Chapter 33
Currently, the inside of the agency was quite busy.
The reasons for them being busy were as follows.
-The disappearance of ghost stories.
The identification codes of the ghost stories that have disappeared so far are:
Cd-E-31
[And the performance began.]
Cd-D-111
[The Match Girl]
Until now, all traces of these two ghost stories have completely disappeared.
Naturally, given the characteristics of ghost stories, since they are entities that don’t benefit from remaining, the agency would actually welcome their disappearance like spontaneous combustion. But the problem was—
The fact that another unknown entity was involved in the disappearance of these two ghost stories.
Click.
With the familiar clicking sound of pressing a pen tip, Director Lee Sang-moo opened her mouth.
“…What do you… think, Department Head Choi Kang-in?”
“…Since I didn’t enter this exploration myself, it’s difficult to give you a definitive answer, but the fact that the same case has been continuously observed in such a short period means… there’s a high probability it’s that guy.”
“…The, black… flame… man, right?”
“Yes.”
Director Lee Sang-moo opened the report she had received from Department Head Choi Kang-in and checked it again.
“…Clearly, his target was… ghost stories, you said?”
“Yes, he told me that. He said his purpose was ‘ghost stories.’”
“…A ghost story, consuming ghost stories… or, have ghost stories… begun organizational activities?”
“…What do you think is his real reason for doing this, Director Lee?”
“…”
Choi Kang-in wanted to know.
The former A-team member Lee Sang-moo, who had risen to the position of director at a young age and was called the agency’s elite employee.
If it was her.
Would she have a different perspective on the purpose of the black flame man that he himself didn’t know at that time?
Choi Kang-in found himself expecting something.
“I…”
“…”
“…don’t know?”
“…I see.”
Click.
Once again, the clicking of the pen tickled Choi Kang-in’s ear.
“…Department Head Choi Kang-in.”
“Yes?”
“What do you… think of that ‘Black Flame’?”
“What? ‘Black Flame’ you say?”
Choi Kang-in pondered this abbreviation he’d never heard before.
‘Black Flame… could it be.’
The Black Flame Man?
A vibe coming from experience.
Choi Kang-in quickly grasped her intention and immediately gave his answer.
“I can’t say for certain yet, but…”
Clearly, Choi Kang-in and the entire R-team owed their lives to him.
If that ghost story man hadn’t been there, they might have all been wiped out.
But he also knew well that ghost stories couldn’t be trusted blindly.
Choi Kang-in himself had seen up close, more than anyone else, that those who formed close friendly relationships with ghost stories all met unpleasant ends.
Therefore,
“I think we need to keep watching that man for now.”
“…Hmm, I understand… Then let’s keep watching… Thank you… for your hard work today.”
“Not at all.”
With that, Choi Kang-in left Director Lee Sang-moo’s room with a brief bow.
Click.
Once again, in the space filled with silence, only the clicking of the pen echoed for a while.
Clatter.
Director Lee Sang-moo opened her desk drawer.
Among the many documents piled up inside, she picked up the one placed at the very top.
<Special Report>
-Recent ghost story reaction observed near ‘Giwon Library’.
-When agency employees arrived at the scene, they discovered one unidentified adult woman and two female students.
-Currently, the three are being closely monitored at the agency’s facility. (No significant anomalies yet.)
Additional note:
The unidentified adult woman was observed making contact with a mysterious man. (The man disappeared near Seongsu Station the next day.)
“…Three unidentified individuals… and a mysterious man.”
And the date when the ghost story ‘Cd-E-31 [And the performance began.]’ disappeared the day before this.
“…This might be… worth investigating.”
After examining the documents for a while, Lee Sang-moo picked up the phone beside her and began dialing somewhere.
The connection tone wasn’t long.
“…This is Director Lee Sang-moo.”
“Well, look who it is! This is unusual, you contacting me first! Or are you finally accepting my date invitation…”
“I’m taking… a half day off.”
“…So cold. Alright, I won’t follow you, but at least tell me where you’re going…”
Click.
Lee Sang-moo immediately hung up the phone. She decided it wasn’t worth listening to anymore.
Creak.
With the creaking sound of the chair, Lee Sang-moo, who hadn’t gotten up for a long time, stretched her body lightly.
Then she checked the time on the digital clock on her desk.
Sunday.
11:54 AM
Director Lee Sang-moo working on the weekend might give the misconception that the GRA agency exploits its employees on weekends.
But the truth was that she simply had nothing else to do on weekends, so she came to the agency to work.
-Since a person will rest forever when they die, is there really a need to rest now?
With such a rather twisted way of thinking, Director Lee Sang-moo was now taking her first half day off since joining the GRA agency.
And the place she was going to while taking her first half day off was:
<Seongsu Station Exit 1>
‘…It’s been a while… since I went there.’
