Chapter 26
Chapter 26
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 26
Chapter Title: Back to the Ghost Story House
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26.
Stumble... stumble.
Was it a chain reaction from my exhausted steps?
My whole body suddenly felt drained of strength.
And the reason?
It was the place I was heading to right now, none other than...
That damn haunted house.
...No, correction.
The ghost story-infested house.
The moment Noise told me I absolutely had to go there once, a man's face openly twisted in disgust, and like livestock being dragged to the slaughterhouse, he was en route to that ghost story house.
Of course, there was no need to head straight to that ghost story-infested house right this instant.
......But.
Even so, in this world crawling with ghost stories, the only other places I had to go were...
- The library with Noise.
- Ghost Story Pawnshop.
Just those two spots.
There was so little to describe, it was enough to bring tears to my eyes.
So rather than wasting time circling around somewhere else, I—who always chose to take the hit first—opted to head to that house.
Today's steps toward it felt heavier than ever.
Every time I took a step, Noise's words echoed relentlessly in my mind.
-And then for her to ask me
that kind of favor too...
I never imagined it.
That kind of favor...
I hadn't asked back then.
What on earth could it have been that even made that bastard Noise react with such shock?
Anxiety was already gnawing at me.
I'd already thought dozens of times, Maybe I should just turn around and go back right now!
As all sorts of thoughts tangled up and muddled a man's head...
...Ah.
I'd already arrived.
Park Yeon-jeong let out a sigh at how the library was so close, leaving no room to turn back.
......Let's go.
Running away right now wouldn't change the situation anyway.
If anything, showing up late might let whatever was inside the house pull some mischief on me.
...Yeah. Let's think positively.
It doesn't have to be something bad.
Right?
I recalled the feelings I'd had when I first visited this house.
Warm coziness.
The soybean paste stew that tasted amazing.
The fluffy bed.
The baseball bat by the shoe rack...
The paper terrorist that kept me up all night.
“......”
A chill wrapped around my entire body.
Before I knew it, I was standing in front of the front door, key in hand, frozen in place for a while.
Worried that the moment I opened it, something worse than a baseball bat might come flying at me.
Gulp.
I swallowed dryly dozens of times.
With trembling hands, I finally shoved the key into the front door lock and turned it.
Click.
The sound of the door unlocking pierced my ears.
I grabbed the doorknob and opened the front door.
Creak.
“Come in, Master.”
“.........”
“I'm so happy to see you again...”
- Click.
...I slammed it shut on pure reflex.
But.
If... if I wasn't seeing things wrong...
There was someone inside.
Standing right in front of the front door inside the house was a person just like Park Yeon-jeong himself.
Of all things.
A woman in a Japanese-style kimono, which was rare around these parts.
I turned around for a moment.
Wondering if I'd mistakenly entered someone else's home, I carefully inspected the surroundings.
The exterior was in a wretched state far below average buildings, with corrosion so severe it looked ready to collapse any second.
It was the place I knew.
This building's condition was on par with the Ghost Story Pawnshop, and it was definitely that ghost story house I remembered.
And the voice that woman had just uttered.
It was familiar.
It was the voice I'd heard when leaving this house yesterday. At that moment, Noise's words flickered in my mind again.
-And then for her to ask me
that kind of favor...
I never imagined it.
......No way.
My gaze returned to the shabby house's front door.
Step.
I stepped back toward the door, grabbed the knob again.
Creak.
“Enough with the mean pranks.”
“......That time, the soybean paste stew.”
“Yes?”
“I ate really well. It was delicious.”
I waited for the woman's reaction to my sudden compliment.
“......If you want, I'll make it for you anytime.”
Yep.
Ah, yep.
The woman greeting me right now was definitely that one who terrorized me with paper all night, keeping me awake.
But why she looked human now, unlike before... well, I had a rough guess.
“The weather's chilly. Come inside.”
“......Yep.”
I couldn't ask for the specific reason.
It might come off as rude to the ghost story woman in front of me.
And if Noise had made her a human body at her request...
Then this ghost story woman had some degree of closeness with that guy.
In that case.
No point poking at it.
I'll play it by ear.
‘......But.’
