Chapter Text
He was sweating profusely, biting the inside of his cheek as he nervously looked around the stage, though he couldn’t see much because of the three walls around him.
Kim Soleum wasn’t sure how he was supposed to answer the question that was coming up. What could his answer even be? He didn’t want to stand out, be chosen, and be awarded another point that would lead him to be a winner.
However, he also didn’t want to say something outlandish that would cause his companions to realize that he, indeed, was not of this world.
Most societal norms had been accepted. At times, Kim Soleum wondered if there'd be something that'd trip him up. He had spent one too many nights ensuring himself that chickens and other common animals existed in this world as he remembered them from his own.
His lips rolled in as he thought hard about his answer. Kim Soleum needed to be an average man. The crux was: what was 'average' in the eyes of a lizard?
He could hear a voice speaking—not the host of the game show, but one of the competitors. It made him tap his fingers across his thigh. He couldn’t think of a single good thing!
What kind of person was he, to be at a loss so early in the game? He was going to lose epically. He wouldn’t even be able to end his career on a high note.
Sure, he knew that winning was basically like willingly stepping through a door to one’s demise, but he was a bit of a sore loser. He had a competitive streak, which he blamed on Eun Haje and her need to annoy him with dumb bets during missions.
Biting his lip hard, he tried to refocus through the pain. Why was he thinking about D-squad now, of all times? He couldn’t afford to think about people who would be just fine.
Well. They were alive, and that’s what mattered.
He lifted his hand, his fingers twitching from an itch that racked up his arm. He wanted to press down on the small buzzer he gripped in his hand, but this wasn’t a timed-answer round.
They were all going one at a time. So what, yeah? Kim Soleum would be fine. He was going last this round, so he could breathe a little easier. It would all be okay.
Of course, as soon as he thought that, a new voice rang through the chambers.
Kim Soleum looked up to the ceiling, a melting white mass that was marbled with reds. Some of it even looked to be pink, which was a little pretty when he ignored that the red liquid was likely blood. A sunset, he thought, instead of a murder.
He was screwed. Kim Soleum had no way out of this. He knew that his old boss, Chief Lee Jaheon, was a good soul, but to see it all play out again…
It was annoying, unnerving in the worst of ways. Chief Lee always put others before himself. Kim Soleum wondered if that was a collective side effect from his species, since they all shared no matter what they wanted.
‘It’s fine,’ he whispered to himself.
He would pass this round, Lee Jaheon would pick someone with the better answer, and then after a few more questions, he would be free to go home. As if.
Kim Soleum never got the chance to have a good night’s rest. He didn’t deserve a break. Since he hadn’t made it home, he tended to focus on how to get more points for the Employee Shop at Baekilmong.
Even now, he was still on assignment, though not many people knew that. Undercover work and all, Kim Soleum could only tell a select few what was going on in his life, and even then, he never spoke about his background. Or rather, his lack of one.
Baekilmong didn't care that Kim Soleum didn't exist until orientation. They might have even been happy that they didn't have to worry about him going missing and coming up with an explanation to his family.
Sucking in a breath, he steeled his resolve.
He would not die here. He would hopefully figure out how to get Lee Jaheon out of this with his life as well. D-squad might be in shambles, but Kim Soleum could protect the last member of its team.
On cue, there was an audience thrum of laughter and applause because of the answer before him.
Kim Soleum looked up from his booth to see a few familiar faces sitting in that audience. They were all forced to react physically, clapping and laughing when the boards told them so, but the rest of their actions were up to them.
Agent Bronze and Agent Choi sat front and center, hands slapping together mechanically.
Agent Choi had a wry grin on as he forcibly laughed and shot looks of concern at Kim Soleum. Agent Bronze was no better. His blue eyes were focused solely on Kim Soleum, troubled and dark, swirling with the need to protect his hubae even at this moment.
