ULAS 42

Chapter 42

 EP 4. City Urban Legend Community

“Choyeon! Are you sure all your limbs are still attached?! Do you know how shocked I was when Seohyeok called me at dawn?!”

When I parted ways with Dan Seohyeok, it was already almost time for class.

I rushed to wash up, left the dormitory immediately—and walked straight into this mess.

Why are you making a scene in front of the girls’ dorm first thing in the morning, Tak Yeonho….

Being held by the shoulders and shaken back and forth, I managed to turn my head toward Yoo Chaesong, who stood expressionless beside him.

“Did you call him here?”

“I barely stopped him from going to the teacher to beg them to check if you made it back safely to your room.”

Ah. I wondered why Chaesong was here instead of doing her morning preview like always.

‘Still, knowing her personality, if he didn’t listen the first time, she should’ve just ignored him.’

Puzzled, I stared at Yoo Chaesong—and our eyes met. She must’ve been watching me, because she flinched a bit and quickly looked away.

‘Huh? Don’t tell me Chaesong was worried about me too?’

Of course it would be normal for a friend to be worried, but changing her entire study routine and coming all the way here to check on me was pretty unexpected.

A text or call would’ve been enough.

Yet she stayed next to Tak Yeonho and waited for me instead of studying?

‘Something smells fishy here.’

Even someone as dense as me could tell it. Obviously Chaesong had noticed too—how the face under Yeonho’s glasses was totally her type: cute idol-boy style.

‘Ah… so that’s why she obediently came out when the Keyring Ghost possessed her and called her outside? Even wore a dress?’

Meaning she knew about Tak Yeonho before then?

Oho. I need to interrogate Yoo Chaesong later.

Nothing is as fun as watching someone else’s love story unfold. I was just starting to feel the dopamine when Yeonho said with a teary face,

“Choyeon, I’m being serious right now!”

Alright, judging from the sniffles and near tears, I know you’re sincere.

The problem is that he’s so cute I want to tease him.

“Sorry for worrying you. I was wondering how Dan Seohyeok found me—turns out you looked into it for him, huh?”

“So you really used the Quick Service Urban Legend?”

“Yep.”

“A-are you hurt anywhere? Did they drag you somewhere weird? Did you find your brother?”

“No injuries.”

I didn’t tell the full truth—because I knew they’d freak out. It was a blessing that my finger got restored.

“A weird place… not really… maybe…?”

“That lie was so obvious.”

Thinking about the escape room game made it impossible to lie with a straight face. I laughed awkwardly and changed the subject.

“Still, I at least confirmed that my brother is alive. I didn’t see him in person, but I did get something out of it.”

“That’s a relief… but please don’t do reckless things anymore. I couldn’t sleep after getting Seohyeok’s call at dawn.”

Tak Yeonho pleaded with me. I quickly nodded. He was going to cry at this rate.

“I’ll help you more actively from now on, so promise me, okay? Got it?”

“Yes, yes, got it.”

Only then did he let go of my shoulders. Whew.

Still, having friends who worry this sincerely… it didn’t feel bad at all.

‘Feels like I’ve gained solid allies.’

I looked warmly at Tak Yeonho and Yoo Chaesong.

I was grateful—just them caring was enough.

…Well, that’s what I thought.

<Yeonho: Guys! I saw on the city urban legend community that there’s another missing person in Eden-dong!>
<Chaesong♡: Really?>
<Yeonho: Yeah yeah!>
<Yeonho: Apparently there’s a witness, and some people are going to the site themselves. Wanna go today?>
<Me: Chaesong has to study.>
<Chaesong♡: It’s fine! I can rest for a day. If you’re going, I’m going!>
<Yeonho: What about Seohyeok? Is he good?>
<Dan Seohyeok: ㅇ(Ok)>

During break time, I blankly stared at the group chat.

Why are they all so serious?

I appreciated their help, but now that they were this eager, it gave me a weird, complicated feeling.

In the original story, Tak Yeonho was practically an NPC who only gave information unless he got involved by coincidence. Yoo Chaesong didn’t even appear until mid-story.

‘Is it okay to drag kids like them into dangerous urban legends?’

Thinking of Eden Villa and the escape room, I groaned inwardly.

The future suddenly felt very worrying.

* * *

Inside the underground auction house.

“S-someone… help…!”

A scream echoed from the deepest part.

Screaming, begging, the sound of something being sliced.

