Work Text:
The first rule of urban exploration was simple:
If a building has a giant sign saying DO NOT ENTER, don't enter.
Yang Jeongin had never been particularly good at following rules.
Which was why, at 11:47 p.m. on a Saturday night, he was standing outside an abandoned store with a camera in one hand and a flashlight in the other.
The faded sign above the entrance read:
JJAM
Underneath it, barely visible beneath years of grime:
CLOSED PERMANENTLY.
And, taped crookedly across the door:
DO NOT ENTER AFTER MIDNIGHT.
Jeongin stared at it.
"...That's incredibly specific."
He checked his phone.
11:48.
"Guess I better hurry."
The door creaked open.
Jeongin stepped inside.
Dust.
Darkness.
Rows of empty shelves.
Old posters peeling from the walls.
The place looked like it hadn't been touched in years.
He switched on his camera.
"Okay, guys. We're inside."
He whispered dramatically.
"According to the rumors, the JJam store was abandoned after the owner disappeared under mysterious circumstances."
A noise came from somewhere deeper inside.
Jeongin froze.
"...Probably a rat."
Another noise.
"...A very large rat."
He continued walking.
At 11:53, the music started.
Jeongin stopped.
It was faint.
A melody coming from somewhere upstairs.
He looked at the camera.
"Okay."
"...That's new."
He followed it.
The staircase groaned beneath his feet.
At the top was a narrow hallway.
At the very end stood a door.
Light spilled from underneath it.
Jeongin swallowed.
Then smiled.
"Interesting."
He opened it.
Someone was sitting behind a counter.
A young man.
Dark clothes.
Messy hair.
A silver earring catching the dim light.
He looked completely ordinary.
Except for one tiny problem.
His feet weren't touching the floor.
Jeongin stared.
The stranger stared back.
Neither spoke.
Finally—
"...Are you the cashier?"
The stranger's expression went blank.
"What?"
"Are you the cashier?"
"...You broke into my store."
"That's not an answer."
The stranger slowly looked down at his floating legs.
Then back at Jeongin.
"I'm dead."
Jeongin nodded thoughtfully.
"Ah."
A pause.
"That explains it."
"...You're not scared?"
"I mean..."
Jeongin looked him over.
"You don't look very scary."
The stranger looked offended.
"I've been haunting this place for years."
"Really?"
"Yes."
"Can you do ghost stuff?"
"...Ghost stuff?"
"Like float through walls."
The stranger sighed.
Then disappeared.
Jeongin jumped.
A second later, the stranger reappeared directly behind him.
"Like that."
Jeongin spun around.
His eyes widened.
"...That's actually really cool."
The ghost stared at him.
"You're supposed to scream."
"Why?"
"Because I'm a ghost."
"Yeah, but you're a pretty handsome ghost."
Silence.
Jeongin realized what he'd said.
"...I meant—"
The ghost's ears had turned red.
"...Never mind."
His name was Chan.
At least, that was what he remembered.
He had been tied to the store for longer than he could properly recall.
He couldn't leave.
He couldn't age.
And every person who entered eventually ran away.
Except Jeongin.
Jeongin came back the next night.
And the night after that.
And the night after that.
"You don't have to keep visiting."
Chan said one evening.
Jeongin was sitting on the counter, eating convenience-store chips.
"I know."
"So why do you?"
Jeongin shrugged.
"You're lonely."
Chan went quiet.
Jeongin offered him a chip.
Chan stared at it.
"...I can't eat."
"Oh."
Jeongin slowly put it back in the bag.
"Right."
A pause.
"Can ghosts drink?"
"No."
"Sleep?"
"No."
"Watch movies?"
"...Yes."
"Great."
Jeongin pulled out his laptop.
"Movie night."
Chan smiled.
"You really are strange."
"You're the ghost."
"Fair."
Their friendship became a routine.
Jeongin explored abandoned buildings during the day.
At night, he visited Chan.
He brought stories.
Photos.
Snacks Chan couldn't eat.
And terrible jokes.
Chan, in return, taught him every weird thing he could do.
He could make lights flicker.
Move small objects.
Walk through walls.
And, apparently, possess the store's ancient radio.
Jeongin was fascinated.
"You can control that?"
"Sometimes."
"Play something."
Chan did.
Music filled the store.
Jeongin smiled.
"Dance with me."
"I can't dance."
"You're literally dead. What's stopping you?"
"...My dignity."
"You have none."
Chan laughed.
And Jeongin realized something.
He really liked making Chan laugh.
One night, Jeongin brought his camera.
"Okay, introduce yourself."
Chan stared at the lens.
"No."
"Come on."
"No."
"Please?"
"No."
"Pretty please?"
"...Fine."
Jeongin grinned.
"Go."
Chan looked into the camera.
"Hello."
Jeongin waited.
"..."
"That's it?"
"What do you want me to say?"
"Tell them you're a ghost."
