The Price of the Truth
“I think I’ve shown you everything I need to. Time to donate, don’t you think?”
The moment Kang Jinwoo threw that line out with a smirk toward the camera, the chat froze.
The viewers were dumbfounded. A rookie BJ who had just started his broadcast—and immediately after showing them something impossibly bizarre—was demanding money right off the bat. Usually, the common sense of the industry was to thank the viewers and ask for channel promotion.
“I said if you want to see more, donate.”
“Why is there so much chatter? I said if you want to see more, donate.”
Kang Jinwoo ignored such industry norms. Instead, he demanded donations with total confidence. Just then, one of the viewers sent a donation as a test.
But seeing the donation notification, Kang Jinwoo wasn't satisfied—he openly frowned.
“Do you have any idea what the cost of living is these days? Who is this supposed to feed?”
Naturally, that one sentence was like pouring gasoline on the burning chat.
The viewers' anger exploded, but Kang Jinwoo didn't shrink back in the slightest. Instead, as if it were obvious, he held up two fingers.
“I have to earn my daily wage. It’s for me and my sister, two people, so 200,000 KRW. Just hit 200,000 KRW clean, and I’ll explain exactly what you guys want to know.”
Was that something a rookie BJ should be saying?
The chat was in total chaos over his absurd demands. But the even more infuriating part was:
“Quit? Sure, let’s quit then.”
Kang Jinwoo, watching the chat, moved his finger toward the broadcast end button without a hint of hesitation.
“Ending the stream.”
“O-oppa! Are you crazy? Why are you doing this!”
“The viewers said they don't want to watch. So I should turn it off.”
Only then did the viewers realize that this guy was someone who would really turn off the stream without a shred of regret.
“Don’t turn it off! Don’t you dare!”
Fortunately, the stream didn't end. Kang Jina, who had been holding her breath beside him, stopped him in a panic.
“What kind of attitude is that to the viewers! And asking for money!”
“Jina, I’m not a volunteer. I don’t do useless work.”
Of course, Kang Jinwoo lightly ignored his younger sister and continued, looking at the screen.
“But you know, do you think you’ll ever have the experience of seeing a real ghost with your own two eyes again in your life? I’m disappointed I can’t make money, but money is something I can earn doing other things.”
At his arrogant remark, the chat, which had been filled with insults, went quiet again.
It was infuriating, but he wasn't wrong. The countless haunted house broadcasts the viewers had seen until now were nothing more than shows that created fear through direction and atmosphere. But what they had just seen was a ‘real’ thing from a different dimension.
“There are five people watching, so 40,000 KRW each should do it. Oh, the 10,000 KRW donated earlier doesn't count, okay?”
“You lack sincerity. Sincerity.”
In the end, it was the viewers who waved the white flag in the battle of wills. Before long, like a lie, donation notifications began to pop up one after another.
Finally, the goal was reached. Only then did Kang Jinwoo smile broadly, looking satisfied as he continued the broadcast.
“Alright, I got the money, so here’s the explanation. Jina, can you hold the phone?”
“U-uh, okay.”
“See that corner? Film over there. Show yourself.”
“Hut...!”
Kang Jina, having taken the phone, quickly adjusted the screen. Then, in the corner of the screen, the evil spirit with the broken neck revealed itself again.
“His name is Han Gangsu. Age thirty-eight. The sins he committed while alive... Murdering his wife and two children. And suicide.”
“Oppa, how do you know that?”
“Because I can see it.”
Kang Jinwoo mechanically recited the information he had read with Insight.
“After losing all his assets to bankruptcy and being buried in debt, he sent his wife and children away first and hanged himself in this building. A pretty common repertoire.”
Just then.
One of the viewers posted a link to an internet news article in the chat. The content of the article covered an incident from seven years ago, and it matched exactly what Kang Jinwoo had said.
The chat was once again dyed in shock. Kang Jina, who was filming, also dropped her jaw and looked at Kang Jinwoo.
“Done? Then I’ll perform the exorcism.”
“You’re doing an exorcism? Like this, suddenly?”
Kang Jinwoo, who was stretching, tilted his head with an absurd look at that remark.
“Then what, did you think I was going to soothe his resentment or something?”
“Even so, an exorcism... Can’t you do something like help him ascend? After all, he committed suicide because of debt.”
“Jina, there’s no one in this world without their own circumstances.”
He said that and conveyed his thoughts clearly.
“If you only look at the circumstances, it’s pitiful. But you and I, we all live with our own grievances. Do you know how aggrieved I was this morning? I opened the fridge to make a fried egg, and guess what? There were no eggs!”
“I ate the eggs and went to school.”
“Anyway, that’s how it is. I know his circumstances are sad, but that guy ultimately became an evil spirit by his own choice.”
Like this, there was no ethical dilemma for Kang Jinwoo. He trusted Insight completely.
“Considering circumstances is God’s job, not mine.”
Kang Jinwoo stepped toward the evil spirit.
“You, sinner Han Gangsu. I won’t question you further about taking your own life. You must have had that much despair. But that doesn’t mean you have the right to take the lives of three people.”
“Where in the world is there anyone who isn’t aggrieved? Ultimately, you made the choice. You committed the sin with your own hands.”
Exorcism
As Kang Jinwoo waved his hand lightly, the evil spirit disappeared without a trace along with a flash that filled the screen. In fact, this was an action Kang Jinwoo took while being conscious of the broadcast. The original exorcism act he intended didn't require such complex procedures. It was just for the broadcast.
“If you saw something awesome, you should donate.”
To be precise, it was for the money.
“That’s it for today’s broadcast. Next broadcast is... when should I do it?”
“Uh, it’s already over?”
“I exorcised the evil spirit, so it’s over. Since you’re a student, study on weekdays and let’s do the broadcast on the weekend.”
“Oh, and I’ll take location recommendations. I’ll post a notice on the station’s bulletin board, so leave a comment. I’ll take a look and decide.”
Kang Jinwoo said only what he wanted to say, ignoring the rapidly rising chat. He opened his mouth while looking at his phone as if nothing had happened.
“Ending it. Everyone have a good night.”
With that final word, the screen turned black before anyone could even type in the chat.
That dawn, on a minor internet community, the Ghost Experience Gallery, which should have been quiet, was unusually lively.
The atmosphere of the gallery, which had been watching while eating popcorn at the sudden appearance of the admin, was reversed in an instant. In a minor gallery, the admin’s guarantee is like a certified check.
The Ghost Experience Gallery began to boil over with the admin’s confident attitude. And time flowed, and finally, the promised weekend arrived.
As the broadcast of BJ Kang Jinwoo finally turned on amidst the waiting of viewers full of anticipation:
However, as soon as the broadcast started, they were about to face an initiation ceremony they couldn't have imagined.
“Oh, oppa!”
Kang Jinwoo, having received the phone from Kang Jina, opened his mouth calmly toward the camera.
“What, why are there so many people? Since I’m working on the weekend, today’s daily wage is 500,000 KRW per person, for a total of 1 million KRW.”