Chapter 21
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 21
Chapter Title: Extra File. Hollow Man
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0.
The Hollow Man was always standing there, gazing this way.
1.
I wasn't the type who was into photography from the start. The reason I mustered up the courage to buy an expensive camera was a simple wish: to preserve the image of my new girlfriend for as long as possible. Jina was prettier than any woman I'd ever met. Desperate to capture that beauty forever in photos, we headed to the park together every day to shoot.
Once the session ended, I'd swipe through the photo list with a satisfied grin. I'd picked up the hobby without any real knowledge, but lately, I'd improved a ton, and that made me happy. I flashed a smile at my girlfriend in the pictures, then looked up.
And there he was. Always there. That man.
He was like a shadow of a person. Average height, not standing out. He blended so seamlessly into the scenery that you could miss him entirely. Dressed head to toe in black, with pale skin. Gloomy, yet his eyes gleamed. Everything but his eyes was shrouded in shadow.
As always—dammit—our eyes met. I lowered the camera like I was hiding it and tried to brush past him as quickly as I could. But he blocked my path. Then he extended a hand toward me. Like he was asking for something.
I ignored him, turned on my heel, and walked away. His gaze clung to my back like spilled ink. And after that, for reasons I couldn't fathom, the perfect shots I'd just captured vanished from the camera entirely.
2.
The next day, I hit the park again and snapped photos of Jina to my heart's content. Her radiant smile beaming at me more than made up for the ones I'd lost yesterday. Joyfully, I clicked the shutter over and over. Click, click, click.
Sunset crept in before I knew it. The glow settled over Jina's hair like a hat. Utterly entranced by the moment's beauty, I shot frame after frame as if possessed. It was bound to be the masterpiece of my life.
Getting late—time to head home. I admired the day's greatest treasure captured in my camera, smiled to myself, turned to leave, and looked up.
There stood the Hollow Man. I averted my eyes fast and tried to slip past him. But I couldn't. As if it were fated, our shoulders collided. And in that instant, our eyes met again.
He reached out his hand. I ignored it, hurried home... but sure enough, the photos were gone.
It was enough to make a ghost wail.
3.
The next day. Today, too, I took so many stunning shots that yesterday's losses didn't sting anymore. The girlfriend in my camera was growing more beautiful with each passing day. These ones, at least—no way I'd let them get stolen. I'd treasure them forever, clutched close to my chest and etched deep in my mind.
And when I looked up, there was the Hollow Man.
Fury boiled over, and I shot to my feet. Not today. I wouldn't just hand them over like an idiot. I stashed the camera safely in my bag and, instead of dodging, marched straight toward him. Before our eyes could lock again, I unleashed a torrent of shouts.
"What the hell are you? Why do you keep showing up in front of me? You're the one swiping my photos, aren't you? I don't know what your deal is, but it's gotta be you!"
Only then did our gazes meet. For the first time, I really studied his face. He looked young, but it was etched with countless unmeasurable years. Detached from the world's cares, yet brimming with an allure you couldn't shake. Colorless as water, but holding every joy and sorrow the world had to offer.
4.
"I've never followed you."
"Then how do you keep popping up right in front of me?"
"You are the one following me."
I couldn't help but laugh in disbelief. I issued a warning.
"Listen up—this time, no touching my photos. Got it? Keep showing your face, and I won't go easy on you. Scram while I'm asking nicely!"
But the man spoke on as if he hadn't heard a word.
"Aren't you chasing me because you want me to save you?"
"What?"
Definitely unhinged. What good is talking to a lunatic?
"I wanted you to realize it on your own. But at this rate, you'll loop through this forever. I'm sorry. Even so, let that woman go now."
I had no clue what he was rambling about.
"What the hell does that even mean?!"
Why was I yelling at him like I was begging? I didn't want to hear any more. No—truth be told, I did. No... what I really wanted was...
"That woman isn't crying."
I snorted. Jina, crying? She'd smiled at me so brightly all day long. Look. Just look at these photos. My girlfriend, how happy she was... how...
...her face a total wreck, sobbing and sobbing until the tears ran dry...
I blinked. Whirled around. Nothing but the sunset-drenched park and the river glimmering red. No sign of Jina anywhere.
5.
Why had I forgotten?
Jina had died just a few weeks ago, that evening—fooling around dangerously on the bridge over the river in this very park before tumbling in and drowning. At her funeral, lost in grief, I'd cried and cried until I stumbled on the photos we'd taken together on my phone. Right then, I'd dashed into the nearest shop and grabbed the priciest camera they had. Then come straight here to this park. Every single day. Taking. Photos.
Dazed, I peered back into the camera. There she was. Face streaked with tears, sadder than imaginable... but it was Jina, without a doubt. In the shot from just ten minutes ago.
6.
"Now, let that woman go."
7.
The Hollow Man took the camera from the man—a device he'd never once used on his own. He turned, took a few steps, then smashed it against the ground. No sound of shattering. Only what seemed like a woman's muffled sobs echoing through the dark riverside park.
Left alone, the man stood frozen in place for ages. Until a nail-thin moon rose and stars dotted the sky overhead. Only then did he stir. He turned and walked off as if strolling on clouds, never stopping. The black river water rose to his knees, wrapped his waist, and finally swallowed him whole. It wasn't until days later that others spotted his corpse floating on the river's surface.
8.
Someone once said it: anyone who encounters the Hollow Man meets with misfortune. But whether that's true or not, who can say?