Lee Sang-moo opened the door of her dark office. And coincidentally, her eyes met with a female employee passing by her office.
“Oh! Director Lee! It’s been months since I saw your face… Di-Director!!”
The female employee suddenly stopped her greeting and rushed straight to Lee sang-moo, bursting out in anger.
“Director! What on earth are you doing!!”
“??”
This situation could literally be seen as insubordination, but right then, other male employees passing by noticed Director Lee sang-moo and just as they were about to greet her.
“Director! It’s been a long time…”
“…two watermelons.”
“Where are you looking, you perverts!”
An employee yelling angrily at her and male employees who were blushing after trying to greet her.
Puzzled?
While Lee Sang-moo wasn’t properly aware of the current situation.
The female employee who first met her took off her own coat and handed it to Lee Sang-moo.
“Director, this is the office! No matter what, please wear some clothes!”
“…ah.”
Only then did Lee Sang-moo understand why they had reacted this way.
She was in her underwear.
“…Wearing clothes is… uncomfortable, you know.”
She answered with an excuse that wasn’t really an excuse.
“We’re more uncomfortable seeing Director Lee walking around without clothes! And with a figure like yours… it’s really indecent!!”
“…I understand.”
After being called indecent, Lee Sang-moo reluctantly went back to her office.
The female employee watches to see if Lee Sang-moo would actually come out properly dressed, and the hyenas wait at a distance hoping for an eyeful.
“Doesn’t anyone have work to do!”
“Why, why… we were just passing by.”
“…two watermelons.”
Click.
Amidst the employees arguing in front of Director Lee Sang-moo’s office, Lee Sang-moo came out wearing clothes.
“…I’m wearing clothes.”
“…Yes, this time properly…!!”
The female employee who was relieved thinking she would come out properly dressed this time somehow had her gaze drawn to the exposed pale skin of her legs.
“Director, really!”
“…Now I can die without regrets.”
“…White pants…”
That day, numerous stories about Director Lee Sang-moo spread quickly throughout the organization, as well as mysterious tales about witnessing huge watermelons.
*****
After that hell bus ghost story was somehow resolved, Park Yeon-jeong checked the time on his smartphone.
Saturday
10:28.PM.
It was already past 10 PM.
And
…Where am I?
A mountain valley where you couldn’t see a foot ahead.
A country road with only sparsely placed streetlights.
It was good to have escaped from the hell bus, but the biggest question was where exactly Park Yeon-jeong himself was standing.
If there was one fortunate thing.
The world I’ve arrived in has this collection of cutting-edge technology called a ‘smartphone’ in my possession.
I immediately opened the navigation app on my cutting-edge smartphone.
-Reception is unstable.
-Reception is unstable.
…Let’s just walk for now.
If I keep walking, I can use the navigation app again when I reach a place with data reception.
For now, I decided to vaguely follow the streetlights.
Usually, if you follow the lights, you’ll eventually find something.
Growl.
Come to think of it, except for the breakfast prepared by the ghost woman this morning, I hadn’t had a proper meal all day.
Throb.
My legs are starting to hurt again.
It would have been strange if they didn’t hurt after walking so much this morning.
Growl.
Throb!
Growl.
Throb!
…Isn’t this what you’d call a human instrument?
…Now the problem isn’t getting home. In a situation where I felt like I might collapse on the ground as all my energy was draining away.
Waft.
A smell brushing past my nose.
Sniff, sniff.
For a moment, I was so hungry I thought, ‘I’m not smelling things wrong, am I?’
Ssssssss.
!!
This time I definitely smelled it.
I was sure I wasn’t mistaken.
Because.
The smell that Park Yeon-jeong was detecting right now was.
My favorite food, soybean paste stew.
Thud, thud,thud!
Strength returned to my legs that until just now could barely support me.
Thinking that if I just followed this smell, there would be soybean paste stew ahead, Park Yeon-jeong’s footsteps only quickened.
And at the spot I reached following that savory smell.
A thatched-roof house came into view.
It seemed like soybean paste stew was waiting for me inside.
Park Yeon-jeong unconsciously reached out toward the gate of the thatched house.
Pause.
…Get it together, Park Yeon-jeong.
No matter how hungry I am, trespassing is clearly a crime.
As someone who goes around with the self-proclaimed title of ‘a man who can live without laws,’ this was absolutely unacceptable.
“…Breaking in is definitely not right.”
Just as I was about to lower my hand that had been reaching for someone else’s gate.
Thud!
!!!
Suddenly, with the force of someone pushing strongly on my back toward the gate.
Crash!
Over someone else’s gate.
I fell heavily onto the dirt ground.
Along with the stinging pain on my skin. Footsteps approaching me as I lay sprawled on the ground.
“Our oppa… trespassed, didn’t you? Hehe.”
“……”
?????
Somehow it feels like I’ve gotten involved with another weird person.
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