In Hajun’s experience, people split into two camps when they heard someone could see ghosts.
“Wait… so when you stared off into space or muttered to yourself… was that…?” Fear.
“Come on, ghosts aren’t real. Stop pulling my leg.” Denial.
Hajun rolled his eyes at the contrasting reactions from the two guys who shared the same name. Believe it or not, each person made their own choice. Seeing how calm Hajun looked, Ryu Cheongwoo wondered for a second if Hajun had just shared the lunch menu.
Why bring that up while we’re driving to the shoot…?
As the members sat stunned or pale, Seon Ahyun spoke up with caution, his face pale.
“U-Um… seeing g-ghosts… is there any chance… it’s a h-hallucination…?”
“Huh? No, they’re real ghosts,” Hajun answered with a light shake of his head.
This reaction was far from rare either. Meeting Hajun’s gaze, Seon Ahyun flinched and ducked his head.
“I-I’m sorry. That was rude of me…”
What’s up with him?
Noticing Ahyun stammering more than usual, Hajun raised an eyebrow and guessed what went on inside his head. Ahyun seemed sensitive about anything related to mental illness. Having trauma from past bullying made that made sense.
“I’m not mad. But it’s no hallucination. My mother—my birth mother, I mean—saw them with me a few times.”
“…”
“Pardon?”
“Did I mention my mother was a shaman?”
He had not.
Park Moondae wiped his face with both hands in silence, taking a deep breath. Meanwhile, Hajun shared a bit more about his messy family history. It was a good thing his microphone was turned off.
Before long, the van stopped at their destination. Hajun was the first to hop out. The others took their time following, doing their best to digest the news Hajun had just dropped on them.
While Ryu Cheongwoo went to explain to the crew that a minor issue inside the car had forced them to turn off their cameras and microphones for a moment, Keun Sejin slid over to Park Moondae and tapped his shoulder.
“Do you think what he said is true?”
“Who knows.”
“Truth be told, I can’t wrap my head around what just happened. Ghosts, shamans… my head is spinning.”
Keun Sejin whined about how he felt ten years older after that car ride. Moondae told him to turn his microphone back on. When Moondae reached out for his own mic, Keun Sejin stopped him.
“Look, speaking from reason, it makes no sense, right? I don’t buy stuff like that.”
“What are you getting at?”
“The weird thing is, I kind of believe him.”
“…”
“And I bet you do too. Right? Man… are we all under some spell? Is that guy a ghost himself?”
“If you’re going to talk nonsense, I’m heading ahead.”
What a terrible thought.
“Hey, wait for me!” Keun Sejin called out, jogging after Moondae as Moondae took long strides toward the venue.
Once Ryu Cheongwoo finished clearing things up with the production team, their extreme experience began in earnest.
They say you beat heat with heat, or one big shock makes you forget another.
“AAAAHHH!!”
“AAAAAAHHHH!!”
“Is it too late to forfeit?!”
Riding the small propeller plane for their first extreme activity—skydiving—the members had zero room in their minds to remember Hajun’s story from the car. They were far too busy screaming their lungs out.
Hajun covered his ears, pressing down the urge to tell everyone next to Ryu Cheongwoo to shut their mouths.
“Is this everyone’s first time on a small plane? My eardrums are going to pop.”
“Well, most people don’t get the chance to ride one, right?”
Ryu Cheongwoo gave a kind answer to Damon’s moody complaint, offering a awkward smile as he checked on him. Noticing his gaze, Hajun cocked an eyebrow.
“What?”
“Do other people know about it? Aside from your mother.”
“Well, maybe Alex and Katy? Plenty of people must know, but they treat it like a fake rumor anyway.”
“I see.”
“Why ask?”
With the noise of the engine and the non-stop screams around them, talking was tough. Cheongwoo leaned in closer. Hajun had sharper hearing than normal people, so catching his words was not hard, but he still tilted his ear to spare Cheongwoo the strain.
“Carrying a secret alone is tough. I’m glad you have people who know and trust you.”
“…”
Hajun lost his words for a second, looking straight into Cheongwoo’s steady eyes.
What a scary guy.
Frowning, Hajun spoke up.
“Damn it, you’re such a good guy.”
“Huh…? Thanks.”
After blurting out words that sounded like a mix between an insult and a compliment, Hajun raised his hand when asked who wanted to jump next. He had tried to jump solo without an instructor, but everyone stopped him, so he had to jump strapped to an instructor’s harness.
Feeling the cool wind slap his face, Hajun chewed on Cheongwoo’s words.
What a pure-hearted guy.
Sometimes, that kind of healthy goodness made Hajun feel suffocated, yet amazed at the same time. It was an emotion hard to put into exact words, but floating in the open sky made him feel good regardless.
So Hajun made a silent promise: if the chance ever came, he would tell Cheongwoo first about the repeated time loops and the curse.
Someday… yes, after he got rid of that weird curse. When he was certain he would never, ever forget the things they shared.
He would tell him then for sure—the stories even Alex and Katy had forgotten.
If you dare forget again, I’ll become a US Olympic archer and snatch every gold medal from you.
With that wicked vow in mind, Hajun let out a pleasant smile.
