A Scream Cuts Through the Night
Having broken the glass door with a resounding crash, he leaped onto the balcony. The pale-faced police immediately unlocked the safety of their handguns and pulled the triggers. BANG! BANG! Yet the first shot was always a blank round. It had already carried Heejin high up to the third floor without hesitation, then crossed over to the rooftop of the nearby house and begun fleeing. Heejin’s sharp scream faded away almost instantly. Before that absurd scene, the police stood frozen, their minds blank. The current situation seemed utterly unbelievable. They were simply staring blankly, each one in a daze. They couldn’t bring themselves to report the situation through the radio to headquarters either.
At that moment, the young priest, still pinning down the dazed police officer, refused to miss his chance. He kicked hard with his foot—POP!—and sent the officer flying with a cry of “Ugh!” The officer stumbled backward, screaming. Without pausing, the priest leaped to his feet and charged straight toward the balcony. The officers finally snapped out of it and rushed to block him, but it was too late. He stepped onto the balcony just as he had done moments ago and jumped down without a moment’s hesitation. Huh! The startled officers immediately gave chase, but they were still a step behind. He had already landed lightly on the ground and was disappearing into the distance. The police swallowed their gasps, eyes wide. Even though they had seen it with their own eyes, the scene was still hard to accept.
“Damn it. I never imagined there would be a nosy intruder at the exact moment.” Miho clicked her tongue briefly and muttered. She hadn’t said much, but her expression was filled with regret. If she had been given just a little more time, she would have finished it already. Now everything was more complicated than she wanted. “If we miss it, it’ll be hard to find him again. He’s really good at hiding. Maybe even better than the Jangsanbum we met last time… specialized in vanishing into thin air.”
“Is it imitating appearances as well?” Hwan pulled an octagonal compass-like object from his pocket and asked while running at full speed. Next to him, Miho clicked her tongue again and shook her head.
“No. It’s wearing human skin.” Hwan frowned.
Miho shrugged her shoulders. “Isn’t imitation just a little different from actually wearing it?” In her current irritated mood, her voice carried a slight edge. She sighed and shook her head. It was possible that more victims would appear because of this. Especially since the stubborn woman who had been taken was the most dangerous one.
“The reason he took the woman is probably…”
“The leather he likes best, right? They’re obsessed with the skin they desire. They hunt it down, wear it, and then go looking for another one. No matter what, it’s different from the Jangsanbum mimicking them. And once they wear the skin, it becomes almost impossible to track them. They can completely hide their true identity.”
“This is really getting complicated.”
“Yes. So hurry up and finish it. We need to end this tonight before things get even worse… And I have plans tomorrow, so I really want to finish everything by today at least.”
Hwan frowned at Miho’s unreasonable demand. He didn’t want any more victims, but even without that, he wanted the night to end cleanly. He had stepped out of the alley and onto the roadside when he spotted it—the thing that had lost its previous skin was carrying Heejin under its arm, leaping between rooftops between buildings. Heejin’s body was slumped, unconscious. It was fortunate. If she had kept struggling and screaming, even late at night, they would have drawn too much attention.
Hwan started running again, increasing his speed. Meanwhile, another person was chasing after them. Oh Su-hyeok, the detective who had rushed to the scene the moment he received the call, was already there ahead of everyone else. He was the first to regain his senses. And… upon seeing this unbelievable sight, all the doubts he had been carrying suddenly cleared. Yes, it was real. Everything was real. There were beings in this world that science could not explain. Creatures that could not be called human—monsters, perhaps. And… Oh Su-hyeok’s gaze fell on the young priest suppressing it. If he could talk to that person, maybe he would learn something. Maybe he would learn the truth.
The moment they left the scene, Oh Su-hyeok could not stay still. Just like them, he immediately descended to the first floor and began chasing after their trail. Gritting his teeth, he ran. His breath was at the point of bursting, and they did not get closer. Besides, the bizarre monster was leaping between buildings like something straight out of a movie, making pursuit almost impossible.
“Ahh… This can’t be real.” That was the only thought that flashed through his mind. That was why he was chasing the young priest. In the meantime, a radio message came through. It was calling for Oh Su-hyeok, but he had no time to answer. If he looked away even for a second, he would lose sight of the strange priest. He ran and ran for a long time.
Finally, Hwan came to a stop in a dark, quiet park. The trail had vanished. The scent was gone as well. The compass in his hand spun in circles, unable to point in any direction. Hwan clicked his tongue and looked around the empty park. Soon Miho appeared beside him. She was wearing a stylish overcoat, beneath which a black sweater that accentuated her figure was paired with tight, long jeans. Since it was late at night, she had no sunglasses, but she wore her signature gold earrings and expensive necklace. Had she changed her hairstyle? The long, wavy locks caught the light and even had a slight reddish tint, as if she had dyed them. The more time passed, the more seriously she seemed to be taking care of herself.
She plunged her hands deep into the pockets of her coat and wandered around casually. The sharp click of her high heels echoed quietly through the still park.
Hwan looked around and asked, “Is he here?”
“Probably, since the compass is spinning like crazy.”
“Hoo… This is the problem. It points the direction fine, but when we get close, it just spins around and doesn’t let us check properly…”
“Haha! Why don’t you go ask the maker?”
Hwan grumbled, and Miho laughed playfully in response. Unable to do anything, Hwan tucked the compass back into his pocket and continued scanning the surroundings. The park was completely silent. No one was around. The streetlights were on, but the thick darkness still lay heavy. It refused to be pushed away. Hwan walked deeper into the quiet park. The compass continued to spin without stopping. It didn’t seem helpful, so he stuffed it into the inner pocket of his coat and let out a deep sigh. White breath puffed out with a HUF! The spring was approaching, yet the cold felt even harsher. He had heard on the news that this year might be cold for a long time. Apparently it was true. The chill was quite severe. Moreover, with the clouds blocking the moonlight, it felt as though something terrible could fall at any moment.
On the other hand, the park was deathly quiet. In places where snow had fallen, piles of white still remained. The shallow puddles here and there were frozen solid. The bare trees shivering in the cold wind looked like they were trembling from the chill. Here and there, stray cats glinted their eyes, glanced curiously at Hwan and Miho, then yawned and dashed away.
A bench buried under a thick layer of snow sat beneath the streetlamp. Hwan had to stop there. He looked at Miho with a deeply disappointed expression. She too shrugged, as if to say it was impossible to track something that specialized in hiding. “As I said, those creatures are extremely good at hiding. It means they’re insignificant, but that also makes them harder to deal with.” Hwan clicked his tongue in frustration. He couldn’t just give up here. If he did, more victims would appear. They might even switch skins again and continue eluding them, making them even harder to find in the future.
Hwan bit his lower lip out of habit and was about to turn back to continue searching when a voice suddenly interrupted.
“W-wait! Haa… haa… haa! Wait a second, you two!”
Hwan’s expression darkened again. By now Miho had already disappeared, vanishing faster than anyone when things were about to get troublesome. Hwan shook his head, hesitated, and turned around. The man’s face was bright red, and he was panting heavily. Even though the temperature had dropped below freezing, sweat poured down his face as he struggled to catch his breath. Seeing him like that, Hwan felt a little sorry. The man staggered toward him, desperate not to let Hwan escape again, and finally grabbed his hand tightly. The man’s rough hand was as cold as ice.