Chapter 9
“Gasp!”
It was pitch black when I opened my eyes.
My mind had stopped from the shock of my heart being pierced.
As if the heartbeat on an EKG monitor had stopped and flattened into a straight line.
An endless beeping sound seemed to ring like an auditory hallucination.
Am I dead?
Just like this?
Then where is… this place?
It was around the time I was repeating these monologues to myself.
As I gradually became accustomed to the darkness, my eyes began to distinguish objects bit by bit.
The ceiling appeared dimly, and the fluorescent light was revealed.
Is it indoors?
I looked around while thinking for a moment.
Even the clock hanging on the wall and the chest of drawers.
“It’s my house?”
I was lying on the bed in my room.
My whole body was drenched in cold sweat, and when I touched my chest, there wasn't a single wound.
“Was I not stabbed by a knife?”
I couldn't make heads or tails of the situation.
I picked up the smartphone next to me and checked the date and time.
Today.
8:00 PM.
Since the time I came home earlier was around 6:00, two hours had passed.
“Was it a dream?”
I fell asleep as soon as I arrived, but only two hours have passed?
A moment of silence passed.
“It’s ominous.”
If what I just had was a dream, it might be an urban legend.
Of all things, a dream about that woman dying.
“Wait. What time was it?”
The record of the incident I saw in the dream. The police report I saw came to mind.
Around 9:00 PM.
Then there’s still an hour left until the time of the incident.
“Could it be...”
I felt increasingly anxious. It would be a relief if it were a dream, but today felt different.
The memory of experiencing the elevator urban legend after falling asleep due to narcolepsy remained intensely.
So it felt like a warning.
“No way.”
Maybe in an hour.
What if this thing is about to happen to her, the medium, right now?
That thought entered my mind.
Should I go?
An hour was tight. There was no time to hesitate or waver.
But.
What if I go there and encounter that ghost again?
‘Killer spirit.’
If I meet that cruel evil spirit that clung to my back again.
If that horrific pain that made my legs tremble is repeated.
Will I be able to endure it well? Such a worry occurred to me.
“…….”
Time ticked by.
There was no time to pause or hesitate.
“Phew.”
I touched my trembling heart again, agonized, and finally decided.
“Let’s go.”
A situation where nothing happens would be best.
Hoping for that, I called a taxi with a sense of urgency.
……
The Hanok house I eventually arrived at.
As soon as I got out of the taxi, I checked the time.
“8:54 PM.”
There was time left.
Looking at the tightly closed gate, I hesitated, unable to bring myself to reach out.
I had come because my dream was so unsettling, yet I hoped this would turn out to be a wasted trip.
No way. If I were to meet that ghost again....
The sensation of the knife plunging into my chest was unforgettable. The chilling cold as the sharp metal dug in. The excruciating pain that followed immediately, and my vision turning red.
It was a feeling I never wanted to experience again.
“Whew.”
A sigh escaped me involuntarily.
Checking the time again, another minute had already passed.
I had to go in before 9:00. I couldn't afford to hesitate after coming all this way.
Right now, what I needed was the courage to take a single step forward.
Creeak.
The gate opened? It had been tightly closed just moments ago.
It was a gate I had knocked on to enter during the day, so why was it open now that night had fallen? I felt uneasy. Perhaps I had arrived too late.
“……”
But I didn't make a sound. I felt a sense of terror so profound that cold sweat drenched my back.
I carefully peered inside. The place was filled with a silence where not a single sound could be heard.
If the ghost was truly there, it might notice if I made a noise recklessly. That fear washed over me, but my feet had already carried me inside.
‘Domain Barrier.’
This was the ghost’s domain. If I had already entered it.... In the worst-case scenario, I might encounter that ghost again.
Amidst the tension flowing down my spine, I slowly stared ahead. There was something in the courtyard.
Who...?
A woman wearing a white hanbok. With her stylish silhouette and long straight black hair, it was her. The medium.
“Huh?”
She turned her head first and looked at me. She looked surprised.
“Why did you come?”
That was her first question. I hesitated, wondering what to say. After struggling, the first words that instinctively came out were these:
“You’re okay, right?”
“Pardon?”
Her face became even more surprised than before. Only then did I gradually realize the situation.
Ah, I came here for nothing.
“Why wouldn't I be? Is there a problem?”
“No. Haha.”
I took a step back.
“I just... stopped by. I was passing by and decided to drop in.”
“You left like that during the day, and now you just show up at night?”
It made no sense. She glared at me with an even more suspicious look.
However, it was currently 8:58 PM. There were only two minutes left until 9:00.
“It seems nothing is wrong.”
She made a strange expression—neither a smile nor one of contempt—and then approached me.
“What happened?”
This medium’s insight and intuition were terrifying. Anyway, since I had already come this far, I decided to risk opening a can of worms.
“Do you want to go outside and talk?”
“Right now?”
“Let's just step outside the house. I think I’ll feel more comfortable that way.”
One minute to go.
Was nothing really going to happen?
Had she read my expression, which was filled with anxiety?
“Fine, if you say so.”
She agreed readily.
Step.
I walked out to the street outside the gate with her. The medium asked immediately,
“Well? You want to talk out here?”
I raised my hand to stop her.
“Just a moment.”
8:59 PM.
I waited for a moment while the breeze blew by.
“Huh?”
She tilted her head and crossed her arms. She was staring intently at me with a look that seemed to say I was being utterly ridiculous.
