My Ancestor is Watching Me! — Chapter 1

DON’T GET LOST IN THE DETAILS.

PAY ATTENTION TO THE BODY’S MOVEMENT AS YOU DRAW.

OH!

DAWON.

YES, PROFESSOR?

JUST WHAT IN THE WORLD DID YOU DRAW...?

AH! WHAT THE HECK IS THIS?!

STOP JOKING AROUND AND START DRAWING.

YES, PROFESSOR... I'LL ERASE IT.

I...

...CAN SEE GHOSTS.

OR MORE PRECISELY...

...ANCESTRAL SPIRITS.

THAT LOOKS A BIT DANGEROUS...

HEY, YOU GOT THE LOCATION OF THE HAND WRONG.

LORD DONGJA, PLEASE GO BACK INSIDE.

AND, DON’T GO BURNING WITH ARTISTIC PASSION ALL BY YOURSELF.

SHAN’T. I’M BORED.

I’M GONNA SMITE YOU WITH DIVINE PUNISHMENT IF YOU MAKE ME.

THIS IS MY ANCESTRAL SPIRIT.

LORD BABY DONGJA.

EVERYONE HAS AN ANCESTRAL SPIRIT ON THEM,

AND THEY COME IN ALL SHAPES AND FORMS.

ALTHOUGH MOST SERVE AS GUARDIANS...

...TAKING THE FORM OF HUMANS WHO ONCE LIVED...

...THEIR APPEARANCES CAN VARY DEPENDING ON THE SPIRIT'S STATE.

AND ON RARE OCCASIONS WHEN THEY'RE IN BAD SHAPE...

...THEY CAN EVEN MANIFEST IN GROTESQUE FORMS LIKE THAT.

OH!

I JUST GOT INSPIRATION.

LET'S DRAW HIM BURNING AGAINST THE BACKDROP OF THE FIRES OF HELL!

UGH! LORD DONGJA, PLEASE!!!

DON'T GO CONTROLLING MY HAND LIKE THAT!!

SPRING.

MAYBE BECAUSE IT'S THE SEASON WHEN LIFE BLOOMS ANEW...

...BUT EVERYONE LOOKS EAGER AND EXCITED AS IF SOMETHING UNEXPECTED IS ABOUT TO HAPPEN.

ALTHOUGH I'M USED TO GHOSTS AND SPIRITS...

...PEOPLE ARE STILL DIFFICULT FOR ME.

STILL,

I CAN'T LET THIS OPPORTUNITY GO TO WASTE.

BECAUSE THIS BRIEF SPRING IN MY LIFE...

...MEANS MORE TO ME THAN THE WHOLE WORLD.

DAWON!!

THERE YOU ARE. WE WERE LOOKING FOR YOU EVERYWHERE.

WASN'T THAT MODEL SO CUTE?

DAWON'S FRIENDS, ALSO FRESHMEN.

DAWON, I LOVED YOUR DRAWING EARLIER.

THAT EXPRESSIONIST SCENE OF HELL!!

SHE'S COMPLIMENTING MY DRAWING!

I'M AWESOME!

I KNOW THE PROFESSOR CHEWED YOU OUT,

BUT AS AN ARTIST, YOU GOTTA STICK TO YOUR VISION!

TH-THANKS, BUT IT WAS A BIT OVER THE TOP...

WHEN IT'S NOT THAT KIND OF CLASS.

DAWON'S BLUSHING AGAIN!

SO CUTE!

YOU'RE PUTTING YOURSELF DOWN AGAIN.

HER ART IS SO UNCONVENTIONAL,

BUT ODDLY ENOUGH, SHE'S SUPER SHY AND TIMID.

YEAH, BUT SHE KNOWS HOW TO GET THINGS DONE.

REMEMBER HOW SHE DANCED IN THE TALENT SHOW WITH THAT DEADPAN EXPRESSION?

SHE'S LOW-KEY WEIRD, BUT IN A GOOD WAY.

...BUT I'LL TOUCH MY NOSE WITH MY TONGUE WHILE DANCING.

I CAN'T DO MUCH...

PLEASE ERASE THAT FROM YOUR MEMORY...

ANYWAY, YOUR DRAWINGS ARE AWESOME...

...SO GIVE YOURSELF SOME MORE CREDIT, DAWON.

THAT'S RIGHT. THESE SIMPLE, EVERYDAY MOMENTS WITH MY FRIENDS...

MOMENTS LIKE THESE MEAN EVERYTHING TO ME.

I EVEN SAW YOUR PORTFOLIO!

LET'S GRAB SOME COFFEE BEFORE HEADING TO THE CLUB FAIR.

WE CAN CHILL AT THE ART PLAZA SINCE THE WEATHER'S SO NICE.

OH...

COFFEE?

GOSH, IT'S SO NICE OUT!

SUNAE KIM, ANCESTRAL SPIRIT IS AN ORDINARY-LOOKING ELDERLY WOMAN.

MINA JEON, HAVE NO IDEA WHAT HER ANCESTRAL SPIRIT IS.

YEAH, IT'S THE PERFECT WEATHER TO GO ON A DATE WITH YOUR BOYFRIEND.

SUNAE, YOU DON'T EVEN HAVE ONE.

I GUESS IT'S ONLY NATURAL THAT EVERYONE THINKS ABOUT DATING SINCE IT'S SPRING...

I WISH I WERE DATING SOMEONE, TOO...

