Episode 22: The ghostbusting begins
We have our fearless four stepping inside the noraebang, where Saenu hopes to stop Soo-ah's haunting with Ji-hoon's help. If only it was that simple... and if only ghosts would stop chasing them. 😭
Kang Hyeon looked at the noraebang before them and let out a low whistle. “This looks–”
“Definitely haunted,” Yuna said.
“Very depressing,” Ha-rin said at the same time her best friend spoke.
“It’s definitely old,” Saenu said. “It looks scarier than it actually is.”
“How do you know?” Kang Hyeon said. “I hate to break it to you, but that building looks ready to collapse anytime.”
“It’s sturdy enough to hold up all these years,” Saenu said, but even he suddenly looked unsure.
The two-floor building that housed the old noraebang, which sat between a salon and a drugstore, was all peeling red paint and cracks running through the walls. The windows looked grimy, and the door stood just a tiny bit askew, giving them a glimpse of what’s inside: several shades of darkness.
“The door’s open,” Ha-rin said, the heavy-looking flashlight she had with her going from one hand to another, as if warming up for juggling. Or for hitting someone.
“That looks pretty heavy,” Saenu said.
“Tactical flashlight. Got it on sale,” Ha-rin said, grinning proudly. She held it out to him. “Wanna try? I figured it’s a good weapon to have in case something goes wrong.”
“What could go wrong?” Saenu said. “We’re meeting my friend.”
“Yeah, in this kind of place,” Ha-rin said, shoving the flashlight in his unwilling hand. “Better safe than sorry.”
“I hate to break it to you, but ghosts can’t hurt you. At least not physically,” Saenu said, his hand curling around the flashlight, testing its weight. Oh, yeah. It’s definitely a weapon.
“Oh, my sweet innocent K-pop boy,” Ha-rin said, patting his shoulder. “Your childhood wasn’t scary enough.”
“Trust me, it was scary,” Saenu said. “Have you met my sister?”
“Are you asking me to meet your family?” Ha-rin said, digging through her black bodybag with orange straps.
“What? No!” Saenu protested, feeling his face get warm. “I just mentioned my sister because she made my childhood scary. I may not believe in ghosts–well, I do now, but I’m not convinced that they can physically hurt us and–”
“Saenu?” Kang Hyeon interrupted him.
“What is it?” Saenu said.
“You’re babbling,” His friend said, smirking. Saenu turned on the flashlight and shone it on Kang Hyeon’s face. “What the hell! Get that away from me! Are you trying to blind me?”
“Ssshh!” Yuna said, looking around. “Let’s keep it down, guys. What if someone sees us?”
“Saenu started it,” Kang Hyeon said, sulking.
“Is Ji-hoon already inside?” Ha-rin asked, whipping out another tactical flashlight. She nodded at the one in Saenu’s hand. “You keep that one, just in case.”
“You actually care?” Saenu put a hand over his heart.
“Let’s just go inside before I use this flashlight on your head,” Ha-rin said, rolling her eyes. She was about to take a step forward when Kang Hyeon put out an arm in front of her. She glanced up at him in surprise.
“I saw something upstairs,” Kang Hyeon said in a whisper.
“It’s probably Ji-hoon,” Saenu said. He took out his mobile phone from his pants pocket and glanced at it. “His last message was fifteen minutes ago, saying he was on his way.”
“I’m pretty sure that’s not Ji-hoon,” Kang Hyeon said, his eyes still on the second floor, his arm still in front of Ha-rin, forgotten and will probably feel numb later.
“You haven’t even seen him,” Saenu said, laughing softly.
“It’s not him,” Kang Hyeon said firmly. “The figure I saw was a woman.”
“A ghost?” Yuna gasped. She was standing behind Ha-rin, a look of horror on her face.
“It looked solid,” Kang Hyeon said. “Ha-rin, do you feel any bad or negative energy?”
“She sees them, dummy,” Saenu said, knocking away his friend’s arm. “Not feel them.”
“No, I don’t feel anything,” Ha-rin said, her eyes going over the dilapidated noraebang. She squinted her eyes as she tried to take a closer look. “If that was a person… why is she in there in the first place?”
“It’s a ghost,” Yuna said in a whisper. “I have red beans and salt ready. Maybe I should start throwing some before we step inside.”
