The House with a Lingering Shadow
The next morning, Park Jihun looked up at the ceiling the moment he opened his eyes. The words Kim Taejun had spoken at the pojangmacha last night were still echoing in his mind.
It felt surreal that a chaebol chairman would even know his name. Only a short while ago, he had been scouring job sites, agonizing over when he might finally get hired. But that thought lasted only a moment. Jihun lifted his head from the pillow and muttered briefly.
"Nothing's going to change, though."
He sat up and let out a dry laugh. "I guess I'm starting to get on his nerves now."
Just then, his phone, resting by his pillow, vibrated. Seeing the name on the screen, Jihun answered immediately. "Hello?"
His mother's voice came through the receiver. "Jihun, are you awake?"
"I just woke up. What's wrong?"
"It's about the house we're moving to. I told you I'd look into it, right? Well, I've decided to check out three places."
"Right. When?"
After signing with Ocean, he had received a 200 million won deposit. The first thing Jihun had done was tell his mother to look for a new place. If they were moving, he wanted her to have somewhere decent.
"I'm planning to go see them around 2:00 PM. Can you come with me if you have time?"
"Of course. I have to be there. What kind of houses are they?"
"One is really nice but quite expensive, one is a bit old but cheap, and the last one is..." His mother trailed off.
"Why?"
"It's the best of the three. Spacious, good location, and the price is lower than expected."
"And?"
"There's some talk about it. They say the previous tenants couldn't last long there."
"What's the problem?"
"I looked into it, and people say it's a haunted house."
Jihun stared out the window in silence. A ghost. He wasn't afraid of the concept anymore, but it was a different story if it was a house his mother would live in. Buying a home was different from renting; once you bought it, it was hard to back out. Still, he might be able to tell if he went there himself—whether something was truly clinging to the place, or if it was just baseless gossip.
"Eh, ghosts, my foot. Alright, I'll see you later."
After hanging up, Jihun fell into thought. He couldn't turn on a public stream while house-hunting with his mother. Private mode should be fine. It's still a live stream, just without the audience. Come to think of it, this would be his first outdoor broadcast. Jihun tapped his desk with his fingers and chuckled.
"It'd be hilarious if I could actually see the ghost."
A moment later, he opened the Ocean app and posted a notice.
[No stream today due to family matters.]
A short line was enough. There was no need for a long explanation.
It was just before 2:00 PM. Jihun stopped as soon as he arrived in front of the real estate office. His mother was already there. Standing in her thick padded jacket, she waved lightly when she saw him.
"Son, you're here?"
"Yeah. Why didn't you go inside first?"
"No, I just got here too. It's cold. Let's go in quickly."
The office they entered was ordinary. A large map of the neighborhood hung on the wall, and a few printed documents were neatly arranged on the table. A middle-aged woman sitting in a chair stood up with a bright smile.
"Oh, you've come with your son. Hello."
"Hello."
"It's cold out, isn't it? Shall we go see the closest place first?"
After a brief chat, the realtor gathered her documents and car keys. As they left, Jihun pulled out his phone. He opened the Ocean app and switched it to a private broadcast. He had told his mother he was recording to check the house layout again, so she didn't think much of it. The realtor glanced at his phone and asked with a smile.
"Oh, are you a streamer? Like on Tube?"
"Yes. Not famous, though. I'm just recording it to review later."
"Ah, I see. Everyone seems to do that these days."
Jihun immediately pressed the start button. A chill ran down his spine. His gaze darkened ever so slightly. It works.
The realtor spoke up. "Then let's head to the closest one first."
The first place was a newly built villa not far from the station. As they opened the door, the clean atmosphere of the house greeted them. White wallpaper, a neat layout, and minimalist interior—it looked flawless.
"Everyone says the first impression here is great," the realtor said confidently. "It gets plenty of sunlight and the neighborhood is quiet, so satisfaction is high."
His mother looked around slowly and nodded. "It's a nice house."
Jihun followed them inside. At that moment, his vision flickered slightly. Even though it was daytime, he saw his mother sitting on the sofa with the living room lights on. She rubbed her shoulders and let out a long sigh. She wasn't physically ill, but for some reason, she looked drained.
Jihun frowned. "The energy isn't right. Let's go somewhere else."
"Why? Does something feel wrong?"
"It looks fine, but it doesn't suit you, Mom. You won't be able to relax here; you'll feel stifled."
The realtor blinked. "Oh, what do you mean? The price is a bit high, but there's no other place like this around here."
"The house itself isn't bad, but it doesn't fit us. Let's go to the next one."
