴀɴᴅ ʀᴀɪꜱᴇᴅ ᴛʜᴇᴍ ᴡɪᴛʜ ᴄᴀʀᴇ ꜱᴏ ᴛʜᴀᴛ ᴛʜᴇʏ ᴄᴏᴜʟᴅ ʙᴇᴄᴏᴍᴇ ɪɴᴅᴇᴘᴇɴᴅᴇɴᴛ.
—ᴡᴏᴡ.
—ꜱʜᴇ ᴡᴀꜱɴ'ᴛ ᴊᴜꜱᴛ ɪɴ ᴏᴜʀ ᴄᴏᴜɴᴛʀʏ. ꜱʜᴇ ᴛʀᴀᴠᴇʟᴇᴅ ᴀʟʟ ᴏᴠᴇʀ ᴛʜᴇ ᴡᴏʀʟᴅ ᴛᴏ ʜᴇʟᴘ ᴄʜɪʟᴅʀᴇɴ ɪɴ ᴅɪꜰꜰɪᴄᴜʟᴛ ᴄɪʀᴄᴜᴍꜱᴛᴀɴᴄᴇꜱ. ᴍʏ ɢʀᴀɴᴅꜰᴀᴛʜᴇʀ ᴀɴᴅ ɢʀᴀɴᴅᴍᴏᴛʜᴇʀ ᴡᴇʀᴇ ᴀʟꜱᴏ ᴘᴏᴏʀ ᴏʀᴘʜᴀɴꜱ ᴛᴀᴋᴇɴ ɪɴ ʙʏ ᴛʜᴇ ᴘʀɪᴇꜱᴛᴇꜱꜱ.
—ɪꜱ ᴛʜᴀᴛ ᴛʀᴜᴇ?
—ʏᴇꜱ. ᴍᴏꜱᴛ ᴏʀᴘʜᴀɴꜱ ᴡʜᴏ ʀᴇᴄᴇɪᴠᴇᴅ ɢʀᴀᴄᴇ ꜰᴏʀɢᴏᴛ ᴀʙᴏᴜᴛ ᴛʜᴇ ᴘʀɪᴇꜱᴛᴇꜱꜱ ᴀꜰᴛᴇʀ ʙᴇᴄᴏᴍɪɴɢ ɪɴᴅᴇᴘᴇɴᴅᴇɴᴛ, ʙᴜᴛ ᴍʏ ɢʀᴀɴᴅꜰᴀᴛʜᴇʀ ᴀɴᴅ ɢʀᴀɴᴅᴍᴏᴛʜᴇʀ ᴅᴇᴄɪᴅᴇᴅ ᴛᴏ ʀᴇᴘᴀʏ ᴛʜᴇ ɢʀᴀᴄᴇ ʙʏ ꜱᴇʀᴠɪɴɢ ᴛʜᴇ ᴘʀɪᴇꜱᴛᴇꜱꜱ ꜰᴏʀ ɢᴇɴᴇʀᴀᴛɪᴏɴꜱ. ʜᴏᴡᴇᴠᴇʀ, ᴛʜᴇ ᴘʀɪᴇꜱᴛᴇꜱꜱ ʜᴇʟᴘᴇᴅ ᴏᴜʀ ꜰᴀᴍɪʟʏ ᴡɪᴛʜ ʜᴇʀ ᴍɪʀᴀᴄᴜʟᴏᴜꜱ ᴘᴏᴡᴇʀꜱ.
—ᴡᴏᴡ! ᴛʜᴇ ᴘʀɪᴇꜱᴛᴇꜱꜱ ɪꜱ ᴀᴡᴇꜱᴏᴍᴇ!
—ᴏᴜʀ ᴜᴊ ɢʀᴏᴜᴘ ʜᴀꜱ ɢʀᴏᴡɴ ꜱᴏ ᴍᴜᴄʜ ᴀɴᴅ ᴡᴇ ᴄᴀɴ ʟɪᴠᴇ ᴡᴇʟʟ, ᴀʟʟ ᴛʜᴀɴᴋꜱ ᴛᴏ ᴛʜᴇ ᴘʀɪᴇꜱᴛᴇꜱꜱ' ɢʀᴀᴄᴇ. ɪᴛ'ꜱ ᴀ ꜱᴇᴄʀᴇᴛ ɪɴ ᴏᴜʀ ʜᴏᴜꜱᴇ, ꜱᴏ ʏᴏᴜ ᴍᴜꜱᴛ ɴᴇᴠᴇʀ ᴛᴇʟʟ ᴀɴʏᴏɴᴇ ᴇʟꜱᴇ. ɢᴏᴛ ɪᴛ?
