Bus Stop
A lot had happened over the weekend at the bus stop. I'd gotten my head roughly patted by Shin-nim's hand, and I'd gotten tangled up with some weird group called the Cheon-do Association. But oddities like that couldn't ruin my daily life.
"How was your weekend?"
"Eh, it was okay."
I'd fully recovered my stamina and mental energy by resting on Sunday. After arriving at the office, I'd nailed my work perfectly. Even though I'd dipped a foot into the hidden side of the world, I was still one of the normal folks. Clocking into the office, handling tasks, dealing with stress—that kind of routine suited me better than any bizarre existence.
"Manager Lee Jin-seok, got a minute?"
"Hahaha! I've got something urgent, gotta run!"
"It'll just take a second!"
"It's really urgent! Let's talk later!"
But keeping that routine wasn't easy. Lately, I was exhausted from dodging Yeon Dae-ri.
"This is driving me nuts."
The elevator incident last Friday. That sudden, dangerous day, I'd accidentally let Yeon Dae-ri glimpse part of my secret. Not everything, of course, and no solid proof. But since she was already knee-deep in this world, she'd picked up on my suspicious vibe right away.
"Manager, how about lunch together later?"
"I ate too much at breakfast, my stomach's..."
"Then a quick walk outside?"
"My knee from the weekend injury just started hurting again!!"
Any real conversation would give me away in seconds. So I'd completely cut off private talks with Yeon Dae-ri. She was persistent, but I'd put up an iron wall and held out so far.
"You two fighting or something?"
"I'm losing my mind here..."
"Sorry. I'll sort it out soon."
But it couldn't go on forever. People were starting to notice. More importantly, pushing away Yeon Dae-ri—who'd helped me—wasn't right. The truth was, I just wasn't mentally ready. Sharing my weird life with someone felt like it would make me weird for real. I hadn't accepted it yet.
"You hear about that...?"
"Hear what?"
"...A fire broke out at the factory recently. A lot of people died."
In that sense, Kim Gwa-jang was dangerous too. At first, I thought he was just a quiet guy who liked mysteries a bit too much. But lately, it felt like something was lurking behind that facade.
"People are saying it's from Han-seong Group's poor management... but you think?"
"What do you mean?"
"Just what I said. The incident has a lot of fishy parts..."
The fire's cause was unknown, the fire trucks arrived late, and worst of all, the flames spread way too fast.
"Doesn't that seem off?"
"...Yeah, it does."
It could be a normal fire. But it reeked of something shady. The news hadn't mentioned it, so how did Kim Gwa-jang know? Was he hiding something on purpose?
"If the fire was caused by someone's interference, what kind of person do you think they are?"
"Someone with a grudge against Han-seong Group?"
I tested the waters, but he just shrugged with a perfectly ordinary answer. Was I overthinking? As I turned back to my monitor, Kim Gwa-jang whispered softly.
"Maybe it was a yokai."
"What?"
"Nothing..."
This guy was really messing with me. Did he actually know something, or was he just being cryptic? I wanted to ask outright, but without proof, it was awkward. Was this how Yeon Dae-ri felt looking at me?
Stressful.
All I wanted was a normal routine. Why were half the four people in our department suspicious? Including me, the majority weren't exactly ordinary.
"What're you staring at? Get ready, it's almost quitting time."
"Yes, sir."
In that regard, our department head was a relief. Completely unrelated to anomalies—a textbook middle-aged manager. He was our team's sole voice of reason and handled most of my normal daily life. Please stay that way. With that thought, I started packing up to leave.
Work ended, and I snuck to the bus stop, dodging Yeon Dae-ri who was desperate to grab me. Normally, we took the same stop, so I deliberately went to one a bit farther away.
"First time here."
I'd explored the city streets near the main office entrance plenty, but the area behind was new—felt a bit fresh. Unlike the bustling office and shop-lined streets, the back had factories and small offices, giving it a quieter vibe.
"Where's the bus stop again?"
I remembered there was another one nearby. Glancing around, I spotted it across the street. A bus was stopped there—lucky, I thought for a second.