"I think it's better if we look elsewhere, too," his mother added. The realtor looked embarrassed for a moment but soon nodded. "Ah, yes. Then let's head to the next house."
The second place was an older apartment complex. There was no elevator, it was a corridor-style building, and the front door was worn with age. As soon as his mother stood before the door, she whispered, "This one is a bit old."
The realtor added quickly, "It may look like this, but the interior has been renovated, so it's quite clean. The price is good, too."
It certainly lacked the modern, polished feel of the first house, but it was perfectly functional. Jihun stepped inside. Once again, his vision shifted quietly. He saw his mother sitting at the dining table, reading a book. A cool breeze drifted through the window gap, and her face looked much more relaxed than before.
"This one is actually not bad."
"Really? Does it look like a good place to live?"
"Yes. At least it won't harm you, Mom."
The realtor beamed. "Right? For actual living, places like this are comfortable."
His mother looked around the house one more time. Her expression wasn't bad, but she seemed to have lingering regrets. After a moment of hesitation, she spoke up. "I'd still like to see the last house..."
At those words, the realtor's expression stiffened subtly. "Pardon? Ah, that house is..." She trailed off and cleared her throat. In that brief gap, his mother leaned toward Jihun. "Son."
"Yes?"
"The house I mentioned earlier is the last one." Her voice dropped lower. "They say there's talk in the neighborhood. That it's a haunted house."
A silence fell. Jihun looked at his mother once, then turned to the realtor. "What's in that house that's causing such rumors?"
The realtor smiled awkwardly and sighed. "I don't know the details. Just that the people who moved in before couldn't last long and left quickly."
"So the rumors aren't entirely baseless."
"Yes. That's why I didn't want to recommend it first. I didn't want to make you uncomfortable."
His mother glanced at Jihun. "Son, will it be okay?"
Jihun checked his phone screen. The private broadcast was still running. The chill was still lingering. "It's fine. Let's go see it. The last house."
The last house was in a large, newly built apartment complex. As soon as they entered the complex, the atmosphere felt different. Neatly manicured walkways, elaborate landscaping, and various amenities for residents—it was in a different league from the first two houses. His mother looked around with genuine excitement. "Wow, this is nice."
"Right? That's why everyone hesitates even after coming to see this place," the realtor continued. "It's much cheaper than other apartments of the same size. So even with the rumors, people come to take a look."
His mother nodded. "Honestly, this is tempting."
The realtor smiled ambiguously. "If you look only at the conditions, yes."
The three of them got into the elevator. As the floors slowly ticked upward, his mother gripped her bag strap tighter. Her face was a mix of anticipation and unease.
Ding.
The elevator door opened. The hallway was quiet. As expected of a new building, the walls and floors were clean, and the sensor lights shone brightly. It looked flawless.
The realtor entered the passcode and opened the door. Click.
The door swung open, revealing the interior. A spacious living room. Clean flooring. Expansive double-paned windows. It was a structure that caught the sunlight perfectly. Even just standing at the entrance, it looked wonderful.
"Oh my," his mother gasped. "This is really nice."
Jihun stepped inside without a word. At that moment, his vision twisted coldly. On the surface, it was fine, but the air inside felt murky and heavy. Even in the bright daylight, the interior felt strangely dark.
The realtor also stopped as she crossed the threshold. Her spine went cold. She felt goosebumps for no reason. "Why is it like this..." she muttered softly.
His mother frowned. "This is strange." Her voice, which had been fine until a moment ago, sounded muffled. "Suddenly, I feel short of breath."
The realtor glanced around the living room. Even though it was a new house, the air felt heavy, as if they had entered a room that had been left vacant for a long time. She felt her shoulders hunching involuntarily.
Then, Jihun's gaze slowly turned toward the master bedroom. Something was there. A wicked energy, hiding deep within the house, intent on scaring people away. His mother gripped the wall, catching her breath. "Son..."
The realtor could feel it clearly now, too. This house was wrong. It was hard to explain, but she didn't want to stay here a second longer. "Ma'am, shall we step outside for a moment?"
At that moment, Jihun spoke in a low, chilling voice. "Mom, stay here for a second."
At his words, the murky air that had been thick in the house thinned for a moment. Jihun looked straight at the master bedroom and said slowly, "So it was you who made people unable to stay here."
The unpleasant energy that had been clinging damply to the room flinched as if it had heard him, then began to spread in a murky haze again. Jihun spat out coldly, "How dare you."
It was only two syllables, but in that instant, the wicked flow was completely overturned.