Chapter 18
“Hey, Ma Cho-yeon!”
Someone called my name.
When I opened my eyes again it was after class. I blinked slowly with a dazed face and a hand swooshed right in front of me.
“You didn’t wake up even after the teacher kept trying to rouse you?”
It was a friend who sat across the aisle.
‘So that was who was calling me.’
Please tell me it wasn’t a ghost again.
I hesitated to speak, and my friend gave me a puzzled look.
“Cho-yeon, are you feeling sick?”
If it were a ghost, it wouldn’t care about a person’s wellbeing.
‘No — earlier whatever it was worried about my sweating, but that turned out to be a ghost.’
My stomach felt queasy. I kept my mouth tightly shut as nausea rolled through me.
When I didn’t answer, my friend left with an embarrassed expression. I felt bad, but there was nothing I could do.
‘Dream? Reality? Which one is it?’
I blinked slowly, then the sound of a chair scraping came from behind me. Startled, I turned and Yoo Chae-song was staring straight at me.
“……”
Maybe it was because I had seen Chae-song suddenly turn into a ghost. Her black eyes made me feel small. I tried to avert my gaze, but she spoke first.
“Cho-yeon.”
“Yeah?”
“Do you look a little better now?”
What did she mean?
‘No—what do you mean? You already know.’
The ghost had said: mind your own business. That had to mean Chae-song had done something to push me off, to make me stop bothering her. Whether she’d even made a wish or not, I didn’t know.
“Nothing’s going to change just because you worry.”
“Right now… are you the Chae-song I know?”
She didn’t answer. There was no mocking smile either, so I hesitated and finally spoke.
“Can I bug you one last time?”
“What is it?”
“I’m worried about you.”
After Jang Hyun-woo fell off the roof and the original owner of the keyring had that thumb cut off and became a terrible sight, I couldn’t help worrying. Chae-song wasn’t necessarily a lifelong friend, but she was important to me—close enough that I cared.
‘She genuinely cared when Cho-hae went missing.’
Even if she was acting cold now under the ghost’s influence, how could I ignore her?
“I want to help you, Chae-song….”
I meant to say it calmly, but a sob crept into my voice. Pathetic.
“……”
“Could I help you secretly so I don’t bother your studying?”
“I said I’m fine.”
“No, I’m not fine.”
Another quiver in my voice.
“I don’t want you getting hurt like Hyun-woo.”
I sniffed, worried I was annoying her even more. I felt a stare on the crown of my head—how long had I been like that?
Without answering, Chae-song turned and left the classroom.
‘She looks like walking hurts.’
Her limp made it obvious she was injured. But the skin revealed above her socks was clean.
The ghost must have done something.
‘How could she leave me and tell me to stop worrying when she looks like that!’
It scared me. The dream earlier had been terrifying. Still, I couldn’t leave Chae-song alone.
‘I have to do something.’
I grabbed my bag and jumped up.
“Huff. I didn’t think I’d be using this method again….”
I was in the dorm room—specifically, at the computer. I was alone.
<Urban Legend Community>
I was going to reuse the method I’d used to find my younger sibling. That damned advice that told me to go to Eden Villa—asking the ghost directly.
‘I haven’t confirmed that the things I was told were completely accurate yet.’
In the original story it had been risky, but it clearly helped Dan Seo-hyuk. The beings I’d met there were Red or Dan Seo-hyuk, so the method hadn’t been totally wrong for me either.
Red had also given info about a human trafficking rumor… displeasing as that was, Dan Seo-hyuk was the protagonist, so he wasn’t someone who would harm me.
‘I need to use whatever info I know to the fullest.’
Either way, if Chae-song wasn’t next to be targeted, I would be. Whether danger came later or if I used this community’s method and got threatened now, it was the same!
‘…Or would summoning ghosts multiply the number of spirits and make things worse?’
My hand paused on the mouse.
new! <Is this an EVP photo? Photo warning> (+2)
<Have any of you experienced real urban legends?> (+5)
<There are still missing person rumours near Building O.D., is it true?> (+2)
<I keep dreaming I commit suicide…> (+44)
<Share how to get sleep paralysis> (+9)
There didn’t seem to be any new posts about the Eden building disappearances since then.
