Strange Signal
"Ha...."
Go Cheon-su let out a sigh as he stared at the beam of light.
"What the hell is that thing?"
It had been nagging at him, but he hadn't checked it out yet because he'd been dealing with Shadow. Still, he wondered if he really needed to bother.
The viewers' reactions were negative too. Go Cheon-su caught his breath first and checked the road sign.
"Distance to Myeongseo Elementary School..."
He pulled out his phone and opened the map app. Even without data, the pre-installed app was plenty useful.
"3km."
He couldn't confirm it for sure, but assuming a 3km radius seemed safe enough.
"Alright, bros, I'm gonna head toward that light."
"That's Morse code."
Of course, Go Cheon-su hadn't actually learned Morse code. But he remembered it from a movie that had drawn huge crowds back in the day.
"SOS. Distress signal."
It was common knowledge, even for civilians.
One viewer's point was valid and spot-on. No need to walk into danger just to check.
"Bros, got a question for you."
He wanted to know if Shadow was visible to regular people too.
"Does only my sorry ass see that damn thing?"
No, it meant plenty. "You've just handed me a ton of info, bros."
It was a curse, sure, but now he had ways to exploit it.
"First off, this."
Someone spotting a person chased by Shadow and turning on a light? Absurd.
"Even if they flipped it on by accident, it's pointing right at us. No way they didn't see anything."
So they'd witnessed Shadow, yet they hadn't turned off the light like idiots—which meant they weren't clever enough to set a trap. Plus, the light was close enough that if they'd wanted to attack preemptively, they could've done it anytime. But nothing happened.
"I'll go as far as rifle range."
Moving at night was risky. To secure a safe spot nearby and hunker down, he had to check it out anyway.
Flicker, flicker, flicker.
Go Cheon-su approached the destination slowly, flashlight dodging the beam just barely, wary of monsters lurking in the dark.
'It's changed.'
The light stopped flickering. It stayed on, steady.
Go Cheon-su froze, gripping his rifle tight.
Sure enough, as the viewer said, the light suddenly drew closer. Someone was walking over, flashlight in hand.
"What the—?"
Go Cheon-su backed up bit by bit, ducking behind cover. The approaching light panicked, sweeping around erratically.
'Idiot.'
Clumsy. Go Cheon-su just peeked out, and the light switched back to flickering.
Flicker, flicker, flicker.
Faster now, but still spelling out SOS overall.
"Hm."
Go Cheon-su pulled out his flashlight, flicked it once from behind cover, then darted to new cover.
Thud thud thud thud.
Someone rushed over, footsteps pounding the ground, arriving where Go Cheon-su had just been.
"Freeze!"
Go Cheon-su yelled from his second cover. "Who the hell are you? Identify yourself!"
In the faint moonlight, the silhouette didn't look female. Not particularly burly either. Looked like they had a backpack on.
"I, uh...."
The figure raised both arms and dropped to their knees.
"Don't shoot!"
"..."
"I'm not a bad guy!"
Go Cheon-su was speechless. He had no clue how to respond.
Click.
He flicked on his flashlight to illuminate the figure—and his eyes widened in surprise.
***
"Our school...?"
The figure was wearing a school uniform. Go Cheon-su instantly recognized it as from his old all-boys high school.
"What the hell."
Under Go Cheon-su's flashlight, the figure was a boy with a baby face. Shorter and scrawnier than Go Cheon-su.
"A-a cop? Help me!"
Even his speech was way too naive. That only made Go Cheon-su more suspicious; he scanned the surroundings. No one else in sight.
"...You alone here?"
"Y-yes!"
"Hand over the flashlight."
Go Cheon-su gestured with his rifle. "You deaf? Flashlight. Now."
"Huh? Why the flashlight...?"
"Wanna get shot?"
The boy paled in fear, but Go Cheon-su didn't budge.
"Hurry up."
The rough attitude shocked more than just the boy.
Go Cheon-su stood stone-faced regardless. He didn't stop there—he set his own flashlight aside and beckoned impatiently for the boy's.
In the end, the boy tossed it over with teary eyes.
Thud.
Go Cheon-su caught it like a baseball and nodded at his rifle again.
"Now the bag."
"Huh?"
"Drop the bag."
The boy, sensing something off, pleaded with Go Cheon-su. "Th-there's just my emergency rations in here."
"Drop it."
"Please. I'll just go."
It was a pretty pitiful plea, but Go Cheon-su shook his head.
"No. Drop it."
"But..."
"Drop it now!"
The boy flinched at the bark, then quickly shrugged off the bag and set it down.
"...That it? Can I go now? I got nothing left."
His face was full of resentment—an expression of betrayal Go Cheon-su knew all too well. The moment trust in humanity cracked.
"Go where? Open the bag and empty it."
"Why are you doing this to me? I just wanted help..."
