Chapter 44
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 44
Chapter Title: Monster Tale Specialist Office: The Cursed Video (6)
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“...Hello.”
With the chime of a bell, a bespectacled student with a gloomy air stepped inside. He was a pretty boy with delicate features.
It went without saying that this was Suhyeon.
The name was gender-neutral, and since Sunwoo had casually referred to him as a friend, Taeju had assumed Suhyeon was a girl. Only after receiving Woli’s text right before did he learn that Suhyeon was a boy.
“Yes, hello. You must be Suhyeon, right? Have a seat wherever you like.”
Taeju greeted him with a smile.
Suhyeon nodded slightly when their eyes met, then quickly looked away. He sat in the nearest spot available.
It was a bit of a distance from Taeju.
Taeju could now understand what people meant when they said no one messed with him around school. He seemed endlessly withdrawn, somehow fragile, carrying an aura that made you feel you shouldn’t touch him.
Woli, who had escorted Suhyeon here, had left with Sia for some work, and Seuli had gone upstairs.
So now, only the two of them remained.
Taeju asked Suhyeon,
“Do you like coffee?”
“Uh, yeah.”
“Sweet?”
“No. Anything’s fine.”
“Something cold?”
“Just warm is good.”
The boy was curt.
It was as if he was pushing people away. Like he had thorns raised, warning them not to pry into his business.
Taeju stared absently at the coffee machine whirring away. He wondered how best to approach this kid, and knowing why Suhyeon acted this way made him tread carefully.
But he didn’t dwell on it long. Pretending to awkwardly comfort him or tiptoeing around would probably do more harm than good for both of them. Better to just treat him normally.
Taeju handed Suhyeon a mug of Americano and waited until he’d taken a sip before asking his question.
“Do you know why we called you here?”
Suhyeon nodded.
“I heard... there’s something wrong with that pad I gave him. So you have some questions about it...”
Taeju was impressed that Suhyeon had come all this way based on such a vague explanation.
Taeju began to explain.
“This is an office. We don’t have an official name for it.”
“Isn’t it a café?”
Suhyeon tilted his head.
“Well, no café lacks a signboard. And there’s no menu either.”
“So what do you do here?”
“We help people who get tangled up in ghost stories.”
Taeju watched Suhyeon’s eyes widen suddenly at the answer. He seemed intrigued by the topic.
“You help people involved with ghost stories? How?”
“Well, it varies. We use all sorts of methods. Mostly legal ones, of course. That’s why we called you here now. Sunwoo’s gotten wrapped up in something weird.”
The moment Sunwoo’s name came up, Taeju noticed Suhyeon’s eyes flicker. Sensing he might know something, Taeju subtly broached the main subject.
“Something strange was found on that pad. Any guesses?”
Suhyeon fell silent at Taeju’s question. Taeju waited a moment. No need to rush him.
“...Yeah. I do.”
Suhyeon said, then looked at Taeju and asked,
“But... wasn’t that just a normal horror video? Is there something wrong with it?”
As expected, Suhyeon was the one who had transferred the original video onto the pad. Taeju nodded and asked,
“Yeah, there’s a problem. Have you ever watched the video yourself?”
“No. I just had it. What happened?”
Suhyeon asked in a flat tone. The spark of interest from earlier had vanished. Taeju found it odd.
“Well, it might sound weird, but that video is cursed.”
Suhyeon didn’t respond much. Hard to tell from his expression if he thought it was crazy or if he already knew—or didn’t—about it.
“I don’t know if ‘curse’ is some metaphor or whatever, but did something go wrong because of me?”
“No, the curse is a literal curse. And I don’t know yet if you did anything specific.”
Taeju gave a brief explanation. Not the full story. Just that Sunwoo, who played the weird video on the pad Suhyeon lent him, was now cursed, and Suhyeon was essential to resolving it.
“You expect me to believe that?”
It was the typical reaction from an ordinary person. But it put Taeju in a tough spot. Usually, people who came to this office had already encountered something eerie, so there was no need to convince them it was real.
Taeju, who had never prepared for this scenario, pondered how to explain that curses were real.
“Well, anyway, this is the pad in question. Mind taking a look? Don’t play the video inside, though.”
Taeju pulled out the pad and showed it to him. Playing it was off-limits, but he could at least let him see the exterior.
“Yeah, that’s the one I gave.”
Suhyeon readily acknowledged it as his. Without even checking the contents, he removed the case, verified the engraving, and handed it back to Taeju.
He seemed a little reluctant to touch it.
“Anyway, I don’t believe in curses, and even if there is one, it doesn’t seem to have much to do with me. It’s not mine anymore.”
Suhyeon said with a cold expression.
“It doesn’t concern you?”
At Taeju’s words, Suhyeon looked away. Taeju hadn’t meant to point fingers, but Suhyeon seemed to withdraw on his own, as if he had nothing more to say.
“...It has nothing to do with me.”
“Sunwoo said he borrowed it, though. Wasn’t that the case?”