Finally, it became 9:00 PM.
“Nothing... is happening, right?”
“What have you been talking about this whole time?”
She asked back, sounding frustrated. I mumbled and stalled for a little more time.
9:01 PM.
9:02 PM.
“What are you doing? After calling me out here.”
Only when she was about to shout, unable to hold back anymore, could I finally let out a breath.
“Phew.”
“What did you come here for?”
Well, you see...
After catching my breath a bit, I explained the whole story.
“I had a dream that you died.”
“What?”
She wore a puzzled expression and a look of absurd laughter at the same time.
“It’s true. I saw a ghost stab you with a knife.”
“Where?”
“…….”
“My house, then.”
I hesitated, but she caught on immediately.
“Don't tell me you saw it in a dream?”
“…Yes.”
The night breeze blew gently. She also seemed at a loss for words and remained silent for a moment.
Soon, a snicker was heard.
“Puhahaha!”
“Why are you laughing?”
“How is this not funny?”
She burst into laughter, laughing loudly. It was as if she had never seen anything this hilarious in her entire life.
“Hey, you’re really something.”
Waving her hand dismissively, she continued to laugh heartily.
“Isn't it just because you had that urban legend dream during the day? Bad dreams usually leave a deep afterimage.”
“Is that so?”
I was being mocked by her, but I didn't feel bad. I felt relieved. Anyway, the dream I’d had was wrong, and there was no killer spirit.
“Since nothing happened, that’s enough.”
“I’m a bit free at night.”
She uncrossed her arms and nodded slightly.
“In any case, you came because you were worried, right?”
I felt at ease. I realized that sometimes, just the fact that nothing is happening can bring such immense relief. Her expression changed from cheerful laughter to a soft smile.
“I’m glad you came. I had something to tell you as well.”
She spoke up immediately.
“I want you to help me with my work.”
“Solving those urban legends? I refused earlier.”
“I’m asking you again.”
“No.”
I refused once more. Dealing with ghosts wasn't exactly my forte.
“Well, you came all the way here anyway,” she muttered, spitting out the words.
“You came even though you knew a ghost was here. Because you were afraid I’d die.”
“…….”
“Right? You came prepared to encounter an evil spirit. That means you’re qualified.”
“Qualified?”
“Because you aren’t afraid.”
Me, not afraid of ghosts?
She continued.
“Let’s do this together.”
“…….”
Still, I tilted my head in doubt.
“I’m different from you, Medium... I mean, Ms. Lee Yeon-hwa.”
“Huh?”
“I’m just a person with narcolepsy who constantly falls asleep. I’ve never been in a fight in my life, and I’m afraid of a lot of things. I’m different from you.”
I refused. My whole life had been defined by fear.
“I’m even too scared to ride amusement park rides.”
“You can learn.”
Ha, this medium lady. She wasn't someone who gave up easily.
“Fear can be overcome through learning. Actually, humans can accomplish anything if they learn through repetition.”
“…….”
Even so, I couldn't accept it.
“Thank you for the offer, but I'm really not the one.”
I turned away. It was time to go home.
“The first amount I offered was 300, wasn't it?”
Huh? Her tone turned cold.
“3 million won a month.”
“Pardon?”
“I’ll raise it. 400.”
Eh? I tilted my head. Was she really trying to negotiate a salary right here?
“What are you talking about?”
“You said it yourself—that you’ve never had a proper job.”
She pulled something from her clothes.
Crinkle.
The folded paper was the application I had brought.
“When did you...?”
“You left in such a rush earlier. You dropped this on your way out.”
I had been in a hurry, all right. I’d wanted to escape as fast as possible.
“You said urban legends are scary? How about some ‘financial therapy’?”
She continued.
“Isn’t money scarier? The less you have, the scarier life gets.”
I faltered for a moment. Between a ghost and money, which was honestly scarier right now? She knew the answer.
“It’s 4 million a month. I’ll guarantee it.”
Huh? 4 million?
“…….”
Still, urban legends were a no. I turned back around and quickened my pace.
“5 million.”
She raised the bid from behind me.
“Pardon?”
“I said 500. 500.”
Ha, now this is a bit tempting.
I felt my body being pulled toward her instinctively. It was as if a powerful magnet was dragging me back.
“…….”
“It’s a good deal. It’s hard to get this kind of treatment when you don't even have experience yet.”
“You can actually pay that much?”
“Pardon?”
She let out a hollow laugh as if she found me absurd.
“I make good money.”
“I don't think so.”
“I don't just handle urban legends. I can read faces, too. And tell fortunes.”
She had quite a confident look on her face.
“I make enough to cover your salary, so don't worry. I’ll even set you up as a full-time employee with the four major insurances.”
Mmm.
The offer was excellent. I’d never even been able to get a proper job because of my narcolepsy, yet here I was being offered 5 million.
But.
“I’m leaving.”
It was then. She presented her final offer.
“600.”
Her words felt like the ghost that had been hanging on my back. It felt like a heavy weight was pulling at me. This was yet another distinct sensation. Her words sounded like a devil's whisper.
I stopped in my tracks again at that intense pull.
“This is my final offer. If you go any further, there won't be a next time from me.”
It was a tempting proposal. I hesitated over the decision and then tried to start walking again.
At that moment.
She threw out one decisive line.
“600 after taxes.”
That was it.
I accepted gratefully.