Ramen Compromise and the Shaman's Reveal
Since having just one oddball stick out like a sore thumb during group activities isn't ideal, I ended up compromising. "Put rice cakes in the ramen, rice cakes!"
"Fact: We gotta add dumplings too."
"Fine, let's do both. It's not like it's real beef broth anyway, so the soup won't be smooth regardless."
Choi Yeon-jun shot me a sly glance as he said it, and I just shrugged. If he wanted smooth broth, he should've bought a carton of eggs instead of relying on that sketchy Jinsoon instant noodles.
In the end, we dumped five packs of ramen, rice cakes, and dumpling sides into a massive pot and boiled it furiously. A mouthwatering aroma soon filled the air. Sure, someone might argue five packs for five people was a bit short, but we'd loaded up on rice cakes and ramen sides, and with two women in the group, it balanced out. Plus, we'd heated some instant rice on the side for anyone still hungry.
I smacked my lips at the sight of the slightly thickened noodles. As a pure-blooded Korean, I didn't hate the budae jjigae style, but I was the type who believed clean, slippery noodles were key. Thick, gooey ones? Not real ramen! But what could I do? Humans eat to survive, survive to eat, and sometimes eat knowing it'll kill them.
I grabbed a heaping bowl loaded with rice cakes and ramen sides, then leaned against the van. The crisp autumn night breeze wafted by, cooling the steaming ramen just right. Slurping up a mouthful with wooden chopsticks, the irresistible MSG flavor exploded in my mouth. Taste-wise, it was an unbeatable combo, even if it wasn't my personal favorite.
"Whoa, this ramen is so good."
"Haha, eat up. If it's not enough, I'll boil more noodles."
"Nah, I can't eat that much. Ramen at night makes you gain weight."
Even as she said it, Lee Ji-ah was inhaling hers faster than Lee Chan-young. Had evolving from high school girl to college freshman ramped up her 'energy' needs? She was like an uncontrolled power plant right now.
Meanwhile, Park Seol-ha sat in the corner next to Choi Yeon-jun, nibbling away like a hamster. She hadn't bought snacks at the rest stop either, so she must've been starving too. Choi Yeon-jun, on the other hand, muttered something ridiculous like, "I was gonna add kimchi to the Jinsoon..." before reluctantly accepting his fate with the Jin-myeon upgrade. A historic moment: the evil Jinsoon fanatic evolving into a full Jin-myeon apostle.
I had zero doubt this newly shed Jinsoon husk would carry Choi Yeon-jun straight to heaven. With that faith, I slurped down the rest of my bowl.
"So, how'd the pre-scouting go?"
"Oh, that? It was fine. Lots of good shots, cameras all set up, and we picked a few spots perfect for ghost hunting."
"Nice. No issues there? You've got that sixth sense, right?"
"Hmm... hard to say. It definitely felt creepy in spots. Oh! We caught a poltergeist right in front of us on video. Wanna see?"
"No way! Already YouTube gold?"
"Pull it up quick, Chan-young."
After draining every last drop of broth, Lee Chan-young finally dug out the camcorder and showed them the footage. Sure enough, a hospital bed inexplicably slid across the floor with a screech.
"Holy shit... that's insane. This'll crush the skeptics. What do you think, Seol-ha?"
The club members, replaying the video, finally showed it to Park Seol-ha in the corner. But her reaction was worlds apart.
"Cough! Hack! Keh-black! Ahh..."
"Whoa, sorry. Must've startled you mid-bite. Chan-young, tissues!"
Choi Yeon-jun hurriedly handed her some disposable tissues and patted her back. Park Seol-ha wiped her mouth casually, then pushed his hand away.
"That's not a poltergeist."
"Huh?"
"What?"
"Fact: ?"
With trembling hands, Park Seol-ha took the camcorder, paused at a specific frame, and showed them again.
"Look closely. It's not a ghost touching the bed—something pulled it."
"Uh... maybe I'm missing something, but isn't that still poltergeist? Ghost interferes with objects, push or pull."
"Yeah, and I saw it clearly. You don't believe me?"
"Fact: Straight-up poltergeist."