"I'm not telling strangers I'm a ghost."
Jeongin burst out laughing.
"You literally are one."
Chan shook his head.
"You are impossible."
Jeongin lowered the camera.
"You're cute when you're annoyed."
Chan froze.
Jeongin froze.
The camera continued recording.
"..."
"..."
Jeongin slowly turned away.
"Anyway!"
Chan covered his face.
"You cannot just say things like that."
"Why?"
"Because..."
He stopped.
Because what?
Jeongin looked at him.
Chan looked away.
"...Forget it."
The next evening, Jeongin arrived at 11:20.
The store was silent.
No music.
No flickering lights.
No Chan.
"Chan?"
Nothing.
He walked deeper inside.
"Chan?"
Still nothing.
Then he saw something behind the counter.
An old piece of paper.
His hands trembled as he picked it up.
NOTICE OF PERMANENT CLOSURE
MIDNIGHT — FINAL DATE
Jeongin checked the clock.
11:31.
His stomach dropped.
"Chan?"
A voice answered from behind him.
"Jeongin."
He turned.
Chan stood there.
But he looked different.
Fainter.
Almost transparent.
"...What's happening?"
Chan smiled sadly.
"The store is closing."
"So?"
"I'm tied to it."
Jeongin stared.
"No."
"Jeongin—"
"No."
He dropped the paper.
"There has to be something we can do."
"There isn't."
"There has to be."
"You can't save a building from being demolished."
"Watch me."
Chan laughed weakly.
"You're ridiculous."
"I'm serious."
"You can't fix this."
"Maybe not."
Jeongin stepped closer.
"But I'm not letting you disappear without trying."
They spent the next hour searching.
Old records.
Newspaper clippings.
Property documents.
Anything.
At 11:58, they found it.
A photograph.
Chan.
Standing outside the store.
Years ago.
Underneath it was a handwritten note:
He stayed because he promised he would keep the store safe.
Jeongin looked at Chan.
"You weren't haunting this place."
Chan's eyes widened.
"You were protecting it."
The clock ticked.
11:59.
The store began to shake.
Shelves rattled.
Lights flickered.
Chan's outline became almost invisible.
"Jeongin."
"No."
"Listen to me."
"No."
"You need to leave."
"I'm not leaving you."
"You have to."
The clock reached midnight.
The lights went out.
Silence.
Jeongin opened his eyes.
Morning sunlight streamed through broken windows.
The store was still standing.
But Chan was gone.
Jeongin's heart sank.
"Chan?"
Nothing.
He searched every room.
Nothing.
He sat behind the counter.
For the first time since he'd met him, the store felt completely empty.
Three days later, Jeongin returned.
He had spent every waking hour trying to figure out what happened.
He pushed open the door.
"Chan?"
A voice answered.
"You're late."
Jeongin froze.
Slowly, he turned.
Chan was standing by the window.
Solid.
Human.
Jeongin stared.
"...You're alive."
Chan smiled.
"Apparently."
Jeongin ran toward him.
Chan barely had time to react before Jeongin threw his arms around him.
"You disappeared!"
"I know."
"I thought you were gone!"
"I know."
"I almost cried."
Chan laughed.
"You definitely cried."
"I did not."
"You did."
"...Shut up."
They stood there for a moment.
Then Jeongin pulled back.
"So what happened?"
Chan looked toward the windows.
"I don't know."
"The store?"
"Still here."
"The curse?"
"Apparently broken."
"And you?"
Chan smiled.
"I'm free."
Jeongin smiled back.
"Good."
A pause.
"So..."
Chan raised an eyebrow.
"So?"
Jeongin rubbed the back of his neck.
"Now that you're not a ghost..."
"Yeah?"
"...Can I take you on an actual date?"
Chan stared.
Then laughed.
"That's what you've been waiting to ask?"
"Maybe."
"After breaking into my store?"
"It worked, didn't it?"
Chan shook his head.
"You're unbelievable."
Jeongin grinned.
"Is that a yes?"
Chan smiled.
"Yeah."
He held out his hand.
"This time, I'll meet you outside."
Jeongin took it.
"Deal."
As they walked toward the door, Jeongin glanced back at the old store.
The sign above it flickered once.
Then went dark.
He smiled.
Maybe some places weren't meant to be abandoned.
Maybe some people weren't meant to disappear.
And maybe...
breaking the first rule had been the best decision he'd ever made.
Although, technically, Jeongin still had one question.
"So..."
"Hm?"
"Can you still walk through walls?"
Chan smiled.
"Why?"
Jeongin's eyes lit up.
"I have so many buildings I want to explore."
Chan immediately groaned.
"Absolutely not."
"Please?"
"No."
"Come on!"
"I just escaped one supernatural disaster."
"You love me."
"...Unfortunately."
Jeongin grinned.
"That's basically a yes."
And somewhere behind them, the old store's radio crackled to life.
Playing their song.