Hmm.
‘If Seo-hyuk knew, he definitely wouldn’t leave it be.’
But he was excessively cautious, and I was someone who wanted to do something.
Hmph—he acts like he’s my guardian.
I snorted and put my hands on the keyboard. I’d come this far; I wasn’t going to hesitate.
<Title: How to deal with a possessed doll!!
Author: Ma Cho-king
Body: My friend is in danger because of a possessed doll. The original owner told us to burn or toss it, but that feels off—any other solutions? They say granting wishes brings misfortune, so I’m worried it’ll hurt someone badly.>
The old chatroom was gone, so I had to post anew.
Would anyone pay attention this time? That ghost from before?
new! <How to deal with a possessed doll!!> (+0)
new! <Is this an EVP photo? Photo warning> (+2)
<Have any of you experienced real urban legends?> (+5)
<There are still missing person rumours near Building O.D., is it true?> (+2)
<I keep dreaming I commit suicide…> (+44)
<Share how to get sleep paralysis> (+9)
Come on, come on.
I hit refresh.
new! <How to deal with a possessed doll!!> (+0)
People—both living and dead—were busy and nobody replied.
I refreshed again.
new! <How to deal with a possessed doll!!> (+1)
Oh!
‘Is that the ghost from last time?’
└I’m really sorry: That’s why it feels wrong.
“Kyaaa!”
That’s the original keyring owner’s nickname! Why did that person comment? Is that woman a ghost? Why is she replying like she’d been waiting?
Ignore it. Ignore it.
My hand trembled on the mouse. Please just go away.
I refreshed.
new! <How to deal with a possessed doll!!> (+2)
More comments!
└This comment has been deleted.
Wait—hey. I haven’t even read it yet.
I stared at the screen in disbelief and refreshed in case—
└tkffuwntpdy: chat.
└tkffuwntpdy: quickly.
It was like it read my mind.
└Deleted comment.
└Deleted comment.
As soon as I read those lines and hit refresh again, they vanished.
“……”
It was more absurd than scary.
Anyway, it followed my request into chat without resistance. The familiar interface loaded.
<You have entered a chatroom with ‘tkffuwntpdy’>
<tkffuwntpdy: How to solve a possessed doll.>
<tkffuwntpdy:
Name it and speak to it.
A new spirit will attach to the doll. If you do it in a place with bad energy, a more dangerous demon might possess it instead.
Provide the displaced spirit a new place. It should be a living thing that could die quickly without human intervention.
Never share any of this with others.
The most certain way is to stab the doll with a dagger.>
“A dagger…?”
I slowly moved my hand off the mouse.
Could it be referring to the dagger the blonde ghost had told me to take?
My breath stopped for a moment.
‘How do you know about that?’
I couldn’t say the question out loud. Were the ghosts watching what happened to me? Why?
‘I’m not Dan Seo-hyuk…’
He was the story’s protagonist; it made sense the ghosts would keep entangling him. But me?
<tkffuwntpdy: Answer.>
A message pressed for an answer.
I didn’t even know what to reply, but what was I supposed to do?
<MaChoKing: If I stab the doll with a dagger, will anything dangerous happen to me?>
<tkffuwntpdy: Unknown.>
That was blunt.
<tkffuwntpdy: The spirit possessing the doll will be removed.>
<tkffuwntpdy: The people who suffered from that spirit will be helped.>
Not exactly the reassurance I wanted to hear, but it was what I wanted to hear most of all.
I reached toward my bag on the floor to check the dagger again.
<tkffuwntpdy: If you don’t need it,>
<tkffuwntpdy: give it to me.>
Something inside my open bag suddenly sprang up.
“Eek!”
A pale hand stretched toward me—
Was it going for my eye? My throat? I froze, unable to dodge or even close my eyes.
[That would be troublesome.]
A big hand settled on my shoulder.
[The owner of the sword is this one.]
When I tilted my head back, the blonde ghost who had given me the dagger was standing there.
