Chapter 67
That night, Dan Seohyuk and I decided to stay in Jang Hyunwoo’s hospital room. After stepping out into the hallway, I contacted the dorm supervisor and explained that something had come up and that I would be staying over at my family home for the night. Once the call ended, I stared down at my phone’s darkened screen.
I came here first because I was worried about Jang Hyunwoo, but… how am I supposed to find Chohae now?
I needed to find a new approach.
The cards I currently had… The urban legend community—no good. That one was a dead end.
Millie didn’t seem like she could provide direct help either.
Which meant the only option left was the quick-delivery ghost. Since I seemed to have earned some goodwill, maybe they’d tell me a bit more than before?
I also wanted to ask why, when I’d said “let me meet Machohae,” they’d taken me to that building.
If Machohae was still in that building…
Could I use the hide-and-seek ghost’s ability too?
The ability to erase your presence for about a day, hiding from both humans and ghosts alike—an incredibly useful power.
If I could use that, maybe I could reenter the building without getting dragged into the game and carefully investigate the underground auction site.
Then I’d need to go back to Eden Villa first. No—since I met Dad, maybe he moved somewhere else?
In the end, my thoughts looped right back to contacting the quick-delivery ghost.
But was it okay to call right now…? I hesitated, wondering about a ghost’s working hours.
In situations like this, it’d be nice to just send a text and wait for a reply.
Oh—what if I send a message to the number that texted me last time? Would they reply?
After a brief hesitation, I raised my phone.
<To: 444-4444>
I have something I’d like to ask—would you be able to make some time tomorrow?>
Maybe I’d get a reply at dawn.
I watched the screen for a moment, then was just about to put my phone away.
Bzzz.
As if it had been waiting, the phone vibrated.
<From: 444-4444>
That is possible.>
That was fast.
It was almost as if they’d been waiting for my message. Of course, that couldn’t be true… probably.
Still feeling a bit dazed by the immediate acceptance, I felt the phone vibrate again.
<From: 444-4444>
I will come pick you up tomorrow. Please contact me with a time that works for you.>
<To: 444-4444>
Aren’t you busy? And it might be hard for me to go out at dawn… I’d feel really bad about that ㅜㅠ>
<From: 444-4444>
It does not have to be dawn. I will adjust to your schedule.>
What is this? I don’t think I’ve ever received this much kindness even from a human.
After hesitating for a moment, I replied that I understood and would contact them again later. Then I slipped my phone into my pocket and let out a breath.
This feels… strange.
I always thought ghosts were nothing but frightening beings.
But the quick-delivery ghost, the keyring ghost—they all seemed like ghosts with stories of their own.
Is Millie the same?
The ghost who always appeared whenever I was in danger. But why wasn’t she showing up now?
She was completely unpredictable. Just when she’d started acting like she’d stick around to help…
She hadn’t disappeared without a word forever, had she?
After a brief moment of worry, I shook my head. There was no point dwelling on it.
First, I’ll deal with the keyring ghost.
I was worried about Jang Hyunwoo, but I couldn’t just leave the writing on my leg alone forever. I had to do something.
I was about to head back into the room when the door opened.
Slide.
It was Dan Seohyuk coming out.
“Oh.”
He looked slightly surprised, as if he hadn’t expected me to be in the hallway.
“Done with your call already?”
“Yeah. You?”
“I contacted them separately.”
Dan Seohyuk stepped closer. The hallway was quiet, and neither of us spoke for a moment.
“Peanut.”
Was he going to bring up what happened earlier?
Still, the fact that he used my nickname instead of my full name suggested his anger had eased a bit.
“When did the writing appear on your leg?”
“Uh… after we escaped that nightmare? When I woke up from the dream, it was already there.”
“There’s nowhere else?”
“No. For now, it’s just my leg, but… it used to stop at my calf. Now it’s reached my thigh.”
I didn’t mention the writing on my wrist—it felt like that would only make the atmosphere worse.
Even so, Dan Seohyuk frowned slightly.
“Any other symptoms?”
“Today, there was some pain…”
I quickly added,
“But it wasn’t bad! It went away quickly.”
“You should’ve said something, at least when you saw the photo Jang Hyunwoo sent. You saw it too.”
Dan Seohyuk stared at me.
“The ghost’s face that showed up with his hand.”
“That was…”
“That ghost didn’t carve letters into you with good intentions. You know that, Peanut. You said the previous owner of the keyring doll had letters appear on her body too, right?”
“Yeah. I think that’s why she covered herself with winter clothes. There were letters on her face too.”
I couldn’t believe he remembered something I’d only mentioned in passing.
His expression clearly said you saw that and still acted this recklessly?
“So what happened to that woman in the end?”
He already knew the answer—asking again just made it more infuriating. But I had no excuse.