Park Yeon-jeong, despite his shift being over, found himself tackling a ghost story and thought.
‘Isn't this overtime?’
Click.
Park Yeon-jeong's unexpected overtime began.
*****
“Wash up first. I'll prepare dinner in the meantime.”
“......”
“No response?”
“Yep! I'll wash up clean!”
Is this right?
Park Yeon-jeong vaguely recalled his military training days.
With slumped shoulders, carrying clothes to change into, my heavy footsteps headed to the shower room.
Gaze.
...Eek!
Suddenly, a strange feeling like someone was glaring at the back of my head.
Whip!
My gaze involuntarily turned to the ghost story woman in the kitchen.
“What's wrong? If you need anything, I can bring it.”
“......”
The ghost story woman seemed to be prepping ingredients.
She was gripping a kitchen knife in one hand, raising it toward me.
And her gaze was somehow.
Cold and sharp.
“......Uh, the food. Looking forward to it.”
“No need to worry. Cooking's my specialty.”
Chop chop chop chop chop.
Hearing her skillfully chopping ingredients with the knife, I hurriedly hid in the shower room.
Click.
The moment I entered, I locked the door.
‘......Gotta get out.’
Get out of here right now.
Park Yeon-jeong, regaining his senses, still saw the ghost story woman's eyes—holding that kitchen knife toward him—lingering in his mind.
A cynical gaze cold enough to freeze you solid.
A chill different from the freezing cold managed by the Match Girl.
Really gotta get out.
As fast as possible.
My gaze naturally went to the small window in the shower room.
Far too narrow for an adult man to squeeze through.
Then the escape routes left were just two.
- The safest front door.
- The living room window leading to the yard.
Seize the chance and bolt through one of them.
I didn't want to become that ghost story woman's new ingredient.
Having roughly planned his escape, Park Yeon-jeong's gaze shifted to the showerhead.
Even so, if I don't wash up, she'll get suspicious, right?
Might as well play along for now.
I took off my suit and slowly started washing.
Splashhhh.
The warm water seemed to wash away the tension from my rigid body.
My mind cleared up again, and I felt like I was regaining some composure...
Knock knock knock knock knock!
“Mmph!”
The sudden knocking on the shower room door nearly made me scream.
Maybe because I'd let my guard down too much.
I barely stifled the scream leaking from my mouth with both hands.
“Master, is the water temperature okay?”
“......Yes! Perfect! Just right! The best!”
“...I see.”
The temperature was fine, so please just go away.
The tension that had been easing up until moments ago surged back.
......Click.
!!
Wait wait wait!
That woman just now.
Click... click click.
!!!
...The doorknob moved.
She tried to open the shower room door.
If I hadn't locked it, who knows what horrors would follow—like scenes from countless horror movies flashing by.
“Master.”
“Y-Yes?!”
“The door... seems locked.”
I locked it.
‘Because you're too scary!’—I couldn't say that, so I made up the most plausible excuse.
“Ah... I must've locked it by mistake.”
Click click click click.
......My bad.
Please just spare my life.
As Park Yeon-jeong groveled to the unseen ghost story woman beyond the shower room door.
“......I was going to scrub your back. Could you open it for a sec?”
“N-No! I'm almost done washing! About to come out right now!”
“You just went in, didn't you?”
“I'm pretty quick at washing!”
“.........Since you're done, we'll save the back-scrubbing for later.”
Step... step.
The sound of footsteps moving away from the door.
Thud.
I collapsed right there.
And with both hands over my mouth.
I whimpered.
‘Save me, Mr. Noise.’
*****
After finishing the most unsettling shower ever and opening the door.
Grrrrowl.
The magical aroma of food stabbed my nose, instantly erasing that horror movie scene from my mind.
Heading to the kitchen, the food laid out on the table caught my eye.
“Didn't know what you'd like, so I made a variety.”
“.........”
“Master. You're drooling.”
Slurp.
Just a lineup of dishes that made my mouth water.
Starting with the basic soybean paste stew I loved.
The universal delivery king: chicken.
Its buddy always mentioned together: pizza.
Even pricey jokbal and bossam you can't afford.
Plus a buffet's worth of other dishes piled on the table.
