NOVEL NEXT – Chapter 32
As lunchtime was coming to an end, I was sitting by the window in the Foundation’s cafeteria, tidying up my tray. Occasionally, latecomers hurriedly finished their meals, and in the corner, the cleaning lady was organizing empty trays. The air was filled with the mixed smells of oil and soup, typical of the cafeteria.
Kang Hana sat down in front of me, wearing her usual black suit.
“Jeong Woo, I’ll head out first. See you at the bus stop.”
She finished speaking and got up. I noticed her slinging a black crossbody bag over her shoulder. Unlike her usual sharp gaze, she looked somewhat tired, probably due to the company dinner two days ago.
I nodded and continued organizing my tray. Seeing the leftover soybean paste stew at the bottom of the bowl, a thought crossed my mind.
‘Maybe I won’t be able to eat properly in a place with horror stories…’
Just in case, I grabbed a few chocolate bars from the supply room. They weren’t horror-themed, just regular convenience store snacks. These would help stave off hunger at the scene.
After returning the tray, I stepped outside, where a spring breeze brushed past my nose. The weather was still chilly. As I walked towards the bus stop in front of the Foundation building, I looked up at the sky. Gray clouds were scattered across it.
“Over here.”
Kang Hana, sitting on the bench at the stop, waved her hand. I sat beside her, and the spring breeze blew again.
“So, what’s the horror story this time?”
“We got a report from the redevelopment area in Hannam-dong. Someone saw something.”
Kang Hana pulled out her tablet and skimmed through the report.
“The informant is a man in his early thirties. He says something has been tormenting him every night for the past week…”
As the bus arrived, she stopped talking and got up. We boarded the bus together and sat by the window. Kang Hana continued.
“The first report came in yesterday, and there’s footage… Let’s see.”
She played a video on her tablet. The screen was dark, but something faintly visible moved rapidly. It seemed like CCTV footage.
“As you can see, it’s too fast to make out clearly. We’ll need to hear directly from the informant to determine if it’s a horror story or not.”
In the video, something darted through the alley at an abnormal speed. It was too fast to see clearly, but it definitely didn’t look human.
“Hmm… I can’t tell what it is just from the video.”
It seemed we’d have to hear from the informant directly, as Kang Hana suggested.
The bus to Itaewon was bustling with tourists. Foreign tourists chatted loudly.
“Let’s get off here.”
Kang Hana stood up first. As the bus stopped and the doors opened, a chilly breeze swept in. Kang Hana buttoned up her black jacket and looked around.
We walked along a narrow alley that twisted like a maze. Old stairs and rusty iron doors occasionally came into view. Sunlight filtering through the alleys cast long shadows.
As we walked, an increasingly old neighborhood revealed itself. It felt like stepping into a 1930s Seoul backstreet. Most houses were already empty, likely due to the confirmed redevelopment.
The entire alley had a desolate atmosphere. Signs announcing the redevelopment and demolition were posted everywhere, and most houses were already vacated.
“This seems to be the place…”
Kang Hana double-checked the address. The tablet screen indicated it was near Hankwang Church. Turning the corner, an old church building came into view.
“Over there.”
Kang Hana pointed to a two-story standalone house. Unlike the others, this one seemed still inhabited. Several flower pots were placed in the yard, and a rusty mailbox hung next to the gate. Wet laundry hung on a clothesline.
As we approached the gate, a cat’s meow came from somewhere. A cat sitting in the corner of the yard saw us and quickly darted over the wall.
Kang Hana rang the doorbell. After a moment, footsteps approached, and the gate creaked open. A man in his early thirties greeted us.
His first impression was unsettling. Dark circles hung heavily under his eyes, and he looked visibly tired, as if he hadn’t slept in days. His stubble suggested he hadn’t shaved in a while.
“Are you Jo Seongmin?”
Kang Hana showed her ID and spoke. The man nodded tiredly and led us inside.
“Sorry, I haven’t been able to sleep lately…”
His voice sounded hollow, like someone drunk. As we entered the living room, several empty coffee cups were on the table. He seemed to be relying on caffeine.
The living room was surprisingly tidy. Books were neatly arranged on the shelves, and a few landscape paintings hung on the walls. Late afternoon sunlight streamed through the window.
“Please, sit down.”