Lee Seonghae was also there, sitting next to Agent Bronze. They had tried to make small talk a couple of times. They were quickly hushed—their mouths temporarily being closed shut as if their lips never existed in the first place—before they stopped trying to speak and figure out a way to help the competitors.
She wasn’t focused on Kim Soleum, but she also didn’t ignore him. When their gazes first met, there was a spark of relief in those green jewels, but it faded into confusion as time went on.
At least Lee Seonghae wasn’t making it too apparent that she could easily kill the civil servants if she so wished. In fact, last round, she winked at Kim Soleum before his turn.
Kim Soleum appreciated the sentiment from his co-workers, past and present. It was nice to see those kind faces when he could be moments away from his doom
What he didn’t appreciate was Braun sitting in the audience.
The host looked chipper as can be. He sat two rows back and three seats over from Agent Bronze. He was tall, the largest Darkness entity amongst the crowd. His television face showed a smiling emoji, and his gloved hands clapped together with enthusiasm that was completely and utterly his own.
It irked Kim Soleum. It pissed him off. He had the need to call Braun a motherfucker.
He kept his face plain whenever he spotted Braun in the audience, keeping his smooth facade together. There was only so much stress that could pile up before his acting toppled, revealing his true terrified face as his life hung in the balance.
It was his turn, now that the other two competitors had done the deed. The dating show host strode across the stage, stopping just to the side of Kim Soleum’s seated figure. The host’s hooves were loud, every step piercing Kim Soleum’s soul.
[It is now up to Competitor #3 to tell us his answer. What does the best first date look like?]
That expectant look, along with the host’s twisted smile, caused Kim Soleum’s stomach to churn. He wasn’t meant to be on camera. And he really wasn’t meant to answer questions about relationships.
The answer to this question was a tricky thing, not only because Kim Soleum did not often go on dates, but because going on a date tended to involve food in some way.
If he was being realistic, Kim Soleum would try to do everything in his power not to go on a date with Lee Jaheon that involved dining together.
Kim Soleum would stare too much, you understand?
He could barely make it through D-squad dinners as a rookie as they ate BBQ. Kim Soleum wasn’t sure what else alien lizards from outer space ate, but since he could only see Lee Jaheon’s true face, he wasn’t too keen to find out his other dietary needs.
It was hard not to stare as a lizard ate Korean barbecue. How could he handle other things? The idea of witnessing Lee Jaheon sip a smoothie or try to slurp up noodles was both frightening and intriguing.
He needed to pick something simple—a date that involved little food… or at least a place where it would be harder to be caught staring.
So there was that conundrum involved. What was he to do about it? Well, Kim Soleum remembered the answers that the other two eligible contestants said.
His competitors provided two opposites:
Jin Nasol was short and prompt, not giving much information at all except for that it would be a cookie-cutter-like date that felt as scripted as the dating show host’s replies, while Ho Yuwon gave something that sounded so garish and romantic that it made Kim Soleum faintly wonder if the director was currently in a messy relationship, or perhaps even trying to make his way onto the dating scene.
He needed to choose something simple that held meaning. He couldn’t be like Jin Nasol, too cut off from emotions, and he also couldn’t be like Ho Yuwon, who was clearly working through something rather odd and emotional.
“I would take Chief Lee to the cinema,” revealed Kim Soleum, his voice a little frantic as he thought about how to make his clause sound compelling.
He didn’t truly want to be in this situation. He never expected to be part of a Dating Game show, let alone one that took place in a ghost story.
It all started when Kim Soleum received a text message from an unknown number.
It had been a slow-going day in Hyeonmu-1’s office. They were all catching up on paperwork, finding solace in the easy shuffle of papers compared to the more recent stints when dispatched to Disasters.
It would take him all of 2 minutes to determine that the text came from either Eun Haje or Park Minseong. No one else would message Kim Soleum, who was supposed to be dead, about the D-squad Section Chief.
[Chief Lizard needs your help. You’re the only one who can get him out alive.]
