Chapter 38: Dobong-gu: Epilogue (1)
In the Golden Horn quarantine zone near Seoul, a heated argument unfolded among the residents of an area where people with golden horns on their heads lived together with their families.
“Don’t be so stubborn. You can get a good price if you sell them now. I know a buyer who is very trustworthy and offers fair prices.”
“I. WIll. Never. Sell. Them! Who in their right mind would sell their horns?”
The girl with golden horns strode ahead while ignoring his words. Undeterred, the man, wearing a servile expression, spoke up again.
“I mean, your horns will disappear once you turn thirty anyway, so why not just cut it off and sell it? You can make money, and it’s a good opportunity. I think good things are, well, good.”
“But I don’t want to! I know an Unnie who sold her horns. She became depressed and took her own life. Don’t tell me, Ahjussi, are you the one who introduced her to the buyer?”
Taken aback, the man denied it empathetically, exaggerating his expression.
“Absolutely not. I’m really particular about depression. Besides, I have my own horns, you know?”
“Ah! Now that I think about it, if it’s such a goodidea, maybe you should sell your horns first, Ahjussi!”
The girl with the golden horns turned around and screamed.
Having been followed for a good thirty minutes, it was only natural for her to be angry.
“Oh, this? I can’t sell them because they are my livelihood. Without my horns, I won’t be allowed back here. What am I supposed to do for a living then? I heard you’re planning to leave this place soon. Well, wouldn’t it be better to have some extra money? And it’s dangerous to leave with your horns intact. There’s a lot of people targeting them.”
“Anyway, I’ll never sell them!”
As the girl with golden horns reached her home and slammed the door shut, the man’s loud voice faded away.
When she thought about it, the man’s words weren’t all wrong.
Indeed, horn theft had become a rampant crime in recent times.
Nevertheless, the girl had no choice but to leave this place.
After all, she needed to find her one and only sister, who had mysteriously gone missing.
***
I sat in a rocking chair, basking in the warm sunlight that bathed the detective agency.