Chapter 49
Chapter 49
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Translator: uly
Chapter: 49
Chapter Title: Eyes That Show Only What You Want to See (3)
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"Screams are coming from the room next door."
That was the complaint...
When I asked which room next door, they said 204.
Even though we'd left it empty.
Since we weren't taking guests in 204 at all, Father tried to calm them down by saying no one was there...
A little while later, the police showed up. Guests had reported a woman's horrific screams coming nonstop from 204.
Father insisted there was no way screams could be coming from an empty room.
Surprisingly...
Not just 205.
Guests from 203, 206, and even 201 had reported it too.
When Father led the police to the door of 204, every guest on the floor was already out in the hallway.
They were the type who never stepped out or showed their faces...
But the woman's agonized wails were echoing all the way down the corridor...
Father was deeply tense too. With trembling hands, he inserted the master key and opened the door to 204.
As soon as the door opened...
The woman's scream, which had been tearing at her throat, vanished.
The room was dark with the lights off, filled only with an icy chill.
Father inserted the master key into 204, turned on the lights, and led the way inside. They checked the bathroom, under the bed, opened the window to look outside.
As Father said, "See! There's no one here," and led the police out of the room...
He was puzzled inside why the screams that had been so loud moments ago had suddenly stopped.
The police seemed to sense it too, but no one mentioned it aloud. They hurried out and closed the door.
But...
The moment the door shut, the woman's screams started up again. Startled, Father quickly opened it with the master key.
This time, the lights in 204 were blazing bright.
"Did I turn on the lights and close the door?"
Father muttered, and a policeman pointed at the master key in his hand...
"If you pull that out, the lights go off."
When the door opened, the screams stopped.
The lights that had been on without the key plunged into darkness.
Shocked, Father inserted the key again and turned on the lights...
And suddenly, a loud splashing sound started from the closed bathroom.
They'd checked the bathroom just moments ago...
The policeman cautiously opened the door, and there—on the brightly lit bathroom floor—dark red blood swirled in a vortex before getting sucked down the drain in an instant. The showerhead on the wall stopped spraying too.
The police inspected the bathroom in shock, but it was spotless, as if nothing had happened.
No one wanted to stay in 204 any longer and they all hurried out.
After that, no matter how many guests we had, we never took any on that entire floor.
But even afterward, some guests encountered a naked woman in the elevator.
And while keeping watch at the counter at night, a cold draft would hit their face. Looking up, a naked woman would approach smiling and ask, "When can I leave?"
Her neck, arms, legs, forehead, crown, chest—every part was battered and crushed without a single intact spot. Only her face was whole.
She was stunningly beautiful, but Father said he'd never taken in a guest like her.
Rumors spread that the motel was haunted, and guests dwindled. The only ones who came were those wanting a ghost experience in 204.
Father would occasionally spot that woman at night...
Each time, he'd be so shocked he'd fall ill, and eventually he was hospitalized. That's when I took over operations.
I was greedy to sell the motel for a proper price, so I renovated it and even hired night shift help.
Not only did I refuse guests in 204, but the whole floor stayed empty.
But one night while I was at the counter with the part-timer...
The intercom rang from 206.
A room we weren't using.
The entire floor was empty...
The part-timer was scared, so I answered instead. "Screams from a woman in 204!"
I steeled myself and replied.
"There's no one in 204."
The response that came back...
"If there's no one, then what am I? Why didn't you report it even after seeing me that day?"
* * *
Yu-bin could no longer continue and clutched her head, bursting into tears.
Jijang, who had been watching silently, interrupted her sobs and asked.
"Exactly. If you saw her, why didn't you report it? What made it so hard to tell the truth about what you saw?"
* * *
A young man called Teacher Paeng sat at the head of the table in the private room.
"Those people outside are different from us."
He said, caressing the large travel bag beside him.
It was a separate room off the Emerald Hall, where President Park of Haedong Daily's birthday celebration was underway.
President Park, his son Young-ho, and President Park's younger sister, Executive Director Park Soo-jin, waited respectfully for Teacher Paeng's next words.
"Today, many have come to celebrate our President Park's birthday, so let's keep it brief."
Teacher Paeng lifted the champagne glass before him and took a sip before continuing.
