My Ancestor is Watching Me! — Chapter 3

I JUST CAME TO CHECK OUT THE PLACE, BUT NOBODY'S HERE.

WELL, IT DOESN'T LOOK LIKE MUCH...

HELLO.

ARE YOU INTERESTED IN JOINING?

U-UH...

OH...

I-I WAS JUST LOOKING AROUND!

HUH?

ISN'T THIS THE GUY FROM EARLIER?

THE ONE WHO DIDN'T HAVE AN ANCESTRAL SPIRIT.

YEAH? WELL, TAKE YOUR TIME. HERE'S OUR CLUB BROCHURE.

OH, UH... THANK YOU.

WHAT'S WITH THIS AESTHETIC?

A TRIP TO A HAUNTED HOUSE...? INFILTRATING A CULT...?

VISITING AN ABANDONED TEMPLE DEEP IN THE MOUNTAINS?!

IT'S GOTTA BE CRAWLING WITH ALL KINDS OF VENGEFUL SPIRITS!

THEY'RE NUTS! ABSOLUTELY NOT.

SINCE YOU'RE HERE, WANT ME TO READ YOUR TAROT CARDS?

T-TAROT?

OUR ANCESTORS

ARE WATCHING

TAROT...?

WHAT KIND OF RANDOM MISHMASH CLUB IS THIS?

DOES WHAT SHE'S TOLD ANYWAY.

ALL DONE.

GO AHEAD AND SHUFFLE THE CARDS.

ARE YOU A FRESHMAN?

YES.

HM...

BEWARE OF MEN THIS YEAR.

I'M SURPRISED BECAUSE OF HOW CLICHÉ IT IS...!

ESPECIALLY...

...MEN WHO ARE LIKE SNAKES.

THE LOVERS.

BUT THIS IS A PICTURE OF A SNAKE NEXT TO A WOMAN.

READING TAROT CARDS IS ALL ABOUT INTERPRETING MENTAL IMAGERY.

WHY AM I SITTING HERE LISTENING TO THIS NONSENSE...?

AND HE'S BEING AWFULLY CASUAL WITH ME.

A SNAKE-LIKE MAN... YOU'VE PROBABLY MET HIM RECENTLY.

HUH?

THAT GUY IS NO GOOD FOR YOU IN ANY WAY, DAWON, SO WATCH OUT.

ONCE YOU STEER CLEAR OF THE SNAKE, A LION WILL COME ALONG...

ANYWAY, THAT'S WHEN YOU'LL MEET YOUR TRUE SOULMATE...

WHAT'S WITH THIS GUY...?

I NEVER TOLD HIM MY NAME.

UH...

I DON’T KNOW HOW YOU KNOW MY NAME, BUT...

WHO ARE YOU?

SOMETHING’S OFF ABOUT HIM.

AND WHAT’S WITH THAT THING ABOUT A SNAKE-LIKE GUY?

OH, SORRY. I FORGOT TO INTRODUCE MYSELF. I’M DAHAM SA, A SOPHOMORE MAJORING IN PSYCHOLOGY.

I WAS RECENTLY DISCHARGED FROM THE MILITARY AND RETURNED TO CAMPUS THIS SEMESTER.

NO, THAT'S NOT WHAT I MEAN...

YOUR FRIENDS CAME BY EARLIER.

AREN'T YOU HERE BECAUSE THEY TOLD YOU ABOUT THE CLUB?

IT'S SO SAD THAT YOU'RE STRUGGLING TO FIND MEMBERS! WE'LL JOIN!

WE'LL EVEN BRING OUR FRIEND, DAWON!!!

SHE LOOKS LIKE THIS.

THAT'S WHAT THEY TOLD ME, ANYWAY.

I EVEN GOT THEIR APPLICATION FORMS.

GOOD TIMING, TOO, BECAUSE WE WERE HAVING A HARD TIME GETTING PEOPLE TO JOIN.

I GUESS PEOPLE THINK IT'S TOO SCARY TO SIGN UP.

SO...

WHAT EXACTLY DO YOU DO HERE...?

WE JUST HANG OUT.

IT'S FUN. WE HUDDLE UNDER A BLANKET DURING CLUB RETREATS AND TELL SCARY STORIES.

I'M STILL A KID AT HEART.

BLANKET?

IT'S PRETTY MUCH JUST A SOCIAL CLUB.

SO IF YOU HAVEN'T DECIDED ON A CLUB YET...

...I REALLY HOPE YOU'LL JOIN, DAWON.

I DON'T KNOW ABOUT THIS...

YOU'RE PRETTY CAUTIOUS, AREN'T YOU?

Occult Club

irvana

BUT SOMETIMES IT PAYS TO JUST TURN OFF YOUR BRAIN AND GO FOR IT.

MORE OFTEN THAN NOT, THAT TURNS OUT TO BE THE RIGHT ANSWER.

EVEN THE CARDS AGREE WITH ME.

I DON'T KNOW WHAT'S STOPPING YOU, THOUGH.

BUT YOU'RE A FRESHMAN. YOU SHOULD ENJOY IT.

Occult Club

I'M FUN TO HANG OUT WITH.

I GUARANTEE IT.

H-HE'S TOO CLOSE...

HE'S...

...REALLY GOOD-LOOKING.

NOW I GET WHY MINA AND SUNAE WANTED TO JOIN.

IT'S LIKE HIS LOOKS...

WHAT DO YOU SAY?