“…She didn’t seem human anymore.”
“Exactly. It wasn’t just a simple case of her body changing as the price of a wish.”
That was why we’d trapped her in the nightmare in the first place. Not just her appearance, but her behavior too—things no human would ever do.
Would Jang Hyunwoo and I end up like that as well?
I parted my lips, then pressed them together again. In the past, I would’ve snapped at Dan Seohyuk to stop meddling.
But he’s not lashing out or being sarcastic like before. I can’t do that now.
He was holding back too—because he was worried, as a friend.
So I accepted it quietly.
“I’m sorry.”
If the roles were reversed—if Dan Seohyuk were in my position and hid it from me—I would’ve been deeply hurt and worried too.
This wasn’t even something directly related to Machohae, so there was no reason to be stubborn.
When I apologized so easily, Dan Seohyuk pressed his lips together, clearly not expecting that reaction.
After letting out a quiet sigh, he spoke.
“I wasn’t trying to get angry.”
“I know. You’re worried, right? I’d worry too if you did something like this.”
“Good. As long as you understand.”
Dan Seohyuk raised his hand.
Was he going to flick my forehead?
“Wha—?”
Nope. Instead, he mercilessly grabbed both of my cheeks and pulled.
“Ahp!”
With my cheeks stretched out, I couldn’t even pronounce words properly, so I resorted to flailing my arms, slapping at his thick wrists. Of course, he didn’t budge.
“Punishment.”
What is this, treating me like a kid?!
I was pinching the back of his hand, trying to make him let go, when the hospital room door opened.
Slide.
“Why are you two still outside—!”
Grumbling as he came out on his crutches, Jang Hyunwoo looked back and forth between us.
Then—
Thunk.
His wandering gaze stopped on my cheeks—more precisely, on Dan Seohyuk’s hands holding them.
“Ohhh?”
Jang Hyunwoo’s expression turned strange. His grin was infuriating.
“So you needed some alone time? When did you two get so close?”
“It’s not like that!”
I hurriedly slapped Dan Seohyuk’s hands away and glared at Jang Hyunwoo while rubbing my tingling cheeks. He clearly didn’t believe me.
“So you want me to keep it a secret? Got it.”
“No! That’s not it!”
“Sure, sure. Totally believable. Come to think of it, you two came to the hospital together last time too—wow, Macho-yeon level skills!”
This jerk.
The way he said “skills” made it sound like, How did someone like you end up flirting with a guy that handsome?
Why is it that every guy around me starts teasing the moment we get close? I couldn’t help but sigh.
Dan Seohyuk, on the other hand, looked completely indifferent, as if such childish teasing didn’t bother him at all.
I should react like that too—then Jang Hyunwoo would stop messing with me!
“Anyway, both of you come in and get some sleep. We have to get up early, so wouldn’t it be better to rest even a little?”
He was right.
I could probably stay awake until dawn, but there wasn’t really anything to do in the meantime.
When I looked at Dan Seohyuk, he nodded in agreement. Seeing that, Jang Hyunwoo grinned again.
“Ohhh, respecting your boyfriend’s opinion—nice to see.”
“Jang Hyunwoo, do you want to die? I’ll just go home.”
“No, no! I’m kidding! Just kidding! There’s no way a guy like Dan Seohyuk would date you!”
“Ugh! That’s supposed to be an excuse?!”
I gave him a solid smack on the back and stomped into the room, fuming.
It seemed our conversation had carried inside, because Park Chungman was smiling warmly—like a grandfather watching his grandchildren play.
Embarrassed, I pretended nothing had happened and lay down on the auxiliary bed. Dan Seohyuk found an extra blanket and brought it over.
“What about you?”
“I’ll lie down next to the elder.”
There was another auxiliary bed and spare blanket near Park Chungman, after all. I nodded to show I understood.
I desperately ignored Jang Hyunwoo, who was grinning slyly at us.
And so, we each spent our time in our own way. Jang Hyunwoo watched videos on his phone with earphones in. I lay there with my eyes closed.
I could hear Dan Seohyuk whispering—probably talking with Park Chungman.
If the nurse ghost really was the nurse who recorded ward logs, then she probably wasn’t that dangerous.
Thinking that, I fell asleep.
Or at least, I should have.
Clatter. Clatter.
An odd feeling jolted me awake. I opened my eyes wide.
I had been lying on the auxiliary bed—but now I was on a wheeled gurney, being moved somewhere.
Walking beside the bed was a nurse with a pale face, blood dripping steadily from her head.
What the—?
Suddenly, I remembered what the cleaning lady had once said.
After Im Gyeongmi’s suicide, strange things happened whenever a woman stayed in Room 303, so it had been changed into a men’s room.
I hadn’t thought much of it back then!
W-Where are you taking me?!
Why does this kind of thing always happen to me?!
