Chapter 5: The Peach Branch and the Plastic Bag
“Nothing here.”
Yoo Kishin and I left the science lab empty-handed.
Somehow, I ended up hunting for the rumored ghost with him.
‘Didn’t expect him to be this excited.’
Shunned by the class, with no one understanding him.
How could he not be thrilled to meet someone with the same goal?
“But why do you want to be a ghost hunter? Got a special reason?”
He hesitated briefly before answering.
“…It’s cool. No one knows ghosts better than a ghost hunter.”
“Knows ghosts to do what? It’s not like it helps in life.”
“Not true. Shamans and exorcists make money from it. And people spread ghost stories because they don’t understand. If you know ghosts, they’re not scary.”
He had a firm belief in the occult.
His sharp eyes said it all.
“Hmm. You really believe ghosts exist?”
“Yeah. Isn’t it less romantic if they don’t? If there’s no ghosts, death’s just the end. But if they exist, you can dream of something after.”
“Good point.”
‘I’m living my second life as a ghost, after all.’
His obsession reminded me of someone.
My past-life self.
His passion for ghost stories might even rival mine back then.
My past life.
‘Why was I so into the occult?’
“But there’s a reason people don’t believe in ghosts and fear them.”
I spoke up.
“Like moving to a new house and fleeing because of a ghost, or someone dying after picking up a haunted object. Hearing those stories, you’d rather they didn’t exist.”
“Well… ghosts were once people. If there are good ghosts, there must be bad ones too.”
I stopped walking.
He stopped too, and a cold silence settled in the hallway.
“If you meet a real ghost and it tries to hurt you, what then? No guarantee it won’t.”
Right now, I could snap this quirky boy’s neck.
But the world doesn’t just have ghosts like me.
“I’d try talking first…”
“What if it doesn’t listen?”
“Then I’d have to run or fight.”
“…Fight?”
“Yeah. Ghost hunters focus on investigating paranormal phenomena, but sometimes they exorcise too. I’ve studied a lot.”
Yoo Kishin pulled items from his bag, showing them off.
He explained proudly.
“With this salt and dish, I can set up a Morishio barrier, or swing this peach branch to fight back. Lots of options.”
“…Peach branch?”
As a former occult nerd, I knew what he meant but asked anyway.
Thinking I was clueless, Yoo Kishin puffed up even more.
“Since ancient times, peach trees were believed to ward off evil. Their branches have the power to repel ghosts.”
“Hmm. Got it.”
“Wanna touch it?”
He handed me the branch.
A faint spiritual energy, absent in normal wood, tingled in my palm.
‘Stings a bit.’
It was definitely hostile to a ghost like me.
Strong enough to affect most ghosts.
I lifted the branch and smacked my palm hard.
Smack!
It didn’t hurt much.
Just a red mark, as a human would have.
A reaction from my disguise.
“Ouch.”
“Haha, of course it hurts! But for a real ghost, it’d be worse.”
Yoo Kishin laughed and took the lead.
“Anyway, even if the headless ghost gets aggressive, I’m ready.”
“Good to know.”
“Right? If it happens, you run. I’ll handle it.”
His serious expression showed his sincerity.
Not for me, someone he just met, but from some deep obsession and duty.
It felt familiar, like thoughts I’d had often.
Handing in a blank quiz, he must spend all his time on this instead of studying.
‘Tch. He’ll end up like past-life me.’
Harsh words.
Not that I should talk.
“Huh?”
Footsteps echoed.
We stopped and looked at each other.
Step, step.
Listening closely, they grew clearer.
“The janitor?”
“Nah, he went the other way.”
True enough, no flashlight glow appeared around the corner.
A janitor would have one on.
We realized it.
This was the ‘headless ghost’ from the rumor.
‘Unless someone else snuck in like us.’
I had my reasons, and Yoo Kishin’s just a weirdo.
Another like him seemed unlikely.
