Chapter 150: Ch 150: Listening to an old friend..
Just now on the radio... Did the DJ really just say the name of a certain
ghost-story talk show host I know well?
For a moment there, I thought I was hallucinating.
Driving to a cemetery at 2 a.m. with a ghost in the passenger seat while
listening to the radio. It felt like a reasonable delusion under the
circumstances.
But then, a voice came through the speakers.
[Oh dear, I hardly know what to do with such praise!]
"..."
A familiar voice.
[Truly, it’s a pleasure to be here. Let me share my story with utmost
sincerity...]
I need to turn it off.
No matter how you look at it, listening to an A-grade or higher ghost story
declare it’ll speak with ’utmost sincerity’ is not a good idea.
Especially not when a ghost is sitting right next to me...
’Wait, no. Hold on.’
If I think about it another way, wouldn’t it actually help distract me?
"Kekekekekekekekekekekeradiofunnykekekekeke"
...the ghost in the passenger seat let out a laugh.
Or, no, it wasn’t really laughing.
It was mimicking the sound of laughter, like onomatopoeia.
Mocking, unsettling, twisted.
A purely instinctive kind of fear.
’Ha.’
In the end, I froze mid-motion, hand hovering over the radio.
The soft-spoken DJ and the upbeat talk show host were having a friendly
exchange.
I focused on that, kept my eyes on the dark road ahead, and drove.
[I heard that the Purgatory Choir recently sent the Late-Night Talk Show
band a special instrument. Rumor has it that it was a gift of apology and
gratitude. Whether it’s sincere or...]
Typical banter for when a famous talk show host guests on a radio show.
Catching up, current events, inside jokes, fan questions.
All of it followed the usual format, But when you really listened, there was
something off, something unsettling.
Nouns that didn’t fit the verbs. Impossible details. Words stitched together
to form something grotesque.
[Whether the heart or the brain is the true seat of love—our next guest
has taken a delicate look into it. Their skill with dissection was
impressive! Definitely please, tune in next time.]
[Oh, absolutely! Thank you. Look forward to it...]
"..."
Cold sweat gathered on my left palm gripping the wheel.
At some point... the ghost started staring at me.
Just staring.
"Um... are you enjoying it?"
"..."
"I asked if it’s fun."
"Ah, I’m sorry. I was trying to focus on the road, so I only caught bits of
it... but the host really is a smooth talker."
"Heeheeheeheeheeheeheeheeheehee."
I’m going insane.
And the broadcast continued, sweet and calm:
[The Late-Night Talk Show always brings excitement, fear, and joy. But
when you’re not running the show, Mr. Braun, what hobbies do you
enjoy?]
[Ah! Hobbies... Piano, selecting a fine wine, a good bath—such things
are dear companions to life. It’s a chronic affliction of entertainers,
choosing only the most inspiring hobbies. And...]
[Chatting with a good friend is always a joy.]
"..."
[A friend of yours, Mr. Braun? Can we hear more? Maybe a call—
aaAAAH—or something like that...]
Holy shit.
[Ah, sadly, we’ve fallen out of touch recently. A phone call might be
difficult.]
[Oh my, that’s a shame.]
[Ah, my heart aches with the loss! But fortunately...]
[I do happen to know a few details about my friend’s recent activities.]
My throat went dry.
"Excuse me."
[Apparently he joined a barbecue event at a supermarket. And even
bought an ugly plush toy. Can you believe it? So silly, so charming.
And...]
"It’s a little loud... Could you please turn it down?"
My hand reached for the radio, trembling.
[He’s using glass in place of an arm now!]
"..."
[Oh dear, glass? Isn’t that far too fragile to function properly? Should I
say that? Please tell me that’s what I should say? Isn’t that so?]
[Oh, most certainly. I’m terribly concerned... especially when a foolish
and useless creature is stuck to the glass as well!]
A stream of cold sweat ran down my back.
[What a pitiful—]
I finally managed to hit the power button.
Click.
"..."
"..."
A moment of silence.
[—decision indeed! Heavens!]
But the radio came back on by itself.
[How sad that I can’t reach my friend due to unfortunate circumstances.
I do wish I could tell him this...]
"Why isn’t the radio turning off? You’re being so rude. Um, if you’re not
going to turn it off, could you please let me out... I need to get out,
please open the door..."
Then, the ghost’s voice dropped to a whisper.