"We're eyes. Eyes that show only what people want to see. In this election, our President Park put in quite the effort, yet it ended in defeat. No matter."
"......"
"We didn't lose. Those outside will cling to us even more, terrified by this election loss."
Teacher Paeng, with his eternally youthful appearance untouched by time, spoke leisurely.
"The ruling party and government label everything outside themselves as evil. The government and ruling party are evil too, of course. There's no good in this business. Those babbling outside fear the powerful government and ruling party. Fear turns to hostility."
Despite Teacher Paeng's calm tone, Young-ho couldn't focus. His gaze fixed on the large travel bag, cold sweat dripping.
"I can't see the future, but I remember the past. When I founded Haedong Daily with President Park's grandfather, Japan ruled this land. When I worked with his father, the military did."
Teacher Paeng's age was impossible to guess from his claim of founding it with Young-ho's great-grandfather.
"Look! Where are they now? Eternal power is ours! Media power alone. And only Haedong Daily holds it unrivaled."
Haedong Group, led by Chairman Choi, had actually been built by the Park family of Haedong Daily.
Young-ho didn't know why positions had shifted within the group.
Haedong Daily's influence remained mighty.
"Winning elections is nice, but even losing leaves us unshaken. The government and ruling party shy from the filth of media suppression. Think about it. The real suppression came when our side split and attacked each other."
Teacher Paeng downed his glass with relish and grinned brightly.
"Those waiting outside for President Park will unite in hostility and rage born of fear. A golden opportunity for us."
President Park, listening silently, spoke cautiously.
"Is there a way to seize this chance?"
"Drive a wedge between the government and the people."
"How exactly should we widen that gap?"
"Segment the government's base and make them fight. Pit young men against young women, youth against middle-aged. Homeowners against non-owners. Divide into factions and stir hatred."
Teacher Paeng pointed to his eyes.
"Eyes! We're eyes. Give those who want to curse material to curse with, those who want to rage targets to attack. Those who want to curse will curse, those who want to fight will fight. It's only natural—they saw what they wanted."
Teacher Paeng finished his champagne, glanced around with a sly smile, then slowly continued.
"Show the homeless that chances to buy homes are shrinking. Create buzz that the government will crash housing prices for owners. Real estate doesn't matter—control it or not."
The corner of Teacher Paeng's mouth twitched.
"Highlight glass ceilings and sexual assaults for young women, extreme feminism and incompetent women for young men. If this government makes women-focused policies, young men attack; if not, women do."
At this moment, Teacher Paeng looked happier than anyone.
"Pit students against teachers, kindergarten teachers against mothers. We don't fight—we let them fight and blame the government. Divide and watch: no policy satisfies everyone. Segment the public. Haha."
Teacher Paeng laughed merrily.
"Make every government move falter. Unite with those outside to cry lack of consistency. It'll become truth. People hate a wavering government."
Young-ho, eyes glued to the bag, finally looked up.
"Undermining all policies and stoking class conflict harms the country."
Teacher Paeng met Young-ho's eyes and replied deliberately, emphatically.
"Splinter their base, and policies will falter, the country will chaos. But it's not our fault. Blame the fumbling government. We just show people what they want."
Teacher Paeng stood and approached Young-ho.
He placed a hand on Young-ho's shoulder and finished slowly.
"Do as I say. People want to hate and fight, calling each other evil. That's what they desire. If it's not what they want, they won't budge no matter what we show. Our fault? No."
As Teacher Paeng's hand rested on his shoulder, Young-ho's face drained white.
Executive Director Park Soo-jin, seated opposite, quickly replied.
"We'll follow. Don't worry. My nephew's still green on media matters—he misspoke. Who could defy Teacher Paeng's wisdom?"
Even past sixty, her well-maintained skin made her look middle-aged.
Teacher Paeng smiled at Executive Director Park Soo-jin.
"If our Executive Director Park Soo-jin says it, it must be right. Nearing forty years now. You're the only woman who's been with me and lived. Haha."
Soo-jin smiled silently in response.
"Back to President Park's birthday party, everyone. Ah! President Park, please handle this bag well. So nice having a garden with a mountain right in your Seoul home."
Teacher Paeng pointed at the large travel bag with a finger, and Young-ho's knees began to tremble.