“Good idea,” Kang Hyeon said with a nod, and Yuna beamed at him.
Saenu tried calling Ji-hoon, but he wasn’t answering. He sent him a message, telling him that they’re going inside the place. He tucked his phone back in his pocket and looked at his companions. “He’s not picking up. Let’s go inside, anyway. Seriously, don’t worry. This place won’t collapse.”
Everyone started following Saenu, who was able to easily step inside the dark and musty noraebang, thanks to the partially opened door. Something about the door being wedged open when they arrived tickled his brain, but maybe it had always been open? The building was old, and something like that probably happened all the time.
“Ji-hoon?” Saenu called out, his voice seeming to boomerang across the hallway before them. He looked around the place, and nostalgia filled him. It looked exactly the same, minus the dust and darkness. He shone his flashlight on the reception table that greeted them, and his heart did a little jump as he expected something to leap out at them. Nothing did, of course. He did a quick sweep of the entrance. Nothing seemed out of place.
Just then, a loud chanting coupled with other cacophonous sounds filled the entire space. He let out a surprised yelp and was taken aback to see Yuna holding up her mobile phone while Kang Hyeon frantically threw salt and red beans all over the place.
“WHAT are you guys doing?” Saenu said, his eyes wide, his heart still hammering against his chest.
“We’re taking precautions,” Kang Hyeon said, looking serious for the first time in a long time.
“Don’t laugh,” Ha-rin said, the mischievous glimmer in her eyes making him chuckle. “They’re serious. They actually planned all the anti-ghost stuff.”
“Speaking of!” Yuna said, handing her phone to Ha-rin and searching her backpack for something. “Hold on. You two should put these in your clothes pockets.” She fished out two bujeok and handed them one of each. “Please, please don’t lose them. It’s meant for protection.”
Saenu started to laugh, but then stopped himself when he saw the look on Kang Hyeon’s face. “I’m sorry, Yuna. I know you guys mean well and–”
“Don’t you dare laugh!” Kang Hyeok said. “Yuna and I spent time and energy making sure we’re all protected and safe, especially since we don’t know what we’re dealing with.”
“Fair enough,” Saenu said, holding up both hands in a gesture of surrender.
“It’s okay,” Yuna said, smiling brightly. “No harm meant, no harm done.”
“You better stop making fun of us,” Kang Hyeok said, shining his mobile phone’s flashlight directly on Saenu’s face. He waved his phone crazily from side to side. “We’re here to help. Got that?”
“Stop doing that! It hurts my eyes, and it’s making me dizzy.” Saenu complained. “And will you turn off that sound? It’s horrible!”
“Good,” Kang Hyeon said. He turned off the recording and nodded at the hallway before them, where doors leading to karaoke rooms stood on one side, as if sentinels on duty. “Now, shall we continue our quest?”
“You are having way too much fun with this,” Saenu said, shaking his head.
“Why are you in such a good mood?” Ha-rin whispered to Yuna. “I thought you were going to rip Saenu apart after laughing at you.”
“Ha-rin, my little Cupid, who am I to complain right now?” Yuna said. “It was time well spent with Kang Hyeon. I still can’t believe this! Someone pinch me.”
“You’re crazy,” Ha-rin said, laughing softly.
“Hey, ow!” Yuna said. “You didn’t have to pinch me so hard! That’s going to leave a mark.”
“Who, me?” Ha-rin said, confused at her friend glaring at her.
“You’re the only one standing beside me,” Yuna said, rubbing her side. “Ha-rin, that really hurt.”
“Yuna, I didn’t do anything,” Ha-rin said, horror dawning at her.
“You didn’t pinch me?” Yuna said, her voice coming out shaky.
“I didn’t do anything,” Ha-rin said, gulping. They locked eyes and let out a scream in unison.
Behind them, something crashed. Ha-rin glanced in the direction of where the sound came from and was terrified to see the chairs, which sat lined up horizontally near the reception table when they entered, in disarray. One of them was now in the middle of the room, turned to them, as if taunting them. The other chairs were scattered behind it, as if someone – or something – had angrily swept them away.
Yuna kept screaming and then started throwing salt and red beans at the chairs.