Midnight Department Store - 'Black Friday' (1)
Baek Si-woo scanned us all before dropping a bombshell.
"Nice to meet you, everyone. I'm Baek Si-woo, CEO of Archive TV. No long speeches. You're all hired."
"......Pardon?"
"Everyone?"
Murmurs rippled through the room. Hired without even an interview?
"We'll go over the details in the conference room. Follow me."
Baek Si-woo turned and walked off without waiting for questions. We trailed after him in a daze, filing into the conference room and taking seats.
Kang Chae-young, who'd sat next to me, whispered, "Why no interview?"
"Probably...... desperate for bodies."
"Desperate?"
"Yeah. The ghost story vibe lately has everyone spooked. Not many willing to risk their necks for a show."
"Ah."
She nodded in understanding. Baek Si-woo soon took the podium.
"Filming starts exactly three days from now."
He pulled up a map on the screen.
"Location: Gangwon Province. Exact coordinates revealed on-site for security—and that raw authenticity."
"Excuse me, sir."
A guy in sunglasses raised his hand.
"This isn't a real ghost story spot, right? Lots of rumors going around."
"No worries."
Baek Si-woo flashed a relaxed smile.
"Our crew scouted it five times. Hunter Association database confirms: zero ghost story signs. Total safe zone."
"Phew......"
Sighs of relief echoed around the room. But not from my side.
"Aw, bummer. Would've been cooler with a real ghost story."
Kang Chae-young cupped her mouth, whispering just for me. I shot her a sideways glance.
......Brave girl.
Dopamine junkie? Or the type that gets a thrill from fear? Either way, not normal.
As the meeting wrapped and I stood, she thrust her phone at me.
"Oppa, number please."
"......Why?"
"Gotta stay in touch if we're teammates. Group chat too."
No good reason to refuse. I punched in my digits. She hit call immediately.
Ring ring-.
A gravelly middle-aged man's voice crackled from the speaker.
"......"
Kang Chae-young hung up wordlessly. She fixed me with a cold stare and shoved the phone back.
"Real number this time."
"......Must've fat-fingered it."
I brazened it out and re-entered. Not like it costs anything.
Hunter connections were gold, and her shaman gig piqued my curiosity. No harm cozying up.
Then—
"Nice to meet you, Chae-young."
A slick-suited man approached, exuding stiff bureaucrat vibes—unlike Baek Si-woo's polish.
Kang Chae-young turned, her playful mischief vanishing.
"Who're you?"
Her face had iced over. He glanced at me calmly.
"Mind giving us space? Private chat with Chae-young."
"Sure."
As I started to stand, she yanked my sleeve.
"Don't go, oppa."
"......?"
"We're super close, see? No secrets. Spill it here."
......Since when?
I gaped. We'd barely exchanged names 30 minutes ago—now secret-sharing buddies?
He looked awkward but sighed at her steel.
"Fine. Straight to it."
He flashed an ID.
"Anomaly Management Team. Heard Wolyeonghoe's rising star joined this show."
"......"
"Join our team?"
Scout offer. She snorted, arms crossed.
"Wrong girl. Hate bureaucrats. Stuffy as hell—would suffocate."
"Top-tier terms."
"Got money. You tailed me here just to scout?"
He shook his head at her prickliness, scanned the room—empty—then lowered his voice.
"Not just scouting."
"Oh?"
"We're embedding agents secretly in haunted house shows."
He pulled a black device.
"What's that?"
"Ghost story wave detector. Prototype, short range—but vibrates at signs."
"And?"
"Emergency HQ ping if needed. Can't have on-air massacre sparking mass panic. Safety net."
He pocketed it, handed her a card.
"Change your mind? Call. We welcome talents like you."
He nodded at me and left without lingering.
She crumpled the card into the trash.
"Tch, creep."
"......"
"Bet there's some shady plot."
She tsked. I gauged her mood and stood casually, fishing out the card.
"......Oppa, what?"
She stared, incredulous. I smoothed it with a sheepish grin.
"Y'know, Anomaly Management Team contact? Handy."
"......"
She huffed a laugh.
"Heard I'm weird a lot—but you're no slouch."
"......"
"Digging trash for that? Ruthless."
Unfair, but no comeback. Looked cheap, sure—but for an F-rank dirtbag like me, every lifeline counted.
"Whatever. See you in three days, oppa. Stay safe."
She shook her head and bounced. I pocketed the card with a smirk.
Nice haul.
Unexpected network and intel. Solid start.
I strolled out light-footed.
Three days later.
Before a massive abandoned building shrouded in night. Silence shattered as dozens of lights blazed, turning the lot daytime-bright.
Clap! Clap! Clap!
"Standby! Cue!"
PD Choi's signal dropped. Host Baek Si-woo beamed at the lens.
"Hello, viewers! Baek Si-woo from Archive TV!"
His energy boomed through the quiet mountains.
"Sponsored by M Corp—Ghost Hunter, haunted house expedition! Tonight: a shuttered department store. Hunter Association greenlit the shoot. What mysteries lurk inside? Can't wait!"
Baek Si-woo eyed the viewer count: 20K. Strong start.
"Meet our 13 brave explorers!"
Camera panned the lineup.
"First: 500K-follower influencer 'Jenny'!"
The tight-training-suited woman waved and winked.
"Hi~ Jenny here! Gonna tough out the scares!"
"Next: Exorcist priest 'Yohan'!"
The robed man bowed, rosary in hand.
"May the Lord's light guide us."
"And shaman 'Kang Chae-young'!"
In modern hanbok, she stared coolly at the camera.
"Shaman Kang Chae-young. Just here to watch. Nice to meet you."
As intros rolled on, chat exploded. Finally, the last one.
"Our final challenger!"
Baek Si-woo swung the camera to the end.
"Pure grit and passion! 'Han Suho'!"
I bowed awkwardly on close-up. Gray tracksuit, plain face. Bland next to the others' flash.
"Uh, hi. F-rank hunter Han Suho. I'll do my best. Please take care of me."
Short and sweet. Chat flooded with question marks.
Raw dismissal and mockery. "F-rank" branded me weakling instant.
Baek Si-woo checked reactions on his tablet. Expected, but stung.
......Too on-the-nose.
Folks love flashy heroes—or underdogs getting crushed for that superiority hit. I was the punchbag foil.
He glanced my way. My oblivious stance hit him pathetic.
Sorry, man.
TV nature, but guilt twinged at sacrificing an innocent. I'll look out for him.
Not for airtime—just extra lines to shield the flak. Couldn't let a normie get crushed here.