Afterlife Dating Episode 13 – The Exorcist’s True Feelings and the One-on-One Conversations

“Hey, Cha Hyunwoo! The tripod’s crooked. Two degrees more to the left!”

Holding my gimbal tightly, I shouted beneath the old tree in the shrine’s backyard.

Dust drifted through the air.

Hyunwoo grumbled as he adjusted the old wooden bench.

Gone was the exorcist who had stormed into the shrine on the first day, demanding to know why I was messing around with dead people.

“Ham Seonyeong, you’re unbelievable. You drag an exorcist out in the middle of the night and turn him into a stagehand for your ghost dating show? My calling is weeping.”

“Does your calling pay the bills? You saw it on day one. I caught your eyes shaking when those donations started rolling in. I’m paying you well, aren’t I?”

At my words, Hyunwoo paused.

Moonlight filtered through the white cloth hanging around the set.

He stared at it for a moment before quietly speaking.

“…Honestly, it’s not just about the money.”

I lowered my gimbal.

He continued.

“This is the first time I’ve ever seen spirits laugh so freely.”

His gaze drifted into the distance.

“Until now, I always believed that sending souls to the afterlife was the only way to save them. I cut them down. I sealed them with talismans.”

He let out a bitter smile.

“I thought I was helping them.”

His eyes met mine.

“But then I saw them laughing beside you.”

He paused.

“You, of all people—the most materialistic person I know.”

I glared at him.

He ignored me.

“And watching them smile, joke around, and tell their stories…”

His voice softened.

“It made me wonder if what I’d called salvation was really just another kind of oppression.”

He looked away.

“So I play along with your ridiculous games.”

His smile was faint.

“Because maybe letting them speak and laugh is a greater comfort than my blade ever was.”

Then his expression sharpened.

“So take it easy, Producer Ham. Don’t sell their hearts just to buy yourself a penthouse.”

“…Whatever. Stop acting all profound and change the batteries.”

I quickly turned my head away.

For some reason, my face felt strangely warm.

That night, beneath the fluttering cloth, sincerity quietly settled between us.

The first pair was Jieun and Lady Mija.

Still filled with resentment, Jieun perched stiffly on the edge of the bench.

I zoomed in relentlessly on her swollen eyes.

“Lady Mija… I really don’t understand.”

Her voice trembled.

“Why can’t Minsu take his eyes off you?”

She lowered her gaze.

“Do you know how many years I spent boiling chicken breasts and giving up tteokbokki just to support him?”

Lady Mija calmly took a puff from her pipe.

Then she exhaled the smoke toward Jieun.

“Do you know why I died falling from a tree, young lady?”

Her smile was distant.

“I climbed it because I wanted to see one more flower blooming beyond the wall.”

She plucked a string on her gayageum.

Twang.

“People called me foolish.”

Her eyes softened.

“But that flower was so beautiful that even as I fell…”

She smiled.

“I was happy.”

She tapped her pipe lightly against her palm.

“But you…”

Her voice became gentle—and merciless.

“You did not climb your own tree.”

She looked directly into Jieun’s eyes.

“You climbed onto Minsu’s shoulders and told him where to go.”

Jieun froze.

“The tteokbokki you gave up was your own desire.”

Lady Mija’s gaze was unwavering.

“It was never his burden to carry.”

She leaned back.

“You believe your devotion was love.”

Her voice cut like a blade.

“No.”

“It was a prison you built with your own hands.”

The color drained from Jieun’s face.

Perfect.

Thumbnail title acquired:

[Joseon Hipster Delivers Emotional Damage]

The chat exploded.

[JieunDefenseSquad]: Nooo 😭 Jieun giving up tteokbokki WAS love!!

[LogicalT]: Lady Mija’s emotional damage is insane. “A prison you built yourself” DAMN.

[MinsuRenaissance]: Honestly? Having someone monitor your diet through your twenties sounds suffocating.

[AlwaysOffended]: Why is Seonyeong zooming in while she’s crying? You can practically see the snot LOL.

Next came Minsu and Jieun.

Minsu’s large frame looked cramped on the small bench.

He couldn’t meet her eyes.

“Jieun… I’m sorry.”

He lowered his head.

“I like working out. I like putting in effort. But you and I are different.”

His voice was quiet.

“It was hard sometimes… being the center of your world.”

Tears gathered in Jieun’s eyes.

“Am I making your life difficult?”

Minsu closed his eyes.

“Jieun…”

He hesitated.

“Can you stop focusing on every little word I say?”

The moment those words left his mouth, Jieun began to cry.

The chat erupted.

[ExorcistFan]: Hyunwoo, can’t you exorcise Minsu instead? I’m getting angry for real LOL.

[LotteryWinner]: “Can you stop focusing on every little word?” Worst line of the year. Every girlfriend in the country just lost it.

[AfterlifeLover]: Jieun, just move on already!! Staying with him will only rot your soul!!

[PureLogic]: But seriously, what’s Minsu even supposed to say here?

Minsu finally spoke.

“Jieun… I can’t make you happy.”

His voice was firm.

“We should end this.”

Jieun’s lips trembled.

I carefully adjusted the gimbal.

Minsu’s resolute jawline.

Jieun’s despair.

Captured perfectly in a single frame.

The final pair carried a strangely romantic kind of horror.

Minsu looked at Lady Mija with the bright eyes of an eager golden retriever.

“Lady Mija, did you really die falling from a tree?”

He tilted his head.

“Why would you do something so dangerous? Weren’t you scared?”

“Because the flower was beautiful.”

Lady Mija lightly tapped his broad shoulder with her pipe.

“You enjoy building your body, do you not?”

She smiled.

“I loved flowers just as dearly.”

Her gaze drifted toward the night sky.

“So I did something reckless.”

She shrugged.

“Fate was simply unkind.”

Minsu fell silent.

Then he spoke.

“…Lady Mija.”

His ears were slightly red.

“When this program ends…”

He hesitated.

“Would you like to go flower-viewing with me someday?”

Lady Mija didn’t answer.

She simply smiled.

The chat exploded.

[AnonymousSavior] donated $50!

“Jieun, don’t cry! Tears are wasted on that guy. His soul already belongs to Lady Mija’s pipe.”

[ProfessionalExTerminator] donated $10!

“Minsu, if your feelings changed, fine—but at least have some manners. Built like a mountain, acting like a middle schooler.”

[WaitingForSeason2] donated $30!

“Inviting her to see flowers?? That flirting game is CRAZY.”

[EvilSpiritAnonymous] donated $100!

“Producer Ham! Please let Jieun slap Minsu. I’ll donate another hundred if it happens.”

[LotteryWinner]: LOL Producer Ham’s grin must be reaching her ears right now.