Chapter 6
“Then let’s do it.”
“…Thank you.”
“But! Don’t say things like that.”
“Huh?”
“Sorry, thank you… You don’t have to say it. I’ll already know.”
Unless she was lying about being caught up in such a bizarre situation, her shrinking back as if she were a sinner made him uncomfortable.
“Alright, tha—no, okay. I won’t.”
Thud!
This time, a plastic vase that had been sitting on the table fell to the floor.
In a house with not even a hint of wind, watching an object suddenly fall right in front of him, Suhyeok’s eyes gleamed.
Could it be that a ghost was really here with them?!
His hair stood on end, goosebumps spread down his spine…
This is so thrilling!
The thought that he might finally get to experience a ghost made his blood boil with excitement.
“You were surprised, right? It’s not usually this bad…”
Gathering up the fallen items that seemed to have moved on their own thanks to the ghost’s mischief, Seol-ah looked embarrassed.
“It just means the guest isn’t welcome.”
Saying it as if it were nothing, Suhyeok instead had a glint in his eye, the corners of his lips tugging upward in a smile.
She had figured from his piercing gaze that he wasn’t ordinary, but this man—he was strong.
“Could you sit here for a moment? Not on the sofa, on the bed.”
Holding her phone, Seol-ah dialed somewhere and added,
“Absolutely do not leave the bed!”
Around the bed, talismans and strange red characters were arranged in a circle like a barrier.
So this means ghosts can’t cause harm inside the bed, huh?
Though he snorted at the idea, Suhyeok still inspected the talismans plastered on the bedframe with interest.
“Hello? It’s Seol-ah. Partner, what should we do now?”
“Partner?”
Noticing Suhyeok’s curiosity, Seol-ah pulled the phone slightly away and answered,
“Spiritual partner…”
“You mean, a shaman?”
Seol-ah nodded awkwardly.
“Spiritual…”
He tried not to laugh, but a chuckle slipped out. Suhyeok still seemed calm—
That is, until he heard the absurd condition that immediately wiped the smile off his face.
“So we have to follow the shaman’s instructions. Does that mean she’ll be watching and listening to everything we do?”
The condition was that a video call with Shaman Cindy would be kept open in the room.
“Well, it’s because we can’t see the ghost ourselves…”
They had to keep track of the ghost’s movements in real time, to make sure it didn’t charge at them or that the plan was working.
In short, they couldn’t just do as they pleased—they had to follow the shaman’s orders over the phone.
“What is this? Am I the king, and that shaman is the royal court lady directing us in bed?”
Suhyeok rubbed his forehead with his long fingers, clearly dissatisfied.
“So basically there’ll be two spectators—the ghost and the shaman. Why not just livestream it worldwide while we’re at it?”
Suhyeok, who hadn’t been fazed by the ghost at all, was shaken by this unprecedented interference.
“She can’t see us! Look. It only shows the far side of the bed.”
Seol-ah showed him the camera angle with an awkward excuse, but she fully understood his feelings.
After all, until recently, she had been someone who thought she’d rather die than go through with this.
“Hah… This feels like some perverted play. How could anyone do this while being watched…”
Just then, the shaman, who had been silently listening to their exchange, shouted through the phone.
—The ghost is already watching you!
“That’s not the same, it doesn’t have a real—”
—I’m just a voice, too!
“…Hmm.”
—And what about me? Do you even consider my position? When I see couples making out on escalators or pawing at each other like cockroaches in a café right next to me, do you think I enjoy it? You think I’m watching because I like it?! I’m not a pervert, I’m protecting you! I put a barrier on the bed, but what if the ghost leaps over and harms him? What if I have to carry out a funeral tomorrow?! I’m doing this for your safety!
“……”
Cindy’s heartfelt roar silenced the room.
“I understand. If you don’t want to, you can leave. I’m sorry for dragging you into—”
Before Seol-ah could finish, Suhyeok cut in.
“Then should we start right now?”
The ticking of the clock as midnight approached matched the pounding of Seol-ah’s heart.
They say people are scarier than ghosts… Am I really going to do this?
Of course not.
If she thought about it rationally, this was ridiculous.
She barely knew this man—his information was practically zero!
Which was scarier: this stranger she only knew by face, or the ghost?
Obviously the ghost!
What could be worse than being tormented by a ghost until she wasted away and died before her time?
Still, she couldn’t completely hide her tension.
“And also…”
Suhyeok got up from the bed, pulled something from his coat pocket, and handed it to her.
“Your ID card will do for now. Keep this with you.”
Seol-ah took his resident registration card.
“Han Suhyeok…”
He was four years older than her, and his photo—looking neat and tidy—seemed recent, almost identical to how he looked now.
“I thought you might feel uneasy. This won’t make you feel safe, but maybe, just a little.”
Not just a little—she felt much more at ease.
Whether it was sympathy, curiosity, desire, or something else, the fact that he agreed to this absurd request was something she was grateful for.
“And…”
Taking her phone, Suhyeok entered his number and handed it back.
“I don’t have a business card yet.”
He didn’t look like someone with a normal office job. With his sharp looks and physical build, maybe a model?
Or perhaps one of those streamers who danced sexily and begged for likes and subscriptions… Or someone who worked in a pickup bar? Ugh, what did it matter.
No need to dig into his background.
“Shall we begin now?”
“Huh? Oh, yes…”
It wasn’t as if this was a race where someone shouted “Ready, go!”—but as she remembered exactly what she was about to do with this man, her mind snapped back into focus.
Now wasn’t the time to be moved by his kindness or lulled into comfort.
Seol-ah placed the phone, still connected to the shaman, on the bedside table.
She adjusted the camera angle so that the bed wouldn’t be seen, her fingers trembling slightly.
When Suhyeok accepted the wireless earbud she offered, her trembling carried into his fingertips.
Looking down at the earbud in his hand, Suhyeok felt reluctant again.
But he quietly pushed it into his ear.
—From now on, listen carefully and do exactly as I say. If you mess up, you’ll get hit!
Shaman Cindy’s instructions began in his ear.
Even when she warned that the ghost could jump past the talisman barrier to harm him, Suhyeok’s face didn’t change.
—Alright, first, get onto the bed.
At the shaman’s words, Seol-ah quickly hopped up onto the bed and sat down.
Then, worried he might change his mind, she patted the spot beside her with shining eyes.
“Come on.”
Suhyeok gave her a look, as if to say he couldn’t sit until she stopped patting the spot. She obediently withdrew her hand.
—The bride lies down first, then the groom…
Trying to act calm though she was tense, Seol-ah slowly lay down.
—The ghost’s in the corner. It’s quiet for now, so don’t be scared. Stay calm.
Suhyeok looked around the corners of the room, trying to see where the ghost was, but of course only the shaman could see it.
—Groom, lights off.
As Suhyeok switched off the bedside lamp, Seol-ah’s heart pounded wildly.
Darkness swallowed the room. She squeezed her eyes shut, as if to escape into even deeper darkness.
It’s nothing. It’s no big deal. Just pretend he’s my boyfriend. My husband. That’s all…!
Then, as the blanket lifted and Suhyeok slipped in, she felt the warmth of his bare skin.
Wait… he was wearing a shirt just now—when did he take it off…?
