“I’ve missed you two sorely,” Hwang Halmeoni said, her eyes shifting to take in Sinhye as well. They narrowed ever so slightly before returning to Somin. “What brings you back my way?”
“We’re just visiting the old place. We’ve missed it,” Somin said, hoping her voice sounded casual.
“Something odd is happening,” Hwang Halmeoni said ominously, and Somin could feel Sinhye stiffen beside her.
“Have you seen them? The spirits?” Hwang Halmeoni said, and Somin let out a breath of relief.
“Yes, I have, but don’t worry, you’re safe,” she said.
“Oh, don’t worry, I know how to handle a wayward ghost or two. Though I’ve never seen so many at a time before,” she said. “You two take care, and don’t be a stranger after this. I hardly get any visitors anymore with the restaurant closed.”
“Of course,” Somin said with a smile. Then she hesitated. It took all her willpower not to glance at Sinhye. Somin had to tread carefully here. “I hear you’ve kept in touch with Miyoung lately. I’ll bring her by, too.”
Hwang Halmeoni nodded with a mild smile, and anxiety sliced through Somin. Had her message not gotten across? Miyoung said that Hwang Halmeoni was supposed to call her whenever Jihoon came by to visit the restaurant. Would she do so now? Or had she forgotten about her promise?
“Come on,” Sinhye said.
Somin was barely able to give a bow of goodbye before she was yanked toward the restaurant.
“I thought people from your time were more respectful to elders,” Somin muttered as she almost tripped over her own feet.
“I didn’t mingle with the people that much,” Sinhye said. “Being a monster and all.”
The words might have garnered some sympathy from Somin, but seeing as she was currently being held hostage, she didn’t have much pity to spare for the gumiho.
Most of the doors of the building were locked, but Somin knew a trick with the back door. If you jiggled it in just the right way, then it would come loose. She didn’t know how many times she and Jihoon had nagged Halmeoni to get it fixed.
It looked weird to see the back of the restaurant without any dirty dishware waiting to be washed. Now it was just a cold industrial room with scuffed counters and a wide, dripping sink. There were so many memories Somin could practically hear the echo of voices. As if the space were haunted. Somin’s eyes drifted to the fox spirit. “What now?”
“Now I do my villain monologue,” Sinhye said.
The declaration shocked Somin into silence.
Sinhye moved about the room. It was so odd. Somin was used to Jihoon in this space. It should have looked familiar. But there was a way the fox spirit moved that was so foreign to her. Like watching a puppet master move Jihoon in unnatural ways.
“I was trapped for a millennium. Can you imagine what that feels like?” Sinhye gave Somin a dismissive look. “No, of course you can’t. Betrayed by the one you thought you loved. Kept in that damned jar by his own magic. Floating in a nothingness. But I could hear the whisper of other spirits. I could hear them talking. And one day, I could hear that they were excited. Something had changed. And it was like a veil was lifted. I could feel the energy of the world. I could practically taste it. I knew it would be my only chance to open my prison. But I knew I’d have to bide my time. I didn’t want to be a bodiless spirit floating through the world. I needed a vessel.” She wandered the room, running her hands over the shelving. Opening empty cabinets. Somin winced every time they slammed shut again. “I thought about taking hold of Junu. But a dokkaebi’s body is a strange thing. A vessel already, built especially for his soul. It would not stretch to accommodate another. But your friend.” She gestured down toward Jihoon’s body. “Fits like a glove. I could taste the energy of another gumiho on him. It was all so deliciously perfect.”
Perfect was not the word Somin would have chosen for it, but she refused to reply.
Sinhye walked to the sink and played with the faucet, turning the water on and off. “You all don’t know how good you have it these days,” she murmured.
Somin was finally annoyed enough to reply. “I’m not really interested in hearing how hard it was before indoor plumbing.”
“I’m getting carried away,” Sinhye said with a light laugh. “I have to