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Chapter 2
The male student’s uniform was wet.
‘It didn’t even rain today.’
The mud-stained pants made him look like someone who had run through a storm. I glanced at the dirty white sneakers beneath them before quickly looking away.
‘F-first of all, don’t stare at him.’
With a build like that, he was probably at least an upperclassman.
Maybe a ghost senior who died on a rainy day. Surely he wouldn’t pick a fight just because a living junior didn’t greet him?
“You…”
Pretending not to notice the male student trying to speak again, I strode toward the entrance.
Beyond the transparent glass door was a dark stairwell with no lights on, and farther inside stood an elevator.
‘Chohae is in a place like this?’
Even though he wasn’t the fearful type, he was careful. He would never willingly come somewhere unfamiliar.
‘…But I’ve already come this far. I can’t turn back now. Let’s go in first.’
If my brother was really trapped by something—whether ghost or human—
Then there was no time to hesitate. The instructions said I couldn’t tell anyone, so I couldn’t even go to the police anyway.
“Whew!”
As if psyching myself up, I took a deep breath and grabbed the red handle.
Thunk!
At the same time, the male student grabbed my wrist.
His touch was cold and unbelievably soft, which somehow made it even more disgusting. His large hand clamped around my wrist like the head of a snake biting its prey.
Ghk—!
Because it was the wrist tied with the strand of hair, I nearly jumped out of my skin. I almost shouted, What the hell are you doing?!
“You can see the handle?”
Wow. Ghosts these days picked the weirdest fights.
‘Ughhh… whether you’re a ghost or a person, please just disappear….’
The hand holding me was so creepy it was driving me insane. But I couldn’t react in case I provoked him.
I cautiously glanced at his face.
He wasn’t as scary-looking as I expected.
Actually, aside from the gloomy atmosphere around him, he was handsome. If he’d been human, I might’ve been attracted to him.
‘Ah, right. Even if he’s a ghost, staring too much is rude.’
I’d been blatantly staring.
Trying to calm my trembling heart, I opened the door. Even then, the male student only flinched slightly and still didn’t let go of my wrist.
Creeeak.
The metallic groan of rusty hinges echoed through the silent hallway. Despite someone entering, the first floor remained pitch-black even in broad daylight.
I rubbed my arms, trying to dismiss the creeping chill as imagination.
“It really opened….”
His face looked perfectly normal, but he sure talked to himself a lot. Internally, I nicknamed him Chatty Ghost and looked around.
Aside from an old four-wheeled bicycle in the corner of the entrance, nothing seemed unusual.
There were stairs leading downward, blocked by an iron-barred gate that looked like it led to a storage room. A locked padlock hung there, and beyond the bars, boxes were piled high.
‘What is that?’
For some reason, it felt like an eerie aura was seeping out from beyond the bars.
Probably just my imagination.
“Hey.”
Now that I’d come this far, I suddenly realized I had no idea how to actually find my brother.
“Hey, you.”
This didn’t even feel like a place where people lived.
“…Are your ears blocked?”
Not only his actions but even his tone was rude. I wanted to flick that handsome philtrum of his as hard as possible.
“Peanut. Get out of here right now.”
That arrogant nickname was obviously directed at me.
‘Should I hit him? Assault laws probably don’t apply to ghosts anyway.’
While I was seriously considering it, Chatty Ghost lifted the wrist he was still holding.
“I don’t know where you heard about this creepy nonsense and copied it from.”
He stared at the singed strand of hair tied there before continuing.
“But I guess whoever told you forgot to warn you not to talk to the first thing that speaks to you after entering this neighborhood?”
How did he know that?
A chill ran down my spine as I looked at him.
His gaze was fixed outside.
Naturally, I followed his line of sight—and instantly froze.
Outside the glass door, in the alley across from us, someone was standing there.
The outfit looked familiar.
‘No way…?’
A little child around five years old wearing red suspenders.
The same child who had bumped into me earlier and apologized.
So I’d already broken the warning…!
“Ah, fuck.”
“So you finally talk.”
I was supposed to be careful of that kid?!
I hadn’t noticed before, but now that I looked closely, its lips were bluish-purple, and its black pupils were unnaturally huge.
The child—clearly not human—just stared at us in a horrifying silence.
The fact that it had followed me here without me noticing was terrifying.
‘If I’d unknowingly gone back home or to the dorm…?’
It would’ve followed me there too.
Goosebumps spread across my body.
Only then did I look at the male student beside me.
“Feeling like talking now? Judging by your reaction, I guess you mistook me for a ghost.”
He was right, so I had nothing to say.
Only now did I realize the hand that had felt cold and creepy earlier actually carried warmth.
“Leave right now. Burn the hair somewhere crowded. That thing followed you because it smelled the burnt scent.”
Just what exactly was this male student to know things like that?