After a long while, a giant man parted the black curtain and stepped out.

Dark blue butcher-style waterproof apron smeared with sticky blood.

“Here.”

Someone immediately held out a handkerchief. A man in a black suit.

The giant ignored him and walked past; the suited man followed naturally, as though used to being ignored.

“Wouldn’t it be easier if you just killed the people inside before working on them?”

The giant turned around silently. He didn’t say a word, but maybe because his body was over two meters tall—

—the pressure was overwhelming.

“It’s just that they struggle and scream a lot, so I thought it might inconvenience your work.”

Despite the pressure, the suited man smiled calmly. The giant shook his head.

Meaning: it’s fine.

“Good to hear you don’t mind. The ones inside are the recent dropouts, right?”

The giant nodded.

“I’m excited to see what beautiful decorations will be added to the auction house this time.”

The man spoke cheerfully. The auction house had become increasingly gorgeous since he first came, when it was still lacking.

If ghosts had social classes, this place had become a hotspot for the very top tier.

“I noticed last time that leather scarves are really popular. Soft and lightweight, apparently.”

They were the giant’s creation. The man remembered all the screams that filled the room during their making.

The giant’s shoulders straightened slightly, pleased at the praise—though his face stayed expressionless.

“Would be nice if you made another. Any young dropouts this time?”

Another nod.

The man asked cautiously,

“…By chance, was there a girl in a school uniform like me?”

The giant turned his gaze toward him. Sensing the meaning, the man quickly added,

“By uniform, I mean the one I originally wore—not this suit.”

As a helper in the game, his uniform had gotten filthy from various… events. It was being cleaned. And yes—ghosts do laundry here.

Well, the type of laundry is… different. Since a person has to go inside, the washing machines are pretty big.

The man in the black suit had long limbs and a neat appearance, fitting the glamorous auction house.

What felt wrong was that even before losing his memory, he probably never wore clothes like these.

“Un…for.”

The giant’s stitched lips opened slowly, revealing the inside—messily sewn skin and a tongue cut jaggedly like a snake’s.

“Nn…o.”

‘Uniform, no,’ perhaps?

Because of his mouth and tongue, his pronunciation was always mushy and hard to understand.

“You mean no?”

The giant nodded. At least simple communication was possible—thank goodness.

“That’s a shame. They say younger materials are the best, so I was looking forward to it.”

“Yo…un.”

“Yeah. Younger skin is softer. Ah, I’m talking too much, aren’t I? I’ll leave you to your break. See you later.”

A nod—permission granted.

Despite his appearance and job, the giant never cared much about people approaching or leaving.

That’s why he was the only one the suited man ever approached first.

As distance grew, the man cleaning the auction floor frowned.

‘She’s not here either. So that kid escaped?’

He couldn’t properly recognize the faces of the people who entered this place. But that participant had strangely stuck in his mind.

Why?

Because she was his age, wearing a school uniform? Because she was small, like a little sister? Because even though she was scared, she tried so hard not to lose her composure?

‘I’ve never felt anything like this toward other participants.’

Since opening his eyes, he had worked here in the auction house—memoryless.

He never desired to escape, nor felt sympathy for the people who died for no reason.

But this time… why?

‘Maybe I really had a younger sister before losing my memory.’

Maybe.

Judging by how he was treated, he seemed to be the only human among the beings living here.

‘Why am I treated differently?’

From stories he’d heard—whether in escape games or here—visitors were kidnapped from the outside.

Meaning he probably came the same way.

Yet only he received different treatment. What was the difference? Most who came here were simply killed or sold as merchandise.

A rare few were knocked out and stored temporarily.

Well, thinking wouldn’t bring answers.

Right now, he was more concerned about the girl.

‘I hope she escaped safely.’

During the treasure hunt game, he never expected the black box on the floor outside to be her treasure.

He was so flustered when he realized.

If she had designated something like an organ as her treasure, it would’ve been a nightmare to deal with. Thankfully, she’d chosen the severed finger from the previous game.

At least losing the treasure wouldn’t kill her.

‘Tiny thing, but clever.’

Clever—but he hoped she would never come to a dangerous place like this again.

He headed to the laundry room to hang up the uniform.

He also hung the cleaned human leather pieces on the drying racks, then finally hung the uniform.

Tak.

“Oh—this name tag.”

He picked up the name tag that had fallen.

After staring at it briefly, he pinned it onto his suit.

The name written on it was:

“Ma Chohae.”