Chapter 39
“Ma Choyeon!”
…Who?
Who’s calling my name?
‘Another ghost?’
Ah, that must be it.
This time it’s imitating Dan Seohyuk’s voice, huh.
“Wake up and open your eyes.”
The voice is annoyingly accurate.
A very well-acting ghost indeed.
‘How long are you going to torment me wearing my acquaintances’ faces?’
I’m sick of it.
Sure, seeing Ma Chohae’s face shook me earlier…
but Dan Seohyuk? Zero emotional damage.
It wasn’t enough that it called my name—now it was grabbing my shoulders and shaking me.
Instead of opening my eyes, I turned my head toward it and opened my mouth wide.
Whoever you are—ghost or not—I’ll make sure you regret imitating people I know!
“Ah!”
A startled sound — shocked? hurt? Either way, good.
Yeah, it hurts, doesn’t it?
Did you think only ghosts can hurt humans?
Humans can hurt ghosts too!
“…If you’re done, get up.”
Huh?
The voice suddenly sounds cold.
Now it’s doing an annoyed-Dan-Seohyuk impression?
Ghosts sure commit to their roles.
‘Something… feels off.’
I cracked an eye open.
And what I saw was Dan Seohyuk, staring down at me with his usual expressionless face — except his eyes were icy cold.
I pulled my head back, mouth still awkwardly open.
And then… I saw it:
A clear bite mark on his wrist.
“Dan… Seohyuk?”
“……”
“You’re the real Dan Seohyuk? The actual, living, annoying jerk?”
“…Ha.”
Now that reaction was unmistakably him.
“M-my bad. I thought you were a ghost!”
“Who bites a ghost? You’re not a dog.”
Yeah… definitely Dan Seohyuk.
I jumped to my feet.
Only then did I finally notice my surroundings.
“…Where are we?”
“An auction house.”
An… auction house?
In the large room, in every corner, stood thick, transparent glass pillars.
No—not pillars. Test tubes.
Huge, upright tanks.
Inside them were people fitted with respirators.
The floor was like that of an aquarium — clear glass revealing what was underneath.
Except what swam beneath wasn’t fish… but humans.
“What… is this.”
The seats arranged for auction attendees sparkled like they were encrusted with jewels.
But when I looked closely—
Those were not jewels.
They were eyeballs.
Real ones.
Up ahead, where an auction stage would normally be, there was a platform drenched in red fluid, with a metal bed sitting on top.
I didn’t even want to imagine what had been done there.
Overhead, hanging from the ceiling like chandeliers, were all kinds of human body parts.
They sparkled just like the “decorations” on the chairs.
As if all of this were nothing but precious gems.
“Stop looking.”
Dan Seohyuk covered my eyes with his hand.
Still stunned, I nodded and asked quietly:
“How did you get here? And how did I end up underground?”
“I asked the courier ghost, like you. You were brought here by that ghost.”
Ghost?
I turned to where he pointed.
The blond ghost stood before the large doors.
“You can see him?”
“Yeah. I couldn’t last time, but… He’s the one in a military uniform, right?”
I nodded.
This guy wasn’t visible to anyone — not even other ghosts — yet Dan could see him now?
“I can’t hear his voice, but… I think he was waiting for you to wake up.”
For… me?
I slowly got to my feet.
Thankfully, the radio voice wasn’t here.
Maybe they never expected someone to run all the way into the auction house.
Or maybe there were no surveillance ghosts here.
[Child.]
As I approached, I heard the blond ghost’s voice.
[Your body—are you alright?]
Was a ghost… worried about me?
“Uh… better than I expected.”
My wounds had stopped bleeding.
Even my legs, which had been trembling badly, felt strangely light and refreshed.
[Good.]
Did the blond ghost do something to me?
But this wasn’t the time to ask.
I hesitated, then asked:
“Why did you bring me here? They might find us any second.”
[The human who came looking for you wouldn’t have left without you.]
The human—
He meant Dan Seohyuk?
He… came looking for me?
Even after scolding me for being reckless?
I never expected him to come save me.
‘So… he does think of me as at least a friend?’
I felt a small flicker of gratitude, then shook my head hard.