...AREN'T HUMAN.

DAWON?

I-I'LL THINK ABOUT IT...

AND GET BACK TO YOU!!

OH MY GOD, I TOTALLY JUST SPACED OUT AND STARED AT HIM!

I-I'LL TALK IT OVER WITH MY FRIENDS.

TH-THANK YOU FOR READING MY TAROT CARDS.

HAVE A GOOD DAY!!!

THAT SNAKE...

I NEED TO GET RID OF HIM AS SOON AS POSSIBLE.

WHY ARE YOU SO CLUELESS WHEN IT COMES TO GUYS?

OR ARE YOU JUST WEAK AGAINST A PRETTY FACE?

TELL ME ABOUT IT...

WHY DO I FEEL SO PATHETIC...?

WELL, IT'S ONLY NATURAL SINCE YOU HAVE ZERO DATING EXPERIENCE.

THIS IS ALL YOUR FAULT, LORD DONGJA!

GOODNESS,

YOU'RE BLAMING ME LIKE I'M THE ONE WHO STOPPED YOU FROM SEEING ANYONE.

BUT YOU DID!! LIKE, ALL THE TIME!

YOUR VERY EXISTENCE IS HINDERING ME!!

WOW, BLAME SOMEONE ELSE, WHY DON'T YOU?

I GOT BULLIED THANKS TO LORD DONGJA AND BECAUSE I CAN SEE GHOSTS...

I'M SLEEPY. PUT ME TO BED.

...SO I'M NOT GOOD AT DEALING WITH PEOPLE IN GENERAL.

YOU DON'T KNOW A THING, LORD DONGJA.

I CAN'T BELIEVE I FELL FOR THAT COLD READING*... AND DIDN'T HE SAY HE WAS A PSYCHOLOGY MAJOR?

VIII

SOMETHING ABOUT A SNAKE...

*COLD READING: A PSYCHOLOGICAL TECHNIQUE USED TO MAKE INSIGHTFUL, SPECIFIC-SEEMING GUESSES ABOUT A PERSON WITHOUT PRIOR KNOWLEDGE.

TAKE WHAT YOU SEE AS CONTEXT, BUT DON'T BELIEVE EVERYTHING AT FACE VALUE.

...AND. A LION...

IT DOES BOTHER ME A BIT...

HE EVEN DOES VOLUNTEER WORK.

OH, AND...

THIS MUST BE HIS MOTHER.

te*_heon With Mom. I promise to take care of everything from now on.

HE DOESN'T REALLY SEEM DANGEROUS.

BUT WHAT WAS UP WITH THAT ANCESTRAL SNAKE...?

OUR ANCESTRAL SPIRITS FORM THE VERY FOUNDATION AND ROOTS OF WHO WE ARE.

BECAUSE WITHOUT THEM, WE WOULDN'T EVEN EXIST TO BEGIN WITH.

HUMAN EVOLUTION.

EVEN THE MOST VILE SCUM ON EARTH HAS PARENTS...

...AND THEY, TOO, HAVE PARENTS, OF PARENTS, OF PARENTS.

IT'S JUST LIKE HOW GENETICS PLAY A HUGE ROLE...

...IN SHAPING YOUR APPEARANCE, PERSONALITY, AND TRAITS.

WHICH IS WHY AN ANCESTRAL SPIRIT'S FORM IS ESSENTIALLY A REFLECTION OF WHO THEY ARE.

BUT I DON'T HAVE THE ABILITY TO DECIPHER THESE SIGNS RIGHT OFF THE BAT.

UNLESS LORD DONGJA TELLS ME HIMSELF.

BUT STILL, IT WON'T HURT TO GET A GENERAL SENSE OF WHAT KIND OF PERSON HE IS.

OH, WHATEVER. LET'S NOT OVERTHINK THIS.

OCCULT CLUB, MY BUTT. WHY AM I GETTING SO WORKED UP OVER IMMATURE STUFF LIKE THIS?

I'M ACTING RIDICULOUS.

IT'S A BIT OVERWHELMING...

...BUT I GOTTA ADMIT HOW EXCITING THIS IS. SO THIS IS COLLEGE LIFE!

I CAN'T BELIEVE I'M THINKING THAT LIFE COULD ACTUALLY BE ENJOYABLE...

...AFTER GETTING SOME ATTENTION FROM A GUY FOR THE FIRST TIME IN MY LIFE.

AND IT HASN'T EVEN BEEN THAT LONG SINCE I CAME TO THE CITY...

HOLDING ANCESTRAL RITES AND SHAMAN RITUALS DEEP IN THE COUNTRYSIDE...

...FEELS LIKE A DISTANT MEMORY NOW.

I WONDER HOW MOM'S DOING...

GEEZ...

HE'S DOING EVERYTHING US HUMANS DO WHEN HE DOESN'T EVEN NEED TO SLEEP.

LORD DONGJA.

I'LL KEEP MY PROMISE WITH YOU...

...SO PLEASE LET ME EXPERIENCE WHAT LIFE IS LIKE OUT HERE...

...AT LEAST WHILE I'M IN COLLEGE.

MAYBE I WAS JUST TOO BLINDED BY THE SWEET DREAM...

...BUT BACK THEN, I HAD NO IDEA...

...NO, MAYBE I WAS JUST CHOOSING NOT TO SEE...

...WHAT THAT SNAKE CLINGING TO HIM REALLY MEANT.