Kim Soleum knew that this was not from Baek Saheon, since the man was ignoring him in every possible way aside from asking about a mysterious Agent Grapes, which Kim Soleum deftly ignored.
It also wasn’t Go Yeongeun who sent the message, though she was one of the few people who knew his new number. She was busy with her own undercover assignment at the bureau. She wasn’t close with Lee Jaheon, nor was she going to risk her Wish Potion to help him out. Same with Jang Heoun.
It could be Park Minseong, but that was stretching it a little. Park Minseong was busy with his current duties and trying not to be so… contaminated. It was a work-in-progress, one that would likely take the rest of his natural life.
Kim Soleum figured that since Park Minseong was incapable of having free time to worry about anyone outside of himself, there was only one person that it could be.
Eun Haje had reached out to him.
Really, Kim Soleum was glad. He missed her like one missed a childhood friend. Every time he saw Agent Choi take out a pack of cigarettes, he was reminded of Eun Haje’s tired, long exhale as she looked up at him, took the cig from her mouth, and offered, “Want to try, Roe?”
The smoky haze was nostalgic, giving reaffirmation that he had to find his way home. Eun Haje would want that for him. Kim Soleum used to smile bitterly, and Agent Choi would see it, and glance away, putting out his cigarette soon after with a feeble excuse leaving his lips.
The situation must have been bad, if Eun Haje sent him the message. It was a no-brainer that he would go help Lee Jaheon. He would help the person who had saved his life countless times.
The problem was that he was at work and it’d be hard to sneak away.
Kim Soleum took an early lunch, citing that he wanted to try a new place. It could have been true, too. He liked the food in this world, and after leaving Baekilmong, he might not have money to spare, but he enjoyed eating out with others.
This time, he was pretending that he had the extra funds to go somewhere extravagant.
It was a bad ploy. Kim Soleum made it down a block from the bureau, and before he could call a taxi, he was met with the familiar presence of Agent Choi and Agent Bronze. They looked at him in curiosity, not demanding answers.
They knew him better than he would have liked. Kim Soleum tried to be cut off from the world, and all interpersonal relationships, but he was still noticed. People still cared for him, or at least, the version of himself that he pretended to be.
Troublesome, was the first word that came to mind.
He ignored the part of him that was struck by the actions of his co-workers. He was being looked after enough that his seonbaes wanted to check on him because of his odd behavior. It nearly caused tears to prickle his eyes.
He bulldozed through it, as he was a professional. Kim Soleum nodded his head to his seonbaes, and continued to flag down a taxi.
"Grapes-ah," Agent Choi said, dragging him away from the tip of the sidewalk. "We'll drive you to where you need to go."
Kim Soleum didn't trust it. Why would he? Baekilmong and the bureau despised each other. They were differing factions, so it made sense. Kim Soleum understood that they wouldn't work together seamlessly, even if the world was ending.
But he wanted to trust in Agent Choi, so with a tremble ringing throughout his entire body, he said, "Do you promise not to cause a scene?"
Two pairs of blue eyes blinked at him in confusion and shock. It was Agent Bronze who connected it together first. Agent Choi was slower, his brow furrowed as he mumbled the words Kim Soleum spoke.
"This is about—" Agent Bronze cut himself off for a moment, nervously glancing at Agent Choi, "—your old job?"
Kim Soleum swallowed dryly. He scanned both his team members, determining if it was worth the risk. He hated how logic was winning over his heart. He knew that it'd be better to have more experienced agents help him with whatever Eun Haje warned him about.
In the end, Kim Soleum was a rookie.
He might have read the wiki and managed to survive for this long, but he was still new to certain rules of this world. He wasn't experienced like Agent Bronze or Lee Jaheon, who had been doing this for longer than Kim Soleum wanted to stay in this world for.