“And move as naturally as possible. Don’t run. That way it’ll have a harder time finding you among people.”
Though expressionless, his words clearly carried concern.
I hesitated before speaking.
“But… I came here to find my younger brother.”
“Your brother?”
“He disappeared in Eden-dong, and I heard he might be here.”
“The one who told you that?”
At his gesture toward my wrist, I nodded cautiously.
“Hah. Then I guess it wasn’t completely false information.”
Muttering to himself with a frown, the male student spoke unlike any normal teenager.
After thinking for a moment, he finally said,
“Tell me your brother’s name and go. I’ll find him.”
“What?”
“It’s dangerous for you to stay here. So hurry back.”
“B-but!”
“Even if you stay, there’s nothing you can do. This place isn’t normal—”
[5th floor.]
The elevator arrival announcement suddenly echoed through the silent building.
We both turned toward the elevator simultaneously.
<1>
‘Is it broken?’
The red number still displayed 1st floor.
“No….”
I was just staring blankly with wide eyes when the male student spoke again.
His face had gone unusually pale.
“You! If you can still see the handle, open the door now! We have to get out immediately!”
No, hearing someone who clearly knew something panic just made this scarier!
I hurriedly turned toward the exit door—
But the red handle was gone without a trace.
“…I can’t see the handle anymore.”
“Damn it!”
At the same time, the male student slammed his body against the glass door.
But it didn’t budge.
The handle that had definitely existed had vanished, and even a huge guy throwing his full weight against the door couldn’t shake it.
Everything about this situation was wrong.
‘Why?’
[4th floor.]
I turned around.
The elevator display still read <1>, but one thing had changed.
The doors had opened slightly.
“…Holy shit.”
A pale hand with pitch-black fingernails was sticking out through the gap.
“H-hey, what is that? A h-hand… you see it too, right?”
I asked in horror, and the male student gritted his teeth.
“This time it felt different, so I kept watching… damn it. If I knew this would happen, I never would’ve let you inside!”
“What are you talking about?”
“You should never come in here without preparation in the first place.”
His tone sounded like he had expected something like this to happen.
‘What the hell is happening?’
[3rd floor.]
The display still pointed to 1, but the elevator doors opened wider.
Bang!
At the same time, several hands pushed through the gap from inside as though trying to force the doors open.
The pale hands had now emerged up to their forearms.
Seeing the joints bend grotesquely, I threw myself against the door alongside the male student.
“Excuse me! If anyone’s outside, please open the door!!”
At that moment, the child ghost in the alley took one step closer.
N-no. Crazy ghost kid, not you!!
“It’s useless.”
The male student stopped struggling and spoke.
For some reason, he looked resigned.
Why?
‘He definitely acts like he knows something.’
At the very least, I understood that once whatever that was came out, we’d be in danger.
That would probably happen the moment the announcement said 1st floor.
‘We can’t escape through the entrance. Then do we run upstairs?’
[2nd floor.]
I stared at the elevator.
The doors had opened even wider, yet nothing emerged except for more and more arms.
If there was one small relief, it was that the closer it got to the first floor, the slower the floor announcements became.
“Hey. Earlier you said nobody should come in here unprepared, right?”
“What?”
“What kind of preparation do you need?”
The startled male student opened and closed his mouth before answering.
“You need something that can attract attention—like making loud noises or continuously producing sound. Something to draw its focus away from us.”
“Really?”
I picked up the old four-wheeled bicycle from the corner.
“What are you trying to—?!”
First, I grabbed the male student’s wrist and bolted upstairs.
Tak-tak-tak-tak!
The sound of our footsteps racing up the stairs echoed through the silent building.
“Even if you go up, you can’t escape!”
“If all you’re going to do is complain without helping, then shut up!”
I was already dying from running as it was!
“Whatever that thing is, I can’t die before I find my brother!”
I couldn’t see what expression the male student made after hearing that.
Panting heavily, we reached the third floor.
[1st floor.]
The same announcement from downstairs could still be faintly heard even up here.
I immediately stopped and looked down through the open space between the staircases.
Something met my eyes.
Instinctively, I held my breath.
Tap.
Our footsteps had stopped, yet something else was climbing the stairs.
Thunk—
Without hesitation, I dropped the four-wheeled bicycle down the stairwell.
Crash! BANG!
The bicycle slammed against the railings, producing a tremendous noise that easily drowned out our breathing.
Tap…!
At the same time, the ascending footsteps stopped.
Yet the heavy crashing noises continued.
Bang! BOOM! Rattle-rattle-rattle…!
The sound of the bicycle’s training wheels breaking as it rolled downward.
The frame smashing into walls and railings as it tumbled toward the first floor.
CRASH!
Finally, a deafening sound rang out as the bicycle shattered upon hitting the first floor.
‘Did it work?’
I swallowed hard, my throat completely dry.