"And help me down too I can’t do it alone... I don’t have feet"
"..."
[Can we confirm if it’s possible to reach him?]
I turned my head.
Only then did I see it. The ghost in the passenger seat had no legs.
More precisely, both legs ended in ragged, torn stumps at the ankles.
It was just pretending to walk by dragging those along.
"I can’t walk on my own... I have to go with you"
Drip, drip.
Blood was falling.
Or rather, it must have been trickling down all along.
From beneath the passenger seat, now soaked, blood began to pour out like
mad, Spreading across the floor, seeping past the edge of the seat.
It kept flowing all the way to the driver’s side, over my shoes, over the
pedals...
[Hmm, just a moment.]
"..."
[I suppose there’s no need to confirm it now. My friend must be doing his
best as well.]
The voice deepened.
[Ah, the famous saying comes to mind: ’Heaven helps those who help
themselves.’Across many cultures, similar phrases persist like a kind of
magic. And in that sense...]
[A friend doing his best surely deserves a bit of special help, too.]
That warm, composed voice continued.
[You may turn off the radio now, Friend.]
"..."
[Oh, look. We have a guest.]
SCREEEEECH.
I barely managed to step on the brake in time.
I almost hit something.
’Haa.’
A hand had appeared against the windshield, like a hitchhiker’s with a
thumb raised.
My right arm, the dokkaebi flame, mimicked the same thumbs-up gesture...
then lowered it.
No.
Cold sweat ran down my back.
Apparently, I’d accidentally turned the radio off while fumbling for the
wheel.
"Oh? A person... It’s a person, right?"
The ghost beside me seemed to have shifted her attention.
...To the potential passenger outside.
If a passenger tries to join mid-ride, it’s better not to refuse. Let them sit in
the back quietly.
Refusals have led to cases where the ghost follows the new passenger off
the vehicle.
Knock knock.
A hand tapped on the back row’s window, then awkwardly opened the door.
It’s important to note that there have been cases where the hitchhiking
’passenger’ will not be human.
Remember, agent, the vehicle you’re driving is itself a supernatural entity.
It’s possible something strange will attempt to board.
In such cases, you may refuse for your own safety. Always remember, your
life comes first.
’Haa.’
Please, just please don’t get in.
The blood was still pooling all across the front floor.
If this person screamed and ran off, I wouldn’t even need to say a word.
If they were normal, maybe they’d just walk away without me having to
refuse...
"Excuse me."
"..."
A calm voice spoke.
"Um... is this how you do it... Please take me to Seoul Station where I can
ride the express train..."
......
Why is he here.
Reflected faintly in the front mirror, pale complexion, scruffy light-colored
hair, a slim frame, and a face that looked perpetually bored and exhausted.
’J3.’
A sergeant of the Security Team at Daydream Inc. was trying to board my
taxi, his voice full of apathy.
’What the actual hell.’
Members of the Security Team were allowed out at night after dark, but
what was he doing here, in the middle of a mountain road, no less? And
what the heck’s at Seoul Station...
Maybe because the taxi had become part of a ghost story, it drew in
someone contaminated?
I didn’t know. What mattered most was... this.
—The sergeant must have been told that I died a month ago.
’...Did he recognize me?’
Did he realize who I was?
No, my head was down, messy hair over my eyes, glasses on, and he could
only see the back of my head.
Odds were low.
Stay calm. Stay calm...
"Um, there’s already a passenger. I need to drop her off first."
"That’s fine."
His tone was indifferent, even though the car smelled heavily of incense
and blood.
"Ohohoho onemorepersonjoinedonemore. I’m so happy."
"Ah, what a relief... Alright, I’ll hop in..."
The sergeant gently sat in the backseat and closed the door.
"..."
"Um... why aren’t we moving...?"
Haa.
I started the car.
’I’m going insane.’
I resumed the route in silence.
– Speed-check zone ahead.
I slowed down.
"Please drive faster..."
The ghost’s whisper came from the passenger seat, still flat and lifeless in
tone.
I wanted to get out of this nightmare as quickly as possible too, but I
couldn’t.
If you break traffic laws, the ghost will clap its hands with delight, then
attempt to cause a crash. Afterward, it will try to exit the vehicle. Do not let
it.
Haa...
"...We might get caught speeding, ma’am, so please hang in there a little
longer."