Lee Jaheon's odds of survival went up if Kim Soleum had good agents with him. He would have to admit to what was happening. Was he going to say goodbye to his undercover gig? Maybe. Maybe not. It depended on how carefully he proceeded from here on out.
"I've been contacted by one of my old supervisors," he admitted, deciding not to lie. "Our old chief is in trouble. I… I won't let him die."
The ride to Baekilmong was awkward as silence and tension filled the vehicle. Agent Bronze drove, citing that Agent Choi was currently indisposed. Kim Soleum wondered if it was because of the anger Agent Choi felt toward him for being a past employee of a company he thought of as a cult.
Kim Soleum tried to ignore the persistent need to clear up the situation. He didn't like working for Baekilmong; he did it because he had to. However, he knew that speaking more about it would only cause more weird feelings, so he sat perfectly still, not letting himself get caught up in tapping his foot anxiously on the floor.
The building, which he had avoided for the past few months, looked the same as it always did. Baekilmong was large and garish, roaring its prestige with its shiny exterior and endless floors.
Kim Soleum had the urge to rub his eyes. He was seeing things, hallucinating an impossibility. A man who might as well have been a speed bump in the road.
There was someone standing outside the entrance of the building with a sparkling smile. He looked presentable, suit and all, his image the same as ever. A lump formed in Kim Soleum's throat from the sight.
Director Ho was there. He waved as the car passed by before parking on the street. Kim Soleum felt faint, nausea clawing up his spine, piercing through his stomach until he felt rotted from the inside out.
Agent Choi took the lead as they piled out of the vehicle. He was on high alert, his shoulders ram-rod straight. He had Agent Bronze stand behind Kim Soleum so that the ex-Baekilmong employee was sandwiched between them. It was a nice thought, but Ho Yuwon had more power than he let on.
The agent must have recognized Ho Yuwon, or at least sensed his presence as particularly putrid, because he only turned more cautious and slow as they stepped closer to the doors that Ho Yuwon was waiting in front of.
"Roe Deer-nim has brought others with him," Director Ho observed, sounding pleased rather than angry.
The man seemed too knowing. It wasn't like it was a common practice for Ho Yuwon to wait outside Baekilmong on random days. The sky shone above them, and Ho Yuwon had a detailed skincare routine, if Kim Soleum had to guess.
"You know that Eun Haje messaged me," concluded Kim Soleum.
Ho Yuwon merely bowed his head, a semblance of a nod. "I have all agents under watch. I wouldn't let them screw anything up. Roe Deer would not have received that message unless I approved of it."
He was admitting something large, but not scandalous. Ho Yuwon was simply saying that Lee Jaheon was being put into a situation that would endanger his life.
Agent Bronze stiffened next to Kim Soleum. He had stepped forward so they were on even ground. Their shoulders brushing sent reassurance through Kim Soleum's veins. He was not alone against Director Ho; he had backup in two people he trusted as much as he trusted anyone in this world.
"You're going to put my chief in the line of fire," Kim Soleum said. "You know the statistics are bad, terrible, even. You know that his death is likely if you would allow Eun Haje to message me for help."
"Roe Deer-nim has defied many odds," came Ho Yuwon's soothing voice. "He will continue to do so. I'd like not to waste talent, but you have a knack for finding loopholes and high possibilities for more."
As if talking to himself, Director Ho continued, "Roe Deer-nim particularly works very hard to keep those closest to him safe."
As if on cue, Lee Jaheon walked out of the doors from Baekilmong. White scales, ruby colored eyes, and enough muscles to make anyone quake in their boots, including ghost stories that were weak-willed.
Kim Soleum's breath hitched in his throat. He looked at his team leader, wanting to know if he was exhausted or particularly emotional. The lizard face that Kim Soleum saw blocked out a lot of signifying communication.
Lee Jaheon looked at the people in front of him, licked at his eyes, and then ensured the door closed behind him. Kim Soleum missed him dearly.
"Did you agree to enter the Darkness?" asked Kim Soleum, wanting to become aware of the facts.