TeSTAR had no clue what kind of evil plan Hajun was brewing in his head. But the moment the producer announced their second extreme challenge, all heads snapped toward Hajun at once.
“What?”
“A haunted house…? Going into a haunted house with Hajun…?”
Was entering a haunted house with someone who saw real ghosts a bonus or a curse for regular people? Keun Sejin pondered the question with deep focus.
“Please split into groups of three, three, and two!”
“Who wants to take Hajun? He’s scarier than a ghost… so maybe taking him means we won’t feel scared?”
“Wait, doesn’t that mean that team gets the absolute scariest experience of all…?”
Instead of forming teams, the members treated Hajun like a hot potato they kept tossing around. The producer urged them to hurry.
Seeing Hajun grab Ryu Cheongwoo’s sleeve, Keun Sejin raised a hand in protest.
“Hold on, no way! Cheongwoo has a heart of steel, so he should go on his own for maximum entertainment! You don’t get scared either, Hajun, so pairing you two up ruins the balance.”
“Didn’t you just say I was the scariest?”
“Hey, I was just joking~”
“Then I’m going with you.”
“Gah!”
Wait a second! Keun Sejin tried to protest, but Hajun cut him down, telling him to take responsibility for his own words.
The members watched in suspense as the hot potato chose his own partners. After weighing his options between Park Moondae and Bae Sejin, Hajun picked Park Moondae.
The color drained from Moondae’s face, while Bae Sejin’s face lit up as he dashed over to stand beside Cheongwoo.
“Why me…?”
“Let’s move!”
“…”
Hajun grabbed both of them by the arms and dragged them forward with strong steps. Soon after, he regretted his choice.
Picking Moondae to ease the awkward tension between Bae Sejin and Keun Sejin had seemed like a smart move, but Keun Sejin turned out to be a massive problem.
“AAAAAAHHHHH!! MY EARS!!”
“Shut up!”
“Blood! Look at that blood!!”
“It’s fake blood!!”
Keun Sejin screamed loud enough to shatter glass. Failing to take it any longer, Hajun snapped back at him. Moondae stood squeezed between the two yelling guys, taking a quiet moment to reflect on his miserable life choices.
Forget the ghosts—he just wanted to find the target item, finish the task, and get out before his ears started bleeding.
“Hey, if we step through that door… wait!”
Moondae stopped in his tracks, catching sight of something inside the room. Keun Sejin, who had been whimpering after getting chewed out by Hajun, poked his head out.
“Moondae, what’s wrong—AAAAAAHHHH!!”
“—!!”
“Hey!! Where are you going?!”
Hajun let out a dumbfounded laugh as both of them bolted in the wrong direction.
Walking over to inspect the armless, legless mannequin covered in fake blood, Hajun turned it around without a trace of fear and shoved it aside. Spotting a letter on the desk inside the room—which seemed to be the target item—he took a photo and walked out without lingering.
Where did those two run off to?
He considered using his powers for a second, but decided against it. A loud scream echoed from one direction, giving away their spot right away.
Following the noise, Hajun found Keun Sejin screaming at the top of his lungs next to Moondae, whose soul seemed to have left his body . Hajun stepped up and patted Keun Sejin’s shoulder.
“AAAAAHHH!!”
“It’s me.”
“AAAAAAAHHHH!!”
“Why are you more scared of me than the mannequin?”
Hajun showed them the photo with an annoyed look. Keun Sejin whined, begging Hajun to make some noise when he walked. Then he pulled out his phone to show a photo of his own, proving he was not a total coward.
As for Park Moondae…
“He lost his mind.”
“Uh… the staff chased us earlier, so I guess he panicked while we ran. We got two photos, so let’s head out fast! Come on, Moondae.”
“…”
Hajun glanced at Moondae, who followed along with a blank gaze, and whispered in a low voice into his ear.
“Hey, don’t freeze up. There are no ghosts here.”
“…”
Why is he glaring at me like he wants to curse my ancestors?
Seeing the fierce glare Moondae failed to hide, Hajun shrugged. See if I try to be nice to you again.
Not knowing that Moondae thought Hajun was mocking him, Hajun sought out Ryu Cheongwoo the moment they stepped out of the haunted house.
“Oh, you guys made it? You took longer than expected. Ahyun and Eugene just went in. How was it inside? Did you find clues?”
“Those two are way too loud and timid. I’m never walking with them again. Next time, I’m going with you. Except for you and Sunny, everyone here is a complete coward. And there are zero ghosts in there. Why does Moony—no, Chicken—glare at me whenever I say there are no ghosts? I don’t get him at all. Next time, I’m going to tell him the place is crawling with them!”
“Haha, alright. Let’s go together next time.”
Ryu Cheongwoo let out a gentle laugh, soothing Hajun as he poured out his complaints without answering the actual question.
Hajun’s improved mood lasted all the way until dinner was served: a whole roasted suckling pig.
I hate meat.
New Terms
- 무당 – Mudang (Korean shaman)
- 스카이다이빙 – Skydiving
- 귀신의 집 – Haunted house
- 통구이 – Whole roast pig / Roasted suckling pig
- 치킨 – Chicken (Slang for coward, Hajun’s temporary nickname for Moondae)