No one could resist drooling at that sight.
...Though the portions looked a bit excessive.
But in this moment, setting aside every emotion I'd felt since arriving here.
Park Yeon-jeong stuffed himself until his belly felt ready to burst.
After that.
How much time passed?
“......Ah, can't eat anymore.”
Even trying my best, I couldn't finish everything on the table.
But it was delicious.
Truly, even as I struggled from stuffing myself to the brink, a bright smile bloomed on my face.
“Seeing you satisfied, Master, is the highest praise for the preparer.”
“It was really delicious.”
“.........Thank you.”
After that, when the ghost story woman said she'd clear the table, I offered to help as thanks for the great meal.
“But for the Master who returned to this place. There's not much I can do for you. Unlike
that one...
I'm not even a proper
ghost story
. Just defective goods.”
Defective goods that couldn't become a ghost story?
A setting I'd never heard before.
“So Master, just rest comfortably here.”
“......Yes, got it.”
She seemed to have quite a complicated backstory, so I didn't pry further.
Even if not now.
I could casually ask Noise about her tomorrow.
After that, my following footsteps led straight to the fluffy bed perfect for laying this bloated body.
Flop.
This place's bed was top-notch too.
A lot had happened here, but at this moment, I could say it wasn't a bad day.
......Yawn.
‘...Ah, so full.’
Sleepiness hit.
Maybe because the bed was too comfy?
Or post-meal food coma from overeating?
Who knows.
For now.
So.........sleepy.
Park Yeon-jeong fell into a deep sleep just like that.
Deep, very deep.
How deeply he slept.
Step step.
“.........Master.”
Lightly, very lightly.
The woman's fingertips brushed the man's cheek.
He remained utterly oblivious, lost in deep slumber.
He was truly fast asleep.
‘Master master master master master master master master master master master master master...’
A faint whimper riding a woman's breath slowly dripped to the floor.
- Master.
The kimono draping her white shoulders slowly slipped down her body.
As if permitting this man alone to see skin she'd never shown anyone before.
Bathed in moonlight through the window, the woman's skin sparkled even more beautifully.
Step.
And slowly.
Step.
Very slowly.
The woman's footsteps approached the bed more cautiously than ever.
Back to his side.
The woman......approached.
Gazing at the man sleeping soundly on the bed.
Sliide.
She slowly nestled her body beside him.
Lying next to the man, she unabashedly pulled his forearm into her bosom.
Twitch!
Feeling his body heat directly on her skin, the woman pushed his forearm deeper, even deeper...into her depths.
She tried to hide the intense trembling from her body.
-To
that one...
I asked for a human body just like yours.
Not for anyone else.
Only for you.
To meet your eyes.
To talk with you.
To touch you.
...Squeeze.
-I like you.
His breath fully on her face made the woman's own breath grow ragged.
-I like you. I love you.
...Squeeze... squeeze squeeze.
Her heart pounded louder and louder; the woman didn't know what to do.
All these sensations in her human body were ones she'd never felt in life.
Her face burned like it was aflame, her heart felt like a time bomb ready to explode.
Hundreds, thousands of new stimuli coursed through her body, driving her mad.
It was hard to hold back.
This first taste of love's impulse made her want to share it all with the man right then.
Because she loved him.
Because she liked him.
Because this love was real.
She wanted to show him her overflowing love.
Before someone else could take him, she wanted to plant the same love in him.
......But.
She didn't want to be hated by this man.
She didn't want him to push her away.
She didn't want to hurt him with these still clumsy emotions.
When sexual urges gnawed at her brain.
Squeeze.
She hugged the man in front of her even tighter to her chest. She tried to endure.
But deep down, she might have hoped he'd wake.
That he'd open his eyes to this pressure.
That he'd pin her down right then. Kiss her.
Squeeze squeeze squeeze squeeze squeeze.
As the waves of emotion grew stronger with time.
The woman forcibly suppressed her love even deeper.
Engraving all these maddening sensations into her body.
So she could feel them only from this man.
From no one else.
Only from this man she loved, these insane feelings.
Squeeze.
That night.
Among countless empty rooms.
From just one room came the faint, unending whimper of an unknown woman.