"No more chit-chat."
At Go Cheon-su's sharp command, the boy had no choice but to unzip the bag and show the contents, following orders slowly.
"Tuna, ramen... Same stuff I've got."
Go Cheon-su was satisfied as the boy shook out the bag to prove it empty.
"Good. Now the clothes."
"Huh?"
The boy's face went ashen, like he'd heard something unbelievable.
"Y-you're taking my clothes too?"
"Gotta check if you're hiding anything."
Go Cheon-su wasn't doing this to rob the kid blind.
"If you weren't in that uniform, I wouldn't bother with this hassle."
What were Korea's big three connections? School ties, regional ties, blood ties.
"If you're really my underclassman, I don't wanna ignore your plea. That's why."
"But why the clothes...?"
"Let's keep it simple."
They were both guys—no big deal. Still, the hesitant boy made Go Cheon-su sigh.
"Fine, I won't force that. But heads up—if you stop here, no help."
Checking armament was basic protocol. Couldn't move on without it.
"...You'll help if I do all that?"
"Show me."
The boy frowned at the curt reply but didn't refuse. He soon undid his shirt buttons.
Go Cheon-su watched the whole strip-down and redress, finally cracking a smile.
"Really nothing on you."
"Yeah, nothing..."
"Does that make sense?"
Go Cheon-su scowled. "That you've got nothing."
Go Cheon-su had been through hell just to get here. He'd barely said hi to Heo Young-woong before bolting in dire situations—how did this add up?
"You've got backup."
Not visible now, but the boy was likely bait.
Go Cheon-su grabbed just the tossed flashlight and started walking away.
"I'm keeping this."
He quickly asked the viewers too. "Bros, check his face when I turn away."
Human nature slips out when the other guy's not looking.
"...What do you know!"
First came resentment in his ears.
"Do you know how hard I worked to get here!"
Standard sob story—nothing to grab him with.
"My friends! My friends died saving me!"
Go Cheon-su halted.
"Because I'm a coward! They stepped up and died instead! In..."
The boy's words cut off. Sounded like he was choking up.
Go Cheon-su didn't turn, just stood there.
"Bros, what'd you see?"
Too valuable to ditch. Coming from the opposite direction, the kid likely knew the road ahead better. Plus, hadn't he said it? Didn't wanna blow off a school tie.
Go Cheon-su valued that stuff.
"If you're not even gonna give up that info, toss some Zen my way. What kinda free show's this?"
A few viewers who'd been fact-bombed spilled the info quick. Didn't wanna hear "cheap" apparently.
'Can't they just send Zen freely?'
Go Cheon-su had his doubts, but it wasn't important now. True to the viewers, the boy wasn't even moving from his spot anymore. If he planned dirty work, he'd have acted by now.
"Ha."
In the end, Go Cheon-su feigned being moved, turning slowly. "That for real?"
"...?"
"Your friends died saving you."
The boy, not expecting the turnaround, stammered before clenching his fists.
"Yes! I survived because of them!"
"So you'll leech off someone else this time?"
The boy flinched at the question, lips twitching like he wanted to argue, then slumped his shoulders.
"That's..."
"What, or some other reason?"
The boy just hung his head, no answer. Go Cheon-su, already sure from the viewers, felt even more convinced watching him.
'Lucky. Seems decent.'
If he had a conscience, he wouldn't shamelessly beg to tag along. Plenty of mutual aid potential here.
"Alright."
Go Cheon-su approached, flicking on the flashlight. The boy winced at the beam.
"Name... Yang Min-cheol?"
He'd spotted it on the uniform name tag.
"Let's go together."
"R-really?"
"Think I'd lie?"
They needed each other anyway. School tie was a lucky break.
"But follow my lead."
"...Where we headed?"
Go Cheon-su pointed the way Yang Min-cheol had come from.
"That way."
"But I came from there?"
"Where were you headed originally?"
Yang Min-cheol pointed back the way Go Cheon-su had come.
"Myeongseo Elementary School."
"Myeongseo Elementary School?"
"Heard that's where to gather."
His intended spot was innocently straightforward—no red flags.
"Don't go there."
Go Cheon-su shook his head immediately. Yang Min-cheol looked shocked.
"Why? That's what I heard."
"It's done for."
Ignoring the viewers, Go Cheon-su continued. "I'm going this way to get outta the city."
"Outta the... city?"
"Yeah. But first, find a safe spot."
He needed a new place to hole up.
"Then where...?"
"Got a spot in mind."
Before leaving Myeongseo Elementary, he'd scouted a few candidates. One stood out as safe even now.
"Hold up."
Go Cheon-su led the baffled Yang Min-cheol to the car. Ignoring the kid gulping at the wreck, he grabbed his backpack from inside and slung it on, finally speaking again.
"I'll tell you where we're headed."