Lee Jaheon didn't look at anyone else. He focused his red eyes the best he could on Kim Soleum, and said, "Yes."
"You know that death is likely, too?" checked Kim Soleum.
"Death is our livelihood."
Kim Soleum made a face at that. He disliked it when it was put that way. None of them wanted people to die. It was a side effect of how ghost stories were constructed, that's all. At least there were some people who tried to stop the worst things from happening.
"You've read the manual," Kim Soleum accused after assessing his old boss.
He knew many things about Lee Jaheon, though he was discovering new facts every other week when he worked on D-squad. Lee Jaheon was very normal about many things, but entering a Darkness with people who he trusted set him ill at ease. This Darkness was known, if only a little.
Lee Jaheon shook his head a single time, and then procured the pamphlet from his suit.
Agent Choi made a strange noise as Lee Jaheon had to shift around his jacket to reveal his shirt, picking out the manual from the inside pocket. It was chilly out; it was only natural to wear a jacket when not inside. Kim Soleum didn't know why Agent Choi acted like it was unusual.
"May I see it?" asked Kim Soleum.
Without any argument, Lee Jaheon handed Kim Soleum the manual. He flipped through it, his stomach churning in knots the entire time. His hands minutely shook as he turned back to the first page where the summary of the Darkness was.
The Darkness Manual was strange, if Kim Soleum was being totally honest. After Lee Jaheon handed it to him, Kim Soleum thought that he was misreading something. Why else would there be nonsense in front of him?
-
LOVE TO DEATH
Baekilmong identification code – Qterw-C-1907
Have you ever received a phone call from an unknown number? Was there heavy breathing over the line, too, but nothing else? Well, you have just gotten your chance to enter a contest that no one truly wants to win! If you call back, you have a 1 in 5,000 chance of becoming the newest guest of Another Dating Game!
You, along with those around you and 3 special guests that could capture your heart, will be transported to the Darkness. Undergoing a series of questions and answers, the host will eventually have you decide a winner. You and your partner will then sail off into the sunset…!
Or not! No winning pair is ever seen afterward… Just know that you’ve done your duty and served Baekilmong well. Other field agents will bring back the Dream Essence in your stead.
-
Was it Kwak Jekang who put it together—and was he inebriated at the time? This was such a strangely worded warning. Was the writing style an attempt to make impending death sound less intimidating?
As Kim Soleum thought it over, he concluded that Kwak Jekang was messing with Lee Jaheon. The immovable lizard would not be brought down by such a strange summary of the Darkness, but Kwak Jekang liked to see how people ticked. This was just another test, that bastard.
Kim Soleum glanced up to Lee Jaheon, asking bluntly, "Is this thorough?"
Truly, he was asking, 'is this bullshit or not, chief?'
Lee Jaheon's unblinking red eyes stared at him. After a long pause—in which Agent Choi muffled a snort and Ho Yuwon's eye twitched in annoyance—Lee Jaheon confirmed simply, "Yes."
Right… Lee Jaheon was highly unsociable without D-squad. He must be in his mind more, too, his attention better spent with others in the collective. Kim Soleum sighed softly, his hands gripping the manual deftly.
"We're going to activate the Darkness for what reason?" asked Kim Soleum.
If Baekilmong was pushing for Lee Jaheon, one of their prized employees, to enter this ghost story, there had to be a reason. He looked at Director Ho for an answer, as the man was the one who was pushing this so hard.
"C-Class Dream Essence," was Director Ho's immediate reply. "However—" his eyes lit up as he dipped his head down to meet Kim Soleum's gaze better, "—it's been theorized that if certain parameters are met, it can rise to A-Class."
The group's attention returned to Ho Yuwon.
"You want to risk our lives for A-Class Dream Essence," Kim Soleum said, feeling the need to lay out what he was being told.