We sat on the sofa, and Jo Seongmin brought water. His hands trembled slightly, and the sound of the cup being set down was unusually loud.
“Could you tell us in detail what’s been happening?”
At Kang Hana’s question, Jo Seongmin sighed deeply. His fingers unconsciously tapped the table. Tap, tap, tap. His anxiety seemed to seep through his fingertips.
“I… have a hobby.”
Jo Seongmin’s voice trembled. He looked out the window and continued.
“It’s nothing special. I go up to the rooftop at night and look around the neighborhood with binoculars. It was fine at first, but…”
He paused and took a sip of water. His Adam’s apple bobbed.
“It started a week ago. I was looking towards the western hill…”
Jo Seongmin’s face turned pale. Under the fluorescent light, beads of sweat on his forehead were clearly visible. He seemed to be choosing his words carefully, then spoke again.
“There was this… emaciated figure with a child-like face.”
His voice cracked. His pupils shook as if reliving the scene.
“At first, I thought I was seeing things. But then… it seemed to notice I was watching…”
His hands holding the cup trembled. Kang Hana recorded his testimony on her tablet, never taking her eyes off him.
“It started laughing insanely… and then it ran towards me with a kitchen knife. At an impossible speed…”
Jo Seongmin sighed deeply. His shoulders slumped.
“I barely managed to lock the gate and grab a baseball bat… I heard it running up the alley, then it started banging on the gate like crazy.”
Sunlight filtered through the window as evening approached.
“Since then… every night, I hear it running barefoot around the house.”
Jo Seongmin’s voice choked up, almost on the verge of tears.
“I’m going crazy. I haven’t slept properly in a week. I’ve reported it to the police, consulted a shaman, even asked a pastor for help… but nothing works.”
“Don’t worry. We’re professionals.”
As Kang Hana comforted Jo Seongmin, I naturally grasped the nature of the horror story thanks to the serum’s effect.
———————
A horror story originating from a Japanese community, where someone using binoculars at night spots a humanoid creature, which then charges at the observer at “Meng Speed.” Despite its short length, it delivers intense horror and has been well-received by horror enthusiasts.
———————
After hearing the whole story, Kang Hana stood up. Her expression was more serious than usual.
“This seems like a creature-type horror story. I think we’ll need to bring specialized equipment from the office.”
She turned to me and said,
“Can you stay here while I go get it? The informant seems very anxious…”
“Sure.”
Kang Hana hurried off to the office, and time gradually moved towards evening. The fluorescent lights in the living room were on, but outside, it was getting darker. As night fell, Jo Seongmin’s tension seemed to heighten.
“Would you like some more coffee?”
He picked up the coffee pot again. There were already four empty coffee cups on the table. Jo Seongmin seemed to be a caffeine addict.
“No, thanks.”
As I declined, he poured himself another cup. The sound of him slurping hot coffee echoed in the silent living room.
Outside, it was completely dark. The city lights and street lamps twinkled in the distance.
Suddenly, curiosity struck me.
‘Is what Jo Seongmin said really true?’
Sometimes, during field investigations, the horror phenomena turned out to be hallucinations or lies from the informants.
While Jo Seongmin went to the bathroom, I quietly got up. Stepping outside, I saw a cement staircase leading to the second floor.
On the rooftop, a chilly night breeze swept past. The faint moonlight illuminated a folding chair. Jo Seongmin must have sat here every night, observing the neighborhood.
Next to the chair was a table with binoculars on it. They didn’t look high-end but seemed well-used.
Though I told myself to wait for Kang Hana, I felt an urge to look through the binoculars at the western hill Jo Seongmin mentioned.
‘Well, as long as I lock the gate, it should be fine.’
Carefully, I picked up the binoculars and looked through them. The western hill Jo Seongmin mentioned came into view. The dimly lit hill under the streetlamp had an eerie atmosphere.
And then it happened.
At the end of the hill, something white stood. Its entire body was emaciated.
I shouldn’t have, but I increased the binoculars’ magnification to see it more clearly.
Then, its face came into view.
A deathly pale face, deep black eye sockets, and a wide, grinning mouth.
Suddenly, it looked straight at me.
Its mouth stretched ear to ear in a sinister smile.
And then.
Tat-tat-tat-tat!
It started running towards me at an insane speed.