Trying not to get caught, we softened our steps.
Yoo Kishin’s eyes gleamed with excitement.
Then.
A dark figure flickered ahead.
We exchanged a glance, and Yoo Kishin pulled out his phone.
As he moved to turn on the flash, flash!
Lightning struck, bathing the hallway in white light.
“…”
Yoo Kishin’s eyes widened, and mine narrowed slightly.
In that fleeting glow, we saw the dark figure.
Its head was shrouded in black.
The Exorcist Association, or the Association for short.
A massive hidden force, they dispatched countless agents to combat supernatural entities or keep them secret.
Lee Hwaseo was one of them.
Still young, it wasn’t a full assignment but partly for social experience. Still, an exorcist is an exorcist.
‘Schools are places where negative energy gathers.’
They served dual purposes, making schools ideal for her work.
Stepping into Paradise High, she shivered.
The negative energy?
But middle school hadn’t felt like this.
Despite her concerns, school life went smoothly for a while.
She stayed vigilant while enjoying her beloved studies.
Unlike other young exorcists, Lee Hwaseo genuinely enjoyed school.
She’d always longed for a normal life—making friends, having fun, competing.
‘Maybe it’s too much to hope for.’
Despite being called pretty, bright, and smart, she had no close friends.
Many approached her looks, but she instinctively kept them at a distance.
She feared failing like in middle school.
Her fate was to live differently from them.
Still, she couldn’t ignore her heart.
Sometimes, someone caught her eye.
‘Seol Haru… was it?’
The girl who scored a perfect quiz score alongside her.
It was tough, with no prep, and she’d relied on luck.
But Seol Haru not only aced it but calmly explained it when called on.
During introductions, Lee Hwaseo’s jaw dropped unconsciously.
She’d never seen such a beautiful girl.
A cool expression with an indescribable mystique.
And she was brilliant too.
Lee Hwaseo envied her.
‘She must have tons of friends.’
Seol Haru likely lived the normal life she dreamed of.
As an ordinary girl, unaware of the world’s hidden side.
That was exactly what Lee Hwaseo wanted.
But fate wouldn’t leave her alone.
“A headless ghost?”
A sudden ghost story uproar.
Kids brushed it off as a joke, but one didn’t.
Yoo Kishin.
He’d definitely check the rumor’s truth.
Lee Hwaseo didn’t know if it was real.
But…
“If it’s true, it’s a problem.”
If Yoo Kishin saw a ghost and spread word, or got hurt, either way was bad.
The Association had four main divisions, and Lee Hwaseo was in the Special Task Force.
Their role: conceal supernatural phenomena from the public.
She’d do whatever it took to keep the secret.
That’s why she came to school at night.
She’d overheard Yoo Kishin asking others to investigate with him.
“No sign of the rumored ghost…”
A false rumor?
Maybe she didn’t need to act, but she prepared for the worst.
Her plan: make everyone believe the ghost was fake.
She’d already set it up.
Time to show a Special Task Force exorcist’s skills.
As she finished preparing, lightning struck.
She saw Yoo Kishin, shocked, and another person.
‘Seol Haru? Why’s she…’
An unexpected presence, but she proceeded.
Darkness returned to the hallway.
Yoo Kishin, clutching a branch, approached cautiously.
‘…Peach wood?’
He seemed into the occult and knew a bit.
The Association used peach wood furniture too.
Seol Haru followed slowly.
She looked calm, but that couldn’t be right.
She was probably moving slowly out of fear.
‘Gotta wrap this up fast.’
For her sake.
As Yoo Kishin reached her and turned on his flash, Lee Hwaseo removed ‘what she was wearing on her head.’
“…Huh?”
“What?”
“So.”
“You were wandering the school at night with a black plastic bag over your head?”
“…Yeah.”
“Why??”
The plan worked.
But her reputation took a slight hit.
“Well, uh…”
This is why being an exorcist sucks.