"..."
The limp, long hair turned toward me.
I felt her gaze.
"Excuse me."
"Excuse me... I said hurry up."
"It’s chasing us from behind, don’t you see it?"
"I can see it. Huh? It’s gonna catch us... Ah, caught."
THUD.
A red handprint splattered against the passenger-side window.
Thudthudthudthudthudthudthudthudthudthud...
Handprints bloomed on every window.
The windshield. The rearview mirror. Thick, bloody marks streaked and
smeared down like dripping blood.
...Inside the car.
Then I realized.
These handprints weren’t being pressed from outside.
They were being stamped from within, as if something inside was slapping
the windows, trying to get out.
"..."
A chill of sweat ran down the back of my neck.
The ghost in the passenger seat began to tilt her head... tilting further,
unnaturally, until up and down reversed.
Her chin pointed toward the roof, and her mouth came into view...
"I want out. Hurry, or I’ll get out. Hurry, drive fast—"
"Ahem."
A soft cough echoed from the backse
You are quite rude.
A massive black tongue shot out from behind the passenger seat, dripping
saliva as it swallowed the whole seat in one gulp.
"...!"
Crunch. The ghost’s long black hair snapped as a monstrous tongue, jagged
teeth jutting in all directions, and a twisted eyeball with a long snout
engulfed the entire front seat.
"Rude little lamb... Pig... Red child..."
The beast grew larger.
Its gaping maw started creeping toward the driver’s seat, sharp claws
unsheathed.
My hands on the wheel trembled, and then, at that moment.
– Approaching destination.
"..."
"..."
I managed to speak.
"We’re almost there."
The shadow paused.
Silence.
Stillness.
And then...
"Ah... Sorry..."
Everything vanished.
"..."
The interior of the car was completely empty.
The grotesque, inhuman maw—gone. As if none of it had ever existed.
Only a hollow, eerie silence remained.
The ghost in the passenger seat was still there.
"..."
She sat blankly, dazed, staring into space, as if under a spell.
...Which was unsettling in its own way.
Suppressing the crawling sensation up my spine, I barely maintained steady
driving.
A few seconds later.
– You have arrived at Sajiyuk Cemetery. This concludes the navigation
guide.
The GPS stuttered and shut off.
...In the middle of a mountain road.
The headlights illuminated a sign just ahead.
DANGER!
※ Beware of Falling ※
Do not lean or climb.
There was a cliff ahead.
’Haa.’
Holding back trembling, I reached to unlock the passenger-side door.
"We’ve arrived, ma’am."
As I slowly turned my head...
There was no one in the passenger seat.
No pool of blood below, no burnt scent, no eerie laughter.
"..."
If the ghost disappears at the destination, you’ve successfully completed the
mission.
Signal the handler waiting at the site, then surrender the taxi to a
purification specialist before sunrise.
Thank you for your service.
Huu.
I finally let go of the steering wheel.
Just then, someone gently tapped on the driver’s side window.
Knock knock.
...It’s Agent Bronze!
"Just a moment, uh, um, officer!"
After addressing Agent Bronze as a police officer instead, I hurriedly rolled
down the window and stuck my head out, lowering my voice as I glanced
toward the back seat.
"There’s... another passenger."
"...!"
"I’ll drop him off quickly and come right back."
"...! Understood."
Fortunately, Agent Bronze seemed to interpret my panic as a rookie agent
flustered by civilian involvement, and let me go.
I raised the window and drove away from the strange cliffside.
In the side mirror, I caught a flash of something bizarre gleaming at that
Sajiyuk Cemetery...
"..."
Haa.
I did it.
I didn’t pass out...!
I had nearly screamed at the ghost mid-trip, begging her to please kindly get
out.
’My hands are still shaking.’
It had been a nightmare, but at least it was over without a crash or death.
Now, I just had to drop off the sergeant...
Right. He said Seoul Station, right?
I could just babble on about seeing a ghost along the way, play it off like
nonsense.
I glanced at the back seat.
Still, that thing earlier... it was terrifying, but in the end, it helped me.
’If things were still the same, I probably would have stopped by with a
thank-you gift or something.’
Like donuts, the kind the sergeant liked.
Now though, he wouldn’t even recognize me, so I should just chatter on
about ghosts, play my role as the cab driver, and—
"...So you were alive."
...!
"What a relief..."
Ah.