Chapter 48
As I instinctively turned my gaze away to avoid seeing the Ghostly Woman’s exposed form, she said,
“I’m wearing something, you know?”
When I turned my head to confirm, her white dress was indeed on display.
It looked like she had tucked it into her baggy pants.
…Did she really need to take it off to prove that?
“I’m good, so please put it back on.”
Without a word, the Ghostly Woman folded the dress and put her pants back on.
“But what brings you here? The cleaning isn’t finished yet.”
“I came to help after finishing cleaning the women’s restroom. I didn’t expect you’d still be at it.”
“I’m sorry for being slow.”
I mean, I could’ve probably just sprayed water around and called it done by now, but my pride wouldn’t allow that.
Since I said I’d do it, I had to give it my all.
“No, there’s no need to apologize. It was too much for one person anyway.”
…Yeah, it’s surprisingly spacious.
“I’m not trying to criticize or anything, but I’m genuinely curious—why was I left to do it alone?”
The Ghostly Woman began scrubbing the stains off the urinal with a brush, not bothering to answer. Her skillful hands looked quite professional. She must’ve been cleaning for quite a while.
I let her silence slide and continued wiping down the urinal.
Around the time I cleaned six of them in silence, she finally spoke again.
“Actually, the Director doesn’t make volunteers clean the restroom, you know, as a part of the effort.”
Then what am I doing right now?
“The Director thinks if you make volunteers do tasks like this, they’d easily get fed up. And honestly, she’s not wrong. People tend to run away when faced with such tasks.”
Well, most would probably feel that way.
If I didn’t have the ambition to become the second coming of Bubble Bath, I would’ve quit mid-way too.
Starting off with the stinky bathroom cleaning right from the get-go does seem a bit extreme.
“That’s why the Director has volunteers participate in educational programs. She hopes they build bonds with the kids and maintain ongoing interest in the orphanage and volunteering.”
“When it comes to volunteering at an orphanage, that’s what I thought too. It seems that the Director’s judgment is influenced by such common perceptions and expectations.”
“Exactly! I don’t think educational volunteering itself is bad. It’s quite a valuable thing, really. Plus, it can be fun!”
The Ghostly Woman frowned slightly, eyebrows scrunching together.
“But here’s the funny part.”
“…What’s that?”
“Even with those educational programs, 96% of the volunteers don’t come back. That’s an accurate statistic because I counted it myself.”
There was a hint of frustration in her voice. She seemed pretty disappointed.
But I still believe there’s enough value in even a single instance of volunteering or a donation, even if it doesn’t lead to ongoing commitment.
I didn’t even know their faces, but I defended the volunteers who had come once.
“I don’t really know the internal circumstances, so this might be a reckless statement, but wasn’t their dedication of that one time worth it?”
She shook her head and replied.
“I don’t really care if they don’t come back. But most people tend to casually break promises in the atmosphere of educational volunteering.”
As I scrubbed the grime off the urinal with a brush, I asked,
“What kind of promises?”
“I’ll come again next time. I’ll bring gifts. I’ll take you somewhere.”
I momentarily stopped scrubbing and looked at her.
“The kids believe those words. Just one more time. This time will be different. They send their faith like that. But most of the time, they end up disappointed.”
Her face while scrubbing showed clear dejection.
It seemed like it wasn’t just the children of the orphanage who were disappointed.
It felt like she had been disappointed too, deep down.
“So I ignored the Director’s words and made them do volunteer work. ‘If they’re just going to vanish without a trace, then don’t let them see the kids’ faces.’ Thinking provocatively like that.”
She stopped scrubbing, bowed her head deeply, and said.
“Ultimately, the fact that you, the volunteer, are cleaning the bathroom now is my rude decision.”
I understood her feelings.
When the wounds from people hurt too much, one might try to avoid situations that could lead to more hurt.
I believed her making me clean the bathroom was a manifestation of that avoidance mechanism.
It wasn’t easy to see such a mechanism openly shown to others as a good thing.
However, I also thought it was very mature of her, despite her young age, to quickly acknowledge her mistakes and speak up about them.
So, I accepted the ghostly woman’s confession and apology positively.
“Thank you for your honesty.”
To change the atmosphere, I playfully said as if joking.
“But can I think that you see me a bit more positively than the 96% of volunteers out there?”
The ghostly woman smiled faintly at my words.
“…Yes, you do seem a bit different from the others, like some strange person.”
It was the first smile I had seen from the ghostly woman.
I thought her smile was really pretty.
Ah… should I seriously consider proposing an idol career? With that kind of charm, even if she was a bit lacking in dance or vocals, it would be worth a shot.
However, there was something oddly familiar about that smile.
It felt like I had seen it somewhere before.
While I was gazing at her, lost in thought, everything flashed back to me like an electric current.
Her face and her name all came rushing back.
I unconsciously repeated that name aloud.
