Page 20 of Gumiho Kiss
Dread flooded her insides as her bodyguard’s face flashed through her mind.Of all people, why did it have to be Mr.Park?He was the worst person it could possibly be.
While not all of the humans’ beliefs about gumiho were correct, they had gotten some things right.And though Chin Sun hadn’t grown up among gumiho, she knew in her soul what she had to do.
The only way to retrieve a swallowed fox bead was with a kiss.
Chapter8
The Investigator
Hyun Soo tried not to let his dissatisfaction show when he returned to the Lee residence empty-handed.One of Lord Lee’s servants opened the door to allow him entrance, a question flickering in his eyes, but the young man dared not ask it.Hyun Soo didn’t bother explaining his late arrival.Instead, he made his way to his small sleeping area and took a much-needed break, knowing he’d only have a few hours before his duties would begin again.
Such was the life of a soldier, and Hyun Soo had grown accustomed to surviving on the bare minimum.His comrades had often joked around that he was more than human, for no human could function on as little sleep as he got.
He wondered what they’d say if they’d been there tonight.Tae Min would probably have made a joke about how Hyun Soo had done fairly well, but if it had been him, he wouldn’t have let Gwishin escape.Then Byung Hun would have shoved Tae Min and told him to stop lying.
His old friends’ laughing faces were bittersweet, for it was impossible to think of them without also remembering how they’d abandoned him when he’d needed them most.
Hyun Soo pressed his fist against his forehead, wishing sleep would snatch him away from his thoughts.He didn’t need to be thinking about his comrades now; he had other disappointments to rectify.
* * *
When he woke, one of the servants told him Lady Lee had taken ill with a fierce headache and would be staying in her quarters for a few days, so he would only be needed at night for keeping the residence secure.
A headache?More like the fight in the alley yesterday had her too frightened to go outdoors.
Guilt skittered across his chest.She wouldn’t be frightened if he’d done his job properly.
No matter.This was actually helpful since it gave him some time to gather information.
Hyun Soo spent the extra time investigating, first with a visit to the police bureau, then to the yangban and jungin in the center of Sokju.It took quite a bit of effort, and sometimes outright bribery, but he managed to get statements from just about every officer and highborn who claimed to have seen the infamous vigilante.The only ones he didn’t talk with were the Kangs, Lees, and a certain inspector Kim who was away on business.
He also manned his nightly post over the Lee residence until his reprieve, and though he didn’t have any other encounters with the vigilante, he couldn’t escape a nearly constant feeling of being watched.It would come upon him as soon as the sun set each night, starting with an eerie chill down his spine that would spread through his limbs and settle around his heart.Every time he tried to dismiss it as paranoia, he’d remember the monster from the forest and check the perimeter again.He never found anything, but that didn’t mean the creature wasn’t out there.Watching.Waiting.
Between questioning people by day and standing guard by night, Hyun Soo barely stopped to eat or rest, and by the time he’d finished speaking to the last witness, he was exhausted.It was lunchtime, so he headed to the closest inn, ordered a hearty bowl of janggukbap, soju, and side dishes, and sat down to sort through everything he’d collected about Gwishin.
He’d asked the police to share what they’d learned about the vigilante, specifically when and where he’d been spotted.They hadn’t wanted to tell him anything at first, but mentioning the Kang family name had been like a key that unlocked a treasure trove of information.
From what Hyun Soo could tell, Gwishin had only become a serious problem in the last couple of years, though vague reports of masked men in black spanned back in the city’s records for decades.People hadn’t officially named the vigilante “the Ghost” until about a year ago when he’d raided a yangban’s storage building and bags of grain had subsequently appeared in front of several commoners’ huts.Eyewitnesses placed him all over the city.From the quaintest clay hut to the most luxurious yangban estate, almost every area of Sokju had a story of the infamous Gwishin.He’d been accused of assault, armed robbery, destruction of property, and the murders of over thirty individuals, a few of whom were civilians.
Physical descriptions of the man were sparse, aside from his black hanbok and covered face.Some said he was taller than any man they’d ever seen while others claimed he was on the short side.Hyun Soo recalled a short adversary with slight features, which had made the vigilante all the more elusive during their skirmish.
He wasn’t even a man, according to a few, but a real ghost who’d returned from the grave to settle an old score with the government.Some of the reports even used phrases like “too fast to be human” and “he cast a spell on me so I couldn’t move until he was gone.”Hyun Soo’s encounter last nighthadbeen strange.He’d assumed he’d be dealing with someone fairly skilled in martial arts, not someone who seemed to disappear like the mist.
But Hyun Soo hadn’t believed in ghost stories since he was a child, and he wasn’t about to start now.Ghosts didn’t bleed.
The yangban and jungin he’d spoken with had been happy to hear someone besides the police was finally getting involved in this whole mess.They’d lost a great deal because of Gwishin and hoped he would soon be brought to justice.Among the highborn, there was a common thread of hatred toward the infamous criminal.
But then there were the others, mostly testimonies from commoners and lowborn, that painted a starkly different portrait.“He’s not a criminal.He’s the savior of Sokju,” one merchant had claimed after the vigilante had saved his daughter from drowning.
“We’ve needed him around for a long time,” a disgruntled citizen had told the police after a nobleman’s home was looted.“This yangban stole from me on three occasions, and the government did nothing about it.Gwishin is standing up for the common people.”
Hyun Soo gulped down his soju, then called for a refill.Such contradictory evidence was giving him a headache of his own.Just who was Gwishin?
The innkeeper brought him some more alcohol, and Hyun Soo thanked her despite the critical look she gave him before bustling off.He raised his drinking bowl back to his lips.
“I should have known I’d find you here,” said a familiar voice.
Hyun Soo looked up as his friend waltzed over from the entrance and plopped into the seat across from him.Dol Sam smirked in that annoying “I know you better than you know yourself” way, and Hyun Soo set his bowl down with a scowl.