DAWON, HOW COME YOU ONLY EVER DRINK YOGURT DRINKS?

ARE YOU SENSITIVE TO CAFFEINE?

I-IT'S A LITTLE BITTER FOR ME.

LIKES YOGURT DRINKS.

I CAN'T HANDLE LORD DONGJA WHEN HE GETS A CAFFEINE HIGH.

MY HEART'S RACING!

SO BITTER!

TASTES GROSS!

DAWON EATS LIKE A LITTLE KID. SHE CAN'T EVEN EAT SPICY FOOD.

I SWEAR SHE ONLY EATS SWEET STUFF ALL THE TIME.

YUMMY MACARON!

HAHA...

OH, THERE'S THAT MODEL FROM EARLIER.

WHERE?

SO CUTE...

EVEN THE GRANNY SEEMS TO BE OBSESSED WITH GUYS...

BUT IS IT JUST ME, OR DID THAT GET BIGGER...?

HEY SUNAE, YOU KNOW IT'S RUDE TO TALK TO A NUDE MODEL, RIGHT?

I-I WASN'T GONNA! I'M JUST SAYING HE'S CUTE!

YOU'RE ACTING YOU'RE POSSESSED BY A VIRGIN GHOST WHO DIED SINGLE OR SOMETHING...

YEAH, SO WHAT IF I'M POSSESSED?! JUST LET ME MEET A GUY ALREADY. I'M AN ADULT NOW!!

WHY IS IT COVERING A SPOT LIKE THAT...?

!

I SHOULD PROBABLY JUST IGNORE IT SINCE LORD DONJA ISN'T SAYING ANYTHING ABOUT IT...

I CAN ONLY INTERVENE WITH ANCESTRAL SPIRITS WITH HIS PERMISSION...

...OR ELSE...

THIS IS DIVINE PUNISHMENT FROM THE ANCESTORS.

DAWON.

Y-YEAH?

YOU WERE SPACING OUT AGAIN.

COME ON, LET'S GO.

WHERE?

DUH.

THE PLACE WHERE ALL GREAT ENCOUNTERS BEGIN.

Welcome Freshmen Hanguk University Club Fair

OH MY GOD, I FINALLY FEEL LIKE A COLLEGE STUDENT!!

BOYS! BOYS!

Welcome Freshmen

THERE'S SO MANY GIRLS IN OUR MAJOR THAT WE MIGHT AS WELL BE AT A WOMEN'S COLLEGE.

WANNA JOIN THE HIKING CLUB? I BET THERE'S GONNA BE A TON OF GUYS!

UGH... THERE'S TOO MANY PEOPLE HERE...

SCRATCH THAT, I'LL JOIN THE TRAVEL CLUB. IT'D BE WEIRD IF NOTHING HAPPENS WITH A GUY DURING AN OVERNIGHT TRIP.

ALL THOSE CUTE UPPERCLASSMEN ARE MINE!

AND THERE'S TOO MANY GHOSTS!!!

ALL THE LOCAL YOUNG GENTLEMEN ARE MINE!

I WORKED MY BUTT OFF TO GET INTO COLLEGE, SO I DESERVE A LITTLE ROMANCE.

UGH, I'M GETTING DRAINED.

IT'S MY DREAM TO DATE SOMEONE FROM THE SAME COLLEGE.

THIS PLACE REALLY IS...

...A HUB FOR MEETING PEOPLE.

DATING...

LORD DONGJA, DO YOU THINK I CAN MEET SOMEONE TOO?

I WANNA EAT CARP BREAD.

FORGET I ASKED.

THE GODS ALWAYS HAVE A PLAN...

...EVEN IF IT DIFFERS FROM WHAT I WISH FOR RIGHT NOW.

SO I DON'T QUESTION IT.

BECAUSE A MERE MORTAL LIKE ME WOULDN'T UNDERSTAND.

DAWON.

HUMANS PRETEND TO BE SMART AND LIVE AS IF THEY KNOW EVERYTHING,

BUT THE TRUTH IS, THEY KNOW SO LITTLE.

WE MAKE THE MISTAKE OF LOOKING ONLY AT THE TREE WITHOUT SEEING THE FOREST...

...WHEN WHAT WE CAN ACTUALLY SEE ISN'T EVEN THE TREE.

IT'S JUST A LEAF-- NO, I DOUBT WE CAN EVEN PROPERLY SEE A SINGLE BUG ON THAT LEAF.

THAT'S WHY WE MUST LEAVE EVERYTHING TO THE DEITIES.

THEY'RE CAPABLE OF SEEING FAR BEYOND THE FOREST.

BUT IN ALL HONESTY, AS A HUMAN BEING...

...I DON'T WANT TO LEAVE EVERYTHING TO LORD DONGJA'S WILL.

I DON'T MIND IF I CAN'T SEE THE FOREST.

WALKING BENEATH THE TREES HAND IN HAND...

...AS WE GAZE AT THE LEAVES TOGETHER...

...AND WATCH A TINY BUG CLINGING TO A LEAF.

MARVELING AT THE MOST TRIVIAL THINGS...

...THAT MAKE LIFE SPECIAL...

I WANT TO EXPERIENCE WHAT IT TRULY MEANS TO BE HUMAN TOGETHER.

HUH...?

THAT GUY...

...HAS NO ANCESTRAL SPIRIT.

UH-OH.