"A ghost strong enough to move a bed like that in front of people? Chan-young oppa or Ji-ah wouldn't be here right now."
Her words hit hard— the members froze, ignoring their cooling ramen to focus on her. Seizing the moment, I scooped a ladleful of noodles into my bowl. First come, first served, fuck it.
"Ji-ah, you're sensitive too—answer seriously. With three people there, you think a ghost powerful enough to move a bed in an abandoned hospital like that just let you leave unscathed?"
"Well, maybe it couldn't touch me 'cause I've got powers...?"
"No way. Someone like you, without proper spirits? Perfect vessel for possession—no resistance. Why pass up a free body right there? Physical interference in the living world drains massive energy. That means huge grudge or attachment. Hell, it could be an evil ghost that devoured others to grow. And it just sent you back unharmed?"
Park Seol-ha, who barely spoke ten sentences the whole trip, delivered this passionate speech. The members looked stunned. I was just marveling at how the dumpling burst, blending perfectly with the rice cake in the broth. Mix this with rice? Game over.
"R-right! We went with the uncle! The pro expert! That's why we were fine!"
"......"
Park Seol-ha glanced at me with slightly trembling eyes. I was already tearing open an instant rice pack.
"Ji-ah, did you see him do anything there? Chan-young?"
"Uh... he just wandered around, so we followed."
"Fact: Fact."
"No burning talismans, no chanting sutras, no holy water, no whistling or shaking bells? Just strolling?"
"Yeah, he seemed chill. Pros are pros—no fear at all."
"Fact: Fact."
Park Seol-ha stared at me silently, then turned the arrow on Choi Yeon-jun.
"...Yeon-jun oppa. You're the president—decide here."
"Huh? What do you mean all of a sudden?"
"I'm... not sure. So you decide, president oppa. Do we really film at that hospital, or pack up and head back early tomorrow?"
"What? Why bring that up? Explain so I can understand, Seol-ha."
"Just... a gut feeling. A bad one. The scouting team saw something illogical."
"Illogical how?"
"Ji-ah and Chan-young entering a creepy place unharmed, and him seeming like he did something without doing anything—all of it."
"He's a pro, though..."
"How do you know he's a pro? What kind? No talismans, no tools, not even holy water or a cross. Doesn't chant spells or sutras—how's he a pro?"
"......"
Everyone stared at me now. I paused mid-rice-mix, feeling the heat.
"You think I'm some useless parasite right now?"
Mixing rice into ramen gets me this much shade? When did Korean hospitality get so stingy?
"Not that—we're saying you scouted with them. As a pro, did you see or sense anything?"
"Nothing much."
"A poltergeist in a 'nothing much' place?"
"Worthless humans become politicians; why not a poltergeist in a lame haunt spot?"
"Don't dodge—did you really see or feel nothing?"
I hesitated. The hanbok-clad grandpa-grandma duo behind Park Seol-ha had been glaring daggers at me.
"Close your eyes."
"Ack?!"
Park Seol-ha clutched her eyes, groaning.
"Seol-ha?!"
"What the hell?!"
"Fact: Jump scare!"
I scraped my bowl clean, then sat by the campfire in the empty spot. The forced-shut eyes of the grandpa-grandma pair behind her streamed bloody tears.
"Why let uncontrolled tongues wag when you can't even handle yourself? Don't possess normal folks."
"Ahhh..."
"Looks like you're blessed by ancestors. Let's see... military lineage. No divine calling yet, so they're watching over you."
"H-how...?"
"Pro, remember? Once your spirit eyes open fully, quit college, get your initiation, or suppress it with a rite. Half-assing it leads to this mess."
"......"
"At least this'll clarify your path—shaman or normal life. Don't worry. Paths aren't fated; you choose them."
I slapped the cheeks of Lee Ji-ah and Lee Chan-young, who'd been influenced to agree with her. Choi Yeon-jun gawked, dumbfounded.
"What... the hell...?"
"No biggie. Minor haunting—pro handled it."
I picked up a finger-sized firewood twig, pressed it to my tongue. A 'river' pattern symbolizing forgetfulness etched in.
"Forget this hiccup. Focus on club activities."
Choi Yeon-jun nodded blankly.