Ho Yuwon merely smiled. It was meerkat-like, as per usual. He was just a conniving bastard till the end. He looked at Kim Soleum and the rest with golden eyes that reflected his unattachment to the lives at stake.
Two lives would be taken every time agents were sent out on an exploration. The higher-ups must not care about that little fact, citing it as something for which the round-off team would be useful.
Yet Ho Yuwon was specifically sending Lee Jaheon out to it.
"Why not use the round-off team?" Kim Soleum asked, knowing how cold his words must look from the outside.
Even the bureau was aware of what the round-off team was. They had witnessed the top squads of Baekilmong send lower-tiered squad members off to die, with them being unable to resist orders.
"The round-off team is only so helpful," explained Ho Yuwon. "Yes, they'd die, but they would not be able to solve how to raise the classification of the Darkness. Sending more experienced agents will tell us how to build the Darkness up to A-Class sooner."
The director then pulled out a brick of a phone. Large and clanky with a small antenna, not unassuming like more smartphones were in the current age. Kim Soleum frowned at it, knowing instinctively that it was how the ghost story was activated.
"If you'd do the honors," Director Ho said, holding out the phone to Kim Soleum.
Agent Choi moved before he could. He took the outdated phone from Ho Yuwon's grip. Ho Yuwon rolled his eyes and concealed a harsh sigh. Kim Soleum ignored the director to give his seonbae a look.
"I don't trust it," said Agent Choi.
Smart. Kim Soleum didn't trust this either, but if Ho Yuwon showed himself like this, then there was no way that they'd walk away unharmed. This wasn't even something to be bartered. They'd be entering the Darkness, but only when pushed to.
Kim Soleum held out his hand. Agent Choi stared at it for a long moment before he passed him the phone.
Kim Soleum flipped through the manual he had been given, skipping right over Kwak Jekang's shitty writing, and to the activation of the ghost story. He pressed the buttons, entering the phone number that was longer than average, and then stopped.
He glanced up at Lee Jaheon. The lizard was the same as he had been this entire time. He wasn't overly worried about what would happen. Kim Soleum vowed to be more at ease like his chief was. His stress levels would go down considerably if he was more carefree.
Kim Soleum took a breath, looking over Agent Bronze and Agent Choi, seeing the way they smiled at him like they didn't even consider walking away from this because it was important to him.
He was hesitant to press down on the button. Kim Soleum's throat bobbed, his eyes seeking Ho Yuwon, who didn't look annoyed or angry, but quietly dismissive of any worry.
"Call it," Ho Yuwon urged.
"I will not until the Darkness Manual actually explains what happens. Whoever the author was did not record it correctly."
Kim Soleum kept his thumb hovering above the call button. The phone was heavy in his hand, but it was nothing compared to the weight of grief he carried with him as he survived this hellish world one day at a time.
The number was dialed, and they were set to enter the ghost story, but Kwak had to be messing with them. He handed over a manual that would have been approved through proper channels.
"Roe Deer-nim, precious minutes are being wasted. What if civilians fall into the Darkness because you aren't prompt with it?"
Guilt tripping, seriously? Kim Soleum's respect for Ho Yuwon was dwindling. There were so many different ways to convince someone to do something, but Ho Yuwon was starting with a guilt trip?
"I'm not comfortable asking those with me to—"
Whatever Kim Soleum was saying was cut off as the door popped open behind him. That's what he got for standing in front of a busy company building while arguing with his boss.
He barely managed to turn his head around as he fumbled with the phone to see a streak of familiar white hair and large green eyes. There was someone else too, but they were a step behind Lee Seonghae, hidden from view. All he caught sight of was a wisp of pulled-back hair.
Lee Seonghae's mouth opened in surprise at seeing him alive, but before she could say anything, a dial tone rang out. Kim Soleum had pressed down on the call button, activating the Darkness.
There was no time to process what happened. Before they knew it, they had been sucked into the game show, leaving a swinging door behind as the only witness.