Now was NOT the time for that!
“Can you tell me where my brother is? Please.”
[Brother?]
“The ghost you blew up earlier! It looked exactly like the person it copied!”
[Ah.]
My heart pounded.
Did he know something?
I stared at him with desperate eyes.
He placed a hand on the door and stayed silent for a moment, then said:
[He’s not here right now.]
“Then— then where is he? I came here to find Chohae. If he’s not here, then what was the point of enduring all those terrifying—!”
[Child.]
[The owner of the urban legend lost its sanity. The building collapsed, and the beings inside fled.]
“…One of those beings—was that my brother?! Where did they run? Tell me!”
[You can’t chase them now.
Even if you could, it would be dangerous.]
“But I can’t just leave Chohae in a place like this!!”
“Hey. Calm down.”
“How CAN I calm down after seeing all this?!”
If I left him behind, my brother might end up as one of these “items” on display…
My sobs echoed through the silent auction house.
The stress, the fear — everything I’d endured burst out at once.
I knew this wasn’t the time.
I knew I was acting like a child.
But maybe because there were people to lean on.
Maybe because I was just too tired.
I couldn’t hold it in anymore.
[He’s still alright—for now.]
The blond ghost placed his large hand on my head.
Dan Seohyuk shot him a threatening glare, but the ghost didn’t even acknowledge it.
[What matters now is getting out of here.]
[If you wait too long, you’ll never escape.]
He’s still alright.
During the truth game, the ghost woman had also said Chohae was alive.
‘I’m sorry, Chohae.’
I’d come all the way here, yet I was leaving without finding you.
But I couldn’t stay and put Dan Seohyuk in danger.
And… I finally understood how powerless I was.
Even if I’d cleared all the games and reached the auction house alone, there was no guarantee I could’ve rescued him.
For now — we escape.
Then find another way.
I nodded.
[Good.]
The blond ghost placed his hand on the door again.
A moment later—
Black flames roared up.
FWOOSH.
There was no heat, but the black fire melted the door entirely.
Beyond it, the hallway had the same glass-floor structure as the auction house.
I avoided looking at the figures writhing behind the transparent walls.
“Just keep looking forward.”
Dan Seohyuk gently pushed my back.
We moved quickly.
At the end of the long corridor was a staircase.
[Ahahahahahaha.]
[Again?]
The cheerful female voice echoed from speakers above.
[Come visit again, dear visitor.]
[I’ll make sure to come for you.]
Every creature in the aquarium tanks stopped swimming.
And stared straight at us.
I shut my eyes tightly and climbed the stairs.
The blond ghost led.
Dan Seohyuk followed behind me.
It’s fine.
Don’t be afraid.
‘I’m not alone right now.’
When we reached the top—
We were in a cemetery.
[Block the entrance.]
Dan Seohyuk didn’t hide his irritation, but he still dragged heavy tombstones to cover the entrance.
The suffocating pressure I’d felt underground vanished in an instant.
“…I thought the building would be above us.”
“It was a cemetery from the moment I got here.”
[They’re connected spaces.]
Even though we asked the same courier ghost, we were delivered to different locations.
If only I had been brought here in the first place…
I might’ve reached the auction house and met Chohae sooner.
Why did the courier ghost deliver me from above ground instead?
I thought it was a good ghost…
Maybe I was mistaken.
I was sulking when Dan Seohyuk suddenly spoke.
“You.”
He wasn’t talking to me — he was talking to the blond ghost.
“What exactly are you?”
He stepped in front of me protectively, hostility clear in his voice.
Reasonable, since it was a ghost — but still!
‘Is this okay? He saved me several times…’
Feeling awkward, I glanced at the blond ghost.
I hoped he’d explain himself — something like “I’m not a bad ghost.”
If I said it, Dan would just claim I’d been possessed again.
[What I am?]
The blond ghost towered over Dan.
Maybe because he was a foreign ghost, but he looked over 190 cm tall.
[Even if I told you, a nobody like you wouldn’t understand.]
…Wow.
So he’s that kind of ghost.
It was the first time I’d ever seen Dan Seohyuk’s face twist with such pure offense.