—ʏᴇꜱ!
However, the sea priestess that they actually met completely shattered the child's fantasy.
—ᴡʜᴀᴛ ɪꜱ ᴛʜɪꜱ ᴋɪᴅ? ᴡᴀꜱɴ'ᴛ ʜᴇ ʜᴇʀᴇ ʟᴀꜱᴛ ᴛɪᴍᴇ?
—ʜᴇ'ꜱ ᴍʏ ɢʀᴀɴᴅꜱᴏɴ, ᴘʀɪᴇꜱᴛᴇꜱꜱ.
—ʜᴜʜ~ ʟɪᴛᴛʟᴇ ʙʀᴀᴛ, ʏᴏᴜʀ ʏᴏᴜɴɢᴇꜱᴛ ɢʀᴀɴᴅꜱᴏɴ? ᴡʜᴇɴ ᴅɪᴅ ʏᴏᴜ ɢᴇᴛ ᴀɴᴏᴛʜᴇʀ ɢʀᴀɴᴅꜱᴏɴ? ᴡʜᴀᴛ ᴛʜᴇ? ʟᴏᴏᴋ ᴀᴛ ʜᴏᴡ ʜᴀᴘᴘʏ ʏᴏᴜ ᴀʀᴇ.
Crazy, sly, rude....
—ʜᴇʏ, ʙᴀʙʏ. ꜱʜᴏᴜʟᴅ ᴡᴇ ᴘʟᴀʏ ᴛᴀɢ ᴡɪᴛʜ ɢʀᴀɴᴅᴍᴀ?
—ᴏʜ, ᴏʜ! ᴀᴊᴜᴍᴍᴀ, ʏᴏᴜ'ʀᴇ ꜱᴄᴀʀʏ!
—ɪ ꜱᴀɪᴅ ɢʀᴀɴᴅᴍᴀ?
She didn't pay attention to the six-year-old and chased after him as if she was going to kill him, giving him a hellish tag game. No matter what kind of play she did, she never seemed to see it as if the purpose was to make the child cry and tease him.
That was okay. He could treat her comfortably, thinking of her as just an annoying old lady next door.
However, one day, when he went with his grandfather on a business trip overseas and got bored, he went outside to play alone, and was kidnapped.
When he woke up from a drugged sleep, the sea priestess was slowly pouring drugs on the kidnapper, vaporizing him. The kidnapper died painfully and disappeared from the world without a trace. Not even a bone was left behind.
He couldn't forget the expression on the sea priestess' face that day. The usual playfulness was nowhere to be found, and the expression was filled only with murderous intent…
From that day on, whenever Won Hashin saw her horizontally slit pupils, he would sweat and feel chills. Although she looked like a person, he could feel deep in his bones that she was absolutely not a person.
In addition, her face, which did not age at all, was eerie. He had known her since he was six, so it had been over twenty years since he had known her, and he was almost thirty years old, but her face had not changed at all.
His grandfather called her a priestess, but in Won Hasin's eyes, she was just a witch.
Then one day, the witch suddenly said, 'The prince whom the Dragon King cherishes and his escort will come to the land, so make two ID cards for him.' Then, she suddenly brought a small, noisy woman and left her in charge, saying, 'She is the escort, so socialize her a little.'
Then, this time, the prince was filming for an idol survival show, so she left a message telling him to take good care of him when he comes to Seoul.
"First of all... check everything from the broadcasting station to the CCTV in this area. If he was kidnapped, we need to rescue him safely. If his phone simply died because the battery was dead, he will charge it eventually so keep calling him."
He had to find Gal Neoul and check if he was okay.
I don't think that's possible, but Won Hashin shuddered as he imagined the sea priestess vaporizing him into an unidentified liquid.
—