ULAS 20

Chapter 20

I wasn’t going to hesitate.

This was about my friends’ safety, and Dan Seo-hyuk seemed like he wanted to finish this quickly so he could focus on his parents’ affairs.

Pushed by us, the reluctant Tak Yeon-ho shuffled forward. Standing in front of the playground without even changing out of his uniform, he looked crestfallen.

“You asked me for help because you needed info about the ghost story, right? So… why do I have to do this?” he said, choking on the words. Even so, his hunched shoulders made him look nonthreatening.

Still — if I made him feel bad about it, he’d be upset, right?

“You’re helping us try this more safely. Do you know how important your role is?” I said.

“But I’d rather see a ghost myself. This is harder. I’ve never even properly talked to girls,” he complained.

Was I not a girl to him when we were talking? A strange expression crossed my face, and Dan Seo-hyuk curled one corner of his mouth. I glowered—he looked like he knew exactly what I was thinking—and he didn’t care at all.

‘Can’t scold him now; have to soothe this kid first. Ugh.’

“I know it’s a lot to ask,” I said, my voice calmer than I felt, looking earnestly at Tak Yeon-ho, who’s about my height unlike Dan.

His face flushed more and more.

“R-really?” he said.

“Of course. Since Chae-song said she’d come out, draw things out as long as you can!”

This was the moment. While Tak Yeon-ho was hooked I grabbed Dan Seo-hyuk’s sleeve and we practically fled around the corner of the apartment block.

“You’re playing him like a child,” Dan muttered.

“What are you talking about? I am really grateful to Yeon-ho, you know?” I shot back.

“Good,” he said.

What a manipulative little— I grumbled but peeked around. Tak Yeon-ho stood hesitating by the playground in front of the apartment.

“This plan still seems reckless,” Dan said.

“You’ll stall until Chae-song and someone else leave, then we slip in and grab the keyring?” I asked.

“Right.”

“But if we even mention the keyring, she’ll never come out,” Dan warned.

“And if we get caught, we’ll be reported for trespassing.”

True. Dan’s concerns were valid. I was thinking of using the door lock code I’d noticed when I visited Chae-song’s house before — that’s straight-up breaking in. Crime.

‘But I can’t think of any other plan!’

Last time I’d visited, Chae-song said her parents came back late and she was alone around this time. In my bag were the single flower I’d bought on the way and the dagger.

“You stay outside and signal if Chae-song or anyone else comes. We’ll make sure you’re safe,” I told him.

“That’s the problem…right now,” he started.

“Ah, why’d you stop talking—!” I hushed myself when Dan said, “She’s out.”

We hurriedly stopped arguing and looked toward the apartment entrance. Chae-song came out in a neat dress rather than trousers or her school uniform, looking like she’d left in a hurry.

‘Huh? She usually wears pants.’ And now that I’m looking she’s actually wearing makeup. Oho.

“Come with me,” Tak Yeon-ho said casually, pointing somewhere; she nodded slightly and followed.

Once they were far enough apart that we couldn’t see them, Dan and I quietly moved to the old apartment where Chae-song lived. In the elevator going up to the 5th floor, I kept thinking, ‘If it comes to it, I’ll stab the doll right away.’

My hands were cold; I gripped my bag tightly.

Ding.

The elevator doors opened on the fifth floor. We walked down the dim hall and stopped in front of Chae-song’s apartment. I breathed out.

‘While Dan keeps watch, get in quickly and check—’

“What are you doing — not entering the code?” Dan whispered.

“……!?” Why was he standing right next to me when he was supposed to be watching outside?

“You said you’d keep lookout!” I hissed.

“I never said I would.”

“You didn’t say you wouldn’t either!” I shot back.

“Don’t raise your voice. Just go in,” he said.

He was right — we shouldn’t make a scene that would attract the neighbors’ attention or delay us with an argument. Typical.

Grumbling under my breath, I entered the code and carefully opened the door. The apartment looked like any normal quiet home.

‘It feels chillier than last time.’

I swallowed hard, nervous that a ghost might jump out from somewhere. I took off my shoes and stepped inside; Dan quickly scanned the place to make sure it was empty.

