The Eight-Hundred-Thousand-Won Steed
The next afternoon.
The parking lot of the university's main building.
Crouched behind the bushes like detectives on a stakeout, we kept our eyes glued to the faculty parking zone.
"Hyung, over there. That's it, right?"
Where Deokhu was pointing, a single, incredibly conspicuous car sat parked with an air of imposing grandeur.
Its design was a far cry from the sleek, aerodynamic curves of modern sedans—clunky, heavy, and aggressively boxy. Its angular chassis was coated in a pitch-black paint job, and the radiator grille gleamed like the bared fangs of a wild beast.
An old model. A very old Grandeurizer.
Once a symbol of wealth and power, it was now an ancient relic that made people on the road wonder, Is that thing seriously still running?
But this car was different.
The body, gleaming under the sunlight, was so meticulously maintained that it was hard to believe it was a twenty-year-old piece of junk. No, it was too well-maintained.
And above all else...
"...It feels creepy," Minhae muttered, rubbing her arms.
"The air around that car feels different. The window tint is so dark you can't see a thing inside, but I feel like someone's in there, staring right back at us..."
She was spot on.
I felt the exact same way.
"A haunted car... Yeah, it's definitely a cursed vehicle."
I swallowed hard.
Just then, a familiar silhouette carrying a briefcase approached from a distance.
A crisply ironed shirt, a tie, and that characteristically fastidious stride.
It was Professor Park Jinchul.
"Alright, everyone get ready. Act natural."
We strolled across the parking lot, trying our best to look like students who just happened to be passing by.
Professor Park stopped in front of the car and pulled a key from his pocket.
It wasn't a smart key like the ones used today, but a real, analog key that had to be inserted into the keyhole and turned.
Wearing a pleased smile, Professor Park was about to unlock the door when he spotted us.
"Huh? Isn't that Kim Minjun and his gang?"
'Gang'? Talk about a harsh choice of words.
I plastered on my brightest, most polite smile and bowed ninety degrees.
"Professor! Hello! It's been a while since we've seen you on campus."
"Ah, yes. We ran into each other recently, didn't we? At the laundromat."
"Yes, sir. We were just passing by and couldn't help but admire the car. It's absolutely stunning. Is this yours, Professor?"
At my question, Professor Park cleared his throat and struck a deliberately haughty pose.
"Ahem, cough... Yes, indeed. This is my newly acquired steed."
He pulled out a handkerchief and wiped away a speck of dust that had settled on the hood.
"What do you think? Classic, isn't it? It possesses a dignity that those tin-can robots they roll out of factories these days could never hope to replicate. Even the sound of the door closing is on another level."
As if to demonstrate, he slammed the driver's side door shut with a heavy thud, then opened it again.
"The thickness of the steel plate is entirely different. Now this is a real automobile."
Beside me, Deokhu offered a soulless, "Ooh..."
I carefully steered the conversation toward my main objective.
"It really is magnificent, Professor. But... if you don't mind me asking, a car in this pristine condition must have cost a fortune..."
"To be honest, I was waiting for you to ask that."
Professor Park puffed out his chest like a conquering hero.
"Prepare to be amazed. A mere eight hundred thousand won."
"...What?" Seyeon and Minhae blurted out in unison.
"Eight hundred thousand won? Not eight million?"
"Eighty ten-thousand-won bills. I hit the jackpot when I visited a dealership lot in Incheon. The dealer said the previous owner desperately needed quick cash, so he practically wept as he put it up for sale. I just got lucky."
Eight hundred thousand won.
In this day and age, even a brand-new smartphone costs well over a million won. Yet a perfectly functional full-sized sedan was sold for eight hundred thousand? It made absolutely no sense. But there was a reason why it did.
Because of my scenario.
"Professor."
I stepped closer, my expression hardening.
"Doesn't that seem a bit strange? No matter how desperate the seller was, eight hundred thousand won is absurd. Could it be... a flood-damaged car, or one that was in a major accident? Classic cars usually go for a premium. Eight hundred thousand won is less than the price of a used laptop..."
"My boy, do you really think I wouldn't have checked that?"
Professor Park snorted.
"I pulled the vehicle history report myself. Zero accidents, not even a single part replaced. It's in flawless condition, without so much as an engine oil leak."
"But still... I mean... for now..."
I glanced out of the corner of my eye at the heavily tinted windows. It felt as though someone was inside, eavesdropping on our conversation.
"I have a bad feeling about this. It's not just a mechanical issue... it's more like, an spiritual energy, if you will. There's a strange, chilling aura coming from the car. What if the previous owner..."
Before I could even finish, Professor Park's expression soured.
"Are you still harping on about that nonsense?"
"...Excuse me?"
"You did this at the laundromat too. Cinematic imagination is fine. I welcome it anytime. But a car is science. It is a mass of machinery that operates through the combination of an internal combustion engine and gears."
He clicked his tongue.
"Spiritual energy? Ghosts? Do you know why your screenplays always turn out the way they do? It's because you refuse to face reality and constantly live in these delusions, which is why your stories lack plausibility! Reality is about facts, facts!"
As expected.
It wasn't working.
Trying to explain a 'haunted car' to this stubborn rationalist would only get me treated like a lunatic, just as I was being treated now.
Minhae nudged my ribs.
Her face clearly said, Stop, it's no use.
Taking a deep breath, I shifted my strategy.
"Ah, right... I'm sorry. I guess I've been a bit too immersed in brainstorming my next script lately."
I scratched my head and bowed apologetically.
"That aside, Professor, we actually came to find you today because we have a favor to ask."
"A favor? Well, yes. As long as it doesn't involve money, I can grant almost any request from my students."