“Doesn’t matter what he thinks. I gave it to him, and I don’t want it back.”
Suhyeon’s attitude was firm. It was bizarre. The recipient wanted to return it, but the giver refused to take it back. It could’ve been a heartwarming story. If it weren’t for the curse.
“Not even close friends, huh... Anyway, fine. Just know that Sunwoo thinks he borrowed it. And that he ended up taking the curse instead.”
“That’s why I said I don’t believe in curses.”
At Suhyeon’s retort, Taeju changed tactics. If they’d been close once, hearing that Sunwoo nearly died should hit home.
“Believe it or not, doesn’t matter. Because of it, Sunwoo almost died and came to us. He was pale as a ghost. Have you seen him lately?”
“...No.”
“Really? I heard you two used to be pretty close.”
“Not anymore.”
Suhyeon turned his head away as he spoke. A clear signal he didn’t want to continue.
“We’re even considering the possibility that you deliberately gave him the pad to curse him.”
“That’s ridiculous. Why would I do that?”
Suhyeon’s tone sharpened. Taeju figured it probably wasn’t intentional on his part.
But if he let up now, Suhyeon would bolt. Sorry as he felt, Taeju had to keep pressing.
“Because you’re not close anymore.”
“Doesn’t mean I cursed him.”
“Then explain it at least.”
Taeju asked sharply on purpose. Now Suhyeon would prioritize proving his innocence over debating if curses existed.
“When we checked, there were no traces of the previous owner on the tablet. No photos, videos, linked accounts—nothing. Just that one thing. Doesn’t that seem suspicious even to you?”
“I gave it to him after he said he’d reset it.”
“Sure, that makes sense. But if it was just that, I wouldn’t be grilling you like this.”
Taeju swiftly shifted the question.
“This thing’s pretty pricey. Not top-of-the-line, but pricey for a student. Right?”
“Why bring that up?”
Suhyeon asked, looking annoyed.
“It’s not something you’d easily hand over. Lending it for a month is weird enough, but giving it away? Especially one with an engraving?”
“Yeah, I gave it. Not lent.”
Taeju had trouble accepting it.
“Why?”
“I didn’t need it.”
“If you don’t need it, don’t people usually sell it?”
When Taeju didn’t get it, Suhyeon flashed a stiff smile.
“Can’t sell it. Can’t use it either.”
“Not using it doesn’t mean you can’t handle the device, right?”
Suhyeon nodded at Taeju’s question.
“Um, do you know what happened to me?”
“Yeah, I do.”
Taeju nodded.
“My parents bought it the day of the accident. Found it in the car.”
Suhyeon spoke calmly, but Taeju inwardly winced. It was more sensitive than he’d thought.
Which made it even harder to understand why he’d give it away.
“A memento?”
At Taeju’s question, Suhyeon paused to think.
“Well, probably a gift for me. They couldn’t give it in person...”
Suhyeon wasn’t sure if it qualified as a memento. Either way, the tablet became his, and he’d tried using it for a while, he said with a gloomy look.
“I tried using it, but I couldn’t. Every time I looked at it, I thought of my parents.”
So he gave it to whoever asked, Suhyeon said. Taeju tried to keep a neutral expression.
“Even so, wasn’t it precious?”
“Lately, yeah. I just give away things that hurt to look at to whoever wants them.”
Taeju fell silent. It wasn’t a good sign. He wanted to say something, but he wasn’t in a position to overstep with advice.
But Suhyeon somehow looked a bit relieved.
“Anyway, I didn’t leave that video there to curse him or with any ulterior motive. It was just something I couldn’t use, so I gave it to him. That’s it.”
Taeju decided to stop provoking him further.
Instead, he changed approach again.
“I told you the video on the tablet is genuinely cursed.”
“Yeah. But I don’t really get it. I never played it. I can’t believe curses are real either.”
He probably hadn’t played it—that seemed true. But Taeju couldn’t tell how much Suhyeon knew or didn’t.
“Got it. I understand you didn’t curse him on purpose. Then could you explain more? Like where the video came from.”
“Well, I know where I got it from, but not which post.”
Taeju asked for the site address. Suhyeon gave it casually, like it was no big deal. Taeju searched it on the pad right away and entered the site.
It was a small, members-only site of modest scale, with an outdated, worn UI. It seemed like a niche spot for horror enthusiasts.
Wondering if the curse originated here, Taeju examined it closely.
But nothing stood out at first glance. It was just a plain site with translated foreign ghost stories and horror movie reviews as main content.
Not the kind of place where some major curse would start.
“Not here either...”
While Taeju browsed the site, Suhyeon asked about what had been nagging him.
“But what exactly is this curse?”
He said he didn’t believe, but curiosity won out.
“Nothing special. Just a ghost appearing in the screen.”
“Appearing how exactly...?”
“Literally. A ghost shows up in the video. You know that famous movie?”
At Taeju’s explanation, Suhyeon’s face froze. The first big emotional reaction. Suhyeon muttered without thinking,
“Is it because of me?”