Midnight at Hwarong Department Store - 'Black Friday' (2)
Within moments, Baek Si-woo struck a dramatic pose for the camera, pointing to the firmly locked door behind him.
"Alright, folks! Are you with me? The spot I'm standing in front of today is deep in the mountains of Jeongseon, Gangwon Province—a ghost building that doesn't even show up on maps, the Hwarong Department Store."
He tilted the camera angle upward, capturing the building's exterior gleaming under the moonlight.
"Check it out—the facade is pristine, right? Not a single broken window, like it's brand new. But you're all wondering, 'Who builds a department store in the middle of nowhere with no people around? Are they insane?'"
Baek Si-woo clicked his tongue in mock disapproval.
"This place was originally slated to be the 'second Gangwon Land,' a massive casino resort. But out of nowhere, the Hwarong Group chairman declares, 'Shopping comes first,' and they slap up this department store... Result? It never even opened before the company imploded. So now this monstrous building sits abandoned in the mountains."
As he gestured, the camera zoomed in on the lobby entrance—spotless, without a speck of dust, but utterly empty.
"But here's the real chills: Turns out, even this insane location choice was all part of a meticulous plan. They never intended to let customers in from the start."
"This massive department store... never opened for even a single day. Grand opening? Nope. Three days before the scheduled debut, police sirens echo through the mountains, they slap up a 'police line,' and it stays sealed forever."
Baek Si-woo lowered his voice a notch, leaning into the camera.
"The reason only came out years later from a detective who worked the local precinct—and not just any cop, a veteran ex-B-rank hunter."
"The incident started a week before opening. The detective's patrolling nearby and gets a bad vibe. Hunter instincts kicking in—the air around here just wasn't right."
He paused for effect.
"This place is mainly luxury brands and clothing stores, yeah? But every night, the delivery trucks rolling in... all refrigerated semis. Dozens of them. For clothes? Doesn't add up."
"And it wasn't even summer, but the AC units were roaring like mad, chilling the air around the building. Checked the electric meter—usage like a massive freezer warehouse, not some store."
Baek Si-woo grew grave.
"Thinking it might be a drug lab, the detective sneaks in at dawn three days before opening."
The sound of him swallowing hard crackled through the mic, vivid and tense.
"Inside, floors 1 through 5... no clothes anywhere, just thousands of naked mannequins crammed everywhere."
"Weird part? Indoor temps below freezing, breath visible. Spooked, he taps a mannequin... not a light plastic 'thunk,' but a heavy 'thud.'"
Baek Si-woo punched his own chest with a dull thunk for emphasis.
"Curious, he touches its belly... ice-cold, like an icebox, not plastic."
The chat sped up frantically.
"With shaking hands, he pries open the chest seam with a knife. And... he puked right there."
Baek Si-woo paused, ratcheting tension to the max.
"It wasn't empty. The torso was packed with dry ice... and vacuum-sealed human organs stacked like Tetris blocks in the white frost."
"You know how there've been tons of missing persons lately? They harvested organs from them, disguised as mannequins. This 'department store' was a super-sized organ freezer."
Even the on-site participants swallowed dryly at Baek Si-woo's tale. Way more detailed—and gruesome—than expected.
"Detective calls for backup; that night, SWAT raids the place. Five thousand mannequins... or rather, 'five thousand bodies' worth of organs—all seized. Hwarong Group scum had already bolted to China with the tip-off."
"So it got seized and shut down without ever opening. Should be empty inside now."
Baek Si-woo flashed a knowing smile, pointing at the lobby.
"But get this, folks... even after the cops cleared it out, people hear 'tap, tap, tap' high-heel clicks echoing every night."
"Mannequins are gone, but the grudge-soaked souls inside still wander, searching for their bodies. 'Give me back my heart! My liver!' Like that."
Staring straight into the lens, Baek Si-woo spread his arms wide.
"Alright! Today, with you thirteen brave souls here, we'll uncover the truth behind that grudge. Is it really empty inside? Or... is there something we don't know still lurking?"
He bellowed dramatically.
"Commencing entry into Hwarong Department Store—now!"
...Scary as hell!
Baek Si-woo's story sent chills down my spine. Five thousand mannequins, each packed with human organs? Even if not all Korean, the sheer number of victims was nightmare fuel.
Then Kang Chae-young, standing beside me, deadpanned.
"That's all bullshit."
"Bullshit?"
"Yeah. Hwarong Group did build it, but the real victim count was around five hundred. Five thousand's just broadcast hype."