I signaled Deokhu and Seyeon. It was time to start the routine we had rehearsed.
"We're currently filming a documentary about... 'car maintenance.' It's for an assignment and a competition entry."
"A documentary?"
"Yes. The working title is The Dignity of Old Cars... something like that. It's about capturing the philosophy of an owner who maintains and restores vintage vehicles."
I carefully selected buzzwords that would appeal directly to Professor Park's vanity.
"And your Grandeurizer, Professor... wow, it is the absolute perfect subject. If you don't mind, could we use this car as our model for the shoot?"
"Ho... hmph, a documentary, you say..."
Professor Park frowned as if it were a hassle, but the corners of his mouth twitched upward.
He seemed highly gratified that his philosophy and taste were being recognized.
I drove the point home.
"Of course, in lieu of an appearance fee, we'll give it a complimentary wash and a thorough basic safety inspection. I used to work part-time at an auto repair shop."
"Y-you did? For free?"
"Yes, sir! Oh, and Deokhu here actually holds a certified auto mechanic license."
"Ah... is that so?"
"We'll do a full interior steam cleaning and even detail the engine bay. You can just hand us the keys and enjoy a cup of coffee in your office, Professor. It'll only take thirty minutes."
A free car wash.
Combined with the vanity of having his beloved ride star in a documentary.
Professor Park tossed me the keys, feigning reluctance.
"Well, I suppose I can't ignore my students' academic passion. Fine, then. I'll be back in thirty minutes, so I'll leave it in your hands. And if you have any questions regarding the documentary, feel free to ask me anything!"
"Thank you, Professor! Leave it to us!"
Professor Park clasped his hands behind his back and disappeared into the building.
"We don't have much time. Thirty minutes. Let's move!"
"Roger that!"
We began moving in perfect unison, like an F1 pit crew.
"Open the doors!"
At my shout, Minhae and Seyeon flung the rear doors wide open.
A musty smell of mold mixed with an inexplicable, fishy stench wafted out.
"Ugh, the smell... It really feels like a ghost is going to pop out."
Seyeon scrunched up her nose.
"No time for chitchat. Get to work."
Minhae pulled something out of the cleaning kit she had brought.
At a glance, it looked like a sachet of air freshener, but it was packed tight with coarse salt.
"Under the driver's seat, and under the passenger's seat."
Minhae deftly reached under the seats, securing the salt pouches to the frames with cable ties.
"This will suppress the ghostly energy, even if only a little. At the very least, it should prevent the spirit from completely taking over the driver's mind."
Seyeon opened the passenger glove compartment. Tucked away amidst the clutter, she pasted a talisman she had spent the previous night drawing based on online references.
"I don't know if it'll actually work, but let's pray for a placebo effect at least."
Meanwhile, Deokhu was grunting at the front of the car.
He had popped the hood and was wrestling with the battery terminals.
"Hyung, I'm going to tap into the dashcam's power line to plant a microphone. I'll also stick a real-time GPS tracker inside the trunk with a magnet."
"Good. That's better than nothing. We need to keep tabs on the situation."
I opened the driver's side door to perform the most critical task.
As I sat on the worn leather seat, a chilling cold seeped into my thighs, sending shivers down my spine.
I gripped the steering wheel. My palms were slick with sweat.
This steering wheel... is going to move on its own.
Taking a deep breath, I pulled out the items I had prepared from my bag.
An emergency car escape hammer bought from a hardware store. It had a pointed tip designed specifically to shatter tempered glass.
And a compact car fire extinguisher.
I wedged them into the empty space beside the center console box, right between the driver and passenger seats. They had to be highly visible, yet within arm's reach.
"This is the professor's lifeline."
Once the car went wild and the doors locked, the interior would become an inescapable prison.
The only way out would be to break the glass.
"But sunbae, won't the professor freak out when he sees this? He'll complain that we made his car look messy."
Seyeon, having finished her task in the passenger seat, asked with concern.
"I know. That's why I'll have to talk our way out of it."
Finally, I wiped down the interior with a rag to erase any traces of our installations.
"Done! Fall back!"
We packed up our gear and stepped away from the car. Exactly twenty-eight minutes had passed.
A moment later, Professor Park reappeared, holding a cup of coffee in one hand.
"Let's see... Oh? It's quite shiny, isn't it?"
He circled the car with a satisfied look before opening the driver's side door.
"What is this?"
His hand pointed to the red emergency hammer and fire extinguisher wedged by the center console.
"What are these? Why did you put these in here?"
I quickly stepped forward.
"Ah, Professor! You don't know about this?"
"What?"
"This is the latest trend among classic car enthusiasts. It's called... the 'Industrial Safety Look.'"
"...Indus... what?"
I shamelessly bluffed, making up terms on the spot.
"The older the car, the cooler it is to visually demonstrate how much you care about safety. It's a must-have item in Europe. If you don't have this, people will think you know nothing about cars."
"Huh... is that so? I had no idea such a trend existed... haha."
Professor Park's ears seemed to perk up at the words 'trend' and 'Europe.'
"Dear me, I'll never understand the trends of young people these days. Well, there's no harm in being safe, so I'll leave it be."
Whew. It worked.
Professor Park started the engine.
Vroom!
The engine roared to life, but for some reason, it sounded to my ears like the growl of a starving beast.
"Well then, good work. Email me the documentary once it's finished. I'll give you some feedback, so make sure you get some results in that competition!"
"Yes, thank you, Professor!"
Professor Park leisurely drove out of the parking lot.
The rear of his car receded into the distance.
"For now... we've done the bare minimum..."
I muttered, watching the car fade away.
Salt, talismans, a wiretap, GPS, a hammer, and a fire extinguisher.
"Next up..."