ULAS 53

Chapter 53

Milly hadn’t given me permission, but I hurried and ran into the house anyway.
I checked the room where Yoo Chaesong and Tak Yeonho had been, but as expected, it was silent.
The woman was nowhere to be seen.

[Why did you come here?]

“I thought maybe I could find something.”
I rummaged through the drawers of the old desk. It looked like the place had been cleared out during the move.
I was hoping there might at least be a diary.
I clicked my tongue and shut the drawer when Milly pointed downward.

“Under the desk?”
She nodded.
I quickly bent down and checked the empty leg space beneath the desk—but there was nothing.
Still, Milly wouldn’t have pointed without a reason.

“…No way?”
Slowly, I lifted my head and looked upward. And there it was—an old postcard taped to the underside of the desk.
I carefully peeled it off and flipped it over.

“Hee-eun?”
Everything other than that first line had been violently scribbled out.
After cursing her and insisting he never wanted to see her again, why would he keep something like this hidden here?
I turned my head and looked at the wall full of gruesome photos of the man.

“Milly. The woman… she drove me in her car once, right?”
My eyes landed on a small ID photo pinned in the corner of the wall.
The only one where the man looked normal—smiling, even.

“Places where people die in dreams also exist in reality.”
I said as I plucked the ID photo off the wall.

“If I find the place the kids are in, in reality… could I meet them?”

[It’s likely.]
[They’ll want a new victim, after all.]
[But how are you going to find that place?]

“Well… I do have one method. I just don’t know if it’ll work right now.”
Milly stared at me, puzzled.

I knew something—someone—who could take me to a person I wanted to meet, even without knowing their location.

I pulled out my phone and dialed a number.
444-4444.

Ring—
Click.

[Hello, this is Sa-Sa-Sa Quick Service.]

That emotionless but polite greeting always made me smile.
The call connected quicker than expected, and I answered cheerfully.

“I hope you’ve been well! I thought you wouldn’t pick up outside your working hours.”

Sa-Sa-Sa Quick Service—the ghost who had helped me confirm Macho-hae’s survival.
Milly aside, he was the only other spirit I trusted completely.
And also the only one capable of helping me now, without question.

[Yes. I am on break, but…]
[What can I help you with?]

“I’m really sorry to bother you during your break, but something urgent came up… I need a delivery.”

[…I see.]

Ah. That reaction was lukewarm.
He answered immediately, so I thought he was being friendly!
Well, nobody likes working off the clock anyway…

“Could you please do it just this once…?”

[It’s a bit difficult.]

“Were you sleeping?”

[I do not sleep.]

Then what was he doing that made him reluctant?
He didn’t sound annoyed with me, at least.

“If it’s not rude… may I ask what you were doing?”

There was a long pause.

[…]
[I was… looking for my daughter.]

“Your daughter?”

[Yes.]

So he hadn’t been able to see her since before he died. What had happened right before his death?
I thought ghosts would know everything… I guess not.

‘If someone holds a memorial for him, maybe he could know where she is…? Or maybe not.’

Before I could ask anything, he spoke again.

[Please tell me what you need delivered, and where.]

“Wait—does that mean you’ll take the request?”

[If the destination is a place I’ve never been.]
[I can look for my daughter while I’m there.]

My chest tightened with emotion.
He was… unbelievably kind.

“Are you an angel?”

[No.]

Firm. Cold.
Yep, definitely still a ghost.

I hurried before he could change his mind.

“My friends—Yoo Chaesong, Tak Yeonho, and Dan Seo-hyuk—are trapped in a dream. The place in the dream exists in real life. I want to go there. Can you take me?”

[The delivery item is ‘Ma Choyeon,’ correct?]

“Yes! That’s right!”

[Checking the delivery location.]

Silence.

[Confirmed.]
[Delivery is possible.]

So it wasn’t a place he visited while searching for his daughter.
Good!

I silently celebrated.

“Then where should I go? Should I wait in a quiet alley nearby?”

[I have already arrived.]

Already? Where?!

I spun around in confusion until I heard a soft sigh.

[He wouldn’t come inside the room.]

Milly’s scolding made me flush with embarrassment.
People panic sometimes, okay?!

Milly pointed outside.
I stepped out of the room—and there it was.
A motorcycle parked at the second-floor entrance.
A familiar pink helmet.

[Sa-Sa-Sa Quick Service.]
[You requested a delivery?]

God.
His voice was so sweet.
Even through the helmet, the invisible gaze felt warm.

“Yes, yes, yes! Thank you so much for coming even though you were resting.”

I felt like I might fall for a ghost.

‘Honestly, he doesn’t even charge me anything. It’s basically volunteer work.’

Aside from dropping me off at creepy places, he never asked for payment.

[This is a one-time exception, customer.]

“Yes, I understand!”

A little disappointing… but fair.
I shouldn’t rely on him too much anyway.

I placed the postcard and photo carefully in my pocket.
When I climbed onto the back seat, the helmet materialized above me and settled over my head—just like always.

[Departing now.]

I nodded, and we sped off.
Still too fast to see the scenery around us.

After some time, the motorcycle slowed and stopped.

[We have arrived at the nearest location.]

“Thank you. Um, what about the other two…?”

I hesitated. Asking for more would be too shameless.

The delivery ghost spoke first.

[There are two here.]

When I stepped off, the scenery finally became clear.
The air tasted salty and damp.

The ocean.

“There are two here?”

So the last friend was somewhere else.
How was I going to find them?

I was pondering when someone tapped my shoulder lightly.
The delivery ghost.

[If you grant me one favor, I will return to pick you up.]

“A… a favor? I-Is it dangerous?”

[No.]

“Does it involve hurting someone? Or me getting hurt?”

[No.]

“And you can’t tell me yet?”

He nodded.
Oddly enough, I didn’t feel uneasy.

I glanced at Milly.
He didn’t stop me either.
If Milly wasn’t stopping me, it probably wasn’t dangerous.

“Okay. But if I think it’s dangerous later, I can change the conditions, right?”

[Yes.]

“All right! I’ll call when I’m done here. Thank you for the ride!”

The helmet dipped gently in a bow.
Then the motorcycle sped away and vanished.
The beach was empty.

“So they’re at the ocean…”
Then the method of suicide must be drowning.
They wouldn’t have buried themselves in the sand.

I walked toward the water slowly.
The setting sun colored the horizon behind the darkening sky.

It was a strangely beautiful scene for the situation.

The blue waves rolled gently.
I stared at them.

And stared.

And stared—

“…!!”

The blue ocean began to darken—starting from far beyond the horizon.
The sunset sky turned pitch black.

Only when everything was swallowed in darkness did I realize:

‘So that’s why the sea was black.’

Countless human heads were bobbing beneath the surface, moving like waves.
Some lifted only their eyes above the water, glaring at me with chilling intensity.

“Ha.”

Did they think that would scare me?
I’d already seen ghosts much uglier and creepier than this.

[Child.]
[Stop trembling.]
[Your luck will run away.]

What the—
He didn’t even look Korean.
Where did he learn a proverb like that…?

Despite my bravado, Milly had caught me shaking.
Ghosts were scary no matter how many times I saw them.

I forced strength into my trembling legs.