I unconsciously repeated that name in my mind.
“…Jin Yeoreum.”
How could I forget that face?
She was none other than Jin Yeoreum, the third-generation chaebol of the Jinkang Group and the catalyst of the bubble shower resurgence incident. She was also a former rhythmic gymnastics prodigy who fell from grace after being caught doping during the Olympic selection trials.
During her prodigy days, she was loved by the public, nicknamed the “Smile Angel,” and even had her own fan café. However, after the doping scandal, she quickly became a national pariah, the icon of downfall.
“…”
She sighed softly, as if it was awkward that I recognized her.
“Ha… I thought you didn’t know, but you just didn’t recognize me.”
Our eyes met, and it felt like she was waiting for this moment as her status window appeared.
[Name – Jin Yeoreum (Female)]
[Appearance – A+ Potential A+]
[Vocal – C Potential B+]
[Dance – A Potential S]
[Rap – D- Potential D]
[Acting – C- Potential B-]
[Variety – D Potential C+]
[Main dancer suitable talent. Actively recommended for recruitment.]
Oh great, here we go again. Do they really think they can recruit someone in front of a national dislike?
Her potential was totally absurd. I could never have imagined there would be another one like Gaeul besides her.
Still, no way. Forget it, you jerk.
While I shuddered at the status window, Jin Yeoreum asked, “So?”
“What?”
“Well, now that you know I’m Jin Yeoreum, don’t you have something to say?”
Not really… If I had to say something, it would be, “Let’s not get entangled in each other’s lives.”
“If you have something to say…”
“Well, you know, the usual stuff.”
Jin Yeoreum set down her cleaning brush and stared at me.
“Why are you volunteering here? Aren’t you going to school? Why can’t you get support here? Isn’t the Jinkang Group funding you? Why did you dope?”
She bit her lip and said, “…Why did a criminal lecture me like that?”
As she said that, Jin Yeoreum looked like she was tormenting herself.
I didn’t want to join in on that torment.
She seemed to be suffering enough as it was.
“Ms. Jin Yeoreum, please don’t say things like that.”
“…”
“You’re not a criminal, right?”
Here’s the timeline of the doping scandal involving Jin Yeoreum:
With the Olympic selection trials approaching, Jin Yeoreum tests positive for banned substances during a medical test. She denies the allegation.
The media reports on Jin Yeoreum’s positive result, which had been a source of national attention. People criticize her for tarnishing the sanctity of the competition with her cheating.
She criticizes her corruption that sullied the grand tournament.
Jin Yeoreum’s fans and supporters actively back her claims.
Public opinion is divided, fighting like dogs.
Amid all the public interest, a massive investigation is launched, confirming her response to banned substances.
At this point, public opinion that had been split defending her completely shifts, with everyone rallying to attack her.
It was the moment a fan turned into an anti-fan.
Her father, who heads the Jinkang Group, wasn’t staying silent.
Jinkang claims it was the unilateral scheming of her personal doctor, who was ambitious for her success.
Not only do they spread this news to the public, but they even sit her personal doctor in court.
Jinkang forms a team of top lawyers to present the same argument in court.
As a result, Jin Yeoreum successfully disproves the intent of negligence and is acquitted.
However, despite the trial’s outcome, public sentiment didn’t improve.
They trusted the conspiracy theory that she was used like a pawn by Jinkang more than the court’s judgment that she too was a victim.
Honestly, I think I would have felt the same way.
But there’s no reason to engage in an emotional duel by saying that right in front of her.
“Ha… you don’t really have to say that in front of me.”
…Did I get caught?
“I already deeply know that everyone thinks I’m a criminal.”
Her tone seemed more like defensive self-deprecation than reading my mind.
It was about cutting herself down to avoid expectations.
Whether she doped or not, it was clear her mental state was quite precarious.
I tried to speak to her as calmly as possible.
“That might not be true, right? Ms. Jin Yeoreum was acquitted, after all?”
“That’s because they probably used some despicable means like lobbying or favoritism from past connections.”
Isn’t that a pretty accurate read of public sentiment? Honestly, I think so too.
But I won’t say it out loud.
“That’s a conspiracy theory, isn’t it?”
I said with an innocent expression.
“I’ll believe in the judgment of the law rather than rumors. So please don’t label yourself a criminal in front of me.”
If I agree to that, I become someone who hangs out with criminals.
“To me, Ms. Jin Yeoreum is just a strict senior who does volunteer work at the orphanage. And I’m her junior who does volunteer work cleaning the toilets. Isn’t that enough to define us?”
Hey, Yeoreum. Let’s just keep it that way. Don’t even think about getting closer.
Jin Yeoreum looked at me as if she were seeing a strange creature.
“I’ll take back my comment that the volunteer is a little different and strange.”
Then she smiled, filled with her unique charm.
“You are a truly strange person, Volunteer.”
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