"Hm?"
My sharpened senses caught a weird dissonance. That bus... for some reason, I couldn't see inside, and the license plate looked off. At a glance, it seemed fine, but up close, it creeped me out.
"Whatever."
But I wasn't some noob. If I died to a mere bus ghost story, I'd be long gone. Just board, and smash it if it feels wrong.
"Hello."
"....."
I boarded, paid, and greeted the driver. No response. Clunk. The doors shut on their own, and the bus took off without warning.
"He... llo? There..."
"...."
The driver twisted his neck unnaturally, blood tears streaming down. He pointed to an inner seat.
"S... sit... there...!"
"...."
The pointed seat bristled with iron spikes. Next to it, tentacles writhed; the one after burned. Every seat was a nightmare. I scanned them and told the driver.
"Pass."
"Wha... t?"
His neck whipped side to side like a spring doll, blood spraying everywhere. Luckily, the partition kept it from hitting me.
"Haa..."
I sighed softly at the sight, pricked my finger for a drop of blood, and cast a light spell.
"Deep Sea Anglers, it's feeding time."
⟨ Deep Sea Manifestation ⟩
Crackle-crackle-crack!! With the incantation, countless anglerfish swarmed the area. From ceiling and floor to under seats and even the driver's body—tiny mouths sprouted, eager to devour.
"...."
"...."
The driver shut up and eyed me warily. Not a noob, I casually sat in an empty spot. A shadow monster lurked beneath, but the anglers' chattering teeth scared it deeper into the dark.
"Not going?"
"G... going..."
He shuddered at my question, gripped the wheel, and drove. I leaned by the window, enjoying the view. If outsiders couldn't see in, neither could we see out. Handprints marred the glass; I counted them until the arrival chime sounded.
"Nice."
Normal rush-hour buses were packed, but this one was empty—any seat I wanted. And anomaly perks: no traffic, arriving 10 minutes early.
"Good work."
"Th... thank... you..."
"So, time to die?"
"Pardon?"
That's that, and this is this. I wasn't magnanimous enough to forgive someone targeting my life. Plus, letting him go meant normals could get hurt—or killed.
"Eat up, kids."
⟨ Feeding Frenzy ⟩
Splurch!! At my command, the anglers gaped wide and gorged. Every anomaly hidden in the bus, plus seats, handles, wheel—everything. Soon, only a small orb remained where the bus had been.
[Not eating this?]
Chwak.
I held up the orb; the anglers clamped shut and refused. What was this thing? I infused mana into my eyes but saw nothing special.
"A husk?"
Just an empty shell. Maybe it held something before, but now? Empty. The anglers were already gone after their job. Not curious enough to resummon them, I headed home. I hated hassle.
Grabbed chicken and got home. Unbelievable—the place was wrecked again.
"Whoa... it's a flood."
A massive puddle in the living room. Stone slab splashing in the middle. Go-seo clung to the ceiling, trembling lest her pages get wet.
"Shin-nim, seriously?"
I picked up the splashing slab and scolded. Lately, she'd ditched her inanimate act for sneaky movements. I'd ignored it, but this blatant mess broke our unspoken deal.
I got home on time today! Why pick on me!!
[....]
"Hm?"
Then, a tiny tentacle popped out, dragging a lump from the corner. Did we have that? Up close—it was a yokai.
"What the hell? A yokai?"
[....]
"Shin-nim caught it?"
Red-skinned, two-horned goblin yokai. Seeing it explained everything. It snuck in; Shin-nim smashed it.
"Uh... thanks first."
[lol~~]
Startled, but grateful for the help. No expression on the slab, but she seemed smug. Tentacles waved happily. But thanks aside...
"What about the flood?"
[....]
Asked about the soaked living room—she shoved tentacles in and played innocent slab. Still in my hand, but her presence vanished.
"This is insane."
I rubbed my forehead, sighed, grabbed a rag, and mopped up. Time to buy waterproof mats. The apartment needed remodeling bad.