“No one’s here,” he said.

“Still, let’s get out quickly just in case,” I said.

“Is this her room?” Dan asked, eyeing the door. I nodded and took a deep breath to open it—

Bang.

“You…!” Dan opened the door and stepped in.

“If you’re going to make a reckless plan, at least build your courage first,” he muttered.

Easier said than done!

“Over there,” Dan said, nodding at a black bag sitting beside the desk. Hanging from it was a black keyring.

‘It’s the same dark color so it almost blends in—good eye, Dan.’

I took a single flower out of my bag and carefully placed it next to the backpack. Chae-song didn’t keep pets, and there were no plants in the room.

‘I told it to give it a name.’ I didn’t want to give a meaningful name to something that would get possessed.

Please don’t be some terribly frightening ghost.

“Hi, Kkamang,” I said aloud.

Embarrassing as it felt to talk to a doll at my age, I kept my resolve. “I came because I want to be friends with you. This is my gift.” I pointed to the flower. This was the object the keyring-ghost was supposed to move into.

‘It sounded plausible when I read it in the chatroom. Will this actually work?’

Honestly, people do that sometimes — name the doll, talk to it. It doesn’t always attract spirits.

‘Was this a pointless act?’

With no reaction from the keyring, I nervously slipped my hand into my bag. I felt the dagger in my palm.

‘Maybe I should just stab the doll right now.’

Before I could decide, Dan asked, “What’s in that bag?”

“Uh? Actually, there’s—” I started to explain briefly so it wouldn’t look like I was pulling a weapon suddenly, but my voice trailed off.

He asked and then shut my mouth—what kind of trick was that?

I turned to glare at him and he said with a hard face, “It’s not me.”

…….

……What?

“A shame,” said a voice that sounded exactly like Dan’s.

A chill ran down my spine. I turned from Dan to look at the keyring. Nothing had moved; it looked exactly the same as a moment ago.

Except Chae-song’s bag zipper — it was open. It had definitely been closed a minute ago.

“What’s in that bag?” something mimicked Dan’s voice from inside.

“Tell me,” it whispered.

“You’re trying to hurt me with that,” I heard.

How did this ghost know we were considering injuring it? Just like with the internet-ghost, how does it know?

‘Maybe I shouldn’t have trusted the blond ghost’s words,’ I thought.

No — that wasn’t it. The keyring-ghost had just said it thought we were going to hurt it. That meant the method might actually work.

My hands trembled as I gripped the dagger. The bag rustled.

“Cho-yeon.” This time, Chae-song’s voice came from inside the bag.

“Do I have to die for you to tell me?” asked someone else — it was Jang Hyun-woo’s voice.

“Shouldn’t you have burned it?” said another voice.

The last voice was the original owner’s — I realized the ghost had recognized it, meaning it probably knew we were the ones who’d come here.

A vivid fear settled over me.

The bag rustled. Black hair poked out through the slightly opened zipper.

‘Run. Run now.’

But if I ran now — what then? Would I ever get another chance? We’d already been caught trying to pull something. If we ran, I couldn’t guarantee Yeon-ho’s or Chae-song’s safety.

Dan’s face had been recorded clearly in the footage; this was probably the last chance. If we ran now, it would be over.

‘I have to do it.’

Dan removed his hand from my mouth and gently placed it on my shoulder. The warmth steadied me.

Something like the top of a human head began to emerge from the bag. As soon as I saw it, Dan reached out fast.

“Machoyeon!” he shouted — his instinct told him a ghost shouldn’t come out.

He hurriedly zipped the bag up, but a pale hand slithered out through the partially closed seam and began to choke Dan’s neck.

“Hurry!” he yelled.

Why aren’t you running? I didn’t even know what I was supposed to do — but I wasn’t going to run.

I pulled the dagger from the bag. As I drew it, a faint blue light shimmered along the blade.

‘Don’t run,’ I told myself. If I backed down at this little fear, I’d never find Machohae again.

“ I’ll curse you,” I shouted, trying to make myself brave.

‘You can be afraid. But don’t run, Machoyeon!’ I kept repeating, psyching myself up, and raised the dagger with all my strength.