...Five hundred's still insane.
Kang Chae-young narrowed her eyes at the building.
"Still, five hundred's no small number. The grudge pooled inside is massive."
She licked her lips like savoring a meal.
"Perfect fuel for me. Deep grudge means overflowing delicious yin energy. But..."
"But?"
"If all that yin fuses into one powerful ghost... that could be a headache."
"...Ghosts too?"
I asked casually, and she turned, staring me down with a playful smirk.
"What? Oppa, you scared?"
"S-scared? Nah, just gathering intel."
"Pfft, your voice is shaking. Total wuss."
"I'm not!"
"It's all over your face. Don't worry—sis has your back if a ghost shows."
"Sis? I'm older, you know."
"Weak means little bro."
Kang Chae-young giggled, teasing relentlessly. I wanted to retort, but anything I said would sound like excuses, so I shut up.
Then staff approached.
"Mr. Han Suho, time for gear."
They fitted my action cam, wrist guards, and mic meticulously. Other participants geared up too.
Ready, Baek Si-woo waved toward the entrance.
"Let's go! Open the door!"
At his cue, a staffer unlocked the heavy padlock.
Click.
The padlock sprang free, revealing the reinforced glass door. Dusty but intact, thanks to maintenance.
"Go!"
Baek Si-woo shoved the door open.
Shhhhk—
Sealed air whooshed out. We followed him into the darkness.
Hwarong Department Store, first-floor lobby. Cleaner than expected. As Baek Si-woo said, cops cleared it—spotless, no trash.
Deflated murmurs rippled through the group.
"What? Nothing here."
"No ghosts, not even a rat."
"Just an abandoned building tour."
Relief and disappointment mixed; our tension felt silly.
Then—
"Eek~ So scary!"
Kang Chae-young shrieked, glomping my arm. I jumped, glaring.
"...What're you doing?"
"Scared. Protect me, oppa."
She clung tight, grinning mischievously.
...Why's she so buddy-buddy?
Real reliance or boredom? Hard to tell. Awkward, but shaking her off would make me look chicken, so I let it slide.
Up ahead, Baek Si-woo halted, clapping back at us.
Clap, clap!
"Hold up, everyone! Building's huge. Thirteen of us clumping together's inefficient."
He segued smoothly.
"Split into teams? Three or four per group, scout floors, regroup in lobby."
"Sounds good."
"Agreed."
Consensus formed. We scattered to form teams.
Then a suited man strode up—the one who'd given Kang Chae-young his card before.
"Excuse me."
He bowed politely.
"Team not set? Mind if I join?"
Anomaly Management Team agent. I glanced at Kang Chae-young, expecting rejection. Surprisingly chill.
"Sure, whatever. Better than some weirdo—gov suit guy's fine."
"Thank you."
He smiled relieved, offering me his hand.
"Han Jun-hyun."
"Han Suho."
Quick handshake. Han Jun-hyun eyed our action cams, adding meaningfully.
"Lots of eyes watching—keep my affiliation and role secret, please. You two already know, of course."
Camera-conscious, avoiding "Anomaly Management Team" aloud. Don't blow his cover on air.
As Kang Chae-young and Han Jun-hyun discussed areas, I silently called out.
Boss.
If I use Materialization, does my body glow or something flashy? Got an Anomaly Management Team guy here—don't wanna get caught.
Good.
I sighed in relief, rechecking the floating system window.
Manifests a ghost story upon satisfying conditions.
'Conditions' meant the story had to circulate on people's lips. Hwarong Department Store tales overflowed—plenty satisfied.
But will it really work?
Skeptical. Hard to believe invoking a power would spawn a nonexistent ghost story. But to collect and sell, I had to materialize first.
Hesitating, I scanned around. Participants and staff laughing, oblivious.
······Kinda feel bad for them.
Moment I trigger it, this ordinary ruin becomes real hell. Civilians could die swept up.
What? I am sorry. It's true.
People could die—'course it's nagging at me. You just don't get human feelings, boss.
Grumbling inwardly, indignant. But no stopping now. Gotta survive.
I pulled the trigger.
Materialization.
Materialization
That instant.
Rumble rumble rumble—!
"Wh-what?!"
"Earthquake?!"
The building shook violently. Floor quaked, dust rained from the ceiling. People stumbled, and an unbelievable sight unfolded.
Shhhk—
The entrance we'd come through vanished. The glass door behind us now an endless wall, as if no entrance ever existed.